Jimbleish
14 reviews liked by Jimbleish
What the fuck.. I thought the 3DS was for Pokemonsters and Mario... What is this SOVL....
The vibes are impeccable. The atmosphere is unmatched. The press turn system is, obviously, good. The crits are brutal. The first dungeon is harder than probably all of Persona 5 (random stray slander I haven't played it). The monsters are... PNGs.... The world map... uh.. anyway
The story is mid, but the worldbuilding saves it. It's at least always interesting, but I mean, the overall plot is just SMT like, again, so not much room there. I appreciate the allegories and symbolism and such as always, but it's not exactly a character driven franchise. That's fine.
Surprisingly great English voice acting, particularly Burroughs. I miss her
The vibes are impeccable. The atmosphere is unmatched. The press turn system is, obviously, good. The crits are brutal. The first dungeon is harder than probably all of Persona 5 (random stray slander I haven't played it). The monsters are... PNGs.... The world map... uh.. anyway
The story is mid, but the worldbuilding saves it. It's at least always interesting, but I mean, the overall plot is just SMT like, again, so not much room there. I appreciate the allegories and symbolism and such as always, but it's not exactly a character driven franchise. That's fine.
Surprisingly great English voice acting, particularly Burroughs. I miss her
genuinely still fun in the modern day
So... that was a thing that I just cleared off the smoker.
I want to kick off by saying that the reason that this game was stuck on my backlog for 2 years and some change is that this games' start, up to the first Gabby twist (the one where Lilith is actually executed) has all the haste of freeze-dried molasses (and if it isn't that, yes, Medusa and the Minotaur are just as obnoxious to deal with as you might have heard, basically boiling down to Sukukaja cheese or you die). The initial trip into Tokyo is where I point my finger to most primarily, which ended up as directionless in where you were supposed to be going, and what you were meant to be doing (not to mention what little indication there was that you had to tape down acceptance for Challenge Quests before entering a given area) - or as I said to myself several times when playing: 'a lot of bumblefucking about'.
Were it just the above, I would have to feel especially generous to give this game any higher than a 2-Star rating. Thankfully, after said Gabby/Lilith twist, the game gets noticeably better. Like... probably a 4-Star mid-end game. Hence, I split the difference, and here we are.
On the note of said Gabby twist: it's actually pretty neat stuff. I was tipped off to something like this happening after lurking BTVA and noticing that Gabby and Yuriko/Lilith have the same English VA. Hence I found it conspicuious when Gabby wasn't initially around for Yuriko's execution, only to turn around and have everyone say 'that's a spitting image of Gabby, not Gabby herself'. Basic Chekov's gun dictates something had to happen, and as someone cynical to 'foreshadowing' excuses, I'll hold the L just this once. Oh, and... then Gabby becomes Gabriel of the Four Archangels... which I should have also seen coming, but still.
This probably isn't the best time to say this, but I did dig out a guide for the Neutral/True ending (and if you're wondering, I do plan to replay Apocalypse at some point very soon). One of my mantras when playing games like this is 'whatever you call spoilers, I just call doing my homework' - and this is one of the reasons why.
As for Character Writing, I'd say it's respectable... until it isn't. I'm aware that probably sounds a bit harsh, so let's really break this down:
- Jonathan: His patriotism to Mikado is compelling, until he hears about the plan to 'purge the filth' (cue the memes), in which case he ends up looking like an idiot for taking all of the Church at face value. His means are fine up to that point, but his ends are pretty dippy because of it, mostly on an account of being an ambassador for a belief system he doesn't believe in, even after seeing shit like Pluto from the Blasted Tokyo timeline.
- Walter [Post Lilith visit]: "Hey so I found about about this cool thing called Globalism for the first time, so I'm going to transform into literal Satan to achieve my goals." (/sarc). Oh well, he's at least chill before then, and Matthew Mercer sounds like he was having fun with the role.
- Isabeau: Basically what a restraint check should be, even if there are instances where she's not as proactive as she should be. Reserved, reasonable, and (if the 'Manga' subplot that supposed to lead to Lilith's motivations are any indication) a TOTAL dork (although the through line between said literature and Lilith's motivations are... a bit more disjointed than I would have liked).
