Rezlo
BACKER
Something of a blast from the past, the original Burrito Bison is something I remember playing back in middle school in the computer lab. Back then there was only one “launchador”, one enemy, and fewer special gummies. It’s a lot more fleshed out here now. More upgrades, more minigames when hitting gummies, and new pounce abilities for different launchadors. It’s surprisingly fun. Really luck based, but decidedly addictive for a mobile game. With no real endgame it starts to wear after a while though. The bonuses and increasing money boosts give a reason to keep playing, but there’s only so many walls you can break through before you start to ask why you’re still going. Burrito Bison is a solid time-waster that’s improved on the foundation of the main game, but typical in its endless play monetization. Good enough to grab your attention, but limited in its shelf life.
2016
After playing this game on and off for nearly 6 years and 5500 hours, I can’t help but harbor a love-hate relationship with this game. At its core, Dead by Daylight is a basic title with some comparatively good mileage considering its depth. Every match regardless of maps, characters, or other factors has four survivors repair generators to power doors to escape the match. Oppositely, the killer is tasked with sacrificing the survivors to the entity by throwing them on hooks to deplete their health phases. There’s some auxiliary factors like hatches for alternative escape when you’re the last alive, totems that power killer or survivor perks, or items that boost repair speed or healing efficiency. But really the generator-repairing, teammate-helping, killer-escaping dynamic is what you’ll be interacting with 99% of the time.
This is where fatigue rears its head. This gameplay loop is all there is to the game. No alternate objectives, no different modes, nothing. Doing the main objective sucks. All it entails is finding a generator and then holding left-mouse next to it. Some “skill checks” will occasionally pop up to make sure you’re paying attention but you’ll never miss those unless you’re new or make a misclick on your part. The real fun of the game is in being chased by the killer or making a clutch save. This is where the reward for skill is most felt in the game. Being able to reliably juke, time stuns just right or otherwise express your skill is done beautifully here. There’s not many mechanics to be memorized but those that exist can be honed to the maximum efficiency. And for as little as there is in DBD there’s a surprising depth that can only be understood after dozens of hours playing. Even still, that can only go so far. Playing killer can break up that monotony, but with more pressure to do everything on your own there’s little time to dawdle. And they run into the same problem in the opposite direction of JUST being able to patrol generators and interact with their own power. No sabotage mechanic or side abilities/tools exist.
The roadmap for the game boils down to an endless addition of new killers, survivors, and maps. With all but the killer powers being standardized or cosmetic. Now credit where credit is due. In the design department Behaviour does an A+ job. Whether it be their original characters or licensed chapters they more often than not do great at making a distinct chapter that fits well in the killer fog of DBD. That said, I would much rather they take a temporary or even permanent break from a new chapter and focus on adding to the depth of the gameplay loop. Like I said, getting chased is fun and the heart of the game. Everything else is just down-time until you do get chased though. Repairing generators isn’t a deep, interesting, or tasking experience. Why don’t they switch it up?
Dead by Daylight in the present is a decently popular game that would not be damaged by making more modes to experiment. It’s like they're too afraid of veering off from their simple but archaic gameplay loop in fear of messing something up. An unfounded idea because they have made a few sweet improvements to the game before. The Endgame Collapse mechanic was an awesome addition to the end of matches to prevent wasted time. Heck they don’t even have to make a new mode. Adding new ways to evade the killer besides pallets and windows, or new ways to reliably kill survivors besides hooking them would be a welcome feature. I mean they have a Public Test Build to test features before adding them to the main game, they should really use that more. Dead by Daylight is a fun evening game but I question anyone who can play this unendingly all the time. Once the honeymoon phase wears off it doesn’t have a large amount of endless staying power.
It’s no doubt a fun game to play with friends, but I would advise against taking it too seriously. People will argue until the cows come home about how unbalanced the game is in one direction or another. Most complaints are exaggerated or outright wrong. As a solo player you’ll definitely have a decidedly harder time, but experience and perks can mostly overcome this. It’s perfectly playable solo and rarely will you have an unfair time that’s not caused by external mistakes on the survivors’ part. Sure, some killers on certain maps can make or break the outcome. That’s just the nature of a game with so many different killer powers and map types. Though they could really use some more quality testing on the map design side. As good looking as the maps are, they are not the most well designed ones.
Believe it or not Dead by Daylight IS a game I would recommend. For all its missteps I still think DBD is a pretty good asymmetrical multiplayer game. Far too stagnant, but less obviously so if you know when to put it down and take a break. I’m hopefully optimistic about the future of the franchise with the announcement of more DBD universe games coming out, yet even without that Dead by Daylight is a game that holds on much longer than you think it would.
This is where fatigue rears its head. This gameplay loop is all there is to the game. No alternate objectives, no different modes, nothing. Doing the main objective sucks. All it entails is finding a generator and then holding left-mouse next to it. Some “skill checks” will occasionally pop up to make sure you’re paying attention but you’ll never miss those unless you’re new or make a misclick on your part. The real fun of the game is in being chased by the killer or making a clutch save. This is where the reward for skill is most felt in the game. Being able to reliably juke, time stuns just right or otherwise express your skill is done beautifully here. There’s not many mechanics to be memorized but those that exist can be honed to the maximum efficiency. And for as little as there is in DBD there’s a surprising depth that can only be understood after dozens of hours playing. Even still, that can only go so far. Playing killer can break up that monotony, but with more pressure to do everything on your own there’s little time to dawdle. And they run into the same problem in the opposite direction of JUST being able to patrol generators and interact with their own power. No sabotage mechanic or side abilities/tools exist.
The roadmap for the game boils down to an endless addition of new killers, survivors, and maps. With all but the killer powers being standardized or cosmetic. Now credit where credit is due. In the design department Behaviour does an A+ job. Whether it be their original characters or licensed chapters they more often than not do great at making a distinct chapter that fits well in the killer fog of DBD. That said, I would much rather they take a temporary or even permanent break from a new chapter and focus on adding to the depth of the gameplay loop. Like I said, getting chased is fun and the heart of the game. Everything else is just down-time until you do get chased though. Repairing generators isn’t a deep, interesting, or tasking experience. Why don’t they switch it up?
Dead by Daylight in the present is a decently popular game that would not be damaged by making more modes to experiment. It’s like they're too afraid of veering off from their simple but archaic gameplay loop in fear of messing something up. An unfounded idea because they have made a few sweet improvements to the game before. The Endgame Collapse mechanic was an awesome addition to the end of matches to prevent wasted time. Heck they don’t even have to make a new mode. Adding new ways to evade the killer besides pallets and windows, or new ways to reliably kill survivors besides hooking them would be a welcome feature. I mean they have a Public Test Build to test features before adding them to the main game, they should really use that more. Dead by Daylight is a fun evening game but I question anyone who can play this unendingly all the time. Once the honeymoon phase wears off it doesn’t have a large amount of endless staying power.
It’s no doubt a fun game to play with friends, but I would advise against taking it too seriously. People will argue until the cows come home about how unbalanced the game is in one direction or another. Most complaints are exaggerated or outright wrong. As a solo player you’ll definitely have a decidedly harder time, but experience and perks can mostly overcome this. It’s perfectly playable solo and rarely will you have an unfair time that’s not caused by external mistakes on the survivors’ part. Sure, some killers on certain maps can make or break the outcome. That’s just the nature of a game with so many different killer powers and map types. Though they could really use some more quality testing on the map design side. As good looking as the maps are, they are not the most well designed ones.
Believe it or not Dead by Daylight IS a game I would recommend. For all its missteps I still think DBD is a pretty good asymmetrical multiplayer game. Far too stagnant, but less obviously so if you know when to put it down and take a break. I’m hopefully optimistic about the future of the franchise with the announcement of more DBD universe games coming out, yet even without that Dead by Daylight is a game that holds on much longer than you think it would.
The first Zelda game I’ve played and a classic 2D adventure that holds up startlingly well for its age. A lot of older games fall into two basic categories. The ones that need a guide to enjoy it or even complete it, or ones that are too straightforward and plain to even have a guide. I would argue A Link to the Past falls somewhere within the middle.
In actually completing the game it’s perfectly feasible without a guide. You’ll be at a great disadvantage without certain sword or bow upgrades, but it’s definitely possible. Personally, I don’t mind looking up a guide to make sure I get all the upgrades for a game like this. Not only does it give me an edge in the fight, it lets me see all there is to the game. Some items and extra heart pieces could be discovered by tinkering around with the magic mirror at hinted points, though other puzzles were definitely a touch too esoteric. Truthfully, compared to its peers A Link to the Past is perhaps superior for its time when it comes to hints. I know that compared to the first game this one improved their in-game clues when something special was nearby, such as with discolored walls hinting at secrets beyond.
Needless to say the game can get pretty demanding, so I’d strongly recommend getting every secret you can, guide or not. Even at full health and armor enemies can take a quarter of your health in one hit. And for some reason they also added bottomless pits PLUS knockback, the bane of my existence and super out of place here. Some enemies can be more annoying than others but my real frustration was with the hit detection. It was very inconsistent and made hitting certain enemies at an angle a chore. There’s a spin attack but that hardly helps hitting further than 2 inches away from you. More often than not it’s better to keep a distance or position yourself so enemies walk into your slashes. Fortunately you do get more acclimated to it. As you conquer more dungeons you get used to the idiosyncrasies of the combat and it even approaches charming, knockback notwithstanding.
