Mykurr
I feel like Ryu Ga Gotoku Studios saw the issues that persisted between 3-5 and really managed to craft a story free from the flaws of those games. There aren't 7 plot twists occurring within the last hour of the game. There is only a single fake-out death throughout the whole game. Yakuza 6 feels like the writers are at their most confident. An amazing new cast, each being very distinct and memorable to the point that they didn’t even bother making any reasons as to why older characters would appear and just completely shafted them. This might disappoint some fans considering this could be considered the end of Kiryu’s saga, but it works out for the most part by the time you witness the epilogue. The Dragon Engine looks beautiful here, but just like Kiwami 2 the physics combat can be very janky at times so playing in Normal or even Easy is your best bet. It feels very satisfying to play through the game, especially with how memorable the villains are except whatever is leftover at the end, but even the super evil ones feel gratifying when you see how Kiryu mogs their asses. Good game, right up there with the other good Yakuza games I like.
This was given out for free on Steam for good reason.
Does this serve well as a companion piece to the movie? No. There's nothing much to see here that other better lego games can better provide. Does this serve well as a substitute or reexperiencing the movie? No. They cut whole scenes out so it's confusing when they go from one event to the next with no actual transitional cutscenes in between. Go watch the lego ninjago movie and the rest of the lego movies instead, those are actually really good. If you want good lego games you can’t go wrong with Lego Stars Complete Saga, Lego Batman 1 & 2, and Lego Indiana Jones The Original Adventures. The one good thing about this game is just the kaiju level at the epilogue after you beat the story.
Does this serve well as a companion piece to the movie? No. There's nothing much to see here that other better lego games can better provide. Does this serve well as a substitute or reexperiencing the movie? No. They cut whole scenes out so it's confusing when they go from one event to the next with no actual transitional cutscenes in between. Go watch the lego ninjago movie and the rest of the lego movies instead, those are actually really good. If you want good lego games you can’t go wrong with Lego Stars Complete Saga, Lego Batman 1 & 2, and Lego Indiana Jones The Original Adventures. The one good thing about this game is just the kaiju level at the epilogue after you beat the story.
TBD
Judging by what’s available in the demo, it’s honestly quite a rough experience.
For one, finding the most recent version is a huge hassle since it's neither the steam or itch.io version. Instead, the way I found this is through a guide you’d have to look up specific key terms for to actually find. I like these kinds of interactable erotic games but they really need to cut time on exploration or have better fast travel to the person rather than just the location since it gets really annoying going through the same areas to see certain NPCs. The character portraits are really pretty of course which is why I even got interested in the first place, but the artstyle change to when they’re doing intercourse is regrettably less tantalizing for the herculean amount of effort to get there. This game relies way too much on repetition with how many times you have to do the same actions over and over to increase the affection rate of characters. Maybe it’ll be less tedious in the full version where they might introduce more mechanics hopefully. With how the current build is, there is potential for something decent but I don’t think I’ll be in the front seat when it does come out.
For one, finding the most recent version is a huge hassle since it's neither the steam or itch.io version. Instead, the way I found this is through a guide you’d have to look up specific key terms for to actually find. I like these kinds of interactable erotic games but they really need to cut time on exploration or have better fast travel to the person rather than just the location since it gets really annoying going through the same areas to see certain NPCs. The character portraits are really pretty of course which is why I even got interested in the first place, but the artstyle change to when they’re doing intercourse is regrettably less tantalizing for the herculean amount of effort to get there. This game relies way too much on repetition with how many times you have to do the same actions over and over to increase the affection rate of characters. Maybe it’ll be less tedious in the full version where they might introduce more mechanics hopefully. With how the current build is, there is potential for something decent but I don’t think I’ll be in the front seat when it does come out.
A certain youtuber has popularized a certain meme that this game “makes you feel like Batman” but honestly this game makes you feel as batman as any other action character I can think of.
Many would hail the Arkham series as one of the best adaptations of capeshit within the video game landscape, but really the competition just isn’t all that tough to begin with. To my knowledge, the only ones that people even respect to a very high degree in the first place are the recent Spidey games by Insomniac and the beloved Lego games which are still honestly pretty brain-dead games. Honestly though, this game is just as simple as those lego games but it works very well for the most part.
One thing these games do that “makes you feel like Batman” is definitely its presentation. The sparse use of colors with everything tending to be very dark and monotone really sells that this is indeed a batman game that can be placed quite comfortably with its other incarnations in other mediums such as the Nolan movies or the original animated series. Maybe it's just me but the animation models how Batman runs and fights also feel awfully familiar to how you’d see him in the cartoon or comics recreating that campy feeling. Surprisingly it doesn’t clash at all with the overly serious grimdark setting of Arkham and just feels like another episode of Batman’s adventures.
Though despite being an iteration of Batman’s adventures, this is honestly quite light on the storytelling for what happens to be a superhero story. Basically, Batman puts Joker into Arkham only for it to be a trap where Joker then proceeds to put Batman into his playground against his rogue’s gallery. This is effective in platforming this action game but doesn’t really make the player really pay attention to the actual narrative beyond “whoa Batman is up against this villain next”. Granted, it honestly doesn’t have to be anything more than what it is since its fun for what it’s worth in running around Arkham Asylum in the first place.
The gameplay is honestly just pretty good, but nothing actually substantial. I’m quite disappointed that the combat has this weird auto-lock to enemies where you don’t really have to control Batman’s direction all that much and really just mash the attack button while occasionally using the counter button whenever the visual indicator for it appears. What’s the actual highlight however is definitely the exploration and stealth in trying to maneuver through the different buildings without getting caught and solving easy but interesting puzzles on the way to your next destination. This part really does feel like an episode of BTAS where Batman has to solve a situation a villain has put him through which I do appreciate.
I like Batman Arkham Asylum. If you like the caped crusader, it's definitely a game worth playing. One thing I forgot to mention actually is the element of horror of the unknown in being in an asylum which I found very engaging. This is especially heightened with the Scarecrow segments which really got me immersed as this being a Batman story. Sometimes the models and combat can feel a bit stiff though, but that is more so because it's a PS3 game more than anything. Good time to be had with this one, worth the 15 hours I put into it.
Many would hail the Arkham series as one of the best adaptations of capeshit within the video game landscape, but really the competition just isn’t all that tough to begin with. To my knowledge, the only ones that people even respect to a very high degree in the first place are the recent Spidey games by Insomniac and the beloved Lego games which are still honestly pretty brain-dead games. Honestly though, this game is just as simple as those lego games but it works very well for the most part.
One thing these games do that “makes you feel like Batman” is definitely its presentation. The sparse use of colors with everything tending to be very dark and monotone really sells that this is indeed a batman game that can be placed quite comfortably with its other incarnations in other mediums such as the Nolan movies or the original animated series. Maybe it's just me but the animation models how Batman runs and fights also feel awfully familiar to how you’d see him in the cartoon or comics recreating that campy feeling. Surprisingly it doesn’t clash at all with the overly serious grimdark setting of Arkham and just feels like another episode of Batman’s adventures.
