geats
6 reviews liked by geats
Fromsoftware at last has atoned for their sin of codifying the "wait and press the i-frame button" action game. The proactive, aggressive movement and positioning action game, resurrected by the studio that killed it, nature is healing. (And in fairness they killed it by making really good defensive/reactive games that everyone blandly riffed on, you don't blame the GOAT for their herd)
Ratchet: Deadlocked
2005
ABSOLUTE BANGER JUANITA! Probably my Favorite from the PS2 era....
Ratchet Deadlock is a balls to the wall shooter and it KNOWS that. Corny Jokes to being one of the best in the series. This was my Ratchet & Clank Magnum Opus on PS2. No other Ratchet and Clank Game could compare. I spent so many hours playing this game as a kid and playing it as a adult I know why I loved it so much. The weapons in this game and its sense of progression made it seem like I was always becoming powerful each time I blow a enemy to smithereens.
Its setting is also memorable from being a Illegal TV Show about heroes of yesteryear going up against each other in Gladiator Combat. They money is printing itself for Vox.
I will say in terms of a package the Weapons, Gadgets, Characters are a lot less featured this time around, but you can say that Insomniac wanted a more focused approach to the gameplay and story. It sheer focus on Combat this time around certainly paid off for me and the inclusion of Alpha and Omega Mods made me experiment with combinations I did not try as a kid. I love it when a game makes me feel OP at times. Also the banging music it comes with when completing a level is so burnt into my brain core that I just get hyped listening to it. I would say the only thing I did not like or I feel aged poorly are the Vehicle segments. They felt so bad to control but thankfully it's only on a few challenges on the main story, but the side challenges is where they will mostly be.
I did play the PlayStation 3 port of this game and oh my gosh this game is something else. The in-game cutscenes are so glitchy I could not help myself and laugh at it all but it did not take away from anything else.
Ratchet Deadlock or Ratchet Gladiator in some countries is absolute FUN time no question about it. If you are itching for some gunplay this is the game to play. I would recommend playing it on the harder difficulties to give you a sense of challenge and then going it through again in the challenge mode.
Ratchet Deadlock is a balls to the wall shooter and it KNOWS that. Corny Jokes to being one of the best in the series. This was my Ratchet & Clank Magnum Opus on PS2. No other Ratchet and Clank Game could compare. I spent so many hours playing this game as a kid and playing it as a adult I know why I loved it so much. The weapons in this game and its sense of progression made it seem like I was always becoming powerful each time I blow a enemy to smithereens.
Its setting is also memorable from being a Illegal TV Show about heroes of yesteryear going up against each other in Gladiator Combat. They money is printing itself for Vox.
I will say in terms of a package the Weapons, Gadgets, Characters are a lot less featured this time around, but you can say that Insomniac wanted a more focused approach to the gameplay and story. It sheer focus on Combat this time around certainly paid off for me and the inclusion of Alpha and Omega Mods made me experiment with combinations I did not try as a kid. I love it when a game makes me feel OP at times. Also the banging music it comes with when completing a level is so burnt into my brain core that I just get hyped listening to it. I would say the only thing I did not like or I feel aged poorly are the Vehicle segments. They felt so bad to control but thankfully it's only on a few challenges on the main story, but the side challenges is where they will mostly be.
I did play the PlayStation 3 port of this game and oh my gosh this game is something else. The in-game cutscenes are so glitchy I could not help myself and laugh at it all but it did not take away from anything else.
Ratchet Deadlock or Ratchet Gladiator in some countries is absolute FUN time no question about it. If you are itching for some gunplay this is the game to play. I would recommend playing it on the harder difficulties to give you a sense of challenge and then going it through again in the challenge mode.
Sly Cooper in logged on Backloggd, a Saturday Morning Cartoon....
Sly Cooper first outing on the PS2 certainly oozes all the personality/style Sucker punch wanted to get out of Sly and the gang, Being the first game it is not like its counterpart sequels. Instead it takes a more Crash Bandicoot Platforming style with some Gimmick elements to keeps you on your toes.
