EmCavee
1999
One of my favorite games of all time, a hugely influential game for the medium going forward. I love it a lot, even if there's certainly a few issues, they're brief issues though. The final two levels and the ending are clearly made during a rushed time period. They blow by pretty fast but they're still pretty annoying. Take the very final level for example. One of the most notorious and annoying parts of any immersive sim just ever.
Regardless, a great game. Sucks how (literally) watered down the Shock games got past this one.
Regardless, a great game. Sucks how (literally) watered down the Shock games got past this one.
1999
the only good sonci adventure
2013
Ok so where is the "good story" that everyone kept telling me about in this linear and boring ass game? Gameplay is uninteresting as hell which made me wish BioShock 1 and 2 gameplay made a return which is funny because I don't even like the way those games play.
As for the story, hella convoluted, doesn't save the game in the slightest when it usually would. It tries to get a message out and fails miserably. I do not think Ken Levine is capable of telling a good story and I can confidently say I am afraid of JUDAS.
As for the story, hella convoluted, doesn't save the game in the slightest when it usually would. It tries to get a message out and fails miserably. I do not think Ken Levine is capable of telling a good story and I can confidently say I am afraid of JUDAS.
This game is not as dated as people say it is in my opinion. It has a lot of aspects that are a little weird for today's standards, however, it still plays amazingly. Setting the grounds for what is, in my opinion, the best game genre ever, this game does it quite well I feel.
Sure, it's still the genre in its infant years at this point, but it offers a lot of unique and open ended game design that makes it fun. I really love the gameplay. The fact the interaction works almost like a point and click makes this game so much more entertaining to me.
If I had to criticize anything, it's the fact that the combat is a little jank. This issue would be solved in Looking Glass' later title System Shock, but it is kind of a problem here. Otherwise, it's alright. This game fucking rules.
Sure, it's still the genre in its infant years at this point, but it offers a lot of unique and open ended game design that makes it fun. I really love the gameplay. The fact the interaction works almost like a point and click makes this game so much more entertaining to me.
If I had to criticize anything, it's the fact that the combat is a little jank. This issue would be solved in Looking Glass' later title System Shock, but it is kind of a problem here. Otherwise, it's alright. This game fucking rules.
2007
Every time I play this game, I find myself gaining respect in how it is presented. It looks like early Silent Hill, which I really like...But everything else, the story, combat, gameplay. It's fucking atrocious.
The game gives you like a billion weapons too, it's weird and adds comedy to the game. Storyline is really bland, and should've focused on Travis rather than being an origin story. The gameplay is buggy because the fixed camera angles and lack of tank controls still being here. Therefore jolting you around.
The combat is also real bad. I hate it. There's QTEs in the game now, because that was the thing ig.
Did you guys know the game was initially planned to be a dark comedy? Yeah I know, it's kinda hard to tell cuz even then the game is still goofy as fuck.
The game gives you like a billion weapons too, it's weird and adds comedy to the game. Storyline is really bland, and should've focused on Travis rather than being an origin story. The gameplay is buggy because the fixed camera angles and lack of tank controls still being here. Therefore jolting you around.
The combat is also real bad. I hate it. There's QTEs in the game now, because that was the thing ig.
Did you guys know the game was initially planned to be a dark comedy? Yeah I know, it's kinda hard to tell cuz even then the game is still goofy as fuck.
2000
This game never gets old to me. No matter how many times I replay it, I discover something new. Something I've never noticed before.
Deus Ex revolutionized what an immersive sim was. Never have I played a game this open ended that even something as tiny as the health system is immersive. The upgrade system and augmentation systems are also very open ended in a similar way.
The story of Deus Ex is campy in a cute way, while simultaneously being really grounded in reality. The conspiracy theory aspects are entertaining whereas everything else hits really damn hard.
Though in terms of the conspiracy bits, there is never gonna be a time where I don't feel some kind of surprise when I realize what a plot element is. The first time I played this game, and I got to a certain moment, it was like a bomb had just been dropped. I was sitting there in awe for like a straight 5 minutes. It's so good.
