rikutomysora
What am I going to do about the man in the cage?
at least it's inclusive?
2007
The great thing about this game is that you can boot it up out of sheer boredom and blast your way through the whole thing in one go. I don't know if there's another game with a comedic tone that pulls it off as effortlessly as this.
The first half of this game is godlike. The world design is effortlessly amazing, and more interconnected than any game I have ever played. The sense of a game world being one cohesive whole has never been more palpable than it is here. The bosses are tough but fair. The enemy placement is tough but fair. The challenge is appropriate and satisfying to overcome. Everything through and including Anor Londo is a masterpiece.
The latter half of the game, though, left something to be desired. Unlike the first half of the game, the last half ranges from bafflingly easy (many bosses went down after one or two tries) to frustratingly awful (cough cough Bed of Chaos). Gwyn, who ranks consistently among the hardest Souls bosses, was a total pushover to me. I suppose after beating Malenia for the umpteenth time in Elden Ring, anything is comparatively easy. Still, though, I felt like earlier bosses had a satisfying balance of difficulty and fairness (O&S, Quelaag, Taurus Demon, and countless others come to mind) and many of the later bosses were really lacking that difficulty. The only boss that really fit the bill was the Four Kings.
Also, I think it's pretty stupid that I can't just boot up the DLC after finishing the base game, since it immediately knocks you into NG+. I would have included AooA in my review, had it not been for this really pervasive annoyance. It's a shame because I hear that Artorias is one of the better fights in the game, and I don't feel like blasting through again just to get there.
The latter half of the game, though, left something to be desired. Unlike the first half of the game, the last half ranges from bafflingly easy (many bosses went down after one or two tries) to frustratingly awful (cough cough Bed of Chaos). Gwyn, who ranks consistently among the hardest Souls bosses, was a total pushover to me. I suppose after beating Malenia for the umpteenth time in Elden Ring, anything is comparatively easy. Still, though, I felt like earlier bosses had a satisfying balance of difficulty and fairness (O&S, Quelaag, Taurus Demon, and countless others come to mind) and many of the later bosses were really lacking that difficulty. The only boss that really fit the bill was the Four Kings.
Also, I think it's pretty stupid that I can't just boot up the DLC after finishing the base game, since it immediately knocks you into NG+. I would have included AooA in my review, had it not been for this really pervasive annoyance. It's a shame because I hear that Artorias is one of the better fights in the game, and I don't feel like blasting through again just to get there.
2015
"he was, himself, the most horrible creature he could imagine"
2022
Elden Ring is the best game I have ever played.
A wise man once said, "no pame, no game." He was clearly referring to FromSoftware's catalog with this statement. FromSoft's games are pameful (very, very pameful). I have tried Demon's Souls, Sekiro, and Dark Souls 3 at this point, and every single time I pull away, because they stop being fun and start being frustrating. The cruel irony is, Elden Ring is much, much harder than those games. And yet, this is the first FromSoft game I have played to completion. Why?
Well, for starters, the open world suits this style of gameplay perfectly. This isn't to say that I'm not a fan of the soulsborne combat system within a linear dungeon context-- far from it. I enjoy the linear dungeons in this game quite a bit. What I don't enjoy as much is being trapped in a linear dungeon with no means of progression except throwing my shit at a brick wall until I eventually trial-and-error my way through the level. In Elden Ring, if something is frustrating, I can just go do something else! Literally anything else! There is just so! Much! To! Do! It's frankly ridiculous how fleshed out and detailed the Lands Between ended up being. On the micro-level, you have several grunt enemies scattered around the world that not only present a challenge with regards to progression, but also give the player something to do between going from one major task to another. Occasionally, the NPCs will be involved in a massive battle that the player can disrupt. These build up the world and create interesting situations for the player. That's game design, babey!
Apart from minor grunt enemies, though, there are several little mini-dungeons, platforming challenges, merchants, sidequest NPCs, and even bosses in the open world for the player to interact with. It is densely populated with some of the most interesting encounters possible, and every player is going to have a different experience.
Textbook example: while I was wandering off the beaten path grinding runes so I could beat Margit, I came across a weird purple skeleton boss in a boat. I thought, "this guy looks funny," and proceeded to bash his face in. And I got a funny item called Deathroot! Later, when I went back to Roundtable Hold, some hunter guy told me that this weird dog monster would love to get his hands on my Deathroot, and he marked the location of a portal on my map. When I went through this portal, I was transported to Caelid so I could give my spoils to the funny dog guy. Incidentally, the portal that I went through is a common thing of note in guides for the game, as it is remarkably close to a decent early-game farming spot. A lot of people probably read an IGN guide and found the portal that way-- i just found it naturally by playing the game. Similarly, there are a ton of things that I had to look up in a guide that I'm sure other players stumbled upon completely organically. There are so many opportunities for players to have completely different experiences, simply because the world is so monstrously huge and densely populated with interesting things to do and see. It's really stellar.
