Detectivefail
21687 Reviews liked by Detectivefail
This is what the Bad Batch wishes it was
In all seriousness, this game is a hidden gem in the world of Star Wars videogames. You take control of Delta Squad, an elite force of clone commandos during the three years of the Clone Wars. Each squad member is functionally the same, but each has their own personallity that keeps the narrative from getting stale.
There are three scenarios total: Geonosis, a hijacked Republic cruiser and Kashyyyk. Each scenario is different enough from the others that the gameplay doesn't feel repetitive. The game is very short, but it does it best with what little time it has. It was developed inbetween movies II and III, so sadly there's no missions on battlefields like Felucia or Mygeeto.
The gameplay is very similar to older shooters like Halo, you pick up weapons and grenades on the way and each of them is more effective against certain types of enemies. You order your squad around to complete tasks or objectives like demolitions, hacking or breaching. When not carrying out a direct order from you they provide support for you and others, so you don't waste time babysitting them. It may be overwhelming at the start but once you get the hang of it you can plan out your offensives with efficiency and coordination.
That said, the game isn't above criticism in some areas. In some sections the game tries to force you to use certain types of weapons, and enforces it by not dropping ammo for others, which just comes out as arbitrary and annoying. Some enemies (looking at you, Super Battle Droids) are bullet sponges even in the lowest difficulties. Some say that the Delta's AI is idiotic; I myself never had much of an issue with it, but there were times I had to go revive a squadmate because they rushed right into a horde of enemies. And finally, the games ends very abruptly after an event which should be emotionally impactful, but it just isn't because the credits roll right after that. It seems they were going to explore it in the sequel, too bad they didn't finish it before the Mouse came.
Overall, its a short but very fun experience, and a good proof of concept for a cancelled sequel. Pick it up only if its on sale.
In all seriousness, this game is a hidden gem in the world of Star Wars videogames. You take control of Delta Squad, an elite force of clone commandos during the three years of the Clone Wars. Each squad member is functionally the same, but each has their own personallity that keeps the narrative from getting stale.
There are three scenarios total: Geonosis, a hijacked Republic cruiser and Kashyyyk. Each scenario is different enough from the others that the gameplay doesn't feel repetitive. The game is very short, but it does it best with what little time it has. It was developed inbetween movies II and III, so sadly there's no missions on battlefields like Felucia or Mygeeto.
The gameplay is very similar to older shooters like Halo, you pick up weapons and grenades on the way and each of them is more effective against certain types of enemies. You order your squad around to complete tasks or objectives like demolitions, hacking or breaching. When not carrying out a direct order from you they provide support for you and others, so you don't waste time babysitting them. It may be overwhelming at the start but once you get the hang of it you can plan out your offensives with efficiency and coordination.
That said, the game isn't above criticism in some areas. In some sections the game tries to force you to use certain types of weapons, and enforces it by not dropping ammo for others, which just comes out as arbitrary and annoying. Some enemies (looking at you, Super Battle Droids) are bullet sponges even in the lowest difficulties. Some say that the Delta's AI is idiotic; I myself never had much of an issue with it, but there were times I had to go revive a squadmate because they rushed right into a horde of enemies. And finally, the games ends very abruptly after an event which should be emotionally impactful, but it just isn't because the credits roll right after that. It seems they were going to explore it in the sequel, too bad they didn't finish it before the Mouse came.
Overall, its a short but very fun experience, and a good proof of concept for a cancelled sequel. Pick it up only if its on sale.
Chrysalis is a solid introductory episode to developer DONTNOD's take on the Telltale formula. It's less concerned with setting up the overall plot right out of the gate, and is instead focused more on introducing players to the gameplay mechanics, world, and characters that inhabit it. Much like other modern episodic adventure games, player choice in the main driving force behind the experience. Your actions have consequences, not all of which are obvious. Where Life Is Strange stands out from its contemporaries is in its time manipulation mechanics. Don't like the immediate consequences of a certain decision? The game gives you the opportunity to go back and change that while still leaving the long-term effects a mystery. You can even go back and alter seemingly minor dialog choices or random events. It's a novel and exciting mechanic that allows for more freedom than, say, a Telltale game.
There's ultimately not too much going on in this first episode. The bigger story at play here is only revealed right at the very end of this chapter's story, and it's not quite clear how everything else is going to tie in together, if at all. We still get to meet some cool characters, watch our lead go through a sort of coming of age tale complete with time-traveling powers, and it's all brought to life with a kind of hipsterish indie-drama vibe. It's compelling and I can already see this going to be an emotional ride.
It might not be the most action-packed start, but the time travel mechanics provide a nice new spin on the concept and I'm curious to see how my choices will affect the story going forward. The amount of decisions to make here already give this episode a high-amount of replay value by itself. I can only imagine the number of possibilities when all of the content is together in the full game. Some very minor glitches are present and while the stylish graphics do help cover up a lot, it's easy to see flaws in things like lip syncing and character animations. I also think the lead actress doesn't always show the appropriate level of emotion in certain scenes. I get she's a hipster, but come on. Most of the issues go away in the face of some truly great decision making and the novel mechanics though. So overall Chrysalis is good and worth trying out to see if the story is for you. It's free so won't even have to put money down on it until you decide to branch out to the rest of the content or not.
7.8/10
There's ultimately not too much going on in this first episode. The bigger story at play here is only revealed right at the very end of this chapter's story, and it's not quite clear how everything else is going to tie in together, if at all. We still get to meet some cool characters, watch our lead go through a sort of coming of age tale complete with time-traveling powers, and it's all brought to life with a kind of hipsterish indie-drama vibe. It's compelling and I can already see this going to be an emotional ride.
It might not be the most action-packed start, but the time travel mechanics provide a nice new spin on the concept and I'm curious to see how my choices will affect the story going forward. The amount of decisions to make here already give this episode a high-amount of replay value by itself. I can only imagine the number of possibilities when all of the content is together in the full game. Some very minor glitches are present and while the stylish graphics do help cover up a lot, it's easy to see flaws in things like lip syncing and character animations. I also think the lead actress doesn't always show the appropriate level of emotion in certain scenes. I get she's a hipster, but come on. Most of the issues go away in the face of some truly great decision making and the novel mechanics though. So overall Chrysalis is good and worth trying out to see if the story is for you. It's free so won't even have to put money down on it until you decide to branch out to the rest of the content or not.
7.8/10
The long-awaited return of Travis Touchdown breaks away Nintendo exclusivity with all of its DLC in tow. Meant as more of a teaser for No More Heroes 3 (and possibly Shadows of the Damned 2) rather than the next main entry in the series, Travis Strikes Again features a more arcade style of gameplay with an emphasis on co-op and top-down hack 'n slash action. It's simplistic to a fault as all you're given are a light and heavy attack that can't be chained together in any way to create combos. Grasshopper Manufacture tried to add some depth via rechargable skill chip abilities and giving each stage its own unique mechanic (one might incorporate some platforming while another will have you rotating sections of the map to open up paths), but at the end of the day it all boils down to simply button mashing your way through wave after wave of bland enemy types and I grew tired of that before I even finished the first level.
What ultimately kept playing outside of my completionist attitude was an interest in seeing just what kind of weirdness director Suda51 came up with this time. The plot is disappointingly told through a sometimes tedious to click through visual novel, but the sense of humor and fourth wall breaking antics you would expect are still in place. I really enjoyed seeing Suda tie so many of his games together into one shared universe and the game-within-a-game premise allows for a lot of meta commentary on the industry. Writing and setting-wise this ranks among his strangest works, which should excite any member of his fanbase. I only wish it had been presented in a more enjoyable manner than just text on the screen.
Outside of sharing the same protagonist, the only time this actually looks like a No More Heroes game is during the boss fights. These creatively designed encounters are easily the highlight of the package, but given how limited you are in combat they are in no way able to elevate the experience above its faults in the same way they did for the previous two titles. While certainly packed with content the repetitive nature, lackluster storytelling method, and obvious budgetary constraints made this too much of a chore to play for me to even consider giving it another go on New Game + or grinding enough to fully level up each character. As a result, this is the first Grasshopper/Suda production I've blatantly disliked.
5/10
What ultimately kept playing outside of my completionist attitude was an interest in seeing just what kind of weirdness director Suda51 came up with this time. The plot is disappointingly told through a sometimes tedious to click through visual novel, but the sense of humor and fourth wall breaking antics you would expect are still in place. I really enjoyed seeing Suda tie so many of his games together into one shared universe and the game-within-a-game premise allows for a lot of meta commentary on the industry. Writing and setting-wise this ranks among his strangest works, which should excite any member of his fanbase. I only wish it had been presented in a more enjoyable manner than just text on the screen.
Outside of sharing the same protagonist, the only time this actually looks like a No More Heroes game is during the boss fights. These creatively designed encounters are easily the highlight of the package, but given how limited you are in combat they are in no way able to elevate the experience above its faults in the same way they did for the previous two titles. While certainly packed with content the repetitive nature, lackluster storytelling method, and obvious budgetary constraints made this too much of a chore to play for me to even consider giving it another go on New Game + or grinding enough to fully level up each character. As a result, this is the first Grasshopper/Suda production I've blatantly disliked.
5/10
The OTHER much-maligned Fallout title. Like the more recent 76, Brotherhood of Steel is a spin-off in the series that earned the ire of the fanbase for experimenting with a different style of gameplay. It's a hack 'n slash dungeon crawler in the vein of Diablo, and while that's not exactly what one would expect from the IP that doesn't make it a bad game.
