A disturbing yet emotional ride into living hell.

This is probably the 24th or 26th time I played thru this game. I just love it. It's the greatest horror game ever made and my #3 game of all time. Were to start?

Heather is arguably the closest that I would consider a "4-dimensional" character. You could make her a mute and the flavour texts alone, while clicking the X-Button to investigate on things would still give her more personality than 99% of all other video game characters. The story about her finding out about her true self and how she deals with it along with another tragic incident that is going to happen to her, is very intruging and gives alot of depth to her character.

The side characters are well written aswell, better than those of SH1 for the most part but inferior to those from SH2. The voice acting for all characters is flawless as long you play with the original voices, avoid the HD collection as far as possible.

SH3 is also pretty much the best looking game of the PS2. The only games from 6th gen that come close to it are SH2 and 4, the Resident Evil 1 Remake and Resident Evil Zero and Black. It's art design is truly magnificent. The character faces look closer to reality than most games of 7th gen.

The score once again composed by Akira Yamaoka is terrific. It's sad, moody and scary at the same time.

Now lets get into the gameplay department. It's the most polished game in the series. If you consider tank controls clunky, you might not consider them that clunky anymore after playing SH3. There is also an option to play without tank controls so there is actually no reason, not to play this game. It improved on the little things when compared to SH2, most notably the inventory. There are also plenty of unlockables like a lightsaber for example.

The level design this time offers a lot of variety even though I still consider SH1 level design the best in the franchise but this is a close 2nd.

So for all the people that just circle jerk around SH2, give SH1 and 3 a chance. You will not regret it if you love storytelling in gaming. This for sure is an underrated hidden gem and I think it's the best game in the franchise and of the survival horror genre.

10/10 puked out demon fetuses.

Check my review for the abysmal movie on Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/xgmanx/film/silent-hill-revelation-3d/

I've been looking forward to playing Outer Wilds ever since it came out, I heard pretty much everyone who played it say that it would change your life and I didn't exactly go in with those expectations, but I thought it would be my kind of thing! I have played a good few hours of it now and bounced off it eventually each time, it's probably just not for me! I am not rating the game however because my issues with it are more to do with me than the game. I wasn't interested in reading the Nomai transcripts, I didn't feel like I had a reason to care about what happened to them, nor did I want to find out why it happened. I liked the little puzzles and discovering new things, but the reward was always a little bit more Nomai dialogue. I realised at a certain point that the game was reminding me of my job as a Tech Support wanker. I worked in a job before where each problem we were dealing with we had to resolve in 20 minutes or we needed to escalate it to a different member of the team, so naturally I got quite good at gleaning the relevant information I needed from an email or phone call about an issue as quickly as i could, discarding whatever additional fluff there was and then trying out a few ideas as to what might solve this persons problem, hopefully fix it somehow and then move onto the next one. A lot of the time it was systems I was unfamililar with and I'd just have to try and work it out during this timeframe, basically throwing your head against this alien technology until you can just about get it to work. It got to the point where you don't really care what the problem is or what is going on, just how to make it stop or go away. The outer wilds has a lot more going on than just seeing an email from Wendy again saying that the software she uses isn't working properly and then trying to work out what's going on (puzzle), while basically filtering out any superfluous information that she gives (plot) but it made me feel like I was at work enough to really grind my gears. It's clearly a brilliantly designed thing, of the stuff I found in my few hours with it I really enjoyed the statue workshop and the caverns on the planet that was slowly being filled up with sand. Unfortunately no matter how hard I tried I couldn't help but feel like I was just doing my day job and you know what, fuck that

