Before we get started on this edition of GIPL, I want to say
a few words on the point of this series and my rating system. Like many folks,
I’m not a huge fan of breaking down the multi-faceted experience of playing a
video game into a number. This leads people to believe that the same numbers
are equal games, which is obviously gross oversimplification. This was one of
the main reasons I used a lettering system, but this still can leave the
interpretation that my feelings about Wario Land 4 and Axiom Verge are similar,
when the only thing those games really have in common is how much I like them.
Which brings me back to my intent for this series and my “GIPL Rating”: I want
this feature to be a casual, one-way (because it’s MY blog, dammit!)
conversation about what kind of games I’ve been spending my time on, and the
ratings are simply how strongly I recommend that you play a particular game
based on my experience with it. Here’s basically what I mean with each rating:
S – I think all people should play this ASAP
A – I think all people should play this at some point
B – I think you should play this if my synopsis sounds
interesting to you
C – You’re probably not missing out on much if you don’t
play it
D – I don’t recommend you play this
F- I’ve actually never given a game an F, mostly because I
don’t intentionally play bad games.
The +’s and –‘s just help spread out the tiers.
Maybe you already knew that. If so, well, you can just deal
with that little rant. Anyway, on to the good stuff!
Doki Doki Literature Club (PC)
I’ve written at length about my personal experience (and despite
this game’s substantial presence on YouTube, this game really works best as a personal experience) with DDLC, so I
won’t belabor any points here. Don’t let this game’s popularity irk your inner
hipster; if you haven’t played this yet (and have thus far managed to play
spoiler-free), do yourself a favor and check out this free visual novel. You’ll
regret it, but in the best way possible.
My GIPL Rating: S
Fire Emblem 7, Hector Route (GBA)
Follow me on Twitter for a few days, and you’ll probably
hear me going on about this Hector fellow. Well this was his original game, and
I finally played the version of the story that focused on him. The gameplay is
supposed to be harder than the Eliwood route. I must be a lot better at Fire
Emblem now, because I got through it without any trouble (except when Matthew
got sniped by Ursula RIP QQ). The story is the same as Eliwood’s, but the added
development of a character who is already so incredibly well-developed that he
embarrasses every other character in the series (strong statement, I know, but
I think I can back it up…maybe someday I will!) makes the game even more
enjoyable the second time.
My GIPL Rating: A+
Star Wars: TIE Fighter (Main Campaign) (PC)
Improving on its predecessor, X-Wing, in every way, TIE
Fighter really shines as a Star Wars flight sim. It has aged incredibly well.
Not only are the story missions more engaging both in the setup of each
particular battle and said battle’s win conditions, but the plot of this game
is so refreshing even in this Annual Star Wars Movie world we live in. Playing as a soldier in the Empire, this game presents the
perspective of some normal jack-off in the Imperial Navy as surprisingly
un-evil. The missions you are completing are liberating worlds, suppressing
terrorist insurrections, and even rescuing the Emperor himself. Not once does
the game go in the cliché direction of the protagonist realizing he’s on the
“wrong side” or anything stupid. You fight for the Empire, and nothing is ever
suggested that the Empire is on the bad side. I like it. It’s probably not for
everyone, but if you ever watched Porkins get shot down and thought, “Hey, that
looks kind of fun!” this is the game for you.
My GIPL Rating: B+
Katawa Shoujo (PC)
So, Doki Doki Literature Club was my first visual novel, but
its interesting direction in the second act created in me a curiosity to play a
more straightforward visual novel. Based on recommendations from a few friends,
I tried the free, fan-created Katawa Shoujo. Basically, you play as a dude with
a newly-diagnosed heart arrhythmia, and enroll in a boarding school for people
with disabilities. Your romance options include a refined blind girl, a feisty
deaf girl, an artsy girl without arms, an athletic girl with no legs, and a shy
girl with severe burn scars. It’s a pretty good visual novel (not sure what I’m
really basing that statement on), but the art could probably be better. But
hey, it’s free, so check it out if it sounds appealing.
My GIPL Rating: C+
The Danny Elfman Spider-Man 2 Main Theme just came on my
playlist. Let me just throw this out there: what a great movie!
