Thundercblob
2011
A massive improvement over 2, and definitely my favourite in the series. Combat is faster and less frustrating, the story is less intrusive, and the set pieces are actually a lot of fun this time around.
Some of the levels don't really work: the boat level is slow enough to feel boring, and the train level similarly feels too easy as there's not really much going on. Other than this, I loved the road trip feel of this one, with the levels actually feeling like you are making progress toward New York. The final section of the game is some of the strongest gameplay in the series, and I think it wraps up well.
The gunplay is also more fun, with the weapon wheel back from 1 giving you more choice. The enemies are less annoying, with the invisible 1-shot kill enemies a thing of the past. I feel like they got the balance right with this one. It takes everything that worked from the first two and actually stands alone as a decent shooter. If this had been the first game, I think maybe the series would have done a little better.
Some of the levels don't really work: the boat level is slow enough to feel boring, and the train level similarly feels too easy as there's not really much going on. Other than this, I loved the road trip feel of this one, with the levels actually feeling like you are making progress toward New York. The final section of the game is some of the strongest gameplay in the series, and I think it wraps up well.
The gunplay is also more fun, with the weapon wheel back from 1 giving you more choice. The enemies are less annoying, with the invisible 1-shot kill enemies a thing of the past. I feel like they got the balance right with this one. It takes everything that worked from the first two and actually stands alone as a decent shooter. If this had been the first game, I think maybe the series would have done a little better.
2008
This is probably the worst FPS I've ever played, and one of the worst games overall that I've ever experienced.
Every encounter was an exercise in frustration. From the invisible enemies, to cramming 3 minibosses at a time into tiny playing fields, to getting downed by 3 or 4 shots, this game felt like it hadn't even been play tested.
The shooting is marginally better than the first one, but everything else that made the first game slightly interesting is gone. The setting is replaced by generic sci-fi, the plot is somehow even worse and more convoluted, the characters are boring, the boss fights are laughable, and the level design is the equivalent of a 10-year-old's Halo Forge creation. There's no flow to anything, and the game throws you from area to area without ever really telling you why you should care.
For the first third of the game I was enjoying myself, but once I hit the spaceship the quality control fell off a cliff. I can't believe the spaceship level ends with someone accidentally setting off explosives, forcing you to evacuate, it felt like they just gave up. That's how the rest of the game felt to me, too: half baked levels with vaguely interesting ideas marred by terrible enemy placement and boring, plodding plot.
I'm in too deep with this series now and bought both 2 and 3 when I played 1 so I'm going to have to see it through either way. I have truly run out of anything good to play.
Every encounter was an exercise in frustration. From the invisible enemies, to cramming 3 minibosses at a time into tiny playing fields, to getting downed by 3 or 4 shots, this game felt like it hadn't even been play tested.
The shooting is marginally better than the first one, but everything else that made the first game slightly interesting is gone. The setting is replaced by generic sci-fi, the plot is somehow even worse and more convoluted, the characters are boring, the boss fights are laughable, and the level design is the equivalent of a 10-year-old's Halo Forge creation. There's no flow to anything, and the game throws you from area to area without ever really telling you why you should care.
For the first third of the game I was enjoying myself, but once I hit the spaceship the quality control fell off a cliff. I can't believe the spaceship level ends with someone accidentally setting off explosives, forcing you to evacuate, it felt like they just gave up. That's how the rest of the game felt to me, too: half baked levels with vaguely interesting ideas marred by terrible enemy placement and boring, plodding plot.
I'm in too deep with this series now and bought both 2 and 3 when I played 1 so I'm going to have to see it through either way. I have truly run out of anything good to play.
Very dated but I still enjoyed it a fair amount. For some reason I can pretty easily play mediocre PS2/3 era games and have a lot of fun with them.
