Sevy
9 reviews liked by Sevy
Spider-Man
2000
Here's what Spider-Man would look like running on a Game Boy Color!
Now we wish we had a handheld version of Spider-Man...
"I was the lead programmer on this game. Man, those fucking birds. I am very sorry."
-Matthew Conte
Now we wish we had a handheld version of Spider-Man...
"I was the lead programmer on this game. Man, those fucking birds. I am very sorry."
-Matthew Conte
Spider-Man
2002
Lazy platform with some collectibles and some kind of plot which diverges from the film it is based on, which leads Spider-Man through some bad designed levels where the player has to deal with enemies which look like they were ripped from another game and atrocious sounds.
The boss aren't so bas but they can easily be defeated in a matter of second when you figure out how to deal damage to 'em without getting killed on the spot.
The third person sections are extremely rare and confusionary, but I gotta say, they are impressive for the GBA.
Also, the hitboxes are a mess.
The boss aren't so bas but they can easily be defeated in a matter of second when you figure out how to deal damage to 'em without getting killed on the spot.
The third person sections are extremely rare and confusionary, but I gotta say, they are impressive for the GBA.
Also, the hitboxes are a mess.
Sonic Advance 2
2002
Sad to say, I'm not too crazy about this one! After playing Advance 1 and finding it to be one of my favorite 2D Sonics so far, I had high hopes for Advance 2.
It's not awful; the visuals are even better now, my favorite addition being the "act start" animations for the characters, it controls a lot better and there are new movement options when jumping off springs or rails. Speeding around here feels good! ... Until you fall down a bottomless pit.
Also, uh. Possibly the worst emerald hunt in the series so far? The SP Rings SUCK.
Look, I don't mind a larger emphasis on exploration. Sonic CD is still my favorite 2D game in the series, but the difference between that game and Advance 2 is that CD was built with that exploration in mind. Not only that, but CD only had you finding 2 thingamabobs in each past version of the acts. Here, you have to find 7 of these fucking special rings before you can enter a special stage. Got 6? Tough shit, you're not going in. SP Rings don't carry between acts either, even though you can only nab one emerald per zone. Oh, and emeralds aren't shared between characters. Just dickheaded decisions all around.
Pretty disappointed ngl. Here's hoping Advance 3 wraps the trilogy up nicely.
It's not awful; the visuals are even better now, my favorite addition being the "act start" animations for the characters, it controls a lot better and there are new movement options when jumping off springs or rails. Speeding around here feels good! ... Until you fall down a bottomless pit.
Also, uh. Possibly the worst emerald hunt in the series so far? The SP Rings SUCK.
Look, I don't mind a larger emphasis on exploration. Sonic CD is still my favorite 2D game in the series, but the difference between that game and Advance 2 is that CD was built with that exploration in mind. Not only that, but CD only had you finding 2 thingamabobs in each past version of the acts. Here, you have to find 7 of these fucking special rings before you can enter a special stage. Got 6? Tough shit, you're not going in. SP Rings don't carry between acts either, even though you can only nab one emerald per zone. Oh, and emeralds aren't shared between characters. Just dickheaded decisions all around.
Pretty disappointed ngl. Here's hoping Advance 3 wraps the trilogy up nicely.
Persona 3 Reload
2024
For what it's worth, I think this is a testament to how beautifully this game has aged. It's more of the same Persona 3 that you have played before either through Portable or the original, but sprinkled with fairy godmother dust. It's a gorgeous game, the UI is incredible to just stare at, just like Persona 5.
A lot of people will simplify this to "just Persona 5-ifying Persona 3", and they wouldn't be wrong to make that assumption. Certain QoL features, like the Network surveys, trivialize the need for a guide to follow for quiz answers and what to do on a daily basis. Though most are a welcome addition, such as the limit break like theurgy system, or the Monad Passageways. I played through the game with my party on Act Freely to relive that experience I had just like the first time I played FES all those years ago. The game was easier in the later half once I switched over to direct command.
It's a true remake in the best of case: making the game prettier than ever, while adding minor modern changes to improve that experience for newer fans.
A lot of people will simplify this to "just Persona 5-ifying Persona 3", and they wouldn't be wrong to make that assumption. Certain QoL features, like the Network surveys, trivialize the need for a guide to follow for quiz answers and what to do on a daily basis. Though most are a welcome addition, such as the limit break like theurgy system, or the Monad Passageways. I played through the game with my party on Act Freely to relive that experience I had just like the first time I played FES all those years ago. The game was easier in the later half once I switched over to direct command.
It's a true remake in the best of case: making the game prettier than ever, while adding minor modern changes to improve that experience for newer fans.
This review contains spoilers
As one of the three Yakuza games still region locked to Japan, going through Kurohyou thanks to the fan made patch was a fun experience. It's definitely one of the messier games in the franchise, but also manages to carve its own niche thanks to its unique game play and grittier tone.
