AndreBvenom
63 reviews liked by AndreBvenom
Platinumed it after ~110 hours, and it was really good even if it got really grindy and almost required buying at least a little DLC to reach level 70 as Ichiban.
The thing I appreciated the most is that it felt like a celebration of the games before it, and Kiryu in particular. This game started us on the path of closure and signified in one step towards Kiryu finally being allowed to be happy, without going into spoiler territory. I also appreciated how they treated the villains' endings, not falling into the same pitfalls as the rest of the series.
The gameplay was far improved from Yakuza 7, with the combat being almost reminiscent of Chrono Trigger. My only complaint was that the animations still take way too long to finish, which ends up wearing thin after so many hours of playing the game. The gear system also leaves much to be desired. Overall, a great game.
The thing I appreciated the most is that it felt like a celebration of the games before it, and Kiryu in particular. This game started us on the path of closure and signified in one step towards Kiryu finally being allowed to be happy, without going into spoiler territory. I also appreciated how they treated the villains' endings, not falling into the same pitfalls as the rest of the series.
The gameplay was far improved from Yakuza 7, with the combat being almost reminiscent of Chrono Trigger. My only complaint was that the animations still take way too long to finish, which ends up wearing thin after so many hours of playing the game. The gear system also leaves much to be desired. Overall, a great game.
Looking past the numerous bugs that I've encountered in my playthrough, including Deadshot running around in circles during his boss fight, numerous amounts of clipping through structures unintentionally, MULTIPLE enemies/thugs getting stuck in walls, barrels, etc. and the frame rate dipping at points despite maintaining a somewhat stable fps 90% of the time, and other shit where im pretty sure i press the counter or ground takedown buttons but never registers (i had to make sure i wasn't trippin' because of a higher framerate and lo and behold i can keep up with the other games combat just fine and even the combat challenges in this but not the main campaign, wasn't just me, even saw similar complaints on steam forums) and what's not the hardest or bullshit Riddler trophies/side mission (that comes far later in City/Knight) but definitely the most tedious despite being the easiest in the series, This definitely doesn't deserve to be the redheaded step child of the Arkham franchise given how solid everything else is.
Albeit, There's the aforementioned BIG asterisk () given that theres a big elephant in the room being that this is a "you gotta make some thing while people wait for "the big game" to drop" game (think of this as the "Borderlands The Pre-Sequel" to Gearbox's Borderlands 3), I'd say a cashgrab but really its little more effort put into to be precisely called that but for the lack of a better term, that's basically what this was to WB. Even straight up Copied & Pasted AC's map with new additions to make it feel 2x bigger or denser than City including:
- needing a bridge to connect the 2 "hub central cities"
- needing fast travel points via batwing
and while i didn't notice at first, I eventually started to recognize where the locations and only made me appreciate the art direction rocksteady went for to make these locations stand out. I guess I can call that a backhanded compliment to WBM given the circumstances. They were originally the ones who developed Arkham City: Armored Edition (a Wii U port of AC) and many features in that made it into here like the shock gloves which made combat far easier than City/Knight despite again, borrowing City's Combat or investigative mode via detective vision where you can look for evidence and rewind/FF the crime scene like its a recording that even rocksteady took and ran with that idea in Arkham Knight.
Then there's 3 different changes to gadgets that weren't just straight up copied and pasted, the line launcher turns into the "remote claw" which you can string enemies up to gargoyles for a remote takedown, pull em into smoke or explosive canisters, make a tightrope you can walk on and use it as a regular line launcher. Its very versatile and easily the best change and makes me wonder why the hell bruce disassembles it by the time asylum rolls around. The 2nd being the "glue grenade" which is a prototype of the eventual "ice grenade" for Arkham City, only difference between the 2 is that one can be placed as a mine but only covering the enemies feet and not their whole body which is basically a handicap at that rate. Then the final and most useless change of all is going from the Remote electric charge gun into a "stun grenade" which functions the same purpose but is way more useless during combat more than i realized as i progress throughout the game. What makes things more puzzling is the fact that its SLOWER with its quickshot mechanic during combat than literally firing an electric projectile and only has one purpose. I've used the sonic batarang more than the stun grenade and i've rarely use that during this game than i did in asylum or city.
Its very very hard not to judge it compared to its predecessors and successor because it's got its DNA through and through but on its own merits, its got the best bosses in the series (not hard given Asylums was pretty braindead, City's rocksteady's peak and Knights was just... no.), Gave a good explanation to certain things in the series on how bane ended up being a Titan addict in asylum, or show killer croc in his VERY brief period when he was half-man/half-lizard with his human skeleton structure still intact, recontextualize batman's history with oracle/barbara gordon and her father James, The joker, the GCPD, the riddler, alfred, etc. through out the mainline arkham trilogy even if very heavy-handed and as subtle as a brick to the noggin'. But also makes room for villains not seen before in this series like Shiva, Copperhead, Anarky, Firefly & Deathstroke (Both reappear in Knight), and I'd also say electrocutioner but he's a walking punch line in game with one of the funniest but anti-climatic "boss fights" in the game.
Despite this game's eye rolling "Plot Twist" is definitely a slap in the face with the infamous Black Mask/Joker fakeout, This is an interesting story to Arkham Batman. Even more interesting factoring the DLC's to account for with the fullest extent of Batman's First encounters/training but still, seeing a much more aggressive, temperamental Bats played not by Kevin Conroy (R.I.P.) but by Roger Craig Smith, gives it enough distinction to stand out on his own. Including taking the time to include an arc Bruce's got with Alfred that really makes you feel like he truly cares about him and helps establish their relationship later on in the series.
Despite having the limitations of it being on the same framework as arkham city, it also does little things to help it stand out on its own. Like having Snow everywhere to set up the festive atmosphere taking place on Christmas Eve, really makes the atmosphere stand out with PhysX turned on making it a whole immersive experience walking through the snow. Having Bruce get his own batcave where he can do AR training to test his gadgets/combat and even talk to alfred from time to time. Even starting and ending on blackgate prison during riots, the one event that was heavily mentioned back in asylum. Even some new enemies introduced like the martial artists who you have to look out for, preemptively pressing the counter button to actually counter them in a thorough animation, and TN-1 mini bosses where they function like the armored enemies requiring the stun + combo beatdown but they charge at you like Titan Venom Bane in Arkham asylum and you have to evade quickly. Then there's "crimes in progress" pop ups or "Most wanted" side-content list that often break the monotony of flow going from one place to the next, I can definitely say I wasn't bored throughout especially after beating the main story and finishing up those. Like taking out black masks drug stashes or penguins arms deals, or finishing up lady shivas, anarky's, deadshot's & mad hatters storylines.
