Teej
Not a game, but an encyclopedia. It does its job real well from how I can remember it.
Yet again Nintendo has burned me with an unfinished product. I bought it because of liking the previous games in the series and thought it would be a finished product. The gameplay is solid, but there are issues with the online play with modes and playing with friends, and hardly any offline modes to play the game in. The DLC they are adding is surely going to be just characters and stages and that is not what the game needs at the moment. Regardless of how many are added, there will still be issues with the online play and the lack of things to do in the game.
The stages are all the same except some palette swaps, so I do not know why they are even bothering adding more in.
The stages are all the same except some palette swaps, so I do not know why they are even bothering adding more in.
This review contains spoilers
I got this game free as a Christmas gift, as there was no way I was going to buy it for $60. I played it knowing full well what it was about and how it is another Paper Mario game that is trying new stuff rather than going back to how the first two were.
Pros:
1. The humor in this Paper Mario game I have to say is the best in the series that I have played (Played every one except Sticker Star).
2. The game is beautiful to look at.
3. You can finally battle without having to use cards that get used up or break (Your regular boots and hammer don't break), although you still end up using primarily stronger boots and hammers that you find or buy that end up breaking after being used for a good bit.
4. Most of the boss fights are fun. The final boss fight is easy and mostly cinematic flare, which a lot of games do.
5. Unfolding/rescuing the many Toads in the game is actually fun to do. Too bad they are absent from the final areas of the game.
Cons:
1. The circle puzzle turn-based combat gets old fast, and I found myself avoiding as many enemies as I could, since the only point to fighting is to get more coins and confetti. The problem with that, is that you already get so many coins and confetti from progressing the story that battling feels redundant unless needed to do to progress the story. I got to the point where I would pay the Toads 500 coins to solve the puzzle combat for me if I couldn't figure it out within 5 seconds. The other thing about combat, is that there is no point to hitting an enemy to start combat (Beyond one-shotting enemies if you are overleveled HP-wise, but that typically only happens if you go to an earlier area in the game), as you do too little damage for it to really matter. You only hit one enemy if you get the jump on them compared to all the others that end up spawning out after. There is no level up system from battling enemies a bunch. You level up by obtaining more permanent HP throughout the game. It increases your other stats.
2. Story is definitely not the reason to play this game. It's very cookie-cutter beyond a few characters dying and the game dealing with a serious issue like death once or twice. I guarantee you have already played a game with a very similar story to this one.
3. For me the trailer of the game had me thinking that you could use Luigi's kart to drive around and have Bowser as a companion, but that is not the case. You never get to use Luigi's kart in gameplay, and Bowser is a story character that you don't see much of until the end of the game. You technically can use him as a companion at the very end, but by then you should have already done everything you wanted to in the previous areas of the game before you get him. He does not give you any new abilities.
4. There is no run button. That irked me so much. You see Luigi run many times in the game, but Mario is not allowed to run in normal gameplay.
5. I really did not care for collecting the trophies to put in the gallery. I thought that was one of the most stupidest things to put in the game that is supposed to be considered fun. Definitely not for me.
6. Even though the game is beautiful, the areas you explore feel very normal and just more of what I have seen so much in every other Mario game. You got a forest area, ice one, grass one, desert one, water one, lava one. Me personally, I would like to see something different in a Mario game, but it is what it is.
7. The 4 Elementals were so boring to me. It must be because of me playing so many games where there are elemental things you have to beat or collect that keep the world in balance, but that is just so old and over played to me. Had me wanting to put down the controller and wanting to go to sleep at times.
Pros:
1. The humor in this Paper Mario game I have to say is the best in the series that I have played (Played every one except Sticker Star).
2. The game is beautiful to look at.
3. You can finally battle without having to use cards that get used up or break (Your regular boots and hammer don't break), although you still end up using primarily stronger boots and hammers that you find or buy that end up breaking after being used for a good bit.
4. Most of the boss fights are fun. The final boss fight is easy and mostly cinematic flare, which a lot of games do.
5. Unfolding/rescuing the many Toads in the game is actually fun to do. Too bad they are absent from the final areas of the game.
