ConnerW
2023
The game is absolutely incredible from a visual standpoint. Gameplay is fun - rhythm games aren't really my thing, but if that's the case for you too, don't worry because this one is quite forgiving and easy to get the hang of.
The story, though, was nothing to write home about and I honestly found Chai to be annoying/cringe. The supporting characters were decent though, especially CNMN and Macaron.
Overall, a fun play for me. An absolute masterpiece for what it is, but as someone who isn't in to rhythm games OR anime-style dialogue/characters, it isn't one that goes down as something I love
The story, though, was nothing to write home about and I honestly found Chai to be annoying/cringe. The supporting characters were decent though, especially CNMN and Macaron.
Overall, a fun play for me. An absolute masterpiece for what it is, but as someone who isn't in to rhythm games OR anime-style dialogue/characters, it isn't one that goes down as something I love
2021
Like the first game, this felt locked in at a 7/10 for me from pretty early on.
But then the last two chapters happened.
But then the last two chapters happened.
The game is mid, at least for me.
A plot that isn't anything more than serviceable, puzzles that are perfectly adequate but nothing special, and maybe a top 3 worst game mechanic I have EVER experienced in the weapon breaking system.
The world itself is very charming and cool to explore, but I have most definitely seen better. Just not sure what it is that makes this game so special to people besides "it's Zelda." It doesn't have a single quality that stands out in a major way.
Maybe one day I'll force myself to finish this thing and maybe it gets better later on, but man. Extremely disappointing based on the seemingly universal 10/10 this game got. I can't understand it
A plot that isn't anything more than serviceable, puzzles that are perfectly adequate but nothing special, and maybe a top 3 worst game mechanic I have EVER experienced in the weapon breaking system.
The world itself is very charming and cool to explore, but I have most definitely seen better. Just not sure what it is that makes this game so special to people besides "it's Zelda." It doesn't have a single quality that stands out in a major way.
Maybe one day I'll force myself to finish this thing and maybe it gets better later on, but man. Extremely disappointing based on the seemingly universal 10/10 this game got. I can't understand it
2023
Video game perfection and a dream come true
Remember, sometimes it seems like all roads lead to Hogsmeade. And does it get any more cosy?
Remember, sometimes it seems like all roads lead to Hogsmeade. And does it get any more cosy?
2023
This game is so much fun! Cool bosses, fun standard enemies, pretty good gunplay and a very stylistically pleasing world. The main character is kind of a complete dick, but I'm also kind of here for it. I might have to add "crispy critters!" to my vocabulary.
Story and characters are nothing downright special, but they do a bit more than just get the job done. It does have some pretty interesting twists along the way. It is a bit slow at the start of the game and I don't love the way the weapon crafting works, but that's about it complaint-wise.
A game I've been waiting what seems like eons for and it did not disappoint!
Story and characters are nothing downright special, but they do a bit more than just get the job done. It does have some pretty interesting twists along the way. It is a bit slow at the start of the game and I don't love the way the weapon crafting works, but that's about it complaint-wise.
A game I've been waiting what seems like eons for and it did not disappoint!
I really wanted to dig this game, but unfortunately, it let me down majorly.
While the combat itself feels pretty dang satisfying, the game overall feels extremely lackluster. The art direction and level design is extremely bland. The enemies aren't interesting. The story isn't interesting either. The morale system kinda just gets in the way. The bosses lack spectacle - I didn't find myself WANTING to fight them, I just wanted to get through them so I could move on to the next thing.
I didn't get very far in to this game before realizing that it wasn't for me at all, and that's okay. That right there is the beauty of GamePass.
I think there's enough here for it to resonate with a lot of people - I'm just not one of them.
While the combat itself feels pretty dang satisfying, the game overall feels extremely lackluster. The art direction and level design is extremely bland. The enemies aren't interesting. The story isn't interesting either. The morale system kinda just gets in the way. The bosses lack spectacle - I didn't find myself WANTING to fight them, I just wanted to get through them so I could move on to the next thing.
I didn't get very far in to this game before realizing that it wasn't for me at all, and that's okay. That right there is the beauty of GamePass.
I think there's enough here for it to resonate with a lot of people - I'm just not one of them.
2005
Never forget what they took from us
This review contains spoilers
I truly don't know if I'll ever play a game that gives me more mixed thoughts than this one. Obviously, given the 4/5 rating, the positives do outweigh the negatives. BUT, the negatives are enough to keep this game from being elite.
Let's start with the positives. The game is visually unbelievable. Not only the world itself, but the characters, and ESPECIALLY the facial expressions. LA Noire walked so TLOU 2 could SPRINT. Additionally, the level design is absolutely impeccable. It was really on another level in this game. Not only aesthetically, but the pathing as well. It wasn't overly difficult, but it felt satisfying and most importantly, natural. And the moments with the infected?? My goodness. A huge step up from the first game in every way in that department. Ellie is also fantastic in this game, her character is so easy to love and to root for. Finally, a lot of the story beats really do work on an emotional level.
