venomsnake5891
2024
After doing four full playthroughs at over 60 hours, I think I've seen enough of this game to give my (contradicting) thoughts.
Like many others, I was looking forward to this back when it was revealed as Project Eve. Also like many others, I became viciously irritated when the coomers decided to make this game their personality (I don't mind sexy characters, what I really disliked was how weird people acted over Eve). I'm not interested in that trash, I'm all about the gameplay.
What I do take legitimate issue with was how the game was marketed as being like Bayonetta and Nier: Automata. I was hoping for a fast paced Platinum-styled action game but the combat is much weightier and more deliberate than I hoped. It's been compared to the Souls series, but I disagree to an extent (level design is very much Souls-y, the combat is much closer to Sekiro). Obviously it can be learned since the game is designed around this combat system, but I can't help but feel slightly frustrated when I try to instinctively cancel a recovery animation (I found it easier to pull this off by avoiding most combo enders unless an enemy was stunned). Thankfully there are accessories you can equip that make the combat much closer to a proper action game (my main build used three attack speed up gears + the exospine that made it easier to parry and dodge + def and shield boosts), and when you get into the rhythm of the combat it becomes pretty damn exciting. The boss fights are where the game shines, while they don't quite reach the peaks of Sekiro's roster (then again not much does), they're definitely some of my favorite bosses in the current console generation (I do few the endgame bosses could be SLIGHTLY nerfed. Hopefully the upcoming boss challenge update will let us fight any boss at any time, being able to practice them would go a long way).
The story has been criticized as being too derivative of Nier: A, and I don't disagree but I found it serviceable enough. The true ending does break into its own path and I hope a sequel builds upon this to make something super interesting and cool. The flavor text on the collectibles does a decent amount to make the world more fleshed out, and I think the story/lore is better here.
Side quests are pretty standard for the genre, ranging from fetch quests to outright hidden bosses. They're worth doing at least twice (once on NG and NG+) to get all the possible rewards, which brings me to another highlight.
The myriad of costumes is pretty great and there are a variety of cool outfits for Eve (and I don't just mean the super revealing ones). You can also unlock a barber shop where you can change her hairstyle and hair color, honestly playing dress up is half the fun in this game.
Platforming is another weak point of the game, the momentum and physics make certain jumps really finicky. A few moments in the endgame were genuinely awful designed (the Gears of War turrents section almost killed my first playthrough, thankfully if you drop on easy mode you only need to deal with one. I don't care if it's cheese, I refuse to play it any other way).
Still, in spite of the flaws I can't deny that I had tons of fun. I'd do yet another playthrough if I wasn't itching to clean up my backlog (I got Horizon Zero Dawn on my list next, I wanna get to it so I can make room on my PS5). I suppose this is my GOTY by default so far since it's the only 2024 release I've played so far (my copies of Infinite Wealth, P3R, and FF Rebirth are glaring at me). I hope Shift-Up learns from the mistakes made here and makes their next game an even bigger banger.
9/10
Like many others, I was looking forward to this back when it was revealed as Project Eve. Also like many others, I became viciously irritated when the coomers decided to make this game their personality (I don't mind sexy characters, what I really disliked was how weird people acted over Eve). I'm not interested in that trash, I'm all about the gameplay.
What I do take legitimate issue with was how the game was marketed as being like Bayonetta and Nier: Automata. I was hoping for a fast paced Platinum-styled action game but the combat is much weightier and more deliberate than I hoped. It's been compared to the Souls series, but I disagree to an extent (level design is very much Souls-y, the combat is much closer to Sekiro). Obviously it can be learned since the game is designed around this combat system, but I can't help but feel slightly frustrated when I try to instinctively cancel a recovery animation (I found it easier to pull this off by avoiding most combo enders unless an enemy was stunned). Thankfully there are accessories you can equip that make the combat much closer to a proper action game (my main build used three attack speed up gears + the exospine that made it easier to parry and dodge + def and shield boosts), and when you get into the rhythm of the combat it becomes pretty damn exciting. The boss fights are where the game shines, while they don't quite reach the peaks of Sekiro's roster (then again not much does), they're definitely some of my favorite bosses in the current console generation (I do few the endgame bosses could be SLIGHTLY nerfed. Hopefully the upcoming boss challenge update will let us fight any boss at any time, being able to practice them would go a long way).
The story has been criticized as being too derivative of Nier: A, and I don't disagree but I found it serviceable enough. The true ending does break into its own path and I hope a sequel builds upon this to make something super interesting and cool. The flavor text on the collectibles does a decent amount to make the world more fleshed out, and I think the story/lore is better here.
Side quests are pretty standard for the genre, ranging from fetch quests to outright hidden bosses. They're worth doing at least twice (once on NG and NG+) to get all the possible rewards, which brings me to another highlight.
The myriad of costumes is pretty great and there are a variety of cool outfits for Eve (and I don't just mean the super revealing ones). You can also unlock a barber shop where you can change her hairstyle and hair color, honestly playing dress up is half the fun in this game.
Platforming is another weak point of the game, the momentum and physics make certain jumps really finicky. A few moments in the endgame were genuinely awful designed (the Gears of War turrents section almost killed my first playthrough, thankfully if you drop on easy mode you only need to deal with one. I don't care if it's cheese, I refuse to play it any other way).
Still, in spite of the flaws I can't deny that I had tons of fun. I'd do yet another playthrough if I wasn't itching to clean up my backlog (I got Horizon Zero Dawn on my list next, I wanna get to it so I can make room on my PS5). I suppose this is my GOTY by default so far since it's the only 2024 release I've played so far (my copies of Infinite Wealth, P3R, and FF Rebirth are glaring at me). I hope Shift-Up learns from the mistakes made here and makes their next game an even bigger banger.
9/10
An even better and more fun game than its predecessor, sans the story. Spider-Man is my favorite superhero these days so I definitely look forward to more games.
After loving Marvel's Spider-Man and the Miles Morales follow-up, I was obviously going to play the sequel. Gameplay-wise, it stands above the previous games by refining and enhancing Peter and Miles' movesets and adding a surprising amount. The endgame symbiote upgrades (would it a spoiler at this point?) are deliciously satisfying (even if the endgame enemies are a bit too tanky for my taste). Parrying is a nice addition to make the combat flow even smoother, although the Spidey-sense prompt will likely make you want to parry sooner than you should (it threw me off more than a few times). The Normal-Man sequences take up less time and the story beats that go with them make them more bareable, MJ has a stungun which makes her stealth sections a lot more fun than the previous game, boss fights are as fun as ever (I think I like this roster better than the last ones', even though there's a big portion that after the opening you don't get a story boss until the second half of the game kicks in). Traversal is even more fun thanks a few new options, the gliding is especially fun to see how long you last before you need to sling again (secret Superman game?).
I definitely feel the story was better in the first Spider-Man game. I've read lots of people say the final chapters were rushed, and while I can see where they're coming from I didn't mind it that much since we finally got to meet Venom properly (also bulldozing through his sequence makes me excited for a potential spinoff of his). Plus Tony Todd's monster voice in general is some of my favorite voice acting.
Completion follows the same trend as the previous games where collectibles open up as you play through and since they're usually on the way to main missions it isn't a hassle to get through them, thanks also in part to the webslinging feeling so good. The Mysterio challenges appear as the answer to the Taskmaster challenges, but thankfully they're all combat-based and don't require extremely tight timed platforming. As an aside, the platinum trophy here was lots of fun to get, the onlys one I needed a guide for were the Spider-Bots and the gliding from the Financial District to Astoria ones. After the nightmare that was MGS1's VR missions, it was nice to have a straightforward playthrough.
