ShadowBluegarden
This review contains spoilers
10/10. Killed God, Killed another God, Killed the concept of Nothingness and then had a fist fight in the void. Would do all that again if I could.
1993
Disclaimer: I played an English patch version of Rockman X. DIalogues and bosses names are based on the japanese script.
Still one of the best games in the franchise. Pretty much untouchable when it comes to OST and pacing. Plot-wise, it's quite simple, much like a classic Mega Man game.
The intro stage in this game is possibly one of my favorites in the franchise, and when you get the dash the game becomes a complete different beast than classic Mega Man. Faster pacing, tighter jumps, trickier dodges... you name it.
It's one of my favorite X games, though I do feel some of the later games improve on it a lot.
Still one of the best games in the franchise. Pretty much untouchable when it comes to OST and pacing. Plot-wise, it's quite simple, much like a classic Mega Man game.
The intro stage in this game is possibly one of my favorites in the franchise, and when you get the dash the game becomes a complete different beast than classic Mega Man. Faster pacing, tighter jumps, trickier dodges... you name it.
It's one of my favorite X games, though I do feel some of the later games improve on it a lot.
1994
This review contains spoilers
DISCLAIMER: Played with an English patch that changes some of the dialogues. Bosses names and certain attacks also were maintained as they were on the Japanese version.
This is the best SNES MMX game, in my opinion.
It improves on a lot of the features that the first game had and makes the game even faster paced. The story itself is simple enough to understand and follows the events of the first game nicely. Counter-Hunters are trying to maintain Sigma's Revolution going, as X defeats the Mavericks one after the other. The game does imply that Serges might be a revived Doctor Wily, but it doesn't go much further than that.
Gameplay-wise, it's so much faster than X1 and the level design itself is much more interesting, almost forcing the player to use all available weapons if he wants to get all the extra items.
While soundtrack-wise it doesn't sound as complex as the first one, the compositions feel much more interesting and most of them returned in one way or another to the franchise at some point.
While "stage changes" are not so much of a thing anymore, I like that they maintained the whole "You can change how the boss looks depending on what you use against it" that started on X1.
Overall, this is my favorite SNES X game.
This is the best SNES MMX game, in my opinion.
It improves on a lot of the features that the first game had and makes the game even faster paced. The story itself is simple enough to understand and follows the events of the first game nicely. Counter-Hunters are trying to maintain Sigma's Revolution going, as X defeats the Mavericks one after the other. The game does imply that Serges might be a revived Doctor Wily, but it doesn't go much further than that.
Gameplay-wise, it's so much faster than X1 and the level design itself is much more interesting, almost forcing the player to use all available weapons if he wants to get all the extra items.
While soundtrack-wise it doesn't sound as complex as the first one, the compositions feel much more interesting and most of them returned in one way or another to the franchise at some point.
While "stage changes" are not so much of a thing anymore, I like that they maintained the whole "You can change how the boss looks depending on what you use against it" that started on X1.
Overall, this is my favorite SNES X game.
1995
This... sure is one of the games.
A bit too long for my taste, the padding with the ride armors (that are not even that required) and some of the boss fights being frustrating really don't make me enjoy this game as much.
However, this time around I decided to check the PS1 version.
I really like the new arrangements for the OST, it's definitely less rock, but some tracks sound very unique with the new instruments.
And the cutscenes... my god, those are charming. I really miss the PS1 era when they had time/effort to actually put a few nice things for the player to see.
Overall... it was fun, but it's definitely one I wouldn't revisit anytime soon.
A bit too long for my taste, the padding with the ride armors (that are not even that required) and some of the boss fights being frustrating really don't make me enjoy this game as much.
However, this time around I decided to check the PS1 version.
I really like the new arrangements for the OST, it's definitely less rock, but some tracks sound very unique with the new instruments.
And the cutscenes... my god, those are charming. I really miss the PS1 era when they had time/effort to actually put a few nice things for the player to see.
