vazzot
1996
I’ve recently gained a platformer addiction over the past month, to be more specific, with PS1 platformers. I’ve played the Spyro & Crash remakes multiple times but I thought it might be worth playing through the originals, seeing how much they got right and what changes were made in the future re-releases. And beginning with the one that started it all, Crash Bandicoot is a fun time, but not a well polished one in terms of its collecting, difficulty & movement.
At its core, Crash is a very simple game. You go through the course, hit as many boxes as you can, finish the level, rinse & repeat until you get to the end. To mention the goods, I think the original has a lot more charm which you don’t really see in the remake; the limitations of the hardware works in its favour and environments have beautiful colours and vibrancy alongside a catchy soundtrack and crunchy sound effects (that live in my head rent free). I also enjoy how it tries to create some sort of journey between each level, rather than what the series became known for afterwards, the hub worlds, which feels more disjointed. I think the Jungle/Tech/Castle themes all fit really well and the designs of each of the characters are just as goofy as Crash!
Crash himself feels okay to control, though maybe having the option to play with joysticks on later controllers would’ve been a nice touch as sometimes on the harder courses the d-pad only movement makes it all the much worse. To coincide this, the lack of movement options does make him feel very rigid. Compared to 2 & 3, there's no slide kick, ground pound or unlockable powerups, just a simple walk, jump, hit & Aku-Aku for extra defence. This setup paired with some of the awkward depth perception issues results in stressful gameplay, especially if you’re trying to get all the boxes on say the bridge levels. I’d say the level design and environments themselves are great! But It’s that camera and movement that turns it into a nightmare for completionists.
Speaking of a nightmare, the difficulty spikes. The base game wasn’t too bad to get through, even with the problems with the perspective, but OH LORD trying to 100% this is an entirely new beast. So, not only do you have to hit all the boxes without dying (which is a big ask considering how long the harder levels are), but then some require a coloured gem to unlock secret paths which you get through specific bonus stages in levels. There's also extra levels you need to unlock by getting keys… and none of this is ever properly explained to you, you’re just meant to figure out where they are. It’s a fun challenge to add for replayability, but some levels can be downright grating to finish, and once you finally collect everything the secret ending doesn’t add much value, so it's not really worth it. I also found the boss stages to be easier than any of the platforming levels, even Cortex, so the balancing is really mismatched, you’ll never know when the next hardest challenge is.
This does start to show a general lack of polish throughout the game. It’s like how you can only save when you’ve completed a level for the first time or doing a bonus area in a level, but once you’ve used that bonus it doesn’t return so you have to find another to go to??... or how lives reset every time you boot the game back up… or how enemies can sometimes be hidden until the last second, ruining the principles of planning where you want to go (this was extremely noticeable in the ‘Fumbling In The Dark’ level). There's just a certain threshold it passes when it's more annoying than difficult.
I’d say that if you were to check out this game yourself, then probably just play the remake version as it does add more QoL improvements that make 100%ing the game much more enjoyable and the definitive way to play. The controls feel better, you can die in a stage and still get standard gems (just not coloured ones), you can save at any point & there's even a box counter so you can see how many you have left to get instead of having to guess and hope that you’ve gotten everything. There's also the addition of time relics too that weren't in the base game however, so take that how you will as me personally, im terrible at them.
I think the only things I’ve ended up preferring in the original is the style & music. Crash Bandicoot is still a good platformer, but it hasn’t aged as well as say Spyro. It shines best with its design, story & general silliness and less-so its controls and progression. Anyone CAN pick up and play it, but depending on how your experience goes with platformers you might just end up pulling your hair out trying to fully complete it if you don’t get along with it well.
At its core, Crash is a very simple game. You go through the course, hit as many boxes as you can, finish the level, rinse & repeat until you get to the end. To mention the goods, I think the original has a lot more charm which you don’t really see in the remake; the limitations of the hardware works in its favour and environments have beautiful colours and vibrancy alongside a catchy soundtrack and crunchy sound effects (that live in my head rent free). I also enjoy how it tries to create some sort of journey between each level, rather than what the series became known for afterwards, the hub worlds, which feels more disjointed. I think the Jungle/Tech/Castle themes all fit really well and the designs of each of the characters are just as goofy as Crash!
Crash himself feels okay to control, though maybe having the option to play with joysticks on later controllers would’ve been a nice touch as sometimes on the harder courses the d-pad only movement makes it all the much worse. To coincide this, the lack of movement options does make him feel very rigid. Compared to 2 & 3, there's no slide kick, ground pound or unlockable powerups, just a simple walk, jump, hit & Aku-Aku for extra defence. This setup paired with some of the awkward depth perception issues results in stressful gameplay, especially if you’re trying to get all the boxes on say the bridge levels. I’d say the level design and environments themselves are great! But It’s that camera and movement that turns it into a nightmare for completionists.
Speaking of a nightmare, the difficulty spikes. The base game wasn’t too bad to get through, even with the problems with the perspective, but OH LORD trying to 100% this is an entirely new beast. So, not only do you have to hit all the boxes without dying (which is a big ask considering how long the harder levels are), but then some require a coloured gem to unlock secret paths which you get through specific bonus stages in levels. There's also extra levels you need to unlock by getting keys… and none of this is ever properly explained to you, you’re just meant to figure out where they are. It’s a fun challenge to add for replayability, but some levels can be downright grating to finish, and once you finally collect everything the secret ending doesn’t add much value, so it's not really worth it. I also found the boss stages to be easier than any of the platforming levels, even Cortex, so the balancing is really mismatched, you’ll never know when the next hardest challenge is.
