VioletGogles
143 Reviews liked by VioletGogles
Well well well we are back yet again with the path of depression and if you think in my last review The House in Fata Morgana is a painful, heartbreaking journey then the prequel, A Requiem for Innocence doubles all of those emotions that you experienced when playing the base game and it's very very worth it to play after you finish the base game.
A Requiem for Innocence primarily focuses on the backstory and relationship between Jacopo and Morgana, delved into much deeper detail of their relationship that the original game briefly explained in their earlier days before the tragedy we know too well befalls them. Basically retelling of what happened during the last door in the main game not including Michel’s meddling with Morgana’s memories, but things as they happened before Morgana turned into the witch that tormented those around her for around a thousand years.
The character growth and ultimate destruction of Jacopo is another highlight of A Requiem for Innocence. It’s also amazing to see how so many characters could have changed things massively for the better if only they’d taken the opportunity to do so. In many ways, this is an incredibly heartbreaking tale, and absolutely should not be missed. It’s so painful and heartbreaking to see Jacopo come so, so close to being a great man and to have that just thrown away, bit by bit, by a combination of short-sightedness, misunderstandings, and a sense of desperate self-preservation. However it does help the reader to understand his character a bit more although sympathy is less felt than disappointment in his actions. It really is like a snowball effect where all these little mistakes accumulate little by little and before he knows it, he’s on the path of no return.
When I see Jacopo and Morgana's story, I can't help but feel like this is the most interesting interpretation of the "Beauty and Beast" story. Jacopo stared off as a good person, but power corrupted him. However, his feelings for Morgana are genuine and sweet. Enough to make him lament his actions to the point of near self-destruction. After living through three lives, he earns the chance to fulfil the promise he made to Morgana all those years ago. Morgana, despite having been hurt so badly by Jacopo's actions, learned compassion from Michel which lead her to save Jacopo from his self-inflicted curse. Even though she never forgave him, she remembered who he was and could still be. In the last life, she still couldn't bring herself to forgive him, but she saw that he was no longer the man seeking fame and fortune anymore. He was the man she saw before. the man who was kind to her in his own way. Who cared for her despite her childish antics, who would followed her through hail and rain to stay by her side. Together, they overcame their own flaws and personal herdles, and came out as better people thanks to the efforts and effects of the other. And the best part, we as the reader see it as it happens slowly, no snapshot redemptions, no instant forgiveness. Just two people working their way through life.
On top all of that you get a bonus chapter called 'Fragment' which just breaks your soul ten times more and what i like from Fragment is that Jacopo is a lot more forward in his feelings for her and fucking hell it’s just so heartwrenching because it makes me think of what “could have been” had they sat down and expressed their feelings openly towards one another. And just like the base game, once you have completed the game the main title screen changed, it is just perfect down to the last minute detail.
To Jacopo and Morgana i'm wishing nothing but happiness in your next life.
A Requiem for Innocence primarily focuses on the backstory and relationship between Jacopo and Morgana, delved into much deeper detail of their relationship that the original game briefly explained in their earlier days before the tragedy we know too well befalls them. Basically retelling of what happened during the last door in the main game not including Michel’s meddling with Morgana’s memories, but things as they happened before Morgana turned into the witch that tormented those around her for around a thousand years.
The character growth and ultimate destruction of Jacopo is another highlight of A Requiem for Innocence. It’s also amazing to see how so many characters could have changed things massively for the better if only they’d taken the opportunity to do so. In many ways, this is an incredibly heartbreaking tale, and absolutely should not be missed. It’s so painful and heartbreaking to see Jacopo come so, so close to being a great man and to have that just thrown away, bit by bit, by a combination of short-sightedness, misunderstandings, and a sense of desperate self-preservation. However it does help the reader to understand his character a bit more although sympathy is less felt than disappointment in his actions. It really is like a snowball effect where all these little mistakes accumulate little by little and before he knows it, he’s on the path of no return.
