mercuralia
2021
Really cute game, that serves as an example of storytelling through the medium of games, instead of storytelling in spite of it being a game.
Really glad it wasn't longer, because individually unpacking each pair of panties for the 4th time without knowing how many more are still left in the box started to get tiring by the end.
Really glad it wasn't longer, because individually unpacking each pair of panties for the 4th time without knowing how many more are still left in the box started to get tiring by the end.
2021
This is a weird one for me. It is the first one turned up to 11. The highs are high - it looks stunning, it sounds great, and when the chase is on or the puzzles are making you think without being frustrating, it is an excellent experience.
Yet the downs are more pronounced than before. The trial and error nature of certain encounters, the much too frequent "fights", the times the controls make your, life more difficult... It's all makes a comeback.
The first two areas are excellent, and then the quality nosedives. The later ones still look incredible, but each encounter seems to become less and less interesting, outside of the first one or two moments where new abilities are used.
Despite its short length, I wouldn't recommend playing this in one or two sittings. The frustration of each repeated fail and new attempt at the same obstacle detracts from the enjoyment and the overall creepy atmosphere. It's less scary than the first one, and it becomes less so over it's running time.
Still an experience worth having.
Yet the downs are more pronounced than before. The trial and error nature of certain encounters, the much too frequent "fights", the times the controls make your, life more difficult... It's all makes a comeback.
The first two areas are excellent, and then the quality nosedives. The later ones still look incredible, but each encounter seems to become less and less interesting, outside of the first one or two moments where new abilities are used.
Despite its short length, I wouldn't recommend playing this in one or two sittings. The frustration of each repeated fail and new attempt at the same obstacle detracts from the enjoyment and the overall creepy atmosphere. It's less scary than the first one, and it becomes less so over it's running time.
Still an experience worth having.
The best of the DLC. Good puzzles, climatic ending, and a good piece of lore tying it all to the main game
You can pet the funko pyramid heads.
Pretty frustrating. The little guys often lose track of you and it's often confusing what and where you're supposed to go next.
Pretty frustrating. The little guys often lose track of you and it's often confusing what and where you're supposed to go next.
Cool new boss. The speed is just perfect to be reasonable while still keeping the tension high
2017
Fun little platformer that managed to be unsettling at a few points. Very well made, gorgeous to look at, and with great audio design to boot. The only downside is that sometimes controls don't feel completely accurate when navigating tight 3D spaces.
It's never-ending. Boring. Repetitive. Soulless.
Probably going against the grain here, but it's the worst of the RPG ACs
Probably going against the grain here, but it's the worst of the RPG ACs
2011
A masterpiece that has since been upstaged.
Controls are a lot clunkier than I remember, with Batman often not attacking the enemy I'm aiming at and just punching the air, and a lot of the stealth sections got boring, specially those which crowded small spaces with enemies with guns.
The story is interesting, the riddles and trophies provide a nice distraction, and the Catwoman gameplay was icing on the cake
Controls are a lot clunkier than I remember, with Batman often not attacking the enemy I'm aiming at and just punching the air, and a lot of the stealth sections got boring, specially those which crowded small spaces with enemies with guns.
The story is interesting, the riddles and trophies provide a nice distraction, and the Catwoman gameplay was icing on the cake
Joker added something missing from the previous one. However, the lack of a conclusion for Batman's relationship with Catwoman is unforgivable.
Saved by the Batman licence, the good acting and the nice visuals.
Gameplay is virtually nonexistent outside of qte's - which are far too frequent - and the story is decent at best. There were also some issues with character reactions not matching your choices.
Gameplay is virtually nonexistent outside of qte's - which are far too frequent - and the story is decent at best. There were also some issues with character reactions not matching your choices.
2016
Decent walking sim. Not sure I loved it as much as I was hoping to.
The decision to make this open-world had its positives; the lively setting in Cordona, packed with crimes to be solved, is a beautiful one to explore (at first), and every location feels that more more connected; yet each case feels less connected, and eventually the pacing suffers from it, as one fast travels to the nearest discovered mark on the map and then run to the actual point of interest. It's a pretty island, but quickly loses its charm.
