ZankRemes
Spiderman PS4 + better swinging + a little deeper combat + and a cooler spiderman, but a less interesting story, for 10 hours. Solid expansion, and a good glimpse into what's to come.
7.5/10
7.5/10
2016
Bots. Gotta love em
2009
I am in love with demon souls. Might be the most addicting FromSoft game to date. I love this game. Jank Souls '09. Jank "bosses", clever level design, great length, simple but hella satisfying combat, awesome atmosphere and aesthetic, ridiculously experimental design that both works and does not work at all, and maybe the best music out of all the games? Godlike start. Godlike game.
2016
Where is Furi 2? When is Furi 2?
Furi is great, but dare I say only its hard mode. PLEASE play Furier mode before judging this game. Furi mode does not capture how great this game plays. Sucks it's locked behind a playthrough completion. The only difficult boss in the normal mode is the final boss since it's a disappointing twist on the formula. It's less of a culmination of what you learned, but more so just one part, not even all that well done. The dash is a bit finicky since it's based on release rather than activation which can result in a lot of inconsistency. But, the tight design, soundtrack, visuals, boss lore, and the vibe is fire.
8.0/10
Furi is great, but dare I say only its hard mode. PLEASE play Furier mode before judging this game. Furi mode does not capture how great this game plays. Sucks it's locked behind a playthrough completion. The only difficult boss in the normal mode is the final boss since it's a disappointing twist on the formula. It's less of a culmination of what you learned, but more so just one part, not even all that well done. The dash is a bit finicky since it's based on release rather than activation which can result in a lot of inconsistency. But, the tight design, soundtrack, visuals, boss lore, and the vibe is fire.
8.0/10
2003
Thank god it ends. Miss me with that disc 2. Sorry, Lucia, but I will never return to this garbage fire attempt of a game. 4 hours were wasted. Do not play this game unless you enjoy unfun tests of patience. Even if you are curious about how DMC has "evolved" over the years, I would not recommend it. It's not funny bad, just bad bad
Hold X to shoot/10
Hold X to shoot/10
2001
God, I miss video games. Another game in Gamecube's library of wacky, creative, and unlike anything else games, that serves as a landmark in gaming. And yet, about 45 people played it. Such a charming, unique, and borderline perfect little game. The most polished indie title Nintendo has ever developed. Great music, great atmosphere, simple mechanics, tight puzzles, Pikmin ai is frustrating at times but cute as hell, and a great length for replayability. Just needed more flushed-out mechanics, and more level diversity to really shine, despite it being a gem.
8.5/10
8.5/10
2001
Cool start. Hilariously goofy, 2000s fun that must have been revolutionary in 01'. Sick final boss design, great art design in general, and Mundus's castle is very iconic. Combat is....good at times? Janky most of the time. A lot was done right for the start of not only the series but the character action-adventure games genre.
6.5/10
6.5/10
2022
It took 6 months. 6 whole months to finish the base game. But 6 months well spent...
Roll7 did it. They perfected the modern-day THPS vibe in the 2D plane. Firstly, this game is not a skating game. This is a platformer at its core. Lots of gaps, obstacles, and challenges to see if you are using the mechanics to the fullest, while checkpoints save you from going insane trying to master said mechanics. The skating is how you traverse in this platformer, and it has EVERYTHING: manuals, grinding, basic tricks, advanced and special tricks based on motion inputs, grind tricks, grind switching, grab tricks with mechanical incentives, wall riding, late tricks, and a combo system. With all these combined with the intricate level design, it creates a perfect replica of how it feels to flow in THPS once you get the basics down. With all this being said, there is a lot to learn, and even more to master, so the game takes a lot of focus to truly get into the "fun zone" of the game.
On top of the mechanical perfection that they created, the aesthetics are too charming. I know, I know. It's 3D Adventure Time. But, I love Adventure Time's art style to death! If you don't, the aesthetics and overall characters will be a major turn-off. But luckily, you can skip most of the dialogue in the game, so if you feel like the Adventure-Time-esque writing is too much at times, you can just ignore it.
The length is great too. The environments are well designed to feel unique from each other, so you never really get tired of the scenery in the levels. I will say that the levels themselves are not too memorable on their own, as compared to other platformers or even THPS. They are designed in a way to progressively show off how good you have become, rather than designed to stick out in your mind as an experience.
Now, why 6 months if the length is solid? The challenges and the Local Heroes scores. They are nightmares near the end of the game. Once you hit a certain world, the difficulty to complete these challenges spikes exponentially. Like going from scoring 25,000 points for a high score to nearly 250,000 for the lowest score. One level apart. The precision needed to achieve these challenges got so ridiculous that on one level where I performed perfectly (single combo, only advanced tricks, perfect manuals, and grinding) I barely cracked the lowest score threshold. I grinded and grinded, but gave up once I hit month 6 and realized I was getting unbelievably frustrated playing one of my favorite games of the year. Luckily, these challenges are completely optional, but I think going for them adds to the experience, since completing levels on their own is not too difficult. So it is a double edge sword if you choose to do them or not. A minor blemish on what is a great game.
