ManintheRadiator
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Silent Hill 2
2001
in the days before resident evil 4, third-person shooters rarely followed a set framework for their mechanics, ranging from the auto-aim of syphon filter to the centered reticle of max payne to old-school resident evil's fixed camera angles and inability to move while firing. as a member of the survival horror subgenre of TPSs, silent hill 2 draws from the RE template while adding its own twists into the formula.
while protagonist james' background is never mentioned, we can assume he has formal combat training given his talent with an array of firearms as well as improvised weaponry. by pulling the right trigger, james enters an aiming stance where he will fix his sights on a nearby target. pressing the cross button at this point will cause james to discharge his gun, which can be repeated multiple times to inflict sequential damage on a target. however, attempting to fire with an empty clip will trap him in place while dry reloading. the player must carefully count their ammo usage in the chaos of combat in order to avoid this occurance and safely reload from the inventory menu.
much like this game's ps1 predecessor, james has access to three different types of firearms. the first is the pistol, which provides high manueverability in exchange for low firepower. the shotgun is the middle tier weapon, as it seems to be a semi-automatic with the ability to fire off six shells in succession, but it has a notable amount of recoil. this weapon is designed in an unorthodox fashion compared to its contemporaries, where spread of the shotgun is rather focused and thus is mainly used for blowing enemies back at close range. finally, the rifle provides the highest firepower in exchange for heavy recoil, sluggish recovery time, and low ammo capacity. this weapon sees the most use in slower boss battles, where the damage output becomes a necessity. the tradeoffs between each of these create dynamism in each encounter, where weapon selection becomes as important as actually disposing of enemies. this is unfortunately undercut by the generous amount of ammo for each weapon, making resource conservation less of a focus. however, the ammo allotment is tightly designed such that players can't simply run into battle willy-nilly with the rifle: certain enemies naturally counteract each weapon based on their own behaviors, attack patterns, and agility, and many fights will need to be conducted with the handgun to ensure that precious rifle ammo isn't needlessly wasted on enemies that can easily avoid its shots.
ranged combat dominates much of the latter half of the game, but james enters into silent hill with no equipment and must conduct on-site procurement a la konami's other famous playstation franchise metal gear solid. given the barren state of the town, james must make do with both a wood plank and a steel pipe as he slowly builds up his arsenal of weaponry. the game's biggest enhancement over the original silent hill is its evolution of its melee mechanics. for example, silent hill 2 deftly weaves in the pressure-sensitive buttons of the ps2 in order to differentiate between two types of close-ranged attacks. softly holding the cross button creates gentler, more strategic blows, such as the plank's walking swing and the pipe's lunge. these attacks can be used to overwhelm opponents in order to stagger them for the heavier melee strike. by forcefully pressing the button, james will unleash an nasty overhead capable of quickly downing enemies. developing an understanding of how to correctly manipulate the pressure sensor in order to use each move at will goes a long way in terms of enriching james' arsenal. melee weapons also have one important upside over their ranged brethren: they allow the player to block attacks by holding the square button when standing still. silent hill 3 would extend this to a universal parry, but silent hill 2's implementation feels natural and easy to use in the heat of battle. while these options become less consequential as the game extends into the second half, they do reward those who prefer to stay up close and personal by rewarding james with the giant knife. this hefty blade betrays the developer's japanese side by calling to mind such classic weapons such as cloud's buster sword or guts' ferocious dragon slayer.
there's one other primary attack that must be mentioned: the stomp. by pressing the cross button without aiming over a downed enemy, james will coup de grâce his opponent with a deadly heel strike to the head. this iconic technique is a series staple, and it presages similar attacks that would appear in later games of its ilk such as resident evil 5 and dead space. while in the original resident evil games zombies would often rise up after briefly tasting carpet, the effect was primarily to catch unsuspecting or overeager players unawares when they hadn't quite finished off their foe as well as offering the chance to run by to those low on ammo. in silent hill's case, stomping a downed enemy is the primary way of killing most targets due to the speed of its use compared to simply filling an opponent full of lead. this is especially important for the lying figure enemies, who can deal major damage by scrambling from a fallen state. the average enemy will be able to arise multiple times if left unaccounted for, forcing stomps as a necessity for those hoping to cleanly end encounters. this is especially apparent in group encounters, where other enemies may cut off downed ones from james' approach. in these cases crowd control becomes integral to survival, as the player must prioritize enemies with enough space around them that james can run up to them and stomp them upon toppling them without getting side-swiped by another enemy along the way. when the player has a better grasp of the combat, they may line up enemies in such a fashion that they inadvertently strike one another thanks to the game's friendly fire, potentially toppling or staggering them with minimal input from the player. these nuances make silent hill 2 more than just blindly firing at enemies when it's at its best in terms of encounter design.
as for enemies, the game primarily cycles between three: the lying figure, the mannequin, and the nurse. the lying figure slowly approaches james upon seeing him, emitting an acid spray when james comes into range. the mannequin meanwhile remains in a random position until james comes into range, flailing wildly with its appendages at any provocation from the player. finally, the nurse menacingly struts towards james upon seeing him, swingingly carelessly with a steel pipe at anyone in the vicinity. all three of these require a delicate understanding from the player of their general health pool, behavior in close quarters, and primary weapon of choice for dispatching them. it's unfortunate that the lying figures end up becoming too frequently utilized, especially in the labyrinth zone, which diminishes the impact of the nurses in particular, who rarely show up once james enters the historical society. various other enemies such as the grate-swinging mandarins and the abstract daddies with their devastating command grab show up sparingly as well.
