3 Yrs✓#
f_n_c
3 Yrs✓#
UPDATE #9
Hello everyone! After some well deserved vacation I'm back in the flat and hot Lombardy, but at least I have some games to play.
STORY AND PRESENTATION
I admit that I tried to play Salt and Sanctuary (SaS from now on) at least twice, but I stopped around the first boss. The game wasn't gripping enough, sadly. But third's time the charm, and this last attempt was completely different.
SaS is a 2D soulslike game with some platforming elements. In its mechanics, it follows Dark Souls closely, almost like a carbon copy. After the mandatory character creation where you select an appearance and a class, you are tasked with defending a princess traveling towards a nearby realm by ship to marry a noble and forge an alliance. The ship is attacked by an eldritch horror almost impossible to beat, and your character is shipwrecked on a strange island. From now on, the story is told through short dialogues and environmental storytelling, while your character travels into dark and gloomy environments. The game delivers its narrative exactly like Dark Souls, so it is very difficult to grasp all the information hidden in descriptions and environmental details. I know that this approach leaves a magic aura of mystery and awe, but I would rather have known all the details behind the bosses and the environments without resorting to external sources. This is mostly a personal preference though; probably a lot of people are very happy with this stylistic choice.
Talking about the artistic design, I don't like the way human characters look in this game. They are overly stylized and clash with the rest of the game elements. On the other hand, the enemies and the environments are really well-drawn and inspired. In my opinion, the game is much more gritty than Dark Souls (1), with hanged people in a lot of areas and gory monster designs. The armor and the weapons are also very inspired, and it is always fun to find new sets. The music is great and not very invasive, even if there are only a few tracks in the game.
GAMEPLAY AND TECHNICAL ASPECTS
The gameplay is just 2D Dark Souls; there's not a lot to say about the gameplay. Bonfires, limited healing, covenants, statistics, weapon scaling, encumberance, miracles, magic. The game differentiates in some minor aspects, but the feeling to play a clone is strong and constant. The basic gameplay formula works though, so I can't complain. You have a nice choice of armors (light and heavy), weapons, shields, and magic powers. Different playstiles would change drastically the feel of the game, so the variety is just on point.
The biggest difference is represented by the advancement of the character. At every level up, you gain a point to spend in an expansive skill tree that grants you both statistic increases and the ability to use stronger weapons and armor effectively. Compared to Dark Souls, it constrains the growth of the character by linking the upgrades to a defined path, so it is more difficult to screw up and create a bad build. I kind of like this approach; it visualizes your progress in a nice way and is well-presented.
SaS is a challenging game, but not too difficult. If you make a good build, the enemies will be a joke, and only some later bosses will require a good knowledge of all the game systems. I would have liked more challenge, but I used a very strong build, so probably the game is more difficult with other weapons. The small platform sections can be brutal though, and in the optional areas, it can become almost frustrating.
FINAL CONSIDERATIONS
I really liked Dark Souls 1, so I liked also SaS. It clones the formula, introducing an interesting world and some new mechanics. The artistic department is good, and the game plays well with a controller. Playing with a keyboard is doable, but much more difficult. Sadly, this game has some glaring balancing issues. The developers tried to fix them with the enhanced mode, but the problems remained. Heavy armor is almost useless; high-level armor is scarce and almost useless since it weighs too much. Strength-based weapons are satisfying but too powerful, while other weapons feel too weak. With a little more balancing, it could have been a perfect game, but it is also a phenomenal game in this state.
A little final rant on Epic Games. This is the first game that I played fully through the Epic platform, since I obtained it for free. Almost every time I wanted to play, my account was disconnected from the Windows app, and I needed to do the login process from scratch. This is a minor nuisance, but in a world where steam is a well-oiled machine, you don't have much margin for error. Compared to Steam, the experience was awful. I will never buy something from the Epic Store for sure. At least they give away free games, but they are the only thing that compel me to use their horrible launcher.
MY BUILD
If anyone wants to play this game but hasn't any idea on the build to play, I can suggest mine. It is very effective and fun, fitting a new player like me like a glove.
I used Greathammers and Greatswords, fully developing both their upgrade paths. Together, they can cover both slash and strike damage, allowing them to always exploit specific enemy weaknesses. I used mainly greatswords though; they were a little bit stronger, and it was easier to find the material to transmute them into high-level weapons. Both weapons were used always two-handed, so I could stop the Strength development to 35.
I choose to fully develop the Light Armor path instead of the logical Heavy Armor. The game is rather easy, and poising or tanking damage was not very fun, so I switched almost immediately to the Light Armor. Both the weapons of the build are very heavy, so without very light armor, you won't be able to have a usable dodge.
Following these three paths to the end (Sword, Greathammer/Greataxes, and Armor) will leave you with more than 35 Strength, and a decent Willpower and Endurance. To allow fast rolling, you should invest additional level-ups in leveling the Endurance, but adding some points also to Willpower is not a bad idea. You can refund all the Dexterity skills and also some strength nodes to lower your strength to the 35 softcap.
I used the Beggar Light Armor set almost all the game, upgrading it a lot. Towards the end of the game, it allowed me to fast roll with the Greatsword, which is something remarkable. For specific bosses with strong elemental attacks, I used a mismatch of Light Armor to maximize the specific element defense, even if it sacrificed some physical defense. For the transmutation path, I went Kurekimoa -> Jaws of Death -> Scharfrichter for the Greatswords, while for the Greathammers I used the Warhammer -> Obsidian Pillar -> Trinity Scepter. I mainly attached Mossy Charms to both weapons, which were switched to elemental damage charms for some bosses. I used different ring sets depending on the boss.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I decided that the poor Layton was rotting in my backlog for too long, so I esclusively played that for some time to finish it. I completed the main story, but the game is fun, so probably I will finish almost all the puzzles.
I also made some little progress with Daggerfall. I had some adventures in the Wrothgarian Mountains, and I have found even some pieces of Dwarven equipment. The game is fun for now, but the worst sprawling dungeons are still ahead. Running around in snowclad cities is very atmospheric, and the game has a particular, unique charm.
Hello everyone! After some well deserved vacation I'm back in the flat and hot Lombardy, but at least I have some games to play.
Salt and Sanctuary - PC (Epic Store free game)
SCORE: 9/10
STORY AND PRESENTATION
I admit that I tried to play Salt and Sanctuary (SaS from now on) at least twice, but I stopped around the first boss. The game wasn't gripping enough, sadly. But third's time the charm, and this last attempt was completely different.
SaS is a 2D soulslike game with some platforming elements. In its mechanics, it follows Dark Souls closely, almost like a carbon copy. After the mandatory character creation where you select an appearance and a class, you are tasked with defending a princess traveling towards a nearby realm by ship to marry a noble and forge an alliance. The ship is attacked by an eldritch horror almost impossible to beat, and your character is shipwrecked on a strange island. From now on, the story is told through short dialogues and environmental storytelling, while your character travels into dark and gloomy environments. The game delivers its narrative exactly like Dark Souls, so it is very difficult to grasp all the information hidden in descriptions and environmental details. I know that this approach leaves a magic aura of mystery and awe, but I would rather have known all the details behind the bosses and the environments without resorting to external sources. This is mostly a personal preference though; probably a lot of people are very happy with this stylistic choice.
Talking about the artistic design, I don't like the way human characters look in this game. They are overly stylized and clash with the rest of the game elements. On the other hand, the enemies and the environments are really well-drawn and inspired. In my opinion, the game is much more gritty than Dark Souls (1), with hanged people in a lot of areas and gory monster designs. The armor and the weapons are also very inspired, and it is always fun to find new sets. The music is great and not very invasive, even if there are only a few tracks in the game.
GAMEPLAY AND TECHNICAL ASPECTS
The gameplay is just 2D Dark Souls; there's not a lot to say about the gameplay. Bonfires, limited healing, covenants, statistics, weapon scaling, encumberance, miracles, magic. The game differentiates in some minor aspects, but the feeling to play a clone is strong and constant. The basic gameplay formula works though, so I can't complain. You have a nice choice of armors (light and heavy), weapons, shields, and magic powers. Different playstiles would change drastically the feel of the game, so the variety is just on point.
The biggest difference is represented by the advancement of the character. At every level up, you gain a point to spend in an expansive skill tree that grants you both statistic increases and the ability to use stronger weapons and armor effectively. Compared to Dark Souls, it constrains the growth of the character by linking the upgrades to a defined path, so it is more difficult to screw up and create a bad build. I kind of like this approach; it visualizes your progress in a nice way and is well-presented.
SaS is a challenging game, but not too difficult. If you make a good build, the enemies will be a joke, and only some later bosses will require a good knowledge of all the game systems. I would have liked more challenge, but I used a very strong build, so probably the game is more difficult with other weapons. The small platform sections can be brutal though, and in the optional areas, it can become almost frustrating.
FINAL CONSIDERATIONS
I really liked Dark Souls 1, so I liked also SaS. It clones the formula, introducing an interesting world and some new mechanics. The artistic department is good, and the game plays well with a controller. Playing with a keyboard is doable, but much more difficult. Sadly, this game has some glaring balancing issues. The developers tried to fix them with the enhanced mode, but the problems remained. Heavy armor is almost useless; high-level armor is scarce and almost useless since it weighs too much. Strength-based weapons are satisfying but too powerful, while other weapons feel too weak. With a little more balancing, it could have been a perfect game, but it is also a phenomenal game in this state.
A little final rant on Epic Games. This is the first game that I played fully through the Epic platform, since I obtained it for free. Almost every time I wanted to play, my account was disconnected from the Windows app, and I needed to do the login process from scratch. This is a minor nuisance, but in a world where steam is a well-oiled machine, you don't have much margin for error. Compared to Steam, the experience was awful. I will never buy something from the Epic Store for sure. At least they give away free games, but they are the only thing that compel me to use their horrible launcher.
