srirachha15
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srirachha15
reviewed
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
This review contains spoilers
Here's a hot take: I don't like this game very much. I think the story makes a lot of mistakes. The extremely slow pacing at times, Elena basically teleporting to Madagascar just for the argument scene to happen, Sam Drake basically being the villain of the entire thing and facing little to no consequences for his actions, there's a lot wrong here. Even Sam's lie is absolutely atrocious. The fact that a literal Google search could've derailed his whole plan yet Sully and Nate still fall for his ruse is SO FUCKING STUPID. Not to mention, Nadine, a character who serves as a sort of big adversary for Drake, is extremely underutilized and plays little to no role in the story. And it doesn't end there. The game doesn't understand what tone it's trying to go for. Is it trying to take on a more gritty, Last of Us-like approach for Nate's final adventure by portraying our beloved characters as grey, heavily toning down some of its usual over-the-top antics, and making Nathan Drake's last adventure an introspective character study? Or is it trying to be an over-the-top, action romp that indulges on its unrealistic, action blockbuster style to wrap up the character's story with a fun final adventure? I CAN'T ANSWER THIS FOR YOU BECAUSE EVEN THE GAME DOESN'T KNOW. Druckmann and Straley couldn't make up their mind on whether they wanted this to be a Last of Us game or an Uncharted game, so instead we get this weird mishmash of ideas that work against each other. Not only that, but it negatively impacts the game's pacing. Uncharted games are known for being fast-paced and featuring a ton of action, and this game doesn't have that. Rather, it slows things down to make the game's story more cinematic, with a ton of dialogue, cutscenes, and way too much parkour. The combat, which is also watered down from Uncharted 3, isn't present for long enough to balance this, so most times you're doing mundane things like slowly driving up a muddy hill after tying a winch around a tree or jumping onto something to balance a beam Elena can cross and it really just serves to pad out the runtime and nothing more. These moments have little to nothing memorable about them and make the game feel like busy work, and although I thought this was in service for a more grounded Uncharted game, the game then goes on to create some of the most bombastic, unrealistic setpieces in series history. And although I should've been enjoying these moments, they actually made me livid. If you were capable of creating such sequences this entire time, WHY ARE THEY BARELY IN THE GAME?
Now that all of my complaints are out of the way, let me explain why the game still has a solid score. The game gives Nathan Drake an incredible sendoff. The ending of this game alone is a 10/10 and had me in tears. Nate risking his life one last time to save someone he cares about rather than for the treasure was an incredible conclusion to his arc in this game. Speaking of which, I love how the game uses its theme of obsession to drag Nate back to the life he once missed. Not only that, but how the trail to Henry Avery's treasure shows the outcome of that very obsession, with Tew and Avery's past mirroring Nate, Sam, and Rafe. It's genius and although not everything the story attempts to do succeeds, this does. The graphics are absolutely incredible and the production's high quality is undeniable. Despite my complaints about the game's slower moments, I think one segment of the game is incredible, and that's Chapter 12. They give you an entire island to explore to your heart's content, but unlike the other open areas of the game, this one isn't hollow and actually has a ton of things to see. Not only that, but the game lets you find your own way to your destination, respecting the player's intelligence and letting them take the wheel for once. It's one of my favorite chapters in the entire game. Rafe is a pretty good antagonist as well due to his history with the Drake brothers and the fact that he's just an ordinary rich guy who wants the treasure for glory just like everyone else in the business. The simplicity of his character is what makes him stand out in a series known for cartoonishly evil villains. Hell, there was a moment where he even made Nate and Sam look like the villains later in the game. I wish he had more screentime (it would've easily filled in some of the boring patches of the game) but to be fair, there wasn't a lot to his character either, so I'm actually okay with the decision of letting him take a backseat for most of the game. I thought the first 7 chapters and the last 4 chapters were incredible. The game has a very strong beginning and end. Chapter 21 was another highlight, showing us how much better the game would've been if they had used the grappling hook and parkour segments to their fullest potential. And finally, the setpieces. As much as they take a backseat in this game, the few times they are here leave a mark. The entirety of Chapter 20 is one of my favorite segments of all time. The car chase is an incredible evolution of the convoy segments of 2 and 3. The adrenaline of Chapter 15's ambush reminded me of what this franchise is capable of. We needed more of that.