Loved this game, if I wasn't hyped to play Stellar Blade I'd do a NG+ playthrough or two. Definitely going to revisit this one, hopefully the future DLC is at least as good as SM1's.
9/10
After loving Marvel's Spider-Man and the Miles Morales follow-up, I was obviously going to play the sequel. Gameplay-wise, it stands above the previous games by refining and enhancing Peter and Miles' movesets and adding a surprising amount. The endgame symbiote upgrades (would it a spoiler at this point?) are deliciously satisfying (even if the endgame enemies are a bit too tanky for my taste). Parrying is a nice addition to make the combat flow even smoother, although the Spidey-sense prompt will likely make you want to parry sooner than you should (it threw me off more than a few times). The Normal-Man sequences take up less time and the story beats that go with them make them more bareable, MJ has a stungun which makes her stealth sections a lot more fun than the previous game, boss fights are as fun as ever (I think I like this roster better than the last ones', even though there's a big portion that after the opening you don't get a story boss until the second half of the game kicks in). Traversal is even more fun thanks a few new options, the gliding is especially fun to see how long you last before you need to sling again (secret Superman game?).
I definitely feel the story was better in the first Spider-Man game. I've read lots of people say the final chapters were rushed, and while I can see where they're coming from I didn't mind it that much since we finally got to meet Venom properly (also bulldozing through his sequence makes me excited for a potential spinoff of his). Plus Tony Todd's monster voice in general is some of my favorite voice acting.
Completion follows the same trend as the previous games where collectibles open up as you play through and since they're usually on the way to main missions it isn't a hassle to get through them, thanks also in part to the webslinging feeling so good. The Mysterio challenges appear as the answer to the Taskmaster challenges, but thankfully they're all combat-based and don't require extremely tight timed platforming. As an aside, the platinum trophy here was lots of fun to get, the onlys one I needed a guide for were the Spider-Bots and the gliding from the Financial District to Astoria ones. After the nightmare that was MGS1's VR missions, it was nice to have a straightforward playthrough.
Loved this game, if I wasn't hyped to play Stellar Blade I'd do a NG+ playthrough or two. Definitely going to revisit this one, hopefully the future DLC is at least as good as SM1's.
9/10
1998
After playing the original two MG titles thanks to the Master Collection, I was in the mood to revisit a classic I haven't played in years.
I've been a huge fan of Metal Gear since high school, Snake Eater was the first in the series I completed, then I went back and played the first two games (I tried MGS2 prior but wasn't into it) and my obsession began. Obviously this is a special game to me, so I'm happy to report that not only does it hold up, it's somehow even better than I remember. Revisiting Shadow Moses was every bit as fun and engaging as it was the first time I played through all those years ago. Obviously it took some relearning to get back into the swing of things, but once I did I played it over and over again.
I long maintained that this was the best MG title (I know 3 is the most beloved, but I slightly love this one more, and I didn't religiously replay 2 did the others), and I still feel confident in that opinion, although I'm likely going to set up my PS3 to play the HD collection since playing this again reignited my love for Metal Gear. It has my favorite story, my favorite cast, and several of my favorite lines and scenes in the series (plus the codec call with Mei Ling after the Hind boss fight is my favorite call in the series, still amazing after all these years).
I haven't played the VR missions until now so I wanted to try getting them out of the way before the main story (due to a misunderstanding with the trophy requirements, I ended up doing a few playthroughs on Integral to unlock a few missions). Some of the missions were super simple and straight forward, some needed trial-and-error, some were very funny (protecting Meryl from a Godzilla-sized guard was absurd in the best way). Many of them were rage-inducing horseshit that made me question whether or not it was worth it. To add insult to injury there were OVER 300 MISSIONS, I ended up taking almost 10 hours of playtime to finally finish them. I admit some of it was trial-and-error and a skill issue on my part, but many mission required you to play in ways that actively work against the gameplay loop (a good portion of them demand you kill guards as if you were Rambo, while still getting killed fast if you played poorly). Too many of the missions refuse to play to the game's strengths, and it leads to a very frustrating experience.
To say something else about my trophy hunting, my Fox playthrough was pretty funny. I did 5 (!) playthroughs in preparation and had most of it memorized, then the AI does things that actively tried to sabotaged my playthrough. In all my years of playing the game, it was the first time Mantis instantly shot Meryl before I had a chance to knock her out.
I admit this log isn't my most organized or most well written post here, but it's hard to post my thoughts on a game this special to me in a cohesive manner. I'll definitely replay it again soon, and likely will regularly replay it after. I think after revisiting it with the MC, I can safely say that this is my favorite game of all time.
10/10
I've been a huge fan of Metal Gear since high school, Snake Eater was the first in the series I completed, then I went back and played the first two games (I tried MGS2 prior but wasn't into it) and my obsession began. Obviously this is a special game to me, so I'm happy to report that not only does it hold up, it's somehow even better than I remember. Revisiting Shadow Moses was every bit as fun and engaging as it was the first time I played through all those years ago. Obviously it took some relearning to get back into the swing of things, but once I did I played it over and over again.
I long maintained that this was the best MG title (I know 3 is the most beloved, but I slightly love this one more, and I didn't religiously replay 2 did the others), and I still feel confident in that opinion, although I'm likely going to set up my PS3 to play the HD collection since playing this again reignited my love for Metal Gear. It has my favorite story, my favorite cast, and several of my favorite lines and scenes in the series (plus the codec call with Mei Ling after the Hind boss fight is my favorite call in the series, still amazing after all these years).
I haven't played the VR missions until now so I wanted to try getting them out of the way before the main story (due to a misunderstanding with the trophy requirements, I ended up doing a few playthroughs on Integral to unlock a few missions). Some of the missions were super simple and straight forward, some needed trial-and-error, some were very funny (protecting Meryl from a Godzilla-sized guard was absurd in the best way). Many of them were rage-inducing horseshit that made me question whether or not it was worth it. To add insult to injury there were OVER 300 MISSIONS, I ended up taking almost 10 hours of playtime to finally finish them. I admit some of it was trial-and-error and a skill issue on my part, but many mission required you to play in ways that actively work against the gameplay loop (a good portion of them demand you kill guards as if you were Rambo, while still getting killed fast if you played poorly). Too many of the missions refuse to play to the game's strengths, and it leads to a very frustrating experience.
To say something else about my trophy hunting, my Fox playthrough was pretty funny. I did 5 (!) playthroughs in preparation and had most of it memorized, then the AI does things that actively tried to sabotaged my playthrough. In all my years of playing the game, it was the first time Mantis instantly shot Meryl before I had a chance to knock her out.
I admit this log isn't my most organized or most well written post here, but it's hard to post my thoughts on a game this special to me in a cohesive manner. I'll definitely replay it again soon, and likely will regularly replay it after. I think after revisiting it with the MC, I can safely say that this is my favorite game of all time.
10/10
And the duology is complete.
