DeltaWDunn
Each Wario Land game was better than the last, but I knew not to expect that here coming off of Wario Land 4. Even still, I was kind of disappointed with the game. It was a pretty mixed bag overall.
Speaking of bags, there's a lot of treasure bags in this game. And the only way to get the coins inside is to shake it until money comes out. Problem is, the money flies everywhere, so if you want to get all of it, you better find an enclosed place to shake the bag in. There's another? Better bring it to the same place and shake again. And again. Multiple times in each stage.
This isn't the only instance of unnecessary motion control. Aiming your throws is a pretty solid expansion of Wario Land gameplay, but it's done by tilting the wiimote. I'm fine with motion controls in games like Wii Sports or Metroid Prime because they do something there that Control Sticks either can't do or aren't as well equipped to, but such is not the case with Wario Land: Shake it.
There's other motion control gimmicks, but the worst is the Subwarine levels. My gosh. It's like a perfect storm of bad design. First, it's an unnatural extension of the main gameplay. Then it's an autoscroller. Thirdly, it has motion control to move. But not entirely, no. You tilt to aim your Subwarine, but use the d-pad to move forward and back. It's a tank controls abomination. Also, there are branching paths that, if you want to get a treasure chest, you just have to... guess the right path. All of the Subwarine levels are genuinely awful.
If one was to remove all of the issues I discussed, it would probably be a serviceable platformer, but it still has issues. Not only as a game, but as a Wario Land game. Wario Land 4 backpedaled on many of the unconventional mechanics that Wario Land 2 established, but Wario Land: Shake it goes even further. There's a health bar and besides few exceptions, it has none of the unconventional powerups. It's closest in style to Wario Land 1, really. That's not automatically bad, but aside from motion control, there's no consistent design decisions.
It lifts the 'hurry up' mechanic from Wario Land 4 where one runs through the stages backwards, which I mostly found fine, but it also takes two of the unconventional 'powerups': Fire and Snowball Wario. The problem with this is the mission system. Each stage has multiple missions, one of which is often 'Don't take damage'. Now, Wario Land 4's health system wasn't optimal for a system where enemies hitting you could actually be a powerup (One of the few flaws with that game), but I'd say it's more of a problem in Shake it. There's about 3 levels where these powerups are used, so if this was the first Wario Land game you played and you saw a block that had a flame on it, you may think, "Huh. Maybe I break that block with this fire enemy. I probably shouldn't touch it though, since I want to beat that 'Don't get damaged' mission."
The ironic thing is that if the game wanted to simultaneously have these mechanics and also reward good play while also making the game accessible, It could've just made Wario immortal like in 2 or 3. There are fragments of old Wario Land design, but they go against the game GoodFeel was trying to make: A by-the-books 2D platformer. When it's that and there's little to no motion control, it's fairly good. But those moments are few and far between.
Dang. I started this review thinking the game was a 5/10, but it might actually be a 4/10. But still, there were good elements. The bosses, for the most part, were pretty good. There were a few issues (The final boss at one point combo'd me with unavoidable attacks and I lost half of my health), but they were good regardless.
I also liked the idea of a shop, but it was very half-baked. All you can really by is required maps and health upgrades/restorers. Regardless, making the treasure have value besides and endgame reward is a solid idea and I appreciate the thought.
Visually, the game is pretty good. The animations are nice and the backgrounds are good. In terms of sound, the music was alright. I can't really remember many tracks though.
Point is, this game disappointed me. I may have liked it a bit more if I hadn't played the other Wario Land games, but I stand by my review. However, if this is the first/only Wario Land game you played, tell me how you feel/if my scenario about the fire powerup applied to you. Anyway, Wario Land 2, 3, and 4 are far more worth your time than this.
Speaking of bags, there's a lot of treasure bags in this game. And the only way to get the coins inside is to shake it until money comes out. Problem is, the money flies everywhere, so if you want to get all of it, you better find an enclosed place to shake the bag in. There's another? Better bring it to the same place and shake again. And again. Multiple times in each stage.
This isn't the only instance of unnecessary motion control. Aiming your throws is a pretty solid expansion of Wario Land gameplay, but it's done by tilting the wiimote. I'm fine with motion controls in games like Wii Sports or Metroid Prime because they do something there that Control Sticks either can't do or aren't as well equipped to, but such is not the case with Wario Land: Shake it.
There's other motion control gimmicks, but the worst is the Subwarine levels. My gosh. It's like a perfect storm of bad design. First, it's an unnatural extension of the main gameplay. Then it's an autoscroller. Thirdly, it has motion control to move. But not entirely, no. You tilt to aim your Subwarine, but use the d-pad to move forward and back. It's a tank controls abomination. Also, there are branching paths that, if you want to get a treasure chest, you just have to... guess the right path. All of the Subwarine levels are genuinely awful.
If one was to remove all of the issues I discussed, it would probably be a serviceable platformer, but it still has issues. Not only as a game, but as a Wario Land game. Wario Land 4 backpedaled on many of the unconventional mechanics that Wario Land 2 established, but Wario Land: Shake it goes even further. There's a health bar and besides few exceptions, it has none of the unconventional powerups. It's closest in style to Wario Land 1, really. That's not automatically bad, but aside from motion control, there's no consistent design decisions.
It lifts the 'hurry up' mechanic from Wario Land 4 where one runs through the stages backwards, which I mostly found fine, but it also takes two of the unconventional 'powerups': Fire and Snowball Wario. The problem with this is the mission system. Each stage has multiple missions, one of which is often 'Don't take damage'. Now, Wario Land 4's health system wasn't optimal for a system where enemies hitting you could actually be a powerup (One of the few flaws with that game), but I'd say it's more of a problem in Shake it. There's about 3 levels where these powerups are used, so if this was the first Wario Land game you played and you saw a block that had a flame on it, you may think, "Huh. Maybe I break that block with this fire enemy. I probably shouldn't touch it though, since I want to beat that 'Don't get damaged' mission."
The ironic thing is that if the game wanted to simultaneously have these mechanics and also reward good play while also making the game accessible, It could've just made Wario immortal like in 2 or 3. There are fragments of old Wario Land design, but they go against the game GoodFeel was trying to make: A by-the-books 2D platformer. When it's that and there's little to no motion control, it's fairly good. But those moments are few and far between.
Dang. I started this review thinking the game was a 5/10, but it might actually be a 4/10. But still, there were good elements. The bosses, for the most part, were pretty good. There were a few issues (The final boss at one point combo'd me with unavoidable attacks and I lost half of my health), but they were good regardless.
I also liked the idea of a shop, but it was very half-baked. All you can really by is required maps and health upgrades/restorers. Regardless, making the treasure have value besides and endgame reward is a solid idea and I appreciate the thought.
Visually, the game is pretty good. The animations are nice and the backgrounds are good. In terms of sound, the music was alright. I can't really remember many tracks though.
Point is, this game disappointed me. I may have liked it a bit more if I hadn't played the other Wario Land games, but I stand by my review. However, if this is the first/only Wario Land game you played, tell me how you feel/if my scenario about the fire powerup applied to you. Anyway, Wario Land 2, 3, and 4 are far more worth your time than this.
(Outdated review, will make a new one eventually)
I have played many games, and as such, it took me a while to find a game that I could say was truly my favorite of all time. However, after deciding to give the sequel of Anodyne (a game I was lukewarm on due to some underdeveloped gameplay despite having incredible audio and atmosphere) a chance, I found it.
Anodyne 2: Return to Dust is a culmination of everything Analgesic Productions learned in the years after making Anodyne, and it shows. This is a game that draws you in from the title screen alone, and keeps surprising you until the very end. The crux of the game is, of course, the gameplay, and it's outstanding for the most part. There is much more going on than Anodyne 1, yet it still feels simple at its core in terms of controls. You play as a Nanocleaner, who shrinks inside people to remove toxic dust from them. The gameplay is split into two sections: The overworld, which is adventure-oriented with PS1 styled graphics, which you use to find people who need to a Nanocleaning. The Nanocleaning is done in a top-down Zelda style with 16-bit visuals. The dust removed is used to open up new areas along with cards collected from various sources (As a side note, I love how when you shrink, the resolution of the game shrinks from 32-bit to 16-bit styles). The overworld is pretty fun to explore. There's no battles, and you'll mostly just be looking for collectibles. It does have a problem which I'll get to, but the Nano sections really shine. Each level introduces new mechanics that are excessively creative, and many levels do things you would never expect. I don't want to spoil any of it, but it will make you rethink how you play games. I haven't played a game with such a variation of levels that are both interesting and well designed.
