BlackStarGaben
2022
A Good, Bite-Size RPG
The presentation is spot on. Excellent visuals (with impressive lighting) and quality music make this an indie attraction. Really the only blemish is repeated NPC and enemies but it's a small nitpick.
The combat is decent, only challenging when enemies have high hp or hit hard, but overall it's nothing to shout about. The final battle is a bit of a slog and somewhat anti-climatic.
Also, the game is very short, clocking in about 12 hours. That includes the (few) sidequests. Your mileage may vary on if this is a good thing or bad thing.
The characters are more than one-dimensional. It's amazing how much you learn about the main characters without there being a long arc or over-dramatic cutscenes and the NPC's are also amusing. Jack Move actually encourages you to talk to NPCs not just for questing but for funny banter. Noa is a very good lead, balancing sassyness with enough vulnerabilities to make her enduring.
Despite the issues, I would say this is worth a playthrough. There is no new game+ nor any difficulty options so replayability is low. But there is potential for a sequel and the developers clearly have talent.
Rating: 7/10
The presentation is spot on. Excellent visuals (with impressive lighting) and quality music make this an indie attraction. Really the only blemish is repeated NPC and enemies but it's a small nitpick.
The combat is decent, only challenging when enemies have high hp or hit hard, but overall it's nothing to shout about. The final battle is a bit of a slog and somewhat anti-climatic.
Also, the game is very short, clocking in about 12 hours. That includes the (few) sidequests. Your mileage may vary on if this is a good thing or bad thing.
The characters are more than one-dimensional. It's amazing how much you learn about the main characters without there being a long arc or over-dramatic cutscenes and the NPC's are also amusing. Jack Move actually encourages you to talk to NPCs not just for questing but for funny banter. Noa is a very good lead, balancing sassyness with enough vulnerabilities to make her enduring.
Despite the issues, I would say this is worth a playthrough. There is no new game+ nor any difficulty options so replayability is low. But there is potential for a sequel and the developers clearly have talent.
Rating: 7/10
Different Game, Same Awesomeness and Tough Challenge
Despite slight graphical improvements and some small additions, this is familiar ground we're on.
Challenging gameplay? Check (in fact this is the hardest of the three games.)
Visuals that are refreshingly old school and well executed? Check.
Well told and executed story that continues to see characters grow, sometimes in ways you don't expect? Check.
Excellent soundtrack? Check.
There are some different aspects though, like quick travel (due to how the game is structured as well as story elements), LOTS of characters to recruit (which you will have access to all, unlike some JRPGS) in which gives you a lot of flexibility to tackle dungeons and bosses and a easier way to equip everyone.
And the challenge! If you thought FC and SC were hard, this game is a test of your knowledge from the previous entries as well as how you can adapt. Again though, it does reward you for persevering and overcoming the tough challenges.
This is a more contained game compared to the previous games but by this point, you're here to see how the Trails in the Sky ride ends and you'll won't be disappointed.
Rating: 8/10
Despite slight graphical improvements and some small additions, this is familiar ground we're on.
Challenging gameplay? Check (in fact this is the hardest of the three games.)
Visuals that are refreshingly old school and well executed? Check.
Well told and executed story that continues to see characters grow, sometimes in ways you don't expect? Check.
Excellent soundtrack? Check.
There are some different aspects though, like quick travel (due to how the game is structured as well as story elements), LOTS of characters to recruit (which you will have access to all, unlike some JRPGS) in which gives you a lot of flexibility to tackle dungeons and bosses and a easier way to equip everyone.
And the challenge! If you thought FC and SC were hard, this game is a test of your knowledge from the previous entries as well as how you can adapt. Again though, it does reward you for persevering and overcoming the tough challenges.
This is a more contained game compared to the previous games but by this point, you're here to see how the Trails in the Sky ride ends and you'll won't be disappointed.
Rating: 8/10
2016
A "refined" version of the original, Hard Reset Redux is a short, competent FPS that is also frustrating and just shows a wasted opportunity
Hard Reset Redux has the look of a FPS HD Dreamcast game. With sharp busy detail but environment looking a little drab and not lot of variety. It looks futuristic but it doesn't do enough to stand out. Lighting is a mixed bag as sometimes its too bright in places but other times it helps the environment have some level of detail.
It also feels empty and while the gameplay takes place during a curfew after a robotic invasion has gone down, it’d be nice to see some humans about. After all, some would be willing to risk being outside. At one point, for story reasons, the law enforcement is after you and yet you never see them outside of their flying vehicles. As if they are too lazy to get out. It’s just more frustrating where in some levels, you can view the city in the background and see busy traffic.
And then there is the enemies. Not only is there a huge lack of variation (After the first few levels, you’d have seen a vast majority of them) but there design is not very imaginative either. At least the bosses look somewhat impressive, though that could be more to scale than the designs themselves.
The weapons themselves too aren’t very distinctive and could be plucked out of a modern day setting (even the plasma weapon)
Visually the game isn’t bad. It’s just a huge let down (which is something of a theme)
Gameplay
Controls are serviceable but some rebinding is recommended if you're using keyboard and mouse and it can feel floaty and janky, especially the jumping (and considering there’s a few platform sections, this can be irksome.) Keep in mind this is with keyboard and mouse and perhaps its better on a joypad.
Still, the shooting is solid and it can be fun experimenting with weapons and knowing which ones to use best to tackle certain enemies. This does lead to the issue where weapons have a lack of balance and you will find some (the grenade launcher) is totally useless while others (RPG, Mines, Smartgun for example) are just too good and will stick to them. It doesn’t help that many of the weapons lack the impact they need (the shotgun just feels anything but).
There is an upgrade system that, while simple, is fun and it gives you encouragement to explore the levels for secrets just to help become more powerful. Again some upgrades are better than others (see the weapons example above) but due to being able “level up” enough, it’s less of an issue and more of fun experimenting.
Hard Reset Redux has limited destructible environments. It’s fun seeing some enemies destroy pipes and walls and some stuff you can shoot can be blown up. The latter usually serves no purpose but can feel cathartic. But then you find it’s inconsistent, that how an RPG can’t blow something up that an enemy can bash through also takes the immersion out of it and other objects are either untouched or just have scorched marks (admittedly, the latter still remains, if not forever, a very long time).
The AI, on normal difficulty, is not smart but at least tries. The melee enemies will use their speed or charge to close the distance and have attacks that can damage you even if you circle away from them. Meanwhile, enemies using range will have options to limit your mobility and will hang back or use some swipe of you get too close.
Still, there are times when you can take advantage of the AI, as they can get stuck or confused behind non-destructible environments. There are even the odd occasion where they just get brain-dead and can’t go through a door or just wonder around. At times, combat can be a slog, with encounters going on too long or just having a slow pace.
There's a weird quirk where it seems your character must be on TOP of the health/XP/Ammo items to pick them up. Even just being right next to them doesn't register. It gets quite irksome when you think you picked something up, and then turn to see you haven't (or gone a fair bit and see, on the other side of impassable objects, on the area which you can no longer go back to it's still there)
In terms of level design. Its pretty standard. But once again, it’s hampered by something, this time invisible barriers. Lots of them. So where it looks you could take a shortcut to get an item (or just explore) you find it that you suddenly can't make jumps. Also you can't crawl. What makes this irritating is that this means many of the "puzzles" (which basically come down to "take down barriers") feel forced and the railroading just lowers the immersion so much. Oh and you can't backtrack past certain areas. Checkpoints aren’t always fair mind you (but you can save anywhere to mitigate that fact.)
So is the gameplay bad. Well no. It just has a lot of issues. When it does work, it’s a decent experience and there is a lot of replayability if 100% is your thing. Plus there is a handy stat screen you can access at any time during gameplay. Its short length is a matter of debate. Perhaps if the game was more polished it’d be a bad thing.
Pretty forgettable overall. The weapons just sound like they barely exist, some of the other effects sound rough (enemy fire for example) and not clean, the voice acting, what there is meh (at least the main character sounds badass) and the music. Well nothing memorable and most of what you’ll be hearing is the enemy encounter tunes.
From what is remembered, it’s not bad. Its just again, nothing worthwhile.
Story wise, it tries to punch above its weight but the execution falls flat, with it being very choppy, feeling like some plot points are missing or just skipped the cut-scenes don't usually match what happens next when gameplay resumes and some awesome moments are cut-scene only (piloting a giant robot!). Also the game ends on a cliffhanger. A very brief one at that.
If the game had a shallow plot, this would be less of an issue. But it tries to be smart and noir like and this makes the issues more glaring. It’s like as if Jerry Bruckheimer/Michael Bay designed this game.
Visually it's acceptable, gameplay it's acceptable...Just everything screams "ok" (except the music. that's pretty forgettable.) because when there is something good, there is something bad to counteract it and there's so many issues that it leaves one feeling irritated the more they play it.
It could have been something more (the artwork seems to indicate it was gonna be a much bigger game), but for whatever reason, it falls short in its goals.
Still, It’s a game that can't quite not be recommended, as much as this review may suggest. There is replay value (100% this requires being a masochist to a degree) and the gameplay overall isn't terrible. It’s just there are far better FPS games out there. This one is more for those who really exhausted their options (even then, It’s best you wait for a sale).
Score: 5/10
Hard Reset Redux has the look of a FPS HD Dreamcast game. With sharp busy detail but environment looking a little drab and not lot of variety. It looks futuristic but it doesn't do enough to stand out. Lighting is a mixed bag as sometimes its too bright in places but other times it helps the environment have some level of detail.
