Eh, I think the original is a masterpiece, to this day, and I played it recently for the first time. But the whole concept of Zelda dungeons and bosses, as we understand them today, wasn't really there yet. I think the original does plenty of other things right: a frenetic arcade pace to regular battles that would be lost in later installments, an incredible amount of openness in how you tackle the dungeons (while still preserving a sense of progression and rising difficulty, a trick Breath of the Wild didn't pull off), etc.
But dungeon layouts and bosses are weak points, for sure. Not bad, exactly, since they work well within the overall game design. They just won't rank highly in lists like these.
You lost me at Tentalus. The design alone disqualifies it. The setup is amazing, but that only underscores how bad the payoff is. Especially if we're going to leave Majora's Mask out entirely. Goht is better than quite a few of the bosses featured here, let alone Tentalus. Odolwa is great, too, especially since you have so many ways to beat him.
Also, maybe I missed this somewhere, but are we not counting final bosses? Or DLC bosses? Because Monk Maz Koshia is obviously the best boss in Breath of the Wild, by several orders of magnitude, so I'm not sure why a cool but repetitive overworld enemy took its place.
Sorry for replying to an old post. Without spoiling too much, Final Fantasy VII Remake doesn't just have a few "changes" here and there. It's a reimagining that, potentially, deeply transforms Zach's role in the overall story arc. It plays like a scene-by-scene remake at times, but it's ultimately a stealth sequel (because the existence of the original is part of Remake's narrative) that sends the post-Midgar plot into unknown territory. This is what the post you were replying to meant. Crisis Core connects seamlessly to the original VII, of course, but it's not so clear how fully it'll connect to Remake, though obviously it'll still provide backstory and that's why they're re-releasing Crisis Core now, matching the art style to Remake and the upcoming Rebirth, and even adding a Re-Something word to the title. (Also, and this may not apply to you, but this is why I always recommend people play the original VII first, if they have the mildest interest in it. I think doing so enhances Remake and, frankly, some scenes in Remake barely make sense or won't cause any emotional impact at all unless you know the original.)
I think I played Banjo-Kazooie and Beyond Oasis this year on NSO. And Halo 3 on PC. Those are worth a shout-out. Oh, and Wave Race 64. Probably the best one.
In more modern backlog news, I'd have to mention Death Stranding. Mind-expanding and, for my money, about 100 times more interesting than Metal Gear Solid V, a game I don't really like that much. (Took me about 80 hours to realize that, though.) I don't care about systems being deep if I'm on a boring, repetitive playground.
I started it on the Gamecube but didn't get far into it. Looked promising and I'd like a second chance.
I'd be fine with a port, to be honest. The demand for remakes and remasters slows things down and prevents access. Modern RPGs are out there, if I want them. This one is 20 years old.
I think the answer to that is: Remake isn't a remake, it's a stealth sequel. Playing the original is required to really understand what's going on. The existence of the original is embedded into the new game's story.
So it's not a straight re-telling. And if the end of Remake is anything to go by, we have no idea what we're going to find in Rebirth.
In this context, and given the glimpses we see of Zack in Ramake, it's fair to say he'll play an important role in Rebirth. Crisis Core — which I haven't played yet — then serves as backstory for the character. The fact the character designs match up with Remake is an obvious wink in this direction.
Videogames are about the old and the new. Right now I'm playing Death Stranding in 4K and 60fps. That's great. I can see characters' pores during cinematics. Wild. I'm also playing Quake 2 for the first time. It's awesome. When I blow something up, there's this cute billowing fire animation. Wild.
Limbo has aged beautifully. Which is to say, it's still the same game I didn't like back in the day, with a nonsensical and inconsistent setting, and annoying puzzles. Just like I remember it.
That's not my argument. I'm not just talking about stories but the entire interactive experience. How the game feels to control, how it feels to move in the world, how the game mechanics work, etc. Addressing any of this brings subjectivity and personal values into play. If you don't see it, there's nothing left for me to say.
@GoshJosh
Sure, like I mentioned, it's certainly a review that's hyper-focused on one specific thing. I liked reading it because, well, nearly no other review out there talks about this, so it's broadening the conversation.
As for your other point, I do think that creators can do whatever they want with their creations, but then their public — and critics — can also respond as they wish. It cuts both ways. That being said, I do feel like the reviewer in this case felt that what Bayonetta does at the end of the game is out-of-character and inconsistent with her personality in the previous games, which goes beyond her own and even the creator's head canon, because now we're talking about the franchise's internal consistency. But I haven't played the game, so I don't know if I agree with the reviewer or not.
Like I said, there are objective, often countable aspects you can talk about. Frame rate, performance, resolution, graphical settings, etc. Your example about control inputs would fall into this group. Similarly, if we're talking level design, then you could objectively discuss, say, collision detection and geometry. No disagreements there. But if you're critically discussing the overall merits of a videogame — as a game, narrative, virtual space, or whatever — then you're not just talking about these technical details. That's what my previous word salads were all about.
Every example you mentioned is a subjective value judgement. Every single one.
Who decides if the graphic design is garish or not? What if the garishness fits the game's themes and context? That's a value judgement based on your understanding of what the game wants to convey. Who decides if the game's controls are good or not? What if they're clunky but that works to the game's favor because it forces you to really learn the game mechanics and nuances? (I would make that exact point about my favorite game, Super Metroid). Who decides what makes for good level design? Different eras have very different approaches to this. I personally favor Doom-like labyrinths from the 90s and I could explain why in detail. But that would be an ultimately subjective explanation based on what I value in level design. Who decides what's good music or voice acting? That is entirely dependent on your interpretation of the game's themes, mood, etc. Even if you're looking at technical aspects, like recording quality, there is still subjectivity involved: maybe the reverb in the recordings fits the game's atmosphere. (Some have made this exact argument about Metal Gear Solid.) Game flow? Also subjective. There are even critical approaches out there that argue against game flow, because a game should force you to stop and think about your interaction. (I believe that's a stretch, but it's an interesting idea.) Even camera angles, which, I agree, border on objectivity, can still bring subjectivity into the conversation: fixed camera angles are essential to the appeal of old-school Resident Evil, even if we don't make games like that anymore.
