AppleTStudios
2011
Endless hours of fun doing whatever the imagination allows.
I've spent years going back and forth into Minecraft, and every time I come back it's as if I'm playing the game for the first time. Of course, nothing beats the REAL first time you're plopped in a randomly-generated world and you have to punch a tree, to make a shovel, to build a hole, to build your first shelter. Nothing compares.
And yet, the feeling of wonder remains no matter how long it's been. I've built entire kingdoms with friends; transportation networks leading to different "countries;" even the occasional boobytrap hidden behind a chair that blows everything up.
Even after all this time, this game is a 5/5 for me. And, I expect it always will be.
I've spent years going back and forth into Minecraft, and every time I come back it's as if I'm playing the game for the first time. Of course, nothing beats the REAL first time you're plopped in a randomly-generated world and you have to punch a tree, to make a shovel, to build a hole, to build your first shelter. Nothing compares.
And yet, the feeling of wonder remains no matter how long it's been. I've built entire kingdoms with friends; transportation networks leading to different "countries;" even the occasional boobytrap hidden behind a chair that blows everything up.
Even after all this time, this game is a 5/5 for me. And, I expect it always will be.
This review contains spoilers
I'm not one to play visual novel games- especially ones that look like Doki Doki Literature Club. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with playing anime visual novels... they're just not for me. I play action games. I kill aliens.
But, I heard so many great things about this horror game disguised as a cute visual novel that I had to play it for myself. And, oh boy, am I glad I did.
DDLC is unsettling. It's creepy, and you know right from the start something isn't quite right. As the story progresses and things get more unhinged, it really feels like you're participating in something truly special.
The cons of the game come from pacing issues- it takes a while for the horror to really set in, but once it happens the game moves at lightning speed. Or, maybe that was just me clicking through things quickly so as not to delay the horrors that await.
My biggest gripe with the game is its depiction of suicide and self-harm. While shocking at first, it feels almost slimy to use such serious subjects as "jump scares" in a game. But, that's just a personal opinion. Perhaps others may feel different. It still got the job done- it disturbed me- but I'm not entirely sure it was necessary to be so graphic.
Either way, DDLC is absolutely worth trying out. It's free, but even if it was $5 I'd still recommend buying it. I won't spoil too much, but the ending is one of my favorite game endings from a gameplay standpoint alone. Go try it for yourself! And remember to write a REALLY GOOD POEM!
But, I heard so many great things about this horror game disguised as a cute visual novel that I had to play it for myself. And, oh boy, am I glad I did.
DDLC is unsettling. It's creepy, and you know right from the start something isn't quite right. As the story progresses and things get more unhinged, it really feels like you're participating in something truly special.
The cons of the game come from pacing issues- it takes a while for the horror to really set in, but once it happens the game moves at lightning speed. Or, maybe that was just me clicking through things quickly so as not to delay the horrors that await.
My biggest gripe with the game is its depiction of suicide and self-harm. While shocking at first, it feels almost slimy to use such serious subjects as "jump scares" in a game. But, that's just a personal opinion. Perhaps others may feel different. It still got the job done- it disturbed me- but I'm not entirely sure it was necessary to be so graphic.
Either way, DDLC is absolutely worth trying out. It's free, but even if it was $5 I'd still recommend buying it. I won't spoil too much, but the ending is one of my favorite game endings from a gameplay standpoint alone. Go try it for yourself! And remember to write a REALLY GOOD POEM!
2018
Like many iPhone games of its type, this feels like someone is hacking into my phone and stealing all my information. Never trust Instagram ads for freemium games.
2005
The long-awaited sequel unlocks a new adventure full of tactile combat, hilarious Disney escapades, and genuinely heartfelt (and heartbreaking) moments.
Before I begin, please let it be clear that Kingdom Hearts II is one of my favorite games of all time. This does not absolve it of any flaws. That said, mild spoilers to follow...
Kingdom Hearts II begins NOT where we left off in Kingdom Hearts, but rather where Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories ends. Thus begins the first of many confusing storytelling ventures across multiple consoles and media.
Despite having played this WITHOUT playing Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, I surprisingly found myself not as lost as I thought I'd be. The gaps are filled in via journal entries acquired later in the game, and one can put two and two together when it comes to the missing links (bad guys are bad).
