robohobo
A game I had to wait years to play through, and while it didn't totally live up to what I expected, there's still plenty to love about it.
Battles take place in real-time, with characters automatically attacking until given other commands. You can freeze the action at any time so you can stop and think about what to do, cycling through your characters and browsing your available attacks and items. It's not a bad system, though there are sometimes issues with targeting or having a character stand still after giving them a command. There are battles that will be noticeably tougher than most, even after maxing out at the game's level cap of 20, but there are ways to overcome - if good armor isn't enough, just load up on stat-boosting items, or if there's room to run away, enemies can be led away from their groups to he dealt with one-on-one. Just be sure to save often in case anything goes wrong! The variety in weapons is also nice - melee or ranged, one-handed or two-handed, there are even options for dual-wielding. Several weapons can also be customized with upgrades, as can armor, and in the case of lightsabers, you can even modify the color of their beam.
The story and worlds are where this game really shines. The game features a decent selection of worlds old and new, each one with plenty of areas to explore, all stuffed with missions and side stories to find. There are some parts that are a bit of a pain, and you likely won't look forward to repeating them if you replay for the other ending.
Likewise, some companions are more interesting than others. They all have backstories that they'll open up about bit by bit as their journey with you continues. The only real downside to them is how little they react to changes in your alignment - being cruel and uncaring will sometimes get you scolded by certain companions, but very rarely will they make mention of it otherwise until the very end of the game. This also means you can't corrupt any of your companions, which I was most disappointed to discover. At most, you can goad them into making the wrong decisions, which will net you Dark Side points.
Overall, not a bad game! Just held back by the limitations of its era, and of whatever budgetary and time constraints its developers were given. It's an entertaining, open-ended Star Wars tale and a decent RPG in its own right.
Battles take place in real-time, with characters automatically attacking until given other commands. You can freeze the action at any time so you can stop and think about what to do, cycling through your characters and browsing your available attacks and items. It's not a bad system, though there are sometimes issues with targeting or having a character stand still after giving them a command. There are battles that will be noticeably tougher than most, even after maxing out at the game's level cap of 20, but there are ways to overcome - if good armor isn't enough, just load up on stat-boosting items, or if there's room to run away, enemies can be led away from their groups to he dealt with one-on-one. Just be sure to save often in case anything goes wrong! The variety in weapons is also nice - melee or ranged, one-handed or two-handed, there are even options for dual-wielding. Several weapons can also be customized with upgrades, as can armor, and in the case of lightsabers, you can even modify the color of their beam.
The story and worlds are where this game really shines. The game features a decent selection of worlds old and new, each one with plenty of areas to explore, all stuffed with missions and side stories to find. There are some parts that are a bit of a pain, and you likely won't look forward to repeating them if you replay for the other ending.
Likewise, some companions are more interesting than others. They all have backstories that they'll open up about bit by bit as their journey with you continues. The only real downside to them is how little they react to changes in your alignment - being cruel and uncaring will sometimes get you scolded by certain companions, but very rarely will they make mention of it otherwise until the very end of the game. This also means you can't corrupt any of your companions, which I was most disappointed to discover. At most, you can goad them into making the wrong decisions, which will net you Dark Side points.
Overall, not a bad game! Just held back by the limitations of its era, and of whatever budgetary and time constraints its developers were given. It's an entertaining, open-ended Star Wars tale and a decent RPG in its own right.
2016
A decent enough stealth game with some fun mechanics. The story isn't the most engaging (in either the main campaign or the Nightfall levels), but the gameplay is what matters most here.
The levels and your skillset start off small to help you get the hang of the basics, but the maps become more open as you progress and seeking out hidden scrolls will grant you points to spend on new abilities. While I didn't find every last scroll, I found enough to unlock all the main abilities. I made good use of most of them, often trying them in different combos to avoid being found out, even later on when perfection became less of a priority.
On that note, the game offers some replay value, with medals you can earn on each level - for killing all enemies, for killing no enemies, and for not being seen. I briefly considered going back for some of these, but the mechanics were buggy enough to deter me - I'd be too annoyed to have a good run ruined by a glitched enemy reaction or not being able to teleport when I should be. Besides, the medals only unlock extra skins, so there's not much being missed.
