Angry_Kurt
This has been on my steam wishlist for a while but after recently signing up to ps plus, I noticed it was on there so gave it a go.
I was expecting something like a mix between SIFU and Arkham combat, but I came away disappointed. The game is focused on combat but the combat just felt imprecise to me. It wasn't really clear to me how to read enemies actions and how to counter them effectively. It ended up being a bit too button mashy which wasn't particularly satisfying to play in a game where the focus is on combat.
I was expecting something like a mix between SIFU and Arkham combat, but I came away disappointed. The game is focused on combat but the combat just felt imprecise to me. It wasn't really clear to me how to read enemies actions and how to counter them effectively. It ended up being a bit too button mashy which wasn't particularly satisfying to play in a game where the focus is on combat.
There's a small chance I may come back to this one day as I did genuinely enjoy the turn based combat and I really wish it was mainly just going from battle to battle with some upgrading characters in between. But the time spent in the Abbey was just too long and boring for it to put me off pursuing with the game.
2020
Despite owning a PS5 for nearly 2 years now, I have only just got around to playing this game packed in the console. I had always heard how great it was and how it was still the best example of utilising the features of the PS5 controller. I'm glad I finally got around to it as it really was a delight to play. The stuff it does with the controller really is wonderful and definitely the best use of it I've experienced. Even ignoring that, it's a good 3D platformer in its own right. Furthermore there is all the nostalgia you get from unlocking various bits and pieces of random tech from PlayStations history and then saying the other Astrobots performing scenes from classic PlayStation games. The only thing I can criticise about it was that there was some very frustrating motion control bits with a rocket ship and the monkey climbing was also very annoying. But overall it was a great time and I hope Team Asobi get chance to make a fully fledged game in the future.
2021
Loved it other the final chapter which was a bit of an overlong slog. I love the story of the Judgment games, I’d go so far to say that they’re both in my top 5 videogame stories. The characters remain great, Yagami is my boy! I even think the combat felt a little better in this compared to the others I’ve played. I’d say the side stories are a little weaker too as none of them were particularly memorable but admittedly I didn’t do them all.
If you want a nice looking chilled out Nintendo game. It delivers that. It is very easy but sometimes that hits the spot, as it did with me. The highlight are the bosses which add a tiny bit more challenge and the music is really good too, but overall I don’t think it will live long in the memory. Probably a 6 or 7/10
Took me 26 hours and loved every second. I lost interest in the story very early on but everything else about it I really loved. The platforming and combat mechanics just felt spot on and it just felt like a top notch metroidvania to me. Special shout out to put to the boss battles too which I thought were mostly excellent and despite some of them taking me a while, I never got frustrated by them. Best game I’ve played this year and best metroidvania since Guacamelee 2 for me.
This was a fun little time. It's pretty short at around 5 hours which is really short even for a budget release and I had some frustrations with the platforming mechanics and enemy hit detection which seemed imprecise for a Mario game, but it provided me with some nice little brain teasers which scratched a similar itch to the Captain Toad games.
Overall I had a good time with it. If you like really fast and frenetic third person combat you will get a kick out of it. The combat reminds me of Doom 2016 as you are encouraged to be on the move and aggressive, then there is the aspect of picking up different types of ammo/health/shield depending on how you kill the enemy. It’s got a great script and I enjoyed the story, particularly the second half. For me it was let down by the repetitive mission design but the fun of the gameplay was enough for me to get past that. I was also slightly let down by the lack of creativity with collecting the riddler trophies compared to the arkham games but that’s a minor nitpick as I know most people didn’t go for all of them in the arkham games anyway. The world was also a disappointment, it didn't feel as rich as those Arkham games and felt rather empty. I am looking forward to going back for season one because the gameplay really was that fun for me.
Simply put, one of the best 2D platformers I've ever played and definitely my favourite 2D Mario game. From start to finish every level was a delight to play. The wonder seeds add some great spice to levels and the new abilities were mostly great (there was only really the bubble one I thought was a bit duff). Then there is the card system which encourages you to replay levels with different cards equipped in order to get to secret areas. It looks gorgeous too with some nice animation work on display. I don't think I will be going for 100% as I tried the special world levels and found them too tough and don't want to press on with them, get too frustrated and have them ruin my experience of a fantastic game. A great way to kick off the year.
