Nottutum
BACKER
2014
Truly the masterpiece of our generation. A cinematic masterpiece with in-depth mechanics that'll make you weep with joy.
The best part about this game? It's there when you need it - no internet? No problem!
The best part about this game? It's there when you need it - no internet? No problem!
ME: Andromeda is a perfect example of how trying to continue a beloved series can kill it altogether.
Full of promise, Andromeda preys upon your memories of the original trilogy, dropping hints towards the start of the campaign as to just how large, expansive and detailed the story will be: "Wow, a new galaxy! I wonder what amazing planets, strange aliens and different story I'll discover!?" it makes you wonder.
Then after about 3 hours you realise that it's bland, there is only 1 friendly alien species you meet, outpost building is just a case of errand running and you don't give a damn about your crewmates.
I ended up rushing through this completely bland insult to the Sci-Fi genre, wondering at every step just how much worse they've handled each element I gradually encountered.
Pair that with the most anti-climactic ending, and pathetic cliff-hanger epilogue and you get a title that I'll gladly forget ever existed.
Oh and to top it off? The story is incomplete - there are so many questions left unanswered that were supposed to be answered via DLC, but it never got made.
The 2 stars are for the pretty fun gunplay - the only redeeming feature.
Only bother playing if you get it for free.
Full of promise, Andromeda preys upon your memories of the original trilogy, dropping hints towards the start of the campaign as to just how large, expansive and detailed the story will be: "Wow, a new galaxy! I wonder what amazing planets, strange aliens and different story I'll discover!?" it makes you wonder.
Then after about 3 hours you realise that it's bland, there is only 1 friendly alien species you meet, outpost building is just a case of errand running and you don't give a damn about your crewmates.
I ended up rushing through this completely bland insult to the Sci-Fi genre, wondering at every step just how much worse they've handled each element I gradually encountered.
Pair that with the most anti-climactic ending, and pathetic cliff-hanger epilogue and you get a title that I'll gladly forget ever existed.
Oh and to top it off? The story is incomplete - there are so many questions left unanswered that were supposed to be answered via DLC, but it never got made.
The 2 stars are for the pretty fun gunplay - the only redeeming feature.
Only bother playing if you get it for free.
UPDATE - I have recently replayed the game and it has ‘clicked’; things are still dated, but my god is it still fun, once you take the time to adjust to the UI and difficulty.
I REALLY wanted to love this game, as a huge fan of D&D, but RPG games have just come such a long way since this title originally launched in the 90's. Personally, the mechanics do not feel like they have aged gracefully, which made combat a slog that I couldn't continue to fight through.
I REALLY wanted to love this game, as a huge fan of D&D, but RPG games have just come such a long way since this title originally launched in the 90's. Personally, the mechanics do not feel like they have aged gracefully, which made combat a slog that I couldn't continue to fight through.
2019
The last Pokemon games I played through from start to finish were X and Y, so going in, the controversy around Sword and Shield almost put me off giving them an honest try.
I'm really pleased I did, typing this as the credits roll!
The new QOL features, gym challenges and region all feel great for the new generation; not ground breaking by any means, but definitely an improvement.
The story is serviceable, and has enough of that Pokemon charm to keep you moving between towns to see what comes next.
On the subject of the Pokemon themselves... There's plenty to catch! The current number in the dex (pre expansion) feels tight and gives plenty of creatures to hunt for, without dragging things out.
Overall, definitely an evolution, rather than a revolution, but amazing nonetheless!
I'm really pleased I did, typing this as the credits roll!
The new QOL features, gym challenges and region all feel great for the new generation; not ground breaking by any means, but definitely an improvement.
The story is serviceable, and has enough of that Pokemon charm to keep you moving between towns to see what comes next.
On the subject of the Pokemon themselves... There's plenty to catch! The current number in the dex (pre expansion) feels tight and gives plenty of creatures to hunt for, without dragging things out.
Overall, definitely an evolution, rather than a revolution, but amazing nonetheless!
2022
Definitely a game that started life as a GAAS title, before being converted to a co op brawler. Whilst it has its faults in the depth of systems, the story and quite a watered down version of Gotham, there’s still a solid brawler game under the bonnet to be enjoyed.
