Jerrett
2018
The Messenger is of a select few metroidvanias that I have cared enough to complete. So many games in this genre don't do anything for me---which is weird because I enjoy all of the elements of metroidvanias. The interconnected world, power-ups, progression... each part on their own is great, but I feel like more often than not things get a little hazy when they are put together. Maybe it's just a skill issue on my part, but I couldn't care less.
The Messenger combats my problems with metroidvanias by it not being a metroidvania until halfway through the game. You start out with 8-bit visuals, combat, and game conventions to ease your way into the game. When The Messenger is like this, it plays like an old Ninja Gaiden game. Learning the game's mechanics this way lets each of them breath, and it never got overwhelming. Eventually, the game turns 16-bit and starts showing off its metroidvania side. Everything mentioned earlier gets an upgrade that you can feel while playing. The music changes, the pixel art starts looking more like a SNES game rather than one from the NES, and the levels start becoming more ambitious. Soon after that, though, the game pulls out its Trump card: switching between 8- and 16-bit.
When switching between these two in each level, your knowledge of each gameplay style is tested. You'll go from relatively simple areas while in the 8-bit world and then, upon switching to the 16-bit version of the level, everything gets taken up a notch. You do this multiple times per level, and each time is more inventive than the last.
The Messenger's main gameplay systems is its combat and platforming. The platforming is great, and it can get pretty challenging at times too. The combat is simple, but it can get pretty involved. The Messenger is at its best during boss fights when it tests you on both your platforming and combat abilities.
The writing is great too. It made me laugh multiple times during my playthroughs, and the characters are all great. It never falls into the side of annoyance with any of the side characters--they all have a unique charm to them that I feel like is only really ever seen in Nintendo games.
The Messenger takes the best parts of being a side-scroller NES game and being a contemporary metroidvanias to make an experience that is unforgettable.
The Messenger combats my problems with metroidvanias by it not being a metroidvania until halfway through the game. You start out with 8-bit visuals, combat, and game conventions to ease your way into the game. When The Messenger is like this, it plays like an old Ninja Gaiden game. Learning the game's mechanics this way lets each of them breath, and it never got overwhelming. Eventually, the game turns 16-bit and starts showing off its metroidvania side. Everything mentioned earlier gets an upgrade that you can feel while playing. The music changes, the pixel art starts looking more like a SNES game rather than one from the NES, and the levels start becoming more ambitious. Soon after that, though, the game pulls out its Trump card: switching between 8- and 16-bit.
When switching between these two in each level, your knowledge of each gameplay style is tested. You'll go from relatively simple areas while in the 8-bit world and then, upon switching to the 16-bit version of the level, everything gets taken up a notch. You do this multiple times per level, and each time is more inventive than the last.
The Messenger's main gameplay systems is its combat and platforming. The platforming is great, and it can get pretty challenging at times too. The combat is simple, but it can get pretty involved. The Messenger is at its best during boss fights when it tests you on both your platforming and combat abilities.
The writing is great too. It made me laugh multiple times during my playthroughs, and the characters are all great. It never falls into the side of annoyance with any of the side characters--they all have a unique charm to them that I feel like is only really ever seen in Nintendo games.
The Messenger takes the best parts of being a side-scroller NES game and being a contemporary metroidvanias to make an experience that is unforgettable.
2023
When it comes to games I play nowadays, they have to hook me relatively quickly for me to play them all the way through. This part about my playing habits is especially true for soulslikes. I am of the opinion that VERY few games can approach FromSoftware's souls games in terms of quality. Prior to finishing Lies of P, the only game that ever came close was Nioh 2. Lies of P now joins Nioh 2 in being the only two soulslikes that are up there with FromSoftware.
Lies of P feels more like a FromSoftware game than any other soulslike I've ever played. The combat, world design, music, and (something I rarely see mentioned in games like this) cutscene direction feel, sound, and look like FromSoftware made them. If your basis on how good a soulslike is completely based on how alike it is to games that FromSoftware make, then this will be your favorite without a doubt. I still think Nioh 2 is the best soulslike because of how it evolves the formula (read my Nioh 2 review for more!), but this is an excellent beginning for a studio that only had one other game under their belt prior to this.
The most important parts of soulslikes are level design and combat. Despite being important to how these games feel and play, many soulslikes are not able to nail either of them; however, Lies of P succeeds in both of these (albeit to varying degrees). Lies of P understands soulslike combat better than most soulslikes that have emerged since the genres inception. The team at Round 8 gets the intricacies of what makes these games feel so good to play. The cool boss fights and flashy moves are not what people play these games for (or at least it's not what I play them for). This isn't me undermining the game's bosses--most of them are incredible, but some are laughably bad (Black Rabbit Brotherhood and Victor). Sure, they both play a part, but the build customization and encounters are what make these games shine. Each of the main parts (combat, presentation, bosses, story) need to work together to create an experience. If even one part is bad, it sours the experience.
Being able to take apart most weapons is amazing. Looking at each blade's move set and damage with different handles was something I constantly looked forward to each time I found a new weapon. It really leans into the idea that all weapons and playstyles are valid--which is something we haven't seen in this genre since Bloodborne. I also enjoy that it marries the aggression of Bloodborne with the parrying mechanics of Sekiro. The only downside to this is that I feel that the parry window is just barely too tight. The enemy encounters in each of its levels are mostly well thought out, but some encounters feel unfair to an extent. I think level design is Lies of P's main flaw. These levels are NOT bad (barring Collapsed Krat), but they don't have any of the inventiveness that FromSoftware titles have. I feel like this is completely due to the game's linearity. It doesn't really feel like you're making your way through a world, but it instead feels like you are going through the motions.
