OP
OP
Entry-level survival horror sounds like a chill time. I wonder if they have a Switch port planned.
Another SROG eyeing me from the backlog…
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StarTopic The 2024 Completed Games Thread
- Thread starter meatbag
- Start date
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- He
16. Prey (2017) (PC) [May 10th, 2024] - 8.0/10
It's prey-tee good. Prey-tee prey-tee prey-tee good.
17. Tomb Raider (1996) (Remastered) (PC) [May 17th, 2024] - 5.5/10:
I'll start off by saying that i'm not sure I gave this game the best playthrough it could have had. Somewhere from around the third level to the last third the game progressively went from "fun but mildly dull" to "extremely boring and repetitive", and this made me want to just beat the game. Once the last third of the game started and the game got more interesting though, this mode never really went away and it possibly contributed to the game dragging on for me more than it would have otherwise. This game is long, a lot longer than I was expecting, my final playtime only showed 10 hours but I think with reloads it was actually more like 15-16 hours, which makes it longer than any Uncharted game except maybe 2 and 4.
The biggest problem with this game is that for the length it has it doesn't really have enough ideas. It's game design on a broader scale stays relatively fine from beginning to end, but it still gets kind of boring once you realize that you're doing a lot of the same stuff over and over again. The game has surprisingly little in its toolbox, and the Egypt/Desert stretch in particular is really bad about feeling repetitive and bland. One thing that I never thought I'd say about a game is that Tomb Raider is almost too atmospheric, a lot of its soundscape is ambient sounds and while this is ok for a lot of the levels the ambient tracks for the desert levels are so boring that they kind of add onto the games repetition. I think that for how excellent the soundtrack is having music in more of the game would have done a good job of making the weaker parts less of an issue, even if the music was mostly just composed of some short melodies.
The level design here is a bit of a mixed bag, I've seen a lot of people since the remasters saying that the level design is excellent, but honestly it often felt like a good example of how level design being complex and intricate isn't always a good thing. For how much time it takes to complete levels and how vast they can be, you don't really gain much in the way of notable upgrades or rewards. A common theme in this game was that levels that were sprawling and had a lot of different directions for you to go to were some of my least favorite levels (with the notable exception of The Cistern, which seems rather divisive, it's me loving The Water Temple all over again!) while the more linear levels were often some of my favorites. Again, there's nothing wrong with complex level design and a lot of Tomb Raider's more exploration based levels actually have great level design, but when you're getting nothing but hour long huge levels back to back, it can feel very monotonous, it didn't really feel like what the game needed.
I'll also say that while Tomb Raider's tank controls are definitely pretty good, I'm a bit mixed on the actual platforming. The common defense of the platforming in Tomb Raider is that people "just don't understand the tile system" and while this is probably true, I actually think the fact that Tomb Raider's platforming is so consistent can be somewhat of a problem in and of itself. Every long jump in this game is solved using the same technique of going to an edge, pressing back once, and then doing a running jump, and almost every small jump is formulaic as well. This is basically how the game operates with less of a focus on being precise with your jumps and more of a focus on being precise in doing the exact same thing over and over again. I realize that Core Design couldn't do much because they were working with the Dualshock d-pad, but I'm reminded of something a certain Youtuber said about Mario Sunshine and how in the process of accounting for the player both having longer jumps and having the hover nozzle Nintendo had to make a lot of jumps ridiculously big just to have any semblance of difficulty, and that there probably could have been a more elegant solution. I never really had that issue with Sunshine, but I do think Tomb Raider probably could have toned down the amount of jumps that push your jumping distance as far as possible to allow for players to play in less set, rigid ways.
Despite my complaints, the core gameplay here was really strong when I wasn't bored, especially for the levels I liked which were mostly in the beginning and ending parts of the game. I especially liked how creative the game got with its setting right towards the end, it felt like the creativity had finally caught up with the ingenuity of the game design. I think for the next Tomb Raider games I tackle, I'm going to be treating them as side games rather than main games, because trying to put all my focus into this one might have inadvertently made me enjoy it less.
It's prey-tee good. Prey-tee prey-tee prey-tee good.
17. Tomb Raider (1996) (Remastered) (PC) [May 17th, 2024] - 5.5/10:
I'll start off by saying that i'm not sure I gave this game the best playthrough it could have had. Somewhere from around the third level to the last third the game progressively went from "fun but mildly dull" to "extremely boring and repetitive", and this made me want to just beat the game. Once the last third of the game started and the game got more interesting though, this mode never really went away and it possibly contributed to the game dragging on for me more than it would have otherwise. This game is long, a lot longer than I was expecting, my final playtime only showed 10 hours but I think with reloads it was actually more like 15-16 hours, which makes it longer than any Uncharted game except maybe 2 and 4.
The biggest problem with this game is that for the length it has it doesn't really have enough ideas. It's game design on a broader scale stays relatively fine from beginning to end, but it still gets kind of boring once you realize that you're doing a lot of the same stuff over and over again. The game has surprisingly little in its toolbox, and the Egypt/Desert stretch in particular is really bad about feeling repetitive and bland. One thing that I never thought I'd say about a game is that Tomb Raider is almost too atmospheric, a lot of its soundscape is ambient sounds and while this is ok for a lot of the levels the ambient tracks for the desert levels are so boring that they kind of add onto the games repetition. I think that for how excellent the soundtrack is having music in more of the game would have done a good job of making the weaker parts less of an issue, even if the music was mostly just composed of some short melodies.
The level design here is a bit of a mixed bag, I've seen a lot of people since the remasters saying that the level design is excellent, but honestly it often felt like a good example of how level design being complex and intricate isn't always a good thing. For how much time it takes to complete levels and how vast they can be, you don't really gain much in the way of notable upgrades or rewards. A common theme in this game was that levels that were sprawling and had a lot of different directions for you to go to were some of my least favorite levels (with the notable exception of The Cistern, which seems rather divisive, it's me loving The Water Temple all over again!) while the more linear levels were often some of my favorites. Again, there's nothing wrong with complex level design and a lot of Tomb Raider's more exploration based levels actually have great level design, but when you're getting nothing but hour long huge levels back to back, it can feel very monotonous, it didn't really feel like what the game needed.
I'll also say that while Tomb Raider's tank controls are definitely pretty good, I'm a bit mixed on the actual platforming. The common defense of the platforming in Tomb Raider is that people "just don't understand the tile system" and while this is probably true, I actually think the fact that Tomb Raider's platforming is so consistent can be somewhat of a problem in and of itself. Every long jump in this game is solved using the same technique of going to an edge, pressing back once, and then doing a running jump, and almost every small jump is formulaic as well. This is basically how the game operates with less of a focus on being precise with your jumps and more of a focus on being precise in doing the exact same thing over and over again. I realize that Core Design couldn't do much because they were working with the Dualshock d-pad, but I'm reminded of something a certain Youtuber said about Mario Sunshine and how in the process of accounting for the player both having longer jumps and having the hover nozzle Nintendo had to make a lot of jumps ridiculously big just to have any semblance of difficulty, and that there probably could have been a more elegant solution. I never really had that issue with Sunshine, but I do think Tomb Raider probably could have toned down the amount of jumps that push your jumping distance as far as possible to allow for players to play in less set, rigid ways.
Despite my complaints, the core gameplay here was really strong when I wasn't bored, especially for the levels I liked which were mostly in the beginning and ending parts of the game. I especially liked how creative the game got with its setting right towards the end, it felt like the creativity had finally caught up with the ingenuity of the game design. I think for the next Tomb Raider games I tackle, I'm going to be treating them as side games rather than main games, because trying to put all my focus into this one might have inadvertently made me enjoy it less.
ceres15
Downy Snagret
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1. Unpacking (Switch) - 7.5/10
2. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 (Switch) - 9.5/10
3. Ori and the Blind Forest (Switch) - 8/10
4. Advance Wars (Reboot Camp) (Switch) - 8/10
5. Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising (Reboot Camp) (Switch) - 8.5/10
6. Super Mario Sunshine (3D All Stars) (Switch) - 7/10
7. Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania (Switch) - 8/10
8. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (Switch) - 9.5/10
9. Art of Balance TOUCH! (3DS) - 9/10
10. New Super Mario Bros. 2 (3DS) - 8/10
11. New Super Mario Bros. (NDS) - 8.5/10
2. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 (Switch) - 9.5/10
3. Ori and the Blind Forest (Switch) - 8/10
4. Advance Wars (Reboot Camp) (Switch) - 8/10
5. Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising (Reboot Camp) (Switch) - 8.5/10
6. Super Mario Sunshine (3D All Stars) (Switch) - 7/10
7. Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania (Switch) - 8/10
8. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (Switch) - 9.5/10
9. Art of Balance TOUCH! (3DS) - 9/10
10. New Super Mario Bros. 2 (3DS) - 8/10
11. New Super Mario Bros. (NDS) - 8.5/10
12. Animal Well (Switch) - 9.5/10
I've beaten this game and may or may not go far into the post-game content, but either way this game is going to be one of my games of the year. Cool atmosphere, fun puzzles, and amazing mechanics. I absolutely love the depth and level of detail in this game, and I'm thoroughly impressed that this was the product of a single developer. Most importantly, it's just a blast and super engaging.
I tried to keep it light on details to avoid spoilers
I recommend going into this game blind, although some of the more optional puzzles can be a little obtuse so don't be afraid to use a guide if you need to (which are probably not super fleshed out yet since the game is so new). My minor gripes are the life/saving system means that you can only save in designated locations, which may be far away from the challenging platforming you have to do. If you die, you'll respawn further away than I would have liked. I also wish that traveling around the map was a little less time consuming with a better version of fast traveling. But overall, excellent game.
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It's nice to play a Mario launch title for the Game Boy, now on NSO! It's rudimentary, but for the time, I'm sure it was nice to have this kinda game on the go!
...what's a Super Mario Land?
Finished in 2024 #23: Alleyway
It's a Breakout clone for the Game Boy. It's pretty no frills - just piloting a paddle, hitting a ball into some blocks, and racking up a high score. You have some speed control by holding A or B, but there are no power ups or other player mechanics. The variety instead comes from the 24 main stages and 8 bonus stages. Every group of three main stages shares a layout across three variants (standard, moving blocks, and slowly descending), mixing things up in an otherwise short game. It's not fully enough to not feel a bit repetitive, though, a feeling heightened by those moments of your ball not being able to hit that one last block! Worth a try if you happen to come across it, and I'm sure this is more impressive as a launch Game Boy title, but there are better versions of this concept out there nowadays.
Perhaps the most notable thing about this one is the fact that it's technically a Mario game! Mario pilots the paddle, one of the stages arranges the blocks in the shape of Mario's head, and all of the bonus stages are based on Super Mario Bros. characters. It's a neat addition to an otherwise simplistic title.
...what's a Super Mario Land?
Finished in 2024 #23: Alleyway
It's a Breakout clone for the Game Boy. It's pretty no frills - just piloting a paddle, hitting a ball into some blocks, and racking up a high score. You have some speed control by holding A or B, but there are no power ups or other player mechanics. The variety instead comes from the 24 main stages and 8 bonus stages. Every group of three main stages shares a layout across three variants (standard, moving blocks, and slowly descending), mixing things up in an otherwise short game. It's not fully enough to not feel a bit repetitive, though, a feeling heightened by those moments of your ball not being able to hit that one last block! Worth a try if you happen to come across it, and I'm sure this is more impressive as a launch Game Boy title, but there are better versions of this concept out there nowadays.
Perhaps the most notable thing about this one is the fact that it's technically a Mario game! Mario pilots the paddle, one of the stages arranges the blocks in the shape of Mario's head, and all of the bonus stages are based on Super Mario Bros. characters. It's a neat addition to an otherwise simplistic title.
OP
OP
And it breaks my heart that Microsoft is shuttering Arkane Austin... I had a glimmer of hope that MS would continue funding their great, but underselling, games to diversify their portfolio, but alas, in the end MS is a tech conglomerate before it is a first party publisher.
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Still have some stuff left to do in Animal Well but I'm happy to put it aside for now with 50 eggs found and the credits rolled. After the somewhat slow start it got better and better and I ended up loving it a lot. The way the world gradually opens up with every new item I got was amazing. Lots of cool secrets and platforming challenges that never got too frustrating but I reached a point where I realized that I'm not going to get much more out of it without consulting a guide or scouring every single inch of the map and in turn ruining my experience with it. So this seems like a good point to stop.
edit: "Cleaning" up my Switch backlog a bit so I quickly finished Portal 2. I think this might be the third or fourth time I've played it, first time on Switch, and it's still really good despite not feeling as fresh as the original obviously. Whereas the first one was very intimate, this one went big with more puzzle mechanics and elaborate setpieces. It has more of an action-adventure feel to it, which I know some people didn't like, but it helps it stand apart from Portal 1. Sidenote: I sometimes forget that this even had a great co-op mode and (at least on PC) a stellar level editor. Was this a "necessary" sequel? I don't know but I'm glad it exists in all its exuberance.
edit: "Cleaning" up my Switch backlog a bit so I quickly finished Portal 2. I think this might be the third or fourth time I've played it, first time on Switch, and it's still really good despite not feeling as fresh as the original obviously. Whereas the first one was very intimate, this one went big with more puzzle mechanics and elaborate setpieces. It has more of an action-adventure feel to it, which I know some people didn't like, but it helps it stand apart from Portal 1. Sidenote: I sometimes forget that this even had a great co-op mode and (at least on PC) a stellar level editor. Was this a "necessary" sequel? I don't know but I'm glad it exists in all its exuberance.
