Smashton
1995
I wasn't sure what to expect from ESPN Extreme Games. The cover features a number of different sports that I was not sure had much to do with each other. I figured initially that this would be a collection of sports mini-games where you could skateboard, bicycle, or roller skate to your hearts content. Imagine my surprise when I selection the roller skates, begin the first track, and all of the sudden there are other roller skaters, bicyclists, skateboarders, and what look like people sliding around on a surfboard of some kind. And then, to top it all off, I get punched in the face!
This game is kinda nuts. You get a handful of tracks to race in where you can select one of four different methods of travel. Then, you can also select from a variety of different characters who each have varying stats pertaining to each equipment as well as stats related to things like stamina. When you are actually racing, you're not only trying to go fast and get to the end, but also collect various gates along the way to earn you more money and punch the ever loving daylights out of anyone who gets near you. This violent aspect of ESPN Extreme Games is absolutely the best part. Being on a bicycle and just kicking the shit out of some skateboarder who dared to get too close, causing him to crash into some big ass boulder and lose a bunch of progress, it's hilarious and a blast.
Additionally, the game is fairly hard and it seems meant to be. There is an entire progression system here focused on the equipment itself in which you begin adding up the money you earn from these races to buy better and better skates, better bicycles, or whatever you need to perform better. It's honestly pretty cool for such an early PS1 title. I did not feel the need to full invest into it at this time, but, if given this game as a child or if I held some bit of nostalgia for it, I could see this game being a pretty solid time sink. Definitely worth a try if a sports racing game where you can kick the shit out of people sounds appealing to you.
This game is kinda nuts. You get a handful of tracks to race in where you can select one of four different methods of travel. Then, you can also select from a variety of different characters who each have varying stats pertaining to each equipment as well as stats related to things like stamina. When you are actually racing, you're not only trying to go fast and get to the end, but also collect various gates along the way to earn you more money and punch the ever loving daylights out of anyone who gets near you. This violent aspect of ESPN Extreme Games is absolutely the best part. Being on a bicycle and just kicking the shit out of some skateboarder who dared to get too close, causing him to crash into some big ass boulder and lose a bunch of progress, it's hilarious and a blast.
Additionally, the game is fairly hard and it seems meant to be. There is an entire progression system here focused on the equipment itself in which you begin adding up the money you earn from these races to buy better and better skates, better bicycles, or whatever you need to perform better. It's honestly pretty cool for such an early PS1 title. I did not feel the need to full invest into it at this time, but, if given this game as a child or if I held some bit of nostalgia for it, I could see this game being a pretty solid time sink. Definitely worth a try if a sports racing game where you can kick the shit out of people sounds appealing to you.
I'll be honest, didn't give this one a whole lot of time. I'm not much of a fighting game person to begin with so going back to play a classic title like this one was already a set up for disaster. No easily readable move list, movement that is either slow as molasses or so fast you get instantly punished when closing in, and enemies that can spam super moves that take huge chunks out of you with no reaction speed available, all of these factors combine to create an experience that I did not vibe with.
1995
Jumping Flash! is a brief but fun and unique 3D platformer that deserves more recognition. I knew of this game as an ultra-niche cult classic but never had the opportunity to actually play it myself during childhood. Playing it now, it is surprising how well it actually controls. There is that classic tank control jank present in so many PS1 titles, but with how rapidly your robo-rabbit character turns and how ridiculously high you can jump, it really never becomes an issue. Within about 3 minutes I was jumping around, shooting enemies, and collecting items without a thought to control scheme.
If you asked me to recount the story to you I'm afraid I would utterly fail. The story is about what you would expect from an old-school platformer from this time period--non-existent. That doesn't really matter. All I knew was I needed to collect 4 little carrots from across each level and hop onto the exit pad in order to finish and move on. To be frank, that's all I needed to know since as soon as some short opening FMVs were finished playing, you are right into the action with a weird but oddly cute frog thing jumping toward you, prompting a quick decision to start moving.
The levels in this game, and the entire art style and design for that matter, are incredible. The enemy designs are unique and memorable (shoutout to that weird little TV bat thing), the levels themselves are varied and have huge personality, and the colors are vivid and vibrant. Even the power-ups are unique. You have your standard fare of invincibility, time-extension, and time-stop powers but also just some really odd ones like a giant nut that explodes into a bomb on impact or the ability to send a flurry of what look like party streamers at your opponent that snake around in a wide area. Everything about this game oozes a bright and whimsical personality.
Unfortunately, I can't praise it too high though as the one glaring flaw in this game is in it's difficulty. The game is far too easy for how amazing the art direction is and how creative some of the levels can be. I want to stay in each of these levels and worlds for so much longer but, with a run-time of about 2 hours, they fly by far too quickly. So many of the carrots you need can be easily obtained by simply abusing the double jump mechanic to gain an insane amount of height. This makes what look like interesting puzzle platform sections completely redundant when I can just fly past all of it and reach my destination anyways. I wanted more and to explore more but there simply isn't enough incentive or challenge to force the player to explore and truly appreciate each level as it is designed.
I absolutely love what this game is doing. At no point leading up to this did I think I would have so much fun or see so much potential in an early PS1 first-person 3D platformer. But, Jumping Flash! proved me wrong. Jumping Flash! is a fantastical, unique, and charming platformer that is a bit too short and easy for its own good. While the artistic style and core gameplay mechanics are stellar, the actual level design itself does not cater to the insane level of ability and control you have as the player when platforming, leaving many levels feeling more like really cool set pieces to stare at in awe rather than creative, engaging, and interesting platforming challenges to engage in. I see an insane amount of potential here that I really hope gets capitalized on in the sequel.
If you asked me to recount the story to you I'm afraid I would utterly fail. The story is about what you would expect from an old-school platformer from this time period--non-existent. That doesn't really matter. All I knew was I needed to collect 4 little carrots from across each level and hop onto the exit pad in order to finish and move on. To be frank, that's all I needed to know since as soon as some short opening FMVs were finished playing, you are right into the action with a weird but oddly cute frog thing jumping toward you, prompting a quick decision to start moving.
The levels in this game, and the entire art style and design for that matter, are incredible. The enemy designs are unique and memorable (shoutout to that weird little TV bat thing), the levels themselves are varied and have huge personality, and the colors are vivid and vibrant. Even the power-ups are unique. You have your standard fare of invincibility, time-extension, and time-stop powers but also just some really odd ones like a giant nut that explodes into a bomb on impact or the ability to send a flurry of what look like party streamers at your opponent that snake around in a wide area. Everything about this game oozes a bright and whimsical personality.
Unfortunately, I can't praise it too high though as the one glaring flaw in this game is in it's difficulty. The game is far too easy for how amazing the art direction is and how creative some of the levels can be. I want to stay in each of these levels and worlds for so much longer but, with a run-time of about 2 hours, they fly by far too quickly. So many of the carrots you need can be easily obtained by simply abusing the double jump mechanic to gain an insane amount of height. This makes what look like interesting puzzle platform sections completely redundant when I can just fly past all of it and reach my destination anyways. I wanted more and to explore more but there simply isn't enough incentive or challenge to force the player to explore and truly appreciate each level as it is designed.
I absolutely love what this game is doing. At no point leading up to this did I think I would have so much fun or see so much potential in an early PS1 first-person 3D platformer. But, Jumping Flash! proved me wrong. Jumping Flash! is a fantastical, unique, and charming platformer that is a bit too short and easy for its own good. While the artistic style and core gameplay mechanics are stellar, the actual level design itself does not cater to the insane level of ability and control you have as the player when platforming, leaving many levels feeling more like really cool set pieces to stare at in awe rather than creative, engaging, and interesting platforming challenges to engage in. I see an insane amount of potential here that I really hope gets capitalized on in the sequel.