In conclusion, this game is a mess but its heart is in the right place, and that's what saves this game. That and the Multiplayer and Survival modes, they are awesome. Fighting Henry Avery as a Djinn while playing as Charlie Cutter? Sign me the fuck up.
Now that all of my complaints are out of the way, let me explain why the game still has a solid score. The game gives Nathan Drake an incredible sendoff. The ending of this game alone is a 10/10 and had me in tears. Nate risking his life one last time to save someone he cares about rather than for the treasure was an incredible conclusion to his arc in this game. Speaking of which, I love how the game uses its theme of obsession to drag Nate back to the life he once missed. Not only that, but how the trail to Henry Avery's treasure shows the outcome of that very obsession, with Tew and Avery's past mirroring Nate, Sam, and Rafe. It's genius and although not everything the story attempts to do succeeds, this does. The graphics are absolutely incredible and the production's high quality is undeniable. Despite my complaints about the game's slower moments, I think one segment of the game is incredible, and that's Chapter 12. They give you an entire island to explore to your heart's content, but unlike the other open areas of the game, this one isn't hollow and actually has a ton of things to see. Not only that, but the game lets you find your own way to your destination, respecting the player's intelligence and letting them take the wheel for once. It's one of my favorite chapters in the entire game. Rafe is a pretty good antagonist as well due to his history with the Drake brothers and the fact that he's just an ordinary rich guy who wants the treasure for glory just like everyone else in the business. The simplicity of his character is what makes him stand out in a series known for cartoonishly evil villains. Hell, there was a moment where he even made Nate and Sam look like the villains later in the game. I wish he had more screentime (it would've easily filled in some of the boring patches of the game) but to be fair, there wasn't a lot to his character either, so I'm actually okay with the decision of letting him take a backseat for most of the game. I thought the first 7 chapters and the last 4 chapters were incredible. The game has a very strong beginning and end. Chapter 21 was another highlight, showing us how much better the game would've been if they had used the grappling hook and parkour segments to their fullest potential. And finally, the setpieces. As much as they take a backseat in this game, the few times they are here leave a mark. The entirety of Chapter 20 is one of my favorite segments of all time. The car chase is an incredible evolution of the convoy segments of 2 and 3. The adrenaline of Chapter 15's ambush reminded me of what this franchise is capable of. We needed more of that.
In conclusion, this game is a mess but its heart is in the right place, and that's what saves this game. That and the Multiplayer and Survival modes, they are awesome. Fighting Henry Avery as a Djinn while playing as Charlie Cutter? Sign me the fuck up.
23 hrs ago
srirachha15
reviewed
The Last of Us Part II: Remastered
The definitive way to play The Last of Us Part II. No Return is an excellent bonus mode that gives the game a ton of replayability similar to how Uncharted 4's Multiplayer and Survival Mode did for their game. The Lost Levels were a cool deleted scenes section that let you play through unfinished levels with director's commentary that give you a little more insight into the development of the game. Finally, the new director's commentary walk you through the thought process of the writers to understand and digest the story beats of the game better. On top of this, you get Guitar Free Play, new skins, Dualsense haptics and more in what should've been called a Director's Cut rather than a remaster. Better yet, if you own the game already, you get this all this shit for 10 DOLLARS. And if you don't, the game is only 50 DOLLARS, 10 dollars cheaper than what the game was at launch with only story mode. It seems like Naughty Dog learned their lesson with the Part I Remake and wanted to thank us for being fans. If you already own Part II, plan on giving it another chance, or are playing it for the first time, buying this version is a no brainer.
2 days ago
srirachha15
completed
Portal: Still Alive
2 days ago
srirachha15
completed
Rocket League: Season 2
2 days ago
srirachha15
completed
Resident Evil 4
2 days ago
srirachha15
completed
Resident Evil Village: Shadows of Rose
Some good moments here and there can't save this unnecessary DLC from its pitfalls. Rose is annoying, the dialogue is very cringe, and the story is ultimately pointless. I can appreciate what they were going for with the whole "Alice in Wonderland" vibe but there's not enough good here. Whatever is here, however, still made my time somewhat worthwhile but overall, this DLC was poorly handled. I can't really recommend it.
