sadisticservant
2018
I've never played any of the previous God of War games before, nor was I really interested in playing this one. However, after seeing it being sold for a bargain bin price, I decided to try it out and was pleasantly surprised with the journey it takes you.
From the very first moment I got to take control of the game, I was immediately taken aback by its graphics. Every single area of the screen is filled with stunning and careful detail, making it very easy to be immersed in the world of God of War. The best part of it all, the detailed graphics don't even hamper the loading speed at all!
The combat is also quite excellent, providing a challenging difficulty that's hard to master while also being accessible, without it requiring a demanding well-timed action. Normally, in these types of games, I would just button-mash my way through the fights, but the accessibility really made me feel like I was in control.
The one thing that I was looking forward to experiencing the most though was its story. Almost every single video I watched considers this game to be a storytelling masterpiece, unfortunately, I didn't quite have the same reaction as others. I actually found it quite simple, but simplicity doesn't necessarily mean bad.
I really loved the way it portrays the relationship of Kratos and his son Atreus and the way they develop throughout the course of the journey. I also found Atreus to be such a precious companion to the story and a very helpful character during gameplay.
The thing I really didn't like about the game though was the repetitiveness of the gameplay loop. It felt like there weren't really a lot of things to do aside from fighting bad guys. The amount of backtracking also made the pacing quite slow in some instances.
Even with some of its issues though, it still does make me want to play previous God of War entries, despite being completely different from this one, I'm definitely most excited about 2018's sequel, Ragnarok!
From the very first moment I got to take control of the game, I was immediately taken aback by its graphics. Every single area of the screen is filled with stunning and careful detail, making it very easy to be immersed in the world of God of War. The best part of it all, the detailed graphics don't even hamper the loading speed at all!
The combat is also quite excellent, providing a challenging difficulty that's hard to master while also being accessible, without it requiring a demanding well-timed action. Normally, in these types of games, I would just button-mash my way through the fights, but the accessibility really made me feel like I was in control.
The one thing that I was looking forward to experiencing the most though was its story. Almost every single video I watched considers this game to be a storytelling masterpiece, unfortunately, I didn't quite have the same reaction as others. I actually found it quite simple, but simplicity doesn't necessarily mean bad.
I really loved the way it portrays the relationship of Kratos and his son Atreus and the way they develop throughout the course of the journey. I also found Atreus to be such a precious companion to the story and a very helpful character during gameplay.
The thing I really didn't like about the game though was the repetitiveness of the gameplay loop. It felt like there weren't really a lot of things to do aside from fighting bad guys. The amount of backtracking also made the pacing quite slow in some instances.
Even with some of its issues though, it still does make me want to play previous God of War entries, despite being completely different from this one, I'm definitely most excited about 2018's sequel, Ragnarok!
The original Final Fantasy VII is considered one of the greatest video games ever made, so this remake had a lot to live up to. I myself never really played the 1997 original, so I have zero nostalgia going into this remake, although I did play the demo for it, and I found myself so completely hooked that I bought the game immediately.
Final Fantasy VII Remake is such a massive game that I don't even know where to begin with this review! The combat is quick and flashy, with never a dull moment, even in the simplest encounters.
I also found the game's cast of characters to be quite memorable and endearing, making me really engaged with the massive story that the game is trying to tell.
Don't even get me started with the game's graphics. The game looks incredibly beautiful, from the character models, to the particle effects and lighting. I actually think the in-game characters look so much better than the CG cutscenes! Unfortunately, though, the game does suffer from a few texture and character pop-ins, which break the immersion.
Also, it feels as though much of the music that plays during story moments doesn't really fit in with the mood of the cutscene, as it sticks out like a sore thumb.
Also, speaking of something that sticks out like a sore thumb, the NPCs that roam many of the various districts. All of them look bland and feel like they don't belong in the aesthetic of the game. Sure, this may seem like just a minor nitpick, but it really does ruin the immersion, much more so than the texture pop-ins.
