techgeo
Finished: Spider-Man: Miles Morales (PS5)
Insomniac gets a lot of credit this generation because they put out a lot of high quality games, but I do feel these Spider-man titles get a free pass on their nearly criminal open world sins. Even Ubisoft games don’t annoy me so much. The way these icons are flaunted across the map, reminding you constantly that there’s more game aside from the story feels so desperate; the fact that the game pauses the story a few times just so you can find damn pigeons kills a lot of my love for what works. Miles Morales does have a better story than it’s predecessor, and it’s brevity is preferred because it doesn’t provide MJ stealth levels of filler in its main missions. But despite my enjoyment there, the lack of enemy variety and a reliance on the same old gameplay mechanics makes me feel like this is just a highly polished version of the same old licensed superhero game we’ve been sold for years. Miles is cool and his abilities are fun for a beat, but fuck the notion of stealth by the end. Combat gets just as stale; skill trees lack interesting innovations and there’s this overall aura of simplicity that made this feel like DLC rather than the fully fledged game that’s been marketed. It’s a completely new story, surely, but one that feels limited by design decisions around it. I had fun with Miles despite my tone, but the world is filled with unforgivable filler and un-evolving gameplay. 3/5
Insomniac gets a lot of credit this generation because they put out a lot of high quality games, but I do feel these Spider-man titles get a free pass on their nearly criminal open world sins. Even Ubisoft games don’t annoy me so much. The way these icons are flaunted across the map, reminding you constantly that there’s more game aside from the story feels so desperate; the fact that the game pauses the story a few times just so you can find damn pigeons kills a lot of my love for what works. Miles Morales does have a better story than it’s predecessor, and it’s brevity is preferred because it doesn’t provide MJ stealth levels of filler in its main missions. But despite my enjoyment there, the lack of enemy variety and a reliance on the same old gameplay mechanics makes me feel like this is just a highly polished version of the same old licensed superhero game we’ve been sold for years. Miles is cool and his abilities are fun for a beat, but fuck the notion of stealth by the end. Combat gets just as stale; skill trees lack interesting innovations and there’s this overall aura of simplicity that made this feel like DLC rather than the fully fledged game that’s been marketed. It’s a completely new story, surely, but one that feels limited by design decisions around it. I had fun with Miles despite my tone, but the world is filled with unforgivable filler and un-evolving gameplay. 3/5
2019
Finished: Resident Evil 2 (XSX)
I really tried to endure the tank controls of the first game, but 30 fps and forced cameras pushed me to skip it entirely. I almost abandoned the franchise then and there, thinking maybe it just wasn’t for me. I’m SO fucking happy that I went forward with the remake of 2 because it’s far and away the greatest horror game I’ve ever played in my life.
I watch horror movies all the time and never really get scared, but there is nothing…absolutely NOTHING scarier than tip-toe limping my way through a room looking for a key with next to no health, out of bullets, while two blind tongue-zombie fucks sniff at my frozen body ready to insta murder me when a zombie sees me and I’m supposed to somehow book it out of there and not make noise. Or how about Mr. X, the massive tyrant that chases you literally the whole game, who makes his presence known with theme music and heavy footsteps that did me worse than Michael Myers on Halloween. Tense isn’t the word. I actually whined my way through bits of this game; thrilled and excited to get past the next challenge but also worried as hell that I was going to get stuck, unable to finish such a monumental experience.
This truly was an achievement to me; a masterclass in level design with exploration and puzzles that immerse you in this police station to such a degree that it feels like a character in this story. Sure, I wish I could dodge in boss fights and I don’t want to beat the game twice just to see everything. But god DAMN this was an unforgettable experience. 5/5
I really tried to endure the tank controls of the first game, but 30 fps and forced cameras pushed me to skip it entirely. I almost abandoned the franchise then and there, thinking maybe it just wasn’t for me. I’m SO fucking happy that I went forward with the remake of 2 because it’s far and away the greatest horror game I’ve ever played in my life.
I watch horror movies all the time and never really get scared, but there is nothing…absolutely NOTHING scarier than tip-toe limping my way through a room looking for a key with next to no health, out of bullets, while two blind tongue-zombie fucks sniff at my frozen body ready to insta murder me when a zombie sees me and I’m supposed to somehow book it out of there and not make noise. Or how about Mr. X, the massive tyrant that chases you literally the whole game, who makes his presence known with theme music and heavy footsteps that did me worse than Michael Myers on Halloween. Tense isn’t the word. I actually whined my way through bits of this game; thrilled and excited to get past the next challenge but also worried as hell that I was going to get stuck, unable to finish such a monumental experience.
