Badboy
7 reviews liked by Badboy
Hi-Fi Rush
2023
I now have two big regrets when it comes to gaming. The first is that I have gone through life having never owned a PlayStation 2, and the second is that I didn’t support and play Tango Gameworks’ Hi-Fi Rush before the studio was unfairly axed by Microsoft in 2024. The year prior was a crazy year in terms of the amount of quality game releases, and it was quite frankly, a tad overwhelming keeping up with them all. Despite all of the praise being given to Hi-Fi Rush, there were just so many other games that were coming out, or games that I wanted to get to, that I just threw it on the backlog thinking that I’d get to it eventually. Unfortunately, 2023 was also a year with a heartbreakingly large amount of game studio closures, and this is something that is continuing in 2024, with Tango Gameworks themselves being a recent victim at the time of writing this review, despite all of the success that Hi-Fi Rush had achieved the year prior. Coincidentally, the game also had gone on sale as part of a Humble Bundle around the same time the studio was shut down, and fellow Backloggd user duhnuhnuh had an extra key for the game that they were offering (huge shoutouts to him by the way, I’m extremely grateful). Given the timing of everything and an opportunity to play the game in a way that doesn’t directly support Microsoft, I leapt at the chance to give this game its due diligence, and I was absolutely floored at how much the game truly lived up to all of the praise people had given it.
Hi-Fi Rush is a rhythm-based action game that takes place in a city in the far future. It stars Chai, a sarcastic and oblivious slacker dude with a disabled arm who really wants to become a rockstar. He volunteers for a cybernetic limb replacement program being run by Vandelay Technologies on their very own campus. Shortly before the process begins, CEO of Vandelay Technologies: Kale Vandelay, a callous CEO stereotype, observes Chai’s records. Unimpressed, he harshly dubs him a loser before he carelessly tosses Chai’s music player away, causing it to fall into the testing site onto Chai’s chest. During the limb replacement process, the music player becomes embedded within Chai, giving him electromagnetic powers while also causing his environment to sync up with the music itself. However, this causes him to be labeled as a defect by Vandelay Technologies, whose security forces attempt to bring him in. As he flees, he meets up and makes a deal with Peppermint, a robotics prodigy with a grudge against the corporation, who helps him escape in exchange for helping her investigate them. Together, the two team up to uncover the shady secrets behind the scenes of Vandely Technologies so that they can expose them to the world and stop their plans from unfolding.
The gameplay is that of a character action game like Devil May Cry and Bayonetta, but with rhythm game elements that supplement the combat and platforming. Before I played the game, I heard a lot of people comparing it to Devil May Cry, but I wrote those comparisons off as an over-exaggeration, since I feel like a lot of people will compare any action game with combat they really like to Devil May Cry. I was delightfully surprised to learn that no, the game really is essentially Devil May Cry, but with rhythm game elements. You can perform a variety of combos that are dependent on the timing of your button presses, you’ve got a stiff yet highly vertical jump, you’ve got short platforming segments to serve as variety in-between the combat, you’ve got a ton of different upgrades and additional combos you can purchase with the game’s currency, and you’re graded on your performance after every battle and level with a letter ranking system.
Everything in the game is tied to the beat of the song that’s currently playing, and I do mean everything. The attacks and movements of your enemies, platforming hazards, sound effects, and even animations in the background are all tied to the music, and the game tests you on your ability to not only perform well while in battle, but doing so while also staying on beat with the music. I did find it a bit difficult to get used to timing my attacks to the beat at first, but I got better and better at it as time went on. I can’t tell you how satisfying it feels when you’re able to successfully perform attacks in sync with the rhythm. Just like in Devil May Cry 5, the music will add additional layers of instrumentation the higher your letter score, and the game will also play the sound of an audience chanting Chai’s name as well. The better you do, the more ecstatic the game feels, and performing really well during a fight can feel genuinely euphoric.
The rhythm game elements don’t stop at syncing your attacks to the beat, however. There are a number of quicktime events where you need to press the correct buttons at the correct timing, such as during certain special attacks Chai can perform. Additionally, when close to death, more powerful enemies and certain bosses can force you into a one-on-one segment where you’ll need to successfully parry or dodge their attacks, which are telegraphed to a series of specific beats that you need to replicate with your button presses, and successfully doing so allows you to finish them off with one final strike. As someone who is a big fan of character action games, it’s extremely surprising how fresh and satisfying adding rhythm elements to this genre’s gameplay makes the game as a whole feel. This melding of the genres works fantastically. There is a great sense of cohesion between the two, and for the most part, elements of one genre don’t overshadow the other.
There’s only one element of combat that I have some small issues with. As the game progresses, you will meet additional characters who become allies that you can call upon during combat to aid you in battle. They’ll perform a special attack that has a cooldown once it’s executed. Your allies become a pretty key part of combat, as these special attacks are needed in order to make certain enemies or bosses vulnerable. The issue is how inconsistently your allies’ attacks function. You can’t manually target enemies, so when you call on your allies to use their attack, they can sometimes use it on the wrong enemy, or they’ll miss entirely. If this happens, then you’ve just wasted that summon and you now have to wait for the cooldown to finish before you can summon your ally to attack again. This was especially annoying with Macaron, who needs to use his ability twice in order to break the shields of certain enemies, and whose cooldown takes twice as long compared to your other allies. If he misses or targets the wrong enemy, then you’re basically a sitting duck until his ability recharges, which can be very frustrating. You can purchase some upgrades to make the cooldown slightly better, but they do cost a lot of currency, currency I’d rather spend on other things that can enhance the gameplay experience for myself, like additional combos I can perform, or items that increase my health or special attack gauge.
The game’s tone is very playful, upbeat, and fun, complimented by a gorgeously colorful artstyle that’s inspired by a combination of western and eastern comic books/manga. It tells a story that is a not at all discreet criticism regarding how the leaders of corporations frequently interfere with, mismanage, and ruin the lives of those who work under them. It also goes into demonstrating how much this hurts when the job is something that people have aspired to do for much of their lives, and are very passionate about. The story is extremely straightforward, but you can tell it’s one that comes from very real experiences that I’m sure the folks that have worked on the game have gone through, and considering what ended up happening with Tango Gameworks, it’s a story that resonates now more than ever.