Though despite being an iteration of Batman’s adventures, this is honestly quite light on the storytelling for what happens to be a superhero story. Basically, Batman puts Joker into Arkham only for it to be a trap where Joker then proceeds to put Batman into his playground against his rogue’s gallery. This is effective in platforming this action game but doesn’t really make the player really pay attention to the actual narrative beyond “whoa Batman is up against this villain next”. Granted, it honestly doesn’t have to be anything more than what it is since its fun for what it’s worth in running around Arkham Asylum in the first place.
The gameplay is honestly just pretty good, but nothing actually substantial. I’m quite disappointed that the combat has this weird auto-lock to enemies where you don’t really have to control Batman’s direction all that much and really just mash the attack button while occasionally using the counter button whenever the visual indicator for it appears. What’s the actual highlight however is definitely the exploration and stealth in trying to maneuver through the different buildings without getting caught and solving easy but interesting puzzles on the way to your next destination. This part really does feel like an episode of BTAS where Batman has to solve a situation a villain has put him through which I do appreciate.
I like Batman Arkham Asylum. If you like the caped crusader, it's definitely a game worth playing. One thing I forgot to mention actually is the element of horror of the unknown in being in an asylum which I found very engaging. This is especially heightened with the Scarecrow segments which really got me immersed as this being a Batman story. Sometimes the models and combat can feel a bit stiff though, but that is more so because it's a PS3 game more than anything. Good time to be had with this one, worth the 15 hours I put into it.
2017
I don’t need to tell you this game is a masterpiece, everyone else already has.
But now that I’ve completed it for the second time with this being done on PC, I have a few brief comments I would like to share in my experience with playing this game. Most notably, I can’t think of another game I’ve played that utilizes its format as a storytelling medium the same way this game does it. So instead of just going about how each factor I usually think of in a game and how well it does it, I’d like to provide some thoughts I had as I finished every route.
The A route is honestly amazing as is, even if it barely actually uncovers what this game is about, it’s an incredibly great hook for a masterfully solid action game with some cool mysteries that leaves you yearning for more as it does a great job in setting the foundation of the Android v Machine war. Honestly, they could literally just sell this game with route A alone and I would argue it's already worth purchasing at full price with how expansive the world and beautiful the game is and the depth gameplay it has with its combat and customization even if it's just a 13 hour story. Luckily, we are even more spoiled for content.
To be quite honest, I have some mixed feelings with how the B route is. I do like that there is a separate campaign as the lovable shota character’s perspective, but at the same time I really feel like they could have easily integrated both perspectives into one campaign. 9S’s moveset is definitely different enough from 2B with how fun the hacking is being a Shmup and kind of making combat easier, but retreading the same plot points is kind of tiring even if it does bring new story elements in. It's a blessing that they made this route much shorter than route A, but essentially doing large parts of the same campaign is quite tedious.
What truly puts this game above and beyond as an experience onto its own is definitely Route C/D. Like the second half of a battle shounen where characters no longer reside in the status quo, Nier:Automata finally reveals itself to be Yoko Taro’s magnum opus in presenting this wild ride that's captured the hearts of many players and tugged them through a whole range of contrasting emotions. Just this duality of actions between the 2 playable characters in parallel really made it difficult to put the controller down as this emotional rollercoaster makes one beg for something conclusive to everything happening. This game will make you keep thinking way after the credits roll, but even when the credits roll Nier:Automata is still its own kind of game.
Route E is simply genius. A culmination of the game’s narrative into the ultimate finale where it's beyond character and game, as this feels like a dialogue between player and creator. If the shmup sections felt like a weird juxtaposition to the action heavy combat gameplay before, it all clicks at the very moment you finally beat this game as it becomes evident how meticulous every design aspect this game made to get you to reach this point. I can’t imagine anyone not getting goosebumps every time they died drying to complete this route. The final choice you are given honestly brings me a tear to my eye, knowing this is a game for the GAMERS everywhere. This is the only game I can think of where going online really does mean something as a community as someone who doesn’t care much for online multiplayer games.
Of course, I still have some gripes nonetheless despite how mindblowing this game is. As iterated in my thoughts with route B, the game really does feel repetitive with how you’re redoing certain tasks again and again. Travelling also becomes a pain after a while since although there is a fast travel mechanic, some locations you’ll backtrack to are still pretty far from any point you can travel to. What makes this extra annoying is that this game has some annoying invisible walls with some setpieces looking like you can pass through them only to be halted, while in other scenarios you assume you’re gated off a path only for it to actually be jumpable. Also an issue I have with a lot of PlatinumGames I’ve encountered with MGR and Transformers which is present here as well is that the lighting and camera can really suck sometimes when you’re in the heat of a battle. Nothing that actually ruins the experience, but has those few problems that can irk me at times.
Overall, Nier:Automata is just a unique experience. Maybe there’s others like it, especially in Yoko Taro’s portfolio that I haven’t experienced yet, but for now it's definitely a game that is all to its own in my eyes. One thing I should also say is that for something so special, it also happens to be very accessible which I appreciate as the message and story of the game is worth getting as many people to witness this shining gem of a game. Anyways, 9/10 because my favorite character is 9S.
But now that I’ve completed it for the second time with this being done on PC, I have a few brief comments I would like to share in my experience with playing this game. Most notably, I can’t think of another game I’ve played that utilizes its format as a storytelling medium the same way this game does it. So instead of just going about how each factor I usually think of in a game and how well it does it, I’d like to provide some thoughts I had as I finished every route.
The A route is honestly amazing as is, even if it barely actually uncovers what this game is about, it’s an incredibly great hook for a masterfully solid action game with some cool mysteries that leaves you yearning for more as it does a great job in setting the foundation of the Android v Machine war. Honestly, they could literally just sell this game with route A alone and I would argue it's already worth purchasing at full price with how expansive the world and beautiful the game is and the depth gameplay it has with its combat and customization even if it's just a 13 hour story. Luckily, we are even more spoiled for content.
To be quite honest, I have some mixed feelings with how the B route is. I do like that there is a separate campaign as the lovable shota character’s perspective, but at the same time I really feel like they could have easily integrated both perspectives into one campaign. 9S’s moveset is definitely different enough from 2B with how fun the hacking is being a Shmup and kind of making combat easier, but retreading the same plot points is kind of tiring even if it does bring new story elements in. It's a blessing that they made this route much shorter than route A, but essentially doing large parts of the same campaign is quite tedious.
What truly puts this game above and beyond as an experience onto its own is definitely Route C/D. Like the second half of a battle shounen where characters no longer reside in the status quo, Nier:Automata finally reveals itself to be Yoko Taro’s magnum opus in presenting this wild ride that's captured the hearts of many players and tugged them through a whole range of contrasting emotions. Just this duality of actions between the 2 playable characters in parallel really made it difficult to put the controller down as this emotional rollercoaster makes one beg for something conclusive to everything happening. This game will make you keep thinking way after the credits roll, but even when the credits roll Nier:Automata is still its own kind of game.
