Ejsponge61
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I'm pretty conflicted on this game despite the high score. I adore this game but for particular reasons, and I'm annoyed or bored by it for others.
The gameplay is probably my favorite part of it. Combat is simplified, but while I don't love the lack of challenge, I do love the easier self-expression that is now possible in fights. But traversal is the real highlight. This is just, point blank, the most satisfying traversal system in any game I have ever played. Swinging is just as fun as it ever was, and the added mechanics of Miles Morales are still here, but the Wingsuit makes getting around even more engaging. It forces you to analyze the environment even more and feel more skilled when maintaining and gaining momentum. It's so good in fact that it's wild that you can fast travel at all the game.
But narratively this game is lowkey a mess. Stakes often get raised to insane levels only for nothing to come of it by the end of that very same mission. Conflicts balloon due to characters not making simple, obvious choices. Some of the stuff with Miles that interacts with his cultural heritage comes off as incredibly corny, not to mention his final costume, which I didn't love but didn't hate as much as others. The game early on gives the impression that many surprises are in store, but all opportunities for those surprises are squandered for the more straightforward option. The game just has the desire to do the coolest thing possible, and often it is fuckin cool, but often at the expense of the most interesting direction to take its characters. Hell, even the endpoints for each of the leads don't make much sense.
It's obvious that Insomniac wants to be another Naughty Dog to something if all of the more intimate waking missions are any indication. But the writing on display is often just not good enough to justify the budget and detail they use to bring it to life. This is still Insomniac though, so the game is just absurdly, unendingly fun. But I'm under no impression that the gameplay was worth that $200 million budget. Maybe if that writing was better, or at least more interesting, the cost of the game wouldn't feel so insane, but Insomniac was already making games this fun without having to immerse me in a grounded narrative. Hopefully, they can do both again, like they did in Miles Morales, or just focus on the gameplay that they can't help but continue to perfect.
The gameplay is probably my favorite part of it. Combat is simplified, but while I don't love the lack of challenge, I do love the easier self-expression that is now possible in fights. But traversal is the real highlight. This is just, point blank, the most satisfying traversal system in any game I have ever played. Swinging is just as fun as it ever was, and the added mechanics of Miles Morales are still here, but the Wingsuit makes getting around even more engaging. It forces you to analyze the environment even more and feel more skilled when maintaining and gaining momentum. It's so good in fact that it's wild that you can fast travel at all the game.
But narratively this game is lowkey a mess. Stakes often get raised to insane levels only for nothing to come of it by the end of that very same mission. Conflicts balloon due to characters not making simple, obvious choices. Some of the stuff with Miles that interacts with his cultural heritage comes off as incredibly corny, not to mention his final costume, which I didn't love but didn't hate as much as others. The game early on gives the impression that many surprises are in store, but all opportunities for those surprises are squandered for the more straightforward option. The game just has the desire to do the coolest thing possible, and often it is fuckin cool, but often at the expense of the most interesting direction to take its characters. Hell, even the endpoints for each of the leads don't make much sense.
It's obvious that Insomniac wants to be another Naughty Dog to something if all of the more intimate waking missions are any indication. But the writing on display is often just not good enough to justify the budget and detail they use to bring it to life. This is still Insomniac though, so the game is just absurdly, unendingly fun. But I'm under no impression that the gameplay was worth that $200 million budget. Maybe if that writing was better, or at least more interesting, the cost of the game wouldn't feel so insane, but Insomniac was already making games this fun without having to immerse me in a grounded narrative. Hopefully, they can do both again, like they did in Miles Morales, or just focus on the gameplay that they can't help but continue to perfect.
2022
You know how sometimes a game gets remade and it looks exactly how you remember the original looking, but then you look at the original and the remake looks WAY better in nearly every way? Prodeus is that for Doom. That's the short of it.
The long of it is that this is one of the best bomber shooters of the last 5 years. It doesn't lean into movement as much as something like Dusk, Ultrakill, or Turbo Overkill. When I say it's like the original Doom, it is almost just as grounded gameplay-wise. But what it lacks in any focus on platforming or areal combat it gains in satisfying secret hunting and gunplay. Not only are secrets well hidden, but many of them are easily found, but are behind high ledges and far jumps that later abilities will allow you access to.
And the gunplay itself is just SO good. It's chunky in the way shooters of the Build engine were in the early 90s, but enemies just POUR our blood to an absurd degree. Even the smallest dudes shoot geysers that literally end up dripping from the ceiling. I'm no gorehound, but the extreme violence makes the gunplay feel all the more satisfying, with rooms and arenas being covered in various fluids at the end of every combat.
And the game does look like Doom, but it's not strictly pixel-based. I read somewhere that the game uses 3D models but puts pixels around them. Its effect makes it so that each side of every model looks a bit like a 2D image, but has multiple 2D images to show for each possible angle you look at a model at. It's hard to explain, but striking as soon as you see it. But beyond this novelty, there are a lot of really neat visual setpieces to see throughout the game, and despite skipping though all of the text and ignoring the story, these visual flairs were more than enough to keep me engaged until the end.
There's nothing all too unique about the game mechanically, or artistically, outside of what novelty is gained by sticking so much to its old-school shooter roots. But it does a lot with this tried and true formula, and I was very happy to eat this whole bag of comfort food down to the last crumb.
The long of it is that this is one of the best bomber shooters of the last 5 years. It doesn't lean into movement as much as something like Dusk, Ultrakill, or Turbo Overkill. When I say it's like the original Doom, it is almost just as grounded gameplay-wise. But what it lacks in any focus on platforming or areal combat it gains in satisfying secret hunting and gunplay. Not only are secrets well hidden, but many of them are easily found, but are behind high ledges and far jumps that later abilities will allow you access to.
And the gunplay itself is just SO good. It's chunky in the way shooters of the Build engine were in the early 90s, but enemies just POUR our blood to an absurd degree. Even the smallest dudes shoot geysers that literally end up dripping from the ceiling. I'm no gorehound, but the extreme violence makes the gunplay feel all the more satisfying, with rooms and arenas being covered in various fluids at the end of every combat.
And the game does look like Doom, but it's not strictly pixel-based. I read somewhere that the game uses 3D models but puts pixels around them. Its effect makes it so that each side of every model looks a bit like a 2D image, but has multiple 2D images to show for each possible angle you look at a model at. It's hard to explain, but striking as soon as you see it. But beyond this novelty, there are a lot of really neat visual setpieces to see throughout the game, and despite skipping though all of the text and ignoring the story, these visual flairs were more than enough to keep me engaged until the end.