In fact, it's quite good at what it does. There's a lot of loot, tons of monsters to kill, cool environments to explore, and even two player couch co-op. It's not perfect by any means. There are plenty of odd deficiencies like a lack of music throughout most of the game and I have to wonder why they bothered with a dialog tree when all the options lead to the same outcome and you can't define your character in any way. However, as long as you are willing to accept the fact that this isn't a choice-based RPG like the main entries in the series this can satisfy your craving for action in a wackier version post-apocalyptic world you've come to love over the years.
Stylistically this is a fascinating take on the franchise. It's like some bootleg version of Fallout with the tone of a B-movie. The game is packed with immature humor and the creature designs look like they were made with the intention of being just similar enough to the rest of the series to trick the uninformed, while also trying to avoid a plagiarism lawsuit despite the fact that this came directly from Interplay themselves. So while the arrival of 76 may mean this can no longer be considered the worst Fallout, it will always be the weirdest. That alone might make it worth playing for some.
The franchise, while largely more serious than this overall, has always had some absurd humor thrown in here and there. So it's kind of fun to see Brotherhood of Steel fully embrace the more ridiculous side of the nuclear apocalypse. Now, I'm not saying this is going to be every Fallout fan's cup of tea. It's just that none of it is outright broken or unplayable so I feel the hate this game has received over the years has been flat out excessive, rather unearned, and largely derived more from what it isn't as opposed to what it actually is. Which is unfair considering it legitimately does a pretty good job at the whole Diablo/Gauntlet thing.
8/10
In fact, it's quite good at what it does. There's a lot of loot, tons of monsters to kill, cool environments to explore, and even two player couch co-op. It's not perfect by any means. There are plenty of odd deficiencies like a lack of music throughout most of the game and I have to wonder why they bothered with a dialog tree when all the options lead to the same outcome and you can't define your character in any way. However, as long as you are willing to accept the fact that this isn't a choice-based RPG like the main entries in the series this can satisfy your craving for action in a wackier version post-apocalyptic world you've come to love over the years.
Stylistically this is a fascinating take on the franchise. It's like some bootleg version of Fallout with the tone of a B-movie. The game is packed with immature humor and the creature designs look like they were made with the intention of being just similar enough to the rest of the series to trick the uninformed, while also trying to avoid a plagiarism lawsuit despite the fact that this came directly from Interplay themselves. So while the arrival of 76 may mean this can no longer be considered the worst Fallout, it will always be the weirdest. That alone might make it worth playing for some.
The franchise, while largely more serious than this overall, has always had some absurd humor thrown in here and there. So it's kind of fun to see Brotherhood of Steel fully embrace the more ridiculous side of the nuclear apocalypse. Now, I'm not saying this is going to be every Fallout fan's cup of tea. It's just that none of it is outright broken or unplayable so I feel the hate this game has received over the years has been flat out excessive, rather unearned, and largely derived more from what it isn't as opposed to what it actually is. Which is unfair considering it legitimately does a pretty good job at the whole Diablo/Gauntlet thing.
8/10
Toy Soldiers
2010
Rather than going for realism this tower defense game has World War I dioramas coming to life and battling it out. There's an impressive level of detail such as moving gears in your wind up tanks and soldiers. The concept and time period give Toy Soldiers a unique personality. Although, the theme of imaginary battles between figurines taking place never quite took off in all the ways I wanted it too. Sometimes I forgot that the locations were dioramas, as in the moment they feel as believable and grounded as any other game with a war setting.
This doesn't detract from the excellent gameplay though. You're given numerous strategic options. Limited unit placements requires quick thinking from the player. There were times where I found myself switching out different defenses on the fly in between waves. The thing that sets Toy Soldiers apart from the plethora of other options out there is the ability to take direct control of your emplacements during battle. Being able to get directly involved like that is a nice change of pace from the usual sit back and watch approach this strategy subgenre is known for. This is especially fun in certain stages that give you access to planes and tanks. It allows things to have a more action-packed approach that gives players the opportunity to feel directly involved and is sometimes necessary to ensure victory. It's also perfect for those who would like to do a bit more micromanaging.
Toy Soldiers is also very accessible to gamers of all skill levels thanks to a well thought out variety of difficulty levels. The only issues I found with gameplay were related to the camera which can sometimes obscure your view. As a result I found myself making use of the overhead view of the battlefield which is like that of a traditional RTS. There's a nice bit of content too thanks to the multiplayer, survival, and campaign+ options. The novelty of Toy Soldier's theme and core gameplay mechanic do a lot to inject a greater appeal into the overall package. Plus, how many other WWI games do you know of out there? Simply put, I think this should be your next tower defense title. On top of being very well made it is also unique. The originality Signal Studios put into this make it worth your purchase.
8/10
This doesn't detract from the excellent gameplay though. You're given numerous strategic options. Limited unit placements requires quick thinking from the player. There were times where I found myself switching out different defenses on the fly in between waves. The thing that sets Toy Soldiers apart from the plethora of other options out there is the ability to take direct control of your emplacements during battle. Being able to get directly involved like that is a nice change of pace from the usual sit back and watch approach this strategy subgenre is known for. This is especially fun in certain stages that give you access to planes and tanks. It allows things to have a more action-packed approach that gives players the opportunity to feel directly involved and is sometimes necessary to ensure victory. It's also perfect for those who would like to do a bit more micromanaging.
Toy Soldiers is also very accessible to gamers of all skill levels thanks to a well thought out variety of difficulty levels. The only issues I found with gameplay were related to the camera which can sometimes obscure your view. As a result I found myself making use of the overhead view of the battlefield which is like that of a traditional RTS. There's a nice bit of content too thanks to the multiplayer, survival, and campaign+ options. The novelty of Toy Soldier's theme and core gameplay mechanic do a lot to inject a greater appeal into the overall package. Plus, how many other WWI games do you know of out there? Simply put, I think this should be your next tower defense title. On top of being very well made it is also unique. The originality Signal Studios put into this make it worth your purchase.
8/10
More than makes up for the mistakes of Unity. This is the first time the actual time-period itself affected the feel of the gameplay for me. Syndicate sees the return of a more traditional Assassin's Creed style of gameplay. The changes to the established formula made in its most direct predecessor are still present, only now much better implemented. I still think it's kind of dumb to have a leveling up system in an AC game (why should I have to buy abilities I started off with in the other games?), but it too won me over by the end. There's a real feeling of growing more powerful and capable as you progress through Syndicate's many activities.
This entry in the series takes some notes from the playbooks of gaming's other biggest open-world franchises. Most notably Rocksteady's Arkham games. The open environments the missions take place in, as well as the wide variety of items and abilities at your disposal, encourage experimentation and allow you to find your own solutions and playstyles like never before. Even the fluid combat system that has you juggling multiple foes brought back memories of taking out thugs as The Dark Knight. The inclusion of multiple paths to your target and various opportunities that can lead to unique kills reinvigorate the series' big assassinations. Things like the new zip-line tool and the implementation of carriages make navigating the open-world more exciting than ever. The latter giving the game something of a Grand Theft Auto vibe.
The story is where things take a slight hit. You'll meet cool characters and the protagonists are great. Kudos to Ubisoft for finally having making an entry in the main series with a playable female character (even if she does have to share the spotlight with a male counterpart). I'll even forgive them for the fact that she isn't the more likable of two leads. The events themselves just aren't that interesting. Some bland villain is taking over London, is after some precursor artifact, and blah, blah, blah. We've all seen it before. Only never with such a dorky final boss fight. The modern day story continues going nowhere. Only now there's some stuff about cloning! We just watch Rebecca and Shaun do some stuff in the occasional cutscene because the people at Ubisoft think we like them for some reason. While killing off Desmond was a pretty gutsy and unexpected move, it's clear they haven't had any idea what to do with this part of the universe for some time now as a result. They've even removed it from the gameplay side of things.
Narrative shortcomings aside, this is a phenomenal return to form for Assassin's Creed. One that even brings some much needed change to things. It's brimming with content to the point where you won't even care about the lack of multiplayer. This some of the smoothest gameplay the series has seen and one of its best settings. Syndicate makes the franchise worth returning to after it reached it's lowest point with Unity. Let me tell you, it's one heck of a comeback.
9/10
This entry in the series takes some notes from the playbooks of gaming's other biggest open-world franchises. Most notably Rocksteady's Arkham games. The open environments the missions take place in, as well as the wide variety of items and abilities at your disposal, encourage experimentation and allow you to find your own solutions and playstyles like never before. Even the fluid combat system that has you juggling multiple foes brought back memories of taking out thugs as The Dark Knight. The inclusion of multiple paths to your target and various opportunities that can lead to unique kills reinvigorate the series' big assassinations. Things like the new zip-line tool and the implementation of carriages make navigating the open-world more exciting than ever. The latter giving the game something of a Grand Theft Auto vibe.
The story is where things take a slight hit. You'll meet cool characters and the protagonists are great. Kudos to Ubisoft for finally having making an entry in the main series with a playable female character (even if she does have to share the spotlight with a male counterpart). I'll even forgive them for the fact that she isn't the more likable of two leads. The events themselves just aren't that interesting. Some bland villain is taking over London, is after some precursor artifact, and blah, blah, blah. We've all seen it before. Only never with such a dorky final boss fight. The modern day story continues going nowhere. Only now there's some stuff about cloning! We just watch Rebecca and Shaun do some stuff in the occasional cutscene because the people at Ubisoft think we like them for some reason. While killing off Desmond was a pretty gutsy and unexpected move, it's clear they haven't had any idea what to do with this part of the universe for some time now as a result. They've even removed it from the gameplay side of things.
Narrative shortcomings aside, this is a phenomenal return to form for Assassin's Creed. One that even brings some much needed change to things. It's brimming with content to the point where you won't even care about the lack of multiplayer. This some of the smoothest gameplay the series has seen and one of its best settings. Syndicate makes the franchise worth returning to after it reached it's lowest point with Unity. Let me tell you, it's one heck of a comeback.
