PhoenixSmoCat
Bio
Hello
My name is Phoenix. I am the media critic for The Smoking Caterpillar.
This will serve as a compendium of ratings, reviews, and lists for all the games I have played.
As my favourite video games are less defined and not as concrete as my favourite movies or albums, these lists and stuff might change frequently.
Hello
My name is Phoenix. I am the media critic for The Smoking Caterpillar.
This will serve as a compendium of ratings, reviews, and lists for all the games I have played.
As my favourite video games are less defined and not as concrete as my favourite movies or albums, these lists and stuff might change frequently.
Badges
1 Years of Service
Being part of the Backloggd community for 1 year
Favorite Games
083
Total Games Played
000
Played in 2024
005
Games Backloggd
Recently Reviewed See More
So I just finished playing the game Neon White...
Neon White is a first person platformer game where the player takes control of a man known only as Neon White. When he awakes in Heaven and not remembering anything, he learns that he is something called Neon, and is tasked with cleaning out the demons that have infested the area. As he goes along with this task, White begins to remember that he is connected to all the other Neons, especially Red, Yellow, Violet, and Green, and that this task begins to feel odd. White must now clear Heaven of demons while figuring out the truth of what is going on.
Was very excited to play this one when Yahtzee named it his game of the year, and this game did not disappoint. An incredibly energetic and challenging platformer.
This game is one of those with that old school mentality. This became readily apparent because of how much I did not give a shit about the story. Yes, there is a story to this game, but it is essentially background noise for gameplay. If I were to actually look at it, it’s more or less just weeb shit. The concept is great, the world is neat, and there are legitimately good ideas in the script. The characters have discernable and at times interesting motivations. But often it falls into the trap of being overwritten, as it over explains ideas that don’t need it. It also has cringe humour, as it tries really hard to be self aware and funny, but the humour can fall flat on its face a good chunk of the time. But again, this doesn’t really matter, because the gameplay is just so damn good.
This game is more or less a platformer. It also blends in FPS gameplay, as you do have to kill enemies with guns, and fight a boss occasionally, but the core of it is jumping on things and getting from Point A to B in the quickest time. Your weapons will have special abilities, which upon discarding, will launch you forward or up in various ways. What I love about this game is the challenge of it and the replayability of it. The game gets incrementally harder as you go on. As you learn new abilities, you have to use all these abilities to complete levels, and these levels get incredibly intricate and complex. With only minimal instances of the game fucking you over, this game plays smoothly and it requires all your dexterity and skill to get through, especially during the last levels. Further, because these levels are all timed, and certain times get you medals, this game is endlessly replayable. Getting enough gold or platinum medals unlock either the next stage, any multitude of secrets, including a second ending and collectables to give to other characters, and other things.
The art direction in this game is very inspired. The environments are inspired, with heaven being so multifaceted. Each stage takes place in a different area of heaven, and they are so varied and interesting. Sprawling metropolises, ancient cities, all of which are set against this backdrop of either clear blue skies, or dark red or grey. Each individual level is unique from the other, building on ideas from previous levels, and it is really engaging. The character models are incredibly unique as well. The 3D ones are solid and what little we see of them are smooth looking and they move very sleekly. The 2D ones though are interesting. Both sets of character models are coloured in black and white except for hair and clothing. So you get this very contrasted style of these bright neon colours against black and white images which is cool. It makes the anime style really pop.
But the crowning jewel of the game is the score. This score fucking rips, and fits the game so well. This frenetic mix of house, dubstep, IDM, and synthwave propels you forward in every stage, endlessly looping as you go forward. Each stages’ music is unique in and of itself, and pumps you up, especially during the boss fights. The various pieces of music while exploring the hub world are memorable as well. Central Heaven has this very atmospheric piece that makes going through the menu quite relaxing. The Heavenly Delight music is quite charming as well, and aids in the comedic nature of those scenes. It enhances the experience of this game all around, and it is potentially a score I would listen to independent of the game. Quality stuff.
Overall, Neon White’s silly anime story isn’t enough to keep me from really liking this game. Old school cool for the modern times, it is a challenging platformer that will test your skills and keep you coming back for more. Beautiful to look at, a banger score, and secrets galore, Neon White is a memorable experience and I look forward to playing it again and going for a full gold run. Recommended.
