bankslammer
peak developing a game based off of peak. six out of ten (in the best possible way)
2024
love cotton and love rail shooters. the game is a dream to look at and the upscale serves its models well. the lock-on fix is very welcome and even as someone who doesn't mind space harrier style snap-back flight controls the control changes are nice. at its best the game just really isn't very good or interesting, though. mechanics and enemy design just don't come together, so you're either cruising through the stage without resistance or getting pinballed around by homing shots you don't see coming. also wow they really should've recorded more fairy dialogue
should really be a 4 hour game instead of a 5 hour game but the combat is fun and the music is great and you can stick 10 accessories on your character anywhere you want and honestly if this isnt the type of game you can fuck with then dont even talk to me!!!!!
2024
that itsuno sure knows how to make a video game
i hope that in a potential third game, they can really work on the character building element. for all the bold design choices meant to contribute to a role-playing experience, i never felt like my playthrough was unique to my character. as fun as it that the classes all play so differently, it feels like the game incentivized continuing to change rather than sticking to your preferences. maybe having warfarer available significantly earlier would help......?
other than that, it was more-or-less the sequel i had been waiting for. a much-needed reminder that an open world action game can be more than the framework that the genre has settled into
i hope that in a potential third game, they can really work on the character building element. for all the bold design choices meant to contribute to a role-playing experience, i never felt like my playthrough was unique to my character. as fun as it that the classes all play so differently, it feels like the game incentivized continuing to change rather than sticking to your preferences. maybe having warfarer available significantly earlier would help......?
other than that, it was more-or-less the sequel i had been waiting for. a much-needed reminder that an open world action game can be more than the framework that the genre has settled into
i was all prepared to just complain about how it feels like a step back from 5 in all ways except that it actually eases people into mechanics but, like, these games are just so good man lmao. truly nobody does it like shiren.
the one free update as of the time of this posting is also really good and has me optimistic about what's to come. i just need some better gimmick dungeons to be added and i'll be completely content (aside from how much of a downgrade the visuals are but what can ya do)
the one free update as of the time of this posting is also really good and has me optimistic about what's to come. i just need some better gimmick dungeons to be added and i'll be completely content (aside from how much of a downgrade the visuals are but what can ya do)
this shit took me so long to beat i barely even remember what my impressions are anymore
i hope rgg studio will one day try to write a story again instead of just writing a bunch of really cool scenes and then figuring out how to stick them together
i hope rgg studio will one day try to write a story again instead of just writing a bunch of really cool scenes and then figuring out how to stick them together
in the end none of the following will actually matter when my real review is "miracles do happen. cing is back. holy shit"
have to disclose that i'm significantly more familiar with the ds game, as sadly a few hours into playing R, my wii died and i never really had the chance to go back to it
the best way i can describe this as a remake, and i apologize in advance for the pretentiousness, is as a really good movie adaptation of a favorite book. everything is gorgeously realized, with taisuke kanasaki's art in particular stealing the show. but on the other hand, there's an element of intimacy lost in the process. personally speaking, that intimacy is a huge part of the appeal of cing's catalog, and having the characters fully emoting and speaking on screen, as amazing as it is, does take something away from it
of course, the original DS game is quite slim, and as personally meaningful as it is to me, i would hesitate to call it an all-timer in its genre. R definitely goes more interesting places with its story, but it can also certainly feel a bit meandering, even in the remake version, and intermingling with a cast of characters and teen drama might not necessarily be a welcome replacement to the more introspective and exploratory tone of the first game for everyone
so in essence, these are great, but personally speaking not definitive, remakes of pretty good, but personally very meaningful, games. even getting a taste of a future where cing continued on is a truly priceless thing for me, though. and i hope that through a similar miracle that brought about this remake in the first place, we can get more stories for ashley in the future (and kyle hyde (sorry i know everyone says this but i can't help it))
have to disclose that i'm significantly more familiar with the ds game, as sadly a few hours into playing R, my wii died and i never really had the chance to go back to it
the best way i can describe this as a remake, and i apologize in advance for the pretentiousness, is as a really good movie adaptation of a favorite book. everything is gorgeously realized, with taisuke kanasaki's art in particular stealing the show. but on the other hand, there's an element of intimacy lost in the process. personally speaking, that intimacy is a huge part of the appeal of cing's catalog, and having the characters fully emoting and speaking on screen, as amazing as it is, does take something away from it
of course, the original DS game is quite slim, and as personally meaningful as it is to me, i would hesitate to call it an all-timer in its genre. R definitely goes more interesting places with its story, but it can also certainly feel a bit meandering, even in the remake version, and intermingling with a cast of characters and teen drama might not necessarily be a welcome replacement to the more introspective and exploratory tone of the first game for everyone
so in essence, these are great, but personally speaking not definitive, remakes of pretty good, but personally very meaningful, games. even getting a taste of a future where cing continued on is a truly priceless thing for me, though. and i hope that through a similar miracle that brought about this remake in the first place, we can get more stories for ashley in the future (and kyle hyde (sorry i know everyone says this but i can't help it))
playing this game feels like being beaten over the head with Game Design and Miyamoto Brand Intuitive Mechanics. every room needs to have something clever and there's just no room to breathe at all. will have you begging for open spaces to run around in and monsters to fight
it's a shame because there's a lot that's interesting and well-made in here, but it's truly a lesson in the importance of pacing
it's a shame because there's a lot that's interesting and well-made in here, but it's truly a lesson in the importance of pacing
2005
the platforming isn't challenging, combat is always the same, there's nothing to collect in the stages other than monkeys and currency, the camera is bad, the gadgets are the same as the last two games...
