Genuinely, this is a dream game from my childhood that has come to life. A car platformer collectothon with awesome and in-depth movement mechanics. Finished the story and a lot of the side content, but I'm definitely going to go back and clean up everything I didn't finish.
Also it ran great on Steam Deck!
Also it ran great on Steam Deck!
No Promises Await at Journey’s End
— Exposition —
I wasn’t a fan of Final Fantasy VII Remake. The story felt outdated and confusing, the pacing was all over the place, and the visuals and music were underwhelming. The only standouts that kept me playing were the characters and the combat. The game’s difficulty and balance were also a massive point of pressure for me.
— Introduction —
105 hours later (triple the length of my Remake play through), Rebirth improves and fixes almost every single thing I didn’t enjoy about Remake and then some.
There’s so much I could go into about this game, but I’m gonna try to compress it as much as possible. (Skip to conclusion at bottom for TL;DR)
— The Review —
Over three times the playtime, an open world that rivals some of the biggest I’ve ever seen, and one of the best stories I’ve ever experienced.
From the very start, I was immediately captivated by the story so much more than the original game, and by the end, I was in tears. While it was still huge and confusing, I never truly felt “lost” with the story. And oh my god these characters. I love them all so much and feel every single emotion they go through in this game.
The score is phenomenal though it still doesn’t rival some of Square-Enix’s other games for me. Aerith’s theme though will probably make me cry every time I hear it.
The game’s visuals and art direction are breathtaking, especially in comparison to the first game and the tech advancements behind it are even more impressive.
The open world is one of the largest, most diverse, and fun to explore in all of gaming. Almost all of the side content is really fun and engaging though does lack much in the realm of reward besides experiencing some really cool little side stories. There is a bit of an overabundance of side content in my opinion if you want to 100% complete the game. However, I really think you can skip the large majority of it and not miss out on much.
After all of this, is it a perfect game? Absolutely not. Unfortunately, my number one point that I did not enjoy about the game was one of the biggest issues I had with Remake as well. The difficulty and balance is awful and all over the place. One second I can be walking through enemies left and right, the next second I’m getting one shot by a boss and the only resolution is switching to easy difficulty. I can rant about this topic all day but TL;DR is that I really wish the game had more accessibility settings and more settings in general.
So if the game isn’t perfect, how is it a 5/5? Well, very few pieces of media are ever truly perfect masterpieces. Video games as an art have so many aspects to them that labeling one issue that caused me some minor inconvenience doesn’t negate the fact of how unfathomably good this game was; especially in a game as massive and nuanced as this one. Breath of the Wild’s lackluster narrative doesn’t make it any less of a masterpiece, y’know?
— Conclusion (TL;DR) —
Rebirth is a monumentally incredible sequel. A game that truly capitalizes on its prequel in unprecedented ways. A full package experience with nearly every single aspect nailed. Story, characters, pacing, visuals, game loop, combat, sound design, and score all come together to make for an emotionally devastating, epic, roller coaster of a journey that I will never forget. It’s hard to see how the third and final installment of the VII Remake trilogy could possibly live up to this game’s grandeur. But after the glow-up of Remake to Rebirth, I have faith that Nomura can wrangle the fate of this series and finish it out strong.
— Exposition —
I wasn’t a fan of Final Fantasy VII Remake. The story felt outdated and confusing, the pacing was all over the place, and the visuals and music were underwhelming. The only standouts that kept me playing were the characters and the combat. The game’s difficulty and balance were also a massive point of pressure for me.
— Introduction —
105 hours later (triple the length of my Remake play through), Rebirth improves and fixes almost every single thing I didn’t enjoy about Remake and then some.
There’s so much I could go into about this game, but I’m gonna try to compress it as much as possible. (Skip to conclusion at bottom for TL;DR)
— The Review —
Over three times the playtime, an open world that rivals some of the biggest I’ve ever seen, and one of the best stories I’ve ever experienced.
From the very start, I was immediately captivated by the story so much more than the original game, and by the end, I was in tears. While it was still huge and confusing, I never truly felt “lost” with the story. And oh my god these characters. I love them all so much and feel every single emotion they go through in this game.
