I WAS going to review another game that I had in mind, but I was suddenly gifted a review copy of Anodyne and though "why not?" So instead of a game that everyone has heard on, might as well review a game inspired my the Zelda series, but remarkably, mixed the dark storytelling of the silent hill series before silent hill sold their soul to the devil that is commercialism. So Shadow The Hedgehog might as well relax until I finish bashing the hell out of this game-- metaphorically, after all.
Picture this: You are a player named Young Ying, and you are in a subconscious within someone's mind trying to restore balance within itself and must find your inner brother, Baird Yang.
Within the game, you travel to dark lands and eery places, while there's not really any jump scares like in most horror games, the atmosphere can be somewhat spooky. Like Zelda you start off with nothing until you find your weapon...A...broom... Then you move on to dungeons and reach the end of the game. Along the way, you also have to collect card to open doors to complete the game.
While being a Zelda clone might be a great idea, that also means the game has the similar issues as past Zelda games. For one, the game becomes liner as the Link to the past and you get lost and there's little-to-no-clues to where to go. While this dose help exploration and you can find Blood Fairies that can extend your life, you have to use a guide to just to figure out where to go.
Another issue that players would face would be the level design, while can be fair at sometimes, it can still push back and slap players in the face. For example, you will run across a maze near the end of the game, but to get everything, you have to come back after you beat the game and complete an outrageous challenge just to get ONE card.
While there are some silly, hidden cards in post-game, it feels that they're just in just for spits-and-giggles. There's only so little replayiblity in the game besides the achievements in the steam version of the game. In my opinion, the achievements are not worth it. While it is not easy to get that one achievement, the game has only few achievements in the first place.
If you played the devilish ROM-hacks of the Zelda NES, you would probably get a kick out of this game. If you're a newcomer to Zelda-Hill'ish game-types, I recommenced you to play the Zelda Gameboy series, as they are well implemented, as well as Wind Waker HD . Anodyne isn't a bad game at all, it's just it had ideas that it didn't execute very well because of it's identity crisis. I felt that if there was better programing, it would have run smoothly. Maybe if it stuck out as it's own game instead of feeling like a Zelda ROM hack, it would have been a great game.
Well, that review was short than expected. the game was short, so there was so little to say. now if you excuse me, I have to take cover since the horse-headed people have invaded planet earth and I'm ore than scared by these co-called people. It won't be long until I kill them and sell their corpses for glue, but too bad I just offended the furies of this world....
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Spelunky (360/ PC)
Like some people having a problem with judging a game for what it is Good, bad, or disappointing, I'm having a hard time to judge Spelunky since the game itself is a heavily luck-based rouge-like game.
The point of the game is that you are one of the many treasure hunters, sending him or herself into the mines to hunt down the legendary treasure of Kali. On your way, you discovered that a wise man has discovered that the mines change at random and that death, itself, is lost as death only ends up forcing you to restart from the start and that you're tuck in your own personal hell. Speaking of which, there are hidden levels LIKE HELL, that you have to get into for the true ending. Yes, like most castlevania games, it has a false ending, so to get the best ending and score, you have to rely on luck and good-luck with that.
While some to most of the deaths are partially on the player itself, the problem is part of it is how the game's random map spawns. For example, I found the game like to spawn the traps and bombs close to the sacrificial alters, or worse, when you set the traps off, they tend to hit the shopkeepers. When shopkeepers are set off, even by accident, they will hunt you down; Even if it means killing the damsels, other shopkeepers or other fiends that stay in your way.
Speaking of the damsels, you can set them as a the dumb, female bimbo; a creepy cross dresser who is gender-confused; and a stupid dog named Rufus, who acts like a doofus. I find them to be somewhat offensive characters, but from the look of things, they made them that way so sacrificing them wouldn't add any emotional weight and that's the problem. The game has a devalue character issue that lower all characters as cartoon-like, unlikable characteristics, which death less painful on purpose. Apparently, this game wants you to commit suicides just to count the death-meter.
However, this game is fun, but it is not exactly fair as other rouge-like games. Unlike games like Rouge Legacy, for example, the game dosn't get easier as you go. While you do unlock new character, they do not attribute since they do NOT have special abilities and there isn't a counter-measurements for unfair spawns. While tools like jet-packs, climbing gloves, and ropes can help you make it to the end, it depends if the game will have mercy and provide the items that you will need via shops and boxes.
In short, the game would have been better and easier to handle if it was an online game, as the multiplayer is only local co-op. Even though there are some advantages with local multiplayer, the game suffers from a lazy port, as it was originally for the Xbox 360 and then the steam release happened a year later. While the game dose support mods, it just lacks any change from the 360 version. The game suffers from what makes other Rouge-like games acceptable because it fears to let the player have an experience with itself.
I have to cautiously recommend this game, as if one plays Mario ROM hacks, this game makes the same mistakes as most game mod-ers that make the game too frustrating for those who do not know for what's coming for them. This is not a game for those with short tempers. Thankfully, I knew what I was getting into, unlike my friends who want to strangle a puppy.
