The last few games you beat and rate them IV
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Frankie Spankie
Registered User
Call of Cthulhu (2018) - 7/10
Call of Cthulhu is really all about the story. There really isn't much gameplay other than walking around to explore and talk to people/interact with objects. There are only a couple of combat and stealth sections throughout the entire game and they're very basic yet clunky. I see a lot of reviews saying the combat ruined the game but there's probably 5-10 minutes of combat in the entire game and they come towards the end of the game, it's not like the game is focused on the combat by any means.
It's all about the story. It's a really interesting psychological horror game without jump scares. I think there was one jump scare throughout the game and it really caught me off guard because I just accepted that it didn't have jump scares. The story's really interesting though as are all the characters. It kept me wanting to play the next chapter to see what happens next. It's rather short, I finished it at about 6 hours. If you're in the mood for a scary game, give it a go.
Call of Cthulhu is really all about the story. There really isn't much gameplay other than walking around to explore and talk to people/interact with objects. There are only a couple of combat and stealth sections throughout the entire game and they're very basic yet clunky. I see a lot of reviews saying the combat ruined the game but there's probably 5-10 minutes of combat in the entire game and they come towards the end of the game, it's not like the game is focused on the combat by any means.
It's all about the story. It's a really interesting psychological horror game without jump scares. I think there was one jump scare throughout the game and it really caught me off guard because I just accepted that it didn't have jump scares. The story's really interesting though as are all the characters. It kept me wanting to play the next chapter to see what happens next. It's rather short, I finished it at about 6 hours. If you're in the mood for a scary game, give it a go.
I felt so used lol
what a game. have you played Bioshock 2? was gonna start that shit up soon
Ghosts of Tsushima- 7.5 out of 10
Definitely a game in my wheelhouse and while I liked a lot about it, I can’t say it quite stuck the landing for me.
Some good stuff with combat, such as the stand off. That said, I definitely found my play style basically being my assassin creed play style. Which is why I really liked the secondary objectives in the larger camps, so much so that I wish they respawned with new objectives (though I suspect lots would disagree with that). I also liked the concept of the 10 part quests for some of the main secondary characters.
Unfortunately I was not particularly interested in many of these characters even after experiencing their story. I liked the monk but the archer and the grand dame were fairly meh to me. Even Jin didn’t hit home for me, just kind of bland with his emotional arc (which my iPad just tried to change to emoter cheese) being too telegraphed.
I think the other thing to hurt the game is that the three zones felt very uneven. If they were all like the first night my praise would have been much higher. However, the follow up areas grew progressively less enjoyable.
still a good game with some great visuals. Do wish I waited a few months until this recent expansion came out before playing. Suspect it would have expanded my experience in an enjoyable way, but I don’t particularly feel like returning to its world so soon.
Definitely a game in my wheelhouse and while I liked a lot about it, I can’t say it quite stuck the landing for me.
Some good stuff with combat, such as the stand off. That said, I definitely found my play style basically being my assassin creed play style. Which is why I really liked the secondary objectives in the larger camps, so much so that I wish they respawned with new objectives (though I suspect lots would disagree with that). I also liked the concept of the 10 part quests for some of the main secondary characters.
Unfortunately I was not particularly interested in many of these characters even after experiencing their story. I liked the monk but the archer and the grand dame were fairly meh to me. Even Jin didn’t hit home for me, just kind of bland with his emotional arc (which my iPad just tried to change to emoter cheese) being too telegraphed.
I think the other thing to hurt the game is that the three zones felt very uneven. If they were all like the first night my praise would have been much higher. However, the follow up areas grew progressively less enjoyable.
still a good game with some great visuals. Do wish I waited a few months until this recent expansion came out before playing. Suspect it would have expanded my experience in an enjoyable way, but I don’t particularly feel like returning to its world so soon.
Persona 5 - 8 out of 10
One of the strangest games I have ever played. Maybe even better to say a game I experienced because, honestly, I didn’t give a crap about being good at it. Turned my difficulty down to easy on the first boss, cheated on questions from teachers / how to negotiate / weaknesses, yet was pulled along by my curiosity about what would happen.