Overall... it was fun, but it's definitely one I wouldn't revisit anytime soon.
1997
Disclaimer: Played this with the Undub + Script revision hack.
One of the strongest PS1 titles, and one of the best MMX games.
High quality level design that does not get old at all, nice bosses (though most of them have that Spark Mandrill weakness thing), and some of the greatest tracks by Toshihiko Horiyama.
The story in this game is... rather simple, at times it really feels like it was abridged from a manga/anime as some of the character's decisions feel a bit... unfinished (to be frank, since dialogue is not a priority I see why they did as they did. The X4 manga does give more detail on why the Maverick Hunters had more evidence to back up their "Repliforce caused this attack", as well), but it's still coherent enough.
If you never played a MMX game, this is the one I'd recommend. Great replay value, gameplay as X is as consistent as ever and having Zero as the full-melee class here works amazingly.
(01/05/2024 Edit: Replayed the original version. Holy moly the english dub is bad lmao)
One of the strongest PS1 titles, and one of the best MMX games.
High quality level design that does not get old at all, nice bosses (though most of them have that Spark Mandrill weakness thing), and some of the greatest tracks by Toshihiko Horiyama.
The story in this game is... rather simple, at times it really feels like it was abridged from a manga/anime as some of the character's decisions feel a bit... unfinished (to be frank, since dialogue is not a priority I see why they did as they did. The X4 manga does give more detail on why the Maverick Hunters had more evidence to back up their "Repliforce caused this attack", as well), but it's still coherent enough.
If you never played a MMX game, this is the one I'd recommend. Great replay value, gameplay as X is as consistent as ever and having Zero as the full-melee class here works amazingly.
(01/05/2024 Edit: Replayed the original version. Holy moly the english dub is bad lmao)
My first MMX game, and one I played over and over so much I know it from front to back.
I am very aware that this game doesn't get as much love as the previous entries (besides X3 considering how stinky that one is), however my bias towards it is very strong.
This is the game that made me fall in love with the X series, and when I play it nowadays, this definitely feels more like a DLC to X4 than a game itself.
Story-wise, it tries to close off the X series with the X and Zero showdown, and to do that it gives the player 3 paths to follow. Either allow the Colony to crash on the Earth, awakening Zero and leading them to the Bad Ending Route (which some people argued was the canon one, considering the events on MMZ), or stop the Colony with the Laser / Shuttle, which leads to either the player controlling X or Zero and fighting the opposite one.
The fight on the Normal route does not feel as dark as in the Bad route, for obvious reasons, and it feels less like a battle of fate and just... X trying to stop Zero from being infected. A bit underwhelming, all considered, but it fits X's personality completely. On X4 Double mentions how X's naiveté would be the end of him, and to be frank it almost is, so at least it's coherent enough.
As for the Mavericks... I'll be real, I love how dumb the american names are. Just... Guns n' Roses mentions all around. And if you really think "Shining Firefly" is better than "Izzy Glow", there's something wrong with you /jk
But I did play the Improvement Project, so they have their proper names again. It's great to read their dialogues as well. Most of them are either going Maverick slowly due to the Sigma Virus, or they become Mavericks mid-dialogue, and if you're the bat you're just squeaking and longing for the death of everything. Hell, if you for any reason goes to a stage where the boss isn't dead and the colony crashed / was destroyed, most of their dialogues are very depressing. They either became Mavericks or they're so sad they just want to be finished off before going Maverick. It's quite interest how most of them either were Maverick Hunters or they were worker Reploids as well. This game's story is... just very dark. And it really has that sense of "The end is near".
I loved this game as a kid because of the soundtrack, levels, bosses design and.... to be quite frank, what made this game click with me was when I was playing the game as usual, and I destroyed the Eurasia with the Enigma. No RNG manipulation, no shooting it right after the intro stage, just... playing the game as it was.
just being able to check the Zero Stages with no need to clear the other 4 bosses... gosh, what a weird feeling that was.