It also feels empty and while the gameplay takes place during a curfew after a robotic invasion has gone down, it’d be nice to see some humans about. After all, some would be willing to risk being outside. At one point, for story reasons, the law enforcement is after you and yet you never see them outside of their flying vehicles. As if they are too lazy to get out. It’s just more frustrating where in some levels, you can view the city in the background and see busy traffic.
And then there is the enemies. Not only is there a huge lack of variation (After the first few levels, you’d have seen a vast majority of them) but there design is not very imaginative either. At least the bosses look somewhat impressive, though that could be more to scale than the designs themselves.
The weapons themselves too aren’t very distinctive and could be plucked out of a modern day setting (even the plasma weapon)
Visually the game isn’t bad. It’s just a huge let down (which is something of a theme)
Gameplay
Controls are serviceable but some rebinding is recommended if you're using keyboard and mouse and it can feel floaty and janky, especially the jumping (and considering there’s a few platform sections, this can be irksome.) Keep in mind this is with keyboard and mouse and perhaps its better on a joypad.
Still, the shooting is solid and it can be fun experimenting with weapons and knowing which ones to use best to tackle certain enemies. This does lead to the issue where weapons have a lack of balance and you will find some (the grenade launcher) is totally useless while others (RPG, Mines, Smartgun for example) are just too good and will stick to them. It doesn’t help that many of the weapons lack the impact they need (the shotgun just feels anything but).
There is an upgrade system that, while simple, is fun and it gives you encouragement to explore the levels for secrets just to help become more powerful. Again some upgrades are better than others (see the weapons example above) but due to being able “level up” enough, it’s less of an issue and more of fun experimenting.
Hard Reset Redux has limited destructible environments. It’s fun seeing some enemies destroy pipes and walls and some stuff you can shoot can be blown up. The latter usually serves no purpose but can feel cathartic. But then you find it’s inconsistent, that how an RPG can’t blow something up that an enemy can bash through also takes the immersion out of it and other objects are either untouched or just have scorched marks (admittedly, the latter still remains, if not forever, a very long time).
The AI, on normal difficulty, is not smart but at least tries. The melee enemies will use their speed or charge to close the distance and have attacks that can damage you even if you circle away from them. Meanwhile, enemies using range will have options to limit your mobility and will hang back or use some swipe of you get too close.
Still, there are times when you can take advantage of the AI, as they can get stuck or confused behind non-destructible environments. There are even the odd occasion where they just get brain-dead and can’t go through a door or just wonder around. At times, combat can be a slog, with encounters going on too long or just having a slow pace.
There's a weird quirk where it seems your character must be on TOP of the health/XP/Ammo items to pick them up. Even just being right next to them doesn't register. It gets quite irksome when you think you picked something up, and then turn to see you haven't (or gone a fair bit and see, on the other side of impassable objects, on the area which you can no longer go back to it's still there)
In terms of level design. Its pretty standard. But once again, it’s hampered by something, this time invisible barriers. Lots of them. So where it looks you could take a shortcut to get an item (or just explore) you find it that you suddenly can't make jumps. Also you can't crawl. What makes this irritating is that this means many of the "puzzles" (which basically come down to "take down barriers") feel forced and the railroading just lowers the immersion so much. Oh and you can't backtrack past certain areas. Checkpoints aren’t always fair mind you (but you can save anywhere to mitigate that fact.)
So is the gameplay bad. Well no. It just has a lot of issues. When it does work, it’s a decent experience and there is a lot of replayability if 100% is your thing. Plus there is a handy stat screen you can access at any time during gameplay. Its short length is a matter of debate. Perhaps if the game was more polished it’d be a bad thing.
Pretty forgettable overall. The weapons just sound like they barely exist, some of the other effects sound rough (enemy fire for example) and not clean, the voice acting, what there is meh (at least the main character sounds badass) and the music. Well nothing memorable and most of what you’ll be hearing is the enemy encounter tunes.
From what is remembered, it’s not bad. Its just again, nothing worthwhile.
Story wise, it tries to punch above its weight but the execution falls flat, with it being very choppy, feeling like some plot points are missing or just skipped the cut-scenes don't usually match what happens next when gameplay resumes and some awesome moments are cut-scene only (piloting a giant robot!). Also the game ends on a cliffhanger. A very brief one at that.
If the game had a shallow plot, this would be less of an issue. But it tries to be smart and noir like and this makes the issues more glaring. It’s like as if Jerry Bruckheimer/Michael Bay designed this game.
Visually it's acceptable, gameplay it's acceptable...Just everything screams "ok" (except the music. that's pretty forgettable.) because when there is something good, there is something bad to counteract it and there's so many issues that it leaves one feeling irritated the more they play it.
It could have been something more (the artwork seems to indicate it was gonna be a much bigger game), but for whatever reason, it falls short in its goals.
Still, It’s a game that can't quite not be recommended, as much as this review may suggest. There is replay value (100% this requires being a masochist to a degree) and the gameplay overall isn't terrible. It’s just there are far better FPS games out there. This one is more for those who really exhausted their options (even then, It’s best you wait for a sale).
Score: 5/10
2005
Action-Horror FPS that still worth playing today
F.E.A.R still holds up well, with nice visuals (level design and application of lighting, shadows) and effective use of horror. The action is also solid and has you be somewhat tactical in how you approach each firefight. The plot is a bit light but the concept and execution are done well that it adds to the experience.
Rating: 8/10
F.E.A.R still holds up well, with nice visuals (level design and application of lighting, shadows) and effective use of horror. The action is also solid and has you be somewhat tactical in how you approach each firefight. The plot is a bit light but the concept and execution are done well that it adds to the experience.
Rating: 8/10
2022
A fantastic tribute to classic JRPGs
It's become no secret that indie developers are starting to make excellent games in genres and styles that are associated with a company or country, and Matthias Linda and his team have shown that there is now no excuse for indie's to not deliver excellent JRPGs
The gameplay is fantastic, with a nice mechanic that makes even basic battles more challenging and boss encounters requiring some thought and not just spamming your strongest moves, best buffs and debuffs and healing. The roster size and skill system allows for experimental and flexible gameplay. It's also well paced and doesn't overstay it's welcome.
On the presentation side, the visuals are excellent (with some scenes that would make for great wallpaper,) backed up by music that is high class and sound effects which sound hard and crisp.
The plot is very well done and the game doesn't shy away from dark and grim happenings. But it also shows its soft and lighter side and the humour, whether it be item descriptions or NPC dialogue will have you chuckling from time to time.
It does have a few issues; some design choices are weird, as sometimes you can find using a particular menu a bit more troublesome than usual which makes the process of selecting or selling something not as smooth as it could be. Some things aren't explained well or in-game at all (particularly status effects) and the crystal is system is not great. You can do 90% of the game without bothering with it which is nice... But that also exposes just how flawed it is.
Overall though, this is a phenomenal game that any RPG fan should get their hands on and any issues take a huge backseat to the package as a whole, which delivers big time.
Rating: 9/10
It's become no secret that indie developers are starting to make excellent games in genres and styles that are associated with a company or country, and Matthias Linda and his team have shown that there is now no excuse for indie's to not deliver excellent JRPGs
The gameplay is fantastic, with a nice mechanic that makes even basic battles more challenging and boss encounters requiring some thought and not just spamming your strongest moves, best buffs and debuffs and healing. The roster size and skill system allows for experimental and flexible gameplay. It's also well paced and doesn't overstay it's welcome.
On the presentation side, the visuals are excellent (with some scenes that would make for great wallpaper,) backed up by music that is high class and sound effects which sound hard and crisp.
The plot is very well done and the game doesn't shy away from dark and grim happenings. But it also shows its soft and lighter side and the humour, whether it be item descriptions or NPC dialogue will have you chuckling from time to time.
It does have a few issues; some design choices are weird, as sometimes you can find using a particular menu a bit more troublesome than usual which makes the process of selecting or selling something not as smooth as it could be. Some things aren't explained well or in-game at all (particularly status effects) and the crystal is system is not great. You can do 90% of the game without bothering with it which is nice... But that also exposes just how flawed it is.
Overall though, this is a phenomenal game that any RPG fan should get their hands on and any issues take a huge backseat to the package as a whole, which delivers big time.
Rating: 9/10
2015
You're Gonna Have a Good Time
Taking place in the year 201X, Undertale see a young person climb a mountain, only to trip and find himself underground where monsters, who were driven out by humans in a somewhat one-sided war, dwell. Thus begins the journey to escape. (Forgive the breezy explanation of the plot, but any more would spoil Undertale.)
Undertale is not your usual RPG. For one the game is more of a hybrid genre of (deep breath) JRPG x Bullet Hell x Rhythm x Psychological x Horror x Social Commentary (phew). To say how to play or approach Undertale would do it a disservice but just don’t go in expecting the usual.
In terms of presentation, on the surface Undertale is basic. Seeing the game in action shows you that Toby Fox and co execution elevates them to have flashes of personality and visual flair that some AAA games lack. The way the characters speak, the poses they have, the dialogue, the excellent uses of music that makes what should be throwaway scenes and locations linger long after playing the game.
In terms of gameplay, it is the weakest part but a) that is somewhat by design and b) the game is very short so it just about doesn’t wear on the player. If one sees the gameplay serves as a storytelling device, then it makes sense.
Undertale is not perfect. It can be VERY frustrating at certain points and while it does fit one of the games themes, it can put many people off playing it. The storytelling can rub people the wrong way and it’s non-typical game nature can make people question playing it.
But for those that give it a good enough chance and persist, they will see why Undertale is a masterpiece. It’s probably one of the few games that defies the rule that a good story can’t overcome weak gameplay.
