Scotty90
The Good:
- Fundamentally a very solid metroidvania. The game rewards precision in both platforming and combat
- On the surface very basic, one button to attack, jump etc. However, as you progress new mechanics are learned all of which have value not only in opening new areas but also in combat
- The game looks nice. Nothing special but the graphics are clean and it's easy to see what's going on even during chaotic moments
- Good enemy variety and interesting level design
The not so good:
- The game is punishing. Timing is everything and if you're a bit off, you're back is against the wall. If I'm to persevere with something like this I need a strong story and sense of progression. I didn't really find that here, so I ended up losing interest
Overall, probably a 6/10 for personal enjoyment, but I'll be the first to admit I don't love this genre
- Fundamentally a very solid metroidvania. The game rewards precision in both platforming and combat
- On the surface very basic, one button to attack, jump etc. However, as you progress new mechanics are learned all of which have value not only in opening new areas but also in combat
- The game looks nice. Nothing special but the graphics are clean and it's easy to see what's going on even during chaotic moments
- Good enemy variety and interesting level design
The not so good:
- The game is punishing. Timing is everything and if you're a bit off, you're back is against the wall. If I'm to persevere with something like this I need a strong story and sense of progression. I didn't really find that here, so I ended up losing interest
Overall, probably a 6/10 for personal enjoyment, but I'll be the first to admit I don't love this genre
2023
The Good
- Combat is crisp, responsive and intuitive
- Graphics are incredible. Seriously among the best this console cycle
- The story mode, although a little safe and inconsequential, was fun enough to play through
The Bad:
- Serious lack of content. Invasions is the big deal breaker, this is repetitive and poorly conceived
- Server issues. I've been booted out of offline modes multiple times due to server drops (why?)
- Lack of replayability. In all of Netherrealm's recent stuff I've found it rewarding coming back and unlocking different customisation options for characters. This has been really scaled back in MK1
- Monetisation. Characters locked behind paywalls that are clearly part of the base game. Netherrealm's/WB's greed is becoming increasingly intrusive when trying to enjoy their products in general
Overall, fine from a gameplay perspective but there was nothing here which made me want to come back after completing a 4-5hr story mode. As a big fan of the MK universe this is the least I've enjoyed an instalment in this franchise
- Combat is crisp, responsive and intuitive
- Graphics are incredible. Seriously among the best this console cycle
- The story mode, although a little safe and inconsequential, was fun enough to play through
The Bad:
- Serious lack of content. Invasions is the big deal breaker, this is repetitive and poorly conceived
- Server issues. I've been booted out of offline modes multiple times due to server drops (why?)
- Lack of replayability. In all of Netherrealm's recent stuff I've found it rewarding coming back and unlocking different customisation options for characters. This has been really scaled back in MK1
- Monetisation. Characters locked behind paywalls that are clearly part of the base game. Netherrealm's/WB's greed is becoming increasingly intrusive when trying to enjoy their products in general
Overall, fine from a gameplay perspective but there was nothing here which made me want to come back after completing a 4-5hr story mode. As a big fan of the MK universe this is the least I've enjoyed an instalment in this franchise
2021
The Good:
- Initially intriguing mystery surrounding 'the loop' and its visionaries. The opening of the game especially does a good job of drip feeding info allowing the player to piece together the puzzle
- Gameplay is serviceable
- The concept of a roguelike set in this backdrop isn't bad in theory
The bad:
- The sense of progression between loops. Ooh look I've found a purple gun - oh it does the exact same thing as the shitty gun except not jam. The 'looping' overall was repetitive, there are side missions but after doing a couple, I realised these weren't very worthwhile
- No sense of peril. The AI are braindead and the visionaries aren't a threat. There's only Julianna who is actually interesting
- The game is sparse in content. There are only 4 maps and barely any weapon variety
- The gameplay, although serviceable in terms of movement and gun-play, is basic. There's no incentive to get creative when eliminating a target when you can just run in and shoot things up just as easy
- A bit more direction would be beneficial. I don't want hand-holding but when a key story-beat can only be discovered by reading a nondescript white note which looks like every other non-interactable white note scattered around in every room in the game - we have a problem
Overall not a bad game but I found the niggles too much to persevere with and the story didn't grab me as I thought it would
- Initially intriguing mystery surrounding 'the loop' and its visionaries. The opening of the game especially does a good job of drip feeding info allowing the player to piece together the puzzle