Well, 90% of them, The fucking riddler "most wanted" side mission is the only exception being bored out of my mind. Instead of trophies, you collect "data packs" and destroy "control towers" which are the size of cameras. And while i do think its clever to instead of dishing out recordings, make them be "encrypted" dirty blackmail pieces and having to "unencrypt" them, and they're often very close together on the map, and most are very relatively straightforward to where they can be easily missed and some require clever solutions, there are a very select few that are definitely tedious bullshit having to comb through and look up guides for.
Keep in mind: I've played the FIXED version (on GoG though apparently there's even bugs in this that wasn't on steam) and can actually 100% the main game, others don't even have that type of luxury.
Regardless, This is definitely worth having to go through alongside the arkham trilogy but be very aware of that lack of polish and even predictable but well told (for the most part) story that'll probably make you shake your head in bewilderment. There's even some plot threads from the series that this game even explains like why the asylum has to be reopened after the events of this and its subsequent mini-sequel, Arkham Origins Blackgate, and the plot thread that would have to unravel itself for the rest of the franchise.
Albeit, There's the aforementioned BIG asterisk () given that theres a big elephant in the room being that this is a "you gotta make some thing while people wait for "the big game" to drop" game (think of this as the "Borderlands The Pre-Sequel" to Gearbox's Borderlands 3), I'd say a cashgrab but really its little more effort put into to be precisely called that but for the lack of a better term, that's basically what this was to WB. Even straight up Copied & Pasted AC's map with new additions to make it feel 2x bigger or denser than City including:
- needing a bridge to connect the 2 "hub central cities"
- needing fast travel points via batwing
and while i didn't notice at first, I eventually started to recognize where the locations and only made me appreciate the art direction rocksteady went for to make these locations stand out. I guess I can call that a backhanded compliment to WBM given the circumstances. They were originally the ones who developed Arkham City: Armored Edition (a Wii U port of AC) and many features in that made it into here like the shock gloves which made combat far easier than City/Knight despite again, borrowing City's Combat or investigative mode via detective vision where you can look for evidence and rewind/FF the crime scene like its a recording that even rocksteady took and ran with that idea in Arkham Knight.
Then there's 3 different changes to gadgets that weren't just straight up copied and pasted, the line launcher turns into the "remote claw" which you can string enemies up to gargoyles for a remote takedown, pull em into smoke or explosive canisters, make a tightrope you can walk on and use it as a regular line launcher. Its very versatile and easily the best change and makes me wonder why the hell bruce disassembles it by the time asylum rolls around. The 2nd being the "glue grenade" which is a prototype of the eventual "ice grenade" for Arkham City, only difference between the 2 is that one can be placed as a mine but only covering the enemies feet and not their whole body which is basically a handicap at that rate. Then the final and most useless change of all is going from the Remote electric charge gun into a "stun grenade" which functions the same purpose but is way more useless during combat more than i realized as i progress throughout the game. What makes things more puzzling is the fact that its SLOWER with its quickshot mechanic during combat than literally firing an electric projectile and only has one purpose. I've used the sonic batarang more than the stun grenade and i've rarely use that during this game than i did in asylum or city.
Its very very hard not to judge it compared to its predecessors and successor because it's got its DNA through and through but on its own merits, its got the best bosses in the series (not hard given Asylums was pretty braindead, City's rocksteady's peak and Knights was just... no.), Gave a good explanation to certain things in the series on how bane ended up being a Titan addict in asylum, or show killer croc in his VERY brief period when he was half-man/half-lizard with his human skeleton structure still intact, recontextualize batman's history with oracle/barbara gordon and her father James, The joker, the GCPD, the riddler, alfred, etc. through out the mainline arkham trilogy even if very heavy-handed and as subtle as a brick to the noggin'. But also makes room for villains not seen before in this series like Shiva, Copperhead, Anarky, Firefly & Deathstroke (Both reappear in Knight), and I'd also say electrocutioner but he's a walking punch line in game with one of the funniest but anti-climatic "boss fights" in the game.
Despite this game's eye rolling "Plot Twist" is definitely a slap in the face with the infamous Black Mask/Joker fakeout, This is an interesting story to Arkham Batman. Even more interesting factoring the DLC's to account for with the fullest extent of Batman's First encounters/training but still, seeing a much more aggressive, temperamental Bats played not by Kevin Conroy (R.I.P.) but by Roger Craig Smith, gives it enough distinction to stand out on his own. Including taking the time to include an arc Bruce's got with Alfred that really makes you feel like he truly cares about him and helps establish their relationship later on in the series.
Despite having the limitations of it being on the same framework as arkham city, it also does little things to help it stand out on its own. Like having Snow everywhere to set up the festive atmosphere taking place on Christmas Eve, really makes the atmosphere stand out with PhysX turned on making it a whole immersive experience walking through the snow. Having Bruce get his own batcave where he can do AR training to test his gadgets/combat and even talk to alfred from time to time. Even starting and ending on blackgate prison during riots, the one event that was heavily mentioned back in asylum. Even some new enemies introduced like the martial artists who you have to look out for, preemptively pressing the counter button to actually counter them in a thorough animation, and TN-1 mini bosses where they function like the armored enemies requiring the stun + combo beatdown but they charge at you like Titan Venom Bane in Arkham asylum and you have to evade quickly. Then there's "crimes in progress" pop ups or "Most wanted" side-content list that often break the monotony of flow going from one place to the next, I can definitely say I wasn't bored throughout especially after beating the main story and finishing up those. Like taking out black masks drug stashes or penguins arms deals, or finishing up lady shivas, anarky's, deadshot's & mad hatters storylines.