Cons:
1. The circle puzzle turn-based combat gets old fast, and I found myself avoiding as many enemies as I could, since the only point to fighting is to get more coins and confetti. The problem with that, is that you already get so many coins and confetti from progressing the story that battling feels redundant unless needed to do to progress the story. I got to the point where I would pay the Toads 500 coins to solve the puzzle combat for me if I couldn't figure it out within 5 seconds. The other thing about combat, is that there is no point to hitting an enemy to start combat (Beyond one-shotting enemies if you are overleveled HP-wise, but that typically only happens if you go to an earlier area in the game), as you do too little damage for it to really matter. You only hit one enemy if you get the jump on them compared to all the others that end up spawning out after. There is no level up system from battling enemies a bunch. You level up by obtaining more permanent HP throughout the game. It increases your other stats.
2. Story is definitely not the reason to play this game. It's very cookie-cutter beyond a few characters dying and the game dealing with a serious issue like death once or twice. I guarantee you have already played a game with a very similar story to this one.
3. For me the trailer of the game had me thinking that you could use Luigi's kart to drive around and have Bowser as a companion, but that is not the case. You never get to use Luigi's kart in gameplay, and Bowser is a story character that you don't see much of until the end of the game. You technically can use him as a companion at the very end, but by then you should have already done everything you wanted to in the previous areas of the game before you get him. He does not give you any new abilities.
4. There is no run button. That irked me so much. You see Luigi run many times in the game, but Mario is not allowed to run in normal gameplay.
5. I really did not care for collecting the trophies to put in the gallery. I thought that was one of the most stupidest things to put in the game that is supposed to be considered fun. Definitely not for me.
6. Even though the game is beautiful, the areas you explore feel very normal and just more of what I have seen so much in every other Mario game. You got a forest area, ice one, grass one, desert one, water one, lava one. Me personally, I would like to see something different in a Mario game, but it is what it is.
7. The 4 Elementals were so boring to me. It must be because of me playing so many games where there are elemental things you have to beat or collect that keep the world in balance, but that is just so old and over played to me. Had me wanting to put down the controller and wanting to go to sleep at times.
2021
Story was trash, but gameplay was pretty good. At times the Switch could not seem to handle the game. I really enjoyed the side quests and exploration.
This review contains spoilers
This game is definitely a lot better than the first Fire Emblem Warriors game on Switch by a long shot. Generally a fun game, but I will point out below what I liked and disliked.
Likes:
1. Byleth has actual voice acting lines and feels more of a character this time besides them supposed to be you in Three Houses.
2. Shez, the new main character has voice acting lines and does not have the problem Byleth did in Three Houses.
3. Commanding your units to different places actually works pretty well, and the AI will get stuff done without you having to control them as much as you think you would.
4. The gameplay is enjoyable, but is hit or miss. It is a Dynasty Warriors game, you are either into it or not. It is repetitive and you will get bored or burnt out on it if you play it for too long.
5. The first half of the story is really engaging with all its twists and turns (I chose Black Eagles for my playthrough and looked online for opinions of the other paths, and they seem to be roughly the same from what others have said as far as the first half being very interesting).
6. Byleth feeling like Lu Bu from Dynasty Warriors at least early on and you wanting to avoid fighting them was a great touch, I really enjoyed it.
7. This game has a good bit of fan service in regards to just giving fans more screen time with the characters of Three Houses.
Dislikes:
1. For this being a what if of Three Houses, they really underuse certain important characters for the Three Houses universe, and really do not bother filling in many, if any holes or questions that were left from the previous game. It feels like I am playing Three Houses again with slightly different routes and a different main character with Byleth being pushed to the sideline for most of the game while introducing some new things story-wise that are not answered. I am not entirely sure if they were ever truly done with the story of this game or not, and eventually just submitted what they had due to time constraints (Of course Three Houses had the same issue with its story, but its story was much better and satisfying than this game. This is a what if Dynasty Warriors game though, so it's of course going to be worse than the game it's based off of). From how the first half of the game's story goes, you really think Those Slithering in the Dark will get a lot more screen time and story development, but honestly they get I feel less screen time in this game than Three Houses. Rhea is also pushed to the sidelines like Byleth for most of the game until the end.
2. In typical Dynasty Warriors fashion the game is padded out to the butt. It took me almost 30 hours to beat my one route with me doing all the optional stuff until the very end where I said screw it and just tried to blaze through the general story because of the side content just boring me. It has most of the side content from Three Houses, but it in a way feels more hastily put together.
