FreeRPGer

This is the best First Person Shooter I’ve played in years -- or was, as I had to put it aside (for now). Yes. I was loving the game. I haven't had *any* visual glitches whatsoever that I've heard about, nor any framerate issues. But I did have a random glitch or 2 preventing me from moving the story on, so that's why I put it aside. First, on the mission "The Search for Soot" (at the arcade), a quest marker leads me there. After I do a few side quests 1st, I go to the quest marker at the Arcade & there's no "enter" indicator on the doorknob. So, I can't enter the arcade to complete the quest. I tried loading from an earlier save, tried again, and eventually (on my 3rd try) I was able to enter the arcade. Then I completed that quest finally, & the same thing happened on the next story quest I'm supposed to go to. So, I'm putting this aside till fixed (which is hard to do, because I was loving this game before those glitches). If this game gets patched, then I'd give this a 9 & a half instead of an 8, maybe even a 10 ... if it was to be smooth sailing for the rest of the game, that is. Because, again, this is the best 1st Person Shooter I’ve played for some years. Peter Weller from the movies does the voice work, and the game takes place twixt the 2nd & 3rd movies, so it definitely has that Robocop “feel.” On top of that, it has some RPG elements that add to the awesome gunplay. Robo glitches out on his past human life, & it takes me back to the movies in the best ways. Bottom line is, this has many great things going for it, with a glitch or 2 that's holding me back from having the best time, so for now I'd say wait before purchase; wait for the wrinkles to be ironed out. (which'll hopefully be sooner rather than later).

A decent DRPG that kept me hooked for a bit, until I discovered that this is a follow up to a game in an entirely different genre -- El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron. (the director of El Shaddai later started his own company & continued a follow up in the same world). So, I put aside The Lost Child when I found this out, then bought El Shaddai on the Xbox 360 so I can play that 1st, before I go back to this. So, whenever I take El Shaddai off my backlog & finish it, I'll come back to The Lost Child, as I'd like to play 'em back to back to see Takeyasu's entire vision. I'm very curious to see how a DRPG can follow up an action game in the same world. But I will say that I was totally enjoying the 25+ hours I put into The Lost Child before I put it aside.

This is solely for the Xbox 360 port of Risen. Like every Piranha Bytes game I played so far, I was completely getting into playing as the weakling protagonist that struggled even against the smallest of forest creatures in the game's beginning hours, only to level up to the point of being able to stand up to just anything in the game. No hand holding, just figuring everything out as it comes, by trial & error, even. I loved the feeling of accomplishment & progression in this game (not unlike I see many say about the Souls games). My one MAJOR problem with Risen is the glitches I found RIGHT AT THE END OF THE GAME ... (on the Xbox 360 version). Yes. I made it to the final boss, but the glitches prevented me from finishing it. Instead, I rage-quit & never picked it back up. Not to mention I HATED the menu as I tried to find healing items, which didn’t even pause the game on top of that. (thankfully I finally finished the game on the much better PS4 port). Risen 3 fixed that problem on the 360, thank the gods. (then the enhanced HD version on PS4). I read that this glitch is only on the 360 version of the game, but it makes me wish that the 1st Risen got the Enhanced Edition treatment that Risen 3 got. But at least it was ported to the PS4, slightly enhanced & MUCH BETTER. If you ran into glitches on the X360, as well, give it another try on the PS4 or PC instead. Rant over.

Finally! - a slightly tweaked, fixed version of the buggy Xbox 360 game. I care not that the visuals are only slightly improved, but it's great that THQNordic is helping to preserve past video games. On top of that, I'm happy that this PS4 port features performance enhancements, a reworked UI, no loading screens, & HD visuals. However, what I'm mostly happy about is that the horrible glitches of the X360 version have been removed, which actually didn't happen till the FINAL BOSS FIGHT, preventing me from finishing the game (the floor would disappear during the final boss, making me fall into the lava). But now I was able to finally finish this game all these years later, which makes it worth buying a 2nd time alone, let alone it being slightly tweaked. I'm happy. If you like starting off as a weakling with naught but a stick that can barely stay alive, only to level up almost to godhood, then this game is for you (especially without the glitches). I scored it an 8, but I could go with a 8 & a half, even a 9, what with its janky greatness.