Now, of course, the boss fights. They're hard, even from the perspective of other FromSoft titles. They hit many, many times in a row, and have failsafe attacks to prevent you from dodgerolling too much or sneaking in a quick hit from behind. It's hard as shit! Thankfully, the player has a ton of tools at their disposal (if you're not an annoying melee purist). Summons, magic, varying types and styles of weapons, ashes of war... all of these mechanics make a player's personal playstyle infinitely customizable, and it is incredibly satisfying to finally carve a niche out that works consistently. Or, y'know, you can just do the same glintstone build that everyone and their mother is using right now.
There are so many secrets and tricks in this game, it would be nigh impossible to list them all. Hell, it's impossible to even experience them all in a single playthrough. I'm not sure I've experienced even half of the shit this game has to offer, and I've played it for 80 hours! So, I'm calling it. This game is my favorite game of all time. Appropriately difficult, infinitely satisfying, gorgeous visuals, incredibly interesting worldbuilding, and an addicting sense of discovery that will make you come back again, and again, and again, and again.
A wise man once said, "no pame, no game." He was clearly referring to FromSoftware's catalog with this statement. FromSoft's games are pameful (very, very pameful). I have tried Demon's Souls, Sekiro, and Dark Souls 3 at this point, and every single time I pull away, because they stop being fun and start being frustrating. The cruel irony is, Elden Ring is much, much harder than those games. And yet, this is the first FromSoft game I have played to completion. Why?
Well, for starters, the open world suits this style of gameplay perfectly. This isn't to say that I'm not a fan of the soulsborne combat system within a linear dungeon context-- far from it. I enjoy the linear dungeons in this game quite a bit. What I don't enjoy as much is being trapped in a linear dungeon with no means of progression except throwing my shit at a brick wall until I eventually trial-and-error my way through the level. In Elden Ring, if something is frustrating, I can just go do something else! Literally anything else! There is just so! Much! To! Do! It's frankly ridiculous how fleshed out and detailed the Lands Between ended up being. On the micro-level, you have several grunt enemies scattered around the world that not only present a challenge with regards to progression, but also give the player something to do between going from one major task to another. Occasionally, the NPCs will be involved in a massive battle that the player can disrupt. These build up the world and create interesting situations for the player. That's game design, babey!
Apart from minor grunt enemies, though, there are several little mini-dungeons, platforming challenges, merchants, sidequest NPCs, and even bosses in the open world for the player to interact with. It is densely populated with some of the most interesting encounters possible, and every player is going to have a different experience.
Textbook example: while I was wandering off the beaten path grinding runes so I could beat Margit, I came across a weird purple skeleton boss in a boat. I thought, "this guy looks funny," and proceeded to bash his face in. And I got a funny item called Deathroot! Later, when I went back to Roundtable Hold, some hunter guy told me that this weird dog monster would love to get his hands on my Deathroot, and he marked the location of a portal on my map. When I went through this portal, I was transported to Caelid so I could give my spoils to the funny dog guy. Incidentally, the portal that I went through is a common thing of note in guides for the game, as it is remarkably close to a decent early-game farming spot. A lot of people probably read an IGN guide and found the portal that way-- i just found it naturally by playing the game. Similarly, there are a ton of things that I had to look up in a guide that I'm sure other players stumbled upon completely organically. There are so many opportunities for players to have completely different experiences, simply because the world is so monstrously huge and densely populated with interesting things to do and see. It's really stellar.
Now, of course, the boss fights. They're hard, even from the perspective of other FromSoft titles. They hit many, many times in a row, and have failsafe attacks to prevent you from dodgerolling too much or sneaking in a quick hit from behind. It's hard as shit! Thankfully, the player has a ton of tools at their disposal (if you're not an annoying melee purist). Summons, magic, varying types and styles of weapons, ashes of war... all of these mechanics make a player's personal playstyle infinitely customizable, and it is incredibly satisfying to finally carve a niche out that works consistently. Or, y'know, you can just do the same glintstone build that everyone and their mother is using right now.