I think I rambled on too much, though.
This is my personal favorite X game. A Non-Inafune game, made in such short notice that it's quite amazing how it came out. It might not be one of the better game for most people, but this one holds a special place in my heart.
I am very aware that this game doesn't get as much love as the previous entries (besides X3 considering how stinky that one is), however my bias towards it is very strong.
This is the game that made me fall in love with the X series, and when I play it nowadays, this definitely feels more like a DLC to X4 than a game itself.
Story-wise, it tries to close off the X series with the X and Zero showdown, and to do that it gives the player 3 paths to follow. Either allow the Colony to crash on the Earth, awakening Zero and leading them to the Bad Ending Route (which some people argued was the canon one, considering the events on MMZ), or stop the Colony with the Laser / Shuttle, which leads to either the player controlling X or Zero and fighting the opposite one.
The fight on the Normal route does not feel as dark as in the Bad route, for obvious reasons, and it feels less like a battle of fate and just... X trying to stop Zero from being infected. A bit underwhelming, all considered, but it fits X's personality completely. On X4 Double mentions how X's naiveté would be the end of him, and to be frank it almost is, so at least it's coherent enough.
As for the Mavericks... I'll be real, I love how dumb the american names are. Just... Guns n' Roses mentions all around. And if you really think "Shining Firefly" is better than "Izzy Glow", there's something wrong with you /jk
But I did play the Improvement Project, so they have their proper names again. It's great to read their dialogues as well. Most of them are either going Maverick slowly due to the Sigma Virus, or they become Mavericks mid-dialogue, and if you're the bat you're just squeaking and longing for the death of everything. Hell, if you for any reason goes to a stage where the boss isn't dead and the colony crashed / was destroyed, most of their dialogues are very depressing. They either became Mavericks or they're so sad they just want to be finished off before going Maverick. It's quite interest how most of them either were Maverick Hunters or they were worker Reploids as well. This game's story is... just very dark. And it really has that sense of "The end is near".
I loved this game as a kid because of the soundtrack, levels, bosses design and.... to be quite frank, what made this game click with me was when I was playing the game as usual, and I destroyed the Eurasia with the Enigma. No RNG manipulation, no shooting it right after the intro stage, just... playing the game as it was.
just being able to check the Zero Stages with no need to clear the other 4 bosses... gosh, what a weird feeling that was.
I think I rambled on too much, though.
This is my personal favorite X game. A Non-Inafune game, made in such short notice that it's quite amazing how it came out. It might not be one of the better game for most people, but this one holds a special place in my heart.
2018
X6... gosh, what a weird game.
This one came after the "finale" on X5. It portrays the events that took place not too long afterwards.
And... to be frank, the original version of the game didn't do justice to this story's plot, because I think it might be one of the better ones.
Again, quite the dark game. Most of the "Investigators" you face are Reploids that were created by Gate and were killed in bizarre accidents or events (that apparently were arranged by the Hunters or the former Reploid Research Lab that Alia worked on, that part is not fully clear), and now that they were brought back to life, they feel even more dutiful to accomplish Gate's objectives. Hell, some of their dialogues are absolutely dark, and from their dialogues it's very implied that a few of them were friends with X or Zero as well.
I honestly like how the game, at least on the Tweaks version, feels much more optimistic as well. When facing Sigma, X pretty much goes "Alright, now stay dead for as long as possible, we are still fixing the problems you caused last time". It's quite amazing how this felt like a hopeful experience.
Of course, this doesn't take away the fact that the level design in this one is.... not that good. The Tweaks mod at least make it bearable enough so you can traverse through the stages with Normal X if you want to, but... yeah, this is kinda stinky.
The bosses were overall improved here as well (as in: they have more XP) and now we can at least see some of the extra patterns they have. Still, most can be cheesed quickly enough if you're playing as Zero.
The Tweaks mod does jump my rating from a 2.5 to a 3.5, the changes made are that good for the game.
