by wumbo3000
Showing 1-10 of 36 items
5/5 - For a few months in the middle of summer, my life was consumed by Stardew Valley. The core loop of farming, making money, and exploring the world is just tuned to perfection. Giving the player the ultimate goal of restoring the Community Center was so smart, as it always gave me something to work towards. While working on my farm is ostensibly the driving force of the game, everything surrounding was just as compelling. The unique, one-off festivals and events were actually some of my favorite parts of the game, and knowing that there were these set piece moments made me excited to continue moving forward. And it's fun to think about how when I first started the game, I was struggling to scrounge up the money to buy enough parsnip seeds, but by the end, I was literally drowning in so much cash that I didn't know what to do with all of it. Stardew Valley was simply a sublime experience.
11/2/2020 5/5 - When I beat Hades for the first time, I thought I was going to be done with this game. Sure, I could see the true ending by beating him 10 times, but I'm not really one to replay games. Turns out, when you tie an excellent narrative to the core loop of a rogue-like, it makes returning to the game that much easier and enticing. It also helps that the game is just so goddamn fun to play. Every weapon feels uniquely different, but feels powerful and substantial in their own way. But the real reason Hades works for me is how smartly the story is tied into its rogue-like nature of the game. And because it's a Supergiant game, all of the voice acting and music are incredibly well-done. It's not like one particular aspect of Hades is breaking completely new ground, but everything comes together in a way that makes this one of the best games I've played all year.
7/16/2020 5/5 - I feel like The Last of Us Part II has an almost unfair advantage over every other game that came out this year. The budget, freedom, and time Naughty Dog has had with making this game is probably unparalleled in the industry. But I suppose Naughty Dog has earned that blank check, right? And there's no guarantee that any developer with that kind of money would put out a quality product like Naughty Dog has consistently done over these past several years. With all that being said, I do think The Last of Us Part II is an incredible game. I really enjoy this series' unique take on combat, and how it strikes a very good balance between stealth and all-out panic gunfighting. I was immediately invested in the direction they took the story right off the bat, and without getting into spoilers, I think all of the new characters were really the defining highlights. The evolution of every single character in the game, and how your perception of them changes are really what carried me through the narrative. And the production values of everything surrounding this game is mind boggling. I can go on and on about all of the accessibility options, or the fidelity of each performance, but the fact that there's a fully playable guitar in the game is really all you need to know. I also want to discuss the weird Joel/Ellie obsession the audience seems to have with the Last of Us series. The backlash that happened with this game since the story didn't go the way they wanted to is the quite possibly the silliest thing. Let the creators of the game tell the story they want. Also, Metal Gear Solid 2 is the best MGS game.
6/17/2020 5/5 - I'm so so so happy I was able to experience this wonderful game with Katamari Damacy Reroll on the Switch. Even though I already knew what the basic premise of this game was, I was still knocked on my ass at how this game wildly spirals out of control as the King of All Cosmos demands bigger and BIGGER katamaris. There's just something immensely satisfying about finally rolling up that damn cow, human, skyscraper, etc. and hearing that nice snap once it sticks into your katamari. This is one of those games that if I played the original back when it came out in 2004 when I was a 12 year old kid, this game would've left an indelible impression on me and probably would've become one of my favorite games of all time. Turns out, even as a 28 year old, Katamari Damacy Reroll was one of my favorite games this year.
12/14/2020 5/5 - Everything about the movement and platforming in this game just felt right. As you get more and more powers, I really appreciated just how fast you can zip around the map, and how fluid and mobile you feel as you navigate the world. An all-around stunning and beautiful game that I had a fantastic time playing through.
8/15/2020 5/5 - I've played a lot of these minigames on Rhythm Heaven Megamix, but this was my first time going through the entirety of Rhythm Heaven Fever, and as expected, it was a delightful experience all around. The Rhythm Heaven series is one of my favorites, and all I can do is pray to the heavens above that the next game will be announced eventually.
1/7/2020 5/5 - The only other Devil May Cry game I played before this one was Ninja Theory's DmC, and I absolutely loved that game, so I was curious to see if I would enjoy Capcom's return to the series. Turns out, this was one of the most fun action games I've played in recent memory. I also don't remember the last time I laughed out loud this much while playing a game. The hilariously cheesy one liners, the insane set pieces, and just the complete absurdity of certain moments (read: Dante's dance sequence) all made this an amazing game. And those live-action recreations of the in-game cutscenes...just incredible.
8/23/2020 4/5 - Doom Eternal throws a lot of mechanics at the player very early on, and at times, it felt a little overwhelming. As you progress through the game, however, all of it slowly starts to become second nature, and when the action in Doom Eternal is hitting, it hits hard. One of my main grievances with the game is how it straight up tells you how to beat enemies and bosses in a pop-up menu the first time you encounter them. I wish that I as a player was able to feel the satisfaction of figuring out the solution to the action puzzle myself.
3/26/2020 4/5 - The combat in this game was basically the gameplay in the Souls games distilled into a much easier version that was able to be enjoyed by the masses, but it was still engaging and challenging enough where it didn't feel like a complete cakewalk. Add in some Uncharted style climbing and exploring, along with a great cast of characters filled with some really good performances, and this is probably one of the best Star Wars game that's come along in a long time.
5/24/2020 4/5 - I started A Short Hike and finished it in one sitting over the course of a couple of hours on a Sunday afternoon, and for me, that was the perfect way to experience this game. A very simple yet touching story wrapped up in a surprisingly engaging flying mechanic makes A Short Hike one of the most pleasant experiences I've had this year. And the soundtrack is just so wonderful.