ExAndOh
2021
Stylish and satisfying, disillusioned from it all
No More Heroes III is a third-person hack and slash/adventure game developed by Grasshopper Manufacture in 2021 for the Nintendo Switch. The long awaited numbered sequel to No More Heroes is surprisingly in top form with the best gameplay/structure in the series and manages to tell an extremely crazy story even for No More Heroes standards yet left wanting and perhaps actually too self-indulgent to an extent.
No More Heroes III manages to bring the best out of every entry in the way it compliments in each other in gameplay. The sparse yet much improved open world from 1 and the Death Glove special moves from Travis Strikes Again specifically. The actual hack and slash feels tight and satisfying albeit does follow a simple format. Small details also make the gameplay feel more stylish and unique compared to previous entries with reels being extremely impactful and constantly getting good rolls including money and a resource that is used to upgrade your character in general. Framerate in combat is great and fluid possibly never dropping below 60 and more constantly being around the 40-60 range. The boss fights here are surprisingly varied in mechanics and almost always have you doing something that is out of left field in a way. The open world in NMH3 is actually not that bad here, there are collectibles to find, many side actitivies to do including fan favorites like Lawn Mowing and Trash Collecting. The best part about the open world compared to NMH1 is how much more streamlined it is without taking what the best part of the element is. For reference in NMH1, you would have to go to a building to accept the job, drive to the job, do the job and if you want to do the job again you would have to drive back to the building, accept the job, drive back to the job spot and do it then. In NMH3, each job is located in the spot where the job takes place. It's actually a very small thing that many open world games do already but it gave me more time to do the minigames this time around and they're pretty fun and varied here if I never felt like I needed to grind for money since I always had enough anyway. Enemy variety here is excellent with almost each enemy having a different move set and a specific way of handing them that you can't just spam light attacks and hope for the best.
I think the most disappointing thing is that the story and most of the characters albeit pretty good and crazy didn't shine too much compared to the first game and that's a barely at that too. I don't mind when creators like to leak out and nerd out about how much they like a certain director to an extent but it felt like it was really overdone here for the sequences you would get that it almost felt masturbatory to an extent. That said, the rest of the game does it pretty well apart from those sequences and it's a shame those sequences are like that since it could've done more to flesh them out more than just talk about said director. Despite the open world being the best in the series, the game sadly does suffer through a lot of graphical problems even for the Switch. The only caveat is that it doesn't ever slog through important gameplay moments since it would load you into a different zone for combat or minigames in general. A tiny compliant but I really wish there was more references to his past games would be a vague way to put it.
Despite all that, This has been the most fun I've had playing No More Heroes and Suda51 in general. The gameplay is fun as hell, the side activities are great, Suda51's style and unique way of presenting ideas and visuals is in full form here, the music is good. One of the rare games I feel like after beating it that I boot it up again and just do more of the side content because the game is just that fun. Goodbye, No More Heroes.
No More Heroes III is a third-person hack and slash/adventure game developed by Grasshopper Manufacture in 2021 for the Nintendo Switch. The long awaited numbered sequel to No More Heroes is surprisingly in top form with the best gameplay/structure in the series and manages to tell an extremely crazy story even for No More Heroes standards yet left wanting and perhaps actually too self-indulgent to an extent.
No More Heroes III manages to bring the best out of every entry in the way it compliments in each other in gameplay. The sparse yet much improved open world from 1 and the Death Glove special moves from Travis Strikes Again specifically. The actual hack and slash feels tight and satisfying albeit does follow a simple format. Small details also make the gameplay feel more stylish and unique compared to previous entries with reels being extremely impactful and constantly getting good rolls including money and a resource that is used to upgrade your character in general. Framerate in combat is great and fluid possibly never dropping below 60 and more constantly being around the 40-60 range. The boss fights here are surprisingly varied in mechanics and almost always have you doing something that is out of left field in a way. The open world in NMH3 is actually not that bad here, there are collectibles to find, many side actitivies to do including fan favorites like Lawn Mowing and Trash Collecting. The best part about the open world compared to NMH1 is how much more streamlined it is without taking what the best part of the element is. For reference in NMH1, you would have to go to a building to accept the job, drive to the job, do the job and if you want to do the job again you would have to drive back to the building, accept the job, drive back to the job spot and do it then. In NMH3, each job is located in the spot where the job takes place. It's actually a very small thing that many open world games do already but it gave me more time to do the minigames this time around and they're pretty fun and varied here if I never felt like I needed to grind for money since I always had enough anyway. Enemy variety here is excellent with almost each enemy having a different move set and a specific way of handing them that you can't just spam light attacks and hope for the best.
I think the most disappointing thing is that the story and most of the characters albeit pretty good and crazy didn't shine too much compared to the first game and that's a barely at that too. I don't mind when creators like to leak out and nerd out about how much they like a certain director to an extent but it felt like it was really overdone here for the sequences you would get that it almost felt masturbatory to an extent. That said, the rest of the game does it pretty well apart from those sequences and it's a shame those sequences are like that since it could've done more to flesh them out more than just talk about said director. Despite the open world being the best in the series, the game sadly does suffer through a lot of graphical problems even for the Switch. The only caveat is that it doesn't ever slog through important gameplay moments since it would load you into a different zone for combat or minigames in general. A tiny compliant but I really wish there was more references to his past games would be a vague way to put it.
Despite all that, This has been the most fun I've had playing No More Heroes and Suda51 in general. The gameplay is fun as hell, the side activities are great, Suda51's style and unique way of presenting ideas and visuals is in full form here, the music is good. One of the rare games I feel like after beating it that I boot it up again and just do more of the side content because the game is just that fun. Goodbye, No More Heroes.
The soul returns, once more with true feeling
NEO: The World Ends With You had a lot to live up to as the sequel to cult classic The World Ends With You releasing 14 years later on the dot. The unique gameplay, soundtrack, setting and charm sets up The World Ends With You as something extremely memorable as it was for me when I played and completed the original DS entry only 3 months before completing NEO: The World Ends With You. After watching the final cutscene here and having the amalgamation of the entire experience finally sinking it, I can say it almost feels like the series never lost its magic. The sequel manages to bring the world of Shibuya into the high definition and three dimensional and still managing to bring the charm, the eccentric and catchy soundtrack and an important and relevant message in terms of how we perceive ourselves in the real and living flesh and the information age.
