SunnyFranklin
2004
Even though I wouldn't call Touched worse than it's GBA predecessors, I don't get the same drive to revisit this one as much as Mega Microgame$ or Smooth Moves. I don't know why. Lack of personal nostalgia? Does it lack the simplicity that gave charm and magic to the first game?
Regardless, this is still another solid entry in the WarioWare franchise. I absolutely love how the title straight up cuts to the chase to announce:
"Okay so you know the formula you BUTTON MASHED and TWISTED on the GBA? This time you use the DS stylus to TOUCH!"
WarioWare but with DS controls is the best way to summarise it. The game does a great job utilising the handheld's stylus and two-screen gimmick; bringing more variety to the microgames arguably even more so than the GBA predecessors.
With that said, I wouldn't say this variety makes the microgames here instantly better than the iconic ones before, rather it makes this game stand on it's own two feet for being unique. Maybe that's why I prefer Mega Microgames$ since I like the simple 2 button D-pad layout over using the stylus (and especially blowing, dead god) but it's ultimately down to the person.
To give even more credit where it's due, Ashley who is one of my favourite WarioWare characters was introduced here (along with her theme which slaps ESPECIALLY the Smash remix). Although it doesn't matter a whole lot since the focus is on the gameplay, Touched and Twisted was when the characters started becoming a lot more colourful and charming.
Regardless, this is still another solid entry in the WarioWare franchise. I absolutely love how the title straight up cuts to the chase to announce:
"Okay so you know the formula you BUTTON MASHED and TWISTED on the GBA? This time you use the DS stylus to TOUCH!"
WarioWare but with DS controls is the best way to summarise it. The game does a great job utilising the handheld's stylus and two-screen gimmick; bringing more variety to the microgames arguably even more so than the GBA predecessors.
With that said, I wouldn't say this variety makes the microgames here instantly better than the iconic ones before, rather it makes this game stand on it's own two feet for being unique. Maybe that's why I prefer Mega Microgames$ since I like the simple 2 button D-pad layout over using the stylus (and especially blowing, dead god) but it's ultimately down to the person.
To give even more credit where it's due, Ashley who is one of my favourite WarioWare characters was introduced here (along with her theme which slaps ESPECIALLY the Smash remix). Although it doesn't matter a whole lot since the focus is on the gameplay, Touched and Twisted was when the characters started becoming a lot more colourful and charming.
A game that I hold close to my heart and I rarely find anyone truly hating to be honest.
The only complaint I can find is that the cutscenes may be too long but like who cares? This game introduced one of the most unique concepts I've ever seen for the video game medium.
Being one of the best GBA games for me, the endless wave of microgames never get boring. The "infinite fun" advertised on the box art I can happily say doesn't lie; I can litreally imagine anyone picking this up and easily having a good time no matter how long.
In short, if a game introduces a concept that is endlessly wacky and entertaining to kingdom come, with Wario and other new bonkers side characters as a cherry on top, then how could I not give this a high rating?
The only complaint I can find is that the cutscenes may be too long but like who cares? This game introduced one of the most unique concepts I've ever seen for the video game medium.
Being one of the best GBA games for me, the endless wave of microgames never get boring. The "infinite fun" advertised on the box art I can happily say doesn't lie; I can litreally imagine anyone picking this up and easily having a good time no matter how long.
In short, if a game introduces a concept that is endlessly wacky and entertaining to kingdom come, with Wario and other new bonkers side characters as a cherry on top, then how could I not give this a high rating?
One of the weaker four stars in my book because it's flaws urk me the more I think about them, but the more I think of the positives the more I like them.
One of the most interesting, decisive games to ever release, whether in a bad or good way depends on the person.
One of the most interesting, decisive games to ever release, whether in a bad or good way depends on the person.
I briefly covered my thoughts on each character on my previous Danganronoa reviews and I'll be doing the same here because like I also said before, if the characters in your visual novel are a fail fail fail after another then you've failed at one of the most important parts of the genre.
Doesn't matter how good the gameplay is if I don't give a fuck about the people I'm supposed to care about (with a tiny few exceptions), so without further ado in no particular order:
Kaede - A lot of people don't like her because of her plot involvement which is fair enough. However she is probably one of the only few Danganronpa characters I feel any investment in because not only does she have a personality unlike the last two blandos, she is actually a tiny bit nuanced which is a miracle for this series. All in all, despite being very different she is everything Chiaki should have been.
Shuichi - Has a cool friendship with Kaito and Kaede but that's about it. Just as boring as the two who came before him.
Angie - Why do people like this bitch? Her character is a complete joke spouting the same unfunny lines related to Atua which got old real fast for me.
Gonta - Not bad, not great. Can see why people like him (I mean he's wholesome) but that's about it.
Himiko - Ugh, I legit couldn't care less. I forgot she even existed until I looked her up. Not the worst character but just forgettable.
K1-B0 - Being a robot could have been interesting if the game did something with it. Without going into too deep into spoilers, let's just say he should have been in Shuichi's place. Outside of that, I couldn't give a damn.
