siphus007

Donkey Kong 64 is a shockingly impressive and good-looking collectible-based adventure platformer of the 90s. It gets a bad rap simply because several video game commentators choose to target this game as the point where "collectibles went horribly wrong". This is confusing to me, because collectibles were a part of nearly all N64 platformers, as well as many current gen and recent games, which provides the classic *100% completion* hunt for players who enjoy that sort of thing. DK64 is a masterpiece in doing what it intends to do -- provide 30-45 hours of engaging platforming (and very, very light "third person shooter") gameplay with various characters who learn multiple unique abilities over time. Because of this gameplay style, you are opening up new areas constantly -- with a nearly Metroidvania feel -- while exploring dynamically lit, animated, and rendered, giant group of worlds. The biggest frustration may come in the fact that you often have to switch between characters at confusing or inopportune times to use one of their abilities to solve a puzzle or reach the next banana. But I love it. There are 201 bananas spread out through gorgeous and expansive levels, and the fact that you are often switching between characters keeps the gameplay fresh, and gives many new ways for them to throw puzzles at you. By the time you've found ~90% of the collectibles, the hunt may get stale, but at that point, you are entering completionist-only territory, which means that you know what you're getting yourself into. While Mario 64 revolutionized 3D platforming, DK64 took everything that Nintendo had built, and added more variety, options, abilities, and even a fun multiplayer mode... well... at least for 1999. The graphics were excellent for the time, but I will admit that the textures start to look pretty bland, and the framerate often drops. The game does so much with lighting that the system can't always handle it, but thankfully it never crashes (with help from the memory expansion pack). The camera does have some issues, but it's a rare annoyance. The music is pleasant, and the game has a ton of heart, humor and silliness that is ridiculously endearing. It doesn't have much of a story, but cutscenes and sequences and the developing dynamic and structure of the island, and routes that are opened up, do give it the slightest story-like feel to it, even if this part is a bit lacking. I'm not sure why this game gets the brunt of collectible-rage (other than holding a collectible world record), as I could give dozens of examples of games that take far more than 40 or so hours to collect all the nonsense, and at least DK64 keeps it extremely fresh as you tackle each banana. Give it a shot, and soak up one of the last versions of pure Nintendo 64 platformer brilliance.

I feel like MGS3 comes as a complete foil to MGS2, and responded well to all the people who were angry that they got duped, and missed playing as the ineffably cool Snake. But as some people suggest, it felt like a James Bond and Rambo homage; one that I probably didn't need to experience. I don't have the same bias as people who grew up on MGS. But even having played them late, I can still say that the first one is a certified classic and a work of art. The second is, to me, mindblowing in dozens of ways, on political and psychological levels that I've experienced with very few games. The third one is kind of just... there. The dialogue is forced and iffy, the environments are bland, and the game often feels like a chore. That said, from a technical standpoint, it follows in the footsteps of previous iterations as being extraordinarily expansive in what you can do and how you can get past situations or boss fights. It has some of the better boss battles, but the enemies are undeveloped and it's hard to care about any of the characters. At several points I just wondered when it was going to end. But they tried to do something different and please the fanbase but still maintain intrigue, plot twists and turns, and expand on the series' cinematic dominance. So I'm not mad I played it. I just hope #4 gets me back on track with the series.

One of the better dungeon crawlers of this generation. Not what you were expecting? Likewise. Pikmin 1 surprised my 12 year old self as being a beautiful, cleverly-designed, and fairly challenging and sometimes emotionally endearing tale. It was one of the best of the system, as you go through sprawling maps that seem to open up and get more unique and varied each time, with difficult bosses and a tough time limit that requires precise efficiency. But this isn't a Pikmin 1 review. Pikmin 2 we have now, which actually trades the improvement from a level and landscape perspective, and puts the meat of the game inside of caves. Now, this sequel maintains most of the Pikmin diversity and the elemental challenges, but it ditches the time limit, which really reduces your pressure, but not in a good way. You can make mistakes, waste time, and it doesn't really matter. The levels are fairly large, but by the end of the game they feel underwhelming. Playing through the main game will give you decent satisfaction. It would be a perfect rental back in the day. However, there are probably twice as many treasures needed to complete it 100%. And along the way of playing the game, the majority of treasures are inside of caves. These caves have tons of challenges, usually a boss fight or two, occasionally excruciating and unfair punishments and game mechanics. In fact, some caves are so hard that it seems like the developers made it so that finding ways to manipulate your way around the challenges are the only way to survive. The caves are certainly a grind near the end, but they're pretty fun at first. This game offers a crazy amount of diversity and even a coop mode if you're into that. Pikmin 2 is great. It's NOT for the weak at heart or for pure-casual fans, as it may frustrate you beyond belief at times. But it's a solid follow-up and a satisfying 100% over 35 hours.