Ultimate one more thing game where I needed to be strict and actually sign off. Yet I found it very easy to ignore, not sign in for multiple days. For a game I mostly enjoyed, it took up minimal mind space, if any, when not playing. this despite it dealing with darker stuff than I would have expected.
Did not really enjoy the multiple sections where you are dragged along with even less control of your character than normal. However, I liked it enough that I started new game plus with a goal to platinum it. But it got a bit too grindy and I called it quits.
One of the strangest games I have ever played. Maybe even better to say a game I experienced because, honestly, I didn’t give a crap about being good at it. Turned my difficulty down to easy on the first boss, cheated on questions from teachers / how to negotiate / weaknesses, yet was pulled along by my curiosity about what would happen.
Ultimate one more thing game where I needed to be strict and actually sign off. Yet I found it very easy to ignore, not sign in for multiple days. For a game I mostly enjoyed, it took up minimal mind space, if any, when not playing. this despite it dealing with darker stuff than I would have expected.
Did not really enjoy the multiple sections where you are dragged along with even less control of your character than normal. However, I liked it enough that I started new game plus with a goal to platinum it. But it got a bit too grindy and I called it quits.
I'm currently in the last palace/last boss and I share lot of these feelings. I really didn't like how you would basically have to go as long as 2 hours of gameplay unable to save the game in some palaces. Last time I played this I hit another wall when I progressed for 2 hours, only to be killed by a random curse insta-kill and game over. It's just dumb that you cannot revive Joker yet he can be insta-killed like that. There's no way I'll be picking this game up for a week or so to do the same 2 hour grind again.
I don't know what it is about this game that makes it so good, but for some reason I love it. Over 100 hours in and I only need to do the one last grind to get through the ending...some day
Jovavic
boohoo, Pens "fans", BOOHOO
Am I the only one that puts their ps4 into rest? If I gotta go and can't find a save spot I just go into an inventory screen and then rest the system, when I come back it picks up from there. I guess I'm screwed if the power goes out but it hasn't happened yet.
Unholy Diver
Registered User
Psychonauts 8/10
missed this when it came out and thought I'd give it a go before playing #2
Good game, holds up well for being over 15 years old, good original story, good gameplay, voicework, and humor
missed this when it came out and thought I'd give it a go before playing #2
Good game, holds up well for being over 15 years old, good original story, good gameplay, voicework, and humor
I just started it. It's definitely a Tim Schafer game, though seemingly targeted at a younger audience. I'm a little worried that it's too juvenile for me to get into, but I'll keep playing it and see if it wins me over.
FYI, if anyone else plays it on PC, there's a weird bug earlier in the game, during Basic Braining, in which you might not be able to push the flags up the flag poles. The fix is to enable v-sync and disable fullscreen in the game's options. It's a rather strange bug, but I guess that it's a rather strange game.
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Mikeaveli
Registered User
I also just finished Psychonauts on PC. Love the characters, story, writing, voice acting, and the psychedelic nature of both the concept of the game itself and the art style. Gameplay is nothing that special but I did enjoy using the different psychic powers and the platforming is good. My favourite part of the game has to be the level designs. So many different and interesting ideas and the visual designs are awesome. I would give the game an 8.5/10, can't wait to play the sequel.
I also find it funny how the game so shamelessly sets itself up for a sequel that never happened until over a decade later with the VR game Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin.
I forgot to mention some things. My biggest issue with the game is that the cutscenes are all pre rendered videos that are a very poor resolution and 30 fps. It's quite jarring to go back and forth from 4K 60 fps gameplay to these cutscenes and there are a lot of them in the game. The rail grinding sections are also pretty bad. Other than those two things I like the game a lot.
I also find it funny how the game so shamelessly sets itself up for a sequel that never happened until over a decade later with the VR game Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin.
I forgot to mention some things. My biggest issue with the game is that the cutscenes are all pre rendered videos that are a very poor resolution and 30 fps. It's quite jarring to go back and forth from 4K 60 fps gameplay to these cutscenes and there are a lot of them in the game. The rail grinding sections are also pretty bad. Other than those two things I like the game a lot.
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Commander Clueless
Apathy of the Leaf
- Sep 10, 2008
- 15,855
- 3,862
I loved this game but got burnt out around chapter 9. My friend also told me you needed a ton of money at one point to proceed, so I haven’t gone back. It is hilarious though.
