GeekSeignant
What an amazing game! I just can't describe how I loved it! Some of the puzzles are kinda weird and sometimes, you can hesitate and make fatal mistakes (don't forget to save before making critical choices)
All the stories are really cool! I just loved it!
All the stories are really cool! I just loved it!
1997
Took me 25 hours to beat this game and sincerely, those were really really long hours.
The story is pretty simple, but fun. All the lore with the Aether vs the Er'ther and the Swordians is pretty cool. But unfortunately, the good story is hard to appreciate when the gameplay is awful... especially when you know that Final Fantasy 7 was released a month before.
The interest of an action RPG is to have full control of your character... but you ALWAYS have to fight against the AI of Stahn and against the IA of your teammates. Also, there's a lot of Sacred Stone spread accross the map... but to get them, you need to farm a lot to gain some level. You almost need to be level 60 to have them all.
Problem is when your AI is broken, farming is just awful and when you finally have the Draconis to move freely on the map... you already have more than 20 hours of gameplay, of broken AI and long useless dialogs. You just want to finish the game and beat the final boss.
Another major problem is the world map. On the PS1 version, you have a world map... but no mini-map. If you want to see it, you need to open the menu, check the valuables and open the map and it is SO SO ZOOMED OUT and on top of that, there's no pinpoint of your position. Good luck not getting lost.
Also, only towns are marked, not the forest, caverns, etc.
If you really want to play this game, play the PS2 version. I never played it, but I wish I had choose this version.
The story is pretty simple, but fun. All the lore with the Aether vs the Er'ther and the Swordians is pretty cool. But unfortunately, the good story is hard to appreciate when the gameplay is awful... especially when you know that Final Fantasy 7 was released a month before.
The interest of an action RPG is to have full control of your character... but you ALWAYS have to fight against the AI of Stahn and against the IA of your teammates. Also, there's a lot of Sacred Stone spread accross the map... but to get them, you need to farm a lot to gain some level. You almost need to be level 60 to have them all.
Problem is when your AI is broken, farming is just awful and when you finally have the Draconis to move freely on the map... you already have more than 20 hours of gameplay, of broken AI and long useless dialogs. You just want to finish the game and beat the final boss.
Another major problem is the world map. On the PS1 version, you have a world map... but no mini-map. If you want to see it, you need to open the menu, check the valuables and open the map and it is SO SO ZOOMED OUT and on top of that, there's no pinpoint of your position. Good luck not getting lost.
Also, only towns are marked, not the forest, caverns, etc.
If you really want to play this game, play the PS2 version. I never played it, but I wish I had choose this version.
1983
I don't know what to say... I'm just glad to have played this game on Sega-CD with the checkpoints instead of discovering it on Arcade in 1983. I would have lost so much money on that game.
We all know the game is awfully hard and that without this level of difficulty, the game takes like 11 minutes to complete. But, let's remember it was the way Arcade games were working... the objective was to make us pay. We can hate that as much as we want, but all the games were basically using a similar system.
Let's just remember that Dragon's Lair invented the Quick Time Event and just for that, it deserves much more than a 1 star rate. Of course it could have been easier, but it would have not became such a legend without this difficulty.
Also, with some practice, you can do it in a few hours.
We all know the game is awfully hard and that without this level of difficulty, the game takes like 11 minutes to complete. But, let's remember it was the way Arcade games were working... the objective was to make us pay. We can hate that as much as we want, but all the games were basically using a similar system.
Let's just remember that Dragon's Lair invented the Quick Time Event and just for that, it deserves much more than a 1 star rate. Of course it could have been easier, but it would have not became such a legend without this difficulty.
Also, with some practice, you can do it in a few hours.
A really good old school video games, but damn it is hard. Not unfair hard, but hard. In fact, I noticed that they decided to put the artefact command on Up + Attack Button... like in the old Castlevania on NES.
Though, it was because NES controller didn't have enough buttons at this time... now controllers have more than enough buttons... I think almost half of my death were because the gloves or the dagger didn't activate correctly because the joystick of my Xbox controller considers a diagonal is, first, right or left instead of up or down.
