@NotTelevision thanks. I too killed first the Lynel with the ancient arrow in the last floor. Can't believe it didn't cross my mind to attack the bokoblings with rods when I had the Meteor Rod 😂 I instead used bombs to kill them, then climbed the tower to kill the stationary Guardian with another ancient arrow. I think I'll later start the Champions Ballad.
Undergoing games:
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity
Continuing my 3DS streak while I play DQXI on Switch. Although neither of these games were actually made for 3DS.
Plants vs. Zombies
This is the DSiWare version of the game. I've been following NintendoCapriSun's No Sunflowers plathrough since he started it and that wanted me to go back and play it again. I don't know why it took me so long to start playing again though. His playthrough is pretty much over at this point and I just fired up the game earlier this week. I'd beaten the game back in the day but this time I went for all the achievements and minigames which equals to playing the campaign again and beating the 5 minigames I hadn't done before.
The DSiWare version suffers from slowdown which makes a slow game even slower. I didn't enjoy it as much as I did back in the day. Every stage starts the same and once it actually starts throwing more interesting stuff at you, you've already planted your defense and then it's mainly just watching as the zombies die while replacing some plants once in a while.
Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan
Beat Radiohammer and HarmoKnight earlier this year. I'm currently experiencing some kind of rhythm game addiction. I've had EBA and Osu 2 for a long time and I'd say Osu 2 is probably my favorite rhythm game of all time. I just never got the first one. I've heard the songs many times before since my sister has it though and I've probably played most of them too. As it is the case with the other entries in the series, this game is just pure fun.
I started playing on Monday and I've since beaten the game on normal and hard. I'm halfway through the hardest difficulty right now and I might do a run of the easiest difficulty after that as well. Haven't got any S ranks yet. I expected to get at least a couple on my first try since I have an S on every song in Osu 2 on hardest difficulty. I think I leave the S rank hunt for another time though. That way I still have something to do once I want to play the game again.
Next up I'll probably play either Kirby or Ace Attorney, also thanks to let's plays. (Don't know why I'm watching so many let's plays all of a sudden. I tend to enjoy other kinds of videos more.)
I got Kirby Super Star Ultra from the same seller as Osu so I want to play that. At the same time, I want to finish Triple Deluxe too. I bought it a year ago, played 3/4 of the game and stopped. Chuggaaconroy is currently playing it and I've been following his series so I may want to finish it before he gets past the point where I was.
Same goes for Miles Edgeworth Investigations. Lucahjin is currently really close to where I left off back in the day so her let's play serves as a reminder of where I was and what I was doing. Makes it easier to get back to it. I also haven't finished Spirit of Justice. I've probably played 80% of the last case too...
I'm still in a rhythm game mood too so this might finally be the time to get Hatsune Miku Project Mirai DX. I've waited for a sale for years and it never happened. The new Miku game for Switch just came out in Japan. I already tried out the demo. I'm waiting for a western release though since they've already said it's coming. I hope it's soon.
EDIT: Forgot to mention one thing. After PvZ credits there's a message saying: "No personal relationships, game producers' sleep schedules, programmers' bug count records or artists' wills to live were harmed in the making of this product." I feel like this message is even more timely now than it was back then.
I recently finished up LEGO Jurassic World (PS4). It's actually my first crack at a LEGO game.
Welcome to Jurassic Park (& World).
Gameplay:
the core adventure spans across 20 self contained levels (5 per film), which mostly consist of light puzzle solving & platforming, with a bit of combat thrown in as well (boss fights mostly consist of quick time events & puzzle elements).
There are 3 main collectables you'll find strewn throughout levels. Lego Studs, which are numerous and grant you with True Survivor status if you collect a certain amount within the level (there is really no punishment for dying since you respawn on the spot and there's no lives system, however you do lose a few studs every time you die, so if you do so consistently, you may miss out on True Survivor). An often hidden Amber Brick that unlocks a dinosaur for Free Play. Plus 10 Minikits, which are hidden and unlock a skeleton version of that level's dinosaur for Free Play. You can earn up to three Golden Bricks depending on how thoroughly you complete a level (one for completion, one for obtaining True Survivor, and one for collecting all Minikits). However it's all but impossible to 100% a level your first time through, as some items are hidden behind obstacles you need extra characters for (upon completing a level you can Free Play it, which lets you play as any unlocked character).
Characters have differing abilities which will require you to switch between them to get through levels, and collect hidden items (for example Alan Grant can dig up items, cut rope/vines, & build bone blocks. Ellie Sattler can rummage through dung piles, jump high/interact with parkour elements, & water plants. Ian Malcom can enter dark places with a road flare & solve equations). You can play as dinosaurs too, and while you can use small class dinos (Raptors, Compys, the acid spitting guys, etc.) just like other characters, unfortunately mid class (Triceritops, etc.) & large class (T-Rex, Brontosaurus, etc.) dinos are limited to certain areas in the hubworlds (which I'll get to next).
