Saints Row 4, Shining Resonance Refrain and Sonic CD @Ralizah were/are the other three. I might even cut the Sonic CD section out as it doesn't really add much to the next piece, leaving it as a double feature.
I also have a paragraph or two with acknowledgements and very brief thoughts to Nier Automata, Resi Revelations 2 & The Last Of Us which I'm not going to review fully as I feel there's not really a lot I can say about them. (... I also want to save my sanity regarding my thoughts on Nier Automata)
Danganronpa will be up next after them which I know you're looking forward to reading.
I'm not going to play the sequel til I get that done and dusted which shouldn't take me to too long... getting good (and non spoilery) screenshots will be the hardest part!
and yeah RE: Iconoclasts and it's ending
I quite liked that part of the ending I mean she indirectly helped start a civil war/revolution, saved Mina, her brother (Though he lost an arm) and Samba, killed a tyranical overlord, left her friend(?)/royal to die on the moon, killed 'God', travelled miles on foot, still missing her dad... The poor girl's gotta be pooped! And frankly I didn't mind she just ignored Elro 😂
Robin does get a decent amount of character development too with her body language which is pretty good for a silent protagonist.
And like you said on the previous page I do look forward to seeing what Joakim has in store next, especially with a team at hand 😄
Previously known as Foxy-Goddess-Scotchy
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"You don't have to save the world to find meaning in life. Sometimes all you need is something simple, like someone to take care of"
@DonJorginho This is just my own selfish opinion : a legitimate user review of TLoU2 would be helpful for those of us who haven’t bought the game yet and are a little confused about it. Since in order to avoid spoilers and the stupidity of the populace, I’ve been actively avoiding internet discourse about it, (including comments and threads here on Push Square) I’m curious to get a honest assessment of the game from a trustworthy source. I did read Sammy’s official PushSquare review and found it enlightening, but it would be nice to hear a non-professional critical review also.
I think I’ll eventually buy it, but I’m kind of waiting to let the dust settle.
If you do decide on TLoU2, then I have a couple questions including the basic ones about gameplay, technical achievement, and story — The rumors of the game being exceedingly dark and uncomfortable have me hesitant to play it. Thematically I can handle heavy subjects, but superfluous suffering, sorrow, and personal anguish is not what I want to spend my free time engaging in. I loved the first one because it has a beautiful redemption arc to it. If this one just drags the player through the experience of excessive pain, misery, and agony with no real resolution, then I’m not sure I want to play it.
If you decide to do FF7R, then that’s okay too, but I actually think its the next game I’m starting anyways. I’ve seen enough positives about it that I’m sure I’ll like it.
— — — — —
On that subject, I just completed Death Stranding and will drop my own “review” (more like my own personal observations of the game) here shortly.
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
@DonJorginho TLOU Part II is the game of the moment, so it'll be more timely, I think.
Not to say FF7R doesn't deserve a good write-up (I plan to post one myself if I can ever stop being lazy), but there's no real timing required now that its moment has passed, so to speak.
I’ve been posting thoughts all along over the past month during my playthrough of Death Stranding, so it’s no secret that this game has become one of my favorite games of this generation. So I won’t write a standard review that outlines the pros and cons to the game. Many reviews have been written recently about it. Rather, I’d like to focus on a few interesting aspects of the game, more as an observational study of the game, rather than a traditional review.
There is just so much that this game does uniquely and so much that it gets right that I’d like to share some of these thoughts.
Symbolism
From the start of the game, the script and gameplay is steeped in symbolism. It may be the most symbolic game I’ve ever played. So many objects are found to carry deep metaphorical and representative meanings. Just a few examples of which are beaches, blood, masks, guns, necklaces, gear you carry like ropes and strands, and talismans.
Sometimes this symbolism is rather heavy handed, such as every single character’s name carrying a rather overt underlying meaning
about their personality, and sometimes it’s subtle like the astronaut toy that hangs from BB’s pod.
The naming and lexicon of the game world is filled with nuanced wordplay and intimation. Words like the “chiral” network, with the term chiral coming from chemistry meaning a component that is asymmetrical and not superimposable. Or the B.T.’s = “beached things” with a lot of imagery of beached whales, fishes, and sea life.
