LSav00
2023
After seeing all the hype these games get (and have gotten from my online friends for about a decade) I finally took the plunge with one of these Persona games.
I cried three times at the ending. Proper dry-heave sobbing. The cast and story are among gaming's best.
Loved the way the themes tied into the gameplay, the time management made moment-to-moment choices a lot more meaningful, and exploring Tartarus was stupid addictive.
Going to be thinking about this game for a long, long while.
I cried three times at the ending. Proper dry-heave sobbing. The cast and story are among gaming's best.
Loved the way the themes tied into the gameplay, the time management made moment-to-moment choices a lot more meaningful, and exploring Tartarus was stupid addictive.
Going to be thinking about this game for a long, long while.
2023
I remember when the first Octopath Traveler was announced, I thought it looked interesting. Never got around to playing it, though. So, originally, I wasn't going to pick up the sequel.
Then I had a dream about playing it - more than that, LIKING it - so I took that as a sign from God that I should pick this game up.
Holy goddamn am I glad I did, as this is one of the best fuckin games (that isn't a remake or a remaster) that I've played in AGES.
The characters are immediately likable, their eight stories having me hooked from beginning to end, all culiminating in some plot twists that had my jaw FIRMLY dislocated. To say nothing of the gorgeous art style, or the incredible soundtrack accompanying it all, or even the really, REALLY fun combat!
God damn. God DAMN. One of the best RPGs I've ever played.
Then I had a dream about playing it - more than that, LIKING it - so I took that as a sign from God that I should pick this game up.
Holy goddamn am I glad I did, as this is one of the best fuckin games (that isn't a remake or a remaster) that I've played in AGES.
The characters are immediately likable, their eight stories having me hooked from beginning to end, all culiminating in some plot twists that had my jaw FIRMLY dislocated. To say nothing of the gorgeous art style, or the incredible soundtrack accompanying it all, or even the really, REALLY fun combat!
God damn. God DAMN. One of the best RPGs I've ever played.
2023
As someone who only played about ten minutes of the original, I can really only give my thoughts on this game from the angle of JUST playing this remake.
Holy hell, what a game this was. A fulfilling bite-size chunk of RPG - completed the main story and all the bonus postgame bosses in just under 20 hours - but despite the short length, it is stuffed to the GILLS with charm and fun character moments. It's vibrant, snappy, smooth as butter, and I enjoyed (almost) every minute of it. Very pleased I took a chance with this game.
Holy hell, what a game this was. A fulfilling bite-size chunk of RPG - completed the main story and all the bonus postgame bosses in just under 20 hours - but despite the short length, it is stuffed to the GILLS with charm and fun character moments. It's vibrant, snappy, smooth as butter, and I enjoyed (almost) every minute of it. Very pleased I took a chance with this game.
I am so, SO glad I took a chance and played this game.
The story, and the way it connects the player with the delightful cast of characters, goes places I have never seen another game go before. My jaw was on the floor with certain a certain plot twist, and it's pulled off amazingly.
The pre-rendered (pre-painted, I believe?) backgrounds give this game a timeless look... Outside of some awkward character animations. The creativity on display is on another level.
The luck-based element of the deckbuilding combat can be frustrating if you get a crap hand at a critical moment, and there's some frustrating bosses towards the end - the remaster's framerate is insanely spotty too - but those issues are waylaid but just how amazing the game looks, the writing, and the satisfaction of kicking you enemy to the curb with the combat system.
Please, PLEASE give this game a chance if you're even remotely curious or enjoy RPGs - you may just find a new favourite, like I did.
The story, and the way it connects the player with the delightful cast of characters, goes places I have never seen another game go before. My jaw was on the floor with certain a certain plot twist, and it's pulled off amazingly.
The pre-rendered (pre-painted, I believe?) backgrounds give this game a timeless look... Outside of some awkward character animations. The creativity on display is on another level.
The luck-based element of the deckbuilding combat can be frustrating if you get a crap hand at a critical moment, and there's some frustrating bosses towards the end - the remaster's framerate is insanely spotty too - but those issues are waylaid but just how amazing the game looks, the writing, and the satisfaction of kicking you enemy to the curb with the combat system.
Please, PLEASE give this game a chance if you're even remotely curious or enjoy RPGs - you may just find a new favourite, like I did.
A breath of fresh air that Mazza SORELY needed.
The amount of creativity packed into the game's (a little disappointingly) short runtime is nothing short of delightful. You'll never quite know what's coming next, and the presentation factor with the vibrant graphics and fantastic sound design make it a treat for the senses. The uniqueness in course aesthetics and overworld theming compared to the previous games (even if they're based on old trends, like 'grassland' and 'lava') remains fresh.
The only real major disappointment is the bosses, which are both far too sparse, and are also unable to catch up with the game's own wellspring of ideas, leaving them feeling far too tame for the game, and boring in design. The design of the final boss made me roll my eyes, and if you've played other Nintendo games, you'll know exactly why.