Jovavic
boohoo, Pens "fans", BOOHOO
"A ton" I'm guessing is the three million you need at one point, but money is stupid easy to get if you pay any attention to the business management minigame or go to the battle arena.
Commander Clueless
Apathy of the Leaf
- Sep 10, 2008
- 15,855
- 3,862
There are definitely a couple walls in chapter 9 and particularly in chapter 12 and 15.
The money wall really isn't that bad if you've any interest in playing the business management minigame, which generates a ton of cash. If not, well it's a little tougher for sure. Personally, I played the crap outta the business game
Frankie Spankie
Registered User
Castlevania Anniversary Collection
I saw there's a leak that they might be selling a collection of all the GBA Castlevania titles and it dawned on me that as much as I love metroidvanias and how much I loved the Netflix series, I never beat a single Castlevania game. I'll write a quick review on each game within it. I'm going to try to gauge these based on what system they were originally released on rather than by today's standards.
Castlevania - 7/10
The first is ultra challenging and can have frustrating controls but still a fun platformer to challenge yourself.
Castlevania II: Simon's Quest - 3/10
Why change what works? It was such a horrible grind with absolutely 0 sense of direction. I tried playing it for a couple hours without making much progress until I ultimately just gave up, entered a password to have everything, and looked up how to head straight to Dracula to see the ending.
Castlevania: The Adventure - 6/10
The Game Boy version was slower but somehow felt like it had better controls than the NES version. It was kind of odd to think of, but definitely another enjoyable, albeit short title.
Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse - 8/10
They went more to their roots with 1 rather than 2. They gave you the ability to get a couple new characters that you can swap between. The first season of the Netflix series was loosely based on this game so it was pretty cool playing through it too.
Kid Dracula - 8/10
This cutesy title was actually really enjoyable. It was really easy for a NES game and was clearly designed for kids but I still had a lot of fun with it.
Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge - 8/10
The sequel to the Game Boy version is a nice upgrade. It's quite a bit longer and they brought items into it. The original Game Boy version was just running around with your whip so it felt a bit plain but this one was a lot better. The only frustrating part was how ridiculous the fight with Dracula was at the end. That last boss fight was incredibly frustrating.
Super Castlevania IV - 10/10
Peak Castlevania platforming here. Controls are infinitely better than any other game in this collection. An absolute joy to play from beginning to end.
Castlevania: Bloodlines - 9/10
Almost as enjoyable as Super Castlevania IV. My only gripe with it is you can't change directions while jumping. There are two characters you can choose from to give you some replay. I enjoyed Lecarde quite a bit more than Morris but they're both fun.
I saw there's a leak that they might be selling a collection of all the GBA Castlevania titles and it dawned on me that as much as I love metroidvanias and how much I loved the Netflix series, I never beat a single Castlevania game. I'll write a quick review on each game within it. I'm going to try to gauge these based on what system they were originally released on rather than by today's standards.
Castlevania - 7/10
The first is ultra challenging and can have frustrating controls but still a fun platformer to challenge yourself.
Castlevania II: Simon's Quest - 3/10
Why change what works? It was such a horrible grind with absolutely 0 sense of direction. I tried playing it for a couple hours without making much progress until I ultimately just gave up, entered a password to have everything, and looked up how to head straight to Dracula to see the ending.
Castlevania: The Adventure - 6/10
The Game Boy version was slower but somehow felt like it had better controls than the NES version. It was kind of odd to think of, but definitely another enjoyable, albeit short title.
Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse - 8/10
They went more to their roots with 1 rather than 2. They gave you the ability to get a couple new characters that you can swap between. The first season of the Netflix series was loosely based on this game so it was pretty cool playing through it too.
Kid Dracula - 8/10
This cutesy title was actually really enjoyable. It was really easy for a NES game and was clearly designed for kids but I still had a lot of fun with it.
Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge - 8/10
The sequel to the Game Boy version is a nice upgrade. It's quite a bit longer and they brought items into it. The original Game Boy version was just running around with your whip so it felt a bit plain but this one was a lot better. The only frustrating part was how ridiculous the fight with Dracula was at the end. That last boss fight was incredibly frustrating.
