battlehuntz
2020
This review contains spoilers
The review here will be a bit more personal, but I think that is important in what made this game resonate with me.
A story navigating grief and denial, lost childhood and walking a line between cherishing and being imprisoned by one’s past is a lot. I understand if this game’s presentation of it through the headspace isn’t necessarily what resonates with some people, but it did for me. I have an eidetic memory. I struggle a lot to let go of my childhood and memories of it, and have coped ridiculously poorly with that at times. Moments that now are a decade ago feel like merely yesterday for me, and that’s extremely difficult. During quarantine, I’d even said something horribly dangerous, along the lines of “I died the moment my childhood ended,” and holed up a lot, while battling psychosis that I told no one about. That was how poorly I coped, and so having this game present that, and show a friend group who truly want Sunny to heal, and to heal with him really resonates. My father passed away in March. I’ve struggled a lot with coming to terms with it. I holed up all summer. I’ve done nothing with my life in those five months. I graduated college, did my grad school classes, but I also deferred my in persons by a full year for my own mental health, and have basically confined myself to my room. So it’s a wake up call to play this. A game saying it’s okay to be sad, but that you’re not shouldering that alone, and showing what that bottling up does. Of course, the situation here differs from my own, and is fantasized, but it was relevant to me all the same. I saw myself in Aubrey’s bitterness with the world in the wake of Mari’s death, and obviously Sunny’s deep depression and reclusiveness and Basil’s dark thoughts. The game is something I needed, but definitely also something that hurt, if that makes sense. But I am grateful I played it when I did. I don’t know how if I’d have loved it as much as I did had I played it earlier like I had told myself I would earlier this year.
Yeah also I stole my new name from Aubrey so this game unironically helped me realize I’m trans lol.
A story navigating grief and denial, lost childhood and walking a line between cherishing and being imprisoned by one’s past is a lot. I understand if this game’s presentation of it through the headspace isn’t necessarily what resonates with some people, but it did for me. I have an eidetic memory. I struggle a lot to let go of my childhood and memories of it, and have coped ridiculously poorly with that at times. Moments that now are a decade ago feel like merely yesterday for me, and that’s extremely difficult. During quarantine, I’d even said something horribly dangerous, along the lines of “I died the moment my childhood ended,” and holed up a lot, while battling psychosis that I told no one about. That was how poorly I coped, and so having this game present that, and show a friend group who truly want Sunny to heal, and to heal with him really resonates. My father passed away in March. I’ve struggled a lot with coming to terms with it. I holed up all summer. I’ve done nothing with my life in those five months. I graduated college, did my grad school classes, but I also deferred my in persons by a full year for my own mental health, and have basically confined myself to my room. So it’s a wake up call to play this. A game saying it’s okay to be sad, but that you’re not shouldering that alone, and showing what that bottling up does. Of course, the situation here differs from my own, and is fantasized, but it was relevant to me all the same. I saw myself in Aubrey’s bitterness with the world in the wake of Mari’s death, and obviously Sunny’s deep depression and reclusiveness and Basil’s dark thoughts. The game is something I needed, but definitely also something that hurt, if that makes sense. But I am grateful I played it when I did. I don’t know how if I’d have loved it as much as I did had I played it earlier like I had told myself I would earlier this year.
Yeah also I stole my new name from Aubrey so this game unironically helped me realize I’m trans lol.
It has the bruh sound effect in it! Name Jeff! Knuckles! Big boobs cat!!
I tried. I just can’t click with it. It doesn’t have what the other SRPGs I like have, like characters, variability that makes your run sort of personalized, or a story and world there with it. I feel as though I am solving developer puzzles rather than strategizing. Squads are faceless and I find myself unable to be attached to an army I can’t really tailor make. I think there’s something here for SOMEONE, but that someone just isn’t me.
I also think the models look really overly smooth and plasticy, and it doesn’t work. Characters themselves look good, BUT their models look rather v-tubery in dialogue and it’s a bit off putting when they’re not fully voiced. Character animations in battle are quite charming though, but there’s just not as much personality to the game beyond that for me. I also cannot stand the music. It is subjected to being a few bars I’ll remember in a derrogatory way. I gave the game a fair shake, got halfway through the first, and it’s just not for me. Tried my best but it’s not. If only it wasn’t delayed 18 months and I’d known that in November 2021.
I also think the models look really overly smooth and plasticy, and it doesn’t work. Characters themselves look good, BUT their models look rather v-tubery in dialogue and it’s a bit off putting when they’re not fully voiced. Character animations in battle are quite charming though, but there’s just not as much personality to the game beyond that for me. I also cannot stand the music. It is subjected to being a few bars I’ll remember in a derrogatory way. I gave the game a fair shake, got halfway through the first, and it’s just not for me. Tried my best but it’s not. If only it wasn’t delayed 18 months and I’d known that in November 2021.
2023
What an amazing Mega Man inspired game. Does some things better than Mega Man; the boss rush is cool and Zero 2’s chain rod is back but actually good, even my favorite part of the game as opposed to my least favorite in Zero 2. Final boss is a total penis though, I hope you like Wolf Sigma from X1, asshole!
1995
Still the best classic game, more people need to use wild coil on Wily Capsule; you can aim and charge it so the boss drops faster. Not an EASY boss but it was actually manageable and I beat it with E Tanks left. The rest of the game? Really interesting and great, I love seeing a classic game with all of the easter eggs and item completion of an X game, while also being rather light on backtracking. Those items totally aren’t essential (you may as well skip Beat), but they really do help enhance my view of this game. Very interesting development in that it was the product of a 3 month long passion project. Anyway, game fucking owns. It’s a black sheep of the classic series, but a black sheep that, in my opinion, is just the outright best there is. Fun stages and concepts and good weapons. Good ass game.
