SketchNScribs
2012
I often think of this game as one of those examples where graphics aren’t the deciding factor to whether something is good or not. High fidelity next gen visuals can’t save you if your story and characters are ass.
The visuals in this game weren’t even THAT impressive for the time, and of course they’ve only gotten less admirable with age, but when your main characters are as charming and investing as Lee and Clementine, I don’t think it really matters.
The visuals in this game weren’t even THAT impressive for the time, and of course they’ve only gotten less admirable with age, but when your main characters are as charming and investing as Lee and Clementine, I don’t think it really matters.
2022
I find myself walking around Midtown visiting places I’ve already been to 6 times in that hour just so the game won’t end.
It’s too short. I had so many more more robot friends to make.
It’s too short. I had so many more more robot friends to make.
2023
A short and rather charming game with beautiful visuals, but is borderline unplayable in single player unless you have godlike coordination and multitasking skills.
Play with a friend. It’s a much smoother, prettier and funnier experience.
I was very excited for this and it didn’t really end up being what I expected, but it’s still a wholesome and visually interesting little walk. Frame rate tanks pretty frequently on the Switch however, so I would suggest a different platform.
Play with a friend. It’s a much smoother, prettier and funnier experience.
I was very excited for this and it didn’t really end up being what I expected, but it’s still a wholesome and visually interesting little walk. Frame rate tanks pretty frequently on the Switch however, so I would suggest a different platform.
I’m constantly jumping from “This is such a beautifully bold statement and a truly sophisticated profound work of art” and “I hate this lame uncreative revenge shock value bullshit what the fuck” that I never know how I truly feel about this game and I don’t feel like I’ll ever actually come to a definitive conclusion.
Maybe that internal conflict is a sign of it’s success.
In all seriousness though the worst thing about this is the pacing. Could have cut at least 5 hours out and it would have benefited greatly. Feels very bloated.
Maybe that internal conflict is a sign of it’s success.
In all seriousness though the worst thing about this is the pacing. Could have cut at least 5 hours out and it would have benefited greatly. Feels very bloated.
2017
The only bad thing I can say about Night in the Woods is that it’s ending feels the tiniest bit rushed. But that grievance is so microscopic and pales in comparison to the rest of the brilliant things this game achieves. Other than that, this is a one of a kind experience that I often find myself wishing I could feel for the first time again.
Really good writing and dialogue that feels very natural, which is hard to pull off. Brilliant soundtrack and characters, all of whom have a sense of relatability to them. The game oddly has a vague sense of nostalgia/melancholy to it, which I think is a testament to how well it establishes it’s characters and their environments. Despite the bright colourful art style, it mirrors and acknowledges many of the mundane aspects of real life which is very interesting. It looks so escapist, but it’s actually really grounded to life.
A really great game with superb world building and a lot of relatability to offer for all kinds of people. It’s not afraid to get deep, and the writing is so well tuned that those moments always feel genuine and like they’ve come from a place of experience.
Really good writing and dialogue that feels very natural, which is hard to pull off. Brilliant soundtrack and characters, all of whom have a sense of relatability to them. The game oddly has a vague sense of nostalgia/melancholy to it, which I think is a testament to how well it establishes it’s characters and their environments. Despite the bright colourful art style, it mirrors and acknowledges many of the mundane aspects of real life which is very interesting. It looks so escapist, but it’s actually really grounded to life.
A really great game with superb world building and a lot of relatability to offer for all kinds of people. It’s not afraid to get deep, and the writing is so well tuned that those moments always feel genuine and like they’ve come from a place of experience.
2015
There are things I admire about this game to a degree. but it still doesn’t gel with me at all.
Between bad writing, inexpressive voice acting blended with hyper expressive body mocap, an insufferable sense of humour that makes me recoil and a painstakingly slow pace; everything is just really off. There are very serious events that happen in this game, (Student suicide and a sadistically pervy teacher to name a few) yet the writing almost feels too naive to handle the topics it tackles. Using licensed indie music as a crutch to make your game feel falsely profound also gets tiresome. It just feels very juvenile in the way it covers it’s otherwise mature story. Which isn’t helped by the very stereotypical high school cheese-fest that is the dialogue.
Overall, story had potential, but shoots itself in the foot with it’s incompetent and hard-to-take-seriously writing. The time powers are also an eye roll where the plot is concerned. They work and then suddenly don’t whenever the plot demands them to because the writers worked themselves into a corner and realised there’s no real tension at all if you can rewind time whenever something bad is going to happen.
Between bad writing, inexpressive voice acting blended with hyper expressive body mocap, an insufferable sense of humour that makes me recoil and a painstakingly slow pace; everything is just really off. There are very serious events that happen in this game, (Student suicide and a sadistically pervy teacher to name a few) yet the writing almost feels too naive to handle the topics it tackles. Using licensed indie music as a crutch to make your game feel falsely profound also gets tiresome. It just feels very juvenile in the way it covers it’s otherwise mature story. Which isn’t helped by the very stereotypical high school cheese-fest that is the dialogue.
Overall, story had potential, but shoots itself in the foot with it’s incompetent and hard-to-take-seriously writing. The time powers are also an eye roll where the plot is concerned. They work and then suddenly don’t whenever the plot demands them to because the writers worked themselves into a corner and realised there’s no real tension at all if you can rewind time whenever something bad is going to happen.
This was literally the sole reason why I bought a PS5, so I’m glad it turned out to be one of my best gaming experiences to date.
Just such a great time all the way through.
Just such a great time all the way through.
2022
Basically the love child of Breath of the Wild and Shadow of the Colossus but without everything that made those games memorable and innovative. It’s clearly inspired by some brilliant games, but ironically the result feels lukewarm and like it lacks it’s own identity.
Unpolished, clearly unfinished (again), uninteresting story, and the open world element feels incredibly lacking. Definitely a step in the right direction for Sonic, but overall I still found myself really bored and pretty much just wishing I was playing the games it so badly wanted to be. I literally forgot about it at some point and didn’t pick it up for 5 months until I forced myself to finish it. The Boss Battles were hype though and I loved them to an unhealthy degree. It’s a shame they make up less than 15% of the game.
Unpolished, clearly unfinished (again), uninteresting story, and the open world element feels incredibly lacking. Definitely a step in the right direction for Sonic, but overall I still found myself really bored and pretty much just wishing I was playing the games it so badly wanted to be. I literally forgot about it at some point and didn’t pick it up for 5 months until I forced myself to finish it. The Boss Battles were hype though and I loved them to an unhealthy degree. It’s a shame they make up less than 15% of the game.