boss fights are not puzzle-based in any way and instead primarily require the player to put distance between james and the boss, fire off shots, and then run for safe territory. while not terribly interesting, bosses in general were rarely well-designed at this point of third-person shooter history. of these, pyramid head is certainly the most notable given his timer-driven boss fights where shots scored on his metallic helmet reduce the amount of time until he leaves the area. other bosses require more finesse, such as eddie and his game of cat-and-mouse in a meat locker between frozen cadavers. skilled players will find that with tight execution they can perform a stunlock on him by using the rifle's shot to stagger him and then following up with rifle shots repeatedly until the fight ends. while most strategies for these fights feel rote, there are certainly ways for astute players to develop novel strategies for them. the major downside to some bosses who reside in larger arenas is that the camera is unable to keep track of them given that it centers on james at all times. this certainly isn't a game-breaker thanks to james being able to automatically aim at off-screen enemies when facing in their direction, but it does make positioning considerations rather awkward.
as a hallmark of the playstation 2's early action lineup, silent hill 2 provides one of the most focused gun-toting romps of the early 00s. it's hard to compare it directly to those that followed in its wake given the modern focus on stick-driven aiming and over-the-shoulder viewpoints, but parallels can be drawn between its synergy between melee and ranged combat and its positioning-focused combat encounters to modern shooters, whether they derive from survival horror antecedents or not. aspects of it have aged poorly such as the awkward camera controls and the lack of enemy variety, which may put off players more used to today's iterations of these genre conventions. however, the simple viscerality of the firing mechanics and small weapon pool combined with the tactics involved with positioning and weapon selection lend the game an arcade-like quality that has been lost in modernity. revisiting these games is vital for understanding the development of this incredibly popular genre today.
while protagonist james' background is never mentioned, we can assume he has formal combat training given his talent with an array of firearms as well as improvised weaponry. by pulling the right trigger, james enters an aiming stance where he will fix his sights on a nearby target. pressing the cross button at this point will cause james to discharge his gun, which can be repeated multiple times to inflict sequential damage on a target. however, attempting to fire with an empty clip will trap him in place while dry reloading. the player must carefully count their ammo usage in the chaos of combat in order to avoid this occurance and safely reload from the inventory menu.
much like this game's ps1 predecessor, james has access to three different types of firearms. the first is the pistol, which provides high manueverability in exchange for low firepower. the shotgun is the middle tier weapon, as it seems to be a semi-automatic with the ability to fire off six shells in succession, but it has a notable amount of recoil. this weapon is designed in an unorthodox fashion compared to its contemporaries, where spread of the shotgun is rather focused and thus is mainly used for blowing enemies back at close range. finally, the rifle provides the highest firepower in exchange for heavy recoil, sluggish recovery time, and low ammo capacity. this weapon sees the most use in slower boss battles, where the damage output becomes a necessity. the tradeoffs between each of these create dynamism in each encounter, where weapon selection becomes as important as actually disposing of enemies. this is unfortunately undercut by the generous amount of ammo for each weapon, making resource conservation less of a focus. however, the ammo allotment is tightly designed such that players can't simply run into battle willy-nilly with the rifle: certain enemies naturally counteract each weapon based on their own behaviors, attack patterns, and agility, and many fights will need to be conducted with the handgun to ensure that precious rifle ammo isn't needlessly wasted on enemies that can easily avoid its shots.
ranged combat dominates much of the latter half of the game, but james enters into silent hill with no equipment and must conduct on-site procurement a la konami's other famous playstation franchise metal gear solid. given the barren state of the town, james must make do with both a wood plank and a steel pipe as he slowly builds up his arsenal of weaponry. the game's biggest enhancement over the original silent hill is its evolution of its melee mechanics. for example, silent hill 2 deftly weaves in the pressure-sensitive buttons of the ps2 in order to differentiate between two types of close-ranged attacks. softly holding the cross button creates gentler, more strategic blows, such as the plank's walking swing and the pipe's lunge. these attacks can be used to overwhelm opponents in order to stagger them for the heavier melee strike. by forcefully pressing the button, james will unleash an nasty overhead capable of quickly downing enemies. developing an understanding of how to correctly manipulate the pressure sensor in order to use each move at will goes a long way in terms of enriching james' arsenal. melee weapons also have one important upside over their ranged brethren: they allow the player to block attacks by holding the square button when standing still. silent hill 3 would extend this to a universal parry, but silent hill 2's implementation feels natural and easy to use in the heat of battle. while these options become less consequential as the game extends into the second half, they do reward those who prefer to stay up close and personal by rewarding james with the giant knife. this hefty blade betrays the developer's japanese side by calling to mind such classic weapons such as cloud's buster sword or guts' ferocious dragon slayer.
