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Topic: User Impressions/Reviews Thread

Posts 162 to 181 of 3,212

Thrillho

@Rudy_Manchego Yeah, my normal gaming sessions are obviously a lot shorter and with something like Yakuza you can spend all that time running around doing stupid/menial things and not actually achieve anything.

@johncalmc I think I still enjoyed the game overall but, like you say, an AI system shouldn't really be so slow or bad at doing some of the tasks you get given in the game. I wouldn't want the game to hold my hand too much but being given clearer routes around such a small area would have been nice. The bits where you went out into space were also frustrating for the same reasons and I struggled to find the character outside for ages like you also mentioned in the review.

@Th3solution I'm a sucker for a game with good platforming, whether it's something like Rayman or Hollow Knight, and Guacamelee scratches that itch really well. The Metroidvania thing never bothered me too much and the combat in the game was just an added bonus really. Games like Super Meat Boy sound like they should be my thing but when the entire game is punishing I find it more annoying than enjoyable.

Thrillho

Th3solution

@Thrillho I just hate it when I hit a roadblock in a game and don’t know how to progress. After wandering through the same areas repeatedly looking for a door, key, or passageway to get to the next section Is maddening after a couple hours. I don’t mind the whole hubworld / shortcut style level design, but when you go back and forth not knowing where to go next, I tend to give up. I had that experience with Guacamelee and also with Muramasa Rebirth, among others with that 2D style. I think I have a mental block for some reason with these types of games. I guess I’m more of a 3D spatially oriented person.

“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”

johncalmc

@Thrillho I can't remember what hyperbole I used in the review, but there's a bit where you have to go out of the station to find another astronaut and honestly I was on that bit for ages. It was so annoying. With a game so narrative heavy, where you really want to know what's going to happen next, stopping for forty minutes to float around looking for someone who's dressed in a white against a white backdrop is just infuriating.

The puzzles generally I thought were fine as most of the time they made sense. Swapping cameras or putting a fire out etc. But unless you're a scientist, some of them don't make sense. Most games handle messing around with hardcore scientific things by holding square or something and your character doing it automatically, or by simplifying things like circuitry into one of those puzzles where you move wires about to create a route for the electricity.

Here, some of puzzles give you a mad task to do using words you've never heard of and your only solution is to just click everything until you win. That's fine if you're like the chef or something trying to survive on a space station. But you're the A.I. You should know. And if you don't know, because you're not really an A.I., that's where the aforementioned simplification should come in.

johncalmc

Twitter:

JohnnyShoulder

@johncalmc Wait, your not an A. I.? Your reviews make way more sense now!

Life is more fun when you help people succeed, instead of wishing them to fail.

Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.

PSN: JohnnyShoulder

RR529

I think I'm going to take a break from the Last Labyrinth on PSVR.

The puzzles you're presented with after the first credits scene can get pretty tough, and my brain is pretty worn at this point, lol. Due to the horrorish nature of the game, each failure really gets to you as well (not so much your own death, but the death of the little girl. It's never gory, but certain scenes of her body just going limp are quite disturbing, particularly the scenes with the guillotine & noose), which has also contributed to me wanting to put it down a little early. Still, I think I've gotten a pretty decent grasp at what's going on (story wise), so I'm pretty satisfied.

Currently Playing:
Switch - Blade Strangers
PS4 - Kingdom Hearts III, Tetris Effect (VR)

RogerRoger

@RR529 Sounds wise to take a break. I don't think I could continually watch what you're describing there on a standard screen, let alone through a VR headset!

@KratosMD Excellent review of Pokémon there! I'm really glad they've included character lore in that way (there if you wanna look for it, but unobtrusive for those who'd rather just collect and fight). My only experience with the franchise, SoulSilver on DS, was a struggle for many reasons, one of which was the overriding feeling of "What's the point?" in the absence of story.

Dynamaxing sounds like a bit of an obvious upgrade to me, but I'm glad it helped lend weight to key battles for you, and the ambitious proof-of-concept addition of the Wild Area is something they'll obviously work on for the next entry.

Really glad you enjoyed it so much, and great to read something positive about it for once!

"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."

PSN: GDS_2421
Making It So Since 1987

KALofKRYPTON

@KratosMD
Great write up.

I've got the Sword and Shield double pack for my daughter for Christmas, which should hopefully keep her well entertained.

