wafflejunkie
2005
A fairly impressive technological showcase for the PSP at the time of release, demonstrating that such a compact device could handle large levels filled with enemies and vehicles. The game isn't long enough to overstay it's welcome and features more variety in missions than you'd expect from a glance.
The vehicle leaping/hijacking is the real star of the show, especially when combined with the mid-air slow-mo shooting, it really never gets old.
However, some large, unprecedented difficulty spikes harm the experience somewhat.
The vehicle leaping/hijacking is the real star of the show, especially when combined with the mid-air slow-mo shooting, it really never gets old.
However, some large, unprecedented difficulty spikes harm the experience somewhat.
The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners is at it's best when chaos begins to unfold. The cycle of sneaking around and scavenging is adequate. However, when your meticulous plan fails and you open a door and are greeted by 3 zombies, that is where the real thrill lies. Having to improvise in situations of peril, while attempting to complete objectives and manage items, health and stamina create truly memorable moments of tension.
The possibility of human and undead enemies existing simultaneously is better in concept than in execution, as the AI of the human enemies is flawed to say the least. There are instances of multiple enemies spawning inside of each other and becoming stuck together, and are a little too sight impaired to be considered much of a threat when sneaking around.
The game also flirts with a choice and consequence system that could have worked better with some kind of morality system, instead of simply checking a few flags for the sequel.
The object interactions are mostly excellent, such as using an egg timer as a throwable distraction, even able to be fitted with an explosive, but there are some, such as the lever action rifle that behaves very erratically.
Overall, it's an exciting foundation that I hope could be improved upon greatly.
The possibility of human and undead enemies existing simultaneously is better in concept than in execution, as the AI of the human enemies is flawed to say the least. There are instances of multiple enemies spawning inside of each other and becoming stuck together, and are a little too sight impaired to be considered much of a threat when sneaking around.
The game also flirts with a choice and consequence system that could have worked better with some kind of morality system, instead of simply checking a few flags for the sequel.
The object interactions are mostly excellent, such as using an egg timer as a throwable distraction, even able to be fitted with an explosive, but there are some, such as the lever action rifle that behaves very erratically.
Overall, it's an exciting foundation that I hope could be improved upon greatly.
2017
The concept of a Golf game taking inpsiration from SNES era RPGs is a hugely appealing one. The writing and overall story carries what amounts to a fairly shallow gameplay experience.
The lack of variety in the challenges presented as well as the limitations of golf, result in the game seriously running out of steam by the 6 hour mark at the most, and for me, there were almost 10 hours remaining from that point. There were also some major inconsistencies regarding difficulty, almost as if it couldn't decide whether it wanted to be easy or challenging. Conversely, the music, graphics, and sound effects create a very comfortable and palatable atmosphere that make the game somewhat easier to recommend.
The lack of variety in the challenges presented as well as the limitations of golf, result in the game seriously running out of steam by the 6 hour mark at the most, and for me, there were almost 10 hours remaining from that point. There were also some major inconsistencies regarding difficulty, almost as if it couldn't decide whether it wanted to be easy or challenging. Conversely, the music, graphics, and sound effects create a very comfortable and palatable atmosphere that make the game somewhat easier to recommend.
2005
Replayed with the Extraordinary HD Project mod.
Resident Evil 4 represents the absolute pinnacle of the series. It took a few serious risks, such as the removal of the item box, and the slight departure from a pure horror philosophy, while still remaining faithful to its survival horror roots.
The set pieces are very strong, the action is weighty and impactful, and aside from the Resident Evil rule - in which every mainline RE game falls apart in the last 15% or so, RE4 is not only an absolute delight, but still deserves a place on the Mount Rushmore of great action games.
Resident Evil 4 represents the absolute pinnacle of the series. It took a few serious risks, such as the removal of the item box, and the slight departure from a pure horror philosophy, while still remaining faithful to its survival horror roots.
The set pieces are very strong, the action is weighty and impactful, and aside from the Resident Evil rule - in which every mainline RE game falls apart in the last 15% or so, RE4 is not only an absolute delight, but still deserves a place on the Mount Rushmore of great action games.
The Jedi Knight games are among the absolute best that the Star Wars franchise has to offer.
No other Star Wars game has captured the power of the lightsaber as a video game weapon, and the sense of progression that this game captures from blaster-wielding mercenary to powerful Jedi is exceptional.
The game is also reinforced by a strong story and cast of characters both good and evil, who lead a narrative that sprawls many interesting original and returning locations from the franchise.
The only real negative is some obtuse level design that occasionally rears its head. Other than that, the game is absolutely immaculate.
No other Star Wars game has captured the power of the lightsaber as a video game weapon, and the sense of progression that this game captures from blaster-wielding mercenary to powerful Jedi is exceptional.
The game is also reinforced by a strong story and cast of characters both good and evil, who lead a narrative that sprawls many interesting original and returning locations from the franchise.
The only real negative is some obtuse level design that occasionally rears its head. Other than that, the game is absolutely immaculate.
2022
Supermassive Games have well and truly hit their limit when it comes to their particular brand of 'cinematic horror games'. While The Quarry excelled in areas that their past games have not, they are still yet to produce a game that goes beyond that of imitating the usual cliched and self-aware premises of traditional horror movies. These games need to get bolder, not just bigger.
Sands of time has a pretty rudimentary gameplay loop that is stretched out for over double the length of it's value. The slow combat, braindead AI, and the fact that the combat encounters always include a few too many waves of enemies, really drag it down to a halt. Still, it was going in a much more forward looking direction than many other action-platformers of it's time. Uncharted pretty much owes everything to this game and Tomb Raider.