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The Last Guardian
2016
There seems to be a prevalent expectation that as games evolved, they also became exponentially more approachable. Higher budgets resulted in smoother graphics and fewer bugs. More complex controls (adding left/right triggers, then adding one/two joysticks, then dabbling with motion inputs, etc) gave players a firmer grasp over their characters. AI became more predictable as their algorithms became more intricate to capture a wider range of responses. In a sense, as the technology expanded, the resulting products seemingly became more streamlined to better suit the player’s needs while more thoroughly capturing a developer’s vision.
Team Ico has never been about following tradition, however. If anything, the evolution of their titles embodies the regression of player control, choosing to instead utilize technological advancements not just to refine its premise via "design by subtraction" as chump has pointed out, but to deliver an entirely new experience altogether. Ico was a classic tale of boy meets girl; the girl had to be freed from her cage and pulled around the castle, as the boy protected her against everything in her way to prevent her demise. Shadow of the Colossus, however, was a story concerned with the struggle over control. The lone wanderer, in his quest to revive Mono, hunts down various several-story colossi capable of swatting him about like a fly. In the resulting desperate dance of death, he at first struggles to climb their hulking figures, hanging on for dear life until he discovers their weak points and stabs the colossi while they helplessly flail about. In other words, it's a game about trying to regain any semblance of control until you realize after the fact that the only shadow left was the literal shadow cast by Wander over their fallen corpse.
The Last Guardian then, can be thought of as the natural evolution of Team Ico titles, in that it melds previous design sensibilities and thrives off of disempowering the player throughout its entirety. Trico, the player’s companion and a cross between cat and bird, is essentially the analog to Wander’s horse in Shadow of the Colossus, Agro. Fumito Ueda designed Agro as a companion rather than just a vehicle, and had his team develop specific movement algorithms that would allow Agro to steer herself without the player’s explicit control, forcing players to put their trust in their steed during certain fights emphasizing bow aiming. Ueda and his new team at GenDesign iterated upon this idea, explicitly creating environments where the player was forced to rely upon Trico’s actions to progress and thus establish dependency between the boy and his companion.
While the game can be thought of as an inversion of Ico in this sense, its design influence upon The Last Guardian should not go overlooked, particularly in how the game captures Ico’s physicality. Ico’s key strength was establishing a sense of presence through minimalist puzzles that lacked overly gamey elements, namely in how Ico interacted with his surroundings. Players are subtly guided into climbing chains, pulling levers, sitting on stone sofas to save, and most importantly, holding down R1 to hold Yorda by the hand around the castle and pull her out of danger whenever captured. The Last Guardian innovates upon this by combining several of the traversable elements and the companion into one. To better navigate the vast ruins, the boy must guide Trico and utilize their tall body of climbable feathers in order to scale heights, while occasionally dragging around their large tail and dangling it over ledges to safely climb down. Most importantly, you get to pet Trico whenever you feel like it to comfort your friend in both their happiest and most emotionally taxing moments. In both Ico and The Last Guardian, the player’s constant contact with both the environment and their companion keeps them firmly rooted within its constructed sense of reality by regularly reminding them of their companion’s physical presence.
This physicality would not be as significant without the lessons learned from Shadow of the Colossus however, not just regarding AI behavior but also specifically in how it adapts the game’s sense of scale. Trico is large, and the boy is small. As mentioned previously, Trico can utilize their size to lean against walls and give the boy a step up, but they can also utilize their weight to hold down large chains and swipe away at imposing bodies of armor. Meanwhile, the boy is much more agile and can fit into otherwise inaccessible small spaces by Trico, squeezing through narrow tunnels and gaps in metal gates to pull switches and let his partner through. This obvious difference in size creates consistent room for contrast, not just in how the two characters differ in terms of functionality but also in terms of their scale when measured against the traversed liminal spaces of the ruins, constantly transforming from immense empty rooms to constrained and suffocating tunnels and corridors.
What is particularly interesting is not just The Last Guardian’s disempowerment or sense of scale, but rather what it manages to achieve with said elements and the resulting contrast to establish interdependency between the two characters and solidify their relationship. The combat, an almost complete inverse of Ico’s combat, is the most obvious example. Rather than defending Yorda by whacking shadow enemies with a stick, the roles have been reversed, in that the player must rely upon Trico to guard against scores of possessed armor as to avoid getting kidnapped himself. Even so, the game plays around with this idea of vulnerability, shifting the onus of responsibility about as the boy often finds himself in positions where he must actively support or protect Trico, such as disposing of glass eyes that scare his friend or scrambling to pull a nearby switch to lower a bridge and give Trico room to climb up to safety. The game is even willing to occasionally break its own rules to demonstrate how this sense of caring evolves past its defined guidelines. In almost any other game, this mechanical inconsistency would be regarded as a flaw, but it is this sense of doubt that creates room for the relationship to build from in the first place, and is perhaps the game’s most understated strength.
This is not to say that The Last Guardian was bereft of limitations regarding the execution of its ambitious scope. The most pressing challenge that Ueda and his team faced was how to balance its constructed sense of reality with regards to player expectations; that is, it had to find meaningful ways to commit to its vision of establishing the relationship between the boy and Trico while also acknowledging and appeasing players that would otherwise get lost or frustrated. Perhaps the most obvious downgrade from Ico is the presence of constant button prompts appearing on-screen to alert the players on how to better control the boy and instruct Trico; while the frequency of the prompts lessens over time, it is a slight disappointment that the game doesn’t simply force the players to experiment with inputs and commands as a more subtle and trusting substitute. This downfall however, is an anomaly amongst The Last Guardian’s other shortcomings, as it manages to successfully disguise many of its other concessions and limitations. There’s a classic “escape from the collapsing structure” sequence where all you do is hold forward and jump, but the game gets away with it because the player is used to being framed as a helpless participant. There’s occasional voice-over dialogue hints whenever the player has been stuck for a while in the same area, but it feels far less intrusive than Dormin’s repeated and booming hints in Shadow of the Colossus because the game has already established itself as a retrospective re-telling from the now grown boy’s point of view. Trico doesn’t respond immediately to the boy’s commands when being told where to go, but it makes sense that they wouldn’t function like clockwork and would need time to spot and process the situation from their own point of view, so the lag in response feels justified. It doesn’t matter that certain isolated elements of the game would crumble under scrutiny. What matters is that the situational context to allow players to suspend their disbelief is almost always present; in other words, the illusion holds up.
I’m still learning more about the game to this day. There are so many little details that I wouldn’t have spotted upon a first playthrough, and it’s an absolute joy finally getting to gush upon spotting them in replays. Of course it makes sense that you can’t just issue specific commands to Trico at the very start as a sequence-break despite not being taught by the game; after all, Trico hasn’t had time to observe you and mimic your actions to carry out such commands. Of course the hostile creatures that look exactly like your friend behave similarly; how can you then use your preconceived knowledge of their physiology to aid your friend in a fight against their copycat? I also can’t help but appreciate how GenDesign condensed so much learning within its introduction; in the first ten minutes alone, you’re hinted on how to later deal with the bodies of armor (the magical runes that appear before waking up are the exact same as the runes that appear when grabbed, and are dispelled in the same manner of furiously mashing buttons), you get to figure out how Trico’s eyes change colors depending upon whether they’re mesmerized or hostile, and it quickly establishes the premise of building up trust with a very wary creature that’s more than likely to misunderstand or ignore you at first. Combine all of these nuances with the game’s ability to destabilize and diversify playthroughs via Trico’s innate curiosity and semi-unpredictable instincts, and you get a game that becomes easier to appreciate the more the player familiarizes themselves with its inner workings.
I think a lot of criticism for The Last Guardian ultimately comes down to less of what we perceive the game is and more of what we perceive the game isn’t. It’s not a fully player-controlled puzzle-platforming game like Ico, it’s not a puzzle-combat game with spectacle like Shadow of the Colossus, and it’s certainly not a classic companion escort-quest game where you can just order Trico around like a robot and expect automatic results every time. Instead of focusing on the progression of more complex controls and puzzles, The Last Guardian is focused on the progression of a seemingly more complex relationship. I’m not going to pretend that everyone will get something out of this game, as it definitely requires a good deal of patience and player investment to meet the game halfway. It’s certainly more difficult to appreciate given its lack of influence unlike Ico or its lack of exhilarating boss encounters unlike Shadow of the Colossus. That said, it’s this element of danger in its ability to commit to its vision while alienating impatient players that makes it such a compelling title once it finally clicks. Many before me have pointed out how powerful the bond between the player and Trico felt upon learning from others that improperly caring for Trico results in your companion stubbornly ignoring the player’s commands; after all, volume swells cannot exist without contrast to provide room for growth. Perhaps this is why at the end of the day, I find myself transfixed by every word that Fumito Ueda has to offer. In an era where developers feel overly concerned with the best and brightest, he doesn’t seem concerned about what video games mean so much as what video games are. I can only hope that someday, he and GenDesign will return to bring us a new title that captures our imagination as thoroughly as many of his works already have for me.