Nearly anything that's worth saying about a game is ultimately subjective. That doesn't mean there aren't broadly-held opinions, critical canons, design trends, and industry standards — but you can still disagree with them all, especially if you're looking at videogames critically and not as a marketing director.
But I'm not sure Maddy Myers is arguing Bayonetta is some profound feminist essay. She's not deep-diving into convoluted head cannon. She's simply saying that the style and vibe of the game — its obvious camp aesthetic — appeals to many fans in a very specific way. Bayonetta's individuality and power are what many people (myself included) like about her and about role-playing as her. And if the game's ending fails that (according to the reviewer) then I can understand her complaint.
The Polygon review was a very good read. It's definitely focused on just one aspect of the game, but that's valid, especially in an online ecosystem in which there are hundreds of other outlets explaining and praising every other aspect of the game. I have absolutely no idea why, in this day and age, internet readers still want reviewers to cover every aspect of a game in every write-up, like going down a checklist. We do not live in a small town a hundred years ago. Our only source of information is not that small town's solitary newspaper.
Discussing what Bayonetta does or does not do with its title character is perfectly valid, given that the story, gameplay, and animation all play into Bayonetta's appeal, as both game and character. It's part of what makes the franchise stand out, and to fail that (in the reviewer's eyes) seems more than relevant. Just because you're not personally bothered by it doesn't change that.
And yes, every single review ever written is "subjective." The closest you can get to "objectivity" is discussing numbers like frame rates and resolution. Which is fine, that's what Digital Foundry is there for. But even Digital Foundry understands that, when it comes to the assessment of the game's ultimate quality, you can't just rely on numbers. You need to step into the realm of "subjectivity," reflect on what's good or bad. And that depends on what you value about videogames in general, on what holds more or less weight, on how the experience comes together as a whole. And that's when stuff gets complicated.
Exactly. This doesn't get said enough, but the value of NSO isn't necessarily nostalgia, it's easy access to games that, in many cases, are entirely new to me. Sure, it was great to replay Ocarina of Time (three times!) but the real enjoyment came from those first-time playthroughs: Beyond Oasis, Sin & Punishment, A Link to the Past, Zelda 1986, Mario 3, Kirby's Adventure, Wave Race 64, Alien Soldier... All of these are among my favorite games now.
I don't like the rental-only concept. I wish that, like Game Pass, you could also buy the games you most like.
That being said, I've spent hundreds of hours across the NES, SNES, Genesis, and N64 apps, discovered several new favorites, and finally 100% completed many old favorites. So, as they say, I've certainly "gotten my money's worth."
Interesting! Good to now. I've never really played this game before (other than trying out a few stages with a rented copy, back in the day), so I'm glad this was called out.
Yeah, that's true. It gets trickier the closer we get to our era. For two reasons.
First off, modern trends in gameplay and graphics always seem more neutral to us. We say an old game is a "product of its time," but would never say that of a newer game, even though it'd be equally true. To me, games like God of War, Nier: Automata, Control, Final Fantasy 7 Remake, and Death Stranding are obvious "products of their time." But they're from our time, so most people don't see the datedness yet.
And secondly, I do think that, as technical leaps become less pronounced over time, it's more difficult to identify the "look" of specific eras. I recently replayed Metal Gear Solid 2 — a 20-year old game — and, even allowing for the fact that I played the HD version on PS3, there are moments during gameplay where I frankly forget it's that old. (The cinematics are a different story, because you see the character models up close. But the fixed, top-down camera angles during gameplay hide the game's age really well.) Fast-forward a few years, and Mario Galaxy, Bioshock, and Crysis still look nice on the Switch, 15 years later and with relatively minor touch-ups and resolution enhancements. You can obviously tell they're from the aughts if you look at the texture work, lighting, water simulation, and so on, but their art direction and overall look is fundamentally modern. How would you replicate the 2007 aesthetic of Bioshock? It'd just look like a modern game but with comparatively low-res textures.
Now, think about the pixelated graphics of, say, Metal Gear Solid 1, which I also replayed recently. That game still looks awesomely gritty and beautiful in its own way, but it's also very specifically 90s. It's a look, a vibe. It feels like the art direction even accounts for the pixelation. (That's why I played the emulated version on PS3 and avoided the GOG PC port, which gives you a cleaner, less jaggy look, but ruins the aesthetic. The chunky character models and simple environmental geometry don't work without that pixelation. The PC port is the one I played originally, in 2001, because I never owned a Playstation. And even then I knew I was missing something, when comparing with screenshots of the original.)
That being said, I do think that, in this era of good-enough graphics and indie games, you can find titles that look both perfect and last gen, like Death's Door, Inside, or most of Nintendo's first-party output. None of these need more graphical fidelity. They're "perfect" as they are. But they're not retro either. They're not, say, Celeste or Hyper Light Drifter, which are riffing on the pixelated aesthetic. Death's Door and Inside are clearly games from the past handful of years. They're modern. They're inspired by retro games, but they don't look retro. Yet their graphics are still minimalistic, simple. They're not technically impressive, but they're artistically whole.