The music, art direction, and cutscenes are also a standout. Each of these stand toe-to-toe with FromSoftware's best. I think the records you collect have some of the most beautiful arrangements this genre has to offer. Bloodborne is an easy comparison to make here, but I think Demon's Souls also has a say here with the Shrine of Storm and Tower of Latria feel like heavy inspirations for Lies of P's art direction. And now there are the cutscenes. The cutscenes that introduce each of the game's main bosses as well as major story beats are incredible too. I can't really describe why I feel so drawn to the cutscenes here--I haven't actively thought about any other soulslike's cutscenes before--but the ones here just jump out at me as well made.
Saying that Lies of P is just an imitation of FromSoftware's work with a Pinocchio spin really discredits a lot of what Lies of P does right, but I can understand where it is coming from. Lies of P wears its inspirations on its ever-growing nose, but it can stand on its own as something truly remarkable.
Lies of P feels more like a FromSoftware game than any other soulslike I've ever played. The combat, world design, music, and (something I rarely see mentioned in games like this) cutscene direction feel, sound, and look like FromSoftware made them. If your basis on how good a soulslike is completely based on how alike it is to games that FromSoftware make, then this will be your favorite without a doubt. I still think Nioh 2 is the best soulslike because of how it evolves the formula (read my Nioh 2 review for more!), but this is an excellent beginning for a studio that only had one other game under their belt prior to this.
The most important parts of soulslikes are level design and combat. Despite being important to how these games feel and play, many soulslikes are not able to nail either of them; however, Lies of P succeeds in both of these (albeit to varying degrees). Lies of P understands soulslike combat better than most soulslikes that have emerged since the genres inception. The team at Round 8 gets the intricacies of what makes these games feel so good to play. The cool boss fights and flashy moves are not what people play these games for (or at least it's not what I play them for). This isn't me undermining the game's bosses--most of them are incredible, but some are laughably bad (Black Rabbit Brotherhood and Victor). Sure, they both play a part, but the build customization and encounters are what make these games shine. Each of the main parts (combat, presentation, bosses, story) need to work together to create an experience. If even one part is bad, it sours the experience.
Being able to take apart most weapons is amazing. Looking at each blade's move set and damage with different handles was something I constantly looked forward to each time I found a new weapon. It really leans into the idea that all weapons and playstyles are valid--which is something we haven't seen in this genre since Bloodborne. I also enjoy that it marries the aggression of Bloodborne with the parrying mechanics of Sekiro. The only downside to this is that I feel that the parry window is just barely too tight. The enemy encounters in each of its levels are mostly well thought out, but some encounters feel unfair to an extent. I think level design is Lies of P's main flaw. These levels are NOT bad (barring Collapsed Krat), but they don't have any of the inventiveness that FromSoftware titles have. I feel like this is completely due to the game's linearity. It doesn't really feel like you're making your way through a world, but it instead feels like you are going through the motions.
The music, art direction, and cutscenes are also a standout. Each of these stand toe-to-toe with FromSoftware's best. I think the records you collect have some of the most beautiful arrangements this genre has to offer. Bloodborne is an easy comparison to make here, but I think Demon's Souls also has a say here with the Shrine of Storm and Tower of Latria feel like heavy inspirations for Lies of P's art direction. And now there are the cutscenes. The cutscenes that introduce each of the game's main bosses as well as major story beats are incredible too. I can't really describe why I feel so drawn to the cutscenes here--I haven't actively thought about any other soulslike's cutscenes before--but the ones here just jump out at me as well made.
Saying that Lies of P is just an imitation of FromSoftware's work with a Pinocchio spin really discredits a lot of what Lies of P does right, but I can understand where it is coming from. Lies of P wears its inspirations on its ever-growing nose, but it can stand on its own as something truly remarkable.
I used to hate Shadow of the Colossus. The movement is clunky, the horse is terrible, the climbing feels largely unresponsive, the camera... Any time I would bring up my criticisms of Shadow of the Colossus, a friend would constantly say, "That's the point." I never understood it. Looking at Ueda's other works, I would always say that I thought that The Last Guardian is by FAR his best game and is a modern masterpiece. I think I get it now.
I first played Shadow of the Colossus in 2021. I bought it around my birthday, and I was so excited to get lost in its world. I had only ever heard good things about it. At first, I saw what all the hype was about. Around halfway through the game, though, its problems started showing up more and more. By the end, while fighting the final Colossus, I started to hate it.
Now that I'm older and my tastes have changed, I figured that I should give it another shot. During that halfway point where I started to get annoyed originally, I instead felt like I was getting it. All of its "problems" work together to make an experience like no other.
The remake elevates all of its qualities by giving it an incredible presentation. The remade OST is atmospheric, and the graphical overhaul that Bluepoint and Japan Studio (RIP) feel exactly like what Ueda would have made if he was not constrained by the technical limitations of the PS2. The camera being fixed in some places or moving on its own gives the game a filmic quality that I feel no other game has nowadays.
