mook_
12 reviews liked by mook_
Stellar Blade
2024
Stellar Blade is a game that has already caused a lot of conversation way before it's release. Mostly because the main character Eve is smoking hot. I won't look into this whole so called "controversy" any further because it was just stupid. A main character looking good is no valid reason against a game because it's nothing abnormal. Anyway what happened after that is quite interesting. The game started selling really well during it's pre-order phase even without people knowing what the gameplay would consist of. It was the best-selling game in the PSN store and other platforms like Amazon in many countries, even before Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. Of course now you could say sex sells and everyone is just horny, I do agree but Stellar Blade sold even better when Shift Up released a playable demo that showed that the gameplay is also really fantastic. This leads me to the next question, who even is Shift Up. They are a rather small studio which has only released a few mobile games. So this makes Stellar Blade their first big game and that makes the game even more impressive.
The gameplay is a mix between Nier Automata and Devil May Cry with a few soulslike elements sprinkled in. Like the camps which are similar to the bonfire mechanic and that enemies are respawning when you rested at these camps. Let me calm you down before some people now might not want to play it because they think that the games is too hard or because they don't like soulslike games. Stellar Blade is not a soulslike game, yes it has a few elements but it's not overly difficult. You can also always change the difficulty without any consequences. So rest assured you can still buy the game even if you don't like soulslike games.
One of the biggest strength is the combat, it's just fantastic, feels really good and it makes so much fun fighting Naytibas. The design from all of the enemies which you encounter are very unique. There is a vast variety of Naytibas, 67 different variations to be precise and all of them have different abilities and a unique design. This resulted in me always being excited when I encountered a new type of Naytiba. There is also the same variety for outfits 30 outfits and other cosmetics that you can collect. I'm glad that this game was published by Sony and not EA or Ubisoft which means that the outfits aren't tied to grind or money. Besides fighting enemies there are also a few mini games like fishing and sometimes the game shifts to a jump and run or a shooter like in the levoire segments where you can only use your gun, I really liked that gameplay is so varied. The problem is that the controls for the jump and run segments are too sensitive or Eve simply glitches through ladders or ropes when you try to jump on them. Fighting groups of enemies can also be quite a hassle because the combat is more 1v1 focused. The story is good, nothing special but I enjoyed the lore surrounding the Naytibas and Andro-Eidos. Sadly the bulletin board quests are mostly fetch quest and not that interesting. The best side quests are the ones from Enya and Kaya which were both really emotional.
The story really picks up in the finale segments and the game asks some interesting philosophical questions like what does it mean to be a human. My favorite character by far is Lily as you can see by my profile picture. She's so cute and must be protected at all costs. Eve is also great, of course I appreciate the eye candy but I like her dynamic with Lily and I enjoyed their scenes together. The fish out of water part from both characters was also kinda cute. Eve also gets most of the character development in the last third of the game. Small details like character dialogues that changes depending on what you are doing. Like for example when Adam said "don't look down", of course I looked down and Adam reacted to that and said something like "oh come on", which was a cool detail. I also recommend you to use the Korean dubbing because from what I've experienced it's the best version.
Stellar Blade has a incredible set pieces and a beautiful soundtrack which underlines the impeccable combat and thanks to a vast variety of different enemies the game never gets boring. Lily and Eve are fantastic characters, Adam is alright but he serves more as a plot device and the resolution of some of the textures in the desert is a bit low but that doesn't hurt the game much.
As a first game it's really impressive what Shift Up managed to create and what happens it the last segment of the game makes me really excited for the future. This is already one of the best games this year and deserves every praise it gets. I suffer under post game depression so I will start a NG+ run now while I patiently wait for a photomode( Yes I have way too many screenshots don't judge me) and DLC in which I can play as Lily.
