guileffb
Xenoblade Chronicles is JRPG at its best! This is a remastered version of a 13 old game that did its own thing back then but remains in top shape to this day.
I'll start by stating the obvious. The thing that defines this game: Xenoblade Chronicles is an epic gargantuan JRPG!
The world is massive! Not only in scope, scale and in-game content, but also in its presentation. Just the ideia of a story taking place atop two endlessly clashing giants makes it as epic as it gets. And besides the well-told lore, you'll also come across many other imaginative surprises. XC is filled with well-written twists, incredible characters, great villains, good story development, nice pacing and a fantastic ending. XC's tale is, quite honestly, the best thing in this whole package.
But it doesn't end there. Complementing this colossal journey, Xenoblade packs a VERY addictive combat system. It may look weird, since it doesn't work like most action JRPGs, but it functions well. I thought I wasn't going to like it at first, but it clicked faster than I thought. In fact, one of the reasons why I spent around 100 hours playing XC is probably because the combat is just so smooth. It reminded of old PS2 gems like Rogue Galaxy, Radiata Stories and (somehow) even Kingdom Hearts.
All that happening on beautiful environments, urging for you to explore and take on enemies and objectives. This game already looked good back on the Wii, but this re-release made it untouchable. From character design to the most gorgeous landscapes and weirdest bosses. Add that to a pretty good soundtrack, as well.
Now, this game could be perfect, but to me, the thing that made this game incredible was also its greatest enemy. Xenoblade Chronicles more than overstays its welcome.
I can't fathom how obnoxious the sidequests were. They brought almost nothing new or interesting to the main quest, they were very repetitive, mostly unrewarding and just uninspiring. AND THERE ARE JUST TOO MANY OF THEM! It felt endless. The worst thing is that, although optional, without them, you'd end up underleveled, underequipped and missing quite a lot of places, bosses and etc. It's really a shame.
And the more you spend time with it (and you will), the more you'll notice a few cracks. The UI could use some work, enemy variety is lacking, you can easily get mobbed by monsters out of nowhere, the affinity system sucks, having to change time to find NPCs is a chore, you can miss out on a lot, Mechonis is bland and unbalanced as hell and Shulk is a VERY slow kid.
Also, the Future Connected expansion is alright, but it felt a little unnecessary. It's a solid new short story with a cool focus on Melia, but nothing to write home about. I'll just blame the writing and the Nene/Kino duo.
If I could trim a lot of this game, it'd easily transform into one of the best RPGs I've ever played. But the flaws are there and they're noticeable.
However, Xenoblade Chronicles gave me a feeling that few RPGs do and held me tight from beginning to end. I won't forget it so soon. It is intimidating, for sure, but it is worth it. Wether you play it for the story, characters or gameplay, you need to try this game someday at least once.
I'll start by stating the obvious. The thing that defines this game: Xenoblade Chronicles is an epic gargantuan JRPG!
The world is massive! Not only in scope, scale and in-game content, but also in its presentation. Just the ideia of a story taking place atop two endlessly clashing giants makes it as epic as it gets. And besides the well-told lore, you'll also come across many other imaginative surprises. XC is filled with well-written twists, incredible characters, great villains, good story development, nice pacing and a fantastic ending. XC's tale is, quite honestly, the best thing in this whole package.
But it doesn't end there. Complementing this colossal journey, Xenoblade packs a VERY addictive combat system. It may look weird, since it doesn't work like most action JRPGs, but it functions well. I thought I wasn't going to like it at first, but it clicked faster than I thought. In fact, one of the reasons why I spent around 100 hours playing XC is probably because the combat is just so smooth. It reminded of old PS2 gems like Rogue Galaxy, Radiata Stories and (somehow) even Kingdom Hearts.
All that happening on beautiful environments, urging for you to explore and take on enemies and objectives. This game already looked good back on the Wii, but this re-release made it untouchable. From character design to the most gorgeous landscapes and weirdest bosses. Add that to a pretty good soundtrack, as well.
Now, this game could be perfect, but to me, the thing that made this game incredible was also its greatest enemy. Xenoblade Chronicles more than overstays its welcome.
I can't fathom how obnoxious the sidequests were. They brought almost nothing new or interesting to the main quest, they were very repetitive, mostly unrewarding and just uninspiring. AND THERE ARE JUST TOO MANY OF THEM! It felt endless. The worst thing is that, although optional, without them, you'd end up underleveled, underequipped and missing quite a lot of places, bosses and etc. It's really a shame.
And the more you spend time with it (and you will), the more you'll notice a few cracks. The UI could use some work, enemy variety is lacking, you can easily get mobbed by monsters out of nowhere, the affinity system sucks, having to change time to find NPCs is a chore, you can miss out on a lot, Mechonis is bland and unbalanced as hell and Shulk is a VERY slow kid.
Also, the Future Connected expansion is alright, but it felt a little unnecessary. It's a solid new short story with a cool focus on Melia, but nothing to write home about. I'll just blame the writing and the Nene/Kino duo.
If I could trim a lot of this game, it'd easily transform into one of the best RPGs I've ever played. But the flaws are there and they're noticeable.
However, Xenoblade Chronicles gave me a feeling that few RPGs do and held me tight from beginning to end. I won't forget it so soon. It is intimidating, for sure, but it is worth it. Wether you play it for the story, characters or gameplay, you need to try this game someday at least once.
Persona 2 has a lot of potential, but I ultimately found it VERY sluggish and boring.
This is a very different Persona than what I'm used to. I knew it was different from 3, 4 and 5, but I didn't know that it would be such a completely distinct experience.
The atmosphere is here at least and the game excels in it! Innocent Sin still gives off that chill Persona energy, with a high school story that starts off silly and ends up getting darker and darker, while not losing its cozy vibes. And that's actually the best thing of the entire game.
The story starts off very slow, introducing the setting and characters. It all develops very well, turning into a very mature tale filled with twists and mysteries up until the very final scene. All characters and villains are great, with simple but interesting backstories and fun/engaging personalities. I loved how it all progressed and that's what keeps me curious to play Eternal Punishment.
Demons/Characters designs and soundtrack also diserve to be mentioned on the positive side. Design is not as good as future games would be, but they're still charming enough. Especially main Personas and their evolutions. As for the soundtrack, it's good, a few tracks stand out, but it's not as special as Persona 4's, for example.
But I can't lie to you, I did not like this game very much. I didn't hate it, of course, but if it wasn't for story and characters, few things would get me to play Eternal Punishment or even Persona 1.
The dungeon crawling aspects from Innocent Sin are awful. Dungeons are exceedingly long, battles are slow, side quests are very unrewarding, dungeon designs are bad, negotiations are unintuitive and the RNG is insanely off. I just hated this part of the game. It feels so different from games like Persona 3 or SMT Nocturne. And being different isn't the bad thing, the bad thing is that it's not engaging at all!
There is no press turn battle system and while that would be ok if they had some other solution, it's not. Instead, you get the cards system, which is absolutely tedious. Collecting cards and having to manage them on the Velvet Room (which you'll hardly ever be in one) feels like a chore. Weaknesses are meaningless, negotiations make even less sense and it's all just helplessly slow. Even the fusion system is absent.
