Fantastic. Lived up to the hype surrounding it and then some. Such an intelligntley designed game, and one I hope I never forget.
The World was so well designed, everything felt connected to another place. The areas you explore were fun and memorable, and the Puzzles, Enemies, and Missions you do in them were all pretty damn great.
Story was great, though I wasn't totally sure what was happening in the begining. I really thought Pey'j was dead there for a second. So many heartwarming and heartbreaking moments. Cutscenes were cinematic and transitioned well with the gameplay. The characters only amplified how good it was.
Characters wise, it's also great. Since this Universe has both Humans and animals living amongst each other, it allows for so much variety in their designs and stories. Jade is a fantastic protagonist, she's selfless, Heroic, Caring, and at times she has doubt in her self and if she is doing the right things, making her feel much more Personal. Pey'j and Double H are two great companions, and everyone else along the way are also just so well done.
The Voice acting for these characters is so good. Everyone gave it their all, and made the experience that much more immersive and enhanced the story telling.
The music was just phenomenal. Really set the atmosphere, and often helped convey the emotion of the story and the situation.
This is such an intelligent game. Every mechanic felt like they interviewed. My personal favorite would be taking Pictures and getting money. Taking pictures in games (and real life) is something I've always heavily enjoyed. Besides that, Combat was nice, Racing was a ton of fun, Flying a ship, Driving the boat, playing games, Stealth, solving Puzzles, all just great mechanics in the overall gameplay.
I decided to collect all the Pearls, rarely were they ever tedious. One of the best collectables I've seen in a video game. Not only are they fun, but the way you get them makes the player feel so smart. You can go on these heist like Missions that aren't even marked, and the game rewards the player for exploring and discovering. Maybe the best parts of the game involve finding these Pearls.
The last bit of the game, at least on the PS2, had some really bad buggy moments. Like restart the console bad. Just a lot of stupid stuff, that unfortunately hindered the experience a little. Despite that, not much to complain about, besides some frame rate drops here and there, nothing too bad until near the end.
So glad I liked this game this much. Really one of the very best I've ever had the pleasure of playing. Ubisoft might have peaked with this, I don't know I'll have to play more of their stuff. Music, Design, Mechanics, World, Story, Characters, Combat, Puzzles, Collectables, all great. If you enjoy stuff that is great, I'd recommend this game.
Score: 4.5/5
Letter Grade: A
The World was so well designed, everything felt connected to another place. The areas you explore were fun and memorable, and the Puzzles, Enemies, and Missions you do in them were all pretty damn great.
Story was great, though I wasn't totally sure what was happening in the begining. I really thought Pey'j was dead there for a second. So many heartwarming and heartbreaking moments. Cutscenes were cinematic and transitioned well with the gameplay. The characters only amplified how good it was.
Characters wise, it's also great. Since this Universe has both Humans and animals living amongst each other, it allows for so much variety in their designs and stories. Jade is a fantastic protagonist, she's selfless, Heroic, Caring, and at times she has doubt in her self and if she is doing the right things, making her feel much more Personal. Pey'j and Double H are two great companions, and everyone else along the way are also just so well done.
The Voice acting for these characters is so good. Everyone gave it their all, and made the experience that much more immersive and enhanced the story telling.
The music was just phenomenal. Really set the atmosphere, and often helped convey the emotion of the story and the situation.
This is such an intelligent game. Every mechanic felt like they interviewed. My personal favorite would be taking Pictures and getting money. Taking pictures in games (and real life) is something I've always heavily enjoyed. Besides that, Combat was nice, Racing was a ton of fun, Flying a ship, Driving the boat, playing games, Stealth, solving Puzzles, all just great mechanics in the overall gameplay.
I decided to collect all the Pearls, rarely were they ever tedious. One of the best collectables I've seen in a video game. Not only are they fun, but the way you get them makes the player feel so smart. You can go on these heist like Missions that aren't even marked, and the game rewards the player for exploring and discovering. Maybe the best parts of the game involve finding these Pearls.
The last bit of the game, at least on the PS2, had some really bad buggy moments. Like restart the console bad. Just a lot of stupid stuff, that unfortunately hindered the experience a little. Despite that, not much to complain about, besides some frame rate drops here and there, nothing too bad until near the end.
So glad I liked this game this much. Really one of the very best I've ever had the pleasure of playing. Ubisoft might have peaked with this, I don't know I'll have to play more of their stuff. Music, Design, Mechanics, World, Story, Characters, Combat, Puzzles, Collectables, all great. If you enjoy stuff that is great, I'd recommend this game.
Score: 4.5/5
Letter Grade: A