Topic: User Impressions/Reviews Thread

@RogerRoger just read your sonic 4s episode 2 attack of the badniks review, good stuff! I've yet to play it properly unfortunately but I did buy it earlier in the year for Xbox. I had episode 1 on Wii but never bought episode 2 on another console because I wouldn't unlock the extra levels as my copy of ep1 was on the Wii. Anyway Xbox still has regular sales on Xbox 360 games so I bought both of them a while back on Xbox one but only made it through the first game in the end, I was planning to go back for sonic 2 but never got around to it!

@Rudy_Manchego nice review of iron man VR! It looks really good and it's definitely on my buy list when there is a seriously decent sale. That's not to say it's not worth more, it's just I don't like spending too much on vr games because of the limited amount of time I can actually play them due to VR sickness which is obviously not something that holds everyone back! The other two VR games I defo Wana get on a decent sale are Astro bot and Vader Immortal.

I know you mentioned standing is the optimal position but do you reckon you could play iron man sitting down? I often play games in bed which makes actions like putting the controllers below my waist impossible.

@Foxy-Goddess-Scotchy Tartarus doesn't feel quite so much like it's composed of LITERAL hallways. On the other hand, doesn't it kind of feel the same way the entire way through? It's like if Persona 5 opted to only include Mementos instead of the thematically-rich palaces. Maybe it changes later on or something.

Persona 4, I believe, has mostly randomized dungeons as well. The enemies/wallpaper/music are different between dungeons, but the differences felt largely superficial to me.

Honestly, pre-P5, the Persona 2 duology probably has the best dungeon design. Too bad those games are both so slow and dull.

Didn't like the Raidou games, Foxy? I'm curious to try them. A historical, MegaTen-themed action-rpg sounds like my kind of weird. Too bad they cost an arm and a leg to collect now, which is weird, because every other PS2 MegaTen game is super-affordable.

@RogerRoger I think what helps with Atlus is that they're VERY iterative in terms of how their games are designed. Sort of like Nintendo. There's not a ton of drastic shifts in game design over the course of their respective series (the biggest, undoubtedly, is when Persona went from a pure dungeon-crawler to a life-sim/dungeon-crawler hybrid that works on a calendar system), so they have the opportunity to gradually improve stuff from entry to entry. Of course, that approach can still disappoint some people: while it's acclaimed in almost every regard, you'll find plenty of longtime Persona fans who are disappointed that the differences between 2008's Persona 4 and 2017's Persona 5 aren't more drastic. I do rather prefer that approach, though, as I can have a consistent set of expectations for their games, unlike something like Final Fantasy, where I have no idea if the latest game will be a masterpiece or total trash.

Well, like I said, I enjoyed your Shadow the Hedgehog review.
And don't worry, I'm not one of those miserable people who hunts for hidden insults within obvious praise. If anything, a lack of growth/improvement would be far worse, as it'd mean I've peaked, and I'd never be able to overcome my considerable limitations as a writer.

Screenshots are a bit of a pain on PS4 and PC. The former because there's this delay between clicking the button and seeing visual confirmation of what I just did, and the latter because my current screenshotting tool for games is rather disruptive. With that said, trying to find visual material for a game I have no screenshots of is even more of a pain, so I absolutely have considered just emulating them on my PC. I guess I often don't because I still think old games feel best on their original hardware. There's just something about picking up a creaky old PS2 controller, popping in a memory card, and playing a game on a fuzzy old CRT that feels right; it's like a ritual that connects the increasingly far-flung present to some small chunk of time long ago that has been preserved in physical form on withered and irrelevant tech.

One thing that contributes to the sheer amount of time I play on my Switch is actually how user-friendly the screenshotting process is. You press a large-ish button on your controller, and there's an immediate response. No delay whatsoever. That satisfying screenshotting tool means I press the button almost compulsively on Switch almost anytime something of note happens, and I can sift through the hundreds of screenshots I end up taking afterward to find the best material.

@Ralizah Tartarus isn’t the only dungeon, every month there’s a Full Moon which has a mini dungeon like a moving train for example. Tartarus is very much like Mementos and you do have to complete it but it’s not the only thing you do. Persona 4’s dungeons are rubbish to be honest, as much as the rest of the game is great even though it’s bloody hard and I haven’t beaten it yet. Think I’m in a certain place with clouds and rainbows.