That's an aesthetic question and there's no clear answer. I'm pretty sure Undertale didn't fully utilize the power of any system it was on, but no one would argue it should have a different look. I think it's ultimately a question of intentionality: does it feel like the aesthetic is intentional? (It doesn't matter if it's actually intentional. You can't call up the developers to ask every time you play a game, so you have to look at whether the game is internally consistent and what it does with the graphics it has.) Paratopic looks like a PS1 game, but that's obviously the whole point: it uses a PS1 aesthetic to evoke an uncanny, unnerving mood. You can't separate the game from that vibe.
I haven't played any Silent Hill games, but have always wanted to. Ideally, they'll announce a new game along with ports of the originals. The originals are famous for making creative use of the technical limitations of the PS1 and PS2, so I'm not too keen on a remake. I just want to play the old games as well as an actual new game, not some weird, hybrid in-between. (Unless we're talking about a ground-up reimagining like Final Fantasy 7 Remake. That's cool. But in that case, the original Final Fantasy 7 is readily available on virtually every platform. Which is how I played both for the first time last year.)
It was more confusion and surprise than fierceness. If you gave it eight hours and got bored, that's fine, not much I can say to that. I just thought accusing the game and demo of a "bait and switch," as if it had deceived you somehow, was a bit much. Unless you mostly ran around aimlessly during those eight hours, you must have seen how the game is structured as a series of linear action levels and sequences connected by a hub area in the middle. It's classic spoked wheel world design, like in the N64 Zeldas. And when it breaks up that formula, later on, it only becomes even more linear and like Bayonetta.
It's a linear action game. What are you on about? It's about as open world as Skyward Sword. There's a bit of exploration here and there, and a sprinkling of sidequests, but you're mostly sprinting towards the next bombastic set piece. It's not a literal corridor like the Bayonetta games, but that doesn't mean Nier: Automata is trying to be Skyrim or Breath of the Wild.
I've never played Skyrim. I don't even own it. I do own Morrowind, though, but I haven't played that one, either. Skyrim is so ubiquitous I almost feel like I did play it, but I never actually have. Well, I did try it in VR for about 5 minutes at a friend's house, but I'm not counting that.
Bravely Default, as a title, at least has some charm to it. Like, it'a a default game, but bravely so. Triangle Strategy was pushing it, but at least it was very descriptive of the game systems. Various Daylife, though, is on another level. This is peak bad naming. Unless their next game is called Repetitive Movement or Control Input.
The original N64 Zeldas have a particular vibe, mood, and darkness to them that later Zeldas never returned to. They used the limitations of the N64 to convey atmosphere in clever, enduring ways. The 3DS remakes upped the contrast and brightness, which fits a handheld context in which you may be playing under the sun, but departs from the original aesthetic. It's not nostalgia but different visuals inspiring different emotions.
Well, there is an overworld map. It's just a physical thing that came in the box.
But I do think more people should play and love the original Zelda. It's very, very good. But it cannot be stressed enough that the instruction manual is part of the experience. It's got all the onboarding in it.
That's true. I often find myself thinking, "I love all Zeldas. Except Skyward Sword, that game sucked." But in truth it's still an excellent game and a solid 8. It's just that in the context of a franchise with so many GOAT contenders, it wavers in comparison.
I think Ocarina of Time is the absolute best all-around Zelda, the one that does everything right. But if you're totally new to 90s 3D games, you might be put off at first.
The other great all-rounder is, of course, A Link to the Past, but 2D Zelda plays differently from 3D Zelda. A Link to the Past does have the benefit, however, of being the most flawless Zelda. (Which doesn't mean it literally is flawless, but it gets closest.)
Meanwhile, the latest entry, Breath of the Wild, is such a divergence for the franchise that it doesn't really serve as an introduction to it, even if inevitably that's what it's become to many young gamers.
I was going to stick with Xenoblade Chronicles 3 until the end, but after 25 hours I needed a break. Played plenty of Wave Race 64; then got Panzer Dragoon on a sale, beat that in an hour, had fun but it mostly made me excited for Zwei and maybe Saga further down the line, since the first game is mostly a proof-of-concept; and now playing through Beyond Oasis on NSO, which is amazing and beautiful and kind of janky but extremely well-paced. Near the end of that, I think.
As for this review, thanks for it, Alana. This game's now on my playlist, though I have a number of RPGs first on the queue, including classics from the SNES era. So it might take me a while to get to this one.
Some of the best games I've played are also quite flawed. Ultimately you have to make a decision about the overall value of the game. It's not a math equation.
The trailer shows (probably) early-game set-pieces, which usually all but play themselves to teach you the ropes and introduce the story. It looks chaotic if you don't know what kind of game it is, sure. (And Bayo's set-pieces are typically loud and bombastic.) It's a character action game, like Devil May Cry, so it's fast-paced but it's also like a fighting game, which means you're making very deliberate inputs and second-by-second decisions, combos, counters, evades, etc. Unlike most fighting games, though, you're following a linear story sequence, with showdowns against rows of (outlandish) enemies and ocassional environmental puzzles for cooldown sessions, so in that sense it's closer to God of War, albeit with more technical fighting gameplay. Which means that, while you can probably button-smash your way through the first few episodies, you'll hit a ceiling soon and will have to actually get good at it and understand what you're doing (and what your enemies are doing, too).
Sorry to reply to this months-old comment, but I agree about Shinobi III.
It's one of those games I would say are "purposefully clunky," in that mastering the controls and physics is extremely satisfying. Once you get good at Shinobi III, the clunkiness falls away because you're flying and wall-jumping all over the place. It simply requires technique. You can absolutely learn it, the mark of a truly great game. (This isn't to say the game was "meant" to be clunky. I have no idea what was going through the developers' minds and I don't care to know. But my point is that the game's design ethos feel consistent, and its gameplay, enemy placements, and controls feel purposeful. It's a very well thought-out experience.)
