guileffb
2019
I finally got to play my first Persona game and I'm so glad I got to do it by taking my time with it. This game is fantastic! At this point, there is not much I need say to praise it, since it has been beloved enough ever since its vanilla release, back in 2016, but I'll say a few things.
This is probably the most stylish game I've ever played. From the menus, to story presentation, characters, personas and the entire combat system - Everything oozes style! It seems complicated at first, but you'll easily fall in love with how the game looks, sounds and plays with ease as you move forward. Although this is a traditional turn-based RPG, I just love how it tries its best to make EVERYTHING different! Battles are fast-paced and energetic, bosses are epic, story is heavy but light to absorb, the way you handle traditional mechanics on a JRPG (like HP, MP, items and etc) are completely different here and that's all due to the INCREDIBLE amount of depth that the system has. Fusing and hunting Personas always gives you something new and also a sense of progression that pays off when you battle (or outside of battles too). It's an incredible system that blends very well with the rest of the overall tone. Outside from palaces, fights and personas, there's an entire "real life simulation" that works very well. Nothing feels like a chore here and every side or main character tells an interesting story. It all just matters in the end! When the game says "Take your time" during load screens, they actually mean it, because managing it and experiencing the perks you get from it, is more than half of the game. Also, the soundtrack is superb. Every single song. Haven't felt like that with a soundtrack since Zelda BOTW.
My complaints that prevents this game from getting a perfect 10 lies in how overwhelmingly huge it can be - and unnecessarily so! TOO many tutorials, TOO many systems, conversations, mechanics, things to remember, things to do, Personas to acquire, confidants, statuses, items... It's all TOO MUCH! You will NOT experience all you can from only one playthrough, but playing 145 hours of it AGAIN won't come cheap and won't come soon. I love the amount of content and uniqueness in Royal, but it can feel very bloated, at times. Specially with so many missable things going on. Despite loving the story and characters, sometimes I felt that the writing and pacing was inconsistent and a tad repetitive. Nothing that broke my immersion from it, but it bothered me a little. Bosses were good, but not all of them. There were some great ones, but most felt very gimmicky. And what's up with Futaba?? She's a GREAT character, but seldom useful in fights! Why not just make her a regular character???
Persona 5 is one of the most special and modern JRPGs ever. It packs an impactful story, with a meaningful and beautiful message, boxed inside a myriad of addictive gameplay mechanics and systems. It feels like a glorified visual novel and RPG hybrid. It works perfectly and it deserves your attention. And well, even if you don't have the time to play this behemoth, just give the OST a try, ok?
Take your time.
This is probably the most stylish game I've ever played. From the menus, to story presentation, characters, personas and the entire combat system - Everything oozes style! It seems complicated at first, but you'll easily fall in love with how the game looks, sounds and plays with ease as you move forward. Although this is a traditional turn-based RPG, I just love how it tries its best to make EVERYTHING different! Battles are fast-paced and energetic, bosses are epic, story is heavy but light to absorb, the way you handle traditional mechanics on a JRPG (like HP, MP, items and etc) are completely different here and that's all due to the INCREDIBLE amount of depth that the system has. Fusing and hunting Personas always gives you something new and also a sense of progression that pays off when you battle (or outside of battles too). It's an incredible system that blends very well with the rest of the overall tone. Outside from palaces, fights and personas, there's an entire "real life simulation" that works very well. Nothing feels like a chore here and every side or main character tells an interesting story. It all just matters in the end! When the game says "Take your time" during load screens, they actually mean it, because managing it and experiencing the perks you get from it, is more than half of the game. Also, the soundtrack is superb. Every single song. Haven't felt like that with a soundtrack since Zelda BOTW.
My complaints that prevents this game from getting a perfect 10 lies in how overwhelmingly huge it can be - and unnecessarily so! TOO many tutorials, TOO many systems, conversations, mechanics, things to remember, things to do, Personas to acquire, confidants, statuses, items... It's all TOO MUCH! You will NOT experience all you can from only one playthrough, but playing 145 hours of it AGAIN won't come cheap and won't come soon. I love the amount of content and uniqueness in Royal, but it can feel very bloated, at times. Specially with so many missable things going on. Despite loving the story and characters, sometimes I felt that the writing and pacing was inconsistent and a tad repetitive. Nothing that broke my immersion from it, but it bothered me a little. Bosses were good, but not all of them. There were some great ones, but most felt very gimmicky. And what's up with Futaba?? She's a GREAT character, but seldom useful in fights! Why not just make her a regular character???
Persona 5 is one of the most special and modern JRPGs ever. It packs an impactful story, with a meaningful and beautiful message, boxed inside a myriad of addictive gameplay mechanics and systems. It feels like a glorified visual novel and RPG hybrid. It works perfectly and it deserves your attention. And well, even if you don't have the time to play this behemoth, just give the OST a try, ok?
Take your time.
1999
It took me THIS long to actually finish Silent Hill 1. I did it, finally...
Although I'm happy to say that this incredible franchise's first game is indeed amazing, I'm also a bit sad to see how outdated it gets as the years go by.
I have to start saying that Silent Hill is probably one of the most unique games I've ever played. It's definitely not its sequel, but it's definitely one of the most remarkable games of its time. It may be outdated and rough around the edges but it's undeniably original, effective and essential.
Silent Hill 1 made me feel dreadful - but In a good way.
The main reason for this is atmosphere and sound. Few games actually got me this tense and unsure of my actions quite like this one.
The town is well-modeled and feels like an actual ghost town, environments are not pre-rendered and that might be the reason why it's all so strange and foreboding, characters are mysterious and creepy, enemy design is good, it's short with an INTENSE pacing, replayability is highly encouraged and the mood is just perfect.
Like I've said before, atmosphere and sound were key.
It's an astonishing work of sound design and ambience. Even if the game had no combat, SH's tone and oppressive music itself would've been enough to make you sweat.
The story also helps a lot. It's grotesque and often heavy. The mystery set from the start kept me interested until the end and although I feel like it could've been handled a lot better, I was craving to know more even after the credits rolled.
With all that said, I have to be honest: the game does not hold up. Sure, it is great, but it BEGS a well done remake.
Combat is downright painful, movement is stiff to a fault, puzzles can be very overcomplicated and enemy placement is just bad! Traversing SH's foggy envrionments should've been spooky, but the amount of enemies chasing and hurting Harry at ALL TIMES breaks the vibe. At least until you enter a place like the hospital or school. In fact, this is probably the main reason why I wasn't scared at all during these moments. Just upset.
The story's also something that felt a bit underdeveloped in my opinion. It starts off great, but fails to explain essential plot points and fill the blanks. It's something that I felt that could've been easily fixed, with a few more notes or cutscenes, but instead it becomes a puzzle of its own in the end.
As previously said, Silent Hill 1 is unique. What I've experienced here or in its sequence is something that I haven't experienced in other games.
It didn't age well and if you want the full story you'll probably need to Google it, but I'm pretty sure that you'll love it anyway. It's a fantastic survival horror game and one of the genre's most original.
Although I'm happy to say that this incredible franchise's first game is indeed amazing, I'm also a bit sad to see how outdated it gets as the years go by.
I have to start saying that Silent Hill is probably one of the most unique games I've ever played. It's definitely not its sequel, but it's definitely one of the most remarkable games of its time. It may be outdated and rough around the edges but it's undeniably original, effective and essential.
Silent Hill 1 made me feel dreadful - but In a good way.
The main reason for this is atmosphere and sound. Few games actually got me this tense and unsure of my actions quite like this one.
The town is well-modeled and feels like an actual ghost town, environments are not pre-rendered and that might be the reason why it's all so strange and foreboding, characters are mysterious and creepy, enemy design is good, it's short with an INTENSE pacing, replayability is highly encouraged and the mood is just perfect.
Like I've said before, atmosphere and sound were key.
It's an astonishing work of sound design and ambience. Even if the game had no combat, SH's tone and oppressive music itself would've been enough to make you sweat.
