BlackStarGaben
BACKER
2002
A Worthy Follow-Up To Super Metroid
Metroid Fusion sees you take control of everyone’s favourite galactic female bounty hunter, Samus Aran, as she battles against her deadliest enemy. Herself. Kind of.
Its quickly clear to see that when you boot up Metroid Fusion, it’s quite the muscle flex for the GBA. Visually, this game is an advancement from Super Metroid (which was no slouch in the visual department) with many locations, even in the same sector, having different backgrounds. This also leads to Samus abilities looking much more impressive. And while the music is more of a mixed bag, with it being decent but lacking the oomph and atmospheric feel of Super Metroid, it’s at least its clear, considering how much of a bad reputation the GBA had for audio, and overall it’s still decent (though there is no fanfare when you get the missiles, power bomb or energy tanks, which is a shame.)
Gameplay is less of an evolution but this is no bad thing. The limited buttons could have led to something messy, but aside from a few quirks such as aiming down to shoot can be quite fiddly and speed boosting feeling weird (as there is no run button so you just keep “walking” uninterrupted until Samus just starts charging,) the controls are still very solid overall, with Nintendo finding intuitive ways of executing Missile and Power Bomb attacks. There is some nifty things like Samus being able to ledge grab, which makes platforming and some locations less of a pain and Wall jumping is MUCH easier.
This time, Samus is exploring the Biologic Space Labs Research Station and of course, because of circumstances (and this being a MetroidVania) we have to find abilities to help us progress further and permanent power-ups to helps her survive. Because even early game enemies hit hard here. Where in Super Metroid you could be a little careless in the early game, here it can cost you really quick. While being speedy is essential to get the “best” ending.
Samus is aided by a computer, nicknamed “Adam”, and he gives Samus orders. These orders are basically the game telling us where to go and while there’s a certain puzzle-like nature to how you end up getting to your destination. This leads to Metroid Fusion feeling a lot more linear in nature and less scope for you explore. There is a lot more secret passageways to find on the way to your “directives” so its not totally going from a to b but there’s less figuring out how to explore the Research Station. There is also the fact that most of the abilities you regain are the ones from Super Metroid, though not an issue if this is the first Metroid game you’ve played.
And this leads to probably the biggest issue, aside from the linearity; it can feel like a Super Metroid re-hash. A damn excellent one mind you but it has that familiarity that can make it feel not as special as Super Metroid (though again, if you haven’t played the SNES masterpiece, it’s not an issue.)
And really, Metroid Fusion is a fantastic game that any Metroid or MetroidVania fan should play. The emphasis on plot, with mini cutscenes or dialogues that give this more than just a Samus vs alien organism feel to it, is a nice inclusion and the gameplay is excellent.
A worthy game in the stacked GBA library.
Rating: 8/10
Metroid Fusion sees you take control of everyone’s favourite galactic female bounty hunter, Samus Aran, as she battles against her deadliest enemy. Herself. Kind of.
Its quickly clear to see that when you boot up Metroid Fusion, it’s quite the muscle flex for the GBA. Visually, this game is an advancement from Super Metroid (which was no slouch in the visual department) with many locations, even in the same sector, having different backgrounds. This also leads to Samus abilities looking much more impressive. And while the music is more of a mixed bag, with it being decent but lacking the oomph and atmospheric feel of Super Metroid, it’s at least its clear, considering how much of a bad reputation the GBA had for audio, and overall it’s still decent (though there is no fanfare when you get the missiles, power bomb or energy tanks, which is a shame.)
Gameplay is less of an evolution but this is no bad thing. The limited buttons could have led to something messy, but aside from a few quirks such as aiming down to shoot can be quite fiddly and speed boosting feeling weird (as there is no run button so you just keep “walking” uninterrupted until Samus just starts charging,) the controls are still very solid overall, with Nintendo finding intuitive ways of executing Missile and Power Bomb attacks. There is some nifty things like Samus being able to ledge grab, which makes platforming and some locations less of a pain and Wall jumping is MUCH easier.
This time, Samus is exploring the Biologic Space Labs Research Station and of course, because of circumstances (and this being a MetroidVania) we have to find abilities to help us progress further and permanent power-ups to helps her survive. Because even early game enemies hit hard here. Where in Super Metroid you could be a little careless in the early game, here it can cost you really quick. While being speedy is essential to get the “best” ending.