This does start to show a general lack of polish throughout the game. It’s like how you can only save when you’ve completed a level for the first time or doing a bonus area in a level, but once you’ve used that bonus it doesn’t return so you have to find another to go to??... or how lives reset every time you boot the game back up… or how enemies can sometimes be hidden until the last second, ruining the principles of planning where you want to go (this was extremely noticeable in the ‘Fumbling In The Dark’ level). There's just a certain threshold it passes when it's more annoying than difficult.
I’d say that if you were to check out this game yourself, then probably just play the remake version as it does add more QoL improvements that make 100%ing the game much more enjoyable and the definitive way to play. The controls feel better, you can die in a stage and still get standard gems (just not coloured ones), you can save at any point & there's even a box counter so you can see how many you have left to get instead of having to guess and hope that you’ve gotten everything. There's also the addition of time relics too that weren't in the base game however, so take that how you will as me personally, im terrible at them.
I think the only things I’ve ended up preferring in the original is the style & music. Crash Bandicoot is still a good platformer, but it hasn’t aged as well as say Spyro. It shines best with its design, story & general silliness and less-so its controls and progression. Anyone CAN pick up and play it, but depending on how your experience goes with platformers you might just end up pulling your hair out trying to fully complete it if you don’t get along with it well.
2002
Well, the start of a loong journey begins. Ratchet & Clank is a game series that really needs no introduction, and the first game was always something I used to play as a child but never fully finished. For some reason I always used to get to Quark’s Fortress and stop, but (15 years or so later) I’ve finally been able to complete it! So, here are my thoughts:
With this being the first Ratchet & Clank game, it's key to see Ratchet’s development. He initially starts out as very self centred, quite cocky & uncaring towards Clank, giving a certain edge to him that isn’t seen in later titles. Clank sadly doesn't have much of an arc with his character, minus one scene that was pretty touching, but he still has a lot of charm! The story isn’t something that hasn’t been done before, but it's the personalities of all of the characters you interact with that help flesh out the story that's being told, which is mostly trying to show how corporate & greedy most of the inhabitants are. This is what makes Chairman Drek an enticing villain to the storyline as he’s basically the epitome of said greed, and this is all told through great storytelling that doesn't treat kids that would’ve been playing this like idiots.
I can imagine being in LOVE with something this ambitious back in 2002, as I still am now. The scope of this game is no small feat, and they did an amazing job at making unique worlds that vary enough from one another that really sells that idea of exploring a galaxy of planets, even having multiple paths you could take in each level. Even the backtracking to previous worlds when you possibly didn’t have the gear yet never felt annoying either because it always opened up a new path that wasn’t explorable before. This great design paired with the gunplay and platforming, it feels like it opened up the genre to more experimentation than what was previously tried with Crash, Spyro & Jak & Daxter up to this point.
And ooo boy the game's soundtrack is a chef's futuristic kiss, it really does feel like every loop was built around trying to fit the atmosphere each world was going for. There are genuinely haunting soundscapes for Planet Orxon & the Gemlik Base but when going to Planet Kerwan I'm surprised at how well it fits the bustling city of Metropolis, EVERY world has their own distinct sound that compliments so so well. I also loved how separate paths sometimes included a deviation of the original song depending on what you were doing. David Bergeaud knocked it out the park with these tracks, and it's a shame that the modern Ratchet & Clank OST’s don’t have that same level of specialty he brought to the table.
So I think looking at the good, it’s clear R&C does a fantastic job at unique level designs, solid writing, & great exploration, but there are definitely some mechanics that could’ve been tweaked to be smoother or, well, maybe haven’t aged the greatest personally.
Speaking of the gear, it’s decent, but isn’t Insomniac's most creative collection like you see in the more modern titles. You have your typical machine gun, rocket launcher, bombs, etc etc, which whilst fun to use, especially weapons like the Visibomb, aren’t very distinctive. Some even feel pretty useless compared to others as well, I’m pretty sure in my whole playthrough I never used the decoy glove or the mine glove once, so whilst there are various ways you can tackle something, some lack the punch others do. But overall, it's a pretty solid collection to start things off alongside the gadgets (even though I wish they were on their own separate wheel).
I think depending on how much I enjoy the weapons also has something to do with how this game’s controls. For starters, the aiming can be awkward depending on what you’re trying to use, and whilst I give respect to Ratchet & Clank for being the first to merge shooter mechanics with platforming, it doesn’t feel as smooth as what I’d like it to sometimes, especially getting into the later worlds where it can start to push these mechanics to their limits, which can even start to hinder the platforming and make you realise how floaty it all feels. I also wish selecting items on the weapon wheel was a little faster as sometimes I try to switch weapons mid-fight and since the game doesn’t pause or slow down I end up taking damage in the process which always got on my nerves.
Another annoyance, grinding for bolts! Now I know the RYNO is meant to be obtained through multiple playthroughs, but that aside there were still a considerable amount needed for the more expensive weapons/upgrades like the tesla claw and the improved health, so I ended up doing grinding the giant clank fight for the most bolts which was definitely the most tiring part of this game.