The first thing you notice about this game is how hard it's trying to be PlayStation's answer to Halo. The gunplay is functional, sure, but the health regen is awful and the difficulty is pretty all over the place throughout. Some levels feel like slogs where checkpoints are few and far between, and some levels take about 5 minutes. None of the guns are particularly interesting for a sci-fi game, but the weird setting is still kind of cool.
I found it pretty enjoyable that this game took place in a set of British towns and cities you never really see in games. It was a bit strange to do a Halo warthog mission at Cheddar Gorge. The level design was pretty cool, visually, but the gameplay is just nothing to write home about.
The first thing you notice about this game is how hard it's trying to be PlayStation's answer to Halo. The gunplay is functional, sure, but the health regen is awful and the difficulty is pretty all over the place throughout. Some levels feel like slogs where checkpoints are few and far between, and some levels take about 5 minutes. None of the guns are particularly interesting for a sci-fi game, but the weird setting is still kind of cool.
I found it pretty enjoyable that this game took place in a set of British towns and cities you never really see in games. It was a bit strange to do a Halo warthog mission at Cheddar Gorge. The level design was pretty cool, visually, but the gameplay is just nothing to write home about.
A perfectly fine Metroidvania that I felt was held back by an overbearing focus on a pretty boring plot and set of characters. The gameplay was pretty fun, especially the boss fights, but despite all the praise I felt it was still a pretty janky experience with a pretty unmemorable map.
Some of the upgrades were unique, like the shadow of Simurgh, but a lot of the smaller secrets and collectibles were completely useless. Most rewards for exploration were just currency which never felt valuable because you often got more simply from fighting enemies.
My main gripe I guess is the map. I felt like they could've done so much more with it yet most areas were just a variation on the same city or ruin themes. I really liked the sea area, but there was nothing else like that throughout the rest of the game.
I still had fun with it, but I don't feel like it comes anywhere close to Metroid Dread for recent Metroidvanias in terms of fluidity. I like short, polished Metroidvanias that gives you the gameplay you want in 8-10 hours. Longer-form games like Hollow Knight have worked for me, but almost always because they've had an interesting and varied world and an extra level of polish and care that this didn't really hit for me.
Still Ubisoft's best game since the PS3 generation in my opinion though.
Some of the upgrades were unique, like the shadow of Simurgh, but a lot of the smaller secrets and collectibles were completely useless. Most rewards for exploration were just currency which never felt valuable because you often got more simply from fighting enemies.
My main gripe I guess is the map. I felt like they could've done so much more with it yet most areas were just a variation on the same city or ruin themes. I really liked the sea area, but there was nothing else like that throughout the rest of the game.
I still had fun with it, but I don't feel like it comes anywhere close to Metroid Dread for recent Metroidvanias in terms of fluidity. I like short, polished Metroidvanias that gives you the gameplay you want in 8-10 hours. Longer-form games like Hollow Knight have worked for me, but almost always because they've had an interesting and varied world and an extra level of polish and care that this didn't really hit for me.
Still Ubisoft's best game since the PS3 generation in my opinion though.
A fun premise with some cool new powers like flying as a swarm of bats. It's in the same spirit as Undead Nightmare but is held back a little by its short length and mundane plot. Still, it's a fun experience at a little over 2 or 3 hours.
2011
Pretty much more of the same if you liked the first one. There's a lot of minor quality of life fixes, the ice jump power finally gives you a way to launch yourself into the air. The improved thrusters now make gliding more fluid and fun, and the combat feels better. The powers aren't as intrinsically exciting as the first game though because you've pretty much used all of them in the last game and have to regain them here.
The main strength of this one is that the story and characters are noticeably better. I really liked Zeke. The story feels more intentional and impactful and the main cast are all much better defined than in the first game. Cole is a little more abrasive in this one at certain points though. The map is also a little more interesting, with swamp areas, flooded areas, and unique architecture that makes it feel more interesting than the first one's pretty samey locale.