Team Ico has never been about following tradition, however. If anything, the evolution of their titles embodies the regression of player control, choosing to instead utilize technological advancements not just to refine its premise via "design by subtraction" as chump has pointed out, but to deliver an entirely new experience altogether. Ico was a classic tale of boy meets girl; the girl had to be freed from her cage and pulled around the castle, as the boy protected her against everything in her way to prevent her demise. Shadow of the Colossus, however, was a story concerned with the struggle over control. The lone wanderer, in his quest to revive Mono, hunts down various several-story colossi capable of swatting him about like a fly. In the resulting desperate dance of death, he at first struggles to climb their hulking figures, hanging on for dear life until he discovers their weak points and stabs the colossi while they helplessly flail about. In other words, it's a game about trying to regain any semblance of control until you realize after the fact that the only shadow left was the literal shadow cast by Wander over their fallen corpse.
The Last Guardian then, can be thought of as the natural evolution of Team Ico titles, in that it melds previous design sensibilities and thrives off of disempowering the player throughout its entirety. Trico, the player’s companion and a cross between cat and bird, is essentially the analog to Wander’s horse in Shadow of the Colossus, Agro. Fumito Ueda designed Agro as a companion rather than just a vehicle, and had his team develop specific movement algorithms that would allow Agro to steer herself without the player’s explicit control, forcing players to put their trust in their steed during certain fights emphasizing bow aiming. Ueda and his new team at GenDesign iterated upon this idea, explicitly creating environments where the player was forced to rely upon Trico’s actions to progress and thus establish dependency between the boy and his companion.
While the game can be thought of as an inversion of Ico in this sense, its design influence upon The Last Guardian should not go overlooked, particularly in how the game captures Ico’s physicality. Ico’s key strength was establishing a sense of presence through minimalist puzzles that lacked overly gamey elements, namely in how Ico interacted with his surroundings. Players are subtly guided into climbing chains, pulling levers, sitting on stone sofas to save, and most importantly, holding down R1 to hold Yorda by the hand around the castle and pull her out of danger whenever captured. The Last Guardian innovates upon this by combining several of the traversable elements and the companion into one. To better navigate the vast ruins, the boy must guide Trico and utilize their tall body of climbable feathers in order to scale heights, while occasionally dragging around their large tail and dangling it over ledges to safely climb down. Most importantly, you get to pet Trico whenever you feel like it to comfort your friend in both their happiest and most emotionally taxing moments. In both Ico and The Last Guardian, the player’s constant contact with both the environment and their companion keeps them firmly rooted within its constructed sense of reality by regularly reminding them of their companion’s physical presence.
This physicality would not be as significant without the lessons learned from Shadow of the Colossus however, not just regarding AI behavior but also specifically in how it adapts the game’s sense of scale. Trico is large, and the boy is small. As mentioned previously, Trico can utilize their size to lean against walls and give the boy a step up, but they can also utilize their weight to hold down large chains and swipe away at imposing bodies of armor. Meanwhile, the boy is much more agile and can fit into otherwise inaccessible small spaces by Trico, squeezing through narrow tunnels and gaps in metal gates to pull switches and let his partner through. This obvious difference in size creates consistent room for contrast, not just in how the two characters differ in terms of functionality but also in terms of their scale when measured against the traversed liminal spaces of the ruins, constantly transforming from immense empty rooms to constrained and suffocating tunnels and corridors.
What is particularly interesting is not just The Last Guardian’s disempowerment or sense of scale, but rather what it manages to achieve with said elements and the resulting contrast to establish interdependency between the two characters and solidify their relationship. The combat, an almost complete inverse of Ico’s combat, is the most obvious example. Rather than defending Yorda by whacking shadow enemies with a stick, the roles have been reversed, in that the player must rely upon Trico to guard against scores of possessed armor as to avoid getting kidnapped himself. Even so, the game plays around with this idea of vulnerability, shifting the onus of responsibility about as the boy often finds himself in positions where he must actively support or protect Trico, such as disposing of glass eyes that scare his friend or scrambling to pull a nearby switch to lower a bridge and give Trico room to climb up to safety. The game is even willing to occasionally break its own rules to demonstrate how this sense of caring evolves past its defined guidelines. In almost any other game, this mechanical inconsistency would be regarded as a flaw, but it is this sense of doubt that creates room for the relationship to build from in the first place, and is perhaps the game’s most understated strength.
This is not to say that The Last Guardian was bereft of limitations regarding the execution of its ambitious scope. The most pressing challenge that Ueda and his team faced was how to balance its constructed sense of reality with regards to player expectations; that is, it had to find meaningful ways to commit to its vision of establishing the relationship between the boy and Trico while also acknowledging and appeasing players that would otherwise get lost or frustrated. Perhaps the most obvious downgrade from Ico is the presence of constant button prompts appearing on-screen to alert the players on how to better control the boy and instruct Trico; while the frequency of the prompts lessens over time, it is a slight disappointment that the game doesn’t simply force the players to experiment with inputs and commands as a more subtle and trusting substitute. This downfall however, is an anomaly amongst The Last Guardian’s other shortcomings, as it manages to successfully disguise many of its other concessions and limitations. There’s a classic “escape from the collapsing structure” sequence where all you do is hold forward and jump, but the game gets away with it because the player is used to being framed as a helpless participant. There’s occasional voice-over dialogue hints whenever the player has been stuck for a while in the same area, but it feels far less intrusive than Dormin’s repeated and booming hints in Shadow of the Colossus because the game has already established itself as a retrospective re-telling from the now grown boy’s point of view. Trico doesn’t respond immediately to the boy’s commands when being told where to go, but it makes sense that they wouldn’t function like clockwork and would need time to spot and process the situation from their own point of view, so the lag in response feels justified. It doesn’t matter that certain isolated elements of the game would crumble under scrutiny. What matters is that the situational context to allow players to suspend their disbelief is almost always present; in other words, the illusion holds up.
I’m still learning more about the game to this day. There are so many little details that I wouldn’t have spotted upon a first playthrough, and it’s an absolute joy finally getting to gush upon spotting them in replays. Of course it makes sense that you can’t just issue specific commands to Trico at the very start as a sequence-break despite not being taught by the game; after all, Trico hasn’t had time to observe you and mimic your actions to carry out such commands. Of course the hostile creatures that look exactly like your friend behave similarly; how can you then use your preconceived knowledge of their physiology to aid your friend in a fight against their copycat? I also can’t help but appreciate how GenDesign condensed so much learning within its introduction; in the first ten minutes alone, you’re hinted on how to later deal with the bodies of armor (the magical runes that appear before waking up are the exact same as the runes that appear when grabbed, and are dispelled in the same manner of furiously mashing buttons), you get to figure out how Trico’s eyes change colors depending upon whether they’re mesmerized or hostile, and it quickly establishes the premise of building up trust with a very wary creature that’s more than likely to misunderstand or ignore you at first. Combine all of these nuances with the game’s ability to destabilize and diversify playthroughs via Trico’s innate curiosity and semi-unpredictable instincts, and you get a game that becomes easier to appreciate the more the player familiarizes themselves with its inner workings.
I think a lot of criticism for The Last Guardian ultimately comes down to less of what we perceive the game is and more of what we perceive the game isn’t. It’s not a fully player-controlled puzzle-platforming game like Ico, it’s not a puzzle-combat game with spectacle like Shadow of the Colossus, and it’s certainly not a classic companion escort-quest game where you can just order Trico around like a robot and expect automatic results every time. Instead of focusing on the progression of more complex controls and puzzles, The Last Guardian is focused on the progression of a seemingly more complex relationship. I’m not going to pretend that everyone will get something out of this game, as it definitely requires a good deal of patience and player investment to meet the game halfway. It’s certainly more difficult to appreciate given its lack of influence unlike Ico or its lack of exhilarating boss encounters unlike Shadow of the Colossus. That said, it’s this element of danger in its ability to commit to its vision while alienating impatient players that makes it such a compelling title once it finally clicks. Many before me have pointed out how powerful the bond between the player and Trico felt upon learning from others that improperly caring for Trico results in your companion stubbornly ignoring the player’s commands; after all, volume swells cannot exist without contrast to provide room for growth. Perhaps this is why at the end of the day, I find myself transfixed by every word that Fumito Ueda has to offer. In an era where developers feel overly concerned with the best and brightest, he doesn’t seem concerned about what video games mean so much as what video games are. I can only hope that someday, he and GenDesign will return to bring us a new title that captures our imagination as thoroughly as many of his works already have for me.
I feel a bit guilty still giving this game a rating this high. I’ve become really disillusioned to Bethesda in recent years, and this game still has huge, at times game ruining issues that they still just have not bothered to fix across any of its remasters and rereleases. I don’t care how good the water looks, I just want to be able to complete the fucking Bloodline quest damn it. And yet I can’t deny how this game still manages to suck me in. It’s so massive in scope, so dense with things to see and do, so many choices and customization options available to you, and with an atmosphere that just takes me back to a different age. It takes me back not just to that era of gaming, but also to that era of internet culture, all the animations and machinimas from people like Freddiew and Psychicpebbles. The fandom and excitement this game garnered was real and it was hard not to get sucked into.
I wholeheartedly believe that Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown stands alongside other Metroidvania Titans like Ori and Hollow Knight in terms of quality (in the areas that matter, but I'll get to that). It's a big surprise that I can share that sentiment and it come from a genuine place considering how much I adore both of those games and for the obvious importance of those games in the gaming landscape as a whole, but here we are.