Honestly though, whilst these complaints did dampen my experience they’re very minimal when looking at the entire journey which I'm very impressed by for a first outing. I can definitely understand why people were underwhelmed with the 2016 remake as whilst it might feel better to control and have better weapon progression, I think it lost the charm and style that made the original what it was (especially on the writing side where they made some very weird changes to the story) and doesn’t stand out near as much as what it did 20 years ago.
Overall, I highly recommend checking this out if you can, I think out of all the PS2 platformer mascots Ratchet & Clank to me had the strongest first entry from what I can gather, even with some bumps it has along the way. I’m very excited to continue playing through the series and seeing how the others stack up as I’ve only heard greater things!
With this being the first Ratchet & Clank game, it's key to see Ratchet’s development. He initially starts out as very self centred, quite cocky & uncaring towards Clank, giving a certain edge to him that isn’t seen in later titles. Clank sadly doesn't have much of an arc with his character, minus one scene that was pretty touching, but he still has a lot of charm! The story isn’t something that hasn’t been done before, but it's the personalities of all of the characters you interact with that help flesh out the story that's being told, which is mostly trying to show how corporate & greedy most of the inhabitants are. This is what makes Chairman Drek an enticing villain to the storyline as he’s basically the epitome of said greed, and this is all told through great storytelling that doesn't treat kids that would’ve been playing this like idiots.
I can imagine being in LOVE with something this ambitious back in 2002, as I still am now. The scope of this game is no small feat, and they did an amazing job at making unique worlds that vary enough from one another that really sells that idea of exploring a galaxy of planets, even having multiple paths you could take in each level. Even the backtracking to previous worlds when you possibly didn’t have the gear yet never felt annoying either because it always opened up a new path that wasn’t explorable before. This great design paired with the gunplay and platforming, it feels like it opened up the genre to more experimentation than what was previously tried with Crash, Spyro & Jak & Daxter up to this point.
And ooo boy the game's soundtrack is a chef's futuristic kiss, it really does feel like every loop was built around trying to fit the atmosphere each world was going for. There are genuinely haunting soundscapes for Planet Orxon & the Gemlik Base but when going to Planet Kerwan I'm surprised at how well it fits the bustling city of Metropolis, EVERY world has their own distinct sound that compliments so so well. I also loved how separate paths sometimes included a deviation of the original song depending on what you were doing. David Bergeaud knocked it out the park with these tracks, and it's a shame that the modern Ratchet & Clank OST’s don’t have that same level of specialty he brought to the table.
So I think looking at the good, it’s clear R&C does a fantastic job at unique level designs, solid writing, & great exploration, but there are definitely some mechanics that could’ve been tweaked to be smoother or, well, maybe haven’t aged the greatest personally.
Speaking of the gear, it’s decent, but isn’t Insomniac's most creative collection like you see in the more modern titles. You have your typical machine gun, rocket launcher, bombs, etc etc, which whilst fun to use, especially weapons like the Visibomb, aren’t very distinctive. Some even feel pretty useless compared to others as well, I’m pretty sure in my whole playthrough I never used the decoy glove or the mine glove once, so whilst there are various ways you can tackle something, some lack the punch others do. But overall, it's a pretty solid collection to start things off alongside the gadgets (even though I wish they were on their own separate wheel).
I think depending on how much I enjoy the weapons also has something to do with how this game’s controls. For starters, the aiming can be awkward depending on what you’re trying to use, and whilst I give respect to Ratchet & Clank for being the first to merge shooter mechanics with platforming, it doesn’t feel as smooth as what I’d like it to sometimes, especially getting into the later worlds where it can start to push these mechanics to their limits, which can even start to hinder the platforming and make you realise how floaty it all feels. I also wish selecting items on the weapon wheel was a little faster as sometimes I try to switch weapons mid-fight and since the game doesn’t pause or slow down I end up taking damage in the process which always got on my nerves.
Another annoyance, grinding for bolts! Now I know the RYNO is meant to be obtained through multiple playthroughs, but that aside there were still a considerable amount needed for the more expensive weapons/upgrades like the tesla claw and the improved health, so I ended up doing grinding the giant clank fight for the most bolts which was definitely the most tiring part of this game.
Honestly though, whilst these complaints did dampen my experience they’re very minimal when looking at the entire journey which I'm very impressed by for a first outing. I can definitely understand why people were underwhelmed with the 2016 remake as whilst it might feel better to control and have better weapon progression, I think it lost the charm and style that made the original what it was (especially on the writing side where they made some very weird changes to the story) and doesn’t stand out near as much as what it did 20 years ago.
Overall, I highly recommend checking this out if you can, I think out of all the PS2 platformer mascots Ratchet & Clank to me had the strongest first entry from what I can gather, even with some bumps it has along the way. I’m very excited to continue playing through the series and seeing how the others stack up as I’ve only heard greater things!
2023
This marks my second time playing through this and god DAMN I just cant GET ENUF ;) the vibes running throughout this game are immaculate and it not only pays respect to street culture but makes you want to be a part of it.