- The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
- Alan Wake II
- Rytmos
- Pizza Tower
- Hi-Fi Rush
- Humanity
- Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
- Jusant
- Momodora: Moonlit Farewell
- Panzer Dragoon (Remake)
- Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon
- Kingdom Hearts: Final Mix
- Astro's Playroom
- Ghost of Tsushima
- 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim
- Birth
- Final Fantasy VII
- Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation
- Sifu
- Minishoot' Adventures
- Final Fantasy XVI
- Botany Manor
- Super Mario Land
- Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
- Animal Well
- Portal 2
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Main Post
With this I am officially half-way through the 52 games challenge! Honestly didn't think I'd even make it this far, but here I am. Been really fun and - honestly - therapeutic posting my thoughts on each game throughout here. Definitely feel like I might actually be able to pull this challenge off. Without further ado:
Game 26: Jusant
Xbox Series X | Finished 18/05/24 | 4 Hours Played | 7/10
The latest in a long, and oddly specific, line of 'games clearly inspired by Journey', Jusant's focus on climbing and vertical exploration definielty helped to it break away from the pack for me. And it does so fairly well, doing practically everything a 'climbing game' could do, without it going too overboard and landing in frustrating. Well, except for a few moments in the game's 3rd chapter, but generally those moments were incredibly few in number. On a technical front, there's clearly a lot of depth here in how the game controls, which definitely helps 'sell' the climbing fantasy. Even if you're never actually danger of falling. It's a visually stunning game, its simplistic-yet-striking art-style marrying extremely well with the incredibly realistic lighting
Yet, as the first sentence here implies... this feels incredibly samey when viewed in the context of its mostly-indie contemporaries. Where the title really innovates in its core climbing gameplay, it fits the 'Journey' script to a fault. The character-less protagonist only there to serve a singular purpose, the post-apocalytic world, the spiritual imagery intentionally vague in how it relates to real-life spirituality and religion, and the soundtrack full of lofty strings and piano pieces. Even many beats throughout its climactic two chapters end up feeling shocking similar to the likes of games such as Journey, Abzu, and The Pathless. It's all very 'been there, done that' which, when so much of the game is reliant on its imagery, themes, and so forth... is disappointing.
Still, the game's a relaxing, visually-incredible, and unique-in-parts experience. One that's short enough that I'd recommend it to anyone who finds the premise interesting.
With this I am officially half-way through the 52 games challenge! Honestly didn't think I'd even make it this far, but here I am. Been really fun and - honestly - therapeutic posting my thoughts on each game throughout here. Definitely feel like I might actually be able to pull this challenge off. Without further ado:
Game 26: Jusant
Xbox Series X | Finished 18/05/24 | 4 Hours Played | 7/10
The latest in a long, and oddly specific, line of 'games clearly inspired by Journey', Jusant's focus on climbing and vertical exploration definielty helped to it break away from the pack for me. And it does so fairly well, doing practically everything a 'climbing game' could do, without it going too overboard and landing in frustrating. Well, except for a few moments in the game's 3rd chapter, but generally those moments were incredibly few in number. On a technical front, there's clearly a lot of depth here in how the game controls, which definitely helps 'sell' the climbing fantasy. Even if you're never actually danger of falling. It's a visually stunning game, its simplistic-yet-striking art-style marrying extremely well with the incredibly realistic lighting
Yet, as the first sentence here implies... this feels incredibly samey when viewed in the context of its mostly-indie contemporaries. Where the title really innovates in its core climbing gameplay, it fits the 'Journey' script to a fault. The character-less protagonist only there to serve a singular purpose, the post-apocalytic world, the spiritual imagery intentionally vague in how it relates to real-life spirituality and religion, and the soundtrack full of lofty strings and piano pieces. Even many beats throughout its climactic two chapters end up feeling shocking similar to the likes of games such as Journey, Abzu, and The Pathless. It's all very 'been there, done that' which, when so much of the game is reliant on its imagery, themes, and so forth... is disappointing.
Still, the game's a relaxing, visually-incredible, and unique-in-parts experience. One that's short enough that I'd recommend it to anyone who finds the premise interesting.
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Tall Leprechaun
Rattata
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1) Impressed with the 52-game challenge, and you're doing great on the pace!
2) 100% agree with the therapeutic feeling of posting post-game thoughts. I also just like lurking between finishing games and seeing what people are playing/liked. Always more room on the backlog lol
3) Also think we feel similar on Jusant. Interesting and soothing game and I enjoyed most of my time, but just felt a bit boring in some aspects as well
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1) The Last of Us Part I (PS5)
2) The Last of Us Part I - Left Behind DLC (PS5)
3) God of War (PS2)
4) Tetris Effect Connected (PC)
5) Trials HD (XSS) [Replay]
6) Aperture Desk Job (Steam Deck)
7) Need for Speed Underground (PS2) [Replay]
8) The Last of Us Part II Remastered (PS5)
9) 13 Sentinels - Aegis Rim (NSW)
10) Penny’s Big Breakaway (Steam Deck)
11) Jusant (XSS)
12) Froggo’s Adventure: Verdant Venture (Steam Deck)
13) Pokémon Crystal Legacy (GBC)
14) Halo: Combat Evolved (Steam Deck) [Replay]
15) Pocket Tennis Color: Pocket Sports Series (NGPC)
16) Super Mario Run (iOS)
17) The Firemen (SFC)
18) Inks. (iOS)
2) The Last of Us Part I - Left Behind DLC (PS5)
3) God of War (PS2)
4) Tetris Effect Connected (PC)
5) Trials HD (XSS) [Replay]
6) Aperture Desk Job (Steam Deck)
7) Need for Speed Underground (PS2) [Replay]
8) The Last of Us Part II Remastered (PS5)
9) 13 Sentinels - Aegis Rim (NSW)
10) Penny’s Big Breakaway (Steam Deck)
11) Jusant (XSS)
12) Froggo’s Adventure: Verdant Venture (Steam Deck)
13) Pokémon Crystal Legacy (GBC)
14) Halo: Combat Evolved (Steam Deck) [Replay]
15) Pocket Tennis Color: Pocket Sports Series (NGPC)
16) Super Mario Run (iOS)
17) The Firemen (SFC)
18) Inks. (iOS)
19) Monument Valley (iOS)
20) Monument Valley - Forgotten Shores and Ida’s Dream DLC (iOS)
I missed Monument Valley back when it had its big moment a decade ago. But I remembered that it was a big thing in the mobile gaming space, and when I saw it on Apple Arcade I decided to give it a go. And I’m glad that I did! The levels and perspective-shifting in Monument Valley are pure magic. I’m pretty sure that’s how this game was developed - by using magic. It’s wonderful.
I had an issue with the controls, though. Rotating and moving objects felt very finicky and was more often than not an exercise in frustration. But that’s the only blemish on this otherwise fantastic experience.
21) SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake (Steam Deck)
I enjoyed BfBB well enough when it came out way back when, and I liked the remake too, even if I felt like time hadn’t been very kind to the game. Tons of jank that I didn’t really remember soured me on Rehydrated. So I was skeptical about The Cosmic Shake from the start. I’m happy to say that TCS is better than Rehydrated in every single way. This is the new best SpongBob game.
22) Animal Well (Steam Deck)
This is an excellent metroidvania. Atmosphere abounds. The platforming is excellent. The puzzles are engaging. The upgrades are interesting and unique. The boss fights stand out. This deserves to be on lots of GOTY lists later this year.
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TheQuietone
The Dread Captain
- Pronouns
- They/them
Finished Mario Land GB. It's an okay game. Would have been a good back in the day I can tell. I'm almost done with all the puzzles in Logiart Grimoire and should be done with it tonight so I am adding it now to save time. Good game but the 40x30 puzzles were really not necessary.
1. Another Code 1
2. Another Code 2
3. Saga of the Moon Priestess
4.
5. Mario Vs. Dk
6. Apollo Justice
7. Dual Destinies
8. Spirit of Justice
9. Star Ocean 2 Second Story R
10. Princess Peach Showtime
11. Unicorn Overlord
12. Crypt Stalker
13. Little Kitty Big City
14. Mario Land GB
15. Logiart Grimoire
1. Another Code 1
2. Another Code 2
3. Saga of the Moon Priestess
4.
5. Mario Vs. Dk
6. Apollo Justice
7. Dual Destinies
8. Spirit of Justice
9. Star Ocean 2 Second Story R
10. Princess Peach Showtime
11. Unicorn Overlord
12. Crypt Stalker
13. Little Kitty Big City
14. Mario Land GB
15. Logiart Grimoire
OP
OP
And with more than half the year left to gun for it! Nice. Maybe I should do the same...
Probably the main reason I'm interested in Animal Well, I've heard the upgrades are not the typical metroidvania stuff
Stilt Village
GBA
This is funny to hear, because I'm currently in the middle of a YouTube series on the game that just pointed out that almost none of Sunshine is designed around the use of the hover nozzle at all because it being a normal part of Mario's moveset was decided really late in development.
From everything I've heard, Rehydrated actually plays worse than the original. The tight controls are kind of the main thing that carries BfBB, the whole reason it even got a remake is that they were good enough for it to have developed a speedrunning community. But then the remake didn't replicate the original physics.
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Yeah I've never really agreed with the complaint myself, but I do think it's an interesting idea to chew on, that focusing on players using something to the utmost degree can actually be a detriment. Although I can think of some parts of Sunshine that are kind of like the aforementioned paraphrase, it's not the hover nozzle but the shine you need to get with the rocket nozzle in Delfino Plaza was pretty obnoxious from what I remember, also some of the jumps in the giant mushroom village definitely felt like they were made for you to use your jump as far as possible. It definitely isn't a large portion of the game though so I always found myself not really agreeing with it.
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I did think there was a possibility that Microsoft would use their war chest to fund more AA games or overlooked titles since they were throwing around money to be competitive. I'm really sad that didn't happen, I never liked the acquisitions but it would have been nice if we could get at least a few good things out of it.
I was going to write a review talking about how great the game is but I find it hard to focus on making one after I've already finished a new game to talk about. I really loved it though even if the combat didn't always mesh. One of the best designed games I've ever played easily. I'm eagerly anticipating whenever the System Shock remake goes on sale so I can play that
between TTYD and Animal Well I have a lot on my plate now
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I started Tangle Tower on Apple Arcade but had to rebuy it when Tim Apple deleted it off my iPhone. It's a small-ish (5h long) murder mystery game made by the developers of Snipperclips and Crow Country so you already know it looks great. The presentation with its expressive animation coupled with the voice performances really helps bring these characters to life and is the main appeal, I'd say. As a mystery story it doesn't quite work but in the end I didn't mind that much and still enjoyed my time with it. Mechanically it's not super complex: You move around between screens, talk to characters and click on stuff like Ace Attorney. For some clues you have to solve small puzzles. Every now and then you get prompted to draw conclusions by combining clues and arranging them in a sentence. It's been on sale for 4 bucks a few times and at that price it's a steal.
- The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
- Alan Wake II
- Rytmos
- Pizza Tower
- Hi-Fi Rush
- Humanity
- Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
- Jusant
- Momodora: Moonlit Farewell
- Panzer Dragoon (Remake)
- Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon
- Kingdom Hearts: Final Mix
- Astro's Playroom
- Ghost of Tsushima
- 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim
- Birth
- Final Fantasy VII
- Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation
- Sifu
- Minishoot' Adventures
- Final Fantasy XVI
- Botany Manor
- Super Mario Land
- Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
- Animal Well
- Portal 2
- Tangle Tower
OP
OP
Combat has honestly not been one of the strengths of immersive sims, they're really just another option in the buffet. Still glad you enjoyed Prey though!
Nifty little murder mystery, yeah. I definitely wanna check out Crow Country soon.
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There's also an upcoming sequel to Tangle Tower called The Mermaid Mask. I should check out the demo on Steam sometime...
Earthbounder
Boing!
- Pronouns
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Adding one more to the list. The best one yet.
1. Price of Persia: The Lost Crown - 9/10
2. The Talos Principle - 7.5/10
3. Hitman: Blood Money - 8/10
4. Subnautica - 7.5/10
5. Katana Zero - 8/10
6. Hyper Light Drifter - 7.5/10
7. Hotline Miami - 8/10
8. Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number - 5/10
9. Another Crab's Treasure - 8.5/10
10. Petiment - 8/10
11. Animal Well - 9/10
12. Lorelei and the Laser Eyes - 9.5/10
1. Price of Persia: The Lost Crown - 9/10
2. The Talos Principle - 7.5/10
3. Hitman: Blood Money - 8/10
4. Subnautica - 7.5/10
5. Katana Zero - 8/10
6. Hyper Light Drifter - 7.5/10
7. Hotline Miami - 8/10
8. Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number - 5/10
9. Another Crab's Treasure - 8.5/10
10. Petiment - 8/10
11. Animal Well - 9/10
12. Lorelei and the Laser Eyes - 9.5/10
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- he/him
Going through games I haven't (re)played on NSO yet, I noticed an early Yoshi's Island save so I had to quickly do this. Still the best in the series though Woolly World came close. One thing I never really appreciated before is how they switch things up in terms of level structure and pacing. You go from a breezy linear level to a platform level with moving platforms to a convoluted puzzle level and then you got a boss fight and it feels like they never run out of ideas. It doesn't control as tight as I'd want it to be - I feel like only about 90% in control of Yoshi - but other than that it's still really good.
- The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
- Alan Wake II
- Rytmos
- Pizza Tower
- Hi-Fi Rush
- Humanity
- Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
- Jusant
- Momodora: Moonlit Farewell
- Panzer Dragoon (Remake)
- Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon
- Kingdom Hearts: Final Mix
- Astro's Playroom
- Ghost of Tsushima
- 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim
- Birth
- Final Fantasy VII
- Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation
- Sifu
- Minishoot' Adventures
- Final Fantasy XVI
- Botany Manor
- Super Mario Land
- Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
- Animal Well
- Portal 2
- Tangle Tower
- Yoshi's Island
Main Post
GAME 27: Mirror's Edge
Xbox Series X (BC) | Finished 19/05/24 | 5 Hours Played | 7/10
This is one I've been putting off for a long time, but now that I've finally played it I'm glad to have done so. It's also another testament to how, at a point, actually playing and finishing games is far easier than sitting on them for years upon years. In this case, I started the game at about 2pm, and finished it at 7pm. Time I probably would've wasted otherwise, instead used to experience something really unique that I've been 'meaning to play' since the early 2010s when I first bought it on Steam...
