SlyGarf
This is the Souls Like for shield fan.
Without a shell, Kril lacks proper defense, special moves, and even maneuverability. It becomes second nature to scan the environment for shells and to make a game plan on when to grab them during battle. The game also offers a robust skill tree, and practically every unlockable ability completely changed the way I viewed combat. Even though the game is all about Shells, I want to give special mention to the excellent grappling hook. It is mainly used for platforming, but during combat Kril can grapple onto enemies, allowing him to deal extra damage, reposition, and even interrupt dangerous attacks. It was an invaluable move in Kril's arsenal.
The design of the world is fantastic. It was a joy to discover how each of the different characters would use every day objects as weaponry or clothing. Objects that look puny to humans would be used as massive structures for the Hermit Crabs, and this made for some great exploration. The game strikes an excellent balance between feeling charmed by the environment and feeling dread about the state that it's in. The story starts off simple, but it does not shy away from exploring uncomfortable truths. That said, the game still manages to find some levity, and the various assist modes ensure anyone can reach the ending.
The biggest issue with the game really are the bugs. The game will often stutter when entering a new part of the level. Falling through the ground can be humorous, but it loses its luster when that results in dying to a boss. Lastly, I noticed when backtracking that some NPCs will show up in places where they absolutely should not be. None of these glitches are game breaking, but they do weigh the experience down a bit. That said, the developers are working to address these issues.
Without a shell, Kril lacks proper defense, special moves, and even maneuverability. It becomes second nature to scan the environment for shells and to make a game plan on when to grab them during battle. The game also offers a robust skill tree, and practically every unlockable ability completely changed the way I viewed combat. Even though the game is all about Shells, I want to give special mention to the excellent grappling hook. It is mainly used for platforming, but during combat Kril can grapple onto enemies, allowing him to deal extra damage, reposition, and even interrupt dangerous attacks. It was an invaluable move in Kril's arsenal.
The design of the world is fantastic. It was a joy to discover how each of the different characters would use every day objects as weaponry or clothing. Objects that look puny to humans would be used as massive structures for the Hermit Crabs, and this made for some great exploration. The game strikes an excellent balance between feeling charmed by the environment and feeling dread about the state that it's in. The story starts off simple, but it does not shy away from exploring uncomfortable truths. That said, the game still manages to find some levity, and the various assist modes ensure anyone can reach the ending.
The biggest issue with the game really are the bugs. The game will often stutter when entering a new part of the level. Falling through the ground can be humorous, but it loses its luster when that results in dying to a boss. Lastly, I noticed when backtracking that some NPCs will show up in places where they absolutely should not be. None of these glitches are game breaking, but they do weigh the experience down a bit. That said, the developers are working to address these issues.
2014
This is a genius premise for a point-n-click adventure game. They took two separate adventures and combined them into one package. A lot of the fun is guessing why these two engaging stories have been paired together.
This game excels when it comes to not wasting any of its material. Items, level details, and character motivations that are discovered during Act 1 will remain relevant during Act 2. It was fun to play through the entire game in one week, as I was able to appreciate the narrative's symbolism and the foreshadowing within Act 1.
The game does a lot right. Puzzles have telegraphed solutions that are also clever, numerous whacky characters can be met, and there are some stellar environments. That said, certain characters are undercooked. I can forgive some side characters being simple, but many major characters will have wishy-washy motivations, and refuse to satisfyingly explain certain details. Also, it feels like the last segment could've been expanded a bit more. The puzzle itself was nice, but everything wraps up a bit too quickly and neatly.
This game excels when it comes to not wasting any of its material. Items, level details, and character motivations that are discovered during Act 1 will remain relevant during Act 2. It was fun to play through the entire game in one week, as I was able to appreciate the narrative's symbolism and the foreshadowing within Act 1.
The game does a lot right. Puzzles have telegraphed solutions that are also clever, numerous whacky characters can be met, and there are some stellar environments. That said, certain characters are undercooked. I can forgive some side characters being simple, but many major characters will have wishy-washy motivations, and refuse to satisfyingly explain certain details. Also, it feels like the last segment could've been expanded a bit more. The puzzle itself was nice, but everything wraps up a bit too quickly and neatly.
2023
Quite the fun adventure. Every level has a different art style that really sells the atmosphere. The game can go from unnerving in one level to whimsical in another. The game stays simple in its base move set, but every stage has unique gimmicks that aren't found elsewhere, which spices up the formula. The music for every level is fantastic. The game has such a varied amount of locations and moods, and the soundtrack succeeds in bringing each level to life.
The game hooked me after only a few minutes. Dashing off of ramps to gain massive vertical height and horizontal distance never got old, and a number of secret techniques are revealed over the course of the game that allow for more precise platforming. By the time I reached credits there wasn't a challenge that seemed impossible, although it took some practice to gain such confidence.