Definitely a big step up from the original Metal Gear. The story feels much more like the type of story Kojima would become known for, it's a lot more twisty and spy film inspired than its predecessor. Also really neat to see the introduction of a few characters in MGS, especially fulfilling to see Gray Fox's debut. The soundtrack is also pretty great, the original game had a few decent tracks but this one has some genuinely memorable themes (the first building's main theme especially). There's also a pretty big difficulty jump in this game, guards have excellent sight and peripheral vision, so you need to play extra careful to avoid getting spotted. It's still obviously a product of its time and a few mechanics are dated (albeit the checkpoints are more generous than the first game), but it's still a genuinely good game that is worth playing for longtime fans who haven't played the originals like myself before last night.
7/10
Definitely a big step up from the original Metal Gear. The story feels much more like the type of story Kojima would become known for, it's a lot more twisty and spy film inspired than its predecessor. Also really neat to see the introduction of a few characters in MGS, especially fulfilling to see Gray Fox's debut. The soundtrack is also pretty great, the original game had a few decent tracks but this one has some genuinely memorable themes (the first building's main theme especially). There's also a pretty big difficulty jump in this game, guards have excellent sight and peripheral vision, so you need to play extra careful to avoid getting spotted. It's still obviously a product of its time and a few mechanics are dated (albeit the checkpoints are more generous than the first game), but it's still a genuinely good game that is worth playing for longtime fans who haven't played the originals like myself before last night.
7/10
1987
Long time MG fan finally playing the original thanks to the Master Collection (disclaimer: I just bought MGS1 standalone as I already have the PS3 HD collection and it seemed like the option that made more sense).
Not too much to say here. The foundation of the series is laid here, the beginning of one of gaming's greatest franchises and stories had a pretty straightforward run. There's really not too much to this game, its stealth mechanics are expectedly basic (not saying as a negative) and it has the classic "I'm not sure where to go next so I'll have to look it up" feel games back in its time did. Was still interesting to see the series' roots (it's also physically impossible to not read Snake's dialogue in David Hayter's voice), and it was definitely pretty fun. Now on to MG2.
6/10
Not too much to say here. The foundation of the series is laid here, the beginning of one of gaming's greatest franchises and stories had a pretty straightforward run. There's really not too much to this game, its stealth mechanics are expectedly basic (not saying as a negative) and it has the classic "I'm not sure where to go next so I'll have to look it up" feel games back in its time did. Was still interesting to see the series' roots (it's also physically impossible to not read Snake's dialogue in David Hayter's voice), and it was definitely pretty fun. Now on to MG2.
6/10
2017
Took me more than a few years, but I've been finally getting to my backlog while I await a few games.
I thought the first Evil Within had its flaws, but it was a pretty great game from what I remember. It feels like the ideal blend of different pieces of Resident Evil and Silent Hill while having its own gameplay quirks, and playing the sequel makes me want to replay it (maybe I'll go full lunatic and finally play Akumu mode). It's been a while since I last played it so my comparisons are going off memory and are likely not completely accurate so take those bits with a grain of salt.
Gameplay-wise The Evil Within 2 improves quite a bit from its predecessor. The combat (mostly) feels more refined (disclaimer: I thought melee with the knife was absolutely worthless until you unlock the brass knuckles, then it becomes utterly broken. I'd prefer a middle ground). It has a few larger towns that can be explored in a pseudo-open world manner with a few side quests to complete. The game had some impressive creature designs (the Guardian, Obscura, and the white clay monsters are pretty awesome), but I feel its enemy variety dwindles partially due to its "open" structure.
I finished my first playthrough on Nightmare difficulty and it was pretty intense. The atmosphere coupled with the vicious enemies really had me on edge, and I made extra sure to preserve ammo as necessary. The story started off strong, the whole "father saves child" convention became a bit overdone in more recent years, but I didn't take issue here. I do believe the story becomes less interesting after the cult leader gets introduced.
I prefer the first game's level design, it had a claustrophobic and consuming atmosphere that really added to every encounter. I also prefer the voice actors as well (here Sebastian sounds like he's trying his best Snake impression and it was pretty offputting).
It might sound like I'm being harsh on this game in spite of my score, but be assured I think this is a genuinely great game. Most of the critiques I had were based on personal preferences. I'll definitely get to replaying the first EW at some point, in the meantime I'm glad I finished the platinum trophy run just in time for FFXVI's new expansion.
8/10
I thought the first Evil Within had its flaws, but it was a pretty great game from what I remember. It feels like the ideal blend of different pieces of Resident Evil and Silent Hill while having its own gameplay quirks, and playing the sequel makes me want to replay it (maybe I'll go full lunatic and finally play Akumu mode). It's been a while since I last played it so my comparisons are going off memory and are likely not completely accurate so take those bits with a grain of salt.
Gameplay-wise The Evil Within 2 improves quite a bit from its predecessor. The combat (mostly) feels more refined (disclaimer: I thought melee with the knife was absolutely worthless until you unlock the brass knuckles, then it becomes utterly broken. I'd prefer a middle ground). It has a few larger towns that can be explored in a pseudo-open world manner with a few side quests to complete. The game had some impressive creature designs (the Guardian, Obscura, and the white clay monsters are pretty awesome), but I feel its enemy variety dwindles partially due to its "open" structure.
I finished my first playthrough on Nightmare difficulty and it was pretty intense. The atmosphere coupled with the vicious enemies really had me on edge, and I made extra sure to preserve ammo as necessary. The story started off strong, the whole "father saves child" convention became a bit overdone in more recent years, but I didn't take issue here. I do believe the story becomes less interesting after the cult leader gets introduced.
I prefer the first game's level design, it had a claustrophobic and consuming atmosphere that really added to every encounter. I also prefer the voice actors as well (here Sebastian sounds like he's trying his best Snake impression and it was pretty offputting).
It might sound like I'm being harsh on this game in spite of my score, but be assured I think this is a genuinely great game. Most of the critiques I had were based on personal preferences. I'll definitely get to replaying the first EW at some point, in the meantime I'm glad I finished the platinum trophy run just in time for FFXVI's new expansion.
8/10
2023
After nearly 60 hours and 9 playthroughs, I think I have enough time playing this game to be able to properly express my thoughts.
Unlike many gamers, I never was into the classic RE games (tank controls filtered me at a young age). But like many gamers, I absolutely loved RE4 (I think the camera perspetive does a great job making the tank controls feel more palatable). I was obsessed with it back in high school and played the hell out of it, it's still an easy top 10 game of all time for me. I saw a remake coming when Capcom began continuing the remake project with 2 and 3, and obviously expectations where through the roof. Did it capture the magic of my first playthrough all those years ago?
It did, almost.
Some obvious changes were made to make the game palatable to a more modern audience, so the control scheme is closer to a lot of modern third-person shooters. To compensate, the enemies were tweaked and ended up being a lot more aggressive and sturdy. Methods that could guarantee stuns into counter kicks are much less reliable here (some enemies can take several headshots before the prompt appears), and it's very common to end up in a situation where you get bulldozed by an assembly line of enemies. I was used to the mechanics of OG 4, so I was constantly fighting my muscle memory as much as I was the enemies. The knife has durability now and it needs regular repairs (until you max out the post-game infinity knife), but it also adds a parry mechanic and which easily turn the tide in battle (you can even parry chainsaws!). You can now select up to 8 weapons to swap on the fly, and the game does a good job dropping ammo for weapons you're using so it's pretty hard to get stuck unless you're deliberately playing terribly.