Route E is simply genius. A culmination of the game’s narrative into the ultimate finale where it's beyond character and game, as this feels like a dialogue between player and creator. If the shmup sections felt like a weird juxtaposition to the action heavy combat gameplay before, it all clicks at the very moment you finally beat this game as it becomes evident how meticulous every design aspect this game made to get you to reach this point. I can’t imagine anyone not getting goosebumps every time they died drying to complete this route. The final choice you are given honestly brings me a tear to my eye, knowing this is a game for the GAMERS everywhere. This is the only game I can think of where going online really does mean something as a community as someone who doesn’t care much for online multiplayer games.
Of course, I still have some gripes nonetheless despite how mindblowing this game is. As iterated in my thoughts with route B, the game really does feel repetitive with how you’re redoing certain tasks again and again. Travelling also becomes a pain after a while since although there is a fast travel mechanic, some locations you’ll backtrack to are still pretty far from any point you can travel to. What makes this extra annoying is that this game has some annoying invisible walls with some setpieces looking like you can pass through them only to be halted, while in other scenarios you assume you’re gated off a path only for it to actually be jumpable. Also an issue I have with a lot of PlatinumGames I’ve encountered with MGR and Transformers which is present here as well is that the lighting and camera can really suck sometimes when you’re in the heat of a battle. Nothing that actually ruins the experience, but has those few problems that can irk me at times.
Overall, Nier:Automata is just a unique experience. Maybe there’s others like it, especially in Yoko Taro’s portfolio that I haven’t experienced yet, but for now it's definitely a game that is all to its own in my eyes. One thing I should also say is that for something so special, it also happens to be very accessible which I appreciate as the message and story of the game is worth getting as many people to witness this shining gem of a game. Anyways, 9/10 because my favorite character is 9S.
2023
This is JUST the original game, and that’s why I don’t like it.
Resident Evil 4 Remake just seems outright unnecessary to me. Resident Evil 2 and 3 were originally fixed camera games and their remakes provided fresh takes on a completely new experience of these original games while still maintaining a sense of horror and dread through claustrophobically dark rooms and levels and its scarce resource management (less so in RE3R but there was still that element of terror). Here in RE4R, Leon is just this unstoppable force and never once am I ever really afraid of any possible horrors that Leon can’t handle. Even in the original RE4, despite it being action heavy it felt more as if Leon is just trying to survive the hellscape with how little the player is given and how much the atmosphere makes things tense be it in the villages, castle or laboratory.
This game obviously looks good for the most part as it's the same RE engine used for RE2R and RE3R so dem graphics are going to look gorgeous in portraying the location it's set in. However, like mentioned above the presentation just doesn’t sell the horror to me. It just feels like playing an action game that occasionally gives you a jumpscare here and there which just feels cheap at times. If I were to compare it to the original, the laboratory scene comes to mind where the original had the perfect lighting and ambience with the strange creature approaching, the horror is in just that fear knowing the inevitable is coming. With the remake, a moment that pissed me off is really just opening a door and suddenly some monster was already behind it giving it a cheap surprise. The presentation is just missing that special sauce to me. Also what the fuck did they do to Ada Wong, holy shit her new voice is so bad now WHY WOULD THEY DO THIS TO HER I AM SO MAD SO MAD SO MAD SO MAD- anyways I used a mod that fixes her voice so I’m gucci.
Story-wise it is exactly the same as the original RE4 but with some events shuffled which I actually appreciate since it presents said old ideas in new ways I can appreciate. Sure they toned down Luis being a creep to Ashley and the fact that Ashley is way more mature than how she was originally but I’m honestly fine with that. Cheesiness is all but gone unfortunately as the events are taken much more seriously, with more emphasis on Leon’s PTSD over the events of Raccoon City and him just cracking less goofy one liners. The bickering between Leon and Ashley is still there but it's more like Leon is reassuring a child rather than the back and forth of the original. There’s definitely an intentional tonal change between the 2 games but I don’t really mind it that much as it means that they are trying to do something different which I appreciate a remake to do.
As an action game, I might actually consider this to be a really great game. The knife parrying feels so rewarding to do and the action sequences with guns in trying to clear an area is satisfying to an extent. However, the tin says Resident Evil and that’s the standards I will be adhering to. Although on the surface it is great not being limited by tank controls anymore, it also means that so many other factors like the enemy movements and such have to be changed according to what you can do. The limitations of the original really added an element of terror in the limited things Leon can do with the scarce resources, paired with the slow moving enemies really created that horror gameplay experience of just a gradual escalating tension of panic. In comparison, the remake is just an action game that plays really well, but nothing particularly distinct or Resident Evil about it for me.
Honestly, I’m probably not even being fair to this game. My biggest issue is the fact that it's incredibly close to the original game without enough that makes it unique enough for me to recommend as its own experience. But at the same time, I have to admit this is a solid project and I can see many considering this to be the definitive Resident Evil 4 experience. I wish I could tell people to play the original instead, but I know there are aspects to it some folks just can’t get past like the tank controls and this game does serve well as a modern version just without actually being very distinct on its own compared to many other remakes I really like. Other than that, it's a solid game that I just fundamentally disagree with.
Resident Evil 4 Remake just seems outright unnecessary to me. Resident Evil 2 and 3 were originally fixed camera games and their remakes provided fresh takes on a completely new experience of these original games while still maintaining a sense of horror and dread through claustrophobically dark rooms and levels and its scarce resource management (less so in RE3R but there was still that element of terror). Here in RE4R, Leon is just this unstoppable force and never once am I ever really afraid of any possible horrors that Leon can’t handle. Even in the original RE4, despite it being action heavy it felt more as if Leon is just trying to survive the hellscape with how little the player is given and how much the atmosphere makes things tense be it in the villages, castle or laboratory.
This game obviously looks good for the most part as it's the same RE engine used for RE2R and RE3R so dem graphics are going to look gorgeous in portraying the location it's set in. However, like mentioned above the presentation just doesn’t sell the horror to me. It just feels like playing an action game that occasionally gives you a jumpscare here and there which just feels cheap at times. If I were to compare it to the original, the laboratory scene comes to mind where the original had the perfect lighting and ambience with the strange creature approaching, the horror is in just that fear knowing the inevitable is coming. With the remake, a moment that pissed me off is really just opening a door and suddenly some monster was already behind it giving it a cheap surprise. The presentation is just missing that special sauce to me. Also what the fuck did they do to Ada Wong, holy shit her new voice is so bad now WHY WOULD THEY DO THIS TO HER I AM SO MAD SO MAD SO MAD SO MAD- anyways I used a mod that fixes her voice so I’m gucci.