9/10
Unfortunately, we live in a time where high-profile games launching in terrible states riddled with bugs, glitches, or a host of other problems is the tragic norm. It’s why I’ve gone from buying cool new titles day 1 to waiting until a few months after their release before picking them up. While it always remains a black mark on their record, thanks to the magic of online patching devs can continue to support and maybe even salvage the reputation of their product long after it’s been sold to customers. We’ve seen public perception turn completely around for quite a few noteworthy names as a result of this. No Man’s Sky went from being a massive disappointment to a celebrated hit, DICE’s Battlefront II became fairly respected by the Star Wars community, and it’s like a lot of that crap with Cyberpunk 2077 never happened at all. That sort of thing hasn’t occurred yet for this compilation, which is a shame because, on Switch at least, it’s in fantastic shape now.
So this package is a trilogy of remasters for three of the most iconic entries in the GTA franchise, each from the PS2 era, with some new features added in to help modernize them a bit. Multiple control options for shooting, a weapon selection wheel that allows you to swap to specific guns easily on the fly, better vehicle handling, maps you can place markers on, and stuff like checkpoints aren’t significant enough changes to make these titles feel like radically different experiences, but are wonderful quality of life improvements that make them more playable than ever by removing a lot of their old frustrations. Not having to respawn at hospitals and buy my entire arsenal all over again after dying in a story mission for example, greatly increased the overall amount of enjoyment I got out of this.
Why the hate then? If this collection does in fact include superior versions of these retro hits, why has the reception for it been so negative? Well, the answer is it came out with roughly the same level of technical polish as Fallout 76 and a certain aforementioned CD Projekt Red adventure did. It’s really hard to enjoy something that functions about as well as a cat in a swimming pool. Luckily, it’s come a LONG way. I’ve played through this entire trio beginning to end and encountered very few issues. The ones I did were primarily visual, and extremely minor at that. Stuff like building textures a second to fully load in. Not ideal, but totally manageable and far from game-breaking. The new cartoonish graphical style also wasn’t received terribly fondly either, and while character models in San Andreas can look quite… odd, upon viewing old walkthroughs on YouTube it’s not that different from the originals so I’m left a little confused by the complaints in regard to this aspect.
With the requisite cleaning up of its more egregious faults having taken place, I believe this much maligned offering is due for a serious re-evaluation from the general public. No longer will you be assaulted by a constant bombardment of developer negligence, and that paired with assortment of new features has made it so in my mind there is currently no better option for playing these classics. You can now witness these important pieces of the open-world genre’s and the medium as a whole's history without needing to contend with the majority of the more irritatingly outdated qualities of their design you’ll find in their prior iterations. Allowing it to live up to its designation as the “Definitive” choice. Therefore, yeah everyone, I say give it the second chance it deserves.
9/10
So this package is a trilogy of remasters for three of the most iconic entries in the GTA franchise, each from the PS2 era, with some new features added in to help modernize them a bit. Multiple control options for shooting, a weapon selection wheel that allows you to swap to specific guns easily on the fly, better vehicle handling, maps you can place markers on, and stuff like checkpoints aren’t significant enough changes to make these titles feel like radically different experiences, but are wonderful quality of life improvements that make them more playable than ever by removing a lot of their old frustrations. Not having to respawn at hospitals and buy my entire arsenal all over again after dying in a story mission for example, greatly increased the overall amount of enjoyment I got out of this.
Why the hate then? If this collection does in fact include superior versions of these retro hits, why has the reception for it been so negative? Well, the answer is it came out with roughly the same level of technical polish as Fallout 76 and a certain aforementioned CD Projekt Red adventure did. It’s really hard to enjoy something that functions about as well as a cat in a swimming pool. Luckily, it’s come a LONG way. I’ve played through this entire trio beginning to end and encountered very few issues. The ones I did were primarily visual, and extremely minor at that. Stuff like building textures a second to fully load in. Not ideal, but totally manageable and far from game-breaking. The new cartoonish graphical style also wasn’t received terribly fondly either, and while character models in San Andreas can look quite… odd, upon viewing old walkthroughs on YouTube it’s not that different from the originals so I’m left a little confused by the complaints in regard to this aspect.
With the requisite cleaning up of its more egregious faults having taken place, I believe this much maligned offering is due for a serious re-evaluation from the general public. No longer will you be assaulted by a constant bombardment of developer negligence, and that paired with assortment of new features has made it so in my mind there is currently no better option for playing these classics. You can now witness these important pieces of the open-world genre’s and the medium as a whole's history without needing to contend with the majority of the more irritatingly outdated qualities of their design you’ll find in their prior iterations. Allowing it to live up to its designation as the “Definitive” choice. Therefore, yeah everyone, I say give it the second chance it deserves.
9/10
Without a doubt Dohna Dohna is fun and has an impressive visual and production, the visual I think speaks for itself, it is exuberant. But as for its content, I can't even compare it with all the talk about human desires and humanity itself as a species that takes place in Evenicle. Evenicle has a lot of content and a lot to talk about underneath all the Ecchi and sex jokes, while Dohna Dohna...really has nothing. It's fun no doubt, the story is simple, just like Evenicle, but it still lacks the substance underneath it all, and as it doesn't have the story its setup is pretty generic. Even regarding the Hustling plot there is nothing that truly supports its occurrence, there are some excuses and it's possible to overthink it, but there really isn't any tangible material about it, not that it bothered me. The characters are fun and extremely charismatic, my applause again for the production and this spectacular dubbing, even without a story that hooks you, you end up staying with them, I think it's impossible to end up disliking some, and some of them even really have a plot relationship very good, like the case of the Medico whose character is based on the fact that she knows that what she does is wrong and that's why she punishes herself for her actions, it's something interesting to see even without really having a substance for it all. In general, I think it's unfair to ask Dohna Dohna to be a serious work, but I think it should build its plot better and explore it better, many things are not illogical when you think about it, some script decisions are bad and rushed, even when you end up doing various events to help yourself understand that world. Many flaws, few successes, and a lot of production, in general I liked it, I had a lot of fun mainly because of the characters and the erotic scenes, but I can't put Dohna Dohna next to Evenicle or others that are clearly superior. So I'll leave my current rating as my opinion of the game, I think it's worth it for an Eroge, but it could have been so much more, even more with a cyperpunk background.
Fable III
2010
It has a cool concept along with some interesting ideas, but their implementation was done in a subpar way, leaving much to be desired and made the game feel pretty mediocre.
You "technically" don't have a pause menu, an inventory, and an equipment system. When you press start, it sends you to a place called "The Sanctuary", which is where you can do these things, with the addition of stuff like fast travelling and buying some upgrades like increased melee, magic and gun damage. You have to teleport to a separate room where you have to run around for a bit at times in the search for a certain upgrade for the weapons, along with other things you may be interested in.
It's cool the first few times, but it makes what should be a simple process unnecessary monotonous and long. Sticking to a much simpler equipment, inventory, and upgrade system wouldn't have resulted in the game losing anything and made it much more appealing.
Combat felt ok at best. You have your melee weapon, gun and a few magics you unlock over time.
Enemies mostly felt like something you had to go through rather than an engaging part of the game. The encounters were pretty easy and most of them felt like they could be beaten through button mashing with occasional blocking.
If you find yourself overwhelmed, you can just stall a battle by running around since you don't have a health bar and could just wait for your health to regenerate.
The concept of gaining people's support towards reaching your ultimate goal sounds cool in concept, but the quests you have to do (for the most part) to achieve that are rather boring. Not to mention there don't seem to even be save files, so if you feel like you want to go back and try something different, you can't.
And without spoiling too much, the game takes a sharp turn in the 2nd half which made it feel like it was developed without a unified vision in mind.
Overall, the game tries to be original, but it doesn't work out well. Had less time been spent on trying to implement unique systems where they weren't needed and that effort was invested in other areas, they could've made a much better game.
You "technically" don't have a pause menu, an inventory, and an equipment system. When you press start, it sends you to a place called "The Sanctuary", which is where you can do these things, with the addition of stuff like fast travelling and buying some upgrades like increased melee, magic and gun damage. You have to teleport to a separate room where you have to run around for a bit at times in the search for a certain upgrade for the weapons, along with other things you may be interested in.
It's cool the first few times, but it makes what should be a simple process unnecessary monotonous and long. Sticking to a much simpler equipment, inventory, and upgrade system wouldn't have resulted in the game losing anything and made it much more appealing.
Combat felt ok at best. You have your melee weapon, gun and a few magics you unlock over time.
Enemies mostly felt like something you had to go through rather than an engaging part of the game. The encounters were pretty easy and most of them felt like they could be beaten through button mashing with occasional blocking.
If you find yourself overwhelmed, you can just stall a battle by running around since you don't have a health bar and could just wait for your health to regenerate.
The concept of gaining people's support towards reaching your ultimate goal sounds cool in concept, but the quests you have to do (for the most part) to achieve that are rather boring. Not to mention there don't seem to even be save files, so if you feel like you want to go back and try something different, you can't.
And without spoiling too much, the game takes a sharp turn in the 2nd half which made it feel like it was developed without a unified vision in mind.
Overall, the game tries to be original, but it doesn't work out well. Had less time been spent on trying to implement unique systems where they weren't needed and that effort was invested in other areas, they could've made a much better game.
One of the most polarizing games ever made, Metal Gear Solid 4 is a game you either adore to death or vehemently despise. It's an enigma of gaming, something that can't be denied is how it truly stands out from literally anything else, whether it be for better or worse. Metal Gear Solid 4 is a game that exists to be the finale, to finally let a series rest before it gets old and tired. This game highlights how fucking batshit insane Kojima is, and I fucking adore it to death. MGS 4 may not be my favorite thing ever made, but goddamn theres a part of me that holds it to that standard.