Your options for stomping around as this big guy are limited.
Outside of the main levels, there are 4 different hub worlds to explore (one based on each film, with Jurassic Park & Jurassic World unlocked at the start, though you have to play Jurassic Park's first level before anything else, with the Lost World & Jurassic Park III being unlocked in order after completing JP). At first you're guided through them pretty linearly (overcoming a few obstacles on your way from one level to the next), but once a film's story is complete it's hubworld completely opens up for Free Play, allowing you to solve extra puzzles, races, and the like to earn extra Gold Bricks (plus Red Bricks, which activate cheats you can use in the main levels, such as Stud multipliers). As mentioned before, use of the larger dinosaurs are limited to certain areas within the hubworlds.
All in all there's absolutely tons to do & unlock (you can even play as Mr. D.N.A., Steven Spielberg, and Jimmy Fallon of all people after you clear all story missions), and when it was all said & done my completion rating is just over 50%!
Audio/Visuals:
It's not a stunning looking game, but it gets the job done & doesn't have any sort of performance issues as far as I could tell. I will say that the self contained levels have a bit more graphical detail than the open world areas, and mostly look good.
Some good lighting effects as seen in one of the main levels. Comparing scenes like this (and the rain effects during the level where the T-Rex escapes it's enclosure) can be night and day compared to the open world areas, such as the previous screenshot.
the Jurassic films have great soundtracks, and their music is put to good use here.
When it comes to dialogue, it's clear that lines are simply ripped from the films and inserted here, but really what else could they do, and it works fine. However, Jimmy Fallon (who had a bit part in Jurassic World during a park infomercial) did seemingly record a lot of new dinosaur jokes, which can be heard by interacting with certain terminals in JW's final level, which was a nice touch.
Story:
It simply retells the story of the films in a humorous really kid friendly way (no one ever dies, as even Nedry, Gennaro, & Muldoon are discovered old & grey in Jurassic World, hiding out in the Jurassic Park ruins unaware of the new park (and lots of people) to the south, which is exactly what you'd expect going in.
Conclusion:
I ended up liking this quite a bit. It was a pretty standard experience all said & done, but there's nothing wrong with a relaxing platformer adventure from time to time, and there's not a whole lot of good Jurassic Park games (outside of a few park building sims, which really aren't my cup of tea), so I welcomed it. Probably going to be extra picky when it comes to selecting future LEGO games, so I don't get burned out on the concept.
When dinosaurs ruled the toy bin.
Currently Playing:
Switch - Blade Strangers
PS4 - Kingdom Hearts III, Tetris Effect (VR)
I obtained 3 stars on all cups in 100cc and have messed around with the other speeds and modes (minus multiplayer and online). As far as racing games go, which I normally don't go crazy over, this one was pretty decent. My experience with the series has been rather limited; I've only played the original Super Mario Kart, and that was via the N3DS VC a little over a year ago. I've also played a bit of Mario Kart Wii at a party before, but apparently Rainbow Road counts as a warmup for one who had never played the series before that point. Anyway, keep in mind that some of these impressions are from one who isn't the most familiar with the series.
Positives
This game is visually stunning. A lot, and I mean a LOT of work clearly went into the HD environments, characters, items, lighting, everything.
A major reason why games in the racing genre normally don't hold my attention for long is the repetition that they bring. With many of the tracks on offer here, I didn't really have that feeling. Some courses aren't even in a loop, in a sense. I very rarely became bored with a track, even the smaller ones.
Much of the game's music is catchy and fun to listen to. I may seek out a few of the tracks online just to give them a listen on occasion. My favorites were probably the theme for Bowser's Castle, the remixed Hyrule Field theme, and that techno track whose name currently escapes me.
The controls are easy to remember and have a brief adaptation period.
Many of the items are fun to use.
Overall, I enjoyed both the Grand Prix and Time Trial modes.
I like that a lot of the previous DLC for the Wii U version was already bundled in and also liked the new additions. I defaulted to using Rosalina after awhile with Link as a backup, but I like a lot of the franchise representation to be found here.
Neutral
I wasn't really that impressed with the Battle Mode (I didn't try the Vs. mode), but I also didn't mess around with it much. I feel that this would probably be more fun in multiplayer or online.
I wish the game, in its instructions/tutorial area, had let you know more about certain moves that you could pull, such as how to hold items behind your vehicle for protection. I could see the NPCs doing this on occasion and thought it was just a behavior for them until I ran across how to do this online.
Negatives/Nitpicks
CONTROVERSIAL OPINION ALERT: This game (and, I'm sure, most Mario Kart entries) tended to range between fun and infuriating for me. Sometimes it was purely infuriating. I understand that occasional item usage is a thing that can turn a match around quickly. But explain to me how it is fair to be in the lead on the last lap and A. have lightning used on you and THEN B. hit multiple times in a row with someone who's clearly an excellent green shell shot? There was definitely more than one case like this where item spam ensued. There was more than one time where I had to quit playing the game for the evening. If possible, they're even worse on faster modes.
