Einbroch
2024
The Pal designs are certainly loaned.
And the gameplay, from Ark, it is cloned.
But the loop is solid,
And although you feel squalid,
Palworld does what Nintendon’t.
And the gameplay, from Ark, it is cloned.
But the loop is solid,
And although you feel squalid,
Palworld does what Nintendon’t.
First off, let me just say that this game is a complete and total ripoff of Link to the Past, but with rogue-lite elements, slightly more action-based combat, and coop. You go to four dungeons, use tools like hookshots, boomerangs, bombs, and your sword to dive deeper into dungeons to face a boss, with the reward being a fancy doodad. Collect four, fight the boss, win the game. With that out of the way, I definitely had a good time with Rogue Heroes.
I played through the entire thing with a buddy, and we had a lot of fun. The game actually gets quite easy after a few upgrades, but it was never so easy that we could sleepwalk through it. Regular enemies are harder than the bosses. Also there’s no point to use any of the classes except the Rogue.
But the sense of progression, general gameplay, and coop shenanigans are very enjoyable. If you’re looking for a cheap coop game with a friend or three, Rogue Heroes is that. There’s also a free demo.
Also, fuck snakes.
I played through the entire thing with a buddy, and we had a lot of fun. The game actually gets quite easy after a few upgrades, but it was never so easy that we could sleepwalk through it. Regular enemies are harder than the bosses. Also there’s no point to use any of the classes except the Rogue.
But the sense of progression, general gameplay, and coop shenanigans are very enjoyable. If you’re looking for a cheap coop game with a friend or three, Rogue Heroes is that. There’s also a free demo.
Also, fuck snakes.
The story has always been weak,
And the writing's easy to critique,
But the gameplay is king,
And Gemdrop's big swing,
turns this classic into something chic.
And the writing's easy to critique,
But the gameplay is king,
And Gemdrop's big swing,
turns this classic into something chic.
2023
This review contains spoilers
The writing's actually not awful.
The characters, too, are novel.
But the dinos just chill,
And don't care until,
they're dead and turned into fossils.
The characters, too, are novel.
But the dinos just chill,
And don't care until,
they're dead and turned into fossils.
The combat was enjoyable until later in the game, when enemies started becoming too tanky for their own good. However, I think they did a really good job of “translating” the original game’s combat to a traditional console as a whole. Just like the original, you find the pins/pin types you like and stick with them. And that’s fine. The story is oddly paced, with stretches of nothing then BAM a huge info dump. The characters are great, though. Fret is my boy. The music is also top notch. I will say, Rindo’s power got to be a little obnoxious towards the end, even though it fits with the story.
I eventually turned it to Easy and started skipping combat in the last 10% or so. Overall, really good game, but not up to the original. A bit unfair maybe, as the original is truly spectacular, but it is what it is.
I eventually turned it to Easy and started skipping combat in the last 10% or so. Overall, really good game, but not up to the original. A bit unfair maybe, as the original is truly spectacular, but it is what it is.
2020
So close to being a great game. The art, music, and world are all fantastic. The characters can be great. And I love gacha games, so I don't care about gacha or how stingy it is. So, what's the problem? Why isn't this a 5/5 game?
The gameplay. While I think there is a nugget of a good idea here, the structure and "meta" of the game completely destroy any potential the game might have. Combat is simply a DPS race, with the user refreshing their shields whenever possible. They try to add content to negate this, but it's simply too engrained into the core identity of the game.
Gameplay in a nutshell: Start with shielder. Use shield. Switch to enhancer/buffer. Enhance. Switch to reaction character. Plop down whatever reaction you want. Switch to your DPS. Spam buttons. Repeat until enemy is dead. And every event supports this.
I actually think this is an incredible game if you just want to explore the world, enjoy the music, and laugh to some anime tropes. Fantastic little RPG. But the fact that it's a live service game without the metagame to support it is what drags it down.
The gameplay. While I think there is a nugget of a good idea here, the structure and "meta" of the game completely destroy any potential the game might have. Combat is simply a DPS race, with the user refreshing their shields whenever possible. They try to add content to negate this, but it's simply too engrained into the core identity of the game.