There's also the story, which is pretty good, but is elevated by the atmosphere and some subversions. You work for a deity called 'The Center', which supposedly created all life, and the dust you clean sullies the sanctity of life, but this sanctity is seemingly extremely strict. The story is essentially about meaning in life and nihilism, and does some interesting things with your preconcieved notions of videogame stories (Although not on the level of Undertale or the like). As I said, the atmosphere and direction really elevate this aspect, and there was a particularly disturbing moment halfway through. There's also the contained stories of all the people you jump inside to nanoclean. Some are basic, but some are very interesting and are reflected in the levels themselves. The game also has a very meta sense of humor, and can be pretty funny. Another interesting aspect of this game is that it has lore. While you can play this without having played the first, there is a post-game section tied to the first game, and it hints to a possible origin of the world the second game takes place in, New Theland. The next paragraph will be a spoiler, because there's some interesting things I want to talk about.
As I said, the story is about finding meaning and freedom in the world, but halfway through the game, something very interesting happens. You meet a seemingly glitched character named Desert-NPC, and when you try to dive into him, you're sucked in. You then go to this more realistic-looking world where you play as Nora, a normal person working a 9-5 job who is tired of the monotony. It's suggested Anodyne 2 may be a game Nora is playing. Eventually, she is chased by a giant Griffon creature, and the only way to get away is to start playing Anodyne 2 again. Some may see this as nonsense, but I think it's a hyperbolic symbol of escapism, as if to say Nora is avoiding her problems by playing games, and she is rejecting nihilism by thinking that she has purpose in this game world. That's an element of videogames that isn't touched on a lot, so I thought it was a great extra message.
Of course, any great game needs to give reason to keep playing and replaying, and Anodyne 2 has an extensive and interesting post-game, although it may be the one aspect the first Anodyne trumps it in. You have to collect meta coins that are hidden in the overworld, and here's the kicker: Many of the (seemingly) 585 are hidden out of bounds and in level geometry. It's a very cool side quest, and the rewards are great, but it has one big problem: Did you notice that "seemingly"? Well, I actually don't know how many there are in the game. There's an NPC that says I have ALMOST every metacoin, so I guess I'm missing some. There's a metacoin tracker, but it doesn't work in the nanolevels, and there are a select few hidden in some nanolevels. If they would patch the metacoin tracker working in nanolevels, that would be great, because this is the biggest problem with the game. However, there is seemingly no award for collecting them all, and the developers are known to troll, so it's possible I do have them all, especially since I can't find anyone online with more than 585.
The audio and visuals are pretty great too. I already mentioned the meaning behind the visual changes when shrinking, but both styles can be beautiful in their own right. The Pastel Horizon and Outer Sands East stick out especially, and I like how the overworld integrated modern lighting into its retro style. The audio contributes a lot to that atmosphere, and most of the tracks are ambient ones, but there's still a decent amount of variety here.
Overall, Anodyne 2: Return to Dust is a game that hits pretty much every mark. It's a once in a lifetime experience that you need to play, and my favorite game of all time.
I have played many games, and as such, it took me a while to find a game that I could say was truly my favorite of all time. However, after deciding to give the sequel of Anodyne (a game I was lukewarm on due to some underdeveloped gameplay despite having incredible audio and atmosphere) a chance, I found it.
Anodyne 2: Return to Dust is a culmination of everything Analgesic Productions learned in the years after making Anodyne, and it shows. This is a game that draws you in from the title screen alone, and keeps surprising you until the very end. The crux of the game is, of course, the gameplay, and it's outstanding for the most part. There is much more going on than Anodyne 1, yet it still feels simple at its core in terms of controls. You play as a Nanocleaner, who shrinks inside people to remove toxic dust from them. The gameplay is split into two sections: The overworld, which is adventure-oriented with PS1 styled graphics, which you use to find people who need to a Nanocleaning. The Nanocleaning is done in a top-down Zelda style with 16-bit visuals. The dust removed is used to open up new areas along with cards collected from various sources (As a side note, I love how when you shrink, the resolution of the game shrinks from 32-bit to 16-bit styles). The overworld is pretty fun to explore. There's no battles, and you'll mostly just be looking for collectibles. It does have a problem which I'll get to, but the Nano sections really shine. Each level introduces new mechanics that are excessively creative, and many levels do things you would never expect. I don't want to spoil any of it, but it will make you rethink how you play games. I haven't played a game with such a variation of levels that are both interesting and well designed.
There's also the story, which is pretty good, but is elevated by the atmosphere and some subversions. You work for a deity called 'The Center', which supposedly created all life, and the dust you clean sullies the sanctity of life, but this sanctity is seemingly extremely strict. The story is essentially about meaning in life and nihilism, and does some interesting things with your preconcieved notions of videogame stories (Although not on the level of Undertale or the like). As I said, the atmosphere and direction really elevate this aspect, and there was a particularly disturbing moment halfway through. There's also the contained stories of all the people you jump inside to nanoclean. Some are basic, but some are very interesting and are reflected in the levels themselves. The game also has a very meta sense of humor, and can be pretty funny. Another interesting aspect of this game is that it has lore. While you can play this without having played the first, there is a post-game section tied to the first game, and it hints to a possible origin of the world the second game takes place in, New Theland. The next paragraph will be a spoiler, because there's some interesting things I want to talk about.
As I said, the story is about finding meaning and freedom in the world, but halfway through the game, something very interesting happens. You meet a seemingly glitched character named Desert-NPC, and when you try to dive into him, you're sucked in. You then go to this more realistic-looking world where you play as Nora, a normal person working a 9-5 job who is tired of the monotony. It's suggested Anodyne 2 may be a game Nora is playing. Eventually, she is chased by a giant Griffon creature, and the only way to get away is to start playing Anodyne 2 again. Some may see this as nonsense, but I think it's a hyperbolic symbol of escapism, as if to say Nora is avoiding her problems by playing games, and she is rejecting nihilism by thinking that she has purpose in this game world. That's an element of videogames that isn't touched on a lot, so I thought it was a great extra message.
Of course, any great game needs to give reason to keep playing and replaying, and Anodyne 2 has an extensive and interesting post-game, although it may be the one aspect the first Anodyne trumps it in. You have to collect meta coins that are hidden in the overworld, and here's the kicker: Many of the (seemingly) 585 are hidden out of bounds and in level geometry. It's a very cool side quest, and the rewards are great, but it has one big problem: Did you notice that "seemingly"? Well, I actually don't know how many there are in the game. There's an NPC that says I have ALMOST every metacoin, so I guess I'm missing some. There's a metacoin tracker, but it doesn't work in the nanolevels, and there are a select few hidden in some nanolevels. If they would patch the metacoin tracker working in nanolevels, that would be great, because this is the biggest problem with the game. However, there is seemingly no award for collecting them all, and the developers are known to troll, so it's possible I do have them all, especially since I can't find anyone online with more than 585.
The audio and visuals are pretty great too. I already mentioned the meaning behind the visual changes when shrinking, but both styles can be beautiful in their own right. The Pastel Horizon and Outer Sands East stick out especially, and I like how the overworld integrated modern lighting into its retro style. The audio contributes a lot to that atmosphere, and most of the tracks are ambient ones, but there's still a decent amount of variety here.
Overall, Anodyne 2: Return to Dust is a game that hits pretty much every mark. It's a once in a lifetime experience that you need to play, and my favorite game of all time.