The biggest knock that UC3 has against it is that its predecessor was UC2. The 2nd biggest knock is that it's kind of janky and the melee combat is highlighted but doesn't feel very good. The 3rd biggest knock is that part of the story starts feeling contrived and as unbelievable as a Michael Bay movie. That said, this game is awesome. Some of the set pieces and missions will stick with you forever, and absolutely great character interaction including fan-favorite Chloe, and Cutter, one of my personal favorites of the series. Despite the unfortunate things UC3 doesn't hit the nail on the head, the sheer joy and evocative sequences and chapters and puzzles in this game more than make up for.

Braid is brilliant. I played this game 8 years after its release and is possibly the greatest puzzle game I've ever played. The beautiful music and score, astonishing bright and vivid watercolor-like graphics, actually remarkable approach to storytelling, providing it with emotional and psychological appeal, and most of all, extraordinary mind-effing puzzles. These puzzles are so genius and varied and diverse and one-of-a-kind that I thoroughly don't believe it possibly came out of the mind of 1 man. This is a hard game, and 1 puzzle piece may actually stump you for an hour or so. It's a rewarding feeling when you let your brain take a break and then come back and somehow accomplish a mind bender in a way you never thought of the first time. The conclusion is trippy and emotionally resonant. I think everyone who enjoys puzzles MUST play this game, if not only for the iconic nature of this being one of the first games to catapult indie games into the forefront of the XBox Live Arcade and AAA quality.

Bioshock is intense, suspenseful, difficult, demanding, punishing, diversified, and enthralling. If I would have played it 10 years ago (and before Infinite), I would have been blown away. I would say that despite iconic characters, set pieces, and chapters that you'll probably never forget, there is an ultimate discomfort and tedium, especially in the middle/latter half that make this game not entirely.... enjoyable.. to play. Gameplay options and customizations abound exceedingly, which is one of the most stunning things anout the game. Second, some characters and some of the absolute greatest philosophical game moments of all time make this worth playing. But man sometimes it's just painful. Perhaps because it never eases up and you never get to relax. And to top it off, despite a timeless moment near the end of the game, the final conclusion was remarkably anti-climactic and had me scratching my head rather than with my jaw wide open (Infinite). It's an excellent game and revolutionary for its time, so try it you may possibly love it.

Great game, and if I had more than a 10 point system, I would probably say 8.5 honestly, but it leans higher so I will go with a 9. Be warned, this game starts off dreadfully uninviting. They immediately dive into confusing conversations, imagining that you 'read all the books already' to the game's lore, which don't exist. It is a major turn-off, but I'd highly suggest that the first time you start the game, commit to 2-3 hours out of the gate. Once the battle system begins, you'll never look back. With a great and enjoyable cast of eccentric and beloved or hated characters, and a punishing system of choice where each simple caraven choice has the potential to deal you great damage, and one of the most enjoyable and addicting battle systems I've ever played, Banner Saga is an underrated gem in my opinion. For an indie kickstarter game, you get 10 or so hours of gameplay on 1 run, and there is never a dull moment for 5 minutes where you don't feel like a choice, a character upgrade, or a battle move is unimportant. There is replay value, but that's not usually something I go for. Great music, and an impressive art style that keeps the game above the 2D, **** indie look we see so often now, and did I mention the complex, fully-baked, strategy-heavy battle system? The main drawback is a lack of regular voice acting and.... well... I guess a slow start? Overall this is a superb game.