Much like Mario, the story here is recycled and barebones. Save the girl, kill the baddie. Okie doke. I refused to pay attention further than that except when it made me. I’ll wait for future installments to get invested in the story of Hyrule and its kingdom. What I will say is this: the ‘do you understand?’ prompts the game gave me after childishly explaining basic fantasy concepts over and over again started to get pretty damn funny. It was probably the most joy I got out of anything related to the story.
One important point is the inclusion of the dark world. Using a magic mirror you can traverse to a dark, desolate version of the overworld. To return you have to go back to a shimmer at the place you last traversed from. Some set points like the castle gates act as a guaranteed way back for when your shimmer gets stuck or inaccessible, a necessary addition I can confirm.The dark world itself makes for some extra puzzles and is required to get to certain sections blocked off in the main world. While not perfectly intuitive It’s a neat gimmick that works because the quick back-and-forth between worlds gives you a reference point for where you’ll end up. Some side puzzles are obtuse, but by and large the main objectives are clear.
Overall, A Link to the Past is a solid retro title that not only marks when the franchise first finds its footings, but also serves as a terrific starting point for inquisitive gamers who wish to start the long journey that is the Zelda franchise.
In actually completing the game it’s perfectly feasible without a guide. You’ll be at a great disadvantage without certain sword or bow upgrades, but it’s definitely possible. Personally, I don’t mind looking up a guide to make sure I get all the upgrades for a game like this. Not only does it give me an edge in the fight, it lets me see all there is to the game. Some items and extra heart pieces could be discovered by tinkering around with the magic mirror at hinted points, though other puzzles were definitely a touch too esoteric. Truthfully, compared to its peers A Link to the Past is perhaps superior for its time when it comes to hints. I know that compared to the first game this one improved their in-game clues when something special was nearby, such as with discolored walls hinting at secrets beyond.
Needless to say the game can get pretty demanding, so I’d strongly recommend getting every secret you can, guide or not. Even at full health and armor enemies can take a quarter of your health in one hit. And for some reason they also added bottomless pits PLUS knockback, the bane of my existence and super out of place here. Some enemies can be more annoying than others but my real frustration was with the hit detection. It was very inconsistent and made hitting certain enemies at an angle a chore. There’s a spin attack but that hardly helps hitting further than 2 inches away from you. More often than not it’s better to keep a distance or position yourself so enemies walk into your slashes. Fortunately you do get more acclimated to it. As you conquer more dungeons you get used to the idiosyncrasies of the combat and it even approaches charming, knockback notwithstanding.
Much like Mario, the story here is recycled and barebones. Save the girl, kill the baddie. Okie doke. I refused to pay attention further than that except when it made me. I’ll wait for future installments to get invested in the story of Hyrule and its kingdom. What I will say is this: the ‘do you understand?’ prompts the game gave me after childishly explaining basic fantasy concepts over and over again started to get pretty damn funny. It was probably the most joy I got out of anything related to the story.
One important point is the inclusion of the dark world. Using a magic mirror you can traverse to a dark, desolate version of the overworld. To return you have to go back to a shimmer at the place you last traversed from. Some set points like the castle gates act as a guaranteed way back for when your shimmer gets stuck or inaccessible, a necessary addition I can confirm.The dark world itself makes for some extra puzzles and is required to get to certain sections blocked off in the main world. While not perfectly intuitive It’s a neat gimmick that works because the quick back-and-forth between worlds gives you a reference point for where you’ll end up. Some side puzzles are obtuse, but by and large the main objectives are clear.
Overall, A Link to the Past is a solid retro title that not only marks when the franchise first finds its footings, but also serves as a terrific starting point for inquisitive gamers who wish to start the long journey that is the Zelda franchise.
2018
Having only extensively played the original Motorstorm and ATV Offroad Racing for the PS2 a long time ago, my references for racing games are a bit sparse. Going into it, Forza Horizon 4 is the first contemporary racing game I’ve played for longer than 30 minutes (looking at you Need for Speed: Rivals). Interestingly, I learned the Forza series does a sort of eventual obsolescence kind of like the WWE games. Where after a few years the game loses online support and gets delisted from the store. At least it’s not for nothing, as apparently third party license expirations are responsible for it. As disappointing as that is, the game is just as vast without online support and there were only a few modes I played PvP anyway. It’s simply the reason I’m starting with the fourth game in the series instead of the first.
Even without vast racing experiences I can recognize the top quality in every inch of this game. The graphics are gorgeous, the sheer volume of cars vast, and the amount of different race types dizzying. By hour 5 you’ll have practically filled up the world-map with how many markers there are for things to do. The game is also extremely accessible while still having tools for more experienced users. Tools like the life-saving rewind mechanic, car tuning to adjust to certain terrains, and vast difficulty modifiers make it so you can have a breezy journey or a tough trial, giving you bonuses depending on how difficult you make it. Not without purpose, in-game credits or earned wheelspins act as a constant stream of new toys to play with. Having spent no extra money on paid DLC or extra content I was easily left with over 50 cars by the end of my journey. Much like unlocking new races, the game always has something new to earn and test out.
Moreover, Forza Horizon has a season changing feature. Every real world week changes the in-game season from spring all the way to winter, giving a new appearance to the world and requiring you to change how you race. A select few races have predetermined weather conditions, like the showcase races (a personal favorite of mine), but for the most part it’s a constant state. It’s here where you really figure out what works and what doesn’t. Seasons like winter and spring will highly favor vehicles with greater traction while summer and autumn are a bit more lenient with high-sensitive turns. Not just races are affected either. For instance during the winter season you could drive over a frozen lake to cut through an area and save time, or maybe you have to go around because a river bed has filled up during the spring season. On the whole I really dug this feature and how it incentivizes playing at semi-regular intervals to see all there is to the game. A personal toggle for seasons when alone would be nice, maybe we’ll see that in a sequel.
Now Forza did take some getting used to. The fine controls and turning sensitivity is unlike any racing game I’ve ever played before. However after a while it really started to grow on me. Forza absolutely isn’t a mindless nitro booster game, but the satisfaction you get when you finally nail the rhythm of the racing is just as gratifying as when you would go flying off a motorcycle in Motorstorm. Even without online play Forza Horizon 4 is an easy recommendation for racing connoisseur and newbies alike. If that’s a sticking point though, the fifth game that recently came out looks just as good, is PvP accessible, and is next on my list to try. Otherwise with how the developers said they don’t have plans to delist the game anytime soon and with how often it goes on sale, there’s no better time than the present to pick it up.
Even without vast racing experiences I can recognize the top quality in every inch of this game. The graphics are gorgeous, the sheer volume of cars vast, and the amount of different race types dizzying. By hour 5 you’ll have practically filled up the world-map with how many markers there are for things to do. The game is also extremely accessible while still having tools for more experienced users. Tools like the life-saving rewind mechanic, car tuning to adjust to certain terrains, and vast difficulty modifiers make it so you can have a breezy journey or a tough trial, giving you bonuses depending on how difficult you make it. Not without purpose, in-game credits or earned wheelspins act as a constant stream of new toys to play with. Having spent no extra money on paid DLC or extra content I was easily left with over 50 cars by the end of my journey. Much like unlocking new races, the game always has something new to earn and test out.
Moreover, Forza Horizon has a season changing feature. Every real world week changes the in-game season from spring all the way to winter, giving a new appearance to the world and requiring you to change how you race. A select few races have predetermined weather conditions, like the showcase races (a personal favorite of mine), but for the most part it’s a constant state. It’s here where you really figure out what works and what doesn’t. Seasons like winter and spring will highly favor vehicles with greater traction while summer and autumn are a bit more lenient with high-sensitive turns. Not just races are affected either. For instance during the winter season you could drive over a frozen lake to cut through an area and save time, or maybe you have to go around because a river bed has filled up during the spring season. On the whole I really dug this feature and how it incentivizes playing at semi-regular intervals to see all there is to the game. A personal toggle for seasons when alone would be nice, maybe we’ll see that in a sequel.
Now Forza did take some getting used to. The fine controls and turning sensitivity is unlike any racing game I’ve ever played before. However after a while it really started to grow on me. Forza absolutely isn’t a mindless nitro booster game, but the satisfaction you get when you finally nail the rhythm of the racing is just as gratifying as when you would go flying off a motorcycle in Motorstorm. Even without online play Forza Horizon 4 is an easy recommendation for racing connoisseur and newbies alike. If that’s a sticking point though, the fifth game that recently came out looks just as good, is PvP accessible, and is next on my list to try. Otherwise with how the developers said they don’t have plans to delist the game anytime soon and with how often it goes on sale, there’s no better time than the present to pick it up.
Monument Valley is an extremely short geometry-based puzzle game originally released for mobile devices before eventually being ported to PC. After playing it it’s easy to see its humble roots. You can finish this game in around the time it takes to watch a movie. Luckily for us it goes above and beyond the expectation of a typical mobile port. Sure some levels are a little too brief even for a mobile game. The first two levels take a combined two minutes to complete, but the rest of the levels make up for that, steadily increasing in complexity by adding a central mechanic that’s the focus of that level. The beloved totem being my favorite of the bunch.