Gameplay in a nutshell: Start with shielder. Use shield. Switch to enhancer/buffer. Enhance. Switch to reaction character. Plop down whatever reaction you want. Switch to your DPS. Spam buttons. Repeat until enemy is dead. And every event supports this.
I actually think this is an incredible game if you just want to explore the world, enjoy the music, and laugh to some anime tropes. Fantastic little RPG. But the fact that it's a live service game without the metagame to support it is what drags it down.
2022
Honestly, I've always enjoyed Souls games. I've never been obsessed with them. They've never cracked my top five of the year. But I've enjoyed them. Elden Ring, however, is the first game in a few years that made me miss it when I wasn't playing it. Sure, I'd want to go back to a game after putting it down for the night, but I missed playing Elden Ring.
The world? Amazing. The combat? Chefkiss. The score? Classic. The world? Enchanting. I could go on, but what else can be said. It's incredible.
Being truthful, I have not beat it. And that's okay. I've played it for 40+ hours, and it was just time to put it on the shelf. I may go back to it someday. But it's nearly perfect. I doubt a game will come out this year that tops it.
The world? Amazing. The combat? Chefkiss. The score? Classic. The world? Enchanting. I could go on, but what else can be said. It's incredible.
Being truthful, I have not beat it. And that's okay. I've played it for 40+ hours, and it was just time to put it on the shelf. I may go back to it someday. But it's nearly perfect. I doubt a game will come out this year that tops it.
2023
You think the game's about pies,
but it's much more than meets the eyes.
This game is a treat,
and when it's complete,
you'll be wishing for just one more slice.
but it's much more than meets the eyes.
This game is a treat,
and when it's complete,
you'll be wishing for just one more slice.
2021
I’m very conflicted on this game. I absolutely loved parts of it, and rolled my eyes at others. Alphen is a fantastic main character, except when he gets all gaga over Shionne. She’s been a pain in the ass all game and he’s just being a boy puppy. Rinwell is incredibly racist, except then, she’s not. And then she is. And then not. I get conflicted feelings, but yeeeeeesh. Kisara is disgustingly likable. I loved her, more Kisara.
The story was super engaging, and then it went on. And on. And on. You think it’s over and SURPRISE it’s got another 10 hours. I however did like the themes of it, even if it got a little flowery at the end. And the skits were a major downgrade. I didn’t mind the presentation, but the content was mostly “hey, remember that thing we just saw in a cutscene? Let’s recap it or talk about it a little more.” I like my skits funny and irreverent.
The gameplay was pretty fun. I actually didn’t find it too engaging until I switched to Shionne, but then had a blast. You do earn a lot of cool abilities, but you see everything the game has to offer after 15 hours. The last 10-20 hours are the same enemies just with green skin instead of brown skin or purple spikes instead of red spikes, using the same abilities you’ve been using for 10 hours.
One unequivocally positive aspect of the game are the visuals. My goodness, is this a beautiful game. Downright striking.
Overall, it’s a gorgeous game that overstays its welcome. If it had been 8 hours shorter I would’ve been a very happy camper.
The story was super engaging, and then it went on. And on. And on. You think it’s over and SURPRISE it’s got another 10 hours. I however did like the themes of it, even if it got a little flowery at the end. And the skits were a major downgrade. I didn’t mind the presentation, but the content was mostly “hey, remember that thing we just saw in a cutscene? Let’s recap it or talk about it a little more.” I like my skits funny and irreverent.
The gameplay was pretty fun. I actually didn’t find it too engaging until I switched to Shionne, but then had a blast. You do earn a lot of cool abilities, but you see everything the game has to offer after 15 hours. The last 10-20 hours are the same enemies just with green skin instead of brown skin or purple spikes instead of red spikes, using the same abilities you’ve been using for 10 hours.
One unequivocally positive aspect of the game are the visuals. My goodness, is this a beautiful game. Downright striking.
Overall, it’s a gorgeous game that overstays its welcome. If it had been 8 hours shorter I would’ve been a very happy camper.
Star Ocean is back, baby.