there's one other primary attack that must be mentioned: the stomp. by pressing the cross button without aiming over a downed enemy, james will coup de grâce his opponent with a deadly heel strike to the head. this iconic technique is a series staple, and it presages similar attacks that would appear in later games of its ilk such as resident evil 5 and dead space. while in the original resident evil games zombies would often rise up after briefly tasting carpet, the effect was primarily to catch unsuspecting or overeager players unawares when they hadn't quite finished off their foe as well as offering the chance to run by to those low on ammo. in silent hill's case, stomping a downed enemy is the primary way of killing most targets due to the speed of its use compared to simply filling an opponent full of lead. this is especially important for the lying figure enemies, who can deal major damage by scrambling from a fallen state. the average enemy will be able to arise multiple times if left unaccounted for, forcing stomps as a necessity for those hoping to cleanly end encounters. this is especially apparent in group encounters, where other enemies may cut off downed ones from james' approach. in these cases crowd control becomes integral to survival, as the player must prioritize enemies with enough space around them that james can run up to them and stomp them upon toppling them without getting side-swiped by another enemy along the way. when the player has a better grasp of the combat, they may line up enemies in such a fashion that they inadvertently strike one another thanks to the game's friendly fire, potentially toppling or staggering them with minimal input from the player. these nuances make silent hill 2 more than just blindly firing at enemies when it's at its best in terms of encounter design.
as for enemies, the game primarily cycles between three: the lying figure, the mannequin, and the nurse. the lying figure slowly approaches james upon seeing him, emitting an acid spray when james comes into range. the mannequin meanwhile remains in a random position until james comes into range, flailing wildly with its appendages at any provocation from the player. finally, the nurse menacingly struts towards james upon seeing him, swingingly carelessly with a steel pipe at anyone in the vicinity. all three of these require a delicate understanding from the player of their general health pool, behavior in close quarters, and primary weapon of choice for dispatching them. it's unfortunate that the lying figures end up becoming too frequently utilized, especially in the labyrinth zone, which diminishes the impact of the nurses in particular, who rarely show up once james enters the historical society. various other enemies such as the grate-swinging mandarins and the abstract daddies with their devastating command grab show up sparingly as well.
boss fights are not puzzle-based in any way and instead primarily require the player to put distance between james and the boss, fire off shots, and then run for safe territory. while not terribly interesting, bosses in general were rarely well-designed at this point of third-person shooter history. of these, pyramid head is certainly the most notable given his timer-driven boss fights where shots scored on his metallic helmet reduce the amount of time until he leaves the area. other bosses require more finesse, such as eddie and his game of cat-and-mouse in a meat locker between frozen cadavers. skilled players will find that with tight execution they can perform a stunlock on him by using the rifle's shot to stagger him and then following up with rifle shots repeatedly until the fight ends. while most strategies for these fights feel rote, there are certainly ways for astute players to develop novel strategies for them. the major downside to some bosses who reside in larger arenas is that the camera is unable to keep track of them given that it centers on james at all times. this certainly isn't a game-breaker thanks to james being able to automatically aim at off-screen enemies when facing in their direction, but it does make positioning considerations rather awkward.
as a hallmark of the playstation 2's early action lineup, silent hill 2 provides one of the most focused gun-toting romps of the early 00s. it's hard to compare it directly to those that followed in its wake given the modern focus on stick-driven aiming and over-the-shoulder viewpoints, but parallels can be drawn between its synergy between melee and ranged combat and its positioning-focused combat encounters to modern shooters, whether they derive from survival horror antecedents or not. aspects of it have aged poorly such as the awkward camera controls and the lack of enemy variety, which may put off players more used to today's iterations of these genre conventions. however, the simple viscerality of the firing mechanics and small weapon pool combined with the tactics involved with positioning and weapon selection lend the game an arcade-like quality that has been lost in modernity. revisiting these games is vital for understanding the development of this incredibly popular genre today.
Metroid Fusion
2002
The pitch behind Metroid Fusion is electrifying. A powerless, more introspective Samus whose agency has been stripped away, an alien stalker who has appropriated her lost power, apocalyptic consequences for the events of a previous game, and a grand conspiracy bubbling beneath. The opening shots of Samus’ iconic power suit being dissected and replaced with something stranger and more vulnerable might as well be Fusion’s mission statement. Our protagonist may never be the same again, and what she was may not have been something to admire. I welcome this stuff with open arms. For a company like Nintendo to green-light an explicitly critical deconstruction of one of its own characters is pretty much unheard of. When are we getting the game where Link gets banished from Hyrule for plundering the homes of its citizens? Metroid Fusion was slated to examine the fundamental building blocks of its namesake and pull them inside out.
The severity of Fusion’s linear progression, delivered by an authoritarian AI, is emblematic of Samus’ new role as a pawn of the Federation. Thanks to this structure, the story unfolds as never before, dealing out swift twists, anticipating the player’s response, and substantially altering areas they've become familiar with. Samus reflects at various intervals on the last time she’d been required to take orders under a commanding officer, chipping away at her otherwise silent, mysterious shell. Most tragically, her robust and experimental moveset from the previous game has been torn to shreds. Welcome to the army. Do as you’re told. Get with the program.