Shibuya has never felt more alive and vibrant with the game finally entering the modern realm of graphics and relegated to a main console from its handheld predecessor. The crowds of people and viewing angles do a good job of feeling like you're in this huge and sprawling area of Tokyo with the way that even the camera bends and twists the buildings around. Accompanying the many aspects of the game is the catchy and avant-garde soundtrack compared to what you would heard in other Japanese role playing games. Female vocals, rapping and metal screaming isn't something you would usually hear in the same soundtrack yet it fits extremely well here including some old favorites and remixes accompanying the new sound as well. The gameplay is radically different but shares the same style to an extent due to the fact we aren't working with dual screens anymore and the story's dynamic also adjusts to that too. Combat consists of having each member of your party carrying a pin which is an ability that is linked to a button on your controller and basically you want to link beat drops or special markers that pop up when you perform specific conditions. I can say they knocked it out of the park with how the gameplay flows here, it feels more realized here and there's a lot of pins and combinations you can pull off here that feels satisfying and make each combat encounter unique with how often you'll be switching pins and new abilities with you getting more tools outside of the gameplay loop to further customize your gameplay experience with the difficulty choice and level modifier returning as well. Leveling works the same before and gaining stats works differently in that it doesn't rely on actual real time but by burning calories by fighting noise which is a insanely good quality of life feature. The story and characters here share a different dynamic in that the main characters are a team in it of itself more than one specific person and each of them have their own specific "psych" power that lets them interact with people and the world a bit differently than before while the story still maintaining a huge air of mystery into the dilemmas the cast gets in and manages to feel almost like a coming of age story in a sense with more lore being there for longtime fans of the series to jump into. Also not to mention there is a lot to do here if you're a completionist as well and the game easily tracks it for you as well which is always nice and actually rewarding since side quests do reward with you with important perks and upgrades that really help in all facets of the game as well.
Not much really ruins the experience here other than huge frame dips during highly intensive moments (at least on Switch) and some bad pacing when you use one of your "psych" powers that pretty much kills the anticipation of what happens next since you have to retread a bit but it's nothing too egregious here.
NEO: The World Ends With You was a pleasant surprise for me and personally nails what I would want in a The World Ends With You sequel. It's really hard to nail "the cult classic sequel to a game that was released 10+ years ago" that seems to be happening with The World Ends With You, Psychonauts and No More Heroes and especially with The World Ends With You since it was a unique game in every factor of the word. Despite all that, NEO: The World Ends With You is a breath of fresh air in the current gaming space and feels like a passion project from Nomura that probably wanted this to happen for a while now and I'm glad this game exists. In this day and age, we're all mostly online but we're still human beings in the end of the day.
NEO: The World Ends With You had a lot to live up to as the sequel to cult classic The World Ends With You releasing 14 years later on the dot. The unique gameplay, soundtrack, setting and charm sets up The World Ends With You as something extremely memorable as it was for me when I played and completed the original DS entry only 3 months before completing NEO: The World Ends With You. After watching the final cutscene here and having the amalgamation of the entire experience finally sinking it, I can say it almost feels like the series never lost its magic. The sequel manages to bring the world of Shibuya into the high definition and three dimensional and still managing to bring the charm, the eccentric and catchy soundtrack and an important and relevant message in terms of how we perceive ourselves in the real and living flesh and the information age.
Shibuya has never felt more alive and vibrant with the game finally entering the modern realm of graphics and relegated to a main console from its handheld predecessor. The crowds of people and viewing angles do a good job of feeling like you're in this huge and sprawling area of Tokyo with the way that even the camera bends and twists the buildings around. Accompanying the many aspects of the game is the catchy and avant-garde soundtrack compared to what you would heard in other Japanese role playing games. Female vocals, rapping and metal screaming isn't something you would usually hear in the same soundtrack yet it fits extremely well here including some old favorites and remixes accompanying the new sound as well. The gameplay is radically different but shares the same style to an extent due to the fact we aren't working with dual screens anymore and the story's dynamic also adjusts to that too. Combat consists of having each member of your party carrying a pin which is an ability that is linked to a button on your controller and basically you want to link beat drops or special markers that pop up when you perform specific conditions. I can say they knocked it out of the park with how the gameplay flows here, it feels more realized here and there's a lot of pins and combinations you can pull off here that feels satisfying and make each combat encounter unique with how often you'll be switching pins and new abilities with you getting more tools outside of the gameplay loop to further customize your gameplay experience with the difficulty choice and level modifier returning as well. Leveling works the same before and gaining stats works differently in that it doesn't rely on actual real time but by burning calories by fighting noise which is a insanely good quality of life feature. The story and characters here share a different dynamic in that the main characters are a team in it of itself more than one specific person and each of them have their own specific "psych" power that lets them interact with people and the world a bit differently than before while the story still maintaining a huge air of mystery into the dilemmas the cast gets in and manages to feel almost like a coming of age story in a sense with more lore being there for longtime fans of the series to jump into. Also not to mention there is a lot to do here if you're a completionist as well and the game easily tracks it for you as well which is always nice and actually rewarding since side quests do reward with you with important perks and upgrades that really help in all facets of the game as well.
Not much really ruins the experience here other than huge frame dips during highly intensive moments (at least on Switch) and some bad pacing when you use one of your "psych" powers that pretty much kills the anticipation of what happens next since you have to retread a bit but it's nothing too egregious here.
NEO: The World Ends With You was a pleasant surprise for me and personally nails what I would want in a The World Ends With You sequel. It's really hard to nail "the cult classic sequel to a game that was released 10+ years ago" that seems to be happening with The World Ends With You, Psychonauts and No More Heroes and especially with The World Ends With You since it was a unique game in every factor of the word. Despite all that, NEO: The World Ends With You is a breath of fresh air in the current gaming space and feels like a passion project from Nomura that probably wanted this to happen for a while now and I'm glad this game exists. In this day and age, we're all mostly online but we're still human beings in the end of the day.
2021
Psychonauts 2 is a sequel that felt like it never left the era the original was released in despite being released 16 years after the original. It retains a lot of the elements of the full game and improves and expands upon it thanks to the technology of the present to make some of the most creative levels in 3D platforming and enjoyable writing.
The biggest strength of the sequel is the level design and writing here as no one level truly ever feels the same to the point that you essentially play the game in different ways almost each time. The story here is pretty decent and does a good job of fleshing out the new characters and some old favorites. The writing for the characters is pretty witty and pretty enjoyable along with the messages of mental health never preachy or pretentious as the topics can be in modern video games. The new psychic abilities are wonderful additions to the original roster of skills not to mention a new system that lets you augment your current existing skills for different effects as well.
The only disappointing element of the game is the gameplay, bosses and the constant switching of PSI powers since you're going to be changing them a lot throughout the game to traverse the levels. Gameplay is relatively alright but there is a lot of room for improvement here and it shows during traditional boss fights. Some bosses are very creative but meanwhile some are just really big health sponges with stronger attacks. The game itself is also surprisingly easy considering I'm not versed into 3D platformers myself. (There is an invincible option in the options but this is more for accessibility if anything and just want the story). Having to switch constantly between PSI powers can get a bit annoying since almost every PSI power is used to kill a specific enemy and when there's multiple enemies on the field, you might find yourself switching a lot and that's not mentioning doing it for a bit for the platforming puzzles as well but not as bad as it is on combat.