Super Castlevania IV - 10/10
Peak Castlevania platforming here. Controls are infinitely better than any other game in this collection. An absolute joy to play from beginning to end.
Castlevania: Bloodlines - 9/10
Almost as enjoyable as Super Castlevania IV. My only gripe with it is you can't change directions while jumping. There are two characters you can choose from to give you some replay. I enjoyed Lecarde quite a bit more than Morris but they're both fun.
have you played the Castlevania games on the Nintendo DS? absolutely love those games and totally recommend them
Frankie Spankie
Registered User
No, I never had a DS. I admittedly got this Anniversary Collection like 3-4 months ago when the Advanced Collection was leaked. It happened to be released a couple of days ago. All these Castlevania games are actually the first and only time I ever finished any Castlevania game.
I'll be picking up the Advance Collection but I'm not sure when. I have a few other games I want to play first. I'll probably grab it when it goes on sale during the holiday sale at the end of the year. I do have Lords of Shadow which I want to play soon as well. It all started watching the Netflix series though for me. That show was so good.
tacogeoff
Registered User
I couldn't get into the turn based fighting after playing the ones previous to them and having so much fun with the freeflowing combat.
Maybe its worth giving it another try as i didnt play it very far, it just didnt feel fun for me.
Market of Light
Tbh, I wouldn't even call this a game. Its a short tech demo for UE5 where you're a fly collecting orbs. The visuals are genuinely impressive, although really they only make me appreciate how ahead of its time FF15 was visually, as it really looks just like Lestallum and Altissia in the luminous engine. Its kind of makes sense as Luminious Studios ditched the Luminious engine and moved over to UE5, I'm sure they have a close relationship with Epic in developing the engine. I can't really give this a score as its barely 10 minutes long, but the game looks promising. Unfortunately you can't increase the resolution past 1080p so it looks blurry with Unreal engines anti-aliasing.
N/A / 10
Moonlighter
This game is good, but really once you figure out what to do you're just grinding. Its a short game, only 4 levels plus a final boss (so 5 bosses total), which tbh literally any short game I instantly add 2 points to its score. I give it a
8.5/10
Sable
I did not actually beat this game, however, I'm pretty much done with it. I got too hyped for this game. The thing is, I can play a bad game if the visuals are really good, I just love visually interesting games. This games art style fell flat on its face after the excellent announcement trailer. The game is just oversharped and all the lines in the game have weird jaggies and shimmering it doesn't matter if you play this game at 4k. I give it a
5/10.
Nah, the combat sucks, you're right.
Tbh, I wouldn't even call this a game. Its a short tech demo for UE5 where you're a fly collecting orbs. The visuals are genuinely impressive, although really they only make me appreciate how ahead of its time FF15 was visually, as it really looks just like Lestallum and Altissia in the luminous engine. Its kind of makes sense as Luminious Studios ditched the Luminious engine and moved over to UE5, I'm sure they have a close relationship with Epic in developing the engine. I can't really give this a score as its barely 10 minutes long, but the game looks promising. Unfortunately you can't increase the resolution past 1080p so it looks blurry with Unreal engines anti-aliasing.
N/A / 10
Moonlighter
This game is good, but really once you figure out what to do you're just grinding. Its a short game, only 4 levels plus a final boss (so 5 bosses total), which tbh literally any short game I instantly add 2 points to its score. I give it a
8.5/10
Sable
I did not actually beat this game, however, I'm pretty much done with it. I got too hyped for this game. The thing is, I can play a bad game if the visuals are really good, I just love visually interesting games. This games art style fell flat on its face after the excellent announcement trailer. The game is just oversharped and all the lines in the game have weird jaggies and shimmering it doesn't matter if you play this game at 4k. I give it a
5/10.
Nah, the combat sucks, you're right.
