BreakingBacklog
Not bad at all. A bit buggy and inconsistent with some of the controls, but also got much more fun as I got the hang of the controls. Building momentum and staying off the ground feels incredible, but losing that momentum due to something you hardly have any control over can be deflating.
I appreciate the commitment to the art style, regardless of the general opinion on it (I think it mostly looks great and separates itself from other games in the genre). Some of the cutscenes were a bit rough, and the style of them changing scene to scene was kind of distracting.
Really hope they can iron out some of the control issues either in an update or a sequel, because overall I had a great time with this game, and I think it deserves a bit more time spent on it.
I appreciate the commitment to the art style, regardless of the general opinion on it (I think it mostly looks great and separates itself from other games in the genre). Some of the cutscenes were a bit rough, and the style of them changing scene to scene was kind of distracting.
Really hope they can iron out some of the control issues either in an update or a sequel, because overall I had a great time with this game, and I think it deserves a bit more time spent on it.
Really just more of the last game, but with some slightly more fun and unique stage gimmicks. First game was already oozing with personality and charm, and this one somehow improved upon that. I'd probably return to this one at some point for better high scores.
I feel like this is the most "vanilla" Kirby experience available right now, and that is by no means a bad thing. All of the ingredients you would expect in a 2D Kirby game are here, with no caveats. All of the copy abilities serve a purpose and have unique play styles. the levels are simple but fun and mostly unique. the side content is sizeable and gives players plenty to do after the main game. Its all here and I really have no complaints. An easy, breezy little game that feels just right.
A pretty good effort for their first full on JRPG. While a bit bare bones, the game is mechanically solid, and pretty nice to look at.
Coming at this one as a newcomer to Granblue, I thought the introduction to the characters and the world was well done, with lots of lore to read for catching up. I thought the story as a whole was pretty bland, with not a lot of character development or unique ideas, just a pretty straight forward anime filler arc. The main story was surprisingly short, with small a handful of unique locations to explore, and only one of them being somewhat nonlinear. Side quests were also extremely basic, having only a small blurb of text for each one along with a list of enemies to defeat. The quests you can receive from the quest counter help to increase replayability, and kind of blend the mobile game structure into Relink, allowing for quick bursts of combat and grinding without any hassle.
The combat is luckily pretty fun, though a bit simple once you find a character you really like. All of them have a short list of combos and special attacks, so mastery does not take long. Personally, I think this game would be a lot more fun to play with the ability to swap characters mid battle, similar to ff7 Remake. Some sort of elemental combo system like Genshin Impact or multi-character combos of some kind could bring the gameplay to a new level.
Hoping Cygames continues to put out full console games, since they have made some of the more engaging mobile games that I've tried. I think they could knock a second game out of the park if they go for a more traditional RPG structure with an actual world to explore, a deep story, and meaningful character arcs.
Coming at this one as a newcomer to Granblue, I thought the introduction to the characters and the world was well done, with lots of lore to read for catching up. I thought the story as a whole was pretty bland, with not a lot of character development or unique ideas, just a pretty straight forward anime filler arc. The main story was surprisingly short, with small a handful of unique locations to explore, and only one of them being somewhat nonlinear. Side quests were also extremely basic, having only a small blurb of text for each one along with a list of enemies to defeat. The quests you can receive from the quest counter help to increase replayability, and kind of blend the mobile game structure into Relink, allowing for quick bursts of combat and grinding without any hassle.
The combat is luckily pretty fun, though a bit simple once you find a character you really like. All of them have a short list of combos and special attacks, so mastery does not take long. Personally, I think this game would be a lot more fun to play with the ability to swap characters mid battle, similar to ff7 Remake. Some sort of elemental combo system like Genshin Impact or multi-character combos of some kind could bring the gameplay to a new level.
Hoping Cygames continues to put out full console games, since they have made some of the more engaging mobile games that I've tried. I think they could knock a second game out of the park if they go for a more traditional RPG structure with an actual world to explore, a deep story, and meaningful character arcs.
2023
This is the New Super Mario Bros. U of Sonic games. It functions, it overall plays pretty well, the graphics are clean and simple, but wow is it just so bland.
For starters, I appreciate that they went with all new zones for this one. No green hill zone or chemical plant, thank God. Some of the stage gimmicks were kinda neat, like the big drone in press factory. I just wish this game had more of a unique style/identity, which most Sonic games have no problem with. It just lacks that unique Sonic vibe, and the OST isn't doing it any favors.
