Bragr
2024
One of the brilliant things about Balatro is that they retained the chance and luck of Poker.
The run you are on is completely dependent on finding the right cards, if you don't get the right joker with the multiplier you need, your hands will suffer.
This is what makes it work, if there was a set logic to it, you would figure it out and all the fun would be lost.
It's an awesome game, and in some ways, it reminds me of Papers Please. A small game with some smart rules that make it highly addicting.
The run you are on is completely dependent on finding the right cards, if you don't get the right joker with the multiplier you need, your hands will suffer.
This is what makes it work, if there was a set logic to it, you would figure it out and all the fun would be lost.
It's an awesome game, and in some ways, it reminds me of Papers Please. A small game with some smart rules that make it highly addicting.
2024
It's a better and more refined version of Tekken 7. It plays better and has superb customization options, and even though the story mode might have the dumbest narrative ever made, it's fun to watch.
It's great and can stand next to Street Fighter 6. Something Mortal Kombat One can't.
It's great and can stand next to Street Fighter 6. Something Mortal Kombat One can't.
2024
An hour of free fun with 20 small mazes.
A great third-person shooter that has aged a lot. I loved it when Ubisoft was in its golden age of tactical/stealth games. From Ghost Recon, to Splinter Cell, to Rainbow Six Vegas, these games required you to assess the situation before you rushed in, and Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 1 and 2 were some of the best games of their kind.
Sadly, the AI struggles, and on consoles it's so dark there are times you can't see shit. The UI is messy and it feels like you are controlling a tank with the way the aiming works.
But it's still highly satisfying to command a squad around and find the best position to engage the enemy. You can get taken out fast if you just rush out, so taking cover and making sure the coast is clear is important.
This sort of tactical third-person approach is not that common to see in games anymore, so I have an appreciation for these types of games.
Sadly, the AI struggles, and on consoles it's so dark there are times you can't see shit. The UI is messy and it feels like you are controlling a tank with the way the aiming works.
But it's still highly satisfying to command a squad around and find the best position to engage the enemy. You can get taken out fast if you just rush out, so taking cover and making sure the coast is clear is important.
This sort of tactical third-person approach is not that common to see in games anymore, so I have an appreciation for these types of games.
The first big release of 2024 delivers. The combat is impressively deep compared to other Metroidvanias, and the platforming is great too. I am also impressed with the soundtrack.
It was longer than I anticipated and harder than I anticipated. The balance is generally fine but they are certainly aiming at more hardcore fans of the Metroidvania genre as I can guarantee you that a lot of people will bounce off some of these bosses and drop the game.
I think this game will be like Hi-Fi Rush, a game that over-delivers and will be remembered fondly at the end of the year.
The only thing I didn't like was the extreme dependency on checking the map. I know this is normal in this genre but towards the last 5 hours, I felt like I was checking the map every 6 seconds.
And, while this might be a small complaint, I found the menus, character art, UI, and fonts to look like a mobile game. Everything is a little too big.
Still, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a great game that gets a lot of things right, it's one of the best Metroidvanias in years. Here's hoping for a sequel (even if that, unfortunately, seems unlikely given the poor sales).
It was longer than I anticipated and harder than I anticipated. The balance is generally fine but they are certainly aiming at more hardcore fans of the Metroidvania genre as I can guarantee you that a lot of people will bounce off some of these bosses and drop the game.
I think this game will be like Hi-Fi Rush, a game that over-delivers and will be remembered fondly at the end of the year.
The only thing I didn't like was the extreme dependency on checking the map. I know this is normal in this genre but towards the last 5 hours, I felt like I was checking the map every 6 seconds.
And, while this might be a small complaint, I found the menus, character art, UI, and fonts to look like a mobile game. Everything is a little too big.
Still, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a great game that gets a lot of things right, it's one of the best Metroidvanias in years. Here's hoping for a sequel (even if that, unfortunately, seems unlikely given the poor sales).
2021
Like Hitman 2, it offers fantastic levels with a lot to do. But it's still 96% the same in how it plays. I'm not sure what else to say, apart from describing the different levels, there is not much to speak about that you couldn't point out in Hitman 2.
It looks a bit better, but the next Hitman game needs to do something different, for Hitman 3 and its freelancer mode squeezes every last drop of blood out of the stone when it comes to this brand of opportunistic gameplay.
It looks a bit better, but the next Hitman game needs to do something different, for Hitman 3 and its freelancer mode squeezes every last drop of blood out of the stone when it comes to this brand of opportunistic gameplay.
A shorter Yakuza game that sets up Kiryu's story in Like a Dragon 8 and completes some of his character arcs. It sets up the passing of the torch to Ichiban Kasuga.