The gameplay is simple albeit fascinating. Try to put yourself into Wander's shoes. I know that I wouldn't be able to fight any of these Colossi, and Ueda is able to show this with gameplay. You are powerless compared to these giant freaks of nature. The horse, I feel, is still one of the weakest parts of the game. Wander and Agro have obviously been with each other for a while, so I am unsure why we are not able to control him too well.
With all that being said, I still think that this game isn't perfect. Like I said, the horse isn't great, and some Colossi aren't that fun to fight. The camera, although cinematic, can sometimes be terrible. In some fights, it can be really hard to see where you are, where you're going, or what the Colossus is doing.
I still think that The Last Guardian is better, but Shadow of the Colossus is a damn good experience.
I first played Shadow of the Colossus in 2021. I bought it around my birthday, and I was so excited to get lost in its world. I had only ever heard good things about it. At first, I saw what all the hype was about. Around halfway through the game, though, its problems started showing up more and more. By the end, while fighting the final Colossus, I started to hate it.
Now that I'm older and my tastes have changed, I figured that I should give it another shot. During that halfway point where I started to get annoyed originally, I instead felt like I was getting it. All of its "problems" work together to make an experience like no other.
The remake elevates all of its qualities by giving it an incredible presentation. The remade OST is atmospheric, and the graphical overhaul that Bluepoint and Japan Studio (RIP) feel exactly like what Ueda would have made if he was not constrained by the technical limitations of the PS2. The camera being fixed in some places or moving on its own gives the game a filmic quality that I feel no other game has nowadays.
The gameplay is simple albeit fascinating. Try to put yourself into Wander's shoes. I know that I wouldn't be able to fight any of these Colossi, and Ueda is able to show this with gameplay. You are powerless compared to these giant freaks of nature. The horse, I feel, is still one of the weakest parts of the game. Wander and Agro have obviously been with each other for a while, so I am unsure why we are not able to control him too well.
With all that being said, I still think that this game isn't perfect. Like I said, the horse isn't great, and some Colossi aren't that fun to fight. The camera, although cinematic, can sometimes be terrible. In some fights, it can be really hard to see where you are, where you're going, or what the Colossus is doing.
I still think that The Last Guardian is better, but Shadow of the Colossus is a damn good experience.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is, on some accounts, nothing extraordinary. The open world is full of things that would make a Ubisoft game blush; however, some side quests and mini games are incredible. Chadley may be the most annoying companion I have ever had to suffer through. The story is mind bending--much like other Square Enix titles Kingdom Hearts, but with this game only covering up until the end of disc one, it is easy to feel like the plot isn't going anywhere. If anything, the game ends right after things start to pick up. The combat, much like its predecessor, Final Fantasy VII Remake, is an amazing blend between contemporary action games like Devil May Cry or God of War mixed the revolutionary ATB system that was introduced in Final Fantasy IV.
I'm going to be going in-depth with each of these segments: open world and side content, story and presentation, and combat--in that order. This review will be spoiler-free.
The open world is exactly what you would expect from a AAA game. It takes most of its inspiration from cookie cutter, copy and paste games like Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Ghost of Tsushima. I think Ghost of Tsushima especially is an interesting point of comparison with how CBU1 has decided to craft each of the regions. I feel like Ghost of Tsushima is slightly above the likes of Assassin's Creed and the like when it comes to side content. Sure, you have the open world tropes of towers and enemy camps, but you also have these side missions with certain characters that tell an overarching story that is both separate and in tandem with the main story. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth does this as well.
The characters and mini games that stay throughout the story have a lasting impact on your judgement of the world and of each of the characters in your party. Having party members be companions in the side quests really deepen your relationship with each of the characters. Chadley and MAI are the most annoying companions I have suffered through in a game. After doing what feels like any kind of open world item, either Chadley or MAI will butt in and tell you that they analyzed what you did, or there's a new battle simulator, etc. It really bogs down the pace. Many of the side quests range from good to great. The mini games in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth are also usually great. Everyone knows that Queen's Blood is fantastic, but some other great mini games in Rebirth include Chocobo Racing and the performance of Loveless. There is also a frog mini game similar to Fall Guys' Jump Club that I loved too. The dolphin race is also quite fun.
Something this remake trilogy has done so far that I love is how much it makes you care for each of your party members. The performances of each character is noticeably better than Final Fantasy VII Remake's, and that lets you get immersed with each character's story. The chemistry between each character also reminds me of the original Final Fantasy VII as well as Naughty Dog titles like The Last of Us Part II and Uncharted 4: A Thief's End. Hearing the characters talk about their interests, their doubts, their aspirations... it's all top-tier stuff.
Speaking of performances though, my main gripe is that the game is quite inconsistent when it comes to its presentation. Some parts can look incredible--a real showpiece for what these consoles can do--but it is let down by some things that can look a full generation behind. Some textures are low res, the shadows in the game can look terrible, the lighting can sometimes look really out of place, and the pop in is atrocious. These issues were also present in Final Fantasy VII Remake on PS4, but they were completely fixed in its Intergrade update for PS5. Because of this, I was really hoping that Rebirth would not suffer from these issues.
Graphical woes aside, though, the game is able to tell its story well. The inclusion of Zack is interesting, and the expansion of most areas are great. Seeing each of the locations in the original with contemporary graphics is truly a sight to behold. I found myself constantly saying to myself, "Hey this is exactly like the original!" and "Huh, they changed some stuff around." It's a remake, so this is to be expected; however, I was surprised that Final Fantasy VII Rebirth was able to modernize each of these locations. The filler from Remake is still here, and most of the time I didn't find it to be too distracting. Some places overstay their welcome--especially towards the end of the game. I will not be going into specifics about the story or the ending here, but I will say that it has me extremely interested to see how part three of this remake saga will go.
