thundafellow
2020
One of the best games I've played in a long while. I played through the campaign on the "Hurt Me Plenty" difficulty and had one hell of a time (pun intended).
Improvements over the previous entry include a wider and more diverse variety of enemies, a wider variety of glory kill animations, a thoughtfully expanded arsenal, more movement mechanics, more maps, larger maps, a hub world full of easter eggs, more boss fights, more interesting combat encounters, and a massively climactic ending.
Things that are present in both games: top-tier optimization (seriously this game ran at 60+ fps on the highest graphics settings while I was rendering something in After Effects), buttery-smooth and intuitive movement and gunplay, incredible environments, genius level design, gorgeous graphics, sound design that is pure ear candy, and a phenomenal, angry, hard-hitting and expertly produced and mixed soundtrack to drive it all home.
This game is a pure adrenaline rush as well. Everything I mentioned above made me feel like a god when I pulled off crazy shots and narrowly escaped death via clever use of the mechanics. Not only that, but introductions, reveals, and payoffs all hit their mark in the presentation department.
Even the story, for me, was really interesting. I get that not many care for it too much (DOOM was never a game you play for the story), but the dedication to its presentation did not go unnoticed. All the voice acting was fantastic as well, and I love when the Slayer's personality shines through in the cinematics.
Any gripes I have with the game are small. I ended up getting fatigued in the last level due to all the back-to-back encounters that I surpassed only by the skin of my teeth, and the final boss was one of the longest boss fights I've played in recent memory. Additionally, some enemies felt more annoying than challenging (I'm looking at you, Whiplash). But again, these are small gripes that would probably disappear if I just got better at the game. One other small complaint is how the Crucible is originally bound to V, but that's customizable as well so it's not a big deal.
If you like shooters at all, this is definitely a game I'd recommend. Even if you don't like shooters, this one could definitely turn you into a fan.
High-energy, brutal, gory fun for the whole family. 10/10 would Rip and Tear again.
Improvements over the previous entry include a wider and more diverse variety of enemies, a wider variety of glory kill animations, a thoughtfully expanded arsenal, more movement mechanics, more maps, larger maps, a hub world full of easter eggs, more boss fights, more interesting combat encounters, and a massively climactic ending.
Things that are present in both games: top-tier optimization (seriously this game ran at 60+ fps on the highest graphics settings while I was rendering something in After Effects), buttery-smooth and intuitive movement and gunplay, incredible environments, genius level design, gorgeous graphics, sound design that is pure ear candy, and a phenomenal, angry, hard-hitting and expertly produced and mixed soundtrack to drive it all home.
This game is a pure adrenaline rush as well. Everything I mentioned above made me feel like a god when I pulled off crazy shots and narrowly escaped death via clever use of the mechanics. Not only that, but introductions, reveals, and payoffs all hit their mark in the presentation department.
Even the story, for me, was really interesting. I get that not many care for it too much (DOOM was never a game you play for the story), but the dedication to its presentation did not go unnoticed. All the voice acting was fantastic as well, and I love when the Slayer's personality shines through in the cinematics.
Any gripes I have with the game are small. I ended up getting fatigued in the last level due to all the back-to-back encounters that I surpassed only by the skin of my teeth, and the final boss was one of the longest boss fights I've played in recent memory. Additionally, some enemies felt more annoying than challenging (I'm looking at you, Whiplash). But again, these are small gripes that would probably disappear if I just got better at the game. One other small complaint is how the Crucible is originally bound to V, but that's customizable as well so it's not a big deal.
If you like shooters at all, this is definitely a game I'd recommend. Even if you don't like shooters, this one could definitely turn you into a fan.
High-energy, brutal, gory fun for the whole family. 10/10 would Rip and Tear again.
I finished this game at 3am and it definitely made me feel some type of way. Playing this after beating DOOM Eternal twice in a row was a huge pace switch, but a much needed one to be sure.
The thing that intrigued me about this game from the get go was the incredible introduction to the house, poking out of the forest in the distance. It's such a striking silhouette, and that, accompanied by the beautiful orchestral soundtrack and the journal-like narration got me hooked from the get go.
"What Remains of Edith Finch" is a narrative-focused walking simulator that tells of the mysterious Finch family, who believes they have been cursed. You play as Edith, the only surviving Finch family member, as she returns to her childhood home in search of answers to the many questions she had growing up.