But while it has the tightest gameplay out of all the traditional real-time combat Yakuza games and has a good deal of quality-of-life improvements, its combat is still pure button-mashing.
It's always been the curse of these games, the bosses might require some dodging and tactics but the absurd amount of random encounters and waves of enemies are just button-mashing fodder that can get incredibly boring.
It also does that thing where you have to go into the menus to eat and heal, and you do that hundreds of times during the game. It's completely bizarre how the Yakuza games can't get a good heal system going. You just need to fill your inventory with food and you are as good as invincible with endless heals, but it's very tiresome having to menu spam constantly.
I did overall like the game because the story is good, and it does have some small gameplay improvements, but I find the turn-based approach a lot more fun and interesting than the constant button-mashing approach of these games.
But while it has the tightest gameplay out of all the traditional real-time combat Yakuza games and has a good deal of quality-of-life improvements, its combat is still pure button-mashing.
It's always been the curse of these games, the bosses might require some dodging and tactics but the absurd amount of random encounters and waves of enemies are just button-mashing fodder that can get incredibly boring.
It also does that thing where you have to go into the menus to eat and heal, and you do that hundreds of times during the game. It's completely bizarre how the Yakuza games can't get a good heal system going. You just need to fill your inventory with food and you are as good as invincible with endless heals, but it's very tiresome having to menu spam constantly.
I did overall like the game because the story is good, and it does have some small gameplay improvements, but I find the turn-based approach a lot more fun and interesting than the constant button-mashing approach of these games.
2023
It's a fun game.
2020
Intense game. I didn't like the the save system, as it only saves after a level is complete, but overall it plays great. Cool setting and great level design, both in the platforming parts and the combat parts, it's a super slick adrenaline-filled game worth playing if you want to feel the rush.
2023
Starfield is the definition of a mixed bag. The shipbuilding and outpost creation can be fun, and there is a lot to see and do, but the extreme focus on fast traveling, a mediocre campaign, and an AI that barely functions in combat means that the game stumbles constantly.
2023
Anno + Dungeon Keeper with some tower defense sprinkled on.
I think it's more fun the second time around because the first playthrough is more about learning and you end up with a messy city slapped together. But on the second playthrough, you can plan how to build because you know what you need later.
I think it's more fun the second time around because the first playthrough is more about learning and you end up with a messy city slapped together. But on the second playthrough, you can plan how to build because you know what you need later.
If you have seen a lot of trailers and gameplay, like I had, you will have seen a good deal of the first 1-2 hours of the game. As a result, I wasn't that into the game early on, it didn't surprise me, but as the game went on, it completely changed my mind.
The controls might be the best of any 2D platformer, it is responsive and weighty, accurate, and satisfying, and as the levels get harder, you will notice more and more how well it controls.
I wasn't sure how cool the Wonderflowers were gonna be, but there are great ideas throughout the game that keep them fun, from start to finish, every level feels like it's made by the best 2D level designers in the business.
There is a high level of polish, it feels like it was completed 2 years ago, and they spent the last 2 years perfecting it, and the visuals are some of the best on the platform. The audio is also on point, even the talking flowers work well in the context of the game.
The multiplayer is pretty solid too. I used the "Dark Souls shadow" mode for half the game, and it makes the game feel slightly different and more social when you see others play alongside you.
I was skeptical going into it, but this is the real deal, it's one of the best 2D platformers you can get and one of the best games of the year.
You can also finish it in 12 to 15 hours, which in my book is a good thing in an age where every game is 30-40 hours long.
The controls might be the best of any 2D platformer, it is responsive and weighty, accurate, and satisfying, and as the levels get harder, you will notice more and more how well it controls.
I wasn't sure how cool the Wonderflowers were gonna be, but there are great ideas throughout the game that keep them fun, from start to finish, every level feels like it's made by the best 2D level designers in the business.
There is a high level of polish, it feels like it was completed 2 years ago, and they spent the last 2 years perfecting it, and the visuals are some of the best on the platform. The audio is also on point, even the talking flowers work well in the context of the game.
The multiplayer is pretty solid too. I used the "Dark Souls shadow" mode for half the game, and it makes the game feel slightly different and more social when you see others play alongside you.
I was skeptical going into it, but this is the real deal, it's one of the best 2D platformers you can get and one of the best games of the year.
You can also finish it in 12 to 15 hours, which in my book is a good thing in an age where every game is 30-40 hours long.
2023
It's haunting and moody, it's different and wildly ambitious. What stands out to me is how good the production is and how the story comes together. The game looks and sounds absolutely fantastic.
