I actually think that's the best of the "modern" sonic games. It plays quite differently to the others and as you said it wears its influence on its sleeve which is no bad thing.
As well as Mario galaxy, the 2d stages take a lot stylistically from Donkey Kong Country Returns for the wii which is one of my favourite games.
I did enjoy Sonic adventure and adventure 2 (first game I had on the GameCube!) and I also had colours, generations and Forces but the ones I most enjoyed were the 2D games. Sonic 3 + Knuckles is one of my favourite games along with DKCR! Of course I love sonic 1&2 but I also loved sonic Advance and I enjoyed rush and even sonic 4 and I thought mania was excellent. (Sorry that was a bit of a rambling paragraph, I meant to say that I loved some sonic games and then ended up giving a shout out to most sonic games 🤦🏻♂️)
But yeah, sonic lost world was a breath of fresh air for me and (I know it's on PC and there is a 3ds version) I actually think it's one of the better Wii U exclusives. Maybe not a system seller but if you have a Wii U then this is a must have for the collection!
Oh yeah and I watched sonic boom on Netflix too and it was so unexpectedly funny that I actually loved it! Especially this part:
@Ralizah Just remember, we're talking in terms of control responsiveness; as a game, Forces is still a good time (especially if you got it for free) but it's no Unleashed. Hope you have fun regardless!
SEGA signed an exclusivity deal with Nintendo. Colours, Lost World and the Boom games were all covered by it. During the development of Colours, Sonic Team would frequently get notes from Nintendo (this I heard first-hand from one of the developers, at one of the aforementioned conventions) and there was a major drive to make the game feel more at home alongside Nintendo's first-party properties (in spite of the notes, they couldn't say whether this pressure came directly from Nintendo themselves, or whether it was SEGA's management).
Each world in Colours is broken up into as many as six Acts. Before this, Sonic's environments had never featured more than three; it was usually two. The original development plan, like Unleashed before it, was to have one or two massive, fast-flowing Acts, but Nintendo mandated they break them up. You can glitch out-of-bounds in some Acts and play the previous and / or next Act in sequence, because this change came down the pipe so late in development, they couldn't re-engineer the geometry in time.
***
@ralphdibny Thanks! Glad to meet a fellow fan, especially one who'll champion Lost World (you're a rare breed, my friend). Someday I'll have a controller hooked up to my PC, and I'll absolutely return to see if it enhances the experience for me. Shame it'll never get ported elsewhere; I'd love to see SEGA lean into the remaster business, as many of Sonic's 3D outings would brush up real nice on modern consoles.
I won't be covering most of the games you mentioned there, because they're bona fide classics and everybody kinda knows that, but good choices! The Advance trilogy is another I'd add to a remaster wishlist, as I don't replay those games half as much as I should. Superb sprite work.
And yeah, that's one of my favourite Boom gags, too! Reckon that show surprised a lot of people by being as self-aware as it is. It's also stupid, but in a paradoxically clever way.
"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."
@RogerRoger well I think we must have have similar tastes on a few different things! I do seem to remember there being some free dlc in the Wii U version too, I'm sure one was Yoshi themed, one might have been Zelda themed but don't quote me on that and I think there was a Nights into dreams themed one.
There was this wicked flash based sonic game on either newgrounds or something similar back in the day too, I used to play it in IT lessons at school. I'm pretty sure it was just sonic Advance but they added extra characters like shadow into it. I definitely didn't waste my time because IT GCSE back then was a 2 year course in Microsoft office which would have been a waste of my time 🤦🏻♂️. Except maybe excel, I wish I could do a few more things in Excel but I spent most excel lessons going to that alien landscape Easter egg it used to have. But I was so glad 🙄 to learn Microsoft word and the now defunct Publisher and Front Page haha
Boom Knuckles is a favourite, at first I was like wtf but he became that endearing loveable oath character and I couldn't get enough of him!
Have you played star wars episode 1 racer by any chance? I've been playing the remaster on Switch the last couple of days and I'm really enjoying it. I was thinking of doing a write up to spark discussion as I can't see any threads on it but I don't think I'd have the expected criteria when writing a review.
@ralphdibny I think so! Yeah, you get the NiGHTS stuff on PC, but the Yoshi and Zelda DLCs were exclusive to the Wii U version (didn't even make it to 3DS). They look fun!
I remember that Flash game! Reckon I spent a fair few lessons and library free periods playing it, too. I didn't get any kind of Nintendo handheld until my early 20s, so it was the first exposure I had to the Advance art style and music (which I didn't realise at the time; I thought it was entirely fan-made and therefore much, much more impressive than it turned out to be).