What follows is a recountal of the family's history, stretching all the way back to the 1930s, when the Finch family sailed to America with their house in tow, only to have it sink offshore of Orcas Island, where they rebuild and settle, allowing the rest of the story to unfold.
The game is centered around death, and one of the main themes seems to be generational trauma, and how buying too much into stories and tales can have real-world repercussions. It's a pretty heavy subject matter, and it's an emotional experience for sure. I got teary-eyed at the end.
Technically, this game is astonishing. Though it may be a walking simulator at its core, it contains ingenious mechanics that weave seamlessly into the storytelling, the most stunning of which happens late-game (no spoilers). Graphically, it's incredible. There is so much detail put into the environment. It's genuinely one of the most immersive home environments I've seen put together in a videogame. It feels lived in, to be sure, but there's also this constant mystery tugging at every nook and cranny. Secret crawlspaces, sealed up rooms...hell the outside of the house itself is crazy, seeing rooms built haphazardly atop the existing structure. It really feels like you step inside of a storybook, and you come out feeling like you've lived through an entire REAL family's history (even though they are entirely fictional) in just two hours.
This game is truly something. The story, the writing, the characters, the music, the aesthetic...it's a masterpiece.
Only gripes that take a star off is that some parts feel a little jarring and the balance of story and gameplay gets a little too far into the gameplay side to be fully immersive as a story. Overall, it's put together very well. But even masterpieces have flaws.
If you have an evening to yourself, definitely pick up this game. It's easy, and a really cool experience that anyone can get into.
The thing that intrigued me about this game from the get go was the incredible introduction to the house, poking out of the forest in the distance. It's such a striking silhouette, and that, accompanied by the beautiful orchestral soundtrack and the journal-like narration got me hooked from the get go.
"What Remains of Edith Finch" is a narrative-focused walking simulator that tells of the mysterious Finch family, who believes they have been cursed. You play as Edith, the only surviving Finch family member, as she returns to her childhood home in search of answers to the many questions she had growing up.
What follows is a recountal of the family's history, stretching all the way back to the 1930s, when the Finch family sailed to America with their house in tow, only to have it sink offshore of Orcas Island, where they rebuild and settle, allowing the rest of the story to unfold.
The game is centered around death, and one of the main themes seems to be generational trauma, and how buying too much into stories and tales can have real-world repercussions. It's a pretty heavy subject matter, and it's an emotional experience for sure. I got teary-eyed at the end.
Technically, this game is astonishing. Though it may be a walking simulator at its core, it contains ingenious mechanics that weave seamlessly into the storytelling, the most stunning of which happens late-game (no spoilers). Graphically, it's incredible. There is so much detail put into the environment. It's genuinely one of the most immersive home environments I've seen put together in a videogame. It feels lived in, to be sure, but there's also this constant mystery tugging at every nook and cranny. Secret crawlspaces, sealed up rooms...hell the outside of the house itself is crazy, seeing rooms built haphazardly atop the existing structure. It really feels like you step inside of a storybook, and you come out feeling like you've lived through an entire REAL family's history (even though they are entirely fictional) in just two hours.
This game is truly something. The story, the writing, the characters, the music, the aesthetic...it's a masterpiece.
Only gripes that take a star off is that some parts feel a little jarring and the balance of story and gameplay gets a little too far into the gameplay side to be fully immersive as a story. Overall, it's put together very well. But even masterpieces have flaws.
If you have an evening to yourself, definitely pick up this game. It's easy, and a really cool experience that anyone can get into.
I played this on "I'm Too Young to Die" and thought it was tough, and this is post-nerf apparently.
An exhilerating and challenging continuation to the base game that puts your combat mastery to the test amid stunning locations, breathtaking setpieces, and, as always, badass demons that you can kick the shit out of in all its gory glory. If you crave more chaos after beating the base game, this is the next logical step.
An exhilerating and challenging continuation to the base game that puts your combat mastery to the test amid stunning locations, breathtaking setpieces, and, as always, badass demons that you can kick the shit out of in all its gory glory. If you crave more chaos after beating the base game, this is the next logical step.