Well, 90% of them, The fucking riddler "most wanted" side mission is the only exception being bored out of my mind. Instead of trophies, you collect "data packs" and destroy "control towers" which are the size of cameras. And while i do think its clever to instead of dishing out recordings, make them be "encrypted" dirty blackmail pieces and having to "unencrypt" them, and they're often very close together on the map, and most are very relatively straightforward to where they can be easily missed and some require clever solutions, there are a very select few that are definitely tedious bullshit having to comb through and look up guides for.
Keep in mind: I've played the FIXED version (on GoG though apparently there's even bugs in this that wasn't on steam) and can actually 100% the main game, others don't even have that type of luxury.
Regardless, This is definitely worth having to go through alongside the arkham trilogy but be very aware of that lack of polish and even predictable but well told (for the most part) story that'll probably make you shake your head in bewilderment. There's even some plot threads from the series that this game even explains like why the asylum has to be reopened after the events of this and its subsequent mini-sequel, Arkham Origins Blackgate, and the plot thread that would have to unravel itself for the rest of the franchise.
Hi-Fi Rush
2023
Its a lot longer than i expected, but damn i didn't expect for this to hit so hard as it did. I played it back in January when it shadow dropped out of nowhere (only to wind up having my game pass expire go figure), and finally got the chance to wrap it up once i've renewed it.
The one word i can describe this game is.. unique. Sure, its a hack n slasher action game but its a hybrid of that plus rhythm gameplay you'd see out of guitar hero, meshed with a Saturday morning cartoon artstyle. On top of some corporate satire which kinda reminds me of ratchet and clank but with less cynicism. Also another word to describe this game is genuine, There's not some irony poisoned energy where, y'know, people taking the piss out of very bizarre and wacky situations. I mean this game stars a dude named chai who wants to become a rockstar that can summon a guitar out of scrap metal with a robotic hand he got from an assembly line who accidentally crushed his ipod into his chest. Best thing to do is just RUN with that premise and they did with flying colors. There's actual genuine convos between chai and the rest of his gang that actually did get a chuckle out of me. Even with the added touch of CNMN, your robo pal, having to constantly draw emotions on his face with a sharpie, that you can also see with the subtitles, will always get a kick out of me. That and The endless robots with either incompetent on doing work, suffering in a predicament or just fucking around.
Once i got a hold of the gameplay, that's when things really shine. Like ive said previously, its a hack n slash combat system with a rhythm beat behind it, Just like how games like metal hellsinger or BPM winds up being FPS games with rhythm behind it. You can summon your pals with very useful one off attacks with a cooldown via a tech cat named 808 (Tango really has a thing with cats, with evil within and this and ghostwire). On top of all that, everything is synonymous with the beat. And i do mean EVERYTHING. The environments, the guitar strings when you hit an enemy, the platforms you have to jump on, even the little miscellaneous things you gotta do to go through obstacles, EVERYTHING. I haven't seen anything like this since Def Jam Icon in 2008, where the environment reacts to the rapper you beat up synonymous with the beat. and that was 15 years ago. Really props to the musicians, designers and programmers because this definitely would be a pain in the ass to pull off properly but id say they'd did good. With a game with 0 expectations that they've developed in secret might i add.
Now, This game does have options for those who are rhythmically challenged (i sure was after not playing guitar hero since 2008), but i really did not wanna enable that and actually wanting to provide myself a challenge. Though i rarely scored an A on "Just timing" which much more skilled players wont have a problem with.
The bosses are actually kind of fun and unique. Have their own different quirks and ways to beat em and I always had fun and looked forward to the next one. Except the final one which is definitely bullshit and is responsible for the most deaths i've ever had in this game, and i just wind up button mash my way through and tossed everything and the kitchen sink at him.
And i gotta say, this game definitely feels like it could've dropped in the 2000s with the music choices here, like NIN to their own OSTs. Even surprised the shit out of me by playing the prodigy at one point, whom i haven't heard in ages ever since tv ads stopped using em. That's a definite deep cut right there. That mixed with some of the action mixed with the beats, got me impressed. On top of chai imagining a crowd of people chant his name like its a concert is the cherry on top.
Then there's the artstyle, Which i can best describe as Saturday morning anime/cartoon. It does stick out and its an almost reverse on what happened with Overstrike/Fuse whereas Insomniac went from a quirky tone to UBER serious military sci-fi shlock to be forgotten, with this seeing some concepts, I was baffled on how they went from basic scifi to THIS, which is far more suitable. I cant imagine what this game would've been like if they stuck with the original concept art. Because this game wears it on its sleeve, literally jumping from gameplay to cutscene is almost smooth, because it goes from an animated segment, usually chai breaking a window INTO gameplay. Its little touches like that, that makes this one big playable cartoon (in a good way). In game, it almost like they took Ratchet and Clanks industrial/futuristic dystopia design and mix it with jet set radio. I gotta say it is aesthetically pleasing to look at and even runs well since it isn't "photorealistic".
If you haven't heard me mention the story by now, its because there's not much to talk about there, if you played a game about a ragtag team going against a corporation, You've know where the stories gonna go. Including the plot reveals which, yeah, explains a lot. Only 1 plot twist actually surprised me but i wont spoil but it also impacts the gameplay a bit. But really the characters and the interaction between them is what elevates it for me.
Overall, Id say this is one of my favorite games in this generation because on how much fun i had with it. I HIGHLY recommend checking it out, especially if you have game pass, you aint got much to lose. After beating the campaign you can also do a lot of side objectives, a "BPM rush" mode where its a turbo mode to crank the beat higher and higher, or the tower mode where your abilities are gone and you have to rework your way to the top. Or the hardest difficulty being rhythm master which, screw that, this game already filtered me by the end lol
But seriously, i cant praise this game enough. Go play it.
The one word i can describe this game is.. unique. Sure, its a hack n slasher action game but its a hybrid of that plus rhythm gameplay you'd see out of guitar hero, meshed with a Saturday morning cartoon artstyle. On top of some corporate satire which kinda reminds me of ratchet and clank but with less cynicism. Also another word to describe this game is genuine, There's not some irony poisoned energy where, y'know, people taking the piss out of very bizarre and wacky situations. I mean this game stars a dude named chai who wants to become a rockstar that can summon a guitar out of scrap metal with a robotic hand he got from an assembly line who accidentally crushed his ipod into his chest. Best thing to do is just RUN with that premise and they did with flying colors. There's actual genuine convos between chai and the rest of his gang that actually did get a chuckle out of me. Even with the added touch of CNMN, your robo pal, having to constantly draw emotions on his face with a sharpie, that you can also see with the subtitles, will always get a kick out of me. That and The endless robots with either incompetent on doing work, suffering in a predicament or just fucking around.