On a better world, they'd have waited a bit to release this on the PS2, maybe with an expanded story and better levels / rng picks for it.
And by god if I have to be stuck on Central Museum for 30 minutes again just to get all the reploids I swear to Zero I will stab those reploids myself-
This one came after the "finale" on X5. It portrays the events that took place not too long afterwards.
And... to be frank, the original version of the game didn't do justice to this story's plot, because I think it might be one of the better ones.
Again, quite the dark game. Most of the "Investigators" you face are Reploids that were created by Gate and were killed in bizarre accidents or events (that apparently were arranged by the Hunters or the former Reploid Research Lab that Alia worked on, that part is not fully clear), and now that they were brought back to life, they feel even more dutiful to accomplish Gate's objectives. Hell, some of their dialogues are absolutely dark, and from their dialogues it's very implied that a few of them were friends with X or Zero as well.
I honestly like how the game, at least on the Tweaks version, feels much more optimistic as well. When facing Sigma, X pretty much goes "Alright, now stay dead for as long as possible, we are still fixing the problems you caused last time". It's quite amazing how this felt like a hopeful experience.
Of course, this doesn't take away the fact that the level design in this one is.... not that good. The Tweaks mod at least make it bearable enough so you can traverse through the stages with Normal X if you want to, but... yeah, this is kinda stinky.
The bosses were overall improved here as well (as in: they have more XP) and now we can at least see some of the extra patterns they have. Still, most can be cheesed quickly enough if you're playing as Zero.
The Tweaks mod does jump my rating from a 2.5 to a 3.5, the changes made are that good for the game.
On a better world, they'd have waited a bit to release this on the PS2, maybe with an expanded story and better levels / rng picks for it.
And by god if I have to be stuck on Central Museum for 30 minutes again just to get all the reploids I swear to Zero I will stab those reploids myself-
2003
When people say "bad mega man x game" this is definitely the one they're talking about. And though I do have some praises for it.... yeah, this ain't good.
It's not a long game, either, it took me about 9 hours to complete it.
I like Axl, I really like the idea of him being more of a "bad boy" type at the beginning, while he slowly shows that he is actually pretty good.
It's quite a shame that, on the English version, they gave him the most annoying voice possible (well, to be frank that goes to the hyena boss). His voice in Japan is Minami Takayama, mostly known for voicing Envy in FMA and Hajime Hinata in Danganronpa, and she fits the character perfectly.
And I do like the idea of a rogue company besically taking the mantle of Hunting Mavericks as the Hunters are still on the process of rebuilding themselves, and X is going through.... a weird justification to not fighting (which I'm sure it's because X is so broken gameplay-wise that he'd make the game as easy as possible, so they have to hold him out for as long as possible).
As for the gameplay... uh.
Yeah, this is bad. There's no way around it. The camera angles are bad, Zero is just bad in general, X is too OP, and Axl.... is fine, actually.
It really feels like they were making this game specifically for Axl, considering the enemy placements and how they behave. Heck, Axl plays so fine he has a DODGE ROLL. Truly a Dark Souls moment.
Still, the absolute dread of saving the reploids when most of them are in the worst possible spot, and having to deal with enemies that just have too much hp.... it's like MMX5, but miles worse.
And as much as I praise the plot.... they still have to have Sigma as the villain, which just feels again, like an afterthought.
Overall, I dislike the game, though I do have some respect for the story and for what they were trying to do with the gameplay. Shame it didn't work out at all.
It's not a long game, either, it took me about 9 hours to complete it.
I like Axl, I really like the idea of him being more of a "bad boy" type at the beginning, while he slowly shows that he is actually pretty good.
It's quite a shame that, on the English version, they gave him the most annoying voice possible (well, to be frank that goes to the hyena boss). His voice in Japan is Minami Takayama, mostly known for voicing Envy in FMA and Hajime Hinata in Danganronpa, and she fits the character perfectly.