Despite its extremely slow start, stick with it and you'll end up with some of the most rewarding 35 or so hours of exploring a stealthy, fully realized cyberpunk atmosphere, with some of the best philolsophical questions that are likely to come up, not too far off in our lifetime. While your main character Adam Jensen is a bit of an impersonal shell, it provides the ability for the big questions and intrigue to happen to the great characters around him. The story is convoluted, but starts making a ton more sense after several hours. The sense of adventure and environment and choices on how to navigate feels great, and the leveling system is fantastic as you learn that you won't be able to level up everything, so everyone will end up playing the game a bit different. They did miss a sense of balance with some of the powers seeming essential or pretty useless but that's easy to overlook. In the end, this game is propelled by a solid, compelling story, good side characters, great abilities and a fleshed out stealth system, and most of all, fascinating and meaningful philosophical substance that very few games can get right.

More of the same while lesser ****. For all of the grit, intensity, great characters, and brilliant Lara Croft character development in the 2013 reboot, this is essentially the same game without those aforementioned things that made it so special and immersive. I won't crap all over this game because I still fairly enjoyed it, and finished it, and don't feel like I wasted my time. But there's something tremendously underwhelming about this game, and it seems to be a toss-up as to whether you'll actually feel that, or have a great time and love every minute. As for specific cons, the main villains are stale and confusing, the story is all over the place, the weapons are about the same, the unmemorable set pieces lack intrigue, characters' decisions don't make much sense, and the writing is suspect. That's what to watch out for, but the rest isn't half-bad. Enjoy.

First off, I don't give a lot of 10s. With Guerilla's first time stab at an action RPG, they knocked it out of the park. The gameplay is solid and ever evolving. The story, when in motion, is heavy, engaging, believable, and fairly profound. And... Writing, writing, writing. The unique writing of the side quests, especially in the rich Frozen Wilds, is extraordinarily memorable. While you never spend too much time with one side character, there are a dozen or more by the end that may find a special place in your memory. Going for platinum with the Frozen Wilds took me about 100 hours, so it's a beefy game but not without end. You could knock it out in under 40 most likely, if you stick to the main stuff. Aloy is voiced by the incredible Ashly Burch and provides one of the best performances of the generation. The *only* flaw with the game is that it starts slow. I would contend that actually the first 10-20 hours are not immensely gripping. As your weapon count increases and the plot developments unleash, it's near impossible to put down. But there is a bit of a slog at the beginning. Still, one the generation's masterpieces for sure.

Press A to advance the plot point. Cue the TV show music. Press A to do something illegal. Cue the dream sequence. Press A to trip out. Jump randomly to a new location. Find something around the room to press A on and then press A. A slog through 2 hours of dull "gameplay" to reach what matters, a final 20 minutes of senseless, pretentiously artistic confusion. If you try to interpret this as being an inspired game, then you can find a way. The lack of words or narration hinders it, although to its credit, the pseudo-artistic mystifying plot development style isn't seen very often.

Well made puzzle game with an intriguing philosophical touch. I don't play many puzzle games, but if I do, a memorable story is a huge plus. The Swapper thankfully spends some quality time developing a narrative, slowly and methodically exploring some interesting concepts behind the scenes. But really, the puzzles and gameplay is the most memorable. Filled with puzzles that challenge you and occasionally stump you for a short while, they give lots of satisfaction and diversity and are well worth the 6 hour playthrough. The ambient music, voice acting, and atmosphere are very technically sound. The ending is a bit anticlimactic, which keeps this from soaring to a 9, but I definitely do suggest it for puzzle and philosophy fans.

Firewatch resonated with me so uniquely that I can't expect a similar response from most gamers. I wanted to give this an 8. It has framerate issues and a controversial ending, and isn't terribly action-packed. So if you want a dialogue-based adventure game that explores relationships and life (in a very indirect way), you may just enjoy Firewatch. I will never forget the complicated Delilah, or how I started to share the emotions, intensity, and apprehension of Henry. Beyond the conclusion, it's one of those games that may stick with you for a good while, if you seek artistry and psychology depth in a video game. Reasonably, that's not everyone's cup of tea.