Once i got a hold of the gameplay, that's when things really shine. Like ive said previously, its a hack n slash combat system with a rhythm beat behind it, Just like how games like metal hellsinger or BPM winds up being FPS games with rhythm behind it. You can summon your pals with very useful one off attacks with a cooldown via a tech cat named 808 (Tango really has a thing with cats, with evil within and this and ghostwire). On top of all that, everything is synonymous with the beat. And i do mean EVERYTHING. The environments, the guitar strings when you hit an enemy, the platforms you have to jump on, even the little miscellaneous things you gotta do to go through obstacles, EVERYTHING. I haven't seen anything like this since Def Jam Icon in 2008, where the environment reacts to the rapper you beat up synonymous with the beat. and that was 15 years ago. Really props to the musicians, designers and programmers because this definitely would be a pain in the ass to pull off properly but id say they'd did good. With a game with 0 expectations that they've developed in secret might i add.
Now, This game does have options for those who are rhythmically challenged (i sure was after not playing guitar hero since 2008), but i really did not wanna enable that and actually wanting to provide myself a challenge. Though i rarely scored an A on "Just timing" which much more skilled players wont have a problem with.
The bosses are actually kind of fun and unique. Have their own different quirks and ways to beat em and I always had fun and looked forward to the next one. Except the final one which is definitely bullshit and is responsible for the most deaths i've ever had in this game, and i just wind up button mash my way through and tossed everything and the kitchen sink at him.
And i gotta say, this game definitely feels like it could've dropped in the 2000s with the music choices here, like NIN to their own OSTs. Even surprised the shit out of me by playing the prodigy at one point, whom i haven't heard in ages ever since tv ads stopped using em. That's a definite deep cut right there. That mixed with some of the action mixed with the beats, got me impressed. On top of chai imagining a crowd of people chant his name like its a concert is the cherry on top.
Then there's the artstyle, Which i can best describe as Saturday morning anime/cartoon. It does stick out and its an almost reverse on what happened with Overstrike/Fuse whereas Insomniac went from a quirky tone to UBER serious military sci-fi shlock to be forgotten, with this seeing some concepts, I was baffled on how they went from basic scifi to THIS, which is far more suitable. I cant imagine what this game would've been like if they stuck with the original concept art. Because this game wears it on its sleeve, literally jumping from gameplay to cutscene is almost smooth, because it goes from an animated segment, usually chai breaking a window INTO gameplay. Its little touches like that, that makes this one big playable cartoon (in a good way). In game, it almost like they took Ratchet and Clanks industrial/futuristic dystopia design and mix it with jet set radio. I gotta say it is aesthetically pleasing to look at and even runs well since it isn't "photorealistic".
If you haven't heard me mention the story by now, its because there's not much to talk about there, if you played a game about a ragtag team going against a corporation, You've know where the stories gonna go. Including the plot reveals which, yeah, explains a lot. Only 1 plot twist actually surprised me but i wont spoil but it also impacts the gameplay a bit. But really the characters and the interaction between them is what elevates it for me.
Overall, Id say this is one of my favorite games in this generation because on how much fun i had with it. I HIGHLY recommend checking it out, especially if you have game pass, you aint got much to lose. After beating the campaign you can also do a lot of side objectives, a "BPM rush" mode where its a turbo mode to crank the beat higher and higher, or the tower mode where your abilities are gone and you have to rework your way to the top. Or the hardest difficulty being rhythm master which, screw that, this game already filtered me by the end lol
But seriously, i cant praise this game enough. Go play it.
In a stunning coup de grace, all-American developer Berkan Deneziaran opens up a riveting cinematic thread in the Half-Life universe by positing the question: who or what would Gordon and Alyx run into when Half-Life 3 inevitably comes out and they go to the Borealis? This game is filled with challenging gameplay reminiscent of the Dark Souls series (one could even call this the "Dark Souls of Half-Life". The main character Mitcher has the exaggerated swagger of a HECU soldier. The reveal of the antagonist Adam is a plot twist on par with the likes of Shutter Island and the Sixth Sense, where it turned out Bruce Willis had hair the entire time. The villain's death was made memorable as he uttered his iconic catch-phrase, "Mitch, Please!"
Talented and morally upstanding voice actors Sky Williams and Pyrocynical join the star-studded cast alongside President Keemstar.
The level design explores a bold new frontier in terms of gameplay, and immerses the player in the world of the visually impaired by refusing to put proper lighting in most areas, rendering the player unable to see.
I look forward to the GoldSrc port of this masterpiece.
Talented and morally upstanding voice actors Sky Williams and Pyrocynical join the star-studded cast alongside President Keemstar.
The level design explores a bold new frontier in terms of gameplay, and immerses the player in the world of the visually impaired by refusing to put proper lighting in most areas, rendering the player unable to see.
I look forward to the GoldSrc port of this masterpiece.
Before the game came out I said it looked like the "MGS4 of RGG" and for the most part, that held up. It does much more than that though, and it stands on its own delivering a message about redemption and perseverance. This game tells you YOU HAVE TO LIVE. Both the mainline story and the side adventures had me emotional, many times. This might be my favorite cast in any JRPG, ever, it just happens to be a cap-off of one of my favorite series ever.
Game-wise: This is basically a 2:1 improvement of the first turn-based game. The way the combat unfolds in every battle is just SUPERB. I didn't even really expand myself on the job system either. It allows for so much diversity and creativity while also posing quite a challenge sometimes. Fantastic stuff.
Side content wise this is also the best the series has ever been, between the substories, minigames, and the incredible Dondoko island (which could be charged as a full game honestly), and the Sujimon game that runs along side everything had me hooked the whole way through.
