ThaFlu84
2022
This game took some time to grow on me, but after seeing its conclusion, I find it be quite unforgettable. It has a well-written, mysterious story with some mind-boggling revelations and an incredible soundtrack. The first “ending” is surprising and made me eager to find out what secrets this small town was hiding.
While the (true) ending left a few questions to be answered, what happens is heartwarming and impactful. The song titled “Epilogue”, takes the ending to another level. It is simply masterful. The last image, the last bit of dialogue, and the last portion of the song all combine to create a poignant moment that I won't soon forget. It actually made me appreciate my father a bit more. I have rarely been affected by a game this much.
While the (true) ending left a few questions to be answered, what happens is heartwarming and impactful. The song titled “Epilogue”, takes the ending to another level. It is simply masterful. The last image, the last bit of dialogue, and the last portion of the song all combine to create a poignant moment that I won't soon forget. It actually made me appreciate my father a bit more. I have rarely been affected by a game this much.
2022
I grew up with Pikmin 1 and it is one of my favorite games ever. So, I am forever lured to any games similar to it. This game has a few key similarities to Pikmin, but it is a collect-a-thon platformer and not a strategy game. It is cute and delightful with a gorgeous art style, similar to Paper Mario.
You are an shrunken character exploring a house inhabited by insects. Each room represents a level and an entirely unique environment. Exploring is fun and easygoing, enhanced by the cheerful soundtrack. The game is straightforward with a few well hidden secrets to find. You also meet many humorous NPCs. My favorite is a group of tired looking silverfishes named Chill, Reelaks, Napp, etc.
While the story isn't great, it is pretty mysterious and the game has plenty of world-building. It concludes with a sweet and worthwhile ending. This is a joyous game that I am happy to have played.
You are an shrunken character exploring a house inhabited by insects. Each room represents a level and an entirely unique environment. Exploring is fun and easygoing, enhanced by the cheerful soundtrack. The game is straightforward with a few well hidden secrets to find. You also meet many humorous NPCs. My favorite is a group of tired looking silverfishes named Chill, Reelaks, Napp, etc.
While the story isn't great, it is pretty mysterious and the game has plenty of world-building. It concludes with a sweet and worthwhile ending. This is a joyous game that I am happy to have played.
2020
3.75 Stars
This is a pleasant and faithful adaptation of the Gears of War series. It is amusing to see staples of the main series in a new light. The Tactics/RPG elements are grounded enough to fit in context with the Gears universe. It is fun to unlock loot after every mission and test each class/skill. Jack was introduced to the squad during the Xbox release and similar to Gears 5, his abilities are game-changing. I can't imagine playing without him.
While I was fond of this game, there are design choices that keep it from being great. Most notable is the repetitive mission structure. The missions (minus boss fights) and settings mostly feel the same. Even worse, you are required to do extra missions to advance the story, which drags the game out. This issue is compounded by the low amount of experience you gain. You are given an extensive skill tree, but will only acquire a few skills by the time you beat the game. Once beaten, you can unlock Supreme loot and experiment by resetting skill trees at will, but the repetition essentially kills this game's replay value.
This game was in my backlog for years, and I’m happy to have finally played it. It's concept was mostly executed well. I often thought about it when I wasn't playing, but I was burned-out after completion. One day, I could see myself returning to try a higher difficulty.
This is a pleasant and faithful adaptation of the Gears of War series. It is amusing to see staples of the main series in a new light. The Tactics/RPG elements are grounded enough to fit in context with the Gears universe. It is fun to unlock loot after every mission and test each class/skill. Jack was introduced to the squad during the Xbox release and similar to Gears 5, his abilities are game-changing. I can't imagine playing without him.
While I was fond of this game, there are design choices that keep it from being great. Most notable is the repetitive mission structure. The missions (minus boss fights) and settings mostly feel the same. Even worse, you are required to do extra missions to advance the story, which drags the game out. This issue is compounded by the low amount of experience you gain. You are given an extensive skill tree, but will only acquire a few skills by the time you beat the game. Once beaten, you can unlock Supreme loot and experiment by resetting skill trees at will, but the repetition essentially kills this game's replay value.
This game was in my backlog for years, and I’m happy to have finally played it. It's concept was mostly executed well. I often thought about it when I wasn't playing, but I was burned-out after completion. One day, I could see myself returning to try a higher difficulty.
2011
A simple, but fun twin-stick shooter with enough challenge to make it enjoyable.
4.25 Stars
I consider Jedi: Fallen Order to be amongst the best games that I’ve ever played. So, I was extremely excited to see everything new that this game had to offer and it didn’t disappoint. Many things have been added or expanded upon from its predecessor and are mostly worthwhile additions. It adds more enemies and abilities, a huge main world to explore, side quests (rumors), challenges, an immensely fun mini game, and more. Holotactics is now one of my favorite mini games ever. You also get an outpost to interact with and recruit intriguing NPCs to. This game also has one of the coolest action sequences that I’ve ever played through (when you escape the Pilgrim Sanctuary with Merrin).
This game has some flaws though. First, the beginning of the plot feels like happenstance, more so than I can recall in any other game. No spoilers, but is Cal the luckiest Jedi in the galaxy? Also, the villain’s motives seem naive and are not fleshed out enough. Second, you obtain some gadgets very late in the story, which slightly discourages exploration, even after 25+ hours. Last, sometimes the controls are unresponsive and there are minor glitches that caused me to restart the game (R1 button not working, couldn’t change stance, or couldn’t cycle targets.)
