bonzi_buddy
adorable gag
I’m of two minds about this one.
On one hand, it certainly has a healthy amount of neat ideas up its sleeve to differentiate it from other open-world games of its ilk.
It has the Nemesis System™ (© 2021 Warner Bros. Discovery Global Streaming & Interactive Entertainment) that adds an additional layer of metagame to your shenanigans, and holds plenty of potential.
It’s overall solidly made — or at least any jankiness it does have isn’t too distracting, maybe even adds some spice, a lil’ zazz, a little sum-sumn to the experience?
It features excellent, fluid animation in service of a satisfying (if maybe a tad shallow) combat system. The huge number of enemies you can engage at once, coupled with the number of different gameplay systems at play often spark fun, emergent mayhem.
And it also looks nice on a modern PC, and runs relatively smoothly at high framerates (a somewhat regular asset streaming (?) stutter notwithstanding).
On the other hand, though.
Even with its bunch of cool ideas, the core gameplay loop just doesn’t get much deeper than how it all starts out. Combat can be both trivially easy and frustratingly overwhelming, but either way, most encounters come down to applying the same two or three core techniques ad nauseam.
The nemesis system, while promising, simply didn’t add much excitement to my experience, apart from some late-game bits, where I had fun creating animosity within the orc army and whatnot.
This made me wonder if the game should’ve leaned even more heavily on the system, making it more crucial to engage with it, to exploit it.
As it stands, I kinda find reading about how the nemesis system works more exciting than interacting with it. Cool concept on paper, with very little bearing on the way I play the game.
The game also feels a little disjointed at times. One example is starting a mission or side quest, which is done by walking up to a certain marker on the map and pressing a button to start. After fading to black (and cueing a cutscene in case of story missions), this resets the game state to where it needs to be to start the mission, changing enemy placement and the time of day in the process.
This completely (and sometimes jarringly) disregards the otherwise nice flow of sandbox ruckus that might’ve emerged while wandering the world and getting to the mission start point, and although I’m sure this solution saves a lot of headaches for player and developer alike, and is somewhat standard open-world behavior, it still feels like an uninspired design choice.
The story and characters aren’t worthy of much praise. The game has the type of cutscenes that have me reaching for my phone in a heartbeat.
Overall, the repetitive combat, the ultimately underwhelming nemesis system and the unengaging story make the midgame a little bit of a drag. Not enough of a drag to make me abandon it entirely, but most often I wouldn’t play it for more than 30 minutes or an hour. Open world bloat is kind of watering down the nice ideas in there.
So, in a lot of ways, this is a game of missed oportunities, which is a pity.
But, in the end, I guess I still felt like clocking ~26 hrs in it, over the span of three months. So my fairly educated guess is I enjoyed it, I think?
It was mindless and not entirely memorable, sure. Another way to look at it, though, is that it was frictionless in just the right ways, and sometimes simply that’s what I need a game to be.
On one hand, it certainly has a healthy amount of neat ideas up its sleeve to differentiate it from other open-world games of its ilk.
It has the Nemesis System™ (© 2021 Warner Bros. Discovery Global Streaming & Interactive Entertainment) that adds an additional layer of metagame to your shenanigans, and holds plenty of potential.
It’s overall solidly made — or at least any jankiness it does have isn’t too distracting, maybe even adds some spice, a lil’ zazz, a little sum-sumn to the experience?
It features excellent, fluid animation in service of a satisfying (if maybe a tad shallow) combat system. The huge number of enemies you can engage at once, coupled with the number of different gameplay systems at play often spark fun, emergent mayhem.
And it also looks nice on a modern PC, and runs relatively smoothly at high framerates (a somewhat regular asset streaming (?) stutter notwithstanding).
On the other hand, though.
Even with its bunch of cool ideas, the core gameplay loop just doesn’t get much deeper than how it all starts out. Combat can be both trivially easy and frustratingly overwhelming, but either way, most encounters come down to applying the same two or three core techniques ad nauseam.
The nemesis system, while promising, simply didn’t add much excitement to my experience, apart from some late-game bits, where I had fun creating animosity within the orc army and whatnot.
This made me wonder if the game should’ve leaned even more heavily on the system, making it more crucial to engage with it, to exploit it.
As it stands, I kinda find reading about how the nemesis system works more exciting than interacting with it. Cool concept on paper, with very little bearing on the way I play the game.
The game also feels a little disjointed at times. One example is starting a mission or side quest, which is done by walking up to a certain marker on the map and pressing a button to start. After fading to black (and cueing a cutscene in case of story missions), this resets the game state to where it needs to be to start the mission, changing enemy placement and the time of day in the process.
