TheGamingN00b
BACKER
2012
I hate this so much.
1999
Planescape Torment is truly special.
When I played it for the first time, it was already "a classic" and more than 10 years old. Yet, it felt fresh and new and completely floored me with everything it had to offer.
The party members are some of the deepest and most compelling characters I ever had the pleasure of getting to know.
The eerie setting and atmosphere with its sense of mystery, adventure, poetry and philosophy simply blew me away. It manages to buck every single trope and convention that has ever been conceived in (esp. tolkienesque) fantasy fiction. And it does so effortlessly and without even explicitly trying to do that.
And on top of all that, this game gifted me with my favorite "magic moment" I have ever experienced in any medium ever. I cried during that moment. And not out of joy or sadness. I cried because I was so overwhelmed with the serene beauty and gratification of this one moment and how every single fiber of this game lore, setting and storytelling were woven together and intertwined to create this exact moment.
With this game, the Black Isle Studios and Chris Avellone built a monument not only to the power of storytelling, but also to the ability video games have of utilizing that power.
And it is for these reasons, and many more, that this is my absolute favorite video game of all time, as well as my favorite story out of any piece of fiction I have ever consumed in my entire life.
And even now, more than 20 years after its initial release, Planescape: Torment has lost none of its toppling radiance. Not even visually.
This game is one congealed triumph.
11/10
.
.
.
make it 12/10.
When I played it for the first time, it was already "a classic" and more than 10 years old. Yet, it felt fresh and new and completely floored me with everything it had to offer.
The party members are some of the deepest and most compelling characters I ever had the pleasure of getting to know.
The eerie setting and atmosphere with its sense of mystery, adventure, poetry and philosophy simply blew me away. It manages to buck every single trope and convention that has ever been conceived in (esp. tolkienesque) fantasy fiction. And it does so effortlessly and without even explicitly trying to do that.
And on top of all that, this game gifted me with my favorite "magic moment" I have ever experienced in any medium ever. I cried during that moment. And not out of joy or sadness. I cried because I was so overwhelmed with the serene beauty and gratification of this one moment and how every single fiber of this game lore, setting and storytelling were woven together and intertwined to create this exact moment.
With this game, the Black Isle Studios and Chris Avellone built a monument not only to the power of storytelling, but also to the ability video games have of utilizing that power.
And it is for these reasons, and many more, that this is my absolute favorite video game of all time, as well as my favorite story out of any piece of fiction I have ever consumed in my entire life.
And even now, more than 20 years after its initial release, Planescape: Torment has lost none of its toppling radiance. Not even visually.
This game is one congealed triumph.
11/10
.
.
.
make it 12/10.
2012
This game is just pure joy.
I played the vanilla version just after it came out in the PAL regions and I spent a small fortune to buy a PSVita and that rare cartridge just to play Golden. And I do not regret it. Not one goddamn bit.
Everything in this game brings me joy. The setting, the soundtrack, the pacing, the characters, the character interactions, the boss fights, the dungeons, the central premise, the social links, the social events, the story and its conclusion and all the endings and the way it just oozes optimism.
Every. single. thing. about. this. game. is. love. and. joy. and. bliss. to. me.
I could propably play it during the absolute worst day in my entire life and suddenly feel a lot better.
I played the vanilla version just after it came out in the PAL regions and I spent a small fortune to buy a PSVita and that rare cartridge just to play Golden. And I do not regret it. Not one goddamn bit.
Everything in this game brings me joy. The setting, the soundtrack, the pacing, the characters, the character interactions, the boss fights, the dungeons, the central premise, the social links, the social events, the story and its conclusion and all the endings and the way it just oozes optimism.
Every. single. thing. about. this. game. is. love. and. joy. and. bliss. to. me.
I could propably play it during the absolute worst day in my entire life and suddenly feel a lot better.
2006
... just ... holy fuck. Jesus Christ.
How many good things can you flush down the toilet?
This game has amazing characters, a unique style and premise and an extremely powerful story and plot.
Aaaand it ruins all of that with some of the worst design blunders I have ever seen in my life. It simply beggars belief.