On a technical level, some "jank" was to be expected. This controls better than the previous entries, but the visual bugs and terrible performance on machine that should have no trouble running a game like this with the least bit of optimisation bring the enjoyment down.
Combat is unnecessary, and not good in the slightest, so the option to skip is a a lifesaver. Chemistry was streamlined, and became boring after a while. The huge number of tracking sections are yet another new source of boredom to the list of mindless activities which harm the overall quality of this game. Disguising was more fun, but not well distributed among all cases: a lot had no use for it, others required you to change your getup every couple of minutes.
The main cases themselves were also a step down. Some of the side quests were clever enough in their setup to be worth doing them all, but not good enough to compensate for the tedious main plot. The writing is often predictable, and inconsistent in its quality. They also made Sherlock oddly misogynistic at times.
What salvages this game are two things.
Firstly, Jon. He is fun, funny, and a good partner to have around. Different from Watson, and not necessarily for the better, but a welcome change of air.
Secondly, Sherry's personal origin story. I liked it; including, perhaps controversially, the ending, which I believed was not only appropriate for the story and character, but provided a justification as to why Sherlock is, well, "Sherlock". It also humanised Mycroft, and made him a far more interesting and strong character.
In short, a must for fans of the series who want to delve into Sherlock's background, but not a good game overall.
On a technical level, some "jank" was to be expected. This controls better than the previous entries, but the visual bugs and terrible performance on machine that should have no trouble running a game like this with the least bit of optimisation bring the enjoyment down.
Combat is unnecessary, and not good in the slightest, so the option to skip is a a lifesaver. Chemistry was streamlined, and became boring after a while. The huge number of tracking sections are yet another new source of boredom to the list of mindless activities which harm the overall quality of this game. Disguising was more fun, but not well distributed among all cases: a lot had no use for it, others required you to change your getup every couple of minutes.
The main cases themselves were also a step down. Some of the side quests were clever enough in their setup to be worth doing them all, but not good enough to compensate for the tedious main plot. The writing is often predictable, and inconsistent in its quality. They also made Sherlock oddly misogynistic at times.
What salvages this game are two things.
Firstly, Jon. He is fun, funny, and a good partner to have around. Different from Watson, and not necessarily for the better, but a welcome change of air.
Secondly, Sherry's personal origin story. I liked it; including, perhaps controversially, the ending, which I believed was not only appropriate for the story and character, but provided a justification as to why Sherlock is, well, "Sherlock". It also humanised Mycroft, and made him a far more interesting and strong character.
In short, a must for fans of the series who want to delve into Sherlock's background, but not a good game overall.
This seems less popular than the previous entry, but I enjoyed it as well. It has a very strong Guy Ritchie influence which works in its favour, though some of the "discombobulate" moments became silly at times.
The more personal attachment of each case to Holmes' life, as well as an overarching plot, made it feel more personal. I really like the individual disconnected case approach, but this works to bring the character more to life.
The more open environments, bigger variety of puzzles, and (for me) more interesting and challenging scenarios than the previous game.
The downside: sometimes the mini-games and gimmicks became to much.
The more personal attachment of each case to Holmes' life, as well as an overarching plot, made it feel more personal. I really like the individual disconnected case approach, but this works to bring the character more to life.
The more open environments, bigger variety of puzzles, and (for me) more interesting and challenging scenarios than the previous game.
The downside: sometimes the mini-games and gimmicks became to much.
The cases vary greatly in writing quality, but the gameplay elements remain interesting enough throughout. It is not without its jank, but it only adds to the charm
Fun at times, but let down by an inconsequential plot, a myriad of technical issues, poor excuses for puzzles and a focus on a style of combat that does not lend well to the fantasy of becoming a powerful Jedi.
However, the exploration through the gorgeous environments was better than I thought it would be, and the characters' backstories and performances carry the narrative, as do the set pieces. Maybe my opinion is in the minority, but if this game borrowed a bit more from Uncharted/God of War, and a little less from Souls, it could have been amazing.
However, the exploration through the gorgeous environments was better than I thought it would be, and the characters' backstories and performances carry the narrative, as do the set pieces. Maybe my opinion is in the minority, but if this game borrowed a bit more from Uncharted/God of War, and a little less from Souls, it could have been amazing.