Jesp
2015
This review contains spoilers
A wonderful game, and my second experience on the Switch after BotW. Incredible storytelling and music, and even though I didn't have much knowledge of Toby Fox's influences (besides his history with Homestuck) like Mother/Earthbound and JRPGs, immensely enjoyed this. Having little vignettes of storytelling by examining bookshelves, and then seeing those change dynamically throughout the game, especially with characters changing dialogue, was revolutionary to me for someone who hadn't played any other RPGs besides Mario & Luigi and Pokemon.
Went into the game knowing there was something about mercy and murder, and there were different endings, but truly didn't expect the extent of stories and branches there were. As most did, killed some and spared some on my first run, sparing most of the way towards the end and killing Toriel and Undyne. Played True Pacifist and had to look up some parts, like finding the True Lab. Did not end up doing Genocide just cause..the idea of it sucked, and seeing it on YouTube was enough over trying to experience it myself.
Switch-exclusive boss was very fun. Wish more games utilized those kind of mechanics.
Music slaps. Might dip back in just to re-experience it.
Went into the game knowing there was something about mercy and murder, and there were different endings, but truly didn't expect the extent of stories and branches there were. As most did, killed some and spared some on my first run, sparing most of the way towards the end and killing Toriel and Undyne. Played True Pacifist and had to look up some parts, like finding the True Lab. Did not end up doing Genocide just cause..the idea of it sucked, and seeing it on YouTube was enough over trying to experience it myself.
Switch-exclusive boss was very fun. Wish more games utilized those kind of mechanics.
Music slaps. Might dip back in just to re-experience it.
A week and a half within the two month blitz that I played through BotW. Glad I bought this while playing the game, and was able to find the chests and experience the story and trials throughout the game instead of afterwards. To go over each of them:
- Trial of the Sword was amazing, and gave a really challenging, interesting dungeon experience akin to Eventide, but massively more difficult. Really a different way to play the game, having to know which enemies were up in the next room and building up strategies. Definitely frustrating, and the middle chunk was probably the most difficult for me. Some of the bosses at the end in the final stages were much easier than the swarms of Lizalfos in other rooms. Super fun, and a showcase of what made BotW and its combat and basic mechanics so fun.
- Hero's Path, Travel Medallion, Ancient Horse Gear: all super useful to have, and I'm glad they included the former two as a base mechanic in TotK. Ancient Horse Gear was neat for the little while - until you got the Master Cycle.
- Korok Mask: A lifesaver. All the other outfits were cool, but this one made Korok hunting much more bearable. Was able to hunt down hundreds of those little poops with this on, would not have trekked everywhere to do so without it.
- Champions' Ballad: Already stated in my other review, but really brought the whole show together. Loved finding the extra shrines with their cool challenges, especially Mipha's sailing into the water. And hearing more of each champions' story and tragic end, as well as having to fight the bosses with their equipment, again shows off how good the core mechanics are of this game. Same with the One-shot weapon, and then leading into the Sheikah boss fight for the motorcycle (which also made traveling around and hunting Koroks way easier). The ending scene with Kass addressing Link directly will live on in my memory.
Master Mode: Only one I didn't do, but remains a perfect excuse for me to return to the game.
- Trial of the Sword was amazing, and gave a really challenging, interesting dungeon experience akin to Eventide, but massively more difficult. Really a different way to play the game, having to know which enemies were up in the next room and building up strategies. Definitely frustrating, and the middle chunk was probably the most difficult for me. Some of the bosses at the end in the final stages were much easier than the swarms of Lizalfos in other rooms. Super fun, and a showcase of what made BotW and its combat and basic mechanics so fun.
- Hero's Path, Travel Medallion, Ancient Horse Gear: all super useful to have, and I'm glad they included the former two as a base mechanic in TotK. Ancient Horse Gear was neat for the little while - until you got the Master Cycle.
- Korok Mask: A lifesaver. All the other outfits were cool, but this one made Korok hunting much more bearable. Was able to hunt down hundreds of those little poops with this on, would not have trekked everywhere to do so without it.
