TheBarrylad
2023
City architects are the real heroes!!!
I started with such grand visions of a beautiful, symmetrical city grid, but it quickly spiralled into chaos as I scrambled for resources. Even this city builder is too taxing for my simple brain.
Anyway, this was really cute and satisfying, and even though they are all in different genres, the Steam World brand continues to be tied together by addictive gameplay loops. Things build up so gradually that you don't even notice just how much plate spinning you're actually doing.
I didn't end up finishing my first town as I felt like I had reached my limit of looking at meters fill up (or empty, usually) but I had a fun time nonetheless.
I started with such grand visions of a beautiful, symmetrical city grid, but it quickly spiralled into chaos as I scrambled for resources. Even this city builder is too taxing for my simple brain.
Anyway, this was really cute and satisfying, and even though they are all in different genres, the Steam World brand continues to be tied together by addictive gameplay loops. Things build up so gradually that you don't even notice just how much plate spinning you're actually doing.
I didn't end up finishing my first town as I felt like I had reached my limit of looking at meters fill up (or empty, usually) but I had a fun time nonetheless.
2020
I get why people get this game, but I do not get it.
2023
One of the most stunningly beautiful 2D games ever. Every frame of animation, every background has a creepy aura, befitting a franchise simply called 'BLASPHEMOUS.' It suits the Metroidvania trappings because that genre emphasizes exploration and adventure, and in this game every new room treats you to a new, haunting visual or a shitty little enemy for you to gut.
My only gripe, and the reason I'm marking this PLAYED rather than COMPLETED is that the difficulty spike at the final hurdle is perhaps the most insane I have ever seen in a game. Important distinction: not the most difficult game -- the biggest difficulty spike.
I would consider this game tougher than average for the most part. Nothing especially notable, a few sections that took some patience, but nothing crazy. The final level before the final boss, however, was insane. And when I conquered that, after like three days, I just could not crack that last boss. I agonized over it and told myself I wouldn't possibly leave a game 98% complete but this defeated me. I started reading guides on the best possible build to take him on, I started grinding out some items from side quests, doing some menial collection quests to raise my health -- things I never usually bother with. Then, as I was wandering around the map for collectibles, I realised I had stopped having fun. And in the game's modest 15 hour run time, I was always having fun. Even on the previous bosses that challenged me, I had never stopped having fun. But I really had no interest in retreading the entire map to bump my number of healing items, for a boss that still felt almost impossible, so I gave up. It's a bummer, and kind of a sour note to end on, but I'd rather do that then keep padding my play time in an attempt to cheese the boss -- which would feel similarly unfulfilling.
My only gripe, and the reason I'm marking this PLAYED rather than COMPLETED is that the difficulty spike at the final hurdle is perhaps the most insane I have ever seen in a game. Important distinction: not the most difficult game -- the biggest difficulty spike.
I would consider this game tougher than average for the most part. Nothing especially notable, a few sections that took some patience, but nothing crazy. The final level before the final boss, however, was insane. And when I conquered that, after like three days, I just could not crack that last boss. I agonized over it and told myself I wouldn't possibly leave a game 98% complete but this defeated me. I started reading guides on the best possible build to take him on, I started grinding out some items from side quests, doing some menial collection quests to raise my health -- things I never usually bother with. Then, as I was wandering around the map for collectibles, I realised I had stopped having fun. And in the game's modest 15 hour run time, I was always having fun. Even on the previous bosses that challenged me, I had never stopped having fun. But I really had no interest in retreading the entire map to bump my number of healing items, for a boss that still felt almost impossible, so I gave up. It's a bummer, and kind of a sour note to end on, but I'd rather do that then keep padding my play time in an attempt to cheese the boss -- which would feel similarly unfulfilling.
Cute! Fun! I'll be back to it. Maybe.
2020
I admire the hell out of the central idea here. It's ambitious and decently executed. But something about it just didn't grab me. The secret sauce for Watch Dogs 2 was the cheesy story. With that now gone, Legion feels like an ambitious but unfocused open world mischief game that I bounced off pretty hard. Could definitely return to it in a quiet period.
2005
Cool, stylish, and with the outline of a much better story than most Spider-Man games of this era. The story content is just too minimal for me to throw too many roses in that regard. It feels like there's about five minutes of combined cutscene in this game - and characters just sort of... Show up.
Gameplay wise it has the same highs and lows of all early 2000s Spidey games. Fun swinging, repetitive missions, and janky camera in closed settings.
Steam Deck notes: PC version runs beautifully with widescreen and 60fps fan patches.
Gameplay wise it has the same highs and lows of all early 2000s Spidey games. Fun swinging, repetitive missions, and janky camera in closed settings.
Steam Deck notes: PC version runs beautifully with widescreen and 60fps fan patches.
A very clever premise, but much like the mobile ads that inspire it - this isn't as actually fun as you'd hope.
2023
The charming, other-worldly vibes of Cassette Beasts hooked me very quickly. Sadly, a Pokémon-style RPG just isn't my bag - so I bounced off soon after. But anyone looking for a game in that ballpark would do well to check this out.
2020
One of the most visually impressive games ever made. Every hill you crest in the open world leads to another jaw dropping vista -- and the more focused story scenes are beautifully constructed too.
The rest of the game? Pretty damn excellent also!
