guileffb
It's hard to admit, but Alien Hominid Invasion was a letdown for me. The PS2 Alien Hominid is my favorite run and gun game of all time, and while I didn't mind the shift in style, I just couldn't fully enjoy it.
AH Invasion still carries the charm of the original. That's probably its best aspect. It looks pretty, albeit not bloody anymore. Cutscenes are great, funny, inviting and sarcastic, at least. Not to mention the many nods to the original, which were pretty nice.
The whole game has changed. It's a roguelite now, with RPG elements, like stats and equipment. And it works fine, I guess. For the most part, shooting feels solid. Especially when you get the hang of it, which can take a while. It's challenging as well. Not always the best kinnd of challenge, but makes you think more than just run, dodge and shoot. Also, playing it co-op, just like its predecessor, is still the best way to go.
However, from the moment I was deployed into the first mission, it just felt like a confusing mess. Even after "getting it" (which took more time than I'd like to admit), that impression never left. The screen is always totally cluttered with things, objectives are always the same, most items, guns and rewards are useless, enemies are repetitive little bullet sponges, bosses form the first half of the game are annoying as hell, and technically, there are only three different levels, which look identical.
Finishing this game co-op was probaly the best thing I did, otherwise, AH Invasion just wouldn't be fun. It's a shame, because the first one is nearly perfect, so the potential for an improved sequel was huge, but... just didn't happen.
There might be something here and there to save this for you but, honestly, it's tough to say it, but Behemoth dropped the ball. I'm a fan of their work, the original Alien Hominid, run and gun games and roguelites, but still, I would just stay away from it.
AH Invasion still carries the charm of the original. That's probably its best aspect. It looks pretty, albeit not bloody anymore. Cutscenes are great, funny, inviting and sarcastic, at least. Not to mention the many nods to the original, which were pretty nice.
The whole game has changed. It's a roguelite now, with RPG elements, like stats and equipment. And it works fine, I guess. For the most part, shooting feels solid. Especially when you get the hang of it, which can take a while. It's challenging as well. Not always the best kinnd of challenge, but makes you think more than just run, dodge and shoot. Also, playing it co-op, just like its predecessor, is still the best way to go.
However, from the moment I was deployed into the first mission, it just felt like a confusing mess. Even after "getting it" (which took more time than I'd like to admit), that impression never left. The screen is always totally cluttered with things, objectives are always the same, most items, guns and rewards are useless, enemies are repetitive little bullet sponges, bosses form the first half of the game are annoying as hell, and technically, there are only three different levels, which look identical.
Finishing this game co-op was probaly the best thing I did, otherwise, AH Invasion just wouldn't be fun. It's a shame, because the first one is nearly perfect, so the potential for an improved sequel was huge, but... just didn't happen.
There might be something here and there to save this for you but, honestly, it's tough to say it, but Behemoth dropped the ball. I'm a fan of their work, the original Alien Hominid, run and gun games and roguelites, but still, I would just stay away from it.
Imsoniac did again with Spider-Man 2! Now we have a new great super hero game and a solid sequel!
Starting with the visuals, they got that perfectly right once again! Everything in this game looks stunning. The city, cutscenes, the many beautiful suits you can unlock and the enemy design. While both Spider-Men look amazing in every single one of their costumes, the villains take the cake! They look menacing, sound convincing and they're tough to bring down. It's hard to notice, but this is actually a step up from how the Miles Morales game looks.
And while I don't think the story hit me as strong as the first one did, it sure managed to pack quite a punch. Especially since character motivation and evolution is such a potent point of the whole plot. Even more than the first one, it seems. We're out of the "introduction zone" by now. I also loved the team-ups we got. I'm not going to spoil how things go, but trust me, there are some great surprises in this sequel. There were moments I thought "they're not gonna go there", and they totally did.
One thing I loved were the setpieces. That's what makes me gush about this game. It's way more action-packed than the first one, and this just leaks during main missions. Even during sidequests. Not all of them were great, but you get cool moments like The Flame and Mysterio missions.
