@Rudy_Manchego Great review and congrats on your platinum. I’m not done with GoT yet, but I can’t say I disagree with the points you made. There is a realistic beauty, artistry, and historical semi-accuracy aspect to the game that makes the “video gamey” things stick out a little more. When you’re playing Spider-Man and you swing around town to find thugs populating areas you’ve already cleared, it seems less dissonant that here when you see enemies respawn indefinitely, despite both narratives being fantasy based, the illusion of historical accuracy makes Ghost of Tsushima’s lack of permanence of your actions more obvious. Playing Red Dead Redemption 2 last year also probably spoiled us into seeing how it can be done where you kill a sheep by accidentally running over it with your horse and you come back a few in-game days later and the corpse is still there rotting and then a few days later the animals skeleton is there. Or if you rob a store in RDR2, when you come back later the town NPCs remember you, unless you’ve changed your appearance and clothing. Ghost of Tsushima definitely has less realism than I was expecting, but it does add some to the “fun” factor. I commented on the game thread about the way you use the grappling hook as an example of poor realism but good gaming functionality. It’s a fine line to draw for the developers to keep the game fun and yet keep you invested in the world because of your ability to impact it through your actions. Also, the point at which the checklist becomes more mundane but yet not too short to have players feel short-changed on content.
But like you, overall I find the game to be quite fantastic. I’m leaning slightly more positive than your [already positive] review, but I know I’m still not at the burn out point yet, and I’m not sure I’ll put the extra effort for the platinum, we’ll see. Your review reads like a 7-8/10 and I’m thinking 8-9/10 so far.
Fall Guys is an online multiplayer game developed by Mediatonic, and published by Devolver Digital. Most of you will be aware of this game at this point thanks to its great marketing. It is a brilliant mix of Mario Party-style mini-games and the Battle Royale concept. In this game you are pitched against 59 other players as you make it towards the end of the stage, except for one impossible stage called See Saw, because F#&@ that stage and its broken physics.
The gameplay is simple enough for anyone to grasp it within minutes of playing. You can walk, jump, dive and grab. This includes grabbing objects, but also other players. If you commit to the latter you're an effing noob and you deserve a place in Fall Guy hell.
The aim of most courses is to make it to the end of the level as fast as possible. Various obstacles, like rotating platforms, moving walls and rolling balls try to stop you on your way. Another type of level requires you to stay alive as long as possible, by staying on a platform as moving blocks try to push you off, or by jumping on the correct platforms in a game of classic memory. The last kind of challenge are team based challenges, but those can shove a tin of beans up their arse, F&$# them.
Verdict: Fall Guys is a good metaphor for real life. Working together is impossible, everyone is doomed. You'll get singled out as a team and destroyed by the competing teams, pushed off ledges just before the finish line. Dragged down with other players into the abyss. And you'll see victory disappear before your years when the game can't keep up with the lag and hands the crown to another stupid player that was clearly miles behind you.
@RogerRoger Yeah, I liked it early on, but it was easy to see how it could go wrong. Thankfully, the game mostly improves as it goes on. I really liked the creative environments, unique dungeons, and emotional depth to some of the characters — all things basically missing from Paper Mario: Sticker Star. It feels like the developers are learning how to harmonize deeper game design and writing with the bizarre restrictions Nintendo has placed on them.
So, in terms of plot and setpieces, are the PSP/NDS versions of Legends and Underworld basically identical to the console versions, but just in 2.5D?
How far into FFVII are you, by the way?
@RR529 Yeah, I agree that aspects of the game felt actively rebellious in terms of how they approached character writing. Like... NPCs complaining about how toads are stupid and all the same? It's very on the nose.
Sounds like you're still in the desert area, then? You still have a lot of the game ahead of you. I agree with what you said on NL about how it's sad that old-school fans will miss a superior entry in the series, although I'm starting to notice a general softening of the angry attitude many people have about the game as people start playing it and talking about how decent it is. It won't be a universally beloved entry like the first couple, but I think it'll quickly develop a cult following.