The story also helps a lot. It's grotesque and often heavy. The mystery set from the start kept me interested until the end and although I feel like it could've been handled a lot better, I was craving to know more even after the credits rolled.
With all that said, I have to be honest: the game does not hold up. Sure, it is great, but it BEGS a well done remake.
Combat is downright painful, movement is stiff to a fault, puzzles can be very overcomplicated and enemy placement is just bad! Traversing SH's foggy envrionments should've been spooky, but the amount of enemies chasing and hurting Harry at ALL TIMES breaks the vibe. At least until you enter a place like the hospital or school. In fact, this is probably the main reason why I wasn't scared at all during these moments. Just upset.
The story's also something that felt a bit underdeveloped in my opinion. It starts off great, but fails to explain essential plot points and fill the blanks. It's something that I felt that could've been easily fixed, with a few more notes or cutscenes, but instead it becomes a puzzle of its own in the end.
As previously said, Silent Hill 1 is unique. What I've experienced here or in its sequence is something that I haven't experienced in other games.
It didn't age well and if you want the full story you'll probably need to Google it, but I'm pretty sure that you'll love it anyway. It's a fantastic survival horror game and one of the genre's most original.
2023
Atomic Heart is probably the worst game I've finished in 2023 so far. And that is a shame, giving the major potential it had. The main problem here is lack of identity and bad execution of good ideas.
From the start, this game captivated me with its beautiful world and premise. It all looks and sounds very nice. The presentation is, in fact, the best thing it offers.
Great artstyle, cool animations, an amazing soundtrack, creepy enemies, crazy abilities and even crazier weapons. It was all off to a good start. Hell, even the jokes were fun, ocasionally. But... the more I played the more I disliked it.
For every good thing in Atomic Heart, there are two equally bad things. That feeling only got worse by the time I watched the credits roll. The enemy variety got stale, the semi-open world got boring, the interior environments got repetitive, puzzles were obnoxious, melee combat became a joke, the difficulty spiked out of nowhere, the sense of pregression halted... the magic just died.
Honestly, the story was the only thing that, in my opinion, got better as I moved forward, but that was ultimately held back by bad character development, poor storytelling (like dumping major plot points on you while robots kept jumping in your face), empty endings and a gameplay that just didn't seem to hold up! I can't quite put my finger on why, but I started to loathe how its slow and cumbersome system plays and, especially, its inconsistent pace.
And those bosses? My god, they were insufferable! I'm not kidding when I say that this game would improve, like, 30% if they fixed boss fights. Almost all of them felt annoying, frustrating and, most of all, unrewarding. The only ones I enjoyed were the two final battles. Pack this with the amount of dreadful puzzles you encounter in the game and you have yourself a very tedious experience. And not all of the puzzles were bad. Some were quite clever. But there were A LOT of them and A LOT of unnecessary and recurring ones.
One of the puzzles even made me play SNAKE, FOR FUCK'S SAKE...
Atomic Heart's real problem lies in its identity crisis. It was almost as if the game tried to be other great FPS games. It wanted to be Wolfenstein, Bioshock, Fallout, Duke Nukem, Dishonored, Half Life and it managed to be nothing. Not even its own thing.
There is fun to be had here. But very little. It's cool to try this out if you have Gamepass. If you don't, just don't waste your time.
From the start, this game captivated me with its beautiful world and premise. It all looks and sounds very nice. The presentation is, in fact, the best thing it offers.
Great artstyle, cool animations, an amazing soundtrack, creepy enemies, crazy abilities and even crazier weapons. It was all off to a good start. Hell, even the jokes were fun, ocasionally. But... the more I played the more I disliked it.
For every good thing in Atomic Heart, there are two equally bad things. That feeling only got worse by the time I watched the credits roll. The enemy variety got stale, the semi-open world got boring, the interior environments got repetitive, puzzles were obnoxious, melee combat became a joke, the difficulty spiked out of nowhere, the sense of pregression halted... the magic just died.
Honestly, the story was the only thing that, in my opinion, got better as I moved forward, but that was ultimately held back by bad character development, poor storytelling (like dumping major plot points on you while robots kept jumping in your face), empty endings and a gameplay that just didn't seem to hold up! I can't quite put my finger on why, but I started to loathe how its slow and cumbersome system plays and, especially, its inconsistent pace.
And those bosses? My god, they were insufferable! I'm not kidding when I say that this game would improve, like, 30% if they fixed boss fights. Almost all of them felt annoying, frustrating and, most of all, unrewarding. The only ones I enjoyed were the two final battles. Pack this with the amount of dreadful puzzles you encounter in the game and you have yourself a very tedious experience. And not all of the puzzles were bad. Some were quite clever. But there were A LOT of them and A LOT of unnecessary and recurring ones.
One of the puzzles even made me play SNAKE, FOR FUCK'S SAKE...
Atomic Heart's real problem lies in its identity crisis. It was almost as if the game tried to be other great FPS games. It wanted to be Wolfenstein, Bioshock, Fallout, Duke Nukem, Dishonored, Half Life and it managed to be nothing. Not even its own thing.
There is fun to be had here. But very little. It's cool to try this out if you have Gamepass. If you don't, just don't waste your time.
I'm trying to understand why people hate The Last of Us 2. This is one of the best sequels I've played in my entire life. Last time I got sucked into a story like this was with Red Dead Redemption 2 and LOU2 stands toe to toe with it.
I loved the first game and I really thought that a second part was unnecessary. ND's biggest challenge was to justify the sequel's existence and GODDAMN they did it! I love it even more. It's hard to find anything negative about it. Even the soundtrack is fantastic and I really thought they wouldn' top that. Well, they did that too.
For starters, this is the most beautiful game of this generation. The level of detail and animation technology here is stunning. Part of the reason why you get so convinced in getting involved with the characters is because of how they talk, move, laugh, cry, talk and just react to things. What the devs pulled here was a work of art. A phenomenal graphical powerhouse that paves the way for an incredibly elaborate story.
The gameplay's still very reminiscent of the first entry, but much more improved. Combat and stealth are gruesome, intelligent, challenging, intense and breathtaking. You may not have the level of flexibility of MGSV or the improvisation possibilities of Uncharted 4, but you can ACTUALLY plan how you're going to face encounters and recover from bad decisions, turning the tide to your favor. It's almost flawless. I mean, even the enemies react to what you're doing. They communicate with each other and scream in agony when their comrades die in battle! Upgrading your character also feels a lot more rewarding now. Looking for supplies and saving bullets and items matters a lot more, this time. Oh and the environments are GORGEOUS! Not only to look at, but to explore. They felt scary AND charming at the same time.
But the true driving force of TLOU2 is the story. The acting and writing is at its best. I've seen few things like it in a video game. Without getting into the infamous heavy controversial spoilers, I felt like EVERY decision made in its plot was masterfully done and well justified. It's weird when they break the tale's climax to change the perspective, but when you get further into the script, you just get it. You root for both characters. You may even hate them both. It makes you question MANY things about society, revenge, choice, family, humanity and love. All of these things backed by the strong portrayal of amazing actors, great writing, precise details and impressive animations. Can't remember the last time I cried and laughed this much as I did here.
I guess the bad parts of TLOU2 are in its structure. Like I said, it is extremely justifiable, but it takes a while to justify it. The story is massive and beautiful, but they break it with many flashbacks and perspective moves. Pacing kinda drags, especially with the "Can't Go This Way, Let's Find Another One" moments. It definitely did not trouble my experience, but I get that it can be bothersome. The third act, albeit VERY impactful, can kinda feels rushed. Specially since they just throw a new group of enemies at you without any background. The stealth, when facing the infected, doesn't always work. Maybe it's on purpose, but I went through some frustrating moments when dealing with them. Also, your companion's AI sort of... Sucks?
