Board 8 > CasanovaZelos's Top 100 Video Games

Topic List	Page List: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
CasanovaZelos 06/20/20 1:02:05 PM #152:	New page, here's the list so far: #100. Rock Band 3 (2010) #99. Animal Crossing: New Horizons (2020) #98. Paper Mario (2001) #97. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (1992) #96. Devil May Cry 3 (2005) #95. The Walking Dead (2012) #94. Ikaruga (2001) #93. Shining Force II (1994) #92. Batman: Arkham City (2011) #91. Portal (2007) #90. Into the Breach (2018) #89. Devil May Cry 5 (2019) #88. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (2018) #87. Night in the Woods (2017) #86. God of War (2018) #85. We Love Katamari (2005) #84. Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne (2004) #83. Star Fox 64 (1997) #82. Pokemon Black and White (2011) #81. Super Smash Bros. Melee (2001) #80. Shovel Knight (2014) #79. Tales of Vesperia (2008) #78. RollerCoaster Tycoon (1999) #77. Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors (2009) #76. EarthBound (1995) #75. Left 4 Dead 2 (2009) #74. Super Mario Bros. 3 (1988) #73. Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018) #72. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (2009) #71. Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony (2017) #70. Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King (2005) #69. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (2004) #68. Mass Effect (2007) #67. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004) #66. Dragon Quest XI (2017) #65. Final Fantasy XII (2006) #64. The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth (2014) #63. Mario Kart 8 (2014) #62. Mass Effect 3 (2012) #61. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (2017) #60. Hollow Knight (2017) #59. Fallout: New Vegas (2010) #58. Bayonetta 2 (2014) #57. Dark Souls III (2016) #56. Persona 3 (2007) #55. Hotline Miami (2012) #54. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (2003) #53. Overwatch (2016) #52. Red Dead Redemption (2010) #51. Bioshock Infinite (2013) #50. Inside (2016) #49. Super Mario World (1991) #48. Kingdom Hearts II (2006) #47. Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward (2012) #46. Gunstar Heroes (1993) #45. Final Fantasy VII (1997) #44. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Trials and Tribulations (2007) #43. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011) #42. The World Ends With You (2008) #41. Final Fantasy VI (1994) #40. Half-Life 2 (2004) Developed by Valve The original Half-Life helped establish the location-based set piece shooter which would eventually take over the FPS genre, but Half-Life 2 was the perfected form. Few worlds had felt so detailed and alive. Like Super Mario Bros. 3 with the platformer, Half-Life 2 stands as the ideal form. Later FPS games would follow its lead, but nothing has ever outright replaced what Half-Life 2 offers. Half-Life 2 exchanges the original games unending laboratories for a distinctly Eastern European setting. Where that first game could be sterile and blocky, every inch of this new environment is covered in little details. Gordon Freemans trip inside City 17 begins with an uneasy peace. Awakened on a train after years under the G-Mans stasis, he finds the world has been taken over by an alien race as a result of the first games experiments. Any rebellion has been apparently quashed, and Gordon is led through checkpoints under the surveillance of a brutal police force. Being unarmed and surrounded by future enemies is a tense experience, which is a recurring atmosphere throughout. Any time this game gives the player just enough to feel capable, some new threat emerges to reduce all confidence. This game is loaded with strangely memorable little moments. One of the first involves an abusive officer knocking over a can while blocking the path. He commands you to pick it up and throw it in the trash. You can do so and hell let you pass through. Or you can throw it in his face. Hell chase you down, which just so happens to leave the route unblocked once you maneuver around him. Then there are the physics puzzles, such as loading one side of a plank with cinder blocks so you can jump to a ledge from the other side. These moments are largely cheesy excuses to show off the physics engine, but they are effective in doing so. Half-Life 2 really ramps up once Gordon received the gravity gun. Seemingly meaningless small objects have been scattered throughout this land as trash. With the gravity gun, all of these items can be picked up and turned into makeshift ammo. After receiving this gun, the game throws you into what just might be the greatest level in any FPS - Ravenholm, a town long-abandoned after a headcrab infestation. Set in the darkness of night, the game temporarily becomes a zombie nightmare as Gordon must largely rely on his surroundings. Some previous survivor has set traps, which Gordon must set off without getting himself decapitated while doing so. But the easiest method of survival involves grabbing one of the scattered saw blades and chopping these headcrab zombies in half. The lead tension of the gravity gun is its only as powerful as your surroundings. This forces the player to keep their eyes on whatever they just shot. You do not want to lose the only saw blade in the immediate area while being swarmed. With the way it combines an inventive new combat method with an absolutely terrifying location, this section alone would be enough to call Half-Life 2 a masterpiece. But the game just keeps being fantastic. Another level finds Gordon playing the floor is lava. While on a beach, any step directly on the sand results in being swarmed by antlions. With the trusty new gravity gun, this area can be traversed by building a moving path of stray parts. And then theres the finale, where you lose everything but the gravity gun, which somehow becomes supercharged and suddenly starts working on organic matter. This is when the game finally gives the player a break and lets them feel all-powerful. This game does have some notorious interruptions while avoiding cutscenes, it instead locks Gordon into rooms while other characters talk at him. Later games would improve on this by having conversations occur while the player can still meaningfully explore. This is Half-Life 2s one negative trait, a strong idea but poorly implemented. But this game does have some expert storytelling, and thats all through its environment. Just seeing the state of the world after the end of the first game says so much, and you can tell the stories of each of these locations simply by looking around. Half-Life 2 set a new standard in narrative immersion. There are a few obvious leaps forward as one looks through the history of gaming. Pong led to Pac-Man led to Super Mario Bros. led to Super Mario 64. Half-Life 2 was the final step into the modern era, the game which signified all tools being made available. Theres never going to be another vertical shift across the board on this level; graphics and physics engines will keep on improving, but Half-Life 2 signaled the end of objective technological leaps involving game design itself. Any game beyond this point had to prove its worth not by technological innovation but by making the best use of those available tools. But no game holds up merely through technical showmanship Half-Life 2 is an unforgettable experience through and through, with its focus on in-game physics not just a gimmick but central to the entire experience. --- Film essays and reviews: https://www.youtube.com/c/foolfantastic Board 8's Top 250 Games 2016 Edition: https://casanovazelos.wordpress.com/2016/04/26/b8top250/ <cite>CasanovaZelos posted [p:940971052] in CasanovaZe... [t:78725204]...</cite> <quote>New page, here's the list so far: #100. Rock Band 3 (2010) #99. Animal Crossing: New Horizons (2020) #98. Paper Mario (2001) #97. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (1992) #96. Devil May Cry 3 (2005) #95. The Walking Dead (2012) #94. Ikaruga (2001) #93. Shining Force II (1994) #92. Batman: Arkham City (2011) #91. Portal (2007) #90. Into the Breach (2018) #89. Devil May Cry 5 (2019) #88. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (2018) #87. Night in the Woods (2017) #86. God of War (2018) #85. We Love Katamari (2005) #84. Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne (2004) #83. Star Fox 64 (1997) #82. Pokemon Black and White (2011) #81. Super Smash Bros. Melee (2001) #80. Shovel Knight (2014) #79. Tales of Vesperia (2008) #78. RollerCoaster Tycoon (1999) #77. Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors (2009) #76. EarthBound (1995) #75. Left 4 Dead 2 (2009) #74. Super Mario Bros. 3 (1988) #73. Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018) #72. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (2009) #71. Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony (2017) #70. Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King (2005) #69. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (2004) #68. Mass Effect (2007) #67. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004) #66. Dragon Quest XI (2017) #65. Final Fantasy XII (2006) #64. The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth (2014) #63. Mario Kart 8 (2014) #62. Mass Effect 3 (2012) #61. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (2017) #60. Hollow Knight (2017) #59. Fallout: New Vegas (2010) #58. Bayonetta 2 (2014) #57. Dark Souls III (2016) #56. Persona 3 (2007) #55. Hotline Miami (2012) #54. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (2003) #53. Overwatch (2016) #52. Red Dead Redemption (2010) #51. Bioshock Infinite (2013) #50. Inside (2016) #49. Super Mario World (1991) #48. Kingdom Hearts II (2006) #47. Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward (2012) #46. Gunstar Heroes (1993) #45. Final Fantasy VII (1997) #44. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Trials and Tribulations (2007) #43. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011) #42. The World Ends With You (2008) #41. Final Fantasy VI (1994) #40. Half-Life 2 (2004) Developed by Valve The original Half-Life helped establish the location-based set piece shooter which would eventually take over the FPS genre, but Half-Life 2 was the perfected form. Few worlds had felt so detailed and alive. Like Super Mario Bros. 3 with the platformer, Half-Life 2 stands as the ideal form. Later FPS games would follow its lead, but nothing has ever outright replaced what Half-Life 2 offers. Half-Life 2 exchanges the original games unending laboratories for a distinctly Eastern European setting. Where that first game could be sterile and blocky, every inch of this new environment is covered in little details. Gordon Freemans trip inside City 17 begins with an uneasy peace. Awakened on a train after years under the G-Mans stasis, he finds the world has been taken over by an alien race as a result of the first games experiments. Any rebellion has been apparently quashed, and Gordon is led through checkpoints under the surveillance of a brutal police force. Being unarmed and surrounded by future enemies is a tense experience, which is a recurring atmosphere throughout. Any time this game gives the player just enough to feel capable, some new threat emerges to reduce all confidence. This game is loaded with strangely memorable little moments. One of the first involves an abusive officer knocking over a can while blocking the path. He commands you to pick it up and throw it in the trash. You can do so and hell let you pass through. Or you can throw it in his face. Hell chase you down, which just so happens to leave the route unblocked once you maneuver around him. Then there are the physics puzzles, such as loading one side of a plank with cinder blocks so you can jump to a ledge from the other side. These moments are largely cheesy excuses to show off the physics engine, but they are effective in doing so. Half-Life 2 really ramps up once Gordon received the gravity gun. Seemingly meaningless small objects have been scattered throughout this land as trash. With the gravity gun, all of these items can be picked up and turned into makeshift ammo. After receiving this gun, the game throws you into what just might be the greatest level in any FPS - Ravenholm, a town long-abandoned after a headcrab infestation. Set in the darkness of night, the game temporarily becomes a zombie nightmare as Gordon must largely rely on his surroundings. Some previous survivor has set traps, which Gordon must set off without getting himself decapitated while doing so. But the easiest method of survival involves grabbing one of the scattered saw blades and chopping these headcrab zombies in half. The lead tension of the gravity gun is its only as powerful as your surroundings. This forces the player to keep their eyes on whatever they just shot. You do not want to lose the only saw blade in the immediate area while being swarmed. With the way it combines an inventive new combat method with an absolutely terrifying location, this section alone would be enough to call Half-Life 2 a masterpiece. But the game just keeps being fantastic. Another level finds Gordon playing the floor is lava. While on a beach, any step directly on the sand results in being swarmed by antlions. With the trusty new gravity gun, this area can be traversed by building a moving path of stray parts. And then theres the finale, where you lose everything but the gravity gun, which somehow becomes supercharged and suddenly starts working on organic matter. This is when the game finally gives the player a break and lets them feel all-powerful. This game does have some notorious interruptions while avoiding cutscenes, it instead locks Gordon into rooms while other characters talk at him. Later games would improve on this by having conversations occur while the player can still meaningfully explore. This is Half-Life 2s one negative trait, a strong idea but poorly implemented. But this game does have some expert storytelling, and thats all through its environment. Just seeing the state of the world after the end of the first game says so much, and you can tell the stories of each of these locations simply by looking around. Half-Life 2 set a new standard in narrative immersion. There are a few obvious leaps forward as one looks through the history of gaming. Pong led to Pac-Man led to Super Mario Bros. led to Super Mario 64. Half-Life 2 was the final step into the modern era, the game which signified all tools being made available. Theres never going to be another vertical shift across the board on this level; graphics and physics engines will keep on improving, but Half-Life 2 signaled the end of objective technological leaps involving game design itself. Any game beyond this point had to prove its worth not by technological innovation but by making the best use of those available tools. But no game holds up merely through technical showmanship Half-Life 2 is an unforgettable experience through and through, with its focus on in-game physics not just a gimmick but central to the entire experience. </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
CasanovaZelos 06/20/20 2:11:08 PM #153:	#39. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015) Developed by CD Projekt Red When I recently discussed Skyrim, I drew attention to the fact that it sets itself apart by making the open world RPG experience feel like a personal journey. The Witcher 3 goes to the opposite extreme this is Geralt of Rivias epic story and you are along for the ride. Being at either end of the spectrum is not a good or bad thing, but the experience comes with different expectations. There are tons of preposterously long RPGs trying to tell an epic story, but few maintain such high consistency throughout every hour like The Witcher 3. Despite falling into the open world RPG category, the closer comparison is less Elder Scrolls and more Red Dead Redemption. The Witcher 3 has all the structure of a Rockstar game but with a levelling and magic system. The Witcher 3 captures the best of both, full of lively cities and endless nature to explore. With Geralt being such a strong character, theres an actual push toward following the main path; yet there are limitless distractions along the way. An original setting is key, and while The Witcher features plenty of familiar tropes, theres also a lot of wild direction. The moment which really made me grasp how unique this story would be involved a family being haunted by a botchling a creature arising from improperly buried stillborn infants which preys on the pregnant. This game is dark, but rarely in an edgy way. Where a company like Rockstar sometimes views a mature experience as loading their games with a lot of immature jokes, The Witcher 3 actually feels like a meaningful mature narrative. While Witcher 3 is massive, there are rarely moments which feel like a waste of time. Compare how it handles potion brewing to other games with crafting. Each potion requires a certain set of ingredients, yes, but this is a one-time event. These potions are then replenished with a bit of alcohol. Thus, using potions does not devolve into running through fields and picking every flower you see just to make sure you have enough. It avoids one of the mediums biggest faults theres a constant fear of ever using this sort of item because one might need them later. Instead of the mundane picking of flowers, obtaining a lot of these potions are a side quest themselves. Witcher 3 is loaded with customization options. There is a skill tree which gives boosts to your stats, but the game also limits the player to twelve of these being active at any given time. There are also mutagens which can be equipped to modify certain stats. The refillable nature of the potions and oils make them a central part of Geralts abilities. None of these account for too much strength on their own, but finding the right combination and making sure to actually use them all is important. All open world games tend to emphasize the size of their maps. While The Witcher 3 is big, the true appeal is how varied each location feels. From the open plains of the beginning to the massive city of Novigrad to the snowy Isles of Skellige, each region has its own distinct atmosphere. With the dense political conflict of the central plot, this distinction is key in establishing the conflicting factions. There are also just loads of minor quests, and many of these really emphasize the dense lore which has no place in the main narrative. Though open world games are the current craze, there are plenty which feel hollow. The Witcher 3 makes every inch feel necessary, whether to simply establish a realistic atmosphere or to hide away hundreds of secrets. Add in a particularly complex narrative with political intrigue and oozing with fantastic lore all situated around an outstanding protagonist, and The Witcher 3 is simply an unbeatable RPG experience. --- Film essays and reviews: https://www.youtube.com/c/foolfantastic Board 8's Top 250 Games 2016 Edition: https://casanovazelos.wordpress.com/2016/04/26/b8top250/ <cite>CasanovaZelos posted [p:940974215] in CasanovaZe... [t:78725204]...</cite> <quote> #39. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015) Developed by CD Projekt Red When I recently discussed Skyrim, I drew attention to the fact that it sets itself apart by making the open world RPG experience feel like a personal journey. The Witcher 3 goes to the opposite extreme this is Geralt of Rivias epic story and you are along for the ride. Being at either end of the spectrum is not a good or bad thing, but the experience comes with different expectations. There are tons of preposterously long RPGs trying to tell an epic story, but few maintain such high consistency throughout every hour like The Witcher 3. Despite falling into the open world RPG category, the closer comparison is less Elder Scrolls and more Red Dead Redemption. The Witcher 3 has all the structure of a Rockstar game but with a levelling and magic system. The Witcher 3 captures the best of both, full of lively cities and endless nature to explore. With Geralt being such a strong character, theres an actual push toward following the main path; yet there are limitless distractions along the way. An original setting is key, and while The Witcher features plenty of familiar tropes, theres also a lot of wild direction. The moment which really made me grasp how unique this story would be involved a family being haunted by a botchling a creature arising from improperly buried stillborn infants which preys on the pregnant. This game is dark, but rarely in an edgy way. Where a company like Rockstar sometimes views a mature experience as loading their games with a lot of immature jokes, The Witcher 3 actually feels like a meaningful mature narrative. While Witcher 3 is massive, there are rarely moments which feel like a waste of time. Compare how it handles potion brewing to other games with crafting. Each potion requires a certain set of ingredients, yes, but this is a one-time event. These potions are then replenished with a bit of alcohol. Thus, using potions does not devolve into running through fields and picking every flower you see just to make sure you have enough. It avoids one of the mediums biggest faults theres a constant fear of ever using this sort of item because one might need them later. Instead of the mundane picking of flowers, obtaining a lot of these potions are a side quest themselves. Witcher 3 is loaded with customization options. There is a skill tree which gives boosts to your stats, but the game also limits the player to twelve of these being active at any given time. There are also mutagens which can be equipped to modify certain stats. The refillable nature of the potions and oils make them a central part of Geralts abilities. None of these account for too much strength on their own, but finding the right combination and making sure to actually use them all is important. All open world games tend to emphasize the size of their maps. While The Witcher 3 is big, the true appeal is how varied each location feels. From the open plains of the beginning to the massive city of Novigrad to the snowy Isles of Skellige, each region has its own distinct atmosphere. With the dense political conflict of the central plot, this distinction is key in establishing the conflicting factions. There are also just loads of minor quests, and many of these really emphasize the dense lore which has no place in the main narrative. Though open world games are the current craze, there are plenty which feel hollow. The Witcher 3 makes every inch feel necessary, whether to simply establish a realistic atmosphere or to hide away hundreds of secrets. Add in a particularly complex narrative with political intrigue and oozing with fantastic lore all situated around an outstanding protagonist, and The Witcher 3 is simply an unbeatable RPG experience. </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
CasanovaZelos 06/21/20 11:33:17 AM #154:	#38. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017) Developed by Nintendo EPD Breath of the Wild just might be the most ambitious Zelda game yet, transposing the traditional dungeon puzzles all across an open world map. While trying on this new form, The Legend of Zelda manages to maintain its colorful style. And despite all the space, the central cities are among the most populated places in the series. Like The Witcher 3 and Skyrim, this is an open world game which never feels empty or lifeless. In classic Nintendo form, Breath of the Wild sets itself apart by capturing the large scale of an open world game while maintaining a simple focus. The grand majority of side quests in this game revolve around shrines, which reward the player with orbs which can be exchanged for increased health or endurance. By letting the player know what they stand to gain by completing each shrine, BotW offers a straightforward sense of progress despite its open nature. While some might deride the lack of complexity, this simplicity separates this experience from its endless competition. The puzzles themselves are expertly designed. Many are built around Links unique tools and end up being ingenious timing or physics puzzles. A few more offer challenging battles. The best go a step beyond and involve the outside world. Some involve finding the right thing to gain access, like one shrine demanding Link approach while riding a buck. At the far corners of the map are a few labyrinths which feel like mini-dungeons. My absolute favorite is Eventide Island, hidden in the southeastern corner of the map and only accessible with a hefty stamina wheel. This sequence operates as a microcosm of the full game, stripping Link of his armor and items and forcing him to make do with what he finds until he manages to find and place three orbs. Navigating the world itself can be its own puzzle. Each major location has a tower which must be climbed to reveal that section of the map. This again offers some form of a guided experience, as the tower will usually be the first place the player will want to tackle. Each of these have their own dangers to overcome, adding to the sense of this game being a series of micro-dungeons. Yet travelling is never a hassle the game offers fast travel to any of its towers and shrines. Each corner of the map has its own immersive gimmick. Cold mountains and an active volcano require the right gear to safely navigate. The Lost Woods are as dizzying as ever, while the Gerudo town requires Link to pass as a woman to enter. Adding flavor to many smaller locations is a bardic bird named Kass who will sing songs hinting at hidden shrines. BotW has a dense cast for a Zelda game with many heroic figures, yet this wandering accordionist stands above the rest thanks to being the one recurring face among the wilds. The art style might be The Legend of Zelda at its best, mixing the vibrant colors of The Wind Waker with the more realistically proportioned designs of the other games. Anytime I climbed to the top of a tower, I had to take a moment and look around to take in the sights. The Hyrule Compendium encourages taking a closer look, letting Link keep track of every creature, enemy, and item he stumbles across by taking a picture. Everything from the mountains to the wildlife to the trees is a wondrous sight. This Hyrule is a partially ruined world, and nothing quite reinforces this like the guardian stalker. These mechanical, spider-like beings hunt down anything which crosses their line of sight. Areas like Hyrule Castle Town remain largely inaccessible due to their presence, and the reward for finally crossing the field is a saddening glimpse of what was lost. The stalkers also have a simply anxiety-inducing theme anytime they begin their hunt, with most encounters devolving into a mad dash behind cover just to make the music stop. There will be several times you abandon all current goals just to panic and dive off a cliff, and theres nothing quite as fulfilling as finally learning how to take these suckers down. This game is filled with some surprising emotional depth, especially once you unlock a feature on Links Sheikah Slate (the legendary ancient iPhone) which allows him to regain lost memories by visiting certain places on the map. These moments really help build the otherwise distant relationship he now has with Zelda, whos been busy warding off Ganon during the 100 years that Link was unconscious. This is absolutely Zelda at her most complex, and the reversal of her being the one trapping Ganon this time is a perfect note. Yet the most powerful moment comes completely out of nowhere and largely by chance. Link has a tendency to climb all over everything to try and get to new locations. When he climbs onto the railing of a certain bridge, an NPC will mistake his unthinking heroics for a suicide attempt. What makes this moment so compelling is its unexpectedly organic nature. Most conversations with NPCs are prompted by the player, and the few who reach out are usually there to block access to certain areas. No one expects an interruption in this particular location with this particular trigger. Its a small moment, yes, only accounting for a few lines of dialogue. But Breath of the Wild is all about hundreds of small yet brilliant moments stitched together. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild offers the same scale as any massive open world game. What makes it stand out is the vibrant Zelda charm mixed with Nintendos penchant for simple yet expansive creations. Skyrim can feel like several distinct episodes while The Witcher 3 is firmly divided into acts. The unique aspect of BotW is that Link conquers these many shrines to gain better favor with the goddess before confronting Ganon. Even taking down the Divine Beasts is in purpose of that central conflict. By shaping every action around this battle, Breath of the Wild manages to feel like one distinct journey from beginning to end; the only difference is how you get to that end. --- Film essays and reviews: https://www.youtube.com/c/foolfantastic Board 8's Top 250 Games 2016 Edition: https://casanovazelos.wordpress.com/2016/04/26/b8top250/ <cite>CasanovaZelos posted [p:941018191] in CasanovaZe... [t:78725204]...</cite> <quote> #38. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017) Developed by Nintendo EPD Breath of the Wild just might be the most ambitious Zelda game yet, transposing the traditional dungeon puzzles all across an open world map. While trying on this new form, The Legend of Zelda manages to maintain its colorful style. And despite all the space, the central cities are among the most populated places in the series. Like The Witcher 3 and Skyrim, this is an open world game which never feels empty or lifeless. In classic Nintendo form, Breath of the Wild sets itself apart by capturing the large scale of an open world game while maintaining a simple focus. The grand majority of side quests in this game revolve around shrines, which reward the player with orbs which can be exchanged for increased health or endurance. By letting the player know what they stand to gain by completing each shrine, BotW offers a straightforward sense of progress despite its open nature. While some might deride the lack of complexity, this simplicity separates this experience from its endless competition. The puzzles themselves are expertly designed. Many are built around Links unique tools and end up being ingenious timing or physics puzzles. A few more offer challenging battles. The best go a step beyond and involve the outside world. Some involve finding the right thing to gain access, like one shrine demanding Link approach while riding a buck. At the far corners of the map are a few labyrinths which feel like mini-dungeons. My absolute favorite is Eventide Island, hidden in the southeastern corner of the map and only accessible with a hefty stamina wheel. This sequence operates as a microcosm of the full game, stripping Link of his armor and items and forcing him to make do with what he finds until he manages to find and place three orbs. Navigating the world itself can be its own puzzle. Each major location has a tower which must be climbed to reveal that section of the map. This again offers some form of a guided experience, as the tower will usually be the first place the player will want to tackle. Each of these have their own dangers to overcome, adding to the sense of this game being a series of micro-dungeons. Yet travelling is never a hassle the game offers fast travel to any of its towers and shrines. Each corner of the map has its own immersive gimmick. Cold mountains and an active volcano require the right gear to safely navigate. The Lost Woods are as dizzying as ever, while the Gerudo town requires Link to pass as a woman to enter. Adding flavor to many smaller locations is a bardic bird named Kass who will sing songs hinting at hidden shrines. BotW has a dense cast for a Zelda game with many heroic figures, yet this wandering accordionist stands above the rest thanks to being the one recurring face among the wilds. The art style might be The Legend of Zelda at its best, mixing the vibrant colors of The Wind Waker with the more realistically proportioned designs of the other games. Anytime I climbed to the top of a tower, I had to take a moment and look around to take in the sights. The Hyrule Compendium encourages taking a closer look, letting Link keep track of every creature, enemy, and item he stumbles across by taking a picture. Everything from the mountains to the wildlife to the trees is a wondrous sight. This Hyrule is a partially ruined world, and nothing quite reinforces this like the guardian stalker. These mechanical, spider-like beings hunt down anything which crosses their line of sight. Areas like Hyrule Castle Town remain largely inaccessible due to their presence, and the reward for finally crossing the field is a saddening glimpse of what was lost. The stalkers also have a simply anxiety-inducing theme anytime they begin their hunt, with most encounters devolving into a mad dash behind cover just to make the music stop. There will be several times you abandon all current goals just to panic and dive off a cliff, and theres nothing quite as fulfilling as finally learning how to take these suckers down. This game is filled with some surprising emotional depth, especially once you unlock a feature on Links Sheikah Slate (the legendary ancient iPhone) which allows him to regain lost memories by visiting certain places on the map. These moments really help build the otherwise distant relationship he now has with Zelda, whos been busy warding off Ganon during the 100 years that Link was unconscious. This is absolutely Zelda at her most complex, and the reversal of her being the one trapping Ganon this time is a perfect note. Yet the most powerful moment comes completely out of nowhere and largely by chance. Link has a tendency to climb all over everything to try and get to new locations. When he climbs onto the railing of a certain bridge, an NPC will mistake his unthinking heroics for a suicide attempt. What makes this moment so compelling is its unexpectedly organic nature. Most conversations with NPCs are prompted by the player, and the few who reach out are usually there to block access to certain areas. No one expects an interruption in this particular location with this particular trigger. Its a small moment, yes, only accounting for a few lines of dialogue. But Breath of the Wild is all about hundreds of small yet brilliant moments stitched together. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild offers the same scale as any massive open world game. What makes it stand out is the vibrant Zelda charm mixed with Nintendos penchant for simple yet expansive creations. Skyrim can feel like several distinct episodes while The Witcher 3 is firmly divided into acts. The unique aspect of BotW is that Link conquers these many shrines to gain better favor with the goddess before confronting Ganon. Even taking down the Divine Beasts is in purpose of that central conflict. By shaping every action around this battle, Breath of the Wild manages to feel like one distinct journey from beginning to end; the only difference is how you get to that end. </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
