PointyLagoon
2023
PLAY THIS GAME ALREADY WHAT ARE YOU DOIIIIIIIIIIIIING
This game is a weird one. I more or less like the fact it exists for how it looks and the music, but apart from that it's nothing amazing. The game looks incredible due to the impressive pixel art that also manages to imitate Bryan Lee O'Malley's art style at the same time. The soundtrack by Anamanaguchi is the stuff of legend, and I listen to it regularly. Most of the songs are way too catchy and high energy to correlate with the overall mood of Scott Pilgrim.
As for the game, it's clearly a rush job. The first level is steller and sells the game quite well, but then it instantly falls off with most of the creativity shown in the first level evaporating before your eyes. Combat is the exact same every time, with it boiling down to punching until someone is down, punching until they stop blocking, or blocking until they stop punching. You can argue this is just the nature of beat-em-ups, but it compared to others similar to this one, they handle move pools and how fights are played out much better.
This game also has a major balancing issue. You will feel incredibly underpowered and will game over a lot until you buy items from the shops (which you may pass half the time because they blend it with the rest of the background elements sometimes.) However, once you do this, you end up feeling far too overpowered and then the game suddenly becomes a god mod simulator.
Apart from the first boss in the game, Matthew Patel, all the bosses walk around their arena, attack you with the same three moves, flash orange when they're nearly dead, then die. This once again highlights the difference in quality between the game's first level and the rest of the game. Due to the game's hellish development, the first 20 minutes of the game are great, then the rest is just a "get it out the door" job.
Overall this game falls disappointingly short due to it being rushed out, and while it's nice that it was brought back due to everyone begging for it, I think people just wanted it to kind of exist instead of really playing it.
As for the game, it's clearly a rush job. The first level is steller and sells the game quite well, but then it instantly falls off with most of the creativity shown in the first level evaporating before your eyes. Combat is the exact same every time, with it boiling down to punching until someone is down, punching until they stop blocking, or blocking until they stop punching. You can argue this is just the nature of beat-em-ups, but it compared to others similar to this one, they handle move pools and how fights are played out much better.
This game also has a major balancing issue. You will feel incredibly underpowered and will game over a lot until you buy items from the shops (which you may pass half the time because they blend it with the rest of the background elements sometimes.) However, once you do this, you end up feeling far too overpowered and then the game suddenly becomes a god mod simulator.
Apart from the first boss in the game, Matthew Patel, all the bosses walk around their arena, attack you with the same three moves, flash orange when they're nearly dead, then die. This once again highlights the difference in quality between the game's first level and the rest of the game. Due to the game's hellish development, the first 20 minutes of the game are great, then the rest is just a "get it out the door" job.
Overall this game falls disappointingly short due to it being rushed out, and while it's nice that it was brought back due to everyone begging for it, I think people just wanted it to kind of exist instead of really playing it.
2010
Skate 3 got me through my worst days. It's the ultimate mess-around comfort game. I always end up throwing it on when I'm bored. I sometimes play it one-handed and think about stuff. I played through the whole length of the campaign shortly after my best friend died and it kept me going. It's an absolute blast with friends, and each online mode is incredibly fun. The game oozes fun and goofiness. Cannot wait for the long-awaited return of these games.
BORN TO LOSE!
BORN TO LOSE!
2007
I am absolutely convinced this game was made by sociopaths. The first two zones are a complete cakewalk, and the mini games are rather fun, but as soon as you get to the third zone in the story mode, it turns into blood boiling trail and error. Once you begin to get a decent ways into this game, you are required to do really well or you will not make the cut for qualification to the next zone. Coupled with the champions annoying unique rules to each round, and needing to practice each mini game quite thoroughly before attempting the main event, this game ends up becoming a vicious cycle of heartbreak and pointless skill before you even know it.
One aspect of the game I do enjoy however, I'd the idea of buying outfits to increase your style points, giving you bonus tokens from the tournament staff, allowing more tries at that rounds games. I thought that was a creative idea and is rather helpful.