It's really hard to give this game anything different than a 10. It might not feel like it in the future, but I really see almost no flaw in it. I had fun, I got sad, angry, happy, frustrated and felt challenged by TLOU2. Challenged not only by the gameplay, but also by the story. The game's biggest challenge is to see both sides and to deal and accept that, well... Tomorrow begats tomorrow. Wether it's a good or a bad one. A brutal or a beautiful one. A bloody or a peaceful tomorrow. Your decisions will make it or break it, for you and for others.
If you love video games, play this one.
I loved the first game and I really thought that a second part was unnecessary. ND's biggest challenge was to justify the sequel's existence and GODDAMN they did it! I love it even more. It's hard to find anything negative about it. Even the soundtrack is fantastic and I really thought they wouldn' top that. Well, they did that too.
For starters, this is the most beautiful game of this generation. The level of detail and animation technology here is stunning. Part of the reason why you get so convinced in getting involved with the characters is because of how they talk, move, laugh, cry, talk and just react to things. What the devs pulled here was a work of art. A phenomenal graphical powerhouse that paves the way for an incredibly elaborate story.
The gameplay's still very reminiscent of the first entry, but much more improved. Combat and stealth are gruesome, intelligent, challenging, intense and breathtaking. You may not have the level of flexibility of MGSV or the improvisation possibilities of Uncharted 4, but you can ACTUALLY plan how you're going to face encounters and recover from bad decisions, turning the tide to your favor. It's almost flawless. I mean, even the enemies react to what you're doing. They communicate with each other and scream in agony when their comrades die in battle! Upgrading your character also feels a lot more rewarding now. Looking for supplies and saving bullets and items matters a lot more, this time. Oh and the environments are GORGEOUS! Not only to look at, but to explore. They felt scary AND charming at the same time.
But the true driving force of TLOU2 is the story. The acting and writing is at its best. I've seen few things like it in a video game. Without getting into the infamous heavy controversial spoilers, I felt like EVERY decision made in its plot was masterfully done and well justified. It's weird when they break the tale's climax to change the perspective, but when you get further into the script, you just get it. You root for both characters. You may even hate them both. It makes you question MANY things about society, revenge, choice, family, humanity and love. All of these things backed by the strong portrayal of amazing actors, great writing, precise details and impressive animations. Can't remember the last time I cried and laughed this much as I did here.
I guess the bad parts of TLOU2 are in its structure. Like I said, it is extremely justifiable, but it takes a while to justify it. The story is massive and beautiful, but they break it with many flashbacks and perspective moves. Pacing kinda drags, especially with the "Can't Go This Way, Let's Find Another One" moments. It definitely did not trouble my experience, but I get that it can be bothersome. The third act, albeit VERY impactful, can kinda feels rushed. Specially since they just throw a new group of enemies at you without any background. The stealth, when facing the infected, doesn't always work. Maybe it's on purpose, but I went through some frustrating moments when dealing with them. Also, your companion's AI sort of... Sucks?
It's really hard to give this game anything different than a 10. It might not feel like it in the future, but I really see almost no flaw in it. I had fun, I got sad, angry, happy, frustrated and felt challenged by TLOU2. Challenged not only by the gameplay, but also by the story. The game's biggest challenge is to see both sides and to deal and accept that, well... Tomorrow begats tomorrow. Wether it's a good or a bad one. A brutal or a beautiful one. A bloody or a peaceful tomorrow. Your decisions will make it or break it, for you and for others.
If you love video games, play this one.
I had fun with Republic Commando but, to be honest, I wouldn't give two shits about this game if it didn't carry the Star Wars name.
And I dare say that you also wouldn't.
I like the fact that this game manages to capture what we've seen/read about the clone wars, putting you in the boots of Delta Squad's leader. Giving orders to your team, managing them in the field, aiding them when they need, blasting droids and even ocasionally seeing familiar faces was pretty fun. I also loved the portrayal of famous Star Wars areas, ESPECIALLY Kashyyk's Shadow Lands, which's always a great place to visit in a SW game. I somehow got lightly attached to my teammates. Maybe it was the convincing voice actors. Or maybe it was because they're clones and I LOVE that era of the saga. Probably the latter.
The shooting's quite competent. Not quite as tactical as I expected, but if you go in gun's blazing, you'll quickly die. This isn't Doom and it's better for it. Soundtrack's also pretty good, but that should go without saying, since most SW games nails the music and atmosphere. And while the challenge feels unfair, the sense of accomplishment you get after surviving a maneuver with your squad is great.
The problem with Republic Commando is that, besides being a SW fps, it's just very... Generic? The shooting might be good, but it lacks any surprises. Enemy variety is a joke and some objectives are utterly unbalanced. In the first mission you are a badass, but on the next, your character is made of GLASS! Anything kills you! Especially since you're alone for the majority of that level.
The environments are cool, but they're only cool because you know them from the SW's universe. Outside of that, they're bland, uninspiring and painfully repetitive. Checkpoints are atrocious, the AI doesn't always function as well as it should, the weapons feel weird to use and everything gets old fast. This game only has 3 missions, around 8 hours, but it manages to OUTSTAY ITS WELCOME! The controls are very clunky too. Even changing weapons or picking up ammo feels, somehow, unresponsive. I get that the game is old, but goddamnit, HALO Combat Evolved is from 2001 and did it masterfully. As for the story? It's nice. Typical Star Wars. I liked it. Until the final scene, which just murdered the climax. Credits just rolled. A big letdown, to be frank.
Whether I recommend Republic Commando or not can be boiled down to a question: Do you love Star Wars?
If you do, pick it up. It's filled with flaws, but you'll get some entertainment out of it. If you don't, just stay far away from it.
And I dare say that you also wouldn't.
I like the fact that this game manages to capture what we've seen/read about the clone wars, putting you in the boots of Delta Squad's leader. Giving orders to your team, managing them in the field, aiding them when they need, blasting droids and even ocasionally seeing familiar faces was pretty fun. I also loved the portrayal of famous Star Wars areas, ESPECIALLY Kashyyk's Shadow Lands, which's always a great place to visit in a SW game. I somehow got lightly attached to my teammates. Maybe it was the convincing voice actors. Or maybe it was because they're clones and I LOVE that era of the saga. Probably the latter.
The shooting's quite competent. Not quite as tactical as I expected, but if you go in gun's blazing, you'll quickly die. This isn't Doom and it's better for it. Soundtrack's also pretty good, but that should go without saying, since most SW games nails the music and atmosphere. And while the challenge feels unfair, the sense of accomplishment you get after surviving a maneuver with your squad is great.
The problem with Republic Commando is that, besides being a SW fps, it's just very... Generic? The shooting might be good, but it lacks any surprises. Enemy variety is a joke and some objectives are utterly unbalanced. In the first mission you are a badass, but on the next, your character is made of GLASS! Anything kills you! Especially since you're alone for the majority of that level.
The environments are cool, but they're only cool because you know them from the SW's universe. Outside of that, they're bland, uninspiring and painfully repetitive. Checkpoints are atrocious, the AI doesn't always function as well as it should, the weapons feel weird to use and everything gets old fast. This game only has 3 missions, around 8 hours, but it manages to OUTSTAY ITS WELCOME! The controls are very clunky too. Even changing weapons or picking up ammo feels, somehow, unresponsive. I get that the game is old, but goddamnit, HALO Combat Evolved is from 2001 and did it masterfully. As for the story? It's nice. Typical Star Wars. I liked it. Until the final scene, which just murdered the climax. Credits just rolled. A big letdown, to be frank.
Whether I recommend Republic Commando or not can be boiled down to a question: Do you love Star Wars?
If you do, pick it up. It's filled with flaws, but you'll get some entertainment out of it. If you don't, just stay far away from it.
More of the same... and I love this game for it! It's original, challenging, fast paced, creepy and addicting.
Only three reasons why it didn't score higher: lenght and lack of innovation.
It's too similar to the original and it just seems endless, which might seem cool at first, but it bored me a little. The last thing is the ending. You have to wait a bit over 2 hours with the game on to actually watch it. And it used to be 8 HOURS!
Nonsense...
Despite that, this game is great! I still prefer the first one, but I had a good time anyway.