Story-wise it is exactly the same as the original RE4 but with some events shuffled which I actually appreciate since it presents said old ideas in new ways I can appreciate. Sure they toned down Luis being a creep to Ashley and the fact that Ashley is way more mature than how she was originally but I’m honestly fine with that. Cheesiness is all but gone unfortunately as the events are taken much more seriously, with more emphasis on Leon’s PTSD over the events of Raccoon City and him just cracking less goofy one liners. The bickering between Leon and Ashley is still there but it's more like Leon is reassuring a child rather than the back and forth of the original. There’s definitely an intentional tonal change between the 2 games but I don’t really mind it that much as it means that they are trying to do something different which I appreciate a remake to do.
As an action game, I might actually consider this to be a really great game. The knife parrying feels so rewarding to do and the action sequences with guns in trying to clear an area is satisfying to an extent. However, the tin says Resident Evil and that’s the standards I will be adhering to. Although on the surface it is great not being limited by tank controls anymore, it also means that so many other factors like the enemy movements and such have to be changed according to what you can do. The limitations of the original really added an element of terror in the limited things Leon can do with the scarce resources, paired with the slow moving enemies really created that horror gameplay experience of just a gradual escalating tension of panic. In comparison, the remake is just an action game that plays really well, but nothing particularly distinct or Resident Evil about it for me.
Honestly, I’m probably not even being fair to this game. My biggest issue is the fact that it's incredibly close to the original game without enough that makes it unique enough for me to recommend as its own experience. But at the same time, I have to admit this is a solid project and I can see many considering this to be the definitive Resident Evil 4 experience. I wish I could tell people to play the original instead, but I know there are aspects to it some folks just can’t get past like the tank controls and this game does serve well as a modern version just without actually being very distinct on its own compared to many other remakes I really like. Other than that, it's a solid game that I just fundamentally disagree with.
Dropped at the two hour mark. I wouldn’t even say the game is even bad, just that it is really only made for children with how simple and easy it is. All you get is a jump, interact, and pose button, with all that the player just goes through each stage. Honestly the stages look really nice and you can tell there’s a lot of love and polish put into these, but there’s simply no challenge in just doing what the game tells you to do. There’s some element of exploration for the stars' shards, but even that can’t keep my attention. Competently made for what it is, but not something I’d ever recommend for anyone outside its target audience.
2013
What a great movie-like experience this is! But that’s all it is.
Not to be too harsh towards this game, but this game kind of explained to me why a lot of people like to call certain games as “movie games’. I don’t find it necessarily disparaging, but it really demonstrates how the game really tries to mimic a movie-like experience albeit interactive with all the epic set pieces as to how Lara Croft maneuvers through certain obstacles. All this cool shit is happening on screen, but all the player really is doing is just holding a direction and occasionally pressing A or X.
There are some actual interactive parts in this game though like the puzzles which are actually pretty interesting to solve despite how easy they are, though they’re very few and far between so there’s not much to be impressed with. The worst part of the game has to be the skirmishes against waves of enemies, not only does it feel monotonous and repetitive, it's just not what I expect a character like Lara Croft to be doing. I get that she's a superhuman, but from what I understand she really isn’t meant to be this guns-blazing force of power type of character.
Some areas are explorable which is cool to find journals, artifacts and the like since it actually feels Tomb Raider-y with actually being an archaeologist as it adds more to the world. Speaking of the setting, it's interesting that they’re trying to have Lara’s friends have their own narratives but I either can’t get invested by it or I just outright dislike the character. The lore surrounding the island is cool though, so I’m at least fine with Sam and Lara’s dynamic. Otherwise it's a pretty forgettable narrative and I can see a lot of players just outright skipping all the cutscenes.
Despite how middling I felt with this game, I was actually never all that bored since it paces itself well while never having a dull moment. Tomb Raider (2013) isn’t all that special, but for what it is I can enjoy it. Play the game if you wanna experience a thrilling adventure that checks all the boxes as to what a game should do to keep your attention. Just don’t expect something mind blowing.
Not to be too harsh towards this game, but this game kind of explained to me why a lot of people like to call certain games as “movie games’. I don’t find it necessarily disparaging, but it really demonstrates how the game really tries to mimic a movie-like experience albeit interactive with all the epic set pieces as to how Lara Croft maneuvers through certain obstacles. All this cool shit is happening on screen, but all the player really is doing is just holding a direction and occasionally pressing A or X.
There are some actual interactive parts in this game though like the puzzles which are actually pretty interesting to solve despite how easy they are, though they’re very few and far between so there’s not much to be impressed with. The worst part of the game has to be the skirmishes against waves of enemies, not only does it feel monotonous and repetitive, it's just not what I expect a character like Lara Croft to be doing. I get that she's a superhuman, but from what I understand she really isn’t meant to be this guns-blazing force of power type of character.
Some areas are explorable which is cool to find journals, artifacts and the like since it actually feels Tomb Raider-y with actually being an archaeologist as it adds more to the world. Speaking of the setting, it's interesting that they’re trying to have Lara’s friends have their own narratives but I either can’t get invested by it or I just outright dislike the character. The lore surrounding the island is cool though, so I’m at least fine with Sam and Lara’s dynamic. Otherwise it's a pretty forgettable narrative and I can see a lot of players just outright skipping all the cutscenes.
Despite how middling I felt with this game, I was actually never all that bored since it paces itself well while never having a dull moment. Tomb Raider (2013) isn’t all that special, but for what it is I can enjoy it. Play the game if you wanna experience a thrilling adventure that checks all the boxes as to what a game should do to keep your attention. Just don’t expect something mind blowing.
Transformers: A Hidden Gem in Disguise.
How I came to discover this is really funny since I just came across a video where Sonic Frontiers’s boss theme songs played in other final bosses where I saw Break through it All playing in the space fight between Optimus Prime vs Megatron. The action combat looked really cool, so it came to surprise me that Platinum Games actually worked on it and they work on a lot of licensed games. Finally playing it for myself and man it does not disappoint.
This game looks really pretty, adopting the comics art style with some gorgeous cel-shading, really selling the feeling of playing a comic book with how faithful the characters look to the original cartoon. I say this but I don’t actually know much about the Transformers franchise besides the Michael Bay movies and Transformers Animated by Derrick J Wyatt, but I’d say this is a welcome addition to more Transformers media. Though very simple, the narrative serves well to platform the cool action gameplay with a surprisingly interesting narrative idea of conflict between Optimus Prime and Megatron’s ideal for Cybertron. It’s actually quite compelling to hear their dialogue on Optimus believing to adapt with humans on Earth while Megatron wants to claim the world for Cybertronians. Reminds me a lot of Xavier and Magneto’s conflict with how Mutants should live though very contextually different. This story really isn’t complex enough that I wouldn’t fault anyone to just outright skip the cutscenes, but I appreciate that they still wrote something worth telling for a video game showing the passion the team must have for this project.