"Give me that!" [grabs letter and puts on reading glasses] "Oh yeah, I can't read."
I have played Episode I Racer, and did a write-up about it a few pages back. I ended up comparing it to Racer Revenge and got a bit philosophical about nostalgia, though, so I wouldn't call it a useful review of the game, by any measure. I say do it, and reckon you'd do better than you think!
"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."
@RogerRoger ahh wicked I will look and give it a read (I don't follow this thread as much as some others) and reply with some belated thoughts instead. The first comparison I made was to racer revenge though which I only had a short go on but found the controls unwieldy but this game has tight controls which make it really enjoyable!
@ralphdibny You're also playing on Switch, which might make a difference. I played both on PS4. It'll be real interesting to read your thoughts, so please don't not review something on my account!
"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."
@RogerRoger not at all! I wasn't that keen on doing a full blown review just wanted to trade some thoughts. Anyway after just clicking back through this thread using "find in page" (android's version of ctrl-F), while the games menu plays duel of the fates in the background which made this task way more epic than it had any right to be...well anyway after that I found your review!
I think I'm coming at this game from some similar places and some different places. For example, I didn't have an N64 at the time but I was also not playing it with expectations from rave reviews and and a positive experience with racer revenge.
I mainly bought it based on a previous positive experience of another N64 switch (and all other major gaming consoles) port of Turok. That game was brilliant, and despite owning a couple n64s now, I've never really been able to get into any of the games on the original hardware. It's always been remakes such as ocarina of time 3D or Mario 64 DS that have allowed me to enjoy those amazing games.
The remastered port of Turok however, blew me away. I never knew that behind the fog and blurry filters, lay a beautiful game. The textures are low resolution but they still look stunning when displayed in full HD without the N64 holding it back. So as you can imagine, I was keen for more N64 games to get ported as is but with the benefit of modern hardware to show us the the full breadth of the game. As of now, I believe there have been 4 (on consoles), Turok, Turok 2, Doom 64 and Star Wars Episode 1: Racer.
The former three were ported by night dive studios (I think) whereas star wars wasn't. Still though, I think the game looks great. I actually love the different tracks and I was a bit iffy initially when I revisited new tracks in the same areas but there are some where you end up in places where the geography and geology is so different that it's actually quite interesting to see. One area had a bit of track in a lava cave which wasn't even hinted at on the first go round. Now as I struggle to dodge the fire spewing geisers on Tatooine part 2, I come to my main gripe with the game.
Which is the upgrade system, where your upgraded parts disappear. A quick Google (unfortunately far too late in the game for me to do anything) actually tells me that your parts get damaged, so I've been spending that oh so precious limited currency on upgrades I've already bought because I couldn't work out why my speed stat was so low. Obviously and unfortunately this wasn't explained. I feel like I'm too close to the end now to put in a cheat to get some more credits so I will suffer through I think!
I found the controls tight but confusing at first. The boost button didn't do anything until I randomly pressed forward and a boost meter replaced my speedometer and all of a sudden I actually need to do this every race to win. But that's ok, because it's part of the fun. Working out where to boost, where to air break and where to turn reminds me of a combination of F-zero and Crash team racing. I'm probably putting more effort into it than I should be but I do enjoy the reflex aspect of it.
Another thing that brings me back to Turok, in a pleasant way, is the sound effects. I guess because I wasn't expecting movie accurate sounds, I actually ended up enjoying the recognition of the N64s sound effect set. There are some lightning/electricity effects that sound exactly the same as they did in Turok!
The only thing I would add to this game is online. I have a friend who is a big star wars fan who I went to see the 3D rerelease of phantom menace with who now lives in another country. Remember that ambitious plan to rerelease all the film's in 3D that started and ended with Episode 1? Anyway, Nintendolife's review opined that the game being unbalanced negates any prospect of an online mode being fair. I don't care about fair! It would just be awesome to link up with a friend online and play some star wars podracer! I probably wouldn't play with strangers anyway and I doubt me and my friend are going to hold it against eachother if somebody uses the best pod in the game, but oh well! By the way, me and my mate both love The Phantom Menace!
Anyway, that's probably about it. I found the game really fun, having had not much luck playing either racer revenge or the N64 original in the past. The upgrade makes it playable for someone like me who doesn't have much nostalgia for the N64 as a whole and I've ended up getting really into it!
Also the 3 in the "3, 2, 1..." countdown looks suspiciously like the Monster Energy drink logo, or maybe the logo looks like the Tatooinian 3. Another funny thing I noticed is the font in the menus makes the word podracing look like pooracing because Ds and Os look so similar!
