165 reviews liked by videogameronde
Probably the clunkiest of the PS2 Gundam entries, Journey to Jaburo leans into weightiness and sluggish controls to facilitate realism. Unfortunately, almost every enemy is a bullet sponge in order to produce a semblance of difficulty, which leads to ridiculous happenings: weak beam weapons, bad hitboxes, and generally poor game feel. Even so, adapting to the game's odd controls was somewhat fun and allowed me to reach a level of competency by the campaign's last mission.
There are good points. The visuals are more than up to snuff 20 years down the line, thanks to some graphical tricks. The haze in desert levels is awesome, foliage in forests is thick and adds a layer to the usual rhythm of combat, and the in-game cutscenes are just cool overall. Music from 0079 is present, and gives the whole game some authenticity - playing through the anime's story is one thing, but hearing its tracks while you're charging through enemy mechs makes it all a little more bearable.
Journey to Jaburo is not that fun, but it is a faithful adaptation of 0079. It's also a companion piece to the much better Encounters in Space, and suffers as a result. Worth playing? Probably not, unless you're a big fan of the Universal Century timeline.
There are good points. The visuals are more than up to snuff 20 years down the line, thanks to some graphical tricks. The haze in desert levels is awesome, foliage in forests is thick and adds a layer to the usual rhythm of combat, and the in-game cutscenes are just cool overall. Music from 0079 is present, and gives the whole game some authenticity - playing through the anime's story is one thing, but hearing its tracks while you're charging through enemy mechs makes it all a little more bearable.
Journey to Jaburo is not that fun, but it is a faithful adaptation of 0079. It's also a companion piece to the much better Encounters in Space, and suffers as a result. Worth playing? Probably not, unless you're a big fan of the Universal Century timeline.
Layers of Fear
2016
This review contains spoilers
It's bad. I'll give one example. There's a hallway where you can see a painting of a dog at the end of it. As you walk forward, you can hear a dog barking, and when you get to the end of the hallway, the painting SHIFTS into a painting of a HELLDOG in HELL and the dog stops barking. This is the style of "horror" that Bloober Team sticks with from start to finish, and it's just as lacking as it sounds. The story is legible and fine to piece together, but wholly two-dimensional. Bad dad is bad, alcoholism, total death of family. Not breaking any new ground there, buddy.
It does look pretty, though!
It does look pretty, though!
It just depends on whether or not you like superheroes. If you don't, it won't change your mind on them. If you do, it's a fun ~50 hour game with a lot of meat on its bones. The dialogue is lighthearted and ultimately persistent - it got chuckles out of me through quantity, not quality. There's a bit too much technobabble in the cutscenes, and hearing characters say "Erm, could you repeat that in ENGLISH, doc???" for the billionth time did get an eye-roll from me. The story is wholly original which is nice, and the variety of heroes here means that you'll find yourself attached to somebody, eventually. There's a support system in place mechanically identical to FE Three Houses, and it works just fine. Getting close to different heroes means new combat perks, and there are some solid mechanics in place to hasten development. I enjoyed Wolverine's support the most, as it was the most well-rounded in covering his character.
I will echo the sentiment that the combat is the best part of the game - though I didn't see it that way at the beginning. The early game is rough. Enemies spam attacks that stun your allies, you don't have many ways to counter things, and the constant reinforcements are annoying as hell... It's just a bad time all around. The mid and late game are where it's at: better enemy variety, varied objectives, and deck-building opportunities save the whole experience. Heroes that you could bin earlier as "low-damage" or "too situational" become viable as utility characters, thinning enemy numbers or providing buffs. It's at this point where the hand of Firaxis is most obvious, equalizing the playing field and ensuring you can have fun with most setups.
Midnight Suns is fun, has a big budget, and is finely focused even if the delivery is flawed. It's a flavor of SRPG that's quite unique, and one we'll probably never see again considering how hard it flopped commercially. Even so, I'm excited to see what Firaxis comes up with next.