Only three reasons why it didn't score higher: lenght and lack of innovation.
It's too similar to the original and it just seems endless, which might seem cool at first, but it bored me a little. The last thing is the ending. You have to wait a bit over 2 hours with the game on to actually watch it. And it used to be 8 HOURS!
Nonsense...
Despite that, this game is great! I still prefer the first one, but I had a good time anyway.
2018
I was obssessed by this game for so long. And I don't know why, beacause it kept telling me that it hates me. But I just really really like it.
With that said, do not play this!
With that said, do not play this!
2020
Ghost of Tsushima could've been a mediocre game at best, but it proves to be much better than many other open world games out there.
This is probably the most beautiful game I've ever played, after TLOU2. Part of the reason why it is so fantastic is because of its scenery. The art direction and evinronmental design is near-perfect here and it merges VERY WELL with story and gameplay. The island of Tsushima is so rich with beauty and secrets to find, that makes you ACTUALLY strive to defend it from the Mongols. It makes you give a **** The gameplay is also top-notch. I confess that it took me a long while to fully get used to the combat but, when it clicks, it CLICKS. It mixes style with substance with ease and makes every single encounter be slightly different or intense enough to make you search for more. Especially during the big battles that the story throws you in.
Exploration (of course) plays a gigantic role in how you'll enjoy the game's progress and I'm happy to say that riding and running through the fields of Tsushima is one of the "chillest" things in gaming, in 2020. Discovering secrets, experiencing the calm soundtrack, collecting masks, flowers, completing objectives, raising your legend status and doing everything else that the open world has to offer is stunning. It might get repetitive, since objectives lose variety halfway through the 2nd act, outstaying its welcome a bit, but it's nothing gamebreaking and it's just incredible how GoT's collectables managed to keep me interested until the credits roll. Even the sidequests got me hooked. There are some very fun and well-written ones.
But the story is probably the weakest part of GoT. While it does get better in the 2nd act, characters have no charisma and the writing lacks any surprises and charm. It does come with some impactful high stakes moments and a few enjoyable samurai tropes, but not enough to make it stand out. Combat, while VERY stylish, does require some time to get used to. At first, it might feel clunky, especially when you're fighting many enemies. Fighting does not work against mobs in this game. Also, stealth mechanics, while seviceable, only work when you done perfectly. Problem is, GoT will seldom give you space or a path to always eliminate entire groups by only using stealth.
One last thing that might push you away from Ghost of Tsushima is how "cliché" it can become. It is an open world that WILL get repetitive, DOES use a bunch of systems and mechanics from others of the genre and NO, it's not as good as industry colossi like The Witcher 3 or Zelda BOTW. The thing is: That's fine! Ghost of Tsushima gets all of those clichés and problems, put them in a powerful blender and makes an impressive and bonafide juice with it. If you like action and open world games, I definitely recommend this one. It's one of the most remarkable exclusives on the console.
Unless... Unless you don't like the samurai, for some reason.
This is probably the most beautiful game I've ever played, after TLOU2. Part of the reason why it is so fantastic is because of its scenery. The art direction and evinronmental design is near-perfect here and it merges VERY WELL with story and gameplay. The island of Tsushima is so rich with beauty and secrets to find, that makes you ACTUALLY strive to defend it from the Mongols. It makes you give a **** The gameplay is also top-notch. I confess that it took me a long while to fully get used to the combat but, when it clicks, it CLICKS. It mixes style with substance with ease and makes every single encounter be slightly different or intense enough to make you search for more. Especially during the big battles that the story throws you in.
Exploration (of course) plays a gigantic role in how you'll enjoy the game's progress and I'm happy to say that riding and running through the fields of Tsushima is one of the "chillest" things in gaming, in 2020. Discovering secrets, experiencing the calm soundtrack, collecting masks, flowers, completing objectives, raising your legend status and doing everything else that the open world has to offer is stunning. It might get repetitive, since objectives lose variety halfway through the 2nd act, outstaying its welcome a bit, but it's nothing gamebreaking and it's just incredible how GoT's collectables managed to keep me interested until the credits roll. Even the sidequests got me hooked. There are some very fun and well-written ones.
But the story is probably the weakest part of GoT. While it does get better in the 2nd act, characters have no charisma and the writing lacks any surprises and charm. It does come with some impactful high stakes moments and a few enjoyable samurai tropes, but not enough to make it stand out. Combat, while VERY stylish, does require some time to get used to. At first, it might feel clunky, especially when you're fighting many enemies. Fighting does not work against mobs in this game. Also, stealth mechanics, while seviceable, only work when you done perfectly. Problem is, GoT will seldom give you space or a path to always eliminate entire groups by only using stealth.
One last thing that might push you away from Ghost of Tsushima is how "cliché" it can become. It is an open world that WILL get repetitive, DOES use a bunch of systems and mechanics from others of the genre and NO, it's not as good as industry colossi like The Witcher 3 or Zelda BOTW. The thing is: That's fine! Ghost of Tsushima gets all of those clichés and problems, put them in a powerful blender and makes an impressive and bonafide juice with it. If you like action and open world games, I definitely recommend this one. It's one of the most remarkable exclusives on the console.
Unless... Unless you don't like the samurai, for some reason.
2021
I'm not even sure what I'm supposed to write here other than THIS IS THE BEST SMT GAME I'VE EVER PLAYED!
Even with a few nitpicks towards a few aspects of the game, it finally feels like they have perfected the formula that they've been using for decades.
Everything in itshines from the moment you boot it up. The first thing I want to mention is just how PERFECT the soundtrack is! There isn't a single bad track. Every single song is superb, aiding in building a fantastic atmosphere and an epic experience, wether you're in a boss fight or fusing demons. And speaking of atmosphere, like almost every other SMT game, its just fantastic. The unique apocalyptic and high-stakes challenges and moments that you go through are very immersive and just absolutely engaging. In addition to how immersive it plays and how perfect it sounds, it's also worth mentioning how good it looks. Especially for a Switch game. It does take a MAJOR hit in how it runs, as you can clearly see the fps taking huge dips. But with that said, it's also incredible to see how marvelous the environments and designs are. The devs managed to pull it off.
The highlight of SMT V is certainly how accessible and refined the gameplay is. From battling to fusing, it feels like a modern and necessary take on an old functional formula.
The combat system is familiar, with quality life changes that makes it the series best. Fusion system is magnificent and works smoothly and with ease unlike previous games. Most sidequests are good, balancing challenging and rewarding tasks. And the bosses... they're a delight to fight. From optional to mandatory ones. They all hit the right notes. Especially the final boss and the game's super boss. Two of the greatest JRPG bosses I've fought in a while.
It's amazing to see that one of my biggest gripes with previous games of the series feels resolves. I hated how unbalanced and unfair they could get at times, and I didn't feel that at all with SMT V. Sure, rng can still catch you by surprise, but it's rare and usually just happens to the unprepared. Grinding can also be done pretty quickly. In fact, I only felt the need to grind for the super boss.
If there's anything bad to say about this game, it's certainly two things:
1 - The story can be quite shallow. It's good, packs a nice ominous vibe, at times it's as minimalistic as SMT 3 - but it just lacks depth! The characters are cool, the setting is good, protagonists are interesting and the whole conumdrum is bleak enough to keep you interested, but there's just something missing. It feels a little undercooked.
2 - Exploration sucks. It's the worst part of the game. The first and second area are great, but the third and fourth are MAZES! It can be quite frustrating, especially if you're trying to get everything, like the fun little Mimans and all amalgams. The environments, depiste how beautiful they look, can also look bland and repetitive sometimes.
But that's it. That's my long and loving review of the perfect game that is SMT V. It's definitely not for everyone, because it can often feel pretty niche. But it's a rare diamond.
One that looks, sounds and plays perfectly.
Even with a few nitpicks towards a few aspects of the game, it finally feels like they have perfected the formula that they've been using for decades.