Played through on "I'm Too Young to Die". The epic conclusion to the Slayer's saga definitely feels like an epic conclusion. Although shorter and relatively easier than The Ancient Gods Part 1, it still delivers even more incredible maps, fantastic cutscenes, new demons (some of which are more annoying than cool but whatever), and a new weapon. Its presentation is amazing, the final level is more epic than anything I've played in recent memory aside from Dark Souls 3 and Horizon Zero Dawn. The final boss is no pushover, but feels great once you get the pattern down. The ending you'll have to see for yourself, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and I'm excited for what Id has in store next.
2011
Damn, early Valve games have so much charm to them. Portal 2 improves on its predecessor with updated graphics, more levels, a more interesting story, new characters, new abilities, and even more excellent writing that hits the funny bone just right.
This was as much fun in the gameplay department as it was entertaining in the storytelling department: and that's to say it was immensely both! A couple of my friends didn't like Wheatley, but I thought he was great! GladOS makes a return as well, as petty and sarcastic as ever, and I even got to witness the legendary lemons speech for myself.
I don't believe I have any major criticism for this game, I thoroughly enjoyed it all the way through, and I love how it incorporated the puzzle solving into exploring the facility instead of just pushing you through rooms similar to how the original did.
I would highly recommend this one! Deserves its classic status!
This was as much fun in the gameplay department as it was entertaining in the storytelling department: and that's to say it was immensely both! A couple of my friends didn't like Wheatley, but I thought he was great! GladOS makes a return as well, as petty and sarcastic as ever, and I even got to witness the legendary lemons speech for myself.
I don't believe I have any major criticism for this game, I thoroughly enjoyed it all the way through, and I love how it incorporated the puzzle solving into exploring the facility instead of just pushing you through rooms similar to how the original did.
I would highly recommend this one! Deserves its classic status!
2004
I actually played this on an emulator because I was feeling nostalgic and wanted to also try playing it with a controller. Blazed through the base game in about two hours total and got silver and gold stars on most levels, but then I got the final zone and the boss made me want to punch something. It actually ended up taking me longer to beat that boss than it did to get to that point. I ended up becoming frustrated and used save states to beat it because no way was I going to take all the time to start the game again from the title screen, navigate through the hub world, fight the penultimate boss (which would cost me a life or two), and then finally lose to some bullshit rng. I've also already beaten it multiple times before as a kid. It's a fine Sonic game but that last boss is not really worth it. All the other levels are pretty fun though, and the music SLAPS. Fantastic soundtrack.
2009
Similar to Journey and ABZU, Flower is a short-form indie game with minimalistic and focused gameplay surrounding a single concept. More of an experience than an actual game, it runs you about 2 hours and you play as a flower petal, gathering more petals and seemingly bringing life to areas of land that were previously dead or dried out. It seems to be an allegory for environmentalism and how we seem to forget how important nature and the earth is as we expand our industry. In the end, it seems to promote a symbiosis between the two, and that's about it. It's a short and sweet message that doesn't overstay its welcome and is perfect for a relaxing evening. It controls a bit goofy on the PC as opposed to the motion controls of the PS3 but it's still playable. Music is great, and the visuals are pretty and stylistic. An enjoyable experience for sure.
2019
This is an interesting game due to the fact that it is a remake of an early game in the developer's career. Thomas Brush created the game "Coma" in Adobe Flash a while ago and it gained some viral attention. It focused on a kid named Pete who suffered a coma and is suspended in a sort of dreamlike world. It took less than an hour to complete.
This game was created years later in Unity (under the working title of "Once Upon a Coma") with more of a team, has much more plot and gameplay (takes about 6 hours to beat), and expands on the original story. It focuses on Peet, as he goes on an adventure to save his childhood crush Wren, who has been kidnapped by the evil Dr. Smile. Hidden beneath the cutesy and slightly macabre artstyle lies a dark and tragic metaphor about growing up, loss, and guilt. It's a narrative puzzle-platformer with a handful of interesting boss fights, a cast of weird but engaging characters, and rudimentary combat. The small-ish worldmap is built in a Mario-esque sidescroller fasion with bits of Metroidvania sprinkled in. It boasts a subtle and dreamlike soundtrack to accompany Thomas' surreal artstyle and has some decent voice acting to complement the dialogue, which has its moments but falters occasionally.
