SanguisRush
2023
This review contains spoilers
There's a lot to like about this game, truthfully. The atmosphere and sound effects are great, the environments are all unique, and the general gameplay loop works well. It's super satisfying to upgrade your marines and watch them grow into a functional squad that gets further and further into some of these unforgiving missions. I always welcome more additions to the Alien franchise, as the first two films are among my favorite of all time.
That being said, there is an enormous list of problems this game has. The story is surface level at best, and frequently drawn out much longer than it needs to be. Some of these cutscenes just drag on and on while characters have the most one-note and predictable dialogue imaginable. Nothing will surprise you. You've seen this story a million times if you've consumed any sci-fi action media. I'm not really looking for anything groundbreaking here, but what we've got is completely dull. No memorable characters, enemies, or story beats. Also, the voice acting is pretty dogshit. Doesn't help that your marines shout the same 3 commands every time you direct them to do something -- it becomes tiresome very quickly.
The real issue, however, is the mountain of glitches and bugs you will encounter. The game refused to save during one mission, crashed during another, and sometimes just stopped allowing me to control my character altogether unless I reloaded a save or restarted the game. This wouldn't be much of an issue if you could manually save at any time, but it's tied to autosaves before story markers or whenever you rest. I lost 15+ minutes of progress FREQUENTLY throughout this game due to bugs, glitches, or completely unfair enemy spawns.
Marines will get caught on geometry. Enemies will clip into walls. I had one of my drones fly up into the ceiling, break, then become unusable for the rest of the mission. Enemies will see you through level geometry whilst you are unable to lock onto them. Character animations are stiff and lifeless. The game is full of typos and the subtitles do not match what the characters are saying. Sometimes the sound will completely cut out for a minute. The list goes on and on.
Be warned. About halfway through the game, a "game over timer" will be introduced. You'll be given twenty or so days to complete the remaining missions the campaign has to offer, or else you'll have to restart the entire game. The game does not bother to tell you how far into the campaign you are, so good luck gauging your time and trying to plan it out. I rested for too many days and had to crunch out the last 8 days of the timer, focusing solely on the primary objectives. I had to skip pretty much all side content that came in the latter half of the game.
The final mission is a complete joke. I won't spoil what happens, but it throws every gameplay mechanic out the window for the most lifeless, sluggish chase sequence I have ever experienced. Just left a completely sour taste in my mouth, especially given how the final area is such an awesome environment. It goes woefully underutilized.
Get the game if it's on sale and you're a massive Alien fan. It scratches that itch well enough, but quickly overstays its welcome.
That being said, there is an enormous list of problems this game has. The story is surface level at best, and frequently drawn out much longer than it needs to be. Some of these cutscenes just drag on and on while characters have the most one-note and predictable dialogue imaginable. Nothing will surprise you. You've seen this story a million times if you've consumed any sci-fi action media. I'm not really looking for anything groundbreaking here, but what we've got is completely dull. No memorable characters, enemies, or story beats. Also, the voice acting is pretty dogshit. Doesn't help that your marines shout the same 3 commands every time you direct them to do something -- it becomes tiresome very quickly.
The real issue, however, is the mountain of glitches and bugs you will encounter. The game refused to save during one mission, crashed during another, and sometimes just stopped allowing me to control my character altogether unless I reloaded a save or restarted the game. This wouldn't be much of an issue if you could manually save at any time, but it's tied to autosaves before story markers or whenever you rest. I lost 15+ minutes of progress FREQUENTLY throughout this game due to bugs, glitches, or completely unfair enemy spawns.
Marines will get caught on geometry. Enemies will clip into walls. I had one of my drones fly up into the ceiling, break, then become unusable for the rest of the mission. Enemies will see you through level geometry whilst you are unable to lock onto them. Character animations are stiff and lifeless. The game is full of typos and the subtitles do not match what the characters are saying. Sometimes the sound will completely cut out for a minute. The list goes on and on.
Be warned. About halfway through the game, a "game over timer" will be introduced. You'll be given twenty or so days to complete the remaining missions the campaign has to offer, or else you'll have to restart the entire game. The game does not bother to tell you how far into the campaign you are, so good luck gauging your time and trying to plan it out. I rested for too many days and had to crunch out the last 8 days of the timer, focusing solely on the primary objectives. I had to skip pretty much all side content that came in the latter half of the game.