So what about the game? Well, it's pretty good. Once I managed to 'get it', the game's movement and flow felt really, really great. Enough so that I'm not surprised the game's garnered such a 'cult classic' status purely on its speedrunning potential. It's a movement-set that demands focus, and fairly harshly punishes bad play with momentum loss. The game's really at its best when the environment is your main enemy, feeling like a vague spiritual sequel to the classic Sonic titles I played earlier this year. Level design throughout is just brilliant in that sense, with relatively few sequences that left me truly frustrated (and fewer still that did so in a way that wasn't my fault). The game also, for one from 2008, looks stunning. Pre-baked lighting, incredibly stylish use of whites and basic colours, alongside inspired art-direction really make it look timeless. The 4K/60fps boost from the Series X helps too, but even at 720p/30fps I could see this looking great.
Unfortunately that's not all the game has to offer. Whilst its platforming segments see little frustration, moments where the game near-forces you into combat are just plain not fun. I understand why those moments happened - to add variety, and to perhaps punish the player for not finding 'another way' out of combat scenarios - but that never made my actual experience with them feel any better. Quickly subduing foes through slide-tackles and drop-kicks is fun, but after the first few levels the foes grow too great in number, and too powerful in strength, for that to 'feel' truly viable. That's before the genuinely poor melee boss fight, which felt like a scenario the game simply wasn't made for. The story's also just threadbare and way too convoluted for its own good, but - in the context of playing this on Game Pass in 2024, instead of having spent £40 on the game back in 2008 - I can look past it.
GAME 27: Mirror's Edge
Xbox Series X (BC) | Finished 19/05/24 | 5 Hours Played | 7/10
This is one I've been putting off for a long time, but now that I've finally played it I'm glad to have done so. It's also another testament to how, at a point, actually playing and finishing games is far easier than sitting on them for years upon years. In this case, I started the game at about 2pm, and finished it at 7pm. Time I probably would've wasted otherwise, instead used to experience something really unique that I've been 'meaning to play' since the early 2010s when I first bought it on Steam...
So what about the game? Well, it's pretty good. Once I managed to 'get it', the game's movement and flow felt really, really great. Enough so that I'm not surprised the game's garnered such a 'cult classic' status purely on its speedrunning potential. It's a movement-set that demands focus, and fairly harshly punishes bad play with momentum loss. The game's really at its best when the environment is your main enemy, feeling like a vague spiritual sequel to the classic Sonic titles I played earlier this year. Level design throughout is just brilliant in that sense, with relatively few sequences that left me truly frustrated (and fewer still that did so in a way that wasn't my fault). The game also, for one from 2008, looks stunning. Pre-baked lighting, incredibly stylish use of whites and basic colours, alongside inspired art-direction really make it look timeless. The 4K/60fps boost from the Series X helps too, but even at 720p/30fps I could see this looking great.
Unfortunately that's not all the game has to offer. Whilst its platforming segments see little frustration, moments where the game near-forces you into combat are just plain not fun. I understand why those moments happened - to add variety, and to perhaps punish the player for not finding 'another way' out of combat scenarios - but that never made my actual experience with them feel any better. Quickly subduing foes through slide-tackles and drop-kicks is fun, but after the first few levels the foes grow too great in number, and too powerful in strength, for that to 'feel' truly viable. That's before the genuinely poor melee boss fight, which felt like a scenario the game simply wasn't made for. The story's also just threadbare and way too convoluted for its own good, but - in the context of playing this on Game Pass in 2024, instead of having spent £40 on the game back in 2008 - I can look past it.
HockeyBird
Villager
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I've finally beaten Mario Wonder. So that leaves my list of total games completed in 2024 to:
1. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
2. Super Mario Bros. Wonder
If you want to include DLCs, then I can add...
3. Ghost of Tsushima: Iki Island
4. Final Fantasy VII Remake Intermission
I'm really killing it this year....
To be fair, Rebirth was a long game and I'm 40 hours into Persona 3 Reload. Metroid Prime, Pikmin 4, and Oracle of Seasons are also near completion.
1. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
2. Super Mario Bros. Wonder
If you want to include DLCs, then I can add...
3. Ghost of Tsushima: Iki Island
4. Final Fantasy VII Remake Intermission
I'm really killing it this year....
To be fair, Rebirth was a long game and I'm 40 hours into Persona 3 Reload. Metroid Prime, Pikmin 4, and Oracle of Seasons are also near completion.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
1. Spider Man 2 (PS5)
2. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD
3. Kuru Kuru Kururin (GBA NSO)
4. Persona 3 Reload
5. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
6. Sayonara Wild Hearts
7. Cocoon
2. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD
3. Kuru Kuru Kururin (GBA NSO)
4. Persona 3 Reload
5. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
6. Sayonara Wild Hearts
7. Cocoon
8. Bayonetta 3
I have very mixed feelings on Bayonetta 3. I really liked 1 and 2, and I think 3 has great gameplay, at least most of the time. I wasn't playing this game for the story, but it left me thinking... what the heck was that? I will leave specific things I didn't like in the spoilers. Also, while I appreciate them trying to make the game bigger and more open than it's predecessors, it was not pretty to look at. I got used to it after a while, but I definitely wished it could have been better.
1. Not a fan of Viola as a character, and her combat was not fun at all.
2. I don't know if Bayonetta 4 will ever happen, but I'm not interested if Cereza isn't there. I know it's not open-minded of me, but... she's the poster woman of Bayonetta. I can't get past that.
3. Jeanne sections felt kind of weird at first, but they grew on me.
4. Playing as Bayonetta (Cereza) were the best parts of the game.
5. Some of the giant boss segments were really funny. I liked the bubble one and the opera singer, too.
2. I don't know if Bayonetta 4 will ever happen, but I'm not interested if Cereza isn't there. I know it's not open-minded of me, but... she's the poster woman of Bayonetta. I can't get past that.
3. Jeanne sections felt kind of weird at first, but they grew on me.
4. Playing as Bayonetta (Cereza) were the best parts of the game.
5. Some of the giant boss segments were really funny. I liked the bubble one and the opera singer, too.
- Pronouns
- He/him
Here are the latest games I’ve beaten. Not gonna give a detailed summary as I’ve not been feeling great lately.
10. Star Wars battlefront
11. Super Metroid
12. Donkey kong country
13. Sonic the hedgehog
14. Final fantasy 7 rebirth
15. Mario vs donkey Kong
16. Super Mario bros
10. Star Wars battlefront
11. Super Metroid
12. Donkey kong country
13. Sonic the hedgehog
14. Final fantasy 7 rebirth
15. Mario vs donkey Kong
16. Super Mario bros
switchum
Providing Fami with bad takes a-plenty since 2022!
- Pronouns
- he/him
(Note that I ended up dropping the “all-time classic” before I finished it, so this is a different game than what I was referring to)
4) Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest - 8.5/10 - approx. 20 hours played
This is the fifth mainline FE game I’ve beaten, and as expected, I really enjoyed it! It wasn’t close to the best FE I’ve played, but I liked it a lot more than Birthright. I found the supporting characters far more interesting and memorable, and siding with the obvious “bad guys” was a heck of a lot more interesting than taking the clear “good” route. It got quite tricky near the end, and I enjoyed the unique battle gimmicks. I know people didn’t really like the story, and while it wasn’t the best of the series, I didn’t find it to be an issue in my playthrough.
5) Super Mario Galaxy 2 (replay) - 9/10 - estimated 15 hours played
This was a replay of a childhood favourite, and I still absolutely adore it. The gameplay is decently challenging and rewarding (though not as hard as it was when I was a kid), and the movement is incredibly satisfying. I love how high the high-jump is and how long the long-jump is… it gives you an incredible degree of freedom in your movement. While there are less moves than Super Mario Odyssey, I think the implementation of these moves are still more fun to me. Unfortunately, the game isn’t quite as good as I remember. Going in with an adult perspective, I can see how many levels are incredibly linear compared to Galaxy 1, and I’d have liked more open levels like Starshine Beach here. I always said that I preferred Galaxy 2, but after this replay, I’d say Galaxy 1 is actually the better game after all… although with my nostalgic goggles, I still probably personally enjoy Galaxy 2 more. All the issues aside, this is still a wonderfully designed platformer, and worth playing for any Super Mario fan.
- Pronouns
- he/him
Working a weekend shift which means I'm at the office by myself waiting for things to happen. So I brought my Vita and played Shovel Knight again. Just the original campaign, might finally do the new ones now.
I've been meaning to replay this for a while and thought I'd just rebuy it on Switch once I see it on sale but in the end I couldn't wait. 10 years later there's still a lot to like here starting with the banger soundtrack. It gets you pumped while you navigate the levels that constantly throw new ideas and a plethora of secrets and you and then perfectly sets the stage for the boss fights. The spritework is also very lovely (especially on an OLED screen) and infuses the world and its characters with so much life.
I feel like Shovel Knight biggest achievement is how it really recaptures the vibe of a NES game but does a lot of smart things to mitigate the frustrating parts for a newer audience: The checkpoint system, the light RPG elements, the relics, no lives etc. It all makes for a more pleasant, less frustrating experience while still maintaining a decent level of difficulty throughout. I thought I might have cooled on it over the years but now I'm looking forward to Mina the Hollower even more.
I've been meaning to replay this for a while and thought I'd just rebuy it on Switch once I see it on sale but in the end I couldn't wait. 10 years later there's still a lot to like here starting with the banger soundtrack. It gets you pumped while you navigate the levels that constantly throw new ideas and a plethora of secrets and you and then perfectly sets the stage for the boss fights. The spritework is also very lovely (especially on an OLED screen) and infuses the world and its characters with so much life.
I feel like Shovel Knight biggest achievement is how it really recaptures the vibe of a NES game but does a lot of smart things to mitigate the frustrating parts for a newer audience: The checkpoint system, the light RPG elements, the relics, no lives etc. It all makes for a more pleasant, less frustrating experience while still maintaining a decent level of difficulty throughout. I thought I might have cooled on it over the years but now I'm looking forward to Mina the Hollower even more.
- The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
- Alan Wake II
- Rytmos
- Pizza Tower
- Hi-Fi Rush
- Humanity
- Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
- Jusant
- Momodora: Moonlit Farewell
- Panzer Dragoon (Remake)
- Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon
- Kingdom Hearts: Final Mix
- Astro's Playroom
- Ghost of Tsushima
- 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim
- Birth
- Final Fantasy VII
- Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation
- Sifu
- Minishoot' Adventures
- Final Fantasy XVI
- Botany Manor
- Super Mario Land
- Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
- Animal Well
- Portal 2
- Tangle Tower
- Yoshi's Island
- Shovel Knight: Shovel of Hope
Vookatos
Like Like
- Pronouns
- He/They
70. Hades II (Early Access)
Even in its Early Access incarnation, Hades II makes for a much better game than the original did.
I think one of the problems that rogue-likes face is repetition, and I've felt it with Hades a lot. Even meaningful weapon changes didn't really help with location and enemy fatigue setting in.
Hades II is basically Hades, but More, and one thing it does that elevates the game for me is giving you a choice of what to approach at the start of each run. Not too long after starting the game you'll have access to three distinct branching choices leading you into different directions: two worlds with their own enemies, bosses, and gimmicks, as well as the trials that ask you to complete a certain area with specific requirements.
While I'm not sure I like most of the new characters as much as I liked the cast of the original game, the progression is much more interesting. Arcana system, for example, while a little convoluted at first, is an incredible improvement over toggling one out of two options.
Hades II isn't a revolutionary sequel, but it's definitely a welcome evolution over a very solid rogue-like that I find easier to lose a lot of time with.
4.5/5
Even in its Early Access incarnation, Hades II makes for a much better game than the original did.
I think one of the problems that rogue-likes face is repetition, and I've felt it with Hades a lot. Even meaningful weapon changes didn't really help with location and enemy fatigue setting in.
Hades II is basically Hades, but More, and one thing it does that elevates the game for me is giving you a choice of what to approach at the start of each run. Not too long after starting the game you'll have access to three distinct branching choices leading you into different directions: two worlds with their own enemies, bosses, and gimmicks, as well as the trials that ask you to complete a certain area with specific requirements.
While I'm not sure I like most of the new characters as much as I liked the cast of the original game, the progression is much more interesting. Arcana system, for example, while a little convoluted at first, is an incredible improvement over toggling one out of two options.
Hades II isn't a revolutionary sequel, but it's definitely a welcome evolution over a very solid rogue-like that I find easier to lose a lot of time with.
4.5/5
- Pronouns
- He/Him
1) The Last of Us Part I (PS5)
2) The Last of Us Part I - Left Behind DLC (PS5)
3) God of War (PS2)
4) Tetris Effect Connected (PC)
5) Trials HD (XSS) [Replay]
6) Aperture Desk Job (Steam Deck)
7) Need for Speed Underground (PS2) [Replay]
8) The Last of Us Part II Remastered (PS5)
9) 13 Sentinels - Aegis Rim (NSW)
10) Penny’s Big Breakaway (Steam Deck)
11) Jusant (XSS)
12) Froggo’s Adventure: Verdant Venture (Steam Deck)
13) Pokémon Crystal Legacy (GBC)
14) Halo: Combat Evolved (Steam Deck) [Replay]
15) Pocket Tennis Color: Pocket Sports Series (NGPC)
16) Super Mario Run (iOS)
17) The Firemen (SFC)
18) Inks. (iOS)
19) Monument Valley (iOS)
20) Monument Valley - Forgotten Shores and Ida’s Dream DLC (iOS)
21) SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake (Steam Deck)
22) Animal Well (Steam Deck)
2) The Last of Us Part I - Left Behind DLC (PS5)
3) God of War (PS2)
4) Tetris Effect Connected (PC)
5) Trials HD (XSS) [Replay]
6) Aperture Desk Job (Steam Deck)
7) Need for Speed Underground (PS2) [Replay]
8) The Last of Us Part II Remastered (PS5)
9) 13 Sentinels - Aegis Rim (NSW)
10) Penny’s Big Breakaway (Steam Deck)
11) Jusant (XSS)
12) Froggo’s Adventure: Verdant Venture (Steam Deck)
13) Pokémon Crystal Legacy (GBC)
14) Halo: Combat Evolved (Steam Deck) [Replay]
15) Pocket Tennis Color: Pocket Sports Series (NGPC)
16) Super Mario Run (iOS)
17) The Firemen (SFC)
18) Inks. (iOS)
19) Monument Valley (iOS)
20) Monument Valley - Forgotten Shores and Ida’s Dream DLC (iOS)
21) SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake (Steam Deck)
22) Animal Well (Steam Deck)
23) Donald Duck no Mahou no Bushi (SFC)
The title basically translates to “Donald Duck and the Magic Hat”.
