jermbalaya
2010
Was going down memory lane and wound up stumbling upon this again. I hadn't played this since I was like 14 or 15, so I thought I'd pick it up for the fuck of it.
This game is very middle-of-the-road. There's nothing very spectacular about it, but that's perfectly fine. Not every game needs to be a masterpiece. That's what makes things like this more fun. I think the game knows it's just okay and it doesn't try to overstay its welcome. It's a very short single-player experience (around 5-6 hours) that tries to piggyback off of the "retrofuturism" trend of the 7th-gen console days with the likes of BioShock, Fallout and Metro. And you can definitely feel the influences of each of those games. What sets this apart though is the whole concept of the TMD. It's a little Half-Life-y in how it works, but I think it does enough to make for some interesting combat encounters. Enemy variation was fine. I don't think any of them really push you to utilize the TMD mechanics as much as you can tell the developers probably wanted you to, but they're fine nonetheless. There's a lot of ideas here that are pretty half-baked, but you can tell they actually TRIED to make something somewhat unique. I respect that. Like the Seeker, the Dethex, the whole shifting from present to past, which I'm sure inspired that one TF2 mission. The makings of a good game are there, just never fully realized. Really, the weakest aspect of this game outside of a few QoL elements (no subtitles or controller support? c'mon) lies in its narrative. You have no real stake in the story. They try to build it up around you like you're integral to everything, but it just doesn't quite hit the mark. It tries to pull a little BioShock/Fallout morality based thing near the end, but again, there are no emotional stakes. The story doesn't really lend itself enough for you to even care about the world and its inhabitants like that to point where a multiple choice desicion should be made. I've spent this entire game trying to stop the bad guy, but for some I'd reason team up with him in the end lmao? Not to mention, some of the time travelling logic doesn't really make a whole lot of sense, but that's neither here nor there. Overall, despite my gripes, I had fun with it. I tend to enjoy "mid" games, so this scratched an itch.
This game is very middle-of-the-road. There's nothing very spectacular about it, but that's perfectly fine. Not every game needs to be a masterpiece. That's what makes things like this more fun. I think the game knows it's just okay and it doesn't try to overstay its welcome. It's a very short single-player experience (around 5-6 hours) that tries to piggyback off of the "retrofuturism" trend of the 7th-gen console days with the likes of BioShock, Fallout and Metro. And you can definitely feel the influences of each of those games. What sets this apart though is the whole concept of the TMD. It's a little Half-Life-y in how it works, but I think it does enough to make for some interesting combat encounters. Enemy variation was fine. I don't think any of them really push you to utilize the TMD mechanics as much as you can tell the developers probably wanted you to, but they're fine nonetheless. There's a lot of ideas here that are pretty half-baked, but you can tell they actually TRIED to make something somewhat unique. I respect that. Like the Seeker, the Dethex, the whole shifting from present to past, which I'm sure inspired that one TF2 mission. The makings of a good game are there, just never fully realized. Really, the weakest aspect of this game outside of a few QoL elements (no subtitles or controller support? c'mon) lies in its narrative. You have no real stake in the story. They try to build it up around you like you're integral to everything, but it just doesn't quite hit the mark. It tries to pull a little BioShock/Fallout morality based thing near the end, but again, there are no emotional stakes. The story doesn't really lend itself enough for you to even care about the world and its inhabitants like that to point where a multiple choice desicion should be made. I've spent this entire game trying to stop the bad guy, but for some I'd reason team up with him in the end lmao? Not to mention, some of the time travelling logic doesn't really make a whole lot of sense, but that's neither here nor there. Overall, despite my gripes, I had fun with it. I tend to enjoy "mid" games, so this scratched an itch.
Star Warskiro: Jedi Die Twice was an experience for sure.
As someone who isn't really tapped in to the Star Wars lore like that, I found myself really pleased with how this game stood on its own two feet without relying too much on fan service. The combat felt tight and responsive. Enemy variety was nice. The narrative was pretty predictable but fulfilling, didn't overstay its welcome at all. My only issue was traversal being very hit-or-miss for me. A few slip-n-slides and wall running here and there would've been fine, but the game really shoves these down your throat as a way to spice things up as a half-baked platformer (especially in the later half of the game) but the responsiveness just wasn't all the way there for my playthrough. I swear I died from somehow not catching a wall run or BD not catching a zipline more than I died from actual combat. Decent game though. Wanna see how the sequel improves on things.