Unholy Diver
Registered User
Jurassic World Evolution - 8.5/10
This is the first time I have actually finished a world builder sim game, they always intrigue me but my attention span or some other new game always causes me to throw in the towel before completing them
Took me back to my childhood love of Dinosaurs, and showed me how many new dinos have been discovered since I was a kid, the game could be challenging, especially the 4th island with its limited space and horrendous weather, but it was a quite enjoyable little game, also nice to have something that caught my 4 y/o's eye as she is a dino fanatic just like dad was
This is the first time I have actually finished a world builder sim game, they always intrigue me but my attention span or some other new game always causes me to throw in the towel before completing them
Took me back to my childhood love of Dinosaurs, and showed me how many new dinos have been discovered since I was a kid, the game could be challenging, especially the 4th island with its limited space and horrendous weather, but it was a quite enjoyable little game, also nice to have something that caught my 4 y/o's eye as she is a dino fanatic just like dad was
The Head Crusher
Re-retired
Other World 20 Year Anniversary
I recall playing this game quite a bit as a kid but could never get passed a certain part. Finally sat down and gave this one a try and it took me about an hour and a half to finish it. If i didn't ave the guide it probably would have taken significantly longer. controls are still quite unresponsive.
6/10
I recall playing this game quite a bit as a kid but could never get passed a certain part. Finally sat down and gave this one a try and it took me about an hour and a half to finish it. If i didn't ave the guide it probably would have taken significantly longer. controls are still quite unresponsive.
6/10
Ceremony
How I choose to feel is how I am
- Jun 8, 2012
- 114,303
- 17,392
Guacamelee! 2 is the sequel to Guacamelee!. Before, you played as Juan, a farmer who had to become a luchador to stop the evil Calaca from merging the worlds of the dead and the living. Now you play as Juan, a former farmer turned luchador who has to be brought back to stop the evil Salvador, who killed Juan and Calaca in another timeline and is threatening to destroy the entire Mexiverse. What follows is a metroidvania journey through various timelines filled with pop culture references (Dan Harmon has a lot to answer for) as Juan meets friends old and new, gathering some powers to take on all the enemies and platforming that gets in his way. Oh and he can turn into a chicken occasionally and he uncovers the secrets of the pollo illuminati when he's there.
Everything combat and movement-wise is largely the same as the first game. You start with a jump and a punch and unlock slightly more complex versions of those as you progress. Enemies get tougher as you progress, and you not only have to master all your skills but be able to switch between them quickly to make the best of certain fights. Combat generally felt more fluid than the first game, although there were some occasions where I couldn't see where I was on screen and I got swamped by enemies. On the whole I'd say it's an accessible yet still challenging example of metroidvania gameplay. There's a lot going on, but it's easy enough to follow and retain control of.
There are additional platforming elements this time and for the most part these have a similar blend of challenge and reward. Having to switch between dimensions to make an eagle hook appear so you can jump then fire yourself across a gap and hope you aimed properly otherwise you're going into a spike sounds like a lot. It's especially a lot when you've got a few of them chained together. But no matter how overwhelming these sections might seem, when you figure out what to do and get past them you find yourself wondering why you were so worked up. The hardest sections like this I found myself moving through by instinct rather than a conscious awareness of which buttons I was pressing. I don't know if this was intentional, but it was a good feeling when it paid off.
The expansion of the chicken mechanic - Juan turns into a chicken, which makes him able to fit through small gaps, and offers a different kind of movement and combat - really helps the game feel more expansive than the first while still retaining the same core foundation. The final challenge with the chickens is literal bullshit, but I overcame it. I can't really do this sort of thing justice with words, you'll just have to believe me when I say that the game is better for being able to turn into a chicken and squawk loudly when you peck an enemy to death.
Similar to the first game there's a lot of charm, wit and care in the game's writing and homages. At times it can seem like a lot, and now that I think about it there's probably an argument that the game's references cover up the comparative lack of original world-building, but everything's enjoyable enough that it feels like you're in on the joke rather than having to endure something which isn't as funny as it thinks. Juan is silent, so everything you learn about the world is through interacting with NPCs and the environment. This means it occasionally feels like you're being shown a world rather than being part of it, but there's just the right amount of self-awareness to keep your attention.
The art design is a nice complementary part of this, with a bold, colourful animated style which is always eye catching and distinctive. The music is less invasive than I remember from the first game which is another big positive. The environments are rich and detailed, with each area looking unique yet consistent.
