25 Reviews liked by Marloges
Shadowrun Returns
2013
There are a lot of options in terms of classes and character progression, but there isn't much reason to do a 2nd playthrough. The plot itself isn't stellar, feels rushed, and has a couple twists that don't make sense at all.
The combat is refreshing. Each class has a handful of attacks with different effects, and you're free to multiclass if you know what you're doing. While this can lead to occasionally spamming the same daily driver damage spell to finish off an enemy, the beginning and middle of combat encounters yield a lot of possibilities.
Role-playing is limited, with somewhat frequent character-specific dialogue options appearing, usually requiring an "etiquette" or a high enough level in a certain stat. I hope the sequel takes this concept much further, because the dialogue in an RPG should not be so limited. Especially one with no voice acting.
There is almost no optional side content, aside from one or two quests or a slightly different way to approach a quest.
The turn-based combat is the only thing keeping this game at a 3/5.
Starfield
2023
I didn't feel like editing all my notes so this one's coming in hot
the menus, ui/ux, and maps are nothing short of awful and the emphasis on fast travel, witcher vision, and waypoint markers make starfield one of the least convincing game worlds in recent memory. an endless sequence of vacuum sealed content boxes strung together by constant menus, loading screens, and teleporting; bolstered on all sides by hundreds of procgen wastelands full of crafting junk
it's frustrating that there's something here I think I could like, but it's completely obstructed by design decisions that only make sense if your first and last priority is scale. aside from some dungeons and sidequests it feels like your only options are to be led by the nose like a dog or left to wander nothing areas for the rest of your life. a critical bug had me chasing my tail for over an hour on one of the essential planets and I was bored out of my brain so I can't imagine how sterile the non-essential ones must be
can't weigh in much on the RPG side of things cos I barely saw it in 10+ hours. it's like a cryptid where people keep swearing it exists but I'm still not convinced. can say that the dialogue options I've seen aren't too far off from the YES / YES (SARCASTIC) / NO (YES) we know and love from FO4 tho. writing doesn't go full head trauma this time around as quickly but everyone's a Quip Bastard or a block of wood so it's kinda six of one half a dozen of the other. the most memorable moment was when heller went chris dorner on the new atlantis police department unprovoked, but somehow I don't think that was what bethesda intended
perks/skills are as lifeless as expected. 10% more damage with shotguns or 10% damage with pistols or 10% damage with energy weapons or 10% damage with rifles or carry 10 more pounds or have 10% more health or..... zzzz
less I say about space and ship combat the better. everyone knows it wouldn't be better handled through a menu, but what this review presupposes is... maybe it would?
all in all it's a mess. bethesda's signature open world fractured and dashed across the stars; a marriage of some of the worst aspects of both pre and post morrowind eras with a slew of new unforced errors added to the mix. modders will fix what's fixable, I'll keep drinking that garbage, and the world will keep on turning
can't wait for skyrim 2
CLEARLY UNFINISHED but man what an improvement gameplay wise from Human Revolution. Everything feels so much more tighter and robust and Prague is one of the most fun hubs I've ever experienced in a game. Sadly the story is pretty fucking weak overall with bland characters and a dogshit main antagonist. Overall I'd go in with the expectations of an incredible immersive sim with a terrible story
8/10.
I played this game a couple of years back and I got angry thinking about it again.
I initially was in love with Ys 8. I found myself really invested in the story and characters, the mystery of the island and I was having a blast with the combat. Gradually my enjoyment turned to disdain as I realised how shallow the combat was and how predictable and generic the story was.
The gameplay fails to provide any sort of meaningful challenge and things like flash guard break any semblance of difficulty. The story starts fairly grounded and while I expected an escalation into the more absurd, I did not enjoy where it ends up. If there's anything I like about this game it's definitely the soundtrack. Besides that I can't recommend it.
The gameplay fails to provide any sort of meaningful challenge and things like flash guard break any semblance of difficulty. The story starts fairly grounded and while I expected an escalation into the more absurd, I did not enjoy where it ends up. If there's anything I like about this game it's definitely the soundtrack. Besides that I can't recommend it.
Play Ys Oath and Ys Origin instead.
This review contains spoilers
Red Dead Redemption 2 is an odd game to review. At times it is some of Rockstars best work with a terrific setting and one of the best written protagonists with Arthur Morgan. But at the very same time it is a painfully linear experience that can't help but take control from the player for seemingly no reason, with some of the clunkiest gameplay mechanics I've seen in the last five years, further marred by being oddly rushed at points in its expansive story.