The fixed camera points and vibrant colors make for a painting-like beauty in almost every shot. It reminds me a lot of Gris, with monochrome being the focal point instead of color bleed. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that each frame is fit for wallpaper status. Monument Valley’s style is a prime example of less can be more, both in visual style and challenge design. With a focus on moving walls, bridges, structures to take advantage of impossible angles and make it to the end, it helps that they simplified the process at key points. Some structures will move at a single pivot point fully whereas others will lock in place, limiting the amount of movement and thus possible combinations.
Not to say the game doesn’t challenge you to think outside the box, the designs themself distinctly ask you to throw away everything you learned from high school geometry class. You’re just never gonna throw your head back in frustration and look up a guide after getting stuck for 10 minutes. If anything the game left me wanting more. With so few levels I’m at least glad they expanded with the Forgotten Shores and Ida’s Red Dream DLCs, which comes along with the Panoramic edition of the game. And with a second game already existing and a third one apparently on the way I have few worries for the future of the franchise. Monument Valley is a short, soothing title that’s more a small, serene burst than a long marathon. It knows what it wants to be and doesn’t try to be anything else. For such a straightforward game it does exceedingly well in giving some hearty competition to its indie peers.
The fixed camera points and vibrant colors make for a painting-like beauty in almost every shot. It reminds me a lot of Gris, with monochrome being the focal point instead of color bleed. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that each frame is fit for wallpaper status. Monument Valley’s style is a prime example of less can be more, both in visual style and challenge design. With a focus on moving walls, bridges, structures to take advantage of impossible angles and make it to the end, it helps that they simplified the process at key points. Some structures will move at a single pivot point fully whereas others will lock in place, limiting the amount of movement and thus possible combinations.
Not to say the game doesn’t challenge you to think outside the box, the designs themself distinctly ask you to throw away everything you learned from high school geometry class. You’re just never gonna throw your head back in frustration and look up a guide after getting stuck for 10 minutes. If anything the game left me wanting more. With so few levels I’m at least glad they expanded with the Forgotten Shores and Ida’s Red Dream DLCs, which comes along with the Panoramic edition of the game. And with a second game already existing and a third one apparently on the way I have few worries for the future of the franchise. Monument Valley is a short, soothing title that’s more a small, serene burst than a long marathon. It knows what it wants to be and doesn’t try to be anything else. For such a straightforward game it does exceedingly well in giving some hearty competition to its indie peers.
1985
As the franchise that established foundational game design as we know it, it goes without saying that the original Super Mario Bros is paramount in permanently shaping the gaming landscape. I’d go so far to say that it was the bridge that gapped the distance between arcade ventures and modern home consoles, ushering the start of the multi-billion dollar video games industry. More on that at a later date. For now let’s focus on the actual game itself. By now mostly everyone should be familiar with the iconic Mario blueprint. What many people might not realize is how much of the franchise was established in the first game. Enemy types that would become mainstays like the Goombas and Koopas, powerups like the Fire Flower and Starman, and long-time mechanics like using flagstaffs to end levels.
The original Super Mario Bros is naturally a very pick-up-and-play game, being split up into 8 different worlds with 4 stages each. Along the way to save the Mushroom Kingdom Princess from Bowser you have to platform across basic structures, avoid projectiles, fight enemies, and gain powerups to boost your abilities and health. The four primary level types are underground, castle, underwater, and aboveground levels. Add in some warp pipes that let you skip certain stages and that’s really all there is to it. Not just owing to its age, Super Mario Bros is the fundamental distillation of what a platformer is. Part of what makes it so successful is the ability for anyone to jump in, understand, and have some fun with the decently challenging game. And don’t be fooled, it can be quite challenging.
This leads us to my one real gripe with the game. The limited lives is fine, but It feels like Mario is walking on ice the entire time. It’s way too hard to control for precise jumps or while you’re in the air at all. If you can somehow overcome that, the game is actually pretty easy otherwise. But man, I lost way too many lives by Mario getting a mind of his own and walking off the map. In light of that I’d advise you to just take it a bit slower than you would normally. It’s not a long game after all, don’t sweat taking your time with certain platform sections. Past that not much more can be said. The original Mario often gets overshadowed by future titles, and probably rightfully so. It’s an OG classic that holds up fantastically compared to its age, but beyond nostalgic or historic value there’s nothing here that hasn’t been done better or more in-depth in later games.
The original Super Mario Bros is naturally a very pick-up-and-play game, being split up into 8 different worlds with 4 stages each. Along the way to save the Mushroom Kingdom Princess from Bowser you have to platform across basic structures, avoid projectiles, fight enemies, and gain powerups to boost your abilities and health. The four primary level types are underground, castle, underwater, and aboveground levels. Add in some warp pipes that let you skip certain stages and that’s really all there is to it. Not just owing to its age, Super Mario Bros is the fundamental distillation of what a platformer is. Part of what makes it so successful is the ability for anyone to jump in, understand, and have some fun with the decently challenging game. And don’t be fooled, it can be quite challenging.
This leads us to my one real gripe with the game. The limited lives is fine, but It feels like Mario is walking on ice the entire time. It’s way too hard to control for precise jumps or while you’re in the air at all. If you can somehow overcome that, the game is actually pretty easy otherwise. But man, I lost way too many lives by Mario getting a mind of his own and walking off the map. In light of that I’d advise you to just take it a bit slower than you would normally. It’s not a long game after all, don’t sweat taking your time with certain platform sections. Past that not much more can be said. The original Mario often gets overshadowed by future titles, and probably rightfully so. It’s an OG classic that holds up fantastically compared to its age, but beyond nostalgic or historic value there’s nothing here that hasn’t been done better or more in-depth in later games.
2020
I first heard about this game when the sequel was announced at the 2023 State of Play. To be honest I was surprised it flew under my radar at all. Maybe subconsciously my first impression before playing was that it seemed like yet another platformer game trying to reinvent the wheel. What caught my attention though was the combat, and motivated me to buy it during the steam summer sale. The first thing you learn is that Ghostrunner is a high octane bullet timing platformer where the focus is on how you secure the kill, letting you get creative with it. Everyone besides bosses are one-hit kills, including yourself. And with a well balanced checkpoint system this doesn’t cause too much frustration except on rare occasions. Of course I wouldn’t have balked had they made the player 2 hits, especially for the more cluttered areas. But no, I think it works for what they’re going for here. It makes it all the more satisfying once you get the hang of the movement and bullet timings and start slicing through enemies like butter.
Ghostrunner is very tight-knit, much like the tower you traverse throughout the game. Your main tools are your wall-running and your grappling hook to get to higher elevations, with more things like zip lines introduced later. By the way, this is a bit of a deep cut but does the grappling hook remind anyone of the electro-whip that the assassin class had in Lawbreakers, the failed Overwatch clone? Just me? Alright. In addition to that you have four main abilities on top of your basic slice such as an energy wave that shoots out horizontally or a wind pulse that kills enemies in close proximity. With around 17 or so levels the game is very good at keeping things feeling fresh with some levels very short and some a tad longer. You’re never stagnant, whether you’re unlocking a new ability, being introduced to a new parkour element, or enemies are gaining a new ability. There's always something for you to improve on and adapt to.
Being someone who likes to get a taste of everything I’m happy to say each skill has its place here and I really enjoyed being able to freely swap out abilities at any point for what the situation called for without being penalized. I would say it got repetitive if not for the stellar design that knew when to give you platforming and when to give you enemies. Any time you face a gauntlet of enemies you’ll be back to zipping around like a mad monkey right after. It’s really hard to say which one I preferred, they both have their moments of oh-so-sweet sweet endorphin releases. Besides normal platforming there’s also Cybervoid sections which consist of puzzles in a highly stylized digital world. They annoyed me at first but then started to grow on me after a while. They’re all very derivative of puzzles you’ve likely seen many times before, but still. They get the old noggin working and really shouldn’t be doing anything else.
There’s no traditional swordplay here. Your main move is just a simple slash, but that doesn’t stop you from feeling like a badass as you rely on auxiliary flourishes and listen to an absolutely phenomenal soundtrack that I’m listening to right now as I review the game. If you get nothing from this review then at the very least go listen to the soundtrack as soon as you can. Daniel Deluxe really brought life to the already gorgeous visuals, be it in trippy Cybervoid or striking-neon Dharma Tower. I understand the game won’t appeal to those that expected more technical swordwork, but I’d really encourage those on the fence to give it a try when possible.
Ghostrunner is very tight-knit, much like the tower you traverse throughout the game. Your main tools are your wall-running and your grappling hook to get to higher elevations, with more things like zip lines introduced later. By the way, this is a bit of a deep cut but does the grappling hook remind anyone of the electro-whip that the assassin class had in Lawbreakers, the failed Overwatch clone? Just me? Alright. In addition to that you have four main abilities on top of your basic slice such as an energy wave that shoots out horizontally or a wind pulse that kills enemies in close proximity. With around 17 or so levels the game is very good at keeping things feeling fresh with some levels very short and some a tad longer. You’re never stagnant, whether you’re unlocking a new ability, being introduced to a new parkour element, or enemies are gaining a new ability. There's always something for you to improve on and adapt to.