On my list of "purposefully clunky" masterpieces I'd add old-school Castlevania, Alien Soldier, Super Metroid, and Dark Souls.
I mean, Goldeneye, I guess, but I both played that one to bits back in the day and, paradoxically, was never too huge on it. I was more into Perfect Dark.
So I chose Pilotwings because, while I did play it back in the 90s, it was only during a 5-day rental window and didn't really "get" it. I think I might appreciate it more now.
Also, Excitebike. I remember being frustrated with the controls back in the day, but I got frustrated easily. I probably would've bounced off Wave Race at that age, which now I love. So I want to give Excitebike another chance.
Tears — as in crying — of the Kingdom has the right melancholic ring I want from this Zelda game. I'm fine with the sky theme, but I do hope they stay as far away as possible from the dopeyness of Skyward Sword in terms of character, world, and boss design. Zelda is always a mixture of mature and childish themes and vibes, but getting the balance just right is definitely an art.
This got the loudest reaction from me at the Direct. I've been waiting for it for a very long time. Switch has become quite the Treasure machine — in part thanks to NSO — and I've fallen in love with the developer: Ikaruga, Sin & Punishment, Gunstar Heroes, Alien Soldier... So many all-time bangers.
As much as I loved, loved Wave Race on NSO, I've seen some insane stuff online, especially tricks and what not, that I don't think I could possibly pull off with the Switch controller. That being said, I do feel the base game and campaigns are perfectly beatable with the Switch controller, which I don't think is the case with F-Zero X.
I think the higher difficulties were tricky, but I still did them as a kid with no FPS experience.
That said, I do remember this game being tailormade for the N64 controller. I'm skeptical how responsive I'll be with the Switch controller. It's fine for some N64 games — I 100% Wave Race last week, a game I had never played and now love — but for others, like F-Zero X, the Switch controller just doesn't quite cut it for high-level play.
I'm ready to replay it. I wasn't huge on it back in the day, but I have more experience with FPS games now and understand the context more fully. Also, online play!
I'll get this once I finish Xenoblade 3, though maybe I should just buy it already so it's ready to go and I don't get sidetracked with something else. I'm excited to try it out. But, yes, as everyone's saying, Xenoblade 3 was a big-budget, meme-buoyed videogame event, at least for RPG fans on Switch, and that game kind of hogged the spotlight.
Ikaruga is one of my absolute favorite games, probably top 20. I am really looking forward to this one, especially now that I've grown incredibly fond of Treasure's broader back catalogue, from Alien Soldier to Sin & Punishment and Gunstar Heroes. What a developer.
Zelda or Metroid ports would be nice, so those classics are no longer stuck in obsolete hardware. There are a lot of titles in both franchises I haven't played yet, and they're two of my favorite franchises.
Not starving for games at the moment, though. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is going to take a long time to complete. (And I got sidetracked with Wave Race 64 the past couple of weeks.) Bayonetta 3 is right around the corner and I want to replay the other two before it. Persona 5 is finally reaching a system I play on. And there's plenty else on the backlog, of course.
Comments 753
Re: Random: The Original NES Zelda Has Been Recreated In VR, And It's Glorious
This is actually pretty awesome. And somehow still manages to feel like the original game.
Re: Feature: The 15 Best Zelda Bosses, Ranked
@sleepinglion
Eh, I think the original is a masterpiece, to this day, and I played it recently for the first time. But the whole concept of Zelda dungeons and bosses, as we understand them today, wasn't really there yet. I think the original does plenty of other things right: a frenetic arcade pace to regular battles that would be lost in later installments, an incredible amount of openness in how you tackle the dungeons (while still preserving a sense of progression and rising difficulty, a trick Breath of the Wild didn't pull off), etc.
But dungeon layouts and bosses are weak points, for sure. Not bad, exactly, since they work well within the overall game design. They just won't rank highly in lists like these.
Re: Feature: The 15 Best Zelda Bosses, Ranked
You lost me at Tentalus. The design alone disqualifies it. The setup is amazing, but that only underscores how bad the payoff is. Especially if we're going to leave Majora's Mask out entirely. Goht is better than quite a few of the bosses featured here, let alone Tentalus. Odolwa is great, too, especially since you have so many ways to beat him.
Also, maybe I missed this somewhere, but are we not counting final bosses? Or DLC bosses? Because Monk Maz Koshia is obviously the best boss in Breath of the Wild, by several orders of magnitude, so I'm not sure why a cool but repetitive overworld enemy took its place.
Re: Review: Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII Reunion - The Series' Goofiest Writing Returns In A Thrilling Remaster
@Aerona
Sorry for replying to an old post. Without spoiling too much, Final Fantasy VII Remake doesn't just have a few "changes" here and there. It's a reimagining that, potentially, deeply transforms Zach's role in the overall story arc. It plays like a scene-by-scene remake at times, but it's ultimately a stealth sequel (because the existence of the original is part of Remake's narrative) that sends the post-Midgar plot into unknown territory. This is what the post you were replying to meant. Crisis Core connects seamlessly to the original VII, of course, but it's not so clear how fully it'll connect to Remake, though obviously it'll still provide backstory and that's why they're re-releasing Crisis Core now, matching the art style to Remake and the upcoming Rebirth, and even adding a Re-Something word to the title. (Also, and this may not apply to you, but this is why I always recommend people play the original VII first, if they have the mildest interest in it. I think doing so enhances Remake and, frankly, some scenes in Remake barely make sense or won't cause any emotional impact at all unless you know the original.)
Re: Backlog Club: Nintendo Life's Games Of Not-This-Year Awards 2022
When did this year start, anyway?
I think I played Banjo-Kazooie and Beyond Oasis this year on NSO. And Halo 3 on PC. Those are worth a shout-out. Oh, and Wave Race 64. Probably the best one.