Folklore, simply put, is an overlooked gem. Sadly, it's not even overlooked due to the developers, Game Republic, or the game itself. It's overlooked due the shortcomings of Sony's 1st sad year of releasing an overpriced PS3 (at $599 in 2006). The system didn't sell well in its 1st year, and so neither did the game in 2007. What's more, Sony's review board canceled the idea of a Folklore sequel, due to poor sales (which was Sony's fault in the 1st place), which in turn killed Game Republic. If you find this on the cheap (or even not on the cheap), don't pass this up. If you love Faery or Celtic lore, this'll be right up your alley, with unique gameplay, to boot. This is the best I've seen the SixAxis controls implemented in a game, to capture IDs (souls), then use them for battle weapons. With Celtic faery art along the lines of Brian Froud, and a Celtic story to match, this is a true work of art. Also love the unique gameplay that implements the SixAxis well, and the story. I bought this new in mid 2008 when I got a PS3 (waited for a price drop), tampered with it, and I'm FINALLY playing it all the way thru in 2020 (& beat it), & I can say that this game more than holds up. This game still has a unique visual style & gameplay going for it, even now, 13 years later. Lastly, I LOVE the character designs, especially Ellen. She's a pure beauty, right down to her clothes.

This has been on my backlog since release (2002). Yup. Almost 2 decades. So far it seems like a decent game I owned for 19 years. I ignored it mostly, thus never knew a couple different things about it: One, I never know it was published by Simon & Schuster. Two, I never know "Skittles" were incorporated into the game. I like how they didn't make it obvious. Then I did research on this game, surprised to find even more off-the-wall info. The girl who had to come up with a way to work Skittles into the game only had a couple days to think of something to pitch as an idea, so she went to a bar, got drunk, thinking she was fired for coming up with nothing, then BAM! Her buzz kicked in and so did the ideas. Not too bad of an idea if I say so myself. (wonder what she drank)? The game has a few problems, especially with vague puzzles & such, but nothing that's keeping me from playing this for another 19 years.

Elex was a tricky one to score. I actually wanted to give it a 9.5, not a perfect 10, but since I can't, I'll go with a 10 ... after debating 'tween 9 & 10, that is. Anyhow, there's more of a story to this. I would've given this a 6 back when I first tried it in 2018, but that changed a few years later, now having over 20 hours into it. Indeed. I'm finally taking this off my backlog in 2020, which is rather large, and I'm glad I gave it a 2nd chance and stuck with it this time. Short story: I tampered with this a few years back, but died almost anywhere I went, so I got fed up & rage quit, put it aside with no plans to pick it back up. Then, sometime later, I remembered what Piranha Bytes games are like -- going from wimpy fragile boy to almost god-like – and that gamers either love PB or hate 'em for this, so I picked it back up with a better prepared, more opened mind, and now I can't put it down. So, at 1st I'll be a weakling. Then I'll endure. And then I'll "more" than endure. (but can still die easily with some of the bigger baddies). Yes, once I figured out that a Piranha Bytes protagonist is "supposed" to start off as a tin foil weakling, with no armor and a practical stick for a weapon, and then grow stronger gradually, the "like" hit me all at once. Now I LOVE "some" of PB's games, especially this one (this is the most polished one I've played yet, on home console, anyways). Moreover, after the later patches, fighting feels a bit tighter -- I like the weighty feel of Jax’s attacks with a heavier 1-handed axe, and the quicker ones with lighter 1-handed swords. Plus, AFTER you start a game, there are many more options in settings, for difficulty & otherwise (difficulty for enemies, difficulty for player, etc.). One thing I do like (that some say they don't), is the b-grade voice acting. I'm also drawn into how the story's unfolding, based on the differences between factions, feeding only bits of the story at a time. And I find exploration in this game amazing. The jet pack opens up MANY options & secrets. In closing, I'll only say that if you found this game too hard & frustrating in its opening hours, all I can say is stick with it & give it a try, because Piranha Bytes games are “supposed" to be a growing experience, so you just might end up loving it once you FINALLY earn armor. The fragile weakling character I started controlling at the beginning of the game is no longer fragile, and I could feel his strength growing gradually, and, thankfully, I still have many hours left to later take on the bigger, badder enemies. I find this more rewarding than most RPG's progression, in fact. EDIT 2 weeks later: Now having finished this game, I can say that the story kept me captivated, and at the end left off at a good spot. NOW I'm intrigued for the sequel. I can also say that this is the best game P.B. have done thus far. There's only a couple of things that irked me during battles till I changed the settings. One thing that makes life easier during battles is to TURN OFF FOCUS (lock on) in settings, and switch it to Manual. Then you'll just have to remember to face the enemy you want to attack. Makes life easier. And if you hit the attack button 3 times, he won't stop attacking till after the 3 times are over. Once gotten used to, it's awesome. I'll easily give this game a 9.5. Can't wait for Elex 2.