Psychonauts 2 in-game takes place only a few days after the first game and does feel so to its merit. The game just has the feel of a classic PS2 3D platformer back in the 2000's with some messages about mental health that actually hit here. Gameplay might not be its strongest element but the charm, levels, characters and writing really enhanced the experience to the extent that I sort of never minded it as much. A great follow up for fans of the original and a creative tour de force of visual level design.
The biggest strength of the sequel is the level design and writing here as no one level truly ever feels the same to the point that you essentially play the game in different ways almost each time. The story here is pretty decent and does a good job of fleshing out the new characters and some old favorites. The writing for the characters is pretty witty and pretty enjoyable along with the messages of mental health never preachy or pretentious as the topics can be in modern video games. The new psychic abilities are wonderful additions to the original roster of skills not to mention a new system that lets you augment your current existing skills for different effects as well.
The only disappointing element of the game is the gameplay, bosses and the constant switching of PSI powers since you're going to be changing them a lot throughout the game to traverse the levels. Gameplay is relatively alright but there is a lot of room for improvement here and it shows during traditional boss fights. Some bosses are very creative but meanwhile some are just really big health sponges with stronger attacks. The game itself is also surprisingly easy considering I'm not versed into 3D platformers myself. (There is an invincible option in the options but this is more for accessibility if anything and just want the story). Having to switch constantly between PSI powers can get a bit annoying since almost every PSI power is used to kill a specific enemy and when there's multiple enemies on the field, you might find yourself switching a lot and that's not mentioning doing it for a bit for the platforming puzzles as well but not as bad as it is on combat.
Psychonauts 2 in-game takes place only a few days after the first game and does feel so to its merit. The game just has the feel of a classic PS2 3D platformer back in the 2000's with some messages about mental health that actually hit here. Gameplay might not be its strongest element but the charm, levels, characters and writing really enhanced the experience to the extent that I sort of never minded it as much. A great follow up for fans of the original and a creative tour de force of visual level design.
Beauty and self reflection in darkness
Shadowbringers is a very unique and an emotionally tugging expansion for Final Fantasy XIV for which I put an ungodly amount of hours on during its run and now that Endwalker is on the horizon that I wanted to put my thoughts into words during the last 2 years playing this game. An overall great expansion with good content, amazing soundtrack by Soken, job changes that feel great and last but not least an amazing story that really rivals other Final Fantasy games that sadly comes with a huge price on your time.
The biggest reason this expansion is as beloved as it is the story, the characters and the soundtrack that comes as an culmination of everything that FFXIV was before. A new realm that brings along brand new and distinct areas make each trip to them feel unique compared to the contrast of Stormblood areas being half the areas looking the same with the same rock formations down to the color scheme of it all. The gorgeous pink flora of one area down to the whimsical and magical aura another area brings in this expansion. The story itself doesn't pull any punches compared to its predecessors and unfortunate pacing issues that the format of an MMO brings but the payoffs and some of them years in the making all the worthwhile here. A noticeable change is Soken having more free rein here as he mixes multiple genres in the soundtrack including rock, jazz, waltz and even electronic to an extent and manages to mesh well and really enhance some of the best moments this game has to offer. Jobs feel their most complete in this expansion and each of them manages to still something unique to the table as I leveled each one to 80. The post patch content is more varied this time around with the only noticeable sacrifice being no Palace of the Dead alternative but more it's combined with the relic/eureka system so you can work on your relics while leveling your 70+ classes as well.
Not much to say in terms of flaws other than the unfortunate circumstances that might not register as flaws to some people that enjoy the genre in general. To even get to this point in the game is a huge time investment if you really want what the story wants to offer and that's a big ask for some people. The game does also suffer from some pacing issues but they're rarely present and still important to the overall plot.
A lot of the flaws itself are pretty subjective in what you're into. The story is definitely worth it but it's a mountain to climb and that's only if you want to climb it. There is a reason this expansion is beloved as it is across the community and rightly so. The climb might be perilous but the peak is worth every second. There's a reason almost every friend you might have recommended this MMO to you if you're a fan of FF or japanese role playing games in general.
Become what you must.
Shadowbringers is a very unique and an emotionally tugging expansion for Final Fantasy XIV for which I put an ungodly amount of hours on during its run and now that Endwalker is on the horizon that I wanted to put my thoughts into words during the last 2 years playing this game. An overall great expansion with good content, amazing soundtrack by Soken, job changes that feel great and last but not least an amazing story that really rivals other Final Fantasy games that sadly comes with a huge price on your time.
The biggest reason this expansion is as beloved as it is the story, the characters and the soundtrack that comes as an culmination of everything that FFXIV was before. A new realm that brings along brand new and distinct areas make each trip to them feel unique compared to the contrast of Stormblood areas being half the areas looking the same with the same rock formations down to the color scheme of it all. The gorgeous pink flora of one area down to the whimsical and magical aura another area brings in this expansion. The story itself doesn't pull any punches compared to its predecessors and unfortunate pacing issues that the format of an MMO brings but the payoffs and some of them years in the making all the worthwhile here. A noticeable change is Soken having more free rein here as he mixes multiple genres in the soundtrack including rock, jazz, waltz and even electronic to an extent and manages to mesh well and really enhance some of the best moments this game has to offer. Jobs feel their most complete in this expansion and each of them manages to still something unique to the table as I leveled each one to 80. The post patch content is more varied this time around with the only noticeable sacrifice being no Palace of the Dead alternative but more it's combined with the relic/eureka system so you can work on your relics while leveling your 70+ classes as well.
Not much to say in terms of flaws other than the unfortunate circumstances that might not register as flaws to some people that enjoy the genre in general. To even get to this point in the game is a huge time investment if you really want what the story wants to offer and that's a big ask for some people. The game does also suffer from some pacing issues but they're rarely present and still important to the overall plot.
A lot of the flaws itself are pretty subjective in what you're into. The story is definitely worth it but it's a mountain to climb and that's only if you want to climb it. There is a reason this expansion is beloved as it is across the community and rightly so. The climb might be perilous but the peak is worth every second. There's a reason almost every friend you might have recommended this MMO to you if you're a fan of FF or japanese role playing games in general.
Become what you must.
A great combination of developer and franchise but failed to realize its potential
Samurai Champloo and Suda51 sounded like a match made in heaven and it should be in some extent. Releasing in 2006, Grasshopper Manufacture made a Samurai Champloo game if you can believe it or not on the PS2 and Suda51 even wrote and directed this one. I always felt like his unique presentation and style would've really fit this anime and it does to some extent here but the gameplay and frustrating gameplay design really prevented me to enjoying this as much as I really wanted to considering how I'm a big fan of the anime itself and Suda51 to a very small extent.
