DeemonAndGames
1990
I have very simple tastes: if a game has dinosaurs in it, then that means it's a good game for me.
It's very hard to talk about Super Mario World without sounding too repetitive, I mean you could almost say all that for all of the Mario's but for this one is especially true. It's considered by many the pinnacle of 2D Mario, and for many others just second to Super Mario Bros. 3, and its community is still thriving to this very day: Rom Hacks, speedruns, video-essays, you name it, this game's fans are more than pleased to talk about it. So coming as a newcomer, what I have very few news perspectives to bring, other than one particular thing that I realized while I was playing half-way through: it's a game that seems to be having fun.
The game itself of course it's fun, mechanically speaking it's (almost) perfect. It takes Mario's preexisting move set and expands on it, introducing the spin-jump and Yoshi, the first changing completely how you can approach both enemies obstacle that would otherwise kill you and can be used to do incredible tricks that reward you from experimenting with it (the Kaizo community definitely didn't pass on that) and Yoshi it's just a straight up upgrade, it kills most enemies with one jump, eating is fast and can let you pick items, and eating colored shells can grant abilities like spitting fire and flying, and that adds yet another layer how you approach the levels. However, Mario still retains the slipperiness form the past entries, and while this shouldn't be a problem, after all in past games this helped to go as fast as possible through the levels, in Super Mario World it's a much prominent problems, you can still go fast in some levels no doubt, but this game demands more precision, and while Mario's momentum and weight do help make the game feel more mechanically sound, it can still be a pain in some of the harder levels. The levels itself are a weird can of worms on its own, there are stellar designs here, and because how the map it's connected it does feel like a world and levels share themes, but aside from some of the castle levels and one of two levels that introduce a new obstacle, it's really hard for me to remember a particular level past world 1. They are all competent, there's not a level I could call ''bad'', but most of them just aren't that memorable. Also, one thing I just found plain underwhelming is how the reward for most things, like secret areas or getting enough points after ending the level, is 1-Ups, and when every time you boot the game again they reset back to 5, most actions you do to get them just feel... pointless. And despite of that, despite of the few minor problems, I still had a ton of fun, 'cause again, the game itself is fun, but as I said earlier, it seems like the game itself is having fun as well.
It's by far the most experimental out of all the 2D Mario's, it isn't scared of implementing brand new things or changing what once known; it toys with the idea of being a soft reboot for the series, and after this one, many of the ideas it implemented would remain staples of the series, with others being limited to this game only, which gives it a fairly unique aura that few other titles in the series have. it's PACKED with secret, from switches that once activated affect all the levels, to two entirely secret worlds with totally unique levels. As I said before, the levels itself may not be the most memorable thing in the world, but the mechanics and enemies are; in that regard, it's like these things were perfectioned to the extreme, and the levels were more of playground to make you use all that the games give you, and just have a blast.
I know I've been critical to the game, but that's just because I ended up loving it, and as such some of its flaws became more apparent. The fact of the matter is that there's no other game in the whole series as this one, it may not be the best one for many, but is sure is unique and incredibly fun, a true jump forward that was needed for the series to continue, and a really, really fantastic game.
It's very hard to talk about Super Mario World without sounding too repetitive, I mean you could almost say all that for all of the Mario's but for this one is especially true. It's considered by many the pinnacle of 2D Mario, and for many others just second to Super Mario Bros. 3, and its community is still thriving to this very day: Rom Hacks, speedruns, video-essays, you name it, this game's fans are more than pleased to talk about it. So coming as a newcomer, what I have very few news perspectives to bring, other than one particular thing that I realized while I was playing half-way through: it's a game that seems to be having fun.
The game itself of course it's fun, mechanically speaking it's (almost) perfect. It takes Mario's preexisting move set and expands on it, introducing the spin-jump and Yoshi, the first changing completely how you can approach both enemies obstacle that would otherwise kill you and can be used to do incredible tricks that reward you from experimenting with it (the Kaizo community definitely didn't pass on that) and Yoshi it's just a straight up upgrade, it kills most enemies with one jump, eating is fast and can let you pick items, and eating colored shells can grant abilities like spitting fire and flying, and that adds yet another layer how you approach the levels. However, Mario still retains the slipperiness form the past entries, and while this shouldn't be a problem, after all in past games this helped to go as fast as possible through the levels, in Super Mario World it's a much prominent problems, you can still go fast in some levels no doubt, but this game demands more precision, and while Mario's momentum and weight do help make the game feel more mechanically sound, it can still be a pain in some of the harder levels. The levels itself are a weird can of worms on its own, there are stellar designs here, and because how the map it's connected it does feel like a world and levels share themes, but aside from some of the castle levels and one of two levels that introduce a new obstacle, it's really hard for me to remember a particular level past world 1. They are all competent, there's not a level I could call ''bad'', but most of them just aren't that memorable. Also, one thing I just found plain underwhelming is how the reward for most things, like secret areas or getting enough points after ending the level, is 1-Ups, and when every time you boot the game again they reset back to 5, most actions you do to get them just feel... pointless. And despite of that, despite of the few minor problems, I still had a ton of fun, 'cause again, the game itself is fun, but as I said earlier, it seems like the game itself is having fun as well.
It's by far the most experimental out of all the 2D Mario's, it isn't scared of implementing brand new things or changing what once known; it toys with the idea of being a soft reboot for the series, and after this one, many of the ideas it implemented would remain staples of the series, with others being limited to this game only, which gives it a fairly unique aura that few other titles in the series have. it's PACKED with secret, from switches that once activated affect all the levels, to two entirely secret worlds with totally unique levels. As I said before, the levels itself may not be the most memorable thing in the world, but the mechanics and enemies are; in that regard, it's like these things were perfectioned to the extreme, and the levels were more of playground to make you use all that the games give you, and just have a blast.
I know I've been critical to the game, but that's just because I ended up loving it, and as such some of its flaws became more apparent. The fact of the matter is that there's no other game in the whole series as this one, it may not be the best one for many, but is sure is unique and incredibly fun, a true jump forward that was needed for the series to continue, and a really, really fantastic game.
2018
May you attain enlightenment
Now this is how you do a fucking videogame!
I've never been a fan of shumps, I tried many times to enter the genre, but those attempts ended with me frustrated or dying over and over again not even knowing what hit me. So I began ZeroRanger excited but cautious, after all it was very possible that it didn't grab me as well... that was not the case.
This game presentation hits you like a damn truck, it's fascinating to me how a game with only mostly two colors can look so pretty and visually clear. The animations and transitions are so clean that any praising would be underselling it, and the music... holy mother of orange is the OST one of the best I've heard in a long time, not only it's awesome on its own but it also serves as the perfect accompaniment to the rest of the game, making even the least difficult parts of the stages the most hype thing to ever exist.
It plays just like another shump would, but from a very simple base it builds up masterfully the rest of what's to come; the enemies feel distinct enough so when you see one approaching, you immediately know you have to prepare yourself and adapt; the bosses are a spectacle but still pretty challenging; as you progress through the game you unlock new power-ups to your ship and you can go back to a beaten level to unlock more and personalize your ship with the ones you prefer; the progression system feels like a middle finger to the arcade shumps of old and this time the end is not the end, but rather a new opportunity to grow stronger and to get more and more continues to use in the stages... It amounts to an experience that it's just pure fun and a treat to the eyes. It's also apparently not very hard compared to other games in the same category, which I do agree, but it's still fairly challenging, maybe a bit too much sometimes; there are certain moments where the difficult spikes are very much apparent, like some stages that are criminally longer compared to others (tho in the grand scheme of things they all are pretty short) and some bosses, in particular the final one, are a huge leap in difficulty, tho that does make defeating it much more satisfying.
But perhaps what caught my attention especially half-way was the story, itself the game doesn't much dialogue and story progression, but it's constantly surprising you, toying with your expectations, tricking you into thinking it's over, and delving into incredibly weird visual and narrative themes. Not only keeps you engage, making you truly live and feel the need of the destruction of the alien menace Green Orange, but it also makes you ask a ton of questions and wanting them to be resolved.
The ending is something that I've seen done in barely any other games, much less in the shump genre, and it's mind-blowing, and it all culminates in one last decision, one last challenge that I honestly didn't see coming, and the pain this last part made me feel couldn't be even described. The uneven difficulty, some types of shots being imbalanced and that possible final outcome are probably the biggest problems of the game, but it's the last one that breaks my heart, 'cause it's both discouraging and genius, it does something that games that I could count with the fingers on one of my hands have the balls to do, a true masterful decision for the story of the game and makes the stakes feel palpable, but a true heart-breaker for those not up to that challenge, like me...
I say all of this and without spoiling it because I really want you to play this game, but at same time be aware that at the end, your perceptions of it could change, as it has for many other people. For me? ZeroRanger is one of a king, a true masterclass of both design, music, presentation and story, it's not perfect, but its damn close.
It has the courage to be its own thing and to tell what its wants to tell, all while being fun and surprising no-stop, and I truly value that, more than anything.
Happy flight and...
Good luck, you'll need it
Now this is how you do a fucking videogame!
I've never been a fan of shumps, I tried many times to enter the genre, but those attempts ended with me frustrated or dying over and over again not even knowing what hit me. So I began ZeroRanger excited but cautious, after all it was very possible that it didn't grab me as well... that was not the case.
This game presentation hits you like a damn truck, it's fascinating to me how a game with only mostly two colors can look so pretty and visually clear. The animations and transitions are so clean that any praising would be underselling it, and the music... holy mother of orange is the OST one of the best I've heard in a long time, not only it's awesome on its own but it also serves as the perfect accompaniment to the rest of the game, making even the least difficult parts of the stages the most hype thing to ever exist.
It plays just like another shump would, but from a very simple base it builds up masterfully the rest of what's to come; the enemies feel distinct enough so when you see one approaching, you immediately know you have to prepare yourself and adapt; the bosses are a spectacle but still pretty challenging; as you progress through the game you unlock new power-ups to your ship and you can go back to a beaten level to unlock more and personalize your ship with the ones you prefer; the progression system feels like a middle finger to the arcade shumps of old and this time the end is not the end, but rather a new opportunity to grow stronger and to get more and more continues to use in the stages... It amounts to an experience that it's just pure fun and a treat to the eyes. It's also apparently not very hard compared to other games in the same category, which I do agree, but it's still fairly challenging, maybe a bit too much sometimes; there are certain moments where the difficult spikes are very much apparent, like some stages that are criminally longer compared to others (tho in the grand scheme of things they all are pretty short) and some bosses, in particular the final one, are a huge leap in difficulty, tho that does make defeating it much more satisfying.