I still own both of these for the PS1 & Dreamcast, and I never usually buy digital releases, but seeing as Nintendo presented me with coins for my B-day that took a good chunk off the price, I decided to purchase it again from Nintendo's e-Shop 9 months after it released on there. Love both games, especially the 1st Grandia, and I think they both look MUCH better in Widescreen HD. Worth buying a 2nd time. .....EDIT: Actually, worth buying a 3rd time, because a half-year after I bought the HD Collection digitally, Limited Run Games have done a physical release. So? I bought the HD Collection yet again. But I am a physical collector, and I'd rather "own" it, opposed to just renting it till its no longer supported online. For those that are up in the air on purchasing this collection, the battle system of both is terrific, and story-wise, the 1st Grandia brings a great sense of adventure with a subtly unfolding plot, whereas I Grandia 2's plot is a more detailed. Truly, the games are cleaned up nicely, so I'm not sure why I see so many complaints. Then again, I'm just happy to have these games brought into a newer generation in general, and I'd say that even if they were nothing but straight up 1:1 ports. Older games like this deserve to live on, seeing as video games is the only media that isn't well preserved, being that most come & go in short 6-to-8 year generations. I'd recommend if you're a fan of old school JRPGs. Thanks for the physical release, oh, Limited Run Games!

Having just got into the 360 version of Risen 3 for about 10 hours (which was on my backlog since release), I found this enhanced edition last night and snatched it up, deciding to play this version instead. So I re-started it on PS4. Glad I did. It looks & feels a bit better than the 360 version (& the adventurer's armor that came with the purchase made the protagonist's earlier levels easier to manage). I've yet to finish it, but with the 1st few hours I played I can definitely say this is a wee bit improved. Now, I see some reviewers, professional & otherwise, bash this game, due to glitches (which I didn't come across yet), or the fighting. Now I will say that sword fighting takes some time to get used to in this game (& most games by Piranha Bytes). One can't simply button-mash away. It takes time to learn the flow & feel of swordplay, but that's what I like about it. You have to learn the flow, but when you do, the "feel" hits you all at once and then you just need to learn enemy patterns (similar to the Souls games), and suddenly you can get into it. That, & I always liked how in most Piranha Bytes games, you start off as a weakling that has a hard time taking on a forest creature, but with time & patience you end up an almost OP god-like warrior. Anyhow, not all problems are fixed, but if there's ever a version of Risen 3 to play, this one is it. It looks better. Sword battling feels a wee bit smoother, and overall I'm glad I got this edition even though I already have a physical copy on the 360. Yeah, some of the voice acting isn't the best, but even that gives it more of a certain b-grade charm (it's so bad it's good kinda vibe). Now I just wish they'd give this treatment to the 1st Risen, as the bugs on the final boss (Fire Titan) prevented me from finishing the game (on the 360), instead forcing me rage quit. (Technically, the 2nd game doesn't count, as Piranha Bytes themselves said that Risen 3 was their attempt to do Risen 2 right, therefore replacing it). So, if anyone is having doubts, I can say that if there's ever a version to Risen 3 to play, this one is it. Now, would you want to buy it again if you already own/played it on the previous generation? I couldn't recommend that, but I did, and I will say that I don't regret it. Over & out.

Short but sweet! Great job on Team Andromeda's world design. And it's much sweeter seeing that the physical cart by Limited Run has the patches, so the lock on controls are much tighter, now very close to the original. Can't wait for Panzer Dragoon 2. Now we just need to professionally beg (Operation Rainfall style), and get Sega & MegaPixel to remake/remaster Panzer Dragoon Saga. We NEED to preserve that masterful piece of history.

Simply put, the 1st Parasite Eve = 2 thumbs up. (great tale & innovative gameplay). Parasite Eve 2 = 1 thumb up. (good tale & OK gameplay - RE clone with a bit of RPGness). The 3rd Birthday = 1 thumb down. (convoluted tale & not-so-good gameplay, IMO). Highly disappointed in Aya's 3rd tale (& gameplay). Couldn't even finish this. Yeah, it was different -- WAY different from the 1st two, but NOT in a way that kept me engaged. IMO, I believe Square should've built upon the RPG mechanics of the 1st game, maybe implemented a wee bit of the 2nd game's survival horror mechanics. The only thing that kept me playing for as long as I did, is Aya is good to look at (from any angle), and some of the music is captivating. Other than that, I didn't want to waste my PSP's lens/drive - saved it for much better games.