What's worse is that the side quests given by these NPCs are also quite terrible, ranging from simple fetch quests to padded-out interactions with the boring characters. The game also suffers severely from pacing. Just when the story calls for something urgent, the game always finds a way to stretch out your path, basically killing the sense of urgency. There's simply nothing worse than finally having an encounter with one of the game's infamous big bad only to then be put in an almost hour and a half-long filler area where all you do is fight enemies.
The game really didn't need to be 30+ hours long; maybe if they'd cut about 10 hours worth of filler content, then I would have scored this game higher. It's a shame because I really loved the characters and combat. Hopefully, the upcoming sequel to the remake will find a way to fix this pacing issue.
Final Fantasy VII Remake is such a massive game that I don't even know where to begin with this review! The combat is quick and flashy, with never a dull moment, even in the simplest encounters.
I also found the game's cast of characters to be quite memorable and endearing, making me really engaged with the massive story that the game is trying to tell.
Don't even get me started with the game's graphics. The game looks incredibly beautiful, from the character models, to the particle effects and lighting. I actually think the in-game characters look so much better than the CG cutscenes! Unfortunately, though, the game does suffer from a few texture and character pop-ins, which break the immersion.
Also, it feels as though much of the music that plays during story moments doesn't really fit in with the mood of the cutscene, as it sticks out like a sore thumb.
Also, speaking of something that sticks out like a sore thumb, the NPCs that roam many of the various districts. All of them look bland and feel like they don't belong in the aesthetic of the game. Sure, this may seem like just a minor nitpick, but it really does ruin the immersion, much more so than the texture pop-ins.
What's worse is that the side quests given by these NPCs are also quite terrible, ranging from simple fetch quests to padded-out interactions with the boring characters. The game also suffers severely from pacing. Just when the story calls for something urgent, the game always finds a way to stretch out your path, basically killing the sense of urgency. There's simply nothing worse than finally having an encounter with one of the game's infamous big bad only to then be put in an almost hour and a half-long filler area where all you do is fight enemies.
The game really didn't need to be 30+ hours long; maybe if they'd cut about 10 hours worth of filler content, then I would have scored this game higher. It's a shame because I really loved the characters and combat. Hopefully, the upcoming sequel to the remake will find a way to fix this pacing issue.
While the first MGS game may be considered as the better game for many, I actually vastly prefer MGS 2.
The gameplay has seen some additional quality improvement, especially with the inclusion of first person aiming, and there's also fewer frustrating creative decisions in the game that makes playing it incredibly fun and tense.
One thing that I think the first game did better though was its story and characters. There's fewer and shorter cutscenes here, instead, the game prefers using codec calls when it comes to telling its story. Sometimes, this often feels like a cheap and lazy way of telling the story as the character still uses codec calls despite being in the same room as each other. As for the characters, Raiden is just isn't as badass as Solid Snake, and the bosses are nowhere near as intriguing as from the first game. However, their enccentric traits does go along way in making them memorable. With Fortune being my personal favorite due to her melodrama.
And ugh, that ending theme slaps though.
The gameplay has seen some additional quality improvement, especially with the inclusion of first person aiming, and there's also fewer frustrating creative decisions in the game that makes playing it incredibly fun and tense.
One thing that I think the first game did better though was its story and characters. There's fewer and shorter cutscenes here, instead, the game prefers using codec calls when it comes to telling its story. Sometimes, this often feels like a cheap and lazy way of telling the story as the character still uses codec calls despite being in the same room as each other. As for the characters, Raiden is just isn't as badass as Solid Snake, and the bosses are nowhere near as intriguing as from the first game. However, their enccentric traits does go along way in making them memorable. With Fortune being my personal favorite due to her melodrama.
And ugh, that ending theme slaps though.
Doki Doki Literature Club is one of those special games that's just hard to forget. It expertly blends cuteness with depressing horror, creating one of the most shocking and creative narratives in the genre.
Although, on the surface, it looks like any other dating visual novel game, it doesn't take long for it to show its secrets. Every single twists for both the narrative and characters is heartbreaking and completely unexpected. Even if you already knew the twist, like me, it still manages to caught me by surprise.
I also love how each of the four characters has their own distinct personality and writing style, which makes them all the more endearing. Simply reading these poems alone already makes the game worth playing, as the script was written so well that you could really feel the passion behind them.