Toad and Isabelle were the worst trolls. I have no problem pelting either of them with punishment. There, I said it.
As cool as the brief speed boost mechanic is in a race, I had to quit using this before long. Apparently it causes the NPCs to move faster.
All in all, I liked my first proper foray into a modern Mario Kart. It is a very fun game that, in the right company, I'm sure will make for a laughable afternoon. However, it is also very, VERY infuriating at times. It's a fun game for all ages to be sure that's easy to recommend, but IMO it's best played casually and possibly with other humans.
Completion Status: Between 25 - 30 hours. All forty levels completed, with all twit coins in each level collected. 42/48 beetallions collected (missed some of the other beetallions hidden in the overworld). Only collected about half of the tonics in the game.
~ ~ ~
When I first saw the initial reveal trailer for this game in a Nintendo Direct, I'll admit, I was a bit underwhelmed. While it was eventually consumed by a lot of online negativity (what isn't, these days?), I admired how the original Yooka-Laylee attempted to resurrect the sort of 3D game design that prevailed in a by-gone era when the modern internet was still in its infancy and new releases still had a sense of mystique to them. By all accounts, the 2D side-scrolling action of Impossible Lair seemed like a step back, an admission of defeat on the part of the devs, and a retreat to the well-trodden hunting ground of many other indie developers.
I still want Playtonic to go back to 3D game design, don't get me wrong, but I'm happy to report that my initial skepticism was undeserved. The new Yooka-Laylee game is a delight. It still draws from the nostalgic pool of classic Rareware game design, but, this time, it's SNES-era Donkey Kong Country as opposed to N64-era Banjo-Kazooie. And it really doesn't even attempt to hide this. Impossible Lair unashamedly steals a LOT from the DKC trilogy. Whereas the original gave the sense that it wasn't really bettering the formula of Banjo-Kazooie, though, Impossible Lair feels like a much more contemporary title in all the right ways.
For those not in the know, the Yooka-Laylee series features a pair of dual protagonists: Yooka, an earnest male Chameleon and Laylee, a sarcastic female bat. In this title, their arch-rival, the villainous Capital B (basically Gru from Despicable Me), uses a device called the Hive Mind to enslave Queen Phoebee's royal beetallion, which has brought chaos to the Royal Stingdom she rules over (did I mention they're bees? They're totally bees). Capital B has ensconced himself in an intimidating fortress called the Impossible Lair, and it's your job to infiltrate the place and defeat the Big Bad. But good luck pulling that off without the help of the captured beetallion.
At this point, the first sort of innovative feature of this game becomes apparent. While the player is expected to fail when they're thrown into the Impossible Lair and defeated at the very start of the game, showing them how difficult the venture is... they can totally go straight back in and beat it whenever they want. There's nothing to stop the player from slowly, painfully memorizing everything they would have to do to complete that endgame stage and beat the game while skipping 95% of this title's content. It remains open to challenge through the rest of the game, making it the business of the player to decide when they feel powerful enough to challenge it. For anyone who is even moderately well-acquainted with Nintendo's output, this should immediately bring to mind The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. In that game, as in this one, your one real goal is to infiltrate the lair of the Big Bad and defeat him in combat, and that possibility is open to the player as soon as they complete the prologue. The rest of the game is the process of exploring and powering up your character to the point where the player can feel confident in tackling the final challenge set before them. It was a very cool structure in Zelda, and it's cool here, as well.
The question becomes: "How do I go about powering up my freakish Chameleon/Bat duo to the point where they can stand tall against this mighty challenge?" Well, as it turns out, members of the beetallion have gotten trapped in various tomes (levels reside within physical books. It's possible the world of Yooka-Laylee itself might be in a book or something; I'm not entirely sure of the metaphysics involved here) and hidey-holes throughout the game's world. Each time you liberate one of these buzzybodies, they'll dedicate themselves to your cause and, when you're tackling the Impossible Lair, take a point of damage for you before dying. One or two of these little dudes don't make a huge difference, but by the time you've collected 40+ of them, you've developed a very weird and morally troubling but effective force-field of sapient bugs which helps you to survive the challenges contained within the Impossible Lair.
Unlike most 2D platformers, you're not just going from level to level here. There's an expansive 3D overworld, viewed from an almost isometric viewpoint, that's so filled with secrets, mechanics, puzzles, interactions, etc. that it's almost like a little game in its own right. In general, the default versions of levels are generally easy to access. There are 20 unique levels overall, but each level has an alternate form that you need to solve an environmental puzzle to access, making the game 40 levels strong in total (not counting the Lair). As a simple example, one tome is immersed in a pond and, appropriately, features a level with a focus on water and swimming. Find a way to freeze this pond, though, and you can access a version of the level where all of the water is frozen, leading to levels with such radically altered game design that they feel completely unique. As you progress through the game, the puzzles involved with accessing these alternate levels go from simple to surprisingly complex, and can sometimes involve manipulating things across entire regions of the map.