I think that they should have done the same thing that in Super Castlevania 4.
Though, it was because NES controller didn't have enough buttons at this time... now controllers have more than enough buttons... I think almost half of my death were because the gloves or the dagger didn't activate correctly because the joystick of my Xbox controller considers a diagonal is, first, right or left instead of up or down.
I think that they should have done the same thing that in Super Castlevania 4.
Except for the cameras problem and the hitbox problem that appears mostly in the Time Trials, the game is just awesome. I know the sequels are diffrent and more open, but I still like the straightforward adventure and the little story about the thievius raccoonus.
It's just sad that the parts with the jetpack of the final battle against Clockwerk are boring.
It's just sad that the parts with the jetpack of the final battle against Clockwerk are boring.
The best Donkey Kong Country. It contains everything that wasn't in the previous game (DK Coin collectables + a ! mark to make it clear when you found every bonus in a level).
The lost world is really hard (Especially the last level) and offers a good challenge to players that wants to continue to play.
The rematch with King K Rool is a little bit of a deception since it dies with only one hit and the last cinematic doesn't explain why he suddenly became a scientist in Donkey Kong Country 3 and doesn't explain why he kidnapped DK and Diddy.
But it's such a minor thing compared to the rest of the game that is just awesome (even if it's the hardest of the trilogy).
The lost world is really hard (Especially the last level) and offers a good challenge to players that wants to continue to play.
The rematch with King K Rool is a little bit of a deception since it dies with only one hit and the last cinematic doesn't explain why he suddenly became a scientist in Donkey Kong Country 3 and doesn't explain why he kidnapped DK and Diddy.
But it's such a minor thing compared to the rest of the game that is just awesome (even if it's the hardest of the trilogy).
Definitly the Best 2D Mario Bros since Super Mario World! I didn't like the "New Super Mario Bros", but this one is just awesome!
The game is easy, which is normal since it's for children, but there's still some challenge (Badge Marathon lol). I got my 100% ! Was really fun and I'd play it again with some friends!
And thank god, they fixed one of the biggest flaw in the last Mario 3D, you can change the controls to make the rodeo attack with a button instead of the down joystick (which killed me for nothing so many times in previous games).
The game is easy, which is normal since it's for children, but there's still some challenge (Badge Marathon lol). I got my 100% ! Was really fun and I'd play it again with some friends!
And thank god, they fixed one of the biggest flaw in the last Mario 3D, you can change the controls to make the rodeo attack with a button instead of the down joystick (which killed me for nothing so many times in previous games).
This game is just a masterpiece on SNES. Of course the remake on GBA is really good and has some cool additionnal content, but the narrative of the game is really different from what we knew. Final Fantasy 4 was good and FF 6 is more than just a copy of the game with another story.
The hidden characters, the idea to make it possible to go beat Kefka without finding everyone after the Great Cataclysm is just amazing and helps making every run unique.
I also loved the idea to split characters in groups to make it through dungeons.
The only problem of this game is within the fights, but it's a minor points that is not enough to change my rating. When you want to flee, all the characters should flee at the same time. Sometimes, 3 characters were off-screen and one was staying... I can't see how this system is useful for the gameplay.
The hidden characters, the idea to make it possible to go beat Kefka without finding everyone after the Great Cataclysm is just amazing and helps making every run unique.
I also loved the idea to split characters in groups to make it through dungeons.
The only problem of this game is within the fights, but it's a minor points that is not enough to change my rating. When you want to flee, all the characters should flee at the same time. Sometimes, 3 characters were off-screen and one was staying... I can't see how this system is useful for the gameplay.
Played this game with my little brother like all the other Borderlands! It's the less fun Borderlands. It lacks the absurdity of the second game and the story is not that interesting since you already know how it's gonna end if you played Borderlands 2 first.
It's not a bad game and it has some good ideas like the DLC in Claptrap or the quest refering to Star Wars. The anti-gravity system is also nice and the energy guns too. I'm just sad that there's no slag in this game.
