- Spoiler: show
Will save my main thoughts for the podcast but meh. It was alright but had enough annoyances that I felt this was below the typical Nintendo quality. Definitely had fonder memories of the original.
Games Completed 2023
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Jobobonobo
- Member
- Posts: 625
- Joined: July 27th, 2016, 4:30 pm
Re: Games Completed 2023
Will save my main thoughts for the podcast but meh. It was alright but had enough annoyances that I felt this was below the typical Nintendo quality. Definitely had fonder memories of the original.
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Scrustle
- Member
- Posts: 2472
- Joined: November 18th, 2012, 6:02 pm
Re: Games Completed 2023
- Spoiler: show
Had this game in my library for a while, never really committing to it until now. Not that I was intending on sticking with it this time either, but it just sort of happened. I know this game has its fans, some even saying it’s better than Mario Kart. It is a pretty good game, but I’m not sure I would say it’s better than MK. Maybe you could argue it’s more ambitious, but it doesn’t quite nail the details in the same way.
Perhaps the reason people claim this game is better than MK is because of the transforming vehicles that are pretty similar to how MK8 does it. And to be fair, in concept it’s actually a more fleshed out version of the idea, by having three completely different vehicle styles instead of one that just changes to the situation. It is a very cool feature, although some driving styles are more fun than others.
The handling of the cars is generally pretty good. Responsive and easy to get a hang of. The drifting feels a little bit weird though. It’s fine once you get used to it, but the angle you enter and exit a drift is a tad vague. While actually in the drift it feels good though, as you have a lot of control over it and can link them together in to really long chains and build up a big boost out of it. The cars are easily the most fun to play as, and are definitely among the best you’ll find in any kart racer. But those minor flaws in the drifting do put below MK8 when it comes to how fun it is to play on a base level.
The planes are also decent, although not as good as the cars. They can be a bit slow to turn, but you can do flips and rolls in the air that can shift you around and help adjustments. You can also drift like you can in a car, which is a bit of an odd thing, but adds a bit of depth and style. Interestingly the up and down controls are inverted, like on an actual plane. Not something I had a problem with since when actually flying a plane that makes sense to me. But it did seem like maybe a strange choice to have on a game that’s trying to be as simple to play as possible.
I wasn’t particularly fond of the boats however. They flop around pretty unresponsively, with unpredictable behaviour based on the waves underneath you. I guess that just comes with the territory of how boats work, but I’ve never liked it when they handle like this in games.
So how fun it is to play often comes down to what form your vehicle is at any moment. Most races having you doing all three in fairly equal amounts, but some tracks or specific events might have a focus on one over the others. At least two of the three driving styles is fun though, so on balance it’s pretty good.
There are loads of different event types in the career, which makes for a nice amount of variety. Most of it isn’t super radical, but it does help the experience a bit more than just normal races. A lot of them boil down to time trials but with specific conditions. The races themselves have a few variants though, some with items and some without. Item balancing seems okay, although there are definitely moments when you can get screwed by it very unfairly in a way that I think MK8 managed to avoid. This game also seems to have a weird issue with difficulty balancing. The medium difficulty is usually very easy, so you need to go to hard to get any kind of challenge. A lot of the events on hard are still pretty manageable, some still even fairly easy. But then you’ll get the occasional one that is extremely difficult for some reason. It doesn’t feel like hard mode is at a consistent level of challenge at all.
The tracks are really impressive though. Especially when it comes to their visual design and how they are laid out to take advantage of the different vehicles, they are really cool. Even though I’m not particularly a Sega fan, the way all these tracks bring to life all these old franchises and characters with more modern graphics is very appealing. You get the sense that if any of these games were to get a modern sequel or reboot around the time when this game came out, it would be hard to expect them to be done justice much better than how this game did. Having the plane and boat modes means you can explore these areas in a much more interesting way too. Being able to fly through some of these environments in particular allows for some really creative track design and a good sense of scale. A lot of the tracks change between laps too, having bit set pieces play out in the backgrounds and sending you down a different route. If this game has Mario Kart beat on anything, it’s this stuff.
But speaking of all the Sega franchise representation, the roster of this game is sort of weird. Not bad by any means, but pretty odd. It has all the Sonic characters you would expect of course, and a bunch of old Sega characters that while cool to see, hadn’t been relevant for a long time before this game came out, and still aren’t to be honest. I suppose those are great for people who are big Sega fans, and it’s still true they are very lovingly represented. But I don’t have much personal connection to them. And on top of that there’s also a few weird ones from their western developed PC games that don’t really fit or are just generic abstract characters. I think it’s down to how this game released at something of an awkward time for Sega. This was a long while after the Dreamcast died, before Yakuza/Like a Dragon blew up globally, and before they bought out Atlus. So they admittedly didn’t have much to work with around this time. They could’ve had Bayonetta, but perhaps they thought she would be too inappropriate for a kids game. Although to be honest I think it’s more likely that this was during a time when Sega thought the IP was too niche or a financial failure, since this was before Bayo 2 came out, and was likely in the period when they weren’t keen on funding a sequel and letting Nintendo pick up the slack.
This is a pretty fun game on the whole though. Easily one of the best kart racers out there, and with a bunch of ideas on how to evolve that formula. It’s also a really well made love letter to a lot of Sega’s franchises, even if the time it came out meant that it was somewhat limited in how far it could take that. Still worth a play even if you’re not nostalgic for all that though.
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RinseWashRepeat
- Member
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- Joined: December 20th, 2019, 7:24 am
- Location: UK
Re: Games Completed 2023
I recently completed Overboard and Disco Elysium.
Overboard was a great idea that was fun to play through the first5 or 6 times. I then found having to replay the day over and over, just trying to figure out the right combo and order of events to be a little annoying. It's such a short loop that you're quickly 'back in' the game, but still.
Disco Elysium was pretty outstanding. I can see it rubbing some people the wrong way, but I totally fell into the world of Revachol. I found the dialogue options to often be massively extreme. Like you're either a mega fascist or an ultra-communist - and then the game made fun of you if you selected the 'boring' responses instead. If you hate the idea of that, then you'll probably want to swerve this game. I found it pretty funny though, so just fell in love with the whole thing.
Playing Live A Live now. Got to say, I'm not sold on the combat so far, but I've only played 2 out of 8 characters (and then whatever happens after...)
Overboard was a great idea that was fun to play through the first5 or 6 times. I then found having to replay the day over and over, just trying to figure out the right combo and order of events to be a little annoying. It's such a short loop that you're quickly 'back in' the game, but still.
Disco Elysium was pretty outstanding. I can see it rubbing some people the wrong way, but I totally fell into the world of Revachol. I found the dialogue options to often be massively extreme. Like you're either a mega fascist or an ultra-communist - and then the game made fun of you if you selected the 'boring' responses instead. If you hate the idea of that, then you'll probably want to swerve this game. I found it pretty funny though, so just fell in love with the whole thing.