The game isn't much to write home amount in the rest of its aspects. Some mini games are fun, some are infuriating. The game just looks like your standard Bomberman game, nothing offensive, however some aspects like animations and overall assets do make it look cheap.
Overall, only play this game if you don't have much of your sanity in tact already.
One aspect of the game I do enjoy however, I'd the idea of buying outfits to increase your style points, giving you bonus tokens from the tournament staff, allowing more tries at that rounds games. I thought that was a creative idea and is rather helpful.
The game isn't much to write home amount in the rest of its aspects. Some mini games are fun, some are infuriating. The game just looks like your standard Bomberman game, nothing offensive, however some aspects like animations and overall assets do make it look cheap.
Overall, only play this game if you don't have much of your sanity in tact already.
2023
This review contains spoilers
It's okay. Much like how I feel about Minecraft Dungeons, Legends just feels like a gateway to the genre of game it represents for younger audiences. it's simple, straightforward, and plays it quite safe. I mainly just played the game's story mode with two other people, and after the games rather confusing start, it instantly becomes second nature and a fairly straight line. All the game mechanics are instantly taught to you in the opening tutorial, and neither really decide to go beyond that. For a Minecraft game, quite a few of its many elements from the original game aren't present here, just the bare minimum that ends up being just enough to give create the overall aesthetic. A few unique elements have been used for this game too, like key characters and animal mounts, which do fit into Minecraft's style well. As for the style and presentation of the game itself, it's hit-and-miss. The simplistic chibi style used for most of the character models here is a bit offputting, more with humanoid characters like the villagers, zombies and skeletons, and your avatar. The design ends up feeling way too far off what a Minecraft game should look like, and overall just lazy and the easiest route possible.
The gameplay, while rather engaging and fun at points, ends up just being boiled down to pressing a button and watching the game carry itself. I would suggest trying a harder mode if you plan on playing this game. Clocking in about 7 hours, the game will just breeze by you and leave you feeling quite empty by the end of it. The formula to how the game is carried out is instantly established and doesn't really change from start to finish.
The games UI is strangely difficult to navigate at the start, and you may end up tripping up a lot trying to find what you need. It all looks the same and doesn't really stand out at all.
Finally, the Pigmen enemies feel braindead a lot of the time. When they eventually attack a settlement or if you raid them, they more or less just run at you with no consequence. Other types of enemies just do the same, but have more health or some sort of gimmick to them, which hardly matters due to allies feeling overpowered, no matter if they're in their element or not.
Overall, it's a fine experience if you like strategy games and don't feel like having much of a stressful time during a game. If not, act like this didn't exist in the first place.
The gameplay, while rather engaging and fun at points, ends up just being boiled down to pressing a button and watching the game carry itself. I would suggest trying a harder mode if you plan on playing this game. Clocking in about 7 hours, the game will just breeze by you and leave you feeling quite empty by the end of it. The formula to how the game is carried out is instantly established and doesn't really change from start to finish.
The games UI is strangely difficult to navigate at the start, and you may end up tripping up a lot trying to find what you need. It all looks the same and doesn't really stand out at all.
Finally, the Pigmen enemies feel braindead a lot of the time. When they eventually attack a settlement or if you raid them, they more or less just run at you with no consequence. Other types of enemies just do the same, but have more health or some sort of gimmick to them, which hardly matters due to allies feeling overpowered, no matter if they're in their element or not.
Overall, it's a fine experience if you like strategy games and don't feel like having much of a stressful time during a game. If not, act like this didn't exist in the first place.
2013
No game other than this has come close to being the best game I’ve ever played. Definitely the best game Ubisoft have made and it irritates me they haven’t come out with more Rayman related full titles since. Absolute simple bliss when it comes to other 2D platformers with amazing colourful and beautiful visuals and flawless fast pace gameplay that never gets stale. Even has half the levels from its predecessor playable just because lmao. Still go back to it after the near 8 years it’s been out and still do the daily challenges sometimes and to replay the far too fun music levels. Will never grow tired of this game and will hold it to such a high standard until humanly possible.