Kraven

This will be a day one purchase for me. I hope this sells relatively well because I’d like to see Tactics Advance get the same treatment. We are eating good with the games right now; excellent review!

@OK_Commuter Just a quick tip on The Mist; if you follow the butterflies it will lead you to where you need to go. I think you need to use the Needloin, but I’m not 100% certain. If you jump back into the game I hope that tip helps!

@theberrage I have to strongly disagree. I think it’s an easy GOTY contender. Just because you are finding it difficult to progress doesn’t mean it’s any less good. As for the Last Judge, there are ways to make it easier—the Magma Bell for example. It makes a tremendous difference.

I’m not sure how you consider the game unrewarding with its exploration. I actually think it’s one of its strongest suits. If you are struggling with an area or boss you can explore and find other ways to circumvent that area altogether and still progress the story. You are never locked out of progress. Moreover, exploration can lead to discovering new tools, mask shards, NPCs that may help you in various situations later in the game, unexpected mini games, new crests, and more. If you don’t feel satisfied with rewards from exploring then I’m unsure what you are actually wanting.

Well, I beat Hollow Knight Silksong finally. It took me approximately 50 hours. It is without doubt a modern masterpiece that will continue to surprise you up until the very end, and then go even farther once you think you are done.

Throughout my personal journey in Pharloom, I’ve heard the discourse online about how difficult the game is. Honestly, I don’t understand this sentiment. This is coming from someone who typically dislikes the Metroidvania genre and am mildly decent, if not bad at Souls-likes. As long as you put in the work it will be a fair experience, albeit challenging, but manageable nonetheless.

To contradict myself, there was a moment in the High Halls where I thought I was going to give up the game entirely. It was an absolute grueling experience that changed my outlook on the game itself. I stopped having fun.

It was that moment when I had an epiphany: this entire time I stupidly hadn’t upgraded my weapon (needle). After retracing my steps and upgrading it to level 3, I beat the section where I struggled for hours on my second attempt. I had another revelation—I’ve been fighting every boss up until that point without upgrades. I could have made the majority of my play-through easier, but in a way I’m glad I didn’t because I felt as if I got more of a raw pure experience. From then onward, I felt like Silksong was literally perfect.

For the first time in a long time I genuinely considered this medium an art-form, particularly with the boss fights. In fact, some confrontations felt like peak cinema, from the cinematography, music, and combat that pushed you to your limits. It’s exhilarating—you feel like a gymnast on a stage meant for ballerinas, and in some instances you are.

I’m now revisiting the game and cleaning up optional side quests and areas that I didn’t fully explore. I don’t often do this. Once I see the credits roll I am typically satiated with my experience; however, Silksong is just fun to play, and I’m still uncovering secrets in the most unique of ways.

Now onto Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter.

@SpaceboyScreams I agree with a lot of your points, but I do think you are missing something from your argument, and that is criticism. The review on this site is a 10/10, but that doesn’t mean the game isn’t without its blemishes. Just because it’s the developer’s creation and artistic vision on how they handle the difficulty doesn’t mean it is perfect; otherwise, why have reviews to begin with? There are moments in the game that is unbalanced, and should be criticized for it. A good example is the High Halls gauntlet. Feel free to explain to me how that is a good design choice, and not just because it is the vision of the developer. By the way, that section of the game is my only real complaint; everything else has been challenging, but overall, fair. But ultimately, no game is perfect.

I’m not too keen on the rogue aspect, but everything else looks great. I’ll give the game a go when it releases. Let’s hope it plays as well as it looks.

It truly is a sublime game, and it’s true - you can go somewhere else to reach the same destination you have been trying to get to. However; there does come a point where you can’t go somewhere else to progress, and when those moments do occur they are incredibly unbalanced. You either have to persevere or give up.

The only game I’m picking up out of that list is Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter. I really hope it runs well on the original Switch. Thankfully, the game has been getting glowing reviews, so at least it’s a great game overall.

I understand the nervousness, but we barely saw a snippet of what the open world is going to be like. It may very well be like Gears 5, or any other empty open world game. Or, it could be entirely fresh and fits into the world of Metroid. If there is anything to be nervous about it would be the lack of importance Nintendo seems to have for this franchise. This should be a game that had its own direct; instead, it had a brief trailer in the weirdest spot in the direct and barely got any attention. That is what is worrisome to me.