Playing Live A Live now. Got to say, I'm not sold on the combat so far, but I've only played 2 out of 8 characters (and then whatever happens after...)
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Jobobonobo
- Member
- Posts: 625
- Joined: July 27th, 2016, 4:30 pm
Re: Games Completed 2023
- Spoiler: show
This is a big step up from the first Dreamland. Kirby now has copy abilities and animal buddies to help him out. Combining abilities with animals was a fun bit of experimental play and made this stand out a bit more from the pink marshmallow’s usual outings. Also this looks really nice for a Game Boy game with big sprites full of character. My only real complaint was that I had no idea I had to collect seven Rainbow drops to get to the true final boss. But then again this was from back in the day when all that sort of information was in the instruction manual. Some of the drops were a lot more tricky to get than I anticipated and I had no idea how anyone could have done this without a guide back in 1995. Still the true final boss was a pretty fun way to end this cute little adventure. Being sick at home makes the Kirby series some of the best things to play while I’m recovering. Just mellow vibes while not being too taxing on the brain. Just a nice little game.
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Scrustle
- Member
- Posts: 2472
- Joined: November 18th, 2012, 6:02 pm
Re: Games Completed 2023
- Spoiler: show
I was unsure about whether this was worth mentioning, but I guess it lines up with the Sonic theme from All-Stars Racing, so why not. This is just a silly little April Fools joke put out by Sega, but it turned out to be pretty amusing. It's a short little visual novel type thing with a murder mystery to solve and some auto-runner minigame sections. It's got some amusing writing and nice artwork for the characters. The mystery itself isn't hard to solve by any means, but it does take a few unexpected turns here and there. The runner sections are surprisingly difficult for something that is just meant to be a throwaway joke, but there are also decent assist options to make it as easy as you want.
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markfm007
- Member
- Posts: 235
- Joined: September 18th, 2016, 9:35 pm
Re: Games Completed 2023
- Spoiler: show
I’ve been anticipating this game since the incredible demo of the village intro, and it didn’t disappoint. I think this game, Dead Space and The Last of Us could be placed in a Venn diagram, each drawing on similar sources while leaning into different aspects of that experience. The Last of Us leans into its narrative journey and characters, Dead Space its oppressive and dread inducing atmosphere, while Resident Evil 4 leans into varied and thrilling action.
The sheer amount and variety of great encounters in this game is kind of amazing. All out firefights, dark, tense encounters, big set pieces that had me grinning from ear to ear. It’s just a constant barrage of ‘remember this moment, oh my god remember this moment?!’ The intro sets the tone. It immediately gets you to thinking not about overpowering your enemies, but outsmarting them, moving and thinking on your feet.
The level design is brilliant, often multi layered, always forcing you to engage but giving you room to manoeuvre. I love how often I was made to rethink my approach, use new strategies, never rest on my laurels or brainlessly blast away. It makes each encounter feel personal and satisfying. Most enemies aren’t shrieking or clicking at you - they’re shouting or chanting in Spanish. And yet the thrilling intensity of these encounters made the game just as tense as any more immediately ‘scary’ game.
Your moves are nicely balanced to give you options at range and up close. I love games where there’s a thin line between the sublime and the ridiculous, and this game rides it perfectly. You have the moves to be skilled and professional, the perfect secret agent coolly dispatching opposition while he completes his mission. But the overwhelming enemies, traps and weapons, allow for frequent moments of unpredictable hilarity and chaos. It’s endlessly addictive.
The game as a whole rides that line well. It takes itself just seriously enough to keep you invested, but plays it far looser than TLOU or DS, allowing the mix of fear, action and absurdity to sit together well. The villains are ridiculous, but the protagonists are played straight. They’re gorgeously animated, acted and written well, and given enough backstory and personality to feel right for the setting. I liked them all, especially Luis, who steals the show at times.
There was only one part of the game I didn’t like, a more horror leaning one towards the end with a new enemy. It tipped the balance too far into fear and frustration for me. I was actually more annoyed and disappointed than I would be normally because of how good the game had been. It’s like a straight A student suddenly getting a C. There’s also a bit of inconsistency with mechanics. Sometimes you’ll get a button prompt to dodge, other times you’re expected to move out of the way. Then the parry prompt is different to the dodge one, and harder to see as it’s by the health meter. Not a big deal but it did make boss fights feel a bit clumsy and occasionally frustrating trying to swap between them, as well as feeling a little too sluggish. The bosses were still great but I think they’d have been better if there’d been consistency there.
Overall this is an awesome game though. I’m still a little uncertain about getting into the other Resi games, but maybe 2 or 3 remake I might enjoy. For now this one has made a great impression.
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ratsoalbion
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- Location: Brighton, England
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Re: Games Completed 2023
Strong recommendation for RE2 remake after this one.
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markfm007
- Member
- Posts: 235
- Joined: September 18th, 2016, 9:35 pm
Re: Games Completed 2023
Just downloaded it! Not sure when I'll get to it but probably soon.
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RinseWashRepeat
- Member
- Posts: 52
- Joined: December 20th, 2019, 7:24 am
- Location: UK
Re: Games Completed 2023
RE2 is totally brilliant. There's no way you won't enjoy it!
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Magical_Isopod
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- Joined: May 29th, 2018, 11:57 pm
- Location: London, ON, Canada
Re: Games Completed 2023
#6 - Live-A-Live (2022, Switch)
Just when I think Square-Enix has given up on making good games, they always seem to come out with something out of left field that impresses my socks off. Trials of Mana (2020), Nier Automata, Final Fantasy XIII-2... Games I would have never expected to be fantastic given the recent pedigree of the publisher, all on my Top 100.
And Live-A-Live joins them.
I had no idea that Squaresoft's golden age still had hidden gems. I was expecting a pretty simplistic JRPG with a novel multiple campaign gimmick. But as I kept playing, I kept having these moments where I was like, "Wait a minute, there's something more to this." I played the Prehistory chapter first, and while the story itself was very simple, the whole campaign was like a big flex to the tune of, "We can write without a single written word." I wasn't terribly impressed... Then the boss fight happened.
And as I kept playing, I noticed something. None of these chapters had ANYTHING in common... Time period, location, game mechanics, protagonists, everything is different. Except that boss music. And for DAYS, I'd be driving for work thinking, "There's a link here, but what IS it?" And going in blind like that, having no idea what connected these campaigns, or what the point of the story was... That kept me in a state of suspense as I kept hammering through the chapters on my weekends.
I'm not going to say what that connection is. If you've played it, you know. If you haven't, I think going in blind and playing with a mental magnifying glass, trying to find any themes or hints that connect it all together... It's a great time, and while the game is absolutely not saying anything revolutionary or profound, there's enough there to get a sense that this game really had a great deal of care and inspiration behind it.
