NekoTempo
1998
I don't think i had any fun during the total of 27 hours I played of this. Kept forcing myself to play it thinking it would get better due to how much I ended up loving the first game, but It just never happened.
The beginning felt extremely rough and limited on what I could do with my build, i had multiple crashes that made me lose progress one too many times and worst of all: I got softlocked in 2 different quests. One before I installed the unofficial patch and the other after.
While questing I exploded an outhouse which ended up covering the entire place with shit, and I think that sums up the whole experience for me. Shocks me that some people consider this one the best with how dire the overall gameplay experience is, even more so than the (vanilla) bethesda stuff.
I found myself enjoying the storyline so maybe i'll give it another chance someday but right now I don't even wanna look at it.
The beginning felt extremely rough and limited on what I could do with my build, i had multiple crashes that made me lose progress one too many times and worst of all: I got softlocked in 2 different quests. One before I installed the unofficial patch and the other after.
While questing I exploded an outhouse which ended up covering the entire place with shit, and I think that sums up the whole experience for me. Shocks me that some people consider this one the best with how dire the overall gameplay experience is, even more so than the (vanilla) bethesda stuff.
I found myself enjoying the storyline so maybe i'll give it another chance someday but right now I don't even wanna look at it.
2001
I thought the mecha designs in this were silly until I saw Viola's Frame and I got so horny I passed out
(The game is pretty okay, just a little too short and kinda ends out of nowhere)
(The game is pretty okay, just a little too short and kinda ends out of nowhere)
2022
Into the Abyss I'll fall, the Eye of Horus. Into the eyes of the night, watching me go.
PowerSlave: Exhumed fucking rules. Always nice to try out a game with not a whole lot of expectations and end up finding something pretty special.
Just a good ol' retro First Person Shooter at first glance, but beyond the surface you'll find one of the most challenging and tightly designed metroidvania-style adventure games out there. I find it pretty awesome how this game came out a good two years before Turok 2 and it puts that game to shame in every way possible.
The story is basically non-existent, but it serves as a good excuse to bring out some really unique ancient egypt-themed visuals, alongside an excellent and memorable soundtrack.
It ALMOST got 5 stars out of me, but I have to admit that there are some annoyances in the level design that hold the game back slightly (the randomly exploding vases, for example) and the final boss fight is admittely underwhelming compared to the previous ones. But it honestly? I wouldn't be shocked if I end up raising the rating at some point in the future.
Night Dive are honestly heroes for remastering gems like this for the PC. Go check it out! It's pretty cheap on steam.
PowerSlave: Exhumed fucking rules. Always nice to try out a game with not a whole lot of expectations and end up finding something pretty special.
Just a good ol' retro First Person Shooter at first glance, but beyond the surface you'll find one of the most challenging and tightly designed metroidvania-style adventure games out there. I find it pretty awesome how this game came out a good two years before Turok 2 and it puts that game to shame in every way possible.
The story is basically non-existent, but it serves as a good excuse to bring out some really unique ancient egypt-themed visuals, alongside an excellent and memorable soundtrack.
It ALMOST got 5 stars out of me, but I have to admit that there are some annoyances in the level design that hold the game back slightly (the randomly exploding vases, for example) and the final boss fight is admittely underwhelming compared to the previous ones. But it honestly? I wouldn't be shocked if I end up raising the rating at some point in the future.
Night Dive are honestly heroes for remastering gems like this for the PC. Go check it out! It's pretty cheap on steam.
2023
Holy shit
1997
For an entry that I didn't play all that often as a kid this turned out to be my favorite game in the series so far. Collected every secret, too! Never done that before for any of these games.
It improves upon the first game in every way possible and the level design is just impeccable, so much creativity and ambition is showcased here. The vehicle segments can be a little janky but still satisfying to pull off successfully. I also have to appreciate the secrets being more simplified for this entry, only having to find 3 of them in each level for a much bigger supply of rewards is a lot more doable and worth seeking out.
I have to comment on the visuals and soundtrack as well. The graphics and art style feels a lot more polished and have better direction overall than the first game and the soundtrack is pretty iconic. Once you hear the violins of Venice you'll never forget it.
