rumnikub
2021
An incredible sequel. Levels feel completely different from each other, everything is so intuitive and this is one of the best looking games I've ever played. My only real complaint is the combat, which could be better, but ends up being just fine.
Milk inside a bag of milk inside a bag of milk.
2011
Nice tiny Mario levels. Works great on the 3DS.
I've struggled with giving this game a score for a little while now. The controls are clunky, especially when riding Agro, the camera refuses to do what I tell it to, and Wander takes an infuriating amount of time to get back up when he falls or is knocked over. But in the face of everything else the game has to offer, my issues seem almost insignificant. The unforgettable battles, the outstanding soundtrack, the stunning visuals, and most importantly an invaluable lesson in morality, sacrifice, and the guilt that comes with them.
2001
This review contains spoilers
Who thought it would be a good idea to fight a dead baby? Great game though.
I have never played a Metroid game before this, the same goes for Castlevania, yet I am no stranger to the metroidvania genre, Hollow Knight being one of my favorite games of all time. Because of this, I was a bit worried that this game would feel dated or clunky but that isn't the case at all. Everything controls so smoothly and it feels rewarding just traversing these environments. The level design was a clear standout as well. It felt like I was lost in exploration for just the right amount of time while never really straying too far off course. But of course, the world design is only one half of a metroidvania so let's talk about the progression system. Holy shit I cannot believe this came out over 15 years ago because the upgrades are some of the best I've ever seen in the genre. Everything has a deeper function which makes discovering the full potential of each item so rewarding and this causes things to become so much tenser when you lose everything you've gathered throughout the game. Also, because of the item depth, this game has outstanding speedrun potential. Alright is that everything? Oh right, the music. HOLY SHIT. They knew exactly how to use this game's score to create atmosphere. This game does everything so well, and while I don't think it's better than something like the previously mentioned Hollow Knight, I really can't wait to play the rest of the Metroid games, especially the Prime series.
One last thing though, the Mother Brain fight was stroke-inducing, that is my only real complaint with this game.
One last thing though, the Mother Brain fight was stroke-inducing, that is my only real complaint with this game.
2021
No way, they put London in this?!
2021
I don't think I've ever seen another game mechanic that strikes me as so intrisically human. Letting time go by seems to be part of our nature, and Before Your Eyes manages to express this message through a level of ludonarrative harmony that few other games have been able to reach. While it may not be perfect, it's probably the most human story I've ever been told through the medium of video games.
2019
Comfort in a bottle.
This review contains spoilers
When I first started the Big Shell episode of the game, I was kinda put off, I mean it starts off pretty slow, and on top of that you're not even playing as Snake, but holy shit does stuff start getting better fast. The more I explored the Big Shell the more invested I was. Not only is it just straight up an awesome setting for a video game, but it also does a great job at showing the player just how much of a mechanical upgrade this game is from the first.
Even though I don't find Solidus as compelling as Liquid Snake, he did a pretty good job, though the real star of the show, at least when considering the 'villains', is definitely Ocelot. After getting aquainted with him in Metal Gear Solid, this game really gave him room to grow, so much so that I was second guessing everything I thought I knew about him up until the very end of the game. On the other side of the spectrum, we have the 'heroes'. It was great, of course, to see more of Snake and Otacon, and E.E. was pretty endearing, but what surprised me the most was Raiden. I wasn't really a fan in the beginning, because like I said, you're not playing as Snake, but he really managed to grow into his own character and by the end of the game I kinda wished that we would get to see more of him in future games, though as far as I know his only other appearance in in Metal Gear Rising. It's also worth noting that all of the side characters were pretty great, and I have no real complaints about the bosses, in fact the Metal Gear Ray one might be my favorite in the series, though I will say, Vamp's fight is kinda annoying.
Now, all this stuff I mentioned above is great and all, but what I'm about to talk about next is what's really the most important thing Metal Gear Solid 2 did: the ending. After having gone through it myself, I can see why people call this game timeless, and I completely understand all the praise it gets. Even just the build up alone was outstanding. The further we stray from the mission to more we start to see reality showing its cracks, and they keep adding on to each other in such a well architected manner and then the floodgates just explode wide open and we are greeted to one of the best endings I have ever seen in the video game medium.
Even though I don't find Solidus as compelling as Liquid Snake, he did a pretty good job, though the real star of the show, at least when considering the 'villains', is definitely Ocelot. After getting aquainted with him in Metal Gear Solid, this game really gave him room to grow, so much so that I was second guessing everything I thought I knew about him up until the very end of the game. On the other side of the spectrum, we have the 'heroes'. It was great, of course, to see more of Snake and Otacon, and E.E. was pretty endearing, but what surprised me the most was Raiden. I wasn't really a fan in the beginning, because like I said, you're not playing as Snake, but he really managed to grow into his own character and by the end of the game I kinda wished that we would get to see more of him in future games, though as far as I know his only other appearance in in Metal Gear Rising. It's also worth noting that all of the side characters were pretty great, and I have no real complaints about the bosses, in fact the Metal Gear Ray one might be my favorite in the series, though I will say, Vamp's fight is kinda annoying.