- Champions' Ballad: Already stated in my other review, but really brought the whole show together. Loved finding the extra shrines with their cool challenges, especially Mipha's sailing into the water. And hearing more of each champions' story and tragic end, as well as having to fight the bosses with their equipment, again shows off how good the core mechanics are of this game. Same with the One-shot weapon, and then leading into the Sheikah boss fight for the motorcycle (which also made traveling around and hunting Koroks way easier). The ending scene with Kass addressing Link directly will live on in my memory.
Master Mode: Only one I didn't do, but remains a perfect excuse for me to return to the game.
Amazing deduction game, really enjoyed my time with it.
Was on my radar since listening to the Besties talk about it in their 2018 GOTY, and super enjoyed Paradise Killer as well. This one hits just as hard, although in a more succinct format, and really nails down that mystery deduction. Extremely rewarding, fist-pump shouting moments getting the three more fates correct screen, up until the point I started basically brute-forcing it.
Maybe my fault that the ending bits to me felt a bit anticlimactic and checklist-y though, because of my ending up brute forcing some of the answers instead of realizing I could look at things like tattoos, or shoes in the barracks, or rings, to figure out the identities. Was too focused on getting to the end and seeing what that hidden chapter was - which ended up having fun scenes, but slightly underwhelming compared to what I was hyping it up to be.
All in all, a succinct story, and someday might return to the Obra Dinn to re-experience it. In the meantime, the shared experiences on the subreddit and the memes will do it justice enough.
Was on my radar since listening to the Besties talk about it in their 2018 GOTY, and super enjoyed Paradise Killer as well. This one hits just as hard, although in a more succinct format, and really nails down that mystery deduction. Extremely rewarding, fist-pump shouting moments getting the three more fates correct screen, up until the point I started basically brute-forcing it.
Maybe my fault that the ending bits to me felt a bit anticlimactic and checklist-y though, because of my ending up brute forcing some of the answers instead of realizing I could look at things like tattoos, or shoes in the barracks, or rings, to figure out the identities. Was too focused on getting to the end and seeing what that hidden chapter was - which ended up having fun scenes, but slightly underwhelming compared to what I was hyping it up to be.
All in all, a succinct story, and someday might return to the Obra Dinn to re-experience it. In the meantime, the shared experiences on the subreddit and the memes will do it justice enough.
Master Mode started - Great Plateau completed in ~ 45 min.
Currently thinking of killing that Lynel...
Currently thinking of killing that Lynel...
The first game I played on Switch. On the first night, I played for six hours straight, from Shrine of Resurrection through the entire Great Plateau, into taming my first horse.
I then proceeded to devour the entire game, putting in over 300 hours over the course of two months. Completed all the main quests and shrines, upgraded all the armor, and finished all the side quests and DLC (those Master Sword Trials were incredibly tough) before finally heading over to Ganon (sorry for the wait, Zelda).
I then spent the next 400+ hours hunting down all the Koroks.
The quiet atmosphere combined with the endless exploration and its litany of awards, from the excitement of finding and solving a Korok puzzle, to getting a memory or shrine. This game truly gripped me.
Although the story was sparse, the amount of character they gave to each Champion was still great. The memories were a highlight for me, and I really wish there were more.
Thankfully, those ideas were explored in the DLC with the Champion's Ballad, which I adored, as well as (loosely and sort of non-canonically) in Age of Calamity. Finding extra details and nuances between each character's relationships in the Champion's Ballad, as well as exploring and talking to other villagers, gave a multi-faceted view of many of the champions (besides Daruk - lovable guy, but not much else there than fun strong adventurer). Love each champion's theme as well, especially Mipha and Revali. And I appreciate how the descendants eventually got their time in the spotlight in TotK.
Speaking of details, the journals you can find are sometimes heavy-handed, as Zelda recounts her relationship with Link, or heartwrenching, as Rhoam reflects on his with his daughter.
I was a bit heartbroken that finding all the shrines, side quests, and memories, didn't give anything extra besides a short cutscene after the credits - though I've come to expect as much from Nintendo and Zelda games, always resetting right before the endgame.
I really didn't mind the item durability, besides in the very early game. I also found the Korok seeds charming and perfect for a completionist like me to scramble over. It also gave me a reason to truly appreciate all the features and topography of the entire map - why else would I try to climb to the top of every mountain?
