really great game thats set back a bit by a few terrible bosses and different areas. certain stages in ds1 are solely difficult because they are annoying and incredibly tedious which just isnt fun. i also think how information is fed to the player is really hit or miss, as some super vital information on weapons, areas, or leveling systems (soft caps etc.) is practically inaccessible on a blind run. this game at it's best is too good to not praise though; the settings, the world, the (good) bosses, the combat, the music, the lore and the freedom to play how you want is genuinely incredible.

not done all the DLC but finished main story. can't wait to play ds2 (LOL)

i dont know what the hell happened for this game to be released after the second but it's kino...

improves on everything that makes the first game great with the storyline that the series deserves. the central plot primarily focusing on arkham and lady really accentuates the familial rivalry between dante and vergil, and how they represent both sides of their bloodline, with dante finding his path against vergil through his opposition of arkham. this game turns dante into a genuinely great character while adding a ton of charm that the previous more stoic renditions didnt show. even if the story in this game sucked, the cutscenes of dante taunting every fucked up boss or side character that wants to kill him would make this game worth playing

the combat system dmc3 offers is impressively complex as well, being a huge improvement from the previous games while also maintaining what makes the hack and slash of dmc great. after the first playthrough, i feel like i've explored maybe 30% of the combat in this game, with the variation of skill sets and weapons with separate attack patterns, you could play though 10 times and still not explore everything the combat offers.

dmc2 tosses a random boss into every level that says no word, makes no sense, and can be completely kited and shot dead with dantes guns in a couple mintues. dmc3 has bosses every few missions that are actual personalities that make sense to the setting and have reason to contest dante, with completely different attack patterns and ways to be beaten. almost none of these bosses can be beaten on first try (maybe they can I might just be #ass), but the rinse and repeat of learning the fight pattern and getting to the point of beating them always felt warranted and incredibly deserving. the vergil fights are especially fantastic, as he initially feels the most "doable" for dante, as he's less physically demanding than most the bosses, but as you begin each round with him, you realize how hard he outclasses dante in comparison to every other boss. each of these fights feels like a genuine duel of brothers trying to one up each other, which makes the final encounter feel incredibly cathartic.... its peak

also few scenes go harder than dante and vergil swapping swords THROUGH arkham for a final barrage, just to finish the fight with both of them taking a final shot with ebony & ivory...

JACKPOT

woaaahhhh

worse than the first in a lot of ways but stylistically so unique and thematically (prob) more ambitious with very ambiguous results. the new protagonists and cast members fit the series incredibly well, and all the returning characters continue to be just as fantastic as they were. This game could also be like twice it's length if it wanted to, but the individual story paths are purposefully very condensed to what the 25th ward is dealing to the characters, which comes together very nicely in the end. I cant really tell if the inclusion of the third route was a great choice, as even though every story in this game is unique and serves a purpose to the plot, I feel the more interesting sides of the story could have been further expanded, making the chapter to chapter experience more enjoyable. The final product is still fantastic, but doesn't quite feel as complete as TSC. the OST is also worse but in a very interesting and almost offensive way at points, which ends up being way more entertaining then it should be (most the OST is still great, only a handful of tracks feel too out there). This game also lacks the diverse multi-media approach of TSC (which I assume is either due to the fact that this remaster is of a mobile game which likely made certain outlets more difficult, or that they were aiming for a more consistent "polished" feeling that TSC, being very rough around the edges, lacked), which was a shame as they always came across super unique and charming, albeit very technically jank at times.

the silver case has very easily become one of my favorite game series that I've ever played through. the constant balance of out of place and strange humor paired with psychotic storytelling filled with different complexities and hard-hitting themes delivered in the most unconventional way possible constantly impressed me throughout the 3 games. this delivery paired with some of the best visual style and aesthetics I've ever seen make for a genuine fully unique experience that's still stylistically unmatched 20 years later. it's further amazed me that the actual gameplay in this series is really not very good (FSR...), but the complete experience that the games provide strongly override the obvious weaker points throughout the trilogy. This series immediately hooked me with TSC, and I imagine it will keep my attention for a long time to come... generational series...

Tokio Morishima is actually the goat as well

Correctness>Placebo>Matchmaker

kill the past

everything in this game outside of the actual gameplay is so great that I can almost forgive how painful the walking sim becomes at points. the dialogue, characters, comedy, soundtrack, story and overall vibes makes this game feel like such a unique experience that couldnt come from any other studio. the game takes its time to reveal it's connections to TSC, but once it does the story somehow feels like an appropriate continuation for the characters that fleshes out themes set in the first game, while also being it's own "paradise" that briefly exists for the cast and tells it's own story.

although the walking of the game actually plays well into the themes of the story, the time spent going back and forth from point A-B is egregious. its actually very funny how much the game fucks with you and makes you do nothing but walk for half the missions, but i really don't think it makes for a fun experience for the most part. The best part of the walking is knowing that you'll encounter some freak at the end of the road who will fuck with Sumio for however long the story allows (stephan charbonie....). the puzzles were also kind of annoying at times, but most of them were pretty simple, and the actual Catherine system is very cool

genuinely can't imagine I'll ever play a game like this again, will miss Losspass Island....