PSN: KALofKRYPTON (so you can see how often I don't play anything!)

Twitter: @KALofKRYPTON (at your own risk, I don't care if you're offended)

"Fate: Protects fools, little children, and ships named Enterprise." - Cmdr William T. Riker

Ralizah

@KratosMD Glad you enjoyed Pokemon Shield. I'm (very slowly) working my way through the game. I'm not nearly as impressed with it as you are, although certain aspects are nice (I also really like the changes they made to the gyms, as well as the way wild Pokemon skitter around in the grass and interact with the player).

Very nice write-up, btw.

Edited on by Ralizah

Currently Playing: Advance Wars 1 + 2: Re- Boot Camp (NS)

PSN: Ralizah

Thrillho

@KratosMD Nice write up. The open world area sounds like a pretty cool feature, especially with the raids.

Seems mad how long ago Red and Blue came out now and I'm still peeved that I never got Tauros to get all 150..

Thrillho

RogerRoger

@KratosMD Oh, I totally get the cathartic angle. As somebody who frequently falls for less-than-popular games, movies, shows, etc. there's a limit to how much "this thing sucks" I can read before I need to just vent my feelings someplace, even if it is this relatively quiet corner of the internet.

I'm glad you've been able to find details to love about Pokémon, and turn what seemed like quite a promising trainwreck into an overall enjoyable experience.

"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."

PSN: GDS_2421
Making It So Since 1987

Ralizah

@KratosMD Internet controversy tends to spiral out of control rather quickly. Especially when you have online echo chambers full of people stirring one another up into a lather, leakers spreading misinformation, GF being terrible at PR, etc.

Of course, the sales numbers for these games have been phenomenal so far, which tells you just how non-representative this hate bandwagon is of the market more broadly.

I'm proud of you for not mindlessly adopting the mindset of that vocal group, though. You played the games and came to your own conclusions about them. Good for you.

I liked Gens 5 and 6 quite a bit, personally, aside from their relative linearity (which was made worse in Sun/Moon and Sword/Shield, Wild Area aside). X/Y knocked it out of the park with its multiplayer features, too.

Currently Playing: Advance Wars 1 + 2: Re- Boot Camp (NS)

PSN: Ralizah

Ralizah

@KratosMD Well, the dex cuts seem to be what triggered most of the anger. Apparently, based on what I've heard from a lot of people online, they were fine with somewhat mediocre games so long as they got their yearly 'fix' of Pokemon. But, to them, a lack of Pokemon is a severe cut in the amount of content in the game. A lot of these people are reportedly also emotionally connected to the Pokemon they've been transferring forward from gen to gen over the years (on one hand, if I put myself in their shoes, I can kind of maybe see that? On the other hand, it seems a bit sad to invest emotional energy and attachment into a bunch of pixels. I have a strong emotional attachment to a couple of stuffed animals I've owned since childhood, though, so who am I to talk?)

Given the "lack of content" compared to previous games, then, they don't think Sword/Shield do nearly enough in the quality department to make up for it, and think that it's actually less polished than most of GF's earlier games. They also point to it having a higher price tag than the handheld entries, and many are bitter that Mega-Evolutions were cut to make room for Dynamaxing, which they consider to be a silly gimmick.

There's also the lack of GTS, which makes it difficult to trade for exactly what you want online, the general instability of the Raid Battle system online, and the weird stamp system that spams you with messages every time you or a friend captures anything in the game. Oh, and the poorly handled weather system in the Wild Areas, and the way the game slows to a crawl when you're online.

There was also a lot of noise made about low quality animations, but, having played the game, I think this is overblown. Some of these animations ARE bad or lazy (Double Kick and Tail Whip are particularly notorious now, thanks to the online drama), but many are excellent.

There's also the perception that the series has been devolving in quality since Gen 5, with obnoxious friendly rivals who pose no challenge, the overall difficulty dropping drastically, regions becoming more and more linear, and obnoxious game design where the characters feel the need to lead the player around by the nose.

Well, I think that covers the bulk of the complaints. There are giant lists of detailed complaints floating around Reddit, if you're interested. It's worth mentioning that there have been complaints about the series for years, but the culling of the Pokedex seems to be what pushed it over the edge for a lot of people.

