SPICEBAG
My love of From Software begins with Dark Souls 1 and I think that the remaster is the best way to play it, solely for the improvements to performance in Blighttown. There are things to nitpick but on the whole its fine as a remaster.
There is very little to say about this game that hasn't already been said by a million reviews and video essays. Combat is great, the world is great, the lore is great, it arguably spawned Soulslike as a genre, its reach went much further than the previous game.
I don't however believe this game to be a masterpiece. As much as I adore it there is a very significant dip in quality after the half-way point. It can be blamed on From being rushed to release the game but everything after Ornstein and Smough lacks the polish and tightness of the first half of the game. I feel as though people just forget about how dull the Demon Ruins are, or how underwhelming the fight with Gwyn is.
I could replay up to Anor Londo over and over but beyond that I tend to burn out and stop my runs.
That's not to say I don't wholeheartedly love this game for being my introduction to the series and for having a world so thoroughly realised that lore videos still catch my eye every now and then.
There is very little to say about this game that hasn't already been said by a million reviews and video essays. Combat is great, the world is great, the lore is great, it arguably spawned Soulslike as a genre, its reach went much further than the previous game.
I don't however believe this game to be a masterpiece. As much as I adore it there is a very significant dip in quality after the half-way point. It can be blamed on From being rushed to release the game but everything after Ornstein and Smough lacks the polish and tightness of the first half of the game. I feel as though people just forget about how dull the Demon Ruins are, or how underwhelming the fight with Gwyn is.
I could replay up to Anor Londo over and over but beyond that I tend to burn out and stop my runs.
That's not to say I don't wholeheartedly love this game for being my introduction to the series and for having a world so thoroughly realised that lore videos still catch my eye every now and then.
2022
Stylish, thoughtful and full of charm.
Really it's one of those games you should play without spoiling anything. It won't change your life or outlook or anything but I found I kept thinking about it for a while after playing.
Really it's one of those games you should play without spoiling anything. It won't change your life or outlook or anything but I found I kept thinking about it for a while after playing.
2009
I don't know what all these weird little people are doing in my interior decoration and architecture game.
2022
Extremely fun.
When you realise the developer used to design the UI for digital slot machines it makes complete sense and elevates this game to gamblecore GOLD.
Do NOT stop betting on black, you're one spin away from everything you dreamed of.
My only complaint for this game is that some maps are enormous to the point of tedium when trying to traverse them for specific unlocks.
When you realise the developer used to design the UI for digital slot machines it makes complete sense and elevates this game to gamblecore GOLD.
Do NOT stop betting on black, you're one spin away from everything you dreamed of.
My only complaint for this game is that some maps are enormous to the point of tedium when trying to traverse them for specific unlocks.
2012
An exceptional third person shooter.
This feels so god damn good to play and looks so good while playing it. The New York levels in particular are some of my favourite levels in any TPS, they are so full of character and atmosphere.
Playing this game feels like watching a gritty TV show from the mid 2000s, it evokes similar feelings in me as watching dark scenes in The Sopranos or something similar, hard to describe.
Unfortunately, the technology that made this game so impressive at its launch now holds it back. Loading screens are hidden behind cutscenes but this means cutscenes are frequent and loooooong, regardless of how good your SSD is. Gameplay comes grinding to a halt due to this.
A lot of fun though.
I heard multiplayer was great back in the day but it's 100% dead now.
This feels so god damn good to play and looks so good while playing it. The New York levels in particular are some of my favourite levels in any TPS, they are so full of character and atmosphere.
Playing this game feels like watching a gritty TV show from the mid 2000s, it evokes similar feelings in me as watching dark scenes in The Sopranos or something similar, hard to describe.
Unfortunately, the technology that made this game so impressive at its launch now holds it back. Loading screens are hidden behind cutscenes but this means cutscenes are frequent and loooooong, regardless of how good your SSD is. Gameplay comes grinding to a halt due to this.
A lot of fun though.
I heard multiplayer was great back in the day but it's 100% dead now.
2023
Playing this makes me feel like I just logged into Newgrounds in 2008.