I never played an RGG game that had its hooks in me this hard before which says a lot because I love every game in this series hard. This was a masterpiece through and through.
Game-wise: This is basically a 2:1 improvement of the first turn-based game. The way the combat unfolds in every battle is just SUPERB. I didn't even really expand myself on the job system either. It allows for so much diversity and creativity while also posing quite a challenge sometimes. Fantastic stuff.
Side content wise this is also the best the series has ever been, between the substories, minigames, and the incredible Dondoko island (which could be charged as a full game honestly), and the Sujimon game that runs along side everything had me hooked the whole way through.
I never played an RGG game that had its hooks in me this hard before which says a lot because I love every game in this series hard. This was a masterpiece through and through.
What a fucking game.
Yeah, it's obviously not perfect. The open world has some busy work, the ending will be controversial and leaves mixed feelings and it still has plenty of "hold the stick forward" moments, but it all doesn't subtract from the amazing package we've got.
I expected Square to go crazy when the Remake project reaches the open world portion. The original game always had tons of mini games and silly interactive moments but instead of getting rid of those they really went ALL IN. If something was a little mini game in the original that took a minute, it is now a full blown minigame with high scores and mechanics.
You can tell that they tried their utmost to please fans and not skip anything. And the things that are skipped will surely be in the final game, I'm absolutely confident nothing will be missing in the end.
The combat system feels even better than before, with aerial combat being improved for Cloud in particular and the added synergy attacks add a nice layer of strategy. The new controllable characters are really well integrated and I ended up using Red XIII for the majority of my playthrough.
The gigantic soundtrack is utterly ridiculous. The amount of remixes of classic titles kept throwing me off-guard and most of them are great! When the OST is uploaded on YT I'll definitely grind away at it.
Rebirth will certainly not be for everyone. People who are tired of big worlds and don't enjoy engaging with side activities will probably be annoyed and just want to get back to the main action. Which luckily are the best parts of the game at least.
Not 100% sure if the 5 stars will stick or if I'll go down to 4.5 later down the road, but in any case, this was an amazing time and the wait for Part 3 will be painful. Now excuse me, I still got some card games to play, arenas to beat and hard mode to tackle.
Yeah, it's obviously not perfect. The open world has some busy work, the ending will be controversial and leaves mixed feelings and it still has plenty of "hold the stick forward" moments, but it all doesn't subtract from the amazing package we've got.
I expected Square to go crazy when the Remake project reaches the open world portion. The original game always had tons of mini games and silly interactive moments but instead of getting rid of those they really went ALL IN. If something was a little mini game in the original that took a minute, it is now a full blown minigame with high scores and mechanics.
You can tell that they tried their utmost to please fans and not skip anything. And the things that are skipped will surely be in the final game, I'm absolutely confident nothing will be missing in the end.
The combat system feels even better than before, with aerial combat being improved for Cloud in particular and the added synergy attacks add a nice layer of strategy. The new controllable characters are really well integrated and I ended up using Red XIII for the majority of my playthrough.
The gigantic soundtrack is utterly ridiculous. The amount of remixes of classic titles kept throwing me off-guard and most of them are great! When the OST is uploaded on YT I'll definitely grind away at it.
Rebirth will certainly not be for everyone. People who are tired of big worlds and don't enjoy engaging with side activities will probably be annoyed and just want to get back to the main action. Which luckily are the best parts of the game at least.
Not 100% sure if the 5 stars will stick or if I'll go down to 4.5 later down the road, but in any case, this was an amazing time and the wait for Part 3 will be painful. Now excuse me, I still got some card games to play, arenas to beat and hard mode to tackle.
Knocked this one out after the main body of Remake. On a gameplay front, this feels like a great next step for the base combat of the trilogy - Yuffie's options and movement are quicker and snappier, there's more depth to her ability and gear options, she's got several unique mechanics that feel really good to engage with. Her synergy moves with Sonon are pretty fun too and it's not hard to see why they doubled down on those for Rebirth. This is a tight 4 hours long so I can't even say there's really all THAT much combat but learning her felt a lot more rewarding than anyone in the main game. Couple of fights here put up a nice challenge even if the major bosses didn't require more than one try.
Story is pretty sparse since they had to fit it in the gaps of the Midgar plot, but it's alright I guess. The focus on Scarlet is the real smart move here since she's a ton of fun to watch and listen to - excited to see more of her in Rebirth. Sonon and Yuffie as characters are pretty appealing, Yuffie definitely makes her mark and I can imagine it would be weird to play Rebirth without this. The Deepground stuff is handled pretty well. Music is a real highlight, I enjoyed a lot of the tracks in this one.
Despite its length and relative high price if you didn't get it bundled with Intergrade, this feels like a really good step forward for the remake trilogy. Establishes Yuffie well and takes a lot of steps to improve little things about combat, exploration, cutscenes, and overall gamefeel. Enjoyable time.
Story is pretty sparse since they had to fit it in the gaps of the Midgar plot, but it's alright I guess. The focus on Scarlet is the real smart move here since she's a ton of fun to watch and listen to - excited to see more of her in Rebirth. Sonon and Yuffie as characters are pretty appealing, Yuffie definitely makes her mark and I can imagine it would be weird to play Rebirth without this. The Deepground stuff is handled pretty well. Music is a real highlight, I enjoyed a lot of the tracks in this one.
Despite its length and relative high price if you didn't get it bundled with Intergrade, this feels like a really good step forward for the remake trilogy. Establishes Yuffie well and takes a lot of steps to improve little things about combat, exploration, cutscenes, and overall gamefeel. Enjoyable time.
Sonic Superstars
2023
WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED!?
After being pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed Frontiers my excitement for Superstars wasn't that high but I was still interested in playing. Come release and a good friend of mine got their hands on the game and to say they had a rough experience was an UNDERSTATEMENT, comparing it to some of Sonics worse like 4. Well after finishing up everything I'm here to say ITS EVEN FUCKING WORSE HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN SONIC TEAM/ARZEST. The fact this complete dumpster fire was full fucking price (the last 2D Sonic being Mania priced at $30 with the excellent DLC) proves that God is not real and we deserve everything that has damned humanity as a species.