@RogerRoger nice review of sonic generations! I think I really liked the 2.5d demake versions of modern levels too. It was actually really cool to see them interpreted that way! I'm not sure if I finished this game actually, whether I got stuck on a boss or was overwhelmed by all that extra stuff that's non standard levels. Is there any content locked behind the completion of the extra challenges in the non standard level bits?

Also I think the 3ds version is a different game entirely. I think one style it uses is that of Sonic Rush. Check this info out first before you go and track it down though because I might be wrong but I do own the PS3 and 3ds versions and probably wouldn't have bought both unless they were different games....probably lol.

@ralphdibny Yeah, the 3DS version is both brilliant and a different game!

@RogerRoger ah damn! You were literally like 6 -12 months too late when you were looking. I bought 2 New 2DS XLs from tesco last year for £50 each, I guess they were clearing stock. I did travel many miles to find one in stock though (making excuses to do other stuff that far away when really my main agenda was to buy New 2ds XLs haha). I posted it over on NL because I thought it would be more relevant but I wish I posted it here now too :/

@RogerRoger that's fair enough, I barely play the 3ds any more. I used to play it loads for like the first 5 years or so of it being out but even with great looking games coming out in the last few years, my energy to actually play them has massively dwindled even with the better "New" hardware I bought a few years back (I mainly got it because it was SNES themed).

My favourite games on it were ocarina of time 3D (having never played the original before), it's one of the most 3D games on it in my opinion, I literally felt like I was inside Hyrule but then I used to do a lot of drugs back then so maybe that helped lol (alas, no longer!). Project X Zone was another I played all the way through and Resident Evil Revelations was pretty good. I used to do streetpass a lot as well, collecting puzzle pieces from hits and stuff.

More recently, the only games I played were WarioWare Gold which was actually brilliant because I love those games and Arkham Origins Blackgate because I'd just played regular Arkham origins

I've been playing paper Mario sticker Star for like 4 years too lol, one day I'll go back to finish it!

@ralphdibny Project X Zone is my guilty pleasure, it’s just so fun. I am a big Super Robot Wars fan though so it’s recognisable gameplay for me.

@nessisonett it was pretty good wasn't it? Just like super simple game play with a hokey enough storyline for a crossover to be entertaining. It got me quite interested in playing certain things like Valkyria Chronicles (I own 1+4 but still haven't played them lol) and also the original PS2 Namco X Capcom crossovers. I picked up project X Zone 2 for quite cheap a while back but never got around to it because I think the first one was about 20 hours long which is quite a long time to spend in front of a 3ds lol

I am a bit confused about the genre though because I thought it was a tactical RPG, but I've been playing the fairly but not exactly similar Gears Tactics and that's described as a turn based strategy so I dunno 🤷‍♂️, seems like turn based strategy is kind of an umbrella term that incorporates sub genres like tactical rpg

@ralphdibny I never did play the sequel either, definitely worth revisiting considering it has Yakuza and Fire Emblem Awakening characters!

@RogerRoger That's a really delightful anecdote to start your Sonic Generations review with, Rog! Very cool that you managed to form a connection, however slight, with the finished product. I can tell it's a source of joy for you as a Sonic superfan.

In general, the review was peak RogerRoger: conversational and jovial, but never straying off-topic; witty, but in a mostly self-effacing manner. One thing I really love about these hedgehog game reviews is that you're clearly highly knowledgeable about the history and design of the blue blur's various interactive adventures, and it really shows well in the way you're able to discuss games in the context of the entire series. I also appreciate genuine passion, which you provide in spades.

As for the game itself, I remember playing it when it first came out (there was a lot of buzz around it when it first released, and it remains one of the few 3D games that, as far as I can tell, is univerally beloved by Sonic fans), but my memories on it are hazy. It's one of those Steam backlog games I have to get to one day. The screenshots are excellent as always (what do you use to snap caps on your PC, btw?).

It's good to hear the game is newcomer-friendly. That seems fairly on-brand for this game, which, by the sound of it, is designed to walk a thin line between nostalgia and innovation, old and new. It's an interesting balancing act to try and appeal to two sets of fans simultaneously, although, judging by the ecstatic tone of your discussion, it seems to work.