I went back and played the original a little bit, just a few minutes of a few intro chapters... I think if I had played that with a fan translation years ago, I may not have liked the remake. It's quite ugly visually, and the script, whether due to middling translation or hardware limitations, felt really flat. The music doesn't hit nearly as hard, either. That's not to say it's a bad game; after all, it's the same game. But the HD-2D makeover enhances a good experience into something truly great, and I hope to see some other 90s titles get this makeover.
In terms of the individual chapters, I love - love, love, LOVE - the Near Future segment. While it clearly has some cultural touchstones in Japanese media (Toho, super sentai, Akira - 80s "cool" stuff), the complete package is so wildly creative and downright interesting that I would play a full game of just THAT. Again, no spoilers. But it's like a really great shounen anime that's not afraid to break genre clichés. And I love the turtle so much. ;~;
It does lose a bit of steam in the final chapter though, as without a guide, it's very unclear how to complete it "correctly". You can easily wind up with an abrupt and disappointing ending, and it's not a great way to cap off the experience. If you do it right though, it's the largest and most mechanically complex chapter... But it's easy to skip most of it without knowing.
But yeah, I could sing this game's praises for days. I have an hypothesis that this game actually takes place in the same universe as Chrono Trigger for a number of reasons, but I have not seen anyone else come to that conclusion.
It's rare that I find a game that keeps me thinking about it after the credits roll, but this absolutely is one.
&iso2023
Just when I think Square-Enix has given up on making good games, they always seem to come out with something out of left field that impresses my socks off. Trials of Mana (2020), Nier Automata, Final Fantasy XIII-2... Games I would have never expected to be fantastic given the recent pedigree of the publisher, all on my Top 100.
And Live-A-Live joins them.
I had no idea that Squaresoft's golden age still had hidden gems. I was expecting a pretty simplistic JRPG with a novel multiple campaign gimmick. But as I kept playing, I kept having these moments where I was like, "Wait a minute, there's something more to this." I played the Prehistory chapter first, and while the story itself was very simple, the whole campaign was like a big flex to the tune of, "We can write without a single written word." I wasn't terribly impressed... Then the boss fight happened.
And as I kept playing, I noticed something. None of these chapters had ANYTHING in common... Time period, location, game mechanics, protagonists, everything is different. Except that boss music. And for DAYS, I'd be driving for work thinking, "There's a link here, but what IS it?" And going in blind like that, having no idea what connected these campaigns, or what the point of the story was... That kept me in a state of suspense as I kept hammering through the chapters on my weekends.
I'm not going to say what that connection is. If you've played it, you know. If you haven't, I think going in blind and playing with a mental magnifying glass, trying to find any themes or hints that connect it all together... It's a great time, and while the game is absolutely not saying anything revolutionary or profound, there's enough there to get a sense that this game really had a great deal of care and inspiration behind it.
I went back and played the original a little bit, just a few minutes of a few intro chapters... I think if I had played that with a fan translation years ago, I may not have liked the remake. It's quite ugly visually, and the script, whether due to middling translation or hardware limitations, felt really flat. The music doesn't hit nearly as hard, either. That's not to say it's a bad game; after all, it's the same game. But the HD-2D makeover enhances a good experience into something truly great, and I hope to see some other 90s titles get this makeover.
In terms of the individual chapters, I love - love, love, LOVE - the Near Future segment. While it clearly has some cultural touchstones in Japanese media (Toho, super sentai, Akira - 80s "cool" stuff), the complete package is so wildly creative and downright interesting that I would play a full game of just THAT. Again, no spoilers. But it's like a really great shounen anime that's not afraid to break genre clichés. And I love the turtle so much. ;~;
It does lose a bit of steam in the final chapter though, as without a guide, it's very unclear how to complete it "correctly". You can easily wind up with an abrupt and disappointing ending, and it's not a great way to cap off the experience. If you do it right though, it's the largest and most mechanically complex chapter... But it's easy to skip most of it without knowing.
But yeah, I could sing this game's praises for days. I have an hypothesis that this game actually takes place in the same universe as Chrono Trigger for a number of reasons, but I have not seen anyone else come to that conclusion.
It's rare that I find a game that keeps me thinking about it after the credits roll, but this absolutely is one.&iso2023
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Alex79
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- Location: Walsall, UK.
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Re: Games Completed 2023
APR - Resident Evil 4 (Switch)Alex79 wrote: January 14th, 2023, 12:34 amJAN - Red Dead Redemption 2: Arthur's Story (Xbox)
JAN - The Witcher 2 (Xbox)
JAN - Ori And The Blind Forest (Switch)
JAN - Shinobi III (Megadrive on Switch)
JAN - Sonic Spinball (Megadrive on Switch)
JAN - Super Fantasy Zone - 1cc (Megadrive on Switch)
JAN - Death's Door (Switch)
JAN - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (NES on Switch)
JAN - Final Fight (Arcade on Switch)
JAN - The King Of Dragons (Arcade on Switch)
JAN - Yakuza 3 (Xbox)
FEB - Goldeneye 007 (N64 on Switch)
FEB - Starfox (SNES on Switch)
FEB - Mafia 2: Remastered (Xbox)
FEB - As Dusk Falls (Xbox)
MAR - Grand Theft Auto 3: Definitive Edition (Switch)
MAR - The Legend Of Zelda: The Minish Cap (GBA on Switch)
MAR - Pentiment (Xbox)
With all the buzz around the remake I decided to go through the original for the first time since last playing it on Wii well over a decade ago (and my third time through the game in total). I really enjoyed it, it's still a fantastic action game. It's not perfect, there are a few sections that feel unfair and the final escape sequence took me more tries than anything else in the game, but overall even with the remake existing this is still superb and well worth a play. I'd forgotten most of the game aside from a few standout moments, so it was close enough to a fresh playthrough. It was good!
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markfm007
- Member
- Posts: 235
- Joined: September 18th, 2016, 9:35 pm
Re: Games Completed 2023
- Spoiler: show
Thoughts on the episode page. Weird one, I've been chipping away at it for ages, picked it back up after RE4 and rolled through the last third of the game very quickly. Ended up being a much quicker experience than I was expecting from a From game.
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Angry_Kurt
- Member
- Posts: 395
- Joined: May 1st, 2020, 2:53 pm
Re: Games Completed 2023
Hi Fi Rush.
Really enjoyed this, if you don’t know what it is a rhythm action game mixed with third person combat and mixed with a Saturday morning cartoon. I eventually grew tired of the story but the real star of the show here anyway is the combat and music which mixes together really well and is truly unlike any game I’ve played before. The art and overall presentation is top notch too. I’d give it 8/10 and say it’s an essential game pass play.