RDR2s single best aspect would absolutely be its characters and writing, with my favorite sections in particular belonging to the beginning and end of the ride. Seeing Arthur Morgan and the Van Der Linde gang transform from infamous criminals fighting an unjust society to petty thugs just trying to survive in a world that does not want them is painfully tragic. Arthurs arc in particular is my absolute favorite that R has done, with scenes such as the conversation with the Nun and all of the final mission making me bawl my eyes out in how perfect they were. This expertly crafted story is further supported by an open world that feels really fun to explore, filled with tons of fun activities like poker and five finger fillet that will make you lose dozens of hours in alone. Final thing i'll note is the music absolutely lands the home run, fitting the setting and moments perfectly, with both Unshaken and Cruel World standing out as some of the best examples on how vocal tracks can elevate the scene to legendary status.
While I can sing the praises all day long, the simple reason as to why RDR2 is not a perfect game and FAR from the GOTY status that some people give it is simply due to how fucking dogshit Rockstars modern mission structure is. So much as sneeze in the wrong direction and the game will game over your ass forcing a restart at one of the games inconsistent checkpoints. Sometimes things are real simple and you'll have to replay a few minutes while others will force THE ENTIRE FUCKING MISSION to be reset (which I circumvented by using the incredibly helpful skip checkpoint option because fuck you Rockstar). It's frustrating because some of the more linear missions are some of my favorites but the amount of them and how much hand holding is forced onto the player is agonizing and permeates throughout the entire experience. This frustration sadly continues with the general gameplay feeling extremely outdated at times, with the shooting feeling incredibly awkward at times and simple mechanics like menu navigation feeling increasingly cumbersome for no apparent reason. It's one thing to have an intentionally slow pace but making simple things such as enemy looting or using Fast Travel a hassle is unforgivable. Last thing I'd like to go into detail with is how rushed certain aspects of the story feel, mainly with the middle and Dutch. While I do enjoy Chapters 1-3 and 6-Epilogue, Saint Denis and ESPECIALLY Guarma feel like the writers remembered it was a prequel and had to blitz through making issues for the gang. Dutch's transformation to the tough but fair boss to the paranoid crazy person feels incredibly rushed with only two real missions signifying a change, and the entirety of Guarma is a dogshit retread of RDR1s phenomenal Mexico section that feels like a poor attempt to rush Arthurs TB and pad out an already slow experience. One of the worst chapters I've had to experience in gaming and a low point for Rockstar as a company.
With all that being said I'd highly recommend Red Dead Redemption 2 to anyone looking for a Western or just a slow paced Open World game. PC Port is a pretty solid way to experience things but even on Consoles the experience is one you can't miss out on. One of R's best but I'd still take the original and Undead Nightmare any day of the week.
8.5/10
The game of all time. It is what Breath of the Wild should’ve been in so many ways, which is hardcore to say, since BotW is already a masterpiece, but it got almost obsolete with the release of Tears of the Kingdom.
It improved in so many ways. The best sequel of all time, without a doubt. It has been a very long time since I had as much fun with a video game like with Tears of the Kingdom.
Some flaws got taken over, though, I’m not gonna lie and I wish the surface of Hyrule got changed a bit more radically, but it’s alright.
The final boss is probably the best final boss in the entire series. Wow! This is what Breath of the Wild should have done with the final boss: having great and epic fights and amazing presentation.
I don’t know if I want the same Hyrule or map a third time, though. The next game better takes place somewhere else or has a brand new Hyrule.
This review contains spoilers
"Sakamoto Ryoma will be etched in time as the man who changed everything."
I fucking adore the Yakuza series, starting it in 2018 with Yakuza Zero and playing every single other game that's readily available in the West and enjoying myself immensely. Like A Dragon: Ishin! marks the series third remake and the one I believe which is easily the best with only a few hiccups here and there.
Starting with the positives and might I just say the transition to Unreal Engine 4 has been shockingly faithful to the PS3 era of games. While the graphics certainly look different everything else from the menu's and especially the gameplay feel just like playing Yakuza 3/4/5. On that note the gameplay is also a ton of fun, with all four styles feeling incredibly satisfying to use with each filling out a certain niche (though I will admit I mained Wild Dancer and Swordsman because I found them so goddamn fun). Can also say the amount of side content is genuinely staggering, with things like Another Life and the dungeons in particular being pretty good way to waste time and get lots of cash/weapons (really liked Another Life's story with Haruka.) Story is also pretty great besides a somewhat sluggish start with a lot of intrigue and mystery, with a lot of older characters having a great time to shine (especially Mine). Last thing I'll say is it perfectly captures the period of Japan that its set in, with a built in glossary really helping those who get confused which I really liked.
