TsukiruP
2000
This is a fucking visual novel that sure does exist. Routes are whatever until the tail end of the recommended route progression but its age shows in both its content and how events are handled. I couldn't wish anyone actually read this beyond it's status in history and just hope Tsukihime (2021) proves to be a better execution of the ideas presented here and also becomes tangible to access.
My ratings never mean anything, it certainly is a port of Sonic Colors. Note that I've played and completed this before the market date, and I do not doubt this will get patched eventually.
Will first have to acknowledge the team was in a rough spot considering how the original Colors handled its lighting and the struggle to bother replicating that. Smarter people on Twitter have made full threads about this and I'd rather not just poorly parrot that (https://twitter.com/dariosamo/status/1399522453211291648?s=20).
Anyone who compares it to Sonic The Hedgehog (2006) is being really fucking hyperbolic and forgot that it's entire foundation is the source of all its problems. Colors Ultimate is indeed Sonic Colors at its core and whether or not you like that game is up to you.
However, this is a pretty fucking abysmal port. Long load times, new features are awkward and sometimes break the game (Tails' rescuing breaking Asteroid Coaster sometimes), and varying quality in remixes. It's just "Okay" in how it exists. It could be infinitely better but it's not the worst thing in the world? However this goes doubly so for the Nintendo Switch, which is not this fucking weak and was clearly just not bothered to be optimize to be as poor as it is.
Will first have to acknowledge the team was in a rough spot considering how the original Colors handled its lighting and the struggle to bother replicating that. Smarter people on Twitter have made full threads about this and I'd rather not just poorly parrot that (https://twitter.com/dariosamo/status/1399522453211291648?s=20).
Anyone who compares it to Sonic The Hedgehog (2006) is being really fucking hyperbolic and forgot that it's entire foundation is the source of all its problems. Colors Ultimate is indeed Sonic Colors at its core and whether or not you like that game is up to you.
However, this is a pretty fucking abysmal port. Long load times, new features are awkward and sometimes break the game (Tails' rescuing breaking Asteroid Coaster sometimes), and varying quality in remixes. It's just "Okay" in how it exists. It could be infinitely better but it's not the worst thing in the world? However this goes doubly so for the Nintendo Switch, which is not this fucking weak and was clearly just not bothered to be optimize to be as poor as it is.
Really puts the "Online" in Phantasy Star Online.
I've actually started PSO2 since maybe around 2016? So this is the only time I'll talk about gameplay for all EPISODES.
It's very braindead, which is all I need in a time passing MMO. Reaching Level 75 without even touching the first EPISODE is real weird but whatever.
I also don't care for the massive grind or min maxing or whatever MMO players smoke, I'm just dedicated to doing cool shit.
The presentation and gameplay has certainly aged, being made for 2012 and not recieving massive upgrades for its price (being free) and meant to be accessible on weaker platforms, like the Vita.
It's age is also shown in the rough execution of its stories, which I expect to be a running theme until EPISODE 4. The old progression of plot used to be finding cutscenes on the field, but they've all been crammed awkwardly into one menu and I pray for anyone who has no idea what Xion means by Divergence Matrix. You remove the gameplay breaks with long strings of mostly unconnected cutscenes and event battles that range from piss easy to absolutely annoying.
Not to mention the actual thread of events just sorta happens. It's a mess but with having experience with FFXIV's A Realm Reborn MSQ before it was cut down, can't say I expected anything else.
You're not missing anything not doing this, personally.
I've actually started PSO2 since maybe around 2016? So this is the only time I'll talk about gameplay for all EPISODES.
It's very braindead, which is all I need in a time passing MMO. Reaching Level 75 without even touching the first EPISODE is real weird but whatever.
I also don't care for the massive grind or min maxing or whatever MMO players smoke, I'm just dedicated to doing cool shit.
The presentation and gameplay has certainly aged, being made for 2012 and not recieving massive upgrades for its price (being free) and meant to be accessible on weaker platforms, like the Vita.