Really enjoyed this, if you don’t know what it is a rhythm action game mixed with third person combat and mixed with a Saturday morning cartoon. I eventually grew tired of the story but the real star of the show here anyway is the combat and music which mixes together really well and is truly unlike any game I’ve played before. The art and overall presentation is top notch too. I’d give it 8/10 and say it’s an essential game pass play.
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Angry_Kurt
- Member
- Posts: 395
- Joined: May 1st, 2020, 2:53 pm
Re: Games Completed 2023
The Legend of Zelda A Link to the Past
Two games in one day! It’s a record for me. I’ve finally finished A Link to the Past! I have to say I didn’t like this game for the most part. I liked the dungeons but even they were obtuse at times with the puzzles and lack of signposting which is what my main problem is with the game. I had to resort to a walkthrough far too much for it to be enjoyable. I don’t mind occasionally using a guide but here I considered it essential. I know people will say that’s how games were back then and ok fair enough but playing it today I just found it really annoying. I’d have it tied with the Links awakening remake as my least favourite Zelda so far which I had the same problems with. 5/10
Two games in one day! It’s a record for me. I’ve finally finished A Link to the Past! I have to say I didn’t like this game for the most part. I liked the dungeons but even they were obtuse at times with the puzzles and lack of signposting which is what my main problem is with the game. I had to resort to a walkthrough far too much for it to be enjoyable. I don’t mind occasionally using a guide but here I considered it essential. I know people will say that’s how games were back then and ok fair enough but playing it today I just found it really annoying. I’d have it tied with the Links awakening remake as my least favourite Zelda so far which I had the same problems with. 5/10
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seansthomas
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- Posts: 877
- Joined: March 31st, 2015, 8:10 am
Re: Games Completed 2023
Jan 13th - Horizon Zero Dawn (PS4)
Feb 7th - Hi-fi Rush (Xbox Series S)
Feb 10th - Goldeneye (Xbox Series S / Switch)
Feb 20th - Halo: Combat Evolved / The Master Chief Collection (Xbox Series S)
Feb 25th - Bayonetta 3 (Switch)
Apr 10th - Metroid Prime Remastered (Switch)
Well it was wonderful to get to replay this. I adored Trilogy on Wii, and that was my first intro to the series.
This is a proper overhaul and by Nintendo standards a real labor of love. Looks and sounds even more gorgeous than it already did, and the gameplay holds up staggeringly well for a 20+ year old title.
The atmosphere, exploration and fusion of elements still hasn't been bettered in 3D, even by Retro Studios themselves. The intro, landing on Tallon overworld, the rain, the music, the hum of the secret nearby, the scanning lore humour, the sense of isolation... perfect stuff that a film could never capture.
Beat the game with 96% item collection (couldn't find the final 3 missiles) and 96% scan (grrrrrr.... Not sure what I missed).
The first half of the game is still pretty much perfect. The second half does drag a bit. Don't mind the Chozo Artefact hunt personally, it's more the reappearance of enemies in rooms you've cleared out, a few sections forcing you to use the Heat Visor and a couple of bullet sponge bosses that take a few attempts. Nothing game breaking, just not so fluid and magic as that first half.
Not sure the controls are quite as good here as on Wii, due to the switching between beam and visor being less fluid, but perfectly manageable.
Hopes for 4...
Better combat. Or less of it. Don't start with losing all your gear... maybe just add new abilities instead of hinder the old ones at the start. New bosses. Otherwise, I'd happily take more of the same, which I rarely say.
An unexpected highlight of this last month was my 5 year old son ADORING this. Goes to bed every night asking me what the next power up is, wants me to help him get every secret, wants to know about the other games in the series... honestly didn't expect him to like it. His sister also thinks Samus is 'badass'.
Proof right there that not letting old franchises lie dormant has its merits. Two new Metroid fans, right there.
Feb 7th - Hi-fi Rush (Xbox Series S)
Feb 10th - Goldeneye (Xbox Series S / Switch)
Feb 20th - Halo: Combat Evolved / The Master Chief Collection (Xbox Series S)
Feb 25th - Bayonetta 3 (Switch)
Apr 10th - Metroid Prime Remastered (Switch)
Well it was wonderful to get to replay this. I adored Trilogy on Wii, and that was my first intro to the series.
This is a proper overhaul and by Nintendo standards a real labor of love. Looks and sounds even more gorgeous than it already did, and the gameplay holds up staggeringly well for a 20+ year old title.
The atmosphere, exploration and fusion of elements still hasn't been bettered in 3D, even by Retro Studios themselves. The intro, landing on Tallon overworld, the rain, the music, the hum of the secret nearby, the scanning lore humour, the sense of isolation... perfect stuff that a film could never capture.
Beat the game with 96% item collection (couldn't find the final 3 missiles) and 96% scan (grrrrrr.... Not sure what I missed).
The first half of the game is still pretty much perfect. The second half does drag a bit. Don't mind the Chozo Artefact hunt personally, it's more the reappearance of enemies in rooms you've cleared out, a few sections forcing you to use the Heat Visor and a couple of bullet sponge bosses that take a few attempts. Nothing game breaking, just not so fluid and magic as that first half.
Not sure the controls are quite as good here as on Wii, due to the switching between beam and visor being less fluid, but perfectly manageable.
Hopes for 4...
Better combat. Or less of it. Don't start with losing all your gear... maybe just add new abilities instead of hinder the old ones at the start. New bosses. Otherwise, I'd happily take more of the same, which I rarely say.
An unexpected highlight of this last month was my 5 year old son ADORING this. Goes to bed every night asking me what the next power up is, wants me to help him get every secret, wants to know about the other games in the series... honestly didn't expect him to like it. His sister also thinks Samus is 'badass'.
Proof right there that not letting old franchises lie dormant has its merits. Two new Metroid fans, right there.
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markfm007
- Member
- Posts: 235
- Joined: September 18th, 2016, 9:35 pm
Re: Games Completed 2023
I've had issues like this with Zelda games over the years. I remember buying guide books for Majora's Mask and Oracle of Ages when I was younger and following along. Those games can get really confusing with the time travel. Glad you enjoyed Hi Fi Rush though!Angry_Kurt wrote: April 9th, 2023, 10:01 pm The Legend of Zelda A Link to the Past
Two games in one day! It’s a record for me. I’ve finally finished A Link to the Past! I have to say I didn’t like this game for the most part. I liked the dungeons but even they were obtuse at times with the puzzles and lack of signposting which is what my main problem is with the game. I had to resort to a walkthrough far too much for it to be enjoyable. I don’t mind occasionally using a guide but here I considered it essential. I know people will say that’s how games were back then and ok fair enough but playing it today I just found it really annoying. I’d have it tied with the Links awakening remake as my least favourite Zelda so far which I had the same problems with. 5/10
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Indiana747
- Member
- Posts: 1059
- Joined: September 3rd, 2012, 5:17 pm
Re: Games Completed 2023
(Jan) Death's Door - Series X.
