Ideon
2022
"A delayed game is eventually good. A bad game will sell 10 million copies in 3 days" - Shigeru Miyamoto.
As a starter for this review i must preface that no Pokemon game without natdex would get more than a 2.5 from me.
That being said this game is comedic with how mediocre/bad it is in every aspect. Story is 3 different ones that felt under cooked and the fourth final story that ties them together does it in a really lazy way. Gameplay is just Pokemon which has mostly been stagnant for the past near decade since X and Y. Graphics are also terrible not even counting the constant visual glitches, without any actual style besides being cartoony/anime which is given no visual flair.
Saving the obvious talk about bugs, glitches, and performance issues last yes the game has many of them and in all honesty if it wasn't for the fact that it looked like garbage I probably would have not paid it any attention due to lack of natdex. I don't think i ever had a consistent frame rate the entire time I played the game, every where i went had many visual bugs, and about every 3 hours I'd restart the game so that it would run smoother again (smoother not smoothly big difference).
Now for positives in concept this could have been interesting, the open world can be fun to traverse but its not very interesting, The gameplay is fun for the basic Pokemon formula but it is again stagnant, And unintentionally was a great experience for me and my friend who isn't even into Pokemon as it constantly gave us a good laugh with how bad it is.
I won't give any pity points for it due to it being the largest media franchise, plenty of money could have been poured into this. Fans should only demand more and more but more often settle for less and less which is a shame really.
As a starter for this review i must preface that no Pokemon game without natdex would get more than a 2.5 from me.
That being said this game is comedic with how mediocre/bad it is in every aspect. Story is 3 different ones that felt under cooked and the fourth final story that ties them together does it in a really lazy way. Gameplay is just Pokemon which has mostly been stagnant for the past near decade since X and Y. Graphics are also terrible not even counting the constant visual glitches, without any actual style besides being cartoony/anime which is given no visual flair.
Saving the obvious talk about bugs, glitches, and performance issues last yes the game has many of them and in all honesty if it wasn't for the fact that it looked like garbage I probably would have not paid it any attention due to lack of natdex. I don't think i ever had a consistent frame rate the entire time I played the game, every where i went had many visual bugs, and about every 3 hours I'd restart the game so that it would run smoother again (smoother not smoothly big difference).
Now for positives in concept this could have been interesting, the open world can be fun to traverse but its not very interesting, The gameplay is fun for the basic Pokemon formula but it is again stagnant, And unintentionally was a great experience for me and my friend who isn't even into Pokemon as it constantly gave us a good laugh with how bad it is.
I won't give any pity points for it due to it being the largest media franchise, plenty of money could have been poured into this. Fans should only demand more and more but more often settle for less and less which is a shame really.
2000
What a shame. Do not feel like continuing it.
Sega Ages Phantasy Star shows the perfect way to bring a game up without compromising the actual game itself with just the right amount of quality of life changes.
First, let's look at the original Phantasy Star. Within its own manual, you were told about every item, the world, and all the mechanics, and at the end, you were given two very important tips: Note everything down and draw out maps for the dungeons. Luckily enough, it came with maps for the overworld to show where dungeons should roughly be. With those two tips and the lack of story, Phantasy Star comes off as a single-player TTRPG experience, with SEGA acting as the dungeon master. Doing those things was not only essential to getting through the game but also added a lot of time to a play-through. When the game was originally released, it cost adjusting for inflation, roughly 180$ so yeah, I'd hope I got my money's worth out of it.
The Sega Ages Remaster comes with a lot of quality of life changes, such as an auto map, increased experience and money per battle, and you're able to take a look at every item in the pause menu, see what they do, who they're for, and how much they cost. Lastly, it comes with a modern manual that even warns the player of potential issues like locking a run that you could run into since they kept this true to the original. These changes make the game more digestible without inherently making it easier, which makes for a quicker and more enjoyable experience. These QOL changes are also purely optional, allowing the player to enjoy the original experience. With the auto map feature, the player has a better understanding of where they are and doesn't have to get graph paper out just to enjoy the game, as it still offers plenty of exploration with the auto-map enabled. The increased experience and money do more than you would think on a surface level. Sure, you have a lot less grind, where essentially, near the beginning, one level would be 10–12 encounters in the original, but now it's only 3–4 encounters. With this cut-down on grind, you don't need to keep notes on what everyone says nearly as much, as interacting with the NPC's and seeing what they say is easier to keep track of in your head because those long gaps of time spent grinding are now miniscule.