~~~ DLC Review:
A week and a half within the two month blitz that I played through BotW. Glad I bought this while playing the game, and was able to find the chests and experience the story and trials throughout the game instead of afterwards. To go over each of them:
- Trial of the Sword was amazing, and gave a really challenging, interesting dungeon experience akin to Eventide, but massively more difficult. Really a different way to play the game, having to know which enemies were up in the next room and building up strategies. Definitely frustrating, and the middle chunk was probably the most difficult for me. Some of the bosses at the end in the final stages were much easier than the swarms of Lizalfos in other rooms. Super fun, and a showcase of what made BotW and its combat and basic mechanics so fun.
- Hero's Path, Travel Medallion, Ancient Horse Gear: all super useful to have, and I'm glad they included the former two as a base mechanic in TotK. Ancient Horse Gear was neat for the little while - until you got the Master Cycle.
- Korok Mask: A lifesaver. All the other outfits were cool, but this one made Korok hunting much more bearable. Was able to hunt down hundreds of those little poops with this on, would not have trekked everywhere to do so without it.
- Champions' Ballad: Already stated in my other review, but really brought the whole show together. Loved finding the extra shrines with their cool challenges, especially Mipha's sailing into the water. And hearing more of each champions' story and tragic end, as well as having to fight the bosses with their equipment, again shows off how good the core mechanics are of this game. Same with the One-shot weapon, and then leading into the Sheikah boss fight for the motorcycle (which also made traveling around and hunting Koroks way easier). The ending scene with Kass addressing Link directly will live on in my memory.
Master Mode: Only one I didn't do, but remains a perfect excuse for me to return to the game.
~~~
After 100%'ing TotK, it might be time to finally go through this game on Master Mode...
I then proceeded to devour the entire game, putting in over 300 hours over the course of two months. Completed all the main quests and shrines, upgraded all the armor, and finished all the side quests and DLC (those Master Sword Trials were incredibly tough) before finally heading over to Ganon (sorry for the wait, Zelda).
I then spent the next 400+ hours hunting down all the Koroks.
The quiet atmosphere combined with the endless exploration and its litany of awards, from the excitement of finding and solving a Korok puzzle, to getting a memory or shrine. This game truly gripped me.
Although the story was sparse, the amount of character they gave to each Champion was still great. The memories were a highlight for me, and I really wish there were more.
Thankfully, those ideas were explored in the DLC with the Champion's Ballad, which I adored, as well as (loosely and sort of non-canonically) in Age of Calamity. Finding extra details and nuances between each character's relationships in the Champion's Ballad, as well as exploring and talking to other villagers, gave a multi-faceted view of many of the champions (besides Daruk - lovable guy, but not much else there than fun strong adventurer). Love each champion's theme as well, especially Mipha and Revali. And I appreciate how the descendants eventually got their time in the spotlight in TotK.
Speaking of details, the journals you can find are sometimes heavy-handed, as Zelda recounts her relationship with Link, or heartwrenching, as Rhoam reflects on his with his daughter.
I was a bit heartbroken that finding all the shrines, side quests, and memories, didn't give anything extra besides a short cutscene after the credits - though I've come to expect as much from Nintendo and Zelda games, always resetting right before the endgame.
I really didn't mind the item durability, besides in the very early game. I also found the Korok seeds charming and perfect for a completionist like me to scramble over. It also gave me a reason to truly appreciate all the features and topography of the entire map - why else would I try to climb to the top of every mountain?
~~~ DLC Review:
A week and a half within the two month blitz that I played through BotW. Glad I bought this while playing the game, and was able to find the chests and experience the story and trials throughout the game instead of afterwards. To go over each of them:
- Trial of the Sword was amazing, and gave a really challenging, interesting dungeon experience akin to Eventide, but massively more difficult. Really a different way to play the game, having to know which enemies were up in the next room and building up strategies. Definitely frustrating, and the middle chunk was probably the most difficult for me. Some of the bosses at the end in the final stages were much easier than the swarms of Lizalfos in other rooms. Super fun, and a showcase of what made BotW and its combat and basic mechanics so fun.