First, as a brief introduction, I have positively 0 total experience with this series. Personal experience aside, I've never even like seen any clips or anything of the sort from the past Prince of Persia games. My exposure is relegated to strictly the title alone and a few snippets of some word of mouth (which wasn't very positive). Combine that with my general skepticism of Ubisoft for obvious reasons and I wasn't too particularly thrilled for Lost Crown leading up to release. I did keep my eye on it due to the nature of it being a Metroidvania and that's what junkies such as myself are wired to do, but it was never a super serious plan to commit. An engagement ring and picking out the perfect restaurant to take the knee and ask the big question? All of that was the furthest thing from my mind but then a few things changed. Reviews began to trickle in comparing it to titles that hold a lot of weight for me, the likes of Ori and Metroid Dread, absolute behemoths of the genre. That in tandem with this January having a particularly weak line-up of games that suits my personal taste, which is to say that nothing at all grabbed my interest remotely, and the fact that I was stuck at home due to being sick and I was totally sold.
The Lost Crown is the type of experience that you have no reservations about right from the beginning: one of those "ok yeah this is going to rule" games that you're fully aware is going to even further ruin your sleeping schedule for the foreseeable future. There's a stellar opening here that while not necessarily doing a masterful job of conveying the Metroidvania gameplay flow the rest of the game will employ, does an excellent job of just getting you stoked to get in and play the game. The introduction to the main character and the supporting cast as The Immortals is really well done and it immediately cements in your mind their importance to the world at large. I love a good 'adrenaline power-fantasy right at the start of the game' and Lost Crown executes that pretty damn perfectly. I wanted to mention it because its the area of the game I'm definitely seeing the least discussion around which is understandable, but I would be remiss not to mention how well of a job it did at sinking its hooks into me.
The rest of the game eases you into something more traditional and its immediately comfortable to anyone with any experience in this genre. Sargon is very snappy to control, the general flow of moment to moment platforming is crisp and responsive, exploration is as rewarding as one would expect, etc. Everything just clicks into place naturally and it's great. One of the coolest aspects of modern Metroidvanias has been watching them all develop ideas and take inspiration from each other to improve each other as well as push the needle on the genre at large forward. Ori and the Will of Wisps is one of my favorite games of all time and its level of quality is off the charts levels of good, but it wouldn't be as much of a masterpiece as it is without some clear inspiration from the likes of, say, Hollow Knight. This is absolutely not a bad thing and I've always disliked the "wait did Ori copy Hollow Knight!?!?" and other similar drivel as its an especially reductive way to consider the way that gaming, like all mediums of entertainment, is ever-changing and growing. Developers take inspiration and apply said inspiration and that's only a good thing. Certain forms of entertainment figure out something and execute it with such excellence that it leaves an indelible impression into the form of future works in the medium.
Plenty of great examples of this can be observed clearly when the gaming space transitioned from 2D into 3D. The transition to a whole new dimension of interactivity presented many challenges and limits to game developers who didn't have a rulebook for this sort of stuff, and naturally it was a very experimental time in just trying to figure out what was possible, what worked, and what didn't. My point here is that the aforementioned 'rulebook' on which the 3D gaming foundation was built was sort of built...as a collective, together.
The Metroidvania space has been having a sort of microcosm example of this in recent years and it has been an absolute pleasure seeing important concepts retained and further refined. Something akin to Hollow Knight's charm system is present here in Lost Crown's amulet mechanic. The 'mapkeeper hiding in a remote corner who you can pay to reveal more of the area you're in' idea that games like Hollow Knight and Will of Wisps popularized is here. The parrying, especially parrying big attacks like vengeful counters, feels very Samus Returns and Metroid Dread-y in its execution. Its a blend of concepts that are somewhat familiar but The Lost Crown's take on these ideas is still really refreshing.
Which isn't to say, of course, that The Lost Crown is bereft of its own ideas or identity. I would actually argue that, perhaps moreso than any other Metroidvania I've played, The Lost Crown really soaks and revels in its own identity. The "time" motif used in this game is brilliantly done, its a throughline that connects everything in this game together from its story to combat and exploration in a really cohesive way. It lends to some especially cool set pieces too, especially in the latter half of the game, and you honestly can't help but to admire the level of dedication and clear-cut passion that went into designing all of it and stringing it together.
What separates a lot of good Metroidvanias from the mediocre and below is the world on display and how you interact with it. Is it satisfying to tear through with your new powers? This is especially important because in this genre, you're going to be spending a lot of time backtracking and looking for new routes to take. Are there a lot of memorable locations? Visual variety? The Lost Crown nails all of this, you're constantly finding shortcuts to familiar areas and connecting pathways and (most of) the powers you unlock facilitate quicker movement in one way or another as well as giving you new ways to interact with obstacles in the environment. The Shadow of the Simurgh power was the one I was most impressed by, allowing you to create a sort of checkpoint for yourself to recall to. More than that, I was a particularly big fan of how clever a lot of the platforming sections were in this game in general but especially any of the ones involving this mechanic. Weaving double jumps and dashes into clever shadow placements and then recalling to your original position towards the end game was a ton of fun and the perfect level of challenge. I wanted even more than what we got. Puzzles are similarly well crafted and require some pretty out of the box thinking but never to the point of frustration. Its a very fine line to walk the path that blends creative solutions to difficult problems without being obtuse, but The Lost Crown walks that thin line.
It was pretty interesting to see the story being so close to the forefront of the experience here, too. Most Metroidvanias I'm familiar with are very light on dialogue and the like (or at the very least, its very frontloaded to the beginning of the game) but its a constant presence here and honestly? I really enjoyed it. I could see this being a source of contention for a lot of people who just want to get into the game and explore but I liked their approach to this. It's not a life changing story or anything of the sort but it works very well for what it is and there are definitely some highlights (am I the only one who really likes the antagonist of this game?) The character journey of Sargon throughout The Lost Crown is this big question of "what's at the end of my blade, what am I fighting for" and the conclusion to this hero's journey is mirrored really well through the gameplay loop itself of growing stronger (and further helped by the antagonist being a foil to Sargon's own questions). That connection is the sort of thing that can only really be done in this medium and its a leading reason as to why it will always be my favorite.
Combat is pretty nice too, it did take me a while to wrap my head around the parry timing in this game but once it does click its further proof that every game is exponentially improved by the addition of a parry mechanic. This is not a joke. Shoutout to the bosses too, they are very clearly the highlight of the game's combat and add a cinematic edge to everything that really pushes it to the next level. Loved.
I really do think The Lost Crown is on par with the greats...in the way that matters. Yeah, we're revisiting that little thread. There are two identifiable areas that, for me, are the only areas really holding the game back from legendary status. First and foremost, if you forgot that this was a Ubisoft game from the sheer quality on display here...you sadly get a reminder of that fact from the bugs. I can't speak for anyone else's experience but my own on this front, but unfortunately I did encounter quite a number of bugs that did detract from my experience. The camera decided to just completely give up and run off on its own in a couple of instances. One time, after using a Wak Wak Tree, Sargon stopped all movement animations and just floated around and enemies would only phase through me. I then proceeded to fall through the floor into a white void of frozen space. And then, by far the bug I encountered the most, on four separate instances the boss I was fighting would completely give up and stop attacking at around the 50% mark. I would always have to reset these fights because they were so engaging that I wanted to do them the right way, resulting in me losing some progress a couple of times where I had forgotten to save directly before the boss. The 'good' thing about bugs is that its something tangible that can be patched out, the bad thing about bugs is that...they're bugs lol. You can never give that first play through of a game back to one of your players, and I think that key area of general polish is the biggest difference in this game and something like an Ori which is polished to the point of genuine perfection.
Outside of that, my other thing is that I do wish the game pushed you as a player a bit more? Even on a harder difficulty I think the experience is a bit too easy and very forgiving to the point of death not really meaning too much. I think they could have crafted some more clever applications and gauntlets where all of your abilities were put to the test too (I would have killed for something ala Hollow Knight's path of pain here, but I digress).
Ultimately though, very very good game. Great game. Excellent game. So happy I gave it a chance and the level of passion and reverence the devs here had for this style of game bleeds through the screen regularly. After The Lost Crown, I think I'm comfortable with saying that Metroidvanias as a whole is my favorite genre of gaming and I really hope this one doesn't get swept under the rug.
First, as a brief introduction, I have positively 0 total experience with this series. Personal experience aside, I've never even like seen any clips or anything of the sort from the past Prince of Persia games. My exposure is relegated to strictly the title alone and a few snippets of some word of mouth (which wasn't very positive). Combine that with my general skepticism of Ubisoft for obvious reasons and I wasn't too particularly thrilled for Lost Crown leading up to release. I did keep my eye on it due to the nature of it being a Metroidvania and that's what junkies such as myself are wired to do, but it was never a super serious plan to commit. An engagement ring and picking out the perfect restaurant to take the knee and ask the big question? All of that was the furthest thing from my mind but then a few things changed. Reviews began to trickle in comparing it to titles that hold a lot of weight for me, the likes of Ori and Metroid Dread, absolute behemoths of the genre. That in tandem with this January having a particularly weak line-up of games that suits my personal taste, which is to say that nothing at all grabbed my interest remotely, and the fact that I was stuck at home due to being sick and I was totally sold.
The Lost Crown is the type of experience that you have no reservations about right from the beginning: one of those "ok yeah this is going to rule" games that you're fully aware is going to even further ruin your sleeping schedule for the foreseeable future. There's a stellar opening here that while not necessarily doing a masterful job of conveying the Metroidvania gameplay flow the rest of the game will employ, does an excellent job of just getting you stoked to get in and play the game. The introduction to the main character and the supporting cast as The Immortals is really well done and it immediately cements in your mind their importance to the world at large. I love a good 'adrenaline power-fantasy right at the start of the game' and Lost Crown executes that pretty damn perfectly. I wanted to mention it because its the area of the game I'm definitely seeing the least discussion around which is understandable, but I would be remiss not to mention how well of a job it did at sinking its hooks into me.