A long prologue (roughly 5-6 hours if you watch all the cutscenes) gets the game off to a somewhat slow start, but if the player sticks with it, they are rewarded with one of the best Kingdom Hearts stories in the entire franchise.
New Disney worlds, characters, and enemy types grace the screen and are accompanied by new and versatile combat styles. Limits return, but feel like they pack more of a punch. Weapons not only have strength and magic traits, but ability traits as well. Want to boost your ice magic? Equip the Keyblade you get from Atlantica (more on that later).
The new enemy type- The Nobodies- are much more challenging to fight than the Heartless. Though, that is not to say the Heartless are any easier to fight this time around. Enemies have various methods of attack, as well as a variety of weaknesses, meaning the player has to memorize what enemies are weak to which attacks. For example, there’s a certain car-type Heartless (yes, an enemy that is a car) that becomes temporarily invincible and the only strategy is to block and dodge its attacks. The Nobodies offer a greater challenge, as they’re able to take more hits, and have certain attacks in which you must utilize the new Reaction Command system to take them down. It’s all extremely fun!
The Disney worlds themselves feel less integral to the story and more like small detours this time around. They seem to follow the plots to their films much more than the first game, which had more of a “what if” type of story structure to them. Atlantica is the worst offender of this, as it’s entirely a musical rhythm game (and not a good one). The good news is, it’s optional, but you lose out on a magic-enhancing Keyblade, some items, and some other upgrades by not completing it. So… is it really worth it to skip? Honestly, mute the game playing this level.
Other worlds have their own challenges unique to them. Mulan has a morale system early on, Pirates of the Caribbean has enemies that can only be killed in the moonlight, and Aladdin has time trials. The list goes on, but I don’t want to spoil TOO much.
Overall, despite its flaws, Kingdom Hearts II is an incredibly fun adventure game with addicting RPG elements and tactile gameplay that, in my opinion, is the best in the entire franchise. There are many more secrets to unlock, so take your time, follow your heart, and don’t give up! Kingdom Hearts II can be challenging, but the pain and frustration are well worth the reward. There’s so much more I could say, but I’d rather you experience it for yourself.
Before I begin, please let it be clear that Kingdom Hearts II is one of my favorite games of all time. This does not absolve it of any flaws. That said, mild spoilers to follow...
Kingdom Hearts II begins NOT where we left off in Kingdom Hearts, but rather where Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories ends. Thus begins the first of many confusing storytelling ventures across multiple consoles and media.
Despite having played this WITHOUT playing Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, I surprisingly found myself not as lost as I thought I'd be. The gaps are filled in via journal entries acquired later in the game, and one can put two and two together when it comes to the missing links (bad guys are bad).
A long prologue (roughly 5-6 hours if you watch all the cutscenes) gets the game off to a somewhat slow start, but if the player sticks with it, they are rewarded with one of the best Kingdom Hearts stories in the entire franchise.
New Disney worlds, characters, and enemy types grace the screen and are accompanied by new and versatile combat styles. Limits return, but feel like they pack more of a punch. Weapons not only have strength and magic traits, but ability traits as well. Want to boost your ice magic? Equip the Keyblade you get from Atlantica (more on that later).
The new enemy type- The Nobodies- are much more challenging to fight than the Heartless. Though, that is not to say the Heartless are any easier to fight this time around. Enemies have various methods of attack, as well as a variety of weaknesses, meaning the player has to memorize what enemies are weak to which attacks. For example, there’s a certain car-type Heartless (yes, an enemy that is a car) that becomes temporarily invincible and the only strategy is to block and dodge its attacks. The Nobodies offer a greater challenge, as they’re able to take more hits, and have certain attacks in which you must utilize the new Reaction Command system to take them down. It’s all extremely fun!
The Disney worlds themselves feel less integral to the story and more like small detours this time around. They seem to follow the plots to their films much more than the first game, which had more of a “what if” type of story structure to them. Atlantica is the worst offender of this, as it’s entirely a musical rhythm game (and not a good one). The good news is, it’s optional, but you lose out on a magic-enhancing Keyblade, some items, and some other upgrades by not completing it. So… is it really worth it to skip? Honestly, mute the game playing this level.
Other worlds have their own challenges unique to them. Mulan has a morale system early on, Pirates of the Caribbean has enemies that can only be killed in the moonlight, and Aladdin has time trials. The list goes on, but I don’t want to spoil TOO much.