Whilst it's very stylistically bathed in what Jet Set Radio Future paved, in every other aspect they come up with their own twists that makes it feel more than just a faithful reimagining, mainly taking ideas from the 2000s Tony Hawk games. The gameplay/combo system could be seen as simplistic but I think this actually works towards the game's benefit as trying to get your score as high as possible is extremely addictive. Plus, the controls are a major upgrade since we now have a seperate joystick for the camera, something that was always the most annoying part of JSRF.
This also easily has one of my favourite soundtracks ever, a perfect blend of house, funk & garage that never gets boring eventhough repetitive, I wish more games incorporated this style of music more and having hideki involved is the icing on the cake~AAAGH so much to love!! If we ever get more games like this please inject it straight into my veins.
Whilst it's very stylistically bathed in what Jet Set Radio Future paved, in every other aspect they come up with their own twists that makes it feel more than just a faithful reimagining, mainly taking ideas from the 2000s Tony Hawk games. The gameplay/combo system could be seen as simplistic but I think this actually works towards the game's benefit as trying to get your score as high as possible is extremely addictive. Plus, the controls are a major upgrade since we now have a seperate joystick for the camera, something that was always the most annoying part of JSRF.
This also easily has one of my favourite soundtracks ever, a perfect blend of house, funk & garage that never gets boring eventhough repetitive, I wish more games incorporated this style of music more and having hideki involved is the icing on the cake~AAAGH so much to love!! If we ever get more games like this please inject it straight into my veins.
2007
For practically pioneering a new type of skateboarding game, Black Box was able to nail a lot of ideas really well for their first outing and it's aged way better than I thought it would. It's been awhile since I've played the first but WOW this controls way better than what I remember. Sure, it's not perfect and you can't get off your board (which feels really weird considering how much I played Skate 3) but the trick system still feels decent enough to control, which makes it all the more satisfying when pulling off insane combos later into the game, though that can be a bit broken from time to time.
There’s not much to say about the story really, but I liked how open the rest of the world felt once you completed the tutorials. San Vanelona has a good amount of variety and being able to do the photo and video challenges anywhere you wanted was always a cool way to see if you can push a certain area for a good score/combo. These can start to be a little monotonous once you get near the end, but the other pro challenges, death race and S.K.A.T.E add some nice variety in-between, and since the control scheme is great to mess around in sometimes just skating around and seeing how long you can keep your line going for is a challenge which the game insentivises.
And aesthetically, it might be my favourite out of the three? The menus have this ‘cut-out sticker’ feeling to them which was never replicated in future instalments, and having the menu BE your backpack adds more to the style- something that Black Box have always been great at achieving. There are also some kick-ass song selections to go along with it and not only that but an original soundtrack as well?! which honestly surprised me how much it came up to par.
Many ideas here might be in their infancy and are fairly basic (especially the player customization and progression) but that doesn’t mean they’re bad by any means and Skate still feels fun to play even in 2024. I can’t wait to revisit the others as they build on the solid foundation that was made!
There’s not much to say about the story really, but I liked how open the rest of the world felt once you completed the tutorials. San Vanelona has a good amount of variety and being able to do the photo and video challenges anywhere you wanted was always a cool way to see if you can push a certain area for a good score/combo. These can start to be a little monotonous once you get near the end, but the other pro challenges, death race and S.K.A.T.E add some nice variety in-between, and since the control scheme is great to mess around in sometimes just skating around and seeing how long you can keep your line going for is a challenge which the game insentivises.
And aesthetically, it might be my favourite out of the three? The menus have this ‘cut-out sticker’ feeling to them which was never replicated in future instalments, and having the menu BE your backpack adds more to the style- something that Black Box have always been great at achieving. There are also some kick-ass song selections to go along with it and not only that but an original soundtrack as well?! which honestly surprised me how much it came up to par.
Many ideas here might be in their infancy and are fairly basic (especially the player customization and progression) but that doesn’t mean they’re bad by any means and Skate still feels fun to play even in 2024. I can’t wait to revisit the others as they build on the solid foundation that was made!
2022
A short but well polished platformer that pays homage to classic 3D Sonic games in a stylistic way. If you're looking for a simple collect-a-thon to pass the day away then I recommend it, the extra characters also add a fun way to replay the experience once finished with some bonus end stages! A few additions I'd love to see in a sequel are a wider variety of enemy types and more in-depth controls as it felt very samey after awhile even with its good presentation.
Horizon Zero Dawn is an… interesting game, to say the least. On one hand I thought it did a great job at creating memorable enemy encounters, an intriguing backstory to explain the state of the world and exploration that felt enticing, along with a decent selection of weapons. However, these positives are weighed down by an open world formula we’ve seen done a million times, a mostly forgetful set of side characters and a lot (and I mean A LOT) of filler content which pads out the game’s playtime.
Let's begin with what I think is Horizon’s greatest aspect, it's world-building. From the get-go I think it does a fantastic job at grabbing your attention with its beautiful visuals, helping realise what Guerilla Games was trying to achieve. If you’re going to make a game based around futuristic primal exploration, fighting with bows, spears & slingshots, then having nature & machinery that looks eye-catching is key in making you want to explore more of its environments. From open fields of destroyed skyscrapers to snowy mountain vistas, the game has enough variety to make you keep exploring. There may not be any unique designs that you haven’t seen in other games (besides the main cities such as Meridian and the underground bunkers) but it's done with high detail that’ll make you venture more, I only wish there were optional ways to traverse these environments, like maybe a glider or open climbing perhaps ;)
To go along with the world, sound design plays a good supporting role. The soundtrack never shows itself too much, but when it does it fits the tone of what the world is going for, giving a mixture of calm ambience & intense combat music. Weapons sound punchy, machines are easily identifiable and the world in general feels alive and ripe to explore. The only gripe I have with sound is the menu music that replays EVERY TIME you open it. I'm not sure who thought this was a good idea but by the end I’m pretty sure I was hearing that song in my sleep and I hated opening it up. Other than that tiny problem, it does its job well.