But if you're here for the story and visuals, I know that what'll definitely make you stay will be the gameplay. Not much has changed since the 1st one, but quality of life improvements made it so much fun to just battle around the city. Peter and Miles' combat and stealth mechanics were tweaked to near perfection. It made boss fights highlights for me. Some of them were actually kinda tough to beat. And, hey, Even MJ missions are better!
Not to mention traversal. This is the name of the game. Fast travel in this game is probably the best one in the industry right now, but I probably only used it twice due to how COOL it feels to roam around with the spiders.
I think that what holds this game back is pretty obvious, though. Playing in the same environment as previous both games does bring the surprise factor down, even if webbing through the city is a blast. Puzzles are still just as annoying and out of place as they were, soundtrack is pretty generic, not all sidequests were fun, QTEs should be gone by now and enemy variety is still quite shallow. Even collectibles were just 'ok'. Some of them were very rewarding, like the Prowler stashes and the unidentified targets, but others were hit or miss.
One last thing I want to talk about is the ending. The story is good and does go into some dark and emotional places sometimes, but the ending was kind of a letdown. On one side, we have Peter's ending, which was a real bummer. On the other, we have Miles' ending, which was fine, and an actual development, but rather predictable as well.
Spider Man 2 is a great game. Not only for fans of super heroes, but for action game fans, in general. It's a fun sequel that doesn't manage to exceed its predecessor, but really does a solid job of gripping you, while evolving its own thing to a new direction.
Starting with the visuals, they got that perfectly right once again! Everything in this game looks stunning. The city, cutscenes, the many beautiful suits you can unlock and the enemy design. While both Spider-Men look amazing in every single one of their costumes, the villains take the cake! They look menacing, sound convincing and they're tough to bring down. It's hard to notice, but this is actually a step up from how the Miles Morales game looks.
And while I don't think the story hit me as strong as the first one did, it sure managed to pack quite a punch. Especially since character motivation and evolution is such a potent point of the whole plot. Even more than the first one, it seems. We're out of the "introduction zone" by now. I also loved the team-ups we got. I'm not going to spoil how things go, but trust me, there are some great surprises in this sequel. There were moments I thought "they're not gonna go there", and they totally did.
One thing I loved were the setpieces. That's what makes me gush about this game. It's way more action-packed than the first one, and this just leaks during main missions. Even during sidequests. Not all of them were great, but you get cool moments like The Flame and Mysterio missions.
But if you're here for the story and visuals, I know that what'll definitely make you stay will be the gameplay. Not much has changed since the 1st one, but quality of life improvements made it so much fun to just battle around the city. Peter and Miles' combat and stealth mechanics were tweaked to near perfection. It made boss fights highlights for me. Some of them were actually kinda tough to beat. And, hey, Even MJ missions are better!
Not to mention traversal. This is the name of the game. Fast travel in this game is probably the best one in the industry right now, but I probably only used it twice due to how COOL it feels to roam around with the spiders.
I think that what holds this game back is pretty obvious, though. Playing in the same environment as previous both games does bring the surprise factor down, even if webbing through the city is a blast. Puzzles are still just as annoying and out of place as they were, soundtrack is pretty generic, not all sidequests were fun, QTEs should be gone by now and enemy variety is still quite shallow. Even collectibles were just 'ok'. Some of them were very rewarding, like the Prowler stashes and the unidentified targets, but others were hit or miss.
One last thing I want to talk about is the ending. The story is good and does go into some dark and emotional places sometimes, but the ending was kind of a letdown. On one side, we have Peter's ending, which was a real bummer. On the other, we have Miles' ending, which was fine, and an actual development, but rather predictable as well.
Spider Man 2 is a great game. Not only for fans of super heroes, but for action game fans, in general. It's a fun sequel that doesn't manage to exceed its predecessor, but really does a solid job of gripping you, while evolving its own thing to a new direction.
I'll start this one with a disclaimer.
I don't like metroidvanias. I've tried many games, but Super Metroid was the only one that got me. Much more for its atmosphere
than its core design.
I love the Prince of Persia franchise. The PS2 trilogy and
POP 2008 were some of my favorite games.