Overall, despite its flaws, Kingdom Hearts II is an incredibly fun adventure game with addicting RPG elements and tactile gameplay that, in my opinion, is the best in the entire franchise. There are many more secrets to unlock, so take your time, follow your heart, and don’t give up! Kingdom Hearts II can be challenging, but the pain and frustration are well worth the reward. There’s so much more I could say, but I’d rather you experience it for yourself.
2002
A weird and whimsical adventure that combines Final Fantasy and Disney for the “peanut butter and chocolate” of crossovers.
Kingdom Hearts is an interesting concept for a game. A fast-paced JRPG that utilizes the stylings of Final Fantasy and combines it with the childlike wonder that is found in Disney’s animation films. Apparently born from an elevator pitch due to Squaresoft and Disney Japan sharing an office building, Kingdom Hearts follows the story of Sora- an island boy looking for adventure beyond his world- as he tries to find his lost friends across the universe. Donald Duck and Goofy also join the young lad, as they search the universe for their King, Mickey Mouse. With their goals aligned, the trio become a force to be reckoned with.
Sora- the character you play as- has varied fighting styles ranging from strength attacks, magic, and defensive moves. Donald Duck- the wizard of the party- has magic attacks, while Goofy- the knight- carries a shield and performs defensive maneuvers. All attacks, weapons, and abilities can be customized as the game goes on.
The enemies you face are known as “Heartless,” or beings without hearts. These shadowy creatures of darkness range from cute little bug-like creatures, to massive monsters from your scariest of nightmares.
Each “world” you visit is either an original creation (like a town that houses Final Fantasy favorite characters) or a Disney movie of some sort. The original worlds follow an original storyline that moves the plot forward, while the Disney worlds follow more of a “what if” path. For example, what if Jafar had access to the Heartless and was able to take over Agrabah instantly?” The story changes, and it’s up to Sora and the gang to restore the world order as best as possible.
The story is fairly straightforward and grabs hold of you almost immediately. Once you’re past the tutorial and you get the hang of the controls, the game becomes an absolute blast with so much to do. Minigames, tournaments, and item synthesis push this 25-hour game to 80 hours in no time.
Kingdom Hearts is not without its faults. It’s an old game- 2002 released on the PlayStation 2- and the platforming and combat certain show it. It can be frustrating trying to fight enemies when Sora doesn’t respond fluidly to your button inputs. The Gummi Ship segments- portions of the game between each world where you fly a spaceship and shoot down enemy ships- are tediously slow and there’s no way to skip them entirely. At some point you can get around them, but only after you’ve completed the first mission and have unlocked the path between those worlds once. Otherwise, you’re stuck on a slow on the rails shooter. These sections bring the game down to a near halt, and I wouldn’t be surprised if people dropped off after completing two or three of these missions.
Kingdom Hearts is the first in a long and complicated series of games- a series of games that hook you in from the beginning and give you the feeling of whimsy and wonder you had as a child. Seeing all of your favorite Disney characters on screen, interacting with their stories; all the while telling your own, is a reward in itself. Despite being an older game, I highly recommend you play it- especially if it’s the remastered 1.5 version. The gameplay has aged somewhat, but the story and progression are still there and provide the building blocks to even better experiences down the road.
Kingdom Hearts is an interesting concept for a game. A fast-paced JRPG that utilizes the stylings of Final Fantasy and combines it with the childlike wonder that is found in Disney’s animation films. Apparently born from an elevator pitch due to Squaresoft and Disney Japan sharing an office building, Kingdom Hearts follows the story of Sora- an island boy looking for adventure beyond his world- as he tries to find his lost friends across the universe. Donald Duck and Goofy also join the young lad, as they search the universe for their King, Mickey Mouse. With their goals aligned, the trio become a force to be reckoned with.
Sora- the character you play as- has varied fighting styles ranging from strength attacks, magic, and defensive moves. Donald Duck- the wizard of the party- has magic attacks, while Goofy- the knight- carries a shield and performs defensive maneuvers. All attacks, weapons, and abilities can be customized as the game goes on.
The enemies you face are known as “Heartless,” or beings without hearts. These shadowy creatures of darkness range from cute little bug-like creatures, to massive monsters from your scariest of nightmares.