It's a nice Roguelike for killing time and some of the starting builds are surprisingly difficult.
It's a nice Roguelike for killing time and some of the starting builds are surprisingly difficult.
2020
Fun idea but the devs ignored very real problems since the very start, namely the terrible hit-reg/connection issues. They then sold out to Epic Games and drip fed content.
Fun for a match or two but ultimately wasted potential.
Fun for a match or two but ultimately wasted potential.
This to me was the absolute low point of the Call of Duty series.
It was the first CoD I bought since MW3 in 2011 and it made me feel justified in ignoring the series up to that point. So much so, that I went through the hassle of get a refund via BattleNet.
The game looks atrocious, even back at launch it looked bad, I swear some of the textures here are the same we have been seeing since MW2 and Black Ops 1.
The time to kill is at its worst here, guns are all so inconsistent and it's as if the game wants to be a hero shooter but doesn't commit all the way. What the hell is going on with their solution to grenade spam too?
There isn't a campaign, that's not a negative in my opinion, but I can't even say "hey at least the campaign is fun". We can also blame this CoD for lighting the fire of Warzone.
All in all, looks and feels like a cheap F2P CoD clone. There is A LOT more I could say but I think it doesn't matter, the game is dead now anyway.
It was the first CoD I bought since MW3 in 2011 and it made me feel justified in ignoring the series up to that point. So much so, that I went through the hassle of get a refund via BattleNet.
The game looks atrocious, even back at launch it looked bad, I swear some of the textures here are the same we have been seeing since MW2 and Black Ops 1.
The time to kill is at its worst here, guns are all so inconsistent and it's as if the game wants to be a hero shooter but doesn't commit all the way. What the hell is going on with their solution to grenade spam too?
There isn't a campaign, that's not a negative in my opinion, but I can't even say "hey at least the campaign is fun". We can also blame this CoD for lighting the fire of Warzone.
All in all, looks and feels like a cheap F2P CoD clone. There is A LOT more I could say but I think it doesn't matter, the game is dead now anyway.
I'm surprised to say this but I have a soft spot for GoW. I think it's because it was one of the first 360 games I played and you can't show a 9 year old a mutant alien thing being chainsawed in half and expect it NOT to make an impression.
I played this on PC during COVID as a coop game with my gf who I couldn't visit, and who at the time had never played a GoW game. I was surprised at how much fun we were having and how much she enjoyed it.
The game looks OK, even in a remastered state it's still mostly grays and blacks with piles of rubble and lots of samey underground sections.
The characters control how they look, like barges of meat. If you want to turn around you better possess a HGV license and know how to do multipoint turns. That being said, there is a reason this game set the standard for third person cover shooters, the levels are well designed and the combat is tuned perfectly for it.
The guns have an inherent amount of spread which I think is fine in a game like this where you can tank so many hits - it prevents it from being a "just click on their head bro" sort of game. The reload "minigame" is very satisfying when you can consistently get it right.
We were laughing at how ridiculous the characters are while playing, I can't comprehend how people say they cried at some scenes in this game. There are depressing moments but it's completely undermined by much of the dialogue before and after, as well as the fact you go right back to chainsawing Locust. This wasn't called a Dudebro game for nothing.
It is still a really fun time, especially as a co-op game. As far as I remember, this is only available on Xbox Games, not Steam, and they didn't remaster the second game frustratingly, we definitely would have played more.
Compulsory I Hate Cliff Blazinski addendum. GoW is the only good thing he ever made.
* PSS I have been informed I am a fool and a charlatan, Unreal Tournament exists and Cliff can have that one. I haven't forgotten about his forum posts though.
I played this on PC during COVID as a coop game with my gf who I couldn't visit, and who at the time had never played a GoW game. I was surprised at how much fun we were having and how much she enjoyed it.
The game looks OK, even in a remastered state it's still mostly grays and blacks with piles of rubble and lots of samey underground sections.
The characters control how they look, like barges of meat. If you want to turn around you better possess a HGV license and know how to do multipoint turns. That being said, there is a reason this game set the standard for third person cover shooters, the levels are well designed and the combat is tuned perfectly for it.