Final Steps: 20,901

Edit 5/9/24: raised to a 4.5 - still have gripes with the gameplay but I think about this game literally everyday. just too much I love about Losspass and it's evil visitors

kill the past

unbelievably dense and actually schizophrenic. maybe the worst controls in any game I've ever played paired with some of the best style and dialogue. the back and forth between Transmission and Placebo is incredible as well, especially with how they intertwine later on. you can kind of tell the two paths are written by different people, but I actually think it benefits the game a lot, especially since Akira and Tokio's narratives are so different. very much so looking forward to the next games, beyond kino

edit 3/14
actually goated 5/5

KILL THE PAST

An insane improvement on the first game that keeps itself faithful to the ideas that make Half-Life the game it is, while also building the depth of the world and gameplay far past what the first achieved.

Every chapter presents a mostly unique and individual setting with a distinct atmosphere and way to play that keeps the gameplay constantly refreshing, paired with a variety of opponents that cause for utilization of every tool you're given (unlike HL1). How individual chapters progress is also smooth and incredibly well laid out, with very deliberate directions that lead you in the correct way without directly telling you where to go. It's pretty genius how the game uses it's visual cues, as you constantly feel you're going in the right direction solely based on very quick twists and turns that meet your gaze in the perfect moments. The settings and map design were my favorite aspects of HL1, but there is really no comparison with HL2's constant uniqueness and sense of direction.

The introduction of the gravity gun + chapter dependent vehicles showcase the range of ideas that makes HL2's gameplay and mechanics constantly fun and refreshing, as there is always an unknown variable waiting for you in every level. The movement and item mechanics are unbelievably fun, making the gunplay feel significantly improved from the mindless unloading of clips into tanky grunts that was present in HL1. Every item serves it's purpose, while every vehicle feels distinctly different and necessary for the individual chapters. For a game that is 20 years old, it's hard to believe how competitive the mechanics feel to currently releasing FPS games.

HL2's narrative is also incredibly different from the original, while also feeling like an appropriate progression that was needed for the depth this world presents. The incident at Black Mesa caused world changing events that both integrated alien technology into human culture as well as put Gordon Freeman on a pedestal garnering both hate and praise for being the legend of the incident. How these developments lead the plot and world of HL feels like the only direction it could have taken, while still maintaining the feeling that you're at the will of The G-Man pulling the strings from above. I'm very interested in seeing how the series follows the events of HL2's ending, as the consequences of Gordon's actions seem very drastic...

The only large gripes I have with this game is that it's way too easy and the second half fails to feel as innovative as the first. HL1 was unnecessarily difficult, even on normal difficulty, with a ton of chapters just tossing bullshit obstacles in your path that will likely kill you at least once. This was coupled with chapters that would be strangely easy, creating a jarring feeling going from level to level. HL2 majorly improves on the feeling of consistency, but in a way that just significantly drops the level of difficulty, while also providing you with an excess of heals, ammo, shields, and then support from rebellion members (also these dudes sucked and just body-blocked me 90% of the time). I would be more forgiving of the difficulty if certain chapters didn't feel unnecessarily long, as the more time I spent on foes and tasks that were laughably easy, the more I wanted the levels to end.

The later half of HL2 also feels significantly less interesting than what is presented in the first half of chapters. The beginning of this game constantly presents you with completely unique settings with differing allies, enemies and ways to play the game. Going from the airboat chase of Water Hazard, to the zombie survival of "We don't go to Ravenholm...", to the fast-paced travelling of Highway 17 is incredible and also distinctly loss in what follows later in the game. "We don't go to Ravenholm..." is likely my favorite chapter of this game, as it completely subverts expectations by throwing you into a horror environment with fully-unique gameplay that focuses on escaping this town as fast as possible. Your escape is also completely at the will of Father Grigori, who is the sole resident of Ravenholm, as well as the shepherd to the flock of zombies that he laughingly deals with day to day. Although the later half of chapters is far from bad, it loses this psychotic and unpredictable nature that makes the beginning so intriguing. This becomes most noticeable as you start to head to the Citadel, where the gameplay feels more akin to HL1 than 2. I will say the final 2 chapters do get back to a nice sense of uniqueness, but still a bit lackluster in comparison with the start.

The Half-Life series is an obvious historic achievement in the progression of video games, especially FPS. After finishing HL1, I was very skeptical to how the series would continue, as the first game felt obviously dated and just unenjoyable during many chapters. HL2 completely re-envisions what the first achieves while constantly paying respects to the base of what makes HL1 the game it is. HL2 has aged incredibly and still stands as a great, innovative FPS game that has clearly left it's permeant influence on the genre and industry as a whole.

Pretty fun game to play with friends. Atmosphere is overall pretty creepy, with some maps being much more impressive then expected. Some of the best levels actually ended up being the one's with no entities because it allowed the strong atmosphere to carry. The monsters on pretty much every level were very disappointing. Complete robots with set paths and bland designs. Once and a while they were good but mostly very uninteresting bots. Several levels are also way too tedious for no reason, with double to triple the time spent on the average level. I'd imagine this game could be really difficult playing solo player, but then again I don't really think this is worth playing solo lol