danieladultman
I found this to be a step up from its predecessor in nearly every way, telling a more compelling narrative with better mechanics, graphics, environments and performances from the actors. The gameplay felt very iterative and not at all obnoxious. I say obnoxious because I feel like I’ve played a lot of games (sequels in particular) that introduce new mechanics for the sake of it, to the point where new tutorials being added frustrate me. I didn’t find that to be the case here because each new mechanic complimented each other well.
However, certain mechanics did wear on me as I continued to play it. The walking, adventure game-esque elements eventually grew old because this game is a bit longer than the first one. Some of the puzzles could have been taken out and the pacing would’ve been improved. Seriously, every fucking door in this game is locked. Whoop, gotta find a way around. Again.
I wish it wasn’t locked at 30 FPS but it didn’t harm my experience with it, although I cannot ignore that 60 FPS would have made for a smoother experience.
Overall, it’s a great game.
However, certain mechanics did wear on me as I continued to play it. The walking, adventure game-esque elements eventually grew old because this game is a bit longer than the first one. Some of the puzzles could have been taken out and the pacing would’ve been improved. Seriously, every fucking door in this game is locked. Whoop, gotta find a way around. Again.
I wish it wasn’t locked at 30 FPS but it didn’t harm my experience with it, although I cannot ignore that 60 FPS would have made for a smoother experience.
Overall, it’s a great game.
1992
I gotta be better about not accidentally destroying my saves on my SNES classic.
Anyways, I did not finish FFV (I lost hours due to a save issue) but it’s really great so far. Typically it’s not mentioned in the same breath as IV or VI and I can understand why, but it’s still excellent. The 16-bit Final Fantasy formula with these three titles is immaculate.
The soundtrack is a bit of a step down so far but there’s lots of really interesting ideas. I love the Job system. I love how there’s dragons instead of airships. You spend a lot more time on a ship in this one as opposed to IV. The story is engaging enough so far, again a bit of a step down but by no means bad. Character designs I find aren’t as creative as other entries but the enemy design is still top tier.
My hope is that they’ll port the Pixel remasters to console and I can start fresh from there (and they fix the font, but I’ll take anything.)
Anyways, I did not finish FFV (I lost hours due to a save issue) but it’s really great so far. Typically it’s not mentioned in the same breath as IV or VI and I can understand why, but it’s still excellent. The 16-bit Final Fantasy formula with these three titles is immaculate.
The soundtrack is a bit of a step down so far but there’s lots of really interesting ideas. I love the Job system. I love how there’s dragons instead of airships. You spend a lot more time on a ship in this one as opposed to IV. The story is engaging enough so far, again a bit of a step down but by no means bad. Character designs I find aren’t as creative as other entries but the enemy design is still top tier.
My hope is that they’ll port the Pixel remasters to console and I can start fresh from there (and they fix the font, but I’ll take anything.)
2022
After playing this for a couple of hours (and completing numerous stages) I feel I have a bit of a grasp on what this game is and my thoughts on it.
From a glance, Gungrave G.O.R.E. looked appealing. The animations, both in gameplay and in cutscenes are flashy and kinda cool. It's based off of an anime (though I know it from the PS2 games) and it's available on Game Pass. I figured why not jump in.
This fits right in with games from the PS2 era with a better looking coat of paint, and to be completely honest, if I had this on my shelf when I was a kid I probably would've played it to completion. The reason I don't wanna see it through to the end now is my bar of quality is higher now than it was then and I have far too many other things I want to play.
Shooting is not very satisfying. You fire in bursts of four shots, so if you want to shoot continuously you have to keep mashing that trigger and it's not ideal. Aiming is also not ideal. You don't use the left trigger (or L2) to aim, but instead the LB (or L1) to both lock on and move the cursor which doesn't feel modern. Otherwise, the cursor comes up on the screen as you shoot. If the player was allowed free reign of the camera and a smoother aiming experience, the game would be a little better for it.
There's little to no engagement with its environments (some things you can shoot, but that's it) and it becomes repetitive, same with the enemy designs. The melee is a bit slow and clunky but has its moments. You have a chain that acts as a bit of a grappling hook in combat that can result in some satisfying kills. But any satisfaction you get from killing hundreds of enemies per stage wears off after a few of them once you realize that's all the game has to offer.