As with any decent Rare-inspired platformer, this one is also heavy with secrets and collectibles. In every level, you'll be able to collect up to five Twit Coins (think of the Donkey Kong letters in the DKC games, which they're somewhat comparable to), and, over the course of the game, you'll be able to use these to buy access to new parts of the overworld. You'll additionally be finding tonics everywhere, in addition to being able to buy them with the quills you collect for killing enemies (think coins in a Mario game). These potions do all sorts of things: apply a variety of visual filters to the game (my favorite gives the game a hideous green look ala games played on the OG Game Boy), make changes to the game design that increase or decrease the level of difficulty (such as adding more checkpoints, making enemies tougher, allowing you to retain collectibles when you die in a level, or even reversing the controls), and sometimes just do random, goofy stuff, like giving your characters gigantic, goofy looking heads. You have three slots by default for these tonics at a given time, with a fourth unlockable one. The developers balance the dramatic impact these items have been increasing or lessening your score multiplier for quills at the end of a level based on which ones you have equipped.
I also liked these talking signs who will give you sometimes cryptic hints on how to track down secrets in the overworld if you pay them. They usually manage to give out just enough information to put you on the right track without explicitly ruining the surprise associated with stumbling across a secret item.
The ability to take at least 49 hits in the Impossible Lair (48 beetallion shield hits and, of course, the usual one hit you can take with Laylee attached) without dying might sound excessive, like it would rob that section of the game of most of its difficulty. I'll admit I had similar thoughts initially.
I was wrong.
While I can't say that its name is a precise description of its nature (the Impossible Lair is not ACTUALLY impossible to beat), it can... feel that way at times. The Impossible Lair is rarest of things: a grueling platforming gauntlet that never relies on trickery or cheap gimmicks to challenge the player. Part of the difficulty is down to length: the level in its entirety takes anywhere between 20 - 25 minutes to finish. And, with no checkpoints, if you die, you're sent back to the very beginning of the level and forced to do EVERYTHING over again.
The level also recycles pretty much ever sort of challenge you've encountered throughout the game, usually in its hardest possible form. I compared the level to BotW's Hyrule Castle earlier, but a far more apt comparison, I think, is the endgame level in modern 3D Mario platformers. Starting with Super Mario Galaxy 2, and continuing in some form at least up to Mario Galaxy, 3D iterations of the series have a tradition of capping off the game, once you've fully completed everything else, with a long challenge level, usually devoid of checkpoints and power-ups, where you have to survive a variety of brutal challenges and demonstrate mastery of the game's mechanics. The Impossible Lair is a lot longer than those levels, but it feels similar insofar as it truly feels impossible at first, but through hard work and perseverance, you learn to conquer it and overcome your own limitations as a gamer.
In-between long strings of platforming challenges, you'll periodically face off against Capital B in tricky, but mostly pretty managable boss encounters throughout. The final boss fight against him, while not incredibly hard on its own, is always nerve-wracking because a mistake or two can send you back and force you to go through another twenty-minute slog again to get back to that same point. Even when you finally beat him, you're not home free, as the Impossible Lair itself begins to crumble and there's a final, Super Metroid-esque escape sequence where it's very possible to die just feet from your goal.
Controls-wise, this game feels a lot like DK, except, in this one, you always start out with the helpful companion character by default. With Laylee equipped, Yooka will be able to pull off long, powerful rolls and mid-air jumps that allow him to scale long chasms. Taking a hit and loosing Yooka will obviously lead to gimped performance until you find a mid-level item that summons the bat back to your side. In an interesting twist, when you initially lose Laylee after taking damage, you actually have the opportunity to recover her, as she'll flap around the screen like a maniac for several seconds before disappearing. Of course, taking a hit while grabbing for her will lead to death, so it makes for an interesting risk/reward dynamic.
~ * ~
I played this game on the Nintendo Switch (specifically the Lite, so I can't comment on differences between docked/handheld performance; this game never saw a single moment of TV time), so, as with most third party games on the platform, there are sacrifices made on the altar of that sweet, sweet portability. They're nothing too massive, but they're worth considering. First off, the game runs around... 540p, I believe, in portable mode. This sounds bad, and it is drastically sub-native, but the game's art-style is so stylized and cartoonish that it's honestly not too noticeable in the midst of gameplay (screenshots, obviously, could look better). Performance-wise, the framerate holds up well when you're playing the game without any filters, but some of the more elaborate visual filters tank the framerate in levels. It's a bit disappointing, as it disincentivized me from playing around with the different tonics.
Also worth mentioning is that I stumbled across a few bugs in my time with the game, including one where I memorably went sailing out of the level and into a void of black nothingness. It reminded me of the sort of bugs I've occasionally encountered in Bethesda's open world RPGs.
