TheBarrylad
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!
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.
2021
What if Simpsons Skateboarding played worse and had less endearing cultural references?
2018
An excellent addition to the ground work laid down by 2016's Hitman. While some of the maps in that first game are better (Paris and Sapienza will probably be the franchise peak forever) I would argue this is a more consistent set, across the board. Just wonderfully ambitious clockwork sandboxes that you can play over and over and over again and still find something new.
Plus, what this game lacks in the wow factor of 2016's arrival, it makes up for with the wonderful refinements IOI has made over time. Everything from graphical spit shines to subtle UI enhancements make this the new best way to experience Hitman.
Plus, what this game lacks in the wow factor of 2016's arrival, it makes up for with the wonderful refinements IOI has made over time. Everything from graphical spit shines to subtle UI enhancements make this the new best way to experience Hitman.
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.
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.
Fabulous. The games are crazy and addictive, and the presentation is amazing. Primo early-2000s chaotic Saturday morning cartoon vibes.
It is with a heavy heart that I also slap an 'ABANDONED' on the PC version of Splinter Cell 2. While functionally much, much better than the PS2 version, my first two hours with it were pretty dull -- feeling like a samey retread of the first game, but with much less interesting level design.
A cardinal sin came for me at the end of the Paris level. You crawl through an air vent, into a locked room some enemies are trying to get into. After some brief story dialogue, you see enemies priming a bomb to open the locked room. I died on my escape (they heard me trying to crawl through the vent), so I quick loaded and had an idea! Before entering the room, I dropped a smoke grenade from the vent to the floor below! So the enemies trying to break into the room passed out, and were no longer a threat! I played through the same dialogue as before, but this time there was no bomb-prep cutscene because I had dispatched the enemies.
HOWEVER! The level is unfinishable without the bomb. You need the bomb to blow open the door to allow you to extract. And I had already used up my one quick save slot after taking out those enemies, so my only other option was to REPLAY THE ENTIRE LEVEL AGAIN, AND NOT BE AS CLEVER! Why the enemies are killable when they are needed for story progress I do not know, AND the game doesn't even give you a proper 'hey you messed up, here's a checkpoint' fail state. It's insane that innovative play like that in a stealth game just lets you fuck yourself in that manner.
Anyway, I have no desire to replay the entire level, so we're calling it quits here.
A cardinal sin came for me at the end of the Paris level. You crawl through an air vent, into a locked room some enemies are trying to get into. After some brief story dialogue, you see enemies priming a bomb to open the locked room. I died on my escape (they heard me trying to crawl through the vent), so I quick loaded and had an idea! Before entering the room, I dropped a smoke grenade from the vent to the floor below! So the enemies trying to break into the room passed out, and were no longer a threat! I played through the same dialogue as before, but this time there was no bomb-prep cutscene because I had dispatched the enemies.
HOWEVER! The level is unfinishable without the bomb. You need the bomb to blow open the door to allow you to extract. And I had already used up my one quick save slot after taking out those enemies, so my only other option was to REPLAY THE ENTIRE LEVEL AGAIN, AND NOT BE AS CLEVER! Why the enemies are killable when they are needed for story progress I do not know, AND the game doesn't even give you a proper 'hey you messed up, here's a checkpoint' fail state. It's insane that innovative play like that in a stealth game just lets you fuck yourself in that manner.
Anyway, I have no desire to replay the entire level, so we're calling it quits here.
2022
I'm just going to slap a 'played' label on this and retire it for now. Maybe in five years I'll revisit it and have an epiphany that makes me love it but currently this feels like the most disappointing sequel of my life time. Samey design held back by being on a PS4, painfully patronizing NPCs that never stop squawking at you with puzzle answers and combat tips, a never ending stream of boring combat arenas full of boring enemies, and the usual AAA slush on top that makes everything feel boring and samey; loot and skill trees.
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.
2021
At its core, 12 Minutes is more of a typical point-and-click than I was expecting; and that's just not my genre.
I had some real frustration early when I knew a piece of information, and my character knew a piece of information, but I had to figure out the video game's very particular way of making him say it -- which frustrated me to no end. But, the game's very delicate way of letting you solve its puzzles has its positives too. There is a realistic social dynamic here that I'd love to see other games ape. Other characters will not simply wait while you meander around the environment looking for clues; you do not dictate the pace of progress in this game, and I like that. Failing to sit and eat a meal promptly with your wife after she sets the table will cause her to be offended and block off potential conversations. Phoning a character 30 seconds into a game will yield different results to making that same call six minutes later, depending on the NPC's schedule. The clockwork nature of 12 Minutes' world is about the only one of its ambitious elements that really hits.
The story, unfortunately, feels shlocky from the get-go, and descends into complete Quantic Dream parody at the end. The diarama aesthetic is undercut by a handful of ugly textures and first person shots that do the game no favours. Most surprisingly; the A list cast is a huge disappointment. Defoe is solid, but McAvoy and Ridley could be any two amateur voice actors from any video game -- thoroughly unremarkable performances, and I like both in their film roles.
A cool premise, well engineered clockwork design, and a nice score are all that redeem this one. One of the most disappointing of the last five years.
I had some real frustration early when I knew a piece of information, and my character knew a piece of information, but I had to figure out the video game's very particular way of making him say it -- which frustrated me to no end. But, the game's very delicate way of letting you solve its puzzles has its positives too. There is a realistic social dynamic here that I'd love to see other games ape. Other characters will not simply wait while you meander around the environment looking for clues; you do not dictate the pace of progress in this game, and I like that. Failing to sit and eat a meal promptly with your wife after she sets the table will cause her to be offended and block off potential conversations. Phoning a character 30 seconds into a game will yield different results to making that same call six minutes later, depending on the NPC's schedule. The clockwork nature of 12 Minutes' world is about the only one of its ambitious elements that really hits.
The story, unfortunately, feels shlocky from the get-go, and descends into complete Quantic Dream parody at the end. The diarama aesthetic is undercut by a handful of ugly textures and first person shots that do the game no favours. Most surprisingly; the A list cast is a huge disappointment. Defoe is solid, but McAvoy and Ridley could be any two amateur voice actors from any video game -- thoroughly unremarkable performances, and I like both in their film roles.
A cool premise, well engineered clockwork design, and a nice score are all that redeem this one. One of the most disappointing of the last five years.
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.
2021
Very charming.
2020
Eh, ya know, it's a PS2 game with tonnes of charm and clever ideas -- but even with a shiny coat of paint it struggles with the limited and boring mission design that repeats upon itself endlessly. But a pretty solid job was done dressing it up for newer consoles.
2021
I get what it's doing, and I did have some moments of cathartic enjoyment out of this while listening to a podcast, but this is the finest the line has ever been between a fun emulation of a tedious task, and just a... Well, tedious one.