There's a batshit action masterpiece hidden beneath 10 layers of jank here. Every level demonstrates memorable setpiece after memorable setpiece, all the while making you think about when to use your gun and when to use you sword, and coercing you into using defensive options when you can. Super solid music and graphics truly accelerate it into stardom.
Really, the combat and controls are clunky, but hardly unfunctional. It's only when the game throws often-blocking tanks or otherwise fast enemies that can juggle you that it truly gets annoying for long periods of time. It only happens a few times over the brief playtime, mainly during later boss battles. Other annoyances are almost always the fault of the camera. Unless you lock onto an enemy, and it's the only enemy in the room, the camera is entirely out of your grasp, and you're at its mercy when it swings in the opposite direction upon reaching the front end of a room. There's also a couple of really grueling button-mashers - the game will want you to bash every button and fiddle with the analog stick/d-pad as much as possible until your meter fills up. This is how every level ends, and each level has at least one event like this. End-level ones are fine, but when you're pushing against a foe in a level event, it can put some strain on you.
A hidden gem for the PS1? Honestly, yes! Just don't expect something that's aged all-too gracefully, and do not feel bad for using save states.
Really, the combat and controls are clunky, but hardly unfunctional. It's only when the game throws often-blocking tanks or otherwise fast enemies that can juggle you that it truly gets annoying for long periods of time. It only happens a few times over the brief playtime, mainly during later boss battles. Other annoyances are almost always the fault of the camera. Unless you lock onto an enemy, and it's the only enemy in the room, the camera is entirely out of your grasp, and you're at its mercy when it swings in the opposite direction upon reaching the front end of a room. There's also a couple of really grueling button-mashers - the game will want you to bash every button and fiddle with the analog stick/d-pad as much as possible until your meter fills up. This is how every level ends, and each level has at least one event like this. End-level ones are fine, but when you're pushing against a foe in a level event, it can put some strain on you.
A hidden gem for the PS1? Honestly, yes! Just don't expect something that's aged all-too gracefully, and do not feel bad for using save states.