this game is very complicated and my opinion of it only grows more nuanced the more i think about it, so its hard to pinpoint how exactly i feel about it. i can try though.
the following was my initial impressions.
"far from a bad game, but so afraid to truly confront its more mature themes that it relies too heavily on the wacky suda that only appeals to those unwilling to take him seriously as a writer. just as soon as they were done making wacky rainbow silly “oh, japan” funtime games, we come right back to it in fear of making another financial flounder. combat is satisfying, but lacks depth with cooldown-based attacks and purpose without standard levels. the open world returns, but is segmented and barren, feeling like even more of a waste than the first game’s. the bosses seem cool at first, but are often too easy and lacking any significant purpose in the story. this game leans heavily on its themes of “kill the past,” but frequently undermines itself for the lulz or takashi miike. this game is suda at his most insecure, and im disappointed by his inability to give any of these characters a meaningful sendoff. i give it an awesomesauce out of thanos"
but now, i think ive come to appreciate it a little more. i think the blatancy in its absurdity and lack of introspection from TSA is completely intentional. after all, what is left to introspect on after TSA? travis, alongside Suda and ourselves, has become who he is. he's run from his past long enough and now he is - literally - living with it, comfortably and happily. Santa Destroy is entirely different, almost unrecognizable, but its still his home. that is, until FU arrives.
a petulant and spoiled child, seeking to cause havoc purely for the sake of recognition and prestige; killing for cool points. FU serves as a perfect foil to travis because he is what travis used to be, a child with a desensitized view of killing. unlike the travis we have now, FU has not been forced to introspect on himself and persists to try and kill travis out of anger and revenge, a fool's game that travis is equally familiar with. just as FU represents travis's past that he must kill if i may be so bold as to say, travis represents FU's future, one that he is deathly afraid of no matter how much he tries to pretend he isnt.
i could talk for ages about the dichotomy between travis and fu, but its complicated. everything about this game is. ive grown on its story more but that does NOT make it without flaws. its issues with structure and bosses are still there, the lack of levels is still disappointing and all the bosses still lack very good characterization. the bosses may be intentional, the levels most certainly are not.
i dunno man. this game is complicated. but i think it might be really special.
the following was my initial impressions.
"far from a bad game, but so afraid to truly confront its more mature themes that it relies too heavily on the wacky suda that only appeals to those unwilling to take him seriously as a writer. just as soon as they were done making wacky rainbow silly “oh, japan” funtime games, we come right back to it in fear of making another financial flounder. combat is satisfying, but lacks depth with cooldown-based attacks and purpose without standard levels. the open world returns, but is segmented and barren, feeling like even more of a waste than the first game’s. the bosses seem cool at first, but are often too easy and lacking any significant purpose in the story. this game leans heavily on its themes of “kill the past,” but frequently undermines itself for the lulz or takashi miike. this game is suda at his most insecure, and im disappointed by his inability to give any of these characters a meaningful sendoff. i give it an awesomesauce out of thanos"
but now, i think ive come to appreciate it a little more. i think the blatancy in its absurdity and lack of introspection from TSA is completely intentional. after all, what is left to introspect on after TSA? travis, alongside Suda and ourselves, has become who he is. he's run from his past long enough and now he is - literally - living with it, comfortably and happily. Santa Destroy is entirely different, almost unrecognizable, but its still his home. that is, until FU arrives.
a petulant and spoiled child, seeking to cause havoc purely for the sake of recognition and prestige; killing for cool points. FU serves as a perfect foil to travis because he is what travis used to be, a child with a desensitized view of killing. unlike the travis we have now, FU has not been forced to introspect on himself and persists to try and kill travis out of anger and revenge, a fool's game that travis is equally familiar with. just as FU represents travis's past that he must kill if i may be so bold as to say, travis represents FU's future, one that he is deathly afraid of no matter how much he tries to pretend he isnt.
i could talk for ages about the dichotomy between travis and fu, but its complicated. everything about this game is. ive grown on its story more but that does NOT make it without flaws. its issues with structure and bosses are still there, the lack of levels is still disappointing and all the bosses still lack very good characterization. the bosses may be intentional, the levels most certainly are not.
i dunno man. this game is complicated. but i think it might be really special.