tragos
Nintendo's half-assed "live-service" angle keeps ruining games that would otherwise be amazing.
I did spend over 400 hours playing this shit though. That's something.
I did spend over 400 hours playing this shit though. That's something.
Such a unique, clever experience. Couldn't have done it without guides though, but that's to be expected I guess. Still, the story, characters, atmosphere and humour make it worth the time and effort.
2005
It's a pretty fun game with a unique art-style and character, fun swinging mechanics and some neat ideas, playing as Venom was really fun. It's held down by it's repetitive, padding nature that I just couldn't cope with. Hence the shelved status. May come back to it some other time, try to finish it, but for now...
The best way to experience these classic games. Doesn't really change the fact that both versions of SMB2 suck ass.
2023
Well, not much to complain about here. Basically all I could wish for in a modern Sonic game. All of Frontiers' faults in my eyes are absent here. Dream Team is focused, has a great gameplay flow, sense of speed, momentum and generally well-functioning physics, responsive movement with both a controller and touch controls. The final boss was actually good for once.
The most striking thing, from it's initial reveal, was the visual identity of the game. It, oh great heavens, has one! Unlike a certain other Sonic game... The levels are vibrant, filled with actual character, the character models, after a few small tweaks, are finally expressive and well animated, and it all just looks really good, especially for a mobile game. Seems like they actually had a vision for this one. It also ran really well on my iPhone 11.
Then again, the game isn't without it's flaws. As it is, unfortunately, a mobile game, the difficulty level is... low. Understandable, as most people will play this with touch controls, but it is a fault nonetheless. It didn't really bring much challenge to the table. The soundtrack is pretty weak, with few songs that are repeated constantly. And none of them are particurarly good. It is, however, better than whatever Ohtani cooked up for cyberspace in Frontiers. It was also pretty hard to see stuff at times, but that is the fault of the device.
If I were to say what this game reminds me of, I would say Spark 3 and Super Mario 3D Land. Spark 3 because it really seems like Hardlight played the game and thought "Ey, why not try doing this?" and 3D Land because this feels like Sonic's 3D Land, if you know what I mean.
As sad as it is to say, the best 3D Sonic game since 2011's Generations is a mobile game not even made by Sonic Team. I do hope they make something in a similar vain to Dream Team but with a wider scope, a full console experience with beautiful graphics, even better gameplay feel, great soundtrack... but it's Sonic we're talking about. I wouldn't get my hopes up.
The most striking thing, from it's initial reveal, was the visual identity of the game. It, oh great heavens, has one! Unlike a certain other Sonic game... The levels are vibrant, filled with actual character, the character models, after a few small tweaks, are finally expressive and well animated, and it all just looks really good, especially for a mobile game. Seems like they actually had a vision for this one. It also ran really well on my iPhone 11.
Then again, the game isn't without it's flaws. As it is, unfortunately, a mobile game, the difficulty level is... low. Understandable, as most people will play this with touch controls, but it is a fault nonetheless. It didn't really bring much challenge to the table. The soundtrack is pretty weak, with few songs that are repeated constantly. And none of them are particurarly good. It is, however, better than whatever Ohtani cooked up for cyberspace in Frontiers. It was also pretty hard to see stuff at times, but that is the fault of the device.
If I were to say what this game reminds me of, I would say Spark 3 and Super Mario 3D Land. Spark 3 because it really seems like Hardlight played the game and thought "Ey, why not try doing this?" and 3D Land because this feels like Sonic's 3D Land, if you know what I mean.
As sad as it is to say, the best 3D Sonic game since 2011's Generations is a mobile game not even made by Sonic Team. I do hope they make something in a similar vain to Dream Team but with a wider scope, a full console experience with beautiful graphics, even better gameplay feel, great soundtrack... but it's Sonic we're talking about. I wouldn't get my hopes up.