In conclusion, I was pretty impressed with the game overall. The Switch port could probably have been better optimized, but the game design itself is really solid, and it was a blast to play portably. It's not on the same level as an actual DKC game, such as the Wii U's impressive Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, but it's a superior indie experience in that style. I'm looking forward to seeing what else Playtonic does with this franchise.
Currently Playing: Resident Evil Village: Gold Edition
Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout. While I admit to getting distracted by other games right before finishing this game about a month ago, I returned to it over the last couple days to finish it. I have to say I absolutely loved the game! I had a blast playing through it and have to say it excels in three main areas.
Crafting: Perhaps the main point of this series, the crafting system is fluid and addictive. It's very easy to say "I'm just gonna make a new weapon" and then 3 hours have passed as you've crafted every possible upgrade you can with your current materials. It's an easy to learn but tricky to master system with a lot of details to pay attention to, but getting the hang of it is immensely rewarding as you can craft far better equipment than you could ever buy.
Combat: The battle system is very solid JRPG fare. It just flows well and mechanics are introduced at a reasonable pace to make things more interesting as the story progresses. The mix of traditional skills and using items makes for a nice twist on the usual sort of combat in the genre where using items is generally highly inefficient.
Characters and story: The cast of this game is my favorite part. I REALLY like these characters and by the end of the story felt like I had gone on the adventure right alongside them. Ryza is the star of the show and easily my favorite video game heroine to date. Though to be fair there are very very few games that star a female protagonist... The story isn't super original. What it is though, is really really well done. It gives everything I could ask for from an fantasy JRPG adventure, ancient civilizations, monsters, magic, mysteries and well, adventure. It doesn't try to be something more and it excels for embracing the genre instead of trying to reinvent the wheel.
The only real drawback I can say would be the visuals. While I think many of the designs are very creative and locations interesting, there's something of a lack of polish to the game visually. One consistent thing that bugged me was that Ryza's hair doesn't behave... like hair. Her bangs seem to defy gravity in a way that just doesn't make sense in a game made so recently. And there's some rendering issues too, that I think are errors with the lighting engine.
That said, I'm not a graphics guys, so the visual drawbacks are little more than a minor distraction from what was an outstanding mid-sized JRPG adventure! It might be a while before, but this is a game I could see myself happily revisiting someday!
Nintendo Switch FC: 4867-2891-2493
Switch username: Em
Discord: Heavyarms55#1475
Pokemon Go FC: 3838 2595 7596
PSN: Heavyarms55zx
First up, I recently completed the Last Guardian (PS4).
Better wake up Trico, we have a long way to go.
Gameplay:
A platform puzzle adventure, you play as a young boy who wakes up to find yourself trapped together with an injured mythical beast called a Trico, and the only way to escape your predicament is to work together to scale a mysterious impossibly tall tower.
The boy is able to fit into tight spaces & climb surfaces too small for Trico to grab, so whenever the beast hits an obstacle or can't continue for some other reason, it's up to you to go off and find a way for him to progress (usually by way of accessing a switch or bringing him back some sort of item, after engaging in the brand of platforming that often shows up in big budget PS exclusives like God of War or Uncharted). The boy is otherwise pretty helpless (whenever grabbed by an enemy, you must mash all buttons in order to break free), however at times you have access to a magical shield that lets you call forth lighting from Trico's tail to blast away distant obstacles & enemies, temporarily disable enemies from moving, and access special switches.
An example of the type of platforming you'll be doing a lot of (note the ivy you'll have to climb once you reach the tower).
You'll rely a lot on Trico to progress, as by and large he's the only one able to dispatch enemies, you need to ride him as he jumps to ever higher areas of the tower, and climb him to reach foot holds out of your reach. Eventually you'll get the ability to give him directions (you can point out a high place you need to get to, or direct him to a heavy switch only he can activate), though he (purposefully) has the mannerisms of a cat and oftentimes won't pay attention, at least not at first.
Apparently Trico's affection for you (and how long it takes him to obey your orders) are affected by the amount of glowing barrels you feed him (some you run across as you progress, and are even mandatory, while others are just off the beaten path) and things like how quickly you tend to him when injured (you can pull out spears that enemies plunge into him), though there's no in-game meter showing you how much affection he has (in fact, the game is devoid of many gamey elements, such as any sort of HUD depicting life & the like).
Audio/Visuals:
The game has a beautiful, almost haunting, atmosphere. With the theme of nature overtaking ancient ruins with some cell shading on the human characters, mixed with more realistic environmental texturing & game design, it kinda makes me think of what a cross of BotW & GoW (2018) would look like
A couple screens of indoor areas. While the outdoor landscapes often remind me of BotW, the indoor areas have a vibe all their own, such as the top one that looks like a hallway Kratos himself may have to venture into.
The attention to detail, particularly the immaculate plumage & animations of Trico, is absolutely stunning. However it comes at a price, as the framerate can be very rough in spots, and absolutely tanked a couple times (at least on base PS4). It tends to be a bigger issue in outdoor areas, but luckily, due to the general slower nature of the game, it doesn't kill the game.