In more modern backlog news, I'd have to mention Death Stranding. Mind-expanding and, for my money, about 100 times more interesting than Metal Gear Solid V, a game I don't really like that much. (Took me about 80 hours to realize that, though.) I don't care about systems being deep if I'm on a boring, repetitive playground.
Re: Soapbox: Sega's Greatest RPG Is 20 Years Old And Long Overdue A Remaster
I started it on the Gamecube but didn't get far into it. Looked promising and I'd like a second chance.
I'd be fine with a port, to be honest. The demand for remakes and remasters slows things down and prevents access. Modern RPGs are out there, if I want them. This one is 20 years old.
Re: Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion Switch Frame Rate & Resolution Detailed
@Jeaz
I think the answer to that is: Remake isn't a remake, it's a stealth sequel. Playing the original is required to really understand what's going on. The existence of the original is embedded into the new game's story.
So it's not a straight re-telling. And if the end of Remake is anything to go by, we have no idea what we're going to find in Rebirth.
In this context, and given the glimpses we see of Zack in Ramake, it's fair to say he'll play an important role in Rebirth. Crisis Core — which I haven't played yet — then serves as backstory for the character. The fact the character designs match up with Remake is an obvious wink in this direction.
Re: Review: Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration - A Painstaking Love Letter To Gaming's Pioneers
Looking forward to it! I missed this entire era, so it'll be interesting to explore.
Re: While Old Games Are Easily Delivered, Nintendo Is Focused On New Experiences, Says Miyamoto
Yeah, why not both?
Videogames are about the old and the new. Right now I'm playing Death Stranding in 4K and 60fps. That's great. I can see characters' pores during cinematics. Wild. I'm also playing Quake 2 for the first time. It's awesome. When I blow something up, there's this cute billowing fire animation. Wild.
Re: Backlog Club: Limbo Is A Can Of Beans Full Of Gleeful Boy-Murder
Limbo has aged beautifully. Which is to say, it's still the same game I didn't like back in the day, with a nonsensical and inconsistent setting, and annoying puzzles. Just like I remember it.
Inside, on the other hand... Masterpiece.
Re: Round Up: The Reviews Are In For Bayonetta 3
@Ratmasterd21
That's not my argument. I'm not just talking about stories but the entire interactive experience. How the game feels to control, how it feels to move in the world, how the game mechanics work, etc. Addressing any of this brings subjectivity and personal values into play. If you don't see it, there's nothing left for me to say.
@GoshJosh
Sure, like I mentioned, it's certainly a review that's hyper-focused on one specific thing. I liked reading it because, well, nearly no other review out there talks about this, so it's broadening the conversation.
As for your other point, I do think that creators can do whatever they want with their creations, but then their public — and critics — can also respond as they wish. It cuts both ways. That being said, I do feel like the reviewer in this case felt that what Bayonetta does at the end of the game is out-of-character and inconsistent with her personality in the previous games, which goes beyond her own and even the creator's head canon, because now we're talking about the franchise's internal consistency. But I haven't played the game, so I don't know if I agree with the reviewer or not.
Re: Round Up: The Reviews Are In For Bayonetta 3
@Ratmasterd21
Like I said, there are objective, often countable aspects you can talk about. Frame rate, performance, resolution, graphical settings, etc. Your example about control inputs would fall into this group. Similarly, if we're talking level design, then you could objectively discuss, say, collision detection and geometry. No disagreements there. But if you're critically discussing the overall merits of a videogame — as a game, narrative, virtual space, or whatever — then you're not just talking about these technical details. That's what my previous word salads were all about.
Re: Round Up: The Reviews Are In For Bayonetta 3
@Ratmasterd21
Every example you mentioned is a subjective value judgement. Every single one.
Who decides if the graphic design is garish or not? What if the garishness fits the game's themes and context? That's a value judgement based on your understanding of what the game wants to convey. Who decides if the game's controls are good or not? What if they're clunky but that works to the game's favor because it forces you to really learn the game mechanics and nuances? (I would make that exact point about my favorite game, Super Metroid). Who decides what makes for good level design? Different eras have very different approaches to this. I personally favor Doom-like labyrinths from the 90s and I could explain why in detail. But that would be an ultimately subjective explanation based on what I value in level design. Who decides what's good music or voice acting? That is entirely dependent on your interpretation of the game's themes, mood, etc. Even if you're looking at technical aspects, like recording quality, there is still subjectivity involved: maybe the reverb in the recordings fits the game's atmosphere. (Some have made this exact argument about Metal Gear Solid.) Game flow? Also subjective. There are even critical approaches out there that argue against game flow, because a game should force you to stop and think about your interaction. (I believe that's a stretch, but it's an interesting idea.) Even camera angles, which, I agree, border on objectivity, can still bring subjectivity into the conversation: fixed camera angles are essential to the appeal of old-school Resident Evil, even if we don't make games like that anymore.
Nearly anything that's worth saying about a game is ultimately subjective. That doesn't mean there aren't broadly-held opinions, critical canons, design trends, and industry standards — but you can still disagree with them all, especially if you're looking at videogames critically and not as a marketing director.
Re: Round Up: The Reviews Are In For Bayonetta 3
@Vexx234
But I'm not sure Maddy Myers is arguing Bayonetta is some profound feminist essay. She's not deep-diving into convoluted head cannon. She's simply saying that the style and vibe of the game — its obvious camp aesthetic — appeals to many fans in a very specific way. Bayonetta's individuality and power are what many people (myself included) like about her and about role-playing as her. And if the game's ending fails that (according to the reviewer) then I can understand her complaint.