But perhaps what caught my attention especially half-way was the story, itself the game doesn't much dialogue and story progression, but it's constantly surprising you, toying with your expectations, tricking you into thinking it's over, and delving into incredibly weird visual and narrative themes. Not only keeps you engage, making you truly live and feel the need of the destruction of the alien menace Green Orange, but it also makes you ask a ton of questions and wanting them to be resolved.
The ending is something that I've seen done in barely any other games, much less in the shump genre, and it's mind-blowing, and it all culminates in one last decision, one last challenge that I honestly didn't see coming, and the pain this last part made me feel couldn't be even described. The uneven difficulty, some types of shots being imbalanced and that possible final outcome are probably the biggest problems of the game, but it's the last one that breaks my heart, 'cause it's both discouraging and genius, it does something that games that I could count with the fingers on one of my hands have the balls to do, a true masterful decision for the story of the game and makes the stakes feel palpable, but a true heart-breaker for those not up to that challenge, like me...
I say all of this and without spoiling it because I really want you to play this game, but at same time be aware that at the end, your perceptions of it could change, as it has for many other people. For me? ZeroRanger is one of a king, a true masterclass of both design, music, presentation and story, it's not perfect, but its damn close.
It has the courage to be its own thing and to tell what its wants to tell, all while being fun and surprising no-stop, and I truly value that, more than anything.
Happy flight and...
Good luck, you'll need it
2021
Ok, I now really love this chicken.
When I started Toree 2, I expected it to be just... more Toree, as it apparently was very similar in structure and length and saying that this game is more of the last one is both an accurate description and a disservice.
Mechanically speaking and how the levels are structured nothing changed, Toree and the unlockable characters control the same way, and the levels are still focused on speed and being bite-sized, like the game as a whole. At its core, everything was kept intact, and yet, it has a lot of upgrades and minor tweaks that make this one a far greater experience.
Levels are much more focused and more unique, when a level in Toree 2 is not introducing something new, is expanding something that was already established, and the levels themselves have a clearer identity and are more memorable. While there are only 8 levels and each 2 tackle one particular zone or theme, they still feel fairly unique in both how are they presented, the music they have and the design itself; for example, the first space themed level is you travelling surrounding a space station, while the second one happens while a space battle is taking place. These things just add much more personality and lead to far, FAR more memorable levels that the ones the original Toree 3D had. It also helps that the final level in this one is actually amazing, visually unique and this time around it has a proper conclusion, the original game just kinda... ended, while this time around there's actually a final boss and pretty cute conclusion. Also, Toree wears a costume for some of the levels, which is both a really cool addition and extremely cute. My bird had nice glasses and now a cool hat? 10 out of 10 character design.
The music also has a major upgrade, the OST in the original was already good, but it suffered from having very small and poor done loops (the final level specially was HORRIBLE and I don't want to hear that song ever again, like, holy shit dude at least don't have a clear fade out and fade in); they clearly paid attention to that in this one, as not only music is only way better, but the loops are done masterfully, to the point that even the song with lyrics never gets tiring (tho the small duration of the levels also helps).
Presentation wise still retains that classical PS1 look that Slactro is very good at conveying, only that this time the creepy visuals present in the original are much less prominent here, and that makes it when you encounter a particularly creepy thing, it's much more impactful that it could have been if the game was full of them.
Sooooooo, yeah, I'm actually incredibly surprised, the team knew to recognize what worked and what didn't, and the result was a really fun platformer that is a joy to speedrun. I honestly kinda wish it was longer, 'cus that way they could have introduced more thing and make this something far greater, but as it is, it's an amazing little sequel and a that is just a dollar worth, and I recommend it regardless if you already played the original or you simply like 3D platformers.
I just really like being positively surprised, and I'm glad that I can say that a Toree game is pretty amazing.
When I started Toree 2, I expected it to be just... more Toree, as it apparently was very similar in structure and length and saying that this game is more of the last one is both an accurate description and a disservice.
Mechanically speaking and how the levels are structured nothing changed, Toree and the unlockable characters control the same way, and the levels are still focused on speed and being bite-sized, like the game as a whole. At its core, everything was kept intact, and yet, it has a lot of upgrades and minor tweaks that make this one a far greater experience.
Levels are much more focused and more unique, when a level in Toree 2 is not introducing something new, is expanding something that was already established, and the levels themselves have a clearer identity and are more memorable. While there are only 8 levels and each 2 tackle one particular zone or theme, they still feel fairly unique in both how are they presented, the music they have and the design itself; for example, the first space themed level is you travelling surrounding a space station, while the second one happens while a space battle is taking place. These things just add much more personality and lead to far, FAR more memorable levels that the ones the original Toree 3D had. It also helps that the final level in this one is actually amazing, visually unique and this time around it has a proper conclusion, the original game just kinda... ended, while this time around there's actually a final boss and pretty cute conclusion. Also, Toree wears a costume for some of the levels, which is both a really cool addition and extremely cute. My bird had nice glasses and now a cool hat? 10 out of 10 character design.
The music also has a major upgrade, the OST in the original was already good, but it suffered from having very small and poor done loops (the final level specially was HORRIBLE and I don't want to hear that song ever again, like, holy shit dude at least don't have a clear fade out and fade in); they clearly paid attention to that in this one, as not only music is only way better, but the loops are done masterfully, to the point that even the song with lyrics never gets tiring (tho the small duration of the levels also helps).
Presentation wise still retains that classical PS1 look that Slactro is very good at conveying, only that this time the creepy visuals present in the original are much less prominent here, and that makes it when you encounter a particularly creepy thing, it's much more impactful that it could have been if the game was full of them.
Sooooooo, yeah, I'm actually incredibly surprised, the team knew to recognize what worked and what didn't, and the result was a really fun platformer that is a joy to speedrun. I honestly kinda wish it was longer, 'cus that way they could have introduced more thing and make this something far greater, but as it is, it's an amazing little sequel and a that is just a dollar worth, and I recommend it regardless if you already played the original or you simply like 3D platformers.
I just really like being positively surprised, and I'm glad that I can say that a Toree game is pretty amazing.
2019
Oh, mamma mia, if Luigi keeps getting mansions, how much time is left before he becomes a landlord?
Me and this series have a very curious relationship, I first discovered it when I got Dark Moon as a birthday present (tho here in Europe it's simply called Luigi's Mansion 2) and while I never got around playing the first one since I didn't had a Gamecube and back then emulation was a unknown topic for me, I still watched some gameplays of it and I was really mesmerized by its style and much creepier feeling... for a kid, I mean. I will probably do reviews for them both individually in the future, but for now I already let you know: I really liked these games from the moment I discovered it, as so many people do... but now with hindsight and much more experience playing much more games since then, it's clear their condition prevented them for being greater experiences; the first was a short experience meant to be as a showcase of the Gamecube's capabilities first and a full fledge game second, and Dark Moon was a sequel for a much less powerful console, and as such, many, MANY concessions had to be made for its designs to fit for the handheld, plus some stylistic changes that weren't welcomed by some. They both were great games on its owns, but they seemed to be made as technical showcase or adapted, and as such limited, for the consoles they were on, which is why seeing Luigi's Mansion 3 being such a well-designed experience feels like the culmination of this franchise, but at the same time it’s frustrating seeing it do some dumb mistakes.
Even if it isn't sold as a showing of the console's capabilities, make no mistake, Luigi's Mansion 3 is probably one of the best looking games on the Switch, and honestly one of my favorite Nintendo games visually wise. It feels like a playable Pixar movie, the animation just feels so... smooth; everything just feels so fluid, all the characters ooze personality simply because of the way they move and sound, Luigi specially is the star of the show, his expressions are so vivid and make see him run or scared is incredibly funny, tho NOTHING in the history of gaming will top E.Gadds' running cycle. The environments are the best in the series by far, the original Luigi's Mansion felt kinda samie after a point and Dark Moon, while varied, the rooms felt crammed and with some exceptions, the puzzles weren't exactly really inspired. 3 however, doesn't pull any stops, all set pieces and rooms look gorgeous, unique, and each floor has its own theme that fits perfectly with the idea of this being a haunted hotel. It all feels straight out of a Saturday morning cartoon, but with its own creepier spin, which is what they were going for and they did it spectacularly.
The gameplay also didn't lack this clear attention to detail, not only does Luigi controls amazing, but it's moveset has seen an huge upgrade. Initially, the basis is lift from the previous entry, but from there, they add so many things that make both combat and puzzles just so much fun: the slam for crowd the control, the suction shot, and the best of the best,greener Mario Gooigi, a fantastic way of implementing co-op and a addition that makes sections more unique and fun; every time this guy was needed for something, I knew it was gonna be a fun puzzle. The boss fights are also the prime example of the best in the game; the main bosses are very distinct visually and personality wise, making encountering a new one an exciting prospect, and are all the fights have more thought put into it than entire sections in other games. Like, there's a fight against a T-Rex fossil, A FUCKING T-REX. How is this not gonna be a good game?.
Sadly, this is where the problems start to arise. While there are a lot of boss battles, there are surprisingly few normal ghost, and almost all of the ones there are just re-designs of ghosts from Dark Moon, and in personality they are the exact same, so the sensations of Deja-Vu were many very much presents. There are still some neat encounters with these and the normal blue ghost add a lot more spice with different mechanics and ways to defeat them, just like the green ones in the previous game, but this time less annoying.
Honestly, while the game mostly expanded upon Dark Moon in a good way, in some respects following the steps of that game ended up being detrimental. Structurally it's kinda dumb, it has a nice premise of unlocking new floors of the hotel as you beat the last one, but the problem with this is that, aside some exceptions at the beginning, you unlock them in numerical order, and when you beat a floor, you have little to no reason to go back, and when you HAVE to go back, with the exception of returning to the deepest floor, it just feels like padding, especially when you have to trail the damn cat, those sections are horrible, tiring, slow, repetitive and just not fun. Rather than feeling like an unique building, the hotel just feels like its divided in missions... just like in Dark Moon. It still shows that handheld design that honestly should have stayed behind, or at least they should have made something more akin to the first game's approach, 'cause the elements for doing something like that are here, but not to their full potential. There are mechanics that are barely used, combat can feel repetitive after long sessions... make no mistake, the game is not perfect, but god DAMN is it good.