The final mission is a complete joke. I won't spoil what happens, but it throws every gameplay mechanic out the window for the most lifeless, sluggish chase sequence I have ever experienced. Just left a completely sour taste in my mouth, especially given how the final area is such an awesome environment. It goes woefully underutilized.
Get the game if it's on sale and you're a massive Alien fan. It scratches that itch well enough, but quickly overstays its welcome.
Tried this out with a friend via Dolphin Netplay and oooohhh man did we have so much fun. Makes me wish I had friends to play this with when I was a kid!
2023
It's just... everything you could ever want from the Pikmin franchise. Filled to the brim with content, new ideas, and tasteful homages, I struggle to think of even one moment where I was bored or dissatisfied. I had no hope for this game, believing it would be an absolute sellout due to all of the merchandise and advertising that seemingly tried to appeal to a more general audience - but I was truly blown away. Pikmim 4 has plenty to offer for both veterans like myself and new players alike. My game of the year without a doubt, and likely my favorite Pikmin game now. 10 long years of waiting that were truly worth it.
Good atmosphere, serviceable gameplay. Most of the fun comes from experimenting with the numerous types of weapons, though the plasma weapons are so egregiously overpowered that you'll end up throwing most others away.
Final mission is where this game truly shines - wish it had kept that pace and level of action throughout the whole experience, but most of the game is quietly wandering through empty level between small squads of enemies.
Final mission is where this game truly shines - wish it had kept that pace and level of action throughout the whole experience, but most of the game is quietly wandering through empty level between small squads of enemies.
Genuinely awful
2002
Without a doubt the best Resident Evil game. No pretentions, no outrageously unbelievable characters or bioweapons - just a creepy mansion, SWAT team members way out of their depth, and lumbering zombies stumbling down dark, moldy corridors. The atmosphere is simply unmatched.
Playing this on harder difficulties really makes the gameplay shine; each room you choose to enter, bullet you decide to fire, healing item you consume - all of it is consequential. You truly have to weigh your options in this game, adding meaning to every gameplay decision you make as you progress. The game never holds your hand, either; you always have just enough resources (map, items in your inventory/box, etc.) to figure out what your next move should be. The one and only criticism is, of course, the childish writing and dialogue, but the general atmosphere and environment more than makes up for these blunders.
Fun, unique, and scary.
Playing this on harder difficulties really makes the gameplay shine; each room you choose to enter, bullet you decide to fire, healing item you consume - all of it is consequential. You truly have to weigh your options in this game, adding meaning to every gameplay decision you make as you progress. The game never holds your hand, either; you always have just enough resources (map, items in your inventory/box, etc.) to figure out what your next move should be. The one and only criticism is, of course, the childish writing and dialogue, but the general atmosphere and environment more than makes up for these blunders.
Fun, unique, and scary.
2014
Don't particularly care for the alternate control scheme introduced in this version and there were a LOT of things they messed up from the original GameCube release - namely several musical tracks being sped up, backgrounds having way too much contrast/sharpening applied to them, and some visual effects (blood splatters, etc.) missing. The core gameplay is intact, though, and THAT is masterful. Decent port, but the original GameCube release is vastly superior.
I reeeeeaally wanted to like this game, especially after being so disappointed by RE3R. I'd heard so many good things about this one from other classic RE fans - how Nemesis is much more of an omnipresent threat that makes this game scary.
In truth, I don't understand why people like Nemesis in this game. Every encounter I had with him had me rolling my eyes and quickly darting through doors to avoid taking massive amounts of damage. He only pushed me to move through the game faster and explore less, which is a shame because I love to take in the artistry of the original trilogy's pre-rendered backgrounds. He didn't scare me, nor was he fun to fight - just a big damage sponge that deals out unreasonable amounts of damage. In my opinion, the Nemesis encounter after the substation in RE3R was the most effective usage of this character - fast, unpredictable, but not too difficult to take down momentarily. A shame, though, since that is the only time in RE3R he's utilized like that. If your idea of fun is memorizing this clunky boss' attack patterns to perfectly dodge and take him down, then more power to you I suppose. It never felt worth it to me.
Mr. X > Nemesis. No contest.
