TheQuietGamer
Following the same structure as Crimes & Punishments, The Devil's Daughter sees you returning to the homey, familiar vibes of Frogwares' Sherlock Holmes series to complete a string of cases that are connected via a surprisingly emotional wraparound story that ties into earlier games in the franchise in a way that will be a real treat for longtime fans. Right from the get-go you can tell things aren't where you'd want the second entry on the 8th generation of consoles to be from a technical standpoint. The graphics (specifically the character models, the environments are fine) are dated and ugly, there's light screen tearing throughout, and a host of weird bugs diminish the experience. Such as one where a line of dialog would constantly repeat in a certain area, often over other conversations, despite the character that uttered it being long gone at that point. As bad as these problems are though, the real issues holding this back are the gameplay and writing deficiencies.
Once again you'll engage in a variety of one-off, mini-game-esque segments designed to inject some action into the proceedings. They feel like the kind of things Telltale Games might have come up with had they continued to evolve the level of interaction players had with their titles outside of just making story decisions. While there are some genuinely inventive and enjoyable scenarios and puzzles, on the whole there isn't really anything that matches the level of fun and depth found in TDD's most direct predecessor, leaving me wanting a bit more on this front overall.
The real highlight of these Sherlock Holmes adventures is still how much freedom you're given in making deductions. You always have access to everything you'll need to uncover clues and are left to piece together what you've discovered on your own. So whether or not the right person is brought to justice depends entirely on how you interpret the information given. This can lead to some exhilarating moments of sweaty palmed second-guessing. At least when it's not leading you down the wrong path that is. In one of the mysteries you'll be tasked with solving there aren't just red herrings, but blatant, highly detailed misinformation that leads to an outcome more logical and supported by greater evidence than what the writers actually intended. It's so egregious I unapologetically sided with my headcanon over the case's legitimate ending.
For all of its faults however, it's hard to keep a good gumshoe down. You can still walk away from this feeling incredibly clever and that, along with the thrill of agonizing over whether you're about to accuse the wrong person and condemn someone innocent, remains a high worth chasing. It's just unfortunate that due to its flawed state only the most dedicated of supersleuths will find this a case worth taking on.
6/10
Once again you'll engage in a variety of one-off, mini-game-esque segments designed to inject some action into the proceedings. They feel like the kind of things Telltale Games might have come up with had they continued to evolve the level of interaction players had with their titles outside of just making story decisions. While there are some genuinely inventive and enjoyable scenarios and puzzles, on the whole there isn't really anything that matches the level of fun and depth found in TDD's most direct predecessor, leaving me wanting a bit more on this front overall.
The real highlight of these Sherlock Holmes adventures is still how much freedom you're given in making deductions. You always have access to everything you'll need to uncover clues and are left to piece together what you've discovered on your own. So whether or not the right person is brought to justice depends entirely on how you interpret the information given. This can lead to some exhilarating moments of sweaty palmed second-guessing. At least when it's not leading you down the wrong path that is. In one of the mysteries you'll be tasked with solving there aren't just red herrings, but blatant, highly detailed misinformation that leads to an outcome more logical and supported by greater evidence than what the writers actually intended. It's so egregious I unapologetically sided with my headcanon over the case's legitimate ending.
For all of its faults however, it's hard to keep a good gumshoe down. You can still walk away from this feeling incredibly clever and that, along with the thrill of agonizing over whether you're about to accuse the wrong person and condemn someone innocent, remains a high worth chasing. It's just unfortunate that due to its flawed state only the most dedicated of supersleuths will find this a case worth taking on.
6/10
2020
Played on a base model PS4. I mention that because as a title that launched in a state just as bad as, if not worse than, Fallout 76 did, here is where it was said to have had the worst performance. Things have certainly come a long way. There are still bugs and glitches, but Cyberpunk has at least reached a point on the console where it is entirely playable. So while that does not make up for all the scummy things that went on behind the scenes, it does mean I have finally been able to experience the content it offers and can review the actual game itself, rather than just remarking on its technical shortcomings and CD Projekt RED's lies. A game that, while still good, is nowhere near what we were promised it was going to be.
Night City is a massive place filled with enough side-quests and odd jobs to keep you busy for hundreds of hours. Almost all of which have a level of writing comparable to that of GTA V's. The world itself is diverse, teeming with life, and is one of the best I've experienced in all my years of gaming. I often found myself forsaking driving and walking to my objectives just to take in the sights.
Unfortunately, your interactions with it are painfully limited narrative-wise. It's a good story. One filled with incredibly well-written and acted characters I grew to genuinely care about. It's just not even remotely as open-ended as they told us it was going to be. The main plot thread is very linear with each quest largely playing out the exact same way every time right up until you choose an ending. It makes multiple playthroughs kind of boring as you've basically seen everything it has to offer the first time around save for the actual different endings themselves. Yeah, you can pick another background for your avatar, but outside of the occasional dialog option this only affects which prologue you'll receive and has no real impact on the rest of the experience. Compare this to CD's earlier work The Witcher 2 where a choice you make relatively early on can take you to two entirely different areas complete with their own content and you have a noticeable and significant step back for the developer.
There are some other, more minor aspects of the game that aren't up to par as well. Like the character creation system that favors superfluous feeling cosmetic decorations over rather basic means of crafting facial structure. Did we really need the ability to select genital size in lieu of being able to shape foreheads? I think not. The shooting and driving controls are also loose, which led to a lot of tinkering in the menus before they became useable for me.
Forever marred by the dishonest and even illegal business practices of its creators and (at times VERY) rough around the edges, Cyberpunk 2077 is still worth playing for the things it does brilliantly and the myriad number of ways you can use technology to transform your body into the ultimate killing machine. In a lot of ways it was the futuristic gangster life simulator I never knew I wanted. Yet, this is far from the genre redefining RPG it was marketed as and lags behind its peers in some embarrassing ways given the talent putting it out. So when all is said and done this is merely a "good" game when it should have been the next big thing.
7.5/10
Night City is a massive place filled with enough side-quests and odd jobs to keep you busy for hundreds of hours. Almost all of which have a level of writing comparable to that of GTA V's. The world itself is diverse, teeming with life, and is one of the best I've experienced in all my years of gaming. I often found myself forsaking driving and walking to my objectives just to take in the sights.
Unfortunately, your interactions with it are painfully limited narrative-wise. It's a good story. One filled with incredibly well-written and acted characters I grew to genuinely care about. It's just not even remotely as open-ended as they told us it was going to be. The main plot thread is very linear with each quest largely playing out the exact same way every time right up until you choose an ending. It makes multiple playthroughs kind of boring as you've basically seen everything it has to offer the first time around save for the actual different endings themselves. Yeah, you can pick another background for your avatar, but outside of the occasional dialog option this only affects which prologue you'll receive and has no real impact on the rest of the experience. Compare this to CD's earlier work The Witcher 2 where a choice you make relatively early on can take you to two entirely different areas complete with their own content and you have a noticeable and significant step back for the developer.
There are some other, more minor aspects of the game that aren't up to par as well. Like the character creation system that favors superfluous feeling cosmetic decorations over rather basic means of crafting facial structure. Did we really need the ability to select genital size in lieu of being able to shape foreheads? I think not. The shooting and driving controls are also loose, which led to a lot of tinkering in the menus before they became useable for me.
Forever marred by the dishonest and even illegal business practices of its creators and (at times VERY) rough around the edges, Cyberpunk 2077 is still worth playing for the things it does brilliantly and the myriad number of ways you can use technology to transform your body into the ultimate killing machine. In a lot of ways it was the futuristic gangster life simulator I never knew I wanted. Yet, this is far from the genre redefining RPG it was marketed as and lags behind its peers in some embarrassing ways given the talent putting it out. So when all is said and done this is merely a "good" game when it should have been the next big thing.
7.5/10
The OTHER much-maligned Fallout title. Like the more recent 76, Brotherhood of Steel is a spin-off in the series that earned the ire of the fanbase for experimenting with a different style of gameplay. It's a hack 'n slash dungeon crawler in the vein of Diablo, and while that's not exactly what one would expect from the IP that doesn't make it a bad game.