And I do like the idea of a rogue company besically taking the mantle of Hunting Mavericks as the Hunters are still on the process of rebuilding themselves, and X is going through.... a weird justification to not fighting (which I'm sure it's because X is so broken gameplay-wise that he'd make the game as easy as possible, so they have to hold him out for as long as possible).
As for the gameplay... uh.
Yeah, this is bad. There's no way around it. The camera angles are bad, Zero is just bad in general, X is too OP, and Axl.... is fine, actually.
It really feels like they were making this game specifically for Axl, considering the enemy placements and how they behave. Heck, Axl plays so fine he has a DODGE ROLL. Truly a Dark Souls moment.
Still, the absolute dread of saving the reploids when most of them are in the worst possible spot, and having to deal with enemies that just have too much hp.... it's like MMX5, but miles worse.
And as much as I praise the plot.... they still have to have Sigma as the villain, which just feels again, like an afterthought.
Overall, I dislike the game, though I do have some respect for the story and for what they were trying to do with the gameplay. Shame it didn't work out at all.
2004
This game is just high quality all around.
With renewed visuals and grasping 2.5D gameplay, MMX8 is the finest entry of the franchise, brought alongside it's elements of combos, character swapping and the most mature plot ever, this PS2-era gem is usually underlooked, but it gives an almost perfect experience from beginning to end.
Gameplay-wise, it plays like any other MMX game, but there are now segments where the game wants you to stack combos and damage enemies as fast as possible, alongside it's much better working character switch feature that, in the case that your character gets grabbed, you can swap them out quickly to get back on the fight. Bosses also function a lot better here, suffering much less from being stuck on the same spot for an infinite amount of time (aka Spark Mandrill Syndrome), now with an invincible enrage state where they do a mechanic that the player is forced to dodge around. Not only that, but when you do get damaged your HP bar still maintains a bit of the damage you took as Red, so if you swap your character out you can regenerate a bit of health (much like MVC, for instance!),I also really like that the chip mechanic swaps out finding heart tanks in the stages, specially considering the micromanagement of 3 different characters would become hell.
Now, I praised most of MMX's stories before, but they were always a bit undercooked. X5 and X6 had a bit more to themselves, sure, but it suffered from bad translations, etc. X8 just.... feels so mature. It talks about this new generation of reploids replacing the old one, the cast being treated as somewhat obsolete by those Reploids, and what does it mean to become a Maverick. Is it a virus or do Reploids just have that free will to know what's best for them? These are themings that I'd expect from a Yoko Taro game, not a MMX one.
The soundtrack is so pristine, it shocks me how diverse it feels. I'd say "oh go listen to Jakob Elevator or to the boss theme, but... Gateway truly feels like the right pick. It's almost angelical vocals mixed with a calm guitar.... gosh, what a beauty of a track.
As for the main antagonist... I do wish he was a bit more fleshed out before the "reveal", but... oh well, this is Mega Man we are talking about here. They hardly take the effort to make a villain that charismatic in such short notice. However, the little presence he has, I really like him.
And as for the post-credits text (which is hilariously followed by bad grammar).... yeah, the cycle repeats. Quite a shame we never got a X9 to see what would be of Axl, and maybe what X and Zero would do now that this new generation is bound to replace them.
In many ways, it's almost meta how Mega Man X was left behind, never getting a proper new game (besides X Dive), being replaced by this new generation of games that seem to tackle it's subjects a bit better (Nier Automata being the first that comes to mind).
I really, really hope a sequel comes someday, but... I'll probably be long gone and that won't have happened. However, what I can say is that MMX8, albeit not perfect, it's a fantastic experience from beginning to the end. A found paradise, at last.
With renewed visuals and grasping 2.5D gameplay, MMX8 is the finest entry of the franchise, brought alongside it's elements of combos, character swapping and the most mature plot ever, this PS2-era gem is usually underlooked, but it gives an almost perfect experience from beginning to end.