The difficulty doesn’t need to be adjusted much more in my opinion. I think it is completely manageable as is, and was before the previous patch. That said, I will say the developers over-did it with some of their gauntlets. The gauntlet in the High Halls is arguably one of the most unbalanced designs I’ve ever experienced. It drags on way too long, and the room is too small, and some of the enemies, particularly the fifth, sixth, and eight wave does not allow you to move due to how much they take up the screen and damage you for a minor mistake. I’m absolutely loving the game. In fact, I was in agreement with the 10/10 review from yesterday; however, at where I’m currently at and reading the discourse online about this particular challenge, I’d have to lower my score by a point.

I agree wholeheartedly with this review. I have a few nitpicks with the game, but they aren’t enough to detract from the immense brilliance this game has to offer. If it wasn’t for Clair Obscur it would be my GOTY. And this is coming from someone who didn’t vibe with the first game.

@krogp Ideally, the comments should be about the topic in the article, and not an entirely different subject matter. If you want to discuss GKC then you can start a personal thread and share your sentiments there, or find a relevant article on this site — there are plenty. Your original comment has nothing to do with FF7, and unfortunately, your comment baits others into discussing something unrelated to the topic at hand. There is a time and a place for everything, and I personally believe your comment wasn’t the time nor the place for it.

I don’t mind these new difficulty settings. They are, as mentioned, entirely optional. If you as an individual don’t want to use that approach then this future update shouldn’t even bother you or diminish what you are wanting from your experience. Personally, I’ve beaten the game a couple of tomes — on my PS4 and then PS5 — but never attempted hard mode because I found the final boss very difficult even on normal settings. That’s just me, though.

This weekend I am playing Hollow Knight Silksong. There are so many wondrous things I can say about the game, but I want to use one word to describe my experience: exhilarating.

I could also discuss how incredible the world design is, from its atmosphere, intertwining levels that connect together, the music by Christopher Larkin, but I won’t. What I will talk about is how the game makes me feel, and how this culminates.

I’ve reached Act 2 and I’ve realized how brilliantly paced it is, particularly with its difficulty. It’s been challenging, yet fair. There were a few boss fights that had me stuck for an hour or two, but I eventually overcame my adversity.

Silksong gradually introduces you to new mechanics (obviously, it’s a Metroidvania), but also enemies and bosses. It will start you off with enemies that will take three hits to finish; a boss encounter with one phase; or a region that has more traps than the previous area. This happens just when you, the player, begin to feel like you’re getting comfortable with its design, and subsequently makes you uncomfortable momentarily. The crescendo is the boss fights that make you remember everything you have learned up until that point. And then you discover a second phase, and then a third.

It is at this moment your skills and reflexes take over. When they do, my goodness - you feel like a God. It reminds me of the movie Dodgeball, with the quote, Dodge, duck, dip, dive, and dodge! You begin to realize you are memorizing enemy patterns. Muscle memory starts to take over, and suddenly you are jumping, dashing, dodging, and parrying attacks all at once and in between multiple enemies. It is utterly satisfying.

I haven’t felt this type of emotion since Bloodborne. I have fond memories of fighting bosses, dying repeatedly, but inching my way closer to victory each time. And when I knew I had the enemy on the cusp of defeat my adrenaline would start pumping, my hands got sweaty, my arms got shaky, and I entered the zone. It’s been 11 years since I’ve experienced those same dopamine spikes, and I didn’t think I’d ever have that again from a video game. Thank goodness, I was wrong. As I said in the beginning: it is exhilarating.

P.S. Screw Sinner’s Road and its bench!

I’m not crying; you are.

This was a fantastic reveal. I didn’t like the last Fire Emblem game because of its childish art style and story, but Three Houses is one of my all time favorite games. This one seems to be following the same route. I can’t wait!

I think the bike is actually pretty cool, so long as it doesn’t take up the majority of the gameplay. I’m looking forward to it - here is to hoping it delivers.

