Jump to content

Smevin's Regular, Every Day, Normal Ass Gamer Attempts at Trophy Hunting


YaManSmevz

Recommended Posts

2 hours ago, dieselmanchild said:

You’ve made some incredible progress on your completion % in just a year’s time. Great job! And good luck with your journey. 1f642.png

 

2 hours ago, LancashireLad87 said:

Congratulations on Titanfall 2 I had a difficult time with becoming the master as well. Thankfully I managed to get it after 2 hours of trying, to this day I still don't know how I got it done. The trophy guide definitely under-estimates the difficulty in my opinion, having said that from all the games I have played on my account thus far I don't agree with many trophy guides. Best of luck on your future endeavours and I look forward to your updates!

 

2 hours ago, DrunkenEngineer said:

Wow, fantastic progress in such a short period of time!  Always great to see another person with a relatively small trophy library just grinding away at getting those S-ranks!

 

I’ve got about 6 hours into Rocket League, and I haven’t quite gotten the mechanics down yet so I’m in experiencing some level of anxiety diving in to clean up the trophy list I start in (checks notes) 2015…if you ever need a boosting buddy I’d be happy to help!

 

Going to watch this checklist!

 

Thanks so much guys, I appreciate it! @LancashireLad87 I don't know how you did Becomes the Master in under a day, it took me several sessions of chippin away. I've seen your profile though, you a bad man??

 

@DrunkenEngineer is putting some work in too! I'm envious of your progress with GTA5, you've got some other heavy hitters in there as well. I might take you up on that offer once I hone in on Rocket League!

 

2 hours ago, rjkclarke said:

 

That was an enjoyable read... Felt cathartic to read someone else's incessant frustration with that game. I had to do more than one extra playthrough because of those stupid touch screen controls. What were they thinking? If I never have to hear the words " I think... That you are magic too" again I'll be much happier for it.

 

I don't think I dislike it the same amount as you though. Although, when I get around to reviewing it I suspect, you and I will probably end up with quite similar looking write ups, I can appreciate what they were trying, but Wales Interactive usually does a much better job with these kind of games. I have a review already written of one of their titles I ought to post soon actually. Your review of this just reminded me of it. 

 

There are some elements of Erica I do like a lot. I think Holly Earl is pretty good as Erica and the actual cinematography they use in a lot of the scenes is actually very good, especially the way some of the shots themselves are framed. Back to Holly earl though.  I'd seen her before in the TV show Humans, where she's very good, better than in  Erica, I don't think she's actually all that well characterised during the entire game, no matter what route you take... Humans though. is a show which I suspect is where David Cage "borrowed" almost 80% at least of the story ideas he used in Detroit: Become Human. Lazy fella-me-lad.

 

I think you hit the nail on the head about the story - and how in these sorts of games, that is where they truly should shine. The problem is exactly as you say, as you start to delve deeper and deeper into multiple paths, it all starts to become so apparent that a huge amount of it is just nonsense. I think the element of choice is pretty absent too, or at the very least MEANINGFUL choice, because no matter what choices you make, things still happen a certain way - you just get funnelled towards the narrative the developers really wanted to tell, like lab rats in a maze, which to be honest is a little insulting to the player.  

 

You know, it's funny because I knew I disliked it, and remember how immediately after finishing it the first thing I did was Google "how to uninstall a ps4 game," but as I wrote it, all the things that bugged me about it came rushing back. It really isn't that bad of a game! It's just a very unpleasant completionist experience, and I should've specified that.

 

Erica as a character is pretty bland, but Ms. Earl herself is clearly capable at what she does, she just wasn't given much to work with. And thank you! I completely forgot to go over how little a majority of the choices seemed to matter. There really were only a handful of meaningful ones scattered throughout the game and like you said, it's basically because they want the open-ended look, but really they already know where they want us to go.

 

David Cage, hoo boy. Now I want to watch Humans if only for the cringing I'm sure to do!

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

14 minutes ago, YaManSmevz said:

You know, it's funny because I knew I disliked it, and remember how immediately after finishing it the first thing I did was Google "how to uninstall a ps4 game," but as I wrote it, all the things that bugged me about it came rushing back. It really isn't that bad of a game! It's just a very unpleasant completionist experience, and I should've specified that.

 

Erica as a character is pretty bland, but Ms. Earl herself is clearly capable at what she does, she just wasn't given much to work with. And thank you! I completely forgot to go over how little a majority of the choices seemed to matter. There really were only a handful of meaningful ones scattered throughout the game and like you said, it's basically because they want the open-ended look, but really they already know where they want us to go.

 

David Cage, hoo boy. Now I want to watch Humans if only for the cringing I'm sure to do!

 

Well. there were times when I had the urge to launch that game straight out of my window, console and all, but common sense overtook me. It does feel a bit of a let down even though both you and I got it for free. I don't even know if I do truly dislike it. I probably do, I'm just trying to be overly positive. I just liked it less and less each time I played it. Your so on the money there with "unpleasant completionist experience,"  but then why make a game with allegedly branching paths if you can only truly enjoy it once, before you start to seriously question the validity of it all.