There's nothing all too unique about the game mechanically, or artistically, outside of what novelty is gained by sticking so much to its old-school shooter roots. But it does a lot with this tried and true formula, and I was very happy to eat this whole bag of comfort food down to the last crumb.
2024
Overall, despite the depressing ending, the game overall is the most engaging shooter I’ve played in 2024. Excellent gunplay, tense platforming, striking visuals, and an over-the-top story all combine for a game that has way more smooth sides than rough edges. The game is a great addition to the insane month of Indie releases that are coming out this May, especially if you own a Steam Deck, which it ran perfectly on. Just maybe don’t think about the story too hard, and just enjoy the fun of nonstop violence.
(This is a brief summary of a much longer review, which can be read here: https://vgu.tv/2024/05/14/mullet-mad-jack-review-millionaire-murder-simulator/)
(This is a brief summary of a much longer review, which can be read here: https://vgu.tv/2024/05/14/mullet-mad-jack-review-millionaire-murder-simulator/)
2023
This might be the best singer-player FPS I've ever played. Better than Titanfall 2, Doom Eternal, or any other great in the genre.
I'll admit the story is flimsy but it's really only there to set up some increased platforming & action setpices. The gunplay is absolutely perfect and it's arsenal is as inventive as it is functional. I'm going to gush about this game a lot but first some critiques.
This is a classic boomer shooter, so if you're not down for running at 100mph & never reloading, this may be too much for you. In fact, it was almost too much for me and I love these kinds of games. I had to tone down the difficulty from normal to the easiest level twice because I felt I just died too quickly to react. Some enemies, especially near the end when they appear in groups, can wipe away your entire health bar in one hit. You get a dodge, a grappling hook (that can set enemies on fire), a double jump with additional modifiers, and sometimes environmental movement enhancers like jump pads, so it's usually easy to dodge tougher enemies. But when the game purposely locks you in tiny rooms, it can be rough. And that is especially true in the final level when time limits are introduced.
The upgrade systems here are satisfying, though simple. Killing certain random enemies will make them drop money which is used to by modifications for your limbs & head or weapon upgrades. It may seem like it'll take a while to unlock them all, but you'll have all of them early into the final (3rd) episode. This means that for roughly the final 25% of the game leaves you with nothing to spend your money. This is fine because it feels like you've finally reached your final form at that point, but I wish I didn't have a functionality pointless number continuing to go up in the final levels.
There's controller support, and I played the entire game on Steam Deck. It was nearly flawless, but it takes some tweaking to get everything mapped in a way that feels comfortable. In particular, it was hard finding a place to map all of your special powers (slow motion, micro missiles, grappling hook) as at least 2 of them are abilities that you'll need to aim while using. These abilities make sense for the shoulder buttons, but you also have alt-fires & weapon swapping up there usually, so you may have to get creative (thank God for the weapon wheel).
And finally, I understand this is an indie game so I don't want to go too hard on this point, but I've gotten hard stuck twice due to checkpoint-related glitches. Luckily all I needed to do was restart the level, but considering these both happened in the final levels, I had to replay sections that I barely completed in the first place. Plus, because the game is so hard, I find myself trying to outsmart the game and trying to access health & ammo that should have been locked behind previous doors, which is the very reason one of my glitches happened. When the game can be this difficult, it encourages cheesing, so maybe a tweaked difficulty could change that. Hell, it really is only a few specific fights that were rough, so maybe just check those encounters. Also, this game could use some kind of more prominent "danger zone" warning state similar to Doom Eternal. In that game you rarely died in one hit, if at all, in normal. You'd at least get knocked into a fragile state & had a split second to recover. You almost never get that split second in Turbo Overkill, and perhaps if I had ot I never would have been frustrated in certain moments.
But the rest of this game FUCKS SO HARD.
You get every gun under the sun it feels like. A sniper, 2 different shotguns, SMGs, an LMG/flamethrower, a plasma rifle, rocket launcher, and orbital Lazer, & chainsaw arms (which are charged by killing enemies with your chainsaw leg). Every weapon feeling great to use (especially if you turn on hit markers) and with a moderate exception to the plasma rifle, every weapon has heavy utility. And despite how frustrating they were initially, the timed fights forced me to find the most effective weapon for each enemy. I couldn't just pick a weapon and stick with it, I had to react to every specific encounter.
I mentioned weapon upgrades and body augmentations earlier and I gotta say they're mostly fucking incredible. Body mods can do simple things like give more mod slots, extend slow-mo times, or give health or armor when killing with your chainsaw leg. Or they can give you crazy useful perks like igniting enemies with your grappling hook, adding a second chainsaw leg, or giving yourself the ability to wall jump once before touching the ground. In some cases, weapon mods just fix an initial flaw with a weapon, like eliminating the chain gun's windup. But sometimes the entire use case of a weapon is changed. For example, x the starting pistols can be upgraded to (after landing enough shots consecutively) transform into a magnum that does more damage than any other gun in the game. And it stays that way until you finally miss a shot. The variety of these upgrades is insane and takes the power fantasy of the gameplay up to 11.
I mention that there's a story, but it's nothing special. It's very campy in an 80s way, and tonally it's humor is very Duke Nukem (but with none of the meanness of Forever). It makes for fun cutscenes at least, and many of them show off the impressive level & character design.
Oh yeah, I forgot that this game is BEAUTIFUL. It has a PS1 look to it, but so many detailed enemies get jammed into such massive & detailed arenas that it's hard not to be impressed with the game in context of modern releases. It might be working with half the polygons when it comes to texture, but they lean on vibrant colors, insane boss design, and varied level design to stick out.
There's even more I could talk about, like how great the platforming sections are and how they feel like if Titanfall 2 & Doom Eternal had a baby, or how satisfying it is to rain fire from above thanks to the forgiving floatiness of its jumps, or how satisfyingly hidden the collectibles are, or how brilliantly the scale & stakes of the game escalate throughout, or how there's apparently community maps to play now that I'm done, or how the audio logs gives some surprisingly tender back story. But, I gotta go to bed I've been up for nearly 24 hours.
So I'll just say that if you've ever enjoyed a Boomer Shooter (any game like Dusk, Doom Eternal, Ultrakill, etc.) then this is a must-play. I'll be surprised if this isn't on my top 10 of the year.
I'll admit the story is flimsy but it's really only there to set up some increased platforming & action setpices. The gunplay is absolutely perfect and it's arsenal is as inventive as it is functional. I'm going to gush about this game a lot but first some critiques.