Personally, I think there's a social element that the angry fans aren't acknowledging. Consciously or not, they seek a sense of belonging within their community, and so they adopt the concerns of the people around them and allow themselves, as I said, to be whipped up into a lather about a set of games that hadn't even launched yet. Some still played, but did so with conceptions that made it almost impossible for them to enjoy the games.

Also personally, I think some of these people are rebelling against the fact that the series never grew up with them. It's fine for adults to play the games, but Pokemon titles are clearly developed with children in mind, and, now that they're not in that demographic, long time fans feel alienated. Watching my young nephew play games like Let's Go! Eevee and Pokemon Shield, I came to realize that probably a lot of children today appreciate the streamlined design and easiness of these new games (actually, my nephew still dies when he plays, so I think the difficulty is just right for him).

I'm surprised by your accuracy about when many older fans probably dropped out of the series. Personally, as a 90s kid, I started with Gen 1, and after Gold and Silver, I skipped all of the mainline releases until Black and White, and even after that, I've only played Pokemon games sporadically (generally, I'll play a set of new gen games when they release, but ignore third releases/sequels like B2/W2 or Ultra SuMo in addition to the remakes).

Edited on by Ralizah

Currently Playing: Advance Wars 1 + 2: Re- Boot Camp (NS)

PSN: Ralizah

RR529

One Piece Pirate Warriors 3 (Switch) - the long running anime series gets the Musou treatment.

Pros:

  • The core Musou gameplay is here and as strong as ever (if you're into it). While I don't think it shakes things up as much as Hyrule or FE Warriors, many of the story missions do have unique elements such as a giant boss or a battlefield that shrinks as large portions of it become cut off over time. Plus, it looks good both docked & portably with no performance issues that I was able to notice.
  • It has a large array of varied characters & tons of maps. I'm personally not a huge One Piece fan, but it feels like they really wanted to do the series justice, and I'm sure bigger fans would be giddy at the options on offer.
  • Like the two Nintendo varieties, it features both a decently lengthed story mode (I'd say just north of 20 levels) that isn't too much trouble to get through (that can really showcase the excitement of the anime with action packed cutscenes, usually after defeating the enemy commander), as well as a seperate mode with tons of extra levels that later on can really challenge the most hardcore Musou players (that I'm not one of, lol). Oh, then there's also the "Free Mode" that lets you replay the story missions with anyone.

Cons:

  • You can't swap between characters mid battle, nor command CPU characters from the pause menu like you can in certain other entries. I never found this to be a huge detriment, the abscence of the QOL features was missed.
  • Really digging for negatives here, but it doesn't feature your character doing a victory celebration cutscene whenever you clear a battle (like the other Musou games I've played have featured). It's not a "real" issue, but a nice touch I missed.

Overall it's a very solid Musou game. Not the sort of experience that'll win any awards, but if you like it's brand of gameplay there's quite a bit of fun to be had here (especially if you're a One Piece fan). I'll admit I let my inner teenage self take over as I took tons of closeup screenshots of Nami & Robin in their various costumes, lol.

Currently Playing:
Switch - Blade Strangers
PS4 - Kingdom Hearts III, Tetris Effect (VR)

RogerRoger

@KratosMD Whilst I can't speak specifically to the evolution (or lack thereof) of the Pokémon franchise and reception, what you're discussing here does sound similar to other long-running things I follow. It's the price of innovation, unfortunately. Give it another couple years of Game Freak genuinely trying to change Pokémon for the better, and then there'll be a retro re-release of the original, or a new game made to look identical to the first GameBoy iterations. Seems to be the pattern nowadays.

Sorry to hear that it's upset you, though. Try not to let it bug you. I've lost countless hours to "Why is everybody saying this about my favourite thing? Is it me, am I seeing this wrong?" kinds of thoughts but the truth is, there's never a one-size-fits-all opinion for anything. You loved Sword/Shield, and that's awesome enough to stand on its own.

@RR529 Sounds like you had fun, especially taking all those screenshots! Gonna share a couple with us in the screenshot topic, perhaps? No pressure!

"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."

PSN: GDS_2421
Making It So Since 1987

RogerRoger

James Bond 007 on the PSone
A Three-in-One Retrospective

Scanning my shelves for a quick palette-cleanser upon completing Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order for a second time, nostalgia saw me reaching for a familiar black case. Back in the glory days of licenced games, after GoldenEye 007 had broken the curse of E.T. on the Nintendo64, the rights to the digital world of Double-Oh Seven fell to Electronic Arts. Their focus switched primarily to the more-popular PlayStation and, over the course of its lifetime, delivered three distinct games which laid the foundations for their wildly-successful PlayStation2 offerings.

