Sometimes manages to outshine its predecessor but oftentimes not. The presentation is a step up but I think the levels themselves rely too much on gimmicks and linearity that ends up hindering the experience. Sonic and co. have had their controls tuned, they feel slightly less floaty now which I'm not personally a big fan of but it's not a big deal and I'm probably the only person in the world who cares anyway.
The mech sections are okay. Most of the time they're over with pretty quickly and are fun enough. I sadly can't say the same for the emerald hunting sections. It's beyond beating a dead horse by now but seriously... only allowing one emerald piece to be detected at a time? It's such an awful way to pad, especially in the later levels where you could end up in the same area for 10+ minutes. I also remembered while writing this that there are also 2 (two) vehicle sections in the game which I found genuinely fun, if a bit too easy.
The Sonic/Shadow sections are good for the most part. I really enjoyed Final Rush and it's probably my favourite level of the game, just pure fun from start to end. I think Shadow's stages as a whole aren't as good, but Sky Rail was a highlight for me.
Also a lot less PC-specific shenanigans this time around which is nice. I've read many people having framerate problems thanks to the game not respecting their refresh rate, but luckily I had no such issue.
The mech sections are okay. Most of the time they're over with pretty quickly and are fun enough. I sadly can't say the same for the emerald hunting sections. It's beyond beating a dead horse by now but seriously... only allowing one emerald piece to be detected at a time? It's such an awful way to pad, especially in the later levels where you could end up in the same area for 10+ minutes. I also remembered while writing this that there are also 2 (two) vehicle sections in the game which I found genuinely fun, if a bit too easy.
The Sonic/Shadow sections are good for the most part. I really enjoyed Final Rush and it's probably my favourite level of the game, just pure fun from start to end. I think Shadow's stages as a whole aren't as good, but Sky Rail was a highlight for me.
Also a lot less PC-specific shenanigans this time around which is nice. I've read many people having framerate problems thanks to the game not respecting their refresh rate, but luckily I had no such issue.
An incredibly jank game that still somehow manages to be fun and charming. I love the way Sonic controls in this game, and even the other characters are fun to play as (except Big, I'm all for fishing minigames but... not like this). I did kinda forget how unnecessary and pace breaking the hub area sections were. I understand why they're there, I just wish they would've been implemented in a less intrusive way.
The PC port is also terrible (no widescreen support??). Thankfully, fan patches address the majority of issues you might come across. If you're reading this and are thinking of playing this game on PC, for the love of god please get 'SADX Mod Installer', it'll do most of the fixing work for you.
The PC port is also terrible (no widescreen support??). Thankfully, fan patches address the majority of issues you might come across. If you're reading this and are thinking of playing this game on PC, for the love of god please get 'SADX Mod Installer', it'll do most of the fixing work for you.
They really don't make them like this anymore...
The aesthetics, the tone, the music, the iconic sound of that BMW M3 GTR engine, it's all extremely mid-2000s and very charming. While the game does start to drag towards the tail end of the Blacklist, the police chases keep me coming back with how absolutely chaotic they can get.
The game definitely shows its age in certain areas (egregious AI rubberbanding no matter what car you or your opponents are in), but it's still a classic title and one of the last greats from the Need for Speed series.
The aesthetics, the tone, the music, the iconic sound of that BMW M3 GTR engine, it's all extremely mid-2000s and very charming. While the game does start to drag towards the tail end of the Blacklist, the police chases keep me coming back with how absolutely chaotic they can get.
The game definitely shows its age in certain areas (egregious AI rubberbanding no matter what car you or your opponents are in), but it's still a classic title and one of the last greats from the Need for Speed series.
2023
When this game was announced I was extremely skeptical as a huge fan of the original RE4 that thought it didn't even need a remake. But as it turns out, this is a fantastic REmake that improves on the original in nearly every single way. I really believe this game does it justice considering the massive shoes it had to fill; Almost every change and tweak makes sense and allows for the story and gameplay to flow better than the original with the only issues I have with it being either minor or nitpicks.
Some of the voice acting is a little mixed, honestly not a huge fan of Ada's new voice actress but she does a good enough job. I was also bugged by the removal of QTEs to begin with, but in the grand scheme of things it's not a huge loss and there still are contextual prompts during some enemy encounters.
Some certain enemies feel like absolute pushovers now but if this is your first RE4 experience, the things I've mentioned probably won't bother you. I wasn't expecting to enjoy it as much as I did, but this really is a phenomenal experience. Don't expect masterclass horror, but do expect a marvellous action horror thrill ride.
Some of the voice acting is a little mixed, honestly not a huge fan of Ada's new voice actress but she does a good enough job. I was also bugged by the removal of QTEs to begin with, but in the grand scheme of things it's not a huge loss and there still are contextual prompts during some enemy encounters.
Some certain enemies feel like absolute pushovers now but if this is your first RE4 experience, the things I've mentioned probably won't bother you. I wasn't expecting to enjoy it as much as I did, but this really is a phenomenal experience. Don't expect masterclass horror, but do expect a marvellous action horror thrill ride.
2014
One of the best stealth horror games ever made. You don't need to have seen Alien to enjoy the core game, but the developers have very clearly put a lot of love and effort into crafting the world of Alien: Isolation to be as movie-accurate as possible; You'll get much more out of the game if you're a fan of the movie, but that's to be expected.
I've seen a lot of people describe the game as a 'hiding simulator', and while that is true, it would also be like describing Call of Duty as a 'shooting simulator' or Need for Speed as a 'driving simulator'. When you condense a game into such a small category then of course it's gonna sound bad. The game isn't that hard, you just need to be patient and stop running around everywhere. The game also isn't "unfair", you just didn't follow the rules set in place and got punished for it. There are a few things to criticize this game for, but the Alien AI being too smart isn't really one of them. I hate to be one of those people, but it really is one of those "git gud" situations.