When I see Jacopo and Morgana's story, I can't help but feel like this is the most interesting interpretation of the "Beauty and Beast" story. Jacopo stared off as a good person, but power corrupted him. However, his feelings for Morgana are genuine and sweet. Enough to make him lament his actions to the point of near self-destruction. After living through three lives, he earns the chance to fulfil the promise he made to Morgana all those years ago. Morgana, despite having been hurt so badly by Jacopo's actions, learned compassion from Michel which lead her to save Jacopo from his self-inflicted curse. Even though she never forgave him, she remembered who he was and could still be. In the last life, she still couldn't bring herself to forgive him, but she saw that he was no longer the man seeking fame and fortune anymore. He was the man she saw before. the man who was kind to her in his own way. Who cared for her despite her childish antics, who would followed her through hail and rain to stay by her side. Together, they overcame their own flaws and personal herdles, and came out as better people thanks to the efforts and effects of the other. And the best part, we as the reader see it as it happens slowly, no snapshot redemptions, no instant forgiveness. Just two people working their way through life.
On top all of that you get a bonus chapter called 'Fragment' which just breaks your soul ten times more and what i like from Fragment is that Jacopo is a lot more forward in his feelings for her and fucking hell it’s just so heartwrenching because it makes me think of what “could have been” had they sat down and expressed their feelings openly towards one another. And just like the base game, once you have completed the game the main title screen changed, it is just perfect down to the last minute detail.
To Jacopo and Morgana i'm wishing nothing but happiness in your next life.
A Short Hike
2019
Very fun experience, I liked the art and talking with people
Revisited it again last week, and omg. Bro what the fuck happened with this franchise? this is quite literally a perfect FPS game, and now they just dropping pure garbage. This and black ops 2 are peak in the genre, take me back to 2009 when they actually cared.
The 25th Ward: The Silver Case is a game about the internet, viewed through the lens of an authoritarian government that monitors its citizens and wipes them out with impunity via their government-sanctioned murderers to maintain the illusion of peace.
It's a game about how even in a "perfect" society where the people up top maintain an iron-grip on every minuet detail of its citizens lives, the biggest threat is the power of the individual and the propagation of ideas.
It's a game about the dehumanizing effects of violence, how those charged with keeping the peace are volatile, reckless goons who kill without remorse and never receive any kind of punishment for it. How killing is innate to the human experience, and how the will to kill resides in all men's hearts.
It's a game about trans-humanism. People turned into biological supercomputers built to retain petabytes of information. People who gain identity on the net. AI's so sophisticated that they become indistinguishable from their creators. People who ascend beyond the biological to become ideals, the purest form of information, unlimited by the notions of life or death.
It's a game about games and the people who play them. The relationship between protagonist and player. The rejection of industry norms. The eschewing of any kind of notion of traditional understanding.
The 25th Ward is a game I have a hard time writing about. It juggles a lot of topics, and yet, it sticks the landing with each and every single one of them in a way that is hauntingly prophetic for what was originally a 2005 flip-phone text-adventure game. It's a bit of a cop-out answer, but after a day or two of writing and rewriting this review, I really do feel it's an experience beyond words. It's a game that resonates even more today in the modern internet age, and it's view of the internet via a fictional social experiment of a city where the line between net and reality is non-existent is an intensely interesting backdrop for the triad of storylines that each explore a facet of this society and how it parallels the modern age.
"Don't depend on the net. Depend on the net. God lives in the net. The net will guide you to all answers and wisdom. Doubt the net. Save the net. Kill the net."
It's a game about how even in a "perfect" society where the people up top maintain an iron-grip on every minuet detail of its citizens lives, the biggest threat is the power of the individual and the propagation of ideas.
It's a game about the dehumanizing effects of violence, how those charged with keeping the peace are volatile, reckless goons who kill without remorse and never receive any kind of punishment for it. How killing is innate to the human experience, and how the will to kill resides in all men's hearts.
It's a game about trans-humanism. People turned into biological supercomputers built to retain petabytes of information. People who gain identity on the net. AI's so sophisticated that they become indistinguishable from their creators. People who ascend beyond the biological to become ideals, the purest form of information, unlimited by the notions of life or death.
It's a game about games and the people who play them. The relationship between protagonist and player. The rejection of industry norms. The eschewing of any kind of notion of traditional understanding.
The 25th Ward is a game I have a hard time writing about. It juggles a lot of topics, and yet, it sticks the landing with each and every single one of them in a way that is hauntingly prophetic for what was originally a 2005 flip-phone text-adventure game. It's a bit of a cop-out answer, but after a day or two of writing and rewriting this review, I really do feel it's an experience beyond words. It's a game that resonates even more today in the modern internet age, and it's view of the internet via a fictional social experiment of a city where the line between net and reality is non-existent is an intensely interesting backdrop for the triad of storylines that each explore a facet of this society and how it parallels the modern age.