Samus is aided by a computer, nicknamed “Adam”, and he gives Samus orders. These orders are basically the game telling us where to go and while there’s a certain puzzle-like nature to how you end up getting to your destination. This leads to Metroid Fusion feeling a lot more linear in nature and less scope for you explore. There is a lot more secret passageways to find on the way to your “directives” so its not totally going from a to b but there’s less figuring out how to explore the Research Station. There is also the fact that most of the abilities you regain are the ones from Super Metroid, though not an issue if this is the first Metroid game you’ve played.
And this leads to probably the biggest issue, aside from the linearity; it can feel like a Super Metroid re-hash. A damn excellent one mind you but it has that familiarity that can make it feel not as special as Super Metroid (though again, if you haven’t played the SNES masterpiece, it’s not an issue.)
And really, Metroid Fusion is a fantastic game that any Metroid or MetroidVania fan should play. The emphasis on plot, with mini cutscenes or dialogues that give this more than just a Samus vs alien organism feel to it, is a nice inclusion and the gameplay is excellent.
A worthy game in the stacked GBA library.
Rating: 8/10
1994
The First Lady Of MetroidVania's Exceptional SNES Title Still Holds Up Brilliantly 29 Years On
What can be said about Super Metroid that hasn’t already been mentioned? Well nothing but lets just go remind ourselves why this Super Nintendo masterpiece is...well a masterpiece!
This game still looks great. The effective colour choices, the shading, glowing events, design (environments and enemies) each make areas feel different, There is the issue that tile sets can be similar and of course palate swaps of the same enemy appear. But this does. There is some slowdown when things get hectic but this is to be expected from the 16-bit era and it happens so infrequently its not an issue.
This is backed up by a damn good soundtrack, helping setting the mood that you’re in a hostile location on your own and (most of the time) underground, going deeper with each new ability you find and boss you destroy. The sound effects are also solid, with the big “woosh” from the smart bombs being awesome.
The controls are overall tight and responsive. Aside from Wall-Jumping. Wall-jumping is a pain to execute, especially for those use to wall-jumping mechanics from other games. The timing and inputs are quite strict. It’s thankfully not necessary to master. Some may find Samus’ jump float, making small tight jumps or tricky jumps that bit harder but in the grand scheme, the controls do the job right.
Of course, the gameplay also holds up well. Like any MetroidVania worth its salt (after all, alongside Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, this did help popularise the (still going strong) trend), it puts a smile on your face when you use new abilities, unlock an area/item early or find a secret. The difficulty is not too hard, though there’s some difficulty spikes but nothing absurd. And boss battles are tense but have room for brute force if you’ve prepared enough.
Because it’s one of the firsts in the genre, its might not feel quite as refined as later games in the genre and it can be somewhat tough if you’re use to more forgiving entries. But overall its still a damn great game to experience and comes very highly recommended. There are many good reasons its considered a masterpiece than and a masterpiece now.
Rating: 10/10
What can be said about Super Metroid that hasn’t already been mentioned? Well nothing but lets just go remind ourselves why this Super Nintendo masterpiece is...well a masterpiece!
This game still looks great. The effective colour choices, the shading, glowing events, design (environments and enemies) each make areas feel different, There is the issue that tile sets can be similar and of course palate swaps of the same enemy appear. But this does. There is some slowdown when things get hectic but this is to be expected from the 16-bit era and it happens so infrequently its not an issue.
This is backed up by a damn good soundtrack, helping setting the mood that you’re in a hostile location on your own and (most of the time) underground, going deeper with each new ability you find and boss you destroy. The sound effects are also solid, with the big “woosh” from the smart bombs being awesome.
The controls are overall tight and responsive. Aside from Wall-Jumping. Wall-jumping is a pain to execute, especially for those use to wall-jumping mechanics from other games. The timing and inputs are quite strict. It’s thankfully not necessary to master. Some may find Samus’ jump float, making small tight jumps or tricky jumps that bit harder but in the grand scheme, the controls do the job right.
Of course, the gameplay also holds up well. Like any MetroidVania worth its salt (after all, alongside Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, this did help popularise the (still going strong) trend), it puts a smile on your face when you use new abilities, unlock an area/item early or find a secret. The difficulty is not too hard, though there’s some difficulty spikes but nothing absurd. And boss battles are tense but have room for brute force if you’ve prepared enough.