Combat in this game was slightly frustrating too. I played on Jedi Master (Hard mode) difficulty, for context. The ranged enemies are irritating. Whether attacking them or deflecting their shots back at them, they are highly evasive. The targeting controls are messy, so when targeting someone, if I get attacked, the game will switch targets. There was also one instance where I had an enemy trapped in a corner and he dodged all of my attacks, despite my lightsaber clipping through his body. Finally, some mini bosses have one hit kill attacks (not present in Fallen Order), which adds another level of frustration.
I personally enjoyed Jedi: Fallen Order slightly more. I found it to be simpler and better paced. The vast amount of combat options in this game is frankly overwhelming and unnecessary. And, maybe the story could have been told better. Regardless, this is an amazing sequel that I still highly recommend. The plot gets pretty dark towards the end and I can’t wait to see the payoff in another entry.
I consider Jedi: Fallen Order to be amongst the best games that I’ve ever played. So, I was extremely excited to see everything new that this game had to offer and it didn’t disappoint. Many things have been added or expanded upon from its predecessor and are mostly worthwhile additions. It adds more enemies and abilities, a huge main world to explore, side quests (rumors), challenges, an immensely fun mini game, and more. Holotactics is now one of my favorite mini games ever. You also get an outpost to interact with and recruit intriguing NPCs to. This game also has one of the coolest action sequences that I’ve ever played through (when you escape the Pilgrim Sanctuary with Merrin).
This game has some flaws though. First, the beginning of the plot feels like happenstance, more so than I can recall in any other game. No spoilers, but is Cal the luckiest Jedi in the galaxy? Also, the villain’s motives seem naive and are not fleshed out enough. Second, you obtain some gadgets very late in the story, which slightly discourages exploration, even after 25+ hours. Last, sometimes the controls are unresponsive and there are minor glitches that caused me to restart the game (R1 button not working, couldn’t change stance, or couldn’t cycle targets.)
Combat in this game was slightly frustrating too. I played on Jedi Master (Hard mode) difficulty, for context. The ranged enemies are irritating. Whether attacking them or deflecting their shots back at them, they are highly evasive. The targeting controls are messy, so when targeting someone, if I get attacked, the game will switch targets. There was also one instance where I had an enemy trapped in a corner and he dodged all of my attacks, despite my lightsaber clipping through his body. Finally, some mini bosses have one hit kill attacks (not present in Fallen Order), which adds another level of frustration.
I personally enjoyed Jedi: Fallen Order slightly more. I found it to be simpler and better paced. The vast amount of combat options in this game is frankly overwhelming and unnecessary. And, maybe the story could have been told better. Regardless, this is an amazing sequel that I still highly recommend. The plot gets pretty dark towards the end and I can’t wait to see the payoff in another entry.
An enjoyable miniseries with a stellar finale.
Too many inconsistencies with the characters, choices, and story makes this feel like it was rushed. However, it is still worth a play through.
A very charming and sometimes challenging puzzle game that is a little too long for its own good.
2012
4.25 Stars
A special and often challenging puzzle platformer with a worthwhile ending.
A special and often challenging puzzle platformer with a worthwhile ending.
2017
A solid RPG with cool characters, an interesting battle system, a decent story, and an INCREDIBLE soundtrack.
4.25 Stars
An unforgettable ending to the series. The plot is interesting and the new characters are fun. However, AJ establishes himself as an all-time great character. His curiosity, the decisions he makes, and having a hand in raising him will stay with me for a long time.
An unforgettable ending to the series. The plot is interesting and the new characters are fun. However, AJ establishes himself as an all-time great character. His curiosity, the decisions he makes, and having a hand in raising him will stay with me for a long time.
3.25 Stars
Poor combat, average platforming, and odd level design mars what could have... no, would have been a great game.
Poor combat, average platforming, and odd level design mars what could have... no, would have been a great game.
Despite technical limitations, this game feels true to the series and is a worthy addition. It is very short, but has a nice pace, the story is interesting, the combat is challenging, and there is some decent bonus content.
2011
3.75 Stars
The story for this game is laughably bad and cliche. I felt that there was an obvious lack of effort in that regard and I’m disappointed that the stunning ending of Resistance 2 was not fully capitalized on. Despite this, the upgradeable weapons, boss fights, and overall combat is very rewarding and worth experiencing. Even after finishing this game, I looked forward to playing some more, just to collect some trophies.
The story for this game is laughably bad and cliche. I felt that there was an obvious lack of effort in that regard and I’m disappointed that the stunning ending of Resistance 2 was not fully capitalized on. Despite this, the upgradeable weapons, boss fights, and overall combat is very rewarding and worth experiencing. Even after finishing this game, I looked forward to playing some more, just to collect some trophies.
3.75 Stars
It has all of the elements that made the other God of War games great. Challenging combat, a decent story, epic moments, and solid bonus content. However, I have 2 significant issues.
It seems that a few boss fights require you to be grabbed in order to advance. There are also a few fights where an object must be destroyed to advance. The latter is never alluded to. Even worse, an infinite amount of enemies will respawn until the object is destroyed. Both situations resulted in unnecessary deaths and confusion.
Despite my complaints, this is another worthy spin-off to the series.
It has all of the elements that made the other God of War games great. Challenging combat, a decent story, epic moments, and solid bonus content. However, I have 2 significant issues.
It seems that a few boss fights require you to be grabbed in order to advance. There are also a few fights where an object must be destroyed to advance. The latter is never alluded to. Even worse, an infinite amount of enemies will respawn until the object is destroyed. Both situations resulted in unnecessary deaths and confusion.
Despite my complaints, this is another worthy spin-off to the series.