It's still the best Luigi's Mansion, it's visually jaw-dropping, it's unique, it's fun, it's charming, it's flaws may be present, but they don't over-shadow the good elements at play here. It's sad that once again a game on the series doesn't reach its full potential, but this one comes extremely close.
Me and this series have a very curious relationship, I first discovered it when I got Dark Moon as a birthday present (tho here in Europe it's simply called Luigi's Mansion 2) and while I never got around playing the first one since I didn't had a Gamecube and back then emulation was a unknown topic for me, I still watched some gameplays of it and I was really mesmerized by its style and much creepier feeling... for a kid, I mean. I will probably do reviews for them both individually in the future, but for now I already let you know: I really liked these games from the moment I discovered it, as so many people do... but now with hindsight and much more experience playing much more games since then, it's clear their condition prevented them for being greater experiences; the first was a short experience meant to be as a showcase of the Gamecube's capabilities first and a full fledge game second, and Dark Moon was a sequel for a much less powerful console, and as such, many, MANY concessions had to be made for its designs to fit for the handheld, plus some stylistic changes that weren't welcomed by some. They both were great games on its owns, but they seemed to be made as technical showcase or adapted, and as such limited, for the consoles they were on, which is why seeing Luigi's Mansion 3 being such a well-designed experience feels like the culmination of this franchise, but at the same time it’s frustrating seeing it do some dumb mistakes.
Even if it isn't sold as a showing of the console's capabilities, make no mistake, Luigi's Mansion 3 is probably one of the best looking games on the Switch, and honestly one of my favorite Nintendo games visually wise. It feels like a playable Pixar movie, the animation just feels so... smooth; everything just feels so fluid, all the characters ooze personality simply because of the way they move and sound, Luigi specially is the star of the show, his expressions are so vivid and make see him run or scared is incredibly funny, tho NOTHING in the history of gaming will top E.Gadds' running cycle. The environments are the best in the series by far, the original Luigi's Mansion felt kinda samie after a point and Dark Moon, while varied, the rooms felt crammed and with some exceptions, the puzzles weren't exactly really inspired. 3 however, doesn't pull any stops, all set pieces and rooms look gorgeous, unique, and each floor has its own theme that fits perfectly with the idea of this being a haunted hotel. It all feels straight out of a Saturday morning cartoon, but with its own creepier spin, which is what they were going for and they did it spectacularly.
The gameplay also didn't lack this clear attention to detail, not only does Luigi controls amazing, but it's moveset has seen an huge upgrade. Initially, the basis is lift from the previous entry, but from there, they add so many things that make both combat and puzzles just so much fun: the slam for crowd the control, the suction shot, and the best of the best,
Sadly, this is where the problems start to arise. While there are a lot of boss battles, there are surprisingly few normal ghost, and almost all of the ones there are just re-designs of ghosts from Dark Moon, and in personality they are the exact same, so the sensations of Deja-Vu were many very much presents. There are still some neat encounters with these and the normal blue ghost add a lot more spice with different mechanics and ways to defeat them, just like the green ones in the previous game, but this time less annoying.
Honestly, while the game mostly expanded upon Dark Moon in a good way, in some respects following the steps of that game ended up being detrimental. Structurally it's kinda dumb, it has a nice premise of unlocking new floors of the hotel as you beat the last one, but the problem with this is that, aside some exceptions at the beginning, you unlock them in numerical order, and when you beat a floor, you have little to no reason to go back, and when you HAVE to go back, with the exception of returning to the deepest floor, it just feels like padding, especially when you have to trail the damn cat, those sections are horrible, tiring, slow, repetitive and just not fun. Rather than feeling like an unique building, the hotel just feels like its divided in missions... just like in Dark Moon. It still shows that handheld design that honestly should have stayed behind, or at least they should have made something more akin to the first game's approach, 'cause the elements for doing something like that are here, but not to their full potential. There are mechanics that are barely used, combat can feel repetitive after long sessions... make no mistake, the game is not perfect, but god DAMN is it good.
It's still the best Luigi's Mansion, it's visually jaw-dropping, it's unique, it's fun, it's charming, it's flaws may be present, but they don't over-shadow the good elements at play here. It's sad that once again a game on the series doesn't reach its full potential, but this one comes extremely close.
Do y'all remember The Incredibles 2? You know, that sequel to a really fondly remembered film that came out 10+ years after the original? It was requested by fans for so long, and everyone wanted to see the family of supers return to the big screen, and in 2018 it finally happened!... But... now-a-days it's hard to see any discussion around it. That doesn't mean that it's bad, a lot of people really like it to this day, but the general consensus is that it's a lot inferior to the original; it did have prettier visuals and more impressing action, but it lacked much of the humor, charisma and heart that made the first movie special. It was, by all accounts, a clear example of style over substance...
...Oh hello there Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon!
This things existence in the first place it's surprising in itself, I mean, the original Luigi's Mansion was amazing and to this day is looked back upon as an incredible entry in the Gamecube's catalogue and one of the most unique games Nintendo has ever produced, but to see it finally return with a brand new sequel after 12 years, releasing in a handheld and developed by Next Level Games must have been an huge surprise, but a welcomed one for sure. Personally, this one was my first rodeo with the series, I barely even knew what a Luigi's Mansion was! And I do have fond memories of the game, y'know, catching ghost, resolving puzzles, having fun... but time has proven to be harsh to this game, both for me and to many, MANY other people, but I think it's only fair to start with the positives.
A lot of changes were made compared to the last entry, the clearest being the visual, and it looks... actually pretty good! It's described by many as this Tim Burton-esque style, with sharp edges and a wide color palette, and it actually looks wonderfully, it is very different compared to the first game, but it gives a unique feeling to the mansions, making them vibrant and full of ambience and personality, and the game being in a handheld, it helps to make everything even more clear. The new gameplay is honestly a huge upgrade, the new system for catching ghost makes far more rewarding it gives off a lot of feedback, the ghost-catching and some of the puzzles are by far the best part of the game, and the new look of the characters, ghosts and the way that Luigi acts have a lot of charm, and I have no trouble saying that this game was the responsible for giving Luigi even more personality.
So yeah, the game's fun and looks good, so case closed right? It's a great game, no? Even tho I would love to say that, this game has just so many detractors that even saying it's fun has a caveats, 'cause it's fun, but it's not consistently fun, at times even it's frustrating as hell.
The game is very different in structure to any other games in the series, instead of taking place in only one building and as you progress through the game you explore the different floors, this one has a total of 5 different mansions, each decided by more or less five missions and a boss. This structure does expand on the original, and the mission system could work better in a handheld and its focus on more bite-sized play sessions, but they key word here is could. Having 5 mansions does give some visual and puzzle variety, but when you have to divide them in several different missions just gives off the feeling of the feeling of passing the same rooms over and over again, and even if there are some puzzles and collectables here and there, when you just have to go thought the same thing time and time again, when you are bombarded with ghost encounters with no rhyme or reason, when you can't progress 'cause uh-oh!, the ghosts stole the thing you just got and needed to progress or you gotta go after the polter-pup, it all amounts to one terrible thing. One horrendous, hideous, disgusting thing...
Padding
The game is filled to the brim with these missions that are only there to pad out the game, and it's just not fun. Most of it is the best of cases completely pointless and in the worst boring and tedious, and I found myself just praying to end with the mansion I was at, knowing damn well that there was more to come in the next mansions.
One of the biggest gripes people have with the game doesn't help either, the ghosts. I'll say, I do like the design and personality of the ghost... in a vacuum. They are fine, charismatic and actually funny, and each one of them a cool and distinct mechanic, except the green ones, which are either the simplest out of all or they have a mechanic that you have to overcome. This is fine, fine until you realize this is everything the game has to offer. There are a surprisingly low amount of ghost considering how many mansions there are here, there are attempts of doing something original, like the three ghost mirror ladies and the blue ghost, but you basically keep fighting the same things over and over again. But hey! Just when you are getting tires... the just start using more powerful versions of the ghosts... which are basically the same visually and the only thing the change is the amount of health they have... yeah no-not very good, honestly...
And the bosses... look, there are fine bosses here, the first one is actually the better out of all of them and the last two are not that bad, but the rest of them are really underwhelming AT BEST, when you just keep repeating the same ghost over and just possesses different thing, and when your bosses are just a bunch of waves of ghost and a turret section with gyro controls., you know that some things had to be given a little bit more of thought.
The core of the game is not bad at all, but it's just everything else that drags it down, it makes it a chore to beat and to replay, and seeing constant mistakes make even the best of visuals and gameplay not able to carry the whole game. The repetition and poor variety is what kills the game for me, plus just the fact that it just wasn't a good sequel to the original, it knew how to expand on some things, but it got to lost in the process, going overboard and as such, it forgot what made the first game special, it's simplicity and brevity.
It may be prettier and flashier, but lacks the pacing, charisma, and heart of the original, it's just style over substance...
...reminds me of a certain movie...
...Oh hello there Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon!
This things existence in the first place it's surprising in itself, I mean, the original Luigi's Mansion was amazing and to this day is looked back upon as an incredible entry in the Gamecube's catalogue and one of the most unique games Nintendo has ever produced, but to see it finally return with a brand new sequel after 12 years, releasing in a handheld and developed by Next Level Games must have been an huge surprise, but a welcomed one for sure. Personally, this one was my first rodeo with the series, I barely even knew what a Luigi's Mansion was! And I do have fond memories of the game, y'know, catching ghost, resolving puzzles, having fun... but time has proven to be harsh to this game, both for me and to many, MANY other people, but I think it's only fair to start with the positives.
A lot of changes were made compared to the last entry, the clearest being the visual, and it looks... actually pretty good! It's described by many as this Tim Burton-esque style, with sharp edges and a wide color palette, and it actually looks wonderfully, it is very different compared to the first game, but it gives a unique feeling to the mansions, making them vibrant and full of ambience and personality, and the game being in a handheld, it helps to make everything even more clear. The new gameplay is honestly a huge upgrade, the new system for catching ghost makes far more rewarding it gives off a lot of feedback, the ghost-catching and some of the puzzles are by far the best part of the game, and the new look of the characters, ghosts and the way that Luigi acts have a lot of charm, and I have no trouble saying that this game was the responsible for giving Luigi even more personality.
So yeah, the game's fun and looks good, so case closed right? It's a great game, no? Even tho I would love to say that, this game has just so many detractors that even saying it's fun has a caveats, 'cause it's fun, but it's not consistently fun, at times even it's frustrating as hell.