@Rudy_Manchego Yeah, I think GoT releasing at the end of a generation filled with bold, visionary open world games probably hasn't done it any favors. Although it's hard to get over how beautiful the game is as a whole. Good post.
"Verdict: Fall Guys is a good metaphor for real life. Working together is impossible, everyone is doomed."
😂 Seems like 2020 was the perfect year for this game to launch, then.
To be honest, I'm sort of curious about this, but gameplay videos just put me off. It looks like a meme game that people will rave about for a month or two before it disappears off the face of the Earth.
It has definitely attracted an insane player base fairly quickly, though. It'll be interesting to see if player retention is strong.
@Rudy_Manchego The more I read about Ghost of Tsushima, the more I become convinced that me playing the game is less of an if, and more of a when. Even the whole "stance" thing isn't putting me off (the way you described it, sounds like I'll hate the combat until I've collected enough to breeze through). I'm sorry a bit of repetitive sandbox boredom set in for you towards the end; given what you've played of late, I'm not surprised. Congratulations on pushing through and earning its platinum, and thanks for the thoughts!
@Octane Brilliant; sounds like Fall Guys is a perfect paradox and, often, those are the best love-to-hate, just-one-more-go kinds of games that stick around. Thanks for reinforcing a few reasons as to why I don't play online multiplayer outside of a few really special cases!
@Ralizah It's weird how such strict restrictions can either collapse a good story, or bring out the best in creative writers and force them to find new ways to be inventive. I'm glad, at least from your perspective, The Origami King was the latter. It'll be interesting to see how it sells, and whether Nintendo decide to continue the series in future. They've never re-released the older games, have they?
Legend and Underworld on Nintendo DS have exactly the same story, yes (Legend and Anniversary were the PSP ones, and were complete, uncompromised ports of the PS2 versions, which is why the hardware struggled to handle them to begin with).
I'm at the place with the wonky rocket in FFVII, wherever that is...?!
"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."
Partial playthrough: My system says I spent about nine hours on it, and I seem to be more than halfway through the game.
Gurumin 3D (henceforth referred to as G3D) is a 2016 port of an obscure, one-off 2004 action-RPG from Trails and Ys developed Nihon Falcom. The game was also released on the PSP in 2006/2007, so this isn't its portable debut. In G3D, you play as Parin (you can actually name your character, but, like Link in The Legend of Zelda games, her default name seems to be considered canon), a young girl who is sent to a small mining town to live with her grandfather after her parents go on an expedition somewhere. Her initially boring town life is turned upside down, however, when she discovers a race of monsters that are visible only to children. These monsters live in a different dimension, but enter and exit the human realm through a crack in one of the mining town's walls. The initially peaceful and orderly Monster Village she encounters is razed early on by a rogue group of monsters known as the Phantoms, however, who are led by a mysterious figure known as the Prince. Parin unearths a legendary drill weapon and sets out to save Monster Village from the destructive Phantoms.
G3D plays out a bit like an Ys game insofar as Parin is primarily running around various dungeons (connected by a world map) killing enemies via an action-based battle system. She can wear equipment that will add various effects that are necessary for her to survive throughout the game (making Parin immune from damage when swimming, when nearing poison gas, etc), and these are upgradeable when you return the small hub town via the scrap metal Parin can drill off her enemies in battle. There are also a few special moves she can learn to increase her move pool, although some of these require fighting game-esque nonsense in terms of the controls needed to pull them off, so, generally, I didn't bother.
The world map is initially shrouded in a mist that represents the discontent of the monsters in Monster Village or something. Remember how I said the village was destroyed early on? You have to help them rebuild. When you complete levels, at the end, you'll acquire furniture they lost. When returned to the correct villager, this furniture... uh... makes them happy and arbitrarily reveals more of the world map. A lot of the progression in this game is sort of Metroidvanian insofar as figuring out how to uncover more of the map requires traveling back and forth between different areas to communicate with various monsters.