If I could recommend a version to play though, I would definitely pick the original free version as this expansion does make a few changes that are, quite honestly, downgrade and even immersion breaking.
Despite it though, Doki Doki Literature Club remains one of the best and most original horror games of the modern generation. It's one that even those who aren't into cutesy aesthetics should still try to play.
Although, on the surface, it looks like any other dating visual novel game, it doesn't take long for it to show its secrets. Every single twists for both the narrative and characters is heartbreaking and completely unexpected. Even if you already knew the twist, like me, it still manages to caught me by surprise.
I also love how each of the four characters has their own distinct personality and writing style, which makes them all the more endearing. Simply reading these poems alone already makes the game worth playing, as the script was written so well that you could really feel the passion behind them.
If I could recommend a version to play though, I would definitely pick the original free version as this expansion does make a few changes that are, quite honestly, downgrade and even immersion breaking.
Despite it though, Doki Doki Literature Club remains one of the best and most original horror games of the modern generation. It's one that even those who aren't into cutesy aesthetics should still try to play.
2019
While I've never really been good at fighting games, I've always been interested in playing them. Mortal Kombat 11 is a game that I decided to try out, and I was surprised just how different it was compared to other fighting games that I've played so far.
MK 11 is my introduction to the franchise, and from start to finish, I was engaged with its story and characters, despite it not being an easy entry to get into for newcomers. It's fighting system was also something that took me a while to actually get the hang of due to its complexity and variety of options.
What turned me off about the game, though, was its Nintendo Switch port. It's a port so terrible that it makes an incredible game such an unbearable experience.
From its menus alone, everything was such a slog to go through, as everything controlled and moved at such a snail's pace. The visuals doesn't fare much better either, with its pixelated visuals that's such a sight for sore eyes.
I would have loved to experience Mortal Kombat 11 once again for the first time, but not on the Nintendo Switch.
MK 11 is my introduction to the franchise, and from start to finish, I was engaged with its story and characters, despite it not being an easy entry to get into for newcomers. It's fighting system was also something that took me a while to actually get the hang of due to its complexity and variety of options.
What turned me off about the game, though, was its Nintendo Switch port. It's a port so terrible that it makes an incredible game such an unbearable experience.
From its menus alone, everything was such a slog to go through, as everything controlled and moved at such a snail's pace. The visuals doesn't fare much better either, with its pixelated visuals that's such a sight for sore eyes.
I would have loved to experience Mortal Kombat 11 once again for the first time, but not on the Nintendo Switch.
2012
The DMC franchise has always been considered by many as one of the top action games of all time, and this first outing, while a bit rough around the edges, certainly delivers on high octane action.
The combat is both flashy and satisfying. Stringing together many combos to achieve an S rank is ever so addicting, and the same goes for the game's missions.
I wouldn't be lying if I said that this game managed to creep me out. The game just has this incredible atmosphere made even better by its gothic setting and creepy enemy designs. As for Dante, he's a really cool protagonist though he's not reached yet the same level of "coolness" as his newer iterations.
The game does stumble a bit during its latter half as it recycles many bosses and locations. The platforming is also a futile inclusion that highly clashes with the fixed camera angles.
The combat is both flashy and satisfying. Stringing together many combos to achieve an S rank is ever so addicting, and the same goes for the game's missions.
I wouldn't be lying if I said that this game managed to creep me out. The game just has this incredible atmosphere made even better by its gothic setting and creepy enemy designs. As for Dante, he's a really cool protagonist though he's not reached yet the same level of "coolness" as his newer iterations.
The game does stumble a bit during its latter half as it recycles many bosses and locations. The platforming is also a futile inclusion that highly clashes with the fixed camera angles.
Considered by many to be not only one of the best Resident Evil games, but also one of THE best video games of all time, Resident Evil 4 brings the iconic franchise to a new territory, one that is filled with tension and bombastic action that remains a golden standard in the genre.
This incredible sequel brought so many features and improvements to the table, from overhauling the traditional combat and enemies of the franchise, turning the horror atmosphere into action, and so much more!