This truly was an achievement to me; a masterclass in level design with exploration and puzzles that immerse you in this police station to such a degree that it feels like a character in this story. Sure, I wish I could dodge in boss fights and I don’t want to beat the game twice just to see everything. But god DAMN this was an unforgettable experience. 5/5
2017
Finished: Call of Duty: WWII (XSX)
I’ve definitely been in a mood lately, tackling two of these things in only a week and a half. WWII is refreshingly traditional for a while. Its weapons are varied and the return to health packs require a bit more patience and strategy compared to more recent titles in the franchise. Stealth missions are the cream of the crop, per usual for these games, though the team abilities in more kinetic firefights add welcome assistance on higher difficulties. I enjoyed my time with this, but the lack of interesting characters and a terribly anti-climactic final few missions left me underwhelmed. Set pieces are tamer than other CODs, and there’s this generic personality in WWII that makes it a tougher recommend for more casual players of this franchise. It’s still a blast and the level design is certainly competent, but I do find Sledgehammer Games to be the least interesting studio working in this space. 3.5/5
I’ve definitely been in a mood lately, tackling two of these things in only a week and a half. WWII is refreshingly traditional for a while. Its weapons are varied and the return to health packs require a bit more patience and strategy compared to more recent titles in the franchise. Stealth missions are the cream of the crop, per usual for these games, though the team abilities in more kinetic firefights add welcome assistance on higher difficulties. I enjoyed my time with this, but the lack of interesting characters and a terribly anti-climactic final few missions left me underwhelmed. Set pieces are tamer than other CODs, and there’s this generic personality in WWII that makes it a tougher recommend for more casual players of this franchise. It’s still a blast and the level design is certainly competent, but I do find Sledgehammer Games to be the least interesting studio working in this space. 3.5/5
Finished: Black Ops: Cold War (XSX)
I’ve played a large portion of Call of Duty campaigns, and despite this entry being stupidly short, I found the endgame to be brilliant and quite the foot forward in terms of storytelling in this franchise. Without spoiling, a late game twist makes you second guess your allegiances and offers a moral shocker of an alternate ending that thrilled me to bits. You could say I didn’t necessarily do the “right” thing due to beef I had with the ”good” guys and man the payoff was as rewarding as it was fucked. This definitely wasn’t just another generic Call of Duty.
But again, it is short. There’s mission variety but an extended campaign to offer just a few more gameplay ideas would have been nice. The game is absolutely GORGEOUS in 120 fps on my LG OLED. Also, I’m not usually a fan of the multiplayer in COD but maybe all the stress of working with challenging kids has given me the strength to withstand and actually be good at multiplayer now? All I know is I’m loving the suite of modes and the ADHD mix of visuals and sound rewards for kill streaks is genuinely thrilling right now.
Short campaigns used to suck, but I kind of appreciate the smaller time sink as I’ve gotten older. This was a pleasant return to form for a franchise I had all but forgotten. 4/5
I’ve played a large portion of Call of Duty campaigns, and despite this entry being stupidly short, I found the endgame to be brilliant and quite the foot forward in terms of storytelling in this franchise. Without spoiling, a late game twist makes you second guess your allegiances and offers a moral shocker of an alternate ending that thrilled me to bits. You could say I didn’t necessarily do the “right” thing due to beef I had with the ”good” guys and man the payoff was as rewarding as it was fucked. This definitely wasn’t just another generic Call of Duty.
But again, it is short. There’s mission variety but an extended campaign to offer just a few more gameplay ideas would have been nice. The game is absolutely GORGEOUS in 120 fps on my LG OLED. Also, I’m not usually a fan of the multiplayer in COD but maybe all the stress of working with challenging kids has given me the strength to withstand and actually be good at multiplayer now? All I know is I’m loving the suite of modes and the ADHD mix of visuals and sound rewards for kill streaks is genuinely thrilling right now.
Short campaigns used to suck, but I kind of appreciate the smaller time sink as I’ve gotten older. This was a pleasant return to form for a franchise I had all but forgotten. 4/5
2020
Finished: Ghostrunner (XSX)
Devs: Slipgate Ironworks, One More Level
Ghostrunner is one of those games that actually delivers on its excellent promotional trailers, melding the visceral fluidity of 2016’s DOOM and the kinetic level design of Sonic the Hedgehog in his Nintendo DS days. It’s Mirror’s Edge, but not broken, fundamentally, with a cyberpunk style that oozes cool. A lot of people will give up after dying hundreds of times in each level, not realizing that the game is designed as a speed runner, demanding perfection and optimal timing from the player. Later levels had me convinced I would finally throw my controller in rage, but my commitment paid off and led to one of the most satisfying experiences I’ve ever had playing a video game.
Strategy is the name of the game, with levels built like puzzles that you have to navigate FAST or risk dying. The trial and error gameplay is going to be niche, but my love for this style can’t be screamed any louder.
I wasn’t in love with the slower, confusing puzzle portions that popped up between the faster levels, and the later platforming is an absolute bitch to nail so precisely. Some later enemies make the game feel like hot lava, as standing still for a second means imminent death. The anxiety may get to be too much, and it was for me by those end credits, making me wonder if maybe I was starting to hate the thing I initially fell in love with. But again, that payoff is ultimately VERY rewarding, and a day later I’m back to appreciating the puzzling brilliance of that level design. 4/5
Devs: Slipgate Ironworks, One More Level
Ghostrunner is one of those games that actually delivers on its excellent promotional trailers, melding the visceral fluidity of 2016’s DOOM and the kinetic level design of Sonic the Hedgehog in his Nintendo DS days. It’s Mirror’s Edge, but not broken, fundamentally, with a cyberpunk style that oozes cool. A lot of people will give up after dying hundreds of times in each level, not realizing that the game is designed as a speed runner, demanding perfection and optimal timing from the player. Later levels had me convinced I would finally throw my controller in rage, but my commitment paid off and led to one of the most satisfying experiences I’ve ever had playing a video game.
Strategy is the name of the game, with levels built like puzzles that you have to navigate FAST or risk dying. The trial and error gameplay is going to be niche, but my love for this style can’t be screamed any louder.