Little things like all this figurative expression are what make me excited about the subtle and crafty symbolism weaved into the game. And it permeates every crease of this world.
Use of Color and Textures
Part of what makes this game so pleasant to play is the interesting aesthetic. I know many will complain about the rather monotone color palette used in the buildings and also in a lot of the environments. However, the drab surroundings serve a narrative purpose to not only represent the dark state of the world during the death stranding, but also it highlights the dramatic usage of color when it does pop up. The bright red of Amelie’s dress, the bright yellow of BB’s pod. The flashback scenes have very dramatic use of oranges and reds during firefight. And the lush greens of parts of the world are just breathtaking.
The texture of the mountainous environment highlights the rugged nature of the world, and adds to tension and also makes the vistas beautifully interesting. I also made note of how the chiral crystals and the some of the mini bosses have the gold metallic sheen to them which is also a dramatic use of texturing to highlight those who come from the other side.
Sound and Music
One of the most pleasant aspects of the game that I noticed was the music. Normally I don’t pay much attention to a game’s soundtrack, but in Death Stranding it is present front-and-center at so many game moments that it’s hard to ignore. And it is beautifully done. As you head out on a long walk with nothing but silence and the crunch of the gravel under your boots, to suddenly have a melancholy song play in the background to keep you company while you trek to your next destination was so satisfying. I grew to really like the song selection.
Other sounds in the game were used sparingly, but when you encountered B.T.’s it was really well done as you could hear them groan but not see them at times which added to the anxiety in trying to hide and sneak past them.
Building vs. Destruction
One of the big themes of the game is that of building and creating structures in a world where they are constantly being torn down and destroyed. It’s symbolic of the game as a whole and with each structure to build to navigate the environment, you experience a microcosm of the games overall theme. With the online aspects, this building is a way to help others and do your part in a community, just like Sam is doing for America.
I can’t remember another game I’ve played that had such an intricate active world building aspect and also a gradual destruction process that all fit into the narrative.
Man vs. Nature
Whether it be timefall, the death stranding, or simply the deep snow or craggy crevasse ridden land, the underlying theme of man overcoming nature is a major one. I’ve played other survival games, and many games will have animals which attack or sometimes weather that may affect gameplay, but I don’t recall ever feeling like I was literally struggling against nature herself in any other game quite to the extent as I did on this one.
That Ending
I’ll avoid specifics so as to refrain from spoilers, but the ending was right up with some of the great game endings this generation. I’ve not felt a similar impact with the ending since Red Dead Redemption 2 and NieR Automata. Some games just kind of end with no real connection to the beginning and no resolution for the characters, but fortunately Death Stranding does reach a solid conclusion. I appreciate a game that delivers a moment that feels like it explores the questions and emotions I’ve been building up during the playthrough. And I like it when there is room left to ponder the outcome, and dissect its meaning and direction, and Death Stranding accomplished this, in my opinion.
——————
Those are a few random thoughts and observations. If you came looking for a traditional review with a score, here goes: Death Stranding does many things that I’ve not experienced in a video game. When game developers experiment, some things are bound to fall flat and that happens here with some of the mechanics, controls, and the game’s glacial pace at times. But Death Stranding absolutely delivers with innovative gameplay, an addictive asynchronous online component, a unique and crazy story, an artistically and graphically beautiful presentation, and generally solid acting and characterization. It’s simply one of the most satisfying games I’ve ever played. It’s not perfect (no game ever is), but I’ll be thinking about it for a long time. 9/10.
@Th3solution
Wow, nice write up, you've really sold me on this. I was a little bit on the fence about getting Death Stranding but now I see I need to pick this up next time I'm at the shop.
@Foxy-Goddess-Scotchy
Also read your review of Iconoclasts the other day, Foxy. Definitely going to make this the next Vita game I play now, sounds great!
@Th3solution Nice review and I am torn on getting this game. On the one hand I love all the symbolism you describe and the story seems to be something I would find interesting but I am put off by the length and glacial pace (as you described very well). I find it hard committing so many hours to something.
