Thundercblob
2009
Most underrated game of all time
Better than Ghost of Tsushima, you get to ride down a mountain in a hat and fish for sushi
Better than Ghost of Tsushima, you get to ride down a mountain in a hat and fish for sushi
Enjoyable 7.5/10, though I don't know if it deserves the overwhelming praise it's received.
I have a complicated relationship with the Horizon series; I Feel like I am mostly worn out on the Ubisoft-esque open world experience at this point and this does little to change that formula. Running around between points of interest that pepper the map and ultimately amount to either a machine site or a settlement/obstacle/base feels like a chore and undermines any sense of meaningful exploration. The visual design of the map is phenomenal, but after 60 hours I don't feel like it'll stick with me as I spent most of my time running between different icons on the minimap.
Aside from this, the story is pretty great. It has the opposite problem to most western RPGs like Skyrim or The Witcher 3 where their side quests are the main attraction. This game has pretty lacklustre sidequests but a pretty engaging main plot.
It's pretty much more of the same if you've played the first one, and if you enjoyed that you will probably see this in the same way.
I have a complicated relationship with the Horizon series; I Feel like I am mostly worn out on the Ubisoft-esque open world experience at this point and this does little to change that formula. Running around between points of interest that pepper the map and ultimately amount to either a machine site or a settlement/obstacle/base feels like a chore and undermines any sense of meaningful exploration. The visual design of the map is phenomenal, but after 60 hours I don't feel like it'll stick with me as I spent most of my time running between different icons on the minimap.
Aside from this, the story is pretty great. It has the opposite problem to most western RPGs like Skyrim or The Witcher 3 where their side quests are the main attraction. This game has pretty lacklustre sidequests but a pretty engaging main plot.
It's pretty much more of the same if you've played the first one, and if you enjoyed that you will probably see this in the same way.
The open world was fun but the levels feel a little short. I appreciate the new direction but would have preferred the levels to be the main focus rather than free-roam collectibles.
Solid game for what it is. It's fun and doesn't overstay its welcome, with very satisfying collectibles.
Can't complain about anything in this game. Gameplay is kinetic and the pacing is awesome. My favourite PS5 exclusive as of May 2022
2022
Solid entry at launch. Wide range of cars and tracks and the best physics in the series yet. The campaign is a little disappointing but this has the potential to evolve as a live service with added events, which are frequently being added.
Also the soundtrack is superb as with every GT game
Also the soundtrack is superb as with every GT game
2012
Superb sound design, atmosphere, and soundtrack. The core gameplay loop is perhaps not as rewarding as Shadow of the Colossus, but there is something really endearing about the adventure you have in this game. Elegant in its simplicity.
2021
I really enjoyed Control when I played it in late 2020 - early 2021. I've had this on my periphery since then and I didn't really enjoy it as much.
The gameplay was passable and perhaps the main thing that kept me going as the cheesy dialogue and exposition-heavy narration kept the plot from feeling consequential.
The atmosphere is the best thing in this game and still holds up but, just as the plot was starting to grab me, the game abruptly ended. The 2 additional chapters that can be played after the ending feel cobbled together and largely inconsequential which is a shame.
All in all this isn't a bad game, but certainly Remedy have refined their craft in the years between this and 2019's Control.
The gameplay was passable and perhaps the main thing that kept me going as the cheesy dialogue and exposition-heavy narration kept the plot from feeling consequential.
The atmosphere is the best thing in this game and still holds up but, just as the plot was starting to grab me, the game abruptly ended. The 2 additional chapters that can be played after the ending feel cobbled together and largely inconsequential which is a shame.
All in all this isn't a bad game, but certainly Remedy have refined their craft in the years between this and 2019's Control.
This has some of the best post-game content I've ever played. Everything from the last world until the 100% is awesome but some of the earlier stuff is a little too easy.
It's a solid start to 3D Kirby and I can't wait to see what they do in the future. That said, I hope the level design and platforming can be tweaked in the sequel to be more engaging. The bosses are top-notch though.
It's a solid start to 3D Kirby and I can't wait to see what they do in the future. That said, I hope the level design and platforming can be tweaked in the sequel to be more engaging. The bosses are top-notch though.
2008
Great game. Atmosphere and sound design are excellent and it remains tense throughout.
Decent game world with a passable story and environment but is held back by poor and clunky gameplay (aside from the great car physics) and uninspired level design and setpieces.