I thought the emerald powers were a really solid concept, but went way underutilized, at least in my playthrough. Most of them just have highly specific use cases, and in the moment when I'm focused on going fast, I don't stop to think about opening up the ability wheel.
Collectables were also pretty lame, since they are restricted to the online multiplayer. A simple incentive could have involved letting players use their custom character in the main game.
Overall, a solid attempt. The gameplay fundamentals are solid, and a decent portion of the stages were fun to play through. I just can't justify this game being $60, since Sonic Mania is overall more complete, more fun, and far less cost.
For starters, I appreciate that they went with all new zones for this one. No green hill zone or chemical plant, thank God. Some of the stage gimmicks were kinda neat, like the big drone in press factory. I just wish this game had more of a unique style/identity, which most Sonic games have no problem with. It just lacks that unique Sonic vibe, and the OST isn't doing it any favors.
I thought the emerald powers were a really solid concept, but went way underutilized, at least in my playthrough. Most of them just have highly specific use cases, and in the moment when I'm focused on going fast, I don't stop to think about opening up the ability wheel.
Collectables were also pretty lame, since they are restricted to the online multiplayer. A simple incentive could have involved letting players use their custom character in the main game.
Overall, a solid attempt. The gameplay fundamentals are solid, and a decent portion of the stages were fun to play through. I just can't justify this game being $60, since Sonic Mania is overall more complete, more fun, and far less cost.
Its a wonder that I actually played this game all the way through, considering it has so many classic RPG mechanics that I tend to despise, along with a pretty disappointing story, and somewhat bland characters.
From what little I knew about Star Ocean going into this game, I was expecting a sci-fi cross fantasy adventure, but what I got was a vanilla fantasy adventure with a dash of sci-fi at the beginning and end of the game. Only two party members actually come from the sci-fi side of things, and both wield basic fantasy weapons. The story is just a basic "go and beat the demon king" with extra twists toward the beginning and end involving time travel and advanced technology. Was really hoping for some deeper interactions between characters from different planets and some unique characters arcs, but none of them really get the time they need to feel unique. The whole pick your own party thing seems like a great strength for this game's replay value, but I feel it hurts the story more than it helps gameplay wise.
Battles are very straightforward and don't really require much of the player. Most of the challenge comes from properly equipping your party, and positioning on the battlefield. For such a basic battle system, it stinks that random encounters are constant everywhere except towns.
This game also has so many little systems to learn through the main Skill system. The game wants you to constantly experiment with these systems since so many of the good pieces of equipment come from crafting, smithing, etc. But then barely explains any of it, and makes all success rates extremely low unless you are good at a couple other systems, have a lucky item, play a certain song, etc. Just found these systems more cumbersome and picky than fun and encouraging.
All that being said, there were enough enjoyable portions to this game that made it worth getting through. For one, I really appreciated the PS1 style graphics, with expressive spritework and nostalgic pre-rendered backgrounds. Also, despite the combat being simple, it got me through the game without feeling tired of it. The ability to change characters at any point was appreciated, and encouraged me to try out new characters as I got them.
From what little I knew about Star Ocean going into this game, I was expecting a sci-fi cross fantasy adventure, but what I got was a vanilla fantasy adventure with a dash of sci-fi at the beginning and end of the game. Only two party members actually come from the sci-fi side of things, and both wield basic fantasy weapons. The story is just a basic "go and beat the demon king" with extra twists toward the beginning and end involving time travel and advanced technology. Was really hoping for some deeper interactions between characters from different planets and some unique characters arcs, but none of them really get the time they need to feel unique. The whole pick your own party thing seems like a great strength for this game's replay value, but I feel it hurts the story more than it helps gameplay wise.
Battles are very straightforward and don't really require much of the player. Most of the challenge comes from properly equipping your party, and positioning on the battlefield. For such a basic battle system, it stinks that random encounters are constant everywhere except towns.
This game also has so many little systems to learn through the main Skill system. The game wants you to constantly experiment with these systems since so many of the good pieces of equipment come from crafting, smithing, etc. But then barely explains any of it, and makes all success rates extremely low unless you are good at a couple other systems, have a lucky item, play a certain song, etc. Just found these systems more cumbersome and picky than fun and encouraging.