...I wanted to like this. I really did. The game received good reviews. Although I'm finding that a lot of people seem to give Nihon Falcom a pass on stuff they'd savage other games for, and G3D is no exception to that rule. Honestly, the game is a litany of irritations that brought the whole experience down for me.
Swimming, or getting anywhere near water in this game is the worst thing ever. It's like trying to wade through the stickiest stew imaginable. Good luck trying to jump when you're in the water in this game.
The game has a system where, to 100% a level, you have to destroy all of the pots and kill all of the monsters. This wouldn't normally be problematic, but you have no idea how many monsters or pots are left in the game's lengthy levels until you complete them. Additionally, every time you move on to a new area, the game seals previous areas with doors so that you can't backtrack. So, there'll be some replaying involved.
I wouldn't mind having to replay levels so much to kill all monsters if it were a reasonable requirement, but when the game forces you to do this with half of the levels because it's almost impossible to kill fish in this game thanks to the abominable way Parin controls in the water, it gets on my nerves quickly. Seriously, if you don't attack the fish that are almost impossible to hit in this game, you won't be able to fully master a level. It's possible you receive something later on that makes this process easier
The game's controls are not ideal at all. Part of this is due to playing it on a handheld without a dedicated second stick due to all of the camera rotation you'll need to do (which must have been an even bigger issue on the PSP, considering it didn't even have a c-stick), but, in general, the game just doesn't feel good to control. Even when you do rotate the camera, you can never really get it where you want to go, so it's too easy to fall off platforms. Parin's powered up drill move, when held too long, will make her do a spinning attack that pushes her significantly forward, which can also make it easy to fall off platforms.
The 3DS version doesn't appear to have maps at all. The PC version has maps. A map would have easily fit on the touchscreen and been a massively welcomed addition. It's not here. What the hell?
Also worth mentioning that the game's irritating boss fights require a LOT of camera rotation, too, so have fun with that.
The characters are all unlikable, and have paper thin characterizations. The best character is thankfully Parin herself, whose often sarcastic and abrasive temperament mirrored my own irritation when dealing with these characters. Also, there's some blue-haired adult who keeps creeping on my young girl protagonist and tries to push her into dating him. No!
This is one of the uglier games I've played on the 3DS, with muddy texture work everywhere and extremely rudimentary 3D character models. Given the age of the base game, this wouldn't be a big deal if it performed well. The 3D effect isn't terrible and does help with image quality a bit, but, like Dead or Alive Dimensions, it seems to kill the framerate in a lot of places, so I usually ended up playing with the 3D turned off. The chunky performance isn't primarily a 3DS issue, as even the PC version seems to run at 30fps. A game that looks like it could have run on the PS1.
This port also has an issue where the music will stutter during cutscenes, during loading sequences, etc. It's not a big issue, but it's one more thing to add onto the list.
The audio stuttering might or might not be a port issue, but the terrible music certainly isn't. Falcom games are usually said to have great soundtracks, but the same absolutely cannot be said for Gurumin's irritating OST. Just... listen to this game.
Not EVERY track in this game sucks, but a large portion of its OST does.
Sound effects are generally terrible, too. When Parin runs on snow, it sounds like a pig is snorting. How do you screw something like that up?
I'll probably end up finishing this game since its design is fairly modular and easy to return to, and I don't like leaving things unfinished. But, suffice to say I'm NOT impressed, and I'm glad I bought this game in a steep sale. That's one hit and two misses for me so far with this developer (loved Ys VIII; Gurumin and Trails in the Sky FC? Not so much)
3/10
@RogerRoger Sounds like the PSP versions have the Switch port problem, where, instead of being redesigned to run well on a handheld, they're just full ports of home console games that run poorly.
