ruthvc
Life is Strange: True Colors is somehow a character-driven game where the characters are entirely one dimensional, defined by their interests or quirks but without flaws or desires or conflicts. It feels like a response to every piece of praise and criticism for the previous mainline games, and having liked both those games, that response feels condescending.
The power of the Pathfinder series that all the ratings (so far) are positive, accompanied by written reviews about how unpleasant the game currently is to actually play. I was relieved when credits rolled - I also know I'll inevitably play it again.
2020
I'm fond of jank - it usually speaks to a level of curiosity and ambition in the design if it doesn't run smoothly. Empire of Sin is a strategy game where you run around taking over Chicago, but it really wants you to invest in the characters, in each character, in your underlings, who have lovers and personality traits and revenge quests and who are shaped by your actions. I was fond! But I could not overcome the bugs, which would stall the xcom-style combat at random points and force you to quit and restart.
2020
Impeccable vibes, with the blending of technological and not-quite-Christian imagery. The testimony and contradiction system is an incredibly neat set of detective mechanics, but it exists in a story that wraps up just a smidge too soon, and doesn't quite feel like it matches up with the story it opens with.
2016
Maybe I gave it more grace room because of the apologetic note at the beginning that it was developed in all of 2005, but this has honestly been the highlight of my month. If a game is going to be just that little bit weird about gender, at least it lets me spend so much time beating the shit out of sexist weirdos.
2018
I can't decide whether to rate this a 2 or a 4. I have flipped back and forth a couple times.
You'd think 'three' is a sensible compromise here, but it's not an average kind of game! It is wild. There is (and this is all in the first episode of five) a cult, which contains you, and also George Washington, and also a cardinal of the Pope. Napoleon is there. A murder happens!
Even if you're along for the ride, there's a point where the game really takes advantage of your good faith - but it's also built on these really interesting dialogue puzzles, so it doesn't even solely exist in a 'enjoy, but ironically' space.
I don't think this is a good game? But I also want to play anything the creators make next. It does things, even if some of it is weird and clumsy. So take from that what you will.
You'd think 'three' is a sensible compromise here, but it's not an average kind of game! It is wild. There is (and this is all in the first episode of five) a cult, which contains you, and also George Washington, and also a cardinal of the Pope. Napoleon is there. A murder happens!
Even if you're along for the ride, there's a point where the game really takes advantage of your good faith - but it's also built on these really interesting dialogue puzzles, so it doesn't even solely exist in a 'enjoy, but ironically' space.
I don't think this is a good game? But I also want to play anything the creators make next. It does things, even if some of it is weird and clumsy. So take from that what you will.
2011
Dragon Age 2 was Good, Actually
Its scope is small which means it does very specific things with its story. You don't save the world, so you look at this unfolding political conflict in one city, and the many factors that contribute to that. Honestly some of the best Dragon Age storytelling - at the cost of all the caves being the same map. A trade off I'm fine with!
Its scope is small which means it does very specific things with its story. You don't save the world, so you look at this unfolding political conflict in one city, and the many factors that contribute to that. Honestly some of the best Dragon Age storytelling - at the cost of all the caves being the same map. A trade off I'm fine with!
Return of the Obra Dinn, as much as I can 'objectively' respect its design, required more from me as a player than I could give! My accent recognition is bad, my facial recognition is worse... I was not a match with the tools this game used.
2019
I wanted to love Outer Worlds - it seemed to give every other critic beautiful and/or horrified existential feelings. Ultimately, the puzzles and exploration controls were a little too opaque for me. I spent a lot of time either struggling to identify what I needed to do, or failing to execute it because of the wiggliness of space - I was always just out of the flow for it.
Every campfire in space was lovely, though. I only wish I could have roasted more marshmallows.
Every campfire in space was lovely, though. I only wish I could have roasted more marshmallows.