The combat of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth has some nice additions upon Final Fantasy VII Remake's already incredible combat system. The main addition to Rebirth's arsenal is the synergy abilities. These, like limit breaks, are really flashy and they can give you various effects like splitting your ATB bar into three, making your limit break level go up, etc. There are also synergy skills that allow two characters to perform an attack together--just like synergy abilities--but these skills do not give the characters any effects. Instead, these are more like normal abilities--meaning that they only deal damage.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is a massive game that I enjoyed nearly every minute of. I have put in 90 hours, but I still have some things to do. I still need to finish up the combat trials and 100% every mini game. I don't think any game is going to come close to beating this as game of the year for me. This formula is what Final Fantasy should be going forward. It marries the old Final Fantasy with the new, and it does so almost perfectly.
I'm going to be going in-depth with each of these segments: open world and side content, story and presentation, and combat--in that order. This review will be spoiler-free.
The open world is exactly what you would expect from a AAA game. It takes most of its inspiration from cookie cutter, copy and paste games like Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Ghost of Tsushima. I think Ghost of Tsushima especially is an interesting point of comparison with how CBU1 has decided to craft each of the regions. I feel like Ghost of Tsushima is slightly above the likes of Assassin's Creed and the like when it comes to side content. Sure, you have the open world tropes of towers and enemy camps, but you also have these side missions with certain characters that tell an overarching story that is both separate and in tandem with the main story. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth does this as well.
The characters and mini games that stay throughout the story have a lasting impact on your judgement of the world and of each of the characters in your party. Having party members be companions in the side quests really deepen your relationship with each of the characters. Chadley and MAI are the most annoying companions I have suffered through in a game. After doing what feels like any kind of open world item, either Chadley or MAI will butt in and tell you that they analyzed what you did, or there's a new battle simulator, etc. It really bogs down the pace. Many of the side quests range from good to great. The mini games in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth are also usually great. Everyone knows that Queen's Blood is fantastic, but some other great mini games in Rebirth include Chocobo Racing and the performance of Loveless. There is also a frog mini game similar to Fall Guys' Jump Club that I loved too. The dolphin race is also quite fun.
Something this remake trilogy has done so far that I love is how much it makes you care for each of your party members. The performances of each character is noticeably better than Final Fantasy VII Remake's, and that lets you get immersed with each character's story. The chemistry between each character also reminds me of the original Final Fantasy VII as well as Naughty Dog titles like The Last of Us Part II and Uncharted 4: A Thief's End. Hearing the characters talk about their interests, their doubts, their aspirations... it's all top-tier stuff.
Speaking of performances though, my main gripe is that the game is quite inconsistent when it comes to its presentation. Some parts can look incredible--a real showpiece for what these consoles can do--but it is let down by some things that can look a full generation behind. Some textures are low res, the shadows in the game can look terrible, the lighting can sometimes look really out of place, and the pop in is atrocious. These issues were also present in Final Fantasy VII Remake on PS4, but they were completely fixed in its Intergrade update for PS5. Because of this, I was really hoping that Rebirth would not suffer from these issues.
Graphical woes aside, though, the game is able to tell its story well. The inclusion of Zack is interesting, and the expansion of most areas are great. Seeing each of the locations in the original with contemporary graphics is truly a sight to behold. I found myself constantly saying to myself, "Hey this is exactly like the original!" and "Huh, they changed some stuff around." It's a remake, so this is to be expected; however, I was surprised that Final Fantasy VII Rebirth was able to modernize each of these locations. The filler from Remake is still here, and most of the time I didn't find it to be too distracting. Some places overstay their welcome--especially towards the end of the game. I will not be going into specifics about the story or the ending here, but I will say that it has me extremely interested to see how part three of this remake saga will go.
The combat of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth has some nice additions upon Final Fantasy VII Remake's already incredible combat system. The main addition to Rebirth's arsenal is the synergy abilities. These, like limit breaks, are really flashy and they can give you various effects like splitting your ATB bar into three, making your limit break level go up, etc. There are also synergy skills that allow two characters to perform an attack together--just like synergy abilities--but these skills do not give the characters any effects. Instead, these are more like normal abilities--meaning that they only deal damage.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is a massive game that I enjoyed nearly every minute of. I have put in 90 hours, but I still have some things to do. I still need to finish up the combat trials and 100% every mini game. I don't think any game is going to come close to beating this as game of the year for me. This formula is what Final Fantasy should be going forward. It marries the old Final Fantasy with the new, and it does so almost perfectly.
2024
Preface: I'm going to go ahead and give this the score it deserves because it is the best multiplayer experience I've had since Left 4 Dead 2. Right now at launch, this game's servers hold it back from its true potential, but I have faith that Arrowhead and Sony will resolve it sooner rather than later. As of writing this review/impressions (Feb 19th 2024), it has been almost impossible to enjoy Helldivers 2 for too long because of long wait times since servers are capped at 450k. It really brings the game down, but if we don't take that into account the game is incredible.