I will echo the sentiment that the combat is the best part of the game - though I didn't see it that way at the beginning. The early game is rough. Enemies spam attacks that stun your allies, you don't have many ways to counter things, and the constant reinforcements are annoying as hell... It's just a bad time all around. The mid and late game are where it's at: better enemy variety, varied objectives, and deck-building opportunities save the whole experience. Heroes that you could bin earlier as "low-damage" or "too situational" become viable as utility characters, thinning enemy numbers or providing buffs. It's at this point where the hand of Firaxis is most obvious, equalizing the playing field and ensuring you can have fun with most setups.
Midnight Suns is fun, has a big budget, and is finely focused even if the delivery is flawed. It's a flavor of SRPG that's quite unique, and one we'll probably never see again considering how hard it flopped commercially. Even so, I'm excited to see what Firaxis comes up with next.
Ms. Pac-Man
1982
(9-year-old's review, typed by his dad)
Pac-Man has a girrrrrlfrieeend, ooooooohh. What's the difference between this and just regular Pac-Man? I couldn't find a difference. I'm pretty good at Pac-Man. And I have an idea for a cereal called "Pac-Man Dots", and it's gonna be like one of those 90s kids that like on the TV, the advertisements that pop up, but they forgot to write the paperwork to put Pac-Man in the commercial, so they got sued, so it's out of business. (chuckles) This is not real.
Pac-Man has a girrrrrlfrieeend, ooooooohh. What's the difference between this and just regular Pac-Man? I couldn't find a difference. I'm pretty good at Pac-Man. And I have an idea for a cereal called "Pac-Man Dots", and it's gonna be like one of those 90s kids that like on the TV, the advertisements that pop up, but they forgot to write the paperwork to put Pac-Man in the commercial, so they got sued, so it's out of business. (chuckles) This is not real.
This review contains spoilers
Released at the midpoint of the tens, Arkham Knight encompasses the best and worst AAA gaming had to offer in that specific period: Jaw-dropping graphics, perfect voice acting courtesy of Hamill and Conroy, and an awful, choppy launch. The deflating reveal of the Arkham Knight's identity didn't help matters either. But is that all the game is, a disaster and nothing more?
No, not really - it's just mediocre. Scarecrow takes the spot of "Overanalyzing asshole that shouts from the PA system" from Hugo Strange this time around, and all of his dialogue is repetitive. The militia side missions feel like Ubisoft-tier padding with no meaningful variance outside of enemy placement, and apparently the Riddler became a Top Gear nut in between games 'cause his whole personality is silly car challenges. Most of the villain quests are one-note in design, but I quite liked Two-Face's missions. They're simple, encourage speed, and push the player to use tools to maximize damage in a short window of time. This leads right into the combat, which I feel excels when the goal is to eliminate targets as fast as possible - the abundance of techniques ensures it never gets stale. My opinion on freeflow combat over the years has fluctuated from 'genius' to 'braindead' to today, where the most passion I can muster for it is a half-hearted 'okay'. At its best, it's a game of rhythm, but most of the time you're dazzling a big guy with your cape and mashing buttons. The predator sections are fun, no real complaints there. I used to be a bit hard on it for being detective mode-heavy, but considering how Batman's whole schtick is preparedness and knowing everything before acting, it's a necessary evil.
My feelings on the story go back and forth, mostly because of Mark Hamill's performance. It's absolute peak, and makes everything bearable when he's on screen. I initially thought seeing Joker prance around in Batman's mind would be incredibly annoying, especially after his permanent end in City. I thought wrong, as he's definitely the best part of the plot. Most of the other elements I'm not too fond of, the Arkham Knight especially. Using Jason Todd is predictable but not a terrible choice, it's just that he's got nothing good in terms of gameplay or plot. There's what, a couple of tank sections and a prolonged predator section? It feels like a real dud.