In fact, Innocent Sin felt a little too laid-back. The only battles I liked were boss fights, because they actually felt a bit more tactical and challenging. For the rest, I just couldn't care less. I'm REALLY glad it's not grindy and sort of chill, but they couldn't find a good balance, it seems. Takes a long time to level up and it simply does not compel you to battle much. Besides, the way dungeons are built just fuck up the story's nicely paced moments.
I do not recommend Persona 2, unless you have played the other games. I know there's a lot of people out there praising it, but I just found it tedious.
The story is great and I will play Eternal Punishment to find out what will happen with the cast, but other than that, it all feels like an unnecessary time-consuming adventure.
This is a very different Persona than what I'm used to. I knew it was different from 3, 4 and 5, but I didn't know that it would be such a completely distinct experience.
The atmosphere is here at least and the game excels in it! Innocent Sin still gives off that chill Persona energy, with a high school story that starts off silly and ends up getting darker and darker, while not losing its cozy vibes. And that's actually the best thing of the entire game.
The story starts off very slow, introducing the setting and characters. It all develops very well, turning into a very mature tale filled with twists and mysteries up until the very final scene. All characters and villains are great, with simple but interesting backstories and fun/engaging personalities. I loved how it all progressed and that's what keeps me curious to play Eternal Punishment.
Demons/Characters designs and soundtrack also diserve to be mentioned on the positive side. Design is not as good as future games would be, but they're still charming enough. Especially main Personas and their evolutions. As for the soundtrack, it's good, a few tracks stand out, but it's not as special as Persona 4's, for example.
But I can't lie to you, I did not like this game very much. I didn't hate it, of course, but if it wasn't for story and characters, few things would get me to play Eternal Punishment or even Persona 1.
The dungeon crawling aspects from Innocent Sin are awful. Dungeons are exceedingly long, battles are slow, side quests are very unrewarding, dungeon designs are bad, negotiations are unintuitive and the RNG is insanely off. I just hated this part of the game. It feels so different from games like Persona 3 or SMT Nocturne. And being different isn't the bad thing, the bad thing is that it's not engaging at all!
There is no press turn battle system and while that would be ok if they had some other solution, it's not. Instead, you get the cards system, which is absolutely tedious. Collecting cards and having to manage them on the Velvet Room (which you'll hardly ever be in one) feels like a chore. Weaknesses are meaningless, negotiations make even less sense and it's all just helplessly slow. Even the fusion system is absent.
In fact, Innocent Sin felt a little too laid-back. The only battles I liked were boss fights, because they actually felt a bit more tactical and challenging. For the rest, I just couldn't care less. I'm REALLY glad it's not grindy and sort of chill, but they couldn't find a good balance, it seems. Takes a long time to level up and it simply does not compel you to battle much. Besides, the way dungeons are built just fuck up the story's nicely paced moments.
I do not recommend Persona 2, unless you have played the other games. I know there's a lot of people out there praising it, but I just found it tedious.
The story is great and I will play Eternal Punishment to find out what will happen with the cast, but other than that, it all feels like an unnecessary time-consuming adventure.
2008
This is probably the worst game I've played in 2022, so far.
After loving Neon White, I decided to try similar games and Mirror's Edge was one of the most recommended.
The problem is... I guess people were just completely wrong. It's weird to see how much praise goes to a game that is so ultimately flawed.
Nothing works in Mirror's Edge. Platforming is imprecise as hell, controls are weird (come on, you jump with LB!) and sometimes unresponsive, the soundtrack is VERY generic, combat/shooting is ridiculous, Faith's health is a joke, slowmo is useless, level design feels aimless and empty, it gets old pretty quick and checkpoint placement is atrocious.
Not to mention the story, which is absolutely predictable and bland. There's no conclusion to it, dialogues are not well written, characters are very forgettable and the presentation is ugly as fuck. It's a disaster. I mean, what ending was that? Is it a cliffhanger? Is it the end of things? Just like that?
Two things I can admit to like about this game are the way it looks and how intense it feels sometimes. It gives you a nice rush and it'd be even better if the levels actually gave you room for improvisation, or if its visual cues actually worked. I like its style, I like the parkour core, but it's just boils down to a massive failure, in the end.
Mirror's Edge is my biggest disappointment of the year, so far. I've read so many amazing things about it, but I couldn't relate to any of them. The game is a mess!
A proof of how some good ideas can be very poorly executed. Also a proof of how overrated (and dated) some things can be, just because they look cool.
After loving Neon White, I decided to try similar games and Mirror's Edge was one of the most recommended.
The problem is... I guess people were just completely wrong. It's weird to see how much praise goes to a game that is so ultimately flawed.
Nothing works in Mirror's Edge. Platforming is imprecise as hell, controls are weird (come on, you jump with LB!) and sometimes unresponsive, the soundtrack is VERY generic, combat/shooting is ridiculous, Faith's health is a joke, slowmo is useless, level design feels aimless and empty, it gets old pretty quick and checkpoint placement is atrocious.
Not to mention the story, which is absolutely predictable and bland. There's no conclusion to it, dialogues are not well written, characters are very forgettable and the presentation is ugly as fuck. It's a disaster. I mean, what ending was that? Is it a cliffhanger? Is it the end of things? Just like that?
Two things I can admit to like about this game are the way it looks and how intense it feels sometimes. It gives you a nice rush and it'd be even better if the levels actually gave you room for improvisation, or if its visual cues actually worked. I like its style, I like the parkour core, but it's just boils down to a massive failure, in the end.
Mirror's Edge is my biggest disappointment of the year, so far. I've read so many amazing things about it, but I couldn't relate to any of them. The game is a mess!
A proof of how some good ideas can be very poorly executed. Also a proof of how overrated (and dated) some things can be, just because they look cool.
2019
Finally got to play the 4th Yakuza game. After watching the series finally trying something new in the 3rd one, I'm glad to see that they kept trying with this one, even if they keep making the same mistakes. Nonetheless, probably the best Yakuza game I've played since 0.
For starters, I just want to say that out of all Yakuza games I've experienced, this one carries the best soundtrack. 0 and 3 had good ones, but this one just knocks it out of the park. Enjoyable and memorable from beginning to end.
In fact, "enjoyable and memorable from beginning to end" is a quality that this game carries throughout its lengthy campaign. It felt weird playing with characters that I've never seen before, but I got to know them, understand their motives, and get attached, very fast. Another breath of fresh air, just like Okinawa.
Those 3 new characters, along with Kyriu, make up for an amazing cast of protagonists. Especially since they all have their specific part to play in the overarching plot, while having unique types of substories and fighting styles. All of them very fun. Taiga was definitely my least favorite and Akiyama was incredible.
Dialogues were nice, plot was a bit confusing but very entertaining, the twists were surprising and fights were fun, as usual. I won't even say anything about the substories this time. Just know that they're VERY cool! Some are quite thrilling.
But despite Yakuza 4 becoming my 2nd favorite in the series so far, it is, once again, hard to not ignore its flaws. I love Kamurocho, I truly do, this place makes me want to visit Japan, but... I'm just tired of it. One of the things that I absolutely loved in Yakuza 3 was Okinawa, but this time, despite the 4 different characters novelty, it feels like more of the same, again and again.
And while substories are fun enough, eventually, you just want to get a long with the story, 'cause it's always the best part about these games. Kamurocho needs to go, despite how lovely it is. I even got tired of its restaurants and mini-games. Completely ignored them.
And well, the combat is bullshit again. I could literally copy and paste what I wrote last time about combat, difficulty and bosses, because the problem just remains. The final boss, for example, is completely insufferable, so I'm not going to waste time explaining why they should've overhauled this completely.