Played on Switch (it was in sale for 8 bucks a year ago, I’m late) so I’ll get out of the way that the sheer volume of frame drops from AI sight or flashback triggers SUCKED. And I’ll warn people up front that if gore, particularly eye gore (getting yanked out, open sockets) is a trigger, you’ll probably need to deliberate on if this is for you. I’m specifically triggered by eye gore (not trauma, just always have been) and didn’t know how prevalent it was in the game on the outset, and obviously I managed to enjoy it a ton in spite of it. But it’s. A lot. And I think it’s fair to warn people about it. Beyond that? There’s an exceptionally written story that’s heartwarming and psychologically thrilling, and pretty funny. There are plenty of jokes that are distasteful, but MOST are done at the expense of the characters who are being total degenerates. It’s a shock that I was able to get so attached to a MC who’s an unabashed pervert. Excellent game that I couldn’t put down.
2023
I fucking love sleep i fucking love sleeping i am so eepy im so sleeppilled i love sleep honk shooo mimi etc.
What am I supposed to say it’s a cute and quirky free April Fool’s joke with a lot of neat lil easter eggs. Is it really supposed to be more than that? It’s perfect for what it’s going for.
As a VIDEO GAME, I think Prime is probably a 4/5? There’s crust. The gunplay can frustrate me to no end sometimes, and some of the Chozo Artifacts are so cryptic that it’s almost cruel. But the exploration, atmosphere, and scope absolutely are unmatched. Now, as a remaster? It’s a 5/5. It looks incredible, it adds a nice little extras gallery, just polishes it all up to a very good standard. And it’s at a reduced price, so it’s rather surprising coming from Nintendo. Absolutely worth your time if you want a jump on spot for the Metroid series, or its 3D subseries.
2023
What do you mean my friends lied about this being peak?
This review contains spoilers
XENOBLADE MARATHON COMPLETE
What an amazing little bow they tied this up in. Absolutely no training wheels or explanations, just a pure, unadulterated ending to the Klaus saga. Once again echoing everyone but yes, Rex is my favorite part. Seeing him turn into a hyperprotective father after spending time with him as a 15 year old with ADHD in 2 is amazing. But that 15 year old and optimism are still there deep down. He isn’t good in spite of how he is in 2, he’s good BECAUSE of how he was there (because he was good but that is another can of beans (which i’m feeling full of)) There’s so much fanservice done beautifully, it feels like returning home at the end of a long journey. And once again an entire cast I would lay my life down for. God damn you Takahashi. Beautiful closure to this summer’s Xenoblade marathon. Saved my life.
What an amazing little bow they tied this up in. Absolutely no training wheels or explanations, just a pure, unadulterated ending to the Klaus saga. Once again echoing everyone but yes, Rex is my favorite part. Seeing him turn into a hyperprotective father after spending time with him as a 15 year old with ADHD in 2 is amazing. But that 15 year old and optimism are still there deep down. He isn’t good in spite of how he is in 2, he’s good BECAUSE of how he was there (because he was good but that is another can of beans (which i’m feeling full of)) There’s so much fanservice done beautifully, it feels like returning home at the end of a long journey. And once again an entire cast I would lay my life down for. God damn you Takahashi. Beautiful closure to this summer’s Xenoblade marathon. Saved my life.
This review contains spoilers
All hero and ascension quests done. While I think many shouldn’t have been optional due to how they built the world, I left fully satisfied. A game about what it means to live, and conquering fear and doubt means a lot to me after going through one of my life’s darkest spots. There are two bosses in the last chapter I consider truly rushed, but god. It’s so cathartic playing this at the end of a series long marathon. I adore the class system, the party, all of it. I’d certainly get the disappointment with how quickly it wraps had I not done the hero quests. But I did them, and think they really create one of the most beautiful experiences I’ve ever had. I even cried over straight pairings! Twice! Like not just some tear shedding like some blubbering mess shit! So you know this shit’s good!
This is how I first played Xenoblade, and while the areas are compressed, I think the potato humans fit quite nicely in 240p.
1989
Wow, it’s smaller than I remembered. Tiny replay amidst wanting to take a tiny break between Xenoblade 2 and 3 for a marathon I’m doing. It’s fine. It’s very small and weird, like yeah, Koopas explode and there’s some Moai enemies. That’s neat. But it’s also so clearly a very early GB game and they’re doing their best with it. The Land series and its weirdness wouldn’t take till the second game to truly be capitalized on, but this is definitely a vital piece of the Mario puzzle, if not woefully underdiscussed, and oddly not even ported to Switch? It’s solid tho! I just don’t really feel much for it beyond respecting what it is in a grand scale sense. Sorry to deduct half a star. May the Super Mario Land fanbase forgive my sins.
Just beat Torna again.
Top 1 saddest endings.
Top 3 male homosexualities.
Top 3 Scottish people (Hugo behind Morág and Shrek. Above my grandma’s side of family).
Addam Babygirl.
Lora look like my friend Argo Cruseliph.
Drug cartel is back.
Sidequests padding.
Top 1 battle themes in fiction.
Top 1 saddest endings.
Top 3 male homosexualities.
Top 3 Scottish people (Hugo behind Morág and Shrek. Above my grandma’s side of family).
Addam Babygirl.
Lora look like my friend Argo Cruseliph.
Drug cartel is back.
Sidequests padding.
Top 1 battle themes in fiction.