I wasn’t in love with the slower, confusing puzzle portions that popped up between the faster levels, and the later platforming is an absolute bitch to nail so precisely. Some later enemies make the game feel like hot lava, as standing still for a second means imminent death. The anxiety may get to be too much, and it was for me by those end credits, making me wonder if maybe I was starting to hate the thing I initially fell in love with. But again, that payoff is ultimately VERY rewarding, and a day later I’m back to appreciating the puzzling brilliance of that level design. 4/5
2020
Finished: Cyberpunk 2077 (XSX)
Devs: CD Projekt Red
The amount of bed shitting in that buggy release can’t be overstated enough, but there’s a level of RPG here that has long been abandoned in some of the most seasoned devs in the genre. Cyberpunk totally picks up when Fallout and Mass Effect sold their storytelling souls to the publishing gods.
The writing in Cyberpunk is exceptional, but as solid as its main story is, I found a love for the many, MANY side quests in the game. Some of them fleshed out possible romances. Others offered compelling intrigue and political conspiracies. Some were dumb and hilarious in that Rockstar way. I LOVED pouring hours upon hours into these characters and their fascinating stories. That central story arc is great, though. Keanu Reeves is fantastic as Silverhand, a terrorist trapped in your head. The fact that the game spends so much time letting you sit and breathe with Johnny is surprisingly not more controversial, but I found the development between he and V to be a fascinating narrative.
Storytelling alone would receive the highest of accolades, but I did have some issues with base mechanics in addition to the bugs that are still present. Clothing and armor is a bit of a bust. Maybe it’s a common thread in some RPGs, but I found myself constantly wearing the ugliest clothes just to boost stats that rarely felt helpful. Sure, you can upgrade the ones you have if you choose to go down that road, but I looked like a buffoon for much of the game. Good thing you rarely see yourself in first person.
Consumables. Dear GOD the consumables. Why are there hundreds of random food pieces that offer the same buffs that you can never pop during a fight is baffling. All they seemed to do was clutter my inventory and make me wish a more streamlined solution was thought of. I also tired of the Borderlands-style micromanagement of guns. Of course I don’t need to pick up every gun I find, but I want to sell them since guns and cyberware are costly. This means I’m overencumbered more times than I’d like, and a junk button akin to more recent Borderlands’ would be ideal. Better yet, let me cash in or deconstruct stuff before it reaches my inventory. These are the sort of RPG trappings that I could do without.
Combat is fun, though I found it to be too easy on normal and too difficult on hard. Cyberware is cool, though it takes quite a while before you feel like a technical wizard. I enjoy the city, but it’s a bit surprising with the tech that there aren’t more interesting ways to traverse this world.
I mostly love the stories and the way your choices shape the game. It’s a feeling I haven’t quite had since the original Mass Effect, significantly bolstered by the fact that most of these types of games have gone the way of Ubisoft and offer so many bloated, samey activities that any attempts at a story are pointless. I certainly never finish those. This lacked the usual collectibles and focuses on its narrative.
Cyberpunk was fun. It’s long and flawed, but it gave me an experience I rarely have from games any more. I did run into bugs, but luckily this thing auto saves like crazy. A recommendation to be sure, and probably a severely underrated one given initial response. 4/5
Devs: CD Projekt Red
The amount of bed shitting in that buggy release can’t be overstated enough, but there’s a level of RPG here that has long been abandoned in some of the most seasoned devs in the genre. Cyberpunk totally picks up when Fallout and Mass Effect sold their storytelling souls to the publishing gods.
The writing in Cyberpunk is exceptional, but as solid as its main story is, I found a love for the many, MANY side quests in the game. Some of them fleshed out possible romances. Others offered compelling intrigue and political conspiracies. Some were dumb and hilarious in that Rockstar way. I LOVED pouring hours upon hours into these characters and their fascinating stories. That central story arc is great, though. Keanu Reeves is fantastic as Silverhand, a terrorist trapped in your head. The fact that the game spends so much time letting you sit and breathe with Johnny is surprisingly not more controversial, but I found the development between he and V to be a fascinating narrative.
Storytelling alone would receive the highest of accolades, but I did have some issues with base mechanics in addition to the bugs that are still present. Clothing and armor is a bit of a bust. Maybe it’s a common thread in some RPGs, but I found myself constantly wearing the ugliest clothes just to boost stats that rarely felt helpful. Sure, you can upgrade the ones you have if you choose to go down that road, but I looked like a buffoon for much of the game. Good thing you rarely see yourself in first person.
Consumables. Dear GOD the consumables. Why are there hundreds of random food pieces that offer the same buffs that you can never pop during a fight is baffling. All they seemed to do was clutter my inventory and make me wish a more streamlined solution was thought of. I also tired of the Borderlands-style micromanagement of guns. Of course I don’t need to pick up every gun I find, but I want to sell them since guns and cyberware are costly. This means I’m overencumbered more times than I’d like, and a junk button akin to more recent Borderlands’ would be ideal. Better yet, let me cash in or deconstruct stuff before it reaches my inventory. These are the sort of RPG trappings that I could do without.
Combat is fun, though I found it to be too easy on normal and too difficult on hard. Cyberware is cool, though it takes quite a while before you feel like a technical wizard. I enjoy the city, but it’s a bit surprising with the tech that there aren’t more interesting ways to traverse this world.
I mostly love the stories and the way your choices shape the game. It’s a feeling I haven’t quite had since the original Mass Effect, significantly bolstered by the fact that most of these types of games have gone the way of Ubisoft and offer so many bloated, samey activities that any attempts at a story are pointless. I certainly never finish those. This lacked the usual collectibles and focuses on its narrative.