The characters are decent, they serve the story well enough. I will say I’m not the biggest fan of Chai, but he did eventually grow on me. He’s a huge dork who’s very self-serving, unmotivated, and oblivious to those around him. He does get better as he starts to take the situation at hand more and more seriously and comes to care more about the people he meets and works with to take down Vandaley, though his ego remains pretty big still by the end of the game. He’s not at all a bad character or protagonist, he’s just a little too white bread for my tastes. The other characters don’t get much of a focus during the game’s main story, but talking to them in-between missions at the hideout allows you to learn more about them and how they feel about the unfolding events of the narrative. I think I might’ve developed a stronger attachment to them if they had a larger presence in the main plot, but this is still a fine and fun cast of characters.
While I personally would’ve preferred the tone be a bit less playful and to have had a little more edge to it, like the old school Guitar Hero games or Brutal Legend, I feel that would’ve made the game somewhat of a harder sell, not just to general audiences but to get approval to make the game in the first place. The exaggerated, Saturday morning cartoon-esque personalities of the game’s characters (the villains in particular), really manage to offset how personal, and in a way, sad the message that’s being communicated under the surface is. The villain Zanzo in particular is an excellent demonstration of this. His manically over-the-top demeanor and constant Jojo posing, to a certain degree, masks the very real, outrageous, and constant demands the person in charge of a team may have, and how their ego can get in the way of seeing the project to completion, making the efforts of the overworked people underneath them all for naught. The game’s current tone isn’t at all a bad one either. I can see some folks not jiving with the comedy, and I can also see certain people writing it off as “reddit humor”, but even if the game didn’t necessarily make me laugh out loud, I still found it to be endearing.
I’ve really enjoyed the rhythm games I’ve played, but I don’t play too many of them because the vast majority of them don’t appeal to my taste in music, so I’m really glad this game exists. I played the game with its original soundtrack instead of the licensed music (in case I decide to one day stop being a coward and start making YouTube videos), and I gotta say, it was pretty fantastic. I’m more of a metalhead than a rock guy, but this game’s music is still really good. The soundtrack has a lotta groovy riffs and decent solos that are never tiresome or boring to listen to.
Hi-Fi Rush was truly a surprise for me. I went into this without much in terms of expectations, but its fluid and immensely satisfying combat and complete banger of a soundtrack kept me hooked the entire time. I’m heavily debating doing a quick second playthrough of the game even though I’ve finished it because I was just that hooked and enamored by its gameplay. If the game had a different tone and a heavier soundtrack, I genuinely think it would’ve ended up being my dream video game, but even as it currently stands, it’s a brand new favorite of mine. The irony of a game condemning the actions of corporate dickheads becoming a massive success while the studio that made it gets shut down a year after it launches is honestly extremely tragic. It’s not like my $30 was the $30 that would’ve kept Tango Gameworks from shutting down, but I still feel really bad after finally playing this game that I didn’t purchase it and support Tango while they still existed. If you haven’t played Hi-Fi Rush, I implore you to, and I also implore you to learn from my mistake and actually support those games that don’t get AAA marketing, yet gain an outstanding reputation via word of mouth. Don’t just put them on your wishlist forever and wait. I can’t stress enough how much we need more games like Hi-Fi Rush, and if we don’t make our voices heard with our wallets, we hurt the chances of these games being made in the future.
Forever and always: Fuck You, Microsoft.
Hi-Fi Rush is a rhythm-based action game that takes place in a city in the far future. It stars Chai, a sarcastic and oblivious slacker dude with a disabled arm who really wants to become a rockstar. He volunteers for a cybernetic limb replacement program being run by Vandelay Technologies on their very own campus. Shortly before the process begins, CEO of Vandelay Technologies: Kale Vandelay, a callous CEO stereotype, observes Chai’s records. Unimpressed, he harshly dubs him a loser before he carelessly tosses Chai’s music player away, causing it to fall into the testing site onto Chai’s chest. During the limb replacement process, the music player becomes embedded within Chai, giving him electromagnetic powers while also causing his environment to sync up with the music itself. However, this causes him to be labeled as a defect by Vandelay Technologies, whose security forces attempt to bring him in. As he flees, he meets up and makes a deal with Peppermint, a robotics prodigy with a grudge against the corporation, who helps him escape in exchange for helping her investigate them. Together, the two team up to uncover the shady secrets behind the scenes of Vandely Technologies so that they can expose them to the world and stop their plans from unfolding.
The gameplay is that of a character action game like Devil May Cry and Bayonetta, but with rhythm game elements that supplement the combat and platforming. Before I played the game, I heard a lot of people comparing it to Devil May Cry, but I wrote those comparisons off as an over-exaggeration, since I feel like a lot of people will compare any action game with combat they really like to Devil May Cry. I was delightfully surprised to learn that no, the game really is essentially Devil May Cry, but with rhythm game elements. You can perform a variety of combos that are dependent on the timing of your button presses, you’ve got a stiff yet highly vertical jump, you’ve got short platforming segments to serve as variety in-between the combat, you’ve got a ton of different upgrades and additional combos you can purchase with the game’s currency, and you’re graded on your performance after every battle and level with a letter ranking system.
Everything in the game is tied to the beat of the song that’s currently playing, and I do mean everything. The attacks and movements of your enemies, platforming hazards, sound effects, and even animations in the background are all tied to the music, and the game tests you on your ability to not only perform well while in battle, but doing so while also staying on beat with the music. I did find it a bit difficult to get used to timing my attacks to the beat at first, but I got better and better at it as time went on. I can’t tell you how satisfying it feels when you’re able to successfully perform attacks in sync with the rhythm. Just like in Devil May Cry 5, the music will add additional layers of instrumentation the higher your letter score, and the game will also play the sound of an audience chanting Chai’s name as well. The better you do, the more ecstatic the game feels, and performing really well during a fight can feel genuinely euphoric.
