TrulyWack
The infamously disappointing port of a much better game… Spider-Man: Web of Shadows - Amazing Allies Edition offers very little new to the side scroller genre.
As a Spider-Man game, it’s okay. The upgrade and skill system is good, but not much beyond that. The gameplay is pretty straightforward and stays the same much throughout.
The level design can be complex, and there’s some occasionally fun boss battles. If you go into it knowing what to expect, you’ll at least get a semi decent experience out of it.
But nothing, and I mean NOTHING, about this game can justify or make up for what a horrible, disappointingly underwhelming ending this port has. If you’ve played it, you know. If you haven’t and can’t imagine that it’s that bad. Trust me. It’s a spit in the eyes and a smack in the mouth.
As a Spider-Man game, it’s okay. The upgrade and skill system is good, but not much beyond that. The gameplay is pretty straightforward and stays the same much throughout.
The level design can be complex, and there’s some occasionally fun boss battles. If you go into it knowing what to expect, you’ll at least get a semi decent experience out of it.
But nothing, and I mean NOTHING, about this game can justify or make up for what a horrible, disappointingly underwhelming ending this port has. If you’ve played it, you know. If you haven’t and can’t imagine that it’s that bad. Trust me. It’s a spit in the eyes and a smack in the mouth.
2006
This review contains spoilers
Bully is one of the cursed games from my childhood that I could never seem to complete due to being my underdeveloped, unmotivated, easily distracted baby brain.
Now returning roughly a decade later, I can say that the game is just as fun as it was the day I first played it. To say the game has a large variety of objectives to keep you entertained would be selling it short, as there’s everything from mini games, side tasks, missions, side missions, and even classes that all help build and enhance the gameplay experience.
The weapon wheel is just awesome. There’s even so many that you’ll have a tool for just about any purpose you can think up. It can also be kind of a drawback when you’re attempting to scroll through a dozen things to get to one that you’re specifically looking for, but nonetheless they’re almost all very useful.
You even have a variety transportation to choose from, as you’re given a skateboard early on and increasingly acquire more things such as bikes, mopeds, and even a go kart! All of this makes getting around the map so much fun!
Speaking of the map… woah! What a massive undertaking this must have been for the developers. This is the most well realized open world I’ve played all the way through so far for this era. It puts the other open world game I played recently, Gun, to shame! To be fair though, Gun still utilized it’s open world very well. But there’s everything from the school, secret tunnels, an asylum, different cities, beaches, a carnival, and large neighborhoods to really make exploring a much better time. Including different save spots across the map was also a brilliant idea.
The levels are often very intricately designed, and I can’t help but adore all of the meticulously crafted work that was poured into nearly every single one. Where the game does begin to lose me though, is the story and it’s characters. Sure, it’s not necessarily a game that needs those things to be good in order to be enjoyable… but I think a better script would’ve made this one of the best games I’ve ever played.
Jimmy is a pretty shallow character without a lot of depth… but to make matters worse, the antagonist of the game has even less development than him, only really being included in a chapter and a half of the story; and that’s being generous.
I don’t really understand why they chose Gary as the main antagonist as he really doesn’t serve much of a purpose other than to make things harder on Jimmy. I feel as though the story would’ve been more interesting if they doubled down on the schools corruption by making the main antagonist the principal instead. It just would’ve made for a more focused story with a stronger message about bullying as Jimmy’s goal was to clean the school up anyway.
But alas, Rockstar isn’t usually as focused on getting a message across as they are an experience. One that was delivered excellently regardless.
Now returning roughly a decade later, I can say that the game is just as fun as it was the day I first played it. To say the game has a large variety of objectives to keep you entertained would be selling it short, as there’s everything from mini games, side tasks, missions, side missions, and even classes that all help build and enhance the gameplay experience.
The weapon wheel is just awesome. There’s even so many that you’ll have a tool for just about any purpose you can think up. It can also be kind of a drawback when you’re attempting to scroll through a dozen things to get to one that you’re specifically looking for, but nonetheless they’re almost all very useful.
