AmpleSamuel
2022
One of the first memories I have of intaking the internet's opinion on games is learning that Wii Music, a game that I loved before I could put it into words, was nearly universally criticized and made fun of. And while I intentionally avoid playing Wii Music for fear of realizing that my nostalgia is hiding a pretty underwhelming experience, I've never forgotten the feeling that game gave me - a feeling that adult me, for the first time, got through Trombone Champ.
Trombone Champ is an extremely goofy game, to some pretty high highs, like some really great jokes, and some pretty low lows, like the requirements to beat the game pretty much just being random. But, when you actually get into the gameplay, it's just so much fun to play. It's not a rhythm game that you could sink your teeth into for months on end, and the actual music played doesn't always, or usually, sound that great - but the approach towards appreciation for the fun of playing is so immensely rewarding.
It's pretty easy to get custom songs downloaded too, and, while some people create not so fun tracks, when you find a song you love with an actually fitting track - it creates such a rhythmically terrific time. Definitely a game I'll return to a bunch, as the catalogue of songs, both official and unofficial, continue to grow.
9/10
Game #30 of 2024, May 16th
Trombone Champ is an extremely goofy game, to some pretty high highs, like some really great jokes, and some pretty low lows, like the requirements to beat the game pretty much just being random. But, when you actually get into the gameplay, it's just so much fun to play. It's not a rhythm game that you could sink your teeth into for months on end, and the actual music played doesn't always, or usually, sound that great - but the approach towards appreciation for the fun of playing is so immensely rewarding.
It's pretty easy to get custom songs downloaded too, and, while some people create not so fun tracks, when you find a song you love with an actually fitting track - it creates such a rhythmically terrific time. Definitely a game I'll return to a bunch, as the catalogue of songs, both official and unofficial, continue to grow.
9/10
Game #30 of 2024, May 16th
2024
It's been a while I was this excited for a game - and it lived up to that feeling.
Crow Country isn't a perfect game, as there is a complete lack of difficulty on the both the combat/puzzle side, with the combat especially being less than interesting, which obviously leaks into all parts of the experience. But, outside of that, everything else is pretty much perfect. The story is well written with a neat concept and a couple of fun twists, the PS1 graphics are just stunning, the music is terrific, (to the point where I'm excited about the soundtrack releasing), and the entire experience is so obviously lovingly crafted by people who understand survival horror.
Moving forward, while it's perhaps not the best of the genre, it's hard to think of a more beginner friendly, yet still amazing, intro to this style of survival horror. Definitely wish it was a bit longer, but would much rather be left wanting more than sick of it all by the end. Truly such a memorable time, and one that I'll definitely revisit.
9/10
Game #29 of 2024, May 15th
Crow Country isn't a perfect game, as there is a complete lack of difficulty on the both the combat/puzzle side, with the combat especially being less than interesting, which obviously leaks into all parts of the experience. But, outside of that, everything else is pretty much perfect. The story is well written with a neat concept and a couple of fun twists, the PS1 graphics are just stunning, the music is terrific, (to the point where I'm excited about the soundtrack releasing), and the entire experience is so obviously lovingly crafted by people who understand survival horror.
Moving forward, while it's perhaps not the best of the genre, it's hard to think of a more beginner friendly, yet still amazing, intro to this style of survival horror. Definitely wish it was a bit longer, but would much rather be left wanting more than sick of it all by the end. Truly such a memorable time, and one that I'll definitely revisit.
9/10
Game #29 of 2024, May 15th
2023
Scars Above is an indie game that tries to feel AAA, to some mixed results.
On the one hand, there are some really fun gameplay moments tucked in here, as most of the encounters feel like a genuine tug-of-war between you and your opponent - at least, towards the beginning. The first hour or so is actually pretty difficult even on normal difficulty, as you have very limited resources to take on these huge beasts, culminating in this really fun first boss - a boss that the game then pretty much reuses over and over and over again, including in the [SPOILER]hilariously anticlimactic final[/SPOILER] battle, and never again to the same level of enjoyment. And while some of this comes from the fact that it's just not as enjoyable to redo stuff, a large part it comes from the abilities in this game, as fun and creative as they are, turn this game into a complete snooze fest. Use any of the best 3 abilities on any of the enemies and it'll probably just give you the win.