The most underrated aspect of this game is the gameplay to me (for the most part). The controls are solid and the gameplay works, but what makes me love it is that some levels have depth to how you handle the mission. Do you want to go full on stealth? Go ahead. How about going guns blazing? That's there too. The octocamo aspect really sells it for me, blending into the ground sneaking through a raging battlefield is so fun to me, or having the choice to go on the offensive as well (at some points getting some rewards for doing so too) is really good. The gameplay has some issues, I don't hate it but the chapter 3 on rails part isn't the greatest, and the game is more cutscene than game, but goddammit it's still super fun to me.
Graphically, I think it's really spectacular with how well it holds up. Yeah yeah it's got the late 2000s piss filter, but it looks kind of fresh still to this day. It kind of boggles my mind that it's a PS3 game, it's arguably one of the best looking games of that generation I'd argue. Performance though? Well, it's a launch PS3 game, and no matter how much Otacon brownnoses the high tech blu ray discs, PS3 games did not run great especially on launch. This game's framerate dips dramatically at points. Everytime I play it I feel like my PS Triple Ballin is on the verge of melting through everything.
The story of this game is so unapologetically batshit insane. At times it feels like Kojima was throwing darts onto a wall to find out what to put in next (I can imagine the look on his face when the dart landed on Cyborg Raiden), and yet, it's why I fucking love it. There are genuinely fantastic parts of this story, the biggest being Snake. He's at his lowest point ever, he's only in his 40s yet his body is that of a geriatric. He's depressed and loathes who he is and how his life has been nothing but never ending conflict (there's a really neat but fucked detail in the game where if you kill a certain amount of people in a mission, Snake remembers when Liquid tells him that he enjoys the killing and vomits in disgust of himself. Really clever details like this elevate the game higher). The way his body is failing him fits with his mindset. He's just tired of it all. And David Hayter is a legend, motherfucker literally almost destroys his throat and still gives it 200%. I know I'm giving Kojima way too much credit here and I'm like 90% sure this isn't the point, but Snake feels like the embodiment of what Kojima feared Metal Gear could end up as: old and tired. Again, too much credit, but when I see the game in that lens it elevates it a lot. Other characters shine in this too, Otacon is still the best bro in gaming, I need me a friend like Hal, I like Raiden in this too tbh I know a lot of people don't but I thought he was fine. Also really love Liquid in this he's a fucking asshole in the best of ways (the gif of him walking back and mocking the camera gets me every fucking time). The game has a shit ton of fanservice but I never groan at any of it (mostly). Hell, my biggest issue with the game is one character, if you know you know. I hate him so goddamn much genuinely why is he a thing. Of course I have to mention the epilogue sequence, which is one of my all time favorite cutscenes in any video game it's fantastic. Don't wanna spoil too much (I know it's a fucking 15 year game but I don't care), the series is something everyone should play at some point in time so shhhhhhhhhhh. Just know MGS 4 is bizarre, weird, rough around the edges, yet to me, it sticks the fucking landing spectacularly in spite of it's issues. War really did change.
Whether you love or hate this game, theres one thing that can be said: Metal Gear Solid 4 is the most game of all time. You got depressed old men, you got conflict all over the globe, you got cyborg ninjas fighting mini metal gears, and you got monkeys smoking cigarettes and drinking cola. There will never be a series like Metal Gear Solid. There will never be a conclusion like Metal Gear Solid 4.
EDIT: realized I said "Ocelot" instead of Otacon lmao dont type out reviews at 3 AM.
The most underrated aspect of this game is the gameplay to me (for the most part). The controls are solid and the gameplay works, but what makes me love it is that some levels have depth to how you handle the mission. Do you want to go full on stealth? Go ahead. How about going guns blazing? That's there too. The octocamo aspect really sells it for me, blending into the ground sneaking through a raging battlefield is so fun to me, or having the choice to go on the offensive as well (at some points getting some rewards for doing so too) is really good. The gameplay has some issues, I don't hate it but the chapter 3 on rails part isn't the greatest, and the game is more cutscene than game, but goddammit it's still super fun to me.
Graphically, I think it's really spectacular with how well it holds up. Yeah yeah it's got the late 2000s piss filter, but it looks kind of fresh still to this day. It kind of boggles my mind that it's a PS3 game, it's arguably one of the best looking games of that generation I'd argue. Performance though? Well, it's a launch PS3 game, and no matter how much Otacon brownnoses the high tech blu ray discs, PS3 games did not run great especially on launch. This game's framerate dips dramatically at points. Everytime I play it I feel like my PS Triple Ballin is on the verge of melting through everything.
The story of this game is so unapologetically batshit insane. At times it feels like Kojima was throwing darts onto a wall to find out what to put in next (I can imagine the look on his face when the dart landed on Cyborg Raiden), and yet, it's why I fucking love it. There are genuinely fantastic parts of this story, the biggest being Snake. He's at his lowest point ever, he's only in his 40s yet his body is that of a geriatric. He's depressed and loathes who he is and how his life has been nothing but never ending conflict (there's a really neat but fucked detail in the game where if you kill a certain amount of people in a mission, Snake remembers when Liquid tells him that he enjoys the killing and vomits in disgust of himself. Really clever details like this elevate the game higher). The way his body is failing him fits with his mindset. He's just tired of it all. And David Hayter is a legend, motherfucker literally almost destroys his throat and still gives it 200%. I know I'm giving Kojima way too much credit here and I'm like 90% sure this isn't the point, but Snake feels like the embodiment of what Kojima feared Metal Gear could end up as: old and tired. Again, too much credit, but when I see the game in that lens it elevates it a lot. Other characters shine in this too, Otacon is still the best bro in gaming, I need me a friend like Hal, I like Raiden in this too tbh I know a lot of people don't but I thought he was fine. Also really love Liquid in this he's a fucking asshole in the best of ways (the gif of him walking back and mocking the camera gets me every fucking time). The game has a shit ton of fanservice but I never groan at any of it (mostly). Hell, my biggest issue with the game is one character, if you know you know. I hate him so goddamn much genuinely why is he a thing. Of course I have to mention the epilogue sequence, which is one of my all time favorite cutscenes in any video game it's fantastic. Don't wanna spoil too much (I know it's a fucking 15 year game but I don't care), the series is something everyone should play at some point in time so shhhhhhhhhhh. Just know MGS 4 is bizarre, weird, rough around the edges, yet to me, it sticks the fucking landing spectacularly in spite of it's issues. War really did change.
Whether you love or hate this game, theres one thing that can be said: Metal Gear Solid 4 is the most game of all time. You got depressed old men, you got conflict all over the globe, you got cyborg ninjas fighting mini metal gears, and you got monkeys smoking cigarettes and drinking cola. There will never be a series like Metal Gear Solid. There will never be a conclusion like Metal Gear Solid 4.
EDIT: realized I said "Ocelot" instead of Otacon lmao dont type out reviews at 3 AM.
Hollow Knight
2017
When I first tried playing this game, I was enjoying it for a good while, but then got frustrated at both the difficulty and the lack of guidance for where to go. In hindsight, I think I was playing the game with the wrong mindset, because I actually really enjoyed it this time. However, it is far from the masterpiece people prop it up as.
Boss fights, for the most part, are really good. I do think this game does have a bit of a problem here with quantity over quality. There are a ton of bosses, but I feel like very few of them are all that memorable, and the ones that are tend to be memorable for the wrong reasons. Lost Kin and The Radiance are definite examples of this. Seriously, fuck that Radiance fight, goddamn.
Exploration is definitely this game's strongest aspect. While there is a little too much gray, I did enjoy traveling through all the different environments and seeing what kind of weird enemies I'd have to face. Big weak point of the game here is that movement just kind of sucks. After Metroid Dread, with how fluid and fast paced its movement is, it's hard to play a metroidvania like this that feels so slow. Especially considering how massive the world is. I feel like there should have been more fast travel locations to compensate for the map size, or at least stag stations placed in a more central location.
The Dark Souls elements are a mixed bag for me. While I get that they're there to make the game more difficult and instill a certain tone, I can't say I particularly enjoy them. Walk backs to bosses after dying were always one thing about the Souls games that filtered me and prevented me from enjoying those games. It's not as bad here, but it still feels like pure tedium more than anything. The shade mechanic also becomes pointless once you don't need money anymore.
I do mostly enjoy the charm system, and the different builds you can make is neat. I do think some charms should have just been straight up permanent upgrades to make up for the lack of upgrades there are in the game. Like why the fuck is Wayward Compass a charm and not just a map upgrade? Legitimately what were they thinking?
I do want to mention that White Palace level. I know it's optional, but Jesus Christ this part sucks ass. It's a monumental difficulty spike where it suddenly turns into Super Meat Boy. And all you get for doing it is the chance to fight that Radiance boss that isn't fun at all. Genuinely awful.
Overall though, yeah it's a pretty good metroidvania game that is a bit overhyped. Beautiful art and music, mostly fun combat and bosses, and a massive world to explore. Not even close to the best metroidvania, but definitely up there.
Boss fights, for the most part, are really good. I do think this game does have a bit of a problem here with quantity over quality. There are a ton of bosses, but I feel like very few of them are all that memorable, and the ones that are tend to be memorable for the wrong reasons. Lost Kin and The Radiance are definite examples of this. Seriously, fuck that Radiance fight, goddamn.