It's surprising to hear the praise for a track based heavily in vocal work. The music sounds decent. I guess it'd have to be, seeing as how Sonic games are filled with rather iconic pieces to draw from. At that point, I guess, it's all about the quality of the remixes employed. I seem to remember the game employing different styles for levels between classic and modern Sonic.

The challenge gates sound fun. They might be padding, but I'm not sure that matters too much in a non-story driven experience. By the sound of it, they provide a level of gameplay variety. I'm guessing your tone would be more negative if the minigames in them didn't work well.

I actually avoided the 3DS version of Generations when I heard people panning it for being inferior to the console release, but maybe I should pick it up. I'm, well, not a 3DS game collector, but I'm very slowly trying to build a physical collection of all the 3DS games I want. It actually seems to be a launch year title, which I never realized.

Awesome writing as always! What games do you think you'll be focusing on next now that your time in hedgehog memory lane has reached its end?

@nessisonett I had a difficult time getting into Project X Zone, unfortunately, although I do want to revisit it at some point. It's a pity the vocal opening in the Japanese version was replaced with a more generic instrumental track.

@Ralizah PXZ is essentially the same gameplay as Super Robot Wars: Endless Frontier so I do think it’s an acquired taste, with crossover characters in there to grab new players. There’s plenty wrong with it but I found it to be just enough dumb fun to enjoy. Also worth getting Sonic Generations 3DS, it might be inferior to the console versions but that’s to be expected given the difference in scope and in fact, the 3DS version is extremely good for what it is. It also omits Chemical Plant Zone which is a massive plus imo 😂😂

@nessisonett Nice, thanks for chiming in on that. I'll probably get it if the opportunity is ripe, then.

I've never played a SRW game, unfortunately. I'm always tempted whenever I see one with a character from an old anime I like, though (like the most recent one's inclusion of Magic Knight Rayearth). Are they actually decent games, or do you just play for the fanservice element of seeing characters from your favorite anime interact?

@RogerRoger Sonic Generations is my favourite Sonic game. I'd just broken up with my ex and luckily it was during uni holiday so I spent days locked away in my room playing this game. Will always be a memorable game to me. It was also one of the first platinums I achieved. Thanks for helping me Sonic!

@Ralizah They’re rather complicated and deciding which weapons are best to put in your mechs is a bit hard but I do think they’re better than average strategy games. Turn based strategy is a niche primarily filled by Fire Emblem at this point but SRW is a middle ground between Fire Emblem and Advance Wars. The GBA games are great, still pretty funny that SRW OG came out in 2002 in Japan but only reached Europe on December 31st 2007, by which point the DS had been around for a couple of years.

@nessisonett oh right I had no idea it had fire emblem characters in it! I guess that's just because it's on a Nintendo because the main crossover is Sega Namco and Capcom. I bought another similar but more of the 3d style of these games from Argos for a pound or two recentishly called codename steam. I haven't played it yet but you can unlock fire emblem characters with the relevant amiibos. I was going to sell my fire emblem amiibos but maybe I'll try and unlock the characters in this game first!

@Ralizah PXZ isn't for everyone for sure but I think it is quite simple, I remember it seeming a bit complicated at first but i ended up not having to put much thought into it to be honest. Quite thankfully as well because I don't have a huge headspace for RPG elements in games, I always end up using whatever works best instead of faffing about with stats and the like

@RogerRoger oh yeah I forgot another 3ds game that I obviously love on every platform that I played was metal gear solid 3! I used the circle pad pro on the original 3ds for dual analog. I remember playing it while I was waiting around to be used when I was doing film extras jobs years ago (there's a lot of waiting around to be used on those sorts of jobs!)

Also a Link between worlds was pretty good and I also played a lot of Pokémon black on it even though that was an original DS game

@RogerRoger I'm not sure how good splinter cell 3d was to be honest as I never owned it. I think it was a port of Chaos Theory but i think it was a launch window release so it probably doesn't have circle pad pro support. I did have the original DS version though but I really can't remember much of it, just going through air vents in first person view. I also seemed to have lost my DS copy so god knows

@RogerRoger I've never played the GBA ones but I do remember them reviewing well at the time (I used to get the magazines). It's probably one for emulation as a curiosity to be honest. I don't think they really touted these ports as side stories or alternate versions back then, it was just splinter cell on game boy. Luckily the internet helps us find out more these days!