All that being said, this clearly has the makings of a 5/5 game...except, the writing room fumbled the bag HARD on multiple occasions and that sadly holds it back. First of all, Joel. Killing Joel isn't a problem whatsoever, and in fact, I like the idea for the story. But the way they did it couldn't have been a lot worse to be honest. They went for shock value for the simple sake of shock value - that's it. They didn't leave enough to develop it. A lot of the flashback scenes should have happened BEFORE we saw him die as it would have added heaps of emotional impact to the moment. Unfortunately, we were completely robbed of that in favor of nothing but shock value. And then, we have the Abby problem. Her entire arc is way too long and I didn't care about her "rescue mission" whatsoever. It was extremely uninteresting. Some of her companions were likable, but I never had any care for Abby and the game forces you to play as her for damn near half the game. Protagonist switching is generally a pretty shitty writing trope imo, and it only has worked in SUPER rare cases. But it was especially bad in this case. I spent way too long playing as a character that I didn't care about at all. The ending confrontation between her and Ellie was also extremely unsatisfying.
This game will always frustrate the hell out of me. They got so much right, almost everything in fact, but a couple of completely BRAINDEAD choices from the writing crew kept it from being one of the best games ever made. The story is the most important thing and when you totally botch a couple major elements like that, it hurts ya
Let's start with the positives. The game is visually unbelievable. Not only the world itself, but the characters, and ESPECIALLY the facial expressions. LA Noire walked so TLOU 2 could SPRINT. Additionally, the level design is absolutely impeccable. It was really on another level in this game. Not only aesthetically, but the pathing as well. It wasn't overly difficult, but it felt satisfying and most importantly, natural. And the moments with the infected?? My goodness. A huge step up from the first game in every way in that department. Ellie is also fantastic in this game, her character is so easy to love and to root for. Finally, a lot of the story beats really do work on an emotional level.
All that being said, this clearly has the makings of a 5/5 game...except, the writing room fumbled the bag HARD on multiple occasions and that sadly holds it back. First of all, Joel. Killing Joel isn't a problem whatsoever, and in fact, I like the idea for the story. But the way they did it couldn't have been a lot worse to be honest. They went for shock value for the simple sake of shock value - that's it. They didn't leave enough to develop it. A lot of the flashback scenes should have happened BEFORE we saw him die as it would have added heaps of emotional impact to the moment. Unfortunately, we were completely robbed of that in favor of nothing but shock value. And then, we have the Abby problem. Her entire arc is way too long and I didn't care about her "rescue mission" whatsoever. It was extremely uninteresting. Some of her companions were likable, but I never had any care for Abby and the game forces you to play as her for damn near half the game. Protagonist switching is generally a pretty shitty writing trope imo, and it only has worked in SUPER rare cases. But it was especially bad in this case. I spent way too long playing as a character that I didn't care about at all. The ending confrontation between her and Ellie was also extremely unsatisfying.
This game will always frustrate the hell out of me. They got so much right, almost everything in fact, but a couple of completely BRAINDEAD choices from the writing crew kept it from being one of the best games ever made. The story is the most important thing and when you totally botch a couple major elements like that, it hurts ya
2011
I can understand some of the gripes with this game, but god DAMN this is the one for me.
The only real negative I have is the visuals. While they aren't awful, a lot of it is a little on the bland side, although Kirkwall itself is pretty neat. The biggest issue is the reused assets - a lot of the caves/dungeons look very similar, as do the houses. But that's my only negative and it's a pretty minor gripe.
For starters, the combat in this game is the best in the series. While it is a little different, it allows you to take a more active role, which I appreciated. But where this game shines is the CHARACTERS. The companions in this game were absolutely top tier and I was invested in all of them. I thought the story was really great too, as it showed Hawke's rise through the ranks and all of his achievements that made him a hero to Kirkwall. Hawke himself is also a fucking FANTASTIC character.
This is a character-driven RPG above all else, and when you write characters that connect with me as well as these did, you have something unbelievably special
The only real negative I have is the visuals. While they aren't awful, a lot of it is a little on the bland side, although Kirkwall itself is pretty neat. The biggest issue is the reused assets - a lot of the caves/dungeons look very similar, as do the houses. But that's my only negative and it's a pretty minor gripe.
For starters, the combat in this game is the best in the series. While it is a little different, it allows you to take a more active role, which I appreciated. But where this game shines is the CHARACTERS. The companions in this game were absolutely top tier and I was invested in all of them. I thought the story was really great too, as it showed Hawke's rise through the ranks and all of his achievements that made him a hero to Kirkwall. Hawke himself is also a fucking FANTASTIC character.
This is a character-driven RPG above all else, and when you write characters that connect with me as well as these did, you have something unbelievably special
If BD-1 has a million fans, then I am one of them. If BD-1 has ten fans, then I am one of them. If BD-1 has only one fan then that is me. If BD-1 has no fans, then that means I am no longer on Earth. If the world is against BD-1, then I am against the world.
A nice upgrade from its predecessor. The only thing I liked better in the original was the setting, and one moment that is too spoiler-y to mention. But this game is an upgrade in story, character, combat and traversal. Not quite enough to bump it up to a 4.5, but it was darn close. Looking forward to seeing how they cap this story off in the future!
