GucciGingo
Solid little game. The writing doesn't fully stick the landing, but I honestly enjoyed the "walking simulator" approach to this, and the atmosphere had me hooked throughout.
Is this what it's like in Thom Yorke's mind?
1999
Although it has its fair share of flaws, its unique charm more than makes up for what it lacks.
2019
This review contains spoilers
Base game - 7/10
The Foundation DLC - 7/10
Nothing entirely new, but it has great new mechanics, and a nice variety of combat, puzzle and platformer sections.
AWE DLC - 6/10
Narratively/tonally speaking, it's slightly more interesting than The Foundation, but it's dragged down by bad pacing and mind-numbingly repetitive gameplay. Always nice to see Alan Wake, though.
The Foundation DLC - 7/10
Nothing entirely new, but it has great new mechanics, and a nice variety of combat, puzzle and platformer sections.
AWE DLC - 6/10
Narratively/tonally speaking, it's slightly more interesting than The Foundation, but it's dragged down by bad pacing and mind-numbingly repetitive gameplay. Always nice to see Alan Wake, though.
Not much to say, really. There are some gameplay improvements (improved stamina, additional weapons/enemy types, etc), but it has a pretty nothing story and the time loop gimmick just works to make the game a repetitive chore. I'm so glad this wasn't the actual Alan Wake 2.
2021
New literally me character unlocked
2020
This game is so beautiful that it could just be a walking simulator and I wouldn't be bored.
2010
Really interesting story and worldbuilding.
VERY repetitive mission structure.
VERY repetitive mission structure.
2007
When I first played Mass Effect, something about the game failed to engage me - from the cookie-cutter characters to the clunky controls, I felt I couldn't stick it out to the end, so I quit. But after returning, I soon realised that was a mistake. What this game lacks in those qualities, it makes up for in its mesmerising world and narrative craftsmanship. By the midpoint of the story, it had me absorbed. The game isn't narratively perfect or devoid of cliches, but among a sea of generic sci-fi stories, it's refreshing to see something so well thought out. I can't wait to see where the story goes next.
2022
I think I want to nominate this award to, uhhh, my reformed Orthodox Rabbi, Bill Clinton. Thank you, everybody.
2019
??????????
2018
This review contains spoilers
I've never played a game that balances its story messages and gameplay quite like this. Celeste might be slightly heavy-handed in its philosophies, but that didn't take away from the impact it left on me by the end.
It's a game that requires you to have (or gain) patience, resilience, and self-control, and it pays off in the most spectacular ways. Writing-wise, it isn't exactly a masterpiece, but the way the themes intertwine with the gameplay makes this remarkable. Celeste is no stranger to variety and creativity, and all of this is in service of the story. Each level is unique and memorable, with the various creative choices from the music to the art style rarely falling short of breathtaking. Even through the most frustrating sections, I felt the journey with Madeline as she conquered her anxieties, and I left each segment with satisfaction and comfort. That's good game design.
However, the gameplay isn't flawless. When I finished MGSV recently, I wasn't looking for another game that level gates the ending, but this fell victim to that. Thankfully it didn't take too long to get the crystal hearts, but some of them were impossible to obtain without a guide. That also goes for other levels, especially throughout chapter 9. There's a difference between being challenging and needing perfect precision. And scarce as they were, they made some parts a real drag (cough, the comb part of chapter 9, cough).
That said, I'm not sure I'll be returning to this game for a while. Finishing chapter 9 has left me with the urge to play something else. But eventually, I'll be back. Someday.
It's a game that requires you to have (or gain) patience, resilience, and self-control, and it pays off in the most spectacular ways. Writing-wise, it isn't exactly a masterpiece, but the way the themes intertwine with the gameplay makes this remarkable. Celeste is no stranger to variety and creativity, and all of this is in service of the story. Each level is unique and memorable, with the various creative choices from the music to the art style rarely falling short of breathtaking. Even through the most frustrating sections, I felt the journey with Madeline as she conquered her anxieties, and I left each segment with satisfaction and comfort. That's good game design.
However, the gameplay isn't flawless. When I finished MGSV recently, I wasn't looking for another game that level gates the ending, but this fell victim to that. Thankfully it didn't take too long to get the crystal hearts, but some of them were impossible to obtain without a guide. That also goes for other levels, especially throughout chapter 9. There's a difference between being challenging and needing perfect precision. And scarce as they were, they made some parts a real drag (cough, the comb part of chapter 9, cough).
That said, I'm not sure I'll be returning to this game for a while. Finishing chapter 9 has left me with the urge to play something else. But eventually, I'll be back. Someday.
This review contains spoilers
Damn, there is a lot to say about this game, but I’ll keep it brief.