There's also this repetitive deus-ex machina trope in Yakuza, ever since the 2nd one, that's just REALLY annoying. I get it, the story is well-written and they pack it with PLENTY of twists, but do they STILL need to repeat the same resolution to conflicts? I wrote about the exact same thing back in the previous entry.
The thing is...
Yakuza 4 tries to innovate but constantly trips on its own. But damn! It's just so good. The story and character development just glued me to the screen. Made me excited for Y5, for real, and made me fall in love with each of the new protagonists. I just hope they get their shit together over the next few games.
For starters, I just want to say that out of all Yakuza games I've experienced, this one carries the best soundtrack. 0 and 3 had good ones, but this one just knocks it out of the park. Enjoyable and memorable from beginning to end.
In fact, "enjoyable and memorable from beginning to end" is a quality that this game carries throughout its lengthy campaign. It felt weird playing with characters that I've never seen before, but I got to know them, understand their motives, and get attached, very fast. Another breath of fresh air, just like Okinawa.
Those 3 new characters, along with Kyriu, make up for an amazing cast of protagonists. Especially since they all have their specific part to play in the overarching plot, while having unique types of substories and fighting styles. All of them very fun. Taiga was definitely my least favorite and Akiyama was incredible.
Dialogues were nice, plot was a bit confusing but very entertaining, the twists were surprising and fights were fun, as usual. I won't even say anything about the substories this time. Just know that they're VERY cool! Some are quite thrilling.
But despite Yakuza 4 becoming my 2nd favorite in the series so far, it is, once again, hard to not ignore its flaws. I love Kamurocho, I truly do, this place makes me want to visit Japan, but... I'm just tired of it. One of the things that I absolutely loved in Yakuza 3 was Okinawa, but this time, despite the 4 different characters novelty, it feels like more of the same, again and again.
And while substories are fun enough, eventually, you just want to get a long with the story, 'cause it's always the best part about these games. Kamurocho needs to go, despite how lovely it is. I even got tired of its restaurants and mini-games. Completely ignored them.
And well, the combat is bullshit again. I could literally copy and paste what I wrote last time about combat, difficulty and bosses, because the problem just remains. The final boss, for example, is completely insufferable, so I'm not going to waste time explaining why they should've overhauled this completely.
There's also this repetitive deus-ex machina trope in Yakuza, ever since the 2nd one, that's just REALLY annoying. I get it, the story is well-written and they pack it with PLENTY of twists, but do they STILL need to repeat the same resolution to conflicts? I wrote about the exact same thing back in the previous entry.
The thing is...
Yakuza 4 tries to innovate but constantly trips on its own. But damn! It's just so good. The story and character development just glued me to the screen. Made me excited for Y5, for real, and made me fall in love with each of the new protagonists. I just hope they get their shit together over the next few games.
2001
I remember trying to play this game back when I was a kid and just not being able to get with the program. Well, now I was finally able to beat it.
Fatal Frame is a unique horror franchise. There are similar ideas in gaming out there, but nothing quite like it. And the 1st entry, although rough around the edges, kickstarts all of it.
The atmosphere is top notch from beginning to end. The game's photography, sound design, use of silence, mood and soundtrack all act in synchronicity in order to create this unholy and ominous environment. And to back all of this up, you get a very small, but creepy cast of characters moving and sounding as chilling as possible to move the plot forward. It's quite amazing, really.
The story is also very simple. It's good, keeps you interested and gets you going through the house. It's just not up to par with future games.But the ending surprised me! It was unexpectedly bittersweet. And since I played the 2nd one and a bit of the 3rd, it's just nice to see how it all ties up.
Using the camera feels VERY clunky, but you get used to it. Especially with the ghost capturing system forcing you to stay on your toes to catch secrets and wandering aparitions around the mansion. All that weird, ghastly clunkyness combined with a frightening (and a little repetitive, I admit) soundtrack just makes it work.
One other thing, and that's what I loved the most about the game: the mansion! It's such an impressive well-done scary setting. The level design was so beautifully crafted that reminded me of RE1's mansion, Dead Space's Ishimura or Batman's Arkham Asylum. Simply brilliant
But despite this game's well-done aspects, this game is riddled with flaws. I'm not gonna list everything here because it's not hard to find them. Just play the game and you'll know it. But some things are unbearable! Movement is VERY slow, using the camera feels awkward, puzzles are boring, voice acting is bad (the english one, at least), you constantly clip through stuff when running and sometimes it's just hard to see things due to how dark it can get.
The WORST thing, hands down, has to be the combat. Anything that deals with the game's difficulty, in general, to be honest. Ghosts are faster than you, they blend with the environment, you die in 2/3 hits and resources, especially healing items, are extremely scarce.
It's completely unbalanced I just don't understand how they missed the mark with something so essential. The blinding woman from chapter 2 and the entire chapter 3 are a mess! Everytime I thought about battling a ghost, no matter how interesting it was, I just DREADED the idea.
Fatal Frame 1 is a VERY good game. The beginning of a series that I absolutely love, but it's impossible to hide how burdensome it can be at times. If you love survival horror games, I'm sure you love it. If you're just in for a good time in the series, start with the 2nd one.
Fatal Frame is a unique horror franchise. There are similar ideas in gaming out there, but nothing quite like it. And the 1st entry, although rough around the edges, kickstarts all of it.
The atmosphere is top notch from beginning to end. The game's photography, sound design, use of silence, mood and soundtrack all act in synchronicity in order to create this unholy and ominous environment. And to back all of this up, you get a very small, but creepy cast of characters moving and sounding as chilling as possible to move the plot forward. It's quite amazing, really.
The story is also very simple. It's good, keeps you interested and gets you going through the house. It's just not up to par with future games.But the ending surprised me! It was unexpectedly bittersweet. And since I played the 2nd one and a bit of the 3rd, it's just nice to see how it all ties up.
Using the camera feels VERY clunky, but you get used to it. Especially with the ghost capturing system forcing you to stay on your toes to catch secrets and wandering aparitions around the mansion. All that weird, ghastly clunkyness combined with a frightening (and a little repetitive, I admit) soundtrack just makes it work.
One other thing, and that's what I loved the most about the game: the mansion! It's such an impressive well-done scary setting. The level design was so beautifully crafted that reminded me of RE1's mansion, Dead Space's Ishimura or Batman's Arkham Asylum. Simply brilliant
But despite this game's well-done aspects, this game is riddled with flaws. I'm not gonna list everything here because it's not hard to find them. Just play the game and you'll know it. But some things are unbearable! Movement is VERY slow, using the camera feels awkward, puzzles are boring, voice acting is bad (the english one, at least), you constantly clip through stuff when running and sometimes it's just hard to see things due to how dark it can get.
The WORST thing, hands down, has to be the combat. Anything that deals with the game's difficulty, in general, to be honest. Ghosts are faster than you, they blend with the environment, you die in 2/3 hits and resources, especially healing items, are extremely scarce.
It's completely unbalanced I just don't understand how they missed the mark with something so essential. The blinding woman from chapter 2 and the entire chapter 3 are a mess! Everytime I thought about battling a ghost, no matter how interesting it was, I just DREADED the idea.