MY BUILD
If anyone wants to play this game but hasn't any idea on the build to play, I can suggest mine. It is very effective and fun, fitting a new player like me like a glove.
I used Greathammers and Greatswords, fully developing both their upgrade paths. Together, they can cover both slash and strike damage, allowing them to always exploit specific enemy weaknesses. I used mainly greatswords though; they were a little bit stronger, and it was easier to find the material to transmute them into high-level weapons. Both weapons were used always two-handed, so I could stop the Strength development to 35.
I choose to fully develop the Light Armor path instead of the logical Heavy Armor. The game is rather easy, and poising or tanking damage was not very fun, so I switched almost immediately to the Light Armor. Both the weapons of the build are very heavy, so without very light armor, you won't be able to have a usable dodge.
Following these three paths to the end (Sword, Greathammer/Greataxes, and Armor) will leave you with more than 35 Strength, and a decent Willpower and Endurance. To allow fast rolling, you should invest additional level-ups in leveling the Endurance, but adding some points also to Willpower is not a bad idea. You can refund all the Dexterity skills and also some strength nodes to lower your strength to the 35 softcap.
I used the Beggar Light Armor set almost all the game, upgrading it a lot. Towards the end of the game, it allowed me to fast roll with the Greatsword, which is something remarkable. For specific bosses with strong elemental attacks, I used a mismatch of Light Armor to maximize the specific element defense, even if it sacrificed some physical defense. For the transmutation path, I went Kurekimoa -> Jaws of Death -> Scharfrichter for the Greatswords, while for the Greathammers I used the Warhammer -> Obsidian Pillar -> Trinity Scepter. I mainly attached Mossy Charms to both weapons, which were switched to elemental damage charms for some bosses. I used different ring sets depending on the boss.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CURRENTLY PLAYING
- Professor Layton and the Diabolical box - Nintendo 3DS (DS Mode)
- The Elder Scrolls 2: Daggerfall - PC
I decided that the poor Layton was rotting in my backlog for too long, so I esclusively played that for some time to finish it. I completed the main story, but the game is fun, so probably I will finish almost all the puzzles.
I also made some little progress with Daggerfall. I had some adventures in the Wrothgarian Mountains, and I have found even some pieces of Dwarven equipment. The game is fun for now, but the worst sprawling dungeons are still ahead. Running around in snowclad cities is very atmospheric, and the game has a particular, unique charm.
3 Yrs✓#
f_n_c3 Yrs✓#
UPDATE #10
THE GAME
I think that everyone on this site has at least heard of Layton and its games, so I won't introduce the series as a whole. I played the first game some years ago, and I quite enjoyed it; it was a nice refreshing experience compared to the things that I normally play. I know that is not optimal, but I played it on my phone in short bursts, something that has fragmented a lot of the whole experience. I played this installation of the series on a 3DS, luckily. The experience was similar to the phone though: discontinuous play when I was bored of other games. Even if I wasn't very dedicated to this game, I never lost track of what I had to do—something remarkable sign of a well-developed game.
Let's start with the most critical point of the game: the story. It starts as a nice murder mystery and has some sections aboard a train to finally land in the mysterious town of Foolsense. The town nails the atmosphere perfectly, and its inhabitants are well characterized, being similar to the first game but with a nice twist that keeps the situation engaging. Sadly, the game crashes incredibly in its ending. It is moving and heartfelt, but the final twist was utterly nonsensical, even for the Layton standads. The ending leaves a bad aftertaste and has partly ruined my personal enjoyment of the plot. Luckily, the art style is amazing, like the first game, and the addition of more animated cutscenes is definitely welcome.
SPOILER OF THE ENDINGS OF THE FIRST TWO LAYTON GAMES
Even the end of the first game was crazy, with the whole town population being very complex animatronics. But even if this twist was overly exaggerated, it didn't destroy totally the continuity of the story. Being Foolsense and its people all in the mind of Layton and the other main characters, all the sections of the game that take place in the city have zero sense.
The puzzles are definitely an improvement compared to the first game. They are very creative and sometimes disguise well what is a simple mathematical problem at its core, with answers that rarely are far-fetched or not logical. The integration of the puzzles with the story is also more organic; the game clearly shows that the developers have made a lot of experience with the first game and improved in almost all fields. This game also adds some long-term puzzles that can be solved only by gaining the right elements by... completing other normal puzzles. This is an incentive to play more simple puzzles outside the main story, and they are mostly interesting and well-developed. My favorite one was the tea-time: Layton gains tea ingredients by solving puzzles, and they can be used together to brew some teas by following the suggestions of the people of Foolsense. The dialogue of this macro puzzle is especially fun, and it is heartwarming to help everyone by just brewing a cup of tea out of nowhere.
FINAL CONSIDERATIONS
The Diabolical Box is more advanced mechanically compared with the previous episode, but has a story that doesn't quite feel right. It's not a perfect game and represents two steps forward but one backward compared to the Curious Village, and I feel that the developers will have nailed down the formula with the third game. I suggest everyone give this series a shot; it can be a rather fun diversive compared to other more mainstream types of games.
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I joined the temple of Akatosh and the Knights of the Rose with my Redonarn Dunmer Daggerfall character. I'm trying to roleplay a bit, and I'm having quite some fun. Joining Wayrest was a no-brainer as a Dark Elf, but I'm not fully convinced by my choice. Knowing Helseth and Barenziah from Morrowind, probably I will be backstabbed soon.
I started also Donkey Kong country completely blind. It was on my backlog for quite some time, but I never pulled the trigger. I went in expecting a Mario-like challenge, but it's much more difficult. On the other hand, it looks and sounds incredible for a SNES game, and I'm always eager to play it.
Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box - DS
SCORE: 8.5/10
THE GAME
I think that everyone on this site has at least heard of Layton and its games, so I won't introduce the series as a whole. I played the first game some years ago, and I quite enjoyed it; it was a nice refreshing experience compared to the things that I normally play. I know that is not optimal, but I played it on my phone in short bursts, something that has fragmented a lot of the whole experience. I played this installation of the series on a 3DS, luckily. The experience was similar to the phone though: discontinuous play when I was bored of other games. Even if I wasn't very dedicated to this game, I never lost track of what I had to do—something remarkable sign of a well-developed game.
Let's start with the most critical point of the game: the story. It starts as a nice murder mystery and has some sections aboard a train to finally land in the mysterious town of Foolsense. The town nails the atmosphere perfectly, and its inhabitants are well characterized, being similar to the first game but with a nice twist that keeps the situation engaging. Sadly, the game crashes incredibly in its ending. It is moving and heartfelt, but the final twist was utterly nonsensical, even for the Layton standads. The ending leaves a bad aftertaste and has partly ruined my personal enjoyment of the plot. Luckily, the art style is amazing, like the first game, and the addition of more animated cutscenes is definitely welcome.
SPOILER OF THE ENDINGS OF THE FIRST TWO LAYTON GAMES
Even the end of the first game was crazy, with the whole town population being very complex animatronics. But even if this twist was overly exaggerated, it didn't destroy totally the continuity of the story. Being Foolsense and its people all in the mind of Layton and the other main characters, all the sections of the game that take place in the city have zero sense.
The puzzles are definitely an improvement compared to the first game. They are very creative and sometimes disguise well what is a simple mathematical problem at its core, with answers that rarely are far-fetched or not logical. The integration of the puzzles with the story is also more organic; the game clearly shows that the developers have made a lot of experience with the first game and improved in almost all fields. This game also adds some long-term puzzles that can be solved only by gaining the right elements by... completing other normal puzzles. This is an incentive to play more simple puzzles outside the main story, and they are mostly interesting and well-developed. My favorite one was the tea-time: Layton gains tea ingredients by solving puzzles, and they can be used together to brew some teas by following the suggestions of the people of Foolsense. The dialogue of this macro puzzle is especially fun, and it is heartwarming to help everyone by just brewing a cup of tea out of nowhere.
FINAL CONSIDERATIONS
The Diabolical Box is more advanced mechanically compared with the previous episode, but has a story that doesn't quite feel right. It's not a perfect game and represents two steps forward but one backward compared to the Curious Village, and I feel that the developers will have nailed down the formula with the third game. I suggest everyone give this series a shot; it can be a rather fun diversive compared to other more mainstream types of games.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CURRENTLY PLAYING
- Donkey Kong Country - Emulated
- The Elder Scrolls 2: Daggerfall - PC
I joined the temple of Akatosh and the Knights of the Rose with my Redonarn Dunmer Daggerfall character. I'm trying to roleplay a bit, and I'm having quite some fun. Joining Wayrest was a no-brainer as a Dark Elf, but I'm not fully convinced by my choice. Knowing Helseth and Barenziah from Morrowind, probably I will be backstabbed soon.
I started also Donkey Kong country completely blind. It was on my backlog for quite some time, but I never pulled the trigger. I went in expecting a Mario-like challenge, but it's much more difficult. On the other hand, it looks and sounds incredible for a SNES game, and I'm always eager to play it.
3 Yrs✓#
f_n_c3 Yrs✓#
UPDATE #11
I've been pretty busy lately thanks to the transition between university life and work, but I'm doing fine. Sadly, I hadn't enough time to keep the same 2-week distance between the blog posts, but I'm sure that this meaty update will make up for the slight loss.
INTRODUCTION
My first TES game was Oblivion. Shortly after finishing it, I started to get interested in the franchise and discovered Daggerfall. There was always something that piqued my attention in this title: the big snowy cities, the procedurally generated landmass, or the sprawling dungeons. Sadly, the original game is buggy and not very convenient to play on modern systems, and after some play sessions I decided to put it away. Fast forward to a year ago, I discovered the Daggerfall Unity remake, and I was blown away. The remake completely adapts the game infrastructure to modern systems, fixing bugs and adding mod support. A year after some on-off playing, I decided to commit fully to the game and play it until completion, and here we are. From now on, I'll consider only the Unity remake, since this is the version that I've actually completed, and I think that today there is no reason to play the original version.