Rating 9/10
Taking place in the year 201X, Undertale see a young person climb a mountain, only to trip and find himself underground where monsters, who were driven out by humans in a somewhat one-sided war, dwell. Thus begins the journey to escape. (Forgive the breezy explanation of the plot, but any more would spoil Undertale.)
Undertale is not your usual RPG. For one the game is more of a hybrid genre of (deep breath) JRPG x Bullet Hell x Rhythm x Psychological x Horror x Social Commentary (phew). To say how to play or approach Undertale would do it a disservice but just don’t go in expecting the usual.
In terms of presentation, on the surface Undertale is basic. Seeing the game in action shows you that Toby Fox and co execution elevates them to have flashes of personality and visual flair that some AAA games lack. The way the characters speak, the poses they have, the dialogue, the excellent uses of music that makes what should be throwaway scenes and locations linger long after playing the game.
In terms of gameplay, it is the weakest part but a) that is somewhat by design and b) the game is very short so it just about doesn’t wear on the player. If one sees the gameplay serves as a storytelling device, then it makes sense.
Undertale is not perfect. It can be VERY frustrating at certain points and while it does fit one of the games themes, it can put many people off playing it. The storytelling can rub people the wrong way and it’s non-typical game nature can make people question playing it.
But for those that give it a good enough chance and persist, they will see why Undertale is a masterpiece. It’s probably one of the few games that defies the rule that a good story can’t overcome weak gameplay.
Rating 9/10
2012
Binary Domain is a relic but a good one at that.
You would think action game from the weird era of gaming that was PlayStation 3/Xbox 360 would be outdated and awkward to play and it’s true that the Binary Domain isn’t the smoothest experience. Yet despite all these years, it still holds up as an enjoyable video game.
You take the role of Daniel “Survivor” Marshall, as him and his comrade-in-arms, Roy “Big Bo” Boateng seek to infiltrate Japan and carry out a mission to find and retrieve Yoji Amada, who, through his corporation Amada Corporation, has created “Hollow Children”: Robots that are so human-like they don’t know themselves.
Though visually it is not exciting, the presentation is well executed. The cast is actually very well done, with lots of energy and some characterisation which, while not making them super deep, at least stops them being one-note. There is a story that actually puts effort into it. It’s not going to be compared to a Phillip K. ♥♥♥♥ story but you have to give Sega credit for doing more than just a basic job in terms of plot and world-building.
The gameplay itself is fine. There are issues (see below) but overall, it is solid enough to have fun. The little chime you get when you head shot a robot does give one a hit of dopamine and there is a raw thrill of just blasting out a room full of robots.
It does have it’s issues. No lock-on, no quick-turn, most of the boss battles end up falling flat, the live-mic gimmick is really just pretty annoying, there is parts where your team-mates will just say the same dialogue over and over, times where they will have a go at you for no good reason and times where they will just go in front of you and you end up accidentally shooting them, causing them to lose trust, the music is meh overall and the level design is a tad generic.
And yet, despite all these things working for it, Binary Domain is worth a go. It’s doesn’t overstay its welcome and isn’t trying to fool gamers with what it is. What you see is what you get. A good action game that reminds people of that weird era in gaming.
Rating: 7/10
You would think action game from the weird era of gaming that was PlayStation 3/Xbox 360 would be outdated and awkward to play and it’s true that the Binary Domain isn’t the smoothest experience. Yet despite all these years, it still holds up as an enjoyable video game.
You take the role of Daniel “Survivor” Marshall, as him and his comrade-in-arms, Roy “Big Bo” Boateng seek to infiltrate Japan and carry out a mission to find and retrieve Yoji Amada, who, through his corporation Amada Corporation, has created “Hollow Children”: Robots that are so human-like they don’t know themselves.
Though visually it is not exciting, the presentation is well executed. The cast is actually very well done, with lots of energy and some characterisation which, while not making them super deep, at least stops them being one-note. There is a story that actually puts effort into it. It’s not going to be compared to a Phillip K. ♥♥♥♥ story but you have to give Sega credit for doing more than just a basic job in terms of plot and world-building.
The gameplay itself is fine. There are issues (see below) but overall, it is solid enough to have fun. The little chime you get when you head shot a robot does give one a hit of dopamine and there is a raw thrill of just blasting out a room full of robots.
It does have it’s issues. No lock-on, no quick-turn, most of the boss battles end up falling flat, the live-mic gimmick is really just pretty annoying, there is parts where your team-mates will just say the same dialogue over and over, times where they will have a go at you for no good reason and times where they will just go in front of you and you end up accidentally shooting them, causing them to lose trust, the music is meh overall and the level design is a tad generic.
And yet, despite all these things working for it, Binary Domain is worth a go. It’s doesn’t overstay its welcome and isn’t trying to fool gamers with what it is. What you see is what you get. A good action game that reminds people of that weird era in gaming.
Rating: 7/10
The Best Entry In The Ace Attorney Franchise Since Trials and Tribulations
The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles is a prequel spin-off to the Ace Attorney games, with this steam release combining both “Adventures” and “Resolve.” While not the first game to not feature the most well-know character, Phoenix Wright, it is the first time we step away from that time period and instead go back to a time where Japan is getting use to western technology (and culture) England is going through an industrial revolution.
Enter Ryunosuke Naruhodo, whose through events, friends and resolve, becomes an “Ace Attorney” in his own right.
To say that Great Ace Attorney Chronicles is a return to form would be a disservice to early games as even the “weakest” titles in the Ace Attorney franchise are still good visual novels in their own right. But this is without a doubt, the best Ace Attorney game since Trials and Tribulations. Now technically this is cheating since this steam release combines “Adventures” and “Resolve.” But the complete package is so great, you might as well consider it one game.
The presentation is amazing. The expressions of characters has been raised to a whole new level and it’s just so much fun to see them; from Ryunosuke’s wild-eyed terror, Susato’s look of disappointment to Gregson’s stress-eating of his seemingly bottomless cup of fish and chips. In or out of the court, important to minor, each character doesn’t just feel like a stand in, but important to the scene, if not the story.
The UI is solid, though it can be a bit jarring If you come to this game from the DS and 3DS and not seeing prompts like “Court Record” and “Present” on the screen, it can take some adjusting to as instead you have to get use to using keyboard (or controller) to press, open evidence screen, present evidence and etc. Also, you can’t get rid of key prompts at the bottom right of the screen, so if you’re hoping to capture some in-game screenshots clean, you’re gonna have to wait for opportunities where it’s not displayed or get a bit creative.
When it comes to the places you visit in Great Ace Attorney Chronicles locations has a postcard-feel to them. The painting-like quality to the locations may not wow players but it doesn’t distract either and is visually interesting enough to not be “just another location” but feel very important and noteworthy.
Adding to the presentation is the music, which is amazing. It’s not as instantly bombastic as past games in the series but has a better build up, with an excellent crescendo and climax feel to it.
When it comes to gameplay, long time veterans of The Ace Attorney franchise will feel right at home, with some added mechanics and some great Quality of Life here, such as saving and resuming from almost any spot (which may encourage save-scumming but also you’re not forced into playing for long stretches just to get to a safe point to save,) pointing out what you’ve searched in investigations, making it handy to keep track of what you already seen, a way to fast-forward the story (though the game doesn’t point this out).
For those who just want to enjoy the story, there is a “reader” mode for those. It could probably being considered a divisive inclusion but the game is at heart a visual novel and there are those who will just enjoy the story of such a visual novel and not worry about gameplay mechanics or wrong choices.
And what a story the Adventures and Resolve bring. It’s a slow going at first but this just makes the stakes feel even more higher as you complete case by case. It gives time for the characters to become more fully fleshed out, to warm up to them (Herlock Sholmes being a great example) and see their evolution, their motives and personalities bloom is a joy to watch alongside Great Ace Attorney Chronicles insane, well-crafted and well executed plot.
Another stroke of genius that Great Ace Attorney Chronicles does is being great at keeping up suspense. This is due to the fact the game won’t instantly let you know you’ve made the right choice at times and will play out scenes that will put your heart in your mouth! (it helps the track usually proceeding it is a banger) as well as using pacing to a masterclass level. And while the Adventures and Resolve do fall on tropes established by the series (and visual novels in general to be fair,) the execution is so well done that even if you predict what’s going to (eventually) happen, you don’t feel cheated. The risk to split the story into two games was a huge gamble but the superb work pays off excellently. And to top it all off is the fact you don’t need to have played any any of the previous games in the Ace Attorney franchise to come is just another feather in its cap.
Is there bad points? Well this being an Ace Attorney entry there is the usual slightly contrived elements to it that the Ace Attorney games like to throw up in climatic cases, the final cases can feel long and Resolve, does suffer from having to recap certain information or mechanics that the player and characters should already be familiar with, as if it expected a few people to start here and If you’re achievement hunting, be aware that some of them, like the series itself, requires a bit of outside the box thinking and are semi-missable (the fact you can replay cases avoids it being permanent and will even tell you where you need to check)
But these are VERY nitpicky issues. The fact that Capcom have released Resolve and Adventures together as one game, at a fantastic price, is a huge blessing. Quite frankly, The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles is a game as great, maybe even better, than Trials and Tribulations and is one that any Visual Novel fan, whether you are hardcore, new to the genre or picky, needs to play.
Rating: 10/10
The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles is a prequel spin-off to the Ace Attorney games, with this steam release combining both “Adventures” and “Resolve.” While not the first game to not feature the most well-know character, Phoenix Wright, it is the first time we step away from that time period and instead go back to a time where Japan is getting use to western technology (and culture) England is going through an industrial revolution.
Enter Ryunosuke Naruhodo, whose through events, friends and resolve, becomes an “Ace Attorney” in his own right.