Edit: well that turned into a bit of a review, I'll give the game 8/10 for completions sake 😂
Edit 2: I meant to add, in terms of the graphics at least, they look really good but the draw distance isn't as good as similar ports which means you do have to remember where some tight turns are because they will just appear in front of you!
INSIDE is a short game. I finished it in about a week. But though short, INSIDE tells a small yet gripping story without a single line from any of its characters.
You start off the game in a forest, hiding from some men in the area and working your way towards a city. While at first it is unclear why you are hiding from these people or why they will sic dogs on you and shoot you with darts if you are spotted, when you reach the city you see that anybody who is not trying to kill you is a mindless Husk obeying orders seemingly programmed into their heads. I don’t want to say more for fear of spoiling what little story there is, so on to the rest of the game.
INSIDE consists of short stages that are simple puzzles, small action or stealth sequences, and some minor platforming. Each stage somehow manages to feel distinguished from the rest and even near the end of the game new concepts are still being introduced to the gameplay. You solve the puzzles by either moving an object to a specific place so that you may reach another area, or by using a mind control device to control some Husks in the area. Though this sounds rather simple, INSIDE uses these two mechanics (along with some others) to make some quite interesting yet surprisingly logical stages. No stage is ever too hard to solve, so you will rarely get that stuck-feeling we all despise in puzzle games.
The game also does a great job making you feel tense at times and uncomfortable at others. You may be chased by a pack of dogs at one point, or be forced to pretend you are a Husk as you are watched by a camera. INSIDE has minimal music (the soundtrack is only forty minutes long, and mostly ambient at that) but what music it does have particularly enhances the atmosphere or adds even more tension to an already high-strung scene. I genuinely can’t find cons for this game. With an ending that made me question my actions throughout the entire experience, INSIDE is definitely a game worth experiencing.
That is, if you feel the game’s explicit content is small enough. Now for the mature content review. This game is violent. Like really violent. You can DIE in this game, from being mauled by dogs to ruthlessly being stabbed through the neck to being drowned. You can find body parts and dead bodies in some sections of the game, and at one point you swim through a bunch of body parts with what looks like nails driven into them suspended in water.
There are no voice lines in INSIDE, so swearing is not an issue. There are no drugs or alcohol in the game either (although sometimes you can die by people with guns shooting you with darts, but that doesn’t really count). The sexual content is a matter of uncertainty. The siren-like creature that attempts to drown you appears to be nude, but at the same time there are absolutely no details (not even faces) on any of the characters in INSIDE, so you could simply pretend that it’s wearing a jumpsuit or something like that. In a later portion of the game you can control a bunch of Husks that appear to be in their underclothes, but again there are no details and the game does not encourage your imagination (uuh they’re wearing jumpsuits with protective pads!).
If you feel that this (kind-of) mature content is outweighed by how much of a masterpiece this game is, I would highly recommend that you give it a go.
Rating: 4/5
Seeing as this is my first review, and comments/recommendations would be greatly appreciated!
It took hours, but I managed to create a directory of the reviews posted on here so far. It was a damn shame how much good writing was getting lost in pages and pages of new content, and that discussion about the Star Wars game earlier got me thinking that some of the people putting effort into composing prose for this thread might appreciate people being able to go back and look at their previous work.
Anyway, for ease of access, I inserted this list into the very first post of the thread. I'll try to update it semi-regularly, and will (slowly) add direct link support for each piece.
@Trisque Great first review! I've never played this game before, but I've been acutely aware of the developers' previous game, Limbo, for years. It's on my 360, Vita, and PS4, although, for some reason, I've never quite gotten around to playing through more than the first stage or two.
Anyway, INSIDE does sound terrific, and I recall it scoring well when it released as well.
The ultimate recommendation I can give is to keep writing and posting your impressions of games. The only way any of us improve our writing is to just keep practicing, reading, and engaging with others. I've found there's a lot to be learned about my own shortcomings as a writer by reading over the piece submitted by other contributors and then contrasting those with my own submissions.
If you want slightly more nitpicky recommendations... you should probably put a line of extra space between each of your paragraphs. Oh, and while it's not terribly relevant with this particular game, I'd recommend specifying both the system you played it on and how it fared performance-wise.
@Ralizah that directory is really something! I love reading through the reviews on this thread, and I really appreciate you going through the effort to allow easy access to everyone's reviews.
Also, thank you for the recommendations! I was a little nervous posting it but your positive feedback really helps.