The rhythm game elements don’t stop at syncing your attacks to the beat, however. There are a number of quicktime events where you need to press the correct buttons at the correct timing, such as during certain special attacks Chai can perform. Additionally, when close to death, more powerful enemies and certain bosses can force you into a one-on-one segment where you’ll need to successfully parry or dodge their attacks, which are telegraphed to a series of specific beats that you need to replicate with your button presses, and successfully doing so allows you to finish them off with one final strike. As someone who is a big fan of character action games, it’s extremely surprising how fresh and satisfying adding rhythm elements to this genre’s gameplay makes the game as a whole feel. This melding of the genres works fantastically. There is a great sense of cohesion between the two, and for the most part, elements of one genre don’t overshadow the other.
There’s only one element of combat that I have some small issues with. As the game progresses, you will meet additional characters who become allies that you can call upon during combat to aid you in battle. They’ll perform a special attack that has a cooldown once it’s executed. Your allies become a pretty key part of combat, as these special attacks are needed in order to make certain enemies or bosses vulnerable. The issue is how inconsistently your allies’ attacks function. You can’t manually target enemies, so when you call on your allies to use their attack, they can sometimes use it on the wrong enemy, or they’ll miss entirely. If this happens, then you’ve just wasted that summon and you now have to wait for the cooldown to finish before you can summon your ally to attack again. This was especially annoying with Macaron, who needs to use his ability twice in order to break the shields of certain enemies, and whose cooldown takes twice as long compared to your other allies. If he misses or targets the wrong enemy, then you’re basically a sitting duck until his ability recharges, which can be very frustrating. You can purchase some upgrades to make the cooldown slightly better, but they do cost a lot of currency, currency I’d rather spend on other things that can enhance the gameplay experience for myself, like additional combos I can perform, or items that increase my health or special attack gauge.
The game’s tone is very playful, upbeat, and fun, complimented by a gorgeously colorful artstyle that’s inspired by a combination of western and eastern comic books/manga. It tells a story that is a not at all discreet criticism regarding how the leaders of corporations frequently interfere with, mismanage, and ruin the lives of those who work under them. It also goes into demonstrating how much this hurts when the job is something that people have aspired to do for much of their lives, and are very passionate about. The story is extremely straightforward, but you can tell it’s one that comes from very real experiences that I’m sure the folks that have worked on the game have gone through, and considering what ended up happening with Tango Gameworks, it’s a story that resonates now more than ever.
The characters are decent, they serve the story well enough. I will say I’m not the biggest fan of Chai, but he did eventually grow on me. He’s a huge dork who’s very self-serving, unmotivated, and oblivious to those around him. He does get better as he starts to take the situation at hand more and more seriously and comes to care more about the people he meets and works with to take down Vandaley, though his ego remains pretty big still by the end of the game. He’s not at all a bad character or protagonist, he’s just a little too white bread for my tastes. The other characters don’t get much of a focus during the game’s main story, but talking to them in-between missions at the hideout allows you to learn more about them and how they feel about the unfolding events of the narrative. I think I might’ve developed a stronger attachment to them if they had a larger presence in the main plot, but this is still a fine and fun cast of characters.
While I personally would’ve preferred the tone be a bit less playful and to have had a little more edge to it, like the old school Guitar Hero games or Brutal Legend, I feel that would’ve made the game somewhat of a harder sell, not just to general audiences but to get approval to make the game in the first place. The exaggerated, Saturday morning cartoon-esque personalities of the game’s characters (the villains in particular), really manage to offset how personal, and in a way, sad the message that’s being communicated under the surface is. The villain Zanzo in particular is an excellent demonstration of this. His manically over-the-top demeanor and constant Jojo posing, to a certain degree, masks the very real, outrageous, and constant demands the person in charge of a team may have, and how their ego can get in the way of seeing the project to completion, making the efforts of the overworked people underneath them all for naught. The game’s current tone isn’t at all a bad one either. I can see some folks not jiving with the comedy, and I can also see certain people writing it off as “reddit humor”, but even if the game didn’t necessarily make me laugh out loud, I still found it to be endearing.
I’ve really enjoyed the rhythm games I’ve played, but I don’t play too many of them because the vast majority of them don’t appeal to my taste in music, so I’m really glad this game exists. I played the game with its original soundtrack instead of the licensed music (in case I decide to one day stop being a coward and start making YouTube videos), and I gotta say, it was pretty fantastic. I’m more of a metalhead than a rock guy, but this game’s music is still really good. The soundtrack has a lotta groovy riffs and decent solos that are never tiresome or boring to listen to.
Hi-Fi Rush was truly a surprise for me. I went into this without much in terms of expectations, but its fluid and immensely satisfying combat and complete banger of a soundtrack kept me hooked the entire time. I’m heavily debating doing a quick second playthrough of the game even though I’ve finished it because I was just that hooked and enamored by its gameplay. If the game had a different tone and a heavier soundtrack, I genuinely think it would’ve ended up being my dream video game, but even as it currently stands, it’s a brand new favorite of mine. The irony of a game condemning the actions of corporate dickheads becoming a massive success while the studio that made it gets shut down a year after it launches is honestly extremely tragic. It’s not like my $30 was the $30 that would’ve kept Tango Gameworks from shutting down, but I still feel really bad after finally playing this game that I didn’t purchase it and support Tango while they still existed. If you haven’t played Hi-Fi Rush, I implore you to, and I also implore you to learn from my mistake and actually support those games that don’t get AAA marketing, yet gain an outstanding reputation via word of mouth. Don’t just put them on your wishlist forever and wait. I can’t stress enough how much we need more games like Hi-Fi Rush, and if we don’t make our voices heard with our wallets, we hurt the chances of these games being made in the future.
Forever and always: Fuck You, Microsoft.
Hades
2018
Fucking masterpiece. Nuff said.