Kaito - I like his enthusiasm and friendship with Suichi, some people don't like him which whatever, I don't care enough to defend him despite liking him. Has some dumb plot involvement which drags him down unfortunately.
Kokichi - Oh boy here we go. I love his voice acting especially later on and has some really funny lines, he is a very entertaining character. Otherwise, his entire ordeal confuses the hell out of me which is a no go in my book. I feel like the writers wanted my brain purposefully fried which can work but it shouldn't come at the cost of good writing. I admit I do sorta get his deal when I turn my brain off but it's the same as Nagito where I just don't know if I am invested in a good or bad way. Kokichi is better than Nagito however because the former is more funny.
Korekiyo - I fucking loved this guy (voice, talent, design, etc) until the game decided to ruin him.
Kirumi - Didn't get botched to the extreme extent as Korekiyo but the game pulls a massive ass pull with this one. Other than that she's decent.
Maki - I can't really say why I don't like her without spoiling so I'll just say the game expects me to sympathise but I couldn't care less.
Miu - Occasionally funny but dear god she makes me want to die sometimes.
Rantaro - He exists.
Ryoma - Although his concept is a bit too ridiculous, this game is already bonkers so I'll run with it. I actually like this guy and felt a bit bad for him. Also don't look up his beta design, worst mistake of my life.
Tenko - Same problems I have with Angie in that she repeats the same joke over and over and over more times than the fucking Jack White song. Her design is also full on rubbish.
Tsumugi - Ewwwwwwwwwwwwww.
Monokuma - Funny at times even though his novelty has worn off for me at this point, but I did like the movie references in his theatre sections.
Monokids - Fuck these guys. Some of the worst characters in any video game I've seen. I cannot stress how much I despise these twats.
I have a ton to say about this game but since I only wanted to brush over the characters, I'll brush over the other stuff too:
- I'll give V3 this it definitely has the best gameplay and visuals in the series, plus I do like the addition of the casino and the extra stuff if anyone fancies it - adds more replay value to the game.
- The lie bullet mechanic is good on paper but I wish it was used more. It's paper thin obvious when you have to use them and the alternative paths are cool but really difficult to pin down when you can use them in those situations.
- This game when it came out should NOT have been £55 when it released, visual novels alone shouldn't be worth that much in my opinion. The pricing then was a certified Spike Chunsoft moment.
- I purposefully didn't go into spoilers because this review would have been wall after wall of text; V3 is memorable for all the wrong reasons. Unlike the first two which I pass off as forgettable, this game I class as the most infuriating one mostly due to the story than the characters but the latter make the former much more unbearable.
- The ending sucks full stop. I know many people who try to defend it which is fair enough as even I optimistically say that what they were going for could have worked but the execution of it just made it drag like a knee scrape on the pavement in slow motion. Constant word repetition, atrocious pacing and cringe worthy dialogue made the actual experience of the ending infuriating.
- Last and certainly not least, FUCK THE MONOKIDS (Except their theme, it's catchy).
In conclusion, if you like this franchise then more power to you, I wish I could still enjoy this series as I once did before. Alas, after playing better visual novels, characters haven't grown on me or left much of an impression on me at all, even the ones I like which is a shame. I'm just some chav on Backloggd posting opinions for me to look back on in the coming months to stroke my own ego or to see if my opinions change.
Moral of the story: I hate the Monokids.
Doesn't matter how good the gameplay is if I don't give a fuck about the people I'm supposed to care about (with a tiny few exceptions), so without further ado in no particular order:
Kaede - A lot of people don't like her because of her plot involvement which is fair enough. However she is probably one of the only few Danganronpa characters I feel any investment in because not only does she have a personality unlike the last two blandos, she is actually a tiny bit nuanced which is a miracle for this series. All in all, despite being very different she is everything Chiaki should have been.
Shuichi - Has a cool friendship with Kaito and Kaede but that's about it. Just as boring as the two who came before him.
Angie - Why do people like this bitch? Her character is a complete joke spouting the same unfunny lines related to Atua which got old real fast for me.
Gonta - Not bad, not great. Can see why people like him (I mean he's wholesome) but that's about it.
Himiko - Ugh, I legit couldn't care less. I forgot she even existed until I looked her up. Not the worst character but just forgettable.
K1-B0 - Being a robot could have been interesting if the game did something with it. Without going into too deep into spoilers, let's just say he should have been in Shuichi's place. Outside of that, I couldn't give a damn.
Kaito - I like his enthusiasm and friendship with Suichi, some people don't like him which whatever, I don't care enough to defend him despite liking him. Has some dumb plot involvement which drags him down unfortunately.
Kokichi - Oh boy here we go. I love his voice acting especially later on and has some really funny lines, he is a very entertaining character. Otherwise, his entire ordeal confuses the hell out of me which is a no go in my book. I feel like the writers wanted my brain purposefully fried which can work but it shouldn't come at the cost of good writing. I admit I do sorta get his deal when I turn my brain off but it's the same as Nagito where I just don't know if I am invested in a good or bad way. Kokichi is better than Nagito however because the former is more funny.