Will have to wait until TLOU2, Ghost of T and probably Iron Man VR but will keep an eye out for this going cheap. Enjoyed reading!
Now I may be an idiot, but there's one thing I am not sir, and that sir, is an idiot
@LieutenantFatman Thanks and I hope you like it. Be sure to post thoughts if you do end up trying it.
In fairness and acknowledgement of some of the criticisms levied at the game, it is less mainstream than most AAA games and unlike Horizon, Spider-Man, or Uncharted, this is very much a game that will only resonate with a subset of gamers. But I do believe most of the hardcore who give it a chance will find some level of satisfaction and appreciation. The story is a bit self-indulgent, if I’m honest, but not nearly as much as most of the haters out there are claiming. Kojima’s auteur personality is on full display, to be sure, but if you ignore that, then there some pretty deep and mind blowing stuff to be had. If one is looking for a storyline like “hero A takes on villain B and falls in love with NPC C...” then they will likely be disappointed. But as weird as the story is, it does all eventually make sense and for the most part the interwoven narrative isn’t as strange as it seems from trailers, but it is pretty bizarre and unorthodox.
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
@JohnnyShoulder Lol, Yeah so I’ve heard. I’m troubled that the game seems to be single handedly bringing down the entire gaming community. Perhaps everyone is on edge because of all the tumult this year in the form of pandemics and riots.
@Rudy_Manchego Thanks and I’m glad it’s at least on your radar. My final play time was right at 80 hours. I probably could have finished the game in about 60, but I was enjoying it enough to take my time doing extra deliveries and laying down structures to build the online community. For what it’s worth, I’m a gamer who lately gets pretty impatient with games over 40 hours. If games stretch beyond that then I get fidgety and thinking about the next one on my backlog list. I never once had those thoughts during Death Stranding. I didn’t ever feel like it was too long and even in the slow sections I found enjoyment. It’s a little like RDR2 in that regard, that some of the joy is in the journey, and when it resonates with you then you’ll not want to rush through. But I know other players described getting annoyed during the second half, but I didn’t.
@Th3solution
Thanks! It's true, Kojima's games tend to be convoluted and bizzare, he's not perfect I know, but chances are I will enjoy a lot of what's in there. I do often struggle to get my head round some of his plot twists but the characters and their relationships, struggles etc are usually very well delivered. And top points to him on game play as well, he strives to deliver something new each time and yet always keeps things fun.
@RogerRoger Thanks, buddy. I wasn’t sure if it would be interesting or meaningful to write a post like that since it’s more just my own impressions of what was unique or prominent or impressive in the game. Glad it could be of some use, if nothing else than to further an understanding of what is a really tough game to describe to someone who hasn’t played it.
For those who liked MGS, specifically 4&5, I think there is something for you in Death Stranding. The game is nothing like MGS from a narrative standpoint, but the MGS DNA can be detected ever so slightly in things like gunplay and stealth, as well as in things such as the post-delivery grading screens. Some of it feels familiar. Perhaps that’s another reason I loved it is because there were echoes of MGS 5 in there that scratched a certain itch that I know I won’t get scratched any other way.
Fair warning on the mild horror aspects. The game could be considered a type of horror game, but really that genre assignment is slightly misleading. It’s not filled with gore, jump scares, or savagery. The interactions with BT’s can be creepy, but probably not much worse than Dathomir in Fallen Order. Some imagery is disturbing but not in the gratuitous sense. No severed limbs, disemboweling, decapitations, witches, or zombies. There are no spiders or creepy-crawly things. Yet, somehow it can be pretty tense and disquieting in a way. The bosses can be scary but stylistically look so awesome to me that it was hard to get scared of them. Anyway, I know horror isn’t your favorite, so I wanted to make sure you knew about that before attempting it.
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
Also read your review of Iconoclasts the other day, Foxy. Definitely going to make this the next Vita game I play now, sounds great!
You're welcome @LieutenantFatman! I hope you enjoy Iconoclasts whenever you get round to it & I'll be very intetested to hear what you make of it!