As someone who isn't really tapped in to the Star Wars lore like that, I found myself really pleased with how this game stood on its own two feet without relying too much on fan service. The combat felt tight and responsive. Enemy variety was nice. The narrative was pretty predictable but fulfilling, didn't overstay its welcome at all. My only issue was traversal being very hit-or-miss for me. A few slip-n-slides and wall running here and there would've been fine, but the game really shoves these down your throat as a way to spice things up as a half-baked platformer (especially in the later half of the game) but the responsiveness just wasn't all the way there for my playthrough. I swear I died from somehow not catching a wall run or BD not catching a zipline more than I died from actual combat. Decent game though. Wanna see how the sequel improves on things.
2007
A little late to the party, but wow what a short and sweet experience. Thoroughly enjoyed some of the puzzles and the little narrative taking a turn from wacky puzzle game into damn-near survival horror. Remarkable stuff.
After letting everything sink in and die down, I realized that, while it is fantastic, this game didn't really do as much as I thought it would to push the envelope which isn't entirely a bad thing. This game has a LOT of spectacle that I enjoyed. Kraven is easily one of my favorite video game villains now. Traversal looks and feels so much better with Web Wings. I think the tweaks to combat mechanics were nice with the inclusion of abilities and quick-button gadgets, but I do find that combos feel weirder to string together now especially if the enemy just happens to be off-screen a bit. The main story is just chef's kiss. Props to Yuri "In My Bag" Lowenthal. Outside of the main story and a side mission here and there though, there's not a lot to enjoy. The endgame feels a little empty. And by God, I need Insomniac to stop trying to make Mary Jane missions happen. I'll admit her segments are an improvement gameplay-wise over SM1, but it's honestly kinda hard to suspend my disbelief when she's taking out highly-trained hunters that give even the Spider-Men some trouble. I get they're trying to keep her up with Peter and Miles, but they can easily do that by simply writing her well enough. Finally, there's that Miles suit. Insomniac will pay for that.
Overall, amazing game. Can't wait for any DLC they decide to drop.
Overall, amazing game. Can't wait for any DLC they decide to drop.
Binged this to prepare for SM2 and since I also never actually dove into the DLC before. What a story. The narrative is really the bread and butter of this whole thing. Still never got why everyone was so underwhelmed by the whole Doc Ock reveal. I thought that build up was fantastic, even though the final fight left a bit to be desired. Everything else was cool. Fighting felt fluid but tight. Web-swinging was cool. Easter eggs were fun. The only things dragging this down were the repetition of things to do in the city (really just the crimes) and the slogfest that were the Miles/MJ missions. Funnily enough, I didn’t really mind them my first playthrough but for some reason I dreaded them this time. They really serve no real purpose to the overall story outside of maybe one mission. Hyped to see how this sequel improves on things.
2016
Slowly takes nostalgia goggles off
I honestly loved BioShock in my youth. It was the first game I played on PS3 and redefined my idea of what video games can be as a storytelling device. With that being said, playing this as an adult was very different. The first two acts are nothing short of greatness. Immersing myself in the city of Rapture, taking in its aesthetic, learning about the culture that led to its eventual demise, enjoying its narrative up until one of the best plot twists and monologues in gaming. Absolute brilliance. From that point forward, it's kind of just a slow descent into mediocrity, capping it off with a lackluster final boss that feels out of place and leaves a lot to be desired. Still love it though.
P.S.: Rescue > Harvest.
I honestly loved BioShock in my youth. It was the first game I played on PS3 and redefined my idea of what video games can be as a storytelling device. With that being said, playing this as an adult was very different. The first two acts are nothing short of greatness. Immersing myself in the city of Rapture, taking in its aesthetic, learning about the culture that led to its eventual demise, enjoying its narrative up until one of the best plot twists and monologues in gaming. Absolute brilliance. From that point forward, it's kind of just a slow descent into mediocrity, capping it off with a lackluster final boss that feels out of place and leaves a lot to be desired. Still love it though.
P.S.: Rescue > Harvest.
2019
I imagine the pitch for this game was just "Bro, what if there was this ninja that could, like... slow down time?" The rest was history.
Very compact, solid and fun experience. Simple, yet effective story complimented by amazing visuals, an even better soundtrack and an interesting gameplay loop that requires a bit of strategy. I'm always a sucker for quality cyberpunk-ish media, so this just scratched that itch for me. A cheesy '80's sci-fi movie in the form of a 16-bit game.
Very compact, solid and fun experience. Simple, yet effective story complimented by amazing visuals, an even better soundtrack and an interesting gameplay loop that requires a bit of strategy. I'm always a sucker for quality cyberpunk-ish media, so this just scratched that itch for me. A cheesy '80's sci-fi movie in the form of a 16-bit game.