Now, all this stuff I mentioned above is great and all, but what I'm about to talk about next is what's really the most important thing Metal Gear Solid 2 did: the ending. After having gone through it myself, I can see why people call this game timeless, and I completely understand all the praise it gets. Even just the build up alone was outstanding. The further we stray from the mission to more we start to see reality showing its cracks, and they keep adding on to each other in such a well architected manner and then the floodgates just explode wide open and we are greeted to one of the best endings I have ever seen in the video game medium.
2005
I went into this game with pretty high expectations and came out the other side disappointed. There is just so much bullshit to this game that made it to the final cut, for real I am convinced some of this shit was never playtested. So many pace breakers, so many anti-fun mechanics, so many fucking obnoxious design decisions. Enemies are damage sponges, don't get staggered and will have no reaction to the players attacks sometimes. Kratos' dodge roll is unusable because of the recovery time, also why in the name of god is it mapped to the right joy stick. The grab mechanic is barely funcional, which is especially worrying for something they make you use so much. The "platforming" is a joke, and apparently the developers weren't in on it. The tightrope sections should be removed from the game entirely. The QTE stuff fucking sucks and the time windows are so short you almost never get them first try. The combat encounters are repetitive as all hell. There are so many of these issues littered throughout the game and I started getting sick of it after like three hours of gametime, which is about a third of the whole experience.
There's definitely a lot of depth to the combat but I never really felt the need to experiment away from the three or four combos that I learned early on. Holy shit though, did the enemies manage to combo me, not because they have interesting and extensive movesets, no, just because there are so many times throughout the game when they will just swarm you and there is nothing you can do. The magic stuff is kinda cool but they give you most of it way too early on, so there's this long point in time where you aren't given any new abilities which just feels off after having recieved like four of them back-to-back.
As for the story, well I mean, I didn't really expect much here, and I was right, it's fine, it was never trying to tell some amazing story in the first place. Don't get me wrong, it's always cool to see these new and different interpretations of Greek mythology, but there wasn't all that much to any of the characters. Athena interests me cause she feels like this mastermind playing a game of chess with all the other gods, and Ares was alright, I don't know his character design is cool at least, I do really like Kratos' backstory though, and the reason as to why his skin is grey, that shit was cool.
I know that from this review it probably sounds like I hated this game, but there was a lot that I really like too. The combat is flashy enough to be satisfying, despite my earlier complaints. The boss fights, of which there are only three, were pretty cool, especially the minotaur one. The level design was awesome, I loved looping back around to places I'd already been through by finding all these different passageways, and it even felt reminiscent to a Legend of Zelda dungeon at times. The fixed camera angle was annoying sure, but it also led to some great shots and, almost always, kept focus on the action. The set pieces were a great distraction from the repetitive gameplay loop.
There is a lot to love with this game and I totally understand why people do hold it to such high regard, the problem is that there's a lot of stupid shit that you're gonna have to fight through to see why everyone talks about this game. I am more hopeful for the second and third games, but for now this has been my reaction to the pre 2018 God of War games.
There's definitely a lot of depth to the combat but I never really felt the need to experiment away from the three or four combos that I learned early on. Holy shit though, did the enemies manage to combo me, not because they have interesting and extensive movesets, no, just because there are so many times throughout the game when they will just swarm you and there is nothing you can do. The magic stuff is kinda cool but they give you most of it way too early on, so there's this long point in time where you aren't given any new abilities which just feels off after having recieved like four of them back-to-back.
As for the story, well I mean, I didn't really expect much here, and I was right, it's fine, it was never trying to tell some amazing story in the first place. Don't get me wrong, it's always cool to see these new and different interpretations of Greek mythology, but there wasn't all that much to any of the characters. Athena interests me cause she feels like this mastermind playing a game of chess with all the other gods, and Ares was alright, I don't know his character design is cool at least, I do really like Kratos' backstory though, and the reason as to why his skin is grey, that shit was cool.
I know that from this review it probably sounds like I hated this game, but there was a lot that I really like too. The combat is flashy enough to be satisfying, despite my earlier complaints. The boss fights, of which there are only three, were pretty cool, especially the minotaur one. The level design was awesome, I loved looping back around to places I'd already been through by finding all these different passageways, and it even felt reminiscent to a Legend of Zelda dungeon at times. The fixed camera angle was annoying sure, but it also led to some great shots and, almost always, kept focus on the action. The set pieces were a great distraction from the repetitive gameplay loop.
There is a lot to love with this game and I totally understand why people do hold it to such high regard, the problem is that there's a lot of stupid shit that you're gonna have to fight through to see why everyone talks about this game. I am more hopeful for the second and third games, but for now this has been my reaction to the pre 2018 God of War games.
Okay, so this ended up meeting my expectations. I knew going into this that it was never trying to be an overly ambitious game or anything of the sort. It's been a couple years since I played the original Spider-Man, and from what I can tell this hasn't really done much to change the preexistent formula, which isn't all that bad in the first place. The web slinging and traversal feel great, the combat feels alright and the stealth, well it's there I guess. The game can't really seem to escape this loop so by the end every mission plays out sorta the same, where you swing over to the next mission spot, sneak around recklessly, cause the stealth systems let you get away with everything, and then beat a bunch of guys up. There's nothing inherently wrong with the gameplay loop, it's just kinda bland.