5 days ago
srirachha15
completed
Resident Evil Village
10 days ago
srirachha15
reviewed
The Evil Within
Nobody told me this was the Dark Souls of survival horror beforehand.
14 days ago
srirachha15
reviewed
Far Cry 4
Worst story in gaming history. It was so fucking bad. Ajay is a bland, bumbling idiot. Pagan Min is also an idiot, not being able to make up his mind on whether he wants to kill Ajay or not. The mythological aspect was cool but for some reason they tried to tie it into the main story and it didn't make any sense. The characters are all either terribly written, cliche, or annoying. Sabal was the only character I liked in the entire thing, probably because I only picked his missions over Amita. Amita was also fine as a character, I just didn't see much of her. I did like what they did with letting the player choose who they side with in the golden path. I also like how both characters were flawed and the fact that they gave you multiple options on how you want that subplot to end. But the rest of the story was a nonsensical mess. Even some of the story missions were very poorly designed at times. AND THE ENDING. OH MY FUCKING GOD. THIS IS THE WORST ENDING TO A GAME EVER. You get NO ANSWERS and the game basically tells you everything you did was POINTLESS. AND THE WORST PART? THE GAME BLAMES AJAY FOR IT. WHEN IT'S LITERALLY PAGAN'S FAULT FOR BEING A TOTAL DUMBFUCK FOR THE ENTIRE 15 HOUR PLAYTHROUGH. FUCK THIS STORY.
This game is solely redeemed by its gameplay. This is basically Far Cry 3, but better in every imaginable way. The combat is mostly unchanged but still fun. The traversal got a giant facelift, not only with additions like rappelling steep terrains with leftover ropes and stuff, but also LETTING YOU SWITCH BETWEEN WINGSUIT AND PARACHUTE AS MANY TIMES AS YOU WANT. That alone was a game changer, allowing the player way more freedom and ease with traversing the map. The new vehicles were also cool too, from a flying bike TO A FUCKING ELEPHANT. Some setpieces were also pretty memorable, especially the ones in the Himalayas. Paragliding through an avalanche was really sick. This is also the first game in the series to introduce co-op to the open-world. The amount of stuff to do here is also crazy. I've beaten the story and have somehow only thoroughly explored half the map, which is insane. The random karma events help give the player something to do while going from point A to point B. There's even a feature where you can go rogue if you attack your Golden Path comrades, which is really sick. The overall production and presentation of the game is great and a noticeable upgrade from Far Cry 3, although I did notice the game get really foggy and dark sometimes out of nowhere, which did get a little annoying. I also encountered a good chunk of frame rate dips. I don't usually nitpick graphics, but it was really distracting in this game for some reason. The driving controls were also ass but you can change them to the Far Cry 3 controls in the settings, which was nice. Autodriving was also a cool feature.
In conclusion, I recommend playing Far Cry 3 first, as this game kinda assumes that you played that game first and are familiar with the gameplay loop. As someone who played 4 first, I definitely recommend playing 3 beforehand to know what you're doing. I recommend Far Cry 3 over this game, but if you are itching for more Far Cry 3, this game is a must-buy. It expands and improves on its mechanics and design (albeit with a way worse story) and has a ton of content. It's also the last true Far Cry game before they shit the bed with 5.
This game is solely redeemed by its gameplay. This is basically Far Cry 3, but better in every imaginable way. The combat is mostly unchanged but still fun. The traversal got a giant facelift, not only with additions like rappelling steep terrains with leftover ropes and stuff, but also LETTING YOU SWITCH BETWEEN WINGSUIT AND PARACHUTE AS MANY TIMES AS YOU WANT. That alone was a game changer, allowing the player way more freedom and ease with traversing the map. The new vehicles were also cool too, from a flying bike TO A FUCKING ELEPHANT. Some setpieces were also pretty memorable, especially the ones in the Himalayas. Paragliding through an avalanche was really sick. This is also the first game in the series to introduce co-op to the open-world. The amount of stuff to do here is also crazy. I've beaten the story and have somehow only thoroughly explored half the map, which is insane. The random karma events help give the player something to do while going from point A to point B. There's even a feature where you can go rogue if you attack your Golden Path comrades, which is really sick. The overall production and presentation of the game is great and a noticeable upgrade from Far Cry 3, although I did notice the game get really foggy and dark sometimes out of nowhere, which did get a little annoying. I also encountered a good chunk of frame rate dips. I don't usually nitpick graphics, but it was really distracting in this game for some reason. The driving controls were also ass but you can change them to the Far Cry 3 controls in the settings, which was nice. Autodriving was also a cool feature.