In fact, it's quite good at what it does. There's a lot of loot, tons of monsters to kill, cool environments to explore, and even two player couch co-op. It's not perfect by any means. There are plenty of odd deficiencies like a lack of music throughout most of the game and I have to wonder why they bothered with a dialog tree when all the options lead to the same outcome and you can't define your character in any way. However, as long as you are willing to accept the fact that this isn't a choice-based RPG like the main entries in the series this can satisfy your craving for action in a wackier version post-apocalyptic world you've come to love over the years.
Stylistically this is a fascinating take on the franchise. It's like some bootleg version of Fallout with the tone of a B-movie. The game is packed with immature humor and the creature designs look like they were made with the intention of being just similar enough to the rest of the series to trick the uninformed, while also trying to avoid a plagiarism lawsuit despite the fact that this came directly from Interplay themselves. So while the arrival of 76 may mean this can no longer be considered the worst Fallout, it will always be the weirdest. That alone might make it worth playing for some.
The franchise, while largely more serious than this overall, has always had some absurd humor thrown in here and there. So it's kind of fun to see Brotherhood of Steel fully embrace the more ridiculous side of the nuclear apocalypse. Now, I'm not saying this is going to be every Fallout fan's cup of tea. It's just that none of it is outright broken or unplayable so I feel the hate this game has received over the years has been flat out excessive, rather unearned, and largely derived more from what it isn't as opposed to what it actually is. Which is unfair considering it legitimately does a pretty good job at the whole Diablo/Gauntlet thing.
8/10
In fact, it's quite good at what it does. There's a lot of loot, tons of monsters to kill, cool environments to explore, and even two player couch co-op. It's not perfect by any means. There are plenty of odd deficiencies like a lack of music throughout most of the game and I have to wonder why they bothered with a dialog tree when all the options lead to the same outcome and you can't define your character in any way. However, as long as you are willing to accept the fact that this isn't a choice-based RPG like the main entries in the series this can satisfy your craving for action in a wackier version post-apocalyptic world you've come to love over the years.
Stylistically this is a fascinating take on the franchise. It's like some bootleg version of Fallout with the tone of a B-movie. The game is packed with immature humor and the creature designs look like they were made with the intention of being just similar enough to the rest of the series to trick the uninformed, while also trying to avoid a plagiarism lawsuit despite the fact that this came directly from Interplay themselves. So while the arrival of 76 may mean this can no longer be considered the worst Fallout, it will always be the weirdest. That alone might make it worth playing for some.
The franchise, while largely more serious than this overall, has always had some absurd humor thrown in here and there. So it's kind of fun to see Brotherhood of Steel fully embrace the more ridiculous side of the nuclear apocalypse. Now, I'm not saying this is going to be every Fallout fan's cup of tea. It's just that none of it is outright broken or unplayable so I feel the hate this game has received over the years has been flat out excessive, rather unearned, and largely derived more from what it isn't as opposed to what it actually is. Which is unfair considering it legitimately does a pretty good job at the whole Diablo/Gauntlet thing.
8/10
A game that gets talked about more for what it isn't, rather than what it is. All because people don't understand the concept of spin-offs. I'm not saying it's a great game, but Book of Memories is far from the franchise tarnishing change in direction so many would have you believe. That would be Konami's Silent Hill themed pachinko machines which appear to be the sad future of the series.
The reason this game has such a bad rep is because it moves away from the traditional survival-horror gameplay we've come to associate with the SH brand in favor of top-down ARPG action à la Diablo. There's also co-op. This is definitely going to seem like an unforgiveable sin to any purist, but when you consider that this is a one-off side-excursion with no effect on the main continuity things are a little easier to swallow. Especially seeing as how it's a mostly competent experience that has you battling it out with enemies from all across the series and is packed to the brim with fan-service. I would be lying if I said there weren't irritations though.
The moment-to-moment gameplay is fine. I enjoyed exploring the procedurally generated levels and fighting classic Silent Hill foes. Things like degradable weapons and limited supplies are a nice touch that add some tension and serve as throwbacks to the series' survival-horror roots. The problems arise when the game tries to be any more complex than just killing your way through rooms of enemies. The convoluted karma system sucks a lot of fun from the experience. It's one of the many things the game never explains to the player. Given how it's tied to which ending you'll receive, it's frustrating to find yourself getting penalized and working your way to a conclusion you don't want for reasons you don't understand. I like the idea of discovering systems out through actually playing the game rather than having them spelled out for you right at the beginning. Take The Binding of Isaac for example. It explains very little to you and only by diving into it's twisted world will you discover how everything works. I feel this is what developer WayForward was trying to go for with Book of Memories, but they completely dropped the ball as there's no way to figure anything about the karma system in game. At least not as far as I could tell. I had to find my info online. That's just poor design. The load times are also atrocious.
WayForward did manage to create an interesting narrative for Book of Memories. The idea of changing the past to affect the future at the cost of others is interesting and quite twisted. I just wish it felt like I had more control over the outcome. Graphically, while far from the most impressive title on the Vita, it at least looks like a Silent Hill game. The soundtrack is also fantastic despite the loss of Akira Yamaoka. The vocal tracks in particular are among the series' best.
Gripes and irritations without a doubt hold Book of Memories back from feeling like a true welcome addition to the franchise. Yet, this isn't a complete slap in the face to Silent Hill or it's fan-base as there is some fun to be had with the core gameplay. What we have ended up with is a serviceable, albeit inessential hack 'n slash dungeon crawler that has a nasty reputation because it tried to do something different with a long-running and now dormant series.
6/10
The reason this game has such a bad rep is because it moves away from the traditional survival-horror gameplay we've come to associate with the SH brand in favor of top-down ARPG action à la Diablo. There's also co-op. This is definitely going to seem like an unforgiveable sin to any purist, but when you consider that this is a one-off side-excursion with no effect on the main continuity things are a little easier to swallow. Especially seeing as how it's a mostly competent experience that has you battling it out with enemies from all across the series and is packed to the brim with fan-service. I would be lying if I said there weren't irritations though.
The moment-to-moment gameplay is fine. I enjoyed exploring the procedurally generated levels and fighting classic Silent Hill foes. Things like degradable weapons and limited supplies are a nice touch that add some tension and serve as throwbacks to the series' survival-horror roots. The problems arise when the game tries to be any more complex than just killing your way through rooms of enemies. The convoluted karma system sucks a lot of fun from the experience. It's one of the many things the game never explains to the player. Given how it's tied to which ending you'll receive, it's frustrating to find yourself getting penalized and working your way to a conclusion you don't want for reasons you don't understand. I like the idea of discovering systems out through actually playing the game rather than having them spelled out for you right at the beginning. Take The Binding of Isaac for example. It explains very little to you and only by diving into it's twisted world will you discover how everything works. I feel this is what developer WayForward was trying to go for with Book of Memories, but they completely dropped the ball as there's no way to figure anything about the karma system in game. At least not as far as I could tell. I had to find my info online. That's just poor design. The load times are also atrocious.
WayForward did manage to create an interesting narrative for Book of Memories. The idea of changing the past to affect the future at the cost of others is interesting and quite twisted. I just wish it felt like I had more control over the outcome. Graphically, while far from the most impressive title on the Vita, it at least looks like a Silent Hill game. The soundtrack is also fantastic despite the loss of Akira Yamaoka. The vocal tracks in particular are among the series' best.
Gripes and irritations without a doubt hold Book of Memories back from feeling like a true welcome addition to the franchise. Yet, this isn't a complete slap in the face to Silent Hill or it's fan-base as there is some fun to be had with the core gameplay. What we have ended up with is a serviceable, albeit inessential hack 'n slash dungeon crawler that has a nasty reputation because it tried to do something different with a long-running and now dormant series.
6/10
2019
Puts you in the role of post-apocalyptic mailman as you ferry packages to and fro across a ruined America that's been brought to life by gorgeous photorealistic graphics. It's a long, arduous process that's made difficult by the weight of your cargo taking a toll on your balance and stability, as well as the path forward being rife with obstacles like highwaymen, destructive rainfall, supernatural entities, and even the terrain itself. While new items and features are introduced at a steady pace to ensure things get easier as you progress, traveling across the vast, empty expanses for miles on end doesn't necessarily become any more exciting. As a result, this is very much one of those love it or hate it kind of things.