Re: Round Up: The Reviews Are In For Bayonetta 3
The Polygon review was a very good read. It's definitely focused on just one aspect of the game, but that's valid, especially in an online ecosystem in which there are hundreds of other outlets explaining and praising every other aspect of the game. I have absolutely no idea why, in this day and age, internet readers still want reviewers to cover every aspect of a game in every write-up, like going down a checklist. We do not live in a small town a hundred years ago. Our only source of information is not that small town's solitary newspaper.
Discussing what Bayonetta does or does not do with its title character is perfectly valid, given that the story, gameplay, and animation all play into Bayonetta's appeal, as both game and character. It's part of what makes the franchise stand out, and to fail that (in the reviewer's eyes) seems more than relevant. Just because you're not personally bothered by it doesn't change that.
And yes, every single review ever written is "subjective." The closest you can get to "objectivity" is discussing numbers like frame rates and resolution. Which is fine, that's what Digital Foundry is there for. But even Digital Foundry understands that, when it comes to the assessment of the game's ultimate quality, you can't just rely on numbers. You need to step into the realm of "subjectivity," reflect on what's good or bad. And that depends on what you value about videogames in general, on what holds more or less weight, on how the experience comes together as a whole. And that's when stuff gets complicated.
Re: Poll: Is The Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack Good Enough Value Yet?
@Fizza
Exactly. This doesn't get said enough, but the value of NSO isn't necessarily nostalgia, it's easy access to games that, in many cases, are entirely new to me. Sure, it was great to replay Ocarina of Time (three times!) but the real enjoyment came from those first-time playthroughs: Beyond Oasis, Sin & Punishment, A Link to the Past, Zelda 1986, Mario 3, Kirby's Adventure, Wave Race 64, Alien Soldier... All of these are among my favorite games now.
Re: Poll: Is The Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack Good Enough Value Yet?
I don't like the rental-only concept. I wish that, like Game Pass, you could also buy the games you most like.
That being said, I've spent hundreds of hours across the NES, SNES, Genesis, and N64 apps, discovered several new favorites, and finally 100% completed many old favorites. So, as they say, I've certainly "gotten my money's worth."
Re: Pilotwings 64's 'Birdman' Stage Is Significantly More Stressful On Switch
Interesting! Good to now. I've never really played this game before (other than trying out a few stages with a rented copy, back in the day), so I'm glad this was called out.
Re: Exocide Is A Snappy, Stylish FPS That Would Be Right At Home On GameCube
@Bomberman64
Yeah, that's true. It gets trickier the closer we get to our era. For two reasons.
First off, modern trends in gameplay and graphics always seem more neutral to us. We say an old game is a "product of its time," but would never say that of a newer game, even though it'd be equally true. To me, games like God of War, Nier: Automata, Control, Final Fantasy 7 Remake, and Death Stranding are obvious "products of their time." But they're from our time, so most people don't see the datedness yet.
And secondly, I do think that, as technical leaps become less pronounced over time, it's more difficult to identify the "look" of specific eras. I recently replayed Metal Gear Solid 2 — a 20-year old game — and, even allowing for the fact that I played the HD version on PS3, there are moments during gameplay where I frankly forget it's that old. (The cinematics are a different story, because you see the character models up close. But the fixed, top-down camera angles during gameplay hide the game's age really well.) Fast-forward a few years, and Mario Galaxy, Bioshock, and Crysis still look nice on the Switch, 15 years later and with relatively minor touch-ups and resolution enhancements. You can obviously tell they're from the aughts if you look at the texture work, lighting, water simulation, and so on, but their art direction and overall look is fundamentally modern. How would you replicate the 2007 aesthetic of Bioshock? It'd just look like a modern game but with comparatively low-res textures.
Now, think about the pixelated graphics of, say, Metal Gear Solid 1, which I also replayed recently. That game still looks awesomely gritty and beautiful in its own way, but it's also very specifically 90s. It's a look, a vibe. It feels like the art direction even accounts for the pixelation. (That's why I played the emulated version on PS3 and avoided the GOG PC port, which gives you a cleaner, less jaggy look, but ruins the aesthetic. The chunky character models and simple environmental geometry don't work without that pixelation. The PC port is the one I played originally, in 2001, because I never owned a Playstation. And even then I knew I was missing something, when comparing with screenshots of the original.)
That being said, I do think that, in this era of good-enough graphics and indie games, you can find titles that look both perfect and last gen, like Death's Door, Inside, or most of Nintendo's first-party output. None of these need more graphical fidelity. They're "perfect" as they are. But they're not retro either. They're not, say, Celeste or Hyper Light Drifter, which are riffing on the pixelated aesthetic. Death's Door and Inside are clearly games from the past handful of years. They're modern. They're inspired by retro games, but they don't look retro. Yet their graphics are still minimalistic, simple. They're not technically impressive, but they're artistically whole.
Re: Exocide Is A Snappy, Stylish FPS That Would Be Right At Home On GameCube
@Bomberman64
That's an aesthetic question and there's no clear answer. I'm pretty sure Undertale didn't fully utilize the power of any system it was on, but no one would argue it should have a different look. I think it's ultimately a question of intentionality: does it feel like the aesthetic is intentional? (It doesn't matter if it's actually intentional. You can't call up the developers to ask every time you play a game, so you have to look at whether the game is internally consistent and what it does with the graphics it has.) Paratopic looks like a PS1 game, but that's obviously the whole point: it uses a PS1 aesthetic to evoke an uncanny, unnerving mood. You can't separate the game from that vibe.
Re: A Silent Hill Transmission Is Coming, But Will Switch Be Left In The Cold?