"Don't depend on the net. Depend on the net. God lives in the net. The net will guide you to all answers and wisdom. Doubt the net. Save the net. Kill the net."
It's been a year since i finished The House in Fata Morgana and still to this day i regarded it as one of the greatest story ever written. From story development and unique characters and settings that are set in 3 time periods, with interconnected characters and stories to using modern Japanese with a little 'flavor' of language from ancient times, which makes The House in Fata Morgana adapted to the current era. All of that provides a tense, sad atmosphere and at the same time a bit of comedy. However, the story in Fata Morgana is available in 7 Bad Endings and 1 True Ending, where the true ending of this visual novel gave me a cool breeze for my heart which has been holding back emotions since the story began.
The House in Fata Morgana has 8 different stories to tell throughout the entire story or what they call them "door". The story is set in one main setting, an old mansion which has a dark history starting from the persecution of a girl known as a 'witch' to the story of the protagonist 'you' and the maid welcomes you, sees your condition, and offers to give you a tour, which she hopes will help you jog your memory. Each room leads to you viewing various memories of past events that have taken place there. These memories are quite memorable, and set the stage for future revelations, even if it’s quite subtle in how it does it.
The first story tells the story of a brother and sister who live peacefully and freely with their family, until a mysterious white-haired and red-eyed girl comes to become a servant for the family.
The second story is probably the darkest part in this story for me, it tells of a 'monster' known as a sadistic murderer who lives in the big old house and a girl who is the same as the first story but in a different form enters the mysterious house. This story is extremely gruesome and graphic. Is it not for the faint of heart and I felt a little sick reading it at times.
The third story tells a wealthy businessman and his estranged relationship with his wife and the story behind that estranged relationship. It’s an incredibly moving story that shows how even the very best and self-sacrificing people have limits, and everyone will eventually break.
And from the fourth door to the last door or the eighth door becomes the main story which will discuss the past of the 'witch' who haunt the mansion, the servant girl, and the main character 'you', as well as their relationship with the three stories in the initial opening.
All of these stories have incredibly tragic ends, that could have been avoided with some other decision be it better communication, honesty, or repentance. But they serve to introduce characters that have a long-lasting effect on the overarching narrative, as well as establish the relevance of the mansion and its curse. Describing even a word past chapter three or door three leads too far down spoiler territory to say any more so i won't go deep into that.
There is quite a bit of foreshadowing as you expect from mystery genre like other titles, in even the simplest of events, and the story takes the time it needs to expound on each character, story, and theme. And that what makes The House in Fata Morgana's storytelling excellent.
Then you add another fantastic element on top of the writing which is the music because holy macaroonis they ain't lying when they said you have to experience it with headphone in the loading screen. Each character, scene, and mood is properly represented with a theme, that is sometimes really eerie with noises and sound effects, other times a moody piano, and often with simply incredible female vocals like the soundtracks 'Giselle' and 'Cicio'. The words are all in an ancient dialect of Portuguese, and sound very Latin and mysterious. Some of the songs will make your hair stand up, while others sound nearly reverent.
What i learn from The House in Fata Morgana is that wherever and whenever a person are there are people who will love and care for them until they wait for us to return and be by their side, revenge is not a good thing but you have to let go of it and move forward in a better direction. Life is a difficult thing where sometimes we encounter bad things and even tragedy, but behind it all there is a beautiful story.
All in all, The House in Fata Morgana is one of those tales that is incredibly well written, mature, dark, and bloody that explore the deepest, darkest depths of depravity in the human soul. Even though at first I was not used to the realist images of this visual novel, in the end I realized that the realist images and the choice not to use voice actors for each character were so that players could enjoy the story, and for me personally this visual novel has parts that can answer questions in life. An unrushed story with the characters each having their own reasons and backstories that portrayed what is sacrificial love looks like.
The House in Fata Morgana has 8 different stories to tell throughout the entire story or what they call them "door". The story is set in one main setting, an old mansion which has a dark history starting from the persecution of a girl known as a 'witch' to the story of the protagonist 'you' and the maid welcomes you, sees your condition, and offers to give you a tour, which she hopes will help you jog your memory. Each room leads to you viewing various memories of past events that have taken place there. These memories are quite memorable, and set the stage for future revelations, even if it’s quite subtle in how it does it.
The first story tells the story of a brother and sister who live peacefully and freely with their family, until a mysterious white-haired and red-eyed girl comes to become a servant for the family.
