tachyonslash
2016
I was pleased by my first foray into Assassin's Creed. It's a very immersive experience with plenty of room for creativity in movement, creativity in combat and creativity in stealth. Unfortunately, the game lacks some significant QoL, mostly in lack of convenient inventory management and fast travel, and the controls can sometimes be flimsy. I would still call it a worthwhile time, though. Nolan North's Ezio is a treat, and you'll find few other opportunities in gaming to get such a taste of Italy.
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.
Give it another chance. It's on sale for next to nothing very often, and it's had so much love and care poured into it by devs who actually listened to people's complaints. None of those microtransaction problems are present now. It's straight-up and honest from the start. It's the best looking and sounding star wars game out there, and the best place to get the thrill of being hunted by Darth Maul or charging into battle alongside your clone brothers. Play it with friends. Don't take it too seriously. It's really just a fun time.
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.
2021
This review contains spoilers
Wait, it's over already?
Apparently, forgoing all the side content and taking the specific path I did makes the game clock in at about 10 hours. Which caught me off guard, but it's far from a bad thing. I'm absolutely starving to go back and replay, this time doing all the side content, using different party members, and trying to make things go down differently. That longing feeling is something that only the best games can really elicit.
I initially avoided Wrex, thinking that I didn't need a Krogan's help with my tasks on the Citadel. But upon heading out for good, there he was, asking to come along. I said, "what the hell, a big meaty guy could be useful" and added him to my party. Now, it was Shepard, Wrex and Garrus, on boys night out. We had many an adventure. I learned more about Wrex's culture, and grew endeared to his personality. I even took him up on his request to genocide some bugs, because the only good bug is a dead bug. Unfortunately, we eventually came to a roadblock, because the alliance wanted to destroy a cure for his people that was being used to raise an army. Wrex understandably wanted to use the cure to save his people, and I was having trouble talking him down from taking action.
And then that BITCH Ashley shot him in cold blood from behind. Killed my best friend. My best man. My battle buddy, my drinking buddy, the only guy I could really count on. So I then sent her on a suicide mission and left her to die in a nuclear explosion.
I really loved that sequence of shock, anger and then catharsis from the game letting me make Shepard a vindictive bastard in response to Wrex's death. It's ballsy, personal storytelling, and it's the memory from this game that will stick with me the most.
Apparently, forgoing all the side content and taking the specific path I did makes the game clock in at about 10 hours. Which caught me off guard, but it's far from a bad thing. I'm absolutely starving to go back and replay, this time doing all the side content, using different party members, and trying to make things go down differently. That longing feeling is something that only the best games can really elicit.
I initially avoided Wrex, thinking that I didn't need a Krogan's help with my tasks on the Citadel. But upon heading out for good, there he was, asking to come along. I said, "what the hell, a big meaty guy could be useful" and added him to my party. Now, it was Shepard, Wrex and Garrus, on boys night out. We had many an adventure. I learned more about Wrex's culture, and grew endeared to his personality. I even took him up on his request to genocide some bugs, because the only good bug is a dead bug. Unfortunately, we eventually came to a roadblock, because the alliance wanted to destroy a cure for his people that was being used to raise an army. Wrex understandably wanted to use the cure to save his people, and I was having trouble talking him down from taking action.
And then that BITCH Ashley shot him in cold blood from behind. Killed my best friend. My best man. My battle buddy, my drinking buddy, the only guy I could really count on. So I then sent her on a suicide mission and left her to die in a nuclear explosion.
I really loved that sequence of shock, anger and then catharsis from the game letting me make Shepard a vindictive bastard in response to Wrex's death. It's ballsy, personal storytelling, and it's the memory from this game that will stick with me the most.
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.
Good:
- Grapple Hooks
- Expanded platforming paths
- Reasonable antagonists
- Sibling dynamics
- Driving sections
Not good:
- Worse controls
- Inconsistent/unsatisfying gunplay
- "Secret long lost brother" trope
- Glitch where dramatic and loud combat music kept playing in all cutscenes and on the main menu, kind of ruined the end of the game
Final verdict:
4.5/5, it's still got a ton of stuff to love but I wish the gunplay was closer to what it was in 1-3, then it would be closer to perfect.
- Grapple Hooks
- Expanded platforming paths
- Reasonable antagonists
- Sibling dynamics
- Driving sections
Not good:
- Worse controls
- Inconsistent/unsatisfying gunplay
- "Secret long lost brother" trope
- Glitch where dramatic and loud combat music kept playing in all cutscenes and on the main menu, kind of ruined the end of the game
Final verdict:
4.5/5, it's still got a ton of stuff to love but I wish the gunplay was closer to what it was in 1-3, then it would be closer to perfect.