10 reviews liked by Colton
Kid Icarus: Uprising
2012
would be a 10 but palu isn't a bbw and this is stuck ON THE 3DS
This review contains spoilers
looking back on it 6 years after i first played it, i'm kind of surprised how I'm still part of the scant few that manage to "get" the ending but really just not resonate with the overall themes-- which is even more surprising considering the amount of VNs I've visited in that time with similar messages that I HAVE enjoyed.
I felt like the actual mystery could have served to intertwine itself with the overall narrative even more, and I'm just left unsatisfied with the direction the twists took. Not that I don't appreciate what it's going for. It's more so what the final trial was trying to prove didn't quite hit me right.
Not much of the story, looking back, really CHANGED for me upon discovering the truths of the mystery, which, to some extent, I understand is the point. However... Narratively? Idk. Just feels unfulfilling. As if they could've played more with the metafiction narrative. Where the previous entries force the main cast to contend with the differing realities between what they're experiencing and what they're being told is reality, V3 leaves so much to be desired.
For example, in DR1, pictures of the students' past lives would be left as bread crumbs. And it's chilling to look back on those moments in those specific chapters, understanding DR1's reality.
Another example: in DR2, the characters are told explicitly just as much as the DR1 cast knew: that their memories were ripped and that humanity outside of the killing game fell to "The Tragedy". It was information that left the cast confused, and served to propel the final themes the entry ended upon of creating one's own future.
Feel free to disagree with me but... V3 doesn't really have much of that imo. Very little of the game forces the main cast aside from the final survivors to contend with the true message and true reality of the game, that being the power of fiction and how it can impact reality. There definitely are thematic connections to this idea.
More often than not, however, these examples of the themes at play feel so loosely connected from the idea of storytelling, specifically, that it almost feels like V3 tries to justify its themes via word association by changing "lies" to "fiction" and "truth" to "reality" rather than nuanced, interwoven connections a la its predecessors, which did this pretty well, in spite of their simplicity.
It's crazy saying all this, though, because it implies I'd dislike the game but really, it just left me kinda unsatisfied. V3 houses some of the best characters in the whole series for me. Gonta is so lovable. Angie fulfills the itch in me that loves understanding cults and their psychology. Miu, despite having a grating gimmick, is a character I have no choice but to inherently feel a sense of kinship with, being an engineer. Oma's a really fun, layered wild card. Who can dislike Kaito's "Kamina"-esque role? And, for as straightforward as her arc is, I really do enjoy Maki as a "detective's assistant" type character.
Perhaps the only favorite of mine I have to pick a bone with is Shuichi. His arc really is spectacular and REALLY plays with V3's themes strongly but... Using a bait and switch by killing off Kaede to make the MC another shy boy uncertain of his identity whose arc is about attaining direction and confidence just kinda BLOWS, man. For as good at it is (and it REALLY is), I can't help but feel bitter at Kaede being shelved in purpose of serving Shuichi's character.
(on that note, i always did feel like cutting Rantaro off from the story felt like a creative misstep. I mean, I get his mysteries were supposed to die alongside him, but he introduced a level of calmness and style never sincerely brought into the series before. It's a shame Kodaka didn't end up using more of that energy to explore character dynamics.) But that's neither here nor there.
And perhaps this whole rambling piece is neither here nor there. Like I stated at the beginning: it's been 6 years, yet not much of how I feel about this one has changed when I first played it. Makes me sad, knowing how much Danganronpa meant to a younger version of myself. But, oh well. They can't all be bangers
I felt like the actual mystery could have served to intertwine itself with the overall narrative even more, and I'm just left unsatisfied with the direction the twists took. Not that I don't appreciate what it's going for. It's more so what the final trial was trying to prove didn't quite hit me right.
Not much of the story, looking back, really CHANGED for me upon discovering the truths of the mystery, which, to some extent, I understand is the point. However... Narratively? Idk. Just feels unfulfilling. As if they could've played more with the metafiction narrative. Where the previous entries force the main cast to contend with the differing realities between what they're experiencing and what they're being told is reality, V3 leaves so much to be desired.
For example, in DR1, pictures of the students' past lives would be left as bread crumbs. And it's chilling to look back on those moments in those specific chapters, understanding DR1's reality.
Another example: in DR2, the characters are told explicitly just as much as the DR1 cast knew: that their memories were ripped and that humanity outside of the killing game fell to "The Tragedy". It was information that left the cast confused, and served to propel the final themes the entry ended upon of creating one's own future.
Feel free to disagree with me but... V3 doesn't really have much of that imo. Very little of the game forces the main cast aside from the final survivors to contend with the true message and true reality of the game, that being the power of fiction and how it can impact reality. There definitely are thematic connections to this idea.