Since each game only takes a couple hours to blast through, I ended up playing them all and thought I'd write up a bit of a retrospective. So here is a piece about Bond, James Bond on the One, the PSone.

Tomorrow Never Dies (Black Ops Entertainment / November 1999)
Untitled

Released a woeful two years after the film it ended up adapting, Tomorrow Never Dies started life as something much more original. Supposed to be subtitled The Adventure Continues, the game was planned as a sequel to Bond's defeat of Rupert Murd... er, Elliot Carver. There was even a trailer for it, presented by Desmond Llewellyn (Q) after the credits of the film's 1998 home video release, teasing how it would pick up on plot threads deliberately left hanging for the game to revisit later (specifically, the terrorist identified as Satoshi Isagura during the pre-title sequence, who is then never seen or mentioned again). It boasted driving, skiing and scuba-diving levels alongside its core third-person shooter gameplay and, all in all, looked quite ambitious.

Unfortunately, focus groups came back demanding to be able to "play the movie" and so a couple extra months were added to development, allowing the game to be re-tooled to match its compressed cutscene clips as best it could. Some of the original content had to remain; four of the ten levels supposedly "expand upon" the film's plot but, in reality, they're just where the sequel idea was going to take players anyway. It's within these levels that the varied gameplay survives. During an extended opening sequence, Bond infiltrates a Russian military outpost and laser-designates a satellite dish for destruction, before making good his escape on skis and parachuting off a cliff (yes, Union Flag parachute and everything). Later, he dodges infra-red snipers to pick up his BMW 750iL, using it to chase down a terrorist weapons convoy in the Swiss Alps, before skiing into a snowy mountain hideout in Hokkaido to confront and kill the aforementioned Satoshi Isagura. The scuba-diving levels never resurfaced, alas, which is a shame as there's a rather tense underwater sequence in the film itself.

But at least there was a concerted attempt at variety. The cinematic Bond is a jack-of-all-traits character, and EA were trying hard to reflect this. Such an aspiration forced the game away from simulation and towards more of an arcade-esque feel; driving the BMW doesn't feel like actual driving in the slightest, for example, but at least it makes a change from all the running around. The ski controls fare better, with an effort to have momentum pay off and the ability to pull some classy tricks during each jump, but it's purposefully basic. As is the shooting, which features an ever-present auto-lock on enemies and a fluid dodge-roll mechanic to evade death. Speaking of which, there's even an extra life system, allowing hapless agents to respawn in place a couple times before a proper, final game over screen returns you to the level select menu. Everything feels generalised, with a pick-up-and-play level of accessibility reflecting the mass appeal of the Bond films.

As the direct successor to GoldenEye 007, however, the best intentions in the world couldn't sway those expecting another FPS with splitscreen multiplayer (a mode which Tomorrow Never Dies doesn't even attempt to provide). Thanks to its patchy development, the game also feels a little unfinished in places. Texture quality is pretty high, but interior environments suffer from a near-sighted draw distance threshold, giving you little time to react as heavily-armed goons loom out of the darkness. As mentioned before, a criminally-short completion time adds to the sting of wasted potential, with the longest of the ten levels clocking in at a mere fifteen minutes. There's a Double-Oh Agent difficulty which you unlock after beating the game, but the little bonus movie you get for beating it isn't reward enough.

But brand recognition, as well as a phenomenal soundtrack, helped the game reach Platinum / Greatest Hits status pretty quickly, and ensured EA would immediately ask Black Ops Entertainment to start work on adapting the next Bond film. The World is Not Enough was already hitting theatres that very same month, but it would take another year for its interactive version to arrive; just long enough to tweak the game's code into a much safer, more crowd-pleasing adventure.

The World is Not Enough (Black Ops Entertainment / November 2000)
Untitled

Back to a first-person perspective, this second PSone pass made great pains to address the criticisms levelled at Tomorrow Never Dies. In some areas, these efforts paid off, most notably in the graphical department. With experience and the expanded budget of a sales hit on their side, Black Ops were able to showcase what their engine was truly capable of and, as such, The World is Not Enough ends up being one of the prettiest games from the final days of Sony's inaugural console. It all runs at a very steady pace, too, thanks to its eleven levels being broken up into smaller chunks of environment which can take a couple seconds of black screen to enter and leave. It's a relatively small price to pay, particularly since the switch to first-person demands more close-up detail.