(Jan) Warhammer: Chaosbane SE - Series X.
(Feb) Evil West - Series X.
(Mar) God of War Ragnarok - PS5.
(Mar) Dead Space(2023) - Series X.
(Apr) Ben 10: Power Trip - Series X.
(Apr) Resident Evil 4(2023) - Series X.
(Jan) Warhammer: Chaosbane SE - Series X.
(Feb) Evil West - Series X.
(Mar) God of War Ragnarok - PS5.
(Mar) Dead Space(2023) - Series X.
(Apr) Ben 10: Power Trip - Series X.
(Apr) Resident Evil 4(2023) - Series X.
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Michiel K
- Moderator
- Posts: 1327
- Joined: October 13th, 2015, 9:37 pm
Re: Games Completed 2023
Almost forgot this one...
March 15th: Parodius: Non-Sense Fantasy a.k.a. Parodius Da! (SNES)
I used multiple continues to clear the game, but I still feel pretty accomplished as it forced me to fight past some nigh-impossible checkpoints with no power-ups, after dying. What a prankish, but all around joyous brand of Konami hori shooter. I've had this cart for ages, but wanted to focus on clearing it for the first time, before the Cane and Rinse podcast recording.
March 15th: Parodius: Non-Sense Fantasy a.k.a. Parodius Da! (SNES)
I used multiple continues to clear the game, but I still feel pretty accomplished as it forced me to fight past some nigh-impossible checkpoints with no power-ups, after dying. What a prankish, but all around joyous brand of Konami hori shooter. I've had this cart for ages, but wanted to focus on clearing it for the first time, before the Cane and Rinse podcast recording.
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Jobobonobo
- Member
- Posts: 625
- Joined: July 27th, 2016, 4:30 pm
Re: Games Completed 2023
- Spoiler: show
While many associate this subseries with the more safe and bland variety of Mario gameplay, I actually really dug this first game. Seeing as at the time, 2D Mario platformers were not attempted in years, seeing this come out would have been quite the treat for fans of the old school Mario formula. While it does nothing too groundbreaking, it does everything well. Levels are short but well designed, new powerups can be a lot of fun and having the bosses be a random assortment of various Mario enemies sprinkled with Baby Bowser made a nice change from the Koopalings. Also Mario saying goodbye and hello when you close and open the DS is quite delightful. The assorted minigames were also mostly a nice little distraction as well and I enjoyed all the references to SM64. Good to see the 2D Mario games referencing the 3D ones for a change. If you like platformers and have a DS, this comes highly recommended.
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DeadpoolNegative
- Member
- Posts: 186
- Joined: April 16th, 2015, 5:00 am
Re: Games Completed 2023
The Wolf Among Us (Xbox 360, 1/20) The Square Roots podcast was covering this one, so I decided to for once play along with it. I played it in its initial release in 2014, marveled in how it elided the more... problematic aspects of the comic series it served as a prequel to. Imagine, Bigby's fixation on Snow being portrayed as not entirely something awesome she should appreciate, but instead kind of weird. Beast's paranoia about Beauty plays different once you're aware of Lamia. No wonder this was eventually made its own continuity separate from the comic.
(if you can't tell already, I'm not a fan of Bill Willingham's... takes on women and relationships)
So, this is still an effective potboiler, if oftentimes a little too graphic and nasty for its own good (and you can say that about a lot of what TellTale put out, except for Guardians of the Galaxy). The voice cast is pretty strong- the most memorable performances came from Chuck Kouroklis as toad and Melissa Hutchison as his son TJ, and Kathryn Cressida as Bloody Mary. The story has some interesting things to say about class and exploitation but doesn't really go into them with any depth, at least the comics, as didactic and well... not aligned with my view as they are, are argued with some thought.
(Suddenly has Werewolves of the Heartland flashbacks)
I was surprised to hear the sequel is still a going concern, though it's been pushed back to 2024. Too bad I don't have the XBox One version so my decisions won't carry over...
New Tales From the Borderlands (XBox One, 1/26)- Well, at least I can say I didn't pay for it. This is... one of the most aggressively unpleasant games I have ever played in my life. Every story telling decision it makes is so bizarre. In fact, it repeats the same story beats in two sequences back to back. All three characters are incredibly unlikable and one in particular- I"ll get to that. The end credits declare It was made during COVID, so I can understand it was a stressful undertaking. But I found myself wondering aloud several times, what the hell happened here?
A year after the events of Borderlands 3, the game centers around an Atlas scientist, Anuradha Dhar, her social media obsessed, get rich quick schemer half brother Octavio Wallace-Dhar, and Octavio's employer, frozen yogurt saleswoman Fran Miscowicz, who is reeling from a rocket attack on her restaurant. A hostile takeover of Atlas by the Tediore corporation kicks off an adventure featuring Anu, Octavio, and Fran trying to make some money and survive Tediore tearing up their planet.
As I said, the characters are very unlikable. Fran at least has the excuse she is struggling with anger issues, but she still comes off as unnecessarily mean and spiteful. Anu is a pile of "quirky" girl scientist cliches, and despite the actress' enthusiasm, the character fidgets across the screen as if she's on the spectrum, thing is, I don't think that was the writers' intent. And Octavio... he's a familiar type, the scheming nobody who's more concerned about his social status then actual results, and the game has him make a decision- which happens between acts, and therefore the player cannot affect it- that is so dumb it called into question whether he is actually a properly functioning human being. The most likable characters are the assassin bot you see on the game's cover, whose programming makes for some interesting scenarios and the devious Girlboss of Tediore, because the actress is having so much fun with the role and, well, she wanted to kill all the protagonists.
The biggest problem is this game goes in circles. It makes the same points about its characters again and again, and they get worse and worse as a result. And then there's the ending, which depending on your decisions, one character can die, but it feels completely at random and based on a relationship stat that I felt was never properly explained.
I almost want to recommend watching playthroughs of this game just to show any budding writer what not to do. I wouldn't be adverse to another Tale from the Borderlands, but Gearbox has to really rethink things.
Mafia Definitive Edition (PS4, 2/17)- Thanks, Playstation Plus! I already own and completed this game on XBox One, but hey, I wanted to take it for another spin and the PS4 is on a better TV in my house. The game concerns the adventures of Tommy Angelo, a humble cab driver whose chance encounter with a pair of mobsters leads to nearly 20 years in the life of a career criminal.
The game is overall much stronger and plays better than Hangar 13's Mafia III, which had some great moments but stuck it between bouts of bloated, overly long open world gameplay. Granted, Hangar 13 had a much more restrictive template to work with this time. But the Lost Heaven of 2020 just looks more beautiful and exciting than the new Bordeaux of 2016. There's something just breathtaking about the way the camera pans in and out of Lost Heaven and its gleaming towers and walkways, its cars and pedestrians. Too bad you don't get to do a lot of wandering in that city, unless you want to look for collectibles. Mafia III, for all its flaws, did give me reasons to want to explore its metropolis.
