If you want to go straight to the reviews it won't hurt my feelings! Just below the first screenshot.
Welcome back to the blog! As I progressed through medical school and into residency, I found I had less and less motivation to post here, and the blog eventually was left to collect cyberdust. In that time, many of you know that I've continued my gaming micro-reviews on Twitter, which has been serviceable if limiting.
I recently watched a deep dive on backlogs from one of my favorite youtubers which motivated me to keep my own “spreadsheet of games”, both past and prospective. One of the things I liked the most about Daryl's spreadsheet is a “comments” column, and I wanted to integrate my previous GIPL thoughts to games I've played. Unfortunately, it's much more difficult to go back to old tweets than old blog posts. Combined with the fact that I found the mandatory 140-character limit to force me to write somewhat vague reviews, and I've decided to bring GIPL back to the blog. As of right now I don't plan on doing any other blog content, but who knows what the future holds!
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (PS4)
When I purchased a PS4 late in its cycle (early 2020...what perfect timing!) I was excited to finally play the legendary Uncharted series, purchasing a GOTY Edition of this installment for a very reasonable price right when I acquired the console. When Sony generously made the Nathan Drake Collection available to all PS owners during the pandemic, I played through the trilogy (documented previously on GIPL) and learned these games really aren't for me. Recently, I suddenly and spontaneously felt the need to finish the series so it could be laid to rest- which must have been exactly how NaughtyDog felt when they made this obvious finale to the series. I hate the shooting components of these games. The traversal is improved from the usual video gamey obvious linear path; now environments are littered with multiple routes to get where you need to go, requiring you to think about the terrain and your ultimate destination...just a little. What saved this game for me was the story, which was by far the best in the series. Many of the previous games had fun plots and characters, but rarely compelling interpersonal drama, which this game had in spades (to its benefit!). I also really enjoyed chasing a pirate treasure this time around. Ultimately, A Thief's End is a love letter to the original trilogy, and a rare successful video game series that ends on its own terms. Glad I played these games; glad to never play them again.
My GIPL Rating: B
Castlevania: Legends (Nintendo Switch Online – Gameboy)
This is one of those Castlevania games that is really hard to find, so I was ecstatic when I was randomly browsing the NSO Gameboy library and saw this game was added. The last game in the series developed for Gameboy, it follows a now non-canonical matriarch of the Belmont family, Sonia. The game itself is not as bland as the original Adventure, but not as innovative as Adventure 2. The magic system, where you can freely select from all previously-unlocked spells, was a nice touch. Likewise was the ability to collect the classic Castlevania sub-weapons on hidden paths for an improved ending. Worth playing for big Castlevania and/or Gameboy fans.
My GIPL Rating: B
Katamari Damacy Reroll (Switch)
Like many people, I was a curious newbie to this famed series with the release of Reroll. The style and charm of this game immediately captivated me, but I was initially put-off by the controls. After a bit of time I got used to and even came to appreciate them, and for about 3 days I played this game every chance I got until I finished it. The difficulty curve (difficulty being used rather loosely here) was perfect, providing just enough mental stimulation to keep me engaged but never enough to cause stress, and finding just the right sized items to roll into your current katamari was almost puzzle-like. I don't think I loved this game enough to eagerly seek out the rest of the games in the series, mostly because they're pretty out of my video game wheelhouse, but I'm glad to have had the opportunity to play this one at least.
My GIPL Rating: A
Scarlet Nexus (PS5)
After (finally) acquiring a PS5, I was browsing for cheap games to aquire and Scarlet Nexus was recommended. It was put on the back burner for games like Rollerdrome and God of War Ragnarok, but I finally got around to trying this Action RPG. The combat, which combines sword play with psychokinesis, was fun at first...then got stale. It did suddenly improve toward the end when I suddenly got access to 8 special abilities at once. Exploration and side content were horrible, with bland, empty levels and side quests amounting to kill x number of enemies in y manner with rewards that were absolutely not worth it. The story (anime AF) was all over the place, with a new twist coming essentially every chapter, completely re-routing the motivations and missions of the main cast to the point where I wasn't sure what we were trying to do big picture. The game had Persona/Fire Emblem style character interactions that were mostly bad with a few decent moments here and there...sort of like FE Engage, but without the counterbalance of the good FE gameplay. There's a second campaign that shows the same story through another character's prospective...but I doubt I give it a look.
