Rezlo
BACKER
208 Reviews liked by Rezlo
Marvel's Spider-Man
2018
With the recent Spider-Man comics hitting an all time low due to a new character named Paul character assassinating a beloved fan-favorite and a controversial change in the PS5 remastered version and upcoming sequel. I felt it was time to try out Marvel’s Spider-Man by Insomniac. Been more than two decades of not playing any spidey games. The only ones I played back then were the Playstation One games. After twenty-six hours doing everything possible I must say. It is so amazing coming back to Insomniac's take on the Wall-crawler. Filled with enough uniqueness to feel fresh from the comics, TV shows and movies they garnered. First, let’s start with the good stuff.
Story actually surprised me a great deal. I expected an underwhelming one and instead received an almost spectacular and sinister plot. Keeping me interested as scenes pass by wondering what else is in store for our human arachnid. You play as none other than twenty-three year old Peter Benjamin Parker. A dude who still struggles to properly balance his workload as a lab assistant to Dr. Otto and stopping the next villain attack when the police can’t do it as his alter ego Spider-man, and helping the little guys of course. Still keeping his identity a secret to mostly everyone while spending time as a hero for the past eight years. All of this he has to juggle while internally dealing with the aftermath of breaking up with Mary Jane Watson. Close confidant, best-friend and at one time his girlfriend. Who is employed as a reporter for the Daily Bugle. Life ain't easy for the spider-menace! As one J. Jonah Jameson(JJJ) puts it. But the New Yorkers in the big apple appreciate his help, even if he’s battling a big corporate guy named Wilson Fisk with a contact in the police department named Yuri Watanabe. And oh boy do I get mixed up between the two since Yuri Lowenthal voices Peter Parker heh. You’ll see Pete struggling with his professional duties while dealing with the new villains popping up after Fisk is gone. It’s an engrossing tale I couldn’t stop playing to know what happens in the next scene. Where good o’l Parker luck strikes again leaving our webslinger hanging by the tightest of threads against past adversaries you can’t miss out on.
Gameplay is as satisfying as eating a pepperoni pizza from Eddie’s. Very tasteful. Although, best not to do Spidey tasks on a full stomach whilst swinging across the tall skyscrapers. I’ve never felt better swinging from street to street seeing iconic places like Hell’s Kitchen, Bar with no name, Avengers tower, Brooklyn bridge, Central Park and so many more. My nostalgia is getting to me from visiting the places back then in real life. Excusing the fictional areas. I had a lot of fun swinging and pushing myself to the limit in going faster, zipping across city buildings to reach my destination. So much so, I barely used fast traveling at all! And the amount of customization. Oh by the One Above all, it is freaking awesome! There’s a bunch of suits you can gain from the story and free updates the game has. A list of my favorites include: Scarlet, Raimi, Wrestler, classic, armor MK III, 2099 black, vintage comic book, last stand, spirit and cyborg. Other’s are good too, but these I spent the most of my time in. Interestingly some story suits/side activities you complete have suit powers. Think of these as ultimate abilities. Activating once you reach enough charge. You can web enemies quickly, charge focus(another bar to defeat enemies quickly and regain health), use iron tentacles, have a shield, gain massive strength, emit fire, summon holo decoys and even use an ability to quip enemies! Insulting their pride! Hah! These are not set in stone in various costumes to wear. You can assign whichever power suits your needs. Pun intended. Aside from these ultimate abilities you can also equip three passive skills. Like detecting enemies farther away using your radar. Earning more experience points from clashing with mobs, gaining more focus, not losing combo meter and I could say extra, but I’ll refrain. Sure I had to unlock them via tokens which are earned by side-activities you can do, but hey they’re pretty wicked! Speaking of experience. You can earn it by partaking in any activity, beating up goons, completing the optional content, continuing the main story etc. There is no shortage of points to earn, level up and gain skill points to spend on three skill trees. Adding new moves, passive abilities, and heck new traversal moves too. Seriously fella has a lot of tricks up his sleeve and experience under his belt. I bet he could teach new blood on the street how to be the next Web Menace! Oh boy better not to give JJJ any more fire.
Gadgets are also a nifty way to give players an edge in combat. Sticky bombs, electric bombs, gravity suspension bombs, drones etc. All help our webslinger have an ace up his sleeve and these can be replenished freely by eliminating foes. No need to constantly equip them. You have them all at your disposal during fights. Just make sure to unlock them first and upgrade them further if you constantly use them. Helps a bunch in beating countless mobs thinking they have a chance at defeating me? Honestly, after punching thug #65 to kingdom come these guys never quit huh.
Side activities I'm a bit mixed on, but I'll praise the ones worth doing. And discuss the downsides of some of them later on. First collecting backpacks throughout your playthrough is fabulous. The webhead will reminisce about the item in question upon finding backpacks of his youth. From Sandman in a vial, Lizard, Mysterio, Vulture, Shocker and even a very stinky gym t-shirt he forgot years to collect… God the smell. Suffice it to say all of these items are worth collecting, they inform the player on our protagonist's recent history and what he was doing at the time. Next, Research stations. A project conducted by Pete’s best friend Harry Osborn is a nice change of pace from protecting the citizens through science! Huh?! How?! Well, Harry’s stations all have different objectives to do. Usually related to pollution. Benjy gathers samples from contaminated air molecules, reducing pressure on pipes, finding bacteria samples, vaccinating fish etc. All these large scale labors are a disaster waiting to happen for the future ignorant citizens and my endeavors to prevent these future problems early on. Black Cat stakeouts have you finding a black cat plushie on rooftops as Felicia(who dated The P-man) gives off flirtatious “can you catch me spider” vibes. An alluring prospect to know some hidden details from Benjamin’s past during his tenure as his alter ego. Can you imagine how he would’ve reacted to meeting Felicia back when he was fifteen years old?! Bet the kid was stuttering like no tomorrow heh. Optional missions unlock as you progress through the story and most of them are worth completing. To aid citizens who ask our friendly neighborhood spider-man for assistance. One has a random upstanding citizen impersonating his hero persona to conduct helpful deeds to people in need. Another has you storming the castle, cooperating with a college fellow pinpoint missing people. There’s sixteen in total. Some of which chain together in multiple quest chains. Feels good helping out the little guy ya know? Taskmaster challenges provide an interesting challenge for those hoping to test an arachnid’s skills. Villain of the aforementioned name gives you a set of varied objectives ranging from combat, stealth, bomb, and drone. All of which you, my unlucky orphan, must try and solve each of them within a set amount of time. Do so, and you’re in for one hell of a surprise during your quest to finish them all. Really enjoyed these set of tasks mhhm.
Before I go into my final thoughts I have to talk about my mixed feelings. Not a positive or a negative, but for the sake of transparency I'll note them down below.
Conceptually I'm fine with the idea of the MJ stealth sections, but the execution seems lacking. Since it repeats a handful of times. With the same repetitive formula of evading enemies and moving forward with some changes here and there. Like more stealth variety than having to play spy. Like going in vents, investigating clues by interviewing people, assisting Peter like misdirecting a crowd so he can evade them and find a hidden spot to change into his alter-ego safely, asking questions a reporter does, she does some investigating regarding particular topics of interest near her, but I believe this was lacking. Needs lively substance not only in writing and in the gameplay design. As a character I think the writers made her out decently well. Although I would’ve liked her presence displayed beyond phone calls to Pete and vice-versa. Outside of some cutscenes Peter shares with her, MJ’s presence isn’t given enough attention to make me say she’s fantastic. Only decently above average performance in her sections of the game. Not horrible or bad, but in the good category. She’s there when he struggles and helps him out the most when he needs it. Personally I think some more scenes with her beyond stealth like healing Peter, going on dates, flashbacks of their past, aiding May. Him supporting her. All of these instances could’ve elevated her further and by extension the protagonist. And as a result make her sections more fleshed out, instead of repeating again for yet another spy section.
Repetitive open world structure akin to Ubisoft tasks. Insomniac’s other side-activities I felt were lacking and made me weary. Clearing out districts, hideouts, warehouses and outposts. They do not offer much to extend worldbuilding and lore. Take for example: More than a dozen hideouts to clear out. With six waves of enemies coming at me. As if an army has a chance of defeating me. Lacking banter from the fighting wall-crawler or many phone calls to update him on life outside of being a protector and sure. It is turbulent with barely any balance between managing his personal, job and hero duties. But I would’ve appreciated a different quest. Give me quests in F.E.A.S.T. to help Aunt May around. While sprinkling internal monologues like how collecting backpacks were done. Indirectly help Miles while he’s at school. Imagine Miles Morales slowly becoming a real friend to the person behind the mask by helping him with needing supplies, fending off some thugs by distracting or rallying his classmates to cheer him on. Slam a wrench in the combat systems by making all his gadgets inoperable or disabling his suit powers. Transforming him to become our marvel Jason Bourne/Jackie Chan/John Wick dude in a pinch using items around the environment to wack enemies. Yes he can use throwable items, but the man can’t wield any of them preferring to knock, punch and kick enemies to KO status.
Tired of beating thugs in waves? Then go on patrol and eliminate forty-plus each of thugs, demons, [redacted] & Sa%^* crimes spread throughout each district. I had to finish more than 120 of those to clear out the streets. And this was initially a nice way for patrol and having something to do when someone calls me or I listen to a JJJ podcast, yet these seem like padding. I did complete them all certainly, but comparable to my time in Ghost of Tsushima where clearing out camps and mongols felt like a tedious activity while not rewarding me the player enough with enough incentive to complete. Like better rewards, extend the worldbuilding, lore. Drop a minor villain here and there. Drop tombstone, chameleon, spot, hydro-man etc. encounters. Even worse to think about are these crimes will only pop-up if you swing a certain distance. They’re not displayed on the map at all times. You have to idly swing waiting for crimes to happen. Honestly, give me a notification from an app to let me know about crimes happening. This could be an easy fix by reducing the filler and adding plenty more unique encounters. Make me believe New York is threatened by these villains than some schmuck or goon being told to fight the resident superguy who webs enemies up on buildings. Come on man. What am I some dude with nothing better to do than fight petty burglaries with a ridiculous spider costume? Oh wait…
Might be a controversial take, but I think the relationship Peter has with Doc, while excellent throughout, perhaps avenues were feasible in regards to their segments. Implementing organic gameplay tasks than constant spectrograph and line mini-puzzles to do. Why can’t I complete some projects using artisal science? Combine their talents together with him building parts using different puzzles than resorting to the same ones again. These become egregious as I progressed further in the main story and optional content requiring Parker to once again complete these mini-games repeatedly. Sure there is an option in the settings to excuse them, a feature I never expected but came to rely on during the endgame. Yet this doesn’t alleviate the problem altogether, rather it is more of a band-aid than a proper solution. I think more unique segments had potential to bear fruit. Its why I credit Atomic Heart a lot by providing variety in the same category to keep the gameplay fresh and exciting. Not re-using the same formula again for the sake of consistency. If anything I’m more astonished that goons resort to similar practices to conduct their nefarious deeds. And while there are several outside the norm. These ultimately were outliers. I also think some more flashbacks between the two instead of me seeking dialogue points as I perused the lab for points of interest regarding their friendship/professional relationship. Bringing a more emotional weight than ever before. Adding more show, don’t tell.