If I had to say what I liked before the complete ripping apart I'd say the visuals aren't completely shit, with some zones like the first two being pretty pleasant on the eyes. OST is a mixed bag but when it hit it's pretty rock solid, with some pretty sweet tunes throughout (before the generic genesis shit reminds you what you're playing). All the character abilities feel like they should with Amy especially feeling pretty nice to play with her double jump and hammer melting some bosses. Oh and the special stages are bitch baby easy with only the fifth one having any form of challenge.
Because of how much this game gets wrong Imma go through the issues from smallest to biggest. First and foremost is just how fucking buggy this game can be. From soft locking various sections to a hard crash from collecting too many RINGS Superstars might rival 06 in the unfinished department technical wise. The overall control feels like the lovechild between Sonic 4s lack of speed and Forces general lack of polish, with it feeling all over the place which makes the levels a pain to navigate. On the subject of levels I'd like to briefly discuss an issue some Sonic fans have with the franchise that I never agreed with and that's originality=good. Mania gets this the most with how most of it is recycled and while I can understand this a bit the zones still go hard and showcase just how well Mania is designed. Superstars has every stage be original but MAN do they just not hit the mark. Out of the 11 present I only really enjoyed my time with Bridge Island, a solid enough first level with the best overall feel. The rest are either boring (Golden Capital being the most apparent) or some of the worst in a 2D Sonic game (whoever designed Press Factory needs to be blacklisted from the industry). Another interesting idea that falls flat is the Emerald Powers, with each emerald offering a unique power that can be used once before needing to be refreshed at a checkpoint. Out of them only three were useful, with Avatar being a useful screen nuke and Bullet/Slow helping in general platforming and some boss fights (emphasis on SOME). The rest are either only useful for select parts or useful FOR ONE FUCKING STAGE making the entire gimmick feel like a waste. It's genuinely embarrassing when I can give Wisps more credit (and Wisps are just alright).
With all those out of the way its time to talk about the elephant in the room: the bosses. Sonic bosses usually vary in quality but the general consensus for the 2D games is they're pretty simple fights that take about a minute or two tops (even the final bosses). Some games like the Rush spinoffs attempt to rev up the heat to various results but they still keep the same gameplan. Superstars decides to change things up by making EVERY.SINGLE.FIGHT take multiple minutes because you have to wait until the boss ALLOWS itself to be hit and only ONCE BECAUSE THE BOSSES HAVE MORE FUCKING I FRAMES THAN EVERY GENESIS GAME COMBINED WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY THIS IS SUCH A STUPID DECISION I FUCKING HATE THIS SHIT. The final bosses have this problem the most with each being double digits with no checkpoints inbetween meaning its back to square one if you get instakilled (which you will because each boss has one). Only saving grace in this regard is that Superstars ditches the traditional lives system so its more of a test of patience for when you'll beat the game.
All this would make Superstars a middling title on its own but one final kick in the teeth makes this truly the worst: Trips Story. A new OC integral to Superstars plot, her moveset is a combination of both Amys double jump and Knuckles climb and just like Amy she feels pretty solid to control. It's a real shame her unique stuff is JUST THE SAME FUCKING GAME BUT HARDER. Her levels throw every dogshit Sonic level design from bottomless pits,enemy placement,spikes,insta kill squeezing making it a truly dreadful experience. Adding to that is HER BOSSES ALSO TAKE LONGER which means you will be here longer compared to the base game (also you're forced to do the character-exclusive zones because fuck you). The already dogshit final zone is a nightmare for Trip, with the game just throwing everything it has before you limp to a final boss with some of the most bullshit attacks in the game (two instakills which basically force you to use powers to succeed). Also her super form is buggy as fuck and requires frequent switching out of to actually progress (a problem no other character has).
Superstars is the worst Sonic I've played no questions asked. Under no circumstances do I recommend this because you can just play Mania or one of the classic titles and get an infinitely better experience. I still am optimistic for the Blue Blurs future but man this was a miss of catastrophic proportions.
2/10
After being pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed Frontiers my excitement for Superstars wasn't that high but I was still interested in playing. Come release and a good friend of mine got their hands on the game and to say they had a rough experience was an UNDERSTATEMENT, comparing it to some of Sonics worse like 4. Well after finishing up everything I'm here to say ITS EVEN FUCKING WORSE HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN SONIC TEAM/ARZEST. The fact this complete dumpster fire was full fucking price (the last 2D Sonic being Mania priced at $30 with the excellent DLC) proves that God is not real and we deserve everything that has damned humanity as a species.
If I had to say what I liked before the complete ripping apart I'd say the visuals aren't completely shit, with some zones like the first two being pretty pleasant on the eyes. OST is a mixed bag but when it hit it's pretty rock solid, with some pretty sweet tunes throughout (before the generic genesis shit reminds you what you're playing). All the character abilities feel like they should with Amy especially feeling pretty nice to play with her double jump and hammer melting some bosses. Oh and the special stages are bitch baby easy with only the fifth one having any form of challenge.
Because of how much this game gets wrong Imma go through the issues from smallest to biggest. First and foremost is just how fucking buggy this game can be. From soft locking various sections to a hard crash from collecting too many RINGS Superstars might rival 06 in the unfinished department technical wise. The overall control feels like the lovechild between Sonic 4s lack of speed and Forces general lack of polish, with it feeling all over the place which makes the levels a pain to navigate. On the subject of levels I'd like to briefly discuss an issue some Sonic fans have with the franchise that I never agreed with and that's originality=good. Mania gets this the most with how most of it is recycled and while I can understand this a bit the zones still go hard and showcase just how well Mania is designed. Superstars has every stage be original but MAN do they just not hit the mark. Out of the 11 present I only really enjoyed my time with Bridge Island, a solid enough first level with the best overall feel. The rest are either boring (Golden Capital being the most apparent) or some of the worst in a 2D Sonic game (whoever designed Press Factory needs to be blacklisted from the industry). Another interesting idea that falls flat is the Emerald Powers, with each emerald offering a unique power that can be used once before needing to be refreshed at a checkpoint. Out of them only three were useful, with Avatar being a useful screen nuke and Bullet/Slow helping in general platforming and some boss fights (emphasis on SOME). The rest are either only useful for select parts or useful FOR ONE FUCKING STAGE making the entire gimmick feel like a waste. It's genuinely embarrassing when I can give Wisps more credit (and Wisps are just alright).