1994
Coming directly off of Ridge Racer, the pace, visual style, and overall vibe of The Need for Speed couldn't be more drastically different. The Need for Speed is a game for sports car and street racing enthusiasts back in the mid-1990s. Each car has it's own little slide show that explains it's origin, purpose, and other sweaty car-nerd details. All being narrated by someone who sounds like their doing an OK Keanu Reeves impression. The tracks are pretty neat looking but can also be kind of awkward with later tracks being split into multiple sections that require a loading screen between them. The racing itself is honestly kind of boring compared to Ridge Racer. I admit this could be a mixture of me just being terrible at this racing style and preferring arcade racers over realistic racing, but I never felt like I was thrilled when going 150 MPH or more. This one was not for me but I am interested in seeing how the series progresses given later entries are some of the more cherished parts of my childhood.
1993
RIDGEEEE RACERRRRRR!!!
Man, this was a nostalgia trip. Ridge Racer was one of the few racing games I had on the Playstation growing up. The art style, track, music, announcer, and even that random helicopter are seared into my memory. I played countless hours of this game as a kid just trying to beat any track past the Beginner track. As an adult, it took me about 2 hours to complete all of the main tracks from Beginner, Medium, Advanced, and Time Trial. My kid self would be mind-blown that it took a mere 2 hours for this achievement. As such, this marks the first time I've ever actually seen the credits of this game, to be completely honest I wasn't sure there were any!
As for the game itself, it's quite barebones. You get 4 cars to start with but can unlock up to 8 extra (12 total) if you beat the Galaga mini-game that plays during load screens--an awesome feature that should be in more games by the way. There is quite literally one race track in the entire game. Just one. It has some variants like going faster on the higher difficulties and at the highest level it even deviates into a separate, more windy path that ultimately loops back to the main track. Despite that, I never got bored. This was probably due to it only taking 2 hours to finish but nevertheless I actually really enjoyed memorizing the track and perfecting my turns with each attempt.
The driving itself is chaotic and hard to grasp at first. The cars feel almost as if on air with how fast and smooth they drive. Drifting is a mechanic in this game that I believe you are supposed to use to turn corners but honestly, I never quite got the hang of it. Instead, drifting often led to spin-outs and a loss of progress. Opting to simply slow down a bit and turn very sharply tended to work better in my experience. Don't underestimate how sharp certain cards can take some of these turns. It definitely has that fast paced arcade-style feel but I found it to be a blast.
Certainly I am looking at it a bit through rose-tinted glasses, but at the end of the day I do think Ridge Racer is a really great time and an absolute blast for the 2 hours it took me to finish the main 4 courses. Perhaps one day I will return to once again hone my skills against one of the reversed courses or the legendary and notoriously difficult "Devil Car." In the meantime, I am very interested and excited to see how Ridge Racer develops as a franchise after this first entry that helped to shape my childhood.
Man, this was a nostalgia trip. Ridge Racer was one of the few racing games I had on the Playstation growing up. The art style, track, music, announcer, and even that random helicopter are seared into my memory. I played countless hours of this game as a kid just trying to beat any track past the Beginner track. As an adult, it took me about 2 hours to complete all of the main tracks from Beginner, Medium, Advanced, and Time Trial. My kid self would be mind-blown that it took a mere 2 hours for this achievement. As such, this marks the first time I've ever actually seen the credits of this game, to be completely honest I wasn't sure there were any!
As for the game itself, it's quite barebones. You get 4 cars to start with but can unlock up to 8 extra (12 total) if you beat the Galaga mini-game that plays during load screens--an awesome feature that should be in more games by the way. There is quite literally one race track in the entire game. Just one. It has some variants like going faster on the higher difficulties and at the highest level it even deviates into a separate, more windy path that ultimately loops back to the main track. Despite that, I never got bored. This was probably due to it only taking 2 hours to finish but nevertheless I actually really enjoyed memorizing the track and perfecting my turns with each attempt.
The driving itself is chaotic and hard to grasp at first. The cars feel almost as if on air with how fast and smooth they drive. Drifting is a mechanic in this game that I believe you are supposed to use to turn corners but honestly, I never quite got the hang of it. Instead, drifting often led to spin-outs and a loss of progress. Opting to simply slow down a bit and turn very sharply tended to work better in my experience. Don't underestimate how sharp certain cards can take some of these turns. It definitely has that fast paced arcade-style feel but I found it to be a blast.
Certainly I am looking at it a bit through rose-tinted glasses, but at the end of the day I do think Ridge Racer is a really great time and an absolute blast for the 2 hours it took me to finish the main 4 courses. Perhaps one day I will return to once again hone my skills against one of the reversed courses or the legendary and notoriously difficult "Devil Car." In the meantime, I am very interested and excited to see how Ridge Racer develops as a franchise after this first entry that helped to shape my childhood.
1995
Rayman isn't a bad game. It's gorgeous, has loads of personality, is charmingly unique, and controls tightly. The problem with Rayman is that it is the type of 2D platformer I do not vibe with. Generally, I don't vibe with 2D platformers much to begin with, but Rayman is the kind I especially dislike. It reminds me a bit of Mario Kaizo and games of that likeness. Platformers where you not only need to have incredible skill with 2D platformers but also that skill sometimes just does not matter as enemies will literally spawn out of nowhere or hazards will be placed in certain spots specifically designed for you to die at. Rarely can you adjust on the fly and make it through a level with sheer skill and anticipation. Every Rayman level is an exercise of trial and error in which you constantly die to either some terrible new obstacle or the same exact obstacle you've been stuck on the past 5 lives.
It is tough as I see a really well designed and beautiful platformer. Unfortunately, it is not the kind of game I want to spend hours and hours just playing trial and error in order to finish. For now, Rayman will be abandoned as I move on to more of the original Playstation library.
It is tough as I see a really well designed and beautiful platformer. Unfortunately, it is not the kind of game I want to spend hours and hours just playing trial and error in order to finish. For now, Rayman will be abandoned as I move on to more of the original Playstation library.
1995
ALERT BODY DAMAGE! ALERT BODY DAMAGE! ALERT BODY DAMAGE!
For one of the first launch titles of the original Playstation, the first in the long-running series known as Ace Combat, and essentially a port of an arcade game, Air Combat is honestly a pleasant surprise. Sure, it isn't too complex nor is it the highest level of engaging flight combat. But, it does do its job. Controls are surprisingly good for what I was expecting, the soundtrack is really solid, and the run-time of about 3-4 hours keeps the game from overstaying its welcome. It has some glaring issues though such as some areas being a bit too large with not much going on, hit box detection can be inconsistent especially with large objects leading you to crash when you thought you had space, and the machine gun being virtually worthless compared to the lock-on missiles. In the end, Air Combat is a simple but fun afternoon of dogfighting that leaves me interested in how the series develops in future iterations.
For one of the first launch titles of the original Playstation, the first in the long-running series known as Ace Combat, and essentially a port of an arcade game, Air Combat is honestly a pleasant surprise. Sure, it isn't too complex nor is it the highest level of engaging flight combat. But, it does do its job. Controls are surprisingly good for what I was expecting, the soundtrack is really solid, and the run-time of about 3-4 hours keeps the game from overstaying its welcome. It has some glaring issues though such as some areas being a bit too large with not much going on, hit box detection can be inconsistent especially with large objects leading you to crash when you thought you had space, and the machine gun being virtually worthless compared to the lock-on missiles. In the end, Air Combat is a simple but fun afternoon of dogfighting that leaves me interested in how the series develops in future iterations.