More often than not, however, these examples of the themes at play feel so loosely connected from the idea of storytelling, specifically, that it almost feels like V3 tries to justify its themes via word association by changing "lies" to "fiction" and "truth" to "reality" rather than nuanced, interwoven connections a la its predecessors, which did this pretty well, in spite of their simplicity.
It's crazy saying all this, though, because it implies I'd dislike the game but really, it just left me kinda unsatisfied. V3 houses some of the best characters in the whole series for me. Gonta is so lovable. Angie fulfills the itch in me that loves understanding cults and their psychology. Miu, despite having a grating gimmick, is a character I have no choice but to inherently feel a sense of kinship with, being an engineer. Oma's a really fun, layered wild card. Who can dislike Kaito's "Kamina"-esque role? And, for as straightforward as her arc is, I really do enjoy Maki as a "detective's assistant" type character.
Perhaps the only favorite of mine I have to pick a bone with is Shuichi. His arc really is spectacular and REALLY plays with V3's themes strongly but... Using a bait and switch by killing off Kaede to make the MC another shy boy uncertain of his identity whose arc is about attaining direction and confidence just kinda BLOWS, man. For as good at it is (and it REALLY is), I can't help but feel bitter at Kaede being shelved in purpose of serving Shuichi's character.
(on that note, i always did feel like cutting Rantaro off from the story felt like a creative misstep. I mean, I get his mysteries were supposed to die alongside him, but he introduced a level of calmness and style never sincerely brought into the series before. It's a shame Kodaka didn't end up using more of that energy to explore character dynamics.) But that's neither here nor there.
And perhaps this whole rambling piece is neither here nor there. Like I stated at the beginning: it's been 6 years, yet not much of how I feel about this one has changed when I first played it. Makes me sad, knowing how much Danganronpa meant to a younger version of myself. But, oh well. They can't all be bangers
Valorant
2020
neon hot
Jelly Boy
1995
Y'know how some games just stink of Britishness? I'm not talking about them having Union Jacks or the Queen in them or anything like that - there's just something about the way the characters are drawn and the way the levels named and all the crass attempts at humour in some games - 90s ones in particular - where you can just feel that they were made by some awful little British dude pecking away on a tobacco-stained Amstrad CPC. Jelly Boy is a prime example of this phenomena.
Bravely Default II
2021
Did you know that the producer of this game, Tomoya Asano, actually apologised to fans for Bravely Second? I've never been able to figure out why, because it really wasn't all that bad. At least it didn't repeat the grievous sin of the second half of the original game.
What Asano should have done was apologise for making this game so frustratingly mediocre. The job system is fantastic and fun to play with, but that is literally the only positive thing that can be said about it: the soundtrack is forgettable for Revo, the story goes absolutely nowhere, and the characters are basically the original cast with different accents.
What Asano should have done was apologise for making this game so frustratingly mediocre. The job system is fantastic and fun to play with, but that is literally the only positive thing that can be said about it: the soundtrack is forgettable for Revo, the story goes absolutely nowhere, and the characters are basically the original cast with different accents.
Racism is so bad
Super Mario Galaxy 2
2010
Would be 5 stars if you remove the lame ass bird levels, and let Mario curbstomp the little bird piece of shit
Bravely Default II
2021
This was a major let down for me. It is considerably worse than the first title of the series in every single aspect, except for art direction. Many of the main plot points are just the same from previous games. The characters suffer from a weak and generic development, especially the main character. The story progression seems kinda rushed, as it starts off really slowly and by chapter 3 it seems the game just wants you to finish it already. Also the battle system can be really confusing sometimes as both your actions and your enemy's seems to delay your "turn".
But, even with it's flaws, it's not a bad game, I'd say it can be pretty challenging if played on hard difficulty (and even cheesy sometimes) and that can lead to a lot of fun. The job system is kinda the same but having 5 ability points from the get go can be very handy at times, and having less 2 cost abilities also helps. As for the cities and landscapes, most of them are really stunning.
Overall experience: 5/10
not a bad game, but not good either. If you want to play a classic jrpg with a modern twist just play the first entry in the series, as it just feels fresher and has more personality.
But, even with it's flaws, it's not a bad game, I'd say it can be pretty challenging if played on hard difficulty (and even cheesy sometimes) and that can lead to a lot of fun. The job system is kinda the same but having 5 ability points from the get go can be very handy at times, and having less 2 cost abilities also helps. As for the cities and landscapes, most of them are really stunning.
Overall experience: 5/10
not a bad game, but not good either. If you want to play a classic jrpg with a modern twist just play the first entry in the series, as it just feels fresher and has more personality.
I don't get it. Generic minecraft youtuber uwu softboy #74 plays it live on twitch and gets circlejerked on twitter forever for being so funny, but when I write a racial slur in Quiplash not a single one of my friends laugh? The fuck is wrong with society
Listen, i know the story is doodoo dogshit but the gameplay is actually like second best in the series. Gameplay hard carries this game.
