DPN137
2009
The majority of the time, I will play a video game once and never touch it again, But 'Demon's Souls' is an experience that forces me to break free of the tendency to treat games as a disposable pastime.
It's a nearly perfect game and I look forward to going back and playing it again soon.
It's a nearly perfect game and I look forward to going back and playing it again soon.
This has aged better than the first game in terms of actual gameplay, it just feels more fluid. Unfortunately, it is quite a bit shorter and some of the cutscenes are not skippable, so you have to stomach this ridiculously boring plot.
Also, the final boss fight is the worst combination of takes forever while not being a challenge at all. It doesn't help that between those struggles, it also has a QTE every minute where the Starkiller clone screams and yells.
Also, the final boss fight is the worst combination of takes forever while not being a challenge at all. It doesn't help that between those struggles, it also has a QTE every minute where the Starkiller clone screams and yells.
Time comes for us all, but good riddance to QTEs.
Just a very frustrating game. For me, if you're making a sports game it needs to be pick up and play, with gameplay that flows relatively uninterrupted. This has about a hundred loading screens and cutscenes in the early stages that I played.
It doesn't help that when you actually get into playing the game that the gameplay itself is so frustrating and unrewarding, there's absolutely nothing satisfying about scoring a goal, making a tackle or even completing a pass.
I suppose the argument could be made that this is an arcade game first, but frankly, games like FIFA and PES aren't exactly football simulation are they? They strike a balance and despite their moral flaws from a business perspective, at least they create a flow in their gameplay that can be satisfying from time to time.
Truly one of the poorest games I've played in a long while.
It doesn't help that when you actually get into playing the game that the gameplay itself is so frustrating and unrewarding, there's absolutely nothing satisfying about scoring a goal, making a tackle or even completing a pass.
I suppose the argument could be made that this is an arcade game first, but frankly, games like FIFA and PES aren't exactly football simulation are they? They strike a balance and despite their moral flaws from a business perspective, at least they create a flow in their gameplay that can be satisfying from time to time.
Truly one of the poorest games I've played in a long while.
2018
I really like the Forza Horizon series. I like it so much that I've played all the games and just in case you're interested, here is my ranking!
1. Forza Horizon 2
2. Forza Horizon 3
3. Forza Horizon
4. Forza Horizon 4
It is no coincidence that this is the exact order in which I played the games. This is because it's a series of diminishing returns, because as fun as it is in the moment, over time you will feel like an emotionless zombie pushing the RT button to make the car go vroom.
Will I play the next one? Probably not.
1. Forza Horizon 2
2. Forza Horizon 3
3. Forza Horizon
4. Forza Horizon 4
It is no coincidence that this is the exact order in which I played the games. This is because it's a series of diminishing returns, because as fun as it is in the moment, over time you will feel like an emotionless zombie pushing the RT button to make the car go vroom.
Will I play the next one? Probably not.
This is the first Animal Crossing game I've actually been invested in and sunk some real hours into. I enjoyed the routine of starting the game up every morning and doing some daily tasks and over time developing my island into something more exciting. However, there are only so many times you can start the game and realise there's nothing fun in the shop, no interesting visitors to your island and no more fossils to collect. I don't really care for the fishing or catching insects and I feel the game would be better with cheaper bridges/inclines and less repetition in the shop items.
I'm personally glad I waited a while and got this for £25, as I think at £40-50 I would have been disappointed. I'm not a very good judge in this regard however, as I feel video game prices are too high anyway. Overall, it's a positive experience with some pros and cons.
I'm personally glad I waited a while and got this for £25, as I think at £40-50 I would have been disappointed. I'm not a very good judge in this regard however, as I feel video game prices are too high anyway. Overall, it's a positive experience with some pros and cons.
2018
This is a very good game to lose a chunk of your life to while having a great break from more intense and difficult experiences. I would sum it up by saying that there is a huge comfort in an accessible stress free title like 'Two Point Hospital'.
2018
A fine game that does exactly what it promises. Sometimes this laid back zero stress repetition is exactly what's needed.
2017
Repetition in a game isn't necessarily a bad thing, in fact almost every game has some sort of repetitive task that gets you hooked into a gameplay loop, but this just isn't one that worked for me, even though the actual mechanics are all fairly good.
2020
‘DOOM Eternal’ is laser focused, everything about this game is a massive power fantasy where you play possibly the most badass killing machine in any video game. Where killing 1 demon is no different than killing 1000. It’s all in a day’s work for The Slayer.