This is a classic boomer shooter, so if you're not down for running at 100mph & never reloading, this may be too much for you. In fact, it was almost too much for me and I love these kinds of games. I had to tone down the difficulty from normal to the easiest level twice because I felt I just died too quickly to react. Some enemies, especially near the end when they appear in groups, can wipe away your entire health bar in one hit. You get a dodge, a grappling hook (that can set enemies on fire), a double jump with additional modifiers, and sometimes environmental movement enhancers like jump pads, so it's usually easy to dodge tougher enemies. But when the game purposely locks you in tiny rooms, it can be rough. And that is especially true in the final level when time limits are introduced.
The upgrade systems here are satisfying, though simple. Killing certain random enemies will make them drop money which is used to by modifications for your limbs & head or weapon upgrades. It may seem like it'll take a while to unlock them all, but you'll have all of them early into the final (3rd) episode. This means that for roughly the final 25% of the game leaves you with nothing to spend your money. This is fine because it feels like you've finally reached your final form at that point, but I wish I didn't have a functionality pointless number continuing to go up in the final levels.
There's controller support, and I played the entire game on Steam Deck. It was nearly flawless, but it takes some tweaking to get everything mapped in a way that feels comfortable. In particular, it was hard finding a place to map all of your special powers (slow motion, micro missiles, grappling hook) as at least 2 of them are abilities that you'll need to aim while using. These abilities make sense for the shoulder buttons, but you also have alt-fires & weapon swapping up there usually, so you may have to get creative (thank God for the weapon wheel).
And finally, I understand this is an indie game so I don't want to go too hard on this point, but I've gotten hard stuck twice due to checkpoint-related glitches. Luckily all I needed to do was restart the level, but considering these both happened in the final levels, I had to replay sections that I barely completed in the first place. Plus, because the game is so hard, I find myself trying to outsmart the game and trying to access health & ammo that should have been locked behind previous doors, which is the very reason one of my glitches happened. When the game can be this difficult, it encourages cheesing, so maybe a tweaked difficulty could change that. Hell, it really is only a few specific fights that were rough, so maybe just check those encounters. Also, this game could use some kind of more prominent "danger zone" warning state similar to Doom Eternal. In that game you rarely died in one hit, if at all, in normal. You'd at least get knocked into a fragile state & had a split second to recover. You almost never get that split second in Turbo Overkill, and perhaps if I had ot I never would have been frustrated in certain moments.
But the rest of this game FUCKS SO HARD.
You get every gun under the sun it feels like. A sniper, 2 different shotguns, SMGs, an LMG/flamethrower, a plasma rifle, rocket launcher, and orbital Lazer, & chainsaw arms (which are charged by killing enemies with your chainsaw leg). Every weapon feeling great to use (especially if you turn on hit markers) and with a moderate exception to the plasma rifle, every weapon has heavy utility. And despite how frustrating they were initially, the timed fights forced me to find the most effective weapon for each enemy. I couldn't just pick a weapon and stick with it, I had to react to every specific encounter.
I mentioned weapon upgrades and body augmentations earlier and I gotta say they're mostly fucking incredible. Body mods can do simple things like give more mod slots, extend slow-mo times, or give health or armor when killing with your chainsaw leg. Or they can give you crazy useful perks like igniting enemies with your grappling hook, adding a second chainsaw leg, or giving yourself the ability to wall jump once before touching the ground. In some cases, weapon mods just fix an initial flaw with a weapon, like eliminating the chain gun's windup. But sometimes the entire use case of a weapon is changed. For example, x the starting pistols can be upgraded to (after landing enough shots consecutively) transform into a magnum that does more damage than any other gun in the game. And it stays that way until you finally miss a shot. The variety of these upgrades is insane and takes the power fantasy of the gameplay up to 11.
I mention that there's a story, but it's nothing special. It's very campy in an 80s way, and tonally it's humor is very Duke Nukem (but with none of the meanness of Forever). It makes for fun cutscenes at least, and many of them show off the impressive level & character design.
Oh yeah, I forgot that this game is BEAUTIFUL. It has a PS1 look to it, but so many detailed enemies get jammed into such massive & detailed arenas that it's hard not to be impressed with the game in context of modern releases. It might be working with half the polygons when it comes to texture, but they lean on vibrant colors, insane boss design, and varied level design to stick out.
There's even more I could talk about, like how great the platforming sections are and how they feel like if Titanfall 2 & Doom Eternal had a baby, or how satisfying it is to rain fire from above thanks to the forgiving floatiness of its jumps, or how satisfyingly hidden the collectibles are, or how brilliantly the scale & stakes of the game escalate throughout, or how there's apparently community maps to play now that I'm done, or how the audio logs gives some surprisingly tender back story. But, I gotta go to bed I've been up for nearly 24 hours.
So I'll just say that if you've ever enjoyed a Boomer Shooter (any game like Dusk, Doom Eternal, Ultrakill, etc.) then this is a must-play. I'll be surprised if this isn't on my top 10 of the year.
2020
This is the video game equivalent to Bad Boys II, but if that movie turned everything to eleven, this game cranks everything to 17389840620489.
It's really challenging towards the end, and the excess of visual stimuli can make combat a bit difficult to read at times. But combat is so consistently satisfying for the 99% of the time when encounters aren't accidentally obtuse.
Graphically, the Xbox One remaster is gorgeous, with the only flaw being that cutscenes are stuck in 30 FPS, which makes some transitions to gameplay jarring. Plus, considering the sequel is on Switch, I'm already missing this heightened fidelity.
The actual plot I couldn't care less about. It's not so convoluted that I couldn't put together a basic timeline of events, but it's nowhere near engaging as individual gameplay and character moments.
The characters are all just so much fun, albeit often 2 dimensional. Luca, Jeanne, and even the main character all show compelling character development, but even before they undergo changes, their over-the-top performances are a joy to watch.
But who gives a shit about any of that. The real reason why this game is so amazing is that it just commits to the most juvenile, over-the-top, batshit insane tone I've ever seen in a video game, movie, TV show, or anything else. Like this game is constantly trying to one-up itself throughout. Oh, don't think pole dancing while shooting a dozen angels as you spin around is cool enough? How about we let you summon a giant hair demon that chomps down on bosses to finish them off? Shooting through the dick of a peeing stone statue into a gasoline tanker to blow up a boss not cool enough? How about an entire boss that takes place in the middle of the ocean which requires Bayonetta to surf the waves for the entire duration of the boss fight while also forcibly steering the boss monster into a giant hair spider for critical damage?