Speaking of the combat though, I've got a couple thoughts. Now, like I said it's been a while since I played the original game, but this didn't feel any different at all. Sure, there's all the venom power stuff, but it doesn't change it up enough to feel fresh. Most of the combat is still mashing the square button, and using the circle and triangle prompts to either dodge or sling towards an enemy. This works, but it's definitely prioritizing style over substance, which is cool cause they really do go all out when it comes to animations, especially those finisher moves. Also, while we're on the topic of the finishers, just a quick note, I really liked how the camera would always snap back to where it was when you started the animation, it just lets comabt flow easier since I don't have to constantly keep putting the camera back in place. Anyways, back to the combat, I've covered what it's like to control Miles, but that's only half of it, so let's talk about the enemies. They kinda suck. Why are there only like three different types of enemies? I don't know if that's the actual number for the enemy variety, but it sure felt that way. The only thing that makes a difference when fighting different enemies is the venom powers, which, like I said, doesn't really do much. I feel like all this bioelectricity stuff was used way more for puzzles. By the way, I don't necessarily mean that there's more variety with the puzzles, just that it's used more.
As for the story, I'm sorry I just couldn't care. Not a single one of these characters was all the interesting. I didn't care for Phin, Aaron was cool, but it feels like he was barely even used, and maybe I'd like Miles more if he stopped talking for like two seconds. For real, he has some little comment for everything, which is cool cause it shows attention to detail, but goddamn it's like every five seconds. Other than that, it's whatever. Obviously, it's gonna end up being too predictable and whatnot, and I'd be fine with that, but it just feels kinda soulless. This is probably the biggest thing that holding this game back for me. I remember there being so much emotion behind some scenes in the first game, especially towards the end, but here it almost always ends up falling pretty flat.
As for any smaller things I noticed, I'll try to speed through them because I feel like this review's getting a little long, the visuals are okay, face animations look kinda stilted sometimes, though maybe that's my fault for playing this on a base PS4, same goes for the technical issues, I only had it crash on me once, and there were a couple of glitches, nothing game breaking though, the music wasn't all that memorable, I will say I liked the track that played during the final boss though, and holy shit the sunsets looked really good.
Alright, I think that's everything. Spider-Man: Miles Morales is at it's best when you're swinging through skyscrapers at a hundred miles(pun intended) an hour as the Sun's about to go down, everything else though, ends up feeling just okay.
Speaking of the combat though, I've got a couple thoughts. Now, like I said it's been a while since I played the original game, but this didn't feel any different at all. Sure, there's all the venom power stuff, but it doesn't change it up enough to feel fresh. Most of the combat is still mashing the square button, and using the circle and triangle prompts to either dodge or sling towards an enemy. This works, but it's definitely prioritizing style over substance, which is cool cause they really do go all out when it comes to animations, especially those finisher moves. Also, while we're on the topic of the finishers, just a quick note, I really liked how the camera would always snap back to where it was when you started the animation, it just lets comabt flow easier since I don't have to constantly keep putting the camera back in place. Anyways, back to the combat, I've covered what it's like to control Miles, but that's only half of it, so let's talk about the enemies. They kinda suck. Why are there only like three different types of enemies? I don't know if that's the actual number for the enemy variety, but it sure felt that way. The only thing that makes a difference when fighting different enemies is the venom powers, which, like I said, doesn't really do much. I feel like all this bioelectricity stuff was used way more for puzzles. By the way, I don't necessarily mean that there's more variety with the puzzles, just that it's used more.
As for the story, I'm sorry I just couldn't care. Not a single one of these characters was all the interesting. I didn't care for Phin, Aaron was cool, but it feels like he was barely even used, and maybe I'd like Miles more if he stopped talking for like two seconds. For real, he has some little comment for everything, which is cool cause it shows attention to detail, but goddamn it's like every five seconds. Other than that, it's whatever. Obviously, it's gonna end up being too predictable and whatnot, and I'd be fine with that, but it just feels kinda soulless. This is probably the biggest thing that holding this game back for me. I remember there being so much emotion behind some scenes in the first game, especially towards the end, but here it almost always ends up falling pretty flat.
As for any smaller things I noticed, I'll try to speed through them because I feel like this review's getting a little long, the visuals are okay, face animations look kinda stilted sometimes, though maybe that's my fault for playing this on a base PS4, same goes for the technical issues, I only had it crash on me once, and there were a couple of glitches, nothing game breaking though, the music wasn't all that memorable, I will say I liked the track that played during the final boss though, and holy shit the sunsets looked really good.
Alright, I think that's everything. Spider-Man: Miles Morales is at it's best when you're swinging through skyscrapers at a hundred miles(pun intended) an hour as the Sun's about to go down, everything else though, ends up feeling just okay.
This review contains spoilers
I was pretty nervous going into this one, I mean, it is the 'best game of all time' after all. I kept thinking to myself that there was no way it would live up to all my expectations and all the hype. I am so glad I was wrong. Ocarina of Time is not just a spectacular game, it's one of the best games I've ever played.
From the opening moments in Kokiri Forest to the end credits I was in awe. To think that this game came out in 1998 is ridiculous. There is no game out there, other than Breath of the Wild, that is able to capture the same sense of adventure that this game does. There are so many elements working together to make everything fit and the result is such a complete experience, nothing feels half baked, nothing feels unfinished, and everything feels like it has some purpose to it.