I can see the game being a tedious slog for some and a straight shot of melatonin for others. There is an audience for this though. Personally, I was enamored with the story, themes, and overall originality of the mechanics. I enjoyed the sense of serenity that came from the slow-paced traversal so much that I was actually bothered whenever action would take center stage. I had no problem with the various enemy camps spread across the gargantuan map as I could deal or not deal with those as I saw fit. However, at several points you're forced into boss battles and the coverless third-person shooter system makes them more of a chore than anything. I was impressed with the scale of each encounter, but the game is definitely at its worst whenever guns are involved.
The online component makes the journey a little less lonely. You won't get to actually interact with another person, but structures built by other players will appear in your world to act as helping hands. Coming across a bridge or zip-line someone left behind not only makes your trek less of a hassle, but also allows you to feel strangely connected to individuals you'll never see. These random acts of kindness inspired me to not take up my own placed ladders or climbing ropes after using them with the hopes that they might prove useful to anybody else came that way next. Sweetening all of this is the "likes" system which allows you to award others with bonus experience points at the touch of a button whenever they've built something that's pleased you. Seeing that somebody not only used a road or safe house I crafted, but saw fit to reward me for it always brought a smile to my face. It's easily the best multiplayer experience I've ever had.
This is another meticulously crafted work of singular vision from the biggest auteur in the gaming industry. It transported me back to the PS2 era where you could find titles like Mr. Mosquito and Katamari Damacy that were entirely their own unique things. Because of this I believe Kojima delivered on his boasts of having created a completely new genre. I've certainly never played anything like this before. It's the kind of radical experimentation we need nowadays, even if the end results always end up being this divisive. While I definitely have a high affinity for the game I must admit not everyone will be as enthralled with it as I was. So despite the high score I'm giving it my ultimate recommendation is that you find a way to try it before you buy or even rent it in order to make sure it's for you.
9/10
I can see the game being a tedious slog for some and a straight shot of melatonin for others. There is an audience for this though. Personally, I was enamored with the story, themes, and overall originality of the mechanics. I enjoyed the sense of serenity that came from the slow-paced traversal so much that I was actually bothered whenever action would take center stage. I had no problem with the various enemy camps spread across the gargantuan map as I could deal or not deal with those as I saw fit. However, at several points you're forced into boss battles and the coverless third-person shooter system makes them more of a chore than anything. I was impressed with the scale of each encounter, but the game is definitely at its worst whenever guns are involved.
The online component makes the journey a little less lonely. You won't get to actually interact with another person, but structures built by other players will appear in your world to act as helping hands. Coming across a bridge or zip-line someone left behind not only makes your trek less of a hassle, but also allows you to feel strangely connected to individuals you'll never see. These random acts of kindness inspired me to not take up my own placed ladders or climbing ropes after using them with the hopes that they might prove useful to anybody else came that way next. Sweetening all of this is the "likes" system which allows you to award others with bonus experience points at the touch of a button whenever they've built something that's pleased you. Seeing that somebody not only used a road or safe house I crafted, but saw fit to reward me for it always brought a smile to my face. It's easily the best multiplayer experience I've ever had.
This is another meticulously crafted work of singular vision from the biggest auteur in the gaming industry. It transported me back to the PS2 era where you could find titles like Mr. Mosquito and Katamari Damacy that were entirely their own unique things. Because of this I believe Kojima delivered on his boasts of having created a completely new genre. I've certainly never played anything like this before. It's the kind of radical experimentation we need nowadays, even if the end results always end up being this divisive. While I definitely have a high affinity for the game I must admit not everyone will be as enthralled with it as I was. So despite the high score I'm giving it my ultimate recommendation is that you find a way to try it before you buy or even rent it in order to make sure it's for you.
9/10
2018
War. War never changes. Expect for when it does, apparently...
Fallout 76 departs from the series' single-player RPG roots in favor of online multiplayer. An idea I was initially onboard with as one thing that repeatedly entered my mind when playing Fallout 4 was how much fun it would have been to scour the wasteland with some friends by my side. Unfortunately a rough launch plagued by technical issues, server disconnections, exploits, controversy, and questionable design decisions (many of which are still around to this day) did a lot to sour my enjoyment of the game. Although, not enough to keep me from putting 191 hours (at the time of the original writing. 467 hours now) into it.
By far the most frustrating aspect of 76's gameplay is its far too restrictive crafting, gathering, and inventory management loop. Killing monsters, exploring the beautiful world of Appalachia, and completing quests can be a blast for a lot of the same reasons as the main entries. Not even a change to V.A.T.S (which now acts as a real-time lock-on system) can take away from the fact that the core action of the Bethesda Fallout series is a lot of fun. However, this enjoyment is hindered by having to almost constantly manage how much you're carrying both on your person and in your base's stash to ensure that you aren't over-encumbered while maintaining enough scrap parts to constantly repair your rapidly degrading gear. Even with several updates to help alleviate some of this frustration I still find myself having to make sacrifices that I'd rather not have to just to ensure that I can actually keep playing comfortably.
Right now the game's biggest deficiency is a lack of end-game content. After completing the game's solid, but uninterestingly told main quest your only real option is to launch nukes, fight the Scorchbeast Queen, and farm legendaries for better loot. Essentially the game becomes even more of a repetitive grind just with no real goal in sight anymore other than collecting more stuff. To make matters worse these are also rather tedious tasks. The amount of hoops you have to jump through to even launch a nuke make doing so a nightmare and the Queen battle itself just exemplifies how awful it is to fight flying enemies in this game. They're unappealing options that I found did little to incentivize me to return after hitting level 100 and collecting every trophy. Although, plenty of other people have not had that problem. I've seen a lot of players level 200 and up.
So if 76 has all these issues (and more), then why have I and so many others kept returning for hours on end? For me it's the world. Appalachia is by far the best map in any Fallout game to date and one of the best in any open-world game currently on the market. It's comprised of several distinctive regions allowing for a great deal of diversity in the kind of locales you'll visit. Bethesda has filled every inch with secrets and stories to uncover. The lack of NPCs is questionable for a variety of reasons, but it allows the environmental storytelling to shine like never before. Plus it really sells the feelings of isolation and danger in trying to carve out a place for yourself in a world where life has moved on. Something that, for me, makes all the quests and activities a little more interesting.
Fallout 76 is definitely a flawed game. There are still a lot of glitches and cheaters remaining, Bethesda's behind-the-scenes work is often shaky at best, and in an effort to please both longtime Fallout fans as well as the online survival gamers this is clearly trying to appeal to a lot of conflicting systems are in place that make things like PVP seem absolutely pointless. Yet in spite of this there is a certain charm to this. The main draw of player choice may have been removed, but several of the other appealing aspects of Fallouts 3 and 4 are still in place allowing for at least a modicum of entertainment if you're willing to be a little forgiving. No one can blame you if you aren't though. Even a lot of the diehard 76 fans will admit this game needs more work. However, even in the face of all its sins I still found myself playing it long enough to get that platinum trophy, and look forward to seeing what it grows into in the years to come.
7/10
Fallout 76 departs from the series' single-player RPG roots in favor of online multiplayer. An idea I was initially onboard with as one thing that repeatedly entered my mind when playing Fallout 4 was how much fun it would have been to scour the wasteland with some friends by my side. Unfortunately a rough launch plagued by technical issues, server disconnections, exploits, controversy, and questionable design decisions (many of which are still around to this day) did a lot to sour my enjoyment of the game. Although, not enough to keep me from putting 191 hours (at the time of the original writing. 467 hours now) into it.
By far the most frustrating aspect of 76's gameplay is its far too restrictive crafting, gathering, and inventory management loop. Killing monsters, exploring the beautiful world of Appalachia, and completing quests can be a blast for a lot of the same reasons as the main entries. Not even a change to V.A.T.S (which now acts as a real-time lock-on system) can take away from the fact that the core action of the Bethesda Fallout series is a lot of fun. However, this enjoyment is hindered by having to almost constantly manage how much you're carrying both on your person and in your base's stash to ensure that you aren't over-encumbered while maintaining enough scrap parts to constantly repair your rapidly degrading gear. Even with several updates to help alleviate some of this frustration I still find myself having to make sacrifices that I'd rather not have to just to ensure that I can actually keep playing comfortably.