The main avenue of Daggerfall City, with its castle looming in the distance
Daggerfall is the apex of a certain RPG philosophy of expansive dungeon crawlers. It was so ambitious that a lot of unfinished content was cut in the final build, and Bethesda nearly went bankrupt after the development. Widely different from the following installments, Daggerfall is a unique beast that in a lot of aspects is also a upgrade of Arena, reusing some assets and the general gameplay concept.
STORY AND LORE
The game is set a lot of years before the beloved Skyrim, in a time when the Septim Empire was still unite but weak, and the emperor wrestled to keep it together. The player is an agent sent directly from the Emperor to the Iliac Bay region (between High Rock and Hammerfell) in order to put to rest the ghost of the king of Daggerfall, who was recently slain in a war against High Rock for the island of Betony. Once arrived, the agent found itself in a complex web of political intrigue between the six main powers of the region that comprehended the legitimate kingdoms: a mysterious lich, the king of orcs, and Mannimarco, the greatest necromancer of Tamriel.
A nice small city in winter
The game plot, compared to the "seek the magical artifacts to beat the warlock usurper of the emperor" of Arena, has a very complex and more mature plot, with a lot of factions acting only for their own self-interest. Daggerfall makes the player not feel as a hero like the later games, but only as a cog in an enormous machination that could be steered in a certain direction. It's certainly a fresh perspective that feels unique in the series. On the other hand, you are treated as a sort of errand boy for the whole game, and the missions are almost all going into dungeons to make a favor to a faction leader. When this game was produced, the TES lore was still not formed, so it has a different feel compared to later games. It has a more classical fantasy vibe, with Khajiit represented as humans with tails, no playable orcs, and a less otherwordly plot.
GAMEPLAY AND TECHNOLOGY
Every element of the later games is present here: equipment based on material quality, attributes, magic, horseriding, dungeons, guilds, and even playable undead creatures. You can even buy a house or a ship, and fast travel takes a belivable amount of time that can change dynamically based on the player's choices. The world has festivities with effects on the gameplay, Daedra Lords summoning on certain days, and a reputation system that tracks an enormous amount of micro-factions. It's incredible how much content the developers managed to cram into a single game.
The hand-crafted interior of a dungeon
You start by creating a character with a very complete character editor that opens up a lot of roleplaying possibilities. You can select a plethora of advantages or disadvantages that make the character easier or harder to level up in order to balance the progression. The combat is similar to later entries, and you can create your own spells like in Morrowind. The game has a strong emphasis on dungeon crawling; almost all missions send the character into some type of dungeon. The dungeons are all procedurally generated by sticking together different handcrafted parts, called blocks. The main quest dungeon uses a mix of common blocks and handcrafted unique blocks to make their exploration a special part of gameplay. Cities are built similarly with handcrafted blocks; the only truly randomly generated environment is the wilderness. Exploring the dungeons is a lot of fun, but when you memorize the layout of the common blocks and how to navigate them, the exploration becomes suddenly trivial.
The internal chamber of an Akatosh temple
There are the classic guilds to join, different temples dedicated to a specific divinity, and knightly orders. Even if these organizations are widely different, the quests all feel the same, sadly. The fact that all secondary missions must be random and that almost all require dungeon crawling of some sort makes all very similar and allows for low structure variety. When I arrived to the last part of the game, I was master of the fighter guild, but I had no incentive to grow my rank with other secondary factions. Every faction grants particular bonuses and services to members of a certain rank, further differentiating them. The whole secondary quest structure feels two steps ahead; sadly, it isn't translated into great gameplay.
FINAL CONSIDERATIONS
Mods can add a true skybox and a variety of different weathers
I definitely enjoyed my time in Daggerfall; it was quite an experience. I played a Dark Elf Crusader through the whole game, and it proved perfect to breeze through the whole game. The Unity version is wonderful, and mods help a lot with immersion and quality of life, enhancing almost any particular of the game. Sadly, it is very long and can be really tedious after some time since the secondary missions are too random to be a worthy investment of time aside from leveling up. Since both the remake and the original game are free, there are no reasons not to try it.
A small temple-village of the Wrothgarian Mountains, chosen by my character as its final resting point.
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[QUOTE]CURRENTLY PLAYING
- Killer 7 - PC
- Donkey Kong Country - SNES (Emulated)
Donkey Kong is very difficult, but I manage to do a little progress every time I play it.
I started also Killer 7. The gameplay is strange and questionable, but the batshit insane story is something unique. I'll see if it will keep to entertain me also after some hours of gameplay.
The Elder Scrolls 2: Daggerfall Unity - PC (Free)
SCORE: 8.5/10
I've been pretty busy lately thanks to the transition between university life and work, but I'm doing fine. Sadly, I hadn't enough time to keep the same 2-week distance between the blog posts, but I'm sure that this meaty update will make up for the slight loss.
INTRODUCTION
My first TES game was Oblivion. Shortly after finishing it, I started to get interested in the franchise and discovered Daggerfall. There was always something that piqued my attention in this title: the big snowy cities, the procedurally generated landmass, or the sprawling dungeons. Sadly, the original game is buggy and not very convenient to play on modern systems, and after some play sessions I decided to put it away. Fast forward to a year ago, I discovered the Daggerfall Unity remake, and I was blown away. The remake completely adapts the game infrastructure to modern systems, fixing bugs and adding mod support. A year after some on-off playing, I decided to commit fully to the game and play it until completion, and here we are. From now on, I'll consider only the Unity remake, since this is the version that I've actually completed, and I think that today there is no reason to play the original version.
The main avenue of Daggerfall City, with its castle looming in the distance
Daggerfall is the apex of a certain RPG philosophy of expansive dungeon crawlers. It was so ambitious that a lot of unfinished content was cut in the final build, and Bethesda nearly went bankrupt after the development. Widely different from the following installments, Daggerfall is a unique beast that in a lot of aspects is also a upgrade of Arena, reusing some assets and the general gameplay concept.
STORY AND LORE
The game is set a lot of years before the beloved Skyrim, in a time when the Septim Empire was still unite but weak, and the emperor wrestled to keep it together. The player is an agent sent directly from the Emperor to the Iliac Bay region (between High Rock and Hammerfell) in order to put to rest the ghost of the king of Daggerfall, who was recently slain in a war against High Rock for the island of Betony. Once arrived, the agent found itself in a complex web of political intrigue between the six main powers of the region that comprehended the legitimate kingdoms: a mysterious lich, the king of orcs, and Mannimarco, the greatest necromancer of Tamriel.
A nice small city in winter
The game plot, compared to the "seek the magical artifacts to beat the warlock usurper of the emperor" of Arena, has a very complex and more mature plot, with a lot of factions acting only for their own self-interest. Daggerfall makes the player not feel as a hero like the later games, but only as a cog in an enormous machination that could be steered in a certain direction. It's certainly a fresh perspective that feels unique in the series. On the other hand, you are treated as a sort of errand boy for the whole game, and the missions are almost all going into dungeons to make a favor to a faction leader. When this game was produced, the TES lore was still not formed, so it has a different feel compared to later games. It has a more classical fantasy vibe, with Khajiit represented as humans with tails, no playable orcs, and a less otherwordly plot.
GAMEPLAY AND TECHNOLOGY
Every element of the later games is present here: equipment based on material quality, attributes, magic, horseriding, dungeons, guilds, and even playable undead creatures. You can even buy a house or a ship, and fast travel takes a belivable amount of time that can change dynamically based on the player's choices. The world has festivities with effects on the gameplay, Daedra Lords summoning on certain days, and a reputation system that tracks an enormous amount of micro-factions. It's incredible how much content the developers managed to cram into a single game.
The hand-crafted interior of a dungeon
You start by creating a character with a very complete character editor that opens up a lot of roleplaying possibilities. You can select a plethora of advantages or disadvantages that make the character easier or harder to level up in order to balance the progression. The combat is similar to later entries, and you can create your own spells like in Morrowind. The game has a strong emphasis on dungeon crawling; almost all missions send the character into some type of dungeon. The dungeons are all procedurally generated by sticking together different handcrafted parts, called blocks. The main quest dungeon uses a mix of common blocks and handcrafted unique blocks to make their exploration a special part of gameplay. Cities are built similarly with handcrafted blocks; the only truly randomly generated environment is the wilderness. Exploring the dungeons is a lot of fun, but when you memorize the layout of the common blocks and how to navigate them, the exploration becomes suddenly trivial.
The internal chamber of an Akatosh temple
There are the classic guilds to join, different temples dedicated to a specific divinity, and knightly orders. Even if these organizations are widely different, the quests all feel the same, sadly. The fact that all secondary missions must be random and that almost all require dungeon crawling of some sort makes all very similar and allows for low structure variety. When I arrived to the last part of the game, I was master of the fighter guild, but I had no incentive to grow my rank with other secondary factions. Every faction grants particular bonuses and services to members of a certain rank, further differentiating them. The whole secondary quest structure feels two steps ahead; sadly, it isn't translated into great gameplay.
FINAL CONSIDERATIONS
Mods can add a true skybox and a variety of different weathers
I definitely enjoyed my time in Daggerfall; it was quite an experience. I played a Dark Elf Crusader through the whole game, and it proved perfect to breeze through the whole game. The Unity version is wonderful, and mods help a lot with immersion and quality of life, enhancing almost any particular of the game. Sadly, it is very long and can be really tedious after some time since the secondary missions are too random to be a worthy investment of time aside from leveling up. Since both the remake and the original game are free, there are no reasons not to try it.