We did the DLC and it was fun, but it is not well balanced. Luckily we beat Shadow Trap together and if one was dead, the other was hiding to make sure he did not regen it's life. He did once, but this boss is really hard and impossible to do alone.
It's not a bad game and it has some good ideas like the DLC in Claptrap or the quest refering to Star Wars. The anti-gravity system is also nice and the energy guns too. I'm just sad that there's no slag in this game.
We did the DLC and it was fun, but it is not well balanced. Luckily we beat Shadow Trap together and if one was dead, the other was hiding to make sure he did not regen it's life. He did once, but this boss is really hard and impossible to do alone.
2018
This review contains spoilers
Don'tNod is really good when it comes to narrative! Vampyr has a really good and immersive story! I just loved exploring London with the Epidemy of Spanish Flu and the After-War historical context. The investigation are really good and fun. I spent most of my playtime listening and finding hints!
The real problem of this game is that it tried to be a narrative action-rpg game and succeded in neither of them. The main story is pretty good at the beginning, but the ending is a little far-fetched. Especially when it comes to the antidote.
As an Action-RPG, it's a big fail. To use your PX, you need to go to sleep. The problem is when you sleep, all the citizens you've met may become ill and their status can aggravate if you sleep a lot of night without healing them.
It would be nice if you had all the remedy available at the beginning. The third remedy is to find in the Graveyard, but normally, you're not getting there before chapter 3. If you go before, ennemies are far too strong if you play a True Pacifist run like I did.
And if you don't find the remedy on a random corpse, you are just punished for exploring. In any RPG, if you explore, win some fights and gain XP, you are rewarded by being able to surpass the difficulty level of the game. In this game, fights are worth 5 XP, no matter the level.
The Action-RPG system of the game encourages you to play a Evil Vampire cause it's easier and is a lot easier... and since it is frustrating cause playing a True Pacifist run makes you finish the game at level 30 max (against ennemies that are 35-36)...
Vampyr is sitten between two chairs and just don't succeed in any style. Giving more PX for the fights would have solved many problems of the game.
Oh and ennemies are strong since some of them have gazes or christian lights that makes you lose both of your gauge (stamina, blood or life). I died a lot of them being trapped in a gaz or in a light, wanting to dodge and realizing that I had no more stamina.
The game is pretty fun for the narrative, but the old engine (there are a lot of unjustified loading time) and the XP, fight and RPG system is completly broken. Would not replay even if only one game of evil and one game of Pacifist would be enough to get the Platinum.
The real problem of this game is that it tried to be a narrative action-rpg game and succeded in neither of them. The main story is pretty good at the beginning, but the ending is a little far-fetched. Especially when it comes to the antidote.
As an Action-RPG, it's a big fail. To use your PX, you need to go to sleep. The problem is when you sleep, all the citizens you've met may become ill and their status can aggravate if you sleep a lot of night without healing them.
It would be nice if you had all the remedy available at the beginning. The third remedy is to find in the Graveyard, but normally, you're not getting there before chapter 3. If you go before, ennemies are far too strong if you play a True Pacifist run like I did.
And if you don't find the remedy on a random corpse, you are just punished for exploring. In any RPG, if you explore, win some fights and gain XP, you are rewarded by being able to surpass the difficulty level of the game. In this game, fights are worth 5 XP, no matter the level.
The Action-RPG system of the game encourages you to play a Evil Vampire cause it's easier and is a lot easier... and since it is frustrating cause playing a True Pacifist run makes you finish the game at level 30 max (against ennemies that are 35-36)...
Vampyr is sitten between two chairs and just don't succeed in any style. Giving more PX for the fights would have solved many problems of the game.
Oh and ennemies are strong since some of them have gazes or christian lights that makes you lose both of your gauge (stamina, blood or life). I died a lot of them being trapped in a gaz or in a light, wanting to dodge and realizing that I had no more stamina.
The game is pretty fun for the narrative, but the old engine (there are a lot of unjustified loading time) and the XP, fight and RPG system is completly broken. Would not replay even if only one game of evil and one game of Pacifist would be enough to get the Platinum.