Decent if dated game. The soundtrack is great and there are some fun set-pieces throughout (namely the window cleaning mission). However, whilst the game has a really good final few hours most of the plot is plodding and a lot of the missions are simply driving between locations.
The actual gameplay has some pretty major issues. Gunplay is clunky and unforgiving and the checkpoint system is ludicrously unbalanced - Once my game crashed 20 minutes into a mission and when I loaded back in I had to start from scratch.
This brings up the other major issue: the bugs. The game is full of technical issues. In the ~10 hours it took me to beat this game it crashed 3 or 4 times, textures constantly popped in and out with a slew of visual issues, and repeating audio forced a few more restarts.
It's not a bad game but this remaster feels low-effort at best.
The actual gameplay has some pretty major issues. Gunplay is clunky and unforgiving and the checkpoint system is ludicrously unbalanced - Once my game crashed 20 minutes into a mission and when I loaded back in I had to start from scratch.
This brings up the other major issue: the bugs. The game is full of technical issues. In the ~10 hours it took me to beat this game it crashed 3 or 4 times, textures constantly popped in and out with a slew of visual issues, and repeating audio forced a few more restarts.
It's not a bad game but this remaster feels low-effort at best.
2011
Loved this game. Many people think this is better than the original and I can see why: The gameplay is better and the atmosphere stays excellent. Chapter 10 of this game is one of the best things I've experienced in a while and, whilst I won't delve into spoilers, that section alone makes this game worth playing.
That said, I'm not sure I enjoyed it more than the first one, they are both on par for me and excel in different ways. The original is certainly creepier and more horror-focused and, whilst some of the sections in 2 are creepier than most of 1, the start of the game is an action gore-fest that is a little cheesy.
Overall though this is a great sequel. Both games are awesome and different enough that it's worth playing both
That said, I'm not sure I enjoyed it more than the first one, they are both on par for me and excel in different ways. The original is certainly creepier and more horror-focused and, whilst some of the sections in 2 are creepier than most of 1, the start of the game is an action gore-fest that is a little cheesy.
Overall though this is a great sequel. Both games are awesome and different enough that it's worth playing both
1994
Played on the Switch Online SNES collection.
This game holds up really well. I'm too young to have played it when it came out in '94 but spent a long time on 2010's Donkey Kong Country Returns for the Wii.
The controls still feel fluid and the platforming is tight. The music is excellent and a lot of the visual design is also still passable.
The biggest thing holding this game back is the varying levels of quality. Some boss fights are great (King K. Rool), but others feel uninspired and there are some that are straight-up repeats of previous bosses. Likewise, some levels are amazing but the difficulty feels almost random as one level can be excruciatingly hard and the next can be easy enough to beat in a few minutes.
Overall though this is a killer game for 1994, and one that is easy to return to nearly 30 years after its release. That alone makes it worthy of some praise.
This game holds up really well. I'm too young to have played it when it came out in '94 but spent a long time on 2010's Donkey Kong Country Returns for the Wii.
The controls still feel fluid and the platforming is tight. The music is excellent and a lot of the visual design is also still passable.
The biggest thing holding this game back is the varying levels of quality. Some boss fights are great (King K. Rool), but others feel uninspired and there are some that are straight-up repeats of previous bosses. Likewise, some levels are amazing but the difficulty feels almost random as one level can be excruciatingly hard and the next can be easy enough to beat in a few minutes.
Overall though this is a killer game for 1994, and one that is easy to return to nearly 30 years after its release. That alone makes it worthy of some praise.
2022
Played this through the new PS Plus service. It's a solid game for the PS1, and certainly feels more fluid in its gameplay than a lot of its peers. I love Metal Gear Solid, but those sort of PS1 games (Resident Evil as well) feel markedly more dated in the controls etc.
The UK voice acting for this game is the wackiest thing I've experienced in a while and gave me a good few laughs, but the story and characters are not really the strong suit of this game anyway.
Catching the monkeys is the fun part, and the level design is mostly pretty okay. This game was enjoyable, although it got a little old by the end. Music isn't too bad either.
The UK voice acting for this game is the wackiest thing I've experienced in a while and gave me a good few laughs, but the story and characters are not really the strong suit of this game anyway.
Catching the monkeys is the fun part, and the level design is mostly pretty okay. This game was enjoyable, although it got a little old by the end. Music isn't too bad either.