tachyonslash
Doesn't do nearly enough to warrant its own existence separate from its predecessor.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 wastes your time with slow battles and inflated healthbars. It wastes your time with slow menus and long load screens. It wastes your time with having to play a gacha in order to fill requirements to progress both main and side content. It wastes your time with asking you to open a blade's skill tree every single time a skill is unlocked, otherwise the unlock won't take effect. It wastes your time with a story that lacks real direction and sense of progression towards the main goal for over half of its runtime. It wastes your time with tone-deaf japanese anime tropes and gags. It wastes your time with cutscenes where lipflaps never match dubbed dialogue.
But I think, after all that, the breaking point was being asked to wait real-world time for merc missions to complete. Missions which are critical to completing the game's thorough side content, and missions which unlock QoL static upgrades like boosted movement speed and gold gain. Missions which can take nearly two hours to complete just one if you haven't gotten good enough luck with your gacha pulls to lower the time. Missions which ask the player to wait to be able to play more of the game they paid for.
It's a game with a disgusting lack of respect for its players and should be treated with an equal disrespect.
But I think, after all that, the breaking point was being asked to wait real-world time for merc missions to complete. Missions which are critical to completing the game's thorough side content, and missions which unlock QoL static upgrades like boosted movement speed and gold gain. Missions which can take nearly two hours to complete just one if you haven't gotten good enough luck with your gacha pulls to lower the time. Missions which ask the player to wait to be able to play more of the game they paid for.
It's a game with a disgusting lack of respect for its players and should be treated with an equal disrespect.
2023
Really kickass movement and nice music, the former of which is what convinced me to pick up the game. It was fun for a while, but unfortunately, it quickly became a game of "scour the entire map over and over again for the one tiny thing you missed". Exploration also stopped being enjoyable in dark areas, because the game doesn't have a ton of distinguishing textures to help inform the space around you. So, it's abandoned until further notice. I'd love to see this movement system in a game with sharper 3D graphics and s'more QoL. It'll only cost you a few bucks, though, so I'd say it's worth a pickup if you're a fan of parkour games.
2023
I'm a linguist by trade. This game is more cryptography than linguistics. It's still occasionally satisfying as a puzzle game, and I commend those who designed the visuals and soundtrack, but the languages feel far too limited. Some solutions can feel very arbitrary, and the game is in dire need of a map.
3/5, because it's a very strong concept and there's a clear sense of care from the devs, but the longer the game went on, the more annoying navigation got, and the less believable everything was.
3/5, because it's a very strong concept and there's a clear sense of care from the devs, but the longer the game went on, the more annoying navigation got, and the less believable everything was.
2019
I kind of hate anime, which probably meant this game wasn't for me- and I think I hate it even more now.
Our time on this earth is limited. Final Fantasy 7 Remake doesn't seem to be aware of that. Few games seem to value the player's time and patience so poorly as this one. Whether it's walking and talking, or watching a cutscene, or engaging in incredibly sloggy battles with healthbars inflated for the illusion of difficulty, you never seem to garner much respect as the player. I have not played the original game, nor do I know much at all about it. I held no notions about what to expect from the story or the gameplay when coming in. I bought the game because its namesake was one of the most famous video games of all time, and it looked pretty. I was not impressed with what I got.
The gameplay is ruined by the presence of one absurdly broken character. It also lacks the depth of XC3 proper, and the methods with which you upgrade your characters becomes very grindy and sloggy after a bit.
The story tries to accomplish far more than it actually has time to. There are too many threads that are insufficiently developed, especially those concerning returning characters. In the end, nothing feels baked to a satisfying conclusion.
The world design is pretty uninspired, taking largely from existing locations and playing on nostalgia, having characters comment on fan memes and notable events from the previous games that occurred at these locations. The music is fine, but fails to leave the impression that any of the prior games left.
For the end to the Klaus Saga, Future Redeemed falls utterly short and feels especially lazy with its reliance on the old while its basegame companion Xenoblade 3 acknowledged the old while creating something entirely new.
The story tries to accomplish far more than it actually has time to. There are too many threads that are insufficiently developed, especially those concerning returning characters. In the end, nothing feels baked to a satisfying conclusion.
The world design is pretty uninspired, taking largely from existing locations and playing on nostalgia, having characters comment on fan memes and notable events from the previous games that occurred at these locations. The music is fine, but fails to leave the impression that any of the prior games left.