Fatal Frame 1 is a VERY good game. The beginning of a series that I absolutely love, but it's impossible to hide how burdensome it can be at times. If you love survival horror games, I'm sure you love it. If you're just in for a good time in the series, start with the 2nd one.
2022
What if you could play the old Tony Hawk games, but now you have a gun and a bunch of creeps and robots shooting at you?
That's exactly what Rollerdrome is and, despite how fun it is, I'm not sure if the mix actually works.
The game's artstyle is cute, it controls nicely, the gameplay loop is fun and there's even a funny light backstory going on in between levels. This alone, should be enough to get you to play. Challenges are fun, enemy variety is okay, levels are cool as hell and there's great replayability value here.
But after finishing the game and most of its brief extra content, I don't feel like the game is as good as it sounds. Maybe it's just not my type of game, but no matter how much fun I was having with it, I just couldn't help but feel like it was sort of... a mess?
It's VERY short, not so compelling and it feels a little shallow, actually. What bothered me the most is that there are just too many things going on. How are you supposed to do challenges, kill off 50 enemies while doing tricks to reload your ammo and trying to finish the level on time to get maximum high score? And the extra mode unlocked later is basically more of the same, just even more annoying.
I know it feels like I'm shooting down the things that I said are fun about the game. But there's just something that really didn't feel right here and I can't quite put a finger on what. I blame it on the weird shooter/skate mix.
That's exactly what Rollerdrome is and, despite how fun it is, I'm not sure if the mix actually works.
The game's artstyle is cute, it controls nicely, the gameplay loop is fun and there's even a funny light backstory going on in between levels. This alone, should be enough to get you to play. Challenges are fun, enemy variety is okay, levels are cool as hell and there's great replayability value here.
But after finishing the game and most of its brief extra content, I don't feel like the game is as good as it sounds. Maybe it's just not my type of game, but no matter how much fun I was having with it, I just couldn't help but feel like it was sort of... a mess?
It's VERY short, not so compelling and it feels a little shallow, actually. What bothered me the most is that there are just too many things going on. How are you supposed to do challenges, kill off 50 enemies while doing tricks to reload your ammo and trying to finish the level on time to get maximum high score? And the extra mode unlocked later is basically more of the same, just even more annoying.
I know it feels like I'm shooting down the things that I said are fun about the game. But there's just something that really didn't feel right here and I can't quite put a finger on what. I blame it on the weird shooter/skate mix.
2005
It's very hard to rate Killer 7.
Although I loved it, I just didn't understand absolutely anything about it!
The name of the game here is art style. Everything about Killer 7 oozes style over substance. The soundtrack is amazing, they nailed the atmosphere, level design is good looking, characters are very well designed and the story, although incomprehensible, looks... great??
The game just looks amazing. Even in 2022. It still feels modern and relevant.
When it comes to gameplay, style reigns supreme. At first, aiming and moving felt too stiff and, quite frankly, just very weird to my liking. Flash forward to halfway through the 2nd level and I just kept asking for more and more. As I gladly explored every nook and cranny of every single level, searching for clues, shooting Heaven Smiles and trying to figure out where to go next. Aside from the final level of the game, nothing felt actually boring, despite its clear limitations.
It almost works as an On-Rails Shooter. In fact, sometimes it felt like I was watching a good low budget indie movie. But it's even better than that. There's a feeling of "old Capcom DNA" that turns puzzle solving, shooting and exploring into something deep and enjoyable. It's still strange, for sure, but it works quite nicely, maintaining fun factor.
It actually surprises me how this game managed to work. Work so well, to the point of getting a re-release on PC. Despite how good the gameplay is, despite how well designed characters and levels are and despite how offbeat the writing goes, the game just works. Every character feels good to use. From the most useless ones to the ones that are clearly most important to the overall experience. Battle encounters are challenging and fresh. Exploration is limited, but well paced. And the story... although pure nonsense, has its moments.
Killer 7's flaws are almost all tied to the story. Gameplay is fine, even its quirky restraints, but when it comes to the story, it's just... ridiculous.
Now, to be honest, the writing, even though VERY cryptic, works. The atmosphere is very unique and managed to keep me interested until credits rolled. But, with all that said... DAMN! The whole story makes absolutely no sense! Dialogues are interesting, but mostly shallow. Nothing is explained and it gives you no room to think about things properly. It's basically freaky for the sake of being freaky. That just doesn't work. This game could've been SO MUCH better, but it decided not to give a shit.
I actually have a few gripes with other aspects. Like how some characters are way more useful than others. Or how some levels, despite inventive, look dulll and repetitive. Bosses are hideous, either being too easy or very unintiuitive. And the puzzles... my god, the puzzles are mostly bad. Add all of that to an artificial and pretentious story. You end up getting quite a missed opportunity of turning this game into a huge classic.
But... Killer 7 is a good game! Trust me! Definitely one of the most chill and unique experiences I've had in gaming. It's something necesary, regardless of how bonkers it is. In fact, being bonkers is half of the charm. That's the point (I guess)!
Hard to recommend, but easy to fall in love with. That is... if you are just as weird as this game requires you to be.
Although I loved it, I just didn't understand absolutely anything about it!
The name of the game here is art style. Everything about Killer 7 oozes style over substance. The soundtrack is amazing, they nailed the atmosphere, level design is good looking, characters are very well designed and the story, although incomprehensible, looks... great??
The game just looks amazing. Even in 2022. It still feels modern and relevant.
When it comes to gameplay, style reigns supreme. At first, aiming and moving felt too stiff and, quite frankly, just very weird to my liking. Flash forward to halfway through the 2nd level and I just kept asking for more and more. As I gladly explored every nook and cranny of every single level, searching for clues, shooting Heaven Smiles and trying to figure out where to go next. Aside from the final level of the game, nothing felt actually boring, despite its clear limitations.
It almost works as an On-Rails Shooter. In fact, sometimes it felt like I was watching a good low budget indie movie. But it's even better than that. There's a feeling of "old Capcom DNA" that turns puzzle solving, shooting and exploring into something deep and enjoyable. It's still strange, for sure, but it works quite nicely, maintaining fun factor.
It actually surprises me how this game managed to work. Work so well, to the point of getting a re-release on PC. Despite how good the gameplay is, despite how well designed characters and levels are and despite how offbeat the writing goes, the game just works. Every character feels good to use. From the most useless ones to the ones that are clearly most important to the overall experience. Battle encounters are challenging and fresh. Exploration is limited, but well paced. And the story... although pure nonsense, has its moments.
Killer 7's flaws are almost all tied to the story. Gameplay is fine, even its quirky restraints, but when it comes to the story, it's just... ridiculous.
Now, to be honest, the writing, even though VERY cryptic, works. The atmosphere is very unique and managed to keep me interested until credits rolled. But, with all that said... DAMN! The whole story makes absolutely no sense! Dialogues are interesting, but mostly shallow. Nothing is explained and it gives you no room to think about things properly. It's basically freaky for the sake of being freaky. That just doesn't work. This game could've been SO MUCH better, but it decided not to give a shit.
I actually have a few gripes with other aspects. Like how some characters are way more useful than others. Or how some levels, despite inventive, look dulll and repetitive. Bosses are hideous, either being too easy or very unintiuitive. And the puzzles... my god, the puzzles are mostly bad. Add all of that to an artificial and pretentious story. You end up getting quite a missed opportunity of turning this game into a huge classic.