I will say, this game has aged fairly well-ish in the graphics/ Gameplay department. It's cell shading does not really make it feel old apart from some animation rigging but I do not think overall this game deteriorates from it. It is as straight forward as they come. Make it from A to B and collect some "Clues" then BOOM Boss. Exploration is quite rewarding with the clue system. I managed to use a few Power ups during my playthrough. It's quite amazing how this was the first outing of what would eventually be a well respected series on PS2 and its 4th Sequel on PS3 but here we can see the blueprints of what made them great and then expanded upon in its sequels.
I would hate myself if I did not mention the Comic Book style and really good Noir Soundtrack this game was going for at times. The soundtrack was not quite there till Sly 2 IMO but you can see again the blueprints of something great about to become in the future. I applaud Sucker Punch for going this route. It really felt like a adventure with Sly and the gang and you were 100% in for the ride. No two worlds ever felt the same and they were all super distinct from each other.
I did have some "issues" with the game tho, it is not perfect by any stretch. I think it's checkpoint system on bosses (If there were any) is unforgiving lol especially when you consider this game did not have a health system like Sly 2, 3, 4. This is honestly a Skill issue on my part cause sometimes I get antsy and overconfidence in a jump lol, not gonna dock it for that. I think were it could have been really good is if the Villain's had more dialogue than the usual bickering about someone in the area and guards to be on the lookout. I wish they had more lines to give them more of a edge but again they are so unique and when you are ready to face them you already know what's going down and why Sly is there. Although they are quite memorable in style not much can be said about performance unfortunately.
Overall I think it's a SUPER SOLID game. I would recommend to anyone giving it another shot. I played this as part of the Sly Collection Remastered so the visual certainly got a bump so I cannot speak on its PS2 counterpart in terms of its Animation Rigging and Cell shading. I think Sly Cooper is underrated overall and it is a bummer PlayStation has not given it another shot on Modern Systems. It makes my inner child cry so much because I grew up with this game from start to finish. Also it is a easy platinum to achieve. I got it in one playthrough haha.
Sly Cooper first outing on the PS2 certainly oozes all the personality/style Sucker punch wanted to get out of Sly and the gang, Being the first game it is not like its counterpart sequels. Instead it takes a more Crash Bandicoot Platforming style with some Gimmick elements to keeps you on your toes.
I will say, this game has aged fairly well-ish in the graphics/ Gameplay department. It's cell shading does not really make it feel old apart from some animation rigging but I do not think overall this game deteriorates from it. It is as straight forward as they come. Make it from A to B and collect some "Clues" then BOOM Boss. Exploration is quite rewarding with the clue system. I managed to use a few Power ups during my playthrough. It's quite amazing how this was the first outing of what would eventually be a well respected series on PS2 and its 4th Sequel on PS3 but here we can see the blueprints of what made them great and then expanded upon in its sequels.
I would hate myself if I did not mention the Comic Book style and really good Noir Soundtrack this game was going for at times. The soundtrack was not quite there till Sly 2 IMO but you can see again the blueprints of something great about to become in the future. I applaud Sucker Punch for going this route. It really felt like a adventure with Sly and the gang and you were 100% in for the ride. No two worlds ever felt the same and they were all super distinct from each other.
I did have some "issues" with the game tho, it is not perfect by any stretch. I think it's checkpoint system on bosses (If there were any) is unforgiving lol especially when you consider this game did not have a health system like Sly 2, 3, 4. This is honestly a Skill issue on my part cause sometimes I get antsy and overconfidence in a jump lol, not gonna dock it for that. I think were it could have been really good is if the Villain's had more dialogue than the usual bickering about someone in the area and guards to be on the lookout. I wish they had more lines to give them more of a edge but again they are so unique and when you are ready to face them you already know what's going down and why Sly is there. Although they are quite memorable in style not much can be said about performance unfortunately.
Overall I think it's a SUPER SOLID game. I would recommend to anyone giving it another shot. I played this as part of the Sly Collection Remastered so the visual certainly got a bump so I cannot speak on its PS2 counterpart in terms of its Animation Rigging and Cell shading. I think Sly Cooper is underrated overall and it is a bummer PlayStation has not given it another shot on Modern Systems. It makes my inner child cry so much because I grew up with this game from start to finish. Also it is a easy platinum to achieve. I got it in one playthrough haha.
most memorable part of this game for me was when i hit my elbow on the arcade cabinet at chuck e cheese so hard i almost threw up
Lobotomy Corporation
2018
i love angela and so does my sister both of us would die for anything
Pentiment
2022
A game so complex in thematic scope and so metered in both pacing and presentation that it can only be described as one of gaming's greatest narrative achievements.