To say that Great Ace Attorney Chronicles is a return to form would be a disservice to early games as even the “weakest” titles in the Ace Attorney franchise are still good visual novels in their own right. But this is without a doubt, the best Ace Attorney game since Trials and Tribulations. Now technically this is cheating since this steam release combines “Adventures” and “Resolve.” But the complete package is so great, you might as well consider it one game.
The presentation is amazing. The expressions of characters has been raised to a whole new level and it’s just so much fun to see them; from Ryunosuke’s wild-eyed terror, Susato’s look of disappointment to Gregson’s stress-eating of his seemingly bottomless cup of fish and chips. In or out of the court, important to minor, each character doesn’t just feel like a stand in, but important to the scene, if not the story.
The UI is solid, though it can be a bit jarring If you come to this game from the DS and 3DS and not seeing prompts like “Court Record” and “Present” on the screen, it can take some adjusting to as instead you have to get use to using keyboard (or controller) to press, open evidence screen, present evidence and etc. Also, you can’t get rid of key prompts at the bottom right of the screen, so if you’re hoping to capture some in-game screenshots clean, you’re gonna have to wait for opportunities where it’s not displayed or get a bit creative.
When it comes to the places you visit in Great Ace Attorney Chronicles locations has a postcard-feel to them. The painting-like quality to the locations may not wow players but it doesn’t distract either and is visually interesting enough to not be “just another location” but feel very important and noteworthy.
Adding to the presentation is the music, which is amazing. It’s not as instantly bombastic as past games in the series but has a better build up, with an excellent crescendo and climax feel to it.
When it comes to gameplay, long time veterans of The Ace Attorney franchise will feel right at home, with some added mechanics and some great Quality of Life here, such as saving and resuming from almost any spot (which may encourage save-scumming but also you’re not forced into playing for long stretches just to get to a safe point to save,) pointing out what you’ve searched in investigations, making it handy to keep track of what you already seen, a way to fast-forward the story (though the game doesn’t point this out).
For those who just want to enjoy the story, there is a “reader” mode for those. It could probably being considered a divisive inclusion but the game is at heart a visual novel and there are those who will just enjoy the story of such a visual novel and not worry about gameplay mechanics or wrong choices.
And what a story the Adventures and Resolve bring. It’s a slow going at first but this just makes the stakes feel even more higher as you complete case by case. It gives time for the characters to become more fully fleshed out, to warm up to them (Herlock Sholmes being a great example) and see their evolution, their motives and personalities bloom is a joy to watch alongside Great Ace Attorney Chronicles insane, well-crafted and well executed plot.
Another stroke of genius that Great Ace Attorney Chronicles does is being great at keeping up suspense. This is due to the fact the game won’t instantly let you know you’ve made the right choice at times and will play out scenes that will put your heart in your mouth! (it helps the track usually proceeding it is a banger) as well as using pacing to a masterclass level. And while the Adventures and Resolve do fall on tropes established by the series (and visual novels in general to be fair,) the execution is so well done that even if you predict what’s going to (eventually) happen, you don’t feel cheated. The risk to split the story into two games was a huge gamble but the superb work pays off excellently. And to top it all off is the fact you don’t need to have played any any of the previous games in the Ace Attorney franchise to come is just another feather in its cap.
Is there bad points? Well this being an Ace Attorney entry there is the usual slightly contrived elements to it that the Ace Attorney games like to throw up in climatic cases, the final cases can feel long and Resolve, does suffer from having to recap certain information or mechanics that the player and characters should already be familiar with, as if it expected a few people to start here and If you’re achievement hunting, be aware that some of them, like the series itself, requires a bit of outside the box thinking and are semi-missable (the fact you can replay cases avoids it being permanent and will even tell you where you need to check)
But these are VERY nitpicky issues. The fact that Capcom have released Resolve and Adventures together as one game, at a fantastic price, is a huge blessing. Quite frankly, The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles is a game as great, maybe even better, than Trials and Tribulations and is one that any Visual Novel fan, whether you are hardcore, new to the genre or picky, needs to play.
Rating: 10/10
1995
A Fantastic Action Adventure-RPG With An Emotional Story
Part of the trilogy that also consists of Soul Blazer and Illusion of Gaia (two very good games in their own right), this is arguably the strongest of the three. With nice visuals that really capture the atmosphere, fantastic music that ranges from uplifting to soul-crushing (and makes you feel that way to boot) and a plot that is well executed with some great twists.
Of course, all this wouldn't mean much if the gameplay wasn't up to scratch but the lovely controls, the frantic pace and the dungeon design, as well as some pretty cool bosses, design and mechanic wise, make this a treat to play.
Released late into the SNES life cycle, this was a game that was destined to not have the spotlight on it until years later. If you're a retro gaming fan, an action-adventure RPG fan or just someone who likes great games, you owe it to play this in some form or another if you haven't done so.
Rating: 10/10
Part of the trilogy that also consists of Soul Blazer and Illusion of Gaia (two very good games in their own right), this is arguably the strongest of the three. With nice visuals that really capture the atmosphere, fantastic music that ranges from uplifting to soul-crushing (and makes you feel that way to boot) and a plot that is well executed with some great twists.
Of course, all this wouldn't mean much if the gameplay wasn't up to scratch but the lovely controls, the frantic pace and the dungeon design, as well as some pretty cool bosses, design and mechanic wise, make this a treat to play.
Released late into the SNES life cycle, this was a game that was destined to not have the spotlight on it until years later. If you're a retro gaming fan, an action-adventure RPG fan or just someone who likes great games, you owe it to play this in some form or another if you haven't done so.
Rating: 10/10
2000
Fun, Tough But Ultimately Shallow Run n' Gun-Shmup
Note: Co-op wasn't tested. Because I have no friends :(
Cannon Spike is the kind of game that oozes a sense of gameplay style that attracts you to playing it, easing you to the Run 'n Gun gameplay...Before very quickly slapping you with its shmup gameplay and making all but the most determined and skilled wimper away.
A team up from Capcom and Psikyo, the latter known for its shmups, Cannon Spike is a game that expects you to get your ass handed to you very quickly, learn from your mistakes and inch closer the next time you try, relying on a hectic mixture of memorisation, reflex and damage limitation.
If you can stomach the challenge, (and to be fair the Dreamcast version does allow you to make the game easier...or much harder if you are that kind of person,) you'll find a fun game with excellent controls and one that is very tough to beat. You only get three lives and then it's over and since you're not invincible after taking an attack straight away, you can take huge damage if you're got in a bullet stream or melee attacks (or both). While some of the characters have attacks that are very powerful, even on hardest difficulties, positioning and timing still matters as just spamming them will see you get caught out.
There isn't much in terms of music but there's a few good tracks ("Stage D - The Occupied Town" being the stand out) and the sound effects are nice too. Overall the potential for a really great, if gruelling, arcade game are there.
The problem then is that Cannon Spike is one of those games you want more from.
More in the presentation department as while the game looks sharp and some bosses look cool, it doesn't do much else.
More in the story as all you get is a simple plot explanation and, if you do complete the game, a short ending. Not asking for an in-depth plot but some banter from the bosses and some quick cut-scene after each level would be nice.
And more content as after finishing, all you really get unlocked is a gallery, as well as starting a second, much harder, loop if you finish the game on the default difficulty of higher. Though the latter sounds like punishment.
Cannon Spike is one of those games you wish you could love more. But it's difficulty will be a turn off for many who don't want to take the easy route (and play under a difficulties "Child" or "Baby") and for those who get good at it, there isn't much else to do.
Maybe it's one of those games you dust off and play now and then to have fun. Maybe it's something that's much more of a blast with co-op. But along the maybe's there is a "what if?" hanging around Cannon Spike too.
Still, even with a short play time it is fun and at the end of the day it is worth a play and even if its short.
Rating: 7/10
Note: Co-op wasn't tested. Because I have no friends :(
Cannon Spike is the kind of game that oozes a sense of gameplay style that attracts you to playing it, easing you to the Run 'n Gun gameplay...Before very quickly slapping you with its shmup gameplay and making all but the most determined and skilled wimper away.
A team up from Capcom and Psikyo, the latter known for its shmups, Cannon Spike is a game that expects you to get your ass handed to you very quickly, learn from your mistakes and inch closer the next time you try, relying on a hectic mixture of memorisation, reflex and damage limitation.
If you can stomach the challenge, (and to be fair the Dreamcast version does allow you to make the game easier...or much harder if you are that kind of person,) you'll find a fun game with excellent controls and one that is very tough to beat. You only get three lives and then it's over and since you're not invincible after taking an attack straight away, you can take huge damage if you're got in a bullet stream or melee attacks (or both). While some of the characters have attacks that are very powerful, even on hardest difficulties, positioning and timing still matters as just spamming them will see you get caught out.
There isn't much in terms of music but there's a few good tracks ("Stage D - The Occupied Town" being the stand out) and the sound effects are nice too. Overall the potential for a really great, if gruelling, arcade game are there.
The problem then is that Cannon Spike is one of those games you want more from.
More in the presentation department as while the game looks sharp and some bosses look cool, it doesn't do much else.
More in the story as all you get is a simple plot explanation and, if you do complete the game, a short ending. Not asking for an in-depth plot but some banter from the bosses and some quick cut-scene after each level would be nice.
And more content as after finishing, all you really get unlocked is a gallery, as well as starting a second, much harder, loop if you finish the game on the default difficulty of higher. Though the latter sounds like punishment.
Cannon Spike is one of those games you wish you could love more. But it's difficulty will be a turn off for many who don't want to take the easy route (and play under a difficulties "Child" or "Baby") and for those who get good at it, there isn't much else to do.
