ampiere
2022
A near pitch-perfect parody of puzzles and pretentiousness.
A few of the "puzzles" dragged the joke out a little too long, but the ending was totally worth it. Highly recommended for anyone's that's played The Witness– regardless if you loved it or hated it.
A few of the "puzzles" dragged the joke out a little too long, but the ending was totally worth it. Highly recommended for anyone's that's played The Witness– regardless if you loved it or hated it.
2021
An incredible co-op game that not only stands strong on its own terms, but also plays as a love letter to the multitude of games that inspired it.
Right from the start, the game moves at breakneck speed through new set pieces and mechanics, and never leaves time for a dull moment. It especially shines in its open-area sections, which are stuffed with hidden minigames, interactive objects, and silly banter between the two characters. The game has a sincere heart to it, with some scenes making me laugh out loud, tear up, or even both. While the overall story leaves a little to be desired, it's still able to string together a series of truly unforgettable moments.
I had the joy of playing It Takes Two with my partner to celebrate four years of dating. One of our first video gaming moments was playing the co-op campaign in Portal 2. And while personally Portal 2 reigned supreme for co-op multiplayer, It Takes Two deftly usurped the throne. This games deserves every bit of praise it gets.
Right from the start, the game moves at breakneck speed through new set pieces and mechanics, and never leaves time for a dull moment. It especially shines in its open-area sections, which are stuffed with hidden minigames, interactive objects, and silly banter between the two characters. The game has a sincere heart to it, with some scenes making me laugh out loud, tear up, or even both. While the overall story leaves a little to be desired, it's still able to string together a series of truly unforgettable moments.
I had the joy of playing It Takes Two with my partner to celebrate four years of dating. One of our first video gaming moments was playing the co-op campaign in Portal 2. And while personally Portal 2 reigned supreme for co-op multiplayer, It Takes Two deftly usurped the throne. This games deserves every bit of praise it gets.
1994
What more can I say about EarthBound? This game stinks. It's goofy and subversive. Its dated inventory system means I have to shuffle items around every so often. Its soundtrack swirls together so many genres and song samples. It's a JRPG fever dream whose DNA can be found in so many indie games today.
It's strikingly similar to its predecessor, yet it improves in practically every aspect. Its cast and locales are unforgettable, with a visit to Lumine Hall being a personal favorite. Its final sequence is truly haunting, making me feel small and powerless. As the battle unfolded, it captured the hope and inspiration that can blossom during adversity.
Given how Mother 3 is actually my favorite game of all time, I'm not sure why I never got around to playing EarthBound until now. It's criminal how little attention Nintendo gives this franchise nowadays. Both EBB and EB have official English releases, yet they remain virtually inaccessible outside of out-of-production hardware. Someday this series will get its proper revival, right...?
It's strikingly similar to its predecessor, yet it improves in practically every aspect. Its cast and locales are unforgettable, with a visit to Lumine Hall being a personal favorite. Its final sequence is truly haunting, making me feel small and powerless. As the battle unfolded, it captured the hope and inspiration that can blossom during adversity.
Given how Mother 3 is actually my favorite game of all time, I'm not sure why I never got around to playing EarthBound until now. It's criminal how little attention Nintendo gives this franchise nowadays. Both EBB and EB have official English releases, yet they remain virtually inaccessible outside of out-of-production hardware. Someday this series will get its proper revival, right...?
2020
This review contains spoilers
(Spoiler warning just in case)
An experience that's wholly unique and yet proudly wears its influences on its sleeve. Omori is hilarious, touching, upsetting, and unsettling.
When media deal with heavy themes like mental illness, suicide, trauma, and the likes, it's always hard to give my full recommendation (see the anime Monster). But it's not despite of, but rather because of how these themes are woven into the story that it earns my recommendation.
If the list of favorite games on my profile didn't give it away, Omori should be right up my alley. And for the most part, it is! I actually went in to this game completely blind, so I had no idea about the story or gameplay. The art style is instantly alluring, the soundtrack (with Slime Girls!!!) is groovy, and the writing breathes life into the characters and their worlds. I genuinely felt remorse when characters were at their nadir of their suffering, and a wave of relief once I reached the good ending (unintentionally).
