Kremdanieko
Great third person shooter with some very minor survival horror elements. The escort AI never gets annoying and the game continually ramps up enemy encounters throughout. Quick Time Events are way too hard at 60fps, and it controls like crap on mouse and keyboard. Deserves its legacy.
An enjoyable portable version of the mercenaries for the 3DS. Could use more content, and Leon is strangely absent, but worth getting if you want to play mercs on the run.
2021
A surprisingly excellent sequel to one of my favourite games ever.
The lack of an item menu and puzzle solving in general was unfortunate, but the charming writing and characters, the tightened up platforming, and shockingly more involved combat systems mostly made up for it.
The worlds are, at least aesthetically, as creative as ever, while unfortunately sticking too close to the platforming side with little spectacle or variety in their mechanics.
Double Fine pulled through with a sequel that manages to feel true to the original game from 16 years ago with only a few hiccups, and it's reignited my interest in this franchise something fierce.
The lack of an item menu and puzzle solving in general was unfortunate, but the charming writing and characters, the tightened up platforming, and shockingly more involved combat systems mostly made up for it.
The worlds are, at least aesthetically, as creative as ever, while unfortunately sticking too close to the platforming side with little spectacle or variety in their mechanics.
Double Fine pulled through with a sequel that manages to feel true to the original game from 16 years ago with only a few hiccups, and it's reignited my interest in this franchise something fierce.
2012
Ladies and gentlemen, it's the pain in the butt.
Max Payne 3 attempts to tell a dark and depressing story, and it succeeds, but it's not especially engaging to play through, as Max has no real stakes in the story aside from being a hired grunt. When Max doesn't care, I don't care. He's also no longer a wisecracking jackass, instead being replaced with a foulmouthed, pessimistic asshole that spends the majority of the runtime complaining or talking about how he should've died ages ago.
Max takes about half or a quarter of a second to start moving from a standstill, and he'll occasionally not even shoot the gun when you left click for seemingly no real reason at all.
These are just two annoyances with the controls that you'll have to get used to if you desire to play through this game. Max takes damage incredibly fast in this game and avoiding damage seems nigh impossible.
The game seemingly wants you to play with a bizarre mix of run n gun and cover based shooting, but most of the time your best bet is to hide behind cover and only shoot when you have an opening which, needless to say, isn't fun.
Unlike the past two games, Max can only carry 3 guns at a time. 2 small firearms and a large one. However the game will arbitrarily take away the large firearm from you at certain points. You can dual wield the small firearms but you lose the large firearm when you do so. Out of the large guns, the only ones worth picking up are the rifles and SMGs, shotguns are beyond awful in this game because of how the levels are built and enemy encounters are designed.
Level design is messy. Too many claustrophobic arenas where moving out of cover will get you killed faster than you can react to the gunshots fired. But there are also far too many open spaces near the end of the game with limited cover from enemy fire, forcing you to shoot enemies from a distance to avoid dying. The game will refuse you the liberty of getting your bearings before funneling you towards the next objective, going so far as to game over you if you stop and smell the roses for too long, as they want you to progress into the next "cool" scripted setpiece.
This constant shoving and nudging of the player, with the only breaks being cutscenes with obnoxious visual effects and dull characters being depressed makes for a tiring experience.
Wallowing in constant misery is this games forte.
And unfortunately, that doesn't make for a particularly pleasant game.
Max Payne 3 attempts to tell a dark and depressing story, and it succeeds, but it's not especially engaging to play through, as Max has no real stakes in the story aside from being a hired grunt. When Max doesn't care, I don't care. He's also no longer a wisecracking jackass, instead being replaced with a foulmouthed, pessimistic asshole that spends the majority of the runtime complaining or talking about how he should've died ages ago.
Max takes about half or a quarter of a second to start moving from a standstill, and he'll occasionally not even shoot the gun when you left click for seemingly no real reason at all.
These are just two annoyances with the controls that you'll have to get used to if you desire to play through this game. Max takes damage incredibly fast in this game and avoiding damage seems nigh impossible.
The game seemingly wants you to play with a bizarre mix of run n gun and cover based shooting, but most of the time your best bet is to hide behind cover and only shoot when you have an opening which, needless to say, isn't fun.
Unlike the past two games, Max can only carry 3 guns at a time. 2 small firearms and a large one. However the game will arbitrarily take away the large firearm from you at certain points. You can dual wield the small firearms but you lose the large firearm when you do so. Out of the large guns, the only ones worth picking up are the rifles and SMGs, shotguns are beyond awful in this game because of how the levels are built and enemy encounters are designed.