Returnal
2021
Data File-
//defragmented
[#FORCED START OVERRIDE - - LOG OPENED]
BROADCAST: DSE Backloggd - - RA 18h 06m 0s | Feb 20th 2023
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XENOGLYPH I
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Writings by “BeachEpisode”
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[Translation Accuracy: 86%]
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“Never should have smoked that ҂ѼҎ҉֎ (excrement? physic?), now I’m in the Abyssal Scar.
I must admit to having been left gobsmacked and dumbfounded by how much Returnal has left such a strong impact on me. I don’t have much history with Housemarque’s library of games, despite Super Stardust HD being such a near-permanent fixture on my PS3 that it could have passed for my TV’s screensaver. Outland is relatively slept on these days too, I reckon, but ƺƻƛʥʭФѩ (unneeded digression?). Returnal finally received a PC port, allowing me to give the title a shot. The ᵬᶚỻӜѯ (electronic device?) is so deprived of games it’s genuinely heartbreaking…”
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XENOGLYPH II
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Writings by “BeachEpisode”
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[Translation Accuracy: 91%]
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“Typically I’d run for the hills whenever someone threatened me with a roguelite - a genre I often find ƛʥ؆ٱᵯᶈ (disinterest in?) at the best of times, and one that stands in stark opposition to what I personally find fulfilling about videogames at worst. There wasn’t much in place to prepare me for how deftly Housemarque utilised their core arena arcade design tenets around this Cronenberg/Villeneuve aesthetic pastiche with equal parts confidence and purpose. It must be said, because it is ﬗꬳꬲﭏ (true?), that this is the best-feeling third-person shooter I’ve touched. The degree of freedom of expression in the general character movement, as well as the broad utility of the tools available allow for some astoundingly gratifying excursions through arenas fraught with enemies spewing endless pointilist bullet patterns in easily analysable & counterable on the fly attack patterns.”
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XENOGLYPH III
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Writings by “BeachEpisode”
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[Translation Accuracy: 95%]
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“The compounding subtleties and delicate touches to the way Returnal’s roguelite structure was sculpted for purpose to encapsulate Selene’s purgatorial journey convinces me of this being one of the best character studies I’ve seen since maybe Silent Hill 2? Blurring the line between ﬕתּﻼἕ (symbol?), metaphor and physicality and never prescribing strict and demystifying literalisations. I think it is a very special thing when taking a moment to enjoy the environmental art design can yield subtle narrative realisations, lines drawn between the fragments of a character that they allow you to excavate. The world of Returnal is so dizzyingly all-encompassing.”
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[!!!!CONTENT WARNING: Topics of suicide!!!!!]
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XENOGLYPH IV
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Writings by “BeachEpisode”
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[Translation Accuracy: 0%]
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“Rot13 Rneyvre va gur jrrx, V znqr na nggrzcg ng raqvat zl yvsr. Qvqa’g nppbzcyvfu zhpu orlbaq fbzr oehvfrf naq n srj qnlf fcrag va n orq va RE. Va gur zbzragf yrnqvat gb zr npgvat ba zl vqrngvbaf, vg sryg yvxr funeqf bs vpr jrer cvrepvat guebhtu rirel cneg bs zl obql - svyyvat zr jvgu n qrrc puvyy naq fgvyyarff, nyzbfg nffhevat zr gung vg’f bxnl, gurer’f ab funzr, V’ir nyernql orra qrnq. Jura V neevirq onpx ubzr, fgvyy n yvggyr qehax bss gur cnva naq funzr bs vg nyy, V qvqa’g xabj jung gb qb. Guvf ebbz qvqa’g srry yvxr zl bja nal zber. V qvqa’g erpbtavfr gur crefba va gur zveebe, gur crefba jub jebgr zl grkgf be zrffntrf. Yvfgyrff, V gubhtug abguvat bs pbagvahvat zl cynlguebhtu bs Ergheany, vg jnf whfg na rnfl cvrpr bs abeznypl V pbhyq fyvc onpx vagb.
Fryrar ernjbxr ba na nyvra cynarg jurer fur nyjnlf qvq, gur napube cbvag ng gur fvgr bs gur vavgvny nppvqrag. Fur znqr n pbzzrag ba ubj haerpbtavfnoyr gur raivebazrag jnf sebz ure ynfg yvsr, fur yvfgrarq gb nhqvb ybtf erpbeqrq ol urefrys naq rkcerffrf qvfthfg naq pbashfvba ng ubj guvf crefba pbhyq cbffvoyl or ure. Univat na nethzrag jvgu tubfgf naq ybfvat gb lbhe bja ibvpr, qrfcrengryl pynjvat sbe n yvtug ng gur raq bs gur ghaary bayl gb erirny gur znyvtanapvrf naq cnenfvgrf rngvat njnl ng lbhe bccbeghavgvrf sbe frys shysvyyzrag. Fghpx va n fvflcurna gevny sbe frys, sbetvirarff, ngbarzrag gung bsgra srryf qbjaevtug shgvyr.
V xabj nyy bs guvf fbhaqf evqvphybhfyl gevgr, ohg Ergheany fgehpx n areir jvgu fhpu cerpvfvba vg sryg nyzbfg vainfvir. Univat guvf yvggyr fvzhynpehz bs n wbhearl gb puvc njnl ng naq zrgnzbecubfr bagb zlfrys unf urycrq prager zr, svaq pbagrkg va gur abvfr naq pbashfvba, znqr zr srry yvxr V pna nvz gb or abezny ntnva. Znlor gur wbhearl V'z ba vf n shgvyr bar, gurer'f rirel cbffvovyvgl V'yy ybfr zl sbbgvat naq snyy gb gur onfr bs gur zbhagnva lrg ntnva - ohg orsber gura, V'yy fgevir sbe nppbzcyvfuzragf gung whfgvsl zl cynpr va guvf yvsrgvzr. V'yy fubj zl gunaxf gb gur crbcyr jub znxr yvsr n wbl. V'yy xvpx gur jbeyq va gur qvpx orpnhfr fcvgr pna or n cbjreshy zbgvingbe.”