Metroid Fusion isn’t subtle about its goals, but for all it does to lay the groundwork for a groundbreaking premise, I can’t say it reaches that potential. I’ve got a lotta notes, but let’s cut to the center of this thing. Even without the Federation doling out the orders, the level design is so superlatively guided and contained that I never feel even remotely at risk of going off-script. We always find ourselves where we need to be the way we need to be there. I know this sounds like I’m not getting it, just stick with me for a second. I do understand the nature of Fusion’s framing, but if I’m going to feel “restricted,” I have to feel that there’s something I’m being denied. I have to be able to press up against the bars of my prison cell and glimpse some glimmering sign of freedom. Without that, the tension between Samus and the Federation exists in name only. This is especially damning when the story attempts to emphasize Samus’ disobedience. If I could bomb jump to a high ledge and feel the AI actively working against my efforts to unveil the secrets of the BSL Station by, I dunno, closing shutters and vacuuming up my morph ball bombs (courtesy of Samus Returns), I’d be sold on that friction. Opportunities of this kind would have to start scarce and increase in frequency to retain that slow burn, and with effort, maybe the player would be able to make discoveries and break the sequence. But enough daydreaming; as it stands, we have a setting that feels more generic than stifling. Samus isn’t asserting her agency when she’s taking the only path available.
It’s also thanks to this problem that its bevy of increasingly dangerous twists, while well-paced in their escalation, lack bite. They rarely feel as monumental as they should because they don’t demand much thought from the player to navigate, and there isn’t enough diversity in Samus’ movement kit (or other problem-solving methods) to inspire mastery or personal responsibility. So while progression is plenty challenging and polished in its construction, those challenges aren’t particularly interesting. As well-realized as the X-Parasites are (and it pains me to say this), that criticism unfortunately extends to Samus’ SA-X dopplegänger as well, who rarely factors into the game as a fully-featured element. The few, scattered segments during which it appears are some of the most memorable in Fusion, with unfettered ruthlessness and sound design that just radiates presence, but for the vast majority of the game, it can be safely forgotten.
Put another way, its approach to control and level design lacks nuance, and overpowers its narrative framing.
As much as I may wish it had, Metroid Fusion doesn’t do enough to hammer its concept home. Whenever I return, renewed with the hope that it might’ve been better than I remembered, what I find is an above-average 2D action game garbed in an enticing mystique. But here’s the thing — what I see behind Metroid Fusion is not incompetence or misguided philosophy, it’s a strong team that bit off more than it could chew. When I catch myself ruminating on Fusion’s highs and the power of its premise (and I do on occasion), I know I’d have done the same. Maybe Sakamoto wasn’t exactly bluffing when he claimed that technology had prevented him from realizing Metroid Dread for a whole 19 years. If the Super Metroid people couldn’t complete Fusion, he had reason to believe that nobody could have. At least, not yet.
P.S. I want to emphasize (and I've alluded to it here and there), the presentation of this game is its best-executed quality. It does a commendable job of dressing the set for each of its big events, its sound effects and visual theming are fantastic, and, at its best, the level design does a fine job of building suspense and thoughtfully foreshadowing later moments. Fusion frequently achieves a unique and potent atmosphere, and don't let it be said that I don't think it's worth a playthrough.
The severity of Fusion’s linear progression, delivered by an authoritarian AI, is emblematic of Samus’ new role as a pawn of the Federation. Thanks to this structure, the story unfolds as never before, dealing out swift twists, anticipating the player’s response, and substantially altering areas they've become familiar with. Samus reflects at various intervals on the last time she’d been required to take orders under a commanding officer, chipping away at her otherwise silent, mysterious shell. Most tragically, her robust and experimental moveset from the previous game has been torn to shreds. Welcome to the army. Do as you’re told. Get with the program.
Metroid Fusion isn’t subtle about its goals, but for all it does to lay the groundwork for a groundbreaking premise, I can’t say it reaches that potential. I’ve got a lotta notes, but let’s cut to the center of this thing. Even without the Federation doling out the orders, the level design is so superlatively guided and contained that I never feel even remotely at risk of going off-script. We always find ourselves where we need to be the way we need to be there. I know this sounds like I’m not getting it, just stick with me for a second. I do understand the nature of Fusion’s framing, but if I’m going to feel “restricted,” I have to feel that there’s something I’m being denied. I have to be able to press up against the bars of my prison cell and glimpse some glimmering sign of freedom. Without that, the tension between Samus and the Federation exists in name only. This is especially damning when the story attempts to emphasize Samus’ disobedience. If I could bomb jump to a high ledge and feel the AI actively working against my efforts to unveil the secrets of the BSL Station by, I dunno, closing shutters and vacuuming up my morph ball bombs (courtesy of Samus Returns), I’d be sold on that friction. Opportunities of this kind would have to start scarce and increase in frequency to retain that slow burn, and with effort, maybe the player would be able to make discoveries and break the sequence. But enough daydreaming; as it stands, we have a setting that feels more generic than stifling. Samus isn’t asserting her agency when she’s taking the only path available.
