Xamnam
The art is gorgeous, and there are lot of nice ideas, but you feel like you're fighting the movement at every time. I only finished it by speeding up the walk speed x3.
2012
Painful in so many ways, yet brimming with inspiration and passion. It's a unique experience that, if you fully fall into, will be hard to ignore or forget.
TAKE NOTES
TAKE NOTES
2018
It doesn't do much exceptionally, especially not on the story front, but the simple act of swinging around the city is so fun that it's hard to put down.
2018
Simple, but powerful. The mechanics perfectly reinforce everything it tries to say.
2021
It's obvious in retrospect that a time loop concept was the perfect way to get me to finally play one of Arkane's sims as intended, over and over, trying different methods every time. My only true complaint is that I just wish there was more of it all. Having visionaries present in all time periods, with alternate bespoke ways of tackling them such that you need to find the right combination would have made this a spectacular game.
2021
Brimming with promise, but the pacing and linear design drag it down.
2016
An intriguing world and compelling premise not quite entirely wasted by micromanagey combat.
2020
You know exactly what the entire game will be after the first level, and for a game like this that's a strength.
1999
It's pretty incredible to see the indelible legacy this has left across countless games. The atmosphere is absolutely fantastic, and the tension never really lets up. The maps are much more intelligible compared to the first game, and the reasons you backtrack across the station feel less arbitrary. That said, the plot is a lot more straightforward and less inventive, even if it's told well. That said, it's easy to see why this has inspired so much since its release. Sure, the aging process has not been overly kind, and the difficulty spikes can be very aggressive, but this is still well worth the time.
This was developed initially as Subnautica DLC. That's clear through and through, and ultimately? That's really fine. As it was with the original, the core experience, exploration, tension, fear, mystery, curiosity, it's all still there in spades, and is just as satisfying as it was before, with several QoL changes that make a big difference. If you enjoyed Subnautica, you'll probably really enjoy this!
That said, having specifically waited through the entire EA period for the full release, I'm a bit disappointed. Everything is just a bit less. Smaller world, smaller story, fewer biomes, fewer terrors. I saw the depth I finished the game at, and based on the original, I thought I had maybe another third to work through. Instead, I was five minutes from the ending. The story is more direct, and it's certainly serviceable, but there are more threads left dangling, and ultimately is far less satisfying as a demonstration of mastery of the world than the spanning quest of the original. I committed the grievous sin of looking at the cut content listed on the wiki, and DARN IF THAT DOESN'T SOUND EXACTLY LIKE WHAT I FELT WAS MISSING HERE.
But I spent 20 happy hours swimming through the oceans of Planet 4546B, and I don't know if I'd ever fully get tired of that. (But I definitely got tired of the land based sections, very quickly.)
That said, having specifically waited through the entire EA period for the full release, I'm a bit disappointed. Everything is just a bit less. Smaller world, smaller story, fewer biomes, fewer terrors. I saw the depth I finished the game at, and based on the original, I thought I had maybe another third to work through. Instead, I was five minutes from the ending. The story is more direct, and it's certainly serviceable, but there are more threads left dangling, and ultimately is far less satisfying as a demonstration of mastery of the world than the spanning quest of the original. I committed the grievous sin of looking at the cut content listed on the wiki, and DARN IF THAT DOESN'T SOUND EXACTLY LIKE WHAT I FELT WAS MISSING HERE.
But I spent 20 happy hours swimming through the oceans of Planet 4546B, and I don't know if I'd ever fully get tired of that. (But I definitely got tired of the land based sections, very quickly.)
2019
This game does two things well. It's a fun and interesting world to navigate, and the hordes of zombies truly feel intimidating, scary, and exciting to combat. Everything else, the upgrades, the characters, the story, the mechanics, the connective tissue between events, they're either generic, nonsensical, or just not compelling in any real way.
1999
I really wanted to like this, but I spent so much more time lost than I did sneaking around. The difficulty options and world were consistently engaging, but I do think this is a game that doesn't withstand the deleterious effects of time.
It takes a phenomenal amount of courage and confidence to make games that you know will disappoint, confuse, and anger people, especially when the reason is because those people love your previous games, and they are so attached to the characters and their memories that they don't ever want them to change.
But Naughty Dog does it, consistently, and with aplomb, delivering some of the most sculpted, crafted, affecting set piece games that exist. While it's impossible to ignore the specter of crunch required to create this level of detail and scope, it does not erase the admirable work and palpable love that has been poured into this game.
Like the first game, this is a game about love, but it's a much more visceral experience, bringing you through the lowest dregs of experience that can be attached to love. However, the value of the journey matches the cost.
But Naughty Dog does it, consistently, and with aplomb, delivering some of the most sculpted, crafted, affecting set piece games that exist. While it's impossible to ignore the specter of crunch required to create this level of detail and scope, it does not erase the admirable work and palpable love that has been poured into this game.
Like the first game, this is a game about love, but it's a much more visceral experience, bringing you through the lowest dregs of experience that can be attached to love. However, the value of the journey matches the cost.
2020
Perfectly sweet. A feel good story, a delightful central mechanic, satisfying puzzles, and beautiful art direction throughout.
2019
Oh, I wanted to like this so much more than I did. I'm a sucker for space station stories, the interface was neat, and I was very onboard for where the story was headed.
However, it is slow, awkward, tedious, and just frustrating again and again and again. I starting dreading every time I'd have to traverse the station, how to achieve your goals (not the puzzles!) was frequently vague, and the story takes the easy way out with far too many jump cuts and forced resets.
However, it is slow, awkward, tedious, and just frustrating again and again and again. I starting dreading every time I'd have to traverse the station, how to achieve your goals (not the puzzles!) was frequently vague, and the story takes the easy way out with far too many jump cuts and forced resets.