GRcade

Resident evil 6 - 6/10

It's not bad as I thought it'd be, however CAPCOM can do so much with it - it lacked quality that RE5 has, glad they returned to form for re7 then re2 remake.

Still I'm glad I got to play it. Planning to play it on Professional on other characters (then Ada again) but for now going to play other games

Batman Arkham Asylum (xb1x via game pass).
Brilliant, brilliant game. Perfectly paced and loads of secrets to uncover (but not so many as to overwhelm). I played Arkham City when it came out, but I think I may have preferred this.

9

kazanova_Frankenstein wrote:Batman Arkham Asylum (xb1x via game pass).
Brilliant, brilliant game. Perfectly paced and loads of secrets to uncover (but not so many as to overwhelm). I played Arkham City when it came out, but I think I may have preferred this.

9

It's a quality game to be sure. I liked Arkham City, but I agree that this was a tad better. It didn't feel so busy as the sequel. I've yet to play Origins.

Gemini73 wrote:

kazanova_Frankenstein wrote:Batman Arkham Asylum (xb1x via game pass).
Brilliant, brilliant game. Perfectly paced and loads of secrets to uncover (but not so many as to overwhelm). I played Arkham City when it came out, but I think I may have preferred this.

9

It's a quality game to be sure. I liked Arkham City, but I agree that this was a tad better. It didn't feel so busy as the sequel. I've yet to play Origins.

I too have not played Origins yet. Now I have an Xbox One I could pick up the 360 version. Secretly my cheapskate side is hoping it will come to game pass though....

Resident Evil 0 - 8/10

Enjoyed it much more this time around, still have issues on needing to backtrack so much, leech enemies that just gets in way, strawberry floating monkeys that can take more than two shotgun blows in face and backtracking to move items from old area to new area can be bothersome (especially the hookgun requiring 2 slots on top of shotgun and grenade launcher) but as whole it looks generous, plays really well and to be honest the intro section is honestly my favourite of all RE series so far.

Seven wrote:Resident Evil 0 - 8/10

Enjoyed it much more this time around, still have issues on needing to backtrack so much, leech enemies that just gets in way, strawberry floating monkeys that can take more than two shotgun blows in face and backtracking to move items from old area to new area can be bothersome (especially the hookgun requiring 2 slots on top of shotgun and grenade launcher) but as whole it looks generous, plays really well and to be honest the intro section is honestly my favourite of all RE series so far.

I left the grenade launcher on the floor where I went down on a massive lift, and I can't go back up to retrieve that. Really annoying. Should have a warning saying that the lift can't be used again once I go down.

So I just brute forced the final boss by using Billy as bait and unload the magnum into the bloody queen. Took several tries to get pass and finally beaten the final phase without any difficultly.

Got A rank for it so the Machine Gun has been unlocked. Just need to do the annoying Leech Hunter mini game and S Rank that so I can get the Infinite Ammo. I can't be bothered to do that atm.

fable - 8/10 i am replaying the fable games now so next is fable 2!! i can't remember much about it unlike 1+3 because i dunno i didn't have easy access to 2 i guess. for that reason looking forward to it and learning characters again.

Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask 8/10
Enjoyed this much more than Specters Call, the story was much better even if the ending was a bit so-so. The puzzles were a great mix of brainteasers and 365 free downloadable ones are a big plus. Just not that keep on the 3D art style

Submerged (PS4) 4/10
Started well, but then the novelty of a no-death, no jeopardy, explore-em-up turned rather tedious. The building climbing was so pre-determined that it reminded me of a book of simple maze puzzles where you just draw a line from the start, going back and forth until you find the exit - not that there were even many wrong turns.
The best idea was that it didn't matter which order you decided to tackle the 'levels', the reward was the item you needed. However, the result of this is a completely flat difficulty level.

I would imagine that if you connected more with the story it might be more enjoyable, but I was very aware of the 'gameness' of it, so it broke down for me.

Halo CE (Xbox One X via Game pass)

I had not played this since completing it in the release week of the OG Xbox. Playing it now, in 4K HDR with 60fps, it still really does feel like a largely modern FPS. Perhaps it is not impressive in the same way as it was all those years back, but its still very satisfying with very robust mechanics.

It also still feels very frustrating at times, with the brilliant AI often offset by the incredibly confusing map layouts (i often found myself with little idea what direction i was supposed to be going in). By todays standards i think it would be described as having "puzzle elements", as you are not guided in the direction you need to be going at all times.

The open world part of the maps are great and feel very sand box like, whilst the indoor bits can feel like a repetitive slog with choke points.

The updated graphics look great, but so do the original ones (accessed by pressing the back button) in 4K/60.

So it was great to go back, but i think i will leave a little gap before returning to the MCC, as i can see burnout being a strong possibility.

7

Resident Evil 2 (2019)

Suuuuuuupeeeeeerb.

Played it to death near enough & I just got to finish the 4th survivor & ghost stories but will come back to them later in the year.

A few nitpicks:

Second run / scenario B is a tad disappointing as nothing has particularly changed item wise. A few thing have but not a lot.

You don’t see Claire / Leon again until the end of the game, the original did it better as you cross paths a few times.