The game is very different in structure to any other games in the series, instead of taking place in only one building and as you progress through the game you explore the different floors, this one has a total of 5 different mansions, each decided by more or less five missions and a boss. This structure does expand on the original, and the mission system could work better in a handheld and its focus on more bite-sized play sessions, but they key word here is could. Having 5 mansions does give some visual and puzzle variety, but when you have to divide them in several different missions just gives off the feeling of the feeling of passing the same rooms over and over again, and even if there are some puzzles and collectables here and there, when you just have to go thought the same thing time and time again, when you are bombarded with ghost encounters with no rhyme or reason, when you can't progress 'cause uh-oh!, the ghosts stole the thing you just got and needed to progress or you gotta go after the polter-pup, it all amounts to one terrible thing. One horrendous, hideous, disgusting thing...
Padding
The game is filled to the brim with these missions that are only there to pad out the game, and it's just not fun. Most of it is the best of cases completely pointless and in the worst boring and tedious, and I found myself just praying to end with the mansion I was at, knowing damn well that there was more to come in the next mansions.
One of the biggest gripes people have with the game doesn't help either, the ghosts. I'll say, I do like the design and personality of the ghost... in a vacuum. They are fine, charismatic and actually funny, and each one of them a cool and distinct mechanic, except the green ones, which are either the simplest out of all or they have a mechanic that you have to overcome. This is fine, fine until you realize this is everything the game has to offer. There are a surprisingly low amount of ghost considering how many mansions there are here, there are attempts of doing something original, like the three ghost mirror ladies and the blue ghost, but you basically keep fighting the same things over and over again. But hey! Just when you are getting tires... the just start using more powerful versions of the ghosts... which are basically the same visually and the only thing the change is the amount of health they have... yeah no-not very good, honestly...
And the bosses... look, there are fine bosses here, the first one is actually the better out of all of them and the last two are not that bad, but the rest of them are really underwhelming AT BEST, when you just keep repeating the same ghost over and just possesses different thing, and when your bosses are just a bunch of waves of ghost and a turret section with gyro controls., you know that some things had to be given a little bit more of thought.
The core of the game is not bad at all, but it's just everything else that drags it down, it makes it a chore to beat and to replay, and seeing constant mistakes make even the best of visuals and gameplay not able to carry the whole game. The repetition and poor variety is what kills the game for me, plus just the fact that it just wasn't a good sequel to the original, it knew how to expand on some things, but it got to lost in the process, going overboard and as such, it forgot what made the first game special, it's simplicity and brevity.
It may be prettier and flashier, but lacks the pacing, charisma, and heart of the original, it's just style over substance...
...reminds me of a certain movie...
-''I should have left you to rot in that dirty shelf for all of eternity.''
-''...but you didn't!''
I do not enjoy talking about bad games... well, that's a bit of a lie, I do find some temporal enjoyment in ripping apart a work of art that's just plain bad, but that feeling of partial satisfaction only lasts as long as I'm writing about said game, and after that, the only thing left is a bad taste in my mouth.
Turns out, videogames are really fucking hard to make, a lot of factors come into it, from coordination, design, communication and the possible interference of upper management. The fact that we have as many masterpieces as we have today is a true miracle, but sometimes, the problems just pile up, and as such the result is a mediocre or bad game. In this case, the result was Paper Mario: Sticker Star
This has to be the only game to which I had such a toxic relationship; I've tried so many times picking it and playing it till the end, after all it was a gift and the first Paper Mario game I played, so at the very least I wanted to reach the end, but I just couldn't.
The game does have pretty visuals, creative gameplay that can amount to something interesting and some funny jokes, but the pacing, the lack of creativity compared to other Mario RPG's, and especially the fact this is BARELY an RPG as the combat doesn't amount to ANYTHING: so, you are telling me, I don't get any experience from battles, only money, and every time I battle, I have to use stickers... which are one use only, and as such I have to buy them back, so it's just better to not battle and save the stickers for the boss-battle- WHO THE HELL MADE THIS GAMEPLAY LOOP?
The game's puzzles are just too simple, villains are as simple as a light powered by a potato, Bowser doesn't talk in this one which should be considered illegal... it's just... sad. It's just wasted potential, 'cause yes, the game, even as it is, HAD potential, it could have been a fun little adventure with some very charming moments, but... it just didn't end up being that.
It hurts, specially knowing what happened behind the scenes: Nintendo wanted Intelligent Systems to simplify everything, and the result was a boring, barebones experience.
Despite everything, I hate the fact that I have to hate this game, this experience equivalent to biting a wet sock. It's boring, and it's frustrating, and that just lets feeling a profound sense of sadness, but it be like that sometimes...
I heard Origami King was fun, so I might try that in the future, but for now, I'm once again reminded of a game that they just didn't let reach its full potential. The only other good thing I can say about it's that, even if it is a fading star, at least makes the others look much brighter.
-''...but you didn't!''
I do not enjoy talking about bad games... well, that's a bit of a lie, I do find some temporal enjoyment in ripping apart a work of art that's just plain bad, but that feeling of partial satisfaction only lasts as long as I'm writing about said game, and after that, the only thing left is a bad taste in my mouth.
Turns out, videogames are really fucking hard to make, a lot of factors come into it, from coordination, design, communication and the possible interference of upper management. The fact that we have as many masterpieces as we have today is a true miracle, but sometimes, the problems just pile up, and as such the result is a mediocre or bad game. In this case, the result was Paper Mario: Sticker Star
This has to be the only game to which I had such a toxic relationship; I've tried so many times picking it and playing it till the end, after all it was a gift and the first Paper Mario game I played, so at the very least I wanted to reach the end, but I just couldn't.
The game does have pretty visuals, creative gameplay that can amount to something interesting and some funny jokes, but the pacing, the lack of creativity compared to other Mario RPG's, and especially the fact this is BARELY an RPG as the combat doesn't amount to ANYTHING: so, you are telling me, I don't get any experience from battles, only money, and every time I battle, I have to use stickers... which are one use only, and as such I have to buy them back, so it's just better to not battle and save the stickers for the boss-battle- WHO THE HELL MADE THIS GAMEPLAY LOOP?
The game's puzzles are just too simple, villains are as simple as a light powered by a potato, Bowser doesn't talk in this one which should be considered illegal... it's just... sad. It's just wasted potential, 'cause yes, the game, even as it is, HAD potential, it could have been a fun little adventure with some very charming moments, but... it just didn't end up being that.
It hurts, specially knowing what happened behind the scenes: Nintendo wanted Intelligent Systems to simplify everything, and the result was a boring, barebones experience.
Despite everything, I hate the fact that I have to hate this game, this experience equivalent to biting a wet sock. It's boring, and it's frustrating, and that just lets feeling a profound sense of sadness, but it be like that sometimes...
I heard Origami King was fun, so I might try that in the future, but for now, I'm once again reminded of a game that they just didn't let reach its full potential. The only other good thing I can say about it's that, even if it is a fading star, at least makes the others look much brighter.
2008
...I mean... it sure is Peggle!
Last year I played Peggle Deluxe and it was a fun time, and Peggle Nights is more of that. I don't know how this series does it, but it awakens a primal feeling on people that play it that results in sheer excitement when something crazy happens, mostly by pure luck (at least in my case).
The only notable difference is that for me some levels were kind of a slog and not really that satisfiying to beat or do crazy stuff in them, but it also has far more interesting thematics with the whole idea of it happening in the dreams of the master from the previous game and a whole new Peggle master with a cool power, so it's an one step back and one step forward situation.
But yeah, it's still fun, I don't know how they could have done it wrong (tho for what I've heard Dual Shot is not very good) but that doesn't make a less fun time spender.
Also Warren Rabbit is the best Peggle master and that is NOT up for debate, thank you very much.
Last year I played Peggle Deluxe and it was a fun time, and Peggle Nights is more of that. I don't know how this series does it, but it awakens a primal feeling on people that play it that results in sheer excitement when something crazy happens, mostly by pure luck (at least in my case).
The only notable difference is that for me some levels were kind of a slog and not really that satisfiying to beat or do crazy stuff in them, but it also has far more interesting thematics with the whole idea of it happening in the dreams of the master from the previous game and a whole new Peggle master with a cool power, so it's an one step back and one step forward situation.
But yeah, it's still fun, I don't know how they could have done it wrong (tho for what I've heard Dual Shot is not very good) but that doesn't make a less fun time spender.
Also Warren Rabbit is the best Peggle master and that is NOT up for debate, thank you very much.
2019
... I made... a severe and continuous lapse in my judgement...
I've played quite a ton of Battle Royales, especially back when the genre exploded in popularity in 2017 with Fortnite (holy shit it's been almost six years already?) 'cause as much as it's overexploited now-a-days and has spawned some terrible monetization practices, at it's core I found it to be an incredibly fun idea and can result in so many different outcomes each time you play. However, I have founde none that grabbed my attention for more than a couple of hours, Fall Guys did grab my attention when it became free-to-play (I won my first game ever the first time I played and I still don't know how) but even that didn't last much. None Battle Royale has managed to grab me and play it rigorously for a long period of time... except for one...
Is Tetris 99 the best Battle Royale out there? Probably not.
Is it the most original? It's stil Tetris, but with 99 other people so it's not that ground-breaking.
Is it the best Tetris game? Heeeeeeeell no, absolutely not!
So... why then have I played this game for almost one-hundred hours when it doesn't really shine in anything?... I have no fucking clue.
I haven't play it for some months now, but when it first released I was OBSSESED, mainly because... it just was fun. It was exciting to jump into a game and compete with other people, it was a good feeling that I was becoming better and better at the game, and the main theme and all the other music and visual buckgrounds they added later were FIRE.
It was not a case that the game was addicting (even tho it does have a certain component that can make it feel that way, but in my case it didn't become an obssesion) but rather it's just that it is really fun. It's far from perfect, fair and original, but godDAMN is it fun. I mean, at the end of the day it's still Tetris, and Tetris it's always a good time, so there was not a lot of room for messing it up.
Perhaps I should have spend the time playing other games, but you know what? I had fun, and I think that's something that has a lot of value. I don't think I'll play it again in the near future, but I have really fond memories of it... except the times I lost that times the game uuuuuuh the game lagged I SWEAR I DON'T SU-
I've played quite a ton of Battle Royales, especially back when the genre exploded in popularity in 2017 with Fortnite (holy shit it's been almost six years already?) 'cause as much as it's overexploited now-a-days and has spawned some terrible monetization practices, at it's core I found it to be an incredibly fun idea and can result in so many different outcomes each time you play. However, I have founde none that grabbed my attention for more than a couple of hours, Fall Guys did grab my attention when it became free-to-play (I won my first game ever the first time I played and I still don't know how) but even that didn't last much. None Battle Royale has managed to grab me and play it rigorously for a long period of time... except for one...
