Fleshmaze_Tango
The best Bethesda game and its not even a Bethesda game. Huge achievement for the turn around time they had, but some classic issues with the engine are just as present as any other Fallout title.
It's the best Mass Effect game. Points off for frequently repetitive combat, although satisfying and with just enough depth. Writing here is the best in the series.
2002
The OG remains one of the best in the series. The fresh coat of paint powers it up to contend with the modern games.
Good mix of combat/puzzles/backtracking. This is the premiere fixed camera style Resident Evil game.
Good mix of combat/puzzles/backtracking. This is the premiere fixed camera style Resident Evil game.
2009
Just a good old fashioned co-op zombie-killing time. The classes have good variety, but some roles are much more important than others, such as medic and support being must picks for higher difficulty games. Most of the default maps are good, but part of my love for this game is the wealth of community content, especially the maps. Who could forget kf_420ganjafarm??
Other than dated AI, this may be the best Star Wars game ever made. Great for pubs or the campaign. Galactic conquest is also great for an extended couch session. Unfortunately some of the factions seem quite a bit worse than others, though they are mostly the same.
This is not an RPG. It's a first person action/adventure game with RPG elements. That said, the world is incredibly engaging. I actually think the move away from skill points to a perk based leveling system did wonders for the franchise, and customizing your build is incredibly addicting and fun. This of course adds into the satisfying gameplay loop of explore -> loot ->level up -> repeat that has us coming back to Skyrim over and over again.
The story is generic and told through stilted dialogue. No shade to the voice actors, some of the performances have a lot of character, but the script is flat and generic. Player choice has very little input in the story. Some side quests present 2 slightly different endings, and there are quest lines that can be pursued on either side of a conflict, but compared to other contemporary RPGs, it feels more like a facade of dialogue trees.
You just need to have realistic expectations to enjoy Skyrim, but if you can take it casually its a great world to hang out in.
The story is generic and told through stilted dialogue. No shade to the voice actors, some of the performances have a lot of character, but the script is flat and generic. Player choice has very little input in the story. Some side quests present 2 slightly different endings, and there are quest lines that can be pursued on either side of a conflict, but compared to other contemporary RPGs, it feels more like a facade of dialogue trees.
You just need to have realistic expectations to enjoy Skyrim, but if you can take it casually its a great world to hang out in.
2008
This review contains spoilers
I'm sure making the jump from isometric to full 3d was a gargantuan hurdle, but I still don't understand why the story took such a hit. With only a handful of details to alter for the ending, you are essentially forced to side with the brotherhood and follow in your father's footsteps. Like you can be an asshole and poison project purity but it hardly changes how the game plays out. This is the main reason I like it less than NV and 4.
The setting and world are excellent. Much more desolate than the following games in the series and i totally understand why that appeals more to some people. I just don't think the story or characters really have the chops to contend with New Vegas.
The setting and world are excellent. Much more desolate than the following games in the series and i totally understand why that appeals more to some people. I just don't think the story or characters really have the chops to contend with New Vegas.
2015
I have a love hate relationship with this game. On one hand, the dialogue seems to have gone the Skyrim route, minimizing the impact of the player in dialogue trees, though not as minimal. On the other hand, the crafting and settlements, while imperfect, add a ton to the scavenger playstyle. The story is mid but I thought Far Harbor (fuck the memory bank workshop part) and many of the side quests were thought-provoking.
Play with mods. Alternate start/start me up is a must.
Play with mods. Alternate start/start me up is a must.
2009
The foundation of the series obviously deserves some credit for pioneering the style and gameplay, but the lack of refinement is definitely there. Not as many unique environments as I would like, and the story is only held together by the side characters, the actual plot takes much more of a backseat than in 2 and 3.
An excellent story and setting, featuring a unique and constantly engaging (literally) take on skills. There's nothing quite like it.
"The bad one"
This review contains spoilers
Took me a while to really “get it”, but once you do few games are as rewarding.
