2022
So often the joke is just "lmao we're wasting your time, isn't that funny? Here's a stack of papers, do a boring minigame while we play some of the most aggressively unfunny dialogue on the planet in the background. Once you're done with that minute straight of sorting papers and listening to dialogue that is entirely set ups with no pay offs, have another stack of papers to sort. And another stack. Fuck you. You actually want to play our game? Fuck off."
I think the concept is great and the execution on the gameplay side is decent enough but fuck me if there isn't a better word to describe playing this than "misery". Make a joke for fuck sake, deliver a punchline, stop just giving the pretence that something funny is happening without actually being funny.
Rick and Morty is good because it has jokes in it. This doesn't.
I think the concept is great and the execution on the gameplay side is decent enough but fuck me if there isn't a better word to describe playing this than "misery". Make a joke for fuck sake, deliver a punchline, stop just giving the pretence that something funny is happening without actually being funny.
Rick and Morty is good because it has jokes in it. This doesn't.
Probably the best worldbuilding in any game ever? At least, nothing I've ever played has drenched me in a world as effectively as this.
2014
Whoever was in charge of that wiring puzzle is a fucking psychopath.
Weird little game. Run from one waypoint to the next and occasionally play rock paper scissors. Dialogue mostly sucks, backgrounds are nice but they're being displayed on a 3DS so maybe not the best showcase, collecting glims is mind numbing. I still kind of like it though. It's vaguely ghibli-esque if you squint really hard so the miyazaki simp part of my brain was satisfied.
This review contains spoilers
Worse on a replay. Abby's day 2 and 3 are still brilliant, the combat loop is still wonderful, there's a lot of very good cutscenes in this video game. But the structure is such a trainwreck, you can feel the rewrites. Hops back and forth between flashbacks and protagonists so unceremoniously you get whiplash. Why the hell is the dance cinematic at the end of the game? Who put that there? Why does the story reach a climax like 4 separate times? Why is there a 10 minute bit at the end where you play as Abby? Why is there an open ended exploration section 5 hours in and then never again? Why do they do the Abby flashback thing and then never use the opportunity to take you to a location Ellie recently obliterated?
Very hyped for season 2 of the TV show because I have no clue how they're going to adapt this.
Very hyped for season 2 of the TV show because I have no clue how they're going to adapt this.
2023
Well.
2021
Played this back in January and completely forgot to log it. It's a really cool premise, and the first few hours are great fun. Representing potion brewing through a map you have to navigate with different ingredients is genius, and it's SO relaxing. Perfect chill game.
BUT, the back half drags a lot. The well of new mechanics starts to dry up very quickly and you're just left doing the same things in the same way with nothing to work towards. There's alchemy, I guess? But it's so undeveloped as a system I didn't see much point in engaging with it.
A story would have been nice. Or a few more gameplay systems. Maybe instead of having the garden randomly repopulate with new plants you get to plant them yourself? A wider variety of quests? Make alchemy more interesting instead of just a dull fetch quest? Something to spend money on, like furniture for your room? Feels like an unfinished early access game.
BUT, the back half drags a lot. The well of new mechanics starts to dry up very quickly and you're just left doing the same things in the same way with nothing to work towards. There's alchemy, I guess? But it's so undeveloped as a system I didn't see much point in engaging with it.
A story would have been nice. Or a few more gameplay systems. Maybe instead of having the garden randomly repopulate with new plants you get to plant them yourself? A wider variety of quests? Make alchemy more interesting instead of just a dull fetch quest? Something to spend money on, like furniture for your room? Feels like an unfinished early access game.
2023
This review contains spoilers
Some bonus thoughts now that I've 100%'ed it:
This is the best Pikmin game, no doubt. Approachable enough so that anyone could enjoy it, but stick with it long enough and it starts to dip into psychopathic territory to please the Pikmin 1+2 crowd.
Personally, I think I still like Pikmin 3 more. Nothing comes close to how engrossing and immersive that game is, it's intoxicating.
