Father
2012
The gameplay is fucked, you mainly just jump around and hope the game figures out what you're trying to do, there isn't a grind button you just sometimes land on the rail and awkwardly shuffle back to your original position to try redo the landing (given you haven't already plummeted to the bottom of the level), which is really cool when you're under time-limit and there's a bunch of cops shooting at you, definitely won't make you wanna cry.
But despite the shit gameplay there's also the aesthetics and music and vibes which is 100% some of the best you'll ever see in a game (If your into y2k dnb type vibes). There's an obvious appreciation for the culture and history of dance music and its political undertones that it stems from that the game isn't scared to tackle. There's a perfect balance of displaying the cruel nature of police brutality while thriving in the rebellious joy of dance culture as you bounce through the colourful NY and Tokyo inspired levels, with the iconic Hideki Naganuma composed sountrack blasting behind you.
Honestly though, Jet Set Radio is infectious and charming enough to make it a very very fun experience despite the gameplay often feeling broken and disjointed, couldn't recommend it enough.
But despite the shit gameplay there's also the aesthetics and music and vibes which is 100% some of the best you'll ever see in a game (If your into y2k dnb type vibes). There's an obvious appreciation for the culture and history of dance music and its political undertones that it stems from that the game isn't scared to tackle. There's a perfect balance of displaying the cruel nature of police brutality while thriving in the rebellious joy of dance culture as you bounce through the colourful NY and Tokyo inspired levels, with the iconic Hideki Naganuma composed sountrack blasting behind you.
Honestly though, Jet Set Radio is infectious and charming enough to make it a very very fun experience despite the gameplay often feeling broken and disjointed, couldn't recommend it enough.
2001
Rise FM & Lips 106 > Vice Citys whole soundtrack
The overlooked game of the generation of iconic GTA games, and for understandable reason. But where its lacking compared other GTA games it makes up more in dense atmosphere that is just as good as its sequels. Rolling through the miserable city drowned in dense fog with late 90's Drums n bass blasting on the radio is honestly mesmerising and the map of Liberty City is an absolute blast to mess around in.
The open ended mission structure is also a standout feature of the game and makes up for the severely out-dated and underdeveloped controls. The first half of the story is great, which a likeable cast and fun missions, but it takes a nosedive in quality after the first island with a plot that introduces way too many new elements without really tying anything together, and missions that push the game far beyond its technical capabilities.
While most of the shitty fucking parts of this game were fixed in the sequels, a lot of what makes this game so fun and charming were left behind when Rockstar pushed the series in a new direction, which makes this game a special entry to the series in my opinion.
The overlooked game of the generation of iconic GTA games, and for understandable reason. But where its lacking compared other GTA games it makes up more in dense atmosphere that is just as good as its sequels. Rolling through the miserable city drowned in dense fog with late 90's Drums n bass blasting on the radio is honestly mesmerising and the map of Liberty City is an absolute blast to mess around in.
The open ended mission structure is also a standout feature of the game and makes up for the severely out-dated and underdeveloped controls. The first half of the story is great, which a likeable cast and fun missions, but it takes a nosedive in quality after the first island with a plot that introduces way too many new elements without really tying anything together, and missions that push the game far beyond its technical capabilities.
While most of the shitty fucking parts of this game were fixed in the sequels, a lot of what makes this game so fun and charming were left behind when Rockstar pushed the series in a new direction, which makes this game a special entry to the series in my opinion.