This visual splendor comes with a catch.
Story:
While there's not a whole lot of dialogue & only a few cutscenes (the boy usually just narrates here & there, and sometimes it's just a tip if you're taking awhile on a puzzle), the relationship between Trico & the boy develops meaningfully via the beast's actions, as he behaves more & more like a domesticated pet, fiercely lunging into danger whenever the boy is in danger, and acting like a lost puppy whenever you have to separate from him for any length of time. There's some really emotionally powerful moments, particularly late game.
I also feel confidant in saying there's quite a bit of environmental storytelling going on when it comes to the design of the tower and what it's history & ultimate purpose may be, but I still have a lot of unanswered questions, even after the credits rolled.
Conclusion:
Dealing with Trico may have been just as frustrating as it was brilliant, and it does have some noticeable performance issues that can't be ignored, but there's just something special about this game. It's that kind of experience that absolutely grips you and doesn't let go (making you play into the wee hours of the morning before you notice), and while I can't in good conscious put it on the same pedestal as GoW or Spider-Man in terms of PS exclusives, I still say it's a must try at the very least, especially with how often it goes on sale.
The sun sets on an unforgettable adventure.
_________________________________
I also recently ran through Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare: Jackal Assault VR Experience, a free VR game available for PSVR.
Gameplay:
An aerial dogfighting game, it puts you in the cockpit of a "Jackal" (kinda looks like an F-22 Raptor given a bit of a sci-fi touch up, as this is set in space), and consists of exactly one mission.
Controls are simple if you've played anything similar (left stick controls speed, right stick direction, LT fires missiles which can lock on to multiple targets, and RT fires your machine gun cannons).
As mentioned before it consists of one mission. After being launched out of the hangar there's a brief tutorial segment where you'll follow an AI companion through a highlighted path to get to grips with the controls & blow up some debris to get to grips with your weapons systems, however soon dozens of enemy bogeys arrive on the scene & you're able to freely fly around and have to take out as many as you can. At some point you're tasked with taking out a large enemy carrier by shooting it's weak points, and the mission ends.
There's not much more to it than that (it is free, after all), though it does record how many kills you get, so you can try to top your previous record on future playthroughs (you can skip the tutorial section after the first go around, too).
Audio/Visuals:
Despite having my PSVR for nearly a year, this was actually my first full "cockpit" experience, and it was fantastic. The interior of the Jackal & the objects in the area are immaculately detailed, and I didn't notice any fuzziness (even with far off objects) either.
Getting ready to launch from the hangar gave me that same kind of anticipation you get whenever a roller coaster is making it's ascent (especially that first time), and the dogfighting action is absolutely exhilarating in VR in a way that it just isn't in a traditional gaming experience.
Conclusion:
It is unfortunately short (it can be breezed through in 10-15 minutes), but it's great during that time & a real showcase of what can be when a larger studio puts it's weight behind a VR project, and the asking price of free makes it a must own for anyone with a PSVR.
After ALL THIS TIME, I've finally beaten Ace Attorney: Spirit of Justice. This ended up being a bit of a pleasant surprise. Not because I expected it to be anything less than great, because the last game was fantastic and I love the series. But I did think going into this that the series was mostly existing to...exist by this point. New gimmick, new location, Maya's back, that was the marketing. And at first, I would say it just doesn't live up to the high standards of the series. It was missing something to make it special and it was also lacking a reason for the main characters to care.
But then I slowly realized the clever trick they pulled with this game. In that, to my eternal surprise, in this Phoenix Wright game, they actually snuck in Apollo Justice 2. This ended up being about him, and ended being the long awaited sequel I wanted. It feels like there was supposed to be an Apollo Justice 2 made, but they got scared and just made the series about Phoenix again. And this is a mistake because in these 3DS games, Phoenix Wright is the most boring part of his own series. He's the main character because marketing said so, and now he's a blander version of himself.
But Apollo is still compelling and in some ways MORESO than he was in his own game. The best parts of the game were about him, because he's really the protagonist by the end of this story. The last case does a ton of great stuff in particular with him, and one HUGE surprise for the first day of that trial that was something I never knew I wanted or would ever see until it happened. And it was so so good. And there's a scene at the very very end that implies this will continue. I'm overjoyed, its exactly what I wanted.
I mean the rest of the game is mostly great, but for the obvious reasons. It's Ace Attorney. There's not much to say. It's great because it's almost always great. Not my favorite but a worthy game in the main series.
Fun coincidence to have two people talk about the same 4 year old game in a row.
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Spirit of Justice - Took me long enough to beat. I started playing day one but dropped it after 3rd case. I'd heard the next case is a filler case and I was not interested in playing it right after the long 3rd case. I picked up the game again couple years later and played the 4th and 5th case, as well as most of the final case. But the case was so long that I ended up dropping it again. Yesterday, I finally went back and started playing again and today I finally finished the case.