You even have a variety transportation to choose from, as you’re given a skateboard early on and increasingly acquire more things such as bikes, mopeds, and even a go kart! All of this makes getting around the map so much fun!
Speaking of the map… woah! What a massive undertaking this must have been for the developers. This is the most well realized open world I’ve played all the way through so far for this era. It puts the other open world game I played recently, Gun, to shame! To be fair though, Gun still utilized it’s open world very well. But there’s everything from the school, secret tunnels, an asylum, different cities, beaches, a carnival, and large neighborhoods to really make exploring a much better time. Including different save spots across the map was also a brilliant idea.
The levels are often very intricately designed, and I can’t help but adore all of the meticulously crafted work that was poured into nearly every single one. Where the game does begin to lose me though, is the story and it’s characters. Sure, it’s not necessarily a game that needs those things to be good in order to be enjoyable… but I think a better script would’ve made this one of the best games I’ve ever played.
Jimmy is a pretty shallow character without a lot of depth… but to make matters worse, the antagonist of the game has even less development than him, only really being included in a chapter and a half of the story; and that’s being generous.
I don’t really understand why they chose Gary as the main antagonist as he really doesn’t serve much of a purpose other than to make things harder on Jimmy. I feel as though the story would’ve been more interesting if they doubled down on the schools corruption by making the main antagonist the principal instead. It just would’ve made for a more focused story with a stronger message about bullying as Jimmy’s goal was to clean the school up anyway.
But alas, Rockstar isn’t usually as focused on getting a message across as they are an experience. One that was delivered excellently regardless.
So we all watched the same trailer as kids right? The “edgy” Spider-Man slowly walking with his head down as everything around him crumbles apart over bleak music.
7 year old me was screaming over how cool I thought that was. 22 year old me is screaming over how frustrating the game actually is. Spider-Man: Web of Shadows was a game that showed promise. A game that I’d say even had a ton of potential.
It was the first open world Spider-Man game that wasn’t tied to any established movie franchise or comic book series. It was a wholly new venture for game developers to come up with their own Spider-Man story, and take on the character. They succeed some of the time at making it a memorable adaptation, but pale horribly in comparison to Insomniac’s passionate outing with the webslinger.
First off, it may be a bit unfair to compare the two as they came out exactly a decade apart. Technical limitations of course play a big part in things… but my criticisms with this game extend beyond those of technical problems. The story in Web of Shadows is severely undercooked, as it’s simply just an alien invasion plot like that of “Invasion of The Body Snatchers”.
It’s really cool to see how New York transforms over time through the game play, and I think that aspect is utilized well when pertaining to the story. I just can’t help but feel like there were some missed opportunities to make the games plot more memorable. The set pieces are pretty slim, and most things take place in the bland open world. Nothing about New York is vibrant, lived in, or exciting until the Symbiote shows up.
The colors are drenched in shades of gray, and the building designs are a bit lazy. In the Spider-Man 2 game, there were locations that stuck out to me because the developers designed them in a way that allowed me to interact with them, or admire them for how visually interesting they were. Here, I can hardly think of more than 3 spots that stuck out to me.
As far as gameplay was concerned, I mostly enjoyed myself. The swinging was a bit dull, and the target lock was completely useless a lot of the time as I often had to rotate through it to lock onto the person I really wanted to fight, causing me to get my head stomped in half of the time.
But otherwise, the combat was fantastic, and I often felt like I was in total control when I was fighting. At first, things felt a bit clunky as I was playing, but almost everything felt natural about a quarter of the way through and there were so many incredible combat options that I couldn’t help but enjoy myself.
The inclusion of wall battles was really cool, and I loved how well it fit the character… although I can see why later games ditched it due to how hard it can be to control where you’re trying to go.
The inclusion of the black suit was another cool feature. One that was reminiscent of the Spider-Man 3 game. Here, it felt better, and the combat was more distinguished. I also think the black vs red inclusion in the story is a great touch, and having the option to alter the story was a lot of fun.
Otherwise, I don’t have much else to say. The biggest thing that bothered me about the game, was just how middle of the road it ended up being… expectations aside, I try to rate things as fair as I can, and give all games an equal opportunity to leave some sort of an impression on me.