Something to keep in mind: I'm not sure how the other versions fare, but the Switch version does start to chug a bit in certain areas, most notably in the final area of the main story.
The levels and your skillset start off small to help you get the hang of the basics, but the maps become more open as you progress and seeking out hidden scrolls will grant you points to spend on new abilities. While I didn't find every last scroll, I found enough to unlock all the main abilities. I made good use of most of them, often trying them in different combos to avoid being found out, even later on when perfection became less of a priority.
On that note, the game offers some replay value, with medals you can earn on each level - for killing all enemies, for killing no enemies, and for not being seen. I briefly considered going back for some of these, but the mechanics were buggy enough to deter me - I'd be too annoyed to have a good run ruined by a glitched enemy reaction or not being able to teleport when I should be. Besides, the medals only unlock extra skins, so there's not much being missed.
Something to keep in mind: I'm not sure how the other versions fare, but the Switch version does start to chug a bit in certain areas, most notably in the final area of the main story.
My first ever SMT game, but not the first one I've finished. As someone who never really stuck with Pokemon past the early days, I instantly fell in love with this darker take on the monster capture genre. Many of the monsters aren't as memorable (with names you're more than likely to mispronounce), but they're all beautifully detailed, and there are quite a few I've come to like. The art style and music are fantastic, with pre-rendered backgrounds and a mix of tunes that range from the most serene pieces in places of calm to some of the hardest-rocking battle themes ever to hit an RPG.
I enjoy the battle system, which has you fighting alongside your demons. Much like Resident Evil 4, you can open a menu that pauses the battle for you, allowing you some breathing room while you decide on items to use or commands to give your demons. Sometimes things can get a bit cluttered and you can lose sight of Raidou, or worse yet, get cornered by multiple demons that take turns beating on you, and sometimes you'll need to send your demons away to keep certain attacks from hitting them, but they add a bit of strategy to the mix, keeping you actively engaged in the battles instead of going on autopilot.
I also enjoyed the fusion mechanics, which not only allow you to combine two demons to make an all-new creature, but also let you sacrifice demons to strengthen others or even your sword. The only thing I dislike is that you'll often find yourself with demons that are quickly made obsolete as new fusions are made available to you. This is especially frustrating with how expensive it can be to reorder copies of previously owned demons to use in such fusions.
The story is interesting all throughout, but I will say, without any spoilers, the end falls a bit flat - beating the final boss rewards you with a very short cutscene (plus a post-credit scene) that just kind of ends. I was originally going to spend a few extra hours to grind and obtain more powerful demons, but ended up just powering through the final boss, and after seeing the end, I was glad I did. There is a New Game+ mode, which is always appreciated, and maybe one day I'll utilize it to go back and discover more secrets, but as it stands now, I've had my fill.
I enjoy the battle system, which has you fighting alongside your demons. Much like Resident Evil 4, you can open a menu that pauses the battle for you, allowing you some breathing room while you decide on items to use or commands to give your demons. Sometimes things can get a bit cluttered and you can lose sight of Raidou, or worse yet, get cornered by multiple demons that take turns beating on you, and sometimes you'll need to send your demons away to keep certain attacks from hitting them, but they add a bit of strategy to the mix, keeping you actively engaged in the battles instead of going on autopilot.
I also enjoyed the fusion mechanics, which not only allow you to combine two demons to make an all-new creature, but also let you sacrifice demons to strengthen others or even your sword. The only thing I dislike is that you'll often find yourself with demons that are quickly made obsolete as new fusions are made available to you. This is especially frustrating with how expensive it can be to reorder copies of previously owned demons to use in such fusions.
The story is interesting all throughout, but I will say, without any spoilers, the end falls a bit flat - beating the final boss rewards you with a very short cutscene (plus a post-credit scene) that just kind of ends. I was originally going to spend a few extra hours to grind and obtain more powerful demons, but ended up just powering through the final boss, and after seeing the end, I was glad I did. There is a New Game+ mode, which is always appreciated, and maybe one day I'll utilize it to go back and discover more secrets, but as it stands now, I've had my fill.