2023
I’m glad I played it, I found it very moreish as it has a nice gameplay loop but I think I’ve had my fill with it after 17 hours. I’m not really tempted to go back to the previous games and not even sure I’d play another, but it’s certainly unique as I would say it’s quite different to even Tinykin despite the comparisons between both games. 7/10
2023
I was quite enjoying this at first but grew less fond of it the further I got into the game. It's full of charm and I loved the new art style but by the end I just felt like I was on autopilot in the battles, other than in the bosses which require some more thought. I have had a similar problem with the few other turn based RPGs I 've played like the Pokemon games and Yakuza Like a Dragon. I imagine you will have got more out of this if you played the original.
2023
Unfortunately I think I'm done with Alan Wake 2. The atmosphere is great and story intriguing, but I'm not enjoying the combat at all and the last straw yesterday was a puzzle in the Coffee park gift shop that I just couldn't figure out. I had a word with myself and asked if I was actually enjoying myself overall or if I would rather be playing something else and decided it was probably the latter. Maybe I will go back to it at some point in a quiet period.
Of the few PS5 exclusives we’ve had this would have to be my favourite so far but that’s not to say i thought it was brilliant as to me it just felt like more of the same, but when that same was so good to begin with that’s no bad thing. The combat I find to be fantastic fun and I never got bored of it, as is traversing New York. The story kept me thoroughly engaged with some great emotional beats towards the end.
What makes me say it’s not amazing though? Well I thought the side missions were still repetitive like the first game and the bosses were overall quite poor, they looked fantastic in terms of spectacle but they all boiled down to each one having similar moves and those moves wouldn’t change between phases, it would just be that their health would replenish and you go again. Some of them had far too many phases too. Overall though had a good time.
What makes me say it’s not amazing though? Well I thought the side missions were still repetitive like the first game and the bosses were overall quite poor, they looked fantastic in terms of spectacle but they all boiled down to each one having similar moves and those moves wouldn’t change between phases, it would just be that their health would replenish and you go again. Some of them had far too many phases too. Overall though had a good time.
2023
I gave this game about 8 hours and don't think I will be returning soon. The main reason is because it has suddenly started crashing my steamdeck after a few minutes of play, however I was thinking on stopping anyway.
In the beginning, the game loop of fishing and upgrading the ship was very moreish and I was waiting for the story to add an extra layer on top of that but I can't say it grabbed me at all. A lot of the story and lore is presented via finding books and messages which I am never a fan of in games as I don't want to spend my time reading in a game unless that is the main gameplay like in Disco Elysium. I then also found that the plot wasn't driving forward in an interesting way, there didn't seem to be any big events or twists happening to drive it forward. Plus I have heard from others that the ending is a bit flat.
The tone and atmosphere though is really well done, as is the art style. Maybe I will go back to finish it before the year is out but right now on the eve of Spiderman 2 and Mario Wonder, there are other things I would rather be playing.
In the beginning, the game loop of fishing and upgrading the ship was very moreish and I was waiting for the story to add an extra layer on top of that but I can't say it grabbed me at all. A lot of the story and lore is presented via finding books and messages which I am never a fan of in games as I don't want to spend my time reading in a game unless that is the main gameplay like in Disco Elysium. I then also found that the plot wasn't driving forward in an interesting way, there didn't seem to be any big events or twists happening to drive it forward. Plus I have heard from others that the ending is a bit flat.
The tone and atmosphere though is really well done, as is the art style. Maybe I will go back to finish it before the year is out but right now on the eve of Spiderman 2 and Mario Wonder, there are other things I would rather be playing.
Not my favourite Call of Duty campaign ever. Graphically it was stunning and the core gameplay is fun, but there weren’t any stand out missions that I’ll remember like there has been in the 2 most recent modern warfare campaigns and the story didn’t grab me either so ended up skipping the cut scenes. I must give a shout out to the WW2 guns though which were incredibly visceral to use with great sound design.