Last critique I think some more time to develop villains/characters would’ve been better. We get to know plenty of a certain N$%&*%^(E Man which has interesting developments as we progress further into the game, yet others are left to the side-street in favor of giving other villains more screen time. I get it, I really do. To focus on these important characters than other adversaries lending more focus, yet I feel this could’ve been tweaked to give us more scenes perhaps to humanize them. Granted I haven’t delved deep into the comics to know their full interactions to go beyond one note villains into the complex categories, but still an attempt is possible to make them more of a threat and memorable than being used as tools then discarded. May, Miles, Harry, MJ by extension needed a bit more time in the oven to cook. Sure they have scenes in the game, but some of them perhaps needed supplementary scenes to push their characterization further.
Before I finish, I have to talk about the DLC’s. A solid return to the main game after seeing the mid-credits and post credit scene. Called the City That Never Sleeps. Taking place after the main story is done. Three episodes. For players hungry for more web-slinging and web-menacing action. The first, The Heist deals with a Black Cat’s troubles which your resident friendly neighborhood arachnid will have no choice but to assist, the second Turf Wars, occurs after the events of the Heist. Providing a decent filler, backed by the nice development of Yuri Watanabe. And third the final dlc begins Silver Lining stars none other than Silver Sable returning, giving trouble to our main character once again. Yet good guy Spidey is up for the challenge. Each DLC occurs chronologically. So best to go in release order or else you will be confused. By the end, I believe the post game content is a good conclusion to tie everything together before we depart into Spider-Man: Miles Morales. The episodes provide new enemy types, side-content and slightly new gameplay segments for fans after the ending. Worth completing to see what Peter after the base game. Seeing him assume another role and reinvigorating his friendship with one friend are a must see after learning his relationship with one female friend. The phone calls he has with a certain student provide wonderful if not humorous conversations to witness. And the side-quests, well most of them excusing Screwball because she’s pretty cringe. Have interesting lore/worldbuilding to eat up. Man my stomach was so full devouring the paintings in episode one, and the Symkaria hideouts, mystery crime investigations in episode three.
Moving on, If there are some last notable things to say before I head out. I would say Peter’s relationship with Doc. is a breathtaking fresh take on his character and their relationship with one another. I've seen other iterations in films and tv shows and I’m quite frankly shocked by how well Insomniac incorporates theirs. I enjoyed coming back to the lab and cooperating with his employer, took my sweet time scouring new points of interest to hear and have Pete reminisce on the fond memories he shared with him to create a better world. To help those in need and despite many hurdles and setbacks. The outcome of their efforts is so beautiful. It is such a joy and pleasure to witness the super bond they share. Sure it could be improved like I said earlier, but the base foundation the dev’s have created is nothing short of extraordinary. I am greatly looking forward to the potential of what’s to come. And if he does return. Oh man we're in for one hell of a superior storyline.
Sure I did experience some mixed feelings, yet this doesn’t detract much from the sheer strengths the game envisions and strides for. I am impressed by how engrossed I was by the storyline, how satisfying it was to sling and slap, kick, punch my enemies to victory. Even quipping and insulting a core part of Parker to whittle enemies pride, taunting them is a core tactic I’ll never get tired of seeing again and again. Hell JJJ’s podcast once again putting the web- warrior down, I actually can’t help but admire the sheer guts to do so. Curbing public perception against the masked menace sure takes dedication to keep going for over eight years huh Jonah. Never gets tiring hearing some trashy entertainment while defeating countless thugs. Kinda like listening to a podcast at work ya know. Except our webspinner is listening to JJJ while multitasking eh. “Dude is a masochist” - As one Brooklyn kid says.
Overall, I think I can safely say Marvel’s Spider-Man have done the impossible by reinvigorating my superhero inner childhood I’ve sorely missed ever since the Raimi trilogy ended, ever since the Webb (I just realized we had a director with Web in his name. Nice.) films were gutted and only until the Watts and Spider-verse have kept my love for the genre going instead of resorting back to cynicism as I grew older. It is heartening witnessing such an endearing videogame calling back to what I love since my childhood. The insecurity our Webhead undergoes, the sheer struggle in managing a proper life from his alter-ego, work and personal intertwining and intersecting at times when he least expects it, the sheer weight of responsibility and power he beholds to share with others in need is both incredibly admiring and awe-inspiring. Again and again he continues to become the Hero everyone needs yet does not seek the glamor or reward. He simply does. And this entry only solidifies his excellent qualities while taking adequate time to showcase he too is flawed just as the rest of us. Making him instantly relatable and personable to nearly everyone. The Amazing Spider-Man continues to be my favorite superhero of all time and while this entry is a spectacular return to form embodying all his greatest triumphs, a careful balance emerges to display his greatest hardships too. And these two in tandem create one hell of hook to watch out for in future installments. I can only expect we will dive into marvelous troubles and epic adventures. To any Spidey fan out there, this is a title that cannot be missed. And for any newcomer, I envy you greatly with one of the best stories I’ve ever seen in Spider-Man media.
8/10
Additional Material:
Marvel Spider-Man Ending thoughts - Spoiler thoughts + DLC included.
Story actually surprised me a great deal. I expected an underwhelming one and instead received an almost spectacular and sinister plot. Keeping me interested as scenes pass by wondering what else is in store for our human arachnid. You play as none other than twenty-three year old Peter Benjamin Parker. A dude who still struggles to properly balance his workload as a lab assistant to Dr. Otto and stopping the next villain attack when the police can’t do it as his alter ego Spider-man, and helping the little guys of course. Still keeping his identity a secret to mostly everyone while spending time as a hero for the past eight years. All of this he has to juggle while internally dealing with the aftermath of breaking up with Mary Jane Watson. Close confidant, best-friend and at one time his girlfriend. Who is employed as a reporter for the Daily Bugle. Life ain't easy for the spider-menace! As one J. Jonah Jameson(JJJ) puts it. But the New Yorkers in the big apple appreciate his help, even if he’s battling a big corporate guy named Wilson Fisk with a contact in the police department named Yuri Watanabe. And oh boy do I get mixed up between the two since Yuri Lowenthal voices Peter Parker heh. You’ll see Pete struggling with his professional duties while dealing with the new villains popping up after Fisk is gone. It’s an engrossing tale I couldn’t stop playing to know what happens in the next scene. Where good o’l Parker luck strikes again leaving our webslinger hanging by the tightest of threads against past adversaries you can’t miss out on.
Gameplay is as satisfying as eating a pepperoni pizza from Eddie’s. Very tasteful. Although, best not to do Spidey tasks on a full stomach whilst swinging across the tall skyscrapers. I’ve never felt better swinging from street to street seeing iconic places like Hell’s Kitchen, Bar with no name, Avengers tower, Brooklyn bridge, Central Park and so many more. My nostalgia is getting to me from visiting the places back then in real life. Excusing the fictional areas. I had a lot of fun swinging and pushing myself to the limit in going faster, zipping across city buildings to reach my destination. So much so, I barely used fast traveling at all! And the amount of customization. Oh by the One Above all, it is freaking awesome! There’s a bunch of suits you can gain from the story and free updates the game has. A list of my favorites include: Scarlet, Raimi, Wrestler, classic, armor MK III, 2099 black, vintage comic book, last stand, spirit and cyborg. Other’s are good too, but these I spent the most of my time in. Interestingly some story suits/side activities you complete have suit powers. Think of these as ultimate abilities. Activating once you reach enough charge. You can web enemies quickly, charge focus(another bar to defeat enemies quickly and regain health), use iron tentacles, have a shield, gain massive strength, emit fire, summon holo decoys and even use an ability to quip enemies! Insulting their pride! Hah! These are not set in stone in various costumes to wear. You can assign whichever power suits your needs. Pun intended. Aside from these ultimate abilities you can also equip three passive skills. Like detecting enemies farther away using your radar. Earning more experience points from clashing with mobs, gaining more focus, not losing combo meter and I could say extra, but I’ll refrain. Sure I had to unlock them via tokens which are earned by side-activities you can do, but hey they’re pretty wicked! Speaking of experience. You can earn it by partaking in any activity, beating up goons, completing the optional content, continuing the main story etc. There is no shortage of points to earn, level up and gain skill points to spend on three skill trees. Adding new moves, passive abilities, and heck new traversal moves too. Seriously fella has a lot of tricks up his sleeve and experience under his belt. I bet he could teach new blood on the street how to be the next Web Menace! Oh boy better not to give JJJ any more fire.
Gadgets are also a nifty way to give players an edge in combat. Sticky bombs, electric bombs, gravity suspension bombs, drones etc. All help our webslinger have an ace up his sleeve and these can be replenished freely by eliminating foes. No need to constantly equip them. You have them all at your disposal during fights. Just make sure to unlock them first and upgrade them further if you constantly use them. Helps a bunch in beating countless mobs thinking they have a chance at defeating me? Honestly, after punching thug #65 to kingdom come these guys never quit huh.
Side activities I'm a bit mixed on, but I'll praise the ones worth doing. And discuss the downsides of some of them later on. First collecting backpacks throughout your playthrough is fabulous. The webhead will reminisce about the item in question upon finding backpacks of his youth. From Sandman in a vial, Lizard, Mysterio, Vulture, Shocker and even a very stinky gym t-shirt he forgot years to collect… God the smell. Suffice it to say all of these items are worth collecting, they inform the player on our protagonist's recent history and what he was doing at the time. Next, Research stations. A project conducted by Pete’s best friend Harry Osborn is a nice change of pace from protecting the citizens through science! Huh?! How?! Well, Harry’s stations all have different objectives to do. Usually related to pollution. Benjy gathers samples from contaminated air molecules, reducing pressure on pipes, finding bacteria samples, vaccinating fish etc. All these large scale labors are a disaster waiting to happen for the future ignorant citizens and my endeavors to prevent these future problems early on. Black Cat stakeouts have you finding a black cat plushie on rooftops as Felicia(who dated The P-man) gives off flirtatious “can you catch me spider” vibes. An alluring prospect to know some hidden details from Benjamin’s past during his tenure as his alter ego. Can you imagine how he would’ve reacted to meeting Felicia back when he was fifteen years old?! Bet the kid was stuttering like no tomorrow heh. Optional missions unlock as you progress through the story and most of them are worth completing. To aid citizens who ask our friendly neighborhood spider-man for assistance. One has a random upstanding citizen impersonating his hero persona to conduct helpful deeds to people in need. Another has you storming the castle, cooperating with a college fellow pinpoint missing people. There’s sixteen in total. Some of which chain together in multiple quest chains. Feels good helping out the little guy ya know? Taskmaster challenges provide an interesting challenge for those hoping to test an arachnid’s skills. Villain of the aforementioned name gives you a set of varied objectives ranging from combat, stealth, bomb, and drone. All of which you, my unlucky orphan, must try and solve each of them within a set amount of time. Do so, and you’re in for one hell of a surprise during your quest to finish them all. Really enjoyed these set of tasks mhhm.
