RisenWaffle
25 reviews liked by RisenWaffle
Hitman 2
2018
Too much fun. Big improvement in level design over the previous game, makes for a more consistent batch of locations. Obviously doesn't really do much to shake up the formula but it doesn't need to, they've got it down.
Hitman
2016
Has the weakest batch of locations in the entire trilogy (Colorado being the only map I genuinely don't like), but it's still such a fun time. I don't think I'll ever get bored of playing these.
Persona 3 Reload
2024
When I first heard Persona 3 was getting a remake, I imagined it would provide a shiny new coat of paint on an enjoyable but flawed entry to the series. As more trailers trickled through in the lead-up to release, I got more excited for what could be much more than just a graphical update.
That's not to say the game hasn't undergone a gorgeous graphical overhaul. Persona 3 Reload is consistently breathtaking on stunning beaches or foreboding hellscapes. Hell, even the menus had me in awe of the sleek design, which, to Atlus' credit, has become standard for their games nowadays. Overall, the game feels like an animated film, and I mean that in the best way—just pure, unfiltered eye candy.
The gameplay of Persona 3/FES/Portable has always been the number one criticism of the entries. As such, I was ill-prepared for anything mind-blowing in that department. I've never been happier to be humbled, with Persona 3 Reload pulling no punches when it comes to innovating. Including quality-of-life mechanics, such as the 'Shift' pass, makes it much easier to wipe out hordes of Shadows easily. The Theurgy mechanic is a great addition that gives us a deeper insight into the characters while providing potent abilities. Throughout the main dungeon in the game, you are thrown curveballs, where some floors will have additional challenges, such as Monad doors, where you're given the option to fight brutal enemies for rare items used for crafting. These new challenges, along with some other gameplay mechanics, make the main dungeon much more engaging in my eyes and are a welcome addition.
In Persona 3 Reload, as with most Persona games, a social link mechanic rewards you for building friendships with powerful unlockables. This remake stays faithful to the original game, for better or worse. Unfortunately, the social links in this version can be a letdown. Some links feature poorly developed characters, making them a chore, while others could be more exciting.
However, Atlus did add some new events involving members of S.E.E.S., which was a welcome addition. These events helped understand the characters' motivations better and made the experience more enjoyable. I wish there had been more of these events and fewer involving the strange teacher.
Unfortunately, I didn't connect with the remixed soundtrack as much as the originals. That may be due to my love for the original soundtrack.
One of the most vital aspects of Persona 3 Reload is its narrative, which has remained essentially unchanged. There is no need for significant changes to the story since it was never a problem in the original game. The game straightforwardly delivers its message, making it easy for players to connect with.
In short, whilst the game has issues like some of the weirder social links and the soundtrack, this is still the definitive way to experience the beautiful, bittersweet story that is Persona 3. The wide array of additions makes this an absolute joy to play, and I'm already thinking about my next playthrough.
TL;DR: Fantastic, play this game if you can.
That's not to say the game hasn't undergone a gorgeous graphical overhaul. Persona 3 Reload is consistently breathtaking on stunning beaches or foreboding hellscapes. Hell, even the menus had me in awe of the sleek design, which, to Atlus' credit, has become standard for their games nowadays. Overall, the game feels like an animated film, and I mean that in the best way—just pure, unfiltered eye candy.
The gameplay of Persona 3/FES/Portable has always been the number one criticism of the entries. As such, I was ill-prepared for anything mind-blowing in that department. I've never been happier to be humbled, with Persona 3 Reload pulling no punches when it comes to innovating. Including quality-of-life mechanics, such as the 'Shift' pass, makes it much easier to wipe out hordes of Shadows easily. The Theurgy mechanic is a great addition that gives us a deeper insight into the characters while providing potent abilities. Throughout the main dungeon in the game, you are thrown curveballs, where some floors will have additional challenges, such as Monad doors, where you're given the option to fight brutal enemies for rare items used for crafting. These new challenges, along with some other gameplay mechanics, make the main dungeon much more engaging in my eyes and are a welcome addition.
