HGRezende
2023
It's hard to describe Onion Assault, it doesn't really do anything wrong but it also lacks a spark to make it interesting.
Some stages work better than others, the railcart level with cannons is very fun but then there is also a swaying tree one that has this weird inertia with your movement. I also feel some parts can be frustrating, especially with a lives system that in modern games feel very unnecessary.
If you are looking for a short burst of "Super Mario Bros. 2"-like gameplay, you can probably enjoy Onion Assault, just don't expect anything that will blow your mind.
Some stages work better than others, the railcart level with cannons is very fun but then there is also a swaying tree one that has this weird inertia with your movement. I also feel some parts can be frustrating, especially with a lives system that in modern games feel very unnecessary.
If you are looking for a short burst of "Super Mario Bros. 2"-like gameplay, you can probably enjoy Onion Assault, just don't expect anything that will blow your mind.
2023
Games about cultivating plants and flowers always fascinate me, from the chill zen games to something more action packed like Plants vs. Zombies. Something that always plays a part in these games is time. Watching plants grow and waiting for them to grow. Garden In! nails a lot of things, but it could certainly slow down a bit.
The time plants take to grow in the game is too long for you to have it open and observe, but the needs of the plants drain too quickly that just returning after a couple of hours is overwhelming. As the game already uses real-life time, it could let you check in on your garden once every day, and feel the growth over time. As it is, you'll return after a few hours, see all the plants dried, water everything, and then plants go straight from little sprout to full plant instantly.
Despite this, the game is still very visually appealing, the dioramas you can built are really charming, and you have a lot of control and options for object placement and colors. You can also see how the bred flowers sometimes carry certain elements from the parents and their designs are cool looking.
Overall I think the visuals and customization the player have are strong, but it is somewhat disappointing to check in and see everything infested and dry after so little time has passed. Even if just some water will make everything look good again, I wish I could feel I have been taking good care of the plants day after day.
The time plants take to grow in the game is too long for you to have it open and observe, but the needs of the plants drain too quickly that just returning after a couple of hours is overwhelming. As the game already uses real-life time, it could let you check in on your garden once every day, and feel the growth over time. As it is, you'll return after a few hours, see all the plants dried, water everything, and then plants go straight from little sprout to full plant instantly.
Despite this, the game is still very visually appealing, the dioramas you can built are really charming, and you have a lot of control and options for object placement and colors. You can also see how the bred flowers sometimes carry certain elements from the parents and their designs are cool looking.
Overall I think the visuals and customization the player have are strong, but it is somewhat disappointing to check in and see everything infested and dry after so little time has passed. Even if just some water will make everything look good again, I wish I could feel I have been taking good care of the plants day after day.
2013
SteamWorld Dig is a simple game with a perfect execution. It has the charm, it nails the sense of progression, it introduces new stuff regularly and doesn't overstay its welcome.
When I played at release on the 3DS it reminded me of many Flash games I used to play, the constant feeling of getting new tools and exploring more opportunities, reaching just a bit further was always satisfying.
Playing it again now just reminded me how the formula doesn't really age, and the general flow of upgrades and the hand crafted sections are still really impressive, it makes the game feel like a metroidvania even if it mostly doesn't try to replicate everything that goes into them.
SteamWorld Dig is casual enough that anyone can pick it up, but also engaging and full of discovery, a timeless gem.
When I played at release on the 3DS it reminded me of many Flash games I used to play, the constant feeling of getting new tools and exploring more opportunities, reaching just a bit further was always satisfying.
Playing it again now just reminded me how the formula doesn't really age, and the general flow of upgrades and the hand crafted sections are still really impressive, it makes the game feel like a metroidvania even if it mostly doesn't try to replicate everything that goes into them.
SteamWorld Dig is casual enough that anyone can pick it up, but also engaging and full of discovery, a timeless gem.
There are concepts from Death Stranding that I think are really cool. AAA delivery simulator with connected community interaction seems like a good base for something, and clearly a lot of people resonated with it.
As for myself, I'm really not a fan of stealth and every section with BTs is just frustrating. I also cannot muster much interest in the story, the world situation is somewhat intriguing but I feel like if I'm going to get anything out of this I have to stick with it until the end, and I really don't feel like putting in the time on something I'm barely enjoying.
As for myself, I'm really not a fan of stealth and every section with BTs is just frustrating. I also cannot muster much interest in the story, the world situation is somewhat intriguing but I feel like if I'm going to get anything out of this I have to stick with it until the end, and I really don't feel like putting in the time on something I'm barely enjoying.
2005
At first I was struggling to call Psychonauts a 3D platformer, as I feel it is more rooted in the adventure inspiration, but as I reached the end of the journey I could see why both halves are so important for the game to work.
Having said that, I still think the game shows its age and the platforming part suffers a bit. Especially at the start when I feel the narrative interrupts you from engaging in the platforming in more intrusive ways and at the end when you need the speed and precision but you feel the controls against you.
However the narrative shines. The characters, stories and worlds you explore make a whole that works better than just pointing the flaws of some mechanics or pacing. The creativity injected into the game by exploring these characters and worlds make it incredibly unique, in a way that even after all these years it is hard to find something similar.