The premise here is the main trio (Mugen, Jin and Fuu) get sort of well "sidetracked" and sent off to Hokkaido for a new adventure of sorts despite the publisher itself saying that it has nothing to do with the events of the original anime. You have two options to choose from here and they play differently and have differences in their stories as well, the rambunctious Mugen or the quiet and tactical Jin. My opinions here will reflect the Mugen route for most of this review since I couldn't really get myself to beat the Jin route afterwards. The hack and slash/beat em up gameplay works around a combo lists and music tracks to an extent. You can equip two music tracks that also serve as your combo lists and background music for the gameplay and some of them also bring buffs with them as well. The flow itself feels pretty nice, moves have a huge commitment and weight to them that feel natural which I thought was cool for a bit. The writing here is pretty good and matches the comedic tone and timing of the anime to an extent as well.
With all that said, there is a fair bit I don't like about this game and some things that really ruined the experience completely. Some bosses bring a really big difficulty spikes with some weird mechanics that make it hard to dodge despite the game really not giving you any real defensive tools but with that said, it's entirely possible and not like bordering on unbeatable but it makes you do the "dodge everything and play it safe" method that doesn't feel fun at all here considering the gameplay consists of you and rewarding you for doing combos which some bosses will straight up not let you do. Not to mention some platforming that is fortunately sparse will sometimes not even work as I spent like 10 minutes trying to climb certain cliffs to no avail as if it doesn't work at all. I tried resets and I tried different angles and even watching someone else tackling this in case I was doing it wrong and even they had the same problems sadly. Also for some reason, there's also a lot of loading screens in this game and got pretty tedious going into stores after a while. The overall story here isn't really interesting all it itself and just does feel like a filler even though the whole purpose of this game to be filler to some extent. The final level also gives off "the parking lot level in NMH2" to an extent except it takes a whole hour of non stop gameplay without any cutscene or reprieve at all. It also doesn't help that they managed 2 of the 3 original actors for the game except for one of the most important roles, Blum doesn't reprise Mugen here and instead Liam O'Brien takes the helm here. I usually think he overall does a pretty good job but it feels sort of weird here as he sounds sorta phoned in sadly and too jarring from Blum's original performance in the anime and takes you out a bit of the game sadly. With that said, there is an undub version out there if that's your preference as well.
I honestly really wanted to like this game and I sorta still appreciate it for what they managed to do at the time. I still feel like they could do this anime justice if given another shot with what they've learned but sadly after beating Mugen's route, it felt like watching a filler episode of an anime with good character interactions with gameplay that looked good in the visual department but never really changed other than the combo lists. I didn't even mention the weapons system in this game that I rarely used since durability is very small for most of the weapons I used so you mostly just use the stock sword for most of the game anyway. A bit more disappointing but if you can put up with it and are a huge fan of the anime, it's not too long of a game to get through since there is definitely something good here but I failed to realize it or the game itself did.
Samurai Champloo and Suda51 sounded like a match made in heaven and it should be in some extent. Releasing in 2006, Grasshopper Manufacture made a Samurai Champloo game if you can believe it or not on the PS2 and Suda51 even wrote and directed this one. I always felt like his unique presentation and style would've really fit this anime and it does to some extent here but the gameplay and frustrating gameplay design really prevented me to enjoying this as much as I really wanted to considering how I'm a big fan of the anime itself and Suda51 to a very small extent.
The premise here is the main trio (Mugen, Jin and Fuu) get sort of well "sidetracked" and sent off to Hokkaido for a new adventure of sorts despite the publisher itself saying that it has nothing to do with the events of the original anime. You have two options to choose from here and they play differently and have differences in their stories as well, the rambunctious Mugen or the quiet and tactical Jin. My opinions here will reflect the Mugen route for most of this review since I couldn't really get myself to beat the Jin route afterwards. The hack and slash/beat em up gameplay works around a combo lists and music tracks to an extent. You can equip two music tracks that also serve as your combo lists and background music for the gameplay and some of them also bring buffs with them as well. The flow itself feels pretty nice, moves have a huge commitment and weight to them that feel natural which I thought was cool for a bit. The writing here is pretty good and matches the comedic tone and timing of the anime to an extent as well.
With all that said, there is a fair bit I don't like about this game and some things that really ruined the experience completely. Some bosses bring a really big difficulty spikes with some weird mechanics that make it hard to dodge despite the game really not giving you any real defensive tools but with that said, it's entirely possible and not like bordering on unbeatable but it makes you do the "dodge everything and play it safe" method that doesn't feel fun at all here considering the gameplay consists of you and rewarding you for doing combos which some bosses will straight up not let you do. Not to mention some platforming that is fortunately sparse will sometimes not even work as I spent like 10 minutes trying to climb certain cliffs to no avail as if it doesn't work at all. I tried resets and I tried different angles and even watching someone else tackling this in case I was doing it wrong and even they had the same problems sadly. Also for some reason, there's also a lot of loading screens in this game and got pretty tedious going into stores after a while. The overall story here isn't really interesting all it itself and just does feel like a filler even though the whole purpose of this game to be filler to some extent. The final level also gives off "the parking lot level in NMH2" to an extent except it takes a whole hour of non stop gameplay without any cutscene or reprieve at all. It also doesn't help that they managed 2 of the 3 original actors for the game except for one of the most important roles, Blum doesn't reprise Mugen here and instead Liam O'Brien takes the helm here. I usually think he overall does a pretty good job but it feels sort of weird here as he sounds sorta phoned in sadly and too jarring from Blum's original performance in the anime and takes you out a bit of the game sadly. With that said, there is an undub version out there if that's your preference as well.
I honestly really wanted to like this game and I sorta still appreciate it for what they managed to do at the time. I still feel like they could do this anime justice if given another shot with what they've learned but sadly after beating Mugen's route, it felt like watching a filler episode of an anime with good character interactions with gameplay that looked good in the visual department but never really changed other than the combo lists. I didn't even mention the weapons system in this game that I rarely used since durability is very small for most of the weapons I used so you mostly just use the stock sword for most of the game anyway. A bit more disappointing but if you can put up with it and are a huge fan of the anime, it's not too long of a game to get through since there is definitely something good here but I failed to realize it or the game itself did.
1992
Snatcher in face value felt like Hideo Kojima really wanted to make his own version of Blade Runner and the references and similarities is obvious but then again there is a certain charm on how this game was built, the late 80's campy voice talent and the gripping story that managed to really make something different here.
The story and presentation here is pretty great here and its surprisingly mature elements made Neo Kobe City feel like a real place. The pixel art is impressive and the soundtrack really sets the tone and atmosphere of the entire experience. The story is surprisingly engaging and the world building is probably the best part about the game here which shouldn't be a surprise considering the format. The characters are great and your "partner" works really well as the straight edge cop in my playthrough in a sense where I would just do the weirdest options the game gave me. There is a surprisingly amount of depth in the options itself in interacting with the world that goes from trying out an exotic and illegal dish to staring at your coworker for way too long that really gives the game a realistic touch despite it does eventually tire out of said option credit where credit is due here especially for a game like this that holds up surprisingly well.