As for the Neutral ending in question... yeah, your mileage will vary. Tony4You has an excellent video on Alignment Issues that is a part of what could be considered part of the problem with this game's lack of moral complexity ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoALN7HnvxA ), yet at the same time, while I see why Nyarly thinks that Neutral is the 'worst ending in SMT he's ever seen', as someone who thinks this game in general levelled out to 'kinda mid', I do at least feel impartially towards said ending. I know the wording of this paragraph sounds kinda confused, and I think it's worth talking about in more detail elsewhere. All I'll say for now is that the people trying to use the CU as an explanation for the uninitiated (or otherwise unexplained) will not offer the implication that Isabeau managed to evac the entirety of Mikado the same curtsey.
Anyway, that was a long and disorganised first thoughts. I'll end off by saying that the OST and Graphics are also great. I mean, I enjoyed Apocalypse, so I enjoy this. Simples, methinks.
I want to kick off by saying that the reason that this game was stuck on my backlog for 2 years and some change is that this games' start, up to the first Gabby twist (the one where Lilith is actually executed) has all the haste of freeze-dried molasses (and if it isn't that, yes, Medusa and the Minotaur are just as obnoxious to deal with as you might have heard, basically boiling down to Sukukaja cheese or you die). The initial trip into Tokyo is where I point my finger to most primarily, which ended up as directionless in where you were supposed to be going, and what you were meant to be doing (not to mention what little indication there was that you had to tape down acceptance for Challenge Quests before entering a given area) - or as I said to myself several times when playing: 'a lot of bumblefucking about'.
Were it just the above, I would have to feel especially generous to give this game any higher than a 2-Star rating. Thankfully, after said Gabby/Lilith twist, the game gets noticeably better. Like... probably a 4-Star mid-end game. Hence, I split the difference, and here we are.
On the note of said Gabby twist: it's actually pretty neat stuff. I was tipped off to something like this happening after lurking BTVA and noticing that Gabby and Yuriko/Lilith have the same English VA. Hence I found it conspicuious when Gabby wasn't initially around for Yuriko's execution, only to turn around and have everyone say 'that's a spitting image of Gabby, not Gabby herself'. Basic Chekov's gun dictates something had to happen, and as someone cynical to 'foreshadowing' excuses, I'll hold the L just this once. Oh, and... then Gabby becomes Gabriel of the Four Archangels... which I should have also seen coming, but still.
This probably isn't the best time to say this, but I did dig out a guide for the Neutral/True ending (and if you're wondering, I do plan to replay Apocalypse at some point very soon). One of my mantras when playing games like this is 'whatever you call spoilers, I just call doing my homework' - and this is one of the reasons why.
As for Character Writing, I'd say it's respectable... until it isn't. I'm aware that probably sounds a bit harsh, so let's really break this down:
- Jonathan: His patriotism to Mikado is compelling, until he hears about the plan to 'purge the filth' (cue the memes), in which case he ends up looking like an idiot for taking all of the Church at face value. His means are fine up to that point, but his ends are pretty dippy because of it, mostly on an account of being an ambassador for a belief system he doesn't believe in, even after seeing shit like Pluto from the Blasted Tokyo timeline.
- Walter [Post Lilith visit]: "Hey so I found about about this cool thing called Globalism for the first time, so I'm going to transform into literal Satan to achieve my goals." (/sarc). Oh well, he's at least chill before then, and Matthew Mercer sounds like he was having fun with the role.
- Isabeau: Basically what a restraint check should be, even if there are instances where she's not as proactive as she should be. Reserved, reasonable, and (if the 'Manga' subplot that supposed to lead to Lilith's motivations are any indication) a TOTAL dork (although the through line between said literature and Lilith's motivations are... a bit more disjointed than I would have liked).
As for the Neutral ending in question... yeah, your mileage will vary. Tony4You has an excellent video on Alignment Issues that is a part of what could be considered part of the problem with this game's lack of moral complexity ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoALN7HnvxA ), yet at the same time, while I see why Nyarly thinks that Neutral is the 'worst ending in SMT he's ever seen', as someone who thinks this game in general levelled out to 'kinda mid', I do at least feel impartially towards said ending. I know the wording of this paragraph sounds kinda confused, and I think it's worth talking about in more detail elsewhere. All I'll say for now is that the people trying to use the CU as an explanation for the uninitiated (or otherwise unexplained) will not offer the implication that Isabeau managed to evac the entirety of Mikado the same curtsey.
Anyway, that was a long and disorganised first thoughts. I'll end off by saying that the OST and Graphics are also great. I mean, I enjoyed Apocalypse, so I enjoy this. Simples, methinks.
Persona 3 Reload
2024
The last hour of this game is unbelievably impactful. I was completely unprepared for that ending.