Before I go into my final thoughts I have to talk about my mixed feelings. Not a positive or a negative, but for the sake of transparency I'll note them down below.
Conceptually I'm fine with the idea of the MJ stealth sections, but the execution seems lacking. Since it repeats a handful of times. With the same repetitive formula of evading enemies and moving forward with some changes here and there. Like more stealth variety than having to play spy. Like going in vents, investigating clues by interviewing people, assisting Peter like misdirecting a crowd so he can evade them and find a hidden spot to change into his alter-ego safely, asking questions a reporter does, she does some investigating regarding particular topics of interest near her, but I believe this was lacking. Needs lively substance not only in writing and in the gameplay design. As a character I think the writers made her out decently well. Although I would’ve liked her presence displayed beyond phone calls to Pete and vice-versa. Outside of some cutscenes Peter shares with her, MJ’s presence isn’t given enough attention to make me say she’s fantastic. Only decently above average performance in her sections of the game. Not horrible or bad, but in the good category. She’s there when he struggles and helps him out the most when he needs it. Personally I think some more scenes with her beyond stealth like healing Peter, going on dates, flashbacks of their past, aiding May. Him supporting her. All of these instances could’ve elevated her further and by extension the protagonist. And as a result make her sections more fleshed out, instead of repeating again for yet another spy section.
Repetitive open world structure akin to Ubisoft tasks. Insomniac’s other side-activities I felt were lacking and made me weary. Clearing out districts, hideouts, warehouses and outposts. They do not offer much to extend worldbuilding and lore. Take for example: More than a dozen hideouts to clear out. With six waves of enemies coming at me. As if an army has a chance of defeating me. Lacking banter from the fighting wall-crawler or many phone calls to update him on life outside of being a protector and sure. It is turbulent with barely any balance between managing his personal, job and hero duties. But I would’ve appreciated a different quest. Give me quests in F.E.A.S.T. to help Aunt May around. While sprinkling internal monologues like how collecting backpacks were done. Indirectly help Miles while he’s at school. Imagine Miles Morales slowly becoming a real friend to the person behind the mask by helping him with needing supplies, fending off some thugs by distracting or rallying his classmates to cheer him on. Slam a wrench in the combat systems by making all his gadgets inoperable or disabling his suit powers. Transforming him to become our marvel Jason Bourne/Jackie Chan/John Wick dude in a pinch using items around the environment to wack enemies. Yes he can use throwable items, but the man can’t wield any of them preferring to knock, punch and kick enemies to KO status.
Tired of beating thugs in waves? Then go on patrol and eliminate forty-plus each of thugs, demons, [redacted] & Sa%^* crimes spread throughout each district. I had to finish more than 120 of those to clear out the streets. And this was initially a nice way for patrol and having something to do when someone calls me or I listen to a JJJ podcast, yet these seem like padding. I did complete them all certainly, but comparable to my time in Ghost of Tsushima where clearing out camps and mongols felt like a tedious activity while not rewarding me the player enough with enough incentive to complete. Like better rewards, extend the worldbuilding, lore. Drop a minor villain here and there. Drop tombstone, chameleon, spot, hydro-man etc. encounters. Even worse to think about are these crimes will only pop-up if you swing a certain distance. They’re not displayed on the map at all times. You have to idly swing waiting for crimes to happen. Honestly, give me a notification from an app to let me know about crimes happening. This could be an easy fix by reducing the filler and adding plenty more unique encounters. Make me believe New York is threatened by these villains than some schmuck or goon being told to fight the resident superguy who webs enemies up on buildings. Come on man. What am I some dude with nothing better to do than fight petty burglaries with a ridiculous spider costume? Oh wait…
Might be a controversial take, but I think the relationship Peter has with Doc, while excellent throughout, perhaps avenues were feasible in regards to their segments. Implementing organic gameplay tasks than constant spectrograph and line mini-puzzles to do. Why can’t I complete some projects using artisal science? Combine their talents together with him building parts using different puzzles than resorting to the same ones again. These become egregious as I progressed further in the main story and optional content requiring Parker to once again complete these mini-games repeatedly. Sure there is an option in the settings to excuse them, a feature I never expected but came to rely on during the endgame. Yet this doesn’t alleviate the problem altogether, rather it is more of a band-aid than a proper solution. I think more unique segments had potential to bear fruit. Its why I credit Atomic Heart a lot by providing variety in the same category to keep the gameplay fresh and exciting. Not re-using the same formula again for the sake of consistency. If anything I’m more astonished that goons resort to similar practices to conduct their nefarious deeds. And while there are several outside the norm. These ultimately were outliers. I also think some more flashbacks between the two instead of me seeking dialogue points as I perused the lab for points of interest regarding their friendship/professional relationship. Bringing a more emotional weight than ever before. Adding more show, don’t tell.
Last critique I think some more time to develop villains/characters would’ve been better. We get to know plenty of a certain N$%&*%^(E Man which has interesting developments as we progress further into the game, yet others are left to the side-street in favor of giving other villains more screen time. I get it, I really do. To focus on these important characters than other adversaries lending more focus, yet I feel this could’ve been tweaked to give us more scenes perhaps to humanize them. Granted I haven’t delved deep into the comics to know their full interactions to go beyond one note villains into the complex categories, but still an attempt is possible to make them more of a threat and memorable than being used as tools then discarded. May, Miles, Harry, MJ by extension needed a bit more time in the oven to cook. Sure they have scenes in the game, but some of them perhaps needed supplementary scenes to push their characterization further.
Before I finish, I have to talk about the DLC’s. A solid return to the main game after seeing the mid-credits and post credit scene. Called the City That Never Sleeps. Taking place after the main story is done. Three episodes. For players hungry for more web-slinging and web-menacing action. The first, The Heist deals with a Black Cat’s troubles which your resident friendly neighborhood arachnid will have no choice but to assist, the second Turf Wars, occurs after the events of the Heist. Providing a decent filler, backed by the nice development of Yuri Watanabe. And third the final dlc begins Silver Lining stars none other than Silver Sable returning, giving trouble to our main character once again. Yet good guy Spidey is up for the challenge. Each DLC occurs chronologically. So best to go in release order or else you will be confused. By the end, I believe the post game content is a good conclusion to tie everything together before we depart into Spider-Man: Miles Morales. The episodes provide new enemy types, side-content and slightly new gameplay segments for fans after the ending. Worth completing to see what Peter after the base game. Seeing him assume another role and reinvigorating his friendship with one friend are a must see after learning his relationship with one female friend. The phone calls he has with a certain student provide wonderful if not humorous conversations to witness. And the side-quests, well most of them excusing Screwball because she’s pretty cringe. Have interesting lore/worldbuilding to eat up. Man my stomach was so full devouring the paintings in episode one, and the Symkaria hideouts, mystery crime investigations in episode three.
Moving on, If there are some last notable things to say before I head out. I would say Peter’s relationship with Doc. is a breathtaking fresh take on his character and their relationship with one another. I've seen other iterations in films and tv shows and I’m quite frankly shocked by how well Insomniac incorporates theirs. I enjoyed coming back to the lab and cooperating with his employer, took my sweet time scouring new points of interest to hear and have Pete reminisce on the fond memories he shared with him to create a better world. To help those in need and despite many hurdles and setbacks. The outcome of their efforts is so beautiful. It is such a joy and pleasure to witness the super bond they share. Sure it could be improved like I said earlier, but the base foundation the dev’s have created is nothing short of extraordinary. I am greatly looking forward to the potential of what’s to come. And if he does return. Oh man we're in for one hell of a superior storyline.
Sure I did experience some mixed feelings, yet this doesn’t detract much from the sheer strengths the game envisions and strides for. I am impressed by how engrossed I was by the storyline, how satisfying it was to sling and slap, kick, punch my enemies to victory. Even quipping and insulting a core part of Parker to whittle enemies pride, taunting them is a core tactic I’ll never get tired of seeing again and again. Hell JJJ’s podcast once again putting the web- warrior down, I actually can’t help but admire the sheer guts to do so. Curbing public perception against the masked menace sure takes dedication to keep going for over eight years huh Jonah. Never gets tiring hearing some trashy entertainment while defeating countless thugs. Kinda like listening to a podcast at work ya know. Except our webspinner is listening to JJJ while multitasking eh. “Dude is a masochist” - As one Brooklyn kid says.
Overall, I think I can safely say Marvel’s Spider-Man have done the impossible by reinvigorating my superhero inner childhood I’ve sorely missed ever since the Raimi trilogy ended, ever since the Webb (I just realized we had a director with Web in his name. Nice.) films were gutted and only until the Watts and Spider-verse have kept my love for the genre going instead of resorting back to cynicism as I grew older. It is heartening witnessing such an endearing videogame calling back to what I love since my childhood. The insecurity our Webhead undergoes, the sheer struggle in managing a proper life from his alter-ego, work and personal intertwining and intersecting at times when he least expects it, the sheer weight of responsibility and power he beholds to share with others in need is both incredibly admiring and awe-inspiring. Again and again he continues to become the Hero everyone needs yet does not seek the glamor or reward. He simply does. And this entry only solidifies his excellent qualities while taking adequate time to showcase he too is flawed just as the rest of us. Making him instantly relatable and personable to nearly everyone. The Amazing Spider-Man continues to be my favorite superhero of all time and while this entry is a spectacular return to form embodying all his greatest triumphs, a careful balance emerges to display his greatest hardships too. And these two in tandem create one hell of hook to watch out for in future installments. I can only expect we will dive into marvelous troubles and epic adventures. To any Spidey fan out there, this is a title that cannot be missed. And for any newcomer, I envy you greatly with one of the best stories I’ve ever seen in Spider-Man media.
8/10
Additional Material:
Marvel Spider-Man Ending thoughts - Spoiler thoughts + DLC included.
Prime example how one bad apple spoil the bunch
By itself, Human Revolution is a great immersive sim, but the bizarre choice of shoving the whole Missing Link DLC into your main campaign is what completely spoil my experience with this Deus Ex.
Imagine you are two-third way into an immersive sim, making your way to unlocking most of the powers and stockpiling a massive arsenal, then only to have the game completely strips you of all of your efforts - and that's how the ham-fisted transition between the main story to the DLC felt like to me. It feels like a betrayal to my progress.
What's worse is that Missing Link isn't all that great and is several hours long, so unfortunately I really do not have the motivation to see it through.
Go get the original version, not the Director's Cut, if you can.
By itself, Human Revolution is a great immersive sim, but the bizarre choice of shoving the whole Missing Link DLC into your main campaign is what completely spoil my experience with this Deus Ex.
Imagine you are two-third way into an immersive sim, making your way to unlocking most of the powers and stockpiling a massive arsenal, then only to have the game completely strips you of all of your efforts - and that's how the ham-fisted transition between the main story to the DLC felt like to me. It feels like a betrayal to my progress.