The score is phenomenal though it still doesn’t rival some of Square-Enix’s other games for me. Aerith’s theme though will probably make me cry every time I hear it.
The game’s visuals and art direction are breathtaking, especially in comparison to the first game and the tech advancements behind it are even more impressive.
The open world is one of the largest, most diverse, and fun to explore in all of gaming. Almost all of the side content is really fun and engaging though does lack much in the realm of reward besides experiencing some really cool little side stories. There is a bit of an overabundance of side content in my opinion if you want to 100% complete the game. However, I really think you can skip the large majority of it and not miss out on much.
After all of this, is it a perfect game? Absolutely not. Unfortunately, my number one point that I did not enjoy about the game was one of the biggest issues I had with Remake as well. The difficulty and balance is awful and all over the place. One second I can be walking through enemies left and right, the next second I’m getting one shot by a boss and the only resolution is switching to easy difficulty. I can rant about this topic all day but TL;DR is that I really wish the game had more accessibility settings and more settings in general.
So if the game isn’t perfect, how is it a 5/5? Well, very few pieces of media are ever truly perfect masterpieces. Video games as an art have so many aspects to them that labeling one issue that caused me some minor inconvenience doesn’t negate the fact of how unfathomably good this game was; especially in a game as massive and nuanced as this one. Breath of the Wild’s lackluster narrative doesn’t make it any less of a masterpiece, y’know?
— Conclusion (TL;DR) —
Rebirth is a monumentally incredible sequel. A game that truly capitalizes on its prequel in unprecedented ways. A full package experience with nearly every single aspect nailed. Story, characters, pacing, visuals, game loop, combat, sound design, and score all come together to make for an emotionally devastating, epic, roller coaster of a journey that I will never forget. It’s hard to see how the third and final installment of the VII Remake trilogy could possibly live up to this game’s grandeur. But after the glow-up of Remake to Rebirth, I have faith that Nomura can wrangle the fate of this series and finish it out strong.
A masterpiece. It’s been a long time since a game has made be feel so absolutely enthralled all the way through. Now admittedly, it is only a hour long. But I believe this is one of those short indies that really are as close to a perfect video game experience as possible.
There were multiple moments here that gave my whole body chills, especially one particular moment in the middle of the game.
With this game being made by MrSuicideSheep, of course I expected the score to be phenomenal. But wow they went absolutely all fuckin out with the sound design. Genuinely industry leading. And the art direction to go with it is absolutely off the charts.
The gameplay is perfectly paced with a beautifully simple progression of platforming abilities. Nothing ever felt too impossible, poorly designed or balanced, or overindulgent.
I guess at this point, my only complaint is I wish it was longer? It’s really a perfect experience, but the platforming mechanics they have crafted here feel so good that I could easily go for another hour or two to be honest.
This game absolutely fucking ruled and is a perfect example of how much of a beautifully crafted piece of art video games can be.
There were multiple moments here that gave my whole body chills, especially one particular moment in the middle of the game.
With this game being made by MrSuicideSheep, of course I expected the score to be phenomenal. But wow they went absolutely all fuckin out with the sound design. Genuinely industry leading. And the art direction to go with it is absolutely off the charts.
The gameplay is perfectly paced with a beautifully simple progression of platforming abilities. Nothing ever felt too impossible, poorly designed or balanced, or overindulgent.
I guess at this point, my only complaint is I wish it was longer? It’s really a perfect experience, but the platforming mechanics they have crafted here feel so good that I could easily go for another hour or two to be honest.
This game absolutely fucking ruled and is a perfect example of how much of a beautifully crafted piece of art video games can be.
— Crash Bandicoot —
I admire how faithful the developers were with this remake. However, there are loads of moments in this game where they could have taken some creative influence to make things better for the modern audience. So many levels are plagued with bad camera angles and other QoL issues that are held over from the original. Also, why did they remove the cheats??
— Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back —
Improves upon the first game in so many ways. It feels like they really learned a lot from it. The outdated camera now feels like it has the proper gameplay adapted for it. I also really appreciate the shorter levels and hub levels. It ultimately makes the game feel shorter but a much more satisfying experience. As for the new content, some of the newer mechanics do come with new issues. Why are the bounces that the nitro boxes do RNG? A good platformer should have no form of random movements or RNG. Also, the new jet pack mechanic is unwieldy and feels annoyingly slow to control for a standard Crash level. With that being said, it was actually really fun to use for the final boss fight! The boss fights across the board in this one were probably too easy though this is a tricky balance because I don’t think they are easier than the first game, just that the movement mechanics feel way better in this one.
— Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped —
Probably the best of the three. Great diverse and fun levels and bosses. Some of the levels may have felt a bit too short as well as some of the bosses once again being a bit too easy. Also, some of the new abilities and level types (like the airplane and the underwater level) felt a bit out of place but it was refreshing to shake up the gameplay.
— OVERALL —
This is easily one of the best and most faithful remakes in gaming. Fantastic, historic, games that defined a generation brought to life in a modern but tasteful way. As you work your way through the trilogy, it's clear that the original developers got better at honing in the experience as they went. The clunky, outdated camera and controls slowly get better defined and reined in to create one of the most satisfying platforming experiences in gaming by the end of Warped.
The retention of the first game's issues is a questionable choice, but it is also so admirable that they were so dedicated to maintaining the game's intentions in this remake. It also creates a very interesting examination of the evolution of Naughty Dog's development chops across the OG trilogy.
Loved experiencing this childhood series all over again over the past two months on my Steam Deck (which it ran perfectly on btw!) and will always recommend checking it out to anyone interested in the genre.
I admire how faithful the developers were with this remake. However, there are loads of moments in this game where they could have taken some creative influence to make things better for the modern audience. So many levels are plagued with bad camera angles and other QoL issues that are held over from the original. Also, why did they remove the cheats??
— Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back —
Improves upon the first game in so many ways. It feels like they really learned a lot from it. The outdated camera now feels like it has the proper gameplay adapted for it. I also really appreciate the shorter levels and hub levels. It ultimately makes the game feel shorter but a much more satisfying experience. As for the new content, some of the newer mechanics do come with new issues. Why are the bounces that the nitro boxes do RNG? A good platformer should have no form of random movements or RNG. Also, the new jet pack mechanic is unwieldy and feels annoyingly slow to control for a standard Crash level. With that being said, it was actually really fun to use for the final boss fight! The boss fights across the board in this one were probably too easy though this is a tricky balance because I don’t think they are easier than the first game, just that the movement mechanics feel way better in this one.
— Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped —
Probably the best of the three. Great diverse and fun levels and bosses. Some of the levels may have felt a bit too short as well as some of the bosses once again being a bit too easy. Also, some of the new abilities and level types (like the airplane and the underwater level) felt a bit out of place but it was refreshing to shake up the gameplay.
— OVERALL —
This is easily one of the best and most faithful remakes in gaming. Fantastic, historic, games that defined a generation brought to life in a modern but tasteful way. As you work your way through the trilogy, it's clear that the original developers got better at honing in the experience as they went. The clunky, outdated camera and controls slowly get better defined and reined in to create one of the most satisfying platforming experiences in gaming by the end of Warped.
The retention of the first game's issues is a questionable choice, but it is also so admirable that they were so dedicated to maintaining the game's intentions in this remake. It also creates a very interesting examination of the evolution of Naughty Dog's development chops across the OG trilogy.
Loved experiencing this childhood series all over again over the past two months on my Steam Deck (which it ran perfectly on btw!) and will always recommend checking it out to anyone interested in the genre.
2022
Since this was Valve’s showcase game for the Steam Deck, I figured it deserved to be my first fully played on my new Steam Deck. Had a good time. It’s a cute little narrative that has all the fun humor of a good Valve game. Super short but does a great job of walking you through all of the Steam Deck’s capabilities.
Incredibly annoyed with the combat. Combat can be really damn fun when it works, but for me it just feels so unresponsive most of the time. Like this game is frustrating as hell UX wise in combat. Telling me I can dodge something when I can't, telling me I can do a finishing combo when I cant, etc etc etc. Getting stun locked over and over again. Its annoying as hell. I thought I would get used to it but somehow they actually made it worse than the first game in this regard. Which was a problem in the first two but not nearly this frustrating. Maybe I’m the only person, I see basically no one complain about these things but I had multiple nights I outright stopped playing due to the combat. I could ramble about the combat and unresponsive ness of the game for hours but you get the point.