Right now the game's biggest deficiency is a lack of end-game content. After completing the game's solid, but uninterestingly told main quest your only real option is to launch nukes, fight the Scorchbeast Queen, and farm legendaries for better loot. Essentially the game becomes even more of a repetitive grind just with no real goal in sight anymore other than collecting more stuff. To make matters worse these are also rather tedious tasks. The amount of hoops you have to jump through to even launch a nuke make doing so a nightmare and the Queen battle itself just exemplifies how awful it is to fight flying enemies in this game. They're unappealing options that I found did little to incentivize me to return after hitting level 100 and collecting every trophy. Although, plenty of other people have not had that problem. I've seen a lot of players level 200 and up.
So if 76 has all these issues (and more), then why have I and so many others kept returning for hours on end? For me it's the world. Appalachia is by far the best map in any Fallout game to date and one of the best in any open-world game currently on the market. It's comprised of several distinctive regions allowing for a great deal of diversity in the kind of locales you'll visit. Bethesda has filled every inch with secrets and stories to uncover. The lack of NPCs is questionable for a variety of reasons, but it allows the environmental storytelling to shine like never before. Plus it really sells the feelings of isolation and danger in trying to carve out a place for yourself in a world where life has moved on. Something that, for me, makes all the quests and activities a little more interesting.
Fallout 76 is definitely a flawed game. There are still a lot of glitches and cheaters remaining, Bethesda's behind-the-scenes work is often shaky at best, and in an effort to please both longtime Fallout fans as well as the online survival gamers this is clearly trying to appeal to a lot of conflicting systems are in place that make things like PVP seem absolutely pointless. Yet in spite of this there is a certain charm to this. The main draw of player choice may have been removed, but several of the other appealing aspects of Fallouts 3 and 4 are still in place allowing for at least a modicum of entertainment if you're willing to be a little forgiving. No one can blame you if you aren't though. Even a lot of the diehard 76 fans will admit this game needs more work. However, even in the face of all its sins I still found myself playing it long enough to get that platinum trophy, and look forward to seeing what it grows into in the years to come.
7/10
With this latest DLC adding in some long requested features, 76 now feels like a more traditional Fallout experience. NPCs have made their way to Appalachia and they've brought with them an exciting new main quest with decision making and humorous writing that feels like a direct response to The Outer Worlds, allies that can live with you at your camp (shame you can only have one at a time), a dialog system straight out of 3 and New Vegas, and skill checks galore. All of which make the game more enjoyable than ever. However, there is a misconception being spread by the community that this update has fixed everything. That's simply not true. It's definitely in the best state we've seen since launch, but Bethesda still has a long way to go to before "it just works."
Wastelanders does patch several outstanding issues, but in the process reintroduces some old ones while bringing it's own into the mix. I feel like the graphics have taken a bit of a hit and gameplay has gotten really choppy in the starting "Forest" area. I've also had a recurring problem with quest markers not showing up and my advancement of the ally Sofia's storyline was repeatedly halted as my progress would fail to load most of the time when coming back after having logged out. With exploits at all time high to boot, 76 is arguably at it's most disappointing on the technical side of things thus far.
While bugs and glitches have always been the no. 1 complaint with this game, another point of contention has been the lack of endgame content. This is something Bethesda tried to address here with a fourth currency and a faction reputation system. Grinding dailies and public events will increase your standing with the locals and allow you amass gold bullion. Both of which are required to unlock the plans for the newly added weapons, armors, and other goodies. This a very repetitive and lengthy process as outside of fairly rare random encounters there are only 3-4 methods of building your way to maximum status with everybody, and they're on a timer that forces you to wait until they reset after completing them. Still, it is nice to have a reason to keep coming back after making your way through the core offerings.
A big question that's been on minds of many since this has dropped is whether or not now is a good time to jump on as a newcomer. I'd say yes, as Wastelanders does offer some legitimately good Fallout gameplay and storytelling. The only caveat being that if you are trying it out for the first time you must make it through a portion of the original's divisive story missions first, as most of this new stuff is locked off until you reach level 20 and have completed all of the tasks for the raider robot Rose. For those who have already seen and done everything in the base game or at least met those requirements, returning is a no-brainer.
This latest wave of DLC might not have "saved" 76, but it has given it the best foundation it's ever had to build upon. With fun new questlines and more promising updates on the horizon, the game's future has never been brighter or it's present more agreeable than it is right now. As a result, I still look forward to seeing where Bethesda takes things from here, which hopefully includes a step up in their efforts to squash all of the bugs in their code because that is the primary concern with this title.
7.5/10
Wastelanders does patch several outstanding issues, but in the process reintroduces some old ones while bringing it's own into the mix. I feel like the graphics have taken a bit of a hit and gameplay has gotten really choppy in the starting "Forest" area. I've also had a recurring problem with quest markers not showing up and my advancement of the ally Sofia's storyline was repeatedly halted as my progress would fail to load most of the time when coming back after having logged out. With exploits at all time high to boot, 76 is arguably at it's most disappointing on the technical side of things thus far.
While bugs and glitches have always been the no. 1 complaint with this game, another point of contention has been the lack of endgame content. This is something Bethesda tried to address here with a fourth currency and a faction reputation system. Grinding dailies and public events will increase your standing with the locals and allow you amass gold bullion. Both of which are required to unlock the plans for the newly added weapons, armors, and other goodies. This a very repetitive and lengthy process as outside of fairly rare random encounters there are only 3-4 methods of building your way to maximum status with everybody, and they're on a timer that forces you to wait until they reset after completing them. Still, it is nice to have a reason to keep coming back after making your way through the core offerings.
A big question that's been on minds of many since this has dropped is whether or not now is a good time to jump on as a newcomer. I'd say yes, as Wastelanders does offer some legitimately good Fallout gameplay and storytelling. The only caveat being that if you are trying it out for the first time you must make it through a portion of the original's divisive story missions first, as most of this new stuff is locked off until you reach level 20 and have completed all of the tasks for the raider robot Rose. For those who have already seen and done everything in the base game or at least met those requirements, returning is a no-brainer.
This latest wave of DLC might not have "saved" 76, but it has given it the best foundation it's ever had to build upon. With fun new questlines and more promising updates on the horizon, the game's future has never been brighter or it's present more agreeable than it is right now. As a result, I still look forward to seeing where Bethesda takes things from here, which hopefully includes a step up in their efforts to squash all of the bugs in their code because that is the primary concern with this title.
7.5/10
This might very well be the best asymmetrical multiplayer game currently on the market. Not because it actually does anything all that different from its competition, but rather the simple fact that it's based on one of the most iconic horror franchises of all time. The faithfulness to the property alone made it more enjoyable for me than the likes of Evolve or Dead by Daylight, despite those also being decent games in their own rights. Yet, being better than the rest doesn't mean that Friday the 13th managed to escape all of the problems that these kind of games are accustomed to. So the amount of fun you'll have will still vary wildly from match to match.
I found playing as a counselor to be the more consistently entertaining of the two options. You're given a lot of different ways to survive Jason's onslaught. A bare bones tutorial means that you'll have to figure out most of this stuff on your own, but discovering how all the different things you'll come across in the environment can be used to aid in your escape or defeat of Jason can be very satisfying, tense, and rewarding so long as you aren't killed at the beginning of the match and get to participate in putting all of the pieces together at least a little bit. Which kind of leads to the biggest problem on this side of the game. Playing as a counselor is obviously designed with teamwork in mind, but as anyone with any experience with multiplayer games will tell you even while being chased by a nigh unkillable brute in a hockey mask it's often your own teammates that will be your worst nightmare.
Coming across a group of high level players that like to hog all of the good stuff for themselves while berating the less experienced around them who are just trying to participate is no fun whatsoever. Mix that in with the game's already steep learning curve and one or more bad encounters like that could turn away some newcomers. Now, not everybody will have this problem. There are those who will come across longtime vets who are more than happy to show them the ropes. Unfortunately, it will just come down to luck of the draw as the big trade-off that comes with going online in any form is that at some point you're going to come across a jerk or two. I'm not saying that the asymmetrical multiplayer genre is more prone to these kind of encounters, but when the most enjoyable experiences I've had with these types of games were in matches where nobody was wearing a mic and we were all largely doing our own things, well, that should tell you something.
