Fabulously Olivier
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Posts posted by Fabulously Olivier
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8 minutes ago, ARMADS!!! said:
lol, seriously? I've always seen them refered to as "The GBA trilogy of Ace Attorney" or "The GBA FE games",... So it just never really ocurred to me that this wasn't the case,
I guess it really shows that I played those games on emulator.Well, we live and learn, thanks for giving me this information before I put myself on a situation where I'd be embarassed for real for not knowing it.Oh, you actually might have unintentionally pinpointed what relates FE fans to Ace Attorney fans: Persona (meanwhile, another circle on the Venn diagram overlaps Danganronpa with Ace Attorney and Persona, but not with Fire Emblem).
Also another thing that for some reason FE fans love too: Xenoblade Chronicles, no clue why and I have no clue about anything related to this game either, I just know some people here and on FE boards on Gamefaqs are crazy about it.
Well, it helps that the most common pairing of visual novel gameplay like Ace Attorney these days is now tactics gameplay. We have ample games like Utawarerumono, Digimon Survive, and 13 Sentinels that pair these two genres.
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The actual "this vinn diagram is a circle" overlap with FE fans is Persona and Trails. And maybe Utawarerumono if those particular fans are especially clued in to gaming.
9 hours ago, Jotari said:Which is a shame since Pokemon's gameplay is actually really well designed
Is it though? I've played enough JRPGs to know that Pokemon is the single most basic "use super effective move to 1-2 shot everything" game there is. Most other turn-based JRPGs at least flesh that out. That only actually changes at the competitive level because teams are so optimized. And the hidden stat progression systems to optimize your teams are easily some of the most obtuse, poorly designed, and busy progression systems in any game.
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13 minutes ago, Lightcosmo said:
Reverie was riddled with errors such as these:
the quality of the translation was terrible this time around. I could name maybe 4 crafts with errors in them in IV, but Reverie? A new player will likely make many mistakes due to crafts/arts having wrong descriptions. (Here as you can see, Laura's Radiant Wings has Alisa's Heavenly Gift Crafts description)
Shiiit. I'd actually use Laura if she had that skill. That's hilarious.
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2 minutes ago, Lightcosmo said:
Oh i agree. Although i think i appreciated NC7 over the old, as they kinda lost their drive alongside Rean in III. (Most of them, anyways, there were exceptions)
Although i honestly think Reverie was worse than those two, and that's saying something.
Haven't gotten to Reverie yet because I'm not buying new games right now. My understanding is that it's another Sky 3 - great gameplay, irrelevant or semi-canon story. Just an excuse to get the whole gang together.
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Just now, Lightcosmo said:
On visiting new characters: I agree. After CS II, i was wondering why Class VII needed to stay around. I honestly wanted a new MC at that point as well, Rean's story was finished. I admit, there are characters i enjoyed in those games, but they just needed to let go of them.
I don't mind their system, they just never fine-tuned it at all. Most of the glaring flaws that they had right to begin with, were never addressed.
Trails of CS 3 & 4 were bluntly the point when the writing and pacing took a nosedive. And the new Class VII was lame and just made me want more of the old Class VII.
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2 minutes ago, Lightcosmo said:
Are you referring to them needing new gameplay or just their engine being reworked entirely?
The continuity, really. All the time with Rean and Class VII has largely overstayed its welcome, and it was time for a change of pace.
The gameplay changes also feel necessary because grid-based games bluntly aren't fun to grind in.
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On 10/22/2023 at 4:58 PM, Lightcosmo said:
I played The Legend of Heroes: Kuro No Kiseki Crimson Sin: this time in English!
Storyline was alright, the early acts were the best parts. Late game needed some work.
Gameplay was as always, leagues better than CS.
I really am excited that they announced Kuro No Kiseki's worldwide release for next year. Trails needs that refresh. Let's friggin go.
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I loved Pokemon gens 1-3. Hated 4. Liked Black and White. Haven't really clicked with any of them since. And I know it's popular to chalk that up to nostalgia, but my opinion on the matter is that the games have actually gotten worse, because I am still able to enjoy their competitors in that genre.
Anyway, I think the overlap exists primarily because:
1) Pokemon is huge. Most people are/were Pokemon fans.
2) If you already own the console, you're more likely to get into other games on it.