Korekiyo - I fucking loved this guy (voice, talent, design, etc) until the game decided to ruin him.
Kirumi - Didn't get botched to the extreme extent as Korekiyo but the game pulls a massive ass pull with this one. Other than that she's decent.
Maki - I can't really say why I don't like her without spoiling so I'll just say the game expects me to sympathise but I couldn't care less.
Miu - Occasionally funny but dear god she makes me want to die sometimes.
Rantaro - He exists.
Ryoma - Although his concept is a bit too ridiculous, this game is already bonkers so I'll run with it. I actually like this guy and felt a bit bad for him. Also don't look up his beta design, worst mistake of my life.
Tenko - Same problems I have with Angie in that she repeats the same joke over and over and over more times than the fucking Jack White song. Her design is also full on rubbish.
Tsumugi - Ewwwwwwwwwwwwww.
Monokuma - Funny at times even though his novelty has worn off for me at this point, but I did like the movie references in his theatre sections.
Monokids - Fuck these guys. Some of the worst characters in any video game I've seen. I cannot stress how much I despise these twats.
I have a ton to say about this game but since I only wanted to brush over the characters, I'll brush over the other stuff too:
- I'll give V3 this it definitely has the best gameplay and visuals in the series, plus I do like the addition of the casino and the extra stuff if anyone fancies it - adds more replay value to the game.
- The lie bullet mechanic is good on paper but I wish it was used more. It's paper thin obvious when you have to use them and the alternative paths are cool but really difficult to pin down when you can use them in those situations.
- This game when it came out should NOT have been £55 when it released, visual novels alone shouldn't be worth that much in my opinion. The pricing then was a certified Spike Chunsoft moment.
- I purposefully didn't go into spoilers because this review would have been wall after wall of text; V3 is memorable for all the wrong reasons. Unlike the first two which I pass off as forgettable, this game I class as the most infuriating one mostly due to the story than the characters but the latter make the former much more unbearable.
- The ending sucks full stop. I know many people who try to defend it which is fair enough as even I optimistically say that what they were going for could have worked but the execution of it just made it drag like a knee scrape on the pavement in slow motion. Constant word repetition, atrocious pacing and cringe worthy dialogue made the actual experience of the ending infuriating.
- Last and certainly not least, FUCK THE MONOKIDS (Except their theme, it's catchy).
In conclusion, if you like this franchise then more power to you, I wish I could still enjoy this series as I once did before. Alas, after playing better visual novels, characters haven't grown on me or left much of an impression on me at all, even the ones I like which is a shame. I'm just some chav on Backloggd posting opinions for me to look back on in the coming months to stroke my own ego or to see if my opinions change.
Moral of the story: I hate the Monokids.
The main reason I prefer the original the most out of the others in the franchise is that the characters, for as forgettable to me as they were, still had a group dynamic I could grasp to an extent. Saying this shitty sequel is the contrary is an understatement.
Whereas in the original most of the characters I didn't care about, here they are rather that or the most mind numbing pieces of fiction I've ever had the displeasure of seeing grow on me less as the months pass by (with a couple exceptions that I like). I said for the original that if your characters in your VISUAL NOVEL are rubbish then you have failed at one of the most important essentials of the genre, so like I did last time I will go through each character again in no particular order:
Hajime - Better than Makoto (protagonist from the last game) but that isn't a very high bar.
Nagito - I'll give him this he is a very interesting character but for all the right and wrong reasons. The more I think about him the more my brain just fries. One negative for sure though is that he can be extremely repetitive. One positive to balance it out is that his story involvement later on is actually one of the series' only highlights for me.
Chiaki - One of the most overrated characters I've seen. Other than her bland anime copy paste anime gamer girl personality and "cutesy" appearance, fans of her haven't managed to give me a decent enough reason for me to actually be invested in her character. I feel as if the game itself expects me to like her because she's cute and caring but if she has nothing else outside of that then I legit couldn't care less.
Gundham - Amazing voice performance that I could never get tired of. Can be repetitive sometimes but otherwise one of the only characters in this game I consider good.
Teruteru - Unironically carried by the voice acting in the first trial for being hysterical, otherwise he's a generic anime pervert akin to Mineta from My Hero Academia. Stay far away.
Mahiru - I legit cannot remember anything about her.
Byakuya - Wasted potential, kinda like the rest of this game.
Peko - She's okay I guess?
Ibuki - I like her expressions and whatnot but otherwise she's decent.
Hiyoko - Annoying and a complete waste of a character.
Nekomaru - Decent until the game turned him into a contrived plot device.
Kazuichi - Bland.
Sonia - Blander.
Akane - Blandest.
Fuyuhiko - One of the only characters in the series with any substantial development and character individualism. Not amazing but at least he serves a purpose.