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[LOG CLOSED]
//defragmented
[#FORCED START OVERRIDE - - LOG OPENED]
BROADCAST: DSE Backloggd - - RA 18h 06m 0s | Feb 20th 2023
====================
XENOGLYPH I
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Writings by “BeachEpisode”
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[Translation Accuracy: 86%]
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“Never should have smoked that ҂ѼҎ҉֎ (excrement? physic?), now I’m in the Abyssal Scar.
I must admit to having been left gobsmacked and dumbfounded by how much Returnal has left such a strong impact on me. I don’t have much history with Housemarque’s library of games, despite Super Stardust HD being such a near-permanent fixture on my PS3 that it could have passed for my TV’s screensaver. Outland is relatively slept on these days too, I reckon, but ƺƻƛʥʭФѩ (unneeded digression?). Returnal finally received a PC port, allowing me to give the title a shot. The ᵬᶚỻӜѯ (electronic device?) is so deprived of games it’s genuinely heartbreaking…”
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====================
XENOGLYPH II
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Writings by “BeachEpisode”
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[Translation Accuracy: 91%]
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“Typically I’d run for the hills whenever someone threatened me with a roguelite - a genre I often find ƛʥ؆ٱᵯᶈ (disinterest in?) at the best of times, and one that stands in stark opposition to what I personally find fulfilling about videogames at worst. There wasn’t much in place to prepare me for how deftly Housemarque utilised their core arena arcade design tenets around this Cronenberg/Villeneuve aesthetic pastiche with equal parts confidence and purpose. It must be said, because it is ﬗꬳꬲﭏ (true?), that this is the best-feeling third-person shooter I’ve touched. The degree of freedom of expression in the general character movement, as well as the broad utility of the tools available allow for some astoundingly gratifying excursions through arenas fraught with enemies spewing endless pointilist bullet patterns in easily analysable & counterable on the fly attack patterns.”
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
====================
XENOGLYPH III
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Writings by “BeachEpisode”
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[Translation Accuracy: 95%]
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“The compounding subtleties and delicate touches to the way Returnal’s roguelite structure was sculpted for purpose to encapsulate Selene’s purgatorial journey convinces me of this being one of the best character studies I’ve seen since maybe Silent Hill 2? Blurring the line between ﬕתּﻼἕ (symbol?), metaphor and physicality and never prescribing strict and demystifying literalisations. I think it is a very special thing when taking a moment to enjoy the environmental art design can yield subtle narrative realisations, lines drawn between the fragments of a character that they allow you to excavate. The world of Returnal is so dizzyingly all-encompassing.”
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[!!!!CONTENT WARNING: Topics of suicide!!!!!]
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XENOGLYPH IV
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Writings by “BeachEpisode”
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[Translation Accuracy: 0%]
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“Rot13 Rneyvre va gur jrrx, V znqr na nggrzcg ng raqvat zl yvsr. Qvqa’g nppbzcyvfu zhpu orlbaq fbzr oehvfrf naq n srj qnlf fcrag va n orq va RE. Va gur zbzragf yrnqvat gb zr npgvat ba zl vqrngvbaf, vg sryg yvxr funeqf bs vpr jrer cvrepvat guebhtu rirel cneg bs zl obql - svyyvat zr jvgu n qrrc puvyy naq fgvyyarff, nyzbfg nffhevat zr gung vg’f bxnl, gurer’f ab funzr, V’ir nyernql orra qrnq. Jura V neevirq onpx ubzr, fgvyy n yvggyr qehax bss gur cnva naq funzr bs vg nyy, V qvqa’g xabj jung gb qb. Guvf ebbz qvqa’g srry yvxr zl bja nal zber. V qvqa’g erpbtavfr gur crefba va gur zveebe, gur crefba jub jebgr zl grkgf be zrffntrf. Yvfgyrff, V gubhtug abguvat bs pbagvahvat zl cynlguebhtu bs Ergheany, vg jnf whfg na rnfl cvrpr bs abeznypl V pbhyq fyvc onpx vagb.
Fryrar ernjbxr ba na nyvra cynarg jurer fur nyjnlf qvq, gur napube cbvag ng gur fvgr bs gur vavgvny nppvqrag. Fur znqr n pbzzrag ba ubj haerpbtavfnoyr gur raivebazrag jnf sebz ure ynfg yvsr, fur yvfgrarq gb nhqvb ybtf erpbeqrq ol urefrys naq rkcerffrf qvfthfg naq pbashfvba ng ubj guvf crefba pbhyq cbffvoyl or ure. Univat na nethzrag jvgu tubfgf naq ybfvat gb lbhe bja ibvpr, qrfcrengryl pynjvat sbe n yvtug ng gur raq bs gur ghaary bayl gb erirny gur znyvtanapvrf naq cnenfvgrf rngvat njnl ng lbhe bccbeghavgvrf sbe frys shysvyyzrag. Fghpx va n fvflcurna gevny sbe frys, sbetvirarff, ngbarzrag gung bsgra srryf qbjaevtug shgvyr.
V xabj nyy bs guvf fbhaqf evqvphybhfyl gevgr, ohg Ergheany fgehpx n areir jvgu fhpu cerpvfvba vg sryg nyzbfg vainfvir. Univat guvf yvggyr fvzhynpehz bs n wbhearl gb puvc njnl ng naq zrgnzbecubfr bagb zlfrys unf urycrq prager zr, svaq pbagrkg va gur abvfr naq pbashfvba, znqr zr srry yvxr V pna nvz gb or abezny ntnva. Znlor gur wbhearl V'z ba vf n shgvyr bar, gurer'f rirel cbffvovyvgl V'yy ybfr zl sbbgvat naq snyy gb gur onfr bs gur zbhagnva lrg ntnva - ohg orsber gura, V'yy fgevir sbe nppbzcyvfuzragf gung whfgvsl zl cynpr va guvf yvsrgvzr. V'yy fubj zl gunaxf gb gur crbcyr jub znxr yvsr n wbl. V'yy xvpx gur jbeyq va gur qvpx orpnhfr fcvgr pna or n cbjreshy zbgvingbe.”