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I actually own Wargroove 1 and have literally never played it. It actually intimidates me because my only Advanced Wars experience was Days of Ruin, and that game kicked my ass.
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4 minutes ago, Zapp Branniglenn said:
Judgment discourse was always funky to me. When it came out it was heralded as a brave new era for the series. But then I play it and I'm once again in the shoes of a 40-something man raised by a benevolent Yakuza patriarch but always has to insist he's NOT Yakuza as he solves all their problems. I half expected them to give him his own Haruka. And, would it kill him to show a little more emotion than Kiryu? He talks like he's staring into the abyss and dude you went to law school and work as your own boss rescuing cats for a living. Life's funny some times, so Lighten Up yeah? Wish Kaito was the main character instead.
Anyway, my question: do they still have circa 2007 Assassins Creed tailing missions? And do you ever walk a full lap past the place it eventually ends at? I fist pumped when it finally happened. Didn't think they had the GUTS to risk me noticing. But they did and I did.
I actually find myself wishing that Sugiura would be the protagonist of future Judgement games. It just seems like the games are preparing him for that role.
They still have a few tailing missions, but they're a lot easier now. The missions that actually annoyed me were the stealth missions (stealth in a Yakuza game? Gross!)
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62. Lost Judgement
Cleared 10/1.
8/10. It really feels to me like the Yakuza games are always almost-perfect but not really.
+ Greatly improved combat over Judgement with Crane being made useful and the excellent new Snake style.
+ No more fights with the Keihin Gang every 5 minutes.
+ Traversal is improved thanks to the skateboard.
+ Yakuza's side quests and activities are great as ever.
- The story and pacing took a huge hit thanks to the high school setting. This is unfortunate, as Judgement had one of the best plots of any Yakuza game and Lost Judgement is a contender for the worst.
63. Chained EchoesCleared 10/3.
8/10. People have been talking this one up like it's one of the greatest JRPGs of all time. And while it makes some clever innovations and is truly impressive for a one-man effort, I can't say that I agree with the consensus.
+ Excellent QoL features. Full heals after every combat. Quick rematches to lost combat encounters with no penalties.
+ Innovative level system in which levels are party-wide and gained only from bosses. You can't grind levels, but can grind skill points.
+ The story is acceptable, and the lore is impressive. People are confusing deep lore for deep storytelling here.
+ The overdrive system adds a bit of much needed depth to the turn-based combat.
- The game has some pretty severe pacing issues. You'd think its particular QoL features would alleviate that, but no.
- Skill design is pretty basic.
- Progression/customization systems aren't deep so much as they are obtuse and inconvenient. The gem system in particular kind of blows thanks to the purity mechanic.
- Mech battles kinda suck.
64. Infamous Second SonCleared 10/6.
8/10
+ Improves on the prior game with a protagonist who had varied powers and an actual personality.
+ Greatly improves on traversal. It's particularly much easier/quicker to get to the rooftops.
+ The power styles feel pretty distinct and good, despite them all using similar button maps. They're designed by formula, but also have a different feel.
- The story is weaker than Cole's games.
- Enemy variety is low.
- It's still an Infamous game. That means lots of generic Ubisoftian filler content of low quality and lower variety.
- One of the powers isn't obtained until the very end of the story, and the final boss is literally a tutorial for that power set. I can safely say I've never seen a tutorialized final boss before, wtf.
65. Fuga Melodies of Steel 2Cleared 10/6
8/10
I'd be a hypocrite in recommending the former to FE fans as a masterpiece if I didn't also jump on the sequel.
+ One of the most effective franchises at delivering emotional gut punches and making you care about keeping its characters alive.
+ No, seriously. To keep spoilers minimal, there is a certain event that happens in this one that has a severe emotional impact on the entire cast and it is executed extremely well in both narrative and gameplay.
+ Improves on the gameplay balance of the original. Characters are rebalanced, there's no more fail percentages on crafting (replaced with Great Success chance), and resources are generally more in demand.
+ Turn based JRPGs do not get deeper than Fuga. You are constantly swapping your gun & support unit placement to plan for the next 3 moves. You are always balancing hitting weakpoints with reducing enemy armor, dealing damage, and healing. And while the game definitely gives you enough mp recovery items, you will need to balance your skill uses.
- Status effects are still excessive.