What impressed me most about this game is the way it ramps up; it starts off quite modestly. Kill some fodder demons, have a couple of weapons and gradually get to grips with the game. But before you know it, you’re introduced to more weapons, more modifications, more equipment, more enemy types and more mechanics. At first it can be a bit overwhelming, where you’re trying to remember which enemies are weak to which weapons, or which type of kill replenishes what in your inventory. It’s really intense and I felt that the difficulty ramped up appropriately also.
But once you get into the swing of things, it slides into this addictive gameplay loop where almost every encounter is life or death, where you’re constantly on the move and have to make micro decisions every few seconds, where to jump, how to kill, what do I need? Ammo? Health? It’s extremely rewarding when you spend 5 minutes on one encounter where you’re constantly moving, constantly shooting and killing with
this amazing heavy metal score playing in the background.
I played the previous title in this series and loved it, but this takes it to a whole new level with new mechanics, new enemy types and larger more diverse locations. Frankly, it’s a stellar game and makes the 2016 title seem slow by comparison. Even the stuff it doesn’t do well (shoe-horned platforming) can’t detract from the overall experience.
As a side note… load times are extremely long and anytime you lose internet connection it pauses the game… Sadly these are the two biggest barriers to the speed and flow of the game.
What impressed me most about this game is the way it ramps up; it starts off quite modestly. Kill some fodder demons, have a couple of weapons and gradually get to grips with the game. But before you know it, you’re introduced to more weapons, more modifications, more equipment, more enemy types and more mechanics. At first it can be a bit overwhelming, where you’re trying to remember which enemies are weak to which weapons, or which type of kill replenishes what in your inventory. It’s really intense and I felt that the difficulty ramped up appropriately also.
But once you get into the swing of things, it slides into this addictive gameplay loop where almost every encounter is life or death, where you’re constantly on the move and have to make micro decisions every few seconds, where to jump, how to kill, what do I need? Ammo? Health? It’s extremely rewarding when you spend 5 minutes on one encounter where you’re constantly moving, constantly shooting and killing with
this amazing heavy metal score playing in the background.
I played the previous title in this series and loved it, but this takes it to a whole new level with new mechanics, new enemy types and larger more diverse locations. Frankly, it’s a stellar game and makes the 2016 title seem slow by comparison. Even the stuff it doesn’t do well (shoe-horned platforming) can’t detract from the overall experience.
As a side note… load times are extremely long and anytime you lose internet connection it pauses the game… Sadly these are the two biggest barriers to the speed and flow of the game.
2001
As you'll all know, this game was huge on release. Literally everybody I knew with a PS2 was playing this and raving about it and I felt pretty left out. My experience was playing it a few times at my friend's place and pretty strongly disliking it. I'm sure I've played the 2nd and 3rd games at some point, but I couldn't pinpoint when or how I felt about them.
In fact, aside from 'God of War' and 'Ninja Gaiden' I've not really enjoyed any hack and slash titles, although you could make an argument that those two aren't hack and slash in the same way 'Devil May Cry' is.
Regardless, this is not a genre I enjoy and I was really hoping that going back to this game might be a turning point, or some sort of discovery. Unfortunately, that's not the case.
In fact, aside from 'God of War' and 'Ninja Gaiden' I've not really enjoyed any hack and slash titles, although you could make an argument that those two aren't hack and slash in the same way 'Devil May Cry' is.
Regardless, this is not a genre I enjoy and I was really hoping that going back to this game might be a turning point, or some sort of discovery. Unfortunately, that's not the case.
1993
‘DOOM’ is a title I’ve played on many occasions, but never as an adult. It was one of the couple of games installed on a PC that my Cousin had, and I enjoyed it every time, even though I sucked terribly at it and never got to the end.
To go back to this game as an adult, having played the 2016 reboot and many other FPS games that owe a debt to this game, I’m surprised that it holds up so well. Of course, it’s dated mechanically and graphically, but not many FPS games made today have a comparable atmosphere, it’s just dripping with it, from the music to the labyrinth level designs. It all comes together to create the feeling that the game gives you. Not to mention the sound design for many weapons, that have such a weight and kick to them that they feel extremely satisfying to use. I imagine playing this back in 1993 and having my mind blown by the level of quality on display for the time.
