charliewoodhead
5 reviews liked by charliewoodhead
Undertale
2015
My fanboyism has waned over the years, but I can't deny that this game had a profound impact on me. I do think its design isn't half as innovative as it was hyped up to be during the Game Awards, but as a competent Earthbound clone that is able to display its own personality, I think it works fine. Also, the true ending still gets me to this day, and while its message might have been muddled, the decision to make the No-Mercy Route as boring as possible is still a good design choice.
Assassin's Creed II
2009
A mostly okey title that does everything it sets out to do right. It's a shame that nothing of it feels interesting to me. As a sequel to the original, it feels less close to Assasin's Creed 1 than it does Prince of Persia, especially if we go by the tone. It also feels closer to The Da Vinci Code than The Kingdom of Heaven, which flushes all the themes of the original game down the toilet. Still, it's a fun ride if you can stand Ezio's shenanigans and the collecting.
Silent Hill 2
2001
Silent Hill 2 is one of those games that's janky, hasn't aged well, possesses questionable production values and can ultimately alienate you in a number of ways. These elements, however collide together in such a way that the story is strengthened at the end. Make no mistake, this game is one of those that transcends its limitations so well that you'd need to play it yourself to believe it.
Silent Hill 3
2003
While SH2 gets all the praise for its unique atmosphere and its tight theming, Silent Hill 3 seems more interested in providing a funny and spooky ride that manages to percolate some vague symbolism about teenage womanhood. This works mostly due to the impecable localization (which went far above the call of duty to make Heather one of the best protagonists of all time, period) and the game putting you in increasingly surreal situations.
The associative style of this game can feel disappointing if you're coming from the dense package of the previous title, but as a horror, it's one of the best ones by far. In a way, this game can feel stronger than the rest because it delivers its symbols up front and lets you wallow in them for long periods of the time.
The associative style of this game can feel disappointing if you're coming from the dense package of the previous title, but as a horror, it's one of the best ones by far. In a way, this game can feel stronger than the rest because it delivers its symbols up front and lets you wallow in them for long periods of the time.
God of War
2018
To me, this was the equivalent of Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy, in that it tries so desperately to give nuance and perspective to a franchise and concepts that the designers are pretty obviously embarrassed about, but don't have the courage to confront head on. As a result, the game feels like a cowardly attempt to revise the franchise's reputation in what ultimately is a pretty bland effort to make a game about smashing and beheading into a Last of Us lookalike. To compound things, they added an upgrade system that is utterly uninspired, and a companion that barely does anything because God forbid we run the risk of making Kratos' son mechanically annoying.
Overall, an incredibly spineless work. The fact that it received nothing but accolades probably means it's going to get more and more tone-deaf from here, so get ready for another Tomb Raider trilogy situation!
Overall, an incredibly spineless work. The fact that it received nothing but accolades probably means it's going to get more and more tone-deaf from here, so get ready for another Tomb Raider trilogy situation!