A small temple-village of the Wrothgarian Mountains, chosen by my character as its final resting point.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[QUOTE]CURRENTLY PLAYING
- Killer 7 - PC
- Donkey Kong Country - SNES (Emulated)
Donkey Kong is very difficult, but I manage to do a little progress every time I play it.
I started also Killer 7. The gameplay is strange and questionable, but the batshit insane story is something unique. I'll see if it will keep to entertain me also after some hours of gameplay.
3 Yrs✓#
f_n_c3 Yrs✓#
UPDATE #12
INTRODUCTION
Donkey Kong Country (DKC from now on) was a game that always interested me. I liked Donkey Kong in the Mario spinoff games, and the screenshots seemed promising. I knew also that some popular song samples were extracted from its OST and that it used a particular graphic technology. But time is scarce, and I never had the occasion to play DKC until now. I expected a casual platformer like the Mario games, but I was so wrong.
The overwold map of the game, its shape resembles something familiar...
GAMEPLAY AND TECHNICAL CONSIDERATIONS
This is a SNES game, even if it seems something more akin to PS1. This game used 2D versions of 3D models to give the impression of 3D graphics on the SNES, actually circumventing its big shortcomings regarding polygons. With the help of the famous 3D additional chip Mode 7, the game could wrap 2D textures on low-polygon 3D objects and create the technical marvel that everyone can see on screen. Today it feels pretty dated, but I think that the art direction and the particular way in which everything looks grant the whole game a particular charm. The first level in particular, representing the jungle next to Donkey Kong's hut, is a masterpiece and introduces the whole game in a fantastic manner.
The soundtrack follows the same strategy, offering complex and crispy sound samples that stand out in the whole sample-based sound landscape of SNES games. Using a strong string bass, catchy percussive sounds, and rich synths, the composer has created a dynamic atmosphere that can range from jazz-like tunes to otherworld synth-based melodies. I still listen to some tracks of the OST long after I have finished the game, and for my person, that is definitely something since I rarely listen to OSTs at all.
A screenshot of the first level of the game
But what about the gameplay? The graphics and OST are important, but in the end, in a platformer game, it is the gameplay loop that brings the cake home. In my modest opinion, the game structure has aged a bit, but it is still ok. Traversing the levels is still fun, and the higher levels require quite a few skill to be completed. The player can freely switch between Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong; the first one is more nimble, while the second has an additional attack that can knock off nearby walking enemies and defeat all the enemies while Diddy bounces on the tougher ones. Playing one or the other has few differences, and I played roughly the two characters for the same time. Sometimes, the characters can ride some animal friends found in wooden crates, which grants them some special abilities. They offer a welcome addition to the normal gameplay, but their sections are just a fun addition that doesn't impact too much on the whole game.
The levels are pretty varied, even if towards the end you've seen all the possible level types and you traverse environments that are just palette-swapped assets of older levels. I also found the bosses fun but not very characterized, being almost all oversize versions of normal enemies. One of them is a flying barrel, without any clear explanation.
I genuinely hated the mine cart section. It was hard, too different from the rest of the game and too long
You defeat the enemies by jumping on them like Mario or rolling during the first frames of the running sequence. Even if you have more ways to defeat enemies compared to normal Mario games, their positioning and their special abilities keep the whole affair very challenging. I died quite some times in a few sections, and sometimes it wasn't very fun to repeat the same section over and over. I am ok with high-difficulty games, but I think that this one in particular is tedious in some parts. The camera doesn't help either, leaving off-screen important details that could cost you a life and panning out in some bizarre ways. This is surely linked to some Mode 7 limitations, but it still hurts the overall experience. I had a sort of "quick load" after every death, so I think that with normal play the experience is a little less enjoyable (at least for my tastes).
WRAP-UP
If this game has a true highlight, it is the character of Cranky Kong. You encounter him in its cabin once per world, and he gives you some tips while copiously breaking the fourth wall by complaining about the game's good graphics and low difficulty compared to old 8-bit games. I found him, together with the whole Kong crew, hilarious and well-characterized.
The old Cranky in all its glory
In the end, DKC is a fun game, rewarding but difficult. I enjoyed my time with it, but I don't know if I will play it again. I will play for sure the other installments of the series, even if I know that almost all are harder compared to the original game. Personal experience aside, I think that this game was a masterpiece when it was released, and it is worth playing for its historical significance alone. Or at least listen to its OST through Youtube and dance to the astounding DK jungle theme.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I have a new profile picture Killer-7 related, so it means that I'm really enjoying that insane game. This character, Travis, is fantastic and almost comples me to buy a black tanktop with a neon-colored random word.
I also found Fuel in a flea market and immediately bought it, since it is delisted from all the online stores and buying a physical copy is the only legal way to play it. It's fun, but the races seems either too easy or really too hard. It's not great technically, but driving around its gargantuan open-world has its charm.
Donkey Kong Country - Emulated
SCORE: 8.5/10
INTRODUCTION
Donkey Kong Country (DKC from now on) was a game that always interested me. I liked Donkey Kong in the Mario spinoff games, and the screenshots seemed promising. I knew also that some popular song samples were extracted from its OST and that it used a particular graphic technology. But time is scarce, and I never had the occasion to play DKC until now. I expected a casual platformer like the Mario games, but I was so wrong.
The overwold map of the game, its shape resembles something familiar...
GAMEPLAY AND TECHNICAL CONSIDERATIONS
This is a SNES game, even if it seems something more akin to PS1. This game used 2D versions of 3D models to give the impression of 3D graphics on the SNES, actually circumventing its big shortcomings regarding polygons. With the help of the famous 3D additional chip Mode 7, the game could wrap 2D textures on low-polygon 3D objects and create the technical marvel that everyone can see on screen. Today it feels pretty dated, but I think that the art direction and the particular way in which everything looks grant the whole game a particular charm. The first level in particular, representing the jungle next to Donkey Kong's hut, is a masterpiece and introduces the whole game in a fantastic manner.
The soundtrack follows the same strategy, offering complex and crispy sound samples that stand out in the whole sample-based sound landscape of SNES games. Using a strong string bass, catchy percussive sounds, and rich synths, the composer has created a dynamic atmosphere that can range from jazz-like tunes to otherworld synth-based melodies. I still listen to some tracks of the OST long after I have finished the game, and for my person, that is definitely something since I rarely listen to OSTs at all.
A screenshot of the first level of the game
But what about the gameplay? The graphics and OST are important, but in the end, in a platformer game, it is the gameplay loop that brings the cake home. In my modest opinion, the game structure has aged a bit, but it is still ok. Traversing the levels is still fun, and the higher levels require quite a few skill to be completed. The player can freely switch between Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong; the first one is more nimble, while the second has an additional attack that can knock off nearby walking enemies and defeat all the enemies while Diddy bounces on the tougher ones. Playing one or the other has few differences, and I played roughly the two characters for the same time. Sometimes, the characters can ride some animal friends found in wooden crates, which grants them some special abilities. They offer a welcome addition to the normal gameplay, but their sections are just a fun addition that doesn't impact too much on the whole game.
The levels are pretty varied, even if towards the end you've seen all the possible level types and you traverse environments that are just palette-swapped assets of older levels. I also found the bosses fun but not very characterized, being almost all oversize versions of normal enemies. One of them is a flying barrel, without any clear explanation.
I genuinely hated the mine cart section. It was hard, too different from the rest of the game and too long
You defeat the enemies by jumping on them like Mario or rolling during the first frames of the running sequence. Even if you have more ways to defeat enemies compared to normal Mario games, their positioning and their special abilities keep the whole affair very challenging. I died quite some times in a few sections, and sometimes it wasn't very fun to repeat the same section over and over. I am ok with high-difficulty games, but I think that this one in particular is tedious in some parts. The camera doesn't help either, leaving off-screen important details that could cost you a life and panning out in some bizarre ways. This is surely linked to some Mode 7 limitations, but it still hurts the overall experience. I had a sort of "quick load" after every death, so I think that with normal play the experience is a little less enjoyable (at least for my tastes).
WRAP-UP
If this game has a true highlight, it is the character of Cranky Kong. You encounter him in its cabin once per world, and he gives you some tips while copiously breaking the fourth wall by complaining about the game's good graphics and low difficulty compared to old 8-bit games. I found him, together with the whole Kong crew, hilarious and well-characterized.
The old Cranky in all its glory
In the end, DKC is a fun game, rewarding but difficult. I enjoyed my time with it, but I don't know if I will play it again. I will play for sure the other installments of the series, even if I know that almost all are harder compared to the original game. Personal experience aside, I think that this game was a masterpiece when it was released, and it is worth playing for its historical significance alone. Or at least listen to its OST through Youtube and dance to the astounding DK jungle theme.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CURRENTLY PLAYING
- Killer 7 - PC
- Fuel - Xbox One
I have a new profile picture Killer-7 related, so it means that I'm really enjoying that insane game. This character, Travis, is fantastic and almost comples me to buy a black tanktop with a neon-colored random word.
I also found Fuel in a flea market and immediately bought it, since it is delisted from all the online stores and buying a physical copy is the only legal way to play it. It's fun, but the races seems either too easy or really too hard. It's not great technically, but driving around its gargantuan open-world has its charm.
3 Yrs✓#
f_n_c3 Yrs✓#
UPDATE #13
INTRODUCTION
Suda51 maybe is not one of the biggest names of the video game industry looking only at game sales, but his name was always associated with crazy and wildly unique games. Killer7 was his first game to be released also in North America, and it gave him a solid base to build on its success outside Japan. Developed originally for Gamecube as the last title of the famous Capcom Five and published also for PS2, this game was bashed at first from critics, but today has a cult following and is one of the most beloved Suda51 games. This game was re-released some years ago for PC (the version that I have played personally), making it accessible to a wider audience by eliminating the need for emulation.