There are just so many things to love about this entry! One thing that robs it out of a perfect star, however, is the terrible port that does nothing to improve upon the graphics despite the name "Ultimate HD Edition" and a poor performance that often makes it feel like you're playing the game in slow motion.
This incredible sequel brought so many features and improvements to the table, from overhauling the traditional combat and enemies of the franchise, turning the horror atmosphere into action, and so much more!
There are just so many things to love about this entry! One thing that robs it out of a perfect star, however, is the terrible port that does nothing to improve upon the graphics despite the name "Ultimate HD Edition" and a poor performance that often makes it feel like you're playing the game in slow motion.
2013
A few months ago, I finished Tomb Raider: Legends, a reboot that aimed to modernize the classic franchise. Although it did receive two sequels, I didn't find Legends to be all that great for me to return to its world.
However, after finishing the Uncharted trilogy, and ending up loving it, it did get me in the mood to play this 2013 reboot. After all, the reboot trilogy and the Uncharted trilogy are often compared to each other.
I did play this game before, a few years back, and I remember loving every moment of it, so much that I even considered this to be in my Top 10 games of all time. And it makes me happy that even all these years, the game remains a delight to experience.
If Uncharted may be presented as a Hollywood blockbuster action, Tomb Raider on the other hand is a suspenseful thriller with a hint of horror in between. Delivering so many jaw-dropping moments that I will never forget anytime soon. Especially those horror-esque moments, those really made me wish they'd make a horror-centric Tomb Raider game in the future.
Controlling Lara felt just as great as it did before. While she may be a bit floaty compared to Nathan Drake, it does go a long way towards making the platforming so much more enjoyable, removing the fear of making many blind jumps.
The level design of this game is also a commendable feat, as it manages to provide an open playground for you to explore, made even better by the fact that they all connect to each other, even if some optional path may only lead to meaningless rewards.
It's a shame though that the tombs, if you could even call them that, are so brief to the point that it would often surprise me when it was already over. It was like a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment. This also applies to the boss encounters of the game, as it lacks variety and is often almost over in an instant.
I would have also loved to experience the multiplayer mode of the game, as I also remember loving it before, but it seems as though the server may now be dead.
While I do vastly prefer this gritty reboot of Lara's adventure to Uncharted's first entry, it's also quite difficult to turn a blind eye to some of its missteps, robbing it out of a perfect star.
However, after finishing the Uncharted trilogy, and ending up loving it, it did get me in the mood to play this 2013 reboot. After all, the reboot trilogy and the Uncharted trilogy are often compared to each other.
I did play this game before, a few years back, and I remember loving every moment of it, so much that I even considered this to be in my Top 10 games of all time. And it makes me happy that even all these years, the game remains a delight to experience.
If Uncharted may be presented as a Hollywood blockbuster action, Tomb Raider on the other hand is a suspenseful thriller with a hint of horror in between. Delivering so many jaw-dropping moments that I will never forget anytime soon. Especially those horror-esque moments, those really made me wish they'd make a horror-centric Tomb Raider game in the future.
Controlling Lara felt just as great as it did before. While she may be a bit floaty compared to Nathan Drake, it does go a long way towards making the platforming so much more enjoyable, removing the fear of making many blind jumps.
The level design of this game is also a commendable feat, as it manages to provide an open playground for you to explore, made even better by the fact that they all connect to each other, even if some optional path may only lead to meaningless rewards.
It's a shame though that the tombs, if you could even call them that, are so brief to the point that it would often surprise me when it was already over. It was like a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment. This also applies to the boss encounters of the game, as it lacks variety and is often almost over in an instant.
I would have also loved to experience the multiplayer mode of the game, as I also remember loving it before, but it seems as though the server may now be dead.
While I do vastly prefer this gritty reboot of Lara's adventure to Uncharted's first entry, it's also quite difficult to turn a blind eye to some of its missteps, robbing it out of a perfect star.
Naughty Dog is one of the most prolific developers of all time, with such classics dating back to 1996. In 2007, we were introduced to one of the most charismatic raiders in gaming, Nathan Drake, in his debut, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune.