The subtle world building and lore are built up masterfully as you explore. Very immersive world, I love how you can see other areas of the map and the interconnected-ness feels epic and rewarding to explore. I really want to emphasize how getting immersed in Lordran makes you feel, like the world is vast and ancient, sometimes indescribably so. Honestly I enjoyed the backtracking, where that seems to be a detriment for a lot of people, it made Lordran feel grander, like you’re really exploring and pathing out this world. Shortcuts are a satisfying reward but finally getting the ability to warp between bonfires feels appropriately like a divine gift. Some areas of the game, specifically upper Blighttown, are too complicated and maze-y in a not fun way, while others are too streamlined and take away from the beautiful openness of the world. The use of illusory walls to hide secrets is fine, and many of them are subtly telegraphed to the player, but I find the one hiding the Daughter of Chaos bonfire to be egregiously poor design. If you miss that one, the closest warp you have to the Demon Ruins/Lost Izalith point of the game is Firelink Shrine (way too far plus Blighttown shenanigans).
The combat is exceptionally rewarding. I have to criticize the lack of instruction on several mechanics, including equip load, poise, and humanity, but a majority of the games mechanics are cleverly taught through combat encounters. The enemy variety is vast and forces you to switch up your equipment for different areas, keeping the slow methodical combat fresh. The variety of move sets available allows any player to find a style that makes sense or feels rewarding to them.
The bosses (except Bed of Chaos, and arguably Capra Demon) are satisfying to gradually learn how to conquer. I especially love how when you first arrive in Anor Londo, before entering the painting room, you fight another tower gargoyle. Easily dispatching him was so glorious to me, having struggled immensely with the pair you fight at the Undead Parish. The same can be said for the Capra and Taurus demons in the Demon Ruins. However some bosses did not live up to expectations, Gwyn especially felt a bit underwhelming after tough late game challenges like Four Kings or Manus.
The soundtrack is top tier. All boss themes set the mood well and give you something to think about the characters. I especially love Sif’s theme (who doesn’t), which musically tells you the tragedy of Artorias, and Ornstein and Smough’s theme, which properly calls them out as the titans they are, and uses different instrumentation to score each member of the duo. The choice to rarely have background music makes such themes stand out even more, and the passive areas of the game with theme music have so much more emotional power. I was floored by walking into Ash Lake the first time.
My gameplay gripes are pretty minor, the game is just shy of a 10/10 for me and I’m excited to explore more Fromsoft titles, which I’ve been sleeping on for years. You really do have to get good. Not just for the difficulty which is often overstated, but to really understand how to manage your resources while tuning your build throughout the game to face different threats. My character still felt like my own in the end, and I don’t feel I was disadvantaged by not following a specific guided build. This became one of my all time favorites once I figured more of it out. I played to the first bell of awakening years ago and could never quite figure out what to do next, or how to breakthrough tough bosses, or even whether those bosses were necessary. But once I set my sights on Blighttown and did some intense googling and wiki-scouring, I was able to finish the game in no time. Setbacks? Sure, but I truly felt like I pulled myself out of that pit and persevered through something, a feeling few games have given me.
The subtle world building and lore are built up masterfully as you explore. Very immersive world, I love how you can see other areas of the map and the interconnected-ness feels epic and rewarding to explore. I really want to emphasize how getting immersed in Lordran makes you feel, like the world is vast and ancient, sometimes indescribably so. Honestly I enjoyed the backtracking, where that seems to be a detriment for a lot of people, it made Lordran feel grander, like you’re really exploring and pathing out this world. Shortcuts are a satisfying reward but finally getting the ability to warp between bonfires feels appropriately like a divine gift. Some areas of the game, specifically upper Blighttown, are too complicated and maze-y in a not fun way, while others are too streamlined and take away from the beautiful openness of the world. The use of illusory walls to hide secrets is fine, and many of them are subtly telegraphed to the player, but I find the one hiding the Daughter of Chaos bonfire to be egregiously poor design. If you miss that one, the closest warp you have to the Demon Ruins/Lost Izalith point of the game is Firelink Shrine (way too far plus Blighttown shenanigans).