The game in general is pretty challenging, even on standard (I can't imagine starting on hardcore like the game suggests for OG fans). Unlearning the old game while learning the new game and adjusting to the combat was super demanding. Once you unlock more upgrades, the combat is immensely fun and satisfying. New game plus runs are worth it just for their own sake, it's super satisfying to curbstomp fights you had trouble with the first time. Not to mention the bonus weapons you can unlock from completing tasks (like the infinity knife mentioned; sadly the chicago typewriter is a bit of a downgrade here).
Ashley's character is an improvement here, I found her much
more endearing than the OG, thanks to a lot more banter between her and Leon. Sadly you can no longer command her to wait, it's either follow closely or stray behind. It might not seem like a big deal, but there were a few moments where I'd have really appreciated it.
Luis is another point that has been covered so I'll be brief. He feels much more complete as a character and his banter with Leon is pretty entertaining. Ada's current VA and her performance have been criticized, and while I wasn't a huge fan I didn't think it's as bad as people have said, apparently she's a lot better in the DLC so we'll have to see. I feel the main villains got a bit of a downgrade here. Salazar hijacking Leon's radio in the OG lead to some of the most memorable quips in the game, here it doesn't happen and he feels like a side character in his own arc. Saddler doesn't actually appear until chapter 15, whereas in he appeared every so often in the OG and also had some memorable moments. This is also a more personal gripe, but I'm bummed out U-3 got cut. The fight itself wasn't too fancy, but the sequence he stalked you among the carrier crates was one of the highlights of the OG.
As you can probably tell, my thoughts on the game are super positive for the most part. While it's an excellent game, it stops just short of having that extra oomph-factor that made OG4 a true masterpiece. It's absolutely not a substitute for playing the original game, even if you play this first you should still get around to OG since the gameplay holds up immensely well. My last trophy to unlock is hardcore S+ and I might try it, but standard S+ was enough to knock me on my ass. Despite my criticisms, they're not enough to detract from the sheer enjoyment I had playing this game. I need to replay OG4 ASAP. In the meantime, I did get RE5 remastered so maybe I'll continue my RE marathon.
Strong 9/10
Unlike many gamers, I never was into the classic RE games (tank controls filtered me at a young age). But like many gamers, I absolutely loved RE4 (I think the camera perspetive does a great job making the tank controls feel more palatable). I was obsessed with it back in high school and played the hell out of it, it's still an easy top 10 game of all time for me. I saw a remake coming when Capcom began continuing the remake project with 2 and 3, and obviously expectations where through the roof. Did it capture the magic of my first playthrough all those years ago?
It did, almost.
Some obvious changes were made to make the game palatable to a more modern audience, so the control scheme is closer to a lot of modern third-person shooters. To compensate, the enemies were tweaked and ended up being a lot more aggressive and sturdy. Methods that could guarantee stuns into counter kicks are much less reliable here (some enemies can take several headshots before the prompt appears), and it's very common to end up in a situation where you get bulldozed by an assembly line of enemies. I was used to the mechanics of OG 4, so I was constantly fighting my muscle memory as much as I was the enemies. The knife has durability now and it needs regular repairs (until you max out the post-game infinity knife), but it also adds a parry mechanic and which easily turn the tide in battle (you can even parry chainsaws!). You can now select up to 8 weapons to swap on the fly, and the game does a good job dropping ammo for weapons you're using so it's pretty hard to get stuck unless you're deliberately playing terribly.
The game in general is pretty challenging, even on standard (I can't imagine starting on hardcore like the game suggests for OG fans). Unlearning the old game while learning the new game and adjusting to the combat was super demanding. Once you unlock more upgrades, the combat is immensely fun and satisfying. New game plus runs are worth it just for their own sake, it's super satisfying to curbstomp fights you had trouble with the first time. Not to mention the bonus weapons you can unlock from completing tasks (like the infinity knife mentioned; sadly the chicago typewriter is a bit of a downgrade here).
Ashley's character is an improvement here, I found her much
more endearing than the OG, thanks to a lot more banter between her and Leon. Sadly you can no longer command her to wait, it's either follow closely or stray behind. It might not seem like a big deal, but there were a few moments where I'd have really appreciated it.
Luis is another point that has been covered so I'll be brief. He feels much more complete as a character and his banter with Leon is pretty entertaining. Ada's current VA and her performance have been criticized, and while I wasn't a huge fan I didn't think it's as bad as people have said, apparently she's a lot better in the DLC so we'll have to see. I feel the main villains got a bit of a downgrade here. Salazar hijacking Leon's radio in the OG lead to some of the most memorable quips in the game, here it doesn't happen and he feels like a side character in his own arc. Saddler doesn't actually appear until chapter 15, whereas in he appeared every so often in the OG and also had some memorable moments. This is also a more personal gripe, but I'm bummed out U-3 got cut. The fight itself wasn't too fancy, but the sequence he stalked you among the carrier crates was one of the highlights of the OG.
As you can probably tell, my thoughts on the game are super positive for the most part. While it's an excellent game, it stops just short of having that extra oomph-factor that made OG4 a true masterpiece. It's absolutely not a substitute for playing the original game, even if you play this first you should still get around to OG since the gameplay holds up immensely well. My last trophy to unlock is hardcore S+ and I might try it, but standard S+ was enough to knock me on my ass. Despite my criticisms, they're not enough to detract from the sheer enjoyment I had playing this game. I need to replay OG4 ASAP. In the meantime, I did get RE5 remastered so maybe I'll continue my RE marathon.
Strong 9/10
2019
I must confess I haven't played the original PS1 game, but after playing through this a few times I definitely want to.
As someone who got into RE with 4, I always wanted to get into the classic horror style of the original games and this definitely piqued my interest to continue going down that path. This is genuinely frightening at times (the groans of the sewer monsters icked me on a visceral level, I found them scarier than even Big Daddy Warbucks), and the zombies can take several shots before they flinch so you're always thinking about your next course of action. It is the classic horror approach of limited resources, so you always need to prioritize what you need at any given moment (side note, I really wish it had a psuedo-NG+ where you can start a file with more inventory slots but I suppose that's part of the experience). Then there's Mr. X, who is definitely my favorite stalker character out of the RE games I've played. Lady D from Village is pretty easy to avoid and not prevalent enough to be a threat, DaBaby is much scarier at first but once you learn how to despawn it it's not so bad. Mr. X had me tense up on all of my playthoughs thus far, even if I feel I get how he worked (I find myself yelling FASTER at Claire and Leon whenever I hear the heavy footsteps).
My first run of the game was Leon A + Claire B (I think when I do the PS1 game I'll do Claire A + Leon B), and I honestly think I prefer Claire's side of the story. The differences between both As and Bs isn't too much, but it's enough to make some scenes feel super different (case in point, how Marvin talks to Leon as opposed to Claire).
I definitely want to try for the platinum trophy, but I've been craving to starting 4's remake so I think I've had my fill for the time being. Definitely anxious yet excited to try hardcore mode.
9/10
As someone who got into RE with 4, I always wanted to get into the classic horror style of the original games and this definitely piqued my interest to continue going down that path. This is genuinely frightening at times (the groans of the sewer monsters icked me on a visceral level, I found them scarier than even Big Daddy Warbucks), and the zombies can take several shots before they flinch so you're always thinking about your next course of action. It is the classic horror approach of limited resources, so you always need to prioritize what you need at any given moment (side note, I really wish it had a psuedo-NG+ where you can start a file with more inventory slots but I suppose that's part of the experience). Then there's Mr. X, who is definitely my favorite stalker character out of the RE games I've played. Lady D from Village is pretty easy to avoid and not prevalent enough to be a threat, DaBaby is much scarier at first but once you learn how to despawn it it's not so bad. Mr. X had me tense up on all of my playthoughs thus far, even if I feel I get how he worked (I find myself yelling FASTER at Claire and Leon whenever I hear the heavy footsteps).