There are some old pains that come with a game like this and it felt like you had to pick a very specific option just to get the story along sometimes. There would be moments that you would have to select a very specific option in layers of options to progress and it would kill the pacing sometimes especially when it's an empty room. The shooting here is mixed that I enjoy shooting as it is a good change of pace but it's sort of brainless when you realize that there is no reason to not spam the fire button and select the direction instead of timing your shots after a while. The final act also does really feel rushed and sorta felt like it dragged with Kojima's style of over explaining and info dumping but it did end well enough.
Snatcher felt tedious at times but it succeeded where it really needed to in almost every way. One of Kojima's earliest works that really brought cinematic presentation forward in video games and still delivers a engrossing cyberpunk adventure that mostly everyone can enjoy.
The story and presentation here is pretty great here and its surprisingly mature elements made Neo Kobe City feel like a real place. The pixel art is impressive and the soundtrack really sets the tone and atmosphere of the entire experience. The story is surprisingly engaging and the world building is probably the best part about the game here which shouldn't be a surprise considering the format. The characters are great and your "partner" works really well as the straight edge cop in my playthrough in a sense where I would just do the weirdest options the game gave me. There is a surprisingly amount of depth in the options itself in interacting with the world that goes from trying out an exotic and illegal dish to staring at your coworker for way too long that really gives the game a realistic touch despite it does eventually tire out of said option credit where credit is due here especially for a game like this that holds up surprisingly well.
There are some old pains that come with a game like this and it felt like you had to pick a very specific option just to get the story along sometimes. There would be moments that you would have to select a very specific option in layers of options to progress and it would kill the pacing sometimes especially when it's an empty room. The shooting here is mixed that I enjoy shooting as it is a good change of pace but it's sort of brainless when you realize that there is no reason to not spam the fire button and select the direction instead of timing your shots after a while. The final act also does really feel rushed and sorta felt like it dragged with Kojima's style of over explaining and info dumping but it did end well enough.
Snatcher felt tedious at times but it succeeded where it really needed to in almost every way. One of Kojima's earliest works that really brought cinematic presentation forward in video games and still delivers a engrossing cyberpunk adventure that mostly everyone can enjoy.
Dream Drop Distance follows the suit of the gimmicky portable Kingdom Hearts games that use a command deck and some things are alright but it does way too much, adds too much, a drop mechanic that sounds good on paper but sort of ruined the pacing of the overall game.
As with every KH game, the story and music is decent here. The worlds here are more akin to classic Disney media like The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Fantasia which was my favorite world here due to the story and music and them bring The World Ends With You characters in the first world which made the slow start much bearable. The gameplay albeit a bit simplified due to the original release of this being for a portable is still standard KH at the end of the day. Flowmotion is probably the best addition to the series this game provides but it does sadly add some problems that I'll go into in the next section.
What I didn't like is that this felt like the most gimmicky KH to date. Dream Eaters as companions felt disappointing considering Birth By Sleep had normal temporary companions at times. The systems might be fun for some people but it felt clunky to use and adding more bloat into a game that really didn't need it. Enemy design is pretty lazy here as most Dream Eaters share the same color scheme and it rarely is hard to tell if you're fighting something different since after 10 hours I just didn't care anymore and I just focused on size at that point. The story albeit being decent sort of felt like it slogged a bit because of the drop mechanics and the two players perspectives which I can somewhat appreciate them trying to do something different but it's also kinda sad when Riku really just steals the whole damn show and Sora looks a bit lacking in brain cells here. Flowmotion being a great addition here is really easy to abuse and sort of made the game pretty easy in the end and removed almost all the platforming since you can wall jump infinitely with Flowmotion as well.
In the end of the day, it's a KH game and KH fans will probably think it's good or bad here and it depends what you like here. It just felt like it had some good ideas and some bad ideas that cancel out the enjoyment of the new good ideas. Nothing horrible but nothing impressive either here.
As with every KH game, the story and music is decent here. The worlds here are more akin to classic Disney media like The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Fantasia which was my favorite world here due to the story and music and them bring The World Ends With You characters in the first world which made the slow start much bearable. The gameplay albeit a bit simplified due to the original release of this being for a portable is still standard KH at the end of the day. Flowmotion is probably the best addition to the series this game provides but it does sadly add some problems that I'll go into in the next section.
What I didn't like is that this felt like the most gimmicky KH to date. Dream Eaters as companions felt disappointing considering Birth By Sleep had normal temporary companions at times. The systems might be fun for some people but it felt clunky to use and adding more bloat into a game that really didn't need it. Enemy design is pretty lazy here as most Dream Eaters share the same color scheme and it rarely is hard to tell if you're fighting something different since after 10 hours I just didn't care anymore and I just focused on size at that point. The story albeit being decent sort of felt like it slogged a bit because of the drop mechanics and the two players perspectives which I can somewhat appreciate them trying to do something different but it's also kinda sad when Riku really just steals the whole damn show and Sora looks a bit lacking in brain cells here. Flowmotion being a great addition here is really easy to abuse and sort of made the game pretty easy in the end and removed almost all the platforming since you can wall jump infinitely with Flowmotion as well.
In the end of the day, it's a KH game and KH fans will probably think it's good or bad here and it depends what you like here. It just felt like it had some good ideas and some bad ideas that cancel out the enjoyment of the new good ideas. Nothing horrible but nothing impressive either here.
0.2 was essentially a tech demo for what would be Kingdom Hearts III at the time it released and provided a bit more insight on Aqua after Birth By Sleep providing some fun but simple gameplay with a short play time.
The gameplay for what would be this tech demo and Kingdom Hearts III is still fun as its core and the game looks stunning here and runs well here (running via PC). A funny thing here is you can customize Aqua's appearance here which seems like something out of left field but a welcome addition since you can give her cat ears.
Sorta wished there was more unique bosses here since you really only fight like 3 bosses here and a pile of heartless like multiple times that got old quick. Items are hard to come by and it's a very stripped down KH game in general but that's par for the course here.
A very short demo/story at 2 and half hours that comes with the 2.8 collection or Story So Far so as it goes, it's a cool little adventure that takes advantage of new technology and brings a tiny bit more depth into Aqua as a character that doesn't overstays its welcome for what it brings.
The gameplay for what would be this tech demo and Kingdom Hearts III is still fun as its core and the game looks stunning here and runs well here (running via PC). A funny thing here is you can customize Aqua's appearance here which seems like something out of left field but a welcome addition since you can give her cat ears.
Sorta wished there was more unique bosses here since you really only fight like 3 bosses here and a pile of heartless like multiple times that got old quick. Items are hard to come by and it's a very stripped down KH game in general but that's par for the course here.
A very short demo/story at 2 and half hours that comes with the 2.8 collection or Story So Far so as it goes, it's a cool little adventure that takes advantage of new technology and brings a tiny bit more depth into Aqua as a character that doesn't overstays its welcome for what it brings.