Biggest issue I have with Ishin is definitely the implementation of the card system and ESPECIALLY the new boss attacks. While the cards are annoying they can atleast not be used despite the UI really making you want to use them (they're fine in the dungeons since they were there in the original). The new boss attacks on the other hand are really inconsistently bad, with some being fine like elemental attacks, to fucking terrible like Okita's shockwave and the Shoguns laser. Besides that my only other big(ish) complaint is how weak the substories of this game feel, with a lot feeling like filler or kinda shitty with only one or two being memorable (really liked the chanting one). This is also the grindiest Yakuza game as well, with tons of stuff being needed to get good gear and four styles that level pretty slowly (though soul orbs do help but have also been nerfed from 4/5). Also while I appreciate the game being more based on the PS3-era of Yakuza I can't lie that going back to some of the more archaic bits like the cutscenes and loading zones is a bit of a bitter pill to swallow.
Ishin: Kiwami is a pretty phenomenal game at the end of the day and is definitely one of my favorites in the franchise. Really curious if RGG will go forward with using Unreal instead of Dragon after this but with a transition this smooth I would not be shocked. An easy recommendation and one of the best games of the year.
9/10
very ambitious, but comes across as condescending in its messaging. my gripes with umineko begin to kick off once the repetition in the closed room mystery concept starts to get especially bad. ryukishi07, in my opinion, is fundamentally not that great of a mystery writer, and so the attempt at keeping the reader involved and engaged with his mysteries falls flat to me. i think ryukishi has too much time to meander in umineko and it would work better with a much shorter runtime, even with the question arcs alone.
Little can words do to embody what this games feels like as a whole. No answers, only questions.
One of the biggest, most thought out worlds in an any RPG, not only videogames?
Some of the most humane, deeply flawed and earnestly made characters?
One of the most orignal gameplay systems in a long time, of which, for once, you can say there is no other?
The most vast narrative landscape in a game, with hundreds of variables that truly make no playthrough the same?
Gorgeous art direction so deep in aqualera it feels like the world is full of life?
An inmaculate use of sintax, color theory, and design that can make the simple act of reading as engaging as the best action games?
Some of the most humane, deeply flawed and earnestly made characters?
One of the most orignal gameplay systems in a long time, of which, for once, you can say there is no other?
The most vast narrative landscape in a game, with hundreds of variables that truly make no playthrough the same?
Gorgeous art direction so deep in aqualera it feels like the world is full of life?
An inmaculate use of sintax, color theory, and design that can make the simple act of reading as engaging as the best action games?
I could go on, but the essence of it is that it has one of the most sound political views in any piece of media, full of understanding and knowledge of society that it could feel like it goes in no direction, but as I see it. Disco Elysium is a poem against war, decay and selfishness, as far as one playhrough can tell me, that's the biggest constant in all the illnesses that plague its world and characters, that comes in different forms and shapes and its your biggest enemy in the game.
Tunic
2022
Contrary to what you'll find looking at my account here I've played hundreds, if not well over a thousand video games at this stage of my life so when one manages to come out of nowhere and can still suprise the hell out of me, igniting that spark of childlike wonder of what's going to be around the next corner all the way, well then I have to be impressed.
Tunic is a game built on secrets, it's been a while since I've played something that rewards you so consistently for being curious. There's something hidden around every corner and the most invaluable item you can find in the world is pages from the game's actual manual. How novel! Each page gives some really cool insight into the very obscure world and further works to help you piece together the game's untranslated language and intended route progression in a way I've not seen done before. And all of this culminates into one of the most well kept, involved, and original puzzles I've ever had the pleasure to crack.
If only we had a real manual in our hands to take it to that next level, though I suppose that would open the player up to a slew of spoilers and unintended gameplay pacing so scratch that idea.
The Zelda inspiration is so obvious here it needn't even be commented on, our green tunic sporting, sword & shield wielding main character wears that on their sleeve. Certainly a healthy dose of Soulsian inspo in play too, with a touch of Fez (though I think that mainly comes from secrets hidden behind perspective and not much else). All of this works to excellent effect, creating one of the most surprising, addictive, and best Indie games I have ever played. Wonderful time, and other than a fairly bland OST along with some areas/sections that could've really benefited from being tightened up; an easy recommendation.