RedRodriguez87

#337: You are Just as Special as we are This honestly felt like the shortest time I've spent with a lego game. It's also one of the easiest, as it takes little effort to breeze through the main game, and while the grind is still the most involved part, even that becomes easy with a checklist you can make yourself. And of course Red Bricks, now called Super Items, break the game once again. It was a pretty ok experience, overall. A lot of people feel the same way, and weren't too happy about it. Apparently, this game was rushed as hell, and while it wasn't really broken or unplayable, there did seem something... well, beta about it. It's missing things like full voice acting in favor of straight narration, there are no clips or music played from the movie, and overall content seems very limited compared to other games in the series. Someone described it as extended DLC for Lego World, and I can sorta see that. Shame too, as for the moment, this seems to be the end for the Lego Movieverse. Platinum looks cool though (which yes, is why I played it).

#336: The Bard And here we have another pleasant surprise. It really feels like movie based games don't deserve their bad rap. For everyone that's bad, there is one that is at least decent and fun for a playthrough. You know all those cash-in games (mostly Nickelodeon based) that have those generic platformer beat-em-up shooter elements? This game would be like those but not lazy. It's the little touches they add to the combat that really make it stand out, like building up chains which result in more points to buy upgrades, melee moves that can lead into the air-juggling gunplay, 3rd AND first person aiming. The platforming isn't mind-blowing, but it never overstays its welcome and manages to offer quit a bit of variety from moment to moment; even the oddly out-of-nowhere golf minigame is a lot of fun. This another game where I don't have many bad things to say about it. But I did have a couple. Again, it would've been nice to skip the in-game cut-scenes and not HAVE to see them every time you replay a level, there is a tiny bit of a grind near the end for the platinum, not helped by the fact it's too easy to lose your combo streak due to the enemies throwing mobs of enemies at you off-camera. I liked that the game stayed true to the wonderful uglier-than-sin character designs of the movie, but their realistic designs too often blend into the realistic old west aesthetic, which means more often than not you will take a cheap shot and lose your streak. Oh, and the platinum sucks. It's the same as a story-based trophy; nothing unique about it at all. Like, they could have made it shinier or bluer. But still, this game is awesome and you should play it.

#335: Platinum Hero This was an aggravating experience, but anyone who sees my status updates might have guessed that already. Granted, the ride got a lot smoother when I broke down and started following this amazing guide https://www.neoseeker.com/monster-boy-and-the-cursed-kingdom/walkthrough and it became easy to see how this is an uncommon platinum and not rare, but still I did NOT like it. But first, what I DID like. The graphics look real clean and polished, and I liked the idle animations for each monster, which gives them some personailty. The music is pretty catchy. The puzzles are easily the highlights, so much so that I wouldn't have minded if the game was just these moments. The game is also very generous with its saving; no matter where you die or how far back you go, what you do remains done with no repeats. The backstory of this game is also pretty cool; it was conceived as a spiritual fan successor to a preexisting series, but was found by said series' creator, who then elevated to alternate universe canon. I'd imagine that was pretty awesome for the devs. Now what I hated; the shoddy clunky Metroidvania gameplay. Levels look nice, but still are bland and unmemorable because they all follow the generic tropes of fire, grass, water, ice and haunted and dark. And then we have the difficulty. The game started out fine, easing you into controls and the mechanics you have to deal with as well as the towns and the fact that everything is so damned expensive, which HEY, no big deal as long as you play skillfully. But then you reach the grassy plains and are ambushed by a fireball spewing cloud foe whose attacks also cause explosions that you can get caught up in and take off huge chunks of health, so you make a mad dash to escape, all while having to deal with OTHER projectile enemies launching their own fireballs, and once you think you are in the clear, you run into another cloud foe whose attacks have super fast shockwaves that invert your controls. The games goes downhill from here, and any enjoyment I was having dissipated into the ether, never to return. And let me clarify; it's not because you have to figure out what to do next; again, the puzzles where my favorite part. Heck, it isn't even the fact that enemies are peppered all over the place, and are very inconsistent with how much damage they deal to you, though that certainly doesn't help. No, it's the fact that game never preps you for the challenges ahead, be they hints, tips, gear or attacks. A youtube comment summed it up; this game is comprised of so many trial and error "how tf was I supposed to know to do that" moments. Adding insult to injury, you hero is a little bitch of a fighter. Here's what he has; a standard short range attack that only hits what's in front of you, a slowass magic form that runs out of spells quickly, a bigass lion that can at least attack below himself, but has such a big hitbox that any shield is worthless - and shields are borderline worthless already, seeing as to you can only block whats directly in front of or above you, leaving plenty of room for projectiles to sneak in and hit that bigass hitbox of yours, assuming that was even a projectile the game decided you could block anyways- a snake that sucks ass because hes small and has shit defenses and attacks, and a dragon that can fly and breath fire, but A-fucking-GAIN only what's right in front of him and has an energy limit on both of these things, making them frustrating to use. Now throw in dungeons that go on waaay too long, enemies around every corner and in only the most inopportune places; each topped off with a boss battle that boils down to a damage race where you hope you have enough hearts to tank the attacks. It just all encapsulates a frustrating experience that I do not want to experience again. Also, the ending. It's there, it conclusively ends things, but it also feels like an invisible force fast-forwarded through it during programming, because it literally comes and goes.