Gameplay-wise, it plays like any other MMX game, but there are now segments where the game wants you to stack combos and damage enemies as fast as possible, alongside it's much better working character switch feature that, in the case that your character gets grabbed, you can swap them out quickly to get back on the fight. Bosses also function a lot better here, suffering much less from being stuck on the same spot for an infinite amount of time (aka Spark Mandrill Syndrome), now with an invincible enrage state where they do a mechanic that the player is forced to dodge around. Not only that, but when you do get damaged your HP bar still maintains a bit of the damage you took as Red, so if you swap your character out you can regenerate a bit of health (much like MVC, for instance!),I also really like that the chip mechanic swaps out finding heart tanks in the stages, specially considering the micromanagement of 3 different characters would become hell.
Now, I praised most of MMX's stories before, but they were always a bit undercooked. X5 and X6 had a bit more to themselves, sure, but it suffered from bad translations, etc. X8 just.... feels so mature. It talks about this new generation of reploids replacing the old one, the cast being treated as somewhat obsolete by those Reploids, and what does it mean to become a Maverick. Is it a virus or do Reploids just have that free will to know what's best for them? These are themings that I'd expect from a Yoko Taro game, not a MMX one.
The soundtrack is so pristine, it shocks me how diverse it feels. I'd say "oh go listen to Jakob Elevator or to the boss theme, but... Gateway truly feels like the right pick. It's almost angelical vocals mixed with a calm guitar.... gosh, what a beauty of a track.
As for the main antagonist... I do wish he was a bit more fleshed out before the "reveal", but... oh well, this is Mega Man we are talking about here. They hardly take the effort to make a villain that charismatic in such short notice. However, the little presence he has, I really like him.
And as for the post-credits text (which is hilariously followed by bad grammar).... yeah, the cycle repeats. Quite a shame we never got a X9 to see what would be of Axl, and maybe what X and Zero would do now that this new generation is bound to replace them.
In many ways, it's almost meta how Mega Man X was left behind, never getting a proper new game (besides X Dive), being replaced by this new generation of games that seem to tackle it's subjects a bit better (Nier Automata being the first that comes to mind).
I really, really hope a sequel comes someday, but... I'll probably be long gone and that won't have happened. However, what I can say is that MMX8, albeit not perfect, it's a fantastic experience from beginning to the end. A found paradise, at last.
1999
The beginning of one of the most popular Konami franchises is filled with such an intense atmosphere, it still leaves me rather uneasy.
While not the first time I play this, it is the first time I went for the Good+ ending. And doing so is... rather bizarre.
My main gripe with this game is some of the puzzles are way too cryptid for me to solve without a guide or looking for a solution (My stupid ass was stuck on that zodiac puzzle for quite a bit... and I didn't understand the piano one at first, neither), and that some of the boss fights that feature flying enemies are just too hard to see where I'm shooting and even assume I'm doing damage properly.
And with those complaints out of the way...
God, the atmosphere in this game is just perfect. The soundtrack is fairly ambient early on, and whenever the "Other World" appears it just hits you with these industrial sounds that are the equivalent of the symphonic representation of a world ending.
I also love how this game reminds me of Twin Peaks. Not just because of the "Small Town filled with mysteries" thing going for it, but some of the side-plots here match a few events in the show as well. This obviously lacks that David Lynch weirdness, but it sure makes it up in a matching simplicity that only small towns can offer a person.
I really enjoyed the main plot in this one as well. It's simple, yes, but it also just escalates in such a way that you can almost match Harry Mason's confusion as you go on this journey with him.
Truly one of the greatest games in the PSX catalogue, and one I will be revisiting later on so I can get the UFO ending and testing the new weapons.
While not the first time I play this, it is the first time I went for the Good+ ending. And doing so is... rather bizarre.