I can't stress enough how good this game is.
Deus Ex revolutionized what an immersive sim was. Never have I played a game this open ended that even something as tiny as the health system is immersive. The upgrade system and augmentation systems are also very open ended in a similar way.
The story of Deus Ex is campy in a cute way, while simultaneously being really grounded in reality. The conspiracy theory aspects are entertaining whereas everything else hits really damn hard.
Though in terms of the conspiracy bits, there is never gonna be a time where I don't feel some kind of surprise when I realize what a plot element is. The first time I played this game, and I got to a certain moment, it was like a bomb had just been dropped. I was sitting there in awe for like a straight 5 minutes. It's so good.
I can't stress enough how good this game is.
Thief 2X is a cute little expansion for Thief 2. Following a different story and different characters. It's a little jank, AI is a little iffy, and the levels are capable of feeling very aimless. But it's still a good experience and it's worth playing!
Thief 2 is my favorite game of all time, I fucking love everything about it. Even if I admit that there's a handful of levels in here that I think completely suck, it's a game I consider perfect with a straight face. Soulforge and Casing the Joint, as well as the return level to the Lost City all suck ass (though I have some defenses for Soulforge)
However, I think there's something in particularly Soulforge that is genuinely enjoyable. It's a lengthy level but it feels like the true end of the whole game. Putting your skills you learned from every level prior to the ultimate test and setting you out in this large and albeit too long level that leads into one of the best endings in gaming.
I love the cutscenes in both this and Thief 1 but 2 definitely steps it up a ton I feel. The way everything is framed, how the scenes themselves are planned. It's so good.
Overall this game to me is amazing, while also being flawed in a handful of ways. But said flaws I can easily overlook. Therefore, Thief 2 is my favorite game of all time.
However, I think there's something in particularly Soulforge that is genuinely enjoyable. It's a lengthy level but it feels like the true end of the whole game. Putting your skills you learned from every level prior to the ultimate test and setting you out in this large and albeit too long level that leads into one of the best endings in gaming.
I love the cutscenes in both this and Thief 1 but 2 definitely steps it up a ton I feel. The way everything is framed, how the scenes themselves are planned. It's so good.
Overall this game to me is amazing, while also being flawed in a handful of ways. But said flaws I can easily overlook. Therefore, Thief 2 is my favorite game of all time.
This game is jankier than I remember. It's got good aspects to it but its certainly weak compared to some of the later games. Much like the Hitman games, you can see a clear concept here that isn't quite realized. The platforming is broken as hell and there's moments here that force you into combat and it's quite rough.
The story of Splinter Cell is something I care so little for as well. It's never well written, I'm basically only here for the gameplay lol.
This game sucks to play on PC, it took me atleast 30 minutes to get this in a playable state.
Anyway, all in all. I don't think I recommend it? It's not very fun, but it's still impressive and unique for the time. Though, I think stealth involving usage of shadows was perfected in the Thief games.
The story of Splinter Cell is something I care so little for as well. It's never well written, I'm basically only here for the gameplay lol.
This game sucks to play on PC, it took me atleast 30 minutes to get this in a playable state.
Anyway, all in all. I don't think I recommend it? It's not very fun, but it's still impressive and unique for the time. Though, I think stealth involving usage of shadows was perfected in the Thief games.
How the fuck
I kinda really like this game a lot....... So I know it's considered tHe WoRsT sIlEnT hIlL gAmE (fuck off Homecoming exists) but nobody I've known who hates this game, ever pays any attention to how fucking amazing the storyline is. On top of all that, the exploration gameplay is great. This is a thing the series has lacked for quite some time.
Silent Hill as a series has a heavy emphasis on exploration, but some of the previous games feel like they were lacking any of that. Downpour is semi-open world which is a choice that could go very well or very bad. But in this case, I genuinely believe it's the former.