My first run of the game was Leon A + Claire B (I think when I do the PS1 game I'll do Claire A + Leon B), and I honestly think I prefer Claire's side of the story. The differences between both As and Bs isn't too much, but it's enough to make some scenes feel super different (case in point, how Marvin talks to Leon as opposed to Claire).
I definitely want to try for the platinum trophy, but I've been craving to starting 4's remake so I think I've had my fill for the time being. Definitely anxious yet excited to try hardcore mode.
9/10
I have mixed thoughts, but mostly positive.
It's been called Yakuza 6-2 and it's obvious it was meant to be ANOTHER Kiryu sendoff since many were unhappy with 6's ending. I personally didn't mind 6's ending, but any excuse to play more Kiryu is good.
The story ties Kiryu from 6's epilogue, to his time during 7 leading into 8. I'll see how much it comes into play when I get to Infinite Wealth, but I think the story is fine even if there isn't too much when you cut through the game's padding. The Akame Network and accompanying substories come into play for the main story, so you'll likely need to take time doing super quick fetch quests or Akame's requests, which are much more like the substories you'd expect in this series. A few are pretty good, especially the orphanage substory. There is also a bigger emphasis on the coliseum this time around (also Amon is unlocked through finishing the coliseum substories, too bad I hated him this time around), and possibly the best version of the clan creator minigames thus far (actually being on the battle field and not controlling them from a distance made them feel much more fun).
The combat is paradoxical, it has the best Kiryu moveset in the Dragon Engine while having a few glaring flaws of its own. DE Dragon of Dojima (now called Yakuza style) doesn't get faster, unless you attack enemies on the floor, and feels weighty, which isn't bad in and of itself but there were plenty of situations where my combo got broken either by super armor, interruption, or an enemy being pushed away. It ended up using it for most of the game, with the new Agent style being a bit of a let down (I couldn't get it to work for me until after most upgrades, any other time bit me in the ass).
Bosses were mixed-decent, with the final boss (the finale in general, actually) being the highlight and arguably a top 5 boss fight for the series. Currently replaying the game with no damage upgrades to see how they are when extended (I don't like fun fights ending too quickly). Also don't want to dwell too much here, but the lack of a new game plus is absolutely absurd with how much you can unlock here.
The ending has been lauded by pretty much everyone, and I don't disagree it's a series highlight.
My thoughts might change after finishing IW, but as it stands it works as a fun sidestory despite its flaws.
Also, Akame is the best part of the game and she needs to be a recurring character. First Summer Uika is a queen.
7/10
It's been called Yakuza 6-2 and it's obvious it was meant to be ANOTHER Kiryu sendoff since many were unhappy with 6's ending. I personally didn't mind 6's ending, but any excuse to play more Kiryu is good.
The story ties Kiryu from 6's epilogue, to his time during 7 leading into 8. I'll see how much it comes into play when I get to Infinite Wealth, but I think the story is fine even if there isn't too much when you cut through the game's padding. The Akame Network and accompanying substories come into play for the main story, so you'll likely need to take time doing super quick fetch quests or Akame's requests, which are much more like the substories you'd expect in this series. A few are pretty good, especially the orphanage substory. There is also a bigger emphasis on the coliseum this time around (also Amon is unlocked through finishing the coliseum substories, too bad I hated him this time around), and possibly the best version of the clan creator minigames thus far (actually being on the battle field and not controlling them from a distance made them feel much more fun).
The combat is paradoxical, it has the best Kiryu moveset in the Dragon Engine while having a few glaring flaws of its own. DE Dragon of Dojima (now called Yakuza style) doesn't get faster, unless you attack enemies on the floor, and feels weighty, which isn't bad in and of itself but there were plenty of situations where my combo got broken either by super armor, interruption, or an enemy being pushed away. It ended up using it for most of the game, with the new Agent style being a bit of a let down (I couldn't get it to work for me until after most upgrades, any other time bit me in the ass).
Bosses were mixed-decent, with the final boss (the finale in general, actually) being the highlight and arguably a top 5 boss fight for the series. Currently replaying the game with no damage upgrades to see how they are when extended (I don't like fun fights ending too quickly). Also don't want to dwell too much here, but the lack of a new game plus is absolutely absurd with how much you can unlock here.
The ending has been lauded by pretty much everyone, and I don't disagree it's a series highlight.
My thoughts might change after finishing IW, but as it stands it works as a fun sidestory despite its flaws.
Also, Akame is the best part of the game and she needs to be a recurring character. First Summer Uika is a queen.
7/10
I must have had my opinion on this game shift a dozen times while playing it, but now that I'm finally achieved the platinum trophy (a demanding one, for sure) I think I can safely say I liked it.
I don't have the history with OG7 the way most people going into this had, so I was and am intrigued with the direction of the 7 remake project, it's definitely looking more like a reimaging than anything else.
Being that this is expanding the Midgar sequence to a full game, there is a lot more added that ranges from good to not so much. The extended sequence in Wall Market and Corneo's trio was a delight and lots of fun, the part early on where Cloud gets kicked out of Avalanche before the next chapter added a lot to character the interactions (also super effective at making me feel really bad, lmao). Jessie, Wedge, and Biggs in particular became fully fleshed out and I ended up becoming very attached to them.
The game has pacing issues, this has certainly been discussed many times but I can't disagree. There are many forced walking sequences, along a few moments where you won't be be able to spring for some reason, the camera often forces focus on specific setpieces, there are conversations where you can skip lines but not the scene itself, and certain context sensitive traversal (such as ceiling/rail climbing) is pretty slow. These moments can be used to make scenes memorable, but here they add up really quickly and make the game feel padded out. My first playthrough was pretty rough, though the long cutscenes didn't really bother me (I'm a Metal Gear fan from back in the day, I'm immune to "long cutscenes" being a criticism).
Thankfully the combat is more than enough to make up for shortcomings. While I felt limited and underpowered during my first playthrough, once you lock materia slots and level up said materia, you have a pretty damn deep combat system. The transition from turn-based to ARPG while bringing over the ATB system makes combat interactions very strategic and meaningful. It has a bit of a learning curve, but after learning weapon skills and opening up materia slots there are tons of options for all characters, and the combat is pretty great. Boss fights were mostly good or great (I still dislike Rufus though), hard mode bosses often required specific strategies (plus you learn to appreciate character skills that take for granted on earlier difficulties).
Going for completion was super demanding. I noticed lots of people hate going for the dresses, but I needed to get the side quests done anyway so it didn't feel particularly like extra busywork. There weren't too many minigames and the ones that were here were mostly harmless (I don't even think Tifa's lifting was as bad as people said it was, it was just a matter of trial and error). The VR missions also required specific playing during the later stages, and the final one with the summons was visious and I needed all of the hard mode manuscripts to pull it off. It was a test of patience and it almost broke me multiple times, but taking some strategies and tweaking them slightly ended up working in my favor.
The PS5 Intergrade expansion comes with two Yuffie-centric chapters that take place alongside the main story. It's not too much, but Yuffie is pretty fun to play, and works with the AI partner's moveset. Definitely looking forward to playing more of her in Rebirth.
