FrankenSama
BACKER
Yeah man this is my "The Last of Us", in the way people adore it to death. Following the development of this game so closely up to release, experiencing said release moment, and beating the game is one of those experiences I still hold dearly, and this replay reminded me of that; This game is quite literally the reason why I pursued game design, and it put me on the path I'm in now
2024
Lots of conflicting feelings when I think of the essence of Dragon's Dogma 2, but one thing for certain is that this game, just like the first one, is the definition of "It's about the journey and not the destination" and while that didn't click for me in Dark Arisen, I completely fell in love with the second game
2014
The one reason I don't hate this game like other people do is because I was never around the graphics controversy. I literally never heard of it until I saw it on a store shelf back in 2014 and bought it because of man with gun on the cover.
As for the game itself, still a great premise but with middling execution. Gameplay is stellar but with some weird difficulty spikes, but regardless one of the reasons that makes Watch Dogs unique and why I love this series, but the story is vapid, not really worth caring, but it has its moments, like Jackie's obsession with the pizza guy, the human trafficking ring subplot (which is unfortunately flat), T-Bone's entire existence and his cool ass scrapyard, and the set-piece involving Lucky Quinn towards the end.
It's just another Ubisoft game being a Ubisoft game fr fr
As for the game itself, still a great premise but with middling execution. Gameplay is stellar but with some weird difficulty spikes, but regardless one of the reasons that makes Watch Dogs unique and why I love this series, but the story is vapid, not really worth caring, but it has its moments, like Jackie's obsession with the pizza guy, the human trafficking ring subplot (which is unfortunately flat), T-Bone's entire existence and his cool ass scrapyard, and the set-piece involving Lucky Quinn towards the end.
It's just another Ubisoft game being a Ubisoft game fr fr
2019
A step into the right direction following Payback, with the new Day-Night System and the emphasis on money making and high stakes rep earning respectively. Besides the mediocre story, very aggressive police AI early game, and weaker car combat, this is the best note Ghost Games could've ended on before being shuttered and thrown to the EA support studio chambers
In all honesty, my love for Yakuza: Like a Dragon weighed heavily when getting in to Infinite Wealth and for sure, RGG writing sometimes is not always the sharpest, 4 being the worst entry in terms of consistency, so I was surprised just how consistent Infinite Wealth maintains itself through the story.
The stuff with the Palekana was kinda whatever because it feels so foreign to what this series is and how it doesn't feel well incorporated in the story, the humour is so effortless I was dying of laughter, Yamai the goat, Bryce was kinda sauceless and Ebina was alright, not as impactful as Aoki was, but serviceable.
Believe me when I say that Ichiban remains one of the greatest protagonists in gaming, the amount of compassion and confidence he exudes through all of his bravado and silliness makes him a force to be reckoned with, and Kiryu this time around breaks down that burden of flying solo as he was always and learns to be more cooperative and inviting to see this through his end, it wasn't just his death that loomed constantly, but he had a proper arc with a ton of depth not seen since Yakuza 6 to be honest.
Under the guise of dynamism, every single gameplay system cooperates with each other to not only deliver the best combat system the series has seen so far ever since the shift to turn-based, but also for the bonds you develop with your companions, from being invested in their weird personal things, like Namba fighting a raccoon once, Saeko getting a heavy cooking pan that beats going to gym, or Joongi being into films and forgetting to return the DVDs he borrowed, and consequently, how those moments influence the flexibility of combat, like tag team attacks, combos, and what have you. ICHIBAN QUITE LITERALLY HAS A "WITH THE POWER OF FRIENDSHIP" MOVE THAT DOES A FUCK TON OF DAMAGE, IT'S WILD.