Because it’s one of the firsts in the genre, its might not feel quite as refined as later games in the genre and it can be somewhat tough if you’re use to more forgiving entries. But overall its still a damn great game to experience and comes very highly recommended. There are many good reasons its considered a masterpiece than and a masterpiece now.
Rating: 10/10
2019
Yakuza 5 Remastered Reminds People How The Franchise Continued To Grow And Improve
Yakuza 4 Remastered saw the franchise get back on track after Yakuza 3 Remastered was a slight misstep. Yakuza 5 Remastered continues that trend, being a quality offering that will leave Ryu Ga Gotoko fans satisfied once they’ve had their fill of Kazama Kiryu and co.
First off, Yakuza 5 Remastered looks pretty fantastic. It’s clearly a step up from Yakuza 4 Remastered and Sega were doing all they could to crank out a quality looking game. Graphics are sharp and more vibrant. There is still pop-up issues that said and while it’s quaint to see some restaurants you enter use pre-rendered backgrounds, it does take away a little from the overall presentation. But overall this is still an impressive game to look at. The cities, Kamarucho, Tsukimino, Sotenbori, Kinecho and Kamurocho, have their distinct look and feel, especially Tsukimino because its taking place during Christmas.
The UI interface has once again been tightened up. They’ve decreased the sizes of text and boxes but it’s still very readable and just as importantly allows you to see and view more. Plus it looks really slick and impressive.. There is still has that weird design choices such as only being able to select one item at a time mechanic e.g. when getting reward items from a store) and now you can’t advanced conversations with the B/Circle button meaning you can easily select an option you don’t want, making it somewhat easier to fail sub-stories/sub-missions.
This is all topped off by the fantastic music with a lot of emotional scores, as well as diverse ranges you expect from the series (playing as Haruka will expose you to some catchy bangers). Another audio triumph us that we now have speech for the majority of the important in-game scenes. It makes the story seem that much more important.
Once again we are now playing as not just Kiryu, but as three other characters; charismatic money Lender Shun Akiyama, gruff but kind-hearted Taiga Saejima, the naive but determined adopted daughter of Kiryu, Haruka Sawamura, with dreams of being a Japanese Idol and newcomer, disgraced former baseball player, the somewhat sleazy but lovable Tatsuo Shinada. Once again we have different fighting styles with Kiryu being the all-rounded powerhouse, Akiyama being speedy and technical, Saejima with strong man moves and great crowd control and Shinada with weird grappler style backed up by being a weapon master of sorts.
This sees the side-stories back. Similar to Yakuza 4 Remastered, but they are much more involved. Kiryu drives a Taxi (it makes sense in context) in not just getting fares but also providing customer service via conversations and engaging in speed racing (again, it makes sense in context,) Saejima gets to go hunting! Haruka goes through the trials and tribulations of being a Pop Idol and new character Tatsuo Shinada rediscovers his baseball groove (and makes the baseball mini-game fun!) Only Akiyama lacks one. At least he gets a dance battle against an old lady as a sub-story.
In terms of story, Shinada may seem like an odd duck, but as per Yakuza game, he ends up fitting well and its another interesting well-executed story with the usual Yakuza story beats; you kind of know what to expect but you still feel rewarded for going through it. The main story cutscenes are longer than usual but they don’t feel dragged out.
Gameplay has been refined once again. We’re now using a hybrid of Yakuza 3 Remastered and Yakuza 4 Remastered experience system; With now having to choose from Soul, Tech, Body and Heat to increase (Yakuza 3 Remastered) but instead of spending experience points, you now spend soul orbs you gain from levelling up (Yakuza 4 Remastered). While it’s somewhat restrictive compared to Yakuza 4 Remastered, it’s nowhere as bad as it was for Yakuza 3 Remastered, thanks to experience points gain being less stingy. That said, you can’t max out your level until the late game (and only if you complete a sidequest) so it can be frustrating to see your growth stall.
Speaking of levels, you now have “weapon skills” that gain levels depending on how much you use them. Not only do you do more damage the higher the level, but it’s required to use many weapons with have a level requirement. This actually encourages you to NOT avoid fights, as many places will have a weapon of some kind to build up those vital experience and unlock cooler and much more useful weapons, but to also use weapons you own constantly, even the least effective ones and not just chuck em away once you’ve done their heat actions. A nice improvement is that each character can now use all weapons. Some characters start with levels in different weapons categories.
