younglinks
2023
This review contains spoilers
am not happy with it... 😑 having to use another website was kinda annoying but like ok sure i can pardon it cuz it was used enough times cleverly (this is just a minor nitpick). but god the server room puzzle was irritating, why did the code start with terminal C but expected you to Not start with C but A instead... and not just that but it expects you to be ok with redoing that slough of a puzzle multiple times like are you for real. i would be fine if it was just a quick code i could memorize and input, or just tap the terminals or smth easy like that, but clicking each individual one and typing a letter 8 times multiple times if i fail the cycle sucked.
also like the final cypher.. that sucked. giving me time limits but also expecting me to sit down and look at a clock and understand its in base60 like thats something that most people know 😠extremely irritating which is a shame cuz otherwise i loved the visual design and music and cleverness of the game, like hiding secrets that can only be seen by adjusting game brightness was so clever. but ultimately the last few puzzles were too annoying for me to like this game
also how does deciphering codes lend itself to the themes of a horrifically laborious life?? im not happy w this game at all, but at least it was free
also like the final cypher.. that sucked. giving me time limits but also expecting me to sit down and look at a clock and understand its in base60 like thats something that most people know 😠extremely irritating which is a shame cuz otherwise i loved the visual design and music and cleverness of the game, like hiding secrets that can only be seen by adjusting game brightness was so clever. but ultimately the last few puzzles were too annoying for me to like this game
also how does deciphering codes lend itself to the themes of a horrifically laborious life?? im not happy w this game at all, but at least it was free
2019
its soooo fun but i wish it came with a calculator LOL ðŸ˜
You know what's my favorite part about this franchise? How there's no plot or padding and I can get straight into the minigames. Oh wait...
Annoying plot aside, the new games are delightful and the new remixes are really great. It's nice to be able to have various old games remastered, though it sucks that they removed the flick option for DS minigames for some reason. It also sucks that for a console with Several Buttons, a game that only requires 2 button inputs at most can't remap it's input intake to other buttons, like come on. The focus on frame-perfect timing is also very weird, and not particularly enjoyable. The game selection is also pretty strange, like why is Quiz here but not Bon Odori?
Still fun to play, but has some very strange choices that stifles it from being a more enjoyable entry.
Annoying plot aside, the new games are delightful and the new remixes are really great. It's nice to be able to have various old games remastered, though it sucks that they removed the flick option for DS minigames for some reason. It also sucks that for a console with Several Buttons, a game that only requires 2 button inputs at most can't remap it's input intake to other buttons, like come on. The focus on frame-perfect timing is also very weird, and not particularly enjoyable. The game selection is also pretty strange, like why is Quiz here but not Bon Odori?
Still fun to play, but has some very strange choices that stifles it from being a more enjoyable entry.
2008
Must a game be good to be legendary?
2012
A classic... great twist at the end. Fantastic pacing and puzzles. Has a wonderfully oppressive atmosphere of malice... Just a good fucking game
2012
Mary deserved to kill that purple haired bitch!
Does not withstand the test of time. I can definitely see how a game like this would've been revolutionary back in the late 90s, but as a modern experience... it feels very empty. Hell, 3D Zelda games that aren't BOTW have not aged well at all, and not being able to jump freely is a very strange feature that takes a while to adjust to, and even then still never feels quite right.
Not much to say about it... it's an old game that feels old. The only reason I finished it was because it was my only entertainment on a road trip with no internet access. Hyrule Field feels empty, the world doesn't feel cohesive and instead feels like dungeons glued onto one another, and combat is nothing outstanding. Puzzles are alright, if not a bit dated.
The subtextual methods of storytelling is still very excellent however. OOT and MM writes emotional scenes in a very subtle way, letting the music and atmospheric mood do a lot of heavy lifting.
Playing OOT will teach you a lot about the history of video games and games in general, but it's not the most fun thing to play if you have no childhood nostalgia attached to it.
Not much to say about it... it's an old game that feels old. The only reason I finished it was because it was my only entertainment on a road trip with no internet access. Hyrule Field feels empty, the world doesn't feel cohesive and instead feels like dungeons glued onto one another, and combat is nothing outstanding. Puzzles are alright, if not a bit dated.
The subtextual methods of storytelling is still very excellent however. OOT and MM writes emotional scenes in a very subtle way, letting the music and atmospheric mood do a lot of heavy lifting.
Playing OOT will teach you a lot about the history of video games and games in general, but it's not the most fun thing to play if you have no childhood nostalgia attached to it.