- I'm not a fan of auto-Soul Cannon when you take major damage in a boss fight. It never actually ruined a boss fight for me since it gives you 20 turns to end the fight before sacrificing a character, but it seriously adds a lot of (unwanted) stress. I guess it's thematically appropriate.
- The Easy/Normal/Dangerous route system is misleading as a difficulty option. If you pick easier routes, you WILL have a harder time on bosses because the resource gains are really inferior.
66. Gotham KnightsCleared 10/13.
5/10. So, if a bunch of game development scientists got together in a lab with the purpose of making a game intentionally designed to disappoint me personally as much as humanly possible, this is definitely one of the potential results of that incredibly niche and unprofitable field of study.
+ I can play an entire game as Nightwing, my 2nd favorite superhero (after Gambit).
+ The story is kinda good, I guess.
+ Has some decent boss fights.
= Literally why can transmog suits not be customized. I'm not giving you any points for having half a transmog system, lol.
- The combat is shallow and boring.
- The city is way too big, and way too empty.
- Traversing the city is not fun.
- Content variety is minimal.
- Enemy design is basic and occassionally frustrating.
- I love looter shooter/brawlers, but the gear system in this is so basic and dull. It's literally just one armor piece, one melee weapon, and one ranged weapon, with basic stats and a simple mod/gem slot system. This is pointless. The whole goal of a gear system is exciting drops with unique effects.
- I never even noticed the soundtrack. Which is to say, it's dull.
67. Neo The World Ends With YouCleared 10/16
6/10. Honestly, this was a case of sunk cost. I had fun at first, got far enough that I felt I should finish it, but wasn't having enough fun to play for more than a couple hours every few weeks, and I blame the game's pacing for that.
+ Striking artstyle and great soundtrack. I expect this from JRPGs nowadays.
+ The story is decent.
+ The characters are endearing and interesting. Aside from Nagi.
+ Being able to drop one's health and chain battles together for better rewards is a unique approach to grinding.
- The pacing is just actively atrocious. One ingame days feels like an ingame month of Persona 5, and not in a good way. The game only took me about 30-35 hours, but it felt like twice that.
- I've been told that the combat is deep if you're really good at it, but on an average player skill level, it's just a button masher with excessively long cooldowns and overly tanky enemies.
- Maybe the puzzles would feel natural to a fan of AR games. I found them obtuse. It was a real "read a walkthrough" game. Until the last few days when the game guides you by the hand (thank you!)
- I don't think I've ever seen a worse gear system in my life. A majority of equipment pieces have Style requirements to unlock their passive ability that are so high, the gear will be long obsolete by the time you reach it. And I was actively going after food with high style bonuses.
- The game is absolutely loaded with useless pins like tripwires and mines that felt unusable in any practical battle.
68. Titanfall 2Cleared 10/17.
I dislike first person shooters and first person games in general, so it says a lot that I rate this game at a 9/10. I'm actually putting it above the Halo trilogy in my ranked playlist.
+ Strong gunplay
+ Fast, tightly paced storymode with impressive level design and a gripping narrative
+ Excellent parkour (for a first person game)
+ Both pilot and titan combat feels really good. This game is overwhelmingly successful as an fps and as a mech game.
- Some may take issue with how short the campaign is. I liked it that way, but I did complete it in 5 hours and I am not good at video games. Still, I get that perspective is only possible because I played it on Playstation Plus. If I had bought it for $60 at launch, that's a hard sell.
69. Yakuza Like a DragonCleared 10/17.
So, I had a real debate on this one. Is it a 9/10 or is it a 10/10. Ultimately, when I give out a 10, I am not saying that a game is perfect. I am saying that it represents the best of its genre. I am probably saying that any flaws it might have are either nitpicks or subjective enough that they could be positives. And well, I'm about 90% sure that Like a Dragon meets that threshold, and even if it doesn't, I'm damn sure that Infinite Wealth will.
(For reference, other 10/10s I've assigned are Guild Wars 1 & 2, Fire Emblem Path of Radiance, Diablo 3, Persona 5/P5R, Xenoblade Chronicles 3, Ys 8: Lacrimosa of Dana, Mass Effect 2, The Witcher 3, and God of War 2018).
+ Excellent cast of characters
+ Great story even by Yakuza standards.
