duke_of_jukes
2007
Surprised by how concise this is! What a game!
Incredibly earnest perspective. Good use of the visual novel medium to enhance the dialogue and storytelling.
So many twists and turns! Who knew the whole series was leading to such a good payoff! Really silly game but the silliness is masterfully executed.
2001
(review of campaign)
The movement, guns, enemy AI, music, sound design, and overall art direction are near perfect. Unfortunately, the levels in the second half start to drag due to repetitive cooridors and unnecessary backtracking, making the game really irritating to play (even on regular difficulty!). A masterpiece bogged down by some unfortunate pacing. I assume its a result of the technology at the time, so I hope the level design in the sequels improves.
The movement, guns, enemy AI, music, sound design, and overall art direction are near perfect. Unfortunately, the levels in the second half start to drag due to repetitive cooridors and unnecessary backtracking, making the game really irritating to play (even on regular difficulty!). A masterpiece bogged down by some unfortunate pacing. I assume its a result of the technology at the time, so I hope the level design in the sequels improves.
2018
What a tight game! With a sincere and heartwarming story to boot! Utterly flawless!
The open-world sandbox vs. mission dissonance is the realest its been for a Rockstar game, but goddamn are each of those halves of the game really really good. Most of my problems stem from Rockstar's unwillingness to let go of your hand in the missions, and their insistence on including a beautiful open world in a game that kind of doesn't need one.
That being said, the game is beautiful, the story and characters are incredibly engaging, and every other superficial detail in this game is flawless. Unfortunately, all of Rockstar's issues are central to their archaic formula.
That being said, the game is beautiful, the story and characters are incredibly engaging, and every other superficial detail in this game is flawless. Unfortunately, all of Rockstar's issues are central to their archaic formula.
More of the same, which is exactly what I wanted! Good cast of critters and hilarious callbacks to jokes from the first game.
Funny as heck!
Great ideas here in theory, but holy moly is it a slog in practice. Characterization is pretty good, its just too bad that the environments and enemies have no variety.
Insanely dense and sprawling for a game with such a vignette of a setting.
2008
Countless variations on a simple concept of input. Perfect game design! Only curse against this game is the expiration date of every DS screen when you unintentionally tap too hard.
2016
Undoubtedly a masterpiece, but one I don't really have the patience for. Grinding if only fun if you're in the mood for it (as I know from my love of a handful of JRPGs). What I did end up playing (just over a dozen hours) was great, though.
2019
Starts as something cute and quaint (although fully fleshed out), and transforms into something profound in its compelling third act. I love the visuals, music, and overall aesthetic of this game's 90's pastiche, of course, but the real beauty in this game is the way its writing melds with all those elements to tell a sincere story.
2022
Dark Souls is one of my favorite games. So to see From Software return to the interconnected metroidvania spaghetti level design of first half of Dark Souls but on the scale of an entire BOTW-style open world is mind-blowing. Art, combat, level design, and atmosphere are all at their best here. Games like these are once in a lifetime.
1994
Phenomenal JRPG. Grinding is kept to a bare minimum, but the menu sounds and battle backgrounds are so pleasant that I don't mind the turn-based combat at all. Rolling HP meters are enough to differentiate this game from its Dragon Quest predecessors. Aside from all that, the music and art style make this game a classic