@Trisque Hi Nice review - did you like the game overall? What are your thoughts about the ending as I really liked it but I know some people were confused/disappointed (not that it isn't confusing).
Now I may be an idiot, but there's one thing I am not sir, and that sir, is an idiot
@Ralizah well done, that's actually a really good resource. It was actually the reason I only read this thread sporadically, because there is 52 pages of it, I wouldn't know where to start!
Carrion is an indie horror/action/puzzler game from Devolver Studio where you play as the monster as opposed to fighting against the monster. The game starts simply enough in a 2d environment as you break out of confinement as a red tentacles mass of flesh and start to wreal havoc upon a mysterious facility. The game features pixel art and is approx 3-4 hours to finish end to end, possibly more if you look for all collectables.
I've had my eye on this game since the announcment at Devolver Digital in at their E3 'show' in 2019 and it took prominence in their 2020 review with it sharing the virtual stage with Phil Spencer. The art and concept looked interesting so I took a punt on Gamepass.
It is sort of hard to completely describe the core mechanics of the game in it being one style. As the titular Carrion, you explore the areas and do light puzzle solving to get to new areas. It also has a Metroidvania style upgrade path whereby you acquire new abilities as the game continues. These can then be used to open up new areas or solve puzzles to get to new places and continue the game. One, for example, allows you to grow bigger by absorbing (eating) humans and this size gives you more strength to open certain blockages in the level. Or you can get a limited invisibility option. However, I wouldn't call this a Metroidvania in the truest sense as often your new skills are needed immediately in front of you. There are some points when you'll need to return to areas but these are limited.
Puzzles are often about what upgrades you need to proceed. The main thrust of the puzzles are tied to your size/form. You can deposit or acquite Biomass to become smaller or bigger. Each of these allows use of different skills - so for example, to stealth you may need to be smaller to get through a certain area or you may need to swap part way through an area. Combat is variable - you can try and swing in and grab and toss people around or you can try and stealth or use different abilities. Sometimes your combat style is up to you and sometimes it is forced based on the form you need to be in.
So how did I feel about the game? Firstly, movement in this game feels amazing. The beast uses tentacles to sieze on to walls and move across the environment really fast so that you can swing and slither around easily and it feels good. You can use the controls to also grab enemies or environmental and swing around. The feeling of bursting in a room, grabbing people in one go and flinging them across the room really does make you feel like an unstoppable force. Also the game looks great and the sound design works really well. The human screams are rather realistic (if that floats your boat you weirdo!).
I did have issues with it. The main one is that there is no map. Which makes sense but the areas are similar looking in places and when you do need to revisit where you have been it took me ages to work out where I needed to go. When you have been to an area, there is no respawn so I probably spent an hour of this game all told just oozing through empty screens trying to find new areas. However since you only free explore areas a few times, there is no repetition to remember where you have been or to remember areas that you couldn't get to.
Then there is the difficulty in combat which didn't feel consistent. The movement feels great but it can be inexact. Enemies start to vary up so some can be grabbed, some have shields you can't get through and some are drones etc. that have different ways to approach. However often if you are lucky you can swing through and just demolish the area. Then you may try the same tactic with the same foes and get killed almost instantly. This may be because the game wants you to try different tactics but if 1 out of 3 solutions is to go through and cause a bloodbath (which feels great when it works) that was always the route I tried first.
There is limited story but it does provide a little context as to what the creature is trying to do and how it got there though this is limited. That said, it feels like a horror short story in that sense - it doesn't need too much story to maintain the atmosphere. The length is about right so it doesn't outstay its welcome.
Carrion is a fun little play and I would recommend if you can get it. It is unqiue and original but has a few niggling flaws that might ruin some of your experience. Patch in a map though and I think this game would do a lot better.
Now I may be an idiot, but there's one thing I am not sir, and that sir, is an idiot
@Rudy_Manchego Nice review! I heard about the game ages ago and then it slipped my mind completely. From your experience, would you call it a "hidden gem," or would it lean closer to only "hidden not-quite gem?"
In response to your question about my review, I most definitely overall enjoyed my experience with INSIDE. Though there were a few stages that I became stuck on, it was usually just me not thinking rather than the game being cryptic. As for the ending, I though it was well constructed. It definitely surprised me! While the ending is slightly confusing, I feel that it's meant to be analyzed --- everyone may take away something different from it. Personally, I thought that the ending was supposed to make you question why the boy was attempting to get to the Huddle. Was he under some form of mind-control, like the Husks you find along the way, and if so, are you (the player) the one mind-controlling him? I may come back to the game to experience the second ending.