My main problem with Spirit of Justice is that the cases are just tad too long. The final case is always the longest. The problem is that you know who's the main villain from the start. Every time you think you're going to get them, they throw a new distraction at you. The main story is good. One of the best ones in the series even. And the distractions get you closer to the truth every time. They give you new interesting information. You don't have the full picture until the end. But you know what you are after and that can get quite irritating.
While I liked most cases, case 4 was one of the worst ones in the history of the series. At least in my opinion. I liked that they brought Simon back but the case itself was just boring. But it's just one case. It's not like Dual Destinies where I thought most of the game was boring. I don't know why I didn't like that game as much as the other games but I guess it has to do with the fact that I don't even remember anything that happened in that game.
Anyway, Spirit of Justice was great and I really liked the focus on Apollo. He's more interesting than Phoenix anyway. I purchased the DLC cases as well so I'm not quite done with the game. I know two of them are just some short joke scenarios but that's just perfect after a really long case. I also hope the actual full length case is more interesting than Dual Destinies' DLC case. Moving onto Miles Edgeworth Investigations after the DLC stuff. That's the last Ace Attorney game I haven't finished. At least when it comes to the officially localized ones. I also hope a new Ace Attorney is just around the corner. The story ain't over yet.
Kirby: Triple Deluxe - Beat the main story on Friday. This is also one that I dropped before finishing it. I only had the final world yet. Great game but not quite as good as Robobot. The gimmick in this game was more suited for a Kirby game. Although I really hated watching Kirby eating those fat, long eels. It's quite disgusting.
Not much to say. It's Kirby. It's fun. While I collected all the sun stones, I've missed some rare key chains along the way. Unfortunately the game doesn't tell you which levels they were in (something that Robobot fixed). Had to look online for the right levels so now I have a list and I'll be going through those stages again in search for them. Also completing the side modes. Kirby Fighters is just stupid on Very Hard but at least I'm already halfway done. I wonder how hard True Arena will be. That's usually where the difficulty really ramps up.
Check out my Gaming Nonograms thread here on Nintendo Life if you are into Picross or other similar games.
I've been working my way through The Walking Dead games now that they are all out on Switch. I finished season 2 and 3 over the weekend. 2 was a replay from PC and much how I remembered it - very interesting and highly depressing. Season 3, the New Frontier was my first time playing to the end. I quite liked it and I would rank it higher than seasons 1 and 2 for the more balanced story. But it has one critical flaw: The Switch version has a game breaking crash!
If you kill a certain character in episode 2, during the recap in episode 3 the game will crash every single time, without fail. It's a very strange glitch, if you turn off subtitles and the comic book shader, you can get past it, but with those options on, it crashes. Drops you right back on the home screen. I've never seen such a consistent 100% occurring crash from any other piece of software on Switch. You can get around it by messing with the settings, sure, but that really shouldn't have passed testing. It's not some obscure thing to kill this character, it's an option most players picked! It's even one of the options they outright tell you who picked each route at the end of the episode!
Nintendo Switch FC: 4867-2891-2493
Switch username: Em
Discord: Heavyarms55#1475
Pokemon Go FC: 3838 2595 7596
PSN: Heavyarms55zx
@JoeDiddley Are Ultra Despair Girls or the Danganronpa 3 anime series on your to-do list? The former is a fun TPS spinoff that somewhat deepens the worldbuilding in Danganronpa 1 and 2 (ESPECIALLY Danganronpa 2), and the latter is the canon conclusion to the first two Danganronpa games.
Currently Playing: Resident Evil Village: Gold Edition
@Ralizah Danganronpa felt like as much like a binge watch experience as it did a game (my first VN) so I’d defiantly be interested in the anime series. I haven’t looked at how I would get hold of it in the UK (I’m less willing to spend much money on this kind of thing than games).
I’m a bit more on the fence about the spin off game, but I trust your recommendation. I think I’ve seen it actually at my local used game store before. And I’m weak willed!
It’s the Zero Escape Nonary games that I’m waiting to get at payday. I do already own Danganronpa 2, but pacing myself. 3 on Vita is very expensive for a physical copy here. Might have to download it if I don’t find it at a reasonable price (up to the cost of a new game).
I finished the FE3H DLC. I really enjoyed it. It's not terrible long overall, but it's quite a bit more challenging than the main game, with less missions but great mission variety. It also throws you right into it very much expecting you to know what you're doing. I can imagine some people buying the game and DLC right away, seeing "side story" trying it, and getting absolutely shredded.
I enjoyed the new characters and story a lot. But I was rather bummed that there were no new animated cinematics or new music tracks. Not even remixes of existing music. For as long as we waited for the story DLC, I just kind of assumed we'd get that. Still, it doesn't take away from the experience much. The way it forces you to use pre-built units gets you to try different play styles and the DLC allows us to have a collection of units you could never get in the main game. And it was a perfectly balanced group. I never felt like I could just ride a couple OP units to the finish, if I didn't make proper use of every single character, I'd lose.