2007
Halo 3 is like a thrilling action movie that is constantly in its climax. Once the campaign begins it doesn’t hold back. Lulls in the action are minimal, set pieces are plenty, and the action is constant. You would think this would get old after a while, but Halo 3 does not overstay its welcome. Clocking in at an average of 8 hours the time flies by. The story is admittedly pretty lackluster especially in comparison to Halo 2. Instead of setting up characters like the Arbiter, fleshing out the motivations of the Covenant, and establishing the lore of the Forerunners and Flood, Halo 3 opts to stick to its guns--literally. We just blast our way from one set piece to the next leaving any desire for lore or character development to take a backseat. Mechanically, it plays a lot like Halo 2 but improved. The new brute weapons, addition of the badass Spartan Laser, and the new equipment feature add to the already break-neck pace of firefights. The new vehicles were a blast to ride around in as well, especially my new personal favorite the brute Chopper. In the end, Halo 3 is a thrill-ride that leans into fast-paced action but sacrifices depth and greater narrative. It is a blast to play but lacks that extra push that could take it over the top and complete the package.
1987
The original Final Fantasy from 1987 is a nice little quaint adventure that served as a revolutionary stepping stone for what would become one of the largest JRPG franchises of all time. Given the history of this franchise and it’s current stature in worldwide culture, it is quite humbling returning to its core roots with the original title. It obviously has quirks that you can associate with older games from this era--an exorbitant amount of random encounters, a story that leaves out detail, a simplistic combat system, and mechanics that literally are so bugged they don’t even work. Even taking all of those things into account, Final Fantasy is still a blast. There is a kind of special magic that really works. Final Fantasy is a quaint, fun, simple adventure that impresses more with how much they accomplished with so little resources than it disappoints. It’s not an adventure I will want to return to anytime soon, but it is one I will remember.
FromSoftware, more than any other video game developer in the modern age, has influenced how I approach video games as a medium. I first played it back in college. My best friend had come over and we decided we would take turns playing this game that was notoriously difficult. He was already experienced with FromSoftware games while I was a complete newbie. I had seen Dark Souls before, but never committed to playing it. We decided that I would be primarily making decisions on our build and direction and agreed to swap control after every death. We popped the game in, got comfortable, and I began playing. Little did I know that this game would change how I interacted with my favorite medium forever.
I wasn’t sure what to expect. I knew at this point that Dark Souls was infamous for its difficulty and I worried if I would enjoy such an experience. I mean, I had experienced annoying, tedious, or challenging parts of games before but never an entire game built around the idea of extreme difficulty. As expected, I died. A lot. Small mistakes, poor build choices, and general stubbornness were my undoing and I could feel the frustration settle in. But, as the game went on and as I saw how my friend was tackling each encounter and area, I decided to try and adapt. I began analyzing enemy movesets, played more defensive, picking and choosing when to strike with my blade and when to back up and see what the enemy had up their sleeve. I could physically feel myself getting better. By the time we reached Anor Londo, I was feeling fairly confident. Then, Ornstein & Smough happened…
My build was terrible. Probably the worst build I have ever created in any RPG before or since. I honestly half respect and half loathe my friend for allowing it to happen. It was a jack-of-all trades mixed bag as I tried to experiment with every little mechanic from sorceries to miracles to dexterity and strength weapons. By the time we reached Anor Londo, the build began to lose steam and you could feel it. When we finally reached the notorious duo of Ornstein & Smough, we were pretty weak. They tore us a new one. We spent hours trying to take them down, slamming our heads against a wall that would not budge. The sun began to set on the weekend and my friend went home, the fight unfinished. I could feel it. The frustration, the feeling of unfinished business, the looming reminder that I could not defeat the foe ahead of me. I woke up the next morning, went to my first college class of the day and proceeded with my normal daily routine. But, all I could think about was that fight.
When I got home I threw my bag down, grabbed a soda, and began going at it once more. It took almost all night. I failed. And failed again. And failed some more. But, I could feel incremental changes for each failure. A dodge here that could be timed earlier, an attack opening there. Finally, it all clicked. I kept the two in my line of sight, ensuring neither would get the drop on me. I kept them separated as much as possible, using the pillars in the environment to my advantage. I chipped away at Ornstein’s health bit by bit, dodging what attacks I could while conserving stamina. With enough time and careful use of Estus to heal in between their onslaught of attacks, Ornstein went down. Phase two began. It all came down to this. After another ballet of avoiding Smough’s most powerful attacks and his deadly yet awkward hammer shovel and scoop, he finally went down. I had done it! That massive wall that had blocked our progress for hours finally showed some cracks and I exploited them. I had finally broken through the wall that was Ornstein & Smough! I was ecstatic and overjoyed. It was a rush of emotions, the first time in a video game when I felt truly triumphant. As if there was a giant Goliath in my way that I took down all by myself. It was a feeling unlike any other.
From that point onward, I kept chasing that feeling. Ornstein & Smough forced me to re-examine my character's build and recognize its flaws. It forced me to recognize the flaws in my own skill and become better. It taught me to persevere even when all seems lost. I was transformed from that point onwards. When my friend next came over, I showed him what I had accomplished and we moved onwards to beat the game. I was legitimately proud of this achievement and decided I needed to prove myself more. When he left my house on the day we finished the game I immediately turned it back on, created a new character, and ran through the game again. This time, I would be all alone. When I reached the dreaded Ornstein & Smough once more, I was scared. They had easily been the hardest boss I had ever faced and I had only made it through last time by the skin of my teeth. This would be the true test to see if all I had learned actually paid off, if I actually got better. I beat them on the first try. I had proven that I could get better. This victory proved that I took the hard lessons as truth, adjusted, and improved. All of the deaths, all of the failures, all of the mistakes were not hindrances to progress, they were building blocks.
Fast-forward 7 years later and I have now beaten all games FromSoftware has put out since Dark Souls and even went back to play Demon’s Souls. I’ve played through Dark Souls multiple times and have finally, at the time of this review, achieved the ultimate goal of attaining the Platinum trophy in Dark Souls: Remastered. These games have become some of my favorites ever. After Dark Souls, I began always playing games on at least “Hard” difficulty if given the option. Part of this is to chase the high of accomplishment and achievement that Dark Souls gave me but also because I truly believe that the difficulty of Dark Souls is the reason why I learned so much about it. I only appreciate the mechanics, systems, level-design, and combat of Dark Souls as much as I do because FromSoftware forced me to engage in and learn all of these systems. You have to truly understand Dark Souls if you hope to complete it.
I only discovered how beautifully and expertly crafted this interconnected world was because they forced me to explore it. I only discovered how diverse and exciting building new characters could be because they give you so many different options to play around with. I only learned how to analyze an enemy attack pattern, find the correct times to heal, or even how to parry an attack because they forced you to learn if you hoped to defeat some of the game’s harder bosses. This isn’t even touching on the beautiful music, the crushing, oppressive atmosphere, and the deep lore that lies underneath it all. It is not a perfect game--there are sections of the game that are clearly unfinished such as Lost Izalith and its underdeveloped exploration where monsters are just copy/pasted in random areas all huddled together. There’s some jank involved with being an early game in the soulsborne catalog like no omni-directional rolling and some instances of the environment not behaving as you wish. The boss quality can vary from amazing to extremely poor. But, those flaws don’t matter in the long run. The main strength of Dark Souls is in its core mechanics, its amazing world design, and its intense atmosphere that still remains unrivaled.
Dark Souls holds a special place in my heart for being one of the most influential games of my lifetime. It completely changed how I view game mechanics, how I interact with games, and how I approach analyzing video games forever. Achieving the Platinum could be a tedious grind. Trying to get the Channeler’s Trident to drop is enough to make a man go insane. But, the achievement is worth it. It represents a recognition of what Dark Souls has done for me as a lifelong video game player and is a representation of my love and respect for this legendary game. It may not be perfect, it is not even FromSoftware’s best Dark Souls game let alone their best “soulsborne” game as the genre came to be called. But, for my personal gaming history, it is definitively their most important and it is an experience that will stick with me forever.