2006
The gunplay, level and mission design have aged poorly - it feels like a Modern Warfare prototype, but with some open ended area consideration that was a bit ahead of its time.
2017
30/08 - Updating this review - they removed building and we are all playing again! Completely removed the majority of my complaints!
Used to love playing this game with a great group of friends; eventually, we all moved on when we realised that we were terrible at building and just couldn't compete with hyperactive 10 year olds building the Empire State Building in 10 seconds.
Playing solo is also a miserable experience; you just can't destroy buildings faster than they can build them - lost understanding of how this game is any fun.
Used to love playing this game with a great group of friends; eventually, we all moved on when we realised that we were terrible at building and just couldn't compete with hyperactive 10 year olds building the Empire State Building in 10 seconds.
Playing solo is also a miserable experience; you just can't destroy buildings faster than they can build them - lost understanding of how this game is any fun.
2014
A visually stunning and incredibly fun Strategy RPG. Really unique story that somehow gets you to care about the characters, in a world that appears to be coming to an end. The only criticism I can really level is the lack of enemy variety; which I'm told is improved upon in the sequels.
2021
An incredibly slow Zelda-esque game… once it actually allows you to play. A completely uninteresting story gets in the way of the game actually being a game. I found myself asking why I’m still pushing forwards when I’m just sat there waiting to actually play (after 6 hours of total play time).
2021
A great, condensed Metroid experience - no filler, just great platforming and a constant chase for the next upgrade/ability. Gorgeous environments and cool enemy designs (albeit some recycled assets in places).
The only downside for me is the brutal difficulty spikes that come with some bosses and mini-bosses. It makes for some frustrating humps that take far longer to overcome than they should do.
The only downside for me is the brutal difficulty spikes that come with some bosses and mini-bosses. It makes for some frustrating humps that take far longer to overcome than they should do.
2018
Pretty fun when you play with friends; but as it's pretty much a requirement to do so, is incredibly difficult to fully enjoy as an adult, due to not being able to get a large group together at the same time.
Also painfully repetetive, despite the 'sandbox' nature of the gameplay loop.
Also painfully repetetive, despite the 'sandbox' nature of the gameplay loop.
2018
The perfect sandbox with friends to form some amazing 'water cooler' stories. The amount of laughs we've had from stupid crashes, vomiting on each other and screwing over a massive galleon with a small ship is incredible.
The regular content updates have provided a solid foundation of a progression system nad you can recognise easily those who have played longer and those who haven't.
If you want to seek treasure and glory with friends, then pick up Gamepass for a few pounds and give it a go!
The regular content updates have provided a solid foundation of a progression system nad you can recognise easily those who have played longer and those who haven't.
If you want to seek treasure and glory with friends, then pick up Gamepass for a few pounds and give it a go!
2019
A real audio-visual treat - you play an ape who needs to escape a series of different buildings, based in different settings.
The mechanics are simple, push and grab people until they explode into gore; except... all of the action is part of the level you play. The level is also a jazz track - people exploding sound like snare drums, or bass depending on the enemy.
It's pretty unique, but the mechanics were too simple to capture my interest enough to complete all the way through.
The mechanics are simple, push and grab people until they explode into gore; except... all of the action is part of the level you play. The level is also a jazz track - people exploding sound like snare drums, or bass depending on the enemy.
It's pretty unique, but the mechanics were too simple to capture my interest enough to complete all the way through.
2019
Heads and shoulders above Yakuza 3 - improvements in combat make the random encounters a joy to stomp through; whilst splitting a sprawling story between 4 distinctive characters means that the game never feels stale and the story keeps you engaged.
If you've made it to Yakuza 3, you owe it to yourself to play 4 - I guarantee you'll want to jump straight into 5 afterwards!
If you've made it to Yakuza 3, you owe it to yourself to play 4 - I guarantee you'll want to jump straight into 5 afterwards!
This review contains spoilers
How is this free!? A deeply reflective and self-indulging epilogue, that deserves the time it takes to reconcile Kratos' past self, with his growth to date. Normally I'd say that something like this would be optional, but both the story and the gameplay loop are an essential payoff and 'comedown' from the story of Ragnarok.