Level design is messy. Too many claustrophobic arenas where moving out of cover will get you killed faster than you can react to the gunshots fired. But there are also far too many open spaces near the end of the game with limited cover from enemy fire, forcing you to shoot enemies from a distance to avoid dying. The game will refuse you the liberty of getting your bearings before funneling you towards the next objective, going so far as to game over you if you stop and smell the roses for too long, as they want you to progress into the next "cool" scripted setpiece.
This constant shoving and nudging of the player, with the only breaks being cutscenes with obnoxious visual effects and dull characters being depressed makes for a tiring experience.
Wallowing in constant misery is this games forte.
And unfortunately, that doesn't make for a particularly pleasant game.
2003
Lucia's tale alone, a cruel sonnet of self realization wrapped in a story seeped in religious overtones, is reason enough to buy this game.
Resident Evil 4 on the wii provides an extra layer of catharsis to the already rock solid RE4 experience.
While not a total reimagining of the game, the motion controls do enough to change the experience. Motion controlled aiming allows for quicker reflexes while in combat, but also more tense and stressful situations when you're overwhelmed. Leon's built-in sway when aiming is still present, but somewhat less noticeable as it blends in with your own sway from holding the wiimote.
Unlike other versions of the game, you will always have a reticle on screen, meaning you can preemptively aim at a foe before holding down the B button to enter the shooting stance. While this can make the game somewhat easier than playing on controller, it feels natural and the transition is smooth.
Swiping the wiimote while not in the shooting stance will make Leon automatically target and slash at the closest thing to him with his knife, whether that's the boxes scattered throughout the game, or an enemy right by him. Another convenience feature that, to an extent, makes the game easier, as Leon targets the objects and enemies faster than the player would by holding the knife button and aiming at what they want to attack.
The Wii Edition of RE4 sacrifices minor challenge by providing unique motion control features not present in other versions. And while this may be disappointing to more hardcore fans of the game, it's a welcome change of pace from the traditional controller gameplay.
While not a total reimagining of the game, the motion controls do enough to change the experience. Motion controlled aiming allows for quicker reflexes while in combat, but also more tense and stressful situations when you're overwhelmed. Leon's built-in sway when aiming is still present, but somewhat less noticeable as it blends in with your own sway from holding the wiimote.
Unlike other versions of the game, you will always have a reticle on screen, meaning you can preemptively aim at a foe before holding down the B button to enter the shooting stance. While this can make the game somewhat easier than playing on controller, it feels natural and the transition is smooth.
Swiping the wiimote while not in the shooting stance will make Leon automatically target and slash at the closest thing to him with his knife, whether that's the boxes scattered throughout the game, or an enemy right by him. Another convenience feature that, to an extent, makes the game easier, as Leon targets the objects and enemies faster than the player would by holding the knife button and aiming at what they want to attack.
The Wii Edition of RE4 sacrifices minor challenge by providing unique motion control features not present in other versions. And while this may be disappointing to more hardcore fans of the game, it's a welcome change of pace from the traditional controller gameplay.
2021
The slow pace, stop and start action of the original Resident Evil 4 has not been replicated here, however it brings its own unique flavour to the mix that has been excellently pulled off.
Being able to pull off stunts like dual wielding a pistol and a shotgun feels oddly at home in RE4, and adds an arcadey spice to the experience that had me hooked from start to finish. Giving Leon both full 360 degree movement and sprinting makes duking it out with the ganados much easier, and reloading has few stakes compared to other VR shooters as Leon will automatically empty the previous magazine when you pick up a new one, and just like the original, no bullets are lost by reloading an almost full gun.
Bonus modes such as Mercenaries and the Ada Wong campaign are, at the time of this review, not in this version of the game. It's unfortunate that this is the case as the speedier nature and arcadey feel would make Mercenaries in particular feel right at home.
Visually, the game has seen updates, however it's somewhat hard to really tell as textures are still low resolution, and the frequent loading zones are still present. However load times are short and the limited graphics means there's no framerate issues to be found. There's a hefty load time when you first start up the game but after that it's smooth sailing.
The story has been kept mostly intact. Leon's zingers and oneliners are still present, however almost any flirty dialogue has been removed from the game outright. The radio conversations have been turned into a semi-interactive element along with a few interactions previously only done by pressing a button or a QTE. This makes certain cutscenes still being present or presented in the theatre view feel out of place. Showcasing the area up ahead in a flat theatre view feels out of place when I can see it for myself in VR a few seconds later.
Overall, this is not the RE4 that you're acquainted with. While it keeps practically every mechanic, the reworking of the game in VR makes it feel much faster paced, much more arcadey, and much more unique than previous ports of this classic shooter.