Games I finished in 2024 Ranked
Platinum trophies exhibition
My physical collection
The gameplay is a mix between Nier Automata and Devil May Cry with a few soulslike elements sprinkled in. Like the camps which are similar to the bonfire mechanic and that enemies are respawning when you rested at these camps. Let me calm you down before some people now might not want to play it because they think that the games is too hard or because they don't like soulslike games. Stellar Blade is not a soulslike game, yes it has a few elements but it's not overly difficult. You can also always change the difficulty without any consequences. So rest assured you can still buy the game even if you don't like soulslike games.
One of the biggest strength is the combat, it's just fantastic, feels really good and it makes so much fun fighting Naytibas. The design from all of the enemies which you encounter are very unique. There is a vast variety of Naytibas, 67 different variations to be precise and all of them have different abilities and a unique design. This resulted in me always being excited when I encountered a new type of Naytiba. There is also the same variety for outfits 30 outfits and other cosmetics that you can collect. I'm glad that this game was published by Sony and not EA or Ubisoft which means that the outfits aren't tied to grind or money. Besides fighting enemies there are also a few mini games like fishing and sometimes the game shifts to a jump and run or a shooter like in the levoire segments where you can only use your gun, I really liked that gameplay is so varied. The problem is that the controls for the jump and run segments are too sensitive or Eve simply glitches through ladders or ropes when you try to jump on them. Fighting groups of enemies can also be quite a hassle because the combat is more 1v1 focused. The story is good, nothing special but I enjoyed the lore surrounding the Naytibas and Andro-Eidos. Sadly the bulletin board quests are mostly fetch quest and not that interesting. The best side quests are the ones from Enya and Kaya which were both really emotional.
The story really picks up in the finale segments and the game asks some interesting philosophical questions like what does it mean to be a human. My favorite character by far is Lily as you can see by my profile picture. She's so cute and must be protected at all costs. Eve is also great, of course I appreciate the eye candy but I like her dynamic with Lily and I enjoyed their scenes together. The fish out of water part from both characters was also kinda cute. Eve also gets most of the character development in the last third of the game. Small details like character dialogues that changes depending on what you are doing. Like for example when Adam said "don't look down", of course I looked down and Adam reacted to that and said something like "oh come on", which was a cool detail. I also recommend you to use the Korean dubbing because from what I've experienced it's the best version.
Stellar Blade has a incredible set pieces and a beautiful soundtrack which underlines the impeccable combat and thanks to a vast variety of different enemies the game never gets boring. Lily and Eve are fantastic characters, Adam is alright but he serves more as a plot device and the resolution of some of the textures in the desert is a bit low but that doesn't hurt the game much.
As a first game it's really impressive what Shift Up managed to create and what happens it the last segment of the game makes me really excited for the future. This is already one of the best games this year and deserves every praise it gets. I suffer under post game depression so I will start a NG+ run now while I patiently wait for a photomode( Yes I have way too many screenshots don't judge me) and DLC in which I can play as Lily.
Games I finished in 2024 Ranked
Platinum trophies exhibition
My physical collection
This review contains spoilers
This game is great. Maya as a character was very annoying, especially in the first game. Like her dumb comments in the Samurai case were not funny, but at that point, I hadn't grown so tired of them. However, by the end of case 4 with Edgeworth, I could not handle her unseriousness. But honestly, in the second and third games, she was fine, and in the last case of the trilogy, she had really grown on me, and I finally liked her character. She had some good character growth and an arc. I'm not sure if it was her writing and jokes that were better or what, but I ended up liking her. The final case of the entire trilogy also made me like her way more as well.
This game has something called "case 3 syndrome," and I couldn't agree more. The third cases in all these games were mediocre. They felt like fillers most of the time with new characters that were just meh at best. By contrast, the last case of every game was the peak because it had insane hype and important story moments. The third case felt like filler in comparison.