I haven't played any Silent Hill games, but have always wanted to. Ideally, they'll announce a new game along with ports of the originals. The originals are famous for making creative use of the technical limitations of the PS1 and PS2, so I'm not too keen on a remake. I just want to play the old games as well as an actual new game, not some weird, hybrid in-between. (Unless we're talking about a ground-up reimagining like Final Fantasy 7 Remake. That's cool. But in that case, the original Final Fantasy 7 is readily available on virtually every platform. Which is how I played both for the first time last year.)
Re: N64 Classic Perfect Dark Has Been Decompiled, Paving The Way For PC Ports
I'd love to play Perfect Dark again. In a version with stable framerate. I wish Rare Replay was available for a machine I actually have.
Re: Review: NieR:Automata The End of YoRHa Edition - A Modern Classic Shines On Switch
@SonOfDracula
It was more confusion and surprise than fierceness. If you gave it eight hours and got bored, that's fine, not much I can say to that. I just thought accusing the game and demo of a "bait and switch," as if it had deceived you somehow, was a bit much. Unless you mostly ran around aimlessly during those eight hours, you must have seen how the game is structured as a series of linear action levels and sequences connected by a hub area in the middle. It's classic spoked wheel world design, like in the N64 Zeldas. And when it breaks up that formula, later on, it only becomes even more linear and like Bayonetta.
Re: Review: NieR:Automata The End of YoRHa Edition - A Modern Classic Shines On Switch
@SonOfDracula
It's a linear action game. What are you on about? It's about as open world as Skyward Sword. There's a bit of exploration here and there, and a sprinkling of sidequests, but you're mostly sprinting towards the next bombastic set piece. It's not a literal corridor like the Bayonetta games, but that doesn't mean Nier: Automata is trying to be Skyrim or Breath of the Wild.
Re: Mini Review: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition - And Another One!
I've never played Skyrim. I don't even own it. I do own Morrowind, though, but I haven't played that one, either. Skyrim is so ubiquitous I almost feel like I did play it, but I never actually have. Well, I did try it in VR for about 5 minutes at a friend's house, but I'm not counting that.
Re: Review: Various Daylife - A Simple Yet Repetitive JRPG Best For Bite-Sized Sessions
Bravely Default, as a title, at least has some charm to it. Like, it'a a default game, but bravely so. Triangle Strategy was pushing it, but at least it was very descriptive of the game systems. Various Daylife, though, is on another level. This is peak bad naming. Unless their next game is called Repetitive Movement or Control Input.
Re: Talking Point: Which Zelda Game Should You Play First?
@ModdedInkling
The original N64 Zeldas have a particular vibe, mood, and darkness to them that later Zeldas never returned to. They used the limitations of the N64 to convey atmosphere in clever, enduring ways. The 3DS remakes upped the contrast and brightness, which fits a handheld context in which you may be playing under the sun, but departs from the original aesthetic. It's not nostalgia but different visuals inspiring different emotions.
Re: Talking Point: Which Zelda Game Should You Play First?
@mrMike
Well, there is an overworld map. It's just a physical thing that came in the box.
But I do think more people should play and love the original Zelda. It's very, very good. But it cannot be stressed enough that the instruction manual is part of the experience. It's got all the onboarding in it.
Re: Talking Point: Which Zelda Game Should You Play First?
@Jacob1092
That's true. I often find myself thinking, "I love all Zeldas. Except Skyward Sword, that game sucked." But in truth it's still an excellent game and a solid 8. It's just that in the context of a franchise with so many GOAT contenders, it wavers in comparison.
Re: Talking Point: Which Zelda Game Should You Play First?
That's a hard one.
I think Ocarina of Time is the absolute best all-around Zelda, the one that does everything right. But if you're totally new to 90s 3D games, you might be put off at first.
The other great all-rounder is, of course, A Link to the Past, but 2D Zelda plays differently from 3D Zelda. A Link to the Past does have the benefit, however, of being the most flawless Zelda. (Which doesn't mean it literally is flawless, but it gets closest.)
Meanwhile, the latest entry, Breath of the Wild, is such a divergence for the franchise that it doesn't really serve as an introduction to it, even if inevitably that's what it's become to many young gamers.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (September 17th)
I was going to stick with Xenoblade Chronicles 3 until the end, but after 25 hours I needed a break. Played plenty of Wave Race 64; then got Panzer Dragoon on a sale, beat that in an hour, had fun but it mostly made me excited for Zwei and maybe Saga further down the line, since the first game is mostly a proof-of-concept; and now playing through Beyond Oasis on NSO, which is amazing and beautiful and kind of janky but extremely well-paced. Near the end of that, I think.
Re: Review: The Legend Of Heroes: Trails From Zero - A Stellar RPG And A Stand-Out In Falcom's Storied Saga
@Impoh
That sounds like the worst possible way to go about it. What is this, gymnastics?
Re: Review: The Legend Of Heroes: Trails From Zero - A Stellar RPG And A Stand-Out In Falcom's Storied Saga
@contractcooker
Or it's just not a math equation.
Re: Radiant Silvergun Is Back Up On The North American eShop
Awkward NA launch, but whatever. Just glad this game's not stuck on consoles I don't have anymore.
Re: Review: The Legend Of Heroes: Trails From Zero - A Stellar RPG And A Stand-Out In Falcom's Storied Saga
As for this review, thanks for it, Alana. This game's now on my playlist, though I have a number of RPGs first on the queue, including classics from the SNES era. So it might take me a while to get to this one.
Re: Review: The Legend Of Heroes: Trails From Zero - A Stellar RPG And A Stand-Out In Falcom's Storied Saga
@Impoh
Some of the best games I've played are also quite flawed. Ultimately you have to make a decision about the overall value of the game. It's not a math equation.
Re: Review: Radiant Silvergun - A Superb Shmup That's Still One Of The Very Best
Really excited for this. Can't wait to have time to sit down and play it.