Let's start with the fact that this game has the pacing of a glacier. The beginning up to the first dungeon is particularily bad.
How was this acceptible?
Another one of the worst offenders is actually that some of the best characters in the game (Shinji, Akihiko, Aegis, Junpei) DO NOT HAVE A FUCKING SOCIAL LINK! WHY?!? It makes absolutely no sense and egregiously prevents these great characters from having the same impact and screentime as the characters that do have social links.
Some that do are actually not only just... bad social links, but also bland characters, like Kenji, who is just a complete bufoon and his social link is so cringe I actually had to force myself to finish it.
Oh, and the backtracker-dungeon, the so called Tartarus is a gigantic grindfest that constantly interrupts the storys momentum and your immersion and it TAKES ON FOREVER! WHO MADE THIS?!?!? AND WHO THOUGHT THIS WAS A GOOD IDEA AND SHOULD BE KEPT IN THE GAME?!?
... what else? Oh yeah, you... can't... control your party members directly... like... ever. They are always NPCs and you just have to hope that they make the correct decision.
... just... wow. Like... seriously??? Who programmed this shit?
This is basically what's wrong with this... thing. There is some other stuff you can critizise but it just pales in comparision to the monumental blunders I have just listed. They make this game impossible to enjoy and impossible to appreciate everything it does well.
Don't play it. At least not this version.
Try out the PSP Version or some certain... questionable version (not FES, that's also pretty bad).
How many good things can you flush down the toilet?
This game has amazing characters, a unique style and premise and an extremely powerful story and plot.
Aaaand it ruins all of that with some of the worst design blunders I have ever seen in my life. It simply beggars belief.
Let's start with the fact that this game has the pacing of a glacier. The beginning up to the first dungeon is particularily bad.
How was this acceptible?
Another one of the worst offenders is actually that some of the best characters in the game (Shinji, Akihiko, Aegis, Junpei) DO NOT HAVE A FUCKING SOCIAL LINK! WHY?!? It makes absolutely no sense and egregiously prevents these great characters from having the same impact and screentime as the characters that do have social links.
Some that do are actually not only just... bad social links, but also bland characters, like Kenji, who is just a complete bufoon and his social link is so cringe I actually had to force myself to finish it.
Oh, and the backtracker-dungeon, the so called Tartarus is a gigantic grindfest that constantly interrupts the storys momentum and your immersion and it TAKES ON FOREVER! WHO MADE THIS?!?!? AND WHO THOUGHT THIS WAS A GOOD IDEA AND SHOULD BE KEPT IN THE GAME?!?
... what else? Oh yeah, you... can't... control your party members directly... like... ever. They are always NPCs and you just have to hope that they make the correct decision.
... just... wow. Like... seriously??? Who programmed this shit?
This is basically what's wrong with this... thing. There is some other stuff you can critizise but it just pales in comparision to the monumental blunders I have just listed. They make this game impossible to enjoy and impossible to appreciate everything it does well.
Don't play it. At least not this version.
Try out the PSP Version or some certain... questionable version (not FES, that's also pretty bad).
2014
JESUS FUCKING CHRIST.
... if this is a joke, then it's a damn cruel one in disgustingly bad taste.
This used to be favorite game of all time during my youth until my taste in video games changed a bit over the recent years.
But it is still an all time fav (second favorite) and far and away my favorite game in the Legend of Zelda Series.
The impeccable atmosphere with its uncanny and eminent layer of dread and inevitability alone is reason enough to play this game.
The final six hours, especially in clock town itself, delivers one of the most dense atmospheres I have ever experienced. One that leaves you emotionally drained and satisfied.
And the timeloop story of the game is the very pinnacle of timeloops and timeloop storytelling. It merges with the games themes perfectly and overwhelms the player with so many special moments and feelings that it is hard to keep up.
The music is also incredibly and reinforces everything about the experience and the Stone Tower Temple is one of my favorite levels and areas in any video game ever.
Yes, this game has some design decisions and just overall design that did not age well.
But it just pales in comparision to everything it does right.
Masterful.