2017
In my opinion, the value of a spiritual successor can often be measured by this question: "If the inspiration was made when a series/genre was alive, would this be considered plagiarism?" A lot of games I've played are trying to copy a series instead of being truly inspired. What's interesting about Fight'N Rage is that not long after its release, the beat em up genre recieved a bit of a renaissance with some modern revivals, with one of the releases being a Streets of Rage game, a series Fight'N Rage was certainly inspired by. So, can Fight'N Rage hold its own among these newer and bigger releases?
For the most part, yes. Although, Streets of Rage 4 is still the best.
Simply put, this game is fast-paced, short and sweet, and well made all around. By far, the best thing this game has above many modern beat em ups is the replayability. In my review of Streets of Rage 4, I said the game would've been a bit better if there were multiple shorter paths instead of one longer route. That's exactly what Fight'N Rage did, with multiple different paths and endings depending on your actions and where you decide to go, meaning this game has a ton of replay value.
Of course, that would only matter if the game was worth replaying, and it absolutely is. You only have 3 playable characters, and they stick to their archetypes for sure, but they're distinct enough to make a difference, and each takes skill to use efficiently. However, the game generally makes you feel extremely powerful, in between the ease of crowd control, flashy moves and mobility, and how enemies who have been excessively combo'ed burst into a skeleton.
This doesn't stop the game from being difficult though; The difficulty goes up steadily, and you won't be able to mash your way through each encounter. For one, the special system is basically lifted from SoR 3 (One of the few ways the game does 'plagiarize' the series), and just like in that one, you need to pay attention to your meter, make sacrifices, and are allowed to take risks if you're confident in your skill. Many enemies will also counter and dodge in different ways, so you need to be mindful of which you're fighting.
There are a few issues. For some reason, you have to unlock the training mode. Sometimes enemies will go offscreen and you can't hit them. As short as any playthrough of this game is, the ability to save several different runs would've been nice. The game can also throw a bit too many enemies at you occasionally. However, when the visuals and music are on point and you're on your last sliver of health, fighting desperately to keep going against all odds, none of that matters. This one's a new classic, guys. It honestly may be a 9/10.
For the most part, yes. Although, Streets of Rage 4 is still the best.
Simply put, this game is fast-paced, short and sweet, and well made all around. By far, the best thing this game has above many modern beat em ups is the replayability. In my review of Streets of Rage 4, I said the game would've been a bit better if there were multiple shorter paths instead of one longer route. That's exactly what Fight'N Rage did, with multiple different paths and endings depending on your actions and where you decide to go, meaning this game has a ton of replay value.
Of course, that would only matter if the game was worth replaying, and it absolutely is. You only have 3 playable characters, and they stick to their archetypes for sure, but they're distinct enough to make a difference, and each takes skill to use efficiently. However, the game generally makes you feel extremely powerful, in between the ease of crowd control, flashy moves and mobility, and how enemies who have been excessively combo'ed burst into a skeleton.
This doesn't stop the game from being difficult though; The difficulty goes up steadily, and you won't be able to mash your way through each encounter. For one, the special system is basically lifted from SoR 3 (One of the few ways the game does 'plagiarize' the series), and just like in that one, you need to pay attention to your meter, make sacrifices, and are allowed to take risks if you're confident in your skill. Many enemies will also counter and dodge in different ways, so you need to be mindful of which you're fighting.
There are a few issues. For some reason, you have to unlock the training mode. Sometimes enemies will go offscreen and you can't hit them. As short as any playthrough of this game is, the ability to save several different runs would've been nice. The game can also throw a bit too many enemies at you occasionally. However, when the visuals and music are on point and you're on your last sliver of health, fighting desperately to keep going against all odds, none of that matters. This one's a new classic, guys. It honestly may be a 9/10.
2010
A while back, I wrote a review of Bioshock that really did numbers (It got 4 likes). I didn't care for it that much. I didn't review Infinite, but I didn't like that game either. So imagine my surprise when Bioshock 2 ended up being one of the best shooters I've played.
So first off, I have to admit that I made the very conscious decision to play this game with vita-chambers off. This pretty much erased my paramount problem with the first game, the lack of any punishment for dying. I'm pretty sure the first game had this option too, so I may go back and play it that way, because I find that a properly maintained sense of difficulty/consequence is one of the most important things in a game. I also turned off the quest arrow because I found it really annoying, and the game thankfully was still pretty navigable, both with the map and diagetic landmarks.
However, aside from that, I still find Bioshock 2 to be superior to its predecessor in several ways. I went on a pretty long tangent in my Bioshock review about why hacking was so dumb because there was never any reason not to hack and hacking itself was annoying. In this game, hacking is a great mechanic. First, it's a short timing minigame that's a little more difficult. Second, it takes place in real time, meaning you have to be aware of your surroundings when doing it. Third, even more decision making is introduced with a dart gun that allows remote and auto hacks. Accidentally triggering an alarm for bots and immediately successfully hacking afterword to save your skin was always such a risky but great feeling.
Generally, I also enjoyed the tools here a lot too. Lots of the guns and technology are characteristically makeshift, but they're also really cool. Aside from that, the mix of basic encounters, Big Daddy attacks, adam gatherings, and Big Sister chases made me consider which ammo types and plasmids I should use for each situation. I would've experimented a lot regardless, but the video camera gives one extra bonuses against enemies for actually experimenting against enemies, a great mechanic for a game with so many options. The point is, the gameplay here is surprisingly great.
Most of my issues come from me thinking the game was a little too accomodating in a few ways. One example is that the game always tell you which code to use for any door lock once you find it. I remember peering through a broken wall and seeing a tonic on the other side, and going to the door on the map to get it. I saw the code that the game presented to me and punched it in despite not remembering where I got it. After entering the room I then saw that some now deceased woman had wrote it on the wall in a way that would've been visible from the hole, and I likely would've spotted it if I wasn't focused on the tonic. I suppose me looking through triggered the game into giving me the code despite me, the player, not actually seeing it. It's a small moment, but it demonstrates the fact that the game will present these potentially great moments and then ruin them entirely due to over-accessibility. Even when I was well over halfway into the game, it would still patronizingly point out that I should use my medkit and other details despite already having an audio cue that does a far more effective job at it. It's not a dealbreaker, but it holds the game back from excellence.
Storywise, it's good. I liked Sinclair as a character, and some of the audio logs are interesting, but I never really understood why this series was so acclaimed in terms of storytelling. It far too often feels like a 'tell don't show' game, and while I appreciated pretty much always having control of Delta (Which is coincidentally my username as well), I don't think this comes close to the best of the medium. Although I do think this is a bit of a step down from Bioshock simply because Ryan has a far more commanding presence, It's not nearly enough to neutralize the far improved gameplay.
Visually, the game is great. Rapture is even more decrepit and run down than in the first, leading to a great blend between nature and the old timey architecture. The audio was pretty good too, but the game can occasionally be a bit overbearing with stereotypical horror music when silence would be far more effective
Overall though, I had a great time with this one. I'll definitely try Minerva's Den soon. 8/10.
So first off, I have to admit that I made the very conscious decision to play this game with vita-chambers off. This pretty much erased my paramount problem with the first game, the lack of any punishment for dying. I'm pretty sure the first game had this option too, so I may go back and play it that way, because I find that a properly maintained sense of difficulty/consequence is one of the most important things in a game. I also turned off the quest arrow because I found it really annoying, and the game thankfully was still pretty navigable, both with the map and diagetic landmarks.
However, aside from that, I still find Bioshock 2 to be superior to its predecessor in several ways. I went on a pretty long tangent in my Bioshock review about why hacking was so dumb because there was never any reason not to hack and hacking itself was annoying. In this game, hacking is a great mechanic. First, it's a short timing minigame that's a little more difficult. Second, it takes place in real time, meaning you have to be aware of your surroundings when doing it. Third, even more decision making is introduced with a dart gun that allows remote and auto hacks. Accidentally triggering an alarm for bots and immediately successfully hacking afterword to save your skin was always such a risky but great feeling.
Generally, I also enjoyed the tools here a lot too. Lots of the guns and technology are characteristically makeshift, but they're also really cool. Aside from that, the mix of basic encounters, Big Daddy attacks, adam gatherings, and Big Sister chases made me consider which ammo types and plasmids I should use for each situation. I would've experimented a lot regardless, but the video camera gives one extra bonuses against enemies for actually experimenting against enemies, a great mechanic for a game with so many options. The point is, the gameplay here is surprisingly great.