For the end to the Klaus Saga, Future Redeemed falls utterly short and feels especially lazy with its reliance on the old while its basegame companion Xenoblade 3 acknowledged the old while creating something entirely new.
The implementation of wall-merging alone is enough to be its own game. Add on all the bonuses that being a Zelda game entails, and you get one of the strongest games in the series. It's a must-play.
2018
DBFZ rekindled my love of Dragon Ball. It got me invested in fighting games. It gave me something new to strive to better myself with. It kept me entertained and engaged before, during, and after Covid.
I was a day 1 player on PS4. I've hit 2 million BP on PS4 and Switch, and I'm striving to do the same on PC now as my final challenge. I'm happy to have seen this game through all its iterations, through its ups and downs, and to have gotten so much value out of the ride.
The game will eternally look, feel and sound beautiful. It's not only one of the most aesthetically pleasing fighting games out there, but it's one of the best looking games AND one of the best adaptations of manga/anime in history. It's ArcSys's best work by a country mile.
Every character has a distinct moveset and gameplan. There's nobody that's stupidly OP or completely irredeemable. The references to the anime/manga in each character's movesets are endless. There's room for so many team compositions between picking 3 characters and 3 assists. Everyone is fun and satisfying to use.
Yes, the single player isn't quite up to snuff with some more recent fighting games. Yes, it still hasn't gotten rollback netcode. But nothing's perfect. The good that this game has done for both Dragon Ball and for fighting games, and the impact that it's left on everyone that played it- that earns it 5 stars.
I was a day 1 player on PS4. I've hit 2 million BP on PS4 and Switch, and I'm striving to do the same on PC now as my final challenge. I'm happy to have seen this game through all its iterations, through its ups and downs, and to have gotten so much value out of the ride.
The game will eternally look, feel and sound beautiful. It's not only one of the most aesthetically pleasing fighting games out there, but it's one of the best looking games AND one of the best adaptations of manga/anime in history. It's ArcSys's best work by a country mile.
Every character has a distinct moveset and gameplan. There's nobody that's stupidly OP or completely irredeemable. The references to the anime/manga in each character's movesets are endless. There's room for so many team compositions between picking 3 characters and 3 assists. Everyone is fun and satisfying to use.
Yes, the single player isn't quite up to snuff with some more recent fighting games. Yes, it still hasn't gotten rollback netcode. But nothing's perfect. The good that this game has done for both Dragon Ball and for fighting games, and the impact that it's left on everyone that played it- that earns it 5 stars.
2009
Punch-Out Wii turns a flavorful cast of NES boxers to a group bursting at the seams with personality. The gameplay remains challenging yet rewarding, and there's a persistent charm to everything you encounter. While sprawling open worlds and massive multiplayer arenas have become all the rage these days, this small series of challenges remains one of Nintendo's strongest outings in history.
Uncharted 3 is a step backwards, leaning into the worst aspects of the series's gameplay and delivering a rather odd story.
Lstick holding is when the game forces you into a segment where you only hold the left stick, and nothing else. It's the most base form of gameplay, just moving your character in a direction mindlessly. Unfortunately, Uncharted 3 has quite a few of these, and they're quite lengthy. It takes you out of the game and makes you want to pull up your phone with your free hand.
Our two additions to combat for this game are expanded hand to hand combat, adding grapples and throws to the mix, and the ability to throw grenades back at enemies. The expanded melee combat is a good idea, but it led to some melee-only sections that really dragged on. The ability to throw grenades back at enemies is cool, except for towards the end of the game when enemies will spam the shit out of grenades at you- and you're expected to throw them back while taking heavy machine gun fire.
Concerning the story, it takes much longer in this game for us to actually figure out what's going on and what our ultimate goal is. It makes the pacing more awkward and the advancement of the plot feel more arbitrary. There's also some issues of Sully being out of character. It makes sense why they wanted him around for this story, but I think it would have been better served as a prequel. Sully's departure in Uncharted 2 felt properly timed and sensible given his age.
There's still some memorable setpieces here, and I had fun overall, but the game's mostly just okay. Is it worth playing when you're going through the trilogy? Sure. Is it worth going back to, or playing individually? Probably not.
Lstick holding is when the game forces you into a segment where you only hold the left stick, and nothing else. It's the most base form of gameplay, just moving your character in a direction mindlessly. Unfortunately, Uncharted 3 has quite a few of these, and they're quite lengthy. It takes you out of the game and makes you want to pull up your phone with your free hand.