It’s also thanks to this problem that its bevy of increasingly dangerous twists, while well-paced in their escalation, lack bite. They rarely feel as monumental as they should because they don’t demand much thought from the player to navigate, and there isn’t enough diversity in Samus’ movement kit (or other problem-solving methods) to inspire mastery or personal responsibility. So while progression is plenty challenging and polished in its construction, those challenges aren’t particularly interesting. As well-realized as the X-Parasites are (and it pains me to say this), that criticism unfortunately extends to Samus’ SA-X dopplegänger as well, who rarely factors into the game as a fully-featured element. The few, scattered segments during which it appears are some of the most memorable in Fusion, with unfettered ruthlessness and sound design that just radiates presence, but for the vast majority of the game, it can be safely forgotten.
Put another way, its approach to control and level design lacks nuance, and overpowers its narrative framing.
As much as I may wish it had, Metroid Fusion doesn’t do enough to hammer its concept home. Whenever I return, renewed with the hope that it might’ve been better than I remembered, what I find is an above-average 2D action game garbed in an enticing mystique. But here’s the thing — what I see behind Metroid Fusion is not incompetence or misguided philosophy, it’s a strong team that bit off more than it could chew. When I catch myself ruminating on Fusion’s highs and the power of its premise (and I do on occasion), I know I’d have done the same. Maybe Sakamoto wasn’t exactly bluffing when he claimed that technology had prevented him from realizing Metroid Dread for a whole 19 years. If the Super Metroid people couldn’t complete Fusion, he had reason to believe that nobody could have. At least, not yet.
P.S. I want to emphasize (and I've alluded to it here and there), the presentation of this game is its best-executed quality. It does a commendable job of dressing the set for each of its big events, its sound effects and visual theming are fantastic, and, at its best, the level design does a fine job of building suspense and thoughtfully foreshadowing later moments. Fusion frequently achieves a unique and potent atmosphere, and don't let it be said that I don't think it's worth a playthrough.
A gorgeous remaster of a GameCube classic.
The core of the game is still that original version but they managed to take an already visually impressive game and somehow managed to make this look sooooo much better.
On top of the visual upgrade there's a bunch of control options, GC original style, Wii pointer style, and a modern dualstick option. With the dualstick option I turned on gyro aiming as well and my gosh they managed to nail the sensitivity for this game. The gyro aiming isn't constantly moving erratically with every controller movement, instead moving so subtlety with regular controller movements that you can forget it's on at times. It's perfectly designed for assistance where needed and that's how I like it. Granted the L targeting is still here so gyro isn't super necessary but it's still nice for the few occasions you can't lock on.
They've also added a few accessibility options, like a colourblind mode, which while I don't require it, I appreciate them adding it for those who do.
Other new things include gallery stuff concept art, models, soundtrack from the original and remastered versions.
Nintendo remasters rarely get this sort of above and beyond treatment, but with Metroid Prime, Retro Studios took a lot of care and time updating this for Nintendo Switch and making it feel like a modern game. It helps that Metroid Prime was already an all time great experience but the additions and tweaks here help make this an incredible version of an already incredible game
The core of the game is still that original version but they managed to take an already visually impressive game and somehow managed to make this look sooooo much better.
On top of the visual upgrade there's a bunch of control options, GC original style, Wii pointer style, and a modern dualstick option. With the dualstick option I turned on gyro aiming as well and my gosh they managed to nail the sensitivity for this game. The gyro aiming isn't constantly moving erratically with every controller movement, instead moving so subtlety with regular controller movements that you can forget it's on at times. It's perfectly designed for assistance where needed and that's how I like it. Granted the L targeting is still here so gyro isn't super necessary but it's still nice for the few occasions you can't lock on.
They've also added a few accessibility options, like a colourblind mode, which while I don't require it, I appreciate them adding it for those who do.
Other new things include gallery stuff concept art, models, soundtrack from the original and remastered versions.
Nintendo remasters rarely get this sort of above and beyond treatment, but with Metroid Prime, Retro Studios took a lot of care and time updating this for Nintendo Switch and making it feel like a modern game. It helps that Metroid Prime was already an all time great experience but the additions and tweaks here help make this an incredible version of an already incredible game
this game asks a lot of you, both mentally and physically, but pushing through to at least the standard ending is pretty rewarding. not every level or boss is a winner, having to use a currency to save is just unnecessarily punishing, the lives and checkpoint systems feel almost cruel if you aren't playing on something that allows you to use save states, but i think what does work REALLY works. don't feel bad for using save states your first playthrough (or even just in general lol), it's a game that honestly gets better the more you play it
The perfect remaster to probably my favorite game of all time. As someone who's played this countless times on gamecube, this remaster absolutely hits it out of the park. All the visual changes are intelligent and stick close to the feel of the original. I often forgot I was even playing the remaster and felt like I was just playing Prime, it's that well done. This is the best looking game on the switch and maintains a rock solid 60 fps just like the original does. There's all these subtle new visual effects that add to the immersion. I wasn't disappointed with a single enemy redesign or any of samus' armors, they were all updated well and look better than they do in the original.