2018
Some games should just stop trying to be like Dark Souls while they are not. I'll just start with that.
The game is absolutely astonishing, beautiful and the narrative is close to perfection. The game is just awesome in all points... except two : the aiming/targeting system and the dodge/camera
But the fighting system is trying to look like those in Souls Like cause it is so popular and since God of War has always been a difficult game, they decided to copy From Software (in some ways) by making some fights really hard...
Especially the fights against the Valkyries lets you see the limit of this system. First of all, the targeting system is messed up and the white cercle is so small that you can't even know if your aim is still ok... and if it's not, you're fucked up because of the camera that is too slow.
Dodging is also broken since... it doesn't even work... you have as much frame of invulnerability as you have in Dark Souls II without Adaptability points.
These two problems makes the game really hard even in easy and normal mode if you want the 100%. The Valkyries being optionnal is no excuse since it's part of the game and it is meant to be played.
Even Ocarina of Time on N64 had a better targeting and aiming system. As for the camera, everything could have been solved by unzooming a little. That would have let you see more around Kratos. Mimir and Atreus and the red arrow are not enough since you don't know when the attack will arrive nor which way you need to dodge.
The game would have still been hard, but not unfair.
The game is absolutely astonishing, beautiful and the narrative is close to perfection. The game is just awesome in all points... except two : the aiming/targeting system and the dodge/camera
But the fighting system is trying to look like those in Souls Like cause it is so popular and since God of War has always been a difficult game, they decided to copy From Software (in some ways) by making some fights really hard...
Especially the fights against the Valkyries lets you see the limit of this system. First of all, the targeting system is messed up and the white cercle is so small that you can't even know if your aim is still ok... and if it's not, you're fucked up because of the camera that is too slow.
Dodging is also broken since... it doesn't even work... you have as much frame of invulnerability as you have in Dark Souls II without Adaptability points.
These two problems makes the game really hard even in easy and normal mode if you want the 100%. The Valkyries being optionnal is no excuse since it's part of the game and it is meant to be played.
Even Ocarina of Time on N64 had a better targeting and aiming system. As for the camera, everything could have been solved by unzooming a little. That would have let you see more around Kratos. Mimir and Atreus and the red arrow are not enough since you don't know when the attack will arrive nor which way you need to dodge.
The game would have still been hard, but not unfair.
I played this game in Easy mode since I play on Twitch and wanted to see the story without being blocked by ennemies or the lack of ammo. I also wanted to explore.
Tho I have to admit that I didn't experienced the whole thing and if I had played in Survival Mode, I would have shit in my pants because of the lack of ressources and the limited number of saves.
A big fan of horror video games should play in Survival mode as soon as it is unlock, but I'd suggest a first playthrough in easy mode just to explore, observe the environment, but also because of the bugs with the damages.
Sometimes, the game doesn't count your damage to the ennemies and when your ammo is limited, that does count a lot in the experience and if I had started in Normal Mode, I probably would have been frustrated.
Since I know the game, I'd be open to try in Normal Mode, even in Survival one day... or not (I'm easily scared).
Tho I have to admit that I didn't experienced the whole thing and if I had played in Survival Mode, I would have shit in my pants because of the lack of ressources and the limited number of saves.
A big fan of horror video games should play in Survival mode as soon as it is unlock, but I'd suggest a first playthrough in easy mode just to explore, observe the environment, but also because of the bugs with the damages.
Sometimes, the game doesn't count your damage to the ennemies and when your ammo is limited, that does count a lot in the experience and if I had started in Normal Mode, I probably would have been frustrated.
Since I know the game, I'd be open to try in Normal Mode, even in Survival one day... or not (I'm easily scared).
2011
This review contains spoilers
I think this game is better than the first on many aspects. Though it has the same controls problems than the first. Except for that, the Karma system is better (especially with the choices between Nix and Kuo) I'll probably redo both games with Evil Karma one day.
Special thanks to the upgrade that lets you find easily all the Shards on the map. It was absent in the first game and I spent a lot of hour with a map trying to find THE Shard that I was missing and that was on the top of a building that my radar couldn't detect.