Being someone who likes to get a taste of everything I’m happy to say each skill has its place here and I really enjoyed being able to freely swap out abilities at any point for what the situation called for without being penalized. I would say it got repetitive if not for the stellar design that knew when to give you platforming and when to give you enemies. Any time you face a gauntlet of enemies you’ll be back to zipping around like a mad monkey right after. It’s really hard to say which one I preferred, they both have their moments of oh-so-sweet sweet endorphin releases. Besides normal platforming there’s also Cybervoid sections which consist of puzzles in a highly stylized digital world. They annoyed me at first but then started to grow on me after a while. They’re all very derivative of puzzles you’ve likely seen many times before, but still. They get the old noggin working and really shouldn’t be doing anything else.
There’s no traditional swordplay here. Your main move is just a simple slash, but that doesn’t stop you from feeling like a badass as you rely on auxiliary flourishes and listen to an absolutely phenomenal soundtrack that I’m listening to right now as I review the game. If you get nothing from this review then at the very least go listen to the soundtrack as soon as you can. Daniel Deluxe really brought life to the already gorgeous visuals, be it in trippy Cybervoid or striking-neon Dharma Tower. I understand the game won’t appeal to those that expected more technical swordwork, but I’d really encourage those on the fence to give it a try when possible.
Ori starts off deceptively saccharine, borderline reminiscent of Up’s beginning scene. Giving a glimpse into the overarching theme of healing nature and restoring peace. A quaint enough premise. Make no mistake though, Ori and the Blind Forest can be a tough game. If you are set on playing it already I would strongly recommend sticking to the Definitive Edition of the game. Not only is the price hike not so painful after all these years but it gives some really nice QoL changes that I definitely noticed. Primarily, it adds a couple new abilities like a dash and the ability to teleport at spirit wells, which was a huge boon in saving time backtracking.
Beyond its flashy, mystical art style, there’s a few things they added to really differentiate Ori from the generic platformer crowd. For instance, saves are done through creating mystical orbs in the environment, which also act as a conduit to spend upgrade points. If you don’t have enough energy, you can't make a save point. It’s not as bad as it sounds, as this is circumvented by finding more energy cells so you’ll never realistically run out before you get more. It only becomes a nuisance when you forget to create one after a good while and ALL your progress has been undone. It’s not a particularly rare occurrence either. There’s no shortage of one-hit or half-health damaging obstacles. Just be mindful of unexplored areas and save liberally anytime you make a good chunk of progress.
With over 10 abilities and 7 main sections Ori is a good little Metroidvania with a lot of agency on how you get around. A lot of areas can be accessed in multiple different ways, both a blessing and a curse. The game has a great rhythm and I always found the necessary abilities naturally, but sometimes using them was easier said than done. A button remapping option would have been really welcome here, especially considering most of the 10 abilities only use three total buttons. Time significantly helped overcome muscle memory, but every now and again I would accidentally press the wrong button and get a different ability than I hoped for.
It’s your standard indie fanfare in terms of having a bubbly, sweet narrative. It starts strong and maintains a consistent tone, but Ori has what I like to call a frozen dinner quality of a story. It’s there, it’s simple, it’s just sorta shallow and not really filling. That might be a bit harsh, I think I’ve just seen this story too many times to be moved by it. That notwithstanding, the game really is extremely polished. If you can get used to the controls you can do some gnarly platforming tricks. Each main mission area uses puzzle gimmicks to their fullest extent and can get really fun with how it makes you think outside the box sometimes. While not without its twists and turns, Ori is very accessible and worthy of its praise. And one more positive about the Definitive Edition: you can always adjust the difficulty if you have too much trouble with the game.
Beyond its flashy, mystical art style, there’s a few things they added to really differentiate Ori from the generic platformer crowd. For instance, saves are done through creating mystical orbs in the environment, which also act as a conduit to spend upgrade points. If you don’t have enough energy, you can't make a save point. It’s not as bad as it sounds, as this is circumvented by finding more energy cells so you’ll never realistically run out before you get more. It only becomes a nuisance when you forget to create one after a good while and ALL your progress has been undone. It’s not a particularly rare occurrence either. There’s no shortage of one-hit or half-health damaging obstacles. Just be mindful of unexplored areas and save liberally anytime you make a good chunk of progress.
With over 10 abilities and 7 main sections Ori is a good little Metroidvania with a lot of agency on how you get around. A lot of areas can be accessed in multiple different ways, both a blessing and a curse. The game has a great rhythm and I always found the necessary abilities naturally, but sometimes using them was easier said than done. A button remapping option would have been really welcome here, especially considering most of the 10 abilities only use three total buttons. Time significantly helped overcome muscle memory, but every now and again I would accidentally press the wrong button and get a different ability than I hoped for.
It’s your standard indie fanfare in terms of having a bubbly, sweet narrative. It starts strong and maintains a consistent tone, but Ori has what I like to call a frozen dinner quality of a story. It’s there, it’s simple, it’s just sorta shallow and not really filling. That might be a bit harsh, I think I’ve just seen this story too many times to be moved by it. That notwithstanding, the game really is extremely polished. If you can get used to the controls you can do some gnarly platforming tricks. Each main mission area uses puzzle gimmicks to their fullest extent and can get really fun with how it makes you think outside the box sometimes. While not without its twists and turns, Ori is very accessible and worthy of its praise. And one more positive about the Definitive Edition: you can always adjust the difficulty if you have too much trouble with the game.
2021
A fantastic rogue-like card-builder with elements of mystery, nostalgia, dark comedy, and an ever present undertone of unease. I’ll mirror what everyone else who’s played Inscryption says and recommend that you go into this game blind. Knowing as little as possible makes every twist that much sweeter. That out of the way, let's get into some mild spoilers if you’re not convinced yet and give a general overview of the game.
The game is spread into three distinct acts. They all feature the basic structure of a 1 vs 1 card game but implement unique mechanics and art styles. The first act very much reminded me of a Jumanji/D&D/Yugioh mashup, where you traverse a game board at the behest of gamemaster Leshy, choosing paths and facing off against bosses as you do your best to learn the mechanics and build the best deck you can. This is the absolute peak of Inscryption for me. Listening to an immersed narrator guide you through your meta expedition with both humor and unease in equal parts is a truly fun experience. It helps that the card game is addictive and easy to grasp. While initially challenging, I began to like how the restrictive spaces really force you to maximize where you can in strategy and deck. Each gamemaster’s gimmick was fun to learn and they weaved them together very well, with multiple cards working best in a hybrid deck. Which becomes more prominent later in the game.
In both the first and third act you’re able to get up from the table and explore the room. It’s here where you’ll also be introduced to the wider narrative. Talking cards and secrets throughout the cabin are the first hints that there’s something more than an overly-passionate gamemaster to be understood here. Along with the captivating, retro glitchcore music scored by Jonah Senzel I felt super invested in learning more. You’ll most certainly fail a few times before you really get the hang of the game, but each run you do a bit better. Helped by the introduction of death cards, a way to create a custom powerful card to help you stack the deck in your favor. If you really know what you’re doing and with a little bit of luck you can even create the optimal deck by stacking sigil effects to build an infinitely recycling card with stacking damage. Which can be oh so satisfying when all the pieces fall into your lap.
If you’re still undecided, just a word of warning, I’m now going to get into some major spoilers. Soon after the first act you’ll find that you’re actually playing as Luke Carder, a youtuber and gamer that found the only known copy of Inscryption on a floppy disk, as revealed in short live action videos made to resemble candid found footage. And I've got to give props, the actor for Luke did really well at nailing the youtuber mannerisms, and the ARG itself was quite intriguing. I usually find them too cheesy to participate in but something about it clicked for me here. Plus Inscryption knew when to pull back the curtains and not show too much too quickly.
Talking about the separate acts, here’s where most people would say that the game falls off swiftly after the first act. I would fight against that notion though. What I will admit is that the first part is indeed the strongest, and my preferred art style for the game. The 2D old-school look was cool in the second act, yet beyond making the retro connection just a little bit stronger I’m not sure it did too much here. Maybe if they changed up the gameplay a bit more, sort of like a more archaic version of the game, but it really was just the same thing on a more charming background. I still enjoyed it, I just would have preferred playing with the fuzzy PS3 era look that the first one had. It’s not like my suspension of disbelief would not have been broken by maintaining that. That said, props to the second act for trying a more traditional deck-building setup. It was a hoot to really experiment with what worked and what didn’t with little punishment for choosing wrong.
The third act is a return to form, just slightly modified. Instead of Leshy’s cabin you’re in P03’s factory, with dead and defunct replacing dreary and funky. I actually adored this section almost as much as the first one. The new traits like permanent progression, bounties, refilling items, an items store and 5 line combat make for a different enough time to warrant its existence. The one thing I will say is it did go on a little long, maybe a handful of encounters could have been cut here, especially seeing as a good chunk of them were very quick and very easy. Even that being so, Act 3 had the best boss fights of the game, only rivaled by that of Leshy’s fight in Act 1. I was always on the edge of my seat to see what they would throw at me next in the special encounters, and they never disappointed me on that.
For such a foreboding game it has quite the bittersweet end, with just a dash of WTF. While some parts of the game are better than others it never felt like a slog to get through. I really can’t recommend it enough. Even if you don’t love high-strategy card games, Inscryption will most certainly flip your perception of what an indie title can be using just some ambience and a few tabletop rules. Some added good news for those who wanted more like the first act: you can always play Kaycee’s Mod, an expansion based on that part of the game. But who knows, there’s a large chance you’ll love Inscryption as much as I did even without the expansion.