There are so many secrets and tricks in this game, it would be nigh impossible to list them all. Hell, it's impossible to even experience them all in a single playthrough. I'm not sure I've experienced even half of the shit this game has to offer, and I've played it for 80 hours! So, I'm calling it. This game is my favorite game of all time. Appropriately difficult, infinitely satisfying, gorgeous visuals, incredibly interesting worldbuilding, and an addicting sense of discovery that will make you come back again, and again, and again, and again.
PLA is a really, really addicting game. It's the best that pokemon has ever been by a longshot. I just wish it had better graphics and a more fleshed-out combat system.
2021
This review contains spoilers
Inscryption is the most frustrating kind of game: a game that I'd be more than happy to call perfect if it didn't overstay its welcome.
On the one hand, there is the phenomenal opening act. The initial start-up screen contains voice-over from... some guy, who we later find out to be the pseudo-player character, remarking on booting up this strange game. The "new game" button on the menu is greyed out, and you can only click "continue." You awake in a strange cabin, unsure what has happened to you. You are forced to play a deckbuilding card game by some strange lunatic, who is so obscured by darkness that you can only see his eyes. The cabin is small, but contains several knick-knacks for you to gaze upon-- and puzzles to solve, further mystifying the world of the game. You are introduced to three talking cards, who all hold some sort of grudge against your captor. You proceed through a gauntlet of challenges with your cards, all orchestrated by this mad-man.
Then... you die. And you get to make a deathcard.
The deathcard mechanic, allowing you to make new cards out of elements of cards gathered in your deck upon death, is in my opinion the best feature of Inscryption's gameplay, and the single thing that gives its roguelike nature so much staying power. The rare chance that you actually make a powerful deathcard, combined with the rare chance that you'll actually draw it on subsequent runs, makes the gameplay so much more interesting. To make a powerful deathcard is to understand the game's mechanics inside and out, and to know which abilities are enough to completely break the game. Making a card with 7 attack that attacks twice (for a total of 14 damage per turn) for a cost of only two blood was the highlight of my run.
As the game progresses, the mechanics get more fleshed out, the atmosphere more interesting. The talking cards transmogrify into strange shapes. You finally defeat your captor, and see his true form: a tall, decrepit forest creature that hulks tall above you. You die once more, but now understand that he can be defeated-- and hopefully, outsmarted. Then, you learn some more about what's going on outside of the game-- some card-unboxing YouTuber found a floppy disk in the woods or whatever. Very scary.
Then, you defeat Leshy. And you unlock that new game button.
If the game had ended HERE, I think it would have been perfect. But this is only act 1 of 3. Act 2 provides context to the first, both in terms of the lore of the game and the meta-narrative taking place in the "real world" with our YouTuber protagonist. Act 2 is pretty good, actually. The fleshed out mechanics are a little overwhelming at first, like the gems and the rechargeable battery, but they're introduced one at a time, so it's not too bad. You get more context for the talking cards and the bosses and a bunch of other stuff, and... it's okay? I just miss when nothing was explained. The fear of the unknown from the first act remains unmatched.
And then, there's act 3. Mechanically, it's working with a bunch of interesting new bells and whistles that make the gameplay pretty fun. But it is easily the weakest part of the game. It overstays its welcome very fast, and I found myself praying that I was close to the ending way more than I was actually enjoying the new mechanics that were introduced. At the very least, I can say that the battery concept was intriguing, and the ability to periodically upgrade your cards in several new ways made for a satisfying alternative to the permadeath mechanic in act 1. Still... eh. Sour on act 3.
The ending sequence is bananas bonkers ridiculous and I love it. No notes.
Overall, I really enjoyed Inscryption. I just wish it could take a seat in the hallowed halls of my favorite games of all time, instead of being dragged down by its latter stages.
On the one hand, there is the phenomenal opening act. The initial start-up screen contains voice-over from... some guy, who we later find out to be the pseudo-player character, remarking on booting up this strange game. The "new game" button on the menu is greyed out, and you can only click "continue." You awake in a strange cabin, unsure what has happened to you. You are forced to play a deckbuilding card game by some strange lunatic, who is so obscured by darkness that you can only see his eyes. The cabin is small, but contains several knick-knacks for you to gaze upon-- and puzzles to solve, further mystifying the world of the game. You are introduced to three talking cards, who all hold some sort of grudge against your captor. You proceed through a gauntlet of challenges with your cards, all orchestrated by this mad-man.
Then... you die. And you get to make a deathcard.
The deathcard mechanic, allowing you to make new cards out of elements of cards gathered in your deck upon death, is in my opinion the best feature of Inscryption's gameplay, and the single thing that gives its roguelike nature so much staying power. The rare chance that you actually make a powerful deathcard, combined with the rare chance that you'll actually draw it on subsequent runs, makes the gameplay so much more interesting. To make a powerful deathcard is to understand the game's mechanics inside and out, and to know which abilities are enough to completely break the game. Making a card with 7 attack that attacks twice (for a total of 14 damage per turn) for a cost of only two blood was the highlight of my run.
