Alternis_Kin

--- [89/100] --- Continuing my exploration into retrogaming, I took a look at my Epic Games Launcher library and realized I had completely overlooked the BioShock trilogy. What better time to catch up on it. Regarding the first installment, I immediately loved the setting, which is highly distinctive, original, and boasts a strong visual identity: countless times during my playthrough, I stopped for a few seconds just to admire the scenery, especially the exteriors. There's a bit to say about the gameplay: the combat system is well-crafted, I didn't experience any input issues with the controller, and the content density is generally very good. However, there is one problem: the monumental gap between easy and medium difficulty. On easy, enemies barely leave a scratch on you; you can carelessly rush at anyone armed with a shotgun because the damage is heavily mitigated. In fact, on this difficulty, I often found myself unable to pick up more resources due to the game's inventory caps (in-game currency, healing items, etc.). On medium difficulty, on the other hand, I frequently ran out of resources and was forced to fight minibosses without being even remotely prepared. I stuck with this difficulty for about half the game and probably died around thirty times, the vast majority against these minibosses in rather precarious situations. I would have appreciated a difficulty setting somewhere between easy and medium in this case. Narrative-wise, the plot is very solid and engaging throughout the entire experience, spiced up with excellent worldbuilding, a more than satisfactory character design, and a gameplay-to-story consistency that never disappointed me. The game design is magnificent: the game grants the player a lot of freedom while still guiding them whenever necessary, thanks to excellent onboarding and stellar level design. The skill progression and development are no exception, just like the core gameplay loop. In fact, BioShock is a game I finished in just a few sittings, a sign of how effectively it managed to immerse me in its events and how little fatigue I felt while playing it (this applies to the other entries in the series as well). Speaking of the technical side, I encountered a few minor bugs during my playthrough, such as enemies getting stuck on environmental objects or lifeless bodies twitching slightly. However, nothing game-breaking or detrimental to the overall enjoyment. Otherwise, I didn't notice any framerate drops, and the optimization, UI, UX, and accessibility are all solid. There's also little to complain about regarding the audio department: despite the sparse use of soundtracks, which makes sense since the game is designed to have very few, the sound design, audio mix, and Italian dub are excellent (obviously, I'm only speaking for the Italian dub; whenever available, I prefer to play a game in my mother tongue without having to adapt to English). The game's atmosphere, however, is unbelievable: the build-up to combat, the climactic narrative sequences, and even those brief moments of exploration and looting are perfectly rendered thanks to a wide array of sounds and ambient noises that truly make you feel inside the game (also thanks to the first-person perspective). In very few other games have I felt this way, and no other title in the franchise makes it onto this very short list, which is why I gave this game a higher rating than the other chapters. Unfortunately, there is no post-game, but that doesn't mean the game can't be easily replayed. It has an alright length and by the end of the experience, you don't feel the fatigue for a game that has overstayed its welcome. Furthermore, although limited, there is also side content and challenges, such as collectibles, which can easily push the player to give it another run, perhaps on a higher difficulty, to 100% complete it. To sum up, BioShock Remastered is not only the first installment of a franchise I quite enjoyed, but it's also my personal favorite. If you're a fan of story-driven FPS games, immersive sims, or just games with a creepy atmosphere in general, I think you should give it a shot and perhaps discover the other chapters of the series as well, which are by no means inferior to this one.

--- [89/100] --- Devil May Cry 5 is the perfected entry in the series, at least as of today. It improves upon many of the franchise's already strong suits while addressing several of its past issues. Let's start with the gameplay: the combat system has been refined to perfection and is hands down one of the best I've ever experienced overall, not just within the series. It wraps up many plot threads left unanswered in previous chapters, while leaving (and setting up) others, the right ones, for a potential sixth episode. The character design sees further improvements, and this time it isn't just relegated to the main protagonist, but extends to a large part of the core cast. The animations are exceptional and far more prevalent than in past games. The tutorials and User Experience have been upgraded once again: you can now test weapon upgrades before confirming their purchase. Furthermore, despite the inclusion of new features, enhanced graphics, and the constant barrage of animations, the game still feels more polished and optimized than its predecessors (although a lot of this is because of the natural technological progress of recent years). There's no need to even discuss the audio department, it's excellent as always. It's a shame that the usual issues remain (post-game, side content, and gameplay variety). That being said, this entry is by far the one I've enjoyed the most in the entire series and I am waiting, just like pretty much all the fans, for some updates on the rumored sequel currently in development.