GO MY WAY!! gave me PTSD.
2000
Worst combat in the series, literally who thought automatic limit breaks would be a good idea. Also a lack of party customization, which while it definitely saves time, is also one of my favorite aspects of Final Fantasy, so it is a bit sad to not feature it here... Also extremely slow battles, with camera panning taking forever. And Tetra Master is just an awful minigame and the fact that you need to win multiple games of it at one point in the story is abysmal... Chocobo Hot n' Cold is also awful. Every minigame in this game is awful, except the first one in the opening which you can never replay again.
Now with the negatives out of the way... this is my favorite Final Fantasy game <3 The graphics still hold up, and is one of the best looking PS1 games. The soundtrack is also spectacular. But what this game excels in is it's atmospheres and environments. One of the developers of the games describe it as an "adventure inside the world of a picture book", and I think that describes the experience of FFIX perfectly. Sound design, dialogue, color palettes, and camera angles are all expertly crafted to give you a stunning and captivating experience.
And the story... it's really, really good. Not perfect, with a few story threads being abandoned, but what they do with the three main characters is absolutely incredible. There's a reason why people say this is the best Final Fantasy, and it's the way these three characters are transformed throughout the story that is the reason why. It's a mastery of storytelling, with well-paced reveals, organic character growth, skillful crafting of unnerving tension, and an incredibly satisfying ending.
You definitely need to be invested into the story and environments to be able to bear with the negatives that this game possesses, but with how well-executed the story and environments is, I don't think it'll be a very difficult thing to do.
Now with the negatives out of the way... this is my favorite Final Fantasy game <3 The graphics still hold up, and is one of the best looking PS1 games. The soundtrack is also spectacular. But what this game excels in is it's atmospheres and environments. One of the developers of the games describe it as an "adventure inside the world of a picture book", and I think that describes the experience of FFIX perfectly. Sound design, dialogue, color palettes, and camera angles are all expertly crafted to give you a stunning and captivating experience.
And the story... it's really, really good. Not perfect, with a few story threads being abandoned, but what they do with the three main characters is absolutely incredible. There's a reason why people say this is the best Final Fantasy, and it's the way these three characters are transformed throughout the story that is the reason why. It's a mastery of storytelling, with well-paced reveals, organic character growth, skillful crafting of unnerving tension, and an incredibly satisfying ending.
You definitely need to be invested into the story and environments to be able to bear with the negatives that this game possesses, but with how well-executed the story and environments is, I don't think it'll be a very difficult thing to do.
1997
Deserves all the hype it gets... A story that withstands the test of time. Graphics may not have aged as well but they're so charming and can make you laugh so is it really a bad thing? Combat also still holds up, experimenting and workshopping different materia combinations is so satisfying and fun. The world is so immersive and the soundtrack and pre-rendered backgrounds are still impressive, and the summon animations are still amazing. Also people don't talk enough about how funny this game is. It's so funny and silly and so stupid at times. It's hysterical and I love how ridiculous it gets.
Obviously has a bunch of jank expected from a game released in 1997, and a bunch of classic Final Fantasy bullshit (forget to check this one corner in this one room you will never be able to access again and you will lose out on the chance to get your ultimate weapon Forever), and a really terrible translation. But personally I think it all adds to the game's charm... but play this on an emulator where you can speed it up and use save slates for the love of god
Obviously has a bunch of jank expected from a game released in 1997, and a bunch of classic Final Fantasy bullshit (forget to check this one corner in this one room you will never be able to access again and you will lose out on the chance to get your ultimate weapon Forever), and a really terrible translation. But personally I think it all adds to the game's charm... but play this on an emulator where you can speed it up and use save slates for the love of god
Great UI, beautiful graphics, high quality voice-acting that the franchise is known for, and the biggest world map with incredible attention to detail, condensed with so much Batman history that it feels like the most complete love letter to the Batman mythos yet. An interesting reimagining of one of Batman's well-known stories.
But yeah... that's about it for it's good points. The boss fights in this game are unbelievably disappointing (there is only ONE boss that's an actual beatdown boss and doesn't rely on the Batmobile, and I wish I was kidding), and the over reliance on the Batmobile is stifling and detrimental. Combat is good, but hasn't evolved noticeably further from Arkham City. It's also definitely one of the weaker stories in the franchise, if not the weakest, with an ending full of plot holes and plot twists that will become obvious to anyone familiar with Batman's mythos.
Also, you need to get all 243 Riddler trophies to see the definitive ending, which is just terrible... Just replay Arkham City instead.