Each “world” you visit is either an original creation (like a town that houses Final Fantasy favorite characters) or a Disney movie of some sort. The original worlds follow an original storyline that moves the plot forward, while the Disney worlds follow more of a “what if” path. For example, what if Jafar had access to the Heartless and was able to take over Agrabah instantly?” The story changes, and it’s up to Sora and the gang to restore the world order as best as possible.
The story is fairly straightforward and grabs hold of you almost immediately. Once you’re past the tutorial and you get the hang of the controls, the game becomes an absolute blast with so much to do. Minigames, tournaments, and item synthesis push this 25-hour game to 80 hours in no time.
Kingdom Hearts is not without its faults. It’s an old game- 2002 released on the PlayStation 2- and the platforming and combat certain show it. It can be frustrating trying to fight enemies when Sora doesn’t respond fluidly to your button inputs. The Gummi Ship segments- portions of the game between each world where you fly a spaceship and shoot down enemy ships- are tediously slow and there’s no way to skip them entirely. At some point you can get around them, but only after you’ve completed the first mission and have unlocked the path between those worlds once. Otherwise, you’re stuck on a slow on the rails shooter. These sections bring the game down to a near halt, and I wouldn’t be surprised if people dropped off after completing two or three of these missions.
Kingdom Hearts is the first in a long and complicated series of games- a series of games that hook you in from the beginning and give you the feeling of whimsy and wonder you had as a child. Seeing all of your favorite Disney characters on screen, interacting with their stories; all the while telling your own, is a reward in itself. Despite being an older game, I highly recommend you play it- especially if it’s the remastered 1.5 version. The gameplay has aged somewhat, but the story and progression are still there and provide the building blocks to even better experiences down the road.
1999
A fantastic game for the original PlayStation console, Jet Moto 3 combines colorful graphics, excellent racing controls, and a rad techno soundtrack for the ultimate 1999 video game experience.
Like many PlayStation games during this era, this was my older brother's game. He and I would often race one another for hours on end. As he got older and his interest in games waned, I would race my friends in the neighborhood. We all loved Jet Moto 3. Its race courses were so unique and unlike anything we had seen before. The soundtrack was incredible and always stuck around in my head. Plus, who doesn't love a Mountain Dew hoverbike?!
Looking back on it, the fun memories I had of this game absolutely hold a special place in my heart. As I watch a long play video of Jet Moto 3, familiarizing myself with all the tracks I knew by heart as a young kid, I'm saddened mostly by the fact that I can no longer find a legal way to play this game, as well as that the series died here.
While it was no Mario Kart, it was a simple racer; sometimes that was what young 90s kids needed.
Like many PlayStation games during this era, this was my older brother's game. He and I would often race one another for hours on end. As he got older and his interest in games waned, I would race my friends in the neighborhood. We all loved Jet Moto 3. Its race courses were so unique and unlike anything we had seen before. The soundtrack was incredible and always stuck around in my head. Plus, who doesn't love a Mountain Dew hoverbike?!
Looking back on it, the fun memories I had of this game absolutely hold a special place in my heart. As I watch a long play video of Jet Moto 3, familiarizing myself with all the tracks I knew by heart as a young kid, I'm saddened mostly by the fact that I can no longer find a legal way to play this game, as well as that the series died here.
While it was no Mario Kart, it was a simple racer; sometimes that was what young 90s kids needed.
2018
Marvel's Spider-Man swings into your heart from its very first "THWIP!"
Marvel's Spider-Man is one of the best Spider-Man games I've ever had the pleasure of playing, not only due to its incredibly intuitive combat and web-swinging controls, but also because of its mature and fleshed-out story. The characterization of each and every character in this game will stick with you long after you've finished collecting your last collectible.
No one is left behind in this story. Peter has been Spider-Man for 8 years at this point, and various newspaper clippings, dialogue quips, and Easter Eggs show just how rich this Spidey's history is with New York. Swing around long enough, and you may even find some more Marvel Easter Eggs beyond Spider-Man's rogues gallery.
Speaking of, the swinging feels great, though not as good as Spider-Man 2 (2004). This is, however, pretty darn close. Diving and performing air tricks while swinging feels very Spider-Man, but the real highlight here are the parkour mechanics added in. Running up a building, getting to the top, flipping over the edge, and then launching yourself off a chimney feels INCREDIBLE. The movement is so quick, you'll be hard-pressed to do any fast travel.