Not only is this a fantastic remake of Blue Shift, it's also an outstanding expansion that turns a short, simple add-on to the original Half-Life into a full-fledged, unique experience that surprised me every step of the way. Granted, the mod is not finished yet, as Chapter 5 is slated for Summer 2024, but even now it offers more than enough for me to recommend it whole-heartedly.
2016
Would have been much more fun if me and my friends were native English speakers. It was rather tough to come up with believable prompts that fit into the Jackbox scheme. I really wish I could like this game, though. It's very competently made and has a nice style.
2020
Just pure fun. Filled me with this childlike sense of excitement, really made the PS5 feel like something grand. A fantastic showcase of the wonderful DualSense controller and a great trip through PlayStation history. It was so fun finding all the little references to different games, looking at the creative level design and collecting all the different consoles and accessories that have been beautifully recreated as detailed 3D models.
This game really does remind me of the old PlayStation, in the best way possible. You know, the pre-Uncharted PlayStation. A shame they'll probably never make something like this again.
And it's free!
This game really does remind me of the old PlayStation, in the best way possible. You know, the pre-Uncharted PlayStation. A shame they'll probably never make something like this again.
And it's free!
Yeah, I think I like the first one better, even though I expected this game to blow it's predecessor out of the water.
Sly 2 is really fun. Sometimes. Now, this is the game that really gave Sly it's own identity as a series with a bigger focus on stealth and traversal. That being said - man is this shit annoying.
So in Sly 1 you had linear platformer levels. They were all unique, quick and fun. You had little open areas but they were more like hubs for selecting your next level. Sly 2 gives you around 5 open areas to explore freely. Ambitious, sure, but I honestly prefer the linear structure from the first game. In Sly 2 you run in circles around the same area doing the same things over and over again. While Bentley and Murray do bring some variety to the game, it's very short-lived, as almost all of their quests boil down to the same things. I found Sly 2's structure to be tedious and repetitive. Add the bullshit enemy placement and small FOV that make it really hard to sneak around without getting 17 enemies on your head who leave you with no option other than using the smoke bomb and running away, and the experience becomes exhausting. By the end I just really wanted this game to be over.
But it does get points for telling me to go outside after the credits rolled. Good advice.
Sly 2 is really fun. Sometimes. Now, this is the game that really gave Sly it's own identity as a series with a bigger focus on stealth and traversal. That being said - man is this shit annoying.
So in Sly 1 you had linear platformer levels. They were all unique, quick and fun. You had little open areas but they were more like hubs for selecting your next level. Sly 2 gives you around 5 open areas to explore freely. Ambitious, sure, but I honestly prefer the linear structure from the first game. In Sly 2 you run in circles around the same area doing the same things over and over again. While Bentley and Murray do bring some variety to the game, it's very short-lived, as almost all of their quests boil down to the same things. I found Sly 2's structure to be tedious and repetitive. Add the bullshit enemy placement and small FOV that make it really hard to sneak around without getting 17 enemies on your head who leave you with no option other than using the smoke bomb and running away, and the experience becomes exhausting. By the end I just really wanted this game to be over.
But it does get points for telling me to go outside after the credits rolled. Good advice.
2023
Took my sweet time with this one.
Great game. The Pikmin gameplay loop has been smoothed out with many QoL updates that are very welcome and make the experience a wonderful time. It's a beautiful, charming and original game that, while on the easier side, provides some engaging fun.
And when I say it's beautiful, I mean it. Probably the best looking Switch game by far.
Great game. The Pikmin gameplay loop has been smoothed out with many QoL updates that are very welcome and make the experience a wonderful time. It's a beautiful, charming and original game that, while on the easier side, provides some engaging fun.
And when I say it's beautiful, I mean it. Probably the best looking Switch game by far.
This review contains spoilers
An extremely safe, bland sequel. Back in the day we would have had to wait for this for like 3 years at most. Now you wait 5 years just to get something like this.