Case 5 of game one had me crying, bro. WHY WAS IT SO DUMB AND LONG? ♥♥♥♥ PUTTING THE POT BACK TOGETHER. I could write a lot more about why I hated that case, but the story in it was great at least. I hated some of the side characters. Oldbag and Lotta were just so annoying. They didn't have to be involved with every game, man. Thankfully, they realized it and fixed it, which is why the third game is the best. Gumshoe also wasn't my favorite because he was so stupid, but he did some really good stuff, bringing the conclusive evidence (hype as hell, by the way) and even came in to save us before we got beaten up. Edgeworth is a good character as well. He could be kind of edgy and cringe at times, but he's the goat nonetheless, and we really got to see his character arc in cases 4 and 5 of the first game. Seeing his backstory and how his dad's death led him to being a prosecutor and training under Manfred von Karma, only to find out that von Karma killed his dad, was a pivotal moment. He went from being an okay character to actually being one of my favorites. There are some retcons happening because Edgeworth was supposed to be a corrupt lawyer, but it turns out it was just false rumors. Okay, I guess.
Another goat is Godot. The fact that he was Diego Armando became pretty obvious, but he was cool as a character, and his backstory was compelling. Wanting to make sure Mia's legacy was in good hands and protecting Maya made his character great, and acknowledging the fact that if he had swallowed his pride and let Phoenix help him, the whole thing could have been avoided really cemented his character as a tragic hero. It was an amazing way to end the trilogy. There are some problems, such as how he was in a coma for years, and Mia never mentioned him to Maya or Phoenix once. Not to mention how nobody knew his real identity, yet he was allowed to be a lawyer at all, especially since he was a defense lawyer, not a prosecutor. It's a bit of a stretch, to say the least. Mia was fine. She is hot as hell, but I didn't get the development I was hoping for more about her early lawyer days or even before she became a lawyer. Her whole backstory is undercooked.
The game's evidence system can be strange as hell sometimes. One of the most irritating things is having to present the same evidence again after you've just literally showed it, man. HOW DID WE NOT NOTICE THE PROBLEM THE FIRST TIME? WTF. Some of the evidence is also nonsensical. Like, no way you want me to figure that out. I just had to randomly go through evidence. But when everything worked, it felt so good. To just go through everything and follow along made the game insanely fun. Easily the best part was going through knowing what you're supposed to do and the evidence making sense, all while you're cooking the prosecution. The art style was great as well. I like how charming the style and vibes are, and it contrasts with the depressing murder cases. Overall, I loved the game, but it was not without faults.
This game has something called "case 3 syndrome," and I couldn't agree more. The third cases in all these games were mediocre. They felt like fillers most of the time with new characters that were just meh at best. By contrast, the last case of every game was the peak because it had insane hype and important story moments. The third case felt like filler in comparison.
Case 5 of game one had me crying, bro. WHY WAS IT SO DUMB AND LONG? ♥♥♥♥ PUTTING THE POT BACK TOGETHER. I could write a lot more about why I hated that case, but the story in it was great at least. I hated some of the side characters. Oldbag and Lotta were just so annoying. They didn't have to be involved with every game, man. Thankfully, they realized it and fixed it, which is why the third game is the best. Gumshoe also wasn't my favorite because he was so stupid, but he did some really good stuff, bringing the conclusive evidence (hype as hell, by the way) and even came in to save us before we got beaten up. Edgeworth is a good character as well. He could be kind of edgy and cringe at times, but he's the goat nonetheless, and we really got to see his character arc in cases 4 and 5 of the first game. Seeing his backstory and how his dad's death led him to being a prosecutor and training under Manfred von Karma, only to find out that von Karma killed his dad, was a pivotal moment. He went from being an okay character to actually being one of my favorites. There are some retcons happening because Edgeworth was supposed to be a corrupt lawyer, but it turns out it was just false rumors. Okay, I guess.