The rest of the game eases you into something more traditional and its immediately comfortable to anyone with any experience in this genre. Sargon is very snappy to control, the general flow of moment to moment platforming is crisp and responsive, exploration is as rewarding as one would expect, etc. Everything just clicks into place naturally and it's great. One of the coolest aspects of modern Metroidvanias has been watching them all develop ideas and take inspiration from each other to improve each other as well as push the needle on the genre at large forward. Ori and the Will of Wisps is one of my favorite games of all time and its level of quality is off the charts levels of good, but it wouldn't be as much of a masterpiece as it is without some clear inspiration from the likes of, say, Hollow Knight. This is absolutely not a bad thing and I've always disliked the "wait did Ori copy Hollow Knight!?!?" and other similar drivel as its an especially reductive way to consider the way that gaming, like all mediums of entertainment, is ever-changing and growing. Developers take inspiration and apply said inspiration and that's only a good thing. Certain forms of entertainment figure out something and execute it with such excellence that it leaves an indelible impression into the form of future works in the medium.
Plenty of great examples of this can be observed clearly when the gaming space transitioned from 2D into 3D. The transition to a whole new dimension of interactivity presented many challenges and limits to game developers who didn't have a rulebook for this sort of stuff, and naturally it was a very experimental time in just trying to figure out what was possible, what worked, and what didn't. My point here is that the aforementioned 'rulebook' on which the 3D gaming foundation was built was sort of built...as a collective, together.
The Metroidvania space has been having a sort of microcosm example of this in recent years and it has been an absolute pleasure seeing important concepts retained and further refined. Something akin to Hollow Knight's charm system is present here in Lost Crown's amulet mechanic. The 'mapkeeper hiding in a remote corner who you can pay to reveal more of the area you're in' idea that games like Hollow Knight and Will of Wisps popularized is here. The parrying, especially parrying big attacks like vengeful counters, feels very Samus Returns and Metroid Dread-y in its execution. Its a blend of concepts that are somewhat familiar but The Lost Crown's take on these ideas is still really refreshing.
Which isn't to say, of course, that The Lost Crown is bereft of its own ideas or identity. I would actually argue that, perhaps moreso than any other Metroidvania I've played, The Lost Crown really soaks and revels in its own identity. The "time" motif used in this game is brilliantly done, its a throughline that connects everything in this game together from its story to combat and exploration in a really cohesive way. It lends to some especially cool set pieces too, especially in the latter half of the game, and you honestly can't help but to admire the level of dedication and clear-cut passion that went into designing all of it and stringing it together.
What separates a lot of good Metroidvanias from the mediocre and below is the world on display and how you interact with it. Is it satisfying to tear through with your new powers? This is especially important because in this genre, you're going to be spending a lot of time backtracking and looking for new routes to take. Are there a lot of memorable locations? Visual variety? The Lost Crown nails all of this, you're constantly finding shortcuts to familiar areas and connecting pathways and (most of) the powers you unlock facilitate quicker movement in one way or another as well as giving you new ways to interact with obstacles in the environment. The Shadow of the Simurgh power was the one I was most impressed by, allowing you to create a sort of checkpoint for yourself to recall to. More than that, I was a particularly big fan of how clever a lot of the platforming sections were in this game in general but especially any of the ones involving this mechanic. Weaving double jumps and dashes into clever shadow placements and then recalling to your original position towards the end game was a ton of fun and the perfect level of challenge. I wanted even more than what we got. Puzzles are similarly well crafted and require some pretty out of the box thinking but never to the point of frustration. Its a very fine line to walk the path that blends creative solutions to difficult problems without being obtuse, but The Lost Crown walks that thin line.
It was pretty interesting to see the story being so close to the forefront of the experience here, too. Most Metroidvanias I'm familiar with are very light on dialogue and the like (or at the very least, its very frontloaded to the beginning of the game) but its a constant presence here and honestly? I really enjoyed it. I could see this being a source of contention for a lot of people who just want to get into the game and explore but I liked their approach to this. It's not a life changing story or anything of the sort but it works very well for what it is and there are definitely some highlights (am I the only one who really likes the antagonist of this game?) The character journey of Sargon throughout The Lost Crown is this big question of "what's at the end of my blade, what am I fighting for" and the conclusion to this hero's journey is mirrored really well through the gameplay loop itself of growing stronger (and further helped by the antagonist being a foil to Sargon's own questions). That connection is the sort of thing that can only really be done in this medium and its a leading reason as to why it will always be my favorite.
Combat is pretty nice too, it did take me a while to wrap my head around the parry timing in this game but once it does click its further proof that every game is exponentially improved by the addition of a parry mechanic. This is not a joke. Shoutout to the bosses too, they are very clearly the highlight of the game's combat and add a cinematic edge to everything that really pushes it to the next level. Loved.
I really do think The Lost Crown is on par with the greats...in the way that matters. Yeah, we're revisiting that little thread. There are two identifiable areas that, for me, are the only areas really holding the game back from legendary status. First and foremost, if you forgot that this was a Ubisoft game from the sheer quality on display here...you sadly get a reminder of that fact from the bugs. I can't speak for anyone else's experience but my own on this front, but unfortunately I did encounter quite a number of bugs that did detract from my experience. The camera decided to just completely give up and run off on its own in a couple of instances. One time, after using a Wak Wak Tree, Sargon stopped all movement animations and just floated around and enemies would only phase through me. I then proceeded to fall through the floor into a white void of frozen space. And then, by far the bug I encountered the most, on four separate instances the boss I was fighting would completely give up and stop attacking at around the 50% mark. I would always have to reset these fights because they were so engaging that I wanted to do them the right way, resulting in me losing some progress a couple of times where I had forgotten to save directly before the boss. The 'good' thing about bugs is that its something tangible that can be patched out, the bad thing about bugs is that...they're bugs lol. You can never give that first play through of a game back to one of your players, and I think that key area of general polish is the biggest difference in this game and something like an Ori which is polished to the point of genuine perfection.
Outside of that, my other thing is that I do wish the game pushed you as a player a bit more? Even on a harder difficulty I think the experience is a bit too easy and very forgiving to the point of death not really meaning too much. I think they could have crafted some more clever applications and gauntlets where all of your abilities were put to the test too (I would have killed for something ala Hollow Knight's path of pain here, but I digress).
Ultimately though, very very good game. Great game. Excellent game. So happy I gave it a chance and the level of passion and reverence the devs here had for this style of game bleeds through the screen regularly. After The Lost Crown, I think I'm comfortable with saying that Metroidvanias as a whole is my favorite genre of gaming and I really hope this one doesn't get swept under the rug.
Frustrating game. It had the ingredients of being a great game but fumbled it in a lot of ways. Most of all is the lack of polish in every corner. Everything in the game felt unpolished. Janky combat, animations, and getting stuck all the time. Janky cutscenes. Bugs, crashes, screen tearing and loads of performance issues. Can't have immersion in the game at all because some random glitch or issue would occur every few seconds. The combat had some nice stances and moves but the jank hurts a lot of it. The souls like bonfire harm the experience more than it adds. Most of the plot wasn't interesting until close to the end of the game. The characters were good and some setpieces and traversal were fun. The levels from art and design stand point was good and the highlight of the game alongside the platforming and puzzles.
A lot of the bosses were almost good except for the cutscenes, QTEs, and setpieces interruptions and then you would have to redo those on reattempts. Lack of polish in these fights add to the frustrations. Do the devil trigger move that obscure most of the screen and the boss initiated a setpiece move? you gonna be blurred through that thing. if the game had an extra year in the oven it could have been really good but sadly it's only ok.
A lot of the bosses were almost good except for the cutscenes, QTEs, and setpieces interruptions and then you would have to redo those on reattempts. Lack of polish in these fights add to the frustrations. Do the devil trigger move that obscure most of the screen and the boss initiated a setpiece move? you gonna be blurred through that thing. if the game had an extra year in the oven it could have been really good but sadly it's only ok.
One of my favorite Metroidvanina of all time. It had bar none the best combat in any one of them. The platforming was amazing. The boss fights were some of the best in 2D gaming. The combat came together perfectly together and each ability added to the moveset to become something really special in the genre. The game was challenging but in a fun and satisfying way. Sargon was a good character, the story was alright but not really looking for story in those games. My one gripe is I wish the artstyle was more of standout than it was but the game had clear visibility which is appreciated.
Surpassing the original—which was a masterpiece in its own right—by such a large margin is absolutely insane. Not only a pinnacle of gaming, but a pinnacle of the Western genre as a whole.
It was truly a great experience. I would like to thank everyone who effort to this mod (game) for providing a better experience than many games on the market. There are some annoying bugs. Especially the 'Angel' quest bug was frustrating. However, they are not that numerous and offer an overall clean experience.
The entitlement to the labor given cannot be paid for the this mod.
The story and characters are beautiful. World building is great. The main story of the game has two endings, and both of them leave you with indescribable emotions at the end.
Music and voice-overs are handled thoroughly. Pretty successful in all of them.
My favorite track: https://youtu.be/9FKdTsG-j8Q?si=QxKbn0UiOBdGVL-3
Just play and see. This is no longer a mod. It should appear as a game that is better than many games, including Skyrim.