CasanovaZelos 06/21/20 1:17:42 PM #155:	#37. Doom (2016) Developed by id Software The original Doom is as frantic as video games come, requiring the player to weave in and out of demonic fireballs and charging enemies as they dive deeper into hell. As the first-person shooter evolved, the genre shifted towards a more realistic presentation. With this realism came a seemingly contradictory shift. As bullets started flying faster, battles became more methodical. Few modern FPS games allow the player to simply run headfirst into a group of enemies while dodging their shots. Honestly, the original Doom feels like it has less in common with Half-Life than classical shooters like Contra. The genre has largely lost the focus on simple maneuvering. No game has quite captured the spirit of Doom like, well, Doom, which perfectly earns the shared titled. 23 years later, Doom 2016 feels like a glimpse into an alternate reality where the genre had forsaken needless realism and focused on evolving direct confrontations. While other FPS games might have more compelling set pieces, no modern FPS offers as much adrenaline-pumping fun as Doom 2016. The key difference between these two mindsets can be broken down into two concepts: projectile versus hitscan bullets. With the now-common hitscan method, the game simply checks if the target was in line of sight and applies damage based on this check. No bullet is generated; this method is used to simulate the rapid velocity of actual gunfire. The player simply hits whatever they were looking at when they press the fire button. Projectiles, on the other hand, generate an actual object which must move through the space between gun and target, meaning the bullet could potentially be dodged. Projectile bullets can move at various speeds. A lot of modern FPS games relegate projectiles to weapons like rocket launchers. Doom is lucky to have its setting. The game can get away with slower attacks because most demons arent going to charge at the player with modern human weaponry. This gives a distinct design while never feeling unnatural. With attacks which are easier to dodge, Doom makes up for it by throwing wave upon wave of enemies. Playing through a level of Doom feels like a dangerous dance. The player must keep track of the various enemies and their attack styles, picking off those which pose the most immediate threat while dodging continual fire. An ingenious element is the implementation of glory kills. After enough damage, most enemies will become staggered. The player can perform a melee attack, resulting in a brutal animation as Doomguy tears the demon apart. The reward for making this dangerous approach is a little bit of healing. Thus, a lot of Doom 2016s gameplay can involve staying at close enough range to benefit from this risky yet constant source of health. This results in there never being a lull during combat. Meanwhile, the game contains enough secrets to make exploration just as fun. Traipsing into hell itself seems like the perfect recipe for horror, and the many monstrous designs would suggest as much. But theres a very distinct atmosphere given off by the first enemy. He gives off a horrid scream, which could be taken as an attempt at intimidation. But the more you add up the pieces, the clearer it becomes that these demons literally fear the Doom Slayer. This turns Doom 2016 into the perfect power fantasy. The player gets to be the nightmare which keeps demons up at night. The appeal of Doom is simple. Through intelligent enemy design, the game manages a unique balance between constant movement and aiming. This is a game which stands apart from its contemporaries. Many FPS games reward patience, but its so much more satisfying to charge a crowd of demons and blast them in the face with a shotgun. I hold many of my favorite games on their pedestal due to particularly resonant moments or sheer innovation in tandem with their quality gameplay. Doom 2016 never has a big revelatory moment where it feels like Im seeing something no game has done before. The gameplay alone is just that thrilling for it to stand with the best of the best. Few games have ever been this fun. --- Film essays and reviews: https://www.youtube.com/c/foolfantastic Board 8's Top 250 Games 2016 Edition: https://casanovazelos.wordpress.com/2016/04/26/b8top250/ <cite>CasanovaZelos posted [p:941022616] in CasanovaZe... [t:78725204]...</cite> <quote> #37. Doom (2016) Developed by id Software The original Doom is as frantic as video games come, requiring the player to weave in and out of demonic fireballs and charging enemies as they dive deeper into hell. As the first-person shooter evolved, the genre shifted towards a more realistic presentation. With this realism came a seemingly contradictory shift. As bullets started flying faster, battles became more methodical. Few modern FPS games allow the player to simply run headfirst into a group of enemies while dodging their shots. Honestly, the original Doom feels like it has less in common with Half-Life than classical shooters like Contra. The genre has largely lost the focus on simple maneuvering. No game has quite captured the spirit of Doom like, well, Doom, which perfectly earns the shared titled. 23 years later, Doom 2016 feels like a glimpse into an alternate reality where the genre had forsaken needless realism and focused on evolving direct confrontations. While other FPS games might have more compelling set pieces, no modern FPS offers as much adrenaline-pumping fun as Doom 2016. The key difference between these two mindsets can be broken down into two concepts: projectile versus hitscan bullets. With the now-common hitscan method, the game simply checks if the target was in line of sight and applies damage based on this check. No bullet is generated; this method is used to simulate the rapid velocity of actual gunfire. The player simply hits whatever they were looking at when they press the fire button. Projectiles, on the other hand, generate an actual object which must move through the space between gun and target, meaning the bullet could potentially be dodged. Projectile bullets can move at various speeds. A lot of modern FPS games relegate projectiles to weapons like rocket launchers. Doom is lucky to have its setting. The game can get away with slower attacks because most demons arent going to charge at the player with modern human weaponry. This gives a distinct design while never feeling unnatural. With attacks which are easier to dodge, Doom makes up for it by throwing wave upon wave of enemies. Playing through a level of Doom feels like a dangerous dance. The player must keep track of the various enemies and their attack styles, picking off those which pose the most immediate threat while dodging continual fire. An ingenious element is the implementation of glory kills. After enough damage, most enemies will become staggered. The player can perform a melee attack, resulting in a brutal animation as Doomguy tears the demon apart. The reward for making this dangerous approach is a little bit of healing. Thus, a lot of Doom 2016s gameplay can involve staying at close enough range to benefit from this risky yet constant source of health. This results in there never being a lull during combat. Meanwhile, the game contains enough secrets to make exploration just as fun. Traipsing into hell itself seems like the perfect recipe for horror, and the many monstrous designs would suggest as much. But theres a very distinct atmosphere given off by the first enemy. He gives off a horrid scream, which could be taken as an attempt at intimidation. But the more you add up the pieces, the clearer it becomes that these demons literally fear the Doom Slayer. This turns Doom 2016 into the perfect power fantasy. The player gets to be the nightmare which keeps demons up at night. The appeal of Doom is simple. Through intelligent enemy design, the game manages a unique balance between constant movement and aiming. This is a game which stands apart from its contemporaries. Many FPS games reward patience, but its so much more satisfying to charge a crowd of demons and blast them in the face with a shotgun. I hold many of my favorite games on their pedestal due to particularly resonant moments or sheer innovation in tandem with their quality gameplay. Doom 2016 never has a big revelatory moment where it feels like Im seeing something no game has done before. The gameplay alone is just that thrilling for it to stand with the best of the best. Few games have ever been this fun. </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
CasanovaZelos 06/22/20 12:36:05 PM #156:	#36. Metal Gear Solid (1998) Developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Japan While the stealth genre had obviously been around for a while (this game follows Metal Gear 1 and 2), Metal Gear Solid helped popularize the genre. The gameplay itself has been massively improved upon; the simplistic enemy A.I. is almost comedic, with plenty cracking jokes about the guards being severely nearsighted. The gameplay of the original MGS only holds up as a simplified, arcade-style experience. The simple fact is, the non-stealth-based bosses stand out because the basic gameplay does not quite function as it should. Metal Gear Solid is a flawed experience from nearly every angle. If analyzing art was as simple as going down a checklist and marking off every element which did not quite work like some emotionally void inspector, then MGS could easily be disregarded as a nonsensical attempt at capturing the spirit of an 80s blockbuster film in video game form. But the story of Solid Snake infiltrating Shadow Moses Island has hung over the industry for a reason. Despite the numerous flaws, theres never a moment when Metal Gear Solid stops being engaging. The series has had several strong sequels with much-improved gameplay, but few have hit at the same level. The key to Metal Gear Solids success is how each new section pushes the experience in an insane direction. This is assisted by the colorful cast of characters, from FOXHOUNDs team consisting of six animal-themed villains to Solid Snake and his support to the mysterious cyborg ninja Gray Fox. We kept playing because we never knew what Kojima would end up throwing at us. The six central member of FOXHOUND are what really guide this experience. Liquid Snake leads the band of terrorists, somehow failing to challenge his twin brother even with the advantage of a helicopter and eventually a Metal Gear. Revolver Ocelot makes his stellar debut as a gun-twirling Russian western wannabe, and the eventual torture sequence is unforgettable. Sniper Wolf leads a stellar boss fight and a few classic lines in regards to her strange relationship with Otacon. Vulcan Raven exists. Dont even get me started on Decoy Octopus. Okay, maybe the FOXHOUND team isnt without its issues. But what matters is the set-up, how this game establishes an elite band of soldiers gone rogue. Everything in Metal Gear Solid is larger than life, and the boss fights are suitably challenging and rewarding experiences loaded with that extra bit of meaning. Of course, I had to save the best for his own section. Hideo Kojima enjoys messing with his audience, and no moment since has quite matched Psycho Mantis. Everything about the fourth-wall breaking works, from the memory card reading to the vibrating controller to the HIDEO input display. The cleverest moment is the need to plug the controller into the second port. Little moments like this pervade the rest of the game. Revolver Ocelot taunts the player directly during the torture sequence, pointing out how long its been since they last saved. Meanwhile, reaching one of the characters by codec requires looking at a screenshot on the back of the box. Metal Gear Solid is emblematic of early video game storytelling. In a medium waiting to be taken seriously, Hideo Kojima threw every stray concept into a blender. The medium would go on to tell better written and more socially relevant narratives, but something about MGSs absurd and almost juvenile approach to storytelling gives it a special place. For Hideo Kojima, anything goes, and the singular moments throughout Metal Gear Solid stand far above its otherwise shaky foundation. Like the best pulp novels, Metal Gear Solid sinks its nonsensical teeth so deep that even the flaws are just part of the charm. And the sad thing is, were likely never going to see something of this nature again on the AAA level even Kojimas later work ended up becoming needlessly complex. The original Metal Gear Solid is B-movie action through and through, and I mean that in the most loving way. --- Film essays and reviews: https://www.youtube.com/c/foolfantastic Board 8's Top 250 Games 2016 Edition: https://casanovazelos.wordpress.com/2016/04/26/b8top250/ <cite>CasanovaZelos posted [p:941071663] in CasanovaZe... [t:78725204]...</cite> <quote> #36. Metal Gear Solid (1998) Developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Japan While the stealth genre had obviously been around for a while (this game follows Metal Gear 1 and 2), Metal Gear Solid helped popularize the genre. The gameplay itself has been massively improved upon; the simplistic enemy A.I. is almost comedic, with plenty cracking jokes about the guards being severely nearsighted. The gameplay of the original MGS only holds up as a simplified, arcade-style experience. The simple fact is, the non-stealth-based bosses stand out because the basic gameplay does not quite function as it should. Metal Gear Solid is a flawed experience from nearly every angle. If analyzing art was as simple as going down a checklist and marking off every element which did not quite work like some emotionally void inspector, then MGS could easily be disregarded as a nonsensical attempt at capturing the spirit of an 80s blockbuster film in video game form. But the story of Solid Snake infiltrating Shadow Moses Island has hung over the industry for a reason. Despite the numerous flaws, theres never a moment when Metal Gear Solid stops being engaging. The series has had several strong sequels with much-improved gameplay, but few have hit at the same level. The key to Metal Gear Solids success is how each new section pushes the experience in an insane direction. This is assisted by the colorful cast of characters, from FOXHOUNDs team consisting of six animal-themed villains to Solid Snake and his support to the mysterious cyborg ninja Gray Fox. We kept playing because we never knew what Kojima would end up throwing at us. The six central member of FOXHOUND are what really guide this experience. Liquid Snake leads the band of terrorists, somehow failing to challenge his twin brother even with the advantage of a helicopter and eventually a Metal Gear. Revolver Ocelot makes his stellar debut as a gun-twirling Russian western wannabe, and the eventual torture sequence is unforgettable. Sniper Wolf leads a stellar boss fight and a few classic lines in regards to her strange relationship with Otacon. Vulcan Raven exists. Dont even get me started on Decoy Octopus. Okay, maybe the FOXHOUND team isnt without its issues. But what matters is the set-up, how this game establishes an elite band of soldiers gone rogue. Everything in Metal Gear Solid is larger than life, and the boss fights are suitably challenging and rewarding experiences loaded with that extra bit of meaning. Of course, I had to save the best for his own section. Hideo Kojima enjoys messing with his audience, and no moment since has quite matched Psycho Mantis. Everything about the fourth-wall breaking works, from the memory card reading to the vibrating controller to the HIDEO input display. The cleverest moment is the need to plug the controller into the second port. Little moments like this pervade the rest of the game. Revolver Ocelot taunts the player directly during the torture sequence, pointing out how long its been since they last saved. Meanwhile, reaching one of the characters by codec requires looking at a screenshot on the back of the box. Metal Gear Solid is emblematic of early video game storytelling. In a medium waiting to be taken seriously, Hideo Kojima threw every stray concept into a blender. The medium would go on to tell better written and more socially relevant narratives, but something about MGSs absurd and almost juvenile approach to storytelling gives it a special place. For Hideo Kojima, anything goes, and the singular moments throughout Metal Gear Solid stand far above its otherwise shaky foundation. Like the best pulp novels, Metal Gear Solid sinks its nonsensical teeth so deep that even the flaws are just part of the charm. And the sad thing is, were likely never going to see something of this nature again on the AAA level even Kojimas later work ended up becoming needlessly complex. The original Metal Gear Solid is B-movie action through and through, and I mean that in the most loving way. </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
SeabassDebeste 06/22/20 2:31:43 PM #157:	MGS has stellar storyline, aesthetic, and sound. the fourth-wall-breaking is really interesting too. gameplay and the technical graphics have really not aged well. even 15 years ago, a lot of it felt like shit to play (in a way that SNES games, FF7, and ocarina of time did not) haven't had the patience (or maybe skill?) to get anywhere in BOTW but it's beautiful - my first open-world game. witcher's continued good showing in contests definitely has me interested. i've never played a WRPG, especially a AAA one, and i'm not sure where is best to start. --- yet all azuarc of all sorts are more or less capricious and unreliable - they live in the varying outer weather, and they inhale its fickleness <cite>SeabassDebeste posted [p:941077803] in CasanovaZe... [t:78725204]...</cite> <quote>MGS has stellar storyline, aesthetic, and sound. the fourth-wall-breaking is really interesting too. gameplay and the technical graphics have really not aged well. even 15 years ago, a lot of it felt like shit to play (in a way that SNES games, FF7, and ocarina of time did not) haven't had the patience (or maybe skill?) to get anywhere in BOTW but it's beautiful - my first open-world game. witcher's continued good showing in contests definitely has me interested. i've never played a WRPG, especially a AAA one, and i'm not sure where is best to start.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
CasanovaZelos 06/22/20 3:44:15 PM #158:	I feel like Skyrim would probably be the best WRPG to start with - I think it's simple and straightforward enough. The Witcher 3 has a really big hump to get over during the first several hours, I feel. It throws a lot at you, and the story takes a bit of time to get going. And I do mean it when I say it feels more like a Rockstar game with a sword and some magic than a traditional WRPG. #35. Streets of Rage 2 (1992) Developed by Sega, Ancient, MNM Software, Shout! Designworks, and H.I.C. The beat em up is one of the simplest genres around. You play a character who walks along a straight road and beats up anyone who dares cross their path. This is classic easy to learn, hard to master territory, and this simplicity is key to the cooperative dynamic which made a lot of these games popular with any of us who had siblings. This is one of those classic genres which faded away in the early days of the medium, though Id argue the character action game genre captures the spirit in a new form. There simply wasnt much variance between games in the genre, so there was little reason not to stick to the best of the best. Streets of Rage 2 stood at the top. More than any other video game, Streets of Rage 2 is indebted to its soundtrack. I would argue this is the greatest video game soundtrack ever. During early video game eras, music was limited by technology. A few ingenious composers worked their magic and invented what would become a new genre during the NES era. The Genesis had a bit more power, but not much. Even a classic like Final Fantasy VII on a later console has many people who prefer the soundtrack in a fully orchestrated form the game itself was limited to what the PlayStation could handle, with most of the tracks suggesting something beyond the actual sound. Meanwhile, the music from Streets of Rage 2 cannot be improved beyond what managed to fit inside the Genesis cartridge. Yuzo Koshiro looked at the Detroit techno scene and made a masterpiece in the genre. This is the type of music so simple the Genesis can process the sound flawlessly, yet complex enough to be truly excellent dance music. The music perfectly reinforces the games aesthetic of a city being overrun with crime, where every alley leads to another mugger or three waiting for a roundhouse kick to the face. Between its pulsing beats, shrill sirens, and frenetic rhythm, its simultaneously anxiety-inducing and an absolute jam from beginning to end. Its hard to define what makes the gameplay of one beat-em-up better than another. But Ive played quite a few, and Streets of Rage 2 simply feels smoother than most. Despite the easy inputs, the game gives a ton of options beyond simple punch and kicks. Approaching a character can lead to a grapple, the characters can do a mid-air kick, and so on. Many enemies are designed around cancelling out a few of these techniques that flying kick is essential when someone runs at the player knife-first, for example. The many weapons can also be picked up for longer range or to be thrown. The playable characters offer their own variety, from the aptly-named skater known as Skate to the slow but powerful professional wrestler named Max. Even the character designs are wonderful, from the central cast down to the bosses and even the minor mooks. There are fat fire breathers, bikers who torment the player until knocked away from their machines, women with electrified whips. One boss uses a jetpack and another boss fight consists of two robots. The sprite design of all of these are lovingly detailed. As minimal as the narrative can be, so much is suggested purely through these unique designs. Streets of Rage 2 is simply a masterwork of Genesis-era presentation. From the music to the visual design, everything about this game will stick with you. Many beat em ups fall quickly into repetition, but Streets of Rage 2 overcomes this with a stunning aesthetic and consistently smooth gameplay matched with ever more complex enemy designs. --- Film essays and reviews: https://www.youtube.com/c/foolfantastic Board 8's Top 250 Games 2016 Edition: https://casanovazelos.wordpress.com/2016/04/26/b8top250/ <cite>CasanovaZelos posted [p:941081763] in CasanovaZe... [t:78725204]...</cite> <quote>I feel like Skyrim would probably be the best WRPG to start with - I think it's simple and straightforward enough. The Witcher 3 has a really big hump to get over during the first several hours, I feel. It throws a lot at you, and the story takes a bit of time to get going. And I do mean it when I say it feels more like a Rockstar game with a sword and some magic than a traditional WRPG. #35. Streets of Rage 2 (1992) Developed by Sega, Ancient, MNM Software, Shout! Designworks, and H.I.C. The beat em up is one of the simplest genres around. You play a character who walks along a straight road and beats up anyone who dares cross their path. This is classic easy to learn, hard to master territory, and this simplicity is key to the cooperative dynamic which made a lot of these games popular with any of us who had siblings. This is one of those classic genres which faded away in the early days of the medium, though Id argue the character action game genre captures the spirit in a new form. There simply wasnt much variance between games in the genre, so there was little reason not to stick to the best of the best. Streets of Rage 2 stood at the top. More than any other video game, Streets of Rage 2 is indebted to its soundtrack. I would argue this is the greatest video game soundtrack ever. During early video game eras, music was limited by technology. A few ingenious composers worked their magic and invented what would become a new genre during the NES era. The Genesis had a bit more power, but not much. Even a classic like Final Fantasy VII on a later console has many people who prefer the soundtrack in a fully orchestrated form the game itself was limited to what the PlayStation could handle, with most of the tracks suggesting something beyond the actual sound. Meanwhile, the music from Streets of Rage 2 cannot be improved beyond what managed to fit inside the Genesis cartridge. Yuzo Koshiro looked at the Detroit techno scene and made a masterpiece in the genre. This is the type of music so simple the Genesis can process the sound flawlessly, yet complex enough to be truly excellent dance music. The music perfectly reinforces the games aesthetic of a city being overrun with crime, where every alley leads to another mugger or three waiting for a roundhouse kick to the face. Between its pulsing beats, shrill sirens, and frenetic rhythm, its simultaneously anxiety-inducing and an absolute jam from beginning to end. Its hard to define what makes the gameplay of one beat-em-up better than another. But Ive played quite a few, and Streets of Rage 2 simply feels smoother than most. Despite the easy inputs, the game gives a ton of options beyond simple punch and kicks. Approaching a character can lead to a grapple, the characters can do a mid-air kick, and so on. Many enemies are designed around cancelling out a few of these techniques that flying kick is essential when someone runs at the player knife-first, for example. The many weapons can also be picked up for longer range or to be thrown. The playable characters offer their own variety, from the aptly-named skater known as Skate to the slow but powerful professional wrestler named Max. Even the character designs are wonderful, from the central cast down to the bosses and even the minor mooks. There are fat fire breathers, bikers who torment the player until knocked away from their machines, women with electrified whips. One boss uses a jetpack and another boss fight consists of two robots. The sprite design of all of these are lovingly detailed. As minimal as the narrative can be, so much is suggested purely through these unique designs. Streets of Rage 2 is simply a masterwork of Genesis-era presentation. From the music to the visual design, everything about this game will stick with you. Many beat em ups fall quickly into repetition, but Streets of Rage 2 overcomes this with a stunning aesthetic and consistently smooth gameplay matched with ever more complex enemy designs. </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
CasanovaZelos 06/23/20 12:34:50 PM #159:	#34. Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair (2014) Developed by Spike Chunsoft There are certain pieces of media I will praise which I feel the need to partially explain with my concept of the High School Angst Factor. The most emblematic work of this particular niche is the film Donnie Darko. Its view of life and human relationships are absolutely juvenile, but it all works perfectly if you take the film as an exaggerated embodiment of the lonely teen experience. The problem is, most people refuse to take teenagers seriously, and thus look down on these works which attempt to confront those heightened emotions. These are the works that ask, what if high school really was as bad as your anxiety led you to believe? The Danganronpa series works within this same exaggerated structure. For many of us, high school was an emotional battleground. Some of us were bullied for immutable traits, others hid struggles at home, while those who led the gossip were constantly aware how easy those words could be turned against them. At the heart of the series is a predatory force who abuses their knowledge to manipulate others into harming one another. Danganronpa 2 works so much better than the other two games in its series largely due to the cast. The first game rapidly chews through a third of its cast before you ever truly connect with them, and most remain underdeveloped. The characters in the third game are too exaggerated to connect with this may be intentional, but that still lessens the emotional impact. The characters in Danganronpa 2 balance on the line between absurdity and believability, adding up to what just might be my favorite ensemble cast in any video game. The other games in this series hooked me with their central mystery. In Danganronpa 2, I became so attached to these characters that I truly dreaded progression. The bellweather character of Danganronpa 2 is Gundham Tanaka. On the surface, hes the most bizarre member of the cast. Gundham dresses in gothic fashion and constantly speaks of himself as an evil overlord. Yet hes not the Ultimate Sorcerer or whatever you might imagine. No, hes the Ultimate Animal Breeder. The more he speaks, the clearer it becomes that his behavior is a defense mechanism for his underdeveloped social skills. Hes that awkward kid who understands animals better than people and knows certain abrasive behavior will turn people away. Under all the more extreme characters is a meaningful explanation to ground them - except maybe Ibuki, who really appears to be a hyperactive yet loveable goofball. The central trinity of Hajime Hinata, Chiaki Nanami, and Nagito Komaeda is quickly made apparent. In many ways, Danganronpa 2 is a deconstruction of the simplistic theme of the original game, which pitted hope against despair. In contrast to the optimism of the first protagonist, Hajime Hinata remains largely cynical throughout. Meanwhile, a central problem in the original game is that one character guided most of the investigation. Chiaki takes on a similar narrative role, but her lack of expertise gives other characters more room to speak. In many ways, she simply acts as a calming agent among everyone elses panic. And like the protagonist of the first game, Nagito Komaeda is the Ultimate Lucky Student. He clearly strives to be the embodiment of the shallow hope which overwhelmed the original games message, which obviously annoys the more cynical Hajime. Like most games of this type, it can be difficult to discuss without spoilers. While I will not discuss anything beyond the first trial in detail, too much of Danganronpa 2s spirit relies on a twist during the first trial. Thus, the next two paragraphs will freely discuss that revelation. Halfway through the first trial, it becomes apparent that Nagito Komaeda set everything up in the hope that he would be murdered. In his frenzy, he explains his twisted desire to be a stepping stone for everyone else. Danganronpa 2 posits hope as a negative delusional energy which thrives in moments of despair to create a need for hope, Nagito intentionally drags his fellow students into despair. Even Nagitos label as the Ultimate Lucky Student is corrupted in a similar fashion his unnatural luck has more to do with surviving awful predicaments, which naturally requires him to constantly be put in horrid situations. After a lifetime of this perpetual torment, it makes sense his view of hope and despair are so entangled. This twist adds a lingering internal tension which the other games lack. All of these games have a clear external agent serving as a puppetmaster, but Danganronpa 2 is smart enough to include a blatant antagonist among the central cast. Hajime acts as a perfect foil to Nagitos nonsense in such an awful situation, one cant fall back on mere hope. Much like the cast, each of the six cases are better than anything from the original game. The chemistry between these characters makes this possible. Even when cases tread familiar ground from the first game, they work so much better because youll inevitably be pointing a finger at a character you actually like. While its easy to compare this series to Ace Attorney, keeping each case focused around the same set of characters adds extra emotional potential. This culminates in the fifth case no other video game moment has hit me so hard. Its something which simply needs to be experienced, a disarming mystery only Danganronpa could pull off through all its twisted logic and rules. Which, I have gone all this time talking about the narrative. But like Ace Attorney, the gameplay is the narrative. Making sense of these various characters and their potential motivations is key to solving these mysteries. One of the fun ways to compare the two series is how, in each Ace Attorney game, the cast tends to get bigger with each case. More characters means more suspects. Danganronpa works in reverse. One might think the shrinking cast would make the mysteries easier to solve, but there were few moments in the second game where I identified the murderer until right before the game prompted the final accusation. These are well-crafted mysteries with dozens of stunning a-ha moments and a few other moments where proving the truth feels like a sinister but necessary act. Survival has rarely felt so numbing. Like its characters, Danganronpa 2 hides some serious emotional depth beneath an aggressively stylized exterior. Video games are the perfect medium for mysteries, and this game with its island setting is a magnificent evolution of Agatha Christies And Then There Were None. Looking past the aesthetic can be hard even as a huge fan of Phoenix Wright, I spent years overlooking this series because its thematic content appeared exploitative. I assumed from the edgy presentation that this is a series where death came cheap. This may have been true in the original. But in Danganronpa 2, each and every death carries weight. Plenty of stories have copied Battle Royale, but Danganronpa 2 is the first since the original book to really treat all of its characters like individuals with their own dreams for the future. While this may appear a hokey high school horror on its surface, at its core is a deeply upsetting tragedy. --- Film essays and reviews: https://www.youtube.com/c/foolfantastic Board 8's Top 250 Games 2016 Edition: https://casanovazelos.wordpress.com/2016/04/26/b8top250/ <cite>CasanovaZelos posted [p:941128940] in CasanovaZe... [t:78725204]...</cite> <quote> #34. Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair (2014) Developed by Spike Chunsoft There are certain pieces of media I will praise which I feel the need to partially explain with my concept of the High School Angst Factor. The most emblematic work of this particular niche is the film Donnie Darko. Its view of life and human relationships are absolutely juvenile, but it all works perfectly if you take the film as an exaggerated embodiment of the lonely teen experience. The problem is, most people refuse to take teenagers seriously, and thus look down on these works which attempt to confront those heightened emotions. These are the works that ask, what if high school really was as bad as your anxiety led you to believe? The Danganronpa series works within this same exaggerated structure. For many of us, high school was an emotional battleground. Some of us were bullied for immutable traits, others hid struggles at home, while those who led the gossip were constantly aware how easy those words could be turned against them. At the heart of the series is a predatory force who abuses their knowledge to manipulate others into harming one another. Danganronpa 2 works so much better than the other two games in its series largely due to the cast. The first game rapidly chews through a third of its cast before you ever truly connect with them, and most remain underdeveloped. The characters in the third game are too exaggerated to connect with this may be intentional, but that still lessens the emotional impact. The characters in Danganronpa 2 balance on the line between absurdity and believability, adding up to what just might be my favorite ensemble cast in any video game. The other games in this series hooked me with their central mystery. In Danganronpa 2, I became so attached to these characters that I truly dreaded progression. The bellweather character of Danganronpa 2 is Gundham Tanaka. On the surface, hes the most bizarre member of the cast. Gundham dresses in gothic fashion and constantly speaks of himself as an evil overlord. Yet hes not the Ultimate Sorcerer or whatever you might imagine. No, hes the Ultimate Animal Breeder. The more he speaks, the clearer it becomes that his behavior is a defense mechanism for his underdeveloped social skills. Hes that awkward kid who understands animals better than people and knows certain abrasive behavior will turn people away. Under all the more extreme characters is a meaningful explanation to ground them - except maybe Ibuki, who really appears to be a hyperactive yet loveable goofball. The central trinity of Hajime Hinata, Chiaki Nanami, and Nagito Komaeda is quickly made apparent. In many ways, Danganronpa 2 is a deconstruction of the simplistic theme of the original game, which pitted hope against despair. In contrast to the optimism of the first protagonist, Hajime Hinata remains largely cynical throughout. Meanwhile, a central problem in the original game is that one character guided most of the investigation. Chiaki takes on a similar narrative role, but her lack of expertise gives other characters more room to speak. In many ways, she simply acts as a calming agent among everyone elses panic. And like the protagonist of the first game, Nagito Komaeda is the Ultimate Lucky Student. He clearly strives to be the embodiment of the shallow hope which overwhelmed the original games message, which obviously annoys the more cynical Hajime. Like most games of this type, it can be difficult to discuss without spoilers. While I will not discuss anything beyond the first trial in detail, too much of Danganronpa 2s spirit relies on a twist during the first trial. Thus, the next two paragraphs will freely discuss that revelation. Halfway through the first trial, it becomes apparent that Nagito Komaeda set everything up in the hope that he would be murdered. In his frenzy, he explains his twisted desire to be a stepping stone for everyone else. Danganronpa 2 posits hope as a negative delusional energy which thrives in moments of despair to create a need for hope, Nagito intentionally drags his fellow students into despair. Even Nagitos label as the Ultimate Lucky Student is corrupted in a similar fashion his unnatural luck has more to do with surviving awful predicaments, which naturally requires him to constantly be put in horrid situations. After a lifetime of this perpetual torment, it makes sense his view of hope and despair are so entangled. This twist adds a lingering internal tension which the other games lack. All of these games have a clear external agent serving as a puppetmaster, but Danganronpa 2 is smart enough to include a blatant antagonist among the central cast. Hajime acts as a perfect foil to Nagitos nonsense in such an awful situation, one cant fall back on mere hope. Much like the cast, each of the six cases are better than anything from the original game. The chemistry between these characters makes this possible. Even when cases tread familiar ground from the first game, they work so much better because youll inevitably be pointing a finger at a character you actually like. While its easy to compare this series to Ace Attorney, keeping each case focused around the same set of characters adds extra emotional potential. This culminates in the fifth case no other video game moment has hit me so hard. Its something which simply needs to be experienced, a disarming mystery only Danganronpa could pull off through all its twisted logic and rules. Which, I have gone all this time talking about the narrative. But like Ace Attorney, the gameplay is the narrative. Making sense of these various characters and their potential motivations is key to solving these mysteries. One of the fun ways to compare the two series is how, in each Ace Attorney game, the cast tends to get bigger with each case. More characters means more suspects. Danganronpa works in reverse. One might think the shrinking cast would make the mysteries easier to solve, but there were few moments in the second game where I identified the murderer until right before the game prompted the final accusation. These are well-crafted mysteries with dozens of stunning a-ha moments and a few other moments where proving the truth feels like a sinister but necessary act. Survival has rarely felt so numbing. Like its characters, Danganronpa 2 hides some serious emotional depth beneath an aggressively stylized exterior. Video games are the perfect medium for mysteries, and this game with its island setting is a magnificent evolution of Agatha Christies And Then There Were None. Looking past the aesthetic can be hard even as a huge fan of Phoenix Wright, I spent years overlooking this series because its thematic content appeared exploitative. I assumed from the edgy presentation that this is a series where death came cheap. This may have been true in the original. But in Danganronpa 2, each and every death carries weight. Plenty of stories have copied Battle Royale, but Danganronpa 2 is the first since the original book to really treat all of its characters like individuals with their own dreams for the future. While this may appear a hokey high school horror on its surface, at its core is a deeply upsetting tragedy. </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