What's worse is that Missing Link isn't all that great and is several hours long, so unfortunately I really do not have the motivation to see it through.
Go get the original version, not the Director's Cut, if you can.
Tunic
2022
What Tunic sets out to do, it does incredibly well. Rather than being a Zelda-like, Tunic is aiming to be more like Fez and if that means something to you, this comes with a glowing recommendation... with the caveat that the combat is actively shit and you'd be better off playing it on Easy.
The highlights of Tunic are definitely the visuals, the world and the exploration, the non-verbal ways in which the story is slowly doled out to you, the puzzles, the secrets that are pervasive and everywhere and the incredible music to accompany it all. Slowly exploring the map and opening up more and more pathways as you grow stronger and more daring made me feel enraptured with what was going on and I could scarcely put the game down in favor of going for just a few more minutes over and over. There was always a pathway that you'd remember you left behind and you'd yearn to go back there, only to be distracted yet again by another path. There are secrets within secrets and puzzles that slowly reveal their mechanics over time and you keep on trucking. I won't spoil some of the more wonderful elements of the game but the game perfectly merges exploration with everything else.
Except the combat. The combat is just actively bad. You have a fair few options but the player character just feels incredibly clunky the whole way through. I don't have any objective way of expressing this. The combat just felt really bad. One of the more egregious things I can point to is a lack of any animation cancel which means every swing of your sword, every dodge, every shield raise is a commitment and it's so sluggish and horrid when after you swing you raise your shield to deflect the incoming attack only to have it hit and stun you. There are bosses that were so annoying I relented and turned the difficulty down. But the saving grace is the combat is serviceable enough since most of the time you're just fighting grunts and most of your time is not really going to be fighting enemies. The game definitely prioritises the exploration factor over combat but it does feel crummy that combat wasn't more of a focus or there weren't more ways to improve it.
Tunic is far, FAR more than the sum of its parts, most of which were already stellar. The whole package comes together in a wonderful way even if the singular piece doesn't fit well enough. I'll once again name drop Fez, with all that that entails. There's a lot that I didn't actually bother with because I got the true ending and stopped. There's a decent chunk of puzzles that I didn't touch cause I'd just be reading guides to solve them.
The highlights of Tunic are definitely the visuals, the world and the exploration, the non-verbal ways in which the story is slowly doled out to you, the puzzles, the secrets that are pervasive and everywhere and the incredible music to accompany it all. Slowly exploring the map and opening up more and more pathways as you grow stronger and more daring made me feel enraptured with what was going on and I could scarcely put the game down in favor of going for just a few more minutes over and over. There was always a pathway that you'd remember you left behind and you'd yearn to go back there, only to be distracted yet again by another path. There are secrets within secrets and puzzles that slowly reveal their mechanics over time and you keep on trucking. I won't spoil some of the more wonderful elements of the game but the game perfectly merges exploration with everything else.
Except the combat. The combat is just actively bad. You have a fair few options but the player character just feels incredibly clunky the whole way through. I don't have any objective way of expressing this. The combat just felt really bad. One of the more egregious things I can point to is a lack of any animation cancel which means every swing of your sword, every dodge, every shield raise is a commitment and it's so sluggish and horrid when after you swing you raise your shield to deflect the incoming attack only to have it hit and stun you. There are bosses that were so annoying I relented and turned the difficulty down. But the saving grace is the combat is serviceable enough since most of the time you're just fighting grunts and most of your time is not really going to be fighting enemies. The game definitely prioritises the exploration factor over combat but it does feel crummy that combat wasn't more of a focus or there weren't more ways to improve it.
Tunic is far, FAR more than the sum of its parts, most of which were already stellar. The whole package comes together in a wonderful way even if the singular piece doesn't fit well enough. I'll once again name drop Fez, with all that that entails. There's a lot that I didn't actually bother with because I got the true ending and stopped. There's a decent chunk of puzzles that I didn't touch cause I'd just be reading guides to solve them.
Silent Hill 2
2001
Originally wrote this:
I dunno man.
The monsters are creepy and the sound design is creepy but the story... I just don't care. I mean it seems like its leading to the idea that these monsters are the manifestation of some psychotic misery of this dude's mind (I'm guessing) and I wasn't really intrigued by that. Gameplay-wise I am also pretty unimpressed. My first three hours looked like this:
1. Watch cryptic and not particularly engaging cutscenes.
2. Wander down the streets and then the apartments scouring and clicking on everything hoping to find the next key to unlock the next door.
3. Beating up on jerks with a stick using awkward controls.
4. Being mildly creeped out by the monster design. I found the monsters in 1 a lot more creepy!
It seems like this game means a lot to a lot of cool-sounding people on the internet... but it ain't doing much for me.
Kudos to the people who made the Enhanced Edition. I didn't really feel compelled from my time with this game but I like that there's a lovingly restored version to play.
Then due to the overwhelming praise this game has received on this site, I gave the game another hour. Nothing changed! If anything I felt more negative. Gave up after getting to the hospital with these thoughts:
I don't like it. I played for around 4 hours. The breadcrumbs this story is dropping are not intriguing me. The creepy setting is not mysterious enough to pull me in. The surreal dialogue feels more corny than profound. The gameplay is shockingly repetitive and boring.
The fog town is cool and the sound design is scary but I'm frankly just finding this to be a watered down and less compelling version of Silent Hill 1.
I dunno man.
The monsters are creepy and the sound design is creepy but the story... I just don't care. I mean it seems like its leading to the idea that these monsters are the manifestation of some psychotic misery of this dude's mind (I'm guessing) and I wasn't really intrigued by that. Gameplay-wise I am also pretty unimpressed. My first three hours looked like this:
1. Watch cryptic and not particularly engaging cutscenes.
2. Wander down the streets and then the apartments scouring and clicking on everything hoping to find the next key to unlock the next door.
3. Beating up on jerks with a stick using awkward controls.
4. Being mildly creeped out by the monster design. I found the monsters in 1 a lot more creepy!
It seems like this game means a lot to a lot of cool-sounding people on the internet... but it ain't doing much for me.
Kudos to the people who made the Enhanced Edition. I didn't really feel compelled from my time with this game but I like that there's a lovingly restored version to play.
Then due to the overwhelming praise this game has received on this site, I gave the game another hour. Nothing changed! If anything I felt more negative. Gave up after getting to the hospital with these thoughts:
I don't like it. I played for around 4 hours. The breadcrumbs this story is dropping are not intriguing me. The creepy setting is not mysterious enough to pull me in. The surreal dialogue feels more corny than profound. The gameplay is shockingly repetitive and boring.
The fog town is cool and the sound design is scary but I'm frankly just finding this to be a watered down and less compelling version of Silent Hill 1.
Lies of P
2023
The soulslike genre is not an easy piece of cake. Early on, a game of this genre creates competition for itself in the form of some of the best games ever made - the Souls series, Bloodborne, Sekiro and Elden Ring. This is a genre that is based on the foundations created by From Software, so by assumption it is supposed to copy those games as best as possible. Unfortunately, the assumptions end there, as the vast majority of game developers have no idea why Souls is so well-loved and surrounded by a cult following, and as a result, they fail at fundamentals such as gameplay and narrative. Fortunately, Lies of P is not like that. It's a game made by fans for fans. This is evident in every inch, every minute of this game.
The story is very loosely based on the events of Carlo Collodi's novel Pinocchio. It is an original and creative adaptation that, with its approach to the source material, impressed me greatly - the use of characters familiar from the novel or Disney animation in the dark French city of Krat during the belle époque period. The city is highly developed, and technology and discoveries have helped to patent and create marionettes that help people in their daily activities. Unfortunately, due to previously unexpected events, the marionettes became enraged and started killing everything that moves, causing chaos and destruction. With help comes the titular "P," or Pinocchio, who has been awakened by a woman with blue hair to quell the fury of the marionettes and restore order in Krat.
The plot is excellent - it's an original, but familiar world. It's far from Bloodborne by the fact that Lies of P isn't quite as gothic, but a few similarities (especially gameplay ones) can be found. The developers use Collodi's well-known novel to create their unique world, which is dark, compelling and, above all, interesting. The mass of references to the literary original only adds to the whole atmosphere and a certain character of the game. This is not, of course, a literal interpretation, but you can see the spirit of the novel, especially in the rather key mechanic of lying, which brings Pinocchio closer to becoming a real boy. To say more about the main plot would force me to talk about spoilers, which I won't do, so I'll stick with what I've written. I'll add again that through the atmosphere and worldbuilding, the world comes to me - these are my vibes, which I love.
Narratively it's like in souls, but not as much. Characters speak in riddles, but not in metaphors. The average player will seamlessly understand the plot and the intentions of the characters without browsing Reddit for two hours to understand every aspect of the story. Item descriptions and found notes obviously complete the story of the world, but they are not crucial to understanding who we are and why we are killing puppets. Individual bosses also have their own stories - they are original as well as interesting. In addition, none of them, except for one boss, is repeated, so the developers did not go for the easy way, which is a nice experience.
Gameplay is typical Souls series games - attack, strong attack, roll, block. However, the game combines several ideas from different games, so it creates its own identity and the feeling of the game is original. First of all, Pinocchio has a mechanical Legion Arm, which can be modified in many ways - it can be a kind of grappling hook, a flamethrower or a shield. This is, of course, a reworking of the idea of Sekiro's wooden hand, which works just phenomenally in the classic Souls formula. In addition, the system known from Bloodborne is visible, that is, after successfully blocking an attack, we lose some life, which we can regain by attacking the enemy. We also have "Fable Slots" available, which charge a special attack that changes depending on the weapon equipped. This is similar to the "Ashes of war" system from Elden Ring. So a fast katana will have a completely different attack than a heavy bludgeon. This is so satisfying to play that you feel great pleasure in beating the puppets. The attack and dodge system itself is done with purpose - I didn't have a situation where the game was unresponsive or annoying, it has its own character of combat and bosses to adapt to. Dodging alone is not enough, most of the attacks have to be parried, the player is even forced to do it, as a perfect guard is lavishly rewarded. This is the best gameplay Souls clone I've played (and I've played many titles in the genre).
Crafting is ok, nothing else. Ordinary weapons are composed of blades and handles, which can be freely mixed, changing the weapon's scaling and attack style. They upgrade to +10 in classic Souls style. Special weapons are obtained from the "souls" of bosses and are a unified whole - that is, so much so that you can't detach the blade from the handle. It is worth mentioning that special weapons have very unique attacks for Fairy Slots, which stand out from the rest. Throughout the arsenal, we have weapons available under motivity, technique, advance or quality (that is, motivity and technique), however, we can change the scaling of the weapons using the cranks designed for this. An interesting point is the Legion Arm, which we can upgrade or unlock newer and newer arms. And in such a way, for example, a grappling hook at the maximum upgrade level brings out a combined powerful aerial attack, which can further stagger opponents.