3. There is a good bit of content to enjoy in the game, but again, it's all very repetitive.
4. Upgrading the characters's abilities from the teacher/instructor facility is good until you have 15 to 30 characters and having to upgrade the same ability for each character individually. There should have been an option to upgrade it for multiple characters at once.
5. The tutorial throws way too many paragraphs at you. Reminds me of Monster Hunter World's tutorial.
6. The game's after battle celebration score screens are way too busy. They really should have consolidated most of the information they give you on 5 to 7 screens to just 1 to 3 screens. It felt like information overload to me, and eventually when I got used to it, it was still a drag to click through it all. I don't need a separate screen for the weapons I collected, the items I collected, showing each character levelling up, the battle results score screen, among other things.
Overall I was mostly excited for the story of the game and it let me down by them sorta playing it too safe. I was expecting answers to Those Who Slither in the Dark, Shez and Arval's past and how they connect to Those Who Slither in the Dark (I heard there is a prologue you unlock for Arval after you beat the game once and unlock Arval as a playable character by spending renown only if you recruited Byleth to your team, but I did not recruit Byleth, so sucks to be me), more answers about Sothis and Rhea's past, potentially being able to get a 'golden route' where just about everyone lives and fights together (Which to me is what it felt like when the trailer came out), why Sothis hated Arval so much to the point and acted arguably out of character throughout some parts of the game. The way they tip toed through the story of the game makes me feel like the creators of Three Houses did not have much to contribute to the story of this game, or someone told them to not change the story much and still keep it very similar to Three Houses.
Likes:
1. Byleth has actual voice acting lines and feels more of a character this time besides them supposed to be you in Three Houses.
2. Shez, the new main character has voice acting lines and does not have the problem Byleth did in Three Houses.
3. Commanding your units to different places actually works pretty well, and the AI will get stuff done without you having to control them as much as you think you would.
4. The gameplay is enjoyable, but is hit or miss. It is a Dynasty Warriors game, you are either into it or not. It is repetitive and you will get bored or burnt out on it if you play it for too long.
5. The first half of the story is really engaging with all its twists and turns (I chose Black Eagles for my playthrough and looked online for opinions of the other paths, and they seem to be roughly the same from what others have said as far as the first half being very interesting).
6. Byleth feeling like Lu Bu from Dynasty Warriors at least early on and you wanting to avoid fighting them was a great touch, I really enjoyed it.
7. This game has a good bit of fan service in regards to just giving fans more screen time with the characters of Three Houses.
Dislikes:
1. For this being a what if of Three Houses, they really underuse certain important characters for the Three Houses universe, and really do not bother filling in many, if any holes or questions that were left from the previous game. It feels like I am playing Three Houses again with slightly different routes and a different main character with Byleth being pushed to the sideline for most of the game while introducing some new things story-wise that are not answered. I am not entirely sure if they were ever truly done with the story of this game or not, and eventually just submitted what they had due to time constraints (Of course Three Houses had the same issue with its story, but its story was much better and satisfying than this game. This is a what if Dynasty Warriors game though, so it's of course going to be worse than the game it's based off of). From how the first half of the game's story goes, you really think Those Slithering in the Dark will get a lot more screen time and story development, but honestly they get I feel less screen time in this game than Three Houses. Rhea is also pushed to the sidelines like Byleth for most of the game until the end.
2. In typical Dynasty Warriors fashion the game is padded out to the butt. It took me almost 30 hours to beat my one route with me doing all the optional stuff until the very end where I said screw it and just tried to blaze through the general story because of the side content just boring me. It has most of the side content from Three Houses, but it in a way feels more hastily put together.
3. There is a good bit of content to enjoy in the game, but again, it's all very repetitive.
4. Upgrading the characters's abilities from the teacher/instructor facility is good until you have 15 to 30 characters and having to upgrade the same ability for each character individually. There should have been an option to upgrade it for multiple characters at once.
5. The tutorial throws way too many paragraphs at you. Reminds me of Monster Hunter World's tutorial.
6. The game's after battle celebration score screens are way too busy. They really should have consolidated most of the information they give you on 5 to 7 screens to just 1 to 3 screens. It felt like information overload to me, and eventually when I got used to it, it was still a drag to click through it all. I don't need a separate screen for the weapons I collected, the items I collected, showing each character levelling up, the battle results score screen, among other things.