Having friendly fire on anything you do is always a blast. I've died more to my friends than I have to enemies, and it's always hilarious when that happens. The enemies are fun to fight (some can be annoying looking at you, automatons), but the difficulty isn't really balanced, which--imo--adds to its charm. When going up the difficulty ranks, the game can get borderline unfair, but that's what makes it fun. Scrambling from point of interest to point of interest with your team while contemplating if you should kill everything in your path or run to conserve ammo and stratagems makes the gameplay fairly meticulous. Many have said this, so I'm gonna echo it: this game is a video game ass video game. You're not playing it for an overarching story (but the premise of it is nice), it's all about the gameplay. The gunplay is perfect, and it has gyro aiming which makes it even better. Having to put in directional codes for stratagems is also great since it adds to the tension of every fight. If you come unprepared, you will die, so you need to make sure you go into each mission and encounter with a game plan. The game can also look quite nice sometimes. It's not pushing anything graphically because of the amount of enemies, but it can look amazing in some conditions. As of now, I have no major complaints about Helldivers 2, but I don't think it's deserving of a 5/5 just yet. We'll have to see how the game evolves over the next few years and see if it's able to keep my attention.
Helldivers 2 proves that live service games don't need to be predatory to be successful. This is Sony's first major live service (not counting Destiny or MLB), and they start with the most compelling service game I've ever tried. If Arrowhead is able to keep up, I could see myself playing it for years to come.
Having friendly fire on anything you do is always a blast. I've died more to my friends than I have to enemies, and it's always hilarious when that happens. The enemies are fun to fight (some can be annoying looking at you, automatons), but the difficulty isn't really balanced, which--imo--adds to its charm. When going up the difficulty ranks, the game can get borderline unfair, but that's what makes it fun. Scrambling from point of interest to point of interest with your team while contemplating if you should kill everything in your path or run to conserve ammo and stratagems makes the gameplay fairly meticulous. Many have said this, so I'm gonna echo it: this game is a video game ass video game. You're not playing it for an overarching story (but the premise of it is nice), it's all about the gameplay. The gunplay is perfect, and it has gyro aiming which makes it even better. Having to put in directional codes for stratagems is also great since it adds to the tension of every fight. If you come unprepared, you will die, so you need to make sure you go into each mission and encounter with a game plan. The game can also look quite nice sometimes. It's not pushing anything graphically because of the amount of enemies, but it can look amazing in some conditions. As of now, I have no major complaints about Helldivers 2, but I don't think it's deserving of a 5/5 just yet. We'll have to see how the game evolves over the next few years and see if it's able to keep my attention.
Helldivers 2 proves that live service games don't need to be predatory to be successful. This is Sony's first major live service (not counting Destiny or MLB), and they start with the most compelling service game I've ever tried. If Arrowhead is able to keep up, I could see myself playing it for years to come.
Nioh 2 is the best "soulslike" not made by FromSoftware. It even surpasses From's titles in some aspects -- especially in regards to its multiplayer and deep combat.
I say it's a soulslike because that's the closest genre I can put it under that isn't something generic like "action." I feel like comparing Nioh 2 to only From's games isn't giving the full idea of what Nioh 2 really is. So many studios have been chasing From's formula and making games with a very large variety in quality, but nobody are making Team Ninja games other than Team Ninja. They have a formula here that is excellent. When comparing this to FromSoftware titles the only real similarity is the high level of difficulty. Everything else --mission structure, how bosses are created, storytelling, RPG systems, etc. -- is very different.
Nioh 2 has many things going for it. The combat and flexibility you have to make your character unique is unparalleled. You can make practically anything work here. Do you like magic? Do you want to be a badass ninja? Do you want to use a giant scythe? How about no weapon at all? All builds are valid here -- even unconventional ones. I think this is Nioh 2's biggest strength. The fact that each weapon class has a skill tree is daunting at first, but I got used to it around the halfway point. There are so many ways you can spec out your character. The stance system from Nioh also returns along with Ki Pulses. All of these things put together make one of the most satisfying combat systems in any game.
The gear collecting is something I actually really like. Grinding for gear can get tedious quickly, but I really enjoyed killing bosses and enemies and seeing what new loot I got. The final boss drops a lot of loot and I was just mesmerized at how colorful it was.
Another thing that is incredible about Nioh 2 is its approach to multiplayer. Multiplayer progression is seamless, and it scales nicely when there are multiple players. I played Nioh 2 almost exclusively in multiplayer, and it was the most fun I have had in a soulslike. There are also these bonfire things while in levels that you can interact with. The red ones summon an NPC invader, and, upon killing it, you'll receive some of their equipment. If you see a blue one, you can interact with it to summon an NPC helper.
Nioh 2's main drawback is level design. The missions in Nioh 2 aren't part of this larger interconnected world, but instead it is mission-based and you select which ones you want to do in a menu. The menu is perfectly fine, but some levels are laid out terribly. It's very easy to get lost or have no idea where you're going because of some parts of the level looking nearly identical to other parts. Level design has never been Team Ninja's strong point -- at least from the games I have played from them. Out of their "soulslike" outings (Nioh 1&2, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin), Nioh 2 has the best level design, but that isn't really saying much when all of the other ones are so poor. I really hope they are able to improve upon it in Rise of the Ronin.
Overall, Nioh 2 is an exceptional "soulslike," and it has one of the best combat systems of any game full stop.