A game so intense and beautiful that I immediately fell in love with it. From its story that feels like you're watching a blockbuster film, and endearing trio of characters, to its grandiose yet challenging combat, there's simply way too many things to love about this game.
And although the encounters with some of the adversaries can be a bit repetitive due to their numbers that often feels like the fight just never ends, the gameplay was simply way too stellar to look past this minor issue. Not to mention how the game plays relatively the same as the two Tomb Raider reboot games, making it easy for me to get a hold of the game's mechanics.
And despite the game's age, it still looks incredible, especially with this remaster!
Uncharted hooked me from start to finish, and I can't wait to play its sequels.
A game so intense and beautiful that I immediately fell in love with it. From its story that feels like you're watching a blockbuster film, and endearing trio of characters, to its grandiose yet challenging combat, there's simply way too many things to love about this game.
And although the encounters with some of the adversaries can be a bit repetitive due to their numbers that often feels like the fight just never ends, the gameplay was simply way too stellar to look past this minor issue. Not to mention how the game plays relatively the same as the two Tomb Raider reboot games, making it easy for me to get a hold of the game's mechanics.
And despite the game's age, it still looks incredible, especially with this remaster!
Uncharted hooked me from start to finish, and I can't wait to play its sequels.
2006
Started on May 31, 2023
The game introduces many major and not-so-major characters to the plot, and the game just expects us to already know about them and their relationship with Lara. Now, since this is my first old school style TR game, I might probably be missing a few info about the characters, however, considering that this is supposed to be a reboot, I highly doubt it.
Controlling Lara feels weightless and floaty, and the camera often gets in the way of platforming.
The motor driving sections also drag on for far too long, and it's not helped by the fact that the maps that you drive through are pretty much just looped to extend their length, with it being prevalent in the very first driving segment of the game.
Boss fights aren't that much better either, with them repeating the same two dialogues all over again. And the loops aren't even that spread out, the same dialogue get repeated just about 2 seconds apart from each other.
As for the tomb raiding, well, it does feel fun to explore a few locales, however, the puzzle solving which is a very prevalent mechanic when exploring the tombs, kind of dampers the experience. Many of the solutions are hard to discover and are just not that clear at all, often times obscured by the terribly lit environment and awful camera. I'm not ashamed to say that I've looked at a few solutions for the puzzles online in some occassions.
This PC port also includes the ability to play between the original PS2 graphics and PS3 graphics. With the PS2 options leaning more on the cartoony artstyle while the PS3 options provides more realism to the environments, although little to no improvements were done to the character models. I'm just not that fond of the cartoony artstyle at all, many if not all characters look like they were created using the Sims 3.
Throughout the entire duration of the game I used the PS3 graphics option although there were a few instances were I forced to use the older graphics style due to the game crashing in many levels that uses it.
Most reviews I found for the game were positive so it does make me wonder whether all of the technical jank that I've encountered were only the result of this PC port.
Despite the name, Tomb Raider: Legend is no legendary game.
The game introduces many major and not-so-major characters to the plot, and the game just expects us to already know about them and their relationship with Lara. Now, since this is my first old school style TR game, I might probably be missing a few info about the characters, however, considering that this is supposed to be a reboot, I highly doubt it.
Controlling Lara feels weightless and floaty, and the camera often gets in the way of platforming.
The motor driving sections also drag on for far too long, and it's not helped by the fact that the maps that you drive through are pretty much just looped to extend their length, with it being prevalent in the very first driving segment of the game.
Boss fights aren't that much better either, with them repeating the same two dialogues all over again. And the loops aren't even that spread out, the same dialogue get repeated just about 2 seconds apart from each other.
As for the tomb raiding, well, it does feel fun to explore a few locales, however, the puzzle solving which is a very prevalent mechanic when exploring the tombs, kind of dampers the experience. Many of the solutions are hard to discover and are just not that clear at all, often times obscured by the terribly lit environment and awful camera. I'm not ashamed to say that I've looked at a few solutions for the puzzles online in some occassions.
This PC port also includes the ability to play between the original PS2 graphics and PS3 graphics. With the PS2 options leaning more on the cartoony artstyle while the PS3 options provides more realism to the environments, although little to no improvements were done to the character models. I'm just not that fond of the cartoony artstyle at all, many if not all characters look like they were created using the Sims 3.
