Dcubed Posted Sunday at 04:44 PM Posted Sunday at 04:44 PM (edited) Poor Toys For Bob. They got a proper raw deal from Activision… Thank God they managed to save themselves and buy back their independence from Microsoft earlier this year! Really looking forward to whatever they work on next If only Vicarious Visions could do the same… Edited Sunday at 04:47 PM by Dcubed
Hero-of-Time Posted Monday at 10:18 AM Posted Monday at 10:18 AM The game finally dropped to a far more reasonable price of £36 and so I picked it up at Argos on Friday. Loved it. The game went back to the roots of what Lego games used to be, which is a fun, linear experience. I've spoke on here a few times about how bloated the Lego games have become since going all open world but this one went back to basics and it was a far better experience, IMO. The game is essentially a retelling of the first Horizon game, except they add a lot of Lego humour to it and give the characters a little more personality. You can tell the developers had fun with this side of things and it was great that Sony allowed them to play around with the IP. The game is an example of how my opinion doesn't really match with a lot of the gaming industry. The game was marked down in reviews for being too linear and easy but sometimes that's exactly what I want in a game, especially when most of them these days seem to be going with an open world setting. 1 1
Hero-of-Time Posted Tuesday at 07:05 PM Posted Tuesday at 07:05 PM A game that is a very mixed bag. The world of Star Wars is very well represented here. The planets, characters, music and overall look of the game certainly do the franchise justice. That's pretty much where my praise ends. The gameplay is very much a cookie cutter, Ubisoft game. They seem to have taken a lot of inspiration from their Assassin's Creed IP and slapped on a Star Wars skin. The stealth missions being a big comparison. Even when the game doesn't require you to sneak about, it still punishes you a lot of the time for being in open combat. A lot of the side missions start off being a little fun but soon become a grind and very repeatative, with the same kind of thing being repeated on each of the 4 planets. Despite the numerous patches the game has had since release, I still had a fair few glitches. I had one where my speeder bike got stuck in the ground and wouldn't move, a couple of hard crashes that lost some of my misson progress and this gem right here happened on more than one occasion... Yeah, I would have loved to have got a move on except I couldn't! In terms of SW games, this year I've played through this, Clone Wars, Battlefront Collection and Dark Forces Remastered and this was easily the worst of the bunch. 1
Julius Posted Tuesday at 07:32 PM Author Posted Tuesday at 07:32 PM @Hero-of-Time so I CTRL+F'd 'Nix' and 'Sabacc' and you give me nothing?! Glad you got to it though, and fully agree with your thoughts, though I'd definitely go with the option of backing those words with near-murderous intent and venom 1
Hero-of-Time Posted Tuesday at 07:37 PM Posted Tuesday at 07:37 PM Yeah, Nix was cute enough but Sabaac I wasn't a fan of. It didn't help that I was playing it completely wrong for the first half of the game. I was baffled as to why my opponents were getting extra chips or placing limitations on me. I then realised I could do the same to them with the abilities that you unlock. Once I figured that out, as well as unlocking the cheat to draw 2 cards, it was a piece of cake. 1
Julius Posted Tuesday at 07:49 PM Author Posted Tuesday at 07:49 PM Just now, Hero-of-Time said: Nix was cute enough 2 minutes ago, Hero-of-Time said: Sabaac I wasn't a fan of. 3 minutes ago, Hero-of-Time said: It didn't help that I was playing it completely wrong for the first half of the game. Maybe it's in part down to how I approached the game (crit path and the odd side thing here and there) but I absolutely loved Sabacc, and would love to see it expanded into its own game. Hell, it'd probably make a solid mobile game. A more than welcome distraction than the disasterclass that was the rest of the game, for me, so maybe that's why I latched onto it so much? It's always funny when games get one over on the player which is in no way by design but purely because it's communicated something poorly or ineffectively, and once you start using the thing you were supposed to be using all along? Piece of cake, of course 1