I don't like that the elements in this game make me flip-flop from liking it to not. There are too many weak parts for me to really enjoy it, but the amount of good content is undeniable. Also I didn't really finish it because the game told me that I needed to capture the Riddler if I wanted to see the ending.
The Riddler sucks, man.
No, not really - it's just mediocre. Scarecrow takes the spot of "Overanalyzing asshole that shouts from the PA system" from Hugo Strange this time around, and all of his dialogue is repetitive. The militia side missions feel like Ubisoft-tier padding with no meaningful variance outside of enemy placement, and apparently the Riddler became a Top Gear nut in between games 'cause his whole personality is silly car challenges. Most of the villain quests are one-note in design, but I quite liked Two-Face's missions. They're simple, encourage speed, and push the player to use tools to maximize damage in a short window of time. This leads right into the combat, which I feel excels when the goal is to eliminate targets as fast as possible - the abundance of techniques ensures it never gets stale. My opinion on freeflow combat over the years has fluctuated from 'genius' to 'braindead' to today, where the most passion I can muster for it is a half-hearted 'okay'. At its best, it's a game of rhythm, but most of the time you're dazzling a big guy with your cape and mashing buttons. The predator sections are fun, no real complaints there. I used to be a bit hard on it for being detective mode-heavy, but considering how Batman's whole schtick is preparedness and knowing everything before acting, it's a necessary evil.
My feelings on the story go back and forth, mostly because of Mark Hamill's performance. It's absolute peak, and makes everything bearable when he's on screen. I initially thought seeing Joker prance around in Batman's mind would be incredibly annoying, especially after his permanent end in City. I thought wrong, as he's definitely the best part of the plot. Most of the other elements I'm not too fond of, the Arkham Knight especially. Using Jason Todd is predictable but not a terrible choice, it's just that he's got nothing good in terms of gameplay or plot. There's what, a couple of tank sections and a prolonged predator section? It feels like a real dud.
I don't like that the elements in this game make me flip-flop from liking it to not. There are too many weak parts for me to really enjoy it, but the amount of good content is undeniable. Also I didn't really finish it because the game told me that I needed to capture the Riddler if I wanted to see the ending.
The Riddler sucks, man.
Skyward Sword on Wii was already one of my favorite games of all time. I now have no reason to ever touch it again.
Skyward Sword HD took a game that I loved despite its flaws and fixed everything I had an issue with. I've already done a lengthy review on the original game, so instead of repeating all of that, here are my impressions from the 39 hours I spent completing this remaster.
- Ghirahim is still my favorite Zelda villain. He's so deliciously camp.
- "Romance in the Air" might be the most beautiful bit of music in any Zelda game ever: https://youtu.be/T6x5bEr_UUU
- The resolution and buttery-smooth framerate take this game to a new level. I know Breath of the Wild 2 is gonna chug just like its predecessor, but it would be a TREAT to have all Zelda games in 60fps from now on.
- I still adore these motion controls. For whatever reason, they just click for me. Wish I could have 1:1 sword controls in every Zelda game, just like this one!
- The side characters are so good here. Meaningful, memorable interactions with NPCs make this such a fun world to be in.
- These are still some of my favorite Zelda dungeons, especially the ones in Lanayru.
- I really like returning to areas multiple times with different stuff going on. Seeing things change in an area is one of my favorite things in games, it makes the world feel more alive.
- I adore the Silent Realm challenges! A little bit of survival-horror in a Zelda game works really well. I recommend going for the difficult tears first just in case you get caught though, no need to ruin your whole run by saving the ones surrounded by floaty ghosts for last.
- Timeshift Stones are so rad.
- I liked the Demise fight much more this time than I did in 2011, but that might just be because I knew what to expect.
- I replayed BotW right before this, and that game really lacks an ending. In contrast, SS's ending is solid, probably right behind OoT.
- Fi is great, and it's much easier to appreciate her with the now toned-down number of interruptions.
- Bring back Scrapper!!