The combat is exceptionally rewarding. I have to criticize the lack of instruction on several mechanics, including equip load, poise, and humanity, but a majority of the games mechanics are cleverly taught through combat encounters. The enemy variety is vast and forces you to switch up your equipment for different areas, keeping the slow methodical combat fresh. The variety of move sets available allows any player to find a style that makes sense or feels rewarding to them.
The bosses (except Bed of Chaos, and arguably Capra Demon) are satisfying to gradually learn how to conquer. I especially love how when you first arrive in Anor Londo, before entering the painting room, you fight another tower gargoyle. Easily dispatching him was so glorious to me, having struggled immensely with the pair you fight at the Undead Parish. The same can be said for the Capra and Taurus demons in the Demon Ruins. However some bosses did not live up to expectations, Gwyn especially felt a bit underwhelming after tough late game challenges like Four Kings or Manus.
The soundtrack is top tier. All boss themes set the mood well and give you something to think about the characters. I especially love Sif’s theme (who doesn’t), which musically tells you the tragedy of Artorias, and Ornstein and Smough’s theme, which properly calls them out as the titans they are, and uses different instrumentation to score each member of the duo. The choice to rarely have background music makes such themes stand out even more, and the passive areas of the game with theme music have so much more emotional power. I was floored by walking into Ash Lake the first time.
My gameplay gripes are pretty minor, the game is just shy of a 10/10 for me and I’m excited to explore more Fromsoft titles, which I’ve been sleeping on for years. You really do have to get good. Not just for the difficulty which is often overstated, but to really understand how to manage your resources while tuning your build throughout the game to face different threats. My character still felt like my own in the end, and I don’t feel I was disadvantaged by not following a specific guided build. This became one of my all time favorites once I figured more of it out. I played to the first bell of awakening years ago and could never quite figure out what to do next, or how to breakthrough tough bosses, or even whether those bosses were necessary. But once I set my sights on Blighttown and did some intense googling and wiki-scouring, I was able to finish the game in no time. Setbacks? Sure, but I truly felt like I pulled myself out of that pit and persevered through something, a feeling few games have given me.
2015
I'm disappointed that I didn't like this as much as everyone else seems to.
Coming off of Dark Souls Remastered, I was immediately put off by how same-y the starting areas of the game are, and I wasted a lot of time confused. Not with the combat system or blood vial mechanics, those are intuitive albeit streamlined more than DS1 in a way I dislike, but with the agonizing level design. I hear people say it gets better as Yharnam opens up more, but I wasn't enjoying exploring with no real objective.
I also dislike the hub world, as I do in most open world/open level games.
Satisfying combat as other Fromsoft titles I've played, but I personally liked the depth and "character sheet" of DS1 so the simplification of mechanics is a downside for me.
Coming off of Dark Souls Remastered, I was immediately put off by how same-y the starting areas of the game are, and I wasted a lot of time confused. Not with the combat system or blood vial mechanics, those are intuitive albeit streamlined more than DS1 in a way I dislike, but with the agonizing level design. I hear people say it gets better as Yharnam opens up more, but I wasn't enjoying exploring with no real objective.
I also dislike the hub world, as I do in most open world/open level games.
Satisfying combat as other Fromsoft titles I've played, but I personally liked the depth and "character sheet" of DS1 so the simplification of mechanics is a downside for me.
2018
Good, spoopy, satisfying combat, fun to explore but confusing level design sometimes.
2019
This review contains spoilers
I understand why people prefer 2, but to me this is the definitive Borderlands experience. The best map and gun variety in the series, and (my opinion) a more engaging story.
The only thing I strongly disliked was the design of the Sanctuary ship. It took way longer than it should have to get used to the layout and dicking around on board between arcs of the story frequently felt like a waste of time. Characters are still good though and it was nice to see some interplay between them.
The only thing I strongly disliked was the design of the Sanctuary ship. It took way longer than it should have to get used to the layout and dicking around on board between arcs of the story frequently felt like a waste of time. Characters are still good though and it was nice to see some interplay between them.