Finished two games recently:
1)
Shantae - Risky's Revenge DC (PC)
Well, what can I say? Expected a simple platformer, got a proper, well-made metroidvania.
Good:
- Solid gameplay, level design, overall impression of playing a game designed by competent people (rare these days).
- Good concepts: deadly pits marked with scull and cross-bones, no way of increasing the damage inflicted (so all enemies stay dangerous till the end), no HP/MP refilling items in regular areas (so these are sometimes more dangerous enemy-wise than dungeons).
- Gameplay is varied. Some things appear only once during the game. For example, there are only 3 dungeons in the game, but each one is different. First is a regular "reach the boss" dungeon, second one is timed "rush the exit" and the third one is not only the biggest, but full of puzzles, teleporters and hidden areas.
- Charming and intelligent writing, acceptable for both youngsters and grown-ups (allusions to suggestive themes).
- Combat is simple, yet fun.
- All 3 forms (monkey, elephant, mermaid) are useful. Plus, they have obligatory upgrades, which you have to find first.
- 2/3 of "magical" attacks are useful (fireball & floating orbs).
- "Physical" elements of combat and puzzles are p. nice (setting enemies / parts of environment on fire).
Ugly:
- Some jumping sections are extremely irritating: they're doable, but once you beat them and reach the teleporter, you will happily teleport around them from now on.
- The third magical attack (death cloud) is IMO useless (stationary, while both you and enemies are p. mobile).
- The game is quite short (~6 hours).
- Graphics are pixelated due to game's origins (mobile / 3ds game).
Bad:
- Character is prone to falling of the ledges, which gets really irritating during the most difficult jumps in monkey form. It's IMO less about controls (these are fine) and more about wonky sprite collision (character / ledge).
- Respawn rate in regular areas is too high IMO.
Verdict:
Short, but sweet.
2)
Valkyria Chronicles 2 (PSP)
Good:
- Fantastic tactical gameplay, improved when compared to VC1:
* capturing the camps and moving between them is now crucial,
* special effects in areas like fog or heat (can be canceled with proper tank equipment),
* more classes, some of them great (fencers), some of them meh (sappers),
* new class system (you have to meet some conditions to change classes).
- Gameplay stays fun during the whole, long game.
- Probably the only mix of TB and RT in a tactical game, which actually works and is fun to play. At least that I know of.
- Gazillion things to do and tweak: units' equipment, tank equipment, classes, units' potentials (some of them unlocked via special missions), etc.
- New tank types (APC rock da hause).
- Bunkers are a nice addition to the gameplay, since they can fuck-up your infantry with ease.
- Game is extremely long, with million of missions and solid post-game content.
Ugly:
- Recycled, small maps. Did not bother me, since maps are just a framework for mission design (diversified by some areas being blocked off, different unit placement, etc.), but it can irritate some people.
- Basically, the game is more about the gameplay (a series of 1000 skirmishes), than about some epic story and linear campaign, like VC1. Again, I liked it actually, but it's not for everyone.
- Some classes are useless (sappers, musicians, anti-tank snipers).
- Same problem with tanks. Sticking to APC (low AP cost, carries 2 units out of the box, 12 upgrade slots) and a flamethrower (kills multiple enemies at once) is enough for the entire game. Shit like ultra heavy turrets and long-range supporting artillery is IMO totally useless.
- Numerous cast of units, yet it's best to just stick to selected few (3 scouts, 3 MG-fags, 2 lancers, 2 fencers, 2 engineers and 1 sniper) than waste your time on leveling up every fucking unit in rooster. After all, getting your units KOed during missions is doing it wrong...
- Scouts were nerfed when compared to VC1 (more fragile), but gunners were buffed instead. These fags/dykes can survive enemy suppression fire, traverse p. long distances and use both MG (multiple hits to single target) and flamethrowers (single hit to multiple targets / destroys bunkers).
- Ubersnipers are imba AF too. I mean, three consecutive shots per salvo? The fuck?
- Story is full of anime cliches. The entire game takes place within the "military academy" and deals with usual anime high school trope shit. All of this is skippable, but still decline. Not that VC1 story was anything great...
- Some DLC missions are p. easy to complete, yet give you uberequipment, which makes campaign missions trivial. OFC, you don't have to play those or use this equipment, but still.
- Getting some parts for crafting can be a real chore (you have to complete a certain mission each time you want a certain item). Spergs galore.
- And getting them is often useless, since there's way to much shit to craft anyway. Some equipment branches are totally useless (-10 damage yet some useless status effect - isn't it simpler to just kill the enemy with stronger attack than poison him?).
Bad:
- Due to their insane evading abilities, there's almost no way of dealing with bosses, except using units whose attacks can't be dodged (fencers).
- Fantastic for tactical junkies like me, but casuals, storyfags and arcade fags will probably get bored fast...
Verdict:
JapTacticuling at it's (almost) best, fuck the haters.