Mikan - One of the worst written characters in anything I have played. She only exists as an annoying fan service tool until the writers complete forget how to write in general which leads to an insulting bad representation of trauma and other things. She is the very reason I wouldn't touch this game with a ten foot barge pole. Fuck whoever wrote this dreadful excuse for a character.
Monokuma sometimes has funny interactions with Monomi but otherwise the latter I couldn't care less about. To wrap up this unintentionally longer review than I planned, the motives and ending suck ass, few of the mini games are infuriating (hangman's gambit 2.0 can die) and this game just doesn't have that same claustrophobic feeling the original game had.
A waste of potential and a waste of time.
Whereas in the original most of the characters I didn't care about, here they are rather that or the most mind numbing pieces of fiction I've ever had the displeasure of seeing grow on me less as the months pass by (with a couple exceptions that I like). I said for the original that if your characters in your VISUAL NOVEL are rubbish then you have failed at one of the most important essentials of the genre, so like I did last time I will go through each character again in no particular order:
Hajime - Better than Makoto (protagonist from the last game) but that isn't a very high bar.
Nagito - I'll give him this he is a very interesting character but for all the right and wrong reasons. The more I think about him the more my brain just fries. One negative for sure though is that he can be extremely repetitive. One positive to balance it out is that his story involvement later on is actually one of the series' only highlights for me.
Chiaki - One of the most overrated characters I've seen. Other than her bland anime copy paste anime gamer girl personality and "cutesy" appearance, fans of her haven't managed to give me a decent enough reason for me to actually be invested in her character. I feel as if the game itself expects me to like her because she's cute and caring but if she has nothing else outside of that then I legit couldn't care less.
Gundham - Amazing voice performance that I could never get tired of. Can be repetitive sometimes but otherwise one of the only characters in this game I consider good.
Teruteru - Unironically carried by the voice acting in the first trial for being hysterical, otherwise he's a generic anime pervert akin to Mineta from My Hero Academia. Stay far away.
Mahiru - I legit cannot remember anything about her.
Byakuya - Wasted potential, kinda like the rest of this game.
Peko - She's okay I guess?
Ibuki - I like her expressions and whatnot but otherwise she's decent.
Hiyoko - Annoying and a complete waste of a character.
Nekomaru - Decent until the game turned him into a contrived plot device.
Kazuichi - Bland.
Sonia - Blander.
Akane - Blandest.
Fuyuhiko - One of the only characters in the series with any substantial development and character individualism. Not amazing but at least he serves a purpose.
Mikan - One of the worst written characters in anything I have played. She only exists as an annoying fan service tool until the writers complete forget how to write in general which leads to an insulting bad representation of trauma and other things. She is the very reason I wouldn't touch this game with a ten foot barge pole. Fuck whoever wrote this dreadful excuse for a character.
Monokuma sometimes has funny interactions with Monomi but otherwise the latter I couldn't care less about. To wrap up this unintentionally longer review than I planned, the motives and ending suck ass, few of the mini games are infuriating (hangman's gambit 2.0 can die) and this game just doesn't have that same claustrophobic feeling the original game had.
A waste of potential and a waste of time.
2022
I was a bit worried this game was in troubled production since we basically heard nothing for about 3 years after it got delayed twice but I am happy to know it didn't disappoint:
Graphics and Music:
Unlike Drawn to Life: Two Realms which can't decide if it wants to be a DS game or a mobile game with it's amazing pixel art and lame UI, the last Freedom Planet had pixel art similar to a SEGA Genius game while the squeal feels much more like a DS game if that makes any sense (In other words, it's consistent quality pixel art).
I prefer the character designs in this game much more to the last one because Lilac's design in FP1 looked way too generic, as a matter of fact the new high def pixel art style allows for the characters to have much more detailed designs.
The music in the first Freedom Planet was good but not quite memorable and the same goes here but who knows, it might grow on me. Each track backs up each zone nicely so not much else to say.
Gameplay:
This is such a breath of fresh air especially coming after Sonic Advance 1 and 2 since unlike those games, this game feels fun and rewarding to go fast (you know, what the game was intended for) whilst beating up enemies on the side. Unlike Sonic Advance 1 and 2 placing random spikes and pitfall traps everywhere, this game has a lot of levels but each of them feel distinct and fun on their own.
One of my favourite parts of the levels in particular is the story events that are incorporated, such as the battle between two opposing antagonists or the bad guys activating their massive laser weapon to fire upon you mid level (As can probs tell, I am simplifying this to avoid spoilers).
Speaking of level design, there are a few levels that drag too hard to the point where it feels like a final level except in the middle of the game. On the bright side however, my problem with the first game thinking it's epic throwing way too many enemies at you is not as frequent of an issue here. A lot of 2D platformers I have played as of late have had atrocious / bland level design which doesn't feel engaging in the slightest. With Freedom Planet 2, I felt immersed in the events going on during the levels and had fun playing through them.