So I do love this game very much, in spite of what annoys me about it. I had a rollercoaster of conflicting feelings, the story takes directions that deviate from the OG in interesting ways that we will have to wait and see how they play out, but there is lots of fun to be had here and I kinda loved it. Definitely excited for my copy of Rebirth to come in.
9/10
I don't have the history with OG7 the way most people going into this had, so I was and am intrigued with the direction of the 7 remake project, it's definitely looking more like a reimaging than anything else.
Being that this is expanding the Midgar sequence to a full game, there is a lot more added that ranges from good to not so much. The extended sequence in Wall Market and Corneo's trio was a delight and lots of fun, the part early on where Cloud gets kicked out of Avalanche before the next chapter added a lot to character the interactions (also super effective at making me feel really bad, lmao). Jessie, Wedge, and Biggs in particular became fully fleshed out and I ended up becoming very attached to them.
The game has pacing issues, this has certainly been discussed many times but I can't disagree. There are many forced walking sequences, along a few moments where you won't be be able to spring for some reason, the camera often forces focus on specific setpieces, there are conversations where you can skip lines but not the scene itself, and certain context sensitive traversal (such as ceiling/rail climbing) is pretty slow. These moments can be used to make scenes memorable, but here they add up really quickly and make the game feel padded out. My first playthrough was pretty rough, though the long cutscenes didn't really bother me (I'm a Metal Gear fan from back in the day, I'm immune to "long cutscenes" being a criticism).
Thankfully the combat is more than enough to make up for shortcomings. While I felt limited and underpowered during my first playthrough, once you lock materia slots and level up said materia, you have a pretty damn deep combat system. The transition from turn-based to ARPG while bringing over the ATB system makes combat interactions very strategic and meaningful. It has a bit of a learning curve, but after learning weapon skills and opening up materia slots there are tons of options for all characters, and the combat is pretty great. Boss fights were mostly good or great (I still dislike Rufus though), hard mode bosses often required specific strategies (plus you learn to appreciate character skills that take for granted on earlier difficulties).
Going for completion was super demanding. I noticed lots of people hate going for the dresses, but I needed to get the side quests done anyway so it didn't feel particularly like extra busywork. There weren't too many minigames and the ones that were here were mostly harmless (I don't even think Tifa's lifting was as bad as people said it was, it was just a matter of trial and error). The VR missions also required specific playing during the later stages, and the final one with the summons was visious and I needed all of the hard mode manuscripts to pull it off. It was a test of patience and it almost broke me multiple times, but taking some strategies and tweaking them slightly ended up working in my favor.
The PS5 Intergrade expansion comes with two Yuffie-centric chapters that take place alongside the main story. It's not too much, but Yuffie is pretty fun to play, and works with the AI partner's moveset. Definitely looking forward to playing more of her in Rebirth.
So I do love this game very much, in spite of what annoys me about it. I had a rollercoaster of conflicting feelings, the story takes directions that deviate from the OG in interesting ways that we will have to wait and see how they play out, but there is lots of fun to be had here and I kinda loved it. Definitely excited for my copy of Rebirth to come in.
9/10
2001
Remember when I said I'd take my time with Silent Hil?
Well...
I was originally planning on dropping my thoughts on this iconic game after I got all endings (along the bonus ending in the Greatest Hits edition + Maria's side story ending), but after getting the 3 main endings I couldn't wait any longer.
First off, playing this right after the first game might have made this title less scary than in a vaccuum. Of course there were scary moments, but nothing quite reached the chilling moments of 1 (like both sewer levels, for example). This is not a flaw with the game of course, just the only thing I can possibly say as a criticism (which I'm not, to be clear). Everything else about this game?
Perfect. Perfect. Perfect.
I'm aware this game has been discussed to death, so I'm certainly not going to provide any insight that hasn't been said millions of times before. I'm just going to share my experience.
The combat has all the hallmarks of classic survival horror, such as the limited combat options, resources, and so on. There's an option to change from tank controls to directional controls, which I used out of curiousity and believe it or not, it makes some parts more finnicky since it clashes with the regularity of switching camera angles (I'll use tank controls for SH3, promise). I honestly feel like this is the best possible version of classic horror combat, even on my first playthrough I never felt like I didn't have the means to take out enemies giving me trouble.
The atmosphere of this game is legendary. Even when I first tried playing it many years ago, I was consumed by the opening and here it felt almost life-changing to take everything in. The ominous soundtrack when you start making your way through the park, the momentary background noises that add a layer of anxiety (seriously there are so many one-off creepy sounds that just make it all the more intense), the fact that even the radio chipping is enough to keep you on your toes, there is so much density in this game's atmosphere. Finally firsthand experiencing it in full feels like a privilege. The soundtrack not only has some impending doom-sounding pieces, but genuine bangers (seriously, did not expect the amount of trip hop to play and I couldn't be happier).
The story and its symbolism has also been discussed to death, so I'll be brief. James really does feel like a character that has nothing to lose and stopped caring about everything altogether, which is something that adds further to the tone and atmosphere. It makes for a big contrast to Harry from SH1, and having that play into whichever ending you want can make it bittersweet or immensely tragic. I personally like the Leave ending the most (between that, In Water, and Maria). But one thing that happened between all three endings was the full reading of Mary's letter. It's definitely the most I've cried to a game since MGSV, and it still got me the third time through. One of the best moments in any game.
I'll definitely get the rest of the endings within the coming week, but I'll take my time for real getting to SH3 (I hear it's the scariest of the classic trilogy). I haven't been fixated on a game like this in so long, the dreadful atmosphere is honestly comforting at this point, this'll easily become a new comfort game. I can't stress how much I love this game and want to see everything it has to offer.
10/10
Well...
I was originally planning on dropping my thoughts on this iconic game after I got all endings (along the bonus ending in the Greatest Hits edition + Maria's side story ending), but after getting the 3 main endings I couldn't wait any longer.
First off, playing this right after the first game might have made this title less scary than in a vaccuum. Of course there were scary moments, but nothing quite reached the chilling moments of 1 (like both sewer levels, for example). This is not a flaw with the game of course, just the only thing I can possibly say as a criticism (which I'm not, to be clear). Everything else about this game?
Perfect. Perfect. Perfect.
I'm aware this game has been discussed to death, so I'm certainly not going to provide any insight that hasn't been said millions of times before. I'm just going to share my experience.
The combat has all the hallmarks of classic survival horror, such as the limited combat options, resources, and so on. There's an option to change from tank controls to directional controls, which I used out of curiousity and believe it or not, it makes some parts more finnicky since it clashes with the regularity of switching camera angles (I'll use tank controls for SH3, promise). I honestly feel like this is the best possible version of classic horror combat, even on my first playthrough I never felt like I didn't have the means to take out enemies giving me trouble.
The atmosphere of this game is legendary. Even when I first tried playing it many years ago, I was consumed by the opening and here it felt almost life-changing to take everything in. The ominous soundtrack when you start making your way through the park, the momentary background noises that add a layer of anxiety (seriously there are so many one-off creepy sounds that just make it all the more intense), the fact that even the radio chipping is enough to keep you on your toes, there is so much density in this game's atmosphere. Finally firsthand experiencing it in full feels like a privilege. The soundtrack not only has some impending doom-sounding pieces, but genuine bangers (seriously, did not expect the amount of trip hop to play and I couldn't be happier).
