kumasbear
2023
totally fine for a mobile game but god, at this point i'm so done with games that require you to just watch ads every 2 minutes. my 3rd ad glitched out and couldn't be closed so i couldn't go back to the game and just uninstalled.
2022
This sure is "one of those" and yeah, it's fine. Not offensively bad, does what these games do but doesn't do any of it in a particularly interesting or banner way. Played 2 and a half hours of it and think I'm done. Thought I could play the bullethell-arena-roguelike genre or whatever the hell you want to call it forever but this squashed that thought. Best thing I can say about it is that I really liked the music. I don't think it fits the vibe of the game but it did make me very nostalgic for gameboy music in a way that most other chiptune stuff doesn't.
2023
Live game so obviously thoughts will fluctuate depending on the season, but this is purely for the campaign experience.
Loved this way more than I did Witch Queen. Played the entire thing solo legendary and thought it was just the right amount of difficulty. Things hit hard, and enemies could take a beating but without feeling bullet spongey like I thought they were in WQ. Neomuna is easily my favorite location they've introduced. Headlong is a top 5 FPS mission of all time. The final fight was a real bastard and I still felt like it had too much health, but not nearly as bad as the Savathun fight.
Strand is easily the best thing they've added in the games lifecycle. It might wind up being a blight on PVP but I do not care about Crucible, y'all gotta hold that. In PVE it's the first subclass to pull me away from using Well. Super excited to use it in content from the rest of the game.
Loved this way more than I did Witch Queen. Played the entire thing solo legendary and thought it was just the right amount of difficulty. Things hit hard, and enemies could take a beating but without feeling bullet spongey like I thought they were in WQ. Neomuna is easily my favorite location they've introduced. Headlong is a top 5 FPS mission of all time. The final fight was a real bastard and I still felt like it had too much health, but not nearly as bad as the Savathun fight.
Strand is easily the best thing they've added in the games lifecycle. It might wind up being a blight on PVP but I do not care about Crucible, y'all gotta hold that. In PVE it's the first subclass to pull me away from using Well. Super excited to use it in content from the rest of the game.
2023
One of the most visually compelling game I have ever or honestly will ever play. Insane that this game looks as good as it does. I can't believe it sometimes. The game sounds equally as unbelievable, just the most chaotic mess of samples and MIDI and wacky ass cartoon sound effects. It's a nightmare and I love it.
Almost every stage's gimmick was fun but there were a handful that didn't hit for me. The movement is maybe a little looser that I would've liked. It took a bit longer to dial in than I would've preferred but by the end I was feeling pretty good about navigating stages. Will probably go back to try to get some P ranks.
The boss stages are garbage. I know it's an homage to Wario Land but I hated the bosses in that game too. I like the combination of platforming and combat and how you can incorporate your combat abilities during normal stages to keep a combo and go faster, but when you strip away the platforming and it's JUST combat I really just don't think it lands for me like they wanted it to.
Still love this game though. It will probably flip between a 4 and a 5 for me. Not a game I'll forget about and definitely think it deserves to be played.
Almost every stage's gimmick was fun but there were a handful that didn't hit for me. The movement is maybe a little looser that I would've liked. It took a bit longer to dial in than I would've preferred but by the end I was feeling pretty good about navigating stages. Will probably go back to try to get some P ranks.
The boss stages are garbage. I know it's an homage to Wario Land but I hated the bosses in that game too. I like the combination of platforming and combat and how you can incorporate your combat abilities during normal stages to keep a combo and go faster, but when you strip away the platforming and it's JUST combat I really just don't think it lands for me like they wanted it to.
Still love this game though. It will probably flip between a 4 and a 5 for me. Not a game I'll forget about and definitely think it deserves to be played.
This game is too good for how little I heard people talk about it. This game feels like a weird mid-PS2 release that became a cult classic.
