retrometroid
2011
i've never felt more alive than when i almost spiked my 360 controller on the ground after killing ornstein and smores
Sometimes I want a fast food kinda open world game, and Spider-Man lucks out by having incredibly fun traversal and a good story.
The biggest weakness of the game is its overreliance on Ubisoft-tier collectible trash. I liked the backpacks, I liked most of the science stations, hell I even didn't mind the pigeon hunt or their take on the Ubi tower.
But once Taskmaster showed up and vomited really dull drone, bomb, and stealth challenges onto the map and I realzied I'd have to dredge thru those to fight him again... when they added a third and fourth set of bases... when they added dozens more crimes... I gave up on the idea of collectibles.
The combat is a fine spin on the Arkham formula but you only have a dodge to rely on instead of counters. The various gadgets are all pretty useful in one way or another.
The boss fights are all decidedly "eh". There's no real interesting mechanics or spin on things, you just web em up or stun em with a throwable. I will give it props for daring to have a Rhino boss fight that isn't "make him run into a wall lmao".
Some of the weaker missions were the much discussed and maligned MJ and Miles missions. They aren't terrible but they aren't good either. The second-to-last MJ level where you can call in Spidey to take out enemies in your path was the most interesting and fun because , y'know, they actually had neat marriage of story and mechanics as opposed to "do the thing the game requires or go back a checkpoint".
The story was pretty good. The Peter/Otto relationship was well crafted. I liked that Mr Negative was the baddie for most of it as I always appreciate when they use some newer or lesser known guys (tho looking at his wiki article the game version is waaaaaay more interesting and pathos-infused). And one of the final scenes got me choked up
I'm down for the sequel tho I'm not getting it anywhere close to launch as 20 hours was more than enough times in the spidey-mines for me
The biggest weakness of the game is its overreliance on Ubisoft-tier collectible trash. I liked the backpacks, I liked most of the science stations, hell I even didn't mind the pigeon hunt or their take on the Ubi tower.
But once Taskmaster showed up and vomited really dull drone, bomb, and stealth challenges onto the map and I realzied I'd have to dredge thru those to fight him again... when they added a third and fourth set of bases... when they added dozens more crimes... I gave up on the idea of collectibles.
The combat is a fine spin on the Arkham formula but you only have a dodge to rely on instead of counters. The various gadgets are all pretty useful in one way or another.
The boss fights are all decidedly "eh". There's no real interesting mechanics or spin on things, you just web em up or stun em with a throwable. I will give it props for daring to have a Rhino boss fight that isn't "make him run into a wall lmao".
Some of the weaker missions were the much discussed and maligned MJ and Miles missions. They aren't terrible but they aren't good either. The second-to-last MJ level where you can call in Spidey to take out enemies in your path was the most interesting and fun because , y'know, they actually had neat marriage of story and mechanics as opposed to "do the thing the game requires or go back a checkpoint".
The story was pretty good. The Peter/Otto relationship was well crafted. I liked that Mr Negative was the baddie for most of it as I always appreciate when they use some newer or lesser known guys (tho looking at his wiki article the game version is waaaaaay more interesting and pathos-infused). And one of the final scenes got me choked up
I'm down for the sequel tho I'm not getting it anywhere close to launch as 20 hours was more than enough times in the spidey-mines for me
2022
I'm torn. This has some of the moment to moment funnest gameplay in the series. It also has flatout the worst story. It also has a million setpieces of mixed quality.
You can tell Kaimya & Co. took a lot of stuff from Scalebound to use here and I think that stuff works great! The various Demon Slaves are really fun (with a few exceptions), and the Masquerade system also opens a lot of neat opportunities.
Viola the newcomer is fun but very limited. Her skill tree can be maxed really quickly & the game's insistence on giving every weapon a traversal option with a universal input of R x2 or Fwd+R while putting her main mechanic of parrying on the same button is madness. Her variation on the Demon Slave system felt worse overall as well.
The many setpieces are mixed - the first arc in Japan with like 5 goddamn chase setpieces was awful but later ones like the Queen Butterfly or the Paris shmup sequence were great. I just wish there were maybe....15% less of em.
The multiple AU Bayonettas all have pretty cool looks (that you can unlock ofc). I will say the Chinese Warlord costume was the worst. Far too busy.