Maybe it's one of those games you dust off and play now and then to have fun. Maybe it's something that's much more of a blast with co-op. But along the maybe's there is a "what if?" hanging around Cannon Spike too.
Still, even with a short play time it is fun and at the end of the day it is worth a play and even if its short.
Rating: 7/10
2003
Beautiful, Distracting And Too Brutal For It's Own Good
Hey! It's Metal Slug but with Dolphins! It's not hard to see the similarities as both have a serious yet tongue-in-cheek scenario of having to repel invaders (this time it's Sea Nazi's!), both have distinctive levels, both have that teeth-gnashing, fist-slamming gameplay and both have a heavy-machine gun!
But look past the surface and you'll see that Dolphin Blue stands out, in good and bad ways.
To start with the presentation is fantastic. Graphics are lovely with each stage having nice colours and feeling detailed and busy, the noise is loud and crisp with the effects being punch and the enemies grunts and laughs being comedically on point. And the squeak the dolphin makes is adorable. There is a lovely charm to this game that draws you in.
However, this is a double edged sword, as because it's so busy (and very distracting on your playthrough(s), this means you can suffer cheap deaths. Even if you're concentrating, the bullets and bombs are sometimes hard to make out because of the effects of explosions, smoke or other effects.
The gameplay is another mixed bag. On the plus side it's frantic, not with just the constant enemies firing bullets of throwing bombs, but with coins and medals dropping, stages having an auto-scrolling part and a strict timer which does not allow you to be defensive or hesitate. Dolphin Blue also encourages you to be aggressive, while also not being reckless and use your special ability, where knowing when to use your special is vital to prevent losing lives and beat bosses quicker. It has three levels and it charges fast, but the action is so fast (and the strict timer) you can't just spam it at max level and wait till it recharges.
There is also some element of replayability as the collectable coins, gold bars and medals (the latter having secret ones) adds an element of seeing how high one can get a score. Also the fact you are shown how quickly you finished a stage and also ranked for your overall performance may incline those to see if they can do better. Of course, this comes with the caveat that you become so good at the game, which means persisting with the insane difficulty this game throws at you.
And it is the difficulty that Dolphin Blue trips this game up by being so brutal. Even without the distracting and hiding bullets element that was outlined above, this game will kick your ass. It only has five stages but these are not quick jaunts and the first stage is not one that eases you into the game. And it only gets much, much harder from there as the situations become chaotic, the bosses become much cheaper (with the penultimate and final bosses turning part of their fights into bullet hells) and level design just becomes unfair, with the final level taking the cake in terms of cheapness. Not helped is the fact that weapon drops aren't as common as you'd expect, meaning resource management is a lot more tricky and you'll often go into situations with just your pea shooter, including bosses. Metal Slug was no cake walk but it didn't set out to murder you within the first five minutes of the game.
And it's the difficulty and cheap deaths you suffer in Dolphin Blue that lower the score. No one wants an easy Run 'n Gun and yes, this is an arcade game, so it's to be expected that the challenge would ramp up mid-game but Dolphin Blue goes above and beyond in punishing you and with comparisons to Metal Slug are unavoidable, many may feel it doesn't measure up overall, despite being the much better looking game.
However, for those who persevere, Dolphin Blue is still a fun run 'n gun game with some replay value for those who want to improve and show off. It's worth a play just to see it in action the very least, even if you don't get very far.
Rating: 7/10
Hey! It's Metal Slug but with Dolphins! It's not hard to see the similarities as both have a serious yet tongue-in-cheek scenario of having to repel invaders (this time it's Sea Nazi's!), both have distinctive levels, both have that teeth-gnashing, fist-slamming gameplay and both have a heavy-machine gun!
But look past the surface and you'll see that Dolphin Blue stands out, in good and bad ways.
To start with the presentation is fantastic. Graphics are lovely with each stage having nice colours and feeling detailed and busy, the noise is loud and crisp with the effects being punch and the enemies grunts and laughs being comedically on point. And the squeak the dolphin makes is adorable. There is a lovely charm to this game that draws you in.
However, this is a double edged sword, as because it's so busy (and very distracting on your playthrough(s), this means you can suffer cheap deaths. Even if you're concentrating, the bullets and bombs are sometimes hard to make out because of the effects of explosions, smoke or other effects.
The gameplay is another mixed bag. On the plus side it's frantic, not with just the constant enemies firing bullets of throwing bombs, but with coins and medals dropping, stages having an auto-scrolling part and a strict timer which does not allow you to be defensive or hesitate. Dolphin Blue also encourages you to be aggressive, while also not being reckless and use your special ability, where knowing when to use your special is vital to prevent losing lives and beat bosses quicker. It has three levels and it charges fast, but the action is so fast (and the strict timer) you can't just spam it at max level and wait till it recharges.
There is also some element of replayability as the collectable coins, gold bars and medals (the latter having secret ones) adds an element of seeing how high one can get a score. Also the fact you are shown how quickly you finished a stage and also ranked for your overall performance may incline those to see if they can do better. Of course, this comes with the caveat that you become so good at the game, which means persisting with the insane difficulty this game throws at you.
And it is the difficulty that Dolphin Blue trips this game up by being so brutal. Even without the distracting and hiding bullets element that was outlined above, this game will kick your ass. It only has five stages but these are not quick jaunts and the first stage is not one that eases you into the game. And it only gets much, much harder from there as the situations become chaotic, the bosses become much cheaper (with the penultimate and final bosses turning part of their fights into bullet hells) and level design just becomes unfair, with the final level taking the cake in terms of cheapness. Not helped is the fact that weapon drops aren't as common as you'd expect, meaning resource management is a lot more tricky and you'll often go into situations with just your pea shooter, including bosses. Metal Slug was no cake walk but it didn't set out to murder you within the first five minutes of the game.
And it's the difficulty and cheap deaths you suffer in Dolphin Blue that lower the score. No one wants an easy Run 'n Gun and yes, this is an arcade game, so it's to be expected that the challenge would ramp up mid-game but Dolphin Blue goes above and beyond in punishing you and with comparisons to Metal Slug are unavoidable, many may feel it doesn't measure up overall, despite being the much better looking game.
However, for those who persevere, Dolphin Blue is still a fun run 'n gun game with some replay value for those who want to improve and show off. It's worth a play just to see it in action the very least, even if you don't get very far.
Rating: 7/10
2019
Excellent Story Backed Up By Tight Gameplay
Yakuza 3 Remastered wasn’t a bad game by any means but it did feel like something was missing and it’s flaws did hold it back. While Yakuza 4 Remastered isn’t perfect nor a huge step up, it’s improvements and tightening up of some elements means this is a vastly improved experience overall.
Visually, this game feels more vibrant than Yakuza 3 Remastered. Everything looks sharper and with a bit more detail or vibrant. There’s still the matter of some NPCs and non-important characters having gonk like faces or derpy expressions and there is still pop-up, but seeing restaurants and shops with people inside, and vending machine products with 3D objects inside, as just two examples, goes a long to to show that overall, the game is more graphically impressive.
The story has really increased, helped by the fact that we’re not only not just playing as Kiryu but not even starting as him! As you get to explore three new characters stories and activities (don’t worry, Kiryu is also playable). But there is more emphasis on the story as their seems to be more scenes (in game and CG).
Of course, this wouldn’t be a Ryu ga Gotoku game with weird design choices and for some reason item sharing isn’t available until end game. This is compounded by the fact that Akiyama can pick up most of the locker keys in the early game! It’s not a huge deal breaker, it’s just an odd quirk
The UI is vastly improved. It looks slicker and provides better information (with shops now telling you how much of an item you already have!), showing what materials you need for modding up front and visually and just giving you more info while looking more attractive. It can feel a bit stiff use.
Combat has gone through a slight overhaul. The way you unlock abilities mean you can tailor each character to a degree; Do you hold off and get the more expensive abilities earlier at the cost of being gimped for the early portion of each characters story or do you get what you can afford at each level-up, but make gaining those powerful abilities take a lot longer? Do you go for offensive, defensive moves or just mix-and-match? It’s not super deep but there is some options and flexibility to make it feel far less restrictive and gated like Yakuza 3 Remastered did.
Then there is actually playing the fighting part of Yakuza 4 Remastered. It feels more snappy and you feel like you have more heat options this time around. Random encounters seem to happen less frequently compared to Yakuza 3 Remastered. It can sometimes feel your enemies have unfair advantages or that they’ve been buffed to a degree, some of their attacks still have that annoying “homing” property where it seems like you’ve dodged an attack, only for it to do a curve and whack you on the back and it can be hard to get certain heat actions to activate, depending on the situation. Overall though, the combat does feel much better.
The minigames are back and some are changed for the better (examples include Coliseum isn’t as much of a drag and is more rewarding, hostess maker, while still a drag, is now just down to training three), some are the same (whether that’s good or bad depends on your skill level, patience and the ability to find strategies for games like Darts, Pool and the multitude of gambling games) and a few are worse (Fishing being the highlight). Table Tennis, a new addition, is pretty neat. Alas, no Pachinko in the Remastered version, though again that’s might be a good thing for many.
Modding is somewhat better, only held back by the lack of item sharing until the final chapter as well as the chapters being short. As such, there isn’t really much advantage to be taken unless you go out of your way (or do some obsessive planning on who gets certain locker keys). Another peculiar issue a few of the vendors are on different rooftops. Which means going to them can be a bit of a pain when you need something in particular.