- Hero's Path, Travel Medallion, Ancient Horse Gear: all super useful to have, and I'm glad they included the former two as a base mechanic in TotK. Ancient Horse Gear was neat for the little while - until you got the Master Cycle.
- Korok Mask: A lifesaver. All the other outfits were cool, but this one made Korok hunting much more bearable. Was able to hunt down hundreds of those little poops with this on, would not have trekked everywhere to do so without it.
- Champions' Ballad: Already stated in my other review, but really brought the whole show together. Loved finding the extra shrines with their cool challenges, especially Mipha's sailing into the water. And hearing more of each champions' story and tragic end, as well as having to fight the bosses with their equipment, again shows off how good the core mechanics are of this game. Same with the One-shot weapon, and then leading into the Sheikah boss fight for the motorcycle (which also made traveling around and hunting Koroks way easier). The ending scene with Kass addressing Link directly will live on in my memory.
Master Mode: Only one I didn't do, but remains a perfect excuse for me to return to the game.
~~~
After 100%'ing TotK, it might be time to finally go through this game on Master Mode...
2014
Was reminded that this was the OG NYT Connections word game. Fun follow-up from the team that made 7 Little Words, good brain teasers and simple categories for a good commute game.
This one was really rough. If it weren't for the save states and rewinds on the NSO emulator, as well as the ZeldaDungeon guides and maps, this would've been really rough to get through.
Unfair enemy spawns, indecipherable puzzles to get items, and lots of backtracking in the temples. For the most part, combat was really not fun, and only got slightly better after getting the jump thrust and down thrust.
Fun parts was backtracking after getting the hammer, and the boss fights. Didn't really mind the RPG mechanic, honestly, since there are so many enemies in the way, especially the overworld mobs. Dark Link as the final boss was buckwild difficult, had to use the hide in a corner and attack strategy to get through it. Makes me curious to try some of the other classic RPGs of the time.
Best left to video game annals history though - if anyone's to try this, definitely go for the Special Edition on the Switch NES to have that max health attack and magic.
Unfair enemy spawns, indecipherable puzzles to get items, and lots of backtracking in the temples. For the most part, combat was really not fun, and only got slightly better after getting the jump thrust and down thrust.
Fun parts was backtracking after getting the hammer, and the boss fights. Didn't really mind the RPG mechanic, honestly, since there are so many enemies in the way, especially the overworld mobs. Dark Link as the final boss was buckwild difficult, had to use the hide in a corner and attack strategy to get through it. Makes me curious to try some of the other classic RPGs of the time.
Best left to video game annals history though - if anyone's to try this, definitely go for the Special Edition on the Switch NES to have that max health attack and magic.
2009
Solid word play with friends on Facebook Messenger, the surprise when you pull out your phone and your competitor just played a crazy word netting them hundreds of points is very memorable.
2016
The Facebook messenger game for a long time, everyone was playing this. Runs could go really long too dodging projectiles and killing the enemy waves. Solid time waster with an integrated social system within Messenger to try to beat friends' high scores.
Now filled with IAPs, of course - had to click through like six pop-up "purchase this bundle" before I could even try playing this. But for its time, it was solid.
Now filled with IAPs, of course - had to click through like six pop-up "purchase this bundle" before I could even try playing this. But for its time, it was solid.
2014
Solid Ketchapp game, pretty addicting. Quick to play a round or two, similar to Stack but in one dimension. Fun backgrounds.
Highest score was 119 for me.
Highest score was 119 for me.
2014
Another addicting Ketchapp game, fun to score-chase and climb higher. Solid, but too simple to be rated higher realistically.
Got a solid high score of 53
Got a solid high score of 53
2013
There was a spell where i was really into this, played profusely to level up and grow the village and all that. Even was in random people's clans or whatever. Solid single player campaign too.
2015
Arcade helicopter controlling game, fun for a week and a half. Got either too difficult or too repetitive.
2014
Simple puzzle game from Ketchapp, had it for a few months. Repetitive.
2015
Simple puzzle game, didn't have much innovation. Enjoyed how it rewinded mistakes though.