It's arcade-y, with short stages that tally up a score and hordes of enemies and it makes me feel that maybe this would've been better suited for a cabinet with a gun-con.
I don't think it's an awful game, I just think it's a bit hollow and has outdated controls and shooting mechanics. I wouldn't recommend it, but hey, it's on Game Pass if you wanna try it out.
From a glance, Gungrave G.O.R.E. looked appealing. The animations, both in gameplay and in cutscenes are flashy and kinda cool. It's based off of an anime (though I know it from the PS2 games) and it's available on Game Pass. I figured why not jump in.
This fits right in with games from the PS2 era with a better looking coat of paint, and to be completely honest, if I had this on my shelf when I was a kid I probably would've played it to completion. The reason I don't wanna see it through to the end now is my bar of quality is higher now than it was then and I have far too many other things I want to play.
Shooting is not very satisfying. You fire in bursts of four shots, so if you want to shoot continuously you have to keep mashing that trigger and it's not ideal. Aiming is also not ideal. You don't use the left trigger (or L2) to aim, but instead the LB (or L1) to both lock on and move the cursor which doesn't feel modern. Otherwise, the cursor comes up on the screen as you shoot. If the player was allowed free reign of the camera and a smoother aiming experience, the game would be a little better for it.
There's little to no engagement with its environments (some things you can shoot, but that's it) and it becomes repetitive, same with the enemy designs. The melee is a bit slow and clunky but has its moments. You have a chain that acts as a bit of a grappling hook in combat that can result in some satisfying kills. But any satisfaction you get from killing hundreds of enemies per stage wears off after a few of them once you realize that's all the game has to offer.
It's arcade-y, with short stages that tally up a score and hordes of enemies and it makes me feel that maybe this would've been better suited for a cabinet with a gun-con.
I don't think it's an awful game, I just think it's a bit hollow and has outdated controls and shooting mechanics. I wouldn't recommend it, but hey, it's on Game Pass if you wanna try it out.
2022
A fine time with moments of really engaging gameplay and even strategical elements to its combat. I liked their introduction of weapons and its upgrade system, I never felt overwhelmed learning new mechanics which is good. I mainly use the rifle which I felt had an annoying reload that clashed with its traversal system. Your character is slow and clunky so when your reload is that too and enemies are firing on all cylinders, it can be a juggle to avoid damage and reload in a timely fashion. I get that it adds challenge but I just found it annoying.
I love stories in games but if I’m being honest I tuned out of this one pretty early on. It’s cool that it embraced what it was but after a certain point it was the gameplay that kept me in this experience. Still I commend it for not taking itself seriously, it fits with the tone it established.
There are puzzles in this game but none of them are frustrating, difficult or stick around long enough to slow down the gameplay (I’m looking at you, Ragnarok) so this was a nice change of pace for me.
All in all this is a good game, and if it came out during the PS2 era (which is what it harkens back to) then maybe it would be 4 stars. I’d recommend it picking it up on a sale.
I love stories in games but if I’m being honest I tuned out of this one pretty early on. It’s cool that it embraced what it was but after a certain point it was the gameplay that kept me in this experience. Still I commend it for not taking itself seriously, it fits with the tone it established.
There are puzzles in this game but none of them are frustrating, difficult or stick around long enough to slow down the gameplay (I’m looking at you, Ragnarok) so this was a nice change of pace for me.
All in all this is a good game, and if it came out during the PS2 era (which is what it harkens back to) then maybe it would be 4 stars. I’d recommend it picking it up on a sale.
2021
Imaginative, creative and endlessly charming, It Takes Two is a wonderful co-op experience. I played it through with my girlfriend and we had a lot of fun. I was especially wowed at all the detailed environments, all the well thought out gameplay mechanics and some of the writing. This game does a lot for couch co-op and a lot for storytelling in games.
It’s hard to pick a favorite section of the game. I loved the space section, but the winter town was so cute. One of those locations in games that you wish you could live in.
This isn’t really a complaint per se, but I must say the length of the game surprised me quite a bit and I think the game could’ve been a little stronger if it trimmed a few hours. Some of the levels felt like they had conclusions only to keep going to build to the proper conclusion, and making them shorter could’ve made for a tighter experience.