First up, this is for @Ralizah and their awesome directory edit!
Thank you truckloads! You're a hero!
***
@ralphdibny Interesting perspective on Episode I Racer there. I'm glad you weren't weighted down by expectation, and that catching up with it proved to be a positive experience for you! Yeah, I keep hearing excellent things about those Turok remasters. If I ever see them in a sale, I might bite. I really enjoyed the new port of DOOM 64 so I'm not averse to all retro gaming; I think my fandom of The Phantom Menace, coupled with always staying current with Star Wars gaming in general, was my undoing.
The broken boost was a fiddle for me, and the part system totally passed me by but, again, I'm probably applying more modern standards from Racer Revenge and other racing games retroactively, which I shouldn't do if I'm being fair (although seeing that you also struggled to figure out the boost mechanic makes me feel ever-so-slightly better, I'm afraid).
Recently there's been a lot of buzz around both Episode I Racer and The Phantom Menace in general, so I wouldn't be surprised if Disney and / or EA took notice and at least floated the idea of a brand new podracing game, with online multiplayer and fancy graphics. It'd sell like hot cakes regardless, and would fill a gap in the market Crash Bandicoot and Sonic the Hedgehog couldn't occupy all by themselves. They could even do a Monster Energy tie-in for seasonal content (okay, I ruined it... sorry)!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, and I can understand that eight, even if I personally disagree. Oh, and yeah, you and your mate have excellent taste in Star Wars movies, by the way!
***
@Trisque Excellent debut review! Inside is a game I knew a little about, but I feel much more informed now, having read your piece. You told me enough to get me curious without giving too much away, and that's sometimes a tricky balance to strike. Easy puzzles sound like my kinda thing, as does a thoughtful ending, but its tense atmosphere and violent displays would give me equal pause, I reckon. I know it was critically acclaimed upon release, and your recommendation only adds to that, so I'll keep an eye on the PSN sales and consider it for when I'm in the mood to push my limits. Thank you!
If I were to give you any direct feedback about your writing, it'd be the same as Ralizah offered; do more of it, whenever you can (and yeah, space out your paragraphs, too). You've got good skills here, so nurture them; in the meantime, I'll look forward to reading your next piece!
***
@Rudy_Manchego Your opening paragraph conjured memories of The Ooze on MegaDrive, where you control... well, a big blob of ooze. It wasn't really a horror-esque title, from what I can remember (I only briefly played it) and it wouldn't be anywhere near as complex, but the concept was interesting enough, and it sounds like the same can be said regarding Carrion.
Since it's a relatively new game, do you think they'll ever patch in a map? Or is it the kinda game where people would recoil against such an idea, even if it was optional? I don't think I could ever survive a Metroidvania (even a half-hearted one) without a map.
Thanks for your review, as I don't often see games or updates from the green side of console gaming and, now that I've got Steam, I might be able to access some of the better ones. Cheers!
"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."
@Ralizah, thanks for going through the trouble of creating a directory. It's really useful & cool.
Reading some of the recent reviews reminded me of Inside. I remember it looked interesting when it was first revealed at I believe an Xbox event, but I've never got around to buying it.
Currently Playing:
Switch - Blade Strangers
PS4 - Kingdom Hearts III, Tetris Effect (VR)
@RogerRoger I thought there was a remake coming out, but I seem to remember there being some confusion as to whether it was a separate thing to this remastered port.
I think I only gave it an 8 because it was just fun, which is not something I say a lot about games! Normally they are just enjoyable or have a good story. I know it sounds weird but I do feel like there's a difference between a good game and a fun game.
I hope Jake Lloyd is getting some royalties from this re release though! The guy deserves it
I'm probably Gona try out racer revenge soonish, hopefully Ive laid the groundwork for myself to be able to play that game!
@ralphdibny That doesn't sound weird at all, I know exactly what you mean. So many games are caught up in trying to push boundaries or have meaning nowadays, they miss the fun factor and it's a shame. Games like Episode I Racer don't have to break the mould or advance the genre; they just have to make you smile. Sometimes that's more than enough, and playing for fun balances out the weighty, more "important" experiences we equally crave.
If you do try Racer Revenge, let us know what you make of it, please! I'd be interested to see how strong my bias was, if nothing else. Hope you enjoy!
"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."
@RogerRoger yep will do! I Will give you a shout if I play any notable star wars game to be honest as I know you will have probably played it/have something to say about it!
Forums
Topic: User Impressions/Reviews Thread
Posts 1,001 to 1,020 of 3,217
Please login or sign up to reply to this topic