List items
-
2015. It had been a while since I played the original reboot Tomb Raider, but this one feels like it's fairly similar. Crafting and different outfits are probably the most noticable additions. It was all good but also somehow very unexciting. Lara isn't a very interesting or likable character and neither are the ones surrounding her, or the story itself. It feels like a decently executed if by the numbers game. I did appreciate that the combat lets you go stealthy and there isn't too much of it.
-
2. Shadow of the Tomb Raider
2018. I came in expecting more of the same after finishing RotTR, but the game actually looks significantly better graphically. There are a good number of additional mechanics added. Swimming is no longer locked to 2 planes but is free form, which I always appreciate, and rappelling and swinging are nice additions to the traversal. Gunplay feels more hefty somehow, but it's hard for me to put a finger on what's changed.
There's been a noticable attempt made to change the writing. To deal with the questionable ethics of the genre of "Tomb Raiding" and to frame Lara's actions better, or at least for other characters to call them out. More of an effort seems to have been made in researching the cultures being represented as well, to the point of including an option where NPC's speak their native language. The results are mixed. It's been less painful to watch than in Rise, but the story still isn't very interesting.
-
2020. Was finally able to play this (with the good framerate I desired) after getting a PS5, just in time for them to announce that they're ending support for it. Coming from the Tomb Raider games directly into this was interesting. It's apparently the same studio but the pace feels pretty different. It was actually nice after those games to not have to stop and use your brain on a puzzle every so often. Instead there's mostly fighting and traversal.
The "Main Campaign" had a few moments that were good and fun, in terms of action or story moments. Though, I felt that you level the different characters you play in it too slowly to actually get to the meat of their skilltrees, so the gameplay doesn't evolve much during it.
Having tried every character to some extent, it was nice how they managed to make so many feel distinct when they're all built out from the same core moveset. Everyone has Melee, ranged, dodges, supers, but they all excel in different areas or have some kind of quirk or gimmick to them that sets them apart. Leveling them up and finding a good build of Gear for them was fun.
The levels you play in or the way you load into them isn't very fluid, with lots of breaks even if the loading was fast. But the places look nice, the characters look nice and the enemies blow up very nice, so I'd say that was the main appeal for me.
I ended up seeing almost all of the "content" that had been added since its launch in 2020, and while what was there was good, it did seem like not quite enough. There's probably a lot that could be done with the game, but as it is, it is still a neat action rpg-ish brawler with Marvel characters.
-
2022. I don't like a lot of the 3D Sonic feel. There's too much jank. Suddenly I can't move my character off of a bouncepad, or my homing attack isn't working. For being That, this was still probably the most solid execution of this I've played. The weird open world zones full of Sonic-type playground items does help ease you into doing all the 3D Sonic game things that they've added over the years. You get the practice in without feeling like you have to play the same contained level over and over, I think it works out well.
The game does feel like a bunch of existing elements thrown together and then put into the actual new part, which is the big map you can run around in. It works in so much as walking about and doing tasks to fill in a map usually works, which is well enough. The challenges are often simple, but it mixes things up and throws in a good amount of unique mini-bosses too, so there's variety. The progression systems do seem a bit undercooked though. Leveling up Speed, Ring Capacity, Attack Power or Defense is so incremental and the combat upgrades are mostly for flair than giving you new and interesting options to handle enemies, even if the flair is nice.
Generally the game feels tuned as to be accessible as there are many way to reach your minimum goals for progression and, some main story objectives aside, there's always a different way to get the gizmos you need for the next step. Sometimes it made me wish the S-rank for a contained challenge level was more demanding, sometimes I was grateful that it wasn't, as just "getting on with it" was preferable to grinding a level.
The story has a weird sort of mellow tone with Sonic having 1-on1 conversation with friends, old and new, in a desolate landscape. It also feels like it's trying to stay in canon by regularly referencing past events in the mess that is the mass of Sonic games that have been released since the characters were introduced, while also actually moving forward and introducing new, enduring, lore. It's OK. I'll say I've played games where I was less than excited to seek out the characters optional dialogue and that was never the case here, so I think that's at least a good sign.
I was not blown away by it and I definitely ran into some expected frustrations with the controls and mechanics, but all in all a "alright" Sonic game is still a plus in my book.
-
Very similar yet different to the original. The discovery isn't the same because I'll know the general location of towns or strategy for common enemies. It is however still fun to dig into the various things that there is to do, like talk to NPCs at different times to learn more about them. Y'know, the good Zelda stuff. Only mayor characters remember meeting you in the old game, which is a little disappointing but it's understandable. and there's a lot of detail otherwise.
The main quest didn't feel like it had the polish of other Zelda titles, likely another sacrifice made to give the player a lot of freedom, but it still had its moments and it was fun teaming up with different characters. The Custcenes you collect were nice to watch, though the English VA is hit or miss a lot, like the first game. I'm still a bit split on how many of the shrines didn't have puzzles in them, instead intending to be rewards for something accomplished outside of them. I wouldn't have minded if more of them asked me to build things or use the powers in creative ways, though it was also clear that the powerset is less suited for puzzles than the one from Breath of the Wild.
Doing quests and it changing the world in minor or mayor ways was probably what engaged me the most. Eventually you've seen most of what the game does in the repeated stuff like the shrines or finding gear in caves, but I was always compelled to do the smaller NPC stuff, even if some of it was left unfinished once I finished the game
-
Seems very cool. There's lots of stuff to do and learn but I'm not likely to get into playing it anytime soon. Will check in every now and then.
The single player stuff is OK, but fun enough and possibly brainless enough that I want to put some time into finishing it eventually.
-
Good aesthetics. Smooth to play. Wish choices made more impact and changed the game more throughout. Was left wanting more.
-
2021. Fun 3D platformer that is simple but has powerful movement abilities that makes getting around and collecting stuff fun. There's a surprsing amount of variety with movement tech and even some vehicles. The game is also silly in a very endering way, with characters being funny in subtle or goofy ways. I really appreciated how the story didn't try to have bigger stakes than it needed to as well. Instead it tells a small story in what feels like a genuine way.
A modestly budgeted game with a lot of heart.
-
2022. Bit too much reading for my liking, but the characters eventually kind of grew on me. Don't think I'll be trying a Visual Novel style game again for a while though. The RPG part of the game was decently engaging and had a bit more depth towards the end of the game.
-
Giving me Flashback flashbacks.
Load Comments