Is Tetris 99 the best Battle Royale out there? Probably not.
Is it the most original? It's stil Tetris, but with 99 other people so it's not that ground-breaking.
Is it the best Tetris game? Heeeeeeeell no, absolutely not!
So... why then have I played this game for almost one-hundred hours when it doesn't really shine in anything?... I have no fucking clue.
I haven't play it for some months now, but when it first released I was OBSSESED, mainly because... it just was fun. It was exciting to jump into a game and compete with other people, it was a good feeling that I was becoming better and better at the game, and the main theme and all the other music and visual buckgrounds they added later were FIRE.
It was not a case that the game was addicting (even tho it does have a certain component that can make it feel that way, but in my case it didn't become an obssesion) but rather it's just that it is really fun. It's far from perfect, fair and original, but godDAMN is it fun. I mean, at the end of the day it's still Tetris, and Tetris it's always a good time, so there was not a lot of room for messing it up.
Perhaps I should have spend the time playing other games, but you know what? I had fun, and I think that's something that has a lot of value. I don't think I'll play it again in the near future, but I have really fond memories of it... except the times I lost that times the game uuuuuuh the game lagged I SWEAR I DON'T SU-
2015
Um...very well... let's do this.
=================================================
Chapter 1: March 2020
When I played The Stanley Parable after it was free on the EG store back in 2020, I instantly became fan, I think that fact it's pretty obvious; one look at my front page here and it's clear my love for the game is anything but hidden. It's a game that has a lot to say, managing both hilarious and gut-wrenching at the same time, and the Ultra Deluxe version only improved on what was already established and gave tackled new themes related to the industry, and specially to the players and the artist, and the very much complicated relationship bettween them.
However, I'm very much aware of the fact that loving these games so much it's rarity, like, a lot of people do love The Stanley Parable but I've never had the chance to meet someone that likes them to the same extent that I do. Maybe they just cater to my tastes too much, maybe I find the message much more profound that they really are, or maybe it was because I play them both at the right time... To this day, I don't really know the answer, I just really find them special and intriguing.
=================================================
Chapter 2: January 2023
It wasn’t until I finished The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe early this year when I became more interested in exploring other games from the creators, not so much out of a need for more The Stanley Parable, but rather just out of curiosity in finding out what these guys were up to before and after the original game, and immediately upon beginning my quick searching, one game became the apparent as the next step in this silly ''meta'' journey: Davey Wreden's The Beginner's Guide.
I did know the game, in fact I was aware of its existence the moment it came out back in 2015, and I already knew I wanted to play it, but as the dates show, I hadn't even played The Stanley Parable by that time, and as time passed I forgot about the game, pushing it to little corner in the peanut I call my brain and just never really thought about it... until now!
That's right baby! I was gonna play The Beginner's Guide once and for all! I did know the game's premise, but aside from that, I knew next to nothing about it, tho I could piece in my head what it could be about just knowing the creator's previous work and the overall plot. It was time to once again explore the game, create different interpretations and analyze to its very core!
=================================================
Chapter 3: March 2023
But that isn't how The Begginer's Guide is, that is just not how it goes, and that realization hit me harder than any plot-twist could. The game's premise is both simple yet captivating: Davey takes us in a voyage through the games made by his friend, ''Coda'', during 2008 and 2011, we see all of the experiences this person has crafted the years as Davey gives us a interpretation for each of them, and invites us to create and form our own views , all in an attempt to reach ''Coda'' and convincing them to return to the world of making games.
This stroll through ''Coda'''s creations is as interesting as it is beautiful, they are mostly short experiences that are never longer than 30 minutes, some of them repeat ideas, some need Davey's intervention to make them even playable, and some aren't even finished! But... it doesn't make them the less unique and interest to explore, to appreciate and to wonder: ''what was going on inside this guy's head while he was doing this?''. It is inevitable to follow Davey in this exploration of ''Coda'' 's psyche through its work, to question what we are seing and search for a double meaning... and it makes it all the more gut-wrenching and makes you feel all the more guilty once the truth is revealed. Asthe end neared, and Davey kept talking, I began to feel... weird... I began to feel something, a bit of introspection... and it terrified me.
=================================================
Epilogue: Turn Back
Listen, I'm not saying that ''WOW!!!!1 IT IS'S LITLERALY ME1'' or something like that, 'cause there are far more people with far more experience than I that deserve a ton more of respect and see themselves more reflected in Davey's words... but as I heard him talk during that final walk, and I saw myself, I felt like I was hearing some of my thoughts escape from my peanut I call brain, and I got scared. I got profoundly scared.
As someone that aspires to create... not as much as art but just something that could make people happy, hearing Davey craving that feeling of validation, lamenting so much that he could have done different, the mistakes he made and how it all could have turn out different I...
When once elevated through the air, seeing that infinite labyrinth, and the credits rolled and that song started playing, I almost broke, I almost completely broke, but instead I just sit there, processing what I had just experienced.
I know very well that not everyone is gonna like this game, both normal players and artist, I totally understand it. But for me, it tackled everything beyond a simple analysis, it made very uncomfortable, and at the same time I loved every moment of it. It's too soon to say if this will go down as one of my favorites, I may have to give it a ton of thought yet to really know where it stands in my yearly ranking. But it stuck with me, it will do for a long time, and I already hold it very dearly. I once again reminded me of what videogames can be. And of what I shouldn’t be.
Maybe I should stop searching double meanings.
Maybe he just liked making games about prisons...
=================================================
Chapter 1: March 2020
When I played The Stanley Parable after it was free on the EG store back in 2020, I instantly became fan, I think that fact it's pretty obvious; one look at my front page here and it's clear my love for the game is anything but hidden. It's a game that has a lot to say, managing both hilarious and gut-wrenching at the same time, and the Ultra Deluxe version only improved on what was already established and gave tackled new themes related to the industry, and specially to the players and the artist, and the very much complicated relationship bettween them.
However, I'm very much aware of the fact that loving these games so much it's rarity, like, a lot of people do love The Stanley Parable but I've never had the chance to meet someone that likes them to the same extent that I do. Maybe they just cater to my tastes too much, maybe I find the message much more profound that they really are, or maybe it was because I play them both at the right time... To this day, I don't really know the answer, I just really find them special and intriguing.
=================================================
Chapter 2: January 2023
It wasn’t until I finished The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe early this year when I became more interested in exploring other games from the creators, not so much out of a need for more The Stanley Parable, but rather just out of curiosity in finding out what these guys were up to before and after the original game, and immediately upon beginning my quick searching, one game became the apparent as the next step in this silly ''meta'' journey: Davey Wreden's The Beginner's Guide.
I did know the game, in fact I was aware of its existence the moment it came out back in 2015, and I already knew I wanted to play it, but as the dates show, I hadn't even played The Stanley Parable by that time, and as time passed I forgot about the game, pushing it to little corner in the peanut I call my brain and just never really thought about it... until now!
That's right baby! I was gonna play The Beginner's Guide once and for all! I did know the game's premise, but aside from that, I knew next to nothing about it, tho I could piece in my head what it could be about just knowing the creator's previous work and the overall plot. It was time to once again explore the game, create different interpretations and analyze to its very core!
=================================================
Chapter 3: March 2023
But that isn't how The Begginer's Guide is, that is just not how it goes, and that realization hit me harder than any plot-twist could. The game's premise is both simple yet captivating: Davey takes us in a voyage through the games made by his friend, ''Coda'', during 2008 and 2011, we see all of the experiences this person has crafted the years as Davey gives us a interpretation for each of them, and invites us to create and form our own views , all in an attempt to reach ''Coda'' and convincing them to return to the world of making games.
This stroll through ''Coda'''s creations is as interesting as it is beautiful, they are mostly short experiences that are never longer than 30 minutes, some of them repeat ideas, some need Davey's intervention to make them even playable, and some aren't even finished! But... it doesn't make them the less unique and interest to explore, to appreciate and to wonder: ''what was going on inside this guy's head while he was doing this?''. It is inevitable to follow Davey in this exploration of ''Coda'' 's psyche through its work, to question what we are seing and search for a double meaning... and it makes it all the more gut-wrenching and makes you feel all the more guilty once the truth is revealed. Asthe end neared, and Davey kept talking, I began to feel... weird... I began to feel something, a bit of introspection... and it terrified me.
=================================================
Epilogue: Turn Back
Listen, I'm not saying that ''WOW!!!!1 IT IS'S LITLERALY ME1'' or something like that, 'cause there are far more people with far more experience than I that deserve a ton more of respect and see themselves more reflected in Davey's words... but as I heard him talk during that final walk, and I saw myself, I felt like I was hearing some of my thoughts escape from my peanut I call brain, and I got scared. I got profoundly scared.
As someone that aspires to create... not as much as art but just something that could make people happy, hearing Davey craving that feeling of validation, lamenting so much that he could have done different, the mistakes he made and how it all could have turn out different I...
When once elevated through the air, seeing that infinite labyrinth, and the credits rolled and that song started playing, I almost broke, I almost completely broke, but instead I just sit there, processing what I had just experienced.
I know very well that not everyone is gonna like this game, both normal players and artist, I totally understand it. But for me, it tackled everything beyond a simple analysis, it made very uncomfortable, and at the same time I loved every moment of it. It's too soon to say if this will go down as one of my favorites, I may have to give it a ton of thought yet to really know where it stands in my yearly ranking. But it stuck with me, it will do for a long time, and I already hold it very dearly. I once again reminded me of what videogames can be. And of what I shouldn’t be.
Maybe I should stop searching double meanings.
Maybe he just liked making games about prisons...
2017
In my restless nightmares, I see that level. Sunset Vista.
Ah, I remember, I remember it clear as day; it was 2016 when the N'Sane trilogy was announced and a corner in the internet gaming community exploded out of sheer excitement, I felt really happy for them! I was never able to get the chance a PlayStation, and even if I was, as a kid I was full Nintendo mode so I probably wouldn't have had one either, but the point is that I had never in my life played a Crash Bandicoot game, but I recognize its importance as a series for Sony's first console and a character that many hold very dearly, as it was one of the first 3D platformers to fall into the genre of ''being pretty good''.