I wasn’t sure what to expect. I knew at this point that Dark Souls was infamous for its difficulty and I worried if I would enjoy such an experience. I mean, I had experienced annoying, tedious, or challenging parts of games before but never an entire game built around the idea of extreme difficulty. As expected, I died. A lot. Small mistakes, poor build choices, and general stubbornness were my undoing and I could feel the frustration settle in. But, as the game went on and as I saw how my friend was tackling each encounter and area, I decided to try and adapt. I began analyzing enemy movesets, played more defensive, picking and choosing when to strike with my blade and when to back up and see what the enemy had up their sleeve. I could physically feel myself getting better. By the time we reached Anor Londo, I was feeling fairly confident. Then, Ornstein & Smough happened…
My build was terrible. Probably the worst build I have ever created in any RPG before or since. I honestly half respect and half loathe my friend for allowing it to happen. It was a jack-of-all trades mixed bag as I tried to experiment with every little mechanic from sorceries to miracles to dexterity and strength weapons. By the time we reached Anor Londo, the build began to lose steam and you could feel it. When we finally reached the notorious duo of Ornstein & Smough, we were pretty weak. They tore us a new one. We spent hours trying to take them down, slamming our heads against a wall that would not budge. The sun began to set on the weekend and my friend went home, the fight unfinished. I could feel it. The frustration, the feeling of unfinished business, the looming reminder that I could not defeat the foe ahead of me. I woke up the next morning, went to my first college class of the day and proceeded with my normal daily routine. But, all I could think about was that fight.
When I got home I threw my bag down, grabbed a soda, and began going at it once more. It took almost all night. I failed. And failed again. And failed some more. But, I could feel incremental changes for each failure. A dodge here that could be timed earlier, an attack opening there. Finally, it all clicked. I kept the two in my line of sight, ensuring neither would get the drop on me. I kept them separated as much as possible, using the pillars in the environment to my advantage. I chipped away at Ornstein’s health bit by bit, dodging what attacks I could while conserving stamina. With enough time and careful use of Estus to heal in between their onslaught of attacks, Ornstein went down. Phase two began. It all came down to this. After another ballet of avoiding Smough’s most powerful attacks and his deadly yet awkward hammer shovel and scoop, he finally went down. I had done it! That massive wall that had blocked our progress for hours finally showed some cracks and I exploited them. I had finally broken through the wall that was Ornstein & Smough! I was ecstatic and overjoyed. It was a rush of emotions, the first time in a video game when I felt truly triumphant. As if there was a giant Goliath in my way that I took down all by myself. It was a feeling unlike any other.
From that point onward, I kept chasing that feeling. Ornstein & Smough forced me to re-examine my character's build and recognize its flaws. It forced me to recognize the flaws in my own skill and become better. It taught me to persevere even when all seems lost. I was transformed from that point onwards. When my friend next came over, I showed him what I had accomplished and we moved onwards to beat the game. I was legitimately proud of this achievement and decided I needed to prove myself more. When he left my house on the day we finished the game I immediately turned it back on, created a new character, and ran through the game again. This time, I would be all alone. When I reached the dreaded Ornstein & Smough once more, I was scared. They had easily been the hardest boss I had ever faced and I had only made it through last time by the skin of my teeth. This would be the true test to see if all I had learned actually paid off, if I actually got better. I beat them on the first try. I had proven that I could get better. This victory proved that I took the hard lessons as truth, adjusted, and improved. All of the deaths, all of the failures, all of the mistakes were not hindrances to progress, they were building blocks.
Fast-forward 7 years later and I have now beaten all games FromSoftware has put out since Dark Souls and even went back to play Demon’s Souls. I’ve played through Dark Souls multiple times and have finally, at the time of this review, achieved the ultimate goal of attaining the Platinum trophy in Dark Souls: Remastered. These games have become some of my favorites ever. After Dark Souls, I began always playing games on at least “Hard” difficulty if given the option. Part of this is to chase the high of accomplishment and achievement that Dark Souls gave me but also because I truly believe that the difficulty of Dark Souls is the reason why I learned so much about it. I only appreciate the mechanics, systems, level-design, and combat of Dark Souls as much as I do because FromSoftware forced me to engage in and learn all of these systems. You have to truly understand Dark Souls if you hope to complete it.
I only discovered how beautifully and expertly crafted this interconnected world was because they forced me to explore it. I only discovered how diverse and exciting building new characters could be because they give you so many different options to play around with. I only learned how to analyze an enemy attack pattern, find the correct times to heal, or even how to parry an attack because they forced you to learn if you hoped to defeat some of the game’s harder bosses. This isn’t even touching on the beautiful music, the crushing, oppressive atmosphere, and the deep lore that lies underneath it all. It is not a perfect game--there are sections of the game that are clearly unfinished such as Lost Izalith and its underdeveloped exploration where monsters are just copy/pasted in random areas all huddled together. There’s some jank involved with being an early game in the soulsborne catalog like no omni-directional rolling and some instances of the environment not behaving as you wish. The boss quality can vary from amazing to extremely poor. But, those flaws don’t matter in the long run. The main strength of Dark Souls is in its core mechanics, its amazing world design, and its intense atmosphere that still remains unrivaled.
Dark Souls holds a special place in my heart for being one of the most influential games of my lifetime. It completely changed how I view game mechanics, how I interact with games, and how I approach analyzing video games forever. Achieving the Platinum could be a tedious grind. Trying to get the Channeler’s Trident to drop is enough to make a man go insane. But, the achievement is worth it. It represents a recognition of what Dark Souls has done for me as a lifelong video game player and is a representation of my love and respect for this legendary game. It may not be perfect, it is not even FromSoftware’s best Dark Souls game let alone their best “soulsborne” game as the genre came to be called. But, for my personal gaming history, it is definitively their most important and it is an experience that will stick with me forever.
Dragon’s Dogma is a melting pot of ideas. Some of it really works. The combat is fast, chaotic, and endlessly fun. The vocation system lets you swap your class at any time making it very flexible and fun to experiment with. The open world, while a bit lacking in storylines, makes up for it with individual stories you create as you explore and encounter emergent experiences with your companion Pawns. The Pawn system is an innovative and creative way to give the player a group of changing companions that also connects them with other players at the same time. Quests are unique and memorable even if the actual stories themselves are forgettable. Some quests are structured in a way that they are completely missable after certain points in the game, require you to jump through hoops to complete them, or involve some other design element that seems designed to frustrate and inconvenience the player. This may be seen as a negative for most, and it likely will be, but I actually appreciate much of this intentional challenge and resistance the game placed on the player. The music that accompanies your adventure sets a perfect tone.
However, some of the ideas really do not work. As mentioned before, the vocal performances can range from serviceable to laughable. Some of the voice acting is so absurd that it feels intentional. The story itself has some intriguing elements by the end but by-in-large is very forgettable. A lack of major side quest storylines can make the open world feel separate from the rest of the local towns and cities. Loot, while addictive to collect, can be a bit lacking in terms of material reward. The affinity system they have is also underdeveloped. Outside of a few characters who may give you a new piece of merchandise or perhaps another excruciating escort quest, there’s not a lot of reason for it to exist. I appreciate the attempt but my affinity with each character was never relevant to my interactions with them.
This game lives on its individual moments you encounter throughout the journey. I’ll never forget moments like when I exited the giant city of Gran Soren only to find a caravan of merchants being attacked by a giant Griffin. Most of the NPCs made it out just fine but their pack-animal was grabbed by the best and taken away. Later, I hunt it down to the top of a tower and just as it is about to transition into a more powerful phase, a random dude I had helped find a book hours earlier runs up and joins the fight out of nowhere, helping me slay the beast with some new magic he had learned. These unforgettable moments are interspersed with moments of blank void where it can feel like you sunk 4 hours into the game but can’t remember a single thing you did. Dragon’s Dogma has a lot of highs and lows. There is really not another game like it and I respect it for that. I only wish the game would have expanded on and deepened some of its elements to create something that was truly remarkable. Instead, what we have is a unique game trying to soar to great heights but with just a few too many flaws weighing it down.