Most of my issues come from me thinking the game was a little too accomodating in a few ways. One example is that the game always tell you which code to use for any door lock once you find it. I remember peering through a broken wall and seeing a tonic on the other side, and going to the door on the map to get it. I saw the code that the game presented to me and punched it in despite not remembering where I got it. After entering the room I then saw that some now deceased woman had wrote it on the wall in a way that would've been visible from the hole, and I likely would've spotted it if I wasn't focused on the tonic. I suppose me looking through triggered the game into giving me the code despite me, the player, not actually seeing it. It's a small moment, but it demonstrates the fact that the game will present these potentially great moments and then ruin them entirely due to over-accessibility. Even when I was well over halfway into the game, it would still patronizingly point out that I should use my medkit and other details despite already having an audio cue that does a far more effective job at it. It's not a dealbreaker, but it holds the game back from excellence.
Storywise, it's good. I liked Sinclair as a character, and some of the audio logs are interesting, but I never really understood why this series was so acclaimed in terms of storytelling. It far too often feels like a 'tell don't show' game, and while I appreciated pretty much always having control of Delta (Which is coincidentally my username as well), I don't think this comes close to the best of the medium. Although I do think this is a bit of a step down from Bioshock simply because Ryan has a far more commanding presence, It's not nearly enough to neutralize the far improved gameplay.
Visually, the game is great. Rapture is even more decrepit and run down than in the first, leading to a great blend between nature and the old timey architecture. The audio was pretty good too, but the game can occasionally be a bit overbearing with stereotypical horror music when silence would be far more effective
Overall though, I had a great time with this one. I'll definitely try Minerva's Den soon. 8/10.
1998
Glover is certainly the magnum opus of humanity. It is a work of art which is simultaneously very enjoyable and deep.
Glover himself is a statement on the upper middle class. He works personally for the wizard, and while powerful, is not nearly as strong as his boss. He also has no mouth, which signifies the fact that despite being richer than most, he is still silenced by the 1%.
Cross-Stitch is a symbol of the statement "the road to hell is paved with good intentions". One could argue that he is victim to circumstance, but if that's the case, the potion the wizard was making was inherently evil, proving the wizard isn't as good as he says. Regardless, Cross-Stitch has a mouth with his new transformation, showing he is making a statement. He wants to give the rest of the world the crystals the wizard has been hoarding, and he has no choice to fight Glover.
The world of glover is by far one of the densest in all of storytelling. Each world represents the past, both the distant and unknown and the very recent. Each world has been reformed, with Cross-Stitch giving power back to the demonized and hated groups. Frankenstein's monster is the best example of this. He is constantly called the monster in fiction, despite the fact he is victim to his evil creator who wanted to play God. However, it's clear that the world has been turned worse because of Cross-Stitch's revolution. Things must be destroyed before they're rebuilt, but is what Cross-Stitch is doing right? That is ultimately left up to the player; Glover only poses the question, it asks the player to answer.
Visually, this is one of the most intelligently designed works of art. I already mentioned the genius character designs, but there's also the draw distance. Many might say this is due to hardware limitations, but in reality it shows how near-sighted Glover truly is, and how he needs to overcome that to become better. The music is just the same. Beautiful orchestras are in every level, and each tell a story themselves, and the seagull rap is still one of the greatest solos in musical history.
The ending is extremely divisive, but the thing is, you as the player ultimately decide it. If you believe Glover is right, you will continue until you bring the future he desires; If you don't think he's right, you simply stop before the ending. This is the true strength of Glover.
Overall, Glover is one of the greatest creations in modern history. I highly recommend it. It will change your life. 10/10
Glover himself is a statement on the upper middle class. He works personally for the wizard, and while powerful, is not nearly as strong as his boss. He also has no mouth, which signifies the fact that despite being richer than most, he is still silenced by the 1%.
Cross-Stitch is a symbol of the statement "the road to hell is paved with good intentions". One could argue that he is victim to circumstance, but if that's the case, the potion the wizard was making was inherently evil, proving the wizard isn't as good as he says. Regardless, Cross-Stitch has a mouth with his new transformation, showing he is making a statement. He wants to give the rest of the world the crystals the wizard has been hoarding, and he has no choice to fight Glover.
The world of glover is by far one of the densest in all of storytelling. Each world represents the past, both the distant and unknown and the very recent. Each world has been reformed, with Cross-Stitch giving power back to the demonized and hated groups. Frankenstein's monster is the best example of this. He is constantly called the monster in fiction, despite the fact he is victim to his evil creator who wanted to play God. However, it's clear that the world has been turned worse because of Cross-Stitch's revolution. Things must be destroyed before they're rebuilt, but is what Cross-Stitch is doing right? That is ultimately left up to the player; Glover only poses the question, it asks the player to answer.
Visually, this is one of the most intelligently designed works of art. I already mentioned the genius character designs, but there's also the draw distance. Many might say this is due to hardware limitations, but in reality it shows how near-sighted Glover truly is, and how he needs to overcome that to become better. The music is just the same. Beautiful orchestras are in every level, and each tell a story themselves, and the seagull rap is still one of the greatest solos in musical history.
The ending is extremely divisive, but the thing is, you as the player ultimately decide it. If you believe Glover is right, you will continue until you bring the future he desires; If you don't think he's right, you simply stop before the ending. This is the true strength of Glover.
Overall, Glover is one of the greatest creations in modern history. I highly recommend it. It will change your life. 10/10
I'm gonna be real with you guys. I didn't care for Dream Land 2 and I thought Dream Land 3 was really bad. I knew this game was directed by the same guy as those two, so I didn't have particularly high hopes. However, I enjoyed this game, although it still has issues.
I think anyone will agree that the best thing about this game is the charm. The fun cutscenes, great level variety, music, and insulting ease of the game all lead to a really relaxed experience. I also think the copy abilities fusions are far better as an idea than the animal buddies. It's simple, but still fun to mess around with.
That aside, I still think there's issues. First, some of the fusions are really useless, while others are kind of overpowered. All of them should at least be better than a base ability, but many can't even cross that bar. Second, there's the level design. Sakurai's Kirby games are far better at making more creative uses of abilities. Cutter can hit things through walls, fire can light cannon fuses, high-jump is great for verticality, and much more. This game never really has that, and any uses of copy abilities are just, 'Use the right ability to destroy this block', which is still extremely lame and even more annoying if the ability isn't in a stage (Any of these examples pertain to optional collectibles, but I still find it worth mentioning). Maybe this looser level design would've been more fun if the movesets were more intrinsically fun or expressive, but they're mostly very simple and have few movement options.
At the end of the day though, I had fun with it. I just think it's far from great. 6/10.
I think anyone will agree that the best thing about this game is the charm. The fun cutscenes, great level variety, music, and insulting ease of the game all lead to a really relaxed experience. I also think the copy abilities fusions are far better as an idea than the animal buddies. It's simple, but still fun to mess around with.
That aside, I still think there's issues. First, some of the fusions are really useless, while others are kind of overpowered. All of them should at least be better than a base ability, but many can't even cross that bar. Second, there's the level design. Sakurai's Kirby games are far better at making more creative uses of abilities. Cutter can hit things through walls, fire can light cannon fuses, high-jump is great for verticality, and much more. This game never really has that, and any uses of copy abilities are just, 'Use the right ability to destroy this block', which is still extremely lame and even more annoying if the ability isn't in a stage (Any of these examples pertain to optional collectibles, but I still find it worth mentioning). Maybe this looser level design would've been more fun if the movesets were more intrinsically fun or expressive, but they're mostly very simple and have few movement options.
At the end of the day though, I had fun with it. I just think it's far from great. 6/10.
2018
This review contains spoilers
It's upsetting to me that barely anyone is talking about this game, because it's honestly quite great. I think this game represents a design philosophy that is unfortunately dying.