When it released in 2017, I knew that I would end up playing it sooner or later, I really wanted to, but as with many, MANY other games, the I never really had the chance and when I had it, I was paying attention to other games that caught my attention, but no more! It's about time I played these classics with a fresh new look, starting with the first one, time to dive into a series I never got to really explore, let's go!
3 Hours Later
...I mean, it COULD have been worse...
Look I'm not gonna go around and bash this game without rhyme or reason 'cause not only it doesn't deserve it, but it also has amazing things that elevate it for me.
Visually it's a treat, for what I understand some fans are a bit torn that in some places it distances itself from the games original style, but I don't know man, this looks so good. All the level and characters ooze charm, the levels being full of detail and each new theme is very striking and works really well, and everything looks straight out of an animated show, which was obviously the idea, but man did they go far and beyond. The animations and the music too, all of it works and makes this game's presentation an absolute home run for me... and then you actually play the game...
Crash Bandicoot's strengths and weaknesses are apparent from the first level, and as the game progresses, these become more and more obvious, specially the weaknesses. The wonderfully called ''Sonic's ass'' style of gameplay actually works quite well considering the context: they wanted to make a 3D platformer for a console that its original set of controllers didn't even had joysticks, and how do they do that without also implementing tank controls? Simple: we take a more lineal approach, akin to the 2D platformers of the past generation. When ''Crash Bandicoot'' asks you to go forward, you bet your ass the level it's gonna be awesome, dogging obstacles, defeating enemies, it's a blast!.. And then turns out if you want to get all the boxes in the first level you must go back, and the problem with that become very apparent.
It really feels like the game withholds visual information from you; sometimes perception of depth can be difficult, sometimes random things appear just a second before you can react to them , and this being a game in which you tend to only one hit point that can be VERY problematic. Level themes start repeating, the bosses go from, easy, to boring, to sometimes even annoying, and, this perhaps being my biggest gripe with the game, for an adventure that's filled with boxes, hit-boxes sure are janky as all hell. The collision system in this game is all over the place, sometimes i fall through platforms I should be able to stand on and sometimes things that shouldn't hit me end up killing over and over again. I understand this can sound as me being salty at the game because I died a lot, even tho yeah, I died my share of times, I actually never got a game over screen and didn't had to repeat any levels from the beginning, and I'm not a person that you could call ''gifted'' at videogames, like, at all, so it's not a problem of the game being too hard, it's more of matter of being annoying as all hell.
At a certain point I just wanted it to end, some levels over-stay their welcome are others are just a nightmare to go through to and repeat a section over and over again because of a janky part, and it got tiring encountering the same obstacles, fighting boring bosses without build-up, and having to endure all of the design problems.
Did I hate the game? Not at all, even as a Remake, it's a product of it's time and that in itself has value... but, will I play another Crash game after not really liking this one?
YOU BET. I've heard the next two improve quite a lot upon the original, and I really want to play the fourth one that came out not that long ago, so yeah, this is only my first step in the marsupial's line of adventures, and it may have been rough, but that only means it's all up from here!...
...I hope...
Ah, I remember, I remember it clear as day; it was 2016 when the N'Sane trilogy was announced and a corner in the internet gaming community exploded out of sheer excitement, I felt really happy for them! I was never able to get the chance a PlayStation, and even if I was, as a kid I was full Nintendo mode so I probably wouldn't have had one either, but the point is that I had never in my life played a Crash Bandicoot game, but I recognize its importance as a series for Sony's first console and a character that many hold very dearly, as it was one of the first 3D platformers to fall into the genre of ''being pretty good''.
When it released in 2017, I knew that I would end up playing it sooner or later, I really wanted to, but as with many, MANY other games, the I never really had the chance and when I had it, I was paying attention to other games that caught my attention, but no more! It's about time I played these classics with a fresh new look, starting with the first one, time to dive into a series I never got to really explore, let's go!
3 Hours Later
...I mean, it COULD have been worse...
Look I'm not gonna go around and bash this game without rhyme or reason 'cause not only it doesn't deserve it, but it also has amazing things that elevate it for me.
Visually it's a treat, for what I understand some fans are a bit torn that in some places it distances itself from the games original style, but I don't know man, this looks so good. All the level and characters ooze charm, the levels being full of detail and each new theme is very striking and works really well, and everything looks straight out of an animated show, which was obviously the idea, but man did they go far and beyond. The animations and the music too, all of it works and makes this game's presentation an absolute home run for me... and then you actually play the game...
Crash Bandicoot's strengths and weaknesses are apparent from the first level, and as the game progresses, these become more and more obvious, specially the weaknesses. The wonderfully called ''Sonic's ass'' style of gameplay actually works quite well considering the context: they wanted to make a 3D platformer for a console that its original set of controllers didn't even had joysticks, and how do they do that without also implementing tank controls? Simple: we take a more lineal approach, akin to the 2D platformers of the past generation. When ''Crash Bandicoot'' asks you to go forward, you bet your ass the level it's gonna be awesome, dogging obstacles, defeating enemies, it's a blast!.. And then turns out if you want to get all the boxes in the first level you must go back, and the problem with that become very apparent.
It really feels like the game withholds visual information from you; sometimes perception of depth can be difficult, sometimes random things appear just a second before you can react to them , and this being a game in which you tend to only one hit point that can be VERY problematic. Level themes start repeating, the bosses go from, easy, to boring, to sometimes even annoying, and, this perhaps being my biggest gripe with the game, for an adventure that's filled with boxes, hit-boxes sure are janky as all hell. The collision system in this game is all over the place, sometimes i fall through platforms I should be able to stand on and sometimes things that shouldn't hit me end up killing over and over again. I understand this can sound as me being salty at the game because I died a lot, even tho yeah, I died my share of times, I actually never got a game over screen and didn't had to repeat any levels from the beginning, and I'm not a person that you could call ''gifted'' at videogames, like, at all, so it's not a problem of the game being too hard, it's more of matter of being annoying as all hell.
At a certain point I just wanted it to end, some levels over-stay their welcome are others are just a nightmare to go through to and repeat a section over and over again because of a janky part, and it got tiring encountering the same obstacles, fighting boring bosses without build-up, and having to endure all of the design problems.
Did I hate the game? Not at all, even as a Remake, it's a product of it's time and that in itself has value... but, will I play another Crash game after not really liking this one?
YOU BET. I've heard the next two improve quite a lot upon the original, and I really want to play the fourth one that came out not that long ago, so yeah, this is only my first step in the marsupial's line of adventures, and it may have been rough, but that only means it's all up from here!...
...I hope...
2022
Within five minutes of meeting Avery, i already knew I had just encountered the best character in all of gaming.
As time has passed, I sometimes encounter a problem when I play videogames, and that is: I sometimes forget to have fun. Maybe it's because I stress over something related to the game, other things like work or chores, or I simply just not I'm a good mood and I can't find anyway to disconnect and submerge completely in the game. Now of course this is far from happening all the time, videogames are by far my favorite form of media and that's for good reason, I still enjoy them full heartedly, but I would be lying if I said I sometimes didn't just... couldn't connect with a game, even if it was extremely good, and I was just thinking ''Ok, how long before I reach the end and I'm done?''.
Then this game comes and it's the equivalent of 46 doses of dopamine in vein.
This one is a game that's very hard to talk about in purely objective terms, in great apart 'cause I played it with my girlfriend, which made it even more fun than it already was, but I think I'm not exaggerating when I say this game is probably one of the most heartfelt experiences I've come across in the entire medium. It puts you in the shoes of a lil alligator, which I named ''Gazpacho'' and it was probably the best decision I've made in the entire year, and drops you on an entire island to explore, meet friends, do quests and build a town in the playground, and this gameplay loop that rewards you with little cosmetics and special objects what makes this experience so... happy, just pure happiness. It invites you to be a kid gain, to do crazy or pointless stuff just for the pure pleasure of doing it, like doing tricks on a skateboard or floating around using a balloon, or just simply exploring the island. There's no map, but it doesn't need one, the isle might feel gigantic, but it's not only visually clear and just by looking arounf you know exactly where you are, but it feels like there are things at any corner without it feeling crammed.
The quest themselves are honestly fairly simple, some of them just consist on walking around or doing a fairly simple task, and while this could feel a bit underwhelming, it never overstays its welcome and the dialogue makes every little interaction worth it. I loved every single one of the little goofballs I came across the whole experience, again, me and my girlfriend reading all of the dialogue with silly voices did made it even funnier, but the dialogue itself is hilarious and full of charm, and it got us just bursting out laughing a ton of times, I really mean it, this game is funny as hell, man.
The fun times and hilarious moments made it that when the game took a pause and it had interesting and heartfelt moments even more rewarding, it never got sad or tragic, but it tackled things that I wasn't expecting at all in a masterful way, and it was both cute and precious, and some of them really warmed my heart. Is a game that has a surprising number of things to say, and every step of the journey it just got better and better.
It may not be perfect, its own design philosophy has certain quirks that are not the best, like doing quest without even noticing and as such skipping dialogue and certain moments, but, how can I not love a game that made me feel so much joy? One with which I had just so much fun bumbling around and remembering the sheer entertainment of playing, both videogames, and in real life.
A game that should have lasted three and a half hours took 10 hours for me and my girlfriend to reach the end, and I wouldn't have had it any other way. I took my time, and we had so much fun. I won't forget Gazpacho's silly adventures for a long time... in great part because of Avery seriously how do you make a character that good and funny HOW IS IT EVEN POSSIBLE.
As time has passed, I sometimes encounter a problem when I play videogames, and that is: I sometimes forget to have fun. Maybe it's because I stress over something related to the game, other things like work or chores, or I simply just not I'm a good mood and I can't find anyway to disconnect and submerge completely in the game. Now of course this is far from happening all the time, videogames are by far my favorite form of media and that's for good reason, I still enjoy them full heartedly, but I would be lying if I said I sometimes didn't just... couldn't connect with a game, even if it was extremely good, and I was just thinking ''Ok, how long before I reach the end and I'm done?''.
Then this game comes and it's the equivalent of 46 doses of dopamine in vein.