The story is pretty good though, especially if you can get past the resolution drop in cutscenes and a complete lack of lip-sync. It doesn't blow you away with ridiculously neat concepts, but, for a sci-fi story in this type of game, it's got enough cool ideas to carry it's 6 hour length. The voice acting too, while not given any terrific moments, is more than serviceable, with the main character, Kate, especially being pretty great.
Overall, I like Scars Above, but it definitely feels like it came out ~15 years ago, and could have used a bit more playtesting to balance the game a little more, and try to sustain the 'horror-survival-esque' gameplay of the opening chapter. I hope they take another crack at this though, as the ending does certainly allow for sequels, as a game filled with Scars Above's best moments would be absolute terrific - but what we got was also pretty good.
7/10
Game #28 of 2024, May 12th
On the one hand, there are some really fun gameplay moments tucked in here, as most of the encounters feel like a genuine tug-of-war between you and your opponent - at least, towards the beginning. The first hour or so is actually pretty difficult even on normal difficulty, as you have very limited resources to take on these huge beasts, culminating in this really fun first boss - a boss that the game then pretty much reuses over and over and over again, including in the [SPOILER]hilariously anticlimactic final[/SPOILER] battle, and never again to the same level of enjoyment. And while some of this comes from the fact that it's just not as enjoyable to redo stuff, a large part it comes from the abilities in this game, as fun and creative as they are, turn this game into a complete snooze fest. Use any of the best 3 abilities on any of the enemies and it'll probably just give you the win.
The story is pretty good though, especially if you can get past the resolution drop in cutscenes and a complete lack of lip-sync. It doesn't blow you away with ridiculously neat concepts, but, for a sci-fi story in this type of game, it's got enough cool ideas to carry it's 6 hour length. The voice acting too, while not given any terrific moments, is more than serviceable, with the main character, Kate, especially being pretty great.
Overall, I like Scars Above, but it definitely feels like it came out ~15 years ago, and could have used a bit more playtesting to balance the game a little more, and try to sustain the 'horror-survival-esque' gameplay of the opening chapter. I hope they take another crack at this though, as the ending does certainly allow for sequels, as a game filled with Scars Above's best moments would be absolute terrific - but what we got was also pretty good.
7/10
Game #28 of 2024, May 12th
2021
Just because Solar Ash could have been better, doesn't mean that it's not great.
At its core, Solar Ash is a movement based Shadow of the Colossus, that somehow looks even better. It even has the same type of twist, (although Solar Ash's ending, which is so easily the best part of the game, does enough different from SotC to appreciate them equally and separately). Of course, while there are benefits to being similar to such a beloved game, it's hard to not immediately draw comparisons between the two.
On the one hand, when it's at its best, Solar Ash is as fun any really any game can get. Most of the boss fights reach this height, with the final pair being just unbelievably good, as you just zip all around with a really great move set. Visually too, this game is so beautiful, with the stunning colors and terrific sequences being a constant.
Unfortunately, this game does struggle in one key compartment, which is its attempt to recreate 'Team Ico'-esque simplicity. The game makes the decision to not really explain most of its concepts, something that causes a bit of confusion as you just go around hitting stuff until something happens, but something that does increase immersion. The problem with this though, is that this immersion is immediately destroyed by the inherent 'gamey' ness of this game, with health upgrades and glowing weak points and everything. At parts of Solar Ash, it feels like you get the worst of both worlds, as you struggle to figure out what to do, while also feeling like there's a layer in between you and the story.
Speaking of which, the story is... overall fine. There is a ton of dialogue, (especially if you go for the side quest stuff,) all of which having pretty rough voice acting. There are a couple of twists at the end that I did really enjoy though, and it's the type of story where you can kind of forget about the boring first 90% because the ending is just that solid. Definitely a moral at the end that'll rumble around your brain for a bit.
Overall, Solar Ash is a weird game to talk about, as there are so many parts of it that are truly fantastic, but you still unfortunately spend about half your time either looking for the next fun bit, or reading mountains of dialogue. Still, if you can sit through some somewhat boring stuff, and you allow yourself to struggle while learning the game's rhythm, there's a really good core here.
7/10
Game #27 of 2024, May 10th
At its core, Solar Ash is a movement based Shadow of the Colossus, that somehow looks even better. It even has the same type of twist, (although Solar Ash's ending, which is so easily the best part of the game, does enough different from SotC to appreciate them equally and separately). Of course, while there are benefits to being similar to such a beloved game, it's hard to not immediately draw comparisons between the two.