Since Horizon has been able to create an enticing world visually & audibly, what sort of gameplay challenges does it have to offer? Unfortunately… the same things you’ve seen in most open world games of the genre. Hunting challenges, Tallnecks, Collectibles, Cauldrons, Camps & Corrupted Zones. A lot of these types have become typical and whilst I do like the switch-ups Horizon does in order to make these seem unique (like with the Tallnecks as moving ‘Far Cry’ radio towers or the Cauldrons acting as mini-dungeons), it's still the same as others before and doesn’t pave the way for much new so, however you feel about these might either make or break your experience.
Whilst decent, Horizon’s story initially had issues which made it hard to feel engaged. I liked the world & setting they created, but the storyline seemed to follow a very cookie cutter plot that wasn’t really pulling off anything interesting, mainly in the first half. You aren’t necessarily learning much about the history and are more following Aloy’s journey on experiencing the world outside her comfort zone, I understand why but it never drew me in to what was being told. I think the second half remedied this as it began to lean more into how the world ended up the way it did, finally getting my questions answered that I’ve had since the beginning. It made me want to explore more of the audio logs and entries which, up to this point, I’d mostly not cared about because I had no reason to, but as soon as the big lore dump happened I wanted to learn more as it felt like they intentionally left gaps for the player to fill in. Now every new bunker I went into I was scanning and reading everything, trying to piece it all together. It’s crazy how with just a simple change I was more intrigued with their world, though I wish it was something I felt more at the start. The ending wasn’t anything that blew me away, but I’m always a sucker for bringing all the characters you met throughout the story back for the final battle (including any side characters you’ve met personally) as it feels rewarding for your time, albeit cliche.
Speaking of characters, I think Aloy is a solid protagonist. You feel like you’re learning about the world at the pace she does and being able to play as a badass warrior fighting hordes of machines was great, she's definitely up there as one of my favourite female protagonists. Ashley Burch does a great job of emotionally portraying the character, though she doesn’t have much to go off considering the writing isn’t all that great, but it doesn’t mean there aren’t some great choices made that give her some depth.
Regarding everyone else outside of Aloy, it’s…. a mixed bag. The allies you make along your travels are either vaguely/semi-interesting or are just there to fill a role in the story, plus it doesn’t help that most of their interactions are told through automated facial animations that look very robotic. One of the more interesting characters is someone you meet in the latter half of the game, Sylens. Whilst he does help you, you soon realise it's only to help him get what he wants more than anything, knowledge. It’s a relationship that’s constantly bouncing back and forth, and because of that you never know what he might do next, so do you treat him as an ally or an enemy? This level of depth makes an encounter with him all the more interesting, it's just a shame that the rest of the characters don’t offer as much. Erend, Talanah, Petra, whilst these might’ve been interesting as ‘in the moment’ side missions, I’ve mostly forgotten their storylines, besides prophecy dude whose mission never ends and creepy bandit camp helper.
So, how are the side missions in the game? Okay, but most feel lacking in substance. Whilst there is a variety of side content with stories told over multiple missions, all of the final resolutions feel empty as they don’t give you much for your time. Take for example Erend’s final quest, which feels confused and rushed in its pacing due to all of the events happening way too quickly as it's hurrying through everything in one side mission, trying to act like a main mission. Other examples of this same issue include Talanah’s hunting missions & taking over all the bandit camps.
Discussing enemies, they’re either very good or completely worthless. For the most part I always enjoyed fighting the machines, especially ones such as the Thunderjaw & Stormbird (even though the latter could be annoying depending on the location, alongside Rockbreakers). You’re always looking at your arsenal, deciding which weapons would be best suited at dealing the most damage, learning how to mix & match to get the best outcome. It was always great coming across a new machine type & understanding how it works to see what kills it the quickest. All of these great ideas I feel sadly go out the window when you fight your typical human enemies as none of those mechanics that made the machine fights interesting matter anymore. They’re only really 2 options to taking down other tribes and that's either A) You sneak around and take them out with a strong bow, which gets painfully boring the hundredth time you’re doing it or B) You run around using whatever you want with no tactics whatsoever, which never makes you feel like you’re achieving anything, so in the end both methods suck. I think at the beginning other humans were able feel like a threat as you were fairly weak when it came to your skillset, but once you get to around a third of the way through the game these feelings vanish because the game wants you to have a fighting chance against bigger machines, but in turn makes the other tribes pointless as enemies.
Alongside enemies, the weapons all felt like they had a purpose, just more variety would’ve helped keep things new and fresh. You’re only able to pick from 6 main weapons types: Spears, Bows, Slingshots, Rattlers, Ropecasters & Tripcasters. Horizon tries its best to masquerade this by making multiple variants, which doesn’t give the fighting too much variation, just more ammo types to use & optionally more upgrade slots. I liked how each of them felt, but halfway through the game has already shown you everything it has to offer weapon wise, besides the few unique weapons you use in hunting challenges or pick up from bandits.