--- [82/100] --- Devil May Cry 4 is the entry in the series where you feel the generational leap the most, especially from a graphical standpoint. In fact, the animations are highly enjoyable compared to the previous episodes, and what benefits from this the most is the overall feel of the gameplay phases, which become more fluid and less tiring in the long run. The combat system is very similar to the third chapter (which is a good thing), bringing back the excellent weapon balancing and the dense main content that distinguishes the series. The excellent worldbuilding and the narrative pacing, well-divided across the various missions, also remain. However, the tutorials and User Experience, which were definitely an issue in previous entries, have been improved, while the consistently magnificent audio department, another dominant feature of the franchise, is still there. There are some issues, though. First and foremost, the level design. If you have to build around twenty levels, especially knowing the masterpieces you've pulled off in previous chapters, it's inconceivable to completely botch an entire level, or worse, botch it and have the QA team let it slide before launch anyway. Well, in this game, it happens not once, but twice. I have nothing to say about the other missions, but it's unacceptable to witness levels based on "trial and error" and this compromised my experience during that segment of the story (an error like this wouldn't be too much of a problem normally, but we're talking about a game you can easily beat in under 10 hours; obviously, if you have had a bad time in a section of a 10-hour game, it can stick out in your mind much more easily). Besides this, some flaws present in other chapters of the series remain, such as the lack of a post-game, the scarcity of side content and the poor gameplay variety. Despite the level design issues, Devil May Cry 4 remains a highly enjoyable game on par with the best previous entries, with the added bonus of offering the player a renewed and more modern experience compared to the first Devil May Cry, while holding on tightly to almost all of its core strengths.

--- [82/100] --- I was looking for a Pokémon alternative in the monster collector genre and I stumbled upon Cassette Beasts. I decided to download it, and a few weeks later, I can safely say I don't regret it. The combat system and catching mechanics are original and well-executed, and the balancing between the various "Beasts" is also great, with none being excessively overpowered compared to the rest. The character design is excellent, and the plot is solid and straightforward. Speaking of game design, the player freedom deserves a special mention: the game practically lets you do whatever you want; it's up to you to decide what to do and when to do it. Huge credit must also be given to the tutorials, which can be tweaked to your liking in the settings menu, just like the accessibility and the game's difficulty management. There's a good amount of options to choose from regarding AI intelligence and level scaling/XP gain. The audio department is exceptional, built on memorable OSTs and a sound design that effectively accompanies the experience both during battles and exploration sequences. Moving on to the flaws, I found the gameplay to lack variety, consisting almost exclusively of battles alternating with exploration. This made the core gameplay loop feel quite tiring during prolonged play sessions (many times I couldn't push past the hour-and-a-half mark). I also encountered some issues with the game's optimization: from what I could tell, the map loads in chunks, section by section, and usually, there are no problems. However, there is a button that allows you to speed up the game. Well, with the game sped up and while dashing, the game freezes for a few seconds to load the map chunk you're moving into, and it's really jarring to look at. To sum up, Cassette Beasts is an excellent alternative to the giants of the genre, whether you're a hardcore fan or just looking to try it out. It's a really neat title!

--- [88/100] --- After playing To the Moon and enjoying it so much, I decided to try Finding Paradise. And having finished the experience, I can say that Freebird Games has blown me away for a second time. In fact, despite the short runtime, the lack of gameplay variety, and the limited freedom granted to the player (which is acceptable anyway since we're talking about a narrative adventure), Finding Paradise maintains an exceptional audio design. Just like in the previous entry, the background OSTs and the crucial use of silence during the best climactic moments really steal the show. The storytelling is spectacular, even if, surprisingly, it sits just a slight step below To the Moon (probably due to my personal taste): the plot is nothing short of heartbreaking, so much so that I found myself tearing up multiple times throughout the experience. To sum up, Finding Paradise is a highly worthy sequel to To the Moon; it takes its foundations and uses them to build a phenomenal story. I can't wait to play Impostor Factory!

--- [95/100] --- I'll be honest, I decided to buy and play this game after The Game Awards, where it completely swept the competition. I thought to myself: "Is it really possible for a single game to win awards in every single category?". Well, after about 110 hours of playtime and having beaten the game twice, getting the Platinum on my second run, I gave myself an answer. The narrative is incredible; the plot is original, solid, packed with twists, and exceptionally well-written. The worldbuilding that accompanies it is simply perfect, featuring incredible environments that range from realistic to fantastical, always remaining consistent with the story sequence at hand. The art direction is phenomenal, and the animations are no less impressive; the level design is brilliantly crafted and keeps you glued to the screen for hours without you even realizing it. And with all that, I haven't even mentioned the best part of the game, which lies in the audio design. The OSTs are wonderful, the sound design is immersive, and everything is mixed to perfection. The voice acting doesn't fall short either, both the English and French dubs. The only flaws I found were in the gameplay, but we're talking about very minor things. And no, I'm not talking about the "wow, press a button" mechanic, which I consider a highly valid game design choice to spice up the passivity of a turn-based combat system. I'm talking about weapon balancing: there are some that are obviously stronger than others (some are tied to the plot, so that gets a pass, but others are completely random and dictate your gameplan even in the early sections of the game). I just would have preferred better balancing, that's all. It's been quite a while since a video game hooked me this much, and, in case it wasn't clear, the answer to the question at the top is: "Yes." (There is talk of a movie and a sequel, and both are already on my watchlist.)

