VinceBen97
This game's visual novel segments are genuinly super charming and fun, if a bit simple.
But that thinking mini game takes up way too much space and is very annoying
2023
This game fails at the core of what it's trying to do.
I'm not american, so I can't actually do my taxes with this. While I am salty about it, I wont stay too mad, because it would be impossible for the devs to accomodate every single country's tax system.
That being said, what really is inexcusable is that you can only file as a single taxpayer with no dependants. That is fucking absurd.
The girl is mid too.
2003
I physically cannot play this game because of the cringe.
There's so much wrong with it.
The fact that you can lock yourself out of the best ending in the first 5 minutes of gameplay
The insane amount of cringey mini games (FFX's biggest flaws was already its mini games but this game takes it to a whole other level)
The disrespect of FFX's somber and tragic ending by making it meaningless (the whole game's tone in general is so whiplashed from FFX that it barely feels like the same universe, despite literally reusing its areas)
The frankly disgusting fan service.
FFX's brilliant turn based combat being replaced by the servicable but much inferior ATB from FF4-9
I just cant. I love FFX. It's very precious to me, and this game absolutely shits on everything it stands for.
The Job system is pretty good i'll give, and at its core, the JRPG behind this mess isnt too bad, but there are much better options if you want a Job System game.
TBD
Cancelled for a reason
2023
I had a lot of fun with Hogwarts Legacy even trough its honnestly a really flawed game. I would say its a game of high highs and painfully mid lows.
The game is quite ambitious, and attempts to do an impressive amount of things, to make sure no aspect of the Wizarding World is left unchecked, and while I respect that ambition, it leads to a syndrome of Jack of all trades, master of none. And what is most annoying is that this very mediocre ¨optional content¨ isnt really optional at all, the game forces you pretty regularly into stupid content, either by blocking main quests behind completion of said ¨side quests¨ or by level blocking main quest forcing you to grind side quests.
Side quests can be really bad fetch quests. But can also be really good. Sebastian, Deek and Poppy's quest line are really enjoyable and provide interisting dynamics that are on par with say, a Persona social link. However, these are the only ones that do. Most of them are go there do this. The main story is just, fine, its just good enough to keep you going but won't be leaving any impression of it.
So what are the things that the game really excel at? The presentation and combat. Presentation might seem like a shallow thing to praise but it really is top tier shit. Flying on Highwind around Hogwarts with that epic score really gets you there. And the game nails the very specific feel I have watching the Harry Potter movies, which I believe is a very hard thing to do cause I can't quite explain the charm these movies have, it goes a long way. And the combat, I would describe as Batman Arkham at a distance. It's very consistantly fun, challenging enough, and allows a great deal of player expression in the spell combos.
So all in all, do I reccomand Hogwarts Legacy if you're not into Harry Potter? Honnestly, not really, I guess if you're into Ubisoft games? But as with the main Harry Potter series, I believe that even through its flaws are honnestly, very plain to see, its not enough to actually deter from the enjoyment of an enjoyable world to explore and fun characters to meet.
It's very likely a one and done for me, but I'm really glad I did it.
TikTok: The Video Game
Wait they made a series of these? And people like them?
This game is kind of like a clip show. A really good clip show. But a clip show nonetheless. And as with clip shows, there are a lot of rethreads of previous episodes. And while they are done better here, it does become a little old.
Still a gorgeous gorgeous game with a lot of charm.
2002
The Absolute peak of survival horror as far as gameplay is concerned. Every single ressource counts, whether you kill enemies or not matters, what route you take matters, all the while giving you plenty of freedom to do things in the order that you want. While also having an insane amount of replay value.
Best remake ever made. By far.
2007
This review contains spoilers
I do not like Bioshock despite trying to make myself like it for over ten years now. Something never clicked, but my most recent revisit really made me realize why.
First through, to list what I do like, the atmosphere, concept of the city, and most of all, the horror. This game has brilliant scary set pieces and I'm surprised that those who do like the game never bring it up.
Now through.
The gunplay is kind of weak, the robots and camera system are annoying additions that add nothing to the tension, they're just there to piss you off. The plasmids are very weak and do so little damage you will always resort to guns. The checkpoint system is so hillariously awful that killing Big Daddys by throwing yourself at them, chipping a little bit of their health each time, dying and respawning and continuing the process, without spending a single healthpack, is a perfectly viable strategy.