I haven't tried controlling the other characters yet including the new one so I can't say much about how fun the combat is with the other characters, but Lilac is fun to control (especially when she defies gravity by walking up a slope). The addition of the guard / parry is also a massive welcome feature.
Story:
Another reason why the sequal is better than the first. I think a major problem I had with the first games story is that, while I could tell the plot and story was ambitious, the game's level structure was just too short for a plot as complicated as it. Don't get me wrong it's not THAT complicated but for a game with only 12 levels, a plot of kingdoms battling with one of them being manipulated by big uni-brow alien warlord isn't as fleshed out as it could have been but it was decent for what it is. That and the characters themselves were just alright, decent at best.
Meanwhile in the squeal, the world building is expanded massively because of the game being longer and I did enjoy finding out more about the world's past which is linked with the villains motivations. Speaking of, the villain here is ten times better than uni-brow alien man for being threatening and having a more interesting motivation.
If I did have one complaint it's that some characters make me scratch my head with their decisions and some give me a poker face expression (looking at you Aaa). There are some questions and character dynamics I wish got resolved since a lot got set up, however I am not so sure if I can say anything else about that because technically other parts of it are locked behind the other characters' campaigns but since the gameplay is fun I don't mind this.
I should mention that this game is quite funny sometimes, mostly thanks to the ultra giga chad Captain Kalaw.
Overall:
One of the weaker 9/10 games I have played but the game's hefty content, decently engaging story, major squeal improvements and fun speedy action packed gameplay shame me from a lower rating.
Graphics and Music:
Unlike Drawn to Life: Two Realms which can't decide if it wants to be a DS game or a mobile game with it's amazing pixel art and lame UI, the last Freedom Planet had pixel art similar to a SEGA Genius game while the squeal feels much more like a DS game if that makes any sense (In other words, it's consistent quality pixel art).
I prefer the character designs in this game much more to the last one because Lilac's design in FP1 looked way too generic, as a matter of fact the new high def pixel art style allows for the characters to have much more detailed designs.
The music in the first Freedom Planet was good but not quite memorable and the same goes here but who knows, it might grow on me. Each track backs up each zone nicely so not much else to say.
Gameplay:
This is such a breath of fresh air especially coming after Sonic Advance 1 and 2 since unlike those games, this game feels fun and rewarding to go fast (you know, what the game was intended for) whilst beating up enemies on the side. Unlike Sonic Advance 1 and 2 placing random spikes and pitfall traps everywhere, this game has a lot of levels but each of them feel distinct and fun on their own.
One of my favourite parts of the levels in particular is the story events that are incorporated, such as the battle between two opposing antagonists or the bad guys activating their massive laser weapon to fire upon you mid level (As can probs tell, I am simplifying this to avoid spoilers).
Speaking of level design, there are a few levels that drag too hard to the point where it feels like a final level except in the middle of the game. On the bright side however, my problem with the first game thinking it's epic throwing way too many enemies at you is not as frequent of an issue here. A lot of 2D platformers I have played as of late have had atrocious / bland level design which doesn't feel engaging in the slightest. With Freedom Planet 2, I felt immersed in the events going on during the levels and had fun playing through them.
I haven't tried controlling the other characters yet including the new one so I can't say much about how fun the combat is with the other characters, but Lilac is fun to control (especially when she defies gravity by walking up a slope). The addition of the guard / parry is also a massive welcome feature.
Story:
Another reason why the sequal is better than the first. I think a major problem I had with the first games story is that, while I could tell the plot and story was ambitious, the game's level structure was just too short for a plot as complicated as it. Don't get me wrong it's not THAT complicated but for a game with only 12 levels, a plot of kingdoms battling with one of them being manipulated by big uni-brow alien warlord isn't as fleshed out as it could have been but it was decent for what it is. That and the characters themselves were just alright, decent at best.
Meanwhile in the squeal, the world building is expanded massively because of the game being longer and I did enjoy finding out more about the world's past which is linked with the villains motivations. Speaking of, the villain here is ten times better than uni-brow alien man for being threatening and having a more interesting motivation.
If I did have one complaint it's that some characters make me scratch my head with their decisions and some give me a poker face expression (looking at you Aaa). There are some questions and character dynamics I wish got resolved since a lot got set up, however I am not so sure if I can say anything else about that because technically other parts of it are locked behind the other characters' campaigns but since the gameplay is fun I don't mind this.
I should mention that this game is quite funny sometimes, mostly thanks to the ultra giga chad Captain Kalaw.
Overall:
One of the weaker 9/10 games I have played but the game's hefty content, decently engaging story, major squeal improvements and fun speedy action packed gameplay shame me from a lower rating.
This review contains spoilers
I was thinking of more ways to clown on this game which then got me thinking: if the characters in your Visual Novel are bad then you have basically failed at what is essentially the most important part of the game.
Makoto - Boring, bland and shallow for a protagonist. Just because he is an average kid doesn't mean he has to have as much depth as a kiddy pool.