That said, I think my biggest issue with the game is the pacing. I was never really sure how much of the game I had left, even up to the very end. I also understand there are multiple paths and endings to the game, and while conceptually that sounds interesting, I'm not sure I want to muscle through another 20 hours or so to see that content. The combat itself didn't feel as deep as it seemed to lead on, as I found a method that worked from the beginning and stuck with it for the rest of the game.
I wouldn't let my few criticisms detract from my overall positive experience with the game. Omori is nothing short of great, and I have the feeling I'll return to it years later.
(also they did NOT have to go as hard as they did on sweetheart's theme but here we are)
An experience that's wholly unique and yet proudly wears its influences on its sleeve. Omori is hilarious, touching, upsetting, and unsettling.
When media deal with heavy themes like mental illness, suicide, trauma, and the likes, it's always hard to give my full recommendation (see the anime Monster). But it's not despite of, but rather because of how these themes are woven into the story that it earns my recommendation.
If the list of favorite games on my profile didn't give it away, Omori should be right up my alley. And for the most part, it is! I actually went in to this game completely blind, so I had no idea about the story or gameplay. The art style is instantly alluring, the soundtrack (with Slime Girls!!!) is groovy, and the writing breathes life into the characters and their worlds. I genuinely felt remorse when characters were at their nadir of their suffering, and a wave of relief once I reached the good ending (unintentionally).
That said, I think my biggest issue with the game is the pacing. I was never really sure how much of the game I had left, even up to the very end. I also understand there are multiple paths and endings to the game, and while conceptually that sounds interesting, I'm not sure I want to muscle through another 20 hours or so to see that content. The combat itself didn't feel as deep as it seemed to lead on, as I found a method that worked from the beginning and stuck with it for the rest of the game.
I wouldn't let my few criticisms detract from my overall positive experience with the game. Omori is nothing short of great, and I have the feeling I'll return to it years later.
(also they did NOT have to go as hard as they did on sweetheart's theme but here we are)
2006
This game is incredible. Where EarthBound could be broadly described as an upgraded EarthBound Beginnings, Mother 3 deftly deconstructs the suburban sci-fi series. Its main character isn't destined by prophecy, but is thrust into the unknown by tragedy. The Podunk hometown is now the scene of a utopia-turned-dystopia. The world-ending threat isn't some otherworldly being, but rather the monsters created in the wake of unchecked greed and power.
And in every other aspect, Mother 3 is a direct improvement from its predecessors. The script (which has been expertly translated) weaves togethers a cast of characters, each with their own nuanced story. The soundtrack is iconic and dizzyingly large, meaning neither quality nor quantity was sacrificed. The gallery of enemies are goofier and more menacing than ever. I mean seriously– a Cattlesnake?!
Mother 3 is a heartbreaking tale that touched my heart, made me laugh, and brought me to tears. And more than a decade later, this is still my favorite video game.
And in every other aspect, Mother 3 is a direct improvement from its predecessors. The script (which has been expertly translated) weaves togethers a cast of characters, each with their own nuanced story. The soundtrack is iconic and dizzyingly large, meaning neither quality nor quantity was sacrificed. The gallery of enemies are goofier and more menacing than ever. I mean seriously– a Cattlesnake?!
Mother 3 is a heartbreaking tale that touched my heart, made me laugh, and brought me to tears. And more than a decade later, this is still my favorite video game.
2019
I want to enjoy this game - I honestly do. But it's just not for me.
It's got some silly dialog options, unique mechanics for progressing the plot, and a genuine heartbeat beneath it all. I think the open-exploration mixed with the dense dialog isn't a winning combo for me, since my aimlessness usually gets me stuck in long conversations about nothing in particular.
I think about how I never enjoyed playing Dungeons & Dragons, and my ideal version of the RPG would resemble something like Disco Elysium. Yet, I'm afraid not even this kind of storytelling format is enough to keep my interest.
It's got some silly dialog options, unique mechanics for progressing the plot, and a genuine heartbeat beneath it all. I think the open-exploration mixed with the dense dialog isn't a winning combo for me, since my aimlessness usually gets me stuck in long conversations about nothing in particular.
I think about how I never enjoyed playing Dungeons & Dragons, and my ideal version of the RPG would resemble something like Disco Elysium. Yet, I'm afraid not even this kind of storytelling format is enough to keep my interest.
Meh.