8.5 out of 10
Neon White is a first person platformer game where the player takes control of a man known only as Neon White. When he awakes in Heaven and not remembering anything, he learns that he is something called Neon, and is tasked with cleaning out the demons that have infested the area. As he goes along with this task, White begins to remember that he is connected to all the other Neons, especially Red, Yellow, Violet, and Green, and that this task begins to feel odd. White must now clear Heaven of demons while figuring out the truth of what is going on.
Was very excited to play this one when Yahtzee named it his game of the year, and this game did not disappoint. An incredibly energetic and challenging platformer.
This game is one of those with that old school mentality. This became readily apparent because of how much I did not give a shit about the story. Yes, there is a story to this game, but it is essentially background noise for gameplay. If I were to actually look at it, it’s more or less just weeb shit. The concept is great, the world is neat, and there are legitimately good ideas in the script. The characters have discernable and at times interesting motivations. But often it falls into the trap of being overwritten, as it over explains ideas that don’t need it. It also has cringe humour, as it tries really hard to be self aware and funny, but the humour can fall flat on its face a good chunk of the time. But again, this doesn’t really matter, because the gameplay is just so damn good.
This game is more or less a platformer. It also blends in FPS gameplay, as you do have to kill enemies with guns, and fight a boss occasionally, but the core of it is jumping on things and getting from Point A to B in the quickest time. Your weapons will have special abilities, which upon discarding, will launch you forward or up in various ways. What I love about this game is the challenge of it and the replayability of it. The game gets incrementally harder as you go on. As you learn new abilities, you have to use all these abilities to complete levels, and these levels get incredibly intricate and complex. With only minimal instances of the game fucking you over, this game plays smoothly and it requires all your dexterity and skill to get through, especially during the last levels. Further, because these levels are all timed, and certain times get you medals, this game is endlessly replayable. Getting enough gold or platinum medals unlock either the next stage, any multitude of secrets, including a second ending and collectables to give to other characters, and other things.
The art direction in this game is very inspired. The environments are inspired, with heaven being so multifaceted. Each stage takes place in a different area of heaven, and they are so varied and interesting. Sprawling metropolises, ancient cities, all of which are set against this backdrop of either clear blue skies, or dark red or grey. Each individual level is unique from the other, building on ideas from previous levels, and it is really engaging. The character models are incredibly unique as well. The 3D ones are solid and what little we see of them are smooth looking and they move very sleekly. The 2D ones though are interesting. Both sets of character models are coloured in black and white except for hair and clothing. So you get this very contrasted style of these bright neon colours against black and white images which is cool. It makes the anime style really pop.
But the crowning jewel of the game is the score. This score fucking rips, and fits the game so well. This frenetic mix of house, dubstep, IDM, and synthwave propels you forward in every stage, endlessly looping as you go forward. Each stages’ music is unique in and of itself, and pumps you up, especially during the boss fights. The various pieces of music while exploring the hub world are memorable as well. Central Heaven has this very atmospheric piece that makes going through the menu quite relaxing. The Heavenly Delight music is quite charming as well, and aids in the comedic nature of those scenes. It enhances the experience of this game all around, and it is potentially a score I would listen to independent of the game. Quality stuff.
Overall, Neon White’s silly anime story isn’t enough to keep me from really liking this game. Old school cool for the modern times, it is a challenging platformer that will test your skills and keep you coming back for more. Beautiful to look at, a banger score, and secrets galore, Neon White is a memorable experience and I look forward to playing it again and going for a full gold run. Recommended.
8.5 out of 10
So I just finished playing the Resident Evil 4 remake...
Resident Evil 4 is a third person survival horror game where the player takes control of Leon S Kennedy. Taking place six years after the events of Resident Evil 2, Leon is now a government agent. His latest assignment: rescue Ashley Graham, daughter of the US President. Tracing her last known location to Europe, Leon encounters brainwashed villagers under the control of a man named Osmund Saddler. With Saddlers monsters on his tail, Leon must find Ashley before all is lost.
Was very skeptical of this remake from the moment it was announced. Resident Evil 4 was a groundbreaking moment for games, and has aged beautifully. I question the need for this remake even to this day. But having played the remake through, I was surprised by how much this game impressed me.
