HenX
BACKER
2014
Even the bad ending is fantastic!
2021
Der Schlächter!
2016
I played the Android version back then and was completely thrilled. Now the game has finally been released on Steam, and it looks even better on the big screen. Visually, the game looks fantastic. The gameplay elements are simply designed, the backgrounds are beautiful and full of details. The levels are creatively designed, and the collectibles are cleverly hidden. I also really like the game's ambient space music. The game is not particularly long but it's fun and has a lot of potential. Therefore, I'm very excited for the sequel. My only criticism of this version is that the mobile UI is constantly visible while playing. Kinda annoying.
2011
The game itself is fine, but fu** Peta!
The most unnecessary sequel of all time.
This game is highly underrated. It utilizes all the mechanics that made Half-Life great but transforms it into a more action-focused experience. The new weapons are incredibly creative, and it's enjoyable to use them in combat. The final boss is well-executed, and the finale, much like its predecessor, is iconic.
First off: My disappointment surely stems primarily from the fact that this game has been described as a Demon's Souls-like. Despite its name, Archthrones is not that.
Initially, I was optimistic. A great title screen, the armors in the character editor looked great. The game starts with a Demon's Souls reference - fantastic. However, I quickly had to realize that, apart from the superficial aspects, Archthrones doesn't have much to do with the game design of Demon's Souls. And this is definitely not „the new Dark Souls 4“. I know it's unfair to measure Archthrones against FromSoftware's masterpieces. Essentially, this is not much more than a few reworked levels from Dark Souls 3, a few new levels (which have significantly less quality than those from FS), and bosses whose movesets have been randomly mashed up from known bosses. The animations have been shamelessly taken from other games. To the point where a cease and desist wouldn't surprise me at all. (Although the recontextualization of some bosses is cool.)
Unfortunately, it's also evident that they didn't understand what makes Demon's Souls level design unique. Because this doesn't have anything to do with the shortcut-based design from Demon's Souls. The reworked Dark Souls 3 levels are at least visually well done. But gameplay-wise, not much changes aside from different enemy placement.
Tldr; Archthrones is nothing more than a level overhaul for Dark Souls 3 with randomly thrown together boss encounters from other FromSoft games. Unfortunately, very little here is based on original ideas, and there's an obvious lack of understanding of FromSoftware's game design. Those who don't expect too much might still have fun with this. However, this mod is being promoted on the official website as a new game heavily based on Demon's Souls' level design. And in this regard, Archthrones fails miserably.
Initially, I was optimistic. A great title screen, the armors in the character editor looked great. The game starts with a Demon's Souls reference - fantastic. However, I quickly had to realize that, apart from the superficial aspects, Archthrones doesn't have much to do with the game design of Demon's Souls. And this is definitely not „the new Dark Souls 4“. I know it's unfair to measure Archthrones against FromSoftware's masterpieces. Essentially, this is not much more than a few reworked levels from Dark Souls 3, a few new levels (which have significantly less quality than those from FS), and bosses whose movesets have been randomly mashed up from known bosses. The animations have been shamelessly taken from other games. To the point where a cease and desist wouldn't surprise me at all. (Although the recontextualization of some bosses is cool.)
Unfortunately, it's also evident that they didn't understand what makes Demon's Souls level design unique. Because this doesn't have anything to do with the shortcut-based design from Demon's Souls. The reworked Dark Souls 3 levels are at least visually well done. But gameplay-wise, not much changes aside from different enemy placement.
Tldr; Archthrones is nothing more than a level overhaul for Dark Souls 3 with randomly thrown together boss encounters from other FromSoft games. Unfortunately, very little here is based on original ideas, and there's an obvious lack of understanding of FromSoftware's game design. Those who don't expect too much might still have fun with this. However, this mod is being promoted on the official website as a new game heavily based on Demon's Souls' level design. And in this regard, Archthrones fails miserably.
Ever since I can remember, I've been fascinated by games that push a console to its absolute limits. Naturally, this led me to Conker's Bad Fur Day, which not only looks phenomenal for a N64 game but is also genuinely a great game. This is primarily due to its humor, for which the game is best known. However, it also offers a lot of variety in gameplay and environments, and the entire game is very well-paced. No part feels unnecessarily prolonged, which allowed me to complete Conker in one session during this playthrough. Despite a few frustrating moments, the game still provides an incredible amount of fun.
