AmpleSamuel
2016
Even the Ocean is by far Analgesic's most ambitious game, and every thing I love and hate about the game comes from that fact. To start with the story, unlike the brilliant characters of Anodyne 2 and Sephonie, EtO feels like it cares more about the world and the story around the world rather than the the people who live in it. And while that does serve the narrative of the game, it also meant that, until the big impact moment at the end of this one, there were only a few little moments that felt worth it to take a break from platforming to experience. (The namesake song is definitely one of them). Still, when comparing this game to non Analgesic-stories, it's hard to not love the charm of this world, and the way that playing it after playing Anodyne greatly increases the amount of perspective you feel it provides. It's a story that I feel impacted me the way it did because I had already played some of Melos and Marina's other games, and thus felt a connection with the way their games view the world.
Gameplay-wise, this one is definitely an oddity. On the one hand, the actual gimmick that replaces health is pretty uninteresting, and just serves as a puzzle-creator. On the other hand, the shield mechanic in this game is just an unfathomable amount of fun to use, and it by far the reason that this game is still likely going to be one of my favorites I play this year - just like Shovel Knight's Shovel, it completely transforms platforming, this time into a duel stick experience, something that made breezing through levels so much fun. While the levels never quite get difficult enough to be interesting, I still found just running around a beautiful place with a beautiful score to be too much fun to not call this game great.
9/10
Game #1 of 2024, January 2nd.
Gameplay-wise, this one is definitely an oddity. On the one hand, the actual gimmick that replaces health is pretty uninteresting, and just serves as a puzzle-creator. On the other hand, the shield mechanic in this game is just an unfathomable amount of fun to use, and it by far the reason that this game is still likely going to be one of my favorites I play this year - just like Shovel Knight's Shovel, it completely transforms platforming, this time into a duel stick experience, something that made breezing through levels so much fun. While the levels never quite get difficult enough to be interesting, I still found just running around a beautiful place with a beautiful score to be too much fun to not call this game great.
9/10
Game #1 of 2024, January 2nd.
2016
I'd almost guarantee that I if I had played Pony Island closer to when it came out, I'd have a fonder perspective on it. Instead, I just think about all of the somewhat neat 4th wall breaks, including one that is genuinely terrific, (you know which one), is other games that have done them better. Still, even if the puzzles are easy and the main gameplay is pretty lame, intentionally and unintentionally, I think it's presentation and short length prevents it from being a 'bad' game.
6/10
Game #2 of 2024, January 3rd.
6/10
Game #2 of 2024, January 3rd.
I'd put off Anodyne 2 for long enough. Sephonie was one of my favorite games I'd ever played, Anodyne had a bunch of really fun moments, EtO had the best core gameplay of any of the Analgesic games, and even All Our Asias proved meaningful w/o any inherently fun aspects. No matter what, I felt that Anodyne 2 was going to be disappointing to me, as I had envisioned it as one of my favorite games ever before even playing it.
It was better than I really thought it could be.
Gameplay is pretty simple, with some fun platforming and a slight expansion of Anodyne 1's 2d sections, both of which mostly serve as a method to experience the true joy of the game - the music, visuals, and characters that make up each of the game's lovely locations. So many places in this game will forever be seared into my memory, as each place feels so distinct and so foreign - while also being instantly nostalgic, something accomplished through both 'beautiful ps2 but better' graphics, as well as one of my favorite soundtracks from any game ever.
But despite all the praise I just gave, the part of this game I can't stop thinking about is the writing. It was my favorite part of Sephonie, and lo and behold, it's my favorite part of its predecessor as well. It's ability to go from hilarious to sad to 'rethink your entire life' is awe-inspiring, and there are so many moments that you can't do anything but just pause the game and think about. Anodyne 2 is truly a special experience among special experiences, and a game that will be hard to displace as my favorite thing I played this year. And it's January.
10/10
Game #3 of 2024, January 15th.
It was better than I really thought it could be.
Gameplay is pretty simple, with some fun platforming and a slight expansion of Anodyne 1's 2d sections, both of which mostly serve as a method to experience the true joy of the game - the music, visuals, and characters that make up each of the game's lovely locations. So many places in this game will forever be seared into my memory, as each place feels so distinct and so foreign - while also being instantly nostalgic, something accomplished through both 'beautiful ps2 but better' graphics, as well as one of my favorite soundtracks from any game ever.