The game has many more points that I can praise, but it does not end with writing. You have to see and experience this wonderful adventure for yourself.
If one day a game is made instead of a mod set in the Vyn universe, I'm ready to pre-order it at the full version price. The devolopers won me over. I'm already a fan of this universe.
Trust me, you won't regret it.
MY SCORE: 10/10
The entitlement to the labor given cannot be paid for the this mod.
The story and characters are beautiful. World building is great. The main story of the game has two endings, and both of them leave you with indescribable emotions at the end.
Music and voice-overs are handled thoroughly. Pretty successful in all of them.
My favorite track: https://youtu.be/9FKdTsG-j8Q?si=QxKbn0UiOBdGVL-3
Just play and see. This is no longer a mod. It should appear as a game that is better than many games, including Skyrim.
The game has many more points that I can praise, but it does not end with writing. You have to see and experience this wonderful adventure for yourself.
If one day a game is made instead of a mod set in the Vyn universe, I'm ready to pre-order it at the full version price. The devolopers won me over. I'm already a fan of this universe.
Trust me, you won't regret it.
MY SCORE: 10/10
Lies of P
2023
I didn't expect to like this game as much as I did. Souls likes are often a miss and I wasn't impressed with the game beta. Well this is ended up to be a major surprise.
The game begining was very friendly and it felt the game was more concerned of being enjoyable than hard. The game often gave many mini shortcuts and checkpoints. The initial bosses were on the easy side as well. That was a great way to keep me hooked. The game does many good things despite it carrying its inspiration proudly. The parry mechanic is tighter than most games. The healing back system was interesting twist on the Bloodborne one. Weapon assembly lead to some cool weapon creations. For the first time in one of those games that I played and leveled many weapons. The legion arm and fable arts were good additions. The game might have had too many systems but I think that keep the playthrough fun.
The levels was a highlight for me. Both from aesthetic and level design. Each place felt unique and lived in. The city of Krat felt like an actual place with reasonable locales. The enemy placement was genuinely fun and each time you felt there was a need for checkpoint there was either a stargazer or a checkpoint.
The bosses were another highlight here. Most of them felt fair and their moves were easily telegraphed. Some of the bosses are gonna end up among the highest in the genre for me.
Finally, the story and characters was another pleasant surprised. I liked these characters and felt for them. Which is not something I normally care about in these games. The plot had some nice twists and turns.
My major con is the game often feels like an imitation and veered too close on being a copycat like some level layouts and some boss designs. Another slight nitpick for me is the lack of major optional areas to explore. The levels had some secret paths and hidden items but there was no major area to explore with a boss and unique enemies.
The game begining was very friendly and it felt the game was more concerned of being enjoyable than hard. The game often gave many mini shortcuts and checkpoints. The initial bosses were on the easy side as well. That was a great way to keep me hooked. The game does many good things despite it carrying its inspiration proudly. The parry mechanic is tighter than most games. The healing back system was interesting twist on the Bloodborne one. Weapon assembly lead to some cool weapon creations. For the first time in one of those games that I played and leveled many weapons. The legion arm and fable arts were good additions. The game might have had too many systems but I think that keep the playthrough fun.
The levels was a highlight for me. Both from aesthetic and level design. Each place felt unique and lived in. The city of Krat felt like an actual place with reasonable locales. The enemy placement was genuinely fun and each time you felt there was a need for checkpoint there was either a stargazer or a checkpoint.
The bosses were another highlight here. Most of them felt fair and their moves were easily telegraphed. Some of the bosses are gonna end up among the highest in the genre for me.
Finally, the story and characters was another pleasant surprised. I liked these characters and felt for them. Which is not something I normally care about in these games. The plot had some nice twists and turns.
My major con is the game often feels like an imitation and veered too close on being a copycat like some level layouts and some boss designs. Another slight nitpick for me is the lack of major optional areas to explore. The levels had some secret paths and hidden items but there was no major area to explore with a boss and unique enemies.
Planetarian HD
2016
There’s a scene in Planetarian where the cute little android gives a big speech on the wonders of the universe, the romance of discovery and the way space can draw our imagination. It’s a very beautiful speech and in that one scene this title evoked my admiration and respect for space exploration and the wonders it contains, than in any moment Starfield shat out during the 25 hours I spent with it.
It’s a short title and it shows it’s age, even with the HD version (it has a twitter button), but it’s still a beautiful and rewarding experience.
It’s a short title and it shows it’s age, even with the HD version (it has a twitter button), but it’s still a beautiful and rewarding experience.
Steins;Gate
2009
Have you ever wondered what would happen if you could change the past with a text? What if you discovered this power could lead to the greatest conspiracy in the world? What if you fell in love with someone who could have been destined to not exist in your timeline?
These are questions that Steins;Gate explores in its thrilling emotional roller-coaster of a story, which I can proudly say is the deepest and most intimate narrative I've seen in gaming.
The characters in Steins;Gate are one of its strongest qualities. They are all well-developed, realistic, and likable characters, each with their own personality, idiosyncrasies, and past. They become a close-knit group of friends who support each other through thick and thin, making the plot more fascinating and relatable. Okabe, the primary character, is a multifaceted and dynamic character who grows and develops throughout the story. He begins as an eccentric and egotistical individual who enjoys pretending to be a mad scientist and frequently upsets his pals with his delusions and jokes. As the story unfolds, however, he grows more serious and mature as he confronts the hard reality and repercussions of his actions. He also demonstrates great courage, commitment, and compassion by risking all to protect those he cares about.
One of the people he loves is Kurisu Makise, the main heroine of the story. In my opinion, she is one of the best female characters ever written. She is a clever and skilled scientist, as well as a kind, humorous, and charming person. She embraces the tsundere stereotype, but does it in such a lovable way that it's difficult not to admire her for it, especially when Okabe makes her aware of her cliches. She and Okabe have a lot of energy and banter, and their relationship is one of the most realistic and endearing I've ever witnessed. It's incredibly heartwarming and moving to see how she develops to care for Okabe during the game, and how she's always there for him. It's very cute how they peck each other's lips over and over like little lovebirds during their kiss moment. And the staircase scene... oh, that was such a wonderful and serene moment that I enjoy rewatching it. The slow burn romance is so brilliantly done that I found myself crying tears of joy for them at the conclusion.
I'd want to use this chance to boast about another character. Mayuri is the heart and spirit of Steins;Gate. Her "tutturu" greeting is adorable, and it always makes me grin when she sings it. I like how she always has an empty head, always thinking about what to eat or what cosplays to make for others. Then there's her very sensitive and brilliant side, revealing a hidden genius in her brain that works so well with her supportive nature. Throughout the game, I adored and grew in love with her character. Then there was Chapter 6. It was the most shocking thing I'd ever seen in a game, and I didn't care if I dropped my controller on the hard-wood floor. I was dumbfounded and felt lifeless and empty on the inside. It came out of nowhere and established the tone for the rest of the game, and I was still processing this awful fate at moments later on.
And this is the unavoidable conversation starter regarding Steins;Gate and its exquisite anguish. The numerous deaths that occur to her are a fantastic example of how manipulating the universe and time itself has absolutely no mercy, and how critical it is to keep the chronology moving steadily. The most heartbreaking aspect of this story is that it ultimately boils down to a choice between Mayuri and Kurisu, with the worldline implying that Okabe is doomed to lose a lady he adores. It's so awful, and when I recognized it, it felt like the game's writer stabbed me in the gut.
Of course, I can't leave out the other characters, who are all unique and vital to the plot. Daru, Okabe's best buddy and fellow hacka, is a perverse and amusing otaku who gives much comic relief and technical assistance. Moeka is a mysterious and silent woman who is preoccupied with her phone and has a horrible past. Luka is a bashful and feminine boy who has a crush on Okabe and wishes he could be a girl. Faris, a cute and lively maid who is the daughter of a wealthy family and has a secret identity, is also the best catgirl ever. Mr. Braun, the landlord of Okabe's laboratory and proprietor of a CRT TV store, is a gruff and strict man with a soft place for his daughter Nae and even Suzuha. And Suzuha, man, she's great.
I like seeing her true nature as John Titor emerge, and how she had to cope with her loneliness and isolation before opening out to Okabe and company and finding inspiration along the road. I was heartbroken when she traveled to 1975 only to die of disease or to forget memories, remember them, and then murder herself. That was another moment that slammed me like a freight train and made me feel nauseous. But I can't say I didn't appreciate the writing. It was so daring and original that I couldn't help but respect it. All of these characters have their own story roles and arcs that, no matter how little, all contribute significantly to the main plot and theme of Steins;Gate.
Steins;Gate is not perfect in some cases, however. It has some flaws that might deter some readers, such as the slow and confusing start, the heavy use of scientific and otaku jargon, the occasional fan-service and cliches, and the multiple endings that require a lot of replaying and skipping without a proper guide beforehand. However, I think that these flaws are minor compared to the strengths of the visual novel, and that they do not diminish its overall quality and impact. Steins;Gate is a masterpiece that deserves all the praise and recognition it has received, and more.