Being able to pull off stunts like dual wielding a pistol and a shotgun feels oddly at home in RE4, and adds an arcadey spice to the experience that had me hooked from start to finish. Giving Leon both full 360 degree movement and sprinting makes duking it out with the ganados much easier, and reloading has few stakes compared to other VR shooters as Leon will automatically empty the previous magazine when you pick up a new one, and just like the original, no bullets are lost by reloading an almost full gun.
Bonus modes such as Mercenaries and the Ada Wong campaign are, at the time of this review, not in this version of the game. It's unfortunate that this is the case as the speedier nature and arcadey feel would make Mercenaries in particular feel right at home.
Visually, the game has seen updates, however it's somewhat hard to really tell as textures are still low resolution, and the frequent loading zones are still present. However load times are short and the limited graphics means there's no framerate issues to be found. There's a hefty load time when you first start up the game but after that it's smooth sailing.
The story has been kept mostly intact. Leon's zingers and oneliners are still present, however almost any flirty dialogue has been removed from the game outright. The radio conversations have been turned into a semi-interactive element along with a few interactions previously only done by pressing a button or a QTE. This makes certain cutscenes still being present or presented in the theatre view feel out of place. Showcasing the area up ahead in a flat theatre view feels out of place when I can see it for myself in VR a few seconds later.
Overall, this is not the RE4 that you're acquainted with. While it keeps practically every mechanic, the reworking of the game in VR makes it feel much faster paced, much more arcadey, and much more unique than previous ports of this classic shooter.
Utterly bizarre. Like a playable nightmare. The variety of gameplay styles and the paths you can take through the game is almost impressive if it wasn't completely incomprehensible nonsense.
Also didn't work too good on Windows 10 when I tried it again a few years ago.
Also didn't work too good on Windows 10 when I tried it again a few years ago.
2021
A rather short but sweet "zen" game about unpacking things into rooms. The most exciting aspect of the game is how the developers weave the story going on in the background into the mechanics of certain levels.
However, the limitations on where you're allowed to put items can be rather arbitrary, and it could do with some keyboard binds but those are my only major gripes with the game.
If you have gamepass it's a decent way to pass the time.
However, the limitations on where you're allowed to put items can be rather arbitrary, and it could do with some keyboard binds but those are my only major gripes with the game.
If you have gamepass it's a decent way to pass the time.
2022
I will preface this review by saying that I played the game through gamepass, so the pricing didn't affect me.
The Hitman trilogy is one of the best stealth action games I've played. The amount of content is astounding, the level design superb, the mechanics very fluid and intuitive. The Hitman trilogy combined into one package is a wonderfully lengthy and meaty experience as someone that hasn't played these games before. The level of detail present in each mission and the variety of ways you can assassinate a target, both with the more linear "mission stories" and with your own approach is impressive.
Narratively speaking, there isn't too much to say. The trilogy as a whole is about taking down this games equivalent of the illuminati, with a few twists and turns to keep it somewhat interesting.
The always online element only reared its ugly head and got in the way a few times. At one point it connected to the server in the middle of a cutscene and reset it.
If you have gamepass, or if you're not concerned with spending the asking price, the Hitman trilogy is absolutely worth playing. If you're into stealth games, you won't regret it.
The Hitman trilogy is one of the best stealth action games I've played. The amount of content is astounding, the level design superb, the mechanics very fluid and intuitive. The Hitman trilogy combined into one package is a wonderfully lengthy and meaty experience as someone that hasn't played these games before. The level of detail present in each mission and the variety of ways you can assassinate a target, both with the more linear "mission stories" and with your own approach is impressive.
Narratively speaking, there isn't too much to say. The trilogy as a whole is about taking down this games equivalent of the illuminati, with a few twists and turns to keep it somewhat interesting.
The always online element only reared its ugly head and got in the way a few times. At one point it connected to the server in the middle of a cutscene and reset it.
If you have gamepass, or if you're not concerned with spending the asking price, the Hitman trilogy is absolutely worth playing. If you're into stealth games, you won't regret it.
Ugly, drab, dull, any other word you can think of similar to that would be how to describe Resistance.
Coming hot off the heels of Ratchet & Clank, Insomniac decided their best course of action would be to make a generic corridor shooter set in world war 2 starring a gruff, bald american soldier that becomes a living legend throughout the games narrative. The twist on the formula is that instead of Nazis, the american hero fights off aliens with an arsenal of mostly alien weaponry. Unfortunately, your arsenal is a collection of slightly different machine guns. The one unique weapon I acquired before giving up out of boredom did less damage than my generic machine gun arsenal.
