Tirasangue
2015
A game that stands solely on it's gameplay and still manages to be a masterpiece in spite of it.
One of the best pieces of DLC ever made. Stands with the greats like Hearts of Stone and Citadel DLC.
This review contains spoilers
Has the same problems that Morales had, which in turn had the same problems the first game had. Mediocrity was forgiven for the first game, but they dropped the ball and the game was incredibly unambitious.
I also can't stand the constant emotional breakdowns. A hero going through tragedy is one thing, and they're meant to overcome it because they're heroes. But here it's just incessant. And petty. It's not wonder SM3 was hated for the edgy shit. And worst part: most of the "I'm not good enough" sequences happen because of conflicts already resolved in previous games; Aunt May and Peter; Miles and his father.
I also can't stand the constant emotional breakdowns. A hero going through tragedy is one thing, and they're meant to overcome it because they're heroes. But here it's just incessant. And petty. It's not wonder SM3 was hated for the edgy shit. And worst part: most of the "I'm not good enough" sequences happen because of conflicts already resolved in previous games; Aunt May and Peter; Miles and his father.
I'll be charitable to this game. It's absolutely surface-level, and everything that requires good writing, from plot to characters, is literally non-existent (Bethesda out of all dev companies will probably benefit the most from AI plots, lmao).
But the sense of adventure is there, and it's great. Going through a dungeon, just exploring, having the freedom to do your build, is amazing.
Unfortunately, exploring is only fun the first time; accidentally falling into the Dark Brotherhood questline, for example. I can only hope that VI will revive that feeling of wonder and exploration that this game brings to the table.
Either way, mods have you covered from fixing what Todd couldn't.
But the sense of adventure is there, and it's great. Going through a dungeon, just exploring, having the freedom to do your build, is amazing.
Unfortunately, exploring is only fun the first time; accidentally falling into the Dark Brotherhood questline, for example. I can only hope that VI will revive that feeling of wonder and exploration that this game brings to the table.
Either way, mods have you covered from fixing what Todd couldn't.
2020
Imagine you're Ubisoft. You've had people asking for an AC in Japan for a literal decade.
Now, someone else released what is basically "AC in Japan" with a better plot, mechanics, authenticity, and gameplay than you've managed to design in your games for the past decade, not only feeding the neglected niche, but all but showing what AC could have been under competent leadership.
What an L.
Now, someone else released what is basically "AC in Japan" with a better plot, mechanics, authenticity, and gameplay than you've managed to design in your games for the past decade, not only feeding the neglected niche, but all but showing what AC could have been under competent leadership.
What an L.
2023
Don't really care about the J.K Rowling controversy. Whatever pennies ended up in her already millionaire net worth was worth it for paying the devs for their work.
So, the game is much worse than Witcher 3/Elden Ring, but much better than most RPG's Ubisoft throws out these days.
A very shining positive, for example, is that the talent (skill) system is composed of almost 95% mechanical changes to the spells rather than like, 2% damage increases, which is the absolute bane of modern RPG design. Could not praise this decision more.
The story, outside of Sebastian's tale, is not all that awe-inspiring. People talk about Goblins being allegory for Jews, but, from an outsider perspective, that just seems like projection. Like, if you see the evil Goblins in this game, and think they remind you of semitic tribes... that's on you.
Other's have mentioned that the dev team sought to distance themselves so hard from controversy, that they added plenty of LGBT/POC characters. To the point that I found it a bit weird there being no tension at all given that it's 1800s London, and the original trilogy from the 90s had a much less diverse school despite being the 90s... but whatever, it's a magical children-oriented universe.
It's a bit bland, but overall a good experience. If you're a Harry Potter fan, I can see it being a 4/5 because they really put an effort into making it authentic to the feel of HP.
So, the game is much worse than Witcher 3/Elden Ring, but much better than most RPG's Ubisoft throws out these days.
A very shining positive, for example, is that the talent (skill) system is composed of almost 95% mechanical changes to the spells rather than like, 2% damage increases, which is the absolute bane of modern RPG design. Could not praise this decision more.