Garcian Smith, a very special personality that carries around costantly a misterious suitcase
I was always interested in Suda51 games; they are an odd mix of unique design choices and violence that appeal a lot to me. I played The Killer is Dead some years ago, but I wasn't completely satisfied. The plot was crazy and didn't give any clear answer, and behind a stellar presentation there was a pretty bland game. I liked it for what it was nevertheless, and I was compelled sooner or later to buy also Killer7.
STORY AND PRESENTATION
The game follows the adventures of an assassin group called Killer7, made of seven different people controlled by Harman, an old man in a wheelchair that fights with an enormous sniper rifle. These assassins are multiple physical personalities that exist together in a single body, and the "active" physical presence can be changed through TVs and security cameras. Every member of the outfit has a distinct personality and appearance and fights using different weapons from the rest of the group. Their main enemies are Heaven Smile, a terrorist organization that infects common people, mutating them into monsters that carry out suicide attacks against their targets and laugh maniacally. They are created by Kun-Lan, a superhuman that is both an old friend and main rival of Harman. The group can also see and listen to the ghosts of dead people, who often offer advice on the puzzles scattered through the game or strategies to kill the different Heaven Smiles. Among them the best is definitely Travis, the first victim of the group that manifests itself with a black tank top with always a different word on it.
Kaede Smith, the only woman of the group that carries a scoped pistol
If you feel overwhelmed by this short recap, I have to inform you that everything is contained in the first hour of gameplay. The plot becomes quickly a complex and convoluted political thriller, set in a world apparently in total peace but that lives with the fear of terrorism and has banned globally the internet and air travel. The main political intrigue is set around the US and Japan, where the first is a shady global superpower and the second is a dying state on the verge of disappearance. Even if the plot is very complex and didn't deliver all the key information to fully understand it, it is definitely deep and interesting, and most of it can be unveiled by analyzing all the dialogues present in the game.
As you can see from the screenshots, the game has a very distinctive and aggressive appearance through cell-shading and the use of plain color textures. This art direction cannot satisfy everyone, but it definitely helps to create a cohesive look that remains impressed in the mind of the player. It really helps to mask the age of the game and the lack of polygons compared to modern standards: the technical age can be seen only in the rare, big, open spaces, where the lack of detail is really noticeable. The menus are also highly stylized, and the game is full of amazing little details. For example, the personalities slightly change their appearance from mission to mission, and they also change their short dialogue played in the character selection screen. Remaining in the audio department, the sound effects are good and the music is phenomenal. Centered around dance and electronic music, all the tracks are incredibly well made. The game has even two versions of the difficulty selection screen, one for each difficulty.
GAMEPLAY AND TECHNICAL ASPECTS
This game is a bizarre mix of a rail shooter with a visual novel, sprinkled by Resident Evil-like puzzles. The result is not great, at least in my opinion. You control one personality at a time, and you can change almost freely between them. You move your character manually on predefinite rails in 3D environments, and every time you reach a fork in the path, your character stops until you click on the path you choose. You interact in the same way with the environment to solve the puzzles. By holding down a button, you can enter into aim mode and shoot your gun, and you're always warned by a creepy laughter when you need to activate this mode. You can't move during aiming; you can only shoot, reload, or use the character's special ability. Heaven Smiles are invisible and invulnerable at first; you need to scan them with another button to harm them and aim to their weak points.
The aim mode of Mask, a badass Luchador that fights with two grenade launchers
The fighting sections are not very bad since there are a lot of different enemies and every one needs a specific tactic or character to be eliminated. Sadly, they are the only type of action you get for the whole game, and the gameplay elements are too simple to entertain for the whole length of the experience. The whole control scheme is very strange, and it takes some time to get used to. But the worst part are the strange puzzles, which seem to really be developed by an insane person. They range from "use an obvious object present in your inventory" to "take notes on a long list of documents or images scattered around the level and answer very specific questions about them." Especially this second type is very tedious, since navigating the levels through the various trail branches is very slow.
Aside from the dated but well-masked graphics, there are few technical things to talk about. The game runs smoothly, but I find the PC port really bad. The game features some animated cutscenes that are not remastered at all and look really old even on my low-end laptop. The game was simply ported and not adapted at all to the new platform, since when a game references a button, it reports the PS2 equivalent and not the keyboard, and the options are accessed through an external tool window. A more thought-out conversion could have definitely benefitted immensely to the game.
CONCLUSION
A giant Heaven Smile, encountered only in this level, in the process of falling on the poor Kaede
Is Killer7 a masterpiece? Definitely not. Its gameplay is nothing special, and almost something that must be done between the cutscenes that move forward the plot. It is definitely a game to be experienced at least once if you're into strange and messed up stories. It is an audiovisual experience rather than a game, a vicious attack on two of your senses that leaves your brain stunned and eager for more. It directly jumps into my list of 30 favorite games, and it will probably remain there for a long time.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fuel has almost burned myself out. It is fun on short bursts, but nothing more. Probably I will soon be satisfied and ready to write a review.
I have also just started RDR today. It's great to return to the wild frontier after RDR2, and I'm eager to see if it will match the incredible quality of the second installment of the series.
Killer7 - PC
SCORE: 8/10
INTRODUCTION
Suda51 maybe is not one of the biggest names of the video game industry looking only at game sales, but his name was always associated with crazy and wildly unique games. Killer7 was his first game to be released also in North America, and it gave him a solid base to build on its success outside Japan. Developed originally for Gamecube as the last title of the famous Capcom Five and published also for PS2, this game was bashed at first from critics, but today has a cult following and is one of the most beloved Suda51 games. This game was re-released some years ago for PC (the version that I have played personally), making it accessible to a wider audience by eliminating the need for emulation.
Garcian Smith, a very special personality that carries around costantly a misterious suitcase
I was always interested in Suda51 games; they are an odd mix of unique design choices and violence that appeal a lot to me. I played The Killer is Dead some years ago, but I wasn't completely satisfied. The plot was crazy and didn't give any clear answer, and behind a stellar presentation there was a pretty bland game. I liked it for what it was nevertheless, and I was compelled sooner or later to buy also Killer7.
STORY AND PRESENTATION
The game follows the adventures of an assassin group called Killer7, made of seven different people controlled by Harman, an old man in a wheelchair that fights with an enormous sniper rifle. These assassins are multiple physical personalities that exist together in a single body, and the "active" physical presence can be changed through TVs and security cameras. Every member of the outfit has a distinct personality and appearance and fights using different weapons from the rest of the group. Their main enemies are Heaven Smile, a terrorist organization that infects common people, mutating them into monsters that carry out suicide attacks against their targets and laugh maniacally. They are created by Kun-Lan, a superhuman that is both an old friend and main rival of Harman. The group can also see and listen to the ghosts of dead people, who often offer advice on the puzzles scattered through the game or strategies to kill the different Heaven Smiles. Among them the best is definitely Travis, the first victim of the group that manifests itself with a black tank top with always a different word on it.
Kaede Smith, the only woman of the group that carries a scoped pistol
If you feel overwhelmed by this short recap, I have to inform you that everything is contained in the first hour of gameplay. The plot becomes quickly a complex and convoluted political thriller, set in a world apparently in total peace but that lives with the fear of terrorism and has banned globally the internet and air travel. The main political intrigue is set around the US and Japan, where the first is a shady global superpower and the second is a dying state on the verge of disappearance. Even if the plot is very complex and didn't deliver all the key information to fully understand it, it is definitely deep and interesting, and most of it can be unveiled by analyzing all the dialogues present in the game.
As you can see from the screenshots, the game has a very distinctive and aggressive appearance through cell-shading and the use of plain color textures. This art direction cannot satisfy everyone, but it definitely helps to create a cohesive look that remains impressed in the mind of the player. It really helps to mask the age of the game and the lack of polygons compared to modern standards: the technical age can be seen only in the rare, big, open spaces, where the lack of detail is really noticeable. The menus are also highly stylized, and the game is full of amazing little details. For example, the personalities slightly change their appearance from mission to mission, and they also change their short dialogue played in the character selection screen. Remaining in the audio department, the sound effects are good and the music is phenomenal. Centered around dance and electronic music, all the tracks are incredibly well made. The game has even two versions of the difficulty selection screen, one for each difficulty.
GAMEPLAY AND TECHNICAL ASPECTS
This game is a bizarre mix of a rail shooter with a visual novel, sprinkled by Resident Evil-like puzzles. The result is not great, at least in my opinion. You control one personality at a time, and you can change almost freely between them. You move your character manually on predefinite rails in 3D environments, and every time you reach a fork in the path, your character stops until you click on the path you choose. You interact in the same way with the environment to solve the puzzles. By holding down a button, you can enter into aim mode and shoot your gun, and you're always warned by a creepy laughter when you need to activate this mode. You can't move during aiming; you can only shoot, reload, or use the character's special ability. Heaven Smiles are invisible and invulnerable at first; you need to scan them with another button to harm them and aim to their weak points.
The aim mode of Mask, a badass Luchador that fights with two grenade launchers
The fighting sections are not very bad since there are a lot of different enemies and every one needs a specific tactic or character to be eliminated. Sadly, they are the only type of action you get for the whole game, and the gameplay elements are too simple to entertain for the whole length of the experience. The whole control scheme is very strange, and it takes some time to get used to. But the worst part are the strange puzzles, which seem to really be developed by an insane person. They range from "use an obvious object present in your inventory" to "take notes on a long list of documents or images scattered around the level and answer very specific questions about them." Especially this second type is very tedious, since navigating the levels through the various trail branches is very slow.