What do I mean? Well, look at the three biggest Metroidvanias: Symphony of the Night, Super Metroid, and Hollow Knight. When you fight a boss in each of these games, it's very simple: Hit the boss and don't get hit. There are some exceptions in each game, and this isn't a bad design, but it can be tiring when each game, despite how different they are, aim to accomplish the same thing. Iconoclasts is different, because of how puzzle oriented the game is. Not only are there environmental puzzles, but the bosses are also puzzles. This game might just have the best bosses I've seen in any game, because they push the mechanics to their absolute limit and make you think.
As a result, there are some uncharacteristic elements of a Metroidvania here. One is that there are very little powerups in. Along with your base moveset, you get 2 extra guns and an electricity mechanic. That's it. You also get optional upgrades called twinks made of simple crafting materials. You can only equip 3, and I wish there were a few more, but the ones that are here are pretty useful. I think this scaled-back design works because, once again, each mechanic is used to great potential.
Now, you may be wondering, 'Hey DeltaWDunn, if there's so few upgrades, what motivates you to explore?' Well, that's the thing: There's not much exploration. This is actually a pretty linear game, and while you can backtrack to collect some tweak parts, You'll usually be going to brand new locations. It's hard to even call it a Metroidvania because of that; It's more of an interconnected puzzle-platformer. However, I urge you to not skip this game purely because of its linearity. Some of the greatest games ever made are linear, and linearity has its strengths, such as letting the story shine, and... Oh boy.
(This paragraph and the next is a spoiler) The story of this game is unexpectedly great, and I love almost all of the characters. The exception is the protagonist Robin because she's the stock silent protagonist. Other than her, every character is pretty good. My favorite is Royal, who is clearly good-natured, but is somewhat Narcissistic and brainwashed. The story focuses on environmentalism and religion, and different characters focus on different elements of this. Spoilers coming up, because I have to discuss an incredible moment in the game.
So, Royal kind of dooms the world to ruin by freeing some eye monsters. However, he and Robin go to the moon to get Royal's god to help. Unfortunately, the deity doesn't, and Royal is left broken. He has doomed the world, and the god he so admired did nothing to help, and left him injured. The moon is going to explode. You pick up Royal and head to the escape pod. However, the door, which is activated by sensors, won't open because the sensor is hanging from a wire to the side. you realized that there's no way to progress without leaving Royal with the sensor. You search for another way, but there is no other way. What makes this moment so impactful is because you choose to leave Royal there, and you choose to keep going. This moment broke me, because all the growth Royal experienced was gone. This was one of the best moments in the game.
Visually and Musically, this game is great. It's not particularly unique, except for certain motifs and color choices, but it is good nonetheless.
So you're probably wondering what's wrong with the game. Well, while the boss fights are excellent, the normal enemies are mixed. Some are good, and some are tedious. Obviously, that's something very common to be spotty and still contribute to a good end product, but I think that just shows how great everything else is. If the moment-to-moment combat was better, the game would have potential for at least a 9/10. There's also this one section in the game where you're exploring a tower with two elevators, which was made tedious by the other elevator not moving to the floor you're on. It's annoying. I know people hate that one stealth section, but it was pretty easy and short so I didn't care.
Overall, Iconoclasts is a well-designed game that challenges you to think with both its story and combat. I highly recommend it.
What do I mean? Well, look at the three biggest Metroidvanias: Symphony of the Night, Super Metroid, and Hollow Knight. When you fight a boss in each of these games, it's very simple: Hit the boss and don't get hit. There are some exceptions in each game, and this isn't a bad design, but it can be tiring when each game, despite how different they are, aim to accomplish the same thing. Iconoclasts is different, because of how puzzle oriented the game is. Not only are there environmental puzzles, but the bosses are also puzzles. This game might just have the best bosses I've seen in any game, because they push the mechanics to their absolute limit and make you think.
As a result, there are some uncharacteristic elements of a Metroidvania here. One is that there are very little powerups in. Along with your base moveset, you get 2 extra guns and an electricity mechanic. That's it. You also get optional upgrades called twinks made of simple crafting materials. You can only equip 3, and I wish there were a few more, but the ones that are here are pretty useful. I think this scaled-back design works because, once again, each mechanic is used to great potential.
Now, you may be wondering, 'Hey DeltaWDunn, if there's so few upgrades, what motivates you to explore?' Well, that's the thing: There's not much exploration. This is actually a pretty linear game, and while you can backtrack to collect some tweak parts, You'll usually be going to brand new locations. It's hard to even call it a Metroidvania because of that; It's more of an interconnected puzzle-platformer. However, I urge you to not skip this game purely because of its linearity. Some of the greatest games ever made are linear, and linearity has its strengths, such as letting the story shine, and... Oh boy.
(This paragraph and the next is a spoiler) The story of this game is unexpectedly great, and I love almost all of the characters. The exception is the protagonist Robin because she's the stock silent protagonist. Other than her, every character is pretty good. My favorite is Royal, who is clearly good-natured, but is somewhat Narcissistic and brainwashed. The story focuses on environmentalism and religion, and different characters focus on different elements of this. Spoilers coming up, because I have to discuss an incredible moment in the game.
So, Royal kind of dooms the world to ruin by freeing some eye monsters. However, he and Robin go to the moon to get Royal's god to help. Unfortunately, the deity doesn't, and Royal is left broken. He has doomed the world, and the god he so admired did nothing to help, and left him injured. The moon is going to explode. You pick up Royal and head to the escape pod. However, the door, which is activated by sensors, won't open because the sensor is hanging from a wire to the side. you realized that there's no way to progress without leaving Royal with the sensor. You search for another way, but there is no other way. What makes this moment so impactful is because you choose to leave Royal there, and you choose to keep going. This moment broke me, because all the growth Royal experienced was gone. This was one of the best moments in the game.
Visually and Musically, this game is great. It's not particularly unique, except for certain motifs and color choices, but it is good nonetheless.
So you're probably wondering what's wrong with the game. Well, while the boss fights are excellent, the normal enemies are mixed. Some are good, and some are tedious. Obviously, that's something very common to be spotty and still contribute to a good end product, but I think that just shows how great everything else is. If the moment-to-moment combat was better, the game would have potential for at least a 9/10. There's also this one section in the game where you're exploring a tower with two elevators, which was made tedious by the other elevator not moving to the floor you're on. It's annoying. I know people hate that one stealth section, but it was pretty easy and short so I didn't care.
Overall, Iconoclasts is a well-designed game that challenges you to think with both its story and combat. I highly recommend it.
2018
First off, thanks to 'lpslucasps' for his recommendation for this game. He recommended it to me because I liked Wario Land 3, so maybe fellow Wario Land fans will enjoy this one, idk.
Anyway, the only other time I'd ever seen this game was once in a Dunkey video where he brushed over it. It also has a pretty low rating here, which sucks, because this is actually a really good game, dare I say a great one. It's a pretty odd idea: You can only jump in straight lines from ceiling to wall to floor and however else. And yeah, it felt weird initially, but the more you play it the more fun it is. You can tell they really worked on the jumping here, with several small details that make each jump feel right.
The combat is also really good. It's very deliberate due to needing to charge your short-range gun, but extra weapons unlocked along the way change things up really well. I got a decent amount of use out of all of the extra weapons here. No complaints in terms of combat.
Now, this game is indeed a Castleroid, so you may be wondering how it holds up in that regard. Well, let's start with the structure. The game is actually pretty linear. There is inter-area backtracking, but there's few moments where you're asked to travel further than just back out of an area you just explored. You can get get all of the stuff in every area first time through as well. The thing is, this is all probably for the best, considering you couldn't just rush through previous areas the same way you could in a Metroid or Castlevania game.
In terms of upgrades, this is one of my biggest issues with the game. Upgrades either consist of health or special ammo refills, aforementioned extra weapons, items that change the level design or how you interact with it, or experience points that can be used to increase max health, ammo, and how much the refills of each respectively fills. All of these are fine, really. My main issue is that very rarely do these actually mix up the gameplay or add to a feeling of progression. The items that change level design are an interesting idea, but many are just like, 'this platform moves now.' Many of the interesting mechanics don't really extend outside one area either, which was disappointing.