On the one hand, when it's at its best, Solar Ash is as fun any really any game can get. Most of the boss fights reach this height, with the final pair being just unbelievably good, as you just zip all around with a really great move set. Visually too, this game is so beautiful, with the stunning colors and terrific sequences being a constant.
Unfortunately, this game does struggle in one key compartment, which is its attempt to recreate 'Team Ico'-esque simplicity. The game makes the decision to not really explain most of its concepts, something that causes a bit of confusion as you just go around hitting stuff until something happens, but something that does increase immersion. The problem with this though, is that this immersion is immediately destroyed by the inherent 'gamey' ness of this game, with health upgrades and glowing weak points and everything. At parts of Solar Ash, it feels like you get the worst of both worlds, as you struggle to figure out what to do, while also feeling like there's a layer in between you and the story.
Speaking of which, the story is... overall fine. There is a ton of dialogue, (especially if you go for the side quest stuff,) all of which having pretty rough voice acting. There are a couple of twists at the end that I did really enjoy though, and it's the type of story where you can kind of forget about the boring first 90% because the ending is just that solid. Definitely a moral at the end that'll rumble around your brain for a bit.
Overall, Solar Ash is a weird game to talk about, as there are so many parts of it that are truly fantastic, but you still unfortunately spend about half your time either looking for the next fun bit, or reading mountains of dialogue. Still, if you can sit through some somewhat boring stuff, and you allow yourself to struggle while learning the game's rhythm, there's a really good core here.
7/10
Game #27 of 2024, May 10th
Penny's Big Breakaway might have a great move set, and good level design - but there's seemingly no connection between the two. You can pretty much skip every meaningful obstacle by just launching yourself over it, as I'm not sure there is literally a single jump, at least in the main story, that requires you to even use all 3 moves before hitting the ground.
The presentation is somewhat charming, although the characters aren't exactly memorable, and the story feels like the Galaxy and beyond era of Mario - just some light goofy shenanigans to get to some new locations.
Penny's Big Breakaway is kind of fun, but not anything I plan on coming back to.
6/10
Game #26 of 2024, April 30th
The presentation is somewhat charming, although the characters aren't exactly memorable, and the story feels like the Galaxy and beyond era of Mario - just some light goofy shenanigans to get to some new locations.
Penny's Big Breakaway is kind of fun, but not anything I plan on coming back to.
6/10
Game #26 of 2024, April 30th
2014
Beeswing is a semi-broken gameplay-void experience - an experience that wrecked me, over and over and over again.
In between crashes, or moments where the dialogue boxes seemed to disagree with the rest of the game, Beeswing delivers a litany of beautiful moments, both visually, through the gorgeous water-colored art style, (an art-style that occasionally drastically changes,) and musically, through this wonderfully relaxing acoustic soundtrack. The writing too is brutally excellent, switching effortlessly from literal toilet humor to a calm discussion of death, and the plethora of grief that comes with it, eliciting nearly every emotion as you explore rural Scotland. The ending moments especially comprise of the kind of stuff that simply sticks with you, as the credits fittingly come when you're not quite ready for them.
It's hard to fully recommend this game, especially given the fact that it crashed on me ~6 times, and the only way to save is by fully quitting out, but, if you can fight some jankiness, there's some truly life-changing stuff in here. After all, just like a good tree, a good game has victims.
9/10
Game #25 of 2024, April 20th
In between crashes, or moments where the dialogue boxes seemed to disagree with the rest of the game, Beeswing delivers a litany of beautiful moments, both visually, through the gorgeous water-colored art style, (an art-style that occasionally drastically changes,) and musically, through this wonderfully relaxing acoustic soundtrack. The writing too is brutally excellent, switching effortlessly from literal toilet humor to a calm discussion of death, and the plethora of grief that comes with it, eliciting nearly every emotion as you explore rural Scotland. The ending moments especially comprise of the kind of stuff that simply sticks with you, as the credits fittingly come when you're not quite ready for them.
It's hard to fully recommend this game, especially given the fact that it crashed on me ~6 times, and the only way to save is by fully quitting out, but, if you can fight some jankiness, there's some truly life-changing stuff in here. After all, just like a good tree, a good game has victims.
9/10
Game #25 of 2024, April 20th
(This review is for Blaze Black 2 Redux)
Again, this is the fourth Pokémon game I've reviewed in the last ~45 days, and the third difficulty hack - this is basically just Pokémon with my two least favorite aspects, low difficulty and team restriction, removed.