The second story is probably the darkest part in this story for me, it tells of a 'monster' known as a sadistic murderer who lives in the big old house and a girl who is the same as the first story but in a different form enters the mysterious house. This story is extremely gruesome and graphic. Is it not for the faint of heart and I felt a little sick reading it at times.
The third story tells a wealthy businessman and his estranged relationship with his wife and the story behind that estranged relationship. It’s an incredibly moving story that shows how even the very best and self-sacrificing people have limits, and everyone will eventually break.
And from the fourth door to the last door or the eighth door becomes the main story which will discuss the past of the 'witch' who haunt the mansion, the servant girl, and the main character 'you', as well as their relationship with the three stories in the initial opening.
All of these stories have incredibly tragic ends, that could have been avoided with some other decision be it better communication, honesty, or repentance. But they serve to introduce characters that have a long-lasting effect on the overarching narrative, as well as establish the relevance of the mansion and its curse. Describing even a word past chapter three or door three leads too far down spoiler territory to say any more so i won't go deep into that.
There is quite a bit of foreshadowing as you expect from mystery genre like other titles, in even the simplest of events, and the story takes the time it needs to expound on each character, story, and theme. And that what makes The House in Fata Morgana's storytelling excellent.
Then you add another fantastic element on top of the writing which is the music because holy macaroonis they ain't lying when they said you have to experience it with headphone in the loading screen. Each character, scene, and mood is properly represented with a theme, that is sometimes really eerie with noises and sound effects, other times a moody piano, and often with simply incredible female vocals like the soundtracks 'Giselle' and 'Cicio'. The words are all in an ancient dialect of Portuguese, and sound very Latin and mysterious. Some of the songs will make your hair stand up, while others sound nearly reverent.
What i learn from The House in Fata Morgana is that wherever and whenever a person are there are people who will love and care for them until they wait for us to return and be by their side, revenge is not a good thing but you have to let go of it and move forward in a better direction. Life is a difficult thing where sometimes we encounter bad things and even tragedy, but behind it all there is a beautiful story.
All in all, The House in Fata Morgana is one of those tales that is incredibly well written, mature, dark, and bloody that explore the deepest, darkest depths of depravity in the human soul. Even though at first I was not used to the realist images of this visual novel, in the end I realized that the realist images and the choice not to use voice actors for each character were so that players could enjoy the story, and for me personally this visual novel has parts that can answer questions in life. An unrushed story with the characters each having their own reasons and backstories that portrayed what is sacrificial love looks like.
Fate/Extra
2010
The story has good ideas, especially near the end, and I'm glad that the MC isn't a 100% silent one. But even though I am probably the millionth person to say this, the gameplay is absolutely unenjoyable, probably my least favourite turn-based battle system that I've ever played. The game in general is underwhelming and episodic in the first half, with most of the thematic and interesting story moments coming later.
At least the music and visual style are very good, especially for a PSP game. Sadly, I was really only playing this for CCC, which was apparently Nasu's favourite project he worked on.
At least the music and visual style are very good, especially for a PSP game. Sadly, I was really only playing this for CCC, which was apparently Nasu's favourite project he worked on.
Botany Manor
2024
A short, sweet, solid adventure game about solving puzzles to make plants grow. The vibes are nice and the puzzles are logical and while clues aren't actually recorded in your in-game journal they usually aren't far away from each other. The game's not super plot-driven, its mainly the protag dealing with stuffy British eggheads not taking her seriously because she is a woman doing science ala Mary Anning, and this carries the game enough and it even has a nice ending. Overall just a chill game worth checking out.
It was my first time beating this game after getting through the whole series, and you know what? There's something I've understood after that walktrough. I like MGS2 much more than MGS3.
I'm not trying to say that I hate MGS3 or something like that, no. There're just some things that make me appreciate this game more than MGS3. I'm talking about the atmosphere and plot.
I don't know how should I put it, but these aspects seem very unique for me, literally unrepeatable. The scenario itself is probably the strongest part of this game, though it may seem kind of secondary at first and having too much MGS1 references. But the deeper we go, the better the plot becomes.
Speaking of atmosphere... It's a very subjective thing (just like every opinion, though), and I'm afraid there's no way I could've accurately explain why I like the atmosphere that much. Something very personal + that PS2 game vibe, I guess.
