PapiOregano
There’s a lot of content in “The Rising Tide” for the price and if you’re still playing XVI, then it’s worth the price alone just for added hour count of things to do. Mysidia is a neat place to explore and has some fascinating back history behind it, but I found the main campaign to be poorly written and kinda kiboshed the ending of the main game which I personally liked a lot. And the Leviathan fight that highlights this package is a frustratingly difficult fight that feels unfair and untested.
There isn’t much here. The whole experience can be completed in a couple hours. There’s some great gear that can be gotten and more lore to uncover, but for the price this is best gotten at the discount level along with “Rising Tide” which knocks five bucks off and would serve as a complement to RT which is a much better main course.
2023
“Final Fantasy XVI” charts its own path from the rest of the mainline FF pack and it does so on its own terms and quite successfully. Despite having some uneven execution in both storytelling and gameplay, the issue’s it does have do not detract from what’s otherwise quite a journey thru a morose world filled with inhabitants who want to break free from the gods that have abandoned them.
“Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth” is a fantastic follow up to “Remake”. It leaves the dark and dreary world of Midgar and enters a lush open world with so many secrets and fun things to do. The over-reliance on mini-games did hurt it a little, but over the 144 hours I spent I mostly had a blast exploring this rein-visioning of the OG game which is one of my all time favorite games. The story continues where the last left off in grand fashion and while this one gets a little incoherent sometimes as it juggles so much, I was never bored, always absorbed and endeared by this cast of characters that have been in my heart since I was a kid. It’s not quite the masterpiece it almost is, but it’s a bold sequel that has me hotly anticipating the finale to come in a few years.
2024
I have so many issues with “Foamstars”, but something about it just kept sticking and I was having some really cut throat and terrific games that I kept playing it for a while. Even made a couple friends from the lobbies. I dropped it and not sure if I’ll go back tho. If I do, great! If not, the ten hours I spent were modestly entertaining enough that I ain’t mad about it.
It’s functional, but not nearly as good as the console versions. I was pretty bored most of the time, but got the platinum so it was worth it.
2001
NOW THAT’S MORE LIKE IT!!! Finally, a “Twisted Metal” game that I can still have a blast with today and not just wax poetic about yesteryear. This game is still aged through and through, but between the dark but unique style, the many secrets scattered throughout, the hilariously over the top character cutscenes and the car combat gameplay that moves at a brisk frame rate and kept the action going I was just having a great time until life happened and killed my momentum. Maybe I’ll go back one day and finish up the trophies. Not sure, but I got to see that it was still a fun game after all these years and that was enough for me.
1996
“Twisted Metal 2” was always a hard game. Especially given when it came out, as a lot of games then were designed to be harder, but at some point I just gave up. This was hard not by challenge but just because it’s a relic of its time. I wasn’t having fun. If you’re a fan of the franchise, maybe this still works for you, but as a fan from back then it just wasn’t hitting anymore.
1995
It’s aged like dirt. There’s some fun to be had if you played this as a kid. I lost countless hours playing it with my dad in the 90’s, but man have times changed and this was more fun as a time capsule than it was as a game. Getting to the platinum was a chore.
2018
Man, does this game still hold up! It’s simple to a fault, very clearly made for children in that sense, but between the lively and fun music and the whimsical vibe the game has I was just giddy the whole time. Glad that sometimes nostalgia alone isn’t necessary to enjoy something you loved from when you were younger.
2017
PlayStation 5 Review:
I’ll be up front, I really did this for the platinum. I did try to play some of the story but it wasn’t grabbing me at all. Eventually I gave up and did the settings to skip to the end and unlock all the shit. I was unfortunately disappointed at the end when I realized this whole game is censored and the sexy stuff is devoid of any of its charm. If you’re gonna play this, play it on PC where it’s uncensored.
I’ll be up front, I really did this for the platinum. I did try to play some of the story but it wasn’t grabbing me at all. Eventually I gave up and did the settings to skip to the end and unlock all the shit. I was unfortunately disappointed at the end when I realized this whole game is censored and the sexy stuff is devoid of any of its charm. If you’re gonna play this, play it on PC where it’s uncensored.
It’s quite dated by today’s standards, but given as a throwback to a long lost genre of the arcade days “Panzer Dragoon Remake” is a brief, but enjoyable recreation of a very special series birth.
1995
The controls aren’t great. It can lead to some rather frustrating moments as well. Even given that, this is a weird, but thoroughly enjoyable and strange game that I really had a lot of fun with from beginning to end. It has a sense of style about that feels very much all its own.
2020
The brisk traversal mechanics and sweeping adventure make “The Pathless” an easy recommendation for a weekend. I initially played thru it three years ago, but this second play thru hit just as well as the first. The puzzles walk a fine balance between not too difficult and not too simple, while the boss fights left me shook and all aided by a wonderful story with great atmosphere. I do wish the game had a mini-map system. I get why it doesn’t, as navigation is baked into the mechanics of the game, but whilst doing the side quests I found it difficult to navigate sometimes. Otherwise, this is a great game and a great entry into Anna Purna’s gameography.
2012
I find myself conflicted over “Journey” today, as to when it released. Back then I was as blown away as everyone else in the indie community was. It was definitely a title that sparked the “games as art” conversation. All these years later, and after games have become much closer to art, it doesn’t quite hold as much significance I think. It’s still a very beautiful experience on its own. One well worth taking. But is it a game or an interactive art piece? I’ll be mulling this over for a while.