In conclusion, I recommend playing Far Cry 3 first, as this game kinda assumes that you played that game first and are familiar with the gameplay loop. As someone who played 4 first, I definitely recommend playing 3 beforehand to know what you're doing. I recommend Far Cry 3 over this game, but if you are itching for more Far Cry 3, this game is a must-buy. It expands and improves on its mechanics and design (albeit with a way worse story) and has a ton of content. It's also the last true Far Cry game before they shit the bed with 5.
14 days ago
srirachha15
reviewed
Astro's Playroom
Yeah. I don't care if it's just a tech demo. This is a must-play. It's a great platformer with a ton of PlayStation nostalgia and cool mechanics, taking full advantage of the DualSense controller. I was flabbergasted at how good it was, how much content was present, and how much depth was put into everything. It gets a perfect score from me.
14 days ago
srirachha15
reviewed
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune Remastered
It should be known that I really don't like this game. It's not the worst in the world, and the characters are fun (Eddy Raja in particular), but it's a slog to get through. There is way too much combat in this game, and it's not very good. The stealth in this game is barely functional and there is way too much downtime in the story. The story is also not the best, despite not being awful. I think it picks up in the third act and the final chapters of the game with the supernatural enemies are really good and well-designed. I also think the initial couple hours of the game are good before you go to the island. The final boss fight is utter fucking bullshit. All in all, I just don't think it's a good way to get into the series. Just start with 2.
14 days ago
srirachha15
reviewed
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception Remastered
Okay, so the game is really really fun.
I think Uncharted 3 is the most divisive entry in the series for good reason. The story is not as well-paced or well-written as its predecessor. Nathan Drake has a personal rivalry with Marlowe, which is never really fleshed out? The flashback does make it make sense, but I really felt there would be more to the treasure he wants to find here other than "I wanted to as a kid". The villains are also really weird. I get they are part of an occult but teleportation as a power? It seems way too OP for the villains to only use it once or twice in convenient moments. We never really get any answers behind a lot of what goes down, but I do think the character work and the obsession of Nathan Drake towards the treasure in this one makes the game stand out. I also like how, starting Chapter 12, the stakes are raised and the game doesn't slow down at all. Not one bit. It goes from setpiece after setpiece and gets batshit crazy, at times to a fault. There's a couple moments in this game where the plot armor gets RIDICULOUS, even for Uncharted standards. But it's all very very fun. I think this game has the best combat in the series by far (better than even 4). The hand to hand melee combat is completely revamped, and the addition of aerial attacks and more dynamic combat arenas make the game a blast to play, especially in the shipyard segment (it should be mentioned that this is the only game in the series where you can throw back grenades). This game also has the most Sully screentime and it really does make the best use out of it. Sully and Nate's relationship in this game is definitely a highlight. Overall, if you like the series and haven't given this one a shot, I think it's definitely worth a playthrough. I just can't guarantee you're going to love the story, despite there being some stuff to like in it.
I think Uncharted 3 is the most divisive entry in the series for good reason. The story is not as well-paced or well-written as its predecessor. Nathan Drake has a personal rivalry with Marlowe, which is never really fleshed out? The flashback does make it make sense, but I really felt there would be more to the treasure he wants to find here other than "I wanted to as a kid". The villains are also really weird. I get they are part of an occult but teleportation as a power? It seems way too OP for the villains to only use it once or twice in convenient moments. We never really get any answers behind a lot of what goes down, but I do think the character work and the obsession of Nathan Drake towards the treasure in this one makes the game stand out. I also like how, starting Chapter 12, the stakes are raised and the game doesn't slow down at all. Not one bit. It goes from setpiece after setpiece and gets batshit crazy, at times to a fault. There's a couple moments in this game where the plot armor gets RIDICULOUS, even for Uncharted standards. But it's all very very fun. I think this game has the best combat in the series by far (better than even 4). The hand to hand melee combat is completely revamped, and the addition of aerial attacks and more dynamic combat arenas make the game a blast to play, especially in the shipyard segment (it should be mentioned that this is the only game in the series where you can throw back grenades). This game also has the most Sully screentime and it really does make the best use out of it. Sully and Nate's relationship in this game is definitely a highlight. Overall, if you like the series and haven't given this one a shot, I think it's definitely worth a playthrough. I just can't guarantee you're going to love the story, despite there being some stuff to like in it.