By the way, I like the gameplay too. Comparing to the future titles, there the gameplay feels very intensive and stressful, always keeping the player on guard. It also provides a lot of interesting gameplay moments, which I lacked in my MGS3 revisit...
It's also great that there's some additional gameplay content like Snake Tales and VR mission you can play. Yeah, it's a lazy content, even a disappointing one, but still. I love it when the game has a lot to do and it's replayable.
You might not agree with me, but I'm OK with that. After all, we're all different, aren't we?
I'm not trying to say that I hate MGS3 or something like that, no. There're just some things that make me appreciate this game more than MGS3. I'm talking about the atmosphere and plot.
I don't know how should I put it, but these aspects seem very unique for me, literally unrepeatable. The scenario itself is probably the strongest part of this game, though it may seem kind of secondary at first and having too much MGS1 references. But the deeper we go, the better the plot becomes.
Speaking of atmosphere... It's a very subjective thing (just like every opinion, though), and I'm afraid there's no way I could've accurately explain why I like the atmosphere that much. Something very personal + that PS2 game vibe, I guess.
By the way, I like the gameplay too. Comparing to the future titles, there the gameplay feels very intensive and stressful, always keeping the player on guard. It also provides a lot of interesting gameplay moments, which I lacked in my MGS3 revisit...
It's also great that there's some additional gameplay content like Snake Tales and VR mission you can play. Yeah, it's a lazy content, even a disappointing one, but still. I love it when the game has a lot to do and it's replayable.
You might not agree with me, but I'm OK with that. After all, we're all different, aren't we?
What has not been said about Sons of Liberty, it's a complex and thought-provoking game that push the boundaries in terms of storytelling, gameplay mechanics, and thematic depth. It explores themes of reality, identity, free will, and the manipulation of information. Its narrative depth and philosophical undertones contribute to its status as a seminal work in the realm of video game storytelling. A timeless piece of art in the pantheon of video game masterpieces. Kojima is not from this world.
Truly the video game of all time, I like Komaru though
Swordigo
2012
Probably the best mobile game.
Bust A Groove
1998
i love you, short, quirky 90's rhythm games.
I enjoyed Bust A Groove (or Bust A Move, as I played it) a nice amount. About as much as I was expecting to, really. The gameplay is pretty simpleonce you actually figure out what they're asking of you and it doesn't take any longer than an hour to finish up a single character's campaign. At the moment, I've only seen Strike's ending, but I'm sure I'll be returning to this game occasionally to try out the rest.
The music is great and easy to follow, as should be the case with any rhythm game, though I think I would have appreciated a little more experimentation when it came to each song's tempo. Combos tend to blend together once you get far enough in, as much as I tried to vary my timing a bit, especially since there isn't all too much variation to the actual input strings themselves.
Other than that, I can't think of much else to say. It's a very arcade-y feeling PS1 game, and I enjoyed my time with it, most likely will enjoy my time with later down the line as well. For now, though, I also have to play the sequel. Thank you Ptcremisi for the recommendations.
I enjoyed Bust A Groove (or Bust A Move, as I played it) a nice amount. About as much as I was expecting to, really. The gameplay is pretty simple
The music is great and easy to follow, as should be the case with any rhythm game, though I think I would have appreciated a little more experimentation when it came to each song's tempo. Combos tend to blend together once you get far enough in, as much as I tried to vary my timing a bit, especially since there isn't all too much variation to the actual input strings themselves.
Other than that, I can't think of much else to say. It's a very arcade-y feeling PS1 game, and I enjoyed my time with it, most likely will enjoy my time with later down the line as well. For now, though, I also have to play the sequel. Thank you Ptcremisi for the recommendations.
A great game and a great sequel to Hotel Dusk: Room 215. While the cast was somewhat weaker than Hotel Dusk, the mystery and story were better and more engrossing this time.
Sad that this was Cing’s last game though.
Sad that this was Cing’s last game though.