There are gonna be two main things you'll be doing in Ocarina of Time, completing the dungeons, and exploring the overworld, I'll start with the dungeons. I loved almost every single one of these, yes, even the Water Temple. The only one I'd say that I didn't really like would be the Fire Temple, and I do have some complaints with Jabu-Jabu's Belly, but all things considered these still totally work. The Great Deku Tree is an amazing first dungeon and it makes full use of the 3D environment. Dodongo's Cavern feels like a complete change of pace but a welcome one at that. The Forest Temple is so interconnected that by the end you feel like you've just memorized the right path through a maze. I can completely understand why people who first played this on an N64 would hate the Water Temple, but in this version of the game it's great, also the Shadow Link fight is awesome. The Spirit Temple is just fucking cool and so intuitive. The Shadow Temple, well, I think that it's straight up my favorite dungeon in the game. The dungeon ending bosses were also all, with the exception of Morpha, great, I especially loved Bongo Bongo. Speaking of bosses, holy shit that final fight with Ganon is incredible, it feels so tense, not only from a gameplay point of view, but also from a narrative one, it's as if the winner of the fight would actually dictate the future of this fictional world.
As for the overworld exploration, there is just so much to do here. So many secrets to find, so many minigames to play and the dual world format of it all makes for some amazing callbacks and continuity. There are so many memorable locations which not only serve as fun areas to explore and walk around in, but also do wonders towards environmental storytelling, which happens to be another great strength of Ocarina of Time.
The game's story seems very simple on the surface, but the more you look into it the more you'll find. I'm gonna hold off on talking about the whole metaphorical side for just a second because I wanna mention some of the environmental stuff I noticed. There are so many small details littered throughout the game, definitely a bunch that I missed, my favorite example is what you need to do to get into the Shadow Temple. They don't make it explicit, but you have to make a sacrifice of your magic to get into it, which works so well since you rely on it so much during the dungeon. There are so many questions that the world presents to you as well. What is the royal family hiding at the bottom of the well in Kakariko Village? Why did Kokiri Forest remain untouched after Ganon gained power? Why have the Gerudo isolated themselves away from the rest of Hyrule? This is how you establish atmosphere in a video game. And even past all that, there is still an amazing message about what it means to grow up. When I think of the best video game endings ever, I think of NieR: Automata or Metal Gear Solid 2, and now Ocarina of Time has joined that small group. Not only is it one of the most satisfying conclusions to any story I've ever been told, it's also a perfect look back on your entire journey. At the end of your adventure, Link is sent back to the Hyrule of 7 years ago to relive his childhood, no one will ever know what the Hero of Time did, but that doesn't mean it didn't happen.
Before ending this review, I just wanted to talk about one more thing: the music. This really is that masterpiece shit. So many memorable moments were reinforced because of the score, Koji Kondo has really outdone himself with this one. Of course, the Great Fairy Fountain theme returns and it is one of my favorite pieces of music ever, so I made sure to stop by every fountain I found. Gerudo Valley is just fucking amazing, I would walk around this place just to listen to that song. Lon Lon Ranch has become, with the exception of Rosalina's Comet Observatory, my favorite song from a video game ever, I used to stop by there after every dungeon just to listen to Malon sing.
This game was so, so close to being a perfect 10 out of 10, but it just barely didn't make it, mostly because I feel like I like The Wind Waker more, and that game is currently sitting at a 9.9 out of 10, so I've decided to give Ocarina of Time the same score. I cannot stress this enough, this game is a masterpiece, and it is something that everyone who likes video games should experience.
From the opening moments in Kokiri Forest to the end credits I was in awe. To think that this game came out in 1998 is ridiculous. There is no game out there, other than Breath of the Wild, that is able to capture the same sense of adventure that this game does. There are so many elements working together to make everything fit and the result is such a complete experience, nothing feels half baked, nothing feels unfinished, and everything feels like it has some purpose to it.
There are gonna be two main things you'll be doing in Ocarina of Time, completing the dungeons, and exploring the overworld, I'll start with the dungeons. I loved almost every single one of these, yes, even the Water Temple. The only one I'd say that I didn't really like would be the Fire Temple, and I do have some complaints with Jabu-Jabu's Belly, but all things considered these still totally work. The Great Deku Tree is an amazing first dungeon and it makes full use of the 3D environment. Dodongo's Cavern feels like a complete change of pace but a welcome one at that. The Forest Temple is so interconnected that by the end you feel like you've just memorized the right path through a maze. I can completely understand why people who first played this on an N64 would hate the Water Temple, but in this version of the game it's great, also the Shadow Link fight is awesome. The Spirit Temple is just fucking cool and so intuitive. The Shadow Temple, well, I think that it's straight up my favorite dungeon in the game. The dungeon ending bosses were also all, with the exception of Morpha, great, I especially loved Bongo Bongo. Speaking of bosses, holy shit that final fight with Ganon is incredible, it feels so tense, not only from a gameplay point of view, but also from a narrative one, it's as if the winner of the fight would actually dictate the future of this fictional world.
As for the overworld exploration, there is just so much to do here. So many secrets to find, so many minigames to play and the dual world format of it all makes for some amazing callbacks and continuity. There are so many memorable locations which not only serve as fun areas to explore and walk around in, but also do wonders towards environmental storytelling, which happens to be another great strength of Ocarina of Time.
