Trapezohedron
2021
A glorious return to the franchise's 2D roots, Metroid Dread understands fully how to guide a player without making it seem obvious, and also provide means to sequence-break the game if so-desired. It's no Metroid Zero Mission or Super Metroid, but it's definitely up there.
The parry mechanic from Samus Returns... returns here, but with a way more lenient timing window, so trash mobs won't be demanding your attention left and right.
The EMMI rooms are quite a bit of a pain, however, especially the later ones.
The parry mechanic from Samus Returns... returns here, but with a way more lenient timing window, so trash mobs won't be demanding your attention left and right.
The EMMI rooms are quite a bit of a pain, however, especially the later ones.
2006
Long swathes of travelling to different dungeons, but flanked by a very-interesting political thriller against villains with virtues and heroes with harrowing flaws.
On PC, with Struggle for Freedom and Insurgents set of mods.
On PC, with Struggle for Freedom and Insurgents set of mods.
2023
Criminally-cheap, this breakcore album disguised as a game (don't take that as an insult; the game has a LOT going for it despite being short) somehow managed to worm itself into my brain despite being so cheap and despite being grabbed by me on a whim.
I consider this complete after having farmed 50 rockets with 50 digiwatches and brought my PC to a crawl.
I consider this complete after having farmed 50 rockets with 50 digiwatches and brought my PC to a crawl.
2020
This review contains spoilers
The story and by extension its ludonarrative (hah, funny word) integration is what carries this game.
You play as the Son of Hades, not as Hades himself, initially trying to earn your father's approval but later on trying to escape because your father's a bureaucratically-buried asshat.
Things improve later on and the context of the game changes, but you're still trying to escape and fight bosses all the same.
The gameplay is well-balanced and Hades has more to offer later on just when bosses get a bit stale, but you're still fighting the same 4 variants of bosses as you go.
What I'll say is that the gameplay is... inoffensive. Some status effects are virtually identical to each other. Drunk vs. Doom for example, with the former being a fast acting variant of the latter, and the combat being the standard catchy fare of Supergiant games.
If this were any other game I'd rate this a 3.5, but the magical Supergiant touch makes this work, because so much thought was given to integrating the story together with the game, that despite seemingly having an excuse plot, it's not an excuse in the sense that it's bad, but rather it continually justifies in a meaningful way why you keep trying to get out of Hades.
You play as the Son of Hades, not as Hades himself, initially trying to earn your father's approval but later on trying to escape because your father's a bureaucratically-buried asshat.
Things improve later on and the context of the game changes, but you're still trying to escape and fight bosses all the same.
The gameplay is well-balanced and Hades has more to offer later on just when bosses get a bit stale, but you're still fighting the same 4 variants of bosses as you go.
What I'll say is that the gameplay is... inoffensive. Some status effects are virtually identical to each other. Drunk vs. Doom for example, with the former being a fast acting variant of the latter, and the combat being the standard catchy fare of Supergiant games.
If this were any other game I'd rate this a 3.5, but the magical Supergiant touch makes this work, because so much thought was given to integrating the story together with the game, that despite seemingly having an excuse plot, it's not an excuse in the sense that it's bad, but rather it continually justifies in a meaningful way why you keep trying to get out of Hades.
Very standard, romantic vanilla cohabitation RPG Maker game with a limited cast of characters, the core of which simply being your Childhood Friend and Second Cousin Akira, who is actually a girl per standard plot twists of... games of this kind.
As a game it is atrocious. You have a limited number of actions you can do per game, and a small map segment allowing you to only go to one place per day. There is no time limit, and the game to get Akira Points is grindy enough.
However, grindy as it is, it does properly pace the events, despite the order of events being suitably-questionable to begin with.
The characters... explore themselves long before the kiss, and the tension is so palpable that when they do, you know what follows at that point. And then after that, it's just nonstop 'event' after event.
It's short, but could be shorter still without the grinding.
As a game it is atrocious. You have a limited number of actions you can do per game, and a small map segment allowing you to only go to one place per day. There is no time limit, and the game to get Akira Points is grindy enough.
However, grindy as it is, it does properly pace the events, despite the order of events being suitably-questionable to begin with.
The characters... explore themselves long before the kiss, and the tension is so palpable that when they do, you know what follows at that point. And then after that, it's just nonstop 'event' after event.
It's short, but could be shorter still without the grinding.
