it doesn't even feel like a remake of an NES game until the mother brain fight, which is extremely NES. prior to that boss, it's just nice, lean search action, but it's all downhill from there, as it transitions into the tacked on naked snake samus section, and what previously felt like a Real Metroid Game is now back on its linear Fusion bullshit, but this time with Bad Stealth.
1994
yeah it's the best one
Great Value 3D World
2023
This game wishes it was as good as Stranger of Paradise
The ultrahand ability is an apt metaphor for the game: TOTK doesn't actually fix any of the problems with BOTW, it just glues a bunch of new shit on top.
There is an incredible physics system, and they do fuck-all with it. Every non-combat shrine is a physics puzzle for babies. Their lack of trust in the player's ability to reason about a problem is genuinely insulting.
The combat system still sucks. The companion system is a total mess, and every time you get a new party member they tell you the exact same fucking story about the Imprisoning War.
The sky islands are surprisingly sparse, and the depths are just a darker, less interesting version of the main map . The temples are barely an improvement over the divine beasts, and in some ways I actually consider them a step back.
Above all else, the absolute worst thing about this game is the sheer amount of progression and quests locked behind tedious resource farming. Just awful.
Overall, a very flawed follow-up and one I had to force myself to finish. I am a Zelda Hater now
There is an incredible physics system, and they do fuck-all with it. Every non-combat shrine is a physics puzzle for babies. Their lack of trust in the player's ability to reason about a problem is genuinely insulting.
The combat system still sucks. The companion system is a total mess, and every time you get a new party member they tell you the exact same fucking story about the Imprisoning War.
The sky islands are surprisingly sparse, and the depths are just a darker, less interesting version of the main map . The temples are barely an improvement over the divine beasts, and in some ways I actually consider them a step back.
Above all else, the absolute worst thing about this game is the sheer amount of progression and quests locked behind tedious resource farming. Just awful.
Overall, a very flawed follow-up and one I had to force myself to finish. I am a Zelda Hater now
2022
this game could've been little nightmares with a cat, instead it's... whatever. interest plummeted the moment robots started talking at me.
2023
it looks like "what if intelligent qube was lemmings" and that's already a killer pitch, but then they explore a surprising breadth of ideas; through simple mechanical variations the game ranges from borderline-zachtronics thinky puzzles to stealth action and real time strategy. as is par for the course with mizuguchi-associated projects, the audio-visual-tactile experience is superb, and the puzzle design exceeded my expectations.
later chapters become less thinky-puzzley and increasingly focused on combat scenarios and free command over humans, and then both at once, which is by far the least enjoyable twist on the gameplay - it's just way too finicky, particularly with increasingly strict goldy requirements and general time pressure. fortunately, this only amounts to 2-3 levels of real frustration, and the rest of the game is an absolute delight.
later chapters become less thinky-puzzley and increasingly focused on combat scenarios and free command over humans, and then both at once, which is by far the least enjoyable twist on the gameplay - it's just way too finicky, particularly with increasingly strict goldy requirements and general time pressure. fortunately, this only amounts to 2-3 levels of real frustration, and the rest of the game is an absolute delight.
2022
it's going to be so sick when game developers find out kurosawa isn't the only japanese filmmaker
the combat is fucking horrible.
the combat is fucking horrible.
1999
metal gear bomberman but it's character action instead of stealth puzzles.
extremely unique game; as such, it's pretty uneven, and suffers for being developed prior to the dualshock, which could have enabled a much more elegant aiming system.
also the tutorial is literally a war crime. incredible
extremely unique game; as such, it's pretty uneven, and suffers for being developed prior to the dualshock, which could have enabled a much more elegant aiming system.
also the tutorial is literally a war crime. incredible
Looks far too much like Bionic Commando Rearmed to not have a grappling hook. A glaring omission.
2022
doesn't actually address any of the fundamental problems with the first game, just gives you more of it
If this game had any more core mechanics tied to a cooldown it would be an MMO
Some genuinely cool ideas for a soulslike, but also some of the worst combat I've experienced in one of these. Repetitive enemy types, none of which are fun to fight and most you can stunlock with heavy attacks. Everything is slow and clunky. Generally not that difficult except for the fact that it just feels horrible.
The age thing is cute, but I mean, Sifu did that too and that one also happens to be fun to play.
But the inventory puzzles feel a natural fit - I've always wanted Dark Souls with More Puzzle, a proper Zelda For Grownups, but aside from Tunic, nothing else's come close. Also shoutout to the clever portal hijinks which will be really fun if you never played the original Prey.
Really close to being a cool game. It's doing enough cool stuff that I powered through it for a while, but after a few bullshit deaths I just tapped out. These people have made games with good melee combat, haven't they? What happened?
The age thing is cute, but I mean, Sifu did that too and that one also happens to be fun to play.
But the inventory puzzles feel a natural fit - I've always wanted Dark Souls with More Puzzle, a proper Zelda For Grownups, but aside from Tunic, nothing else's come close. Also shoutout to the clever portal hijinks which will be really fun if you never played the original Prey.
Really close to being a cool game. It's doing enough cool stuff that I powered through it for a while, but after a few bullshit deaths I just tapped out. These people have made games with good melee combat, haven't they? What happened?
FUCK OFF TROUBLR!!!
2015
maybe the only genuinely great "lovecraftian" videogame
but man, laurence is just no fun, isn't he? like the demon of hatred in sekiro, it's a boss that makes you throw out all the things the game teaches you, almost as if to show you "see? isn't it worse this way?" - yes it is, i believe you, no need to prove it! rallying is almost impossible given the severity of his damage paired with relentless attacks and wide AOE, everything instead guides you to play carefully, patiently... and then it clips you through the boss model into his trail of lava and you get stunlocked to death. thankfully, like most of fromsoft's worst bosses, it's optional, and a reskin, so you don't feel too guilty skipping it.
but man, laurence is just no fun, isn't he? like the demon of hatred in sekiro, it's a boss that makes you throw out all the things the game teaches you, almost as if to show you "see? isn't it worse this way?" - yes it is, i believe you, no need to prove it! rallying is almost impossible given the severity of his damage paired with relentless attacks and wide AOE, everything instead guides you to play carefully, patiently... and then it clips you through the boss model into his trail of lava and you get stunlocked to death. thankfully, like most of fromsoft's worst bosses, it's optional, and a reskin, so you don't feel too guilty skipping it.