Dezo
I love this game. Ever since I first played it I instantly fell in love with the game and batman as a series. Rocksteady created an experience that blends together near perfectly. The characters are superb carrying the story with Mark Hamil's joker being the star of the show. The game really integrates you into the world through character bios and interview tapes creating a world beyond just the games scope grounding the game in a deluded reality. The asylum itself is a character and is one of the most atmospheric locations I have ever experienced. The gameplay is one place where the game shows it's age slightly with the brand new free flow system feeling clunky compared to more modern iterations. The boss fights are also hit and miss, with more misses than hits unfortunately. While these might sound like big issues they barely impact the metroidvania greatness of asylum that is only enhanced by hunting down the pesky Riddler trophies.
The challenge maps are a fun bonus to test your mastery of the free flow combat with score based challenges and stealth maps that make full use of batman's toolkit
The challenge maps are a fun bonus to test your mastery of the free flow combat with score based challenges and stealth maps that make full use of batman's toolkit
RE6 is a mess. The quality of the game is up and down like a see-saw from mission to misson. Leon's campaign is by far the best and feels like a re5 spinoff of uncharted but was fun from start to finish (last boss not included). Chris campaign is a gears of war knock off that suffers from a lot of my problems with the cover shooting in re5 but has been improved a decent amount in this entry. Jake's campaign is also really good in my opinion with the best character moments and Ada campaign acts as a way for the game to explain the story. The story is even more chaotic and unfortunately didn't find it to engaging besides Jake's campaign. This is a game I only recommend to people with someone to play it with as solo it's a tedious slog at times particularly Chris's campaign. Mercenary's mode is back along with another slew of modes to give you something to do if the 4 campaigns weren't enough to satisfy you. In conclusion RE6 can definitely be considered a bad game but there is just enough good here to have a good time with a friend.
RE7 is the scariest game I have played in the series to date. The first person perspective really adds to the tensions as you slowly walk around this horror filled house. The encounters with the bakers can be genuinely scary something I hadn't felt in a RE game prior. The game plays like the classic RE trilogy just in the first person. The slower pace of the game really captures that old school feel while leaving the tank controls in the past where they belong. The game has some fantastically designed areas that are top tier RE, but a long flashback section and the games final area being to focused on combat led to the game ending on a low. The games extra content and DLC also adds value and uses existing assets in cool ways and gives you extra context for the story for those that want it.
Overall RE7 is one of the finest entries in the series that I look forward to playing again in the near future
Overall RE7 is one of the finest entries in the series that I look forward to playing again in the near future
A strong foundation surrounded by the barest of bones I have ever seen. The game looks great and is a well tuned competitive football game. Its lacking much of the charm of previous games with characters having no unique abilities and the stadiums just being bland and just cosmetic . Even character animations which look great lack the specific strikers charm and are far less in abundance than previous. While the gameplay is great there is nothing to bring you back, with free updates just adding characters and armour failing to address the games problem. A good game that should of been a great one
1989
Mega man 2 is how you do a sequel. It improves on the original in every single way. The soundtrack is god tier, Mega man feels better to control, the robot master abilities are incredibly good in this game possibly to good but I prefer that to them feeling weak. The robot master levels are really well designed, but the wily portion is designed a bit cheaply particularly with required item usage. Overall still one of my favourite NES games
1990
Mega man 3 takes 2 steps forward and 3 steps back. The slide and rush are fantastic additions to mega mans move set. The robot masters stages are peak mega man up to this point, but the doc robot remixes feel unnecessarily hard and not getting there abilities after beating them makes there inclusion feel like padding. The Wily stages are shorter than normal but I found them to be the best designed Wily castle so far. Protoman is a another great addition to the series as well. Mega man 3 is a game that is so close to being better than mega man 2 but the doc robots stages being incredibly frustrating knocks it down
1994
DKC is a classic no doubt about it. The graphics were revolutionary and while they are very pixely they are still nice to look at. David Wise knocked it out of the park with the sound track which is probably my favourite aspect of the game, as every track fits the level theme to a T and is a great bop in it's own right. The level design is also superb using the environment as platforms giving the game a grounded feel. There are secrets galore that are helpful for extra lives and such but not overly satisfying. Animal buddies and mine carts provide needed variety to the gameplay. The game has many level themes including jungles, factories, blizzards e.t.c but there is a bit over reliance on cave levels. The one issue I have is that the roll move is slightly stiff but thats only noticeable due to playing DKCTF. The bosses aren't great besides the really good final boss. DKC does show its age in places but it's a game worth playing for platformer fans wanting a challenge