This one is a game that's very hard to talk about in purely objective terms, in great apart 'cause I played it with my girlfriend, which made it even more fun than it already was, but I think I'm not exaggerating when I say this game is probably one of the most heartfelt experiences I've come across in the entire medium. It puts you in the shoes of a lil alligator, which I named ''Gazpacho'' and it was probably the best decision I've made in the entire year, and drops you on an entire island to explore, meet friends, do quests and build a town in the playground, and this gameplay loop that rewards you with little cosmetics and special objects what makes this experience so... happy, just pure happiness. It invites you to be a kid gain, to do crazy or pointless stuff just for the pure pleasure of doing it, like doing tricks on a skateboard or floating around using a balloon, or just simply exploring the island. There's no map, but it doesn't need one, the isle might feel gigantic, but it's not only visually clear and just by looking arounf you know exactly where you are, but it feels like there are things at any corner without it feeling crammed.
The quest themselves are honestly fairly simple, some of them just consist on walking around or doing a fairly simple task, and while this could feel a bit underwhelming, it never overstays its welcome and the dialogue makes every little interaction worth it. I loved every single one of the little goofballs I came across the whole experience, again, me and my girlfriend reading all of the dialogue with silly voices did made it even funnier, but the dialogue itself is hilarious and full of charm, and it got us just bursting out laughing a ton of times, I really mean it, this game is funny as hell, man.
The fun times and hilarious moments made it that when the game took a pause and it had interesting and heartfelt moments even more rewarding, it never got sad or tragic, but it tackled things that I wasn't expecting at all in a masterful way, and it was both cute and precious, and some of them really warmed my heart. Is a game that has a surprising number of things to say, and every step of the journey it just got better and better.
It may not be perfect, its own design philosophy has certain quirks that are not the best, like doing quest without even noticing and as such skipping dialogue and certain moments, but, how can I not love a game that made me feel so much joy? One with which I had just so much fun bumbling around and remembering the sheer entertainment of playing, both videogames, and in real life.
A game that should have lasted three and a half hours took 10 hours for me and my girlfriend to reach the end, and I wouldn't have had it any other way. I took my time, and we had so much fun. I won't forget Gazpacho's silly adventures for a long time... in great part because of Avery seriously how do you make a character that good and funny HOW IS IT EVEN POSSIBLE.
''Neo Cortex the crystal fan vs. N.Brio the based gem enjoyer'' the game.
I'm happy to report that yeah, I liked this one more than the first game... but I still didn't love it as much as I hoped, which it really pains me 'cause in most areas this one hell of an upgrade from the last entry!
A story that picks up from where the last game left on and has much more presence with mini-cutscenes through the game, ditching the world map and introducing the warp rooms, an incredibly cool way of presenting levels with more variety and letting you play them in the order you prefer, much more build-up before the boss fights and a BANGER of a soundtrack are the most noticeable improvements, and all of them plus what was already good from Crash 1... but I just can't say with a good conscience that I see it as a monumental achievement and a sequel that solves all of the problems the original had, in great part because of its own nature of being... well, more Crash Bandicoot.
The levels do appear to be more interesting, with far more varied themes and the objective being not only reaching the end, but also grabbing the crystal, tho this one doesn't appear that much of added challenge or a deal-breaker, they just are on a part that tends to be half-way through the level and are anything but hidden, but hey, collecting the gems you get by breaking all the boxes and the colored secret ones was much more fun than it ever was in the first game, so that's that. And while yeah, there are much more interesting and varied level themes, they aren't particularly interesting, mainly because they tend to repeat a similar structure: all ice levels have a 2D section, all temple levels have the same obstacles, all the bee levels are my worst nightmare, and so on and so forth. I can't say that I really liked the levels when the ones that pop up in my head when I think of the game are the ones I got incredibly frustrated instead of the ones where I had a ton of fun, and that's just 'cause there aren't that many exceptional levels here (Except the Jet Board and Jet Pack levels, those are incredibly fun a total blast to beat and complete).
And while I do like the presentation and design on the bosses, once again they all are by far the easiest part of the game, and they are mostly really uninteresting, the final boss specially us surprisingly easy and simple. At the same time, the only boss that isn't painfully easy it's painfully tedious and long, so I guess it could have been worse.
The hitboxes are once again a mixed bag, tho in this case it wasn't a matter of missing jumps and the collision being clunky (tho that could be because I got used to it, as it did happen a few times), but rather the enemies and obstacles hitboxes where the problem this time around, the most noticeable being the 5 or 6 times I died to fire after it clearly disappeared.
It really makes me sad to not be able to love this as many other people do, because I do see what could make this game so special and as a sequel it does improve a lot on the original, but I just can't go past many of its problems and I can't classify it as something more than just a fun but flawed 3D platformer.
I'll say that I'm honestly quite excited to play Warped, 'cause if they keep improving I could find it to be the definitive Crash Bandicoot game, and finally say that I really love the crazy marsupial.
Also, one last thing: Fuck. Jumping. Nitro. Boxes.
That's all I'm gonna say about that.
I'm happy to report that yeah, I liked this one more than the first game... but I still didn't love it as much as I hoped, which it really pains me 'cause in most areas this one hell of an upgrade from the last entry!
A story that picks up from where the last game left on and has much more presence with mini-cutscenes through the game, ditching the world map and introducing the warp rooms, an incredibly cool way of presenting levels with more variety and letting you play them in the order you prefer, much more build-up before the boss fights and a BANGER of a soundtrack are the most noticeable improvements, and all of them plus what was already good from Crash 1... but I just can't say with a good conscience that I see it as a monumental achievement and a sequel that solves all of the problems the original had, in great part because of its own nature of being... well, more Crash Bandicoot.
The levels do appear to be more interesting, with far more varied themes and the objective being not only reaching the end, but also grabbing the crystal, tho this one doesn't appear that much of added challenge or a deal-breaker, they just are on a part that tends to be half-way through the level and are anything but hidden, but hey, collecting the gems you get by breaking all the boxes and the colored secret ones was much more fun than it ever was in the first game, so that's that. And while yeah, there are much more interesting and varied level themes, they aren't particularly interesting, mainly because they tend to repeat a similar structure: all ice levels have a 2D section, all temple levels have the same obstacles, all the bee levels are my worst nightmare, and so on and so forth. I can't say that I really liked the levels when the ones that pop up in my head when I think of the game are the ones I got incredibly frustrated instead of the ones where I had a ton of fun, and that's just 'cause there aren't that many exceptional levels here (Except the Jet Board and Jet Pack levels, those are incredibly fun a total blast to beat and complete).
And while I do like the presentation and design on the bosses, once again they all are by far the easiest part of the game, and they are mostly really uninteresting, the final boss specially us surprisingly easy and simple. At the same time, the only boss that isn't painfully easy it's painfully tedious and long, so I guess it could have been worse.
The hitboxes are once again a mixed bag, tho in this case it wasn't a matter of missing jumps and the collision being clunky (tho that could be because I got used to it, as it did happen a few times), but rather the enemies and obstacles hitboxes where the problem this time around, the most noticeable being the 5 or 6 times I died to fire after it clearly disappeared.
It really makes me sad to not be able to love this as many other people do, because I do see what could make this game so special and as a sequel it does improve a lot on the original, but I just can't go past many of its problems and I can't classify it as something more than just a fun but flawed 3D platformer.
I'll say that I'm honestly quite excited to play Warped, 'cause if they keep improving I could find it to be the definitive Crash Bandicoot game, and finally say that I really love the crazy marsupial.
Also, one last thing: Fuck. Jumping. Nitro. Boxes.
That's all I'm gonna say about that.
As I said when I reviewed those games, both Crash Bandicoot 1 and 2 ended up falling short for me, not terrible games by any means, but they are plagued by problems, both from its original design and the ones that the N'Sane Trilogy spawned. If I had to define Crash Bandicoot in one word, it would be ''mediocre'' and Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back, while it did introduce a handful of upgrades both in gameplay and in presentation, it was a rather small step that wasn’t enough to solve the core problems with the original, which were very much still present. Plus, the whacky hitboxes and platform collision only added salt to injury, and resulted in a pair of 3D platformers that, while competent, felt really underwhelming and filled with flaws...
...then Warped entered the room and NOW WE ARE FUCKING TALKING!
Despite all of my problems with the previous two, I kept pushing, 'cause I really wanted to experience the marsupial's first trilogy and I really wanted to like it, but I'll admit that after Crash 2 not being the leap forward I hoped it would be, I went into Warped mentally prepared that maybe it would just be another Crash game, and yeah, I was right, it wasn't a leap forward... but rather a jet propelled jump.
Crash Bandicoot: Warped is still cursed by some of the already existing problems of its brothers, hitboxes are still far from perfect, the fact that in this one it was the least noticeable out of the three doesn't make it less excusable, and sometimes the game has a hard time communicating distances and hou long needs your jump to be (tho sometimes it may be the platform collision messing it up), but as a whole, it really feels like the game is playing on a league of its own.
It takes many of the things introduced in Cortex Strikes Back and ramps them up to eleven: the warp rooms, a little more of focus of in the story department and mini cut-scenes scattered through the game all come back stronger than ever. The set up for this one is well done, introducing the biggest menace yet with Uka Uka, giving Aku Aku finally some personality and in general they manage to feel the stakes somewhat high, which is honestly very surprising and welcomed. Also making the warp-rooms unified and giving the context of being a time machine instead of some random, unknown place like in 2 is a really neat touch and adds a lot to the game's thematic. Also the music is really good once again, tho in my opinion the previous game soundtrack is amazing and a bit better than this one, this game has some absolute bangers, especially with the bosses, Dingodile's theme in particular feels out of this world, it's a freacking bop.
But alright, the perfected the presentation, neat, but where Crash has limped a little has been in the level design department; levels from the previous entries ranged from ''that was neat'' to ''that wasn't really good...'' and my favorite: '' I don't wanna see this level ever again''. So, imagine my surprise when Warped levels turned out to be... fun! Like, really, really fun and well designed, and finally shows how much Naughty Dog had learned from their previous outings. Level use the time travel theme to their fullest potential, creating obstacles and enemies that make senses within the theme at play (dinosaurs, medieval, futuristic,...) and at same time creates really interesting layouts that are really fun to traverse and pose a challenge almost never feels like a chore. It never stops moving, constantly trying new ideas, and while levels of the same theme tend to follow similar beats like the previous game, this time around they ALWAYS introduce something new or put a really interesting and fun spin, for example: the first dino level has a 2-D section and a chase part with a triceratops, and the next dino level does have these things too, but it introduces new enemies, obstacles, and section here you can ride a baby T-Rex, and those small changes make the level feel both like a blast and original. They also vary a lot with new styles of gameplay, I've heard that many people dislike the non-platforming levels but I actually really love them, they control nicely (for the most part, we will get to that) and a really cool way to spice things up and try new things, and honestly I don't think that Crash on an armed airplane would suppose a menace to society but it ended up being extremely fun, so I have very little to complain about.
