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I was leaning on recommending this game but pacing gets really slow after a while. I had to quit after 50 hours.
The game starts fun and atmospheric but turns grindy and repetitive after 25-30 hours.
The game starts fun and atmospheric but turns grindy and repetitive after 25-30 hours.
«Boooring»
i understand why stealth couldn't have been a bigger part of the main game, but this is nonetheless much more compelling to play through mechanically than all of the game otherwise
the narrative serves as a decent, if not very essential cycle-ending capstone to Bioshock as a series
we didn't need to know how Atlas began his take over of Rapture, but i wasn't irritated about it
we didn't need this revenge turned redemption plot for a non-omniscient Elizabeth to go through, but i'm overall glad we have it
we especially didn't need to know that Fitzroy's child-murder-ness was something that she was asked to do by the Lutece's, a couple of people i still don't quite understand on the same level that you don't really know why the fucking Gman does what Gman does
because by god does that put into question a few things:
why the fuck are the Vox Populi still characterized as murderous thugs? is this supposed to make her a martyr? because it just feels like a justification for a story telling choice that didn't make any fucking sense at the time and especially doesn't make sense now
Elizabeth could've became a hardened killer through like
another method, maybe?
something relating to Booker would've been fine
idk i'm not gonna ramble anymore, this dlc's good and absolutely worth the five-six hours it takes to get through both episodes
but if you didn't like infinite, you won't really like this all that much more
the narrative serves as a decent, if not very essential cycle-ending capstone to Bioshock as a series
we didn't need to know how Atlas began his take over of Rapture, but i wasn't irritated about it
we didn't need this revenge turned redemption plot for a non-omniscient Elizabeth to go through, but i'm overall glad we have it
we especially didn't need to know that Fitzroy's child-murder-ness was something that she was asked to do by the Lutece's, a couple of people i still don't quite understand on the same level that you don't really know why the fucking Gman does what Gman does
because by god does that put into question a few things:
why the fuck are the Vox Populi still characterized as murderous thugs? is this supposed to make her a martyr? because it just feels like a justification for a story telling choice that didn't make any fucking sense at the time and especially doesn't make sense now
Elizabeth could've became a hardened killer through like
another method, maybe?
something relating to Booker would've been fine
idk i'm not gonna ramble anymore, this dlc's good and absolutely worth the five-six hours it takes to get through both episodes
but if you didn't like infinite, you won't really like this all that much more
this carries over a lot of the game's strengths and weaknesses, but the flair of returning to Rapture pre-collapse with this Noir-ish backdrop works in its favor
and it does a good job of piggybacking off of one of the final speculative details in the core game's ending
i say that if you didn't hate the core game, you should definitely give this a shot
and it does a good job of piggybacking off of one of the final speculative details in the core game's ending
i say that if you didn't hate the core game, you should definitely give this a shot
it's a fucking mess
it's not terrible, it is worth playing, but for years i've wondered why people absolutely hated it
and now i get it lmao
the easiest thing to talk about is how the mechanics were downgraded into being Call of Duty but with plas- vigors and a hook ig
it's not as bad as that sounds, but it's very simplistic
there was very little strategy in how i'd play the game, i just stuck with a couple weapons i liked and that was that
this was done for the sake of the new heavy narrative focus, but it didn't have to be that way
actually, this game didn't have to be a shooter to begin with
this would have been the perfect opportunity to return to the immersive sim style gameplay that made the shock series a thing, because the absurd violence on display is precisely why the term "ludo narrative dissonance" became the bane of any games-writer's vocabulary
the story isn't necessarily about violence, but it does in some degree seek to critique booker's violent nature
lacking player choice IS part of the game's narrative, but you could've still played with that idea while allowing the player more agency to engage with the game beyond murdering people in ways that clash so fucking hard with the strengths of the game's narrative and presentation
because the strengths of the game have absolutely nothing to do with that
this is a gorgeous game, as always there's a lot of environmental storytelling that
while not very subtle like
ever
it's still good to have there - bioshock has NEVER been subtle
and it's all wasted when the narrative is constantly pushing you forward
bioshock 1 and 2 encouraged you to explore more often than not, even if they both had a little arrow guiding you to your next objective constantly
i lack the time or patience to go super in depth with the narrative, but i'll touch on a few things of personal note
how the game handles the revolutionary aspect of its fiction is fucking terrible, it's some game of thrones season 8 bullshit