No matter how you try to slice it, Pentiment is a lot of things in one artistic package. It's enough that I'm not even going to attempt to scratch away at it's thematic or narrative content here in any meaningful way. However, I do want to point out that Pentiment manages to accomplish a lot without many of the tools that the other greats of game writing do. Titles like Disco Elysium elevated the medium through tons of modern and post-modern technique, which is no easy feat...but it does make it immediately stylish and consumable to fanbases into art games and 'intelligent' criticism of hip topics such as capitalism. And I'd be lying if I wasn't one of those people who did (and still do) sing its praises as one of the greatest pieces of modern fiction and the crown jewel of games writing.
But what makes Pentiment so special is that it manages to meet that same herculean bar of narrative quality while shooting an incredibly straight and structured arrow. Instead of relying on many flashier stylistic tricks, it makes use of incredibly nuanced pacing, masterful repetition, and a heavy emphasis on causality over time, which all masterfully compliment the game's brilliant mechanical design.
Pentiment is a masterful work of art that allows players to truly get into the shoes of its characters and their world--an accomplishment made all the more impressive considering the historic and literal distance between the fictional Tassing and where I write this review. Unlike many games, it doesn't hyper fixate on extolling clear themes that 'define' it, and frankly, I think many players without a critical eye might view the title as not having any themes beyond something vague about "God and art."
Instead, Pentiment weaves a truly organic world with understandable characters and a compelling narrative. It allows us to get a better picture of the human condition that defined the Late Middle Ages while also letting us be skeptical of whether we truly understand anything beyond the memories, choices, and emotions we take away from the experience.
All in all, Pentiment is the spitting image of artistic nuance that I wish our industry and medium had more of. It sits alongside a very small pool of games that truly treat its players as adults without any reservations. Although I've just completed the game and have only begun to digest its thematic content, it will be staying with me for a very long time--which to me is the highest honor any work of art can achieve.
No matter how you try to slice it, Pentiment is a lot of things in one artistic package. It's enough that I'm not even going to attempt to scratch away at it's thematic or narrative content here in any meaningful way. However, I do want to point out that Pentiment manages to accomplish a lot without many of the tools that the other greats of game writing do. Titles like Disco Elysium elevated the medium through tons of modern and post-modern technique, which is no easy feat...but it does make it immediately stylish and consumable to fanbases into art games and 'intelligent' criticism of hip topics such as capitalism. And I'd be lying if I wasn't one of those people who did (and still do) sing its praises as one of the greatest pieces of modern fiction and the crown jewel of games writing.
But what makes Pentiment so special is that it manages to meet that same herculean bar of narrative quality while shooting an incredibly straight and structured arrow. Instead of relying on many flashier stylistic tricks, it makes use of incredibly nuanced pacing, masterful repetition, and a heavy emphasis on causality over time, which all masterfully compliment the game's brilliant mechanical design.
Pentiment is a masterful work of art that allows players to truly get into the shoes of its characters and their world--an accomplishment made all the more impressive considering the historic and literal distance between the fictional Tassing and where I write this review. Unlike many games, it doesn't hyper fixate on extolling clear themes that 'define' it, and frankly, I think many players without a critical eye might view the title as not having any themes beyond something vague about "God and art."
Instead, Pentiment weaves a truly organic world with understandable characters and a compelling narrative. It allows us to get a better picture of the human condition that defined the Late Middle Ages while also letting us be skeptical of whether we truly understand anything beyond the memories, choices, and emotions we take away from the experience.
All in all, Pentiment is the spitting image of artistic nuance that I wish our industry and medium had more of. It sits alongside a very small pool of games that truly treat its players as adults without any reservations. Although I've just completed the game and have only begun to digest its thematic content, it will be staying with me for a very long time--which to me is the highest honor any work of art can achieve.