Another goat is Godot. The fact that he was Diego Armando became pretty obvious, but he was cool as a character, and his backstory was compelling. Wanting to make sure Mia's legacy was in good hands and protecting Maya made his character great, and acknowledging the fact that if he had swallowed his pride and let Phoenix help him, the whole thing could have been avoided really cemented his character as a tragic hero. It was an amazing way to end the trilogy. There are some problems, such as how he was in a coma for years, and Mia never mentioned him to Maya or Phoenix once. Not to mention how nobody knew his real identity, yet he was allowed to be a lawyer at all, especially since he was a defense lawyer, not a prosecutor. It's a bit of a stretch, to say the least. Mia was fine. She is hot as hell, but I didn't get the development I was hoping for more about her early lawyer days or even before she became a lawyer. Her whole backstory is undercooked.
The game's evidence system can be strange as hell sometimes. One of the most irritating things is having to present the same evidence again after you've just literally showed it, man. HOW DID WE NOT NOTICE THE PROBLEM THE FIRST TIME? WTF. Some of the evidence is also nonsensical. Like, no way you want me to figure that out. I just had to randomly go through evidence. But when everything worked, it felt so good. To just go through everything and follow along made the game insanely fun. Easily the best part was going through knowing what you're supposed to do and the evidence making sense, all while you're cooking the prosecution. The art style was great as well. I like how charming the style and vibes are, and it contrasts with the depressing murder cases. Overall, I loved the game, but it was not without faults.
This review contains spoilers
A great game worth buying. A huge improvement over the Remake in terms of gameplay. The remake's gameplay felt stale as time went on, but having more party members really helps this game out. The combat just felt more refined, and the lack of annoying flying enemies (not completely gone but a lot less) that I hated made it more fun. Not to mention the different party combinations you could utilize gave you a lot of freedom. The only problem is the game often forces you into a locked party a good bit, especially towards the end.
The graphics were also meh. They were better than the remake's, I guess, but being forced into performance mode just to get 60 frames is crazy. Not to mention that mode made it look blurry and grainy. Not even to mention the game crashing multiple times. Not a crazy deal breaker but a bit unacceptable for a $70 game and a $500 console.
Honestly, the game might be a bit easy considering I didn't make a sensible team at all and missed some critical upgrades (never used linked materia or synergy moves) 💀. The story is the best part by far. Going into all these character backstories and the game making you play as them added a whole other dimension to the characters. I love all the characters here, which makes the game so much better. All the tiny interactions add up and make you relate and like the characters. This is what I felt Final Fantasy XVI was missing.
Overall, I loved the story. The music is amazing, but that's just par for the course. There were a LOT of mini-games. As someone who either ignores or doesn't like mini-games, these were great for the most part. They were fun and didn't feel too tedious or time-consuming, but it started to get too much. It felt like a new chapter introduced a new mini-game at some points. Overall, it's a great game worth playing.
Spoiler part
Mostly gonna be about the story. Every character had an insanely good story. Starting with Cloud's, and we get to see a piece of Cloud's past, but learning that his memories might be altered in some way really adds a sense of mystery to what actually happened, especially since Tifa doesn't even remember him being in Nibelheim. Barrett's story is also amazing. Barrett and how he lost his friend, Dyne, and his arm to Shinra, after allowing them to build a reactor so the town wasn't in poverty anymore, was heart-breaking. Not to mention how the town literally treated him like shit after. With that context, his hatred of Shinra and desire to save the planet make a lot more sense. Having Dyne come back as a bloodthirsty killer, only to die in front of Barrett at the hands of Shinra soldiers, was insane. That whole scene was amazing, easily a 10/10. It instantly made Barrett one of my favorites. Red XIII's backstory was great as well. Having to live up to expectations and changing his voice to be respected by the party members more really changed how I looked at him. I was not a fan of the voice change initially, but it grew on me. One of my favorite parts was watching Cloud turn evil because of Sephiroth's influence. Seeing him try and kill Tifa had my jaw dropped. It gave me chills when Cloud came back to his senses and realized what he did. And towards the end, after getting the Black Materia, how insane and out of control he looked was so cool. It had me on the edge of my seat. There are some parts that just kind of felt a bit strange and not in a good way. Tifa being swallowed by the "Weapon" and going through some trippy dream thing and seeing that Cloud cared for her was a weird way of going about it. Not to mention just forgiving Cloud and believing this wouldn't happen again (it happened again.).