With the offline option being plagued with AI so bad it's outright unplayable, those wanting to go strictly solo are going to have to hope they get selected to be Jason. While it can be a lot of fun to rampage your way through Camp Crystal Lake leaving a trail of bodies in your wake, I did find that this side had the more flawed gameplay. Asymmetrical multiplayer games require a delicate balancing act of meticulously designed and interlocking systems to ensure that things remain fair on both sides of the experience. So it makes sense for the counselors to have a significant speed and mobility advantage over Jason considering that he's basically a walking, invulnerable death machine, but I don't see why his movements and controls had to be so stiff and clunky. This is somewhat offset by the variety of abilities at your disposal that vary across the handful of film incarnations you can play as, but those are rendered useless when faced with a player that is content to cheese the game by jumping in and out of windows repeatedly or running around a table until the clock runs out.
At it's best the game is an absolute blast. A lot of attention to detail was put into recreating the look and feel of the films, allowing it to pull off the tension and thrills of a good '80s slasher flick a nice portion of the time. The problem is that the experience is so darn inconsistent due to things like the stiff controls, connection issues, glitches, or potentially getting paired with toxic players. Because of that I can't wholeheartedly recommend it no matter how badly I actually want to.
6.8/10
I found playing as a counselor to be the more consistently entertaining of the two options. You're given a lot of different ways to survive Jason's onslaught. A bare bones tutorial means that you'll have to figure out most of this stuff on your own, but discovering how all the different things you'll come across in the environment can be used to aid in your escape or defeat of Jason can be very satisfying, tense, and rewarding so long as you aren't killed at the beginning of the match and get to participate in putting all of the pieces together at least a little bit. Which kind of leads to the biggest problem on this side of the game. Playing as a counselor is obviously designed with teamwork in mind, but as anyone with any experience with multiplayer games will tell you even while being chased by a nigh unkillable brute in a hockey mask it's often your own teammates that will be your worst nightmare.
Coming across a group of high level players that like to hog all of the good stuff for themselves while berating the less experienced around them who are just trying to participate is no fun whatsoever. Mix that in with the game's already steep learning curve and one or more bad encounters like that could turn away some newcomers. Now, not everybody will have this problem. There are those who will come across longtime vets who are more than happy to show them the ropes. Unfortunately, it will just come down to luck of the draw as the big trade-off that comes with going online in any form is that at some point you're going to come across a jerk or two. I'm not saying that the asymmetrical multiplayer genre is more prone to these kind of encounters, but when the most enjoyable experiences I've had with these types of games were in matches where nobody was wearing a mic and we were all largely doing our own things, well, that should tell you something.
With the offline option being plagued with AI so bad it's outright unplayable, those wanting to go strictly solo are going to have to hope they get selected to be Jason. While it can be a lot of fun to rampage your way through Camp Crystal Lake leaving a trail of bodies in your wake, I did find that this side had the more flawed gameplay. Asymmetrical multiplayer games require a delicate balancing act of meticulously designed and interlocking systems to ensure that things remain fair on both sides of the experience. So it makes sense for the counselors to have a significant speed and mobility advantage over Jason considering that he's basically a walking, invulnerable death machine, but I don't see why his movements and controls had to be so stiff and clunky. This is somewhat offset by the variety of abilities at your disposal that vary across the handful of film incarnations you can play as, but those are rendered useless when faced with a player that is content to cheese the game by jumping in and out of windows repeatedly or running around a table until the clock runs out.
At it's best the game is an absolute blast. A lot of attention to detail was put into recreating the look and feel of the films, allowing it to pull off the tension and thrills of a good '80s slasher flick a nice portion of the time. The problem is that the experience is so darn inconsistent due to things like the stiff controls, connection issues, glitches, or potentially getting paired with toxic players. Because of that I can't wholeheartedly recommend it no matter how badly I actually want to.
6.8/10
2018
In all my years of gaming I haven't experienced another title that's been as addictive for me as this one. I constantly catch myself saying "just one more match" only to find that I'm still playing it hours later. Not even reaching the tail end of my phone's battery life has proven a sure-fire way of getting me to stop, as I have no trouble sitting by the wall socket as it charges away.
Among Us is an asymmetrical multiplayer game that places you in space with 10 or fewer other players, up to three of which are nefarious imposters. As a crewmate your job is to complete various tasks around the ship and figure out who isn't who they say they are so that they can be ejected out of the airlock. As an imposter you're trying to kill everyone and not get caught.
Both sides have a few tools at their disposal. Imposters for example can use vents to fast travel to different rooms and make a quick getaway after a kill, while also having the ability to sabotage different parts of the environment to distract or separate their prey. Crewmates on the other hand aren't quite as complex as their options mostly boil down to watching security cameras to catch their foes in the act or making use of the buddy system so that there's someone watching your back while you do whatever dull mini-game is tied to your objective and vouching for you when accusations start getting thrown around (more on that in a minute). Their defining feature doesn't come out until after death. Should you meet your untimely demise at the hands of the opposition you can still keep playing as a ghost to complete your remaining tasks. Allowing you to help your team achieve victory from beyond the grave, even if you are no longer able to communicate with them.
The real thrill of Among Us though is in the voting segments. Whenever an emergency meeting is called for one reason or another, players can begin the process of elimination. Making deductions and trying to convince everyone else of your innocence is a blast because of all the doors for mind games it opens up. Whether it's forming alliances, shifting blame, or something far more complex despite the game's simplistic format you are only limited by your own creativity when it comes to finding a way to get that elusive W.
Yet, even at your most clever or inventive some matches can be a disaster and not because of anything you're doing. It's all in who you end up having to play with. Getting stuck with people who throw out baseless accusations or troll the chat is always frustrating. So the biggest hindrance to your fun will be the other players. That's not really the developers fault now is it?
Who would have thought the best asymmetrical multiplayer experience on the market would be a free-to-play, made in Unity mobile game that came out a little over two years ago and is only now getting the attention it deserves? Matches can be customized a bit in order to tailor things more to your liking and help offset some of the antics that come from the less desirable types who make their way into your lobby, so I really do recommend giving this a shot while it's still at the height of it's popularity. Even at its worst it blows all of its competition from Evolve to Dead by Daylight and Friday the 13th out of the water. Which is a huge achievement for such a small project.
8/10
Among Us is an asymmetrical multiplayer game that places you in space with 10 or fewer other players, up to three of which are nefarious imposters. As a crewmate your job is to complete various tasks around the ship and figure out who isn't who they say they are so that they can be ejected out of the airlock. As an imposter you're trying to kill everyone and not get caught.
Both sides have a few tools at their disposal. Imposters for example can use vents to fast travel to different rooms and make a quick getaway after a kill, while also having the ability to sabotage different parts of the environment to distract or separate their prey. Crewmates on the other hand aren't quite as complex as their options mostly boil down to watching security cameras to catch their foes in the act or making use of the buddy system so that there's someone watching your back while you do whatever dull mini-game is tied to your objective and vouching for you when accusations start getting thrown around (more on that in a minute). Their defining feature doesn't come out until after death. Should you meet your untimely demise at the hands of the opposition you can still keep playing as a ghost to complete your remaining tasks. Allowing you to help your team achieve victory from beyond the grave, even if you are no longer able to communicate with them.
The real thrill of Among Us though is in the voting segments. Whenever an emergency meeting is called for one reason or another, players can begin the process of elimination. Making deductions and trying to convince everyone else of your innocence is a blast because of all the doors for mind games it opens up. Whether it's forming alliances, shifting blame, or something far more complex despite the game's simplistic format you are only limited by your own creativity when it comes to finding a way to get that elusive W.
Yet, even at your most clever or inventive some matches can be a disaster and not because of anything you're doing. It's all in who you end up having to play with. Getting stuck with people who throw out baseless accusations or troll the chat is always frustrating. So the biggest hindrance to your fun will be the other players. That's not really the developers fault now is it?
Who would have thought the best asymmetrical multiplayer experience on the market would be a free-to-play, made in Unity mobile game that came out a little over two years ago and is only now getting the attention it deserves? Matches can be customized a bit in order to tailor things more to your liking and help offset some of the antics that come from the less desirable types who make their way into your lobby, so I really do recommend giving this a shot while it's still at the height of it's popularity. Even at its worst it blows all of its competition from Evolve to Dead by Daylight and Friday the 13th out of the water. Which is a huge achievement for such a small project.
8/10
From the people who brought us Friday the 13th: The Game comes another asymmetrical multiplayer experience. This time based on 20th Century Studios' Predator franchise. It sees a squad of soldiers go head-to-head with one of sci-fi's most iconic creations and the results are surprisingly pretty great.