Aside from the dated but well-masked graphics, there are few technical things to talk about. The game runs smoothly, but I find the PC port really bad. The game features some animated cutscenes that are not remastered at all and look really old even on my low-end laptop. The game was simply ported and not adapted at all to the new platform, since when a game references a button, it reports the PS2 equivalent and not the keyboard, and the options are accessed through an external tool window. A more thought-out conversion could have definitely benefitted immensely to the game.
CONCLUSION
A giant Heaven Smile, encountered only in this level, in the process of falling on the poor Kaede
Is Killer7 a masterpiece? Definitely not. Its gameplay is nothing special, and almost something that must be done between the cutscenes that move forward the plot. It is definitely a game to be experienced at least once if you're into strange and messed up stories. It is an audiovisual experience rather than a game, a vicious attack on two of your senses that leaves your brain stunned and eager for more. It directly jumps into my list of 30 favorite games, and it will probably remain there for a long time.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CURRENTLY PLAYING
- Red Dead Redemption - Xbox One
- Fuel - Xbox One
Fuel has almost burned myself out. It is fun on short bursts, but nothing more. Probably I will soon be satisfied and ready to write a review.
I have also just started RDR today. It's great to return to the wild frontier after RDR2, and I'm eager to see if it will match the incredible quality of the second installment of the series.
3 Yrs✓#
f_n_c3 Yrs✓#
UPDATE #14
I'm back just in time for the festive season! Work and random illinesses swallowed me the last month, but I hope to update the blog more consistently from now on. And now, let's get to the review.
INTRODUCTION, PLOT AND PRESENTATION
I'm a sucker for procedurally generated, immense but empty worlds. The sense of freedom and exploration of new places is something that I really cherish. So I knew Fuel, even if it is a pretty obscure driving game. Fuel pops up in every "Biggest Open World" video and article throughout the web, but very little information can be found online. Even if it is widely remembered, few people have played it for a simple reason: there is no way to legally play it besides owning an original Xbox 360/PS3/PC copy, since it is delisted from every digital store. So I was very lucky to find a very cheap copy in a local flea market, which gave me the possibility to finally try out the game.
Fuel is a driving game set in a world ruined by climate change, where humanity has banned fuel as an energy source and lives in dome cities protected by the harsh environment. The remaining badlands are traversed by crazy pilots that fight and use the same fuel that the world has abandoned. This is the plot incipit of the game and also the whole plot. It is definitely not a story-driven game, and some lore is only there to justify the player's endless wandering in the wildlands. Fuel is definitely not a story-driven game, and some lore is only there to justify the player's endless wandering in the wildlands. On the other hand, the environment is built really well. Every biome is distinct and has peculiar characteristics that make it stand out among the others. Wide cliffs to climb, burned forest to traverse, and small rivers dot the landscape, while in particular places the player can also see a sunken and an abandoned city, an enormous wind turbine park, and much more else.
GAMEPLAY AND TECHNICAL ASPECTS
It's clear that the game relies heavily on its gameplay to sell. Fuel was developed by Asobo Studios, the same company that has also developed the most recent Microsoft Flight Simulator. And in fact, Fuel seems to be a game that wanted to be similar in concept to a flight simulator but is forced to be a racing game. The technology behind the semi-procedural world generation is awesome and really ahead of its time, but it seems that the company has spent the game budget almost exclusively on it.
The map of the game is divided into areas, and for every area a base camp is built. The player can play races that give stars to unlock new camps with new races, or challenges, races with special rules that grant only a great amount of fuel (the game currency). You play races to unlock new races and do challenges when you need fuel to unlock more powerful vehicles. You can explore in free-roaming to find collectibles and new liveries for specific vehicles, but that's all the game has to offer.
Luckily, the driving aspect is much more convincing. The player can drive bikes, quads, cars, dune buggies, monster trucks, trucks, and some other classes. There is a huge variety in the vehicles, and every class drives differently from the others. Races locks the player into a specific class, but the player can change the vehicle it is driving on the fly from the pause menu. All the vehicles, especially the lighter ones, are prone to easily drifting in every corner, and controlling the drift is fun and satisfying. Sadly, the drivers AI during races is badly balanced, too easy on lower difficulties and prone to recovering large gaps at your first little mistake at higher difficulties.
FINAL CONSIDERATIONS
Fuel is stuck in the limbo of middle games. The racing aspect is widely lacking, but exploring the enormous wasteland has always had an incredible charm. Is a game that needs to be played in short bursts as a filler and not in long and prolonged sessions. I still take it out sometimes to do a couple of races when I have limited game time, so it means something. It's sad that it is now delisted and almost forgotten, but that's just the way it is.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RDR is great. It's buggier and rougher than the second, but still epic. Now I've just started the final West Elizabeth chapter, and I'm thrilled to see how the epic story of John Marston ends.
I've finished also "Orwell: Keeping an Eye on You", so I'm currently without a second game to play. More updates soon!
I'm back just in time for the festive season! Work and random illinesses swallowed me the last month, but I hope to update the blog more consistently from now on. And now, let's get to the review.
Fuel - Xbox 360
SCORE: 6.5/10
INTRODUCTION, PLOT AND PRESENTATION
I'm a sucker for procedurally generated, immense but empty worlds. The sense of freedom and exploration of new places is something that I really cherish. So I knew Fuel, even if it is a pretty obscure driving game. Fuel pops up in every "Biggest Open World" video and article throughout the web, but very little information can be found online. Even if it is widely remembered, few people have played it for a simple reason: there is no way to legally play it besides owning an original Xbox 360/PS3/PC copy, since it is delisted from every digital store. So I was very lucky to find a very cheap copy in a local flea market, which gave me the possibility to finally try out the game.
Fuel is a driving game set in a world ruined by climate change, where humanity has banned fuel as an energy source and lives in dome cities protected by the harsh environment. The remaining badlands are traversed by crazy pilots that fight and use the same fuel that the world has abandoned. This is the plot incipit of the game and also the whole plot. It is definitely not a story-driven game, and some lore is only there to justify the player's endless wandering in the wildlands. Fuel is definitely not a story-driven game, and some lore is only there to justify the player's endless wandering in the wildlands. On the other hand, the environment is built really well. Every biome is distinct and has peculiar characteristics that make it stand out among the others. Wide cliffs to climb, burned forest to traverse, and small rivers dot the landscape, while in particular places the player can also see a sunken and an abandoned city, an enormous wind turbine park, and much more else.
GAMEPLAY AND TECHNICAL ASPECTS
It's clear that the game relies heavily on its gameplay to sell. Fuel was developed by Asobo Studios, the same company that has also developed the most recent Microsoft Flight Simulator. And in fact, Fuel seems to be a game that wanted to be similar in concept to a flight simulator but is forced to be a racing game. The technology behind the semi-procedural world generation is awesome and really ahead of its time, but it seems that the company has spent the game budget almost exclusively on it.
The map of the game is divided into areas, and for every area a base camp is built. The player can play races that give stars to unlock new camps with new races, or challenges, races with special rules that grant only a great amount of fuel (the game currency). You play races to unlock new races and do challenges when you need fuel to unlock more powerful vehicles. You can explore in free-roaming to find collectibles and new liveries for specific vehicles, but that's all the game has to offer.
Luckily, the driving aspect is much more convincing. The player can drive bikes, quads, cars, dune buggies, monster trucks, trucks, and some other classes. There is a huge variety in the vehicles, and every class drives differently from the others. Races locks the player into a specific class, but the player can change the vehicle it is driving on the fly from the pause menu. All the vehicles, especially the lighter ones, are prone to easily drifting in every corner, and controlling the drift is fun and satisfying. Sadly, the drivers AI during races is badly balanced, too easy on lower difficulties and prone to recovering large gaps at your first little mistake at higher difficulties.
FINAL CONSIDERATIONS
Fuel is stuck in the limbo of middle games. The racing aspect is widely lacking, but exploring the enormous wasteland has always had an incredible charm. Is a game that needs to be played in short bursts as a filler and not in long and prolonged sessions. I still take it out sometimes to do a couple of races when I have limited game time, so it means something. It's sad that it is now delisted and almost forgotten, but that's just the way it is.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CURRENTLY PLAYING
- Red Dead Redemption - Xbox 360
RDR is great. It's buggier and rougher than the second, but still epic. Now I've just started the final West Elizabeth chapter, and I'm thrilled to see how the epic story of John Marston ends.
I've finished also "Orwell: Keeping an Eye on You", so I'm currently without a second game to play. More updates soon!
3 Yrs✓#
f_n_c3 Yrs✓#
UPDATE #15
YEARLY RECAP
Inspired by Thranto (https://howlongtobeat.com/forum/thread/2322/1), I decided to make an infographic with all the logos of the games that I've played this year. I actually finished a lot of games, I'm impressed! I had also few time to game, probably I was just more focused into finishing the games rather than play around and abandon games halfway.
I actually played a lot of platformers (6, counting the Castlevania and Salt and Sanctuary as such) and RPGs (4). Instead of playing a Final Fantasy I decided to play Dragon Quest, but this year I definitely return to my old habits with FF IX or IV. Next year I will try to vary a little more the genre of the game that I play, I didn't know that my year was so focused on two genres until now.
The GOTY of my year is definitely Chants of Sennaar. It was a fantastic experience, perfect in every detail. The Rockstar duo (Red Dead Redemption and GTA IV + DLCs) take the rest of the podium, they were truly unique experiences.
The biggest delusions of this year instead are The Saboteur and Arx Fatalis. The first was too hyped for me, everywhere was called "a true hidden gem" and such, but it was only a mediocre game with a very great presentation. The second has an extremely interesting premise, but it fails to deliver a polished experience.