But despite all the praise I just gave, the part of this game I can't stop thinking about is the writing. It was my favorite part of Sephonie, and lo and behold, it's my favorite part of its predecessor as well. It's ability to go from hilarious to sad to 'rethink your entire life' is awe-inspiring, and there are so many moments that you can't do anything but just pause the game and think about. Anodyne 2 is truly a special experience among special experiences, and a game that will be hard to displace as my favorite thing I played this year. And it's January.
10/10
Game #3 of 2024, January 15th.
2012
Kid Icarus Uprising was the first game I ever loved. Since first playing it nearly a decade ago, I've always been immensely fond of it. And while the younger me fell in love with it's 'cool gameplay' and 'crazy visuals,' the reason that it's still a favorite of mine when other games I loved during that period are not is because, without a doubt, it has the most fun set of characters from any game I have ever played. Sure, the gameplay is pretty fun when your hand isn't in pain, and yeah, the visuals are pretty stellar for the 3ds, but the fully voice-acted dialogue that you hear from start to finish is why this game is an all time favorite of mine. It's not effortlessly funny - the entire game feels like them desperately trying to make every single line memorable - and it's all the more endearing because of it. It's just a game that, at every moment, feels like you're watching your favorite show, and your favorite moment is about to come up.
Except, that favorite moment never ends.
10/10
Game #4 of 2024, January 15th.
Except, that favorite moment never ends.
10/10
Game #4 of 2024, January 15th.
2021
I'm somebody who tends to judge games on their best moments. Perhaps it's unfair, but it's those moments that stay with you, not a few boring moments in between.
Subway Midnight makes that very difficult.
Subway Midnight is a game with a bunch of really cool rooms, most of which could make for a really interesting part of a different game - and that's it. The only gameplay in this one is bad puzzles and awkward running. Sure, you will see visuals like nothing else in gaming, something that usually launches a game into 9/10 territory for me, but something about Subway Midnight not having a solid normal gameplay loop to subvert just really hurt it.
And the first ending you'll get is genuinely the least satisfying ending since NES games that ended with 'you saved the day' on a black screen.
6/10
Game #5 of 2024, January 19th
Subway Midnight makes that very difficult.
Subway Midnight is a game with a bunch of really cool rooms, most of which could make for a really interesting part of a different game - and that's it. The only gameplay in this one is bad puzzles and awkward running. Sure, you will see visuals like nothing else in gaming, something that usually launches a game into 9/10 territory for me, but something about Subway Midnight not having a solid normal gameplay loop to subvert just really hurt it.
And the first ending you'll get is genuinely the least satisfying ending since NES games that ended with 'you saved the day' on a black screen.
6/10
Game #5 of 2024, January 19th
2007
Hotel Dusk has a bunch of stuff to love.
The music is continuous bliss, the film noir visuals are stunning from start to finish, and the story, and the writing that accompanies it, feels connected like nothing else I've ever read. Seriously, I'd love to see if there was some kind of visual guide they created while coming up with this story, because the web that it creates by the end is mind-blowing. While only a few puzzles impress, namely the ones that require more than a button press, and the game sometime requires some ridiculously random things, like making sure you check everywhere evidence isn't before an NPC will talk to you, Hotel Dusk is still a game that I found myself loving while playing, and loving even more when I thought about it later.
9/10
Game #6 of 2024, January 21st
The music is continuous bliss, the film noir visuals are stunning from start to finish, and the story, and the writing that accompanies it, feels connected like nothing else I've ever read. Seriously, I'd love to see if there was some kind of visual guide they created while coming up with this story, because the web that it creates by the end is mind-blowing. While only a few puzzles impress, namely the ones that require more than a button press, and the game sometime requires some ridiculously random things, like making sure you check everywhere evidence isn't before an NPC will talk to you, Hotel Dusk is still a game that I found myself loving while playing, and loving even more when I thought about it later.