Cyberpunk was fun. It’s long and flawed, but it gave me an experience I rarely have from games any more. I did run into bugs, but luckily this thing auto saves like crazy. A recommendation to be sure, and probably a severely underrated one given initial response. 4/5
Finished Game: Ghost of Tsushima (PS5)
Rating: 5/5
I’ve had…emotional experiences with video games before, but Ghost of Tsushima is the first time I ever sobbed my way through a boss fight. I felt connected to Jin Sakai, his companions, and his bold, reflective Journey in a way that even films rarely achieve, but the most impressive thing is in how every element of this open world embraces a level of quality and attention that many devs in the genre would simply scale back. Sucker Punch has crafted a true labor of love for Samurai culture, spanning a brilliantly precise combat system, boss duals offering almost near-fighting-game mechanics in terms of control and intensity, a breathtaking, beautiful story of conflicting ideologies, and an impeccably designed world chock full of sights to see and badass armor to unlock. This thing is HUGE, and even the most mundane side missions always offer surprises you just don’t see coming.
Shrines are a blast, bringing back the sort of platforming challenges that Assassins Creed abandoned after the Ezio trilogy. Building haikus and simply bathing to meditate are things that shouldn’t be as interesting or immersive as they are here. I love hunting down different headpieces and sword cosmetics. One of very favorite things is how stealth is just as satisfying as the brutal combat, and it never feels like you’re punished when you break stealth and get a little aggressive.
Mostly, I’m just stricken by the story. The voice work and animations are so good, but that narrative just hits so hard. Sucker Punch is known for their work on the Infamous franchise, and interestingly enough those games explored the moral compass too, but on such a superficial “game” level where Tsushima feels like arthouse cinema in comparison. To me, the experience here elevated my expectations once again of what video games can be. This is Mass Effect, Red Dead level storytelling, and it’s truly a sight to see the devs delve into such maturity for a change.
GHOST is the MOST effective video game story I’ve ever played. It’s fantastic supporting characters make up most of the side quests, and the last couple of each are emotional tidal waves on their own. I love building those relationships. I love the central relationship between Jin and his uncle. I LOVE the beautiful, textured score. I love the fucking particle effects that overwhelm me and force me to set my controller down.
I adore this game.
Rating: 5/5
I’ve had…emotional experiences with video games before, but Ghost of Tsushima is the first time I ever sobbed my way through a boss fight. I felt connected to Jin Sakai, his companions, and his bold, reflective Journey in a way that even films rarely achieve, but the most impressive thing is in how every element of this open world embraces a level of quality and attention that many devs in the genre would simply scale back. Sucker Punch has crafted a true labor of love for Samurai culture, spanning a brilliantly precise combat system, boss duals offering almost near-fighting-game mechanics in terms of control and intensity, a breathtaking, beautiful story of conflicting ideologies, and an impeccably designed world chock full of sights to see and badass armor to unlock. This thing is HUGE, and even the most mundane side missions always offer surprises you just don’t see coming.
Shrines are a blast, bringing back the sort of platforming challenges that Assassins Creed abandoned after the Ezio trilogy. Building haikus and simply bathing to meditate are things that shouldn’t be as interesting or immersive as they are here. I love hunting down different headpieces and sword cosmetics. One of very favorite things is how stealth is just as satisfying as the brutal combat, and it never feels like you’re punished when you break stealth and get a little aggressive.
Mostly, I’m just stricken by the story. The voice work and animations are so good, but that narrative just hits so hard. Sucker Punch is known for their work on the Infamous franchise, and interestingly enough those games explored the moral compass too, but on such a superficial “game” level where Tsushima feels like arthouse cinema in comparison. To me, the experience here elevated my expectations once again of what video games can be. This is Mass Effect, Red Dead level storytelling, and it’s truly a sight to see the devs delve into such maturity for a change.
GHOST is the MOST effective video game story I’ve ever played. It’s fantastic supporting characters make up most of the side quests, and the last couple of each are emotional tidal waves on their own. I love building those relationships. I love the central relationship between Jin and his uncle. I LOVE the beautiful, textured score. I love the fucking particle effects that overwhelm me and force me to set my controller down.
I adore this game.
Finished: Uncharted: The Lost Legacy (2017) | 4.0/5.0
Developers: Naughty Dog
This was a fun weekend playthrough, but I regret exploring such a strong entry in Naughty Dog’s catalog far sooner. “Lost Legacy” may be more of an extension of 4 in terms of raw gameplay, but it’s combination of clever puzzles and ND’s signature writing and voice work made this truly work on its own, and god DAMN I love these characters.
What works:
I absolutely love what they’ve done with Chloe. She was always the “hot girl” to Drake in the mainline series, and despite being charming and funny, she did lack the depth of Elena who ended up stealing his heart in the end. I’m sure it helped keep the competition between the two down to a minimal, but it was pretty obvious who had the legs for such a romance. So they really made her “bad girl” persona an inherent character flaw, and it was rewarding seeing her grow and develop through her selfishness over the course of the campaign. Nadine is given far more material here too compared to her appearance in 4, and honestly I found her to be a complete badass.