@fluggy Chapel of the Beast had me stuck for a few hours too before finally conquering him. It was tough, but I personally found it to be a fun boss fight. Funnily enough, some are saying that boss is akin to some late game bosses in the original Hollow Knight, and is more suited for mid-game content rather than early stuff. I never beat Hollow Knight - I didn’t like it for some reason - but I love Silksong, and perhaps I’ll find new appreciation for the first game.

I played the game on the PS5 and got the platinum, but double dipped on the OG Switch. I personally haven’t had any issues with the frame rate, but patches and updates are always more than welcome.

@EarthboundBenjy I agree. This area is very trap heavy - why would we expect any different the more we progress in this area? I thought it was a fun, humorous addition that is easily remedied. The people on here complaining about this having yet played the game are really overblowing this.

@Grumpalo Exactly. This game’s attention to detail is astonishing. It makes the player pay attention, and if they don’t this is what happens. It’s not the fault of the game, but the gamer.

I was kind of shocked when it happened, but walking up to it I felt like it was in an odd spot. My instincts were right, haha. I immediately found the switch to turn it off though, but what a pain in the butt to get back to that hellish spot.

This is good news. My expectations are in check, but Metroid Prime 4 should be getting a release date, my guess is in November. Other than that, I would like to see a new Fire Emblem and Xenoblade Chronicles game. And perhaps add Chrono Trigger to the SNES to their service.

@Henmii Nice! It sounds like we are having a very similar experience. One thing I was questioning myself on was to go to Hunter’s Marsh first or the Deep Docks. I chose the latter option.

No, I don’t think it’s too difficult. Now, that could change the further in progress, but I have yet to encounter anything that hinders my momentum. I’ve defeated several bosses, just beat Lace, and am making my way smoothly. This is coming from someone who didn’t enjoy the original Hollow Knight.

I’m not finding the game all that difficult. It can be tough in a few areas, but it’s not halting my progress whatsoever. That said, the game does feel unbalanced overall, so I’m welcome for the update. As others mentioned, I wish there would be a difficulty option—but I’ll take whatever is given to me.

@The_Nintendo_Pedant I get that, and I agree to a point. But when are we going to start judging other games to the same merit? Resident Evil hardly ever does anything revolutionary with its combat and gameplay, so will RE9 get the same kind of criticism if indeed it plays like all the other titles in the franchise? I’m just curious as to how we differentiate gameplay between new IPs and existing ones that have a household name.

I’ve seen a lot of reviews that have said the game lacks originality in its gameplay. Despite reading this, I don’t see how it’s an actual issue. There is not much more a game can do to spice things up in a survival horror game unless you add a unique mechanic like Dead Space. Other than that, 98% of games in this genre are the same.

@Wewewi Correct, but it’s also a numbered list, and people are making a big deal for it being the highest on the list. Your comment applies to both sides of the coin. The game is clearly meeting, if not exceeding expectations, and is one of the most popular games in years, and it’s an indie game.

The amount of disdain for Silksong is insane to me. That said, can we ignore numbered lists and just appreciate good games?

What am I playing this weekend? What do you think - Baldur’s Gate 3, of course. As I sit by the campfire playing fetch with my dog Scratch, I can’t help but reflect what one day can do to a man, or in this case, a Dwarf monk.

My journey in the Shadow Lands has been quite an adventure. I messed around and found out because I’m somehow the savior of this disastrous locale. Throughout my time, I’ve told Marcus Falgor, this bulking man with childish harpy wings, to scram. He didn’t, but I made him, y’know? Afterwards, to celebrate my victory, I shared a few drinks with Thisobald. I used my monk’s willpower to stay sober while we swapped stories. I can’t say the same for him. Who knew beer could cause spontaneous combustion? It was a darn shame - I was enjoying his company. Oh, well; things happen.

Subsequently, upon leaving the tavern I got stopped by this gold blob - a toll collector by the name of Gerringothe Thorm. I didn’t like the cut of her gib, not one bit. She was too damn shiny. I convinced her to see the error of her ways and she responded by giving me all of her coin, including herself. It was just another day in the Forgotten Realms … so I thought.