Steins;Gate is a visual novel that will make you laugh, cry, think, and feel. It will test your thinking, touch your emotions, and transform your viewpoint. It will take you on a voyage that you will never forget and that you will desire to repeat with your memories erased. Steins;Gate is more than simply a game; it is a phenomenon. It is a timeless narrative that will stay with you forever. This game is a must-read for anyone who wants their brain tickled, or in this instance, thoroughly elevated to grasp that this is the most deserving of the term "peak fiction." It is my literary magnum opus. I can't see myself ever forgetting my time spent with this game, and I am grateful to those who pushed me to play it.
El Psy Kongroo.
These are questions that Steins;Gate explores in its thrilling emotional roller-coaster of a story, which I can proudly say is the deepest and most intimate narrative I've seen in gaming.
The characters in Steins;Gate are one of its strongest qualities. They are all well-developed, realistic, and likable characters, each with their own personality, idiosyncrasies, and past. They become a close-knit group of friends who support each other through thick and thin, making the plot more fascinating and relatable. Okabe, the primary character, is a multifaceted and dynamic character who grows and develops throughout the story. He begins as an eccentric and egotistical individual who enjoys pretending to be a mad scientist and frequently upsets his pals with his delusions and jokes. As the story unfolds, however, he grows more serious and mature as he confronts the hard reality and repercussions of his actions. He also demonstrates great courage, commitment, and compassion by risking all to protect those he cares about.
One of the people he loves is Kurisu Makise, the main heroine of the story. In my opinion, she is one of the best female characters ever written. She is a clever and skilled scientist, as well as a kind, humorous, and charming person. She embraces the tsundere stereotype, but does it in such a lovable way that it's difficult not to admire her for it, especially when Okabe makes her aware of her cliches. She and Okabe have a lot of energy and banter, and their relationship is one of the most realistic and endearing I've ever witnessed. It's incredibly heartwarming and moving to see how she develops to care for Okabe during the game, and how she's always there for him. It's very cute how they peck each other's lips over and over like little lovebirds during their kiss moment. And the staircase scene... oh, that was such a wonderful and serene moment that I enjoy rewatching it. The slow burn romance is so brilliantly done that I found myself crying tears of joy for them at the conclusion.
I'd want to use this chance to boast about another character. Mayuri is the heart and spirit of Steins;Gate. Her "tutturu" greeting is adorable, and it always makes me grin when she sings it. I like how she always has an empty head, always thinking about what to eat or what cosplays to make for others. Then there's her very sensitive and brilliant side, revealing a hidden genius in her brain that works so well with her supportive nature. Throughout the game, I adored and grew in love with her character. Then there was Chapter 6. It was the most shocking thing I'd ever seen in a game, and I didn't care if I dropped my controller on the hard-wood floor. I was dumbfounded and felt lifeless and empty on the inside. It came out of nowhere and established the tone for the rest of the game, and I was still processing this awful fate at moments later on.
And this is the unavoidable conversation starter regarding Steins;Gate and its exquisite anguish. The numerous deaths that occur to her are a fantastic example of how manipulating the universe and time itself has absolutely no mercy, and how critical it is to keep the chronology moving steadily. The most heartbreaking aspect of this story is that it ultimately boils down to a choice between Mayuri and Kurisu, with the worldline implying that Okabe is doomed to lose a lady he adores. It's so awful, and when I recognized it, it felt like the game's writer stabbed me in the gut.
Of course, I can't leave out the other characters, who are all unique and vital to the plot. Daru, Okabe's best buddy and fellow hacka, is a perverse and amusing otaku who gives much comic relief and technical assistance. Moeka is a mysterious and silent woman who is preoccupied with her phone and has a horrible past. Luka is a bashful and feminine boy who has a crush on Okabe and wishes he could be a girl. Faris, a cute and lively maid who is the daughter of a wealthy family and has a secret identity, is also the best catgirl ever. Mr. Braun, the landlord of Okabe's laboratory and proprietor of a CRT TV store, is a gruff and strict man with a soft place for his daughter Nae and even Suzuha. And Suzuha, man, she's great.
I like seeing her true nature as John Titor emerge, and how she had to cope with her loneliness and isolation before opening out to Okabe and company and finding inspiration along the road. I was heartbroken when she traveled to 1975 only to die of disease or to forget memories, remember them, and then murder herself. That was another moment that slammed me like a freight train and made me feel nauseous. But I can't say I didn't appreciate the writing. It was so daring and original that I couldn't help but respect it. All of these characters have their own story roles and arcs that, no matter how little, all contribute significantly to the main plot and theme of Steins;Gate.
Steins;Gate is not perfect in some cases, however. It has some flaws that might deter some readers, such as the slow and confusing start, the heavy use of scientific and otaku jargon, the occasional fan-service and cliches, and the multiple endings that require a lot of replaying and skipping without a proper guide beforehand. However, I think that these flaws are minor compared to the strengths of the visual novel, and that they do not diminish its overall quality and impact. Steins;Gate is a masterpiece that deserves all the praise and recognition it has received, and more.
Steins;Gate is a visual novel that will make you laugh, cry, think, and feel. It will test your thinking, touch your emotions, and transform your viewpoint. It will take you on a voyage that you will never forget and that you will desire to repeat with your memories erased. Steins;Gate is more than simply a game; it is a phenomenon. It is a timeless narrative that will stay with you forever. This game is a must-read for anyone who wants their brain tickled, or in this instance, thoroughly elevated to grasp that this is the most deserving of the term "peak fiction." It is my literary magnum opus. I can't see myself ever forgetting my time spent with this game, and I am grateful to those who pushed me to play it.
El Psy Kongroo.
In a nutshell, what happens when you combine Crash 2 and 3 and make it a portable game for the GBA. Not as good as the games it emulates but probably close to as good as it could have been given the platform.
Given the even shorter lenght than the games it's based on (4x5 main levels instead of 5x5) it works as a quick pallette cleanser and interesting quick visit for a Crash fan that didn't own a GBA back in the day. Also fun to see the origins of Vicarious Visions working on the series before they made the remaster trilogy over a decade later. Weirdly enough Nintendo didn't make a single original Mario platformer for the console, instead relying on ports, while Crash of all things got multiple original games.
A game I was glad to complete, but won't have a reason to return to in the future.
The Good:
- Good ol' Crash gameplay in portable form. I would have loved this as a kid on car rides and such.
- Definitely does not overstay it's welcome. By the time you feel like you have seen enough you are basically done.
- Collecting all the gems and relics actually rewards you with a bonus level, which is nice. The original games only changed the ending.
The Bad:
- Basically nothing original. Every level style, character ect. is from the older games. The most original new assets could be summed up with a few enemies and like one song.
- Considering there are less levels than most Crash games, it boggles the mind how many of them are gimmick levels. There was no need for multiple flying levels. Also could have cut down the underwater levels by one.
- Controls are not quite as tight as the console counterparts. Mainly affecting the slide-jump not always working as you'd hope.
- The narrative is absolute nothingburger, even by the series standards
- Being GBA, the audio quality is the biggest issue in the presentation front. It lacks the chiptune charm something like a GBC game would have. Instead it chooses to adapt the music from older Crash games, with mixed results.
Given the even shorter lenght than the games it's based on (4x5 main levels instead of 5x5) it works as a quick pallette cleanser and interesting quick visit for a Crash fan that didn't own a GBA back in the day. Also fun to see the origins of Vicarious Visions working on the series before they made the remaster trilogy over a decade later. Weirdly enough Nintendo didn't make a single original Mario platformer for the console, instead relying on ports, while Crash of all things got multiple original games.
A game I was glad to complete, but won't have a reason to return to in the future.
The Good:
- Good ol' Crash gameplay in portable form. I would have loved this as a kid on car rides and such.
- Definitely does not overstay it's welcome. By the time you feel like you have seen enough you are basically done.
- Collecting all the gems and relics actually rewards you with a bonus level, which is nice. The original games only changed the ending.
The Bad:
- Basically nothing original. Every level style, character ect. is from the older games. The most original new assets could be summed up with a few enemies and like one song.
- Considering there are less levels than most Crash games, it boggles the mind how many of them are gimmick levels. There was no need for multiple flying levels. Also could have cut down the underwater levels by one.
- Controls are not quite as tight as the console counterparts. Mainly affecting the slide-jump not always working as you'd hope.
- The narrative is absolute nothingburger, even by the series standards
- Being GBA, the audio quality is the biggest issue in the presentation front. It lacks the chiptune charm something like a GBC game would have. Instead it chooses to adapt the music from older Crash games, with mixed results.
Baldur's Gate 3
2020
Wow. That may well have been the longest video game I've ever played in my life. Now that I'm watching the end credits scroll up, I feel like I've closed the chapter on a part of my life. It's going to be weird not playing Baldur's Gate 3 anymore.
I'll keep this review brief, because if I don't, I'll be up all night writing some lengthy treatise instead, when all I want to do is move on to the next game in my backlog and play something different! Does Baldur's Gate 3 deserve its surprise reputation as 2023's best game? After all, up until August, we all expected Tears of the Kingdom to be a shoe-in for the title. In my opinion, yes. It is a game of almost awe-inspiring scope and ambition. The amount of customisation is astonishing, as are the myriad of different narrative threads and outcomes. There are so many varying ways the story can go, and yet it always manages to be tethered by phenomenal writing, no matter dialogue option you choose. The game also serves as a reminder of how thrilling turn-based combat can be. In an industry where turn-based is seen as outdated and real-time combat is the more viable way to go in the AAA realm, Larian have nailed how gripping, brain-teasing and downright rewarding a slower method of combat is when game designers bring their A-game. I hope big publishers take notice of BG3's monumental success and maybe reconsider that not all AAA RPGs in this day and age have to play like something designed for a teenager afflicted with ADHD.