Why anyone would play this though is for its very simple combat scheme being only relegated to 2 buttons with a dodge mechanic in its shoulder button. This sounds incredibly simple, but somehow the game manages to really flesh this out with the different types of damage and projectiles creating an interesting challenge in maneuvering over fights. Not to mention, it just looks cool as hell since the combat always looks very active yet clear. However, sometimes the camera can get annoying with it being completely manual to control which makes it difficult for certain sequences if an object is blocking the character you’re controlling. Speaking of which, the game itself lets you play as five different characters for the main campaign and they all feel very unique despite having the same loadouts and weapons, with characters like Bumblebee being agile or someone heavy but a good damage dealer like the Dinobot dude. Biggest issue to all this is just the fact that the bosses get really damage spongy on normal and above, while the AI becomes a tad too easy on lower difficulties meaning that there might not be a sweet spot for many players.
Platinum Games really put they’re all into making the game as fun as they could make it. Despite being a licensed game, this could easily be put into competition with a lot of action hack-and-slash games with how robust the overall experience is. It's a short game though, so I’d best recommend it if you just want a quick game to enjoy some Transformers action without anything too complex, story or gameplay wise. I assume this game is for kids after all, but nonetheless definitely made with respect to both the audience and the franchise its using in mind.
How I came to discover this is really funny since I just came across a video where Sonic Frontiers’s boss theme songs played in other final bosses where I saw Break through it All playing in the space fight between Optimus Prime vs Megatron. The action combat looked really cool, so it came to surprise me that Platinum Games actually worked on it and they work on a lot of licensed games. Finally playing it for myself and man it does not disappoint.
This game looks really pretty, adopting the comics art style with some gorgeous cel-shading, really selling the feeling of playing a comic book with how faithful the characters look to the original cartoon. I say this but I don’t actually know much about the Transformers franchise besides the Michael Bay movies and Transformers Animated by Derrick J Wyatt, but I’d say this is a welcome addition to more Transformers media. Though very simple, the narrative serves well to platform the cool action gameplay with a surprisingly interesting narrative idea of conflict between Optimus Prime and Megatron’s ideal for Cybertron. It’s actually quite compelling to hear their dialogue on Optimus believing to adapt with humans on Earth while Megatron wants to claim the world for Cybertronians. Reminds me a lot of Xavier and Magneto’s conflict with how Mutants should live though very contextually different. This story really isn’t complex enough that I wouldn’t fault anyone to just outright skip the cutscenes, but I appreciate that they still wrote something worth telling for a video game showing the passion the team must have for this project.
Why anyone would play this though is for its very simple combat scheme being only relegated to 2 buttons with a dodge mechanic in its shoulder button. This sounds incredibly simple, but somehow the game manages to really flesh this out with the different types of damage and projectiles creating an interesting challenge in maneuvering over fights. Not to mention, it just looks cool as hell since the combat always looks very active yet clear. However, sometimes the camera can get annoying with it being completely manual to control which makes it difficult for certain sequences if an object is blocking the character you’re controlling. Speaking of which, the game itself lets you play as five different characters for the main campaign and they all feel very unique despite having the same loadouts and weapons, with characters like Bumblebee being agile or someone heavy but a good damage dealer like the Dinobot dude. Biggest issue to all this is just the fact that the bosses get really damage spongy on normal and above, while the AI becomes a tad too easy on lower difficulties meaning that there might not be a sweet spot for many players.
Platinum Games really put they’re all into making the game as fun as they could make it. Despite being a licensed game, this could easily be put into competition with a lot of action hack-and-slash games with how robust the overall experience is. It's a short game though, so I’d best recommend it if you just want a quick game to enjoy some Transformers action without anything too complex, story or gameplay wise. I assume this game is for kids after all, but nonetheless definitely made with respect to both the audience and the franchise its using in mind.
2018
Greatest of all time. Zenith of the medium. Hallmark of media. Gold standard of storytelling. Apogee of creativity. Vertex of invention. Crest of ingenuity. Acme of imagination. Pinnacle of innovation. Epic of epics. Legend among legends. Peak fiction.
I played this game in honor of Akira Toriyama after his passing as this game is known for having the “dream team” staff as part of its development. Compared to most games I’ve played recently, everyone around me has been hyping this game up as one of the best the video game medium has to offer so my expectations were the highest it could ever be. But this game surpassed them. Chrono Trigger is the video game that encapsulates why I love video games, from its grandiose adventure to its gameplay mechanics all serving the only purpose a video game should have; to be fun.
Easily one of the best looking SNES era games, sure it doesn’t look as technologically advanced as say Donkey Kong Country or uses mode7 graphics like Final Fantasy 6 all that often, but the art direction is just simply magnificent with how the world looks in how it fits well to the stellar Akira Toriyama character designs with the main playable characters looking as slick as hell. Monsters look like this perfect fusion of Final Fantasy eldritch horrors mixed with Dragon Quest’s charming silliness that creates a cool balance of both. Chrono Trigger also has a godly soundtrack where each music piece feels so resonant with the scene playing that I always end up humming the tunes while I play. Even if you dislike older video games, everyone owes it to themselves to at least check out this one with how amazingly well it has aged.
One thing that playing Chrono Trigger has made me learn is that every western inspired JRPG really is just trying to mimic this game and I can see why. It is THE turn-based combat JRPG for players who hate turn based combat. With the ATB system similar to Final Fantasy but with an interesting twist with positioning on the screen, Chrono Trigger’s combat really gives the illusion of being more lively and involved compared to other turn-based JRPGs in this sense. How quick the combat is against enemies also really helps the exploration, especially the fact that it has no random enemy encounters. That must certainly be a huge boon for some. But that’s just scratching the surface of what makes the exploration great as the real meat is in fact the time travel letting you explore the world in different time periods and impacting history in different ways to complete side quests and progress through the story.
It is with this gameplay element that the story truly shines as something completely unique. It starts off with Crono simply being dragged into the time travel shenanigans but it gradually escalates into this amazing time travel adventure where you meet interesting party members each very distinct to their original time periods and having a lot of character and personality. The overall main story is surprisingly short, but it makes up for it with its sheer amount of side quests available before the final boss. I like this structure to be honest, it gives a lot of content for those who want to make the most out of their games while also being a game that can be relatively quick for those who just want to see the main things of what makes this game so great, Either way, Chrono Trigger will rarely ever keep a played bored with how well it directs them to the next interesting event.
This is a pretty good game overall. Might be a new all-time favorite. I’m going to be thinking about it for a while. If you’re looking for a beautiful game that just has a comfy yet hype story that’ll keep you engaged be it through its addictive gameplay or its endearing narrative, this is the one. Don’t play the steam version though because it crashes a lot. 10/10.