The story, outside of Sebastian's tale, is not all that awe-inspiring. People talk about Goblins being allegory for Jews, but, from an outsider perspective, that just seems like projection. Like, if you see the evil Goblins in this game, and think they remind you of semitic tribes... that's on you.
Other's have mentioned that the dev team sought to distance themselves so hard from controversy, that they added plenty of LGBT/POC characters. To the point that I found it a bit weird there being no tension at all given that it's 1800s London, and the original trilogy from the 90s had a much less diverse school despite being the 90s... but whatever, it's a magical children-oriented universe.
It's a bit bland, but overall a good experience. If you're a Harry Potter fan, I can see it being a 4/5 because they really put an effort into making it authentic to the feel of HP.
2015
Great horror game. Plays more or less like Amnesia, and managed to replicate the original horror of the Dark Descent without falling into the pitfalls of Machine for Pigs or Rebirth.
The themes it deals with are terribly interesting, and the game always posits these questions to the players without guiding their personal opinion, which is nice. It also adds a nice bit of subtlety; most of what is spoken aloud is what the MC wants to convince himself of; not the truth.
The themes it deals with are terribly interesting, and the game always posits these questions to the players without guiding their personal opinion, which is nice. It also adds a nice bit of subtlety; most of what is spoken aloud is what the MC wants to convince himself of; not the truth.
Changed from a 4/5 to a 5/5. The best Strategy game out there bar none.
The predatory "buy all 3 games to get access to the full game" thing they had going was, to my surprise, removed. Now you can jump in to the fun with only the third game!
(OLD REVIEW) Completely predatory marketing strategy by making it necessary to buy all 3 full price games. But it is the best Strategy game out there. (OLD REVIEW)
The predatory "buy all 3 games to get access to the full game" thing they had going was, to my surprise, removed. Now you can jump in to the fun with only the third game!
(OLD REVIEW) Completely predatory marketing strategy by making it necessary to buy all 3 full price games. But it is the best Strategy game out there. (OLD REVIEW)
2021
It's not a bad game. I think, unfortunately, it has a bit too much hand-holding and just feels too fast. Mysteries like the one from Forgotten City benefit from being drawn out and scattering their clues slowly throughout the game, while also letting the players' mind wanders while you eliminate each hypothesis slowly, one by one. Games like Judgement and AI: Somnium Files do this well.
It has a captivating mystery, but instead of providing little hints that eliminate possibilities one by one, it provides the player the answer before long. Ideally, the player would realize the mystery (or get very close to it) before the story straight up presents the answer. This is not the case, referring specifically to the patterns of the stories of the characters.
The ending is... interesting. But in this case, it just feels so out of left hand. The game pivots away from the supernatural element, and somehow to the detriment of it's own believability lol. Maybe if, like I said, there was (any) foreshadowing for it, and you'd make the player slowly come to realize the mystery before straight up presenting it, it would have felt less unthematic.
Ultimately, if you want a better mystery solving/puzzle experience, I recommend Outer Wilds. If you want a mystery that incrementally builds up by eliminating hypothesis and giving their players enough time for them to engage with the mystery meaningfully, go for Judgement or AI: Somnium Files.
It has a captivating mystery, but instead of providing little hints that eliminate possibilities one by one, it provides the player the answer before long. Ideally, the player would realize the mystery (or get very close to it) before the story straight up presents the answer. This is not the case, referring specifically to the patterns of the stories of the characters.
The ending is... interesting. But in this case, it just feels so out of left hand. The game pivots away from the supernatural element, and somehow to the detriment of it's own believability lol. Maybe if, like I said, there was (any) foreshadowing for it, and you'd make the player slowly come to realize the mystery before straight up presenting it, it would have felt less unthematic.
Ultimately, if you want a better mystery solving/puzzle experience, I recommend Outer Wilds. If you want a mystery that incrementally builds up by eliminating hypothesis and giving their players enough time for them to engage with the mystery meaningfully, go for Judgement or AI: Somnium Files.
Peak fiction. Genuinely one of the best murder mysteries out there along with Judgement. Perfect blend of sci-fi with murder thriller.