I say it's a soulslike because that's the closest genre I can put it under that isn't something generic like "action." I feel like comparing Nioh 2 to only From's games isn't giving the full idea of what Nioh 2 really is. So many studios have been chasing From's formula and making games with a very large variety in quality, but nobody are making Team Ninja games other than Team Ninja. They have a formula here that is excellent. When comparing this to FromSoftware titles the only real similarity is the high level of difficulty. Everything else --mission structure, how bosses are created, storytelling, RPG systems, etc. -- is very different.
Nioh 2 has many things going for it. The combat and flexibility you have to make your character unique is unparalleled. You can make practically anything work here. Do you like magic? Do you want to be a badass ninja? Do you want to use a giant scythe? How about no weapon at all? All builds are valid here -- even unconventional ones. I think this is Nioh 2's biggest strength. The fact that each weapon class has a skill tree is daunting at first, but I got used to it around the halfway point. There are so many ways you can spec out your character. The stance system from Nioh also returns along with Ki Pulses. All of these things put together make one of the most satisfying combat systems in any game.
The gear collecting is something I actually really like. Grinding for gear can get tedious quickly, but I really enjoyed killing bosses and enemies and seeing what new loot I got. The final boss drops a lot of loot and I was just mesmerized at how colorful it was.
Another thing that is incredible about Nioh 2 is its approach to multiplayer. Multiplayer progression is seamless, and it scales nicely when there are multiple players. I played Nioh 2 almost exclusively in multiplayer, and it was the most fun I have had in a soulslike. There are also these bonfire things while in levels that you can interact with. The red ones summon an NPC invader, and, upon killing it, you'll receive some of their equipment. If you see a blue one, you can interact with it to summon an NPC helper.
Nioh 2's main drawback is level design. The missions in Nioh 2 aren't part of this larger interconnected world, but instead it is mission-based and you select which ones you want to do in a menu. The menu is perfectly fine, but some levels are laid out terribly. It's very easy to get lost or have no idea where you're going because of some parts of the level looking nearly identical to other parts. Level design has never been Team Ninja's strong point -- at least from the games I have played from them. Out of their "soulslike" outings (Nioh 1&2, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin), Nioh 2 has the best level design, but that isn't really saying much when all of the other ones are so poor. I really hope they are able to improve upon it in Rise of the Ronin.
Overall, Nioh 2 is an exceptional "soulslike," and it has one of the best combat systems of any game full stop.
2020
I first played Super Mario Galaxy (and its sequel) around 10 years ago. Back then, I was of the idea that SMG2 was better than the first, but since I replayed it on the Switch, I now think the original is slightly better than SMG2.
This is Mario at its best. The level design--which is typically 3D Mario's strong suit-- is the best it has ever been. The boss fights are all varied and have unique ideas. The atmosphere of the game is great; I think it's the best looking Mario game now that we have it at a modern resolution. This game has aged wonderfully, despite being nearly 17 years old at this point.
The only thing about the game that I couldn't care less about is the flight power-up. With the few times you do use it, you're not really given enough time to tinker with it and get used to it. If it were used in more levels, I think I would have liked it more, but it is way too underutilized for me to care.
Super Mario Galaxy is the best thing Nintendo has ever released, and I don't think they'll ever top it
This is Mario at its best. The level design--which is typically 3D Mario's strong suit-- is the best it has ever been. The boss fights are all varied and have unique ideas. The atmosphere of the game is great; I think it's the best looking Mario game now that we have it at a modern resolution. This game has aged wonderfully, despite being nearly 17 years old at this point.
The only thing about the game that I couldn't care less about is the flight power-up. With the few times you do use it, you're not really given enough time to tinker with it and get used to it. If it were used in more levels, I think I would have liked it more, but it is way too underutilized for me to care.
Super Mario Galaxy is the best thing Nintendo has ever released, and I don't think they'll ever top it
2022
Elden Ring is one of the best open world games of all time, but, just like Dark Souls, it is a game of two halves. On one end, you have one of the most intriguing designs for an open world game. It feels like the game that FromSoftware has wanted to make since Demon's Souls launched in 2009 on the PS3. It is unmistakably a FromSoftware game through and through. The world design, enemies, lore... it all screams "This is FromSoftware at its best." However, when you start digging deeper into Elden Ring, you realize that this game has issues. The last third of the game is objectively bad, and I will be going into the good and the bad in this review.
Lets start off with what Elden Ring does right. Elden Ring is a meticulously crafted game that puts almost all other open world games to shame. The player is given little guidance on where to go and what to do next. This lets the player explore the world at their own pace. You can go almost anywhere on the map before killing the first major boss, Margit. During my first playthrough, I found the chest that teleports you to a mine in Caelid. After dying more times that I can count in the cave, I finally escaped and saw what Caelid looked like. It was so different compared to Limgrave. The luscious greens and yellows that scattered the landscape in Limgrave were replaced with hellish reds and browns. Seeing each of Elden Rings zones for the first time is something that will stay with me for a long time. I can't think of another open world that has nearly as much variety in its landscapes that Elden Ring does. That Caelid example is just one of many like it. Taking an elevator in Limgrave and discovering an entire underground city was crazy. Ranni's questline taking you to the underground city under Liurnia and it all leading up to the fight against Astel might be my favorite part of the entire game. These are just a few of the things that Elden Ring gets right.
The highs are so high in Elden Ring that I doubt FromSoftware could ever replicate them, but the lows are so astonishingly low that I'm worried that the DLC will be disappointing.