The Jeanne chapters were... a thing. I didn't hate them. I didn't like them. I still don't understand, like, a lot of the gimmicks.
I won't get into specifics of the story but my main complaints could be summarized as "one of the most nothing villains possibly ever" and "the mechanics the entire story are based on have almost zero explanation". I also have qualms with it wanting me to be emotionally invested in certain things I had no reason to be.
In conclusion I'm glad we're now 3 for 3 on Bayonetta games being super fun but wildly inconsistent in terms of weird things that hurt the experience.
You can tell Kaimya & Co. took a lot of stuff from Scalebound to use here and I think that stuff works great! The various Demon Slaves are really fun (with a few exceptions), and the Masquerade system also opens a lot of neat opportunities.
Viola the newcomer is fun but very limited. Her skill tree can be maxed really quickly & the game's insistence on giving every weapon a traversal option with a universal input of R x2 or Fwd+R while putting her main mechanic of parrying on the same button is madness. Her variation on the Demon Slave system felt worse overall as well.
The many setpieces are mixed - the first arc in Japan with like 5 goddamn chase setpieces was awful but later ones like the Queen Butterfly or the Paris shmup sequence were great. I just wish there were maybe....15% less of em.
The multiple AU Bayonettas all have pretty cool looks (that you can unlock ofc). I will say the Chinese Warlord costume was the worst. Far too busy.
The Jeanne chapters were... a thing. I didn't hate them. I didn't like them. I still don't understand, like, a lot of the gimmicks.
I won't get into specifics of the story but my main complaints could be summarized as "one of the most nothing villains possibly ever" and "the mechanics the entire story are based on have almost zero explanation". I also have qualms with it wanting me to be emotionally invested in certain things I had no reason to be.
In conclusion I'm glad we're now 3 for 3 on Bayonetta games being super fun but wildly inconsistent in terms of weird things that hurt the experience.
2006
Not bad. It's a serviceable PS2 arena fighter that recreates a handful of fights from the related TV shows, complete with the same gimmicks Garo and the antagonistic Horrors have.
It also has modes where you play Silver Knight Zero (which is just the story mode with Zero instead of Garo), a mode where you play Dark Knight Barago and learn abilities and level up, and a weird endless runner kind of mode where you ride your spirit horse Gouten and slaughter baddies.
Is it worth the $100+ you'll spend on it? No but I'm a weird obsessive so I did it anyway. If you must play the only Garo game that isn't throwaway mobage trash, emulate it.
It also has modes where you play Silver Knight Zero (which is just the story mode with Zero instead of Garo), a mode where you play Dark Knight Barago and learn abilities and level up, and a weird endless runner kind of mode where you ride your spirit horse Gouten and slaughter baddies.
Is it worth the $100+ you'll spend on it? No but I'm a weird obsessive so I did it anyway. If you must play the only Garo game that isn't throwaway mobage trash, emulate it.
this game is so fun. its so dumb too. great dub. kow otani from shadow of the colossus contributed to the OST too.
a superb rerelease of what could possibly be called the first anime fighters. bring back darkstalkers already ;-;
In a year jam-packed with kamige - Resident Evil 4 Remake, Baldur's Gate 3 to name a couple - I think this one took the GOTY trophy for me.
A decade after the last entry in the series, a decade mostly spent refining, expanding, and sometimes narrowing the Souls formula, FROM proves they haven't lost their touch with big ol' robot game.
One major point that should be made if you're thinking about playing it but havent is that it has a similar progression to Nier, specifically that you play the game once, play the same story with a few changes and a different endgame again, and then a third time with a lot of changes. The story is not complete beating it once, there will be a lot of hanging threads that are only resolved in future playthroughs.
The time invested isn't that bad either - the 41 hour count I have is for all 3 playthrus + fucking around with paints and decals + grinding missions for some of the collectables I couldn't easily find. The first playthru was at the 24 hour mark, and I was sub-40 at the final mission of the final playthru.
They trimmed down part variety - tons of bipedal legs, a handful of reverse joints, a couple tetrapods, and a couple tank treads - but everything feels more useful and like it has a purpose. Some of the weapons get redundant (there is virtually no reason to use any of the shotguns that isn't the Zimmerman) but they actually made melee good. But you can't dual wield melee (tho I get it, it would 100% trivialize the game).