The gameplay is a bit better than in the 2018 game. The traversal is the best part of this game by far and it is admittedly fantastic. The web-wings are a great additon. I was afraid they would be too OP, but they're not. Overall an improvement.
I'm not a fan of the combat, but that's not unique to this game. It's basically the same as in the previous two. You mash square, you use your abilities when they charge, you dodge, you mash square. The bosses are basically the same, they're just more spongey, naturally. The symbiote fury was cool though. It shouldn't take 10 hits from Spider-Man to take down some random thug. I don't know, I just don't feel like the combat offers anything unique here. Just mundane and unexciting.
Why the heck did they keep the universally hated MJ missions? It couldn't be subtle propaganda... could it?
So the gameplay is an improvement over the first game, not by a lot, but... you know. If it ain't broke don't fix it? The qualms I have with the combat come down to personal taste. And so do my problems with the story.
The story is really bad. Has it's moments, but they are few and far between. Mostly just rushed, uninteresting and insulting to Spidey fans. They force Miles as the main Spider-Man, making Peter a fucking joke who is incapable of doing his job without an alien boosting his powers, and yet our little Kid Arachnid has like no business being there. Just pops in once in a while to save Pete's ass. He also has his little plotline with Li, but it's so forced, so devoid of any tension and emotion. And they're gonna add ANOTHER Spider-(Wo)Man in the next game. What a joke. The entire ending is a joke. Such a downgrade compared to the first game's story. Fortunately an upgrade over Miles Morales. And trust me, I wouldn't be complaining about the story if it wasn't such a big focus. I don't care if the story is good as long as the game is not a "cinematic" experience. Spidey 2 is, after all, a modern Sony game. If it focuses so much on the story, at least make the story good.
I won't even mention the ideological narrative woven through the game, as many have done that before.
It's fine. It's a fine game. Nothing more.
The gameplay is a bit better than in the 2018 game. The traversal is the best part of this game by far and it is admittedly fantastic. The web-wings are a great additon. I was afraid they would be too OP, but they're not. Overall an improvement.
I'm not a fan of the combat, but that's not unique to this game. It's basically the same as in the previous two. You mash square, you use your abilities when they charge, you dodge, you mash square. The bosses are basically the same, they're just more spongey, naturally. The symbiote fury was cool though. It shouldn't take 10 hits from Spider-Man to take down some random thug. I don't know, I just don't feel like the combat offers anything unique here. Just mundane and unexciting.
Why the heck did they keep the universally hated MJ missions? It couldn't be subtle propaganda... could it?
So the gameplay is an improvement over the first game, not by a lot, but... you know. If it ain't broke don't fix it? The qualms I have with the combat come down to personal taste. And so do my problems with the story.
The story is really bad. Has it's moments, but they are few and far between. Mostly just rushed, uninteresting and insulting to Spidey fans. They force Miles as the main Spider-Man, making Peter a fucking joke who is incapable of doing his job without an alien boosting his powers, and yet our little Kid Arachnid has like no business being there. Just pops in once in a while to save Pete's ass. He also has his little plotline with Li, but it's so forced, so devoid of any tension and emotion. And they're gonna add ANOTHER Spider-(Wo)Man in the next game. What a joke. The entire ending is a joke. Such a downgrade compared to the first game's story. Fortunately an upgrade over Miles Morales. And trust me, I wouldn't be complaining about the story if it wasn't such a big focus. I don't care if the story is good as long as the game is not a "cinematic" experience. Spidey 2 is, after all, a modern Sony game. If it focuses so much on the story, at least make the story good.
I won't even mention the ideological narrative woven through the game, as many have done that before.
It's fine. It's a fine game. Nothing more.
Well, that was fantastic.
Loved my time with this one, a much more pleasant experience than Sly 2. The game is streamlined, much less tedious, repetitive and annoying. I see how the lack of collectibles might sting, but I didn't really bother collecting them when they were there, so...