- Gameplay is serviceable
- The concept of a roguelike set in this backdrop isn't bad in theory
The bad:
- The sense of progression between loops. Ooh look I've found a purple gun - oh it does the exact same thing as the shitty gun except not jam. The 'looping' overall was repetitive, there are side missions but after doing a couple, I realised these weren't very worthwhile
- No sense of peril. The AI are braindead and the visionaries aren't a threat. There's only Julianna who is actually interesting
- The game is sparse in content. There are only 4 maps and barely any weapon variety
- The gameplay, although serviceable in terms of movement and gun-play, is basic. There's no incentive to get creative when eliminating a target when you can just run in and shoot things up just as easy
- A bit more direction would be beneficial. I don't want hand-holding but when a key story-beat can only be discovered by reading a nondescript white note which looks like every other non-interactable white note scattered around in every room in the game - we have a problem
Overall not a bad game but I found the niggles too much to persevere with and the story didn't grab me as I thought it would
The Good:
- Parkour was fun. It could be frustrating at times as you get snagged on things. The vertical climbing also could have been smoother, but you actually had to think about traversal here unlike some other games <cough> Ubisoft <cough>
- Hacking and slashing was well done. The grisly gore physics never got boring
- Gameplay in general is fine. I've not played the first game so the day/night cycle and how you need to adapt playstyle felt unique
The Bad:
- Aiden may be the most boring protagonist of all time
- Repetitive missions and not much variety in the open-world
- The game gives the illusion of choice, but nothing you do matters. You can literally make it your mission to go full genocidal maniac against one of the factions and it won't change the game other than an occasional disapproving comment
- The game is broken. I can put up with roughness around the edges, but in 14hrs of playtime I've glitched out twice and currently have 3 side missions in my journal that are non-completable. It's crazy to me that this has been out for nearly 3yrs and there's still glaring bugs
Overall there's a decent game in here somewhere but execution is severely lacking. A big missed opportunity
- Parkour was fun. It could be frustrating at times as you get snagged on things. The vertical climbing also could have been smoother, but you actually had to think about traversal here unlike some other games <cough> Ubisoft <cough>
- Hacking and slashing was well done. The grisly gore physics never got boring
- Gameplay in general is fine. I've not played the first game so the day/night cycle and how you need to adapt playstyle felt unique
The Bad:
- Aiden may be the most boring protagonist of all time
- Repetitive missions and not much variety in the open-world
- The game gives the illusion of choice, but nothing you do matters. You can literally make it your mission to go full genocidal maniac against one of the factions and it won't change the game other than an occasional disapproving comment
- The game is broken. I can put up with roughness around the edges, but in 14hrs of playtime I've glitched out twice and currently have 3 side missions in my journal that are non-completable. It's crazy to me that this has been out for nearly 3yrs and there's still glaring bugs
Overall there's a decent game in here somewhere but execution is severely lacking. A big missed opportunity
I'm pretty big on turn based strategy and deck builders so 'Midnight Suns' scratched a real itch for me. Factor in the Marvel coat of paint, a fun story and well realised characters - meant I had a blast with this
At the same time it isn't perfect. Over-monetisation in a single player game is something I'm never going to get behind, even if it is only for cosmetics. The graphics were also a bit hit and miss. Combat looked great but outside of this, the characters looked very stiff. Getting further into nitpick territory now, but the gameplay also really would have benefited from a speed up option. Watching the same enemies do the same shit at a snail pace did begin to grate slightly once the novelty wore off
Overall, a very fun game which I nearly put 100hrs into. It's a real shame it made no money, ending any chance of a sequel
At the same time it isn't perfect. Over-monetisation in a single player game is something I'm never going to get behind, even if it is only for cosmetics. The graphics were also a bit hit and miss. Combat looked great but outside of this, the characters looked very stiff. Getting further into nitpick territory now, but the gameplay also really would have benefited from a speed up option. Watching the same enemies do the same shit at a snail pace did begin to grate slightly once the novelty wore off
Overall, a very fun game which I nearly put 100hrs into. It's a real shame it made no money, ending any chance of a sequel
2023
Easily the least amount of time I've put into a FIFA game. It's not like this was unusually awful or anything - it's just the same old stuff and after 2 decades playing everything EA brought out, I guess I may be done
2023
Madden is always gonna Madden. In many ways 24 is the same game as 23 so I'm only going to comment on what felt different this year.