9/10
Game #6 of 2024, January 21st
2001
(Review for the GameCube version, and thus the jank I complain about is probably something I voluntarily played with)
Pikmin is a game that's boring, until it's not. You go from thinking that the Pikmin are dumb and don't listen, the day cycle is pointless and just wastes time, and the world is some boring forest or whatever, to realizing that the Pikmin are the best minions in gaming, the day cycle is absolutely brilliant and allows for so much strategy on every playthough, and that the setting is genuinely stunning, and perfectly contrasts with the game's somewhat nihilistic tendencies. While there is some jank, being able to reset any day nearly eliminates it, and leaves behind one of the most replayable and relaxing experiences I've ever had.
9/10
Game #7 of 2024, January 24th
Pikmin is a game that's boring, until it's not. You go from thinking that the Pikmin are dumb and don't listen, the day cycle is pointless and just wastes time, and the world is some boring forest or whatever, to realizing that the Pikmin are the best minions in gaming, the day cycle is absolutely brilliant and allows for so much strategy on every playthough, and that the setting is genuinely stunning, and perfectly contrasts with the game's somewhat nihilistic tendencies. While there is some jank, being able to reset any day nearly eliminates it, and leaves behind one of the most replayable and relaxing experiences I've ever had.
9/10
Game #7 of 2024, January 24th
Swollen to Bursting is something that feels straight out of 2014, and yet something that I feel like I could only truly appreciate in the current moment. When I replay this game in 5 years, I wonder if I'll see it the same way I see games like Undertale now, where it's impossible to look through the goofiness to see the beautiful story within.
For now though, while there are some wonderfully surreal areas, and sneakily one of the most unique and high effort soundtracks I've ever heard (seriously, Google some of the vocal songs from this ost, 'A good thing about broken glass' is genuinely magical at the end), it's the core story about somebody struggling to get through their mundane day that I truly felt like I connected to. This is a game I truly loved, and yet one that I feel like is hard to blindly recommend.
It's free though so I'm going to anyway.
9/10
Game #8 of 2024, January 27th
For now though, while there are some wonderfully surreal areas, and sneakily one of the most unique and high effort soundtracks I've ever heard (seriously, Google some of the vocal songs from this ost, 'A good thing about broken glass' is genuinely magical at the end), it's the core story about somebody struggling to get through their mundane day that I truly felt like I connected to. This is a game I truly loved, and yet one that I feel like is hard to blindly recommend.
It's free though so I'm going to anyway.
9/10
Game #8 of 2024, January 27th
It's Celeste, but shorter and in 3D.
That's about it. Still has the introspective writing that Celeste is beloved for, still has the hard but fair gameplay that Celeste is beloved for, and still has the Celeste-ness that Celeste is beloved for. While it's length never gives it a chance to match up to the original, there's no reason to not check it out if you liked it's 2D equivalent.
8/10
Game #9 of 2024, January 30th
That's about it. Still has the introspective writing that Celeste is beloved for, still has the hard but fair gameplay that Celeste is beloved for, and still has the Celeste-ness that Celeste is beloved for. While it's length never gives it a chance to match up to the original, there's no reason to not check it out if you liked it's 2D equivalent.
8/10
Game #9 of 2024, January 30th
2020
Hylics 2 is the best game - the best game that I've still been somewhat disappointed by.
To start with the positives, the visuals and the music are both as great as any game I've ever played. The surf rock that drones while you explore this 3d clay world creates an experience that's impossible to not get lost in. Every screenshots a painting, and every song is a banger.
The gameplay too, while not revolutionary, is still above-average for a turn based RPG. Nothing crazy here, but still enough strategy to keep the game constantly evolving.
So if the music is 10/10, the visuals are a 10/10, and the gameplay is probably a solid 8/10 - then why was I still disappointed? Well, more so than every other indie I've ever loved this much, this game just didn't make me think. There's just not a moment here that made me really think anything other than 'oh, cool.' It's just something that I kept waiting for, and it''s something that never came.
It's still a top-notch visual and auditory experience though, just accompanied by a standard story, with some funny, but nothing more writing.
9/10
Game #10 of 2024, February 6th
To start with the positives, the visuals and the music are both as great as any game I've ever played. The surf rock that drones while you explore this 3d clay world creates an experience that's impossible to not get lost in. Every screenshots a painting, and every song is a banger.
The gameplay too, while not revolutionary, is still above-average for a turn based RPG. Nothing crazy here, but still enough strategy to keep the game constantly evolving.