I played this game in honor of Akira Toriyama after his passing as this game is known for having the “dream team” staff as part of its development. Compared to most games I’ve played recently, everyone around me has been hyping this game up as one of the best the video game medium has to offer so my expectations were the highest it could ever be. But this game surpassed them. Chrono Trigger is the video game that encapsulates why I love video games, from its grandiose adventure to its gameplay mechanics all serving the only purpose a video game should have; to be fun.
Easily one of the best looking SNES era games, sure it doesn’t look as technologically advanced as say Donkey Kong Country or uses mode7 graphics like Final Fantasy 6 all that often, but the art direction is just simply magnificent with how the world looks in how it fits well to the stellar Akira Toriyama character designs with the main playable characters looking as slick as hell. Monsters look like this perfect fusion of Final Fantasy eldritch horrors mixed with Dragon Quest’s charming silliness that creates a cool balance of both. Chrono Trigger also has a godly soundtrack where each music piece feels so resonant with the scene playing that I always end up humming the tunes while I play. Even if you dislike older video games, everyone owes it to themselves to at least check out this one with how amazingly well it has aged.
One thing that playing Chrono Trigger has made me learn is that every western inspired JRPG really is just trying to mimic this game and I can see why. It is THE turn-based combat JRPG for players who hate turn based combat. With the ATB system similar to Final Fantasy but with an interesting twist with positioning on the screen, Chrono Trigger’s combat really gives the illusion of being more lively and involved compared to other turn-based JRPGs in this sense. How quick the combat is against enemies also really helps the exploration, especially the fact that it has no random enemy encounters. That must certainly be a huge boon for some. But that’s just scratching the surface of what makes the exploration great as the real meat is in fact the time travel letting you explore the world in different time periods and impacting history in different ways to complete side quests and progress through the story.
It is with this gameplay element that the story truly shines as something completely unique. It starts off with Crono simply being dragged into the time travel shenanigans but it gradually escalates into this amazing time travel adventure where you meet interesting party members each very distinct to their original time periods and having a lot of character and personality. The overall main story is surprisingly short, but it makes up for it with its sheer amount of side quests available before the final boss. I like this structure to be honest, it gives a lot of content for those who want to make the most out of their games while also being a game that can be relatively quick for those who just want to see the main things of what makes this game so great, Either way, Chrono Trigger will rarely ever keep a played bored with how well it directs them to the next interesting event.
This is a pretty good game overall. Might be a new all-time favorite. I’m going to be thinking about it for a while. If you’re looking for a beautiful game that just has a comfy yet hype story that’ll keep you engaged be it through its addictive gameplay or its endearing narrative, this is the one. Don’t play the steam version though because it crashes a lot. 10/10.
2012
Replaying this for the first time in eleven years and I’m quite disappointed by it.
After playing the first six games, I’ve become spoiled by the simplicity of 2D exploration and how fun it is to visit charming locales that's quick and easy. Unfortunately, Final Fantasy VII bogs down this experience with the 3D jankiness in trying to navigate through its muddy pre-rendered backgrounds. Maybe they looked better on a CRT of the 90s, but playing them with my zoomer tendencies just makes the whole endeavor feel miserable.
Combat is interesting because I really love the materia system and all the combinations you can experiment with, but at the same time the ATB system feels so gutted in how wonky I have to select things and how the whole UI feels. Storywise, this game is definitely uncontested as the best final fantasy narrative, the cute love triangle going on, the cast bickers and banters, how each character has their own arc to go through, all of its is just so riveting to play through that FF7 definitely feels the closest a cast of party has ever been. Sephiroth is just an amazing villain and all the build up and twists around him just keeps me guessing in awe as every payoff just delivers.
Honestly though, I don’t think I’m going to complete this second playthrough. As a game it doesn’t do enough to keep me invested as I’ve already beaten it once and know what happens next. This is still a great game, but definitely not on the higher echelon as I used to think it was. Maybe I’ll come back to it, who knows, however there’s a million games that I want to play more right now.
After playing the first six games, I’ve become spoiled by the simplicity of 2D exploration and how fun it is to visit charming locales that's quick and easy. Unfortunately, Final Fantasy VII bogs down this experience with the 3D jankiness in trying to navigate through its muddy pre-rendered backgrounds. Maybe they looked better on a CRT of the 90s, but playing them with my zoomer tendencies just makes the whole endeavor feel miserable.
Combat is interesting because I really love the materia system and all the combinations you can experiment with, but at the same time the ATB system feels so gutted in how wonky I have to select things and how the whole UI feels. Storywise, this game is definitely uncontested as the best final fantasy narrative, the cute love triangle going on, the cast bickers and banters, how each character has their own arc to go through, all of its is just so riveting to play through that FF7 definitely feels the closest a cast of party has ever been. Sephiroth is just an amazing villain and all the build up and twists around him just keeps me guessing in awe as every payoff just delivers.
Honestly though, I don’t think I’m going to complete this second playthrough. As a game it doesn’t do enough to keep me invested as I’ve already beaten it once and know what happens next. This is still a great game, but definitely not on the higher echelon as I used to think it was. Maybe I’ll come back to it, who knows, however there’s a million games that I want to play more right now.
Papers, Please But Horny is surprisingly a decent game but fails on what it’s supposed to do.
Looking for another erotic game to play between my Final Fantasy VII sessions and just happened to stumble upon this which funnily enough I actually already owned on Steam. The artwork is honestly pretty stiff and lacking in detail but I can work with it, my standards are pretty lenient when I’m just looking for a good time. Surprisingly the story is actually pretty focused on which surprised me as we get to learn a lot about Thill’s situation and a pretty fleshed out personality. Every other character is surface level as these kinds of games are which is fine since every woman-looking thing is effectively the main character’s cumrag in this world. The gameplay and sex scenes starts off simple with only checking one document and maybe patting people down, but gets progressively more interesting with more document variables you need to check through as you’re able to unlock more sex options. How it starts is actually quite long before you can actually do anything erotic, but I guess that's fine since that's how most of these types of games are in trying to get you in the mood first.
On paper (pun intended), all this might sound like an actually pretty good game, but the biggest issue is that this fails as a porn game. I get that as a gatekeeper there’s an element of holding yourself in while doing your job, but a porn game should actively work for the gratification of the player, not punish you for it. While completing the objectives does let you unlock more ways to have fun with girls, you want to enjoy the tools you have right now which actively hurts that overall progress. What ends up happening is that by the time I unlock new sex abilities, I’m just not as invested in trying it out anymore. The mechanics are there, but it just fails in creating an actually compelling gameplay loop for coomers to get addicted to.
If you want a good porn game then play something else. It doesn’t even have audio so from the start I actually should’ve given up. Try something with more polish in both presentation and gameplay. This is simply another of steam’s porn shovelware. Btw I haven't even actually played Papers, Please kekw.
