>be an evangelion fan
>notice new collab trailer for some shitty anime game
>trailer is actually cool
>fuck they got me
>plays game
>shit sucks dunkey dick like i expected
>plays it anyway for the evas
help

update: never saw the evas, game sucks too much and i need space on my ps5 for better games

light spoilers

I love this game, but I hesitate to celebrate that too much because these games could be so much more. It's a slight taste of a fantastic Spider-Man experience, yet falls short or around the same level as MCU Spider-Man rather than its Spider-Verse counterpart. Thankfully this isn't the same game as before, there are improvements towards its mechanics and animations that make this title seem like an improvement on the surface, but a lot of it begins to crumble after however many hours they ask of you to see this story play out. The story is decent; I loved many little moments, with Peter's symbiote transformation being the main highlight (emotionally speaking), and some cool segments including Venom, but it lacks character depth... they slightly reference the unconscious mind at one point and how the symbiote is a manifestation of this idea. Unfortunately, it is touched upon once and later only referred to as a hivemind to make the general idea stick (which is fine, but a little deep dive might have been more interesting). One doesn't need to look deep into comics to find a lot of references towards different philosophical ideas, which has always caught me pleasantly off guard, and while I understand why junk food movies like Spider-Man MCU might be afraid to go into that conversation, why doesn't a video game that can be however long with many side stories use this opportunity to truly dive into profound topics? Fortunately, there are moments where we see a glimpse of interesting ideas, but still leaves me with a general desire for the game to commit. Miles' side mission about black artists is a wonderful addition, and a great representation to a culture that many playing a Spider-Man video game have probably never been exposed to (I know I hadn't been). The old man story is also self-reflective and beautiful in its own way. The main story itself, thematically speaking, slightly ties into these side stories ('heal the world'), but it drags its feet due to a lack of characterization. And that's within a game that has a whole therapy level for Miles' character. Hm. I think my main issue is that whenever the symbiote suit is controlling the character, they let out emotions that while harsh, come off as genuine. They are rational thoughts that makes sense for the characters to feel. These moments aren't addressed in a satisfying manner once they are back to their original selves. There is not a sense of growth because they do not fully acknowledge what they have said. The only one that felt most genuine was MJ and Peter's conflict, but even then, once they are back to normal, it lacks genuine words of gratitude and reverts back to stereotypical word salad.

Also, I'm getting tired of superheroes never having to provide much of an argument for what they are fighting for, but instead it coming off as 'that's a bad idea' with no depth to their own idea of what is better. Harry's idea of healing the world is overall problematic, but the fact that he provides a psychological answer that makes sense to them while none of our main characters can attempt to address the flaw in his argument (the fact that you'd be 'healing' people in exchange of their individualism) is the main problem that many superhero films have. Although I'll give credit to the fact that they are attempting to change the world, and the conflict results in the minor issues along the way such as how one saves the world. It is a good foundation, and I appreciate it for that.

I remember trying this game out a year ago, and feeling like I wouldn't be able to commit my time into it at all. Few months later, I decided that I'd pick out a couple of games I was somewhat interested in and attempted to play them through completion, and one of those was Earthbound, despite my lukewarm response before this point. I delved in, and took my time to progress at a gentle pace. It took me several months to beat, but the journey has taken me back to how playing a video game felt as a child. It's a warm experience that surprised me several times, and only kept getting better as I got towards the end, which then elevated itself into a personal touchstone.

A piece fully inspired by media, you can see it in every other scene. Part of me felt like I might've been reaching when I wondered, "is this game truly inspired by... Ben 10: Protector of Earth?" but... the first boss in BOTH games is a big robot that you can only see from the chest up. You have to hit both of their hands and later on the head... Plus, its banter between the two main characters flows exactly like an early Ben 10 episode, and my love for Ben 10 makes this game feel... extremely mixed. I like it. I hate it. I love it. I don't even wanna finish it anymore.

It just... feels like it needs some extra polish in its gameplay, despite being somewhat fun. It also shoots itself in the foot by having so much to teach you. For a game about rhythm, music and going with the flow, it sure halts its pace quite often to tell you one thing or another about the details that you could've figured out on your own. Plus, its writing only works during the back and forth between the main two characters. The rest... I can't stand it. I'm guessing that's how High on Life felt for many! That one didn't irritate me, but it did get stale. This, I just can't stand listening to for long.

Despite the negativity, I enjoy a lot about Hi-Fi Rush, such as the simplicity in its combat, while also having a good variety of combos and special moves. Though again, three hours into the game, and it still feels like I haven't finished the tutorial... It's extensive to the point that it's obnoxious. Once it lets go of your hand though, there's a lot of fun to be had.

coulda used some better songs though!

There is a good distinction between competition and leeching off success. While the PS5 has its financial grand prix race against microsoft and nintendo, the teams developing the games face off for similar fights. Though Nickelodeon is already successful, meaning that their attempt at making the consumer pick between Mario Kart or Nickelodeon Kart Racers comes down to recognition. Is your kid really into,, invader zim? garfield? the teenage robot girl? probably not. at least you, the buyer, do recognize them. And of course the kid knows spongebob, so it all works out. Is it improving upon Mario Kart? No. Is it... borrowing from it? Yes. Is it worse than Mario Kart? Absolutely. Is it.. cheaper? Like it's on a constant discount, yes.

This is to be expected, of course. These games aren't treated with the same dignity that Nintendo puts up for even their worst games, and these are churn out like krabby patties. A consistent blood sucking time waster.

Apart from that the game functions and it's not devoid of some fun. It is exactly what you expect. Another one.