It's this kind of shit that makes this game an all-timer for me. Like, even in normal combat, summoning a guillotine to shove an enemy into for an instant kill isn't uncommon. Or, mid boss battle, playing catch with missiles the size of commercial airplanes is just leading UP to the climax.
i could go on, but I don't wanna spoil too much of the insanity. From the hyper-sexualization of the main character, which she owns spectacularly, to be fact that there are literally 4 extra combat encounters that INTERUPT THE FINAL CREDITS, this game is just so deep in its own bullshit that you can't help but be dragged into it as well. I'm so glad I finally got around to because this is literally everything I love in games, and in other media too. And after having beat Nier Automata, Transformers Devastation, & (most of) Vanquish, I think it's time to put Platinum Games in my top five developers list.
It's really challenging towards the end, and the excess of visual stimuli can make combat a bit difficult to read at times. But combat is so consistently satisfying for the 99% of the time when encounters aren't accidentally obtuse.
Graphically, the Xbox One remaster is gorgeous, with the only flaw being that cutscenes are stuck in 30 FPS, which makes some transitions to gameplay jarring. Plus, considering the sequel is on Switch, I'm already missing this heightened fidelity.
The actual plot I couldn't care less about. It's not so convoluted that I couldn't put together a basic timeline of events, but it's nowhere near engaging as individual gameplay and character moments.
The characters are all just so much fun, albeit often 2 dimensional. Luca, Jeanne, and even the main character all show compelling character development, but even before they undergo changes, their over-the-top performances are a joy to watch.
But who gives a shit about any of that. The real reason why this game is so amazing is that it just commits to the most juvenile, over-the-top, batshit insane tone I've ever seen in a video game, movie, TV show, or anything else. Like this game is constantly trying to one-up itself throughout. Oh, don't think pole dancing while shooting a dozen angels as you spin around is cool enough? How about we let you summon a giant hair demon that chomps down on bosses to finish them off? Shooting through the dick of a peeing stone statue into a gasoline tanker to blow up a boss not cool enough? How about an entire boss that takes place in the middle of the ocean which requires Bayonetta to surf the waves for the entire duration of the boss fight while also forcibly steering the boss monster into a giant hair spider for critical damage?
It's this kind of shit that makes this game an all-timer for me. Like, even in normal combat, summoning a guillotine to shove an enemy into for an instant kill isn't uncommon. Or, mid boss battle, playing catch with missiles the size of commercial airplanes is just leading UP to the climax.
i could go on, but I don't wanna spoil too much of the insanity. From the hyper-sexualization of the main character, which she owns spectacularly, to be fact that there are literally 4 extra combat encounters that INTERUPT THE FINAL CREDITS, this game is just so deep in its own bullshit that you can't help but be dragged into it as well. I'm so glad I finally got around to because this is literally everything I love in games, and in other media too. And after having beat Nier Automata, Transformers Devastation, & (most of) Vanquish, I think it's time to put Platinum Games in my top five developers list.
2023
I love the original, but this remake blew it out of the water. This is just a perfect video game.
One of the most beautiful games of the year, and it somehow looks just as impressive on Steam Deck, which is where I played most of it.
Gunplay is only like 2% less satisfying than the original due to the fact that positional damage & triggering melee takedowns is slightly less consistent than the original. But the gameplay in this remake is still superior due to the satisfying as hell knife parties and the expanded crafting system. And to be clear, gunplay is still incredibly satisfying. If I had the time, this would absolutely be the kind of game I play dozens of times over several months & years. And hell, Mercenaries & the Separate Ways DLC will already have me coming back very soon. Only flaw was with crafting. In the final chapters, I was loaded with grenades and had no craftable uses for them, like explosive ammo, and they were never my first option in combat as I could handle myself with guns just fine.
Exploration is the biggest new addition to the game. Now it's not just about going from chapter to chapter, each act has a fully explorable map with areas to backtrack with new tools, like a Metroidvania. These moments were a highlight and definitely got me to lean into the treasures and secrets more than the original. Some of the most fun I had in the game was secret hunting, or finding new enemies in places I've been once before. Only critique I have on this point is that it wasn't always obvious when you hit a point of no return and can't complete a request or have locked yourself from treasures in a certain location. Locked myself out of rewards quite a bit in the first half.
Even narratively the game is better. I didn't care about RE4's story at all, but this new more grounded & subtle approach makes the characters sing. I love how I came to empathize with Krauser, and how Ada & Leon's relationship felt more authentic, and how Ashley's adoration of Leon was more big brother-y than romantic. I even love the additional lore bits added to flesh out the antagonists and the parasitic threat. It really makes me want to go back and finally play Resident Evil 1-3 remakes to see these characters at earlier stages.
I think this game is just so incredible. It manages to do everything the original game did right, but flesh out so much of its narrative, characters and (most impressively) it's gameplay. I'm someone who loves the original despite playing it for the first time on PlayStation 4, and I still can't believe how incredibly well it has aged. But this new game might eventually be even more timeless, but both will always be worth experiencing.
FUCK Resident Evil is so cool!!!
One of the most beautiful games of the year, and it somehow looks just as impressive on Steam Deck, which is where I played most of it.
Gunplay is only like 2% less satisfying than the original due to the fact that positional damage & triggering melee takedowns is slightly less consistent than the original. But the gameplay in this remake is still superior due to the satisfying as hell knife parties and the expanded crafting system. And to be clear, gunplay is still incredibly satisfying. If I had the time, this would absolutely be the kind of game I play dozens of times over several months & years. And hell, Mercenaries & the Separate Ways DLC will already have me coming back very soon. Only flaw was with crafting. In the final chapters, I was loaded with grenades and had no craftable uses for them, like explosive ammo, and they were never my first option in combat as I could handle myself with guns just fine.
Exploration is the biggest new addition to the game. Now it's not just about going from chapter to chapter, each act has a fully explorable map with areas to backtrack with new tools, like a Metroidvania. These moments were a highlight and definitely got me to lean into the treasures and secrets more than the original. Some of the most fun I had in the game was secret hunting, or finding new enemies in places I've been once before. Only critique I have on this point is that it wasn't always obvious when you hit a point of no return and can't complete a request or have locked yourself from treasures in a certain location. Locked myself out of rewards quite a bit in the first half.
Even narratively the game is better. I didn't care about RE4's story at all, but this new more grounded & subtle approach makes the characters sing. I love how I came to empathize with Krauser, and how Ada & Leon's relationship felt more authentic, and how Ashley's adoration of Leon was more big brother-y than romantic. I even love the additional lore bits added to flesh out the antagonists and the parasitic threat. It really makes me want to go back and finally play Resident Evil 1-3 remakes to see these characters at earlier stages.