Now, Zack is great, but what the fuck is going on with him???? Like the game doesn't do a good job explaining it; it just expects us to accept it. I'm not sure if playing the original game would help here, but I doubt it. The ending was absolutely crazy. I'm not sure what really happened? Aerith died, but also didn't. The flashing visions from the other party members showing her covered in blood, but in actuality, she had no wounds, confused me completely. The whole fight with Sephiroth (I know, surprising) was like, where are we???? Quick side note: that fight was insanely annoying. The last part of the fight where you are supposed to dump all your damage onto him, and if you don't, he literally one-shots you and Aerith pissed me off so much. HE LITERALLY HAD 1 HP LEFT. FUCK. TWICE THAT HAPPENED. WHYYYYYYYY. The only menu option around the restart is also worded so poorly, but I didn't read it because I just mashed the restart in anger, so it didn't matter for me. Back to what I was saying, the whole fight with Sephiroth was confusing, and I don't know how Zack got dragged into this or about what is going on with Aerith. I have no idea about Zack, but my guess for Aerith is that she gave up her physical form to join the Lifestream and fight Sephiroth, but I'll have to wait till the next game. I'm also curious how Cloud sees Aerith like a ghost, but nobody else can. And nobody questions this????? Also, why did he take the Black Materia and hide it into his sword and not tell anyone, and ghost Aerith does not question this at all? Okay. He implied that Sephiroth did not have control over him anymore. Was that a lie?
Last note because I could ramble about this for another thousand words, the pre-rendered ending was beautiful. Like, it was insane how good it looked. Side quests in this game are WAY better than in Remake. Still tedious, but better. I didn't do a lot of them, to be fair, because it's hard to tell which ones are worth doing, not to mention you have to do like a bunch of shitty ones to unlock the actually good ones, even though they aren't even related. I didn't really explore the map either or unlock the radio towers. There just wasn't much incentive or fun enough to go out of your way to do them, but to be fair, I'm not a side quest type of guy. The Aerith date side quest was cute and fun, if a bit tedious. The Golden Saucer was amazing. It created the vibes of an amusement park so perfectly. It was insane. The mini-games were also fun. The whole place was such an impressive feat. I can't believe that the Ferris wheel date with Tifa ended with Cloud and her kissing. I got Aerith on the date, which I felt was more fitting because the game centers a lot on Aerith and Cloud's relationship. Overall, I love this, and I could talk even more about it, but it would end up being a lot of rambling. Lots of stuff I didn't get to do, like the Chadley optional bosses, but even without doing much of the side content, the game was great. It was well worth it.
The graphics were also meh. They were better than the remake's, I guess, but being forced into performance mode just to get 60 frames is crazy. Not to mention that mode made it look blurry and grainy. Not even to mention the game crashing multiple times. Not a crazy deal breaker but a bit unacceptable for a $70 game and a $500 console.
Honestly, the game might be a bit easy considering I didn't make a sensible team at all and missed some critical upgrades (never used linked materia or synergy moves) 💀. The story is the best part by far. Going into all these character backstories and the game making you play as them added a whole other dimension to the characters. I love all the characters here, which makes the game so much better. All the tiny interactions add up and make you relate and like the characters. This is what I felt Final Fantasy XVI was missing.
Overall, I loved the story. The music is amazing, but that's just par for the course. There were a LOT of mini-games. As someone who either ignores or doesn't like mini-games, these were great for the most part. They were fun and didn't feel too tedious or time-consuming, but it started to get too much. It felt like a new chapter introduced a new mini-game at some points. Overall, it's a great game worth playing.