In comes this googly-eyed weirdo; Malus Thorm is his name. What are with these Thorm people, anyway? Lady Shar Almighty. Anyway, I just wanted a touch-up to survive the evening. Instead, I walked into a hospital filled with undead nurses performing surgery on some poor man screaming in agony. Malus had a brilliant idea: having his nurses perform surgery on me. Are you a jester? We just met, you clown. I told him I don’t float that boat because I don’t let people under my skin until people are properly trained. He understood and told his staff to practice on each other. Let me tell you - they did an excellent job. Too good, in fact. That wasn’t enough, though. I told him practice makes perfect. He was confused, so I urged him to see how surgery feels on himself. That was the end of that.

So yeah, long story short, my playthrough is going better than expected. Me and Scratch are hanging out, playing fetch, and just mingling by the campfire before I see what shenanigans I can get up to at the Moonrise Towers.

I’ve yet to get a Switch 2, but from afar it doesn’t appear to have that must buy game yet. I have no doubt Donkey Kong is great but I don’t see a much discourse on the game compared to other big Nintendo hits.

With that said, I will be buying a S2 soon, particularly when Metroid Prime 4 releases. Let’s hope it’s still on track for 2025. I’m also expecting third party titles to come to the console; i.e.; Metaphor Refantazio and Baldur’s Gate 3. As with the original Switch, it is essentially my RPG machine. Whenever I get a S2 I should be eating good. Persona 3 Reload, Trails in the Sky Remake, hopefully Metaphor, and then your classic indie games that I feel shine brightest in handheld - Mina the Hollower and Demonschool. That line-up of games alone have given me the reason to buy a Switch 2.

I wish I could share the same sentiment you have. It is my most least excited feature in the upcoming game, but that’s also a personal preference because I’ve never been a fan of city building games.

I have no doubt 0 will be good, but OT2 was phenomenal, and I think it’s one of the best RPGs ever made, but the prospect of adding more to what is already an overwhelming amount of content (8 characters) is unappealing. My wish is that they would scale down rather an upscale.

Nonetheless, I’ll cautiously keep an eye on this one. Perhaps it will surprise me in unexpected ways.

Last week I talked about how I’m playing Baldur’s Gate 3 - taking my time, playing in spurts, and eventually completing it after reaching the end of Act 2. It would be at this point where fatigue settles in and I would ultimately shelve the game for months, only to come back, forget the mechanics, and create a new character. This process would be repeated over and over.

Meanwhile, my initial goal was to play BG3 between other games: Metal Gear Solid Delta, Shinobi: Art of Vengeance, and Hollow Knight Silksong. Let me state for the record - those goals have gone to hell in a hand basket. I am in DEEEEEEP waters on my trek to reach the pinnacle of Act 3. I genuinely can’t get enough of it, and I’m about to wrap up the second act with a newfound sense of energy.

What blows my mind is how different this playthrough is compared to my previous ones. I have this awful habit in RPGs where I tend to choose the “good guy” route whenever there is dialogue choices. Moreover, I play the same type of character if I can - a high-elf, rogue assassin. And when I get a bad roll of the dice I reload my save until I get the outcome I wanted. This time, however, I’m a Dwarf monk and it has been awesome. I’m letting the rolls dictate the story, good or bad - a true RPG experience. What I wasn’t expecting is how unsatisfying rolls can actually create better moments throughout side quests and main campaign.

Simply put, there is a lot of game here. You never feel as if you missed out on something special regardless of your good or bad choices because the writing is so top notch that every thread is meticulously fleshed out so you can get the ultimate experience. My actions are generally good, but also morally grey. I tend to find the root of the problem and rip it out, but if I can use it to my advantage then I will. I’m living my best life in BG3 and wouldn’t have it any other way.

I want to conclude my rant by making a bold proclamation: from a video game perspective, BG3 might be the greatest of all time. That’s not to say it’s my favorite, but in totality I think it measures up to that threshold. To me, it’s the epitome of what I have always envisioned games to be ever since I could comprehend the basics in 1994.

A rich, lush world beckoning to be explored, filled with many secrets to uncover? Check. Freedom and allows for player expression? Double check. An incredible cast of characters with unique personalities, deep history to learn about, fully fleshed out, and having an experience tailor made to each individual and play-style? Triple check. Writing that is on another level, to the point where each interaction with any character or NPC feels meaningful? Quadruple check. Every facet of this game is seamlessly woven together, and I don’t understand it. I don’t want to, either. I’m just happy it exists.