Starting with the positives, the gameplay mechanics are the best the Metal Gear series offers and some of the best mechanics in any game. Ever. The amount of creativity and freedom you can attain through mixing and matching different parts of the gameplay helps this rise from being a potentially unengaging slog to something much more nuanced, and by extension, once again reinventing MGS’s mechanical flair. As for the story, for all the issues you could have, you can’t deny its unique perspectives and subversions. It may not have the charm of the previous games, but it delivers another kind of tone, to which the story plays perfectly. By framing the entire game through the eyes of a literal nobody, the game makes some pretty interesting, somewhat meta comments on the game itself, the nature of war, the power dynamics, the faceless armies within that, and how manipulation and trauma can breed catastrophe at both ends. I also thought the choice to kill off the villain before the ending serviced the story well. It risks being unsatisfying, but so does the rest of the game. As you go from disconnected and unexplained events to the next, the game makes you feel so connected but so alone - and the villain is no exception. Nobody truly wins in this game, and the pinnacle of that revelation might have come in the mission where you literally have to kill infected Mother Base soldiers. Kojima did not have to go all out on this, but he did, once again proving that he has the chops to be a true visionary and deliver the story he wants to tell; not what the fans want.
As for the negatives, I despise the traversal. Some varied map design here and there doesn’t excuse how much of a damn chore it is to get from mission to mission. After so long of doing this, I questioned whether I was having fun with the game after all. Thankfully, this was false, but it weighed down the experience, especially since the open worlds can feel so barren - another thing I suspect Kojima intended, but at the cost of entertainment. As for the gameplay, I mentioned the variety, but the repetitive mission structure and the lack of true bosses was a little disappointing. I love infiltration, but it can only last a while until it feels like a slog, like a chore, or like both. I assumed Kojima would mix this up with bosses, but he rarely does. One of the only true bosses you get to fight is "Man on Fire", and all you do is lure him to water. And as for Skullface, he could have easily been a boss, but his lack of presence in the gameplay left the story feeling unearned. My most substantial praises of the story here also reflect my biggest gripes. Because much of the story feels disconnected and unexplained, much of the plot feels exceedingly underwhelming and insignificant. However, the lore you find in the tapes somewhat solves this, giving the much-needed context you would have heard in the main codec calls in the other games. But that's it. These tapes exist outside of the main story. We lost much of a sense of progression here compared to the other games since much of the narrative felt like it was taking place off-screen, irrespective of player agency. Kojima almost certainly intended this, but perhaps this game would have benefitted from intertwining things. Who knows?
Regardless though, I still had an enjoyable time with this game. It may not be a masterpiece like the first three in the series are, but it's certainly a more profound, unique, and mechanically superior game to MGS4. What I’m thankful for, above all else, is that this game takes risks. If I can say nothing else about Kojima, that quality is where he never lets me down.
Starting with the positives, the gameplay mechanics are the best the Metal Gear series offers and some of the best mechanics in any game. Ever. The amount of creativity and freedom you can attain through mixing and matching different parts of the gameplay helps this rise from being a potentially unengaging slog to something much more nuanced, and by extension, once again reinventing MGS’s mechanical flair. As for the story, for all the issues you could have, you can’t deny its unique perspectives and subversions. It may not have the charm of the previous games, but it delivers another kind of tone, to which the story plays perfectly. By framing the entire game through the eyes of a literal nobody, the game makes some pretty interesting, somewhat meta comments on the game itself, the nature of war, the power dynamics, the faceless armies within that, and how manipulation and trauma can breed catastrophe at both ends. I also thought the choice to kill off the villain before the ending serviced the story well. It risks being unsatisfying, but so does the rest of the game. As you go from disconnected and unexplained events to the next, the game makes you feel so connected but so alone - and the villain is no exception. Nobody truly wins in this game, and the pinnacle of that revelation might have come in the mission where you literally have to kill infected Mother Base soldiers. Kojima did not have to go all out on this, but he did, once again proving that he has the chops to be a true visionary and deliver the story he wants to tell; not what the fans want.
As for the negatives, I despise the traversal. Some varied map design here and there doesn’t excuse how much of a damn chore it is to get from mission to mission. After so long of doing this, I questioned whether I was having fun with the game after all. Thankfully, this was false, but it weighed down the experience, especially since the open worlds can feel so barren - another thing I suspect Kojima intended, but at the cost of entertainment. As for the gameplay, I mentioned the variety, but the repetitive mission structure and the lack of true bosses was a little disappointing. I love infiltration, but it can only last a while until it feels like a slog, like a chore, or like both. I assumed Kojima would mix this up with bosses, but he rarely does. One of the only true bosses you get to fight is "Man on Fire", and all you do is lure him to water. And as for Skullface, he could have easily been a boss, but his lack of presence in the gameplay left the story feeling unearned. My most substantial praises of the story here also reflect my biggest gripes. Because much of the story feels disconnected and unexplained, much of the plot feels exceedingly underwhelming and insignificant. However, the lore you find in the tapes somewhat solves this, giving the much-needed context you would have heard in the main codec calls in the other games. But that's it. These tapes exist outside of the main story. We lost much of a sense of progression here compared to the other games since much of the narrative felt like it was taking place off-screen, irrespective of player agency. Kojima almost certainly intended this, but perhaps this game would have benefitted from intertwining things. Who knows?