The music is hit or miss. It's like chill, vibe music. I don't really care for it. But the character customization is great! I love the number of customizations there are even at the beginning, so you never really feel limited in your style. All completely cosmetic too.
There is an online component of the game, but I mostly played the game offline, so I have no clue if its any good. I assume so, but maybe it's not. I don't know!
Roll7 has provided two great experiences in one year alone (I like Rollerdrome a little more) and have proven themselves as experts in their craft. If OlliOlli was perfected after two games, I cannot wait to see what they have in store for Rollerdrome. Please. Play. This. Game.
9.5/10
Roll7 did it. They perfected the modern-day THPS vibe in the 2D plane. Firstly, this game is not a skating game. This is a platformer at its core. Lots of gaps, obstacles, and challenges to see if you are using the mechanics to the fullest, while checkpoints save you from going insane trying to master said mechanics. The skating is how you traverse in this platformer, and it has EVERYTHING: manuals, grinding, basic tricks, advanced and special tricks based on motion inputs, grind tricks, grind switching, grab tricks with mechanical incentives, wall riding, late tricks, and a combo system. With all these combined with the intricate level design, it creates a perfect replica of how it feels to flow in THPS once you get the basics down. With all this being said, there is a lot to learn, and even more to master, so the game takes a lot of focus to truly get into the "fun zone" of the game.
On top of the mechanical perfection that they created, the aesthetics are too charming. I know, I know. It's 3D Adventure Time. But, I love Adventure Time's art style to death! If you don't, the aesthetics and overall characters will be a major turn-off. But luckily, you can skip most of the dialogue in the game, so if you feel like the Adventure-Time-esque writing is too much at times, you can just ignore it.
The length is great too. The environments are well designed to feel unique from each other, so you never really get tired of the scenery in the levels. I will say that the levels themselves are not too memorable on their own, as compared to other platformers or even THPS. They are designed in a way to progressively show off how good you have become, rather than designed to stick out in your mind as an experience.
Now, why 6 months if the length is solid? The challenges and the Local Heroes scores. They are nightmares near the end of the game. Once you hit a certain world, the difficulty to complete these challenges spikes exponentially. Like going from scoring 25,000 points for a high score to nearly 250,000 for the lowest score. One level apart. The precision needed to achieve these challenges got so ridiculous that on one level where I performed perfectly (single combo, only advanced tricks, perfect manuals, and grinding) I barely cracked the lowest score threshold. I grinded and grinded, but gave up once I hit month 6 and realized I was getting unbelievably frustrated playing one of my favorite games of the year. Luckily, these challenges are completely optional, but I think going for them adds to the experience, since completing levels on their own is not too difficult. So it is a double edge sword if you choose to do them or not. A minor blemish on what is a great game.
The music is hit or miss. It's like chill, vibe music. I don't really care for it. But the character customization is great! I love the number of customizations there are even at the beginning, so you never really feel limited in your style. All completely cosmetic too.
There is an online component of the game, but I mostly played the game offline, so I have no clue if its any good. I assume so, but maybe it's not. I don't know!
Roll7 has provided two great experiences in one year alone (I like Rollerdrome a little more) and have proven themselves as experts in their craft. If OlliOlli was perfected after two games, I cannot wait to see what they have in store for Rollerdrome. Please. Play. This. Game.
9.5/10
2007
It's kinda unfair reviewing Portal I think. I started with the second game first, fell in love with it, played it 10+ times, and finally decided 11 years after portal 2's release that maybe I should try out the first. And of course, it is not as good as its sequel, but god is it charming.
The biggest takeaway from this game was how dark it is in comparison to its successor. The identical-looking chambers combined with a lack of music make it feel like you are trapped in a box, forced to do tests for a being that may or may not exist. Still to this day am I amazed by how novel the idea of Portal really is. A design so simple resulted in endless ideas and creativity, but in 2007, of course, they needed to ease players into this brand-new experience. The puzzles are tight, and not too complex, making the game feel like a presentation of what you can do in Portal. All that was needed was to push the game further. But, I am glad it was made.
The biggest takeaway from this game was how dark it is in comparison to its successor. The identical-looking chambers combined with a lack of music make it feel like you are trapped in a box, forced to do tests for a being that may or may not exist. Still to this day am I amazed by how novel the idea of Portal really is. A design so simple resulted in endless ideas and creativity, but in 2007, of course, they needed to ease players into this brand-new experience. The puzzles are tight, and not too complex, making the game feel like a presentation of what you can do in Portal. All that was needed was to push the game further. But, I am glad it was made.