But I have some issues, I think the combat has some mechanical problems (like dodge reaction time) and the movements are almost strangely slow, even under duress the two protagonists slowly half-jog around. There are also some times when the story pacing can be a bit skewed, at points the game slowed down a lot, and even if I generally liked the story I found myself barely engaged in combat for hours during some parts.
I can see that for some the story might be too vague and abstract in parts, but I like the uniqueness that Remedy brings.
It's a showcase game, it's like walking around in a dark fantasy. It's a labor of love, where every tree swings in the wind like they are trying to tell you something, every building evokes mystery, and the environment is chock full of details.
I think it's one of the best games of the year.
But I have some issues, I think the combat has some mechanical problems (like dodge reaction time) and the movements are almost strangely slow, even under duress the two protagonists slowly half-jog around. There are also some times when the story pacing can be a bit skewed, at points the game slowed down a lot, and even if I generally liked the story I found myself barely engaged in combat for hours during some parts.
I can see that for some the story might be too vague and abstract in parts, but I like the uniqueness that Remedy brings.
It's a showcase game, it's like walking around in a dark fantasy. It's a labor of love, where every tree swings in the wind like they are trying to tell you something, every building evokes mystery, and the environment is chock full of details.
I think it's one of the best games of the year.
2023
The climbing mechanics are solid, but I thought the game had a few drawbacks.
Some of the climbing gimmicks they introduce (like climbing on bugs), didn't do much for me and was slightly annoying. I enjoyed the first 30 minutes the most by far, where you just climb on normal rocks in a desert environment with good visibility all around you.
I have a problem with games that don't pace lore, for example, something like Deus Ex: Human Evolution, a game I love, but in that game, they place 4 PCs in a room all filled with e-mails, and it disrupts the game as you end up reading so much for so long. Jusant has that sort of problem, they spam lore, up to 5-6 letters in the same area, and the story is not great and ends up becoming frustrating to spend so much time on. If you read it all, maybe 15% of the game becomes just reading a rather silly backstory with no payoff. I highly recommend ignoring it.
The game also has some polish issues, I had one bug where I fell through the floor, and some of the later areas have a lot of polygon edges and some questionable animations. The character also struggles to climb some spaces where it feels he should climb.
All that said, the climbing is still fun enough to warrant playing.
Some of the climbing gimmicks they introduce (like climbing on bugs), didn't do much for me and was slightly annoying. I enjoyed the first 30 minutes the most by far, where you just climb on normal rocks in a desert environment with good visibility all around you.
I have a problem with games that don't pace lore, for example, something like Deus Ex: Human Evolution, a game I love, but in that game, they place 4 PCs in a room all filled with e-mails, and it disrupts the game as you end up reading so much for so long. Jusant has that sort of problem, they spam lore, up to 5-6 letters in the same area, and the story is not great and ends up becoming frustrating to spend so much time on. If you read it all, maybe 15% of the game becomes just reading a rather silly backstory with no payoff. I highly recommend ignoring it.
The game also has some polish issues, I had one bug where I fell through the floor, and some of the later areas have a lot of polygon edges and some questionable animations. The character also struggles to climb some spaces where it feels he should climb.
All that said, the climbing is still fun enough to warrant playing.
2015
A great master of a flawed but good FPS from the late 90's.
Things to note:
+ It's super fast and it feels great to move around and shoot, it feels like you are in a complete frenzy half the time, very satisfying
+ The original version shrouded everything in fog to be able to run it without lagging, in this remaster there is a lot less fog
+ The concept of playing as Turok fighting dinosaurs in open environments in a Quake-inspired shooter is a great idea, was refreshing back then when most shooters featured castle/industry/hell environments
- Half of the levels are very confusing and result in a lot of backtracking
- Respawning enemies
- You need to collect tokens to open up new levels, which really sucks the life outta the game when the levels become confusing to explore and you can't find them, it's really annoying and the game would be considerably better without it
- Some of the platforming later on can be annoying (there is quite a bit of platforming in Turok)
Things to note:
+ It's super fast and it feels great to move around and shoot, it feels like you are in a complete frenzy half the time, very satisfying
+ The original version shrouded everything in fog to be able to run it without lagging, in this remaster there is a lot less fog
+ The concept of playing as Turok fighting dinosaurs in open environments in a Quake-inspired shooter is a great idea, was refreshing back then when most shooters featured castle/industry/hell environments
- Half of the levels are very confusing and result in a lot of backtracking
- Respawning enemies
- You need to collect tokens to open up new levels, which really sucks the life outta the game when the levels become confusing to explore and you can't find them, it's really annoying and the game would be considerably better without it
- Some of the platforming later on can be annoying (there is quite a bit of platforming in Turok)