Jonnas Posted yesterday at 01:07 PM Posted yesterday at 01:07 PM And a little bit more! A Jonnas Arcade Update Thought I was in it for fighting games alone? Think again. Sengoku 3 So, one day, someone left the machine idle, with this game selected. The machine has an issue where you can't really... leave or change a game after it's selected. Between playing this or nothing at all, I went with "Let's try this thing I've never seen". Indeed, I played for nearly 30 minutes, without ever learning what the title of the game was (I eventually did some sleuthing at home to discover it was called Sengoku 3). This is a beat'em up where every playable character is a bladed warrior of some kind, and the enemies are all medieval Sengoku-era zombies. The game actually takes place in modern day, and you can play the first three stages (China, Japan, and Italy) in any order. Game looks gorgeous. Beautiful sprites, fluid animations, satisfying sound effects... It's comparable to Garou: Mark of the Wolves, it's so smooth. Bankruptcy-era SNK firing on all cylinders. What really brings it all together, is that there's a genuine variety to your moveset. Tired of "A to punch, B to kick, A+B to do a special move"? This game provides you with command inputs, dash attacks, desperation moves... and of course, each character handles very differently. Played it for a while and time just flew by. My only complaint is that regular enemies were too easy to handle, with a notable difficulty spike for bosses. Maybe I just need to learn my moveset better. I had to stop eventually, but I would love to explore this hidden gem on my own time. For now, 4 stars, and wishlisted the Switch version. Sengoku With a positive impression in mind, I decided to check out the first entry in this series I never heard of... Oh boy! This one feels so different... One of the main characters is the most generic '90s action hero you can think of, and the other's a flamboyant cowboy. They mainly fight with their fists at first, but they can pick up blades at some point... somehow. Didn't understand how or why that happened. I didn't really understand anything that was happening here. Regular levels are made of some apocalyptic city, but sometimes we're transported to the heavens where we're supposed to battle a horde of enemies (the same enemies from the city), and when we're done, they kick us back to the hellish city. It wasn't a bonus level, it was just... how the stage is supposed to go. Repeatedly, we go to heaven several times like this in one level. Didn't understand why. One cool feature is that under some circumstances (I think it was low health? Didn't really understand), you can transform into another form. There's a Samurai, a Ninja, and a Dog. That last one is some silly fun, its jumping attack is a Sonic-esque spin. This should be noted: these transformations are not a thing in Sengoku 3 (neither is the heaven thing, btw). Honestly, this jut felt like a drug trip. I had no idea what was going on, none of the mechanics feel consistent, the game throws multiple ideas at you all at once, and I never felt really in control of anything. 1 star, didn't understand. I still wanted to check out the second entry... maybe it'll connect closer to Sengoku 3? Sengoku 2 Nope. Still weird. I mean, it's better than the first one, in that I actually understand better what's going on. The heaven thing still happens, but at least now I have a blade at all times, and understand when and how I pick up items. The transformation thing is also clearer: you can transform into any of the other forms, but you have limited time for each over the course of one life/credit. Overall, more functional, but still not quite up to what I wanted. 2 stars So, what's the deal? Why is Sengoku 3 so different from what came before? After some research, I learned that the first two were made by an SNK in their 90s prime, trying to compete with Capcom beat'em-ups. The third one was made by another team (during the bankruptcy era), one that actually knows how to make a great beat'em up. It's a mystery as to why they decided to call their title "Sengoku 3" (it's not like it's a household name or anything), but that's the gist of it. And then I turned left and played: Alien vs. Predator I had heard of this game multiple times before. It's a true classic that Capcom won't rerelease due to copyright issues, and it's a shame, because it's sooo good... Well, this Pandora's Box had it, so I'll check it out. And holy cow, they weren't kidding, this game's awesome! Four distinct playable characters (including two Predators), varied movesets (including projectiles), varied enemy types, widly fast-paced movement, lots of guns to pick up, dozens (feeling like hundreds) of enemies on-screen, gorgeous sprites with fluid movement, and it's just... incredibly fun! Like, the essence of a genre (two genres, if you include run&gun games) distilled into its most enjoyable form. I didn't complete it (30 minutes really isn't much time), but I loved every second of it. You can now count me in among the people who are disappointed that this game isn't more available. It's a shame, because it's so good. I know recency bias is a thing, and my time with it was short, but I would be ready to give