TheBarrylad
A wonderfully ambitious first effort. The start of something cool but definitely the start. So much of Splinter Cell's light and shadow tech still looks awesome, and even without the HUD element, it's advanced enough that you can know how concealed you are simply by looking at the screen. Backing all that up is some excellent sound design. Broken glass, falling shell casings, the night vision bewwwmmm -- it's all great.
And some of the archaic control elements are actually kind of cool! Are speed up and speed down buttons a bit silly compared to simple analogue stick control? Maybe, but I appreciate it all the same!
Where it falls down is with level design and AI - both of which are mostly great but have some sizeable issues. Enemies react to noises, visuals, distractions, and even environmental things like you switching a light off. But sometimes they'll walk 50 feet across a court yard or hallway just to inspect a light you switched off. And the cardinal sin for me is that, when you're rumbled, every enemy in the scene knows where you are and can shoot you precisely regardless of your stealth meter. It's always a shame when mechanics like that matter until they suddenly don't.
Likewise there are tonnes of interesting level layouts and objectives, but sometimes you'll get bizarre fail states like accidentally killing an NPC before realizing you were supposed to use him to open a locked door. Then there's the inexplicable shoot outs -- I never understand why stealth games choose to do this, but it's especially bad here because Sam can't take much punishment, and his incredibly wonky aim is not meant for all out warfare.
But nonetheless; a cool, satisfying espionage tale that lays the foundation for more.
And some of the archaic control elements are actually kind of cool! Are speed up and speed down buttons a bit silly compared to simple analogue stick control? Maybe, but I appreciate it all the same!
Where it falls down is with level design and AI - both of which are mostly great but have some sizeable issues. Enemies react to noises, visuals, distractions, and even environmental things like you switching a light off. But sometimes they'll walk 50 feet across a court yard or hallway just to inspect a light you switched off. And the cardinal sin for me is that, when you're rumbled, every enemy in the scene knows where you are and can shoot you precisely regardless of your stealth meter. It's always a shame when mechanics like that matter until they suddenly don't.
Likewise there are tonnes of interesting level layouts and objectives, but sometimes you'll get bizarre fail states like accidentally killing an NPC before realizing you were supposed to use him to open a locked door. Then there's the inexplicable shoot outs -- I never understand why stealth games choose to do this, but it's especially bad here because Sam can't take much punishment, and his incredibly wonky aim is not meant for all out warfare.
But nonetheless; a cool, satisfying espionage tale that lays the foundation for more.
Spent a few hours with the Remastered Project on PC, and it's a really great piece of work. A vibrant update with beautiful new textures, full HD support, widescreen fixes, modern controls, and great performance on even a modest desktop. A top notch way to revisit (or maybe play for the first time) a gem of a B-game. I don't see myself finishing the game again as it's quite grindy, but I'll definitely keep this installed for an occasional Miami rampage when the mood hits.
Side note: don't bother trying to get this going on Steam Deck. I spent a lot of time tinkering with it and it never came close. The modded version is a no-go, but the vanilla PC version is unplayable without mods. A tonne of reddit threads are out there saying the same thing, and it's not something the mod team are actively working on. So save yourself some time and go straight to a Windows device.
Side note: don't bother trying to get this going on Steam Deck. I spent a lot of time tinkering with it and it never came close. The modded version is a no-go, but the vanilla PC version is unplayable without mods. A tonne of reddit threads are out there saying the same thing, and it's not something the mod team are actively working on. So save yourself some time and go straight to a Windows device.
2001
Despite starting Max Payne a dozen times, I realized about 3/4s through it on this occasion that I've never actually beaten it. And what better way to finally see credits on this classic than in beautiful 720p and widescreen, as allowed by the power of the PC port!
While it's still a nicer version than the console counterparts, there is some hoops you need to jump through to get this one going -- in my case for the Steam Deck but based on my research most modern devices require some tinkering.
Regardless, this is still a gem. It's definitely dated and in particular the hardboiled story is fairly boilerplate. I think the overdose on noir stylings wowed people to such a degree that it didn't really matter how little characterisation is there or, well, the lack of any truly interesting story beats. But who cares! It's a grimy New York undercover cop tale through subways and crack dens, with smack talking cronies and cheesy soap operas on the wood panelled CRTs. It rocks, and the slow motion gunplay, while occasionally interrupted by an overambitious dream sequence of clunky platforming, still hits the spot.
While it's still a nicer version than the console counterparts, there is some hoops you need to jump through to get this one going -- in my case for the Steam Deck but based on my research most modern devices require some tinkering.
Regardless, this is still a gem. It's definitely dated and in particular the hardboiled story is fairly boilerplate. I think the overdose on noir stylings wowed people to such a degree that it didn't really matter how little characterisation is there or, well, the lack of any truly interesting story beats. But who cares! It's a grimy New York undercover cop tale through subways and crack dens, with smack talking cronies and cheesy soap operas on the wood panelled CRTs. It rocks, and the slow motion gunplay, while occasionally interrupted by an overambitious dream sequence of clunky platforming, still hits the spot.
2002
[single player only, emulated on Steam Deck]
A big leap over the first game, but still fairly frustrating. Obviously not playing it in its moment, with pals doing local multiplayer, hurts a bit. It looks and feels great but the checkpointing is frustrating and despite attempts to put a few gimmicks into some levels; the core gameplay feels fairly basic.