This completely (and sometimes jarringly) disregards the otherwise nice flow of sandbox ruckus that might’ve emerged while wandering the world and getting to the mission start point, and although I’m sure this solution saves a lot of headaches for player and developer alike, and is somewhat standard open-world behavior, it still feels like an uninspired design choice.
The story and characters aren’t worthy of much praise. The game has the type of cutscenes that have me reaching for my phone in a heartbeat.
Overall, the repetitive combat, the ultimately underwhelming nemesis system and the unengaging story make the midgame a little bit of a drag. Not enough of a drag to make me abandon it entirely, but most often I wouldn’t play it for more than 30 minutes or an hour. Open world bloat is kind of watering down the nice ideas in there.
So, in a lot of ways, this is a game of missed oportunities, which is a pity.
But, in the end, I guess I still felt like clocking ~26 hrs in it, over the span of three months. So my fairly educated guess is I enjoyed it, I think?
It was mindless and not entirely memorable, sure. Another way to look at it, though, is that it was frictionless in just the right ways, and sometimes simply that’s what I need a game to be.
1998
that this would somehow be a worse game than black mesa is the shittiest take ever and that's a hill I'm willing to die on
(side note: sultim's ray tracing mod is cool as fuck)
(side note: sultim's ray tracing mod is cool as fuck)
in somewhat classic RE fashion, it just doesn't seem to know when to stop already. otherwise, apart from a couple of minor annoyances, it really is a great video game.
it was also fun to see the many ways it influenced RE: Village, not to mention other franchises like Dead Space and Alan Wake.
it was also fun to see the many ways it influenced RE: Village, not to mention other franchises like Dead Space and Alan Wake.
2020
I’ve never played the original RE3, so I had nearly zero expectations about what this game would or should be, and while it’s a definite step down from the RE2 remake, it’s still built on such a solid foundation that not even its numerous failings could hamper my enjoyment enough to feel too dissatisfied. On a harsher day I might've given this a 7, but I'm just a sucker for the RE formula.
It’s a short, straightforward, action-packed romp that lacks the more nuanced, exploratory, puzzle-solving nature of its predecessor, and unfortunately squanders most the potential of its refreshed bits’, but it still offers just enough of that endlessly seductive RE gameplay loop to be worth a playthrough. (The pricing is a lil’ steep tho.)
In a technical sense, it’s a wonderfully crafted game that looks, sounds and runs amazing. Environments ooze with atmosphere and are packed with detail, enemies are modeled and animated extremely well. It’s a sight to behold for sure.
The adjustments to gameplay are a mixed bag, however, the most welcome changes being some minor quality of life improvements (e.g. the slightly streamlined inventory management).
Other, bigger changes have plenty of potential, but the game simply does not manage to live up to them. Gameplay is tweaked to be a little more combat-oriented, with lots of weapons and plenty of ammo at your disposal, but most enemies feel a little too bullet-spongey for this to be a satisfying action game, and while the newly introduced dodge move is occasionally useful, it usually ends up being a bit unreliable in key situations. (Or maybe I just sucked at timing dodges well enough.)
The game is very set-piece heavy, so it’s a pity that they can easily end up being frustating, with you having to restart many times after dying clunky deaths, making them more of a chore than a culmination of excitement. Case in point: the nemesis boss encounters could’ve been the crowning achievements of the campaign, but they suffer from a lack of satisfying feedback that signals if you’re even on the right track.
It’s these less than stellar elements that make its relatively short length a plus, rather than a minus: it’s over just before getting too tiresome. Coming to it straight from a second run of RE2, I found it to be a well portioned bit of Resident Evil fun, but I don’t plan on coming back to it very soon.
It’s a short, straightforward, action-packed romp that lacks the more nuanced, exploratory, puzzle-solving nature of its predecessor, and unfortunately squanders most the potential of its refreshed bits’, but it still offers just enough of that endlessly seductive RE gameplay loop to be worth a playthrough. (The pricing is a lil’ steep tho.)
In a technical sense, it’s a wonderfully crafted game that looks, sounds and runs amazing. Environments ooze with atmosphere and are packed with detail, enemies are modeled and animated extremely well. It’s a sight to behold for sure.
The adjustments to gameplay are a mixed bag, however, the most welcome changes being some minor quality of life improvements (e.g. the slightly streamlined inventory management).