The game's story seems very simple on the surface, but the more you look into it the more you'll find. I'm gonna hold off on talking about the whole metaphorical side for just a second because I wanna mention some of the environmental stuff I noticed. There are so many small details littered throughout the game, definitely a bunch that I missed, my favorite example is what you need to do to get into the Shadow Temple. They don't make it explicit, but you have to make a sacrifice of your magic to get into it, which works so well since you rely on it so much during the dungeon. There are so many questions that the world presents to you as well. What is the royal family hiding at the bottom of the well in Kakariko Village? Why did Kokiri Forest remain untouched after Ganon gained power? Why have the Gerudo isolated themselves away from the rest of Hyrule? This is how you establish atmosphere in a video game. And even past all that, there is still an amazing message about what it means to grow up. When I think of the best video game endings ever, I think of NieR: Automata or Metal Gear Solid 2, and now Ocarina of Time has joined that small group. Not only is it one of the most satisfying conclusions to any story I've ever been told, it's also a perfect look back on your entire journey. At the end of your adventure, Link is sent back to the Hyrule of 7 years ago to relive his childhood, no one will ever know what the Hero of Time did, but that doesn't mean it didn't happen.
Before ending this review, I just wanted to talk about one more thing: the music. This really is that masterpiece shit. So many memorable moments were reinforced because of the score, Koji Kondo has really outdone himself with this one. Of course, the Great Fairy Fountain theme returns and it is one of my favorite pieces of music ever, so I made sure to stop by every fountain I found. Gerudo Valley is just fucking amazing, I would walk around this place just to listen to that song. Lon Lon Ranch has become, with the exception of Rosalina's Comet Observatory, my favorite song from a video game ever, I used to stop by there after every dungeon just to listen to Malon sing.
This game was so, so close to being a perfect 10 out of 10, but it just barely didn't make it, mostly because I feel like I like The Wind Waker more, and that game is currently sitting at a 9.9 out of 10, so I've decided to give Ocarina of Time the same score. I cannot stress this enough, this game is a masterpiece, and it is something that everyone who likes video games should experience.
This review contains spoilers
”A host of sorrows... And you are one of them. I am The Sorrow. Like you, I, too, am filled with sadness. This world is one of sadness. Battle brings death. Death brings sorrow. The living may not hear them. Their voices may fall upon deaf ears. But make no mistake, the dead are not silent.”
Oh my God. I don't think there’s anything I could say that hasn’t been said before, but I'll try my best.
What becomes immediately noticeable as soon as you gain control as Snake is that you now have full control of the camera, I cannot stress how good it feels to finally be able to do this. Don’t get me wrong, I think the fixed, bird’s eye view camera from the first two games is great, but this just feels so much more natural and like an actual step forward from a technical standpoint. I also like that the game still lets you choose between the new and the old camera angles, because it ended up being pretty helpful in some scenarios.
As for the stealth mechanics, they just keep getting better with every game. There was huge improvement from the first Metal Gear Solid to the second, and the leap to the third now is even more apparent. This shit feels like it was made today, but it came out almost two decades ago. I can’t begin to imagine what it must’ve been like to play this in 2004 when it originally came out. There are so many new ideas being thrown it, and they all feel so complete and integral to the experience the game is trying to create, nothing feels out of place or unnecessary. The camouflage system is the real standout to me. Finding all the different camo outfits was always a joy, and then getting to actually use them in important moments made exploration that much more meaningful and important. I remember always trying to find what position or location I could get Snake in to get the highest camouflage percentage. Having enemies come super close to you and just barely not find you because of that new suit you just got is also incredibly satisfying and it makes me wish more games did this nowadays. Also, I can’t prove it, but this feels like the game that invented going prone in tall grass, so congratulations to Metal Gear Solid 3 for inventing a trope that is in literally every AAA game nowadays. You’d think that this would mean that I wouldn’t enjoy the feature, but no, because it makes total sense in this game, and it’s actually properly implemented, unlike what a lot of games are doing today.
Another new stealth mechanic that I thought was a great addition was how the silencers are handled. The previous Metal Gear games also made use of them, but not like this. The change that was made here was that your suppressors have a durability meter now. This is amazing. It creates interesting scenarios where you have to make these on the fly decisions on whether to take the safe way out, by shooting the guards nearby, or the more dangerous way out, by trying to sneak by without using any guns. This freedom to your approach is what made me fall in love with the gameplay loop of the original Metal Gear Solid and it’s so amazing to see all these old systems and mechanics evolve over time.
While I love seeing all these improvements off the foundations the first two games laid, I also loved the new mechanics the game introduced. The survival aspect of the game is a lot of fun, and it makes for an interesting secondary gameplay loop. Hunting down the different animals, sneaking past a pack of sleeping crocodiles, and having to find the right medicines or surgery equipment to heal yourself is awesome. It’s amazing how well the CQC stuff was implemented into this as well, after all, in the jungle, sometimes it's better to use a knife than a gun.