What we have here is a 2D platformer with excellent visuals alongside questionable physics and hitboxes.
Daisy wants an expensive hat, so Donald Duck takes on odd jobs to be able to afford it. While doing these jobs, he’s approached by a weird guy in a Santa hat. This guy says he’s the king of the Magic Kingdom, and that he’s been usurped by the Dark King, Pete. He promises that he’ll give Donald the hat Daisy wants in exchange for overthrowing Pete.
Donald has to take down Pete’s four henchmen before going to the castle in the sky and taking on the Dark King himself. Each of these four levels has a different gimmick, for example: one level sees you racing up a snowy mountain, while another sets you in a magical rotating jungle. The levels are short, but they’re all engaging. Finally, the castle in the sky is more of a straight 2D platforming level, where you’ll take on two mini bosses before the final battle against Pete.
The game is relatively easy until the final level. It’s here that the subpar physics make their presence known. Or rather, the physics are bad the entire time, but it’s only here that they become a problem. The castle is full of tricky jumps and cruelly-placed enemies, and it features a challenging vertical section where you’re being chased by a rising column of fire. This is capped off with the two phase battle against Pete. The first phase isn’t too bad, but the second phase is full of wonky jumps and attacks that fill the entire screen, making it near-impossible to not take a hit. Rewind was used and abused, and I have no shame.
The graphics are gorgeous, with big, detailed sprites and tons of bright colors. There’s pseudo-3D effects too, although whether it’s parallax scrolling or Mode 7 or something else, I don’t know. All I know is that it causes the frame rate to tank. The Super Famicom struggles to run this game, with slowdown all over the place. It’s not game-breaking, but it does stand out and is worth mentioning. Musically, nothing stands out. It’s acceptable and nothing more.
Donald Duck no Muhau no Bushi isn’t a must-play by any means, but it’s a decently fun and brief experience. I rolled credits right around the ninety minute mark. As far as I could tell, there aren’t any collectibles for replay value, although there is a Hard mode if somehow Normal mode was too easy for you. If you simply love Donald Duck, and are comfortable fumbling your way through applying an English translation patch like I did, give this game a shot.
- Pronouns
- he/him
11. Super Mario Land (6/10)
Not a very good Mario, especially because of the subpar controls that cost me a few lives, but I kinda liked how surreal it felt. Like a bootleg Mario game at times, with the weird enemies, levels, and the choice to use the "French can-can" theme from Orpheus in the Underworld instead of the usual star/invincibility theme. Glad they added that to NSO since it was one of the few Mario games I've never played.
12. Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins (7/10)
Much better than the first one imo. It's still a bit weird, but controls better and is better designed overall. Plus it has Wario! Short and easy, but I had some good fun playing it.
13. Animal Well (9/10)
Very, very good. Extremely clever and fluid design, lots of little secrets to find everywhere, and the game always manages to guide the player in a discreet way, so you never lose the thread or get stuck for so long. It's been a while since I've played a Metroid-like game that managed to make me want to search it from top to bottom and discover all its mysteries, maybe since Metroid Prime.
Visually I find it ultra beautiful, on an OLED screen it's a real beauty – if you're not averse to big pixels at least. That + the fact that there's no music, only sound effects, really gives it an incomparable cachet. I'm really admiring the work that's been done, and the fact that such a big game can fit on “just” 34 MB.
Not a very good Mario, especially because of the subpar controls that cost me a few lives, but I kinda liked how surreal it felt. Like a bootleg Mario game at times, with the weird enemies, levels, and the choice to use the "French can-can" theme from Orpheus in the Underworld instead of the usual star/invincibility theme. Glad they added that to NSO since it was one of the few Mario games I've never played.
12. Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins (7/10)
Much better than the first one imo. It's still a bit weird, but controls better and is better designed overall. Plus it has Wario! Short and easy, but I had some good fun playing it.
13. Animal Well (9/10)
Very, very good. Extremely clever and fluid design, lots of little secrets to find everywhere, and the game always manages to guide the player in a discreet way, so you never lose the thread or get stuck for so long. It's been a while since I've played a Metroid-like game that managed to make me want to search it from top to bottom and discover all its mysteries, maybe since Metroid Prime.
Visually I find it ultra beautiful, on an OLED screen it's a real beauty – if you're not averse to big pixels at least. That + the fact that there's no music, only sound effects, really gives it an incomparable cachet. I'm really admiring the work that's been done, and the fact that such a big game can fit on “just” 34 MB.
1. Hentai Golf (0/10)
2. Hitman: Blood Money – Reprisal (6/10)
3. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Justice For All (7,5/10)
4. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth (10/10)
5. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Trials and Tribulations (8/10)
6. Captain Tsubasa: Rise of the New Champions (3/10)
7. Unicorn Overlord (6,5/10)
8. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (9,5/10)
9. Megaton Musashi W: Wired (4/10)
10. Stellar Blade (6/10)
11. Super Mario Land (6/10)
12. Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins (7/10)
13. Animal Well (9/10)
2. Hitman: Blood Money – Reprisal (6/10)
3. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Justice For All (7,5/10)
4. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth (10/10)
5. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Trials and Tribulations (8/10)
6. Captain Tsubasa: Rise of the New Champions (3/10)
7. Unicorn Overlord (6,5/10)
8. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (9,5/10)
9. Megaton Musashi W: Wired (4/10)
10. Stellar Blade (6/10)
11. Super Mario Land (6/10)
12. Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins (7/10)
13. Animal Well (9/10)
BlackthornOrion
#theprocessbroke
20. Super Mario Land (GB - NSO): This was one of a handful of old GB games I somehow wound up with as a kid, but I never actually beat it back in the day. Bit of column "the controls feel jank and kid me wasn't great at video games", a bit of column "why am I playing this when Mario Land 2 is right there". Years later, my verdict is that kid me pretty much nailed it. Super Mario Land is... not bad. That's about as high as I could rate it. Not great. Not good. Even decent might be pushing it. But it is decidedly not bad, and considering the context I guess it deserves credit for managing that much. In full fairness, I can concede that the 5 or so music tracks in this game do indeed all slap, and while I really don't like shmups (and esp. shmup sections in non-shmup games) the idea of putting shmup interstitials into a Mario game is conceptually kinda neat
As much as I loathe the "nobody would care about it if it was called Belda" arguments, I can't help but feel that the main value this game has in 2024 is pretty much entirely predicated on its status as a Mario game. It's an interesting part of the franchise's fossil record; not only is it the first real handheld Mario game, but it represents a point when what Mario is was less codified and the series was allowed to be unpolished and straight-up weird, an element of the series that would steadily wane until going into a deep 20-ish year hibernation by the early-mid 2000s. In that sense there's a sort of academic merit to experiencing this game
But as a source of fun and enjoyment, I just think it's wholly outclassed both as a "Mario being weird and not bound by conventional settings/enemies on the Gameboy" game by it's sequel and as a bite-sized "you can probably knock it out in maybe 30 minutes" platformer by the wholly Gameboy-born Kirby's Dream Land. I'm glad I can now say I've seen the whole game but, having finally done so, it's not something I really see myself having much drive to revisit in the future
Maybe the best thing I can say about Super Mario Land is it's a handy illustration of what can happen when developers take the time to really learn a system over its lifespan and find ways to do things down the road that would have seemed impossible at launch. Because when the Gameboy and Mario Land came out, the best they could manage was "Super Mario Bros. 1 but worse" and that probably seemed like a revelation at the time. And then, on the very same hardware they somehow made Mario Land 2, which in my opinion isn't even so much a downgrade of Mario World so much as a kind of side-grade to what its console counterpart had to offer
Twilight
One & only #1 fan of Sparks of Hope and FFXVI
Noticing that I have finished more games on PS5 than Switch this year, dunno if I can remain on this website anymore.
1. Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon [ PS5 ] - 9
2. Dragon Quest [ SNES*] - 7.5
3. Another Code: Recollection [ NS ] - 6
4. Trace Memory (7th Replay) [ DS ] - 9
5. Celeste 64: Fragments of the Mountain [ PC ] - 3
6. Silent Hill: The Short Message [ PS5 ] - 4
7. Ace Attorney: Apollo Justice (4th Playthrough) [ NS ] - 6 - 1st Switch
8. Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies (3rd Playthrough) [ NS ] - 9 - 1st Switch
9. Ace Attorney: Spirit of Justice (3rd Playthrough) [ NS ] - 10 - 1st Switch
10. Baldur's Gate III [ PS5 ] - 10
11. Infamous: First Light [ PS5 ] - 6
12. Resident Evil Village + Shadows of Rose [ PS5 ] - 6
13. Ufouria: The Saga 2 [ NS ] - 9
14. Elden Ring [ PS5 ] - 10
15. Detective Ridelle [ PC ] - 7
16. This Bed We Made [ PS5 ] - 7
17. Carpathian Night starring Bela Lugosi [ PC ] - 8
18. Dragon's Dogma II [ PS5 ] - 10 - 2 Playthroughs
19. Withering Rooms [ PS5 ] - 8.5
20. Gestalt: The Fifth Day - [ PC ] - 8
One of those "go in blind" type of game, a really good if sometimes a bit too trial and error with some puzzles point and click horror adventure, short and sweet.
21. Stellar Blade - [ PS5 ] - 7
Ngl I really enjoyed getting every costume in the game, this is for every paid DLC that denied me an interesting sidequest and cool costume from the Tales of series after it went downhill in that regard, and the variety is nice, balanced between stylish, cute and of course horny designs.
Oh right the actual game is pretty solid, I don't think it excels at anything specific but it does deliver a fun time through most of it.
1. Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon [ PS5 ] - 9
2. Dragon Quest [ SNES*] - 7.5
3. Another Code: Recollection [ NS ] - 6
4. Trace Memory (7th Replay) [ DS ] - 9
5. Celeste 64: Fragments of the Mountain [ PC ] - 3
6. Silent Hill: The Short Message [ PS5 ] - 4
7. Ace Attorney: Apollo Justice (4th Playthrough) [ NS ] - 6 - 1st Switch
8. Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies (3rd Playthrough) [ NS ] - 9 - 1st Switch
9. Ace Attorney: Spirit of Justice (3rd Playthrough) [ NS ] - 10 - 1st Switch
10. Baldur's Gate III [ PS5 ] - 10
11. Infamous: First Light [ PS5 ] - 6
12. Resident Evil Village + Shadows of Rose [ PS5 ] - 6
13. Ufouria: The Saga 2 [ NS ] - 9
14. Elden Ring [ PS5 ] - 10
15. Detective Ridelle [ PC ] - 7
16. This Bed We Made [ PS5 ] - 7
17. Carpathian Night starring Bela Lugosi [ PC ] - 8
18. Dragon's Dogma II [ PS5 ] - 10 - 2 Playthroughs
19. Withering Rooms [ PS5 ] - 8.5
20. Gestalt: The Fifth Day - [ PC ] - 8
One of those "go in blind" type of game, a really good if sometimes a bit too trial and error with some puzzles point and click horror adventure, short and sweet.
21. Stellar Blade - [ PS5 ] - 7
Ngl I really enjoyed getting every costume in the game, this is for every paid DLC that denied me an interesting sidequest and cool costume from the Tales of series after it went downhill in that regard, and the variety is nice, balanced between stylish, cute and of course horny designs.
Oh right the actual game is pretty solid, I don't think it excels at anything specific but it does deliver a fun time through most of it.
Vookatos
Like Like
- Pronouns
- He/They
71. Neutopia
You know, there are some games that get called "clones" of other titles for no reason. Neutopia, however, has all reasons to be called a Zelda 1 clone.
It's an open-world adventure game where you control a hero with a sword who can only move in 4 directions, needs to complete 8 dungeons, has bombs (8 initially, +4 on each upgrade), a tool to burn trees, a stepladder to bridge one-tile gaps... You get the idea.
It's not a bad thing, mind you. Zelda 1 has a unique feel that hasn't been replicated within the series ever, but it's also not a small task to take one of the best games ever and copy it so blatantly. Due to this, some problems this game might have become more apparent, since those problems weren't present in its main inspiration that was, at the time of the release, three whole years old.
Let's start with the most obvious thing: Neutopia is a little easier and way more hand-holdy when it comes to exploration, featuring not one but four open worlds, each one opening after two dungeons have been completed. The maps, I believe, are no bigger than 8x8 screens so it can't really replicate the same sense of adventure as Zelda 1 had, nor can it capture its non-linearity.
Much like Zelda, almost every screen has a secret doorway or a staircase, accessed much like you would find them in Zelda, too. They're way easier to find, which isn't an issue, but their contents are a mixed bag. You'd think pretty much having them all but marked ensures that player sees them all, but for some reason a lot still have repeated hints. There are a LOT of caves that are basically a waste of time, telling you how to find a Rainbow Drop, for example. By the end I was pretty sick of constant lore drops which amount to the most basic of story and NPCs telling me pointless puzzle answers to things that player at that point really can figure out.