The variety of gameplay styles is fun, though some additions are worse than the others. Particularly the diving missions and the whole pirate shtick, felt a bit out of place.
The story doesn't have the same stakes that Sly 2's or even Sly 1's story had, but it's a nice send-off for the gang and the characterisation is on point, as always.
Yeah, I think Sly 3 is the best in the series. Now I just gotta wait for Sony to rerelease Thieves in Time on PS5 so I can play that one.
Loved my time with this one, a much more pleasant experience than Sly 2. The game is streamlined, much less tedious, repetitive and annoying. I see how the lack of collectibles might sting, but I didn't really bother collecting them when they were there, so...
The variety of gameplay styles is fun, though some additions are worse than the others. Particularly the diving missions and the whole pirate shtick, felt a bit out of place.
The story doesn't have the same stakes that Sly 2's or even Sly 1's story had, but it's a nice send-off for the gang and the characterisation is on point, as always.
Yeah, I think Sly 3 is the best in the series. Now I just gotta wait for Sony to rerelease Thieves in Time on PS5 so I can play that one.
1998
That was SOLID.
Sorry. But really, the original MGS did not disappoint. It's an extremely impressive game with a strong character, great setting and a gripping, although a bit overwritten story. Great voice acting and music, fantastic atmosphere, solid gameplay. It is a hard game and I am a bad player, so it did frustrate me at times and took me much longer than it should have to complete, but that made it all the more satisfying when I did succeed. It doesn't really live up to the "tactical espionage action" title. It's more of a boss rush with some stealth sections in between. But the bosses are decent fun, each is pretty unique... great stuff.
This is my kind of movie game.
Sorry. But really, the original MGS did not disappoint. It's an extremely impressive game with a strong character, great setting and a gripping, although a bit overwritten story. Great voice acting and music, fantastic atmosphere, solid gameplay. It is a hard game and I am a bad player, so it did frustrate me at times and took me much longer than it should have to complete, but that made it all the more satisfying when I did succeed. It doesn't really live up to the "tactical espionage action" title. It's more of a boss rush with some stealth sections in between. But the bosses are decent fun, each is pretty unique... great stuff.
This is my kind of movie game.
1999
Such a fun game. The premise is really silly - a bunch of apes mind-controlled by a super-intelligent ape are sent to different time periods and you've gotta travel back in time to capture the escaped apes. I love it. This game is so colorful, lively and fun in every aspect, the apes are very entertaining little fellows and capturing them is infinitely satisfying.
One thing that's really interesting about this game is the control scheme. It's one of the first, if not THE first, games to require the DualShock and the devs were really excited about that. It's really weird to think that the dual analog sticks that we are so used to by now used to be a revolutionary, exciting feature. They are used to the fullest extent here, not for controlling the camera, but instead for controlling the various gadgets and vehicles you come across. Some real original stuff here.
The game really didn't age too bad. The camera is not even half as bad as I would expect from a 90's 3D platformer, I never really found it to get in the way of my enjoyment and the control scheme, while unusual, is easy to get used to.
I'd recommend giving this one a try.
One thing that's really interesting about this game is the control scheme. It's one of the first, if not THE first, games to require the DualShock and the devs were really excited about that. It's really weird to think that the dual analog sticks that we are so used to by now used to be a revolutionary, exciting feature. They are used to the fullest extent here, not for controlling the camera, but instead for controlling the various gadgets and vehicles you come across. Some real original stuff here.
The game really didn't age too bad. The camera is not even half as bad as I would expect from a 90's 3D platformer, I never really found it to get in the way of my enjoyment and the control scheme, while unusual, is easy to get used to.
I'd recommend giving this one a try.
2021
This is slop. But it's the fun kind of slop. The kind which you play with your friends for a couple dozen minutes and have a good laugh or two absolutely demolishing these kids playing on their phones.
And it's genuinely better than Fall Guys.
And it's genuinely better than Fall Guys.