Sure it's stuffed to the gills with product placement (it's in the name, after all!) and perhaps tries a little too hard to be deep, but in the end, it's a fun game that has you alternating between throwing punches and spraying tags. Plenty of customization for your tags, a multiplayer mode to brawl with a friend, and Adam West as a bad guy - what's not to like?
A frustratingly buggy mess of a game - and yet I love it.
The weapons, the story, the freedom - this would be a 5-star game if not for how badly it messes up. But despite the glitches and crashes, I find myself wanting to go back, playing in new ways, discovering things I missed before.
If you can help it, play on PC - playing on PS3, your save file can get too big after a while, causing that save to become unplayable after a certain point.
The weapons, the story, the freedom - this would be a 5-star game if not for how badly it messes up. But despite the glitches and crashes, I find myself wanting to go back, playing in new ways, discovering things I missed before.
If you can help it, play on PC - playing on PS3, your save file can get too big after a while, causing that save to become unplayable after a certain point.
1994
As wacky and weird as you've heard, with just a dash of dark. A fun experience with a fun world to explore, hampered by limited inventory space and a few rough sections.
2003
Skip it. The game abruptly ends before it even really gets going, with a "second campaign" that just recycles what little game there is, without even adding any extra story.
2001
The series' humble beginnings - a bit rough, but by no means terrible. Story is light, but it makes up for that in atmosphere.
2008
An iconic art style, a phenomenal soundtrack, and quite possibly the greatest turn-based RPG ever made - and I was lucky enough to discover it through its best version on the DS.
The game makes good use of its time travel premise, both in story and in gameplay, characters can combine abilities to perform combo attacks, and there are so many possible endings (which I'm ashamed to say I've only gotten one so far).
The game makes good use of its time travel premise, both in story and in gameplay, characters can combine abilities to perform combo attacks, and there are so many possible endings (which I'm ashamed to say I've only gotten one so far).
2004
A fantastic Metroidvania with a surprisingly dark story and some of the most convoluted secrets in any game ever.
Be warned - if you want the best ending, you'll need nerves of steel and the patience of a saint. One of two games that made me want to throw my 3DS - I didn't do that, but I also never finished it either. That will have to wait until I get around to the Switch version.
Be warned - if you want the best ending, you'll need nerves of steel and the patience of a saint. One of two games that made me want to throw my 3DS - I didn't do that, but I also never finished it either. That will have to wait until I get around to the Switch version.
Full disclosure: I couldn't get far in Rondo of Blood. An attempt was made, but the game was far too frustrating. I may try again one day, but no promises.
On the other hand, I had a blast scouring Symphony of the Night for all it offered. It had its trickier moments without being unfair, plenty of secrets and upgrades to find, and quite possibly the world's greatest JoJo reference (and I'm not talking about the Stone Mask). And of course I can't go without mentioning the absolute banger of a soundtrack - fitting for a game with Symphony in the title.
On the other hand, I had a blast scouring Symphony of the Night for all it offered. It had its trickier moments without being unfair, plenty of secrets and upgrades to find, and quite possibly the world's greatest JoJo reference (and I'm not talking about the Stone Mask). And of course I can't go without mentioning the absolute banger of a soundtrack - fitting for a game with Symphony in the title.
My first Castlevania, as well as my first Metroidvania period. Not a bad introduction, though the game can get pretty grindy - not just for levels, but for items too, as there are no currency or shops to be found.
2006
While it could be considered Baby's First GTA, Bully very much stands on its own. The controls are more refined, melee combat is expanded, and the schoolyard weapons make for a fun replacement for the usual guns and blades. The map is smaller than most of the GTA's before it, but in some ways it's the most fun to explore.
After years of not-so-great attempts at new entries in the series, this one finally manages to get things right. Its levels are split into more manageable chunks, rather than the original's all-in-one-go approach. While the base game is pretty short, the addition of upgradeable powers gives you some replay value, and the added DLC levels and the inclusion of the original arcade game help to make it feel more complete.
1987
A platformer that stands out not only among the NES library, but games as a whole. Levels can range from straight forward to more puzzle-oriented, and the games single, looping song will either have you bopping along or slowly driven mad.