As the game progresses, the mechanics get more fleshed out, the atmosphere more interesting. The talking cards transmogrify into strange shapes. You finally defeat your captor, and see his true form: a tall, decrepit forest creature that hulks tall above you. You die once more, but now understand that he can be defeated-- and hopefully, outsmarted. Then, you learn some more about what's going on outside of the game-- some card-unboxing YouTuber found a floppy disk in the woods or whatever. Very scary.
Then, you defeat Leshy. And you unlock that new game button.
If the game had ended HERE, I think it would have been perfect. But this is only act 1 of 3. Act 2 provides context to the first, both in terms of the lore of the game and the meta-narrative taking place in the "real world" with our YouTuber protagonist. Act 2 is pretty good, actually. The fleshed out mechanics are a little overwhelming at first, like the gems and the rechargeable battery, but they're introduced one at a time, so it's not too bad. You get more context for the talking cards and the bosses and a bunch of other stuff, and... it's okay? I just miss when nothing was explained. The fear of the unknown from the first act remains unmatched.
And then, there's act 3. Mechanically, it's working with a bunch of interesting new bells and whistles that make the gameplay pretty fun. But it is easily the weakest part of the game. It overstays its welcome very fast, and I found myself praying that I was close to the ending way more than I was actually enjoying the new mechanics that were introduced. At the very least, I can say that the battery concept was intriguing, and the ability to periodically upgrade your cards in several new ways made for a satisfying alternative to the permadeath mechanic in act 1. Still... eh. Sour on act 3.
The ending sequence is bananas bonkers ridiculous and I love it. No notes.
Overall, I really enjoyed Inscryption. I just wish it could take a seat in the hallowed halls of my favorite games of all time, instead of being dragged down by its latter stages.
2021
I had to beat Metroid Dread five times to be absolutely sure, but yeah. It whips. Flawless level design and power progression with amazing combat to boot. Challenging bosses and minibosses that are satisfying to master. Ends with one of the best and craziest boss fights I've ever seen, and an ending sequence that absolutely blew me away. The only bad thing about Metroid Dread is that eventually, you finish it.
It took me a whole month to beat this game, and I can confidently say that it was well worth it. Compared to the rest of the Metal Gear catalogue, MGSV is of gargantuan length, and never really feels undeserving of it. The story may seem sparse, but it is as dense as the other titles if you're willing to do a bit of digging into the cassette tapes. True to the open world level design, the game just feels... fuller. Like you're in the real world, not just a level in a video game.
The cutscenes are some of the best in any video game ever, topped only by Kojima's own Death Stranding. The characters are rich and complex, their goals and motivations compelling, and all of it is tied together by a signature sense of dramatic irony-- the kind of thing inherent in all prequels. We know Ocelot is doomed to die at the hands of Solid Snake, and that is what makes his newfound friendship with Big Boss so incredible to watch.
Only one minor hiccup worth mentioning, and that is a bit of a balance issue. You can get by a lot of the game with a fair bit of skill and minimal equipment upgrades. All of it is completely managable, UNTIL you hit Sahelanthropus, or A Quiet Exit. At that point, you MUST have adequately leveled equipment, or else you are going to get your dick knocked off. It took me a week to finish A Quiet Exit because I had to backtrack and upgrade all of my equipment. Oh, by the way, once you start A Quiet Exit, there's only one way out, and if you're not careful, you'll waste it. So you better be damn sure you're ready before you start it. For a game built upon the principle of preparing for a mission, seeing what works, and determining what works best for any given scenario, the decision to not be able to quit A Quiet Exit feels like a massive, MASSIVE oversight, and without it I would be more than happy to call this game flawless.
The cutscenes are some of the best in any video game ever, topped only by Kojima's own Death Stranding. The characters are rich and complex, their goals and motivations compelling, and all of it is tied together by a signature sense of dramatic irony-- the kind of thing inherent in all prequels. We know Ocelot is doomed to die at the hands of Solid Snake, and that is what makes his newfound friendship with Big Boss so incredible to watch.