+ Yakuza's crazy tone is amped up to 11 and perfect for a JRPG.
+ Unique real-time physics mechanics in a turn-based JRPG are innovative as Hell. Being able to curb-stomp downed foes before they get up in real time or knock someone into a car. Or wait until enemies clump together or stand near an environmental weapon. There's a lot of added depth here, and I'd say that it's one of the most successful games at fleshing out turn-based combat.
+ Yakuza's side content and minigames are as compelling as ever. I actually got addicted to business management.
+ The class system is really unique, quirky, and fun.
- Brutal difficulty spike in Act 12. The game suddenly shoots from level 37 enemies to level 50 enemies, with 2 bosses at once. Basically, it warns you to grind the Sotenbori arena first, and you HAVE to. If this place wasn't also such a great place to alleviate the game's gold and resource grind, this difficulty spike would have resulted in me bumping it down to a 9.
- The early pacing is pretty slow thanks to Yakuza's notorious love of cutscenes.
- The economy is pretty brutal, until it isn't.
- Honestly, if you weren't going to have any sidequests in Sotenbori or Kamurocho, why even take us there?
- A lot of the inherited moves from classes really don't seem like the ideal ones that should be inherited.
70. Kena Bridge of SpiritsCleared 10/19.
8/10. This one feels like a modern PS2/GC platformer, in a good way.
+ Striking artstyle. Like if Pixar was doing their best Ghibli impression.
+ Strong soundtrack
+ Platforming and puzzles are usually fun and straightforward.
+ Solid combat.
- The difficulty is a bit high for my liking.
- Some of the later platforming segments with bombs don't quite work. There's plenty of times when the bomb will stick to the ledge that you're on rather than following its displayed throwing arc.
Right now, I'm playing:
Like a Dragon Ishin
Shadow of War
NieR Replicant version 1.2whatever
Shining Force I
Assassin's Creed Rogue
The Division 2
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On 11/12/2021 at 11:28 AM, Benice said:
I've never played a FF game, so I don't know exactly what qualifies as a JRPG vs. Beat-'em-up, but I can massively recommend the Yakuza/Judgement series. Aside from maybe Like a Dragon; it's a really good game, but it's a lot more of a JRPG than a fighting game, whereas the prior games and Judgements are all fighing-game forwards.
Fun twist - in Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth, Kiryu will literally be able to break the 4th wall to temporarily turn it into an action game again.
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Cole was holding the Infamous franchise back. He's the human equivalent of sandpaper and his powers are boring.
Delsin was needed, Delsin is good, and the fandom deserves the IP being put on ice for rejecting him.
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3 minutes ago, Yexin said:
i guess Pokémon is such a braindead, uninteresting suggestion, that's why no one mentioned it yet
i think Monoliths Soft would make for a good dev studio for this desperately aimless (aside from quick cash) franchise
I'd really love a Pokemon-like in Team Asano's HD-2D style.
15 hours ago, Integrity said:i deeply disagree with this, honestly. i think a nintendo-made ARPG would end up in in a really shallow hack n slash design space that's fun to go through for a few hours and instantly tapers off. ARPGs are kind of built off of in-depth build design and grognard bullshit, both of which are things nintendo's been categorically beholden to avoid at all costs. nintendo's ARPG would be more d3 1.0 and far less d3 reaper of souls, is what i'm saying
e:
yeah, for instance they could make several mediocre third-person rpgs, or poorly copied wing commander, or made a mediocre set of first-person shooters, or made and completely fucked over an mmorpg instead of taking over a completely fucked over mmorpg. star wars games have never had a golden age, lol
Fine. Put Monolith Soft on it because they are undoubtedly a Nintendo studio who is NOT beholden to avoid in-depth build design and obtuse bullshit.
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Okay, anime and comics power hour. Currently almost all anime IP are being squandered by Bandai Namco in the arena fighter mines.
Power Rangers and Ninja Turtles
RGG
There is an inherent stupidity to these IP that is perfect for the Yakuza developer.
My Hero Academia
Nihon Falcom
Combine the party based action combat of Ys with the school slice of life of Trails. Or just do it like Trails.
Gundam
Digital Extremes
Licensed Warframe, anyone?
Fullmetal Alchemist
Square Enix
I'm imagining Final Fantasy in FMA form.
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I've got another one. A change of publisher, not developer.