My main gripe with this game is some of the puzzles are way too cryptid for me to solve without a guide or looking for a solution (My stupid ass was stuck on that zodiac puzzle for quite a bit... and I didn't understand the piano one at first, neither), and that some of the boss fights that feature flying enemies are just too hard to see where I'm shooting and even assume I'm doing damage properly.
And with those complaints out of the way...
God, the atmosphere in this game is just perfect. The soundtrack is fairly ambient early on, and whenever the "Other World" appears it just hits you with these industrial sounds that are the equivalent of the symphonic representation of a world ending.
I also love how this game reminds me of Twin Peaks. Not just because of the "Small Town filled with mysteries" thing going for it, but some of the side-plots here match a few events in the show as well. This obviously lacks that David Lynch weirdness, but it sure makes it up in a matching simplicity that only small towns can offer a person.
I really enjoyed the main plot in this one as well. It's simple, yes, but it also just escalates in such a way that you can almost match Harry Mason's confusion as you go on this journey with him.
Truly one of the greatest games in the PSX catalogue, and one I will be revisiting later on so I can get the UFO ending and testing the new weapons.
- Leave Ending, Normal difficulty -
Holy fuck.
I honestly cannot put into words the things this game made me feel by the end of it. What a beautiful journey...
This game is an absurd upgrade to the first game, combat feels a bit more fluid and intentionally janky, albeit to a more comfortable aspect with the Enhanced Edition's 60 FPS and full widescreen support (almost to a fault since some cutscenes might be a bit glitchy because of it).
I'll try and not go into spoiler territory here, but.... yeah, all the things I heard and read about this game's story and atmosphere are truly real. Not just that, but this game also somewhat embraces the MGS2 idea of playing with what the player knows this game should and should not do. For instance, a segment where you seem stuck just might mean you gotta keep looking for an "invisible wall" of sorts, or maybe the game wants you to turn off a core mechanic from the game for you to play properly.
It's an insane descent into madness and grief, with that good PS2-era cheesy dialogues and atmospheric soundtrack playing, clearly inspired by those small town shows where the peaks might be a bit twin for your own good.
Since I was a kid I remember reading a walkthrough magazine I got that had both Silent Hill 1 and 2 on it, never fully understanding it since the game was in english and the magazine just gave you the abridged version of the events on a cutscene. And... since then this game has been etched into my mind, even though I never went out of my way to play it. It... didn't feel right.
Now as I'm older and I dealt with the loss of family members, I can understand this game a lot better.
Overall, a fantastic experience I feel every survival horror fan should play. And... this does make me somewhat scared of what the remake might do.
Holy fuck.
I honestly cannot put into words the things this game made me feel by the end of it. What a beautiful journey...
This game is an absurd upgrade to the first game, combat feels a bit more fluid and intentionally janky, albeit to a more comfortable aspect with the Enhanced Edition's 60 FPS and full widescreen support (almost to a fault since some cutscenes might be a bit glitchy because of it).
I'll try and not go into spoiler territory here, but.... yeah, all the things I heard and read about this game's story and atmosphere are truly real. Not just that, but this game also somewhat embraces the MGS2 idea of playing with what the player knows this game should and should not do. For instance, a segment where you seem stuck just might mean you gotta keep looking for an "invisible wall" of sorts, or maybe the game wants you to turn off a core mechanic from the game for you to play properly.
It's an insane descent into madness and grief, with that good PS2-era cheesy dialogues and atmospheric soundtrack playing, clearly inspired by those small town shows where the peaks might be a bit twin for your own good.
Since I was a kid I remember reading a walkthrough magazine I got that had both Silent Hill 1 and 2 on it, never fully understanding it since the game was in english and the magazine just gave you the abridged version of the events on a cutscene. And... since then this game has been etched into my mind, even though I never went out of my way to play it. It... didn't feel right.
Now as I'm older and I dealt with the loss of family members, I can understand this game a lot better.
Overall, a fantastic experience I feel every survival horror fan should play. And... this does make me somewhat scared of what the remake might do.