The guns have an inherent amount of spread which I think is fine in a game like this where you can tank so many hits - it prevents it from being a "just click on their head bro" sort of game. The reload "minigame" is very satisfying when you can consistently get it right.
We were laughing at how ridiculous the characters are while playing, I can't comprehend how people say they cried at some scenes in this game. There are depressing moments but it's completely undermined by much of the dialogue before and after, as well as the fact you go right back to chainsawing Locust. This wasn't called a Dudebro game for nothing.
It is still a really fun time, especially as a co-op game. As far as I remember, this is only available on Xbox Games, not Steam, and they didn't remaster the second game frustratingly, we definitely would have played more.
Compulsory I Hate Cliff Blazinski addendum. GoW is the only good thing he ever made.
* PSS I have been informed I am a fool and a charlatan, Unreal Tournament exists and Cliff can have that one. I haven't forgotten about his forum posts though.
This might be my worst take.
Metroid Prime: Hunters is my favourite Metroid game. Please god hear me out before you beat me to death with hammers.
This was the first game I got with my original DS in 2006 and by virtue of growing up in a situation with not a huge amount of money I learned to make games last. I played more Metroid Prime: Hunters than any kid should ever.
Prior to Hunters, I had played nearly every previous entry in the Metroid franchise, including the NES game ported to GBA, but not the Prime games as I did not get a GameCube until later on.
What blew me away about this game was the Nintendo DS single-card multiplayer. I had a big group of friends, all with a DS, so for us to sit around playing the handheld equivalent of a LAN party in 2006 was mind-blowing to my child brain. The online play via the DS WiFi adapter was also one of my first online experiences and I will never forget being shit-talked by someone via the god-awful microphone on the DS.
The game itself isn't really anything special, it's a first person shooter on the DS that would cripple my big, old hands now, to move and aim in this game takes the dexterity of a bomb defusal specialist. However it is fun, there is nice variety to the Hunters you can play as and there are weapon pickups scattered across the maps. I think the developers took a big inspiration from Quake when designing this.
If I played it today for the first time I would probably laugh this off but I am 100% letting my nostalgia goggles stay glued on my face for this one.
Metroid Prime: Hunters is my favourite Metroid game. Please god hear me out before you beat me to death with hammers.
This was the first game I got with my original DS in 2006 and by virtue of growing up in a situation with not a huge amount of money I learned to make games last. I played more Metroid Prime: Hunters than any kid should ever.
Prior to Hunters, I had played nearly every previous entry in the Metroid franchise, including the NES game ported to GBA, but not the Prime games as I did not get a GameCube until later on.
What blew me away about this game was the Nintendo DS single-card multiplayer. I had a big group of friends, all with a DS, so for us to sit around playing the handheld equivalent of a LAN party in 2006 was mind-blowing to my child brain. The online play via the DS WiFi adapter was also one of my first online experiences and I will never forget being shit-talked by someone via the god-awful microphone on the DS.
The game itself isn't really anything special, it's a first person shooter on the DS that would cripple my big, old hands now, to move and aim in this game takes the dexterity of a bomb defusal specialist. However it is fun, there is nice variety to the Hunters you can play as and there are weapon pickups scattered across the maps. I think the developers took a big inspiration from Quake when designing this.
If I played it today for the first time I would probably laugh this off but I am 100% letting my nostalgia goggles stay glued on my face for this one.
2015
so called free thinkers when internet reactionaries found a way to fight the woke mob
its an isometric shooter and its fine for what it is but the devs really doomed this to forever being mocked as the unironic edgelord game rather than being fondly remembered as something stupid and silly and deserve the criticism for it
its an isometric shooter and its fine for what it is but the devs really doomed this to forever being mocked as the unironic edgelord game rather than being fondly remembered as something stupid and silly and deserve the criticism for it
I believe this game makes for a fantastic introduction to VR.
It doesn't do anything ground-breaking nor does it ask you to do anything too complex in VR. It gives you a simple world with tasks to do and some fun voice acting to encourage you along.