why she got the femcel phenotype 😭😭

(think y’all are kind of hating unwarrantedly…think y’all are looking back at both your own lives as teenagers and at the silent hill franchise w rose tinted glasses. the series has def been more subtle in the past but not that much more so. besides subtlety is definitely dead in 2024,, idk if there’s a place for it anymore and that’s okay !! and idk teenagers are just kind of like this,, whiny and self victimizing,, ik I was. so like yeah the writing can be a little bit cringey ig but teenagers are so fucking cringey and lame that I can’t help but to view it w empathy. more so viewing the writing w empathy than what the actual characters are going through,, like parts of dialogue and thought processes do hit and seem like smth an insufferable 19 yo would say. and the dev team def knew what they were cooking,, most of the things they’ve worked on seem real cool and full of interesting ideas. graffiti is so cool lol and the there’s so many small details in every room of the game,, my ass was rubbernecking and abusing that zoom in feature. loved all the maya scenes,, genuinely think the bad lipsyncing rlly adds to the “UNCANNY VALLEY” look and feel of those scenes,, need to jack her zip up turtleneck frfr. think this works rlly well as like a proof of concept type thing for a longer rouguelike type of sh game,, id be there for it. also like def there is smth to be said about how this game handles delicate and sensitive topics and that’s a very valid discussion to have but hmmm none of y’all are having it,, idk maybe you guys are just still mad that pt wasn’t made even though if it was you’d all be complaining so idk. hard to please asses.)

in conclusion. KREMIT PUTTING EVERYONE BISNESS OUT THERE IM FUCKING MISS PIGGY .YOU MAD OR NAHH YOU DAMN RIGHT IT AIN'T NONE OF YOUR BISNESS NOW STFU AND KEEP DRINKING THAT NASTY ASS TEA.

I don't have much to say that's new about this game or the original, this is a remake that lives up to the original- and even surpasses it. Something I was hopeful for yet didn't quite expect with how most remakes turn out.

The team that made this clearly holds love for the original and took tons of care to preserve its essence in as many ways possible. While it does miss some of the ludo-narrative poignance of the original and certain charms or scenes the original had, it makes up for it fully in reimagining Persona 3 in such a fresh, vivid and more satisfying manner by delving deeper into characters they couldn't do the same for in the original.

My few gripes are with the audiovisual aspects, I like the OST a lot but it's certainly not as iconic as the original which is fine but in certain songs it's a little too off. And for the visuals, on most fronts this is one of the prettiest games I've ever played yet the lighting can be completely out of sync in certain areas. Besides the things I've mentioned, this game is essentially perfect.

Now for a little personal footnote, this game came into my life when I started questioning the meaning of life and why I was alive at a very tender time of my pre-teen years, still unaware of how to deal with a loss. Back then, this game was a guiding light to me, it helped me sit with my fear of death despite how much it posessed me. Death is something I fear even to this day, this moment. But unlike 10 years ago, this time I know the meaning of my life is mine and the people I surround myself by to find. It's alright if I can't find it as long as I'm alive, my life already means something to the people that love me.

And that's fine enough, no matter when or how I pass. This realization only came to me then due to this game and today it comes back into my life in a further fully realized manner to pat me on my back and remind me of the same, to keep walking on and adore the burning glimmer and brilliance in life even if it means enduring all the suffering I have to face or that it'll all come to an end.

And as the game says, "Nothing's a waste...my life will have meaning."

Revisiting on Steam Deck has enhanced the experience closer to its beautiful 15fps average. Drakengard 3 is a really good summation of Taro's outlook on games as a medium -- the aggressive irreverence for structure and our relationship with violence.

Zero is just as vicious as Caim or any other genre protagonist if you're willing to grind your ass off in those games. The difference is she is largely trying to correct and bring together her mistakes and sense of identity. The idea that she's even remotely a good person is gone, and all that remains is a desire to set the world right. The ultraviolence and her borderline sadism and overt sexuality set a uniquely conscious tone to the work that the medium often doesn't achieve with female characters. Mikhail reconciles with his identity in a similar way and is able to help Zero end her nightmare.

The cast alongside her sucks, however, and I can't understand how people can sit through their trite horny dialogue for hours. 3 is an incredibly rough and coarse game, and despite my mild hate boner for the way it's designed, I'm happy it exists.

This game was interesting. It plays on a lot of the themes of classic Silent Hill, but giving it a modern twist. It's short but the message about teen suicide resonates well. However some of the gameplay elements (I use that term lightly as its really just a hallway walking simulator) are frustrating. It's dark as holy hell and the FOV means you are constantly running into walls while an insta-kill monster chases you. Trying to navigate while running can be very agitating. Even with all of that, I'm still looking forward to seeing what else Konami has cooking for this franchise.

