I'm writing this at 2:30am, after having spent about 13 hours straight doing what I thought was "the final stretch" :^) I'll try to keep it brief cause I'm tired but this game is big...
I really love this game. The combat took some getting used to, and it's not without its flaws, but man it just didn't get boring for me at all. The characters are great, as is the story and the music, it's a long ass journey but it's fulfilling. I also hugely appreciate customisable armour and played dress-up so much I prolly added 5 hours to my game time lol.
Now that said, it is a long. ass. journey... If you don't enjoy the combat or running around absolutely massive maps for 30-60 mins between cutscenes (with mob fights ofc) this will probably be a mega slog. Everything is so fucking far away I felt like I'd missed a car or some shit 2 chapters in cause it takes forever to get anywhere. This fucks the pacing at times as well, with some chapters ending with these big intense build-ups only for the next part to put a long walk between you and the next cutscene. Seriously at one part you load in, walk in a straight line with no enemies for 2 whole minutes, just to trigger another cutscene...
Anyway! Shut up I'm tired and I thought I'd be done hours ago but I wasn't and I'm kinda bummed but also I love it and I don't want it to be over so I'm gunna spend a small fortune on the sequel now okok
I really love this game. The combat took some getting used to, and it's not without its flaws, but man it just didn't get boring for me at all. The characters are great, as is the story and the music, it's a long ass journey but it's fulfilling. I also hugely appreciate customisable armour and played dress-up so much I prolly added 5 hours to my game time lol.
Now that said, it is a long. ass. journey... If you don't enjoy the combat or running around absolutely massive maps for 30-60 mins between cutscenes (with mob fights ofc) this will probably be a mega slog. Everything is so fucking far away I felt like I'd missed a car or some shit 2 chapters in cause it takes forever to get anywhere. This fucks the pacing at times as well, with some chapters ending with these big intense build-ups only for the next part to put a long walk between you and the next cutscene. Seriously at one part you load in, walk in a straight line with no enemies for 2 whole minutes, just to trigger another cutscene...
Anyway! Shut up I'm tired and I thought I'd be done hours ago but I wasn't and I'm kinda bummed but also I love it and I don't want it to be over so I'm gunna spend a small fortune on the sequel now okok
This one took me a while to get properly into, admittedly. The tone was a little different and I wasn't big into it for the first few hours. But at a certain point, it finds its feet, does away with all the shit I wasn't into and you know what? Yeah it's different to the first two even after that point, but I'd be lying if I said it wasn't damn fun.
As a Brit, patriotism is a little lost on me, but man if William J. Blazkowicz doesn't have an infectious attitude. This series is so good, I can't wait for Youngblood to implement girl power and co-op and definitely maintain the quality :')
As a Brit, patriotism is a little lost on me, but man if William J. Blazkowicz doesn't have an infectious attitude. This series is so good, I can't wait for Youngblood to implement girl power and co-op and definitely maintain the quality :')
Okay I won't lie, I started this back in 2019, got addicted for a little bit, spent ages grinding out challenges and collecting shards, got tired of it and came back 2+ years later, so my memory is foggy :p
That said, this game is a lot of fun. The combat is a little lacking and I would've personally preferred voice acting or more music, but the gravity mechanic is great fun (if a lil wobbly,) the music that is in it is great, the set pieces/costumes. ..etc are cool and the characters are sweet and charming too - at least from what I recall!
I'm hoping 2 improves on this and hopefully I can play that as a complete experience instead :)
That said, this game is a lot of fun. The combat is a little lacking and I would've personally preferred voice acting or more music, but the gravity mechanic is great fun (if a lil wobbly,) the music that is in it is great, the set pieces/costumes. ..etc are cool and the characters are sweet and charming too - at least from what I recall!
I'm hoping 2 improves on this and hopefully I can play that as a complete experience instead :)
This game was so boring it made me think about work
I really enjoyed this game. Some of the level designs were confusing, and it's really quite rude that it lets you play co-op for most of the game and then forces a solo final chapter on you, but otherwise this is all my shit.
Split levels made for easy co-op sessions, story was as interesting as it needed to be, characters were pretty funny. I played through with my gf so Neon never wore pants, it was a good time. Really liked the combat too.
Yeah, overall I had a lot of fun! :)
(seriously though it's a huge dick move to force solo on you at the end like bruh... I expect it'll lose marks from a lot of people for that)
Split levels made for easy co-op sessions, story was as interesting as it needed to be, characters were pretty funny. I played through with my gf so Neon never wore pants, it was a good time. Really liked the combat too.
Yeah, overall I had a lot of fun! :)
(seriously though it's a huge dick move to force solo on you at the end like bruh... I expect it'll lose marks from a lot of people for that)
2017
Given my long-lasting love for To The Moon, I was admittedly a little worried this wouldn't quite meet expectations. More fool me on that one.