For an indie game, it's a neat creative effort, but it leaves a little more to be desired from a gameplay standpoint. Some other things that put me off were the childishly vulgar mannerisms (I get it, it's a game about childhood neighborhood shenanigans, but the "booty bum", "poop", and "fart" stuff comes across as a little forced sometimes).
I would recommend it for those who have more than a passing interest in indie games. For anyone else, it might seem short and a bit boring. I personally enjoyed it, due to the themes of nostalgia resonating with me.
This game was created years later in Unity (under the working title of "Once Upon a Coma") with more of a team, has much more plot and gameplay (takes about 6 hours to beat), and expands on the original story. It focuses on Peet, as he goes on an adventure to save his childhood crush Wren, who has been kidnapped by the evil Dr. Smile. Hidden beneath the cutesy and slightly macabre artstyle lies a dark and tragic metaphor about growing up, loss, and guilt. It's a narrative puzzle-platformer with a handful of interesting boss fights, a cast of weird but engaging characters, and rudimentary combat. The small-ish worldmap is built in a Mario-esque sidescroller fasion with bits of Metroidvania sprinkled in. It boasts a subtle and dreamlike soundtrack to accompany Thomas' surreal artstyle and has some decent voice acting to complement the dialogue, which has its moments but falters occasionally.
For an indie game, it's a neat creative effort, but it leaves a little more to be desired from a gameplay standpoint. Some other things that put me off were the childishly vulgar mannerisms (I get it, it's a game about childhood neighborhood shenanigans, but the "booty bum", "poop", and "fart" stuff comes across as a little forced sometimes).
I would recommend it for those who have more than a passing interest in indie games. For anyone else, it might seem short and a bit boring. I personally enjoyed it, due to the themes of nostalgia resonating with me.
Everything a sequel should be and more.
I've owned my copy of the game for a couple years at this point, patiently waiting for the full release. I took a weekend to myself when it dropped and I ended up 100% completing it over the weekend, clocking in about 30 hours of playtime, and boy oh boy did I have a blast. I plan to go back in and craft every upgrade and every vehicle possible, and work on expanding my base.
While the original Subnautica was an impressive and downright incredible yet terrifying experience in and of itself, Below Zero turns it up a notch by bringing you to an even more inhospitable underwater environment: the arctic. With an all-new map, new flora and fauna, multiple quality of life improvements, new tools, new vehicles, updated graphics, a dynamic weather system, a new main protagonist and a fresh plot that expands upon the lore of the first game while introducing new characters and bringing back some old ones, Subnautica Below Zero is a fantastic open-world survival experience like none other.
The new biomes are fresh and unique. None of them really overlap with the biomes from the previous game. You get crazy, twisty coral formations, hydrothermal vents, deep arctic expanses, diverse and beautiful cave systems, and even a biome with gigantic lilypads! And in these new biomes are a plethora of new creatures. Some are cute and friendly, and some you want to stay far away from.
In addition to the underwater exploration, there is even more land exploration in BZ. You can explore the vast reaches of the Glacial Basin and Arctic Spires, uncovering Alterra research facilities and ancient alien structures while interacting with actual land creatures and facing off against a terrifying new leviathan. Much is to be discovered in these areas, and it's a lot of fun!
In terms of the OST, Simon Chylinski is no longer the composer, and in his place Ben Prunty takes the helm, and he delivers on every front. Ben's soundtrack is as good, if not better in some areas, than Simon's, though I enjoy both of theirs equally in their own rights. The atmospheric ambient synth tracks mixed with elements of chillout fits the sci-fi underwater aesthetic perfectly, and I always find myself with the melodies stuck in my head for days.
This game has definitely been one of my top gaming experiences this year, and I will continue to dump hours into it, even replaying it all over again, just because it's so good, and I want to explore every inch of the map and discover everything the game has to offer.
Definitely pick it up if you can!
I've owned my copy of the game for a couple years at this point, patiently waiting for the full release. I took a weekend to myself when it dropped and I ended up 100% completing it over the weekend, clocking in about 30 hours of playtime, and boy oh boy did I have a blast. I plan to go back in and craft every upgrade and every vehicle possible, and work on expanding my base.