It also might have the worst falloff of difficulty in any FROM game. For a while you'll be switching your build a lot to match the mission. And then you'll hit on a combination that's basically perfect and it'll take you till the finale of NG++. This then goes away if you want to do the S-Rank grind but not everyone will.
The score isn't my favorite in the series - I think Verdict Day still holds a very special place in my heart - but the muted synths have a very nice analog/Carpenter-esque feel that I adore. The final boss themes for routes A & B are great, 'Contact With You' might be one of my favorite AC tracks ever now, and a certain endgame boss theme has the Hoshino-san vocals everyone loves.
I found the story engaging - albeit I had it pegged at the end of chapter 1 and was basically being proven right again and again. I think the "true"/final ending was a bit underwhelming but I think I'd need some lore writeups to understand it. "Liberator of Rubicon" was probably my favorite of the the three endings just for all the great climaxes and the final boss.
AC6 also has what might be my favorite gimmick fight in a FROM game and it clears just for the sound design alone.
Speaking of bosses they're all decently challenging at first but again - hit that build right and they can barely do anything. The infamous Balteus I nearly managed to chain-stagger into a one-cycle kill.
This is the main problem I have with the game: the FCS stagger system kind of removes a lot of thought from builds and prioritizes going as unga as possible. You don't need tactics when you can stun most bosses instantly.
My final verdict is pilebunker go boom and make the robots fly real good
A decade after the last entry in the series, a decade mostly spent refining, expanding, and sometimes narrowing the Souls formula, FROM proves they haven't lost their touch with big ol' robot game.
One major point that should be made if you're thinking about playing it but havent is that it has a similar progression to Nier, specifically that you play the game once, play the same story with a few changes and a different endgame again, and then a third time with a lot of changes. The story is not complete beating it once, there will be a lot of hanging threads that are only resolved in future playthroughs.
The time invested isn't that bad either - the 41 hour count I have is for all 3 playthrus + fucking around with paints and decals + grinding missions for some of the collectables I couldn't easily find. The first playthru was at the 24 hour mark, and I was sub-40 at the final mission of the final playthru.
They trimmed down part variety - tons of bipedal legs, a handful of reverse joints, a couple tetrapods, and a couple tank treads - but everything feels more useful and like it has a purpose. Some of the weapons get redundant (there is virtually no reason to use any of the shotguns that isn't the Zimmerman) but they actually made melee good. But you can't dual wield melee (tho I get it, it would 100% trivialize the game).
It also might have the worst falloff of difficulty in any FROM game. For a while you'll be switching your build a lot to match the mission. And then you'll hit on a combination that's basically perfect and it'll take you till the finale of NG++. This then goes away if you want to do the S-Rank grind but not everyone will.
The score isn't my favorite in the series - I think Verdict Day still holds a very special place in my heart - but the muted synths have a very nice analog/Carpenter-esque feel that I adore. The final boss themes for routes A & B are great, 'Contact With You' might be one of my favorite AC tracks ever now, and a certain endgame boss theme has the Hoshino-san vocals everyone loves.
I found the story engaging - albeit I had it pegged at the end of chapter 1 and was basically being proven right again and again. I think the "true"/final ending was a bit underwhelming but I think I'd need some lore writeups to understand it. "Liberator of Rubicon" was probably my favorite of the the three endings just for all the great climaxes and the final boss.
AC6 also has what might be my favorite gimmick fight in a FROM game and it clears just for the sound design alone.
Speaking of bosses they're all decently challenging at first but again - hit that build right and they can barely do anything. The infamous Balteus I nearly managed to chain-stagger into a one-cycle kill.
This is the main problem I have with the game: the FCS stagger system kind of removes a lot of thought from builds and prioritizes going as unga as possible. You don't need tactics when you can stun most bosses instantly.
My final verdict is pilebunker go boom and make the robots fly real good
2021
Having had much time to think, to play other SMT, to dwell on the worlds of man and demon -- this was something of a disappointment.
The narrative and characters were paper-thin to the point they weren't enjoyable. "Ah but these games are atmosphere and themes!" Yeah but the two immediate comparisons to this I'd make - Nocturne and IV - have something going on in the plot and a cast that at least have the illusion of change. The story here is almost non-existent - join a thinly sketched anti-demon group, fight demons, people have poorly defined turns in their arcs (his hat says SUCKER but he takes it off so he isn't a sucker anymore!!!!!!) It feels less like experiencing a story and more like reading a book report written by someone who only read the cliff notes.
