ZankRemes
Naughty Dog's crack at making a Spyro game. Fantastic visuals and an absolute technical marvel for the time, but kinda aimless in its side missions and level design. Can't say I didn't have fun. Just wished I connected with it more. I remember playing the tutorial as a kid and saying "This game is boring. All you do is jump and you can't even shoot anything." Glad I was able to finish the game and form a better thought-out opinion. Ahem...this game is fun. All you do is jump and sometimes shoot things.
7/10 A classic that I wished I connected more with
7/10 A classic that I wished I connected more with
2023
Dead Space Remake: Dead Space 2
I haaaate that I love this game. This game proves that Dead Space's potential never peaked, but was rather killed prematurely by a publisher with their sights on profits rather than respecting the developers vision. EA Motive must love the series because every part of this remake feels like the team knew what made Dead Space 1 so great and how to make it even better: by adding EVERYTHING from Dead Space 2.
With this remake, I think Dead Space 1 has become my favorite in the series, as this has leaned into the survival horror aspect of Dead Space with its level design more than ever, while combining the combat enhancements from DS2. That was my biggest issue with the first game, and I'm glad this remake aimed to improve both. This remake feels like it lines up along the line of RE1's remake in turns of quality, execution, and ironing out the ideas of the original with a better and "modern" perspective. The environments, the sounds, the lighting, they all blend to create one of the most immersive horror experiences even that much better. It doesn't reach the mechanical heights of Re4, but it provides an atmosphere that I freaking adore. Just wish the story beats were a bit better. Also, the combat is more like Dead Space 2 but I don't think enemy balance is really fit for it lol. I feel like I could just decimate everything in the game without much trouble, as the focus has shifted away from severing limbs, to more just weapon synergy, and the enemies could not keep up. Regardless, if EA Motive takes up the reign of the series, I will be all for it. I would much rather a Dead Space 4, but with how this remake turned out, I would welcome the rest of the series getting this sort of enhancement, even if it's not that necessary. I hope Visceral Games (R.I.P) are proud with what these newcomers have done, but God I wish they were around to do it themselves.
9/10 :)
I haaaate that I love this game. This game proves that Dead Space's potential never peaked, but was rather killed prematurely by a publisher with their sights on profits rather than respecting the developers vision. EA Motive must love the series because every part of this remake feels like the team knew what made Dead Space 1 so great and how to make it even better: by adding EVERYTHING from Dead Space 2.
With this remake, I think Dead Space 1 has become my favorite in the series, as this has leaned into the survival horror aspect of Dead Space with its level design more than ever, while combining the combat enhancements from DS2. That was my biggest issue with the first game, and I'm glad this remake aimed to improve both. This remake feels like it lines up along the line of RE1's remake in turns of quality, execution, and ironing out the ideas of the original with a better and "modern" perspective. The environments, the sounds, the lighting, they all blend to create one of the most immersive horror experiences even that much better. It doesn't reach the mechanical heights of Re4, but it provides an atmosphere that I freaking adore. Just wish the story beats were a bit better. Also, the combat is more like Dead Space 2 but I don't think enemy balance is really fit for it lol. I feel like I could just decimate everything in the game without much trouble, as the focus has shifted away from severing limbs, to more just weapon synergy, and the enemies could not keep up. Regardless, if EA Motive takes up the reign of the series, I will be all for it. I would much rather a Dead Space 4, but with how this remake turned out, I would welcome the rest of the series getting this sort of enhancement, even if it's not that necessary. I hope Visceral Games (R.I.P) are proud with what these newcomers have done, but God I wish they were around to do it themselves.
9/10 :)
2020
This is it. This is as good as Pikmin can get I think. This is such a phenomenal experience that really heightens Pikmin's core design way more than I ever expected. Technically the best in the series for me. Without a question. Although it's easy, it allows the core Pikmin design of searching, mapping out routes and strategies, and the sense of exploration and survival to shine much more than ever before. It's Pikmin at its best mechanically without the frustrating but hilarious BS of Pikmin 2. Easiest 5/5 I've given this year. Might not have as good of a story as Pikmin 1, or the unique charm and jank of Pikmin 2, but gosh darn does it feel pretty much perfect. I just can't believe there's another one to play!