Exploration is definitely this game's strongest aspect. While there is a little too much gray, I did enjoy traveling through all the different environments and seeing what kind of weird enemies I'd have to face. Big weak point of the game here is that movement just kind of sucks. After Metroid Dread, with how fluid and fast paced its movement is, it's hard to play a metroidvania like this that feels so slow. Especially considering how massive the world is. I feel like there should have been more fast travel locations to compensate for the map size, or at least stag stations placed in a more central location.
The Dark Souls elements are a mixed bag for me. While I get that they're there to make the game more difficult and instill a certain tone, I can't say I particularly enjoy them. Walk backs to bosses after dying were always one thing about the Souls games that filtered me and prevented me from enjoying those games. It's not as bad here, but it still feels like pure tedium more than anything. The shade mechanic also becomes pointless once you don't need money anymore.
I do mostly enjoy the charm system, and the different builds you can make is neat. I do think some charms should have just been straight up permanent upgrades to make up for the lack of upgrades there are in the game. Like why the fuck is Wayward Compass a charm and not just a map upgrade? Legitimately what were they thinking?
I do want to mention that White Palace level. I know it's optional, but Jesus Christ this part sucks ass. It's a monumental difficulty spike where it suddenly turns into Super Meat Boy. And all you get for doing it is the chance to fight that Radiance boss that isn't fun at all. Genuinely awful.
Overall though, yeah it's a pretty good metroidvania game that is a bit overhyped. Beautiful art and music, mostly fun combat and bosses, and a massive world to explore. Not even close to the best metroidvania, but definitely up there.
An incredibly compelling game that I wish I liked more than I do. The theme is fantastic. More than any other game I've played, this game grapples with the overall potential decline of humanity through climate collapse, economic decline, warfare, and chaos. As with any SMT game, you're fighting demons, but ultimately it's a story about humanity's choices that have led to this point, and where to go from there.
The characters are some of the best in any SMT (or even Persona!) game I've played. I became attached to all the crew members and their personalities and quirks. As the game progresses, they become even more interesting due to some spoilery stuff. You really feel connected to them; when your fellow crew are in danger, you instinctively want to work together to save them.
The music is wonderful. All of the most dramatic moments hit even harder due to the fantastic composition choices. There are some very funny moments where mechanics are a little at odds with themeing. One recurring moment would be a demon asking me if I want it to learn a new ability upon level up, I would tell it no, it would insult me, only to have a new dialogue immediately pop up with it telling me how much it likes me and giving me a free item.
With all the good stuff I've mentioned, why only a 3.5? Most of the time you're dungeon crawling. This is good! That's what we're here for, after all. Unfortunately, after having played other dungeon crawlers like Persona Q, Etrian Odyssey, and Labyrinth of Refrain and Galleria, the dungeons felt lackluster in comparison. Most of the puzzles consisted of teleport mazes (not the worst, you're mostly treading new ground a lot with some memorization) and arrow shenanigans. Or, as you progress, fake-out and illusory walls, which are a bit frustating but still doable with trial and error. It's not that the puzzles were particularly challenging, there just wasn't enough variety for me for how long the game took.
I ended up going with the Chaos route and the final boss is incredibly frustrating, RNG-based, and unforgiving. There is an attack that, to my knowledge, can't be resisted or blocked unlike every other type of attack in the game, and can simply wipe your entire party in one turn if you're unlucky. This fight is supposedly easier in other routes, so I think a lot of people won't encounter this same problem. It feels bad to have a deeply skill-based game end on whether you can get lucky enough at the end.
I really want this game to be a 5 and would love to see a new version or re-do of this with better dungeons.
The characters are some of the best in any SMT (or even Persona!) game I've played. I became attached to all the crew members and their personalities and quirks. As the game progresses, they become even more interesting due to some spoilery stuff. You really feel connected to them; when your fellow crew are in danger, you instinctively want to work together to save them.
The music is wonderful. All of the most dramatic moments hit even harder due to the fantastic composition choices. There are some very funny moments where mechanics are a little at odds with themeing. One recurring moment would be a demon asking me if I want it to learn a new ability upon level up, I would tell it no, it would insult me, only to have a new dialogue immediately pop up with it telling me how much it likes me and giving me a free item.
With all the good stuff I've mentioned, why only a 3.5? Most of the time you're dungeon crawling. This is good! That's what we're here for, after all. Unfortunately, after having played other dungeon crawlers like Persona Q, Etrian Odyssey, and Labyrinth of Refrain and Galleria, the dungeons felt lackluster in comparison. Most of the puzzles consisted of teleport mazes (not the worst, you're mostly treading new ground a lot with some memorization) and arrow shenanigans. Or, as you progress, fake-out and illusory walls, which are a bit frustating but still doable with trial and error. It's not that the puzzles were particularly challenging, there just wasn't enough variety for me for how long the game took.
I ended up going with the Chaos route and the final boss is incredibly frustrating, RNG-based, and unforgiving. There is an attack that, to my knowledge, can't be resisted or blocked unlike every other type of attack in the game, and can simply wipe your entire party in one turn if you're unlucky. This fight is supposedly easier in other routes, so I think a lot of people won't encounter this same problem. It feels bad to have a deeply skill-based game end on whether you can get lucky enough at the end.
I really want this game to be a 5 and would love to see a new version or re-do of this with better dungeons.
Tell Me Why
2020
Tell Me Why is an emotional rollercoaster, the kind of masterwork produced by a team fully in hone of their craft. Like most gamers, I had played Dontnod’s Life is Strange back in the day, and while it was enjoyable, seeing how far the company has come since then brings me great pleasure. From a mechanical, artistic, and narratological level, Tell Me Why is notches above its originator, and though there are drawbacks in each category, none significantly infringe on the experience as a whole.
Before proceeding further, I should issue a disclaimer about Dontnod’s (since rebranded Don’t Nod’s) graphic adventures to those unfamiliar with their model; they are one-step removed from walking simulators. What I mean is, though they technically contain some type of gameplay gimmick, it’s purely utilized in service of a storybeat rather than any independent junctures; the game can’t exist without this system, yet at the same time it wouldn’t be impossible to sever it (if that makes sense). The appeal of these titles is in their story and dialogue, and so if you’re someone who prefers playability over narratives, it’s best you look elsewhere
I’m of the opposite, and given my introductory praise, it goes without saying Tell Me Why weaves a fantastic yarn. Twins Tyler and Alyson Ronan are reunited 10 years after a tragedy involving their mother forcibly separated them, with Tyler rejoining Alyson in the smalltown they grew up in. Despite their inherent sibling bond, there’s no denying some things have changed: Tyler has transitioned, Alyson is less confident, and the ghosts of their past continue to prop-up in spite of the twin's attempts to move on. Further impeding the latter is the Ronans’ discovery of the Voice, a shared ability allowing them to recreate memories from their childhood: memories that reveal the truth isn’t what they thought it was.
Tell Me Why is one of those titles that’s better the less you know going into it; I know, because that’s exactly what happened with me. It’s no secret it attracted a lot of attention due to being the first AAA game centered around a transgender protagonist, and so I walked into things fully expecting a sentimental tale about forgiveness/acceptance/tolerance and all that other syrupy material any normal person understands. And yet, to my delight, what you actually get is something more akin to a mystery thriller that is less about bigots and more about misunderstandings. Those aforestated themes are still there, but they’re pushed to the side in favor of a tale focused on unraveling secrets and coming to terms with the past. Dontnod nails the close-knit, suburban atmosphere that has come to be associated with dark secrets, yet it’s a testament to the writing staff that I never once felt frustrated when an NPC was blatantly hiding something. What I mean is we’ve all played games or watched movies which indulged in the annoying tactic of having someone be deliberately vague for the sake of prolonging a revelation, and the reason Dontnod avoids stumbling into that pitfall is because they understand the balance between dropping bread crumbs, building walls, and initiating player agency (all while ensuring the mystery remains reticent). When the Ronans unearth part of a truth, an obstacle props up; when an obstacle props up, they circumvent it; when they circumvent it, they find a clue that only widens the berth. It’s a cycle that could’ve very easily fallen into monotony, especially with the gameplay being minimal in general. However, the fact that Dontnod evades this trap AND successfully builds up to an emotional climax is a testament to their storytelling competency.
Of course, you need good characters for any of this to prosper, and, on that front Dontnod, once again, more than prevails. Tyler is an interesting specimen as, given his protected class, it would’ve been very easy for the writers to go the holier-than-thou route in framing his personality. To elucidate, when it comes to minority ubiety, I’ve noticed a relatively consistent trend in pop culture, regardless of the group being portrayed: first there’s no representation, then there’s integration in the form of [offensive] stereotypes, then comes characters positively defined by their trait, and finally you have average lay figures who happen to be X. Obviously that’s not an absolute, and I’m sure you can find works “ahead of their time” peppered here-and-there, but it’s overall a decent canopy.
In regards to the LGBT community (particularly trans members), I definitely feel like we’re still in that third phase, and while such oeuvres have good intentions, the reality is they go too far in trying to counteract the prejudice of Phase 2. Regular viewers desire authentic human beings, flaws and all, and whenever you see polarization in minority-focused media between critics and audiences, I genuinely believe the majority of that faultfinding from the latter arises from anti-purism attitudes over xenophobia: i.e., disliking X individual being portrayed as morally better than others. While reviewers tend to lap that up under “artistic expression,” normal people see through the charade.
Anyway, the reason for this tangent is to explain why Tyler is a great character- he’s not righteous. There are occasional moments, but the lion’s share of his depiction is through the standard range of human emotions: you see him act selfish and courageous, empathetic and judgmental. It reminded me a lot of Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart -- yes that was an anti-colonial text, but it wasn’t afraid to portray its protagonist as ignorant and physically abusive of his son. Tyler has flaws, however they only serve to ground him in verity.