So if the music is 10/10, the visuals are a 10/10, and the gameplay is probably a solid 8/10 - then why was I still disappointed? Well, more so than every other indie I've ever loved this much, this game just didn't make me think. There's just not a moment here that made me really think anything other than 'oh, cool.' It's just something that I kept waiting for, and it''s something that never came.
It's still a top-notch visual and auditory experience though, just accompanied by a standard story, with some funny, but nothing more writing.
9/10
Game #10 of 2024, February 6th
2022
I'm not a 'horror guy' - but I still loved Signalis more than I ever thought I could.
The gameplay consists of perfect survival horror, to the point where it almost becomes metroidvania-esque in just how fun it is to clear the map. Sure, there are some fun puzzles, but nothing is more satisfying than the feeling of making it past the horrific enemies in your way, and, against all odds, conquering each area. This is only amplified by the visuals and music that accompany you, which create an experience that's hard to put down, and a 7 hour game that flies by, as you simply need to make it to the next area to see what's there for you. It's a gameplay loop that's deeply addicting, something that feeds into the narrative.
And, oh boy, what a narrative it is. Signalis is the type of game where, even if you create a theory that makes it make sense in your head, you will never be able to explain it to someone else. It's a game where themes conquer all, as character moments are linked together by a general apathy towards the part of the world that tear us apart, and love towards the part of the world that brings us together.
Addicting gameplay, a deeply impactful story, terrific visuals and music (Cigerette Wife!?!?) - Signalis is a game that transcends genres. There are some games, (although probably only a handful), that I personally like more than Signalis, but there is no game I recommend more that everybody play.
10/10
Game #11 of 2024, February 9th
The gameplay consists of perfect survival horror, to the point where it almost becomes metroidvania-esque in just how fun it is to clear the map. Sure, there are some fun puzzles, but nothing is more satisfying than the feeling of making it past the horrific enemies in your way, and, against all odds, conquering each area. This is only amplified by the visuals and music that accompany you, which create an experience that's hard to put down, and a 7 hour game that flies by, as you simply need to make it to the next area to see what's there for you. It's a gameplay loop that's deeply addicting, something that feeds into the narrative.
And, oh boy, what a narrative it is. Signalis is the type of game where, even if you create a theory that makes it make sense in your head, you will never be able to explain it to someone else. It's a game where themes conquer all, as character moments are linked together by a general apathy towards the part of the world that tear us apart, and love towards the part of the world that brings us together.
Addicting gameplay, a deeply impactful story, terrific visuals and music (Cigerette Wife!?!?) - Signalis is a game that transcends genres. There are some games, (although probably only a handful), that I personally like more than Signalis, but there is no game I recommend more that everybody play.
10/10
Game #11 of 2024, February 9th
2020
Despite having a few bugs, and a few parts being a bit broken - I loved Umurangi Generation.
It's pretty much everything that I would personally want in a game. Beautiful Jet Set Radio-esque graphics, a kickass soundtrack, a variety of beautiful settings, and a general fun gameplay loop that's somewhat addicting. The progression in this game is great too, as you get more and more options, until you eventually can pretty much create any photo that you could ever dream of.
But it's the themes of this game that truly blew me away. So much fantastic visual storytelling, as we see a progression of a war from the perspective of a journalist, whose only voice in the world is the photos that they take. There are some seriously jaw-dropping moments throughout this game, and especially in the unreasonably good DLC, which has 4 of the largest levels in the game. The dedication at the end of the game is what really tied it all together for me, and made this into one of my favorite examples of 'games being art.'
Umurangi Generation is a game I will jump back into multiple times, but nothing can ever compare to the feeling of first exploring it's beautiful, yet tragic world - jank n' all.
10/10
Game #12 of 2024, February 18th
It's pretty much everything that I would personally want in a game. Beautiful Jet Set Radio-esque graphics, a kickass soundtrack, a variety of beautiful settings, and a general fun gameplay loop that's somewhat addicting. The progression in this game is great too, as you get more and more options, until you eventually can pretty much create any photo that you could ever dream of.
But it's the themes of this game that truly blew me away. So much fantastic visual storytelling, as we see a progression of a war from the perspective of a journalist, whose only voice in the world is the photos that they take. There are some seriously jaw-dropping moments throughout this game, and especially in the unreasonably good DLC, which has 4 of the largest levels in the game. The dedication at the end of the game is what really tied it all together for me, and made this into one of my favorite examples of 'games being art.'