I can't quite say it's really helped me on whether or not I'll play it @Th3Solution (I'm still very much teetering on the fence and honestly part of me thinks I always will be) but I did nonetheless enjoy the very different approach you took regarding your Death Stranding impressions/review by talking about the various themes that it has!
Good stuff Sol! 👍
Previously known as Foxy-Goddess-Scotchy
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"You don't have to save the world to find meaning in life. Sometimes all you need is something simple, like someone to take care of"
@Th3solution Great piece! It was an interesting approach to segment your thoughts in the way you did. I enjoyed reading it.
It sounds like you're a recent player of this game, so I'm curious how the online aspects hold up months after launch. Is everything just built in an area by other players after you unlock that feature? I recall that constructing bridges and whatnot across the landscape will carry over to other players and help them out, so my fear is that people have already built everything you'd really need to build in this game this far out from launch.
Currently Playing: Fields of Mistria (PC); Cookie Clicker (PC); Metaphor: ReFantazio (PC); Overboard! (PC)
@Ralizah Thanks! And yes, I did just recently finish it this past weekend, and most of my game time has been over the last few weeks, which is, of course, a good 9 months after launch.
It’s a great question you pose, and one that I think a lot of us who came late to the party have had. Does coming to the game later affect the presence of structures in the shared world?
And the answer is — yes, and no.
So when you enter a region of the map it’s always void of any online structures on your first pass through the area. So you have to navigate and place your own structures on the initial trek to a station, then once you arrive at the destination, you connect the station to the chiral network, which then enables you to see online structures thereafter. (Sometimes there are a few tasks to complete before the station will come online, but after a little effort it’s usually online shortly after you get there)
Initially the online structures that populate your map appear to just be random. The game shows you the PSN ID of who erected it and what date they built it, and it seemed like some of the structures I had on my map would be old, like placed by players in December say, and then some would be clearly from people who were playing along side me and had just put the structure up that day or within the last few days.
When you actually use a structure it automatically gives it and the other player “likes” which boost its popularity. And your own structures get “likes” as people use them (and you receive notifications when someone uses and “likes” the things you’ve built). So, best I can tell, I think the game code tries to populate your map with some of the popular structures with a lot of “likes” and also throws in a lot of random ones from players currently playing the game. It forms a nice combination of really useful bridges, ropes, ladders, and such but also will have plenty of items placed that you’ll never use.
Also, there is still plenty of opportunities to place your own stuff, as I think the programming puts a cap on how many things will port over to your map from the online community.
The map is quite huge and although there are paths that are clear to be the easiest way from point A to point B, in general there are actually dozens of paths you can approach to get to the desired destination. Sometimes you may take a bridge across a river, but then have to deal with enemies there, so you may rather climb a mountain to avoid the enemies so you’ll have to lay down your own ropes and ladders instead of using the online bridge, for example. Over time you come up with your own favorites routes, based on structures available and your own preferences, abilities, and available equipment, but that is likely very different from someone else’s chosen paths. No two players games are going to be exactly the same.
In fact, the way the structures populate your map and then you add to them, I venture to say no two players game experience is exactly the same. It’s quite remarkable.
Another note on this question though — at a point fairly early on, you develop the ability to create strand contracts with other players. What this does is make it more likely that your contracted players’ structures appear in your game. So I tended to just make strand contracts with players whose structures were built within the previous few weeks, and so clearly they were actively playing the game as I was. It made me feel that not only was it more likely I was “playing alongside” a group of other players at roughly the same part of the game as me, but also it made so that the map wasn’t just made up of a bunch of the most popular items. But these strand contracts give it a little bit of customization with regard to what is prone to show up on your map.
Furthermore, through the process of “timefall” (which is the rain in the game they corrodes and accelerates the aging of anything the rain touches) structures gradually degrade and go away. So things will theoretically eventually disappear from the online “library” of structures I think. So there is always a rolling bunch of structures out there that are relatively recently placed.
—The short explanation: The game programming accounts for things and filters into your map at a set rate so you’ve always got plenty of challenge as you transverse and opportunity to build your own structures.
@Th3solution Oh wow. You didn't just answer my question, you schooled me on it! Great post. I really appreciate the incredibly detailed response.