Spoiler part
Mostly gonna be about the story. Every character had an insanely good story. Starting with Cloud's, and we get to see a piece of Cloud's past, but learning that his memories might be altered in some way really adds a sense of mystery to what actually happened, especially since Tifa doesn't even remember him being in Nibelheim. Barrett's story is also amazing. Barrett and how he lost his friend, Dyne, and his arm to Shinra, after allowing them to build a reactor so the town wasn't in poverty anymore, was heart-breaking. Not to mention how the town literally treated him like shit after. With that context, his hatred of Shinra and desire to save the planet make a lot more sense. Having Dyne come back as a bloodthirsty killer, only to die in front of Barrett at the hands of Shinra soldiers, was insane. That whole scene was amazing, easily a 10/10. It instantly made Barrett one of my favorites. Red XIII's backstory was great as well. Having to live up to expectations and changing his voice to be respected by the party members more really changed how I looked at him. I was not a fan of the voice change initially, but it grew on me. One of my favorite parts was watching Cloud turn evil because of Sephiroth's influence. Seeing him try and kill Tifa had my jaw dropped. It gave me chills when Cloud came back to his senses and realized what he did. And towards the end, after getting the Black Materia, how insane and out of control he looked was so cool. It had me on the edge of my seat. There are some parts that just kind of felt a bit strange and not in a good way. Tifa being swallowed by the "Weapon" and going through some trippy dream thing and seeing that Cloud cared for her was a weird way of going about it. Not to mention just forgiving Cloud and believing this wouldn't happen again (it happened again.).
Now, Zack is great, but what the fuck is going on with him???? Like the game doesn't do a good job explaining it; it just expects us to accept it. I'm not sure if playing the original game would help here, but I doubt it. The ending was absolutely crazy. I'm not sure what really happened? Aerith died, but also didn't. The flashing visions from the other party members showing her covered in blood, but in actuality, she had no wounds, confused me completely. The whole fight with Sephiroth (I know, surprising) was like, where are we???? Quick side note: that fight was insanely annoying. The last part of the fight where you are supposed to dump all your damage onto him, and if you don't, he literally one-shots you and Aerith pissed me off so much. HE LITERALLY HAD 1 HP LEFT. FUCK. TWICE THAT HAPPENED. WHYYYYYYYY. The only menu option around the restart is also worded so poorly, but I didn't read it because I just mashed the restart in anger, so it didn't matter for me. Back to what I was saying, the whole fight with Sephiroth was confusing, and I don't know how Zack got dragged into this or about what is going on with Aerith. I have no idea about Zack, but my guess for Aerith is that she gave up her physical form to join the Lifestream and fight Sephiroth, but I'll have to wait till the next game. I'm also curious how Cloud sees Aerith like a ghost, but nobody else can. And nobody questions this????? Also, why did he take the Black Materia and hide it into his sword and not tell anyone, and ghost Aerith does not question this at all? Okay. He implied that Sephiroth did not have control over him anymore. Was that a lie?
Last note because I could ramble about this for another thousand words, the pre-rendered ending was beautiful. Like, it was insane how good it looked. Side quests in this game are WAY better than in Remake. Still tedious, but better. I didn't do a lot of them, to be fair, because it's hard to tell which ones are worth doing, not to mention you have to do like a bunch of shitty ones to unlock the actually good ones, even though they aren't even related. I didn't really explore the map either or unlock the radio towers. There just wasn't much incentive or fun enough to go out of your way to do them, but to be fair, I'm not a side quest type of guy. The Aerith date side quest was cute and fun, if a bit tedious. The Golden Saucer was amazing. It created the vibes of an amusement park so perfectly. It was insane. The mini-games were also fun. The whole place was such an impressive feat. I can't believe that the Ferris wheel date with Tifa ended with Cloud and her kissing. I got Aerith on the date, which I felt was more fitting because the game centers a lot on Aerith and Cloud's relationship. Overall, I love this, and I could talk even more about it, but it would end up being a lot of rambling. Lots of stuff I didn't get to do, like the Chadley optional bosses, but even without doing much of the side content, the game was great. It was well worth it.