Alyson is also beautifully-realized, her protean temperament an interesting mash of optimism amidst psychological anguish. She arguably suffered the brunt of the twins’ shared trauma, which goes a long way towards informing her various actions throughout the narrative. One of the best compliments you can give a writer is understanding where their character is coming from, and Alyson has that in spades (minus player choices, but more on that later).
However, the real gem of Tell Me Why has to be Ronan’s mother, Mary-Ann. Again, I don’t want to go too in-depth for risk of unveiling the plot, but what I will say is she might be the best depiction of mental illness I have seen in a video game, which is saying something considering her background is obscured for most of your playthrough. Any conceptions you have about her are guaranteed to change as you advance from chapter-to-chapter, her scenes showcasing how agony is a horrifying process no good person should ever have to undergo.
The numerous other NPCs you run into, though less fleshed out than the trifecta above, are solid enough to pull their own weight. Absent are lazy caricatures, replaced with individuals you literally could run into on any given day. As I said before, this is a story-driven game, meaning your conversations with them had to carry some meat lest they devolve into pointless filler, and thankfully these confabulations work due to astute scripting that understands when to start-and-stop.
Not everything in the storytelling department is sunshine and rainbows, starting with the Voice. A pet peeve of mine is when characters in non-fantasy settings aren’t shocked at the existence of preternatural elements, which, surprise surprise, happens with the Ronans and their mental ability. I get that they’ve had this since they were children, but it’s still bizarre that they just accept it as is. Second is The Book of Goblins. This is a compilation of fairy tales Mary-Ann scribed for the Twins back in the day, and on its own merits, it is an extraordinary creation: an enchanting assemblage of fables on par with the Grimms’ publications. Unfortunately, it becomes apparent it’s actually a series of metaphors detailing Mary-Ann’s backstory, and once you deduce which animal represents which character, it ends up being outright spoiler-y about later divulgences (whilst simultaneously making the Twins look like idiots for not putting two-and-two together). Thirdly, I wasn’t a big fan of the “once upon a time” recaps at the start of Episodes 2 and 3. I get what the developers were going for, but it came off as a bit too kiddy for my liking. And lastly, I severely disliked the lack of a skip option for dialogue- it’s obviously fine the first time you’re hearing things, but accidentally reinitiate a word strand, and you’ll be forced to listen to the exchange again (to be fair, I have seen playthroughs wherein players were able to skip, indicating either my copy was defective or it becomes available upon replays).
Luckily, relistening isn’t all that bad given the quality of the voice acting as this is an extremely well-cast game, with nigh-near every performer embodying their respective character to a tee. All those emotional variances I outlined earlier are brought to life by the VAs, showcasing the vibrant symbiosis that occurs when a skilled actor meets a virtuosic ADR director. As the main playables, August Aiden Black and Erica Lindbeck bounce off each other really well, hitting that fine gap between siblings who are simultaneously bonded yet estranged. Lindbeck, alongside Emily O’Brien (Mary-Ann), Grace Kaufman (young Tyler), and Gianna Ernst (young Aly) were the standout performances in my opinion, delivering their lines so pristinely that I was genuinely moved to tears at times.
That said, there were two issues I had with the overall line-up, the first concerning Neil Kaplan as Tom Vecchi. Kaplan is a charismatic voice talent, and Vecchi a side NPC running for mayor, meaning the pairing should’ve been a theoretical match made in paradise. Unfortunately, he ends up sounding so out-of-place, almost like he’s portraying a parody of a political candidate than a genuine campaigner (a facet made worse as Vecchi’s screen time grows in successive chapters). The second is Lindbeck’s choice of dialect for Alyson. Now, this is admittedly more of a subjective notation, but I’ve been noticing a trend in AAA gaming lately concerning the voices of Caucasian females in their early-20s sounding eerily similar despite deriving from very different (and very gifted) actresses. I dub this phenomenon “American Girl” syndrome (I know, I’m vastly uncreative) as it’s a bit perplexing hearing considerably disparate characters like Aloy (Ashley Birch), Mary Jane (Laura Bailey), and now Alyson come across as aurally synonymous. But hey, maybe that’s just me.
Musically, Tell Me Why is magnificent. Composed by Ryan Lott of Son Lux fame, his score surprisingly called to mind Christopher Young’s from the movie Untraceable (a film that, for the record, is over-hated, though that’s a discussion for another day) in terms of its reliance on soft piano chording amidst string overtures. This is a soundtrack capable of building up a thrilling atmosphere via simple melodies, and the fact that it doesn’t fall prey to overly-saccharine euphonies during the heartrending sections is the cherry on top.
SFX is pretty good. Graphic adventures tend to rely primarily on foleying due to the majority of the gameplay revolving around object tactility (picking up and placing down stuff), and it’s as sharp here as it is in a RockStar game. One of the smaller details I perceived concerned the implementation of that minute transition noise that occurs whenever an item is moved back-and-forth from a stationary position. What I mean is, you guys know how, each time you grab something or lay it back down, there’s a slight rasp between the item landing on a surface and settling into place? This happens because, as you would expect, humans aren’t capable of perfectly lifting/dropping things, meaning there’s an intermedial phase in-between the two motions. Well, the sound design for Tell Me Why accounts for that, and so prepare yourself to catch the sly rustle of a paper, stuffed animal, box, etc…as it's moved from one state to the other.
On the topic of object interaction, we should finally speak about the gameplay. The system here is fine enough, though keep in mind there is a noticeable two second gap from your tapping of a button and corresponding action (which yes, you do adapt to, but is still dumb). Besides that, as I mentioned earlier, Tell Me Why runs off the gimmick of memory recreation, and to be honest with you guys, there’s really nothing more to say. As I noted in the disclaimer, this title has the skeleton of a walking simulator, with any gameplay additions being in pure service of the plot. And so, for better and for worse, the power of “The Voice” is not detached from the narrative; you only ever reconstruct remembrances when mandated, and even then it’s as straightforward as pressing a prompt. One of the more interesting ideas involves the Ronans recalling different versions of the same event and you having to accept one as the truth, and while it impacts future dialogue chains, it’s never expanded to its potential and consequently feels like a last-ditch effort at giving players pseudo-agency.
There are other decisions you’ll be making during your 12-13 hour runtime, and, to Dontnod’s credit, they actually culminate in multiple finales here compared to the disappointment that was Life is Strange’s binary conclusion. However, none of them change-up the climax, which, all things considered, is the only important facet. In many ways, I kind of wish they’d axed the branching narrative system and just gone for a direct linear thread as it’s evident that’s where the company’s strengths lie (not to mention they are clearly incapable of putting in the dedication such a spiderweb requires).
Graphically, this is a lovely-looking game. Dontnod wanted to jump into the AAA space, and they have more than proved their mettle: character models are photorealistic, environments cooly baked, clothing extremely well-textured, and facial expressions on-point. Gone are the erratic lip syncing and recursive posture animations of yesteryear, replaced with a new algorithm specializing in organic body language. I love seeing companies make large strides from their roots, and Dontnod is a clearcut example of such growth. Their penchant for environmental storytelling continues to remain on point as well, with interiors decked in personalized detail conditional on the occupant (spaces like Mary-Ann’s room, Denise’s desk, and Sam’s boathouse standing out in particular), and they’ve even implemented jittery motion tracking whenever you handle possessions in those areas (something L.A. Noire didn’t have).
Like every video game there are drawbacks here. One, I hated how closed-in the third-person camera was as it never allowed you to fully take-in an area; two, as much as I want to praise the modeling, several NPCs (Sam and most of the cops) have traces of that old-bleariness that accompanied 3D figures back in the seventh generation; three, hair is not where it needs to be (Alyson, Michael, and Mary-Ann look fine, however Tyler, Eddy, Sam, and others have an unnatural composition to their barnet that unfortunately sticks out); and four, you’ve got a medley miscellaneous graphical discrepancies via inconstant fog breath and disappearing snow prints (what is this, Pokemon Sapphire?).
Overall though, there is nothing that will take you out of the magic circle, which is great because you’ll want to be immersed for the journey before you. Tell Me Why is a shining example of the power of video game storytelling, and if you’re looking for a strong drama not particularly reliant on gameplay, I highly recommend it.
Notes
-A cool sonoric facet occurs wherein dialogue switches between speakers contingent on which ear is facing the orator.
-It is incredible seeing fingers that don’t look like unnatural, elongated twigs.
-I wish a real-life version of the Book of Goblins was sold as I imagine it’d be popular among parents.
-The game makes a big deal about poaching/hunting, yet is content with fishing. Moral hypocrisy much?
-Photos strangely look like painted portraitures than 2D prints of the game's 3D models.
Before proceeding further, I should issue a disclaimer about Dontnod’s (since rebranded Don’t Nod’s) graphic adventures to those unfamiliar with their model; they are one-step removed from walking simulators. What I mean is, though they technically contain some type of gameplay gimmick, it’s purely utilized in service of a storybeat rather than any independent junctures; the game can’t exist without this system, yet at the same time it wouldn’t be impossible to sever it (if that makes sense). The appeal of these titles is in their story and dialogue, and so if you’re someone who prefers playability over narratives, it’s best you look elsewhere
I’m of the opposite, and given my introductory praise, it goes without saying Tell Me Why weaves a fantastic yarn. Twins Tyler and Alyson Ronan are reunited 10 years after a tragedy involving their mother forcibly separated them, with Tyler rejoining Alyson in the smalltown they grew up in. Despite their inherent sibling bond, there’s no denying some things have changed: Tyler has transitioned, Alyson is less confident, and the ghosts of their past continue to prop-up in spite of the twin's attempts to move on. Further impeding the latter is the Ronans’ discovery of the Voice, a shared ability allowing them to recreate memories from their childhood: memories that reveal the truth isn’t what they thought it was.