I also feel as if there is a lack of cohesive vision to this game that the other two titles in the trilogy have. Each location and enemy in RE3 feels so random - disorganized streets, a hospital, a park, an underwhelming final laboratory. Hordes of zombies, flaming dogs, gamma hunters, daemos, and a... giant worm? It feels like a mish mash of random ideas that never quite come together. The sheer amount of enemies in this game also reduces the importance of each encounter for me. Never once did I feel threated by an enemy (or group of enemies, for that matter) because I always had 100+ rounds to mow through them all and several healing items to boot. The increase in the number of enemy types, frequency of encounters overall, and the plentiful amount of resources makes this game feel like a very mediocre action game instead of a methodical survival horror. Perhaps Nemesis is supposed to supplement this lack of intimidating enemies, but as I've already expressed - he felt like more of an annoyance and chore than anything else.
Don't know if I'll ever come back to this one. I didn't enjoy anything about it beyond the classic camera angles and backgrounds. I will always love the classic formula and controls, but there is a real lack of importance and weight behind the decisions you make in this one compared to its predecessors. For me, this is easily the worst of the original trilogy.
In truth, I don't understand why people like Nemesis in this game. Every encounter I had with him had me rolling my eyes and quickly darting through doors to avoid taking massive amounts of damage. He only pushed me to move through the game faster and explore less, which is a shame because I love to take in the artistry of the original trilogy's pre-rendered backgrounds. He didn't scare me, nor was he fun to fight - just a big damage sponge that deals out unreasonable amounts of damage. In my opinion, the Nemesis encounter after the substation in RE3R was the most effective usage of this character - fast, unpredictable, but not too difficult to take down momentarily. A shame, though, since that is the only time in RE3R he's utilized like that. If your idea of fun is memorizing this clunky boss' attack patterns to perfectly dodge and take him down, then more power to you I suppose. It never felt worth it to me.
Mr. X > Nemesis. No contest.
I also feel as if there is a lack of cohesive vision to this game that the other two titles in the trilogy have. Each location and enemy in RE3 feels so random - disorganized streets, a hospital, a park, an underwhelming final laboratory. Hordes of zombies, flaming dogs, gamma hunters, daemos, and a... giant worm? It feels like a mish mash of random ideas that never quite come together. The sheer amount of enemies in this game also reduces the importance of each encounter for me. Never once did I feel threated by an enemy (or group of enemies, for that matter) because I always had 100+ rounds to mow through them all and several healing items to boot. The increase in the number of enemy types, frequency of encounters overall, and the plentiful amount of resources makes this game feel like a very mediocre action game instead of a methodical survival horror. Perhaps Nemesis is supposed to supplement this lack of intimidating enemies, but as I've already expressed - he felt like more of an annoyance and chore than anything else.
Don't know if I'll ever come back to this one. I didn't enjoy anything about it beyond the classic camera angles and backgrounds. I will always love the classic formula and controls, but there is a real lack of importance and weight behind the decisions you make in this one compared to its predecessors. For me, this is easily the worst of the original trilogy.
2002
Man, I really just can't get this game out of my head. I went into this with essentially ZERO expectations - and was absolutely blown away. I think it's crazy how this game was so far ahead of its time - from Tallon IV's raindrops hitting your visor to all of the complex and intricate animations; it hardly feels like a game made in 2002. I played this with keyboard and mouse using Primehack and I swear the game was MADE for it. Feels great to play and runs buttery smooth.
The atmosphere and music are on absolutely on another level. I can't get Magmoor Caverns or Phendrana Drifts out of my head. The near-absence of dialogue is also great too, as you're always allowed to stew in the game's bizarre mixture of high-tech/nature environments. The story is relatively straightforward, with most of the intricate details being relegated to text logs. I didn't really bother to go in-depth with recording them, but they were nice to read on occasion.
I WILL say that some of the enemies are veeeeery bullet-spongey. Several times I find myself quite annoyed by an enemy that proved no real challenge, but still took 10-20 seconds of blaster spamming to take down. Perhaps these encounters were more of a challenge with the traditional GameCube control scheme.
Overall, it's got everything I like in games - an immersive atmosphere, bumping soundtrack, and a story that never shoves itself in your face. Definitely an instant classic for me.