The game also uses the 'oops, you died! Now go to where you died and get your experience back or lose it forever!' system. If this game was less linear this would bother me, but it's fine here since usually I'd be going to the same area anyway. As it was, this only annoyed me a few times.
There's also the story, which was... I dunno, apparently this game was made by Brazilians and is inspired by Brazilian imagery (Which does look really nice, as does the rest of the game), but I don't really know if this actually informed the story in any way. Maybe there's a bunch of cool lore, but most of what I got was a pretty basic anti-establishment story with a few underwhelming 'Ooh, the characters know you respawn!' moments. Thankfully, the story is pretty easily ignored either way, so I can't hold it against the game too much.
It's in between a 7 and 8 out of 10, but I'll give it the benefit for now. It's really good overall and I recommend it to anyone who feels like Castleroids have become a bit too homogenized in nature.
Anyway, the only other time I'd ever seen this game was once in a Dunkey video where he brushed over it. It also has a pretty low rating here, which sucks, because this is actually a really good game, dare I say a great one. It's a pretty odd idea: You can only jump in straight lines from ceiling to wall to floor and however else. And yeah, it felt weird initially, but the more you play it the more fun it is. You can tell they really worked on the jumping here, with several small details that make each jump feel right.
The combat is also really good. It's very deliberate due to needing to charge your short-range gun, but extra weapons unlocked along the way change things up really well. I got a decent amount of use out of all of the extra weapons here. No complaints in terms of combat.
Now, this game is indeed a Castleroid, so you may be wondering how it holds up in that regard. Well, let's start with the structure. The game is actually pretty linear. There is inter-area backtracking, but there's few moments where you're asked to travel further than just back out of an area you just explored. You can get get all of the stuff in every area first time through as well. The thing is, this is all probably for the best, considering you couldn't just rush through previous areas the same way you could in a Metroid or Castlevania game.
In terms of upgrades, this is one of my biggest issues with the game. Upgrades either consist of health or special ammo refills, aforementioned extra weapons, items that change the level design or how you interact with it, or experience points that can be used to increase max health, ammo, and how much the refills of each respectively fills. All of these are fine, really. My main issue is that very rarely do these actually mix up the gameplay or add to a feeling of progression. The items that change level design are an interesting idea, but many are just like, 'this platform moves now.' Many of the interesting mechanics don't really extend outside one area either, which was disappointing.
The game also uses the 'oops, you died! Now go to where you died and get your experience back or lose it forever!' system. If this game was less linear this would bother me, but it's fine here since usually I'd be going to the same area anyway. As it was, this only annoyed me a few times.
There's also the story, which was... I dunno, apparently this game was made by Brazilians and is inspired by Brazilian imagery (Which does look really nice, as does the rest of the game), but I don't really know if this actually informed the story in any way. Maybe there's a bunch of cool lore, but most of what I got was a pretty basic anti-establishment story with a few underwhelming 'Ooh, the characters know you respawn!' moments. Thankfully, the story is pretty easily ignored either way, so I can't hold it against the game too much.
It's in between a 7 and 8 out of 10, but I'll give it the benefit for now. It's really good overall and I recommend it to anyone who feels like Castleroids have become a bit too homogenized in nature.
2004
I think the best way to describe this game is that it is to independent game development what Super Mario Bros was to console game development. Despite being made by only one guy as a non-profit side project, it's still one of the best games ever made. It's inspired by several NES games, but seemingly most of all Blaster Master. The subpar implementation of the weapon upgrades in Blaster Master has been transformed into one of the best game mechanics for encouraging the player to engage with enemies. It's a consistent game of trying even harder not to get hit while collecting crystals to increase your gun's strength. Even though the alternate endings are decided by seemingly irrelevant player choices, I still love replaying the game because of the different possibilities of what guns and upgrades you can have. The gameplay is super engaging and I love it.
The story is also pretty good, but moreso in how it's presented. While the main narrative going on is solid in and of itself, certain details are left for the player to discover themselves. It's the perfect sweetspot between uncovering important mysteries and a satisfying main narrative.
The visuals and sound depend on the version you're playing. You really shouldn't pay for this game, as it is still free for the PC, but I'd be lying if I said some of the visual options in the paid versions weren't better. The music though? Original all the way, and in general an incredible soundtrack.
Even if this game was just 'OK', what it represents is extremely important: Pure creative expression in the form of a game. It deserves to be remembered in the vein of games like Super Mario Bros, Final Fantasy VI, Street Fighter II, Ocarina of Time and many others. You need to play this game.
The story is also pretty good, but moreso in how it's presented. While the main narrative going on is solid in and of itself, certain details are left for the player to discover themselves. It's the perfect sweetspot between uncovering important mysteries and a satisfying main narrative.
The visuals and sound depend on the version you're playing. You really shouldn't pay for this game, as it is still free for the PC, but I'd be lying if I said some of the visual options in the paid versions weren't better. The music though? Original all the way, and in general an incredible soundtrack.
Even if this game was just 'OK', what it represents is extremely important: Pure creative expression in the form of a game. It deserves to be remembered in the vein of games like Super Mario Bros, Final Fantasy VI, Street Fighter II, Ocarina of Time and many others. You need to play this game.
TBD
If I had a nickel for every indie game released in the last few years that had expansive DLC where the final boss was a Punch-Out!! match, I'd have two nickels, which isn't a lot but it's weird it happened twice.
This review contains spoilers
Ace Attorney was overall really good, and had tons of great parts. It's undeniably fun to gather evidence and put together the pieces of testimonies to discover how the defendant is innocent despite the mountains of evidence against them, with the fourth case in particular being one I'll never forget. Most of the characters are really fun too, and add to the very clear consensus that this game isn't trying to emulate an actual courtroom at all.
However, I do have a few issues. First, I think there should've been a case between the first and second. Not only does a character we just met in the first case die in the case immediately after, but the actual murderer seems a bit too powerful for an attorney with only one case under his belt. It also would've just made the game a little longer.
Another issue is the way difficulty is handled. I did actually lose a case once, and all that really does is waste your time, because you already know the solutions to each cross-examination you did before losing. This is a problem that would probably take a massive rehaul of the game's structure to fix, honestly, as the extremely linear structure of the entire game only worsens this issue. The linearity also means that there's no extrinsic reason to replay the game, as the events of each case will always be the same (Although I'm sure I'll replay it eventually just to experience the story again).
Visually, the game is alright. I played it with as a part of the trilogy rerelease, and it seems they took the original assets and reused those. That's fine with the character sprites (Although the keyframe transitions don't look super smooth), but some of the backgrounds are very clearly meant to be viewed at a lower resolution. It's not a huge deal, but still.
However, the sound is great! Aside from the awesome soundtrack, the effects used for when a good defense or offense is used sounds like the opposing lawyer is being stabbed, which accompanies all of the over-the-top reactions well. I also love the OBJECTION!! and HOLD IT!! voices for each attorney, which shows their character. The prosecutor of the first case sounds meek, while Von Karma sounds extremely intimidating. Once again, this doesn't make the game a 10/10, but I thought it was worth mentioning.
The point is, this game has some great moments, but also has some issues. I'm definitely going to play the sequels to see if they improve on this one. 7/10.
However, I do have a few issues. First, I think there should've been a case between the first and second. Not only does a character we just met in the first case die in the case immediately after, but the actual murderer seems a bit too powerful for an attorney with only one case under his belt. It also would've just made the game a little longer.
Another issue is the way difficulty is handled. I did actually lose a case once, and all that really does is waste your time, because you already know the solutions to each cross-examination you did before losing. This is a problem that would probably take a massive rehaul of the game's structure to fix, honestly, as the extremely linear structure of the entire game only worsens this issue. The linearity also means that there's no extrinsic reason to replay the game, as the events of each case will always be the same (Although I'm sure I'll replay it eventually just to experience the story again).
Visually, the game is alright. I played it with as a part of the trilogy rerelease, and it seems they took the original assets and reused those. That's fine with the character sprites (Although the keyframe transitions don't look super smooth), but some of the backgrounds are very clearly meant to be viewed at a lower resolution. It's not a huge deal, but still.