For the most part, The Grimm Troupe is just a glorified backtracking simulator featuring fights against enemies who love to glitch into walls for whatever reason.
But it also adds two of the best bosses in the game alongside the infamous Path of Pain and gives you an additional well-needed charm notch, so it ends up being a pretty solid package overall.
But it also adds two of the best bosses in the game alongside the infamous Path of Pain and gives you an additional well-needed charm notch, so it ends up being a pretty solid package overall.
What a ride.
In my eyes, Red Dead Redemption 2 is an absolute masterpiece - and I hardly ever use that word! It has everything I could possibly ask for in a game: an unique and memorable cast of characters, catchy soundtrack, enjoyable gameplay and my favorite story in a video game.
There's many great things to be said about this game, so I'm starting with the immersive world, the scenery and sheer amount of detail put into just about everything. I expected the open world to be as generic as a Far Cry open world outside of the cities, but was pleasantly surprised. Not just in the sense of how it looks in terms of graphics, but also in terms of structure and pathing. It's just a joy to explore and you can always find something new on a trip. Whether it be a random encounter or change in weather, the game will keep you entertained while riding from A to B. Speaking of the weather, I absolutely love the many different weathers in the game. Ranging from a thick fog to a heavy sandstorm, there is a lot of variation in the weathers and not just the "standard" sunny/cloudy/rainy/stormy weathers present in most games. You know your game looks good when photo mode doesn't do it justice and seeing the scenery in-game is just a better experience overall.
As I mentioned before, I believe Red Dead Redemption 2 has one of the best written narratives in gaming and is my favorite story in a game as of right now. The characters act natural and the relationships between gang members also come off as pretty realistic to me. I like that unlike in other games not everyone got along with each other, just because they're part of the same crew. In terms of best written characters in the game, I'd say Arthur and Dutch easily take the top spots. I've also really enjoyed the characters of John, Sadie and even Micah. Arthur is just an amazing protagonist in general and Roger Clark really delivers his lines and the emotions within them. Then again, I believe all voice actors did a really good job for this game; I don't remember even one voice sounding off for a character. And they certainly had a lot of fun recording the lines, you can feel that.
Now onto some other positive tidbits about the game. The customization is great and you've got many different outfit parts to mix and match. Honor as a mechanic is also well done, because you indirectly influence some parts of the game depending on your good and bad deeds. Having high honor will allow you to get discounts in shops and new outfits, while low honor will make NPCs dislike you and you'll get worse loot from enemies. Also here I'd like to add that (in my opinion) there's hardly any real filler content in the game and everything has atleast some meaning to it.
But what about the gameplay itself? Hunting and tracking down animals, fishing and playing cards is a fun way to spend your time, but what's important in a game like this, is how the gunplay feels - and I believe it feels really good! Thankfully the revolvers have a certain power to them already, but rifles are also great to use with their extended zoom.
If I were to mention flaws about RDR2, there really wasn't anything major things that bothered me, just two little things that got annoying at times. The worst offender by far was "Mash A to run/boost horse", which just exists to give you thumb pain for no reason. Second point is the game forcing two weapons on you before any big fight, spoiling the surprise already. I also believe having two large guns on your back looks silly, but as I addressed earlier, this can't really be called an "issue", since it didn't hamper my enjoyment of the game overall.
Personally, I believe I have made my point clear - I like this game! A lot actually. And that's because it is a good game and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a world to just get immersed in. Now excuse me while I go think about Arthur Morgan again.
In my eyes, Red Dead Redemption 2 is an absolute masterpiece - and I hardly ever use that word! It has everything I could possibly ask for in a game: an unique and memorable cast of characters, catchy soundtrack, enjoyable gameplay and my favorite story in a video game.