On a less enthusiastic note, there were periods when I was playing where I felt that there was a lot of repetition, particularly with the abundance of the same enemy types and the copy/paste quality of some of the textures and areas. Additionally, it’s pretty short, but you could argue that if it were longer then the repetition would be even more detrimental.
Furthermore, the jump in difficulty from the first 3 episodes to the 4th titled ‘Thy Flesh Consumed’ is really stark. This could be seen as a benefit for the gamers who have mastered the previous 3 episodes, but in my opinion, the best games gradually take steps towards being more difficult. If each episode felt incrementally more challenging and then ‘Thy Flesh Consumed’ was exactly as it is now, it would not stand out so much as a negative of the game for me.
‘DOOM’ is often credited with creating the FPS genre, and although that is debatable, the impact that this game has had on the entire industry is not up for debate. This game is as important as Pong, Tetris and Super Mario Bros.
To go back to this game as an adult, having played the 2016 reboot and many other FPS games that owe a debt to this game, I’m surprised that it holds up so well. Of course, it’s dated mechanically and graphically, but not many FPS games made today have a comparable atmosphere, it’s just dripping with it, from the music to the labyrinth level designs. It all comes together to create the feeling that the game gives you. Not to mention the sound design for many weapons, that have such a weight and kick to them that they feel extremely satisfying to use. I imagine playing this back in 1993 and having my mind blown by the level of quality on display for the time.
On a less enthusiastic note, there were periods when I was playing where I felt that there was a lot of repetition, particularly with the abundance of the same enemy types and the copy/paste quality of some of the textures and areas. Additionally, it’s pretty short, but you could argue that if it were longer then the repetition would be even more detrimental.
Furthermore, the jump in difficulty from the first 3 episodes to the 4th titled ‘Thy Flesh Consumed’ is really stark. This could be seen as a benefit for the gamers who have mastered the previous 3 episodes, but in my opinion, the best games gradually take steps towards being more difficult. If each episode felt incrementally more challenging and then ‘Thy Flesh Consumed’ was exactly as it is now, it would not stand out so much as a negative of the game for me.
‘DOOM’ is often credited with creating the FPS genre, and although that is debatable, the impact that this game has had on the entire industry is not up for debate. This game is as important as Pong, Tetris and Super Mario Bros.
'The Binding of Isaac' is one of my favourite games ever and it's something that I am continuously playing. I may take a few weeks or months off, but I always come back and it's been that way for a couple of years now.
Like all good roguelites, there's a false simplicity in this game. You start it up for the first time and you're thinking 'oh, this is basic' and the more you play the more you realise how jam packed it is with content. Somebody could easily get 100, 200 or more hours from this if they like it as much as I do.
There are times when you have some really shitty luck with items, but that's when the difficulty spikes up and that's something else I love about it. Most playthroughs are not similar, so it has a level of replayability that most games don't have.
I also want to give a shout out to the weight that's added to the game through it's religious themes and general presentation. It would be easy to say this game looks ugly at times, but the more I've played the more I have appreciated it's visual style, there's just a simplicity in every environment, enemy and item. Overall, it's just clean.
Price does play a part in a review of a game for me and this is priced at an absolute bargain at retail and a steal whenever it's on sale.
Like all good roguelites, there's a false simplicity in this game. You start it up for the first time and you're thinking 'oh, this is basic' and the more you play the more you realise how jam packed it is with content. Somebody could easily get 100, 200 or more hours from this if they like it as much as I do.
There are times when you have some really shitty luck with items, but that's when the difficulty spikes up and that's something else I love about it. Most playthroughs are not similar, so it has a level of replayability that most games don't have.
I also want to give a shout out to the weight that's added to the game through it's religious themes and general presentation. It would be easy to say this game looks ugly at times, but the more I've played the more I have appreciated it's visual style, there's just a simplicity in every environment, enemy and item. Overall, it's just clean.
Price does play a part in a review of a game for me and this is priced at an absolute bargain at retail and a steal whenever it's on sale.
For me to play a game twice is uncommon and three times is extraordinarily rare, but this is what I’ve done with 'The Phantom Pain'.
This is peak 'Metal Gear Solid' from a gameplay perspective. Every approach feels great, whether you’re into full stealth or don’t mind getting a terrible mission score by blasting your way through an encounter. It’s all just such high quality, so polished and clean. Overall, it’s a stellar experience in every technical aspect, as well as almost every facet of its gameplay.