5/5 :)
5/5 :)
2002
I think Psychonauts has spoiled a lot of 6th Gen 3D Platformers for me. Everything seems so simple and primitive in comparison. Ratchet and Clank is a solid first title with some rough edges in the mechanics department. But it's a beautiful, charming little platform with some good ole 2000s wit and edge with its writing. I swear, Sunset Overdrive was the last time Insomniac Games was ever allowed to say whatever they wanted with their writing, but now everything has to be "grounded" and "friendly" and characters can't be flawed or a little bit rude. I think their writing has improved story-wise, but god I wish they were able to make characters like this again. Oh well!
7/10 :) Fun time. But it did not hook me yet to the series. On to the second!
7/10 :) Fun time. But it did not hook me yet to the series. On to the second!
2023
This review contains spoilers
I can finally rest... 20 years of waiting, 20 years of seeing other series get new entries, their downfalls, their revivals, and yet Jet Set was left in the dust with TWO WHOLE GAMES.
This is a type of game I could never objectively critique, similarly to Jet Set Radio Future my all-time favorite game. I could lock on to its clear problems, offer necessary improvements, rant about obnoxious game design elements, but at the end of the day, there is too much I love about what these video games mean to me that surpasses any sort of surface-level and valid critiques of their execution. I have played games that I think are "perfect" or close to, and JSRF has never been one of those games. Despite that, it has stayed my favorite game ever since I first played it, because of the impact he has on me. JSRF shaped so much of my childhood: my interests, my expectations in games, my music taste, the aesthetics that I love, and so much more. Thankfully, Bomb Rush Cyberfunk makes me feel like I'm falling in love with JSRF all over again.
I have no history or nostalgia for Jet Set Radio, only JSRF. Playing that game for the first time a couple of years back was a frustrating, charming, and eye-opening experience. I don't like playing Jet Set Radio, and I really wish I did. Maybe some hours of grinding challenges will have the game click for me, but Jet Set Radio has always felt like a baseline for a fantastic game in the making, with style unmatched and so revolutionary, that it kinda outshines whatever gameplay issues it may have. JSRF feels like a direct answer to "What if Jet Set Radio was more fun to play?" while doubling down on the visuals, atmosphere, character, and overall "style over substance" approach to game design. It moves away from its arcadey roots, to become something more, effectively rebooting a series that was never started. JSRF is not Jet Set Radio 2. But rather, JSRF is a simple, smooth, funky 3D platformer that captures a world that is so unbelievably rad and so unashamedly 2000s, with a combination of a future where everything must be as sick as possible. Whether it be music, characters, environments, grinding, tricking, etc; JSRF is cool as hell, and brought with it an identity that people have tried to replicate or borrow from, but never have followed up on.
Bomb Rush Cyperfunk is the first-ever attempt to do the impossible: Follow in the footsteps of JSRF. Does it succeed? Yes and No! Just like JSRF, BRC wanted to create a new identity. BRC is not Jet Set Radio 3 or JSRF 2. BRC is BRC and I love it.
BRC aims to answer the question "What if Jet Set Radio Future played better??" and somehow they did it! This game from a core mechanical standpoint, is EVERYTHING I had dreamed of for a followup to Jet Set Radio Future. The scoring system overhaul to reward the player for traversing the map in style is the best design choice Team Reptile made for this game. No longer is the most optimal way of getting a high score doing the same tricks on the "correct rail" for a higher multiplier. Now, you have to map out each destination and experiment with how to get around. The movement (albeit a bit slow) is so gooood! The boost being a course correction mechanic is a godsend in this game, as well as the turbo tricks and their insane forward momentum. It allows for so much potential in traversal, making every jump, every gap, every transfer from one object to another make you question "Can I even do this?". 9 times out of 10 you can, and it feels so satisfying every time. When first arriving at the Hideout, I spent a full hour tricking around, just like I did in JSRF. Not just to get used to the controls, but because I loved how the game felt. If 20 years of waiting led to BRC just being the Hideout, I think it would still be worth it. But thankfully, we have other maps too!
