SaintAlfonso
2019
There's certain genres that once used to be relatively niche that indie devs started to pump out until they became over saturated, and rouge-likes are one of those. Dicey Dungeons stands out among the crowd but there's not quite enough meat on the bone to really keep me hooked. Still fun.
2005
This review contains spoilers
You'd think a AAA First Party game released this deep into a console's lifespan would have combat a bit more in depth than pressing the square button quickly. There's also lots of "rapidly press O" Mario-Party style sections, unneeded delicate walking across wooden beams, kicking boxes... the gameplay is lacking. And the writing is bad - real bad. But it looks pretty. Decent button basher.
Final note: According to that one minigame Kratos can only last like twenty seconds in bed, tops
Final note: According to that one minigame Kratos can only last like twenty seconds in bed, tops
1997
Every time I play this game I like it a little bit more but I still don't think it's a classic. Perhaps it's time for another chance?
I think MDK was the first game I played on PS1 that wasn't a mascot platformer, followed by LAPD. It was one of the few games I had access to so I played it even though I didn't like it that much. Over time I started to enjoy it a bit more, but I dunno if I would have given it as many chances as I did otherwise. I get the appeal, I just wasn't really hooked.
I think MDK was the first game I played on PS1 that wasn't a mascot platformer, followed by LAPD. It was one of the few games I had access to so I played it even though I didn't like it that much. Over time I started to enjoy it a bit more, but I dunno if I would have given it as many chances as I did otherwise. I get the appeal, I just wasn't really hooked.
This review contains spoilers
The thing about this game is that everyone likes it for the concept and not the execution. "YOU'RE A SPIDER WITH A FLAMETHROWER, WAOW!!! HIDDEN GEM OF THE YEAR???"
It's a video game. They didn't train a real spider to do this stuff man. And the actual game is just okay.
It's a video game. They didn't train a real spider to do this stuff man. And the actual game is just okay.
1997
Swagman looks and plays like a mediocre SNES game but it's on the PS1 so it has CD quality audio, which is kinda jarring. Spookiness and decent music save it from total disaster but it is a frustrating slog other than that.
1991
This review contains spoilers
This game's plot is not good. You have several characters who die and then come back. You have so many fights that are pre programmed for you to lose. You have one character who is doing evil things because he is actually the brainwashed puppet of another character who is, in turn, the brainwashed puppet of a third character who is only revealed in the last act. Nothing has any impact, nothing is grounded, it all gets tiresome. Your party is gaining and losing members CONSTANTLY and a ton of equipment gets lost in the process. There's all the usual JRPG pitfalls and none of the stuff that would make up for it.
1993
There's a lot of SNES JRPG tropes that are manifested to the extreme here. The plot can get way too fantastical and some story beats feel like filler. Combat isn't very exciting and there's not a lot of quality of life features. But there's some beautiful spritework and nice music. Not a bad game for sure but I am left wanting more.
1996
There's a lot of cool stuff here. The story and characters hooked me, the setting was unique, and I liked the combat mechanics. But the game drags on a bit - not uncommon for JRPGs but still disappointing. Without spoiling the plot I will say that the story gets convoluted, at least for me. I wish this game had been a little bit shorter. I might play the remake at some point to see if I feel the same way.
1999
This is a great game, but it's not perfect. Some of the attempted scares fell flat for me, which isn't optimal for a horror game. The subtle, atmospheric elements are my favorite parts - the more in your face stuff just didn't do it for me. The gameplay walks a really fine line between frustrating jank and strategic caution. The thing about Silent Hill is that if you fixed the jank it would actually hurt the experience. The camera and controls are both limited but that's part of the appeal. I respect and appreciate how those limitations create a unique experience but it can still get a bit old. This is one of those games that's hard to come back to if you take a break but at least for me I feel the need to take breaks given the nature of the game. Still a classic game and a blast to play, but there's room for improvement - I have yet to play Silent Hill 2 which I hear is better and I look forwards to it.
1998
This is definitely one of the best 2D platformers on the Playstation. It's got those Donkey Kong Country style graphics, which is cool, and there's a lot of creativity with the characters and enviornments you encounter. The gameplay isn't super exciting but it's pretty good. Skullmonkeys is just a cool journey to go through overall.
1998
One of the best if not the best arcade racers. This was one of the first PS1 games that was recommended to me at a time when I really only knew the console for Crash Bandicoot and Gex. I still come back to it on a pretty regular basis. There's not really any big gimmicks with this game since it's just straight forwards racing but it does that really well with a sick soundtrack to boot.
1996
It's fun but it does get repetitive even considering it's relatively short length. A decent playthrough for a lazy afternoon but nothing essential. I can see why it keeps circulating around in conversations regarding underappreciated PS1 games.
The platforming isn't super innovative but it's pretty well done. This is one of those short and sweet games that won't change your life but that you may as well check out.
The platforming isn't super innovative but it's pretty well done. This is one of those short and sweet games that won't change your life but that you may as well check out.
2000
One of the more underrated entries in the mascot kart racing genre. This is one of those Kart Racers with an actual campaign like Diddy Kong Racing. Every track has collectibles, and there's different kinds of challenges you need to complete to get full completion. There's car combat, obstacle courses, and straight forwards racing. You have the normal competition mode for each course and an exploration mode where you drive freely through the level to find stuff. It's a fun idea although it can be a bit excessive. You need to get everything from one category in one go in a certain time limit at which point you're kicked out Mario 64 style and have to go in again. In Diddy Kong Racing, you can be done with a level in a few minutes tops. In Muppet Race Mania you might spend an hour per track. That may not appeal to everybody.
The racing is pretty solid. The combat I never got the hang of, but it's not half bad. The Muppet theming is perhaps the solid point - they really went deep into the lore for some of these locations and characters and it's something I appreciated. Between that and the amount of content it's definitely a fun little play through although you need to be prepared to spend more time on this one than you would on a game like Diddy Kong Racing or Crash Team Racing.
The racing is pretty solid. The combat I never got the hang of, but it's not half bad. The Muppet theming is perhaps the solid point - they really went deep into the lore for some of these locations and characters and it's something I appreciated. Between that and the amount of content it's definitely a fun little play through although you need to be prepared to spend more time on this one than you would on a game like Diddy Kong Racing or Crash Team Racing.
You gotta check this out for sure. It's not my favorite game but it's a fun lil puzzle thing. Hard to describe. I'd call it a nice one off and leave it at that.
1998
This is one of my favorite PS1 games. There's humor and style. There's a nice lil progression arc in terms of what you can unlock and in terms of difficulty. I like games with a spooky aesthetic but some of those are games like 40 Winks which have disappointing game play. If you can make a spooky game that's also fun, then you've got an instant classic.