But... Killer 7 is a good game! Trust me! Definitely one of the most chill and unique experiences I've had in gaming. It's something necesary, regardless of how bonkers it is. In fact, being bonkers is half of the charm. That's the point (I guess)!
Hard to recommend, but easy to fall in love with. That is... if you are just as weird as this game requires you to be.
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.
The DQ community's praise for Dragon Quest IV kinda got my hopes up. That might've hurt the process.
To be honest, this 4th game in the series is good.
After the beautiful simplicity of III, IV tried to take a step further here and there. Trying to do things slightly different and giving a bit more character to the franchise. And you can clearly see this in the story.
The best thing about this game is definitely the "chapters of the chosen" approach. You get a bit attached to the characters and you understand their motifs. The fact that this cast is very charismatic, with each chapter presentation and tale filled with charm, just adds more to the experience. Especially if you've played previous entires. It's basic, but it's candid.
The gameplay saw little improvement, but it doesn't mean it's bad. The overworld still feels great to explore, soundtrack is alright, enemy and character designs are still top notch, there are good secrets to find around the world and bosses and dungeons are amazing! Dungeons are short, well designed and sweet. Bosses are challenging and super fun to fight.
And let's not forget that the remake did a fantastic job on giving the game a new look and feel. The experience definitely feels pleasant on the handheld.
And what else? Well, that's the problem. There's not much else.
It comes as no surprise, but be prepared to grind. And I mean REALLY GRIND, because during my 50+ hours with the game, that's what I did the most. And normally I don't even care about that stuff, but this game is just SO SLOW! Around chapter 5, I was pretty much done with it. Progressing through DQIV's final chapters felt like a massive slog. I just wasn't having fun at all anymore. Bosses and story were the only things keeping me going, but even that felt like it wasn't reason enough.
The game just got... boring. Why wouldn't they tone that down on a remake? Even saving is slow!
Besides, I started questioning some design choices around my final hours with the game.
Why is equipment so expensive? Why are most items useless during battles? Is Torneko supposed to be useful? Couldn't they include more songs in the remake? Why does chapter 6 even exist? Will Dragon Quest never get the enemy variety right? And why the hell Zing fails so much in this game?
I've read so many good things about DQIV that I actually thought that I'd feel a major diference from previous games. And while yes, I did feel, it just wasn't enough, I guess. If it wasn't for the story, bosses and characters, I wouldn't even try to reach the end.
By no means this is a bad game. It's got its charms and Dragon Quest still lives in my heart. But I just don't see myself going back to this one.
To be honest, this 4th game in the series is good.
After the beautiful simplicity of III, IV tried to take a step further here and there. Trying to do things slightly different and giving a bit more character to the franchise. And you can clearly see this in the story.
The best thing about this game is definitely the "chapters of the chosen" approach. You get a bit attached to the characters and you understand their motifs. The fact that this cast is very charismatic, with each chapter presentation and tale filled with charm, just adds more to the experience. Especially if you've played previous entires. It's basic, but it's candid.
The gameplay saw little improvement, but it doesn't mean it's bad. The overworld still feels great to explore, soundtrack is alright, enemy and character designs are still top notch, there are good secrets to find around the world and bosses and dungeons are amazing! Dungeons are short, well designed and sweet. Bosses are challenging and super fun to fight.
And let's not forget that the remake did a fantastic job on giving the game a new look and feel. The experience definitely feels pleasant on the handheld.
And what else? Well, that's the problem. There's not much else.
It comes as no surprise, but be prepared to grind. And I mean REALLY GRIND, because during my 50+ hours with the game, that's what I did the most. And normally I don't even care about that stuff, but this game is just SO SLOW! Around chapter 5, I was pretty much done with it. Progressing through DQIV's final chapters felt like a massive slog. I just wasn't having fun at all anymore. Bosses and story were the only things keeping me going, but even that felt like it wasn't reason enough.
The game just got... boring. Why wouldn't they tone that down on a remake? Even saving is slow!
Besides, I started questioning some design choices around my final hours with the game.
Why is equipment so expensive? Why are most items useless during battles? Is Torneko supposed to be useful? Couldn't they include more songs in the remake? Why does chapter 6 even exist? Will Dragon Quest never get the enemy variety right? And why the hell Zing fails so much in this game?
I've read so many good things about DQIV that I actually thought that I'd feel a major diference from previous games. And while yes, I did feel, it just wasn't enough, I guess. If it wasn't for the story, bosses and characters, I wouldn't even try to reach the end.
By no means this is a bad game. It's got its charms and Dragon Quest still lives in my heart. But I just don't see myself going back to this one.
Didn't think I'd be writing that, but Silent Hill 4 is my favorite SH since the 2nd one.
What won me over is how unique and lightly experimental it is compared to the previous ones. The concept of Henry locked in an ever-changing apartment fascinates me. It messes with your sense of safety, because if the protagonist isn't safe in his own house, anything else can happen. This makes SH4 one of the most disturbing and intriguing out of the 4, even if it's not the scariest.
I also prefer the focus on melee combat instead of puzzle solving. It does take away the dreadful sense of exploration that the others have, but it makes up for being its own consistent thing. And with it, comes a touch up in the combat sytem. I mean, it's still not perfect and, quite frankly, dated, but it's the best one. Even the camera works a little better. Pack that up with great visuals and some disgusting enemy designs and you have a very creepy challenge ahead of you.
The story is also great!
Definitely not better than 2 and might not be as horrifying as 1, but I love how the mystery slowly unfolds. The pacing feels just right, characters are memorable, there's an eerie sound to the voice acting, the main villain is good and the pay off felt satisfying, in most of the 4 endings you can get. The tone set by your interactions inside the room and the frightening things happening outside of it helps a lot in building up tension and curiosity.
The only thing I did not enjoy so much was Henry, but you get used to him.
And I won't even take too much time talking about how The Room handles sound. I've said it before in past reviews and I'll just say it again: Akira Yamaoka is a god! If it wasn't for him, I don't think Silent Hill would've been as memorable as it is and this is not different in this game. Again, the best one since 2.
I do have to point out a few things that I definitely agree in relation to this game's negative criticism. And that's the 2nd half of it.
I was not happy when I figured out that a lot of things changed when Eileen comes into play. As I played, I figured out that it isn't horrible to deal with her, but depending on the type of player you are, she can ruin your journey, because she is an unquestionable nuisance. Protecting her can be challenging even on easy, especially when you enter rooms filled with ghosts. I don't understand why the devs turned the game into a giant escort mission.
The 2nd half aso brings hauntings into Henry's room. And while I did find the concept very engaging, it got old soon and some of them can be very frustating if you do not correctly manage your items.
There's also the fact that the inventory just sucks. It is unapologetically bad. Some items are useless, the way it handles ammo and guns makes no sense, you can't discard items and it encourages mindless backtracking, which can totally break immersion. And the level design just doesn't help, since it's mostly linear, with some rooms FILLED with enemies. And this is coming from someone who actually prefers linear games.
I really don't understand why the devs made such weird decisions about how the final half of the game would roll. But while it could have ruined the experience for me, it just didn't. I could not dislike Silent Hill 4. In fact, it became my 2nd favorite out of the ones that I played.
If you have a chance, play Silent Hill 4. Especially if you're a horror fan. This is a very unique game, with a wicked mystery and some very off-putting imagery that, while definitely not perfect, shines in its strange design.