Still, I think this was a lovely choice for Game of the Year in 2021.
It’s hard to pick a favorite section of the game. I loved the space section, but the winter town was so cute. One of those locations in games that you wish you could live in.
This isn’t really a complaint per se, but I must say the length of the game surprised me quite a bit and I think the game could’ve been a little stronger if it trimmed a few hours. Some of the levels felt like they had conclusions only to keep going to build to the proper conclusion, and making them shorter could’ve made for a tighter experience.
Still, I think this was a lovely choice for Game of the Year in 2021.
This review contains spoilers
This review is marked for spoilers but it is only for a particular gameplay section later on in the game. There are no story spoilers ahead.
Man, for the first half of this game I was really in its corner. But the level of frustration I had, especially, from chapter six and onwards dragged this down a star and a half. Let's start with the good! It's immersive. Character models are really impressive. Loved the environments, loved the atmosphere.
Let's start with the middling. The melee is not awful but it definitely feels like you have to step down to get to the game's level to get comfortable with it. It's a choice many don't seem to agree with but whatever. I got used to it.
Now let's start with the downright frustrating. The checkpoint system in this is severely outdated. Turns out I missed the platinum trophy for this because if you get a collectible, die and restart from a checkpoint, you have to get the collectible again. Oops. Didn't know that. I just figured you know, like every other modern game that shit like that would save. Oh well. Normally I'd be able to go back and get the collectible but I can't since there's NO CHAPTER SELECT. What are we thinking not adding this?
The amount of health, ammo and credits you receive throughout the game is inconsistent across the board. There are times where it's very manageable, and times when you hit a fucking checkpoint at a really bad time when you have NO health, NO ammo and are being bombarded by enemies with NO time to reload!
Which brings me to another point...the reloading. I get slowing down the gameplay just enough to make the enemy encounters more tense but it is WAY too slow. This mechanic singlehandedly makes the gameplay feel dated. It's a design choice that deliberately goes against how games should feel to play in 2022. I can't tell you how many times I was stuck in a situation where I was being bombarded by enemies (and ALL of them have tentacles, if you've played it you know what I'm fucking talking about) and all I can do is dodge and melee because I don't have time to heal, I don't have time to reload, I don't even have time to switch weapons (which is frustrating as fuck itself) and you just have to try again and again and again until you get lucky. Because you know, there's a good chance an annoying ass checkpoint got you in that mess in the first place.
I'm gonna talk for a second about the end of chapter six specifically. You fight this two-headed monster after you fight about fifteen or so enemies in which you better be prepared or else you're fucked. I had plenty of Hand Cannon ammo the first time I around. I die, checkpoint is reloaded and I have none. I couldn't believe it.
I finally got done with that, having exhausted ALL of my ammo and I was very surprised at the lack of opportunities to get more after that. I was barely scraping by having to melee everyone (a feat that took much longer than it needed to because of the fucking tentacles!!) Only to have to face that ammo-sinking two-headed asshole monster AGAIN. Oh and he shows up like two more times, all of which are completely inconvenient and not fun at all.
This could've been so good. So, so good. I really liked it up until it frustrated me to no end. I'm done with it now, without the Platinum trophy because of the dumbs checkpoints, and at this point I'm glad it's over.
Man, for the first half of this game I was really in its corner. But the level of frustration I had, especially, from chapter six and onwards dragged this down a star and a half. Let's start with the good! It's immersive. Character models are really impressive. Loved the environments, loved the atmosphere.
Let's start with the middling. The melee is not awful but it definitely feels like you have to step down to get to the game's level to get comfortable with it. It's a choice many don't seem to agree with but whatever. I got used to it.
Now let's start with the downright frustrating. The checkpoint system in this is severely outdated. Turns out I missed the platinum trophy for this because if you get a collectible, die and restart from a checkpoint, you have to get the collectible again. Oops. Didn't know that. I just figured you know, like every other modern game that shit like that would save. Oh well. Normally I'd be able to go back and get the collectible but I can't since there's NO CHAPTER SELECT. What are we thinking not adding this?