I had to try this new take on the series, and I'm fairly surprised with how good it is!
The most impressive thing about Lost Crown is just how well they managed to get the soul of its gameplay mechanics. Everything works nearly perfectly. Combat, traversal and skills, they're all very tight.
Controlling Sargon through each of the rooms and its challenges feels great, even when you have to be PERFECT to get it just right. They can be frustrating at first, but the satisfaction of finishing some of Lost Crown's puzzles is amazing!
Fighting is extremely satisfying! Tricky at times, but fast and challenging to the right degree. Enemy variety and placement helps a lot, as well. Not to mention how incredible EVERY boss in this game is.
The skills you get are also insane! Not all of them are always super useful, but they keep throwing new things at you all the time. It keeps the pacing fresh! The double jump, for example, brought a whole new life to the second half of the game.
Lost Crown is definitely good for a metroidvania as well. I hate the sense of feeling lost, aggressive backtracking and progression gatekeeping that comes with the genre, but the map here is VERY useful. Props to the design team. Neat level design brings things to another level! Oh, and the skins you unlock are amazing! I played with the Warrior Within outfit through the whole game.
A few things kept pushing this game back from being as great as it seems, though. The problem is that this doesn't feel like POP. I'm not sure if it's just its metroidvania cloak, but I feel like, although this can bring newcomers to the franchise, it also does little to excite old ones.
The story, for example, might be the worst thing about Lost Crown. It tries to thrill with a couple of fair plot twists, but they felt predictable. The writing is nothing more than dull and I didn't like a single character. Not even Sargon. I miss the Prince! The conclusion felt kinda ineffective as well. It doesn't help that I did not gel with how the game looks and how generic its OST sounds.
And although I LOVE the core gameplay, it was frustrating to deal with some of its new aspects. One thing that kept popping up in my head was how BRUTAL this game can be! Not every reward is actually "rewarding", I didn't enjoy the amulet mechanic, some challenge rooms take longer than they should, which can get very annoying (especially optional ones, and I'm looking straight at that goddamn room with 2 xerxes coins!), lore collectibles suck, I miss the "darker" nature of past entries, and checkpoint placement didn't always seem smart.
Prince of Persia Lost Crown is a GOOD game! For real! It's the second metroidvania that made me want to see it to the end. I highly recommend this, especially if you're a fan of the genre.
Now, as a Prince of Persia fan, I hope this isn't the direction they're going with. At least not the only direction. It can be fun, but I prefer this as a spin-off, rather than a mainline entry.
I don't like metroidvanias. I've tried many games, but Super Metroid was the only one that got me. Much more for its atmosphere
than its core design.
I love the Prince of Persia franchise. The PS2 trilogy and
POP 2008 were some of my favorite games.
I had to try this new take on the series, and I'm fairly surprised with how good it is!
The most impressive thing about Lost Crown is just how well they managed to get the soul of its gameplay mechanics. Everything works nearly perfectly. Combat, traversal and skills, they're all very tight.
Controlling Sargon through each of the rooms and its challenges feels great, even when you have to be PERFECT to get it just right. They can be frustrating at first, but the satisfaction of finishing some of Lost Crown's puzzles is amazing!
Fighting is extremely satisfying! Tricky at times, but fast and challenging to the right degree. Enemy variety and placement helps a lot, as well. Not to mention how incredible EVERY boss in this game is.
The skills you get are also insane! Not all of them are always super useful, but they keep throwing new things at you all the time. It keeps the pacing fresh! The double jump, for example, brought a whole new life to the second half of the game.
Lost Crown is definitely good for a metroidvania as well. I hate the sense of feeling lost, aggressive backtracking and progression gatekeeping that comes with the genre, but the map here is VERY useful. Props to the design team. Neat level design brings things to another level! Oh, and the skins you unlock are amazing! I played with the Warrior Within outfit through the whole game.
A few things kept pushing this game back from being as great as it seems, though. The problem is that this doesn't feel like POP. I'm not sure if it's just its metroidvania cloak, but I feel like, although this can bring newcomers to the franchise, it also does little to excite old ones.