The atmosphere and music are on absolutely on another level. I can't get Magmoor Caverns or Phendrana Drifts out of my head. The near-absence of dialogue is also great too, as you're always allowed to stew in the game's bizarre mixture of high-tech/nature environments. The story is relatively straightforward, with most of the intricate details being relegated to text logs. I didn't really bother to go in-depth with recording them, but they were nice to read on occasion.
I WILL say that some of the enemies are veeeeery bullet-spongey. Several times I find myself quite annoyed by an enemy that proved no real challenge, but still took 10-20 seconds of blaster spamming to take down. Perhaps these encounters were more of a challenge with the traditional GameCube control scheme.
Overall, it's got everything I like in games - an immersive atmosphere, bumping soundtrack, and a story that never shoves itself in your face. Definitely an instant classic for me.
2020
This game could've been SO much more.
I think the way Jill is characterized in this game is so lame — changed from a reserved, calculated STARS officer to a one-liner-spitting action hero. I don't really buy her chipper attitude so soon after the events of the Spencer Mansion AND while she's watching her hometown be reduced to rubble, but I suppose there's an audience out there that really likes these sorts of characters.
Nemesis is just... complete wasted potential. There was a glimmer of hope at the beginning — during the first Raccoon City section where you must get the subway working again and must put out the fire with a hose. The aggressive chasing coupled with backtracking and non-linear progression was REALLY fun! Too bad it only lasts 30 minutes.
The rest of the game is a hold L forwards simulator with occasional small areas to explore, but not much else. Nemesis progressively becomes a sequence of interactive set pieces and boss battles, which is not at all what I wanted from this game. Was looking for a much more hostile and badass version of Mr. X from RE2 Remake.
The dodge mechanic is neat I suppose, but shooting out a zombie's leg from afar and running past always seems like the more sensible option in pretty much every scenario. Doesn't feel like a mechanic that awards creativity or tough decision-making.
Carlos is neat, but is woefully underused and unexplored like every other character in this title.
For me, there's not much to like about this entry in the series. REngine looks beautiful as always, but that's about the only accolade I can give it. Here's hoping RE4 Remake does a much better job.
I think the way Jill is characterized in this game is so lame — changed from a reserved, calculated STARS officer to a one-liner-spitting action hero. I don't really buy her chipper attitude so soon after the events of the Spencer Mansion AND while she's watching her hometown be reduced to rubble, but I suppose there's an audience out there that really likes these sorts of characters.
Nemesis is just... complete wasted potential. There was a glimmer of hope at the beginning — during the first Raccoon City section where you must get the subway working again and must put out the fire with a hose. The aggressive chasing coupled with backtracking and non-linear progression was REALLY fun! Too bad it only lasts 30 minutes.
The rest of the game is a hold L forwards simulator with occasional small areas to explore, but not much else. Nemesis progressively becomes a sequence of interactive set pieces and boss battles, which is not at all what I wanted from this game. Was looking for a much more hostile and badass version of Mr. X from RE2 Remake.
The dodge mechanic is neat I suppose, but shooting out a zombie's leg from afar and running past always seems like the more sensible option in pretty much every scenario. Doesn't feel like a mechanic that awards creativity or tough decision-making.
Carlos is neat, but is woefully underused and unexplored like every other character in this title.
For me, there's not much to like about this entry in the series. REngine looks beautiful as always, but that's about the only accolade I can give it. Here's hoping RE4 Remake does a much better job.
2008
I think I got hardlocked and couldn't progress after like 10 hours of gameplay
2010
This is definitely one of the games I've ever played
2016
Honestly, everyone would just get too mad over this game. A lot of blaming one another, getting pissed off, and sweats who sucked out all fun by treating it like a tournament. One of the games that helped me realized PVP just isn't for me.
Oh, and all of the yucky stuff going on behind the scenes at Blizzard and the predatory nature of loot boxes yada yada.
Oh, and all of the yucky stuff going on behind the scenes at Blizzard and the predatory nature of loot boxes yada yada.
2011
I think I got this for either Christmas or my birthday, played it once, and never touched it again. Couldn't even keep 11 year old me entertained, which is saying a LOT given the amount of melodramatic explosions this game was full of.
2017
Fun to dunk on your friends and watch their characters ragdoll when you score a goal, but otherwise completely forgettable.