The amount of health, ammo and credits you receive throughout the game is inconsistent across the board. There are times where it's very manageable, and times when you hit a fucking checkpoint at a really bad time when you have NO health, NO ammo and are being bombarded by enemies with NO time to reload!
Which brings me to another point...the reloading. I get slowing down the gameplay just enough to make the enemy encounters more tense but it is WAY too slow. This mechanic singlehandedly makes the gameplay feel dated. It's a design choice that deliberately goes against how games should feel to play in 2022. I can't tell you how many times I was stuck in a situation where I was being bombarded by enemies (and ALL of them have tentacles, if you've played it you know what I'm fucking talking about) and all I can do is dodge and melee because I don't have time to heal, I don't have time to reload, I don't even have time to switch weapons (which is frustrating as fuck itself) and you just have to try again and again and again until you get lucky. Because you know, there's a good chance an annoying ass checkpoint got you in that mess in the first place.
I'm gonna talk for a second about the end of chapter six specifically. You fight this two-headed monster after you fight about fifteen or so enemies in which you better be prepared or else you're fucked. I had plenty of Hand Cannon ammo the first time I around. I die, checkpoint is reloaded and I have none. I couldn't believe it.
I finally got done with that, having exhausted ALL of my ammo and I was very surprised at the lack of opportunities to get more after that. I was barely scraping by having to melee everyone (a feat that took much longer than it needed to because of the fucking tentacles!!) Only to have to face that ammo-sinking two-headed asshole monster AGAIN. Oh and he shows up like two more times, all of which are completely inconvenient and not fun at all.
This could've been so good. So, so good. I really liked it up until it frustrated me to no end. I'm done with it now, without the Platinum trophy because of the dumbs checkpoints, and at this point I'm glad it's over.
2022
I'm not going to rate this simply because I did not put enough time into it to give it an honest rating. But I can say that unfortunately the Overdrive combat system is not clicking with me. I know it's an added strategic mechanic to the combat but I feel it's limiting how I want to play the game, and I'm just not feeling it.
I'm reminded of CrossCode, a game with high praise from players and critics. On paper, it should have been right up my alley. Beautiful pixel art, inspired by the JRPG classics I grew up with it. But I did not like the puzzles in it, at all, to the point where it dragged down my inspiration to see it through.
I like the art and environments of Chained Echoes. Story and characters seem okay so far, but I wouldn't say I'm attached to any of it. Time is precious and I'm going to move on to something else that I'd like to play (maybe I'll finish one of the 8 other games I'm currently playing).
I'm gonna shelve this indefinitely and maybe I'll revisit it someday...but it's unlikely.
I'm reminded of CrossCode, a game with high praise from players and critics. On paper, it should have been right up my alley. Beautiful pixel art, inspired by the JRPG classics I grew up with it. But I did not like the puzzles in it, at all, to the point where it dragged down my inspiration to see it through.
I like the art and environments of Chained Echoes. Story and characters seem okay so far, but I wouldn't say I'm attached to any of it. Time is precious and I'm going to move on to something else that I'd like to play (maybe I'll finish one of the 8 other games I'm currently playing).
I'm gonna shelve this indefinitely and maybe I'll revisit it someday...but it's unlikely.
2022
Finally beat the main story after taking my sweet time with it, and I have many thoughts. Above all else, God of War: Ragnarok is an excellent game, but not without its flaws.
In all things related to story and character, this game nails just about everything. I do think the overall narrative is maybe a little longer than it had to be, but that's a very minor complaint. I think the game starts out strong, slows down a bit, but then really picks up about halfway through and doesn't let go from there. The performances, the writing of these characters is pretty top notch within gaming. I love my Mimir, Brok & Sindri etc. but Kratos is the real star of the show here, having now felt like a fully developed character. Shoutout to Heimdall and the actor who portrayed him. Everything about this slimy, shithead character worked and I felt he singlehandedly brought the narrative up with him.
Gameplay wise it's really satisfying to play and never really lets up. Random enemy encounters are fun to go through but boss fights are where it really shines. They're spectacular.
Some of the gameplay mechanics that I didn't care for in God of War (2018) are here as well. I found some of the Uncharted-style puzzle solving to be annoying, interfering and really slowed down the gameplay unnecessarily. I think the fast travel system, while it makes sense is tethered to the previous game, is imperfect. I think the menus, while improved, are still a little cumbersome and overwhelming.