What a treat it was to play this game for the first time. Superb characters, a gorgeous score, wonderful art direction that just pops and an excellent story to boot. Joyous.
I will make a point to recommend this to my friends.
What a treat it was to play this game for the first time. Superb characters, a gorgeous score, wonderful art direction that just pops and an excellent story to boot. Joyous.
I will make a point to recommend this to my friends.
Given I haven't quite finished it at the time of writing (game hard), I don't quite get the hate surrounding this one. It's definitely clunky, probably quite a bit so compared to newer entries, but for me, Circle of the Moon is a great fusion between the things I like about classic Castlevania and presumably, the things I will like about "metroidvania Castlevania", this being my foray into that style of the series.
First off, I really fw this game's difficulty, tight as it is. While it's possible to grind for levels and recovery items, my goofy ass is stubborn and impatient, and I tend to run past encounters with spongy enemies. Often this leaves me high and dry for the boss fights, but I honestly can't say I don't get a sick kick out of that. Finally beating a tough boss after hours in the salt mines is a favorite feeling of mine.
Good music is another thing Circle of the Moon possesses in no short supply. Castlevania is full of bops in general, and this entry's no exception. Even the driest of exploration turns to mad vibes when met with the right tunes. Unfortunately, I think that exploration is where Circle of the Moon (and in fairness, a lot of other metroidvanias) can fall a bit short.
While this game offers solid level design and a lot of cool, useful things to discover, obtuse progression is a staple of its genre and not one it's exempt from. Often there is only one way or a few specific ways to go, and while this is relatively common in metroidvanias, it is no less egregious here. Circle of the Moon also occasionally lets you sequence break to an extent. This is certainly not a negative in of itself, but due to the game's sharp difficulty, it's totally possible to scrape yourself into a certain late game area like fifteen levels early, only to be met with an absolute brick wall of a boss fight. To be honest, I find this kind of thing sort of commendable, only in my case I did this on TWO separate occasions thinking it was the only way to go, having to painstakingly backtrack the entire length of it both times (AND IT'S A POISON SWAMP). I'm probably just stupid, but I'm admittedly still butthurt lol.
Overall, I've found Circle of the Moon to be an incredible time, just one I can't really recommend to everyone considering its fair share of retro game bullshit; sluggish movement, obtuse progression, and comically low item drop rates. With that being said, I think this version might have save states, so it's probably worth a shot if you're normal and don't mind using those. Formidable but fair vibes for sure.
First off, I really fw this game's difficulty, tight as it is. While it's possible to grind for levels and recovery items, my goofy ass is stubborn and impatient, and I tend to run past encounters with spongy enemies. Often this leaves me high and dry for the boss fights, but I honestly can't say I don't get a sick kick out of that. Finally beating a tough boss after hours in the salt mines is a favorite feeling of mine.
Good music is another thing Circle of the Moon possesses in no short supply. Castlevania is full of bops in general, and this entry's no exception. Even the driest of exploration turns to mad vibes when met with the right tunes. Unfortunately, I think that exploration is where Circle of the Moon (and in fairness, a lot of other metroidvanias) can fall a bit short.
While this game offers solid level design and a lot of cool, useful things to discover, obtuse progression is a staple of its genre and not one it's exempt from. Often there is only one way or a few specific ways to go, and while this is relatively common in metroidvanias, it is no less egregious here. Circle of the Moon also occasionally lets you sequence break to an extent. This is certainly not a negative in of itself, but due to the game's sharp difficulty, it's totally possible to scrape yourself into a certain late game area like fifteen levels early, only to be met with an absolute brick wall of a boss fight. To be honest, I find this kind of thing sort of commendable, only in my case I did this on TWO separate occasions thinking it was the only way to go, having to painstakingly backtrack the entire length of it both times (AND IT'S A POISON SWAMP). I'm probably just stupid, but I'm admittedly still butthurt lol.
Overall, I've found Circle of the Moon to be an incredible time, just one I can't really recommend to everyone considering its fair share of retro game bullshit; sluggish movement, obtuse progression, and comically low item drop rates. With that being said, I think this version might have save states, so it's probably worth a shot if you're normal and don't mind using those. Formidable but fair vibes for sure.
I didn't exactly finish this one it got to difficult to the point it wasn't even fun this would be a good game with less difficulty the boss fights in this are ridiculous.