It might be an intimidating entry for newcomers since the controls are still tough to master and the levels are incredibly huge and challenging, but once you get used to it you won't find any platformer as precise and rewarding as this one.
It improves upon the first game in every way possible and the level design is just impeccable, so much creativity and ambition is showcased here. The vehicle segments can be a little janky but still satisfying to pull off successfully. I also have to appreciate the secrets being more simplified for this entry, only having to find 3 of them in each level for a much bigger supply of rewards is a lot more doable and worth seeking out.
I have to comment on the visuals and soundtrack as well. The graphics and art style feels a lot more polished and have better direction overall than the first game and the soundtrack is pretty iconic. Once you hear the violins of Venice you'll never forget it.
It might be an intimidating entry for newcomers since the controls are still tough to master and the levels are incredibly huge and challenging, but once you get used to it you won't find any platformer as precise and rewarding as this one.
2007
''Can it run Crysis''? More like ''Should it run Crysis?'', and the short answer to that question is a big resounding no.
Just skip this glorified tech demo. There are far better shooters out there than this piece of crap.
Just skip this glorified tech demo. There are far better shooters out there than this piece of crap.
2023
One of my most anticipated indie games from 2023 and I finally got to finish it a couple days ago. TEVI is a really solid and satisfying metroidvania + bullet hell mix that will be sure to please any newcomers to this type of game.
But I have to admit, it's not quite ~as~ good as Rabi-Ribi. It's an ambitious game for sure, I do have to respect the amount of effort they put into making a large story full of lore and complete voice acting (with recognizeable japanese talents, even!), but the cliched nature of the many directions the story takes and mixed tones do hold it back from making it a special experience. Thankfully the characters are all fun and likeable, really carries the story for the most part.
This new direction just doesn't feel quite as earnest and niche as Rabi-Ribi was. Just feels very held back, almost as if they're to please a different crowd altogether. Feels pretty clear considering the overall gameplay feels a lot more accessible/easier on normal difficulty and even the localization style feels like it's trying to be more mainstream.
But honestly, these might just be personal nitpicks. Rabi-Ribi is a very special game for me and I was hoping this one would capture that same magic. But that doesn't mean it's a bad game! It's fantastic and i'm sure anyone going into blindly will find it more enjoyable than I have.
The level design is still pretty top notch, boss fights are as awesome as ever, OST is top tier and the character designs are a good mixture of cool and cute. I explored 100% and found 80% of every item in the game, did all sidequests and experienced most of the boss rush modes after the endgame and it all feels worthwhile. I might even return it for more playthroughs on higher difficulties.
I highly recommend it!
But I have to admit, it's not quite ~as~ good as Rabi-Ribi. It's an ambitious game for sure, I do have to respect the amount of effort they put into making a large story full of lore and complete voice acting (with recognizeable japanese talents, even!), but the cliched nature of the many directions the story takes and mixed tones do hold it back from making it a special experience. Thankfully the characters are all fun and likeable, really carries the story for the most part.
This new direction just doesn't feel quite as earnest and niche as Rabi-Ribi was. Just feels very held back, almost as if they're to please a different crowd altogether. Feels pretty clear considering the overall gameplay feels a lot more accessible/easier on normal difficulty and even the localization style feels like it's trying to be more mainstream.
But honestly, these might just be personal nitpicks. Rabi-Ribi is a very special game for me and I was hoping this one would capture that same magic. But that doesn't mean it's a bad game! It's fantastic and i'm sure anyone going into blindly will find it more enjoyable than I have.
The level design is still pretty top notch, boss fights are as awesome as ever, OST is top tier and the character designs are a good mixture of cool and cute. I explored 100% and found 80% of every item in the game, did all sidequests and experienced most of the boss rush modes after the endgame and it all feels worthwhile. I might even return it for more playthroughs on higher difficulties.
I highly recommend it!
2009
The best Resident Evil 4 co-op mod ever made.