All that aside, God of War: Ragnarok absolutely nails so much of what it sets out to achieve. It's beautiful, with little to no technical flaws and really satisfying. Sony first-party titles are really special, something that gaming needs. Many of those games are must-play, and this is no exception.
In all things related to story and character, this game nails just about everything. I do think the overall narrative is maybe a little longer than it had to be, but that's a very minor complaint. I think the game starts out strong, slows down a bit, but then really picks up about halfway through and doesn't let go from there. The performances, the writing of these characters is pretty top notch within gaming. I love my Mimir, Brok & Sindri etc. but Kratos is the real star of the show here, having now felt like a fully developed character. Shoutout to Heimdall and the actor who portrayed him. Everything about this slimy, shithead character worked and I felt he singlehandedly brought the narrative up with him.
Gameplay wise it's really satisfying to play and never really lets up. Random enemy encounters are fun to go through but boss fights are where it really shines. They're spectacular.
Some of the gameplay mechanics that I didn't care for in God of War (2018) are here as well. I found some of the Uncharted-style puzzle solving to be annoying, interfering and really slowed down the gameplay unnecessarily. I think the fast travel system, while it makes sense is tethered to the previous game, is imperfect. I think the menus, while improved, are still a little cumbersome and overwhelming.
All that aside, God of War: Ragnarok absolutely nails so much of what it sets out to achieve. It's beautiful, with little to no technical flaws and really satisfying. Sony first-party titles are really special, something that gaming needs. Many of those games are must-play, and this is no exception.
I was so excited when this was announced. I love everything about Final Fantasy VII, and I've never played Crisis Core. Thank you Square Enix for remaking/re-mastering this game!
No but really, what SE did with this port is really interesting. Certain parts of the game were remastered, certain parts of it were straight up remade. During some cutscenes you might be reminded that it's a PSP game, but during some gameplay segments this game looks and feels very modern and it's awesome. Apparently the voice acting was re-done as well.
I like the structure of the game and can't help but think it influenced Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker. Though there is an overarching story, you play as a soldier (well, member of SOLDIER) and you can deploy to various missions at your leisure. While these can be fun, they can also be repetitive, either in enemy design, environmental design or both.
The overall story is really good. I loved being back in this world with these characters, and seeing locations that we haven't yet seen in the Remake series. Bring on Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth!
No but really, what SE did with this port is really interesting. Certain parts of the game were remastered, certain parts of it were straight up remade. During some cutscenes you might be reminded that it's a PSP game, but during some gameplay segments this game looks and feels very modern and it's awesome. Apparently the voice acting was re-done as well.
I like the structure of the game and can't help but think it influenced Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker. Though there is an overarching story, you play as a soldier (well, member of SOLDIER) and you can deploy to various missions at your leisure. While these can be fun, they can also be repetitive, either in enemy design, environmental design or both.
The overall story is really good. I loved being back in this world with these characters, and seeing locations that we haven't yet seen in the Remake series. Bring on Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth!
Yes, this was my first time playing A Link to the Past to completion in my entire life. Better late than never, am I right? Hey, we all have games we missed when we were younger, for one reason for another. No shame in catching up on those titles we've long moved past.
Anyways, it's not a shocker that this game is excellent. The classic Zelda formula is one of the greatest in the history in gaming (right up there with Metroidvania-Castlevania titles, turn-based 16-bit Final Fantasy and so on) and frankly it's one I don't think I'll ever grow tired of. When they remade Link's Awakening in 2019, I jumped at it and adored it. It plays in a very simple, masterful way. The art style is lovely, which is in line with countless other absolutely gorgeous SNES titles. Pixel art will never die.
I really liked a lot of the mechanics that spruced up the gameplay. I liked the puzzles, which is not something I can say about every game. Here they felt just the right amount of challenging and with little to no frustration. I loved that the map isn't small, isn't large but it just right. While a fast traveling system is introduced, it still isn't a major pain if you have to make the trek across the map.
In a way I'm glad I didn't complete this when I was a kid because if I did not have the strategy guide there's no way I would've figured some of this shit out. I can say that about most of my favorite games so it isn't a knock; just an observation.