The next year I'm looking forward playing Modern Warfare 2, a Final Fantasy, Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow, and complete the Batman Arkham games with Asylum and Origins (which I already bought at a flea market). I also want to play something again on my Game Boy (probably TLoZ: Link's Awakening) and on my PSX (FF or Tomb Raider). I need also to play Baldur's Gate 2 sooner or later, to know the end of the story that I started with the first game some years ago.
That's all for this year! I haven't reviewed RDR and Orwell yet, so you know the topic of my next posts. I'll probably resurrect after New Year's Eve!
YEARLY RECAP
Inspired by Thranto (https://howlongtobeat.com/forum/thread/2322/1), I decided to make an infographic with all the logos of the games that I've played this year. I actually finished a lot of games, I'm impressed! I had also few time to game, probably I was just more focused into finishing the games rather than play around and abandon games halfway.
I actually played a lot of platformers (6, counting the Castlevania and Salt and Sanctuary as such) and RPGs (4). Instead of playing a Final Fantasy I decided to play Dragon Quest, but this year I definitely return to my old habits with FF IX or IV. Next year I will try to vary a little more the genre of the game that I play, I didn't know that my year was so focused on two genres until now.
The GOTY of my year is definitely Chants of Sennaar. It was a fantastic experience, perfect in every detail. The Rockstar duo (Red Dead Redemption and GTA IV + DLCs) take the rest of the podium, they were truly unique experiences.
The biggest delusions of this year instead are The Saboteur and Arx Fatalis. The first was too hyped for me, everywhere was called "a true hidden gem" and such, but it was only a mediocre game with a very great presentation. The second has an extremely interesting premise, but it fails to deliver a polished experience.
The next year I'm looking forward playing Modern Warfare 2, a Final Fantasy, Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow, and complete the Batman Arkham games with Asylum and Origins (which I already bought at a flea market). I also want to play something again on my Game Boy (probably TLoZ: Link's Awakening) and on my PSX (FF or Tomb Raider). I need also to play Baldur's Gate 2 sooner or later, to know the end of the story that I started with the first game some years ago.
That's all for this year! I haven't reviewed RDR and Orwell yet, so you know the topic of my next posts. I'll probably resurrect after New Year's Eve!
3 Yrs✓#
f_n_c3 Yrs✓#
UPDATE #16
Here we are with the first retirement recorded on the blog. I rarely retire from games, since I generally document in advance what I buy and play to avoid wasting time. I thought that Indiana Jones was my piece of cake, but it was just too old to be enjoyable with my total inexperience in graphical adventures. The only old graphical adventure that I played in my whole life is Broken Sword, and the difficulty of Indiana Jones, paired with the awful and messy combat and almost lack of music, put me off. I'll play another graphical adventure soon, but for now I retire this one once I'm a little more experienced.
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I have just to start Aria. I played the whole Metal Slug 1 in two small sittings with an average continue number. I'll probably review it when I finish the first three games, since I want to do a full mainline series playthrough.
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade - PC (Amazon Prime Games)
SCORE: RETIRED
Here we are with the first retirement recorded on the blog. I rarely retire from games, since I generally document in advance what I buy and play to avoid wasting time. I thought that Indiana Jones was my piece of cake, but it was just too old to be enjoyable with my total inexperience in graphical adventures. The only old graphical adventure that I played in my whole life is Broken Sword, and the difficulty of Indiana Jones, paired with the awful and messy combat and almost lack of music, put me off. I'll play another graphical adventure soon, but for now I retire this one once I'm a little more experienced.
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CURRENTLY PLAYING
- Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow - Xbox One
- Metal Slug 2 - Emulated
I have just to start Aria. I played the whole Metal Slug 1 in two small sittings with an average continue number. I'll probably review it when I finish the first three games, since I want to do a full mainline series playthrough.
3 Yrs✓#
f_n_c3 Yrs✓#
UPDATE #17
New year, new reviews! I decided to change things a little bit, adding more information at the start and in the end. Hope you enjoy it!
INTRODUCTION
I admit that when I had to choose a genre for Orwell, I was conflicted. I identify with the genre "Textual Adventure," generally games like Zork and other interactive fiction. Then I added "Simulation," another long stretch, but that complemented well with the other genre. Because Orwell is a simulation, but of something that doesn't exist.
Orwell takes place in our world, but only fictional states are mentioned. One of these fictional nations, called only "the Nation," has developed a super-advanced spying tool that scrapes information from internet repositories to identify criminals and help with their capture. The player assumes the role of the first human operator of the system, which works in tandem with an overseer to collect information useful to capture the culprits of a terrorist attack. The plot develops fast from here, with a lot of plot twists. This game was originally released in an episodic form, and it shows. The game is divided into chapters, with a big cliffhanger at the end of each one that maintains the player's attention.
The starting cutscene, that shows the terrorist attack that starts the whole plot
GAMEPLAY
First of all, the game has an incredible UI. The player is a user of the Orwell surveillance system, and everything in the game (from the main menu) is styled to mimic a computer program. Here is an example of a typical game window:
As you can see, on the right half of the screen there is the research tab, where you can explore websites and also listen to conversations between suspects and spy on their PCs when particular conditions are met. When an interesting chunk of information is found, it is highlighted, and the player can drag and drop it into the left half of the screen, where it is automatically transformed into new information on the bio of the relative character. Sometimes two different pieces of information conflict with each other, and the player must decide which is the true one to upload on the bio. When information is uploaded, it can't be canceled and can be "seen" also by the overseer, who often comments and gives the player new objectives.
The game is all here, in all its simplicity. The player can decide which information to upload and give to the overseer, thus condemning or absolving some characters on purpose. The player must transmit some key information in order to advance the plot, but even in the first chapter, the uploads chosen can change minor parts of the story. In the final chapter, the decisions taken in the previous ones have a direct impact, and the player can choose the final outcome of the game.
On the bottom-left there is also a cool net that shows relationships between all the characters of the game
I would have preferred a little more decisional power also in the first chapters, instead of deciding the whole plot with a unique final decision. On the other hand, managing such complexity could have been overwhelming for the developers, who probably have decided to play a safer route. There are no repercussions (aside from a scolding from your virtual overseer) when you give irrelevant information, and there is no scoring system. The only reward for your actions is the endings, which can change minimally depending on your overall choices.
FINAL CONSIDERATIONS
Orwell is a great game, but most importantly, it is an actual game. Even if everything is fictional, it highlights real problems in the relationship between humans and the web. Repressive systems, the online footprint that every person has, safety, and personal freedom are all widely discussed themes, but this game adds the interactivity and a rudimental player behavioral analysis to the equation, making them really stick. The player, through different publicly available sites, can tie different and unrelated information chunks together to tell a story, and framing someone as a possible terrorist is shockingly easy.
The plot is short but touches its themes really well, while the whole game is designed intelligently and doesn't overstay its welcome. I got the game for free, but it's often on sale for dirt cheap. Absolutely recommended!
FINAL SCORE: 8.5/10
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Played just 5 minutes of Castlevania. Metal Slug 2 is better than the first, but the slowdowns from the middle game onwards are unbearable sadly. Thrilled to start the best Metal Slug game (and the only that I remember playing).
New year, new reviews! I decided to change things a little bit, adding more information at the start and in the end. Hope you enjoy it!
Orwell: Keeping an Eye on You - PC (Free Epic game)
Genre: Textual Adventure, Simulation
Developer/Year: Osmotic Studios, 2016
SCORE: 8.5/10
INTRODUCTION
I admit that when I had to choose a genre for Orwell, I was conflicted. I identify with the genre "Textual Adventure," generally games like Zork and other interactive fiction. Then I added "Simulation," another long stretch, but that complemented well with the other genre. Because Orwell is a simulation, but of something that doesn't exist.
Orwell takes place in our world, but only fictional states are mentioned. One of these fictional nations, called only "the Nation," has developed a super-advanced spying tool that scrapes information from internet repositories to identify criminals and help with their capture. The player assumes the role of the first human operator of the system, which works in tandem with an overseer to collect information useful to capture the culprits of a terrorist attack. The plot develops fast from here, with a lot of plot twists. This game was originally released in an episodic form, and it shows. The game is divided into chapters, with a big cliffhanger at the end of each one that maintains the player's attention.
The starting cutscene, that shows the terrorist attack that starts the whole plot
GAMEPLAY
First of all, the game has an incredible UI. The player is a user of the Orwell surveillance system, and everything in the game (from the main menu) is styled to mimic a computer program. Here is an example of a typical game window:
As you can see, on the right half of the screen there is the research tab, where you can explore websites and also listen to conversations between suspects and spy on their PCs when particular conditions are met. When an interesting chunk of information is found, it is highlighted, and the player can drag and drop it into the left half of the screen, where it is automatically transformed into new information on the bio of the relative character. Sometimes two different pieces of information conflict with each other, and the player must decide which is the true one to upload on the bio. When information is uploaded, it can't be canceled and can be "seen" also by the overseer, who often comments and gives the player new objectives.
The game is all here, in all its simplicity. The player can decide which information to upload and give to the overseer, thus condemning or absolving some characters on purpose. The player must transmit some key information in order to advance the plot, but even in the first chapter, the uploads chosen can change minor parts of the story. In the final chapter, the decisions taken in the previous ones have a direct impact, and the player can choose the final outcome of the game.
On the bottom-left there is also a cool net that shows relationships between all the characters of the game
I would have preferred a little more decisional power also in the first chapters, instead of deciding the whole plot with a unique final decision. On the other hand, managing such complexity could have been overwhelming for the developers, who probably have decided to play a safer route. There are no repercussions (aside from a scolding from your virtual overseer) when you give irrelevant information, and there is no scoring system. The only reward for your actions is the endings, which can change minimally depending on your overall choices.