Everything in itshines from the moment you boot it up. The first thing I want to mention is just how PERFECT the soundtrack is! There isn't a single bad track. Every single song is superb, aiding in building a fantastic atmosphere and an epic experience, wether you're in a boss fight or fusing demons. And speaking of atmosphere, like almost every other SMT game, its just fantastic. The unique apocalyptic and high-stakes challenges and moments that you go through are very immersive and just absolutely engaging. In addition to how immersive it plays and how perfect it sounds, it's also worth mentioning how good it looks. Especially for a Switch game. It does take a MAJOR hit in how it runs, as you can clearly see the fps taking huge dips. But with that said, it's also incredible to see how marvelous the environments and designs are. The devs managed to pull it off.
The highlight of SMT V is certainly how accessible and refined the gameplay is. From battling to fusing, it feels like a modern and necessary take on an old functional formula.
The combat system is familiar, with quality life changes that makes it the series best. Fusion system is magnificent and works smoothly and with ease unlike previous games. Most sidequests are good, balancing challenging and rewarding tasks. And the bosses... they're a delight to fight. From optional to mandatory ones. They all hit the right notes. Especially the final boss and the game's super boss. Two of the greatest JRPG bosses I've fought in a while.
It's amazing to see that one of my biggest gripes with previous games of the series feels resolves. I hated how unbalanced and unfair they could get at times, and I didn't feel that at all with SMT V. Sure, rng can still catch you by surprise, but it's rare and usually just happens to the unprepared. Grinding can also be done pretty quickly. In fact, I only felt the need to grind for the super boss.
If there's anything bad to say about this game, it's certainly two things:
1 - The story can be quite shallow. It's good, packs a nice ominous vibe, at times it's as minimalistic as SMT 3 - but it just lacks depth! The characters are cool, the setting is good, protagonists are interesting and the whole conumdrum is bleak enough to keep you interested, but there's just something missing. It feels a little undercooked.
2 - Exploration sucks. It's the worst part of the game. The first and second area are great, but the third and fourth are MAZES! It can be quite frustrating, especially if you're trying to get everything, like the fun little Mimans and all amalgams. The environments, depiste how beautiful they look, can also look bland and repetitive sometimes.
But that's it. That's my long and loving review of the perfect game that is SMT V. It's definitely not for everyone, because it can often feel pretty niche. But it's a rare diamond.
One that looks, sounds and plays perfectly.
2003
The second best Silent Hill game I've ever played and probably the most challenging one!
Silent Hill 3 is probably everything I wanted the first one to be and an amazing sequel. While it does fail to live up to my expectations after SH2, it is surprisingly well done and still relevant.
Out of the three first SH games, this one is probably the most intense. It does deliver some very scary and eery moments, but its focus is in how heavy, dense and hellish the atmosphere can be. It takes a lot of cues from the first one, ramps it up and makes it better. Some areas are quite insane for the eyes.
The soundtrack and usage of sound also work hand in hand with how tense the game is. It's no secret to anyone that Akira Yamaoka is a GOD and, while I do think think that he did a better work in SH2, there's no denying that the songs in SH3 hold a much heavier tone. Also, the use of noises/silences are just perfectly implemented.
To help creating this unique atmosphere and feeling that only Silent Hill manages to deliver, I also have to say how well the graphics hold up. For a PS2 game, it works amazingly well. Better than its two predecessors and much better than many games of its generation. Thanks to the quick evolution from one game to another, it's clear to see how well it reflects in the story and characters. Heather is probably the most charismatic protagonist in the series and every single character in the game manages to shine, even for a little while. Enemy variety also improved and their designs are scarier as hell!
Which leads me to the story.
SH3 is the perfect follow up to the first game in the series. It just does everything right in moving the story forward. The whole story and lore is expanded. You get to know more about Harry, his daughter and about the town and its folk. And while yes, it's not as deep and nuanced as SH2, it's still a hell of a time. Almost quite literally. Silent Hill 3 is probably the most devilish game I've every played when it comes to story and design. A well-written journey and a love letter to the first game.
Now where does it hurt? Well... the gameplay!
Silent Hill 3 feels like a step back in when it comes to gameplay. After you go through a very slow start, the game starts to pick its pacing up, but it never quite hits the mark!
There are enemies EVERYWHERE and I felt like the combat was even WORSE than previous games! Movement might be a little easier to pick up and camera didn't bother me as much, but battling normal enemies and bosses is a huge hassle! Enemy placement is just very bad. It increases difficulty, causes an excess of item usage (which I don't encourage) and the worst thing of all - breaks the immersion! Puzzles and boss fights also felt a little off.
It may not seem like a big thing, but it's a very visible problem and it badly hurts how the game flows. The hospital is probably the best example on how this design philosophy didn't work out well for the entire game.
Silent Hill 3 is an incredible game!
A fantastic horror game and an incredible sequel to the first one. It's a game that I can't recommend enough. The way it stands the test of time, while still managing to mess with your fear and challenge you is diamond.
Silent Hill 3 is probably everything I wanted the first one to be and an amazing sequel. While it does fail to live up to my expectations after SH2, it is surprisingly well done and still relevant.
Out of the three first SH games, this one is probably the most intense. It does deliver some very scary and eery moments, but its focus is in how heavy, dense and hellish the atmosphere can be. It takes a lot of cues from the first one, ramps it up and makes it better. Some areas are quite insane for the eyes.
The soundtrack and usage of sound also work hand in hand with how tense the game is. It's no secret to anyone that Akira Yamaoka is a GOD and, while I do think think that he did a better work in SH2, there's no denying that the songs in SH3 hold a much heavier tone. Also, the use of noises/silences are just perfectly implemented.
To help creating this unique atmosphere and feeling that only Silent Hill manages to deliver, I also have to say how well the graphics hold up. For a PS2 game, it works amazingly well. Better than its two predecessors and much better than many games of its generation. Thanks to the quick evolution from one game to another, it's clear to see how well it reflects in the story and characters. Heather is probably the most charismatic protagonist in the series and every single character in the game manages to shine, even for a little while. Enemy variety also improved and their designs are scarier as hell!
Which leads me to the story.
SH3 is the perfect follow up to the first game in the series. It just does everything right in moving the story forward. The whole story and lore is expanded. You get to know more about Harry, his daughter and about the town and its folk. And while yes, it's not as deep and nuanced as SH2, it's still a hell of a time. Almost quite literally. Silent Hill 3 is probably the most devilish game I've every played when it comes to story and design. A well-written journey and a love letter to the first game.
Now where does it hurt? Well... the gameplay!
Silent Hill 3 feels like a step back in when it comes to gameplay. After you go through a very slow start, the game starts to pick its pacing up, but it never quite hits the mark!
There are enemies EVERYWHERE and I felt like the combat was even WORSE than previous games! Movement might be a little easier to pick up and camera didn't bother me as much, but battling normal enemies and bosses is a huge hassle! Enemy placement is just very bad. It increases difficulty, causes an excess of item usage (which I don't encourage) and the worst thing of all - breaks the immersion! Puzzles and boss fights also felt a little off.
It may not seem like a big thing, but it's a very visible problem and it badly hurts how the game flows. The hospital is probably the best example on how this design philosophy didn't work out well for the entire game.
Silent Hill 3 is an incredible game!
A fantastic horror game and an incredible sequel to the first one. It's a game that I can't recommend enough. The way it stands the test of time, while still managing to mess with your fear and challenge you is diamond.
2020
I didn't think I was going to like Doom Eternal as much as 2016's, but I ended up loving it just as much, if not more! Simply put: This is just much MORE of what you got out of the first Doom, but it's bigger, larger, prettier and meatier.
Controls are tighter than ever, precision and agility is still essential, every single weapon feels brutal and tasty, level design is clever, enemy variety is still as good as in the first game, graphics are amazing, the pacing is brilliant and the soundtrack packs an even bigger punch than before. Everything just works amazingly well! Doom Eternal's gameplay is so well done, that makes its flaws feel very small. Hell, even the control scheme makes every mechanic seamless to use. And there are A LOT of mechanics to learn, use and master.