Finding Paradise takes the concepts and characters that Moon created, and builds on just about everything it can without oversaturating or overcomplicating its message.
Moon shows us the journey of someone's life, and how changes to it could lead to a different path to fulfil a dream, Paradise is so, so much more human in its storytelling. Hell it's evident in the name, 'Finding Paradise', what does that even mean? It's not as clear cut, it's subjective, and when you're experiencing someone else's memories, there are a lot of interesting things to consider in terms of how to handle it.
Needless to say, I love it. These stories are beautiful and personal and I'd recommend to anyone.
Finding Paradise takes the concepts and characters that Moon created, and builds on just about everything it can without oversaturating or overcomplicating its message.
Moon shows us the journey of someone's life, and how changes to it could lead to a different path to fulfil a dream, Paradise is so, so much more human in its storytelling. Hell it's evident in the name, 'Finding Paradise', what does that even mean? It's not as clear cut, it's subjective, and when you're experiencing someone else's memories, there are a lot of interesting things to consider in terms of how to handle it.
Needless to say, I love it. These stories are beautiful and personal and I'd recommend to anyone.
2010
Let's fucking gooooo!!
This was so fucking awesome I'm still coming down from it. So much to say, all words lost to awe (and Miranda's ass)
This game started strong, with one of the best introductions to a game I've played, well, ever. The plot is set up superbly, and the changes to the core game make the whole thing feel familiar enough, but also set it aside from the first game. All in ways that feel natural and make sense. God it's maybe a perfect sequel honestly? Fuck I'm so hyped right now the adrenaline !!
While a perfect sequel, it's by no means a perfect game, let's get that outta the way, there were more glitches in the first 5-10 hours of this than in all of ME1, the most noticeable of which being characters cutting off their own sentences as if you'd hit the skip button. The combat still isn't amazing, but it's an improvement, and there are some funky animations and stuff but honestly I cared so little about all that shit because the game and its world are just so. damn. cool. Admittedly I prefer ME1's version of certain areas, but there's way too much about this game that I loved for me to shit on it.
The new locations and characters were (almost) all wins. Jacob is lame and is ruining our good name, but almost all of the other squadmates were ones I was happy talking to and enjoyed getting to know. The lack of Mako planet exploration meant no more copy+paste maps to run around on, thank God. And the levels themselves may not have been phenomenally designed across the board, but I liked em :)
Typically I juggle a few games, playing only an hour or two of each at a time, but this week it's been pretty much all ME2, all the fucken time baybeeee. I can't get enough. This review is so biased, I don't even care. Anyway I've rambled long enough, I love this game, easy 5/5, shame on teenage Jake for sleeping on it, pathetic little dweeb
Overall yes please more of this gimme.
P.S. Seriously tho Miranda did not need that much ass lmao
This was so fucking awesome I'm still coming down from it. So much to say, all words lost to awe (and Miranda's ass)
This game started strong, with one of the best introductions to a game I've played, well, ever. The plot is set up superbly, and the changes to the core game make the whole thing feel familiar enough, but also set it aside from the first game. All in ways that feel natural and make sense. God it's maybe a perfect sequel honestly? Fuck I'm so hyped right now the adrenaline !!
While a perfect sequel, it's by no means a perfect game, let's get that outta the way, there were more glitches in the first 5-10 hours of this than in all of ME1, the most noticeable of which being characters cutting off their own sentences as if you'd hit the skip button. The combat still isn't amazing, but it's an improvement, and there are some funky animations and stuff but honestly I cared so little about all that shit because the game and its world are just so. damn. cool. Admittedly I prefer ME1's version of certain areas, but there's way too much about this game that I loved for me to shit on it.
The new locations and characters were (almost) all wins. Jacob is lame and is ruining our good name, but almost all of the other squadmates were ones I was happy talking to and enjoyed getting to know. The lack of Mako planet exploration meant no more copy+paste maps to run around on, thank God. And the levels themselves may not have been phenomenally designed across the board, but I liked em :)
Typically I juggle a few games, playing only an hour or two of each at a time, but this week it's been pretty much all ME2, all the fucken time baybeeee. I can't get enough. This review is so biased, I don't even care. Anyway I've rambled long enough, I love this game, easy 5/5, shame on teenage Jake for sleeping on it, pathetic little dweeb
Overall yes please more of this gimme.
P.S. Seriously tho Miranda did not need that much ass lmao
2014
This was sweet, there's not a whole lot to it, but given that it's something of a prologue to the 'actual' game Finding Paradise it did well enough at hooking me in.