The leveling system is again classic Souls with additional nuances in the form of "P-Organs," which are a kind of skill tree. We upgrade them by collecting quartz, which can be found in hidden locations or after killing a strong enemy. The skills range from increasing the number of available Power Cells (Estus) to increasing the damage of Fable Arts. This introduces a certain dynamism to the game, which makes us feel the progression of our Pinocchio even more. As for leveling our character, it is, as I mentioned, a classic formula - after killing an opponent, we gain "ergo", or souls, which are also currency for purchases or leveling. We can choose from such statistics as vitality, vigor, motivity, technique, advance, capacity, etc. The builds are varied and there is something for everyone. Personally, for the first time in soulslike, I chose technique (dexterity), as I found that a faster fighting style would be more useful in a game based on guard and parrying. I was not disappointed, because even enthusiasts of "big wooden clubs" will find something for themselves in the build under the technique, and thanks to the system of crafting and combining different handles, you can create a big saw with a rapier handle, so that such a saw then has scaling from the technique. A really interesting idea!
I want to applaud the side characters and the audiovisual setting. The characters have their own personalities, are really interesting and deep - they hide a lot of secrets, which we will be given to know during the journey. Their real problems and motivations make the world seem real, true, and thanks to excellent voice acting, you just want to listen and listen to them to learn more parts of their story. As for the visuals, I'm unlikely to surprise anyone by the fact that they are phenomenal. The game runs on Unreal Engine 4, which translates into beautiful and razor-sharp graphics, while keeping the game's optimization impeccable. Playing at the highest details, not once did I experience FPS drops. It's amazing, especially in 2023, that a game can run flawlessly. The design of the locations and the artistic direction of the game still deserve praise, of course - taken straight out of the belle époque Krat looks amazing. The game itself is definitely more closed and linear than Souls games, but in my opinion this is on the plus side - you can take a moment's rest from Elden Ring's overwhelming size and return to the roots of the genre. As for the soundtrack - it is downright fabulous. Ambients, weapon sounds or record player songs will stay in my head for a very long time. Even while writing this review, I am listening to the song "Feel" from the game.
The game is not without flaws, of course, but these are so few that it's a shame to list them. However, one can fault the poor design of some of the bosses - their attacks seem all too delayed, and it is impossible to escape from most of the series of attacks after a failed dodge, ending in instant death, to which one cannot react in any way. The problem is also the excessive number of second-phase bosses, which makes it cease to be unique and surprising, but predictable and annoying. This is not something that spoils the experience of the game, but it is a noticeable downside.
I could write endlessly about this game, because as an immeasurable fan of literature, I am enchanted by this game. I consider Lies of P to be the absolute best Souls clone ever made. If you haven't already done so, dear reader, then do yourself the pleasure and buy a Game Pass or the game itself on Steam and immerse yourself in this insanely majestic world that will not only enchant you, but also satisfy you and leave you with a videogame hangover for a very long time. You have no idea so many secrets are buried in Krat...
The story is very loosely based on the events of Carlo Collodi's novel Pinocchio. It is an original and creative adaptation that, with its approach to the source material, impressed me greatly - the use of characters familiar from the novel or Disney animation in the dark French city of Krat during the belle époque period. The city is highly developed, and technology and discoveries have helped to patent and create marionettes that help people in their daily activities. Unfortunately, due to previously unexpected events, the marionettes became enraged and started killing everything that moves, causing chaos and destruction. With help comes the titular "P," or Pinocchio, who has been awakened by a woman with blue hair to quell the fury of the marionettes and restore order in Krat.
The plot is excellent - it's an original, but familiar world. It's far from Bloodborne by the fact that Lies of P isn't quite as gothic, but a few similarities (especially gameplay ones) can be found. The developers use Collodi's well-known novel to create their unique world, which is dark, compelling and, above all, interesting. The mass of references to the literary original only adds to the whole atmosphere and a certain character of the game. This is not, of course, a literal interpretation, but you can see the spirit of the novel, especially in the rather key mechanic of lying, which brings Pinocchio closer to becoming a real boy. To say more about the main plot would force me to talk about spoilers, which I won't do, so I'll stick with what I've written. I'll add again that through the atmosphere and worldbuilding, the world comes to me - these are my vibes, which I love.
Narratively it's like in souls, but not as much. Characters speak in riddles, but not in metaphors. The average player will seamlessly understand the plot and the intentions of the characters without browsing Reddit for two hours to understand every aspect of the story. Item descriptions and found notes obviously complete the story of the world, but they are not crucial to understanding who we are and why we are killing puppets. Individual bosses also have their own stories - they are original as well as interesting. In addition, none of them, except for one boss, is repeated, so the developers did not go for the easy way, which is a nice experience.
Gameplay is typical Souls series games - attack, strong attack, roll, block. However, the game combines several ideas from different games, so it creates its own identity and the feeling of the game is original. First of all, Pinocchio has a mechanical Legion Arm, which can be modified in many ways - it can be a kind of grappling hook, a flamethrower or a shield. This is, of course, a reworking of the idea of Sekiro's wooden hand, which works just phenomenally in the classic Souls formula. In addition, the system known from Bloodborne is visible, that is, after successfully blocking an attack, we lose some life, which we can regain by attacking the enemy. We also have "Fable Slots" available, which charge a special attack that changes depending on the weapon equipped. This is similar to the "Ashes of war" system from Elden Ring. So a fast katana will have a completely different attack than a heavy bludgeon. This is so satisfying to play that you feel great pleasure in beating the puppets. The attack and dodge system itself is done with purpose - I didn't have a situation where the game was unresponsive or annoying, it has its own character of combat and bosses to adapt to. Dodging alone is not enough, most of the attacks have to be parried, the player is even forced to do it, as a perfect guard is lavishly rewarded. This is the best gameplay Souls clone I've played (and I've played many titles in the genre).
Crafting is ok, nothing else. Ordinary weapons are composed of blades and handles, which can be freely mixed, changing the weapon's scaling and attack style. They upgrade to +10 in classic Souls style. Special weapons are obtained from the "souls" of bosses and are a unified whole - that is, so much so that you can't detach the blade from the handle. It is worth mentioning that special weapons have very unique attacks for Fairy Slots, which stand out from the rest. Throughout the arsenal, we have weapons available under motivity, technique, advance or quality (that is, motivity and technique), however, we can change the scaling of the weapons using the cranks designed for this. An interesting point is the Legion Arm, which we can upgrade or unlock newer and newer arms. And in such a way, for example, a grappling hook at the maximum upgrade level brings out a combined powerful aerial attack, which can further stagger opponents.
The leveling system is again classic Souls with additional nuances in the form of "P-Organs," which are a kind of skill tree. We upgrade them by collecting quartz, which can be found in hidden locations or after killing a strong enemy. The skills range from increasing the number of available Power Cells (Estus) to increasing the damage of Fable Arts. This introduces a certain dynamism to the game, which makes us feel the progression of our Pinocchio even more. As for leveling our character, it is, as I mentioned, a classic formula - after killing an opponent, we gain "ergo", or souls, which are also currency for purchases or leveling. We can choose from such statistics as vitality, vigor, motivity, technique, advance, capacity, etc. The builds are varied and there is something for everyone. Personally, for the first time in soulslike, I chose technique (dexterity), as I found that a faster fighting style would be more useful in a game based on guard and parrying. I was not disappointed, because even enthusiasts of "big wooden clubs" will find something for themselves in the build under the technique, and thanks to the system of crafting and combining different handles, you can create a big saw with a rapier handle, so that such a saw then has scaling from the technique. A really interesting idea!
I want to applaud the side characters and the audiovisual setting. The characters have their own personalities, are really interesting and deep - they hide a lot of secrets, which we will be given to know during the journey. Their real problems and motivations make the world seem real, true, and thanks to excellent voice acting, you just want to listen and listen to them to learn more parts of their story. As for the visuals, I'm unlikely to surprise anyone by the fact that they are phenomenal. The game runs on Unreal Engine 4, which translates into beautiful and razor-sharp graphics, while keeping the game's optimization impeccable. Playing at the highest details, not once did I experience FPS drops. It's amazing, especially in 2023, that a game can run flawlessly. The design of the locations and the artistic direction of the game still deserve praise, of course - taken straight out of the belle époque Krat looks amazing. The game itself is definitely more closed and linear than Souls games, but in my opinion this is on the plus side - you can take a moment's rest from Elden Ring's overwhelming size and return to the roots of the genre. As for the soundtrack - it is downright fabulous. Ambients, weapon sounds or record player songs will stay in my head for a very long time. Even while writing this review, I am listening to the song "Feel" from the game.
The game is not without flaws, of course, but these are so few that it's a shame to list them. However, one can fault the poor design of some of the bosses - their attacks seem all too delayed, and it is impossible to escape from most of the series of attacks after a failed dodge, ending in instant death, to which one cannot react in any way. The problem is also the excessive number of second-phase bosses, which makes it cease to be unique and surprising, but predictable and annoying. This is not something that spoils the experience of the game, but it is a noticeable downside.
I could write endlessly about this game, because as an immeasurable fan of literature, I am enchanted by this game. I consider Lies of P to be the absolute best Souls clone ever made. If you haven't already done so, dear reader, then do yourself the pleasure and buy a Game Pass or the game itself on Steam and immerse yourself in this insanely majestic world that will not only enchant you, but also satisfy you and leave you with a videogame hangover for a very long time. You have no idea so many secrets are buried in Krat...
Alan Wake hunts down his edgy doppelganger. Honestly, I don't know what surprised me the most: that it felt longer than I expected, it was 4 hours but I feel like I've been sitting there for over 6 hours, or that they gave such a lazy excuse for explaining why the same three locations get reused over and over. Though definitely what surprised me the most was that it felt exactly the same as the previous game. It has the same flaws; unidimensional and cliché characters, a boring ass gameplay loop and lots and lots of pages to be found. Fortunately, the enemy variety is improved. Unfortunately, it plays mostly the same. Thankfully, it embraces being an action game. Sadly, the levels are enemy arenas with nothing more to see. For every step forward I can see, there's a step backwards.
One thing this game has, is an arcade mode, which is actually a wave-based survival, but let's be honest, nobody is playing the standalone expansion of another game just to play a fun arcade mode, they're playing it for a continuation of the story. At the end, I didn't fully understood if this was really a continuation or anything, because after the credits ended (yes, I'm THAT weirdo) there's a message that says "Alan Wake's adventures will continue" or something along those lines, so what was really the point of this all? This just feel like a cheap side product with no intention whatsoever. The story is partially told by TV segments and manuscripts (there are radio transmissions, but they don't seem to add much) which kill the pace a lot. You could argue they're skippable, and they are, but there are some reveals that get done there so skipping them is showing no care about the story and that contradicts both the reason of this being made and someone playing it.