My only complaints visually are how they changed the doors to be a solid color. This wouldn't be a problem but you can see the outlines to where the solid textured are supposed to be and thats a little distracting. The changes to the thermal visor are a bit overdone and it was straining until I got used to it. I get what they are going for but I'm assuming there are some people who are gonna have a worse time looking at it. The only other omissions from the gamecube version are the sequence breaking tricks (though I expected that to be gone) and the ntsc chozo lore which I feel is better. The new lore is fine and conveys the story well, but it feels a bit less heartfelt and creatively written than the original lore. Though this was also changed in the prime trilogy version.
What really cements this as the definitive way to play is the different control schemes. You got original gamecube controls (and you can use a gamecube controller, but you might have to rebind a couple of buttons), you have a modern fps control scheme which I don't like but I am assuming a lot of newcomers are gonna enjoy it, you have the pointer controls straight out of the wii version which are fantastically implemented, then you have my personal favorite which is the hybrid control scheme. The hybrid control scheme uses the original gamecube controls, but when you press the aim button you use the gyroscope to aim and Samus can move around while doing so. I recommend the hybrid aiming be the first one you can check out as I feel it's the best the game has ever controlled. A great feature is how you can change the control scheme on the fly. The game is also more helpful conveying your item and log book percentage. your health bar has x's on top to indicate how many energy tanks you don't have, and you can always see the total missiles you have below the missile counter. I'm not sure if I'm right on this so take it with a grain of salt, but I think you don't have to get all the log entries on your first run, there's an overall number in the extras menu that goes up. I really love the original gamecube version of this game and will always go back to it. I also think that if you can, the original is worth playing. That being said I feel this is the definitive way to play the game and probably the best remaster I've ever played.
My only complaints visually are how they changed the doors to be a solid color. This wouldn't be a problem but you can see the outlines to where the solid textured are supposed to be and thats a little distracting. The changes to the thermal visor are a bit overdone and it was straining until I got used to it. I get what they are going for but I'm assuming there are some people who are gonna have a worse time looking at it. The only other omissions from the gamecube version are the sequence breaking tricks (though I expected that to be gone) and the ntsc chozo lore which I feel is better. The new lore is fine and conveys the story well, but it feels a bit less heartfelt and creatively written than the original lore. Though this was also changed in the prime trilogy version.
What really cements this as the definitive way to play is the different control schemes. You got original gamecube controls (and you can use a gamecube controller, but you might have to rebind a couple of buttons), you have a modern fps control scheme which I don't like but I am assuming a lot of newcomers are gonna enjoy it, you have the pointer controls straight out of the wii version which are fantastically implemented, then you have my personal favorite which is the hybrid control scheme. The hybrid control scheme uses the original gamecube controls, but when you press the aim button you use the gyroscope to aim and Samus can move around while doing so. I recommend the hybrid aiming be the first one you can check out as I feel it's the best the game has ever controlled. A great feature is how you can change the control scheme on the fly. The game is also more helpful conveying your item and log book percentage. your health bar has x's on top to indicate how many energy tanks you don't have, and you can always see the total missiles you have below the missile counter. I'm not sure if I'm right on this so take it with a grain of salt, but I think you don't have to get all the log entries on your first run, there's an overall number in the extras menu that goes up. I really love the original gamecube version of this game and will always go back to it. I also think that if you can, the original is worth playing. That being said I feel this is the definitive way to play the game and probably the best remaster I've ever played.
randomly shadowdropped remaster of one of my favorite games of all time that happens to be the best way to play the game.
I wish Nintendo hyped this up more because calling it a "remaster" does a disservice when comparing it to all the terrible HD upscales that are called "remastered". This is actually one of the best looking games on the Switch, and coupled with tons of control options that anyone is going to find a config they like, there is no excuse not to have played Metroid Prime in 2023.
I wish Nintendo hyped this up more because calling it a "remaster" does a disservice when comparing it to all the terrible HD upscales that are called "remastered". This is actually one of the best looking games on the Switch, and coupled with tons of control options that anyone is going to find a config they like, there is no excuse not to have played Metroid Prime in 2023.
Signalis
2022
Certain video games don’t necessarily require innovation, originality or trailblazing to stand out from the crowd as works to be celebrated and classics to be. Specifically, titles in the indie scene such as Hyper Light Drifter, Dusk or ZeroRanger have proven time and time again that execution and presentation can far outweigh the well from which their ideas are stolen from, and whose aesthetic perfectionism and gameplay polish and varnish ultimately become the craft to be praised.
Signalis is one such title, unabashedly putting on full display its 5th gen survival horror roots and influences, both visually and mechanically, with a sci-fi coat of paint that covers it with a collage of homages to groundbreaking works that range from Evangelion, Blade Runner and Blame!, all the way to Tarkosvsky, Lynch and Lovecraft. Marrying Resident Evil’s resource management tension with Silent Hill’s purgatorial psychological assault lends Signalis the opportunity to evoke an unparalleled lyrical and dreamlike experience that never sacrifices the tenets from which those series made their name from, perfecting the art of environmental storytelling and backtracking revelatory dread.