My GIPL Rating: C+
God of War Ragnarok: Valhalla (PS5)
Not a new proper game, but there's enough here that it deserves its own write up. As if the base game, arguably one of the best games released this century (fight me) wasn't enough, Santa Monica shadow dropped a roguelike epilogue as DLC...for FREE! We don't deserve this. Like the main game, the character-driven narrative is incredible, reconciling the Kratos from the PS2/3 era with the Dad of War from the PS4/5 era. The gameplay itself was generally great, but if I can nitpick I do wish a higher proportion of the rooms were combat rooms as opposed to rest areas filled with chests. With longboat-loads of costumes and other unlockables available, there's reason to keep going back even after the story ends. A brilliant end to a landmark saga of an iconic franchise.
My GIPL Rating: A+
Castlevania: Circle of the Moon (Switch)
My long-paused quest to play all of the Metroidvanias finally continues with my acquisition of the Castlevania Advance Collection, and I naturally started with the first GBA entry in the series. Unfortunately, the game is quite bland in comparison to later games that would build off the foundation it lays here. For starters, there wasn't a whole lot of motivation to explore or revisit previous areas with new abilities, as the only items that can be found are HP, MP, and heart upgrades. Bosses were generally uninspired, many having no dialogue preceding or following. The game's unique combat system, the DSS, is fun; allowing you to upgrade your whip or stats, give passive abilities, heal, summon familiars, and more...but (like many Metroidvania games) I hate grinding for the cards. The music was great, as usual for the series. I'm sure I would have been thrilled with this game if I'd played it at release, but unfortunately it's eclipsed by later, more refined games in the series.
My GIPL Rating: B-
Super Mario Odyssey (Switch)
Almost
7 years after release, I finally got around to this hallmark app for
the console. I don't have much to say that hasn't been said by many
others more eloquent than I. I enjoyed the more numerous,
easier-to-obtain Power Star Shine
Moon system, which essentially allowed the levels to be packed to the
brim with interesting curiosities to explore and ensured an adequate
reward for exploring extensively. The levels themselves were fine,
not as memorable as some of the Galaxy maps but not bad by any
stretch. I thoroughly enjoyed finally being able to customize Mario's
costume, and the cap capture system was a blast to explore and a nice
twist on the usual Mario power-ups. I'm not sure if it was as
revolutionary for Mario as BotW was for Zelda (as some claimed on
release), but it was quite an enjoyable playthrough.
My GIPL Rating: A-
Sayonara Wild Hearts (Switch)
This is a unique indie game I discovered through one of my favorite YouTube channels, which just happens to be the same one I linked above.. It's essentially a synth pop concept album that you play through in mostly an infinite-runner style. Controlled only with left and right (occasional up and down) directional inputs and a single action button, this game stays quite compelling through it's innovative level design. The standard level takes place on motorcycle, but variations include riding a deer, a convertible, or even a Virtual Boy-inspired VR headset. The music isn't my typical taste but I still enjoyed it. It's a game I finished in an afternoon, so I'd recommend buying on sale as opposed to full price.
My GIPL Rating: A-
Heroes of Hammerwatch (PC)
My GIPL Rating: B-
Hi-Fi Rush (Xbox Series S)
Having FINALLY acquired a latest-generation Xbox and having access to gamepass, the first game I went for was Hi-Fi Rush. A rock n roll themed, rhythm-based, 3rd person character action game? Basically made for me! And the playthrough didn't disappoint. The visual style was perfect with brightly-colored cell shading and comic book-esque effects. The gameplay was simple yet brilliant, with rhythmic inputs either lasting a quarter note (light attack) or half note (heavy attack). You don't NEED to have rhythmic timing to play the game, but only to go for high scores. The soundtrack, with guest appearances from the likes of Nine Inch Nails and The Black Keys, was superb and really drove the game. I found the characters to be lovable and quirky without being annoying. There was plenty of tongue-and-cheek writing decrying mega-corporations, which was good for an occasional chuckle. With plenty of replay value after the credits roll, this is one I'll keep coming back to.
My GIPL Rating: S
As I'm reading these reviews one last time before posting, I realize that I used the word 'finally' like 100 times. I'm changing the name of this edition of GIPL to Finally!
Thank
you from the bottom of my heart for reading. Go out of your way to do
something nice for someone before you go to bed today.