CasanovaZelos 06/23/20 3:00:05 PM #160:	I mentioned earlier that I was considering combining two higher entries together and also inserting something I have been recently playing ~ here is that recent game (though I did play a third of the way through upon initial release, but it came out while I was in college and simply couldn't find the time) #33. Xenoblade Chronicles (2010) Developed by Monolith Soft The western release of Xenoblade Chronicles is one of those wonderful moments where gamers came together to bring about an absolute good. This niche JRPG was never planned to reach a worldwide audience, but a group known as Operation Rainfall came together to show Nintendo that this game could easily achieve a positive reception in the west. Its hard to believe what now seems the definitive JRPG of the seventh console generation required an audience to beg for its release if only such a plan could have worked to bring over the still missing Mother 3. Xenoblade Chronicles feels like the one game to really capitalize upon Final Fantasy XIIs example as a bridge between the traditional and MMO RPG experience. Each new area is simply massive with tons of minor quests to fulfill. With some areas blocked off by high-levelled enemies, theres always encouragement to come back later. This game is simply loaded with content from beginning to end and perfectly establishes an expectation for more. More than just the size, these areas are simply beautiful. Stepping onto the Gaur Plains for the first time is breathtaking, with all its jutting rock formations and roaming packs of rhino-like Armus. The bioluminescent glow and eternal fog of Satorl Marsh creates a dreamlike quality. Throughout many of these areas, the titanic Mechonis looms in the background. This game is set on the bodies of two dormant giants, a world truly like no other. While most modern JRPG games have avoided random encounters, the way in which Xenoblade Chronicles handles this aspect is quite inventive. Some enemies will chase down the heroes on sight, while others go on sound and can be snuck by with care, while others will respond only when a nearby member of their species is attacked. Thus, many late game areas can be navigated purely by watching your step around the enemies. Meanwhile, enemies six levels lower than the party simply wont engage on their own, making older areas easier to navigate. There are enough quests which provide experience that the player will never have to grind in my most recent playthrough, there was never an area I entered under-leveled. This game is perfectly paced. The gameplay feels like a perfect midpoint between turn-based and action combat. Like FF12, the characters are set to auto-attack every couple seconds, but they also come loaded with special moves. Shulks abilities highlight the way positioning works in this game. Two of his attacks only work to their full potential from the side, while another works from behind. Meanwhile, enemies choose their targets based on an aggro system related to damage received. Thus, if Shulk is dealing the most damage, the enemy will stay focused on him, resulting in these weaknesses not being exposed. However, Shulk has an ability which temporarily reduces his aggro, which results in them turning their focus to an ally. Thus, most battles revolve around a rhythm of dealing a big early attack, shedding the gained aggro, and then getting a few more hits. Making another teammate specialize in drawing attention is almost essential. Each party member is playable and require their own unique rhythm to function at their full potential. This focus on positioning and timing gives the right oomph to make even basic encounters exciting. Shulk also has the ability to foresee disaster, which is perfectly integrated into the combat. He can warn allies when an attack is likely to leave them dead or seriously wounded, allowing the player to give a direct command to these otherwise AI-controlled characters. Shulks weapon, the Monado, also has several abilities to mitigate these disasters, such as being able to generate shields which reduce certain attacks to nothing. As enemies become more complex, juggling these abilities is both essential and a lot of fun. Xenoblade Chronicles is defined by constant promises of something bigger and better which it manages to fulfill over and over again. The progression is obvious from the beginning Shulk and pals start from the bottom of the giant Bionis, climb to the top, and eventually cross over to the other giant, Mechonis. The narrative starts off in a rather familiar place, but the pacing is exceptional enough to make it work, while the second half finally starts going into surprising places. Some moments seem inevitable, but seeing them in action leaves quite an impact. While several of the party members first appear like standard JRPG fare, little heart to heart moments are scattered across the map which flesh out their individual characters. Each pair has several of these moments. Its simply a nice feature to see the party members interact on their own, without the context of forwarding the central narrative and without necessitating the presence of the protagonist. I knew this game was working a special charm after realizing even the cutesy mascot character had hidden depth. Xenoblade Chronicles is simply a massive JRPG with a ton of heart and a battle system which remains engaging throughout. --- Film essays and reviews: https://www.youtube.com/c/foolfantastic Board 8's Top 250 Games 2016 Edition: https://casanovazelos.wordpress.com/2016/04/26/b8top250/ <cite>CasanovaZelos posted [p:941136728] in CasanovaZe... [t:78725204]...</cite> <quote>I mentioned earlier that I was considering combining two higher entries together and also inserting something I have been recently playing ~ here is that recent game (though I did play a third of the way through upon initial release, but it came out while I was in college and simply couldn't find the time) #33. Xenoblade Chronicles (2010) Developed by Monolith Soft The western release of Xenoblade Chronicles is one of those wonderful moments where gamers came together to bring about an absolute good. This niche JRPG was never planned to reach a worldwide audience, but a group known as Operation Rainfall came together to show Nintendo that this game could easily achieve a positive reception in the west. Its hard to believe what now seems the definitive JRPG of the seventh console generation required an audience to beg for its release if only such a plan could have worked to bring over the still missing Mother 3. Xenoblade Chronicles feels like the one game to really capitalize upon Final Fantasy XIIs example as a bridge between the traditional and MMO RPG experience. Each new area is simply massive with tons of minor quests to fulfill. With some areas blocked off by high-levelled enemies, theres always encouragement to come back later. This game is simply loaded with content from beginning to end and perfectly establishes an expectation for more. More than just the size, these areas are simply beautiful. Stepping onto the Gaur Plains for the first time is breathtaking, with all its jutting rock formations and roaming packs of rhino-like Armus. The bioluminescent glow and eternal fog of Satorl Marsh creates a dreamlike quality. Throughout many of these areas, the titanic Mechonis looms in the background. This game is set on the bodies of two dormant giants, a world truly like no other. While most modern JRPG games have avoided random encounters, the way in which Xenoblade Chronicles handles this aspect is quite inventive. Some enemies will chase down the heroes on sight, while others go on sound and can be snuck by with care, while others will respond only when a nearby member of their species is attacked. Thus, many late game areas can be navigated purely by watching your step around the enemies. Meanwhile, enemies six levels lower than the party simply wont engage on their own, making older areas easier to navigate. There are enough quests which provide experience that the player will never have to grind in my most recent playthrough, there was never an area I entered under-leveled. This game is perfectly paced. The gameplay feels like a perfect midpoint between turn-based and action combat. Like FF12, the characters are set to auto-attack every couple seconds, but they also come loaded with special moves. Shulks abilities highlight the way positioning works in this game. Two of his attacks only work to their full potential from the side, while another works from behind. Meanwhile, enemies choose their targets based on an aggro system related to damage received. Thus, if Shulk is dealing the most damage, the enemy will stay focused on him, resulting in these weaknesses not being exposed. However, Shulk has an ability which temporarily reduces his aggro, which results in them turning their focus to an ally. Thus, most battles revolve around a rhythm of dealing a big early attack, shedding the gained aggro, and then getting a few more hits. Making another teammate specialize in drawing attention is almost essential. Each party member is playable and require their own unique rhythm to function at their full potential. This focus on positioning and timing gives the right oomph to make even basic encounters exciting. Shulk also has the ability to foresee disaster, which is perfectly integrated into the combat. He can warn allies when an attack is likely to leave them dead or seriously wounded, allowing the player to give a direct command to these otherwise AI-controlled characters. Shulks weapon, the Monado, also has several abilities to mitigate these disasters, such as being able to generate shields which reduce certain attacks to nothing. As enemies become more complex, juggling these abilities is both essential and a lot of fun. Xenoblade Chronicles is defined by constant promises of something bigger and better which it manages to fulfill over and over again. The progression is obvious from the beginning Shulk and pals start from the bottom of the giant Bionis, climb to the top, and eventually cross over to the other giant, Mechonis. The narrative starts off in a rather familiar place, but the pacing is exceptional enough to make it work, while the second half finally starts going into surprising places. Some moments seem inevitable, but seeing them in action leaves quite an impact. While several of the party members first appear like standard JRPG fare, little heart to heart moments are scattered across the map which flesh out their individual characters. Each pair has several of these moments. Its simply a nice feature to see the party members interact on their own, without the context of forwarding the central narrative and without necessitating the presence of the protagonist. I knew this game was working a special charm after realizing even the cutesy mascot character had hidden depth. Xenoblade Chronicles is simply a massive JRPG with a ton of heart and a battle system which remains engaging throughout. </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Not Dave 06/24/20 2:05:30 AM #161:	You've got me really wanting to play DOOM. Is Eternal as good or better? --- ND <cite>Not Dave posted [p:941167578] in CasanovaZe... [t:78725204]...</cite> <quote>You've got me really wanting to play DOOM. Is Eternal as good or better? </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
MrSmartGuy 06/24/20 3:21:41 AM #162:	CasanovaZelos posted... The characters in the third game are too exaggerated to connect with this may be intentional, but that still lessens the emotional impact. The characters in Danganronpa 2 balance on the line between absurdity and believability, adding up to what just might be my favorite ensemble cast in any video game. That's interesting, because I feel like the third game's cast is easily the best in the series, because 2's cast is completely absurd and unbelievable. I like the games 2 and V3 overall right about the same, but this comment stuck out to me as kinda odd. --- Xbox GT/PSN name/Nintendo ID: TatteredUniform http://www.scuffletown.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/tRBE1.gif <cite>MrSmartGuy posted [p:941169164] in CasanovaZe... [t:78725204]...</cite> <quote>CasanovaZelos posted... </cite> <quote>The characters in the third game are too exaggerated to connect with this may be intentional, but that still lessens the emotional impact. The characters in Danganronpa 2 balance on the line between absurdity and believability, adding up to what just might be my favorite ensemble cast in any video game.</quote>That's interesting, because I feel like the third game's cast is easily the best in the series, because 2's cast is completely absurd and unbelievable. I like the games 2 and V3 overall right about the same, but this comment stuck out to me as kinda odd. </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Raka_Putra 06/24/20 4:12:05 AM #163:	DR2 is my favorite as well. As for characters being weird... NORMAL ENOUGH (act mostly like people you might know IRL) 2: Hajime, Byakuya, Sonia, Souda, Peko, Fuyuhiko, Chiaki, Akane, Mahiru V3: Kaito, Kirumi, Kaede, Shuichi, Maki, Ryoma, Angie, Tsumugi, Rantaro WEIRD 2: Mikan, Nekomaru, Teruteru, Hiyoko V3: Kibo (only physically), Gonta, Tenko, Himiko BIZARRE 2: Nagito, Ibuki, Gundham V3: Ouma, Miu, Korekiyo It's a pretty even spread IMO. --- Into the woods, but mind the past... Into the woods, but mind the future! <cite>Raka_Putra posted [p:941170113] in CasanovaZe... [t:78725204]...</cite> <quote>DR2 is my favorite as well. As for characters being weird... NORMAL ENOUGH (act mostly like people you might know IRL) 2: Hajime, Byakuya, Sonia, Souda, Peko, Fuyuhiko, Chiaki, Akane, Mahiru V3: Kaito, Kirumi, Kaede, Shuichi, Maki, Ryoma, Angie, Tsumugi, Rantaro WEIRD 2: Mikan, Nekomaru, Teruteru, Hiyoko V3: Kibo (only physically), Gonta, Tenko, Himiko BIZARRE 2: Nagito, Ibuki, Gundham V3: Ouma, Miu, Korekiyo It's a pretty even spread IMO. </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
CasanovaZelos 06/24/20 9:12:18 AM #164:	Not Dave posted... You've got me really wanting to play DOOM. Is Eternal as good or better? I still need to get around to it. --- Film essays and reviews: https://www.youtube.com/c/foolfantastic Board 8's Top 250 Games 2016 Edition: https://casanovazelos.wordpress.com/2016/04/26/b8top250/ <cite>CasanovaZelos posted [p:941176168] in CasanovaZe... [t:78725204]...</cite> <quote>Not Dave posted... </cite> <quote>You've got me really wanting to play DOOM. Is Eternal as good or better?</quote> I still need to get around to it. </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
SeabassDebeste 06/24/20 9:18:51 AM #165:	DR2 has the best cast and is thus the best overall. i think its plot is pretty meh (and 2-6 might be the least interesting reveal of them all) but i just had the most fun hanging out with these characters in and out of trials pouring 60 hours into an RPG seems unlikely to happen for me, but if i do ever have time for that then i feel like XB has to be up there in terms of what i want to play! your description made it sound awesome. --- yet all azuarc of all sorts are more or less capricious and unreliable - they live in the varying outer weather, and they inhale its fickleness <cite>SeabassDebeste posted [p:941176501] in CasanovaZe... [t:78725204]...</cite> <quote>DR2 has the best cast and is thus the best overall. i think its plot is pretty meh (and 2-6 might be the least interesting reveal of them all) but i just had the most fun hanging out with these characters in and out of trials pouring 60 hours into an RPG seems unlikely to happen for me, but if i do ever have time for that then i feel like XB has to be up there in terms of what i want to play! your description made it sound awesome.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
CasanovaZelos 06/24/20 11:21:02 AM #166:	#32. Silent Hill (1999) Developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo (Team Silent) I will very openly remark upon how difficult it is to return to the first PlayStation era. Graphics were blocky while most games featured rough controls. The fact I played the original Silent Hill a decade after the fact and it still managed to terrify me is a testament to how the development team created something magnificent within these constraints. Silent Hill succeeds by actively attempting to hide these graphical limitations with ideas which build upon the horror. The perpetual fog is the most famous example. Harry Masons visibility is limited to only a few feet, making even outdoor sections awfully claustrophobic. If we could simply see into the distance, nothing at all would be scary. Its this sense that an enemy could stumble into range at any time which ramps up the tension. At certain points, the world shifts another layer closer to hell. This transition is signified by an air raid siren. The first transition is unforgettable. Harry stumbles into an alleyway which slowly gets darker. The camera remains angled to prevent the player from seeing where hes headed. This first encounter is presented almost as a nightmare, but its the second time as Harry travels through the elementary school where the player must truly confront this other world. Everything becomes rusted and covered in blood while an all-consuming darkness replaces the fog. Few locations in video games are as iconic as Silent Hill. All of these elements add up to the suggestion that this wretched resort town preys upon the psychological fears of its visitors. Where a series like Resident Evil was focused entirely on external threats, Silent Hill went straight beneath the skin. To truly praise the atmosphere, Silent Hill manages to be more terrifying when no enemies are present. This game thrives on the anticipation of something worse. And, boy, do things get worse, and thats saying a lot when the streets themselves are terrifying. The music adds to the experience, with the soundtrack jumping back and forth between dark ambience and violent industrial pieces. While video games started pushing toward cinematic ideas during the PlayStation era, most which made this attempt like Resident Evil or Metal Gear Solid were happy to wrestle with B-movie shlock. These obviously worked most games were still pushing toward sheer fun, and these stories perfectly matched traditional game design. But Silent Hill feels like the first real success at going beyond blockbuster fare and really pushing into the territory of art films. Silent Hill is a game with the ambience of the most terrifying David Lynch films, throwing horror after horror at the audience with only a sliver of context. The real kicker is the completely ordinary nature of Harry Mason. Hes not a trained cop like the Resident Evil protagonists. Hes just a writer. Theres no confidence in him getting through these encounters, which encourages avoiding conflict whenever possible. There are few other humans he runs into along the way, and theres this dreadful sense that he cant help any of them not that Silent Hill would allow their escape, anyway. Despite its age, Silent Hill still stands as one of the best examples of ambient horror. While its sequel would improve upon this experience on nearly every level, it cannot be understated how much this first game pushed narrative presentation to new heights. The original game perfectly established one of gamings most iconic locations, and the simple fact is that we might have never gotten this specific design if not some ingenious handling of the PS1s technical limits. I struggle to think of another game which benefited so much from working within the constraints of this era. --- Film essays and reviews: https://www.youtube.com/c/foolfantastic Board 8's Top 250 Games 2016 Edition: https://casanovazelos.wordpress.com/2016/04/26/b8top250/ <cite>CasanovaZelos posted [p:941181543] in CasanovaZe... [t:78725204]...</cite> <quote> #32. Silent Hill (1999) Developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo (Team Silent) I will very openly remark upon how difficult it is to return to the first PlayStation era. Graphics were blocky while most games featured rough controls. The fact I played the original Silent Hill a decade after the fact and it still managed to terrify me is a testament to how the development team created something magnificent within these constraints. Silent Hill succeeds by actively attempting to hide these graphical limitations with ideas which build upon the horror. The perpetual fog is the most famous example. Harry Masons visibility is limited to only a few feet, making even outdoor sections awfully claustrophobic. If we could simply see into the distance, nothing at all would be scary. Its this sense that an enemy could stumble into range at any time which ramps up the tension. At certain points, the world shifts another layer closer to hell. This transition is signified by an air raid siren. The first transition is unforgettable. Harry stumbles into an alleyway which slowly gets darker. The camera remains angled to prevent the player from seeing where hes headed. This first encounter is presented almost as a nightmare, but its the second time as Harry travels through the elementary school where the player must truly confront this other world. Everything becomes rusted and covered in blood while an all-consuming darkness replaces the fog. Few locations in video games are as iconic as Silent Hill. All of these elements add up to the suggestion that this wretched resort town preys upon the psychological fears of its visitors. Where a series like Resident Evil was focused entirely on external threats, Silent Hill went straight beneath the skin. To truly praise the atmosphere, Silent Hill manages to be more terrifying when no enemies are present. This game thrives on the anticipation of something worse. And, boy, do things get worse, and thats saying a lot when the streets themselves are terrifying. The music adds to the experience, with the soundtrack jumping back and forth between dark ambience and violent industrial pieces. While video games started pushing toward cinematic ideas during the PlayStation era, most which made this attempt like Resident Evil or Metal Gear Solid were happy to wrestle with B-movie shlock. These obviously worked most games were still pushing toward sheer fun, and these stories perfectly matched traditional game design. But Silent Hill feels like the first real success at going beyond blockbuster fare and really pushing into the territory of art films. Silent Hill is a game with the ambience of the most terrifying David Lynch films, throwing horror after horror at the audience with only a sliver of context. The real kicker is the completely ordinary nature of Harry Mason. Hes not a trained cop like the Resident Evil protagonists. Hes just a writer. Theres no confidence in him getting through these encounters, which encourages avoiding conflict whenever possible. There are few other humans he runs into along the way, and theres this dreadful sense that he cant help any of them not that Silent Hill would allow their escape, anyway. Despite its age, Silent Hill still stands as one of the best examples of ambient horror. While its sequel would improve upon this experience on nearly every level, it cannot be understated how much this first game pushed narrative presentation to new heights. The original game perfectly established one of gamings most iconic locations, and the simple fact is that we might have never gotten this specific design if not some ingenious handling of the PS1s technical limits. I struggle to think of another game which benefited so much from working within the constraints of this era. </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
CasanovaZelos 06/24/20 1:11:35 PM #167:	#31. Final Fantasy IX (2000) Developed by Square In many ways, Final Fantasy IX feels like the last traditional Final Fantasy, as much as a series which constantly changes features can have a traditional form. Most grew to know the series with the SNES and PS1 titles, with all six games built around the Active Time Battle system. Though the last entry on the PS1, FF9 felt like a throwback to the SNES titles, focused on a more fantastical world than 7 and 8 while also featuring character designs by Yoshitaka Amano. Even the battle theme features the signature bassline from the earlier games. In many ways, IX is the best of both worlds and feels like a celebration of the whole series up to that point. Theres a certain charm to Final Fantasy IX that the other games never achieved. Though the plot ends up as dire as any other entry, the game features a consistently lighter atmosphere. Each central character is designed to look nothing like another. The standout here is Vivi Ornitier, a shy boy with a design based upon the original Black Mage. Even the world design feels fresh, mixing together the more medieval styling of the earlier games with ever-present future technology. Though it might be a minor point, I simply enjoy having more members in the active party. The SNES Final Fantasy games had four or five characters each, yet 7 and 8 reduced this number to three. FF9 brings this back up to four. Meanwhile, the twist on the ability system feels concise yet expansive. Each weapon comes with its own ability, which can be used whenever the item is equipped and becomes permanent after enough use. This gives a greater meaning to both finding and using each weapon. Nobuo Uematsu is at the top of his game here, the final Final Fantasy to exclusively feature his music. The music is generally more whimsical than the other entries while also featuring some of the most singularly emotional pieces in the series. As mentioned before, the main battle theme builds upon the classic bassline to great effect. Many of the best tracks are limited to single moments. Otherwise minor character General Beatrix is elevated to another level through her wondrous piano theme, Roses of May. The Darkness of Eternity stands alongside the other classic final battle themes. My personal favorite is Youre Not Alone, which plays during a powerful moment where Zidane rejects the assistance of his friends after a devastating revelation. The piece starts as a gentle, melancholic arrangement, slowly building until finally bringing in a guitar and then chanting. Its an epic theme to a great moment. While I began by discussing the lighthearted charm, this cutesy aesthetic masks some of the darker themes in the series. The Youre Not Alone sequence helps elevate Zidane into a strong protagonist after a rocky introduction one thing that often gets neglected when discussing the Final Fantasy protagonists is how much they evolve during the course of the story. Zidane and Tidus both get the short end of the stick. Characters like Cecil and Cloud start off cool and then gain more depth, while these later protagonists start as obnoxious teenagers and slowly mature. They may be abrasive, but seeing them grow is ultimately a rewarding experience. Final Fantasy IX is the series at its most existential, with both Zidane and Vivi getting the brunt of this theme. Vivi is one of the best characters in this series, and this extends far beyond his iconic design. As a character, he is unaware of his origins. An early moment has the group stumble across an assembly line where black mages are being manufactured. What, exactly, is his purpose in existing? The revelations only get worse from there, but like Zidane, hes not alone. This is a game about characters trying to break free of their intended purpose, whether it involves social roles or being literally manufactured. Kuja makes the perfect foil as the central antagonist. Where the heroes are learning to cope with their destinies, Kuja lashes out. Final Fantasy IX also takes one of my favorite pages from the SNES era and jumps between characters until they finally come together. The game even includes a dungeon where the player must split the party into two. Theres also a massive world to explore, with plenty of rare collectables to gather. This game offers everything you could want from this series. Everyone has a different Final Fantasy they call their favorite - the series is just that good. But IX stands as a culmination of all the stray ideas the series had explored during its breakthrough era. The only reason it gets less attention is due to the Wind Waker effect certain gamers simply refused to try a game with this art style. Which is a shame, as this truly captures the spirit of Final Fantasy on every level. --- Film essays and reviews: https://www.youtube.com/c/foolfantastic Board 8's Top 250 Games 2016 Edition: https://casanovazelos.wordpress.com/2016/04/26/b8top250/ <cite>CasanovaZelos posted [p:941186795] in CasanovaZe... [t:78725204]...</cite> <quote> #31. Final Fantasy IX (2000) Developed by Square In many ways, Final Fantasy IX feels like the last traditional Final Fantasy, as much as a series which constantly changes features can have a traditional form. Most grew to know the series with the SNES and PS1 titles, with all six games built around the Active Time Battle system. Though the last entry on the PS1, FF9 felt like a throwback to the SNES titles, focused on a more fantastical world than 7 and 8 while also featuring character designs by Yoshitaka Amano. Even the battle theme features the signature bassline from the earlier games. In many ways, IX is the best of both worlds and feels like a celebration of the whole series up to that point. Theres a certain charm to Final Fantasy IX that the other games never achieved. Though the plot ends up as dire as any other entry, the game features a consistently lighter atmosphere. Each central character is designed to look nothing like another. The standout here is Vivi Ornitier, a shy boy with a design based upon the original Black Mage. Even the world design feels fresh, mixing together the more medieval styling of the earlier games with ever-present future technology. Though it might be a minor point, I simply enjoy having more members in the active party. The SNES Final Fantasy games had four or five characters each, yet 7 and 8 reduced this number to three. FF9 brings this back up to four. Meanwhile, the twist on the ability system feels concise yet expansive. Each weapon comes with its own ability, which can be used whenever the item is equipped and becomes permanent after enough use. This gives a greater meaning to both finding and using each weapon. Nobuo Uematsu is at the top of his game here, the final Final Fantasy to exclusively feature his music. The music is generally more whimsical than the other entries while also featuring some of the most singularly emotional pieces in the series. As mentioned before, the main battle theme builds upon the classic bassline to great effect. Many of the best tracks are limited to single moments. Otherwise minor character General Beatrix is elevated to another level through her wondrous piano theme, Roses of May. The Darkness of Eternity stands alongside the other classic final battle themes. My personal favorite is Youre Not Alone, which plays during a powerful moment where Zidane rejects the assistance of his friends after a devastating revelation. The piece starts as a gentle, melancholic arrangement, slowly building until finally bringing in a guitar and then chanting. Its an epic theme to a great moment. While I began by discussing the lighthearted charm, this cutesy aesthetic masks some of the darker themes in the series. The Youre Not Alone sequence helps elevate Zidane into a strong protagonist after a rocky introduction one thing that often gets neglected when discussing the Final Fantasy protagonists is how much they evolve during the course of the story. Zidane and Tidus both get the short end of the stick. Characters like Cecil and Cloud start off cool and then gain more depth, while these later protagonists start as obnoxious teenagers and slowly mature. They may be abrasive, but seeing them grow is ultimately a rewarding experience. Final Fantasy IX is the series at its most existential, with both Zidane and Vivi getting the brunt of this theme. Vivi is one of the best characters in this series, and this extends far beyond his iconic design. As a character, he is unaware of his origins. An early moment has the group stumble across an assembly line where black mages are being manufactured. What, exactly, is his purpose in existing? The revelations only get worse from there, but like Zidane, hes not alone. This is a game about characters trying to break free of their intended purpose, whether it involves social roles or being literally manufactured. Kuja makes the perfect foil as the central antagonist. Where the heroes are learning to cope with their destinies, Kuja lashes out. Final Fantasy IX also takes one of my favorite pages from the SNES era and jumps between characters until they finally come together. The game even includes a dungeon where the player must split the party into two. Theres also a massive world to explore, with plenty of rare collectables to gather. This game offers everything you could want from this series. Everyone has a different Final Fantasy they call their favorite - the series is just that good. But IX stands as a culmination of all the stray ideas the series had explored during its breakthrough era. The only reason it gets less attention is due to the Wind Waker effect certain gamers simply refused to try a game with this art style. Which is a shame, as this truly captures the spirit of Final Fantasy on every level. </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