Torchlight
Perfect World Entertainment -> Nintendo
It is surprising that for all of the genres Nintendo does well, they don't have a Diablo-like (no Dragalia Lost didn't count!) Torchlight is both a franchise artistically fitting with Nintendo's image, and a franchise in need of a positive change in direction after the underwhelming TL3 and the mobile cash grab.
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Your answers can be for a mainline sequel, revival/reboot, or spinoff. Basically, what franchises have the potential to be greater under another studio, and who would that studio be.
I've got a few:
Infamous
Sucker Punch -> Insomniac
While Second Son definitely improves on the movement and combat from Infamous 1 and 2, no one does movement-based superhero sandboxes better than Insomniac. And I reckon the general game world design would also live up to its full potential under one of gaming's most talented studios.
Guild Wars
Arenanet -> Larian
In modern gaming, no one does CRPG build depth better than Larian. They are the only studio I'd trust to make a game like Guild Wars 1.
Shining Force and Golden Sun
Camelot (or rather no one) -> Team Asano
Triangle Strategy is basically a low fantasy, improved Shining Force with modern QoL, better map design, and verbose storytelling. But certainly, the quirky high-fantasy setting of Shining Force could make for an even better SRPG in their capable hands.
Golden Sun is also an unfortunately dead franchise, and it would really benefit from Asano's trademark HD-2D style.
Banjo Kazooie
Rare (or rather no one) -> Toys for Bob
If Microsoft is going to make gaming worse by buying up the biggest 3rd party publisher in the industry, they could at least give us a Banjo Redooie out of it.
Fire Emblem Turn-Based Spinoff
Atlus' B-team -> CyberConnect2
TMS#FE had good gameplay, but bad everything else, and I think we can do better. Fuga Melodies of Steel provides the perfect template for what a turn-based JRPG FE could be like. It has weapon types that delay enemies based on their weakpoints. It has support conversations and permadeath. It has swappable pair-ups, and you are always managing your current deployments in combat. Characters are all distinct with their own damage skills, support skills, link attacks, and pair up bonuses. Hit rates are displayed, and are based on enemy type vs. weapon type. It is also a linear JRPG without grinding, much like classic FE.
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1 hour ago, Integrity said:
common misconception! sonic's dad is actually thomas wachowski, as famously portrayed by generationally seminal actor jamie marsden in the documentary-film of mr. hedgehog's life
Actually, Sonic's daddy is Knuckles.
I'll see myself out.
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Bungie is the worst mainstream developer in gaming. And I only specify mainstream because someone would bring up that random Steam asset flip number 33,482 is running a money laundering scheme and their game gave someone's computer the clap.
Just, imagine if EA or Activision dared to announce they were vaulting expansion content because their game became "too big to update." We'd rightly mock them and review bomb their game into oblivion. Meanwhile Warframe has far more content, for free.
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2 hours ago, IbrahimPasha said:
I'm an avid gamer, and I've explored countless virtual worlds, but there's something truly magical about World of Warcraft (WoW) that keeps me coming back for more. It's not just a game; it's a vibrant, ever-evolving universe filled with rich lore, breathtaking landscapes, and an incredibly passionate community. The thrill of embarking on epic quests, battling formidable foes, and forging alliances with fellow adventurers is an experience like no other. WoW's ability to constantly reinvent itself with expansions and updates ensures that the adventure never ends. While I enjoy a variety of computer games, WoW holds a special place in my heart, and it's where I've made lasting friendships and unforgettable memories. For me, it's not just a game; it's a world I'm proud to call home.
I get that. I regularly go back to Guild Wars 2. The Guild Wars setting has been home since middle school.
Speaking of memories, I just picked up the Shining Force trilogy on my phone and ad-unlocked it. I've always had some serious nostalgia for Shining Force 1 even though I've never beaten it. Time to fix that.
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53. Hogwarts Legacy
(Cleared 9/1)
7/10. Initially really impressed me, with its production value, combat system, and attention to detail, but wears thin over time. Also, before anyone calls me out, I neither bought the game nor had it bought for me. I used a copy dad bought for himself.
+ Impressive attention to detail makes the game an IP fan's dream
+ Flexible, excellent magic system. Fun enough to enjoy at a casual level, but also seriously technical to master.