The combat is standard fare for a Spider-Man game. Web up enemies, launch them in the air, punch, kick... but the introduction of Web Gadgets creates for more fun ways to take down the bad guys. Use a web bomb to cover everyone in webs, then a concussive blast to push everyone against a wall... congratulations, you just subdued 6 baddies in just as many seconds.
Unfortunately the game is not perfect. Stealth missions plague the narrative, which are used to break up the pacing of the story. They feel unnecessary, and after playing through the story multiple times, I can't defend them. While I enjoy walking around and getting story details from a civilian point of view, sneaking around as Mary Jane in a game where stealth is NOT a priority just isn't fun.
Overall, this game is THE Spider-Man title to play if you want to become Spider-Man. If you're thinking of playing it, please avoid spoilers at all costs. Go into the story blind, you'll appreciate it much more. More importantly, take your time and enjoy the ride!
Marvel's Spider-Man is one of the best Spider-Man games I've ever had the pleasure of playing, not only due to its incredibly intuitive combat and web-swinging controls, but also because of its mature and fleshed-out story. The characterization of each and every character in this game will stick with you long after you've finished collecting your last collectible.
No one is left behind in this story. Peter has been Spider-Man for 8 years at this point, and various newspaper clippings, dialogue quips, and Easter Eggs show just how rich this Spidey's history is with New York. Swing around long enough, and you may even find some more Marvel Easter Eggs beyond Spider-Man's rogues gallery.
Speaking of, the swinging feels great, though not as good as Spider-Man 2 (2004). This is, however, pretty darn close. Diving and performing air tricks while swinging feels very Spider-Man, but the real highlight here are the parkour mechanics added in. Running up a building, getting to the top, flipping over the edge, and then launching yourself off a chimney feels INCREDIBLE. The movement is so quick, you'll be hard-pressed to do any fast travel.
The combat is standard fare for a Spider-Man game. Web up enemies, launch them in the air, punch, kick... but the introduction of Web Gadgets creates for more fun ways to take down the bad guys. Use a web bomb to cover everyone in webs, then a concussive blast to push everyone against a wall... congratulations, you just subdued 6 baddies in just as many seconds.
Unfortunately the game is not perfect. Stealth missions plague the narrative, which are used to break up the pacing of the story. They feel unnecessary, and after playing through the story multiple times, I can't defend them. While I enjoy walking around and getting story details from a civilian point of view, sneaking around as Mary Jane in a game where stealth is NOT a priority just isn't fun.
Overall, this game is THE Spider-Man title to play if you want to become Spider-Man. If you're thinking of playing it, please avoid spoilers at all costs. Go into the story blind, you'll appreciate it much more. More importantly, take your time and enjoy the ride!
2010
A fantastic prequel to the original Halo trilogy, Halo: Reach breaks your heart over and over, while still getting you to come back for more.
Halo: Reach is a unique game, in that longtime players of the Halo franchise know how the story ends... roughly. Despite this, the new and original story presented here is extremely fun to play, as you traverse through strange, industrialized areas of the planet known as Reach.
This particular story focuses on Noble Team, a group of six Spartan-IIIs (actually one of them is a Spartan II like the series hero Master Chief) as they launch a counteroffensive against the dreaded Covenant- whose goal is to find human worlds and "glass" them- aka burn the surface until it is uninhabitable and appears like that of glass. The main character is Noble Six- a mysterious Spartan III with a lone-wolf past who just so happens to be YOU! Yes, you get to customize your character in this game. Change their armor, their colors, even what gender they present as. The choice is yours, and it's incredibly immersive.
As the story progresses, you get to work with more and more members of your team through various conflicts, pushing back The Covenant, losing valuable assets, and continuing this dance for about 8-9 hours depending on what difficulty you're playing on.
The true hero of this game is its vast multiplayer. While equipment pickups allowing for things like Sprinting and Armor Lock (where a player becomes invincible at the expense of movement) is VERY controversial, I would argue these allow for more creative ways to play.
Online game modes such as Big Team Battle and Capture the Flag are standard, but modes like Infection and Arcade allow creative players to make some truly unique experiences. Want to play a game where you kill zombies by driving a car through a portal, which creates a feedback loop and thus accelerates your vehicle to insane speeds? You can do that. Want to play hockey by shooting a giant golf ball with a machine gun into a huge goal? You can do that. Want to be an alien dinosaur with a jetpack and laser guns? You. Can. Do. That. Your limit is your imagination, and boy is Halo Reach an imaginative multiplayer experience.