CasanovaZelos 06/25/20 12:27:05 PM #168:	#30. Okami (2006) Developed by Clover Studio I will always favor unique art styles over realistic graphics, and Okami is a testament to how well a game can hold up if the developers simply add some style. 2006 was a year into the Xbox 360 and saw the release of both the PS3 and the Nintendo Wii. Plenty of great games were released in the early years of these new consoles, pushing graphical boundaries. If we talk about Gears of War or Oblivion these days, it certainly isnt for the then-impressive graphics. Yet Okami on an even older console has maintained its position as one of the most beautiful games ever made. The visual design is made to evoke classical Japanese ink wash and Ukiyo-e paintings, using cel-shading to emphasize the effects. This goes beyond a mere visual quirk, as the narrative features figures from Shintoism and Japanese legends. This is simply one of those games where Id find myself in awe, stopping to look around at the little visual details. Even major gameplay mechanics revolve around this artistry. The player can freeze time to control a Celestial Brush. This can interact with the world in certain ways, from offering different methods of attacking enemies to revitalizing wild life. There are many gods to find to receive new powers for the brush. While plenty of games have unique styles, Okami is one of the few which seamlessly integrates the design as part of the gameplay experience. As an actual game, Okami plays much like a Legend of Zelda clone. Which, its rather strange to realize, but there are very few major games which have outright copied the 3D Zelda formula despite its many influences. Due to this, Okami still feels like a fresh experience with a new Zelda only being released every few years, theres plenty of room for imitation. Okami very much captures the idea of a wide world to explore with several major dungeons being central to plot progression. In fact, Okami was released the same year as The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, which also happened to feature a (temporary) wolf protagonist. This is a prime example of when a copy matches the quality of the original in fact, it was Twilight Princess which felt too derivative of its own series. The combat is quite involved its easy to tell this is from the same director as Devil May Cry and Bayonetta. Battles lock Amaterasu into a temporary arena with enemies. The game has several weapons to unlock, which mixed with the brush mechanics make some truly unique encounters. Its not quite on the level of a full-fledged action game, but it settles into its own niche. But the true selling point is exploring this beautiful world. There are so many little things to do, and like Zelda with its heart containers, exploration is rewarded with outright improvements which can make the central game easier. Each location has its own charm, and theres a playful nature to much of the experience. Part of this is that Ammy is literally in wolf form, meaning she cant speak. The Navi-like Issun does all the talking for her, who is just as annoying but in a more intentionally comedic form. Okami is a great example of exploring familiar ground in a new way. This is a Zelda clone, but like the many actual Zelda games, it does just enough different to be its own unique entity. From controlling a wolf to its focus on painting not just as an art style but as an element of gameplay, there is no game quite like this. Thats the bizarre truth about Okami it is easy to name the conceptual influences, but the combination of all those pieces has proven inimitable. --- Film essays and reviews: https://www.youtube.com/c/foolfantastic Board 8's Top 250 Games 2016 Edition: https://casanovazelos.wordpress.com/2016/04/26/b8top250/ <cite>CasanovaZelos posted [p:941237941] in CasanovaZe... [t:78725204]...</cite> <quote> #30. Okami (2006) Developed by Clover Studio I will always favor unique art styles over realistic graphics, and Okami is a testament to how well a game can hold up if the developers simply add some style. 2006 was a year into the Xbox 360 and saw the release of both the PS3 and the Nintendo Wii. Plenty of great games were released in the early years of these new consoles, pushing graphical boundaries. If we talk about Gears of War or Oblivion these days, it certainly isnt for the then-impressive graphics. Yet Okami on an even older console has maintained its position as one of the most beautiful games ever made. The visual design is made to evoke classical Japanese ink wash and Ukiyo-e paintings, using cel-shading to emphasize the effects. This goes beyond a mere visual quirk, as the narrative features figures from Shintoism and Japanese legends. This is simply one of those games where Id find myself in awe, stopping to look around at the little visual details. Even major gameplay mechanics revolve around this artistry. The player can freeze time to control a Celestial Brush. This can interact with the world in certain ways, from offering different methods of attacking enemies to revitalizing wild life. There are many gods to find to receive new powers for the brush. While plenty of games have unique styles, Okami is one of the few which seamlessly integrates the design as part of the gameplay experience. As an actual game, Okami plays much like a Legend of Zelda clone. Which, its rather strange to realize, but there are very few major games which have outright copied the 3D Zelda formula despite its many influences. Due to this, Okami still feels like a fresh experience with a new Zelda only being released every few years, theres plenty of room for imitation. Okami very much captures the idea of a wide world to explore with several major dungeons being central to plot progression. In fact, Okami was released the same year as The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, which also happened to feature a (temporary) wolf protagonist. This is a prime example of when a copy matches the quality of the original in fact, it was Twilight Princess which felt too derivative of its own series. The combat is quite involved its easy to tell this is from the same director as Devil May Cry and Bayonetta. Battles lock Amaterasu into a temporary arena with enemies. The game has several weapons to unlock, which mixed with the brush mechanics make some truly unique encounters. Its not quite on the level of a full-fledged action game, but it settles into its own niche. But the true selling point is exploring this beautiful world. There are so many little things to do, and like Zelda with its heart containers, exploration is rewarded with outright improvements which can make the central game easier. Each location has its own charm, and theres a playful nature to much of the experience. Part of this is that Ammy is literally in wolf form, meaning she cant speak. The Navi-like Issun does all the talking for her, who is just as annoying but in a more intentionally comedic form. Okami is a great example of exploring familiar ground in a new way. This is a Zelda clone, but like the many actual Zelda games, it does just enough different to be its own unique entity. From controlling a wolf to its focus on painting not just as an art style but as an element of gameplay, there is no game quite like this. Thats the bizarre truth about Okami it is easy to name the conceptual influences, but the combination of all those pieces has proven inimitable. </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
CasanovaZelos 06/25/20 2:42:16 PM #169:	#29. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (1997) Developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo Where several other series gracelessly stumbled into the PlayStation era and its 3D technology, Castlevania was a rare series which decided to hold back and continue to evolve 2D gameplay. While its contemporaries were treading murky water in a new form, few 2D games had ever felt as smooth as Symphony of the Night. Thats not to say Symphony of the Night was just another Castlevania with a stronger aesthetic. The series started as a traditional platformer, but Symphony of the Night mixed in elements from the Metroid series. This led to the specific niche being titled Metroidvania. This is a popular style to imitate among indie developers, but few have ever neared the heights of the two games which popularized the genre. The format is an excuse to make platforming games with one giant world. The difficulty here is making sure that world both offers reasons to revisit earlier areas while also never being too unruly. The trick to a good Metroidvania is a design which subtly guides the player in the right direction while giving tons of room to explore. Another key element is a certain thematic consistency. Get too scattered without much cycling back through older areas, and a Metroidvania game might simply come off as a traditional platformer where the levels are linked together. Symphony of the Night achieves this by being all about Draculas Castle. Even as Alucard wanders through endlessly different halls, this feeling of one massive location remains throughout the experience. This sense of one epic level is something few genres can pull off. And then you reach the top, and this massive world literally turns upside down. The second half of the game finds Alucard in an inverted castle, which carries over the exact same layout with stronger enemies. While plenty of games get deserved flack for repeating areas, the realization they had to design these areas to work in both directions is truly impressive. Despite the same visual aesthetic, navigating these areas becomes an entirely new experience. Meanwhile, the player is still able to explore based on their knowledge of the original castle. Its a bold choice which could have come off as simple padding, but it turned out to be an efficient and effective way of doubling the length of a fantastic game. The combat in the Castlevania series has always been simple fun. Most of it revolves around the cycle of getting close enough to enemies to land a hit, with a few special moves to hit from some distance. The skill is based around adapting to the unique enemy designs. Some fly around the screen, others give narrow windows between attacks. Add in the fluid movement, and its simply enjoyable to wander aimlessly around this castle until stumbling into the next boss. A major reason I prefer Metroidvania games to traditional platformers is their focus on sustained damage. In games where levels are broken into smaller chunks, death tends to come in one or two hits. For a proper Metroidvania, enemies slowly chip away at health, and the challenge stems from trying to safely arrive at the next safe zone. I find this experience less stressful dying in a traditional platformer can feel like punishment when the game keeps sending the player back to the beginning when only one section is actually giving trouble. It feels as those these games are asking the player to be perfect and exaggerating any failure. Generally, when you die in a Metroidvania, it means a lot of little things went wrong, so going back to the last check point actually feels deserved. Dozens of great Metroidvania games have been released since Symphony of the Night, but few have matched the contained environmental design. Sure, the maps have gotten bigger, but the sheer style of Castlevania is difficult to match. Outside the genre, few moments are as shocking as the castle flip. Symphony of the Night offers tons of surprises and variety, all made easy to consume through its top-notch 2D gameplay. --- Film essays and reviews: https://www.youtube.com/c/foolfantastic Board 8's Top 250 Games 2016 Edition: https://casanovazelos.wordpress.com/2016/04/26/b8top250/ <cite>CasanovaZelos posted [p:941244678] in CasanovaZe... [t:78725204]...</cite> <quote> #29. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (1997) Developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo Where several other series gracelessly stumbled into the PlayStation era and its 3D technology, Castlevania was a rare series which decided to hold back and continue to evolve 2D gameplay. While its contemporaries were treading murky water in a new form, few 2D games had ever felt as smooth as Symphony of the Night. Thats not to say Symphony of the Night was just another Castlevania with a stronger aesthetic. The series started as a traditional platformer, but Symphony of the Night mixed in elements from the Metroid series. This led to the specific niche being titled Metroidvania. This is a popular style to imitate among indie developers, but few have ever neared the heights of the two games which popularized the genre. The format is an excuse to make platforming games with one giant world. The difficulty here is making sure that world both offers reasons to revisit earlier areas while also never being too unruly. The trick to a good Metroidvania is a design which subtly guides the player in the right direction while giving tons of room to explore. Another key element is a certain thematic consistency. Get too scattered without much cycling back through older areas, and a Metroidvania game might simply come off as a traditional platformer where the levels are linked together. Symphony of the Night achieves this by being all about Draculas Castle. Even as Alucard wanders through endlessly different halls, this feeling of one massive location remains throughout the experience. This sense of one epic level is something few genres can pull off. And then you reach the top, and this massive world literally turns upside down. The second half of the game finds Alucard in an inverted castle, which carries over the exact same layout with stronger enemies. While plenty of games get deserved flack for repeating areas, the realization they had to design these areas to work in both directions is truly impressive. Despite the same visual aesthetic, navigating these areas becomes an entirely new experience. Meanwhile, the player is still able to explore based on their knowledge of the original castle. Its a bold choice which could have come off as simple padding, but it turned out to be an efficient and effective way of doubling the length of a fantastic game. The combat in the Castlevania series has always been simple fun. Most of it revolves around the cycle of getting close enough to enemies to land a hit, with a few special moves to hit from some distance. The skill is based around adapting to the unique enemy designs. Some fly around the screen, others give narrow windows between attacks. Add in the fluid movement, and its simply enjoyable to wander aimlessly around this castle until stumbling into the next boss. A major reason I prefer Metroidvania games to traditional platformers is their focus on sustained damage. In games where levels are broken into smaller chunks, death tends to come in one or two hits. For a proper Metroidvania, enemies slowly chip away at health, and the challenge stems from trying to safely arrive at the next safe zone. I find this experience less stressful dying in a traditional platformer can feel like punishment when the game keeps sending the player back to the beginning when only one section is actually giving trouble. It feels as those these games are asking the player to be perfect and exaggerating any failure. Generally, when you die in a Metroidvania, it means a lot of little things went wrong, so going back to the last check point actually feels deserved. Dozens of great Metroidvania games have been released since Symphony of the Night, but few have matched the contained environmental design. Sure, the maps have gotten bigger, but the sheer style of Castlevania is difficult to match. Outside the genre, few moments are as shocking as the castle flip. Symphony of the Night offers tons of surprises and variety, all made easy to consume through its top-notch 2D gameplay. </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
CasanovaZelos 06/26/20 12:23:32 PM #170:	#28 (tie). Super Mario Galaxy (2007) & Super Mario Galaxy 2 (2010) Developed by Nintendo EAD Tokyo Most video game sequels go in a few obvious directions. Like Left 4 Dead 2, some simply improve the mechanics until the original is reduced to obsolescence. Like Twilight Princess in relation to Ocarina of Time, some stray too close while failing to capture the same magic. Like the other Zelda games, some sequels go out of their way to carve out their own niche. Super Mario Galaxy 2 is the rare sequel to simply match the quality of its predecessor on nearly every level. Both feel individually essential as two of the finest examples of 3D platforming. Super Mario 64 was an essential work in bringing the platformer into the third dimension, but its clunky mechanics in comparison to the smoothness of SMB3 and Super Mario World correlated to a shift in level design. Nintendo built bigger levels with more areas, changing the focus from smoothly bopping off of enemies while racing toward the end to exploration. This became perhaps the definitive form of the 3D platformer, but there was still room for other games to capture the simple magic of essentially running an obstacle course. With smoother controls and a shift back toward more linear level designs, Super Mario Galaxy felt like a return to the classic Mario formula. If 64 was about exploration, Galaxy was instead about navigation most levels would lock you onto a minor planet until figuring out the path forward. Most of the time, this would be as simple as finding the next launch star to shoot off toward the next section, but getting there was always inventive. Part of this is Super Mario Galaxys unique take on the power-up system. In most of the older Mario games, these power-ups simply made the game easier. The classic Super Mushroom gave Mario another hit before failing, while the Fire Flower made it possible to fight enemies from a distance. In Galaxy, the power-ups are more situational, meaning the individual areas which include them are built around their functionality. These dont quite have the iconic element of these older power-ups due to this, but they help each section of Galaxy capture its own charm. Part of the appeal is purely mechanical. Mario feels smoother in 3D than ever before, as his methods to combat enemies feel more natural. The spin attack is key to this; where punching and kicking required sometimes difficult directional input, spinning allows for the entire area around Mario to be attacked. This lends itself to quicker, less precision-based enemy encounters. It is difficult to overemphasize how fluid this game feels due to this simple change. Simplicity of movement was key to the initial success of the series, and it took over a decade to get it down pat with a third dimension but they finally succeeded with Galaxy. More than a refinement, Super Mario Galaxy also pushes boundaries by questioning the very core of the platformer. Based on a simple understanding of gravity, most platformers are built around the idea that falling off the stage means instant death. Galaxy shakes this up with gravity being processed in varying directions. Most of its stages wrap around to simulate the idea of minor planets. The danger of falling is still there, but made obvious with black holes. The fact Nintendo managed to make this both function and so easy to visually process as a player is one of their most astounding feats. Moments where you jump from one planet only to have gravity shift toward another are awe-inspiring. The two Super Mario Galaxy games can be praised for capturing the spirit of the classic Mario games and perfecting the controls of the 3D installments. But Galaxy goes a step beyond due to its unique mechanics. These power-ups and the use of gravity resulted in some of Nintendos most inventive level designs. The fact that they sustained this creativity across two full entries is truly astounding. --- Film essays and reviews: https://www.youtube.com/c/foolfantastic Board 8's Top 250 Games 2016 Edition: https://casanovazelos.wordpress.com/2016/04/26/b8top250/ <cite>CasanovaZelos posted [p:941289989] in CasanovaZe... [t:78725204]...</cite> <quote> #28 (tie). Super Mario Galaxy (2007) & Super Mario Galaxy 2 (2010) Developed by Nintendo EAD Tokyo Most video game sequels go in a few obvious directions. Like Left 4 Dead 2, some simply improve the mechanics until the original is reduced to obsolescence. Like Twilight Princess in relation to Ocarina of Time, some stray too close while failing to capture the same magic. Like the other Zelda games, some sequels go out of their way to carve out their own niche. Super Mario Galaxy 2 is the rare sequel to simply match the quality of its predecessor on nearly every level. Both feel individually essential as two of the finest examples of 3D platforming. Super Mario 64 was an essential work in bringing the platformer into the third dimension, but its clunky mechanics in comparison to the smoothness of SMB3 and Super Mario World correlated to a shift in level design. Nintendo built bigger levels with more areas, changing the focus from smoothly bopping off of enemies while racing toward the end to exploration. This became perhaps the definitive form of the 3D platformer, but there was still room for other games to capture the simple magic of essentially running an obstacle course. With smoother controls and a shift back toward more linear level designs, Super Mario Galaxy felt like a return to the classic Mario formula. If 64 was about exploration, Galaxy was instead about navigation most levels would lock you onto a minor planet until figuring out the path forward. Most of the time, this would be as simple as finding the next launch star to shoot off toward the next section, but getting there was always inventive. Part of this is Super Mario Galaxys unique take on the power-up system. In most of the older Mario games, these power-ups simply made the game easier. The classic Super Mushroom gave Mario another hit before failing, while the Fire Flower made it possible to fight enemies from a distance. In Galaxy, the power-ups are more situational, meaning the individual areas which include them are built around their functionality. These dont quite have the iconic element of these older power-ups due to this, but they help each section of Galaxy capture its own charm. Part of the appeal is purely mechanical. Mario feels smoother in 3D than ever before, as his methods to combat enemies feel more natural. The spin attack is key to this; where punching and kicking required sometimes difficult directional input, spinning allows for the entire area around Mario to be attacked. This lends itself to quicker, less precision-based enemy encounters. It is difficult to overemphasize how fluid this game feels due to this simple change. Simplicity of movement was key to the initial success of the series, and it took over a decade to get it down pat with a third dimension but they finally succeeded with Galaxy. More than a refinement, Super Mario Galaxy also pushes boundaries by questioning the very core of the platformer. Based on a simple understanding of gravity, most platformers are built around the idea that falling off the stage means instant death. Galaxy shakes this up with gravity being processed in varying directions. Most of its stages wrap around to simulate the idea of minor planets. The danger of falling is still there, but made obvious with black holes. The fact Nintendo managed to make this both function and so easy to visually process as a player is one of their most astounding feats. Moments where you jump from one planet only to have gravity shift toward another are awe-inspiring. The two Super Mario Galaxy games can be praised for capturing the spirit of the classic Mario games and perfecting the controls of the 3D installments. But Galaxy goes a step beyond due to its unique mechanics. These power-ups and the use of gravity resulted in some of Nintendos most inventive level designs. The fact that they sustained this creativity across two full entries is truly astounding. </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
CasanovaZelos 06/26/20 2:29:19 PM #171:	#27. What Remains of Edith Finch (2017) Developed by Giant Sparrow Sam Barlow, developer of Her Story, once described What Remains of Edith Finch as not a walking simulator but a narrative WarioWare. Few descriptions have ever felt so apt. Fair warning, this is a game best experienced blind. Its hard to call anything below spoilers considering the nature of the story, but the experience might still be ruined with any minor details which I find necessary to explore while describing why this resonated with me. The constant shifting of this games nature is key to capturing the central theme. This is the story of the Finch family as told by the only living member, Edith. As long as they can remember, the family has been seemingly cursed to die tragic deaths, most at a young age most generations see a single member live long enough to have children. Again, this is not a spoiler. At any time, the player can pause and look at the family tree which is marked with years of birth and death, which is filled in with pictures as Edith learns their stories. The game certainly starts as a walking simulator, with Edith approaching her familys abandoned estate. They lived on an island, with the matriarch of the family sealing off the several bedrooms as shrines to the deceased. As such, the house continued to grow upwards into a perilous tower as the generations went on. This is an unforgettable location, both in the originality of its design and what it represents, a gigantic monument to those otherwise doomed to being forgotten. What Remains of Edith Finch shakes things up once Edith enters the room of Molly Finch, who was born in 1937 and died in 1947. Edith reads her diary, which transitions into Mollys memory of the day she died. This starts with a similar control scheme as Molly searches desperately for food after being sent to bed without dinner. After swallowing some questionable berries and a tube of toothpaste, Molly goes to her window and transforms into a cat, chasing a bird through the trees. Then she becomes an owl, and then a shark. Its the shark which really hits people the shark falls out of the sky and has to flop down a mountainside to find the ocean, almost getting hit by a car on the way down. Its a bit awkward to play through (it might be the weakest of the several narratives), but it so perfectly captures the headspace of this character once you realize this is the dying fantasy of a girl who accidentally poisoned herself. What these constant changes in style do is establish a theme that, despite their unifying curse, each of these were individuals who deserve to be remembered in their own way. The overall experience is macabre this is the story of a young woman exploring the deaths of her several family members after her mother kept this information hidden. Yet it looks upon death only to make a grander statement about life we need to cherish these fleeting moments, because we never truly know when everything will end. What makes this theme come through so strong is that, despite their obvious curse, the Finch family chooses to live. While their stories focus on their deaths, the rooms where you must find these stories first expose the player to their aspirations. Barbara was a child star. Calvin wanted to be an astronaut. Milton enjoyed painting. And all of their deaths ooze with irony. The ways in which these stories are told is also unique. Outside Mollys straightforward diary, we get these stories through flipbooks, poetry, and a therapists condolence letter. The most striking is a schlocky horror comic about Barbara, a perfect statement on how horrific deaths can become cold cultural fodder. In a story about how we honor the dead, this is a poignant moment about how we sometimes reduce people to nothing more than victims. Like a walking simulator, there is no way to fail these levels. Yet that does not stop each of them from being engaging. Theres a controversial trend over games forcing players to commit awful acts. Edith Finch is in a similar boat, as each level forces the player to act out someones death. But its the framing of these as memories which makes this easier to swallow. Still, many of these moments are difficult to get through in their own ways. Calvins sequence is a prime example. You know exactly whats going to happen as soon as you find yourself sitting in a swing placed precariously close to a cliff. But the game forces you to put yourself through the same stupid decisions, if only to better understand what these characters must have felt. What Remains of Edith Finch saves the best for the penultimate story. The therapists note about Lewis is absolutely devastating, and the gameplay is like nothing Ive experienced. As it begins, Lewis is working his job at a cannery, where hes stuck performing the awful task of deheading fish over and over and over. As his therapist notes, Lewis admitted to creating elaborate fantasies to play out in his head which started to become hallucinatory. As you play through this sequence, this fantasy takes over more of the screen until Lewiss present moment is completely overtaken. During this time, the player controls both the movement of fantasy Lewis and his grabbing and deheading of the fish. If you stick with it, the awful clanking of the machine pounds over and over again. Like Calvin, it is obvious where this story will be headed, yet actually playing through this sequence is about as devastated as a game has left me. When we talk about video games as an art form, we get stuck on comparing narratives. Many games simulate movies, simply showing a few scenes with little being implemented into the gameplay experience. Meanwhile, theres a common adage in writing workshops: show, dont tell. Video games are a wonderful form because they offer us the ability to go one step further. A great video game narrative goes beyond showing a great video game allows the audience to experience the events from a personal perspective. What Remains of Edith Finch is simply a flurry of these moments. Where the grand majority of games are about avoiding death, this odd little title demands the player die over and over again. Yet at the heart is an achingly beautiful tale about the desire to live and move on to something greater. Though this is a game which can be completed in a matter of hours, every single second has lingered with me. --- Film essays and reviews: https://www.youtube.com/c/foolfantastic Board 8's Top 250 Games 2016 Edition: https://casanovazelos.wordpress.com/2016/04/26/b8top250/ <cite>CasanovaZelos posted [p:941295763] in CasanovaZe... [t:78725204]...</cite> <quote> #27. What Remains of Edith Finch (2017) Developed by Giant Sparrow Sam Barlow, developer of Her Story, once described What Remains of Edith Finch as not a walking simulator but a narrative WarioWare. Few descriptions have ever felt so apt. Fair warning, this is a game best experienced blind. Its hard to call anything below spoilers considering the nature of the story, but the experience might still be ruined with any minor details which I find necessary to explore while describing why this resonated with me. The constant shifting of this games nature is key to capturing the central theme. This is the story of the Finch family as told by the only living member, Edith. As long as they can remember, the family has been seemingly cursed to die tragic deaths, most at a young age most generations see a single member live long enough to have children. Again, this is not a spoiler. At any time, the player can pause and look at the family tree which is marked with years of birth and death, which is filled in with pictures as Edith learns their stories. The game certainly starts as a walking simulator, with Edith approaching her familys abandoned estate. They lived on an island, with the matriarch of the family sealing off the several bedrooms as shrines to the deceased. As such, the house continued to grow upwards into a perilous tower as the generations went on. This is an unforgettable location, both in the originality of its design and what it represents, a gigantic monument to those otherwise doomed to being forgotten. What Remains of Edith Finch shakes things up once Edith enters the room of Molly Finch, who was born in 1937 and died in 1947. Edith reads her diary, which transitions into Mollys memory of the day she died. This starts with a similar control scheme as Molly searches desperately for food after being sent to bed without dinner. After swallowing some questionable berries and a tube of toothpaste, Molly goes to her window and transforms into a cat, chasing a bird through the trees. Then she becomes an owl, and then a shark. Its the shark which really hits people the shark falls out of the sky and has to flop down a mountainside to find the ocean, almost getting hit by a car on the way down. Its a bit awkward to play through (it might be the weakest of the several narratives), but it so perfectly captures the headspace of this character once you realize this is the dying fantasy of a girl who accidentally poisoned herself. What these constant changes in style do is establish a theme that, despite their unifying curse, each of these were individuals who deserve to be remembered in their own way. The overall experience is macabre this is the story of a young woman exploring the deaths of her several family members after her mother kept this information hidden. Yet it looks upon death only to make a grander statement about life we need to cherish these fleeting moments, because we never truly know when everything will end. What makes this theme come through so strong is that, despite their obvious curse, the Finch family chooses to live. While their stories focus on their deaths, the rooms where you must find these stories first expose the player to their aspirations. Barbara was a child star. Calvin wanted to be an astronaut. Milton enjoyed painting. And all of their deaths ooze with irony. The ways in which these stories are told is also unique. Outside Mollys straightforward diary, we get these stories through flipbooks, poetry, and a therapists condolence letter. The most striking is a schlocky horror comic about Barbara, a perfect statement on how horrific deaths can become cold cultural fodder. In a story about how we honor the dead, this is a poignant moment about how we sometimes reduce people to nothing more than victims. Like a walking simulator, there is no way to fail these levels. Yet that does not stop each of them from being engaging. Theres a controversial trend over games forcing players to commit awful acts. Edith Finch is in a similar boat, as each level forces the player to act out someones death. But its the framing of these as memories which makes this easier to swallow. Still, many of these moments are difficult to get through in their own ways. Calvins sequence is a prime example. You know exactly whats going to happen as soon as you find yourself sitting in a swing placed precariously close to a cliff. But the game forces you to put yourself through the same stupid decisions, if only to better understand what these characters must have felt. What Remains of Edith Finch saves the best for the penultimate story. The therapists note about Lewis is absolutely devastating, and the gameplay is like nothing Ive experienced. As it begins, Lewis is working his job at a cannery, where hes stuck performing the awful task of deheading fish over and over and over. As his therapist notes, Lewis admitted to creating elaborate fantasies to play out in his head which started to become hallucinatory. As you play through this sequence, this fantasy takes over more of the screen until Lewiss present moment is completely overtaken. During this time, the player controls both the movement of fantasy Lewis and his grabbing and deheading of the fish. If you stick with it, the awful clanking of the machine pounds over and over again. Like Calvin, it is obvious where this story will be headed, yet actually playing through this sequence is about as devastated as a game has left me. When we talk about video games as an art form, we get stuck on comparing narratives. Many games simulate movies, simply showing a few scenes with little being implemented into the gameplay experience. Meanwhile, theres a common adage in writing workshops: show, dont tell. Video games are a wonderful form because they offer us the ability to go one step further. A great video game narrative goes beyond showing a great video game allows the audience to experience the events from a personal perspective. What Remains of Edith Finch is simply a flurry of these moments. Where the grand majority of games are about avoiding death, this odd little title demands the player die over and over again. Yet at the heart is an achingly beautiful tale about the desire to live and move on to something greater. Though this is a game which can be completed in a matter of hours, every single second has lingered with me. </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
