MikeSzoke
2019
A severely overhated open world action title. While it's thin narrative and archaic open world design have a lot of problems, I couldn't help but have an absolute blast with the gameplay throughout the title. It was non-stop over the top action thrills. Lot's of fun weapons to use, cool gadgets to help turn the tide of combat, and a lot of fun traversal options.
2018
A simple puzzle game that accomplished everything it set out to do. Which wasn't much. Unfortunately, that leaves the game as a rather forgettable experience. Never leaving a strong impression with any part of it.
1997
Still my favorite of the Retro DOOM titles. Everything about it fits together so smoothly, that I can't help but have a fun time as I sprint through all the levels. The pacing is a bit rough at times, but it is manageable
2013
Genuinely surprised by how much I enjoyed this title. After hearing nothing but hate for it for years now, I was expecting the worst.
Instead, I found a perfectly serviceable Roman game. The combat was enjoyable, despite a lack of depth and poor boss design. The story was entertaining, and the narrative flip was done very well. Not to mention the game is gorgeous, especially for a title from 2013.
Instead, I found a perfectly serviceable Roman game. The combat was enjoyable, despite a lack of depth and poor boss design. The story was entertaining, and the narrative flip was done very well. Not to mention the game is gorgeous, especially for a title from 2013.
2021
A thrilling detective tale of a city plagued by corruption, and a PI too cowardly to stand up in open defiance of it.
The writing is spectacular. Every single twist and turn creating a new gasp as the story reaches new heights.
Typically Adventure games such as this have me wishing they were shorter. But all I crave now is more from Backbone.
The writing is spectacular. Every single twist and turn creating a new gasp as the story reaches new heights.
Typically Adventure games such as this have me wishing they were shorter. But all I crave now is more from Backbone.
2020
Other than some really annoying bugs (especially the one that made your pov inside the sharks mouth after the bounty hunter bosses showed up), it was a decently fun time. Not anything incredible, but I don't regref my time with it.
Only finished ME1 so I'll update after each game.
Mass Effect 1: It feels vastly improved over the original version in a few areas, namely combat based ones. But it doesn't do enough to fix the issues of the game. Navigation can still be a pain if you aren't familiar with the game, the Mako sections of missions are horribly designed. Just linear paths that place 2-4 Geth Troopers in your path (that take half a second to kill each).
I do however realize that stellar level design is not why people are drawn to ME1, it's the establishment of the cast and the lore that's introduced. Both of which are actually stellar. The set plot is rather one note, but it's establishing the basis of the space epic so it gets a slight pass. As it does a great job of setting up the rest of the installments. I do appreciate how much your decisions matter, and that you face consequences depending on what you choose.
Most aspects of the game still lack depth. A fairly simple weapon/armor/skill system that is rarely required to actually advance. Very small enemy variety can lead to some boredom, etc. But overall, still a good game. Not great, not bad, just good.
☆☆☆
Mass Effect 1: It feels vastly improved over the original version in a few areas, namely combat based ones. But it doesn't do enough to fix the issues of the game. Navigation can still be a pain if you aren't familiar with the game, the Mako sections of missions are horribly designed. Just linear paths that place 2-4 Geth Troopers in your path (that take half a second to kill each).
I do however realize that stellar level design is not why people are drawn to ME1, it's the establishment of the cast and the lore that's introduced. Both of which are actually stellar. The set plot is rather one note, but it's establishing the basis of the space epic so it gets a slight pass. As it does a great job of setting up the rest of the installments. I do appreciate how much your decisions matter, and that you face consequences depending on what you choose.
Most aspects of the game still lack depth. A fairly simple weapon/armor/skill system that is rarely required to actually advance. Very small enemy variety can lead to some boredom, etc. But overall, still a good game. Not great, not bad, just good.
☆☆☆
An alright follow up to the original AA Trilogy.
I was surprised by how much I liked Apollo. He doesn't quite hold up to Phoenix, but he's definitely interesting and charismatic. Trucy is probably my favorite of the new cast members though. She's hilarious, adorable, and extremely compelling throughout. Most of the cast otherwise I was rather indifferent on if I'm being honest. Gavin was a bit unbearable at times, and most of the Witnesses were intended to be comic relief but were honestly just kind of annoying. It failed to capture the classic AA charm in many categories and instead came off a bit jarring.