Throughout the entire duration of the game I used the PS3 graphics option although there were a few instances were I forced to use the older graphics style due to the game crashing in many levels that uses it.
Most reviews I found for the game were positive so it does make me wonder whether all of the technical jank that I've encountered were only the result of this PC port.
Despite the name, Tomb Raider: Legend is no legendary game.
2001
I like the concept of each night, there's different set of victims that the story focuses. However, I found the main story to be fairly weak and it's not helped by the fact that the game's ending was just plain stupid.
The entire game takes place inside a single mansion, told within three separate nights. Now, this is a great setting especially for the game's genre. Supernatural adversaries and haunted mansions are simply the perfect mix. However, the game stumble with this in execution. Since the mansion is not as big as the one seen in Resident Evil, almost every single nook and cranny of the setting could be explored in its first chapter, and leaves little to no new rooms to discover for the remaining chapters to following. This means that there's pretty much no progression felt in the game, and it's a shame considering how much a potential the Himuro mansion have.
The game provides a variety of creepy ghosts to take picture of, however, this variety could barely even be felt due to the game's baffling decision of forcing you to fight off the same ghost models right after finishing it off in literally the room before where you are. Sometimes you'll even face off the same ghost three times in a row!
The game never provides a sense of progression due to its absurd amount of repetition of areas and enemies. And the puzzles in the game doesn't help either, with many of them not providing any kind of rewards after completion and instead just puts you back into the beginning with you trying to solve another puzzle because the first puzzle had nothing to provide.
Healing items are also quite rare to come by which kind of feel absurd considering how high the damage output of almost every single ghosts. Not to mention, many encounters take place within a small room with no breathing room, making it so damage is pretty much inevitable.
This game probably contains some of the, if not, the most jankiest controls ever implemented in a video game. Controlling your character is so stiff and rigid that you can actually feel the character stop with each step. It's also incredibly easy for the character to stick to the walls, making the already awful movements, pretty excruciating.
I find it to be difficult to progress through the game in some instances without depending on online walkthroughs. The hints for some of the puzzle solutions, especially with the photograph hints, are so vague that the game could pretty much do away with them and it wouldn't impact the game substantially at all.
The game desperately needs more time in the oven. Just every time about the game feels so under polished that it makes playing through the game such a slog. And this is a shame because the game is actually scary too bad the gameplay hampers everything.
The entire game takes place inside a single mansion, told within three separate nights. Now, this is a great setting especially for the game's genre. Supernatural adversaries and haunted mansions are simply the perfect mix. However, the game stumble with this in execution. Since the mansion is not as big as the one seen in Resident Evil, almost every single nook and cranny of the setting could be explored in its first chapter, and leaves little to no new rooms to discover for the remaining chapters to following. This means that there's pretty much no progression felt in the game, and it's a shame considering how much a potential the Himuro mansion have.
The game provides a variety of creepy ghosts to take picture of, however, this variety could barely even be felt due to the game's baffling decision of forcing you to fight off the same ghost models right after finishing it off in literally the room before where you are. Sometimes you'll even face off the same ghost three times in a row!
The game never provides a sense of progression due to its absurd amount of repetition of areas and enemies. And the puzzles in the game doesn't help either, with many of them not providing any kind of rewards after completion and instead just puts you back into the beginning with you trying to solve another puzzle because the first puzzle had nothing to provide.
Healing items are also quite rare to come by which kind of feel absurd considering how high the damage output of almost every single ghosts. Not to mention, many encounters take place within a small room with no breathing room, making it so damage is pretty much inevitable.
This game probably contains some of the, if not, the most jankiest controls ever implemented in a video game. Controlling your character is so stiff and rigid that you can actually feel the character stop with each step. It's also incredibly easy for the character to stick to the walls, making the already awful movements, pretty excruciating.
I find it to be difficult to progress through the game in some instances without depending on online walkthroughs. The hints for some of the puzzle solutions, especially with the photograph hints, are so vague that the game could pretty much do away with them and it wouldn't impact the game substantially at all.