azuarc 06/26/20 4:38:55 PM #172:	CasanovaZelos posted... ~~it so perfectly captures the headspace of this character once you realize this is the dying fantasy of a girl who accidentally poisoned herself.~~ Wait, what? Is that what happened? There are enough other stories in the Finch family that seem mystical or unexplainable (and this was also the first one) so I just accepted this at face value. Was there actually something in the game that tells you this is the reality of her story? --- Congratulations to all the gurus, past and present, participating in the contest. Video Game Music Contest 14: Now in progress. Come join us! <cite>azuarc posted [p:941301853] in CasanovaZe... [t:78725204]...</cite> <quote>CasanovaZelos posted... </cite> <quote>it so perfectly captures the headspace of this character once you realize this is the dying fantasy of a girl who accidentally poisoned herself.</quote> Wait, what? Is that what happened? There are enough other stories in the Finch family that seem mystical or unexplainable (and this was also the first one) so I just accepted this at face value. Was there actually something in the game that tells you this is the reality of her story? </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
CasanovaZelos 06/26/20 5:15:09 PM #173:	azuarc posted... Wait, what? Is that what happened? There are enough other stories in the Finch family that seem mystical or unexplainable (and this was also the first one) so I just accepted this at face value. Was there actually something in the game that tells you this is the reality of her story? I feel like it's fairly implicit; what other stories are mystical? They all seem firmly rooted in reality but with sometimes surreal presentations. ~~Seeing as her story begins with her injesting an entire tube of toothpaste and holly berries, both of which are poisonous, I feel like this is the only explanation~~ --- Film essays and reviews: https://www.youtube.com/c/foolfantastic Board 8's Top 250 Games 2016 Edition: https://casanovazelos.wordpress.com/2016/04/26/b8top250/ <cite>CasanovaZelos posted [p:941303568] in CasanovaZe... [t:78725204]...</cite> <quote>azuarc posted... </cite> <quote>Wait, what? Is that what happened? There are enough other stories in the Finch family that seem mystical or unexplainable (and this was also the first one) so I just accepted this at face value. Was there actually something in the game that tells you this is the reality of her story?</quote> I feel like it's fairly implicit; what other stories are mystical? They all seem firmly rooted in reality but with sometimes surreal presentations. Seeing as her story begins with her injesting an entire tube of toothpaste and holly berries, both of which are poisonous, I feel like this is the only explanation </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
azuarc 06/26/20 8:25:14 PM #174:	CasanovaZelos posted... I feel like it's fairly implicit; what other stories are mystical? Barbara was the one I was mainly thinking of, though I guess you could just say it's unreliable narration. Gus's death is never really explained and a bit too convenient. The timing of Edie's death is also uncanny, unless that was a suicide. I wasn't aware toothpaste was poisonous. Doesn't seem like that would be a good idea to put in your mouth if it was. I guess the FDA didn't regulate that stuff very well a century ago, though. Honestly, ~~with the way she said a creature is sneaking up on her and she knows she's delicious, I find it more likely she did severe harm to herself through biting, if you were looking for a mundane cause.~~ --- Congratulations to all the gurus, past and present, participating in the contest. Video Game Music Contest 14: Now in progress. Come join us! <cite>azuarc posted [p:941312412] in CasanovaZe... [t:78725204]...</cite> <quote>CasanovaZelos posted... </cite> <quote>I feel like it's fairly implicit; what other stories are mystical?</quote> Barbara was the one I was mainly thinking of, though I guess you could just say it's unreliable narration. Gus's death is never really explained and a bit too convenient. The timing of Edie's death is also uncanny, unless that was a suicide. I wasn't aware toothpaste was poisonous. Doesn't seem like that would be a good idea to put in your mouth if it was. I guess the FDA didn't regulate that stuff very well a century ago, though. Honestly, with the way she said a creature is sneaking up on her and she knows she's delicious, I find it more likely she did severe harm to herself through biting, if you were looking for a mundane cause. </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
CasanovaZelos 06/26/20 8:50:32 PM #175:	Even my current toothpaste has a warning label saying to contact poison control if swallowed Edit: and that's if you swallow the amount you would be using for brushing. Swallowing a full tube... --- Film essays and reviews: https://www.youtube.com/c/foolfantastic Board 8's Top 250 Games 2016 Edition: https://casanovazelos.wordpress.com/2016/04/26/b8top250/ <cite>CasanovaZelos posted [p:941313587] in CasanovaZe... [t:78725204]...</cite> <quote>Even my current toothpaste has a warning label saying to contact poison control if swallowed Edit: and that's if you swallow the amount you would be using for brushing. Swallowing a full tube... </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
CasanovaZelos 06/27/20 12:33:45 PM #176:	#26. Super Mario Odyssey (2017) Developed by Nintendo EPD As mentioned while discussing Super Mario Galaxy, there are now two major variants of the Mario formula. While it took over a decade for the series to finally manage effortlessly smooth gameplay in 3D, both Galaxy and Super Mario 3D World were designed in the classic obstacle course style. It took another decade for Nintendo to return to the open level exploration formula with these smoother controls. Luckily, they went all out with Super Mario Odyssey, featuring 14 massive kingdoms. After 21 years, Super Mario 64 finally has a worthy successor. Though not quite an open world game, Odyssey captures the magic of gigantic areas with little things to explore around every corner. These levels are loaded with power moons, which Mario needs to gather to move on to the next kingdom. There are so many of these that the initial trip through the game only requires gathering a fraction of the total, making it easy to choose which ones to chase after until you inevitably return for 100% completion. With over 800 scattered across these many worlds, Odyssey provides a reason to search every corner. Odyssey makes a major departure by doing away with the traditional power-ups, instead introducing a hat which can possess over 50 different entities. Like Galaxy, this results in powers being more situational. For example, the Moe-Eye statues have sunglasses which reveal hidden platforms, but their movement is limited, especially while wearing the glasses. Glydon allows Mario to glide down from great heights. One section involves racing a round Shiverian who moves faster by bouncing off corners. All of these are simple to control as a Mario game should be, but it offers a large variety in navigation. The kingdoms are wildly different and feature some of the best visual designs Nintendo has offered. The gloomy Cap Kingdom which opens the game is covered in fog and is almost monochromatic, yet it still captures the Mario charm with its rolling hills and friendly residents. The Metro Kingdom hits twice. Upon first arriving, New Donk City is cast in the darkness of night and Mario must navigate a modern city under siege. After that, Mario gets to explore a bright and colorful city full of skyscrapers to climb. This can be a bit jarring with its realistically-proportioned human residents, but Nintendo is clearly having fun with that choice. One of the games most unforgettable power moons comes from sitting next to a lonely man on a bench. If the power moons are there for us to explore every inch of these kingdoms, theres something charming about using some to capture the spirit more than the physical layout. Even the Ruined Kingdom, which serves more as an interlude than a true kingdom, stands out. Despite their various designs, the other kingdoms all fit within the Mario aesthetic. The Ruined Kingdom pointedly does not, instead looking like it was pulled from a Dark Souls game. Yet this clash in design helps build it up as a truly unique location, which is key in making it a minor yet memorable sequence. Though it took a few decades for the Mario series to really recapture the design of Super Mario 64, plenty of other great games followed in its footsteps. Like Super Mario Bros. 3 and World, what makes Super Mario Odyssey stand above many of its competitors is the simplicity and smoothness of the basic mechanics. These many kingdoms are largely fun to explore because of how easy it is to get around with Mario. With Super Mario 64 not aging particularly well, Super Mario Odyssey has taken its place as Nintendos definitive open-level platforming game. --- Film essays and reviews: https://www.youtube.com/c/foolfantastic Board 8's Top 250 Games 2016 Edition: https://casanovazelos.wordpress.com/2016/04/26/b8top250/ <cite>CasanovaZelos posted [p:941338856] in CasanovaZe... [t:78725204]...</cite> <quote> #26. Super Mario Odyssey (2017) Developed by Nintendo EPD As mentioned while discussing Super Mario Galaxy, there are now two major variants of the Mario formula. While it took over a decade for the series to finally manage effortlessly smooth gameplay in 3D, both Galaxy and Super Mario 3D World were designed in the classic obstacle course style. It took another decade for Nintendo to return to the open level exploration formula with these smoother controls. Luckily, they went all out with Super Mario Odyssey, featuring 14 massive kingdoms. After 21 years, Super Mario 64 finally has a worthy successor. Though not quite an open world game, Odyssey captures the magic of gigantic areas with little things to explore around every corner. These levels are loaded with power moons, which Mario needs to gather to move on to the next kingdom. There are so many of these that the initial trip through the game only requires gathering a fraction of the total, making it easy to choose which ones to chase after until you inevitably return for 100% completion. With over 800 scattered across these many worlds, Odyssey provides a reason to search every corner. Odyssey makes a major departure by doing away with the traditional power-ups, instead introducing a hat which can possess over 50 different entities. Like Galaxy, this results in powers being more situational. For example, the Moe-Eye statues have sunglasses which reveal hidden platforms, but their movement is limited, especially while wearing the glasses. Glydon allows Mario to glide down from great heights. One section involves racing a round Shiverian who moves faster by bouncing off corners. All of these are simple to control as a Mario game should be, but it offers a large variety in navigation. The kingdoms are wildly different and feature some of the best visual designs Nintendo has offered. The gloomy Cap Kingdom which opens the game is covered in fog and is almost monochromatic, yet it still captures the Mario charm with its rolling hills and friendly residents. The Metro Kingdom hits twice. Upon first arriving, New Donk City is cast in the darkness of night and Mario must navigate a modern city under siege. After that, Mario gets to explore a bright and colorful city full of skyscrapers to climb. This can be a bit jarring with its realistically-proportioned human residents, but Nintendo is clearly having fun with that choice. One of the games most unforgettable power moons comes from sitting next to a lonely man on a bench. If the power moons are there for us to explore every inch of these kingdoms, theres something charming about using some to capture the spirit more than the physical layout. Even the Ruined Kingdom, which serves more as an interlude than a true kingdom, stands out. Despite their various designs, the other kingdoms all fit within the Mario aesthetic. The Ruined Kingdom pointedly does not, instead looking like it was pulled from a Dark Souls game. Yet this clash in design helps build it up as a truly unique location, which is key in making it a minor yet memorable sequence. Though it took a few decades for the Mario series to really recapture the design of Super Mario 64, plenty of other great games followed in its footsteps. Like Super Mario Bros. 3 and World, what makes Super Mario Odyssey stand above many of its competitors is the simplicity and smoothness of the basic mechanics. These many kingdoms are largely fun to explore because of how easy it is to get around with Mario. With Super Mario 64 not aging particularly well, Super Mario Odyssey has taken its place as Nintendos definitive open-level platforming game. </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
CasanovaZelos 06/27/20 1:12:36 PM #177:	Approaching the final fourth of the list, I want to revisit my ranking for each year - I just double-checked some of questionable release dates, so some years have changed their total amounts. I'm also going to include the top three for each year starting with 1985 (as long as there were 3 games I cared about enough to rank - anything with a numbered ranking is a game I'd rate 8/10 or higher) - ??? are the games which have yet to be ranked. But first, the genre and year breakdown for the top 25. Genre: Action RPG: 5 JRPG: 5 Action-Adventure: 5 Metroidvania: 2 Survival Horror: 2 "Puzzle": 2 FPS: 1 Adventure: 1 Stealth: 1 Platformer: 1 Year: 1991: 1 1994: 1 1995: 1 1998: 1 1999: 1 2000: 1 2001: 2 2002: 1 2004: 1 2005: 3 2007: 1 2008: 1 2010: 1 2011: 2 2013: 1 2015: 3 2016: 1 2017: 1 2018: 1 1985: #204. Super Mario Bros. 1986: #245. The Legend of Zelda 1987: #140. Punch-Out!! 1988: #74. Super Mario Bros. 3 #156. Mega Man 2 1989: #113. Tetris #302. DuckTales #329. Golden Axe 1990: #49. Super Mario World 1991: ??? #166. Final Fantasy IV #174. Street Fighter II 1992: #35. Streets of Rage II #97. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 #104. Final Fantasy V 1993: #46. Gunstar Heroes #93. Shining Force II #122. Doom 1994: ??? #41. Final Fantasy VI #76. EarthBound 1995: ??? #220. Kirby Super Star #243. Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest 1996: #121. Quake #124. Resident Evil #145. Super Mario 64 1997: #29. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night #45. Final Fantasy VII #83. Star Fox 64 1998: ??? #36. Metal Gear Solid #114. Pokemon Red/Blue 1999: ??? #32. Silent Hill #78. RollerCoaster Tycoon 2000: ??? #31. Final Fantasy IX #98. Paper Mario 2001: ??? ??? #81. Super Smash Bros. Melee #94. Ikaruga 2002: ??? #54. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker #110. Kingdom Hearts 2003: #84. Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne #102. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic #128. F-Zero GX 2004: ??? #40. Half-Life 2 #44. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Trials and Tribulations #67. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas #69. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door #70. Dragon Quest VIII 2005: ??? ??? ??? #85. We Love Katamari #96. Devil May Cry 3 2006: #30. Okami #48. Kingdom Hearts II #56. Persona 3 #65. Final Fantasy XII 2007: ??? #28. Super Mario Galaxy #68. Mass Effect #91. Portal 2008: ??? #42. The World Ends With You #79.Tales of Vesperia 2009: #72. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves #75. Left 4 Dead 2 #77. Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors 2010: ??? #28. Super Mario Galaxy 2 #33. Xenoblade Chronicles #52. Red Dead Redemption #59. Fallout: New Vegas #82. Pokemon Black and White #100. Rock Band 3 2011: ??? ??? #43. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim #92. Batman: Arkham City 2012: #34. Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair #47. Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward #55. Hotline Miami #62. Mass Effect 3 #95. The Walking Dead 2013: ??? #51. Bioshock Infinite #111. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds 2014: #58. Bayonetta 2 #63. Mario Kart 8 #64. The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth #80. Shovel Knight 2015: ??? ??? ??? #39. The Witcher III 2016: ??? #37. Doom #50. INSIDE #53. Overwatch #57. Dark Souls III 2017: ??? #26. Super Mario Odyssey #27. What Remains of Edith Finch #38. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild #60. Hollow Knight #61. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard #66. Dragon Quest XI #71. Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony #87. Night in the Woods 2018: ??? #73. Red Dead Redemptions 2 #86. God of War #88. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate #90. Into the Breach 2019: #89. Devil May Cry 5 #105. Fire Emblem: Three Houses #148. Outer Wilds 2020: #99. Animal Crossing: New Horizons #143. Ori and the Will of the Wisps --- Film essays and reviews: https://www.youtube.com/c/foolfantastic Board 8's Top 250 Games 2016 Edition: https://casanovazelos.wordpress.com/2016/04/26/b8top250/ <cite>CasanovaZelos posted [p:941340503] in CasanovaZe... [t:78725204]...</cite> <quote>Approaching the final fourth of the list, I want to revisit my ranking for each year - I just double-checked some of questionable release dates, so some years have changed their total amounts. I'm also going to include the top three for each year starting with 1985 (as long as there were 3 games I cared about enough to rank - anything with a numbered ranking is a game I'd rate 8/10 or higher) - ??? are the games which have yet to be ranked. But first, the genre and year breakdown for the top 25. Genre: Action RPG: 5 JRPG: 5 Action-Adventure: 5 Metroidvania: 2 Survival Horror: 2 "Puzzle": 2 FPS: 1 Adventure: 1 Stealth: 1 Platformer: 1 Year: 1991: 1 1994: 1 1995: 1 1998: 1 1999: 1 2000: 1 2001: 2 2002: 1 2004: 1 2005: 3 2007: 1 2008: 1 2010: 1 2011: 2 2013: 1 2015: 3 2016: 1 2017: 1 2018: 1 1985: #204. Super Mario Bros. 1986: #245. The Legend of Zelda 1987: #140. Punch-Out!! 1988: #74. Super Mario Bros. 3 #156. Mega Man 2 1989: #113. Tetris #302. DuckTales #329. Golden Axe 1990: #49. Super Mario World 1991: ??? #166. Final Fantasy IV #174. Street Fighter II 1992: #35. Streets of Rage II #97. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 #104. Final Fantasy V 1993: #46. Gunstar Heroes #93. Shining Force II #122. Doom 1994: ??? #41. Final Fantasy VI #76. EarthBound 1995: ??? #220. Kirby Super Star #243. Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest 1996: #121. Quake #124. Resident Evil #145. Super Mario 64 1997: #29. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night #45. Final Fantasy VII #83. Star Fox 64 1998: ??? #36. Metal Gear Solid #114. Pokemon Red/Blue 1999: ??? #32. Silent Hill #78. RollerCoaster Tycoon 2000: ??? #31. Final Fantasy IX #98. Paper Mario 2001: ??? ??? #81. Super Smash Bros. Melee #94. Ikaruga 2002: ??? #54. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker #110. Kingdom Hearts 2003: #84. Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne #102. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic #128. F-Zero GX 2004: ??? #40. Half-Life 2 #44. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Trials and Tribulations #67. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas #69. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door #70. Dragon Quest VIII 2005: ??? ??? ??? #85. We Love Katamari #96. Devil May Cry 3 2006: #30. Okami #48. Kingdom Hearts II #56. Persona 3 #65. Final Fantasy XII 2007: ??? #28. Super Mario Galaxy #68. Mass Effect #91. Portal 2008: ??? #42. The World Ends With You #79.Tales of Vesperia 2009: #72. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves #75. Left 4 Dead 2 #77. Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors 2010: ??? #28. Super Mario Galaxy 2 #33. Xenoblade Chronicles #52. Red Dead Redemption #59. Fallout: New Vegas #82. Pokemon Black and White #100. Rock Band 3 2011: ??? ??? #43. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim #92. Batman: Arkham City 2012: #34. Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair #47. Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward #55. Hotline Miami #62. Mass Effect 3 #95. The Walking Dead 2013: ??? #51. Bioshock Infinite #111. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds 2014: #58. Bayonetta 2 #63. Mario Kart 8 #64. The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth #80. Shovel Knight 2015: ??? ??? ??? #39. The Witcher III 2016: ??? #37. Doom #50. INSIDE #53. Overwatch #57. Dark Souls III 2017: ??? #26. Super Mario Odyssey #27. What Remains of Edith Finch #38. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild #60. Hollow Knight #61. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard #66. Dragon Quest XI #71. Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony #87. Night in the Woods 2018: ??? #73. Red Dead Redemptions 2 #86. God of War #88. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate #90. Into the Breach 2019: #89. Devil May Cry 5 #105. Fire Emblem: Three Houses #148. Outer Wilds 2020: #99. Animal Crossing: New Horizons #143. Ori and the Will of the Wisps </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
_stingers_ 06/27/20 1:24:47 PM #178:	My guess for the last platformer and 2018 game is Celeste --- Congrats Black Turtle! <cite>_stingers_ posted [p:941341026] in CasanovaZe... [t:78725204]...</cite> <quote>My guess for the last platformer and 2018 game is Celeste </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
SeabassDebeste 06/27/20 1:47:29 PM #179:	guesses for the early games: lttp super metroid chrono trigger ocarina of time ffviii ffx metroid prime mgs3 mgs4 (edit) resident evil 4 --- yet all azuarc of all sorts are more or less capricious and unreliable - they live in the varying outer weather, and they inhale its fickleness <cite>SeabassDebeste posted [p:941342092] in CasanovaZe... [t:78725204]...</cite> <quote>guesses for the early games: lttp super metroid chrono trigger ocarina of time ffviii ffx metroid prime mgs3 mgs4 (edit) resident evil 4</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
CasanovaZelos 06/27/20 3:18:10 PM #180:	#25. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998) Developed by Nintendo EAD Ocarina of Time is essentially the Holy Grail of video games, and its easy to understand why. If Super Mario 64 was the first grand leap into 3D gaming, then Ocarina of Time was the solid landing. Its not that it manages to outright avoid the clunkiness of other early 3D games, but it does enough to mitigate those issues to still hold up well enough mechanically for a new player to enjoy the places where it truly excels. The key feature of OoTs mechanical design is the lock-on camera. Instead of constantly having to wrangle with camera controls, a simple button press allows the player to keep a single enemy in focus. But Im not one to overemphasize revolutionary features this idea has been replicated hundreds of times over, and the feature has been improved. If simple technological leaps were the only element Ocarina of Time had going for it, then there would be no reason for a modern player to favor it over the sequels. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time captures a sense of scale like few other games. It all starts with a humble beginning, young Link exploring Kokiri Forest to gather his sword and shield before assisting the nearby Great Deku Tree with a curse eating away at his insides. This tree sends the young boy on a quest to protect Princess Zelda from the nefarious Ganondorf. Our perception of size is not necessarily proportional to the actual size of a games map. Part of the magic of a game like Ocarina of Time is how it captures the imagination in getting from one point to another. So many of its best surprises are from the realization that some important location or item has been just out of the way the entire time. An area turning out to feature more content than expected does just as much to impress as a wide open map where everything is scattered about. Kakariko Village is the perfect embodiment of this detailed design. On first visit, it feels like a nice breather zone before continuing up to the Gorons. But a bit of exploration reveals a few mysterious locations, such as a graveyard or a windmill. The narrative eventually necessitates a return to this quaint village to discover the dark secrets hidden beneath. No area in Ocarina of Times version of Hyrule feels like a simple stop along the way. All of these places are hiding some secret, whether it be a heart piece or two or an entire central dungeon tucked away. All of this is centered on Ocarina of Times turning point, when young Link grabs the Master Sword and wakes up seven years later. In this time, the world has fallen into ruin. Like Final Fantasy VI and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night before it, this moment creates the sense of a completely new world to explore. That opening trip out of Hyrule Castle and through the town is especially effective, with the town in shambles and swarming with ReDead. This transition causes a few neat elements to pop up. Most importantly, with the world changed, many of these mysterious areas become accessible. But what makes this especially interesting is that Link can also jump back in time, with some locations requiring interaction in both periods after the jump. But the heart of nearly every Zelda game is the dungeons, and Ocarina of Time simply has phenomenal dungeon design. Each of these are filled with strong puzzles and enemies, and figuring out where to go next can be a challenge. The Forest Temple stands as one of the most iconic locations in the series, an eerie, overgrown mansion with twisting corridors and a complex structure. Even getting to this temple is a challenge, forcing Link to navigate the Lost Woods and then a maze. The Spirit Temple makes great use of the age mechanic. Few of the later Zelda games really capture the masterful complexity of these designs. While Ocarina of Time may have captured our collective attention with its improvements on 3D gameplay mechanics, it is the detailed world design which makes it an enduring classic. Even writing about it now, nearly a decade after my last playthrough, Im in awe of how much was packed into this relatively small world. While Ocarina of Time laid the foundation for the 3D Zelda series, few of its sequels have even attempted a similarly narrow-yet-expansive design. Every inch of this game has soul. --- Film essays and reviews: https://www.youtube.com/c/foolfantastic Board 8's Top 250 Games 2016 Edition: https://casanovazelos.wordpress.com/2016/04/26/b8top250/ <cite>CasanovaZelos posted [p:941345945] in CasanovaZe... [t:78725204]...</cite> <quote> #25. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998) Developed by Nintendo EAD Ocarina of Time is essentially the Holy Grail of video games, and its easy to understand why. If Super Mario 64 was the first grand leap into 3D gaming, then Ocarina of Time was the solid landing. Its not that it manages to outright avoid the clunkiness of other early 3D games, but it does enough to mitigate those issues to still hold up well enough mechanically for a new player to enjoy the places where it truly excels. The key feature of OoTs mechanical design is the lock-on camera. Instead of constantly having to wrangle with camera controls, a simple button press allows the player to keep a single enemy in focus. But Im not one to overemphasize revolutionary features this idea has been replicated hundreds of times over, and the feature has been improved. If simple technological leaps were the only element Ocarina of Time had going for it, then there would be no reason for a modern player to favor it over the sequels. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time captures a sense of scale like few other games. It all starts with a humble beginning, young Link exploring Kokiri Forest to gather his sword and shield before assisting the nearby Great Deku Tree with a curse eating away at his insides. This tree sends the young boy on a quest to protect Princess Zelda from the nefarious Ganondorf. Our perception of size is not necessarily proportional to the actual size of a games map. Part of the magic of a game like Ocarina of Time is how it captures the imagination in getting from one point to another. So many of its best surprises are from the realization that some important location or item has been just out of the way the entire time. An area turning out to feature more content than expected does just as much to impress as a wide open map where everything is scattered about. Kakariko Village is the perfect embodiment of this detailed design. On first visit, it feels like a nice breather zone before continuing up to the Gorons. But a bit of exploration reveals a few mysterious locations, such as a graveyard or a windmill. The narrative eventually necessitates a return to this quaint village to discover the dark secrets hidden beneath. No area in Ocarina of Times version of Hyrule feels like a simple stop along the way. All of these places are hiding some secret, whether it be a heart piece or two or an entire central dungeon tucked away. All of this is centered on Ocarina of Times turning point, when young Link grabs the Master Sword and wakes up seven years later. In this time, the world has fallen into ruin. Like Final Fantasy VI and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night before it, this moment creates the sense of a completely new world to explore. That opening trip out of Hyrule Castle and through the town is especially effective, with the town in shambles and swarming with ReDead. This transition causes a few neat elements to pop up. Most importantly, with the world changed, many of these mysterious areas become accessible. But what makes this especially interesting is that Link can also jump back in time, with some locations requiring interaction in both periods after the jump. But the heart of nearly every Zelda game is the dungeons, and Ocarina of Time simply has phenomenal dungeon design. Each of these are filled with strong puzzles and enemies, and figuring out where to go next can be a challenge. The Forest Temple stands as one of the most iconic locations in the series, an eerie, overgrown mansion with twisting corridors and a complex structure. Even getting to this temple is a challenge, forcing Link to navigate the Lost Woods and then a maze. The Spirit Temple makes great use of the age mechanic. Few of the later Zelda games really capture the masterful complexity of these designs. While Ocarina of Time may have captured our collective attention with its improvements on 3D gameplay mechanics, it is the detailed world design which makes it an enduring classic. Even writing about it now, nearly a decade after my last playthrough, Im in awe of how much was packed into this relatively small world. While Ocarina of Time laid the foundation for the 3D Zelda series, few of its sequels have even attempted a similarly narrow-yet-expansive design. Every inch of this game has soul. </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
CasanovaZelos 06/28/20 1:47:26 AM #181:	Just played through Dishonored for the first time; I think it would be right on the edge of my top 100. --- Film essays and reviews: https://www.youtube.com/c/foolfantastic Board 8's Top 250 Games 2016 Edition: https://casanovazelos.wordpress.com/2016/04/26/b8top250/ <cite>CasanovaZelos posted [p:941369567] in CasanovaZe... [t:78725204]...</cite> <quote>Just played through Dishonored for the first time; I think it would be right on the edge of my top 100. </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
azuarc 06/28/20 7:32:50 AM #182:	I played Dishonored 2 in December (without having played the original) and I thought it was fantastic. Then I tried to play the original and had a ton of trouble getting into it. --- Congratulations to all the gurus, past and present, participating in the contest. Video Game Music Contest 14: Now in progress. Come join us! <cite>azuarc posted [p:941375321] in CasanovaZe... [t:78725204]...</cite> <quote>I played Dishonored 2 in December (without having played the original) and I thought it was fantastic. Then I tried to play the original and had a ton of trouble getting into it. </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