The Trials and Investigations were also a lot more one note than AA1-3. It was rarely ever challenging and everything was rather straightforward. I remember having to aggressively examine location after location in the first three games, wheres each case in AA4 you MAYBE examined one or two things? And Gavin wasn't a very good rival for Apollo. He barely challenged you, only really chiming in occasionally with the same one or two phrases.
The writing in general was a step down though. In Turnabout Serenade I knew who the culprit was the second they showed him on screen. Each case was just generally easy to guess what happened, and who was guilty. Turnabout Trump was probably my favorite case in the game, and it's the very first one and the shortest one by far. I didn't care for Turnabout Corner at all. I'd say it was still better than Big Top though at least.
I do like the ending a lot. The connections between Apollo and Trucy that were established is a good direction. The Jurist system seems to be a good thing, and I hope to see it more in the future. Phoenix stole the game from Apollo though. His overarching story and the theme of creating a better courts system just blew away any of Apollo's personal development, and often times made Apollo feel like a side character in the greater scheme of things.
The biggest problem the game has tho is no Miles Edgeworth. Automatic 0/10 for no Miles Edgeworth
I was surprised by how much I liked Apollo. He doesn't quite hold up to Phoenix, but he's definitely interesting and charismatic. Trucy is probably my favorite of the new cast members though. She's hilarious, adorable, and extremely compelling throughout. Most of the cast otherwise I was rather indifferent on if I'm being honest. Gavin was a bit unbearable at times, and most of the Witnesses were intended to be comic relief but were honestly just kind of annoying. It failed to capture the classic AA charm in many categories and instead came off a bit jarring.
The Trials and Investigations were also a lot more one note than AA1-3. It was rarely ever challenging and everything was rather straightforward. I remember having to aggressively examine location after location in the first three games, wheres each case in AA4 you MAYBE examined one or two things? And Gavin wasn't a very good rival for Apollo. He barely challenged you, only really chiming in occasionally with the same one or two phrases.
The writing in general was a step down though. In Turnabout Serenade I knew who the culprit was the second they showed him on screen. Each case was just generally easy to guess what happened, and who was guilty. Turnabout Trump was probably my favorite case in the game, and it's the very first one and the shortest one by far. I didn't care for Turnabout Corner at all. I'd say it was still better than Big Top though at least.
I do like the ending a lot. The connections between Apollo and Trucy that were established is a good direction. The Jurist system seems to be a good thing, and I hope to see it more in the future. Phoenix stole the game from Apollo though. His overarching story and the theme of creating a better courts system just blew away any of Apollo's personal development, and often times made Apollo feel like a side character in the greater scheme of things.
The biggest problem the game has tho is no Miles Edgeworth. Automatic 0/10 for no Miles Edgeworth
2021
I just can't for the life of me begin to care about this game. The premise is boring, the gameplay trys playing it safe so hard that there's just no excitement. Genuinely happy for those who were able to enjoy it. I desperately wanted to enjoy this game, and sink considerable hours into it. But it is plaqued by problems. From technical flaws, bugs, crashes, to deep rooted balance issues. Hoping it improves in the future for other's, but I won't be partaking.
A thrilling murder mystery Visual Novel that perfectly captures what so many love about the genre. The twists and turns will have you constantly guessing what's going to happen next, and who the true culprit is.
An easy way to detect a good Visual Novel is by taking a look at the cast. The depth of the characters and their chemistry with one another is key to creating a compelling visual novel that will continuously keep the player engaged. The Missing Heir nails that. The protagonist either connects with everyone he meets, or there is a stiff tension that manages to make even you uncomfortable by it. As the story progresses you'll likely become very attached to some of those who are affected directly by the mystery, and have to watch helplessly unable to assist their sorrows.
Another strong quality of any good mystery Visual Novel is the ability to keep you guessing. I believe I suspected nearly every character except for the actual culprit (as you knew them at least) of the crime at one point or another. The game consistently blew my socks off, especially towards the end.
It is really only held back by a few annoying to discover progressions, and slight pacing issues at times. Nothing major though. Overall, very satisfied with the purchase. Very glad that these games finally made it to the west officially.
An easy way to detect a good Visual Novel is by taking a look at the cast. The depth of the characters and their chemistry with one another is key to creating a compelling visual novel that will continuously keep the player engaged. The Missing Heir nails that. The protagonist either connects with everyone he meets, or there is a stiff tension that manages to make even you uncomfortable by it. As the story progresses you'll likely become very attached to some of those who are affected directly by the mystery, and have to watch helplessly unable to assist their sorrows.