2002
Very conflicted about this one. The graphics, music and the charm of the characters carry this game hard, but it's one of those cases where the game could've been better on a more powerful system even if it's pretty impressive for the GBC.
Pretty obvious statement but I'm pretty sure that the most important thing in a metroidvania type game is the exploration, but exploring any of the areas in this game is so damn painful. The enemy placement is godawful and there's a lot of instant kill traps that only serve to slow down the experience since you'll always go back to the start of whatever area you're at. Been a while since I hated backtracking in a game as much as this one.
Wanna know how it gets worse? No map system. Not a huuge problem since there are plenty of maps available online but it's still such an inconvinience for this genre, specially when put next to the portable Castlevania games on the GBA.
The combat also leaves a bit more to be desired. The attacks are nicely animated but honestly feel kinda unsatisfying to use since almost every enemy take way too many hits to kill and the hit detection is kinda wonky.
I can kinda see why this has such a cult following but all those issues made it a pretty annoying experience for the most part. Only play it if you really wanna get deep into this series, otherwise I would recommend to just skipping to Risky's Revenge.
(The dances and overall spritework are still really cute)
Pretty obvious statement but I'm pretty sure that the most important thing in a metroidvania type game is the exploration, but exploring any of the areas in this game is so damn painful. The enemy placement is godawful and there's a lot of instant kill traps that only serve to slow down the experience since you'll always go back to the start of whatever area you're at. Been a while since I hated backtracking in a game as much as this one.
Wanna know how it gets worse? No map system. Not a huuge problem since there are plenty of maps available online but it's still such an inconvinience for this genre, specially when put next to the portable Castlevania games on the GBA.
The combat also leaves a bit more to be desired. The attacks are nicely animated but honestly feel kinda unsatisfying to use since almost every enemy take way too many hits to kill and the hit detection is kinda wonky.
I can kinda see why this has such a cult following but all those issues made it a pretty annoying experience for the most part. Only play it if you really wanna get deep into this series, otherwise I would recommend to just skipping to Risky's Revenge.
(The dances and overall spritework are still really cute)
2004
I honestly can't think of any other game that is so busted and yet manages to completely win me over with its charm and personality. If this game was actually finished/polished it totally could've been a classic on the same level as Psychonauts.
Shout-out to that soundtrack. Very unique and full of bangers.
Shout-out to that soundtrack. Very unique and full of bangers.
2023
A pretty incredible remake and a pleasant surprise coming from EA.
There are some elements that I prefer in the original (the crunchier sound design, the portrayal of certain characters, some of the story beats) but overall I think this is technically the superior version.
I just loved how the Ishimura is fully explorable now like a good ol' survival horror game. The design is impeccable and full of things that weren't present in the original, the new sidequests specially are a welcome suprise as it expands on the story.
The combat and upgrade system is also vastly improved over the original and feels more close to Dead Space 2, which is nice. It also helps that the game is much more difficult in this version, I played the game on hard mode and I really felt like I might have to restart my playthrough at times (but managed to make it work!).
The story is still pretty great but it doesn't do a whooole lot different with it besides the portrayal of the characters. Some like Isaac and Nicole really shine here, others like Hammond and Kendra feel somewhat weaker in this one.
Graphically this looks pretty incredible! ... To the point that my PC was just holding on for dear life at some points. But I do have to point out that the port for this one was pretty wonky, the stuttering is pretty bad no matter how good your rig is and in-game menu controls seems limited to just the keyboard which is kinda awkward.
My biggest complaint here is that they added proper cutscenes for this remake. Don't get me wrong, they're pretty well made and cinematic but they also made the mistake of making them unskippable. This really broke the pacing for me, specially during the NG+ run. I was actually tempted to get all achievements but that issue made me a little burned out on the game so I think i'll leave it for some other time, maybe when my PC gets an upgrade.
Overall, I highly recommend this game. However: Getting this game on console is a must, but for PC maybe it'll be better to wait for a discount.
There are some elements that I prefer in the original (the crunchier sound design, the portrayal of certain characters, some of the story beats) but overall I think this is technically the superior version.