Fire Emblem Awakening (3DS)
Since Awakening was my first experience in the series, and
I’ve since explored some of the other releases, I went back to re-visit this
one to see if my perspective on it has changed. Here’s my conclusions: 1) This
game be hella easy on normal mode. 2) Lucina, is like, a horribly
one-dimensional character who doesn’t have any redeeming qualities (like being
sexy or riding a wyvern). I have no clue why she’s so popular. 3) A lot of the
supporting cast is pretty great, specifically Gregor, Gauis, Kellam, and
Cherche (who happens to be sexy AND ride a wyvern!). The story is fine. TL;DR,
this game isn’t as bad as I remember, but not nearly as good as a lot of people
make it out to be. Make mine Conquest.
My GIPL Rating: B
Mother 3 (Fan Translation Mod of Japanese ROM)
Again, wrote about this one before,
so I'll try not to rant. A more focused, less expansive sequel to
EarthBound, one of the most mind-blowingly good games I've ever played.
This one doesn't quite escape the shadow of its predecessor (in my
book), but has a few exceptionally memorable characters and is a master
class in storytelling through visuals, text, and even music. If you're a
"thinking gamer" (again, whatever that means), you should absolutely
check this one out. Don't wait for the official localization, it's
probably never happening.
My GIPL Rating: A
Shantae: 1/2 Genie Hero (PC)
I tell ya, these Shantae games just keep getting better.
While Pirate’s Curse was an exceptionally well-presented if relatively standard
exploration platformer (that just hurt my fingers to type), ½ Genie Hero is a
brilliant, novel hybrid of platformers of the traditional and exploration
persuasion. Split into distinct, mostly linear stages, the player will unlock a
host of new transformations that change the twice-titular Shantae into various
animals that all have unique movement abilities. This allows the seemingly
one-track levels to open up countless (hyperbole!) hidden areas where optional
upgrades and necessary collectables are hidden. I realize that this game doesn’t sound that unique based on
my less-than-stellar description, but trust me, I haven’t played a game with
this type of level design before. Shantae and friends also make the transition
from Pixel-art to a smoother Flash-style quite nicely. This game looks and
sounds better than any of its predecessors, which is quite an accomplishment. I
can’t wait to dig into some of the DLC. I also feel obligated to mention that
this game isn’t nearly as thirsty as Pirate’s Curse, which is probably a good
thing.
My GIPL Rating: A+
Xeodrifter (3DS)
Exploration platformers don’t always have to reach Axiom
Verge-ian levels of size and depth. Sometimes you just want to have a little
non-linear romp that lasts a few hours. If so, check out Xeodrifter. Taking
control of a space explorer who’s stranded in a system of four planets without
a hyperdrive, you’ll roam between the four worlds looking for movement upgrades
that ultimately lead you to a new power source. Gun upgrades are stat points
that change the features of your sole weapon (such as power, rate of fire,
etc.), which is an interesting touch. The game is actually quite linear, and
there’s only one boss that shows up frequently throughout the game, each time
getting progressively stronger. There’s a mechanic where the character can move
back and forth between the traditional foreground and a distant background,
which looks especially good on the 3DS screen. Overall, this a fun, bite-sized adventure
(took me about 2.5 hours total), but not the best exploration platformer out
there. Get it if it’s on sale.
My GIPL Rating: C+
F-Zero (3DS Virtual Console)
My GIPL Rating: A-
Mighty Switch Force 2 (3DS)
I’ve had it on a wish list forever, so I finally pulled the
trigger on this sequel. It’s more or less DLC for the first game, using all of
the same mechanics but to a greater degree and swapping a police theme for a
firefighting one. It’s a fun pick-up-and-play puzzle platformer with a variety
of unique mechanics that provides a decent challenge. Sometimes, I wish they
would hide the completely-not-required-to-finish-the-game “par” times for each
course in separate speed running mode. The pars are quite lofty, and will only
be achieved by nearly flawless runs after a substantial amount of practice. Failing
them so miserably made me feel like a garbage gamer (maybe for good reason). In
typical WayForward fashion, this game looks and sounds outstanding. Probably
only worth buying during a sale.
My GIPL Rating: B-
Sonic Mania (PC)
My GIPL Rating: D
Cuphead (Co-Op) (PC)
My GIPL Rating: C-
That’s all for now, squad. I’m not really sure what game I’m
gonna check out next, so HMU with any recommendations! In honor of the great
Vash the Stampede, I bid you all Love and Peace!
PS: A HUGE thanks to Mickey for editing this post for me. He'll be doing editing work for all of my posts until he can't take it anymore. This makes it way more fun for me to write, and undoubtedly way more fun for you to read.
PS: A HUGE thanks to Mickey for editing this post for me. He'll be doing editing work for all of my posts until he can't take it anymore. This makes it way more fun for me to write, and undoubtedly way more fun for you to read.