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[LOG CLOSED]
Persona 3 Reload
2024
I swear your social link will tell you about how they lost everyone they've ever loved in a house fire or something and the protag will just think 'damn they went through a lot. I feel like we're growing closer'
If you take showers this is by far the best Smash game.
Sekiro is undoubtedly one of Fromsoft's best works, but I often don't see it talked about nearly as much as Bloodborne or Dark Souls. After coming off Elden Ring, I found myself finding it to be a great experience, though overtime the flaws have become more clear to me. I don't think it was until I played Sekiro however that I realized how many steps back Elden Ring took compared to Sekiro.
Sekiro has an incredibly rich setting, filled with disturbing and elegant creatures, the balance struck in environments is top-notch. I can appreciate a lot of Sekiro's melancholic winter feel while also being able to be bright and beautiful in many instances. This delicate balance between the monster and environmental design makes it stand out in the same ways Bloodborne does with an incredibly rich atmosphere complimented by the nature of the world and story. I think Sekiro does a bit better in specific instances like with the giant white snake, that really highlights just how great the environment can look without being compromised by gameplay mechanics. Just as well, Sekiro’s environment provides new gameplay opportunities such as being able to swim underwater, and the option of stealth elevates Sekiro higher since the environment and gameplay mechanics are married perfectly together and don’t fight each other, making for an incredibly immersive and engaging experience.
Environment design is probably some of the best I’ve seen in a game purely from a gameplay perspective as well. Right from the start, Sekiro encourages and rewards using stealth to take out enemies, since you can assassinate them and take them out in one shot while also not alerting other enemies nearby. While you can most definitely play Sekiro like any other Fromsoft game and rush in to fight everyone all at once, it’s how Sekiro balances both playstyles of stealth and aggression that’s particularly amazing. The grappling hook allows you to approach many battles in many different ways, since the environment has plenty of spots you can grapple onto, once again not compromising environment design for gameplay while still working perfectly. You can either take out foes one-by-one, using the grappling hook to stay in their blind spots, as well as bushes and other obstructions to methodically get through a fight unscathed. Or, you can rush in, and use the grappling hook as a quick method to reposition if you get overwhelmed, allowing you to take the high-ground and using your ranged tools to dispose of enemies, or to get the jump on them, or even to get away and heal. I believe this to be one of Sekiro’s strongest assets, since every part of the game maintains this balance between both options, it never neglects what was introduced at the start which is really commendable.
Actual combat in Sekiro is very much focused on parries and breaking your opponent’s stance to get a fatal blow. It’s just like a rhythm game to me, since every enemy has specific parry timings you need to learn to defeat them. Though not every enemy needs to be parried to be disposed of, some enemies will allow you to get away with mashing light attacks, though most enemies will require some skill to beat. Other enemies, such as beasts require less parrying and more damage to their vitality so their stagger bar fills up faster. I think Sekiro’s combat is incredibly unique and satisfying, but definitely the most demanding combat of any Fromsoft game so far for sure, since you really need to have good timing.
Prosthetic Tools are another aspect of combat that adds even more layers to combat. Prosthetic tools are softly required to deal with specific enemies, like the loaded axe to break through shields, the Flame Vent is particularly good with beasts and enemies afraid of light or fire, and the firecrackers allow you to stun more aggressive enemies, and are especially effective against beasts as well. While you can get through the game without using the prosthetic tools much, you are rewarded for experimenting and figuring out what’s weak to what, which adds depth and is just fun to do. While some of them aren’t even somewhat required to deal with enemies, the advantages and variety available to you is impressive, and being able to upgrade them throughout the game is even better. Upgrades can be a bit tedious to grind for, but it allows you to personalize what you want them to do that suits your preferences and playstyle, so it’s very a fantastic inclusion I really loved overall.
On top of Prosthetic Tools, you’ll also be able to upgrade your swordplay as you progress the game. A lot of these skills aren’t even required to finish the game, but provide substantial advantages against enemies which makes it a bit easier on the player. Though there’s one specific skill that’s so strong, it overshadows all the rest once you get it, but until then, it’s really up to your discretion on what you want to specialize in. You can increase how many times you can use your Prosthetic Tools, you can gain new sword techniques, new combo routes, and new techniques that all play back into the idea of wanting to be more stealth oriented, or more aggressive. This duality continuing to persist even among these options really hits home how important it was for the developers to maintain this balance, even among the entirely optional components, which I deeply respect and like a lot.
Combat isn’t just about parrying or using your prosthetic tools though, there’s also some specific moves you can’t simply parry. Sekiro has three specific types of attacks that require you to adapt on the fly, which makes combat much harder, but much more satisfying. Each of these three attacks has a visual cue of a red kanji symbol flashing above the enemy using it, which makes them be reactive to and fair, but you do need to be quick to not be punished. Sweeping attacks need to be jumped over, if you do jump over it, you can jump off the enemy who did it which rewards you with a bit of stagger bar. Thrusting attacks need to be countered by pressing forward and circle, which gives you a lot of stagger bar in return for it. Finally, and very rarely are electrical attacks which require you to jump, parry in mid-air, and then you can reflect the lightning attack back, stunning the enemy for several seconds and also giving you some stagger bar gain. While the electric parry is definitely the hardest, the other two are definitely hard to learn initially, but flow incredibly well with the combat. You could get away not doing them, but it’s strongly encouraged you do, especially since many bosses and enemies later will very commonly use these attacks to keep you on your toes. I personally love these additions because it truly doesn’t make any attack unable to respond to, which makes it very fair on the player. Yes, it’s got strict timing, and you got to practice, but I think the reward and flow for these attacks and counters is brilliantly implemented to not make it feel like a chore or unnatural. Though later bosses will start combining them together, like a sweep into a thrusting strike which can be very hard to adapt to, but it feels like a steady progression of difficulty overall. There’s also some variants of the sweep attacks larger opponents use that you can’t jump off of them for, which makes sense in a realistic sense, but definitely a small shortcoming.