I have spent countless hours; many nights in this game. Reach will always hold a special place in my heart, even as I move further and further away from the initial release. I can only look back on it with fond memories, and hope anyone picking this up today will create some of their own.
Remember: Reach.
Halo: Reach is a unique game, in that longtime players of the Halo franchise know how the story ends... roughly. Despite this, the new and original story presented here is extremely fun to play, as you traverse through strange, industrialized areas of the planet known as Reach.
This particular story focuses on Noble Team, a group of six Spartan-IIIs (actually one of them is a Spartan II like the series hero Master Chief) as they launch a counteroffensive against the dreaded Covenant- whose goal is to find human worlds and "glass" them- aka burn the surface until it is uninhabitable and appears like that of glass. The main character is Noble Six- a mysterious Spartan III with a lone-wolf past who just so happens to be YOU! Yes, you get to customize your character in this game. Change their armor, their colors, even what gender they present as. The choice is yours, and it's incredibly immersive.
As the story progresses, you get to work with more and more members of your team through various conflicts, pushing back The Covenant, losing valuable assets, and continuing this dance for about 8-9 hours depending on what difficulty you're playing on.
The true hero of this game is its vast multiplayer. While equipment pickups allowing for things like Sprinting and Armor Lock (where a player becomes invincible at the expense of movement) is VERY controversial, I would argue these allow for more creative ways to play.
Online game modes such as Big Team Battle and Capture the Flag are standard, but modes like Infection and Arcade allow creative players to make some truly unique experiences. Want to play a game where you kill zombies by driving a car through a portal, which creates a feedback loop and thus accelerates your vehicle to insane speeds? You can do that. Want to play hockey by shooting a giant golf ball with a machine gun into a huge goal? You can do that. Want to be an alien dinosaur with a jetpack and laser guns? You. Can. Do. That. Your limit is your imagination, and boy is Halo Reach an imaginative multiplayer experience.
I have spent countless hours; many nights in this game. Reach will always hold a special place in my heart, even as I move further and further away from the initial release. I can only look back on it with fond memories, and hope anyone picking this up today will create some of their own.
Remember: Reach.
2023
"Hogwarts Legacy" is a great base for nearly everything I ever wanted out of a "Harry Potter" game. Like a good roux for a cheese sauce, there is only as much potential as the chef allows.
"Hogwarts Legacy" is a wonderful attempt at an RPG, but sadly misses the mark in more than a few ways. The story starts with the usual "[character] is the most important person to have ever existed and it's up to [character] to save the world." From there, we are launched into a world both familiar, yet new and awe-inspiring. Hogwarts looks INCREDIBLE. The castle has so many unique details about it that feel more inspired by the books than the films (it is said the developers followed the books for inspiration, so this makes sense). The castle is filled with marble, beautiful tapestries, and easter eggs galore. The magic spells FEEL like they're hitting their targets, and the world reacts appropriately. I've gone way too far with some... evil... spells, and characters react in horror as a 15 year old child smashes a grown man several times into the ground! But there are also clever ways to fight enemies without straight up torturing them. Maybe give them a good knock on the head, or take them out with stealth. On these merits alone, I give the game a good review.
However, the rest of the world- the very, very big world- is relatively empty. After you first exit the castle, it feels a bit overwhelming to see how much of the world is out there. But, after a bit, one starts to realize Floo Powder (fast travel) exists for a reason. I found myself using fast travel after about 15 hours, because the world just wasn't engaging enough for me to fly for 5 minutes across a gloomy Scottish countryside, only to talk to a fellow student and "complete" the quest.
And here lies one of my biggest gripes- the quest layout. Many times quests will be given, but often they're either the same (kill all these spiders in this particular area), or worse, merely dialogue cutscenes. Yes, a given quest can literally just be a conversation between two characters. That's not a quest, that's a Wednesday afternoon.
The game is poorly optimized on PC. I have a medium-end build, yet the game can barely function on Low/Performance settings. Patches have since made this somewhat better, but with every patch Avalanche (the developers) seems to put out, NVIDIA (my graphics card) puts out a patch that nearly breaks the game once more.
Despite all of this... I still found myself enjoying Hogwarts Legacy, and I am incredibly excited for the future of this series, should it continue. I truly believe there is something more here, something special. Though we don't have it quite yet, I feel that a sequel (or even DLC at this point) would absolutely become a "Game of the Year" contender.