With all those out of the way its time to talk about the elephant in the room: the bosses. Sonic bosses usually vary in quality but the general consensus for the 2D games is they're pretty simple fights that take about a minute or two tops (even the final bosses). Some games like the Rush spinoffs attempt to rev up the heat to various results but they still keep the same gameplan. Superstars decides to change things up by making EVERY.SINGLE.FIGHT take multiple minutes because you have to wait until the boss ALLOWS itself to be hit and only ONCE BECAUSE THE BOSSES HAVE MORE FUCKING I FRAMES THAN EVERY GENESIS GAME COMBINED WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY THIS IS SUCH A STUPID DECISION I FUCKING HATE THIS SHIT. The final bosses have this problem the most with each being double digits with no checkpoints inbetween meaning its back to square one if you get instakilled (which you will because each boss has one). Only saving grace in this regard is that Superstars ditches the traditional lives system so its more of a test of patience for when you'll beat the game.
All this would make Superstars a middling title on its own but one final kick in the teeth makes this truly the worst: Trips Story. A new OC integral to Superstars plot, her moveset is a combination of both Amys double jump and Knuckles climb and just like Amy she feels pretty solid to control. It's a real shame her unique stuff is JUST THE SAME FUCKING GAME BUT HARDER. Her levels throw every dogshit Sonic level design from bottomless pits,enemy placement,spikes,insta kill squeezing making it a truly dreadful experience. Adding to that is HER BOSSES ALSO TAKE LONGER which means you will be here longer compared to the base game (also you're forced to do the character-exclusive zones because fuck you). The already dogshit final zone is a nightmare for Trip, with the game just throwing everything it has before you limp to a final boss with some of the most bullshit attacks in the game (two instakills which basically force you to use powers to succeed). Also her super form is buggy as fuck and requires frequent switching out of to actually progress (a problem no other character has).
Superstars is the worst Sonic I've played no questions asked. Under no circumstances do I recommend this because you can just play Mania or one of the classic titles and get an infinitely better experience. I still am optimistic for the Blue Blurs future but man this was a miss of catastrophic proportions.
2/10
Tekken 8
2024
My first Tekken and one I bought purely for the multiplayer. Don't have much else to say besides its a fantastic fighter with one of the most impressive rosters in a modern FG.
This review contains spoilers
Despite having a myriad of combat issues and some of the weakest villians in the franchise, LAD:Infinite Wealth still manages to stick the landing thanks to its phenomenal cast and rock solid story.
While Like A Dragon focused on Ichibans adjustment to the modern world and discovering what happened to his Yakuza family, Infinite Wealth pivots to a search for his allegedly alive mother, with plenty of twist and turns that complicate this simple task. As someone who admittedly didn't care much for LADs story, I'm pleasantly surprised that Infinite Wealths hooked me from the very start. A main reason for this being in part to just how good Infinite Wealths main cast is in comparison to LAD, with a much better sense of comradery between the party (both new and old) and much better side characters. Eric Tomizawa and Chitose Fujinomiya make for outstanding additions to the Heroes Of Tommorow that contrast Ichiban in a way that makes them so much more interesting when compared to LADs party (Nanba still da goat though). Of course Kiryu also comes to Hawaii (with his dumb haircut) and the dynamic between both dragons make for some pretty memorable moments throughout. Besides those IWs supporting cast is also pretty damn good, with my favorite belonging to the creepy but cool Yabai, who channels Kuze in his determination to bring Ichiban down. Combat has also had some improvements, with the main one being the ability to actually move around. While it isn't as important as RGG thought it would, I still appreciate the addition and other things like the combo attacks and changing tag team moves to a bar instead of just another MP move also make things better overall. The job system is also much better in regards to switching, as most of the stats come from levels instead of jobs, which was something so simple I can't believe it wasn't in LAD originally. On the subject of the hub I do think Hawaii is one of the better large maps in the series, with so much to do it can be overwhelming. From crazy delivery to Suijimon league the game has plenty to do on top of the usual content like substories (which remain pretty solid but a bit weaker compared to LAD cuz most of them are callbacks to it). Although I will say all of Kiryus exclusive side stories fucking rule and that's purely because of the amazing fan service they all offer.
Before I get into the story I'd say the biggest issue with Infinite Wealth is just how much of it feels like RGG didn't learn what made the combat in Like A Dragon so rough. While the job system changes and movement are welcome additions the endgame still devolves into spamming whatever does the most damage while barely chipping away at the massive health pools bosses have. I'd also say that the incentive to switch jobs isn't really a thing for Ichiban/Kiryu as Hero and Dragon Of Dojima reign supreme for the entirety of the game (DOD in particular gets fucking RIDICULOUS in the second half). I'd also say that Infinite Wealths grind can be a bit worse compared to LAD, with frequent visits to the dungeon being necessary for some of the later bits (thankfully the dungeons are much improved from LAD and offer multiple versions). On a more subjective note the side content in this game really didn't appeal to me, with the Sujimon league being incredibly basic and boring alongside farming sim (which I don't care about).
STORY SPOILERS START HERE
Infinite Wealths story is pretty great but MAN are these villains pretty weak overall. Starting with Tatara Hisuka the vtuber that cancels Ichiban early in the story and jumpstarts his adventure to Hawaii. I actually didn't mind the idea of a vtuber being the catalyst for so much of the games drama but what hurts her is just how predictable the reveal feels. Not only because of how skeevy Chitose is for a majority of the story but also because RGG decided to show her directly messaging the villians at the end of one of the chapters (which feels so fucking weird since other twist villians like Baba did the concept so much better). Dwight Mendez (voiced and mocapped by Danny Trejo) isn't too bad but I wish he had more screen time because he appears near the start of the game and just goes away until the very end, though his final scene might just be one of the goriest in an RGG game. On the Hawaii side of the story is Bryce Fairchild, a cult leader who channels the Jingweon Mafia from 2 (and some parts of Bleach Japan). He has some pretty unsettling moments and an awesome boss fight but is also revealed really fucking early and just dissapears until the endgame (noticing a pattern?). Probably the best villian is Eiji Mitamura (or Ei-chan as Ichiban calls him). A former Bleach Japan member who has a bone to pick with the Yakuza, he serves as the most consistently appearing character and has some pretty great moments (especially in the ending). Going from him to the main dude is Masataka Ebina, the half brother of Ichiban and man also stiffed by the Yakuza (mainly cuz his Dad basically ruined his life). While it is a bit of treading old ground for the villians to be connected with Ichibans past I don't actually mind it in IW and his motivation is pretty solid. What I have issue with is HE'S FUCKING KIRYUS MAIN VILLIAN. Bringing back Kiryu from 6 isn't a bad idea on paper and I do think IW gives him a pretty solid sendoff (though I still like how 6 did it more) but his reasoning to fight Ebina feet incredibly forced, with the excuse of wanting to be forgiven feeling nonsensical since all the stuff that happened to Ebina being far before Kiryu's tenure as fourth chairman. All these combine to make villians that almost rival 4 in how meh they are (though Munakata is still the absolute worst).