Unlike every other Yakuza game, Kurohyou plays more like a fighting game (which makes sense as this is from the Def Jam devs). Because of this fights tend to be more up close and personal with things like the limb system and directional attacks supporting this style of combat. Despite that it manages to be pretty damn fun throughout, with many styles to unlock allowing experimentation that wouldn't be seen in a mainline game until Ishin. Another big difference is the main star of the show Tatsuya Ukyo, who starts the game as a complete fucking asshole who gets forced into the hellhole that is Dragon Heat and has to claw his way towards freedom. This makes his eventual growth one of the best in the series, with a pretty solid side cast making the journey that much more interesting (DJ Rikuoh the goat). One last thing I'd like to say is just how impressive a title this is for the PSP, standing with games like the God Of War dualogy and Peace Walker as one of the more visually appealing games on the system (it helps that this game goes the classic route with fixed camera angles).
My biggest problem with Kurohyou comes from its narrative, which starts off pretty intriguing but loses itself with typical Yakuza shenanigans. I love the initial setup of Tatsuya needing to win 10 in a row to survive (and the opponents being connected to his past allows for some pretty nifty moments) but after a while the game tends to drag its feet pacing wise with tons of meandering and lots of lore dumps (doesn't help you CANT SKIP CUTSCENES WHY). Another weak aspect would be the main villain, who only gets a bit of (admittedly cool) lore before you face him (except not really) which makes the entire thing feel rushed. On the gameplay side of things I absolutely despise how the game handles Heat actions, with them being delegated to grabs only for some reason. This makes the pace of the combat feel incredibly schizophrenic at points since the opponent can just stuff whatever attempts you do to close the gap, and other bullshit like being able to near instantly counter your special moves (the limb system also feels a bit underutilized in this regard). Bosses have this the worst, with each one of them having the annoying as fuck mechanic of being able to transition from a combo to heat move if you get hit with ANY attack in the animation (which lead to running around the arena to avoid which felt so jank). Side content is also pretty weak, with substories being incredibly dull besides the gangs plotline and tournament arc (which lets you fucking break the game with what you get).
Despite these rough edges I'd still call Kurohyou one of the better entries in the series and a great way to start off the first spin-off series in the Yakuza franchise. Excited to see how Kurohyou 2 changes things up but for now I'll wait until I finish Infinite Wealth to go to that one.
7/10
Unlike every other Yakuza game, Kurohyou plays more like a fighting game (which makes sense as this is from the Def Jam devs). Because of this fights tend to be more up close and personal with things like the limb system and directional attacks supporting this style of combat. Despite that it manages to be pretty damn fun throughout, with many styles to unlock allowing experimentation that wouldn't be seen in a mainline game until Ishin. Another big difference is the main star of the show Tatsuya Ukyo, who starts the game as a complete fucking asshole who gets forced into the hellhole that is Dragon Heat and has to claw his way towards freedom. This makes his eventual growth one of the best in the series, with a pretty solid side cast making the journey that much more interesting (DJ Rikuoh the goat). One last thing I'd like to say is just how impressive a title this is for the PSP, standing with games like the God Of War dualogy and Peace Walker as one of the more visually appealing games on the system (it helps that this game goes the classic route with fixed camera angles).
My biggest problem with Kurohyou comes from its narrative, which starts off pretty intriguing but loses itself with typical Yakuza shenanigans. I love the initial setup of Tatsuya needing to win 10 in a row to survive (and the opponents being connected to his past allows for some pretty nifty moments) but after a while the game tends to drag its feet pacing wise with tons of meandering and lots of lore dumps (doesn't help you CANT SKIP CUTSCENES WHY). Another weak aspect would be the main villain, who only gets a bit of (admittedly cool) lore before you face him (except not really) which makes the entire thing feel rushed. On the gameplay side of things I absolutely despise how the game handles Heat actions, with them being delegated to grabs only for some reason. This makes the pace of the combat feel incredibly schizophrenic at points since the opponent can just stuff whatever attempts you do to close the gap, and other bullshit like being able to near instantly counter your special moves (the limb system also feels a bit underutilized in this regard). Bosses have this the worst, with each one of them having the annoying as fuck mechanic of being able to transition from a combo to heat move if you get hit with ANY attack in the animation (which lead to running around the arena to avoid which felt so jank). Side content is also pretty weak, with substories being incredibly dull besides the gangs plotline and tournament arc (which lets you fucking break the game with what you get).
Despite these rough edges I'd still call Kurohyou one of the better entries in the series and a great way to start off the first spin-off series in the Yakuza franchise. Excited to see how Kurohyou 2 changes things up but for now I'll wait until I finish Infinite Wealth to go to that one.
7/10
Yakuza 0
2015
A prequel of great series. While being a great point to start somewhere, it introduced some of the best Beat 'em Up combat. The story blended in the serious drama, romance, friendship, comedy together really well. Yakuza 0 is also one of the RGG games that made great substories, adding colors to the tragic world. After Ishin and Kenzan, this game truly revolutionize the rest of mainline games' combat system too, making the newcomers of this series can enjoy the combat core of the game easily.
this game does many things, and it does them all perfectly, but one thing it isnt is a liar. that man, for all intents and purposes, definitely ate some snakes.
thanks to this game when i was like 10 i looked super smart in front of my teacher because we had an assignment to try and name stuff from the 60s and i said the cuban missile crisis and just rode that high
yeah people remember the most random shit huh
yeah people remember the most random shit huh
Undertale
2015
i have daily traumatic flashbacks to high school where i was walking down the halls wearing an Undertale shirt and this one random guy was like "wh-what??? a gamer girl!" and then blocked my path and did the entire Sans speech. the whole thing. in public.