Junko - Despite her sort of shitposty appearance as a villain, constant repetitive reuse in later installments made her one of the worst villains I have ever seen in my life. Just no.
Sayaka - Please say I'm psychic again, it was really funnie the 50th time you said it!
Byakuya - Had his moments but otherwise, annoying and boring.
Kyoko - I don't like nor dislike? Idk I guess she has a cool design? I honestly couldn't care less.
Yasuhiro - One of the most pointless characters ever made.
Toko - Hey guys isn't it really cool how she switches between normal girl and murderer???
Leon - I couldn't care less.
Chihiro - Product of 2010 Japan.
Mondo - Meme design, decent character I guess?
Kiyotaka - I legit can't remember a single thing about this guy lol.
Celeste - Kinda cool design but otherwise I don't care.
Aoi - I used to like her but now I don't really care too much outside of her friendship with Sakura.
Sakura - Outside of her mediocre design, Sakura is the only character I actually was invested in because she wasn't annoying and actually had something going on. I still don't care though.
Hifumi - Best character in the entire series.
When I was typing this it made me excited to summarise what I don't like about each character but like, I now realise how little of an impression they left on me. Ace Attorney still gets me thinking about the characters long after I played the game whereas here I could not give a single shit about any of them even with the ones I kinda like (Sakura). The only fond memories of this game I still go back to is the soundtrack by the No More Heroes composer. If you like these characters then more power to you; looking on the bright side there is only a small handful of characters here that I hate which is why the score isn't lower, can't say the same for the later games though.
Makoto - Boring, bland and shallow for a protagonist. Just because he is an average kid doesn't mean he has to have as much depth as a kiddy pool.
Junko - Despite her sort of shitposty appearance as a villain, constant repetitive reuse in later installments made her one of the worst villains I have ever seen in my life. Just no.
Sayaka - Please say I'm psychic again, it was really funnie the 50th time you said it!
Byakuya - Had his moments but otherwise, annoying and boring.
Kyoko - I don't like nor dislike? Idk I guess she has a cool design? I honestly couldn't care less.
Yasuhiro - One of the most pointless characters ever made.
Toko - Hey guys isn't it really cool how she switches between normal girl and murderer???
Leon - I couldn't care less.
Chihiro - Product of 2010 Japan.
Mondo - Meme design, decent character I guess?
Kiyotaka - I legit can't remember a single thing about this guy lol.
Celeste - Kinda cool design but otherwise I don't care.
Aoi - I used to like her but now I don't really care too much outside of her friendship with Sakura.
Sakura - Outside of her mediocre design, Sakura is the only character I actually was invested in because she wasn't annoying and actually had something going on. I still don't care though.
Hifumi - Best character in the entire series.
When I was typing this it made me excited to summarise what I don't like about each character but like, I now realise how little of an impression they left on me. Ace Attorney still gets me thinking about the characters long after I played the game whereas here I could not give a single shit about any of them even with the ones I kinda like (Sakura). The only fond memories of this game I still go back to is the soundtrack by the No More Heroes composer. If you like these characters then more power to you; looking on the bright side there is only a small handful of characters here that I hate which is why the score isn't lower, can't say the same for the later games though.
2011
This review contains spoilers
This game follows up from the previous entry extremely well with the setting of an abandoned section of Gotham were they dump criminals like it's Australia all over again (after Arkham got destroyed in the first game) is mega interesting.
I love how the world building is told through the environment showcasing how the criminals have used this opportunity to build their own version of society. For example, the likes of Two Face, Penguin and Joker are at war with eachother within the premises and they each have their own gang of thugs worker for them/base of operations. Penguin turned the abandoned Gotham Museum into a fortress whilst Joker transformed the Gotham Steel Mill into his fun house of doom.
The side quests in Arkham City are ten times more interesting than the ones in Insomniac's Spiderman in my opinion. The ones in the latter usually are just helping a civilian thwart yet another wave of Fisk henchman whereas here not only are they way more unique, they also involve more characters; the only optional mission in Spiderman PS4 that I remember liking outside of the decent bunch was Tombstone's questline. The side quests in Arkham City involve the likes of The Riddler in his own hostage saving and riddle solving crusade, tracking a serial killer through phone calls whilst playing his dangerous game, saving a reporter from the Mad Hatter, working with Bane temporarily, etc.
In short, the optional stuff gives you a lot of extra interesting stuff to do.
The combat, gliding and grappling feels more smoother and faster from Asylum which is a big improvement. Stealth is also less infuriating too. Few might think the combat is repetitive but I like how the game makes you pay attention to counterattack and gives you many ways to approach combat. Whilst I prefer the combat here than in Spiderman PS4, I can see why others might fancy the other due to that being feeling more acrobatic and faster. Then again, I can understand anyone who might find it a bit repetitive too.