The story and its symbolism has also been discussed to death, so I'll be brief. James really does feel like a character that has nothing to lose and stopped caring about everything altogether, which is something that adds further to the tone and atmosphere. It makes for a big contrast to Harry from SH1, and having that play into whichever ending you want can make it bittersweet or immensely tragic. I personally like the Leave ending the most (between that, In Water, and Maria). But one thing that happened between all three endings was the full reading of Mary's letter. It's definitely the most I've cried to a game since MGSV, and it still got me the third time through. One of the best moments in any game.
I'll definitely get the rest of the endings within the coming week, but I'll take my time for real getting to SH3 (I hear it's the scariest of the classic trilogy). I haven't been fixated on a game like this in so long, the dreadful atmosphere is honestly comforting at this point, this'll easily become a new comfort game. I can't stress how much I love this game and want to see everything it has to offer.
10/10
1999
Finally played my first Silent Hill, and after the action-horror of RE Village it's pretty neat to play a pure horror game.
The biggest issue with me getting into classic horror games was the fact many of them use tank controls, so it took some getting used to here. I'm still not a huge fan of them, but I understand why they were a genre standard as a means to emphasize your characters' limited actions.
Everyone knows the atmosphere is the biggest factor in SH's brand of horrror, and here it was amazingly effective. I was actually having a hard time keeping on playing at times, because the atmosphere was so consuming and nauseating at times, also thanks in part to the incredible soundtrack. Both sewer sequences had me super tense and yeling "run" in my head, and the monsters' moaning being mixed with the BGM had me completely unnerved.
Even on easy mode (I have no shame in playing on this mode for now, as I was intent on enjoying the story) the gameplay tries to steer you to avoid unnecessary encounters. Getting chased in the late game by some of the stronger monsters adds quite a bit to the tension. The puzzles are well done for the most part, although a few of them definitely needed a guide because of how overly layered they were (especially during the final dungeon).
The soundtrack is definitely a huge part of what makes the atmosphere and emotions that more intense. My favorite scene is easily Lisa's final moment, it got to me emotionally far more than I expected and I almost got teary-eyed afterwards, thanks in part to her theme. One of the most beautiful scenes in all of gaming.
I got the Good+ ending, which definitely feels like the most satsifying and canon ending (although apparently the second Good ending is what most people gravitate to), and I might go another round at some point for one of those endings. This is definitely a game and series I want to take my time with, I feel marathoning them might diminish the experience. Still was good to break from recent games to throw back to a classic horror title, especially one I've been wanting to play forever.
9/10
The biggest issue with me getting into classic horror games was the fact many of them use tank controls, so it took some getting used to here. I'm still not a huge fan of them, but I understand why they were a genre standard as a means to emphasize your characters' limited actions.
Everyone knows the atmosphere is the biggest factor in SH's brand of horrror, and here it was amazingly effective. I was actually having a hard time keeping on playing at times, because the atmosphere was so consuming and nauseating at times, also thanks in part to the incredible soundtrack. Both sewer sequences had me super tense and yeling "run" in my head, and the monsters' moaning being mixed with the BGM had me completely unnerved.
Even on easy mode (I have no shame in playing on this mode for now, as I was intent on enjoying the story) the gameplay tries to steer you to avoid unnecessary encounters. Getting chased in the late game by some of the stronger monsters adds quite a bit to the tension. The puzzles are well done for the most part, although a few of them definitely needed a guide because of how overly layered they were (especially during the final dungeon).
The soundtrack is definitely a huge part of what makes the atmosphere and emotions that more intense. My favorite scene is easily Lisa's final moment, it got to me emotionally far more than I expected and I almost got teary-eyed afterwards, thanks in part to her theme. One of the most beautiful scenes in all of gaming.
I got the Good+ ending, which definitely feels like the most satsifying and canon ending (although apparently the second Good ending is what most people gravitate to), and I might go another round at some point for one of those endings. This is definitely a game and series I want to take my time with, I feel marathoning them might diminish the experience. Still was good to break from recent games to throw back to a classic horror title, especially one I've been wanting to play forever.
9/10
After 6 playthroughs, including a VoS run, I feel like I've played enough of this game to give my thoughts.
I thought RE7 was pretty great and genuinely scary, but its gameplay didn't give much for replay value aside from trophy hunting. I still enjoyed its presentation very much, but it's clear the experience of the story was the main focus.
RE Village goes in the other direction, where it isn't quite as scary (for the most part) as 7 but it's more action-focused similar to RE4 (which Capcom have said was a big influence on this game's development). While 4 is a masterpiece of gaming, this game isn't any slouch either. Its inspiration from 4 is abundantly clear (the duke here even makes a passing reference to 4's iconic merchant), and at its best the combat isn't too far off from 4's great story beats.
There is still lots to love with the horror elements. Lady D, memes aside, is easily the most memorable villain (sans possibly Heisenberg) and her castle is likely most people's favorite part, myself included. It becomes pretty scary when she starts stalking you, and on VoS mode she's much faster and will likely slash you before you find cover.
House Beneviento is likely the most infamous "dungeon" in the game, due to its atmosphere, themes, and imagery being very much like Silent Hill (another series I need to play ASAP). I've seen plenty complain over the lack of weapons and combat here, but I loved the extended puzzle sequence. Then there's the infamous monster chase that happens there, it is easily one of the scariest moments I've experienced in gaming (maybe second only to the invisible water monster from Amnesia: The Dark Descent) and left my heart pounding harder and harder, it gave me an almost primal form of fear.
The horror aspect feels a little less emphasized with the rest of the game, but the Moreau chase sequence is extremely thrilling and a clear nod to Del Lago from 4.
I think the gameplay takes a dive at Heisenberg's Factory, the enemies are HUGE damage sponges that shred your ammo. The lycan stronghold has similar problems (more of too many enemies as opposed to too tanky enemies), but I feel the factory is my least favorite area to go through even if it gets easier on repeats (better than 7's boat, at least). The mutated Heisenberg fight is cool at least (not on VoS mode though).
The story here continues from the Mia ending in 7, while I'm not a story guy when it comes to RE, I did like the characters that were introduced here. Plus the ending got to me and almost teared me up.
Other things that tickled my fancy:
-I played my first run with earbuds in, and I loved the sound design. I especially love how bassy Moreau's mutated form's roar is.
-The "Knives Out" playthrough is one of the dumbest things I've done in a game but one of the funniest and most fun. Having mutated villains giving monologues mid-fight, only to get murked by a knife-punch is hilariously entertaining.
This might be a little messy and jumbled, but this is what I think of the game. I did a little bit of mercenaries mode and it has its fun, I'm not big into its roguelike nature and will probably come back to platinum it another time since I'm a little worn on the combat.
Despite its flaws, I loved this game and really need to get to the RE remakes (have 2, 3, and 4) and the OG games too. Loved this game, will definitely come back to it in the future.
9/10
I thought RE7 was pretty great and genuinely scary, but its gameplay didn't give much for replay value aside from trophy hunting. I still enjoyed its presentation very much, but it's clear the experience of the story was the main focus.
RE Village goes in the other direction, where it isn't quite as scary (for the most part) as 7 but it's more action-focused similar to RE4 (which Capcom have said was a big influence on this game's development). While 4 is a masterpiece of gaming, this game isn't any slouch either. Its inspiration from 4 is abundantly clear (the duke here even makes a passing reference to 4's iconic merchant), and at its best the combat isn't too far off from 4's great story beats.