The soundtrack is superb - can Kozuka miss even once? Goddamn - and the character designs, demon designs- all the aesthetic shit hits. I'll even forgive the fact the maps are all palette swaps. Tho they do all have a different central gimmick for exploring - still palette swaps!
The dungeons - all 3 of em! - are all bad for different reasons. The first is just dull. The second has one idea. It isn't executed well at all, and by the time it feels like they figured out how to set up puzzles with it - its over. The third combines both flavors and adds an extra bit of spice by making rooms with enemy encounters the same way I made them in Timesplitters 2 on Xbox. Sloppily.
I'm also growing increasingly weary of how mainline has basically stagnated with combat. Press Turn was cool in Nocturne but all the interesting iterations were in Persona or got trapped in a spinoff game and completely ignored.
V's idea of shaking up Press Turn is tacking the Magatsuhi system onto it which is a really boring way of slowly grinding up the ability for one free action that is either useful, shit, or incredibly mid. You basically only use it for bosses or those random enemies who are just idiotically strong for no reasons because it's a complete waste otherwise.
I sure hope that if they do a Maniax style cut I ain't gotta buy it again but I know Atlus has no clue how dlc works.
The narrative and characters were paper-thin to the point they weren't enjoyable. "Ah but these games are atmosphere and themes!" Yeah but the two immediate comparisons to this I'd make - Nocturne and IV - have something going on in the plot and a cast that at least have the illusion of change. The story here is almost non-existent - join a thinly sketched anti-demon group, fight demons, people have poorly defined turns in their arcs (his hat says SUCKER but he takes it off so he isn't a sucker anymore!!!!!!) It feels less like experiencing a story and more like reading a book report written by someone who only read the cliff notes.
The soundtrack is superb - can Kozuka miss even once? Goddamn - and the character designs, demon designs- all the aesthetic shit hits. I'll even forgive the fact the maps are all palette swaps. Tho they do all have a different central gimmick for exploring - still palette swaps!
The dungeons - all 3 of em! - are all bad for different reasons. The first is just dull. The second has one idea. It isn't executed well at all, and by the time it feels like they figured out how to set up puzzles with it - its over. The third combines both flavors and adds an extra bit of spice by making rooms with enemy encounters the same way I made them in Timesplitters 2 on Xbox. Sloppily.
I'm also growing increasingly weary of how mainline has basically stagnated with combat. Press Turn was cool in Nocturne but all the interesting iterations were in Persona or got trapped in a spinoff game and completely ignored.
V's idea of shaking up Press Turn is tacking the Magatsuhi system onto it which is a really boring way of slowly grinding up the ability for one free action that is either useful, shit, or incredibly mid. You basically only use it for bosses or those random enemies who are just idiotically strong for no reasons because it's a complete waste otherwise.
I sure hope that if they do a Maniax style cut I ain't gotta buy it again but I know Atlus has no clue how dlc works.
2023
A game that does a lot right but just as much "wrong" - or at least "shit I don't like". I like multipart boss fights but the balance is skewed way too heavily towards them.
The block/parry system feels like it was designed around having a baseline of the player having beaten a Kuro's Charm run in Sekiro with how strict the timings are.
I liked the way it handled weapons and damage types (tho I think acid and fire getting DOT effects and electric only getting bonus stagger is kinda lame even if I get it). Being able to essentially craft your own weapon out of handles and blades is cool, but there's definitely handles that are better than others and ones that are much much worse than others.
Its ultimately frustrating that so much of this was on-point but I couldn't push past the stuff I disliked or hated to make it through till the end
also fuck the fact that stalker bosses get to have poise when you dont
The block/parry system feels like it was designed around having a baseline of the player having beaten a Kuro's Charm run in Sekiro with how strict the timings are.
I liked the way it handled weapons and damage types (tho I think acid and fire getting DOT effects and electric only getting bonus stagger is kinda lame even if I get it). Being able to essentially craft your own weapon out of handles and blades is cool, but there's definitely handles that are better than others and ones that are much much worse than others.