There wasn't a lot of motivation from my part to play this, since I didn't really liked Alan Wake to begin with, but I did anyway. Don't know exactly what made me do it, probably because I've read previously that this was inspired by the movie From Dusk Till Dawn, a movie I liked, or the small hopes of it turning out to be a superior experience than the base game thanks to a lower runtime, being a seemingly more focused experience and an expanded and enhanced combat. In the end, I was met by disappointment. I hope Alan Wake II turns out nice tho!
One thing this game has, is an arcade mode, which is actually a wave-based survival, but let's be honest, nobody is playing the standalone expansion of another game just to play a fun arcade mode, they're playing it for a continuation of the story. At the end, I didn't fully understood if this was really a continuation or anything, because after the credits ended (yes, I'm THAT weirdo) there's a message that says "Alan Wake's adventures will continue" or something along those lines, so what was really the point of this all? This just feel like a cheap side product with no intention whatsoever. The story is partially told by TV segments and manuscripts (there are radio transmissions, but they don't seem to add much) which kill the pace a lot. You could argue they're skippable, and they are, but there are some reveals that get done there so skipping them is showing no care about the story and that contradicts both the reason of this being made and someone playing it.
There wasn't a lot of motivation from my part to play this, since I didn't really liked Alan Wake to begin with, but I did anyway. Don't know exactly what made me do it, probably because I've read previously that this was inspired by the movie From Dusk Till Dawn, a movie I liked, or the small hopes of it turning out to be a superior experience than the base game thanks to a lower runtime, being a seemingly more focused experience and an expanded and enhanced combat. In the end, I was met by disappointment. I hope Alan Wake II turns out nice tho!
Guts and Glory
2018
Genuinely, one of the worst games on my Steam library. And I have Mr.President!, I'm dead fucking serious. There's no appeal to this whatsoever. The most garbo game you can buy on Steam. It baffles me that this made it to consoles (yeah, believe it or not, this is on Switch, PS4 and Xbox One) and that they're charging more than 10 bucks (5 bucks more for the soundtrack, like who's even going to listen to it!!!!) for one of the most low-quality, shovelware-tier and uninspired game released in recent years.
A game that is constantly compared to this one is Happy Wheels, and I mean, the inspiration is very clear, but once you start playing, every comparison you could have made is gone. This isn't referring to Happy Wheels being 2D and Guts & Glory being in 3D. Happy Wheels level creator could let you do lots of things, things that were more than an uninspired obstacle course or a quiz about some random youtuber. But even then, the work that could be done with the visuals could be something impressive. Things like Rope Swing, Sword/Ball Throw and many many more styles that made use of every mechanic and could even cross over each other are nowhere to be seen here. All you can do in Guts & Glory are uninspired obstacle courses or quizzes about some random youtuber. Because, like with most successful TinyBuild games, this was made specifically for YouTubers and Streamers, for them to react to the wacky physics for an hour or so, pump out another garbage Let's Play and make kids want to buy this. I bet you that everyone who says this game is good or decent have no more that 1 hour played and haven't played more than the first two official track groups, and if you think I don't have any base for this statement, go check the achievements percentages. I have played more than the first two official track groups, and I can confirm all of them are the most low-effort they could be.
This game is riddled with shitty level design, questionable controls, inexistent art style consisting of Unity Asset Store props and unpolished physics. Almost every vehicle loses control all by themselves; for some reason Zoe always leans to the left, the ATV guy (I forgot the name) makes extreme turns, Larry is straight up horseshit and so on. The only characters that are worth playing as are John (the guy with the kid), the Yang family and Pedro, the others don't add anything of significance to the gameplay. In fact, they worsen the gameplay further. And to all this, add up some minor details like shitty language localisation, the Unity Asset flip houses, props and models, and bad interfaces and menus. This feels like a game Dev student first project. I know making games is hard, but there are indie games out there made by one person that don't even have a publisher and have far more quality than this. If anything, this game proves removing Greenlight was a mistake. Happy Wheels at least was a good videogame.
A game that is constantly compared to this one is Happy Wheels, and I mean, the inspiration is very clear, but once you start playing, every comparison you could have made is gone. This isn't referring to Happy Wheels being 2D and Guts & Glory being in 3D. Happy Wheels level creator could let you do lots of things, things that were more than an uninspired obstacle course or a quiz about some random youtuber. But even then, the work that could be done with the visuals could be something impressive. Things like Rope Swing, Sword/Ball Throw and many many more styles that made use of every mechanic and could even cross over each other are nowhere to be seen here. All you can do in Guts & Glory are uninspired obstacle courses or quizzes about some random youtuber. Because, like with most successful TinyBuild games, this was made specifically for YouTubers and Streamers, for them to react to the wacky physics for an hour or so, pump out another garbage Let's Play and make kids want to buy this. I bet you that everyone who says this game is good or decent have no more that 1 hour played and haven't played more than the first two official track groups, and if you think I don't have any base for this statement, go check the achievements percentages. I have played more than the first two official track groups, and I can confirm all of them are the most low-effort they could be.
This game is riddled with shitty level design, questionable controls, inexistent art style consisting of Unity Asset Store props and unpolished physics. Almost every vehicle loses control all by themselves; for some reason Zoe always leans to the left, the ATV guy (I forgot the name) makes extreme turns, Larry is straight up horseshit and so on. The only characters that are worth playing as are John (the guy with the kid), the Yang family and Pedro, the others don't add anything of significance to the gameplay. In fact, they worsen the gameplay further. And to all this, add up some minor details like shitty language localisation, the Unity Asset flip houses, props and models, and bad interfaces and menus. This feels like a game Dev student first project. I know making games is hard, but there are indie games out there made by one person that don't even have a publisher and have far more quality than this. If anything, this game proves removing Greenlight was a mistake. Happy Wheels at least was a good videogame.
The Campaign
Here we are again. At least Activision let three go between releases this time and it's been paying off. I had high expectations for Modern Warfare II's campaign as 2019's was pretty damn good. A lot of elements carry over such as the fantastic acting, fun on-screen characters, and bombastic mission design, but there are a couple of new things thrown in borrowed from Black Ops: Cold War and tweaked slightly. You play as various well-known Modern Warfare characters such as Soap McTavish, and Ghost, with Captain Price returning as well as some characters from 2009's Modern Warfare 2. If you hadn't guessed, this is a prequel to that game and a direct sequel to Call of Duty 4. Starting to see a pattern here? 2019's Modern Warfare was a prequel to Call of Duty 4. My guess is Modern Warfare III will be a prequel to Modern Warfare 3. Why are we doing this? Why is there a Call of Duty multiverse?
Sadly, the campaign isn't as good as 2019's and still doesn't learn any lessons. It's a fast-paced rapid-fire campaign that doesn't focus on its strongest points. The story is interesting enough thanks to the fantastic acting and the on-screen characters are interesting and fun to watch, and I wanted more of them. Instead, we're rushed through a bare-bones campaign full of the same stuff we've seen before. On-rails vehicle missions, stealth missions that don't require you to really use stealth, some weird puzzle with a missile laptop that isn't really a puzzle because Infinity Ward thinks every player is dumb. Yeah, the game treats you like you're stupid and does everything for you. I really wish this would stop. Stop being scared of challenging us. Sure, the gunplay is bar none some of the best out there. The weapons feel great, and the animations and various minute things like ADS time, scope switching, and all that jazz feel tweaked and more responsive than ever. It's a blast to shoot things and use various weapons.
The only new thing here is screwed up and the worst part of the game. The final act has you crafting items and sneaking through a city to escape the enemy. Yeah, crafting in Call of Duty. I never thought I'd see the day. It's poorly implemented because the level design is terrible. I constantly got turned around and went in circles causing me to restart numerous times. You get no way to deal with enemies until you find a sharp object which is towards the end of the fist objective. You can craft smoke bombs, pry tools (which are essential to finding a gun and better weapons), and various small traps, but finding these items is a chore. I had to go into every single house and search everywhere just to get enough parts to make a single item.
Getting caught required numerous restarts and seriously halted the game. It's later introduced in an even worse situation in which you are in a single office with no weapons and have to scrounge for a sharp object and make items while also being on a timer to disarm a bomb with that same laptop puzzle thing. It's stupid and not fun. The thing is there are only two enemies in the room. Why would I need to craft all of these objects? Find two glass shards under the tables and duct tape and take them out. In fact, you can just stay under here and disarm the bomb without being seem. What were they thinking?
The campaign is about 5-6 hours long and it ended on a cliffhanger leading to 2009's Modern Warfare 2. So after this go play the remastered campaign of that I guess. I was left wanting more of what there was less of and wanting less of what I got. The beat of the game is well done. I felt entertained enough by the story and characters to keep going but those horrible stealth sections really slowed the game up and it makes me not want to play the campaign again. 2019's campaign is worth replaying. It's fun and varied.
The visuals are fantastic. While only a small step up from 2019's engine it looks amazing and is a well-optimized engine that can run on lower-end hardware. While there's no ray tracing right now, I can't wait to try it out. It's one of the best-looking games out there and is a treat to look at.
The Multiplayer
This is where I was most excited. I actually really like Call of Duty's multiplayer suite. After 2019 the game just perfected it. It's addictive, and fun and the customization options are pretty large. However, this year's game is a grind. I didn't think 2019 was really bad, but I feel without a Battle Pass you will be grinding a lot here. The biggest complaint is the new UI. It sucks. There are no more notifications (the green dots) on what you have unlocked. I have to quit a match search so I have time to go in and figure out what I unlocked. The armory itself is a bit confusing. I wish they would have just ported the 2019 UI over. It was perfectly fine.
Even the menu where you pick the match type is confusing. It feels like a mobile UI shoved onto a console. With that out of the way, the game plays pretty much the same. Movement is a bit more refined, guns feel even better than before, and there are more of them and a larger variety. You still get your five main classes and can customize your own, which by the way is a confusing mess thanks to that terrible new UI. New perks like strong arm which lets you see the trajectory of a thrown item. There are now perk packages that let you select two base perks and a bonus perk. I found this really felt better than picking separate perks as it forced you to mix things up.
The maps themselves are the star of the show and there are some good ones here. I feel like these are way better than Cold War's maps, but not quite as good as 2019's. Still, there were only one or two maps I didn't care for but they weren't terrible. The same modes and playlists return, but my favorite is always team deathmatch. I do play a few other modes occasionally but TDM never gets old. I didn't really get into Warzone 2.0 or any of the 32v32 maps as I prefer smaller battles in this game.
With that said, Modern Warfare II doesn't take the series in new strides but provides more of what made 2019 work and that's fine. The campaign isn't as good, but the new characters bring a lot of life to the series and they are fun to watch on screen. Sadly, the stealth missions bring the entire campaign down some and hurt the replay value. After the short campaign is over it's on to the multiplayer that we've grown to love and if you liked 2019's you will like what's here. A new perk and field upgrade system tweaked controls and animations, and all new maps that are pretty good. I just wish the UI wasn't so awful.
