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Topic: User Impressions/Reviews Thread

Posts 2,941 to 2,960 of 3,212

RogerRoger

@DominusPlatypus I sympathise with your wrestling over a final score for Stray. I haven't played it for myself (despite intending to someday) but gather that a lot of folks share your views. It's interesting to see it get nominated for so many awards but then yeah, as Ral rightly notes, we live in a world in which Untitled Goose Game won GOTY so it's as you say, everybody has different tastes. I'm sorry you fell on the negative side of the fence, but I'm grateful for your honesty. Thanks for sharing!

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

PSN: GDS_2421
Making It So Since 1987

Buizel

How do we feel about endless gushing in this thread?

Thanks to it's long-awaited release on the Switch, I'm playing Persona 5 for a third time and I have a lot I want to share...but I'm not sure I really have anything negative to say about the game. Anything I write will be less a review and more "why I love Persona 5"...

At least 2'8".

Ralizah

@Buizel How you write about a game, and what you choose to write, is entirely up to you. There's no requirement to be critical, or to write something in the form of a traditional review.

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

PSN: Ralizah

Buizel

@Ralizah Thanks!

I might spend a bit of time on this one actually as I really want to do the game justice...

At least 2'8".

Pizzamorg

I really wish I liked Persona 5 as much as other people do. Looking forward to reading your thoughts though, always nice to read something inspired by someone's passion for something.

Life to the living, death to the dead.

LtSarge

Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story (3DS) - Impressions

Just finished Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story on 3DS after 29 hours of playtime. It's easily the best game in the series that I've played so far and for two reasons: 1) tons of gameplay variety, and 2) excellent pacing. These are the two things that I've had issues with the first two games. Both Superstar Saga and Partners in Time got incredibly repetitive after roughly 10 hours. At that point you've basically done everything the game has to offer in terms of gameplay. With Bowser's Inside Story however, you get to play as Mario and Luigi as well as Bowser. Playing as Bowser adds so much to the gameplay, both in battles and in the overworld. On top of this, there are 2D sections in the game, mini-games to play and even kaiju battles.

It wasn't until I hit the 25 hour mark that I started to get tired of the game, which was because of how long the final area of the game was. Seriously, there were like 4-5 boss battles including the final boss. It was a bit too much in all honesty. Regardless, the fact that it took me twice as long this time before I started to lose interest in the game just shows what a huge improvement its structure is compared to the previous titles. I'm genuinely impressed by how fleshed out the game is.

Not to mention that you get to play as Bowser! While it's called "Mario & Luigi", I'd say this is more like Bowser's own game considering how much you get to play as him while the Italian brothers take a backseat. It's actually crazy to think that Bowser hasn't been given his own game yet. Bowser's Inside Story would be the closest to that though.

While I find this game to be the best in the series so far, it isn't without its share of flaws. Something that it does worse than previous titles is that it doesn't feel like a full adventure this time around. You don't really visit that many different places compared to previous games since you explore Bowser's body with Mario and Luigi. Since there are so many sections with them, there are fewer overworld areas to explore, which is a bit of a bummer. The game is still overall long like a typical Mario & Luigi experience, so it's not like it's shorter because of this. But I still would've wanted more areas to explore besides beaches, woods, mines and castles. As a result, it didn't feel like I've accomplished much in this game considering half of the stuff you achieve are by doing stuff with Bowser's body.

Even though I mentioned how dragged out the final area was, it still ended on a high note. With a fantastic final boss battle that required you to put together all the skills you've learned throughout the game and an epic music track to go along with it, I finished the game very satisfied.

In short, this was a fantastic experience. I've always thought that the Mario & Luigi games have very fun and engaging gameplay compared to other turn-based JRPGs but they've always gotten repetitive too fast. Nintendo rectified that with Bowser's Inside Story and delivered an engaging experience from beginning to (nearly) end. I highly recommend giving this game a go, it's definitely the must-play title of the franchise.

With that said, I still haven't touched the bonus content "Bowser Jr's Journey", which is apparently rather lengthy. Looking forward to starting it up soon! Should be a good time, just like the bonus content in the 3DS remake of Superstar Saga.