Story was incredibly lack luster in a lot of ways. Like it hit a lot of amazing big beats but skipped over so incredibly much in between. I feel like the story alone should have been 35 hours, but instead was crammed into 20, so pacing just felt bad. There were so many intimate character moments I feel like we could have gotten that we just didn’t because we were too busy skipping from one main villain destroying NYC to the next.
World was expanded which was so needed but then heavily under utilized massive parts of it and the benefit it added was lost by the wing suit being so OP.
Progression also felt non-existent other than gaining the symbiote abilities.
Conclusion:
Spider-Man 2 improved on the formula in some areas, but it’s worse than the first two games in some key places for me that really matters: Combat, Story, Pacing, Progression.
To be clear, I still had fun with the power fantasy of being Spider-Man. I also really enjoyed the side content and the main story/character beats. But those things only take you so far when so much of the rest of the game frustrated me every step of the way.
Really disappointed honestly. When I chose to get this on launch I was choosing between it and another game and I wish I had chose the other and avoided launch price.
Story was incredibly lack luster in a lot of ways. Like it hit a lot of amazing big beats but skipped over so incredibly much in between. I feel like the story alone should have been 35 hours, but instead was crammed into 20, so pacing just felt bad. There were so many intimate character moments I feel like we could have gotten that we just didn’t because we were too busy skipping from one main villain destroying NYC to the next.
World was expanded which was so needed but then heavily under utilized massive parts of it and the benefit it added was lost by the wing suit being so OP.
Progression also felt non-existent other than gaining the symbiote abilities.
Conclusion:
Spider-Man 2 improved on the formula in some areas, but it’s worse than the first two games in some key places for me that really matters: Combat, Story, Pacing, Progression.
To be clear, I still had fun with the power fantasy of being Spider-Man. I also really enjoyed the side content and the main story/character beats. But those things only take you so far when so much of the rest of the game frustrated me every step of the way.
Really disappointed honestly. When I chose to get this on launch I was choosing between it and another game and I wish I had chose the other and avoided launch price.
Enjoyable time that adds to the original story and of course its just a great time returning to this world and the gameplay of the RE4 Remake.
I do have to say, this DLC definitely is not as polished as the base game. In terms of actual polish, performance, and balance, it seems it isn't nearly as fleshed out as the original game. The boss fights were more tedious and I found myself frustrated at times when animations would go on for too long or dodging just wouldn't work.
Balance issues where most enemies were just either too easy or bullet sponges. I think that one is kind of more understandable since they are condensing the base game's story and gameplay progression into like one-fourth of the gameplay time.
Overall its a fun but flawed return to an absolutely perfect base game. If you enjoyed the base game, its highly unlikely you won't like this. Especially with how great of a value it is; only $10 for 6+ hours of content!
I do have to say, this DLC definitely is not as polished as the base game. In terms of actual polish, performance, and balance, it seems it isn't nearly as fleshed out as the original game. The boss fights were more tedious and I found myself frustrated at times when animations would go on for too long or dodging just wouldn't work.
Balance issues where most enemies were just either too easy or bullet sponges. I think that one is kind of more understandable since they are condensing the base game's story and gameplay progression into like one-fourth of the gameplay time.
Overall its a fun but flawed return to an absolutely perfect base game. If you enjoyed the base game, its highly unlikely you won't like this. Especially with how great of a value it is; only $10 for 6+ hours of content!
2020
10/17/23 — Shelving the game for now. Got a bit through Act 3 but realized that it literally has more content than the first two Acts combined and I had to put the game down 😭
I’ve been playing for over two and a half months and am over 90 hours in and need a break.
Despite this, without even finishing the game I can definitely call this game and all-timer. Absolutely deserves every game of the year award, just isn't 100% my kind of game. Easily one of the most surprising, innovative, and flushed-out experiences I’ve ever had in gaming. Perhaps it’s baby’s first CRPG syndrome, but this game is goddamn special and unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. Truly another one of those games where you ask “What if” and you’re always greeted with an answer.