I just loved how the Ishimura is fully explorable now like a good ol' survival horror game. The design is impeccable and full of things that weren't present in the original, the new sidequests specially are a welcome suprise as it expands on the story.
The combat and upgrade system is also vastly improved over the original and feels more close to Dead Space 2, which is nice. It also helps that the game is much more difficult in this version, I played the game on hard mode and I really felt like I might have to restart my playthrough at times (but managed to make it work!).
The story is still pretty great but it doesn't do a whooole lot different with it besides the portrayal of the characters. Some like Isaac and Nicole really shine here, others like Hammond and Kendra feel somewhat weaker in this one.
Graphically this looks pretty incredible! ... To the point that my PC was just holding on for dear life at some points. But I do have to point out that the port for this one was pretty wonky, the stuttering is pretty bad no matter how good your rig is and in-game menu controls seems limited to just the keyboard which is kinda awkward.
My biggest complaint here is that they added proper cutscenes for this remake. Don't get me wrong, they're pretty well made and cinematic but they also made the mistake of making them unskippable. This really broke the pacing for me, specially during the NG+ run. I was actually tempted to get all achievements but that issue made me a little burned out on the game so I think i'll leave it for some other time, maybe when my PC gets an upgrade.
Overall, I highly recommend this game. However: Getting this game on console is a must, but for PC maybe it'll be better to wait for a discount.
2011
Been a while since I played this one, I think the last time I did so was in.... 2017 - 2018? I platinum'd the PS3 version and I got so burned out by it I had no reason to go back to it, and the remaster was also an expensive scam (and argueably a visual downgrade) so I didn't really bother with that one when it released.
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I also wanna make that clear that I replayed it with the original PC version (Prepare to die edition). Works ok with DSfix but the performance is still wonky and I got softlocked many times while sitting at bonfires. The things I deal with just so I won't have to pay R$154 bucks for a crappy remaster. lol
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Playing it again sure was nice! It felt like the very first time I tried it, the learning curve and mystique were back and I really missed that. It might not be the best looking From game from a technical perspective but I think there's a case to be made for this being their most gorgeous one in its artistic direction and visuals. The amount of striking imagery and diverse areas it has is just stunning, really makes it for a memorable experience.
I also adore the story and lore in this one to this day and such an interesting little cast of NPCs to be found throughout this bleak world. And the music!! Oh my gosh, the music. Easily the best Souls OST to this day.
Hmm, But here's the thing. Is the gameplay still good? Yes... For the most part. Feels difficult to put into words but I can't help but feel like this game really aged poorly compared to the other Souls games that came before and after it.
The combat is solid but it feels a bit janky and delayed compared to Demons's Souls. I'm really not sure if it's only in my head or not but It just doesn't feel anywhere as smooth as that game, specially when rolling. Not to mention that you're locked into only 4 directions when you roll and for some reason that REALLY feels like a huge problem in this particular entry considering what it demands from the player. The amount of times where I ended up rolling forwards when I meant to go sideways was just absurd.
The design of the world itself also feels like a mixed bag these days. Feels half good and half bad, with most of the great areas being the beginning and the roughest stuff starting from Anor Londo. The game also tries to be a bit of a 3D metroidvania in the beginning and while it does feel pretty well thought out the backtracking can be a bit grating if you forget to ascend any weapons or do certain NPC quests, and that whole aspect just disappears when you get the lordvessel. I can't help but prefer the more linear area approach that Demons's Souls took and it's not surprise that later entries dropped this aspect completely and have fast travel from the very start. Lost Izalith just sucks, too. What a needlessly large and empty place and it hurts to look at.
But the worst thing about the design in this is the ''platforming'' (if you can really call it that). Any time when you need to jump, roll or fall somewhere it just feels god awful. I'm really not sure if the surfaces in this are slippery as fuck or if the chosen undead is made out of cinder blocks, and it doesn't help that some parts on the ground have TERRIBLE collision at times so you can't exactly walk over them and have to rely on rolling/jumping which raises an even higher risk of falling to your death. It does not feel great and i'm pretty sure From realized this since they definitely improved this in later games.