The rocket with a town built around it? That's "Rocket Town." I take it you're not enjoying the game?
@Octane As long as... cough... Egg Scramble exists, I find the hate towards See Saw misguided! Totally agree with everything else you said, though. Team Yellow can go up my butt.
@Ralizah Ouch. Sorry to see that Gurumin 3D isn't exactly passing muster with you.
It's always a shame when people are determined to big up a developer's work regardless of its actual quality. Did you get the game because of its good word-of-mouth? I sure hope not.
And crikey, if that first track of music you posted were playing in an elevator, I'd get out and take the stairs. The second sounds like a rip-off of Sweet Mountain from Sonic Colours (although I should be careful, as I'm not certain which game came first) and the third is one of the most nightmarish lullabies I've ever heard. I know handheld gaming used to carry a stigma of being somewhat limited, but it had gotten over it by the 3DS era, and nothing was ever this devolved.
Alas, I know the curse of being a completionist well, so best of luck seeing it through.
And no, speaking of being able to rename well-established characters like Link or Parin, I wouldn't exactly call FFVII my favourite game of all time. This is reflected in the fact that I've renamed everybody at every opportunity, with semi-hilarious results. I need all the help I can get!
"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."
"Did you get the game because of its good word-of-mouth?"
Not really. I saw it for a cheap price, noticed the developer, looked up reviews (mostly pretty positive), and decided to take the plunge. It was $4.99, so not a massive loss.
"And crikey, if that first track of music you posted were playing in an elevator, I'd get out and take the stairs. The second sounds like a rip-off of Sweet Mountain from Sonic Colours (although I should be careful, as I'm not certain which game came first) and the third is one of the most nightmarish lullabies I've ever heard. I know handheld gaming used to carry a stigma of being somewhat limited, but it had gotten over it by the 3DS era, and nothing was ever this devolved."
The sad thing is that a lot of their games have pretty genuinely decent music.
Anyway, the game was initially on PC, so it's definitely not a handheld limitation.
"And no, speaking of being able to rename well-established characters like Link or Parin, I wouldn't exactly call FFVII my favourite game of all time. This is reflected in the fact that I've renamed everybody at every opportunity, with semi-hilarious results. I need all the help I can get!"
lol! At least you're giving it a chance. Between you and Foxy, I'm starting to feel like maybe FFVII doesn't hold up as well for people without childhood nostalgia for it. I'm sure it doesn't help that it was one of the first major Japanese RPGs to be made in 3D, and so everyone in it is so low-poly that they look like reanimated legos.
Hard to imagine, indeed, that, in the mid-90s, it was basically the video game equivalent of Star Wars: a gigantic blockbuster effort whose focus on cinematic flair and new technology helped usher in a changed industry, and the game that basically guaranteed the future of the JRPG genre in the West.
As is often the case, though, technical showcases often end up not holding up well, and, at least on a technical level, that's definitely true of FFVII. Even compared to the FF games that come immediately after it in the series and on the same platform, FFVII looks like hell.
This is one primary reason I'm glad the FFVII Remake project is a thing. The game needed a refresh, and, some low-res background textures aside, FFVII Remake looks super AAA.
@Ralizah It was also the first Final Fantasy game released in the UK, which is why so many hold in such high regard. It was probably my first JRPG ever. One of the reasons I do not play many (if any) games from that period these days is I rather not have my memory of them not tarnished.
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.
@JohnnyShoulder It holds up tbh. I’ve still not finished the Remake because I just don’t think it’s particularly fun but I’ve beaten VII a few times in the last couple of years. I was what, minus 3 when it came out so I wouldn’t say it was nostalgia based considering the PS2 launched in Japan before I was even born. Now that’s a scary thought.
@Ralizah Ah, that's... well, it's not okay then, but it's better than being let down, I suppose!