2015
Almost-perfect game marred by some pacing issues.
In order to get the last of the fighting styles you need to basically complete the Real Estate/Cabaret subplots of the characters involved.
These fighting styles are incredibly powerful, but by also completing these sidequests, you are also required to beat bosses tougher than the final boss.
Fortunately, there is a post-game mission you can undertake where you can use this at their fullest, but at the same time you could just pump enough cash towards your stats and become a one-shotting fiend.
If ever you decide to get these abilities at the earliest possible opportunity, be prepared to sink in at least 15 hours minimum for both of the characters, in addition to whatever time you need to actually complete the game.
In order to get the last of the fighting styles you need to basically complete the Real Estate/Cabaret subplots of the characters involved.
These fighting styles are incredibly powerful, but by also completing these sidequests, you are also required to beat bosses tougher than the final boss.
Fortunately, there is a post-game mission you can undertake where you can use this at their fullest, but at the same time you could just pump enough cash towards your stats and become a one-shotting fiend.
If ever you decide to get these abilities at the earliest possible opportunity, be prepared to sink in at least 15 hours minimum for both of the characters, in addition to whatever time you need to actually complete the game.
Absolute peak Yakuza story-telling far as I'm concerned, as it concerns the duality of two characters, one that's on the lowest point of his life seeking a simple justice, and another at the highest point of his life seeking retributive justice.
The RPG mechanics are kind of hit-or-miss if I have to be honest. It's perfectly functional and the skills all have their niches. However, on higher difficulties, these skills all don't scale well, because all enemies become damage sponges.
There is also a noted difficulty spike in the midgame after the game gives you an optional power-leveling location. This is good in a sense because the characters involved in that area should be strong, but this also kills pacing.
Many times I've considered dropping the game due to its schizophrenic pacing.
The RPG mechanics are kind of hit-or-miss if I have to be honest. It's perfectly functional and the skills all have their niches. However, on higher difficulties, these skills all don't scale well, because all enemies become damage sponges.
There is also a noted difficulty spike in the midgame after the game gives you an optional power-leveling location. This is good in a sense because the characters involved in that area should be strong, but this also kills pacing.
Many times I've considered dropping the game due to its schizophrenic pacing.
2020
Project Wingman is basically the next best thing to Ace Combat 7, if not even better depending on who you ask, because it takes the best parts of the previous Ace Combat Games and gives you almost free reign to equip weapons on a per-slot basis instead of a per-loadout basis.
You are also a mercenary in a crew of memorable pilots who fly with you, and start the game as a very storied individual already. Par for the course of such games, you are a silent protagonist who never voices their opinion; however on certain planes you can get a secondary co-pilot, a WSO by the callsign of Prez. This adds some much-needed levity and replay value if in case you were flying a single seater before.
The game is about as good as any Ace Combat entry and is considered an honorary entry in that great series.
You are also a mercenary in a crew of memorable pilots who fly with you, and start the game as a very storied individual already. Par for the course of such games, you are a silent protagonist who never voices their opinion; however on certain planes you can get a secondary co-pilot, a WSO by the callsign of Prez. This adds some much-needed levity and replay value if in case you were flying a single seater before.
The game is about as good as any Ace Combat entry and is considered an honorary entry in that great series.
Quite honestly, I don't remember much of this game at this point, except that it's been streamlined to a point that it has become easier than the PSP games.
It should be noted that this has surprisingly better enemy spread than God Eater 2: Rage Burst which it comes bundled with, and includes a number of weapons exclusive to that game, but doesn't have the Blood Art system for obvious reasons.
As a result, the game is easier, and even more so if you know how to break the game with the bullet system the game has.
The plot is standard anime with characters somehow having strangely westernized names despite the location being in Japan and the individuals Japanese.
It tries to be Monster Hunter but faster, and it does win on this one regard, but it's also quite lacking in terms of Monster Hunter when it comes to having a convincingly-attractive challenge. Still, this game is literally on the middle ground of good and bad, and is basically a Namco B-Side title.
It should be noted that this has surprisingly better enemy spread than God Eater 2: Rage Burst which it comes bundled with, and includes a number of weapons exclusive to that game, but doesn't have the Blood Art system for obvious reasons.
As a result, the game is easier, and even more so if you know how to break the game with the bullet system the game has.
The plot is standard anime with characters somehow having strangely westernized names despite the location being in Japan and the individuals Japanese.
