carlinerd
What a masterful addition to an already perfect game!
Santa Monica really outdone themselves when they made this! I love roguelikes but most of the time I find myself stressing out because I know I'd be stressing out by replaying everything all over. However, the simplicity of Valhalla's structure really shows how much SM respects their players. Story is masterfully written, and a very much needed take on Kratos' feelings about his past, which is not very discussed in the main games!
Absolutely the best way to end 2023, which may go down as one of the best gaming years in history IMO ✨
Santa Monica really outdone themselves when they made this! I love roguelikes but most of the time I find myself stressing out because I know I'd be stressing out by replaying everything all over. However, the simplicity of Valhalla's structure really shows how much SM respects their players. Story is masterfully written, and a very much needed take on Kratos' feelings about his past, which is not very discussed in the main games!
Absolutely the best way to end 2023, which may go down as one of the best gaming years in history IMO ✨
2019
It's beautiful. Love the new mechanics, badges are fun, maybe more than the powerups. However, there were some poor boss choices, levels didn't have enough cohesive identity, really couldn't feel the difference one from another, BUT animations and colors are on another level, I'm glad this new redesign could be a new standard for the series ☺️
2023
2023
2022
The Good: absolutely beutiful ambience and one of the best art directions I've seen in a while. Everything felt so unique and very well connected to curious aspects of the japanese culture.
The Bad: enemies, while well-designed, are mostly approachable without any kind of tactics, with the exception of a couple of them. Also, the map does feel a bit repetitive (more on the pleasant side tho), like a cheap drug made of cat-treasures grinding; seriously there's too many f***ing treasures, I'm very good at finding them and it took me 3 solid hours to get only 50% of the ones in the game
The Ugly: very uninteresting story with a very confusing main villain, couldn't emphatize at all with the protagonists, and by chapter 3 I genuinely forgot the name of the main guy.
It was kind of a pain going through cutscenes, especially the lazy phone booth sections.
Still, a pleasant experience overall, can't really say I didn't have fun.
The Bad: enemies, while well-designed, are mostly approachable without any kind of tactics, with the exception of a couple of them. Also, the map does feel a bit repetitive (more on the pleasant side tho), like a cheap drug made of cat-treasures grinding; seriously there's too many f***ing treasures, I'm very good at finding them and it took me 3 solid hours to get only 50% of the ones in the game
The Ugly: very uninteresting story with a very confusing main villain, couldn't emphatize at all with the protagonists, and by chapter 3 I genuinely forgot the name of the main guy.
It was kind of a pain going through cutscenes, especially the lazy phone booth sections.
Still, a pleasant experience overall, can't really say I didn't have fun.
2022
The concept and the artstyle alone made it a beautiful memory nonetheless.
Peak SFX and soundtrack, I'm a sucker for onomatopoeic dialogue like in Animal Crossing.
However, I do believe the concept could have been expanded a bit further, there were a lot of missed opportunities for "secret" content or secret bosses that would have made longer dungeon runs more entertaining.
And my gosh your followers are needy annoying toddlers, you literally have to be STRESSED about the conditions of your cult.
For every day in a run you need to spend 3 to babysit your cult.
Got really annoyed half-game for this, but it wasn't a dealbreaker.
I hope to see more content in the future, it would fit very well!
Peak SFX and soundtrack, I'm a sucker for onomatopoeic dialogue like in Animal Crossing.
However, I do believe the concept could have been expanded a bit further, there were a lot of missed opportunities for "secret" content or secret bosses that would have made longer dungeon runs more entertaining.
And my gosh your followers are needy annoying toddlers, you literally have to be STRESSED about the conditions of your cult.
For every day in a run you need to spend 3 to babysit your cult.
Got really annoyed half-game for this, but it wasn't a dealbreaker.
I hope to see more content in the future, it would fit very well!
2012
2001
2019
2022
A bit of an unfair review but I got too heavily frustrated with the first puzzle of the game. After a long time walking around VERY slowly (I hate the walking pace of the game) trying to figure out what to do (we're talking 1:30h), I got onto the puzzle, solved it, and got very tired of the game; horrible choice to have such a slow beginning, I don't usually quity games that fast. If I have to thrive to enjoy something, well, I'm not going to go on. Beautiful env design tho.
2021
Very convoluted, when it looks like you're out of things to do the game just lets you deduce that you haven't touched even 20% of all the characters.
Nothing like becoming too OP and killing thousands of thousands of enemies while staying absolutely still in the endgame; weirdly addicting, altough I'll admit, I needed some help to unlock some characters.
Nothing like becoming too OP and killing thousands of thousands of enemies while staying absolutely still in the endgame; weirdly addicting, altough I'll admit, I needed some help to unlock some characters.
2021
This review contains spoilers
Absolutely gorgeous release! My favourite Metroid so far ♥
The movement is buttery smooth and the move set recalls all the best abilities from previous games. Samus has never looked better, and the evolution of the story is rather interesting.
E.M.M.I's are peak character design and peak AI, altough I found it easier to run very quickly through their areas rather than being stalthy (never used the Phantom Cloak ONCE, except for the required doors).
Boss fights are masterfully crafted, especially the last two bosses. If this game doesn't make you a Metroid fan I don't know what will
The movement is buttery smooth and the move set recalls all the best abilities from previous games. Samus has never looked better, and the evolution of the story is rather interesting.
E.M.M.I's are peak character design and peak AI, altough I found it easier to run very quickly through their areas rather than being stalthy (never used the Phantom Cloak ONCE, except for the required doors).
Boss fights are masterfully crafted, especially the last two bosses. If this game doesn't make you a Metroid fan I don't know what will