Puzzles are usually a mixed bag in the series, but they were really fascinating and difficult enough to twist my brain a few times. Shooting is solid and set pieces are what we’ve come to expect from the franchise, but the last chapter revisited a popular train chase from the beloved second game and they completely beefed up the excitement. Hopping convoys and dodging mini guns is enhanced with the grapple hook mechanic from 4 and I was utterly delighted by all the intensity. Stealth is as strong as it ever was, with mistakes being my fault nearly 100% of the time. I’d argue that these portions are more dynamic and tighter than those in Sony’s own Metal Gear Solid franchise, but you all aren’t ready for that conversation.
What doesn’t:
The more open-area design was introduced in the last game, and despite its added versatility in firefights, the less linear environments made me feel like I was constantly shot at from all sides with little ability to ever find good cover. On normal difficulty, I found some sections to be almost brutal and I have no idea how the crushing difficulty will be fun at all. Linearity is not a bad word in my vocabulary, so I would have preferred more encounters with a wall at my back. Similarly, the open world portions with the car felt too much like a chore. Luckily the length of that bit is down to whether or not you want to find all the collectibles.
Overall:
I questioned giving this a higher score for a while there, but the lack of anything truly new makes this more a solid addition to the fourth game than a legendary new entry in the franchise. Naughty Dog’s staple attention to their characters and the writing puts many television shows and movies to shame, and I honestly teared up in a few moments just because I felt so connected to the story being told and the culture they so elegantly explore. A particular moment with elephants left me in awe, and anyone that remembers the giraffes in “Last of Us” know exactly what I’m talking about. This is another winner in Naughty Dog’s repertoire, and I can only hope they revisit this series in the PS5 generation.
Developers: Naughty Dog
This was a fun weekend playthrough, but I regret exploring such a strong entry in Naughty Dog’s catalog far sooner. “Lost Legacy” may be more of an extension of 4 in terms of raw gameplay, but it’s combination of clever puzzles and ND’s signature writing and voice work made this truly work on its own, and god DAMN I love these characters.
What works:
I absolutely love what they’ve done with Chloe. She was always the “hot girl” to Drake in the mainline series, and despite being charming and funny, she did lack the depth of Elena who ended up stealing his heart in the end. I’m sure it helped keep the competition between the two down to a minimal, but it was pretty obvious who had the legs for such a romance. So they really made her “bad girl” persona an inherent character flaw, and it was rewarding seeing her grow and develop through her selfishness over the course of the campaign. Nadine is given far more material here too compared to her appearance in 4, and honestly I found her to be a complete badass.
Puzzles are usually a mixed bag in the series, but they were really fascinating and difficult enough to twist my brain a few times. Shooting is solid and set pieces are what we’ve come to expect from the franchise, but the last chapter revisited a popular train chase from the beloved second game and they completely beefed up the excitement. Hopping convoys and dodging mini guns is enhanced with the grapple hook mechanic from 4 and I was utterly delighted by all the intensity. Stealth is as strong as it ever was, with mistakes being my fault nearly 100% of the time. I’d argue that these portions are more dynamic and tighter than those in Sony’s own Metal Gear Solid franchise, but you all aren’t ready for that conversation.
What doesn’t:
The more open-area design was introduced in the last game, and despite its added versatility in firefights, the less linear environments made me feel like I was constantly shot at from all sides with little ability to ever find good cover. On normal difficulty, I found some sections to be almost brutal and I have no idea how the crushing difficulty will be fun at all. Linearity is not a bad word in my vocabulary, so I would have preferred more encounters with a wall at my back. Similarly, the open world portions with the car felt too much like a chore. Luckily the length of that bit is down to whether or not you want to find all the collectibles.
Overall:
I questioned giving this a higher score for a while there, but the lack of anything truly new makes this more a solid addition to the fourth game than a legendary new entry in the franchise. Naughty Dog’s staple attention to their characters and the writing puts many television shows and movies to shame, and I honestly teared up in a few moments just because I felt so connected to the story being told and the culture they so elegantly explore. A particular moment with elephants left me in awe, and anyone that remembers the giraffes in “Last of Us” know exactly what I’m talking about. This is another winner in Naughty Dog’s repertoire, and I can only hope they revisit this series in the PS5 generation.
BEAT: Shadow of the Tomb Raider XBSX | 3.0/5.0
- What started off extremely promising with a thought provoking banger of an opening turns quickly disappointing as the storytelling never again reached those highs and opts instead to sleepwalk to the finish line. Shadow is a blast when Lara is playing Rambo, but there’s FAR too much filler. Side content becomes a chore and I ran through the final few hours without any sort of enthusiasm.
- What started off extremely promising with a thought provoking banger of an opening turns quickly disappointing as the storytelling never again reached those highs and opts instead to sleepwalk to the finish line. Shadow is a blast when Lara is playing Rambo, but there’s FAR too much filler. Side content becomes a chore and I ran through the final few hours without any sort of enthusiasm.
2014
Beat: Far Cry Classic (X360) | 2004 | 3.0/5.0
Developers: Crytek
I’ve always watched previews for these games, but it was the E3 preview from 6 this year that pushed me to finally play the series. This first game is really rough around the edges when it comes to its graphics and cumbersome navigation mechanics, but I found a solid corridor shooter with a surprising monster hook beneath all the ugly.
What works:
I love tagging everyone and everything with the binoculars and sniping like a madman. The actual shooting is quite solid, and enemies never felt like the bullet sponges in today’s titles. Inside levels offer my favorite kind of linearity, with a fun balance of monster and human antagonists to shoot in the face.