Overall I was mostly excited for the story of the game and it let me down by them sorta playing it too safe. I was expecting answers to Those Who Slither in the Dark, Shez and Arval's past and how they connect to Those Who Slither in the Dark (I heard there is a prologue you unlock for Arval after you beat the game once and unlock Arval as a playable character by spending renown only if you recruited Byleth to your team, but I did not recruit Byleth, so sucks to be me), more answers about Sothis and Rhea's past, potentially being able to get a 'golden route' where just about everyone lives and fights together (Which to me is what it felt like when the trailer came out), why Sothis hated Arval so much to the point and acted arguably out of character throughout some parts of the game. The way they tip toed through the story of the game makes me feel like the creators of Three Houses did not have much to contribute to the story of this game, or someone told them to not change the story much and still keep it very similar to Three Houses.
2011
What made the first game so great, they took it and made it better. You had a mostly open area you could explore, while the first game really limited where you could go. They improved upon the combat in subtle ways and gave you new gadgets to use. It had a story that felt more interesting than the first one with an even bigger climax.
I believe this and the first Arkham game are must plays, with the Arkham Knight and Arkham Origins being optional as they have their ups and downs.
I believe this and the first Arkham game are must plays, with the Arkham Knight and Arkham Origins being optional as they have their ups and downs.
I feel as though this game was revolutionary for its time. Finally there was a Batman game that was not doodoo butter or mediocre. You felt as though you were Batman with all the stealth sections, the combat that had made you feel invincible but also vulnerable depending on how much you paid attention to what the enemies were doing, and a story with characters that gripped you and made you interested to keep on going to learn more with a fitting climax.
The combat trials, or whatever they are called are fun to mess around in and get pretty hectic at times, and the Joker DLC combat trials were fun too.
This game just felt like it was made with love and a lot of passion for the series.
The combat trials, or whatever they are called are fun to mess around in and get pretty hectic at times, and the Joker DLC combat trials were fun too.
This game just felt like it was made with love and a lot of passion for the series.
This review contains spoilers
This game was not bad, but it used the batmobile way too much. It was great that it was finally introduced, but it felt so hamfisted into the game that you had to use it for just about everything. There are a ton of Bat-Tank segments where you feel like you are playing Twisted Metal instead of a Batman Arkham game.
The story was very predictable, as the main villain's identity is very easily figured out, yet the game tries to act like it is some big mystery. The Joker PTSD/drug segments were very good, and probably the best parts of the game.
The combat is the same as ever, so if you liked it from the previous entries, you'll like it here. I myself did not encounter anything game breaking bug-wise because I did not play it on the PC when it first launched. The story here is definitely not as interesting as the first two, and I was glad to be done with the game when I was.
The story was very predictable, as the main villain's identity is very easily figured out, yet the game tries to act like it is some big mystery. The Joker PTSD/drug segments were very good, and probably the best parts of the game.
The combat is the same as ever, so if you liked it from the previous entries, you'll like it here. I myself did not encounter anything game breaking bug-wise because I did not play it on the PC when it first launched. The story here is definitely not as interesting as the first two, and I was glad to be done with the game when I was.
When I played this game, I could tell that it was not made by the same developers that made the 3 other Arkham games. The game was buggy when I played it when it first came out, and I had to close the game a few times because of the game just freezing up. It feels like it was rushed out without much bug-testing.
Assuming that they fixed most of the bugs by now, the combat is the same, you get to see the Joker again (Not by Mark Hamill unfortunately), and a different person voices Batman due to them not thinking the guy who always does the Batman voice could do a younger one (Kevin Conroy being the OG one).
It was hard to enjoy this game with the bugs, so mine was a muddy experience. This one was more of the same of the other two Arkham games before it. It has a bit more of an emphasis on the detective side of things and plays things relatively safe, just giving fans more of the same they loved from the previous entries. Story-wise, I do think it lacks a good bit of that climactic pzazz like the other Arkham games that I grew used to.