The game is spread into three distinct acts. They all feature the basic structure of a 1 vs 1 card game but implement unique mechanics and art styles. The first act very much reminded me of a Jumanji/D&D/Yugioh mashup, where you traverse a game board at the behest of gamemaster Leshy, choosing paths and facing off against bosses as you do your best to learn the mechanics and build the best deck you can. This is the absolute peak of Inscryption for me. Listening to an immersed narrator guide you through your meta expedition with both humor and unease in equal parts is a truly fun experience. It helps that the card game is addictive and easy to grasp. While initially challenging, I began to like how the restrictive spaces really force you to maximize where you can in strategy and deck. Each gamemaster’s gimmick was fun to learn and they weaved them together very well, with multiple cards working best in a hybrid deck. Which becomes more prominent later in the game.
In both the first and third act you’re able to get up from the table and explore the room. It’s here where you’ll also be introduced to the wider narrative. Talking cards and secrets throughout the cabin are the first hints that there’s something more than an overly-passionate gamemaster to be understood here. Along with the captivating, retro glitchcore music scored by Jonah Senzel I felt super invested in learning more. You’ll most certainly fail a few times before you really get the hang of the game, but each run you do a bit better. Helped by the introduction of death cards, a way to create a custom powerful card to help you stack the deck in your favor. If you really know what you’re doing and with a little bit of luck you can even create the optimal deck by stacking sigil effects to build an infinitely recycling card with stacking damage. Which can be oh so satisfying when all the pieces fall into your lap.
If you’re still undecided, just a word of warning, I’m now going to get into some major spoilers. Soon after the first act you’ll find that you’re actually playing as Luke Carder, a youtuber and gamer that found the only known copy of Inscryption on a floppy disk, as revealed in short live action videos made to resemble candid found footage. And I've got to give props, the actor for Luke did really well at nailing the youtuber mannerisms, and the ARG itself was quite intriguing. I usually find them too cheesy to participate in but something about it clicked for me here. Plus Inscryption knew when to pull back the curtains and not show too much too quickly.
Talking about the separate acts, here’s where most people would say that the game falls off swiftly after the first act. I would fight against that notion though. What I will admit is that the first part is indeed the strongest, and my preferred art style for the game. The 2D old-school look was cool in the second act, yet beyond making the retro connection just a little bit stronger I’m not sure it did too much here. Maybe if they changed up the gameplay a bit more, sort of like a more archaic version of the game, but it really was just the same thing on a more charming background. I still enjoyed it, I just would have preferred playing with the fuzzy PS3 era look that the first one had. It’s not like my suspension of disbelief would not have been broken by maintaining that. That said, props to the second act for trying a more traditional deck-building setup. It was a hoot to really experiment with what worked and what didn’t with little punishment for choosing wrong.
The third act is a return to form, just slightly modified. Instead of Leshy’s cabin you’re in P03’s factory, with dead and defunct replacing dreary and funky. I actually adored this section almost as much as the first one. The new traits like permanent progression, bounties, refilling items, an items store and 5 line combat make for a different enough time to warrant its existence. The one thing I will say is it did go on a little long, maybe a handful of encounters could have been cut here, especially seeing as a good chunk of them were very quick and very easy. Even that being so, Act 3 had the best boss fights of the game, only rivaled by that of Leshy’s fight in Act 1. I was always on the edge of my seat to see what they would throw at me next in the special encounters, and they never disappointed me on that.
For such a foreboding game it has quite the bittersweet end, with just a dash of WTF. While some parts of the game are better than others it never felt like a slog to get through. I really can’t recommend it enough. Even if you don’t love high-strategy card games, Inscryption will most certainly flip your perception of what an indie title can be using just some ambience and a few tabletop rules. Some added good news for those who wanted more like the first act: you can always play Kaycee’s Mod, an expansion based on that part of the game. But who knows, there’s a large chance you’ll love Inscryption as much as I did even without the expansion.
2019
My Friend Pedro reminds me of a lot of early 2010s flash games, just with a lot more polish and a good bit more meat to it. It’s got some platforming, some solid Adult Swim humor, and a healthy scoop of Max Payne-esque shooting, only in a 2D plane now. And I’ve got to say, it’s a better time than I expected. Each of the 40 levels is around 5 mins or less, perfect for short gaming sessions. Along with regularly introduced guns and platforming mechanics like levers and lasers, it helped the game from becoming stale. Though not wildly differing I liked to switch up my choice of weapon now and again, aided by a healthy share of ammo the game offers.
It’s pretty easy on normal difficulty. You almost have to try to die unless you never use your dodge or slow motion, though higher difficulties offer a healthy dose of challenge for those who want it. Plus if your aim isn’t horrible you can pretty much use slow motion permanently as long as there’s an enemy around to shoot. Speaking of, the spotlight of My Friend Pedro is how fun the movement combined with the slow motion is here. It has its derpy moments, but by and large the movement is very reactive and smooth.
The slow motion front flips, akimbo rope descents, and hilarious monkey-ball method of rolling around were a great mix of funny and cool. Skateboards, frying pans, and explosive barrels were there to break up monotony as well. I’ve heard others criticize the game for being too repetitive or basic; I respectfully can’t disagree more. Sure, it’s not winning any GOTY awards, but successfully combining an irreverent flying banana razzing you while you channel your inner action hero is more than I would’ve expected from a small pick-up-and-play game. There’s no million different methods to beat the game, except it was never advertised as such. Maybe it’s because I didn’t marathon it that I didn’t ever feel like it was dragging. I went into it lukewarm thinking the premise would expire before the game did, but I’m happy to report that was not the case. My Friend Pedro adheres to the “what you see is what you get” adage. And speaking personally, I’m quite happy with what I got.
It’s pretty easy on normal difficulty. You almost have to try to die unless you never use your dodge or slow motion, though higher difficulties offer a healthy dose of challenge for those who want it. Plus if your aim isn’t horrible you can pretty much use slow motion permanently as long as there’s an enemy around to shoot. Speaking of, the spotlight of My Friend Pedro is how fun the movement combined with the slow motion is here. It has its derpy moments, but by and large the movement is very reactive and smooth.
The slow motion front flips, akimbo rope descents, and hilarious monkey-ball method of rolling around were a great mix of funny and cool. Skateboards, frying pans, and explosive barrels were there to break up monotony as well. I’ve heard others criticize the game for being too repetitive or basic; I respectfully can’t disagree more. Sure, it’s not winning any GOTY awards, but successfully combining an irreverent flying banana razzing you while you channel your inner action hero is more than I would’ve expected from a small pick-up-and-play game. There’s no million different methods to beat the game, except it was never advertised as such. Maybe it’s because I didn’t marathon it that I didn’t ever feel like it was dragging. I went into it lukewarm thinking the premise would expire before the game did, but I’m happy to report that was not the case. My Friend Pedro adheres to the “what you see is what you get” adage. And speaking personally, I’m quite happy with what I got.
2010
A game made in the heart of the seventh generation’s life, Dead Rising 2 takes many notes from the first title in the franchise. In place of a small-town homely mall you’re instead given a much larger and more adult gambling haven to traipse around in. I’ll admit some bias on my part, as I played this game extensively growing up, but I have so many memories playing this over and over, finding hidden secrets or new things to do. Right off the bat you’ll notice it’s full of minigames, taking after its Las Vegas inspirations. Some are luck-based, and others dependent on QTEs. They’re all worth at least one try, and in totality, they mark a lighter direction for the franchise.
The first game had plenty of more silly moments and gags, but Dead Rising 2 takes that to a new level. The story is still as serious as it can be, it’s everything else around it that has a newly donned coat of parody. There’s a lot of silliness in the game, in both slapstick and adult humor. I think it straddles the line in a fun way, but I can understand it’s not for everybody. It's very B-movie in its presentation, replete with some really creative and out-there psychopath boss fights. Maybe this is the nostalgia talking but I really liked this spin, even if it’s as crazy as the franchise gets in terms of visual design and ratio of humor to horror. In all my life I’ve probably played this game around 8 or 9 times. And a big reason for that is another staple that was first introduced in Dead Rising 2, that being combo weapons.
These extra XP yielding weapons allow you to unleash some potential in some items that you would otherwise never pick up or use beyond once out of novelty. Combining two distinct items either marked by combo cards or found through traditional discovery gives you an amped up weapon that is either badass or utterly silly, but all a joy to find and melt zombies with. Add on the unique weapons you’ll find throughout the mall and there’s no shortage of carnage to be sown. You even have a sweet Humvee to go joyriding down the strip in. As I said before, the basic structure of the first game, with timed missions, rescue tasks, and boss fights remains the same. A relief, as this game proves that formula provides a wonderful foundation. While the timed missions do make it very hard to complete every mission in time, it’s such an important piece of adding urgency and giving Dead Rising an edge to it’s sheen. The rescue missions aren’t the most exciting missions in the world, but I had little trouble escorting people back with the generous health and run speed they typically give the other survivors, and that sweet boost of XP made sure I kept it up.
Solidifying its status as the first game on acid, Dead Rising 2 also gives us a Terror is Reality mode on top of the main game. Your main guy Chuck Greene is a contestant on the TIR show, which involves racing against others to kill the most zombies to win cash, both in-universe and in-game. The intro to the game has you compete in such a race. Beyond that there’s another outside of story option that lets you compete against other players to win cash you can use in the main game. Truth be told it’s better than it has any right to be, and can be a good source of distraction if the main entertainment starts to wear on you. On the main game, let's talk about the story briefly before I wrap this up.