this one 5 stars --------------- Good note to end on. This is probably my final Arcade update, I've had my fill with that Pandora's Box. There are several motives behind this. As you may have guessed, the 30 minute time limit really hurts my ability to explore and enjoy these games. Furthermore, I have to hope the machine is free to get even that. There's also the faulty buttons/stick, those also hurt my general enjoyment. Looking at the remaining titles I was interested in, there was stuff like Marvel vs Capcom, Punisher, Metal Slug... Titles I briefly played here, but can get on other platforms for a better experience. What muddies the waters even further is that some of these titles are just romhacks with cheats or something (there's a title called "Metal Slug 6+" which... is clearly not official!), so even less reason to depend on Pandora for them. I originally wanted to make a Sengoku update, then do one with Capcom beat'em ups, featuring Final Fight 2 & 3 as well. What do you know, those two weren't available here So, Alien vs. Predator was the one final title to close off this featurette, and maybe that was for the better. 1 1
Glen-i Posted 7 hours ago Posted 7 hours ago Bayonetta 2 is another character focused action hack and slash game developed by PlatinumGames, as well as a concept pitch for StarFox Zero (Yes, really). It was originally released for the WiiU in 2014 and then ported to the Switch in 2018. I played the Switch version. Somewhat controversially, despite being an IP that Sega owns, it's only been released on Nintendo consoles. This is because Nintendo funded it's development. Without Nintendo, there wouldn't be a Bayonetta 2 (Or 3, for that matter). It's also the best Christmas game! It's Christmas Eve! Bayonetta is going last-minute Christmas shopping! But then, oh no! Shenanigans! Angels attack! Devastation for the city! Average Tuesday for Bayonetta. However, a typical demon summon goes wrong and it gets out of control. This gets Bayo's best friend Jeanne's a big ouchie in the form of her soul getting knocked out of her body. Umbran Witches get dragged to Hell when they die, but there's still time. Bayonetta travels to the very wet town of Noatun, as the Gates to Hell are rumoured to be there. She has less then a day to save Jeanne, or she'll miss Christmas! Bayonetta 2, apparently For all intents and purposes, this game plays similarly to the first game. Just a whole bunch of refinements. The big new mechanic is "Umbran Climax". Playing well enough will get you enough magic to use it, and it drastically increases the range and power of her attacks. It's lots of fun, but it does make most other uses of magic a bit redundant. Add to that other great changes, like Witch Time working on everything (Although it doesn't last as long in this game to compensate), and no awful QTE's, just button mashing ones that get you extra points. This makes it easily my favourite Bayonetta game. It also helps that the Nintendo bonuses are even more ridiculous in this game. The Switch version has added amiibo support, which means I didn't have to beat the game on Hard difficulty to get one of the best unlockables in all of gaming history! That Chain Chomp cracks me up! Helps that it's really good as well. Also, Arwing pistols! The game is a lot more vibrant compared to the first game, it just pops beautifully. That Nintendo influence, I'm guessing. The game still looks great today! Bayonetta 2, apparently So yeah, people bemoaning the lower skill ceiling be damned, Bayonetta 2 is a riot! And it has a decent multiplayer mode too! Sea of Stars Chained Echoes Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore Princess Peach Will Star As The Main Character In A Brand New Game Star Ocean: The Second Story R Hi-Fi Rush Sonic Superstars Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising Theatrhythm Final Bar Line: Premium Digital Deluxe Edition (100%) 1000xRESIST Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (Switch) (100%) Miitopia (100 flipping per ceeeeent!) Metroid Zero Mission (100%, Under 2 hours, Normal) Chico and the Magic Orchards DX Super Metroid Redux Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster Densetsu No Stafy Densetsu No Stafy 2 Densetsu No Stafy 3 Final Fantasy II Pixel Remaster Final Fantasy III Pixel Remaster Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team Final Fantasy IV Pixel Remaster Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow Gravity Circuit Final Fantasy V Pixel Remaster The Plucky Squire Lorelei and the Laser Eyes Banjo-Tooie (100%) Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythmic Adventure Pack Shantae and the Seven Sirens Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling Bayonetta Spyro the Dragon (Reignited Version - 120%) Bayonetta 2 1
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