My latest playthrough was with Conker: Live & Reloaded. Just like Bad Fur Day on the N64, it is impressive how much was extracted from the hardware of the original Xbox. While playing, I often forgot I wasn’t playing a Xbox 360 game. Only the unnecessary censorship and frame rate drops, which still occur even on the Xbox Series X, are noticeable drawbacks.
Personally, I am a big fan of the new art style, though I understand why some might prefer the original’s style. However, I believe Live & Reloaded is often unfairly criticized. Although one can certainly debate the general art style; claims that the remake is less well-animated are factually incorrect. There are specific instances where the original excels, but the remake includes numerous new animations where Conker in Bad Fur Day would have just stayed in his default animation. Nonetheless, it’s unfortunate that the remake opted for a different technical solution for the eyes, resulting in more detailed eyebrow and overall facial animations for NPCs, but static pupils.
On the other hand, Live & Reloaded boasts a much more consistent art direction. While Bad Fur Day's art direction is generally good, the game occasionally struggles with fluctuating character detail quality. Although Conker and other key characters (especially early in the game) have very detailed models, this level of detail isn’t maintained throughout. This is perfectly acceptable for a N64 game, but characters like the Tedi Surgeons are laughably low in polygons compared to the Tedi Soldiers. Live & Reloaded does not suffer from such issues. While the N64 version constantly reminds you of its technical limitations, the remake impresses with consistently excellent art direction.
Ultimately, it doesn’t matter whether you play the original or the remake. Both versions are outstanding. It mainly comes down to which one you find visually more appealing. Bad Fur Day is best played in the Rare Replay version. Otherwise, I’d recommend playing it at its original resolution on an emulator. Live & Reloaded is still available in the Xbox Store and is easily playable thanks to backward compatibility (I can’t comment on the multiplayer, as I haven’t played it and am not interested in it).
Conker's Bad Fur Day is definitely a game everyone should experience. It remains fantastic gameplay-wise and is also historically significant. Both on the N64 and Xbox, it showcases what can be achieved graphically when done right. It’s a shame that Rare no longer develops such milestones.
My latest playthrough was with Conker: Live & Reloaded. Just like Bad Fur Day on the N64, it is impressive how much was extracted from the hardware of the original Xbox. While playing, I often forgot I wasn’t playing a Xbox 360 game. Only the unnecessary censorship and frame rate drops, which still occur even on the Xbox Series X, are noticeable drawbacks.
Personally, I am a big fan of the new art style, though I understand why some might prefer the original’s style. However, I believe Live & Reloaded is often unfairly criticized. Although one can certainly debate the general art style; claims that the remake is less well-animated are factually incorrect. There are specific instances where the original excels, but the remake includes numerous new animations where Conker in Bad Fur Day would have just stayed in his default animation. Nonetheless, it’s unfortunate that the remake opted for a different technical solution for the eyes, resulting in more detailed eyebrow and overall facial animations for NPCs, but static pupils.
On the other hand, Live & Reloaded boasts a much more consistent art direction. While Bad Fur Day's art direction is generally good, the game occasionally struggles with fluctuating character detail quality. Although Conker and other key characters (especially early in the game) have very detailed models, this level of detail isn’t maintained throughout. This is perfectly acceptable for a N64 game, but characters like the Tedi Surgeons are laughably low in polygons compared to the Tedi Soldiers. Live & Reloaded does not suffer from such issues. While the N64 version constantly reminds you of its technical limitations, the remake impresses with consistently excellent art direction.
Ultimately, it doesn’t matter whether you play the original or the remake. Both versions are outstanding. It mainly comes down to which one you find visually more appealing. Bad Fur Day is best played in the Rare Replay version. Otherwise, I’d recommend playing it at its original resolution on an emulator. Live & Reloaded is still available in the Xbox Store and is easily playable thanks to backward compatibility (I can’t comment on the multiplayer, as I haven’t played it and am not interested in it).
Conker's Bad Fur Day is definitely a game everyone should experience. It remains fantastic gameplay-wise and is also historically significant. Both on the N64 and Xbox, it showcases what can be achieved graphically when done right. It’s a shame that Rare no longer develops such milestones.