The maps are huge, beautiful playgrounds, with inspiration from JSRF's environments, but with their own unique identity. They are landscapes that feel livable and busy yet they feel artificial at the same time. The trees and greenery have been replaced with endless roads, huge skyscrapers, stores, billboards, etc. The Cyberpunk aesthetic is in full force with its environmental storytelling, which is something I never knew I wanted more of in a Jet Set Radio-type game. Each map feels like 3-4 "Hideouts" strung together whether it be by levels of verticality, different side streets and rooms, or tunnels. From a stylistic perspective, they rival some of my favorite areas in JSRF, especially Mataan, Brink Terminal Millenium Mall. Those areas I think are the highlights of how well Bomb Rush creates a flow state with its mechanics and areas. Quick decision-making and good use of the turbo tricks can make these large environments that at first glance seem empty feel very compact with the number of choices on where to skate next. I love this direction for the environments in the game, as it allows the freedom to vibe out and let the flow of the gameplay take you, which is something I love about JSRF in comparison to its predecessor.
Aesthetically, this game is a love letter to what made Jet Set Radio so appealing. Each character brings a new sense of style that makes me smile so hard. Rise, the photogenic and photo-obsessed model is sporting a bathing suit with a freaking puffer jacket, which I think is peak design. Each character is a blend of modern-day fashion, retro punk, with a splash of the "future" with cyber wear and masks. Not a single design falls short, and I have become so attached to the characters and the world that Team Reptile has built. The music is unsurprisingly godlike. It doesn't remind me of JSRF, which makes me happy. I didn't want a second JSRF future soundtrack, but rather something new. This game focuses on experimental funk, Lo-fi, and of course, Hideki Naganuma, piecing together the ultimate soundtrack to dance to. Some songs are better than others, but I could listen to them all over and over (which I have. Spotify neeeeds to add Naganuma's songs). I don't think the soundtrack has as much of a cohesive theming as Jet Set Radio and JSRF, but rather feels like a playlist or mixtapes of songs to vibe out to. I think that was the point of the soundtrack as a whole, but I do prefer the more theme-based songs that come from having a composer organize a soundtrack, rather than just a list of very talented artists being featured in your game.
The story is also a surprise. It was interesting and I like the themes the game was trying to present, especially in the context that BRC is now a spiritual successor of the Jet Set Radio series. The importance of finding your roots, but not letting them define who you have to be is a perfect parallel for BRC's own journey. BRC can never escape from the expectations that come with being the nest "Jet Set Radio" but it has brought something new and exciting that may not be the perfect sequel, but an experience worth playing. DJ Cyber's words at the finale have stuck with me, not just within my personal life, but with my own thoughts BRC and its place within Jet Set Radio's legacy:
"But there are things you can't change. Your Age, your roots. You better own and rock that shit. In the end, what defines you is what you do with the stuff you got"
Despite my overwhelming love for this game, I understand its shortcomings, not just as a successor to Jet Set Radio, but as a game as a whole. The combat is lackluster. The storytelling is frankly uninteresting, despite how much I like the themes they are trying to tell. The game's scoring system is great, but the difficulty never matches the new focus on getting high scores. Every objective is easy, and the hardest challenges in the game are from Achievements. Keeping a combo is satisfying but can feel trivial because of how unpunishing manuals are. There is no timing to manuals, and it is a one-button press, so dropping your combo feels nearly impossible as long as you have a boost to reset the combo meter. The 3 traversal methods are cool but are no different mechanically, which makes them more of a cosmetic choice than anything else. Also, locking them behind a Donkey 64 way of swamping seems unnecessarily frustrating. Characters only differ in Voice Acting. All the tricks are the same, unfortunately, and no stats are tied to any characters. The lack of a narrator hits the hardest. I never wanted another DJ Professor K. I don't think a personality like that would fit in a game like BRC, but having nothing is even worse. And you feel it. Scenes can feel so barebones and oddly quiet with no announcer. The soundscape in general in BRC is lacking. Sound effects are not distinct and are oddly absent in places where they should be front and center. Moving throughout the map can be drowned out by the music, and the ambient noises of the maps are no where to be found. The soundscape does not capture the essence of the game as much as the music and the aesthetics do, which JSRF and Jet Set Radio nailed. Those games were defined by the "Radio" in their title in all aspects of the soundscape, and BRC seems to not have found what it wants to be defined by.
This is where I think Team Reptile has its biggest hurdle to improve BRC and the series going forward. They need to find what truly defines the game's identity and double down. By my first impressions, it's dancing in a Cyberpunk universe, and free-form movement. Now, they need to lock in and "rock that shit" for the sequel.