Finishing the main game, I realised Horizon was however able to achieve a good sense of progression. In one of the earliest missions you had to fight your first Sawtooth and afterwards you realise how weak you are compared to the larger machines, so I was worried if that would become an annoyance later on. But luckily it was able to show you getting better at the game whilst also giving you harder foes to manage, and over time what at the start of the game was giving me huge problems all of sudden felt like a cake-walk, which I think it deserves a lot of credit for.
Up to this point I’ve only really talked about the main game, but the complete edition does come with the expansion ‘The Frozen Wilds’ which has a decent amount to unpack. On the surface it may seem like more Horizon content within a new environment, but I feel like a lot of improvements were made here, the first being that conversations with NPCs no longer feel awkward and stiff as they did before. Each side mission also seemed more focused on trying to tell you a new piece of information about the world instead of existing for the sake of padding, don’t get me wrong there’s still some that have that feeling (as the challenges in the base game are still prevalent), but it feels cleaner overall. As for enemies, The new machine types are just as engaging as before, and luckily they put less focus on the bandits in the expansion so it becomes less of an annoyance. The story isn’t as engaging as the second half of the base game, but the spectacle is there and it's decent for what it is as a DLC.
Overall, would I recommend Horizon Zero Dawn? I would… but this game definitely has a lot of flaws that can dampen your experience, mostly stemming from ideas feeling overused or not polished enough. I think it does enough different to stand out in the open world game genre, with its unique weapon mechanics & surprisingly detailed world, but it's faltered by unengaging side content. If you’re looking for the next open world game to sink your teeth into, maybe there are better options out there that are more rewarding, but I don't think you're wasting your time checking out Horizon either as there are some neat ideas put to the table.
Let's begin with what I think is Horizon’s greatest aspect, it's world-building. From the get-go I think it does a fantastic job at grabbing your attention with its beautiful visuals, helping realise what Guerilla Games was trying to achieve. If you’re going to make a game based around futuristic primal exploration, fighting with bows, spears & slingshots, then having nature & machinery that looks eye-catching is key in making you want to explore more of its environments. From open fields of destroyed skyscrapers to snowy mountain vistas, the game has enough variety to make you keep exploring. There may not be any unique designs that you haven’t seen in other games (besides the main cities such as Meridian and the underground bunkers) but it's done with high detail that’ll make you venture more, I only wish there were optional ways to traverse these environments, like maybe a glider or open climbing perhaps ;)
To go along with the world, sound design plays a good supporting role. The soundtrack never shows itself too much, but when it does it fits the tone of what the world is going for, giving a mixture of calm ambience & intense combat music. Weapons sound punchy, machines are easily identifiable and the world in general feels alive and ripe to explore. The only gripe I have with sound is the menu music that replays EVERY TIME you open it. I'm not sure who thought this was a good idea but by the end I’m pretty sure I was hearing that song in my sleep and I hated opening it up. Other than that tiny problem, it does its job well.
Since Horizon has been able to create an enticing world visually & audibly, what sort of gameplay challenges does it have to offer? Unfortunately… the same things you’ve seen in most open world games of the genre. Hunting challenges, Tallnecks, Collectibles, Cauldrons, Camps & Corrupted Zones. A lot of these types have become typical and whilst I do like the switch-ups Horizon does in order to make these seem unique (like with the Tallnecks as moving ‘Far Cry’ radio towers or the Cauldrons acting as mini-dungeons), it's still the same as others before and doesn’t pave the way for much new so, however you feel about these might either make or break your experience.
Whilst decent, Horizon’s story initially had issues which made it hard to feel engaged. I liked the world & setting they created, but the storyline seemed to follow a very cookie cutter plot that wasn’t really pulling off anything interesting, mainly in the first half. You aren’t necessarily learning much about the history and are more following Aloy’s journey on experiencing the world outside her comfort zone, I understand why but it never drew me in to what was being told. I think the second half remedied this as it began to lean more into how the world ended up the way it did, finally getting my questions answered that I’ve had since the beginning. It made me want to explore more of the audio logs and entries which, up to this point, I’d mostly not cared about because I had no reason to, but as soon as the big lore dump happened I wanted to learn more as it felt like they intentionally left gaps for the player to fill in. Now every new bunker I went into I was scanning and reading everything, trying to piece it all together. It’s crazy how with just a simple change I was more intrigued with their world, though I wish it was something I felt more at the start. The ending wasn’t anything that blew me away, but I’m always a sucker for bringing all the characters you met throughout the story back for the final battle (including any side characters you’ve met personally) as it feels rewarding for your time, albeit cliche.
Speaking of characters, I think Aloy is a solid protagonist. You feel like you’re learning about the world at the pace she does and being able to play as a badass warrior fighting hordes of machines was great, she's definitely up there as one of my favourite female protagonists. Ashley Burch does a great job of emotionally portraying the character, though she doesn’t have much to go off considering the writing isn’t all that great, but it doesn’t mean there aren’t some great choices made that give her some depth.