A thing that drags the experience down a bit outside of a couple weird character designs (Poison Ivy looks weird and jfc pull your zipper up Catwoman), I felt the story got a bit weaker towards the end. I mean, the final cutscene is banger but the plotline regarding Protocol 10 left be feeling a bit underwhelmed since Hugo Strange is a far more interesting and threatening than Ra's Al Ghul. Though there are briefs and explanations, I felt as if the game expected me to have knowledge of the Batman universe when it came to understand the likes of the League of Assassins. Since I don't really know much about Ra's Al Ghul, I thought his section of the game was more part of the journey to get the cure instead of being a bigger presence than it actually was. Whilst I like it when things are connected, here it feels really jarring when Hugo Strange just acts like an idiot for no reason saying "I am above you Batman! I have won!" right in Batman's face before getting punched. I felt disappointed that this supposed genius who I found to be a really interesting character ended up crying "You've ruined everything " only to then be stabbed by Ra's Al Ghul which, going back to my main point, leaves a sour taste in my mouth when this old ass mf starts claiming that Hugo Strange was basically his puppet all along.
I wasn't expecting a big ass boss fight but why didn't we have a more interesting psychological confrontation between Batman and Strange? Mayhaps they could have tried convincing eachother who is right and who is wrong. Despite me hating how Ra's Al Ghul came along basically acting as if he did everything, if they wanted to keep that why didn't they make Hugo Strange aware that he would likley be betrayed and do something interesting? I am aware he had protocol 11 hidden for an emergency but that just felt like another ass pull the writers did just to shock the audience even more.
I must emphasise the saltiness about this because Strange had a way more wider presence across the entire game than Ra ever did, every countdown to Protocol 10 added to the tension since Batman (and us) were still unravelling the mystery to what it is whilst looking for a cure. So for this weirdo to come out of nowhere when I only met him for a short period of time rubbed me the wrong way massively. I am unsure if this interpretation is flawed but I guess the disappointment mostly comes from how the conflict with Hugo Strange and Protocol 10 as a whole concluded as if it was an R-rated Barney the Dinosaur episode. All the assets where there for a great clash of ideals and events but I was left disappointed unfortunately.
Even though the final fight of the game is flawed (what were you thinking stabbing Batman whilst he held the cure Joker, etc), I still thought the death of the Dark Knight's arch nemesis was handled with pure epicness, for that very last line Batman says to the Joker is chilling.
I love how the world building is told through the environment showcasing how the criminals have used this opportunity to build their own version of society. For example, the likes of Two Face, Penguin and Joker are at war with eachother within the premises and they each have their own gang of thugs worker for them/base of operations. Penguin turned the abandoned Gotham Museum into a fortress whilst Joker transformed the Gotham Steel Mill into his fun house of doom.
The side quests in Arkham City are ten times more interesting than the ones in Insomniac's Spiderman in my opinion. The ones in the latter usually are just helping a civilian thwart yet another wave of Fisk henchman whereas here not only are they way more unique, they also involve more characters; the only optional mission in Spiderman PS4 that I remember liking outside of the decent bunch was Tombstone's questline. The side quests in Arkham City involve the likes of The Riddler in his own hostage saving and riddle solving crusade, tracking a serial killer through phone calls whilst playing his dangerous game, saving a reporter from the Mad Hatter, working with Bane temporarily, etc.
In short, the optional stuff gives you a lot of extra interesting stuff to do.
The combat, gliding and grappling feels more smoother and faster from Asylum which is a big improvement. Stealth is also less infuriating too. Few might think the combat is repetitive but I like how the game makes you pay attention to counterattack and gives you many ways to approach combat. Whilst I prefer the combat here than in Spiderman PS4, I can see why others might fancy the other due to that being feeling more acrobatic and faster. Then again, I can understand anyone who might find it a bit repetitive too.
A thing that drags the experience down a bit outside of a couple weird character designs (Poison Ivy looks weird and jfc pull your zipper up Catwoman), I felt the story got a bit weaker towards the end. I mean, the final cutscene is banger but the plotline regarding Protocol 10 left be feeling a bit underwhelmed since Hugo Strange is a far more interesting and threatening than Ra's Al Ghul. Though there are briefs and explanations, I felt as if the game expected me to have knowledge of the Batman universe when it came to understand the likes of the League of Assassins. Since I don't really know much about Ra's Al Ghul, I thought his section of the game was more part of the journey to get the cure instead of being a bigger presence than it actually was. Whilst I like it when things are connected, here it feels really jarring when Hugo Strange just acts like an idiot for no reason saying "I am above you Batman! I have won!" right in Batman's face before getting punched. I felt disappointed that this supposed genius who I found to be a really interesting character ended up crying "You've ruined everything " only to then be stabbed by Ra's Al Ghul which, going back to my main point, leaves a sour taste in my mouth when this old ass mf starts claiming that Hugo Strange was basically his puppet all along.