I enjoyed my time with it and it's genuinely funny at parts (something I rarely say for games actively trying to be funny). I would likely start someone off in this game to get them adjusted to VR and see what it is like to interact with items in the game space.
It doesn't do anything ground-breaking nor does it ask you to do anything too complex in VR. It gives you a simple world with tasks to do and some fun voice acting to encourage you along.
I enjoyed my time with it and it's genuinely funny at parts (something I rarely say for games actively trying to be funny). I would likely start someone off in this game to get them adjusted to VR and see what it is like to interact with items in the game space.
2009
I've always loved L4D ever since the first beta.
The fact this game is still alive is a testament to how fun it is and how allowing modding tools with quick integration can extend a game's life significantly.
If you've somehow never played this game I can't imagine it would seem all that fun today but as a product of its time it was best in class.
My only complaint about L4D2 is that I wish it borrowed more tonally from the first game, which was much darker and more horror focused. The deep south setting is wonderful here though.
The fact this game is still alive is a testament to how fun it is and how allowing modding tools with quick integration can extend a game's life significantly.
If you've somehow never played this game I can't imagine it would seem all that fun today but as a product of its time it was best in class.
My only complaint about L4D2 is that I wish it borrowed more tonally from the first game, which was much darker and more horror focused. The deep south setting is wonderful here though.
2019
Wasn't for me.
I like the tone and music a lot, but the actual gameplay didn't engage me at all.
I don't feel it fair to give this one a score at all because I flat out think it just isn't for me and I can't comment on it one way or another.
I like the tone and music a lot, but the actual gameplay didn't engage me at all.
I don't feel it fair to give this one a score at all because I flat out think it just isn't for me and I can't comment on it one way or another.
2014
A masterclass in adapting a movie to a game.
Alien: Isolation takes the original source material and goes all in, it was amazing to experience in 2014 and it still holds up exceptionally well today.
Every inch of Sevastopol is oozing with atmosphere and lore accurate details. I personally find the Seegson corporation invented for the game (as far as I know) to be much more compelling than Weyland-Yutani ever was in the films.
The gameplay is quite simple but it feels nice and weighty to play. I still remember specific moments from my first ever playthrough that scared the life out of me.
The AI behind the Alien is very interesting, there's a lot of essays online about how it works and it's worth reading if you're into game development.
The only flaw this game has in my opinion is that it falls into the same hole that nearly every other survival horror game does. When you play for long enough you get comfortable with the enemies, you learn their limits, their weaknesses, their exploits, etc. The first half of the game is very fun but by the end the Alien stops being scary and just becomes a nuisance.
The final act also overstays its welcome, it could have easily been cut down by an hour or two.
I appreciate the character of Amanda Ripley. The developers refused to make her just another tropey survival horror character who talks endlessly to herself about what needs to be done or how she feels. She isn't some god-like, strong woman archetype. She is a grounded, stubborn character just trying to survive and is all the better for it.
Alien: Isolation takes the original source material and goes all in, it was amazing to experience in 2014 and it still holds up exceptionally well today.
Every inch of Sevastopol is oozing with atmosphere and lore accurate details. I personally find the Seegson corporation invented for the game (as far as I know) to be much more compelling than Weyland-Yutani ever was in the films.
The gameplay is quite simple but it feels nice and weighty to play. I still remember specific moments from my first ever playthrough that scared the life out of me.
The AI behind the Alien is very interesting, there's a lot of essays online about how it works and it's worth reading if you're into game development.
The only flaw this game has in my opinion is that it falls into the same hole that nearly every other survival horror game does. When you play for long enough you get comfortable with the enemies, you learn their limits, their weaknesses, their exploits, etc. The first half of the game is very fun but by the end the Alien stops being scary and just becomes a nuisance.
The final act also overstays its welcome, it could have easily been cut down by an hour or two.
I appreciate the character of Amanda Ripley. The developers refused to make her just another tropey survival horror character who talks endlessly to herself about what needs to be done or how she feels. She isn't some god-like, strong woman archetype. She is a grounded, stubborn character just trying to survive and is all the better for it.