The level design, both in the more open forest areas, and the walled off laboratory settings, has seen an amazing improvement. I talked about how cool the Big Shell was in Metal Gear Solid 2 but this shit is on another level. Crawling through tunnels and caves, slowly walking through a foggy, shallow lake full of crocodiles, always having alternate routes in each location, making use of the verticality of every area, this is all outstanding. I can’t think of a single location I didn’t like, they all felt like they had the same amount of care and polish given to them. Also, it’s worth noting that areas all feel very distinct from one another. They have similarities that reassure the player that these are all situated in the same general location, but they each have their own identity, which is really difficult to pull off.
Now then, even though all these new and evolved mechanics feel incredible, and so perfectly balanced, they actually weren’t my favorite aspect of the game, so let’s talk about the story.
Every single one of these characters is spectacular. Of course Snake has returned as the protagonist, but he’s different. Of course, with the game taking place before any other the other Metal Gear games, this is not the man we know from Shadow Moses or the Big Shell. Seeing him have to choose between his own morals and the mission objective is genuinely saddening and frustrating. You and Snake both know what you have to do, but neither of you want to do it.
Unlike previous games, there are very few friendly faces. Eva is great, and the entire reveal at the end had me in shock(though there was one other reveal later on that got me even more, but I’ll get to that in a second), and it was always fun to have her interacting with Snake. Even though she was always super light hearted and loved messing with Snake, when she got stabbed I honestly thought this person was going to die and that I had to get her to safety as soon as possible. The Major and Sigint were also great but I really loved Para-Medic. Hearing her ask Snake about movies when this man has clearly never been inside a cinema was never not funny and endearing.
The villains were also great. The Cobras were all interesting, and their boss battles all so unique, really selling how each of them specialized in different aspects of warfare. I wanna give a special shout out to The End, this is exactly what a boss fight against a sniper should feel like, tracking each other down always with the rising tension that he’ll spot you before you spot him. Volgin is also pretty cool, he feels like he’s just strong enough where he’s threatening, but also impatient enough where somebody could take advantage and double cross him and you’re left wondering when it’s going to happen. There’s also The Sorrow, I’m not completely sure whether he still counts as one of the Cobras given his situation, but regardless his boss fight had so much anticipation and build up and when we finally get there it is incredible. This battle is a ludonarrative treasure. Not only does it make you reflect on your actions throughout the entire game, not only does it do it without you even knowing, but it does it through fucking gameplay. This shit is ludicrous. Also, leave it to Kojima to add a little fourth wall breaking, fucking brilliant.
There are two more characters who I haven’t talked about yet, and anyone who has played the game will know exactly who. I’ll start off with Ocelot. He has been in every game so far but this is the most compelling he’s ever been. I don’t know how the fuck Kojima managed to one up himself from Metal Gear Solid 2 Ocelot, but he did. He’s just so interesting, and just like Snake, you can tell he’s sort of new to all this war stuff. The final showdown with him at the end is also one of my favorite parts of the game, and him telling Snake that he won’t forget his name is so cool when you know what they’ll mean to each other in the future. Also, about that reveal I was talking about earlier, HOLY SHIT that phone call with Ocelot after the credits rolled, what the fuck Kojima, you genius!
In the end, there is one more character I want to discuss: The Boss. She is one of the most interesting characters I have ever seen in a video game. I'm not even sure I should call her a villain. She commands every scene she’s in, she feels like the greatest threat we’ve ever had to deal with, but she also creates this immense sense of sympathy. Her fight at the end is my favorite in the entire game. A field of white flowers, an invisible timer, and no music to push you forward. The game is screaming at you to not kill her, but at this point we know we have to. You can try to avoid her all you want, but, slowly, the Snake Eater theme starts to play, letting you know that by the time the song has finished she must be dead. You get to hear her final words, and then the game makes you pull the trigger yourself, after all, ”One must die, and one must live”.
Metal Gear Solid 3 is not only one of the most important games ever made, it’s not only one of my favorite games ever, it is the perfect Metal Gear game.
Oh my God. I don't think there’s anything I could say that hasn’t been said before, but I'll try my best.
What becomes immediately noticeable as soon as you gain control as Snake is that you now have full control of the camera, I cannot stress how good it feels to finally be able to do this. Don’t get me wrong, I think the fixed, bird’s eye view camera from the first two games is great, but this just feels so much more natural and like an actual step forward from a technical standpoint. I also like that the game still lets you choose between the new and the old camera angles, because it ended up being pretty helpful in some scenarios.
As for the stealth mechanics, they just keep getting better with every game. There was huge improvement from the first Metal Gear Solid to the second, and the leap to the third now is even more apparent. This shit feels like it was made today, but it came out almost two decades ago. I can’t begin to imagine what it must’ve been like to play this in 2004 when it originally came out. There are so many new ideas being thrown it, and they all feel so complete and integral to the experience the game is trying to create, nothing feels out of place or unnecessary. The camouflage system is the real standout to me. Finding all the different camo outfits was always a joy, and then getting to actually use them in important moments made exploration that much more meaningful and important. I remember always trying to find what position or location I could get Snake in to get the highest camouflage percentage. Having enemies come super close to you and just barely not find you because of that new suit you just got is also incredibly satisfying and it makes me wish more games did this nowadays. Also, I can’t prove it, but this feels like the game that invented going prone in tall grass, so congratulations to Metal Gear Solid 3 for inventing a trope that is in literally every AAA game nowadays. You’d think that this would mean that I wouldn’t enjoy the feature, but no, because it makes total sense in this game, and it’s actually properly implemented, unlike what a lot of games are doing today.