This ties into the modding which is less of a hassle. Now you can repair and reload more than one item at a time. Now Kamiyama does everything, rather than having to run around different vendors trying to find bits and pieces. You have to unlock his wares through investment but this brings a happy medium of working towards unlocking powerful and effective equipment while not sandbagging you and making it feel restrictive as it did in Yakuza 3 remastered (and to a lesser extent, Yakuza 4 Remastered.) That said, you still have to wait till near end-game to fully take advantage of it. At least now you can fix weapons without having to go to the modding shop!
The main meat of the game, combat, is much faster. Enemies encounter happen either almost instantly or at the very least a lot more quickly (no more weird dialogue from enemies to fight you), it feels faster and the heat Actions are revamped for the better. They look more visceral and violent and there’s more of them, with weapons sometimes having more than just one Heat Action belonging to it. There’s also some new mechanics which is nice, with the Dragon Spirit making Kiryu go all Super Saiyan for a limited time, as well as activating (for him and the other playable characters) a Super Extreme move that does good damage (but it’s held back by the fact that its a pain to refill, relying on doing heat actions, meaning its best for bosses or really tough encounters)
There is some additional quality of life improvements with combat; It’s easier to avoid being thrown by enemies, they can now be targeted by weapons on the ground and you can pocket
However, we have something different. Enter Haruka Sawamura, the adopted daughter of Kiryu. For the first time, we control her in her own exciting journey and story. Does she take on guys twice her size and beat them down like fools? Well no. Instead Haruka’s scenario focuses on her rise to being a Japanese Idol in the music industry. Cue Dance battles, concert singing, handshake events and even miscellaneous side gigs like interviews, quizzes and being in a show panel. While its nice beating the crap out of thugs and smug villains, its relaxing and refreshing to see this side of the story. Of course, it being a Yakuza game, its not smooth sailing and has the usual tense, whiplash and bittersweet moments alongside the positive upbeat moments.
The substories for each characters feel a lot more involving, not just gameplay wise but story wise too. As stated in past reviews, they feel like the soul of the Ryu Ga Gotoko games and each instalment seems to improve on them and Yakuza 5 Remastered is no different. A nice handy addition is there is now markers for where they are (as well as where to go next). It may take the exploration fun out of finding them but for others, it can feel like making doing them less frustration.
Really the biggest drawbacks with Yakuza 5 Remastered are the usual pains with any Yakuza game before this one; weird design choices, some mini-games being just pure pain, save points being far apart making doing so a hassle.
But Yakuza 5 Remastered has shown that Sega can put love and care into an established franchise such as the Ryu Ga Gotoko games, trying new things, learning from past mistakes and still making sure it carries that insane charm, energy and great execution, it’s still a joy to play.
Rating 9/10
Yakuza 4 Remastered saw the franchise get back on track after Yakuza 3 Remastered was a slight misstep. Yakuza 5 Remastered continues that trend, being a quality offering that will leave Ryu Ga Gotoko fans satisfied once they’ve had their fill of Kazama Kiryu and co.
First off, Yakuza 5 Remastered looks pretty fantastic. It’s clearly a step up from Yakuza 4 Remastered and Sega were doing all they could to crank out a quality looking game. Graphics are sharp and more vibrant. There is still pop-up issues that said and while it’s quaint to see some restaurants you enter use pre-rendered backgrounds, it does take away a little from the overall presentation. But overall this is still an impressive game to look at. The cities, Kamarucho, Tsukimino, Sotenbori, Kinecho and Kamurocho, have their distinct look and feel, especially Tsukimino because its taking place during Christmas.
The UI interface has once again been tightened up. They’ve decreased the sizes of text and boxes but it’s still very readable and just as importantly allows you to see and view more. Plus it looks really slick and impressive.. There is still has that weird design choices such as only being able to select one item at a time mechanic e.g. when getting reward items from a store) and now you can’t advanced conversations with the B/Circle button meaning you can easily select an option you don’t want, making it somewhat easier to fail sub-stories/sub-missions.
This is all topped off by the fantastic music with a lot of emotional scores, as well as diverse ranges you expect from the series (playing as Haruka will expose you to some catchy bangers). Another audio triumph us that we now have speech for the majority of the important in-game scenes. It makes the story seem that much more important.