Dark Souls
2011
Still an amazing game, however I found myself liking it less than my first playthrough. I think I was much more critical of the flaws in the game this time around, like, the first time playing I kinda didn’t get the hate for the second half, like I agreed it was worse than the first but I still liked most areas and liked the areas more than most did. While replaying I found areas like lost izalith and tomb of the giants as not just underwhelming compared to the rest of the game, but just straight up bad areas. I think that tomb has more going for it than lost izalith but it’s also sooooo annoying and not fun to play through. New londo ruins is a mixed bag for me, like, the ghosts are annoying as hell and no bonfire kinda sucks but besides that it’s pretty good. Duke archives is still one I like a lot tbh, the whole prison part is fucking great and I love the overall aesthetic of the area, though besides that it doesn’t feel anything special, still great though. Oh and also the bosses for the areas are all bad in my opinion, so that makes the second half all the more underwhelming. What makes the areas up to anor londo so good is the deliberate placement of every enemy, item, merchant, bonfire, boss etc. they are there to serve a purpose, even if annoying. This is very clearly lacking from most areas in the second half, and is the main reason to me as to why it’s such a big fall off. It is very telling to the first half’s quality, that even though I speak so negatively about most of the second half, I still give this 4.5 stars and rank it among my favourite games of all time. It’s still such a unique experience and it still wowed me my second time around
once upon a time I was marathoning zelda then something absolutely terrible happened… I forgor
so I came back to the original plan and decided to play this gem love this game absolutely an incredible experience in the franchise now if only twilight princess and like 10 others weren't real this couldve been a great contender for the best zelda ever apart from some shit game design decisions if i have a saying in this
ive tried to play this game like 10 times and for some reason I always ended up getting my saves wiped I literally have no idea what's up with me and some games that keep on deleting their save files on me like it's happened roughly 30 times with TITS and I still cannot go back to it because im so damn scared which is a real issue since I want to play trails from zero / azure whatever their name is
for as much as I'm aware l between twilight princess and this one its probably a good opinion to say that this is definitely the fan favorite one of the bunch and also with a big margin . lich rally shook the gamecubes scrawny ass when this released im not gonna lie
so the legend of zelda black flag takes a huge detour from what came before which was umhhhhh ????? ok anyway taking a huge detour from ocarina and majora this new “timeline” (zelda timeline are dumb don't talk to me) sees the hero of wind living in a world completely surrounded by water LITERALLY 90% of the map is panthalassa I have no idea how this people can live a life of their own this way but it could be islandophobic of me to say that
the main little incipit is probably the sweetest part of the game you get to know your sister and your granny some of the other townspeople that count to like 5 people total and living that sweet sweet isolated life until a bitch gets abducted by a giant bird and then you follow her and then you save her and then she's a girl called dazel which is a very suspicious name and then you make friends with her crew and then she says bye hoe I'm a pirate and I love scissoring and then link decides to follow her for some reason which could or could not be related to your sis being suddenly abducted by the sexy lord of dark ganondorf but im not particularly sure because I was too fucking occupied with the first dungeon which was also a STEALTH . FUCKING . DUNGEON who the FUCK decides to open a game with a stealth segment you have to be kidding me im still trying to get accustomed to the controls here and you push me into a this mess youre joking who's the director I wanna talk with the director
this is the premise the end along the way youre gonna meet a talking boat who could or could not be a daddy and get acquainted to the most wonderful part of the game: sailing !!!!! I don't like it
I mean its not that I don't liiiiiike it and they actually make a huge effort in the HD re release to make me like it MORE since theres a “fast travel” option which doesn't necessarily mean I'm actually gonna enjoy the ride BUT at least I don't have to think about where the fucking wind is blowing and its like 2 times the normal speed so I can work with that , my issue will probably fall in the realm of the mmmmm too adhd inducing for me like most of the time when you're sailing youre just gonna sit there and do nothing sometimes the game spices it up putting an enemy in the water which only makes me more keen to just leave him there and change direction who the fuck likes boat battles who the fuck likes BOATS and the sea is mostly empty apart from like a island each square which doesn't amount to much if you ask me but this is me nitpicking because it gets way more tiring later
I gotta say windfall island is possibly my favorite part of the game because its just so comfy there's a lot of stuff to so and it's one of 3 islands that actually have some people living in it I wanna see the birth rates of this population because was its gonna be a blast and here you're ACTUALLY gonna get into the groove of the game with the opened map the unending sea the dread of your sister getting @;£#ed by ganondorf and the envy because you want that to be you and for the most part it develops as a normal the legend of zelda experience minus the sea