The dungeons are basically full-on Zelda 1 style with one item, a map, and a boss key instead of a compass. The only difference is that they have a LOT of bombable walls. I honestly think minimum amount of bombs should've been raised to 12 at least, because enemy drops are unreliable, and you'll be bombing every side of the room, because as two or three NPCs early on point out, the map isn't that reliable.
So, that would be Neutopia: a competent Zelda 1 clone, if not for one thing that I never got over. You know how in the original Zelda almost everythin is one-tile, from you to basically every standard enemy? Neutopia ditches that and makes itself very unpleasant to play due to this.
There are strange decisions in Neutopia regarding hitboxes and hurtboxes all over the place. The player character is two tiles tall, for example. Naturally, if your feet occupy a place one space below where a projectile is flying, you shouldn't get hit, right? No, unfortunately. For whatever reason your head is vunerable to everything, and while it makes sense visually, it doesn't register as dangerous because you perceive the player character as standing tall, not lying and crawling all over the place. Enemies feet connecting with your head shouldn't do damage if you're both just walking, but they do, and it's always infuriating. Hell, you can get hit if you stand below a row of blocks and the enemy is TWO tiles above where you stand, which is just frustrating as all hell.
The decision to give some enemies, like bats, shadows, is similarly weird, as you never have to know where they are in relation to the floor and it just screws with your expectations of their placement. You can't walk under them, you always need to hit the sprite of the bat itself, and again, Zelda 1 did that so much better with limited animation on Keese.
Early on in the game you get the fire rod capable of burning trees and stalactites/columns for some reason (however, don't take that as me saying the game is obtuse, it just looks weird visually, but is very obvious), and another thing you may quickly discover is that the sword is PRECISE. I feel like in Zelda if I swung into an enemy tile, it'd get hit. Here, it feels like your sword is maybe a few pixel wide, so an enemy being slightly off-center means you just don't hit them. The reason I'm mentioning the fire rod is that its hitbox is much, much better, so in this game where the main weapon is the sword, you might just not use it, instead going for weaker, but ranged option at most times. I was using fire rod even at the time I got the tier 4 sword because its properties are just so much better.
Neutopia is one of those games that's just stuck. It can't stand on its own two feet, yet every time I booted it up I got the distinct feeling of "I wish I was just playing Zelda 1" due to some kinks in enemy and player behavior. It's not incompetent or even that bad, but when it borrows so much from a much better game, why shouldn't I just play that game instead?
2.5/5
You know, there are some games that get called "clones" of other titles for no reason. Neutopia, however, has all reasons to be called a Zelda 1 clone.
It's an open-world adventure game where you control a hero with a sword who can only move in 4 directions, needs to complete 8 dungeons, has bombs (8 initially, +4 on each upgrade), a tool to burn trees, a stepladder to bridge one-tile gaps... You get the idea.
It's not a bad thing, mind you. Zelda 1 has a unique feel that hasn't been replicated within the series ever, but it's also not a small task to take one of the best games ever and copy it so blatantly. Due to this, some problems this game might have become more apparent, since those problems weren't present in its main inspiration that was, at the time of the release, three whole years old.
Let's start with the most obvious thing: Neutopia is a little easier and way more hand-holdy when it comes to exploration, featuring not one but four open worlds, each one opening after two dungeons have been completed. The maps, I believe, are no bigger than 8x8 screens so it can't really replicate the same sense of adventure as Zelda 1 had, nor can it capture its non-linearity.
Much like Zelda, almost every screen has a secret doorway or a staircase, accessed much like you would find them in Zelda, too. They're way easier to find, which isn't an issue, but their contents are a mixed bag. You'd think pretty much having them all but marked ensures that player sees them all, but for some reason a lot still have repeated hints. There are a LOT of caves that are basically a waste of time, telling you how to find a Rainbow Drop, for example. By the end I was pretty sick of constant lore drops which amount to the most basic of story and NPCs telling me pointless puzzle answers to things that player at that point really can figure out.
The dungeons are basically full-on Zelda 1 style with one item, a map, and a boss key instead of a compass. The only difference is that they have a LOT of bombable walls. I honestly think minimum amount of bombs should've been raised to 12 at least, because enemy drops are unreliable, and you'll be bombing every side of the room, because as two or three NPCs early on point out, the map isn't that reliable.
So, that would be Neutopia: a competent Zelda 1 clone, if not for one thing that I never got over. You know how in the original Zelda almost everythin is one-tile, from you to basically every standard enemy? Neutopia ditches that and makes itself very unpleasant to play due to this.
There are strange decisions in Neutopia regarding hitboxes and hurtboxes all over the place. The player character is two tiles tall, for example. Naturally, if your feet occupy a place one space below where a projectile is flying, you shouldn't get hit, right? No, unfortunately. For whatever reason your head is vunerable to everything, and while it makes sense visually, it doesn't register as dangerous because you perceive the player character as standing tall, not lying and crawling all over the place. Enemies feet connecting with your head shouldn't do damage if you're both just walking, but they do, and it's always infuriating. Hell, you can get hit if you stand below a row of blocks and the enemy is TWO tiles above where you stand, which is just frustrating as all hell.
The decision to give some enemies, like bats, shadows, is similarly weird, as you never have to know where they are in relation to the floor and it just screws with your expectations of their placement. You can't walk under them, you always need to hit the sprite of the bat itself, and again, Zelda 1 did that so much better with limited animation on Keese.
Early on in the game you get the fire rod capable of burning trees and stalactites/columns for some reason (however, don't take that as me saying the game is obtuse, it just looks weird visually, but is very obvious), and another thing you may quickly discover is that the sword is PRECISE. I feel like in Zelda if I swung into an enemy tile, it'd get hit. Here, it feels like your sword is maybe a few pixel wide, so an enemy being slightly off-center means you just don't hit them. The reason I'm mentioning the fire rod is that its hitbox is much, much better, so in this game where the main weapon is the sword, you might just not use it, instead going for weaker, but ranged option at most times. I was using fire rod even at the time I got the tier 4 sword because its properties are just so much better.
Neutopia is one of those games that's just stuck. It can't stand on its own two feet, yet every time I booted it up I got the distinct feeling of "I wish I was just playing Zelda 1" due to some kinks in enemy and player behavior. It's not incompetent or even that bad, but when it borrows so much from a much better game, why shouldn't I just play that game instead?
2.5/5
OP
OP
Slowly chomping away at my backlog and the latest meal down the gut is Shakedown Hawaii. It's a homage to early GTA through and through, an open city full of violent criminal activities to partake in. Except robbing banks, I'm honestly surprised you're never tasked with that. Anyway, it reinforced that while I like freeform, do-what-you-want gameplay, I prefer farming, and taking care of animals, and chatting with virtual folks over the coffee carjacks and wanton murders.
I also have to question what the point of having three playable characters was, as they not only play the same, but upgrades don't carry over, and only one has access to the stock market.
I also have to question what the point of having three playable characters was, as they not only play the same, but upgrades don't carry over, and only one has access to the stock market.
Enpsty
Bob-omb
Tormented Souls
A perfect example of how many indie gems exist that you may not even heard about. I had no idea about Tormented Souls until I accidentally stumbled upon it on PS store.
This is a perfect homage to the classic Resident Evil games (especially 1) with a touch of Silent Hill. You play as Caroline a woman that explores a gigantic mansion. The mansion itself is the biggest star of the game. It features dozens of rooms, corridors, underground facilities, sewers etc. and everything is detailed to perfection. Although the game features fixed cameras the backgrounds are not pre-rendered. They're full 3D and filled with details. No exaggeration, one of the best depiction of interiors in a game.
Since the environments are fully 3D this allows the fixed cameras to be much more dynamic. Sometimes they're completely fixed, others they follow Caroline and sometimes they twist and turn in dutch angles.
The audio design is magnificent. It's mostly creepy noises and a fantastic piano arrangement in the save rooms, homage to RE. The survival aspect is strong as well. Although your inventory is not limited, your ammo is sparse. You have to be careful not to waste ammo which makes each enemy encounter tense. You also have limited save items. I didn't particularly like it at first, but if you don't save every half hour then they are plenty enough.
The level design is fantastic. There's a lot of backtracking as you'd expect, but the game makes sure to minimise it as much as possible by having you be in the right place at the right time. The game is really puzzle heavy which I love and frankly miss from modern RE games. The puzzles range from normal to difficult, but imo they are very interesting and satisfying.
The story is pretty good, but expect a lot of reading of the notes if you want to explore the whole lore. It's also a genuinely creepy game due to it's lightning and audio design.
At first I thought this was a blatant RE ripoff, but the game does have its own character and ideas. For example you have to constantly be in light otherwise you're dead and you can't shoot enemies as well. There's also an interesting theme where you have to visit "other" places to manipulate the normal place, I don't want to spoil things.
There are only a few bad things I can say about it. The worst offender is definitely the awful voice acting. It's so bad the must be on purpose, another homage to the terrible '90s VA. Thankfully the cutscenes are so few you don't have to worry. There are some minor things as well like every time you open the map it doesn't automatically show your current floor or the weird attire of Caroline, but you can change your outfit at the very start of the game.
Overall this is a MUST PLAY for anyone that loves old Resident Evil and Silent Hill games and my favourite indie horror game. I'm also glad that they announced a sequel. I'm there day one.
9.5/10
A perfect example of how many indie gems exist that you may not even heard about. I had no idea about Tormented Souls until I accidentally stumbled upon it on PS store.
This is a perfect homage to the classic Resident Evil games (especially 1) with a touch of Silent Hill. You play as Caroline a woman that explores a gigantic mansion. The mansion itself is the biggest star of the game. It features dozens of rooms, corridors, underground facilities, sewers etc. and everything is detailed to perfection. Although the game features fixed cameras the backgrounds are not pre-rendered. They're full 3D and filled with details. No exaggeration, one of the best depiction of interiors in a game.
Since the environments are fully 3D this allows the fixed cameras to be much more dynamic. Sometimes they're completely fixed, others they follow Caroline and sometimes they twist and turn in dutch angles.
The audio design is magnificent. It's mostly creepy noises and a fantastic piano arrangement in the save rooms, homage to RE. The survival aspect is strong as well. Although your inventory is not limited, your ammo is sparse. You have to be careful not to waste ammo which makes each enemy encounter tense. You also have limited save items. I didn't particularly like it at first, but if you don't save every half hour then they are plenty enough.
The level design is fantastic. There's a lot of backtracking as you'd expect, but the game makes sure to minimise it as much as possible by having you be in the right place at the right time. The game is really puzzle heavy which I love and frankly miss from modern RE games. The puzzles range from normal to difficult, but imo they are very interesting and satisfying.
The story is pretty good, but expect a lot of reading of the notes if you want to explore the whole lore. It's also a genuinely creepy game due to it's lightning and audio design.
At first I thought this was a blatant RE ripoff, but the game does have its own character and ideas. For example you have to constantly be in light otherwise you're dead and you can't shoot enemies as well. There's also an interesting theme where you have to visit "other" places to manipulate the normal place, I don't want to spoil things.
There are only a few bad things I can say about it. The worst offender is definitely the awful voice acting. It's so bad the must be on purpose, another homage to the terrible '90s VA. Thankfully the cutscenes are so few you don't have to worry. There are some minor things as well like every time you open the map it doesn't automatically show your current floor or the weird attire of Caroline, but you can change your outfit at the very start of the game.
Overall this is a MUST PLAY for anyone that loves old Resident Evil and Silent Hill games and my favourite indie horror game. I'm also glad that they announced a sequel. I'm there day one.
9.5/10
- Pronouns
- He/Him
1) The Last of Us Part I (PS5)
2) The Last of Us Part I - Left Behind DLC (PS5)
3) God of War (PS2)
4) Tetris Effect Connected (PC)
5) Trials HD (XSS) [Replay]
6) Aperture Desk Job (Steam Deck)
7) Need for Speed Underground (PS2) [Replay]
8) The Last of Us Part II Remastered (PS5)
9) 13 Sentinels - Aegis Rim (NSW)
10) Penny’s Big Breakaway (Steam Deck)
11) Jusant (XSS)
12) Froggo’s Adventure: Verdant Venture (Steam Deck)
13) Pokémon Crystal Legacy (GBC)
14) Halo: Combat Evolved (Steam Deck) [Replay]
15) Pocket Tennis Color: Pocket Sports Series (NGPC)
16) Super Mario Run (iOS)
17) The Firemen (SFC)
18) Inks. (iOS)
19) Monument Valley (iOS)
20) Monument Valley - Forgotten Shores and Ida’s Dream DLC (iOS)
21) SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake (Steam Deck)
22) Animal Well (Steam Deck)
23) Donald Duck no Mahou no Bushi (SFC)
2) The Last of Us Part I - Left Behind DLC (PS5)
3) God of War (PS2)
4) Tetris Effect Connected (PC)
5) Trials HD (XSS) [Replay]
6) Aperture Desk Job (Steam Deck)
7) Need for Speed Underground (PS2) [Replay]
8) The Last of Us Part II Remastered (PS5)
9) 13 Sentinels - Aegis Rim (NSW)
10) Penny’s Big Breakaway (Steam Deck)
11) Jusant (XSS)
12) Froggo’s Adventure: Verdant Venture (Steam Deck)
13) Pokémon Crystal Legacy (GBC)
14) Halo: Combat Evolved (Steam Deck) [Replay]
15) Pocket Tennis Color: Pocket Sports Series (NGPC)
16) Super Mario Run (iOS)
17) The Firemen (SFC)
18) Inks. (iOS)
19) Monument Valley (iOS)
20) Monument Valley - Forgotten Shores and Ida’s Dream DLC (iOS)
21) SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake (Steam Deck)
22) Animal Well (Steam Deck)
23) Donald Duck no Mahou no Bushi (SFC)
24) Alleyway (GB)
It’s Breakout. Not much else to say. It’s a bit boring. The stages are more an exercise in patience than in skill. I feel like a multi-ball mode would have made it a bit more exciting.