In an age of understandably unsubtle and overbearing dystopian nightmares presented through art, Signalis instead places much of its totalitarian regime imagery into the background of its setting, visuals, lore and puzzles, making its love story of inevitable tragedy the central core of the narrative. The retrofuturism of Signalis serves not only as an artistic pursuit for tactile and analogue nostalgia, but also as a tool to convey the priorities of a fascist empire that has consciously dwindled the mental liberty, self-expression and unconformity of the main characters now stuck in an ever perpetuating restrictive world of redundancy and self-mutilation, doomed to a slow, empty death.
The cohesiveness in which Signalis threads its story, gameplay and art design is ultimately the game’s greatest feat. It elevates an otherwise universal and familiar language to new heights, thanks to a talented dev duo that understands the strengths of their interests and influences and manages to funnel into a production effort that would put many triple A endeavors to shame. Can’t wait for what rose-engine has in store next, this is a homerun already.
Signalis is one such title, unabashedly putting on full display its 5th gen survival horror roots and influences, both visually and mechanically, with a sci-fi coat of paint that covers it with a collage of homages to groundbreaking works that range from Evangelion, Blade Runner and Blame!, all the way to Tarkosvsky, Lynch and Lovecraft. Marrying Resident Evil’s resource management tension with Silent Hill’s purgatorial psychological assault lends Signalis the opportunity to evoke an unparalleled lyrical and dreamlike experience that never sacrifices the tenets from which those series made their name from, perfecting the art of environmental storytelling and backtracking revelatory dread.
In an age of understandably unsubtle and overbearing dystopian nightmares presented through art, Signalis instead places much of its totalitarian regime imagery into the background of its setting, visuals, lore and puzzles, making its love story of inevitable tragedy the central core of the narrative. The retrofuturism of Signalis serves not only as an artistic pursuit for tactile and analogue nostalgia, but also as a tool to convey the priorities of a fascist empire that has consciously dwindled the mental liberty, self-expression and unconformity of the main characters now stuck in an ever perpetuating restrictive world of redundancy and self-mutilation, doomed to a slow, empty death.
The cohesiveness in which Signalis threads its story, gameplay and art design is ultimately the game’s greatest feat. It elevates an otherwise universal and familiar language to new heights, thanks to a talented dev duo that understands the strengths of their interests and influences and manages to funnel into a production effort that would put many triple A endeavors to shame. Can’t wait for what rose-engine has in store next, this is a homerun already.
Signalis
2022
A really tight and enjoyable survival horror. Even though personally I think the narrative is a little too convoluted and underwhelming, the game still had me gripped and intrigued as to what I was supposed to feel about the unfolding events. While the plot may lack, Signalis makes up for it tremendously in it's gameplay, as exploring these complex areas with such a limited supply of items makes for constantly tense and engaging gameplay.
Sometimes the limited inventory does detract slightly with constant back-tracking for keycards or ammo and can get pretty annoying towards the end of the game when enemies are just as plentiful as the overwhelming amount of key-items.
Overall give it a shot if you enjoy survival horror games, you won't be disappointed, plus it's relatively short sitting at an average of 7-8 hours which is always a huge plus.
Sometimes the limited inventory does detract slightly with constant back-tracking for keycards or ammo and can get pretty annoying towards the end of the game when enemies are just as plentiful as the overwhelming amount of key-items.
Overall give it a shot if you enjoy survival horror games, you won't be disappointed, plus it's relatively short sitting at an average of 7-8 hours which is always a huge plus.
Signalis
2022
It goes, it goes, it goes, it goes
It goes, it goes, it goes, it goes
Guillotine yeah
Sit in the dark and ponder how I'm fit to make the bottom fall through the floor
And they all fall down yeah
It goes, it goes, it goes, it goes, it goes, it goes, yeah
Out of the shadows barrage of witch tongue
Cobra spit over apocalyptic cult killer cauldron smoke
Stomp music seriously yeah
It goes, it goes, it goes, it goes, it goes, it goes
Can't stop the groove licks jaws clear off them locks relentless raw movement
Fit to knock you from here to that g-spot body rock connected
To everything you want, ever did want
We got it why not come get it, stick your head in that hole
And watch me drop this cold guillotine death sentence yeah
Yeah, it goes, it goes, it goes, it goes, it goes, it goes, yeah
Hidden art, between and beneath, every fragmented, figure of speech
Tongue in reverse, whenever the beat, causes my jaws to call
Out out out out, yeah
The screens flashing red, can't see shit but heads
Spinning exorcist like planets
Out of orbit off the edge
Off mine axis whipping through doors to far more than all that's ever been said, yeah
Tie the chord kick the chair and you're dead, yeah
Yeah, it goes, it goes, it goes, it goes, it goes, it goes
Guillotine yeah, guillotine yeah
Head of a trick in a bucket
Body of a trick in a bag
And thrown in the fire like fuck it
Gotta burn it before it goes bad
One too many times been disgusted
By the stench of rot is such a drag yeah
Get broke by the street like blood stained glass, yeah
Choke on these nuts till the very last, yeah
It goes, it goes, it goes, it goes
Serial number, killing machine
The illest of means
To an end built on the filthy sound
You're experiencing, yeah
It goes, it goes, it goes, it goes, it goes, it goes, it goes, it goes
Guillotine yeah, guillotine yeah
Tinted windows, bulletproof
The slip knot fixing rope to noose
To the grave stone grinder of cold steel
