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I played this for a while a few years back when I was feeling miserable and wanting some nostalgia. It definitely falls into the camp of 'this is what the original looked like in your head'. You go back to the original game boy games and realise how simplistic they were. I enjoyed playing it and it's a nicely done face lift to the original.
2008
Builds really well off the first game. A much bigger scope, with the bombast and scale of a Halo game. Huge sieges, multiple vehicle sections and wild chases. There's a wry sense of humour to some of the bigger bosses, new enemies and mechanics. The action feels a little less intimate, but more thrilling and fast paced than the first game. None of the spectacle overwhelms the game or makes it too unserious though. There's still a sense of the cost of war, and the end ties all this together well.
This review contains spoilers
One of my favourite games as a child. I put hours into this, beating both regions and levelling up my team. I never caught 'em all, but I caught a fair amount of them, including the legendary pokemon. I remember the dogs being a pain in the ass.
Pokemon is a great series for kids. It gives you just enough to explore, to learn the pokemon and their strengths and weaknesses. There's a bit of strategy with how you use them and teach them moves. But it's not so complex that it's confusing, it keeps you moving forward and interested.
I loved the new region, how the game looked, and the reveal of the original games map at the end was a genuinely shocking and delightful moment for me as a kid. While it isn't an entire new game at the end, it certainly felt like it, and I had no idea to expect this.
After this I kind of dropped off of Pokemon, and I can't imagine going back. It gave me everything I wanted from it, so I'll always remember it fondly as a childhood gaming adventure.
Pokemon is a great series for kids. It gives you just enough to explore, to learn the pokemon and their strengths and weaknesses. There's a bit of strategy with how you use them and teach them moves. But it's not so complex that it's confusing, it keeps you moving forward and interested.
I loved the new region, how the game looked, and the reveal of the original games map at the end was a genuinely shocking and delightful moment for me as a kid. While it isn't an entire new game at the end, it certainly felt like it, and I had no idea to expect this.
After this I kind of dropped off of Pokemon, and I can't imagine going back. It gave me everything I wanted from it, so I'll always remember it fondly as a childhood gaming adventure.
I put more time into Silver overall, but Yellow was my first Pokemon game, and I got a lot of joy out of it took. I'm not sure if I fully beat this game, as I may have put it down for Silver. My memories of it are hazier and less formed. But I definitely played it for a fair while and enjoyed it.
In truth I probably would've gone for Red or Blue if I hadn't got this as a gift, I prefer Bulbasaur to Pikachu. But it didn't matter, this was still awesome and having Pikachu follow behind you was a nice addition.
In truth I probably would've gone for Red or Blue if I hadn't got this as a gift, I prefer Bulbasaur to Pikachu. But it didn't matter, this was still awesome and having Pikachu follow behind you was a nice addition.
2007
This review contains spoilers
Who doesn't love Portal? Some people I guess. I do though. Simple and easily intuitive puzzles that are just inherently satisfying to pull off. Puzzles aren't just about the feeling of figuring them out, they're about execution too, and teleporting in interesting ways is just intriguing and fun.
The atmosphere is top notch. This pristine lab that slowly reveals its dingier, scarier bureaucratic nature. Top stuff. Glados is an all timer. Love her dialogue, her vocal effects, even the design of her that you send the missiles at the end. Perfectly paced, funny, a little unnerving. A perfectly executed video game.
The atmosphere is top notch. This pristine lab that slowly reveals its dingier, scarier bureaucratic nature. Top stuff. Glados is an all timer. Love her dialogue, her vocal effects, even the design of her that you send the missiles at the end. Perfectly paced, funny, a little unnerving. A perfectly executed video game.
2011
This review contains spoilers
I can understand why some prefer the original, but for me this is just wonderful. It takes the original to new heights, with a greater variety of puzzles, a larger focus on character, and two genuinely funny warring antagonists.
Comedy is a hard thing to pull off in games, particularly one like this. Glados and Wheatley might be annoying for some, but I find so much of their dialogue funny. It makes the game such a pleasure to go through. The way their characters evolve helps this, it gives them dimension and intrigue, moves them away from being one note joke dispensers.
This game also manages to expand on the original without overstaying its welcome. The paints are a nice addition to the puzzles, and add to the satisfying feeling of the game, as you bounce, zoom and fly around, creating your own paths and chains.