The exploration in this really neat open world is just so damn interesting. All the sidequests are cool too.
Now let's talk about some of the things I don't like lol...Uhh...the combat is...Not the best lol
I don't think it's as bad as Homecoming but it's certainly a little strange. There's also the really bad enemy design. I think The Bogeyman and Wheelman look cool, and also I like The Dolls and Weeping Bats..But every other enemy in the game is just like "Hi yeah we exist and look funy waaah get scared"
THere's also the red glowing hole? Which is a thing Silent Hill 3 did...for one fucking scene. Oh yeah also the weird wheel things that shoot out blood or something that damages you. I think those are cool, but they feel kinda setpiece-y.
Regardless, I love this game a lot! It's the first one I played in the series.
Silent Hill as a series has a heavy emphasis on exploration, but some of the previous games feel like they were lacking any of that. Downpour is semi-open world which is a choice that could go very well or very bad. But in this case, I genuinely believe it's the former.
The exploration in this really neat open world is just so damn interesting. All the sidequests are cool too.
Now let's talk about some of the things I don't like lol...Uhh...the combat is...Not the best lol
I don't think it's as bad as Homecoming but it's certainly a little strange. There's also the really bad enemy design. I think The Bogeyman and Wheelman look cool, and also I like The Dolls and Weeping Bats..But every other enemy in the game is just like "Hi yeah we exist and look funy waaah get scared"
THere's also the red glowing hole? Which is a thing Silent Hill 3 did...for one fucking scene. Oh yeah also the weird wheel things that shoot out blood or something that damages you. I think those are cool, but they feel kinda setpiece-y.
Regardless, I love this game a lot! It's the first one I played in the series.
This is somehow a worse game than Silent Hill Homecoming. It feels like a weird attempt at mixing Silent Hill: Alchemilla (the fan HL2 mod) and P.T.
The story in this is so offensively bad and on the nose with how it portrays trauma. I get earlier entries in the series touched on those themes, however it was less in-your-face and annoying about how it touched on those things. The other games either left the themes to your own interpretation or had you observing other people's stories. This one tries to do that but feels too stupid and direct, the depression themes aren't even good. Every time something happens, the game covers your screen with a prevention hotline number and some other shit. You don't need to constantly show that. On top of that, the game isn't even deep either. It reeks of 40 year old boardroom men type shit. Speaking as a person who has been through some awful points in my life, this is so off from how shit actually is, and to try and tie it in with Silent Hill is just laughable.
The story is pretentious as hell and it feels even worse knowing that this was released with the thought that it was gonna resonate with someone.
Also the chase segments...Ooohhhhh the chase segments...They are my worst enemy. So you remember the weird black hole in Downpour? We can all agree that was annoying as hell, right? Well what if that happened again but you were trapped in a very dark and even more convoluted maze, with an enemy who will trap you in a way-too-long kill animation? Great idea, I know. Well that game has that exact thing.
Needless to say, as of now (not counting Ascension) this is the worst entry in the series.
The story in this is so offensively bad and on the nose with how it portrays trauma. I get earlier entries in the series touched on those themes, however it was less in-your-face and annoying about how it touched on those things. The other games either left the themes to your own interpretation or had you observing other people's stories. This one tries to do that but feels too stupid and direct, the depression themes aren't even good. Every time something happens, the game covers your screen with a prevention hotline number and some other shit. You don't need to constantly show that. On top of that, the game isn't even deep either. It reeks of 40 year old boardroom men type shit. Speaking as a person who has been through some awful points in my life, this is so off from how shit actually is, and to try and tie it in with Silent Hill is just laughable.
The story is pretentious as hell and it feels even worse knowing that this was released with the thought that it was gonna resonate with someone.
Also the chase segments...Ooohhhhh the chase segments...They are my worst enemy. So you remember the weird black hole in Downpour? We can all agree that was annoying as hell, right? Well what if that happened again but you were trapped in a very dark and even more convoluted maze, with an enemy who will trap you in a way-too-long kill animation? Great idea, I know. Well that game has that exact thing.