Our two additions to combat for this game are expanded hand to hand combat, adding grapples and throws to the mix, and the ability to throw grenades back at enemies. The expanded melee combat is a good idea, but it led to some melee-only sections that really dragged on. The ability to throw grenades back at enemies is cool, except for towards the end of the game when enemies will spam the shit out of grenades at you- and you're expected to throw them back while taking heavy machine gun fire.
Concerning the story, it takes much longer in this game for us to actually figure out what's going on and what our ultimate goal is. It makes the pacing more awkward and the advancement of the plot feel more arbitrary. There's also some issues of Sully being out of character. It makes sense why they wanted him around for this story, but I think it would have been better served as a prequel. Sully's departure in Uncharted 2 felt properly timed and sensible given his age.
There's still some memorable setpieces here, and I had fun overall, but the game's mostly just okay. Is it worth playing when you're going through the trilogy? Sure. Is it worth going back to, or playing individually? Probably not.
Uncharted is exactly what it's cracked up to be. It's a great story with engaging setpieces and competent gameplay. It might be on the shorter side, but it's paced very well, with no part of the gameplay feeling like it overstayed its welcome. I do wish that some of the puzzles could have been deeper than they were, so I hope that the next games can improve in that area. I'd also like to emphasize how big this use of voicework, mocap and cinematography must have been for 2007.
Give it a whirl. It's low investment, high enjoyment, and those types of games are sorely missed these days.
Give it a whirl. It's low investment, high enjoyment, and those types of games are sorely missed these days.
Congratulations, Samus Returns. You're the first 3DS game to ever give me hand cramps.
The atmosphere is on point, and the soundtrack is great, but that's where the stringless positives end. It's just too painful trying to play the game with a circle pad. The lack of shinespark especially holds back both movement and puzzles. I know it's hilarious to suggest, but I think we might need yet Another Metroid 2 Remake for the game to reach its full potential. This time with better controls, less bosses, better pacing, shinespark included and some way for the baby metroid to not unlock half the game's collectibles at the 11th hour.
I did have fun overall, but I'm never going to replay it and I'm not going to recommend it or any other version of Metroid 2 to anyone.
The atmosphere is on point, and the soundtrack is great, but that's where the stringless positives end. It's just too painful trying to play the game with a circle pad. The lack of shinespark especially holds back both movement and puzzles. I know it's hilarious to suggest, but I think we might need yet Another Metroid 2 Remake for the game to reach its full potential. This time with better controls, less bosses, better pacing, shinespark included and some way for the baby metroid to not unlock half the game's collectibles at the 11th hour.
I did have fun overall, but I'm never going to replay it and I'm not going to recommend it or any other version of Metroid 2 to anyone.
I grew up on the DC Animated Universe cartoons, but somehow, I never got around to playing these games. I absolutely loved seeing those legendary voice actors back in action with Arkham Asylum. The villains are on-point, the goons are sufficiently superstitious and cowardly, and Batman feels rightfully powerful and determined in the player's control. This entry is a little on the short side, but what we do have is primo Batman. I'd give it my full recommendation to both superhero fans and those who enjoy a nice, even mix of story and gameplay.
Not much has changed since Uncharted 1, but the minor improvements can really be felt. Biggest of all is the addition of stealth kills into gameplay. You no longer have to go about each shooting gallery in the exact same way. Players get rewarded for a bit of patience and clever positioning, and the more stealth kills you carry out, the easier things are once the enemy does spot you. It's a welcome piece of variety and depth.
I did get annoyed, though, when I was in one section where I was trying to stealth my way to the exit, but I got instakilled whenever I tried to leave. It turned out that I had to kill every enemy in the area before I could actually leave. This came right after a climbing section that was a beat-for-beat repeat of the start of the game. It wasn't a particularly quick climbing section, either. Going through the motions and having the same things happen had me very bored.
Despite the annoyances, there's more of a variety of gameplay and the story is willing to do more too, so Uncharted 2 scores a 4.5/5. It's still not perfect, but it's getting there.
I did get annoyed, though, when I was in one section where I was trying to stealth my way to the exit, but I got instakilled whenever I tried to leave. It turned out that I had to kill every enemy in the area before I could actually leave. This came right after a climbing section that was a beat-for-beat repeat of the start of the game. It wasn't a particularly quick climbing section, either. Going through the motions and having the same things happen had me very bored.
Despite the annoyances, there's more of a variety of gameplay and the story is willing to do more too, so Uncharted 2 scores a 4.5/5. It's still not perfect, but it's getting there.