Its ultimately frustrating that so much of this was on-point but I couldn't push past the stuff I disliked or hated to make it through till the end
also fuck the fact that stalker bosses get to have poise when you dont
completely imbalanced. helluva good time. introduces my gal, rainbow mika. shame she's cursed to bottom tiers in this
yeahhhh this is the stuff. i want more star wars games like this please
2019
Beaten in spirit, not technically (put a pin in that).
As a remaster, barebones. As an original Xbox mecha game with proto-Armored Core 4 controls? Pretty damn fun.
It has some poorly explained mechanics (how investment works isn't really explained in an understandable way) but the core gameplay of fuckin up shit is just enjoyable on such a primal level.
It has some wild difficulty spikes (battleship level and Liberty Island level say hello) but once you have two of the top-tier energy chainguns you can just farm Arizona for an hour and never need to worry about money again.
The writing and voice acting are top tier kitsch, with everyone clearly enjoying their ridiculous lines. Especially the actor for Richard Hawk who is loving every second of playing an over-the-top villain.
The musical score is great, with the main two contributors being FROM's own Kota Hoshino supplying some nice rock jams and contractor Shohei Tsuchiya doing most of the soundtrack. Tsuchiya in particular does all or the majority of the unlockable tracks which are almost all bangers. "Boku no Moku" especially.
Back to the pin. I say beaten in spirit because I basically got to the end. However both times I was either close to finishing Liberty Island, something bad happened. First my computer's hard drive died completely. Then the PS4 kept crashing on victory. My copy is clearly cursed, and I dare not tempt fate.
In closing, I will leave you with one of the strongest quotes I've seen in a piece of fiction recently, from the ending to the Chicago level of this very game:
"I looked up, and saw God. And you know what?
"God is made of steel."
As a remaster, barebones. As an original Xbox mecha game with proto-Armored Core 4 controls? Pretty damn fun.
It has some poorly explained mechanics (how investment works isn't really explained in an understandable way) but the core gameplay of fuckin up shit is just enjoyable on such a primal level.
It has some wild difficulty spikes (battleship level and Liberty Island level say hello) but once you have two of the top-tier energy chainguns you can just farm Arizona for an hour and never need to worry about money again.
The writing and voice acting are top tier kitsch, with everyone clearly enjoying their ridiculous lines. Especially the actor for Richard Hawk who is loving every second of playing an over-the-top villain.
The musical score is great, with the main two contributors being FROM's own Kota Hoshino supplying some nice rock jams and contractor Shohei Tsuchiya doing most of the soundtrack. Tsuchiya in particular does all or the majority of the unlockable tracks which are almost all bangers. "Boku no Moku" especially.
Back to the pin. I say beaten in spirit because I basically got to the end. However both times I was either close to finishing Liberty Island, something bad happened. First my computer's hard drive died completely. Then the PS4 kept crashing on victory. My copy is clearly cursed, and I dare not tempt fate.
In closing, I will leave you with one of the strongest quotes I've seen in a piece of fiction recently, from the ending to the Chicago level of this very game:
"I looked up, and saw God. And you know what?
"God is made of steel."
2003
it took them months but after so long they literally only had a working stinger
and it's the worst stinger in the franchise
and it's the worst stinger in the franchise
fly robots
chase robots
shoot robots
funky o.s.t
kinda sick tbh
chase robots
shoot robots
funky o.s.t
kinda sick tbh
2010
12 years ago, around this same time I played Alan Wake at a perfect time - the time I was devouring Stephen King novels, having finally been afforded the freedom from parental dictate. Its narrative being a very obvious King pastiche/love letter, it was an obvious fit.
But now, 12 years on - still good. The combat and gameplay is still dookie but I found myself appreciating the story even more. And this time, not on 360 I could appreciate how crazy the lighting and fog/smoke effects are.
I think my biggest problem with combat is how often it spawns enemies behind you. I died multiple times because three dudes rushed me from behind and got a wombo combo going that I had no way to escape from.
I now need to get a ps5 so I can have a way to play AW2.
But now, 12 years on - still good. The combat and gameplay is still dookie but I found myself appreciating the story even more. And this time, not on 360 I could appreciate how crazy the lighting and fog/smoke effects are.
I think my biggest problem with combat is how often it spawns enemies behind you. I died multiple times because three dudes rushed me from behind and got a wombo combo going that I had no way to escape from.
I now need to get a ps5 so I can have a way to play AW2.