The problem here, is that I don’t see myself thinking back to this one all that fondly, as there just wasn’t a lot in the story or the gameplay that stuck out to me as unique, fresh, or all that fun even. It was fine for a playthrough, but other than trying the game again in an effort to favor black suit storyline as I went for the red this time… I don’t see myself coming back to it.
7 year old me was screaming over how cool I thought that was. 22 year old me is screaming over how frustrating the game actually is. Spider-Man: Web of Shadows was a game that showed promise. A game that I’d say even had a ton of potential.
It was the first open world Spider-Man game that wasn’t tied to any established movie franchise or comic book series. It was a wholly new venture for game developers to come up with their own Spider-Man story, and take on the character. They succeed some of the time at making it a memorable adaptation, but pale horribly in comparison to Insomniac’s passionate outing with the webslinger.
First off, it may be a bit unfair to compare the two as they came out exactly a decade apart. Technical limitations of course play a big part in things… but my criticisms with this game extend beyond those of technical problems. The story in Web of Shadows is severely undercooked, as it’s simply just an alien invasion plot like that of “Invasion of The Body Snatchers”.
It’s really cool to see how New York transforms over time through the game play, and I think that aspect is utilized well when pertaining to the story. I just can’t help but feel like there were some missed opportunities to make the games plot more memorable. The set pieces are pretty slim, and most things take place in the bland open world. Nothing about New York is vibrant, lived in, or exciting until the Symbiote shows up.
The colors are drenched in shades of gray, and the building designs are a bit lazy. In the Spider-Man 2 game, there were locations that stuck out to me because the developers designed them in a way that allowed me to interact with them, or admire them for how visually interesting they were. Here, I can hardly think of more than 3 spots that stuck out to me.
As far as gameplay was concerned, I mostly enjoyed myself. The swinging was a bit dull, and the target lock was completely useless a lot of the time as I often had to rotate through it to lock onto the person I really wanted to fight, causing me to get my head stomped in half of the time.
But otherwise, the combat was fantastic, and I often felt like I was in total control when I was fighting. At first, things felt a bit clunky as I was playing, but almost everything felt natural about a quarter of the way through and there were so many incredible combat options that I couldn’t help but enjoy myself.
The inclusion of wall battles was really cool, and I loved how well it fit the character… although I can see why later games ditched it due to how hard it can be to control where you’re trying to go.
The inclusion of the black suit was another cool feature. One that was reminiscent of the Spider-Man 3 game. Here, it felt better, and the combat was more distinguished. I also think the black vs red inclusion in the story is a great touch, and having the option to alter the story was a lot of fun.
Otherwise, I don’t have much else to say. The biggest thing that bothered me about the game, was just how middle of the road it ended up being… expectations aside, I try to rate things as fair as I can, and give all games an equal opportunity to leave some sort of an impression on me.
The problem here, is that I don’t see myself thinking back to this one all that fondly, as there just wasn’t a lot in the story or the gameplay that stuck out to me as unique, fresh, or all that fun even. It was fine for a playthrough, but other than trying the game again in an effort to favor black suit storyline as I went for the red this time… I don’t see myself coming back to it.
2019
What a pleasantly fun, adorable little time. With a day off indoors, and stormy weather outside, this made my morning so much brighter.
Stylistically you’re obviously in for a treat as it feels as though you’re playing a video game version of the Childrens television shows you grew up with. It’s so simple in its art style, and that’s where so much of the charm comes in.
The colors are vibrant, the music can go from a chaotic piano to a soothing one in seconds, and all of this comes together satisfyingly. The gameplay feels great as everything controls really well. The stages are well designed and feel like a fluent journey.
There’s no real central story, and it doesn’t need one. What it does here is more than I could've asked for and expected. It’s fun, is cute, and it’s occasionally hilarious and wholesome. Play through it at least once! It’s such an entertaining time.
Stylistically you’re obviously in for a treat as it feels as though you’re playing a video game version of the Childrens television shows you grew up with. It’s so simple in its art style, and that’s where so much of the charm comes in.