that "the oppressed are really just as bad as the oppressors" centrist drivel that only works because the writers purposefully made their revolutionist side of the conflict turn into The Bad Thing
you'll hear booker say "they're all terrible, all grifters" or whatever before the Vox Populi have been shown to be anything but the thing that Columbia needs
when shortly before then he'd be saying that sometimes places need people like the Vox
as if something happened to make him change his mind beyond the leader being mean to him
some of this is addressed in the game's dlc, but it does very little to excuse the complete mistreatment of this aspect of the game given that it goes to great lengths to point out that Columbia is stupidly racist
the alternate reality aspect is something that i feel gets too much hate, as i honestly could care fucking less about whether or not it makes pure logical sense
i do feel that it's very simplistic, but suspend your disbelief a bit and it's easy for it to end up working out
the dynamic between Booker and Elizabeth makes the game worth playing alone, and their conclusions are worth the fuckery written to get them there
the fuckery written to turn Daisy Fitzroy into "murdering white kids is cool, actually" isn't
i think there is a line between contrivance that's okay and contrivance that's not
but, ideally, you wouldn't have either, which is why i'm not gonna even begin to call the game's narrative clever or standout
it's well done in enough aspects to warrant the trip but there's a reason why the game nowadays has a lot of critics, and if i felt more inclined i could probably write a full on essay about it
but for now, it was okay
it's not terrible, it is worth playing, but for years i've wondered why people absolutely hated it
and now i get it lmao
the easiest thing to talk about is how the mechanics were downgraded into being Call of Duty but with plas- vigors and a hook ig
it's not as bad as that sounds, but it's very simplistic
there was very little strategy in how i'd play the game, i just stuck with a couple weapons i liked and that was that
this was done for the sake of the new heavy narrative focus, but it didn't have to be that way
actually, this game didn't have to be a shooter to begin with
this would have been the perfect opportunity to return to the immersive sim style gameplay that made the shock series a thing, because the absurd violence on display is precisely why the term "ludo narrative dissonance" became the bane of any games-writer's vocabulary
the story isn't necessarily about violence, but it does in some degree seek to critique booker's violent nature
lacking player choice IS part of the game's narrative, but you could've still played with that idea while allowing the player more agency to engage with the game beyond murdering people in ways that clash so fucking hard with the strengths of the game's narrative and presentation
because the strengths of the game have absolutely nothing to do with that
this is a gorgeous game, as always there's a lot of environmental storytelling that
while not very subtle like
ever
it's still good to have there - bioshock has NEVER been subtle
and it's all wasted when the narrative is constantly pushing you forward
bioshock 1 and 2 encouraged you to explore more often than not, even if they both had a little arrow guiding you to your next objective constantly
i lack the time or patience to go super in depth with the narrative, but i'll touch on a few things of personal note
how the game handles the revolutionary aspect of its fiction is fucking terrible, it's some game of thrones season 8 bullshit
that "the oppressed are really just as bad as the oppressors" centrist drivel that only works because the writers purposefully made their revolutionist side of the conflict turn into The Bad Thing
you'll hear booker say "they're all terrible, all grifters" or whatever before the Vox Populi have been shown to be anything but the thing that Columbia needs
when shortly before then he'd be saying that sometimes places need people like the Vox
as if something happened to make him change his mind beyond the leader being mean to him
some of this is addressed in the game's dlc, but it does very little to excuse the complete mistreatment of this aspect of the game given that it goes to great lengths to point out that Columbia is stupidly racist
the alternate reality aspect is something that i feel gets too much hate, as i honestly could care fucking less about whether or not it makes pure logical sense
i do feel that it's very simplistic, but suspend your disbelief a bit and it's easy for it to end up working out
the dynamic between Booker and Elizabeth makes the game worth playing alone, and their conclusions are worth the fuckery written to get them there
the fuckery written to turn Daisy Fitzroy into "murdering white kids is cool, actually" isn't
i think there is a line between contrivance that's okay and contrivance that's not
but, ideally, you wouldn't have either, which is why i'm not gonna even begin to call the game's narrative clever or standout
it's well done in enough aspects to warrant the trip but there's a reason why the game nowadays has a lot of critics, and if i felt more inclined i could probably write a full on essay about it
but for now, it was okay
if you have access to it, it's absolutely worth your time
similar to the whole of bioshock 2, it's overall the same
you even still play as a big daddy, just somebody else