Everything feels much more epic and I think that this happened not only due to the precise and frantic gameplay, but also because of its new charm and aesthetic. Cutscenes are way more cinematic, Doomguy's portrayal is better, each level feels different, with beautiful/grotesque environments throughout the entire campaign, glory kills are satisfying to pull and the sense of scale in each of the 13 missions is incredible. Even the story is better. It's still forgettable and lacks character, but it's a bit more interesting than before, certainly weightier and perfectly fits with the context of... Well, Doomguy's endless demon killing spree!
Doom Eternal's flaws are almost the same as its predecessor. Since it got bigger and tried different things, some issues were a bit hard to ignore, despite the stunning time I had with it.
Platforming moments felt clumsy and a bit out of place - Doom's gameplay is so polished, that when something goes wrong, it's very easy to notice. The platforming sections, for example, felt janky and kinda off.
Some levels were VERY long - I like the larger nature of this game, but I prefer Doom 2016's more streamlined missions a lot more. They aren't SUBSTANTIALLY bigger, but they can get a little bit tiring.
Collectibles/Secrets overdose - One of the things that I did not care for in Doom 2016 were its collectibles and secrets. Here, the feeling of completing a hidden challenge or finding a secret is nice, but they focused TOO MUCH on it. Everything is optional, but when your entire fortress is basically a collectible sanctuary, it's hard to ignore. I much rather focus on demon slaying.
The Marauder - Fuck this guy. He is broken. ESPECIALLY on the hardest difficulties. Just nerf him or take him out, because he can EASILY disjunction your experience.
I HIGLY RECOMMEND Doom Eternal! Whether you played the first one or not, this game is fantastic!
Play it now, unless you have a problem with FPS games, blood or demons.
Controls are tighter than ever, precision and agility is still essential, every single weapon feels brutal and tasty, level design is clever, enemy variety is still as good as in the first game, graphics are amazing, the pacing is brilliant and the soundtrack packs an even bigger punch than before. Everything just works amazingly well! Doom Eternal's gameplay is so well done, that makes its flaws feel very small. Hell, even the control scheme makes every mechanic seamless to use. And there are A LOT of mechanics to learn, use and master.
Everything feels much more epic and I think that this happened not only due to the precise and frantic gameplay, but also because of its new charm and aesthetic. Cutscenes are way more cinematic, Doomguy's portrayal is better, each level feels different, with beautiful/grotesque environments throughout the entire campaign, glory kills are satisfying to pull and the sense of scale in each of the 13 missions is incredible. Even the story is better. It's still forgettable and lacks character, but it's a bit more interesting than before, certainly weightier and perfectly fits with the context of... Well, Doomguy's endless demon killing spree!
Doom Eternal's flaws are almost the same as its predecessor. Since it got bigger and tried different things, some issues were a bit hard to ignore, despite the stunning time I had with it.
Platforming moments felt clumsy and a bit out of place - Doom's gameplay is so polished, that when something goes wrong, it's very easy to notice. The platforming sections, for example, felt janky and kinda off.
Some levels were VERY long - I like the larger nature of this game, but I prefer Doom 2016's more streamlined missions a lot more. They aren't SUBSTANTIALLY bigger, but they can get a little bit tiring.
Collectibles/Secrets overdose - One of the things that I did not care for in Doom 2016 were its collectibles and secrets. Here, the feeling of completing a hidden challenge or finding a secret is nice, but they focused TOO MUCH on it. Everything is optional, but when your entire fortress is basically a collectible sanctuary, it's hard to ignore. I much rather focus on demon slaying.
The Marauder - Fuck this guy. He is broken. ESPECIALLY on the hardest difficulties. Just nerf him or take him out, because he can EASILY disjunction your experience.
I HIGLY RECOMMEND Doom Eternal! Whether you played the first one or not, this game is fantastic!
Play it now, unless you have a problem with FPS games, blood or demons.
2020
This is going to be a long one...
It's hard to describe what I felt playing this game. It's honestly not only one of the best JRPGs ever made, but also one of the best games I've ever experienced. Coming from P5, I sort of knew what to expect, at least from a gameplay perspective. And although I wasn't wrong, the time I spent with it felt much more special.
First, I want to blame Shoji Meguro for making me P4G this game so much. The soundtrack is not only 100% perfect, but it also blends extemely well with the tone of the game. Every single song fits like a glove. Whether you're dungeon crawling, maxing out social links, fighting bosses or just walking around Inaba. If the soundtrack sucked, going from one place to another to do anything in this MASSIVE RPG would be boring as hell! The soundtrack is well produced, different, creative, whimsical, ominous, sad, joyful, angry and beautiful.
After P5, I didn't think they would pull it off... But they did! Thanks, Shoji!
The gameplay is typical Persona. Max social links, fight shadows, progress the story, manage your inventory, personas and stats. It's a loop that can get very tedious if you're not invested in the characters, the setting and the story. But thanks to the AMAZING cast and some great (and kinda quirky) voice acting, I couldn't help but be sucked into my character's life. I actually cared about my party members and actually laughed with the writing. Side-characters' social links' stories were also very intesting to explore. Even school life was nice.
During dungeons, things could get a little hectic, especially since this game can get quite tough and the time limits give me an anxiety crisis. This wasn't a walk in the park like most of P5, but I loved the challenge. Exploiting enemy weaknesses and getting your party/personas tactics right for a hard boss made up for some truly captivating moments. If you've played any other Persona, you know what to expect from its gameplay. The thing is... this one feels excepcionally good to play.
As for the story: I loved it! It's slice of life done right. The murder mystery is very well done, gripping me from beginning to end, making my brain figure out every clue, motivation and explanation for the things presented in the case.
But although the crime thriller was quite fascinating, with a few unexpected twists, the core of this story is your main character and his friends. The time you spend with them is precious. You watch every character grow up. You experience their life in school, their teenage dramas, their hardest moments, romances, fights, and brightest hours. Teenage life is turned to a spectacle thanks to pacing, themes and writing. Sure, there are anime and JRPGs cliches floating around the entire game, but I'm used to it. You'll learn to love it too.
The game might be extraordinary, but it's not flawless.
Somethings feels dated. Especially if you've played Persona 5. And I'm not even talking about graphics.
The dungeons are charming, but they're not well designed at all. Infinite corridors that gets dull pretty quick. The unhealthy amount of griding you have to do in this game may also drag this it down. And the problem is that the grind here is NECESSARY! You don't get a lot of money in fights and it takes some time until you level up. It can hamper the dungeons' fun-factor. And I know it's part of the Persona experience, but goddamnit, there are MANY missable events! You can miss entire side-stories if you don't manage your time well AND know exactly what you're doing. Just getting the true ending, with the secret dungeon and all, felt completely random. THANK GOD for guides...
And last, but not least, sexualization is once again a problem. Half of Teddie and Yosuke's conversations are about women. And I know that they're adolescents, but come on! It's quite unnecessary.
Persona 4 Golden felt like a wonderful cozy and mysterious experience. Inaba's atmosphere, the perfect soundtrack, challenging gameplay and a beautiful story feels elegant and joyful. If you love RPGs and have a bunch of free time in your hands, please try this delightful game. You won't forget it that easily.
Good luck uncovering the truth.
It's hard to describe what I felt playing this game. It's honestly not only one of the best JRPGs ever made, but also one of the best games I've ever experienced. Coming from P5, I sort of knew what to expect, at least from a gameplay perspective. And although I wasn't wrong, the time I spent with it felt much more special.
First, I want to blame Shoji Meguro for making me P4G this game so much. The soundtrack is not only 100% perfect, but it also blends extemely well with the tone of the game. Every single song fits like a glove. Whether you're dungeon crawling, maxing out social links, fighting bosses or just walking around Inaba. If the soundtrack sucked, going from one place to another to do anything in this MASSIVE RPG would be boring as hell! The soundtrack is well produced, different, creative, whimsical, ominous, sad, joyful, angry and beautiful.
After P5, I didn't think they would pull it off... But they did! Thanks, Shoji!