Overall, though, this is an absolute diamond of a game, and proof that, even after all this time, when Nintendo know what they want to do with an IP, they know HOW to do it.
The amount of creativity packed into the game's (a little disappointingly) short runtime is nothing short of delightful. You'll never quite know what's coming next, and the presentation factor with the vibrant graphics and fantastic sound design make it a treat for the senses. The uniqueness in course aesthetics and overworld theming compared to the previous games (even if they're based on old trends, like 'grassland' and 'lava') remains fresh.
The only real major disappointment is the bosses, which are both far too sparse, and are also unable to catch up with the game's own wellspring of ideas, leaving them feeling far too tame for the game, and boring in design. The design of the final boss made me roll my eyes, and if you've played other Nintendo games, you'll know exactly why.
Overall, though, this is an absolute diamond of a game, and proof that, even after all this time, when Nintendo know what they want to do with an IP, they know HOW to do it.
2012
One of the best Pokémon spinoffs, bar none. Completing the 'story' mode, only to find out it's a tutorial for the rest of the game - wherein you get to play as EVERY single warlord, each with their own campaigns - was mindblowing when I first played.
Never fully completed this game as a result, but my god there's hours upon hours of content waiting for you, and as deep as you want the strategy to be, too - a damn shame it's never gotten a followup.
Never fully completed this game as a result, but my god there's hours upon hours of content waiting for you, and as deep as you want the strategy to be, too - a damn shame it's never gotten a followup.
Nowhere near as gut-wrenchingly bad as others are claiming, but that ISN'T to say it's some sort of hidden masterpiece. Very much a case of 'perfectly fine, but not much else;' whether or not you're looking for a short, sweet weekend romp or consider this a case of damnation via faint praise, depends on a person-to-person basis.
For me personally, while it was as simple as you'd expect an introductory adventure game to be (younger players are definitely going to get a kick out of the intrigue and action, whereas I guessed 95% of the main plot in the first case), the upbeat and charming writing was entertaining enough to make me want to keep playing. The music was bizarrely good, too. Luxray's theme especially is an absolute banger.
You can tell this was a project that started life on the 3DS, most likely got battered by covid (and not being as high-priority as other Pokémon games) and was parped out in its twilight years as 'lip filler' to make the Switch's lineup feel more well-stocked.
Overall, I feel bad for this game. It's going to get absolutely torn apart through no real fault of its own, given the circumstances it released in. If anything, it's a pleasant curio, and definitive proof that the Switch has been fantastic for letting Pokémon spinoffs experiment and do their own thing with the series. The story of the 3DS game wraps up with this sequel, but I would love to see a third instalment - I want this sort of unique spin on Pokémon to REALLY shine.
For me personally, while it was as simple as you'd expect an introductory adventure game to be (younger players are definitely going to get a kick out of the intrigue and action, whereas I guessed 95% of the main plot in the first case), the upbeat and charming writing was entertaining enough to make me want to keep playing. The music was bizarrely good, too. Luxray's theme especially is an absolute banger.
You can tell this was a project that started life on the 3DS, most likely got battered by covid (and not being as high-priority as other Pokémon games) and was parped out in its twilight years as 'lip filler' to make the Switch's lineup feel more well-stocked.
Overall, I feel bad for this game. It's going to get absolutely torn apart through no real fault of its own, given the circumstances it released in. If anything, it's a pleasant curio, and definitive proof that the Switch has been fantastic for letting Pokémon spinoffs experiment and do their own thing with the series. The story of the 3DS game wraps up with this sequel, but I would love to see a third instalment - I want this sort of unique spin on Pokémon to REALLY shine.
2003
Pretty naff. The only one of the infamous Capcom Five that actually stayed on the GameCube, and I'm not surprised as to why. The art style is slick, VERY much leaning on the Y2K side of things, and it has a similar sort of control scheme to Resident Evil 4 in a sense - you can't move while shooting.
However, what makes this game so frustrating is a few things: firstly, the lack of checkpoints coupled with enemies that can kill you in two (or even just one) hit means you'll be replaying the same parts over and over again.
Secondly, there's an interesting combo system where you have to kill enemies in a chain within a time limit to get points, which you can exchange for upgraded suits. However, given the control scheme, this is easier said than done.
It's simply too frustrating to warrant trying to see its short runtime through.
However, what makes this game so frustrating is a few things: firstly, the lack of checkpoints coupled with enemies that can kill you in two (or even just one) hit means you'll be replaying the same parts over and over again.
Secondly, there's an interesting combo system where you have to kill enemies in a chain within a time limit to get points, which you can exchange for upgraded suits. However, given the control scheme, this is easier said than done.
It's simply too frustrating to warrant trying to see its short runtime through.