The only real problem I have with it, is the second battle, which is way out of whack in terms of difficulty with the rest of the DLC. It's the hardest mission in the whole side story, by a lot. It took me like 7 attempts! None of the other missions were at that level of difficulty. The idea of replaying the side story on a higher difficulty off my radar because there's no way I could see myself beating that mission on a higher difficulty.
Now, on to finishing my Golden Deer run!
Nintendo Switch FC: 4867-2891-2493
Switch username: Em
Discord: Heavyarms55#1475
Pokemon Go FC: 3838 2595 7596
PSN: Heavyarms55zx
@JoeDiddley Danganronpa has a really heavy gameplay component to it. Most visual novels are just... reading. They're like books. This is more like an adventure game with a ton of reading.
The Zero Escape games are fantastic, and are similarly gameplay heavy, but with a focus on often elaborate escape room puzzles instead of Danganronpa's trial gameplay and social sim elements.
The lead designers of both series are actually friends and colleagues and have worked together at the same company for years (although recently they split off and founded their own development studio), so you'll notice a number of Zero Escape references in later Danganronpa games.
Anyway, if you do decide to experience everything related to Danganronpa, I recommend doing so in this order: Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls (this is heavily referenced in the anime and lightly referenced in V3) Danganronpa 3: The End of Hope's Peak High School (it's one 26 episode anime series composed of two separate storylines. If you alternate between one episode of each when watching, you'll notice a lot of parallelism and foreshadowing of events between the two storylines. They were made to be watched back-and-forth in this manner.) Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony
Danganronpa V3 can technically be appreciated on its own, but the post-game content (and there is a LOT of post-game content) extensively references the Danganronpa 3 anime and UDG, as the game itself kind of functions as a capper for and celebration of the franchise overall. A huge part of its rather shocking finale also depends heavily on the player being well-acquainted with the Danganronpa universe previously.
One thing to keep in mind is that the Danganronpa 3 anime is an original storyline and is separate from the (terrible) anime adaptation of the first Danganronpa game.
Well, sorry to dump all this on you, but I love seeing new people discover these series.
@Heavyarms55 Good to hear there's some level of challenge to the DLC, considering the base game is pretty easy, even on Hard/Classic.
I'll probably finish up my Blue Lions playthrough and buy the DLC before tackling Edelgard's route.
@Ralizah I really appreciate all the input on it 😊. It’s always fun when someone is discovering something you love. I get excited too when it happens to me, and also a little jealous that they are getting to discover it. I’ll definitely bear all you’ve said in mind.
I borrowed my brother in laws Vita last year to play Persona 4, then bought it off him at Christmas for not much, so I have a lot of these great games to play that haven’t come to the Switch. I feel like I have a lot of catching up to do.
Finished up Secret of Mana on the Collection the other day. Honestly, I think I liked the first game (Final Fantasy Adventure?) better. I liked the story much better, which just seemed like an afterthought in SoM, and levelling up all the different weapons and magic for each person was really annoying, especially when you got like 4-5 new weapon orbs in one dungeon. I've heard the third is the best though, so I'm looking forward to that one.
@Xyphon22 I'm in the same boat. I loved final fantasy adventure and was sort of meh about SoM.. I held off on playing trials since it's releasing again in April. It's one of my most anticipated games this year as I heard trials fixed alot that secret did poorly.
Recently finished OxenFree & Mother Russia Bleeds. I have to say Oxenfree still holds up even after all these years, finished it on the XB1 a few years back, wanted to play it again. And for five bucks(was on sale), I took the chance. But anyway right off the bat, the atmosphere and music mix perfectly. It sucks you in to keep it short. The whole game is so inviting and mysterious, taut at times. The one bad thing I can say about OxenFree that's short ( 4 to 5 hours), which is a shame I wish the game were longer. The Switch port is a mixed bag, this game is perfect for handheld, having earphones make this an incredible experience, but there're technical hiccups throughout this game which I can't understand how is this possible. Frame drops and out of place freezing(for like 3 seconds, but it's still distracting nonetheless) can recommend this. Just this port is disappointing.
I'll keep this short. Mother Russia Bleeds is a great game, controls, and feels a ton better than River City Girls; it's bloody and gruesome at times. I do like the detail where the models get all bloody and beaten up after a handful of punches or kicks; River City Girls didn't have that. The music fits the stages perfectly, especially in stage 2( unlike River City Girls, where it has all the tracks placed randomly for no reason at all, terrible and lazy if you ask me). Story and writing sucks( just like River City Girls, both games feel like a 14-year-old wrote them.) The bosses are awful and gimmicky( aside from a few). Super short( 4 to 5 hours) but has replayability. Nonetheless, I can recommend this game; it's excellent fun by yourself or with a couple of friends.
The Harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. When the going gets tough, the tough gets going.
Forums
Topic: Games You Recently Beat?
Posts 1,621 to 1,640 of 3,939
Please login or sign up to reply to this topic