How could I give Elden Ring a 3.5/5 after singing its praises so much? Lets talk about the worst of Elden Ring. The end game is something that FromSoftware used to struggle with. The entire 2nd half of Dark Souls is unfinished, Bloodborne has some of its worse moments (The One Reborn, Micolash) after fighting Rom, and Demon's Souls final archstone is worse than Blighttown. But they can do endgames that are as good as the rest of the game, and we can see that in Sekiro and Dark Souls III. Elden Ring's final act--which I'm labeling as from Fire Giant onwards is horrible. There are good moments. I, for one, loved fighting Malenia, and I think that Horrah Loux is the best boss in all of Elden Ring. Barring those two, though, Elden Ring doesn't have much to offer after defeating Morgott.
I loved Crumbling Farum Azula as an area. It's the most striking of all of the locations in Elden Ring--which is a feat in and of itself--but it is let down by the two worst main bosses in the entire game: Godskin Duo and Maliketh. Godskin Duo just does not work as a boss. Separate from each other, I think Godskin Apostle and Noble are fine as bosses, but their movesets do not work in conjunction with each other. This makes them a pain to fight. Maliketh, on the other hand, has problems that almost no other boss in Elden Ring has. Since Maliketh is able to delay his attacks at different times, switch to a different attack at will, and is overall kind of buggy to fight (he got stuck on the pillars in the room constantly in phase two and would teleport to the middle of the arena), he might be my least favorite fight in the entire game.
With refinement, an eventual Elden Ring sequel could be exceptional, but, right now, we're left with a perfect open world game that is let down by some MAJOR things that FromSoftware should have known better to avoid.
Lets start off with what Elden Ring does right. Elden Ring is a meticulously crafted game that puts almost all other open world games to shame. The player is given little guidance on where to go and what to do next. This lets the player explore the world at their own pace. You can go almost anywhere on the map before killing the first major boss, Margit. During my first playthrough, I found the chest that teleports you to a mine in Caelid. After dying more times that I can count in the cave, I finally escaped and saw what Caelid looked like. It was so different compared to Limgrave. The luscious greens and yellows that scattered the landscape in Limgrave were replaced with hellish reds and browns. Seeing each of Elden Rings zones for the first time is something that will stay with me for a long time. I can't think of another open world that has nearly as much variety in its landscapes that Elden Ring does. That Caelid example is just one of many like it. Taking an elevator in Limgrave and discovering an entire underground city was crazy. Ranni's questline taking you to the underground city under Liurnia and it all leading up to the fight against Astel might be my favorite part of the entire game. These are just a few of the things that Elden Ring gets right.
The highs are so high in Elden Ring that I doubt FromSoftware could ever replicate them, but the lows are so astonishingly low that I'm worried that the DLC will be disappointing.
How could I give Elden Ring a 3.5/5 after singing its praises so much? Lets talk about the worst of Elden Ring. The end game is something that FromSoftware used to struggle with. The entire 2nd half of Dark Souls is unfinished, Bloodborne has some of its worse moments (The One Reborn, Micolash) after fighting Rom, and Demon's Souls final archstone is worse than Blighttown. But they can do endgames that are as good as the rest of the game, and we can see that in Sekiro and Dark Souls III. Elden Ring's final act--which I'm labeling as from Fire Giant onwards is horrible. There are good moments. I, for one, loved fighting Malenia, and I think that Horrah Loux is the best boss in all of Elden Ring. Barring those two, though, Elden Ring doesn't have much to offer after defeating Morgott.
I loved Crumbling Farum Azula as an area. It's the most striking of all of the locations in Elden Ring--which is a feat in and of itself--but it is let down by the two worst main bosses in the entire game: Godskin Duo and Maliketh. Godskin Duo just does not work as a boss. Separate from each other, I think Godskin Apostle and Noble are fine as bosses, but their movesets do not work in conjunction with each other. This makes them a pain to fight. Maliketh, on the other hand, has problems that almost no other boss in Elden Ring has. Since Maliketh is able to delay his attacks at different times, switch to a different attack at will, and is overall kind of buggy to fight (he got stuck on the pillars in the room constantly in phase two and would teleport to the middle of the arena), he might be my least favorite fight in the entire game.
With refinement, an eventual Elden Ring sequel could be exceptional, but, right now, we're left with a perfect open world game that is let down by some MAJOR things that FromSoftware should have known better to avoid.
2023
After over a decade since the original Alan Wake, Remedy returns with its sequel. Unlike other games, Alan Wake II is a sequel to multiple games because of Remedy's Connected Universe that is shared between Alan Wake and Control. After beating Alan Wake and Control in 2021, my excitement was through the roof for Alan Wake II. I think Remedy improved on the original Alan Wake in all key aspects, but there are some minor things that are annoying--especially since they were not problems that Alan Wake or Control had.
Let's start off with what I love about Alan Wake II. It doesn't take a lot to realize that this game is drop dead gorgeous. Exploring Cauldron Lake, Watery, Bright Falls, and the Dark Place was the highlight of the game for me. Everything feels so intimately crafted despite its large scale. This game knows what it does best--its setting--and really lets the player take every aspect of it in.