I liked almost all the levels here, which is a huge contrast with my experiences with the other games... but I'll say this: I have no idea who approved of that level, and it maybe is ebcause of the N'Sane trilogy new controls, but Road Crash is one of the worst levels I've played in a while. It isn't fun, turning is incredibly difficult, if you fuck up once you pretty much lose the entire level and the rest of motorcycles levels aren't even as fucked as that one, so I don't know what happened there.
Anyway, returning to the good stuff: THE BOSS FIGHTS. Holy mother of N.Brio what a glow up. In the past games, bosses were easy, simple and extremely boring, and in this one, they are easy, simple, and extremely fun! They aren't complicated in the slightest, but this time they manage to be really entertaining, they go by fast, and in general are still pretty well designed, and the final boss fight this time around is actually remarkable and cliamtic! Tho I say, I wished they played with the time travel theming a bit more, Tiny Tiger has this really cool boss fight on a Rome Colosseum, with lions included, but the rest just feel like average Crash bosses with not that much of that of the time travel theme on them (except N.Tropy I guess, but I digress). There's also much more build up to them, they are introduced by this little cut-scenes before levels where they talk to Crash and Coco, and it goes a long way in making them more feel like characters, giving them a personality and making you want to take them down. And if ALL of that wasn't enough, when you defeat one you get a power-up! In 1 an 2, bosses were kind of in the way, they appeared, you beat them, and continue with your adventure. This time you get an upgrade to your move set, which once again goes a long way in making this encounters feel more climatic, and the power-ups and incredibly useful and amazing additions to Crash's control, the double-jump in particular being an incredible implementation.
You may be asking at this point why the hell I'm so over enthusiastic, after all this all sounds like basic things that there would be on a competent platformer, and in fact I doubted if giving this game 3'5 stars instead of 4, and it's still possible that I change my mind in the future, so why am I gushing so much about this game? Simple: not only does this finally feel like what these games always strived to be, but also it executes it masterfully, it's a game that is a blast to go through... but I can't imagine it that it can be very fun to complete.
Everything positive I said doesn't change the negatives I already stated, plus the fact that some of the vehicles, like the jet-ski and motorcycle, while fine enough to control on its own, sometimes and when trying to go fast, it's clear that they are anything but precise. I believe this is once again a problem with the N'Sane Trilogy, and that honestly sucks, 'cause it’s another flaw to add what this time around would be an incredibly amazing game.
Warped has become my favorite by a long-shot, I think that fact has been apparent though most the review, and while it still as polished and well-designed as I would have liked, it was a joy to go through and it has finally managed to make me really value the orange rat.
It may still be flawed, but it has a ton of heart... AND DINOSAURS LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-
...then Warped entered the room and NOW WE ARE FUCKING TALKING!
Despite all of my problems with the previous two, I kept pushing, 'cause I really wanted to experience the marsupial's first trilogy and I really wanted to like it, but I'll admit that after Crash 2 not being the leap forward I hoped it would be, I went into Warped mentally prepared that maybe it would just be another Crash game, and yeah, I was right, it wasn't a leap forward... but rather a jet propelled jump.
Crash Bandicoot: Warped is still cursed by some of the already existing problems of its brothers, hitboxes are still far from perfect, the fact that in this one it was the least noticeable out of the three doesn't make it less excusable, and sometimes the game has a hard time communicating distances and hou long needs your jump to be (tho sometimes it may be the platform collision messing it up), but as a whole, it really feels like the game is playing on a league of its own.
It takes many of the things introduced in Cortex Strikes Back and ramps them up to eleven: the warp rooms, a little more of focus of in the story department and mini cut-scenes scattered through the game all come back stronger than ever. The set up for this one is well done, introducing the biggest menace yet with Uka Uka, giving Aku Aku finally some personality and in general they manage to feel the stakes somewhat high, which is honestly very surprising and welcomed. Also making the warp-rooms unified and giving the context of being a time machine instead of some random, unknown place like in 2 is a really neat touch and adds a lot to the game's thematic. Also the music is really good once again, tho in my opinion the previous game soundtrack is amazing and a bit better than this one, this game has some absolute bangers, especially with the bosses, Dingodile's theme in particular feels out of this world, it's a freacking bop.
But alright, the perfected the presentation, neat, but where Crash has limped a little has been in the level design department; levels from the previous entries ranged from ''that was neat'' to ''that wasn't really good...'' and my favorite: '' I don't wanna see this level ever again''. So, imagine my surprise when Warped levels turned out to be... fun! Like, really, really fun and well designed, and finally shows how much Naughty Dog had learned from their previous outings. Level use the time travel theme to their fullest potential, creating obstacles and enemies that make senses within the theme at play (dinosaurs, medieval, futuristic,...) and at same time creates really interesting layouts that are really fun to traverse and pose a challenge almost never feels like a chore. It never stops moving, constantly trying new ideas, and while levels of the same theme tend to follow similar beats like the previous game, this time around they ALWAYS introduce something new or put a really interesting and fun spin, for example: the first dino level has a 2-D section and a chase part with a triceratops, and the next dino level does have these things too, but it introduces new enemies, obstacles, and section here you can ride a baby T-Rex, and those small changes make the level feel both like a blast and original. They also vary a lot with new styles of gameplay, I've heard that many people dislike the non-platforming levels but I actually really love them, they control nicely (for the most part, we will get to that) and a really cool way to spice things up and try new things, and honestly I don't think that Crash on an armed airplane would suppose a menace to society but it ended up being extremely fun, so I have very little to complain about.
I liked almost all the levels here, which is a huge contrast with my experiences with the other games... but I'll say this: I have no idea who approved of that level, and it maybe is ebcause of the N'Sane trilogy new controls, but Road Crash is one of the worst levels I've played in a while. It isn't fun, turning is incredibly difficult, if you fuck up once you pretty much lose the entire level and the rest of motorcycles levels aren't even as fucked as that one, so I don't know what happened there.
Anyway, returning to the good stuff: THE BOSS FIGHTS. Holy mother of N.Brio what a glow up. In the past games, bosses were easy, simple and extremely boring, and in this one, they are easy, simple, and extremely fun! They aren't complicated in the slightest, but this time they manage to be really entertaining, they go by fast, and in general are still pretty well designed, and the final boss fight this time around is actually remarkable and cliamtic! Tho I say, I wished they played with the time travel theming a bit more, Tiny Tiger has this really cool boss fight on a Rome Colosseum, with lions included, but the rest just feel like average Crash bosses with not that much of that of the time travel theme on them (except N.Tropy I guess, but I digress). There's also much more build up to them, they are introduced by this little cut-scenes before levels where they talk to Crash and Coco, and it goes a long way in making them more feel like characters, giving them a personality and making you want to take them down. And if ALL of that wasn't enough, when you defeat one you get a power-up! In 1 an 2, bosses were kind of in the way, they appeared, you beat them, and continue with your adventure. This time you get an upgrade to your move set, which once again goes a long way in making this encounters feel more climatic, and the power-ups and incredibly useful and amazing additions to Crash's control, the double-jump in particular being an incredible implementation.
You may be asking at this point why the hell I'm so over enthusiastic, after all this all sounds like basic things that there would be on a competent platformer, and in fact I doubted if giving this game 3'5 stars instead of 4, and it's still possible that I change my mind in the future, so why am I gushing so much about this game? Simple: not only does this finally feel like what these games always strived to be, but also it executes it masterfully, it's a game that is a blast to go through... but I can't imagine it that it can be very fun to complete.
Everything positive I said doesn't change the negatives I already stated, plus the fact that some of the vehicles, like the jet-ski and motorcycle, while fine enough to control on its own, sometimes and when trying to go fast, it's clear that they are anything but precise. I believe this is once again a problem with the N'Sane Trilogy, and that honestly sucks, 'cause it’s another flaw to add what this time around would be an incredibly amazing game.
Warped has become my favorite by a long-shot, I think that fact has been apparent though most the review, and while it still as polished and well-designed as I would have liked, it was a joy to go through and it has finally managed to make me really value the orange rat.
It may still be flawed, but it has a ton of heart... AND DINOSAURS LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-
That awful song was right, it should have been a genius, but it doesn't quite compute.
All in all, a collection that brings back old classics with a beautiful new look and even some brand new content... and also that seems to still retain the problems of the games and, worst of all, introduces new ones, with hitboxes and collisions that... could have been better.
Not gonna over extended myself since I reviewed all the games individually (You can see my reviews throught the links below) but yeah, while its fucntional, it could have been way, way better, but at least I got the chance to experience these classics with a neat visual style.
My review of Crash Bandicoot
My review of Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back
My review of Crash Bandicoot: Warped
All in all, a collection that brings back old classics with a beautiful new look and even some brand new content... and also that seems to still retain the problems of the games and, worst of all, introduces new ones, with hitboxes and collisions that... could have been better.
Not gonna over extended myself since I reviewed all the games individually (You can see my reviews throught the links below) but yeah, while its fucntional, it could have been way, way better, but at least I got the chance to experience these classics with a neat visual style.
My review of Crash Bandicoot
My review of Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back
My review of Crash Bandicoot: Warped
2023
This game has a turtle with a funny face so it's already the GOTY.
I mean, jokes and shitposting aside, it's... fine? I'm a bit perplexed because I had fun but I don't really know why yet. It's an incredibly short and a bit surreal experience that I don't know what it wants to tell, it's just probably another joke about pineapple on pizza, and it's a weird, sad yet endearing one. Also I'll admit the ''plot-twist'' is kinda unexpected.
I really can't bring myself to not like a game that is stupid and it knows it, it's a very brief and free experience with a nice song and cool little things to discover, so yeah, it's one of those games that even tho it hasn't a ton to offer, I kinda enjoyed it more than I should have.
I mean, jokes and shitposting aside, it's... fine? I'm a bit perplexed because I had fun but I don't really know why yet. It's an incredibly short and a bit surreal experience that I don't know what it wants to tell, it's just probably another joke about pineapple on pizza, and it's a weird, sad yet endearing one. Also I'll admit the ''plot-twist'' is kinda unexpected.
I really can't bring myself to not like a game that is stupid and it knows it, it's a very brief and free experience with a nice song and cool little things to discover, so yeah, it's one of those games that even tho it hasn't a ton to offer, I kinda enjoyed it more than I should have.