--- [81/100] --- (This review is based on the Devil May Cry HD Collection) Fortunately, with Devil May Cry 3, the series recovers a great deal of what it had lost with the previous chapter. The combat system is vastly improved, featuring the addition of the style meter that increases based on your combat combos and thanks to a visible process of refinement and polishing. The overwhelming content density of the first game is also brought back. Speaking of the narrative, Devil May Cry 3 hits the peak of the franchise (considering the first 3 entries): the plot and the pacing of the story are solid, there are some good plot twists, and the worldbuilding is the best so far. The excellent level design of the first game is also restored, whereas the character design is actually improved even further, with better-conceived and realized characters. The audio design has seen improvements too: those annoying hit-sounds from enemies that characterized the first two games have finally been fixed. However, some issues remain regarding gameplay variety, the actual length of the title (even though this could be considered a strong point of the series by now), and the technical side, more specifically the UI, UX and tutorials, although steps forward have been made in this area as well. Very annoying, on the other hand, is the choice to not let the player select the game difficulty right away (an option that existed in the first two games), as it only unlocks after a certain number of deaths by the main character. Devil May Cry 3 is definitely the one I enjoyed the most out of the first trilogy. It might be less groundbreaking than the first chapter, but it brings a ton of improvements, and among the three, it is also the one that, in my opinion, remains the most playable by today's standards.

--- [59/100] --- (This review is based on the Devil May Cry HD Collection) After playing the second chapter too, I understand why many fans consider this the worst in the franchise. Devil May Cry 2 retains all the strengths of the first game, but without improving upon them. I'm talking about the high density of content that leaves you with very few dull moments, even though it doesn't reach the level of the previous chapter, and the high replayability (also due to the short overall playtime). However, it takes a step backwards in many other aspects: the level design is poor, characterized by linear maps and very few environmental interactions, which were not lacking in the first game. The plot is flimsy, even for a Hack & Slash, and the character design is underwhelming, to say the least. All of this while keeping the same issues from the first game: the gameplay consists exclusively of combat and exploration (although there is very little exploration in this entry); the sound design regarding the audio cues of enemies being hit remains grating as combat drags on, and there have been absolutely no improvements in UX, UI, or onboarding either. Even the side content is roughly the same as in Devil May Cry. To sum up, the title feels just as dated as the first one. But while in the first game you could enjoy the innovative gameplay, the meticulously detailed environments, and the incredible soundtrack, in Devil May Cry 2 whatever good there is gets overshadowed by the strong sense of disappointment you feel during many sections of the game.

--- [74/100] --- (This review is based on the Devil May Cry HD Collection) The first chapter of Capcom's saga is nothing short of revolutionary for the gaming industry of its time. It was one of the very first Hack & Slash titles, and countless other games used it as a blueprint in the years that followed. The game is packed with enemies to face, and the gameplay is truly dense with content, featuring a constant shift between combat and exploration sequences. Furthermore, the level design is breathtaking: every single room and open environment is meticulously crafted. There are, however, several issues: although the core game loop isn't tiring, the gameplay consists exclusively of combat and exploration, with very few narrative sections. Additionally, there are some problems with the sound design; for instance, the audio cues for enemies being hit or killed reset with every single strike/kill, making combat sections almost grating if they drag on too long (absolutely no complaints about the soundtrack, though, which is exceptional). It also falls short a bit in terms of UX, UI, and onboarding, but that is fairly normal considering the era in which the game was released. Overall, it's a good game that undoubtedly made history, but it can feel dated and clunky if played today due to its technical limitations.

--- [95/100] --- Despite its short playtime, To the Moon manages to move you emotionally for the vast majority of the gameplay. The story's writing is solid and full of major plot twists; additionally, its narrative pacing is perfect, leaving no dull moments and letting you fully enjoy the experience. Add to this a simply wonderful sound design, featuring a small but beautifully crafted soundtrack, and the result is the best narrative adventure I have ever played. Hats off to Freebird Games!