As a member of the "Fireteam" you and up to three other people are tasked with completing objectives across a lush jungle environment before exfiltrating on "the choppa" preferably with everyone intact. A task made more difficult by the AI assailants scattered across the map that, while generally not very intelligent, are still perceptive enough to draw you into a firefight that can attract the attention of the real threat to your success. This side of things plays like your traditional military FPS. You customize a loadout complete with perks and weapon attachments while using an instantly recognizable control scheme that will be familiar to anyone who's played a shooter since the 360/PS3 era. As a result, it's very accessible and the only thing you'll really have to learn is how to disable alarms and coat yourself in mud to avoid getting detected.
Meanwhile as the titular alien villain your job is to track down and eliminate the other players before they can escape. I've heard people say this half of the game is unbalanced, as in an atypical move for the genre the person doing the hunting is at a disadvantage. One-on-one your opponents will offer little resistance, but if the group is sticking together they can gun you down in seconds. It sounds brutal and unfair, but while I myself have yet to pick up a win as the Predator I've had quite a few matches where my team and I were the victims of a one-sided beatdown. You simply have to take a tactical approach and make intelligent usage of the advanced technology at your disposal to chip away at the Fireteam. You know, kind of like how the creature did in the actual movie? Honestly, I think people are just complaining because they're upset they can't run through everyone as a nigh-invincible killing machine like they could as Jason Voorhees.
I was shocked to find that many of the issues I typically have with these types of games weren't that much of a factor here. The setup seems to encourage positive cooperation so I haven't had any issues with other people mucking about or being a jerk, and an Apex Legends-esque ping system allows you communicate information with your companions without ever having to utter a word. The amount of actual content will still be questionable for some, but personally the light elements of random generation have kept things from getting stale for me after countless matches now despite some key areas having the same objectives every time. It's even the first asymmetrical title I've seen that offers another mode, although it isn't much to write home about. "Clash" sees two Fireteams duking it out over rotating capture points. It basically plays out like a poor man's Hardpoint from Call of Duty where someone occasionally gets to be the Predator. Microtransactions are also not a nuisance as the cosmetics can be attained through generously doled out loot boxes or by purchasing them individually with "Veritanium" which can be found scattered across the maps. All is not perfect as, while gorgeous at first glance, looking too closely will reveal plastic textures and there are some infrequent matchmaking woes, but this is head and shoulders above the majority of its competition regardless.
The real appeal though may just be its faithfulness to the source material. Authentic sound effects and visuals help it to recapture the feeling of that original film. I hope the devs continue to update this the way they did their previous title with content from the other movies because there is plenty of room to grow. Yet, in its current state it is nonetheless addictive and when it comes to this particular style of multiplayer is second only to the mighty Among Us.
8/10
As a member of the "Fireteam" you and up to three other people are tasked with completing objectives across a lush jungle environment before exfiltrating on "the choppa" preferably with everyone intact. A task made more difficult by the AI assailants scattered across the map that, while generally not very intelligent, are still perceptive enough to draw you into a firefight that can attract the attention of the real threat to your success. This side of things plays like your traditional military FPS. You customize a loadout complete with perks and weapon attachments while using an instantly recognizable control scheme that will be familiar to anyone who's played a shooter since the 360/PS3 era. As a result, it's very accessible and the only thing you'll really have to learn is how to disable alarms and coat yourself in mud to avoid getting detected.
Meanwhile as the titular alien villain your job is to track down and eliminate the other players before they can escape. I've heard people say this half of the game is unbalanced, as in an atypical move for the genre the person doing the hunting is at a disadvantage. One-on-one your opponents will offer little resistance, but if the group is sticking together they can gun you down in seconds. It sounds brutal and unfair, but while I myself have yet to pick up a win as the Predator I've had quite a few matches where my team and I were the victims of a one-sided beatdown. You simply have to take a tactical approach and make intelligent usage of the advanced technology at your disposal to chip away at the Fireteam. You know, kind of like how the creature did in the actual movie? Honestly, I think people are just complaining because they're upset they can't run through everyone as a nigh-invincible killing machine like they could as Jason Voorhees.
I was shocked to find that many of the issues I typically have with these types of games weren't that much of a factor here. The setup seems to encourage positive cooperation so I haven't had any issues with other people mucking about or being a jerk, and an Apex Legends-esque ping system allows you communicate information with your companions without ever having to utter a word. The amount of actual content will still be questionable for some, but personally the light elements of random generation have kept things from getting stale for me after countless matches now despite some key areas having the same objectives every time. It's even the first asymmetrical title I've seen that offers another mode, although it isn't much to write home about. "Clash" sees two Fireteams duking it out over rotating capture points. It basically plays out like a poor man's Hardpoint from Call of Duty where someone occasionally gets to be the Predator. Microtransactions are also not a nuisance as the cosmetics can be attained through generously doled out loot boxes or by purchasing them individually with "Veritanium" which can be found scattered across the maps. All is not perfect as, while gorgeous at first glance, looking too closely will reveal plastic textures and there are some infrequent matchmaking woes, but this is head and shoulders above the majority of its competition regardless.
The real appeal though may just be its faithfulness to the source material. Authentic sound effects and visuals help it to recapture the feeling of that original film. I hope the devs continue to update this the way they did their previous title with content from the other movies because there is plenty of room to grow. Yet, in its current state it is nonetheless addictive and when it comes to this particular style of multiplayer is second only to the mighty Among Us.
8/10
2014
Quite possibly the worst PS3 exclusive. Built around an original idea, the developers essentially created a bog-standard fantasy RPG. Only rather than going with any form of combat traditionally found in the genre they made the action that of a third-person shooter. While this is creative and even rather compelling, the problem is that due to constraints with the budget and likely time as well the game was released in a clearly unfinished state. Something that can be seen in the bare-bones plot, mind-boggling design decisions, and graphics that were behind the times even back in 2014.
As a game where you play as a newly awakened god, Magus certainly does a good job of making you feel like an all-powerful deity. There's no challenge at all as legions of enemies fall at your feet. Rather than being entirely intentional however, this is more so the result of poor difficulty balancing. There are a lot of broken systems in place that allow you to get too strong too quickly, such as the companion who can turn any item you're not using into a permanent stat boost. Plus, the vast majority of threats you encounter are melee attackers while you use an entirely ranged form of offense. So you can literally just strafe around hordes of foes without taking any damage.
Things are so easy you can pretty much autopilot your way through every battle by holding down the R1 button and circling. Your basic attack is a rapid-firing spray of magic that doesn't use mana and makes leveling up kind of pointless. Why invest your skill points in new abilities when the best spell you can get is given to you from the very beginning and doesn't run on a cooldown timer like rest do after all? It also doesn't help that some of them are rather bafflingly implemented. Like how your defensive knock-back included to help prevent you from getting hurt on those rare occasions when you get cornered counter-intuitively takes away some of your health whenever you use it.
Unfortunately, the writing doesn't fare much better. It's evident that this is the area that got the least amount of attention during the development cycle. The lore is weak, the story is often nonsensical, and there's no character or world-building going on at any point. The conflict never makes it out of the set-up phase that would occur in the prologue of any other RPG so nothing really significant happens by the time the credits roll. It also tries to give players the illusion of choice through dialog choices, but conversations always turn out the same way no matter what you pick and there's fairly regularly only one option to choose from anyways. The lines themselves also make your character an unlikable jerk by default. Why the devs decided to make nearly every interaction with another person end with you announcing you're going to murder them I have no idea.
Despite all of its flaws, or perhaps as a result of them, I can see Magus having a bit of a cult following as unlike a lot of bad games it isn't frustrating to play. In fact, it's short and breezy making it effortless for the right audience to have a quick laugh at it's expense. Personally though, I found it to be too boring to even ironically enjoy as I ran around its maze-like levels of identical corridors blasting any brainless knight or monster foolish enough to get in my way. That's because it lacks the charm and hidden depth that makes titles like Two Worlds or Deadfall Adventures endearing regardless of their faults.
You can tell Aksys and Black Tower pushed this out incomplete though it was due to not having the sufficient resources to fully realize their vision with the hopes that it would break even and just maybe somehow perform well enough that they could try again with the sequel set up in the cliffhanger ending. Obviously that didn't happen. Instead what we got is a weird, largely overlooked footnote in the PS3's library that will one day be completely forgotten. Which as sad as that may be is a fate I can't say the game is not deserving of given that it is legitimately terrible.