Ah yes rooftops. We’re back to just exploring Kamurocho but this time we get to go to rooftops, an underground car park, an underground mini mall, a homeless shelter and even sewers. The “new” locations are small and as hinted at earlier, it’s more of a novel concept, only really being used to its fullest when doing sub-stories, modding or finding locker keys. The exception is the homeless shelter, which at least has a few additional reasons for going back to. It’d also have been nice if the rooftops were connected together. Still it is different and visually they are well designed, especially the underground car park with lovely lighting and ambient echo sounds.
Other notable gameplay elements are that chase sequences are improved and QTE’s seem a bit more forgiving.
Of course, one of the strongest elements of the Ryu ga Gotoku games is the story and here it’s fantastic. Joining Kiryu is Akiyama, the charming money lender with a huge heart of gold, Saejima a hulking figure with a legendary reputation and Tanimura, an aloof but talented cop who seeks to find the truth about his father’s murder. Joining them is an ensemble with their own motives, schemes and worldly viewpoints that bring an inevitable clash.
In regards to how these characters are; Kiryu is Kiryu, Akiyama is charismatic as hell with excellent story, Saejima has an excellent back story but overall his main story is probably the weakest and Tanimura arguably has the worst personality but has a great story. The latter is argued as the weakest link but overall this is a fine main assemble of protagonists and the rest of the cast is well done.
And it’s helped by the main story. The plot is fantastic with many awesome moments and the twists and turns are just finely done. The fact it references past games, tying up loose ends is icing on the cake. Once again, the Ryu ga Gotoku franchise is no stranger to excellent storytelling but this maybe the first game where you scream “Holy S***!” (or whatever your “OMG” cry is) at what goes down. It’s actually amazing the Yakuza 4 Remastered pulls this off as the chapters feel shorter than before. And yet the pack so much in without feeling rushed or bloated.
The excellent storytelling even goes down to the sub-stories, which have always been another strong point and now feel far more expansive. With many now having their own in-depth arc.
Yakuza 4 Remastered is highly recommended. It carries some flaws from Yakuza 3 Remastered and has still has some anachronistic Yakuza game design but the gameplay feels tighter, the plot execution is just perfect and the presentation is on point making this a very strong entry.
Rating: 8/10
Yakuza 3 Remastered wasn’t a bad game by any means but it did feel like something was missing and it’s flaws did hold it back. While Yakuza 4 Remastered isn’t perfect nor a huge step up, it’s improvements and tightening up of some elements means this is a vastly improved experience overall.
Visually, this game feels more vibrant than Yakuza 3 Remastered. Everything looks sharper and with a bit more detail or vibrant. There’s still the matter of some NPCs and non-important characters having gonk like faces or derpy expressions and there is still pop-up, but seeing restaurants and shops with people inside, and vending machine products with 3D objects inside, as just two examples, goes a long to to show that overall, the game is more graphically impressive.
The story has really increased, helped by the fact that we’re not only not just playing as Kiryu but not even starting as him! As you get to explore three new characters stories and activities (don’t worry, Kiryu is also playable). But there is more emphasis on the story as their seems to be more scenes (in game and CG).
Of course, this wouldn’t be a Ryu ga Gotoku game with weird design choices and for some reason item sharing isn’t available until end game. This is compounded by the fact that Akiyama can pick up most of the locker keys in the early game! It’s not a huge deal breaker, it’s just an odd quirk
The UI is vastly improved. It looks slicker and provides better information (with shops now telling you how much of an item you already have!), showing what materials you need for modding up front and visually and just giving you more info while looking more attractive. It can feel a bit stiff use.
Combat has gone through a slight overhaul. The way you unlock abilities mean you can tailor each character to a degree; Do you hold off and get the more expensive abilities earlier at the cost of being gimped for the early portion of each characters story or do you get what you can afford at each level-up, but make gaining those powerful abilities take a lot longer? Do you go for offensive, defensive moves or just mix-and-match? It’s not super deep but there is some options and flexibility to make it feel far less restrictive and gated like Yakuza 3 Remastered did.
Then there is actually playing the fighting part of Yakuza 4 Remastered. It feels more snappy and you feel like you have more heat options this time around. Random encounters seem to happen less frequently compared to Yakuza 3 Remastered. It can sometimes feel your enemies have unfair advantages or that they’ve been buffed to a degree, some of their attacks still have that annoying “homing” property where it seems like you’ve dodged an attack, only for it to do a curve and whack you on the back and it can be hard to get certain heat actions to activate, depending on the situation. Overall though, the combat does feel much better.
The minigames are back and some are changed for the better (examples include Coliseum isn’t as much of a drag and is more rewarding, hostess maker, while still a drag, is now just down to training three), some are the same (whether that’s good or bad depends on your skill level, patience and the ability to find strategies for games like Darts, Pool and the multitude of gambling games) and a few are worse (Fishing being the highlight). Table Tennis, a new addition, is pretty neat. Alas, no Pachinko in the Remastered version, though again that’s might be a good thing for many.
Modding is somewhat better, only held back by the lack of item sharing until the final chapter as well as the chapters being short. As such, there isn’t really much advantage to be taken unless you go out of your way (or do some obsessive planning on who gets certain locker keys). Another peculiar issue a few of the vendors are on different rooftops. Which means going to them can be a bit of a pain when you need something in particular.
Ah yes rooftops. We’re back to just exploring Kamurocho but this time we get to go to rooftops, an underground car park, an underground mini mall, a homeless shelter and even sewers. The “new” locations are small and as hinted at earlier, it’s more of a novel concept, only really being used to its fullest when doing sub-stories, modding or finding locker keys. The exception is the homeless shelter, which at least has a few additional reasons for going back to. It’d also have been nice if the rooftops were connected together. Still it is different and visually they are well designed, especially the underground car park with lovely lighting and ambient echo sounds.
Other notable gameplay elements are that chase sequences are improved and QTE’s seem a bit more forgiving.
Of course, one of the strongest elements of the Ryu ga Gotoku games is the story and here it’s fantastic. Joining Kiryu is Akiyama, the charming money lender with a huge heart of gold, Saejima a hulking figure with a legendary reputation and Tanimura, an aloof but talented cop who seeks to find the truth about his father’s murder. Joining them is an ensemble with their own motives, schemes and worldly viewpoints that bring an inevitable clash.
In regards to how these characters are; Kiryu is Kiryu, Akiyama is charismatic as hell with excellent story, Saejima has an excellent back story but overall his main story is probably the weakest and Tanimura arguably has the worst personality but has a great story. The latter is argued as the weakest link but overall this is a fine main assemble of protagonists and the rest of the cast is well done.
And it’s helped by the main story. The plot is fantastic with many awesome moments and the twists and turns are just finely done. The fact it references past games, tying up loose ends is icing on the cake. Once again, the Ryu ga Gotoku franchise is no stranger to excellent storytelling but this maybe the first game where you scream “Holy S***!” (or whatever your “OMG” cry is) at what goes down. It’s actually amazing the Yakuza 4 Remastered pulls this off as the chapters feel shorter than before. And yet the pack so much in without feeling rushed or bloated.
The excellent storytelling even goes down to the sub-stories, which have always been another strong point and now feel far more expansive. With many now having their own in-depth arc.
Yakuza 4 Remastered is highly recommended. It carries some flaws from Yakuza 3 Remastered and has still has some anachronistic Yakuza game design but the gameplay feels tighter, the plot execution is just perfect and the presentation is on point making this a very strong entry.
Rating: 8/10
A Fantastic Port With Everything You Could Ask For In A Fighting Game
Yes, you can argue that the Sega Saturn and the Arcade version is better. Moot point at the end of the day. What you get here is just simply fantastic and joins the hallowed list of awesome fighting games on the PS1.
Visually, it's pretty good with nice animations (especially specials and supers), colourful environments that give the appropriate vibe and a slick presentation that oozes style.
When it comes to audio, there's some great stage music and the sound effects are crisp and punchy.
But it's the content where the game really shines. The roster amount is ridiculous but everyone belongs here, especially the new characters with those like Karin having gone on to become iconic in their own right. The ability to choose your fighting style is a nice touch and sure, it may not make the game balanced but that's not the point of Street Fighter Alpha 3. The point is having fun in a fighting game.
And when it comes to enjoying the game, Street Fighter Alpha 3 gives you the modes to do it. As well as traditional modes you get Dramatic Battle (fighting in pairs) and the best one of them all, World Tour.
World Tour sees you picking a fighter, taking them around the world and, as you win, you gain experience to make you stronger. It is just so much awesome and it's no wonder it was brought back (albeit in a much different way) for Street Fighter 6.
This is a fighting game everyone should play, even those who normally shy away from it. If you want a ultra competitive fighting game, Street Fighter 3rd Strike is that way. But for those who just want to have fun, no matter the skill level, Street Fighter Alpha 3 is must play. A damn near-perfect package.
Rating: 10/10
Yes, you can argue that the Sega Saturn and the Arcade version is better. Moot point at the end of the day. What you get here is just simply fantastic and joins the hallowed list of awesome fighting games on the PS1.
Visually, it's pretty good with nice animations (especially specials and supers), colourful environments that give the appropriate vibe and a slick presentation that oozes style.
When it comes to audio, there's some great stage music and the sound effects are crisp and punchy.
But it's the content where the game really shines. The roster amount is ridiculous but everyone belongs here, especially the new characters with those like Karin having gone on to become iconic in their own right. The ability to choose your fighting style is a nice touch and sure, it may not make the game balanced but that's not the point of Street Fighter Alpha 3. The point is having fun in a fighting game.
And when it comes to enjoying the game, Street Fighter Alpha 3 gives you the modes to do it. As well as traditional modes you get Dramatic Battle (fighting in pairs) and the best one of them all, World Tour.