The colors are vibrant, the music can go from a chaotic piano to a soothing one in seconds, and all of this comes together satisfyingly. The gameplay feels great as everything controls really well. The stages are well designed and feel like a fluent journey.
There’s no real central story, and it doesn’t need one. What it does here is more than I could've asked for and expected. It’s fun, is cute, and it’s occasionally hilarious and wholesome. Play through it at least once! It’s such an entertaining time.
Despite having a premise that could easily be used for a generic third person resident evil 4 type of clone, The Last Of Us managed to have one of, if not the best narrative in video game history.
With incredible gameplay mechanics, the combat system and crafting system both felt organic and inspired the entire time.
The variety in enemy types was fantastic. One second you’re playing a stealth combat game, and the next it’s a survival horror with action elements. But it all worked together in a way that felt natural, which really helped the experience.
The characters are nuanced, and their journey is so rewarding. What a beautiful, heartbreaking, brilliantly written apocalypse story. Just when I thought the genre couldn’t do anything else for me, The Last Of Us showed up to prove me wrong.
With incredible gameplay mechanics, the combat system and crafting system both felt organic and inspired the entire time.
The variety in enemy types was fantastic. One second you’re playing a stealth combat game, and the next it’s a survival horror with action elements. But it all worked together in a way that felt natural, which really helped the experience.
The characters are nuanced, and their journey is so rewarding. What a beautiful, heartbreaking, brilliantly written apocalypse story. Just when I thought the genre couldn’t do anything else for me, The Last Of Us showed up to prove me wrong.
Another well crafted story with an incredibly thought out structure that blends its combative action and character moments in the most organic, memorable, and engaging way possible for its players.
Spider-Man Shattered Dimensions was my first exposure to the now commonly known “Spider-Verse”. It was a game I finished when I was about 15 years old, and I remember loving it for its unique artstyles and storytelling.
I figured it was time to revisit the childhood classic… but maybe that was a mistake. Shattered Dimensions isn’t a bad game. I actually do like it quite a bit, and think there’s a lot to love here.
The fact that the developers gave each universes Spider-Man a unique art style and setting made the storytelling pop just as much as the first time I played the game through. I loved the fact that Noir’s gameplay was more stealth based, and the inclusion of shadows for cover was actually a really cool idea.
The premise itself is still awesome for a Spider-Man story… and even cooler for a game based on the character. Especially when there’s so many Spider-Man games that feel similar. Beenox decided to abandon the open world and take a more linear, beat-em-up approach… and I actually think that was a refreshing decision having played these all back to back.
All of that said, the game does suffer from repetitive lackluster combat, frustratingly unresponsive controls, and a runtime that could’ve easily been trimmed down when you consider how little each stage contributes to the overall plot. It wouldn’t be so bad if each level was fun and unique… but a lot of levels felt similar to one another for a game that intended to distinguish each. Instead of focusing on one combat system and refining it, they focus on four… and they’re all just kind of mediocre.
I’m sure it would be pretty fun for others on a single play through. It was fun for me, especially as a teen. But returning to it a second time, especially after having played much better games, it’s just okay.
I figured it was time to revisit the childhood classic… but maybe that was a mistake. Shattered Dimensions isn’t a bad game. I actually do like it quite a bit, and think there’s a lot to love here.
The fact that the developers gave each universes Spider-Man a unique art style and setting made the storytelling pop just as much as the first time I played the game through. I loved the fact that Noir’s gameplay was more stealth based, and the inclusion of shadows for cover was actually a really cool idea.
The premise itself is still awesome for a Spider-Man story… and even cooler for a game based on the character. Especially when there’s so many Spider-Man games that feel similar. Beenox decided to abandon the open world and take a more linear, beat-em-up approach… and I actually think that was a refreshing decision having played these all back to back.
All of that said, the game does suffer from repetitive lackluster combat, frustratingly unresponsive controls, and a runtime that could’ve easily been trimmed down when you consider how little each stage contributes to the overall plot. It wouldn’t be so bad if each level was fun and unique… but a lot of levels felt similar to one another for a game that intended to distinguish each. Instead of focusing on one combat system and refining it, they focus on four… and they’re all just kind of mediocre.