To start, what I think impresses me the most is how the tone of the original is blended in with the tone of these new Resident Evil remakes. In particular, the gameplay strikes me as being really fun. With these 2 and 3 remakes being more survival horror oriented, this new take on Resident Evil 4 brings in those elements really nicely. While the game is action oriented, and you do get plenty of supplies and weapons to fight back with, enemies in this game are tough compared to the original. They will overwhelm you with numbers, and when bigger, tougher enemies, get introduced, you will be struggling. A mechanic from the second game, your knives in this one break (albeit they are much stronger), so your melee attacks are limited. You have to think clearly and use your resources wisely to take enemies down.
The game is still Resident Evil 4 more or less, but with some changes to things. You fight the same bosses around the same time, just in a different sort of manner. A couple bosses are very different mechanically, such as Ramon, who is now this leaping pile of meat, and Saddler, who gets a giant eldritch form near the end. Further to that, the Krauser fights got a make over, as the first encounter is a fully fledged boss fight and not a QTE, which is neat.
The puzzles have been reimagined, and that is pretty engaging. They're either harder versions of the original, or completely new, like the Ashley section with the knights. Speaking of Ashley though, she is back, and she is just as horrible as ever, more so even. She is just as fucking useless as she was in the original, and dragging her around was a fucking chore. I'll get into the writing and acting later, but those elements did make her presence a little more bearable admittedly.
The art design of the game is something to be admired. Running Resident Evil 4 through the RE engine gave this game a really nice coat of paint. Retaining all the imaginative creature designs, and interesting environments, the new engine's lighting and textures make everything look and feel more realistic. Certain character models got major facelifts and I think it made them more intimidating. Ramon looks fucking freaky in this game. Luis for some reason looks like Vincent Gallo now, and that was really distracting, but anyways. The game's gore effects are really nice, and bring to life the many violent moments in the original game in new ways. The new score is pretty good, and blends elements of the original with the more industrial elements of the 2 and 3 remake. The bombastic piece that plays during the Ramon fight was incredibly fun. While they do offer the original score as DLC, this new score isn't half bad and they put some decent effort into it.
Writing is the big thing that I wanted to talk about with this game. The story for Resident Evil 4 pretty much remains in tact, and I was impressed by how well the tone was balanced. It retained all the schlock that made the original so much fun. Leon has tons of dickcheese one liners, and they really play up the nonsense during certain sequences. But what I found with this remake was it made certain moments hit a bit harder due to the alterations of the plot. I think Luis' death is made more impactful by how much more involved he is with the story. Krauser got more of a backstory, and his dynamic with Leon is a bit more emotional.
The cast of this game I think is a mixed bag. Most of the time, I think the cast did an alright job with the material. Nick Apostolides gives a pretty decent performance as Leon in this game, and the emotional moments are not as cringey when he does them. Luis' death was handled in a quiet manner, which made it kind of emotional and I was impressed by it. Genvienve Beuchner's performance as Ashley made her presence more bearable. A chore mechanically still, it's the less grating voice I feel that doesn't make me wanna rip my hair out as much. AS MUCH. Christopher Jane's take on Osmund Saddler was fun, and the more serious, Americanized version of this character was kind of intimidating.
However, I feel certain voice performances weren't as fun. Marcio Moreno's Ramon was not as good as the original, and lacked a certain energy that the original voice actor had. The biggest culprit though was Michael Adamthwaite as the merchant. A small role, yes, but Paul Mercier's line readings for that role were more vibrant and fun. Adamthwaite really lacks the energy for this role, and so many of those meme lines just lacked any punch.
Overall, while the original Resident Evil 4 trumps this easily, I think REm4ke is possibly the best of these Resident Evil remakes. Capturing that schlock tone, while improving on certain elements of the story, and blending that tone with the more survival horror oriented gameplay, Resident Evil 4 serves as a great introduction to the series. For zoomers who weren't alive for Resident Evil 4 back in 05, I think you should give this remake a go, then play the original to compare.
7 out of 10
Resident Evil 4 is a third person survival horror game where the player takes control of Leon S Kennedy. Taking place six years after the events of Resident Evil 2, Leon is now a government agent. His latest assignment: rescue Ashley Graham, daughter of the US President. Tracing her last known location to Europe, Leon encounters brainwashed villagers under the control of a man named Osmund Saddler. With Saddlers monsters on his tail, Leon must find Ashley before all is lost.