On the actual game itself, Phantasy Star has very little story, and that's not why you would play this game at all. Where Phantasy Star shines is figuring out what you need to do and doing it just for the main goal established during the intro of the game. 90% of NPC's have something useful to say, regardless if you know it yet. You're constantly going back and forth, doing new things, and accessing new areas as you slowly make progress in the games world. It's a large puzzle begging to be solved one step at a time, and with SEGA only putting in essentially useful information, you never feel like you weren't told something. If anything, you just can't remember what you were told or didn't note it down and need to look over your notes, items, or maybe even spells. All this brings Phantasy Star together more than any story they could have possibly told on the Master System's 8-bit hardware. Combat is pretty basic and does nothing particularly interesting, but it isn't bad, just not noteworthy.
Phantasy Star is an easy yet very enjoyable game with the right approach, regardless of whether you play the original or the Sega Ages version. Definitely check it out if any of this sounds interesting in the slightest and I hope Sega not only ports but makes more of these remasters.
First, let's look at the original Phantasy Star. Within its own manual, you were told about every item, the world, and all the mechanics, and at the end, you were given two very important tips: Note everything down and draw out maps for the dungeons. Luckily enough, it came with maps for the overworld to show where dungeons should roughly be. With those two tips and the lack of story, Phantasy Star comes off as a single-player TTRPG experience, with SEGA acting as the dungeon master. Doing those things was not only essential to getting through the game but also added a lot of time to a play-through. When the game was originally released, it cost adjusting for inflation, roughly 180$ so yeah, I'd hope I got my money's worth out of it.
The Sega Ages Remaster comes with a lot of quality of life changes, such as an auto map, increased experience and money per battle, and you're able to take a look at every item in the pause menu, see what they do, who they're for, and how much they cost. Lastly, it comes with a modern manual that even warns the player of potential issues like locking a run that you could run into since they kept this true to the original. These changes make the game more digestible without inherently making it easier, which makes for a quicker and more enjoyable experience. These QOL changes are also purely optional, allowing the player to enjoy the original experience. With the auto map feature, the player has a better understanding of where they are and doesn't have to get graph paper out just to enjoy the game, as it still offers plenty of exploration with the auto-map enabled. The increased experience and money do more than you would think on a surface level. Sure, you have a lot less grind, where essentially, near the beginning, one level would be 10–12 encounters in the original, but now it's only 3–4 encounters. With this cut-down on grind, you don't need to keep notes on what everyone says nearly as much, as interacting with the NPC's and seeing what they say is easier to keep track of in your head because those long gaps of time spent grinding are now miniscule.
On the actual game itself, Phantasy Star has very little story, and that's not why you would play this game at all. Where Phantasy Star shines is figuring out what you need to do and doing it just for the main goal established during the intro of the game. 90% of NPC's have something useful to say, regardless if you know it yet. You're constantly going back and forth, doing new things, and accessing new areas as you slowly make progress in the games world. It's a large puzzle begging to be solved one step at a time, and with SEGA only putting in essentially useful information, you never feel like you weren't told something. If anything, you just can't remember what you were told or didn't note it down and need to look over your notes, items, or maybe even spells. All this brings Phantasy Star together more than any story they could have possibly told on the Master System's 8-bit hardware. Combat is pretty basic and does nothing particularly interesting, but it isn't bad, just not noteworthy.
Phantasy Star is an easy yet very enjoyable game with the right approach, regardless of whether you play the original or the Sega Ages version. Definitely check it out if any of this sounds interesting in the slightest and I hope Sega not only ports but makes more of these remasters.
2000
Although the presentation is weak it captures what a Metal Gear Solid game is. The story is amazing and I loved all the characters. By being a sequel to just Metal Gear everything I've known as a MGS fan was flipped upside down and it told an amazing and grounded story that I could only wish we got a continuation of based on the cliff hanger. Still worth the play-through.
2003
Very good stories given that the story told changes depending on the ending. Great gameplay with fun weapons to collect and level up. Honestly it was a game that was just really fun for me where plot almost became secondary. Only issues would be the useless right stick camera, wonky lock on, and the projectile enemies which can be annoying to deal with.
Nier Automata fans do not interact
Nier Automata fans do not interact
Very fun game that you can take at your own pace with a fun plot and cast like Mega Man Legends. I like the fact that you can unlock the final boss and continue doing missions and upgrading or training the servebots if that's your thing or if you just want more gameplay which it is definitely more varied than MML. Don't feel you need to play MML as this game carries itself without any drawback.