Another strong quality of any good mystery Visual Novel is the ability to keep you guessing. I believe I suspected nearly every character except for the actual culprit (as you knew them at least) of the crime at one point or another. The game consistently blew my socks off, especially towards the end.
It is really only held back by a few annoying to discover progressions, and slight pacing issues at times. Nothing major though. Overall, very satisfied with the purchase. Very glad that these games finally made it to the west officially.
2020
I was unsure how the roguelike mechanics would pan out when combined with the turn based combat, but they truly work together wonderfully. The multiple endings allow for the roguelike mechanics to feel natural, as well as helping keep the game fresh for every playthrough.
The writing and art are perfect. The Junji Ito inspiration does not attempt to hide itself, which is a great thing. World of Horror is a love letter to the amazing works of Junji Ito.
Mechanically the game has a lot more depth than I was expecting. Constantly having to keep an eye on and manage your Stamina, Reason, and Doom levels made every encounter feel intense. The extra functions every location added a lot of layers to the world building and general exploration of the game. Finding allies, investigating old books, learning spells, stocking up on supplies, finding out rumors. It all comes together to form a truly spectacular format.
My only problem with the game, is how short it was. Fortunately, there are more endings for me to try and find
The writing and art are perfect. The Junji Ito inspiration does not attempt to hide itself, which is a great thing. World of Horror is a love letter to the amazing works of Junji Ito.
Mechanically the game has a lot more depth than I was expecting. Constantly having to keep an eye on and manage your Stamina, Reason, and Doom levels made every encounter feel intense. The extra functions every location added a lot of layers to the world building and general exploration of the game. Finding allies, investigating old books, learning spells, stocking up on supplies, finding out rumors. It all comes together to form a truly spectacular format.
My only problem with the game, is how short it was. Fortunately, there are more endings for me to try and find
Just a review of the singleplayer
The score would be a lot higher, but the allied AI is really awful at times. On numerous levels my allies just ran into locked doors endlessly of stood around already captured control points. The follow function is useful, but it's limited to 2 allies at a time, meaning 90% of your force is off doing random glitched animations while you have to tackle the objective yourself. Feels less like forces fighting each other in combat, and more like a 1 vs 100 match up.
Other than that, the maps are really fun. Objectives are rather limited, but when everything is working, the combat is fun enough to pull you through.
The score would be a lot higher, but the allied AI is really awful at times. On numerous levels my allies just ran into locked doors endlessly of stood around already captured control points. The follow function is useful, but it's limited to 2 allies at a time, meaning 90% of your force is off doing random glitched animations while you have to tackle the objective yourself. Feels less like forces fighting each other in combat, and more like a 1 vs 100 match up.
Other than that, the maps are really fun. Objectives are rather limited, but when everything is working, the combat is fun enough to pull you through.
A vast improvement over Resident Evil 7. Tight gameplay, excellent level design, and unmatched atmosphere. It all comes together to create a unique survival horror experience. Resident Evil Village is handily one of the greatest entries in the series. Core gameplay is smooth, fast, but deadly. Boss fights are fun, challenging and full of classic RE craziness. Weapon variety is wonderful, crafting, hunting, etc all come together to craft a masterclass in survival mechanics. Truly floored by how wonderful this game is.
2012
A painfully mediocre storyline packaged along flashy, yet empty combat.
A nearly flawless isometric RPG. The slow, intricate gameplay may turn away most, but those who endure will experience one of the best Detective stories, and games ever created.
Disco Elysium is a love letter to table top RPGs, perfectly adapting the mechanics into a digitized form, while painting a sprawling single player campaign. The story, characters, and thematics are masterful in execution and design.
Disco Elysium has become a quick favorite of mine. The world is so fascinating, the struggles of the cast so enduring. The themes it explores are in direct contrast to the lives of most people, which makes them feel even more hauntingly genuine.
Disco Elysium is a love letter to table top RPGs, perfectly adapting the mechanics into a digitized form, while painting a sprawling single player campaign. The story, characters, and thematics are masterful in execution and design.
Disco Elysium has become a quick favorite of mine. The world is so fascinating, the struggles of the cast so enduring. The themes it explores are in direct contrast to the lives of most people, which makes them feel even more hauntingly genuine.