Other, bigger changes have plenty of potential, but the game simply does not manage to live up to them. Gameplay is tweaked to be a little more combat-oriented, with lots of weapons and plenty of ammo at your disposal, but most enemies feel a little too bullet-spongey for this to be a satisfying action game, and while the newly introduced dodge move is occasionally useful, it usually ends up being a bit unreliable in key situations. (Or maybe I just sucked at timing dodges well enough.)
The game is very set-piece heavy, so it’s a pity that they can easily end up being frustating, with you having to restart many times after dying clunky deaths, making them more of a chore than a culmination of excitement. Case in point: the nemesis boss encounters could’ve been the crowning achievements of the campaign, but they suffer from a lack of satisfying feedback that signals if you’re even on the right track.
It’s these less than stellar elements that make its relatively short length a plus, rather than a minus: it’s over just before getting too tiresome. Coming to it straight from a second run of RE2, I found it to be a well portioned bit of Resident Evil fun, but I don’t plan on coming back to it very soon.
1985
the rating of this game on this website is an absolute travesty
2017
more games should fuck around with perspective
2010
I remember liking this a whole lot more the first time around, but it's still good. I generally love physics-driven puzzle games, but there can be issues when you can't entirely be sure if you're on the right track and just fuck up over and over again, or if you're in the dark completely. Still, it plays a lot better than Little Nightmares or Unravel for example.
The art style, the sound design and the overall atmosphere are still amazing — the world is hostile and soothing at the same time, and the grotesque humor of your many grim deaths brings some levity even when the puzzles get the better of you.
The art style, the sound design and the overall atmosphere are still amazing — the world is hostile and soothing at the same time, and the grotesque humor of your many grim deaths brings some levity even when the puzzles get the better of you.
2012
viktor antonov látványterve nagyon jó, a lovecraft-hatású steampunk (bálnaolajpunk!) világban pusztító pestis szuper háttér a mágikus realista történethez, és majdnem tíz évvel megjelenés után is bombajól néz ki a festett textúráktól a karakterdesignig minden.
a level design topszos, de a legtöbb hiányérzetem mégis a játékmenet miatt van: van egy csomó király képesség, de a töredékük is elég a boldoguláshoz, mert normal nehézségen egészen tét nélküli, de még hardon is kicsit triviális a játék.
életből, manából és lőszerből szinte sosem szenvedek hiányt, így a játék nem kényszerít ki a komfortzónámból, nem kell nehéz döntéseket hozni, nem létfontosságú a taktikát a helyzethez igazítani.
egyik olvasata ennek, hogy a játék enged úgy haladni, ahogy akarsz, opciók vannak, meg szabadság van, rossz döntés nincs; a másik, hogy van 1 db megoldás, ami működik felmerülő helyzetek túlnyomó többségében, ezért nagyon könnyű gondolkodás nélkül ezt választani, így hosszú távon ellaposodik egy kicsit. nekem sajnos az utóbbit dobta a játék, úgyhogy ez hatalmas kapufa.
a level design topszos, de a legtöbb hiányérzetem mégis a játékmenet miatt van: van egy csomó király képesség, de a töredékük is elég a boldoguláshoz, mert normal nehézségen egészen tét nélküli, de még hardon is kicsit triviális a játék.
életből, manából és lőszerből szinte sosem szenvedek hiányt, így a játék nem kényszerít ki a komfortzónámból, nem kell nehéz döntéseket hozni, nem létfontosságú a taktikát a helyzethez igazítani.
egyik olvasata ennek, hogy a játék enged úgy haladni, ahogy akarsz, opciók vannak, meg szabadság van, rossz döntés nincs; a másik, hogy van 1 db megoldás, ami működik felmerülő helyzetek túlnyomó többségében, ezért nagyon könnyű gondolkodás nélkül ezt választani, így hosszú távon ellaposodik egy kicsit. nekem sajnos az utóbbit dobta a játék, úgyhogy ez hatalmas kapufa.
2010
a gondosan felépített világ és a már-már tapinthatóan vaskos atmoszféra viszi el a hátán olyankor, amikor a játékmenet hasraesik a cipőfűzőjében (ez sajnos gyakran előfordul). a túlélésre kihegyezett játékmechanikák túlmutatnak az általános fps-sablonokon, adnak egy kis súlyt a cselekménynek, de a lopakodás borzasztó inkonzisztens bénaság, kiránt az immerzióból, amire a játék amúgy minden elemével bazíroz. shooternek sem túl jó, ezek a realizmusra (" ") építő shooterek mindig egy kuka mögül guggolva lövöldözéssé silányulnak, ami tematikus szempontból persze itt is érthető, de végső soron eléggé uncsi.