The rush to ape GoldenEye 007 is blatant, though, right down to the addition of Moneypenny's sarcastic innuendo at the bottom of each mission briefing screen. Gone is much of the gameplay variety from before; this is an FPS through and through, with many of the arcade-style features stripped out and replaced with the need to run, gun and occasionally pause to precision aim. This dogmatic approach results in some very linear level design, with seven of the eleven available feeling like extended corridors, no matter the window dressing. Chuck in the occasional time limit and some sequences might as well be on rails. There is only one secret area in the entire game, hidden in the first level, and it's laughable. Never mind reflecting his diverse range of talents; Bond is back to being Rambo, it seems.

Having said that, there are two awkward attempts to mix things up. Since there was an actual ski chase in The World is Not Enough on the big screen, there was no need to shoehorn in some skiing gameplay this time around; a major action sequence was right there, available to copy. I wish they hadn't bothered. Still locked to that first-person perspective (and apparently sporting a tuxedo, because the in-game model for Bond's wrist never changes, no matter what he's supposed to be wearing) you awkwardly slide around a very brief, and again very linear, slope packed with baddies and buzzed by parahawks. It's lethargic and unnecessary and, when you're finally back on-foot for a final small shootout, the feeling of liberation only serves to underline the struggle you've just endured.

The second attempt to convey Bond's range comes from the level immediately following this nightmarish ski trip, and further damages any mounting sense of enjoyment players might be squeezing from the game. Set in Zukovsky's casino, you're tasked with turning a $20,000 credit voucher into $100,000 worth of winnings at the blackjack table. There's a good approximation of the card game on hand here, even allowing you to double down or split, but perhaps it's a little too good, as your progress is therefore entirely based on luck. A salutary lesson about gambling it may be, but it's also a genuine pain in the butt, a needless roadblock in what is supposed to be a breathless action shooter. Because yes, you're gonna go bust a couple times... and it's then that you're likely to realise what else is missing from Tomorrow Never Dies. The forgiving extra life system is gone. If you fail a mission, you're booted all the way back to the start. No matter how short the level, this can be supremely frustrating.

In a game specifically designed to have no variety, trying to have it anyway only hurts the proceedings. Fans can find the fun elsewhere (the stealthy Night Watch level is surely a highlight) but this game always felt like a bit of a backwards step from EA, an unfortunate conceit in the wake of GoldenEye 007 becoming such an iconic milestone in gaming history. With a soundtrack of thirty-second loops and a runtime still barely touching two hours, there's little to keep bringing you back.

But that's okay because, at the time, EA had another Bond game to offer you.

007 Racing (Eutechnyx / December 2000)
Untitled

With driving gameplay AWOL from The World is Not Enough, and after wanting to start their Bond tenure with an original story, EA were able to set aside a somewhat-novel idea for a spin-off and flex their imagination. The resulting plot is hardly Shakespeare, but it offers enough justification for ten levels of vehicular-based mayhem. Whilst en-route to Canada, a shipment of Q-Branch weapons is hijacked in order to cover the theft of a prototype BMW equipped with special exhaust-masking technology; seems a mad professor wants to reverse-engineer this innovation and use it to (somehow) poison the world's population via car emissions.

Greenpeace would be proud, then, although I can't really see them, or anybody else, reading through the large walls of skippable text. It's all well and good bookending the game with a pair of flashy CGI cutscenes, but the rest of its presentation falls squarely into the range of the bargain bin. The graphics are genuinely appalling, particularly for such a late-generation offering. You can frequently see enemy vehicles through walls, in all of their boxy glory, and textures contort and deform at any distance. Even when driving through the Mexican jungle or infiltrating an underwater base, Bond remains in his tuxedo, his only character model awkwardly glued to each interior. When coupled with some schizophrenic handling (sluggish one minute, tetchy the next) some levels can become a challenge to comprehend, let alone clear.