The gameplay is typical Persona. Max social links, fight shadows, progress the story, manage your inventory, personas and stats. It's a loop that can get very tedious if you're not invested in the characters, the setting and the story. But thanks to the AMAZING cast and some great (and kinda quirky) voice acting, I couldn't help but be sucked into my character's life. I actually cared about my party members and actually laughed with the writing. Side-characters' social links' stories were also very intesting to explore. Even school life was nice.
During dungeons, things could get a little hectic, especially since this game can get quite tough and the time limits give me an anxiety crisis. This wasn't a walk in the park like most of P5, but I loved the challenge. Exploiting enemy weaknesses and getting your party/personas tactics right for a hard boss made up for some truly captivating moments. If you've played any other Persona, you know what to expect from its gameplay. The thing is... this one feels excepcionally good to play.
As for the story: I loved it! It's slice of life done right. The murder mystery is very well done, gripping me from beginning to end, making my brain figure out every clue, motivation and explanation for the things presented in the case.
But although the crime thriller was quite fascinating, with a few unexpected twists, the core of this story is your main character and his friends. The time you spend with them is precious. You watch every character grow up. You experience their life in school, their teenage dramas, their hardest moments, romances, fights, and brightest hours. Teenage life is turned to a spectacle thanks to pacing, themes and writing. Sure, there are anime and JRPGs cliches floating around the entire game, but I'm used to it. You'll learn to love it too.
The game might be extraordinary, but it's not flawless.
Somethings feels dated. Especially if you've played Persona 5. And I'm not even talking about graphics.
The dungeons are charming, but they're not well designed at all. Infinite corridors that gets dull pretty quick. The unhealthy amount of griding you have to do in this game may also drag this it down. And the problem is that the grind here is NECESSARY! You don't get a lot of money in fights and it takes some time until you level up. It can hamper the dungeons' fun-factor. And I know it's part of the Persona experience, but goddamnit, there are MANY missable events! You can miss entire side-stories if you don't manage your time well AND know exactly what you're doing. Just getting the true ending, with the secret dungeon and all, felt completely random. THANK GOD for guides...
And last, but not least, sexualization is once again a problem. Half of Teddie and Yosuke's conversations are about women. And I know that they're adolescents, but come on! It's quite unnecessary.
Persona 4 Golden felt like a wonderful cozy and mysterious experience. Inaba's atmosphere, the perfect soundtrack, challenging gameplay and a beautiful story feels elegant and joyful. If you love RPGs and have a bunch of free time in your hands, please try this delightful game. You won't forget it that easily.
Good luck uncovering the truth.
2022
Soul Hackers 2 was another fun ride through the SMT franchise. Far from being a very memorable experience and it does go on for a bit longer than it should, but I think it managed to do well what it sets out to do.
One thing that is immediately clear in SH2 is how they tried to inject a lot of style over substance. And, hey, don't get me wrong, there's still a lot of gameplay to be had here. Just not the most diverse, because "stylin' it" worked, for the most part. It's probably the least atmospheric and immersive SMT game I've played, but still manages to convey a nice Tokyo-like city in a near-future. They don't show much, but I really liked what is there to see and discover.
That's why, of course, graphics, art style and soundtrack played a great part in my enjoyment of this world. I like the direction they went with its looks, character and demon design is top-notch as usual and the OST is great! Unfortunately, there are not a lot of tracks in the game, but the ones present are pretty cool.
The story could've been better, however and that's what hurts it the most.
It's solid, but gets fairly boring towards the end. Which is a shame given how well it starts and how charming the main characters and villains are. Writing is to blame here. The concept and plot are interesting, but dialogues are ghastly. Conversations are redundant (borderline useless at times), motivations are questionable, characters NEVER shut up even DURING combat and there's a twist near the end that made no sense to me.
This aspect alone could've ruined SH2 for me because it's also quite time consuming (I clocked around 60 hours). Still, its classic SMT gameplay works so well! There's not a lot of praise to be said about the press turn system that I already haven't before, so I'll just say that this is one of the most accessible ways to get into it. Even more so than SMT V. Especially due to the Sabbaths, which were a fun strategic addition. It's also fairly forgiving, while challenging. Bullshit moments are still the, just, well... I got used to it by this point.
Two things I wish I could change from this game, however, were the Axis and Requests. Requests are ok, but they get stale due to lack of variety and lukewarm rewards. Axis dungeons are just obnoxious. It starts off pretty cool, as it looks and sounds very ominous, can be a bit challenging and you find out more about the main characters. But BY GOD, DID IT NEED TO HAVE 5 FLOORS OF THE SAME FUCKING THING? Wasted potential, I guess.
And I think that's it for Soul Hackers 2. Honestly, there's not a lot more to it. It's another fun SMT spin. Just not a remarkable one. But I feel like it's a good entry point to the franchise, even though it doesn't pack the best it has to offer.
One thing that is immediately clear in SH2 is how they tried to inject a lot of style over substance. And, hey, don't get me wrong, there's still a lot of gameplay to be had here. Just not the most diverse, because "stylin' it" worked, for the most part. It's probably the least atmospheric and immersive SMT game I've played, but still manages to convey a nice Tokyo-like city in a near-future. They don't show much, but I really liked what is there to see and discover.
That's why, of course, graphics, art style and soundtrack played a great part in my enjoyment of this world. I like the direction they went with its looks, character and demon design is top-notch as usual and the OST is great! Unfortunately, there are not a lot of tracks in the game, but the ones present are pretty cool.
The story could've been better, however and that's what hurts it the most.
It's solid, but gets fairly boring towards the end. Which is a shame given how well it starts and how charming the main characters and villains are. Writing is to blame here. The concept and plot are interesting, but dialogues are ghastly. Conversations are redundant (borderline useless at times), motivations are questionable, characters NEVER shut up even DURING combat and there's a twist near the end that made no sense to me.
This aspect alone could've ruined SH2 for me because it's also quite time consuming (I clocked around 60 hours). Still, its classic SMT gameplay works so well! There's not a lot of praise to be said about the press turn system that I already haven't before, so I'll just say that this is one of the most accessible ways to get into it. Even more so than SMT V. Especially due to the Sabbaths, which were a fun strategic addition. It's also fairly forgiving, while challenging. Bullshit moments are still the, just, well... I got used to it by this point.
Two things I wish I could change from this game, however, were the Axis and Requests. Requests are ok, but they get stale due to lack of variety and lukewarm rewards. Axis dungeons are just obnoxious. It starts off pretty cool, as it looks and sounds very ominous, can be a bit challenging and you find out more about the main characters. But BY GOD, DID IT NEED TO HAVE 5 FLOORS OF THE SAME FUCKING THING? Wasted potential, I guess.
And I think that's it for Soul Hackers 2. Honestly, there's not a lot more to it. It's another fun SMT spin. Just not a remarkable one. But I feel like it's a good entry point to the franchise, even though it doesn't pack the best it has to offer.
2001
This is the 2nd Shadow Hearts that I've played. Since the internet has nothing but praise to this hidden gem on the PS2, I had high hopes for it. In the end, what I found was a game with nothing but unique mediocre experiences.
At first, I was really enjoying Shadow Hearts. It is a traditional JRPG that wears its inspirations on its sleeves and I appreciate it for this. The battle system is quite unique and keeps you on your toes. It's not perfect and it can get old pretty quick, but it kept me interested for the most part. The presentation is quite simple, but somewhat familiar, which kinda made me feel at home. There's also a nice amount of challenging and fair fights which, despite some weird unbalanced difficulty spikes during boss duels, made me constantly strategize my next moves.
The atmosphere is probably one of the best things in the game. The whole tone and story can get very dark and, at times, even creepy. Whether you're in dungeons, cities or doing sidequests, the music is unsettling and the feeling is moody. There's even a place called Dollhouse that made it feel a lot like I was playing an RPG version of the first Resident Evil. Sidequests felt a litte short (which is not exactly bad), but they were nice, expanding a bit more on characters like Keith and Margarette, while also establishing some world-building.