However, the sound is great! Aside from the awesome soundtrack, the effects used for when a good defense or offense is used sounds like the opposing lawyer is being stabbed, which accompanies all of the over-the-top reactions well. I also love the OBJECTION!! and HOLD IT!! voices for each attorney, which shows their character. The prosecutor of the first case sounds meek, while Von Karma sounds extremely intimidating. Once again, this doesn't make the game a 10/10, but I thought it was worth mentioning.
The point is, this game has some great moments, but also has some issues. I'm definitely going to play the sequels to see if they improve on this one. 7/10.
2019
After playing the Streets of Rage series, I decided I needed to try more beat em ups. And whaddya know, Nintendo's crappy online subscription had this for free for a week! A buddy and I played through the game in two sittings, and despite some problems, I rather enjoyed it.
First off, this game is actually non-linear and has a lot of RPG-style elements, which I thought was pretty neat. While the moveset felt a little restrictive at first, it doesn't take long to unlock a wider moveset that keeps things fresh. At the same time, I also had an overabundance of moves near the end of the game. Early on you unlock moves by leveling, but eventually you just have to pay for them at a dojo. This is fine, but dang, there's a lot of them. At the very least, I'm glad that the game eases you into the movesets of the characters as you progress, but I'm still not really sure if half the moves I had are even that different. There's also the fact that due to long stagger times for enemies, the game is extremely easy unless you're swarmed by several opponents, which is most of the time after a certain point, but still. Regardless, comboing enemies was fun, and as I said, I played the game with a friend, which always makes a game a little more fun.
The story is pretty hit and miss, as well as the humour. Either way, the story is a bit repetitive. It's just...
Main characters: 'Uh-oh, our boyfriends have been kidnapped! This boss must know where they are!' beat the boss up
Boss: 'Dang, you're strong. I don't know where your boyfriends are, but maybe the next boss does!'
Main Characters: 'Cool, let's go find said next boss!' leaves
It's fine. I don't expect much out of these games storywise, and this game did the job I guess. Humourwise... I dunno, I didn't hate it as much as many seemed to. Anime-isms annoy me just as much as the next guy, but some of the dialogue is still mildly entertaining. Also, every cutscene can be skipped, which is appreciated in general.
The biggest story complaint I, and seemingly everyone else has is the ending. I used to be fairly tolerant of the whole 'true ending' trend that's been popping up recently, but it's been grating me more and more, and River City Girls is no exception. I shouldn't have to do a whole side quest to get an ending that doesn't suck. Honestly, I would've even been fine with the bad ending if it was developed throughout the story. In this sense, we kind of got the worst of both worlds.
Audiovisually, the game is quite good. My main complaint is that the visual presentation can feel weirdly inconsistent. Some cutscenes are animated while others are manga-styled. Considering this is a gender-bender retro revival, I probably would've preferred to just have the manga cutscenes with either a 90s shounen or shoujo artstyle. Still, the game looks and sounds great either way.
The point is, despite some issues, I did rather enjoy this game. I'll give it a 6/10, but I may make it a 7. If there are other games with a similar structure to this, please tell me. In the meantime, I'm definitely gonna check out the other River City games.
First off, this game is actually non-linear and has a lot of RPG-style elements, which I thought was pretty neat. While the moveset felt a little restrictive at first, it doesn't take long to unlock a wider moveset that keeps things fresh. At the same time, I also had an overabundance of moves near the end of the game. Early on you unlock moves by leveling, but eventually you just have to pay for them at a dojo. This is fine, but dang, there's a lot of them. At the very least, I'm glad that the game eases you into the movesets of the characters as you progress, but I'm still not really sure if half the moves I had are even that different. There's also the fact that due to long stagger times for enemies, the game is extremely easy unless you're swarmed by several opponents, which is most of the time after a certain point, but still. Regardless, comboing enemies was fun, and as I said, I played the game with a friend, which always makes a game a little more fun.
The story is pretty hit and miss, as well as the humour. Either way, the story is a bit repetitive. It's just...
Main characters: 'Uh-oh, our boyfriends have been kidnapped! This boss must know where they are!' beat the boss up
Boss: 'Dang, you're strong. I don't know where your boyfriends are, but maybe the next boss does!'
Main Characters: 'Cool, let's go find said next boss!' leaves
It's fine. I don't expect much out of these games storywise, and this game did the job I guess. Humourwise... I dunno, I didn't hate it as much as many seemed to. Anime-isms annoy me just as much as the next guy, but some of the dialogue is still mildly entertaining. Also, every cutscene can be skipped, which is appreciated in general.
The biggest story complaint I, and seemingly everyone else has is the ending. I used to be fairly tolerant of the whole 'true ending' trend that's been popping up recently, but it's been grating me more and more, and River City Girls is no exception. I shouldn't have to do a whole side quest to get an ending that doesn't suck. Honestly, I would've even been fine with the bad ending if it was developed throughout the story. In this sense, we kind of got the worst of both worlds.
Audiovisually, the game is quite good. My main complaint is that the visual presentation can feel weirdly inconsistent. Some cutscenes are animated while others are manga-styled. Considering this is a gender-bender retro revival, I probably would've preferred to just have the manga cutscenes with either a 90s shounen or shoujo artstyle. Still, the game looks and sounds great either way.
The point is, despite some issues, I did rather enjoy this game. I'll give it a 6/10, but I may make it a 7. If there are other games with a similar structure to this, please tell me. In the meantime, I'm definitely gonna check out the other River City games.
1996
Good game design is eternal. The way all of Mario's moves connect so beautifully, with pretty much all of them contributing to a diverse moveset that is extremely satisfying to master. The variety being a natural extension of the main gameplay, with platforming, sliding, and light combat. The compact maps that (For the most part) use their space to the fullest extent. All of this was good in 1996, and is still good today.
Game design is also subjective, and what works for one game may not work for another. A lot of people say the game shouldn't boot Mario out of the painting after getting a star, but this can work better than the alternative of keeping Mario in the level. In Bob-omb Battlefield, Koopa the Quick is at the beginning of the stage, so being booted back is more convenient.
However, such is not the case in a stage like Tick Tock Clock, where the majority of the stars are in a linear set of obstacles, with each a bit further than the rest. This was bad design in 1996 and is also bad design today, and Tick Tock Clock wasn't the only stage with such issues.
I can forgive a bad camera, some spotty visual design, and even short length, but repetitive content I cannot. Don't take this as a knock against the game; It's aged extremely well for such a pioneer. However, some of the mistakes it made have nothing to do with the new dimension it explored, but instead fundamentals that apply in 2D as well.
Game design is also subjective, and what works for one game may not work for another. A lot of people say the game shouldn't boot Mario out of the painting after getting a star, but this can work better than the alternative of keeping Mario in the level. In Bob-omb Battlefield, Koopa the Quick is at the beginning of the stage, so being booted back is more convenient.
However, such is not the case in a stage like Tick Tock Clock, where the majority of the stars are in a linear set of obstacles, with each a bit further than the rest. This was bad design in 1996 and is also bad design today, and Tick Tock Clock wasn't the only stage with such issues.
I can forgive a bad camera, some spotty visual design, and even short length, but repetitive content I cannot. Don't take this as a knock against the game; It's aged extremely well for such a pioneer. However, some of the mistakes it made have nothing to do with the new dimension it explored, but instead fundamentals that apply in 2D as well.
1988
This game has some great ideas that are barely expanded upon or executed well. Going into top-down sections for supplies is a great idea, but it's execution is meh. The top-down gun upgrades are lost when you get hit and are extremely sparse in placement, so unless you're really good you probably won't keep it. This problem is made greater by the fact that every boss is in the top-down section. Why half of the bosses aren't in the SOPHIA sections is beyond me, since you also get ammo for SOPHIA from the top-down sections, who controls much better than Jason. In fact, why couldn't every boss be with SOPHIA? The game would instantly be better.
Anyway, you can also play as Jason in the 2D sections, but he's way worse to play as than SOPHIA. There's only two moments where playing as him in the overworld is necessary, and I think there could've been more honestly, because what we got was pretty basic. Still, those two moments were pretty neat.