World Tour sees you picking a fighter, taking them around the world and, as you win, you gain experience to make you stronger. It is just so much awesome and it's no wonder it was brought back (albeit in a much different way) for Street Fighter 6.
This is a fighting game everyone should play, even those who normally shy away from it. If you want a ultra competitive fighting game, Street Fighter 3rd Strike is that way. But for those who just want to have fun, no matter the skill level, Street Fighter Alpha 3 is must play. A damn near-perfect package.
Rating: 10/10
A Very Good (sometimes borderline great) Open-World x Sandbox Action Adventure That Will Only Get Better In The Upcoming Years
Given so much hype over the past couple of years, Starfield has landed and the result may upset those who felt it was the second coming of gaming Jesus, but for everyone else, what we got should satisfy fans, especially those who like the Bethesda style of Open-World games like Skyrim and the 3D Fallout games.
Visually Starfield is very impressive. While there is some repeat “dungeon” locations, the world, or more like universe, design is fantastic.
The cities are varied and interesting, with many landmarks while many of the planets look how they should instead of feeling too wild or uncanny.
NPC models are something of a mixed bag with minor ones looking average at best and derpy plasticine at worst, but the important (or even semi-important) ones look fine, if not amazing.
There are many varied outfits and equipment while it’s a shame they are tied to stats and there is no separate fashion option, its still nice.
Lighting and colour usage is well executed and again the cities are standouts as it helps give them their own identity; New Atlantis is the modern day shiny city, Akila City feels like the rural city and Neon definitely evokes the place with the biggest bright lights but also the darkest underbelly.
Audio is also very impressive, with some excellent music and ambient sounds that help make locations give them character. NPC speech is usually on point and sharp, though there are times characters can sound like they are in a tunnel, giving off an echo or underwater (probably the result of an audio bug). What Starfield deserves a lot of credit is having a ton of accents and different speech mannerisms.
When it comes to gameplay, this feels like an evolution of Skyrim for those who’ve played that (or Oblivion) with the odd touch of Fallout 4. For those who haven’t played it, the controls are well implemented for the most part (though activating some bindings can take some finger gymnastics) and while it’s nothing game changing it’s a fun action-adventure looter shooter that allows some flexibility for missions (aside from the odd ones).
The perk system is pretty novel, with you having to earn the right to unlock the next rank via challenges, rather than just allowing you to straight upgrade. This gives them more importance in selection, as well as making you feel you earned them.
The spaceship battles can be annoying at first but once you figure out the best way to approach it (and upgraded your ship enough) they are well done.
It is pretty good how you can just wonder around, bump into an NPC who will give what seems a throwaway (but lore adding) sentence and you get a quest. And speaking of quests, it’s not just the main missions that feel very important as many of the side quests are a lot more involving and have some strong emotional beats. Some standouts include hunting dangerous aliens (“Terramorphs”) that give a Space Hulk/Warhammer 40K vibe and going undercover as a pirate. Even the smaller side-quests have a feel that gives off a nice sense of achievement when you finish them.
So yes, Starfield is a lot of fun and when the highs are there, its a fantastic game. So what stops Starfield from (as of this moment) reaching greatness? It’s mainly issues and weird gameplay design choices.
Crafting is pretty fun, depending on what you’ve unlocked and the materials you have. Same for research as it helps make suits and weapons more powerful potentially.
Starfield doesn’t make it clear what an item is useful for. For research, at least you can track which ones you should keep but Digipicksm, used to open locked containers, are under misc, which is generally useless items.
The map isn’t very useful visually and so, it can be easy to get lost and not remember where a certain building is.
The game also doesn’t do a proper job of telling you what buffs and debuffs you have. I get there’s wanting to keep the HUD info as minimal as possible but it’d be nice if there was an option to display it.
Outpost building, which could have become a huge time waster, is instead very fiddly and awkward to the point many will just try it out for a while and then get bored, only using it as a dumping ground for storage. Ship Building is awkward but at least, on
Storage isn’t universally connected so if you put something in a container in a outpost or a owned location, it’s not going to count as having it for crafting and research.
Graphically very impressive, though unless your PC is something that is very high-end, it might struggle at ultra settings without a bit of tweaking. And if you’re using NVIDIA, you’re going to have to mod in DLSS support.
Romance happens very quickly, which can be quite jarring. But this can also be seen as a blessing as you get it out the way and have a companion that gives you emotional support (and not just a deadly companion who can act as a backup storage).
And there are times where the game can struggle to run smoothly with stuttering becoming a huge issue. This may be worse or non-existing depending on your PC set-up that said. But NVIDIA players seem to have it the worst.
Starfield might not be the great, amazing game yet. But the keyword is “yet” as it’s clear Bethesda are going to be supporting Starfield for a VERY long time and this is before we get into modding. It took a while for Skyrim to become a masterpiece and the same is for Starfield. And yes, you have a right to feel aggrieved that a game is released and has to be become what it “should” be down the road. But you can also see it as a journey, seeing it develop from a very good game to something that will become great, playing it again and again and seeing the differences.
Yes it has issues, no it’s not the second coming of gaming Jesus and no it’s not that wholly different from Skyrim and 3D Fallout games. But it is a lot of fun, it offers flexibility, not just in terms of approaching the game but scope as well (you can play for hours or just a quick session; either way you feel you made some progression) and it’s well worth experiencing now.
Rating: 8/10
Given so much hype over the past couple of years, Starfield has landed and the result may upset those who felt it was the second coming of gaming Jesus, but for everyone else, what we got should satisfy fans, especially those who like the Bethesda style of Open-World games like Skyrim and the 3D Fallout games.
Visually Starfield is very impressive. While there is some repeat “dungeon” locations, the world, or more like universe, design is fantastic.
The cities are varied and interesting, with many landmarks while many of the planets look how they should instead of feeling too wild or uncanny.
NPC models are something of a mixed bag with minor ones looking average at best and derpy plasticine at worst, but the important (or even semi-important) ones look fine, if not amazing.
There are many varied outfits and equipment while it’s a shame they are tied to stats and there is no separate fashion option, its still nice.
Lighting and colour usage is well executed and again the cities are standouts as it helps give them their own identity; New Atlantis is the modern day shiny city, Akila City feels like the rural city and Neon definitely evokes the place with the biggest bright lights but also the darkest underbelly.
Audio is also very impressive, with some excellent music and ambient sounds that help make locations give them character. NPC speech is usually on point and sharp, though there are times characters can sound like they are in a tunnel, giving off an echo or underwater (probably the result of an audio bug). What Starfield deserves a lot of credit is having a ton of accents and different speech mannerisms.
When it comes to gameplay, this feels like an evolution of Skyrim for those who’ve played that (or Oblivion) with the odd touch of Fallout 4. For those who haven’t played it, the controls are well implemented for the most part (though activating some bindings can take some finger gymnastics) and while it’s nothing game changing it’s a fun action-adventure looter shooter that allows some flexibility for missions (aside from the odd ones).
The perk system is pretty novel, with you having to earn the right to unlock the next rank via challenges, rather than just allowing you to straight upgrade. This gives them more importance in selection, as well as making you feel you earned them.
The spaceship battles can be annoying at first but once you figure out the best way to approach it (and upgraded your ship enough) they are well done.
It is pretty good how you can just wonder around, bump into an NPC who will give what seems a throwaway (but lore adding) sentence and you get a quest. And speaking of quests, it’s not just the main missions that feel very important as many of the side quests are a lot more involving and have some strong emotional beats. Some standouts include hunting dangerous aliens (“Terramorphs”) that give a Space Hulk/Warhammer 40K vibe and going undercover as a pirate. Even the smaller side-quests have a feel that gives off a nice sense of achievement when you finish them.
So yes, Starfield is a lot of fun and when the highs are there, its a fantastic game. So what stops Starfield from (as of this moment) reaching greatness? It’s mainly issues and weird gameplay design choices.
Crafting is pretty fun, depending on what you’ve unlocked and the materials you have. Same for research as it helps make suits and weapons more powerful potentially.
Starfield doesn’t make it clear what an item is useful for. For research, at least you can track which ones you should keep but Digipicksm, used to open locked containers, are under misc, which is generally useless items.
The map isn’t very useful visually and so, it can be easy to get lost and not remember where a certain building is.
The game also doesn’t do a proper job of telling you what buffs and debuffs you have. I get there’s wanting to keep the HUD info as minimal as possible but it’d be nice if there was an option to display it.
Outpost building, which could have become a huge time waster, is instead very fiddly and awkward to the point many will just try it out for a while and then get bored, only using it as a dumping ground for storage. Ship Building is awkward but at least, on
Storage isn’t universally connected so if you put something in a container in a outpost or a owned location, it’s not going to count as having it for crafting and research.
Graphically very impressive, though unless your PC is something that is very high-end, it might struggle at ultra settings without a bit of tweaking. And if you’re using NVIDIA, you’re going to have to mod in DLSS support.
Romance happens very quickly, which can be quite jarring. But this can also be seen as a blessing as you get it out the way and have a companion that gives you emotional support (and not just a deadly companion who can act as a backup storage).
And there are times where the game can struggle to run smoothly with stuttering becoming a huge issue. This may be worse or non-existing depending on your PC set-up that said. But NVIDIA players seem to have it the worst.
Starfield might not be the great, amazing game yet. But the keyword is “yet” as it’s clear Bethesda are going to be supporting Starfield for a VERY long time and this is before we get into modding. It took a while for Skyrim to become a masterpiece and the same is for Starfield. And yes, you have a right to feel aggrieved that a game is released and has to be become what it “should” be down the road. But you can also see it as a journey, seeing it develop from a very good game to something that will become great, playing it again and again and seeing the differences.