Looking for another erotic game to play between my Final Fantasy VII sessions and just happened to stumble upon this which funnily enough I actually already owned on Steam. The artwork is honestly pretty stiff and lacking in detail but I can work with it, my standards are pretty lenient when I’m just looking for a good time. Surprisingly the story is actually pretty focused on which surprised me as we get to learn a lot about Thill’s situation and a pretty fleshed out personality. Every other character is surface level as these kinds of games are which is fine since every woman-looking thing is effectively the main character’s cumrag in this world. The gameplay and sex scenes starts off simple with only checking one document and maybe patting people down, but gets progressively more interesting with more document variables you need to check through as you’re able to unlock more sex options. How it starts is actually quite long before you can actually do anything erotic, but I guess that's fine since that's how most of these types of games are in trying to get you in the mood first.
On paper (pun intended), all this might sound like an actually pretty good game, but the biggest issue is that this fails as a porn game. I get that as a gatekeeper there’s an element of holding yourself in while doing your job, but a porn game should actively work for the gratification of the player, not punish you for it. While completing the objectives does let you unlock more ways to have fun with girls, you want to enjoy the tools you have right now which actively hurts that overall progress. What ends up happening is that by the time I unlock new sex abilities, I’m just not as invested in trying it out anymore. The mechanics are there, but it just fails in creating an actually compelling gameplay loop for coomers to get addicted to.
If you want a good porn game then play something else. It doesn’t even have audio so from the start I actually should’ve given up. Try something with more polish in both presentation and gameplay. This is simply another of steam’s porn shovelware. Btw I haven't even actually played Papers, Please kekw.
An epic of the most grand scale from the perspective of 13 unlikely individuals.
This is what video games have been leading up to. An amazing harmony of different sections coalescing into the perfect gameplay loop. I get to enjoy an amazing mystery narrative with such layered and charming characters, each interesting enough to play their own role as the main character, while at the same to getting to experience such a robust real time strategy that’s pretty approachable for a beginner to the genre, but provides so much fun and challenge after properly learning through the mechanics. All of this presented in such a distinctive art style which seems to be Vanillaware’s trademark look and I have just completely fallen in love with this game.
Although 13 Sentinels does indeed look pretty standard anime from its promotional material and covers, Vanillaware’s recognizable aesthetic for its character models definitely gives it its own identity. They work really well on the visual novel segments where it really does feel like an anime is playing with how natural some scenes can look with the well drawn backgrounds and stellar voice performance both in japanese and english audio. The combat sections look just as visually appealing as its set in what looks to be a screen map you’d see in Sci-Fi military movies where it's a digital interface. I can understand some people would want to see the actual robots and kaiju fighting, but this presentation creates a level of immersion as being in a war setting which I really appreciate.
Said immersion really adds well to the gameplay. 13 Sentinels essentially features three game modes; remembrance - a visual novel story where we recount the events of the 13 characters each being the main character of their own part of the story, destruction - where the main combat real time strategy action takes place as you need to complete stages in order to unlock certain story parts within remembrance mode, and analysis - which isn’t really game mode but more so a library of terminology and events in clarifying certain concepts. A lot of these are unlockables which you need mystery codes and you need to unlock them as some story segments require it to progress. Overall this structure creates an amazing game loop as you’re never burnt out on either game mode since you can always switch to the other to further progress the game. A small caveat to the story mode would be the fact that sometimes it's unclear how to progress the story as I would be stuck not knowing what combination I have to use to talk to a character but this was very rare. On the combat side, I find it best enjoyable in the hardest difficulty but the first wave is a tad too easy with a massive difficulty curve by the second wave which might catch some off-guard. Nonetheless, 13 Sentinels Aegis Rim is just very solidly designed so that such minor issues won’t impact the whole experience.
The story is what’s really the biggest selling point of this magnificent game. Featuring thirteen different character stories, the Remembrance mode has the player going through each character’s point of view as events are told in a shuffled order as you’re meant to piece the events together as part of a larger mystery narrative. It's honestly very confusing at first, and I wouldn’t even blame anyone if there’s certain things one might not understand even by the end, but the mystery has a very rewarding payoff as multiple narrative threads are answered at an even pace of the game culminating to a really satisfying conclusion which connects both the Remembrance mode and the Destruction mode. Moreover, each main character in the game really has a lot to offer. Despite more less starting out as obvious stereotypes, each of them get fleshed out enough and develop throughout the game in a very compelling manner where there was not even a single character story I found to be a slog whatsoever. My personal favorites though have to be the displaced WW2 soldier conflicted about his romantic feelings, the devoted girl who wants to bring back the memories of her loved one, and the cool playboy who will always be there for a lady who needs him. 13 Sentinels is a truly engaging narrative that’s hard to put down once you start a session.
I really love this game. Every single aspect seems like it was designed for a person of my tastes. It is an all-time favorite and I want to tell everyone about why they should play this game and why I love it so much. After this, I’m definitely going to be checking out more of Vanillaware's catalog especially with Unicorn Overlord around the corner as of the time of writing. Play this amazing game that’s managed to capture my heart with its captivating story and be in awe once it all ends.
This is what video games have been leading up to. An amazing harmony of different sections coalescing into the perfect gameplay loop. I get to enjoy an amazing mystery narrative with such layered and charming characters, each interesting enough to play their own role as the main character, while at the same to getting to experience such a robust real time strategy that’s pretty approachable for a beginner to the genre, but provides so much fun and challenge after properly learning through the mechanics. All of this presented in such a distinctive art style which seems to be Vanillaware’s trademark look and I have just completely fallen in love with this game.
Although 13 Sentinels does indeed look pretty standard anime from its promotional material and covers, Vanillaware’s recognizable aesthetic for its character models definitely gives it its own identity. They work really well on the visual novel segments where it really does feel like an anime is playing with how natural some scenes can look with the well drawn backgrounds and stellar voice performance both in japanese and english audio. The combat sections look just as visually appealing as its set in what looks to be a screen map you’d see in Sci-Fi military movies where it's a digital interface. I can understand some people would want to see the actual robots and kaiju fighting, but this presentation creates a level of immersion as being in a war setting which I really appreciate.
Said immersion really adds well to the gameplay. 13 Sentinels essentially features three game modes; remembrance - a visual novel story where we recount the events of the 13 characters each being the main character of their own part of the story, destruction - where the main combat real time strategy action takes place as you need to complete stages in order to unlock certain story parts within remembrance mode, and analysis - which isn’t really game mode but more so a library of terminology and events in clarifying certain concepts. A lot of these are unlockables which you need mystery codes and you need to unlock them as some story segments require it to progress. Overall this structure creates an amazing game loop as you’re never burnt out on either game mode since you can always switch to the other to further progress the game. A small caveat to the story mode would be the fact that sometimes it's unclear how to progress the story as I would be stuck not knowing what combination I have to use to talk to a character but this was very rare. On the combat side, I find it best enjoyable in the hardest difficulty but the first wave is a tad too easy with a massive difficulty curve by the second wave which might catch some off-guard. Nonetheless, 13 Sentinels Aegis Rim is just very solidly designed so that such minor issues won’t impact the whole experience.