All that being said, there were enough enjoyable portions to this game that made it worth getting through. For one, I really appreciated the PS1 style graphics, with expressive spritework and nostalgic pre-rendered backgrounds. Also, despite the combat being simple, it got me through the game without feeling tired of it. The ability to change characters at any point was appreciated, and encouraged me to try out new characters as I got them.
2018
I don't know why I waited so long to play this one, but wow, what a game. A risky reinvention of the beloved God of War formula that works in almost every way. The combat feels so darn good, and pushes you to experiment. Throwing the axe has to be one of the best feeling mechanics in gaming period.
The world is one of the most beautiful ones you will see in gaming, and is so fun to just exist in. The story is simple but so personal to these characters, and it wraps up perfectly. Even the side quests feed back into the overall theme.
Its unfortunate that this game did not get just a bit more time in the oven, as the only real downfall of this game is the repetitive enemy types. This is literally the single problem I have with this game, but it is strongly felt by the end.
The world is one of the most beautiful ones you will see in gaming, and is so fun to just exist in. The story is simple but so personal to these characters, and it wraps up perfectly. Even the side quests feed back into the overall theme.
Its unfortunate that this game did not get just a bit more time in the oven, as the only real downfall of this game is the repetitive enemy types. This is literally the single problem I have with this game, but it is strongly felt by the end.
Spark 3 builds a lot on the last game, with a better sense of overall control (especially in high speed scenarios and loops), larger levels, and fun stage gimmicks. Probably one of (if not the best) 3D Sonic-like games so far. Controls are tight and make sense. Speed is exhilarating but never out of control. Levels are just the right length with multiple paths, shortcuts, and optional collectibles. When focusing on high speed platforming, this game has extremely high highs.
This game also offers a lot of optional challenge levels, some of which are just as fun as the main levels, which is impressive.
In my opinion, the combat is still pretty weak in this game, but also still stays out of the way for those who want to skip it outside of the bosses.
Unfortunately, just like the last game, the story is unnecessary, ridiculous, and so self-serious. I couldn't figure out how to skip cutscenes, which is awful considering the ridiculous length of some of them and their general bland presentation (some are just stills put on a TV screen with some text... and these tended to be the longest!). I really hope that future installments simplify the story, or get someone else to write it entirely.
One last note is that this game does not hide its inspiration at all, for better or worse. several levels feel directly ripped from Sonic Adventure 2. Luckily, these levels often play far better than the original counterparts, but I would like to see more originality in future games, like the protest city levels.
This game also offers a lot of optional challenge levels, some of which are just as fun as the main levels, which is impressive.
In my opinion, the combat is still pretty weak in this game, but also still stays out of the way for those who want to skip it outside of the bosses.
Unfortunately, just like the last game, the story is unnecessary, ridiculous, and so self-serious. I couldn't figure out how to skip cutscenes, which is awful considering the ridiculous length of some of them and their general bland presentation (some are just stills put on a TV screen with some text... and these tended to be the longest!). I really hope that future installments simplify the story, or get someone else to write it entirely.
One last note is that this game does not hide its inspiration at all, for better or worse. several levels feel directly ripped from Sonic Adventure 2. Luckily, these levels often play far better than the original counterparts, but I would like to see more originality in future games, like the protest city levels.
One of the best modern 3D platformers right next to Mario. Astro controls perfectly and the levels creative with fun enemies and occasional gimmicks. Includes some bonus challenge levels and fun collectibles for those that want to spend a bit more time playing. A fantastic use of the VR technology that I hope they continue to experiment with.
1991
The first level is pretty fun, the rest of the game... not so much
The best 3D Sonic-like game other than Spark 3! This game is so darn fun that I am genuinely curious how a Sonic game on par with this has not been made. Levels are unique and so well thought out. Combat is simple but gets the job done and doesn't get in the way. Graphics are also simple but work well with the high speed gameplay. And you do go pretty darn fast in this one, but rarely lose control or feel like you're on auto pilot.
My biggest problem with this game was the story and character designs. It takes itself too seriously and just comes off as overdramatic and unnecessary. Character designs felt weird to me as well. They lack a certain amount of cohesiveness, and all kind of feel like the creator's OC's just thrown into one game because they looked cool. Ultimately though, this is just personal preference and the game remains extremely fun and replayable.