Of course, BRC was made by a very small team, with no other 3D platforming experience, and only two games of reference to "improve upon". In other words, the challenge to make BRC the perfect sequel was nearly impossible, and a lot of the problems seem to stem from the scope just being out of reach. However, I think BRC is triumphant as a first attempt to bring Jet Set Radio back to life. A new generation can be born through BRC, and for me, this game puts my demands to rest. I love what is it, problems and all, and I only want more. You could say I just can't get Enuf. (sorry not sorry)
8/10? 9/10? 10/10? Idk. BRC rules
This is a type of game I could never objectively critique, similarly to Jet Set Radio Future my all-time favorite game. I could lock on to its clear problems, offer necessary improvements, rant about obnoxious game design elements, but at the end of the day, there is too much I love about what these video games mean to me that surpasses any sort of surface-level and valid critiques of their execution. I have played games that I think are "perfect" or close to, and JSRF has never been one of those games. Despite that, it has stayed my favorite game ever since I first played it, because of the impact he has on me. JSRF shaped so much of my childhood: my interests, my expectations in games, my music taste, the aesthetics that I love, and so much more. Thankfully, Bomb Rush Cyberfunk makes me feel like I'm falling in love with JSRF all over again.
I have no history or nostalgia for Jet Set Radio, only JSRF. Playing that game for the first time a couple of years back was a frustrating, charming, and eye-opening experience. I don't like playing Jet Set Radio, and I really wish I did. Maybe some hours of grinding challenges will have the game click for me, but Jet Set Radio has always felt like a baseline for a fantastic game in the making, with style unmatched and so revolutionary, that it kinda outshines whatever gameplay issues it may have. JSRF feels like a direct answer to "What if Jet Set Radio was more fun to play?" while doubling down on the visuals, atmosphere, character, and overall "style over substance" approach to game design. It moves away from its arcadey roots, to become something more, effectively rebooting a series that was never started. JSRF is not Jet Set Radio 2. But rather, JSRF is a simple, smooth, funky 3D platformer that captures a world that is so unbelievably rad and so unashamedly 2000s, with a combination of a future where everything must be as sick as possible. Whether it be music, characters, environments, grinding, tricking, etc; JSRF is cool as hell, and brought with it an identity that people have tried to replicate or borrow from, but never have followed up on.
Bomb Rush Cyperfunk is the first-ever attempt to do the impossible: Follow in the footsteps of JSRF. Does it succeed? Yes and No! Just like JSRF, BRC wanted to create a new identity. BRC is not Jet Set Radio 3 or JSRF 2. BRC is BRC and I love it.
BRC aims to answer the question "What if Jet Set Radio Future played better??" and somehow they did it! This game from a core mechanical standpoint, is EVERYTHING I had dreamed of for a followup to Jet Set Radio Future. The scoring system overhaul to reward the player for traversing the map in style is the best design choice Team Reptile made for this game. No longer is the most optimal way of getting a high score doing the same tricks on the "correct rail" for a higher multiplier. Now, you have to map out each destination and experiment with how to get around. The movement (albeit a bit slow) is so gooood! The boost being a course correction mechanic is a godsend in this game, as well as the turbo tricks and their insane forward momentum. It allows for so much potential in traversal, making every jump, every gap, every transfer from one object to another make you question "Can I even do this?". 9 times out of 10 you can, and it feels so satisfying every time. When first arriving at the Hideout, I spent a full hour tricking around, just like I did in JSRF. Not just to get used to the controls, but because I loved how the game felt. If 20 years of waiting led to BRC just being the Hideout, I think it would still be worth it. But thankfully, we have other maps too!
The maps are huge, beautiful playgrounds, with inspiration from JSRF's environments, but with their own unique identity. They are landscapes that feel livable and busy yet they feel artificial at the same time. The trees and greenery have been replaced with endless roads, huge skyscrapers, stores, billboards, etc. The Cyberpunk aesthetic is in full force with its environmental storytelling, which is something I never knew I wanted more of in a Jet Set Radio-type game. Each map feels like 3-4 "Hideouts" strung together whether it be by levels of verticality, different side streets and rooms, or tunnels. From a stylistic perspective, they rival some of my favorite areas in JSRF, especially Mataan, Brink Terminal Millenium Mall. Those areas I think are the highlights of how well Bomb Rush creates a flow state with its mechanics and areas. Quick decision-making and good use of the turbo tricks can make these large environments that at first glance seem empty feel very compact with the number of choices on where to skate next. I love this direction for the environments in the game, as it allows the freedom to vibe out and let the flow of the gameplay take you, which is something I love about JSRF in comparison to its predecessor.