The main strength of this one is that the story and characters are noticeably better. I really liked Zeke. The story feels more intentional and impactful and the main cast are all much better defined than in the first game. Cole is a little more abrasive in this one at certain points though. The map is also a little more interesting, with swamp areas, flooded areas, and unique architecture that makes it feel more interesting than the first one's pretty samey locale.
2009
I actually enjoyed this a lot. I think the PS3/360 era was the peak for open world games when they were made with a focus on fun rather than tedious collectibles. Everything here serves its purpose well and instead of feeling like a meaningless collectathon like modern AC games I found myself enjoying traversing the city like I was playing GTA.
The best part of this game is how it drip feeds you new powers and tools to play with that make combat seem fresh. The story is nothing special but it kept me engaged and I liked the characters. Traversal was fun but a way to launch off the ground like in Second Son would have made it much more fluid.
Overall, it's a little dated yes but it reminds me of why I loved the PS3 generation so much, first party developers weren't afraid to work on their own new IPs and be creative. It's also pretty cool that this stands up there with other superhero games despite not having any licensed or popular characters.
The best part of this game is how it drip feeds you new powers and tools to play with that make combat seem fresh. The story is nothing special but it kept me engaged and I liked the characters. Traversal was fun but a way to launch off the ground like in Second Son would have made it much more fluid.
Overall, it's a little dated yes but it reminds me of why I loved the PS3 generation so much, first party developers weren't afraid to work on their own new IPs and be creative. It's also pretty cool that this stands up there with other superhero games despite not having any licensed or popular characters.
Never played this when the PS4 came out and yeah it's pretty much what you'd expect, a tech demo launch title with a basic story. The gunplay was fun throughout but it is a pretty simple game. It does nothing exciting or innovative really in terms of level design, story, gameplay, or anything, but at the same time I had fun for the most part. Definitely one of the weaker exclusives of the PS4 generation, but I've sort of run out of things to play at this point.
Wow this game sucks. I remember playing the original and its DLC in 2019 and having a pretty good time. The dialogue in the first hour of this game is some of the worst I've ever heard and the plot is actual nonsense. Characters are stiff and the game is constantly trying to force overly sentimental emotional moments that are awful.
This isn't even to mention the gameplay. Gunplay sucks and there's no weight to anything. You run like Sonic the Hedgehog but the game wants to make you stealth every encounter - with the stealth system itself being extremely basic. I don't remember the first one feeling this bad. At least I didn't pay for it.
This isn't even to mention the gameplay. Gunplay sucks and there's no weight to anything. You run like Sonic the Hedgehog but the game wants to make you stealth every encounter - with the stealth system itself being extremely basic. I don't remember the first one feeling this bad. At least I didn't pay for it.
2016
Tried this out. Pretty much just 2D dark souls but without any of the depth. combat feels wooden and unbalanced. I believe there are a lot better 2D soulslikes like Blasphemous or Hollow Knight that do combat more competently
Tried many times over the last week to get into this game but it's just not sticking with me. It looks and sounds great, and the core gameplay is fine, but nothing really jumps out at me. I played up until I beat one of the bosses and explored a little more but I just don't think the rhythm gameplay is for me.
2020
Not much else to say except I love this game. The Galaxy aesthetic and soundtrack defined what Mario was for me as a kid and although I'm pretty sure I only had Galaxy 2 on my Wii, this one feels like pure nostalgia to play.
The game has a few issues sure, the movement could be tighter and it could be a bit more challenging - there are also a few reused planets and bosses and the ending is a little weird.
Mostly I think this holds up though. It feels like the definitive Mario game. The hub is awesome, the way the game uses Luigi made me extremely happy as a kid, and the levels (if easy) are still loads of fun. The boss fights are surprisingly fun and the game perfectly balances the spectrum between linear and open Mario in my opinion. I love the hidden secrets, but I also enjoy having levels so this is the perfect mix for me. Sunshine to me was too linear with the same level formats over and over. Mario 64, whilst I love it, was very open and sometimes I couldn't choose where to go next.