In Persona 3 Reload, as with most Persona games, a social link mechanic rewards you for building friendships with powerful unlockables. This remake stays faithful to the original game, for better or worse. Unfortunately, the social links in this version can be a letdown. Some links feature poorly developed characters, making them a chore, while others could be more exciting.
However, Atlus did add some new events involving members of S.E.E.S., which was a welcome addition. These events helped understand the characters' motivations better and made the experience more enjoyable. I wish there had been more of these events and fewer involving the strange teacher.
Unfortunately, I didn't connect with the remixed soundtrack as much as the originals. That may be due to my love for the original soundtrack.
One of the most vital aspects of Persona 3 Reload is its narrative, which has remained essentially unchanged. There is no need for significant changes to the story since it was never a problem in the original game. The game straightforwardly delivers its message, making it easy for players to connect with.
In short, whilst the game has issues like some of the weirder social links and the soundtrack, this is still the definitive way to experience the beautiful, bittersweet story that is Persona 3. The wide array of additions makes this an absolute joy to play, and I'm already thinking about my next playthrough.
TL;DR: Fantastic, play this game if you can.
My Friend Peppa Pig
2021
don’t even ask
This review contains spoilers
"The world calls for wetwork, and we answer. No greater good, no just cause. Cipher sent us to hell... but we're going even deeper."
"I know. I'm already a demon. Heaven's not my kind of place anyway."
The Phantom Pain is a lot. It's a conclusion to the Metal Gear Solid story, while also being a prequel to most of it. It's an innovative open-ended stealth sandbox adventure, while also being a base management game. It's about how the cost of war and the cycle of revenge cannot coexist with ideologies of heroism and peace, while also being about how fun it is to strap a balloon to a man and watch him fly away. It does all of these things perfectly. Now, you might be asking yourself how that's possible. Everyone has said their piece on this before; "it's unfinished, the story is undercooked, the gameplay is repetitive, it's not a satisfactory conclusion to the series etc." I'm not going to try and change anyone's mind, it doesn't matter to me if you hate this game or not, but I have a lot to say that might prove insightful, at the very least mildly interesting. This is going to be a long one.
I'll start with the story. Firstly, if you haven't played Peace Walker it's impossible to get everything you possibly can out of this. There's a ton of payoff and parallels that stem from that story, The Phantom Pain is essentially the anti-Peace Walker. Secondly, the cassette tapes are the codec calls, they've just been changed to where you have to go out of your way to listen to them. I've come to love this change overall, even if sometimes I do miss getting a call while in the field. There's much less over explaining in this than the other games. Kojima is known for going into too much detail at times, and while it still happens here, it feels a lot less aggregious. This is probably due to many of these kind of conversations being in the tapes, this way you can get the extra information you might want without it interrupting the narrative.
Punished "Venom" Snake is one of the most mischaracterised figures in gaming history. Many people wish that he had spoken more, wish that he had more agency, wish that he was more light-hearted, much like how Big Boss used to be. But Snake's lack of spoken dialogue, lack of agency, lack of anything you'd expect of him to have is incredibe characterisation. His silence speaks volumes as to the kind of man he is and to the kind of place he's in, both mentally and physically. Seeing him in charge of an extremely formidable military force, while also having a literal devil (Kaz) on his shoulder and an angel (Ocelot) on the other, both vying for approval from a man who's not all there, it's amazing. And at the end of it all, Snake and Kaz's quest for revenge ends on a whimper. It leaves them empty, it's an embarrassing display from both of them. All they can think of is back to the good old days, back to Peace Walker. They're both longing for a way of life that they shouldn't want, a life they pretty much still have. Stuck in the same cycle over and over and over and over again.