Aesthetically, this game is a love letter to what made Jet Set Radio so appealing. Each character brings a new sense of style that makes me smile so hard. Rise, the photogenic and photo-obsessed model is sporting a bathing suit with a freaking puffer jacket, which I think is peak design. Each character is a blend of modern-day fashion, retro punk, with a splash of the "future" with cyber wear and masks. Not a single design falls short, and I have become so attached to the characters and the world that Team Reptile has built. The music is unsurprisingly godlike. It doesn't remind me of JSRF, which makes me happy. I didn't want a second JSRF future soundtrack, but rather something new. This game focuses on experimental funk, Lo-fi, and of course, Hideki Naganuma, piecing together the ultimate soundtrack to dance to. Some songs are better than others, but I could listen to them all over and over (which I have. Spotify neeeeds to add Naganuma's songs). I don't think the soundtrack has as much of a cohesive theming as Jet Set Radio and JSRF, but rather feels like a playlist or mixtapes of songs to vibe out to. I think that was the point of the soundtrack as a whole, but I do prefer the more theme-based songs that come from having a composer organize a soundtrack, rather than just a list of very talented artists being featured in your game.
The story is also a surprise. It was interesting and I like the themes the game was trying to present, especially in the context that BRC is now a spiritual successor of the Jet Set Radio series. The importance of finding your roots, but not letting them define who you have to be is a perfect parallel for BRC's own journey. BRC can never escape from the expectations that come with being the nest "Jet Set Radio" but it has brought something new and exciting that may not be the perfect sequel, but an experience worth playing. DJ Cyber's words at the finale have stuck with me, not just within my personal life, but with my own thoughts BRC and its place within Jet Set Radio's legacy:
"But there are things you can't change. Your Age, your roots. You better own and rock that shit. In the end, what defines you is what you do with the stuff you got"
Despite my overwhelming love for this game, I understand its shortcomings, not just as a successor to Jet Set Radio, but as a game as a whole. The combat is lackluster. The storytelling is frankly uninteresting, despite how much I like the themes they are trying to tell. The game's scoring system is great, but the difficulty never matches the new focus on getting high scores. Every objective is easy, and the hardest challenges in the game are from Achievements. Keeping a combo is satisfying but can feel trivial because of how unpunishing manuals are. There is no timing to manuals, and it is a one-button press, so dropping your combo feels nearly impossible as long as you have a boost to reset the combo meter. The 3 traversal methods are cool but are no different mechanically, which makes them more of a cosmetic choice than anything else. Also, locking them behind a Donkey 64 way of swamping seems unnecessarily frustrating. Characters only differ in Voice Acting. All the tricks are the same, unfortunately, and no stats are tied to any characters. The lack of a narrator hits the hardest. I never wanted another DJ Professor K. I don't think a personality like that would fit in a game like BRC, but having nothing is even worse. And you feel it. Scenes can feel so barebones and oddly quiet with no announcer. The soundscape in general in BRC is lacking. Sound effects are not distinct and are oddly absent in places where they should be front and center. Moving throughout the map can be drowned out by the music, and the ambient noises of the maps are no where to be found. The soundscape does not capture the essence of the game as much as the music and the aesthetics do, which JSRF and Jet Set Radio nailed. Those games were defined by the "Radio" in their title in all aspects of the soundscape, and BRC seems to not have found what it wants to be defined by.
This is where I think Team Reptile has its biggest hurdle to improve BRC and the series going forward. They need to find what truly defines the game's identity and double down. By my first impressions, it's dancing in a Cyberpunk universe, and free-form movement. Now, they need to lock in and "rock that shit" for the sequel.
Of course, BRC was made by a very small team, with no other 3D platforming experience, and only two games of reference to "improve upon". In other words, the challenge to make BRC the perfect sequel was nearly impossible, and a lot of the problems seem to stem from the scope just being out of reach. However, I think BRC is triumphant as a first attempt to bring Jet Set Radio back to life. A new generation can be born through BRC, and for me, this game puts my demands to rest. I love what is it, problems and all, and I only want more. You could say I just can't get Enuf. (sorry not sorry)
8/10? 9/10? 10/10? Idk. BRC rules
2004
One of Nintendo's meanest, most charming, most ambitious collectathon strategy dungeon crawler games they have ever made.