STORY SPOILERS END
At the end of the day Infinite Wealth is just another Yakuza RPG. A great locale and story hamstrung by a system that just makes the entire experience drag. I'm hoping that the Judgment side series continues because this RPG future for the once brawler series is starting to grind my gears.
8/10
While Like A Dragon focused on Ichibans adjustment to the modern world and discovering what happened to his Yakuza family, Infinite Wealth pivots to a search for his allegedly alive mother, with plenty of twist and turns that complicate this simple task. As someone who admittedly didn't care much for LADs story, I'm pleasantly surprised that Infinite Wealths hooked me from the very start. A main reason for this being in part to just how good Infinite Wealths main cast is in comparison to LAD, with a much better sense of comradery between the party (both new and old) and much better side characters. Eric Tomizawa and Chitose Fujinomiya make for outstanding additions to the Heroes Of Tommorow that contrast Ichiban in a way that makes them so much more interesting when compared to LADs party (Nanba still da goat though). Of course Kiryu also comes to Hawaii (with his dumb haircut) and the dynamic between both dragons make for some pretty memorable moments throughout. Besides those IWs supporting cast is also pretty damn good, with my favorite belonging to the creepy but cool Yabai, who channels Kuze in his determination to bring Ichiban down. Combat has also had some improvements, with the main one being the ability to actually move around. While it isn't as important as RGG thought it would, I still appreciate the addition and other things like the combo attacks and changing tag team moves to a bar instead of just another MP move also make things better overall. The job system is also much better in regards to switching, as most of the stats come from levels instead of jobs, which was something so simple I can't believe it wasn't in LAD originally. On the subject of the hub I do think Hawaii is one of the better large maps in the series, with so much to do it can be overwhelming. From crazy delivery to Suijimon league the game has plenty to do on top of the usual content like substories (which remain pretty solid but a bit weaker compared to LAD cuz most of them are callbacks to it). Although I will say all of Kiryus exclusive side stories fucking rule and that's purely because of the amazing fan service they all offer.
Before I get into the story I'd say the biggest issue with Infinite Wealth is just how much of it feels like RGG didn't learn what made the combat in Like A Dragon so rough. While the job system changes and movement are welcome additions the endgame still devolves into spamming whatever does the most damage while barely chipping away at the massive health pools bosses have. I'd also say that the incentive to switch jobs isn't really a thing for Ichiban/Kiryu as Hero and Dragon Of Dojima reign supreme for the entirety of the game (DOD in particular gets fucking RIDICULOUS in the second half). I'd also say that Infinite Wealths grind can be a bit worse compared to LAD, with frequent visits to the dungeon being necessary for some of the later bits (thankfully the dungeons are much improved from LAD and offer multiple versions). On a more subjective note the side content in this game really didn't appeal to me, with the Sujimon league being incredibly basic and boring alongside farming sim (which I don't care about).
STORY SPOILERS START HERE
Infinite Wealths story is pretty great but MAN are these villains pretty weak overall. Starting with Tatara Hisuka the vtuber that cancels Ichiban early in the story and jumpstarts his adventure to Hawaii. I actually didn't mind the idea of a vtuber being the catalyst for so much of the games drama but what hurts her is just how predictable the reveal feels. Not only because of how skeevy Chitose is for a majority of the story but also because RGG decided to show her directly messaging the villians at the end of one of the chapters (which feels so fucking weird since other twist villians like Baba did the concept so much better). Dwight Mendez (voiced and mocapped by Danny Trejo) isn't too bad but I wish he had more screen time because he appears near the start of the game and just goes away until the very end, though his final scene might just be one of the goriest in an RGG game. On the Hawaii side of the story is Bryce Fairchild, a cult leader who channels the Jingweon Mafia from 2 (and some parts of Bleach Japan). He has some pretty unsettling moments and an awesome boss fight but is also revealed really fucking early and just dissapears until the endgame (noticing a pattern?). Probably the best villian is Eiji Mitamura (or Ei-chan as Ichiban calls him). A former Bleach Japan member who has a bone to pick with the Yakuza, he serves as the most consistently appearing character and has some pretty great moments (especially in the ending). Going from him to the main dude is Masataka Ebina, the half brother of Ichiban and man also stiffed by the Yakuza (mainly cuz his Dad basically ruined his life). While it is a bit of treading old ground for the villians to be connected with Ichibans past I don't actually mind it in IW and his motivation is pretty solid. What I have issue with is HE'S FUCKING KIRYUS MAIN VILLIAN. Bringing back Kiryu from 6 isn't a bad idea on paper and I do think IW gives him a pretty solid sendoff (though I still like how 6 did it more) but his reasoning to fight Ebina feet incredibly forced, with the excuse of wanting to be forgiven feeling nonsensical since all the stuff that happened to Ebina being far before Kiryu's tenure as fourth chairman. All these combine to make villians that almost rival 4 in how meh they are (though Munakata is still the absolute worst).
STORY SPOILERS END
At the end of the day Infinite Wealth is just another Yakuza RPG. A great locale and story hamstrung by a system that just makes the entire experience drag. I'm hoping that the Judgment side series continues because this RPG future for the once brawler series is starting to grind my gears.
8/10