Edited on by LtSarge

LtSarge

Ralizah

@LtSarge Oh, nice! I'd always intended to get to this game, but my interest fell off after, like you, I played the first Mario & Luigi game and quickly grew rather bored with it. It's nice to hear this one represents a solid improvement in terms of gameplay variety, then, although considering you still grew tired of it after 25 hours, I do have to wonder how much that speaks to larger and more structural issue with these games. In my experience, it usually takes WAY longer before my interest begins to flag with a properly engaging JRPG. Although your experience might well be different in this regard. It sounds like neither of us were feeling the first one, though.

Nevertheless, it sounds like you enjoyed your time with it. And that final boss music IS pretty great. When I listened to it, I thought: "Geez, this sounds weirdly similar to a Xenoblade Chronicles track I heard recently" (I'm playing through the Definitive Edition of XC1 atm in preparation for the XC3 DLC campaign, which features returning characters from the first game).

So, I looked it up. Both tracks were composed by Yoko Shimomura (who did the entire score for BIS, but only did a handful of XC1 songs). No wonder it triggered that association!

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

PSN: Ralizah

LtSarge

@Ralizah Yeah I mean, there isn't a lot to these games. They're very simple to play, so that's probably why you start to lose interest quickly compared to other JRPGs. In the case of Bowser's Inside Story, I think another problem with it is that the story isn't particularly interesting either. I can't imagine the later entries improve upon these aspects. Dream Team Bros returns to just Mario and Luigi, and while Paper Jam Bros has a third character, it wasn't that well-received when it came out. Bowser's Inside Story feels like the pinnacle of the franchise.

Ah I had no idea that the composer of Bowser's Inside Story did some of the tracks in Xenoblade 1. That's interesting, I'll have to pay attention whenever I get to that game in order to see if I can make that association as well.

LtSarge

oliverp

Uncharted 4 - PS4
Right, so I just recently beat Uncharted 4 for the first time. Now I must state that I in general find the game as an intense good shooting experience with some interesting jumping and stealth elements as well. I did not least liked and appreciated the graphics of the game very much.

As I have stated in some other thread I think it's without question the best Uncharted game in the series and I can very much recommend the game to anyone who is looking for a good solid shooting experience with some interesting adventure elements attached to it.

My main and only complaint would be that the pacing times sometimes feels a little bit off which sometimes makes it hard to know if and how much progress you make in the game. But I still very much liked the game. During the jumping and platform sections I can't help but think about the brilliance of the Prince of Persia games.

oliverp

DominusPlatypus

@Ralizah Thanks for reading! I'm curious as to what "Western AAA" games have you bounced off of due to their focus on immersion and atmosphere rather than gameplay?

@RogerRoger Thanks for reading! Stray getting all those award nominations was comical in my opinion but I guess everyone is justified to their personal tastes.

DominusPlatypus

Ralizah

@DominusPlatypus Naughty Dog's PS3-era titles immediately come to mind. Bloober Team's The Medium. Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice. Just off the top of my head. While not typically as restricted as Stray, numerous big-budget Western titles keep a tight rein on the player and limit the scope of the gameplay in order to facilitate a certain type of immersive cinematic experience. If a game is going to go that route, I usually prefer they openly embrace genres that thrive on limited interactivity in the first place. If I'm playing a third-person action/adventure/platform-style game, I don't want there to be this extra layer of abstraction between myself and the player character just so the developers can LARP as filmmakers.

On that note...

@oliverp Uncharted 4 did a lot to improve on previous entries in the series by embracing a greater degree of freedom in terms of level design and player control (particularly when it comes to combat interactions). Which is a big reason it's also my favorite game in the series. Also, I liked how subdued the supernatural aspects were compared to previous adventures, which usually became a little silly by the end.

Edited on by Ralizah

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

PSN: Ralizah

nomither6

@LtSarge i still have it on my DS , mario works so good in a RPG/Turnbased

really love the artstyle too & was actually my main attraction to it.

nomither6

RogerRoger

@LtSarge Whilst it's awesome that you enjoyed Bowser's Inside Story so much, and I really enjoyed reading your post-game / pre-bonus content impressions, it's a shame that it only manages to move the boredom goalposts a lil' further back, rather than remove them entirely. My RPG experience is limited but, thanks to those I have played, I've also encountered the unfortunate flaw of a drawn-out finale, and it's never not frustrating. When you realise that you're wishing a game to be over, it's never a good sign.

Speaking of which...

@oliverp Yeah, it's a shame Uncharted 4 screws up its pacing so often. It's a gorgeous, highly playable game but its story and character choices were a bit of a letdown for me. I often think about replaying it because the gameplay really is that good, but then I think about some of the sequences which drag and plot points which annoy me and my enthusiasm drains away. Still, I'm real glad you had fun!