However, some of the ideas really do not work. As mentioned before, the vocal performances can range from serviceable to laughable. Some of the voice acting is so absurd that it feels intentional. The story itself has some intriguing elements by the end but by-in-large is very forgettable. A lack of major side quest storylines can make the open world feel separate from the rest of the local towns and cities. Loot, while addictive to collect, can be a bit lacking in terms of material reward. The affinity system they have is also underdeveloped. Outside of a few characters who may give you a new piece of merchandise or perhaps another excruciating escort quest, there’s not a lot of reason for it to exist. I appreciate the attempt but my affinity with each character was never relevant to my interactions with them.
This game lives on its individual moments you encounter throughout the journey. I’ll never forget moments like when I exited the giant city of Gran Soren only to find a caravan of merchants being attacked by a giant Griffin. Most of the NPCs made it out just fine but their pack-animal was grabbed by the best and taken away. Later, I hunt it down to the top of a tower and just as it is about to transition into a more powerful phase, a random dude I had helped find a book hours earlier runs up and joins the fight out of nowhere, helping me slay the beast with some new magic he had learned. These unforgettable moments are interspersed with moments of blank void where it can feel like you sunk 4 hours into the game but can’t remember a single thing you did. Dragon’s Dogma has a lot of highs and lows. There is really not another game like it and I respect it for that. I only wish the game would have expanded on and deepened some of its elements to create something that was truly remarkable. Instead, what we have is a unique game trying to soar to great heights but with just a few too many flaws weighing it down.
Rebirth and Remake are opposites in many ways. Remake was a linear, narrative-focused game with cramped and narrow environments tunneling you toward specific objectives and story beats. Rebirth is an open, content-packed game with expansive areas that allow for endless hours of exploration. Many players are going to struggle to adjust to this new style of game especially if they expect a similar experience from Rebirth as they had with Remake. I too had to adjust to this new style. Remake created such a compelling gameplay loop that felt tight and rich in plot beats. Very rarely did you spend much time away from the main plot save for a few mediocre side activities or the occasional boss battle with one of Chadley’s many simulations. Rebirth on the other hand presents you with so many side activities that it can be a shock to the system. I did not fully adjust to the flow of Rebirth until I had already completely cleared the first major area. Once I did adjust, once it all became second-nature and I fully embraced what Rebirth had to offer, I found a game that, after 90 hours, all I wanted to do was play it all over again.
Rebirth tackles its open-world in a way that I was not sure about at first. It is very much a check-list style with massive open zones that have points of interest scattered around for you to go to and complete. It is most compared to a Ubisoft-style open-world and I believe that comparison is mostly apt here. In recent years I have shifted to preferring the open-world styles of a Breath of the Wild or an Elden Ring. Big open worlds with minimal markers. Games where you just get placed in a beautiful world and can go anywhere at any time and discover things without knowing what is coming up next. The adjustment from those kinds of open-worlds to this was certainly an obstacle, but it was one I broke through. By the time I began exploring and completing objectives in the second major open-area, it was all really beginning to click.
The actual actions you’re taking in the open-world can range from a simple 10 second button-press QTE to battles with special mini-boss fiends. This is to say that some are definitely more involved than others and not all objectives are made the same. However, they all serve the purpose of fleshing the world out and serving as an excuse to engage and explore these beautiful landscapes. Each open area also has a hub-town that you can explore, rest, gather items, equipment, and side quests to complete. The side quests are really where the game’s side content is at its best. These side quests can have varied purposes from deepening the lore of the world, giving more characterization to your companions, or even as a long joke. All are well-worth doing even for players who are not vibing with the open-world aspect of the game. They add so much flavor and depth that would otherwise be missed out on.
The activities just mentioned already would be enough to make Rebirth a much more expansive game than Remake. However, Rebirth decides it is not done yet as they introduce the player to literally dozens of mini-games to complete throughout your journey. Some are required for minor moments, others are tied to specific side quests, but most are completely optional. This will be the aspect that divides the playerbase the most. Players looking for that tight, streamlined, focused experience of Remake will likely not find much to love about the mini-games packed into Rebirth. Those who buy-into the world and enjoy engaging with a wide variety of content even if it deviates from the core gameplay will find a treasure trove of things to do. Admittedly, the mini-games can vary in quality. Some are fully fleshed out experiences all to themselves such as the in-universe card game Queen’s Blood. Most are fairly good to just OK. I only found a handful that I actively disliked which is impressive given the sheer size and quantity that are present.
A big problem some players will end up facing if they find themselves feeling negative about the mini-games will stem, at least in part, from the fact that the combat of Rebirth is so engaging. Remake was a game that already had on of my top 3 favorite combat systems of all time. Rebirth took that system and just expanded on it and easily surpassed the original. Every character is unique, serves a specific niche, has similar levels of complexity, and are a blast to learn and play. With this many characters to play as--6 in total for your main party--it can be easy for some to get lost in the shuffle as you tunnel into one party set up that you find comfortable. Rebirth solves this by having multiple story moments when the party composition shifts and changes as characters temporarily leave the party, go on a little mini-adventure, or whatever other narrative reason they have for shifting party composition. This can easily feel forced and frustrating but Rebirth makes it feel very natural. Never once did my party composition change and I was unsatisfied or outright annoyed by it.
The story is going to be one of the biggest draws to this game. Remake created a world, characters, and narrative that compelled old and new fans alike while throwing some major curve-balls at the end that confused and divided players. Rebirth maintains this trajectory for most of the game. The main story drip-feeds information slowly, creating two or three questions for every answer it might provide. In-between these moments of intrigue are emotional character moments, hilarious misadventures, and thrilling conflicts. The quality of the main story is every bit as compelling, excellently written, and engaging as Remake, if not moreso.
The adventure is certainly a lot wackier than Remake though. Remake had its moments of fun and games but generally maintained that dreary atmosphere of Midgar. Rebirth cranks the goof to another level. Despite how absurd some of the situations are that our characters find themselves in, it still maintains a level of writing quality that never veers too far into the cheesy quality you might associate with something like Kingdom Hearts (this is no shade to Kingdom Hearts either, it’s literally my favorite game series ever). This may turn off players who prefer a more serious, darker atmosphere. I found it incredibly endearing and made me fall deeper in love with this cast of misfit characters even more-so than I had before.
If Remake was controversial for its perplexing ending, then Rebirth will be even moreso. They do not shy away from the ideas they proposed in Remake, instead they double down. They attempt to create a thought-provoking ending that doesn’t give all of the answers. After all, there is an entire third game still to come. Most will be bewildered by it and that is to be expected. If endings that you have to sit with, digest, really dig into and theorize about are your style, then Rebirth will provide. If you prefer a story with a more definitive ending then Rebirth’s ending may not sit well with you. Either way, even during bouts of shock, confusion, and a million neurons firing in all directions in my brain as different revelations flashed before my eyes, the emotional resonance that the ending of this game attempts to give still came through, and it came through hard. Rebirth does not pull punches when it tries to deliver emotional moments and all of them hit like freight trains.
Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth is a lot. It’s a content-rich adventure that tries to simultaneously honor the original title from the late-90s, re-create the magic of its immediate predecessor, and become its own thing entirely. Which combination of things you do or don’t think work out will vary wildly based on your expectations, taste, and willingness to buy-in to all that Rebirth attempts to do.
I bought in, I embraced fully each aspect that Rebirth tried to accomplish. What I got in return was one of the best gaming experiences of my lifetime. What I got was a game that, despite its girth, will be a part of my library to return to forever. I received a magical experience that cascaded me with emotions that I had not felt since 2005 when I played Kingdom Hearts II for the first time. Little did I know it would become my all-time favorite game ever. Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth is not Kingdom Hearts II, but it is the first game I have played since that game to give me a similar type of feeling while playing. Awe, excitement, thrill, joy, sadness, despair, bewilderment, intrigue, exhilaration, all of these emotions and more combine to create two distinct experiences that will stick with me forever. Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth reignited a feeling in me that I did not think would resurface again. It easily has become one of my favorite games of all-time.