I think this game is just so incredible. It manages to do everything the original game did right, but flesh out so much of its narrative, characters and (most impressively) it's gameplay. I'm someone who loves the original despite playing it for the first time on PlayStation 4, and I still can't believe how incredibly well it has aged. But this new game might eventually be even more timeless, but both will always be worth experiencing.
FUCK Resident Evil is so cool!!!
2022
Great game! As an old school fan of the franchise, I still preferred those old games to the 2008 reboot, but Ragnarok managed to finally surpass those old games in my mind. The combat is improved as the 3rd pillar of combat is held up with an excellent new weapon instead of the unexciting, though effective, bare knuckles. Exploration felt a lot less dull as the world felt a bit more dense with things to do, secrets to find, and stories to hear.
And the story left a much bigger impact on me. The reboot had a great narrative, but with it being solely about breaking Kratos' shell, his character was too one note for a world full of more vibrant characters. Now he feels as vibrant as anyone else, and the new characters he gets to interact with are even more facing to watch. Plus, the story gets way more variety thanks to the additional perspective. I was initially concerned that the lack of one specific goal in this game would have lead to a meandering plot, but it instead managed to build intrigue and deeper context with every seemingly insignificant diversion from the main path.
I liked God of War (2018), and I was excited to like Ragnarok as well. But I'm pleased to report I love God of War Ragnarok. It's my favorite in the franchise now and, while I can't go as far as to say it's one of my all time favorites, I think it might be one of the most satisfying games I've ever played, from it's narrate & world design to it's gameplay & art design. It tries for quite a bit and lands it all with flying colors. Excited to one day return to clear the quest log, max out my character, and get that Platinum.
And the story left a much bigger impact on me. The reboot had a great narrative, but with it being solely about breaking Kratos' shell, his character was too one note for a world full of more vibrant characters. Now he feels as vibrant as anyone else, and the new characters he gets to interact with are even more facing to watch. Plus, the story gets way more variety thanks to the additional perspective. I was initially concerned that the lack of one specific goal in this game would have lead to a meandering plot, but it instead managed to build intrigue and deeper context with every seemingly insignificant diversion from the main path.
I liked God of War (2018), and I was excited to like Ragnarok as well. But I'm pleased to report I love God of War Ragnarok. It's my favorite in the franchise now and, while I can't go as far as to say it's one of my all time favorites, I think it might be one of the most satisfying games I've ever played, from it's narrate & world design to it's gameplay & art design. It tries for quite a bit and lands it all with flying colors. Excited to one day return to clear the quest log, max out my character, and get that Platinum.
2021
It's like if the peaceful vibe & combat light gameplay of Omno. The satisfying cleaning of Power Wash Simulator. The collectathon based upgrade systems of Grow Home.
A very enjoyable and pleasantly brief lil adventure game. Still noticeably lower budget, but has a surprising amount of polish despite that. Great voice acting & the art design was so strong that the stilted-ness of cutscenes (all of which were in engine) felt like it was a intentional stylistic choice rather than a budgetary constrain.
A satisfying story & mystery, and if you are in the mood for a pretty light hearted and chill adventure, I can't recommend this enough.
A very enjoyable and pleasantly brief lil adventure game. Still noticeably lower budget, but has a surprising amount of polish despite that. Great voice acting & the art design was so strong that the stilted-ness of cutscenes (all of which were in engine) felt like it was a intentional stylistic choice rather than a budgetary constrain.
A satisfying story & mystery, and if you are in the mood for a pretty light hearted and chill adventure, I can't recommend this enough.
2023
This is the first game that I've ever beaten that hasn't been released in this millennium. Been wanting to play something from the past so I could finally say I've played some of the classics. And Quake II is absolutely a bonified classic, and I enjoyed it thoroughly.
Shout out to Nightdive for the modernizations they've added to the game, as I doubt I would have been compelled to play through the entire game if not for hitmarkers, the weapon wheel, and the compass to show me around. These additions allowed me to fall in love with the chunky gunplay, dynamic enemies, and twisted-level design.
There's barely a story to latch onto, but that doesn't matter when shooting dudes and finding secrets is so much fun. The game feels simple, but that's to be expected from a 1997 game. But the art design of the enemies and the brutal environments are enough to carry me through the game.
I still want to go back and play some of the DLC and use some of those dope-looking new weapons, but this game is just so one note that it can be easy to get tired of it after only a few hours. But it was fun to go back and see some of the origins of the genre I love so much.
Hope I can get around to more older games in the future!
Shout out to Nightdive for the modernizations they've added to the game, as I doubt I would have been compelled to play through the entire game if not for hitmarkers, the weapon wheel, and the compass to show me around. These additions allowed me to fall in love with the chunky gunplay, dynamic enemies, and twisted-level design.
There's barely a story to latch onto, but that doesn't matter when shooting dudes and finding secrets is so much fun. The game feels simple, but that's to be expected from a 1997 game. But the art design of the enemies and the brutal environments are enough to carry me through the game.
I still want to go back and play some of the DLC and use some of those dope-looking new weapons, but this game is just so one note that it can be easy to get tired of it after only a few hours. But it was fun to go back and see some of the origins of the genre I love so much.
Hope I can get around to more older games in the future!
2017
I really enjoyed my time with Little Nightmares. It has an intoxicatingly creepy vibe, and that's the main thing that attracted me to it. That tone keeps up the entire game, and seeing just how fucked up the game got was a major motivator to keep playing. Though, the gameplay wasn't much of a motivator on its own.
The gameplay was fine. It's a simple puzzle platformer overall, but neither side of that is too demanding. Puzzles are simple and only test the brain enough to keep the pace going and platforming is never Celeste's level of difficulty or fast. Even the most exciting moments of gameplay, the numerous chase sequences, make the heart race despite being very easy to complete once you know what you're doing.
My biggest annoyance with the game was the trial-and-error nature of some moments. Some sequences required memorization of patterns, but it's almost always impossible to know those patterns on the first try, so replays are mandatory. Thankfully, checkpoints come often, but it makes the game feel less like a puzzle platformer and more like an old-school adventure game. And I mean that in both good and bad ways. Like the trial and error nature of its stealth segments and escape sequences can be frustrating, but the new environments and minimal, yet intriguing, story beats are almost always worth it.
So, if you want a creepy time, but one that isn't an outright gorefest, then give this a shot. It reminds me of the movie 9, but WAY creepier and more outright unsettling without crossing a line. Time to play the sequel!