But it is still an all time fav (second favorite) and far and away my favorite game in the Legend of Zelda Series.
The impeccable atmosphere with its uncanny and eminent layer of dread and inevitability alone is reason enough to play this game.
The final six hours, especially in clock town itself, delivers one of the most dense atmospheres I have ever experienced. One that leaves you emotionally drained and satisfied.
And the timeloop story of the game is the very pinnacle of timeloops and timeloop storytelling. It merges with the games themes perfectly and overwhelms the player with so many special moments and feelings that it is hard to keep up.
The music is also incredibly and reinforces everything about the experience and the Stone Tower Temple is one of my favorite levels and areas in any video game ever.
Yes, this game has some design decisions and just overall design that did not age well.
But it just pales in comparision to everything it does right.
Masterful.
2015
Undertale is a great game.
It offers a really wholesome and loving deconstruction of the tropes of classic (J)RPGs. And that's really cool. And the OST is absolutely positively A-mazing and very propably one of the best video game OSTs of all time.
But the game also has annoying stop and start sequences that constantly interrupts everything (WTF ARE THESE PHONE CALLS?!?) and are just not funny and some of the games characters are very annoying AND, most of the time, the gameplay loop is also very fucking annoying.
This game is still very very VERY great. But those flaws hold it back from being a masterpiece.
... very great^^
It offers a really wholesome and loving deconstruction of the tropes of classic (J)RPGs. And that's really cool. And the OST is absolutely positively A-mazing and very propably one of the best video game OSTs of all time.
But the game also has annoying stop and start sequences that constantly interrupts everything (WTF ARE THESE PHONE CALLS?!?) and are just not funny and some of the games characters are very annoying AND, most of the time, the gameplay loop is also very fucking annoying.
This game is still very very VERY great. But those flaws hold it back from being a masterpiece.
... very great^^
2007
I do not need to review Portal, because everybody has already played Portal.
But in case one of the two people who have not yet played portal ever reads this, here is some advice:
Clench your fist, punch yourself in the face once for every year that has passed since Portals release, then go play Portal.
But in case one of the two people who have not yet played portal ever reads this, here is some advice:
Clench your fist, punch yourself in the face once for every year that has passed since Portals release, then go play Portal.
I have a thing for Uncharted.
Now the first and the third game are fucking terrible, I ain't gonna deny that, but Unchated 2 and Uncharted 4 are near and dear to my heart.
But Uncharted 2 is the only game in the Series that I truly love.
One reason for this is the impeccable pacing of Uncharted 2, while the pacing of Uncharted 4s is one of the games major flaws. But most of all, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves offers the least restrictive and most enthralling set piece design of the entire series by far (the train... omg the train) and in that way, reduces the feel of the "playable Indiana Jones Movie" that the series was going for to its very essence and delivers it to you in a steady drip.
And on top of that, the game even has heart. Something, many many MANY western AAA-Games sorely lack.
... I will always kinda love this a lot :-)
Now the first and the third game are fucking terrible, I ain't gonna deny that, but Unchated 2 and Uncharted 4 are near and dear to my heart.
But Uncharted 2 is the only game in the Series that I truly love.
One reason for this is the impeccable pacing of Uncharted 2, while the pacing of Uncharted 4s is one of the games major flaws. But most of all, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves offers the least restrictive and most enthralling set piece design of the entire series by far (the train... omg the train) and in that way, reduces the feel of the "playable Indiana Jones Movie" that the series was going for to its very essence and delivers it to you in a steady drip.
And on top of that, the game even has heart. Something, many many MANY western AAA-Games sorely lack.
... I will always kinda love this a lot :-)
To me, Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King is the version of the fairytale storybook JRPG approach that I love the most.
This game simply captivated me with its unending charm, compelling story and plot, interesting setting, strong intro, amazing music, lovable characters (esp. party members), awesome character and creature designs, powerful conclusion, great pacing and the absolutely sublime translation and voice acting, whose british touch perfectly merges with the games humor, themes and lightheartedness.
And it kept me captivated and did not let me go until the very end.
I love this game.