The positive:
- The game is always going to be animation based given EAs outdated engine, but this was better implemented than what we saw in 23
- The game felt (slightly) less cheesy than previous versions. Plays which were never viable in 23 actually had the occasional chance of working here
Of course there was also the bad:
- Presentation continues to be dreadful
- Every update made things worse. Constantly updating sliders was a must
- Most games felt the same and on rails. The franchise continuously fails to capture the unpredictability that makes the sport special
I don't plat MUT so won't comment on that shitshow - so overall, a serviceable instalment which met my low expectations
The positive:
- The game is always going to be animation based given EAs outdated engine, but this was better implemented than what we saw in 23
- The game felt (slightly) less cheesy than previous versions. Plays which were never viable in 23 actually had the occasional chance of working here
Of course there was also the bad:
- Presentation continues to be dreadful
- Every update made things worse. Constantly updating sliders was a must
- Most games felt the same and on rails. The franchise continuously fails to capture the unpredictability that makes the sport special
I don't plat MUT so won't comment on that shitshow - so overall, a serviceable instalment which met my low expectations
2022
Taken purely as a FPS, High on Life is average at best. Gun-play and enemy variety are functional but uninspired. The story is about as basic an A to B adventure as you can get. While the gameplay loop essentially boils down to accept a bounty, buy some upgrades, kill bounty and repeat. There's no real challenge here or reward for any deviation from the main plot whatsoever - no side missions, worthwhile collectables, fun lore titbits - nada
What does make the game clever overall though is that it's self-aware. The gun-play and gameplay loop aren't meant to be revolutionary. These elements are designed to be smooth and serviceable while the humour and personality of the characters elevate the material. Ultimately, this worked for me but I enjoy this kind of humour. If you don't - High on Life needs to be avoided like the plague
What does make the game clever overall though is that it's self-aware. The gun-play and gameplay loop aren't meant to be revolutionary. These elements are designed to be smooth and serviceable while the humour and personality of the characters elevate the material. Ultimately, this worked for me but I enjoy this kind of humour. If you don't - High on Life needs to be avoided like the plague
2021
There's definitely some good here, and I can see why this series is popular - but for me the problems with 'Tales of Arise' made it too much to persevere with.
I need to qualify that this is my first experience with a 'Tales' game and first impressions were fine, if slightly underwhelming, given the grandiose intro cutscene. The story works well enough, focusing on an oppressed race of people being enslaved and then rising up against their totalitarian and more evolved overlords isn't exactly original, but the telling of this is precise and clear. The world building in general is probably the best thing about the game in truth. The gameplay is also serviceable enough, all battles are arena based and are usually quick enough to not outstay their welcome. I do though wish there were more layers to the combat as the battles are never as spectacular as what the flashy special moves would indicate. I was never at any point blown away with anything with 'Arise' but the loop and story was enough to keep me coming back, but then a grind became encouraged (which I ignored) and I was underleveled for a boss. I could've went back and farmed for a counter-gem and killed some more minions, but if a RPG wants me to retread old ground it needs to make it worth my while. 'Arise' fails here due to its small scale world, mediocre mob variety and corny characters
I need to qualify that this is my first experience with a 'Tales' game and first impressions were fine, if slightly underwhelming, given the grandiose intro cutscene. The story works well enough, focusing on an oppressed race of people being enslaved and then rising up against their totalitarian and more evolved overlords isn't exactly original, but the telling of this is precise and clear. The world building in general is probably the best thing about the game in truth. The gameplay is also serviceable enough, all battles are arena based and are usually quick enough to not outstay their welcome. I do though wish there were more layers to the combat as the battles are never as spectacular as what the flashy special moves would indicate. I was never at any point blown away with anything with 'Arise' but the loop and story was enough to keep me coming back, but then a grind became encouraged (which I ignored) and I was underleveled for a boss. I could've went back and farmed for a counter-gem and killed some more minions, but if a RPG wants me to retread old ground it needs to make it worth my while. 'Arise' fails here due to its small scale world, mediocre mob variety and corny characters
I'm a big fan of the first game, so I knew this was gonna be my thing - and 'Sparks of Hope' is a more than decent time. The game, first of all, is a solid evolution of it's predecessor in terms of combat, the turn based action flows better and every hero is absolutely viable (not something I can say about the first one). The sparks mechanic adds another dimension and the battles in general just feel much more grand in terms of invention and scale.
Thankfully the fun battles makes up the bulk of the game, which is a good job because everything else is mid as hell. The story doesn't have any of the charm of the first one and the busy work which fleshes out the gameplay on each of the 5 worlds you visit becomes old fast
Thankfully the fun battles makes up the bulk of the game, which is a good job because everything else is mid as hell. The story doesn't have any of the charm of the first one and the busy work which fleshes out the gameplay on each of the 5 worlds you visit becomes old fast
2022
Played on and off for around a year.
It's cool that a functional Diablo game was made possible for mobile, but even though I clearly missed the worst of the aggressive monetisation by playing late, its hard to ignore Blizzards grubby money grabbing finger prints which are all over this.