All in all an amazing game.
Anyways, it's not a shocker that this game is excellent. The classic Zelda formula is one of the greatest in the history in gaming (right up there with Metroidvania-Castlevania titles, turn-based 16-bit Final Fantasy and so on) and frankly it's one I don't think I'll ever grow tired of. When they remade Link's Awakening in 2019, I jumped at it and adored it. It plays in a very simple, masterful way. The art style is lovely, which is in line with countless other absolutely gorgeous SNES titles. Pixel art will never die.
I really liked a lot of the mechanics that spruced up the gameplay. I liked the puzzles, which is not something I can say about every game. Here they felt just the right amount of challenging and with little to no frustration. I loved that the map isn't small, isn't large but it just right. While a fast traveling system is introduced, it still isn't a major pain if you have to make the trek across the map.
In a way I'm glad I didn't complete this when I was a kid because if I did not have the strategy guide there's no way I would've figured some of this shit out. I can say that about most of my favorite games so it isn't a knock; just an observation.
All in all an amazing game.
Starting off my 2023 gaming journey in the weirdest way possible.
Street Fighter: The Movie: The Game does not need to be analyzed to understand why it's not a good game. Based off of a movie no one likes (except for 3-5 year old me) it lifts the digitization of actual actors from the movie (and no doubt inspired by Mortal Kombat) and manages to be fundamentally worse than just about everything that came before or after it. It's pretty baffling to me that Capcom put out a game in the mid-90s that feels so stiff and so unintuitive.
Since the game is based off of the movie, it's inherently campy and oddly charming, the only reason I gave this 1.5 stars instead of 1. I got a bit of a nostalgic kick seeing footage of the movie in the game, and if only the game was remotely fun, I could've seen myself playing through the "movie mode" just to see it through.
I'm glad this exists because every once in a while it makes me laugh, but in the future I'll just laugh at it from a distance instead of playing it.
Street Fighter: The Movie: The Game does not need to be analyzed to understand why it's not a good game. Based off of a movie no one likes (except for 3-5 year old me) it lifts the digitization of actual actors from the movie (and no doubt inspired by Mortal Kombat) and manages to be fundamentally worse than just about everything that came before or after it. It's pretty baffling to me that Capcom put out a game in the mid-90s that feels so stiff and so unintuitive.
Since the game is based off of the movie, it's inherently campy and oddly charming, the only reason I gave this 1.5 stars instead of 1. I got a bit of a nostalgic kick seeing footage of the movie in the game, and if only the game was remotely fun, I could've seen myself playing through the "movie mode" just to see it through.
I'm glad this exists because every once in a while it makes me laugh, but in the future I'll just laugh at it from a distance instead of playing it.
It's a bit rough around the edges in the gameplay department but it does have a bit of a nostalgic charm to it. The roster is limited to fifteen wrestlers which is a disappointment, but understandable considering the time and the hardware.
There are a few different modes to try out, but the only one resembling anything of a story mode is called Championship mode, where you essentially work one match a month from Wrestlemania X7 to Wrestlemania X8, winning championships but not really having anything to show for them. Of course for this playthrough I picked Big Sexy Kevin Nash.
Gameplay is simple but that's a strength. You strike, grapple, irish whip, pin and that's pretty much it. Striking is a pain because it's not a quick motion, and its easy to fall behind .2 seconds versus the computer and it feels like once you're being attacked, it's a trap that can be difficult to get out of.
Presentation wise the came looks fine, but the best part is the chiptune wrestling themes. Some of these genuinely made me smile.
Overall not something I'd recommend, but maybe if I had this back in 2002 I would've enjoyed it enough.
There are a few different modes to try out, but the only one resembling anything of a story mode is called Championship mode, where you essentially work one match a month from Wrestlemania X7 to Wrestlemania X8, winning championships but not really having anything to show for them. Of course for this playthrough I picked Big Sexy Kevin Nash.
Gameplay is simple but that's a strength. You strike, grapple, irish whip, pin and that's pretty much it. Striking is a pain because it's not a quick motion, and its easy to fall behind .2 seconds versus the computer and it feels like once you're being attacked, it's a trap that can be difficult to get out of.