The gameplay is obviously great, anyone can see that, even just mere minutes into your first real mission in Afghanistan. I don't need to go into detail about the quality, it's one of, if not the best game in terms of moment to moment gameplay ever made. What it does exceptionally well it how it marriages it's themes and narrative into that gameplay loop.
Snake is trapped in a war without end, all he knows how to do is fight. Your own side ops keep piling up, you've always got something to do, someone to save, someone to kill. No matter how hard you try, no matter how much heroism you gain, no matter how many people you spare and save, that horn is never going away. You're a demon and you always will be. The feeling will never go away, you'll never be finished in a war without end. And just to top it off, just to add insult to injury, you're not even the man you think you are. You're not Big Boss. You're just some guy he knew. And when the truth is revealed, Big Boss talks for one final time in the entire franchise, directly to us; "I cheated death thanks to you. And thanks to you I've left my mark. You have too. You've written your own history. You're your own man. I'm Big Boss, and you are too. No... he's the two of us together. Where we are today, we built it. This story, this 'legend', it's ours. We can change the world, and with it the future. I am you, and you are me. Carry that with you wherever you go. Thank you, my friend. From here on out... you're Big Boss."
"I know. I'm already a demon. Heaven's not my kind of place anyway."
The Phantom Pain is a lot. It's a conclusion to the Metal Gear Solid story, while also being a prequel to most of it. It's an innovative open-ended stealth sandbox adventure, while also being a base management game. It's about how the cost of war and the cycle of revenge cannot coexist with ideologies of heroism and peace, while also being about how fun it is to strap a balloon to a man and watch him fly away. It does all of these things perfectly. Now, you might be asking yourself how that's possible. Everyone has said their piece on this before; "it's unfinished, the story is undercooked, the gameplay is repetitive, it's not a satisfactory conclusion to the series etc." I'm not going to try and change anyone's mind, it doesn't matter to me if you hate this game or not, but I have a lot to say that might prove insightful, at the very least mildly interesting. This is going to be a long one.
I'll start with the story. Firstly, if you haven't played Peace Walker it's impossible to get everything you possibly can out of this. There's a ton of payoff and parallels that stem from that story, The Phantom Pain is essentially the anti-Peace Walker. Secondly, the cassette tapes are the codec calls, they've just been changed to where you have to go out of your way to listen to them. I've come to love this change overall, even if sometimes I do miss getting a call while in the field. There's much less over explaining in this than the other games. Kojima is known for going into too much detail at times, and while it still happens here, it feels a lot less aggregious. This is probably due to many of these kind of conversations being in the tapes, this way you can get the extra information you might want without it interrupting the narrative.
Punished "Venom" Snake is one of the most mischaracterised figures in gaming history. Many people wish that he had spoken more, wish that he had more agency, wish that he was more light-hearted, much like how Big Boss used to be. But Snake's lack of spoken dialogue, lack of agency, lack of anything you'd expect of him to have is incredibe characterisation. His silence speaks volumes as to the kind of man he is and to the kind of place he's in, both mentally and physically. Seeing him in charge of an extremely formidable military force, while also having a literal devil (Kaz) on his shoulder and an angel (Ocelot) on the other, both vying for approval from a man who's not all there, it's amazing. And at the end of it all, Snake and Kaz's quest for revenge ends on a whimper. It leaves them empty, it's an embarrassing display from both of them. All they can think of is back to the good old days, back to Peace Walker. They're both longing for a way of life that they shouldn't want, a life they pretty much still have. Stuck in the same cycle over and over and over and over again.
The gameplay is obviously great, anyone can see that, even just mere minutes into your first real mission in Afghanistan. I don't need to go into detail about the quality, it's one of, if not the best game in terms of moment to moment gameplay ever made. What it does exceptionally well it how it marriages it's themes and narrative into that gameplay loop.