GRrrarrarraraaahhahah Video gamessssssss/10
GRrrarrarraraaahhahah Video gamessssssss/10
Uhhh....eeeehh
Why? What was the point? Mechanical, story wise, everything. Why was this game made. And why is this one of the best looking PS3 games? What a shockingly unremarkable game that seems to have more issues mechanically than GOW1. What happened?
4/10 Screw Chapter 28
Why? What was the point? Mechanical, story wise, everything. Why was this game made. And why is this one of the best looking PS3 games? What a shockingly unremarkable game that seems to have more issues mechanically than GOW1. What happened?
4/10 Screw Chapter 28
Alright Asobo Studio. You win. You got tears out of me. What a heartbreaking experience. 9/10 :(
In all seroiusness, this is the best possible upgrade to Innocence I could imagine. My only gripes are the pacing at times felt like it reaally wants you to show off its "Hold RT to run" sections, which I genuinely think are the worst parts of the game. The spectacle of it is nice....the first few times. But on the 9th section, it felt ridiculous. But gosh darn was the experience great everywhere else. Put in more game Asobo! Add a dodge, at a jump, and add even more variety for the enemies. Regardless, if this and Hellblade are where non-Sony "cinematic" video games are going, we are in good hands.
In all seroiusness, this is the best possible upgrade to Innocence I could imagine. My only gripes are the pacing at times felt like it reaally wants you to show off its "Hold RT to run" sections, which I genuinely think are the worst parts of the game. The spectacle of it is nice....the first few times. But on the 9th section, it felt ridiculous. But gosh darn was the experience great everywhere else. Put in more game Asobo! Add a dodge, at a jump, and add even more variety for the enemies. Regardless, if this and Hellblade are where non-Sony "cinematic" video games are going, we are in good hands.
2022
So 2022 was just THE year for Indies huh? Cool cool.
SIFU stands for:
Short
Infinitely Replayable
Flawless
Unbelievably Good Action Game.
I love the presentation. I love the combat. I love the learning curve. I love the music. I love the difficulty. I love the bosses and their movesets. The story.....I love the world building. I love the cinematography in certain fights. I like the Arena mode quite a bit. I freaking love Sifu. It's quite easily a game that you'll have to love if it clicks or hate it if it doesn't. Master difficulty makes Bosses into a bit more of a BS gamble, but I don't mind it. The depth of this game just creates an endless amount of kung fu perfection to enjoy. Bring on Sifu 2.
10/10 :)
SIFU stands for:
Short
Infinitely Replayable
Flawless
Unbelievably Good Action Game.
I love the presentation. I love the combat. I love the learning curve. I love the music. I love the difficulty. I love the bosses and their movesets. The story.....I love the world building. I love the cinematography in certain fights. I like the Arena mode quite a bit. I freaking love Sifu. It's quite easily a game that you'll have to love if it clicks or hate it if it doesn't. Master difficulty makes Bosses into a bit more of a BS gamble, but I don't mind it. The depth of this game just creates an endless amount of kung fu perfection to enjoy. Bring on Sifu 2.
10/10 :)
The game is too damn big!
All of my problems stem from this. By hour 35, you have experienced all the content in this game, yet there are about 300 hours worth of repeated content of this 35-hour formula. TOTK is a great game, that overstays its welcome, unfortunately. The flaws in the design start to peel as you play more and more of this game. It does not help either that the majority of the fleshed-out content comes from the map you explored back in 2017, and not the brand-new stuff above and below said map.
Despite my negatives, those first 30 hours were probably some of my favorite experiences in gaming ever. I just wished Nintendo would condense their fantastic highs into a more digestible open-world game, rather than expand the world, increasing the amount of emptiness and busy work. Where do they go from here? Will they make the third game twice as big as Tears? I hope not, but only time will tell.
Too damn big/10
All of my problems stem from this. By hour 35, you have experienced all the content in this game, yet there are about 300 hours worth of repeated content of this 35-hour formula. TOTK is a great game, that overstays its welcome, unfortunately. The flaws in the design start to peel as you play more and more of this game. It does not help either that the majority of the fleshed-out content comes from the map you explored back in 2017, and not the brand-new stuff above and below said map.