The boss fights also haven't aged too gracefully. Some of my favorites still hold up (Ornstein and Smough, Manus, Four Kings, Gaping Dragon and Sif to name a few) but a lot of them are just so easy in a not so interesting way. It's weird, Demons's Souls also feels pretty light by today's standards but that one has so much more variation and polish to it, meanwhile here a lot of the bosses are just so basic. And again, Lost izalith has the worst of it in this regard too. Ceaseless Discharge and Centipede Demon feel straight up unfinished and Bed of Chaos is quite easily the most awful boss in any of these games. And why is there two recycled Asylum demons that infinitely spam AOEs??
It's very strange really, I think my nostalgia for this game is what elevates it to four stars but if it wasn't for that I don't think i'd be quite as positive about it as I am with other games by From.
But I still respect the fuck out of it. A very ambitious game and considering how influential it was (for better or worse), I'm still not sure if there has ever a game that felt as groundbreaking as this since then.
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I also wanna make that clear that I replayed it with the original PC version (Prepare to die edition). Works ok with DSfix but the performance is still wonky and I got softlocked many times while sitting at bonfires. The things I deal with just so I won't have to pay R$154 bucks for a crappy remaster. lol
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Playing it again sure was nice! It felt like the very first time I tried it, the learning curve and mystique were back and I really missed that. It might not be the best looking From game from a technical perspective but I think there's a case to be made for this being their most gorgeous one in its artistic direction and visuals. The amount of striking imagery and diverse areas it has is just stunning, really makes it for a memorable experience.
I also adore the story and lore in this one to this day and such an interesting little cast of NPCs to be found throughout this bleak world. And the music!! Oh my gosh, the music. Easily the best Souls OST to this day.
Hmm, But here's the thing. Is the gameplay still good? Yes... For the most part. Feels difficult to put into words but I can't help but feel like this game really aged poorly compared to the other Souls games that came before and after it.
The combat is solid but it feels a bit janky and delayed compared to Demons's Souls. I'm really not sure if it's only in my head or not but It just doesn't feel anywhere as smooth as that game, specially when rolling. Not to mention that you're locked into only 4 directions when you roll and for some reason that REALLY feels like a huge problem in this particular entry considering what it demands from the player. The amount of times where I ended up rolling forwards when I meant to go sideways was just absurd.
The design of the world itself also feels like a mixed bag these days. Feels half good and half bad, with most of the great areas being the beginning and the roughest stuff starting from Anor Londo. The game also tries to be a bit of a 3D metroidvania in the beginning and while it does feel pretty well thought out the backtracking can be a bit grating if you forget to ascend any weapons or do certain NPC quests, and that whole aspect just disappears when you get the lordvessel. I can't help but prefer the more linear area approach that Demons's Souls took and it's not surprise that later entries dropped this aspect completely and have fast travel from the very start. Lost Izalith just sucks, too. What a needlessly large and empty place and it hurts to look at.
But the worst thing about the design in this is the ''platforming'' (if you can really call it that). Any time when you need to jump, roll or fall somewhere it just feels god awful. I'm really not sure if the surfaces in this are slippery as fuck or if the chosen undead is made out of cinder blocks, and it doesn't help that some parts on the ground have TERRIBLE collision at times so you can't exactly walk over them and have to rely on rolling/jumping which raises an even higher risk of falling to your death. It does not feel great and i'm pretty sure From realized this since they definitely improved this in later games.
The boss fights also haven't aged too gracefully. Some of my favorites still hold up (Ornstein and Smough, Manus, Four Kings, Gaping Dragon and Sif to name a few) but a lot of them are just so easy in a not so interesting way. It's weird, Demons's Souls also feels pretty light by today's standards but that one has so much more variation and polish to it, meanwhile here a lot of the bosses are just so basic. And again, Lost izalith has the worst of it in this regard too. Ceaseless Discharge and Centipede Demon feel straight up unfinished and Bed of Chaos is quite easily the most awful boss in any of these games. And why is there two recycled Asylum demons that infinitely spam AOEs??