It tries to be Monster Hunter but faster, and it does win on this one regard, but it's also quite lacking in terms of Monster Hunter when it comes to having a convincingly-attractive challenge. Still, this game is literally on the middle ground of good and bad, and is basically a Namco B-Side title.
Funny how you can spot Banished-clones from a mere glance of the menu already.
Such games are characterized by the inability to directly command the populace despite each character being its own identity with its skillset, and a large RTS-style map with resource nodes you can exploit.
They are also characterized with the passing of seasons and disastrous weather effects. In this case, snow is replaced by radiation storms which require people to wear something.
Core problems emerge from when your town is already too big. All resources should inevitably be funnelled to your town hall, and there are storage rooms you can use to prioritize production of certain items, but every single character out there crawls at a snail's pace, and there's only so much limited resources out there that when you consume everything, all that's left to do is to grow food, trade for resources, or if you have a DLC, fly to a distant island to do your tasks there instead.
There's novelty in exploring ruins but it's only so limited because you will eventually run out of structures to explore. It's a sandbox game with a deadline in function and all games play pretty much the same when you start over, so sometimes you have to wonder why you even bother?
Still, for its price point, it is still worth the price to an extent, but treat it more like a rental game than a game you eventually get back to playing over and over again.
Such games are characterized by the inability to directly command the populace despite each character being its own identity with its skillset, and a large RTS-style map with resource nodes you can exploit.
They are also characterized with the passing of seasons and disastrous weather effects. In this case, snow is replaced by radiation storms which require people to wear something.
Core problems emerge from when your town is already too big. All resources should inevitably be funnelled to your town hall, and there are storage rooms you can use to prioritize production of certain items, but every single character out there crawls at a snail's pace, and there's only so much limited resources out there that when you consume everything, all that's left to do is to grow food, trade for resources, or if you have a DLC, fly to a distant island to do your tasks there instead.
There's novelty in exploring ruins but it's only so limited because you will eventually run out of structures to explore. It's a sandbox game with a deadline in function and all games play pretty much the same when you start over, so sometimes you have to wonder why you even bother?
Still, for its price point, it is still worth the price to an extent, but treat it more like a rental game than a game you eventually get back to playing over and over again.
The thing about this game is that it's a very wordy buddy cop detective thriller with no real fail states. That's not a negative, but you will not be able to meet all the goals you have and you should learn to deal with it.
Why? Because the game already tells you that you're a washout detective well-past his glory days, enough that you go on a disastrous drinking binge that would make The Hangover blush and have to be pried apart from the tiles you're lying on by your partner who is constantly exasperated with you. Still, for one reason or another you still manage to do your job at the end, the extent of which is dependent on how successful you are in doing things.
It is very wordy and constantly uses its own jargon that even I have to take many breaks or else I'll risk not actually understanding the game and bleeding from all cranial orifices.
It also has no real combat, relying instead on its roleplaying to carry it. Depending on whether this is your type of thing or not, it can work, because the writing is very good. Shame the overall game is short and we're likely not to see any sequels for this game thanks to a hostile corporate takeover.
I would rate this a 4.5 but the amount of words in this game that makes my head ache prevents me from doing so.
Why? Because the game already tells you that you're a washout detective well-past his glory days, enough that you go on a disastrous drinking binge that would make The Hangover blush and have to be pried apart from the tiles you're lying on by your partner who is constantly exasperated with you. Still, for one reason or another you still manage to do your job at the end, the extent of which is dependent on how successful you are in doing things.
It is very wordy and constantly uses its own jargon that even I have to take many breaks or else I'll risk not actually understanding the game and bleeding from all cranial orifices.
It also has no real combat, relying instead on its roleplaying to carry it. Depending on whether this is your type of thing or not, it can work, because the writing is very good. Shame the overall game is short and we're likely not to see any sequels for this game thanks to a hostile corporate takeover.
I would rate this a 4.5 but the amount of words in this game that makes my head ache prevents me from doing so.
2009
Party game of many yester-years, back when Discord was at its infancy. Compared to some games in the genre, this one is greatly RNG-determined, kind of like Snakes and Ladders, if the snakes are your friends trying to use the cards they have on hand to kill you at range.
Even worse, those friends may or may not have any real reason to bully you, and so this is a good game to play for when you actually have friends to bully in good sport.