4/10
As a game where you play as a newly awakened god, Magus certainly does a good job of making you feel like an all-powerful deity. There's no challenge at all as legions of enemies fall at your feet. Rather than being entirely intentional however, this is more so the result of poor difficulty balancing. There are a lot of broken systems in place that allow you to get too strong too quickly, such as the companion who can turn any item you're not using into a permanent stat boost. Plus, the vast majority of threats you encounter are melee attackers while you use an entirely ranged form of offense. So you can literally just strafe around hordes of foes without taking any damage.
Things are so easy you can pretty much autopilot your way through every battle by holding down the R1 button and circling. Your basic attack is a rapid-firing spray of magic that doesn't use mana and makes leveling up kind of pointless. Why invest your skill points in new abilities when the best spell you can get is given to you from the very beginning and doesn't run on a cooldown timer like rest do after all? It also doesn't help that some of them are rather bafflingly implemented. Like how your defensive knock-back included to help prevent you from getting hurt on those rare occasions when you get cornered counter-intuitively takes away some of your health whenever you use it.
Unfortunately, the writing doesn't fare much better. It's evident that this is the area that got the least amount of attention during the development cycle. The lore is weak, the story is often nonsensical, and there's no character or world-building going on at any point. The conflict never makes it out of the set-up phase that would occur in the prologue of any other RPG so nothing really significant happens by the time the credits roll. It also tries to give players the illusion of choice through dialog choices, but conversations always turn out the same way no matter what you pick and there's fairly regularly only one option to choose from anyways. The lines themselves also make your character an unlikable jerk by default. Why the devs decided to make nearly every interaction with another person end with you announcing you're going to murder them I have no idea.
Despite all of its flaws, or perhaps as a result of them, I can see Magus having a bit of a cult following as unlike a lot of bad games it isn't frustrating to play. In fact, it's short and breezy making it effortless for the right audience to have a quick laugh at it's expense. Personally though, I found it to be too boring to even ironically enjoy as I ran around its maze-like levels of identical corridors blasting any brainless knight or monster foolish enough to get in my way. That's because it lacks the charm and hidden depth that makes titles like Two Worlds or Deadfall Adventures endearing regardless of their faults.
You can tell Aksys and Black Tower pushed this out incomplete though it was due to not having the sufficient resources to fully realize their vision with the hopes that it would break even and just maybe somehow perform well enough that they could try again with the sequel set up in the cliffhanger ending. Obviously that didn't happen. Instead what we got is a weird, largely overlooked footnote in the PS3's library that will one day be completely forgotten. Which as sad as that may be is a fate I can't say the game is not deserving of given that it is legitimately terrible.
4/10
2020
More than the simple Splatoon rip-off the art style would trick you into thinking it was at first glance, and not just because it replaces the squid people and ink with ninjas and bubblegum. This free-to-play multiplayer title favors melee combat over shooting, which is a style of gameplay that's always struggled in the online space. While there have been minor success stories like For Honor, for the most part hack 'n slash action has never translated over to the competitive gaming scene very well at all. Not even when big series like God of War or Ninja Gaiden tried their hands at it.
That's because it's hard to capture the same fluidity of mechanics and gameplay one would find in a single-player campaign when faced with the erratic nature of a real life opponent, and the various necessary systems proving tough to balance for similar reasons. Ninjala fares better than most, suffering more in the former category than the latter. The combat is stiff and clunky with your movements feeling somewhat slow. Your gum-based powers do a little bit to spice things up, particularly the ones that give you increased mobility, but while competent fighting is nowhere near as fast-paced or exciting as it should be. The real problem though is it's rock-paper-scissors parry system as it literally comes down to luck over skill, which is a huge no-no when it comes to multiplayer. As with anything it can still be pretty satisfying to score a knockout or win a match despite all this, but not enough so that I wasn't left wanting more from the experience overall.
Also leaving something to be desired is the amount of content. With only 6 maps, two main modes, and limited time offerings (none of which I've participated in being any fun) to give you three options of play in total there are obviously some longevity issues. What's here is fine for quick, infrequent sessions, but the game could really use some non-cosmetic expansions. Something the developers have really been slacking on given that this has been out for a little over a year now.
They have been good at least at updating the store with plenty of costumes and skins. I really enjoyed the character customization aspect. You have a wonderful degree of control when it comes to creating your avatar's appearance. Mix that in with the wealth of outfits available to purchase with in-game currency and you're truly able to give your ninja a distinct look.
It's this sort of thing that would make you think Ninjala has more personality than it actually does. It's lively, energetic visuals hint at some world-building going on behind-the-scenes, which ultimately isn't actually the case. There is a story mode, but it's locked behind a paywall of $10 a pop for each chapter and to this date the devs have still only released two. That's kind of a letdown because, again, this is over a year old at this point and without things like characters or significant plot developments to latch onto the unique, eye-catching theme really just ends up being nothing more than hollow window dressing that isn't reaching its potential.
With its non-existent price tag and a mien similar to that of other Nintendo favorites, Ninjala is certainly an attractive prospect when browsing the eShop. The game is only serviceable at best however. It could use some more attention from its creators in the form of more match types and some smoothing out of its rather rigid feeling combat. Because right now, without the support, its most appealing qualities are that you never feel the need to put down any real money on clothing or the seasonal battle pass, and that, for free, it does offer a passable (yet lacking) competitive gameplay experience.
6/10
That's because it's hard to capture the same fluidity of mechanics and gameplay one would find in a single-player campaign when faced with the erratic nature of a real life opponent, and the various necessary systems proving tough to balance for similar reasons. Ninjala fares better than most, suffering more in the former category than the latter. The combat is stiff and clunky with your movements feeling somewhat slow. Your gum-based powers do a little bit to spice things up, particularly the ones that give you increased mobility, but while competent fighting is nowhere near as fast-paced or exciting as it should be. The real problem though is it's rock-paper-scissors parry system as it literally comes down to luck over skill, which is a huge no-no when it comes to multiplayer. As with anything it can still be pretty satisfying to score a knockout or win a match despite all this, but not enough so that I wasn't left wanting more from the experience overall.
Also leaving something to be desired is the amount of content. With only 6 maps, two main modes, and limited time offerings (none of which I've participated in being any fun) to give you three options of play in total there are obviously some longevity issues. What's here is fine for quick, infrequent sessions, but the game could really use some non-cosmetic expansions. Something the developers have really been slacking on given that this has been out for a little over a year now.
They have been good at least at updating the store with plenty of costumes and skins. I really enjoyed the character customization aspect. You have a wonderful degree of control when it comes to creating your avatar's appearance. Mix that in with the wealth of outfits available to purchase with in-game currency and you're truly able to give your ninja a distinct look.
It's this sort of thing that would make you think Ninjala has more personality than it actually does. It's lively, energetic visuals hint at some world-building going on behind-the-scenes, which ultimately isn't actually the case. There is a story mode, but it's locked behind a paywall of $10 a pop for each chapter and to this date the devs have still only released two. That's kind of a letdown because, again, this is over a year old at this point and without things like characters or significant plot developments to latch onto the unique, eye-catching theme really just ends up being nothing more than hollow window dressing that isn't reaching its potential.
With its non-existent price tag and a mien similar to that of other Nintendo favorites, Ninjala is certainly an attractive prospect when browsing the eShop. The game is only serviceable at best however. It could use some more attention from its creators in the form of more match types and some smoothing out of its rather rigid feeling combat. Because right now, without the support, its most appealing qualities are that you never feel the need to put down any real money on clothing or the seasonal battle pass, and that, for free, it does offer a passable (yet lacking) competitive gameplay experience.
6/10
2018
A first-person survival horror, detective simulator RPG. Like most games from developer Cyanide it's a lower budget title. Something you can see in things like the dated graphics and atrociously long load times. Hiding underneath its lackluster presentation however is a deceptively deep experience with one of the richest narratives I've come across in all my years of gaming, making for one incredible dive into the depths of insanity and Lovecraftian lore.
The gameplay is primarily a mix of exploration and puzzle solving, with the occasional stealth section and combat scenario thrown in for good measure. You often have multiple ways to complete your objectives, which encourages experimentation and thoroughness when combing the environments for useful items or information. Searching every nook and cranny will not only reveal all your options for progression, but also rewards players with bits of backstory and clues that can unlock special branches of dialog when talking to NPCs.