Once again we are now playing as not just Kiryu, but as three other characters; charismatic money Lender Shun Akiyama, gruff but kind-hearted Taiga Saejima, the naive but determined adopted daughter of Kiryu, Haruka Sawamura, with dreams of being a Japanese Idol and newcomer, disgraced former baseball player, the somewhat sleazy but lovable Tatsuo Shinada. Once again we have different fighting styles with Kiryu being the all-rounded powerhouse, Akiyama being speedy and technical, Saejima with strong man moves and great crowd control and Shinada with weird grappler style backed up by being a weapon master of sorts.
This sees the side-stories back. Similar to Yakuza 4 Remastered, but they are much more involved. Kiryu drives a Taxi (it makes sense in context) in not just getting fares but also providing customer service via conversations and engaging in speed racing (again, it makes sense in context,) Saejima gets to go hunting! Haruka goes through the trials and tribulations of being a Pop Idol and new character Tatsuo Shinada rediscovers his baseball groove (and makes the baseball mini-game fun!) Only Akiyama lacks one. At least he gets a dance battle against an old lady as a sub-story.
In terms of story, Shinada may seem like an odd duck, but as per Yakuza game, he ends up fitting well and its another interesting well-executed story with the usual Yakuza story beats; you kind of know what to expect but you still feel rewarded for going through it. The main story cutscenes are longer than usual but they don’t feel dragged out.
Gameplay has been refined once again. We’re now using a hybrid of Yakuza 3 Remastered and Yakuza 4 Remastered experience system; With now having to choose from Soul, Tech, Body and Heat to increase (Yakuza 3 Remastered) but instead of spending experience points, you now spend soul orbs you gain from levelling up (Yakuza 4 Remastered). While it’s somewhat restrictive compared to Yakuza 4 Remastered, it’s nowhere as bad as it was for Yakuza 3 Remastered, thanks to experience points gain being less stingy. That said, you can’t max out your level until the late game (and only if you complete a sidequest) so it can be frustrating to see your growth stall.
Speaking of levels, you now have “weapon skills” that gain levels depending on how much you use them. Not only do you do more damage the higher the level, but it’s required to use many weapons with have a level requirement. This actually encourages you to NOT avoid fights, as many places will have a weapon of some kind to build up those vital experience and unlock cooler and much more useful weapons, but to also use weapons you own constantly, even the least effective ones and not just chuck em away once you’ve done their heat actions. A nice improvement is that each character can now use all weapons. Some characters start with levels in different weapons categories.
This ties into the modding which is less of a hassle. Now you can repair and reload more than one item at a time. Now Kamiyama does everything, rather than having to run around different vendors trying to find bits and pieces. You have to unlock his wares through investment but this brings a happy medium of working towards unlocking powerful and effective equipment while not sandbagging you and making it feel restrictive as it did in Yakuza 3 remastered (and to a lesser extent, Yakuza 4 Remastered.) That said, you still have to wait till near end-game to fully take advantage of it. At least now you can fix weapons without having to go to the modding shop!
The main meat of the game, combat, is much faster. Enemies encounter happen either almost instantly or at the very least a lot more quickly (no more weird dialogue from enemies to fight you), it feels faster and the heat Actions are revamped for the better. They look more visceral and violent and there’s more of them, with weapons sometimes having more than just one Heat Action belonging to it. There’s also some new mechanics which is nice, with the Dragon Spirit making Kiryu go all Super Saiyan for a limited time, as well as activating (for him and the other playable characters) a Super Extreme move that does good damage (but it’s held back by the fact that its a pain to refill, relying on doing heat actions, meaning its best for bosses or really tough encounters)
There is some additional quality of life improvements with combat; It’s easier to avoid being thrown by enemies, they can now be targeted by weapons on the ground and you can pocket
However, we have something different. Enter Haruka Sawamura, the adopted daughter of Kiryu. For the first time, we control her in her own exciting journey and story. Does she take on guys twice her size and beat them down like fools? Well no. Instead Haruka’s scenario focuses on her rise to being a Japanese Idol in the music industry. Cue Dance battles, concert singing, handshake events and even miscellaneous side gigs like interviews, quizzes and being in a show panel. While its nice beating the crap out of thugs and smug villains, its relaxing and refreshing to see this side of the story. Of course, it being a Yakuza game, its not smooth sailing and has the usual tense, whiplash and bittersweet moments alongside the positive upbeat moments.