Boss fights in Sekiro are spectacular as well. You’ll be fighting all kinds of beasts and warriors. Boss fights really do boil down to rhythmic timing, dodging, memorization, and immense skill. There’s definitely a few that aren’t very good, especially one particular… demon that goes against everything Sekiro hammers into you throughout the game only to throw all that away for a not so spectacular boss fight that not only is frustratingly long, but again, just doesn’t fit with the combat of Sekiro at all. Besides that one boss however, every boss feels amazing to fight, there’s certainly some difficulty curves throughout the game as well that will really challenge and expect you to master the game. My personal favorite fight in the game though is Guardian Ape, because it’s a combination of a beast you need to attack, but also an opponent you need to parry to defeat them, while also taking advantage of your grappling hook to avoid particularly dangerous moves. I think Guardian Ape balances every mechanic and enemy archetype in the game perfectly and was awesome to fight. Some of my other favorites were Genichiro, Owl (Father), and the final boss. Bosses overall were really good, with two or three stinkers, but that’s par for the course in Fromsoft games, so it’s not a big criticism. While the bosses can get insanely difficult later on, Sekiro tips the scales by allowing you to respawn after you die once, giving you another shot. Had this not been in the game, I’d actually say the difficulty might be the slightest bit over-tuned, but since you do get one more chance after you die, it motivates you to get back up and make a comeback, which I really appreciate.
The actual story of Sekiro is much more involved compared to other Fromsoft games which I really enjoyed as well. Having actual characters driving the plot forward was refreshing, and while none of them are exceptional or anything, they definitely had me a bit invested in the plot and how things were going to conclude. What I really appreciated about Sekiro’s story though was how it took a lot of direct inspiration from Japanese legends and folklore, seeing it all being realized in the setting and story was awesome, and definitely made Sekiro unique and stand-out in all the right ways I’d say. Much like Souls and Bloodborne as well, there’s plenty of interesting lore to read on, and how something as trivial and game-like as respawning is explained in the world and why it occurs, which I really liked.
Graphically stunning as I’ve mentioned before, and the music is also quite great. I actually don’t listen to the OST outside the game much if at all, but while playing Sekiro, I can say I enjoyed it and it only enhanced the experience. I really enjoyed the unique Japanese instrumentation in a lot of the tracks since it really helped emphasize the setting is Japan. While the tracks don’t really stick in my mind much methodically speaking, they are very well done and match the bosses, environments, and story beats well.
Sekiro is truly an amazing experience, and it’s such a shame Elden Ring couldn’t recapture the amazing environmental design of Sekiro, or really the quality of the bosses either. I understand Elden Ring is an open-world game so there has to be certain sacrifices to achieve that, but after I played Sekiro, I was honestly shocked at the difference in quality to me. Not to say Elden Ring is a terrible game or anything, I’m just surprised by Sekiro’s quality really since I neglected it for a long time thinking I wouldn’t like the emphasis on parrying attacks, but boy was I wrong. Sekiro is definitely the hardest and most demanding Fromsoft game I’ve played that is also fair which is a huge achievement. This game is absolutely not for everyone, but absolutely give it a chance if it looks interesting, you will not be disappointed! Thank you all for reading my review. I've been trying to do one review a week, so I hope I can keep the momentum up from here. I’m very close to finishing Final Fantasy IV, so please look forward to that review soon as well! Got some other reviews in the works as well, so I hope you all enjoy reading them as they come. See you all in the next one!
Sekiro has an incredibly rich setting, filled with disturbing and elegant creatures, the balance struck in environments is top-notch. I can appreciate a lot of Sekiro's melancholic winter feel while also being able to be bright and beautiful in many instances. This delicate balance between the monster and environmental design makes it stand out in the same ways Bloodborne does with an incredibly rich atmosphere complimented by the nature of the world and story. I think Sekiro does a bit better in specific instances like with the giant white snake, that really highlights just how great the environment can look without being compromised by gameplay mechanics. Just as well, Sekiro’s environment provides new gameplay opportunities such as being able to swim underwater, and the option of stealth elevates Sekiro higher since the environment and gameplay mechanics are married perfectly together and don’t fight each other, making for an incredibly immersive and engaging experience.
Environment design is probably some of the best I’ve seen in a game purely from a gameplay perspective as well. Right from the start, Sekiro encourages and rewards using stealth to take out enemies, since you can assassinate them and take them out in one shot while also not alerting other enemies nearby. While you can most definitely play Sekiro like any other Fromsoft game and rush in to fight everyone all at once, it’s how Sekiro balances both playstyles of stealth and aggression that’s particularly amazing. The grappling hook allows you to approach many battles in many different ways, since the environment has plenty of spots you can grapple onto, once again not compromising environment design for gameplay while still working perfectly. You can either take out foes one-by-one, using the grappling hook to stay in their blind spots, as well as bushes and other obstructions to methodically get through a fight unscathed. Or, you can rush in, and use the grappling hook as a quick method to reposition if you get overwhelmed, allowing you to take the high-ground and using your ranged tools to dispose of enemies, or to get the jump on them, or even to get away and heal. I believe this to be one of Sekiro’s strongest assets, since every part of the game maintains this balance between both options, it never neglects what was introduced at the start which is really commendable.
Actual combat in Sekiro is very much focused on parries and breaking your opponent’s stance to get a fatal blow. It’s just like a rhythm game to me, since every enemy has specific parry timings you need to learn to defeat them. Though not every enemy needs to be parried to be disposed of, some enemies will allow you to get away with mashing light attacks, though most enemies will require some skill to beat. Other enemies, such as beasts require less parrying and more damage to their vitality so their stagger bar fills up faster. I think Sekiro’s combat is incredibly unique and satisfying, but definitely the most demanding combat of any Fromsoft game so far for sure, since you really need to have good timing.
Prosthetic Tools are another aspect of combat that adds even more layers to combat. Prosthetic tools are softly required to deal with specific enemies, like the loaded axe to break through shields, the Flame Vent is particularly good with beasts and enemies afraid of light or fire, and the firecrackers allow you to stun more aggressive enemies, and are especially effective against beasts as well. While you can get through the game without using the prosthetic tools much, you are rewarded for experimenting and figuring out what’s weak to what, which adds depth and is just fun to do. While some of them aren’t even somewhat required to deal with enemies, the advantages and variety available to you is impressive, and being able to upgrade them throughout the game is even better. Upgrades can be a bit tedious to grind for, but it allows you to personalize what you want them to do that suits your preferences and playstyle, so it’s very a fantastic inclusion I really loved overall.