That definitely eases my biggest concern about the game. I'll have to pick this up sometime. I'm glad they seem to have put a lot of thought into the multiplayer aspect of it.
Currently Playing: Fields of Mistria (PC); Cookie Clicker (PC); Metaphor: ReFantazio (PC); Overboard! (PC)
@Th3solution DS is surely one of my favourite this gen since while playing it, I constantly felt I was involved in something bigger and more important than what was happening on the screen. In the recent years it happened only with The Last Guardian.
At the start of the year I made the somewhat ridiculous resolution that I'd review all the games I played this year.
I'm not going to achieve that.
Even if I gave reviews to the titles that I don't feel I can really say that much about and had all the time in the world to do them there's one I can't review in good faith.
NieR Automata
I can't write about this game without it skewing off the rails and spewing what seems to be a lovecraftian descent into madness, laughing and wailing from the cosmic horrors swimming in the darkest recesses of my mind.
It's not pretty in the slightest. 😥
... With how I feel about that game compared to everyone else.
I've said a number of times before that I do think it's soundtrack is phenomenal.
Not to mention the boss fight in the amusement park was definitely the highlight of the game for me personally.
But that's it.
I really don't like it otherwise.
That's all you're getting regarding me and this game ever again. 😆
I'm also not writing a review for two other games that I've played.
Resident Evil Revlations 2
Truth be told I didn't end up writing anything for it in the first place.
There wasn't a whole lot I feel I can really say about it as it's mainly more Resident Evil in the Resi 4/modern style.
▪ The episodic format doesn't really add anything to it mind.
▪ The AI partner (if playing solo) isn't braindead (from my time with it at least).
▪ I found it fairly enjoyable as a Resi game (Nothing like Resi 0 which I loathed. I haven't played 6 admittedly (5 was a bit ho-hum though))
▪ It's nice Barry actually got his moment in the sun.
But that's kinda it really.
I know it sounds bad I can't seem to say much about it... But I guess the Resi series doesn't have to do too much for me to like it honestly?
Is it nostalgia? Do the memories of me finally connecting with gaming through the original title and it being a series that me and my late father enjoyed immensely somewhat blind me to any faults?
Quite possibly.
The first chapter/episode is available for free on PSN so you can always judge it for yourself!
& The Last Of Us
I REALLY don't have anything to say about it that I didn't already.
I don't think it's a masterpiece.
I don't think it's great.
It's a good title to me & nothing more can be said about it that hasn't been discussed already I'm sure.
(I have took my Sonic CD section out as I don't feel it really adds anything but if people want to read it I'll slip it back in. In short I didn't like it.)
Saints Row IV: Re-Elected 🎵The Saints are back in town agaaaaain!
Say hi to Paul!
The Saints Row series started it's life exclusively on the Xbox back in 2006.
So naturally I've never played that one.
It's the one that's mostly a tit for tat GTA clone from my understanding?
I started the series with Saint's Row The Third technically but I'd only played it for about an hour or so. It was something my son borrowed from a friend and well... he ended it giving it back the next day after my little go.
So for a good while that was my only experience with the Saints Row series til a few years down the line when I ended up getting the second saints row along with the third (with all the DLC) before getting the vanilla version fourth game the following year all on PS3 (before getting the PS4 version of the fourth last December)
The second was ok. I don't remember any particular standout moments though unlike the 3rd and 4th's memorable set pieces to be perfectly honest.
In fact the only thing I distinctly remember about it was the thought that I found The Boss (The protagonist and leader of the 3rd Street Saints) to be a bit of a spiteful and vengeful pyschopath in the second game at times that made me raise my brow from the more likeable, quirky & goofballish persona I distinctly remember they had in the third (That they retain in the 4th)
And can break the 4th wall apparently in the steeets of rage parody!
The second was still a mostly serious GTA clone with one or two weird side activities. The control scheme (for cars maybe?) was also awkward from what I remember.
The third meanwhile was quite a different beast, having seemingly went into my Auntie Vi's liqour cabinet and drank all the goofy juice... (That's a discussion for another day though!)
