SoapMonkey
I have a grocery list of cons playing this game. Technical bugs, very janky gameplay and animations, and repetitive obstacles and locations. It was annoying at worst and boring at best in my opinion.
There are a couple of pros - pretty good music and a couple of good ideas that make up a small percentage of the game.
There are a couple of pros - pretty good music and a couple of good ideas that make up a small percentage of the game.
2013
The style is bangin', the gameplay and extra content, not so much
The definition of "yup, that's a good campaign. 7/10"
The graphics and environments look really good for 2015, makes it really fun to progress through the world. Gameplay and story are serviceable but has some good moments.
A rushed final area, technical performance needing a lot of fiddling, and not engaging "extras" (expeditions) make it a game with not much staying power.
PS: 100%ing it is also tedious - not worth it imo.
The graphics and environments look really good for 2015, makes it really fun to progress through the world. Gameplay and story are serviceable but has some good moments.
A rushed final area, technical performance needing a lot of fiddling, and not engaging "extras" (expeditions) make it a game with not much staying power.
PS: 100%ing it is also tedious - not worth it imo.
2020
40 benadryl simulator
It was nice not following a guide and having the genuine feeling of being lost for the first couple of hours. The game is insane in theming and art direction - with a very disgusting overall style (in the good way). Gameplay goes from very scary to roguelite optimization and just as it's about to overstay it's welcome, it ends luckily.
I'd love to give it a higher score for its uniqueness, especially its sound and world design; but limited gameplay, some poorer optimization on bigger levels, and nausea inducing experiences do hold it back somewhat.
Even though the "game" aspect isn't as fun, I feel like this overall product will stay in my mind for a while.
It was nice not following a guide and having the genuine feeling of being lost for the first couple of hours. The game is insane in theming and art direction - with a very disgusting overall style (in the good way). Gameplay goes from very scary to roguelite optimization and just as it's about to overstay it's welcome, it ends luckily.
I'd love to give it a higher score for its uniqueness, especially its sound and world design; but limited gameplay, some poorer optimization on bigger levels, and nausea inducing experiences do hold it back somewhat.
Even though the "game" aspect isn't as fun, I feel like this overall product will stay in my mind for a while.
This city builder fun to chip away at - but outstays its welcome. Repeating questlines that aren't very interesting and limited world map and relations hold it back though. Def a game to relax to and take your time in.
I gave this game a couple of chances but it's difficult for me personally to keep at it. Let me know if I'm misjudging the cons in case the game opens up much further in the game, which it doesn't as you get to the middle of the U.S.
The pros: the art and voice acting for each story bit is a good touch... and that's about it. The actual stories are good and well written but they are each criminally short and lack engagement other than "do X" or "do Y" sometimes.
The cons:
- Visuals: The art style outside of the story section doesn't look good personally - seems to try to have a cell-shaded art style but is very flat and bland due to the world being simple. Also, there's this weird shimmering that is very noticeable on the docked display where during story sections, both the text box and the actual image shimmer annoyingly. This doesn't happen in other switch games.
- Audio: the same 3 tracks of folk music, gets pretty grating. Some of the voice-acting is actually good and sounds professional (narrator, hobo boy). Others sound like they're a random dev recording inside a cardboard box lol.
- Technical: performance is really bad for what the game is trying to achieve on the switch hardware. The radial menu to select stories is extremely finicky and at some points bugs out spamming a choice from the analog screen. Additionally, difficult menu navigation during storytelling.
- Gameplay: just.. walking. You can whistle which slightly increases speed and hitchhike, hop trains, and pay trains which is tedious to do (time, health, and money penalties respectively). It's all extremely slow.
- Progression: to complete the game, you have to track down 16 separate NPCs through the huge map of the U.S. (which is already really slow). You have to give the types of stories they ask for but even if you do, you could only progress them if you track them down somewhere else on the map and give them brand new stories they want to hear. This is done for each character, for multiple chapters, running after them a huge map that's tedious to navigate.
Ended up dropping it when I realized how tedious the game was, that it wasn't worth it to stick through for the more interesting micro-stories.
The pros: the art and voice acting for each story bit is a good touch... and that's about it. The actual stories are good and well written but they are each criminally short and lack engagement other than "do X" or "do Y" sometimes.
The cons:
- Visuals: The art style outside of the story section doesn't look good personally - seems to try to have a cell-shaded art style but is very flat and bland due to the world being simple. Also, there's this weird shimmering that is very noticeable on the docked display where during story sections, both the text box and the actual image shimmer annoyingly. This doesn't happen in other switch games.
- Audio: the same 3 tracks of folk music, gets pretty grating. Some of the voice-acting is actually good and sounds professional (narrator, hobo boy). Others sound like they're a random dev recording inside a cardboard box lol.