The most common way to gain new knowledge though is through skill checks. You essentially have 7 different educations or abilities to invest in, and which ones you choose directly affect what you are able to learn. This being a Lovecraftian adventure each new revelation has a serious impact and your character's mental state, which in turn influences which ending you can receive. Your decisions don't necessarily take you on any radically diverging paths like, say, The Witcher 2 would, but they do offer enough subtle differences to make it worth a second playthrough if you wanted to see how things like another build or dialog choice changes things.
In fact, I'd say going through this more than once is arguably the best way to experience it because you can pick up on all the little details you might have missed. After finishing it the first time I immediately started over and was blown away by how complex my interactions with the story actually were. I was still completing the same stages and tasks, but found myself heading towards an entirely different outcome as my character's understanding of events was radically unlike that of the one on my previous save.
While the mechanics are great, it wouldn't really matter if there wasn't a strong plot to back them up. Luckily, the game delivers in that department as well. As someone relatively unfamiliar with the cthulhu mythos, I was pulled in by its twisted nature and cosmic implications. Everyone you encounter is so well-written and supported by phenomenal voice acting, even if the protagonist seems to struggle with expressing the appropriate emotions in some situations. All of which make for a mystery so enticing and haunting that you can't help but be glued to your controller until the credits roll. By the time I had earned the very last achievement I already knew this had become one of my favorite horror games of all time. Second only to the legendary Silent Hill 2. So naturally I can only give this my highest recommendations.
9/10
The gameplay is primarily a mix of exploration and puzzle solving, with the occasional stealth section and combat scenario thrown in for good measure. You often have multiple ways to complete your objectives, which encourages experimentation and thoroughness when combing the environments for useful items or information. Searching every nook and cranny will not only reveal all your options for progression, but also rewards players with bits of backstory and clues that can unlock special branches of dialog when talking to NPCs.
The most common way to gain new knowledge though is through skill checks. You essentially have 7 different educations or abilities to invest in, and which ones you choose directly affect what you are able to learn. This being a Lovecraftian adventure each new revelation has a serious impact and your character's mental state, which in turn influences which ending you can receive. Your decisions don't necessarily take you on any radically diverging paths like, say, The Witcher 2 would, but they do offer enough subtle differences to make it worth a second playthrough if you wanted to see how things like another build or dialog choice changes things.
In fact, I'd say going through this more than once is arguably the best way to experience it because you can pick up on all the little details you might have missed. After finishing it the first time I immediately started over and was blown away by how complex my interactions with the story actually were. I was still completing the same stages and tasks, but found myself heading towards an entirely different outcome as my character's understanding of events was radically unlike that of the one on my previous save.
While the mechanics are great, it wouldn't really matter if there wasn't a strong plot to back them up. Luckily, the game delivers in that department as well. As someone relatively unfamiliar with the cthulhu mythos, I was pulled in by its twisted nature and cosmic implications. Everyone you encounter is so well-written and supported by phenomenal voice acting, even if the protagonist seems to struggle with expressing the appropriate emotions in some situations. All of which make for a mystery so enticing and haunting that you can't help but be glued to your controller until the credits roll. By the time I had earned the very last achievement I already knew this had become one of my favorite horror games of all time. Second only to the legendary Silent Hill 2. So naturally I can only give this my highest recommendations.
9/10
2015
How do you make soccer more appealing to a wider audience? You let them drive cars on the field, have the ball erupt in a massive explosion with every goal, and allow players to literally demolish the competition at high speeds. Making it free-to-play also helps.
That last thing does open the door for a little microtransaction nastiness, but nothing too bad. There's a battle pass system similar to Fortnite where buying a season will grant you unique rewards as you rank up and certain blueprints for things like cosmetic items require a purchasable in-game currency to build. You never need or feel pressured to actually buy anything and it's pretty good at doling out freebies every now and then. Still, if you want the really cool stuff you're going to have to part with some cash.
While accessible to even the most casual of gamers, there is a lot of depth here for those looking for a demanding competitive experience. Mastering your hydraulic fueled jumps to direct shots midair and learning how to best use the boosts scattered across the arena allows for a surprising amount of complexity to come from such a simple concept.
If there's one area where the title suffers it's in the amount of content. There are a few variations of the base match type that do things like give you randomized power-ups pulled straight out of a kart racer or replace the ball with a puck in riffs on other sports. Not to mention some great social features like cross-platform support that allow you to play with your friends regardless of their console (or PC) of choice. Still, at the end of the day Rocket League really is just soccer with cars. So while it can be very addicting not everyone will be hooked long-term.
Should you go for the Switch version you get a few bonuses in the form of some Nintendo-themed skins and cosmetics, on top of the option to play it on the go. It's also a wonderful choice for financially challenged gamers as you don't need the online subscription to join a match. All of which help make this a game that, while I'm perhaps not totally crazy about, will be part of my multiplayer rotation for quite some time.
7/10
That last thing does open the door for a little microtransaction nastiness, but nothing too bad. There's a battle pass system similar to Fortnite where buying a season will grant you unique rewards as you rank up and certain blueprints for things like cosmetic items require a purchasable in-game currency to build. You never need or feel pressured to actually buy anything and it's pretty good at doling out freebies every now and then. Still, if you want the really cool stuff you're going to have to part with some cash.
While accessible to even the most casual of gamers, there is a lot of depth here for those looking for a demanding competitive experience. Mastering your hydraulic fueled jumps to direct shots midair and learning how to best use the boosts scattered across the arena allows for a surprising amount of complexity to come from such a simple concept.
If there's one area where the title suffers it's in the amount of content. There are a few variations of the base match type that do things like give you randomized power-ups pulled straight out of a kart racer or replace the ball with a puck in riffs on other sports. Not to mention some great social features like cross-platform support that allow you to play with your friends regardless of their console (or PC) of choice. Still, at the end of the day Rocket League really is just soccer with cars. So while it can be very addicting not everyone will be hooked long-term.
Should you go for the Switch version you get a few bonuses in the form of some Nintendo-themed skins and cosmetics, on top of the option to play it on the go. It's also a wonderful choice for financially challenged gamers as you don't need the online subscription to join a match. All of which help make this a game that, while I'm perhaps not totally crazy about, will be part of my multiplayer rotation for quite some time.
7/10
A fairly solid little Crash Bandicoot rip-off. It actually does 3D on the DS pretty well. Meaning that looks slightly better than a PS1 title (making me wonder why more of those games didn't get ported over). Joking aside, I was legitimately impressed with the production quality. The whole thing is fully voiced with some decent sound-alikes filling in for the cast of the movie. It kind of ends up going to waste as none of the material they were given is funny, but it at least shows the developers didn't completely phone in the handheld version of the game even though history has shown they totally could have.
Aside from a few truly scuffed jumps and checkpoints sometimes being placed too far apart, everything works like it should. There's a little bit of brawling, some light collect-a-thon elements, and you'll even play the occasional mini-game. Each of the playable characters also have their own unique characteristics that allow for a hint variety to be found in their individual stages, on top of there being bonus puzzle-platformer levels that let you swap between the franchise's popular penguins when you aren't goofing around with the optional Mort-themed pinball tables.
The problem is that, while competent, there's nothing really exciting here. All of its decently executed ideas have been done better elsewhere and there's no real reason to pick this version up over its bigger, more impressive counterparts on home consoles unless the DS is simply your only option. If that's the case then this a serviceable, inoffensive experience based on the popular children's film that just suffers somewhat from being incredibly average at best.
6.5/10
Aside from a few truly scuffed jumps and checkpoints sometimes being placed too far apart, everything works like it should. There's a little bit of brawling, some light collect-a-thon elements, and you'll even play the occasional mini-game. Each of the playable characters also have their own unique characteristics that allow for a hint variety to be found in their individual stages, on top of there being bonus puzzle-platformer levels that let you swap between the franchise's popular penguins when you aren't goofing around with the optional Mort-themed pinball tables.
The problem is that, while competent, there's nothing really exciting here. All of its decently executed ideas have been done better elsewhere and there's no real reason to pick this version up over its bigger, more impressive counterparts on home consoles unless the DS is simply your only option. If that's the case then this a serviceable, inoffensive experience based on the popular children's film that just suffers somewhat from being incredibly average at best.
6.5/10