On top of Prosthetic Tools, you’ll also be able to upgrade your swordplay as you progress the game. A lot of these skills aren’t even required to finish the game, but provide substantial advantages against enemies which makes it a bit easier on the player. Though there’s one specific skill that’s so strong, it overshadows all the rest once you get it, but until then, it’s really up to your discretion on what you want to specialize in. You can increase how many times you can use your Prosthetic Tools, you can gain new sword techniques, new combo routes, and new techniques that all play back into the idea of wanting to be more stealth oriented, or more aggressive. This duality continuing to persist even among these options really hits home how important it was for the developers to maintain this balance, even among the entirely optional components, which I deeply respect and like a lot.
Combat isn’t just about parrying or using your prosthetic tools though, there’s also some specific moves you can’t simply parry. Sekiro has three specific types of attacks that require you to adapt on the fly, which makes combat much harder, but much more satisfying. Each of these three attacks has a visual cue of a red kanji symbol flashing above the enemy using it, which makes them be reactive to and fair, but you do need to be quick to not be punished. Sweeping attacks need to be jumped over, if you do jump over it, you can jump off the enemy who did it which rewards you with a bit of stagger bar. Thrusting attacks need to be countered by pressing forward and circle, which gives you a lot of stagger bar in return for it. Finally, and very rarely are electrical attacks which require you to jump, parry in mid-air, and then you can reflect the lightning attack back, stunning the enemy for several seconds and also giving you some stagger bar gain. While the electric parry is definitely the hardest, the other two are definitely hard to learn initially, but flow incredibly well with the combat. You could get away not doing them, but it’s strongly encouraged you do, especially since many bosses and enemies later will very commonly use these attacks to keep you on your toes. I personally love these additions because it truly doesn’t make any attack unable to respond to, which makes it very fair on the player. Yes, it’s got strict timing, and you got to practice, but I think the reward and flow for these attacks and counters is brilliantly implemented to not make it feel like a chore or unnatural. Though later bosses will start combining them together, like a sweep into a thrusting strike which can be very hard to adapt to, but it feels like a steady progression of difficulty overall. There’s also some variants of the sweep attacks larger opponents use that you can’t jump off of them for, which makes sense in a realistic sense, but definitely a small shortcoming.
Boss fights in Sekiro are spectacular as well. You’ll be fighting all kinds of beasts and warriors. Boss fights really do boil down to rhythmic timing, dodging, memorization, and immense skill. There’s definitely a few that aren’t very good, especially one particular… demon that goes against everything Sekiro hammers into you throughout the game only to throw all that away for a not so spectacular boss fight that not only is frustratingly long, but again, just doesn’t fit with the combat of Sekiro at all. Besides that one boss however, every boss feels amazing to fight, there’s certainly some difficulty curves throughout the game as well that will really challenge and expect you to master the game. My personal favorite fight in the game though is Guardian Ape, because it’s a combination of a beast you need to attack, but also an opponent you need to parry to defeat them, while also taking advantage of your grappling hook to avoid particularly dangerous moves. I think Guardian Ape balances every mechanic and enemy archetype in the game perfectly and was awesome to fight. Some of my other favorites were Genichiro, Owl (Father), and the final boss. Bosses overall were really good, with two or three stinkers, but that’s par for the course in Fromsoft games, so it’s not a big criticism. While the bosses can get insanely difficult later on, Sekiro tips the scales by allowing you to respawn after you die once, giving you another shot. Had this not been in the game, I’d actually say the difficulty might be the slightest bit over-tuned, but since you do get one more chance after you die, it motivates you to get back up and make a comeback, which I really appreciate.
The actual story of Sekiro is much more involved compared to other Fromsoft games which I really enjoyed as well. Having actual characters driving the plot forward was refreshing, and while none of them are exceptional or anything, they definitely had me a bit invested in the plot and how things were going to conclude. What I really appreciated about Sekiro’s story though was how it took a lot of direct inspiration from Japanese legends and folklore, seeing it all being realized in the setting and story was awesome, and definitely made Sekiro unique and stand-out in all the right ways I’d say. Much like Souls and Bloodborne as well, there’s plenty of interesting lore to read on, and how something as trivial and game-like as respawning is explained in the world and why it occurs, which I really liked.
Graphically stunning as I’ve mentioned before, and the music is also quite great. I actually don’t listen to the OST outside the game much if at all, but while playing Sekiro, I can say I enjoyed it and it only enhanced the experience. I really enjoyed the unique Japanese instrumentation in a lot of the tracks since it really helped emphasize the setting is Japan. While the tracks don’t really stick in my mind much methodically speaking, they are very well done and match the bosses, environments, and story beats well.
Sekiro is truly an amazing experience, and it’s such a shame Elden Ring couldn’t recapture the amazing environmental design of Sekiro, or really the quality of the bosses either. I understand Elden Ring is an open-world game so there has to be certain sacrifices to achieve that, but after I played Sekiro, I was honestly shocked at the difference in quality to me. Not to say Elden Ring is a terrible game or anything, I’m just surprised by Sekiro’s quality really since I neglected it for a long time thinking I wouldn’t like the emphasis on parrying attacks, but boy was I wrong. Sekiro is definitely the hardest and most demanding Fromsoft game I’ve played that is also fair which is a huge achievement. This game is absolutely not for everyone, but absolutely give it a chance if it looks interesting, you will not be disappointed! Thank you all for reading my review. I've been trying to do one review a week, so I hope I can keep the momentum up from here. I’m very close to finishing Final Fantasy IV, so please look forward to that review soon as well! Got some other reviews in the works as well, so I hope you all enjoy reading them as they come. See you all in the next one!
Transformers
2004
Armoured core for kids