Main Post
GAME 28: Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2
Xbox Series X | Finished 22/05/24 | 6 Hours Played | 6/10
...It took me a good 30 minutes of deliberation to decide on how I felt about this game, whether I would give it a 6 or a 7 here, and why I would do so. Right now, so close to finishing it, the answer lies with the former. It might change, though. We shall see.
The game itself is, well, Hellblade 2. If you were expecting the game to suddenly become a deep character-action title, or an extensive RPG, then you will be immediately disappointed here. Every here is very, very much a continuation of what came before. Traversal is based on slow walking/jogging (jogging highly recommended). Puzzles are primarily environmental, with very few variables - if any - in each one. Combat is predominantly the same, albeit with the somewhat weird decision to make every single fight a 1-on-1. A decision that leads to said fights quickly becoming comical, as your supposedly ravenous, monstrous enemies all wait patiently for you to finish off their mate before finally having a go themselves. Tedious as well, as there is very little variation in enemy design, and the aforementioned '1-v-1' factor only amplifies that; the first fight, and the final fight, both play out in exactly the same manner. Any which way, this is very much a 'cinematic narrative title' in a way far beyond most others (incl. the often unfairly-maligned 'movie games' from Naughty Dog). Which, honestly, I would be fine with, especially at the game's relatively short length, if there weren't the issues outlined below.
Before I do so, though, it's really impossible for me to not just shower this game with praise when it comes to presentation. It is, visually, the best-looking realistically-styled title I have ever witnessed. Outside of an issue I brought on myself (tip: if the black levels are fucked, drop your Series S/X down to 60hz), the game is pretty much immaculate when it comes to graphical fidelity. Every scene is beautifully designed, and rendered in such extreme fidelity that - and I know it's cliche - things genuinely do look real at points. Even more impressive are the faces, and the highly-nuanced and well-spoken mocap and vocal performances that underpin them. Sound is similarly incredible, with a consistently-brilliant soundscape throughout that, yes, demands headphones or - at the least - a good surround system.
Though, as this is such a heavily story-focused game, much of my thoughts here are going to be focused on that. With much of those thoughts being... not exactly positive. To be as spoiler-free as possible, I found the game's narrative to be highly formulaic without having the writing or thematic chops to really bolster that formula into something truly interesting. Which, after the first game, was highly disappointing to me. Enough so that the majority of this lower score comes not from the simplistic puzzles, or the weird combat, but the narrative that underpins everything. It's hard to talk about things more without going into spoilers, so click below if you don't care/have finished the game:
So, yeah. It's easy for me to say that, whilst I wouldn't bemoan my experience with this game, I can't help but feel disappointed having come out the other end of it. Yet, despite that, I would still actually recommend those who have the means to go and try this out. It's short, for one, but the Game Pass factor really helps here. At the very, very least you'll be getting a visual and auditory feast. At most, you might be getting something you really like; despite all my qualms, I can really see why some might love this game. Which I suppose does make for something interesting.
GAME 28: Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2
Xbox Series X | Finished 22/05/24 | 6 Hours Played | 6/10
...It took me a good 30 minutes of deliberation to decide on how I felt about this game, whether I would give it a 6 or a 7 here, and why I would do so. Right now, so close to finishing it, the answer lies with the former. It might change, though. We shall see.
The game itself is, well, Hellblade 2. If you were expecting the game to suddenly become a deep character-action title, or an extensive RPG, then you will be immediately disappointed here. Every here is very, very much a continuation of what came before. Traversal is based on slow walking/jogging (jogging highly recommended). Puzzles are primarily environmental, with very few variables - if any - in each one. Combat is predominantly the same, albeit with the somewhat weird decision to make every single fight a 1-on-1. A decision that leads to said fights quickly becoming comical, as your supposedly ravenous, monstrous enemies all wait patiently for you to finish off their mate before finally having a go themselves. Tedious as well, as there is very little variation in enemy design, and the aforementioned '1-v-1' factor only amplifies that; the first fight, and the final fight, both play out in exactly the same manner. Any which way, this is very much a 'cinematic narrative title' in a way far beyond most others (incl. the often unfairly-maligned 'movie games' from Naughty Dog). Which, honestly, I would be fine with, especially at the game's relatively short length, if there weren't the issues outlined below.
Before I do so, though, it's really impossible for me to not just shower this game with praise when it comes to presentation. It is, visually, the best-looking realistically-styled title I have ever witnessed. Outside of an issue I brought on myself (tip: if the black levels are fucked, drop your Series S/X down to 60hz), the game is pretty much immaculate when it comes to graphical fidelity. Every scene is beautifully designed, and rendered in such extreme fidelity that - and I know it's cliche - things genuinely do look real at points. Even more impressive are the faces, and the highly-nuanced and well-spoken mocap and vocal performances that underpin them. Sound is similarly incredible, with a consistently-brilliant soundscape throughout that, yes, demands headphones or - at the least - a good surround system.
Though, as this is such a heavily story-focused game, much of my thoughts here are going to be focused on that. With much of those thoughts being... not exactly positive. To be as spoiler-free as possible, I found the game's narrative to be highly formulaic without having the writing or thematic chops to really bolster that formula into something truly interesting. Which, after the first game, was highly disappointing to me. Enough so that the majority of this lower score comes not from the simplistic puzzles, or the weird combat, but the narrative that underpins everything. It's hard to talk about things more without going into spoilers, so click below if you don't care/have finished the game:
So, yeah. The story really does not go anywhere interesting, or do anything interesting. It plays out exactly how you might imagine it doing so, its world and cast all so very paper-thin in what's going on under the surface. The 'son of the bad guy' learns to stand up to his dad, and then has a tragic sacrifical death. The wise old man is the voice of reason. The fierce warrior protective of her people... just sort of exists, I guess. The main villain uses fear to control his people and that is literally it. By fitting a larger cast into a game that is just as short as the original, far more lonesome, title, it spreads itself far too thin, and ends up having no-one truly stand out.
Even Senua, who I found in the last game to an incredibly complex, and richly-layered character, is very much just a generically heroic person here; complete with last-minute "if I kill the main bad guy, I will become exactly like him," moment (done as matter-of-factly as possible). She has doubts, a lesson to learn, and a trial to overcome, but all are so simplistic in both their cause and solution that it never feels satisfying. Like, I don't find Senua learning to accept help from others to be satisfying when 1) help from others is never required in gameplay and 2) we're just told it.
Telling being something the game does a lot of, with the prolific auditory hallucinations rarely playing any greater part in the tale other than delivering subtext. If there's a theme here, the game will 100% let you know what it is, when it matters, and what you should think about it. The only thing really left to the imagination is what elements of this saga are real, and what elements are figments of Senua's psychosis. Not that it truly matters, really, as the impact of everything was so depressingly small for me.
There's one moment later in the game that really exemplifies how small of an impact this game had on me. In it, you're guiding your mates through a 'dark forest.' A forest that brings out your inner demons, does the whole 'show your deepest fears' thing. You know the drill. Senua, having far too much experience dealing with such issues, is able to help her friends out here through empathetic talk. Talk which really just amounts to "I know how you feel." But, I digress. You move through this forest, encountering two of your troubled-friends along the way, until you find those same two on opposite sides of a small ravine. You are asked to choose which one to help, as you - for some reason - can't help them both. You choose, wondering why Senua couldn''t just double-back for a second and help them both; there's literally nothing stopping her. But, again, I digress. Your hallucinations question this decision, and you wonder whether you've made the right choice...
...until it's revealed, literally 2 minutes later that the choice does not matter, that all your friends are perfectly fine, and the extent of all damage done in the 'forest of darkness' is that one of your companions has a slightly-bad feeling about what's to come.
Even Senua, who I found in the last game to an incredibly complex, and richly-layered character, is very much just a generically heroic person here; complete with last-minute "if I kill the main bad guy, I will become exactly like him," moment (done as matter-of-factly as possible). She has doubts, a lesson to learn, and a trial to overcome, but all are so simplistic in both their cause and solution that it never feels satisfying. Like, I don't find Senua learning to accept help from others to be satisfying when 1) help from others is never required in gameplay and 2) we're just told it.
Telling being something the game does a lot of, with the prolific auditory hallucinations rarely playing any greater part in the tale other than delivering subtext. If there's a theme here, the game will 100% let you know what it is, when it matters, and what you should think about it. The only thing really left to the imagination is what elements of this saga are real, and what elements are figments of Senua's psychosis. Not that it truly matters, really, as the impact of everything was so depressingly small for me.
There's one moment later in the game that really exemplifies how small of an impact this game had on me. In it, you're guiding your mates through a 'dark forest.' A forest that brings out your inner demons, does the whole 'show your deepest fears' thing. You know the drill. Senua, having far too much experience dealing with such issues, is able to help her friends out here through empathetic talk. Talk which really just amounts to "I know how you feel." But, I digress. You move through this forest, encountering two of your troubled-friends along the way, until you find those same two on opposite sides of a small ravine. You are asked to choose which one to help, as you - for some reason - can't help them both. You choose, wondering why Senua couldn''t just double-back for a second and help them both; there's literally nothing stopping her. But, again, I digress. Your hallucinations question this decision, and you wonder whether you've made the right choice...
...until it's revealed, literally 2 minutes later that the choice does not matter, that all your friends are perfectly fine, and the extent of all damage done in the 'forest of darkness' is that one of your companions has a slightly-bad feeling about what's to come.
So, yeah. It's easy for me to say that, whilst I wouldn't bemoan my experience with this game, I can't help but feel disappointed having come out the other end of it. Yet, despite that, I would still actually recommend those who have the means to go and try this out. It's short, for one, but the Game Pass factor really helps here. At the very, very least you'll be getting a visual and auditory feast. At most, you might be getting something you really like; despite all my qualms, I can really see why some might love this game. Which I suppose does make for something interesting.
Appleblade
Rattata
- Pronouns
- He / Him / His
1. Super Mario Wonder (Switch)
2. Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Switch)
3. RedFall (XSX)
4. Borderlands 3 (XSX)
5. The Evil Within 2 (XSX)
6. Metroid Dread (Switch)
7. Minit (Switch)
8. Xenoblade Chronicles: DE (Switch)
9. Immortals of Aveum (XSX)
10. Ape Out (Switch)
11. Doom 3 (Switch)
12. Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes (XSX)
8/10 - If you’re not familiar, these games are cinematic branching horror games (i.e. like Until Dawn or the Tell Tales games). This game is the 3rd in a series that currently has 4 games. I love these types of games even with the understanding that they have their limitations. I love them because they have unique stories, good visuals and are short, not to mention that I love creepy stories. Think Tales of the Crypt or a Stephen King short story collection. That’s my jam.
2. Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Switch)
3. RedFall (XSX)
4. Borderlands 3 (XSX)
5. The Evil Within 2 (XSX)
6. Metroid Dread (Switch)
7. Minit (Switch)
8. Xenoblade Chronicles: DE (Switch)
9. Immortals of Aveum (XSX)
10. Ape Out (Switch)
11. Doom 3 (Switch)
12. Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes (XSX)
8/10 - If you’re not familiar, these games are cinematic branching horror games (i.e. like Until Dawn or the Tell Tales games). This game is the 3rd in a series that currently has 4 games. I love these types of games even with the understanding that they have their limitations. I love them because they have unique stories, good visuals and are short, not to mention that I love creepy stories. Think Tales of the Crypt or a Stephen King short story collection. That’s my jam.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
1. Spider Man 2 (PS5)
2. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD
3. Kuru Kuru Kururin (GBA NSO)
4. Persona 3 Reload
5. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
6. Sayonara Wild Hearts
7. Cocoon
8. Bayonetta 3
2. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD
3. Kuru Kuru Kururin (GBA NSO)
4. Persona 3 Reload
5. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
6. Sayonara Wild Hearts
7. Cocoon
8. Bayonetta 3
9. Blossom Tales II: The Minotaur Prince
I liked the original Blossom Tales because it was a serviceable 2D Zelda clone. The sequel is more of the same, but everything from puzzles to boss fights are better than the original. I still wouldn't put it up there with any 2D Zeldas, but I enjoyed spending a couple nights with Blossom Tales II.
- Pronouns
- he/him
14. Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
Another weird Mario game, another completion. I never was a fan of Mario games because I don't really tend to enjoy platformers. Mostly because I suck at them. But weird Mario is fun! What gives?
Bonus points for Space World offering the ideal Mario gameplay.
- Xenoblade Chronicles 3
- Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Future Redeemed
- Sol Cresta
- Metroid Prime Remastered
- Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon
- Metroid Fusion
- WarioWare, Inc.: Minigame Mania
- Kirby's Dream Land
- Theatrhythm Final Bar Line
- Pokémon Red Version
- Pokémon Crystal Version
- Super Mario Land
- Unicorn Overlord
- Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
Regulus Tera
Ruffian
10. Sonic Frontiers: The Final Horizon (1/5)
Piece of crap ass dogshit DLC. The worst thing Sonic Team has done since 2006, but whereas that had the excuse that the team making it had to be split to make Secret Rings and the lead developer left midway through, this has absolutely no justification. They actually made a very decent if flawed game into a worse experience.
The extra characters play like ass. If you bother unlocking their movesets, they break up the main gameplay conceit. Combat is still as bad as before but now the enemies require perfect parrying and have ridiculous levels of precision involved. The extra platforming challenges are poorly thought out, and can either be easily exploited or, in the case of Knuckles, have awful camera control. And the Sonic challenges go beyond just being hard into creating extra friction to the player. It's one thing to make a Kaizo-tier precision platforming challenge in a Sonic game, it's another to do so while removing all checkpoints.