Even as DLC, The Heist doesn't swing in with enough grandeur to kick off a three-part side story. The intrigue of rising gang wars is largely uninteresting, and the story beats with Black Cat pull the rug too often to ever find a solid narrative. Since these chapters are partitioned off from the main campaign, it never quite feels like you're following one of the many threads woven into this city. Of course, this also makes achieving 100% completion that much more unwieldy.
A few remixes to the gameplay are also tossed in here, but none of them rise above what's offered in the base game. Still, beating up baddies is always a good time when you're Spider-Man.
Even as DLC, The Heist doesn't swing in with enough grandeur to kick off a three-part side story. The intrigue of rising gang wars is largely uninteresting, and the story beats with Black Cat pull the rug too often to ever find a solid narrative. Since these chapters are partitioned off from the main campaign, it never quite feels like you're following one of the many threads woven into this city. Of course, this also makes achieving 100% completion that much more unwieldy.
A few remixes to the gameplay are also tossed in here, but none of them rise above what's offered in the base game. Still, beating up baddies is always a good time when you're Spider-Man.
It's incredible that this game can stand toe-to-toe with the original, especially considering that a whole new team took the reins. Rapture truly feels like the sprawling underwater metropolis it was poised to be, with larger sets, brighter lighting, more fleshed out characters, and deeper lore. The soundtrack accompanies both loading screens and in-game events suitably (though nothing can quite top "Beyond the Sea" in the original). Also the gunplay has some much welcomed improvements.
The ingenious plot of the original Bioshock was arguably why the game made such a splash in '07, but unfortunately the same can't be said here. It's fairly straightforward without too many twists or meta-narrative commentaries. The inability to backtrack was also a huge disappointment, but I suppose this allowed for a more streamlined storytelling approach.
Playing the remastered version on Switch, I understand that the level of polish in this version might not shine as well as on other consoles. Still, a few bugs, glitches, even a typo or two slipped through the cracks.
Overall, it's still a strong follow-up to the original Bioshock that's absolutely worth playing.
The ingenious plot of the original Bioshock was arguably why the game made such a splash in '07, but unfortunately the same can't be said here. It's fairly straightforward without too many twists or meta-narrative commentaries. The inability to backtrack was also a huge disappointment, but I suppose this allowed for a more streamlined storytelling approach.
Playing the remastered version on Switch, I understand that the level of polish in this version might not shine as well as on other consoles. Still, a few bugs, glitches, even a typo or two slipped through the cracks.
Overall, it's still a strong follow-up to the original Bioshock that's absolutely worth playing.
A continuation of the base game that feels much less ambitious and more tedious than the main campaign.
For a story with rivaling gangs as its crux, it's surprisingly bloodless. This anemic presentation also serves as a good metaphor of the rest of the DLC's content, which is bursting at the seams with repetitive missions and uninteresting plot lines. While my individual reviews go more in-depth, I'd still like to emphasize just how badly the central conflict with Hammerhead is fumbled. There's very little driving his antagonism other than "Hammerhead is bad" and "Spider-Man is in his way." I also really couldn't get over how off-putting mafia thugs in mech suits were. The visual style ended up being a bland homogenized mess.
Combat from the base game was generally good and left unchanged in the DLC, but the excessive and unvaried missions stretched a good thing to its breaking point. Getting 100% completion was painfully devoid of fun.
And while all that might sound scathing, this DLC did have some bursts of fun. And besides, it at least sets the stage for more good things to come.
For a story with rivaling gangs as its crux, it's surprisingly bloodless. This anemic presentation also serves as a good metaphor of the rest of the DLC's content, which is bursting at the seams with repetitive missions and uninteresting plot lines. While my individual reviews go more in-depth, I'd still like to emphasize just how badly the central conflict with Hammerhead is fumbled. There's very little driving his antagonism other than "Hammerhead is bad" and "Spider-Man is in his way." I also really couldn't get over how off-putting mafia thugs in mech suits were. The visual style ended up being a bland homogenized mess.
Combat from the base game was generally good and left unchanged in the DLC, but the excessive and unvaried missions stretched a good thing to its breaking point. Getting 100% completion was painfully devoid of fun.
And while all that might sound scathing, this DLC did have some bursts of fun. And besides, it at least sets the stage for more good things to come.