Saving the world in peak form
Dragon Quest III has a reputation for being one of Japan's most beloved JRPGs and I am glad to say it really does deserve the reputation it garners. A huge improvement from 1 and 2 that set many precedents for what would be one of the most quintessential JRPGs of the 20th century.
The game managed to create a lot of things we take for granted in the genre such as the job system which was what I had the most fun with here, a variety of ways to make the party you want and incentive to change classes often so you can get the exact style of character you want in your party. It was pretty cool to make someone like a Thief (which was in the SNES remake I played) and made him into a critical hit machine that still carried over the thief skills that are pretty useful as well with some stats carrying over from changing. The difficulty here is actually surprisingly leaning on the hard side as I was constantly getting 2 shot by bosses but the games gives you a lot of tools and flexibility to play well. The open ended design here is still here to an extent but it has been streamlined a bit more so you don't get completely lost. The story is great here and ties up the original Dragon Quest trilogy extremely well here along with the separate stories about each location being surprisingly more to them than just a simple fetch quest or something really dry that further emphasize that you're truly in a living world. It also brought some rewarding side activities that give you more to do such as collecting mini-medals and are pretty fun such as Pachisi which I'm surprised they haven't made a game of yet or brought it more often to the other titles.
There aren't many huge flaws but there are some I feel like I should address. Despite loving the job system, I wish jobs here had more depth to them other than being attack only characters like the Warrior or Fighter. You can technically make them a caster or someone that gets abilities but switches them to level 20 but that's giving the player more grind and work to get to that point that it feels almost tedious to even think about sometimes. Also what I find funny is the amount of bosses here and then the insane boss rush near the end that threw me off guard completely. I would also say that the game gets extremely hard in the end but I was pretty underleveled when I beat it so I can't fault it too much but the exp gains from liquid metal slimes isn't enough sometimes for them rarely appearing here too.
But even from all that, it's amazing how this game holds up via the SNES remake that I played here and can imagine the 1988 NES version holding up just as much. Playing a game like this just makes me respect JRPGs more and it was a nice way to end myself playing through the first three Dragon Quest games this year. If you consider yourself a JRPG fan, go play them but just know you'll have to figure out the rest yourself and become the legend.
Dragon Quest III has a reputation for being one of Japan's most beloved JRPGs and I am glad to say it really does deserve the reputation it garners. A huge improvement from 1 and 2 that set many precedents for what would be one of the most quintessential JRPGs of the 20th century.
The game managed to create a lot of things we take for granted in the genre such as the job system which was what I had the most fun with here, a variety of ways to make the party you want and incentive to change classes often so you can get the exact style of character you want in your party. It was pretty cool to make someone like a Thief (which was in the SNES remake I played) and made him into a critical hit machine that still carried over the thief skills that are pretty useful as well with some stats carrying over from changing. The difficulty here is actually surprisingly leaning on the hard side as I was constantly getting 2 shot by bosses but the games gives you a lot of tools and flexibility to play well. The open ended design here is still here to an extent but it has been streamlined a bit more so you don't get completely lost. The story is great here and ties up the original Dragon Quest trilogy extremely well here along with the separate stories about each location being surprisingly more to them than just a simple fetch quest or something really dry that further emphasize that you're truly in a living world. It also brought some rewarding side activities that give you more to do such as collecting mini-medals and are pretty fun such as Pachisi which I'm surprised they haven't made a game of yet or brought it more often to the other titles.
There aren't many huge flaws but there are some I feel like I should address. Despite loving the job system, I wish jobs here had more depth to them other than being attack only characters like the Warrior or Fighter. You can technically make them a caster or someone that gets abilities but switches them to level 20 but that's giving the player more grind and work to get to that point that it feels almost tedious to even think about sometimes. Also what I find funny is the amount of bosses here and then the insane boss rush near the end that threw me off guard completely. I would also say that the game gets extremely hard in the end but I was pretty underleveled when I beat it so I can't fault it too much but the exp gains from liquid metal slimes isn't enough sometimes for them rarely appearing here too.
But even from all that, it's amazing how this game holds up via the SNES remake that I played here and can imagine the 1988 NES version holding up just as much. Playing a game like this just makes me respect JRPGs more and it was a nice way to end myself playing through the first three Dragon Quest games this year. If you consider yourself a JRPG fan, go play them but just know you'll have to figure out the rest yourself and become the legend.
This review is going to mostly go into the switch port of Tetris Effect: Connected since I don't really see many people here going into it. My thoughts on the original Tetris Effect that I played via PC are here (https://www.backloggd.com/u/ExAndOh/review/109327/). Long story short on that is that it's my favorite version of Tetris just for the visuals and incredible soundtrack that made the gameplay even more addicting for me. That said, I was excited to see that this game was coming to Switch and now that I've beaten Journey Mode on Expert, played all the modes several times and played some multiplayer matches that I can form a personal consensus on the port here.
I have to say Enhance really did an amazing job here. The visuals feel barely downgraded here and the sound feels pretty good here especially if you're using Bluetooth audio which Nintendo has fortunately added here. Framerate is hard to tell here but it's pretty smooth most of the time and I didn't feel much input lag here using the joycons. HD rumble is wonderfully utilized here to utilize the rhythm here in general.
Only weird quirk I could really find is that the when levels load in during specific sequences or changing levels during Journey mode that the game would freeze for a second leaving you unable to act until the game fully loads in and it can throw you off. I can also attribute it to a skill issue and the fact that joycons aren't that great for games like these but Nintendo hasn't really made a great portable HD rumble controller akin to the Split Pad Pro sadly.
Aside from the downgrades here, this is still an amazing port and version of Tetris Effect that you literally can't go wrong with. Crossplay is here as well so you can play with anyone that owns this game in general regardless and still my favorite version of Tetris in the end of the day and much easier to get into since puzzle games and portable consoles are a match made in gaming heaven.
I have to say Enhance really did an amazing job here. The visuals feel barely downgraded here and the sound feels pretty good here especially if you're using Bluetooth audio which Nintendo has fortunately added here. Framerate is hard to tell here but it's pretty smooth most of the time and I didn't feel much input lag here using the joycons. HD rumble is wonderfully utilized here to utilize the rhythm here in general.
Only weird quirk I could really find is that the when levels load in during specific sequences or changing levels during Journey mode that the game would freeze for a second leaving you unable to act until the game fully loads in and it can throw you off. I can also attribute it to a skill issue and the fact that joycons aren't that great for games like these but Nintendo hasn't really made a great portable HD rumble controller akin to the Split Pad Pro sadly.
Aside from the downgrades here, this is still an amazing port and version of Tetris Effect that you literally can't go wrong with. Crossplay is here as well so you can play with anyone that owns this game in general regardless and still my favorite version of Tetris in the end of the day and much easier to get into since puzzle games and portable consoles are a match made in gaming heaven.