Some of the big negatives from combat, however, is the excessive grind (again), especially in the last chapters, the rate at which you level up, which is ridiculously stupid, and how for me, turn-based games fall into this trap where once you're powerful enough, you can just rely on the most powerful moves constantly with no consequences, in turn making you rely less on the ones that output less damage. You may be thinking of the MP bar, but what's stopping me from chugging down another Staminan and keep going? I respect the decision to be open like this, but it kills the incentive to make use of all your tools when you can just rely on the best moves constantly
All in all, it's another great entry in the series, with some of the best dynamic turn-based gameplay gaming has to offer at the moment and a story that really does everything it can to honour both my Ichimans, the hero of Yokohama and Kiryu, the legendary Dragon of Dojima
Bon Voyage.
The stuff with the Palekana was kinda whatever because it feels so foreign to what this series is and how it doesn't feel well incorporated in the story, the humour is so effortless I was dying of laughter, Yamai the goat, Bryce was kinda sauceless and Ebina was alright, not as impactful as Aoki was, but serviceable.
Believe me when I say that Ichiban remains one of the greatest protagonists in gaming, the amount of compassion and confidence he exudes through all of his bravado and silliness makes him a force to be reckoned with, and Kiryu this time around breaks down that burden of flying solo as he was always and learns to be more cooperative and inviting to see this through his end, it wasn't just his death that loomed constantly, but he had a proper arc with a ton of depth not seen since Yakuza 6 to be honest.
Under the guise of dynamism, every single gameplay system cooperates with each other to not only deliver the best combat system the series has seen so far ever since the shift to turn-based, but also for the bonds you develop with your companions, from being invested in their weird personal things, like Namba fighting a raccoon once, Saeko getting a heavy cooking pan that beats going to gym, or Joongi being into films and forgetting to return the DVDs he borrowed, and consequently, how those moments influence the flexibility of combat, like tag team attacks, combos, and what have you. ICHIBAN QUITE LITERALLY HAS A "WITH THE POWER OF FRIENDSHIP" MOVE THAT DOES A FUCK TON OF DAMAGE, IT'S WILD.
Some of the big negatives from combat, however, is the excessive grind (again), especially in the last chapters, the rate at which you level up, which is ridiculously stupid, and how for me, turn-based games fall into this trap where once you're powerful enough, you can just rely on the most powerful moves constantly with no consequences, in turn making you rely less on the ones that output less damage. You may be thinking of the MP bar, but what's stopping me from chugging down another Staminan and keep going? I respect the decision to be open like this, but it kills the incentive to make use of all your tools when you can just rely on the best moves constantly
All in all, it's another great entry in the series, with some of the best dynamic turn-based gameplay gaming has to offer at the moment and a story that really does everything it can to honour both my Ichimans, the hero of Yokohama and Kiryu, the legendary Dragon of Dojima
Bon Voyage.
The pinnacle of old gen Armored Core, and the one where we can slowly notice FromSoft's focus on more quality content than incremental design changes as the series moves forward
2012
AC V's focus on online-play had repercussions on its single player content and balancing. It's just not good
There's something here that could serve as a foundation for newer entries in the series, such as the art direction and the soundtrack, I really enjoyed my time with this
(My full review: https://youtu.be/zsYC5EjZslQ)
AC 6 is an extraordinary game, that not only respects its legacy mechanically, but it also evolves said formula for something more modern, accessible, responsive and most important of all, challenging. Admittedly, it’s not a perfect game, as some minor issues plague the game, but only momentarily, as the rest of the package proves that this team still has the chops to make games outside of Souls, and that they should make more games outside of Souls because that is one very talented team that deserves the freedom to do more than what they’re currently doing.
AC 6 is an extraordinary game, that not only respects its legacy mechanically, but it also evolves said formula for something more modern, accessible, responsive and most important of all, challenging. Admittedly, it’s not a perfect game, as some minor issues plague the game, but only momentarily, as the rest of the package proves that this team still has the chops to make games outside of Souls, and that they should make more games outside of Souls because that is one very talented team that deserves the freedom to do more than what they’re currently doing.