NOTE: If you have not played Spark 2 yet, I would suggest picking up Spark 3 instead, as it also contains all of the levels from 2, as well as some gameplay improvements.
My biggest problem with this game was the story and character designs. It takes itself too seriously and just comes off as overdramatic and unnecessary. Character designs felt weird to me as well. They lack a certain amount of cohesiveness, and all kind of feel like the creator's OC's just thrown into one game because they looked cool. Ultimately though, this is just personal preference and the game remains extremely fun and replayable.
NOTE: If you have not played Spark 2 yet, I would suggest picking up Spark 3 instead, as it also contains all of the levels from 2, as well as some gameplay improvements.
2022
A brand new format for Sonic games, and one that I genuinely hope gets more than just one entry. Despite its shortcomings, I still had a decent time with this one.
The "open zone" format makes a lot of sense for Sonic. I had a blast zipping through open fields, discovering the numerous small challenges scattered about. Combat is extremely simple and easy to master, but overall satisfying and rarely overstays its welcome. The boss fights are actually some of the best in the series, with thrilling music fitting the epic fight on screen.
Unfortunately, as is the case with most Sonic games, this one has some severe shortcomings and things that I would consider to be extremely questionable game design. First, the cyberspace levels needed a lot more polish. I thought the reuse of levels from previous games was smart and probably cut development time considerably, but the controls of this game simply do not match up with these older levels, causing some awkward turns or unexpected loss of momentum.
Speaking of controls, there were some very odd choices made with this game regarding Sonic's moveset. For example, homing attacks actually send Sonic slightly backwards, and pretty much ruin any sense of speed or forward movement. There is also a mechanic in the overworld where you can get a massive speed boost for maximizing your ring count, but I almost always found this burdensome, since the various platforming challenges were not created with this speed in mind.
My final critique has to do with the overworld challenges. a majority of the platforming sections in this game consist of grinding on rails (no input required), bouncing on springs (using a single homing attack), or climbing/running on walls (also rarely requiring much input). This results in a game that a lot of the time seems to run on auto pilot, where I'm watching Sonic zip around in the air as I occasionally press square. Future games need to give the player much more agency in the average platforming challenge.
I also think the overall art direction was fine for this game as an experiment with open world design, but future games will need to push for more color and unique looking zones. Enough with green hill zone and chemical plant! There are other fantastic themes to draw from, or maybe even create some new ones!
If Sonic Team listens to feedback for this game and are given enough time to create a proper sequel, I think we could have a genuinely fantastic 3D Sonic game for the first time in what has seemed like an eternity.
The "open zone" format makes a lot of sense for Sonic. I had a blast zipping through open fields, discovering the numerous small challenges scattered about. Combat is extremely simple and easy to master, but overall satisfying and rarely overstays its welcome. The boss fights are actually some of the best in the series, with thrilling music fitting the epic fight on screen.
Unfortunately, as is the case with most Sonic games, this one has some severe shortcomings and things that I would consider to be extremely questionable game design. First, the cyberspace levels needed a lot more polish. I thought the reuse of levels from previous games was smart and probably cut development time considerably, but the controls of this game simply do not match up with these older levels, causing some awkward turns or unexpected loss of momentum.
Speaking of controls, there were some very odd choices made with this game regarding Sonic's moveset. For example, homing attacks actually send Sonic slightly backwards, and pretty much ruin any sense of speed or forward movement. There is also a mechanic in the overworld where you can get a massive speed boost for maximizing your ring count, but I almost always found this burdensome, since the various platforming challenges were not created with this speed in mind.
My final critique has to do with the overworld challenges. a majority of the platforming sections in this game consist of grinding on rails (no input required), bouncing on springs (using a single homing attack), or climbing/running on walls (also rarely requiring much input). This results in a game that a lot of the time seems to run on auto pilot, where I'm watching Sonic zip around in the air as I occasionally press square. Future games need to give the player much more agency in the average platforming challenge.
I also think the overall art direction was fine for this game as an experiment with open world design, but future games will need to push for more color and unique looking zones. Enough with green hill zone and chemical plant! There are other fantastic themes to draw from, or maybe even create some new ones!
If Sonic Team listens to feedback for this game and are given enough time to create a proper sequel, I think we could have a genuinely fantastic 3D Sonic game for the first time in what has seemed like an eternity.