+ Strong soundtrack
+ Strong visuals
- Low enemy variety
- Low content variety
- Tiny inventory
- Gear passives feel undercooked and shallow
- Aggressively Ubisoftian in its approach to open world.
- JK Rowling bad
54. Kingdom Hearts 3(Cleared 9/2)
7/10
+ Solid gameplay, if a bit shallow.
+ The Pirates of the Caribbean world is seriously impressive. Really streamlines the Black Flag naval combat in the best way.
+ KH has always had a great soundtrack
- The story is incomprehensible, juvenile gibberish.
- The removal of all Final Fantasy characters is lame and undermines the original premise.
- Some worlds are actively unfun. Having Frozen immediately followed by Winnie the Pooh makes for a bad middle section of the game.
55. Sea of Stars(Cleared 9/9)
8/10
+ Gorgeous presentation
+ Catchy soundtrack
+ Flexible approach to difficulty customization
+ Great combat
+ The characters all feel distict
+ Interesting lore
= The story is... I hesitate to call it bad. It's more so bad it's good, with some frankly hysterical tonal whiplash. Like imagine if Fire Emblem Engage actually pulled off what it was going for.
- Most of the characters lack personality, Garl aside.
- I'm not a fan of the timing mechanics in battle. They don't really do anything other than make the experience worse.
- A lot of the locks on bosses are a lie. As in they are actually impossible to break in the alloted timeframe, and don't even follow the normal rules of getting weaker the more locks you break.
- Locking the true ending behind collectibles is cheeky.
56. Fuga: Melodies of Steel(Cleared 9/9)
8/10
Speaking of tonal whiplash. Take the most adorable set of cartoon animal children and put them in Valkyria Chronicles, and you've got this emotional trainwreck. I highly recommend this masterpiece to anyone who likes Fire Emblem and wants that experience in a turn-based JRPG.
+ Masterfully uses is cute artstyle and support conversations to emotionally batter you and make you want to protect them. It evokes the same desire for a perfect run that Fire Emblem does.
+ Particularly deep turn-based combat.
+ Effectively creates the same attrition-based gameplay and social sim as Persona in a more streamlined form.
+ Really excels at "one more go" pacing.
+ Interesting adaptation of WW2 storytelling.
+ Innovative game structure.
+ Likeable characters.
+ Beautiful soundtrack.
- The difficulty choices are fake, if not downright deceptive. Not choosing the hardest route causes the player to lose out on so many rewards that the game will become harder for them. This is the problem with rewarding more skilled players with power in any game. Those who need the help fall behind, while those who don't need the help get an easier game.
- The degree to which enemies hit you with status effects is obnoxious.
- Blocking often feels bad because it only works on one enemy. And enemies tend to attack all at once.
- Lack of saves in battle or even between many battles can result in game sessions going on way longer than intended.
57. Fate/Extella: The Umbral Star(Cleared 9/10)
3/10. So, when I of all people say a Warriors game is shit, it's really shit.
+ The roster's good. It's just one Lancelot short of having all of the anime essentials, and he's added in the sequel. And... that's the only complement I have.
- This is not Fate. This is the same stuck-in-an-MMO isekai bullshit as Sword Art Online. In fact, I'm 99% sure they wanted to do SAO and got stuck with a different license but decided to do it anyway.
- The story is so atrocious, boring, and focused on cringe fanservice that I literally started enjoying the game more after I started skipping it all.
- The game is solely concerned with slowing you down. It uses the Hyrule Warriors DE style base capture where you have to spawn enemy officers by killing hundreds of peons, except the peons are more durable, you have to kill more, and they love to spread out. Also, this also applies when defending your base, against all logic. And enemies LOVE to invade your bases, so you'll be doing this alot. This game is the secret to immortality. It makes 15 minutes feel like 45 minutes.
- Most of the movesets I tried feel really subpar, with slow animations comparable to FEW without Astra.
- Low stage variety, and they almost all look alike. Except for the ones that have a slight Japanese flair on the same garbage online coding aesthetic that the rest of the game has.
- The main story locks you into the 3 waifus (Nero, Tamammo, and Atila). And I do mean waifus, not heroines, because they spend most of the game's script uncomfortably dry humping your self-insert protagonist to death. But I digress. Want to play anyone else? You're locked into their side stories with the same 3 formulaic missions.