The music is nice as expected, and the level design was really interesting. There's not text or dialogue, and there doesn't need to be. Not much to say really, I hope Finding Paradise is satisfying lol
The music is nice as expected, and the level design was really interesting. There's not text or dialogue, and there doesn't need to be. Not much to say really, I hope Finding Paradise is satisfying lol
2007
I can't believe I never played this back in the day, what a ride! Sure the combat is mediocre, the animations and real-time cutscenes are iffy sometimes but come on if the good parts don't more than make up for them!
I didn't even mind running through the same copy+pasted bases and mines a dozen times on random uncharted planets, the world-building is next level and despite all its flaws it was addictive and enjoyable the whole time. I can't wait to start 2.
*The only real problem I have is - you guessed it - another trophy issue... I've completed the game, I've done over 40 side-assignments and yet the trophy for completing 'the majority of the game' hasn't popped. My gf got this before hitting the halfway point in the story and everyone online says they got it at ~55 total missions, I've done at least 60 :(
I didn't even mind running through the same copy+pasted bases and mines a dozen times on random uncharted planets, the world-building is next level and despite all its flaws it was addictive and enjoyable the whole time. I can't wait to start 2.
*The only real problem I have is - you guessed it - another trophy issue... I've completed the game, I've done over 40 side-assignments and yet the trophy for completing 'the majority of the game' hasn't popped. My gf got this before hitting the halfway point in the story and everyone online says they got it at ~55 total missions, I've done at least 60 :(
2011
After 8+ years I finally played this a second time in prep for the sequels.. Man. I'd forgotten the majority of the game, but I remembered how it made me feel being the first game ever to get me emotional.
Without saying too much, the game has aged well, and it definitely holds up. But it's clearer now than ever how much better it is going in with no expectations at all. Just let the game take you on its journey, it's a really special one. To me at least.
Without saying too much, the game has aged well, and it definitely holds up. But it's clearer now than ever how much better it is going in with no expectations at all. Just let the game take you on its journey, it's a really special one. To me at least.
I just want to open this by making clear that I played this after racking up over 85 hours in Project Diva Future Tone on PS4. So while I'm gunna compare the two a lot, this one is still great fun.
*For sake of ease, I'll be referring to buttons using an Xbox layout.
My biggest gripe with this entry is the difficulty. The notes are different to the later entries, in that hold notes are isolated (so you don't have to press B, Y or X whilst holding A, you release it before the next note) There are also no cases of pressing multiple buttons at once, so while Future Tone and Megamix might have you press A and B together, this will only ever make you press A and down together, or B and right together, which is a lot easier.
Along with the notes, the song maps themselves just seem to be easier, with tracks that I struggled with on Future Tone being easy to me on this, and not only because I have practice, but because there are less notes to hit in general and they're mapped in a way that's more comfortable. Couple that with the fact that you don't have a 'health bar' per se (so even if you miss a bunch of notes on a fast bit, so long as you do the rest of the song okay you can still pass) and the fact the accessories give you score boosts, it actually proved almost difficult to fail. I'm all for the game being accessible to all players, but the Extreme difficulty just didn't provide as much of a challenge as I'd hoped sadly.
That aside, final issue is the medleys! The medleys you unlock have some great songs in them, but you can only play parts of them during the medley, the full song is nowhere to be found, which kinda sucks.
Otherwise, controls are tight, modules are cute, a lot of the songs are bangers, and having some actual progression instead of just a tracklist was nice. I enjoyed it a lot (but I will prolly still mostly play FT in my free time :p)
*For sake of ease, I'll be referring to buttons using an Xbox layout.
My biggest gripe with this entry is the difficulty. The notes are different to the later entries, in that hold notes are isolated (so you don't have to press B, Y or X whilst holding A, you release it before the next note) There are also no cases of pressing multiple buttons at once, so while Future Tone and Megamix might have you press A and B together, this will only ever make you press A and down together, or B and right together, which is a lot easier.
Along with the notes, the song maps themselves just seem to be easier, with tracks that I struggled with on Future Tone being easy to me on this, and not only because I have practice, but because there are less notes to hit in general and they're mapped in a way that's more comfortable. Couple that with the fact that you don't have a 'health bar' per se (so even if you miss a bunch of notes on a fast bit, so long as you do the rest of the song okay you can still pass) and the fact the accessories give you score boosts, it actually proved almost difficult to fail. I'm all for the game being accessible to all players, but the Extreme difficulty just didn't provide as much of a challenge as I'd hoped sadly.
That aside, final issue is the medleys! The medleys you unlock have some great songs in them, but you can only play parts of them during the medley, the full song is nowhere to be found, which kinda sucks.
Otherwise, controls are tight, modules are cute, a lot of the songs are bangers, and having some actual progression instead of just a tracklist was nice. I enjoyed it a lot (but I will prolly still mostly play FT in my free time :p)
2021
This game progresses using your blinking, something I first thought of as 'an interesting gimmick', but quickly realised was so much more.