- My only real complaint is that I wish there were even more side quests, but if a game just makes me wish I could keep playing for longer, that's hardly a negative!
That was kind of word vomit, but I think that about covers everything. I love this game!
Skyward Sword HD took a game that I loved despite its flaws and fixed everything I had an issue with. I've already done a lengthy review on the original game, so instead of repeating all of that, here are my impressions from the 39 hours I spent completing this remaster.
- Ghirahim is still my favorite Zelda villain. He's so deliciously camp.
- "Romance in the Air" might be the most beautiful bit of music in any Zelda game ever: https://youtu.be/T6x5bEr_UUU
- The resolution and buttery-smooth framerate take this game to a new level. I know Breath of the Wild 2 is gonna chug just like its predecessor, but it would be a TREAT to have all Zelda games in 60fps from now on.
- I still adore these motion controls. For whatever reason, they just click for me. Wish I could have 1:1 sword controls in every Zelda game, just like this one!
- The side characters are so good here. Meaningful, memorable interactions with NPCs make this such a fun world to be in.
- These are still some of my favorite Zelda dungeons, especially the ones in Lanayru.
- I really like returning to areas multiple times with different stuff going on. Seeing things change in an area is one of my favorite things in games, it makes the world feel more alive.
- I adore the Silent Realm challenges! A little bit of survival-horror in a Zelda game works really well. I recommend going for the difficult tears first just in case you get caught though, no need to ruin your whole run by saving the ones surrounded by floaty ghosts for last.
- Timeshift Stones are so rad.
- I liked the Demise fight much more this time than I did in 2011, but that might just be because I knew what to expect.
- I replayed BotW right before this, and that game really lacks an ending. In contrast, SS's ending is solid, probably right behind OoT.
- Fi is great, and it's much easier to appreciate her with the now toned-down number of interruptions.
- Bring back Scrapper!!
- My only real complaint is that I wish there were even more side quests, but if a game just makes me wish I could keep playing for longer, that's hardly a negative!
That was kind of word vomit, but I think that about covers everything. I love this game!
FUBUKIGOL
FUBUKIGOL
FUBUKI, É ELE 📸✨📸✨📸✨📸
O ILUMINADO DO FUBUKI, MAS PÔDE CHAMÁ-LO DE FUBUKIGOL, O INÍCIO AVASSALADOR NA RAIMON📸📸📸📸 É O QUINTO GOL DELE EM 2 JOGOS, FORA DE CASA. PRIMEIRO GOL NO INSTITUTO ALIUS, VIRANDO O JOGO PARA A RAIMON📸📸📸📸
FUBUKIGOL
FUBUKI, É ELE 📸✨📸✨📸✨📸
O ILUMINADO DO FUBUKI, MAS PÔDE CHAMÁ-LO DE FUBUKIGOL, O INÍCIO AVASSALADOR NA RAIMON📸📸📸📸 É O QUINTO GOL DELE EM 2 JOGOS, FORA DE CASA. PRIMEIRO GOL NO INSTITUTO ALIUS, VIRANDO O JOGO PARA A RAIMON📸📸📸📸
This actually fucking sucks
(9-year-old's review, typed by his dad)
Did you know that if you type up "Katamari" in Google and click on the Katamari ball, you can play Katamari and roll up the Google search results! Do you want me to show you?
Did you know that if you type up "Katamari" in Google and click on the Katamari ball, you can play Katamari and roll up the Google search results! Do you want me to show you?
Ufouria: The Saga 2
2024
Just to be clear, I'm not a professional "quote maker". I'm just an atheist teenager who greatly values his intelligence and scientific fact over any silly fiction book written 3,500 years ago. That being said, I am open to any and all criticism.
“In this moment, I am ufouric. Not because of any phony god’s blessing. But because, I am enlightened by Freeon Leon.” - DestroyerOfMid
“In this moment, I am ufouric. Not because of any phony god’s blessing. But because, I am enlightened by Freeon Leon.” - DestroyerOfMid
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