but this is a sterling game, that shows complete confidence in its mechanics and aesthetics, and lets them speak for themselves. completely packed with fun ideas and beautiful art and animation
but this is a sterling game, that shows complete confidence in its mechanics and aesthetics, and lets them speak for themselves. completely packed with fun ideas and beautiful art and animation
2023
i feel like i really lucked out in picking up on what kind of game this was from the trailers lol. got my disappointment out of the way much earlier!
for what it is, it's good at what it does. dressup is fun and the outfits are cute. when it comes down to it, that's what i want and i'm happy with that
still, even within that scope, there are some bizarre oversights. sorting clothes is an absolute nightmare, and i have no idea why they wouldn't have multiple items of the same type stack in the menu. and as far as i can tell, there's no way to save outfits as favorites?
when it comes down to it, i wanted a new synsophia game, and they still have their spark. it's just obvious that this is nowhere near the budget or scope of a style savvy, and they did their best with what they have. i hope next time, they're able to make something at full capacity again
for what it is, it's good at what it does. dressup is fun and the outfits are cute. when it comes down to it, that's what i want and i'm happy with that
still, even within that scope, there are some bizarre oversights. sorting clothes is an absolute nightmare, and i have no idea why they wouldn't have multiple items of the same type stack in the menu. and as far as i can tell, there's no way to save outfits as favorites?
when it comes down to it, i wanted a new synsophia game, and they still have their spark. it's just obvious that this is nowhere near the budget or scope of a style savvy, and they did their best with what they have. i hope next time, they're able to make something at full capacity again
i can't believe i never checked this out until now, this is so good lmao
basically everything you want from a sunset riders follow-up -- better mechanics, crazier setpieces, amazing music, more cool storytelling moments. it really feels like they just went all out with it. it's hard to say that this isn't just flat-out better than sunset riders
....... that being said, i don't really think i can just say it's better than sunset riders lmao. it's hard not to feel like the ninjas and robots aesthetic is a bit trite compared to the devotion to the western theming and goofy vibes of sunset riders. i honestly can't say which one i like better, so i'll just be thankful we have two excellent games in the same spirit
basically everything you want from a sunset riders follow-up -- better mechanics, crazier setpieces, amazing music, more cool storytelling moments. it really feels like they just went all out with it. it's hard to say that this isn't just flat-out better than sunset riders
....... that being said, i don't really think i can just say it's better than sunset riders lmao. it's hard not to feel like the ninjas and robots aesthetic is a bit trite compared to the devotion to the western theming and goofy vibes of sunset riders. i honestly can't say which one i like better, so i'll just be thankful we have two excellent games in the same spirit
its good!! there are some kinda arbitrary-feeling callbacks to goemon like the robot battles, but in the end this really isn't much like it at all. go into it expecting a new flagship kids IP by goodfeel rather than a true goemon successor
there are definitely pluses and minuses to this, one of the main pluses being the sheer scope of the game. i can promise it's at least 50% longer than you expect it to be lol. on the other hand, as a kids game targeted squarely at the corocoro audience, the gameplay is pretty simple and doesnt get much more complex throughout, and the writing is pretty juvenile. definitely not nearly as funny as any given goemon game, sadly
it's a pretty rare breed of 3d platformer nowadays, so i hope people check it out on those merits. if you want something that's not 100% a linear obstacle course, and not 100% a collectathon sandbox, this probably fits the bill! there are times when this design is a bit at odds with itself, like there being enough points-of-no-return in levels that require you to restart the whole thing to get missed collectibles that it starts to become irritating, but generally it works well and makes me long for the era of 3d platformers with open spaces to explore that aren't just about picking up trinkets
the art direction is generally pretty great, with the biggest caveat being that i kinda don't like any of the character designs at all? they're not bad necessarily, it just, once again, feels like a game like ninjala in the degree to which it targets the corocoro audience
probably the biggest mark against it of all is that goodfeel banked so hard on it and it backfired so spectacularly. i would've taken a game a quarter of this one's size if it meant there was any hope for this to lead to improved sequels. but at the very least, we got this weirdly expansive, pretty good 3D platformer that feels out of its time
there are definitely pluses and minuses to this, one of the main pluses being the sheer scope of the game. i can promise it's at least 50% longer than you expect it to be lol. on the other hand, as a kids game targeted squarely at the corocoro audience, the gameplay is pretty simple and doesnt get much more complex throughout, and the writing is pretty juvenile. definitely not nearly as funny as any given goemon game, sadly
it's a pretty rare breed of 3d platformer nowadays, so i hope people check it out on those merits. if you want something that's not 100% a linear obstacle course, and not 100% a collectathon sandbox, this probably fits the bill! there are times when this design is a bit at odds with itself, like there being enough points-of-no-return in levels that require you to restart the whole thing to get missed collectibles that it starts to become irritating, but generally it works well and makes me long for the era of 3d platformers with open spaces to explore that aren't just about picking up trinkets
the art direction is generally pretty great, with the biggest caveat being that i kinda don't like any of the character designs at all? they're not bad necessarily, it just, once again, feels like a game like ninjala in the degree to which it targets the corocoro audience
probably the biggest mark against it of all is that goodfeel banked so hard on it and it backfired so spectacularly. i would've taken a game a quarter of this one's size if it meant there was any hope for this to lead to improved sequels. but at the very least, we got this weirdly expansive, pretty good 3D platformer that feels out of its time
sadly i have been convinced that it is worth continuing to have kiryu stories
2023
this is not a video game for beginners
less annoying than oracle of seasons but nothing in this i would want to go back to over links awakening