Regardless though, I still had an enjoyable time with this game. It may not be a masterpiece like the first three in the series are, but it's certainly a more profound, unique, and mechanically superior game to MGS4. What I’m thankful for, above all else, is that this game takes risks. If I can say nothing else about Kojima, that quality is where he never lets me down.
It's Ground Zeroes. There's some potentially triggering plot details, but besides that there's not much to say. A tonally sound and solid infiltration level within a much larger picture.
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker is a game that I felt somewhat discouraged to play going in, as I presumed it would be a half-assed filler entry in the series, made largely for money. But thankfully, by the end I came out satisfied. This game is far better than it has any right to be, though its still riddled with flaws as I expected. While there's nothing the game excels at it, there's also nothing major Peace Walker fails at. It's simply a good entry, and an essential piece of the story for any true Metal Gear fan.
Regarding gameplay, it was a huge breath of fresh air to be able to return to the infiltration and stealth missions of MGS3, and with the added Mother Base mechanics it gives this game a much needed depth to fill the void for what it lacks. And what it lacks in question mainly comes down to variety and statistics. Beyond the first quarter or so of this game, I expected there to be at least a little something to shake up the gameplay loop - unfortunately, there was not. The levels are all very similar, (bar for the occasional tiresome backtracking detour) as are the bosses, which, while memorable and enjoyable, largely rely on high weapon levels to beat rather than interesting tactics. This especially feels slightly grindy and counter-intuitive; certainly so for the game series it takes place in. It's almost like someone took a couple of small parts from MGS3 and copy and pasted them throughout, with only slight edits each time.
However, as this is a PSP game, these issues can be forgiven. For the limits of the console, I can say this game does a damn good job at pushing them, especially with the barrage of content that makes up the final picture. But there are times where this goes too far, and I think the ending is a good example of that. Locking the final chapter of the game behind hours of grinding, mainly to get Mother Base statistics up, is a cheap move. Up until a certain point, the game rarely felt like it was being unfair to the player. The ending however, betrays this. As for the ending itself though, and the story at large, I can say the game did a pretty good job. It's far from the most interesting Metal Gear story, but this game marks an important point in the overall Big Boss arc and I think it does a good, albeit slightly rocky job at presenting it. This is a must play/watch for anyone interested in the story of V, as it provides much of the relevant context that was often overlooked in V itself. If you can't play Peace Walker before V, either watch it or read it, as I realise now how much information I lacked that lessened the experience when I played V.
Ultimately, Peace Walker earns its place as a solid entry in the series. Story-wise it's a must-play for any true fan, and gameplay-wise, while repetitive, it remains enjoyable throughout - almost like a slightly rushed expansion to MGS3. Thankfully after playing it though, I can say that Peace Walker largely stands on its own through the narrative and gameplay focus of the game, even if its identity is a little Frankenstein-ed between titles. With the completion of this game, I'm definitely excited to replay MGSV next.
Regarding gameplay, it was a huge breath of fresh air to be able to return to the infiltration and stealth missions of MGS3, and with the added Mother Base mechanics it gives this game a much needed depth to fill the void for what it lacks. And what it lacks in question mainly comes down to variety and statistics. Beyond the first quarter or so of this game, I expected there to be at least a little something to shake up the gameplay loop - unfortunately, there was not. The levels are all very similar, (bar for the occasional tiresome backtracking detour) as are the bosses, which, while memorable and enjoyable, largely rely on high weapon levels to beat rather than interesting tactics. This especially feels slightly grindy and counter-intuitive; certainly so for the game series it takes place in. It's almost like someone took a couple of small parts from MGS3 and copy and pasted them throughout, with only slight edits each time.
However, as this is a PSP game, these issues can be forgiven. For the limits of the console, I can say this game does a damn good job at pushing them, especially with the barrage of content that makes up the final picture. But there are times where this goes too far, and I think the ending is a good example of that. Locking the final chapter of the game behind hours of grinding, mainly to get Mother Base statistics up, is a cheap move. Up until a certain point, the game rarely felt like it was being unfair to the player. The ending however, betrays this. As for the ending itself though, and the story at large, I can say the game did a pretty good job. It's far from the most interesting Metal Gear story, but this game marks an important point in the overall Big Boss arc and I think it does a good, albeit slightly rocky job at presenting it. This is a must play/watch for anyone interested in the story of V, as it provides much of the relevant context that was often overlooked in V itself. If you can't play Peace Walker before V, either watch it or read it, as I realise now how much information I lacked that lessened the experience when I played V.
Ultimately, Peace Walker earns its place as a solid entry in the series. Story-wise it's a must-play for any true fan, and gameplay-wise, while repetitive, it remains enjoyable throughout - almost like a slightly rushed expansion to MGS3. Thankfully after playing it though, I can say that Peace Walker largely stands on its own through the narrative and gameplay focus of the game, even if its identity is a little Frankenstein-ed between titles. With the completion of this game, I'm definitely excited to replay MGSV next.