Another new stealth mechanic that I thought was a great addition was how the silencers are handled. The previous Metal Gear games also made use of them, but not like this. The change that was made here was that your suppressors have a durability meter now. This is amazing. It creates interesting scenarios where you have to make these on the fly decisions on whether to take the safe way out, by shooting the guards nearby, or the more dangerous way out, by trying to sneak by without using any guns. This freedom to your approach is what made me fall in love with the gameplay loop of the original Metal Gear Solid and it’s so amazing to see all these old systems and mechanics evolve over time.
While I love seeing all these improvements off the foundations the first two games laid, I also loved the new mechanics the game introduced. The survival aspect of the game is a lot of fun, and it makes for an interesting secondary gameplay loop. Hunting down the different animals, sneaking past a pack of sleeping crocodiles, and having to find the right medicines or surgery equipment to heal yourself is awesome. It’s amazing how well the CQC stuff was implemented into this as well, after all, in the jungle, sometimes it's better to use a knife than a gun.
The level design, both in the more open forest areas, and the walled off laboratory settings, has seen an amazing improvement. I talked about how cool the Big Shell was in Metal Gear Solid 2 but this shit is on another level. Crawling through tunnels and caves, slowly walking through a foggy, shallow lake full of crocodiles, always having alternate routes in each location, making use of the verticality of every area, this is all outstanding. I can’t think of a single location I didn’t like, they all felt like they had the same amount of care and polish given to them. Also, it’s worth noting that areas all feel very distinct from one another. They have similarities that reassure the player that these are all situated in the same general location, but they each have their own identity, which is really difficult to pull off.
Now then, even though all these new and evolved mechanics feel incredible, and so perfectly balanced, they actually weren’t my favorite aspect of the game, so let’s talk about the story.
Every single one of these characters is spectacular. Of course Snake has returned as the protagonist, but he’s different. Of course, with the game taking place before any other the other Metal Gear games, this is not the man we know from Shadow Moses or the Big Shell. Seeing him have to choose between his own morals and the mission objective is genuinely saddening and frustrating. You and Snake both know what you have to do, but neither of you want to do it.
Unlike previous games, there are very few friendly faces. Eva is great, and the entire reveal at the end had me in shock(though there was one other reveal later on that got me even more, but I’ll get to that in a second), and it was always fun to have her interacting with Snake. Even though she was always super light hearted and loved messing with Snake, when she got stabbed I honestly thought this person was going to die and that I had to get her to safety as soon as possible. The Major and Sigint were also great but I really loved Para-Medic. Hearing her ask Snake about movies when this man has clearly never been inside a cinema was never not funny and endearing.
The villains were also great. The Cobras were all interesting, and their boss battles all so unique, really selling how each of them specialized in different aspects of warfare. I wanna give a special shout out to The End, this is exactly what a boss fight against a sniper should feel like, tracking each other down always with the rising tension that he’ll spot you before you spot him. Volgin is also pretty cool, he feels like he’s just strong enough where he’s threatening, but also impatient enough where somebody could take advantage and double cross him and you’re left wondering when it’s going to happen. There’s also The Sorrow, I’m not completely sure whether he still counts as one of the Cobras given his situation, but regardless his boss fight had so much anticipation and build up and when we finally get there it is incredible. This battle is a ludonarrative treasure. Not only does it make you reflect on your actions throughout the entire game, not only does it do it without you even knowing, but it does it through fucking gameplay. This shit is ludicrous. Also, leave it to Kojima to add a little fourth wall breaking, fucking brilliant.
There are two more characters who I haven’t talked about yet, and anyone who has played the game will know exactly who. I’ll start off with Ocelot. He has been in every game so far but this is the most compelling he’s ever been. I don’t know how the fuck Kojima managed to one up himself from Metal Gear Solid 2 Ocelot, but he did. He’s just so interesting, and just like Snake, you can tell he’s sort of new to all this war stuff. The final showdown with him at the end is also one of my favorite parts of the game, and him telling Snake that he won’t forget his name is so cool when you know what they’ll mean to each other in the future. Also, about that reveal I was talking about earlier, HOLY SHIT that phone call with Ocelot after the credits rolled, what the fuck Kojima, you genius!
In the end, there is one more character I want to discuss: The Boss. She is one of the most interesting characters I have ever seen in a video game. I'm not even sure I should call her a villain. She commands every scene she’s in, she feels like the greatest threat we’ve ever had to deal with, but she also creates this immense sense of sympathy. Her fight at the end is my favorite in the entire game. A field of white flowers, an invisible timer, and no music to push you forward. The game is screaming at you to not kill her, but at this point we know we have to. You can try to avoid her all you want, but, slowly, the Snake Eater theme starts to play, letting you know that by the time the song has finished she must be dead. You get to hear her final words, and then the game makes you pull the trigger yourself, after all, ”One must die, and one must live”.
Metal Gear Solid 3 is not only one of the most important games ever made, it’s not only one of my favorite games ever, it is the perfect Metal Gear game.