Ada campaign. Didn’t enjoy that for some reason.
However I did enjoy Sherry’s. That was strawberry floating terrifying the first time

The modern music is a bit disappointing (example would be no police station music in the main hall).
However there a 3 good bits (Mr X theme, Alex the alligator chase & lab escape).

That’s about it for moaning about stuff.

I will give this game a 5/5 because it’s that damn good.

Cannot wait to see what they do with Nemesis

Yoku's Island Express - 8/10

A little short and easy (you can't actually die) but utterly delightful nonetheless. It's impossible not to smile when playing this as it's just so cheerful.

Music is really catchy too

Now to return to XCOM2 and Diablo 3 for some good old violence and bleakness.

Spider-Man on PS4. This was really good but suffered from the same problem that most open world titles do... too much to bloody do. The story missions and the side missions with villains were great but the rest all got a bit tedious.

I like how it sets things up for the inevitable sequel and I really hope the Oscorp drone you see in the Grand Central mission and the helmet you use in the penthouse mission turn out to be what I think they might be.

8/10

Ironhide wrote:...It's impossible not to smile when playing this as it's just so cheerful. Music is really catchy too ...

Ironhide wrote:...Now to return to XCOM2 and Diablo 3 for some good old violence and bleakness.

.

Yakuza 3

Overall I enjoyed it and I'm glad I finally got around to it. Bit of a slow start and ponderous at times but it didn't help that I had to replay the first few hours since the PS3 I had before died and I didn't back up the saves.

I think I enjoyed Yakuza 2 and even 1 more, for a few reasons. Feel like this game was lacking in charm compared to them, to an extent.

Firstly the way cities were sectioned off into grids like in old Animal Crossing games - except each area varied in size and had different angles - was gone in this game and there's now a standard 3rd person camera. They have less control on putting emphasis on certain landmarks, and in some areas there were nice wide overhead shots that are obviously gone now. The way the city sounds is different too with crowd noise being less prominent because with your freer view of things you can see there aren't the people/things to justify it.

Not necessarily a bad change. Just different and probably necessary for the future of the series. I just imagine it's refined a lot more in later games, and with the attempt at a more seamless transition into battles being smoother.

The soundtrack I didn't like as much either. There wasn't a track that was quite the same as this to set a tense scene and build up towards a confrontation. Bit hit and miss with the remixes of previous tracks I remember hearing. A couple of the battle themes were good and as always they nailed the main one.

There are a few more things I'd criticise but I can't be bothered right now. To end on a positive note, since I do like this game, the story is the same overly dramatic crime story schtick with ridiculous asides that I've come to expect and love, and in the later acts I felt it had a better emotional punch than the previous games. And despite the content in the western release being cut down I didn't feel like it was lacking. I did a ton of side stories and believe there's still a fair bit to go back to if I ever fancied dipping into the game again.

Donut County - 7.5/10

A great idea, well executed, which doesn't overstay its welcome. I think this will age well, and a sequel building on the ideas with some more variety, mechanics and bulk would be great.

IAmTheSaladMan wrote:Spider-Man on PS4. This was really good but suffered from the same problem that most open world titles do... too much to bloody do. The story missions and the side missions with villains were great but the rest all got a bit tedious.

I like how it sets things up for the inevitable sequel and I really hope the Oscorp drone you see in the Grand Central mission and the helmet you use in the penthouse mission turn out to be what I think they might be.

8/10

Did you catch the post-credit scene? It's definitely setting up for Venom/Harry Osborn.

Corazon de Leon wrote:

IAmTheSaladMan wrote:Spider-Man on PS4. This was really good but suffered from the same problem that most open world titles do... too much to bloody do. The story missions and the side missions with villains were great but the rest all got a bit tedious.

I like how it sets things up for the inevitable sequel and I really hope the Oscorp drone you see in the Grand Central mission and the helmet you use in the penthouse mission turn out to be what I think they might be.

8/10

Did you catch the post-credit scene? It's definitely setting up for Venom/Harry Osborn.

Yeah, I’d kinda had that spoiled so I knew it was coming. You also get a hint of something if you examine that room thoroughly as MJ, I just went straight for the map.

Turok: Dinosaur Hunter [Switch] - 7/10; thoroughly enjoyed this. I played this originally way back at the N64's launch and never really got into it at the time, this port is fantastic gyroscopic controls and twin-stick movement really help this along. Some of the levels are a bit obtuse and difficult to navigate but I've enjoyed this part of old skool gaming, no hand holding or telling you where to go - it's probably added hours to my playtime but I feel I've learned the levels etc. The weapons have a real meaty feel to them and enemy variety is decent. I've played very little of Turok 2, 3 and Rage Wars back in the day - I hope they all get the revamp and port to Switch - I'd eat them up at the minute.

I only had to look up where one Chronoseptor Piece was in Level 7; one of the pools of lava is actually water, how the strawberry float were you meant to find that I was quite pleased with myself; now just to complete Time Trial Mode in under 2:45

The Walking Dead: Final Season - 9/10

Played the first ep of this at release but after the news of Telltale's closure I held off playing the rest just in case it never came to fruition. Glad to say that it did and having finish the last episode today (and Ep 2/3 over the weekend) I can happily say that I thoroughly enjoyed the whole series. A great send of for one of my most beloved game series of the last few years.