Finishing this game is an important moment for me as it marks the final game I have on my backlog. Over the last 2 years I've managed to get through almost everything I own but haven't played. There's still a load of switch games I've missed out on having bought my Switch in 2021 but from this point on I don't feel obligated to play anything in particular which feels nice. Over the last 2 years I've replayed the 2D and 3D Marios, played all the 2D Zeldas and many of the 3D ones, played almost all the Metroid games, the Soulsborne games, found a love for the Resident Evil franchise, played some classic JRPGs like Chrono Trigger, and a truck load of Metroidvania games. It's been a lot of fun.
The game has a few issues sure, the movement could be tighter and it could be a bit more challenging - there are also a few reused planets and bosses and the ending is a little weird.
Mostly I think this holds up though. It feels like the definitive Mario game. The hub is awesome, the way the game uses Luigi made me extremely happy as a kid, and the levels (if easy) are still loads of fun. The boss fights are surprisingly fun and the game perfectly balances the spectrum between linear and open Mario in my opinion. I love the hidden secrets, but I also enjoy having levels so this is the perfect mix for me. Sunshine to me was too linear with the same level formats over and over. Mario 64, whilst I love it, was very open and sometimes I couldn't choose where to go next.
Finishing this game is an important moment for me as it marks the final game I have on my backlog. Over the last 2 years I've managed to get through almost everything I own but haven't played. There's still a load of switch games I've missed out on having bought my Switch in 2021 but from this point on I don't feel obligated to play anything in particular which feels nice. Over the last 2 years I've replayed the 2D and 3D Marios, played all the 2D Zeldas and many of the 3D ones, played almost all the Metroid games, the Soulsborne games, found a love for the Resident Evil franchise, played some classic JRPGs like Chrono Trigger, and a truck load of Metroidvania games. It's been a lot of fun.
Favourite theming and soundtrack of a GTA game. The story is pretty barebones and the missions can sometimes feel pretty unfair but I do miss the GTA games where buying properties was more integral, yeah you can buy stuff in 5 but in VC and San Andreas half the fun was building up an empire.
2023
Never thought I wanted to play a turn-based Mario game but I actually ended up loving this and it's become one of my favourite in the franchise.
The music is excellent, the story never takes itself too seriously and is witty and pretty funny at times. The characters are charming and new ones like Geno and Mallow feel right at home. Throughout the game I found it funny and pretty sweet to find all the tiny details you never see in the typical games - Mario's house, the town surrounding Peach's castle. This game gave such character to things I never thought I needed or wanted out of a Mario game.
I also loved how typical platforming elements and enemies were used so cleverly. Mario can use a shell as a weapon and the game is full up with action-focused set pieces and one-off minigames that have a focus on fun rather than the typical grind of RPGs. My favourite part of this was probably how short and focused it was. There was no filler.
As for the combat, I loved having to time hits and how that could change the course of a battle, either giving you the leg up or putting you on the backfoot if you've not mastered your weapon yet. This kept the battles interesting to me all the way to the end and some of the boss fights were genuinely creative. Sometimes though I felt it was a little too easy. I rarely had to use items and towards the end of the game I felt almost invincible against regular enemies. The final boss gave me a run for my money though.
Overall it was great fun and I'm annoyed at myself for not getting to it sooner but I think they did a really loving job with the remaster and it was wonderful to see references to Zelda and Metroid. This was just the RPG I needed at the moment.
The music is excellent, the story never takes itself too seriously and is witty and pretty funny at times. The characters are charming and new ones like Geno and Mallow feel right at home. Throughout the game I found it funny and pretty sweet to find all the tiny details you never see in the typical games - Mario's house, the town surrounding Peach's castle. This game gave such character to things I never thought I needed or wanted out of a Mario game.