Presentation wise the came looks fine, but the best part is the chiptune wrestling themes. Some of these genuinely made me smile.
Overall not something I'd recommend, but maybe if I had this back in 2002 I would've enjoyed it enough.
2008
Great game! I remember when the original Gears of War came out and the impact it made on my friends and I at the time. Here was a game that looked different and played a bit different than anything before and it felt like a true next gen experience, at the time.
Gears of War 2 does not do a hell of a lot in terms of iteration on its predecessor. Instead it refines the ever fun gameplay of the first, steps up a bit in the writing department and offers more creative and engaging environments.
At the end of the day, Gears is like a popcorn action movie and it delivers on carnage, violence and the like and I can’t imagine it ever not being fun.
Gears of War 2 does not do a hell of a lot in terms of iteration on its predecessor. Instead it refines the ever fun gameplay of the first, steps up a bit in the writing department and offers more creative and engaging environments.
At the end of the day, Gears is like a popcorn action movie and it delivers on carnage, violence and the like and I can’t imagine it ever not being fun.
1989
Completed via Mega Man Legacy Collection on PS4.
I was born in thew early 90s, and exposed to video games since before I could talk, thanks to having an older brother. We had an NES in the house, which I would play Super Mario Bros. and Duck Hunt on, but that was really the extent of it. The reason for that is we also had a Super Nintendo and a Sega Genesis, and to me those were much prettier, shinier toys.
I know how widely acclaimed the Mega Man NES titles are, but my first exposure to the franchise was Mega Man X on SNES, and that ends up being the measuring stick that I compare any and all Mega Man titles to. The graphics, gameplay, enemy and level design in that game are all top notch, if you ask me. Starting off with Mega Man X was a blessing and a curse, because going back to these older titles is a bit more difficult for me.
That's not to say I can't get into them. I think the ones I've played are fun! This one included. It's unfair to compare graphics to Mega Man X, but I think in just about every way Mega Man 2's mechanics and level design are improved in X. It means that I can play these and enjoy them but not as much. That's probably just a me problem. If I played these games before moving onto the SNES then perhaps I'd think differently.
Overall it's a good game. Very good, in fact, and at times ver challenging. Out of all the bosses I probably liked Quick Man the most. For no other reason than I think he's cool.
I was born in thew early 90s, and exposed to video games since before I could talk, thanks to having an older brother. We had an NES in the house, which I would play Super Mario Bros. and Duck Hunt on, but that was really the extent of it. The reason for that is we also had a Super Nintendo and a Sega Genesis, and to me those were much prettier, shinier toys.
I know how widely acclaimed the Mega Man NES titles are, but my first exposure to the franchise was Mega Man X on SNES, and that ends up being the measuring stick that I compare any and all Mega Man titles to. The graphics, gameplay, enemy and level design in that game are all top notch, if you ask me. Starting off with Mega Man X was a blessing and a curse, because going back to these older titles is a bit more difficult for me.
That's not to say I can't get into them. I think the ones I've played are fun! This one included. It's unfair to compare graphics to Mega Man X, but I think in just about every way Mega Man 2's mechanics and level design are improved in X. It means that I can play these and enjoy them but not as much. That's probably just a me problem. If I played these games before moving onto the SNES then perhaps I'd think differently.
Overall it's a good game. Very good, in fact, and at times ver challenging. Out of all the bosses I probably liked Quick Man the most. For no other reason than I think he's cool.
Played via PS5 Backwards Compatibility.
A good game for sure! Has that fun, kinetic Housemarque gameplay that makes these games appealing to people who don't traditionally play these kinds of shooters. I definitely fall into that category. Normally I can only play these kinds of games for a short while before getting bored and seeking out something else pertaining to my gaming interests. Luckily, my time with this was short and sweet.
Platinum Trophy #125
Platinum Trophy #1 of 2023
A good game for sure! Has that fun, kinetic Housemarque gameplay that makes these games appealing to people who don't traditionally play these kinds of shooters. I definitely fall into that category. Normally I can only play these kinds of games for a short while before getting bored and seeking out something else pertaining to my gaming interests. Luckily, my time with this was short and sweet.
Platinum Trophy #125
Platinum Trophy #1 of 2023