The substories for each characters feel a lot more involving, not just gameplay wise but story wise too. As stated in past reviews, they feel like the soul of the Ryu Ga Gotoko games and each instalment seems to improve on them and Yakuza 5 Remastered is no different. A nice handy addition is there is now markers for where they are (as well as where to go next). It may take the exploration fun out of finding them but for others, it can feel like making doing them less frustration.
Really the biggest drawbacks with Yakuza 5 Remastered are the usual pains with any Yakuza game before this one; weird design choices, some mini-games being just pure pain, save points being far apart making doing so a hassle.
But Yakuza 5 Remastered has shown that Sega can put love and care into an established franchise such as the Ryu Ga Gotoko games, trying new things, learning from past mistakes and still making sure it carries that insane charm, energy and great execution, it’s still a joy to play.
Rating 9/10
An Engaging And Brutally Emotional Spy-Thriller
The first (and last) major DLC for Cyberpunk 2077 from CDPR, Phantom Liberty sees V given a lifeline in regards to surviving the life-ending degradation brought on by the Relic. The mission? To save the president of the NUSA from Dogtown kaiser, Kurt Hansen. Of course, this being Cyberpunk 2077 and a spy-thriller story, its never that simple.
To go into details would spoil the amazing narrative that CDPR have cocooned and manifested but suffice to say it’s fantastic what they have done. The Opening of Phantom Liberty to the opening title being displayed is one of the best intros to a video game. Up there with God of War 2’s opening level. And it’s not afraid to gut punch you. Several times. Then kick you in the balls. Several times. And then curb stomp you as you lay withering on the ground. Several times. Phantom Liberty drives home the fact that there is always a price for what someone wants and its rarely cheap.
The characters are fantastic and every engaging and again even minor ones have a charm and personality that makes them memorable. Again, no one is a saint but selfish/bad motives don’t make a person evil or unlikeable. Idris Elba, as Solomon Reed is indeed the star of the show but he does not outshine and leave the rest of talent to be inferior and its a testament to CDPR’s direction (and Elba’s talent to be grounded and allow others to breathe) that this is pulled off. Other positives things are nice call backs and cameos (depending on how far you got in the base game, Muamar “El Captain” Reyes gets a nice “day in the spotlight” quest if you do enough of the annoying car jacking side hustle (more on that later) and Mr. Hands becoming more of a presence and being fleshed out too. And of course the world building is awesome.
Visually Phantom Liberty is amazing, as to be expected. Dogtown really does stand out on its own as a different location. Whereas Night City hid its grime beneath bright lights, here Dogtown shows it off with pride while still offering false (or pricey) hope with the few locations that aren’t gone to hell. Another notable location is Night City International and Translunar Spaceport (NCX) with gorgeous bright colours that just revel in the beauty and vanity of space travel. Even the roads leading to it have a quiet beauty to them.
Credit should also go to the visual work with the key NPCs (as well as those were important to any degree in the base game) is fantastic. The expressions Reed does sell just how he’s feeling more than words could.
Add to fantastic set-pieces and cinematic-style events (which make for some great shots via photo mode) and well lets just say the amount of time you’ll be tempted to use photo mode is very, very high.
Music is on point. One is only half-joking if they said the best bond music is the end-credits theme for Phantom Liberty
Gameplay wise, not much has changed (for obvious reasons) but what’s new is interesting. New loot and the increased chance to get more powerful loot via “Airdrops” is awesome. There’s also additional challenging “Criminal Activity” that is fun and a little tense (though with the right build, is not that hard) and worth it for the loot.
There’s also a new mission involving involving vehicles with Muamar “El Captain” Reyes side gig of car-jacking and delivering vehicles. It starts out novel but gets really aggravating. Worse is you can’t save mid-mission (unless you cheese it by getting out of the vehicle). It’s less of a pain if your running a netrunner build that has the ability to affect vehicles but overall its a pain and something of a missed opportunity. This leads to the fact that exiting Dogtown by car gets tedious. Thankfully you will only have to do this via the above side-gig.
The Relic system, which sees you gain points to choose from abilities that enhance your playstyle is a mixed bag. What it offers is good but there’s just too few, even when considering a “quality over quantity” standpoint. Makes hunting Relic machines only worthwhile for achievement and 100% hunters, as you’ll bump into enough of them without even trying (plus a key character gives you some for free)
Outside of that, the only really other noteworthy gameplay criticism is a forced stealth section you encounter if you go after certain endings. Though it’s tempered by the fact that 1) it’s really well done, being very tense and legit scary and 2) saving is actually quite generous, so messing up won’t set you back. It can be a bit puzzling to figure out what to do but overall I think the good and bad balance each other out.