Regarding everyone else outside of Aloy, it’s…. a mixed bag. The allies you make along your travels are either vaguely/semi-interesting or are just there to fill a role in the story, plus it doesn’t help that most of their interactions are told through automated facial animations that look very robotic. One of the more interesting characters is someone you meet in the latter half of the game, Sylens. Whilst he does help you, you soon realise it's only to help him get what he wants more than anything, knowledge. It’s a relationship that’s constantly bouncing back and forth, and because of that you never know what he might do next, so do you treat him as an ally or an enemy? This level of depth makes an encounter with him all the more interesting, it's just a shame that the rest of the characters don’t offer as much. Erend, Talanah, Petra, whilst these might’ve been interesting as ‘in the moment’ side missions, I’ve mostly forgotten their storylines, besides prophecy dude whose mission never ends and creepy bandit camp helper.
So, how are the side missions in the game? Okay, but most feel lacking in substance. Whilst there is a variety of side content with stories told over multiple missions, all of the final resolutions feel empty as they don’t give you much for your time. Take for example Erend’s final quest, which feels confused and rushed in its pacing due to all of the events happening way too quickly as it's hurrying through everything in one side mission, trying to act like a main mission. Other examples of this same issue include Talanah’s hunting missions & taking over all the bandit camps.
Discussing enemies, they’re either very good or completely worthless. For the most part I always enjoyed fighting the machines, especially ones such as the Thunderjaw & Stormbird (even though the latter could be annoying depending on the location, alongside Rockbreakers). You’re always looking at your arsenal, deciding which weapons would be best suited at dealing the most damage, learning how to mix & match to get the best outcome. It was always great coming across a new machine type & understanding how it works to see what kills it the quickest. All of these great ideas I feel sadly go out the window when you fight your typical human enemies as none of those mechanics that made the machine fights interesting matter anymore. They’re only really 2 options to taking down other tribes and that's either A) You sneak around and take them out with a strong bow, which gets painfully boring the hundredth time you’re doing it or B) You run around using whatever you want with no tactics whatsoever, which never makes you feel like you’re achieving anything, so in the end both methods suck. I think at the beginning other humans were able feel like a threat as you were fairly weak when it came to your skillset, but once you get to around a third of the way through the game these feelings vanish because the game wants you to have a fighting chance against bigger machines, but in turn makes the other tribes pointless as enemies.
Alongside enemies, the weapons all felt like they had a purpose, just more variety would’ve helped keep things new and fresh. You’re only able to pick from 6 main weapons types: Spears, Bows, Slingshots, Rattlers, Ropecasters & Tripcasters. Horizon tries its best to masquerade this by making multiple variants, which doesn’t give the fighting too much variation, just more ammo types to use & optionally more upgrade slots. I liked how each of them felt, but halfway through the game has already shown you everything it has to offer weapon wise, besides the few unique weapons you use in hunting challenges or pick up from bandits.
Finishing the main game, I realised Horizon was however able to achieve a good sense of progression. In one of the earliest missions you had to fight your first Sawtooth and afterwards you realise how weak you are compared to the larger machines, so I was worried if that would become an annoyance later on. But luckily it was able to show you getting better at the game whilst also giving you harder foes to manage, and over time what at the start of the game was giving me huge problems all of sudden felt like a cake-walk, which I think it deserves a lot of credit for.
Up to this point I’ve only really talked about the main game, but the complete edition does come with the expansion ‘The Frozen Wilds’ which has a decent amount to unpack. On the surface it may seem like more Horizon content within a new environment, but I feel like a lot of improvements were made here, the first being that conversations with NPCs no longer feel awkward and stiff as they did before. Each side mission also seemed more focused on trying to tell you a new piece of information about the world instead of existing for the sake of padding, don’t get me wrong there’s still some that have that feeling (as the challenges in the base game are still prevalent), but it feels cleaner overall. As for enemies, The new machine types are just as engaging as before, and luckily they put less focus on the bandits in the expansion so it becomes less of an annoyance. The story isn’t as engaging as the second half of the base game, but the spectacle is there and it's decent for what it is as a DLC.
Overall, would I recommend Horizon Zero Dawn? I would… but this game definitely has a lot of flaws that can dampen your experience, mostly stemming from ideas feeling overused or not polished enough. I think it does enough different to stand out in the open world game genre, with its unique weapon mechanics & surprisingly detailed world, but it's faltered by unengaging side content. If you’re looking for the next open world game to sink your teeth into, maybe there are better options out there that are more rewarding, but I don't think you're wasting your time checking out Horizon either as there are some neat ideas put to the table.
Silent Hill 2 is a game focused around regrets and how to confront them in order to move on. Whilst it may not be the smoothest experience in its gameplay mechanics, with stiff tank controls, rough combat sequences and awkward boss fights, it clearly wasn't the main focus so much as the story, music, atmosphere and art direction was, which are all executed so flawlessly that it makes you forget any of the tiny problems it has.
It’s clear from the start that SH2 wants to treat it's stories topics with the care and respect they deserve. When I think back to my favourite parts, I think about how well this game is able to represent different aspects of trauma and the effects it can have on people. I think the voice acting strengthens each of the characters' personalities, making them come off as these uncomfortable adults who feel just as isolated and lost as you do, not knowing who to trust. Each person has their own story and journey in Silent Hill 2, and seeing how characters such as James (the main protagonist), Eddie and Angela end up ‘dealing’ with their baggage is captivating enough to see your way through the whole game.