The game gets a lot of mileage out of the Taxi theme. Most levels are about platforming and exploring, but a few of them add a timer. In these levels, the player has to keep their timer filled by collecting coins and transporting passengers. The blend of trying to find collectible gears while also making sure you have enough time to survive makes everything more frantic and exciting. It was a neat change of pace.
The low point would have to be with the bosses, specifically the midpoint boss. It's a neat gimmick, but the game reduces your visibility and introduces one-hit kill enemies. It means you have to be extra careful in order to survive, which is a shame since the game excels when you are allowed to go fast. Fortunately the final boss is a decent challenge of your skills, and the level leading up to it is great.
The game gets a lot of mileage out of the Taxi theme. Most levels are about platforming and exploring, but a few of them add a timer. In these levels, the player has to keep their timer filled by collecting coins and transporting passengers. The blend of trying to find collectible gears while also making sure you have enough time to survive makes everything more frantic and exciting. It was a neat change of pace.
The low point would have to be with the bosses, specifically the midpoint boss. It's a neat gimmick, but the game reduces your visibility and introduces one-hit kill enemies. It means you have to be extra careful in order to survive, which is a shame since the game excels when you are allowed to go fast. Fortunately the final boss is a decent challenge of your skills, and the level leading up to it is great.
2015
Much of the game is grand. The controls of the Hunter are precise, the city of Yharnam's layout is a joy to map out, and the game succeeds in creating a frightening atmosphere. The brand new additions that are exclusive to Bloodborne (trick weapons, gunplay, Healing damage by attacking) are incredibly fun, and become second nature as you explore the city. I'm a big fan of how you can find more healing flasks just by exploring the world, making the decision to press on or backtrack all the more interesting. Reaching the end of the game offers a sense of pride that few other games can match.
That said, the game makes a number of decisions that I'm not a fan of. Running back to certain bosses can be incredibly long and tedious, and some of the bosses are downright annoying.
All that said, my biggest gripe has to do with the lantern checkpoints. Lanterns are only able to teleport the Hunter to the "Hunter's Dream", where the player levels up and buys items. If you want to teleport between two lanterns, or even just reload the current level, you have to waste time by teleporting to the hunters dream and then teleporting back. This becomes a problem because healing is based on Blood Vials, a finite resource. If you use up your stock while fighting a boss and only have 5 left, you need to scrounge up more by either hunting enemies or buying them for high prices at the store. Grinding vials would be more bearable if you could teleport between lanterns, but instead you have to waste minutes traveling to and from the Hunters dream. The repetition can drive a person crazy, so I guess it's lore accurate...
If they ever remake this game, allowing players to teleport between lanterns would improve the game considerably. They'd still have to return to the Hunter's Dream to level up, so there's no reason not to add this feature.
That said, the game makes a number of decisions that I'm not a fan of. Running back to certain bosses can be incredibly long and tedious, and some of the bosses are downright annoying.
All that said, my biggest gripe has to do with the lantern checkpoints. Lanterns are only able to teleport the Hunter to the "Hunter's Dream", where the player levels up and buys items. If you want to teleport between two lanterns, or even just reload the current level, you have to waste time by teleporting to the hunters dream and then teleporting back. This becomes a problem because healing is based on Blood Vials, a finite resource. If you use up your stock while fighting a boss and only have 5 left, you need to scrounge up more by either hunting enemies or buying them for high prices at the store. Grinding vials would be more bearable if you could teleport between lanterns, but instead you have to waste minutes traveling to and from the Hunters dream. The repetition can drive a person crazy, so I guess it's lore accurate...
If they ever remake this game, allowing players to teleport between lanterns would improve the game considerably. They'd still have to return to the Hunter's Dream to level up, so there's no reason not to add this feature.
2024
The developer really nailed the feeling of drilling through the earth. The grinder feels incredibly powerful thanks to the animations and its quick speed, but the game doesn't sacrifice precision. I constantly felt in control of Pepper, whether I was leaping between mounds of dirt or defending myself against enemies. Each level introduces new mechanics that are a ton of fun to experiment with, and searching for skull coins offered a nice challenge.
The music in this game is phenomenal. Most levels have funky/jazzy tunes that are a joy to listen to. The unlockable Bonus stages are just as good as the mandatory levels. Even though there's practically no text or dialogue, the game still oozes charm.
My only major complaint is that there's no option to restart at the last checkpoint. The pause menu has the option to restart the whole level, but this isn't useful in a few scenarios. If I take one point of damage during the beginning of a difficult section, or if I cannot backtrack to grab one of the skull coins, it would be useful to restart the section immediately. Instead, I either have to press on, or I have to manually lose all of my health in order to restart at the checkpoint. Having a way to quickly redo sections would alleviate these grievances.