While the original Subnautica was an impressive and downright incredible yet terrifying experience in and of itself, Below Zero turns it up a notch by bringing you to an even more inhospitable underwater environment: the arctic. With an all-new map, new flora and fauna, multiple quality of life improvements, new tools, new vehicles, updated graphics, a dynamic weather system, a new main protagonist and a fresh plot that expands upon the lore of the first game while introducing new characters and bringing back some old ones, Subnautica Below Zero is a fantastic open-world survival experience like none other.
The new biomes are fresh and unique. None of them really overlap with the biomes from the previous game. You get crazy, twisty coral formations, hydrothermal vents, deep arctic expanses, diverse and beautiful cave systems, and even a biome with gigantic lilypads! And in these new biomes are a plethora of new creatures. Some are cute and friendly, and some you want to stay far away from.
In addition to the underwater exploration, there is even more land exploration in BZ. You can explore the vast reaches of the Glacial Basin and Arctic Spires, uncovering Alterra research facilities and ancient alien structures while interacting with actual land creatures and facing off against a terrifying new leviathan. Much is to be discovered in these areas, and it's a lot of fun!
In terms of the OST, Simon Chylinski is no longer the composer, and in his place Ben Prunty takes the helm, and he delivers on every front. Ben's soundtrack is as good, if not better in some areas, than Simon's, though I enjoy both of theirs equally in their own rights. The atmospheric ambient synth tracks mixed with elements of chillout fits the sci-fi underwater aesthetic perfectly, and I always find myself with the melodies stuck in my head for days.
This game has definitely been one of my top gaming experiences this year, and I will continue to dump hours into it, even replaying it all over again, just because it's so good, and I want to explore every inch of the map and discover everything the game has to offer.
Definitely pick it up if you can!
2015
One of the most badass games I've played. The Lovecraftian inspiration, the incredible lore and worldbuilding, the Victorian architecture, the fast-paced aggressive combat, the insane enemy designs, the gorgeously foreboding environments/atmosphere, and the live recorded symphonic soundtrack shows that this game was truly a labor of love. I got the platinum on this, which is rare for me to do unless I really love the game. I recommend this to any FromSoftware veteran who hasn't played it yet, and to anyone new to the franchise, this is a great starting point.
2017
An incredible journey. I've had my eye on this for a while due to the allure of the art direction and aesthetic alone. It wasn't until a friend of mine showed me the incredible OST and recommended it for a podcast we have that I actually played it. It's a lovingly crafted narrative action RPG with combat that borrows a bit from FromSoftware and quite a bit more from Bayonetta (same developer). Another friend remarked that it can be viewed as the video game version of movies like Blade Runner. It's a story that tackles existentialism, different philosophies, what it means to be human, etc. and it does so pretty well! I wasn't as emotionally impacted by certain scenes as some of my friends were, but there still is a lot of that here. The reason I subtracted half a star is due to some mediocre dialogue in some parts as well as the many anime-isms that I just don't gel well with, and some gameplay decisions that I thought were a little wonky. Overall, however, the combat is fluid, and the exploration is pretty seamless. The side quests are engaging for being side quests, but the main narrative kinda lags until it hits the third playthrough (three playthroughs are required to get the full main narrative, as different perspectives are shown each time), but when that happens, it gets really good.
If you're a fan of JRPGs or action RPGs, and have an thing for the post-apocalyptic, you could really enjoy this game. For others, however, the multiple playthroughs thing might put them off, and the overall storytelling is quite complex to get the full context. Still I highly recommend it!
If you're a fan of JRPGs or action RPGs, and have an thing for the post-apocalyptic, you could really enjoy this game. For others, however, the multiple playthroughs thing might put them off, and the overall storytelling is quite complex to get the full context. Still I highly recommend it!
This review contains spoilers
A return to form, and then some!
Let's start with the visuals. Holy SHIT this game is beautiful, I've never seen anything like it. When people say it feels like playing a Pixar movie, they aren't lying. You can see the individual hairs on the characters fur, you can see scratches and imperfections in the metal, you can see the grain in the wood, etc. and I played it on Performance RT mode as well.
Speaking of which, the graphical settings are SO much better than 2016. You can switch between a 4K 30fps mode, a 4K 40fps mode, and two 60fps modes with and without ray-tracing. Plus, you can turn off motion blur, so you can avoid throwing up when shit starts to hit the fan in the more intense encounters.