The point of the game is that you are one of the many treasure hunters, sending him or herself into the mines to hunt down the legendary treasure of Kali. On your way, you discovered that a wise man has discovered that the mines change at random and that death, itself, is lost as death only ends up forcing you to restart from the start and that you're tuck in your own personal hell. Speaking of which, there are hidden levels LIKE HELL, that you have to get into for the true ending. Yes, like most castlevania games, it has a false ending, so to get the best ending and score, you have to rely on luck and good-luck with that.
While some to most of the deaths are partially on the player itself, the problem is part of it is how the game's random map spawns. For example, I found the game like to spawn the traps and bombs close to the sacrificial alters, or worse, when you set the traps off, they tend to hit the shopkeepers. When shopkeepers are set off, even by accident, they will hunt you down; Even if it means killing the damsels, other shopkeepers or other fiends that stay in your way.
Speaking of the damsels, you can set them as a the dumb, female bimbo; a creepy cross dresser who is gender-confused; and a stupid dog named Rufus, who acts like a doofus. I find them to be somewhat offensive characters, but from the look of things, they made them that way so sacrificing them wouldn't add any emotional weight and that's the problem. The game has a devalue character issue that lower all characters as cartoon-like, unlikable characteristics, which death less painful on purpose. Apparently, this game wants you to commit suicides just to count the death-meter.
However, this game is fun, but it is not exactly fair as other rouge-like games. Unlike games like Rouge Legacy, for example, the game dosn't get easier as you go. While you do unlock new character, they do not attribute since they do NOT have special abilities and there isn't a counter-measurements for unfair spawns. While tools like jet-packs, climbing gloves, and ropes can help you make it to the end, it depends if the game will have mercy and provide the items that you will need via shops and boxes.
In short, the game would have been better and easier to handle if it was an online game, as the multiplayer is only local co-op. Even though there are some advantages with local multiplayer, the game suffers from a lazy port, as it was originally for the Xbox 360 and then the steam release happened a year later. While the game dose support mods, it just lacks any change from the 360 version. The game suffers from what makes other Rouge-like games acceptable because it fears to let the player have an experience with itself.
I have to cautiously recommend this game, as if one plays Mario ROM hacks, this game makes the same mistakes as most game mod-ers that make the game too frustrating for those who do not know for what's coming for them. This is not a game for those with short tempers. Thankfully, I knew what I was getting into, unlike my friends who want to strangle a puppy.
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
Games of the (last) Year!
Thank god, it's 2014, as the last year wasn't very eventful. Sure, there where some good games at the start of the year, but the dry summer of gaming where ever so dull. That, and personally, it felt that fortune was not all on my side though that year. However, there where some games that stood out for better...and for worse.
Games of 2013
Disappointing Game of 2013: Dead Rising 3
- Dispute making improvements, the series has lost it's identity as the game looks extremely muddy, the pathways are just annoying fillers just to pad out the game, and the zombie killing tends to be a pointless level grind. Yes, the zombie killing is fun as you can craft anywhere at anytime, but as a sequel, It's a sequel like Home Alone 3 is to the last Home Alone movies as the humor and psychopaths felt last-minute and the story is farfetched. Now you know how the fans felt how disappointing Saints Row the 3rd was. *Angry yells in the background*
Most Surprising Game of 2013: Wonderful 101
- When the game was announced to be very short, we all had our concerns that this game might not review well. That was not the case. Why? Remember the makers of Okami, Viewiful Joe, and God Hand? Platinum Studios developers did past works on the games and honed their skills to make this game. Dispute the game being very hard and has it's small quirks, This is a Wii U game for the Hardcore gamer.
Worst Game of 2013: Ride to Hell: Retribution - 1%
- While I am tempted to list Garry's Incident as the worst game of the year, as the company did attack critics and, as well, written false reviews on Meta-Critic in bad English, Ride to Hell takes first place for ACTUALLY takes gamers to hell. The game functions, but the game is nothing but bugs, bad textures, bad voice actors, and that leads up to one bad experience for anyone. The sad thing that IT WAS an alpha and they forced it out the door...and Let's not mention the "sex" in this game, because it's lazy, it's sexist, and mostly of all, abysmal....
Best Soundtrack of 2013: Saints Row 4
- Yes, Even though the game might not be as big as GTA5, at least the soundtrack doesn't have old, thrown out stars like Britney Spears. While the game's soundtrack dose have old, licensed songs, famous from movies, It felt that it held up twords other sandbox games, especially GTA5 that uses pop-culture songs that anyone would grow sick of. Saints Row 4 might be a better version of Crack Down, but the soundtrack of the game makes you feel like a total bad-ass!
Best Story of 2013: A Wolf Among Us
- This is a dark, deep story based on the Fables comic series. Enter Ex-villein Bigbe Wolf. Now as a detective, Bigbe often makes hard decisions within his job, everyone knows that things are going to get real when a cereal-killer starts killing every fairy-tale character in sight. While, yes, your decisions might not determine the story as in past Telltale game , The Walking Dead (except in the Add-on, which will determine season 2! Just a heads up), The story will only get better later on.