Enjoyed the gameplay loop enough to finish the campaign. Lost interest fast once the immortals/shadows BS became the focal point
It's cool that a functional Diablo game was made possible for mobile, but even though I clearly missed the worst of the aggressive monetisation by playing late, its hard to ignore Blizzards grubby money grabbing finger prints which are all over this.
Enjoyed the gameplay loop enough to finish the campaign. Lost interest fast once the immortals/shadows BS became the focal point
2022
Definitely an improvement on last year both in terms of game play and actual functionality. Saying all of this, it's FIFA. Everyone who buys this knows what they are getting into. No surprises that this game is essentially a re-skin of last years instalment with one or two added features
2021
Prefacing this review by saying I can't comment much on the multiplayer as I've only seen a bit of it. I suppose it's fun enough, although a little sparse in content. To be fair this sentiment echoes true for the game as a whole - it's fun but kinda empty
Starting with the good - the gunplay is as great as ever. Halo's brand of shooting shit up has always been one of my favourites in gaming and 'Infinite' delivers here. Each weapon has its place, most are fun to use and the solid enemy variety encourages you to mix it up. It was also pleasing to see a game that had functional enemy AI, rather than just mindless drones waiting to be filled with lead. The story was serviceable. I thought the Banished were decent enough antagonists, I can't comment on any character motivations because I don't have a clue what the hell has been going on in this universe since the 3rd game
The main talking point for 'Inifinite' was always gonna be the switch to a sandbox from a linear campaign. This for me is what holds the game back. Initially it was cool tackling all the points of interest on the map, but it becomes apparent fast that this world doesn't have a lot going on that rewards exploration. The best open-world games has something to set it apart, 'Infinite' fails hard in this regard
Starting with the good - the gunplay is as great as ever. Halo's brand of shooting shit up has always been one of my favourites in gaming and 'Infinite' delivers here. Each weapon has its place, most are fun to use and the solid enemy variety encourages you to mix it up. It was also pleasing to see a game that had functional enemy AI, rather than just mindless drones waiting to be filled with lead. The story was serviceable. I thought the Banished were decent enough antagonists, I can't comment on any character motivations because I don't have a clue what the hell has been going on in this universe since the 3rd game
The main talking point for 'Inifinite' was always gonna be the switch to a sandbox from a linear campaign. This for me is what holds the game back. Initially it was cool tackling all the points of interest on the map, but it becomes apparent fast that this world doesn't have a lot going on that rewards exploration. The best open-world games has something to set it apart, 'Infinite' fails hard in this regard
An interesting premise for a game which is ruined by being a shameless 'Breath of The Wild' clone, or at least Ubisoft's subpar imitation.
This necessarily wouldn't be a deal breaker but the thing is, it does everything worse than the game that inspired it. The world is less interesting, the enemy variety is lacking and the game, despite giving the illusion that there's a lot to do, is repetitive AF. I gave it 10hrs but after the 100th Zeus/Prometheus narration I had to tap out
This necessarily wouldn't be a deal breaker but the thing is, it does everything worse than the game that inspired it. The world is less interesting, the enemy variety is lacking and the game, despite giving the illusion that there's a lot to do, is repetitive AF. I gave it 10hrs but after the 100th Zeus/Prometheus narration I had to tap out
2018
Yeah I kinda feel bad for passing on this one when it first came out.
In fairness the previous God of Wars weren't my thing. I didn't find them as immersive as I'd like them to be or the gameplay to be very satisfying. That's pretty much the opposite here, the immersion and responsiveness of gameplay are actually the best things about it. The variety of character building is great and I'd wager that no one's Kratos plays identically. I went down the glass cannon route of maxing strength and runic while being pretty much single digit progress in all other categories. This resulted in a few chastising beatdowns early on, but if anything I was probably too OP come the final few missions. Obviously the game also looks incredible and the story is among the best this decade in gaming had to offer, but I'm not saying anything that hasn't been said already about this
Overall, pretty amazing. My only misgiving is that the game is maybe one or two side tasks away from being truly perfect. The side missions were fun enough, but there weren't enough of them
In fairness the previous God of Wars weren't my thing. I didn't find them as immersive as I'd like them to be or the gameplay to be very satisfying. That's pretty much the opposite here, the immersion and responsiveness of gameplay are actually the best things about it. The variety of character building is great and I'd wager that no one's Kratos plays identically. I went down the glass cannon route of maxing strength and runic while being pretty much single digit progress in all other categories. This resulted in a few chastising beatdowns early on, but if anything I was probably too OP come the final few missions. Obviously the game also looks incredible and the story is among the best this decade in gaming had to offer, but I'm not saying anything that hasn't been said already about this
Overall, pretty amazing. My only misgiving is that the game is maybe one or two side tasks away from being truly perfect. The side missions were fun enough, but there weren't enough of them