In terms of the narrative, I think it's great for what the franchise is. Obviously you're not getting anything super ambitious or that takes any significant risks, but the presentation is great and doesn't patronize the player like 2016 does. Instead of a G-Rated kiddie adventure, we get more of a PG-Rated family safe adventure that teaches some decent life lessons and delivers on the fun, flashy, sci-fi action side of things. It was neat to see the alternate dimension counterparts of memorable characters and how they compare/contrast to the originals. Speaking of which, Rivet was a pretty great addition to the franchise! I hope we get to see more of her and Kit as the franchise goes on. We don't get to see her origin like we did with Ratchet, but the narrative gives us some dialogue-delivered backstory that fills in the gaps and fleshes out her character. She has a nice arc with Kit that is like a condensed version of the arc Ratchet and Clank have in the first game, which I thought was neat. The new Emperor Nefarious was really cool, he felt a lot more intimidating than the Doctor, and his manic rage at the end when he realized no one wanted to follow him was well executed.
People critique the enemy variety, but in my opinion, the variety was pretty good. You got Troopers, Goons, Pirates, and various indigenous creatures that you fight against, and each "team" has multiple variants that shake up combat.
Speaking of combat, I've seen many people say that this is "Pixar Doom" and they're not wrong there either. It had arena-based encounters with agile movement and platforming elements paired with an arsenal that you switch through constantly during battle. Each weapon aside from the Pixelizer had something to offer, and by the end I used most of them pretty evenly. The ability to hot swap between four weapons using the directional arrows was pretty cool, though most of the time I just used the weapon wheel.
As far as the planets go, there aren't many, though you do make return trips to some of them, and when you do, the environment changes in various ways. Also, environments were just straight up gorgeous. Props to the environment artists on this one because I loved just looking at them and taking them in. They felt so full of life compared to many other games. The NPC density is pretty high and many have unique dialogue, and some even converse with the player. I never noticed any pop-in, and the loading screens were seamless.
In terms of the OST, while it doesn't come close to the absolute bangers that David Bergeaud composed for the series up until his final foray with Tools of Destruction, it is reminiscent of A Crack in Time and still has some great tunes! LEAGUES better than the uninspired 2016 OST.
Finally, one last thing is the interaction with the controller haptics. Feeling resistance is so cool, and when certain weapons "kick", it gives the game that much more weight. That combined with environmental haptics like the ground you're walking on and even being able to feel the rumble of bass from a nearby nightclub made this experience downright amazing!
Only reason why I'm taking off half a star is because I wished they would take more risks with the story instead of playing it as safe as they do these days. Here's to hoping this is the beginning of a new trilogy!
Let's start with the visuals. Holy SHIT this game is beautiful, I've never seen anything like it. When people say it feels like playing a Pixar movie, they aren't lying. You can see the individual hairs on the characters fur, you can see scratches and imperfections in the metal, you can see the grain in the wood, etc. and I played it on Performance RT mode as well.
Speaking of which, the graphical settings are SO much better than 2016. You can switch between a 4K 30fps mode, a 4K 40fps mode, and two 60fps modes with and without ray-tracing. Plus, you can turn off motion blur, so you can avoid throwing up when shit starts to hit the fan in the more intense encounters.
In terms of the narrative, I think it's great for what the franchise is. Obviously you're not getting anything super ambitious or that takes any significant risks, but the presentation is great and doesn't patronize the player like 2016 does. Instead of a G-Rated kiddie adventure, we get more of a PG-Rated family safe adventure that teaches some decent life lessons and delivers on the fun, flashy, sci-fi action side of things. It was neat to see the alternate dimension counterparts of memorable characters and how they compare/contrast to the originals. Speaking of which, Rivet was a pretty great addition to the franchise! I hope we get to see more of her and Kit as the franchise goes on. We don't get to see her origin like we did with Ratchet, but the narrative gives us some dialogue-delivered backstory that fills in the gaps and fleshes out her character. She has a nice arc with Kit that is like a condensed version of the arc Ratchet and Clank have in the first game, which I thought was neat. The new Emperor Nefarious was really cool, he felt a lot more intimidating than the Doctor, and his manic rage at the end when he realized no one wanted to follow him was well executed.
People critique the enemy variety, but in my opinion, the variety was pretty good. You got Troopers, Goons, Pirates, and various indigenous creatures that you fight against, and each "team" has multiple variants that shake up combat.