A good RPG that has aged remarkably well. There are a few hiccups I had, with some quests being failed because I talked to the wrong person or entered the wrong room. Also, sometimes you're separated from your group for a bit and those areas can be really punishing depending on the class you picked.

Combat was really fun, especially against the large monsters, and I really liked each class I played. There were times where combat took an absurd difficulty spike. There was a group of bandits right outside a wooded area that drove me insane with how they just seemed to ignore damage at times. I liked most of the NPCs. I did find it frustrating that there were times I had to look up in a wiki where to continue certain NPC quests, but that wasn't too bad.

This was a solid game and I'm excited to see what changes they've added for the sequel.

MERCURY STEAM HQ, 2015:

“Alright team, time to plan this Metroid II remake. And I want to say up front: there’s no bad ideas in brainstorming! So, what‘s on your mind?”

“Hmm…well first, how about we make the game look like dogshit? Just real gross. Muddy colors, weird blurry lighting and totally indistinct area themes. I want the player to feel totally lost in an endless maze of poop caves. And while we’re at it, since past Metroid games did such a good job immersing the player in their worlds, what if for this one we took the opposite approach. Shoot for a really unconvincing 2.5D aesthetic with incredibly blocky level design, that way the player is constantly reminded they’re playing a game. Like, the monochrome Gameboy original should feel more immersive than this.”

“That’s brilliant, Dave. Sarah, you had your hand up?”

“Yeah well I was just thinking, what if we made the level design like, way worse? Metroid II split its map into these open, easy-to-digest chunks that have aged pretty well all things considered. So why not throw all that bullshit in the trash and replace it for something really cramped and labyrinthine? Just really arduous to navigate, make exploring feel like a hassle. Maybe instead of interesting power-up gating we also could just fill the map with power bomb tiles, so exploration just becomes a dull game of spamming the scan pulse every few steps.”

“I like where your head is at, Sarah. Who else?”

“Well while we’re talking about the original, I’ve been looking at some reviews and it seems like a common complaint with that game was that the Metroid boss fights got kind of monotonous after a while. So I was thinking—and hear me out on this one—what if we made each Metroid encounter take like twice as long? And not because it’s any more engaging or anything, just way more tedious. Like, half of their new attacks make them invincible so most of the fight is just running around wasting missiles while you wait for an opening. And then make the player do that 50 times. Maybe instead of having them ambush you in interesting locations we could also just place each one in a big game-y boss arena and give the player a grating beeping notification every time they’re near one. You know, that way they never feel any sense of surprise or any illusion this is a believable fragile ecosystem and not a checklist of Goombas for them to stop. It’s not like that’s thematically important to Metroid II or anything.”

“Goddamnit Brian, you’re a loose cannon, but maybe that’s just exactly we need for this project. What next?”

“Well, grinding for health and ammo was always really annoying in previous games. So let’s exhaust that by really spreading out the recharge stations. That way if you need a refill after a boss you have to run around the entire area. Oh, and then let’s make enemies not always respawn when you leave a room, so when you inevitably do have to farm it’s super inconvenient. Fuck it, let’s even add a third type of meter while we’re at it to triple the grinding!”

“I’m gonna be honest Larry I didn’t 100% make out what you said because I was doing coke off Brian’s desk, but fuckin sure dude put it in the game!”

“Hey boss, I was just replaying the GBA games and noticed how fluid their combat felt. So I was thinking for our game we could add this melee counter move to really fuck up the pacing. That way instead of being able to quickly move and shoot your way through enemies, every single goddamn one requires you to stop in your tracks and wait for their attack animation to start so you can do your stupid fucking parry move. Y’know, that way the movement and exploration never get too exciting. Wouldn’t want that in a Metroid game! Then let’s make every enemy have a ton of health when you try to kill them without the parry so players are locked into having to play this way. And—what the hell—let’s not improve enemy variety at all, so you’re stuck seeing the same 20 or so guys without any change in strategy the whole time.”

“Leslie, you son of a bitch. I think you’ve just cracked this thing wide open. In fact, I’m giving you a raise and some of this desk cocaine.”