No matter how hard you try, you are never fully in control. There are scenes that are easier to keep your eyes open for, but any time you strain to stay in one part, you're risking the next being shorter. Without getting too poetic, the theme of 'life is fleeting' is heavily present throughout. You're going to miss information you wanted, that's just how it goes, and it makes for an oddly personal experience I think.
I don't want to say much about the story, but seeing someone else's life in this way was so impactful. You can't stay in the good times, you can't process the bad. The game - being true to life - simply goes on. The ending hits this point home the hardest.
If you have a camera and a couple hours give it a try.
No matter how hard you try, you are never fully in control. There are scenes that are easier to keep your eyes open for, but any time you strain to stay in one part, you're risking the next being shorter. Without getting too poetic, the theme of 'life is fleeting' is heavily present throughout. You're going to miss information you wanted, that's just how it goes, and it makes for an oddly personal experience I think.
I don't want to say much about the story, but seeing someone else's life in this way was so impactful. You can't stay in the good times, you can't process the bad. The game - being true to life - simply goes on. The ending hits this point home the hardest.
If you have a camera and a couple hours give it a try.
2020
There is something so cosy about sitting back and listening to people's "lives"
Playing this after VA-11 HALL-A I was worried it wouldn't hold up, and while it does feel much more compact and lacking in banter (and Jill), it still has a lot of the same charm, just in a different flavour. I hope they add more in the future releases, but I'll play them regardless.
If you liked cyberpunk bar vibes, why not give fantasy hipster coffeeshop vibes a try :)
Playing this after VA-11 HALL-A I was worried it wouldn't hold up, and while it does feel much more compact and lacking in banter (and Jill), it still has a lot of the same charm, just in a different flavour. I hope they add more in the future releases, but I'll play them regardless.
If you liked cyberpunk bar vibes, why not give fantasy hipster coffeeshop vibes a try :)
Four days ago I completed Wolfenstein: The New Order for the first time and made note in my review that neglecting the challenge perks was something I regretted. Over 3 of the 4 days since, I have played through the prequel completing all challenge perks and nightmare levels, as well as getting all collectibles, and honestly, it's been a delight.
This one is shorter than the last, and structured much more linearly with a little less in the way of characters, but personally I think I prefer that. In my review of New Order I commented on the fact I expected a plot to barely string along a series of missions, but now that I've played this - in which that's pretty much the case - perhaps I was wrong to assume that wouldn't be as fun!
Suffice to say, I am really digging ole Wolfy right now. I may even go for a cheeky platinum for this one if I can.
Overall I really enjoyed this. The nightmare levels were boring and a couple sections are a little BS, but I re-did so much of it anyway for the challenge perks it all blended together. That said, anytime a final boss has a threat attacking both you and your enemy, but the enemy still takes the time to shoot you even while the boss is killing them. Yeah that's dumb as fuck I'm sorry. Anyway fuck nazis o7
This one is shorter than the last, and structured much more linearly with a little less in the way of characters, but personally I think I prefer that. In my review of New Order I commented on the fact I expected a plot to barely string along a series of missions, but now that I've played this - in which that's pretty much the case - perhaps I was wrong to assume that wouldn't be as fun!
Suffice to say, I am really digging ole Wolfy right now. I may even go for a cheeky platinum for this one if I can.
Overall I really enjoyed this. The nightmare levels were boring and a couple sections are a little BS, but I re-did so much of it anyway for the challenge perks it all blended together. That said, anytime a final boss has a threat attacking both you and your enemy, but the enemy still takes the time to shoot you even while the boss is killing them. Yeah that's dumb as fuck I'm sorry. Anyway fuck nazis o7
2020
I kinda want to rate this higher but I just can't be bothered lmao. It's interesting and I wanted to see more of it than I did but everything takes soooo long.
There are no save states, so while you may have the means to get 3 endings right there in your pocket, you're gunna have to run around the map re-gathering all that from scratch, son. The atmosphere is great, the music is effective and the text is interesting, but I can't will myself to spend more time slowly "running" toward something to get the same item as my last run to be used in a different way.
If eery, obscure puzzles are for you (and you don't mind a LOT of repetition) I hope you enjoy this more than I did.
There are no save states, so while you may have the means to get 3 endings right there in your pocket, you're gunna have to run around the map re-gathering all that from scratch, son. The atmosphere is great, the music is effective and the text is interesting, but I can't will myself to spend more time slowly "running" toward something to get the same item as my last run to be used in a different way.
If eery, obscure puzzles are for you (and you don't mind a LOT of repetition) I hope you enjoy this more than I did.