The game desperately needs more time in the oven. Just every time about the game feels so under polished that it makes playing through the game such a slog. And this is a shame because the game is actually scary too bad the gameplay hampers everything.
The previous two Uncharted games brought me on a one-of-a kind adventure that I'd never experienced before. Unfortunately, this third entry in the franchise doesn't do much to separate itself from what had come before and instead relies on some aggravating gameplay choices rather than innovate the franchise.
Uncharted 2 is one of the best games of all time, not just because of its story but also because of the way it improved upon many of the issues that the first game had. It's a shame that this sequel brought back those issues like the difficulty spike, making the stealth mechanic that Among Thieves introduced, unusable due to the large number of enemies. What's worse is that if Drake dies and the game loads to a checkpoint, enemies would spawn alerted to Drake's presence, removing the possibility of stealth and in turn drastically changing the way you approach combat.
Also speaking of the use of melee attacks, I hated all of the enemy encounters that forced you to use hand-to-hand combat, as instead of being an actual combat sequence, they were all presented in QTEs, which felt more like you were watching an interactive cutscene rather than playing the game.
The game also likes to take you out of control, with the game forcing you to just walk in snail's space and the camera often zooming in for finishing moves. Now, this would have been incredible and cinematic, but it's done so often that it pretty much loses its impact. There's even an entire segment where Drake was running, but everything was played out in slow motion, making movement such a drag, and there's an entire chapter where all you do is walk. You know, they should have called this game Uncharted: Drake's Walking Simulator.
One thing I did like though was the antagonist. Well, at first anyway, Talbot was so mysterious and intriguing due to his ability to disappear out of nowhere and even take a gunshot, I thought he might be a magician and might just become my personal antagonist in the franchise, but unfortunately none of his abilities were explained and ended up being a massive plot hole.
The story was also massively disappointing, never reaching the heights of Among Thieves, with fewer stakes, character developments, some characters are even just written off out of sequences; and worst of all, there's less adrenaline-pumping action to be seen, with one of the few being there, only serving as a filler segment.
Don't even get me started with Chloe's awful-looking character model downgrade.
At the end of the day, Uncharted 3: Drake's Walking Simulator is not a bad game, it's just a terrible sequel to one of the best games of all time
Uncharted 2 is one of the best games of all time, not just because of its story but also because of the way it improved upon many of the issues that the first game had. It's a shame that this sequel brought back those issues like the difficulty spike, making the stealth mechanic that Among Thieves introduced, unusable due to the large number of enemies. What's worse is that if Drake dies and the game loads to a checkpoint, enemies would spawn alerted to Drake's presence, removing the possibility of stealth and in turn drastically changing the way you approach combat.
Also speaking of the use of melee attacks, I hated all of the enemy encounters that forced you to use hand-to-hand combat, as instead of being an actual combat sequence, they were all presented in QTEs, which felt more like you were watching an interactive cutscene rather than playing the game.
The game also likes to take you out of control, with the game forcing you to just walk in snail's space and the camera often zooming in for finishing moves. Now, this would have been incredible and cinematic, but it's done so often that it pretty much loses its impact. There's even an entire segment where Drake was running, but everything was played out in slow motion, making movement such a drag, and there's an entire chapter where all you do is walk. You know, they should have called this game Uncharted: Drake's Walking Simulator.
One thing I did like though was the antagonist. Well, at first anyway, Talbot was so mysterious and intriguing due to his ability to disappear out of nowhere and even take a gunshot, I thought he might be a magician and might just become my personal antagonist in the franchise, but unfortunately none of his abilities were explained and ended up being a massive plot hole.
The story was also massively disappointing, never reaching the heights of Among Thieves, with fewer stakes, character developments, some characters are even just written off out of sequences; and worst of all, there's less adrenaline-pumping action to be seen, with one of the few being there, only serving as a filler segment.
Don't even get me started with Chloe's awful-looking character model downgrade.
At the end of the day, Uncharted 3: Drake's Walking Simulator is not a bad game, it's just a terrible sequel to one of the best games of all time
2016
Normally, I'd finish a game's story before giving it a review, but in the case of Enter the Gungeon, I felt that the couple of hours that I've put into it were enough.