The reason I didn't give Baldur's Gate 3 a perfect score is that it felt like it was starting to come apart at the seams by Act 3. I was encountering a fair few bugs at that point. Performance was taking a dip, texture pop in kept rearing its ugly head, the inventory would lag something awful, so on and so forth. Act 3 was such a huge part of the game, and it felt like the team had maybe bit off more than it could chew with that portion of the game. As such, my playthrough did feel like it went on a bit longer than was necessary.
But I digress. For the absurd amount of hours I put into Baldur's Gate 3 and the relief I feel now that it's over, the truth is that some part of me will miss it. I put in a lot of effort to ensure I would get the best ending for everyone. And why? Ultimately because I cared. I loved my companions and truly wanted the best for them. Hence why I did every side quest that was available to me, obsessed over passing ability checks and scoured every square inch of the maps. And when you're that invested in the events of a video game... what higher praise can you offer?
I'll keep this review brief, because if I don't, I'll be up all night writing some lengthy treatise instead, when all I want to do is move on to the next game in my backlog and play something different! Does Baldur's Gate 3 deserve its surprise reputation as 2023's best game? After all, up until August, we all expected Tears of the Kingdom to be a shoe-in for the title. In my opinion, yes. It is a game of almost awe-inspiring scope and ambition. The amount of customisation is astonishing, as are the myriad of different narrative threads and outcomes. There are so many varying ways the story can go, and yet it always manages to be tethered by phenomenal writing, no matter dialogue option you choose. The game also serves as a reminder of how thrilling turn-based combat can be. In an industry where turn-based is seen as outdated and real-time combat is the more viable way to go in the AAA realm, Larian have nailed how gripping, brain-teasing and downright rewarding a slower method of combat is when game designers bring their A-game. I hope big publishers take notice of BG3's monumental success and maybe reconsider that not all AAA RPGs in this day and age have to play like something designed for a teenager afflicted with ADHD.
The reason I didn't give Baldur's Gate 3 a perfect score is that it felt like it was starting to come apart at the seams by Act 3. I was encountering a fair few bugs at that point. Performance was taking a dip, texture pop in kept rearing its ugly head, the inventory would lag something awful, so on and so forth. Act 3 was such a huge part of the game, and it felt like the team had maybe bit off more than it could chew with that portion of the game. As such, my playthrough did feel like it went on a bit longer than was necessary.
But I digress. For the absurd amount of hours I put into Baldur's Gate 3 and the relief I feel now that it's over, the truth is that some part of me will miss it. I put in a lot of effort to ensure I would get the best ending for everyone. And why? Ultimately because I cared. I loved my companions and truly wanted the best for them. Hence why I did every side quest that was available to me, obsessed over passing ability checks and scoured every square inch of the maps. And when you're that invested in the events of a video game... what higher praise can you offer?
Alan Wake II
2023
An amazing experience through and through, be it as a survival horror game or as a surreal, supernatural mystery story. Its solid combat and resource management go hand in hand with the dark, oppresive atmosphere you’d expect from any great survival horror game, which are then further elevated by the game’s visuals and presentation, as well as the many psychological horror elements. The story and its mystery are the game’s core, however, and they’re easily my favorite aspect of the game which had me eager to see what happens next after every session.
PROS
- Solid survival horror gameplay, mixing great combat with resource management and fun puzzle solving.
- While there aren’t a ton of unique weapons to use, those that we do get are great. The crossbow, flare gun, and hunting rifle are especially satisfying to wield against the Taken. The versatility of flares stood out to me too, once I realized how to use them. They work similarly to knives in the RE games as a way to break free from enemies who’ve grabbed you, but can also serve as a means of stunning enemies when used.
- Great variety of puzzles, ranging from simple number sequences we have to follow, to finding clues in or interacting with the environment, all the way to literal math problems. The reality-shifting puzzles in Alan’s sections are among my favorites, as well as the nursery rhyme puzzles.
- All around excellent horror experience. The top class atmosphere created by the visuals and sound design mix perfectly with the near-constant threat of the Taken. They may not be as numerous as in the previous game, but never knowing when or where they would appear, combined with how dangerous each one is, kept me on my toes throughout my playthrough. The jump scares are fun too and very well done, fitting perfectly with the game’s story and how it presents its different elements.
- The Case Board is awesome. Even the simple task of pinning collectibles onto the board is satisfying for someone who likes organizing information and keeping things neat and tidy. The more involved cases and questions were fun too and go a great way into creating a satisfying detective experience. It also doubles as a very convenient way of keeping track of the various characters and events throughout the game.
- The game expertly weaves together its many dark and serious moments with levity as necessary, and its humor is top notch too. What we get feels uniquely “Remedy” in the best way.
- Terrific performances from the entire cast, especially from Ilkka Villi’s and Matthew Porretta’s combined performances for Alan. Alex Casey and Saga are wonderful characters too, and their friendship is a delight to see. Saga is an awesome new protagonist and I’m hopeful to see more of her in future installments of Remedy’s connected universe.
- Killer soundtrack. The original songs are such a treat to listen to.
CONS
- The game can be buggy. Luckily nothing too bad from my experience, but there’s quite a bit and some even persisted throughout my entire playthrough. It’s not enough to ruin the experience, but they do stand out because the rest of the game is so good.
- While the lack of handholding from the level designers in terms of having “yellow paint” (or something similar) to guide us as we progress through the different locations can provide a refreshing experience, certain areas (forests and the like, usually) are somewhat difficult to navigate and end up requiring one to repeatedly open the map. Luckily, the menus are very quick so it’s a painless experience, but it definitely takes you out quite a bit opening the menu again and again. I am personally fortunate enough to not really need much accessibility options, but it notable as a game in 2023 for it to not have these things.
- Boss fights are decent enough for the most part but it’s definitely one of the areas that still need improvement.
PROS
- Solid survival horror gameplay, mixing great combat with resource management and fun puzzle solving.
- While there aren’t a ton of unique weapons to use, those that we do get are great. The crossbow, flare gun, and hunting rifle are especially satisfying to wield against the Taken. The versatility of flares stood out to me too, once I realized how to use them. They work similarly to knives in the RE games as a way to break free from enemies who’ve grabbed you, but can also serve as a means of stunning enemies when used.
- Great variety of puzzles, ranging from simple number sequences we have to follow, to finding clues in or interacting with the environment, all the way to literal math problems. The reality-shifting puzzles in Alan’s sections are among my favorites, as well as the nursery rhyme puzzles.
- All around excellent horror experience. The top class atmosphere created by the visuals and sound design mix perfectly with the near-constant threat of the Taken. They may not be as numerous as in the previous game, but never knowing when or where they would appear, combined with how dangerous each one is, kept me on my toes throughout my playthrough. The jump scares are fun too and very well done, fitting perfectly with the game’s story and how it presents its different elements.
- The Case Board is awesome. Even the simple task of pinning collectibles onto the board is satisfying for someone who likes organizing information and keeping things neat and tidy. The more involved cases and questions were fun too and go a great way into creating a satisfying detective experience. It also doubles as a very convenient way of keeping track of the various characters and events throughout the game.
- The game expertly weaves together its many dark and serious moments with levity as necessary, and its humor is top notch too. What we get feels uniquely “Remedy” in the best way.
- Terrific performances from the entire cast, especially from Ilkka Villi’s and Matthew Porretta’s combined performances for Alan. Alex Casey and Saga are wonderful characters too, and their friendship is a delight to see. Saga is an awesome new protagonist and I’m hopeful to see more of her in future installments of Remedy’s connected universe.
- Killer soundtrack. The original songs are such a treat to listen to.
CONS
- The game can be buggy. Luckily nothing too bad from my experience, but there’s quite a bit and some even persisted throughout my entire playthrough. It’s not enough to ruin the experience, but they do stand out because the rest of the game is so good.
- While the lack of handholding from the level designers in terms of having “yellow paint” (or something similar) to guide us as we progress through the different locations can provide a refreshing experience, certain areas (forests and the like, usually) are somewhat difficult to navigate and end up requiring one to repeatedly open the map. Luckily, the menus are very quick so it’s a painless experience, but it definitely takes you out quite a bit opening the menu again and again. I am personally fortunate enough to not really need much accessibility options, but it notable as a game in 2023 for it to not have these things.
- Boss fights are decent enough for the most part but it’s definitely one of the areas that still need improvement.
Alan Wake II
2023
Pep's Season of Spooks - Game 18
The culmination of everything Remedy Entertainment have worked for in the last 22 years.
I'm not going to post a lengthy review for this one, you absolutely need to play this if you can. This sets a new standard for storytelling in games. It looks incredible and plays great, with excellent writing and acting throughout the twisty plot. I'm genuinely going to be thinking about this game for weeks, possibly even months.
Sorry RE4 Remake, Alan Wake II just beat you out for my horror game of the year.
Scary Rating 7/10 - Overall Rating 9/10
The culmination of everything Remedy Entertainment have worked for in the last 22 years.
I'm not going to post a lengthy review for this one, you absolutely need to play this if you can. This sets a new standard for storytelling in games. It looks incredible and plays great, with excellent writing and acting throughout the twisty plot. I'm genuinely going to be thinking about this game for weeks, possibly even months.
Sorry RE4 Remake, Alan Wake II just beat you out for my horror game of the year.