Assuming that they fixed most of the bugs by now, the combat is the same, you get to see the Joker again (Not by Mark Hamill unfortunately), and a different person voices Batman due to them not thinking the guy who always does the Batman voice could do a younger one (Kevin Conroy being the OG one).
It was hard to enjoy this game with the bugs, so mine was a muddy experience. This one was more of the same of the other two Arkham games before it. It has a bit more of an emphasis on the detective side of things and plays things relatively safe, just giving fans more of the same they loved from the previous entries. Story-wise, I do think it lacks a good bit of that climactic pzazz like the other Arkham games that I grew used to.
This game is much more about the gameplay I believe than any other MGS game before it. It is a mission-based game that gives you the biggest variety of options to choose from when it comes to playing through any of its missions. It is a true sandbox experience, you really can play it how you want to.
The story takes a backseat in this game, but it still has crazy twists and turns. It is unfortunate that technically the story was unfinished due to Kojima and Konami's falling out, so there is no telling what the story would have actually been had that issue not occurred.
As usual, the graphics being great is a common thing to say when reviewing any MGS game, and it of course applies to this one.
Building your base in the game feels like it could have been better explained, but I cannot speak much on that, as I did not dabble on that much.
The story takes a backseat in this game, but it still has crazy twists and turns. It is unfortunate that technically the story was unfinished due to Kojima and Konami's falling out, so there is no telling what the story would have actually been had that issue not occurred.
As usual, the graphics being great is a common thing to say when reviewing any MGS game, and it of course applies to this one.
Building your base in the game feels like it could have been better explained, but I cannot speak much on that, as I did not dabble on that much.
If you review this game when it first came out, the score would not be a 4 out of 5 due to it being way too short and feeling more like a demo than anything else. It's a bit strange, but it is technically the prologue or beginning of MGS5. It's really more of the same for the MGS series. If you are into what the series offers, you'll love it while hating how short this is. They really doubled down on the variety of actions you can choose from with how to complete this short story.
This game had a similar impact on me like God of War 3. It is a fitting conclusion to MGS at the time, and for Solid Snake's story. This game has so many easter eggs and nods to different series, and to previous games in the MGS series before it. It ties up so many loose-ends in the story, and somehow makes an already complex convoluted story somewhat more interesting and complex. The game is sectioned off into sections where you have to watch Snake smoke a cigarette as the part processes on the PS3, which is hilarious. The built-in commercials are weird and hit and miss, but still worth watching at least one time. This game is a love letter to die-hard fans of the series, and at the time felt like it was the last Metal Gear Solid game we would ever get with its finale. From what I can recall, there were varying improvements from MGS3 to MGS4, but there may have been a few things combat-wise that were better in MGS3. The graphics were phenomenal for the time, and I think hold up today still. The very long cutscenes drive home how movie-like the game feels, and can bit hit or miss depending on the person. I have seen people list the cutscenes as a negative due to their length, so it's really up to the person.
The Metal Gear Online was a blast when it was live. It was so much casual fun with the different game modes and special heroes that could be played as. I never took it serious competitive-wise, so I am not sure if it was good in that aspect.
The Metal Gear Online was a blast when it was live. It was so much casual fun with the different game modes and special heroes that could be played as. I never took it serious competitive-wise, so I am not sure if it was good in that aspect.
Kind of weird to review Metal Gear Solid 1, 2, and 3 in a single review, but this PS2 collection was how I experienced them for the first time. I remember being hyped for MGS4 and playing through these 3 for the first time, so I would not be lost in MGS4. Boy am I glad I did, as the story in the MGS series is complex, convoluted, and very entertaining.
MGS1- Fantastic game, especially for its time back on the PS1. A game that was ahead of its time with the crazy interesting story, character interactions, easter eggs, cinematic scenes, the gameplay (All of the items you could use to play through the game different ways). 5 out of 5 experience for sure.
MGS2- I recall being very disappointed that I had to play as a new character instead of Solid Snake throughout the whole game, but once I put that behind me I enjoyed this game as well. I think MGS1 is a better game, but this game is more of the same as far as the gameplay being improved in various ways, more fun character interactions, engaging story, easter eggs, and cool cinematic scenes. I would say a 5 out of 5 too, but I would probably give it a 4 out of 5 back when I played it due to me being too butthurt over not being able to play as Solid Snake for the whole game lol.