In a vehicular combat game, however, Bond has real potential. His well-stocked garage of gadget-laden options is fully represented throughout the ten levels, with Aston Martins unleashing heat-seeking missiles and BMWs deploying oil slicks with aplomb. Misleading title aside (anybody hoping for a balloon-headed Jaws in a tiny Lotus Esprit will be disappointed; there's only one race in the game, and you win it by driving off a cliff), there are flashes of genius peppered throughout. One truly outstanding level involves an imprisoned Bond steering his BMW 750iL via remote control, watching it on security cameras which keep changing perspective. It's a little mind-bending to complete, but definitely grin-inducing to try. Throw in a soundtrack which is funky with a capital F and you'll find moments memorable for all the right reasons, even if there are others memorable for quite the opposite.

It should also be noted that 007 Racing is the only PSone Bond game with splitscreen multiplayer, offering a standard two-player deathmatch alongside an excellent 'Pass the Bomb' mode. My brother and I used to play this all the time back home; essentially tag with an armed explosive, you must ram (or avoid being rammed) as the timer counts down to detonation, desperate not to be stuck holding it when it reaches zero. It's deliriously frantic, although finding somebody else who's mastered the ageing controls could be a little tricky nowadays. At least there's been some acknowledgement to replicate some actual handling this time around, with hard corners kicking the back wheels out and 180˚ handbrake spins a viable tactic. It still feels arcade-like, though, as do the high score tables at the end of every level.

As this standalone mixed bag, 007 Racing might be more "idling lawnmower" than "throaty V8" but, as a stepping stone on EA's path to delivering interactive Bond greatness, it's pretty vital. By continuing to challenge the notion that Bond should only ever star in first-person shooters, they laid the groundwork for their stellar PlayStation2 trilogy which would culminate in James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing, the best Bond game ever made. The sparks which set that fire are evident in Tomorrow Never Dies and 007 Racing. It's a shame that The World is Not Enough had to briefly blow them out, but then everything happens for a reason, I suppose.

Whilst waiting for a games console capable of delivering a true Hollywood blockbuster, EA's primary objective with the Bond licence seems to have been to shove as much glossy, shallow action as possible into a couple hours of your time.

And if that doesn't effectively convey the cinematic Bond franchise, then I don't know what does.

"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."

PSN: GDS_2421
Making It So Since 1987

Thrillho

@RogerRoger Ha, 007 Racing sounds gloriously bonkers and the sort of game we will probably never see again.

I do remember playing TWINE and I'm sure I mentioned the blackjack level on here recently. Otherwise a relatively bland and forgettable game.

And I have never actually played the Goldeneye game as I would never betray my Sony overlords.

Thrillho

RogerRoger

@Thrillho If done properly, a vehicle-based Bond game could be something special. I mean, 007 Racing is already something special, but more in an "ugly puppy" kinda way! Alas yes, such risks aren't taken anymore.

Yeah, I thought of your comment when playing that level. What a nightmare!

The original GoldenEye 007 on Nintendo64 is something I've played briefly on other people's consoles, but never owned or completed for myself. I remain determined to someday, but it keeps slipping down my to-do list, mainly because I'm kinda angry at it for inadvertently decreeing that Bond games should always be shooter games.

And yes, quite right, go Sony and whatnot.

"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."

PSN: GDS_2421
Making It So Since 1987

HallowMoonshadow

Ooh nice a triple pack of game reviews to look over! (With @RogerRoger's being a triple bill too!)


Sounds like you had fun with One Piece Pirate Warriors 3 @RR529!

... Think the closest I've got to a Musuo game is a Dead Rising game. No particular reason why I haven't played any of this specific genre other then wanting other games more but I've always wanted to try one!

Not terribly fond of One Piece myself ... But I'm glad you had fun with it!

Kinda reminds me of my Digimon Playthrough earlier in the year.

Not trying to do anything particularly fancy or groundbreaking... Just being an enjoyable and fun game... Good to hear it does just that!


As for your bond triple bill @RogerRoger

... Good job

I'm not the biggest Bond buff... I think the last bond I watched was Spectre... and turned it off after ten minutes... before that it must've been Thunderball or something back when I was really young.

Never heard of any of those games at all! Only the mention of Goldeneye thanks to the N64... 007 racing sounds particularly daft but good fun as well!

Well written and enjoyable to read too as always mind and nice to hear you had fun with them!