But back to what I said about a "restrictive template"- the game's story is told in chapters, big missions, most of which are quite cinematic. The story doesn't really go anywhere particularly innovative or distinguished. There is something interesting about how Tommy and his friends' lives aren't really of value despite their success- they're simply property, pawns of Don Salieri and his machine. Tommy himself, however, despite a strong performance from his voice actor, isn't that compelling a protagonist. He doesn't have the young man's anger of Vito Scaletta or the PSTD struggles of Lincoln Clay. He doesn't struggle with the morality of what he does, unless it affects him directly. Thankfully his story is told skillfully enough, with sharp dialogue and a whole wealth of decent voice acting, that it was still good.
Gameplay is very solid run and gun stuff. I've never played the original (Though I'd like to, from the videos it has some touches that, while dated, I wish hadn't been cut from the remake), but this one is very smooth. It won't set the world on fire but Mafia is a worthwhile ten hours. Now can Hangar 13 get started on Mafia IV?
The Simpsons: Hit & Run (XBox, 2/25)- I remember playing this back to front 20 years ago, Radical Entertainment's follow up to Simpsons Road Rage was billed as the "GTA Simpsons" but it's not one big sandbox, it's seven small sandbox style levels that are built around a circuit, since most of your time will be spent driving. It's a fun game, but it's also an extremely frustrating one. I spent most of my play through this time. Marveling how I ever beat this on PlayStation without ripping the disc out of my machine and snapping it in half.
Strange mechanical wasps, that look like they have video cameras attached to them, have been seen around Springfield, coinciding with the introduction of Buzz Cola, the hot new soft drink. Weird things are happening. People may be disappearing. Every section of the game focuses on a Simpsons character- Homer and Bart twice each, Lisa, Marge, and Apu once. You barrel around town, doing missions that are mostly driving fetch quests. The margin of error on the majority of these missions is razor thin, so there's a lot of tedious trial and error. IN fact there's one fetch quest mission so difficult the only way I completed it was by using a glitch that canceled out the timer. There's plenty of collectibles to be found, mostly coins to by new cars and clothes, and each level has a bunch of trading cards referencing classic episodes (I collected them all on the PS2 version 20 years ago. The thing it unlocks is not worth the effort).
Veteran Simpsons writer Tim Long ("Saddlesore Galactica" and "Skinner's Sense of Snow" are two of his better known credits) crafted the story, and there's a lot about the dialogue that feels very Simpsons authentic. The overall plot is a predicable satire of consumerism and- well that would spoil it- but I did enjoy where Homer ended up in the game's final cut scene. I just wish it wasn't such a pain in the ass to get there. Still, if you're a fan it's worth a spin.
Deadlight- (XBox 360, 2/27) So XBox was having the 2016 director's cut of this game on sale for a little over a dollar last week, but I discovered I still had the original game on my 360, thanks to the power of XBox Games with Gold. This is a side scrolling horror platformer in the vein of Limbo and Inside, although there's more mechanics than that. It feels heavily influenced by the Walking Dead- the main character is a former sheriff after all- but it's more concerned with how badly the world has collapsed than with the zomb- I mean, Shadows. It predates The Last of us by over a year but there are similar plot elements (The corruption of the military trying to restore order being one of them).
The game's runtime is short- about four hours- but that's a good length for it: it doesn't wear out its welcome. It's fairly easy to guess at the game's twist, the collectibles practically scream it at you (to be fair, the developers are European and were likely making it for that audience first, so all the references on the collectibles would not be immediately obvious to a non-US player). The game's ending isn't as dark as I expected aIthough the director's cut apparently rectifies that. I liked the griminess and feeling of the world, how fluid the platforming was, although some of the puzzles can be a tad obtuse.
Uncharted 4: a Thief's End (PlayStation 4, 3/10) Thanks, PlayStation Plus! The much vaunted conclusion to the Uncharted Saga is a mixed bag. The game still plays well, but Sam Drake is one of the most annoying video game characters I've every had the displeasure to deal with. This is one of the few times I ever though "Wow, Troy Baker is really phoning it in." Aside from the fact that we already explored Nathan Drake's childhood at length in the last game (and- once AGAIN- Nathan didn't bother telling Elena about him despite the fact that he's retired), Sam feels less like a character and more like a ChatGPT version of our protagonist. So much of the action revolves around him and what he wants and Nathan just goes along with it, and even though he's the long lost brother, I was wishing Nate, Sully, and Elena would just tell him to get bent. I've never liked Emily Rose's voice work or Elena as a character but after spending time with Sam Drake, I appreciate her a hell of a lot more. I did enjoy the villain, the actor was having a good time, but there wasn't enough of him
Does the game still play well? for the most part, yes. The gunplay is solid, but the set pieces feel oddly spaced out this time. Aside from the utterly thrilling car chase scene, the rest of the set pieces are just "Hey, something explodes and Nathan falls" or at least it feels that way. The bulk of the game, to me, felt like it was given over to the platforming and the puzzles. There are some breathtaking landscapes, and some brief open world bits make me wonder, really wonder, what Naughty Dog could do with a real open world sandbox game again. But I'd want it to be a new IP.
Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise (PlayStation 4, 3/18)- Ryu Ga Gotoku's 2018 Yakuzifciation of Buronson and Tetsuo Hara's legendary manga isn't quite as awesome as a team-up you'd think it would be, but it's still a worthy game if you're a fan.
Diverging from the original story's timeline after Shin's defeat, Kenshiro finds himself searching the city of Eden, a functioning metropolis in the middle of the wasteland, for signs of his lost love Yuria. This city is shockingly advanced, with functioning water and electricity, why you might even say it's a PARADISE in this LOST land. The city is closed off, however, but after getting arrested as a criminal and proving himself in the arena, because of course there's a gladiatorial arena, he's granted citizenship by the city's ruler Xsana.
What follows is a weird mashup of First of the North Star's mythology and the structure of a Yakuza game. The more Kenshiro wanders and hangs out in this city, somehow every single character from the FotN cast shows up to say hello. Bat, Lin, Jagi, everyone! Even Raoh. As a mini-boss. Which is friggin' weird.
The combat plays like a Yakuza game, and the combo system works very well with the concepts of Hokuto Shinken. However, the gruesome death animations that accompany every Hokuto Shinken move, well, they get old quick. And they're not skippable. Then again, they're not really that long, but the game wants you to pull off these cool combos when it's just faster to wail on a dude till he explodes.