#334: Know-All Alright, another PS PLUS game finished! It more smoother ride that Frantics, though still pretty annoying. LSS, it's a fun wacky quirky quiz game, mostly straightforward, plus a gimmick here and there. It does get tedious at times, with the lack of customization options like turning items off and skipping cutscenes, but hey, no trophy based on luck, so that's plus. I thought about maybe getting all the Playlink platinums, but I'm not too sure now. I will probably finish up the ones I have and leave it at that.

For me, it kinda fell on the boring side. I do like the idea of exploring a small town areas, even ones that's been wiped of all life and empty; I remember there was this very creepy feel to it, like I was expecting something scary to happen when exploring these abandoned places. But still, moving so damn slow really killed the pace. I think the biggest thing I got out of this game was it's title, which I use to replace the lyrics of those old Movie Lobby jingles. Everybody's Gone To The RAP-ture Everybody's Gone To The rap-ture Everybody's Gone To The Rap-TURE To Get Themselves Some Snacks! or making silly edits like this.

I never played the PS3 version, but I do remember the 360 version having a bunch of tricks in game that made even the hardest sounding achievements a breeze. Heck, it was one of the few Arcade games I 100% on my original account, because said tricks where so helpful. I dunno of they took those out of this version, or if it wasn't even possible on the PS3, so we'll see......

#333: The Party Never Ends Such a shame, this game. It started out so great, too. A fun art style, wacky character designs, fun and unique spins on party games, different ways to pull ahead and win in the end. I was prepared to state that the only negative thing about this game game was that it was attached to a gimmicky phone app. But then I got to one of the gold trophies Be There AND Be Square and all fun I was having just disappeared. Yep, it's one those trophies that has the power to completely ruin an experience. This trophy tasks with with a obtaining a certain 2-item setup for its minigame. This doesn't seem like an issue at all, but the problem is, this steup is randomly generated, meaning obtaining even ONE of these items could take literal hours, plus you have only a limited number of tries to do as such, the entire time the last item you need could end up going to another character meaning you have try all over again. Then add in the fact that you cannot simply restart the minigame; no, have to back out to the main menu, sign in AGAIN, partake in an annoying and completely unnecessary phone shake gimmick, go through multiple load screens, confirm each character, and THEN try get lucky again. Sorry Frantics, I wanted to love you you, but then you had go and blindside me. If this gold trophy just required a certain number of playthroughs, I would understand that because you want people to play you more, but making me rely entirely on luck? I can't gel with that.

No you can't you've been very bad go to your room

Gotta say, that sucks to hear, as I was really interested in this one.