I had no idea the farming was as in-depth as it is. I fully expected it to be Harvest Moon like, just hoeing 3x3 fields, planting seeds, watering each day. I had no idea you had to manually till, plant, and water the fields with such intensity and attentiveness. Each harvest had me excited to try what I'd learned in the scrolls I'd acquired that year to make the next harvest even better. The power surge you got after harvesting felt so good, every single time.
The combat doesn't need to be as good as it is. I don't know who decided to put DMC combat in their farming game but what a choice. Hitting huge combos feels good. Slicing through 20 enemies at a time is so fun. The varied amount of platforming and combat challenges offers so much to do so you never feel like you're just waiting around to harvest rice. They continue to unlock new mechanics and bonus missions to the end of the game and offers a hearty amount of post game as well. The music is super catchy and it looks pretty to boot. The PC port was surprisingly really good too.
It's not perfect. There were definitely some segments that had me really frustrated and angry. Mechanics not melding together well, bad level layout, poor mission objectives, the mid-game volcano event. But I'm still giving it 5 stars because it was rough around the edges in the perfect way. It truly feels like a forgotten PS2 title in all the right ways, even in being bad. More people should try this game out. It's something special.
I had no idea the farming was as in-depth as it is. I fully expected it to be Harvest Moon like, just hoeing 3x3 fields, planting seeds, watering each day. I had no idea you had to manually till, plant, and water the fields with such intensity and attentiveness. Each harvest had me excited to try what I'd learned in the scrolls I'd acquired that year to make the next harvest even better. The power surge you got after harvesting felt so good, every single time.
The combat doesn't need to be as good as it is. I don't know who decided to put DMC combat in their farming game but what a choice. Hitting huge combos feels good. Slicing through 20 enemies at a time is so fun. The varied amount of platforming and combat challenges offers so much to do so you never feel like you're just waiting around to harvest rice. They continue to unlock new mechanics and bonus missions to the end of the game and offers a hearty amount of post game as well. The music is super catchy and it looks pretty to boot. The PC port was surprisingly really good too.
It's not perfect. There were definitely some segments that had me really frustrated and angry. Mechanics not melding together well, bad level layout, poor mission objectives, the mid-game volcano event. But I'm still giving it 5 stars because it was rough around the edges in the perfect way. It truly feels like a forgotten PS2 title in all the right ways, even in being bad. More people should try this game out. It's something special.
2020
this is 4 star fun wrapped in a 2 star UI. some of the worst menus i've ever seen, navigating to the actual game is a nightmare. once you're in, though, it's a blast.
2019
Fantastic game about early internet subculture and how much lives can change through tight-knit online communities. The websites and posts were incredibly authentic and nostalgic. Huge fan of the music as well, it was catchy, memorable, weird, varied.
This was the 3rd time starting this game though, because at a point the gameplay loop gets... tedious? It's hard to describe, I don't think the game is HARD necessarily, just, not enough changes for the amount of backtracking and scouring you have to do. There's a lot of pages in the game, a lot of secrets and tricks, and it becomes hard to parse what actually matters or not. The puzzle hints are vague, which is fine, but it often felt like they were leading me down paths that didn't actually exist.
Still, I liked the narrative enough to keep at it and I liked how the game made me feel. Really didn't expect this game to get me so misty-eyed when so much of it is dripping in irony and comedy, but they do a fantastic job setting up a world and setting up these characters. They all feel so real to someone who grew up with these kind of online experiences and it really got at my heartstrings at times. Looking forward to the next titles in this world.
This was the 3rd time starting this game though, because at a point the gameplay loop gets... tedious? It's hard to describe, I don't think the game is HARD necessarily, just, not enough changes for the amount of backtracking and scouring you have to do. There's a lot of pages in the game, a lot of secrets and tricks, and it becomes hard to parse what actually matters or not. The puzzle hints are vague, which is fine, but it often felt like they were leading me down paths that didn't actually exist.