Needless to say, as of now (not counting Ascension) this is the worst entry in the series.
2000
An interesting start. Not a good one, but an interesting one. Some of the levels in Codename 47 are seen in Contracts due to Contracts being made on a short timespan and this being PC exclusive, they decided to put some of the levels on there.
But anyway, this game is terrible. Some of the levels force you into combat, AI is wonky. Also the worst offender to me is the fact you can clearly tell the concept IS there. This is another thing I have issues with in terms of almost every other Hitman game besides Blood Money (that I played)
You can clearly tell the concept is there and that it is being worked with. But unfortunately, much like Hitman 2, the concept isn't fully realized and the game overall is bad.
But anyway, this game is terrible. Some of the levels force you into combat, AI is wonky. Also the worst offender to me is the fact you can clearly tell the concept IS there. This is another thing I have issues with in terms of almost every other Hitman game besides Blood Money (that I played)
You can clearly tell the concept is there and that it is being worked with. But unfortunately, much like Hitman 2, the concept isn't fully realized and the game overall is bad.
Tried to give the game the benefit of the doubt with my series replay. I made it so close to the ending before the game finally crashed one last time, only for me to open the game once again and learn all of my saves are corrupted.
At first, I was on the more "This game is misunderstood" side of things, only for it to be a really harsh descent into hell from that point on. The second you get to Cairo, the game just sucks.
It is unfortunate that this game, which I'll give credit for being impressive as an immersive sim on console in the early 2000s, sucked this bad. It's odd too cuz I remember enjoying it a lot.
If I did have to give the game credit at all, I like the vibe, I like the music, I really like the gender option, and I think some of the upgrade system stuff is pretty neat, if streamlined. But overall...Fuck this game!
If it weren't for the technical problems, nothing story, bad gameplay and the chance of losing all of your progress in general, I would've appreciated this game more.
At first, I was on the more "This game is misunderstood" side of things, only for it to be a really harsh descent into hell from that point on. The second you get to Cairo, the game just sucks.
It is unfortunate that this game, which I'll give credit for being impressive as an immersive sim on console in the early 2000s, sucked this bad. It's odd too cuz I remember enjoying it a lot.
If I did have to give the game credit at all, I like the vibe, I like the music, I really like the gender option, and I think some of the upgrade system stuff is pretty neat, if streamlined. But overall...Fuck this game!
If it weren't for the technical problems, nothing story, bad gameplay and the chance of losing all of your progress in general, I would've appreciated this game more.
Hitman 2: Silent Assassin is a game I decided to replay because I had somewhat fond memories of it. But after replaying, I can say for certain that this is an absolute mess. IO Interactive clearly didn't have a solid grasp of the concept they were working with for this one. Sure, it's significantly better than Codename 47, but it's still among the weakest entries.
The AI is absolutely broken in this game, and the reasoning is a mixture of what I'd say is mistakes in the coding as well as just dumb decisions. Enemies going insane on you over something as simple as running is one of the dumbest things I've experienced in a stealth game ever. I understand Hitman is a strategy-based series and so it's much less about sneaking like most stealth games, but that isn't really an excuse. Especially when later games fixed the AI making it more fun to play around with.
Basically most of my negativity from this game comes from technical issues and the AI. As said, you can really tell IOI didn't have a solid grasp of the concept yet.
The AI is absolutely broken in this game, and the reasoning is a mixture of what I'd say is mistakes in the coding as well as just dumb decisions. Enemies going insane on you over something as simple as running is one of the dumbest things I've experienced in a stealth game ever. I understand Hitman is a strategy-based series and so it's much less about sneaking like most stealth games, but that isn't really an excuse. Especially when later games fixed the AI making it more fun to play around with.
Basically most of my negativity from this game comes from technical issues and the AI. As said, you can really tell IOI didn't have a solid grasp of the concept yet.