10/10
Game #24 of 2024, April 17th
Again, this is the fourth Pokémon game I've reviewed in the last ~45 days, and the third difficulty hack - this is basically just Pokémon with my two least favorite aspects, low difficulty and team restriction, removed.
10/10
Game #24 of 2024, April 17th
2012
(This review is for Sacred Gold)
This hack takes what is arguably the best game in the franchise, adds actual teambuilding options + really fun difficulty. No better way to say how good this is.
10/10
Game #23 of 2024, April 12th
This hack takes what is arguably the best game in the franchise, adds actual teambuilding options + really fun difficulty. No better way to say how good this is.
10/10
Game #23 of 2024, April 12th
1990
The NES at its absolute best.
StarTropics is a game that, while still suffering from a bit of its console's tropes, such as the pretty ridiculous difficulty, feels so ahead of its time. It's focus on story, including some really charming dialogue, it's focus on sprite work / music, including some of the best of both for the era - everything about this game is just kind of mind-blowing for something that isn't talked nearly as much some of its peers
Obviously, even if it's a really good one, it's still an NES game - but I had a blast with Startropics.
8/10
Game #22 of 2024, April 7th
StarTropics is a game that, while still suffering from a bit of its console's tropes, such as the pretty ridiculous difficulty, feels so ahead of its time. It's focus on story, including some really charming dialogue, it's focus on sprite work / music, including some of the best of both for the era - everything about this game is just kind of mind-blowing for something that isn't talked nearly as much some of its peers
Obviously, even if it's a really good one, it's still an NES game - but I had a blast with Startropics.
8/10
Game #22 of 2024, April 7th
It's hard to overstate the amount of things about Gravity Rush that I absolutely love.
The art style is phenomenal, the music is terrific, the characters, (especially Kat), are immensely charming, the world/levels are wonderfully designed, and the gravity-based gameplay, while occasionally disorientating, ultimately works really well, both in exploration and combat.
While there are a few problems with this game, most of which deriving from the fact that it used to be a Vita exclusive, and thus sometimes feels like it doesn't quite utilize the PS4's power / file sizes, this game is just a cozy little romp through Hekseville, interspersed with some truly 'woah' moments.
10/10
Game #21 of 2024, April 6th
The art style is phenomenal, the music is terrific, the characters, (especially Kat), are immensely charming, the world/levels are wonderfully designed, and the gravity-based gameplay, while occasionally disorientating, ultimately works really well, both in exploration and combat.
While there are a few problems with this game, most of which deriving from the fact that it used to be a Vita exclusive, and thus sometimes feels like it doesn't quite utilize the PS4's power / file sizes, this game is just a cozy little romp through Hekseville, interspersed with some truly 'woah' moments.
10/10
Game #21 of 2024, April 6th
2024
Boomeroad feels like a tech demo. A lot of neat mechanics that simply don't go anywhere, and a story that feels largely non-existent. The gameplay at its core is a pretty neat idea though, and while I don't think they'll ever go back to it, this could potentially fuel a much longer, and ultimately better, game.
6/10
Game #20 of 2024, March 27th
6/10
Game #20 of 2024, March 27th
2017
I'm not sure any game's reputation has suffered as much as a result of circumstances as much as Ultra Sun / Ultra Moon.
Yes, it is dumb that this was a full priced expansion of Sun and Moon, and yes, it is dumb that this game wasn't on the Switch, but playing it now, without either of those things really being issues, and it's just simply one of the greatest Pokémon games that Game Freak has ever put out, with well paced gameplay, the most Pokémon that will probably ever be in a game, such a cozy atmosphere, a fun (yet still just Pokémon) story, and perhaps the most fun postgame that any game in the franchise has ever had, as episode RR is just such a great final challenge.
Maybe the most repayable games in the series for me, although that might be a result these just being the last games to come out while I was still 'Pokémon aged'.
9/10
Game #19 of 2024, March 26th
Yes, it is dumb that this was a full priced expansion of Sun and Moon, and yes, it is dumb that this game wasn't on the Switch, but playing it now, without either of those things really being issues, and it's just simply one of the greatest Pokémon games that Game Freak has ever put out, with well paced gameplay, the most Pokémon that will probably ever be in a game, such a cozy atmosphere, a fun (yet still just Pokémon) story, and perhaps the most fun postgame that any game in the franchise has ever had, as episode RR is just such a great final challenge.
Maybe the most repayable games in the series for me, although that might be a result these just being the last games to come out while I was still 'Pokémon aged'.