What doesn’t:
Have I mentioned this game is ugly? The vehicles are best left avoided because the patience it takes to drive them might be enough to make you abandon this game entirely. There are not enough guns at your disposal, and the few new ones you get don’t do enough to distinguish from your initial four. One thing that made me rage a number of times is the way it’s never entirely clear what is hitting you. I died many, many times having no idea what was so powerful just to realize later that it was a rocket or that I jumped in place and took fall damage. Monsters, while cool at first, lack variety in their tactics. Human enemies shouldn’t be able to hit me as easily as they do with the distance and type of weapon they’re using.
So it’s a mess, but one I stuck with and found mildly entertaining.
Developers: Crytek
I’ve always watched previews for these games, but it was the E3 preview from 6 this year that pushed me to finally play the series. This first game is really rough around the edges when it comes to its graphics and cumbersome navigation mechanics, but I found a solid corridor shooter with a surprising monster hook beneath all the ugly.
What works:
I love tagging everyone and everything with the binoculars and sniping like a madman. The actual shooting is quite solid, and enemies never felt like the bullet sponges in today’s titles. Inside levels offer my favorite kind of linearity, with a fun balance of monster and human antagonists to shoot in the face.
What doesn’t:
Have I mentioned this game is ugly? The vehicles are best left avoided because the patience it takes to drive them might be enough to make you abandon this game entirely. There are not enough guns at your disposal, and the few new ones you get don’t do enough to distinguish from your initial four. One thing that made me rage a number of times is the way it’s never entirely clear what is hitting you. I died many, many times having no idea what was so powerful just to realize later that it was a rocket or that I jumped in place and took fall damage. Monsters, while cool at first, lack variety in their tactics. Human enemies shouldn’t be able to hit me as easily as they do with the distance and type of weapon they’re using.
So it’s a mess, but one I stuck with and found mildly entertaining.
Game Binge: Ratchet and Clank (3 of 11)
Beat: Ratchet and Clank 3: Up Your Arsenal / PS3 (2004) | 4.5/5.0
Developers: Insomniac
“Up Your Arsenal” is far and away my favorite Ratchet title, which may or may not change depending on how the next…eight games go. The PS3 Remaster improves the graphics and the lack of forced inverted controls truly removes a lot of the frustration I had with its predecessor. The true stars of the show are the weapons, and this time the ability to upgrade them each by five levels makes them more addictive than ever to use.
The many changes to the formula had me wholly focused and rarely-if ever-frustrated by the usual dated mechanics. The extra weapon wheel is SUCH a relief, but Insomniac did one better by automating the gadgets when you need them rather than wasting weapon slots. The new arena is a blast. The battle missions are so varied and fun. I love the sense of scale you get from taking over multiple vehicles on the battlefield.
Insomniac really learned from the last game, which was honestly already very good, but the changes are certainly expected going forward. I couldn’t get enough of all the creative ways to dispatch baddies. I found myself doing far more of the side stuff because I wanted to rather than simply to check some boxes. Up Your Arsenal is delightful and surprisingly addictive.
Beat: Ratchet and Clank 3: Up Your Arsenal / PS3 (2004) | 4.5/5.0
Developers: Insomniac
“Up Your Arsenal” is far and away my favorite Ratchet title, which may or may not change depending on how the next…eight games go. The PS3 Remaster improves the graphics and the lack of forced inverted controls truly removes a lot of the frustration I had with its predecessor. The true stars of the show are the weapons, and this time the ability to upgrade them each by five levels makes them more addictive than ever to use.
The many changes to the formula had me wholly focused and rarely-if ever-frustrated by the usual dated mechanics. The extra weapon wheel is SUCH a relief, but Insomniac did one better by automating the gadgets when you need them rather than wasting weapon slots. The new arena is a blast. The battle missions are so varied and fun. I love the sense of scale you get from taking over multiple vehicles on the battlefield.
Insomniac really learned from the last game, which was honestly already very good, but the changes are certainly expected going forward. I couldn’t get enough of all the creative ways to dispatch baddies. I found myself doing far more of the side stuff because I wanted to rather than simply to check some boxes. Up Your Arsenal is delightful and surprisingly addictive.
Beat: Ratchet and Clank 2: Going Commando (PS3 Remaster) | 4.0/5.0
Developers: Insomniac
My road to Rift Apart continues after beating the first years ago. I just can’t fathom beating the new PS5 game without returning to franchise roots, so now seems a good a time as any to dust off my PS3. I was consistently reminded while playing this why I fail to connect to Mario titles. The mechanics feel so basic compared to the insane weaponry and set pieces in a game like Ratchet.
“Commando” certainly shows its age with forced inverted controls at times and a few cumbersome mechanics when it comes to managing all those weapons and gadgets, but there’s something truly exciting about discovering that next big gadget or weapon to change up gameplay in big ways. Upgrades to each weapon keeps destruction CONSTANTLY fun and rewarding, though enemies becoming bullet sponges in later levels might lead to pulled hairs.
The villain reveal offers a fun twist, but the stories in these were never more than Saturday Morning shenanigans. I enjoyed this to bits, though not without it’s dated frustrations.
Up Your Arsenal is next!
Developers: Insomniac
My road to Rift Apart continues after beating the first years ago. I just can’t fathom beating the new PS5 game without returning to franchise roots, so now seems a good a time as any to dust off my PS3. I was consistently reminded while playing this why I fail to connect to Mario titles. The mechanics feel so basic compared to the insane weaponry and set pieces in a game like Ratchet.