I’m sure it would be pretty fun for others on a single play through. It was fun for me, especially as a teen. But returning to it a second time, especially after having played much better games, it’s just okay.
2005
I was pretty worried going into this one because I’ve played some pretty bad Resident Evil clones that I gave up on fairly quickly. I was pleased to find that Cold Fear does just enough right to be a somewhat satisfying play-through.
The gameplay mechanics aren’t anything spectacular or new. You get a bit of a weapon variety that you can cycle through, and they’re all scattered for you to find over time; though not in a way that feels like a rewarding scavenger kind of way.
The shooting and hit detection were serviceable, and the music could be pretty fun at times. Though a lack of music would have helped the atmosphere a bit more. Even if they had scored it in a way that felt more akin to a horror game than an action game, I think it would have benefitted.
But speaking of the atmosphere, it’s great. Having the first half of the game take place on a ship that you have to maneuver around was awesome, and the rain/ moving boat effect was such a cool touch. Especially since they factor into the gameplay.
Having the second half of the game take place on the oil rig was cool too. I like how it still felt organic to the story, and it allowed for a change in scenery to keep the play-through interesting.
The problem is that Cold Fear suffers from a selection of detrimental issues that are just too hard to look past in order to call it a “great game”. An obvious issue that many people point out is the old school Resident Evil camera.
When I get caught in a tense situation where I’m taking on multiple enemies, my aim gets knocked away and the camera gets all fucked up, and I have to reface the enemy while I’m getting hit just to fix the aim, then finally start fighting again. What a pain.
It’s also one of those where the fuck do I go types of games. Which is pretty ironic considering the game tells you where to go. But it expects you to know where certain locations are, or to remember ones you’ve already been to despite how far you might be.
This wouldn’t be so bad if there were multiple ways to get to locations… but the game is very linear in it’s level design. So half of the time I was walking around looking for where to go… which was sometimes the most time consuming aspect.
The game also has a horrible way of saving. Instead of being able to pull up a pause menu and hitting save, or auto saving (though that wasn’t as popular at this time), you have to progress a certain amount in order to save the game.
If you die, you have to go back from your last save spot… and you better fucking hope that it wasn’t too far… because this game will punish you towards the end. To clarify, I don’t just mean the enemy types get harder… I mean the save spots feel further and further away. Making it tedious, and challenging to die and restart all over again.
It’s a frustrating, atmospheric, painful, thrilling, hair pulling, exciting game. Okay that was way too many adjectives… but all of them accurately describe the essence of the experience. It’s one I’d recommend to any players looking for a good resident evil experience outside of the actual resident evil games.
If you’re looking for a good story… once again… serviceable. But I can say that for the game itself too; And that isn’t a bad thing if it’s the kind of survival horror experience you’re looking for.
The gameplay mechanics aren’t anything spectacular or new. You get a bit of a weapon variety that you can cycle through, and they’re all scattered for you to find over time; though not in a way that feels like a rewarding scavenger kind of way.
The shooting and hit detection were serviceable, and the music could be pretty fun at times. Though a lack of music would have helped the atmosphere a bit more. Even if they had scored it in a way that felt more akin to a horror game than an action game, I think it would have benefitted.
But speaking of the atmosphere, it’s great. Having the first half of the game take place on a ship that you have to maneuver around was awesome, and the rain/ moving boat effect was such a cool touch. Especially since they factor into the gameplay.
Having the second half of the game take place on the oil rig was cool too. I like how it still felt organic to the story, and it allowed for a change in scenery to keep the play-through interesting.
The problem is that Cold Fear suffers from a selection of detrimental issues that are just too hard to look past in order to call it a “great game”. An obvious issue that many people point out is the old school Resident Evil camera.
When I get caught in a tense situation where I’m taking on multiple enemies, my aim gets knocked away and the camera gets all fucked up, and I have to reface the enemy while I’m getting hit just to fix the aim, then finally start fighting again. What a pain.
It’s also one of those where the fuck do I go types of games. Which is pretty ironic considering the game tells you where to go. But it expects you to know where certain locations are, or to remember ones you’ve already been to despite how far you might be.