The gameplay was fine. It's a simple puzzle platformer overall, but neither side of that is too demanding. Puzzles are simple and only test the brain enough to keep the pace going and platforming is never Celeste's level of difficulty or fast. Even the most exciting moments of gameplay, the numerous chase sequences, make the heart race despite being very easy to complete once you know what you're doing.
My biggest annoyance with the game was the trial-and-error nature of some moments. Some sequences required memorization of patterns, but it's almost always impossible to know those patterns on the first try, so replays are mandatory. Thankfully, checkpoints come often, but it makes the game feel less like a puzzle platformer and more like an old-school adventure game. And I mean that in both good and bad ways. Like the trial and error nature of its stealth segments and escape sequences can be frustrating, but the new environments and minimal, yet intriguing, story beats are almost always worth it.
So, if you want a creepy time, but one that isn't an outright gorefest, then give this a shot. It reminds me of the movie 9, but WAY creepier and more outright unsettling without crossing a line. Time to play the sequel!
2023
Just picked this up in the Spring Steam Sale, really enjoyed it! Very goofy characters and story, and the movement mechanics are as silly as they are fun. It's a super truckated (I'm talking 70 min to beat) collection platform, and it's a fun ride despite the length. One or two trickier moments, but pretty easy once you get in the flowstate of the movement. Basically, you can slide really fast and turn yourself into a bullet, and they manage to squeeze a decent amount of gameplay out of just those two actions. Each of it's 5 short levels has a time trial attached, which really highlights the potential of these mechanics for speed. The humor is very 2010s Cartoon Network in an endearing way more than an annoying way. I would love to see an expansion on this game's comedy and gameplay in a future game, but this one was satisfying, cheap, and short, everything I could want from a game.
2022
Imma be real, I don't care about the story here at all. Not even because it's bad, I couldn't even tell you if it was, I just wasn't gonna do all that reading. And while there's strong art design and level design here, the game still has that vibe of an indie studio's first attempt at something at this scale.
But none of that matters because this is one of my favorite souls-likes of all time. The combat here is the exact style of melee I prefer from games like this. I enjoyed my 40ish hours of Elden Ring, and I like the little I've played of Bloodborne and Dark Souls. But I grew up on Platinum games, like Bayonetta and Nier Automata. These titles NEVER make you wait for an animation to play out. The animations are the point of many Souls-likes, but after falling in love with The Surge 2 way back when I was made aware that this does not have to be the case. This is the first souls-like I've ever played that is similarly satisfying to play.
The combat is a mix of Sekiro's parrying and the perfect dodges of something like Bayonetta. And enemies have two health bars to deplete, or really one with a layer of armor on it. Your main dagger does damage to the white bar, which reveals a green bar underneath that can only be damaged with your secondary claw attack. Instead of fights feeling stretched out due to this, the balancing of bars forces you to keep the pressure up, because the while bar will cover back up the green if you don't keep applying damage. However, perfectly dodging or parrying can also keep the white bar from returning as well.
There are also a number of plague weapons/abilities you can use as well. You have a separate meter that allows the use of a giant axe swipe, scythe swing, hammer smash, arrow throw, life leech, or other abilities ever so often. Think of these as ultimate abilities that you need to earn the right to use with successful hits, parries, and dodges.
Also, there are a BUNCH or upgrades. You can bump up your core attributes like health, and you can even upgrade the number of healing charges you have, as well as how much they heal and what additional bonuses they can give you. They even give you multiple types of healing charges to equip, so you can spec for faster, smaller heals or longer, bigger heals. A lot of this game shines due to its customizability. The skill trees let you spec out towards a slower combat pace or a faster one, and when you hit the end of some of these trees, you truly feel powerful.
Now as for why this game rules so much. This game is all about animation canceling, especially after you amass later upgrades. There's not even a stamina bar, so you can really just go ham on your actions. Every time an enemy got a hit on me, it ALWAYS feels like my fault because I'm paying for a mistake I made milliseconds ago rather than several seconds ago. It makes the call and response of combat feel much more immediate, and frankly, more friendly towards spamming. Because you can parry and dodge so fast, I often was able to avoid entire attach strings just by keeping my parries and dodges going constantly. And thank god for it, because just standing back to avoid damage will put you out of melee range and make it harder to keep that necessary pressure up.
But the combat itself couldn't hold the game up alone without great enemy design. Every single fight is worth engaging with, especially after you level up and gain some perks. Once you do, fodder enemies could refill some of your health on execution. And there are a regular amount of more intimidating mini-bosses that all test your skills in new and intense ways. And the bosses, the bosses! All of them are incredibly fun and even the hardest ones were difficult for fair reasons. I never felt like the game was cheap, I could always immediately tell the ways in which I messed up, and it made me even more excited to jump back in to try again.
I just really dig this game. I do feel like it is very gamey, in a way that might be off-putting to people who crave the immersion of Fromsoft worlds. Unlike many of their games, there's less of a sense that upgrades are optional to the experience. You could, in theory, beat the game with just the base character. But many of the unlockable abilities, like counterattacks and new melee moves, feel vital to the experience. In a game like Dark Souls, the core of combat stays the same, but your stats increase and the variety of ways to respond to strikes increases. Thymesia is, on paper, the same, but it doesn't always feel that way. But this is one of my favorite things about the game, as that's an approach more common to the character-action games that I love.
It took me many months to finally beat this one, despite reaching the end in less than 10 hours. It really is challenging, and I took many breaks and backtracked into remixed versions of previous levels to farm more memory shards and upgrade materials. But even when I was away from it, I found myself craving its combat. I really can't wait to see what these devs do next, because this game shows that they are really cooking something special.
But none of that matters because this is one of my favorite souls-likes of all time. The combat here is the exact style of melee I prefer from games like this. I enjoyed my 40ish hours of Elden Ring, and I like the little I've played of Bloodborne and Dark Souls. But I grew up on Platinum games, like Bayonetta and Nier Automata. These titles NEVER make you wait for an animation to play out. The animations are the point of many Souls-likes, but after falling in love with The Surge 2 way back when I was made aware that this does not have to be the case. This is the first souls-like I've ever played that is similarly satisfying to play.
The combat is a mix of Sekiro's parrying and the perfect dodges of something like Bayonetta. And enemies have two health bars to deplete, or really one with a layer of armor on it. Your main dagger does damage to the white bar, which reveals a green bar underneath that can only be damaged with your secondary claw attack. Instead of fights feeling stretched out due to this, the balancing of bars forces you to keep the pressure up, because the while bar will cover back up the green if you don't keep applying damage. However, perfectly dodging or parrying can also keep the white bar from returning as well.