At the end, Psychonauts is an amazing adventure game that uses platforming to emphasize its narrative in compelling ways and I could see why so many desired to see this series continue and I can share their passion.
Having said that, I still think the game shows its age and the platforming part suffers a bit. Especially at the start when I feel the narrative interrupts you from engaging in the platforming in more intrusive ways and at the end when you need the speed and precision but you feel the controls against you.
However the narrative shines. The characters, stories and worlds you explore make a whole that works better than just pointing the flaws of some mechanics or pacing. The creativity injected into the game by exploring these characters and worlds make it incredibly unique, in a way that even after all these years it is hard to find something similar.
At the end, Psychonauts is an amazing adventure game that uses platforming to emphasize its narrative in compelling ways and I could see why so many desired to see this series continue and I can share their passion.
I'm not extremely nostalgic over the old school games that inspired Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider, but I had a great time with the game, which might be due to the fact that it is not as difficult as most of the classic games like it.
The presentation is amazing, incredible pixel art (I strongly recommend using the CRT filter), the movement is snappy and fluid and you'll be running and slashing to some good tunes too.
I struggled a bit at the start getting used to the movement and not having many of the extra upgrades, but once I got a few stages in I felt my mastery, and some very powerful abilities, made some encounters a bit too easy. Although the feeling of getting powerful is also a positive, I wonder if some situations could have been better balanced (of note, I think the water stage is generally very difficult but has the easiest boss).
While I enjoy the easier difficult curve, I feel some more passionate about the games that inspired this might be left wanting it to be a tad harder, but pushing for higher ranks can possibly evoke a similar sense of challenge.
The presentation is amazing, incredible pixel art (I strongly recommend using the CRT filter), the movement is snappy and fluid and you'll be running and slashing to some good tunes too.
I struggled a bit at the start getting used to the movement and not having many of the extra upgrades, but once I got a few stages in I felt my mastery, and some very powerful abilities, made some encounters a bit too easy. Although the feeling of getting powerful is also a positive, I wonder if some situations could have been better balanced (of note, I think the water stage is generally very difficult but has the easiest boss).
While I enjoy the easier difficult curve, I feel some more passionate about the games that inspired this might be left wanting it to be a tad harder, but pushing for higher ranks can possibly evoke a similar sense of challenge.
2022
The thing that gets me the most about Ghostwire Tokyo are the vibes, the mildly spooky playground with fascinating creatures carries a lot of what I enjoyed in the game.
Even though it is an open-world game, it is actually very linear, it feels designed like smaller levels and set pieces that happen to get connected as you go, you can probably just play it ignoring the open-world filler and still have a great experience. Side activities can have some interesting scenarios, and meeting yokai is interesting, but the game will test your patience if you try to get all the spirits.
While the world is very impressive, the gameplay takes a bit of a backseat, it is serviceable (once you adjust aim sensitivity), but it does feel overly simple. The economy somewhat discourages you of engaging with various tools, the talismans used for combat feel like a waste when you have to save money for skill points. And then the basic act of spamming wind shots gets the job done easily, so you don't even feel like you need the tools at all, feels like there was some missed potential here.
Even considering the simple systems, the game was still very fun to go through, exploring and admiring the environment was very relaxing in some way, even with all the creepy vibes there is a certain beauty of the supernatural in everything, and I was all in for it.
Even though it is an open-world game, it is actually very linear, it feels designed like smaller levels and set pieces that happen to get connected as you go, you can probably just play it ignoring the open-world filler and still have a great experience. Side activities can have some interesting scenarios, and meeting yokai is interesting, but the game will test your patience if you try to get all the spirits.
While the world is very impressive, the gameplay takes a bit of a backseat, it is serviceable (once you adjust aim sensitivity), but it does feel overly simple. The economy somewhat discourages you of engaging with various tools, the talismans used for combat feel like a waste when you have to save money for skill points. And then the basic act of spamming wind shots gets the job done easily, so you don't even feel like you need the tools at all, feels like there was some missed potential here.
Even considering the simple systems, the game was still very fun to go through, exploring and admiring the environment was very relaxing in some way, even with all the creepy vibes there is a certain beauty of the supernatural in everything, and I was all in for it.
Blossom Tales is a competent but generally uninteresting take on the Zelda formula. The same beats you would expect are here, but they rarely feel satisfying.
The most interesting part might be overworld exploration, that while pretty simple can still be engaging, and there are a few side activities to explore that can add a bit of variety.
Dungeons are long linear streaks of singular room challenges that take the form of traversal trials, enemy encounters or a puzzle. This linear take removes any satisfaction of getting a new item as they are not really used to explore hidden corners you just passed and couldn't wait to explore.
While particularly not a bad game, the dungeon design greatly impacted my perception of the game, and I left it feeling mostly disappointed in the whole experience.
The most interesting part might be overworld exploration, that while pretty simple can still be engaging, and there are a few side activities to explore that can add a bit of variety.
Dungeons are long linear streaks of singular room challenges that take the form of traversal trials, enemy encounters or a puzzle. This linear take removes any satisfaction of getting a new item as they are not really used to explore hidden corners you just passed and couldn't wait to explore.
While particularly not a bad game, the dungeon design greatly impacted my perception of the game, and I left it feeling mostly disappointed in the whole experience.