The worst part about it is that every single time you think the game can't get worse, it gets worse. Oh, the combat trials are too hard? How about a boss rush where you cannot regain energy/time and that demands that you do the non-combat parts every single time you fail. Or what about a final boss that requires that you use a mechanic that does NOT get taught anywhere else in the game? And that's without mentioning how it undoes the dramatic denouement of the base game. It's fanservice for the sake of the people who whined that the original ending was an Ikaruga homage instead of something more Sonic-appropriate. Well fuck you, you just made the game more tedious and intrusive.
I hate Sonic Team. I hope Sonic's shitty friends don't make it into the next game. I have not a single good thing to say about this DLC. It was free and I still feel like I got slapped on the face.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I got the platinum for Frontiers and really enjoyed the experience. But I’ve stayed away from the DLC because of impressions like this. Sorry you had such a rough time with it.
Regulus Tera
Ruffian
I played post-patch too! It was somehow worse before! How can they have fumbled the ball so hardI got the platinum for Frontiers and really enjoyed the experience. But I’ve stayed away from the DLC because of impressions like this. Sorry you had such a rough time with it.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
1. Spider Man 2 (PS5)
2. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD
3. Kuru Kuru Kururin (GBA NSO)
4. Persona 3 Reload
5. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
6. Sayonara Wild Hearts
7. Cocoon
8. Bayonetta 3
9. Blossom Tales II: The Minotaur Prince
2. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD
3. Kuru Kuru Kururin (GBA NSO)
4. Persona 3 Reload
5. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
6. Sayonara Wild Hearts
7. Cocoon
8. Bayonetta 3
9. Blossom Tales II: The Minotaur Prince
10. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
I played through most of this a month or two ago, but I got stumped on the final boss. However, I realized my problem was very simple; I ignored most of the weapon & armor upgrades! After fixing that problem, the final boss was a breeze.
ALBW is a solid 2D Zelda. It might be a bit lower in my rankings, but that's only because the other ones I've played are so good. The painting mechanic made for some interesting solutions to puzzles and traversal. I kind of wish that you steadily gained equipment as you play instead of renting things whenever you want, but it wasn't a deal breaker at all. If ALBW gets the Luigi's Mansion 2 HD treatment on switch, I would definitely recommend it to everyone. You would just have to decide for yourself if you want to pay $60... because we all know that's what Nintendo would charge for it.
ceres15
Downy Snagret
- Pronouns
- He/Him
1. Unpacking (Switch) - 7.5/10
2. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 (Switch) - 9.5/10
3. Ori and the Blind Forest (Switch) - 8/10
4. Advance Wars (Reboot Camp) (Switch) - 8/10
5. Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising (Reboot Camp) (Switch) - 8.5/10
6. Super Mario Sunshine (3D All Stars) (Switch) - 7/10
7. Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania (Switch) - 8/10
8. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (Switch) - 9.5/10
9. Art of Balance TOUCH! (3DS) - 9/10
10. New Super Mario Bros. 2 (3DS) - 8/10
11. New Super Mario Bros. (NDS) - 8.5/10
12. Animal Well (Switch) - 9.5/10
2. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 (Switch) - 9.5/10
3. Ori and the Blind Forest (Switch) - 8/10
4. Advance Wars (Reboot Camp) (Switch) - 8/10
5. Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising (Reboot Camp) (Switch) - 8.5/10
6. Super Mario Sunshine (3D All Stars) (Switch) - 7/10
7. Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania (Switch) - 8/10
8. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (Switch) - 9.5/10
9. Art of Balance TOUCH! (3DS) - 9/10
10. New Super Mario Bros. 2 (3DS) - 8/10
11. New Super Mario Bros. (NDS) - 8.5/10
12. Animal Well (Switch) - 9.5/10
13. Hades (Switch) - 10/10
As someone who has had mixed experience with rougelikes, I wasn't sure what to expect when I got Hades. I always heard good things, but videos I watched didn't grab me and I am not a big mythology person. However, earlier this year during one of the 50% off sales for this game, I decided to bite the bullet and try it - I do not regret. The game didn't hook me right away (it took a few attempts to get me). Once it clicked though - wow. The core gameplay is incredible here, and there are so many different playstyles. The level of detail in choosing how you play and the qualities of your build is wild, and I really grew to love the story. I also have to commend the voice acting/writing, top notch here.
One of the big issues I have with games like this is that it can sometimes feel like banging your head into a wall - you try over and over, die and have to restart, and it all feels a little futile. Each failed run in this game though felt different, like I was gaining something. It ranged from collectables to just some general knowledge and new strategies, but each run felt like it had a purpose. I generally really enjoyed developing different strategies for taking on different bosses/enemies and trying combinations of boons to build a solid character. It always feels like you're making progression even when you die, which is exactly what I want from this type of game.
This really is a must play and has made Hades II a must-play for me as well once it jumps on Nintendo platforms (2025?). There are can be some performance issues at busy moments unfortunately, and the text is kind of small (probaly sized more for PC if I had to guess). Those are minor nitpicks though. I can now say I understand the hype around this game haha. One of the best Switch games for sure.
- Pronouns
- he/him
15. Pokémon Legends: Arceus
Credits just rolled after just about 20 hours, and this is definitely one of the better Pokémon games I played. I like the overall direction of this game a ton, and I'll probably spend some more time with it in post game to work on the Pokédex completion if I feel like it. Overall, it has been very refreshing to have a mainline game that does not go the usual Pokémon League route and leans a lot more into the research side of things.
But most of all, I am now very excited for PL: Z-A!
- Xenoblade Chronicles 3
- Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Future Redeemed
- Sol Cresta
- Metroid Prime Remastered
- Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon
- Metroid Fusion
- WarioWare, Inc.: Minigame Mania
- Kirby's Dream Land
- Theatrhythm Final Bar Line
- Pokémon Red Version
- Pokémon Crystal Version
- Super Mario Land
- Unicorn Overlord
- Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
- Pokémon Legends: Arceus
Tall Leprechaun
Rattata
- Pronouns
- He/Him
11) Star Wars: Jedi Survivor (PC Gamepass): 9/10
Despite glitchy moments and performance issues, I absolutely adored Fallen Order a few years ago. I had a feeling this one would come to Gamepass at some point and held off until it arrived. This one was well worth the wait. The planets felt open and ripe for exploration, the story had me hooked, and the boss fights were amazing. To be clear, this game is definitely propped up by being Star Wars, but I don't see anything wrong with that either. I did have to take off a half point because they still couldn't get the performance or glitches polished. Nothing game-breaking, but it did take me out of the moment when Cal's backpack was flailing uncontrollably during serious cutscenes.
After a small completion drought in April and most of May, it feels good to get another one on the board I might take a nostalgia trip and play Super Mario Land next. That was the first game I ever played but never finished, so it would be fun to go back and beat it with the help of modern emulation features. I've had to accept that my backlog will take a back seat in late July though. Once EA College Football is released I may not touch any other games this year lol.
Side Note: If anyone needs an app for tracking backlogs, I highly recommend Sofa on iOS.I installed it earlier this year and have loved it! It's nice visualizing/ organizing my backlog for movies, shows, games, and travel in one spot
Despite glitchy moments and performance issues, I absolutely adored Fallen Order a few years ago. I had a feeling this one would come to Gamepass at some point and held off until it arrived. This one was well worth the wait. The planets felt open and ripe for exploration, the story had me hooked, and the boss fights were amazing. To be clear, this game is definitely propped up by being Star Wars, but I don't see anything wrong with that either. I did have to take off a half point because they still couldn't get the performance or glitches polished. Nothing game-breaking, but it did take me out of the moment when Cal's backpack was flailing uncontrollably during serious cutscenes.
After a small completion drought in April and most of May, it feels good to get another one on the board
I might take a nostalgia trip and play Super Mario Land next. That was the first game I ever played but never finished, so it would be fun to go back and beat it with the help of modern emulation features. I've had to accept that my backlog will take a back seat in late July though. Once EA College Football is released I may not touch any other games this year lol.Side Note: If anyone needs an app for tracking backlogs, I highly recommend Sofa on iOS.I installed it earlier this year and have loved it! It's nice visualizing/ organizing my backlog for movies, shows, games, and travel in one spot
1) Marvel's Spiderman (PC): 8.5/10
2) Jusant (PC Gamepass): 6.5/10
3) Splatoon 3 Story (Switch): 7.5/10
4) Bowser's Fury (Switch): 8.5/10
5) Cassette Beasts (PC Gamepass): 9/10
6) Pokemon Scarlett - Teal Mask DLC (Switch): 6.5/10
7) Hi-Fi Rush (PC Gamepass): 8.5/10
8) Donkey Kong Country (SNES NSO): 7.5/10
9) Splatoon 3: Side Order (Switch): 9/10
10) Starfield (PC Gamepass): 9/10
11) Star Wars: Jedi Survivor (PC Gamepass): 9/10
2) Jusant (PC Gamepass): 6.5/10
3) Splatoon 3 Story (Switch): 7.5/10
4) Bowser's Fury (Switch): 8.5/10
5) Cassette Beasts (PC Gamepass): 9/10
6) Pokemon Scarlett - Teal Mask DLC (Switch): 6.5/10
7) Hi-Fi Rush (PC Gamepass): 8.5/10
8) Donkey Kong Country (SNES NSO): 7.5/10
9) Splatoon 3: Side Order (Switch): 9/10
10) Starfield (PC Gamepass): 9/10
11) Star Wars: Jedi Survivor (PC Gamepass): 9/10
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Finished in 2024 #24: Cavern of Dreams
When I reminisce on my formative gaming memories, my mind turns to many early 3D platformers. The PlayStation was where I got the most exposure to the genre - lots of Crash Bandicoot, Spyro the Dragon, and Ape Escape, to name a few. But I also had a Nintendo 64, and it would have its share of gems as well. A game like Super Mario 64, with its focus on movement and exploration in relatively primitive but seemingly vast and mysterious 3D worlds, would fascinate me. Sure, I never could beat any one of these games, but I would spend hours exploring, messing around, seeing the sights, making these relatively brisk games into these gargantuan experiences.
While indie games have often mimicked pixel art, we are now at the point where developers are aiming to replicate the styles of early 3D games. This is where we find Cavern of Dreams, a 3D platformer that uses Nintendo 64 games as its primary reference. You can see it in the game's smooth, low resolution textures, the low poly models, the use of 2D assets for certain objects or walls, and so much more. The look is on-point, especially with the optional blur filter turned on. But the references to the N64 classics of old are not skin deep - Cavern of Dreams captures the appeal of its inspirations while making its own mark.
We have a familiar set up: our hero, a cute little dragon named Fynn, must find his many unhatched siblings scattered across the titular Cavern of Dreams. This means scouring a selection of sandbox levels, each with their own set of eggs and other collectibles to find. Find enough eggs, and Fynn unlocks a new ability, allowing him to reach the next area. Mushrooms serve the role of Banjo-Kazooie's Notes, guiding you through each area, and you'll need to get enough of them to give to a few of your siblings to strengthen your heart and reach the final area. There are also optional cards tucked away in tricky to reach or obscure areas, each one of which adds an entry to an in-game encyclopedia. Where Cavern of Dreams stands out from its inspirations is in its lack of combat or health. Fynn has a tail swipe, but you won't be fighting foes or conquering boss battles. While there are some harmful hazards, these either act like pits, knock you away, or (moreso in the end game) instantly take you out and send you back to the entrance of the area you were in. Instead, the focus is on movement and puzzle solving.
Let's cover movement first: Fynn may have a stubby jump and slightly slow movement speed, but much like a Mario game, you have lots of options in your moveset to play with. From early in the game, you can perform a Mario-like double jump to reach higher areas, use your tail swipe to bounce forward like a long jump, and curl into a ball to pick up speed or launch across certain areas. You can use these moves all on their own, but the fun comes in combining them. It isn't quite as smooth as the titans of the genre - speed can vary between being a bit too fast or a bit too slow, and Fynn's highest jump isn't all that high - but as you practice the movement and gain upgrades, you'll be able to zip through areas at some wild speeds. No level requires you to have further abilities to clear it, but it may be helpful to return later with an upgrade to make things a bit easier for yourself.
Speeding around the maps may be fun, but Cavern of Dreams often demands a more methodical approach to solving its objectives. Often times, the solution to a puzzle involves finding a hidden area or noticing a detail. Symbols on the bellies of fish tell you which trees to hit, or the order you should hit switches is communicated via a sign in another room. I'll be honest - me not noticing some of these details or assuming something about them often caused me to spend too much time in certain stages. Perhaps I though I could reach an area I was not meant to go to, or I thought a puzzle was unclear when, in reality, the solution would make sense if I paid closer attention to the environment or if I explored just a bit more and assumed less. This happened more than in a playthrough of, say, a 3D Mario, so it took me a bit by surprise. Just be aware that this game may require a different skill set than a platformer more focused on action. I imagine a second playthrough would be much shorter and a lot easier than my first on that basis alone, though even then Cavern of Dreams is a brisk experience - 40 eggs, 320 Mushrooms, 36 Cards are all it takes to 100%, and the game is even shorter if you just go for the required amount.
The dreamlike setting of Cavern of Dreams ends up as the perfect way to embody the mystery of an early N64 game in a more intentional fashion. This is a colorful game, but not one that's consistently high energy. And much like the subconscious, there's a mixture of warm, comforting experiences and eerie moments out of a nightmare. This is far from a horror game, still plenty appropriate for all ages, but there are dark aspects to this world, made especially clear by the encyclopedia entries. And yet, Cavern of Dreams does not dwell on cruelty. Something may appear scary at first (the second major level is a great example), but it's compassion and care, not fear or violence, that solves problems in this world. Fynn is a hero because he wants to save his family and because he wants to help people out, and the play and storytelling consistently reinforce this. This is a game that embodies kindness, and that kindness makes it more than a imitation of a bygone era of games.