but it's just as good, if not better than the core game
it serves as a small vignette about a section of Rapture that was hitherto unexplored
the short run time makes up for whatever problems that core game had
i also predicted the twist but still thought the narrative was enjoyable enough, it's very straightforward
it's rad
similar to the whole of bioshock 2, it's overall the same
you even still play as a big daddy, just somebody else
but it's just as good, if not better than the core game
it serves as a small vignette about a section of Rapture that was hitherto unexplored
the short run time makes up for whatever problems that core game had
i also predicted the twist but still thought the narrative was enjoyable enough, it's very straightforward
it's rad
«Underrated»
the sound mixing is really bad even after modding, but that was really the only issue i had with this remaster
i'm sure others have had different experiences
this is an unfortunately tame sequel to a game that absolutely did not need it
you don't followup a game with that kind of narrative buildup with something that's very straightfoward and safe
that being said, in almost every other way, this is superior to the first
more streamlined while retaining the immersive sim style approach to how levels look and feel
shooting, plasmids, hacking, pretty much everything feels better
it looks better, too, which is saying a lot considering the first game still looks really fucking good
games don't have to be grandiose and important to be worth while, so i think this is very much worth people's time
but the wow factor of the "would you kindly?" thing is nowhere to be found, and for a lot of people that is always going to be disappointing
i'm sure others have had different experiences
this is an unfortunately tame sequel to a game that absolutely did not need it
you don't followup a game with that kind of narrative buildup with something that's very straightfoward and safe
that being said, in almost every other way, this is superior to the first
more streamlined while retaining the immersive sim style approach to how levels look and feel
shooting, plasmids, hacking, pretty much everything feels better
it looks better, too, which is saying a lot considering the first game still looks really fucking good
games don't have to be grandiose and important to be worth while, so i think this is very much worth people's time
but the wow factor of the "would you kindly?" thing is nowhere to be found, and for a lot of people that is always going to be disappointing
«Underrated»
the remaster is bad, but it comes with the original game if you didn't already own it and i'm pretty sure most of the drawbacks of that one have mods to help it out
even modded, the remaster suffers from random (not omnipresent, but prevelant enough to note) crashes and really odd sound compression that's never consistent
the game itself is excellent up until the end, where after its
frankly
amazing twist, something still effective all these years later
even if you already know exactly what's going to happen (because you've played the game before, like me)
the game just shits the bed
everything about the game gets suddenly worse because they just have to wrap this shit up
they go full ham to where
the game whose central antagonist throughout the majority of its run time has the name of a genderbent Ayn Rand
turns its true villain into The Wise Guy, the alpha and omega of all evil 20's gangster stereotypes
i don't feel the need to talk about how great the game is outside of that because it's something that pretty much everyone agrees with
but if you don't know, it's a great balance of master class immersive sim style level design melding with streamlined shooter gameplay that is still unique all these years later
this is a prestige title for many reasons - i don't think it's one of the best games ever made, but i do think it's one of the most important
there are few settings in games quite like Rapture
even modded, the remaster suffers from random (not omnipresent, but prevelant enough to note) crashes and really odd sound compression that's never consistent
the game itself is excellent up until the end, where after its
frankly
amazing twist, something still effective all these years later
even if you already know exactly what's going to happen (because you've played the game before, like me)
the game just shits the bed
everything about the game gets suddenly worse because they just have to wrap this shit up
they go full ham to where
the game whose central antagonist throughout the majority of its run time has the name of a genderbent Ayn Rand
turns its true villain into The Wise Guy, the alpha and omega of all evil 20's gangster stereotypes
i don't feel the need to talk about how great the game is outside of that because it's something that pretty much everyone agrees with
but if you don't know, it's a great balance of master class immersive sim style level design melding with streamlined shooter gameplay that is still unique all these years later
this is a prestige title for many reasons - i don't think it's one of the best games ever made, but i do think it's one of the most important
there are few settings in games quite like Rapture
«Time-tested»
I enjoyed my time with Greedfall. The story was mostly simple and straight-forward without much intrigue. The combat was about the same, even magic was a lot too simple. But in spite of its simplicity I still mostly enjoyed the game, its world, and story.