I'm not a big fan of the music. Pikmin 1, 2 and 3 have wonderful soundtracks that are insanely memorable. Not to jerk it off endlessly but Pikmin 3 specifically has one of my favourite soundtracks period. So why does Pikmin 4 sound so flat and lifeless? I can't remember a single level theme, and I only just played it.
Oatchi is such a brilliant addition to the gameplay loop that I cannot imagine a pikmin game in the future without him in, he's so good.
I love, love, LOVE how they integrated the bingo battle and challenge modes into the main game. I always ignored them in Pikmin 3 but forcing me to sit down and play them made me realise what I was missing. God damn are they good.
The final challenge cave is some fucking horseshit.
The hub is kind of disappointing. Had the potential to do some of the stuff that Hades is so good at but it's really just a raw material dispenser.
Cannot believe how long this game is. It's ridiculous. The credits roll and you're not even half done. Then they pull out Olimar's Sub Mode out of their never ending arse and go "here you go, here's an entire other game, just for you". Then you finish that and you get handed another mode.
This is the best Pikmin game, no doubt. Approachable enough so that anyone could enjoy it, but stick with it long enough and it starts to dip into psychopathic territory to please the Pikmin 1+2 crowd.
Personally, I think I still like Pikmin 3 more. Nothing comes close to how engrossing and immersive that game is, it's intoxicating.
I'm not a big fan of the music. Pikmin 1, 2 and 3 have wonderful soundtracks that are insanely memorable. Not to jerk it off endlessly but Pikmin 3 specifically has one of my favourite soundtracks period. So why does Pikmin 4 sound so flat and lifeless? I can't remember a single level theme, and I only just played it.
Oatchi is such a brilliant addition to the gameplay loop that I cannot imagine a pikmin game in the future without him in, he's so good.
I love, love, LOVE how they integrated the bingo battle and challenge modes into the main game. I always ignored them in Pikmin 3 but forcing me to sit down and play them made me realise what I was missing. God damn are they good.
The final challenge cave is some fucking horseshit.
The hub is kind of disappointing. Had the potential to do some of the stuff that Hades is so good at but it's really just a raw material dispenser.
Cannot believe how long this game is. It's ridiculous. The credits roll and you're not even half done. Then they pull out Olimar's Sub Mode out of their never ending arse and go "here you go, here's an entire other game, just for you". Then you finish that and you get handed another mode.
2020
It's pretty good! Sort of a very chill frostpunk in that it's more of a resource management game than a city builder. It's very easy, and I'm not sure if the flying city gimmick really adds all that much to the loop... there's a hell of a lot of waiting around for your ship to get anywhere. But it's fun. Good for podcasts!
I think this would work really well as a competitive multiplayer sort of thing. Like CIV but with a city you can fly around and hoover up resources. Imagine racing your friend's city to go get some coal or something. Add in some ship combat and you've got a masterpiece in the making.
I think this would work really well as a competitive multiplayer sort of thing. Like CIV but with a city you can fly around and hoover up resources. Imagine racing your friend's city to go get some coal or something. Add in some ship combat and you've got a masterpiece in the making.
2010
Masterpiece.
2023
Pogged several times.
2021
Play it with mods. Takes about 10 minutes before it devolves into GPU melting carnage.
2023
Nice podcast game. Wish the upgrade system didn't top out before the final area, made collecting trash pretty much pointless. Also, there's one song in the soundtrack that is almost a complete ripoff of one specific mario galaxy song. Other than that it's good (thumbs up emoji)
2017
The best Mario game and that's saying a lot
Absolutely adored this. Rolling up small household objects before you graduate to full-time continent relocator is already inherently wonderful but then you throw in a bizarre plot and art style and one of the best soundtracks ever made oh my god it slaps so hard. This thing revels in its weirdness, it knows exactly what it wants to be and goes all in, from the control scheme to the characters. Surreal that this even got made in the first place honestly; there's nothing else like it and I love that about it.