I think where the game peaks for me personally is when you arrive at the Lake View Hotel. I won’t get into events, but the embodiment of emotions mixed into the level design, the final interactions with each of the characters, alongside the final goodbye was gut-wrenching. It’s moments like these that prove that games can be the most human form of media and don’t have to be all 'spectacle' to keep you engaged.
One of my favourite inclusions has to be the dynamic endings depending on how you play the game, which was quite innovative considering the game was released back in 2001. Playing as James, if you heal after battles and make sure he has a fair amount of health, you’ll get the more bittersweet ending, ‘Leave’. But leave James always on low health or let companions get hurt more often and you’ll get the more unpleasant ‘In Water’ ending. This makes the game have some replay value, seeing where different playstyles will get you, whilst also including secret endings once you get all the mainline ones (woof woof).
You can't discuss SH2 without also mentioning its sound design. Each individual sound feels like it has some sort of purpose in making you feel something, fleshing out the world and expanding your imagination on what sort of horrors could be out there, especially when combined with the level design that becomes more of a map for James’ torment, all connecting back to the stories’ themes.
And my god, the brilliant soundtrack composed by Akira Yamaoka is equally beautiful & horrifying. It's the perfect blend of sorrow, despair & hope that you'd imagine from a game such as SH2, strengthening each scene when used and helping push its ideas & emotions to the forefront. This game truly wouldn’t have the impact it did if it wasn’t for its music.
Whilst I have a lot of praise for SH2, I do think there are areas of the game that could’ve been improved. I think more enemy variety would’ve been nice alongside different ways to fight instead of just hitting the same button over and over again because it made the boss battles not as intense as they should’ve been… and don’t even get me started on the dreaded row boat section where I got stuck for half an hour.
Overall, SH2 is a game I’d highly recommend anyone to play. I can understand why it gets all the acclaim it does because put simply, it's human. I don’t think it's a perfect game, but the few issues it does have are very easy to neglect when you look at the bigger picture. Play this game yourself and go in with your eyes closed, because you’ll be in for one of the best psychological horror games of all time.
As an extra mention, I also want to appreciate the fantastic work done by the Silent Hill 2: Enhanced Edition Team to make sure it retains the same feeling as the original whilst making improvements to make it more accessible. I think its the best way to experience the game, especially when you compare it to how much it was butchered with the re-release on PS3.
It’s clear from the start that SH2 wants to treat it's stories topics with the care and respect they deserve. When I think back to my favourite parts, I think about how well this game is able to represent different aspects of trauma and the effects it can have on people. I think the voice acting strengthens each of the characters' personalities, making them come off as these uncomfortable adults who feel just as isolated and lost as you do, not knowing who to trust. Each person has their own story and journey in Silent Hill 2, and seeing how characters such as James (the main protagonist), Eddie and Angela end up ‘dealing’ with their baggage is captivating enough to see your way through the whole game.
I think where the game peaks for me personally is when you arrive at the Lake View Hotel. I won’t get into events, but the embodiment of emotions mixed into the level design, the final interactions with each of the characters, alongside the final goodbye was gut-wrenching. It’s moments like these that prove that games can be the most human form of media and don’t have to be all 'spectacle' to keep you engaged.
One of my favourite inclusions has to be the dynamic endings depending on how you play the game, which was quite innovative considering the game was released back in 2001. Playing as James, if you heal after battles and make sure he has a fair amount of health, you’ll get the more bittersweet ending, ‘Leave’. But leave James always on low health or let companions get hurt more often and you’ll get the more unpleasant ‘In Water’ ending. This makes the game have some replay value, seeing where different playstyles will get you, whilst also including secret endings once you get all the mainline ones (woof woof).
You can't discuss SH2 without also mentioning its sound design. Each individual sound feels like it has some sort of purpose in making you feel something, fleshing out the world and expanding your imagination on what sort of horrors could be out there, especially when combined with the level design that becomes more of a map for James’ torment, all connecting back to the stories’ themes.
And my god, the brilliant soundtrack composed by Akira Yamaoka is equally beautiful & horrifying. It's the perfect blend of sorrow, despair & hope that you'd imagine from a game such as SH2, strengthening each scene when used and helping push its ideas & emotions to the forefront. This game truly wouldn’t have the impact it did if it wasn’t for its music.
Whilst I have a lot of praise for SH2, I do think there are areas of the game that could’ve been improved. I think more enemy variety would’ve been nice alongside different ways to fight instead of just hitting the same button over and over again because it made the boss battles not as intense as they should’ve been… and don’t even get me started on the dreaded row boat section where I got stuck for half an hour.
Overall, SH2 is a game I’d highly recommend anyone to play. I can understand why it gets all the acclaim it does because put simply, it's human. I don’t think it's a perfect game, but the few issues it does have are very easy to neglect when you look at the bigger picture. Play this game yourself and go in with your eyes closed, because you’ll be in for one of the best psychological horror games of all time.
As an extra mention, I also want to appreciate the fantastic work done by the Silent Hill 2: Enhanced Edition Team to make sure it retains the same feeling as the original whilst making improvements to make it more accessible. I think its the best way to experience the game, especially when you compare it to how much it was butchered with the re-release on PS3.