“Commando” certainly shows its age with forced inverted controls at times and a few cumbersome mechanics when it comes to managing all those weapons and gadgets, but there’s something truly exciting about discovering that next big gadget or weapon to change up gameplay in big ways. Upgrades to each weapon keeps destruction CONSTANTLY fun and rewarding, though enemies becoming bullet sponges in later levels might lead to pulled hairs.
The villain reveal offers a fun twist, but the stories in these were never more than Saturday Morning shenanigans. I enjoyed this to bits, though not without it’s dated frustrations.
Up Your Arsenal is next!
2018
Beat: God of War (2018) | 4.5/5.0
Devs: Sony Santa Monica
Creative Director: Cory Barlog
For six games, Kratos has been a caricature; an angry god who never developed as a character just so gamers could continue raging. Franchise milking at its finest, surely. And yet......angry gamers find solace in such rage, and I can say that this series has been a personal bit of therapy for my bitter youth. But obviously, the medium has changed and expectations with it.
Kratos is more than he’s ever been; a struggling father now, with that raging past serving as a plot point. Watching...no...playing as father and son and seeing Atreus grow before you into this very capable fighter is something only the medium can provide. But the journey in God of War is more than simply scaling a mountain to scatter the ashes of the wife and mother to our protagonists. It’s a journey filled with fascinating turns and realm-building lore, but the fact that the focus is now on character growth rather than simply becoming powerful is truly a step forward for this series. The fact that its players have grown up a lot themselves makes this a truly relatable experience. Fathers will get even more out of it.
It plays so impeccably, it’s open world structure far more linear than standard for the genre, with collectibles that mean something and side quests that enhance the main story path. There’s a metroidvania layer to the whole endeavor, and I found myself wanting to explore everything.
I teared up a few times throughout my journey, and its difficult to describe what it’s like to play the very best of what gaming can offer. This is triple-A storytelling, and the sort of thing that lesser devs will try to emulate for years.
I love my backward-compatible Series X, but Sony can’t be matched when it comes to their PlayStation exclusives. Sony can’t be matched when it comes to their deep and engaging characters.
Devs: Sony Santa Monica
Creative Director: Cory Barlog
For six games, Kratos has been a caricature; an angry god who never developed as a character just so gamers could continue raging. Franchise milking at its finest, surely. And yet......angry gamers find solace in such rage, and I can say that this series has been a personal bit of therapy for my bitter youth. But obviously, the medium has changed and expectations with it.
Kratos is more than he’s ever been; a struggling father now, with that raging past serving as a plot point. Watching...no...playing as father and son and seeing Atreus grow before you into this very capable fighter is something only the medium can provide. But the journey in God of War is more than simply scaling a mountain to scatter the ashes of the wife and mother to our protagonists. It’s a journey filled with fascinating turns and realm-building lore, but the fact that the focus is now on character growth rather than simply becoming powerful is truly a step forward for this series. The fact that its players have grown up a lot themselves makes this a truly relatable experience. Fathers will get even more out of it.
It plays so impeccably, it’s open world structure far more linear than standard for the genre, with collectibles that mean something and side quests that enhance the main story path. There’s a metroidvania layer to the whole endeavor, and I found myself wanting to explore everything.
I teared up a few times throughout my journey, and its difficult to describe what it’s like to play the very best of what gaming can offer. This is triple-A storytelling, and the sort of thing that lesser devs will try to emulate for years.
I love my backward-compatible Series X, but Sony can’t be matched when it comes to their PlayStation exclusives. Sony can’t be matched when it comes to their deep and engaging characters.
2017
Beat: Horizon: Zero Dawn (PS4) | 2.5/5.0
Developers: Guerrilla Games
I finally went ahead and finished this thing, but it took everything out of me to keep from throwing my controller - not out of rage or difficulty, but because I just lacked the patience for so many design choices from the “Killzone” crew. Maybe that’s the problem, really. Adjusting to a new genre is a challenge, and the market is already flooded with bloated open world titles. There are some fucking cool mechanical monsters here, but Zero Dawn is a narrative nightmare and a structural mess.
The story starts off quite strong, stealing a few tears thanks to Aloy’s rather impressionable father figure. The plot of Aloy’s origins and the creation of this world becomes a driving force for many of the main missions, and I initially ate it all up. But the method of storytelling becomes extremely tiresome after you realize most every main quest involves finding a cave and listening to audio log after audio log....after audio log to discover the truth behind these mechanical monsters and why they dominate the planet. This is by far the worst way to tell a story, sacrificing its pace and wasting so much of the player’s precious time in the process. By the upteenth audio log, I just didn’t care anymore. It’s even worse when the dialog is often written in college BS-ing fashion, always avoiding the fastest way to a point and instead opting for flowery expressions and religious mumbo jumbo to explain its secrets. I wanted to care, truly, but I found myself struggling to get through such repetitious and uninspired level structures. Slogging through the stealth just to get to these caves is another misstep, that ultimately led to me running through a lot of the finale gameplay.
The side stuff isn’t any better. Nearly every side mission falls into the tracking variety, requiring the player to follow footsteps before following fruit trails that end in following blood tracks to a place where a creature or human ambush waits patiently for you to kill. It’s all mundane and I hated all of it. Merchants stop selling new stuff about midway through the campaign, so I rarely felt like I was getting stronger. Leveling up should be fun, but I found entire trees to be useless and later unlocks to be shockingly unhelpful.