1987
Mega man 1 is rough around the edges . The music is enjoyable and some of the robot master abilities are fun to use. The game feels unfairly difficult at times. Overall a decent first attempt that defiantly had kinks to work out in future entries
Rift Apart is the ps5's first killer app. Rift Apart has superbly designed planets with each planet offering something different to the player, with one planet having a dimension swap gimmick and another being an open world playground makes every planet a treat to visit. The weapons are the star of the shows as often is the case in the ratchet games with old favorites and new weapons that fit perfectly into the combat system make every second of combat an absolute joy. The use of haptic feedback makes the weapons feel even more gratifying to use than in previous games. The graphics are jaw dropping on ray tracing 60fps mode and the framerate was buttery smooth throughout. The story in rift apart is a huge improvment on the movication that occured in the 2016 game, but still has moments where the disney like kids writing comes out with characters repeating or stating things unnaturally just to ensure no one misses some of it's beats. The characters are great but Rivet steals the show in every scene she's in. The story is engaging but a few weak moments are peppered throughout. The soundtrack is enjoyable in the moment but not overly memorable beyond it. The gameplay loop is the best thing about the game is the gameplay loop as leveling up weapons gives constant gratification all through the game. The extra content the game offers is designed greatly and I only wish there was more of it which can be said about the game as a whole. Rift apart is a phenomenal game that while short is a must play for all ps5 owners
This review contains spoilers
Oh boy this game truly embodies the smoky sexy style the series is known for. The game is a prequel to the other 2 games and while on the surface the story is a one liner action junkie fest, the story manages to have nuisance through the portrayals of the younger Dante, his brother Virgil and Lady. As for the gameplay it is a massive step up from the prior games, 2 especially. The weapons have more moves than in prior games and there is a greater variety in the weapons including dantes trademark sword nunchucks and a guitar. The ability to switch between 2 of your weapons mid combo gives you far more tools than previously and tickles the experimental side of my brain that normally only fighting games manage to achieve. You can also swap 2 fire arms while playing dante. Adding to the combat sandbox is the introduction of styles that give you an extra option in combat of your choice. One is a dash good for dodging, another gives your devil arms more moves another gives gun abilities and royal guard is a parry that can be used on any attack in the game. There are also a few unlockable ones that can't level up but still provide even more variety to the gameplay. Adding to the masterfull gameplay of course is the rogues gallery, After All if the enemies didn't challenge you much of the sandbox provided would be useless. Enemies are tough but boss fights add a spice to the combat due to their unique abilities and tactics. Some you can only attack when they do certain moves some create shields and some are just giant monsters. The fights with vergil however are a highlight and the final fight is one of the best I have ever played. Virgil is also playable after beating the game, gameplay wise he's awesome with unique weapons and moves. He only has one gun but you can switch through all 3 weapons in gameplay and his unique teleporting style makes another playthrough worthwhile in it's own right. Unfortunately besides a unique opening cutscene there are no changes in virgils campaign to dante's no cutscenes are included at all and you still fight virgil and not dante which was disappointing however he is a worthy reward for the gameplay alone. Devil may cry 3 is the game that not only lets me see why so many love this franchise but also made me fall in love with it, It's gameplay has aged like a fine wine and any action gamer fan needs to give it a go
2019
A poor entry in the sonic racing series especially compared to transformed and the original. The game is over reliant on its team gimmick and while some of the tracks are good they pale in comparison to the bombastic tracks of transformed. The story mode is lacklustre and the character roster is pitiful for a modern racer. The best I can say is that it controls well enough and the soundtrack is decent as always. A decent kart racer is in there somewhere but far to many aspects kill the fun to recommend it
2002
The original ratchet and clank is a bit of a mixed bag. The game does a great job of creating planets that you want to explore full of secrets. Witty characters occupying these planets most cutscenes a delight to watch with its tongue and cheek anti-capitalist dialogue. The games music also compliments the game perfectly and a few tracks are genuine bops.
It's unfortunate then that the only place ratchet really falters is in its gameplay as a jank auto lock-on system or aiming in first person not being able to move leads to a lot of unnecessary frustration in many encounters. The weapon roster is also not great with a few standouts that are really enjoyable to use. In fact I found that ratchets wrench was actually better than most of the weapons which I don't think was intentional. Another Issue I found inconvenient is having to equip gadgets that could easily have been context sensitive inputs. This constant need to switch breaks the pace of the game. The game has other gameplay styles in certain sections that provide a change of pace but are not standout beyond that.