Date Completed: 2021-04-04
Playtime: 31h
Enjoyment: 7/10
Recommendation: I enjoyed it well enough. Go for it.
This feels like what I expected Quake 1 to be. Quake 2 is a true evolution of the Doom format. Areas of improvement include the plot, visuals, and most importantly, gameplay. This iteration's levels truly feel like 3d environments, unlike Quake 1. The level traversal/secret finding mechanics are essentially the same as in Doom and Quake 1, and can be a little dull at times. However, the improved 3d makes combat much more dynamic and engaging, improving the overall feel of gameplay. Ultimately a very fun experience.
8/10 - Upon replay, I am changing the score from a 7 to an 8. This game deserves more recognition for making 2D Mario relevant again after many years. So many good ideas here and most are utilized for only one level, it just does not get boring really.
«Can’t stop playing»
«Time-tested»
One of my favorite things about the Assassin's Creed series, is that it tackles controversial historical moments and does not pull any punches. This is a prime example of that. Personally, I think this is up there with some of my favorite moments in any game ever (the slave shipwreck sequence holy crap). Gameplay wise, it is pretty similar to the main Black Flag game, with some added elements. It is definitely stripped down from the main game, this is a DLC after all, but it still feels like a complete game. The story does not feel rushed either and is fairly complex, with good character development. While I would say someone who isn't heavily invested in the AC series might be a bit lost in this game, I would say this is a must-play for anyone who is a fan of the series.
«Blew my mind»
«Time-tested»
It ain't done, and it ain't perfect, but it strikes a good balance between doing crafting chores and relatively engaging combat encounters. Construction is free-form enough to feel compelling, but not so free-form you feel pressure to "make your own fun". Absolutely must be played with friends, ideally on a shared dedicated server.
A cumbersome game about gathering crafting supplies and managing inventory space. There does seem to be some combat, and a few story elements here and there, but by and large you're just going to go back and forth checking off recipe lists, without an intuitive interface to help.
Do not attempt to play this with a controller. It doesn't break the game, it simply makes it worse.
Do not attempt to play this with a controller. It doesn't break the game, it simply makes it worse.
«Boooring»
Quake is a perfectly solid shooter, especially for 1996. I have no particular issues with the game. However, I fail to see it as the masterpiece it is frequently presented as. It feels as though little innovation has occurred in the two years since Doom 2, as Quake plays nearly identically to it. The change of setting is nice, and the movement is a little more fluid, but that's really it. The tech honestly feels less impressive than that of System Shock, also released two years before Quake. If you just want more Doom, then Quake is for you. If you're expecting a true evolution of Doom, though, I don't think you'll find it here.
Concise Review:
It’s a generic, cookie cutter, looter shooter that doesn’t excel or innovate in any specific area. That being said, the combat, RPG mechanics and abilities are solid, and I didn’t hate the sci fi vibes and world locations. The story, writing, and voice acting, range from dumb fun to straight up awful, but they don’t get in the way of the gameplay loop. This game is the definition of good not great.