Also, the sub stories don't add as much. Eden simply doesn't have as much personality as Kamurocho (it's also a good deal smaller, there's a big wasteland map you can drive around in for missions and grabbing items, and it's possible to critical path the game without exploring a full third of it). You can do lots of side stuff, and there's a version of the hostess minigame and casinos, believe it or not, but they lack the spark of the main game series. The best mini game is actually the bartending stuff, which never gets old. Kenshiro uses the Hokuto Shinken to become a legendary server in Eden. "You are Already Drunk" There's an amusing substory where Kenshiro is tasked with finding classic Sega arcade games in the desert to populate the arcade. There's something quite charming about the arcade owner's need to remind people of the past, to give them hope. And hope is Space Harrier.
This game isn't really bad per se, but it doesn't reach the heights of even the weaker moments in the Yakuza series. I did like the story and where it wound up in the end, and wouldn't be adverse to Ryu Ga Gootuku continuing this alternate storyline. But I won't be broken up if they don't.
LEGO star Wars II: The Original Trilogy (XBox 360, 3/21) Thanks, XBox Games With Gold! I've already played the complete Saga on my 360, but this was sitting there and I needed something that wasn't too demanding. And you know, extra cheevos.
I gotta say, after playing the Skywalker Saga thanks to the power of XBox GamePass, I actually had more fun with this. Unquestionably, Skywalker Saga is the easier to play, more accessible game, with TONS of quality of life improvements as opposed to this now nearly 17 year old original game. I still don't think you should give the original Traveller's Tales games to kids because it will drive them nuts. But the overall simplicity is appealing. Just 18 levels and you're done. No sprawling open worlds. hundreds of collectibles as opposed to eleventy billion. No voice acting, just the charming LEGO silent comedy. No reminders that eventually Starkiller base wipes out billions of lives in a blink, rendering the entire story meaningless.
Sigh.
--Dan
(if you can't tell already, I'm not a fan of Bill Willingham's... takes on women and relationships)
So, this is still an effective potboiler, if oftentimes a little too graphic and nasty for its own good (and you can say that about a lot of what TellTale put out, except for Guardians of the Galaxy). The voice cast is pretty strong- the most memorable performances came from Chuck Kouroklis as toad and Melissa Hutchison as his son TJ, and Kathryn Cressida as Bloody Mary. The story has some interesting things to say about class and exploitation but doesn't really go into them with any depth, at least the comics, as didactic and well... not aligned with my view as they are, are argued with some thought.
(Suddenly has Werewolves of the Heartland flashbacks)
I was surprised to hear the sequel is still a going concern, though it's been pushed back to 2024. Too bad I don't have the XBox One version so my decisions won't carry over...
New Tales From the Borderlands (XBox One, 1/26)- Well, at least I can say I didn't pay for it. This is... one of the most aggressively unpleasant games I have ever played in my life. Every story telling decision it makes is so bizarre. In fact, it repeats the same story beats in two sequences back to back. All three characters are incredibly unlikable and one in particular- I"ll get to that. The end credits declare It was made during COVID, so I can understand it was a stressful undertaking. But I found myself wondering aloud several times, what the hell happened here?
A year after the events of Borderlands 3, the game centers around an Atlas scientist, Anuradha Dhar, her social media obsessed, get rich quick schemer half brother Octavio Wallace-Dhar, and Octavio's employer, frozen yogurt saleswoman Fran Miscowicz, who is reeling from a rocket attack on her restaurant. A hostile takeover of Atlas by the Tediore corporation kicks off an adventure featuring Anu, Octavio, and Fran trying to make some money and survive Tediore tearing up their planet.
As I said, the characters are very unlikable. Fran at least has the excuse she is struggling with anger issues, but she still comes off as unnecessarily mean and spiteful. Anu is a pile of "quirky" girl scientist cliches, and despite the actress' enthusiasm, the character fidgets across the screen as if she's on the spectrum, thing is, I don't think that was the writers' intent. And Octavio... he's a familiar type, the scheming nobody who's more concerned about his social status then actual results, and the game has him make a decision- which happens between acts, and therefore the player cannot affect it- that is so dumb it called into question whether he is actually a properly functioning human being. The most likable characters are the assassin bot you see on the game's cover, whose programming makes for some interesting scenarios and the devious Girlboss of Tediore, because the actress is having so much fun with the role and, well, she wanted to kill all the protagonists.
The biggest problem is this game goes in circles. It makes the same points about its characters again and again, and they get worse and worse as a result. And then there's the ending, which depending on your decisions, one character can die, but it feels completely at random and based on a relationship stat that I felt was never properly explained.
I almost want to recommend watching playthroughs of this game just to show any budding writer what not to do. I wouldn't be adverse to another Tale from the Borderlands, but Gearbox has to really rethink things.
Mafia Definitive Edition (PS4, 2/17)- Thanks, Playstation Plus! I already own and completed this game on XBox One, but hey, I wanted to take it for another spin and the PS4 is on a better TV in my house. The game concerns the adventures of Tommy Angelo, a humble cab driver whose chance encounter with a pair of mobsters leads to nearly 20 years in the life of a career criminal.
The game is overall much stronger and plays better than Hangar 13's Mafia III, which had some great moments but stuck it between bouts of bloated, overly long open world gameplay. Granted, Hangar 13 had a much more restrictive template to work with this time. But the Lost Heaven of 2020 just looks more beautiful and exciting than the new Bordeaux of 2016. There's something just breathtaking about the way the camera pans in and out of Lost Heaven and its gleaming towers and walkways, its cars and pedestrians. Too bad you don't get to do a lot of wandering in that city, unless you want to look for collectibles. Mafia III, for all its flaws, did give me reasons to want to explore its metropolis.
But back to what I said about a "restrictive template"- the game's story is told in chapters, big missions, most of which are quite cinematic. The story doesn't really go anywhere particularly innovative or distinguished. There is something interesting about how Tommy and his friends' lives aren't really of value despite their success- they're simply property, pawns of Don Salieri and his machine. Tommy himself, however, despite a strong performance from his voice actor, isn't that compelling a protagonist. He doesn't have the young man's anger of Vito Scaletta or the PSTD struggles of Lincoln Clay. He doesn't struggle with the morality of what he does, unless it affects him directly. Thankfully his story is told skillfully enough, with sharp dialogue and a whole wealth of decent voice acting, that it was still good.
Gameplay is very solid run and gun stuff. I've never played the original (Though I'd like to, from the videos it has some touches that, while dated, I wish hadn't been cut from the remake), but this one is very smooth. It won't set the world on fire but Mafia is a worthwhile ten hours. Now can Hangar 13 get started on Mafia IV?
The Simpsons: Hit & Run (XBox, 2/25)- I remember playing this back to front 20 years ago, Radical Entertainment's follow up to Simpsons Road Rage was billed as the "GTA Simpsons" but it's not one big sandbox, it's seven small sandbox style levels that are built around a circuit, since most of your time will be spent driving. It's a fun game, but it's also an extremely frustrating one. I spent most of my play through this time. Marveling how I ever beat this on PlayStation without ripping the disc out of my machine and snapping it in half.
