This game takes me back, it was one of the few PS2 games I had as a kid, and I've never actually gotten around to finishing it. Until now.
To start with the good, for a simple Zelda clone, this game is actually a lot better than one would think. The world is expansive and varied, challenges are usually interesting, and the lore is actually kind of varied. There are books scattered around everywhere that have useful information, like about Motes, Petpets, or how to get past that stupid Endless Staircase that stumped my entire family on how to do it until we just looked it up online.
On top of that, if you play the game properly and upgrade your equipment frequently, you actually can feel yourself getting more powerful. I really noticed it with Roberta, at first I thought that she was just not that useful in combat, but as I upgraded her wands I noticed that she was getting much more powerful, to the point where I think I actually used her more than Tor in Hero's Rest.
It's kind of a game that got better the further I got into it, like in Act 3 as I was doing all the side quests, and the entirety of Act 4, I was much more into this game than I was with the first 2 Acts. To the point I would almost say this is a good game... Almost.
It does have a few flaws, most of them minor, like some annoying enemies, some side quests that aren't really that easy to complete, and some level design not being that great, but there is really only one major flaw in this game that does keep me from calling it "Good", and that's the camera. The camera will get stuck on everything, it literally drags across the floor when you need to aim at something above you, and does become a major pain in less open areas.
That being said, all the effort put into the tiny details do make up for it, like how the luck system works, or how different effects can clue you in to what element your enemies are aligned to and therefor what mote to use, and even the Cursed effect making some enemies impossible to defeat. The amount of effort put into this game is respectable, dare I say even admirable. For something that could have just been a cheap licensed cash grab, they put a lot of care and effort into this game, and while it sucks it's not a better game, the fact that it's not a bad game is pretty amazing.
Nitro Rad, in his video about this game, which full disclaimer inspired me to actually play and finish it, brought up the potential of a remake, and I think that would be cool. Update the visuals, fix the camera and few other smaller issues, and I genuinely think this would be a good game, potentially great even. Maybe NeoPets isn't as big as it once was, but I think this game has some potential to be more, so I can't help but say that I do in fact recommend trying out this game.
Also, to anyone else who has played this, did you also ship Tor and Roberta?
To start with the good, for a simple Zelda clone, this game is actually a lot better than one would think. The world is expansive and varied, challenges are usually interesting, and the lore is actually kind of varied. There are books scattered around everywhere that have useful information, like about Motes, Petpets, or how to get past that stupid Endless Staircase that stumped my entire family on how to do it until we just looked it up online.
On top of that, if you play the game properly and upgrade your equipment frequently, you actually can feel yourself getting more powerful. I really noticed it with Roberta, at first I thought that she was just not that useful in combat, but as I upgraded her wands I noticed that she was getting much more powerful, to the point where I think I actually used her more than Tor in Hero's Rest.
It's kind of a game that got better the further I got into it, like in Act 3 as I was doing all the side quests, and the entirety of Act 4, I was much more into this game than I was with the first 2 Acts. To the point I would almost say this is a good game... Almost.
It does have a few flaws, most of them minor, like some annoying enemies, some side quests that aren't really that easy to complete, and some level design not being that great, but there is really only one major flaw in this game that does keep me from calling it "Good", and that's the camera. The camera will get stuck on everything, it literally drags across the floor when you need to aim at something above you, and does become a major pain in less open areas.
That being said, all the effort put into the tiny details do make up for it, like how the luck system works, or how different effects can clue you in to what element your enemies are aligned to and therefor what mote to use, and even the Cursed effect making some enemies impossible to defeat. The amount of effort put into this game is respectable, dare I say even admirable. For something that could have just been a cheap licensed cash grab, they put a lot of care and effort into this game, and while it sucks it's not a better game, the fact that it's not a bad game is pretty amazing.
Nitro Rad, in his video about this game, which full disclaimer inspired me to actually play and finish it, brought up the potential of a remake, and I think that would be cool. Update the visuals, fix the camera and few other smaller issues, and I genuinely think this would be a good game, potentially great even. Maybe NeoPets isn't as big as it once was, but I think this game has some potential to be more, so I can't help but say that I do in fact recommend trying out this game.
Also, to anyone else who has played this, did you also ship Tor and Roberta?
It's rough around the edges, but c'mon, it's neopia. I've played this game so many times. It's just comfy.
mama the number of hours i spent after school just running around in this game. that alone gets it to 4 stars at LEAST
oh i like the little animal guys
Now maybe I'm nostalgia blind, have a lot of blind love, or maybe this is a hidden gem? I see people saying this game is bad or something but if I'm going to be honest this game has.. potential? I never find this game to be boring or too much of a drag, but almost all of its issues stem from not having enough development time. for what this game is, it's ambitious and it sticks in my mind. This game was worked on people who currently work for sony doing stuff like god of war, it was watched over by sony santa monica for petes sakes. It's really weird seeing this game have a pedigree, but it does, and I honestly thing that if you want a mid 2000s ps2 adventure game to remake or remaster, this game should be at the top of the list. It has lots of good mechanics at its core but it just isn't nearly fleshed out enough, and another go over on the blueprint this game left could create something REALLY great. always a blast to play and its filled with so much heart and passion that its stuck with me for life, just suffers from not being as thought out or as complete as it shouldve been.
Perhaps the greatest disparity between ambition and budget that has ever been seen in a video game that can be considered "finished".
Only thing holding up this game is my nostalgia and the alright soundtrack
peak
Esse jogo envelheceu mal, é cheio de bug e mal otimizado, mas eu o amo
It's so rough I almost wish I left the experience of playing it as a memory. lol
Can't believe I forgot to log this one for over a year.
You ever played a game that really isn't anything special, and may arguably be bad, but you enjoy it partially because of those reasons? Yeah this is that game. I won't deny nostalgia is a huge factor to my enjoyment, which is why I won't be rating this one, yet it's so charming to me. It feels like a game made by a small, inexperience group of friends trying to make something larger then they're capable of. It tries really hard to be an epic, and to its credit it can feel like competent adventure game at times. The environments can be quite nice and it does the cool detail of being able to see future locations far off in the distance, making it feel like an actual world. Also while the music isn't anything special its stuck with me all these years, even popping in my head while on a
walk. But it is so rough in a lot of ways. Combat, loading times, level design, cursed CG cut scenes, the plot especially. It just isn't very good and can cross the line it frustrating with certain endgame sections.
This really is an odd, quirky game and I'm still not 100% sure why it has stuck with me for so long. Ain't that good, but I could never hate it either.
You ever played a game that really isn't anything special, and may arguably be bad, but you enjoy it partially because of those reasons? Yeah this is that game. I won't deny nostalgia is a huge factor to my enjoyment, which is why I won't be rating this one, yet it's so charming to me. It feels like a game made by a small, inexperience group of friends trying to make something larger then they're capable of. It tries really hard to be an epic, and to its credit it can feel like competent adventure game at times. The environments can be quite nice and it does the cool detail of being able to see future locations far off in the distance, making it feel like an actual world. Also while the music isn't anything special its stuck with me all these years, even popping in my head while on a
walk. But it is so rough in a lot of ways. Combat, loading times, level design, cursed CG cut scenes, the plot especially. It just isn't very good and can cross the line it frustrating with certain endgame sections.
This really is an odd, quirky game and I'm still not 100% sure why it has stuck with me for so long. Ain't that good, but I could never hate it either.
Jogo da minha infância, amava esse game demais, saudades.
I should go play this game again. Because if my memories serve me well, this is not a good game.