Journal Style Review:
Immediate first impressions. I don’t think the characters, or writing are going to be anything special. Feels generic. Graphics looks fine for the most part, NPCs look a bit rough. Weird pacing to the opening. A lot of short play times followed by cutscenes that are broken up by load times, albeit short ones. I like the gore though and I’m hopeful the world and wildlife will look nice. Also by the time I was at class selection I was kind of digging the story. It’s an easy going fun set up and there were some good deaths early on.
Gameplay is pretty good so far. It’s fast paced and fluid and the different abilities have been fun to experiment with. The life stealing mechanics encourage intense firefights. The difficulty has been challenging but not frustrating.
I might really like this game... The combat looks great and feels pretty good. I love the gore. I like the wildlife and the different world locations so far. Also, the armor looks sweet. I made this badass space Viking. I love his style.
I’m actually liking the sectioned off linear levels system. I thought it would feel like a cheap open world imitation but it’s aiming for something different. It provides tight linear combat sections. I’m skeptical of the endgame content, but I’ve never been interested in endgame content before. This game seems to be providing more of an actual campaign than say destiny. It feels closer to the division 2 which I thought provided a solid campaign.
I like the waypoint finder but it doesn’t always work which can be frustrating. Also the broken map sections are confusing and I wish we didn’t need to use the truck to go from location to location. That’s a nuisance. I’m tired of traveling to rift town to drop off bounties and hunts.
While no different than destiny or the division 2, I still am enjoying the constant sense of progression from new loot.
It’s starting to feel a bit repetitive but I’m still enjoying it. Also the story continues to be really fucking dumb. What’s with the avatar looking person?
Entrances to areas are glitchin more and more often where I can’t use them. It’s getting annoying and is wrecking the games rhythm.
This story is ridiculous. The monsters look like they are from 2013. The few dramatic attempts are laughable. The voice actor is so deadpan in his delivery in every line. All these things sound bad, and they are, but it somehow still works.
The combat and powers really are the shining star of this game. There are some great gunfights where you really need to plan out how to be most effective.
Graphics really are AA. They sometimes look alright when it’s a cool environment or your main characters armor, but then you get some rough parts for the rest.
The legendary weapons and gear are pretty sweet. I’ve started actually modding my gear frequently now too. Picking the best mods and getting used to the bonuses they provide makes a huuuuge differences. I should have done that earlier. I’m focusing on raising my world tier for this last stretch. Trying not to die. It’s keeping the game fresh. Still a solid experience.
Beat it. Had fun. Nothing special.
Final Score: B+
It’s a generic, cookie cutter, looter shooter that doesn’t excel or innovate in any specific area. That being said, the combat, RPG mechanics and abilities are solid, and I didn’t hate the sci fi vibes and world locations. The story, writing, and voice acting, range from dumb fun to straight up awful, but they don’t get in the way of the gameplay loop. This game is the definition of good not great.
Journal Style Review:
Immediate first impressions. I don’t think the characters, or writing are going to be anything special. Feels generic. Graphics looks fine for the most part, NPCs look a bit rough. Weird pacing to the opening. A lot of short play times followed by cutscenes that are broken up by load times, albeit short ones. I like the gore though and I’m hopeful the world and wildlife will look nice. Also by the time I was at class selection I was kind of digging the story. It’s an easy going fun set up and there were some good deaths early on.
Gameplay is pretty good so far. It’s fast paced and fluid and the different abilities have been fun to experiment with. The life stealing mechanics encourage intense firefights. The difficulty has been challenging but not frustrating.
I might really like this game... The combat looks great and feels pretty good. I love the gore. I like the wildlife and the different world locations so far. Also, the armor looks sweet. I made this badass space Viking. I love his style.