It's hard to say why, in XCOM 2, Earth has inexplicably lost the war, when you swear you remember a positive ending sequence for the first game. ...which is just as inexplicable for how shockingly hard this game is in comparison to the first. While the template remains mostly the same, the tactics change consierably, including the ease of having your whole squad wiped out from one mistake. But I digress. Despite various aspects of the game feel downgraded from 1, the story is still compelling, the core gameplay is still a blast, and the constant stream of activities makes this one of the most addictive games I've ever played. I want to say maybe an 8.5, but it leans further towards an 8 due to balancing problems, frustrations, and slightly more visual issues. While XCOM 1 is a must-play and is refreshingly difficult but exquisitely fun, XCOM 2 is simply more of the same with more difficulty and a little less fun.

Mesmerizing, artistically profound, and frustrating. Perhaps that would sum up this one-of-a-kind experience. While it very likely was far more revolutionary in 2005 than it seems now, if you give it a chance, you will find this to be an unforgettable masterpiece, hunkered down only by the occasional crappiness and lack of fun to the gameplay. This game starts slow and ploddingly. As you get to know the controls and the style and expectations of the boss battles, it can feel like a chore. But somewhere about 7 colossi in, the uniqueness and creativity of the battle experience starts to resonate, and at that moment, I started feeling like I couldn't wait to reach the next one. The visuals are of course one of the very best for its day, the horse controls were ahead of their time, the grabbing and climbing controls start to become appealing and second-nature, and the musical score is brilliant. Now, why is it an 8, you ask? Because honestly, sometimes the game ****. It's like that show you look forward to watching each week but every few episodes are duds. It's still a great show, but you can't say spectacular. I found several moments where, if someone asked how I liked the game, my response would start with a sigh and end with "I'm just trying to beat it." But at other times, I'm awed and impressed by the entertainment value and the appropriate balance of difficulty to the battles, and the sheer creativity they delivered via such simple mechanics. Some fights are monotonous hair-pullers, and some will be wild rides of endorphins. My conclusion: SotC holds up, probably moreso in its re-release, but it is not for the impatient. If you begin it, be prepared to finish it, as the pure glory and beauty comes via the conclusion. It is about an 11 hour game with lots and ups, and quite a few downs as well, but I can say I'm thoroughly pleased and satisfied in the unforgettable experience that is Shadow of the Colossus.

I don't know how this game worked, but good lord. What a unique ride. It is a game not of widely sweeping, landscape-changing decisions, but little ones that have heavy impacts interpersonally and sociologically. This isn't a game for the impatient. It plays out like a slow-simmering drama. It is a game where the lead is a dorky high school girl exploring a new school-- how would that ever work as a video game that people want to play? Despite the odds, it does. The unfortunate part about the gimmick of the game is that is essentially reduces the suspense or sense of significance to the choices in most situations, and reduces replayability, but that's just a slight damper. If you power through the fairly methodical, character-establishing 2 episodes, the next 2 enter a wild ride, and the game's entirety and conclusion may haunt you and stick with you for a long time. Never played anything quite like it.

I knew this game existed and was out there... But finally stumbling upon this on the PS4, it became 1 of the only games I've played that was somewhat life-changing. The less you know the better. Try it some day. Play it straight through if you can. Very memorable, and one of my favorites of all time.

Impressive artistic vision and flair, and a unique game mechanic, and a visual treat, but unfortunately the game doesn't do enough with the puzzle aspect, or creating challenge, or the connection to the characters with their gibberish language. I finished this just to finish it, but find myself relieved that it's done. I'm an emotional person, but found the connection to the story lacking, and maybe that will depend on what you have gone through in your life. At least it is a short game.

INSIDE is a beautiful, masterfully designed puzzle game set around a dark and mysterious facility. Despite moving only left to right, and only being able to jump and grab, PLAYDEAD provided dozens of brilliant puzzles to have to work through that are neither impossibly frustrating, or insulting to the intelligence. And in the meantime, the strangely unspoken and undeveloped story unravels smashingly over the course of 4 hours. It's definitely a great game, hands-down. I wish it was cohesive and explained itself a little bit more, and gave me more to take away other than mere obscurity, but this is one of the better indie games out there.