Umurangi Generation is a game I will jump back into multiple times, but nothing can ever compare to the feeling of first exploring it's beautiful, yet tragic world - jank n' all.
10/10
Game #12 of 2024, February 18th
2021
As far as 3D platforming mechanics go, it's hard to get much better than Super Sami Roll.
While the presentation and music aren't anything super special / avant-garde, although the game is adorable and allows for customization to be even more so, it's the level design and controls that make this one so fun to play. While I spent the first hour or two yelling at the game, by the end, I was zooming through maps and going for every shortcut I could possibly think of.
If you like 3D platformers, and don't mind a bit of challenge, Super Sami Roll is a great way to spend a few hours.
8/10
Game #13 of 2024, February 19th
While the presentation and music aren't anything super special / avant-garde, although the game is adorable and allows for customization to be even more so, it's the level design and controls that make this one so fun to play. While I spent the first hour or two yelling at the game, by the end, I was zooming through maps and going for every shortcut I could possibly think of.
If you like 3D platformers, and don't mind a bit of challenge, Super Sami Roll is a great way to spend a few hours.
8/10
Game #13 of 2024, February 19th
2016
(This review is for the rom hack, Pokémon Eternal X)
Even if, as somebody who as now played other games, it's pretty easy to see all of the ways that Pokémon definitely could be better, I'll always have love in my heart for franchise, all the way back to the first game in the series that I played, Pokémon X. And while kid me enjoyed that game plenty with low level opponents and a slow 3DS, playing through Eternal X, a game that makes XY into an actual challenge and adds in every missing Pokémon, and playing it through an Emulator, which allows it to be played at a speed that isn't absolutely ridiculously slow compared to every other modern RPG, and I can finally have a good turn-based experience, along side the nostalgia filled coziness of Kalos. Not sure that this rating would hold if I didn't have such nostalgia for this game, but there was no way to give an experience I loved this much any other score.
10/10
Game #14 of 2024, March 1st
Even if, as somebody who as now played other games, it's pretty easy to see all of the ways that Pokémon definitely could be better, I'll always have love in my heart for franchise, all the way back to the first game in the series that I played, Pokémon X. And while kid me enjoyed that game plenty with low level opponents and a slow 3DS, playing through Eternal X, a game that makes XY into an actual challenge and adds in every missing Pokémon, and playing it through an Emulator, which allows it to be played at a speed that isn't absolutely ridiculously slow compared to every other modern RPG, and I can finally have a good turn-based experience, along side the nostalgia filled coziness of Kalos. Not sure that this rating would hold if I didn't have such nostalgia for this game, but there was no way to give an experience I loved this much any other score.
10/10
Game #14 of 2024, March 1st
Silent Hill 2 is a beautiful mix of being wonderfully dated, and immensely ahead of its time.
The controls of this game feel a bit janky, but it completely works to emphasize the horror, as it allows the sound design to stand alone as you struggle to see the incoming - something that's fueled by the genius of the radio. The gameplay loop is simple, but deeply addicting, as perhaps the best game of its type. The voice acting is occasionally, (okay, maybe more than occasionally), hilariously goofy, but it can't stop the story from being one of the most impactful ever put in a game. (The ending VA performance though!)
SH2 is just a series of incredibly cool moments, such as the first time your flashlight turns off, and a series of examples of genius game design, such as how it uses camera angles to make sure that you pretty much never miss a key object, while also never feeling like it holds your hand.
I don't really even love horror, but I do really love Silent Hill 2.
10/10
Game #15 of 2024, March 6th
The controls of this game feel a bit janky, but it completely works to emphasize the horror, as it allows the sound design to stand alone as you struggle to see the incoming - something that's fueled by the genius of the radio. The gameplay loop is simple, but deeply addicting, as perhaps the best game of its type. The voice acting is occasionally, (okay, maybe more than occasionally), hilariously goofy, but it can't stop the story from being one of the most impactful ever put in a game. (The ending VA performance though!)
SH2 is just a series of incredibly cool moments, such as the first time your flashlight turns off, and a series of examples of genius game design, such as how it uses camera angles to make sure that you pretty much never miss a key object, while also never feeling like it holds your hand.
I don't really even love horror, but I do really love Silent Hill 2.
10/10
Game #15 of 2024, March 6th