Rebirth tackles its open-world in a way that I was not sure about at first. It is very much a check-list style with massive open zones that have points of interest scattered around for you to go to and complete. It is most compared to a Ubisoft-style open-world and I believe that comparison is mostly apt here. In recent years I have shifted to preferring the open-world styles of a Breath of the Wild or an Elden Ring. Big open worlds with minimal markers. Games where you just get placed in a beautiful world and can go anywhere at any time and discover things without knowing what is coming up next. The adjustment from those kinds of open-worlds to this was certainly an obstacle, but it was one I broke through. By the time I began exploring and completing objectives in the second major open-area, it was all really beginning to click.
The actual actions you’re taking in the open-world can range from a simple 10 second button-press QTE to battles with special mini-boss fiends. This is to say that some are definitely more involved than others and not all objectives are made the same. However, they all serve the purpose of fleshing the world out and serving as an excuse to engage and explore these beautiful landscapes. Each open area also has a hub-town that you can explore, rest, gather items, equipment, and side quests to complete. The side quests are really where the game’s side content is at its best. These side quests can have varied purposes from deepening the lore of the world, giving more characterization to your companions, or even as a long joke. All are well-worth doing even for players who are not vibing with the open-world aspect of the game. They add so much flavor and depth that would otherwise be missed out on.
The activities just mentioned already would be enough to make Rebirth a much more expansive game than Remake. However, Rebirth decides it is not done yet as they introduce the player to literally dozens of mini-games to complete throughout your journey. Some are required for minor moments, others are tied to specific side quests, but most are completely optional. This will be the aspect that divides the playerbase the most. Players looking for that tight, streamlined, focused experience of Remake will likely not find much to love about the mini-games packed into Rebirth. Those who buy-into the world and enjoy engaging with a wide variety of content even if it deviates from the core gameplay will find a treasure trove of things to do. Admittedly, the mini-games can vary in quality. Some are fully fleshed out experiences all to themselves such as the in-universe card game Queen’s Blood. Most are fairly good to just OK. I only found a handful that I actively disliked which is impressive given the sheer size and quantity that are present.
A big problem some players will end up facing if they find themselves feeling negative about the mini-games will stem, at least in part, from the fact that the combat of Rebirth is so engaging. Remake was a game that already had on of my top 3 favorite combat systems of all time. Rebirth took that system and just expanded on it and easily surpassed the original. Every character is unique, serves a specific niche, has similar levels of complexity, and are a blast to learn and play. With this many characters to play as--6 in total for your main party--it can be easy for some to get lost in the shuffle as you tunnel into one party set up that you find comfortable. Rebirth solves this by having multiple story moments when the party composition shifts and changes as characters temporarily leave the party, go on a little mini-adventure, or whatever other narrative reason they have for shifting party composition. This can easily feel forced and frustrating but Rebirth makes it feel very natural. Never once did my party composition change and I was unsatisfied or outright annoyed by it.
The story is going to be one of the biggest draws to this game. Remake created a world, characters, and narrative that compelled old and new fans alike while throwing some major curve-balls at the end that confused and divided players. Rebirth maintains this trajectory for most of the game. The main story drip-feeds information slowly, creating two or three questions for every answer it might provide. In-between these moments of intrigue are emotional character moments, hilarious misadventures, and thrilling conflicts. The quality of the main story is every bit as compelling, excellently written, and engaging as Remake, if not moreso.
The adventure is certainly a lot wackier than Remake though. Remake had its moments of fun and games but generally maintained that dreary atmosphere of Midgar. Rebirth cranks the goof to another level. Despite how absurd some of the situations are that our characters find themselves in, it still maintains a level of writing quality that never veers too far into the cheesy quality you might associate with something like Kingdom Hearts (this is no shade to Kingdom Hearts either, it’s literally my favorite game series ever). This may turn off players who prefer a more serious, darker atmosphere. I found it incredibly endearing and made me fall deeper in love with this cast of misfit characters even more-so than I had before.
If Remake was controversial for its perplexing ending, then Rebirth will be even moreso. They do not shy away from the ideas they proposed in Remake, instead they double down. They attempt to create a thought-provoking ending that doesn’t give all of the answers. After all, there is an entire third game still to come. Most will be bewildered by it and that is to be expected. If endings that you have to sit with, digest, really dig into and theorize about are your style, then Rebirth will provide. If you prefer a story with a more definitive ending then Rebirth’s ending may not sit well with you. Either way, even during bouts of shock, confusion, and a million neurons firing in all directions in my brain as different revelations flashed before my eyes, the emotional resonance that the ending of this game attempts to give still came through, and it came through hard. Rebirth does not pull punches when it tries to deliver emotional moments and all of them hit like freight trains.
Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth is a lot. It’s a content-rich adventure that tries to simultaneously honor the original title from the late-90s, re-create the magic of its immediate predecessor, and become its own thing entirely. Which combination of things you do or don’t think work out will vary wildly based on your expectations, taste, and willingness to buy-in to all that Rebirth attempts to do.
I bought in, I embraced fully each aspect that Rebirth tried to accomplish. What I got in return was one of the best gaming experiences of my lifetime. What I got was a game that, despite its girth, will be a part of my library to return to forever. I received a magical experience that cascaded me with emotions that I had not felt since 2005 when I played Kingdom Hearts II for the first time. Little did I know it would become my all-time favorite game ever. Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth is not Kingdom Hearts II, but it is the first game I have played since that game to give me a similar type of feeling while playing. Awe, excitement, thrill, joy, sadness, despair, bewilderment, intrigue, exhilaration, all of these emotions and more combine to create two distinct experiences that will stick with me forever. Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth reignited a feeling in me that I did not think would resurface again. It easily has become one of my favorite games of all-time.
2014
This review contains spoilers
Countless hours have been poured into this game throughout my lifetime. Whether that be completing the campaign, running around with friends in co-op, finding secrets and attempting silly glitches, challenging the higher difficulties, or having a blast in multiplayer, every minute in Halo 2 is a thrill-ride that never gets old.
The story is a major step-up from Halo: CE. The Covenant are given half of the game to be characterized, given depth, and a character to become attached to in the Arbiter. Meanwhile, Master Chief, Cortana, and Sarge are taken from vessels for the player to experience the story through and turned into real characters in this world.
Combat introduces some new tricks and generally improves upon the original while still maintaining a balance between arcade and military shooting. The levels are much easier to navigate then in CE but also share the problem of many zones being repeated as you make your way toward the next section of each level. What makes up for this admittedly mediocre level design are set pieces that, at the time and still today, leave me in awe. When revamped and restyled with the Anniversary Remaster, that awe becomes amplified. The production value on the cutscenes alone are excellent enough to be their own feature length film.
Halo 2 has so many moments that will forever remain among fondest gaming memories. Giving the Covenant back their bomb, the Scarab, Gravemind, and so many others. Halo 2 is one of the few games that I can return too, not matter how old I get, and still re-experience the exact same emotions that I did back when I first played as a kid.
The story is a major step-up from Halo: CE. The Covenant are given half of the game to be characterized, given depth, and a character to become attached to in the Arbiter. Meanwhile, Master Chief, Cortana, and Sarge are taken from vessels for the player to experience the story through and turned into real characters in this world.
Combat introduces some new tricks and generally improves upon the original while still maintaining a balance between arcade and military shooting. The levels are much easier to navigate then in CE but also share the problem of many zones being repeated as you make your way toward the next section of each level. What makes up for this admittedly mediocre level design are set pieces that, at the time and still today, leave me in awe. When revamped and restyled with the Anniversary Remaster, that awe becomes amplified. The production value on the cutscenes alone are excellent enough to be their own feature length film.