A big leap over the first game, but still fairly frustrating. Obviously not playing it in its moment, with pals doing local multiplayer, hurts a bit. It looks and feels great but the checkpointing is frustrating and despite attempts to put a few gimmicks into some levels; the core gameplay feels fairly basic.
2022
A gorgeous, fascinating game that really makes you feel like a card cheat. It perhaps asks too much of you at some points, but the frustrations are worth bearing for such a fun, unique puzzler.
I just wish the checkpointing was a bit better though. Having to button through reams of dialogue after each failure is more of a punishment than the actual death or money lost.
I just wish the checkpointing was a bit better though. Having to button through reams of dialogue after each failure is more of a punishment than the actual death or money lost.
2020
A satisfying-if-familiar roguelite. Not a great deal of innovation -- in fact my main thought throughout was that this felt like Binding of Isaac but from a different perspective -- but everything it does, it does well. Like any good game in its genre, it has a 'one more run!' quality, as I was very intrigued by its many, many secrets.
Fabulous. The games are crazy and addictive, and the presentation is amazing. Primo early-2000s chaotic Saturday morning cartoon vibes.
A tremendously accessible Xcom-like, for dumb babies like me who always get obliterated in actual Xcom games. There's tonnes of choice in terms of what you upgrade, what characters you use, and what relationships you form - it's a very malleable experience. I found myself pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the story, and how much optional relationship building I did. It's hampered somewhat by extremely MCU-poisoned humour, but the core of the characters is there.
Shelving this for now as, 40 hours deep, I've sort of run out of steam with it and my desire to go back is waning. It doesn't help that the PC version on Steam Deck is still a little wonky, still doesn't remember my graphics settings, and the boot up and general loading times are just slightly too long.
But I will return! This thing is super neat.
Shelving this for now as, 40 hours deep, I've sort of run out of steam with it and my desire to go back is waning. It doesn't help that the PC version on Steam Deck is still a little wonky, still doesn't remember my graphics settings, and the boot up and general loading times are just slightly too long.
But I will return! This thing is super neat.
2023
A wonderful version of a classic; modern but true to source. Some of the changes are good (Ashley re-write, new approach to knives, cutting some of the bloat-y sections), whereas some are a negative (the new, worse method of choosing how closely Ashley follows you).
Then there are some things that are a bit of a wash, and your mileage will vary. Like RE2 Remake, the new visuals are beautiful but some of the ambience and unique style is lost. Similarly, the writing has some of the original's camp qualities but not all of it -- the tradeoff being that characters like Ashley are... Actually well written.
Additional note: I played this on Steam Deck and with a mix of high and medium settings, I got a solid 30 fps. Hooray!
Then there are some things that are a bit of a wash, and your mileage will vary. Like RE2 Remake, the new visuals are beautiful but some of the ambience and unique style is lost. Similarly, the writing has some of the original's camp qualities but not all of it -- the tradeoff being that characters like Ashley are... Actually well written.
Additional note: I played this on Steam Deck and with a mix of high and medium settings, I got a solid 30 fps. Hooray!
2022
Sort of like Super Smash Bros but if it played better and had Batman.
2020
A fantastic adventure game that delivers a very satisfying sleuthing experience. I'd be curious to play again (or, ya know, watch someone else's playthrough) to see how much things can change based on what you do or don't find. You can't really get any of the conversation choices wrong per se, but there is plenty to miss if you don't scour the island with a fine tooth comb. Really awesome universe and collection of characters; visually distinct and all with their own motives and secrets.
2021
What if Simpsons Skateboarding played worse and had less endearing cultural references?
2019
Revisiting this and playing Aftermath for the first time, ahead of MK1.
Aftermath is a total blast. It is ultimately inconsequential and you sort of end up right back where the main game ends, but that's fine -- they have a lot of fun character moments along the way.
Overall the game is still great fun, although I'd forgotten how rotten with microtransactions WB games are. Is the splash screen telling you to preorder MK1 REALLY necessary? And A, the default prompt for most actions, being the button that takes you to the preorder screen rather than acknowledging and dismissing the message? Come on now.
Steam Deck notes: online multiplayer is completely unusable, so don't bother if that's what you're interested in. Other than that, and some very, very mild chugging in story mode as it segues from cutscene to gameplay -- this is perfectly playable.
Aftermath is a total blast. It is ultimately inconsequential and you sort of end up right back where the main game ends, but that's fine -- they have a lot of fun character moments along the way.
Overall the game is still great fun, although I'd forgotten how rotten with microtransactions WB games are. Is the splash screen telling you to preorder MK1 REALLY necessary? And A, the default prompt for most actions, being the button that takes you to the preorder screen rather than acknowledging and dismissing the message? Come on now.
Steam Deck notes: online multiplayer is completely unusable, so don't bother if that's what you're interested in. Other than that, and some very, very mild chugging in story mode as it segues from cutscene to gameplay -- this is perfectly playable.
A fun choose-your-own-adventure romp with some good atmosphere, and decisions that felt genuinely weighty. I'm curious to revisit it and see how the story can shift and change as it felt really noticeable when you'd hit a fork in the road.
Bonus point for all the sick fixed-camera angles that add a lot to the presentation.
Bonus point for all the sick fixed-camera angles that add a lot to the presentation.
2022
A super fun, stylised continuation of the OlliOlli series -- although the dialogue and characters are a bit grating.
Haven't finished it, but may return at some stage.
Haven't finished it, but may return at some stage.