The story was …ok. Chuck Greene is stiffer than I remember him being, but his relationship with his daughter partly makes up for that. I’ll never stop snickering like a child when he rattles off the stupidest puns known to man after offing some crazy. Perhaps a bit more playfulness like that or some more distinct traits for Chuck would have been a good idea. I say this liking the guy more than most, as I have a bit of a soft spot for him. The actual chronology and events are pretty cool, if a tad derivative of the first game in the later half. After playing Dead Rising 2: Off the Record, an alternative version of the game with Frank at the helm instead, I kind of wish they took most of the elements from Off the Record’s story, sans comically evil Stacey. But that might just be my fondness for Rebecca shining through.
Overall Dead Rising 2 is a much lighter stepping stone in the franchise’s catalog, and I think it makes the most of that fact. Be it with a friend in the Co-op mode or on your lonesome journeying out on the zombified strip, the game is a real boon for those that want options and a sandbox to thrive in. Not only is it a great action title, it’s an essential for those that love zombie games.
The first game had plenty of more silly moments and gags, but Dead Rising 2 takes that to a new level. The story is still as serious as it can be, it’s everything else around it that has a newly donned coat of parody. There’s a lot of silliness in the game, in both slapstick and adult humor. I think it straddles the line in a fun way, but I can understand it’s not for everybody. It's very B-movie in its presentation, replete with some really creative and out-there psychopath boss fights. Maybe this is the nostalgia talking but I really liked this spin, even if it’s as crazy as the franchise gets in terms of visual design and ratio of humor to horror. In all my life I’ve probably played this game around 8 or 9 times. And a big reason for that is another staple that was first introduced in Dead Rising 2, that being combo weapons.
These extra XP yielding weapons allow you to unleash some potential in some items that you would otherwise never pick up or use beyond once out of novelty. Combining two distinct items either marked by combo cards or found through traditional discovery gives you an amped up weapon that is either badass or utterly silly, but all a joy to find and melt zombies with. Add on the unique weapons you’ll find throughout the mall and there’s no shortage of carnage to be sown. You even have a sweet Humvee to go joyriding down the strip in. As I said before, the basic structure of the first game, with timed missions, rescue tasks, and boss fights remains the same. A relief, as this game proves that formula provides a wonderful foundation. While the timed missions do make it very hard to complete every mission in time, it’s such an important piece of adding urgency and giving Dead Rising an edge to it’s sheen. The rescue missions aren’t the most exciting missions in the world, but I had little trouble escorting people back with the generous health and run speed they typically give the other survivors, and that sweet boost of XP made sure I kept it up.
Solidifying its status as the first game on acid, Dead Rising 2 also gives us a Terror is Reality mode on top of the main game. Your main guy Chuck Greene is a contestant on the TIR show, which involves racing against others to kill the most zombies to win cash, both in-universe and in-game. The intro to the game has you compete in such a race. Beyond that there’s another outside of story option that lets you compete against other players to win cash you can use in the main game. Truth be told it’s better than it has any right to be, and can be a good source of distraction if the main entertainment starts to wear on you. On the main game, let's talk about the story briefly before I wrap this up.
The story was …ok. Chuck Greene is stiffer than I remember him being, but his relationship with his daughter partly makes up for that. I’ll never stop snickering like a child when he rattles off the stupidest puns known to man after offing some crazy. Perhaps a bit more playfulness like that or some more distinct traits for Chuck would have been a good idea. I say this liking the guy more than most, as I have a bit of a soft spot for him. The actual chronology and events are pretty cool, if a tad derivative of the first game in the later half. After playing Dead Rising 2: Off the Record, an alternative version of the game with Frank at the helm instead, I kind of wish they took most of the elements from Off the Record’s story, sans comically evil Stacey. But that might just be my fondness for Rebecca shining through.
Overall Dead Rising 2 is a much lighter stepping stone in the franchise’s catalog, and I think it makes the most of that fact. Be it with a friend in the Co-op mode or on your lonesome journeying out on the zombified strip, the game is a real boon for those that want options and a sandbox to thrive in. Not only is it a great action title, it’s an essential for those that love zombie games.
2020
Fall Guys is a A+ party game with just three inputs: move forward, jump, and grab. It’s like a massive Wipeout circuit if it were populated by silly little bean guys, all dialed up to 11 with how colorful and playful it is. In competing to win first place there’s Race, Survival, Hunt, and Final level types, with Final usually just being a smaller race or survival variant. With how many different levels and participants in any given match there are, it’s clear to see where Fall Guys' strengths are in the elimination style gameplay. But as someone who has played the game off-and-on for over a year I’m not sure why they retire so many levels.
The strength of Fall Guys is having a simple base that literally anyone could play with the low challenge barrier, with variety and fun being provided by the large number of slightly different maps there are and the endorphin release of surviving another elimination wave. If you look it up though you can see how many maps have been retired. I would assume it's because of seasonal events and whatnot, but if you ask me they should really look into re-adding some. It helps keep it fresh when the RNG decides to give you the same 3 different maps back to back in a single session. And I know this is unpopular, but I kind of miss the Team mode. I realize it’s frustrating when your team is not up to snuff. I’d reckon that’s a part of the excitement of random chance. Sometimes you get a good team, sometimes you don’t. Rarely is it a single player’s fault for failure. Besides, Fall Guys is way too casual to take seriously.
It also has a really aggressive battle-pass/monetization system a la Fortnite. There are SO MANY licensed skins, title cards, and nameplates. If the game clicks for you it’s easy to see how that would be appealing when a license you like comes around. For me, it’s a fun game to pick up for half an hour every so often when I have a little time to kill and don’t want to be overly challenged or invested for too long. So that kind of system would never woo me, but your mileage may vary. Also like Fortnite, the game has a very active and constantly updating system with seasonal modes, events, and challenges, giving you an extra push just to see what they got every few months. And credit where credits due, they usually nail the seasonal aesthetic they’re going for.
They also added a course creator that I only tinkered with for about 5 minutes just to see what it’s about, and it’s thoroughly fleshed out. I can see someone really going to town with how much they let you play behind the curtain here. Hopefully they still maintain their own steady rhythm of new content to bite into, but maybe some oh so tiny modification to existing modes and RNG would help tenfold. I know it’s the easiest mode to make, but perhaps taking some of the Race match spots should be another equally straightforward mode, or even a carve-out for legacy courses. Fall Guys is a legitimately entertaining game scientifically crafted to thrive in casual play, Co-op or alone. While you’re unlikely to become a hardcore Fall Guy guy, it’s a terrific game to add to the rotation when you need something to palate cleanse or just vibe to.
The strength of Fall Guys is having a simple base that literally anyone could play with the low challenge barrier, with variety and fun being provided by the large number of slightly different maps there are and the endorphin release of surviving another elimination wave. If you look it up though you can see how many maps have been retired. I would assume it's because of seasonal events and whatnot, but if you ask me they should really look into re-adding some. It helps keep it fresh when the RNG decides to give you the same 3 different maps back to back in a single session. And I know this is unpopular, but I kind of miss the Team mode. I realize it’s frustrating when your team is not up to snuff. I’d reckon that’s a part of the excitement of random chance. Sometimes you get a good team, sometimes you don’t. Rarely is it a single player’s fault for failure. Besides, Fall Guys is way too casual to take seriously.
It also has a really aggressive battle-pass/monetization system a la Fortnite. There are SO MANY licensed skins, title cards, and nameplates. If the game clicks for you it’s easy to see how that would be appealing when a license you like comes around. For me, it’s a fun game to pick up for half an hour every so often when I have a little time to kill and don’t want to be overly challenged or invested for too long. So that kind of system would never woo me, but your mileage may vary. Also like Fortnite, the game has a very active and constantly updating system with seasonal modes, events, and challenges, giving you an extra push just to see what they got every few months. And credit where credits due, they usually nail the seasonal aesthetic they’re going for.
They also added a course creator that I only tinkered with for about 5 minutes just to see what it’s about, and it’s thoroughly fleshed out. I can see someone really going to town with how much they let you play behind the curtain here. Hopefully they still maintain their own steady rhythm of new content to bite into, but maybe some oh so tiny modification to existing modes and RNG would help tenfold. I know it’s the easiest mode to make, but perhaps taking some of the Race match spots should be another equally straightforward mode, or even a carve-out for legacy courses. Fall Guys is a legitimately entertaining game scientifically crafted to thrive in casual play, Co-op or alone. While you’re unlikely to become a hardcore Fall Guy guy, it’s a terrific game to add to the rotation when you need something to palate cleanse or just vibe to.
2016
This review contains spoilers
With how hot it’s getting in the heart of the South this summer I figured what better way to escape hell on earth than to play as a fire lookout in the heat of 1989 Wyoming in the runaway success, Firewatch. To make a long story short I mostly appreciated my time with the game, but let's start from the beginning. Firewatch is an indie game that lives and dies by the success of two things. One, its ability to rope you into the story and care for the characters and their troubles. And two, in making a believable, interesting world that you can get lost in as opposed to getting lost in. Let's start with and see how the game holds up to the first metric.