I'd have also to say that the storyline is sometimes weird. Like why John White was the Beast? Where are the characters of the first game? I know there's a comic that explains it, but I wouldn't have read it if my friend didn't tell me about it.
Also, I'd like to point the fact that after the side quest with the bomb terrorist... you still have bombs to deactivate...
In the end : a good game with some little flaws.
Special thanks to the upgrade that lets you find easily all the Shards on the map. It was absent in the first game and I spent a lot of hour with a map trying to find THE Shard that I was missing and that was on the top of a building that my radar couldn't detect.
I'd have also to say that the storyline is sometimes weird. Like why John White was the Beast? Where are the characters of the first game? I know there's a comic that explains it, but I wouldn't have read it if my friend didn't tell me about it.
Also, I'd like to point the fact that after the side quest with the bomb terrorist... you still have bombs to deactivate...
In the end : a good game with some little flaws.
This review contains spoilers
WOW what a game! I don't understand why so many people hate that game... okay in fact I do understand and it's because these people can't stand seeing trans or homosexuality... spoiler alert : these people exists in real life so get over it.
At the beginning, I finished the part with Ellie and when I switched to play with Abby, I was wondering why and realized that it was only a Joel 2.0 gameplay... I was disappointed about that and hoped for a plot twist that would help me appreciate more this playthrough.
I was well served because the last part of the game after the first fight Abby vs Ellie, I was a little frustrated that we controlled Abby and that she has not been killed by Ellie.
Finally, when I saw the real ending, I understood the real message the story wanted to tell us. If you concentrate only on the text and not the subtext, you'll probably hate the game.
Right now, I think the Last of Us 2 is better than the first one.
At the beginning, I finished the part with Ellie and when I switched to play with Abby, I was wondering why and realized that it was only a Joel 2.0 gameplay... I was disappointed about that and hoped for a plot twist that would help me appreciate more this playthrough.
I was well served because the last part of the game after the first fight Abby vs Ellie, I was a little frustrated that we controlled Abby and that she has not been killed by Ellie.
Finally, when I saw the real ending, I understood the real message the story wanted to tell us. If you concentrate only on the text and not the subtext, you'll probably hate the game.
Right now, I think the Last of Us 2 is better than the first one.
This review contains spoilers
Got these 3 games for free on Epic Game Store and tried them on Twitch. I beat the three games in a row and my first thought is that these 3 games are inegal.
The first one is really good and funny. Rufus is just so funny and the worst asshole ever. The puzzles are not too easy, but not too hard. I'd say the same with the third game that uses the "clones" system very well.
The second game is the worst. The puzzles are hard, illogical. This game just makes no senses sometimes. A good point is that it is darker than the two others (hello baby dolphins), but still, I had to check the solution to continue.
Also, the three games have clicking bug. I used my mouse and had to click many times on something to activate it. Sometimes it's frustrating. Also, the original game is in german... and the translation sucks... and the subtitles are worse since they even have mistakes (I played with french sub with english dub since I'm from Quebec).
Some jokes are lost with the translation too and some tips for the puzzles too.
Except for that, the story is fun, emotionnal, absurd and full of surprises. Also dark like some gags in Conker Bad Fur Day.
The first one is really good and funny. Rufus is just so funny and the worst asshole ever. The puzzles are not too easy, but not too hard. I'd say the same with the third game that uses the "clones" system very well.
The second game is the worst. The puzzles are hard, illogical. This game just makes no senses sometimes. A good point is that it is darker than the two others (hello baby dolphins), but still, I had to check the solution to continue.
Also, the three games have clicking bug. I used my mouse and had to click many times on something to activate it. Sometimes it's frustrating. Also, the original game is in german... and the translation sucks... and the subtitles are worse since they even have mistakes (I played with french sub with english dub since I'm from Quebec).
Some jokes are lost with the translation too and some tips for the puzzles too.
Except for that, the story is fun, emotionnal, absurd and full of surprises. Also dark like some gags in Conker Bad Fur Day.