The music in this game is phenomenal. Most levels have funky/jazzy tunes that are a joy to listen to. The unlockable Bonus stages are just as good as the mandatory levels. Even though there's practically no text or dialogue, the game still oozes charm.
My only major complaint is that there's no option to restart at the last checkpoint. The pause menu has the option to restart the whole level, but this isn't useful in a few scenarios. If I take one point of damage during the beginning of a difficult section, or if I cannot backtrack to grab one of the skull coins, it would be useful to restart the section immediately. Instead, I either have to press on, or I have to manually lose all of my health in order to restart at the checkpoint. Having a way to quickly redo sections would alleviate these grievances.
Great game. It takes everything good from FF7 Remake and builds on top of it. The Synergy moves are a genius addition, which adds an extra layer of strategy when choosing your team. The new playable characters fit perfectly alongside the rest, and new weapons are still used to unlock new moves. There's also a ton of humorous segments and engaging minigames. I usually hate card games in existing video games, but this one was addicting.
The new open zones give players a lot of freedom. Nothing is stopping a player from beelining it to the next story objective, but you're always welcome to stop and complete Side Quests or gather "world intel". Although some of the "world intel" may become repetitive, each one rewards the player with useful items and tools. It's rough when you want to explore the open world for secrets, but you also want to progress the story.
Menu navigation is tricky. It took me some time to learn how to switch party members, and by the end of the game I'm still accidentally opening Camera mode instead. Switching Materia for one character works great, but if I want to swap the Materia of two characters it becomes a chore. Some menus, like when you game over during boss fights, are a bit unclear, so I just choose the default answer and avoid the hassle.
The new open zones give players a lot of freedom. Nothing is stopping a player from beelining it to the next story objective, but you're always welcome to stop and complete Side Quests or gather "world intel". Although some of the "world intel" may become repetitive, each one rewards the player with useful items and tools. It's rough when you want to explore the open world for secrets, but you also want to progress the story.
Menu navigation is tricky. It took me some time to learn how to switch party members, and by the end of the game I'm still accidentally opening Camera mode instead. Switching Materia for one character works great, but if I want to swap the Materia of two characters it becomes a chore. Some menus, like when you game over during boss fights, are a bit unclear, so I just choose the default answer and avoid the hassle.
2020
This is a very charming puzzle game. The player must traverse this massive structure while dealing with the monsters that stand guard. The game introduces a number of creatures, each behaving in unique ways that allow for fun puzzle design. Many puzzles have clever solutions that made me feel smart for solving them. That said, the game never gets too difficult. I would have appreciated it if the final puzzles increased the challenge, but that's a personal preference.
I love the setting of this game. The player descends though a beautiful structure, and each of the rooms have unique features and decor. I love how you can see other levels in the game, even if you're in a separate one entirely. Things like that really make the world seem unified. The dynamic music is also great. Having the music change once I solved a puzzle is always a treat.
I love the setting of this game. The player descends though a beautiful structure, and each of the rooms have unique features and decor. I love how you can see other levels in the game, even if you're in a separate one entirely. Things like that really make the world seem unified. The dynamic music is also great. Having the music change once I solved a puzzle is always a treat.
2020
A platformer where you control a rolling ball sounds like an easy thing to make unfair, but Skully does a great job overall. Whether it was rolling at top speeds or carefully jumping across narrow platforms, I always felt in control of Skully. The game will slow down from time to time in order to have puzzle segments. Using one of the three transformations, Skully will have to find a way across chasms, and many of these puzzles were satisfying to figure out.
Aside from a few small issues (the overreliance of cutscenes that are just slideshows) my main issue are how some of the later levels can become tedious. A lot of puzzles in the latter half either involve slowly guiding enemies to destroy a wall, or slowing moving platforms in order to cross a gaps. There aren't too many of these scenarios, but it's a pace breaker when I know how to progress but I need to spend 5 minutes getting everything set up properly.
Aside from a few small issues (the overreliance of cutscenes that are just slideshows) my main issue are how some of the later levels can become tedious. A lot of puzzles in the latter half either involve slowly guiding enemies to destroy a wall, or slowing moving platforms in order to cross a gaps. There aren't too many of these scenarios, but it's a pace breaker when I know how to progress but I need to spend 5 minutes getting everything set up properly.
Now that I've beaten every level and obtained every badge, I can say that this is an incredibly fun game. The new coat of paint does wonders for making every level exciting to discover. It's even fun to return to old levels for collectables, something I can't always say for the "New Super Mario Bros" games. New gimmicks and hazards are introduced regularly, and the wonder flower will always keep you guessing. There's even a nice amount of player choice; Players can choose which levels to play and skip, which characters to use, and which unique skills to equip via the badge system. There are even more unique level types to help mix up the formula.