The intro with its solemn piano riff was wholly nice. Who knew words on a blank screen could pull your heart-strings. Luckily or unluckily, it’s the game’s most effective use of minimal storytelling. To expound on the story, the underlying conflict of the game is that you play as Henry, a man struggling with his wife’s early onset dementia. To get a brief escape from the depression and anxiety of slowly losing the love of your life, you take a summer job as a fire lookout, where you meet Delilah. During the summer you get closer to her, bordering on flirtatious friendliness. It’s not just a dating sim though, you also have discontent campers and mysteries afoot as you try to maintain peace in your small chunk of the Shoshone National Forest. It’s very wistful in its narrative endeavors. It becomes clear that this summer fling, both with Delilah and the forest, cannot last.
It’s tragic how this small respite can make you long for something you shouldn’t and could never have. The extended two character conversation between yourself and Delilah is very sweet, indicative of how swept up we can get when alone and starving for companionship. I’m a sucker for character studies and limited narratives, but I won’t say Firewatch is without its issues in this department. For one, some of the chemistry felt a bit off at points. I’m not sure if it was Henry or Delilah, or maybe a bit of both. Delilah was very much a flirty jokester while even with the dialogue options they give you Henry is a bit dull for my liking. It didn’t ruin the story, just felt like a different characterization choice could have sold their connection better. I’m also not the biggest fan of how the story veers off into fantasy land.
I get that being isolated can make you more paranoid, but the government conspiracy felt like a bit much. If the whole game had kept the tone of the first third I would have been happier for it. I think I get where they were going with it though. It’s meant to show how your mind longs for adventure and intrigue when sometimes the real world is bleak and unforgiving. Henry wanted an escape and in the end, both with the departure of Delilah and from the forest, you get a solemn splash of water in the face when you find out there is no grand conspiracy. Only preventable, meaningless tragedy. It’s sobering, and potent, but the fake out leading up to it could have been discarded or altered to be less grand to begin with. It’s slightly unbelievable they would both jump to such dramatic conclusions based on so little. Mystery is appreciated, it’s only that grand thriller is a little ambitious for being the first game from Campo Santo, and for the themes of the game. Conversely, I quite liked the ending. It’s not happy, but it is optimistic. It felt real, and I savored it for what it was, in all its dissatisfying payoff. All in all I’d give the story/characters a solid B+.
Now let’s talk about the gameplay. It’s a totally open square of land where your main source of movement besides WASD is climbable walls and rope rappel points. Later you get an ax to use sparingly to cut down trees and make walkways. Since that only comes up twice though it’s not very relevant. To maintain some semblance of direction you’re given a map and compass. Basically at any point during the game you can go any place on your map that’s not blocked off by a gate. The cutesy cartoon nature park helped keep me distracted from the limited traversal methods, but I thanked my lucky stars when a day would end without having me have to hike back to my tower. When you’re just focused on completing your tasks the game does just fine, but I was hard pressed to explore much further beyond that. We’re in the great wilderness! A knapsack full of tools and trinkets is practically begging to exist in a game like this.
I’m not sure why they have a long drawn out animation for stepping off a one-foot tall ledge. Some more resources dedicated elsewhere would have paid off in spades. One item you are given that I like is a disposable camera with limited pictures. Which makes a nice callback during the credits where you’re shown all the pictures you’ve taken over the course of the game. It’s entirely optional to use as I understand it, but the illusion of importance is still welcome. Anyway I’m being more irritable than I actually feel about the gameplay and movement. It wasn’t bad, just more bare than I was hoping. Taking that into consideration I’d give the overall gameplay a firm B- score.
This is all to say that when it comes to whether or not Firewatch accomplishes its goals, it does so with asterisks. It’s not the flawless quirky indie title that all other games should take a page out of, but it gets enough right to warrant its popularity. Don’t take my word for it though, go try it yourself when it goes on sale again. I would only implore you to remember its humble roots when it comes to forming realistic expectations. It’s a personal narrative first and foremost, and a decent one at that.
The intro with its solemn piano riff was wholly nice. Who knew words on a blank screen could pull your heart-strings. Luckily or unluckily, it’s the game’s most effective use of minimal storytelling. To expound on the story, the underlying conflict of the game is that you play as Henry, a man struggling with his wife’s early onset dementia. To get a brief escape from the depression and anxiety of slowly losing the love of your life, you take a summer job as a fire lookout, where you meet Delilah. During the summer you get closer to her, bordering on flirtatious friendliness. It’s not just a dating sim though, you also have discontent campers and mysteries afoot as you try to maintain peace in your small chunk of the Shoshone National Forest. It’s very wistful in its narrative endeavors. It becomes clear that this summer fling, both with Delilah and the forest, cannot last.
It’s tragic how this small respite can make you long for something you shouldn’t and could never have. The extended two character conversation between yourself and Delilah is very sweet, indicative of how swept up we can get when alone and starving for companionship. I’m a sucker for character studies and limited narratives, but I won’t say Firewatch is without its issues in this department. For one, some of the chemistry felt a bit off at points. I’m not sure if it was Henry or Delilah, or maybe a bit of both. Delilah was very much a flirty jokester while even with the dialogue options they give you Henry is a bit dull for my liking. It didn’t ruin the story, just felt like a different characterization choice could have sold their connection better. I’m also not the biggest fan of how the story veers off into fantasy land.
I get that being isolated can make you more paranoid, but the government conspiracy felt like a bit much. If the whole game had kept the tone of the first third I would have been happier for it. I think I get where they were going with it though. It’s meant to show how your mind longs for adventure and intrigue when sometimes the real world is bleak and unforgiving. Henry wanted an escape and in the end, both with the departure of Delilah and from the forest, you get a solemn splash of water in the face when you find out there is no grand conspiracy. Only preventable, meaningless tragedy. It’s sobering, and potent, but the fake out leading up to it could have been discarded or altered to be less grand to begin with. It’s slightly unbelievable they would both jump to such dramatic conclusions based on so little. Mystery is appreciated, it’s only that grand thriller is a little ambitious for being the first game from Campo Santo, and for the themes of the game. Conversely, I quite liked the ending. It’s not happy, but it is optimistic. It felt real, and I savored it for what it was, in all its dissatisfying payoff. All in all I’d give the story/characters a solid B+.
Now let’s talk about the gameplay. It’s a totally open square of land where your main source of movement besides WASD is climbable walls and rope rappel points. Later you get an ax to use sparingly to cut down trees and make walkways. Since that only comes up twice though it’s not very relevant. To maintain some semblance of direction you’re given a map and compass. Basically at any point during the game you can go any place on your map that’s not blocked off by a gate. The cutesy cartoon nature park helped keep me distracted from the limited traversal methods, but I thanked my lucky stars when a day would end without having me have to hike back to my tower. When you’re just focused on completing your tasks the game does just fine, but I was hard pressed to explore much further beyond that. We’re in the great wilderness! A knapsack full of tools and trinkets is practically begging to exist in a game like this.
I’m not sure why they have a long drawn out animation for stepping off a one-foot tall ledge. Some more resources dedicated elsewhere would have paid off in spades. One item you are given that I like is a disposable camera with limited pictures. Which makes a nice callback during the credits where you’re shown all the pictures you’ve taken over the course of the game. It’s entirely optional to use as I understand it, but the illusion of importance is still welcome. Anyway I’m being more irritable than I actually feel about the gameplay and movement. It wasn’t bad, just more bare than I was hoping. Taking that into consideration I’d give the overall gameplay a firm B- score.
This is all to say that when it comes to whether or not Firewatch accomplishes its goals, it does so with asterisks. It’s not the flawless quirky indie title that all other games should take a page out of, but it gets enough right to warrant its popularity. Don’t take my word for it though, go try it yourself when it goes on sale again. I would only implore you to remember its humble roots when it comes to forming realistic expectations. It’s a personal narrative first and foremost, and a decent one at that.
2019
Coming from the minds of Klei Entertainment, who gave us the wonderful Don’t Starve games, I’m not sure how they could fumble the bag this hard when it comes to bringing everyone’s childhood fantasy of the floor is lava to life. Hot Lava is what you get when the powers that be decide we need another soulless platformer with half-baked concepts. You have grocery stores, arcades, schools, and houses to monkey-bar swing through, slide by, and jump on as you collect cards and finish races. I originally intended to 100% the game but before I got halfway through I realized I couldn’t. Conceptually the game does everything right, it’s when you get into the details that its mediocrity starts to become apparent.
For one thing, you’re restricted to choosing only one special jump ability at a time. Why? I cannot fathom why. Even with the jetpack and pogo stick levels this game is extremely short-lived in how much it will entertain you. This game needs about three times as many abilities as it has, because a jump and a swing just doesn’t cut it when you get past the intro world. The easiest one that trivializes a lot is probably the double jump, but they all have their niches. It doesn’t matter though because only one ability at a time for you mister. Can’t be getting too crazy with it. It’s like the lay-up was right there for them. Just add a little more. They didn’t even change the worlds themselves to include new platforming challenges. The settings change yet the set pieces remain the same, making it feel real samey after a too-short time.