Speaking of combat, I've seen many people say that this is "Pixar Doom" and they're not wrong there either. It had arena-based encounters with agile movement and platforming elements paired with an arsenal that you switch through constantly during battle. Each weapon aside from the Pixelizer had something to offer, and by the end I used most of them pretty evenly. The ability to hot swap between four weapons using the directional arrows was pretty cool, though most of the time I just used the weapon wheel.
As far as the planets go, there aren't many, though you do make return trips to some of them, and when you do, the environment changes in various ways. Also, environments were just straight up gorgeous. Props to the environment artists on this one because I loved just looking at them and taking them in. They felt so full of life compared to many other games. The NPC density is pretty high and many have unique dialogue, and some even converse with the player. I never noticed any pop-in, and the loading screens were seamless.
In terms of the OST, while it doesn't come close to the absolute bangers that David Bergeaud composed for the series up until his final foray with Tools of Destruction, it is reminiscent of A Crack in Time and still has some great tunes! LEAGUES better than the uninspired 2016 OST.
Finally, one last thing is the interaction with the controller haptics. Feeling resistance is so cool, and when certain weapons "kick", it gives the game that much more weight. That combined with environmental haptics like the ground you're walking on and even being able to feel the rumble of bass from a nearby nightclub made this experience downright amazing!
Only reason why I'm taking off half a star is because I wished they would take more risks with the story instead of playing it as safe as they do these days. Here's to hoping this is the beginning of a new trilogy!
A gothic, grimdark metroidvania where you play as a young priestess who is tasked with fighting back a ravenous blight after the downfall of her kingdom. Although it starts off a bit slow, the atmosphere is impeccable right off the bat. You awake from an altar in an underground storage area and are greeted by the spirit of a knight who will act as one of many of your surrogate fighters. The music is both melancholic and foreboding. It eases you into this fallen, corrupted kingdom very thematically. Being one of the strongest aspects of this game, the music is what I'd describe as something similar to a haunting lullaby, and it's one of the best I've come across in terms of video game soundtracks.
After picking up a few abilities, the gameplay and plot really start to pick up and thicken, and soon you're sucked in. Platforming challenges even introduce themselves later on. The bosses are well-designed, challenging, and extremely lore-heavy. Each of them has its own story, even the minibosses.
Artistically, it's gorgeous, but almost to a fault. The art itself is very beautifully done, but sometimes its hard to separate background elements from interactive elements.
Each area is very fully realized, and the late game areas get super creative and interesting.
Beautiful, very narrative, soaked in atmosphere, and boasting some creative gameplay mechanics, Ender Lilies is a game I'd suggest everyone at least tries. If you're a fan of that "beautifully haunting" gothic style, which is both parts magical and dark, and you like metroidvanias, you'll love this game.
After picking up a few abilities, the gameplay and plot really start to pick up and thicken, and soon you're sucked in. Platforming challenges even introduce themselves later on. The bosses are well-designed, challenging, and extremely lore-heavy. Each of them has its own story, even the minibosses.
Artistically, it's gorgeous, but almost to a fault. The art itself is very beautifully done, but sometimes its hard to separate background elements from interactive elements.
Each area is very fully realized, and the late game areas get super creative and interesting.
Beautiful, very narrative, soaked in atmosphere, and boasting some creative gameplay mechanics, Ender Lilies is a game I'd suggest everyone at least tries. If you're a fan of that "beautifully haunting" gothic style, which is both parts magical and dark, and you like metroidvanias, you'll love this game.
2020
Being the FromSoftware simp that I am, when I saw that Demon's Souls was getting remade from the ground up by Bluepoint Games, I knew that I needed a PS5 (well, that and Ratchet & Clank).
I am happy to report that my expectations were met, and dare I say, exceeded. Right off the bat, this game is one of the best looking I've seen. The environments are so detailed and thoughtfully made, every area feels real and believable.
Gameplay is a tad clunky, but that's what I was expecting, as it is Dark Souls 1's predecessor. It's not terrible though, and it handles better than Dark Souls 2, in my opinion. Some backstab/riposte animations can be a bit lengthy and drawn-out, but they are pretty badass, so it's a trade-off.
The sound design in this is incredible. I highly recommend playing on a nice sound system if you can, or using headphones, because it's so detailed, has a lot of body to it, and makes the experience much more intense. Magic has some of the best sounding effects.