Pseudoregalia
2023
<--- schmovement liker
pseudoregalia is pure platformer comfort food, a distillation of everything that makes this genre as enjoyable as it is. if this game cropped up on your radar, you're probably at least familiar with how people regard this game — let me add to that by saying the game feel here is genuinely sublime. everything you've heard about the movement is accurate and then some; as soon as you grab solar wind everything clicks into place. there's so much you can pull off with sybil's moveset, aspects you can utilize and even abuse to your heart's content. it can get legitimately overpowered depending on what you find — i managed to sequence break in an area without even really trying all that hard. though of course, that's a part of the game's charm and appeal, part of why everything comes together so well, even.
this isn't to say i have no issues with the pseudoregalia: many aspects of the game aren't nearly as fleshed out as they could be, and there could be more polish in areas (i ran into a bug mid playthrough that rendered all in world triggers reset, though i still got to keep my upgrades and keys, thank god), but some of that's to be expected considering the budget and scope of the release as an expanded gamejam title. fact of the matter is: if you like games focused on exploring environments through expansive movement, if you hold fondness for that hazy 5th generation console esque aesthetic, if you like sequence breaking in any form, please play this game. it's only $6, i promise it's worth it.
pseudoregalia is pure platformer comfort food, a distillation of everything that makes this genre as enjoyable as it is. if this game cropped up on your radar, you're probably at least familiar with how people regard this game — let me add to that by saying the game feel here is genuinely sublime. everything you've heard about the movement is accurate and then some; as soon as you grab solar wind everything clicks into place. there's so much you can pull off with sybil's moveset, aspects you can utilize and even abuse to your heart's content. it can get legitimately overpowered depending on what you find — i managed to sequence break in an area without even really trying all that hard. though of course, that's a part of the game's charm and appeal, part of why everything comes together so well, even.
this isn't to say i have no issues with the pseudoregalia: many aspects of the game aren't nearly as fleshed out as they could be, and there could be more polish in areas (i ran into a bug mid playthrough that rendered all in world triggers reset, though i still got to keep my upgrades and keys, thank god), but some of that's to be expected considering the budget and scope of the release as an expanded gamejam title. fact of the matter is: if you like games focused on exploring environments through expansive movement, if you hold fondness for that hazy 5th generation console esque aesthetic, if you like sequence breaking in any form, please play this game. it's only $6, i promise it's worth it.
Persona 3 Reload
2024
Me playing a game and sitting through 40 hours of dogshit but they start saying life is worth living near the end so I gotta lock in and give it that 10/10
did not read a single line of dialogue
Gundam Evolution
2022
I've put my rating at five stars despite the obvious, and GLARING problems with the game because of the amount of joy it's given me throughout the one year I had to play it.
I had known about Gundam for a long time, and I've loved mecha since I saw Gurren Lagann when I was a child, however this game really gave me the push I needed to start my Gundam journey.
I can identify all the Mobile Suits now, and I have a deep admiration for most, if not all of them.
I love the references in all the deploy and MVP animations + all the stickers and icons you can unlock.
Even apart from all the stuff meant for fans of Gundam, though, the game itself is one of the more captivating, and fun hero shooters I've ever played. Matches are fast, electric. Every decision made can lead to some genuinely huge consequences, and when you get in the zone; when you and your Mobile Suit of choice get in sync and go on a crazy killstreak, the feeling it inspires within you is second to none. You really do feel like a newtype with how cracked the game can make you feel.
Unfortunately, Bandai gave the devs about three paper clips for its budget, and decided to pull the plug when it didn't make overwatch money.
As I write this, there's about two weeks left of the game's life. It's honestly so sad to know it'll be gone. It led me to making some good friends, and even better memories.
Goodbye, Gundam Evolution.
I had known about Gundam for a long time, and I've loved mecha since I saw Gurren Lagann when I was a child, however this game really gave me the push I needed to start my Gundam journey.
I can identify all the Mobile Suits now, and I have a deep admiration for most, if not all of them.
I love the references in all the deploy and MVP animations + all the stickers and icons you can unlock.
Even apart from all the stuff meant for fans of Gundam, though, the game itself is one of the more captivating, and fun hero shooters I've ever played. Matches are fast, electric. Every decision made can lead to some genuinely huge consequences, and when you get in the zone; when you and your Mobile Suit of choice get in sync and go on a crazy killstreak, the feeling it inspires within you is second to none. You really do feel like a newtype with how cracked the game can make you feel.
Unfortunately, Bandai gave the devs about three paper clips for its budget, and decided to pull the plug when it didn't make overwatch money.
As I write this, there's about two weeks left of the game's life. It's honestly so sad to know it'll be gone. It led me to making some good friends, and even better memories.
Goodbye, Gundam Evolution.