And finally @KratosMD and Pokémon Shield

On the one hand I've not played Sw/Sh so I can't particularly comment on this title.

On the other hand I've played Silver, Blue, Yellow, Crystal, Ruby, Emerald, Diamond (Break from the series) X, White & Omega Ruby (break from the series again) soooooo... I think I know how the series works by this point lol

I think I'm with Ralizah in the more reserved camp side of things personally...well if I was able to play it I would!

Buuuut... It's not like Sword and Shield has turned the series into a dating sim or something lol

You in particular Kratos are very passionate about games... It's a little funny comparing this overwhelmingly positive review to your post a few weeks ago in the switch thread after hearing about the notable dex cut and some of the other stuff like the awful PR gamefreak have had involving the title

I'm glad you enjoyed it! (I know I've said that to the other two reviews as well but sush 😅)

Previously known as Foxy-Goddess-Scotchy
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"You don't have to save the world to find meaning in life. Sometimes all you need is something simple, like someone to take care of"

Ralizah

@RogerRoger Great write-ups, as always. I'd never even heard of that 007 Racing game. You're a fount of information about obscure licensed games on the PS1/PS2, and I think that's fantastic!

@KratosMD Peoples' issues with the dex cuts were never about the number of Pokemon you'd run into while playing the game. The regional dex is on par with other games in the series, I believe, and it has a great balance of Pokemon from previous generations (no Gen 1 favoritism here, interestingly). Rather, it's primarily the people who maintain a living dex and religiously transfer their digital animals from generation to generation who are so miffed about the change.

I do agree that this is the first gen in a while where I'm actually sort of tempted to try and "catch em all."

@Foxy-Goddess-Scotchy

"Buuuut... It's not like Sword and Shield has turned the series into a dating sim or something lol"

If you ask old-school Fire Emblem fans, this exact thing happened to the series during the 3DS era.

Edited on by Ralizah

Currently Playing: Advance Wars 1 + 2: Re- Boot Camp (NS)

PSN: Ralizah

HallowMoonshadow

Ralizah wrote:

If you ask old-school Fire Emblem fans, this exact thing happened to the series during the 3DS era.

Oh... I've heard @Ralizah.

There's that one purple haired lady with the huge... tracts of land from that confusing mess (to me) that is the second lot of 3DS games. She seemed to get the brunt of the complaints from what I remember 😅


You have a point @KratosMD in that people should at least try any and all games before judging them... Especially for something like Death Stranding.

But people who weren't so hot about Sword and Shield are already ardent fans as it's been pretty much talked to death about already... I'd genuinely be surprised if there was any new fans whom were put off by the lead up to it's release from stuff like Dexit or reycled animations (which wouldn't really affect them in the slightest)

Maybe it's the cynic in me, the fact I'm more tepid about Sw/Sh anyway and maybe still a little raw about recent events that has me thinking negatively at the moment... But most of 'em would have a very similar number of pokemon games under their belt to me or you and I'd be shocked if SW/Sh really felt or plays any differently to the other games in the series.

I think with that much pokemon played you can quite easily make a rational and informed descision (I know most of the vitrol hasn't been so level headed sadly) that Sw/Sh aren't for you from footage and other people's thoughts post release.

Hell I'll admit that my initial reasoning for not wanting to play gen 5 and went off the series was a far more shallower reason (thougg considering the nature of the games it kinda isn't) of all the new pokemon looked flat out terrible to me in Black/White.

I did end up giving it a chance though years later (the list in my post was the order I played the games in if you didn't realise) and I ended up loathing it for reasons besides the naff pokes that I've already got into a number of times!

So... I guess I disagree to a point about your view that people really need to play Sw/Sh before making an opinion as the only people I've really ragging on it are life-long fans and it's pretty much what they've already experienced at least 3-4 times over...

... Certainly doesn't warrant any of the abuse or incessant wailing that's been happening though beforehand mind!

But that's just my opinion Kratos and I do get and agree with the spirit of yours for the most of it! For pretty much anything else, like your Death Stranding example, I'd flat out agree that it must be played to be believed

I am genuinely happy for you that Sword and Shield have rekindled your love of Pokemon! I wish I felt so estatic about it!

Edited on by HallowMoonshadow

Previously known as Foxy-Goddess-Scotchy
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"You don't have to save the world to find meaning in life. Sometimes all you need is something simple, like someone to take care of"

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