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

PSN: GDS_2421
Making It So Since 1987

LtSarge

@RogerRoger Wishing a game to be over happens all the time with me nowadays. There are so many games to play that I just want to move on to another one if it's taking too long or it's frustrating to play.

That's actually what happened when I played the bonus content Bowser Jr's Journey. It's incredibly simplistic with very little depth and I had to force myself to play it because I don't want to miss out on content. However, I just encountered a difficulty spike and now the game expects me to grind. In a bonus game! Yeah, that's not happening lol. The bonus content wasn't interesting to begin with and now they want me to play it longer than I have to. So I decided to give up on it. At that point, I'm really wasting my time. I'd rather play so many other games.

So I guess that's my review of Bowser Jr's Journey. Stay clear from it!

LtSarge

oliverp

@LtSarge Oh Interesting then its not only me who feel that way sometime. Its like you know there is some other interesting game around corner but you want kind fulfill your obligation to the game you are playing and already have invested some time in ideally complete the task and the game. But yeah sometimes its feel like its maybe not the worth the time… Felt like I played a few of those grindy takes in games last year and year before..

Edited on by oliverp

oliverp

LtSarge

@oliverp Yeah I'm still not good at deciding when to give up on games. It's especially painful to play something until you get close to the end and then you realise you just can't continue anymore.

I personally think it's better to give up on games rather than play something that you're not enjoying just for the sake of finishing it. But I always get a bad conscience whenever I give up on a game. At the end of the day though, if it helps me get through my backlog faster, then I'm fine with that.

LtSarge

JohnnyShoulder

@LtSarge I've long learnt to give up on games if I'm not enjoying them. Sure there might be sections that you can get through, but if that drags on for too long I will most likely move on.

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

themcnoisy

I have recently been playing a fantastic rpg, chained echoes. It's a callback to the top down jrpgs of yore. For the last ten days I have been smitten. It takes everything that's been good within the genre and eradicates the faff. I was wondering why @ShogunRok hasn't reviewed it? @kyleforrester87 have you played it, I know you would love it!

The world and story are wild. Admittedly it's gotten a bit xfiles for me nearing the conclusion but the first 20 hours are some of the best the genre has to offer. The fighting builds throughout the campaign and the rewards board is one of the best mechanics I've seen for a long time. Simple, clean and you want to fill that thing!

The maps are puzzles within themselves and the revelations of what's going on, railroads you to keep playing. Not since the mass effect trilogy have I froze in horror realising it 3:30am in the morning and I can't put it down.

You have genre staples with their own twist. From the levelling to equipment, the bestiary to side quests, base building to secret bosses. Storming castles to petting dogs. It's such a beast of a game.

Oh and the music is gorgeous and perfectly fitting.

It has a couple of negatives. The crystal system is confusing, I understand what to do but the implementation seems a little off. Like a twisted version of materia, which isn't as simple. Also at times the fanatstic story is undermined by writing which looks a little amateurish (like this here review). And I was stuck on one particular puzzle in Glen's mind and needed to reach for a solution. It was just confusing were as the rest of the game is fun fun fun.

So if you want an old skool jrpg, with well thought out mechanics and a brilliant overarching story. This is the game you want to play. Its quality of life improvements are respectful of your time and it's better than the games it's inspired by. And that includes FF6 and Chrono Trigger.

Go buy it

9/10

Forum Best Game of All Time Awards

PS3 Megathread 2019: The Last of Us
Multiplat 2018: Horizon Zero Dawn
Nintendo 2017: Super Mario Bros 3
Playstation 2016: Uncharted 2
Multiplat 2015: Final Fantasy 7

PSN: mc_noisy

kyleforrester87

@themcnoisy thanks for the recommendation - it is on the list actually, it looked good based on the Nintendolife review I read. But I’ll get to it sooner after your endorsement 👍🏻

kyleforrester87

PSN: WigSplitter1987

Ralizah

@themcnoisy I've seen a ton of praise for the game, but I've held off since I often have mixed feelings about Western indies that take heavy inspiration from classic JRPGs. But maybe I'm being closed-minded. Your piece certainly represents strong praise. Maybe it'd be a good idea to give this a go on Game Pass.

Thanks for the contribution!

Edited on by Ralizah

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

PSN: Ralizah

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