"Hogwarts Legacy" is a wonderful attempt at an RPG, but sadly misses the mark in more than a few ways. The story starts with the usual "[character] is the most important person to have ever existed and it's up to [character] to save the world." From there, we are launched into a world both familiar, yet new and awe-inspiring. Hogwarts looks INCREDIBLE. The castle has so many unique details about it that feel more inspired by the books than the films (it is said the developers followed the books for inspiration, so this makes sense). The castle is filled with marble, beautiful tapestries, and easter eggs galore. The magic spells FEEL like they're hitting their targets, and the world reacts appropriately. I've gone way too far with some... evil... spells, and characters react in horror as a 15 year old child smashes a grown man several times into the ground! But there are also clever ways to fight enemies without straight up torturing them. Maybe give them a good knock on the head, or take them out with stealth. On these merits alone, I give the game a good review.
However, the rest of the world- the very, very big world- is relatively empty. After you first exit the castle, it feels a bit overwhelming to see how much of the world is out there. But, after a bit, one starts to realize Floo Powder (fast travel) exists for a reason. I found myself using fast travel after about 15 hours, because the world just wasn't engaging enough for me to fly for 5 minutes across a gloomy Scottish countryside, only to talk to a fellow student and "complete" the quest.
And here lies one of my biggest gripes- the quest layout. Many times quests will be given, but often they're either the same (kill all these spiders in this particular area), or worse, merely dialogue cutscenes. Yes, a given quest can literally just be a conversation between two characters. That's not a quest, that's a Wednesday afternoon.
The game is poorly optimized on PC. I have a medium-end build, yet the game can barely function on Low/Performance settings. Patches have since made this somewhat better, but with every patch Avalanche (the developers) seems to put out, NVIDIA (my graphics card) puts out a patch that nearly breaks the game once more.
Despite all of this... I still found myself enjoying Hogwarts Legacy, and I am incredibly excited for the future of this series, should it continue. I truly believe there is something more here, something special. Though we don't have it quite yet, I feel that a sequel (or even DLC at this point) would absolutely become a "Game of the Year" contender.
A worthy successor to Assassin's Creed: Origins, Assassin's Creed: Odyssey is HUGE. A little too big in some ways, but the gorgeous world of Greece makes up for it. Combining the ship sailing of Black Flag and the open-world RPG elements of Origins, makes for a large, long game bursting at the seams with content.
CURRENTLY PLAYING... Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag is the shakeup the Assassin's Creed franchise needed. Though I'm only a few hours in as of writing this, the ship sailing and combat is vastly improved upon from Assassin's Creed III, and the vibrant world of the Caribbean Islands is just beautiful. I cannot wait to dive more into this game, though I have my hesitations, specifically with the ship upgrade system. I've never been a huge fan of complicated crafting systems- finding materials specifically for different parts- but I'm willing to give it a shot. Yo-ho!
2014
Many a day spent waiting for Comcast to fix the internet line after squirrels chewed through it... Thank you, Chrome Dino. Thank you.
2012
A frustrating downgrade from previous entries, Assassin's Creed III is a buggy mess from start to finish, with added stealth elements that will cause you to swear in languages you never even knew you could speak. A positive about the new gameplay elements introduced- ship sailing, and tree climbing- were all improved upon in later games. The one memorable thing about this game was when it finally ended.
The final chapter of the "Ezio Trilogy," Assassin's Creed Revelations sees our reluctant hero in old age, winding down and reflecting on if any of this was worth it? To us players, indeed it was. The hook blade creates new traversal systems alongside the classic parkour mechanics, making Constantinople feel very different from previous games. A bloated crafting system and a story that feels like its dragging its feet to the finish line are what holds back this title from being a perfect finale to Ezio's story. It's as if the game doesn't want to let him go just yet. Sadly, all things must come to and end. "Requiescat in pace, Ezio Trilogy."
The next entry in the "Ezio Trilogy" of Assassin's Creed games (starting with Assassin's Creed II), Rome has never looked better. The music, the flora, the people- this city is alive! Though the story definitely comes across as a "middle chapter," new gameplay mechanics such as training rookie assassins to do your dirty work make way for even more unique ways to play. "Brotherhood" is fun, even if it's not nearly as memorable as its predecessor.