2008
I think I found a new appreciation for the game I never had before. First being the approach to satire through the perspective of an immigrant who gets to see THE worst parts of American culture, especially in a town like Liberty City where you're surrounded by mean spirited egotistical people, peak cynicism and second, how the tech feels like in between of what the team was already experienced with the PS2, and having that extra horsepower of the newly then next gen consoles to go wild with physics and systems-driven simulations from NPCs to enemy behaviour and more
It also gave me more appreciation for GTA V because both games, while on the surface are the same, game design wise they're fundamentally different, from mission design, customization, combat, exploration, etc
The one thing I hate about it tho is the mission design. It's very GTA 3-coded, where it's either "go here and shoot x" or "drive from point A to B
The story also dragged on for too long. I looked at the stats and in total it's 93 missions compared to V's 74, and with V I'll defend the lenght cuz the missions are so fun and varied, but 4 felt like it could've ended within 3 to 4 hours after the Three Leaf Clover mission honestly, the rest felt like fodder besides the most important ones
It also gave me more appreciation for GTA V because both games, while on the surface are the same, game design wise they're fundamentally different, from mission design, customization, combat, exploration, etc
The one thing I hate about it tho is the mission design. It's very GTA 3-coded, where it's either "go here and shoot x" or "drive from point A to B
The story also dragged on for too long. I looked at the stats and in total it's 93 missions compared to V's 74, and with V I'll defend the lenght cuz the missions are so fun and varied, but 4 felt like it could've ended within 3 to 4 hours after the Three Leaf Clover mission honestly, the rest felt like fodder besides the most important ones
2022
Still as enjoyable as it always is, and it's kind of insane how replayable this game is without feeling repetitive
I don't think the mission design is as aggravating as RDR 2 is, but it's still there, but less often, and with the gameplay, mixing in first person for the shooting segments helped mitigate the clunkiness this game always had
The overall story is still weak but the characters and the themes themselves are what ultimately carry the narrative, cuz it's really hard to get invested in the general plot if it wasn't for the characters and just how good Rockstar writing generally is
I don't think the mission design is as aggravating as RDR 2 is, but it's still there, but less often, and with the gameplay, mixing in first person for the shooting segments helped mitigate the clunkiness this game always had
The overall story is still weak but the characters and the themes themselves are what ultimately carry the narrative, cuz it's really hard to get invested in the general plot if it wasn't for the characters and just how good Rockstar writing generally is
You know what, Like a Dragon Gaiden ending is top 3 in the series. Even as a spinoff, it manages to close one particular arc that spun since 1. Like the culmination of so much build-up in that one specific moment, it's beautiful
2023
Finished Alan Wake 2 and what amazes me is how incredibly esoteric the game is. Not just game design, but the different mediums Remedy uses for storytelling, and just like FromSoft with their iterative design, AW2 is the culmination of years of work since Max Payne.
Spider-Man 2 had all the writing suggesting it could be another great outing, and while it doesn’t reach further in innovation or topping what came before, it remains a solid sequel with a few loose screws
This review contains spoilers
Excerpt from my blog:
For the last few days I’ve been playing Phantom Liberty, slowly taking my time I get to know the new characters, delving deep into the game mechanics and just immersing myself in this new expansion and fucking hell, I swear to god, I have it really well cemented in my brain that in Night City it’s kill or be killed, and they still got me by the throat with how the story concluded, and the airport mission - IYKYK - was a banger, on some peak kino banger shit.
Which speaking of, about the expansion itself, great acting - I at first Idris sounded a bit stiff, but I got used to how that integrated well with his character’s roughness -, the spy thriller element alongside the writing are so top tier, it’s genuinely insane how they manage to keep it very human in the sense of how everything and everyone is unpredictable regardless of personality or intentions, the new music is so fkn glorious, like Adamczyk and Jacek fkn killed it, the new 2.0 changes and updates literally turn the game more mechanically significant, as in you can now more finely tune your builds now that clothing doesn’t have stats + the skill tree, it’s honestly immense the amount of work that went into overhauling the main game + the expansion too, I had so much fun.