Phantom Liberty, alone for the story, is a must play. The execution is well done and very memorable. The fact it’s backed up by excellent gameplay just makes this one hell of a DLC.
Rating: 9/10
The first (and last) major DLC for Cyberpunk 2077 from CDPR, Phantom Liberty sees V given a lifeline in regards to surviving the life-ending degradation brought on by the Relic. The mission? To save the president of the NUSA from Dogtown kaiser, Kurt Hansen. Of course, this being Cyberpunk 2077 and a spy-thriller story, its never that simple.
To go into details would spoil the amazing narrative that CDPR have cocooned and manifested but suffice to say it’s fantastic what they have done. The Opening of Phantom Liberty to the opening title being displayed is one of the best intros to a video game. Up there with God of War 2’s opening level. And it’s not afraid to gut punch you. Several times. Then kick you in the balls. Several times. And then curb stomp you as you lay withering on the ground. Several times. Phantom Liberty drives home the fact that there is always a price for what someone wants and its rarely cheap.
The characters are fantastic and every engaging and again even minor ones have a charm and personality that makes them memorable. Again, no one is a saint but selfish/bad motives don’t make a person evil or unlikeable. Idris Elba, as Solomon Reed is indeed the star of the show but he does not outshine and leave the rest of talent to be inferior and its a testament to CDPR’s direction (and Elba’s talent to be grounded and allow others to breathe) that this is pulled off. Other positives things are nice call backs and cameos (depending on how far you got in the base game, Muamar “El Captain” Reyes gets a nice “day in the spotlight” quest if you do enough of the annoying car jacking side hustle (more on that later) and Mr. Hands becoming more of a presence and being fleshed out too. And of course the world building is awesome.
Visually Phantom Liberty is amazing, as to be expected. Dogtown really does stand out on its own as a different location. Whereas Night City hid its grime beneath bright lights, here Dogtown shows it off with pride while still offering false (or pricey) hope with the few locations that aren’t gone to hell. Another notable location is Night City International and Translunar Spaceport (NCX) with gorgeous bright colours that just revel in the beauty and vanity of space travel. Even the roads leading to it have a quiet beauty to them.
Credit should also go to the visual work with the key NPCs (as well as those were important to any degree in the base game) is fantastic. The expressions Reed does sell just how he’s feeling more than words could.
Add to fantastic set-pieces and cinematic-style events (which make for some great shots via photo mode) and well lets just say the amount of time you’ll be tempted to use photo mode is very, very high.
Music is on point. One is only half-joking if they said the best bond music is the end-credits theme for Phantom Liberty
Gameplay wise, not much has changed (for obvious reasons) but what’s new is interesting. New loot and the increased chance to get more powerful loot via “Airdrops” is awesome. There’s also additional challenging “Criminal Activity” that is fun and a little tense (though with the right build, is not that hard) and worth it for the loot.
There’s also a new mission involving involving vehicles with Muamar “El Captain” Reyes side gig of car-jacking and delivering vehicles. It starts out novel but gets really aggravating. Worse is you can’t save mid-mission (unless you cheese it by getting out of the vehicle). It’s less of a pain if your running a netrunner build that has the ability to affect vehicles but overall its a pain and something of a missed opportunity. This leads to the fact that exiting Dogtown by car gets tedious. Thankfully you will only have to do this via the above side-gig.
The Relic system, which sees you gain points to choose from abilities that enhance your playstyle is a mixed bag. What it offers is good but there’s just too few, even when considering a “quality over quantity” standpoint. Makes hunting Relic machines only worthwhile for achievement and 100% hunters, as you’ll bump into enough of them without even trying (plus a key character gives you some for free)
Outside of that, the only really other noteworthy gameplay criticism is a forced stealth section you encounter if you go after certain endings. Though it’s tempered by the fact that 1) it’s really well done, being very tense and legit scary and 2) saving is actually quite generous, so messing up won’t set you back. It can be a bit puzzling to figure out what to do but overall I think the good and bad balance each other out.
Phantom Liberty, alone for the story, is a must play. The execution is well done and very memorable. The fact it’s backed up by excellent gameplay just makes this one hell of a DLC.
Rating: 9/10
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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