Still, I liked the narrative enough to keep at it and I liked how the game made me feel. Really didn't expect this game to get me so misty-eyed when so much of it is dripping in irony and comedy, but they do a fantastic job setting up a world and setting up these characters. They all feel so real to someone who grew up with these kind of online experiences and it really got at my heartstrings at times. Looking forward to the next titles in this world.
Pocket Card Jockey is such an addicting, fresh take on solitaire. I love this one as much as I did the original. Ideally it would be on PC, but it does make a good phone game.
Still, I'd rather buy it outright for $20 than have to stay subbed to Apple Arcade. If it comes to other platforms after some time, it's 5 stars. But I have to dock it until that happens.
Still, I'd rather buy it outright for $20 than have to stay subbed to Apple Arcade. If it comes to other platforms after some time, it's 5 stars. But I have to dock it until that happens.
2022
I don't want to be a hater, but this really wasn't it. I am a Sonic fan, I don't believe in the stupid ""Sonic Cycle"" and I think everyone just parrots their favorite youtuber's opinion instead of playing it for themself.
To start positive, here's what I liked:
1. Cyber Space stages - These were a blast. Weird, remixed versions of old stages reminiscent of Generations. Each one had a section that would immediately make you go "OH IT'S THIS STAGE!!" and it was really fun.
2. (Half of) the Soundtrack - The Cyber Space stage music kicks ass. They're either cheesy classic techno with soulful 90's style vocal lines or modern styles of electronic music, DnB, dubstep, future bass and they're all so catchy and groovy They perfectly capture the high energy, high speed essence of Sonic. The boss themes also excel at matching the vibe of Sonic, though these are more about the attitude. Heavy, chugging guitar riffs with the corniest AIM away message lyrics and screams. It's so good. They fully embraced the cringe and own it.
3. The concept of open world Sonic - Some of the islands really had me down for the idea of open world Sonic traversal. I could see why this is appealing, and as someone who normally hates big open "you can climb those mountains" style games, I was actually kind of loving it. Briefly. Then I played more than an hour.
The more time I spent with the game, the more the issues kept piling up. I can't really even concisely list them because they all sort of bleed into each other. I was just finding myself constantly asking "Why would you make it like this?"
Why am I punished for being Sonic?
Moving around goes from fun and novel to frustrating and annoying very quickly. Hitting a hill or random pebble in the environment too fast causes you to lose complete control of Sonic as you go into trick mode and can't move. You run over a boost pad that you couldn't see because of the draw-in and it sends you in the opposite direction and LOCKS YOU INTO A 2D SECTION THAT YOU CAN'T ESCAPE, forcing you to do a series of platforming that winds up placing you halfway across the map from where you were trying to go.
Why such a strong emphasis on combat?
For some reason there's a skill tree that I maxed out in the 2nd map and for the rest of the game the skill points were completely worthless, so I had no incentive to do extra platforming challenges or explore. The skill tree also contains hardly any movement skills and is essentially combat abilities. I do not care about combat in Sonic. This isn't why I play these games. When I get to a new island and I have to defeat world bosses to play the platforming stages I lose all desire to play the game. Certain enemies completely steal your camera control, even when you're running full speed away from them. Every single time it just caused me to run off a cliff and force me to retrace my steps to get back to where I was.
Why are there stat points?
I understand increasing health and attack. Easy upgrades that you can place in the map to incentivize exploration. And I was fine with these. The speed stat also makes sense, but why can you only increase it one level at a time? With a max level of 99, I was mashing A for a FULL TWENTY MINUTES last night, leveling my speed from 20 to 90. The health and power all upgrade at once, you turn in your heart and seeds once and you get levels for however many you had. Why not do the same for speed? And why even include the max ring stat? You get such a massive speed boost when you're at max rings, so why would I actively choose to carry more than 400? If I can carry 800 rings that just means I have to farm rings for twice as long to get my speed boost back. It's not only pointless, it's actively a DETRIMENT to players to level it up!
Why is there even a story?