I’ve been playing for over two and a half months and am over 90 hours in and need a break.
Despite this, without even finishing the game I can definitely call this game and all-timer. Absolutely deserves every game of the year award, just isn't 100% my kind of game. Easily one of the most surprising, innovative, and flushed-out experiences I’ve ever had in gaming. Perhaps it’s baby’s first CRPG syndrome, but this game is goddamn special and unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. Truly another one of those games where you ask “What if” and you’re always greeted with an answer.
I will update this later with a very long thought out review, but to put it simply —
This is the greatest video game I’ve ever played.
EDIT: I’ve tried to properly write a review for this game for months but I can't so here we are. Breath of the Wild is one of my favorite game of all time, and this game somehow improved on it in every single way possible. Yet I still feel that this game just wasn't quite as memorable and I still haven't pieced together why just yet. I'll get back to you in five years when I finally replay it 👍
This is the greatest video game I’ve ever played.
EDIT: I’ve tried to properly write a review for this game for months but I can't so here we are. Breath of the Wild is one of my favorite game of all time, and this game somehow improved on it in every single way possible. Yet I still feel that this game just wasn't quite as memorable and I still haven't pieced together why just yet. I'll get back to you in five years when I finally replay it 👍
2023
This was a very anticipated game for me ever since I saw it at E3 a few years ago and it didn't disappoint!
PLANET OF LANA is an incredibly brilliant game in terms of art direction, music/score, and story.
The art and score blew me away right from the very first trailer I saw. The watercolor paint art style and the ethereal but also sci-fi feeling score is just so unique. Also, some of the music that you hear later in the game is just absolutely BEAUTIFUL, some of the best video game music I've heard in
a while!
The story is very simple as are many games of this genre, but it definitely captures you for the full runtime of the game. From the sheer sense of wonder with how big the world is and the events occurring around you, the affection you feel for your companion, and the sense of horror in later sections of the game. It's breathtaking, horrifying, and heartbreaking throughout and I was really blown away.
I did encounter some frustration with the gameplay here and there. I often found that platforming in general but specifically jumping from one ledge to another, could be very frustrating at times. Some ledges have a few more "inches" of invisible hitbox that aren't represented visually. So I would often find myself jumping too early, then falling to my death or onto whatever was below.
Admittedly, I’m not the sharpest tool in the shed, but a few puzzles felt quite obtuse and confusing. I ended up looking up a walkthrough video about 3 times throughout which is unfortunate.
Overall, this game is brilliant. PLANET OF LANA is not perfect but for me, it absolutely makes up for its faults in terms of story, art, and score. At times, it definitely wears its inspiration from games that defined the genre, such as INSIDE (2016), on its sleeve. However, it also goes above and beyond elevating the gameplay with in-depth puzzles and stealth mechanics. This game is a worthwhile experience for anyone that is a fan of incredible art direction, subtle storytelling, or just a supporter of fantastic indie experiences in general.
PLANET OF LANA is an incredibly brilliant game in terms of art direction, music/score, and story.
The art and score blew me away right from the very first trailer I saw. The watercolor paint art style and the ethereal but also sci-fi feeling score is just so unique. Also, some of the music that you hear later in the game is just absolutely BEAUTIFUL, some of the best video game music I've heard in
a while!
The story is very simple as are many games of this genre, but it definitely captures you for the full runtime of the game. From the sheer sense of wonder with how big the world is and the events occurring around you, the affection you feel for your companion, and the sense of horror in later sections of the game. It's breathtaking, horrifying, and heartbreaking throughout and I was really blown away.
I did encounter some frustration with the gameplay here and there. I often found that platforming in general but specifically jumping from one ledge to another, could be very frustrating at times. Some ledges have a few more "inches" of invisible hitbox that aren't represented visually. So I would often find myself jumping too early, then falling to my death or onto whatever was below.
Admittedly, I’m not the sharpest tool in the shed, but a few puzzles felt quite obtuse and confusing. I ended up looking up a walkthrough video about 3 times throughout which is unfortunate.