The story, for example, might be the worst thing about Lost Crown. It tries to thrill with a couple of fair plot twists, but they felt predictable. The writing is nothing more than dull and I didn't like a single character. Not even Sargon. I miss the Prince! The conclusion felt kinda ineffective as well. It doesn't help that I did not gel with how the game looks and how generic its OST sounds.
And although I LOVE the core gameplay, it was frustrating to deal with some of its new aspects. One thing that kept popping up in my head was how BRUTAL this game can be! Not every reward is actually "rewarding", I didn't enjoy the amulet mechanic, some challenge rooms take longer than they should, which can get very annoying (especially optional ones, and I'm looking straight at that goddamn room with 2 xerxes coins!), lore collectibles suck, I miss the "darker" nature of past entries, and checkpoint placement didn't always seem smart.
Prince of Persia Lost Crown is a GOOD game! For real! It's the second metroidvania that made me want to see it to the end. I highly recommend this, especially if you're a fan of the genre.
Now, as a Prince of Persia fan, I hope this isn't the direction they're going with. At least not the only direction. It can be fun, but I prefer this as a spin-off, rather than a mainline entry.
2019
I'll be honest, Yakuza 5 is the worst one I've played so far.
At first, it was a bit conflicting, because one thing I kept wishing for the series was variety. Well, I got variety right here, and let me tell you, I don't like it.
It was a bit conflicting to come to the realization that I don't like this. The game opens up very well and the whole Kiryu part was fine. Classic Yakuza, of course. I LOVED the taxi substory. Off to a solid start!
But then we get to Saejima part and that's the SLOWEST moment in the game. Even the minigames suck. Things don't shift much in the next part, which is Haruka's. Just... what were they thinking? I'm glad she shared her chapters with Akiyama, because he steals the whole game. His chapters are the best, his fighting style is great, his story fits just right. But then the game crashes hard when we come to Shinada. Everything about him just feels out of place, to be honest. Some new side characters, like the main villain, Saejima's prison gang, and Park-chan, ALMOST captivated me, but they weren't enough.
Yakuza 2 used to be my least favorite, however, the story/side content were its saving grace. But with 5, the story feels absolutely forced and kinda set apart from the others. It's a huge mess! It never amounts to anything meaningful! Akiyama is the only one that felt in-character. Haruka's idol fluff was extremely boring, Saejima's felt repetitive and fruitless, Shinada is absolutely useles, and Kiryu was... ok, I guess.
And while things do improve in the Finale, the ending is horrible. Abrupt, emotionless, with a few plot points left out in the open.
It's a shame, because this game looks and sounds beautiful! The main story is weak, but almost every sidequest is either fun as hell or very creative. I LOVED all the cities I got to visit and I wish I could just explore them forever. The atmosphere is great and, as usual, the soundtrack shines! The combat, on the other hand, was a bit of a hit or miss. I'm used to that, I guess. Yakuza's combat is usually iffy.
I know that people love this game, but I just couldn't. Playing with Haruka and Saejima was pure torture. And the game is very long too! That usually doesn't bother me, but the lack of fun factor just made me almost drop it.
I just hope Yakuza 6 picks it back up again.
At first, it was a bit conflicting, because one thing I kept wishing for the series was variety. Well, I got variety right here, and let me tell you, I don't like it.
It was a bit conflicting to come to the realization that I don't like this. The game opens up very well and the whole Kiryu part was fine. Classic Yakuza, of course. I LOVED the taxi substory. Off to a solid start!
But then we get to Saejima part and that's the SLOWEST moment in the game. Even the minigames suck. Things don't shift much in the next part, which is Haruka's. Just... what were they thinking? I'm glad she shared her chapters with Akiyama, because he steals the whole game. His chapters are the best, his fighting style is great, his story fits just right. But then the game crashes hard when we come to Shinada. Everything about him just feels out of place, to be honest. Some new side characters, like the main villain, Saejima's prison gang, and Park-chan, ALMOST captivated me, but they weren't enough.