#332: All Trophies! Well, they aren't all gonna be hidden gems, I guess. Like I said in status update, the game is a fine substitution for those without a Nintendo console, but not anything spectacular. I've been pretty lucky in my enjoyment in most all the movie based games I played so far, so it was kind of a bummer that this one didn't continue the trend. Heck, it barely has anything to do with the movie. Seriously, you add up the seconds of all the clips they show from the movie, it may equal to ONE minute of run-time. There is no attempt to draw you into the game, or even get you curious about the movie. Also, despite none of the trophies being hard, it still is a demanding game, especially for one aimed at a younger audience. The fact that it still has a %16 rarity rate should be proof of that.

That's kind of a hard one, actually. I think back to the Nintendo 64 and Sega Dreamcast, the last two systems I was truly excited for. And for both systems, it was their showcase games, Super Mario 64 and Sonic Adventure, that got me so pumped and hyped and begging for a system. They both played to their strengths; Mario 64 showcased Nintendo's penchant for solid engaging fundamentals in a (at the time) immersive world, while Sonic Adventure followed through on Sega's devil may care attitude, showcasing action set piece after set piece in a wider variety of more contained worlds. So going off of that, what does the PS5, what does SONY, have that is uniquely theirs that would make make that leap from 4 to 5? Nothing that I can see right now; the only games I'm evenly remotely interested in are the Spiderman games, and I don't need to go next gen for that. Shame too, because the Spidey's contain elements from BOTH games I listed, so if it was exclusive for the 5, Miles might have been the one.

#331: Well Done! My final platinum this year. A bit of a shame that it ended on a easy peasy platinum, but I wasn't feeling up to anything, so I'll take it. High percentage rate means exactly what you think; easy requirements, don't even have to beat the game, and cheats that make it super easier. I could talk about how crappy this year was, but that's old news. I will say that it's a damn shame, because it was 2020. Think about that, two 20s in a row, a once in a lifetime event where something grand should have happened, and all we had is a bunch of death and a major blow to our ways of life. And I get to thinking, what if something even worse is around the corner? What if 2020 was 2000 on repeat, with something truly awful on the horizon in 2021? Or maybe 2020 WAS our terrible year, and something better is waiting. I dunno, but hopefully I'm around to see whatever it may be. Happy New Years!

This was a nice bit of DLC, though like the main story, one where most players can tell what was copy-pasted from Arkham City. From a Bruce Wayne opening, to having to subdue Freeze with different takedowns.... actually, I think that was it. Plus, they DO add an additional way to cause him damage, so it isn't completely the same. The rest of the DLC isn't too different from the main campaign, which itself is a reskin of Arkham City, so whatever. Still, not a bad piece of additional story, and give them credit for finding a villain that suits the winter theme going on. Now all that stands between me and the platinum is the MP.

I Am The NightFinish I Am The Night Mode I was tedious playing through this game 3 times, but I gotta say it in many ways got easier with each playthrough. It was a tad more annoying because I felt the need to constantly stop and back up my saves, and there's a great irony that I was more worried about the regular enemies than I was the bosses. I think I'll soon be ready for the MP trophies, and badabing badaboom!

#330: Christmas Break master Much like the Halloween predecessor, I bought this as a replacement so I could have a Christmas themed platinum this year. Also like that one, there's not much to say. It's Breakout, but Christmas themed. I'm not gonna knock it for being easy, as it gave me what I wanted, though I do wish the trophies especially the plat did more to differentiate from each other in this game and others. Have a Merry Christmas eve!!

^^This is one way to look at it. Also, there are SOME changes that are detrimental, at least to me. 1. They switched up the gameplay just enough to throw familiar players off. Countering, combos, stage interactions are all done differently now, which can be jarring to how one plays. 2. No permanent secondary weapons in your arsenal. The BoC may be the most popular, but I also know players enjoyed the additional options they used to have. Now all the additional weapons have limited move sets, can only be found in specific areas, and run on a sort of timer for usage, and barely do any more damage to justify said timer. 3. The graphics are very good, but the artstyle isn't. Environments are very boring to look at, and 90% of the game takes place during what I can only guess is midday, so we have a constant light glare almost all the time, which gets very annoying to look at. 4. The game goes way too overboard in the body horror department. There was definitely some gross stuff in the other games, but this one just revels in scenes that involves body parts like skin pores and faces being ripped open for something to crawl out of. And that's all I can think of off the top of my head.