Snake is trapped in a war without end, all he knows how to do is fight. Your own side ops keep piling up, you've always got something to do, someone to save, someone to kill. No matter how hard you try, no matter how much heroism you gain, no matter how many people you spare and save, that horn is never going away. You're a demon and you always will be. The feeling will never go away, you'll never be finished in a war without end. And just to top it off, just to add insult to injury, you're not even the man you think you are. You're not Big Boss. You're just some guy he knew. And when the truth is revealed, Big Boss talks for one final time in the entire franchise, directly to us; "I cheated death thanks to you. And thanks to you I've left my mark. You have too. You've written your own history. You're your own man. I'm Big Boss, and you are too. No... he's the two of us together. Where we are today, we built it. This story, this 'legend', it's ours. We can change the world, and with it the future. I am you, and you are me. Carry that with you wherever you go. Thank you, my friend. From here on out... you're Big Boss."
Obviously it's stupid and just downright disgraceful that this was sold on its own for such a high price. It should have been shipped with The Phantom Pain because it's the perfect opening, it's the tanker section of Metal Gear Solid 2 but better in every way. The design of Camp Omega is still incredible and so fun to navigate almost a decade later, I could play this five times over and have a wildly different experience each time depending on how I decided to proceed. The gameplay is so much fun and gives you a small taste of the freedom of gameplay that makes The Phantom Pain so great.
I can't imagine you'd get much out of this narratively if you haven't played Peace Walker, which I think is a lot of people's issues with the story in The Phantom Pain as well. Ground Zeroes is dark and depressing, the darkest the franchise has ever went. Most of it works to great effect, but some of it is a little too shocking for the series (at least to me personally.) For what it is, it's a great set up for the wider conflict of Metal Gear Solid V, and serves as an incredibly sad conclusion to the Peace Walker era.
I can't imagine you'd get much out of this narratively if you haven't played Peace Walker, which I think is a lot of people's issues with the story in The Phantom Pain as well. Ground Zeroes is dark and depressing, the darkest the franchise has ever went. Most of it works to great effect, but some of it is a little too shocking for the series (at least to me personally.) For what it is, it's a great set up for the wider conflict of Metal Gear Solid V, and serves as an incredibly sad conclusion to the Peace Walker era.
Mediocre, forgettable, and boring. The cool boss fights saved this game from being bad, as they're all pretty good. I just wish the game had more of them and less unnecessary filler that made me want to sleep. It makes a 3-hour-long game feel almost double its length.
About as good as a free to play modern Konami Silent Hill game would be. (Terrible)
Just go find it bro not that hard
Been waiting for this franchise to return with a good entry for so many years I've lost count. It's not what I expected, but it's good to finally stop waiting.
The switch back to side scrolling was a welcome one, it plays wonderfully. The traversal is easily the games greatest strength, it's so fun and responsive and can really push you at times to utilise all of your tools (especially with a lot of the collectables and side missions.) Combat is fast and engaging, pretty easy to learn but is more in depth than it first lets on, particularly when you get more and more upgrades. Boss fights are incredible here, they were always something to look forward to.
My only real complaint is that I think it's longer than it needs to be. Part of that might be my fault as I was doing as much exploration and side missions as I could, but I thought it was worth mentioning that it felt as if it was running out of steam towards the end. Thankfully, the ending is strong and I felt more than satisfied when credits rolled.
The switch back to side scrolling was a welcome one, it plays wonderfully. The traversal is easily the games greatest strength, it's so fun and responsive and can really push you at times to utilise all of your tools (especially with a lot of the collectables and side missions.) Combat is fast and engaging, pretty easy to learn but is more in depth than it first lets on, particularly when you get more and more upgrades. Boss fights are incredible here, they were always something to look forward to.
My only real complaint is that I think it's longer than it needs to be. Part of that might be my fault as I was doing as much exploration and side missions as I could, but I thought it was worth mentioning that it felt as if it was running out of steam towards the end. Thankfully, the ending is strong and I felt more than satisfied when credits rolled.