And the song credits too omg, it’s all fun and games until the Polish man starts singing lol
Now the new ending, I don’t really feel it’s as bleak as people say it is, not as bleak as having your complex trapped in Arasaka’s servers, but man, it still hits like a truck. V is no longer able-bodied the way she used to be, all of your friends have moved on, the most understandable being Panam who is distraught and angry, the most depressing being Vick, the most empathetic being Judy - I played fem V and dated her - and the most happy being Misty, I really love her new design which seems to be a mix of her and Jackie’s style with the jacket, she looks so cool.
It’s kinda like a second chance at life ending, now V can leave Night City, free of any shackles the way I see it, and pursue other stuff, I really like it. Also, “Think we can in our heart forgive each other ?”, genuinely the most beautiful thing Johnny has said, it’ll stay with me the most no doubt. It got me and my friend discussing how choosing to befriend Johnny throughout your playthrough really makes for the best interactions the game has to offer, and I really don’t think I could ever be an asshole to Johnny, no matter how many playthroughs I do, I just love seeing him either happy, really sassy or genuinely mad and concerned when time calls for it.
A part of me does feel conflicted with my personal feelings and V’s intentions cuz their dream was to be a legend in NC and having that stripped away must be soul crushing no doubt, especially when you lose almost everyone you loved in the way stuff isn’t what it used to be, but me personally I’m just happy they get a second chance and just figure shit out on what to do next, but if there’s an ending I definitely see as canon/“good ending” where both our POVs align, it’s the one you part ways from NC with the Aldecados and go away with Judy and Panam to live your last days.
There really is no other dev like CDPR man, I love em
For the last few days I’ve been playing Phantom Liberty, slowly taking my time I get to know the new characters, delving deep into the game mechanics and just immersing myself in this new expansion and fucking hell, I swear to god, I have it really well cemented in my brain that in Night City it’s kill or be killed, and they still got me by the throat with how the story concluded, and the airport mission - IYKYK - was a banger, on some peak kino banger shit.
Which speaking of, about the expansion itself, great acting - I at first Idris sounded a bit stiff, but I got used to how that integrated well with his character’s roughness -, the spy thriller element alongside the writing are so top tier, it’s genuinely insane how they manage to keep it very human in the sense of how everything and everyone is unpredictable regardless of personality or intentions, the new music is so fkn glorious, like Adamczyk and Jacek fkn killed it, the new 2.0 changes and updates literally turn the game more mechanically significant, as in you can now more finely tune your builds now that clothing doesn’t have stats + the skill tree, it’s honestly immense the amount of work that went into overhauling the main game + the expansion too, I had so much fun.
And the song credits too omg, it’s all fun and games until the Polish man starts singing lol
Now the new ending, I don’t really feel it’s as bleak as people say it is, not as bleak as having your complex trapped in Arasaka’s servers, but man, it still hits like a truck. V is no longer able-bodied the way she used to be, all of your friends have moved on, the most understandable being Panam who is distraught and angry, the most depressing being Vick, the most empathetic being Judy - I played fem V and dated her - and the most happy being Misty, I really love her new design which seems to be a mix of her and Jackie’s style with the jacket, she looks so cool.
It’s kinda like a second chance at life ending, now V can leave Night City, free of any shackles the way I see it, and pursue other stuff, I really like it. Also, “Think we can in our heart forgive each other ?”, genuinely the most beautiful thing Johnny has said, it’ll stay with me the most no doubt. It got me and my friend discussing how choosing to befriend Johnny throughout your playthrough really makes for the best interactions the game has to offer, and I really don’t think I could ever be an asshole to Johnny, no matter how many playthroughs I do, I just love seeing him either happy, really sassy or genuinely mad and concerned when time calls for it.
A part of me does feel conflicted with my personal feelings and V’s intentions cuz their dream was to be a legend in NC and having that stripped away must be soul crushing no doubt, especially when you lose almost everyone you loved in the way stuff isn’t what it used to be, but me personally I’m just happy they get a second chance and just figure shit out on what to do next, but if there’s an ending I definitely see as canon/“good ending” where both our POVs align, it’s the one you part ways from NC with the Aldecados and go away with Judy and Panam to live your last days.
There really is no other dev like CDPR man, I love em