This game is so fucking good I don't know how anyone ever thought this was bad. 99% of the complaints even by people who defend LoD are half baked at best. Only issue one could have is the n64 controller itself shafting this game a bit. Play it on a real controller and that issue is gone.
Here are my bindings for a PlayStation controller.
A=Circle=Jump
B=X=Attack 1
C Left=Square=Attack 2
C Right=Left Bumper=Collect Items
C Up=Dpad Up=Change camera
C Down=Triangle=Item Attack
L=Right Bumper=Werewolf Attack
R=Right thumbstick press=Lock on
Z=Left Trigger=Crouch
Map Dpad to right stick
Here are my bindings for a PlayStation controller.
A=Circle=Jump
B=X=Attack 1
C Left=Square=Attack 2
C Right=Left Bumper=Collect Items
C Up=Dpad Up=Change camera
C Down=Triangle=Item Attack
L=Right Bumper=Werewolf Attack
R=Right thumbstick press=Lock on
Z=Left Trigger=Crouch
Map Dpad to right stick
2000
Improved on everything Mega Man Legends attempted to do. Good side content and improved dungeons and the cast of the two previous games all together means there is never a dull moment. Trust me do the side content and buy the armor chips. Can't believe how hard the final boss is for this goofy game.
2005
Drakengard 2 is certainly an oddity and a good one at that. Where Drakengard is hidden in the shadows of NIER, Drakengard 2 is hidden in its shadows even further.
Gameplay wise Drakengard 2 is far superior than the first. Better level design, being more fluid, and having a better weapon / combo system are some highlights. Also making characters not timed like the first game also gives better replay value which is needed if you're going to see all the endings.
The story is also fairly good but clearly needed some expansion in areas but its nothing that truly detracts from the plot. Where Drakengard dropped us off in a world that is already at war and the situation as the game progresses only gets worse, Drakengard 2 takes a more laid back approach which makes sense given it is a sequel to the "best" ending in Drakengard. Not that it detracts from it but the story never reaches the desperation you would see in the first game especially in the ending chapters after ending A. It still stands on its own and has emotional moments and characters one can like. As a continuation it felt like a good send off to the world especially with the final ending.
The main negatives come from the story though specifically the fact it has multiple endings. Drakengard 2 has 3 endings that do not change much between each yet requires entire play-throughs of the game on higher and higher difficulties to get them. They should have just stuck with the final ending and focused on improving other areas of the story and its presentation which for a ps2 game in 2005, it's a bit lack luster.
Definitely a overhated gem, just like Drakengard 1, though it's still not something I could recommend to everyone. Many people didn't care for the original game's gameplay, and even if I think the story is good, I know many would not like the tone change and if the tone/darker characters of the first is what carried you through the game I don't think you would enjoy this game very much.
You thank me still?
You're a sentimental fool...
Just like...your father...
Gameplay wise Drakengard 2 is far superior than the first. Better level design, being more fluid, and having a better weapon / combo system are some highlights. Also making characters not timed like the first game also gives better replay value which is needed if you're going to see all the endings.
The story is also fairly good but clearly needed some expansion in areas but its nothing that truly detracts from the plot. Where Drakengard dropped us off in a world that is already at war and the situation as the game progresses only gets worse, Drakengard 2 takes a more laid back approach which makes sense given it is a sequel to the "best" ending in Drakengard. Not that it detracts from it but the story never reaches the desperation you would see in the first game especially in the ending chapters after ending A. It still stands on its own and has emotional moments and characters one can like. As a continuation it felt like a good send off to the world especially with the final ending.
The main negatives come from the story though specifically the fact it has multiple endings. Drakengard 2 has 3 endings that do not change much between each yet requires entire play-throughs of the game on higher and higher difficulties to get them. They should have just stuck with the final ending and focused on improving other areas of the story and its presentation which for a ps2 game in 2005, it's a bit lack luster.
Definitely a overhated gem, just like Drakengard 1, though it's still not something I could recommend to everyone. Many people didn't care for the original game's gameplay, and even if I think the story is good, I know many would not like the tone change and if the tone/darker characters of the first is what carried you through the game I don't think you would enjoy this game very much.
You thank me still?
You're a sentimental fool...
Just like...your father...