This game simply captivated me with its unending charm, compelling story and plot, interesting setting, strong intro, amazing music, lovable characters (esp. party members), awesome character and creature designs, powerful conclusion, great pacing and the absolutely sublime translation and voice acting, whose british touch perfectly merges with the games humor, themes and lightheartedness.
And it kept me captivated and did not let me go until the very end.
I love this game.
2010
This is the Cagemasters only game that isn't shit.
It is the most earnest, passionate and daring of his movie/game-thingys and has none of the outlandish (unintended) messages and creepy moments (aside from that legendarily bad sex scene).
Now this game does fail spectacularily at basically every corner, but it has moments of greatness here and there, something that's completely missing from David Cages other works, and while the gameplay of his games are always giant QTE-Fests, here it is at least straightforward and somehow merges with the games overall tone and structure.
Don't get me wrong, I still do not like this and I think you'd be mental to call it "above average".
But I do have respect for this game, and that's something I really really cannot say about the likes of Detroit: Become Human, Beyond: Two Souls and Fahrenheit/Indigo Prophecy.
It is the most earnest, passionate and daring of his movie/game-thingys and has none of the outlandish (unintended) messages and creepy moments (aside from that legendarily bad sex scene).
Now this game does fail spectacularily at basically every corner, but it has moments of greatness here and there, something that's completely missing from David Cages other works, and while the gameplay of his games are always giant QTE-Fests, here it is at least straightforward and somehow merges with the games overall tone and structure.
Don't get me wrong, I still do not like this and I think you'd be mental to call it "above average".
But I do have respect for this game, and that's something I really really cannot say about the likes of Detroit: Become Human, Beyond: Two Souls and Fahrenheit/Indigo Prophecy.
1999
Whew. This is gonna be a rougher one.
I know this game is beloved and I don't wanna piss on anybody's all time favs, but please count me out.
I played this game til about the halfway point and it just frustrated the living hell out of me with its confusing, unfair and flawed game design.
Okeee, now with that said, let's get started.
The degradation of the ranged weapons always pissed me off, the psy-abilities were unintuitive to me and I was shying away from investing any valuable skill points in these abilties when it was unclear to me if they would be useful to me in the long run. So I just kept sticking to close combat and hoarded all the other skill points I would've spend on combat abilities.
I get what people like about this game, it is very deep and while I think its story is confusing and convoluted, it's themes reign powerful even today.
But I was not having a good experience with System Shock 2 at all. I was constantly frustrated, battling the controls and the game mechanics, berating myself for sucking, being paranoid about the skill points and most of all I found that progressing further in the game had me feeling increasingly worried (and not in a way a horror game should), instead of rewarded.
On Top of that, I was constantly struggling with all the many stats, menus, shortcuts to items, weapons etc., the inventory and the constant managing of all of it. Even after figuring out a control setting that worked for me, I was constantly confused and took way too long for anything to get done.
Because of that, every suprise encounter felt like I was caught with my pants down.
Regarding the balance issues: To me there were far too many varied abilities you
were able to sink your skill points into and even trivial things needed very specific abilities to the point that the progression felt entirely unrewarding to me.
As for the approach to gameplay, I felt that close combat with a weapon (especially an energy weapon), was far superior to any other approach to encounters.
And I also feel like this game wastes my time.
If I sit down to play a classic, I don't wanna read a 50 page game manual to find
out what I am supposed to be doing (The Reason I could not get into the first XCom).
And with system shock 2, the first thing I needed to do was take 30 minutes to re-configurate the control schemes because the default was totally useless.
Just... no. Like I said in the beginning: Please count me out. I tried this, did not like it at all and will never play it again.
I know this game is beloved and I don't wanna piss on anybody's all time favs, but please count me out.
I played this game til about the halfway point and it just frustrated the living hell out of me with its confusing, unfair and flawed game design.
Okeee, now with that said, let's get started.
The degradation of the ranged weapons always pissed me off, the psy-abilities were unintuitive to me and I was shying away from investing any valuable skill points in these abilties when it was unclear to me if they would be useful to me in the long run. So I just kept sticking to close combat and hoarded all the other skill points I would've spend on combat abilities.
