Posts made by Phbz

Halo 4

Started it when I got the XSX and now played the rest. Really incredible how this game's visuals hold, easy to forget it's a 360 title.

I've said it before, the Flood is one of the lamest enemies ever, the Prometheans were a big upgrade and they brought cool some cool guns with them and different combat dynamics.

Like with most Halos environments go from boring to cool, lots of different sections implemented with different levels of success. Glorious skyboxes.

It's a fine game imo but damn, Cortana is a pathetic character. The voice acting, or the actor's direction, is pretty awful, when she goes full on hysterical I just cringe. And her character's design... Why's she semi naked? Is so out of place, ridiculous really. And it's a shame because occasionally the interaction between MC and her goes to cool touching places. And the bigger overall narrative arch is so whatever.

Then there's the sound. Why does everything sounds so dead? Guns, voice acting, music, very little dynamic range, like an emotionless flat line. Tried to check if I could change something in the options but they are lacking.

I did enjoyed replaying it, gameplay is still solid but story and lore stuff are lame.

7.5

Half-Life 2

Don't know if you guys know about this one but this team will go far. I think they're called Valve.

OK, don't know how many times I've finished this game but it never gets old. Except the 4/5 that has bit of filler, this is such a well designed game. Damn near flawless. World building is still top class to this day and so is the sound design. The enemy AI mixed with scripted behaviour still impress me today.

There's this part where you use a crane to lift your vehicle to another area and, as enemies appear, you can lift stuff from the environment using the crane to smash them, it's so out there and creative, I feel like the attention and creativity that goes into each section, and how careful the design is, is not matched by many games.

Also, how the game is constantly introduction new mechanics and there's no tutorials, areas with yellow paint or arrows pointing what to do is great. Everything is introduced coherently within the world, following very basic pedagogic principles and the game trusts you and more importantly, trusts it self.

9.7/10

Normalize under 10h games!

@dmcmaster Most depressing thing is that from the title to the setting, the conversation around this game would be nauseating. But it is a shame that's cancelled.

@jdincinerator I'm in!

I'm closer and closer to playing my first Pokemon game. As long as it is not heavy on mandatory grind, Ledgends might be it.

I liked it too. The was a bit of disappointment do to misguided expectations regarding the open world but the overall result was great. I wish we had more of it, maybe in another time frame or in another place like Paris.

Looks fine, but I was fine with the graphics on the reveal. Least of my concerns regarding Halo tbh.

But they better make a side mission where I have to rescue Craig from an angry mob or I'm done with the series.

Looks great, they should start showing a bit more of it. But gives me good vibes.

The Nintendo direct now seems good after all. Kinda weird feeling the need to make a show to basically show nothing new.

Returnal looks great, but I'm exactly where I was before the show. Same for most games shown, and the new ones look underwhelming. The new game from the Hyper Light Drifter people looks disappointing.

I guess companies will draw every little drop of good will from these events.

Dirt 5 is on Gamepass some cool stuff, particularly the level variations in some tracks but it feels kinda like a pointless game. I'll stick with it a bit more.

Bowser's Fury

Really interesting structure, with the full open world and how it plays with scale, reminded me of Xenoblade X and I wish the next full Mario further explores what it does here. Not the best level design or the most inventive but still plenty of great stuff. Visually looks great, Nintendo really nailed their lighting model and use of materials in such a way that they can put out some of the most visually appealing games on the market while running PS3/X360 level hardware. But there's limits and I wish the kaiju phase could have some crazy physics based destruction to go along with it. It really begs for it.

Considering Nintendo didn't even needed to include this to sell 3D World, it's an impressive piece of "side" content.

8.5/10

Some 3D World and Bowser's Fury

Announce the Naughty Dog space game and I'll buy the PS5 even before the slim model.

Some bad news incoming

Dear lord bring Dreams to PC, that's all I want.

@el-shmiablo PlayStation has no games!

Now all those (not) exclusives are no longer real games. 😢

Dandara-Trial of Fears

A metroidvania with a different flair. Played it in the original Brazilian language and the writing is wonderful, a really nice mix of mysticism and psychedelic, kinda like the videogame version of the tropicalia 70s movement. Cool level design that nails that rewarding feeling of exploration this genre is known for and it has a nice twist to how movement is handled. Instead of running you jump between contact points and there's no up or down. Feels great to move super fast once you know a level but at times lacks precision, although it's mostly on you when that happens, just got to keep calm and focused.

Visually it's a shame being so inconsistent and lacking a more cohesive visual identity. Sometimes it really nails it, but more often than not is kinda just there.

On the other hand the sound track is freaking phenomenal and worth to listen too. Proper album really, not that videogamy.

It offers an average challenge and no exaggeration, the final boss kicked my butt in the best of ways and had me celebrating like a From Soft game. But maybe a bit too hard compared with the rest of the game, but I loved it.

7.5 although I really want to give it an 8 but I feel it's the adrenaline of that final battle clouding my judgement. But damn, what a final boss!

Super Mario 3D World

Ok, this game is fcking amazing. Wow! Like every decent human I like to complain about Nintendo releasing old stuff but also like any decent human being one has to surrender and embrace ye olde Mario. This is really Mario at its best, insane creativity. And playing some of it in co-op with my girl was a crazy good time.

The countdown timer kinda goes against the nature of the game and rushes the player needlessly. Camera at times is inadequate but nothing major.

9/10