Yes it has issues, no it’s not the second coming of gaming Jesus and no it’s not that wholly different from Skyrim and 3D Fallout games. But it is a lot of fun, it offers flexibility, not just in terms of approaching the game but scope as well (you can play for hours or just a quick session; either way you feel you made some progression) and it’s well worth experiencing now.
Rating: 8/10
2020
Cyberpunk 2077 Redeems Itself By Becoming The Great Game It Promised To Be Years Ago
When Cyberpunk 2077 was released two years ago, to massive hype, it was seen as a letdown. But make no mistake, Cyberpunk 2077 was not an awful game back then, merely a very good game that failed to promise to be a great game.
Two years later, with CDPR refusing to give into the negative press and call it a day, buckle down to make what they felt they should have released, eerily similar to The Witcher: Enhanced Edition. The result isn’t as night and day as their first break out title, but it’s noticeable enough to push it from a very good to a fantastic game.
This review won’t go in-depth into the changes, instead looking at it as if this was the first time someone played Cyberpunk 2077.
When it comes to presentation, Cyberpunk 2077 does a great job. Night city shows one side of the glitzy and glamorous city it prides itself on being as well as the dark and grimy (arguably the true version of Night City) thanks to excellent use of colours and shading, some really imaginative art and varied NPCs. It also helps that level design is pretty solid with very few locations looking the same.
So its a good thing that this all runs without having to need an ultra-expensive PC. There’s many graphical options that you can adjust so while some will need to sacrifice a few things, you can still get a good looking game that will play very smoothly. There is some odd bugs here and there but nothing game breaking and it’s doesn’t happen enough to factor into the game’s enjoyment.
The main cast is really well rounded, with excellent voices that really help show how they view their lives and Night City and they look pretty damn good (except for the feet. For some reason we’re still barely above 32-bit era in that regards) with the animation being on point, with the surprising highlight being their facials. This isn’t exaggerated gaming facials but ones that really do a solid job of just showing what the character is feeling about the moment or what has been said. And their personalities really do shine through, even with the ones you only interact with for a short moment. And the romance is really well done, feeling like it’s natural instead of rushed.
The music is excellent. Stand out is “Never Fade Away” by Samurai but there’s an excellent mix of genres (with many songs being a satirical stab at said genres) and the atmospheric pieces are perfect too. The ambient sounds are well done to.
Finally, it should be no surprise that CDPR have banged out a fantastic story with a lot of excellent world building via all kinds of missions and other side stuff, as well as the advertising and news bulletins you get and interacting with characters. No one is a saint but there are those who, even with selfish motives, are decent people at their core. To talk about it in-depth is potential for spoilers but one should not jump to assumptions about any situation or character until everything is played out.
So presentation is great, the story is fantastic but what about the gameplay?
Well thankfully it holds up well alongside the graphical and audio side. It’s nothing revolutionary and you don’t quite have the power fantasy element of say Skyrim but the fact you can switch around perks allows for a LOT of experimentation (tempered by the fact you can only switch stats around once) and also to somewhat undo a build you think isn’t working.
For those who like to be gung-ho, the combat itself is very fun with a fast pace that encourages you to be aggressive but also allows you to be mindful of your health and current situation and allow moments of retreat or to gather breathing room. You can even be an aggressive hacker. Stealth also allows various options and you can either be aggressive or take your time and slowly and carefully take enemies out without alerting them.
Overall you feel the power of becoming a legendary merc, who’s one man heroics feel earned as you continue to play and build up V.
Other good stuff include the photo mode being pretty damn good. It has odd hiccups and can be a bit fiddly to get the angle if your using the drone view but otherwise its really fun to capture what you view are key moments (or great views).
Also its neat that many missions are named after famous songs or other pop culture references.
So how about the negatives. Well they aren’t deal breakers more like “I wish…” kind of things.
It’d be nice if there was more romance options. The fact your choice is even more limited by your gender kind of sucks too. People may feel that quality over quantity would mean having more choice would dilute it, but CDPR have shown they are great at writing major and minor romances.
Vehicles are a missed opportunity and it would be great if there was more to do with them. The moments where you get to control a flying tank (The Basilisk) are few and far.
Another missed opportunity is lack of viewable fictional BD’s (at the very least being moddable.) There are many that are advertised but its a shame you can never view them.
The Wardrobe function is really nice but it is a bit finicky and the limited slots as well as you can’t change it on the fly is a bit restrictive. It can be fussy to create your ideal outfit as well. Still its a welcome addition
It would be nice if there was more ways to finish a main mission or side gig. Talking your way to completion would be really fun.
Crafting is pretty limited. Unless you really go out of your way, it’s really better to either loot or just do missions, where you will see that you will find or be rewarded some of the best stuff
A way to distract people without having to rely on a netrunner’s skills would be ideal as well.
At the end of the day though, these are very minor niggles that annoy you for a moment but disappear as you come to realize that Cyberpunk 2077 is a worthy Open-World game that fans of the genre should get to playing. Is it a masterpiece after all these years? Not quite but it’s been elevated to a great game and one of the best comebacks since No Man’s Sky.
Rating: 9/10
When Cyberpunk 2077 was released two years ago, to massive hype, it was seen as a letdown. But make no mistake, Cyberpunk 2077 was not an awful game back then, merely a very good game that failed to promise to be a great game.
Two years later, with CDPR refusing to give into the negative press and call it a day, buckle down to make what they felt they should have released, eerily similar to The Witcher: Enhanced Edition. The result isn’t as night and day as their first break out title, but it’s noticeable enough to push it from a very good to a fantastic game.
This review won’t go in-depth into the changes, instead looking at it as if this was the first time someone played Cyberpunk 2077.
When it comes to presentation, Cyberpunk 2077 does a great job. Night city shows one side of the glitzy and glamorous city it prides itself on being as well as the dark and grimy (arguably the true version of Night City) thanks to excellent use of colours and shading, some really imaginative art and varied NPCs. It also helps that level design is pretty solid with very few locations looking the same.
So its a good thing that this all runs without having to need an ultra-expensive PC. There’s many graphical options that you can adjust so while some will need to sacrifice a few things, you can still get a good looking game that will play very smoothly. There is some odd bugs here and there but nothing game breaking and it’s doesn’t happen enough to factor into the game’s enjoyment.
The main cast is really well rounded, with excellent voices that really help show how they view their lives and Night City and they look pretty damn good (except for the feet. For some reason we’re still barely above 32-bit era in that regards) with the animation being on point, with the surprising highlight being their facials. This isn’t exaggerated gaming facials but ones that really do a solid job of just showing what the character is feeling about the moment or what has been said. And their personalities really do shine through, even with the ones you only interact with for a short moment. And the romance is really well done, feeling like it’s natural instead of rushed.
The music is excellent. Stand out is “Never Fade Away” by Samurai but there’s an excellent mix of genres (with many songs being a satirical stab at said genres) and the atmospheric pieces are perfect too. The ambient sounds are well done to.
Finally, it should be no surprise that CDPR have banged out a fantastic story with a lot of excellent world building via all kinds of missions and other side stuff, as well as the advertising and news bulletins you get and interacting with characters. No one is a saint but there are those who, even with selfish motives, are decent people at their core. To talk about it in-depth is potential for spoilers but one should not jump to assumptions about any situation or character until everything is played out.
So presentation is great, the story is fantastic but what about the gameplay?
Well thankfully it holds up well alongside the graphical and audio side. It’s nothing revolutionary and you don’t quite have the power fantasy element of say Skyrim but the fact you can switch around perks allows for a LOT of experimentation (tempered by the fact you can only switch stats around once) and also to somewhat undo a build you think isn’t working.
For those who like to be gung-ho, the combat itself is very fun with a fast pace that encourages you to be aggressive but also allows you to be mindful of your health and current situation and allow moments of retreat or to gather breathing room. You can even be an aggressive hacker. Stealth also allows various options and you can either be aggressive or take your time and slowly and carefully take enemies out without alerting them.
Overall you feel the power of becoming a legendary merc, who’s one man heroics feel earned as you continue to play and build up V.
Other good stuff include the photo mode being pretty damn good. It has odd hiccups and can be a bit fiddly to get the angle if your using the drone view but otherwise its really fun to capture what you view are key moments (or great views).
Also its neat that many missions are named after famous songs or other pop culture references.
So how about the negatives. Well they aren’t deal breakers more like “I wish…” kind of things.
It’d be nice if there was more romance options. The fact your choice is even more limited by your gender kind of sucks too. People may feel that quality over quantity would mean having more choice would dilute it, but CDPR have shown they are great at writing major and minor romances.
Vehicles are a missed opportunity and it would be great if there was more to do with them. The moments where you get to control a flying tank (The Basilisk) are few and far.
Another missed opportunity is lack of viewable fictional BD’s (at the very least being moddable.) There are many that are advertised but its a shame you can never view them.
The Wardrobe function is really nice but it is a bit finicky and the limited slots as well as you can’t change it on the fly is a bit restrictive. It can be fussy to create your ideal outfit as well. Still its a welcome addition
It would be nice if there was more ways to finish a main mission or side gig. Talking your way to completion would be really fun.
Crafting is pretty limited. Unless you really go out of your way, it’s really better to either loot or just do missions, where you will see that you will find or be rewarded some of the best stuff
A way to distract people without having to rely on a netrunner’s skills would be ideal as well.
At the end of the day though, these are very minor niggles that annoy you for a moment but disappear as you come to realize that Cyberpunk 2077 is a worthy Open-World game that fans of the genre should get to playing. Is it a masterpiece after all these years? Not quite but it’s been elevated to a great game and one of the best comebacks since No Man’s Sky.
Rating: 9/10