Tell Me Why is one of those titles that’s better the less you know going into it; I know, because that’s exactly what happened with me. It’s no secret it attracted a lot of attention due to being the first AAA game centered around a transgender protagonist, and so I walked into things fully expecting a sentimental tale about forgiveness/acceptance/tolerance and all that other syrupy material any normal person understands. And yet, to my delight, what you actually get is something more akin to a mystery thriller that is less about bigots and more about misunderstandings. Those aforestated themes are still there, but they’re pushed to the side in favor of a tale focused on unraveling secrets and coming to terms with the past. Dontnod nails the close-knit, suburban atmosphere that has come to be associated with dark secrets, yet it’s a testament to the writing staff that I never once felt frustrated when an NPC was blatantly hiding something. What I mean is we’ve all played games or watched movies which indulged in the annoying tactic of having someone be deliberately vague for the sake of prolonging a revelation, and the reason Dontnod avoids stumbling into that pitfall is because they understand the balance between dropping bread crumbs, building walls, and initiating player agency (all while ensuring the mystery remains reticent). When the Ronans unearth part of a truth, an obstacle props up; when an obstacle props up, they circumvent it; when they circumvent it, they find a clue that only widens the berth. It’s a cycle that could’ve very easily fallen into monotony, especially with the gameplay being minimal in general. However, the fact that Dontnod evades this trap AND successfully builds up to an emotional climax is a testament to their storytelling competency.
Of course, you need good characters for any of this to prosper, and, on that front Dontnod, once again, more than prevails. Tyler is an interesting specimen as, given his protected class, it would’ve been very easy for the writers to go the holier-than-thou route in framing his personality. To elucidate, when it comes to minority ubiety, I’ve noticed a relatively consistent trend in pop culture, regardless of the group being portrayed: first there’s no representation, then there’s integration in the form of [offensive] stereotypes, then comes characters positively defined by their trait, and finally you have average lay figures who happen to be X. Obviously that’s not an absolute, and I’m sure you can find works “ahead of their time” peppered here-and-there, but it’s overall a decent canopy.
In regards to the LGBT community (particularly trans members), I definitely feel like we’re still in that third phase, and while such oeuvres have good intentions, the reality is they go too far in trying to counteract the prejudice of Phase 2. Regular viewers desire authentic human beings, flaws and all, and whenever you see polarization in minority-focused media between critics and audiences, I genuinely believe the majority of that faultfinding from the latter arises from anti-purism attitudes over xenophobia: i.e., disliking X individual being portrayed as morally better than others. While reviewers tend to lap that up under “artistic expression,” normal people see through the charade.
Anyway, the reason for this tangent is to explain why Tyler is a great character- he’s not righteous. There are occasional moments, but the lion’s share of his depiction is through the standard range of human emotions: you see him act selfish and courageous, empathetic and judgmental. It reminded me a lot of Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart -- yes that was an anti-colonial text, but it wasn’t afraid to portray its protagonist as ignorant and physically abusive of his son. Tyler has flaws, however they only serve to ground him in verity.
Alyson is also beautifully-realized, her protean temperament an interesting mash of optimism amidst psychological anguish. She arguably suffered the brunt of the twins’ shared trauma, which goes a long way towards informing her various actions throughout the narrative. One of the best compliments you can give a writer is understanding where their character is coming from, and Alyson has that in spades (minus player choices, but more on that later).
However, the real gem of Tell Me Why has to be Ronan’s mother, Mary-Ann. Again, I don’t want to go too in-depth for risk of unveiling the plot, but what I will say is she might be the best depiction of mental illness I have seen in a video game, which is saying something considering her background is obscured for most of your playthrough. Any conceptions you have about her are guaranteed to change as you advance from chapter-to-chapter, her scenes showcasing how agony is a horrifying process no good person should ever have to undergo.
The numerous other NPCs you run into, though less fleshed out than the trifecta above, are solid enough to pull their own weight. Absent are lazy caricatures, replaced with individuals you literally could run into on any given day. As I said before, this is a story-driven game, meaning your conversations with them had to carry some meat lest they devolve into pointless filler, and thankfully these confabulations work due to astute scripting that understands when to start-and-stop.
Not everything in the storytelling department is sunshine and rainbows, starting with the Voice. A pet peeve of mine is when characters in non-fantasy settings aren’t shocked at the existence of preternatural elements, which, surprise surprise, happens with the Ronans and their mental ability. I get that they’ve had this since they were children, but it’s still bizarre that they just accept it as is. Second is The Book of Goblins. This is a compilation of fairy tales Mary-Ann scribed for the Twins back in the day, and on its own merits, it is an extraordinary creation: an enchanting assemblage of fables on par with the Grimms’ publications. Unfortunately, it becomes apparent it’s actually a series of metaphors detailing Mary-Ann’s backstory, and once you deduce which animal represents which character, it ends up being outright spoiler-y about later divulgences (whilst simultaneously making the Twins look like idiots for not putting two-and-two together). Thirdly, I wasn’t a big fan of the “once upon a time” recaps at the start of Episodes 2 and 3. I get what the developers were going for, but it came off as a bit too kiddy for my liking. And lastly, I severely disliked the lack of a skip option for dialogue- it’s obviously fine the first time you’re hearing things, but accidentally reinitiate a word strand, and you’ll be forced to listen to the exchange again (to be fair, I have seen playthroughs wherein players were able to skip, indicating either my copy was defective or it becomes available upon replays).
Luckily, relistening isn’t all that bad given the quality of the voice acting as this is an extremely well-cast game, with nigh-near every performer embodying their respective character to a tee. All those emotional variances I outlined earlier are brought to life by the VAs, showcasing the vibrant symbiosis that occurs when a skilled actor meets a virtuosic ADR director. As the main playables, August Aiden Black and Erica Lindbeck bounce off each other really well, hitting that fine gap between siblings who are simultaneously bonded yet estranged. Lindbeck, alongside Emily O’Brien (Mary-Ann), Grace Kaufman (young Tyler), and Gianna Ernst (young Aly) were the standout performances in my opinion, delivering their lines so pristinely that I was genuinely moved to tears at times.
That said, there were two issues I had with the overall line-up, the first concerning Neil Kaplan as Tom Vecchi. Kaplan is a charismatic voice talent, and Vecchi a side NPC running for mayor, meaning the pairing should’ve been a theoretical match made in paradise. Unfortunately, he ends up sounding so out-of-place, almost like he’s portraying a parody of a political candidate than a genuine campaigner (a facet made worse as Vecchi’s screen time grows in successive chapters). The second is Lindbeck’s choice of dialect for Alyson. Now, this is admittedly more of a subjective notation, but I’ve been noticing a trend in AAA gaming lately concerning the voices of Caucasian females in their early-20s sounding eerily similar despite deriving from very different (and very gifted) actresses. I dub this phenomenon “American Girl” syndrome (I know, I’m vastly uncreative) as it’s a bit perplexing hearing considerably disparate characters like Aloy (Ashley Birch), Mary Jane (Laura Bailey), and now Alyson come across as aurally synonymous. But hey, maybe that’s just me.
Musically, Tell Me Why is magnificent. Composed by Ryan Lott of Son Lux fame, his score surprisingly called to mind Christopher Young’s from the movie Untraceable (a film that, for the record, is over-hated, though that’s a discussion for another day) in terms of its reliance on soft piano chording amidst string overtures. This is a soundtrack capable of building up a thrilling atmosphere via simple melodies, and the fact that it doesn’t fall prey to overly-saccharine euphonies during the heartrending sections is the cherry on top.
SFX is pretty good. Graphic adventures tend to rely primarily on foleying due to the majority of the gameplay revolving around object tactility (picking up and placing down stuff), and it’s as sharp here as it is in a RockStar game. One of the smaller details I perceived concerned the implementation of that minute transition noise that occurs whenever an item is moved back-and-forth from a stationary position. What I mean is, you guys know how, each time you grab something or lay it back down, there’s a slight rasp between the item landing on a surface and settling into place? This happens because, as you would expect, humans aren’t capable of perfectly lifting/dropping things, meaning there’s an intermedial phase in-between the two motions. Well, the sound design for Tell Me Why accounts for that, and so prepare yourself to catch the sly rustle of a paper, stuffed animal, box, etc…as it's moved from one state to the other.
On the topic of object interaction, we should finally speak about the gameplay. The system here is fine enough, though keep in mind there is a noticeable two second gap from your tapping of a button and corresponding action (which yes, you do adapt to, but is still dumb). Besides that, as I mentioned earlier, Tell Me Why runs off the gimmick of memory recreation, and to be honest with you guys, there’s really nothing more to say. As I noted in the disclaimer, this title has the skeleton of a walking simulator, with any gameplay additions being in pure service of the plot. And so, for better and for worse, the power of “The Voice” is not detached from the narrative; you only ever reconstruct remembrances when mandated, and even then it’s as straightforward as pressing a prompt. One of the more interesting ideas involves the Ronans recalling different versions of the same event and you having to accept one as the truth, and while it impacts future dialogue chains, it’s never expanded to its potential and consequently feels like a last-ditch effort at giving players pseudo-agency.
There are other decisions you’ll be making during your 12-13 hour runtime, and, to Dontnod’s credit, they actually culminate in multiple finales here compared to the disappointment that was Life is Strange’s binary conclusion. However, none of them change-up the climax, which, all things considered, is the only important facet. In many ways, I kind of wish they’d axed the branching narrative system and just gone for a direct linear thread as it’s evident that’s where the company’s strengths lie (not to mention they are clearly incapable of putting in the dedication such a spiderweb requires).
