Lortes
The second Zelda i ever completed.
Now for the bads:
Yes, a rock that tells you how to progress is lame.
Yes, Fi can be annoying as fuck.
Yes, the controls suck a bit.
Yes, the Imprisoned sucks.
Yes, the pick up animation is annoying to see everytime.
And yes, the sky open-world is not that great.
However (and a big one at that) i think most people did not saw the gem that this game really is on its release. It has hands down the best dungeons in the entire series and among the best boss battles also. It is the most narrative driven Zelda ever, done in a very good way. A superb origin story to this series with a gorgeously orchestrated soundtrack that enhances every place, fight or cutscene. Personally i didn't mind the controls and even found them to be funny, although clunky, but i can understand the hate. The upgrade system for the gadgets is ingenious and they are actually useful in the open world besides their dungeons.
I always thought that its strenghts more than makeup for its downsides and i'm glad its finally seeing some love in the latest years.
Now for the bads:
Yes, a rock that tells you how to progress is lame.
Yes, Fi can be annoying as fuck.
Yes, the controls suck a bit.
Yes, the Imprisoned sucks.
Yes, the pick up animation is annoying to see everytime.
And yes, the sky open-world is not that great.
However (and a big one at that) i think most people did not saw the gem that this game really is on its release. It has hands down the best dungeons in the entire series and among the best boss battles also. It is the most narrative driven Zelda ever, done in a very good way. A superb origin story to this series with a gorgeously orchestrated soundtrack that enhances every place, fight or cutscene. Personally i didn't mind the controls and even found them to be funny, although clunky, but i can understand the hate. The upgrade system for the gadgets is ingenious and they are actually useful in the open world besides their dungeons.
I always thought that its strenghts more than makeup for its downsides and i'm glad its finally seeing some love in the latest years.
2008
Not an easy one to digest. An uneasy atmosphere achieved through music, art and one of the most puzzling stories ever known to man. A really creative game where the focus is the story, because the gameplay is horribly unbalanced and not funny in general. It is also not clear if that's the point, and even if it is, it's just too much of a slog to get through sometimes. Best experienced in small doses.
OFF gives an eerie, uneasy, and generally "off" vibe to the world and characters, the story is narrated through gameplay and is very much up to the player to interpret the meanings, which i quite liked. Too bad that the gameplay doesn't live up to the quality of the artistic side.
TL;DR: An unforgettable experience that has no match in style, really worth it if you're into artistic games, be warned of the gameplay though. It's free on PC.
OFF gives an eerie, uneasy, and generally "off" vibe to the world and characters, the story is narrated through gameplay and is very much up to the player to interpret the meanings, which i quite liked. Too bad that the gameplay doesn't live up to the quality of the artistic side.
TL;DR: An unforgettable experience that has no match in style, really worth it if you're into artistic games, be warned of the gameplay though. It's free on PC.
Very good top-down hack 'n' slash with a deep atmosphere and enthralling music and visuals. The pixel art is very good, although i found it to be too messy in boss fights to understand every blow. Gameplay is a bit on the hard side but weapons are crazy funny and strong. They can compensate pretty easily any lack of skill you might have against bosses or certain enemies. The only issue i have is that the dash is too restrictive in its timing to concatenate multiple ones reliably, especially in boss fights. The story is one of the most poignant pieces of silent media ever, masterfully crafted in both image composition and music.
Best version is the Switch one. Extra weapon, dungeon and boss are really worth it.
Best version is the Switch one. Extra weapon, dungeon and boss are really worth it.
I think more people worked on this than those who played it. Not a bad version considered the hardware to be honest; the story is mostly on par with other versions. The controls are simple, move with d-pad and use force powers by selecting them on the screen underneath. The cool part was comboing powers by sliding through them in a specific order; in fact by defeating bosses you unlock combos rather than powers. One of the best multiplatform for the DS.
Probably the most forgotten LotR videogame. You choose a character and then conquer or defend the map, getting pickups that upgrade damage, magic or health. The cool factor is that occasionally you can use heroes and after you finish the normal campaign you unlock the evil one. Quite enjoyable for what it's worth.
2007
1997
2000
Played it longer than FF VII just because i liked the art style more, still did not enjoy ATB. I stopped playing when the game opens up and does not give clear directions about an hour into the game. Not a bad thing by all means, quite the contrary, i just wasn't willing to put the effort to continue.
2001
This one i played a lot more than the others, but my god i really did not like this game. It is so atrociously filled with cutscenes that you never actually play the game, and they are so cringe. The sphere grid is incomprehensible and the level design is just linear tunnels; and it still has ATB. I never cared for the story and these characters and i just gave up midway through the game.
1994
Played the arcade version inside Tekken 5.
It really shows its age with immensely outdated graphics and gameplay. You can't sidestep, so it's technically still a 2D fighting game, mix-ups are natural combos and the roster (especially King) is terribly unbalanced. All considered, it still is the birth of the most legendary fighting game series ever. It has that old school 3D pioneering charm that is really hard to find anywhere else, with a good sense of humour and, dare i say, original approach to a story.
Also Kazuya smile at the cliff.
It really shows its age with immensely outdated graphics and gameplay. You can't sidestep, so it's technically still a 2D fighting game, mix-ups are natural combos and the roster (especially King) is terribly unbalanced. All considered, it still is the birth of the most legendary fighting game series ever. It has that old school 3D pioneering charm that is really hard to find anywhere else, with a good sense of humour and, dare i say, original approach to a story.
Also Kazuya smile at the cliff.
2020
A story no other medium could tell. Great gameplay, art and especially music. An instant classic that no one should skip. Only gripe i have with this game is that it doesn't have a hard mode for experienced players, otherwise great replay value for completing all the routes. Best platform to play is the Switch for the extra content, really worth it.