MGS3- Back when I played this game, I disliked the more realistic take it took, and it taking part in the past, as I was more interested in what happened after MGS2, but again, once I put that behind me and just played through the game, it yet again captivated me with the same great stuff the series was known for. Engaging convoluted story, further improvements on the gameplay from what MGS2 offered, more great character interactions, easter eggs again, and more that I cannot recall. A 5 out of 5 star experience.
The Metal Gear Solid series as a whole is just a big blast (At least the majority of the series). It's at times like a long Spy espionage movie experience crammed into video games.
MGS1- Fantastic game, especially for its time back on the PS1. A game that was ahead of its time with the crazy interesting story, character interactions, easter eggs, cinematic scenes, the gameplay (All of the items you could use to play through the game different ways). 5 out of 5 experience for sure.
MGS2- I recall being very disappointed that I had to play as a new character instead of Solid Snake throughout the whole game, but once I put that behind me I enjoyed this game as well. I think MGS1 is a better game, but this game is more of the same as far as the gameplay being improved in various ways, more fun character interactions, engaging story, easter eggs, and cool cinematic scenes. I would say a 5 out of 5 too, but I would probably give it a 4 out of 5 back when I played it due to me being too butthurt over not being able to play as Solid Snake for the whole game lol.
MGS3- Back when I played this game, I disliked the more realistic take it took, and it taking part in the past, as I was more interested in what happened after MGS2, but again, once I put that behind me and just played through the game, it yet again captivated me with the same great stuff the series was known for. Engaging convoluted story, further improvements on the gameplay from what MGS2 offered, more great character interactions, easter eggs again, and more that I cannot recall. A 5 out of 5 star experience.
The Metal Gear Solid series as a whole is just a big blast (At least the majority of the series). It's at times like a long Spy espionage movie experience crammed into video games.
Great game, although comparing it to some of the previous entries in the series it sucks at how little content it has compared to them.
This game reminds me of Wii Sports in the fact that it got so many non-gamers into gaming once again with how fun and easy to pick up it is.
It's a solid animal crossing experience, and I feel as though it leaves you always wanting more for them to add, but sadly it seems that time as come and pass, unless they will add more content via paid DLC.
The only real problem I have with the game is the tools breaking on you. It makes me feel like I am playing Breath of the Wild at times. Sucks that even the gold tools break still. By the time you get them, there isn't really any reason to use the tools beyond just messing around, so it's weird that the gold ones still break.
The crafting mechanic is really well-done I feel, and feels like it should stay in future Animal Crossing games.
This game reminds me of Wii Sports in the fact that it got so many non-gamers into gaming once again with how fun and easy to pick up it is.
It's a solid animal crossing experience, and I feel as though it leaves you always wanting more for them to add, but sadly it seems that time as come and pass, unless they will add more content via paid DLC.
The only real problem I have with the game is the tools breaking on you. It makes me feel like I am playing Breath of the Wild at times. Sucks that even the gold tools break still. By the time you get them, there isn't really any reason to use the tools beyond just messing around, so it's weird that the gold ones still break.
The crafting mechanic is really well-done I feel, and feels like it should stay in future Animal Crossing games.
Can't say I enjoyed this game as much as others have. I liked Xenoblade 1 & 2, but not this one. I disliked the less emphasis on a story and the weird attempt at posing as an MMORPG game at times. I feel as though they should have just went ahead and made an MMORPG instead of what the final product was.
The combat felt like it lasted an eternity compared to Xenoblade 1 & 2 with less to do and longer cooldowns. Running around in the mechs was definitely a blast, but I feel as though you get them too late in the game. The graphics of the game are gorgeous.
The biggest problem I had with the game was the little quests that felt like optional side quests you had to do in order to progress the main story. The game I feel did a bad job of explaining how to do most of these quests, and needed some quality of life changes to make them more bearable to do.
The combat felt like it lasted an eternity compared to Xenoblade 1 & 2 with less to do and longer cooldowns. Running around in the mechs was definitely a blast, but I feel as though you get them too late in the game. The graphics of the game are gorgeous.
The biggest problem I had with the game was the little quests that felt like optional side quests you had to do in order to progress the main story. The game I feel did a bad job of explaining how to do most of these quests, and needed some quality of life changes to make them more bearable to do.