Did not complete

Consistently similar, yet ever so slightly different across the board when compared to Faces of Evil. It's definitely the game that feels as if it had a bit more time to be developed for one, lacking the blatant reuse that Faces of Evil demonstrated towards the end, as well as having a throughline that feels a bit more complete and interesting to be led through. The world as a whole feels far more interconnected in this game in particular, with far more instances of moving back and forth between locations while the NPCs unlock things for you, rather than awkwardly disappearing upon interaction. I love the way that the focus in general is more placed in its puzzle solving and exploration rather than the heavier focus on combat in Faces of Evil as well, with the first half of the game throwing so many different objectives you need to keep track of before slowly unravelling them to you, which consequently made each individual puzzle more difficult and interesting to figure out due to how many different possibilities the utility of each item could potentially have. It does have all the same drawbacks and points of intrigue as Faces of Evil, but this just feels a bit more tightly wound and appealing to my own sensibilities, so it has the slight edge for me and results in another breezy time that I could maybe even see myself returning to again to check out its hard mode.

A rather enjoyable time, feeling more like a condensed Zelda experience in a lot of respects as opposed to the shoddy knockoff it's always touted as. Link: The Faces of Evil certainly is quite rough around the edges, with a couple of odd puzzles and controls that regularly work against you being the most prominent issues, but I feel like this is far from enough to entirely detract from the game's good qualities. Despite the infamous nature of the cutscenes here, I'm quite fond of the two sides of the art direction for this game overall, albeit for different reasons. The background art is frequently really pretty in particular, often being very colourful and packed with detail, and while it makes actual platform visibility less intuitive than it should be, you'll naturally hit a point while playing where the visual language clicks and makes this a small inconvenience at worst. To build on this, the game covers a wide range of location themes within its tiny runtime as well, further contributing to providing the world with a sense of scale and stopping things from ever feeling too repetitive, since you'll always be thrown into something new within a couple of minutes, with the quest structure feeding into this sense of loose interconnectivity thanks to the backtracking. The cutscenes are really funny as well to me with the way that there's this constant need to make the smallest thing be expressed in the most exaggerated manner possible, with everyone strangely distorting with each word accompanied by voice acting equally ridiculous. People already harp on the cutscenes being incredibly funny, but as someone who'd never seen any of the YTPs that so heavily used these, it was all new and surprising to me and felt like a reward in itself whenever I was able to see a new one. A bite-sized, largely painless game that made me smile whenever it played a cutscene or made me feel smart when I was able to figure out the vaguely obtusely presented puzzle hints, looking forward to playing Wand of Gamelon soon.

It was hard to have high expectations of a free Silent Hill game put out by Konami after their numerous gaming crimes - losing Kojima, cashing in on pachinko, Ascension, to name a few - but Silent Hill: The Short Message, a game about grief, suicide and abuse, is WAY better than it has any right to be.

I will admit that the game pinches from P.T and a little Serial Experiments Lain, with a trashy J-emo script that has all the subtlety of.. well, a corridor covered in abusive post-it notes. But I don't hate that, I vibe with it. Sure, I think it could've benefited from being in its native Japanese language rather than English, let alone even the illusion of being set in bloody Germany, as some of the bullying language feels cliche. But the handling of the heavy themes and conclusion it reaches about the victims have a strong emotional impact, and, I must add, a much healthier take than Bloober's offensive The Medium.

But now for the game's main strengths. The boys are back! Akira Yamaoka's score is understated but stirring, the sound design creepy and enhancing the presence of Masahiro Ito's menacing new monster that hobbles after you down corridors with a stop-motion jitteriness. The pursuit sections are reminiscent of Shattered Memories but much more effective, claustrophobic and panic-inducing - they can be difficult and sometimes frustrating but get by on their short length. There’s not a great deal else in terms of gameplay beyond wandering a dilapidated apartment block, but the grimy design and atmosphere are enough to enjoy just moving through the eerie space, uncovering the story in various gameplay ‘loops.’

Of course, it can veer into amateur territory - the drawings are tad too Tumblr, the acting is mostly strong but occasionally a bit off, those sections in school corridors are a bit too 2013 for my liking - but I suppose the game is not made by a bunch of Kojimas.

However, for the first effort in a couple decades from a Konami-led Japanese team, it’s a rather satisfying return to form for Silent Hill. It’s not perfect, but it didn’t need to be, especially not when it had Ascension’s act to follow.