This wouldn’t be so bad if there were multiple ways to get to locations… but the game is very linear in it’s level design. So half of the time I was walking around looking for where to go… which was sometimes the most time consuming aspect.
The game also has a horrible way of saving. Instead of being able to pull up a pause menu and hitting save, or auto saving (though that wasn’t as popular at this time), you have to progress a certain amount in order to save the game.
If you die, you have to go back from your last save spot… and you better fucking hope that it wasn’t too far… because this game will punish you towards the end. To clarify, I don’t just mean the enemy types get harder… I mean the save spots feel further and further away. Making it tedious, and challenging to die and restart all over again.
It’s a frustrating, atmospheric, painful, thrilling, hair pulling, exciting game. Okay that was way too many adjectives… but all of them accurately describe the essence of the experience. It’s one I’d recommend to any players looking for a good resident evil experience outside of the actual resident evil games.
If you’re looking for a good story… once again… serviceable. But I can say that for the game itself too; And that isn’t a bad thing if it’s the kind of survival horror experience you’re looking for.
Well we’re steadily approaching the final game in my Spider-Man series play through. It’s been a… well… if I’m honest… dull experience. But I’ll touch on that in my TASM 2 review.
The first Amazing Spider-Man video game is one that I finished when I was just an 11 year old boy. I had so much love for the character and I was so excited for the film that I blew through the game like it was dinner, and I had starved for weeks.
As a sequel to the film, it’s actually pretty good. The story was good for a movie game, a Spider-Man game, and well, just a game I guess. Somehow it also manages to capture the spirit and tone of the first film really well. It did what it needed to, and it was pretty satisfying overall.
There’s some decent Arkham style combat, but it pales in comparison to those of course. The swinging is a bit clunky, and the physics aren’t great, but it’s serviceable. The grinding in the open world is tedious, but the variety in things to do makes it tolerable. It just sucks that it’s so necessary.
Finding the hidden spiders and unlocking suits was a pretty fun addition. Watching the cities response to the events in the game was really cool. Especially adding that to the waiting screens. It made the world feel more authentic… though the open world isn’t as convincing.
The bosses are a bit repetitive and monotonous, but I think the inclusion of stealth/combat kept the gameplay mostly interesting. The open world is weird because for as dull as it is, there are things I like about it.
I like the blimp and it’s stupid side tasks, I like all of the little things I can go around doing for the reporter, I like stupid stuff like that. It just makes the game more enjoyable. Although everything else is just kind of drab.
As a sequel to the film, and a game that accompanies it… it’s a decent play through. Though I don’t see the replay value even after returning 11 years later.
The first Amazing Spider-Man video game is one that I finished when I was just an 11 year old boy. I had so much love for the character and I was so excited for the film that I blew through the game like it was dinner, and I had starved for weeks.
As a sequel to the film, it’s actually pretty good. The story was good for a movie game, a Spider-Man game, and well, just a game I guess. Somehow it also manages to capture the spirit and tone of the first film really well. It did what it needed to, and it was pretty satisfying overall.
There’s some decent Arkham style combat, but it pales in comparison to those of course. The swinging is a bit clunky, and the physics aren’t great, but it’s serviceable. The grinding in the open world is tedious, but the variety in things to do makes it tolerable. It just sucks that it’s so necessary.
Finding the hidden spiders and unlocking suits was a pretty fun addition. Watching the cities response to the events in the game was really cool. Especially adding that to the waiting screens. It made the world feel more authentic… though the open world isn’t as convincing.
The bosses are a bit repetitive and monotonous, but I think the inclusion of stealth/combat kept the gameplay mostly interesting. The open world is weird because for as dull as it is, there are things I like about it.
I like the blimp and it’s stupid side tasks, I like all of the little things I can go around doing for the reporter, I like stupid stuff like that. It just makes the game more enjoyable. Although everything else is just kind of drab.
As a sequel to the film, and a game that accompanies it… it’s a decent play through. Though I don’t see the replay value even after returning 11 years later.
1986
The Legend of Zelda is probably the best NES game I’ve ever played. It’s also the first NES game I’ve ever completed.