There's many great things to be said about this game, so I'm starting with the immersive world, the scenery and sheer amount of detail put into just about everything. I expected the open world to be as generic as a Far Cry open world outside of the cities, but was pleasantly surprised. Not just in the sense of how it looks in terms of graphics, but also in terms of structure and pathing. It's just a joy to explore and you can always find something new on a trip. Whether it be a random encounter or change in weather, the game will keep you entertained while riding from A to B. Speaking of the weather, I absolutely love the many different weathers in the game. Ranging from a thick fog to a heavy sandstorm, there is a lot of variation in the weathers and not just the "standard" sunny/cloudy/rainy/stormy weathers present in most games. You know your game looks good when photo mode doesn't do it justice and seeing the scenery in-game is just a better experience overall.
As I mentioned before, I believe Red Dead Redemption 2 has one of the best written narratives in gaming and is my favorite story in a game as of right now. The characters act natural and the relationships between gang members also come off as pretty realistic to me. I like that unlike in other games not everyone got along with each other, just because they're part of the same crew. In terms of best written characters in the game, I'd say Arthur and Dutch easily take the top spots. I've also really enjoyed the characters of John, Sadie and even Micah. Arthur is just an amazing protagonist in general and Roger Clark really delivers his lines and the emotions within them. Then again, I believe all voice actors did a really good job for this game; I don't remember even one voice sounding off for a character. And they certainly had a lot of fun recording the lines, you can feel that.
Now onto some other positive tidbits about the game. The customization is great and you've got many different outfit parts to mix and match. Honor as a mechanic is also well done, because you indirectly influence some parts of the game depending on your good and bad deeds. Having high honor will allow you to get discounts in shops and new outfits, while low honor will make NPCs dislike you and you'll get worse loot from enemies. Also here I'd like to add that (in my opinion) there's hardly any real filler content in the game and everything has atleast some meaning to it.
But what about the gameplay itself? Hunting and tracking down animals, fishing and playing cards is a fun way to spend your time, but what's important in a game like this, is how the gunplay feels - and I believe it feels really good! Thankfully the revolvers have a certain power to them already, but rifles are also great to use with their extended zoom.
If I were to mention flaws about RDR2, there really wasn't anything major things that bothered me, just two little things that got annoying at times. The worst offender by far was "Mash A to run/boost horse", which just exists to give you thumb pain for no reason. Second point is the game forcing two weapons on you before any big fight, spoiling the surprise already. I also believe having two large guns on your back looks silly, but as I addressed earlier, this can't really be called an "issue", since it didn't hamper my enjoyment of the game overall.
Personally, I believe I have made my point clear - I like this game! A lot actually. And that's because it is a good game and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a world to just get immersed in. Now excuse me while I go think about Arthur Morgan again.
Cyberpunk 2077
2020
A top 3 single player experience for me. I played it just a couple weeks after launch and there were almost no bugs or glitches. Totally over-hated, awesome world, great replay ability.
Top 1 Pokémon soundtrack, beautifully aesthetic, snd super nostalgic. Admittedly flawed in some aspects, but also features a lot of unique Pokémon experiences like being able to explore a whole second region
Best FPS game I ever played. With updates come controversy and people liking or disliking the changes, but as a concept, Siege’s heavy dose of strategy and planning mixed with the occasional need to pull out your classic, fast-paced FPS reflexes to make a play make it one of the most satisfying games to get good at. The pro scene was also the most impressive of any I’ve personally been invested in.
RIP Kix (best caster of all time)
RIP Kix (best caster of all time)
Grand Theft Auto V
2013
Good story mode, even greater online experience. Literally limitless possibilities with heists, free roam, and custom downloadable game modes. I was partial to the racing and cars in the game, but there's an experience for every friend group
Halo: Reach
2010
Maybe the best single-player campaign I've ever played. Fantastic story, characters, soundtrack, and cinematics. Did not play multiplayer often, but the custom game modes allowed for a lot of creative fun with friends. I've heard bad things about the built-in multiplayer, but I personally did not play it enough to form an opinion on it.