What won me over is how unique and lightly experimental it is compared to the previous ones. The concept of Henry locked in an ever-changing apartment fascinates me. It messes with your sense of safety, because if the protagonist isn't safe in his own house, anything else can happen. This makes SH4 one of the most disturbing and intriguing out of the 4, even if it's not the scariest.
I also prefer the focus on melee combat instead of puzzle solving. It does take away the dreadful sense of exploration that the others have, but it makes up for being its own consistent thing. And with it, comes a touch up in the combat sytem. I mean, it's still not perfect and, quite frankly, dated, but it's the best one. Even the camera works a little better. Pack that up with great visuals and some disgusting enemy designs and you have a very creepy challenge ahead of you.
The story is also great!
Definitely not better than 2 and might not be as horrifying as 1, but I love how the mystery slowly unfolds. The pacing feels just right, characters are memorable, there's an eerie sound to the voice acting, the main villain is good and the pay off felt satisfying, in most of the 4 endings you can get. The tone set by your interactions inside the room and the frightening things happening outside of it helps a lot in building up tension and curiosity.
The only thing I did not enjoy so much was Henry, but you get used to him.
And I won't even take too much time talking about how The Room handles sound. I've said it before in past reviews and I'll just say it again: Akira Yamaoka is a god! If it wasn't for him, I don't think Silent Hill would've been as memorable as it is and this is not different in this game. Again, the best one since 2.
I do have to point out a few things that I definitely agree in relation to this game's negative criticism. And that's the 2nd half of it.
I was not happy when I figured out that a lot of things changed when Eileen comes into play. As I played, I figured out that it isn't horrible to deal with her, but depending on the type of player you are, she can ruin your journey, because she is an unquestionable nuisance. Protecting her can be challenging even on easy, especially when you enter rooms filled with ghosts. I don't understand why the devs turned the game into a giant escort mission.
The 2nd half aso brings hauntings into Henry's room. And while I did find the concept very engaging, it got old soon and some of them can be very frustating if you do not correctly manage your items.
There's also the fact that the inventory just sucks. It is unapologetically bad. Some items are useless, the way it handles ammo and guns makes no sense, you can't discard items and it encourages mindless backtracking, which can totally break immersion. And the level design just doesn't help, since it's mostly linear, with some rooms FILLED with enemies. And this is coming from someone who actually prefers linear games.
I really don't understand why the devs made such weird decisions about how the final half of the game would roll. But while it could have ruined the experience for me, it just didn't. I could not dislike Silent Hill 4. In fact, it became my 2nd favorite out of the ones that I played.
If you have a chance, play Silent Hill 4. Especially if you're a horror fan. This is a very unique game, with a wicked mystery and some very off-putting imagery that, while definitely not perfect, shines in its strange design.
Final Fantasy is my favorite video game franchise of all time, so it sucks to say this but... this game is the worst game I've played in a long time.
I was actually planning a better review for this, but Stranger of Paradise is such a complete clusterfuck of a mess that I just gave up what I was writing.
To get the good out of the way: the combat and the job system. These are the only redeeming qualities of the game, issues and all. The combat grind can be really fun, even on side quests and the jobs, while there certainly are more than it should, are just fun to good through. Aside from that, SOP is riddled with flaws.
It has major balancing issues (especially during endgame boss fights), it is aggressively repetitive, writing and voice acting are laughable, the story feels like it was written by a teenager going hard through puberty, the whole plot makes no effort to make sense, characters are hollow, soundtrack is forgettable, level design is objectively dull, graphics have a weird saturation filter over it and the game is just not fun at all!
They even failed when making loot engaging. The game is BASED on collecting loot, going through the combat grind and improving, but you get MILLIONS of useless items per second and you HAVE to dismantle them to make room for MORE, that way, you literally spend HOURS looking through menus. And even after that, the areas and monsters just keep getting stronger, so you have to get MORE of the SAME loot and repeat the same thing FOREVER! It is POINTLESS! I also absolutely hated how the game handles MP, potions and status effects. Such important elements to the gameplay that become an immense nuisance to manage. Unbearable.
Not even the bosses are good. Some of them a ridiculous button-mashing annoyances, while others are extreme difficult to strategize/avoid damage sponge fiends. Makes no sense.
AND WHY THE HELL DID THEY EVEN BOTHER WITH THE STORY! IT ONLY MADE THINGS WORSE!
I'm not even sure why I finished this horrible Nioh knockoff. Probably because I paid for it.
In case you really want the good "4 warriors of light saving the crystals" experience, go play the original Final Fantasy. There are plenty of remasters and re-releases out there. Just keep away from this hellish beast.
I was actually planning a better review for this, but Stranger of Paradise is such a complete clusterfuck of a mess that I just gave up what I was writing.
To get the good out of the way: the combat and the job system. These are the only redeeming qualities of the game, issues and all. The combat grind can be really fun, even on side quests and the jobs, while there certainly are more than it should, are just fun to good through. Aside from that, SOP is riddled with flaws.
It has major balancing issues (especially during endgame boss fights), it is aggressively repetitive, writing and voice acting are laughable, the story feels like it was written by a teenager going hard through puberty, the whole plot makes no effort to make sense, characters are hollow, soundtrack is forgettable, level design is objectively dull, graphics have a weird saturation filter over it and the game is just not fun at all!
They even failed when making loot engaging. The game is BASED on collecting loot, going through the combat grind and improving, but you get MILLIONS of useless items per second and you HAVE to dismantle them to make room for MORE, that way, you literally spend HOURS looking through menus. And even after that, the areas and monsters just keep getting stronger, so you have to get MORE of the SAME loot and repeat the same thing FOREVER! It is POINTLESS! I also absolutely hated how the game handles MP, potions and status effects. Such important elements to the gameplay that become an immense nuisance to manage. Unbearable.
Not even the bosses are good. Some of them a ridiculous button-mashing annoyances, while others are extreme difficult to strategize/avoid damage sponge fiends. Makes no sense.
AND WHY THE HELL DID THEY EVEN BOTHER WITH THE STORY! IT ONLY MADE THINGS WORSE!
I'm not even sure why I finished this horrible Nioh knockoff. Probably because I paid for it.
In case you really want the good "4 warriors of light saving the crystals" experience, go play the original Final Fantasy. There are plenty of remasters and re-releases out there. Just keep away from this hellish beast.
Guardians of the Galaxy was put together really well. Upon watching tidbits of gameplay I could see potential in it, but didn't think I would like it as much as I did, despite its shortcomings.
The name of the game here is: fun.
Square Enix did an incredible job with story, dialogue and character development. Every major piece in this game feels very well fleshed out and the writing constantly evolves throughout the 16 chapter journey, making you care not only about Peter Quill and his teammates, but also about secondary characters to the plot.
It's not easy to do that, but they manage to do it with charm. I laughed out loud on most of the chapters, during the myriad conversations the Guardians have on their missions. Well-written characters and dialogues and the game's amazing pace were honestly the main reason to keep me there 'til the end. It just works and it is funny and interesting as hell to see things unfold.
On top of that, GotG has a very stylish and smooth combat. It might get repetitive after a while, but it does its job well. Characters have their own unique traits, powers and outfits, their fighting style is varied enough to give room to creativity and just moving Quill and shooting around aliens feels good enough. I also love how the game doesn't overstay its welcome, making it easy to get all power-ups, collectables and secrets. It's a blast, honestly.