1992
Shin Megami Tensei marks the start of a truly beloved franchise, but does it deserve to be as beloved compared to its younger brothers.
(This review will be Spoiler Free)
TLDR it doesn't
SMT1 is, quite frankly, a pretty bad game. It suffers from poor gameplay the most and the technical limitations that come with being a first person dungeon crawler on a console during the 90s which will not be excused.
Gameplay is uninteresting to say the least, with it being super simple but not fun compared to its younger brother, Press Turn. The main character is the most uninteresting party member you have, and luckily for us we're him, although we do get law hero and chaos hero for the first half of the game and heroine for most of it the main character really only feels useful when using items or spamming gun. Heroine is the key to beating smt1 because you get Mazio and Zionga, the strongest moves in the game fairly early. Now, if you're accustomed to the likes of other Megami Tensei games, you might be wondering why I say that for some of the weakest moves in most of the franchise entries well, it's because it can stun and will stun 90% of the time, leaving all enemies defenseless. This can also be reproduced with any demon you get that can use Zio or Bufu spells. The worst part is once you hit level 50 don't even bother fighting most enemies because you will level up enough times from boss fights alone; you should be near level 80 by the end of the game. Regarding fusion, it's ok and barebones nothing to really speak of.
Now to address the elephant in the room its technical limitations. The most notable is it being a first person game on the Super Nintendo, which is where most of the problems stem. I don't mind first person dungeon crawling if done right. But at the time smt1 was released, it was just not a good idea at all, with navigating feeling more like a chore and getting lost very easily within the world plagued with no unique flair within its dungeons besides the walls and floors having a different color than the last. Another problem is the lack of direction; it disgusts me that I had to consult a guide because of things just not being clarified while in Shin Megami Tensei nocturne you get funneled in certain directions and when it comes time to revisit places NPCs will make when and where clear. On the topic of NPCs this was probably the most irritating thing for me because until you step on the tile that contains an NPC you do not see them and you will be spending so much time walking through rooms just to make sure an NPC with important information is/isn't in it.
Now the above technical problems might not be relevant for the copies that exist on the Sega CD and the Playstation, and after watching gameplay of those I really do wish we got translations of those versions instead of a handheld version that is uglier than the original.
The only good part about this game was its rushed story, which is what helped me get through the game, and for the first mainline outing with Law, Chaos, and Neutral it was pretty good.
I genuinely can only recommend this game for die-hard fans of the Megami Tensei franchise but even then I'd say put it off until you run out of other games to play, in fact, if you haven't played Persona 1 yet I'd say go play it as most the problems that I have on the gameplay and technical side are non-existent or even expanded upon to make for a more enjoyable experience while still being similar.
(This review will be Spoiler Free)
TLDR it doesn't
SMT1 is, quite frankly, a pretty bad game. It suffers from poor gameplay the most and the technical limitations that come with being a first person dungeon crawler on a console during the 90s which will not be excused.
Gameplay is uninteresting to say the least, with it being super simple but not fun compared to its younger brother, Press Turn. The main character is the most uninteresting party member you have, and luckily for us we're him, although we do get law hero and chaos hero for the first half of the game and heroine for most of it the main character really only feels useful when using items or spamming gun. Heroine is the key to beating smt1 because you get Mazio and Zionga, the strongest moves in the game fairly early. Now, if you're accustomed to the likes of other Megami Tensei games, you might be wondering why I say that for some of the weakest moves in most of the franchise entries well, it's because it can stun and will stun 90% of the time, leaving all enemies defenseless. This can also be reproduced with any demon you get that can use Zio or Bufu spells. The worst part is once you hit level 50 don't even bother fighting most enemies because you will level up enough times from boss fights alone; you should be near level 80 by the end of the game. Regarding fusion, it's ok and barebones nothing to really speak of.
Now to address the elephant in the room its technical limitations. The most notable is it being a first person game on the Super Nintendo, which is where most of the problems stem. I don't mind first person dungeon crawling if done right. But at the time smt1 was released, it was just not a good idea at all, with navigating feeling more like a chore and getting lost very easily within the world plagued with no unique flair within its dungeons besides the walls and floors having a different color than the last. Another problem is the lack of direction; it disgusts me that I had to consult a guide because of things just not being clarified while in Shin Megami Tensei nocturne you get funneled in certain directions and when it comes time to revisit places NPCs will make when and where clear. On the topic of NPCs this was probably the most irritating thing for me because until you step on the tile that contains an NPC you do not see them and you will be spending so much time walking through rooms just to make sure an NPC with important information is/isn't in it.