Yakuza 2 used to be my least favorite, however, the story/side content were its saving grace. But with 5, the story feels absolutely forced and kinda set apart from the others. It's a huge mess! It never amounts to anything meaningful! Akiyama is the only one that felt in-character. Haruka's idol fluff was extremely boring, Saejima's felt repetitive and fruitless, Shinada is absolutely useles, and Kiryu was... ok, I guess.
And while things do improve in the Finale, the ending is horrible. Abrupt, emotionless, with a few plot points left out in the open.
It's a shame, because this game looks and sounds beautiful! The main story is weak, but almost every sidequest is either fun as hell or very creative. I LOVED all the cities I got to visit and I wish I could just explore them forever. The atmosphere is great and, as usual, the soundtrack shines! The combat, on the other hand, was a bit of a hit or miss. I'm used to that, I guess. Yakuza's combat is usually iffy.
I know that people love this game, but I just couldn't. Playing with Haruka and Saejima was pure torture. And the game is very long too! That usually doesn't bother me, but the lack of fun factor just made me almost drop it.
I just hope Yakuza 6 picks it back up again.
2024
Atlus did it again! They reloaded the depression I felt after watching Persona's most melancholic ending ever. And I loved it all over again...
This might be one of the finest remakes I've ever played. Faithful to the core (too faithful, at times), and filled with accurate QOL improvements. Some of what I said about Persona 3 in my old review for the original still stands. But the whole game was refined.
You'll notice the difference right away. This game looks great! Not because its graphics are high-end, but because of how stylish and beautiful everything is. It contrasts a little to how FES looks, but it does its own thing. It feels like a very stunning saturated painting. Atlus is known for its stylish games, but this one, aesthetically, rivals P5.
After sorting through how good it looks, you'll get to how good it plays. And THANK GOD they polished it up! Did you play P3 or P4? Then you're home! But now you'll see how smoother it is. Grinding is not necessary, the challenge is more accessible, everything is faster, they filled Tartarus with new little details to make things a less sluggish, new small features to do while dungeon crawling, and even Shuffle Time is better.
ALSO, YOU CAN CONTROL ALL PARTY MEMBERS!!!!
And it's not just the meat of the gameplay that improved. The story got a small shine as well. The new translation sounds much better, writing flows well, there are new events with party members you couldn't interact much in the original, classic social links are all there and, plenty new stuff to do that helps the pacing and character motivation/backstory. They didn't change much, but improved upon it. I loved that characters like Aragaki, Chidori and even Aragaki gained a more screentime now. Made me appreciate the cast and story even more.
There are little things that FES did better, and some old flaws remain, but nothing terrible.
The tone, for example. Sure, the new artstyle is great, but the original feels much more moody and creepy. Even the anime scenes were more experimental then. It also took a bit of that mid-2000s feeling. Voice actors changed too. While they did a fantastic job, I still prefer how weird they most of them sounded back then. The music still sounds phenomenal, specially the new songs, like the new combat one, but some of the mixing in the original was better. It sounds cleaner now, which helps a few songs, like the school themes, but kinda takes the shine out of others, like the dorm theme.
And Tartarus is still... well, it still sucks. Much better now, for sure, since combat and traversing was improved. No more "fatigue", for example. But, like the original, just hurts the game's pacing. Even with everything new. But you'll get through that, for sure.
You'll get through because this game is fantastic! Feels like visiting old friends, but they all look better now. And if this is your first time here, well, lucky you! You'll get to experience my second favorite Persona game in its best shape.
Now they just HAVE to remake Persona 4...
This might be one of the finest remakes I've ever played. Faithful to the core (too faithful, at times), and filled with accurate QOL improvements. Some of what I said about Persona 3 in my old review for the original still stands. But the whole game was refined.
You'll notice the difference right away. This game looks great! Not because its graphics are high-end, but because of how stylish and beautiful everything is. It contrasts a little to how FES looks, but it does its own thing. It feels like a very stunning saturated painting. Atlus is known for its stylish games, but this one, aesthetically, rivals P5.