Overall, this game is brilliant. PLANET OF LANA is not perfect but for me, it absolutely makes up for its faults in terms of story, art, and score. At times, it definitely wears its inspiration from games that defined the genre, such as INSIDE (2016), on its sleeve. However, it also goes above and beyond elevating the gameplay with in-depth puzzles and stealth mechanics. This game is a worthwhile experience for anyone that is a fan of incredible art direction, subtle storytelling, or just a supporter of fantastic indie experiences in general.
2022
A very uninspiring reboot of an early 2000's action platformer. It might be worth a try if you have nostalgia for that kind of game, but I would watch some gameplay/trailers first. While I am a massive fan of that kind of game myself, I can't say I ever played any of the original Kao games, but overall I would say this one is a very forgettable experience.
Also it had very not solid feeling controls and an odd feeling delay on a lot of the inputs which made it feel like it took a bit too much inspiration from those early 2000's games 😂
Also it had very not solid feeling controls and an odd feeling delay on a lot of the inputs which made it feel like it took a bit too much inspiration from those early 2000's games 😂
2023
I will be shocked if this isn’t considered the worst game of 2023
This was my second attempt to play through Skyward Sword HD (first time I got about 80% through, this time about half way.) Despite being a massive LoZ fan (that never got the chance to play SS original) I genuinely can’t stand to finish this game. The combat is just so frustratingly not fun with the janky joystick config in the remaster. I adore the lore, the story, the art direction, world/map, music, EVERYTHING ELSE IS PERFECT. But the combat is just such a massive turn off. It’s very very cool in concept but in practice it’s just awful. Motion controls seem slightly more acceptable but with either option still it feels like 30% of the time your swings are just ignored or worse — they are misinterpreted for swinging the opposite direction. At first I felt like I could get past it but as I fought larger groups of enemies and harder bosses, it became clear that this play through was just going to be more of a point of frustration than any fun. I guess I’ll just never play through Skyward Sword unless a modder or Nintendo decide to remake or update it to be better.
2023
Just as everyone else has said — RE4 Remake is simply one of the greatest games of all time, even better. What a god damn good game from start to ending. Perfect pacing, perfect combat, such lovable characters, and such fun camp. Genuinely scary too!
2023
I was really looking forward to this game for a long time. Ever since it was first announced back in 2021.
Overall it was a good experience and I think it did what it set out to do. Though I will say it’s not perfect.
I encountered bugs on multiple occasions that completely halted progression requiring me to restart sections of levels multiple times (or even just back out to the main menu and then go back in).
Another issue: while I feel the majority of the game did a great job with this, the final level really confused me. There were multiple mechanics that just didn’t work the same way as they did in the rest of the game and multiple new mechanics it just didn’t bother to explain. Ultimately this lead to a really bitter ending after getting pretty frustrated by this.
Overall I enjoyed my experience but at the price of $25, it’s hard to justify. I was definitely let down by the short (4-6 hours) of playtime (though if you’re a completionist there is definitely multiple more hours of content for you). I also had some fairly annoying bugs and just general other grievances. I will say, I do love that a portion of the Steam sales (at least at launch) go to a wildlife fund which is awesome and so on brand for this game.
Overall it was a good experience and I think it did what it set out to do. Though I will say it’s not perfect.
I encountered bugs on multiple occasions that completely halted progression requiring me to restart sections of levels multiple times (or even just back out to the main menu and then go back in).
Another issue: while I feel the majority of the game did a great job with this, the final level really confused me. There were multiple mechanics that just didn’t work the same way as they did in the rest of the game and multiple new mechanics it just didn’t bother to explain. Ultimately this lead to a really bitter ending after getting pretty frustrated by this.
Overall I enjoyed my experience but at the price of $25, it’s hard to justify. I was definitely let down by the short (4-6 hours) of playtime (though if you’re a completionist there is definitely multiple more hours of content for you). I also had some fairly annoying bugs and just general other grievances. I will say, I do love that a portion of the Steam sales (at least at launch) go to a wildlife fund which is awesome and so on brand for this game.