I wasn't expecting a big ass boss fight but why didn't we have a more interesting psychological confrontation between Batman and Strange? Mayhaps they could have tried convincing eachother who is right and who is wrong. Despite me hating how Ra's Al Ghul came along basically acting as if he did everything, if they wanted to keep that why didn't they make Hugo Strange aware that he would likley be betrayed and do something interesting? I am aware he had protocol 11 hidden for an emergency but that just felt like another ass pull the writers did just to shock the audience even more.
I must emphasise the saltiness about this because Strange had a way more wider presence across the entire game than Ra ever did, every countdown to Protocol 10 added to the tension since Batman (and us) were still unravelling the mystery to what it is whilst looking for a cure. So for this weirdo to come out of nowhere when I only met him for a short period of time rubbed me the wrong way massively. I am unsure if this interpretation is flawed but I guess the disappointment mostly comes from how the conflict with Hugo Strange and Protocol 10 as a whole concluded as if it was an R-rated Barney the Dinosaur episode. All the assets where there for a great clash of ideals and events but I was left disappointed unfortunately.
Even though the final fight of the game is flawed (what were you thinking stabbing Batman whilst he held the cure Joker, etc), I still thought the death of the Dark Knight's arch nemesis was handled with pure epicness, for that very last line Batman says to the Joker is chilling.
2007
A surprisingly not terrible platformer that is certainly better than the movie.
I took one look at this and just felt completely empty as if I was tossed into a void of nothingness. The artstyle and UI/HUD look so bland and lifeless like a typical mobile game, even PVZ2 atleast had great 2D animations that outdid the original massively.
And instead of having levels we have this grindy level up system? Wtf is this shit. Fuck you EA.
And instead of having levels we have this grindy level up system? Wtf is this shit. Fuck you EA.
About 85% of this game is pretty much pure perfection. For a game that takes place in a small mansion, the fact the main campaign is as long as it is is a miracle. Every section of this game in this 85% had me hooked. Items are placed fairly and justly to not make it too difficult but not too easy either. Every section is varied in it's own way.
That last 15% though... Ouch. I mean it isn't terrible but it is incredibly slow and drags the game to a speeding halt. If the last part was on parr with the rest of the game then I can give it the 10/10 it truly deserves.
Ideally if the last act of the game is just okay in comparison to the rest then this game should be like a 7 or an 8 right? Well I can't stress enough how good that first 85% truly is except by giving this a 9/10.
That last 15% though... Ouch. I mean it isn't terrible but it is incredibly slow and drags the game to a speeding halt. If the last part was on parr with the rest of the game then I can give it the 10/10 it truly deserves.
Ideally if the last act of the game is just okay in comparison to the rest then this game should be like a 7 or an 8 right? Well I can't stress enough how good that first 85% truly is except by giving this a 9/10.
2009
The music and vibe? Stellar. The gameplay? Yeah no.
Also why do stories like this always need to be so fast paced? I know how painfully boring an opening to a game can be if it's slow paced but when something goes too fast then it takes me out of immersion because shit goes from 1 to 100 immediately. Like I go from a school girl to suddenly needing to save the world?
Also why do stories like this always need to be so fast paced? I know how painfully boring an opening to a game can be if it's slow paced but when something goes too fast then it takes me out of immersion because shit goes from 1 to 100 immediately. Like I go from a school girl to suddenly needing to save the world?
2018
This game is decent fun. I wouldn't say I am the kind of person who could play this for so many rounds at once but if people do like doing that then more power to them.
I stg though I've never wanted to throw myself off a cliff for how stupid playing this in public is. NEVER play this in public servers because not only is everyone ridiculous with their reasoning for wanting to vote someone out, text chat for everyone just doesn't work for these kinds of games imo. Your best bet is playing this on voice with some people.
Don't even get me started on how people will leave the public lobby just because they didn't get imposter. If you're one of the people who ruins games by doing that then fuck you.
I stg though I've never wanted to throw myself off a cliff for how stupid playing this in public is. NEVER play this in public servers because not only is everyone ridiculous with their reasoning for wanting to vote someone out, text chat for everyone just doesn't work for these kinds of games imo. Your best bet is playing this on voice with some people.
Don't even get me started on how people will leave the public lobby just because they didn't get imposter. If you're one of the people who ruins games by doing that then fuck you.
2005
CHIEF CHILLI CAN GO DIE
2017
I like my fair share of chaotic games but I really need to be a specific mood for this one.
The maps are gorgeous and the music is out of this world amazing but I don't get what's fun about putting effort getting into first place, making sure you drift at the right moment and using items efficiently until you suddenly have fewer lucky stars. If I get screwed over by luck then I can recover quite easily but during the last round it is almost impossible unless you're god tier skill. I don't mind RNG mechanics but this is too out the ass for me most of the time.
The maps are gorgeous and the music is out of this world amazing but I don't get what's fun about putting effort getting into first place, making sure you drift at the right moment and using items efficiently until you suddenly have fewer lucky stars. If I get screwed over by luck then I can recover quite easily but during the last round it is almost impossible unless you're god tier skill. I don't mind RNG mechanics but this is too out the ass for me most of the time.