After sorting through how good it looks, you'll get to how good it plays. And THANK GOD they polished it up! Did you play P3 or P4? Then you're home! But now you'll see how smoother it is. Grinding is not necessary, the challenge is more accessible, everything is faster, they filled Tartarus with new little details to make things a less sluggish, new small features to do while dungeon crawling, and even Shuffle Time is better.
ALSO, YOU CAN CONTROL ALL PARTY MEMBERS!!!!
And it's not just the meat of the gameplay that improved. The story got a small shine as well. The new translation sounds much better, writing flows well, there are new events with party members you couldn't interact much in the original, classic social links are all there and, plenty new stuff to do that helps the pacing and character motivation/backstory. They didn't change much, but improved upon it. I loved that characters like Aragaki, Chidori and even Aragaki gained a more screentime now. Made me appreciate the cast and story even more.
There are little things that FES did better, and some old flaws remain, but nothing terrible.
The tone, for example. Sure, the new artstyle is great, but the original feels much more moody and creepy. Even the anime scenes were more experimental then. It also took a bit of that mid-2000s feeling. Voice actors changed too. While they did a fantastic job, I still prefer how weird they most of them sounded back then. The music still sounds phenomenal, specially the new songs, like the new combat one, but some of the mixing in the original was better. It sounds cleaner now, which helps a few songs, like the school themes, but kinda takes the shine out of others, like the dorm theme.
And Tartarus is still... well, it still sucks. Much better now, for sure, since combat and traversing was improved. No more "fatigue", for example. But, like the original, just hurts the game's pacing. Even with everything new. But you'll get through that, for sure.
You'll get through because this game is fantastic! Feels like visiting old friends, but they all look better now. And if this is your first time here, well, lucky you! You'll get to experience my second favorite Persona game in its best shape.
Now they just HAVE to remake Persona 4...
For a free Silent Hill game featuring Akira Yamaoka's music, this isn't that bad. But if you really look at it, it kinda is, right?
A Short Message reminds me of that RE7 demo, which is great, but it didn't impact me as much.
Visuals look nice and the atmosphere is eery. The new monster that chases you helps in that regard, since its design is pretty unique. The pacing flows well, keeping you going through this very short experience. I like the delicate theme they've chosen to talk about, the location you're trapped at, and even its lore. The story is ok, I guess, but the soundtrack is what steals the show. As usual.
What's sad is that this experience feels a little empty. Voice acting sucks and it's not convincing at all. The story is fine, but I couldn't care much about the characters. Writing is to blame here, because it's too on the nose. The ending was good, but a bit obvious. One other thing that really bothered me was the chase sequences. The first one is intense, but all the other ones are very messy. ESPECIALLY THAT LAST ONE!
I also missed a bit more of... well, of Silent Hill, actually. RE7 comes to mind again. It's a quite differente from previous ones, but it does give you a Resident Evil experience. A Short Message slightly mentions SH, delivering a glimmer of its tone, thanks to the monster, art direction and the music.
I thought this was going to be a cool introduction to what was coming for the franchise, but it didn't really get me excited. But, hey... it's still free!
A Short Message reminds me of that RE7 demo, which is great, but it didn't impact me as much.
Visuals look nice and the atmosphere is eery. The new monster that chases you helps in that regard, since its design is pretty unique. The pacing flows well, keeping you going through this very short experience. I like the delicate theme they've chosen to talk about, the location you're trapped at, and even its lore. The story is ok, I guess, but the soundtrack is what steals the show. As usual.
What's sad is that this experience feels a little empty. Voice acting sucks and it's not convincing at all. The story is fine, but I couldn't care much about the characters. Writing is to blame here, because it's too on the nose. The ending was good, but a bit obvious. One other thing that really bothered me was the chase sequences. The first one is intense, but all the other ones are very messy. ESPECIALLY THAT LAST ONE!
I also missed a bit more of... well, of Silent Hill, actually. RE7 comes to mind again. It's a quite differente from previous ones, but it does give you a Resident Evil experience. A Short Message slightly mentions SH, delivering a glimmer of its tone, thanks to the monster, art direction and the music.
I thought this was going to be a cool introduction to what was coming for the franchise, but it didn't really get me excited. But, hey... it's still free!