To start off… I will say that without the help of a guide (my girlfriend literally being my map), I would have never finished this game. Therefore I just can’t rate it any higher because the navigating in this game is ridiculous. But onward we go…
With an incredible score, addictive gameplay, an epic scope, and a simple premise, the game manages to capture a magic few other classics are able to.
It’s a game that almost 37 years after its initial release, still captivated a new player who never touched an entry in the franchise. But now I will. And it’s so comforting to know that the other games that succeeded it are met with so much more love.
To start off… I will say that without the help of a guide (my girlfriend literally being my map), I would have never finished this game. Therefore I just can’t rate it any higher because the navigating in this game is ridiculous. But onward we go…
With an incredible score, addictive gameplay, an epic scope, and a simple premise, the game manages to capture a magic few other classics are able to.
It’s a game that almost 37 years after its initial release, still captivated a new player who never touched an entry in the franchise. But now I will. And it’s so comforting to know that the other games that succeeded it are met with so much more love.
A simplistic, poignant, heartfelt portrait of familial tragedy told generationally in a way that couldn’t feel more natural.
It’s like a film. But instead of generically watching the events unfold, you unravel them yourself. Pacing the moments you want to linger on, and the ones you feel should progress quicker.
Incredible craftsmanship from the organic storytelling to the clever gameplay elements. Though it’s more narratively focused and less about the playing experience, it’s the perfect medium for a story like this, and I wouldn’t want to experience it any other way.
It’s like a film. But instead of generically watching the events unfold, you unravel them yourself. Pacing the moments you want to linger on, and the ones you feel should progress quicker.
Incredible craftsmanship from the organic storytelling to the clever gameplay elements. Though it’s more narratively focused and less about the playing experience, it’s the perfect medium for a story like this, and I wouldn’t want to experience it any other way.
1988
What a cruel, punishing, unrelenting, albeit kind of beautiful fever dream of a video game. The cut scenes are fantastic for their time as so many state.
But are you kidding me with these boss battles??? It’s some of the hardest shit I’ve ever had to endure. And my god the hit detection… look I get it. It’s old. But I just played The Legend of Zelda and had no problems.
If I was right on top of my enemy, I wouldn’t hit him in this game. But he sure as hell would make me take damage for getting that close.
But are you kidding me with these boss battles??? It’s some of the hardest shit I’ve ever had to endure. And my god the hit detection… look I get it. It’s old. But I just played The Legend of Zelda and had no problems.
If I was right on top of my enemy, I wouldn’t hit him in this game. But he sure as hell would make me take damage for getting that close.
2016
Cleverly crafted gameplay, visual storytelling, diegetic sound, a creepy atmosphere, and an adorable protagonist make this simplistically told story shine despite its grim tone.
2010
Alan Wake marks the third Remedy game I’ve finished, and seeing how much I loved the first two Max Payne games, it’s safe to say I was pretty damn excited to jump into this.
Alan Wake introduces a new mechanic for Remedy that not only makes for a unique gameplay experience, but distinguishes its combat from that of Max Paynes run and gun style.
The introduction of flashlights to weaken your enemies was a really cool idea, and all of the light-based weaponry was fun to use. The combat was really difficult to get down at first. A lot of it feels stiff and uncomfortable more immediately as it’s very different from other games.
It took me about a quarter of the way through the game to really get the hang of things. But once that happened, I started to really enjoy myself. The variety in weapons could have been a little stronger, but it was nice to still be able to cycle through whatever I wanted to use.
Early on in the game, the level design is kind of dull, and I think that hurt the initial experience on top of the janky gameplay. I wasn’t enjoying myself as much as I would’ve liked to. What got me through it was the storytelling.
Yeah it can be overly referential, but it hardly bothered me most of the time. I liked how distinguished the storytelling was in this game from that of Max Payne. Those games utilize comic-like panels for their cutscenes, and it was refreshing to see something different here.
The mystery continued to pull me in early on, and I loved the pacific northwest setting. It really allowed for a cozy atmosphere whenever I wasn’t trapped in a woody hellscape. Fortunately the level design becomes more sophisticated and diverse later on. That really began to bring everything together.