I love the loop of extracting enemies and converting them to your side. It developed into a fun risk/reward system for me, where I was in the middle of missions where I had perfect stealth so far, but in the distance, I spot an enemy that has some fantastic stats and all of sudden, I’m taking a risk to get this guy on my side, even at a detriment to the mission. It’s a lot of fun and although I know it’s in other MGS titles, this is the first one I’ve fully played with this system and it’s very well done.
My biggest complaint is something that plagues a lot of modern games, which is having a large open world that can feel empty at times. I don’t think the solution to this problem in modern games is to clutter up the maps with crap (like Ubisoft does), but rather to scale back the size. Bigger isn’t always better, a more concise and satisfying experience is often the better one. For example, Ground Zeroes is extraordinarily small, but the map it does have feels jam packed compared to any of the enemy bases in this game and it’s such a shame. I feel that the world could have definitely been trimmed with more density added to the areas (especially those bases). Small areas have however plagued this series for a long time, so I must praise a different approach, even if it doesn't hit the mark.
I also like that when you go back to earlier missions later in the game to try and get the S rank, that the level/equipment of the enemies has changed based on how far you’ve gotten in the game. It’s a nice touch to maintain a difficulty level and to ensure you have the chance of getting great recruits. It makes replaying missions more fun for me. I actually love the lack of traditional difficulty options in general. You can decide to make it easier by equipping the chicken hat or using air support or active camo, but this reduces your rank on any mission. It's much better than the standard "easy, normal, hard, very hard".
The story is pretty spotty, but frankly I don’t care too much. A better story would only catapult this above 'Sons of Liberty' in my ranking. For this game to be below only that game in a series of such high quality is a testament to the fun that the gameplay provided for me over my three playthroughs.
Played on PlayStation 5 via backwards compatibility
This is peak 'Metal Gear Solid' from a gameplay perspective. Every approach feels great, whether you’re into full stealth or don’t mind getting a terrible mission score by blasting your way through an encounter. It’s all just such high quality, so polished and clean. Overall, it’s a stellar experience in every technical aspect, as well as almost every facet of its gameplay.
I love the loop of extracting enemies and converting them to your side. It developed into a fun risk/reward system for me, where I was in the middle of missions where I had perfect stealth so far, but in the distance, I spot an enemy that has some fantastic stats and all of sudden, I’m taking a risk to get this guy on my side, even at a detriment to the mission. It’s a lot of fun and although I know it’s in other MGS titles, this is the first one I’ve fully played with this system and it’s very well done.
My biggest complaint is something that plagues a lot of modern games, which is having a large open world that can feel empty at times. I don’t think the solution to this problem in modern games is to clutter up the maps with crap (like Ubisoft does), but rather to scale back the size. Bigger isn’t always better, a more concise and satisfying experience is often the better one. For example, Ground Zeroes is extraordinarily small, but the map it does have feels jam packed compared to any of the enemy bases in this game and it’s such a shame. I feel that the world could have definitely been trimmed with more density added to the areas (especially those bases). Small areas have however plagued this series for a long time, so I must praise a different approach, even if it doesn't hit the mark.
I also like that when you go back to earlier missions later in the game to try and get the S rank, that the level/equipment of the enemies has changed based on how far you’ve gotten in the game. It’s a nice touch to maintain a difficulty level and to ensure you have the chance of getting great recruits. It makes replaying missions more fun for me. I actually love the lack of traditional difficulty options in general. You can decide to make it easier by equipping the chicken hat or using air support or active camo, but this reduces your rank on any mission. It's much better than the standard "easy, normal, hard, very hard".
The story is pretty spotty, but frankly I don’t care too much. A better story would only catapult this above 'Sons of Liberty' in my ranking. For this game to be below only that game in a series of such high quality is a testament to the fun that the gameplay provided for me over my three playthroughs.
Played on PlayStation 5 via backwards compatibility
I don't think this is something that's fair to rate alongside fully fledged games.
This is an exceptional demo to (what I remember to be) an exceptional game. I don't think it's something that can be rated, although I would probably be very annoyed if I had paid for it on release.
Excited to play The Phantom Pain next and I hope it holds up.
Played on PlayStation5 via backwards compatibility.
This is an exceptional demo to (what I remember to be) an exceptional game. I don't think it's something that can be rated, although I would probably be very annoyed if I had paid for it on release.
Excited to play The Phantom Pain next and I hope it holds up.
Played on PlayStation5 via backwards compatibility.