Here we are again. At least Activision let three go between releases this time and it's been paying off. I had high expectations for Modern Warfare II's campaign as 2019's was pretty damn good. A lot of elements carry over such as the fantastic acting, fun on-screen characters, and bombastic mission design, but there are a couple of new things thrown in borrowed from Black Ops: Cold War and tweaked slightly. You play as various well-known Modern Warfare characters such as Soap McTavish, and Ghost, with Captain Price returning as well as some characters from 2009's Modern Warfare 2. If you hadn't guessed, this is a prequel to that game and a direct sequel to Call of Duty 4. Starting to see a pattern here? 2019's Modern Warfare was a prequel to Call of Duty 4. My guess is Modern Warfare III will be a prequel to Modern Warfare 3. Why are we doing this? Why is there a Call of Duty multiverse?
Sadly, the campaign isn't as good as 2019's and still doesn't learn any lessons. It's a fast-paced rapid-fire campaign that doesn't focus on its strongest points. The story is interesting enough thanks to the fantastic acting and the on-screen characters are interesting and fun to watch, and I wanted more of them. Instead, we're rushed through a bare-bones campaign full of the same stuff we've seen before. On-rails vehicle missions, stealth missions that don't require you to really use stealth, some weird puzzle with a missile laptop that isn't really a puzzle because Infinity Ward thinks every player is dumb. Yeah, the game treats you like you're stupid and does everything for you. I really wish this would stop. Stop being scared of challenging us. Sure, the gunplay is bar none some of the best out there. The weapons feel great, and the animations and various minute things like ADS time, scope switching, and all that jazz feel tweaked and more responsive than ever. It's a blast to shoot things and use various weapons.
The only new thing here is screwed up and the worst part of the game. The final act has you crafting items and sneaking through a city to escape the enemy. Yeah, crafting in Call of Duty. I never thought I'd see the day. It's poorly implemented because the level design is terrible. I constantly got turned around and went in circles causing me to restart numerous times. You get no way to deal with enemies until you find a sharp object which is towards the end of the fist objective. You can craft smoke bombs, pry tools (which are essential to finding a gun and better weapons), and various small traps, but finding these items is a chore. I had to go into every single house and search everywhere just to get enough parts to make a single item.
Getting caught required numerous restarts and seriously halted the game. It's later introduced in an even worse situation in which you are in a single office with no weapons and have to scrounge for a sharp object and make items while also being on a timer to disarm a bomb with that same laptop puzzle thing. It's stupid and not fun. The thing is there are only two enemies in the room. Why would I need to craft all of these objects? Find two glass shards under the tables and duct tape and take them out. In fact, you can just stay under here and disarm the bomb without being seem. What were they thinking?
The campaign is about 5-6 hours long and it ended on a cliffhanger leading to 2009's Modern Warfare 2. So after this go play the remastered campaign of that I guess. I was left wanting more of what there was less of and wanting less of what I got. The beat of the game is well done. I felt entertained enough by the story and characters to keep going but those horrible stealth sections really slowed the game up and it makes me not want to play the campaign again. 2019's campaign is worth replaying. It's fun and varied.
The visuals are fantastic. While only a small step up from 2019's engine it looks amazing and is a well-optimized engine that can run on lower-end hardware. While there's no ray tracing right now, I can't wait to try it out. It's one of the best-looking games out there and is a treat to look at.
The Multiplayer
This is where I was most excited. I actually really like Call of Duty's multiplayer suite. After 2019 the game just perfected it. It's addictive, and fun and the customization options are pretty large. However, this year's game is a grind. I didn't think 2019 was really bad, but I feel without a Battle Pass you will be grinding a lot here. The biggest complaint is the new UI. It sucks. There are no more notifications (the green dots) on what you have unlocked. I have to quit a match search so I have time to go in and figure out what I unlocked. The armory itself is a bit confusing. I wish they would have just ported the 2019 UI over. It was perfectly fine.
Even the menu where you pick the match type is confusing. It feels like a mobile UI shoved onto a console. With that out of the way, the game plays pretty much the same. Movement is a bit more refined, guns feel even better than before, and there are more of them and a larger variety. You still get your five main classes and can customize your own, which by the way is a confusing mess thanks to that terrible new UI. New perks like strong arm which lets you see the trajectory of a thrown item. There are now perk packages that let you select two base perks and a bonus perk. I found this really felt better than picking separate perks as it forced you to mix things up.
The maps themselves are the star of the show and there are some good ones here. I feel like these are way better than Cold War's maps, but not quite as good as 2019's. Still, there were only one or two maps I didn't care for but they weren't terrible. The same modes and playlists return, but my favorite is always team deathmatch. I do play a few other modes occasionally but TDM never gets old. I didn't really get into Warzone 2.0 or any of the 32v32 maps as I prefer smaller battles in this game.
With that said, Modern Warfare II doesn't take the series in new strides but provides more of what made 2019 work and that's fine. The campaign isn't as good, but the new characters bring a lot of life to the series and they are fun to watch on screen. Sadly, the stealth missions bring the entire campaign down some and hurt the replay value. After the short campaign is over it's on to the multiplayer that we've grown to love and if you liked 2019's you will like what's here. A new perk and field upgrade system tweaked controls and animations, and all new maps that are pretty good. I just wish the UI wasn't so awful.
Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe's biggest strength is how unapologetically happy and colorful it is.
Its visuals are bright and gorgeous except for the characters' outlines, although I did get used to them over time.
The gameplay is unsurprisingly very laid-back and ramps up in difficulty a little, but not too much.
Instead, the focus seems to be more on variety, which extends to more than just Kirby's copy abilities: On top of the normal stages Return to Dream Land Deluxe offers "chase" sequences, challenges and minigames that ensure there's always something to unlock and to do.
Because of this, completing the main story and Merry Magoland felt very natural and rewarding.
While I wouldn't listen to most of the game's music on its own, it serves the gameplay very well, going from upbeat synths to epic orchestral pieces in its final moments.
My personal standouts are definitely Freezing Temple and CROWNED.
The story (including the Magolor Epilogue) was interesting and I'm looking forward to finding out more about it, but it felt like they could've done more with it instead of keeping the story at a minimum.
I also felt like the parchment aesthetic of the cutscenes put an unnecessary distance between the player and the action, which made it harder to get invested in this joyful experience.
My only gripe with the gameplay is the execution of sprinting: Having to push the control stick in a direction twice to get to full speed takes just a little too long for an action that is supposed to be fast.
It also created multiple situations where Kirby didn't perform an action I intended to perform, because I was sprinting (or not sprinting) without my knowledge.
Mapping that action to a button would've probably made it easier and cleaner to execute.
The level design was pretty much exactly what I was looking for, but it did feel to be at its strongest when it was designed around a single ability and didn't have to account for 24 others.
This is especially obvious in the new Magolor Epilogue, which was solely designed around Magolor's moveset.
Slowly upgrading this little character from almost nothing to being excessively powerful gave this mode a sense of progression as strong or even stronger than the main game.
Your mastery of all the different moves is repeatedly being put to the test by confronting you with harder bosses, some of which actually gave me a little trouble!
Admittedly, I wasn't a big fan of having to grind for the last few upgrades, but I'd be more than happy to see the mechanics of the Magolor Epilogue return and be fully explored in a whole game.
Finally, I want to point out how much detail was put into this game.
The art design, how much personality the characters have, Manager Magolor's statistics: There are so many aspects that show how much love went into this remake that I heavily recommend this game to anyone who's looking for a little positivity.
Its visuals are bright and gorgeous except for the characters' outlines, although I did get used to them over time.
The gameplay is unsurprisingly very laid-back and ramps up in difficulty a little, but not too much.
Instead, the focus seems to be more on variety, which extends to more than just Kirby's copy abilities: On top of the normal stages Return to Dream Land Deluxe offers "chase" sequences, challenges and minigames that ensure there's always something to unlock and to do.
Because of this, completing the main story and Merry Magoland felt very natural and rewarding.
While I wouldn't listen to most of the game's music on its own, it serves the gameplay very well, going from upbeat synths to epic orchestral pieces in its final moments.
My personal standouts are definitely Freezing Temple and CROWNED.
The story (including the Magolor Epilogue) was interesting and I'm looking forward to finding out more about it, but it felt like they could've done more with it instead of keeping the story at a minimum.
I also felt like the parchment aesthetic of the cutscenes put an unnecessary distance between the player and the action, which made it harder to get invested in this joyful experience.
My only gripe with the gameplay is the execution of sprinting: Having to push the control stick in a direction twice to get to full speed takes just a little too long for an action that is supposed to be fast.
It also created multiple situations where Kirby didn't perform an action I intended to perform, because I was sprinting (or not sprinting) without my knowledge.
Mapping that action to a button would've probably made it easier and cleaner to execute.
The level design was pretty much exactly what I was looking for, but it did feel to be at its strongest when it was designed around a single ability and didn't have to account for 24 others.
This is especially obvious in the new Magolor Epilogue, which was solely designed around Magolor's moveset.
Slowly upgrading this little character from almost nothing to being excessively powerful gave this mode a sense of progression as strong or even stronger than the main game.
Your mastery of all the different moves is repeatedly being put to the test by confronting you with harder bosses, some of which actually gave me a little trouble!
Admittedly, I wasn't a big fan of having to grind for the last few upgrades, but I'd be more than happy to see the mechanics of the Magolor Epilogue return and be fully explored in a whole game.
Finally, I want to point out how much detail was put into this game.
The art design, how much personality the characters have, Manager Magolor's statistics: There are so many aspects that show how much love went into this remake that I heavily recommend this game to anyone who's looking for a little positivity.
Soccer
1985
Kick the ball into the goal to score a point and then the crowd goes wild. That is about as interesting as an nes soccre game can be. The game is not that fun and the game is really slow paced (which is excusable since it came out on the NES). Kicking the ball outside is more fun than this game for me.
Game #22 of the challenge
Game #22 of the challenge
Catacomb 3-D
1991
Well, it's iD's precursor to WOLFENSTEIN 3-D, which essentially makes it the great-grandfather of all FPS games. As you might imagine, that means it's pretty rudimentary. But it's still playable enough. Low enemy type count, low 'weapon' count, the perspective doesn't quite work right sometimes, and it gets mighty tedious, but there are some fun levels (suprisingly not TOO too maze-y!) and a little bit of game-spanning puzzle-solving to be done.
A respectable test run, but even the boys knew back in the day that that was pretty much all it was. Fun to try if you're curious.
A respectable test run, but even the boys knew back in the day that that was pretty much all it was. Fun to try if you're curious.
Visage
2020
Very scary and crazy in a creative way, but frustrating for most of the experience... The game never tells you where to go, it doesn't give you direction at all... you'll find yourself walking all over the house a lot without knowing what to do, and sometimes you'll even accomplish the goal by accident, this is boring as hell and I highly recommend playing with a guide. Chapters 1 and 2 are wonderful and give me a boost of energy to keep playing, but it gets to fucking 3 and the game drops so much that when I got to 4 I didn't even have the energy to play. But it's a very good game overall, I dare say it's the best PT clone ever created.
Mortal Kombat
2011
If you are looking to play a fighting game for the first time or get into the MK franchise, this game is perfect.