Its dual campaign structure is also very well paced, at least for the most part. Some parts at the beginning drag on a little bit, but that's expected because it has a lot of stuff to set up. Being able to switch between Saga's and Alan's campaigns is good. When you feel like your getting tired of one, you can switch to the other to get a completely different feel. Saga's campaign feels like a modern Resident Evil game while Alan's feels more akin to Silent Hill. Saga's campaign is about solving a mystery, and Alan's is about treading through the Dark Place--trying to figure out all of its intricacies, how it has shaped Alan for the past decade, etc. The story that is told is exactly what you would expect from Remedy. It's weird, but it grasps you and takes you through everything it has to offer; it's like no other story I have seen in this medium.
The one thing I am mixed about with Alan Wake II, though, is its gameplay. I'm not talking about the exploration side of gameplay--that stuff is great. Instead, I'm talking about how some encounters are set up and the camera. When you are against a few enemies, it feels great; it's exactly what you want out of a survival horror game. The tensions are high, and it makes you feel like you get out of each encounter by the skin of your teeth. However, when there are upwards of 6+ enemies at once, it gets very overwhelming. With the camera being so close to Saga and Alan, it is difficult to know exactly where everything is. Control and Alan Wake did not have this problem because of how wide the camera's FOV was. There are really only two sections of the game that have this problem, and both of them are the musical sections where Old Gods of Asgard plays a song while you fight Taken. As Alan, it is fine, but can be a little overwhelming; however, near the end of the game where you do something similar as Saga, it is terrible. It's dark, there are way too many enemies, and the environment is cluttered--making it difficult to know exactly where you are going, what you're shooting at, and it's exceptionally difficult to keep track of all of the enemies.
Alan Wake II is a masterclass in horror with a couple minor letdowns. I'm excited for the DLC that comes out later this year, and I look forward to Remedy's future projects--especially Control 2 and the Max Payne remakes.
Let's start off with what I love about Alan Wake II. It doesn't take a lot to realize that this game is drop dead gorgeous. Exploring Cauldron Lake, Watery, Bright Falls, and the Dark Place was the highlight of the game for me. Everything feels so intimately crafted despite its large scale. This game knows what it does best--its setting--and really lets the player take every aspect of it in.
Its dual campaign structure is also very well paced, at least for the most part. Some parts at the beginning drag on a little bit, but that's expected because it has a lot of stuff to set up. Being able to switch between Saga's and Alan's campaigns is good. When you feel like your getting tired of one, you can switch to the other to get a completely different feel. Saga's campaign feels like a modern Resident Evil game while Alan's feels more akin to Silent Hill. Saga's campaign is about solving a mystery, and Alan's is about treading through the Dark Place--trying to figure out all of its intricacies, how it has shaped Alan for the past decade, etc. The story that is told is exactly what you would expect from Remedy. It's weird, but it grasps you and takes you through everything it has to offer; it's like no other story I have seen in this medium.
The one thing I am mixed about with Alan Wake II, though, is its gameplay. I'm not talking about the exploration side of gameplay--that stuff is great. Instead, I'm talking about how some encounters are set up and the camera. When you are against a few enemies, it feels great; it's exactly what you want out of a survival horror game. The tensions are high, and it makes you feel like you get out of each encounter by the skin of your teeth. However, when there are upwards of 6+ enemies at once, it gets very overwhelming. With the camera being so close to Saga and Alan, it is difficult to know exactly where everything is. Control and Alan Wake did not have this problem because of how wide the camera's FOV was. There are really only two sections of the game that have this problem, and both of them are the musical sections where Old Gods of Asgard plays a song while you fight Taken. As Alan, it is fine, but can be a little overwhelming; however, near the end of the game where you do something similar as Saga, it is terrible. It's dark, there are way too many enemies, and the environment is cluttered--making it difficult to know exactly where you are going, what you're shooting at, and it's exceptionally difficult to keep track of all of the enemies.
Alan Wake II is a masterclass in horror with a couple minor letdowns. I'm excited for the DLC that comes out later this year, and I look forward to Remedy's future projects--especially Control 2 and the Max Payne remakes.
2023
Resident Evil 4 Remake, just like its two predecessors, is an incredible reimagining of a classic. Did Resident Evil 4 necessarily need a remake? I don't think so since the original still stands the test of time and that it's available on all modern platforms, but God--this is good. It takes the euphoric gameplay of the original and modernizes it with parrying, being able to move while aiming (which I honestly rarely did), and more. It takes the memorable story, and takes it up a couple notches. More interesting set pieces--especially with Separate Ways giving us back the cut content like the cable car thing--better characters, and the game is faithful in making the graphics current. This is also the best paced Resident Evil in my opinion. No part seems to drag on for more than it needs to--which is something RE4 really struggled with towards the end. The boss fights are great too. Krauser was a real highlight for me
I wanted to love Silent Hill: The Short Message, but with a complete lack of environmental storytelling, outdated looking character models, and no subtlety whatsoever, it's difficult to enjoy it. The visuals (outside of characters) are gorgeous, the monster design is terrifying, and I loved exploring the Villa while running away from the cherry blossom monster, but the story really kills it for me. It wants to drive home an important message, but it is too reliant on explaining everything right when you see it instead of letting the player figure it out themselves--making it difficult to take it seriously sometimes. There are good bones here that could let it rival PT, but it needed a complete rewrite of its story and a reimagining of its main character, Anita. Honestly, if Anita was either a silent protagonist or if she rarely talked, this could have elevated the game from a 2 to a 3.