2022
A start to something fresh...
I love this freaking game! It's such a tight little experience with a focus on mechanics that creates great moment-to-moment action. It's essentially Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1 mixed with Max Payne and DOOM, resulting in the first-ever 3rd person skater-shooter. But that's it! If that's what you are looking for, this game is incredible.
It lacks a gripping story but rather puts hints of one. It lacks depth in level design until the last 4 levels of the game, and wall running and grinding are a bit wanky with their implementation, mostly due to the original problem of level design. Enemies are varied, but there is room for many more. And god, I wish there was some sort of manual system in the game. I also wish the game emphasized the importance of tricks for the scoring system. In order to get S rank, you need to keep your combo high and get all 5 combo coins. The tricks played so little in the scoring, resulting in using the same 3 or so tricks for the highest amount of bullet gain. It's not a huge annoyance, but more of missed opportunity for rewarding the player for mastering ALL the mechanics. In some ways, this game reminds me of Portal: a short game with unique mechanics, cool world design, silent protagonist, and feels more like an extended demo of something amazing. Here's hoping for a Rollerdrome 2!
I'll 100% the game and go through NG+ but as of completing the main game, I can confidently put this game as 8.5/10. Don't expect everything in this game, but expect a fun and challenging time.
Edit: After playing the out for blood mode, my opinion hasn't really changed at all. The Out for Blood mode seemed easy? I don't know. The game wants you to play perfectly anyways, so the added enemies and damage multiplier doesn't really make the game harder if you already shooting for a single combo per level. It's less of mastering a level than it is just adapting to the "changes" and mastering the mechanics.
I love this freaking game! It's such a tight little experience with a focus on mechanics that creates great moment-to-moment action. It's essentially Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1 mixed with Max Payne and DOOM, resulting in the first-ever 3rd person skater-shooter. But that's it! If that's what you are looking for, this game is incredible.
It lacks a gripping story but rather puts hints of one. It lacks depth in level design until the last 4 levels of the game, and wall running and grinding are a bit wanky with their implementation, mostly due to the original problem of level design. Enemies are varied, but there is room for many more. And god, I wish there was some sort of manual system in the game. I also wish the game emphasized the importance of tricks for the scoring system. In order to get S rank, you need to keep your combo high and get all 5 combo coins. The tricks played so little in the scoring, resulting in using the same 3 or so tricks for the highest amount of bullet gain. It's not a huge annoyance, but more of missed opportunity for rewarding the player for mastering ALL the mechanics. In some ways, this game reminds me of Portal: a short game with unique mechanics, cool world design, silent protagonist, and feels more like an extended demo of something amazing. Here's hoping for a Rollerdrome 2!
I'll 100% the game and go through NG+ but as of completing the main game, I can confidently put this game as 8.5/10. Don't expect everything in this game, but expect a fun and challenging time.
Edit: After playing the out for blood mode, my opinion hasn't really changed at all. The Out for Blood mode seemed easy? I don't know. The game wants you to play perfectly anyways, so the added enemies and damage multiplier doesn't really make the game harder if you already shooting for a single combo per level. It's less of mastering a level than it is just adapting to the "changes" and mastering the mechanics.
Spider-man is a game most defined as more than the sum of its parts. As a whole, it's a polished, fun, open-world game with excellent feeling albeit shallow Spiderman traversal, and a good engaging story. If that's all you are looking for, you will not be disappointed. It is probably the best spiderman game to date, and the sequel looks promising.
The blemishes on this game appear once you start to pick at each individual part of the game. The combat, the swinging, Peter Parker, and some other characters, and most importantly the mission designs are all lacking something that can easily be fixed in the next installment- depth. Depth isn't necessarily needed until you start to put in a bunch of hours into the game. The combat especially begins breaking once you enter the DLC and the game "raises the difficulty" by undermining the key rules of the combat and throwing lots of guys your way. Challenge and autonomy to really make Spiderman perform in your own unique way are really lacking, but I have no doubts most people aren't looking for a challenging Spider-man game. So the question is do you critique the game as a video game defined by its parts or as a Spider-man game as a whole? No clue, but I can't deny that I did enjoy the experience quite a lot.
Big recommendation to fans of spiderman and Insomniac's open-world games. I think I'll be returning to Sunset Overdrive instead.
7/10
The blemishes on this game appear once you start to pick at each individual part of the game. The combat, the swinging, Peter Parker, and some other characters, and most importantly the mission designs are all lacking something that can easily be fixed in the next installment- depth. Depth isn't necessarily needed until you start to put in a bunch of hours into the game. The combat especially begins breaking once you enter the DLC and the game "raises the difficulty" by undermining the key rules of the combat and throwing lots of guys your way. Challenge and autonomy to really make Spiderman perform in your own unique way are really lacking, but I have no doubts most people aren't looking for a challenging Spider-man game. So the question is do you critique the game as a video game defined by its parts or as a Spider-man game as a whole? No clue, but I can't deny that I did enjoy the experience quite a lot.