Still not thrilled by this DLC.
I originally praised this game for its mindlessly fun combat, but the selection of missions here slowly turned it mind numbingly rote. After the third police escort mission, I almost turned the game off. At least some of the Screwball challenges were interesting mixups to the usual combat.
The DLC's tendency for touch-and-go storytelling left plot threads like Yuri's true motives and Hammerhead's grudge against Spider-Man painfully uninteresting. I understand that the episodic structure lends itself to revealing everything at the end, but is there really much intrigue to begin with? I'd love to be proven wrong.
And seriously, mafia thugs using burrowing tanks to get around?
I originally praised this game for its mindlessly fun combat, but the selection of missions here slowly turned it mind numbingly rote. After the third police escort mission, I almost turned the game off. At least some of the Screwball challenges were interesting mixups to the usual combat.
The DLC's tendency for touch-and-go storytelling left plot threads like Yuri's true motives and Hammerhead's grudge against Spider-Man painfully uninteresting. I understand that the episodic structure lends itself to revealing everything at the end, but is there really much intrigue to begin with? I'd love to be proven wrong.
And seriously, mafia thugs using burrowing tanks to get around?
The Challenge Rooms are a surprisingly fun time and allow the game mechanics and art direction to work a little outside the limits of the original story.
Not much incentive to gather the roses or beat the challenge times, but it's still overall a fun diversion.
Not much incentive to gather the roses or beat the challenge times, but it's still overall a fun diversion.
Simply put, a less fun version of the Challenge Rooms or the Protector Trials. While the combat here in BioShock Infinite is the best in the series, the variety or enemies or stages in these arenas isn't varied enough to be any fun. The museum is the best part about this, though a bit lacking compared to the one found in BioShock Remastered.
2021
Okay, this game rocks. The writing's great as always, the music's great, the fights are great. It feels a little weird that a few elements from Chapter 1 were rewritten, but other elements return in surprising and fun ways. Overall, Chapter 2 is a direct improvement in practically every way. It's just a fun, well-written, bite-sized experience that I've played through three times already.
2017
While I beat Cuphead a few years ago, I'm jotting down my review for it since I had the pleasure of returning to it after its DLC released.
Cuphead requires some thick skin and quick reflexes, but beating its buffet of bite-sized battles is absolutely worth it. I vividly remember grinding out some of the toughest bosses, controller melting in hand, and jumping up from my couch when I knocked out some of the toughest foes.
I also remember tirelessly playing through Cuphead while my girlfriend (who studies film and animation) watched beside me, in awe of its visual style. The soundtrack is also incredible, and it got me through writing most of my master's thesis last year.
And even though there's nothing left to complete, I'll still boot it up just to replay some of my favorite levels and hear my favorite tunes.
Cuphead requires some thick skin and quick reflexes, but beating its buffet of bite-sized battles is absolutely worth it. I vividly remember grinding out some of the toughest bosses, controller melting in hand, and jumping up from my couch when I knocked out some of the toughest foes.
I also remember tirelessly playing through Cuphead while my girlfriend (who studies film and animation) watched beside me, in awe of its visual style. The soundtrack is also incredible, and it got me through writing most of my master's thesis last year.
And even though there's nothing left to complete, I'll still boot it up just to replay some of my favorite levels and hear my favorite tunes.
Charming and clunky with a standout soundtrack, EarthBound Beginnings is definitely a product of its time.
The first few hours playing this game were spent adjusting to gameplay mechanics from a 32-year-old game. On top of that, the relentless random encounters only exacerbated my frustration. Progressing through the story felt obtuse at times, but often that led to wandering into silly side quests. What shone through were the laugh-out-loud story beats and infectious tunes in and out of battle. The final sequence was simple and spectacular.
I wanted to go back and prepare for the release of Deltarune Chapter 2, but maybe I went TOO far back?
The first few hours playing this game were spent adjusting to gameplay mechanics from a 32-year-old game. On top of that, the relentless random encounters only exacerbated my frustration. Progressing through the story felt obtuse at times, but often that led to wandering into silly side quests. What shone through were the laugh-out-loud story beats and infectious tunes in and out of battle. The final sequence was simple and spectacular.
I wanted to go back and prepare for the release of Deltarune Chapter 2, but maybe I went TOO far back?