Bioshock thinks it's deep because it takes inspiration from and criticizes litterature and a political ideology. Now what exactly does it criticizes? Ayn Rand and, what amounts to anarcho capitalism. Yes, anarcho capitalism, not just plain old capitalism, the game takes the time to very much distance Rapture and the United States. Now, to come back on earth for two seconds: Anarcho Capitalism is a meme ideology that no one who touches grass actually believes in. Libertarianism in general, is niche; in the United States, where that ideology has the most ground, the Libertarian Party makes like, 2% in elections. This is a boogeyman threat that has no basis in reality. Oh it's just a fantasy excuse for a cool world? I mean, I'd be down for that, I havent played those games, but from what I've seen, the Wolfenstein Games do something kind of like that, but, to whip out some dumb family guy meme. Bioshock insists upon itself. It's not playing its world for fun, it wants to be deep, but it isnt, it's incredibly shallow.
The morality system is the game's biggest sin through. Do you want to kill the little sisters for more power, or save them for less? It sounds, in theory, like a simple but well done concept, however it drops the ball the second you're introduced to that mechanic by having Tannenbaum give your rewards that compensate for the power you do not get by harvesting the little sisters. This is so insane I do not get how this got approved. Harvesting the little sisters yield no reward beside seeing the bad ending and hu hu i'm being a dick.
This game is shallow and I really do not care for it.
2008
Fallout 3 is a great game that sucesfully breathed new life in an obscure franchise and made it mainstream. It's also incredibly fun by its lonesome, with a beautiful world, interesting sidequests, lots of role playing options etc.
It unfortunately falters on its main quest being rather unoriginal, being somehow a mix of Fallout 1 and 2. And it's DLCs are, by and large, nothing but shooting galleries, which is not what makes this game fun.
That being said, you'll have a great time.
1994
Earthbound is a complicated game to discuss.
Honnestly, really wasn't into it when I started it, and I started it long ago. My playthrough of Earthbound began over a year before I finished it (writing this right as the credits are rolling)
And, to be clear, that division isnt equal. Half of the game was done in that year, the other half, within those last 3 days.
I dont know why, at first something didnt click with me. Exarcebated by some very glaring flaws with the game. The most obvious would be the inventory system, item management, and frequent brutal difficulty curves.
I also thought it really wasn't up to stuff with it being frequently mentionned alongside Final Fantasy VI and Chrono Trigger as the Holy Trinity of SNES RPGs, and yeah, let's be real, it's definitly the weakest of these 3.
I really wasn't getting it but, I dont know, sometime, somewhere, I got really focused and intent on finally beating the game.
And I came to understand what was not clicking. Earthbound is really unfocused, shit just tends to, happen, with no rhyme or reason. It's all ¨dude look at this, isnt it weird bro?¨. And initially, that's what I disliked about it, but, you know what, it grew on me.
I came to appreciate Earthbound's style, this was admittedly helped that I started vibing with the actual RPG behind it around midway through, but I like now how everything has very little rhyme or reason. It's very much like a story kids would make up while playing, and it's charming.
I also, unfortunately, kind of took for granted what the game did, even through I always try to judge a game based on the time of its release, but I guess I initially failed here. I think Earthbound is unfortunately a victim of its sucess and influence, as the game lead the inspiration for many other great games, some that I've played, like South Park The Stick of Truth, and some that I havent but heard good things about it, like Undertale. And, when compared to those, Earthbound can look a little basic, but that's not its fault, it was the progenitor. It suffers from first game syndrome because of other games that aren't even in the same series, and itself not being the first in its series.
Despite it being a urban fantasy game, this game deserves praise for how traditional it is, Ness being the gallant hero, Paula the priness healer, Jeff the brains and Poo the wise old foreign martial artist, the quest for 8 mcguffins is also pretty reminiscent of old FF games's use of the crystals.
But what really makes this game are the antagonists, Porky and Giygas are such a memorable duo of profoundly disturbing individuals and making sense of them is what makes this story great,
Look I'm just rambling but this game is amazing.
You could tell this series was gonna be a trainwreck the second this released as a follow up to the admittedly silly but enjoyable first game.
Where to start, the fact that this looks like a side story spinoff despite it being the actual continuation of the story that leads into KH2?
There's the boxed in environments with no exploration whatsoever, with the only way to progress being to grind the shit of ennemies.
The story going into insane fanfic territory?
The Disney stuff losing all relevance and never being again?
The fact that this game replacing the best part of the first game, with fucking CARDS, and it being somehow THE LEAST of this game's issues, is fucking wild.
Lots of content, covers everything from the two trilogies that matter. You can play as actual characters alongside the different classes.
Yeah this game rocks.
1992
Terrible game but the 90s attitude box art is pretty funny
Honnestly really barebones as a squad shooter, but fun enough you don't really mind. Completly obsoleted by its sequel through.