Mortal Kombat is my favorite fighting game franchise of all time, and this is the best game in it. The fighting feels extremely responsive and fluid, and all of the characters' designs both visually and mechanically are perfected.
After a wave of 3D environment Mortal Kombat games, as the franchise was dying out NRS came in and saved it all with a reboot bringing back the fun of the original MK games, but with style and polish for modern audiences. The game's roster includes 31 characters, all with different abilities and combos to learn (or alternatively you can spam uppercut), and I can't think of a single character that feels boring or undesirable to play.
The story mode has its infamous moments (Sindel) of lazy writing, but it doesn't take away from the experience at all. Everything else in the game outweighs the few negatives it has. The combat (which is the most important part) feels great, and better than any other modern MK game. The fatalities and X-rays hit that sweet spot of not being too long / overdrawn, just enough to not get annoyed every time you get hit by an X-ray mid-battle. This doesn't even happen that often - considering breaker and EX moves are drained from the same power bar (even more proof of the clever fighting design).
10/10 would play again if the online was open.
Mortal Kombat is my favorite fighting game franchise of all time, and this is the best game in it. The fighting feels extremely responsive and fluid, and all of the characters' designs both visually and mechanically are perfected.
After a wave of 3D environment Mortal Kombat games, as the franchise was dying out NRS came in and saved it all with a reboot bringing back the fun of the original MK games, but with style and polish for modern audiences. The game's roster includes 31 characters, all with different abilities and combos to learn (or alternatively you can spam uppercut), and I can't think of a single character that feels boring or undesirable to play.
The story mode has its infamous moments (Sindel) of lazy writing, but it doesn't take away from the experience at all. Everything else in the game outweighs the few negatives it has. The combat (which is the most important part) feels great, and better than any other modern MK game. The fatalities and X-rays hit that sweet spot of not being too long / overdrawn, just enough to not get annoyed every time you get hit by an X-ray mid-battle. This doesn't even happen that often - considering breaker and EX moves are drained from the same power bar (even more proof of the clever fighting design).
10/10 would play again if the online was open.
Party Hard
2015
IDK man, I feel this game is really weird on what it wants to be, like there's a bunch of mechanics telling you that stealth is an option, but all the maps have so many people clumped together that killing them one by one trying to not get caught is really tedious and boring. The other half of the game also encourages killing a bunch of people in a row really quickly because it has a combo counter, but doing so alerts the police and you either have to mess with the ai to run from them or use an extra set of clothes which are one time only and you'll most likely be alerting the police again. Maybe the game wants me to switch between them but each play style feels really undercooked and not really engaging to do. The story is very whatever too, and I'm genuinely unsure if it's supposed to be like a parody of crime drama stuff, or if they're really trying to be serious.
Also this game might have one of the worst sprints I've seen in a video game ever.
Also this game might have one of the worst sprints I've seen in a video game ever.
Persona 5 Royal
2019
eu nem acredito no que eu acabei de jogar. vai ser muito difícil de eu conseguir expressar o quanto eu amei esse jogo do fundo do meu coração do início ao fim. foi definitivamente uma experiência única que eu faria de tudo pra poder ter ela de novo pela primeira vez. eu me apeguei tanto a esse mundo, a esses personagens, que até fica difícil de acreditar que eu finalmente zerei ele e que eu nunca mais vou sentir a mesma coisa que eu senti jogando isso
eu sempre tive muito hype pra jogar esse jogo desde quando eu comprei ele a 2 anos atrás, só que eu nunca tive a chance por conta da duração do jogo me assustar muito (e tambem pq a primeira vez que eu tentei jogar, eu fiquei preso no PRIMEIRO PALACE por pura burrice e incompetência, mas eu consegui criar coragem e começar um novo save e jogar o jogo desde o começo)
eu amei cada milímetro desse jogo, desde a história, os personagens, o estilo, e PRINCIPALMENTE a música PUTA QUE PARIU
a todo momento a música desse jogo quer te passar uma sensação que só Persona 5 vai te passar, cê tem noção que de todos os estilos de música possíveis eles escolherem JAZZ pra um jogo de rpg de turno e funciona TAO BEM quanto a maioria das trilhas sonoras icônicas de final fantasy por exemplo
vale destacar que esse jogo também tem MUITO estilo, e ele sabe disso, e joga isso na sua cara a todo momento que ele pode. a todo momento o estilo e a personalidade própria que esse jogo tem consegue se superar e te impressionar cada vez mais e mais, eu nunca vi um jogo tão LINDO quanto esse. é realmente algo inexplicável e único que você só vai ver em persona 5 e em nenhum lugar mais
os personagens desse jogo também foi um dos fatores que me influenciou a gostar ainda mais desse jogo. todos eles são extremamente carismáticos e jogo consegue construir o seu relacionamento com eles como se eles fossem seus amigos de verdade, e quanto você finalmente finaliza o jogo você consegue perceber um vazio dentro de si porque acabou, sabe? depois de 100 horas de jogo junto com esse elenco espetacular, em algum momento você tem que zerar o jogo, e ai tudo isso acaba pra sempre. e pode parecer besteira, mas isso dói, dói muito mais do que eu queria
até agora eu só falei do jogo que vem junto com esse álbum, então pq não falar da soundtrack, que é o conteúdo principal né? eu te juro que não vai ter UM momento em que você vai enjoar da música desse jogo mesmo escutando ela toda vez que você entra em uma batalha. a música de Persona corrompe o ser humano e o faz ouvi-la todo. santo. dia. até pra quem nem vai jogar o jogo e não faz questão da existência dele eu recomendo fortemente ouvir a soundtrack dele. eu genuinamente não sei se eu vou ter a mesma sensação que eu tive ouvindo a música dos créditos desse jogo de novo alguma vez, aquilo foi um bagulho de outro mundo.
dito isso: top 5 melhores músicas desse jogo que ninguém pode discordar:
1 - Take Over
2 - Our Light
3 - Last Suprise
4 - Whims of Fate
5 - Life Will Chance
para finalizar, minhas considerações finais:
- o conteúdo que a versão Royal adiciona é ABSURDO, todo o arco final do terceiro semestre adiciona muito não só pra história, mas pro jogo em si. além obviamente dos personagens novos como a Yoshizawa e o Maruki, que são MUITO bem construídos nessa parte final do jogo
- esse jogo é perfeito pra quem sabe inglês e quer botar ele em prática, porque o jogo inteirinho é completamente em inglês e jogar ele sem saber muita coisa pode te deixar boiando (já que é um jogo focado narrativa e com bastante diálogo), mas pra quem sabe, tá aí uma ótima recomendação, já que além de treinar você também aprende novos termos e isso é do balaco baco
- YOU'LL NEVER SE IT COMIIIIIIIIINNG, YOU'LL SEE THAT MY MIND IS TOO FAST FOR EEEEEYES, YOU'RE DONE IIIIIIIIINN, BY THE TIME IT'S HIT YOU, YOUR LAST SUR-PRIIISE
o único defeito que eu consegui achar pra esse jogo é que ele tem fim e que a porra do backloggd não deixa eu dar uma sexta estrela a mais pra ele
dito isso: 11/10, meu jogo favorito da vida
eu sempre tive muito hype pra jogar esse jogo desde quando eu comprei ele a 2 anos atrás, só que eu nunca tive a chance por conta da duração do jogo me assustar muito (e tambem pq a primeira vez que eu tentei jogar, eu fiquei preso no PRIMEIRO PALACE por pura burrice e incompetência, mas eu consegui criar coragem e começar um novo save e jogar o jogo desde o começo)
eu amei cada milímetro desse jogo, desde a história, os personagens, o estilo, e PRINCIPALMENTE a música PUTA QUE PARIU
a todo momento a música desse jogo quer te passar uma sensação que só Persona 5 vai te passar, cê tem noção que de todos os estilos de música possíveis eles escolherem JAZZ pra um jogo de rpg de turno e funciona TAO BEM quanto a maioria das trilhas sonoras icônicas de final fantasy por exemplo
vale destacar que esse jogo também tem MUITO estilo, e ele sabe disso, e joga isso na sua cara a todo momento que ele pode. a todo momento o estilo e a personalidade própria que esse jogo tem consegue se superar e te impressionar cada vez mais e mais, eu nunca vi um jogo tão LINDO quanto esse. é realmente algo inexplicável e único que você só vai ver em persona 5 e em nenhum lugar mais
os personagens desse jogo também foi um dos fatores que me influenciou a gostar ainda mais desse jogo. todos eles são extremamente carismáticos e jogo consegue construir o seu relacionamento com eles como se eles fossem seus amigos de verdade, e quanto você finalmente finaliza o jogo você consegue perceber um vazio dentro de si porque acabou, sabe? depois de 100 horas de jogo junto com esse elenco espetacular, em algum momento você tem que zerar o jogo, e ai tudo isso acaba pra sempre. e pode parecer besteira, mas isso dói, dói muito mais do que eu queria
até agora eu só falei do jogo que vem junto com esse álbum, então pq não falar da soundtrack, que é o conteúdo principal né? eu te juro que não vai ter UM momento em que você vai enjoar da música desse jogo mesmo escutando ela toda vez que você entra em uma batalha. a música de Persona corrompe o ser humano e o faz ouvi-la todo. santo. dia. até pra quem nem vai jogar o jogo e não faz questão da existência dele eu recomendo fortemente ouvir a soundtrack dele. eu genuinamente não sei se eu vou ter a mesma sensação que eu tive ouvindo a música dos créditos desse jogo de novo alguma vez, aquilo foi um bagulho de outro mundo.
dito isso: top 5 melhores músicas desse jogo que ninguém pode discordar:
1 - Take Over
2 - Our Light
3 - Last Suprise
4 - Whims of Fate
5 - Life Will Chance
para finalizar, minhas considerações finais:
- o conteúdo que a versão Royal adiciona é ABSURDO, todo o arco final do terceiro semestre adiciona muito não só pra história, mas pro jogo em si. além obviamente dos personagens novos como a Yoshizawa e o Maruki, que são MUITO bem construídos nessa parte final do jogo
- esse jogo é perfeito pra quem sabe inglês e quer botar ele em prática, porque o jogo inteirinho é completamente em inglês e jogar ele sem saber muita coisa pode te deixar boiando (já que é um jogo focado narrativa e com bastante diálogo), mas pra quem sabe, tá aí uma ótima recomendação, já que além de treinar você também aprende novos termos e isso é do balaco baco
- YOU'LL NEVER SE IT COMIIIIIIIIINNG, YOU'LL SEE THAT MY MIND IS TOO FAST FOR EEEEEYES, YOU'RE DONE IIIIIIIIINN, BY THE TIME IT'S HIT YOU, YOUR LAST SUR-PRIIISE
o único defeito que eu consegui achar pra esse jogo é que ele tem fim e que a porra do backloggd não deixa eu dar uma sexta estrela a mais pra ele
dito isso: 11/10, meu jogo favorito da vida