CasanovaZelos 06/28/20 12:23:47 PM #183:	#24. Pokemon Gold and Silver (1999) Developed by Game Freak Note: While I have been listing the original versions of games during this project, the assumption should be that I am talking about these games in their definitive form. Pokemon Gold/Silver have both the Crystal version and the 2009 remakes. Though HeartGold and SoulSilver are quite improved thanks to the mechanical evolution of the Pokemon series, the original versions are perhaps the most important games in my experience with the medium if I treated them all as different entities, I would have put them in a tie like the Super Mario Galaxy games. While I had grown up with a Sega Genesis, my family purchased that console a year after the Nintendo 64 was released. Similarly, we never owned many great games for it beyond the Sonic series and Street Fighter II no one in my family actually knew enough about video games to know which were actually good. I played most of my favorite Genesis games a decade later on the Wii Virtual Console. Thus, Christmas 2000 was a real game changer when I received a Game Boy Color with Super Mario Bros. Deluxe and Pokemon Gold. I would soon pick up a copy of Pokemon Red, but that earlier game was a bit hard to get into after experiencing all the improvements in the sequel. For most of my childhood, Pokemon was the big thing, but no future installment would hit me in quite the same way until Golds own remake. So part of my love for this specific generation is nostalgia. I wouldnt be surprised if most peoples favorite Pokemon games were the first they played. This is because the experience of playing through a Pokemon adventure has a very unique charm, and the first experience with that charm, no matter the form, will be heightened above those which follow. So even if one can recognize objective improvements in concepts like battle mechanics, its hard to negate the personal experience. But that isnt to say Pokemon Gold and Silver have no legitimate merits when discussing the most important Pokemon games. While Red and Blue laid out the basic structure, the mechanics were a bit too simple. But as a kid, I didnt know anything about the special stat or the lack of bug and ghost attacks making psychic Pokemon overpowered. What I did notice, however, was how needlessly difficult it was to truly catch them all in Red and Blue. Without the breeding system introduced in Gold and Silver, getting all three stages of the three starter lines pretty much required having a friend with a spare copy to reset the game and trade them over. Fully evolved Pokemon were useless in helping to complete the Pokedex. Breeding is as essential to the experience as catching and trading, and its bizarre to think this wasnt included initially. But the changes and improvements dont stop there. Dark and steel type Pokemon were added for a bit more balance. Hold items were introduced, which have become an essential variable in competitive play. Splitting the special stat into special attack and special defense helped level the playing field. Even minor changes like the introduction of shiny Pokemon and alternate Poke Balls have become series staples. The jump between the first two generations was simply astronomical when compared to any future changes. While many of my favorite RPGs view bigger as better, I enjoy Gold and Silver for its almost quaint atmosphere. The first two games in the series really do capture the feeling of a child going on a small adventure. Future games would introduce more dangerous Teams, but I truly feel like the introduction of save the world narratives detract from the unique traits of the series. There are a few big moments like confronting the red Gyarados, but that is relatively small scale. In fact, lets use the red Gyarados as a jumping off point to discuss how the series uses legendary Pokemon. Starting with Ruby and Sapphire, confronting the cover legendary Pokemon became part of the central narrative. But in the first two generations, these legendary Pokemon were truly legends. Theres something about finding Mewtwo hidden away in Cerulean Cave or Lugia deep inside the Whirl Islands that leaves a bigger impact than being forced to face Kyogre. Having the legends be something to seek out simply gives more reason to explore. Later entries tried to have it both ways, and now the series is bloated with forgettable legendary Pokemon. Even the remakes of Gold and Silver unfortunately force these encounters. All of this is to say, even if later games improved upon the central battle mechanics, Gold and Silver stand as the epitome of design choices. Its not that these choices are flawless the return to Kanto is a neat idea without great implementation. But this all adds up to a uniquely cozy experience which few games truly offer. After all, the most iconic confrontation in the series isnt capturing one of the many cover legendaries or beating the evil team leader. No, the big moment is stumbling through a cave and happening across Pokemon Trainer Red at the end of Gold and Silver. In a series where the selling point is its massive variability, the best moments are rarely forced. So, Gold and Silver may not be the best Pokemon games on a mechanical level but they are the most Pokemon games. With HeartGold and SoulSilver benefitting from most of those mechanical improvements and also improving the Kanto revisit, this trip through Johto still feels like the definitive Pokemon experience. --- Film essays and reviews: https://www.youtube.com/c/foolfantastic Board 8's Top 250 Games 2016 Edition: https://casanovazelos.wordpress.com/2016/04/26/b8top250/ <cite>CasanovaZelos posted [p:941383048] in CasanovaZe... [t:78725204]...</cite> <quote> #24. Pokemon Gold and Silver (1999) Developed by Game Freak Note: While I have been listing the original versions of games during this project, the assumption should be that I am talking about these games in their definitive form. Pokemon Gold/Silver have both the Crystal version and the 2009 remakes. Though HeartGold and SoulSilver are quite improved thanks to the mechanical evolution of the Pokemon series, the original versions are perhaps the most important games in my experience with the medium if I treated them all as different entities, I would have put them in a tie like the Super Mario Galaxy games. While I had grown up with a Sega Genesis, my family purchased that console a year after the Nintendo 64 was released. Similarly, we never owned many great games for it beyond the Sonic series and Street Fighter II no one in my family actually knew enough about video games to know which were actually good. I played most of my favorite Genesis games a decade later on the Wii Virtual Console. Thus, Christmas 2000 was a real game changer when I received a Game Boy Color with Super Mario Bros. Deluxe and Pokemon Gold. I would soon pick up a copy of Pokemon Red, but that earlier game was a bit hard to get into after experiencing all the improvements in the sequel. For most of my childhood, Pokemon was the big thing, but no future installment would hit me in quite the same way until Golds own remake. So part of my love for this specific generation is nostalgia. I wouldnt be surprised if most peoples favorite Pokemon games were the first they played. This is because the experience of playing through a Pokemon adventure has a very unique charm, and the first experience with that charm, no matter the form, will be heightened above those which follow. So even if one can recognize objective improvements in concepts like battle mechanics, its hard to negate the personal experience. But that isnt to say Pokemon Gold and Silver have no legitimate merits when discussing the most important Pokemon games. While Red and Blue laid out the basic structure, the mechanics were a bit too simple. But as a kid, I didnt know anything about the special stat or the lack of bug and ghost attacks making psychic Pokemon overpowered. What I did notice, however, was how needlessly difficult it was to truly catch them all in Red and Blue. Without the breeding system introduced in Gold and Silver, getting all three stages of the three starter lines pretty much required having a friend with a spare copy to reset the game and trade them over. Fully evolved Pokemon were useless in helping to complete the Pokedex. Breeding is as essential to the experience as catching and trading, and its bizarre to think this wasnt included initially. But the changes and improvements dont stop there. Dark and steel type Pokemon were added for a bit more balance. Hold items were introduced, which have become an essential variable in competitive play. Splitting the special stat into special attack and special defense helped level the playing field. Even minor changes like the introduction of shiny Pokemon and alternate Poke Balls have become series staples. The jump between the first two generations was simply astronomical when compared to any future changes. While many of my favorite RPGs view bigger as better, I enjoy Gold and Silver for its almost quaint atmosphere. The first two games in the series really do capture the feeling of a child going on a small adventure. Future games would introduce more dangerous Teams, but I truly feel like the introduction of save the world narratives detract from the unique traits of the series. There are a few big moments like confronting the red Gyarados, but that is relatively small scale. In fact, lets use the red Gyarados as a jumping off point to discuss how the series uses legendary Pokemon. Starting with Ruby and Sapphire, confronting the cover legendary Pokemon became part of the central narrative. But in the first two generations, these legendary Pokemon were truly legends. Theres something about finding Mewtwo hidden away in Cerulean Cave or Lugia deep inside the Whirl Islands that leaves a bigger impact than being forced to face Kyogre. Having the legends be something to seek out simply gives more reason to explore. Later entries tried to have it both ways, and now the series is bloated with forgettable legendary Pokemon. Even the remakes of Gold and Silver unfortunately force these encounters. All of this is to say, even if later games improved upon the central battle mechanics, Gold and Silver stand as the epitome of design choices. Its not that these choices are flawless the return to Kanto is a neat idea without great implementation. But this all adds up to a uniquely cozy experience which few games truly offer. After all, the most iconic confrontation in the series isnt capturing one of the many cover legendaries or beating the evil team leader. No, the big moment is stumbling through a cave and happening across Pokemon Trainer Red at the end of Gold and Silver. In a series where the selling point is its massive variability, the best moments are rarely forced. So, Gold and Silver may not be the best Pokemon games on a mechanical level but they are the most Pokemon games. With HeartGold and SoulSilver benefitting from most of those mechanical improvements and also improving the Kanto revisit, this trip through Johto still feels like the definitive Pokemon experience. </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
SeabassDebeste 06/28/20 2:39:10 PM #184:	it's interesting you cite nostalgia as being the reason for GSC topping your pokemon games (or does it?) - it has nostalgic value for many people, but many who played RBY first would rank GSC higher. the quality of life improvements are just undeniable. i agree that pokemon simply has no use for save-the-world stakes in its plot. it inevitably feels incredibly cringe-y. --- yet all azuarc of all sorts are more or less capricious and unreliable - they live in the varying outer weather, and they inhale its fickleness <cite>SeabassDebeste posted [p:941388446] in CasanovaZe... [t:78725204]...</cite> <quote>it's interesting you cite nostalgia as being the reason for GSC topping your pokemon games (or does it?) - it has nostalgic value for many people, but many who played RBY first would rank GSC higher. the quality of life improvements are just undeniable. i agree that pokemon simply has no use for save-the-world stakes in its plot. it inevitably feels incredibly cringe-y.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
CasanovaZelos 06/28/20 3:16:03 PM #185:	Well, I cited nostalgia, but I hoped to make it clear with the following paragraphs that I think there's more to it than that. #23. Psychonauts (2005) Developed by Double Fine Productions The platformer has been ever-present since nearly the beginning of gaming, but rarely has the genre been used to tell a tightly-woven narrative. In something like Mario, various world designs exist more to signal mechanical changes, such as an ice world being slippery. Psychonauts goes a step further the game stars a psychic child named Raz, and each level is an exploration inside the mind of a character. Almost every world in this game is like nothing before or since, and each is loaded with a heavy dose of symbolism to build a mesmerizing narrative presentation. Psychonauts was directed by Tim Schafer, whose previous experience was entirely contained within the point-and-click adventure genre. In those games, gameplay was treated more as a necessity to pass as a game than a true focus. The real draw was the bizarre narratives and the goofy writing. In many ways, Psychonauts acts as a hybrid of the two ideas there are several sequences of Psychonauts where the focus is more on figuring out how to progress than in jumping between platforms. This is better understood as a more interactive adventure game than a traditional platformer. The many Mario games and others beat it out mechanically, but few games offer this specific blend of experiences. The early stages are all safely structured as Raz learns from psychic camp counselors who have learned to better control their own psyche. Agent Sasha Neins world is a single cube, as he is able to show exactly what he wants to others. Counselor Millas world is a colorful dance party throughout, as she wants the children to have fun while learning their powers. But buried deep inside her party is a room of screaming orphans who had burned to death in a fire. This room is there but neatly compartmentalized. Milla can never forget this fire, but she can at least put it far enough out of the way that Raz will only discover it unintentionally. The style of these worlds take a hard shift once the plot necessitates Raz visit an asylum. Each has a distinct mental illness which they are struggling to cope with, and this is reflected in how their mental worlds form. This kicks off with Boyd Coopers Milkman Conspiracy, an absolutely wonderful level where Raz must explore a twisted 1950s suburban layout while being watched by agents in poor disguises. The design of this world feels like a predecessor to Super Mario Galaxy. All of this adds up to a stage representing a paranoid man obsessed with conspiracy theories, filled with stellar lines as the agents struggle to perform their roles to the point of sometimes even failing to pass as human. I loved hearing dialogue like When my husband drinks excessively, I may threaten him with this rolling pin, though we still love each other very much, spoken in a completely monotonous tone. Other residents are coping with bipolar disorder, anger management, and a Napoleon complex. Each of their levels have ingenious ways of exploring these concepts. In many hands, this whole experience could have fallen into exploitation. Especially with such a goofy atmosphere, there was a risk of making fun of people with these disorders. But with how Psychonauts confronts these topics, its less about judgment and more an exploration of how we must learn to cope with past traumas. There are dozens of goofy video games. What sets Psychonauts apart is that Tim Schafer is simply a better writer than the grand majority of people working in the gaming industry. When Psychonauts tries to be funny, it generally succeeds. Razs backstory is hilarious, twisting the running away from home to join the circus narrative by having Razs home be the circus. Lines like I am the Milkman, my milk is delicious are inexplicable yet unforgettable. This game is endlessly creative from beginning to end. Psychonauts may not be the greatest platformer, but it is a simply phenomenal adventure game. Outside of a notorious finale, the levels go above and beyond in their merging of mechanics and narrative elements. This is one of the most singular games to ever exist. How many designers could pull off jumping from a stage where you terrify fish people as a kaiju to helping an aging actress cope with her inner critic? Few works have ever been so scattered yet unified; not a single level operates in the same way, and the fact it adds up to something so grand is glorious. --- Film essays and reviews: https://www.youtube.com/c/foolfantastic Board 8's Top 250 Games 2016 Edition: https://casanovazelos.wordpress.com/2016/04/26/b8top250/ <cite>CasanovaZelos posted [p:941389867] in CasanovaZe... [t:78725204]...</cite> <quote>Well, I cited nostalgia, but I hoped to make it clear with the following paragraphs that I think there's more to it than that. #23. Psychonauts (2005) Developed by Double Fine Productions The platformer has been ever-present since nearly the beginning of gaming, but rarely has the genre been used to tell a tightly-woven narrative. In something like Mario, various world designs exist more to signal mechanical changes, such as an ice world being slippery. Psychonauts goes a step further the game stars a psychic child named Raz, and each level is an exploration inside the mind of a character. Almost every world in this game is like nothing before or since, and each is loaded with a heavy dose of symbolism to build a mesmerizing narrative presentation. Psychonauts was directed by Tim Schafer, whose previous experience was entirely contained within the point-and-click adventure genre. In those games, gameplay was treated more as a necessity to pass as a game than a true focus. The real draw was the bizarre narratives and the goofy writing. In many ways, Psychonauts acts as a hybrid of the two ideas there are several sequences of Psychonauts where the focus is more on figuring out how to progress than in jumping between platforms. This is better understood as a more interactive adventure game than a traditional platformer. The many Mario games and others beat it out mechanically, but few games offer this specific blend of experiences. The early stages are all safely structured as Raz learns from psychic camp counselors who have learned to better control their own psyche. Agent Sasha Neins world is a single cube, as he is able to show exactly what he wants to others. Counselor Millas world is a colorful dance party throughout, as she wants the children to have fun while learning their powers. But buried deep inside her party is a room of screaming orphans who had burned to death in a fire. This room is there but neatly compartmentalized. Milla can never forget this fire, but she can at least put it far enough out of the way that Raz will only discover it unintentionally. The style of these worlds take a hard shift once the plot necessitates Raz visit an asylum. Each has a distinct mental illness which they are struggling to cope with, and this is reflected in how their mental worlds form. This kicks off with Boyd Coopers Milkman Conspiracy, an absolutely wonderful level where Raz must explore a twisted 1950s suburban layout while being watched by agents in poor disguises. The design of this world feels like a predecessor to Super Mario Galaxy. All of this adds up to a stage representing a paranoid man obsessed with conspiracy theories, filled with stellar lines as the agents struggle to perform their roles to the point of sometimes even failing to pass as human. I loved hearing dialogue like When my husband drinks excessively, I may threaten him with this rolling pin, though we still love each other very much, spoken in a completely monotonous tone. Other residents are coping with bipolar disorder, anger management, and a Napoleon complex. Each of their levels have ingenious ways of exploring these concepts. In many hands, this whole experience could have fallen into exploitation. Especially with such a goofy atmosphere, there was a risk of making fun of people with these disorders. But with how Psychonauts confronts these topics, its less about judgment and more an exploration of how we must learn to cope with past traumas. There are dozens of goofy video games. What sets Psychonauts apart is that Tim Schafer is simply a better writer than the grand majority of people working in the gaming industry. When Psychonauts tries to be funny, it generally succeeds. Razs backstory is hilarious, twisting the running away from home to join the circus narrative by having Razs home be the circus. Lines like I am the Milkman, my milk is delicious are inexplicable yet unforgettable. This game is endlessly creative from beginning to end. Psychonauts may not be the greatest platformer, but it is a simply phenomenal adventure game. Outside of a notorious finale, the levels go above and beyond in their merging of mechanics and narrative elements. This is one of the most singular games to ever exist. How many designers could pull off jumping from a stage where you terrify fish people as a kaiju to helping an aging actress cope with her inner critic? Few works have ever been so scattered yet unified; not a single level operates in the same way, and the fact it adds up to something so grand is glorious. </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
SeabassDebeste 06/28/20 5:56:56 PM #186:	CasanovaZelos posted... Well, I cited nostalgia, but I hoped to make it clear with the following paragraphs that I think there's more to it than that. true! shouldn't really call it the "main" reason; was just noting that many people don't necessarily consider their first gen the best, even with nostalgia i think to be fair, a lot of the time in game series, the first and second sequels make vaster improvements than do later ones. --- yet all azuarc of all sorts are more or less capricious and unreliable - they live in the varying outer weather, and they inhale its fickleness <cite>SeabassDebeste posted [p:941396622] in CasanovaZe... [t:78725204]...</cite> <quote>CasanovaZelos posted...</cite> <quote>Well, I cited nostalgia, but I hoped to make it clear with the following paragraphs that I think there's more to it than that.</quote> true! shouldn't really call it the "main" reason; was just noting that many people don't necessarily consider their first gen the best, even with nostalgia i think to be fair, a lot of the time in game series, the first and second sequels make vaster improvements than do later ones.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
CasanovaZelos 06/29/20 11:25:03 AM #187:	#22. The Last of Us (2013) Developed by Naughty Dog With the Uncharted series, Naughty Dog pulled off every design trick they could to simulate an action blockbuster in video game form. The Last of Us used the same formula to create a more solemn experience. While not shedding the genre label by shifting from Indiana Jones-styled adventure to a post-apocalyptic zombie narrative, The Last of Us goes the Walking Dead route by acting as an observation on human morality under the pressure of a decaying world. At the heart of all this is the relationship between Joel and Ellie. Many of the games I have discussed follow the same guardian and ward structure, but this relationship stands above the others due to the grey morality which corrupts their relationship. The game begins with a prologue where Joel fails to save his daughter during the initial outbreak. Joels sometimes vicious need to protect Ellie comes off more as a desperate and entirely self-serving attempt at redemption. What makes The Last of Us so riveting is the way it rejects player influence. In many ways, the narrative progression feels like the dark side option in a more subtle BioWare game but the fun of doing the bad route in games which give choices is predicated on the fact that you could have always taken the positive path. Meanwhile, other linear narratives with questionable protagonists tend to be more straightforward. When Kratos slaughters an entire pantheon of gods, his actions end up being extreme enough that its easy to consume his story from a distance. Joel operates in a different capacity because he straddles the line between good and evil. His more shocking actions fall a mere inch outside of acceptable behavior. The grand majority of the time, Joel will be a largely relatable protagonist. But those few moments where he goes too far create a sense of dissonance between player and characters that most games try to avoid. This is a dire follow-up to the question of control posed by Portal and BioShock. Most games make up for this lack by creating the illusion of choice or at least letting the audience play the hero. Here, youre stuck playing an ordinary and broken man. The Last of Us manages to pull off its unpleasant narrative because Joels actions so perfectly match his character. Its not that hes pulling these decisions out of nowhere. Everything fits firmly in the realm of a disturbed man trying to survive while treating a young girl as a symbol of his own past failures. The final moment hits so hard because ~~we realize Joel has not only negated our rather meaningless ability to influence the narrative, but has also robbed Ellie of her own agency while denying she ever had a choice.~~ The actual gameplay of The Last of Us is very much in the set piece mindset of Uncharted but at the opposite end. Where Uncharted is all about big things falling apart while Nathan Drake is trapped inside, The Last of Us operates more as a stealth game. The gameplay does a serviceable job and a sequence where you play as Ellie is truly outstanding, but this is not the main draw. Much like Psychonauts, this is an adventure with interactivity. Traversing these terrains is less about shooting bad guys than it is about experiencing the dire atmosphere first-hand. A rather controversial tweet about the sequel declared it as not being fun and this was meant as praise. Some people took offense at the mere concept, as if The Last of Us Part II was at fault for this persons poor choice of words. Fun is a subset of what people are really after when they engage with media tragedies and dramas wouldnt exist if art only existed to be fun. What we are really after, even if our vocabulary is apparently limited, is engagement. So, while not being fun, the original Last of Us is absolutely enthralling. This was video game storytelling on a whole new level. Despite its obvious favoring of narrative over mechanics, it was hard to put the controller down after getting started. Every moment had me hooked, from that heartbreaking opening sequence to its many complex characters to that jaw-dropping finale. While the Naughty Dog formula could easily be criticized as a cheap imitation of movies, no other medium could capture the specific sense of dissonance created by playing as Joel. --- Film essays and reviews: https://www.youtube.com/c/foolfantastic Board 8's Top 250 Games 2016 Edition: https://casanovazelos.wordpress.com/2016/04/26/b8top250/ <cite>CasanovaZelos posted [p:941425901] in CasanovaZe... [t:78725204]...</cite> <quote> #22. The Last of Us (2013) Developed by Naughty Dog With the Uncharted series, Naughty Dog pulled off every design trick they could to simulate an action blockbuster in video game form. The Last of Us used the same formula to create a more solemn experience. While not shedding the genre label by shifting from Indiana Jones-styled adventure to a post-apocalyptic zombie narrative, The Last of Us goes the Walking Dead route by acting as an observation on human morality under the pressure of a decaying world. At the heart of all this is the relationship between Joel and Ellie. Many of the games I have discussed follow the same guardian and ward structure, but this relationship stands above the others due to the grey morality which corrupts their relationship. The game begins with a prologue where Joel fails to save his daughter during the initial outbreak. Joels sometimes vicious need to protect Ellie comes off more as a desperate and entirely self-serving attempt at redemption. What makes The Last of Us so riveting is the way it rejects player influence. In many ways, the narrative progression feels like the dark side option in a more subtle BioWare game but the fun of doing the bad route in games which give choices is predicated on the fact that you could have always taken the positive path. Meanwhile, other linear narratives with questionable protagonists tend to be more straightforward. When Kratos slaughters an entire pantheon of gods, his actions end up being extreme enough that its easy to consume his story from a distance. Joel operates in a different capacity because he straddles the line between good and evil. His more shocking actions fall a mere inch outside of acceptable behavior. The grand majority of the time, Joel will be a largely relatable protagonist. But those few moments where he goes too far create a sense of dissonance between player and characters that most games try to avoid. This is a dire follow-up to the question of control posed by Portal and BioShock. Most games make up for this lack by creating the illusion of choice or at least letting the audience play the hero. Here, youre stuck playing an ordinary and broken man. The Last of Us manages to pull off its unpleasant narrative because Joels actions so perfectly match his character. Its not that hes pulling these decisions out of nowhere. Everything fits firmly in the realm of a disturbed man trying to survive while treating a young girl as a symbol of his own past failures. The final moment hits so hard because we realize Joel has not only negated our rather meaningless ability to influence the narrative, but has also robbed Ellie of her own agency while denying she ever had a choice. The actual gameplay of The Last of Us is very much in the set piece mindset of Uncharted but at the opposite end. Where Uncharted is all about big things falling apart while Nathan Drake is trapped inside, The Last of Us operates more as a stealth game. The gameplay does a serviceable job and a sequence where you play as Ellie is truly outstanding, but this is not the main draw. Much like Psychonauts, this is an adventure with interactivity. Traversing these terrains is less about shooting bad guys than it is about experiencing the dire atmosphere first-hand. A rather controversial tweet about the sequel declared it as not being fun and this was meant as praise. Some people took offense at the mere concept, as if The Last of Us Part II was at fault for this persons poor choice of words. Fun is a subset of what people are really after when they engage with media tragedies and dramas wouldnt exist if art only existed to be fun. What we are really after, even if our vocabulary is apparently limited, is engagement. So, while not being fun, the original Last of Us is absolutely enthralling. This was video game storytelling on a whole new level. Despite its obvious favoring of narrative over mechanics, it was hard to put the controller down after getting started. Every moment had me hooked, from that heartbreaking opening sequence to its many complex characters to that jaw-dropping finale. While the Naughty Dog formula could easily be criticized as a cheap imitation of movies, no other medium could capture the specific sense of dissonance created by playing as Joel. </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
_stingers_ 06/29/20 11:39:27 AM #188:	Man you're such a good writer --- Congrats Black Turtle! <cite>_stingers_ posted [p:941426516] in CasanovaZe... [t:78725204]...</cite> <quote>Man you're such a good writer </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
CasanovaZelos 06/29/20 2:44:51 PM #189:	Thank you! #21. Portal 2 (2011) Developed by Valve Portal is a perfect little experience which proves games dont need to be particularly long to leave a lasting impact. At the same time, Im certainly not going to complain that they made a sequel which expanded upon the core ideas while maintaining the same consistent quality in both puzzles and comedic writing, all sustained over a longer experience. The central concept of the portal gun is one of the best ideas in gaming. In the original Portal, the puzzles revolve around finding the right place to put the two portals, with harder puzzles adding elements of momentum. Portal 2 adds a bit more complexity through the introduction of colored gels. The blue repulsion gel repels anything which touches it, resulting in the player being able to jump onto it and bounce back to a similar height. The orange propulsion gel makes anything which comes in contact move faster, while the white conversion gel allows portals to be applied to otherwise impossible surfaces. While these are initially introduced as static features, the player soon accesses tubes which endlessly pour out the gel. By placing a portal where the gel lands, the player can splatter the various corridors with the necessary paint. Understanding how all of this works is simple, but figuring out what to place where can be challenging. Its also just fun to do things like coat the bottom of two adjacent towers with conversion gel, only to place a new portal ever higher up the opposing towers until theyre both completely coated Valve knows how to make observing physics effects fun. Where the original was largely concerned with finding just the right angle, Portal 2 adds the fun step of first making those angles accessible. The best levels leave Chell in a massive room with little obvious guidance beyond the presence of these tubes. While the original Portal had a lot of charm, the only truly developed characters were GLaDOS and the Weighted Companion Cube. With the latter being the tragic silent type, it was largely a one-character show. To play against GLaDOSs cold passive aggressive nature, the game introduces Wheatley, another artificial intelligence who is literally programmed to just be the most unbearable idiot. Stephen Merchant plays the role with a perfect frantic energy, another stark contrast against GLaDOSs robotic monotony. And when you reach an abandoned section of the laboratory, pre-recorded messages by company founder Cave Johnson guide Chell through the puzzles. Hes an overbearing tycoon who puts new ideas and profits over safety, making it clear how the company ended up in this mess. He also has a wonderful performance provided by J.K. Simmons. All three of these characters form a perfect triangle of foils, all hilarious in their own distinct style. Theres not much more to say about Portal 2 without diving too deep into specifics the charm is simple and straightforward. This sequel expanded upon the already stellar concept of the original. This is the physics puzzle genre at its best, with a wonderful cooperative campaign adding an additional layer of complexity. Meanwhile, the entire experience is wrapped in some of the best writing the medium has to offer. Portal 2 is video game presentation at its sleekest. --- Film essays and reviews: https://www.youtube.com/c/foolfantastic Board 8's Top 250 Games 2016 Edition: https://casanovazelos.wordpress.com/2016/04/26/b8top250/ <cite>CasanovaZelos posted [p:941434666] in CasanovaZe... [t:78725204]...</cite> <quote>Thank you! #21. Portal 2 (2011) Developed by Valve Portal is a perfect little experience which proves games dont need to be particularly long to leave a lasting impact. At the same time, Im certainly not going to complain that they made a sequel which expanded upon the core ideas while maintaining the same consistent quality in both puzzles and comedic writing, all sustained over a longer experience. The central concept of the portal gun is one of the best ideas in gaming. In the original Portal, the puzzles revolve around finding the right place to put the two portals, with harder puzzles adding elements of momentum. Portal 2 adds a bit more complexity through the introduction of colored gels. The blue repulsion gel repels anything which touches it, resulting in the player being able to jump onto it and bounce back to a similar height. The orange propulsion gel makes anything which comes in contact move faster, while the white conversion gel allows portals to be applied to otherwise impossible surfaces. While these are initially introduced as static features, the player soon accesses tubes which endlessly pour out the gel. By placing a portal where the gel lands, the player can splatter the various corridors with the necessary paint. Understanding how all of this works is simple, but figuring out what to place where can be challenging. Its also just fun to do things like coat the bottom of two adjacent towers with conversion gel, only to place a new portal ever higher up the opposing towers until theyre both completely coated Valve knows how to make observing physics effects fun. Where the original was largely concerned with finding just the right angle, Portal 2 adds the fun step of first making those angles accessible. The best levels leave Chell in a massive room with little obvious guidance beyond the presence of these tubes. While the original Portal had a lot of charm, the only truly developed characters were GLaDOS and the Weighted Companion Cube. With the latter being the tragic silent type, it was largely a one-character show. To play against GLaDOSs cold passive aggressive nature, the game introduces Wheatley, another artificial intelligence who is literally programmed to just be the most unbearable idiot. Stephen Merchant plays the role with a perfect frantic energy, another stark contrast against GLaDOSs robotic monotony. And when you reach an abandoned section of the laboratory, pre-recorded messages by company founder Cave Johnson guide Chell through the puzzles. Hes an overbearing tycoon who puts new ideas and profits over safety, making it clear how the company ended up in this mess. He also has a wonderful performance provided by J.K. Simmons. All three of these characters form a perfect triangle of foils, all hilarious in their own distinct style. Theres not much more to say about Portal 2 without diving too deep into specifics the charm is simple and straightforward. This sequel expanded upon the already stellar concept of the original. This is the physics puzzle genre at its best, with a wonderful cooperative campaign adding an additional layer of complexity. Meanwhile, the entire experience is wrapped in some of the best writing the medium has to offer. Portal 2 is video game presentation at its sleekest. </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