Only one minor hiccup worth mentioning, and that is a bit of a balance issue. You can get by a lot of the game with a fair bit of skill and minimal equipment upgrades. All of it is completely managable, UNTIL you hit Sahelanthropus, or A Quiet Exit. At that point, you MUST have adequately leveled equipment, or else you are going to get your dick knocked off. It took me a week to finish A Quiet Exit because I had to backtrack and upgrade all of my equipment. Oh, by the way, once you start A Quiet Exit, there's only one way out, and if you're not careful, you'll waste it. So you better be damn sure you're ready before you start it. For a game built upon the principle of preparing for a mission, seeing what works, and determining what works best for any given scenario, the decision to not be able to quit A Quiet Exit feels like a massive, MASSIVE oversight, and without it I would be more than happy to call this game flawless.
pizza
After the absolute travesty that was Peace Walker, I was hurting for some classic MGS gameplay. Sure, Ground Zeroes is just a single glorified mission, and there really isn't much to do in the main story except for going from point A to point B and rescuing hostages, but the gameplay is satisfying enough to at least keep my attention all the way through. The cutscene direction is absolutely incredible, and that adds a lot of weight to an otherwise light experience. I'm glad I didn't pay $20, or god forbid $30, for this.
There is very, very, VERY little to enjoy about Peace Walker. The stealth mechanics are so over-simplified that they almost become a joke. Combat is much more useful in getting around grunt enemies, to the point where there is almost no point in stealth. HOWEVER, if you don't stealthily take out enemies to build your base, you will fall so far behind that you will need to grind to an absurd degree. Hell, you NEED to grind the shit out of the boss fights just to beat the game, and that can take forever if you don't know what you're doing, which you probably don't unless you're using a walkthrough. Every mission is the same: hit enemies with tranq gun, fulton them to mother base, if you get caught whip out your machine gun. Every boss is the same: hit the AI pod with missiles, when you run out of missiles use your machine gun, when you run out of bullets call in a supply drop. For longer fights like the titular Peace Walker, this process can take upwards of 30 minutes. It's no wonder this game has such an obvious crossover with Monster Hunter-- the bosses are basically Monster Hunter with guns, except in the absolute worst way possible. The only thing keeping me from giving this game the lowest of the lowest possible ratings is the story, which occasionally manages to be impressive when it's not shoving pointless one-off characters with no personality in your face. Maybe you should have focused a bit more time into the relationship between Strangelove and The Boss instead of introducing Chico and Cecile, who offer basically nothing of substance. Fuck this game.
Nowhere to hide.
There is not a single ounce of fat on this game. Every single Metal Gear game is important to this story, and it all blows up in the most epic climax in video game history. Every single character from every single game is fleshed out, compelling, and manages to steal the spotlight at one time or another. This is the greatest narrative ever told in the medium.
The gameplay is a natural evolution of Snake Eater that adds a heavy, HEAVY focus on combat. But that doesn't mean stealth is completely out of the question! There are some segments where stealth is absolutely essential to progression, which is a challenge when the level design is intentionally antithetical to stealth. The OctoCamo is an ingenious complement to this level design, allowing you to blend in seamlessly with the environment nearly everywhere.
There is not a single bad boss fight in this game. The final confrontation with Liquid Ocelot and the fight with Crying Wolf are particular standouts, but every single fight is unique and fun in that signature MGS fashion. Even the REX vs. RAY showdown, which is among the weaker fights, is a badass sequence that feels so satisfying to play though.
This game is the most Kojima that Kojima has ever been. This game has a monkey that drinks soda and smokes cigarettes. This game turns a recurring character who is infamous for farting and shitting all over the place into a compelling love interest. This game simply is the best game, period.
There is not a single ounce of fat on this game. Every single Metal Gear game is important to this story, and it all blows up in the most epic climax in video game history. Every single character from every single game is fleshed out, compelling, and manages to steal the spotlight at one time or another. This is the greatest narrative ever told in the medium.
The gameplay is a natural evolution of Snake Eater that adds a heavy, HEAVY focus on combat. But that doesn't mean stealth is completely out of the question! There are some segments where stealth is absolutely essential to progression, which is a challenge when the level design is intentionally antithetical to stealth. The OctoCamo is an ingenious complement to this level design, allowing you to blend in seamlessly with the environment nearly everywhere.
There is not a single bad boss fight in this game. The final confrontation with Liquid Ocelot and the fight with Crying Wolf are particular standouts, but every single fight is unique and fun in that signature MGS fashion. Even the REX vs. RAY showdown, which is among the weaker fights, is a badass sequence that feels so satisfying to play though.
This game is the most Kojima that Kojima has ever been. This game has a monkey that drinks soda and smokes cigarettes. This game turns a recurring character who is infamous for farting and shitting all over the place into a compelling love interest. This game simply is the best game, period.
2016
And the graphics, that's, y'know, that's really what this is all about