side note: az egyetlen interaktálható női npc egy prostituált, aki kirabol, őt ennyi erővel ki is lehetett volna hagyni :(
side note: az egyetlen interaktálható női npc egy prostituált, aki kirabol, őt ennyi erővel ki is lehetett volna hagyni :(
just like wolfenstein: the new order, this is perfectly serviceable, although for some reason it can’t really rise above mediocrity. played right after the main game it doesn’t feel fresh enough, and even though it’s quite short, it still suffers from some pacing issues. (at least it demonstrates well what made its predecessor a little more memorable).
you can’t go too wrong with it if you liked the new order a lot, otherwise just skip it.
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éppúgy, mint az alapjáték, ez is tök oké, csak ez valahogy semmiben nem emelkedik az átlag fölé, a new order után játszva nem nyújt friss élményt, és habár elég rövid, helyenként még így is nyögvenyelős tempójú. (azt mondjuk jól illusztrálja, hogy mitől volt viszonylag emlékezetes az elődje).
ha a new order nagyon tetszett, ezzel se lehet nagyon mellélőni, amúgy szkippelhető.
you can’t go too wrong with it if you liked the new order a lot, otherwise just skip it.
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éppúgy, mint az alapjáték, ez is tök oké, csak ez valahogy semmiben nem emelkedik az átlag fölé, a new order után játszva nem nyújt friss élményt, és habár elég rövid, helyenként még így is nyögvenyelős tempójú. (azt mondjuk jól illusztrálja, hogy mitől volt viszonylag emlékezetes az elődje).
ha a new order nagyon tetszett, ezzel se lehet nagyon mellélőni, amúgy szkippelhető.
korrekt fps kampány, pár emlékezetes pillanattal és helyszínnel (náci holdbázis 👌), kicsit inkonzisztens tónusú campy-melodramatikus-idióta sztorival, ami hol működik, hol nem. inkább a hülyeség áll neki jól, mint a nagy m e r e n g é s.
nincs túl sokféle fegyver, viszont ami van, azt jó érzés használni. van egy lézervágó (laserkraftwerk!), amiben sokkal több potenciál lenne szerintem – kicsit alulhasznált, de azért így is fun. a kétkezes fegyverviselés, a fedezékhasználat módja és a nagyon megengedő lopakodós részek pont annyi csavart visznek a standard fps-sablonba, hogy legyen valamiféle sajátos érzete a játéknak. nem minden szcenárióban működik jól, de azért többnyire legalább oké az élmény.
(ebben az "fps valami csavarral" kategóriában az ex-starbreeze/machinegames egyébként elég jó, a chronicles of riddick, the darkness meg a syndicate egyikéről sem lehet mondani, hogy cookie-cutter fps lenne.)
kis csiszolással lehetne ez 8/10 is, de így is van benne épp elég eredetiség, hogy megérje kipróbálni.
(amellett viszont nem tudok elmenni szó nélkül, hogy a pc verzió kibaszott bugos, mókolás nélkül el sem indul, és két kezemen sem tudnám megszámolni, hányszor omlott össze cutscene-ek után, tragédia)
nincs túl sokféle fegyver, viszont ami van, azt jó érzés használni. van egy lézervágó (laserkraftwerk!), amiben sokkal több potenciál lenne szerintem – kicsit alulhasznált, de azért így is fun. a kétkezes fegyverviselés, a fedezékhasználat módja és a nagyon megengedő lopakodós részek pont annyi csavart visznek a standard fps-sablonba, hogy legyen valamiféle sajátos érzete a játéknak. nem minden szcenárióban működik jól, de azért többnyire legalább oké az élmény.
(ebben az "fps valami csavarral" kategóriában az ex-starbreeze/machinegames egyébként elég jó, a chronicles of riddick, the darkness meg a syndicate egyikéről sem lehet mondani, hogy cookie-cutter fps lenne.)
kis csiszolással lehetne ez 8/10 is, de így is van benne épp elég eredetiség, hogy megérje kipróbálni.
(amellett viszont nem tudok elmenni szó nélkül, hogy a pc verzió kibaszott bugos, mókolás nélkül el sem indul, és két kezemen sem tudnám megszámolni, hányszor omlott össze cutscene-ek után, tragédia)
2019
procedurálisan generált krézi jazz soundtrack, emlékezetes art direkció, és féktelen, erőszakos rohangálás monkéval!!! nem nagyon van variálva, de pont olyan hosszú, hogy ne fulladjon unalomba.