LinkMarioSamus 06/30/20 7:17:20 AM #190:	Portal 2 deserves all the praise it gets, but the game left like no impact on me. --- People complaining about SJWs are such hypocrites when they're just as easily offended, if not moreso. <cite>LinkMarioSamus posted [p:941468131] in CasanovaZe... [t:78725204]...</cite> <quote>Portal 2 deserves all the praise it gets, but the game left like no impact on me. </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
CasanovaZelos 06/30/20 3:49:33 PM #191:	#20. Chrono Trigger (1995) Developed by Square Released between Final Fantasy VI and VII, Chrono Trigger feels surprisingly ahead of its time. Theres usually some sort of caveat I feel the need to include when discussing games of this era most games have a few moments where the player will be reminded of the relative age, or where you can see how a few indie games have outdone a concept or two. Chrono Trigger, however, remains ageless and irreplaceable. Chrono Trigger is the story of Crono, a silent young man who runs into a princess who has snuck out to visit a fair in the traditional fantasy medieval setting. While there, Marles pendant causes a teleporter to tear a rift in time. Crono and Lucca create another portal to find her, setting off a journey through several unique eras, from a prehistoric age to a desolate future. Part of Chrono Triggers quality stems from its relative simplicity. The world itself isnt large, instead built around the idea of seeing the same general location across various states in time. Finding a new location in a video game usually doesnt leave much impact beyond a sense of discovery, but seeing a familiar place in an entirely new form can hit a bit harder. This is especially true when something in the future has changed due to a players actions in the past. This is a game which really lets the player see the impact of their actions. That impact is carried into the structure of Chrono Triggers finale. Due to these time travel shenanigans, the final boss can be confronted at several different points, resulting in several different endings based on the state of the timelines. Chrono Trigger also has excellent presentation. Being a late-era SNES game, the sprites are incredibly detailed. The soundtrack is an all-time great. Most striking is the way it avoids random encounters. Enemies can be seen on the map, with many waiting in ambush. Meanwhile, the similar Final Fantasy series kept using random encounters until 2006. Every battle in Chrono Trigger feels planned, which results in the balance feeling just right throughout. Most JRPGs seem to be designed with the idea that a longer playtime is better, resulting in a lot of dead space. Chrono Trigger never really hits a lull, keeping its plot moving in a meaningful way despite the ability to potentially end it at any time. Unlike most games in the Final Fantasy series, levelling up in Chrono Trigger remains relatively straightforward. Each member of its central cast is made to feel like a specific character with their own functions in battle, and its unique trait is combo attacks using multiple party members. Each pair has their own specialties, making it fun to mix and match team members to see what they can pull off together. As characters, Frog and Magus stand as two of the genres best, with a significant portion of the plot dedicated to their feud. In a genre where most games attempt to be as expansive as possible, Chrono Trigger perseveres as a classic by remaining so thoughtfully contained. Like Ocarina of Time, this is a game where the world comes alive through repeated visits. This may not be a game where the player will spend dozens and dozens of hours grinding to face off against super-bosses, but every second of the experience is top-notch. --- Film essays and reviews: https://www.youtube.com/c/foolfantastic Board 8's Top 250 Games 2016 Edition: https://casanovazelos.wordpress.com/2016/04/26/b8top250/ <cite>CasanovaZelos posted [p:941486368] in CasanovaZe... [t:78725204]...</cite> <quote> #20. Chrono Trigger (1995) Developed by Square Released between Final Fantasy VI and VII, Chrono Trigger feels surprisingly ahead of its time. Theres usually some sort of caveat I feel the need to include when discussing games of this era most games have a few moments where the player will be reminded of the relative age, or where you can see how a few indie games have outdone a concept or two. Chrono Trigger, however, remains ageless and irreplaceable. Chrono Trigger is the story of Crono, a silent young man who runs into a princess who has snuck out to visit a fair in the traditional fantasy medieval setting. While there, Marles pendant causes a teleporter to tear a rift in time. Crono and Lucca create another portal to find her, setting off a journey through several unique eras, from a prehistoric age to a desolate future. Part of Chrono Triggers quality stems from its relative simplicity. The world itself isnt large, instead built around the idea of seeing the same general location across various states in time. Finding a new location in a video game usually doesnt leave much impact beyond a sense of discovery, but seeing a familiar place in an entirely new form can hit a bit harder. This is especially true when something in the future has changed due to a players actions in the past. This is a game which really lets the player see the impact of their actions. That impact is carried into the structure of Chrono Triggers finale. Due to these time travel shenanigans, the final boss can be confronted at several different points, resulting in several different endings based on the state of the timelines. Chrono Trigger also has excellent presentation. Being a late-era SNES game, the sprites are incredibly detailed. The soundtrack is an all-time great. Most striking is the way it avoids random encounters. Enemies can be seen on the map, with many waiting in ambush. Meanwhile, the similar Final Fantasy series kept using random encounters until 2006. Every battle in Chrono Trigger feels planned, which results in the balance feeling just right throughout. Most JRPGs seem to be designed with the idea that a longer playtime is better, resulting in a lot of dead space. Chrono Trigger never really hits a lull, keeping its plot moving in a meaningful way despite the ability to potentially end it at any time. Unlike most games in the Final Fantasy series, levelling up in Chrono Trigger remains relatively straightforward. Each member of its central cast is made to feel like a specific character with their own functions in battle, and its unique trait is combo attacks using multiple party members. Each pair has their own specialties, making it fun to mix and match team members to see what they can pull off together. As characters, Frog and Magus stand as two of the genres best, with a significant portion of the plot dedicated to their feud. In a genre where most games attempt to be as expansive as possible, Chrono Trigger perseveres as a classic by remaining so thoughtfully contained. Like Ocarina of Time, this is a game where the world comes alive through repeated visits. This may not be a game where the player will spend dozens and dozens of hours grinding to face off against super-bosses, but every second of the experience is top-notch. </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
_stingers_ 06/30/20 4:08:53 PM #192:	You do bring up a great point that I've personally felt but not been quite able to vocalize as well as you. Newer games have generally lost the art of crafting a realized world. Older games lived by the philosophy less is more and the constraints they worked within between memory and processing power generally led to a tighter experience overall. Your point about not having to grind for super bosses really hit home. Instead of making each area special you generally see more overall content that lacks any depth to speak of. And the depth of these areas contributes more to the artistry and lasting impact of a work then hour count ever will --- Congrats Black Turtle! <cite>_stingers_ posted [p:941487280] in CasanovaZe... [t:78725204]...</cite> <quote>You do bring up a great point that I've personally felt but not been quite able to vocalize as well as you. Newer games have generally lost the art of crafting a realized world. Older games lived by the philosophy less is more and the constraints they worked within between memory and processing power generally led to a tighter experience overall. Your point about not having to grind for super bosses really hit home. Instead of making each area special you generally see more overall content that lacks any depth to speak of. And the depth of these areas contributes more to the artistry and lasting impact of a work then hour count ever will </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
SeabassDebeste 06/30/20 6:05:57 PM #193:	can't speak to general gaming trends, but chrono trigger is pretty cleanly my favorite JRPG. it's effortless to pick up and play and it doesn't take itself too seriously for a game about . and yeah, i can definitely say that i'm happier not having to manage espers, materia, junctions, sphere grid, etc - can understand some people's obsession with optimization and sheer quantity of content, but it's awesome just rolling in and busting out the techs, dual techs, and triple techs. fighting on the same battle screen is definitely brilliant, as is the limited world map with no random encounters. --- yet all azuarc of all sorts are more or less capricious and unreliable - they live in the varying outer weather, and they inhale its fickleness <cite>SeabassDebeste posted [p:941492629] in CasanovaZe... [t:78725204]...</cite> <quote>can't speak to general gaming trends, but chrono trigger is pretty cleanly my favorite JRPG. it's effortless to pick up and play and it doesn't take itself too seriously for a game about . and yeah, i can definitely say that i'm happier not having to manage espers, materia, junctions, sphere grid, etc - can understand some people's obsession with optimization and sheer quantity of content, but it's awesome just rolling in and busting out the techs, dual techs, and triple techs. fighting on the same battle screen is definitely brilliant, as is the limited world map with no random encounters.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
CasanovaZelos 06/30/20 8:29:18 PM #194:	#19. Resident Evil 4 (2005) Developed by Capcom Production Studio 4 Its always funny to reflect on those things which once seemed so very important in a juvenile mind. Only once I sat down to begin writing this did I remember Resident Evil 4 was the first M-rated game my mother allowed me to purchase. Of course, I had secretly played Grand Theft Auto while visiting friends, but theres something powerful about receiving this permission, like my innocent cocoon was finally being shed. I wish I could remember the details of this battle; what caused her to cave? I imagine there being some insistence on my part. The advertising made this game look cool, and reviews made it clear that this was the event game not just of 2005, which had only just begun, but perhaps of the entire generation. To not play this would have been doing myself a disservice. And believe me, dear reader, when I claim to have once been quite skilled at pestering. Its not that Resident Evil 4 did anything particularly new. There had been plenty of third-person shooters before, and Resident Evil had been a major franchise from its first release. Despite this, the classic Resident Evil formula was archaic almost by design. Tank controls were forced upon the player to make sense of the fixed camera angles. Yet this somehow worked, because the frustrating controls only added to the tension. The most impressive element here is that Resident Evil 4 did little to actually change those controls. All it really did was change the camera angle. This seems like such a minor upgrade on paper. But in action, Resident Evils tank controls transformed from needlessly difficult to an impressively fluid system. The third-person shooter genre was reinvented overnight. Yet at its heart, Resident Evil 4 still relies on tank controls its truly astounding how much a simple change in perspective can cause a total shift in perception. While I have always loved Resident Evil 4, another element which never struck me until now is how it essentially formed the backbone of the Naughty Dog-style action game. Additionally, the team behind Gears of War directly cited RE4 as an influence, which itself inspired countless others. And while Half-Life 2 will get most of the credit, Resident Evil 4 had just as much influence on set piece-based game design. Half-Life 2 beat RE4 to the market by two months, but they both pulled off the same quality execution without each others influence. But, clearly, I still think Resident Evil 4 stands a step above most of those it influenced. Controls have only gotten smoother with time, but like so many other classics, its really the individual moments that hold up. Modern takes on this formula have become increasingly serious RE4 is in the same vein of Metal Gear Solid, the kind of nonsensical narrative which is simply a ton of fun in video game form. Take the opening sequence. Leon is attacked while in a lone house, but thats about all that happens for the opening few minutes. A few stray enemies are here and there, and Leon can help a dog who has become trapped. Eventually, he stumbles across the village square. Finally, all hell breaks loose. Enemy after enemy spawn with no way to escape. There are plenty of places to hide, and with a pathetic handgun, the player is certainly going to explore for something better. But as soon as Leon sneaks inside one of the houses, a cutscene plays, introducing a man with a chainsaw who absolutely will kill Leon in a single attack. But in this same house, there are objects to block the doors and windows (until they are inevitably destroyed), along with a shotgun upstairs. The game gives exactly what you need, but only after triggering the threat in the first place. While many fans of the classic Resident Evils lament the lack of a true survival horror experience, this moment establishes a sense of dread which will linger over the entire experience. And then, suddenly, this barrage will just end (mechanically, either through a certain amount of time or number of kills, but neither condition is made explicit). A church bell rings, and everyone wanders off as if they werent just attempting to murder someone. Most games want to build up to bigger challenges, but Resident Evil 4 throws the player straight into the deep end. Resident Evil 4 is loaded with these killer moments. Leon must defend a cabin, battle a gigantic lake monster, do battle on a mine cart, run from a giant statue of a dwarf, protect the presidents daughter, don an infrared scope to fight regenerating enemies, get in a big quick time event knife fight but, like, before we were all annoyed by the idea. This is one of those games which throws out every stray idea, and its a masterpiece because the grand majority of those ideas work. Few games manage such a consistent wow factor. Even minor moments like talking with a merchant or bantering with the enemy leave an impact through the sheer hilarity of the script. What Resident Evil 4 lacks in pure horror is made up for through stellar design. Alongside Half-Life 2, this was a key final step in pushing the video game industry into the modern era. Its influence can be seen everywhere, but the endless creativity of its design assures its status as an enduring classic theres a reason it has been released over and over and over and over again. --- Film essays and reviews: https://www.youtube.com/c/foolfantastic Board 8's Top 250 Games 2016 Edition: https://casanovazelos.wordpress.com/2016/04/26/b8top250/ <cite>CasanovaZelos posted [p:941498946] in CasanovaZe... [t:78725204]...</cite> <quote> #19. Resident Evil 4 (2005) Developed by Capcom Production Studio 4 Its always funny to reflect on those things which once seemed so very important in a juvenile mind. Only once I sat down to begin writing this did I remember Resident Evil 4 was the first M-rated game my mother allowed me to purchase. Of course, I had secretly played Grand Theft Auto while visiting friends, but theres something powerful about receiving this permission, like my innocent cocoon was finally being shed. I wish I could remember the details of this battle; what caused her to cave? I imagine there being some insistence on my part. The advertising made this game look cool, and reviews made it clear that this was the event game not just of 2005, which had only just begun, but perhaps of the entire generation. To not play this would have been doing myself a disservice. And believe me, dear reader, when I claim to have once been quite skilled at pestering. Its not that Resident Evil 4 did anything particularly new. There had been plenty of third-person shooters before, and Resident Evil had been a major franchise from its first release. Despite this, the classic Resident Evil formula was archaic almost by design. Tank controls were forced upon the player to make sense of the fixed camera angles. Yet this somehow worked, because the frustrating controls only added to the tension. The most impressive element here is that Resident Evil 4 did little to actually change those controls. All it really did was change the camera angle. This seems like such a minor upgrade on paper. But in action, Resident Evils tank controls transformed from needlessly difficult to an impressively fluid system. The third-person shooter genre was reinvented overnight. Yet at its heart, Resident Evil 4 still relies on tank controls its truly astounding how much a simple change in perspective can cause a total shift in perception. While I have always loved Resident Evil 4, another element which never struck me until now is how it essentially formed the backbone of the Naughty Dog-style action game. Additionally, the team behind Gears of War directly cited RE4 as an influence, which itself inspired countless others. And while Half-Life 2 will get most of the credit, Resident Evil 4 had just as much influence on set piece-based game design. Half-Life 2 beat RE4 to the market by two months, but they both pulled off the same quality execution without each others influence. But, clearly, I still think Resident Evil 4 stands a step above most of those it influenced. Controls have only gotten smoother with time, but like so many other classics, its really the individual moments that hold up. Modern takes on this formula have become increasingly serious RE4 is in the same vein of Metal Gear Solid, the kind of nonsensical narrative which is simply a ton of fun in video game form. Take the opening sequence. Leon is attacked while in a lone house, but thats about all that happens for the opening few minutes. A few stray enemies are here and there, and Leon can help a dog who has become trapped. Eventually, he stumbles across the village square. Finally, all hell breaks loose. Enemy after enemy spawn with no way to escape. There are plenty of places to hide, and with a pathetic handgun, the player is certainly going to explore for something better. But as soon as Leon sneaks inside one of the houses, a cutscene plays, introducing a man with a chainsaw who absolutely will kill Leon in a single attack. But in this same house, there are objects to block the doors and windows (until they are inevitably destroyed), along with a shotgun upstairs. The game gives exactly what you need, but only after triggering the threat in the first place. While many fans of the classic Resident Evils lament the lack of a true survival horror experience, this moment establishes a sense of dread which will linger over the entire experience. And then, suddenly, this barrage will just end (mechanically, either through a certain amount of time or number of kills, but neither condition is made explicit). A church bell rings, and everyone wanders off as if they werent just attempting to murder someone. Most games want to build up to bigger challenges, but Resident Evil 4 throws the player straight into the deep end. Resident Evil 4 is loaded with these killer moments. Leon must defend a cabin, battle a gigantic lake monster, do battle on a mine cart, run from a giant statue of a dwarf, protect the presidents daughter, don an infrared scope to fight regenerating enemies, get in a big quick time event knife fight but, like, before we were all annoyed by the idea. This is one of those games which throws out every stray idea, and its a masterpiece because the grand majority of those ideas work. Few games manage such a consistent wow factor. Even minor moments like talking with a merchant or bantering with the enemy leave an impact through the sheer hilarity of the script. What Resident Evil 4 lacks in pure horror is made up for through stellar design. Alongside Half-Life 2, this was a key final step in pushing the video game industry into the modern era. Its influence can be seen everywhere, but the endless creativity of its design assures its status as an enduring classic theres a reason it has been released over and over and over and over again. </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
SeabassDebeste 07/01/20 9:40:34 AM #195:	RE4 really felt special to play. i think you're right to isolate the set piece nature of it. it manages to be cinematically immersive and compelling during gameplay segments, and the game is absolutely built around those moments. it's the highest ranking "action-y" game for me. --- yet all azuarc of all sorts are more or less capricious and unreliable - they live in the varying outer weather, and they inhale its fickleness <cite>SeabassDebeste posted [p:941518992] in CasanovaZe... [t:78725204]...</cite> <quote>RE4 really felt special to play. i think you're right to isolate the set piece nature of it. it manages to be cinematically immersive and compelling during gameplay segments, and the game is absolutely built around those moments. it's the highest ranking "action-y" game for me.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
CasanovaZelos 07/01/20 12:19:31 PM #196:	#18. Nier: Automata (2017) Developed by PlatinumGames Where do I even begin with an experience like Nier: Automata? When broken down, most of my favorite games are surprisingly simple. This game, however, is an exercise in the overwhelming. Every detail, from its complex Action-RPG combat system to its philosophy-drenched narrative, is seemingly designed to mystify. Even having played through the full central narrative, Im still not sure I ever fully grasped proper combat techniques. Yet everything from the thematic content to the visual design to the wonderful soundtrack to the epic encounters had me hooked, dragging me precariously forward as I helplessly tried getting to my feet. Like Resident Evil 4, this is a game which immediately drops the player into the deep end. The opening line states Everything that lives is designed to end. This statement is central to the entire narrative, but it feels like a warning in retrospect. The opening sequence is long and features no checkpoints. The game begins as a vertical shooter, quickly transitions to a twin-stick shooter, then goes through a brief sequence as a forward rail shooter before returning to a simple horizontal shooter, again to a twin-stick shooter, all before finally transitioning to the stylish action gameplay for which Platinum is known. When I say that this game is overwhelming, its not that it mismanages its core system. This is a stylistic choice leading to a dense atmosphere. This sequence is not particularly hard (unless youre playing on one of the harder difficulties), but its punishment is extreme. And while the game will largely stick to the action gameplay, its a fair warning that several sequences will blur these genres together, with even the action combat sometimes feeling like a bullet hell game. And then theres the art direction. Protagonist 2B has one of the more striking designs of recent video game protagonists. Shes an android dressed like a gothic maid in high heels, but the most compelling aspect is the blindfold both she and 9S wear. Like Platinums other leading lady, Bayonetta, theres this strange appeal that transcends other overly sexualized designs. This feels like a bizarre power statement. Meanwhile, the blindfolds carry an obvious symbolism, that these characters are blind to some truth finding out what that missing truth might be drives the heart of this game. The stellar art direction goes far beyond the characters. This small but open world features a city in ruins, with plenty of room to explore. The forest kingdom has this majestic sense of a decayed world being reclaimed by the wild. A massive factory stands ominously on the edge of the city. My personal favorite location is the amusement park, swarming with playful machines which have until this point been hostile enemies. The central castle has constant fireworks going off, adding an eerie sense of life to this seemingly abandoned world. Late game areas effectively push into the realm of surrealism, helping this game feel larger than life and even reality itself. Nier: Automata is about as existentialist as video games come. Even the name of the protagonist is a direct allusion, 2B or not 2B. What does it mean to exist? The game opens with some clearly defined goals, but as more is revealed of this world, the purpose of these characters becomes increasingly murky. Does anything we do really have purpose? Is it better to pretend theres some greater meaning or directly confront a sense of nothingness? Every twist and turn builds upon this; despite being about androids and machines, the heart of this experience is what it means to be human. The game is loaded with references to real-life philosophers. Many NPCs and bosses are direct references, with most of their stories having an ironic twist on their namesakes beliefs. Even if youre not well-versed in who these people are, these little takes add relevant perspectives on the central theme. Altogether, Nier: Automata is an experience like no other. This is one of the densest narratives video games have to offer, but its themes resonate in surprising ways. Existentialism can be a difficult subject to tackle, but Nier: Automata finds a perfect balance between atmospheric dread and a persistent sense of hope. Despite the intentionally stylized design and distant narrative elements, this game has a lot to say about coping with the mundanity of everyday life. With some excellent gameplay on the part of Platinum and one of the best soundtracks in recent years, the final product hits from every angle. --- Film essays and reviews: https://www.youtube.com/c/foolfantastic Board 8's Top 250 Games 2016 Edition: https://casanovazelos.wordpress.com/2016/04/26/b8top250/ <cite>CasanovaZelos posted [p:941524321] in CasanovaZe... [t:78725204]...</cite> <quote> #18. Nier: Automata (2017) Developed by PlatinumGames Where do I even begin with an experience like Nier: Automata? When broken down, most of my favorite games are surprisingly simple. This game, however, is an exercise in the overwhelming. Every detail, from its complex Action-RPG combat system to its philosophy-drenched narrative, is seemingly designed to mystify. Even having played through the full central narrative, Im still not sure I ever fully grasped proper combat techniques. Yet everything from the thematic content to the visual design to the wonderful soundtrack to the epic encounters had me hooked, dragging me precariously forward as I helplessly tried getting to my feet. Like Resident Evil 4, this is a game which immediately drops the player into the deep end. The opening line states Everything that lives is designed to end. This statement is central to the entire narrative, but it feels like a warning in retrospect. The opening sequence is long and features no checkpoints. The game begins as a vertical shooter, quickly transitions to a twin-stick shooter, then goes through a brief sequence as a forward rail shooter before returning to a simple horizontal shooter, again to a twin-stick shooter, all before finally transitioning to the stylish action gameplay for which Platinum is known. When I say that this game is overwhelming, its not that it mismanages its core system. This is a stylistic choice leading to a dense atmosphere. This sequence is not particularly hard (unless youre playing on one of the harder difficulties), but its punishment is extreme. And while the game will largely stick to the action gameplay, its a fair warning that several sequences will blur these genres together, with even the action combat sometimes feeling like a bullet hell game. And then theres the art direction. Protagonist 2B has one of the more striking designs of recent video game protagonists. Shes an android dressed like a gothic maid in high heels, but the most compelling aspect is the blindfold both she and 9S wear. Like Platinums other leading lady, Bayonetta, theres this strange appeal that transcends other overly sexualized designs. This feels like a bizarre power statement. Meanwhile, the blindfolds carry an obvious symbolism, that these characters are blind to some truth finding out what that missing truth might be drives the heart of this game. The stellar art direction goes far beyond the characters. This small but open world features a city in ruins, with plenty of room to explore. The forest kingdom has this majestic sense of a decayed world being reclaimed by the wild. A massive factory stands ominously on the edge of the city. My personal favorite location is the amusement park, swarming with playful machines which have until this point been hostile enemies. The central castle has constant fireworks going off, adding an eerie sense of life to this seemingly abandoned world. Late game areas effectively push into the realm of surrealism, helping this game feel larger than life and even reality itself. Nier: Automata is about as existentialist as video games come. Even the name of the protagonist is a direct allusion, 2B or not 2B. What does it mean to exist? The game opens with some clearly defined goals, but as more is revealed of this world, the purpose of these characters becomes increasingly murky. Does anything we do really have purpose? Is it better to pretend theres some greater meaning or directly confront a sense of nothingness? Every twist and turn builds upon this; despite being about androids and machines, the heart of this experience is what it means to be human. The game is loaded with references to real-life philosophers. Many NPCs and bosses are direct references, with most of their stories having an ironic twist on their namesakes beliefs. Even if youre not well-versed in who these people are, these little takes add relevant perspectives on the central theme. Altogether, Nier: Automata is an experience like no other. This is one of the densest narratives video games have to offer, but its themes resonate in surprising ways. Existentialism can be a difficult subject to tackle, but Nier: Automata finds a perfect balance between atmospheric dread and a persistent sense of hope. Despite the intentionally stylized design and distant narrative elements, this game has a lot to say about coping with the mundanity of everyday life. With some excellent gameplay on the part of Platinum and one of the best soundtracks in recent years, the final product hits from every angle. </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