There are also a number of plague weapons/abilities you can use as well. You have a separate meter that allows the use of a giant axe swipe, scythe swing, hammer smash, arrow throw, life leech, or other abilities ever so often. Think of these as ultimate abilities that you need to earn the right to use with successful hits, parries, and dodges.
Also, there are a BUNCH or upgrades. You can bump up your core attributes like health, and you can even upgrade the number of healing charges you have, as well as how much they heal and what additional bonuses they can give you. They even give you multiple types of healing charges to equip, so you can spec for faster, smaller heals or longer, bigger heals. A lot of this game shines due to its customizability. The skill trees let you spec out towards a slower combat pace or a faster one, and when you hit the end of some of these trees, you truly feel powerful.
Now as for why this game rules so much. This game is all about animation canceling, especially after you amass later upgrades. There's not even a stamina bar, so you can really just go ham on your actions. Every time an enemy got a hit on me, it ALWAYS feels like my fault because I'm paying for a mistake I made milliseconds ago rather than several seconds ago. It makes the call and response of combat feel much more immediate, and frankly, more friendly towards spamming. Because you can parry and dodge so fast, I often was able to avoid entire attach strings just by keeping my parries and dodges going constantly. And thank god for it, because just standing back to avoid damage will put you out of melee range and make it harder to keep that necessary pressure up.
But the combat itself couldn't hold the game up alone without great enemy design. Every single fight is worth engaging with, especially after you level up and gain some perks. Once you do, fodder enemies could refill some of your health on execution. And there are a regular amount of more intimidating mini-bosses that all test your skills in new and intense ways. And the bosses, the bosses! All of them are incredibly fun and even the hardest ones were difficult for fair reasons. I never felt like the game was cheap, I could always immediately tell the ways in which I messed up, and it made me even more excited to jump back in to try again.
I just really dig this game. I do feel like it is very gamey, in a way that might be off-putting to people who crave the immersion of Fromsoft worlds. Unlike many of their games, there's less of a sense that upgrades are optional to the experience. You could, in theory, beat the game with just the base character. But many of the unlockable abilities, like counterattacks and new melee moves, feel vital to the experience. In a game like Dark Souls, the core of combat stays the same, but your stats increase and the variety of ways to respond to strikes increases. Thymesia is, on paper, the same, but it doesn't always feel that way. But this is one of my favorite things about the game, as that's an approach more common to the character-action games that I love.
It took me many months to finally beat this one, despite reaching the end in less than 10 hours. It really is challenging, and I took many breaks and backtracked into remixed versions of previous levels to farm more memory shards and upgrade materials. But even when I was away from it, I found myself craving its combat. I really can't wait to see what these devs do next, because this game shows that they are really cooking something special.
1998
I discovered this game as a kid at CiCi's Pizza in Hinesville, GA. Every time we had a little league football party of a birthday to celebrate there, I'd be more excited to play this game than I would be for the unlimited pizza and sweets. But the game was hard as fuck, at least for me at like 9 years old, so I never got to beat it. Fast forward and the perfect combo of free time, nostalgia, and a Steam Deck led me back to this game, and it still rules.
It's really just a Streets of Rage-esque beat-em-up, with small Power Stone-like arenas for levels, and dozens and dozens of objects you can use to wail on terrorists. The combat is half of the reason I love this game, as it lets you do so much with so little. sure, picking up an arcade machine, giant fish, or even a stunned enemy and smacking someone over the head with them is always as fun as it is stupid. But the addition of guns, rocket launchers, and grenades makes combat even more insane than you'd even assume at first blush. No weapon, no problem? Standard punches and kicks make room for a bunch of grapple moves you can pull off, all of which trigger some insanely brutal animations.
The other reason I love this game is that it's tone is just the dumbest, wildest shit ever. It's like it took the insanity of Bad Boys 2 but made it WAY more 90s and I just can't help but love it. From the comically heightened quick-time events to the cheesy and awkward cutscenes sprinkled throughout, I find all of it so charming.
Turns out tho, this game is a lot easier when you aren't pumping it full of quarters. It took me about 2 hours to beat it once all the way through, and less than 5 hours to play through it 2 more times through different routes. Not many changes across playthroughs, except certain routes leading to several new levels on a remote island. But no matter how you play, you will get the same high-octane action you'd want from a game like this. This game is goofy and corny, but I loved every minute of it. Wish this had a modern port somewhere, this is the kind of game that should be available to the masses. A breath of fresh air from much of AAA gaming today.
It's really just a Streets of Rage-esque beat-em-up, with small Power Stone-like arenas for levels, and dozens and dozens of objects you can use to wail on terrorists. The combat is half of the reason I love this game, as it lets you do so much with so little. sure, picking up an arcade machine, giant fish, or even a stunned enemy and smacking someone over the head with them is always as fun as it is stupid. But the addition of guns, rocket launchers, and grenades makes combat even more insane than you'd even assume at first blush. No weapon, no problem? Standard punches and kicks make room for a bunch of grapple moves you can pull off, all of which trigger some insanely brutal animations.
The other reason I love this game is that it's tone is just the dumbest, wildest shit ever. It's like it took the insanity of Bad Boys 2 but made it WAY more 90s and I just can't help but love it. From the comically heightened quick-time events to the cheesy and awkward cutscenes sprinkled throughout, I find all of it so charming.
Turns out tho, this game is a lot easier when you aren't pumping it full of quarters. It took me about 2 hours to beat it once all the way through, and less than 5 hours to play through it 2 more times through different routes. Not many changes across playthroughs, except certain routes leading to several new levels on a remote island. But no matter how you play, you will get the same high-octane action you'd want from a game like this. This game is goofy and corny, but I loved every minute of it. Wish this had a modern port somewhere, this is the kind of game that should be available to the masses. A breath of fresh air from much of AAA gaming today.
2020
I really dig this one! A first-person soulslike, with a heavy lean into physics-based combat. You even get a kick button and can later upgrade it to send dudes flying. Plus most levels have clifftops or towers to kick folks off of, and it never really gets old.
Besides the physics, the combat itself is really satisfying, if not a bit basic. It's a style of melee combat similar to Skyrim, which means it's just simple swipes and a charge attack. There's decent weapon variety, with some dual-wield weapons, spears, greatswords, and hammers. All are fun to use, with different trade-offs. Greatswords and hammers are slower and more powerful, but they also don't have the ability to parry.
