Crit_Nerd
2022
From a gameplay perspective? Incredibly fun, especially since I didn't play the first game too much. The grind, for new players, especially is not worth it at all. Grinding matches to get the whole roster back is absolute bullshit, especially since there's a mode where heroes are randomized and you don't have to own them to use them. The nature of acquiring cosmetics is basically an uphill battle where Blizzard wants you to just throw money because the grind is too long. It's predatory and it's incredibly unfair. Other games with this model are doing it way better than them and it's a shame to see it stoop this low. I only have an interest because the core gameplay is free to play and that's it.
Solid platformer, although the first game definitely had it's finicky problems such as requiring being pixels apart from enemies to grab them. Also not a huge fan of easy mode equaling infinite lives. It should have been a toggle. I can understand how these would have been beloved games back in the day. If somehow this gets a sequel, I'd be intrigued.
This review contains spoilers
This is pre story DLC thoughts. There's a lot I love about this game. The gameplay and side quests are the best in the series. The main party is great. The premise has a strong hook to it, especially having played the previous entries. The biggest problem with this game is the way its narrative ends. It feels likes the game hits the peak in the end of Chapter 5/beginning of Chapter 6 and nothing really hits that mark again. Chapter 7 required some backtracking and having characters show up that make it feel like padding. The final boss battle is epic, such, but it's incredibly drawn out and dying part way through it puts you back at the beginning again. I remember being upset with how the story ended because it felt like I missed something, but this detail is mentioned exclusively in a post game quest that requires beating the game. I think it works well with the story that's being told, but it feels more like it an ends on a sizzle rather than a bang, despite trying its best to go for biggest scope possible. Despite this not being my favorite game, it's incredibly strong. Let's see how the DLC pans out.
I don't think it's fair to give this a number rating considering I didn't get too far into it. It felt near impossible to find a rhythm with the movement and every time I thought I had it, I would die. The lives system is an archaic thing that didn't need to be in this game. There aren't many games that have me just stop like this, but it was clear after a few hours of trying to beat the first game in the trilogy that I wasn't going to be enjoying myself, so why should I power through it? Not everything works and I'm glad I got this on sale. On to the next game...
It's more Cuphead. Ms. Chalice adds a new way to play the game. The visuals and music are wonderful. What else needs to be said?
2018
This improves on the original in every way. The movement and combat are more versatile. The story embraces the ridiculousness and is filled with funny dialogue. It also looks great visually. This is how sequels need to be handled.
A fun Metroidvania. Having the powers being incorporated in the combat was great. The dialogue is hilarious. It's executed well.
2007
Played this on Mario 3D All Stars on Switch. There's no denying the level designs are incredibly creative. I think the biggest thing were the controls and despite being an improvement over the Wii version (From what I've heard), it felt like I was fighting the game constantly. I think this was the game that made me realize I'm not a 3D Mario guy, and that's okay.
2014
A step up from Bastion on nearly every level. The way combat is handled fits the sci-fi setting well and it's a lot of fun trying to optimize your turn. The story is a lot more engaging as well. It's a quick play, and I think I got through this quicker than Bastion. I think that's due to the linear nature of it, but I think I do want to try this again at some point. This has me looking forward to Hades.
I bought this game years ago and then just stopped. I started a new game as I wasn't far into it in my original save. It's a really cool concept in terms of movement and the Metroidvania aspect was enjoyable. I love the look of it and the soundtrack was decent. Even when I found a groove with the movement, it was exploring the later portions of the game that became tedious. I liked it, didn't love it.
2021
I have a great admiration for these developers taking the clear inspiration from Fire Emblem and making slight tweaks to make this experience different. That being said, halfway through this game, I find myself tired because I felt I was under leveled. You need to be constantly upgrading, which I feel that should have been done through leveling up instead of using resources. The maps are way too big. The soundtrack is forgettable. It was a nice thing to hold me over while waiting for the next FE game at least.
My roommate and I had a blast playing this game. The levels are so well designed and being able to upgrade copy abilities adds a lot to the feeling of progression throughout the game. The post game adds a surprising amount of challenge despite the main story being a breeze. One of my favorites of 2022 so far.
2011
I wanted to try other games from this developer, especially since Hades was getting such stellar reviews (Still on backlog currently). It's clear that the roots of that gameplay take hold. It's got a great artstyle and soundtrack. Gameplay is acceptable and I enjoy the different weapon types. It was enjoyable for what it was.
Having enjoyed the first game, this one improves on nearly every aspect. The combat is much more fun. The chase sequences are shortened. The artstyle looks gorgeous and is backed by a wonderful score. The movement is so slick and fun so despite the many deaths, I wanted to keep playing. This will be one I will replay at some point.
I had never played an Animal Crossing game before this, and it arrived at a pivotal time. I took the gamble and it paid off. It was a fantastic experience hanging out with friends seeing our islands grow. Since this was my first game, I didn't nothing things that were missing, but it was clear as time went on that the game loses a lot of momentum once you've hit the endgame. I did as much as I could stretch it out. I remodeled my island, I tried going for my favorite villager designs, I collected the bugs, fish, sea creatures, and art. During that process, it shows how grindy this game can be. The fact that bulk crafting never happened is a baffling choice from my perspective. Getting art was a huge pain and I had to use Nookazon to complete my collection and this was after the 2.0 update. This game holds a lot of meaning to me, but time does begin to show its problems. Hoping the next game can smooth these issues out, although I also feel like this game should have been supported for much longer.