Graphically, this is a lovely-looking game. Dontnod wanted to jump into the AAA space, and they have more than proved their mettle: character models are photorealistic, environments cooly baked, clothing extremely well-textured, and facial expressions on-point. Gone are the erratic lip syncing and recursive posture animations of yesteryear, replaced with a new algorithm specializing in organic body language. I love seeing companies make large strides from their roots, and Dontnod is a clearcut example of such growth. Their penchant for environmental storytelling continues to remain on point as well, with interiors decked in personalized detail conditional on the occupant (spaces like Mary-Ann’s room, Denise’s desk, and Sam’s boathouse standing out in particular), and they’ve even implemented jittery motion tracking whenever you handle possessions in those areas (something L.A. Noire didn’t have).
Like every video game there are drawbacks here. One, I hated how closed-in the third-person camera was as it never allowed you to fully take-in an area; two, as much as I want to praise the modeling, several NPCs (Sam and most of the cops) have traces of that old-bleariness that accompanied 3D figures back in the seventh generation; three, hair is not where it needs to be (Alyson, Michael, and Mary-Ann look fine, however Tyler, Eddy, Sam, and others have an unnatural composition to their barnet that unfortunately sticks out); and four, you’ve got a medley miscellaneous graphical discrepancies via inconstant fog breath and disappearing snow prints (what is this, Pokemon Sapphire?).
Overall though, there is nothing that will take you out of the magic circle, which is great because you’ll want to be immersed for the journey before you. Tell Me Why is a shining example of the power of video game storytelling, and if you’re looking for a strong drama not particularly reliant on gameplay, I highly recommend it.
Notes
-A cool sonoric facet occurs wherein dialogue switches between speakers contingent on which ear is facing the orator.
-It is incredible seeing fingers that don’t look like unnatural, elongated twigs.
-I wish a real-life version of the Book of Goblins was sold as I imagine it’d be popular among parents.
-The game makes a big deal about poaching/hunting, yet is content with fishing. Moral hypocrisy much?
-Photos strangely look like painted portraitures than 2D prints of the game's 3D models.
Ghostwire: Tokyo
2022
I'm a big fan of Tango's games so I was excited to check this out, I finally played it just now, so my first run is including the Spider's Thread update and it's additional cutscenes, enemies, quests etc so keep that in mind in my review.
Let's start with the good:
The sidequests are charming and interesting, the map of Toyko is made with so much love and care and honestly its kind of a relaxing and meditative game in the downtime. The dub is also fantastic as that is what I personally played with. It's not a very scary game its just a horror themed action game (outside of one more traditional horror side quest added with the DLC). It's very much a collectathon too which honestly I really enjoyed it probably has...too many collectibles for too little gain but hey I love checking things off a list what can I say.
The negatives:
Oh boy the combat...is actively harming the game I think. It's almost fun? But enemies are extremely common, extremely repetitive and have way too much health. I love a challenge in games but the game is incredibly easy and fights, even with everything maxed out, can just drag on and on. I'd have enjoyed hte game more if combat was either touched up and more fun or used more sparingly. This is sadly made even worse by Spider's Thread which adds extremely annoying enemies to the game including one that loves to spawn quite frequently towards the end, has tons of hp, and can dodge all normal attacks making the fight drag.
The story is also surprisingly safe and simple. I wouldn't say its...bad? It has kind of interesting characters but it is extremely safe and by the numbers which is really dissapointing coming from the people who made The Evil Within and Hi-Fi Rush, the former having lots of interesting lore and the latter being a lovely character driven narrative. I rarely ever feel burn out about anything but by the time I finished this I was kinda glad it was over. I don't know...if they ever made a sequel and punched up the story, added more characters to interact with and made the combat more fun and less exhausting I'd be all in but as it is now its a beautiful game with a lot of heart that is unfortunately kinda forgettable in some places.
Let's start with the good:
The sidequests are charming and interesting, the map of Toyko is made with so much love and care and honestly its kind of a relaxing and meditative game in the downtime. The dub is also fantastic as that is what I personally played with. It's not a very scary game its just a horror themed action game (outside of one more traditional horror side quest added with the DLC). It's very much a collectathon too which honestly I really enjoyed it probably has...too many collectibles for too little gain but hey I love checking things off a list what can I say.
The negatives:
Oh boy the combat...is actively harming the game I think. It's almost fun? But enemies are extremely common, extremely repetitive and have way too much health. I love a challenge in games but the game is incredibly easy and fights, even with everything maxed out, can just drag on and on. I'd have enjoyed hte game more if combat was either touched up and more fun or used more sparingly. This is sadly made even worse by Spider's Thread which adds extremely annoying enemies to the game including one that loves to spawn quite frequently towards the end, has tons of hp, and can dodge all normal attacks making the fight drag.
The story is also surprisingly safe and simple. I wouldn't say its...bad? It has kind of interesting characters but it is extremely safe and by the numbers which is really dissapointing coming from the people who made The Evil Within and Hi-Fi Rush, the former having lots of interesting lore and the latter being a lovely character driven narrative. I rarely ever feel burn out about anything but by the time I finished this I was kinda glad it was over. I don't know...if they ever made a sequel and punched up the story, added more characters to interact with and made the combat more fun and less exhausting I'd be all in but as it is now its a beautiful game with a lot of heart that is unfortunately kinda forgettable in some places.
Final Fantasy II
1988
I get the impression that FF2 falls under the umbrella of the 'weird 2s.' You know like Zelda 2 and Castlevania 2. Not well liked sequels that were different from the original. Like those other games, it's better than its reputation suggests.
The leveling system is an experiment that's not 100% of the way there but is pretty cool. You just start using a character a certain way and they'll grow to fit. If the enemies are hitting a bit too hard, that increases your chances of getting an HP up to compensate. Build someone to dodge and they'll start doing it. You can do all kinds of exploits, but it's not a requirement as some would have you believe. I simply did not feel like having my party punch each other was a requirement. But you can if you want! The thing that doesn't quite work for me, at least on Famicom, is spell levels. It's easy to level things like fire and cure, and way harder to level anything remotely niche. It just isn't going to happen naturally. Getting Flare as a late game spell was nice but I needed to invest a pretty ridiculous amount of time into making it useful. Without a lot of grinding, encounters in the late game start becoming way too intense, with ambush encounters sometimes wiping out my party either entirely or near enough. The spell that's supposed to warp you out of dungeons just doesn't work in like half of them, too, and that's the main way to make grinding managable in the early game. The Jade Passage + Pandaemonium gauntlet is just too much, just ease off. Just give me a freakin' break here.
Like the other maligned 2s, there's so much DNA for this in future games in the series despite everything. This is the first game with chocobos! Behemoths! Cid! An evil empire! There are more recognizable series staples here than there are weird dead-ends, and I'm pretty fond of the dead-ends. The keyword conversation system is underused but feels like a reach towards notable western computer0 RPGs of the time.
I think that someday I'm going to play this one again, but a newer version with some QOL changes. I'm against edge-sanding things into oblivion but I wonder how much they'll change the experience, and suspect it might really dial down the frustration. Cool game though, glad I checked it out.
Actually I have more things I'm thinking of that rule in no particular order. The funny pirate sprite. The Ultima bug that accidentally adds so much poetry to a quest that takes up a lot of the game. The state of the world getting so much WORSE throughout the game as almost every town is destroyed and the overworld enemies grow in strength. The fact that you kill the bad guy only to have him immediately come back as King of Hell. There's so many cool beats and things going on in FF2 that have been lost over time, and that's the thing that really makes it notable to me in the end. I'm really looking forward to becoming a SaGa sicko for this reason.
The leveling system is an experiment that's not 100% of the way there but is pretty cool. You just start using a character a certain way and they'll grow to fit. If the enemies are hitting a bit too hard, that increases your chances of getting an HP up to compensate. Build someone to dodge and they'll start doing it. You can do all kinds of exploits, but it's not a requirement as some would have you believe. I simply did not feel like having my party punch each other was a requirement. But you can if you want! The thing that doesn't quite work for me, at least on Famicom, is spell levels. It's easy to level things like fire and cure, and way harder to level anything remotely niche. It just isn't going to happen naturally. Getting Flare as a late game spell was nice but I needed to invest a pretty ridiculous amount of time into making it useful. Without a lot of grinding, encounters in the late game start becoming way too intense, with ambush encounters sometimes wiping out my party either entirely or near enough. The spell that's supposed to warp you out of dungeons just doesn't work in like half of them, too, and that's the main way to make grinding managable in the early game. The Jade Passage + Pandaemonium gauntlet is just too much, just ease off. Just give me a freakin' break here.
Like the other maligned 2s, there's so much DNA for this in future games in the series despite everything. This is the first game with chocobos! Behemoths! Cid! An evil empire! There are more recognizable series staples here than there are weird dead-ends, and I'm pretty fond of the dead-ends. The keyword conversation system is underused but feels like a reach towards notable western computer0 RPGs of the time.
I think that someday I'm going to play this one again, but a newer version with some QOL changes. I'm against edge-sanding things into oblivion but I wonder how much they'll change the experience, and suspect it might really dial down the frustration. Cool game though, glad I checked it out.
Actually I have more things I'm thinking of that rule in no particular order. The funny pirate sprite. The Ultima bug that accidentally adds so much poetry to a quest that takes up a lot of the game. The state of the world getting so much WORSE throughout the game as almost every town is destroyed and the overworld enemies grow in strength. The fact that you kill the bad guy only to have him immediately come back as King of Hell. There's so many cool beats and things going on in FF2 that have been lost over time, and that's the thing that really makes it notable to me in the end. I'm really looking forward to becoming a SaGa sicko for this reason.