I’m actually liking the sectioned off linear levels system. I thought it would feel like a cheap open world imitation but it’s aiming for something different. It provides tight linear combat sections. I’m skeptical of the endgame content, but I’ve never been interested in endgame content before. This game seems to be providing more of an actual campaign than say destiny. It feels closer to the division 2 which I thought provided a solid campaign.
I like the waypoint finder but it doesn’t always work which can be frustrating. Also the broken map sections are confusing and I wish we didn’t need to use the truck to go from location to location. That’s a nuisance. I’m tired of traveling to rift town to drop off bounties and hunts.
While no different than destiny or the division 2, I still am enjoying the constant sense of progression from new loot.
It’s starting to feel a bit repetitive but I’m still enjoying it. Also the story continues to be really fucking dumb. What’s with the avatar looking person?
Entrances to areas are glitchin more and more often where I can’t use them. It’s getting annoying and is wrecking the games rhythm.
This story is ridiculous. The monsters look like they are from 2013. The few dramatic attempts are laughable. The voice actor is so deadpan in his delivery in every line. All these things sound bad, and they are, but it somehow still works.
The combat and powers really are the shining star of this game. There are some great gunfights where you really need to plan out how to be most effective.
Graphics really are AA. They sometimes look alright when it’s a cool environment or your main characters armor, but then you get some rough parts for the rest.
The legendary weapons and gear are pretty sweet. I’ve started actually modding my gear frequently now too. Picking the best mods and getting used to the bonuses they provide makes a huuuuge differences. I should have done that earlier. I’m focusing on raising my world tier for this last stretch. Trying not to die. It’s keeping the game fresh. Still a solid experience.
Beat it. Had fun. Nothing special.
Final Score: B+
Ok if this does get a remake I only want three things changed:
1. No more tank controls
2. No more QTEs
3. Make Ashley a stronger, more tolerable character
Other than that keep everything exactly the same.
1. No more tank controls
2. No more QTEs
3. Make Ashley a stronger, more tolerable character
Other than that keep everything exactly the same.
«Just one more turn»
«Constantly dying and enjoy it»
Great graphics and nice gameplay. The protagonist - seeker and his handler are more like those hired assassin companies we see in movies. The mask, armour and gear are packed with cool features. Special effects are a feast and the AI is definitely better than many games in the genre. Enemies aren't just stupid cardboard practice targets if you're playing on Deadeye difficulty.
That's it about the good stuff, now let's come to other aspects. The story... well there isn't any. The publisher should just have saved a few more bucks by not trying to include any story at all. The ending is laughable too, trying to create a suspense and brutally failing at it.
Next thing on our list is bugs. Glitches all around the games. Stuck between two rocks? Restart. Can't find your path out of water? Restart. A pink balloon showing instead of your gun? Restart.
Then there's the variety (or lack thereof) of weapons. Very limited choices and you can't make sense of Stars, tokens and the third thing I forgot when you have money. I'm coining a term for that: Overgamification.
That's it about the good stuff, now let's come to other aspects. The story... well there isn't any. The publisher should just have saved a few more bucks by not trying to include any story at all. The ending is laughable too, trying to create a suspense and brutally failing at it.
Next thing on our list is bugs. Glitches all around the games. Stuck between two rocks? Restart. Can't find your path out of water? Restart. A pink balloon showing instead of your gun? Restart.
Then there's the variety (or lack thereof) of weapons. Very limited choices and you can't make sense of Stars, tokens and the third thing I forgot when you have money. I'm coining a term for that: Overgamification.
«I could make it better»
«Game over at last!»
Telltale games are usually quality visual novels. Batman is no different. The content is great. Unfortunately, the technical issues really detracted from the game experience. Depending on the episode, the music would cut out the entire game, or characters would be missing body parts. Good story, disappointing production.
Absolutely terrifying and masterful experience. A true return to form for the series. It puts you in a situation where you don't know whats going on only to relater reveal the crazy bioweapon plot that is central to the series.
Excellent.
Excellent.
«Blew my mind»
«Can’t stop playing»