This is another one of those customize your character and earn little trinkets kind of game. A choice I question when again, this game does little to refine platforming past the year 2000. I legitimately wonder how anyone could get sucked into this game to be invested enough to try to complete their passes. If I were a little kid again I think I would just prefer to stick to real life fantasies. There might not be a double jump in real life, but I can promise you there’s so much more challenge and excitement there than this game could ever bring. Hopefully Hot Lava doesn’t stop us from one day getting a real contender for best new platformer using the novel concept it’s based on. I know I’m being harsher than it deserves, it’s just this game is almost comically boring and safe.
For one thing, you’re restricted to choosing only one special jump ability at a time. Why? I cannot fathom why. Even with the jetpack and pogo stick levels this game is extremely short-lived in how much it will entertain you. This game needs about three times as many abilities as it has, because a jump and a swing just doesn’t cut it when you get past the intro world. The easiest one that trivializes a lot is probably the double jump, but they all have their niches. It doesn’t matter though because only one ability at a time for you mister. Can’t be getting too crazy with it. It’s like the lay-up was right there for them. Just add a little more. They didn’t even change the worlds themselves to include new platforming challenges. The settings change yet the set pieces remain the same, making it feel real samey after a too-short time.
This is another one of those customize your character and earn little trinkets kind of game. A choice I question when again, this game does little to refine platforming past the year 2000. I legitimately wonder how anyone could get sucked into this game to be invested enough to try to complete their passes. If I were a little kid again I think I would just prefer to stick to real life fantasies. There might not be a double jump in real life, but I can promise you there’s so much more challenge and excitement there than this game could ever bring. Hopefully Hot Lava doesn’t stop us from one day getting a real contender for best new platformer using the novel concept it’s based on. I know I’m being harsher than it deserves, it’s just this game is almost comically boring and safe.
1988
The black sheep of the 2D super Mario franchise, Super Mario Bros 2 does a lot right, and some that I don’t mind falling to the wayside forever. For one thing, you now have four different characters to choose from for every level. There’s Mario, Luigi, Toad, and Princess Toadstool, each with a trait that sets them apart. Mario is your standard fair with no special ability, Luigi is a fluttery fellow with a high jump, Toad is quick as picking things up but has a low jump, and the princess can float horizontally across short distances at the cost of a slow item pickup time. I really like this character selection idea, and question why it took them so long to see a return of this mechanic much later. Naturally, some characters are better suited for certain tasks than others. As a general rule Toadstool and Toad are probably your best bet in most instances, but I love the ability to switch things up, and you’re never screwed by accidentally picking a certain character for any level. Which is good because you don’t really know who’s the best for the level until you play it.
The boss fights are a huge step up from the first game. Each world’s first and penultimate level has a Birdo boss fight that’s actually quite similar to the Bowser fights in the original, just more interesting. Instead of reaching an ax at the back you’re made to catch her eggs and throw them back at her. Like the Bowser fights they can get repetitive, but every fight adds some new modifier to slightly change the encounter, like added fireballs, platforms, or limited items.
The last level of each world has unique boss fights with timeless classics like Mouser, Fryguy, and Clawglip (that can’t possibly be the intended spelling), all never to be seen again. All the fights are throwing based and pretty simple, but a measurable step up from the first game in flavor and strategy. And I’ll forgive them for reusing Mouser for two fights, as he is quite the charismatic mouse and a relic of the game’s original roots, which we’ll talk about soon. The final boss is Wart, a fat frog and the villain of Subcon, the dream-world that the game takes place in. He’s also the only boss I had real trouble with. Having to time the vegetable catching and hitting him 6 times required more than a couple restarts on my part.
To speak more broadly, the source of Super Mario Bros 2’s wild divergence from the first game and the reason many of its mechanics didn’t stick is because of it being a port of another game, Doki Doki Panic. Besides the main characters matching our beautiful Mario world, nearly every other aspect was lifted from the original Japanese game, including our beloved Mouser. The largest change in my opinion is the swap from defeating enemies by stomping on them to having to lift them and throw them at other enemies to kill them, or throw vegetables at them. It was a nice change of pace and once again something I think should have been polished in future titles. Having to pick up every enemy isn’t ideal, but a fusion of the mainline Mario stomp and throw would actually be the best scenario. Having certain enemies be felled by singular stomps while others require throwing either at them or with them would make for some nice variety in such a basic formula.
You also have a health meter instead of a single hitpoint when not powered up by a mushroom in the first game, yet another change I like. The health doesn’t carry over from level to level, but finding health upgrades is so much more rewarding when you do. Of course I miss the iconic upgrades like the fireball and mushroom. For just a single game we can survive without them though. On the gamecrafting side again, I think retaining the powerups system and having health be tied to your reduced size form would be the best combination of the classic style with this new style. Contrarily, one thing I didn’t like was the infinitely respawning enemies. It made some sections downright annoying to get through. For the parts where it was necessary, like when you had to fly on a albatoss to get across gaps that’s fine. When you’re trying to take a breather and the shyguys continue popping out like popcorn it can get a little obnoxious. Not the end of the world but it made it apparent why having an actual health bar can be so clutch at times.
As a last note an underdog blessing for this game was the removal of the awful timer. I forgot to mention it in my review of the first game, but the timer they used in that one was NOT based on seconds, making you feel like you had more time than you really did. Not usually a problem, however certain levels had to be played pretty briskly to not die from running out of time. I’m super glad a timer was nowhere to be seen for this one, even if they added it right back in the next title. To be clear though my problem isn’t with having a timer, it’s just the fact that the timer usually feels unclear in how it’s ticking. If you assume it’s counting in seconds, which who doesn’t, you’re bound to go a lot slower then you could really get away with.
I can understand why Super Mario Bros 2 doesn’t appeal to everyone. The underlying cause for the game’s mechanic changes may not be original or important in retrospect, but I really believe that there was a lot to be learned from it. If anything, with how well the drastic differences from the mainline franchise actually work, this game shows that some tinkering with the template isn’t always sacrilege. Do I think this is the best 2D Mario? Definitely not. What I do think is that it’s a game unfairly maligned that should have been refined.
The boss fights are a huge step up from the first game. Each world’s first and penultimate level has a Birdo boss fight that’s actually quite similar to the Bowser fights in the original, just more interesting. Instead of reaching an ax at the back you’re made to catch her eggs and throw them back at her. Like the Bowser fights they can get repetitive, but every fight adds some new modifier to slightly change the encounter, like added fireballs, platforms, or limited items.
The last level of each world has unique boss fights with timeless classics like Mouser, Fryguy, and Clawglip (that can’t possibly be the intended spelling), all never to be seen again. All the fights are throwing based and pretty simple, but a measurable step up from the first game in flavor and strategy. And I’ll forgive them for reusing Mouser for two fights, as he is quite the charismatic mouse and a relic of the game’s original roots, which we’ll talk about soon. The final boss is Wart, a fat frog and the villain of Subcon, the dream-world that the game takes place in. He’s also the only boss I had real trouble with. Having to time the vegetable catching and hitting him 6 times required more than a couple restarts on my part.
To speak more broadly, the source of Super Mario Bros 2’s wild divergence from the first game and the reason many of its mechanics didn’t stick is because of it being a port of another game, Doki Doki Panic. Besides the main characters matching our beautiful Mario world, nearly every other aspect was lifted from the original Japanese game, including our beloved Mouser. The largest change in my opinion is the swap from defeating enemies by stomping on them to having to lift them and throw them at other enemies to kill them, or throw vegetables at them. It was a nice change of pace and once again something I think should have been polished in future titles. Having to pick up every enemy isn’t ideal, but a fusion of the mainline Mario stomp and throw would actually be the best scenario. Having certain enemies be felled by singular stomps while others require throwing either at them or with them would make for some nice variety in such a basic formula.
You also have a health meter instead of a single hitpoint when not powered up by a mushroom in the first game, yet another change I like. The health doesn’t carry over from level to level, but finding health upgrades is so much more rewarding when you do. Of course I miss the iconic upgrades like the fireball and mushroom. For just a single game we can survive without them though. On the gamecrafting side again, I think retaining the powerups system and having health be tied to your reduced size form would be the best combination of the classic style with this new style. Contrarily, one thing I didn’t like was the infinitely respawning enemies. It made some sections downright annoying to get through. For the parts where it was necessary, like when you had to fly on a albatoss to get across gaps that’s fine. When you’re trying to take a breather and the shyguys continue popping out like popcorn it can get a little obnoxious. Not the end of the world but it made it apparent why having an actual health bar can be so clutch at times.
As a last note an underdog blessing for this game was the removal of the awful timer. I forgot to mention it in my review of the first game, but the timer they used in that one was NOT based on seconds, making you feel like you had more time than you really did. Not usually a problem, however certain levels had to be played pretty briskly to not die from running out of time. I’m super glad a timer was nowhere to be seen for this one, even if they added it right back in the next title. To be clear though my problem isn’t with having a timer, it’s just the fact that the timer usually feels unclear in how it’s ticking. If you assume it’s counting in seconds, which who doesn’t, you’re bound to go a lot slower then you could really get away with.
I can understand why Super Mario Bros 2 doesn’t appeal to everyone. The underlying cause for the game’s mechanic changes may not be original or important in retrospect, but I really believe that there was a lot to be learned from it. If anything, with how well the drastic differences from the mainline franchise actually work, this game shows that some tinkering with the template isn’t always sacrilege. Do I think this is the best 2D Mario? Definitely not. What I do think is that it’s a game unfairly maligned that should have been refined.