ilmutus
2024
DRAGON'S DOGMA was one of the most interesting RPGs ever made. a bold game that tested many experimental mechanics and carved a tiny niche for itself.
it was also very clearly unfinished. messy in many different regards and with a degree of friction that turned off many players. it was a canonical 7/10 videogame.
but now... with a decade+ of experience under his belt, HIDEAKI ITSUNO returns to the directing throne. for DRAGON'S DOGMA II. also known as: DRAG-DOG 2.
with this new game, itsuno and CAPCOM tinker with and enhance many of the eld dragdog mechanics. leading to a game that masterpiecishly coalesces into a powerful work of digital artistry.
managing the impossible... turning a 7/10 game into an 8/10 game... which is, secretly at its core, a 10/10 game.
it was also very clearly unfinished. messy in many different regards and with a degree of friction that turned off many players. it was a canonical 7/10 videogame.
but now... with a decade+ of experience under his belt, HIDEAKI ITSUNO returns to the directing throne. for DRAGON'S DOGMA II. also known as: DRAG-DOG 2.
with this new game, itsuno and CAPCOM tinker with and enhance many of the eld dragdog mechanics. leading to a game that masterpiecishly coalesces into a powerful work of digital artistry.
managing the impossible... turning a 7/10 game into an 8/10 game... which is, secretly at its core, a 10/10 game.
2009
one of the most unique games ever made.
DEMON'S SOULS is the crystalized essence of a memory you can't quite place. a game produced during a strange era for even stranger reasons. pretty much sent out to die... yet, somehow, remaining.
it's an... odd duck. with the glossiest PS360 era visuals this side of E3 2005, the "gameplay balance" of the tower of pisa, and NPCs named shit like "SAGE FREKE". it's no wonder DEMON'S SOULS did not leave the meteoric impact that its main "competitor" OBLIVION did.
this was, after all, an era where being a mid-budget genre game from a japanese developer was pretty much a death sentence. nevertheless, the seeds planted by the first Souls game went on to completely revolutionize large parts of modern gaming.
a lot of players might be dismissive of this game, given its age. but i think there's something beautiful about its rough edges. the themes and ideas are palpably raw. it harkens to a time where HD game development was still giving a lot of developers, especially those overseas, big trouble.
the game wears its influences on its sleeve and executes on them with such conviction that you can easily overlook all the places where it kinda falls short. it does many interesting things. some of which are still unique to it.
sure, not all of those ideas add to the game, but those that do are unmistakeably excellent. the way it blends traditional FromSoftware elements with new, experimental mechanics, still feels fresh and inspired.
many scholars and game scientists refer to DEMON'S SOULS as the "best" ARMORED CORE game.
DEMON'S SOULS is the crystalized essence of a memory you can't quite place. a game produced during a strange era for even stranger reasons. pretty much sent out to die... yet, somehow, remaining.
it's an... odd duck. with the glossiest PS360 era visuals this side of E3 2005, the "gameplay balance" of the tower of pisa, and NPCs named shit like "SAGE FREKE". it's no wonder DEMON'S SOULS did not leave the meteoric impact that its main "competitor" OBLIVION did.
this was, after all, an era where being a mid-budget genre game from a japanese developer was pretty much a death sentence. nevertheless, the seeds planted by the first Souls game went on to completely revolutionize large parts of modern gaming.
a lot of players might be dismissive of this game, given its age. but i think there's something beautiful about its rough edges. the themes and ideas are palpably raw. it harkens to a time where HD game development was still giving a lot of developers, especially those overseas, big trouble.
the game wears its influences on its sleeve and executes on them with such conviction that you can easily overlook all the places where it kinda falls short. it does many interesting things. some of which are still unique to it.
sure, not all of those ideas add to the game, but those that do are unmistakeably excellent. the way it blends traditional FromSoftware elements with new, experimental mechanics, still feels fresh and inspired.
many scholars and game scientists refer to DEMON'S SOULS as the "best" ARMORED CORE game.
1997
a wild experiment for the--then nascent--FromSoftware. ARMORED CORE proves to be a rock solid foundation for its genre and a game that still stands on its own as a worthwile experience.
one of the rare examples of a game that actually benefits from the artifacts of its age. the slow methodical controls and the delibarate combat mechanics kinda providing a simulacrum of "real" mech piloting.
this, combined with the game's carefully designed missions, create an addictive and rewarding gameplay loop. said loop rewards player progression and mastery of the movement mechanics with increasing levels of freedom.
ARMORED CORE has a pretty perfect amount of mechanical complexity. the customization is at a level of being rich enough to entice you with upgrades and build possibilities, while being agile enough to keep the game generally... arcadey.
the aforementioned missions do a fantastic job of touring you through the game's depths. they're often more creative and atmospheric than you would think for a "game about giant robots". it uses whatever little dropplets of storytelling it can leverage to build one hell of a strong tone.
some of the later missions create genuinely intense "plot twists" and set pieces that you will remember for a long time. this hand-crafted designed coupled with a very considerate difficulty curve make loving ARMORED CORE completely effortless.
one of the rare examples of a game that actually benefits from the artifacts of its age. the slow methodical controls and the delibarate combat mechanics kinda providing a simulacrum of "real" mech piloting.
this, combined with the game's carefully designed missions, create an addictive and rewarding gameplay loop. said loop rewards player progression and mastery of the movement mechanics with increasing levels of freedom.