Now the above technical problems might not be relevant for the copies that exist on the Sega CD and the Playstation, and after watching gameplay of those I really do wish we got translations of those versions instead of a handheld version that is uglier than the original.
The only good part about this game was its rushed story, which is what helped me get through the game, and for the first mainline outing with Law, Chaos, and Neutral it was pretty good.
I genuinely can only recommend this game for die-hard fans of the Megami Tensei franchise but even then I'd say put it off until you run out of other games to play, in fact, if you haven't played Persona 1 yet I'd say go play it as most the problems that I have on the gameplay and technical side are non-existent or even expanded upon to make for a more enjoyable experience while still being similar.
First half is great but the second half drops off in quality and has many irritating puzzles that aren't worth the trial and error you have to sit through. An amazing premise in a desperate need of being remade/revisited.
2000
Armored Core 2 is one of the rare games where it does everything and more compared to its predecessor. Better world building, more plot, more AC customization, and the arena.
Without spoiling too much of the plot, the story is basically Char's Counterattack, but with all the mistakes in the movie fixed.
Fighting for corporations and the earth government has never been more fun, and with that comes the arena, a place where you can take on other pilots one-on-one for some extra cash to either upgrade your armored core early or keep yourself out of debt. Every pilot in the arena is fleshed out with a backstory, and you can see their personality even in the way they fight. At 60fps, combat is just perfect. On top of allowing you to rebind buttons, it makes for a fun and intense combat system lifted from the first.
If you couldn't get into Armored Core 1, go ahead and give this game a shot. With the improvements above and the added arena, this is definitely the easier entry to get into. I also see that most people who try Armored Core 1 don't know about the plus system. Once you hit 50k debt, your handler sends you off for upgrades, and it restarts your game. This allows for the game to be a bit easier, and each time you hit 50k debt, you get another upgrade and restart.
Although with the additional arena, debt isn't as much of a worry, and most should be able to get through the game fairly easily on the normal difficulty without the plus program.
Overall, this is a perfect mecha action game and one I highly recommend.
Without spoiling too much of the plot, the story is basically Char's Counterattack, but with all the mistakes in the movie fixed.
Fighting for corporations and the earth government has never been more fun, and with that comes the arena, a place where you can take on other pilots one-on-one for some extra cash to either upgrade your armored core early or keep yourself out of debt. Every pilot in the arena is fleshed out with a backstory, and you can see their personality even in the way they fight. At 60fps, combat is just perfect. On top of allowing you to rebind buttons, it makes for a fun and intense combat system lifted from the first.
If you couldn't get into Armored Core 1, go ahead and give this game a shot. With the improvements above and the added arena, this is definitely the easier entry to get into. I also see that most people who try Armored Core 1 don't know about the plus system. Once you hit 50k debt, your handler sends you off for upgrades, and it restarts your game. This allows for the game to be a bit easier, and each time you hit 50k debt, you get another upgrade and restart.
Although with the additional arena, debt isn't as much of a worry, and most should be able to get through the game fairly easily on the normal difficulty without the plus program.
Overall, this is a perfect mecha action game and one I highly recommend.
1999
The first level in the game is the best part, but it slowly gets worse. Three of the four levels are great, and each one is a bit different. Escaping from a hospital, exploring your home and finding out who you were, and being a detective in a hotel following a string of murders using your psychic powers. The main issue with the game comes from half the boss fights; they're trial-and-error bullshit that wouldn't be hard at all if it weren't for the fact that this game utilizes tank controls. These controls are fine for the majority of the game; it's just those sections where you feel like grinding your teeth with a belt sander. The final level also decided to mostly focus on combat and is just a tower where you fight a few enemies on each floor before reaching the top, when the game before hand never focused intensely on combat. There are a lot of good ideas, especially in the story and atmosphere, but they fall flat in areas that just make it an okay PlayStation 1 game.
2013
Such a simple adventure game that does nothing wrong but wont blow your socks off either. Picked it up and finished it in one sitting you honestly can't go wrong with playing through it for an afternoon. It set a good impression for my first Ys game.
Big piece of shit that asks what if we made Doom 1 bad and forced the player around miserable and giant levels.
The super shotgun sucks and did irreparable damage to shooters.
The super shotgun sucks and did irreparable damage to shooters.