Not to mention how beautiful the game looks. From facial animations to how beautiful each planet is, this game excels on modern consoles, which helps to improve immersion even further.
But I have to say, it actually took me the first 2 chapters to start enjoying the game and understand its pacing. It's not a huge slow start, but it's definitely a slow burner, to the point that it put me to sleep right on the 1st chapter. Yes, it gets better really fast around the 3rd mission (which is insane, btw), but it took me a little while.
I also found very annoying that dialogues tend to overlap each other and you can even miss entire chunks of well-written jokes/story moments just by walking in the wrong place at the wrong time. Highly annoying. Just as annoying as the many unskippable cutscenes you have to go through whether you've seen them or not. Or maybe as annoying as Rocket Racoon, which, close to most other characters in the game, just seems a bit off.
And then we get to my biggest issues with the game. Two things that can drag the experience down.
1 - The puzzles - Guardians of the Galaxy insists on making you complete the same puzzles OVER and OVER again. And yes, it's great when you get a new gadget or discover some new team work skill. But only the first time. Then it just slows you down.
2 - Glitches/Crashes - I really don't understand how a game can ship like this. I CONSTANTLY got stuck into places, had my game freeze out of nowhere, experienced minor crashes or just had characters/story not progressing as they should. It was more than annoying, it really pissed me off! And it's a shame, because this game is actually really good!
I didn't think I'd enjoy Guardians of the Galaxy as much as I did, but I'm glad I got to experience such an entertaining and well-told game. If you like super heroes or just a good story, this game's for you.
I just wish that more super hero games were as good as this one.
The name of the game here is: fun.
Square Enix did an incredible job with story, dialogue and character development. Every major piece in this game feels very well fleshed out and the writing constantly evolves throughout the 16 chapter journey, making you care not only about Peter Quill and his teammates, but also about secondary characters to the plot.
It's not easy to do that, but they manage to do it with charm. I laughed out loud on most of the chapters, during the myriad conversations the Guardians have on their missions. Well-written characters and dialogues and the game's amazing pace were honestly the main reason to keep me there 'til the end. It just works and it is funny and interesting as hell to see things unfold.
On top of that, GotG has a very stylish and smooth combat. It might get repetitive after a while, but it does its job well. Characters have their own unique traits, powers and outfits, their fighting style is varied enough to give room to creativity and just moving Quill and shooting around aliens feels good enough. I also love how the game doesn't overstay its welcome, making it easy to get all power-ups, collectables and secrets. It's a blast, honestly.
Not to mention how beautiful the game looks. From facial animations to how beautiful each planet is, this game excels on modern consoles, which helps to improve immersion even further.
But I have to say, it actually took me the first 2 chapters to start enjoying the game and understand its pacing. It's not a huge slow start, but it's definitely a slow burner, to the point that it put me to sleep right on the 1st chapter. Yes, it gets better really fast around the 3rd mission (which is insane, btw), but it took me a little while.
I also found very annoying that dialogues tend to overlap each other and you can even miss entire chunks of well-written jokes/story moments just by walking in the wrong place at the wrong time. Highly annoying. Just as annoying as the many unskippable cutscenes you have to go through whether you've seen them or not. Or maybe as annoying as Rocket Racoon, which, close to most other characters in the game, just seems a bit off.
And then we get to my biggest issues with the game. Two things that can drag the experience down.
1 - The puzzles - Guardians of the Galaxy insists on making you complete the same puzzles OVER and OVER again. And yes, it's great when you get a new gadget or discover some new team work skill. But only the first time. Then it just slows you down.
2 - Glitches/Crashes - I really don't understand how a game can ship like this. I CONSTANTLY got stuck into places, had my game freeze out of nowhere, experienced minor crashes or just had characters/story not progressing as they should. It was more than annoying, it really pissed me off! And it's a shame, because this game is actually really good!
I didn't think I'd enjoy Guardians of the Galaxy as much as I did, but I'm glad I got to experience such an entertaining and well-told game. If you like super heroes or just a good story, this game's for you.
I just wish that more super hero games were as good as this one.
2022
Elden Ring is an astonishing milestone in gaming. Just like Dark Souls, Bloodborne and Sekiro before it. That's pretty much it and nothing else needs to be said, honestly.
The game isn't perfect, clearly, but it's very hard not to give it the full score, since it managed to fully swallow my life for around 200 hours. It basically made me stop looking at any other game and even threw me back to finish past From Software titles once again.
The graphics and art design is beyond beautiful. The lands between urges you to explore its caves, castles, mountains, underground cities and every other nook and cranny that you can (and sometimes can't) gaze your eyes upon.
Combat system is Dark Souls perfected. Everything works and flows perfectly. It's basically hitbox porn, with great movement freedom and room for improvisation. Every build is viable and the game wants you to try whatever you feel like. And it's not just the jumping that makes a difference. It's your horse and its precise movements, it's your weapon skills, your sorceries and encantations, it's the enemies, your equipment... everything!
Exploration is basically the name of the game here and there are TONS of things for you to venture yourself in at the open world of the Lands Between. It's incredible. I grew tired of open world games, but Elden Ring brought something different to the table. And it's not even anything new, it's just... tasty to relish in. The map is seriously huge and, on top of the "base quest", you can uncover hidden cities, tombs and many other places that WILL MAKE you keep seeking more. It's addictive and quite marvelous to experience.
The lore, in my opinion, is probably the highest peak of the whole package. It's insanely well written (and well voiced) and each puzzle piece fits as you progress through the main story and sidequests. NPCs are memorable, discoveries are rewarding, optional bosses and areas are perfect and the whole story is just highly compeling. George Martin and Miyazaki did a wonderful job of creating this sprawling dark world, filled with mysteries and conundrums to feast upon during your gameplay.
It all feels too good to be true, right? And sort of is, but Elden Rings' cracks start to become more visible as you lenghten your visit in this forsaken land.
The biggest problem I've come accross has to be the repetition of assets. I did have a lot of fun prowling through catacombs and open areas, but by the time I reached the Mountaintop Of the Giants, it started to get to me. And the bosses. One of Sekiro's biggest flaws, for me, was the amount of repeat bosses, even if it made sense in the story. With Elden Ring, this problem is enhanced due to its open world nature. I grew weary of fighting the same bosses over and over, even right towards the end of my journey. I know that these types of things are normal, but it hurts the experience a bit. Not to mention how unbalanced some of them are.
Other problems include how the game kinda requires you to summon spirits, some places look the same, the lack of that classic intertwined level design that From's known for, uncalled for difficulty spikes in weird places, side quests that basically yearn for a guide, among other things.
Again, these flaws were clear, but truly harmless, when you take everything you go through in into consideration. Elden Ring is a true masterpiece and there's no other way around it. Hard not to recommend it, especially if you are a fan of Soulsborne or open world games.
But it makes me wonder: where will the team go after achieving such a high level? Only time will tell, but I can't wait to see what's next.
The game isn't perfect, clearly, but it's very hard not to give it the full score, since it managed to fully swallow my life for around 200 hours. It basically made me stop looking at any other game and even threw me back to finish past From Software titles once again.
The graphics and art design is beyond beautiful. The lands between urges you to explore its caves, castles, mountains, underground cities and every other nook and cranny that you can (and sometimes can't) gaze your eyes upon.