I'd recommend this to anyone, and talking about it just kind of makes me want to play it again...
Comedy is a hard thing to pull off in games, particularly one like this. Glados and Wheatley might be annoying for some, but I find so much of their dialogue funny. It makes the game such a pleasure to go through. The way their characters evolve helps this, it gives them dimension and intrigue, moves them away from being one note joke dispensers.
This game also manages to expand on the original without overstaying its welcome. The paints are a nice addition to the puzzles, and add to the satisfying feeling of the game, as you bounce, zoom and fly around, creating your own paths and chains.
I'd recommend this to anyone, and talking about it just kind of makes me want to play it again...
2005
This review contains spoilers
I played this a few years back, so fairly late. I expect many people came to this game later. I enjoyed a lot of it. I'm a fan of 3D platformers, and this is a fun and charming one, with a nice variety to its mechanics and level ideas.
The concept of exploring peoples brains, seeing their fears and idiosyncracies, is very clever, and there are some nice concepts built around this. My highlights were the Milkman Conspiracy and the board game level. There's also a lot of fun to be had running around the camp. I like a good hub world, and a summer camp is a charming idea for one.
I had fun with the gameplay too. It can be a bit unpolished at times, but its far from unplayable. Its only really the Meat Circus that I found insufferable, and was pleased to finish the game and see that yeah, everyone hates that level! Yes its and older game, but you knew that going in. I'd like to get round to the sequel eventually, see what's changed and what's stayed the same.
The concept of exploring peoples brains, seeing their fears and idiosyncracies, is very clever, and there are some nice concepts built around this. My highlights were the Milkman Conspiracy and the board game level. There's also a lot of fun to be had running around the camp. I like a good hub world, and a summer camp is a charming idea for one.
I had fun with the gameplay too. It can be a bit unpolished at times, but its far from unplayable. Its only really the Meat Circus that I found insufferable, and was pleased to finish the game and see that yeah, everyone hates that level! Yes its and older game, but you knew that going in. I'd like to get round to the sequel eventually, see what's changed and what's stayed the same.
2011
I loved this when it came out. I was well into Mad Men, and the overlap of style and actors made it fun. I loved the focus on the setting and noir narrative, of solving cases rather than typical combat loops (yes, there is combat in this game, but its not the main focus).
The music is excellent, and the story fun to unfold. The detective system is a bit hit and miss. Perhaps I'd do better now, but I often struggled to intuit what the right answer was. It's an uneven game, but I love seeing a triple A game that exists mostly outside of the typical settings and gameplay structures.
The music is excellent, and the story fun to unfold. The detective system is a bit hit and miss. Perhaps I'd do better now, but I often struggled to intuit what the right answer was. It's an uneven game, but I love seeing a triple A game that exists mostly outside of the typical settings and gameplay structures.
This review contains spoilers
This game went from being of the most frustrating, to one of the most satisfying I've ever played. The combat is simple to understand but very hard to master. It's fast, increasingly demanding, and very unforgiving. Hesitate and you lose.
Enemies take practice and repetition, and an understanding of how to break and manage posture, how to read enemies and react in a split second. Genichiro was a brick wall for me. He was so fast, his moveset so varied, I felt like I'd never get past him. Up to that point I'd been able to squeak my way through, bait out particular moves, chip away. Not with him.
Once you start to break an enemies moveset down, it changes. Suddenly the combat is exciting. Deaths don't matter, they're part of it. Genichiro was tough, but getting through it so I could fight Owl and Isshin made it worth it. Those last boss fights were just amazing, and I fell in love with Sekiro's combat system.
This is beautifully reflected in the story too, which is about overcoming those who would use these powers for selfish again. Isshin becomes a mentor for Sekiro, sharing his desire to not let things stagnate, to allow Kuro and Ashina to live a normal life, one with birth and death. The purification ending is beautiful in the way it ties things up.
Sekiro is an inconsistent game. At times it feels incomplete, and frustating. Some bosses are not the best, some are repeated, and I don't thing the game starts well in terms of familiarising you with the game. At its best though it's unmatched, and it's one of the most satisfying games I've ever played.
Enemies take practice and repetition, and an understanding of how to break and manage posture, how to read enemies and react in a split second. Genichiro was a brick wall for me. He was so fast, his moveset so varied, I felt like I'd never get past him. Up to that point I'd been able to squeak my way through, bait out particular moves, chip away. Not with him.