There is still lots to love with the horror elements. Lady D, memes aside, is easily the most memorable villain (sans possibly Heisenberg) and her castle is likely most people's favorite part, myself included. It becomes pretty scary when she starts stalking you, and on VoS mode she's much faster and will likely slash you before you find cover.
House Beneviento is likely the most infamous "dungeon" in the game, due to its atmosphere, themes, and imagery being very much like Silent Hill (another series I need to play ASAP). I've seen plenty complain over the lack of weapons and combat here, but I loved the extended puzzle sequence. Then there's the infamous monster chase that happens there, it is easily one of the scariest moments I've experienced in gaming (maybe second only to the invisible water monster from Amnesia: The Dark Descent) and left my heart pounding harder and harder, it gave me an almost primal form of fear.
The horror aspect feels a little less emphasized with the rest of the game, but the Moreau chase sequence is extremely thrilling and a clear nod to Del Lago from 4.
I think the gameplay takes a dive at Heisenberg's Factory, the enemies are HUGE damage sponges that shred your ammo. The lycan stronghold has similar problems (more of too many enemies as opposed to too tanky enemies), but I feel the factory is my least favorite area to go through even if it gets easier on repeats (better than 7's boat, at least). The mutated Heisenberg fight is cool at least (not on VoS mode though).
The story here continues from the Mia ending in 7, while I'm not a story guy when it comes to RE, I did like the characters that were introduced here. Plus the ending got to me and almost teared me up.
Other things that tickled my fancy:
-I played my first run with earbuds in, and I loved the sound design. I especially love how bassy Moreau's mutated form's roar is.
-The "Knives Out" playthrough is one of the dumbest things I've done in a game but one of the funniest and most fun. Having mutated villains giving monologues mid-fight, only to get murked by a knife-punch is hilariously entertaining.
This might be a little messy and jumbled, but this is what I think of the game. I did a little bit of mercenaries mode and it has its fun, I'm not big into its roguelike nature and will probably come back to platinum it another time since I'm a little worn on the combat.
Despite its flaws, I loved this game and really need to get to the RE remakes (have 2, 3, and 4) and the OG games too. Loved this game, will definitely come back to it in the future.
9/10
I'm a casual RE fan, having only finished OG 4 and 5 beforehand. Been finally going through my backlog and got around to this one and it's good.
The biggest trouble I had with this game was getting used to the playstyle. My experience with horror games is minimal, so the generally limited options were a bit of a shock to the system (the first attic boss almost made me ragequit, looking back it's pretty silly now).
I've read this is the scariest game in the series, and I will likely agree when I complete the series. I had my headphones plugged in and it is genuinely one of the most tense experiences I've had playing a game and it was genuinely scary. Also love the nods to Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Blair Witch Project, Evil Dead, and Saw, among others. The vibe and atmosphere is engrossing, and the resource management makes decisions matter so much more than other types of games. Most of the combat encounters can actually be skipped, which saves you ammo and other important resources (and you can also be cheeky and force despawns). The gradually unfolding story gets better as it goes along, which makes both endings worth it.
The forced combat that there was, however, definitely feels rough and not in the intended survival horror way. Most of the bosses are huge damage sponges, even on easy mode. Plus the story starts to diminish by the last quarter, when you enter the haunted ship. Then there's the final boss, which was pretty unsatisfying to finish.
Still, it does a lot more right than it does wrong and it's worthwhile for anyone interested in horror games. I don't think I'll platinum this one (madhouse difficulty and its save limitations can eat my entire ass), but that first playthrough was very memorable for me.
8/10
The biggest trouble I had with this game was getting used to the playstyle. My experience with horror games is minimal, so the generally limited options were a bit of a shock to the system (the first attic boss almost made me ragequit, looking back it's pretty silly now).
I've read this is the scariest game in the series, and I will likely agree when I complete the series. I had my headphones plugged in and it is genuinely one of the most tense experiences I've had playing a game and it was genuinely scary. Also love the nods to Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Blair Witch Project, Evil Dead, and Saw, among others. The vibe and atmosphere is engrossing, and the resource management makes decisions matter so much more than other types of games. Most of the combat encounters can actually be skipped, which saves you ammo and other important resources (and you can also be cheeky and force despawns). The gradually unfolding story gets better as it goes along, which makes both endings worth it.
The forced combat that there was, however, definitely feels rough and not in the intended survival horror way. Most of the bosses are huge damage sponges, even on easy mode. Plus the story starts to diminish by the last quarter, when you enter the haunted ship. Then there's the final boss, which was pretty unsatisfying to finish.
Still, it does a lot more right than it does wrong and it's worthwhile for anyone interested in horror games. I don't think I'll platinum this one (madhouse difficulty and its save limitations can eat my entire ass), but that first playthrough was very memorable for me.
8/10
I'm going to break my trend by reviewing this game before I finish all optional content, I'll explain later.
Gameplay wise, this feels like FF7-gone-Kingdom Hearts (apparently it's kinda close to Birth By Sleep, but I haven't played that one so I can't say personally), it is pretty fun in short bursts, especially if you get decent equipment.
The story is fine but most of what happens really doesn't feel like something you couldn't just infer after playing FF7. It's cool seeing how Cloud came to look upto Zack, how Zack did the same for Angeal, and so on, but it really doesn't feel super essential for the experience. The end, at the very least, is genuinely emotional and my favorite part. Also the battle theme goes really hard.
What's stopping me from going for the platinum trophy is how the side content ruined the game for me. They're very repetitive, have the same enemies and area layouts, and have huge difficulty spikes where you're forced to grind XP. I really don't want to use AFK methods because in my eyes, if the best way to power through a game is to not play it then that's a fundamentally broken way to [not] play it. The fact that lots of essential items are held hostage by these huge one-shot difficulty spikes means you'll have to do EVEN MORE grinding. It ended up breaking me, and I just finished the story and will move on to another game.
It's a bit disappointing, after everything is said and done, it works as a decent spinoff to add more context to FF7's story, even if it's ultimately not vital.
I might come back to this in a long while to give it another try at completion, but for now I had my fun and want to move on. I've completed much harder games, but this requires more patience than I am willing to give.
6/10
Gameplay wise, this feels like FF7-gone-Kingdom Hearts (apparently it's kinda close to Birth By Sleep, but I haven't played that one so I can't say personally), it is pretty fun in short bursts, especially if you get decent equipment.
The story is fine but most of what happens really doesn't feel like something you couldn't just infer after playing FF7. It's cool seeing how Cloud came to look upto Zack, how Zack did the same for Angeal, and so on, but it really doesn't feel super essential for the experience. The end, at the very least, is genuinely emotional and my favorite part. Also the battle theme goes really hard.
What's stopping me from going for the platinum trophy is how the side content ruined the game for me. They're very repetitive, have the same enemies and area layouts, and have huge difficulty spikes where you're forced to grind XP. I really don't want to use AFK methods because in my eyes, if the best way to power through a game is to not play it then that's a fundamentally broken way to [not] play it. The fact that lots of essential items are held hostage by these huge one-shot difficulty spikes means you'll have to do EVEN MORE grinding. It ended up breaking me, and I just finished the story and will move on to another game.
It's a bit disappointing, after everything is said and done, it works as a decent spinoff to add more context to FF7's story, even if it's ultimately not vital.
I might come back to this in a long while to give it another try at completion, but for now I had my fun and want to move on. I've completed much harder games, but this requires more patience than I am willing to give.
6/10