Overall the first ratchet shows its age in its gameplay but shines in almost every other aspect. A good start with plenty of room for improvement
It's unfortunate then that the only place ratchet really falters is in its gameplay as a jank auto lock-on system or aiming in first person not being able to move leads to a lot of unnecessary frustration in many encounters. The weapon roster is also not great with a few standouts that are really enjoyable to use. In fact I found that ratchets wrench was actually better than most of the weapons which I don't think was intentional. Another Issue I found inconvenient is having to equip gadgets that could easily have been context sensitive inputs. This constant need to switch breaks the pace of the game. The game has other gameplay styles in certain sections that provide a change of pace but are not standout beyond that.
Overall the first ratchet shows its age in its gameplay but shines in almost every other aspect. A good start with plenty of room for improvement
Xenoblade absorbed me for three months. From it's imaginative world across two titans locked in battle, an incredible party of characters full of personality and life (Special mention to the mighty HEROPON), a story that gripped me from beginning to end and with plenty of emotional moments, and a combat system I never got bored of in my near 150 hours of game time. Each party me member have there own skills making them all feel unique and through customisation the characters primary role can change from a tank to a heavy damage dealer for example. Ether crystals further allow you to customise your character's to give you more freedom of choice in combat. The MMO like combat with art cool-downs bridges action and turn based strategy perfectly and has become my favourite style of combat in RPGs. Not to be forgotten the games has a orgasmic soundtrack where every song hits me and I still listen to it from time to time. The party can be fleshed out through optional heart to heart scenes adding so much layers to the cast making them for me up there with the greatest RPG parties of all time mass effect 2 and chrono trigger. The only flaw I can see is that some of the side quests can get repetitive but they are entirely optional. Overall I loved everything about Xenoblade chronicles. It is a package that very few games can match, My favourite RPG of all time and definitely has a place in my top 5 GOAT videogames
1994
Super metroid is impeccable at everything it sets out to do. One of it's crowning achievements is how it uses every element of the game to create it's foreboding atmosphere and even more impressive is how each element feeds of this atmosphere to improve each individual element. The games intro hooks players with an epic action sequences and creating questions in the mind of the players. The game continues in this vain using the environments you explore to tell you the story of this space pirate infested planet. The music adds to this effect as while not as catchy as older metroid games it perfectly captures the vibe the game is going for and I would have it no other way. When going on the intended path super metroid is constantly rewarding you with new abilities, more health and ammo upgrades, story and lore information all through gameplay. The boss fights also add greatly to the game as while most of them aren't to hard they appear imposing to the player as many tower over samus and break up the gameplay loop just enough to keep the player constantly engaged. Each area in the game gives of it's own vibe and is a joy to explore each nook and cranny for upgrades. While maridia isn't my favorite area to explore I still found enjoyment clearing out the map just based on how clever the game makes you feel finding its more obscure secrets. The game is rewarding just critical pathing it and when going for all the upgrades but there is actually a third way to play super metroid and that is to sequence break. the game was carefully created for the critical pathway but the developers put so much work in to ensure that the player could do things out of order if they so choose to do so. This attention to detail is present in every facet of the game and it's down to this endeavour taken by the devs to create not just a masterpiece but one of games all time greats a must play for all gamers especially fans of the genre.
2001
After finishing devil may cry 2 and writing the review I decided to give the original another go and am I glad I did. The story is corny but there's enough character moments and motivation to make the story enjoyable and doesn't hurt that the funniest video game delivery ever is in this game. As for the combat it's incredibly fun. The 3 main weapons all have a basic combo, a 2nd combo if you delay in hitting the attack button at the right time and a variety of unlockable moves in the shop. The game has real challenge and that makes the enemies fun to fight and allow you to experiment with your arsenal. The guns also have good variety and allow you to extend combos. The challenge in the game makes spending orbs on new moves and not items a gamble which adds consequence to how you spend your orbs. The island the game takes place gives RE vibes at least from what I have seen of them (haven't played RE yet) and exploring it picking up items to unlock more areas scratches a metoridvania itch and finding secret missions to get health upgrades makes it worth it to explore. The boss fights are also a lot of fun which is good as you fight all of them but the final boss 2 to 3 times. This may sound like a bad thing but they do a good job of making each fight a build of the last fight and I enjoy all but the 2nd last boss that has far to many attacks with little tells. The music is enjoyable but not all that memorable. The few complaints I have is that the water level while short is incredibly tedious and having to hold r1 to shoot and dodge roll makes the game show it's age. In conclusion DMC is a lot of fun if you look for the depth within the combat system, the bosses are tight and exploring the castle is a lot of fun. The game shows it age in places but if you can get past that you are in for a stylish time