Combat system is Dark Souls perfected. Everything works and flows perfectly. It's basically hitbox porn, with great movement freedom and room for improvisation. Every build is viable and the game wants you to try whatever you feel like. And it's not just the jumping that makes a difference. It's your horse and its precise movements, it's your weapon skills, your sorceries and encantations, it's the enemies, your equipment... everything!
Exploration is basically the name of the game here and there are TONS of things for you to venture yourself in at the open world of the Lands Between. It's incredible. I grew tired of open world games, but Elden Ring brought something different to the table. And it's not even anything new, it's just... tasty to relish in. The map is seriously huge and, on top of the "base quest", you can uncover hidden cities, tombs and many other places that WILL MAKE you keep seeking more. It's addictive and quite marvelous to experience.
The lore, in my opinion, is probably the highest peak of the whole package. It's insanely well written (and well voiced) and each puzzle piece fits as you progress through the main story and sidequests. NPCs are memorable, discoveries are rewarding, optional bosses and areas are perfect and the whole story is just highly compeling. George Martin and Miyazaki did a wonderful job of creating this sprawling dark world, filled with mysteries and conundrums to feast upon during your gameplay.
It all feels too good to be true, right? And sort of is, but Elden Rings' cracks start to become more visible as you lenghten your visit in this forsaken land.
The biggest problem I've come accross has to be the repetition of assets. I did have a lot of fun prowling through catacombs and open areas, but by the time I reached the Mountaintop Of the Giants, it started to get to me. And the bosses. One of Sekiro's biggest flaws, for me, was the amount of repeat bosses, even if it made sense in the story. With Elden Ring, this problem is enhanced due to its open world nature. I grew weary of fighting the same bosses over and over, even right towards the end of my journey. I know that these types of things are normal, but it hurts the experience a bit. Not to mention how unbalanced some of them are.
Other problems include how the game kinda requires you to summon spirits, some places look the same, the lack of that classic intertwined level design that From's known for, uncalled for difficulty spikes in weird places, side quests that basically yearn for a guide, among other things.
Again, these flaws were clear, but truly harmless, when you take everything you go through in into consideration. Elden Ring is a true masterpiece and there's no other way around it. Hard not to recommend it, especially if you are a fan of Soulsborne or open world games.
But it makes me wonder: where will the team go after achieving such a high level? Only time will tell, but I can't wait to see what's next.
1998
Parasite Eve is definitely a sea of great ideas that I've been meaning to dive in for a long time. After spending over 9 hours with it, I can say that it surely shines, but not as much as I hoped it would.
The story of Parasite Eve is quite mature. It's lovely to see how far a game can go when the writing is strong like this one. It takes a while to grasp everything going on, but by the end of the game I felt fulfilled.
In addition to being an elegantly well told tale, it also packs memorable characters and a great protagonist. Aya Brea is very well designed, from her style to her profile, and the fact that she's tied with the main villian (who's also quite memorable, by the way), just enhances your time with her, making her one of the main reasons why the story and setting will stick to your mind.
And it all just immerses you more and more as you go through it. Part of the reason why this game vibes so well with its theme is due to its beautiful renders, amazing environments and epic cutscenes that, while they don't hold up to today standards, they can still pack quite a punch.
On top of that you have Yoko Shimomura composing the sountrack, hitting you with beautiful, classy, intense and diverse songs that refuse to leave my mind even after the credits rolled. Indeed, a genius of video game music.
As for the core gameplay, it's a unique mix of RPG and Survival Horror. Not a perfect hybrid, but a very good one, I must say. I had a lot of fun with the combat. It's a near perfect marriage of Vagrant Story and Resident Evil 2.
And, yes, I know it sounds weird to say it, but it just works. Great enemy variety, challenging bosses, good collection of magics and tons of guns for you to manage your way to the end.
The problem with this game lies in how archaic it is.
Regardless of the time it was developed, I just felt like things should flow a bit better and, definitely, faster. Aya's movement speed is probably the worst thing in the game. She's slow when outside combat and extremely clunky during fights where mobility is key. In a game where you have to backtrack to get everything you want while taking the least amount of damage as possible, movement is essential and it just doesn't work well.
In fact, many other things doesn't work as well as it should. The gun tuning system is very rough, the UI takes a bit to get used to, for an RPG the game can be extremely short (which usually doesn't bother me, but now it somehow did), cutscenes are unskipabble and inventory management is a HUGE mess.
Why didn't they just add an item box instead of forcing a very repetitive trip back to the police department? And while the boss fights are very well done, I have to say that the final boss is an unnecessary difficulty spike. A pseudo-bullethell shooter with a toothless chase afterwards.
Parasite Eve is a pleasant and nostalgic trip back to the 90's. It works great, brings new ideas to the genre, manages to be a unique hybrid and introduces Aya Brea, with a great soundtrack to boot.
But its archaic design, slow pace clumsiness breaks part of the experience.
A great game, nonetheless. One that was stuck with me for months after I finished. I just can't fathom how clunky it can be, since it came from an era filled with wonderful RPGs.
The story of Parasite Eve is quite mature. It's lovely to see how far a game can go when the writing is strong like this one. It takes a while to grasp everything going on, but by the end of the game I felt fulfilled.
In addition to being an elegantly well told tale, it also packs memorable characters and a great protagonist. Aya Brea is very well designed, from her style to her profile, and the fact that she's tied with the main villian (who's also quite memorable, by the way), just enhances your time with her, making her one of the main reasons why the story and setting will stick to your mind.
And it all just immerses you more and more as you go through it. Part of the reason why this game vibes so well with its theme is due to its beautiful renders, amazing environments and epic cutscenes that, while they don't hold up to today standards, they can still pack quite a punch.
On top of that you have Yoko Shimomura composing the sountrack, hitting you with beautiful, classy, intense and diverse songs that refuse to leave my mind even after the credits rolled. Indeed, a genius of video game music.
As for the core gameplay, it's a unique mix of RPG and Survival Horror. Not a perfect hybrid, but a very good one, I must say. I had a lot of fun with the combat. It's a near perfect marriage of Vagrant Story and Resident Evil 2.
And, yes, I know it sounds weird to say it, but it just works. Great enemy variety, challenging bosses, good collection of magics and tons of guns for you to manage your way to the end.
The problem with this game lies in how archaic it is.
Regardless of the time it was developed, I just felt like things should flow a bit better and, definitely, faster. Aya's movement speed is probably the worst thing in the game. She's slow when outside combat and extremely clunky during fights where mobility is key. In a game where you have to backtrack to get everything you want while taking the least amount of damage as possible, movement is essential and it just doesn't work well.
In fact, many other things doesn't work as well as it should. The gun tuning system is very rough, the UI takes a bit to get used to, for an RPG the game can be extremely short (which usually doesn't bother me, but now it somehow did), cutscenes are unskipabble and inventory management is a HUGE mess.
Why didn't they just add an item box instead of forcing a very repetitive trip back to the police department? And while the boss fights are very well done, I have to say that the final boss is an unnecessary difficulty spike. A pseudo-bullethell shooter with a toothless chase afterwards.
Parasite Eve is a pleasant and nostalgic trip back to the 90's. It works great, brings new ideas to the genre, manages to be a unique hybrid and introduces Aya Brea, with a great soundtrack to boot.
But its archaic design, slow pace clumsiness breaks part of the experience.
A great game, nonetheless. One that was stuck with me for months after I finished. I just can't fathom how clunky it can be, since it came from an era filled with wonderful RPGs.
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.