2018
Not too much to say here other than as a first time Battlefield experience, it's pretty fun.
Shooting feels great here and the audio and graphics department works well here to give each battle feel like well a warzone. I also like the semblance of teamwork here when it works, the usual good feeling when picking a role your team needs and it paying off for everyone.
That said, people tend to rarely work as a team as it is which sorta plagues most first person shooters that utilizes team play elements. Cheaters are uncommon enough that it doesn't completely ruin the experience but it's still there. Not too much the usual stuff with EA games being monetization and the process of getting things.
That said, I picked this game up for 5 bucks and got a good 10 hours out of it. I don't really recommend spending 10 bucks max on that if you want something that scratched the WW2 FPS itch that it did for me and there's probably way better games in this genre but the shooting was good, what can I say?
Shooting feels great here and the audio and graphics department works well here to give each battle feel like well a warzone. I also like the semblance of teamwork here when it works, the usual good feeling when picking a role your team needs and it paying off for everyone.
That said, people tend to rarely work as a team as it is which sorta plagues most first person shooters that utilizes team play elements. Cheaters are uncommon enough that it doesn't completely ruin the experience but it's still there. Not too much the usual stuff with EA games being monetization and the process of getting things.
That said, I picked this game up for 5 bucks and got a good 10 hours out of it. I don't really recommend spending 10 bucks max on that if you want something that scratched the WW2 FPS itch that it did for me and there's probably way better games in this genre but the shooting was good, what can I say?
2002
New variant of Metroid spotted
Metroid Fusion was the long awaited sequel to Super Metroid spanning an 8 year gap and along with the new game bringing a new philosophy that the Metroid series will follow for a while to the dismay of some of its fans. That said, Fusion manages to still feel like an excellent Metroid game that also brings along a new interesting setting that is the BSL Research Station and what I feel that new direction brings is less backtracking and more of something like a light horror game with how the new gameplay elements bring together.
The most important thing is that the gameplay here feels more tighter than its SNES counterpart. Jumping and shooting feels less stiff and jumps feels faster. A controversial topic being that Fusion bringing a more linear design and while I do think the open-ended nature of Super Metroid is one of its biggest strengths especially for its time, I find myself preferring Fusion's approach due to the pacing of it all that makes it feel like a more dense experience for me that's only Metroid experience was Super Metroid before. The atmosphere is great as it brings a "space horror" feeling of being this sole survivor in an abandoned space station against a space parasite that can turn itself into anything which also brings me into the inclusing of SA-X here which I thought was pretty cool. The moments SA-X does come on brings some tense moments where you're trying to get away and have to be very quick and smart about it to the point that it did feel like someone else was actually playing. A surprising compliment I have to give is the little story that is here that serves to build up the intrigue and horror of the situation you're in. The music is pretty good here being ambience to the background that enhances the experience a bit.
I think not being able to backtrack at certain moments can be pretty annoying especially for those doing a 100% run though. Some bosses have weird quirks to them that came off as annoying but even then most of the bosses are great here. Probably an effect of the linear design but doors locking at certain points to circumvent you in the right direction when the objective does serve to tell you where you're going anyway which is mostly "Go to the navigation room".
I think Fusion edges it out for me compared to Super Metroid with how good a lot of the elements here are in general which feels a testament more to the series in general that any specific game but I'm happy that Fusion decided to try a new approach that makes these games more tightly focused and paced so it keeps your attention for the whole ride. Knowing that Dread is mostly inspired from this gives me a specific feeling that Metroid is actually a really great series.
Metroid Fusion was the long awaited sequel to Super Metroid spanning an 8 year gap and along with the new game bringing a new philosophy that the Metroid series will follow for a while to the dismay of some of its fans. That said, Fusion manages to still feel like an excellent Metroid game that also brings along a new interesting setting that is the BSL Research Station and what I feel that new direction brings is less backtracking and more of something like a light horror game with how the new gameplay elements bring together.
The most important thing is that the gameplay here feels more tighter than its SNES counterpart. Jumping and shooting feels less stiff and jumps feels faster. A controversial topic being that Fusion bringing a more linear design and while I do think the open-ended nature of Super Metroid is one of its biggest strengths especially for its time, I find myself preferring Fusion's approach due to the pacing of it all that makes it feel like a more dense experience for me that's only Metroid experience was Super Metroid before. The atmosphere is great as it brings a "space horror" feeling of being this sole survivor in an abandoned space station against a space parasite that can turn itself into anything which also brings me into the inclusing of SA-X here which I thought was pretty cool. The moments SA-X does come on brings some tense moments where you're trying to get away and have to be very quick and smart about it to the point that it did feel like someone else was actually playing. A surprising compliment I have to give is the little story that is here that serves to build up the intrigue and horror of the situation you're in. The music is pretty good here being ambience to the background that enhances the experience a bit.
I think not being able to backtrack at certain moments can be pretty annoying especially for those doing a 100% run though. Some bosses have weird quirks to them that came off as annoying but even then most of the bosses are great here. Probably an effect of the linear design but doors locking at certain points to circumvent you in the right direction when the objective does serve to tell you where you're going anyway which is mostly "Go to the navigation room".
I think Fusion edges it out for me compared to Super Metroid with how good a lot of the elements here are in general which feels a testament more to the series in general that any specific game but I'm happy that Fusion decided to try a new approach that makes these games more tightly focused and paced so it keeps your attention for the whole ride. Knowing that Dread is mostly inspired from this gives me a specific feeling that Metroid is actually a really great series.
The original mission perfected
Honestly one of the better NES remakes out there, Zero Mission manages to bring life into the original entry with the quality of life and the improved tight controls that the series has gotten throughout the years.
The movement feels even more fluid than Fusion here and that might be because of the great level design and the controls itself feeling better. Zebes is a great and varied world that serves its simple layouts really well for what it is. The music is actually pretty great here with the title theme and Brinstar pumping you up for the rest of the game. It also brought the best of both worlds with Fusion's handholding and the earlier titles being more open ended with hints that can guide players that are easily lost and keeping nothing restricted so that the player can explore at their own pace.
I think the only thing that really held back this game is the ending segment where you're stripped out of your items for a bit and the way the bosses are handled here. The segment is actually a cool change of pace but it lasts a bit too long until it loses its appeal pretty fast but it is more of a nitpick if anything. Bosses were fun here but they were actually surprisingly easy to the point I almost feel like I was speedrunning this game at some point.
Zero Mission completely invalidates the original entry and shows how you can remake a game and improve on every single facet of it and to me feels more like the quintessential metroid experience along with Super Metroid.
Honestly one of the better NES remakes out there, Zero Mission manages to bring life into the original entry with the quality of life and the improved tight controls that the series has gotten throughout the years.