It's very strange really, I think my nostalgia for this game is what elevates it to four stars but if it wasn't for that I don't think i'd be quite as positive about it as I am with other games by From.
But I still respect the fuck out of it. A very ambitious game and considering how influential it was (for better or worse), I'm still not sure if there has ever a game that felt as groundbreaking as this since then.
2012
Last time I played this one was probably nearly a decade ago on PS3. Thought it was alright but it didn't really stick with me.
I think I hate this game now, holy crap. Not an ugly game by appearance but by soul.
I see a lot of people excusing the bad story, awful portrayal of São Paulo, meatheaded writing because the gameplay in this is apparently great. Well, it could've been really fun if it wasn't a generic cover shooter most of the time and constantly interrupted by the shitty cutscenes. And even when it was somewhat entertaining it never really came close to fast-paced adrenaline from the previous titles.
I think what aggravates me the most is how obvious it is that they barely done any research when choosing the setting for this. Feels like they only watched a couple of our crime dramas and called it a day.
Brazil is clearly nothing but a marketing gimmick and they didn't even bother getting someone who actually speaks portuguese to proof read some of this terrible dialogue. It's pathetic and it made me laugh at moments that weren't meant to be funny.
Heck, i'm not even sure if most of the voice actors even were from Brazil! It all sounds so unnatural, and when combined with how dehumanizing the overall portrayal of the country is it really makes for a pretty miserable experience for anyone who's not a gringo.
...I guess the sound design is okay? Soundtrack is pretty nice too. Getting introduced to HEALTH thanks to this was definitely a positive years ago.
God, this made me feel as bitter as Max is in this game. Never touching this one again.
I think I hate this game now, holy crap. Not an ugly game by appearance but by soul.
I see a lot of people excusing the bad story, awful portrayal of São Paulo, meatheaded writing because the gameplay in this is apparently great. Well, it could've been really fun if it wasn't a generic cover shooter most of the time and constantly interrupted by the shitty cutscenes. And even when it was somewhat entertaining it never really came close to fast-paced adrenaline from the previous titles.
I think what aggravates me the most is how obvious it is that they barely done any research when choosing the setting for this. Feels like they only watched a couple of our crime dramas and called it a day.
Brazil is clearly nothing but a marketing gimmick and they didn't even bother getting someone who actually speaks portuguese to proof read some of this terrible dialogue. It's pathetic and it made me laugh at moments that weren't meant to be funny.
Heck, i'm not even sure if most of the voice actors even were from Brazil! It all sounds so unnatural, and when combined with how dehumanizing the overall portrayal of the country is it really makes for a pretty miserable experience for anyone who's not a gringo.
...I guess the sound design is okay? Soundtrack is pretty nice too. Getting introduced to HEALTH thanks to this was definitely a positive years ago.
God, this made me feel as bitter as Max is in this game. Never touching this one again.
Silent Hill 2 for people who like John Woo movies.
Jokes aside, this game is just perfect. Remedy's best game (I have not played Alan Wake 2 yet, will need a better PC before I get to it) and one of the best games of all time. There aren't many third person shooters that feel as satisfying as this.
''Max Payne's journey through the night continues.'' ... Welp, too bad it wasn't in the way they probably intended. lol
Jokes aside, this game is just perfect. Remedy's best game (I have not played Alan Wake 2 yet, will need a better PC before I get to it) and one of the best games of all time. There aren't many third person shooters that feel as satisfying as this.
''Max Payne's journey through the night continues.'' ... Welp, too bad it wasn't in the way they probably intended. lol
2001
''I don't know about angels, but it's fear that gives men wings''.
What a lovely game. Hasn't aged a day for me personally, one of the coolest shooters from this era and endlessly quotable with a really good story.
At times i'm not sure if I prefer this or Max Payne 2, but that one has a ton of gameplay improvements over this so that helps. Can't wait to revisit that game too.
What a lovely game. Hasn't aged a day for me personally, one of the coolest shooters from this era and endlessly quotable with a really good story.
At times i'm not sure if I prefer this or Max Payne 2, but that one has a ton of gameplay improvements over this so that helps. Can't wait to revisit that game too.