I also loved how typical platforming elements and enemies were used so cleverly. Mario can use a shell as a weapon and the game is full up with action-focused set pieces and one-off minigames that have a focus on fun rather than the typical grind of RPGs. My favourite part of this was probably how short and focused it was. There was no filler.
As for the combat, I loved having to time hits and how that could change the course of a battle, either giving you the leg up or putting you on the backfoot if you've not mastered your weapon yet. This kept the battles interesting to me all the way to the end and some of the boss fights were genuinely creative. Sometimes though I felt it was a little too easy. I rarely had to use items and towards the end of the game I felt almost invincible against regular enemies. The final boss gave me a run for my money though.
Overall it was great fun and I'm annoyed at myself for not getting to it sooner but I think they did a really loving job with the remaster and it was wonderful to see references to Zelda and Metroid. This was just the RPG I needed at the moment.
2023
The PS4 port I've been waiting on for over 10 years now is finally here. Red Dead Redemption is likely the game I'm most intimately familiar with, I played it over and over as a teenager upwards of 15 times and for me it defined the PS3 generation. Its story and characters have stuck with me ever since; to this day I can still practically remember the dialogue line for line.
The game has aged since 2010, sure, but it means more to me than the sequel for a number of reasons. To this day I still think it has the most innovative videogame soundtrack of all time, the way everything is written in A Minor so motifs can seamlessly weave in and out of the soundscape depending on what's happening onscreen is amazing. Drums, for example, become much more prominent if you get on a horse. There's a really great making-of video on YouTube that lays it out in detail. Undead Nightmare also twists the soundtrack in such an inspiring way to give it a sinister feeling and for me the soundtrack made that DLC.
As for the remaster, it's great to finally have this game running at a reasonable resolution on current hardware and with a consistent framerate. It's even better that we can now play in 60fps at 4k on PS5. It is disappointing that there's no remastering at all in terms of textures and wider graphics but it still looks okay - its age is just showing now.
What I did notice however is that there are a lot more glitches with NPC AI and physics at 60fps. My horse frequently clipped into the ground causing audio issues and NPCs sometimes went sort of crazy: Landon Ricketts started wildly shooting up Chuparosa at one point during a mission. Mostly, though, 60fps works. It could probably be tweaked a little to cut down on these issues, but I don't think the team that ported it are looking to put much more effort into patching it further.
It's ultimately a bit disappointing this wasn't more considering the wait, but I'd still rather have the game as-is on my PS5 than have to contend with the awfully remastered GTA trilogy approach. Playing this does make me kind of wish for a full remake though if I'm honest.
The game has aged since 2010, sure, but it means more to me than the sequel for a number of reasons. To this day I still think it has the most innovative videogame soundtrack of all time, the way everything is written in A Minor so motifs can seamlessly weave in and out of the soundscape depending on what's happening onscreen is amazing. Drums, for example, become much more prominent if you get on a horse. There's a really great making-of video on YouTube that lays it out in detail. Undead Nightmare also twists the soundtrack in such an inspiring way to give it a sinister feeling and for me the soundtrack made that DLC.
As for the remaster, it's great to finally have this game running at a reasonable resolution on current hardware and with a consistent framerate. It's even better that we can now play in 60fps at 4k on PS5. It is disappointing that there's no remastering at all in terms of textures and wider graphics but it still looks okay - its age is just showing now.
What I did notice however is that there are a lot more glitches with NPC AI and physics at 60fps. My horse frequently clipped into the ground causing audio issues and NPCs sometimes went sort of crazy: Landon Ricketts started wildly shooting up Chuparosa at one point during a mission. Mostly, though, 60fps works. It could probably be tweaked a little to cut down on these issues, but I don't think the team that ported it are looking to put much more effort into patching it further.
It's ultimately a bit disappointing this wasn't more considering the wait, but I'd still rather have the game as-is on my PS5 than have to contend with the awfully remastered GTA trilogy approach. Playing this does make me kind of wish for a full remake though if I'm honest.