My only legitimate complaint is that bosses are very "been there seen that." I appreciate every world having a unique story, but most of them end with bosses that feel like they belong in "New Super Mario Bros. Wii". It only stands out because the rest of the game is very creative.
My only legitimate complaint is that bosses are very "been there seen that." I appreciate every world having a unique story, but most of them end with bosses that feel like they belong in "New Super Mario Bros. Wii". It only stands out because the rest of the game is very creative.
This is a wonderful 3D platformer that appeals to all playstyles. On one playthrough you can take your time, comb the stages for collectables, and talk to charming characters. On another playthrough you can blast through stages at record speed thanks to the momentum achieved with your Yoyo. Every single world has great layouts, visuals, and music. There may be a few bugs that pop up from time to time, but thanks to the "restart from checkpoint" option it's easy to bypass any issues.
My only real gripe that I don't think can be fixed with a patch is the bonus shop. There are four power-ups that can be bought to assist Penny in levels, but these power-ups can be used up quickly due to a simple mistake. While these items can be helpful for struggling players, it started to feel like a waste of time to run back to the shop to buy an expensive power-up that's just going to be wasted 30 seconds into a stage.
My only real gripe that I don't think can be fixed with a patch is the bonus shop. There are four power-ups that can be bought to assist Penny in levels, but these power-ups can be used up quickly due to a simple mistake. While these items can be helpful for struggling players, it started to feel like a waste of time to run back to the shop to buy an expensive power-up that's just going to be wasted 30 seconds into a stage.
2023
Crawling around like a spider and platforming on office equipment is a ton of fun in this game. The game consistently introduces new gimmicks and hazards to contend with, and the unlockable cosmetics offers a nice sense of progression.
Most of my issues with the game are nitpicks. Climbing to the top of an object will often result in the camera spinning around in the opposite direction, which is disorienting. The thimbles are a nice collectable, but some of them are just out in the open, making the act of grabbing them a formality instead of a challenge.
Despite my minor grievances, I want to commend the game's controls. The platforming gets more precise towards the end, but I felt like I could surpass any obstacle laid out in front of me. There's a lot of midair control when jumping and the climbing always worked as intended.
Most of my issues with the game are nitpicks. Climbing to the top of an object will often result in the camera spinning around in the opposite direction, which is disorienting. The thimbles are a nice collectable, but some of them are just out in the open, making the act of grabbing them a formality instead of a challenge.
Despite my minor grievances, I want to commend the game's controls. The platforming gets more precise towards the end, but I felt like I could surpass any obstacle laid out in front of me. There's a lot of midair control when jumping and the climbing always worked as intended.
2023
Catboy's animations are fantastic. I love the way his arms flail when running around, or how he bonks his head when jumping into the ceiling.
Overall, it's a short but sweet game. The first and last third of the game have story reasons for exploring each level, but the middle chunk of the game will just send you to a random level for no explained reason. Fortunately, each biome is well designed and fun to explore, with some fantastic music to jam to.
Overall, it's a short but sweet game. The first and last third of the game have story reasons for exploring each level, but the middle chunk of the game will just send you to a random level for no explained reason. Fortunately, each biome is well designed and fun to explore, with some fantastic music to jam to.
2023
It's a cute platformer. The controls worked fairly well, although there were a few times where something went wrong due to the limitations of the system. That said, respawning is quick and missions are short, so any failures aren't too frustrating. There is a ton of charm in the level themes, and missions are unique enough that they never got old. I especially like the amount of playable characters in this game. It's a short but sweet experience.
The gameplay is top tier. The platforming gauntlets are a ton of fun to complete thanks to the extremely precise controls. The combat is also great, as Sargon has a vast amount of attacks, useful special moves, and an excellent parry. The world constantly expands, and the Map pictures are a great help in remembering where everything is. Throw in some unique abilities, crazy level themes, and tough boss fights, and you got a great Metroidvania.
Honestly, the only thing holding this game back is that it could've used some extra time to iron out some issues. It's not a janky game, but there were a few bugs and mistakes that drew me out of the experience. The most notable were dying when exiting a room resulted in me respawning, an early cutscene being replayed after entering a room, and the camera getting stuck zoomed into the player. It's really just a lot of small issues that added up overtime..
Honestly, the only thing holding this game back is that it could've used some extra time to iron out some issues. It's not a janky game, but there were a few bugs and mistakes that drew me out of the experience. The most notable were dying when exiting a room resulted in me respawning, an early cutscene being replayed after entering a room, and the camera getting stuck zoomed into the player. It's really just a lot of small issues that added up overtime..