Single Player, the AI cheats and is not as fun, because everything is RNG-rigged to their favor and to your great detriment.
Even worse, those friends may or may not have any real reason to bully you, and so this is a good game to play for when you actually have friends to bully in good sport.
Single Player, the AI cheats and is not as fun, because everything is RNG-rigged to their favor and to your great detriment.
It's been a while since I've been meaning to leave a review. If you want bang for your buck, get Etrian Odyssey Nexus. However, if you want quality, you stick to this game.
Unlike the rest of the games, this one features a race selection feature and a set of class skills. The classes branch into specialties instead of you adopting another class as a sub class. What this functionally means is that the game is better designed and better-balanced thanks to the fact that the specialties are actually good for what they do, and each one has special tricks up their sleeve that you should have some sort of tool instead of relying on your main class' skills for attacks and the subclass for passive buffs.
This also marks the series' first time in having an emphasis on events on the map; like an abundance of them. Your characters will be cutely doing things before dying to a fuzzy caterpillar of caerbannog.
The map exploration is simple, and the class choices meaningful, and ergo this game deserves my full rating of 5 stars.
Unlike the rest of the games, this one features a race selection feature and a set of class skills. The classes branch into specialties instead of you adopting another class as a sub class. What this functionally means is that the game is better designed and better-balanced thanks to the fact that the specialties are actually good for what they do, and each one has special tricks up their sleeve that you should have some sort of tool instead of relying on your main class' skills for attacks and the subclass for passive buffs.
This also marks the series' first time in having an emphasis on events on the map; like an abundance of them. Your characters will be cutely doing things before dying to a fuzzy caterpillar of caerbannog.
The map exploration is simple, and the class choices meaningful, and ergo this game deserves my full rating of 5 stars.
The Mario 64 of modern ARPGs, birthing a new genre (okay it was Demons Souls before it, but this canonized the format) by dint of it merely existing.
This still keeps its niche versus its sequels by emphasizing on its open world structure with very few limits on where you should go or not.
The few limits that exist, people have found glitches to bypass it. In fact, there are a few glitches that already exist to remove some of the grind if so desired.
I would argue the gameplay for this game is 'solved' in that sense.
Many an action RPG including those metroidvanias have imitated its format, creating soulslikes, soulsbornes, and even hollow-knightlikes; a hybrid between soulslikes and metroidvanias.
This title has cemented FromSoftware's existence in the industry, and for good reason.
This still keeps its niche versus its sequels by emphasizing on its open world structure with very few limits on where you should go or not.
The few limits that exist, people have found glitches to bypass it. In fact, there are a few glitches that already exist to remove some of the grind if so desired.
I would argue the gameplay for this game is 'solved' in that sense.
Many an action RPG including those metroidvanias have imitated its format, creating soulslikes, soulsbornes, and even hollow-knightlikes; a hybrid between soulslikes and metroidvanias.
This title has cemented FromSoftware's existence in the industry, and for good reason.
One of the few Visual Novels on the western sphere worth reading -- at least back then, when its political commentary was still novel.
You are a faceless space inspector/prospector, far past the age of humans navigating with standard non-FTL drives. The goal here is to investigate relics of the past, upon which you happen on the Mugunghwa, an ancient colony ship converted into a Joseon Dynasty period piece by its inhabitants, where women are powerless versus their husbands. An AI, introducing herself as *Hyun-Ae guides you through its secrets, though she herself has a few secrets of her own... which you will discover.
The ending sequence is rather contrived, and serves to abruptly end your investigation while hastily wrapping up a subplot related to the ship's former inhabitants, but for what its worth, it did detail the horrors of a non-democratic civilization quite effectively, even if all you were doing was sifting through logs and being a glorified email reader.
You are a faceless space inspector/prospector, far past the age of humans navigating with standard non-FTL drives. The goal here is to investigate relics of the past, upon which you happen on the Mugunghwa, an ancient colony ship converted into a Joseon Dynasty period piece by its inhabitants, where women are powerless versus their husbands. An AI, introducing herself as *Hyun-Ae guides you through its secrets, though she herself has a few secrets of her own... which you will discover.
The ending sequence is rather contrived, and serves to abruptly end your investigation while hastily wrapping up a subplot related to the ship's former inhabitants, but for what its worth, it did detail the horrors of a non-democratic civilization quite effectively, even if all you were doing was sifting through logs and being a glorified email reader.