FINAL CONSIDERATIONS
Orwell is a great game, but most importantly, it is an actual game. Even if everything is fictional, it highlights real problems in the relationship between humans and the web. Repressive systems, the online footprint that every person has, safety, and personal freedom are all widely discussed themes, but this game adds the interactivity and a rudimental player behavioral analysis to the equation, making them really stick. The player, through different publicly available sites, can tie different and unrelated information chunks together to tell a story, and framing someone as a possible terrorist is shockingly easy.
The plot is short but touches its themes really well, while the whole game is designed intelligently and doesn't overstay its welcome. I got the game for free, but it's often on sale for dirt cheap. Absolutely recommended!
FINAL SCORE: 8.5/10
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CURRENTLY PLAYING
- Castlevania Aria of Sorrow - Xbox One
- Metal Slug 3 - Emulated
Played just 5 minutes of Castlevania. Metal Slug 2 is better than the first, but the slowdowns from the middle game onwards are unbearable sadly. Thrilled to start the best Metal Slug game (and the only that I remember playing).
3 Yrs✓#
f_n_c3 Yrs✓#
UPDATE #18
INTRODUCTION
After Red Dead Redemption 2, everyone knows Red Dead Redemption (RDR), so I'll keep this review short and focused. RDR follows the adventures of John Marston, who is forced by the early federals to hunt his former outlaw companion to save his family.
MacFarlane's Ranch, the first location of the game
I start by saying that the game hits definitely differently if you have played RDR 2 before, like me. You already know John and his family, his old gang, and all the backstory behind John's past. So a lot of the plot twists of the game fall relatively flat, but the plot remains solid as a rock. It has definitely a darker and more depressing tone compared to RDR 2, since the Wild West is not dying, but it's already rotting in its tomb.
GAMEPLAY AND TECHNICAL ASPECTS
After the first Rockstar's foray onto the PS3/Xbox 360 generation with GTA IV, they acquired experience and managed to understand what they did wrong and tried to correct it with mixed success. The two games actually share a lot, starting from the very dark story compared to Rockstar's standards. I loved every second of it, and ditching the multiple endings of GTA IV helped to create something that remains cohesive until the very end. The game develops John really well but doesn't have the deep cast characterization that made RDR 2 outstanding.
The game has some ranch-life related minigames, introduced with the first missions
The missions are fun and in full Rockstar style for the most part: drive, shoot, escape, and end. The game, using different mission types, really describes well the changes in John's life during the development of the plot, even if sometimes it sacrifices the fun by introducing rather boring missions. The secondary missions (strangers) are really depressing but well done, a definite tonal shift compared to GTA IV. Generally are very simple, constituting a small but welcome deviation from the main plot.
Aside from missions, there are a wide variety of minigames to do throughout the world (poker, liar's dice, arm wrestling, five-finger fillet, etc.) but they are fun only for a couple of plays. Marston can also hunt wanted men through wanted posters, but the system behind the activation of these missions is strange and unreliable since they appear semi-randomly on the map, and if you wait too long, they disappear. Sadly, after finishing the game and the stranger missions, the world seems empty, and there are few reasons to continue playing. Hunting, challenges, and unlockable outfits are a hit-or-miss and appeal only to hardcore collectors.
Marston can hogtie wanted criminals to deliver them alive to the law to gain a double pay
The gameplay is the classic GTA-style TPS perfected by Rockstar through the years. Mowing down scores of bad guys is always fun, and there is also a very wide choice of weapons, comparable to RDR 2. Often the game throws at the player an exaggerated number of enemies to ramp up the difficulty, which causes the problem common to all of Rockstar's production of a rift between the very serious narration and actual gameplay. Riding the horse is fun, and managing the stamina meter is a good compromise between realism and game mechanics, but the horses have severe AI problems when they are not mounted. I had two horses suiciding themselves by running towards Marston when called, only to take strange paths and end in chasms or water. The game feels rather unpolished at times, and on several occasions I was forced to load the game and lose all the progress of a mission due to fatal collision bugs.
Last, a small analysis on the soundtrack. Compared to RDR 2, it feels definitely like a smaller production with fewer country songs to highlight special parts of the plot. On the other hand, I think that the music themes are much better made compared to RDR 2, and they follow the player actions and travels brilliantly. The switch between the more western/country orchestration of the ambient music of the USA and the trumpet-driven orchestration of Mexican music is really awesome.
FINAL CONSIDERATIONS
Graphically the game holds up well
RDR 1 ran so RDR 2 could be a high-speed train. Compared to the sequel, it is a definite step down, but comparing it with other 2010 games really puts some perspective. RDR is a unique experience that was unmatched at the time, which suffers from the chronic Rockstar problems. Graphically, it is still a marvel, and riding in the sunset with John Marston still evokes strong feelings despite the 15 years that have passed since its release. A classic of gaming that needs to be played regardless of preferences and prejudices on the western theme.
A final remark. I bought a cheap copy of the game online. It is outrageous that after the publication of the Switch version, the cost of the game was set at 30€ also on the other consoles. It is the same game as before, but Rockstar decided to raise the price regardless to adapt it to the Switch one. A true pity, and a big red flag on Rockstar's future, sadly.
FINAL SCORE: 9/10
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SMT4 feels though but extremely modern, compared with the first one. I hope that my playthough won't end abruptly like the first one.
The Case of the Golden Idol is almost finished. Great, but some deductions feels too though. Extremely fresh and entertaining.
Red Dead Redemption - Xbox One
Genre: Open World Adventure, Third Person Shooter
Developer/Year: Rockstar North, 2010
SCORE: 9/10
INTRODUCTION
After Red Dead Redemption 2, everyone knows Red Dead Redemption (RDR), so I'll keep this review short and focused. RDR follows the adventures of John Marston, who is forced by the early federals to hunt his former outlaw companion to save his family.
MacFarlane's Ranch, the first location of the game
I start by saying that the game hits definitely differently if you have played RDR 2 before, like me. You already know John and his family, his old gang, and all the backstory behind John's past. So a lot of the plot twists of the game fall relatively flat, but the plot remains solid as a rock. It has definitely a darker and more depressing tone compared to RDR 2, since the Wild West is not dying, but it's already rotting in its tomb.
GAMEPLAY AND TECHNICAL ASPECTS
After the first Rockstar's foray onto the PS3/Xbox 360 generation with GTA IV, they acquired experience and managed to understand what they did wrong and tried to correct it with mixed success. The two games actually share a lot, starting from the very dark story compared to Rockstar's standards. I loved every second of it, and ditching the multiple endings of GTA IV helped to create something that remains cohesive until the very end. The game develops John really well but doesn't have the deep cast characterization that made RDR 2 outstanding.
The game has some ranch-life related minigames, introduced with the first missions
The missions are fun and in full Rockstar style for the most part: drive, shoot, escape, and end. The game, using different mission types, really describes well the changes in John's life during the development of the plot, even if sometimes it sacrifices the fun by introducing rather boring missions. The secondary missions (strangers) are really depressing but well done, a definite tonal shift compared to GTA IV. Generally are very simple, constituting a small but welcome deviation from the main plot.
Aside from missions, there are a wide variety of minigames to do throughout the world (poker, liar's dice, arm wrestling, five-finger fillet, etc.) but they are fun only for a couple of plays. Marston can also hunt wanted men through wanted posters, but the system behind the activation of these missions is strange and unreliable since they appear semi-randomly on the map, and if you wait too long, they disappear. Sadly, after finishing the game and the stranger missions, the world seems empty, and there are few reasons to continue playing. Hunting, challenges, and unlockable outfits are a hit-or-miss and appeal only to hardcore collectors.
Marston can hogtie wanted criminals to deliver them alive to the law to gain a double pay
The gameplay is the classic GTA-style TPS perfected by Rockstar through the years. Mowing down scores of bad guys is always fun, and there is also a very wide choice of weapons, comparable to RDR 2. Often the game throws at the player an exaggerated number of enemies to ramp up the difficulty, which causes the problem common to all of Rockstar's production of a rift between the very serious narration and actual gameplay. Riding the horse is fun, and managing the stamina meter is a good compromise between realism and game mechanics, but the horses have severe AI problems when they are not mounted. I had two horses suiciding themselves by running towards Marston when called, only to take strange paths and end in chasms or water. The game feels rather unpolished at times, and on several occasions I was forced to load the game and lose all the progress of a mission due to fatal collision bugs.
Last, a small analysis on the soundtrack. Compared to RDR 2, it feels definitely like a smaller production with fewer country songs to highlight special parts of the plot. On the other hand, I think that the music themes are much better made compared to RDR 2, and they follow the player actions and travels brilliantly. The switch between the more western/country orchestration of the ambient music of the USA and the trumpet-driven orchestration of Mexican music is really awesome.
FINAL CONSIDERATIONS
Graphically the game holds up well
RDR 1 ran so RDR 2 could be a high-speed train. Compared to the sequel, it is a definite step down, but comparing it with other 2010 games really puts some perspective. RDR is a unique experience that was unmatched at the time, which suffers from the chronic Rockstar problems. Graphically, it is still a marvel, and riding in the sunset with John Marston still evokes strong feelings despite the 15 years that have passed since its release. A classic of gaming that needs to be played regardless of preferences and prejudices on the western theme.
A final remark. I bought a cheap copy of the game online. It is outrageous that after the publication of the Switch version, the cost of the game was set at 30€ also on the other consoles. It is the same game as before, but Rockstar decided to raise the price regardless to adapt it to the Switch one. A true pity, and a big red flag on Rockstar's future, sadly.
FINAL SCORE: 9/10
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CURRENTLY PLAYING
- Shin Megami Tensei 4 - 3DS
- The Case of the Golden Idol - PC
SMT4 feels though but extremely modern, compared with the first one. I hope that my playthough won't end abruptly like the first one.
The Case of the Golden Idol is almost finished. Great, but some deductions feels too though. Extremely fresh and entertaining.