The primary gripe I personally have with the game is the length. For what's already a pretty long game, the developers weirdly decided to have a certain moment towards the end where you're just about to escape when the Xenomorph kidnaps you and just kinda leaves you there, in an earlier part of the space station. From there, nothing new happens and you make your way back to the exact spot you were before, only this time you're allowed to leave. It's such blatant padding that even I can't defend it. But considering that's my only main complaint with the game, I'd say it's still doing very well for itself.
It's a shame this game sold pretty poorly for Sega's standards so we may never get a sequel, but I'm glad Creative Assembly were given their shot. And given what we've had of this franchise since, we could've had a lot worse. A LOT worse.
I've seen a lot of people describe the game as a 'hiding simulator', and while that is true, it would also be like describing Call of Duty as a 'shooting simulator' or Need for Speed as a 'driving simulator'. When you condense a game into such a small category then of course it's gonna sound bad. The game isn't that hard, you just need to be patient and stop running around everywhere. The game also isn't "unfair", you just didn't follow the rules set in place and got punished for it. There are a few things to criticize this game for, but the Alien AI being too smart isn't really one of them. I hate to be one of those people, but it really is one of those "git gud" situations.
The primary gripe I personally have with the game is the length. For what's already a pretty long game, the developers weirdly decided to have a certain moment towards the end where you're just about to escape when the Xenomorph kidnaps you and just kinda leaves you there, in an earlier part of the space station. From there, nothing new happens and you make your way back to the exact spot you were before, only this time you're allowed to leave. It's such blatant padding that even I can't defend it. But considering that's my only main complaint with the game, I'd say it's still doing very well for itself.
It's a shame this game sold pretty poorly for Sega's standards so we may never get a sequel, but I'm glad Creative Assembly were given their shot. And given what we've had of this franchise since, we could've had a lot worse. A LOT worse.
2018
The combat is definitely dated as everyone already knows, but it's still a fun and rather unique entry in the series. It feels like the Beach Episode of the Yakuza games, where most of what happens in the story isn't really impactful to the rest of the series, but I would say it's still important enough to be worth playing. Also the fact 1/3rd of the game takes place on a literal beach.
That said, Okinawa is a nice and relaxing hub area, gives off nostalgic summer vibes especially in those crisp early PS3 graphics. It's hard to explain but there's just something pretty about it. The music also slaps hard but it's a Yakuza game so that was to be expected.
I'd say people are slightly too harsh on this game while at the same time I understand their complaints. Personally, it's not my first choice of Yakuza game, but it's certainly not a bad option by far. If anything, play it to see the developing relationship between Kiryu and Haruka as it's quite prevalent in this particular game and this dynamic only gets more relevant as the series continues. Don't expect super high stakes like the last few games, expect Kiryu just wanting to be a malewife dad.
That said, Okinawa is a nice and relaxing hub area, gives off nostalgic summer vibes especially in those crisp early PS3 graphics. It's hard to explain but there's just something pretty about it. The music also slaps hard but it's a Yakuza game so that was to be expected.
I'd say people are slightly too harsh on this game while at the same time I understand their complaints. Personally, it's not my first choice of Yakuza game, but it's certainly not a bad option by far. If anything, play it to see the developing relationship between Kiryu and Haruka as it's quite prevalent in this particular game and this dynamic only gets more relevant as the series continues. Don't expect super high stakes like the last few games, expect Kiryu just wanting to be a malewife dad.
2020
For what it is, it's a good game that just could've been a lot more especially as a huge fan of the original game. It plays like a slightly tighter and more refined RE2 Remake which suits its shorter length, Nemesis can be intimidating during gameplay, it's just a shame he barely shows up outside of scripted sequences. I mostly like what WAS in the game, there's just not much of it.
I actually enjoyed the new characterisations of Jill and Carlos, good thing they most certainly show up in a future game, RIGHT CAPCOM???
I actually enjoyed the new characterisations of Jill and Carlos, good thing they most certainly show up in a future game, RIGHT CAPCOM???
2004
It's very obviously being held together with sticky tape and prayers, but the actually good humour and overall charm of the game makes it very endearing and unique, especially for the time.
Also, the music slaps no matter what anyone says.
Also, the music slaps no matter what anyone says.
2015
Wolfenstein 3D but good
2001
A brilliant storytelling experience that was quite ahead of its time for a 2001 game. It knows exactly what it wants to be and it nails it at pretty much every turn. There hasn't really been a game like it since.
2003
Much more effective horror experience for me than Silent Hill 2 was, although the beginning does drag a little bit compared to that game. Once it picks up though, it's a very fine example of how to get under a player's skin with the standout mention going to the audio design.
2010
It's good, fantastic music and great atmosphere that suits the tone of the game well. But, it doesn't hit quite as hard as the previous Halo games in my opinion and never really understood the hype for the story. Still miles better than the Halo games that came after this though.
2012
Hilarious co-op game but a pretty miserable Resident Evil game and that's saying a lot considering how much I liked RE5.
2009
Huge levels to get lost in (though that might be a downside for you, as it seems to be for a lot of people), classic Rare writing and great soundtrack. Maybe not as satisfying to replay overall as Banjo-Kazooie, but it will definitely keep you busy for a lot longer.
Best gameplay in the series and fantastic presentation, but definitely a mid story at least compared to the other MGS games. It's just so fun though once you get into it, not many stealth games feel quite this polished or enjoyable to play.