Big recommendation to fans of spiderman and Insomniac's open-world games. I think I'll be returning to Sunset Overdrive instead.
7/10
A collection that everyone should at least try once. Both have major strengths and weaknesses and depending on what you care about, you'll probably gravitate towards one or the other
Hotline Miami 1- 9/10 Video game video game
This game is the definition of "don't think about it. It's only a game." If you do think about it, you will soon dive into how powerful this game's storytelling really is. Action, gore, music: all of it blends together to create an experience you should not be enjoying as much as you do. What a challenging thrill, only bogged down by console controls and aiming.
Hotline Miami 2. 7/10 A Film about violence
I don't want to hate HM2. The story of this game, the themes, and the aesthetic is incredible and even more in-depth than the first game. It's a type of story I will continue to think about forever. However, I was not having fun playing this game. Mechanically, this game is identical to the first. But, the level design is incredibly frustrating. Rather than promoting the fast-paced momentum/improvise style play from the first game, the game forces you to be methodical, slow, and reserved to get by each level with your sanity. There's no doubt you can master this game, but the amount of effort needed to get to that point was not something I ever wanted to put in. Enemies out of sight killing you, checkmate situations that force you to restart, and limited playstyles that lead to ai baiting and camping bogged down a lot of my experience. I understand what they were trying to do, and I am glad that the game has a separate identity from the first, but boy am I not a fan.
Both games are amazing in their own way, and incredibly replayability if you truly enjoy the gameplay. I will definitely revisit the first to try and master it (S ranks) but I think I rather just ruminate about what HM2 all meant.
8/10
Hotline Miami 1- 9/10 Video game video game
This game is the definition of "don't think about it. It's only a game." If you do think about it, you will soon dive into how powerful this game's storytelling really is. Action, gore, music: all of it blends together to create an experience you should not be enjoying as much as you do. What a challenging thrill, only bogged down by console controls and aiming.
Hotline Miami 2. 7/10 A Film about violence
I don't want to hate HM2. The story of this game, the themes, and the aesthetic is incredible and even more in-depth than the first game. It's a type of story I will continue to think about forever. However, I was not having fun playing this game. Mechanically, this game is identical to the first. But, the level design is incredibly frustrating. Rather than promoting the fast-paced momentum/improvise style play from the first game, the game forces you to be methodical, slow, and reserved to get by each level with your sanity. There's no doubt you can master this game, but the amount of effort needed to get to that point was not something I ever wanted to put in. Enemies out of sight killing you, checkmate situations that force you to restart, and limited playstyles that lead to ai baiting and camping bogged down a lot of my experience. I understand what they were trying to do, and I am glad that the game has a separate identity from the first, but boy am I not a fan.
Both games are amazing in their own way, and incredibly replayability if you truly enjoy the gameplay. I will definitely revisit the first to try and master it (S ranks) but I think I rather just ruminate about what HM2 all meant.
8/10
.......What was Spyro 3. What an utter mess of rushed development on what should have been my favorite in the series. The rest is sick tho, but Jesus Spyro 3 has left such a sour taste in my mouth for an otherwise great remake of PlayStation classics.
Spyro 1: 8 with a big ol smiley face
Spyro 2: 9
Spyro 3: 5.5
NOTE: This does not reflect my feelings for the original trilogy. but rather how the reignited trilogy presented these games .
Spyro 1: 8 with a big ol smiley face
Spyro 2: 9
Spyro 3: 5.5
NOTE: This does not reflect my feelings for the original trilogy. but rather how the reignited trilogy presented these games .
1997
My favorite of the old-school trilogy by a large margin. From its aesthetic to its music and enemy redesigns, down to the weight and feel of the weapons, old school DOOM has never felt so "new." This game was a joyride and it has earned its place as the most unique of the 90s DOOM era, even if it has its problems. It doesn't really innovate on DOOM's formula; it keeps some of the frustrating elements of the old DOOM games such as the obtuse level progression in certain levels; however, its unique tone and art style sets it apart enough for it to justify its existence. The levels are a bit less complex with the lack of Romero at the head, but I did not mind, because they still provided levels with enough diverse interactions and environments to keep me engaged throughout. Big fan, and will definitely replay it at some point.
8.5/10
8.5/10
Doom 1 + super shotgun, inconsistent level design quality, more enemy types, and a pretty awesome final third. Enjoyed it more than 1, but 1 felt more consistent overall. Both are DOOM, and DOOM is sick.
8/10
8/10