The passion that blinds me so I feel yeah
Can't let go, no it flows through our veins
Blows through our tunnels and rattles our chains
And they all fall down, yeah
It goes, it goes, it goes, it goes
Guillotine yeah
Sit in the dark and ponder how I'm fit to make the bottom fall through the floor
And they all fall down yeah
It goes, it goes, it goes, it goes, it goes, it goes, yeah
Out of the shadows barrage of witch tongue
Cobra spit over apocalyptic cult killer cauldron smoke
Stomp music seriously yeah
It goes, it goes, it goes, it goes, it goes, it goes
Can't stop the groove licks jaws clear off them locks relentless raw movement
Fit to knock you from here to that g-spot body rock connected
To everything you want, ever did want
We got it why not come get it, stick your head in that hole
And watch me drop this cold guillotine death sentence yeah
Yeah, it goes, it goes, it goes, it goes, it goes, it goes, yeah
Hidden art, between and beneath, every fragmented, figure of speech
Tongue in reverse, whenever the beat, causes my jaws to call
Out out out out, yeah
The screens flashing red, can't see shit but heads
Spinning exorcist like planets
Out of orbit off the edge
Off mine axis whipping through doors to far more than all that's ever been said, yeah
Tie the chord kick the chair and you're dead, yeah
Yeah, it goes, it goes, it goes, it goes, it goes, it goes
Guillotine yeah, guillotine yeah
Head of a trick in a bucket
Body of a trick in a bag
And thrown in the fire like fuck it
Gotta burn it before it goes bad
One too many times been disgusted
By the stench of rot is such a drag yeah
Get broke by the street like blood stained glass, yeah
Choke on these nuts till the very last, yeah
It goes, it goes, it goes, it goes
Serial number, killing machine
The illest of means
To an end built on the filthy sound
You're experiencing, yeah
It goes, it goes, it goes, it goes, it goes, it goes, it goes, it goes
Guillotine yeah, guillotine yeah
Tinted windows, bulletproof
The slip knot fixing rope to noose
To the grave stone grinder of cold steel
The passion that blinds me so I feel yeah
Can't let go, no it flows through our veins
Blows through our tunnels and rattles our chains
And they all fall down, yeah
Elden Ring
2022
It's always a bit disheartening when you are not as enamoured with something the way the rest of the world is. That is to say, I think Elden Ring is OK, pretty good even but I don't think it is great. I don't want to sound too negative about it because I still am quite impressed with what From Software managed to achieve with its world. Descending into a massive cavern with mysteries to uncover and items to find from a random hole in a rock wall you stumbled by is what exploration in games is all about. It is something that Elden Ring has to offer in spades. Wth the wide array of items to find such as weapons, armour, spells, ashes of war (which are special weapon attacks), summon spirits, consumables and upgrade materials, there is always something to find and there are diverse builds you can work towards.
Now this is going to seem hypocritical but the things I just praised the game for with its world also lead to some of the drawbacks. The bigger world means that the level design suffers. There are some areas that feel similar to locations from the Souls games but nothing reaches the heights of in From's older work. I think there are some areas that are just straight up awful such as the Farum Azula near the end. Granted, every From game has a bad area so maybe I shouldn't hold it against Elden Ring so much. As great as the diverse builds are, if you are working on a specific build, it can be quite annoying to work your way through a difficult optional area to get an item you will never use. I don't think there is a good fix for something like that because it would ruin the exploration if every dungeon told you upfront what you would unlock so perhaps it is not a fair complaint. The game being so challenging does exasperate that issue. The repetitive nature of the dungeons and bosses does get a bit annoying after a while. I'm not one to complain too much about open world games having repetition since I enjoy Assassin's Creed games but it does make the wonder of discovery lose its lustre.
As impressive as it can be, I'm not sure bringing the Souls template to open world was actually a good decision. They did make quite a lot of those games though so I don't begrudge From trying to do something different. I go back and forth on how positive the strengths of the game are and how negative the weaknesses are. Ultimately, my feelings seem somewhere in the middle.
Now this is going to seem hypocritical but the things I just praised the game for with its world also lead to some of the drawbacks. The bigger world means that the level design suffers. There are some areas that feel similar to locations from the Souls games but nothing reaches the heights of in From's older work. I think there are some areas that are just straight up awful such as the Farum Azula near the end. Granted, every From game has a bad area so maybe I shouldn't hold it against Elden Ring so much. As great as the diverse builds are, if you are working on a specific build, it can be quite annoying to work your way through a difficult optional area to get an item you will never use. I don't think there is a good fix for something like that because it would ruin the exploration if every dungeon told you upfront what you would unlock so perhaps it is not a fair complaint. The game being so challenging does exasperate that issue. The repetitive nature of the dungeons and bosses does get a bit annoying after a while. I'm not one to complain too much about open world games having repetition since I enjoy Assassin's Creed games but it does make the wonder of discovery lose its lustre.
As impressive as it can be, I'm not sure bringing the Souls template to open world was actually a good decision. They did make quite a lot of those games though so I don't begrudge From trying to do something different. I go back and forth on how positive the strengths of the game are and how negative the weaknesses are. Ultimately, my feelings seem somewhere in the middle.
