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Post by TG Barighm on Mar 7, 2023 1:42:24 GMT -5
Is anyone even reading these? Well, in case anyone comes back...
VAMPIRE SURVIVORS: Shockingly addictive. It's such a simple formula, but there are so many different build possibilities even though you're essentially just running around murdering enemies en masse.
FUGA-MELODY OF STEEL: A new entry into the Tail Concerto/Solatorobo franchise! Runs more like a visual novel series interspersed with hard core turn based strategy battles, and the story is very dark and precedes the first two games, but it IS a new entry into that franchise. Battles themselves are actually pretty strategic and managing your party is very involving. You really need to understand the game to get the good ending, although it's possible if you wait until NewGame+.
SIGNALIS: Survivor Horror game with many nods to Silent Hill. I'd like to say more, but the game hard locked on me in the first hour and nobody had a solution to this, then I found out the game is very easy and only like 8 hours long, so...figured I'd just YouTube it.
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Post by TG Barighm on Mar 7, 2023 17:44:54 GMT -5
MIDNIGHT FIGHT EXPRESS: Wouldn't even start when I first played it, but the second time around I discovered quite the fun little brawler. It's not exceptionally unique, but it is impressive how many different ways there are to beat, toss, execute, disarm, trip, and otherwise own groups of enemies Batman style. In some ways it plays like the Arkham games, but faster and more fluid...and only if you choose to just into groups. The game eventually forces you to be more mobile sort of like a brawler centric Souls-like. Surprisingly easy too given how many baddies mob you at once. The only thing that has given me trouble so far is the environmental hazards. It's hard to focus on them while remembering all of your combos.
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Post by TG Barighm on Mar 17, 2023 2:58:13 GMT -5
I'm introducing a font scheme where games I consider great are yellowed. If they're bolded, they're fun and worth playing. If they're not bolded...I generally didn't enjoy them.
PENTIMENT: Nice Middle Age art style, but ultimately just a visual novel.
DEATHLOOP AND WU LONG: Both games kept crashing when I tried to run them, so I have no idea how these games play.
HI-FI RUSH: Excellent stylish action game with a presentation on par with animated series like Dragon Prince and Voltron. I swear it's the same people that did those shows. Sadly, I didn't enjoy the game very much. I'm not too fond of stylish action games, and the game's "keep the beat" gimmick just adds an extra layer to the complexity of combat without really enriching it. It's just another thing to keep track of when all you really want to do is evade enemies and beat them down, so you just feel punished for not "keeping the beat" which restricts the damage you can dish out. But again, there is nothing technically wrong with any of it and the overall package is still excellent. I ended up enjoying WATCHING the game more than I did playing it and I wish they would make an animated series of this game or something.
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Post by TG Barighm on Mar 27, 2023 19:25:04 GMT -5
GHOST SOUND: Nice little Metroidvania, although the addition of Souls-like elements doesn't do anything to enhance the gameplay and the movement is a little stiff.
HI ON LIFE: Another entry in MS' catalogue of games that excel at production values but not much else. For the most part, it's a competent little FPS that does its job of delivering an experience you can just jump into and enjoy for what it is and that's not a bad thing. Where it shines is in delivering that "Rick and Morty" style of animation and, of course, the writing...being made by the same people and all. If that is all you're looking for, it's a fine game for what it is. A lot like Hogwarts Legacy, actually.
ATOMIC HEART: It plays WAY too similarly to Bioshock for comfort, even aping a lot of the same story beats, settings, and overall tone. I'd swear it's a spiritual entry into the franchise. But DAMN does it look cool with some gorgeous environments and excellent art design. Combat feels more shallower than Bioshock. Still too early to properly judge, though.
MONSTER HUNTER RISE: Why do people like these games? They're just so clumsy and clunky. Basically just take Souls and add a few more steps between every button press, a bunch more confirms and cancels between every action, and overall just more steps in every process that is normally just a single button press in any other game.
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Post by TG Barighm on Apr 6, 2023 5:28:35 GMT -5
HOGWARTS LEGACY: This is not a school simulator. It's more accurate to think of the game as more akin to Fable albeit without all the sword stuff and most of your new spells are learned by taking classes. Think less Persona and more doing the odd mini game or side task to gain new abilities. Overall it's kind of just okay, but the presentation is terrific and a lot of the architecture in Hogwarts is jaw dropping awesome. A Harry Potter fan's dream, to be sure, but still a serviceable RPG for everyone else.
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Post by TG Barighm on Apr 22, 2023 4:54:08 GMT -5
WILD HEARTS: I didn't play much of this due to some weird file update weirdness that for some reason refused to allow me to cancel it once started-I only had a couple hours for the game and that was how long the update would last-but what I did play was a lot like Monster Hunter...if the inputs were actually quick and snappy, the UI intuitive and easy to navigate, and the overall feel of battle was brisk and easy to get into. Which is quite the opposite of Monster Hunter. Like the polar opposite. Didn't get much into the crafting and building systems but they managed to get it in there without feeling too clunky. I sure hope you're not really expected to use too much crafting on the field during the heat of battle. After the dozenth trampoline for bonus attack power, I was pretty much done with it. Just let me attack the monster and maybe thrown down a potion or two.
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Post by TG Barighm on May 12, 2023 20:19:17 GMT -5
SCARS ABOVE: Nice little sci-fi third person shooter. Plays kind of like RE3make. Looks and sounds a lot like Returnal and Mass Effect. A little janky, but not bad. Still worth playing.
WO LONG: Less Souls more Code Vein. Has way too many unnecessary mechanics.
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Post by TG Barighm on Jun 3, 2023 4:37:26 GMT -5
RESIDENT EVIL 4 REMAKE: Not as charming as the original, and the controls aren't as responsive, but still an excellent campaign with guns to upgrade and unlock.
JEDI SURVIVOR: Very good, but very buggy...yet very good.
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Post by TG Barighm on Sept 28, 2023 23:17:12 GMT -5
CUPHEAD: Overrated. Not very precise at all, lots of randomness, and bosses can use post-defeat "gotcha!" attacks that still count as deaths. Still good in some respects though.
GHOSTWIRE TOKYO: It's okay. Exploring the city is more interesting than playing the game.
DEATH LOOP: This one didn't grab me. Controls are weird: switching grenades has a hitch and I spent an hour adjusting the aim, but it always felt too loose or too tight. Interesting world design though.
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