I'm playing this game for the 1st time since the early 2000's, and now in 2020, I can say it still holds up (if you have a wee bit of patience). The light RPG elements are enough, but I love how you start off weak, then are strong enough to endure, and then, finally, you're a force to be reckoned with. Dragon battles in the sky are awesome, as well. I believe this game set a few standards for future games, and was definitely quite the accomplishment for its time. Just watch out for the game-breaking glitches, by not accidentally doing a quest before you're supposed to get it (do quests as you get them, not 1st by wandering off), and be sure to test to see if your dragon will fit in a cave with you. If it can fit, BE SURE TO FLY IT THROUGH THE CAVE WITH YOU, because if you transition through a (load screen) cave to a new area without your dragon, like to the Northlands, it will be gone forever. That's game breaking. Easily avoided if you try bringing your dragon 1st. Too bad Surreal Software is no more, as I'd like to have seen where they'd go. I give this a 9 (would be a 10 if it could be patched). P.S. Oh, and Rynn is great to look at.

I somehow missed this game's release back when it came out, and now wondering how I missed it, seeing as I usually research games - especially JRPGs. Anyhow, as for my review: Great battle system. Great story. Great characters. IMO, great all the way around. Yes, I gave it a 9, even with the game-breaking glitch at the last Raki battle. But that's easily avoided (if you research it first). The glitch happens only if she gets to do her special attack on her 3rd turn (your 3rd defense turn). But I had Cloche's fan club at 78, and when I used Replakia, I finished Raki off by the 2nd turn. So? I had no glitch! Sorry for the minor (battle) spoiler, but it's good to know this first. If I had had problems with this glitch, I'd have given this game a 6 or 7, but I give it a 9 because I experienced no glitch. The battle system kinda sorta reminds me of Valkyrie Profile, in that each character has their own button assigned to them. But this actually went even BEYOND that with what you could do. I love this game, waaay better than the newer PS3 one. I still have to play the first one, Melody of Elemia. I'll review that too when I'm done.

I truly don’t see the reasoning for such negative reviews by the so called pros, when most of the players have something completely opposite to say. I'm glad I hardly ever heed the pro reviewers, and put more faith into the users. That said... Like I said in my PS3 review of this, it is not the highest budget game, and it shows. But that did not detract me from buying this again for the 360 .... (I already owned this for the PS3, started playing it, but from what I've seen from several of the user reviews, is that the 360 version is slightly better than the PS3 one, so I bought it again, on the cheap). From the 8 hours I played on the PS3 so far, it’ll be worth playing those 8 hours again on the 360, but through to the end this time. Like I said in my PS3 review, this is not an AAA game, but it more than accomplishes what it sets out to do. Yes, it has a few flaws, like a wonky camera in a few narrow spaces, but none that were enough to make me lose interest or rage quit. Some of the sounds didn’t seem mixed correctly on the PS3 version, even after tweaking, and some segments of the story aren’t the most original, but this did have its share of fresh ideas that piqued my interest. Many tales rehash some smaller ideas, but any small clichés worked well in this. The beginning hooked me, then it kept me interested throughout its entirety. I found the fights in this to have tight controls, and most were enjoyable, especially a couple of the boss fights (where one has to figure out HOW to fight them). Good story. Good battles. Good characters. It is light on the RPG mechanics, with only 4 stats, but it was enough for me, especially with being able to upgrade armor and skills. Scarlett is not so bad to look at, either. I can easily recommend this to anyone that’s not too picky about every game having to be a AAA experience. Its story & tone kept me interested enough to buy twice (PS3 & 360).