Scary Rating 7/10 - Overall Rating 9/10
Alan Wake II
2023
A modern masterpiece
Just finished the game about 30 minutes ago and I am just left speechless by everything I had just experienced. Never in my many years of waiting for Alan Wake 2 did I ever think this would be the sequel we receive. Everything about Alan wake 2 is handled to perfection which is why I believe this game will go down in history as one of the best ever in its genre. Not only is it an achievement for its genre it is now my GOTY.
A mind boggling story
This game is a trip from start to finish , every second oozing with aesthetic and brilliant storytelling. I would like to go into details on what makes this journey so brilliant but this is very much best played without knowing anything. Moving on , the cast is great from Alan , Saga to Casey with even some surprise characters showing up. I will take this quick moment to really recommend fans to play through Control if you would like to understand even more of the lore. Beyond that , I also recommend a replay through of Alan wake 1 as it would really make things a lot more coherent with 2. I will just leave the story part at that because you simply need to experience this game with as little information as you can but just know its an amazing story that will surely be diagnosed for years to come.
I will not be getting into ANY of the story bits in this review as I never do for games that are best played blind. Just experience this jaw dropping, mind twisting and mind blowing journey for yourself and you will understand why this story was masterfully crafted.
A beautiful looking adventure
Furthermore, the graphics are beautiful, the game just looks amazing on the PS5 so I can only imagine how it must have looked maxed out with 4K on PC. Many times throughout my playthrough I just saw myself looking at the scenery during the daytime and it was always magical.
Scary
This game nails the atmosphere, really giving itself a perfect creepy vibe. One aspect I wasn’t too much of a fan of was the constant jumpscares you will experience in specific sections. It can be scary but most of the time it just serves as a way to annoy me. Besides the jumpscares I genuinely found the game unsettling and creepy which is very rare for a game to accomplish for me nowadays. There were many times I would be creeped out traversing certain sections since the game always made you wonder about what could be down that hallway. It's simple tactics like that that will really give you the creeps as you make your way through the game. The story itself is just as unsettling and creepy in which once again I won’t get into so I just really hope you play it.
This game is true horror.
Gameplay
One of the more interesting aspects of Alan Wake 2 is its gameplay. Why? It's simple because there are many segments of the game where you won’t be doing much combat. I honestly really like this as it aids in really panning out its story more. Furthermore, it makes the moments you do engage in combat even more impactful and fun but this can be argued so just be aware you won’t always be in combat. The combat itself is very akin to Alan wake 1’s combat which is a good thing because I found it very fun. The big changes in the combat is through movement which is a lot more akin to RE4Rs movement. Dodging is fine but it can be a bit wonky against certain enemies but for the most part it was passable. The enemy variety is pretty basic sadly but I really liked the designs on them but be aware there isn’t a big pool of enemy types there are only a few types you will be battling against. Playing on hard difficulty the game provided a fair enough challenge but honestly wasn’t too tough if you are good about managing the resources you get. One of the more welcome editions this game has is how open and exploration centric the game is. It will not hold your hand and give you markers on the map telling you where you need to go. You will simply just look at your objective then look at the map to see where the spot you need to go is and on the way find collectibles. Speaking of collectibles there are multiple to look for in this game from Puzzles, lunch boxes to supply stashes. It is highly recommended to be on the lookout as all 3 collectible types will give you very useful resources. If you plan on 100% the game I HIGHLY recommend making save points near the end of the game so you have a save file to go back to. This can come back and bite you in the ass because once you hit a certain point you will not be able to explore the sections freely forcing you to replay the whole game again if you want to collect everything. The gameplay feels second to the story and I was 100% fine with that because the story of Alan wake 2 is phenomenal but the gameplay we do get here is very fun and combat that I hope is explored more in its DLCs this game will be receiving.
Some Issues sadly
I hate to have to bring up some issues I have with this game because I do think it's a perfect game….. But it has some issues. Luckily the issues I have with this game do NOT have anything to do with the core game, it's only with its performance. Playing on the PS5 version I experienced many frame drops and bugs and glitches throughout the game's run time. Glitches ranging from characters model glitching out all the way to soft locking the game forcing a game restart its moments like these that will set you back a bit. Picking up items can sometimes freeze your whole screen for a few moments making you wonder if the game crashed or not lol. Hell I even got audio bugs that would quite frankly bug all sound effects only leaving environment sounds to be heard. It is frustrating because the glitches happen more than they should have and I can only hope they iron out these bugs and issues with patches.
in the end
Usually I would have knocked this down half a score for all the bugs but Alan Wake 2 is truly a masterpiece. This game is an achievement in every aspect that should be played by ALL horror fans. Easily my GOTY currently and I really don’t see that changing now for this year. I would gladly wait 13 years for sequels of games if this the quality we will get over getting the garbage we usually get now.
100% recommend at full price.
Just finished the game about 30 minutes ago and I am just left speechless by everything I had just experienced. Never in my many years of waiting for Alan Wake 2 did I ever think this would be the sequel we receive. Everything about Alan wake 2 is handled to perfection which is why I believe this game will go down in history as one of the best ever in its genre. Not only is it an achievement for its genre it is now my GOTY.
A mind boggling story
This game is a trip from start to finish , every second oozing with aesthetic and brilliant storytelling. I would like to go into details on what makes this journey so brilliant but this is very much best played without knowing anything. Moving on , the cast is great from Alan , Saga to Casey with even some surprise characters showing up. I will take this quick moment to really recommend fans to play through Control if you would like to understand even more of the lore. Beyond that , I also recommend a replay through of Alan wake 1 as it would really make things a lot more coherent with 2. I will just leave the story part at that because you simply need to experience this game with as little information as you can but just know its an amazing story that will surely be diagnosed for years to come.
I will not be getting into ANY of the story bits in this review as I never do for games that are best played blind. Just experience this jaw dropping, mind twisting and mind blowing journey for yourself and you will understand why this story was masterfully crafted.
A beautiful looking adventure
Furthermore, the graphics are beautiful, the game just looks amazing on the PS5 so I can only imagine how it must have looked maxed out with 4K on PC. Many times throughout my playthrough I just saw myself looking at the scenery during the daytime and it was always magical.
Scary
This game nails the atmosphere, really giving itself a perfect creepy vibe. One aspect I wasn’t too much of a fan of was the constant jumpscares you will experience in specific sections. It can be scary but most of the time it just serves as a way to annoy me. Besides the jumpscares I genuinely found the game unsettling and creepy which is very rare for a game to accomplish for me nowadays. There were many times I would be creeped out traversing certain sections since the game always made you wonder about what could be down that hallway. It's simple tactics like that that will really give you the creeps as you make your way through the game. The story itself is just as unsettling and creepy in which once again I won’t get into so I just really hope you play it.
This game is true horror.
Gameplay
One of the more interesting aspects of Alan Wake 2 is its gameplay. Why? It's simple because there are many segments of the game where you won’t be doing much combat. I honestly really like this as it aids in really panning out its story more. Furthermore, it makes the moments you do engage in combat even more impactful and fun but this can be argued so just be aware you won’t always be in combat. The combat itself is very akin to Alan wake 1’s combat which is a good thing because I found it very fun. The big changes in the combat is through movement which is a lot more akin to RE4Rs movement. Dodging is fine but it can be a bit wonky against certain enemies but for the most part it was passable. The enemy variety is pretty basic sadly but I really liked the designs on them but be aware there isn’t a big pool of enemy types there are only a few types you will be battling against. Playing on hard difficulty the game provided a fair enough challenge but honestly wasn’t too tough if you are good about managing the resources you get. One of the more welcome editions this game has is how open and exploration centric the game is. It will not hold your hand and give you markers on the map telling you where you need to go. You will simply just look at your objective then look at the map to see where the spot you need to go is and on the way find collectibles. Speaking of collectibles there are multiple to look for in this game from Puzzles, lunch boxes to supply stashes. It is highly recommended to be on the lookout as all 3 collectible types will give you very useful resources. If you plan on 100% the game I HIGHLY recommend making save points near the end of the game so you have a save file to go back to. This can come back and bite you in the ass because once you hit a certain point you will not be able to explore the sections freely forcing you to replay the whole game again if you want to collect everything. The gameplay feels second to the story and I was 100% fine with that because the story of Alan wake 2 is phenomenal but the gameplay we do get here is very fun and combat that I hope is explored more in its DLCs this game will be receiving.
Some Issues sadly
I hate to have to bring up some issues I have with this game because I do think it's a perfect game….. But it has some issues. Luckily the issues I have with this game do NOT have anything to do with the core game, it's only with its performance. Playing on the PS5 version I experienced many frame drops and bugs and glitches throughout the game's run time. Glitches ranging from characters model glitching out all the way to soft locking the game forcing a game restart its moments like these that will set you back a bit. Picking up items can sometimes freeze your whole screen for a few moments making you wonder if the game crashed or not lol. Hell I even got audio bugs that would quite frankly bug all sound effects only leaving environment sounds to be heard. It is frustrating because the glitches happen more than they should have and I can only hope they iron out these bugs and issues with patches.
in the end
Usually I would have knocked this down half a score for all the bugs but Alan Wake 2 is truly a masterpiece. This game is an achievement in every aspect that should be played by ALL horror fans. Easily my GOTY currently and I really don’t see that changing now for this year. I would gladly wait 13 years for sequels of games if this the quality we will get over getting the garbage we usually get now.
100% recommend at full price.