The colour palette is as dull as dishwater, and the alien tech setting roots in traditional warzones has slight potential, but is about as uninteresting to look at as anything else. If you want a first person shooter about aliens taking over earth, just play Half-Life 2. If you want a shooter with inventive and interesting weapons, play any of the Ratchet & Clank games. Resistance simply isn't worth playing.
Coming hot off the heels of Ratchet & Clank, Insomniac decided their best course of action would be to make a generic corridor shooter set in world war 2 starring a gruff, bald american soldier that becomes a living legend throughout the games narrative. The twist on the formula is that instead of Nazis, the american hero fights off aliens with an arsenal of mostly alien weaponry. Unfortunately, your arsenal is a collection of slightly different machine guns. The one unique weapon I acquired before giving up out of boredom did less damage than my generic machine gun arsenal.
The colour palette is as dull as dishwater, and the alien tech setting roots in traditional warzones has slight potential, but is about as uninteresting to look at as anything else. If you want a first person shooter about aliens taking over earth, just play Half-Life 2. If you want a shooter with inventive and interesting weapons, play any of the Ratchet & Clank games. Resistance simply isn't worth playing.
2022
Taking pictures is one of the more finnicky mechanics in many games. Having the game fail to register something can be frustrating, but for the most part it's never too big a deal.
In pupperazzi, the entire game is based around the premise of taking pictures of dogs, meaning the mechanics of the picture taking must work the majority of the time. Of course, this isn't the case at all. The games detection system seems wonky at best as taking pictures of a dog directly in the centre of the camera head on will sometimes result in the fake comments asking what dog is supposed to be the focus. The quests are similarly arbitrary with several of them not registering the dog properly despite the conditions being met.
There are essentially no extra features to grab your interest outside of taking pictures of dogs. The appeal only lasts for a very short amount of time before the game gets far too dull to continue playing.
The aesthetics are fine. However there's a strange lag that appears frequently despite the graphics being very unremarkable. Dogs and other elements having the absolute bare minimum animation, mostly consisting of the static models stretching & squashing a bit as they move.
The written text is nauseatingly "soft" "uwu" "pupper" type dialogue that made me roll my eyes to the point it hurt several times. The gimmick gets old immediately and only results in frustration at best.
Possibly the most shocking to me was that the UI design is absolutely horrific. Poorly explained and implemented. I was struggling for a good few minutes on how to even deliver on quests at all. The other menus are lacking too. No button remapping in any capacity, no real graphics settings, and the only other notable option being a setting to turn off moving cars.
Don't buy the game, don't even give it a chance on gamepass. There are far better things you can do with your time than waste it on something as dull as pupperazzi.
In pupperazzi, the entire game is based around the premise of taking pictures of dogs, meaning the mechanics of the picture taking must work the majority of the time. Of course, this isn't the case at all. The games detection system seems wonky at best as taking pictures of a dog directly in the centre of the camera head on will sometimes result in the fake comments asking what dog is supposed to be the focus. The quests are similarly arbitrary with several of them not registering the dog properly despite the conditions being met.
There are essentially no extra features to grab your interest outside of taking pictures of dogs. The appeal only lasts for a very short amount of time before the game gets far too dull to continue playing.
The aesthetics are fine. However there's a strange lag that appears frequently despite the graphics being very unremarkable. Dogs and other elements having the absolute bare minimum animation, mostly consisting of the static models stretching & squashing a bit as they move.
The written text is nauseatingly "soft" "uwu" "pupper" type dialogue that made me roll my eyes to the point it hurt several times. The gimmick gets old immediately and only results in frustration at best.
Possibly the most shocking to me was that the UI design is absolutely horrific. Poorly explained and implemented. I was struggling for a good few minutes on how to even deliver on quests at all. The other menus are lacking too. No button remapping in any capacity, no real graphics settings, and the only other notable option being a setting to turn off moving cars.
Don't buy the game, don't even give it a chance on gamepass. There are far better things you can do with your time than waste it on something as dull as pupperazzi.
It makes me dizzy and kind of motion sick. Level design in the very first level is confusing and enemies keep respawning.
Potentially one of the most solid flash games that the web has to offer, arriving fashionably late into Flash's lifespan, and well past the relevancy of the little stickmans franchise, fancy pants adventures world 1 remix is a shockingly good momentum based 2D platformer. World 1 remix is short, sweet, and to the point, yet brimming with collectable outfits, several varied levels to trek through, and secrets to find hidden throughout, fancy pants represents some of the best qualities flash games were capable of, and is a good argument for the continued preservation of the platform. The world of games would simply be a worse place with no way to play these games.
Possibly one of the best plot twists in gaming.