A nice upgrade from its predecessor. The only thing I liked better in the original was the setting, and one moment that is too spoiler-y to mention. But this game is an upgrade in story, character, combat and traversal. Not quite enough to bump it up to a 4.5, but it was darn close. Looking forward to seeing how they cap this story off in the future!
2023
This game slaps tbh. Its very short, but it makes the most of it's time. Kinda reminds me of something like Lil Gator Game, which I also adored.
The art style is absolute gorgeous, the story is simple but it gets the job done, the bosses were pretty cool too. Combat isn't gonna knock your socks off, but I honestly thought it was pretty good.
I absolutely love the overall vibe and the nice lil characters :') definitely had a blast with this game. It's something that really felt made for me!
The art style is absolute gorgeous, the story is simple but it gets the job done, the bosses were pretty cool too. Combat isn't gonna knock your socks off, but I honestly thought it was pretty good.
I absolutely love the overall vibe and the nice lil characters :') definitely had a blast with this game. It's something that really felt made for me!
I got about halfway through the game, which felt like enough to warrant a review. Unfortunately, it just didn't do it for me.
The art style is genuinely outstanding and easily the best part of the game. Finding new items/clues and completing puzzles felt satisfying. Unfortunately, it just wasn't enough to make up for everything else. The navigation didn't feel right and was often frustrating, combat is god awful, and the story just didn't do enough to pull me in. Also, the extra voice in your head was really annoying
The art style is genuinely outstanding and easily the best part of the game. Finding new items/clues and completing puzzles felt satisfying. Unfortunately, it just wasn't enough to make up for everything else. The navigation didn't feel right and was often frustrating, combat is god awful, and the story just didn't do enough to pull me in. Also, the extra voice in your head was really annoying
Well, this thing is pretty bad. The platforming is mediocre, the stealth is uhhhh not good at all, the story is meh, the visuals...holy cow. The lighting? My GOD. It does start to look better when you get to the elf portion of the game, and the story gets a little more interesting when Mell is introduced, but the orc portion in the first half of the game is something else.
I will say, it was honestly so bad at times that it was actually enjoyable. Like a terrible b-movie, it got some genuine laughs out of me at times. Unfortunately, I couldn't finish the game because at the end of the second to last chapter, my game crashed and wouldn't reopen. I uninstalled, reinstalled, didn't work. I backtracked, got to that point again, and the same thing happened. I think like every single game I've ever played that was released with "massive technical issues" was COMPLETELY overblown, but unfortunately, this one literally broke. If I actually got to finish it, I probably would have granted it an absolutely stellar score of 2/5, otherwise known as a 40%, which is still an F
I for some reason wanted to complete this game, which makes me have a slightly higher opinion of it than a couple other things I tried this year. Whether that's because it's Lord of the Rings, or because "so bad it's good" at times, or because I'm a masochist, I'm not sure. What a weird experience this was but I'm glad I was a part of it I guess
I will say, it was honestly so bad at times that it was actually enjoyable. Like a terrible b-movie, it got some genuine laughs out of me at times. Unfortunately, I couldn't finish the game because at the end of the second to last chapter, my game crashed and wouldn't reopen. I uninstalled, reinstalled, didn't work. I backtracked, got to that point again, and the same thing happened. I think like every single game I've ever played that was released with "massive technical issues" was COMPLETELY overblown, but unfortunately, this one literally broke. If I actually got to finish it, I probably would have granted it an absolutely stellar score of 2/5, otherwise known as a 40%, which is still an F
I for some reason wanted to complete this game, which makes me have a slightly higher opinion of it than a couple other things I tried this year. Whether that's because it's Lord of the Rings, or because "so bad it's good" at times, or because I'm a masochist, I'm not sure. What a weird experience this was but I'm glad I was a part of it I guess
2023
This is a visually incredible game with plenty of cool moments and nice (though under developed) characters. I don't normally go for puzzle platformers all that often, but this one worked well for me, as neither the puzzles nor the platforming were too difficult. It felt nice and chill and not overly complicated, which made it a relaxing experience for me. Good game!
2023
This game made me feel some shit. Nostalgia for going on summer exploration sessions with my friends is the prevailing emotion here, which made this a perfect game to play in the summer. It's incredibly relaxing, and while some of the gameplay was just a tad tedious, I mainly just found it chill.
Art style is gorgeous and added to the feeling of nostalgia. Watercolor was a perfect choice. The ending was also somewhat predictable, and there are a couple loose ends I would have liked to know more about, but I felt the build up to the reveal was quite effective and kept me engaged. It also had a surprisingly effective and satisfying scrapbook mechanic.
Overall, this game fucks. It pulled on my heartstrings in just the way I like, and it had a fairly effective mystery element. Bravo!
Art style is gorgeous and added to the feeling of nostalgia. Watercolor was a perfect choice. The ending was also somewhat predictable, and there are a couple loose ends I would have liked to know more about, but I felt the build up to the reveal was quite effective and kept me engaged. It also had a surprisingly effective and satisfying scrapbook mechanic.
Overall, this game fucks. It pulled on my heartstrings in just the way I like, and it had a fairly effective mystery element. Bravo!