Also, wonderfully evocative review, Tom! Some great wordsmithing.
Re: Hands On: The Witch Is Back - Bayonetta 3 Is Real, And We've Played It
@Cia
The trailer shows (probably) early-game set-pieces, which usually all but play themselves to teach you the ropes and introduce the story. It looks chaotic if you don't know what kind of game it is, sure. (And Bayo's set-pieces are typically loud and bombastic.) It's a character action game, like Devil May Cry, so it's fast-paced but it's also like a fighting game, which means you're making very deliberate inputs and second-by-second decisions, combos, counters, evades, etc. Unlike most fighting games, though, you're following a linear story sequence, with showdowns against rows of (outlandish) enemies and ocassional environmental puzzles for cooldown sessions, so in that sense it's closer to God of War, albeit with more technical fighting gameplay. Which means that, while you can probably button-smash your way through the first few episodies, you'll hit a ceiling soon and will have to actually get good at it and understand what you're doing (and what your enemies are doing, too).
Re: Every Nintendo Switch Online Sega Genesis / Mega Drive Game Ranked
@AlienX
Sorry to reply to this months-old comment, but I agree about Shinobi III.
It's one of those games I would say are "purposefully clunky," in that mastering the controls and physics is extremely satisfying. Once you get good at Shinobi III, the clunkiness falls away because you're flying and wall-jumping all over the place. It simply requires technique. You can absolutely learn it, the mark of a truly great game. (This isn't to say the game was "meant" to be clunky. I have no idea what was going through the developers' minds and I don't care to know. But my point is that the game's design ethos feel consistent, and its gameplay, enemy placements, and controls feel purposeful. It's a very well thought-out experience.)
On my list of "purposefully clunky" masterpieces I'd add old-school Castlevania, Alien Soldier, Super Metroid, and Dark Souls.
Re: Poll: What Switch Online N64 Game Are You Most Excited About?
I mean, Goldeneye, I guess, but I both played that one to bits back in the day and, paradoxically, was never too huge on it. I was more into Perfect Dark.
So I chose Pilotwings because, while I did play it back in the 90s, it was only during a 5-day rental window and didn't really "get" it. I think I might appreciate it more now.
Also, Excitebike. I remember being frustrated with the controls back in the day, but I got frustrated easily. I probably would've bounced off Wave Race at that age, which now I love. So I want to give Excitebike another chance.
Re: Why Settle For One 'Front Mission' Remake When You Can Have Three?
I'm curious about these games. Front Mission 3 was the most highly-regarded, if I remember correctly, so I'm glad that's coming eventually.
Re: Hands On: The Witch Is Back - Bayonetta 3 Is Real, And We've Played It
Can't wait. I'll replay the last two for the hype.
Re: Poll: So, How Are You Pronouncing Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom?
Tears — as in crying — of the Kingdom has the right melancholic ring I want from this Zelda game. I'm fine with the sky theme, but I do hope they stay as far away as possible from the dopeyness of Skyward Sword in terms of character, world, and boss design. Zelda is always a mixture of mature and childish themes and vibes, but getting the balance just right is definitely an art.
Re: Out Now: Treasure's Classic Arcade Shmup 'Radiant Silvergun' Surprise Drops On Switch
This got the loudest reaction from me at the Direct. I've been waiting for it for a very long time. Switch has become quite the Treasure machine — in part thanks to NSO — and I've fallen in love with the developer: Ikaruga, Sin & Punishment, Gunstar Heroes, Alien Soldier... So many all-time bangers.
Re: GoldenEye 007 Is Returning To Nintendo Switch
@Stocksy
As much as I loved, loved Wave Race on NSO, I've seen some insane stuff online, especially tricks and what not, that I don't think I could possibly pull off with the Switch controller. That being said, I do feel the base game and campaigns are perfectly beatable with the Switch controller, which I don't think is the case with F-Zero X.
Re: GoldenEye 007 Is Returning To Nintendo Switch
@Stocksy
I think the higher difficulties were tricky, but I still did them as a kid with no FPS experience.
That said, I do remember this game being tailormade for the N64 controller. I'm skeptical how responsive I'll be with the Switch controller. It's fine for some N64 games — I 100% Wave Race last week, a game I had never played and now love — but for others, like F-Zero X, the Switch controller just doesn't quite cut it for high-level play.
Re: GoldenEye 007 Is Returning To Nintendo Switch
I'm ready to replay it. I wasn't huge on it back in the day, but I have more experience with FPS games now and understand the context more fully. Also, online play!
Re: Live A Live Switch Remake Sells 500k Units Worldwide
I'll get this once I finish Xenoblade 3, though maybe I should just buy it already so it's ready to go and I don't get sidetracked with something else. I'm excited to try it out. But, yes, as everyone's saying, Xenoblade 3 was a big-budget, meme-buoyed videogame event, at least for RPG fans on Switch, and that game kind of hogged the spotlight.
Re: Treasure's "Highly Requested" Title Has Been Leaked
Ikaruga is one of my absolute favorite games, probably top 20. I am really looking forward to this one, especially now that I've grown incredibly fond of Treasure's broader back catalogue, from Alien Soldier to Sin & Punishment and Gunstar Heroes. What a developer.
Re: Rumour: It's Not Even September And Nintendo Direct Rumours Have Already Started
Zelda or Metroid ports would be nice, so those classics are no longer stuck in obsolete hardware. There are a lot of titles in both franchises I haven't played yet, and they're two of my favorite franchises.
Not starving for games at the moment, though. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is going to take a long time to complete. (And I got sidetracked with Wave Race 64 the past couple of weeks.) Bayonetta 3 is right around the corner and I want to replay the other two before it. Persona 5 is finally reaching a system I play on. And there's plenty else on the backlog, of course.