I'm not expecting Citizen Kane from a Sonic game, but I had absolutely no clue what was happening at any point in the game. I don't need much. Forces was great, I knew why I was going to the stages I was going to, the writing was corny and funny and perfectly fit a Sonic game. With Frontiers, I felt like there was some sort of media tie-in that I missed, a comic series or youtube series explaining ANYTHING, and the game just expects that you already know it all! Like, they are saying things like "You know what the Koco are" and I'm sitting there going "no the fuck I don't lmao" I was actively watching and paying attention but at a point I broke and just alt tabbed and passively paid attention. I gave up. I don't care. Why am I supposed to feel something for Sage when she said 10 sentences and you don't even learn her name until the last 2 hours.
I don't know. If this was any other developer I would say that the sequel is probably going to kick ass. They could improve on the mountain of grievances I had and make the core concept really shine. But this is Sonic Team. They've been making the same mistakes for decades. I can only hope the next Sonic is back to stage based gameplay and the open-world aspect is dropped. But with the praise and sales this got, I'm not holding my breath.
To start positive, here's what I liked:
1. Cyber Space stages - These were a blast. Weird, remixed versions of old stages reminiscent of Generations. Each one had a section that would immediately make you go "OH IT'S THIS STAGE!!" and it was really fun.
2. (Half of) the Soundtrack - The Cyber Space stage music kicks ass. They're either cheesy classic techno with soulful 90's style vocal lines or modern styles of electronic music, DnB, dubstep, future bass and they're all so catchy and groovy They perfectly capture the high energy, high speed essence of Sonic. The boss themes also excel at matching the vibe of Sonic, though these are more about the attitude. Heavy, chugging guitar riffs with the corniest AIM away message lyrics and screams. It's so good. They fully embraced the cringe and own it.
3. The concept of open world Sonic - Some of the islands really had me down for the idea of open world Sonic traversal. I could see why this is appealing, and as someone who normally hates big open "you can climb those mountains" style games, I was actually kind of loving it. Briefly. Then I played more than an hour.
The more time I spent with the game, the more the issues kept piling up. I can't really even concisely list them because they all sort of bleed into each other. I was just finding myself constantly asking "Why would you make it like this?"
Why am I punished for being Sonic?
Moving around goes from fun and novel to frustrating and annoying very quickly. Hitting a hill or random pebble in the environment too fast causes you to lose complete control of Sonic as you go into trick mode and can't move. You run over a boost pad that you couldn't see because of the draw-in and it sends you in the opposite direction and LOCKS YOU INTO A 2D SECTION THAT YOU CAN'T ESCAPE, forcing you to do a series of platforming that winds up placing you halfway across the map from where you were trying to go.
Why such a strong emphasis on combat?
For some reason there's a skill tree that I maxed out in the 2nd map and for the rest of the game the skill points were completely worthless, so I had no incentive to do extra platforming challenges or explore. The skill tree also contains hardly any movement skills and is essentially combat abilities. I do not care about combat in Sonic. This isn't why I play these games. When I get to a new island and I have to defeat world bosses to play the platforming stages I lose all desire to play the game. Certain enemies completely steal your camera control, even when you're running full speed away from them. Every single time it just caused me to run off a cliff and force me to retrace my steps to get back to where I was.
Why are there stat points?
I understand increasing health and attack. Easy upgrades that you can place in the map to incentivize exploration. And I was fine with these. The speed stat also makes sense, but why can you only increase it one level at a time? With a max level of 99, I was mashing A for a FULL TWENTY MINUTES last night, leveling my speed from 20 to 90. The health and power all upgrade at once, you turn in your heart and seeds once and you get levels for however many you had. Why not do the same for speed? And why even include the max ring stat? You get such a massive speed boost when you're at max rings, so why would I actively choose to carry more than 400? If I can carry 800 rings that just means I have to farm rings for twice as long to get my speed boost back. It's not only pointless, it's actively a DETRIMENT to players to level it up!