- Technical: performance is really bad for what the game is trying to achieve on the switch hardware. The radial menu to select stories is extremely finicky and at some points bugs out spamming a choice from the analog screen. Additionally, difficult menu navigation during storytelling.
- Gameplay: just.. walking. You can whistle which slightly increases speed and hitchhike, hop trains, and pay trains which is tedious to do (time, health, and money penalties respectively). It's all extremely slow.
- Progression: to complete the game, you have to track down 16 separate NPCs through the huge map of the U.S. (which is already really slow). You have to give the types of stories they ask for but even if you do, you could only progress them if you track them down somewhere else on the map and give them brand new stories they want to hear. This is done for each character, for multiple chapters, running after them a huge map that's tedious to navigate.
Ended up dropping it when I realized how tedious the game was, that it wasn't worth it to stick through for the more interesting micro-stories.
2017
It just makes you happy to play :) Picking it up after shelving it during 2018 has you jump right back into it within minutes.
Definitely a pick-up for anyone with a switch who wants to play through a great 3D platformer and/or a collect-a-thon.
PS: Darker side is hella good
Definitely a pick-up for anyone with a switch who wants to play through a great 3D platformer and/or a collect-a-thon.
PS: Darker side is hella good
I had to quit 11 hours in. Quite the slog to get through and really primitive to play, even in 2015. But I can't get over collecting trading cards of characters in the game by having sex with them LMAO.
I'll definitely give the remaster a shot though!
I'll definitely give the remaster a shot though!
2010
I tried. Got to the hell world and at that point, it felt like a slog to go through and not worth it with so many better challenging games requiring mechanical skill out there. I tried and gave this game a fair shot in my opinion.
Timings sometimes are pixel perfect (i.e. no creativity), unresponsive controls due to lack of buffering or correct input handling, grating music, meh art style, and a ;_; story.
I tried completing earlier levels and gaining bandages, which just asperated my above criticism.
Timings sometimes are pixel perfect (i.e. no creativity), unresponsive controls due to lack of buffering or correct input handling, grating music, meh art style, and a ;_; story.
I tried completing earlier levels and gaining bandages, which just asperated my above criticism.
2020
Reminds me a lot of Hotline Miami. Fast restarts, one shot kills, rooms that feel like puzzles to find the best route possible, and bangin' music. Has a good amount of content with collectibles and extra modes (time trials and wave mode).
Gameplay loop is really fun and makes you feel badahh when it clicks. Some cybervoid levels are tedious though and there's a major oversite where launching a "New Game" deletes ALL your meta progression (i.e. can't do hardcore, no upgrades, etc.)
Gameplay loop is really fun and makes you feel badahh when it clicks. Some cybervoid levels are tedious though and there's a major oversite where launching a "New Game" deletes ALL your meta progression (i.e. can't do hardcore, no upgrades, etc.)
Cute, wholesome game that's quick and easy to complete. Pretty funny for chronically online folk and is great in short bursts imo!
Smaller budget team with a lot of heart (also there's small amount of the game that's kind of sad, but overall has a happy tone :) )
Smaller budget team with a lot of heart (also there's small amount of the game that's kind of sad, but overall has a happy tone :) )
2023
Some of the most fun I've had in a long time
2014
I personally enjoyed it, the game had some really cool ideas with fire and enemy types and set pieces.
Beginning of the game, the sneaking and later in game high amount of challenge was frustrating though. Gunplay felt clunky sometimes (though that could be a choice by the director to add tension). Tension in the beginning of the game was really good - which kinda melts away as you break the game.
Interested in doing NG+ or just jumping straight to EW2.
Beginning of the game, the sneaking and later in game high amount of challenge was frustrating though. Gunplay felt clunky sometimes (though that could be a choice by the director to add tension). Tension in the beginning of the game was really good - which kinda melts away as you break the game.
Interested in doing NG+ or just jumping straight to EW2.
2021
Interesting mountain climbing rogue-like with some good replayability if you decide to stick through a brand new game with every single side mission and progression reset.
Really cool concept and music clips hard in a good way. Though the repetitiveness, lack of polish in dialogue and some systems, as well as the unfulfilling story bring it down some.
Overall, still worth playing in shorter bursts to not burn out and lowering expectations due to the smaller team.
Really cool concept and music clips hard in a good way. Though the repetitiveness, lack of polish in dialogue and some systems, as well as the unfulfilling story bring it down some.
Overall, still worth playing in shorter bursts to not burn out and lowering expectations due to the smaller team.
2006
I REALLY wanted to like this game and it's still a must for stealth game fans but a lot of the early 00's jank and technical limitations make it frustrating to play. Especially having to trial/error EVERY single mission - almost making me drop it at one point. You can't organically freestyle missions as you could in newer games since better convey in game information.
Still, that last mission is really hype, and overall a great game for veterans that get to see some really unique concepts.
Still, that last mission is really hype, and overall a great game for veterans that get to see some really unique concepts.