I get what people like about this game, it is very deep and while I think its story is confusing and convoluted, it's themes reign powerful even today.
But I was not having a good experience with System Shock 2 at all. I was constantly frustrated, battling the controls and the game mechanics, berating myself for sucking, being paranoid about the skill points and most of all I found that progressing further in the game had me feeling increasingly worried (and not in a way a horror game should), instead of rewarded.
On Top of that, I was constantly struggling with all the many stats, menus, shortcuts to items, weapons etc., the inventory and the constant managing of all of it. Even after figuring out a control setting that worked for me, I was constantly confused and took way too long for anything to get done.
Because of that, every suprise encounter felt like I was caught with my pants down.
Regarding the balance issues: To me there were far too many varied abilities you
were able to sink your skill points into and even trivial things needed very specific abilities to the point that the progression felt entirely unrewarding to me.
As for the approach to gameplay, I felt that close combat with a weapon (especially an energy weapon), was far superior to any other approach to encounters.
And I also feel like this game wastes my time.
If I sit down to play a classic, I don't wanna read a 50 page game manual to find
out what I am supposed to be doing (The Reason I could not get into the first XCom).
And with system shock 2, the first thing I needed to do was take 30 minutes to re-configurate the control schemes because the default was totally useless.
Just... no. Like I said in the beginning: Please count me out. I tried this, did not like it at all and will never play it again.
1999
Final Fantssy VIII is a pretentious, uninspired, confusing and poorly cobbled together piece of congealed failure.
.
.
.
also Squall is propably the worst Main Protagonist ever.
.
.
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also Squall is propably the worst Main Protagonist ever.
You know, I could drone on for hours about all the different things that make Fallout: New Vegas such an amazing, amazing game.
About the incredibly immersive world, the fantastic compagnions, the cool weapons, the absolutely awesome soundtrack and so. much. more.
But I wanna focus on two positives instead. Because they are, in my opinion, the most important and greatest triumphs that this game has to offer.
The First: I tried to find it, believe me, I did. But it's just not there. Fallout: New Vegas has no bad quests. Every single quest in this game, be it main quest or sidequests offers you its own distinct flair, small and engaging piece of story and world building and crafted with so many care and attention to detail in the department of writing that it's actually jaw-dropping. Every single one of the quests in this game is a work of art.... you just have to see it.
The second: This game has the very single best collection of DLCs I have ever played in my entire life.
Old World Blues, Lonesome Road, Dead Money and Honest Hearts. They all offer different themes and their own unique take on how to expand and enhance the New Vegas Experience. They are all built to [near] perfection and every single one of these DLCs is better than your standard great full-price role-playing game. Yes, they are that good.
Fallout: New Vegas is a Miracle. The fact that Obsidian managed to pull something even close to it off after all the difficulties they had to go through amazes me to this day.
I applaud them and they have my utmost gratitude.
About the incredibly immersive world, the fantastic compagnions, the cool weapons, the absolutely awesome soundtrack and so. much. more.
But I wanna focus on two positives instead. Because they are, in my opinion, the most important and greatest triumphs that this game has to offer.
The First: I tried to find it, believe me, I did. But it's just not there. Fallout: New Vegas has no bad quests. Every single quest in this game, be it main quest or sidequests offers you its own distinct flair, small and engaging piece of story and world building and crafted with so many care and attention to detail in the department of writing that it's actually jaw-dropping. Every single one of the quests in this game is a work of art.... you just have to see it.
The second: This game has the very single best collection of DLCs I have ever played in my entire life.
Old World Blues, Lonesome Road, Dead Money and Honest Hearts. They all offer different themes and their own unique take on how to expand and enhance the New Vegas Experience. They are all built to [near] perfection and every single one of these DLCs is better than your standard great full-price role-playing game. Yes, they are that good.
Fallout: New Vegas is a Miracle. The fact that Obsidian managed to pull something even close to it off after all the difficulties they had to go through amazes me to this day.
I applaud them and they have my utmost gratitude.