But yeah... that's about it for it's good points. The boss fights in this game are unbelievably disappointing (there is only ONE boss that's an actual beatdown boss and doesn't rely on the Batmobile, and I wish I was kidding), and the over reliance on the Batmobile is stifling and detrimental. Combat is good, but hasn't evolved noticeably further from Arkham City. It's also definitely one of the weaker stories in the franchise, if not the weakest, with an ending full of plot holes and plot twists that will become obvious to anyone familiar with Batman's mythos.
Also, you need to get all 243 Riddler trophies to see the definitive ending, which is just terrible... Just replay Arkham City instead.
This review contains spoilers
An excellent game!!!!
The writing is so gripping and the unravelling mysteries were so fun to uncover, and the humour is so good and the animations are AMAZING!!! And the music is so fun, and I really like how you can seamlessly change between both touchscreen and button controls! Literally such a good game!!!
My only complaint is that I wish the difficulty scaled better, I was disappointed that the final puzzle was mostly infallible, with the story carrying you through it's final solutions. It was a disappointing change from previous chapters, where you would have to figure out multiple correct actions in the final split-seconds with little guidance; or trial-and-error with multiple items and timing until the solution becomes apparent to you. I was a bit sad that the ending robbed me of this lightbulb moment.
I also wish the black kitten was seen more often in the game, so it's plot twist didn't feel so out of nowhere as it did. But other than these two complaints, I still enjoyed this game greatly and would easily recommend this game to anyone who enjoys mystery and puzzles :D
The writing is so gripping and the unravelling mysteries were so fun to uncover, and the humour is so good and the animations are AMAZING!!! And the music is so fun, and I really like how you can seamlessly change between both touchscreen and button controls! Literally such a good game!!!
My only complaint is that I wish the difficulty scaled better, I was disappointed that the final puzzle was mostly infallible, with the story carrying you through it's final solutions. It was a disappointing change from previous chapters, where you would have to figure out multiple correct actions in the final split-seconds with little guidance; or trial-and-error with multiple items and timing until the solution becomes apparent to you. I was a bit sad that the ending robbed me of this lightbulb moment.
I also wish the black kitten was seen more often in the game, so it's plot twist didn't feel so out of nowhere as it did. But other than these two complaints, I still enjoyed this game greatly and would easily recommend this game to anyone who enjoys mystery and puzzles :D
Short and simple, just like the main character. A tight and concise Zelda game, with excellent dungeons and well-paced levelling, giving you new abilities and upgrades at all the right times, and opening the world up for you at a satisfying pace. Difficulty scales well, and the final bosses are genuinely unnerving and challenging.
My favorite aspect of this game is how it's art style is absolute eye candy. The sprite work is some of the best I've seen, with expertly crafted color palettes and animations that make the best use out of the GBA's 60fps capabilities.
BUT FUCK THOSE KINSTONES!!!!!
My favorite aspect of this game is how it's art style is absolute eye candy. The sprite work is some of the best I've seen, with expertly crafted color palettes and animations that make the best use out of the GBA's 60fps capabilities.
BUT FUCK THOSE KINSTONES!!!!!
An unimaginable fun unmatched by any other experience, with an incredible amount of player freedom which the game both invites you to experiment with and also rewards you for. I've yet to play a game that felt as freeing as this one. I also have to commend this game for being welcoming to players of any skill level, which is rather difficult to find in a game.
Despite how enjoyable the first 5 - 8 hours are, the game will then be limited by it's world map, and gameplay will quickly become repetitive and difficulty will hit a brick wall. Writing is also very poor, and the voice-acting is not the most stellar work. The endgame is also one of the worst of this series, and if you are overpowered enough (which, if you explored the rest of the world, you probably will be), the final bosses will be disappointingly easy to beat. I also personally disliked the shrine system, and how it disrupted my flow of exploring the overworld. And lastly, the lack of accessibility customization is really awful.
One of my least favorite Zelda games, but I can't deny how good of a game it is.
Despite how enjoyable the first 5 - 8 hours are, the game will then be limited by it's world map, and gameplay will quickly become repetitive and difficulty will hit a brick wall. Writing is also very poor, and the voice-acting is not the most stellar work. The endgame is also one of the worst of this series, and if you are overpowered enough (which, if you explored the rest of the world, you probably will be), the final bosses will be disappointingly easy to beat. I also personally disliked the shrine system, and how it disrupted my flow of exploring the overworld. And lastly, the lack of accessibility customization is really awful.
One of my least favorite Zelda games, but I can't deny how good of a game it is.