I adore the Ys franchise. I’ll definitely be picking this up once it releases in the west.

This sounds great. I played the original Switch version but never beat it. I let my young daughter play it on the Switch lite I got her and she lost it. Whenever I get a S2 I’ll be buying and keeping and playing again.

This weekend I’m not playing anything. My wife and I surprised our daughter with her first ever tickets to a concert in Chicago, so that’s where we will be for the next couple of days. It will be our first time there, so we are going to do all of the touristy things. To say I’m excited to finally try Chicago deep dish pizza for the first time is an understatement.

However, throughout the week I decided to start a fresh playthrough in Baldur’s Gate 3. I’ve done this twice - both times reaching the end of Act 2, but getting fatigued and putting the game down for a long while. It’s truly a special game, but I have a tendency to implement the same style of play each time - a high elf, rogue assassin that focuses on stealth and archery. I do this with The Elder Scrolls, too.

This time I’m making a devoted effort to play in different ways. For starters, I’m a Dwarf with the subclass of Paladin. Secondly, I have a terrible habit of save scumming and being a good guy. While I will still be good, I’m going to choose dialogue options that are appropriate rather than solely choosing the “right” response, and whatever the dice rolls I am going to allow myself to accept the decision, good or bad. And lastly, I’m going to try new character abilities during combat. I generally play it safe and focus on raw strength and advantages rather than coming up with unique methods to approach combat, or not at all.

So far, my experimentation has turned out quite well. Who knew using magic was so fun? I’m throughly enjoying how I approach every situation and living with the results. Moreover, by doing so, I’m discovering unexpected side quests that I never found in my first two endeavors, and branching narratives that I can tell will have an impact later on. I’m really curious to see how things evolve.

The one thing that will never change: romancing Shadowheart. That will remain a constant until Gale decides to end us all with an explosion of jealousy and addiction. And on an unrelated side note - I’m praying for a Nintendo Switch 2 port because I’ll be doing a lot of traveling this upcoming year and it would be the perfect companion piece.

It sounds like it’s shaping up to be another monstrous hit. It also sounds like the definition of “what isn’t broke, don’t fix it”. There are some added tweaks to the formula and a more refined essence of how traversal and combat is with a new protagonist, and I’m looking forward to seeing how it all comes together. I truly believe this will be worth the wait.

This game continues to look more impressive each time I see it. Their Silent Hill 2 Remake is one of my favorite games this generation - I had fun getting all endings and the platinum trophy - so this looks to be an even more confident project.

This looks incredible. I’m glad it finally has a release date, but what an unfortunate time because there are so many games releasing within a week or two of each other. MGS 3 Delta, Hell Is Us, Gears of War Reloaded, Demonschool, and more - all around the same time. It’s overwhelming, but in a good way.

I’ve beaten this game twice already on PlayStation, but I’ll double dip when it comes to the Switch 2. I’m happy to hear it seems to be shaping up to be a solid port.

This is great news. I plan on buying a Switch 2 in early or mid September, so this will be the perfect companion piece. I adore the Trails Of and Ys games - they have helped me through some tough times in my life. To say I’m excited is an understatement. And I’m glad to see the upgrade is only a dollar.

@zockermiller Are you eventually going to stop playing games? It’s obvious that digital is where Nintendo is going. Or, are you going to cave in and buy games on a storefront once physical media becomes slim to none?

@Duncanballs Amen to that! You and I think alike.

This looks absolutely stunning. I’ll definitely be picking it up on release day.

@JokerCK Exactly this. And people act like buying a game digitally will disappear in a few years time. That is simply not the case, and it’s incredibly rare when games don’t transfer to new consoles. I do understand the want for physical, but it shouldn’t negate the fact that a great game is announced for the Switch 2 and hopefully people will support it.

Man, Nightdive is really becoming a massive deal in the industry. Keep it coming!

It’s going to be shadow dropped on Thursday - that’s my guess, anyway.

This looks like the perfect handheld experience. I’ll definitely pick it up on release day!

If BG3 and Metaphor got announced for S2 I would buy it immediately. It would be the perfect handheld experience.