most of the dungeons are fine the forest dungeon is fine and the rito dungeon is fine they are both fine I gotta say the fucking vibes are unmatched though literally jawdropping atmosphere in both and the items are pretty good for the most part I don't particularly enjoy using the little magic wand THAT much but they actually managed to recreate the feeling I had with the ocarina pretty closely even though the ocarina is way way way better
the story actually flows pretty fine and the actual narrative is always just hidden by these dungeon to dungeon little segments that add a lot to the lore of the game and the general vibe they were going for it is really superficial level nothing too grand but for a zelda game targeted for minors it's as good as it can get probably my only issue is that they rely too much on the ocarina of time linking lore while the main story beats are pretty straightforward which isnt an issue per se but I definitely wanted sumn more for the story apart from the inevitable link to the previous greatest game in the canon
i do really believe that the land gameplay is probably one of the greatest in the series toon link has this really wobbly but firm feel to it that it just feels really good to play as and when you add the fact that the combat is super satisfying and the items are all pretty great you get one of the most complete games for sure what really made me regret this whole idea is that the sea gameplay is abysmal im not a huge fan of boats in gaming in general so that probably hindered my enjoyment by a damn lot that being said the heart pieces are treated like shit in this one literally could not believe they went from the incredible reward of majoras mask to just treasure hunting which is definitely in tune with the whole pirate vibe but cmon is little challenge room across the map the best you can do and what's really weird is that I didnt really mind the sailing until SUDDENLY the game asked me to get 8 triforce pieces around the map and at that point I just wanted to kms
in a way the post-hyrule arc is my least favourite part of the game because you get 2 more dungeons that have a bomb gimmick of controlling your partner(s) to solve puzzle but its SUCH . A . SLOG they're not really that bad but going back and forth from links and the partners consciousness really killed my flow and I Don't think the dungeons were designed as well as the earlier ones in the game but the real issue is that youre gonna get to TRAVEL . ACROSS THE LAND . TO GET TRIFORCE PIECES girlie ion honestly sailing was fine for me until then but going over and over again around the same hollow map gets tiring after a whole ESPECIALLY when you have no idea where the fuck these pieces are and also in the GC og version was worse so I wouldve defo NEVER finished this game in the original rest assured
as a concept its not really that bad because again its thematically and mechanically in line with the whole premise but the execution is just a slog to go through FORTUNATELY THO the last dungeon was a great payoff not my fav one but it was good better than other last dungeons in the series that's for sure and the final boss was pretty fucking weird if I gotta say so myself
oh and the music is goated as always TLOZ just can't miss yknow thats what it is ughhhhhh am I missing something here oh yeah the zelda here isn't my favorite zelda in the series neither is ganondorf and the rito look like shit im so glad they entirely furry fied them later in the series as they shouldve
masterpiece with a lot of questionable design decision but still manages to be another fucking BOP in this series of absolutely unbelievable games thank you everybody next time its probably gonna be skyward sword let's see what's popping
so I came back to the original plan and decided to play this gem love this game absolutely an incredible experience in the franchise now if only twilight princess and like 10 others weren't real this couldve been a great contender for the best zelda ever apart from some shit game design decisions if i have a saying in this
ive tried to play this game like 10 times and for some reason I always ended up getting my saves wiped I literally have no idea what's up with me and some games that keep on deleting their save files on me like it's happened roughly 30 times with TITS and I still cannot go back to it because im so damn scared which is a real issue since I want to play trails from zero / azure whatever their name is
for as much as I'm aware l between twilight princess and this one its probably a good opinion to say that this is definitely the fan favorite one of the bunch and also with a big margin . lich rally shook the gamecubes scrawny ass when this released im not gonna lie
so the legend of zelda black flag takes a huge detour from what came before which was umhhhhh ????? ok anyway taking a huge detour from ocarina and majora this new “timeline” (zelda timeline are dumb don't talk to me) sees the hero of wind living in a world completely surrounded by water LITERALLY 90% of the map is panthalassa I have no idea how this people can live a life of their own this way but it could be islandophobic of me to say that
the main little incipit is probably the sweetest part of the game you get to know your sister and your granny some of the other townspeople that count to like 5 people total and living that sweet sweet isolated life until a bitch gets abducted by a giant bird and then you follow her and then you save her and then she's a girl called dazel which is a very suspicious name and then you make friends with her crew and then she says bye hoe I'm a pirate and I love scissoring and then link decides to follow her for some reason which could or could not be related to your sis being suddenly abducted by the sexy lord of dark ganondorf but im not particularly sure because I was too fucking occupied with the first dungeon which was also a STEALTH . FUCKING . DUNGEON who the FUCK decides to open a game with a stealth segment you have to be kidding me im still trying to get accustomed to the controls here and you push me into a this mess youre joking who's the director I wanna talk with the director