So it lacks creativity in its story and mission design, and the progression sucks, but the thing that kept me playing and returning is the way it channels Monster Hunter. Every mech has weak points and particular ammo to take them down that much faster. I found a few ammo types to be worthless and the castrated weapon wheel to be a nuisance in more difficult fights, but I liked the tearing modifications. I liked the override mechanic before It lost its usefullness. I enjoyed the weapon modifications and socket system before I realized that switching them out in the middle of and in between fights is absurdly unintuitive.
At its core, Horizon is played best as a stealth title. The problem for me is that this already bloated, repetitious game doesn’t deserve the sort of time it takes to slowly make your way through each new bloated, repetitious level design. I found myself very irritated the more I played, and I remain confounded by its praise.
Developers: Guerrilla Games
I finally went ahead and finished this thing, but it took everything out of me to keep from throwing my controller - not out of rage or difficulty, but because I just lacked the patience for so many design choices from the “Killzone” crew. Maybe that’s the problem, really. Adjusting to a new genre is a challenge, and the market is already flooded with bloated open world titles. There are some fucking cool mechanical monsters here, but Zero Dawn is a narrative nightmare and a structural mess.
The story starts off quite strong, stealing a few tears thanks to Aloy’s rather impressionable father figure. The plot of Aloy’s origins and the creation of this world becomes a driving force for many of the main missions, and I initially ate it all up. But the method of storytelling becomes extremely tiresome after you realize most every main quest involves finding a cave and listening to audio log after audio log....after audio log to discover the truth behind these mechanical monsters and why they dominate the planet. This is by far the worst way to tell a story, sacrificing its pace and wasting so much of the player’s precious time in the process. By the upteenth audio log, I just didn’t care anymore. It’s even worse when the dialog is often written in college BS-ing fashion, always avoiding the fastest way to a point and instead opting for flowery expressions and religious mumbo jumbo to explain its secrets. I wanted to care, truly, but I found myself struggling to get through such repetitious and uninspired level structures. Slogging through the stealth just to get to these caves is another misstep, that ultimately led to me running through a lot of the finale gameplay.
The side stuff isn’t any better. Nearly every side mission falls into the tracking variety, requiring the player to follow footsteps before following fruit trails that end in following blood tracks to a place where a creature or human ambush waits patiently for you to kill. It’s all mundane and I hated all of it. Merchants stop selling new stuff about midway through the campaign, so I rarely felt like I was getting stronger. Leveling up should be fun, but I found entire trees to be useless and later unlocks to be shockingly unhelpful.
So it lacks creativity in its story and mission design, and the progression sucks, but the thing that kept me playing and returning is the way it channels Monster Hunter. Every mech has weak points and particular ammo to take them down that much faster. I found a few ammo types to be worthless and the castrated weapon wheel to be a nuisance in more difficult fights, but I liked the tearing modifications. I liked the override mechanic before It lost its usefullness. I enjoyed the weapon modifications and socket system before I realized that switching them out in the middle of and in between fights is absurdly unintuitive.
At its core, Horizon is played best as a stealth title. The problem for me is that this already bloated, repetitious game doesn’t deserve the sort of time it takes to slowly make your way through each new bloated, repetitious level design. I found myself very irritated the more I played, and I remain confounded by its praise.
Finished: JEDI: FALLEN ORDER | 4.0/5.0
Respawn delivered more than I ever imagined with this game. The gameplay, while borrowing from many other titles, is quite polished. It’s as if Uncharted, Mass Effect, and Tomb Raider gave birth to this baby, and the exploration and sense of discovery here feel closest to Lara Croft’s adventures than anything else. The Metroidvania aspects are a real hook, and collecting new ponchos and upgrades make long searches worthwhile.
But the real draw? This story. God DAMN this story. The characters are fine and the actual journey isn’t incredibly unique for an open world game like this, but the narrative beats sync with the films in a way that was both unexpected and heartbreaking. The way everything comes together in the end made me cry like an idiot. The final battle is a bit anticlimactic and I was hoping for more fallout by the end credits, but I can’t help but feel truly impressed by what the devs at Respawn have accomplished.
The platforming can be finicky at times. The maps are really complex and it’s too easy to get lost. The difficulty spikes can be super frustrating, and the parrying system never feels precise enough. But I can’t help but love this thing in spite of its flaws. Fan service for this thing is real, and not in a masturbatory nostalgic way either. Jedi: Fallen Order gets the franchise better than a number of its own films. Highly recommended!
Respawn delivered more than I ever imagined with this game. The gameplay, while borrowing from many other titles, is quite polished. It’s as if Uncharted, Mass Effect, and Tomb Raider gave birth to this baby, and the exploration and sense of discovery here feel closest to Lara Croft’s adventures than anything else. The Metroidvania aspects are a real hook, and collecting new ponchos and upgrades make long searches worthwhile.
But the real draw? This story. God DAMN this story. The characters are fine and the actual journey isn’t incredibly unique for an open world game like this, but the narrative beats sync with the films in a way that was both unexpected and heartbreaking. The way everything comes together in the end made me cry like an idiot. The final battle is a bit anticlimactic and I was hoping for more fallout by the end credits, but I can’t help but feel truly impressed by what the devs at Respawn have accomplished.
The platforming can be finicky at times. The maps are really complex and it’s too easy to get lost. The difficulty spikes can be super frustrating, and the parrying system never feels precise enough. But I can’t help but love this thing in spite of its flaws. Fan service for this thing is real, and not in a masturbatory nostalgic way either. Jedi: Fallen Order gets the franchise better than a number of its own films. Highly recommended!