One of the unfortunate aspects about this remake being as faithful as it is, is that source code from the original PS3 title is reused. There are times when even the modern polish can't hide the jank. During one of the bossfights, the AI is jittery and a bit, well, dumb. One of my attempts ended with the AI getting stuck underneath a bridge, so I had to jump off to restart the fight.
Progression can be unforgiving for new players. I consider myself a Souls veteran at this point, and the early game was kicking my ass...hard. Granted I tried to do everything without a guide, so I was purposefully making things harder for myself, but regardless, your character's leveling and weapons can make the beginning a real trial. However, you reach a point about midgame where you start to feel a bit overpowered, and as you approach endgame, it becomes one of the easiest Souls titles.
Story-wise, I really enjoyed it! It's clear that Miyazaki likes his cosmic horror, because that plays a bit of a role here, and shows its face fully during Bloodborne.
In the future, I plan to attempt different builds and stuff to experiment, but as it stands, my singular playthrough was extremely enjoyable, even if the game is on the shorter side for a Souls title.
It's hard for me to fully recommend this, since getting a PS5 is still hard (a little over a year later), but if you manage to snag one, this is a must-play!
I am happy to report that my expectations were met, and dare I say, exceeded. Right off the bat, this game is one of the best looking I've seen. The environments are so detailed and thoughtfully made, every area feels real and believable.
Gameplay is a tad clunky, but that's what I was expecting, as it is Dark Souls 1's predecessor. It's not terrible though, and it handles better than Dark Souls 2, in my opinion. Some backstab/riposte animations can be a bit lengthy and drawn-out, but they are pretty badass, so it's a trade-off.
The sound design in this is incredible. I highly recommend playing on a nice sound system if you can, or using headphones, because it's so detailed, has a lot of body to it, and makes the experience much more intense. Magic has some of the best sounding effects.
One of the unfortunate aspects about this remake being as faithful as it is, is that source code from the original PS3 title is reused. There are times when even the modern polish can't hide the jank. During one of the bossfights, the AI is jittery and a bit, well, dumb. One of my attempts ended with the AI getting stuck underneath a bridge, so I had to jump off to restart the fight.
Progression can be unforgiving for new players. I consider myself a Souls veteran at this point, and the early game was kicking my ass...hard. Granted I tried to do everything without a guide, so I was purposefully making things harder for myself, but regardless, your character's leveling and weapons can make the beginning a real trial. However, you reach a point about midgame where you start to feel a bit overpowered, and as you approach endgame, it becomes one of the easiest Souls titles.
Story-wise, I really enjoyed it! It's clear that Miyazaki likes his cosmic horror, because that plays a bit of a role here, and shows its face fully during Bloodborne.
In the future, I plan to attempt different builds and stuff to experiment, but as it stands, my singular playthrough was extremely enjoyable, even if the game is on the shorter side for a Souls title.
It's hard for me to fully recommend this, since getting a PS5 is still hard (a little over a year later), but if you manage to snag one, this is a must-play!
I've played most of the Jak games, the remastered Crash games, and both of The Last of Us games, but one series of ND's that I haven't played until now is Uncharted.
I'm glad I did. Obviously I didn't play this on release, and I'm spoiled by modern gunplay and movement mechanics, so this definitely felt clunky in a lot of places. I got used to it though, and ended up really enjoying it! Fun story, great characters, fun gunplay, the works. Minus 1.5 stars because some sections felt unbalanced and ridiculous even on a regular difficulty, something that persists clear though the third installment, and is finally addressed in 4 and Lost Legacy.
Story-wise, I had fun with it. There were times where the deus ex machinas were a little too crazy, but for the most part, pretty interesting!
I'm glad I did. Obviously I didn't play this on release, and I'm spoiled by modern gunplay and movement mechanics, so this definitely felt clunky in a lot of places. I got used to it though, and ended up really enjoying it! Fun story, great characters, fun gunplay, the works. Minus 1.5 stars because some sections felt unbalanced and ridiculous even on a regular difficulty, something that persists clear though the third installment, and is finally addressed in 4 and Lost Legacy.
Story-wise, I had fun with it. There were times where the deus ex machinas were a little too crazy, but for the most part, pretty interesting!