Halo 2 has so many moments that will forever remain among fondest gaming memories. Giving the Covenant back their bomb, the Scarab, Gravemind, and so many others. Halo 2 is one of the few games that I can return too, not matter how old I get, and still re-experience the exact same emotions that I did back when I first played as a kid.
This review contains spoilers
MAJOR SPOILERS DISCUSSED BELOW!
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is an achievement in blockbuster gaming that doesn’t quite break out of the norm, stopping short of becoming something truly special, unique, and worthy of a masterpiece status. It improves on the first two iterations of this franchise in almost every way from smoother and snappier combat, to better boss battles and set pieces, to a greater and livelier map, and truly great characters in Peter Parker and Miles Morales. However, its villains and overall story stumbles as it tries to find a unique identity separate from other iterations of the Venom storyline but ends up repeating similar themes and beats. It is a game with some of the highest highs of the franchise thus far, yet some of the most disappointing lows largely created by the risks Insomniac did not take.
Spider-Man 2 feels better than ever. Being Spider-Man in a larger New York feels better than ever. Swinging around still feels amazing. The stand-out for mobility was the wingsuit. By the time you unlock all of the traversal upgrades, you can realistically fly from one side of the map to the other without ever thwipping a web or hitting the ground. It gave an extra dynamic to traversal and even ended up becoming my default method of travel for the majority of the game. Combat also still feels as incredible as ever, if a bit faster and snappier thanks to the removal of selection wheels for gadgets which always slowed the pace down. The main gripe I would have with combat is that, until you receive the symbiote powers, Peter and Miles are too similar in combat style. Both are fast, acrobatic, great at aerial combat, and have the same gadgets. While their abilities are unique, many of them have largely similar purposes from single-target attacks to aoe attacks which throw enemies upward, to electrical attacks. The symbiote solves this problem as Peter’s abilities become more weighty, slow, and powerful but this does not occur until a dozen or so hours into the experience.
There were other highs as well. Playing as Venom was a huge surprise for me. I did not expect a game that already had two Spider-Men would also throw in a playable Venom segment, and a fairly beefy one at that with a final bout against Kraven that stands as one of the greatest sequences in all of superhero games. One of my favorite childhood games was Ultimate Spider-Man on the PS2 in which Venom was playable for half of the game and this sequence brought me right back to that time and those feelings I had as a kid charging forward as a hulking Venom. It was thrilling. All of the boss battles were much improved from the first two iterations. They felt grander and more involved. Real thought and care was put into how each phase would play and segment into one another. The Spider-Bots were also a great addition. While I prefer the backpacks from the first game, I did appreciate every time I picked one up and saw what design or reference it had to Spider-Man lore and pop-culture. A nice little treat to pick up as you swing (or glide) around New York that also had a very fun conclusion to tie into the Spiderverse films. My greatest frustration with this game comes in its story, specifically with how it handles its main villains.
I understand that there are certain tropes and beats that Spider-Man stories are intrinsically tied to, especially when it pertains to the legendary symbiote black suit. Perhaps it was unfair of me to expect anything else. But, I can’t help but feel Insomniac missed a major chance to take a big swing and really make this specific story their own. Going into Spider-Man 2, we knew the black suit was coming, that Kraven would play a major role, that Venom was coming, and had a very good idea of who Venom was due to the trailers. However, by the time the real depths of Peter’s descent into the symbiote became apparent, I was starting to convince myself that Insomniac was going to take a route not seen since very specific other-worlds comic stories. A route that the general audience had never seen before. A path that would create a new Venom, with Peter Parker as the host.
This is both a credit to great writing and the performance of Yuri Lowenthal as a corrupted and furious Peter Parker. It is also an example of the risks I was really hoping Insomniac would take. I was completely engrossed in Peter’s fall into the symbiote and his consumption of its power. It was so compelling that I began to truly think that Peter might be completely taken over. What an incredibly different and fresh take on the symbiote story would that be? The main star, the main hero of the story, Peter Parker, Spider-Man, consumed by anger and the power of the symbiote, becoming Venom and having to be saved by MJ, Harry, and Miles. The battle between Miles and Peter, while partially deflating as I realized this would be the last time we saw Peter fully engrossed in the black suit, was still an emotionally charged and amazing moment. Seeing Peter turn into something akin to a horror movie villain created a real sense of fear and anxiety as I played. These moments were extremely effective and I give Insomniac all the credit for them. I just wish they continued to commit to them.
By the time Harry Osborn takes over and becomes Venom, I realized we had re-entered the predictable Spider-Man story path. Sure, it is different that it was Harry this time instead of Eddie Brock or Flash Gordon. Sure, it is different that it kept him alive and so there was a compelling reason for him to desire it back so badly. Yet, the main themes are still the same as we have seen before. Peter gets the black suit, becomes angry and corrupted, gets the black suit off of him, it goes to someone else who resents him to some capacity, and now it’s time to fight Venom. It doesn’t help that Harry’s descent into Venom is so fast. We see him use the symbiote powers earlier in the game without much effect on his personality. When Peter gets it, he slowly descends into anger and resentment before the suit begins truly taking over. For Harry, once the suit returns to him, he just immediately turns into Venom. It’s a bit jarring and feels like a forced transformation so that Venom could appear and be the threat for the last quarter of the game.
Kraven was undeveloped. I like his motivation. He wants to find his “Last Hunt.” He has conquered every beast he has chosen to be his prey, comes to New York for new prey in the form of Spider-Man’s supervillains and, eventually, Spider-Man himself, looking for an equal who can kill him in a hunter’s glory rather than on a hospital bed. The main problem here is that we don’t get as much time to see Kraven struggle with his illness. This story is clearly inspired heavily by the incredible comic storyline Kraven’s Last Hunt. In that comic, we see a lot of Kraven. We follow him, learn his motivations, learn how he thinks, and see him accomplish goals. We spend time with him to understand him so that by the time the story is resolved, we understand exactly why he acted the way he did and the impact of the final scenes are incredibly strong. Spider-Man 2 didn’t need to replicate the story one-to-one, but by the time Kraven is removed from the story by Venom, I don’t feel like I truly understood him. He seemed just like another psychotic supervillain rather than the complex character I appreciate him for in that story. The way the Kraven and Venom storylines eventually played out are examples as to why I think Insomniac hasn’t reached a game that hits the high peaks that I know they can achieve.
I understand I sound incredibly negative so far. That comes entirely out of frustration as I see the insane potential. A big part of the story that I do believe Insomniac absolutely crushed and showed their ability to create charming and inspirational stories was in the relationship between Peter and Miles and the growth of Miles as a character. It is hard enough to create compelling character development with such a storied character as Spider-Man, let alone having to do it with two! Peter and Miles are such distinct characters, have great chemistry as teacher-student Spider-Men, and develop so well that by the time Pete hangs up the spandex and lets Miles take over as protector of New York, I fully believe not only that this would happen but also that it would be okay and that Miles was ready. Additionally, all of the side stories were fleshed out and fantastic additions to the game which made New York feel like a live city with real people rather than just a big sandbox to swing around in. Insomniac’s biggest strength in these games, outside of the raw gameplay, is in making the Spider-Men and New York feel fully realized and fleshed out.
Spider-Man 2 is a blockbuster achievement. Insomniac managed to create a Spider-Man game that improves in gameplay, makes a lively New York that doesn’t feel stale after two other games set in the same place, and develops two Spider-Men into their own independent characters that I adore. However, despite some of its highest highs it also has disappointing lows, particularly with the villain side of the story. They just could not fully commit to fleshing out Kraven or taking the Venom story in a truly new direction. Unfortunately, they missed the big swings. Spider-Man 2 has all the makings of a true masterpiece but stops frustratingly short. It is a truly great game and deserves to be considered among some of the best games on the PS5 system, but it does not quite hit the level of masterpiece that I was hoping it could.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is an achievement in blockbuster gaming that doesn’t quite break out of the norm, stopping short of becoming something truly special, unique, and worthy of a masterpiece status. It improves on the first two iterations of this franchise in almost every way from smoother and snappier combat, to better boss battles and set pieces, to a greater and livelier map, and truly great characters in Peter Parker and Miles Morales. However, its villains and overall story stumbles as it tries to find a unique identity separate from other iterations of the Venom storyline but ends up repeating similar themes and beats. It is a game with some of the highest highs of the franchise thus far, yet some of the most disappointing lows largely created by the risks Insomniac did not take.