Once you start to break an enemies moveset down, it changes. Suddenly the combat is exciting. Deaths don't matter, they're part of it. Genichiro was tough, but getting through it so I could fight Owl and Isshin made it worth it. Those last boss fights were just amazing, and I fell in love with Sekiro's combat system.
This is beautifully reflected in the story too, which is about overcoming those who would use these powers for selfish again. Isshin becomes a mentor for Sekiro, sharing his desire to not let things stagnate, to allow Kuro and Ashina to live a normal life, one with birth and death. The purification ending is beautiful in the way it ties things up.
Sekiro is an inconsistent game. At times it feels incomplete, and frustating. Some bosses are not the best, some are repeated, and I don't thing the game starts well in terms of familiarising you with the game. At its best though it's unmatched, and it's one of the most satisfying games I've ever played.
Eat asphalt, asphalt eaters. A fun little game that manages to marry the Simpsons with GTA in a way that works surprisingly well. Just good cartoony fun that puts a smile on your face. Counterfeit designer jeans, the foulest of all crimes...
2016
Loved it. It has aged a bit with the random battles and primitive graphics, but the in game modifiers help with some of that. The ATB battling can be quite fun, but the grinding out weapon abilities is a bit tedious.
The world itself is also fairly nicely drawn, despite its limitations. Having a proper world map, going back and forth between places gives everywhere a sense of place. I do find the endless toggling and switching of items and levelling gameplay a bit tedious at times, and often find myself going to a walkthrough to see what I need for the next battle. But it's no big hindrance, and there are some fun battles in there.
It's a fun fantasy story with a great cast of characters. It balances its sense of humour very well with the more serious elements, which generally work very well. I found myself caring for each of them, and also at how well each character managed to imprint their own personality and journey onto the overall narrative. Overall a very satisfying story.
The world itself is also fairly nicely drawn, despite its limitations. Having a proper world map, going back and forth between places gives everywhere a sense of place. I do find the endless toggling and switching of items and levelling gameplay a bit tedious at times, and often find myself going to a walkthrough to see what I need for the next battle. But it's no big hindrance, and there are some fun battles in there.
It's a fun fantasy story with a great cast of characters. It balances its sense of humour very well with the more serious elements, which generally work very well. I found myself caring for each of them, and also at how well each character managed to imprint their own personality and journey onto the overall narrative. Overall a very satisfying story.
2005
I played basically every FIFA game of the 2000s and a few of the earlier 2010s. I fell of them probably due to just playing them too much, and also because the move to realism started to become less fun for me. I don't want to be grinding out one nils and having players miscontrol passes in a video game. Also FIFA is one of the most rage inducing, bullshit filled games I've ever played that I still kind of enjoy.
This one was the one I ended up having the most fun with. Great soundtrack full of mid 00s brit rock (Bloc Party anyone?), and a good manager mode. I remember playing the game with my brother and a friend, creating our own players and passing the controller around as we played through seasons.
This one was the one I ended up having the most fun with. Great soundtrack full of mid 00s brit rock (Bloc Party anyone?), and a good manager mode. I remember playing the game with my brother and a friend, creating our own players and passing the controller around as we played through seasons.
A really fantastic adaptation. South Park as a turn based, 2D RPG is peanut butter and jelly, a marriage made in heaven that you just wouldn't expect to be so. It's so funny and charming to be a character in this world, full of fun and silly interactions and a nice little map to explore.
The turn based combat is pretty simplistic but works well enough. Its enhanced by the silliness of South Park, which is at turns wickedly funny and clever, at others gross and dumb, and often both. I won't spoil it but there is one moment in this game that is so charming and surprising its worth the price of admission alone.
If you hate South Park this isn't going to change your mind, but if you're even on the fence, I'd give it a go. It just works in a way that's worth experiencing for yourself.
The turn based combat is pretty simplistic but works well enough. Its enhanced by the silliness of South Park, which is at turns wickedly funny and clever, at others gross and dumb, and often both. I won't spoil it but there is one moment in this game that is so charming and surprising its worth the price of admission alone.
If you hate South Park this isn't going to change your mind, but if you're even on the fence, I'd give it a go. It just works in a way that's worth experiencing for yourself.