Despite my negatives, those first 30 hours were probably some of my favorite experiences in gaming ever. I just wished Nintendo would condense their fantastic highs into a more digestible open-world game, rather than expand the world, increasing the amount of emptiness and busy work. Where do they go from here? Will they make the third game twice as big as Tears? I hope not, but only time will tell.
Too damn big/10
2016
For some reason, I enjoyed this game less on replay? But, I understood and appreciated the themes more. In other words, Dark Souls 3 to me is a game that is hard carried by its bosses, and the fact you've played or haven't played Dark Souls 1. Outside that, it just feels identity-less, which I think is the point. The world is tired of hanging on. Everything screams "We want to move on, and so should you" There is some beauty in that, especially as a send-off to the series. FromSoftware didn't want to make any more Dark Souls games, and I think this is the best way they could have shown us.
8/10
8/10
2023
It's been a while since I said, "Wow this fighting game is a video game". For years, we've been given the most sweaty, esports-driven, live-servicey fighting games that have plagued the industry. Don't get me wrong, I love to dump 300+ hours into the competitive multiplayer of a fighting game (Strive, I'm looking at you), but I long for the days when fighting games were video games first then stressful online day-ruiners second. Sf6 is the closest the industry has gotten to the former, I think. It's not all perfect, but god is it refreshing to have some content in my fighting game. So not only are the game's balance, mechanics, and roster incredibly well done for a launch, there is more video game in this game than the past 8 years of fighting games. Hopefully future seasons and the Capcom's shady microtransaction plans don't soil this game, because this is everything I ever wanted! If this game came out in 2008 instead of SF4, I don't think I would play anything else ever. I would play world tour and create the ultimate avatar, and mess around in the battle-hub forever. Glad video games are back on the menu.
9.5/10* (SUBJECT TO CHANGE. I know how you operate Capcom)
9.5/10* (SUBJECT TO CHANGE. I know how you operate Capcom)
God of War: 2.5
Feels like a proper PS2 God of War sequel to 2 mechanically, but made for the PSP??I dont like it as much, but man is it impressive. The story is solid too. Hits the notes I liked about the first game, narratively. Solid entry
7/10
Feels like a proper PS2 God of War sequel to 2 mechanically, but made for the PSP??I dont like it as much, but man is it impressive. The story is solid too. Hits the notes I liked about the first game, narratively. Solid entry
7/10
2017
With three boss cells down, I think I get it. Dead Cells is a fun-as-hell roguelike that takes a while to become fun. Its features that make runs more possible, and frankly, more fun to play are locked behind progression, making each run prior feel pointless at times. I almost gave up on this game, but with enough skill (and luck) and the runes unlocked, the game starts to shine. Cool game cool game.
2019
"It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Season 13 Episode 10 19:50-19:55" is a good summary for this game.
A game with so much substance, a NO FAT. And I mean noooooo fat. Devil May Cry 5 is the best action game I have ever played. Not only has this game pushed DMC's formula to the absolute max, after DMC4 already blew the ceiling off with its mechanical depth, but it pretty much set the standard (again!) for next-gen action games. I'm almost a bit upset at how good this game is because, where the hell does Capcom go from here? All the loose ends are tied up, the combat has peaked, and the Devils have cried. So what's left? How do you top this, without completely going into left field with its characters, mechanics, and level design, effectively creating a new series altogether? I don't know, but regardless we have this game. And that's fine with me. Easily my favorite DMC, despite its lackluster beginning difficulty, and streamlined level design. It just has too many highs for me to ever fault it for its minuscule lows. I just wish I could play the whole game as Nero (and I am not ashamed to say it).
BangBangBang/10
A game with so much substance, a NO FAT. And I mean noooooo fat. Devil May Cry 5 is the best action game I have ever played. Not only has this game pushed DMC's formula to the absolute max, after DMC4 already blew the ceiling off with its mechanical depth, but it pretty much set the standard (again!) for next-gen action games. I'm almost a bit upset at how good this game is because, where the hell does Capcom go from here? All the loose ends are tied up, the combat has peaked, and the Devils have cried. So what's left? How do you top this, without completely going into left field with its characters, mechanics, and level design, effectively creating a new series altogether? I don't know, but regardless we have this game. And that's fine with me. Easily my favorite DMC, despite its lackluster beginning difficulty, and streamlined level design. It just has too many highs for me to ever fault it for its minuscule lows. I just wish I could play the whole game as Nero (and I am not ashamed to say it).
BangBangBang/10