14 days ago
srirachha15
reviewed
Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition
I played this mostly around 2020 and finished the last hour of the game in 2021. So technically this should be on the 2020 list but it's not. Doesn't change how I feel about it or anything, just wanted to point that out.
This game is basically Uncharted if it was on a larger scale, had a darker story, and had more of a survival aspect to it. I think the open-world was a really cool aspect of the game. Randomly running into enemies and wildlife that you can kill while exploring did keep the game engaging. I do like how it gatekeeps tools until later on in the story so the traversal always has something fresh to it. This is the only game in the entire trilogy where the combat is enjoyable. It kept things balanced and never made Lara too OP. I also think the story here is pretty serviceable. I didn't really care about half the characters because they get killed off before you get to properly know them, but I did find a couple characters to be pretty cool, especially due to the impact they have on Lara and her story. I really like the fact that this is an origin story for Lara and how this story serves to explain the reason why she continues to go on to do more life-threatening expeditions after this one. I think the villains also deserve a shoutout. Not only did I find them to be well-written, but the supernatural enemies really delivered on giving this game a darker, almost horror-like vibe. I really like this game's aesthetic. The tombs were also fun and well-crafted. There isn't any other side content to do outside of the tombs though. I revisited it recently and it feels like there is nothing to do outside of collectible hunting once all the tombs are completed, which isn't the worst thing in the world, but I just wanted to point that out. All in all, not everything about it was the best, but it was still a thrilling, solid adventure through and through. I'd recommend this one over the sequels.
This game is basically Uncharted if it was on a larger scale, had a darker story, and had more of a survival aspect to it. I think the open-world was a really cool aspect of the game. Randomly running into enemies and wildlife that you can kill while exploring did keep the game engaging. I do like how it gatekeeps tools until later on in the story so the traversal always has something fresh to it. This is the only game in the entire trilogy where the combat is enjoyable. It kept things balanced and never made Lara too OP. I also think the story here is pretty serviceable. I didn't really care about half the characters because they get killed off before you get to properly know them, but I did find a couple characters to be pretty cool, especially due to the impact they have on Lara and her story. I really like the fact that this is an origin story for Lara and how this story serves to explain the reason why she continues to go on to do more life-threatening expeditions after this one. I think the villains also deserve a shoutout. Not only did I find them to be well-written, but the supernatural enemies really delivered on giving this game a darker, almost horror-like vibe. I really like this game's aesthetic. The tombs were also fun and well-crafted. There isn't any other side content to do outside of the tombs though. I revisited it recently and it feels like there is nothing to do outside of collectible hunting once all the tombs are completed, which isn't the worst thing in the world, but I just wanted to point that out. All in all, not everything about it was the best, but it was still a thrilling, solid adventure through and through. I'd recommend this one over the sequels.
14 days ago
srirachha15
followed
Yoav
14 days ago
srirachha15
commented on
srirachha15's
review of
The Last of Us Part II
@Yoav You're right, but I still feel like it wasn't the best direction to go with it personally. It goes along with my previous complaint a bit. The game makes a lot of choices with the story that could've been done better. Personally, sticking with making us like Owen would've made the scene when she returns to the aquarium after Ellie's onslaught much more impactful. However, the effect is lost due to the divisive decisions they made with his character, which in turn also took me out of playing as Abby for a bit as well. The game's self-awareness about it barely helped me stick with it, and by the time we got to the later revelations with her arc, I was like "this is awesome, but I don't think it was worth sitting through all of that other stuff". I've played the game four times and I still feel this way. As much as I like that almost everyone in here was a gray character, Owen was one of those guys they should've left alone. I think the fact he was leaving Mel to find the Fireflies was enough to make him gray. We could've avoided the love triangle bs. Still love the game though.
14 days ago