Strange mechanical wasps, that look like they have video cameras attached to them, have been seen around Springfield, coinciding with the introduction of Buzz Cola, the hot new soft drink. Weird things are happening. People may be disappearing. Every section of the game focuses on a Simpsons character- Homer and Bart twice each, Lisa, Marge, and Apu once. You barrel around town, doing missions that are mostly driving fetch quests. The margin of error on the majority of these missions is razor thin, so there's a lot of tedious trial and error. IN fact there's one fetch quest mission so difficult the only way I completed it was by using a glitch that canceled out the timer. There's plenty of collectibles to be found, mostly coins to by new cars and clothes, and each level has a bunch of trading cards referencing classic episodes (I collected them all on the PS2 version 20 years ago. The thing it unlocks is not worth the effort).
Veteran Simpsons writer Tim Long ("Saddlesore Galactica" and "Skinner's Sense of Snow" are two of his better known credits) crafted the story, and there's a lot about the dialogue that feels very Simpsons authentic. The overall plot is a predicable satire of consumerism and- well that would spoil it- but I did enjoy where Homer ended up in the game's final cut scene. I just wish it wasn't such a pain in the ass to get there. Still, if you're a fan it's worth a spin.
Deadlight- (XBox 360, 2/27) So XBox was having the 2016 director's cut of this game on sale for a little over a dollar last week, but I discovered I still had the original game on my 360, thanks to the power of XBox Games with Gold. This is a side scrolling horror platformer in the vein of Limbo and Inside, although there's more mechanics than that. It feels heavily influenced by the Walking Dead- the main character is a former sheriff after all- but it's more concerned with how badly the world has collapsed than with the zomb- I mean, Shadows. It predates The Last of us by over a year but there are similar plot elements (The corruption of the military trying to restore order being one of them).
The game's runtime is short- about four hours- but that's a good length for it: it doesn't wear out its welcome. It's fairly easy to guess at the game's twist, the collectibles practically scream it at you (to be fair, the developers are European and were likely making it for that audience first, so all the references on the collectibles would not be immediately obvious to a non-US player). The game's ending isn't as dark as I expected aIthough the director's cut apparently rectifies that. I liked the griminess and feeling of the world, how fluid the platforming was, although some of the puzzles can be a tad obtuse.
Uncharted 4: a Thief's End (PlayStation 4, 3/10) Thanks, PlayStation Plus! The much vaunted conclusion to the Uncharted Saga is a mixed bag. The game still plays well, but Sam Drake is one of the most annoying video game characters I've every had the displeasure to deal with. This is one of the few times I ever though "Wow, Troy Baker is really phoning it in." Aside from the fact that we already explored Nathan Drake's childhood at length in the last game (and- once AGAIN- Nathan didn't bother telling Elena about him despite the fact that he's retired), Sam feels less like a character and more like a ChatGPT version of our protagonist. So much of the action revolves around him and what he wants and Nathan just goes along with it, and even though he's the long lost brother, I was wishing Nate, Sully, and Elena would just tell him to get bent. I've never liked Emily Rose's voice work or Elena as a character but after spending time with Sam Drake, I appreciate her a hell of a lot more. I did enjoy the villain, the actor was having a good time, but there wasn't enough of him
- Spoiler: show
Does the game still play well? for the most part, yes. The gunplay is solid, but the set pieces feel oddly spaced out this time. Aside from the utterly thrilling car chase scene, the rest of the set pieces are just "Hey, something explodes and Nathan falls" or at least it feels that way. The bulk of the game, to me, felt like it was given over to the platforming and the puzzles. There are some breathtaking landscapes, and some brief open world bits make me wonder, really wonder, what Naughty Dog could do with a real open world sandbox game again. But I'd want it to be a new IP.
Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise (PlayStation 4, 3/18)- Ryu Ga Gotoku's 2018 Yakuzifciation of Buronson and Tetsuo Hara's legendary manga isn't quite as awesome as a team-up you'd think it would be, but it's still a worthy game if you're a fan.
Diverging from the original story's timeline after Shin's defeat, Kenshiro finds himself searching the city of Eden, a functioning metropolis in the middle of the wasteland, for signs of his lost love Yuria. This city is shockingly advanced, with functioning water and electricity, why you might even say it's a PARADISE in this LOST land. The city is closed off, however, but after getting arrested as a criminal and proving himself in the arena, because of course there's a gladiatorial arena, he's granted citizenship by the city's ruler Xsana.
What follows is a weird mashup of First of the North Star's mythology and the structure of a Yakuza game. The more Kenshiro wanders and hangs out in this city, somehow every single character from the FotN cast shows up to say hello. Bat, Lin, Jagi, everyone! Even Raoh. As a mini-boss. Which is friggin' weird.
The combat plays like a Yakuza game, and the combo system works very well with the concepts of Hokuto Shinken. However, the gruesome death animations that accompany every Hokuto Shinken move, well, they get old quick. And they're not skippable. Then again, they're not really that long, but the game wants you to pull off these cool combos when it's just faster to wail on a dude till he explodes.
Also, the sub stories don't add as much. Eden simply doesn't have as much personality as Kamurocho (it's also a good deal smaller, there's a big wasteland map you can drive around in for missions and grabbing items, and it's possible to critical path the game without exploring a full third of it). You can do lots of side stuff, and there's a version of the hostess minigame and casinos, believe it or not, but they lack the spark of the main game series. The best mini game is actually the bartending stuff, which never gets old. Kenshiro uses the Hokuto Shinken to become a legendary server in Eden. "You are Already Drunk" There's an amusing substory where Kenshiro is tasked with finding classic Sega arcade games in the desert to populate the arcade. There's something quite charming about the arcade owner's need to remind people of the past, to give them hope. And hope is Space Harrier.
This game isn't really bad per se, but it doesn't reach the heights of even the weaker moments in the Yakuza series. I did like the story and where it wound up in the end, and wouldn't be adverse to Ryu Ga Gootuku continuing this alternate storyline. But I won't be broken up if they don't.
LEGO star Wars II: The Original Trilogy (XBox 360, 3/21) Thanks, XBox Games With Gold! I've already played the complete Saga on my 360, but this was sitting there and I needed something that wasn't too demanding. And you know, extra cheevos.
I gotta say, after playing the Skywalker Saga thanks to the power of XBox GamePass, I actually had more fun with this. Unquestionably, Skywalker Saga is the easier to play, more accessible game, with TONS of quality of life improvements as opposed to this now nearly 17 year old original game. I still don't think you should give the original Traveller's Tales games to kids because it will drive them nuts. But the overall simplicity is appealing. Just 18 levels and you're done. No sprawling open worlds. hundreds of collectibles as opposed to eleventy billion. No voice acting, just the charming LEGO silent comedy. No reminders that eventually Starkiller base wipes out billions of lives in a blink, rendering the entire story meaningless.
Sigh.
--Dan