Originally Saints Row IV (SR4 from here on in) was supposed to be a DLC pack, presumably a bit of a meatier expansion compared to the previous dlc packs the third game had from my understanding (but I could be wrong)
Unfortunately ThQ was bleeding money and the expansion was reworked and retooled to be a fully fledged game instead.
It didn't get a chance to help the company out though as ThQ went bust in early 2013 way before it could be released.
And for a while the series was as lost as where I was to put this picture in this review
Volition were saved however and bought by Koch Media with it's subsidiary Deep Silver being the new publishers for the series (With them now all being part of ThQ Nordic... Fancy that huh?)
SR4 is a more leaner adventure then the third.
Back when I played it over christmas I admittedly went through it's story in three days (Mainly over two days really) offering a good 12-14 hours of runtime (The additional missions and activities I glossed over probably adding an extra six or so hours)
It's a bit more mature and a little less absurd then the third title I feel?
Ok so the opening mission involves a Call Of Duty parody in the middle east that features Aerosmith's "I don't wanna miss a thing" whilst climbing a nuclear missile...
... Then of course there's the following mission that involves an alien invasion.
(Not exactly proving my point I know but stay with me 😅)
Nearly all the ludicrous moments from here on in take place in virtual reality/a simulated prison which rather naturally allows there to be ridiculous moments, different gameplay styles & segments without being completely detached from reality that I personally found a bit jarring concerning the third game.
There's even a text adventure section
Whether male, female or Nolan North (He's the "joke" voice track) the Boss is more of a charismatic "Puckish Rogue" in the third and especially the fourth entry even if the morals they have are very dubious at times.
They're still a gang leader who was more then willing to murder thier way to the top to control Steelport and Stillwater's criminal underworld after all before becoming president.
Framed with an alien overlord to overthrow however most of the gang related stuff is really only mentioned via dialogue so you're a bit out of luck if you were hoping for turf wars and the likes.
But on the flip side this does also mean that it's way less morally grey then the previous games with a very clear and distinguished bad guy to pit you against.
And then there's the gameplay which further dettaches itself from the GTA clone roots of the series (And apparently a lot like the crackdown series)
SR4 gives you super powers very early on in the simulation. Super speed and super jumps (And also gliding a bit later on) make for a very fun traversal system.
So much so you'll probably never use cars unless you're forced into one! (Which is only a handful of times)
It's a neat looking car though that you're forced into
The shooting mechanics meanwhile are still fairly basic, probably not that far off from the first saints row back in 2006 & definitely not much different from the previous entry barring there being health pickups instead of regenerating health.
Not only is there the traversal super powers but there's also offensive abilties with elemental projectiles, ground pounds, teleknesis and various gun buffs, all with unique effects that you'll unlock over the game's runtime.
Unlike the traversal super powers I do feel these are a bit hampered by the basic gunplay and combat. However they're still very fun to use and quite refreshing still.
Super jumping never gets old
The DLC bundled in with the Re-Elected Edition of the game mainly consists of the two mission packs that are Enter The Dominatrix & How The Saints Saved Christmas.
They're... Not that great at all. Definitely not worth it if you've played SR4 and only want to experience the dlc as they barely last an hour each. (The christmas one is better. Only just mind.)
The added dlc super power elements and costumes are alright as well but nothing terribly special.
One last thing I will say about the game is that I do feel like the characters are actually friends?
Maybe it's just thanks the really absurd and stupid script that puts the voice actors in a good mood... But I do get an actual sense of commeraderie between them?
Saints Row IV Re-Elected is frequently on sale and if you get it for around £4 like I did then that's really good value for money I think! Especially if you're in the mood for a big dumb game that doesn't take itself too seriously.
Though I guess you could consider the wacky tone (even if dialed back a bit) a bit obnoxious at times and the plot kind've writes itself into a bit of a hole on where to go next (Probably a reboot.)
SRIV:RE gets a Low 7/10 from me.
Though I pretty much agree with Rob's/ShogunRok's recent assessment of the third to be a six and you could arguably slip the 4th there too as it's not that much different mechanically and it's had MUCH less work put into it's port (The saint's row 3 port was done five years later then this one mind)
So a High 6 I guess objectively?