Parrying is the mechanic that makes the combat really sing. If you can't get the timing down, you can use one of the weapons that simply block, and that will protect you just fine. But parrying will temporarily pause time and multiply the damage of the first strike you make within that time window. This never got old, or at least the game was over before it got the chance to. Even when ranged enemies start attacking, you can parry their projectiles right back at them for massive damage. However, one of the only flaws of the combat system is any alternate means to deal with enemies at range, and the game sometimes cheekily takes advantage of that one weakness.
The game has an incredibly striking art style too. It's nothing super unique, as caves, skeletons, and mystical guardians are nothing new to games. But something about the wide FOV, the sharpness of the art, and the fluidity of the animations make the game feel epic. From the loud metal music that accompanies gameplay to the animated cutscenes that look heavily inspired by Heavy Medal (1981), the game gives a really edgy, brutal vibe that is subtle enough to not feel obnoxious. I've played a few generic fantasy games, and thanks to the sprinkling of personality throughout, I'm glad to say this feels more unique than even something like Skyrim.
Overall, I have a lot of fun with this game. Didn't overstay it's welcome, and there's still a decent amount of fun I could come back and have in new game plus. Would play a slightly longer version of this game with increased enemy and weapon variety, but what was here definitely filled 4 hours more than adequately. Highly recommend it, especially on Steam Deck, which is where I played all but the last hour of this.
Besides the physics, the combat itself is really satisfying, if not a bit basic. It's a style of melee combat similar to Skyrim, which means it's just simple swipes and a charge attack. There's decent weapon variety, with some dual-wield weapons, spears, greatswords, and hammers. All are fun to use, with different trade-offs. Greatswords and hammers are slower and more powerful, but they also don't have the ability to parry.
Parrying is the mechanic that makes the combat really sing. If you can't get the timing down, you can use one of the weapons that simply block, and that will protect you just fine. But parrying will temporarily pause time and multiply the damage of the first strike you make within that time window. This never got old, or at least the game was over before it got the chance to. Even when ranged enemies start attacking, you can parry their projectiles right back at them for massive damage. However, one of the only flaws of the combat system is any alternate means to deal with enemies at range, and the game sometimes cheekily takes advantage of that one weakness.
The game has an incredibly striking art style too. It's nothing super unique, as caves, skeletons, and mystical guardians are nothing new to games. But something about the wide FOV, the sharpness of the art, and the fluidity of the animations make the game feel epic. From the loud metal music that accompanies gameplay to the animated cutscenes that look heavily inspired by Heavy Medal (1981), the game gives a really edgy, brutal vibe that is subtle enough to not feel obnoxious. I've played a few generic fantasy games, and thanks to the sprinkling of personality throughout, I'm glad to say this feels more unique than even something like Skyrim.
Overall, I have a lot of fun with this game. Didn't overstay it's welcome, and there's still a decent amount of fun I could come back and have in new game plus. Would play a slightly longer version of this game with increased enemy and weapon variety, but what was here definitely filled 4 hours more than adequately. Highly recommend it, especially on Steam Deck, which is where I played all but the last hour of this.
2014
It's like 3am so I'll keep it short.
The original blew me away in large part due to how much it took me by surprise. Bayonetta 2 didn't have that luxury, but it still managed to delight me and subvert my expectations several times.
The combat felt quite a bit more fair and more satisfying as a result, and collectables weren't hidden as deeply, so I felt a stronger sense of progression as I went on than the original. I still think the game is a bit too stingy with new weapons, as you still have to explore every inch of every level to unlock the full arsenal. I like having rewards tied to upgrades, but new weapons are such a vital feature that you should just get them through the story.
Speaking of which, the story is actually a bit more compelling and interesting. It's still not Shakespeare, but it ties itself into the deeper lore and the events of the original game in a way I wasn't expecting. The characters were as charming as ever, even if I do feel like Luca was sidelined (understandably so). I was even happy to see new sides to old characters for the first time, especially with the companions Bayo gets in the final chapters of the game. I'll admit, I played this game in spurts over two weeks, so the narrative may have been even stronger if I paced it out more consistently. But as is, I'm delighted and surprised that some of my highest highs with the game were thanks to the narrative.
And speaking of highs, I think that's the main distinction I'd make between this sequel and the original. Bayonetta 1 had some of the most insane, bombastic, & jaw dropping setpices ever, but it also had a few fights and sequences that were a had bit too difficult or a tad bit too obtuse. Bayonetta 2 had non of those minor roadblocks, but what setpices were there didn't reach the (admittedly impossible) highs of the original.
I originally thought I'd be rating this one slightly below the original, but upon further thought I think they're equals. They may have some minor flaws but what makes them great overshadows those flaws almost entirely. Plus, I gotta admit this game playing and running so well on a handheld never ceased to amaze me.
Bayonetta is love, Bayonetta is life.
The original blew me away in large part due to how much it took me by surprise. Bayonetta 2 didn't have that luxury, but it still managed to delight me and subvert my expectations several times.
The combat felt quite a bit more fair and more satisfying as a result, and collectables weren't hidden as deeply, so I felt a stronger sense of progression as I went on than the original. I still think the game is a bit too stingy with new weapons, as you still have to explore every inch of every level to unlock the full arsenal. I like having rewards tied to upgrades, but new weapons are such a vital feature that you should just get them through the story.
Speaking of which, the story is actually a bit more compelling and interesting. It's still not Shakespeare, but it ties itself into the deeper lore and the events of the original game in a way I wasn't expecting. The characters were as charming as ever, even if I do feel like Luca was sidelined (understandably so). I was even happy to see new sides to old characters for the first time, especially with the companions Bayo gets in the final chapters of the game. I'll admit, I played this game in spurts over two weeks, so the narrative may have been even stronger if I paced it out more consistently. But as is, I'm delighted and surprised that some of my highest highs with the game were thanks to the narrative.
And speaking of highs, I think that's the main distinction I'd make between this sequel and the original. Bayonetta 1 had some of the most insane, bombastic, & jaw dropping setpices ever, but it also had a few fights and sequences that were a had bit too difficult or a tad bit too obtuse. Bayonetta 2 had non of those minor roadblocks, but what setpices were there didn't reach the (admittedly impossible) highs of the original.
I originally thought I'd be rating this one slightly below the original, but upon further thought I think they're equals. They may have some minor flaws but what makes them great overshadows those flaws almost entirely. Plus, I gotta admit this game playing and running so well on a handheld never ceased to amaze me.
Bayonetta is love, Bayonetta is life.