I liked the first Guacamelee!. This is more of it, with expanded gameplay, and a near comprehensive love letter to the games and entertainment media which inspired it. What more can I say?
Other World 20 Year Anniversary
I recall playing this game quite a bit as a kid but could never get passed a certain part. Finally sat down and gave this one a try and it took me about an hour and a half to finish it. If i didn't ave the guide it probably would have taken significantly longer. controls are still quite unresponsive.
6/10
I, too, vividly remember playing this nearly 30 years ago, but not being able to get very far because of the controls and the save system. I tried the anniversary edition years ago and it was nostalgic to re-visit the game, but I didn't play very far, maybe because it was just as awkward to play with keyboard as it originally was. I should probably give it another go, now that I have a controller.
The Head Crusher
Re-retired
the problem I ran into was 2 things:
1. running/jumping mechanics. Trying to clear the floor traps at times was annoying when they were placed close together.
2. running shooting mechanics. There were times because both shoot and run use the x button you would stop running and start shooting.
Frankie Spankie
Registered User
UnMetal - 9.5/10
I first heard about this game a couple months ago and was interested when I saw the retro NES Metal Gear style game play. I played the demo and loved the humor in it. I was excited to give it a go when the game came out and it did not disappoint. The gameplay is great. My only complaint about it is that at times, it's hard to get right up behind somebody to punch them if you're approaching them vertically without alerting them. It's probably more to do with the 2D design than anything else but I had to knock a slight point off for that. Fortunately, after the first few chapters, you get chloroform which you can hold from a greatest distance so you won't run into that issue again.
The story and humor is really where the game shines. At the end of the day, the gameplay is more reminiscent of a NES game that feels really polished and a bit modernized. The humor is what kept me coming back for more. There's a good amount of stupid humor and they even troll the player big time. As an example (minor spoilers), the first chapter has a few sections where you're retelling your story and you can pick how the story goes, 1 guard vs 2, a sleeping guard vs an alert guard, etc. The game trains you into thinking you can pick the easier option for some encounters. Well in chapter 2, there's a moment where you can choose how many tentacles the boss has. You can pick 2, 4, or 6. Naturally, you want to pick two because it'll be easier but the game tricks you to say "2.... DOZEN tentacles!" and the fight becomes way harder than it needs to be. Every mission had several moments that actual made me laugh shaking my head even if it lead to a game over screen. I didn't care about any of the game over screens because it was always hilarious leading up to it.
Overall, this is probably my indie game of the year when I really wasn't expecting it to me more than just a fun game play for nostalgia reasons. Absolutely top notch, I think everyone should give it a go, especially if you liked the old school Metal Gear style games.
I first heard about this game a couple months ago and was interested when I saw the retro NES Metal Gear style game play. I played the demo and loved the humor in it. I was excited to give it a go when the game came out and it did not disappoint. The gameplay is great. My only complaint about it is that at times, it's hard to get right up behind somebody to punch them if you're approaching them vertically without alerting them. It's probably more to do with the 2D design than anything else but I had to knock a slight point off for that. Fortunately, after the first few chapters, you get chloroform which you can hold from a greatest distance so you won't run into that issue again.
The story and humor is really where the game shines. At the end of the day, the gameplay is more reminiscent of a NES game that feels really polished and a bit modernized. The humor is what kept me coming back for more. There's a good amount of stupid humor and they even troll the player big time. As an example (minor spoilers), the first chapter has a few sections where you're retelling your story and you can pick how the story goes, 1 guard vs 2, a sleeping guard vs an alert guard, etc. The game trains you into thinking you can pick the easier option for some encounters. Well in chapter 2, there's a moment where you can choose how many tentacles the boss has. You can pick 2, 4, or 6. Naturally, you want to pick two because it'll be easier but the game tricks you to say "2.... DOZEN tentacles!" and the fight becomes way harder than it needs to be. Every mission had several moments that actual made me laugh shaking my head even if it lead to a game over screen. I didn't care about any of the game over screens because it was always hilarious leading up to it.
Overall, this is probably my indie game of the year when I really wasn't expecting it to me more than just a fun game play for nostalgia reasons. Absolutely top notch, I think everyone should give it a go, especially if you liked the old school Metal Gear style games.
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