It's age is also shown in the rough execution of its stories, which I expect to be a running theme until EPISODE 4. The old progression of plot used to be finding cutscenes on the field, but they've all been crammed awkwardly into one menu and I pray for anyone who has no idea what Xion means by Divergence Matrix. You remove the gameplay breaks with long strings of mostly unconnected cutscenes and event battles that range from piss easy to absolutely annoying.
Not to mention the actual thread of events just sorta happens. It's a mess but with having experience with FFXIV's A Realm Reborn MSQ before it was cut down, can't say I expected anything else.
You're not missing anything not doing this, personally.
One of the video games of all time.
2006
Pretty solid experience, however held back by tight design and an atrocious map. Recommended with a guide, which isn't anything new for 2006. I'd still be tempted to 100% on my own time.
Thank God it's not Zero 1 or 2.
Thank God it's not Zero 1 or 2.
2003
Starts off promising but then there's an awful ranking system that is tied to your EX skills and you cannot redo boss stages. Not to mention pretty grueling stages makes it one of the fastest I've dropped a game. It really shouldn't boil down to "be good at these same dragging stages immediately or just miss content" and that's not a hill anyone can defend.
It feels like a game still aimed at the "tough as nails" crowd without thinking of basic, good game design. I've played some sleepers but this is just sad.
If Zero kept his cloak from the first cutscene then maybe it'd be worth something.
Reformatted because it apparently wasn't clear this game has awful design and decisions. No "you haven't played a real bad game" does not invalidate this game's choices. Comparing eating shit to fried shit does not change that they are shit.
2002
Played with Casual Scenario Mode but God I cannot imagine going through this originally. Missions just sort of happen until the finale where it begins to have a narrative and suddenly its over before you know it. Well, assuming you're not dead.
2007
NiseKei is forever my enemy as long as the sun, moon, and this hellish Earth exists. I'm never playing a party game again.
I will preface this by saying I played this originally back on release however I was a dumb child so I won't bother wondering what opinions I had back then. Also used a handful of unorthodox things, the Unofficial Gay mod, paralouges unlock, and a retranslation patch.
Not that any of that fuckin' matters.
One of the most mind numbing experiences I've had. With maps near the end being downright evil with constant enemy spawning. Tries to do the "wait there's a whole misunderstanding" except it does it every time to where its just an excuse to have conflicts for Hoshido, which is the more peaceful of the countries. I made (Kaza)hana a lesbian, she became a glass canon. That was awesome. What the fuck Nintendo.
I will insult the entire concept of Fates/if where it is half baked in all THREE paths with nonsense divisions and justifications all while trying to be super pandery about its cast. series probably shouldve perished right fuckin' here.
Not that any of that fuckin' matters.
One of the most mind numbing experiences I've had. With maps near the end being downright evil with constant enemy spawning. Tries to do the "wait there's a whole misunderstanding" except it does it every time to where its just an excuse to have conflicts for Hoshido, which is the more peaceful of the countries. I made (Kaza)hana a lesbian, she became a glass canon. That was awesome. What the fuck Nintendo.
I will insult the entire concept of Fates/if where it is half baked in all THREE paths with nonsense divisions and justifications all while trying to be super pandery about its cast. series probably shouldve perished right fuckin' here.
Closer to PSO2 than its previous installment, however playing these back to back is a horrible idea. Kind of whatever characters and some call back to the Xbox one I didn't play so I can't comment beyond the gameplay.
Game is good. Long missions but it held my attention. Final Boss was also a pain in the ass, save states aside.
Game is good. Long missions but it held my attention. Final Boss was also a pain in the ass, save states aside.
Writing this based on my feelings from 2 years ago. I've played some of PSO and PSO2 but nothing inbetween.
Not a game worth playing due to its sequel and PSO2 being a proper mmo rather than an mmo lite. The eng game gets stupid challenging for no particular reason to where I downloaded a save file to make it beatable, and even then had to rely on save states.