This is how you bring back a franchise!!
Gosh, the first time I played this one I was so dumbfounded. Resi as a franchise going first person was weird, though it's the first time they did so on a mainline game, but the change in pace is so satisfactory. I love how dumb Resi 5 is and Resi 6 just left me with such a bad taste in my mouth... so this came as a pleasant surprise.
Should I be thankful for Kojima and P.T. being a thing? Maybe.
Still, while not necessary for you to understand the plot for the main game, "Beginning Hour" gives you 3 possible endings. It is a bit janky, since mechanics that are in the mainline game are not great here, but it's still very much worth the hour-ish you will be spending.
Gosh, the first time I played this one I was so dumbfounded. Resi as a franchise going first person was weird, though it's the first time they did so on a mainline game, but the change in pace is so satisfactory. I love how dumb Resi 5 is and Resi 6 just left me with such a bad taste in my mouth... so this came as a pleasant surprise.
Should I be thankful for Kojima and P.T. being a thing? Maybe.
Still, while not necessary for you to understand the plot for the main game, "Beginning Hour" gives you 3 possible endings. It is a bit janky, since mechanics that are in the mainline game are not great here, but it's still very much worth the hour-ish you will be spending.
- Mia Ending, Normal Difficulty -
After the disaster that was Resi 6, Resi returns to a post-P.T. world with a first-person style survival horror, that embraces not only the low-resource style of gameplay, but it takes elements of psychologic horror as well.
Visually and lore-wise, this game really feels inspired by The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Evil Dead and that one horror movie with the creepy kid. And... gosh, it fits really well in a post-Chris-punches-the-boulder world.
I really like the first person shooting element to this, and it's really creepy trying to avoid the Bakers. It does take a bit to understand how the gun combat works against them, it has a bit more nuance to it than "shoot it until it goes down".
With that being said... it does embrace the trial and error quite a bit at parts. And while I enjoy how Ethan feels very similar to Ash in the first Evil Dead movie, I wish they gave more focus to him and Zoe, it would've made that one decision part a bit more understandable if you pick her.
As for the villiains, I really like them. The perfect balance of creepy and wacky in a really good way!
Overall, a great return to the franchise. Am stoked to play through the DLCs (Specially End of Zoe) and can't wait to start Village!
After the disaster that was Resi 6, Resi returns to a post-P.T. world with a first-person style survival horror, that embraces not only the low-resource style of gameplay, but it takes elements of psychologic horror as well.
Visually and lore-wise, this game really feels inspired by The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Evil Dead and that one horror movie with the creepy kid. And... gosh, it fits really well in a post-Chris-punches-the-boulder world.
I really like the first person shooting element to this, and it's really creepy trying to avoid the Bakers. It does take a bit to understand how the gun combat works against them, it has a bit more nuance to it than "shoot it until it goes down".
With that being said... it does embrace the trial and error quite a bit at parts. And while I enjoy how Ethan feels very similar to Ash in the first Evil Dead movie, I wish they gave more focus to him and Zoe, it would've made that one decision part a bit more understandable if you pick her.
As for the villiains, I really like them. The perfect balance of creepy and wacky in a really good way!
Overall, a great return to the franchise. Am stoked to play through the DLCs (Specially End of Zoe) and can't wait to start Village!
A neat compilation of "unseen footage" that consists of a Survival Minigame and a Bedroom Puzzle with a bit of nuance to it. Not essential, but the survival minigame is fun!
This compilation feels a bit more essential in comparison to the first volume. We get a bit of extra lore (with two possible endings) on a short scenario where you play as Zoe, and a Blackjack minigame where Clancy's life is on the line.
Daughters is definitely worth the trouble here, while 21 feels a bit too random for my personal taste. Still, this just makes me wish Daughters was a part of the original release.
Daughters is definitely worth the trouble here, while 21 feels a bit too random for my personal taste. Still, this just makes me wish Daughters was a part of the original release.