The controller definitely feels like it is overstuffed and struggling to contain everything this game wants to do -- I maybe could have lived with a mechanic or two being cut. But the individual parts are all just so satisfying to use. Great combat, fun stealth with lots of tools to experiment with, and some nice quality of life innovations in the open world navigation.
The story is a surprise hit. While it won't surprise you too often, the writing is solid, especially for the side characters, and really excellent voice acting across the board.
The rest of the game? Pretty damn excellent also!
The controller definitely feels like it is overstuffed and struggling to contain everything this game wants to do -- I maybe could have lived with a mechanic or two being cut. But the individual parts are all just so satisfying to use. Great combat, fun stealth with lots of tools to experiment with, and some nice quality of life innovations in the open world navigation.
The story is a surprise hit. While it won't surprise you too often, the writing is solid, especially for the side characters, and really excellent voice acting across the board.
Well, this is just lovely.
2023
Approximately half way through the story, and Dead Island 2 isn't really showing much in terms of changing up the mission design to keep it interesting; so I'll wrap up my time with it now.
To be fair; it's a very fun zombie-mashing simulator. In the spirit of a cool-but-flawed PS2 game, it has a gnarly gimmick but doesn't design an interesting enough game around it.
The gore and zombie mutilation tech on show here is genuinely impressive. Rather than having preset deform points (decapitate, chop arms off at the shoulder etc), every single enemy has a highly responsive, highly specific damage model based on how and where you attack. Blunt items hitting jaws will cause them to unhinged, blades will chop off hands at the exact place you strike, individual organs can be seen wobbling about after you explode a torso. It's a giddy thrill for any old school zombie film nerd, and a super impressive technical feat -- which are getting rarer and rarer in the modern graphical arms race.
There isn't enough of a game stitching it all together though. You walk, you smash enemies, you pick up mcguffins, you get stilted unfunny cutscenes, you repeat the process. The gore and weapon customisation (fire damage butcher knife!) keep you interested for a few hours, but not much beyond that.
Bonus points for having an Irish character who says actual Irish people things like bure, feen, gom, and so on.
Steam Deck notes: can play at a rock solid 30fps on a mix of medium and low settings. Can get to a locked 40 if you want to mess with the settings more, but I never bothered. Will chew through battery, obviously.
To be fair; it's a very fun zombie-mashing simulator. In the spirit of a cool-but-flawed PS2 game, it has a gnarly gimmick but doesn't design an interesting enough game around it.
The gore and zombie mutilation tech on show here is genuinely impressive. Rather than having preset deform points (decapitate, chop arms off at the shoulder etc), every single enemy has a highly responsive, highly specific damage model based on how and where you attack. Blunt items hitting jaws will cause them to unhinged, blades will chop off hands at the exact place you strike, individual organs can be seen wobbling about after you explode a torso. It's a giddy thrill for any old school zombie film nerd, and a super impressive technical feat -- which are getting rarer and rarer in the modern graphical arms race.
There isn't enough of a game stitching it all together though. You walk, you smash enemies, you pick up mcguffins, you get stilted unfunny cutscenes, you repeat the process. The gore and weapon customisation (fire damage butcher knife!) keep you interested for a few hours, but not much beyond that.
Bonus points for having an Irish character who says actual Irish people things like bure, feen, gom, and so on.
Steam Deck notes: can play at a rock solid 30fps on a mix of medium and low settings. Can get to a locked 40 if you want to mess with the settings more, but I never bothered. Will chew through battery, obviously.
2023
Insanely addictive puzzle gem. Just a few quid on Steam.
A wonderful revitalising of a series that proves the classics never go out of style. Some of the frustrations of this era are still there, but at the same time I wouldn't want these two particular games without them.
2007
Better than Hit and Run, and also one of the funniest comedy games ever. This is MAJORLY slept on.
[emulated for PS3 on Steam Deck, where it runs perfectly with only minor, rare graphical issues. A controller disconnected error will pop up at first launch, but you can fix it via a patch]
[emulated for PS3 on Steam Deck, where it runs perfectly with only minor, rare graphical issues. A controller disconnected error will pop up at first launch, but you can fix it via a patch]
2023
Having a lazy Saturday, so I decided to work through my Game Pass backlog; including finally giving Redfall a spin.
Not going to slap a rating on this based off two hours of play, but as someone who loves Arkane's style of game this was kind of soul destroying. A current-gen only experience that looks this bad, runs at 30 fps, and has awful, storyboard animatics for cutscenes -- it doesn't put its best foot forward with presentation. The gameplay is just a ho-hum version of their infinitely better games which you can also play on Game Pass or grab on Steam with change from a tenner. When I died during the second mission and it sent me all the way back to the starting safehouse, I had my 'IM GOOD!' moment and uninstalled it. What a terrible bummer.
Not going to slap a rating on this based off two hours of play, but as someone who loves Arkane's style of game this was kind of soul destroying. A current-gen only experience that looks this bad, runs at 30 fps, and has awful, storyboard animatics for cutscenes -- it doesn't put its best foot forward with presentation. The gameplay is just a ho-hum version of their infinitely better games which you can also play on Game Pass or grab on Steam with change from a tenner. When I died during the second mission and it sent me all the way back to the starting safehouse, I had my 'IM GOOD!' moment and uninstalled it. What a terrible bummer.