ARMORED CORE has a pretty perfect amount of mechanical complexity. the customization is at a level of being rich enough to entice you with upgrades and build possibilities, while being agile enough to keep the game generally... arcadey.
the aforementioned missions do a fantastic job of touring you through the game's depths. they're often more creative and atmospheric than you would think for a "game about giant robots". it uses whatever little dropplets of storytelling it can leverage to build one hell of a strong tone.
some of the later missions create genuinely intense "plot twists" and set pieces that you will remember for a long time. this hand-crafted designed coupled with a very considerate difficulty curve make loving ARMORED CORE completely effortless.
2011
a legendary greatsword with a broken tip. with the spark of its steel echoing through time, DARK SOULS is... the rosetta stone of modern gaming.
it's also goofy as hell and kind of terrible??? what the hell??? 4.5 stars. get it at your nearest ELECTRONICS BOUTIQUE.
it's also goofy as hell and kind of terrible??? what the hell??? 4.5 stars. get it at your nearest ELECTRONICS BOUTIQUE.
while in a lot of ways a jury-rigged mess of a game, DARK SOULS 2 remains one of the most brilliant action RPGs ever made.
after surviving a truly hellish dev cycle, the game's designers managed to bootstrap DS2 into the most fun version of itself. it's vast and colorful, with a world that opens up very early on and always encourages player expression.
with game feel that's noticeably less "tuned" than either DS1 or DS3, and the occasional grey swamp, DARK SOULS 2 ain't always a looker. but if you move past those moments, you're bound to get really hooked.
the game's DLC trilogy, which is bundled with the scholar version, greatly expands on a lot of the base game's ideas. the crowns present you with a lot of deeply interesting level design that feels joyful and creative. while some of the later sections can be very frustrating, they're always memorable... with the possible exception of the sanctum city DLC which can be very dull, mainly on the visuals.
if you are one of the folks that did not enjoy DARK SOULS 2. may i suggest you check out its sequel, ELDEN RING?
after surviving a truly hellish dev cycle, the game's designers managed to bootstrap DS2 into the most fun version of itself. it's vast and colorful, with a world that opens up very early on and always encourages player expression.
with game feel that's noticeably less "tuned" than either DS1 or DS3, and the occasional grey swamp, DARK SOULS 2 ain't always a looker. but if you move past those moments, you're bound to get really hooked.
the game's DLC trilogy, which is bundled with the scholar version, greatly expands on a lot of the base game's ideas. the crowns present you with a lot of deeply interesting level design that feels joyful and creative. while some of the later sections can be very frustrating, they're always memorable... with the possible exception of the sanctum city DLC which can be very dull, mainly on the visuals.
if you are one of the folks that did not enjoy DARK SOULS 2. may i suggest you check out its sequel, ELDEN RING?
2016
a mass of ideas that are clearly from the cutting room floor of older projects. DARK SOULS 3 surprises us by waving its arms and thrashing about despite being little more than a re-animated carcass.
not unlike the game's undead- uh- unkindled. DS3 lives... somehow. despite being one of the most painfully linear souls games, it's still a rollercoaster of, mostly fun, fights and setpieces. don't look it in the mouth though, the paint's chipping.
while the game does leave a strong first impression on a casual first smokage. a lot of this is due to how trim the actual world is. acting like the aforementioned park ride rather than a fleshed out successor to DARK SOULS.
the game was made FAST, and we know this. you can really feel the development deadline approaching as you play it, like the ghost of level designers past.
having said that, it's still a super fun action RPG with creepy creatures and freaks aplenty. but it's the third game in a trilogy. carrying with it a lot of the implied baggage.
and, look, DARK SOULS 3 ain't lookin to write new names. it ain't lookin to paint you a new picture. in fact, it took the old picture and twisted it a bit and drew on it with pastels. but... the end result actually looks Not Too Bad.
not unlike the game's undead- uh- unkindled. DS3 lives... somehow. despite being one of the most painfully linear souls games, it's still a rollercoaster of, mostly fun, fights and setpieces. don't look it in the mouth though, the paint's chipping.
while the game does leave a strong first impression on a casual first smokage. a lot of this is due to how trim the actual world is. acting like the aforementioned park ride rather than a fleshed out successor to DARK SOULS.
the game was made FAST, and we know this. you can really feel the development deadline approaching as you play it, like the ghost of level designers past.
having said that, it's still a super fun action RPG with creepy creatures and freaks aplenty. but it's the third game in a trilogy. carrying with it a lot of the implied baggage.
and, look, DARK SOULS 3 ain't lookin to write new names. it ain't lookin to paint you a new picture. in fact, it took the old picture and twisted it a bit and drew on it with pastels. but... the end result actually looks Not Too Bad.