The backtracking is also a neat idea, but its execution is dumb. You go from stage 1 to 2 to 3 to 4, then back to 1 with new abilities, from there get to 5 and 6, go back to level 1 and then 2, go to level 7, back to 2 and then 3, and then 8. Why was it straightforward for half the game before the developers said, "Now go back to the very beginning"? It should've had level 1 be a center world where you go to each level, get a powerup, go back to 1, then go to the next stage through there. Or, just a completely interconnected map.
And then there's the final level, which it seems was made by someone who hates videogames. Extremely precise jumps, a jank wall climb, and general timewasting is present all throughout. Why? I don't know, I guess developers were still used to arcades where you don't want people to finish your game.
Oh yeah, obligatory 'Play the Japanese Version because they removed unlimited continues in the US versions because of rentals or something'. I actually played the US version, but I used save states. I know, I'm too far gone. Other than that, the game is fine. 6/10 for now, but it could go lower after I play Blaster Master Zero.
Anyway, you can also play as Jason in the 2D sections, but he's way worse to play as than SOPHIA. There's only two moments where playing as him in the overworld is necessary, and I think there could've been more honestly, because what we got was pretty basic. Still, those two moments were pretty neat.
The backtracking is also a neat idea, but its execution is dumb. You go from stage 1 to 2 to 3 to 4, then back to 1 with new abilities, from there get to 5 and 6, go back to level 1 and then 2, go to level 7, back to 2 and then 3, and then 8. Why was it straightforward for half the game before the developers said, "Now go back to the very beginning"? It should've had level 1 be a center world where you go to each level, get a powerup, go back to 1, then go to the next stage through there. Or, just a completely interconnected map.
And then there's the final level, which it seems was made by someone who hates videogames. Extremely precise jumps, a jank wall climb, and general timewasting is present all throughout. Why? I don't know, I guess developers were still used to arcades where you don't want people to finish your game.
Oh yeah, obligatory 'Play the Japanese Version because they removed unlimited continues in the US versions because of rentals or something'. I actually played the US version, but I used save states. I know, I'm too far gone. Other than that, the game is fine. 6/10 for now, but it could go lower after I play Blaster Master Zero.
2021
Yeah yeah, I was brought here by Nitro Rad too. Is the game good though?
Yeah, I guess, but that comes with a lot of asterisks.
The movement and moveset in general are excellent. I could nitpick a few details, like the side somersaults' uselessness due to the triple jump not being space-sensative like in Super Mario 64. Also, the grapple hook and timestop are pretty situational in use/ Regardless, this is a very good moveset that makes the player plan each jump in advance, unlike A Hat in Time.
The level design isn't the best, but I think it's mostly fine. The game beckons players to master the moveset and perform skips in pretty much every level. Combine this with a genius checkpoint system that allows the player to control their respawn position, and those seemingly ludicrous skips are much more achievable and fun to try. I also appreciate that you can get every collectible on the first run and you don't have to come back with the turf abilities (which you earn in each boss fight) or something. Point is, the level design is pretty basic, but the game does a really good job of distracting that fact.
But now its time to talk about the highlight of every 3D platformer! Combat! Oh boy! I dunno though, this really wasn't that bad. Probably like half the levels have required combat sections, and they're over really quick. Still, that's far from a compliment. What really pisses me off is that the final boss is kind of purely combat, which I think is dumb for a 3D Platformer.
Uhh... There's a story. Is there? Yeah, but it's pretty nothing. There's an attempt at some kind of arc with the protagonist Beebz's friend, but this leads to nothing. I like the concept of beating these bosses up and gaining clout overtime, but the game doesn't really expand on this in an interesting way.
Also, this game definitely lacks the level of polish of a game like A Hat in Time. The movement feels great, but the way Beebz interacts with the environment feels spotty at times. Most of the minor NPCs look really bad too. Lastly, I ran into a few glitches.
There's also the structure of the game. Now, there's 28 Levels, and each level has a post-boss version that changes things up a bit and utilizes the newly acquired turf ability. So, there's like 56 levels in total, and beating a level gets you a battery, right? Well, for the most part, the structure is simple. Beat all 7 levels in the world in whatever order you please, fight the boss, go to the next world.
However, to fight the final boss, you need 50 Batteries, so you have to beat 50 out of the 56 levels (Or maybe there's other ways to get batteries. I haven't delved that much into the side content). Keep in mind, half of these levels are reskins. As heavily altered as a reskin can be, they're still reskins. Imagine if to fight Bowser you needed 110/120 stars. Like, why not make me just get all at that point? I guess I'll take it though, because I only had 40 batteries after beating the 4th boss, so I had to play 10 more levels, which kind of ruined the pacing.
Despite all of those problems, Demon Turf can be really fun. It has some great ideas, but I think the devs were just a bit too ambitious. Maybe if the game was a bit better paced, the combat was gone, the story was minimized, the moveset tweaked a little, all the fluff was removed, and the visuals were more consistent I'd like this game more. Oh wait, the standalone expansion Demon Turf: Neon Splash did this and it costs $20 less than this game (Not a sponsor). The lesson is, you should probably get that instead. Still, if you like 3D platformers, this is a fine time.
Yeah, I guess, but that comes with a lot of asterisks.
The movement and moveset in general are excellent. I could nitpick a few details, like the side somersaults' uselessness due to the triple jump not being space-sensative like in Super Mario 64. Also, the grapple hook and timestop are pretty situational in use/ Regardless, this is a very good moveset that makes the player plan each jump in advance, unlike A Hat in Time.
The level design isn't the best, but I think it's mostly fine. The game beckons players to master the moveset and perform skips in pretty much every level. Combine this with a genius checkpoint system that allows the player to control their respawn position, and those seemingly ludicrous skips are much more achievable and fun to try. I also appreciate that you can get every collectible on the first run and you don't have to come back with the turf abilities (which you earn in each boss fight) or something. Point is, the level design is pretty basic, but the game does a really good job of distracting that fact.
But now its time to talk about the highlight of every 3D platformer! Combat! Oh boy! I dunno though, this really wasn't that bad. Probably like half the levels have required combat sections, and they're over really quick. Still, that's far from a compliment. What really pisses me off is that the final boss is kind of purely combat, which I think is dumb for a 3D Platformer.
Uhh... There's a story. Is there? Yeah, but it's pretty nothing. There's an attempt at some kind of arc with the protagonist Beebz's friend, but this leads to nothing. I like the concept of beating these bosses up and gaining clout overtime, but the game doesn't really expand on this in an interesting way.
Also, this game definitely lacks the level of polish of a game like A Hat in Time. The movement feels great, but the way Beebz interacts with the environment feels spotty at times. Most of the minor NPCs look really bad too. Lastly, I ran into a few glitches.
There's also the structure of the game. Now, there's 28 Levels, and each level has a post-boss version that changes things up a bit and utilizes the newly acquired turf ability. So, there's like 56 levels in total, and beating a level gets you a battery, right? Well, for the most part, the structure is simple. Beat all 7 levels in the world in whatever order you please, fight the boss, go to the next world.
However, to fight the final boss, you need 50 Batteries, so you have to beat 50 out of the 56 levels (Or maybe there's other ways to get batteries. I haven't delved that much into the side content). Keep in mind, half of these levels are reskins. As heavily altered as a reskin can be, they're still reskins. Imagine if to fight Bowser you needed 110/120 stars. Like, why not make me just get all at that point? I guess I'll take it though, because I only had 40 batteries after beating the 4th boss, so I had to play 10 more levels, which kind of ruined the pacing.
Despite all of those problems, Demon Turf can be really fun. It has some great ideas, but I think the devs were just a bit too ambitious. Maybe if the game was a bit better paced, the combat was gone, the story was minimized, the moveset tweaked a little, all the fluff was removed, and the visuals were more consistent I'd like this game more. Oh wait, the standalone expansion Demon Turf: Neon Splash did this and it costs $20 less than this game (Not a sponsor). The lesson is, you should probably get that instead. Still, if you like 3D platformers, this is a fine time.