Those other tracks you've posted aren't half-bad at all. Does the same audio team work on each soundtrack, or do they have different composers each game? Sometimes it depends on who's commissioned, I often find. Every franchise has its weaker soundtracks, but even moreso when there isn't a consistent musical design team embedded with the developers.
***
Bringing in @JohnnyShoulder and @nessisonett here, I think nostalgia plays a huge part in reaction to certain games, but it doesn't necessarily have to be nostalgia for a certain game or indeed, fixed point in time. FFVII spearheaded an entire genre for almost every Western gamer and so anybody with a fondness for JRPGs will find something to love about it, even if its technical presentation (whilst still admittedly impressive for its time; even I gave a short whistle when that first pre-rendered cutscene transitioned seamlessly into gameplay) falls short by comparison.
I'm just voicing my personal thoughts and, personally, I struggle with RPGs in general, let alone ones from A: another culture and B: two decades ago. I like to think I'd have always been offended by Don Corneo and the whole Wall Market sequence, or at least a little disturbed by its brazenness, but then I'm not Japanese, so that's okay. I'm not sitting in judgement of anything, except my own time with the game.
Anyway, rest assured that the adventures of Clink, Big Daddy, Woofsalot, Samsung, Angelina, Meow Mix, Chuckles and Narutina will continue as and when. I'll see it through!
"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."
"Falcom was also a pioneer in video game music, with their early soundtracks mostly composed by chiptune musicians Yuzo Koshiro and Mieko Ishikawa. They were one of the first game companies to have their own named sound team dedicated to writing scores for their games, known as the Falcom Sound Team jdk. Falcom's Ys soundtracks in particular are considered some of the most influential role-playing game scores of all time."
They're a smallish company, so I imagine, other than occasional turn-over, the same group of people does the music for all of their games.
Apparently they've been developing games since 1981(!)
Oh, and the Wall Market section of the game is SO much better in the Remake. Granted, Don Corneo is still gross, of course, but it went from: "Oh, remember that funny cross-dressing part in Midgar?" to one of the most memorable video game locations of all time.
@Ralizah Ah, sweet! Nice to see another developer doing it right. Chalk up any inconsistencies to a bad day at the office, I suppose. Thanks for finding that; I'll have to look up a couple of the Ys soundtracks for background music whilst I work someday.
And yeah, I'd heard that about FFVII Remake (and have seen its rather wonderful dancing minigame in action, too). Even if I conclude my playthrough underwhelmed, I'll keep the remake in mind, although it'll be a far more appealing prospect when I know it's finished... so, that'll be a copy of the Complete Edition on PlayStation7, releasing Q4 2047, for me!
"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."
@Ralizah The original Ys soundtracks are indeed brilliant and influential. Yuzo Koshiro is one of my favourite video game composers since he could get the very best out of both the Master System and Mega Drive’s soundchips.
@nessisonett Yuzo Koshiro is one of the best video game composers of all time. Personally, my favorite of his contributions to the medium has been his long-running stint working as the composer for Atlus' amazing Etrian Odyssey series.
@RogerRoger Their series all tend to have their own musical "styles." I guess they wanted to try something different with a one-off like Gurumin. I'm not a fan, personally, but, as you point out, no single company is going to put out nothing but bangers eternally.
@crimsontadpoles A lot of the boss battle themes (particular III's) sound like someone tried to use the Genesis sound chip to create thrash metal. They're awesome. I also happen to think Koshiro did an amazing job transitioning from synthesized music to what sounds like a full orchestra without altering the spirit of the series' musical style.
Just gorgeous.
I maintain that Gurumin isn't very good, but after just completing a particularly tough boss battle, I do want to say that, more than ever, the 3DS (and, by extension, PSP) hardware feels inappropriate for this game. They should have remastered this for Switch or something. This NEEDS full dual analog. I think it'd be a still mediocre but slightly more enjoyable experience on PC, so should you ever decide to play it, I'd probably recommend that version.
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