Was very skeptical of this remake from the moment it was announced. Resident Evil 4 was a groundbreaking moment for games, and has aged beautifully. I question the need for this remake even to this day. But having played the remake through, I was surprised by how much this game impressed me.
To start, what I think impresses me the most is how the tone of the original is blended in with the tone of these new Resident Evil remakes. In particular, the gameplay strikes me as being really fun. With these 2 and 3 remakes being more survival horror oriented, this new take on Resident Evil 4 brings in those elements really nicely. While the game is action oriented, and you do get plenty of supplies and weapons to fight back with, enemies in this game are tough compared to the original. They will overwhelm you with numbers, and when bigger, tougher enemies, get introduced, you will be struggling. A mechanic from the second game, your knives in this one break (albeit they are much stronger), so your melee attacks are limited. You have to think clearly and use your resources wisely to take enemies down.
The game is still Resident Evil 4 more or less, but with some changes to things. You fight the same bosses around the same time, just in a different sort of manner. A couple bosses are very different mechanically, such as Ramon, who is now this leaping pile of meat, and Saddler, who gets a giant eldritch form near the end. Further to that, the Krauser fights got a make over, as the first encounter is a fully fledged boss fight and not a QTE, which is neat.
The puzzles have been reimagined, and that is pretty engaging. They're either harder versions of the original, or completely new, like the Ashley section with the knights. Speaking of Ashley though, she is back, and she is just as horrible as ever, more so even. She is just as fucking useless as she was in the original, and dragging her around was a fucking chore. I'll get into the writing and acting later, but those elements did make her presence a little more bearable admittedly.
The art design of the game is something to be admired. Running Resident Evil 4 through the RE engine gave this game a really nice coat of paint. Retaining all the imaginative creature designs, and interesting environments, the new engine's lighting and textures make everything look and feel more realistic. Certain character models got major facelifts and I think it made them more intimidating. Ramon looks fucking freaky in this game. Luis for some reason looks like Vincent Gallo now, and that was really distracting, but anyways. The game's gore effects are really nice, and bring to life the many violent moments in the original game in new ways. The new score is pretty good, and blends elements of the original with the more industrial elements of the 2 and 3 remake. The bombastic piece that plays during the Ramon fight was incredibly fun. While they do offer the original score as DLC, this new score isn't half bad and they put some decent effort into it.
Writing is the big thing that I wanted to talk about with this game. The story for Resident Evil 4 pretty much remains in tact, and I was impressed by how well the tone was balanced. It retained all the schlock that made the original so much fun. Leon has tons of dickcheese one liners, and they really play up the nonsense during certain sequences. But what I found with this remake was it made certain moments hit a bit harder due to the alterations of the plot. I think Luis' death is made more impactful by how much more involved he is with the story. Krauser got more of a backstory, and his dynamic with Leon is a bit more emotional.
The cast of this game I think is a mixed bag. Most of the time, I think the cast did an alright job with the material. Nick Apostolides gives a pretty decent performance as Leon in this game, and the emotional moments are not as cringey when he does them. Luis' death was handled in a quiet manner, which made it kind of emotional and I was impressed by it. Genvienve Beuchner's performance as Ashley made her presence more bearable. A chore mechanically still, it's the less grating voice I feel that doesn't make me wanna rip my hair out as much. AS MUCH. Christopher Jane's take on Osmund Saddler was fun, and the more serious, Americanized version of this character was kind of intimidating.
However, I feel certain voice performances weren't as fun. Marcio Moreno's Ramon was not as good as the original, and lacked a certain energy that the original voice actor had. The biggest culprit though was Michael Adamthwaite as the merchant. A small role, yes, but Paul Mercier's line readings for that role were more vibrant and fun. Adamthwaite really lacks the energy for this role, and so many of those meme lines just lacked any punch.
Overall, while the original Resident Evil 4 trumps this easily, I think REm4ke is possibly the best of these Resident Evil remakes. Capturing that schlock tone, while improving on certain elements of the story, and blending that tone with the more survival horror oriented gameplay, Resident Evil 4 serves as a great introduction to the series. For zoomers who weren't alive for Resident Evil 4 back in 05, I think you should give this remake a go, then play the original to compare.
7 out of 10