58. Ratchet and Clank Rift Apart(Cleared 9/17 - Platinum Trophy)
9/10. Just a really friggin enjoyable game.
+ Strong story, for a mascot platformer, anyway.
+ Ratchet's blend of third person gunplay and collectathon is always a delight.
+ Rivet is a delightful new character, and if they would up their production rate of these games, I wouldn't mind her getting her own solo games. Or just, you know, coming back.
+ The guns are all quirky and fun to use, and fun to upgrade
+ Collectibles are satisfying and useful
+ The visuals are good
+ The rift mechanic is fun
59. Ghostwire Tokyo(Cleared 9/18)
7/10
+ Visually stunning and unique
+ Awesome animations
+ Ideal for someone like me who prefers slower gunplay.
- More Ubisoftian than an actual Ubisoft open world game. Bloated as Hell.
- Some enemy types are extremely annoying
- The game frequently rips you away from your powers, forcing insufferable stealth sections
60. Diablo Immortal(Cleared 9/22)
So, any score I give this is coming with a big asterisk. It's more fun than Diablo 2, but it's also so evil its monetization that it's a worse game. Ultimately, I decided on a 4/10 to represent that.
+ Excellent visuals for an ARPG. It's both grimdark and attractive.
+ Solid combat, if compromised by touch controls.
+ Their approach to channeled skill cooldowns is excellent and should be copied going forward.
- Disgusting pay to win monetization
- Level gates the story constantly.
- Frequent intrusive reminders to try social and store features.
61. Trials of Mana Remake (Hawkeye/Riesz path)
(Cleared 9/24)
7/10.
+ Charming nostalgic art style
+ Good retro music
+ Fun DW-style combos
+ Great class system
+ High replay value
+ Loaded with collectibles
- Bad voice acting.
- Can't smoothly combo attacks into spells.
- AI is dumb. It doesn't heal reliably, and it can die on you pretty easily.
- Certain trap sessions are stupidly annoying.
- It's hard to like the characters. Charlotte is annoying. Hawkeye is generally likeable, until he decides to be a big creep. Kevin's voice acting is insufferable. Riesz is cool though, and I don't have enough experience with the other 2.
As for what I'm playing now, I'm mainlining Lost Judgement and Chained Echoes. I'm also playing Torchlight 3 and nearing the end of my Neo TWEWY run (but it says a lot about my opinion of the game that even its ending arc isn't making me focus on it).
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I've got a better idea. Make it Pokemon Party. With up to 8 players each carrying a badge that the others have to win off them.
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In terms of platforming/collect-a-thon mascots:
Mario > Ratchet and Clank > Spyro > Kirby > Banjo > Crash > Jak and Daxter > Donkey Kong and Yoshi >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Sonic.
But hey, Sonic. You're still better than Bubsy.
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On 9/13/2023 at 8:47 PM, vanguard333 said:
I imagine they will anger Intelligent Systems, since Fire Emblem Engage was made using Unity and the changes are being made retroactive.
My hope is that this means they will switch from Unity to a better engine. As for which one, I have no idea. I think at least a few turn-based games have been made using Unreal Engine, including one that used a hexgonal grid, so I think it would be viable for future FE games. As much as I'd like to see IS use an engine it itself made, the sad reality is that in-house engines are becoming increasingly less feasible for game studios; Square Enix learned that the hard way in the PS3 and PS4 era, where their in-house engines: Crystal Tools and Luminous, were unfinished piles of garbage that couldn't handle most of the games Square Enix wanted to make at the time (directly causing the 10-year-long development nightmare Final Fantasy XV went through).
To be honest, even before this, I had my concerns about Intelligent Systems using the Unity engine for Engage, mainly because I remembered that Unity merged with that malware company almost a year ago. To be honest, I'm surprised that that wasn't the thing that made everyone want to stop using Unity.
It frankly seems to me like that merging with the spyware company was done to create their download detection software to facilitate this business model change.
Correlation between FE and Pokemon players
in General Gaming
Posted
But that's the thing. I don't actually think the competitive gameplay it has is a virtue of the gameplay mechanics. I think it's a virtue of the size of the community. You put a big community and an online competitive matchmaking system in just about any JRPG and it will be just as deep, or deeper than Pokemon. One can only dream of SMT having that kind of mode.