When I reminisce on my formative gaming memories, my mind turns to many early 3D platformers. The PlayStation was where I got the most exposure to the genre - lots of Crash Bandicoot, Spyro the Dragon, and Ape Escape, to name a few. But I also had a Nintendo 64, and it would have its share of gems as well. A game like Super Mario 64, with its focus on movement and exploration in relatively primitive but seemingly vast and mysterious 3D worlds, would fascinate me. Sure, I never could beat any one of these games, but I would spend hours exploring, messing around, seeing the sights, making these relatively brisk games into these gargantuan experiences.
While indie games have often mimicked pixel art, we are now at the point where developers are aiming to replicate the styles of early 3D games. This is where we find Cavern of Dreams, a 3D platformer that uses Nintendo 64 games as its primary reference. You can see it in the game's smooth, low resolution textures, the low poly models, the use of 2D assets for certain objects or walls, and so much more. The look is on-point, especially with the optional blur filter turned on. But the references to the N64 classics of old are not skin deep - Cavern of Dreams captures the appeal of its inspirations while making its own mark.
We have a familiar set up: our hero, a cute little dragon named Fynn, must find his many unhatched siblings scattered across the titular Cavern of Dreams. This means scouring a selection of sandbox levels, each with their own set of eggs and other collectibles to find. Find enough eggs, and Fynn unlocks a new ability, allowing him to reach the next area. Mushrooms serve the role of Banjo-Kazooie's Notes, guiding you through each area, and you'll need to get enough of them to give to a few of your siblings to strengthen your heart and reach the final area. There are also optional cards tucked away in tricky to reach or obscure areas, each one of which adds an entry to an in-game encyclopedia. Where Cavern of Dreams stands out from its inspirations is in its lack of combat or health. Fynn has a tail swipe, but you won't be fighting foes or conquering boss battles. While there are some harmful hazards, these either act like pits, knock you away, or (moreso in the end game) instantly take you out and send you back to the entrance of the area you were in. Instead, the focus is on movement and puzzle solving.
Let's cover movement first: Fynn may have a stubby jump and slightly slow movement speed, but much like a Mario game, you have lots of options in your moveset to play with. From early in the game, you can perform a Mario-like double jump to reach higher areas, use your tail swipe to bounce forward like a long jump, and curl into a ball to pick up speed or launch across certain areas. You can use these moves all on their own, but the fun comes in combining them. It isn't quite as smooth as the titans of the genre - speed can vary between being a bit too fast or a bit too slow, and Fynn's highest jump isn't all that high - but as you practice the movement and gain upgrades, you'll be able to zip through areas at some wild speeds. No level requires you to have further abilities to clear it, but it may be helpful to return later with an upgrade to make things a bit easier for yourself.
Speeding around the maps may be fun, but Cavern of Dreams often demands a more methodical approach to solving its objectives. Often times, the solution to a puzzle involves finding a hidden area or noticing a detail. Symbols on the bellies of fish tell you which trees to hit, or the order you should hit switches is communicated via a sign in another room. I'll be honest - me not noticing some of these details or assuming something about them often caused me to spend too much time in certain stages. Perhaps I though I could reach an area I was not meant to go to, or I thought a puzzle was unclear when, in reality, the solution would make sense if I paid closer attention to the environment or if I explored just a bit more and assumed less. This happened more than in a playthrough of, say, a 3D Mario, so it took me a bit by surprise. Just be aware that this game may require a different skill set than a platformer more focused on action. I imagine a second playthrough would be much shorter and a lot easier than my first on that basis alone, though even then Cavern of Dreams is a brisk experience - 40 eggs, 320 Mushrooms, 36 Cards are all it takes to 100%, and the game is even shorter if you just go for the required amount.
The dreamlike setting of Cavern of Dreams ends up as the perfect way to embody the mystery of an early N64 game in a more intentional fashion. This is a colorful game, but not one that's consistently high energy. And much like the subconscious, there's a mixture of warm, comforting experiences and eerie moments out of a nightmare. This is far from a horror game, still plenty appropriate for all ages, but there are dark aspects to this world, made especially clear by the encyclopedia entries. And yet, Cavern of Dreams does not dwell on cruelty. Something may appear scary at first (the second major level is a great example), but it's compassion and care, not fear or violence, that solves problems in this world. Fynn is a hero because he wants to save his family and because he wants to help people out, and the play and storytelling consistently reinforce this. This is a game that embodies kindness, and that kindness makes it more than a imitation of a bygone era of games.
- Pronouns
- he/him
16. Super Mario RPG
Probably the breeziest RPG to ever exist, this was an absolute joy to play from start to finish. The characters are weird and fun, the battle system is engaging enough and mixes things up a tiny bit in terms of timings for button presses with each individual weapon type to keep you on your toes a bit more. And it's just such a refreshingly condensed experience. Without ever going out of my way to look for secrets or side quests unless I literally tripped over them, it took me under 10 hours until the credits rolled. That's barely enough to get going in most other RPGs. The pacing never felt off, though, and ultimately makes for a really, really fun, short but sweet RPG. There should be more like these!
P.S.: Johnny is the best.
- Xenoblade Chronicles 3
- Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Future Redeemed
- Sol Cresta
- Metroid Prime Remastered
- Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon
- Metroid Fusion
- WarioWare, Inc.: Minigame Mania
- Kirby's Dream Land
- Theatrhythm Final Bar Line
- Pokémon Red Version
- Pokémon Crystal Version
- Super Mario Land
- Unicorn Overlord
- Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
- Pokémon Legends: Arceus
- Super Mario RPG
OP
OP
Tale as old as time: I read your post, thought "okay this looks like a neat 3D platformer", proceeded to go wishlist it on Steam, and realized I already had it wishlisted. Haha at least it's resurfaced in my waking consciousness!
Heck yeah, just in time for TTYD!
Vookatos
Like Like
- Pronouns
- He/They
72. Tunic
On its surface, Tunic seems like a game I should love. It's a Zelda-like with a ton of cryptic puzzles and some amazing mechanics. Yet, I can't say it clicked for me that much.
It's one of those games where my every criticism can be countered with a completely rational explanation of why something was made the way it is, so it's tough to me to really talk about it. There are wonderful and exciting moments, the music and presentation are fantastic, but I believe the game could at the very least benefit from a few more types of puzzles.
I never really clicked with its battle system. I'm not entirely sure why you have a full-on Dark Souls-like fighting system with blocking, rolling, parries, and all that. Not to mention it's actually harder in some way since you only have two quickslots for items and the enemies will chase you all across the map. I have definitely enjoyed the second half of the game more, since the fighting was so much rarer.
The puzzles, I find, were a bit of a mixed bag, with the game relying on three of them way too much. First off, there's the basic hiding system where the game hides invisible to your eye paths behind something obscured by camera. I think there are way too many of those, to the point that maybe 10% of active game time you spend going through Final Fantasy IV-like invisible mazes trying to reach the chest. The second puzzle is the most obvious and consists of a really neat cypher you have to crack for additional info and hints in the manual. I've had a hell of a time trying to decypher it, and I did, which felt great! What didn't, however, was the actual translation part which took hours upon hours of staring at the text, most of which didn't have anything of note to say. I felt a little cheated realizing that maybe 90% of text from the manual that seemed so alluring ended up being basic descriptions. Finally, the game has the Holy Cross puzzles. They recontextualize the way you look at the game kind of like bonus puzzles of The Witness. The path to realizing how to solve them is fantastic, but yet again, they boil down to the same puzzle over and over again and just pattern recognition. A few of them are tougher than the rest, but most are, at best, presented in a strange way.
I think Tunic has a great selection of items, upgrade system, and world design. I will never forget picking up manual pages to get new info - easily the best part of the game, however, unlike games like Enviromental Station Alpha, or The Witness, I feel like it's a bit of a one-trick pony. Or, well, three-trick. It's not dissimilar to La-Mulana: a game I would put in my top 5, but on comparison I realized how much more the latter challenged me and how varied its puzzles were: using items, noticing background details, following instructions to input strange sequences, solving mazes, charting maps, decrypting texts, retaining information, trying out all sorts of things. Tunic, I believe, has only a few "eureka" moments, that then stretch into you going around and doing the same thing for a while, which isn't as pleasant.
I want to love this game so much, yet it couldn't tip the scale into an all-time favorite. However, I would still recommend it to everyone.
3.5/5
On its surface, Tunic seems like a game I should love. It's a Zelda-like with a ton of cryptic puzzles and some amazing mechanics. Yet, I can't say it clicked for me that much.
It's one of those games where my every criticism can be countered with a completely rational explanation of why something was made the way it is, so it's tough to me to really talk about it. There are wonderful and exciting moments, the music and presentation are fantastic, but I believe the game could at the very least benefit from a few more types of puzzles.
I never really clicked with its battle system. I'm not entirely sure why you have a full-on Dark Souls-like fighting system with blocking, rolling, parries, and all that. Not to mention it's actually harder in some way since you only have two quickslots for items and the enemies will chase you all across the map. I have definitely enjoyed the second half of the game more, since the fighting was so much rarer.
The puzzles, I find, were a bit of a mixed bag, with the game relying on three of them way too much. First off, there's the basic hiding system where the game hides invisible to your eye paths behind something obscured by camera. I think there are way too many of those, to the point that maybe 10% of active game time you spend going through Final Fantasy IV-like invisible mazes trying to reach the chest. The second puzzle is the most obvious and consists of a really neat cypher you have to crack for additional info and hints in the manual. I've had a hell of a time trying to decypher it, and I did, which felt great! What didn't, however, was the actual translation part which took hours upon hours of staring at the text, most of which didn't have anything of note to say. I felt a little cheated realizing that maybe 90% of text from the manual that seemed so alluring ended up being basic descriptions. Finally, the game has the Holy Cross puzzles. They recontextualize the way you look at the game kind of like bonus puzzles of The Witness. The path to realizing how to solve them is fantastic, but yet again, they boil down to the same puzzle over and over again and just pattern recognition. A few of them are tougher than the rest, but most are, at best, presented in a strange way.
I think Tunic has a great selection of items, upgrade system, and world design. I will never forget picking up manual pages to get new info - easily the best part of the game, however, unlike games like Enviromental Station Alpha, or The Witness, I feel like it's a bit of a one-trick pony. Or, well, three-trick. It's not dissimilar to La-Mulana: a game I would put in my top 5, but on comparison I realized how much more the latter challenged me and how varied its puzzles were: using items, noticing background details, following instructions to input strange sequences, solving mazes, charting maps, decrypting texts, retaining information, trying out all sorts of things. Tunic, I believe, has only a few "eureka" moments, that then stretch into you going around and doing the same thing for a while, which isn't as pleasant.
I want to love this game so much, yet it couldn't tip the scale into an all-time favorite. However, I would still recommend it to everyone.
3.5/5
Enpsty
Bob-omb
The Forgotten City
A perfect example of the deduction style genre that became popular since Obra Dinn. Without spoiling too much you're playing as a guy that gets trapped in a ancient Roman city that is somehow stuck in a time loop. Your goal is to uncover the mystery behind the loop and find a way to stop it. So basically Outer Wilds with more narrative.
Just like OW the first one-two hours are a bit disorienting since you are not sure what to do and how to do it. But after a while you get the gist of it. You have to speak with the city's residents to learn who they are, their problems and relationships and slowly piece together the lore and unravel the mystery. There's a fair amount of exploration, but the city is pretty small (basically a hub sized area) so don't expect something in the same scope as OW.
The writing is fantastic with a tremendous attention to historical accuracy. The characters are all unique and you get to sympathise with them after many loops.
The game is a bit more linear than OW, but you still need to deduct and make connections in order to finish it. There are 4 endings, the first two can be reached fairly easy, but I highly recommend to try for the main ending. Figuring the whole mystery and closing all the threads feels so satisfying.
There are only a few negative things I could say about it. Sometimes a big attempt to a mystery leads to a "ok you win" response or some characters react a bit nonchalant to a guy that tells them "I relive the same day so do that! trust me on this". But in the end it's a game, big deal. The performance on ps4 is rough with a framerate around 25 fps and bad loading times. There's also a combat section which feels bad, you can tell this one is inspired by Skyrim.
In the end this was a phenomenal game that I would recommend to anyone. If you like Outer Wilds or various deduction games like Obra Dinn or Golden Idol then the game is a must. If you fancy a nice story with well written characters then it's a must as well.
9/10
A perfect example of the deduction style genre that became popular since Obra Dinn. Without spoiling too much you're playing as a guy that gets trapped in a ancient Roman city that is somehow stuck in a time loop. Your goal is to uncover the mystery behind the loop and find a way to stop it. So basically Outer Wilds with more narrative.
Just like OW the first one-two hours are a bit disorienting since you are not sure what to do and how to do it. But after a while you get the gist of it. You have to speak with the city's residents to learn who they are, their problems and relationships and slowly piece together the lore and unravel the mystery. There's a fair amount of exploration, but the city is pretty small (basically a hub sized area) so don't expect something in the same scope as OW.
The writing is fantastic with a tremendous attention to historical accuracy. The characters are all unique and you get to sympathise with them after many loops.
The game is a bit more linear than OW, but you still need to deduct and make connections in order to finish it. There are 4 endings, the first two can be reached fairly easy, but I highly recommend to try for the main ending. Figuring the whole mystery and closing all the threads feels so satisfying.
There are only a few negative things I could say about it. Sometimes a big attempt to a mystery leads to a "ok you win" response or some characters react a bit nonchalant to a guy that tells them "I relive the same day so do that! trust me on this". But in the end it's a game, big deal. The performance on ps4 is rough with a framerate around 25 fps and bad loading times. There's also a combat section which feels bad, you can tell this one is inspired by Skyrim.
In the end this was a phenomenal game that I would recommend to anyone. If you like Outer Wilds or various deduction games like Obra Dinn or Golden Idol then the game is a must. If you fancy a nice story with well written characters then it's a must as well.
9/10
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