The movement feels even more fluid than Fusion here and that might be because of the great level design and the controls itself feeling better. Zebes is a great and varied world that serves its simple layouts really well for what it is. The music is actually pretty great here with the title theme and Brinstar pumping you up for the rest of the game. It also brought the best of both worlds with Fusion's handholding and the earlier titles being more open ended with hints that can guide players that are easily lost and keeping nothing restricted so that the player can explore at their own pace.
I think the only thing that really held back this game is the ending segment where you're stripped out of your items for a bit and the way the bosses are handled here. The segment is actually a cool change of pace but it lasts a bit too long until it loses its appeal pretty fast but it is more of a nitpick if anything. Bosses were fun here but they were actually surprisingly easy to the point I almost feel like I was speedrunning this game at some point.
Zero Mission completely invalidates the original entry and shows how you can remake a game and improve on every single facet of it and to me feels more like the quintessential metroid experience along with Super Metroid.
2001
Always searching, looking for her
Silent Hill 2 might be one of the few games that has mentally screwed me up for months at a time. The first time I played it was a few days before my birthday and after beating it, I was more depressed to the point that I didn't eat for 2 days after beating it. After replaying it again during yet another possibly dark time in my life with health problems, I can see why this game made me feel the way I did.
Everything about this game is disturbing but not in traditional horror sense. The enemies take from body horror extremely well and the whole games envelops you in such a dread that tugs at the state of your actual mental being. The soundtrack is also one of the best gaming has to offer with an ambient and drone that further entrances you in the world of Silent Hill. The story is well written and extremely emotional which is something you'd never expect in a video game like this that I wish not to elaborate further on.
Only possible complaint is tank controls for some people but it doesn't do anything at all to detract from the experience.
Silent Hill 2 is a mastercraft of video game horror and the gaming space in general. I sound like I'm singing its praises a lot but it's honestly one of the few media related things that has made me cry in the end even when I feel like I've seen and heard it all at this point.
In my restless dreams,
I see that town
Silent Hill.
Silent Hill 2 might be one of the few games that has mentally screwed me up for months at a time. The first time I played it was a few days before my birthday and after beating it, I was more depressed to the point that I didn't eat for 2 days after beating it. After replaying it again during yet another possibly dark time in my life with health problems, I can see why this game made me feel the way I did.
Everything about this game is disturbing but not in traditional horror sense. The enemies take from body horror extremely well and the whole games envelops you in such a dread that tugs at the state of your actual mental being. The soundtrack is also one of the best gaming has to offer with an ambient and drone that further entrances you in the world of Silent Hill. The story is well written and extremely emotional which is something you'd never expect in a video game like this that I wish not to elaborate further on.
Only possible complaint is tank controls for some people but it doesn't do anything at all to detract from the experience.
Silent Hill 2 is a mastercraft of video game horror and the gaming space in general. I sound like I'm singing its praises a lot but it's honestly one of the few media related things that has made me cry in the end even when I feel like I've seen and heard it all at this point.
In my restless dreams,
I see that town
Silent Hill.
2020
The cheese and 80's action movies brings you into a violent side scroller
Huntdown manages to be something of a love letter to old cheesy action flicks and cyberpunk that really brings a lot of humor and violence to the table and manages to be a chaotic and surprisingly difficult good time.
The overall pixel art is amazing here and provides a surprisingly amount of interactivity with the environment from moving parts in the background to the signs in game spinning when you shoot at them and producing a detail based on your own interactions. Well there isn't much of a story here, the premise and backdrop for going on these "bounty hunts" are good enough with some campy voice acting during boss encounters that really bring the cheese action movie vibes this game is going for. The gameplay is pretty good but definitely has a curve to fully utilize the cover system since especially in a co-op experience where so much can happen that it can be hard to keep track of everything at once. Weapon variety is excellent here with new weapons in almost every level that never made the gameplay itself feel stale. Bosses were surprisingly difficult on normal difficulty but it never took an egregious long time to beat but that might be account to the negatives I have with the game itself. Music and sound design is pretty great here with weapons sounding great, the soundtrack matching the atmosphere of the experience and the sound of enemies dying in gratuitous ways at times.
Huntdown does a lot right but I feel like it actually hampers the co-op experience a bit which is honestly a huge shame. As of the writing of this review, there is no official online co-op experience here which required me and my friend to use the Remote Play Together feature on Steam to be able to play the game together which sadly does provide some input lag and the inability for someone to get achievements if they beat the game with said friend. Another thing I wish that wasn't here is friendly fire during co-op considering all the carnage that happens on screen that it actually is hard to keep track of it all. Sadly all of these negatives stem from trying to have a co-op experience with a friend far away and I can imagine this still being the preferred way to go during these times.
Huntdown is honestly a really cool game on paper and in motion but I really wish it did some things that didn't hamper the co-op experience a fair bit here. It was a great experience just playing through a comedic cyberpunk action film together and that's what you really get here nonetheless.
Huge shoutout to ExSoldier on backloggd for being my co-op partner for this and the general idea for playing this game. Not to mention putting up with the bad input lag I was getting that got us killed a few times.
Huntdown manages to be something of a love letter to old cheesy action flicks and cyberpunk that really brings a lot of humor and violence to the table and manages to be a chaotic and surprisingly difficult good time.
The overall pixel art is amazing here and provides a surprisingly amount of interactivity with the environment from moving parts in the background to the signs in game spinning when you shoot at them and producing a detail based on your own interactions. Well there isn't much of a story here, the premise and backdrop for going on these "bounty hunts" are good enough with some campy voice acting during boss encounters that really bring the cheese action movie vibes this game is going for. The gameplay is pretty good but definitely has a curve to fully utilize the cover system since especially in a co-op experience where so much can happen that it can be hard to keep track of everything at once. Weapon variety is excellent here with new weapons in almost every level that never made the gameplay itself feel stale. Bosses were surprisingly difficult on normal difficulty but it never took an egregious long time to beat but that might be account to the negatives I have with the game itself. Music and sound design is pretty great here with weapons sounding great, the soundtrack matching the atmosphere of the experience and the sound of enemies dying in gratuitous ways at times.
Huntdown does a lot right but I feel like it actually hampers the co-op experience a bit which is honestly a huge shame. As of the writing of this review, there is no official online co-op experience here which required me and my friend to use the Remote Play Together feature on Steam to be able to play the game together which sadly does provide some input lag and the inability for someone to get achievements if they beat the game with said friend. Another thing I wish that wasn't here is friendly fire during co-op considering all the carnage that happens on screen that it actually is hard to keep track of it all. Sadly all of these negatives stem from trying to have a co-op experience with a friend far away and I can imagine this still being the preferred way to go during these times.
Huntdown is honestly a really cool game on paper and in motion but I really wish it did some things that didn't hamper the co-op experience a fair bit here. It was a great experience just playing through a comedic cyberpunk action film together and that's what you really get here nonetheless.
Huge shoutout to ExSoldier on backloggd for being my co-op partner for this and the general idea for playing this game. Not to mention putting up with the bad input lag I was getting that got us killed a few times.