Why is there even a story?
I'm not expecting Citizen Kane from a Sonic game, but I had absolutely no clue what was happening at any point in the game. I don't need much. Forces was great, I knew why I was going to the stages I was going to, the writing was corny and funny and perfectly fit a Sonic game. With Frontiers, I felt like there was some sort of media tie-in that I missed, a comic series or youtube series explaining ANYTHING, and the game just expects that you already know it all! Like, they are saying things like "You know what the Koco are" and I'm sitting there going "no the fuck I don't lmao" I was actively watching and paying attention but at a point I broke and just alt tabbed and passively paid attention. I gave up. I don't care. Why am I supposed to feel something for Sage when she said 10 sentences and you don't even learn her name until the last 2 hours.
I don't know. If this was any other developer I would say that the sequel is probably going to kick ass. They could improve on the mountain of grievances I had and make the core concept really shine. But this is Sonic Team. They've been making the same mistakes for decades. I can only hope the next Sonic is back to stage based gameplay and the open-world aspect is dropped. But with the praise and sales this got, I'm not holding my breath.
2020
i know it's weird to review an early access game, but holy fuck.
2022
it's gbvs on meth.
pretty solid and somehow looks and sounds better than strive. dunno what the hell that all of the sidegames arcsys is publishing are just better looking than their flagship. how'd that happen?
pretty solid and somehow looks and sounds better than strive. dunno what the hell that all of the sidegames arcsys is publishing are just better looking than their flagship. how'd that happen?
2022
fun sokpop title. i think i liked the execution of this theme more in Simmiland, but it's still hard to put down.
2021
The game honestly feels fake, like it was commissioned by a VFX studio to be used as a plot point in a TV show as a game the protagonist plays to connect with their kid or something and they didn't want to license an actual game. The game is rough, unpolished, and haphazardly pieced together. Mechanics are introduced, used twice, then immediately thrown away. Animations are stilted, movement is weird; the list of grievances goes on and on.
But despite what everyone seems to say, it's not a blight on humanity. I had no bugs or major glitches. I did not hate my time spent here, and I'm going to go for the platinum trophy. I've played WAY worse games than this, hell, most of the games I played this year I think are worse than this. It's creative and has ideas but just struggles on the execution of some of them. It's charming, the CG cutscenes are amazing, the character designs are fun and cute, the music is nothing but bops.
I legitimately had more fun playing this than I did playing Elden Ring, and I say that with complete sincerity.
But despite what everyone seems to say, it's not a blight on humanity. I had no bugs or major glitches. I did not hate my time spent here, and I'm going to go for the platinum trophy. I've played WAY worse games than this, hell, most of the games I played this year I think are worse than this. It's creative and has ideas but just struggles on the execution of some of them. It's charming, the CG cutscenes are amazing, the character designs are fun and cute, the music is nothing but bops.
I legitimately had more fun playing this than I did playing Elden Ring, and I say that with complete sincerity.
2022
the gamplay is so fun. snapping on fools feels so satisfying and i love the bitesize matches. feels good to win and if you lose it wasn't more than 3 minutes of your time and you can just get back in there.
but it's so lame, i'm sorry, marvel is so whack. i hate how the cards look, i hate the themeing on the UI, i hate the music, it's all so cringe and i hate using that word. if this game has been literally any other IP, or even something brand new, i would be obsessed. but marvel ain't the way.
but it's so lame, i'm sorry, marvel is so whack. i hate how the cards look, i hate the themeing on the UI, i hate the music, it's all so cringe and i hate using that word. if this game has been literally any other IP, or even something brand new, i would be obsessed. but marvel ain't the way.
playing this right now and someone was playing the audio tracks to an episode of family guy, american dad, and the cleveland show overlaid on top of each other. this is taking me back to the era of pc multiplayer i thought was gone forever. i don't know how long this will be populated, but i will cherish every day i have with it.