CasanovaZelos 07/01/20 3:15:43 PM #197:	#17. Bloodborne (2015) Developed by FromSoftware While Bloodborne and its ilk may get treated like their main appeal is the difficult design by the popular cultural osmosis, everyone who has truly experienced these games know these hardcore boss fights are just one of many pieces in building a top-class atmospheric experience. Nothing quite makes each area as foreboding as a killer climax demanding the best of your abilities. But theres so much more substance to this experience. Im not the type who ever enjoys being asked to repeat the same segment again and again, so the fact someone like me can be this fond of the Soulsborne concept shows there is something more. As much as I love the original Dark Souls, the setting is rather familiar. This is expanded upon within the lore and the level design itself is phenomenal, but the general aesthetics have never been the main draw. While Bloodborne also draws from familiar sources, such as Lovecraft and gothic horror, this is much rarer in the video game industry and especially in this particular, action-oriented form. Additionally, Froms obscuring take on narrative presentation perfectly matches the inspiring material. This form of horror works best when the audience cant quite wrap their head around every detail. Bloodborne stands out among the games which followed Dark Souls footsteps due to a massive change in pace. Where the original Dark Souls rewarded a methodical approach, Bloodborne expects constant confrontation. Theres no shield to hide behind here the only line of defense is dodging or well-timed parries. Yet there are also rewards for this frenzied approach. The rally system is an excellent mechanic, allowing the player to briefly heal after being hit by hitting the enemy back. Thus, theres a choice between retreating to safety and popping a blood vial or staying in the middle of the fight. Yet the exploration itself captures the same methodical magic of Dark Souls. Little corners might hide enemies and traps, with entire sections of the game hidden behind obscured paths. Theres reason to search every inch of the map, and what you find is generally rewarding. Enemies are perfectly-placed while it can be easy to pass this design off as trial-and-error, an observant player will recognize when an ambush is inevitable. The gothic architecture of Central Yharnam is wondrous, and the game only goes to more extreme and nightmarish designs. Yahargul feels especially malicious, forcing a frantic sprint with regenerating enemies. This will likely be your least favorite area, but for very good reasons. While I typically prefer the exploration in this genre, the boss fights in Bloodborne are truly exceptional. They combine fascinating designs shrouded in mystery with largely unique mechanical designs few of these bosses feel like one another. Father Gascoigne proves this game is going to be a challenge throughout, starting as a hunter vs. hunter battle before transforming into something else entirely. And if you followed a specific side story to this point, theres a neat little trick. This battle gets the extra ambience of a graveyard setting. The Shadow of Yharnam provides the extra challenge of having to manage three tough enemies simultaneously. Oddities like Micolash turn the concept of a boss fight on its head. Their arenas all stand apart. Most feel perfectly balanced, where the first few attempts involve learning their strategies, then slowly adapting as applying the counter is also a challenge. But everything feels manageable in the same way as the other From games if you truly feel stuck, you can always call a buddy for help. The sheer scope of this game is what I find most surprising. Bloodborne borrows from some specific literary influences. Despite this, every single area has a unique atmosphere and feel. This explores seemingly every genre of horror it can manage, even trailing off into ghosts and what might be aliens. And the detailed design throughout is simply awe-inspiring. I feel like I need to emphasize the exploration aspects here, as I truly feel this is the big selling point. When one is looking for a game to give a sense of discovery, it is easy to jump toward the open world genre. But in open world games, getting from point A to point B is largely as simple as walking in the right direction. Bloodborne makes the player earn their trips to these locations. Some of these places are simply off the beaten path. Stumbling across the Abandoned Old Workshop is as simple as making a precise leap. Meanwhile, finding Ebrietas is an engaged process with multiple steps, a secret inside a secret. Reaching my favorite area in the game, Forsaken Castle Cainhurst, first requires taking a side path which circles back to the first area of the game. Many developers load their games up with content, but so much of this can end up feeling like tedious busywork. Every stray location in Bloodborne, meanwhile, has a proper reward, whether it be additional lore, a cool new weapon, or literally an entire new area which adds several more hours to the experience. There may not be as many locations here, but this is a clear example of quality over quantity. The From formula might be popular to imitate, but few pull off the central mechanics better than Bloodborne. Even if the fights can be frustrating and knowing where to go next can be dizzying, this all fits perfectly with this specific setting and atmosphere. In a game where insight is a central currency, finding secrets properly feels like crossing the threshold into madness. --- Film essays and reviews: https://www.youtube.com/c/foolfantastic Board 8's Top 250 Games 2016 Edition: https://casanovazelos.wordpress.com/2016/04/26/b8top250/ <cite>CasanovaZelos posted [p:941531888] in CasanovaZe... [t:78725204]...</cite> <quote> #17. Bloodborne (2015) Developed by FromSoftware While Bloodborne and its ilk may get treated like their main appeal is the difficult design by the popular cultural osmosis, everyone who has truly experienced these games know these hardcore boss fights are just one of many pieces in building a top-class atmospheric experience. Nothing quite makes each area as foreboding as a killer climax demanding the best of your abilities. But theres so much more substance to this experience. Im not the type who ever enjoys being asked to repeat the same segment again and again, so the fact someone like me can be this fond of the Soulsborne concept shows there is something more. As much as I love the original Dark Souls, the setting is rather familiar. This is expanded upon within the lore and the level design itself is phenomenal, but the general aesthetics have never been the main draw. While Bloodborne also draws from familiar sources, such as Lovecraft and gothic horror, this is much rarer in the video game industry and especially in this particular, action-oriented form. Additionally, Froms obscuring take on narrative presentation perfectly matches the inspiring material. This form of horror works best when the audience cant quite wrap their head around every detail. Bloodborne stands out among the games which followed Dark Souls footsteps due to a massive change in pace. Where the original Dark Souls rewarded a methodical approach, Bloodborne expects constant confrontation. Theres no shield to hide behind here the only line of defense is dodging or well-timed parries. Yet there are also rewards for this frenzied approach. The rally system is an excellent mechanic, allowing the player to briefly heal after being hit by hitting the enemy back. Thus, theres a choice between retreating to safety and popping a blood vial or staying in the middle of the fight. Yet the exploration itself captures the same methodical magic of Dark Souls. Little corners might hide enemies and traps, with entire sections of the game hidden behind obscured paths. Theres reason to search every inch of the map, and what you find is generally rewarding. Enemies are perfectly-placed while it can be easy to pass this design off as trial-and-error, an observant player will recognize when an ambush is inevitable. The gothic architecture of Central Yharnam is wondrous, and the game only goes to more extreme and nightmarish designs. Yahargul feels especially malicious, forcing a frantic sprint with regenerating enemies. This will likely be your least favorite area, but for very good reasons. While I typically prefer the exploration in this genre, the boss fights in Bloodborne are truly exceptional. They combine fascinating designs shrouded in mystery with largely unique mechanical designs few of these bosses feel like one another. Father Gascoigne proves this game is going to be a challenge throughout, starting as a hunter vs. hunter battle before transforming into something else entirely. And if you followed a specific side story to this point, theres a neat little trick. This battle gets the extra ambience of a graveyard setting. The Shadow of Yharnam provides the extra challenge of having to manage three tough enemies simultaneously. Oddities like Micolash turn the concept of a boss fight on its head. Their arenas all stand apart. Most feel perfectly balanced, where the first few attempts involve learning their strategies, then slowly adapting as applying the counter is also a challenge. But everything feels manageable in the same way as the other From games if you truly feel stuck, you can always call a buddy for help. The sheer scope of this game is what I find most surprising. Bloodborne borrows from some specific literary influences. Despite this, every single area has a unique atmosphere and feel. This explores seemingly every genre of horror it can manage, even trailing off into ghosts and what might be aliens. And the detailed design throughout is simply awe-inspiring. I feel like I need to emphasize the exploration aspects here, as I truly feel this is the big selling point. When one is looking for a game to give a sense of discovery, it is easy to jump toward the open world genre. But in open world games, getting from point A to point B is largely as simple as walking in the right direction. Bloodborne makes the player earn their trips to these locations. Some of these places are simply off the beaten path. Stumbling across the Abandoned Old Workshop is as simple as making a precise leap. Meanwhile, finding Ebrietas is an engaged process with multiple steps, a secret inside a secret. Reaching my favorite area in the game, Forsaken Castle Cainhurst, first requires taking a side path which circles back to the first area of the game. Many developers load their games up with content, but so much of this can end up feeling like tedious busywork. Every stray location in Bloodborne, meanwhile, has a proper reward, whether it be additional lore, a cool new weapon, or literally an entire new area which adds several more hours to the experience. There may not be as many locations here, but this is a clear example of quality over quantity. The From formula might be popular to imitate, but few pull off the central mechanics better than Bloodborne. Even if the fights can be frustrating and knowing where to go next can be dizzying, this all fits perfectly with this specific setting and atmosphere. In a game where insight is a central currency, finding secrets properly feels like crossing the threshold into madness. </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
CasanovaZelos 07/02/20 11:34:48 AM #198:	#16. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (1991) Developed by Nintendo EAD Part of the reason Ocarina of Time was a perfect conversion into 3D was due to being built upon a solid foundation. Some have even flatly stated that Ocarina of Time is just a variant on the A Link to the Past formula. With Ocarina of Time being an imitation of that and the following 3D games until Breath of the Wild an imitation of Ocarina, its easy to view A Link to the Past as the first true Zelda experience the original game holds up well enough, but A Link to the Past is where we see the familiar structure take over. Being the only 2D console Zelda game in this style puts A Link to the Past on a special pedestal. Theres something about the top-down gameplay of the classic Zelda games that will always speak to me. Sword and shield battles with the option of strafing are fun, but the simple act of positioning Link just close enough to hit without being hit carries a unique and quick charm that few modern games capture. Options like tossing out a boomerang to freeze an enemy and then following up with a quick slash make battles short and sweet. A Link to the Past may not be as long as those which followed, but it still feels loaded with content. A lot of this difference has less to do with there being fewer places to explore and more with a sense of scale. From Ocarina of Time on, The Legend of Zelda series captures a sense of exploring a huge world. A lot of this scale comes about simply by making it take longer to get between points of interest. Thats not to say that scale is bad I do love the 3D Zelda games but A Link to the Past offers a sense of immediacy between destinations. Its like comparing Chrono Trigger to future JRPG games. This experience feels tightly woven, where every inch of the journey has been planned and fully realized. The dungeons in A Link to the Past may not be as iconic, but this again has to do with a sense of scale. Few great experiences in gaming fall apart faster than getting stuck in a modern Zelda dungeon. This can become a mad race of retracing your footsteps to see what corner you missed. With some of the trickier dungeons, this can become a nuisance. A Link to the Past has the same experience, but the simple navigation makes it much easier to get a sense of where the right path forward could be. This tight design even carries into the outside world there is some reason for each section to exist, whether it be a path to the next dungeon, a special item, or a piece of heart. Taking the time to check never feels like too much of an investment, even if it turns out youre missing a necessary item to proceed. A Link to the Past established a lot of the Legend of Zelda staples, and this is a clear example where the initial development was handled perfectly. In fact, Id argue A Link to the Past, like most SNES games, aged better than its sequels during the Nintendo 64 era. This is where we get heart pieces scattered across the world, the hookshot, the Master Sword. The Dark World is an obvious precursor to Ocarina of Times two ages. This is where the series solidified the idea of taking the dungeons in a certain order due to the items contained within. This was even the first to really capture a sense of Hyrule and its lore. While I never want to credit something purely for innovation, that is only in the case where those innovations have been outright improved upon. A Link to the Past both evolved and excelled. A Link to the Past is the Zelda series at its most focused. This set the foundation for so many action games which followed while being one of the earliest games to truly capture a sense of going on an epic adventure in a defined world. Its the same Zelda everyone has known and loved through its many iterations, so it easily deserves praise for both setting the scene and doing it well. --- Film essays and reviews: https://www.youtube.com/c/foolfantastic Board 8's Top 250 Games 2016 Edition: https://casanovazelos.wordpress.com/2016/04/26/b8top250/ <cite>CasanovaZelos posted [p:941569523] in CasanovaZe... [t:78725204]...</cite> <quote> #16. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (1991) Developed by Nintendo EAD Part of the reason Ocarina of Time was a perfect conversion into 3D was due to being built upon a solid foundation. Some have even flatly stated that Ocarina of Time is just a variant on the A Link to the Past formula. With Ocarina of Time being an imitation of that and the following 3D games until Breath of the Wild an imitation of Ocarina, its easy to view A Link to the Past as the first true Zelda experience the original game holds up well enough, but A Link to the Past is where we see the familiar structure take over. Being the only 2D console Zelda game in this style puts A Link to the Past on a special pedestal. Theres something about the top-down gameplay of the classic Zelda games that will always speak to me. Sword and shield battles with the option of strafing are fun, but the simple act of positioning Link just close enough to hit without being hit carries a unique and quick charm that few modern games capture. Options like tossing out a boomerang to freeze an enemy and then following up with a quick slash make battles short and sweet. A Link to the Past may not be as long as those which followed, but it still feels loaded with content. A lot of this difference has less to do with there being fewer places to explore and more with a sense of scale. From Ocarina of Time on, The Legend of Zelda series captures a sense of exploring a huge world. A lot of this scale comes about simply by making it take longer to get between points of interest. Thats not to say that scale is bad I do love the 3D Zelda games but A Link to the Past offers a sense of immediacy between destinations. Its like comparing Chrono Trigger to future JRPG games. This experience feels tightly woven, where every inch of the journey has been planned and fully realized. The dungeons in A Link to the Past may not be as iconic, but this again has to do with a sense of scale. Few great experiences in gaming fall apart faster than getting stuck in a modern Zelda dungeon. This can become a mad race of retracing your footsteps to see what corner you missed. With some of the trickier dungeons, this can become a nuisance. A Link to the Past has the same experience, but the simple navigation makes it much easier to get a sense of where the right path forward could be. This tight design even carries into the outside world there is some reason for each section to exist, whether it be a path to the next dungeon, a special item, or a piece of heart. Taking the time to check never feels like too much of an investment, even if it turns out youre missing a necessary item to proceed. A Link to the Past established a lot of the Legend of Zelda staples, and this is a clear example where the initial development was handled perfectly. In fact, Id argue A Link to the Past, like most SNES games, aged better than its sequels during the Nintendo 64 era. This is where we get heart pieces scattered across the world, the hookshot, the Master Sword. The Dark World is an obvious precursor to Ocarina of Times two ages. This is where the series solidified the idea of taking the dungeons in a certain order due to the items contained within. This was even the first to really capture a sense of Hyrule and its lore. While I never want to credit something purely for innovation, that is only in the case where those innovations have been outright improved upon. A Link to the Past both evolved and excelled. A Link to the Past is the Zelda series at its most focused. This set the foundation for so many action games which followed while being one of the earliest games to truly capture a sense of going on an epic adventure in a defined world. Its the same Zelda everyone has known and loved through its many iterations, so it easily deserves praise for both setting the scene and doing it well. </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
CasanovaZelos 07/02/20 4:00:13 PM #199:	#15. Metal Gear Solid 3 (2004) Developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Japan The Metal Gear Solid series walks a thin line between joyous absurdity and convoluted nothingness. Later entries become bogged down with information. Sometimes, the best option is to just go with it without asking questions. Metal Gear Solid 3 stands as the best because this excess weight is lifted off its shoulders by being the first chronologically, allowing it to tell a story which could easily stand alone. The narrative of Metal Gear Solid 3 finds the series at its most emotionally mature. This is not to say it takes itself too seriously theres still a bad guy squad with absurd powers. In fact, they might be the most absurd team in the series, from a man who controls bees to a flaming cosmonaut. This is the exact B-movie magic which made the original so oddly compelling. But something much more complex is buried beneath the surface. The story of Naked Snake and The Boss is simultaneously mind-boggling and gut-wrenching. This is a game which has made several people cry, and not by pulling out a cheap shot by killing off a character unexpectedly. The entire game is building toward a phenomenal payoff, remarking on the nature of betrayal, duty, and inevitability. Metal Gear Solid 3 is one of those rare games where an updated version is actually essential. Snake Eater pushes the map sizes to an extreme degree, yet the original release stuck to the same limited camera system as the first two games. A year later, they released Subsistence, which brings the camera closer to Snake and gives the player control over its movement. Much like Resident Evil 4, the controls remain the same, proving just how essential a proper camera can be to our perception of movement. Metal Gear Solid 3 immediately jumped from archaic to modern. Though classified under the stealth genre, the success of Metal Gear Solid in general is better understood through the lens of a set-piece style action-adventure game. In fact, despite this being one of my favorite games, I dont think I actually like the basic idea of stealth gameplay the hits I have encountered in the genre all go above and beyond. The strong narrative and excellent boss battles are a perfect reward for the stress of sneaking through such a busy environment. The most striking moments in MGS3 are the boss fights. Revolver Ocelots younger self makes a classic entrance. He gives a high-pitched mew to summon his allies (before telling them to leave ten seconds later), does this weird gesture with his hands, and then begins twirling and juggling his revolvers around for literally thirty seconds. The battle itself is a simple duel, but its hard to forget Ocelots awkward turn as an eccentric young man. If controlling bees wasnt enough, The Pain will get his little allies to form weapons by simply shouting out commands. Its hard to forget a man shouting Tommy gun and then shooting literal bees at you. The Fear has a neat feature where you can trick him into poisoning himself. The End is an epic sniper battle. But hes also a fragile old man, and theres a brief window earlier in the game when Snake can simply snipe him. Alternatively, you can set the system clock ahead a week and hell die of old age. Its these odd little touches that give these already excellent fights the Kojima charm. Though not a traditional boss fight in the slightest, The Sorrow deserves special mention. During this sequence, Naked Snake is forced to walk down a narrow river as the ghosts of those he has killed throughout the story stumble along. The game doesnt just keep track of the number killed but also the method. If the player has been successfully stealthy or relied on non-lethal means, this will be a quick walk. Meanwhile, if Snake has gone on a killing spree, you will have to dodge wave after wave of angry spirits. Its a surprisingly effective way to reflect on player actions. One non-boss moment I adore simply has Snake climb a ladder which seems to go on literally forever. A few feet up, an a cappella version of the theme song starts playing, and the ladder is just long enough for the whole thing to play out. Theres no reason for this to actually exist, but its fun to play in a space created purely for Kojimas own audacious enjoyment. It takes a special skill to make something as innocuous as climbing a ladder stand out in a game full of intrigue and inexplicable powers. Metal Gear Solid 3 is a game which reaches for new narrative heights while fully engaging with the more outlandish concepts the medium was built upon. Kojima understands emotional resonance does not necessitate an appeal toward absolute realism. The audience can engage with both the absurdity of The Fury and the tragedy of The Boss. And while it may rely a bit heavily on cutscenes, MGS3 makes sure the player is the one to pull the trigger at key moments. --- Film essays and reviews: https://www.youtube.com/c/foolfantastic Board 8's Top 250 Games 2016 Edition: https://casanovazelos.wordpress.com/2016/04/26/b8top250/ <cite>CasanovaZelos posted [p:941581587] in CasanovaZe... [t:78725204]...</cite> <quote> #15. Metal Gear Solid 3 (2004) Developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Japan The Metal Gear Solid series walks a thin line between joyous absurdity and convoluted nothingness. Later entries become bogged down with information. Sometimes, the best option is to just go with it without asking questions. Metal Gear Solid 3 stands as the best because this excess weight is lifted off its shoulders by being the first chronologically, allowing it to tell a story which could easily stand alone. The narrative of Metal Gear Solid 3 finds the series at its most emotionally mature. This is not to say it takes itself too seriously theres still a bad guy squad with absurd powers. In fact, they might be the most absurd team in the series, from a man who controls bees to a flaming cosmonaut. This is the exact B-movie magic which made the original so oddly compelling. But something much more complex is buried beneath the surface. The story of Naked Snake and The Boss is simultaneously mind-boggling and gut-wrenching. This is a game which has made several people cry, and not by pulling out a cheap shot by killing off a character unexpectedly. The entire game is building toward a phenomenal payoff, remarking on the nature of betrayal, duty, and inevitability. Metal Gear Solid 3 is one of those rare games where an updated version is actually essential. Snake Eater pushes the map sizes to an extreme degree, yet the original release stuck to the same limited camera system as the first two games. A year later, they released Subsistence, which brings the camera closer to Snake and gives the player control over its movement. Much like Resident Evil 4, the controls remain the same, proving just how essential a proper camera can be to our perception of movement. Metal Gear Solid 3 immediately jumped from archaic to modern. Though classified under the stealth genre, the success of Metal Gear Solid in general is better understood through the lens of a set-piece style action-adventure game. In fact, despite this being one of my favorite games, I dont think I actually like the basic idea of stealth gameplay the hits I have encountered in the genre all go above and beyond. The strong narrative and excellent boss battles are a perfect reward for the stress of sneaking through such a busy environment. The most striking moments in MGS3 are the boss fights. Revolver Ocelots younger self makes a classic entrance. He gives a high-pitched mew to summon his allies (before telling them to leave ten seconds later), does this weird gesture with his hands, and then begins twirling and juggling his revolvers around for literally thirty seconds. The battle itself is a simple duel, but its hard to forget Ocelots awkward turn as an eccentric young man. If controlling bees wasnt enough, The Pain will get his little allies to form weapons by simply shouting out commands. Its hard to forget a man shouting Tommy gun and then shooting literal bees at you. The Fear has a neat feature where you can trick him into poisoning himself. The End is an epic sniper battle. But hes also a fragile old man, and theres a brief window earlier in the game when Snake can simply snipe him. Alternatively, you can set the system clock ahead a week and hell die of old age. Its these odd little touches that give these already excellent fights the Kojima charm. Though not a traditional boss fight in the slightest, The Sorrow deserves special mention. During this sequence, Naked Snake is forced to walk down a narrow river as the ghosts of those he has killed throughout the story stumble along. The game doesnt just keep track of the number killed but also the method. If the player has been successfully stealthy or relied on non-lethal means, this will be a quick walk. Meanwhile, if Snake has gone on a killing spree, you will have to dodge wave after wave of angry spirits. Its a surprisingly effective way to reflect on player actions. One non-boss moment I adore simply has Snake climb a ladder which seems to go on literally forever. A few feet up, an a cappella version of the theme song starts playing, and the ladder is just long enough for the whole thing to play out. Theres no reason for this to actually exist, but its fun to play in a space created purely for Kojimas own audacious enjoyment. It takes a special skill to make something as innocuous as climbing a ladder stand out in a game full of intrigue and inexplicable powers. Metal Gear Solid 3 is a game which reaches for new narrative heights while fully engaging with the more outlandish concepts the medium was built upon. Kojima understands emotional resonance does not necessitate an appeal toward absolute realism. The audience can engage with both the absurdity of The Fury and the tragedy of The Boss. And while it may rely a bit heavily on cutscenes, MGS3 makes sure the player is the one to pull the trigger at key moments. </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
SeabassDebeste 07/02/20 4:23:18 PM #200:	back during the first games contest, it wasn't at all uncommon to see people with LttP as their favorite zelda. it was on par with OoT as the most popular zelda on B8 at least. i feel like it's now rare to see someone rank LttP as their favorite zelda and actually really love the series. this of course assumes that skyward sword isn't a weird #1 or something. i guess majora's mask could be the remaining 2000 game too, but i don't particularly expect it. i think you captured a lot of what's great about MGS3. for the overall experience, i'd also add the music and the codec conversations. but i feel like the only thing "missing" from your writeup is the ending - like chrono trigger, MGS3 doesn't really have any "down" stretches per se, but even so, it seems to kick it up a gear practically from the fight with the end through the final majestic 45-minute-long cutscene. --- yet all azuarc of all sorts are more or less capricious and unreliable - they live in the varying outer weather, and they inhale its fickleness <cite>SeabassDebeste posted [p:941582621] in CasanovaZe... [t:78725204]...</cite> <quote>back during the first games contest, it wasn't at all uncommon to see people with LttP as their favorite zelda. it was on par with OoT as the most popular zelda on B8 at least. i feel like it's now rare to see someone rank LttP as their favorite zelda and actually really love the series. this of course assumes that skyward sword isn't a weird #1 or something. i guess majora's mask could be the remaining 2000 game too, but i don't particularly expect it. i think you captured a lot of what's great about MGS3. for the overall experience, i'd also add the music and the codec conversations. but i feel like the only thing "missing" from your writeup is the ending - like chrono trigger, MGS3 doesn't really have any "down" stretches per se, but even so, it seems to kick it up a gear practically from the fight with the end through the final majestic 45-minute-long cutscene.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
CasanovaZelos 07/02/20 4:45:25 PM #201:	New page, so here's the list so far: #100. Rock Band 3 (2010) #99. Animal Crossing: New Horizons (2020) #98. Paper Mario (2000) #97. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (1992) #96. Devil May Cry 3 (2005) #95. The Walking Dead (2012) #94. Ikaruga (2001) #93. Shining Force II (1993) #92. Batman: Arkham City (2011) #91. Portal (2007) #90. Into the Breach (2018) #89. Devil May Cry 5 (2019) #88. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (2018) #87. Night in the Woods (2017) #86. God of War (2018) #85. We Love Katamari (2005) #84. Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne (2003) #83. Star Fox 64 (1997) #82. Pokemon Black/White (2010) #81. Super Smash Bros. Melee (2001) #80. Shovel Knight (2014) #79. Tales of Vesperia (2008) #78. RollerCoaster Tycoon (1999) #77. Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors (2009) #76. EarthBound (1994) #75. Left 4 Dead 2 (2009) #74. Super Mario Bros. 3 (1988) #73. Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018) #72. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (2009) #71. Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony (2017) #70. Dragon Quest VIII (2004) #69. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (2004) #68. Mass Effect (2007) #67. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004) #66. Dragon Quest XI (2017) #65. Final Fantasy XII (2006) #64. The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth (2014) #63. Mario Kart 8 (2014) #62. Mass Effect 3 (2012) #61. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (2017) #60. Hollow Knight (2017) #59. Fallout: New Vegas (2010) #58. Bayonetta 2 (2014) #57. Dark Souls III (2016) #56. Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 (2006) #55. Hotline Miami (2012) #54. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (2002) #53. Overwatch (2016) #52. Red Dead Redemption (2010) #51. Bioshock Infinite (2013) #50. Inside (2016) #49. Super Mario World (1990) #48. Kingdom Hearts II (2006) #47. Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward (2012) #46. Gunstar Heroes (1993) #45. Final Fantasy VII (1997) #44. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Trials and Tribulations (2004) #43. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011) #42. The World Ends With You (2008) #41. Final Fantasy VI (1994) #40. Half-Life 2 (2004) #39. The Witcher III (2015) #38. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017) #37. Doom (2016) #36. Metal Gear Solid (1998) #35. Streets of Rage II (1992) #34. Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair (2012) #33. Xenoblade Chronicles (2010) #32. Silent Hill (1999) #31. Final Fantasy IX (2000) #30. Okami (2006) #29. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (1997) #28. Super Mario Galaxy 2 (2010) #28. Super Mario Galaxy (2007) #27. What Remains of Edith Finch (2017) #26. Super Mario Odyssey (2017) #25. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998) #24. Pokemon Gold/Silver (1999) #23. Psychonauts (2005) #22. The Last of Us (2013) #21. Portal 2 (2011) #20. Chrono Trigger (1995) #19. Resident Evil 4 (2005) #18. Nier: Automata (2017) #17. Bloodborne (2015) #16. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (1991) #15. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (2004) --- Film essays and reviews: https://www.youtube.com/c/foolfantastic Board 8's Top 250 Games 2016 Edition: https://casanovazelos.wordpress.com/2016/04/26/b8top250/ <cite>CasanovaZelos posted [p:941583732] in CasanovaZe... [t:78725204]...</cite> <quote>New page, so here's the list so far: #100. Rock Band 3 (2010) #99. Animal Crossing: New Horizons (2020) #98. Paper Mario (2000) #97. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (1992) #96. Devil May Cry 3 (2005) #95. The Walking Dead (2012) #94. Ikaruga (2001) #93. Shining Force II (1993) #92. Batman: Arkham City (2011) #91. Portal (2007) #90. Into the Breach (2018) #89. Devil May Cry 5 (2019) #88. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (2018) #87. Night in the Woods (2017) #86. God of War (2018) #85. We Love Katamari (2005) #84. Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne (2003) #83. Star Fox 64 (1997) #82. Pokemon Black/White (2010) #81. Super Smash Bros. Melee (2001) #80. Shovel Knight (2014) #79. Tales of Vesperia (2008) #78. RollerCoaster Tycoon (1999) #77. Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors (2009) #76. EarthBound (1994) #75. Left 4 Dead 2 (2009) #74. Super Mario Bros. 3 (1988) #73. Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018) #72. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (2009) #71. Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony (2017) #70. Dragon Quest VIII (2004) #69. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (2004) #68. Mass Effect (2007) #67. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004) #66. Dragon Quest XI (2017) #65. Final Fantasy XII (2006) #64. The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth (2014) #63. Mario Kart 8 (2014) #62. Mass Effect 3 (2012) #61. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (2017) #60. Hollow Knight (2017) #59. Fallout: New Vegas (2010) #58. Bayonetta 2 (2014) #57. Dark Souls III (2016) #56. Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 (2006) #55. Hotline Miami (2012) #54. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (2002) #53. Overwatch (2016) #52. Red Dead Redemption (2010) #51. Bioshock Infinite (2013) #50. Inside (2016) #49. Super Mario World (1990) #48. Kingdom Hearts II (2006) #47. Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward (2012) #46. Gunstar Heroes (1993) #45. Final Fantasy VII (1997) #44. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Trials and Tribulations (2004) #43. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011) #42. The World Ends With You (2008) #41. Final Fantasy VI (1994) #40. Half-Life 2 (2004) #39. The Witcher III (2015) #38. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017) #37. Doom (2016) #36. Metal Gear Solid (1998) #35. Streets of Rage II (1992) #34. Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair (2012) #33. Xenoblade Chronicles (2010) #32. Silent Hill (1999) #31. Final Fantasy IX (2000) #30. Okami (2006) #29. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (1997) #28. Super Mario Galaxy 2 (2010) #28. Super Mario Galaxy (2007) #27. What Remains of Edith Finch (2017) #26. Super Mario Odyssey (2017) #25. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998) #24. Pokemon Gold/Silver (1999) #23. Psychonauts (2005) #22. The Last of Us (2013) #21. Portal 2 (2011) #20. Chrono Trigger (1995) #19. Resident Evil 4 (2005) #18. Nier: Automata (2017) #17. Bloodborne (2015) #16. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (1991) #15. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (2004) </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
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Board 8 > CasanovaZelos's Top 100 Video Games (+) Yeah! (+)

Board 8 > CasanovaZelos's Top 100 Video Games