A valiant effort, attempting to get a game like Viewtiful Joe to work on the DS, but it doesn't quite stick the landing and just ends up being on the boring (and irritating) side. Overly reliant on touch-screen based gimmicks, and a game like this is a game where those DON'T work.
Usually, I don't mix well with First-Person Shooters. In fact, trying to play the original version of this on the Wii is what set off my motion sickness when it comes to play ANY FPS game after the fact.
I was able to see this remaster all the way through to the end, because for some reason, it 'cured' my motion sickness (there you go Nintendo, there's a selling point and a half). I am so, SO glad I did, because this game is astonishing, and the remaster work is on another level.
The graphics are among the best on Switch, the framerate is a rock-solid and smooth 60fps, the controls feel great, there's oodles of replay ability and unlockables, this game has it all.
The only real downside is that there's an arduous amount of backtracking, especially towards the end, and certain areas are bit of a letdown (Magmoor Caverns doesn't even have a boss, and the Chozo Mines sucks), but these don't detract from how utterly amazing this game is.
I was able to see this remaster all the way through to the end, because for some reason, it 'cured' my motion sickness (there you go Nintendo, there's a selling point and a half). I am so, SO glad I did, because this game is astonishing, and the remaster work is on another level.
The graphics are among the best on Switch, the framerate is a rock-solid and smooth 60fps, the controls feel great, there's oodles of replay ability and unlockables, this game has it all.
The only real downside is that there's an arduous amount of backtracking, especially towards the end, and certain areas are bit of a letdown (Magmoor Caverns doesn't even have a boss, and the Chozo Mines sucks), but these don't detract from how utterly amazing this game is.
2022
What SHOULD be a slam dunk - Sonic 3 & Knuckles, finally on a handheld console again! - is dragged down by shoddy port jobs and licensing issues that wreck the soundtracks for the aforementioned.
Sega price-gouging by releasing an expanded 'Plus' version later down the line, too, is an irritating trend they've slowly begun to make more common. A damn shame that this collection turned out as rough as it did.
Sega price-gouging by releasing an expanded 'Plus' version later down the line, too, is an irritating trend they've slowly begun to make more common. A damn shame that this collection turned out as rough as it did.
These games are actually as stressful as they appear - when you're in the zone, isolated, and at the threat of an extremely loud twat in your face at any moment, you'll most likely be sweaty-palmed and flipping through cameras like it's nobody's business.
However, the lose the fear factor quite quickly, and once you've played one or two of them, you've basically played them all. Still, it's easy to see how such a unique idea for a horror game (at least, it was for a time) was able to capture the hearts and imaginations of so many when it was fresh and new.
However, the lose the fear factor quite quickly, and once you've played one or two of them, you've basically played them all. Still, it's easy to see how such a unique idea for a horror game (at least, it was for a time) was able to capture the hearts and imaginations of so many when it was fresh and new.
2022
Just like with Splatoon 2, I quickly lost interest with this game due to the doling out of content, but even faster than I did with 2, because of how awful the server connection quality was.
I have no real desire to return to it this time, as well, as like with Splatoon 2, all the vets who struggled their way through the lousy server connection rule the roost, and any chance of catching up rank-wise has practically been lost for good.
I'll just wait for Splatoon 4 to be a launch-year title for the next Nintendo console, and play that one instead. Maybe.
I have no real desire to return to it this time, as well, as like with Splatoon 2, all the vets who struggled their way through the lousy server connection rule the roost, and any chance of catching up rank-wise has practically been lost for good.
I'll just wait for Splatoon 4 to be a launch-year title for the next Nintendo console, and play that one instead. Maybe.
2017
Just like Splatoon 1, but with more to do! The Octo Expansion DLC especially was fantastic, if brutally hard.
The dripfeed of content approach that Nintendo takes with their sports games really started to show early signs of cracks here, as it meant that the game lost interest for me quite quickly - and when I returned, I had no fun, as I was constantly beaten down by all the veterans who stuck with the game. Still, it was a stroke of genius to have a game like this so early on in the Switch's lifespan, and goes to show just how strong the IP is.
The dripfeed of content approach that Nintendo takes with their sports games really started to show early signs of cracks here, as it meant that the game lost interest for me quite quickly - and when I returned, I had no fun, as I was constantly beaten down by all the veterans who stuck with the game. Still, it was a stroke of genius to have a game like this so early on in the Switch's lifespan, and goes to show just how strong the IP is.
2015
The start of something legendary.
An inspired game, ESPECIALLY given 'Nintendo' and 'shooter' go together like oil and water. The vibrancy and competitive nature of it make it easy to see why it caught on so strongly, and though this game is the simplest - being the first and all - it was still a mighty fine and rock-solid game.
An inspired game, ESPECIALLY given 'Nintendo' and 'shooter' go together like oil and water. The vibrancy and competitive nature of it make it easy to see why it caught on so strongly, and though this game is the simplest - being the first and all - it was still a mighty fine and rock-solid game.