this is the premise the end along the way youre gonna meet a talking boat who could or could not be a daddy and get acquainted to the most wonderful part of the game: sailing !!!!! I don't like it
I mean its not that I don't liiiiiike it and they actually make a huge effort in the HD re release to make me like it MORE since theres a “fast travel” option which doesn't necessarily mean I'm actually gonna enjoy the ride BUT at least I don't have to think about where the fucking wind is blowing and its like 2 times the normal speed so I can work with that , my issue will probably fall in the realm of the mmmmm too adhd inducing for me like most of the time when you're sailing youre just gonna sit there and do nothing sometimes the game spices it up putting an enemy in the water which only makes me more keen to just leave him there and change direction who the fuck likes boat battles who the fuck likes BOATS and the sea is mostly empty apart from like a island each square which doesn't amount to much if you ask me but this is me nitpicking because it gets way more tiring later
I gotta say windfall island is possibly my favorite part of the game because its just so comfy there's a lot of stuff to so and it's one of 3 islands that actually have some people living in it I wanna see the birth rates of this population because was its gonna be a blast and here you're ACTUALLY gonna get into the groove of the game with the opened map the unending sea the dread of your sister getting @;£#ed by ganondorf and the envy because you want that to be you and for the most part it develops as a normal the legend of zelda experience minus the sea
most of the dungeons are fine the forest dungeon is fine and the rito dungeon is fine they are both fine I gotta say the fucking vibes are unmatched though literally jawdropping atmosphere in both and the items are pretty good for the most part I don't particularly enjoy using the little magic wand THAT much but they actually managed to recreate the feeling I had with the ocarina pretty closely even though the ocarina is way way way better
the story actually flows pretty fine and the actual narrative is always just hidden by these dungeon to dungeon little segments that add a lot to the lore of the game and the general vibe they were going for it is really superficial level nothing too grand but for a zelda game targeted for minors it's as good as it can get probably my only issue is that they rely too much on the ocarina of time linking lore while the main story beats are pretty straightforward which isnt an issue per se but I definitely wanted sumn more for the story apart from the inevitable link to the previous greatest game in the canon
i do really believe that the land gameplay is probably one of the greatest in the series toon link has this really wobbly but firm feel to it that it just feels really good to play as and when you add the fact that the combat is super satisfying and the items are all pretty great you get one of the most complete games for sure what really made me regret this whole idea is that the sea gameplay is abysmal im not a huge fan of boats in gaming in general so that probably hindered my enjoyment by a damn lot that being said the heart pieces are treated like shit in this one literally could not believe they went from the incredible reward of majoras mask to just treasure hunting which is definitely in tune with the whole pirate vibe but cmon is little challenge room across the map the best you can do and what's really weird is that I didnt really mind the sailing until SUDDENLY the game asked me to get 8 triforce pieces around the map and at that point I just wanted to kms
in a way the post-hyrule arc is my least favourite part of the game because you get 2 more dungeons that have a bomb gimmick of controlling your partner(s) to solve puzzle but its SUCH . A . SLOG they're not really that bad but going back and forth from links and the partners consciousness really killed my flow and I Don't think the dungeons were designed as well as the earlier ones in the game but the real issue is that youre gonna get to TRAVEL . ACROSS THE LAND . TO GET TRIFORCE PIECES girlie ion honestly sailing was fine for me until then but going over and over again around the same hollow map gets tiring after a whole ESPECIALLY when you have no idea where the fuck these pieces are and also in the GC og version was worse so I wouldve defo NEVER finished this game in the original rest assured
as a concept its not really that bad because again its thematically and mechanically in line with the whole premise but the execution is just a slog to go through FORTUNATELY THO the last dungeon was a great payoff not my fav one but it was good better than other last dungeons in the series that's for sure and the final boss was pretty fucking weird if I gotta say so myself
oh and the music is goated as always TLOZ just can't miss yknow thats what it is ughhhhhh am I missing something here oh yeah the zelda here isn't my favorite zelda in the series neither is ganondorf and the rito look like shit im so glad they entirely furry fied them later in the series as they shouldve
masterpiece with a lot of questionable design decision but still manages to be another fucking BOP in this series of absolutely unbelievable games thank you everybody next time its probably gonna be skyward sword let's see what's popping