Best Portable of 2013: Pokemon X/Y
- Was there any doubt? This game brings back what made pokemon the best portable series as well as bring a new fairy-type to counter the dragon-type. Pokemon X/Y has a simpler trade system, including wounder-trade, brings back the linear story path in pokemon, which critics missed, and introduced new pokemon, despite Pokemon getting stale over time. What can you say about pokemon?
Best Seller of 2013: GTA 5
- Well, we all saw this one coming, but the game is not known for the stupid story line, nor the abysmal soundtrack, but rather it's game-play and it's sales. While it dose continue that carp-tacular storyline since GTA4 and has a disappointing multi-player launch, the game is huge, has underwater exploration, parities this satire of the world that we live in today, and is the preferred "realistic" game to go into rampages. Personally, I feel that this game is over-rated and shows a point about "gaming" media of today, but that's a subject for later....
Now that the personal Games of that year, I can finally make an announcement: I have gotten over 300 views! Congratulations on helping me on this, and as a reward, I will be streaming on twitch! I also made an optional donation site though the new Patreon system. It's paypal...without PayPal, if that ever make sense. Instead of Indes, it works well for people who make content on Youtube, twitch, and other web sites as a giant tip jar. It IS optional, but your donations do help.
Games of 2013
Disappointing Game of 2013: Dead Rising 3
- Dispute making improvements, the series has lost it's identity as the game looks extremely muddy, the pathways are just annoying fillers just to pad out the game, and the zombie killing tends to be a pointless level grind. Yes, the zombie killing is fun as you can craft anywhere at anytime, but as a sequel, It's a sequel like Home Alone 3 is to the last Home Alone movies as the humor and psychopaths felt last-minute and the story is farfetched. Now you know how the fans felt how disappointing Saints Row the 3rd was. *Angry yells in the background*
Most Surprising Game of 2013: Wonderful 101
- When the game was announced to be very short, we all had our concerns that this game might not review well. That was not the case. Why? Remember the makers of Okami, Viewiful Joe, and God Hand? Platinum Studios developers did past works on the games and honed their skills to make this game. Dispute the game being very hard and has it's small quirks, This is a Wii U game for the Hardcore gamer.
Worst Game of 2013: Ride to Hell: Retribution - 1%
- While I am tempted to list Garry's Incident as the worst game of the year, as the company did attack critics and, as well, written false reviews on Meta-Critic in bad English, Ride to Hell takes first place for ACTUALLY takes gamers to hell. The game functions, but the game is nothing but bugs, bad textures, bad voice actors, and that leads up to one bad experience for anyone. The sad thing that IT WAS an alpha and they forced it out the door...and Let's not mention the "sex" in this game, because it's lazy, it's sexist, and mostly of all, abysmal....
Best Soundtrack of 2013: Saints Row 4
- Yes, Even though the game might not be as big as GTA5, at least the soundtrack doesn't have old, thrown out stars like Britney Spears. While the game's soundtrack dose have old, licensed songs, famous from movies, It felt that it held up twords other sandbox games, especially GTA5 that uses pop-culture songs that anyone would grow sick of. Saints Row 4 might be a better version of Crack Down, but the soundtrack of the game makes you feel like a total bad-ass!
Best Story of 2013: A Wolf Among Us
- This is a dark, deep story based on the Fables comic series. Enter Ex-villein Bigbe Wolf. Now as a detective, Bigbe often makes hard decisions within his job, everyone knows that things are going to get real when a cereal-killer starts killing every fairy-tale character in sight. While, yes, your decisions might not determine the story as in past Telltale game , The Walking Dead (except in the Add-on, which will determine season 2! Just a heads up), The story will only get better later on.
Best Portable of 2013: Pokemon X/Y
- Was there any doubt? This game brings back what made pokemon the best portable series as well as bring a new fairy-type to counter the dragon-type. Pokemon X/Y has a simpler trade system, including wounder-trade, brings back the linear story path in pokemon, which critics missed, and introduced new pokemon, despite Pokemon getting stale over time. What can you say about pokemon?
Best Seller of 2013: GTA 5
- Well, we all saw this one coming, but the game is not known for the stupid story line, nor the abysmal soundtrack, but rather it's game-play and it's sales. While it dose continue that carp-tacular storyline since GTA4 and has a disappointing multi-player launch, the game is huge, has underwater exploration, parities this satire of the world that we live in today, and is the preferred "realistic" game to go into rampages. Personally, I feel that this game is over-rated and shows a point about "gaming" media of today, but that's a subject for later....
Now that the personal Games of that year, I can finally make an announcement: I have gotten over 300 views! Congratulations on helping me on this, and as a reward, I will be streaming on twitch! I also made an optional donation site though the new Patreon system. It's paypal...without PayPal, if that ever make sense. Instead of Indes, it works well for people who make content on Youtube, twitch, and other web sites as a giant tip jar. It IS optional, but your donations do help.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)