9/10
Game #19 of 2024, March 26th
2004
By far the most disappointing 6/10 I've ever played.
Without judging it against the other games in the series, Pikmin 2 is a pretty fun game with some frustrating moments and weird decisions. The story is still charming, the game is still beautiful, the music is still a vibe, and, during the overworld sections, it's fun to explore the world and see what you can do with 2 captains.
But as a sequel to Pikmin, it's mind-blowing why they would turn such a chill and well designed experience into a randomly generated and precise RTS experience for the majority of the gameplay.
6/10
Game #18 of 2024, March 20th
Without judging it against the other games in the series, Pikmin 2 is a pretty fun game with some frustrating moments and weird decisions. The story is still charming, the game is still beautiful, the music is still a vibe, and, during the overworld sections, it's fun to explore the world and see what you can do with 2 captains.
But as a sequel to Pikmin, it's mind-blowing why they would turn such a chill and well designed experience into a randomly generated and precise RTS experience for the majority of the gameplay.
6/10
Game #18 of 2024, March 20th
This game really makes you feel like Batman like you're back to playing the Xbox 360.
It's just nice to enter this DC world filled with incredibly horny adaptions of a bunch of different characters, as the game's best aged aspect is easily its immense charm. From the Joker and Harley, to the nice tone changes with Scarecrow, there's just a bunch of variation to enjoy in this really well paced game. The atmosphere of this one is really great too, as the visuals have actually aged surprisingly well.
However, this game's biggest flaw is actually something that's pretty hard to hold against the game, being just how influential it is. It's style of Stealth n' Combat has been adapted various times since its release, and by people who have been able to make improvements, so it does feel a bit archaic.
Still, pretty fun to blast through this one in a couple of days, enjoying the moments where the combat works really well, enjoying the moments of immensely great atmosphere, and, most of all, enjoying the show.
8/10
Game #17 of 2024, March 19th
It's just nice to enter this DC world filled with incredibly horny adaptions of a bunch of different characters, as the game's best aged aspect is easily its immense charm. From the Joker and Harley, to the nice tone changes with Scarecrow, there's just a bunch of variation to enjoy in this really well paced game. The atmosphere of this one is really great too, as the visuals have actually aged surprisingly well.
However, this game's biggest flaw is actually something that's pretty hard to hold against the game, being just how influential it is. It's style of Stealth n' Combat has been adapted various times since its release, and by people who have been able to make improvements, so it does feel a bit archaic.
Still, pretty fun to blast through this one in a couple of days, enjoying the moments where the combat works really well, enjoying the moments of immensely great atmosphere, and, most of all, enjoying the show.
8/10
Game #17 of 2024, March 19th
Return of the Obra Dinn is a really cool experience, with a bunch of hiccups along the way.
Some of these are somewhat inherent, as the non-hand-holding nature of this game will lead to some parts just not being intuitive to some users, but there are definitely some features that could have been helpful that just aren't present. I think a good solution to this issue would be that, perhaps once you've solved 75% percent of the fates, the game would allow you to just access each memory from the journal, with maybe a few more hints available, so you aren't trying to figure out what the game wants you to classify a death as.
Anyway, enough complaining, this game's artstyle and vibe are just simply too good for this to not be a great game. The lack of color works really well, the music adds to the nautical vibe, and the concept, especially when you get on a streak of not being stuck, truly does make you 'feel likebatman a detective.' Some people will definitely love the story too, although without any characters to really care about, it was hard for me to really get invested in all of the shenanigans unfolding, even if the non-linear storytelling was sick.
I get those who really love this game, and even if it's not perfect for me, I still think it's pretty great.
7/10
Game #16 of 2024, March 12th
Some of these are somewhat inherent, as the non-hand-holding nature of this game will lead to some parts just not being intuitive to some users, but there are definitely some features that could have been helpful that just aren't present. I think a good solution to this issue would be that, perhaps once you've solved 75% percent of the fates, the game would allow you to just access each memory from the journal, with maybe a few more hints available, so you aren't trying to figure out what the game wants you to classify a death as.
Anyway, enough complaining, this game's artstyle and vibe are just simply too good for this to not be a great game. The lack of color works really well, the music adds to the nautical vibe, and the concept, especially when you get on a streak of not being stuck, truly does make you 'feel like
I get those who really love this game, and even if it's not perfect for me, I still think it's pretty great.
7/10
Game #16 of 2024, March 12th