First off, this is the first game that I've played within this type of genre, so my playthrough of it was a bit rough. The highest floor that I've reached was only the 2nd, and I never even managed to beat any of its bosses.
In some games, this cycle of death and repeat would definitely frustrate me, but here, that was never the case. Instead, each death became a learning experience, and I was motivated to do better next time.
I'll definitely try to play this game again in the future, and hopefully see its endings for its numerous characters, but for now, it's going in my digital shelf.
First off, this is the first game that I've played within this type of genre, so my playthrough of it was a bit rough. The highest floor that I've reached was only the 2nd, and I never even managed to beat any of its bosses.
In some games, this cycle of death and repeat would definitely frustrate me, but here, that was never the case. Instead, each death became a learning experience, and I was motivated to do better next time.
I'll definitely try to play this game again in the future, and hopefully see its endings for its numerous characters, but for now, it's going in my digital shelf.
The first Uncharted game blew me away with its captivating story and stunning visuals, along with its challenging gameplay. This sequel then takes everything that made its predecessor such a great game and further improves upon it, delivering us one of the best games of all time.
As I booted up the game and started my playthrough, the first thing that grabbed my attention was its beautiful graphics. Sure, the first Uncharted looked great as well, but this sequel brought it to a whole new level, with each corner and area rich with detail.
And the graphics aren't the only thing that has been touched up in this sequel; even the already stellar gameplay has seen minor tweaks that polish everything up as well as fix some minor issues that its predecessor had. Fixes include the stealth mechanics, which prove to be so much more useful for this sequel compared to its predecessor, where I found it to be working against its aggressive enemies, the sudden difficulty spike has also been toned down, making for a more balanced action, and puzzle solving and platforming have also been refined, feeling less automated.
As for the story, oh god, it has an immensely gripping plot filled with frenetic action, taking place in numerous diverse settings that will keep you glued to your seat.
While I loved the first Uncharted game, this sequel simply surpasses it on every single front. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves will remain unmatched for years to come.
As I booted up the game and started my playthrough, the first thing that grabbed my attention was its beautiful graphics. Sure, the first Uncharted looked great as well, but this sequel brought it to a whole new level, with each corner and area rich with detail.
And the graphics aren't the only thing that has been touched up in this sequel; even the already stellar gameplay has seen minor tweaks that polish everything up as well as fix some minor issues that its predecessor had. Fixes include the stealth mechanics, which prove to be so much more useful for this sequel compared to its predecessor, where I found it to be working against its aggressive enemies, the sudden difficulty spike has also been toned down, making for a more balanced action, and puzzle solving and platforming have also been refined, feeling less automated.
As for the story, oh god, it has an immensely gripping plot filled with frenetic action, taking place in numerous diverse settings that will keep you glued to your seat.
While I loved the first Uncharted game, this sequel simply surpasses it on every single front. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves will remain unmatched for years to come.
1998
In it's first hour of gameplay alone, Metal Gear Solid has managed to allure me in a way that no other game has ever managed to do.
From its compelling and massive story that's presented in these long and dialogue heavy cutscenes to its unique and likable cast of characters, MGS introduced me to a cinematic experience.
It's a shame that, while it's gameplay is refreshing even to this day, it does have a few frustrating moments caused by some outdated mechanics that work against its stealth themes.
And sometimes, the story can be a bit difficult to follow due to some references made to its previous 2D entries.
Despite this, though, I very much enjoyed this entry, and it instantly made me a fan of the franchise. I'm excited to try out its sequels soon.
From its compelling and massive story that's presented in these long and dialogue heavy cutscenes to its unique and likable cast of characters, MGS introduced me to a cinematic experience.
It's a shame that, while it's gameplay is refreshing even to this day, it does have a few frustrating moments caused by some outdated mechanics that work against its stealth themes.
And sometimes, the story can be a bit difficult to follow due to some references made to its previous 2D entries.
Despite this, though, I very much enjoyed this entry, and it instantly made me a fan of the franchise. I'm excited to try out its sequels soon.