It's just sad that this feeling of joy didn't last very long. The battle system got dull. The enemy variety is nothing but the same 10 monsters with their color palette swapped, the music became repetitive and not at all memorable, characters just never developed and the writing is bad!
I know that the battle system is cool and all, but did EVERYTHING in the game have to revolve around the ring mechanic? Puzzles, item usage, getting discounts on shops and even reviving a fallen character. And did it have to be this punishing? That definitely did not help when it comes to variety.
Some other mechanics in the system felt unnecessary. Did we really need to keep quieting Malice? Did we really need sanity points? Did we need acunpuncture or the graveyard at all? The feeling I got from all of it was that the game's mechanics were there just to fuck with you, not to create a decent gameplay experience.
And what's up with the story? The writing starts off ok, but it get super tiresome, with some rather uninteresting plot points and "turns". I couldn't care less about half of the things that happened after we left Asia and I couldn't care about ANY character in the game.
I just cannot recommend this game. It's not bad, but it screams mediocrity and boredom.
It's nice that it brought a different type of element to a traditional genre, and it's also good that it was the beginning of a fine trilogy, but it's certainly not special.
At first, I was really enjoying Shadow Hearts. It is a traditional JRPG that wears its inspirations on its sleeves and I appreciate it for this. The battle system is quite unique and keeps you on your toes. It's not perfect and it can get old pretty quick, but it kept me interested for the most part. The presentation is quite simple, but somewhat familiar, which kinda made me feel at home. There's also a nice amount of challenging and fair fights which, despite some weird unbalanced difficulty spikes during boss duels, made me constantly strategize my next moves.
The atmosphere is probably one of the best things in the game. The whole tone and story can get very dark and, at times, even creepy. Whether you're in dungeons, cities or doing sidequests, the music is unsettling and the feeling is moody. There's even a place called Dollhouse that made it feel a lot like I was playing an RPG version of the first Resident Evil. Sidequests felt a litte short (which is not exactly bad), but they were nice, expanding a bit more on characters like Keith and Margarette, while also establishing some world-building.
It's just sad that this feeling of joy didn't last very long. The battle system got dull. The enemy variety is nothing but the same 10 monsters with their color palette swapped, the music became repetitive and not at all memorable, characters just never developed and the writing is bad!
I know that the battle system is cool and all, but did EVERYTHING in the game have to revolve around the ring mechanic? Puzzles, item usage, getting discounts on shops and even reviving a fallen character. And did it have to be this punishing? That definitely did not help when it comes to variety.
Some other mechanics in the system felt unnecessary. Did we really need to keep quieting Malice? Did we really need sanity points? Did we need acunpuncture or the graveyard at all? The feeling I got from all of it was that the game's mechanics were there just to fuck with you, not to create a decent gameplay experience.
And what's up with the story? The writing starts off ok, but it get super tiresome, with some rather uninteresting plot points and "turns". I couldn't care less about half of the things that happened after we left Asia and I couldn't care about ANY character in the game.
I just cannot recommend this game. It's not bad, but it screams mediocrity and boredom.
It's nice that it brought a different type of element to a traditional genre, and it's also good that it was the beginning of a fine trilogy, but it's certainly not special.
2022
Do not sleep on this game!
Neon White is definitely one of the best games of the year and surely one that I wasn't expecting to get me like it did. It has plenty of flaws, but it makes up for it with HUGE fun factor.
First, I need to say that what got me into this game was the soundtrack. It's just PERFECT! Not a single bad song. Songs to keep the rush going, calm songs, stylish songs and so on. If you don't get your hands on this game, at least go for the music. And this sick soundtrack matches perfectly with Neon White's sick gameplay.
Everything just flows amazingly well. You feel the rush, you want to go fast and when you accomplish it, you see yourself as this bad ass player. I'm not a guy who usually goes for record times and collectibles, but it's so fun to traverse through these VERY well-designed levels that I just went for whatever I could get, again and again. It is addictive and will keep you there.
One thing I was worried about after picking up the game was the story. But I'm happy to say that it's actually pretty fun.
I really liked the character design and voice acting, but the whacky writing and so-so jokes kept me a bit on the edge about it. But as the story proggresses, you start to figure the plot out and comprehend character motives and personality. It's not incredibly engaging, but it's interesting. Especially with characters as charismatic as Mikey, or nice the nice relationship development of White & Red's. By the end, I was satisfied with what I experienced.
But while Neon White gets a lot of things right, some of its cracks are right there, preventing it from being better than it is.
After chapter 6, there's a weird shift. The difficulty spike is HUGE and, while I did not find anything unfair, it did cut back the perfect flow and paciong built up from its very first level. Some of the new obstacles on late game levels were just a chore. There were levels that were either completely focused on shooting demons rather than quick traversal, or extremely long. That happens a lot and it sucks, because Neon White is at its best when it's fast as fuck, not trying to be a shooter.
Some other things also bothered me.
The presentation could've been better, they could've cut back the amount of useless dialogue, there are more gifts than there should be, late sidequests were a little too Celeste for me and the few boss fights in the game weren't as thrilling as I thought they could be (especially the 2nd one). And at last, but definitely not least, aiming is HORRIBLE on Switch. It works a little better when you mess around with aim assist and sensitivity, but it was the reason why I failed a lot of the more "shooter" focused levels. Don't even get me started on the Dominion card levels. If you can, play this with a mouse and keyboard.
Neon White is an EXTREMELY fun game. It may not be consistent from beginning to end, but it works a lot more than it doesn't. Do not be discouraged by its weird presentation and writing. Dive right in and I'm sure you will not want to leave.
Neon White is definitely one of the best games of the year and surely one that I wasn't expecting to get me like it did. It has plenty of flaws, but it makes up for it with HUGE fun factor.
First, I need to say that what got me into this game was the soundtrack. It's just PERFECT! Not a single bad song. Songs to keep the rush going, calm songs, stylish songs and so on. If you don't get your hands on this game, at least go for the music. And this sick soundtrack matches perfectly with Neon White's sick gameplay.
Everything just flows amazingly well. You feel the rush, you want to go fast and when you accomplish it, you see yourself as this bad ass player. I'm not a guy who usually goes for record times and collectibles, but it's so fun to traverse through these VERY well-designed levels that I just went for whatever I could get, again and again. It is addictive and will keep you there.
One thing I was worried about after picking up the game was the story. But I'm happy to say that it's actually pretty fun.
I really liked the character design and voice acting, but the whacky writing and so-so jokes kept me a bit on the edge about it. But as the story proggresses, you start to figure the plot out and comprehend character motives and personality. It's not incredibly engaging, but it's interesting. Especially with characters as charismatic as Mikey, or nice the nice relationship development of White & Red's. By the end, I was satisfied with what I experienced.
But while Neon White gets a lot of things right, some of its cracks are right there, preventing it from being better than it is.
After chapter 6, there's a weird shift. The difficulty spike is HUGE and, while I did not find anything unfair, it did cut back the perfect flow and paciong built up from its very first level. Some of the new obstacles on late game levels were just a chore. There were levels that were either completely focused on shooting demons rather than quick traversal, or extremely long. That happens a lot and it sucks, because Neon White is at its best when it's fast as fuck, not trying to be a shooter.
Some other things also bothered me.
The presentation could've been better, they could've cut back the amount of useless dialogue, there are more gifts than there should be, late sidequests were a little too Celeste for me and the few boss fights in the game weren't as thrilling as I thought they could be (especially the 2nd one). And at last, but definitely not least, aiming is HORRIBLE on Switch. It works a little better when you mess around with aim assist and sensitivity, but it was the reason why I failed a lot of the more "shooter" focused levels. Don't even get me started on the Dominion card levels. If you can, play this with a mouse and keyboard.
Neon White is an EXTREMELY fun game. It may not be consistent from beginning to end, but it works a lot more than it doesn't. Do not be discouraged by its weird presentation and writing. Dive right in and I'm sure you will not want to leave.