The story is what’s really the biggest selling point of this magnificent game. Featuring thirteen different character stories, the Remembrance mode has the player going through each character’s point of view as events are told in a shuffled order as you’re meant to piece the events together as part of a larger mystery narrative. It's honestly very confusing at first, and I wouldn’t even blame anyone if there’s certain things one might not understand even by the end, but the mystery has a very rewarding payoff as multiple narrative threads are answered at an even pace of the game culminating to a really satisfying conclusion which connects both the Remembrance mode and the Destruction mode. Moreover, each main character in the game really has a lot to offer. Despite more less starting out as obvious stereotypes, each of them get fleshed out enough and develop throughout the game in a very compelling manner where there was not even a single character story I found to be a slog whatsoever. My personal favorites though have to be the displaced WW2 soldier conflicted about his romantic feelings, the devoted girl who wants to bring back the memories of her loved one, and the cool playboy who will always be there for a lady who needs him. 13 Sentinels is a truly engaging narrative that’s hard to put down once you start a session.
I really love this game. Every single aspect seems like it was designed for a person of my tastes. It is an all-time favorite and I want to tell everyone about why they should play this game and why I love it so much. After this, I’m definitely going to be checking out more of Vanillaware's catalog especially with Unicorn Overlord around the corner as of the time of writing. Play this amazing game that’s managed to capture my heart with its captivating story and be in awe once it all ends.
Being a port of a gameboy advance game, it certainly does a lot to bring it to the modern era. The high quality intro animation is quite nice depicting how Donkey Kong decides to steal all the toy marios. The in-game visuals themselves are quite nice, transitioning from the GBA’s pixel graphics to modern mario visuals is a nice treat. Gameplay-wise, Mario being tanky and stiff works well with the small puzzle-like platform levels having a nice variety of gimmicks and level uniqueness that makes every level its own challenge. Nonetheless, there isn’t that much variation by the halfway point and it gets boring relatively quickly. Granted since it's a 5 hour game, you’re most likely to complete and 100% this game with how easy it is before you get tired of the gameplay formula. It's a nice time waster, but not worth ever buying at full-price.
2017
This game isn’t for me and that’s okay.
Honestly this game is the furthest thing possible from my tastes and I was really only pushed to play because it happens to be my significant other’s favorite game. I can’t even say I’m disappointed since I more or less got the experience I assumed I was going to get from the general look of things. The presentation with the animal people living in what looks to be a rust belt is nice to look at though it's far away from my preferred aesthetic in video games, but at least it looks crispy good even on the nintendo switch. Most surprisingly it has a very memorable soundtrack with me even humming some of its tunes even when I’m not playing it. In terms of its presentation and production value, there really isn’t much to complain about as its definitely something that looks and sounds good. How does it play though? I might have some issues.
So the main character is essentially this cat creature girl who returns to her hometown after dropping out of college. From there you can usually hang out with either Bea or Gregg while some main story stuff plays out. It's a serviceable formula that works well in its setting as lots of lore details about possum springs are sprinkled coloring the background for something really interesting going on for sure.
My issue is that some of these characters just aren’t very likable to me at all. Most of the NPCs I talk to on my way to either of those two characters just don’t have much interesting things to say at all to the point where I kind of gave up talking to them by part 3. Mae and Gregg’s dynamic feels insufferable to me as they remind me of “le quirky young adults who wanna live life to the fullest” which I found juvenile without a decent payoff even at the conclusion of Gregg’s story. Bea was definitely more interesting though as her level-headedness clashed well with Mae’s obnoxiousness. Mae herself was just too aggravating to watch as her personality and a lot of the actions towards the end of the story to the point that I just don’t really care what happens to her.
Honestly, the first three parts of the story were just sort of slow and monotonous to me with occasional good nuggets of interesting dialogue such as Mae and Bea arguing about how Bea should live her life or when Mae’s mom snapped at her. The real meat of the story feels to be all squished into part 4 when some plot heavy stuff occurs. Wish they built towards this more because besides the mystery itself I’m unsure if they ever foreshadowed characters even being part of this twist but maybe I’m wrong there. Nonetheless the trippy stuff was pretty cool and the epilogue was actually a nice closure that wrapped a nice bow thematically to what the game is really about.
Do I actually like Night in the Woods? Eh sorta, the fact that I completed means I had enough good faith in it to keep going, but I’ll probably never revisit it again since so many things it does just rubs me the wrong way but maybe some might find it more endearing. It's definitely put together well and I can see why it's beloved by certain folks out there and more power to them. For now I’ll stick to what I like.
Honestly this game is the furthest thing possible from my tastes and I was really only pushed to play because it happens to be my significant other’s favorite game. I can’t even say I’m disappointed since I more or less got the experience I assumed I was going to get from the general look of things. The presentation with the animal people living in what looks to be a rust belt is nice to look at though it's far away from my preferred aesthetic in video games, but at least it looks crispy good even on the nintendo switch. Most surprisingly it has a very memorable soundtrack with me even humming some of its tunes even when I’m not playing it. In terms of its presentation and production value, there really isn’t much to complain about as its definitely something that looks and sounds good. How does it play though? I might have some issues.
So the main character is essentially this cat creature girl who returns to her hometown after dropping out of college. From there you can usually hang out with either Bea or Gregg while some main story stuff plays out. It's a serviceable formula that works well in its setting as lots of lore details about possum springs are sprinkled coloring the background for something really interesting going on for sure.
My issue is that some of these characters just aren’t very likable to me at all. Most of the NPCs I talk to on my way to either of those two characters just don’t have much interesting things to say at all to the point where I kind of gave up talking to them by part 3. Mae and Gregg’s dynamic feels insufferable to me as they remind me of “le quirky young adults who wanna live life to the fullest” which I found juvenile without a decent payoff even at the conclusion of Gregg’s story. Bea was definitely more interesting though as her level-headedness clashed well with Mae’s obnoxiousness. Mae herself was just too aggravating to watch as her personality and a lot of the actions towards the end of the story to the point that I just don’t really care what happens to her.
Honestly, the first three parts of the story were just sort of slow and monotonous to me with occasional good nuggets of interesting dialogue such as Mae and Bea arguing about how Bea should live her life or when Mae’s mom snapped at her. The real meat of the story feels to be all squished into part 4 when some plot heavy stuff occurs. Wish they built towards this more because besides the mystery itself I’m unsure if they ever foreshadowed characters even being part of this twist but maybe I’m wrong there. Nonetheless the trippy stuff was pretty cool and the epilogue was actually a nice closure that wrapped a nice bow thematically to what the game is really about.
Do I actually like Night in the Woods? Eh sorta, the fact that I completed means I had enough good faith in it to keep going, but I’ll probably never revisit it again since so many things it does just rubs me the wrong way but maybe some might find it more endearing. It's definitely put together well and I can see why it's beloved by certain folks out there and more power to them. For now I’ll stick to what I like.