The narrative ended on a pretty big high note, and I’m looking forward to seeing where the story goes from here; though I would’ve been less satisfied had I not known there was a sequel coming soon. I mean god… people had to wait 13 years for a follow up to this?
The hardware can be limiting to the games experience, and some of the motion controls are still funky. And man, are the driving mechanics BAD… but despite it all, Alan Wake turned out to be another fantastic Remedy experience, and I can’t wait to play Control next!
Alan Wake introduces a new mechanic for Remedy that not only makes for a unique gameplay experience, but distinguishes its combat from that of Max Paynes run and gun style.
The introduction of flashlights to weaken your enemies was a really cool idea, and all of the light-based weaponry was fun to use. The combat was really difficult to get down at first. A lot of it feels stiff and uncomfortable more immediately as it’s very different from other games.
It took me about a quarter of the way through the game to really get the hang of things. But once that happened, I started to really enjoy myself. The variety in weapons could have been a little stronger, but it was nice to still be able to cycle through whatever I wanted to use.
Early on in the game, the level design is kind of dull, and I think that hurt the initial experience on top of the janky gameplay. I wasn’t enjoying myself as much as I would’ve liked to. What got me through it was the storytelling.
Yeah it can be overly referential, but it hardly bothered me most of the time. I liked how distinguished the storytelling was in this game from that of Max Payne. Those games utilize comic-like panels for their cutscenes, and it was refreshing to see something different here.
The mystery continued to pull me in early on, and I loved the pacific northwest setting. It really allowed for a cozy atmosphere whenever I wasn’t trapped in a woody hellscape. Fortunately the level design becomes more sophisticated and diverse later on. That really began to bring everything together.
The narrative ended on a pretty big high note, and I’m looking forward to seeing where the story goes from here; though I would’ve been less satisfied had I not known there was a sequel coming soon. I mean god… people had to wait 13 years for a follow up to this?
The hardware can be limiting to the games experience, and some of the motion controls are still funky. And man, are the driving mechanics BAD… but despite it all, Alan Wake turned out to be another fantastic Remedy experience, and I can’t wait to play Control next!
2003
I Entered the Matrix… and immediately wanted to leave.
I’ll start by saying there are some things here that could have really worked. The idea of the main characters existing in live action and entering the Matrix, now playable to us, is kind of cool and sort of fits the theme of the film.
Too bad they decided to have some cutscenes in game as well… instantly taking away from the coolest aspect it had going for itself. But that’s not the most frustrating part. The controls, are like muddled garbage.
Stiff, uncomfortable, unnatural. You can hardly move the way you want to. And what’s worse is that there is no aim with your weapons. Not unless you enter their self proclaimed “first person mode”… and good luck with that.
The martial art combat is kind of cool… too bad the character barely goes in the direction you want him to hit. But you know what? It’s still possible to see past that. But It became really bad when there were not one, but TWO helicopter boss battles in the first three missions. And trying to navigate those… no way. Forget it.
I’m all for a challenge. Just not when your challenge is playing an unfinished, sloppily thrown together video game with no real sense of consistency or coherence 👎
I’ll start by saying there are some things here that could have really worked. The idea of the main characters existing in live action and entering the Matrix, now playable to us, is kind of cool and sort of fits the theme of the film.
Too bad they decided to have some cutscenes in game as well… instantly taking away from the coolest aspect it had going for itself. But that’s not the most frustrating part. The controls, are like muddled garbage.
Stiff, uncomfortable, unnatural. You can hardly move the way you want to. And what’s worse is that there is no aim with your weapons. Not unless you enter their self proclaimed “first person mode”… and good luck with that.
The martial art combat is kind of cool… too bad the character barely goes in the direction you want him to hit. But you know what? It’s still possible to see past that. But It became really bad when there were not one, but TWO helicopter boss battles in the first three missions. And trying to navigate those… no way. Forget it.
I’m all for a challenge. Just not when your challenge is playing an unfinished, sloppily thrown together video game with no real sense of consistency or coherence 👎