See you soon!
Shining Resonance Refrain The Shining Dragon doesn't shine quite so brightly
Gae Bolg, The Frozen Halberd. One of the bosses in the game.
Shining Resonance was made towards the very end of the PS3's life cycle, only being released in Japan in December 2014 in fact!
Four years later it eventually got ported to the PS4 (Along with Switch, PC and Xbox) worldwide in 2018. And for a PS3 game done in the typical anime art style... It looks pretty decent.
It was definitely made on a lower budget even for a PS3 game and Shining Resonance Refrain (SRR from here on in) is bundled with all it's dlc (Mainly costumes and a large number of them swimwear), given a slight resolution bump, a complete english voiceover and an added "Refrain mode" (which is the same as the normal game mode but with two extra characters from the get go and new relationship/date events for said extra characters)
One of the many character's you'll meet
Despite it being ported to newer and more powerful hardware I did unfortunately notice some slowdown in fights on a somewhat regular occasion. Particularly when I was in the midst of an ally's spell effect (Perhaps something to do with the hit detection?)
Only for a second or two every time before it instantly went back up to what I believe was 60fps?.
It's the only thing I noticed about the game as otherwise it seems pretty solidly done with no bugs at all beside those frame rates. Switching the offending forces/spells/abilities out or staying away from the spell's effect seemed to fix this up mostly.
There's a LOT of Goblins you'll be fighting throughout
The battle system is fairly easy to pick up with you mainly using a standard attack combo and a heavy hitting piercing attack along with a dash and a block to deal damage.
But each character does feel unique to play as with the different weapons they wield, not mention each one having a multitude of unique abilities/spells/attacks called forces.
Despite it being fairly simple in combat on the surface level there's a lot of other systems in SRR like you can take advantage of like;
Altering your weapon's properties to deal elemental damage, healing forces recover even more health or have more attacks in a standard combo (Among various other properties)
Equipping each character with various stat buffs, effects or altered abilties.
You can shift into a dragon with one character.
You can alter the party's relationships with one another and focus on certain quirks for them to do helpful buffs, debuffs, extra attacks in battle...
There's a nice depth that you can delve into if you'd like.
SRR for me benefitted greatly from it's cast of characters that whilst totally cliché and unoriginal end up being rather enjoyable and likeable.
Unoriginal... But still enjoyable.
There's some dating/social events you can have with the main cast of characters that flesh them out a little more (Though it's not as engaging or fleshed out as say Persona) and there's plenty of little events or skits you can see with secondary characters and the main party that can raise a few smiles or just fill you in on how SRR's world works.
The english voice acting is also surprisingly quite decent throughout.
The main story is also quite cliché with your characters, perhaps rather unsurprisingly for the genre, saving the world by the end of it's runtime and maybe there might be a bit of the power of friendship involved in the proceedings... but that's fine.
SRR is a very light hearted JRPG for the most part and it's exactly what it's going for. I mean nearly all the main characters weapons are also instruments! It's a bit cheesy and cliché by design.
There's not a whole lot more I can say about it.
SRR is about 40-50 hours long (Though I'm sure you could make it last much longer in it if you liked) and it has a certain charm to it even if it's not the most technically advanced or original title out there.
The music was fairly decent throughout but it's a bit disappointing there was only a few tracks that I'd say were standout in a plot with many musical related terms and ideas?
I'd give it a High six myself. Worth the 15 quid I paid for it and I could see myself playing it again someday.
But objectively I'd lower it down to a low 6.
The level/world layout design isn't great (It's mainly just walking from point A to point B) with a fair bit of backtracking (And a bit of padding too) and the side quests are either fetching so many items or kill X amount of monsters that are so terribly uninspired. Plus there is that frame rate hiccup that's a bit diappointing for a port of a PS3 game.
But a likeable cast pushes it just above mediocrity?
And that's it... Sorry it's so long
Reviews for Danganronpa and Divinity Original Sin 2 are coming (I may have to dip back into Divinity though to refresh myself and look up a few things however)
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