Spider-Man 2 feels better than ever. Being Spider-Man in a larger New York feels better than ever. Swinging around still feels amazing. The stand-out for mobility was the wingsuit. By the time you unlock all of the traversal upgrades, you can realistically fly from one side of the map to the other without ever thwipping a web or hitting the ground. It gave an extra dynamic to traversal and even ended up becoming my default method of travel for the majority of the game. Combat also still feels as incredible as ever, if a bit faster and snappier thanks to the removal of selection wheels for gadgets which always slowed the pace down. The main gripe I would have with combat is that, until you receive the symbiote powers, Peter and Miles are too similar in combat style. Both are fast, acrobatic, great at aerial combat, and have the same gadgets. While their abilities are unique, many of them have largely similar purposes from single-target attacks to aoe attacks which throw enemies upward, to electrical attacks. The symbiote solves this problem as Peter’s abilities become more weighty, slow, and powerful but this does not occur until a dozen or so hours into the experience.
There were other highs as well. Playing as Venom was a huge surprise for me. I did not expect a game that already had two Spider-Men would also throw in a playable Venom segment, and a fairly beefy one at that with a final bout against Kraven that stands as one of the greatest sequences in all of superhero games. One of my favorite childhood games was Ultimate Spider-Man on the PS2 in which Venom was playable for half of the game and this sequence brought me right back to that time and those feelings I had as a kid charging forward as a hulking Venom. It was thrilling. All of the boss battles were much improved from the first two iterations. They felt grander and more involved. Real thought and care was put into how each phase would play and segment into one another. The Spider-Bots were also a great addition. While I prefer the backpacks from the first game, I did appreciate every time I picked one up and saw what design or reference it had to Spider-Man lore and pop-culture. A nice little treat to pick up as you swing (or glide) around New York that also had a very fun conclusion to tie into the Spiderverse films. My greatest frustration with this game comes in its story, specifically with how it handles its main villains.
I understand that there are certain tropes and beats that Spider-Man stories are intrinsically tied to, especially when it pertains to the legendary symbiote black suit. Perhaps it was unfair of me to expect anything else. But, I can’t help but feel Insomniac missed a major chance to take a big swing and really make this specific story their own. Going into Spider-Man 2, we knew the black suit was coming, that Kraven would play a major role, that Venom was coming, and had a very good idea of who Venom was due to the trailers. However, by the time the real depths of Peter’s descent into the symbiote became apparent, I was starting to convince myself that Insomniac was going to take a route not seen since very specific other-worlds comic stories. A route that the general audience had never seen before. A path that would create a new Venom, with Peter Parker as the host.
This is both a credit to great writing and the performance of Yuri Lowenthal as a corrupted and furious Peter Parker. It is also an example of the risks I was really hoping Insomniac would take. I was completely engrossed in Peter’s fall into the symbiote and his consumption of its power. It was so compelling that I began to truly think that Peter might be completely taken over. What an incredibly different and fresh take on the symbiote story would that be? The main star, the main hero of the story, Peter Parker, Spider-Man, consumed by anger and the power of the symbiote, becoming Venom and having to be saved by MJ, Harry, and Miles. The battle between Miles and Peter, while partially deflating as I realized this would be the last time we saw Peter fully engrossed in the black suit, was still an emotionally charged and amazing moment. Seeing Peter turn into something akin to a horror movie villain created a real sense of fear and anxiety as I played. These moments were extremely effective and I give Insomniac all the credit for them. I just wish they continued to commit to them.
By the time Harry Osborn takes over and becomes Venom, I realized we had re-entered the predictable Spider-Man story path. Sure, it is different that it was Harry this time instead of Eddie Brock or Flash Gordon. Sure, it is different that it kept him alive and so there was a compelling reason for him to desire it back so badly. Yet, the main themes are still the same as we have seen before. Peter gets the black suit, becomes angry and corrupted, gets the black suit off of him, it goes to someone else who resents him to some capacity, and now it’s time to fight Venom. It doesn’t help that Harry’s descent into Venom is so fast. We see him use the symbiote powers earlier in the game without much effect on his personality. When Peter gets it, he slowly descends into anger and resentment before the suit begins truly taking over. For Harry, once the suit returns to him, he just immediately turns into Venom. It’s a bit jarring and feels like a forced transformation so that Venom could appear and be the threat for the last quarter of the game.
Kraven was undeveloped. I like his motivation. He wants to find his “Last Hunt.” He has conquered every beast he has chosen to be his prey, comes to New York for new prey in the form of Spider-Man’s supervillains and, eventually, Spider-Man himself, looking for an equal who can kill him in a hunter’s glory rather than on a hospital bed. The main problem here is that we don’t get as much time to see Kraven struggle with his illness. This story is clearly inspired heavily by the incredible comic storyline Kraven’s Last Hunt. In that comic, we see a lot of Kraven. We follow him, learn his motivations, learn how he thinks, and see him accomplish goals. We spend time with him to understand him so that by the time the story is resolved, we understand exactly why he acted the way he did and the impact of the final scenes are incredibly strong. Spider-Man 2 didn’t need to replicate the story one-to-one, but by the time Kraven is removed from the story by Venom, I don’t feel like I truly understood him. He seemed just like another psychotic supervillain rather than the complex character I appreciate him for in that story. The way the Kraven and Venom storylines eventually played out are examples as to why I think Insomniac hasn’t reached a game that hits the high peaks that I know they can achieve.
I understand I sound incredibly negative so far. That comes entirely out of frustration as I see the insane potential. A big part of the story that I do believe Insomniac absolutely crushed and showed their ability to create charming and inspirational stories was in the relationship between Peter and Miles and the growth of Miles as a character. It is hard enough to create compelling character development with such a storied character as Spider-Man, let alone having to do it with two! Peter and Miles are such distinct characters, have great chemistry as teacher-student Spider-Men, and develop so well that by the time Pete hangs up the spandex and lets Miles take over as protector of New York, I fully believe not only that this would happen but also that it would be okay and that Miles was ready. Additionally, all of the side stories were fleshed out and fantastic additions to the game which made New York feel like a live city with real people rather than just a big sandbox to swing around in. Insomniac’s biggest strength in these games, outside of the raw gameplay, is in making the Spider-Men and New York feel fully realized and fleshed out.
Spider-Man 2 is a blockbuster achievement. Insomniac managed to create a Spider-Man game that improves in gameplay, makes a lively New York that doesn’t feel stale after two other games set in the same place, and develops two Spider-Men into their own independent characters that I adore. However, despite some of its highest highs it also has disappointing lows, particularly with the villain side of the story. They just could not fully commit to fleshing out Kraven or taking the Venom story in a truly new direction. Unfortunately, they missed the big swings. Spider-Man 2 has all the makings of a true masterpiece but stops frustratingly short. It is a truly great game and deserves to be considered among some of the best games on the PS5 system, but it does not quite hit the level of masterpiece that I was hoping it could.
Brimming with charm, sharp comedic writing, and steady pacing, Super Mario RPG for the SNES is a truly special experience that left me grinning ear to ear the entire time. I am no stranger to Mario RPGs. I have experience with both the Mario & Luigi series and Paper Mario. While those games reinvent, expand, and refine the formula started by Super Mario RPG, there is something incredibly endearing about the simplicity found in this game. The characters are charismatic, the world is wondrous, the music is jubilant, and the writing is impressively amusing. It is a rare RPG that I began and played non-stop until rolling credits, completely hooking me with its charm till the very end.