Truly, what tri-Ace has pulled off here has is nothing short of incredible. Is the game a genre-defining spectacle worth the wait? No, it's not. What it is, however, is an incredibly fun action RPG that should not be ignored.
If you're a fan of action RPG combat, you'll find a lot to like here. The addition of DUMA adds a nice wrinkle to an already satisfying combat system. Lots of skills and passives to unlock. Much like other Star Ocean games, if you like to break systems and become an unstoppable God-like force, oh baby can you do that. It takes out of a lot of the challenge, but you earned it. You figured out how stats stacked and how to abuse the crafting system.
Story, graphics, performance, everything else...is fine. However, the cast is actually really strong. Probably the best cast since SO2. Raymond, despite looking like a goofy 80s hair-metal douche, is actually a really endearing character. He just dun give a, and I love him.
Pick this up on sale if you have any interest. Fun combat and great characters only held back by mediocre everything else.
Truly, what tri-Ace has pulled off here has is nothing short of incredible. Is the game a genre-defining spectacle worth the wait? No, it's not. What it is, however, is an incredibly fun action RPG that should not be ignored.
If you're a fan of action RPG combat, you'll find a lot to like here. The addition of DUMA adds a nice wrinkle to an already satisfying combat system. Lots of skills and passives to unlock. Much like other Star Ocean games, if you like to break systems and become an unstoppable God-like force, oh baby can you do that. It takes out of a lot of the challenge, but you earned it. You figured out how stats stacked and how to abuse the crafting system.
Story, graphics, performance, everything else...is fine. However, the cast is actually really strong. Probably the best cast since SO2. Raymond, despite looking like a goofy 80s hair-metal douche, is actually a really endearing character. He just dun give a, and I love him.
Pick this up on sale if you have any interest. Fun combat and great characters only held back by mediocre everything else.
2021
For being a game about gunk this game is dry. I understand that some people like how chill and simple the game is, but yikes. The story is fine, but there’s not enough of it. The gunk mechanic isn’t even a mechanic. The platforming doesn’t feel good. The upgrades are boring.
Just a miss. And I love the Steamworld Dig games. Oh well.
Just a miss. And I love the Steamworld Dig games. Oh well.
I haven’t enjoyed a game like this in quite a while. The story, the characters, the world, the presentation…what a game. They actually made a kid act like a kid, which is impressive. Can’t wait for the next Plague Tale.
2021
After being pretty excited for this game, I have to say I was massively let down. It's by no means a bad game, but the difficulty in this game is completely broken. The beginning is brutal, but then you unlock the ability to heal, and all difficulty goes out the window.
Gorgeous art, soundtrack had some boppers, but the gameplay and story were mediocre at best. The time mechanic can basically be ignored in combat, which is a real shame, because it's a neat idea. Overall, just a disappointing experience only saved by its art.
Gorgeous art, soundtrack had some boppers, but the gameplay and story were mediocre at best. The time mechanic can basically be ignored in combat, which is a real shame, because it's a neat idea. Overall, just a disappointing experience only saved by its art.
I really like what they tried to do here, but it needs refinement. The boss fights were repetitive and the story was lacking. I actually liked the Zeus/Prometheus banter, it added a nice wrinkle to the game. But overall it felt like it was too ambitious for what it set out to do.
What a surprise! Really feels like a throwback to old Castlevania days. Great music, tight gameplay, and a story I can't follow because I'm an idiot.
It's a tad short, I believe I clocked in around 5.5 hours to clear it. Also, it's very easy. I think I died twice on one boss and never died again. The overhead swinging weapons are just way too good. Magic is also OP as hell.
But still, the tight gameplay and lovely visuals elevate it above other games in the genre for me. While short, I appreciate that sometimes. In and out in a weekend. Good stuff.
It's a tad short, I believe I clocked in around 5.5 hours to clear it. Also, it's very easy. I think I died twice on one boss and never died again. The overhead swinging weapons are just way too good. Magic is also OP as hell.
But still, the tight gameplay and lovely visuals elevate it above other games in the genre for me. While short, I appreciate that sometimes. In and out in a weekend. Good stuff.