TheBarrylad
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.
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.
A very fun side scrolling spin on good ol' Rocket League.
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.
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.
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
The tonal whiplash in these games is getting to be very funny. Getting a serious actor to do very serious acting as a fascist, only to have the actual game still be Just Cause style wackiness is a great bit. Cockfighting! Sausage dog companions!
Anyway, no matter how oversaturated it is, I will always have a soft spot for the Far Cry formula. But this is bidding farewell from my PS5 hard drive for now as I definitely don't have the drive to keep clearing this comically large map.
Anyway, no matter how oversaturated it is, I will always have a soft spot for the Far Cry formula. But this is bidding farewell from my PS5 hard drive for now as I definitely don't have the drive to keep clearing this comically large map.
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.
My first time playing anything Stanley-related; very funny, and its musings on modern game design are still sharp and relevant after nine years.
Got a few original endings and played what I guess could be called the 'main bit' of the new content and it's equally as great. A fitting follow up.
Got a few original endings and played what I guess could be called the 'main bit' of the new content and it's equally as great. A fitting follow up.
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.
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.
2010
Another imperfect Remedy gem, although... uh, a lot more imperfect than the others!
The combat is just not satisfying enough, and they throw so dang much of it at you. Alan Wake feels like a real product of its time; this game needed to be shorter and have the combat be rarer, almost like a set-piece. But 2010 was perhaps still a smidge too early for that. Games were still judged harshly for "skimping" that way, and it just wasn't the done thing. But if I've sleepily shot my way through one section of forest, I've done it two dozen times.
Outside of all that; the Remedy charm is there. It's eery and camp, without truly descending into unserious territory. The story is intriguing, with good voice acting, and a fabulous soundtrack. The only letdown in this department is the lip sync, which is comically bad. This wasn't a great era for that in general, but even so this is poor.
Steam Deck notes: ran like a dream!
The combat is just not satisfying enough, and they throw so dang much of it at you. Alan Wake feels like a real product of its time; this game needed to be shorter and have the combat be rarer, almost like a set-piece. But 2010 was perhaps still a smidge too early for that. Games were still judged harshly for "skimping" that way, and it just wasn't the done thing. But if I've sleepily shot my way through one section of forest, I've done it two dozen times.
Outside of all that; the Remedy charm is there. It's eery and camp, without truly descending into unserious territory. The story is intriguing, with good voice acting, and a fabulous soundtrack. The only letdown in this department is the lip sync, which is comically bad. This wasn't a great era for that in general, but even so this is poor.
Steam Deck notes: ran like a dream!
This review contains spoilers
An excellent follow up in almost every way, enhancing everything that was great about the first game. The traversal is insane. Tonnes of options, incredible speed, but also tremendously responsive and never out of your control.
The story is hugely improved over the original, with a tale of multiple villains and your key protagonists interwoven almost perfectly. Everything flows so well from one story beat to another with no real filler - and a laundry list of excellent set pieces. Yes, this is perfectly paced, I have absolutely no clue how anyone could be dissatisfied with the length of this game. To pad it would be to hinder it.
It is probably the best adaptation of the Venom story to date, I would say eclipsing the 90s animated show. But I had some minor problems. In general, I always hate the idea of symbiotes reproducing and there being ten million of them running around - it just sort of cheapens the Venom character to me. But so often that is where these stories go.
Oh and the Mary Jane missions are still bad. I get doing a cute little thing where you make her OP to address criticism from the last game but they are still very bad stealth action sequences.
The story is hugely improved over the original, with a tale of multiple villains and your key protagonists interwoven almost perfectly. Everything flows so well from one story beat to another with no real filler - and a laundry list of excellent set pieces. Yes, this is perfectly paced, I have absolutely no clue how anyone could be dissatisfied with the length of this game. To pad it would be to hinder it.
It is probably the best adaptation of the Venom story to date, I would say eclipsing the 90s animated show. But I had some minor problems. In general, I always hate the idea of symbiotes reproducing and there being ten million of them running around - it just sort of cheapens the Venom character to me. But so often that is where these stories go.
Oh and the Mary Jane missions are still bad. I get doing a cute little thing where you make her OP to address criticism from the last game but they are still very bad stealth action sequences.