I don’t see the reasoning for all the negative reviews. I’m truly wondering if any of these so called pro reviewers even played this game thru to the end. I know some may put 5 hours in and call it a day, bashing some games if their 1st impression isn’t a good one. Anyhow… Granted, it’s not the highest budget, AAA experience, but this game more than accomplishes what it sets out to do, even in its mid-budget confines. Its beginning hooked me; then kept me interested enough throughout. Some segments of the story aren’t the most original, like revenge for burning down the village in the beginning, but that apparently happened often in the days of yore, so that didn’t bother me one bit (plus there was a twist). On the other hand, this did have a few fresh ideas that piqued my interest. Many tales rehash smaller ideas. It worked well in this. Its light RPG mechanics with only 4 stats was enough for me, as well as upgrading armor & such, with several skills to upgrade, so tweaking the-not-so-bad-to-look-at Scarlett kept this an enjoyable experience throughout. Yes, it has a few flaws, like a wonky camera in a few narrow spaces, but none that were enough to make me lose interest or rage quit. Fighting in this had tight controls for me, and was enjoyable. So I gave my PS4 Pro and other consoles a rest for a bit, & fired up my PS3. I was looking for something a bit different, and this German developed game did just that. Therefore I can easily recommend this to anyone searching for a game with light RPG mechanics, that’s not too picky about every game having to be a AAA experience. Its story & tone kept me interested enough to play and enjoy right to the end, and at the cheap price I purchased this at, I do not feel like my ca$h wasn’t well spent. Over and out.

I'm truly wondering if any of these so called "professional" critics actually played this game all the way through, what with all these bad reviews. I'm liking this game lots. Its keeping me hooked. It has the Terminator 1 & 2 look & "feel," especially with the music. Plus I'm getting into the slight RPG skill leveling (similar to the Tomb Raider reboots). The graphics more than do their job of setting the tone, & look pretty dang good, actually. Granted, it's not a AAA game, and some of the facial character models almost look PS3-ish, but that tiny flaw isn't irking me at all, not even in the slightest. Not every game will be photo-realistic with a multi-million dollar budget, and truly, I don't want that realism in every game. I think this game is awesome for what it is, making the very best of it mediocre, AA budget. It may have a couple flaws, but nothing that's putting me off. Actually, it's quite the opposite -- I had a problem turning this game off tonight, to tell you the truth. Don't let some of these bad reviews fool you. Fans of the best 2 Terminator movies, the 1st 2, or fans of 1st person shooters with slight RPG mechanics will likely not regret buying this. One may want to wait for a price drop, but I didn't. And truly, I don't regret it. Not one bit.

After the 1st four games being great, especially the one before this, Twilight of the Spirits, I've naught to say about this except what was Cattle Call thinking? They bungled this. Moreover, some story elements of this either alters or discards significant plot-lines from its predecessors. And the fact that it's no longer a tactical game is one thing, but that it's a horrible attempt at an action game is another. If this series is ever brought back, it's this game's battle system and plot-lines that need to be discarded, as it goes back to its roots.

I just re-played this game in 2019 for the 1st time since it's release in 2003, and I'll say one thing: it rules just as much now as it did then. I love playing back & forth between Darc & Kharg -- the story/characters still drew me in. I also love the references to the earlier Arc games -- 1 thru 3. Even though I own this game physically for the PS2, I re-bought it on PSN for my PS4 before I re-played it this year, and Sony did a good job smoothing it out (& with Trophies, too boot). Awesome game, though the next game, End of Darkness, is NOT so awesome (it's a shame).

This game should not pass by as unknown, as it turned out to be innovative and very good—not a hit, but damn close to it. I can tell there is someone on this design team DONTNOD that worked on Heavy Rain. Starting out with its strengths, I’ll say that story-wise, it draws a little inspiration from Total Recall with the “memory” thing, but then takes it somewhere way beyond that into its own territory. I’m not finished with it yet, but nearing the end, and its getting more & more interesting. Gameplay-wise, the fighting gets progressively better as she learns more and more combos. When executed correctly, they are very rewarding. It gets interesting to work with, in that there is healing and hurting combos, to name a couple. On another level of gameplay, the Memory Remix is fun to adjust, like altering memories by literally changing them, almost like going in and literally changing the past. I only have one complaint: the camera can go haywire if you back into a wall or item while fighting. But other than that, a couple of the boss fights I found to be very original. I give this game an 8 or 9 easy. Don’t let it pass you by if you’re into sci fi or beat ‘em ups with innovation.

Story-wise, this is by far the best Tomb Raider game to come out since the first 3 games. However, on a technological level, this is the best game in the series. Crystal Dynamics "Core Team" really outdid themselves with this one. Highly recommended title. Great story. Great level up system to upgrade equipment. Tight controls. Lots of secrets to find with exploration. My primary genre is JRPGs, but this is by far the best action game released in many years. It gives one a true sense of outdoor survival. Did I say tight controls? Well, they're very tight.