2010
This review contains spoilers
John Marston is one of the most compelling video game protagonists I have ever played as. I say this, not because he is someone interesting to analyze, like Silent Hill 2's James Sunderland, or because he is some unstoppable badass like Master Chief or Kratos, but instead because he feels real. Marston feels like a product of the world he lives in. He may just be one of the most grounded characters in a game ever. It feels like there could have been people, a hundred years ago, that lived very similar lives to John, and the game's narrative benefits immensely from this. There is so much personality behind him, he's a genuinely interesting person. Seeing his story arc wrap up is all at once endearing and saddening. It makes the journey of Red Dead Redemption feel worth it.
Throughout said journey you and John will undertake a whole bunch of missions, and here comes my biggest concern with the game: it is repetitive. Pretty much every mission will play out the same, where you'll have to run to some corner of the map, get in a shootout, loot some dead bodies, and then ride back to wherever you received your assignment. There are way too many trailing missions and way too much mindless shooting, but, at the end of the day, it's pretty fun. Shooting is always satisfying and precise enough to keep you going. Deadeye is also fucking amazing, this has to be one of the best shooting mechanics in any game out there. There are good ideas at play, but I just really wish there were some more variety.
The open world is fine, a lot of it is just empty desert, and there's almost no verticality to it, which sucks because there are a lot of large rocks and hills that you can't climb, but they're still there, taunting you. What Rockstar has done really well with this space, however, were the towns. You can walk into pretty much every building you encounter and there'll be some people talking about their day or playing poker, which really helps to add atmosphere to the experience. But unfortunately, that's about all there is to explore. I never really felt compelled to go anywhere because the rewards never felt worth the time I spent exploring, so the world ultimately ends up feeling kinda flat and like it's just there for the sake of being an open world. I should mention though, that this absolutely works from a thematic standpoint, because it really helps to drive home the sense of loneliness and isolation.
The open nature of the world does cause another problem though, in the form of conflicting structures. What I mean by this is that while the overworld is completely free and you can go wherever you like, the mission structure is painfully linear. Rockstar wants you to go through these missions the way they want you to go through them. There is barely any room for creative styles of play and players have essentially no agency, which causes a lot of mental whiplash when you're bouncing from freedom to restriction at this rate.
Before talking about the game's ending, there was one more aspect of the game that I thought was incredible: Dutch van der Linde. He is a spectacular villain and hearing his final words at the top of the mountain may just be one of my favorite moments from a video game ever. Hearing him say he "has a plan" is heartbreaking, especially after having played Red Dead Redemption 2. Their times really have ended.
As for the ending, there was no other way it could've gone. You can fight all you want but sometimes it's just too much. After you finally get everything you wanted, they take it all away again. Rockstar gives you just the right amount of missions to make you feel like everything will be okay, and then John is killed. In what is one of the most famous video game scenes ever Marston, hopelessly, takes on maybe 20 men, and falls to the ground. Getting to play as Jack in the epilogue for one final mission to avenge John, to finish it once and for all, is great, and it brings the story of Red Dead Redemption to a proud end.
Throughout said journey you and John will undertake a whole bunch of missions, and here comes my biggest concern with the game: it is repetitive. Pretty much every mission will play out the same, where you'll have to run to some corner of the map, get in a shootout, loot some dead bodies, and then ride back to wherever you received your assignment. There are way too many trailing missions and way too much mindless shooting, but, at the end of the day, it's pretty fun. Shooting is always satisfying and precise enough to keep you going. Deadeye is also fucking amazing, this has to be one of the best shooting mechanics in any game out there. There are good ideas at play, but I just really wish there were some more variety.
The open world is fine, a lot of it is just empty desert, and there's almost no verticality to it, which sucks because there are a lot of large rocks and hills that you can't climb, but they're still there, taunting you. What Rockstar has done really well with this space, however, were the towns. You can walk into pretty much every building you encounter and there'll be some people talking about their day or playing poker, which really helps to add atmosphere to the experience. But unfortunately, that's about all there is to explore. I never really felt compelled to go anywhere because the rewards never felt worth the time I spent exploring, so the world ultimately ends up feeling kinda flat and like it's just there for the sake of being an open world. I should mention though, that this absolutely works from a thematic standpoint, because it really helps to drive home the sense of loneliness and isolation.
The open nature of the world does cause another problem though, in the form of conflicting structures. What I mean by this is that while the overworld is completely free and you can go wherever you like, the mission structure is painfully linear. Rockstar wants you to go through these missions the way they want you to go through them. There is barely any room for creative styles of play and players have essentially no agency, which causes a lot of mental whiplash when you're bouncing from freedom to restriction at this rate.
Before talking about the game's ending, there was one more aspect of the game that I thought was incredible: Dutch van der Linde. He is a spectacular villain and hearing his final words at the top of the mountain may just be one of my favorite moments from a video game ever. Hearing him say he "has a plan" is heartbreaking, especially after having played Red Dead Redemption 2. Their times really have ended.
As for the ending, there was no other way it could've gone. You can fight all you want but sometimes it's just too much. After you finally get everything you wanted, they take it all away again. Rockstar gives you just the right amount of missions to make you feel like everything will be okay, and then John is killed. In what is one of the most famous video game scenes ever Marston, hopelessly, takes on maybe 20 men, and falls to the ground. Getting to play as Jack in the epilogue for one final mission to avenge John, to finish it once and for all, is great, and it brings the story of Red Dead Redemption to a proud end.