Not a game worth playing due to its sequel and PSO2 being a proper mmo rather than an mmo lite. The eng game gets stupid challenging for no particular reason to where I downloaded a save file to make it beatable, and even then had to rely on save states.
I played this with 3 other people where in PVP the other team spammed Maziodyne and we spammed full heals where the fight never fucking ended I love this game more than my wife good night
Not gonna talk about the LIMIT CUT fights, too big brained for me. I appreciate they're there and people can style on them, and their bgm remixes fucking rock.
The actual ReMind content is front loaded with reused scenarios which is actually somewhat okay considering that it's the most focused area in the game. Still not entirely worth the price I paid on release, since it's a lot of minor additional cutscenes and events. The main benefit is I guess I can always restart it to immediately do those fights.
The other playable characters I have no clue why they're limited to ReMind but they're mostly not great, minus Roxas and Kairi.
Scala ad Caelum gets the love it deserves, tone and area design so fucking pretty its a shame no other world hits the same.
Armored Xehanort can suck my dick.
The actual ReMind content is front loaded with reused scenarios which is actually somewhat okay considering that it's the most focused area in the game. Still not entirely worth the price I paid on release, since it's a lot of minor additional cutscenes and events. The main benefit is I guess I can always restart it to immediately do those fights.
The other playable characters I have no clue why they're limited to ReMind but they're mostly not great, minus Roxas and Kairi.
Scala ad Caelum gets the love it deserves, tone and area design so fucking pretty its a shame no other world hits the same.
Armored Xehanort can suck my dick.
Not gonna talk about the LIMIT CUT fights, too big brained for me. I appreciate they're there and people can style on them, and their bgm remixes fucking rock.
The actual ReMind content is front loaded with reused scenarios which is actually somewhat okay considering that it's the most focused area in the game. Still not entirely worth the price I paid on release, since it's a lot of minor additional cutscenes and events. The main benefit is I guess I ca
The actual ReMind content is front loaded with reused scenarios which is actually somewhat okay considering that it's the most focused area in the game. Still not entirely worth the price I paid on release, since it's a lot of minor additional cutscenes and events. The main benefit is I guess I ca
2019
This game is a lot. In every sense of the word.
I am one of those KH2FM babies who played it a lot so that's just bound to be the comparison, but even by itself 3 is awkward feeling in a lot of areas. Movement being the obvious one, where I've compared it to like swinging spaghetti, especially with the heights Sora can reach with Combo Master.
The worlds themselves are kinda whatever, not the most wonderfully integrated to the main plot. Much like 3D, the most Kingdom Hearts stuff are kinda loaded up into the end, making the journey a load of nothing. Most of the time Sora misses out on the stories of the movies which is... an interesting move.
Combat kinda works fine to do the job but in both boss variety and normal goons, there are large annoying fellas who can rock you before you have a chance for defensive options.
The game does have plenty of charming events but they aren't able to carry every cutscene that obviously has a checklist purpose.
Can't fault Osaka team, kind of a big deal for a game as hyped as this to try and include everything as much as possible, which leads to poor focus.
Could be better, won't be returning in the next few years now that I've solidified how weird it is.
I am one of those KH2FM babies who played it a lot so that's just bound to be the comparison, but even by itself 3 is awkward feeling in a lot of areas. Movement being the obvious one, where I've compared it to like swinging spaghetti, especially with the heights Sora can reach with Combo Master.
The worlds themselves are kinda whatever, not the most wonderfully integrated to the main plot. Much like 3D, the most Kingdom Hearts stuff are kinda loaded up into the end, making the journey a load of nothing. Most of the time Sora misses out on the stories of the movies which is... an interesting move.
Combat kinda works fine to do the job but in both boss variety and normal goons, there are large annoying fellas who can rock you before you have a chance for defensive options.
The game does have plenty of charming events but they aren't able to carry every cutscene that obviously has a checklist purpose.
Can't fault Osaka team, kind of a big deal for a game as hyped as this to try and include everything as much as possible, which leads to poor focus.
Could be better, won't be returning in the next few years now that I've solidified how weird it is.