 

Oh dear... I think I massively mis-sold Humans on that one. You'd probably only cringe at the third series, when it really started drift into ridiculousness. The first two are actually very, very well written (in my opinion,obviously). I more meant that, Detroit is actually far less original than David Cage deserves any credit for, as the bulk of stuff you see in Detroit  was already done in Humans, which was released at least five years prior, and itself is an adaptation of a Swedish show from 2012. The show even contains a sentient house maid android, y'know just like Kara, it contains an android protest/rebellion just like Marcus' story. An android sex worker, who escapes, that's also part of Detroit. There's even a police officer who's partner is an android... Which all sounds very familiar when you play Detroit. I guess he hoped nobody would notice it had already been done in both a British show and a Swedish one. ?

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Platinum #1: Until Dawn

1Ld98210.png

 

Ah... you always remember your first!

 

So, my wife is a bit of a scaredy cat. We can't watch anything remotely horror-related together, as she absolutely shuts down. When things get that kind of tense in a show or movie, she does this adorable thing where she plugs her ears with her index fingers and impatiently waits for the scary part to be over, not unlike a child covering their eyes. Should I be broadcasting a random quirk of hers like this? No, but she's probably never gonna read this so who cares?? I AM MY OWN MAN.

 

....sorry sweetheart, you know I love you?

 

Anyway. When I heard about this game (in the infancy of my PS4 days, no less) I was excited. The idea of living out a horror movie, clichés and all, with the ability to essentially decide who lives and who gets axed... well, I couldn't say no to that.

 

I bought a copy at a gaming shop because I hadn't been corrupted by the PS store yet (one of these days I'll write a post about how I started with the 360 like "why do you need my internet information, I just wanna play games" to my current perpetual state of "BUT DID THE TROPHY SYNC??") and waited for a night that my wife worked and I didn't. I shut all the lights off, slapped it on, and had me a good old time.

 

The thing I love most about this game is how it clearly isn't trying to be Chrono Trigger or anything. It knows exactly what it is - a loving tribute to trash horror in video game form - and never loses sight of that. What's funny is that while Freddie Mercury and friends are largely idiotic and unlikable, the character development rivals games that set their bars much higher. By the end, for me at least, you do warm up to the unpleasant Mike and Emily. You even end up rooting for boring ones like Matt and Jessica (yeah I know, boobs, but let's be real) even though in a film counterpart you'd really just be waiting for them to get sliced and diced.

 

Of course, this isn't gaming gold. The minimal gameplay is understandable given what they're going for but I was kind of hoping for a more Alan Wake type experience, where there was QTE but it wasn't leaned on so heavily. The story feels like they couldn't decide on a serial killer or mysterious monsters, so they said the hell with it and did both (kinda). But as far as gripes go, that's pretty much it. Nobody will tell you with a straight face that this is top five material, but it's a good time.

 

After I finished it, I immediately started again to see what other endings I could get. While it did get tedious seeing so much of the same after a while, the different branches were rewarding enough to make it worthwhile. Letting them all die, or saving them all, and generally switching up what happens between characters (particularly Ashley and Chris) was a lot of fun, and I thought they did a great job with this aspect. Towards the end I did reference a guide to see what I'd missed as far as totems and stuff like that, but for the most part this was one of very few platinums where I sought minimal outside help, if any at all.

 

The cherry on top was the platinum itself. The 360 didn't have an equivalent for those so when that popped I looked like a cocker spaniel with its head turned to the side, like "arf?" A really pleasant left field surprise, not entirely unlike when my wife said that she'd marry me!

 

What a dope concept, I thought, that upon completing a game, the console gives you a little pat on the back in the form of an extra trophy. It would be a while before I cared about platinums for their own sake, but it still felt pretty great.

 

THAT Trophy: Don't Scare Jessica to Death

 

I don't know why, but I had the damndest time keeping the controller completely still until I just started just laying it flat on the coffee table. Maybe I'm like Gene Wilder's non-steady-as-a-rock hand from Blazing Saddles and just don't realize it.

 

Okay, this trophy isn't something I struggled with at any real capacity.. I just like having this space for my reviews!

 

So yeah. Dumb fun while living in a horror movie and getting an easy platinum out of the deal. Can't hate on that.

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 minutes ago, YaManSmevz said:

THAT Trophy: Don't Scare Jessica to Death

 

I don't know why, but I had the damndest time keeping the controller completely still until I just started just laying it flat on the coffee table. Maybe I'm like Gene Wilder's non-steady-as-a-rock hand from Blazing Saddles and just don't realize it.

 

Okay, this trophy isn't something I struggled with at any real capacity.. I just like having this space for my reviews!

 

So yeah. Dumb fun while living in a horror movie and getting an easy platinum out of the deal. Can't hate on that.

 

Oh man - that trophy - let me tell you - it is an insult - AN INSULT! 

how dare they make a trophy designed to make fun of people with a tremor, or who drink too much coffee?

I am both, and I was outraged! I basically has to set the controller down, and move slowly away from it ?

 

 

Nice write up man - I feel like we have the opposite problem with the better halves - mine is so horror obsessed that we've basically run out of all the good ones, and now every time its her choice I get to look forward to the absolute dregs of Netflix and Prime in a desperate hunt for "This might be good...questionmark..." movies...(spoiler alert, no, it never is...)

 

I kinda dug that game - like you say - it knows what it is, and knows what it is trying to do, and means that you can go along for the ride smoothly - it's like the Anti-David-Cage experience ?

 

It actually did pull some intended laughs from me too... "You just got Monked!" was one - or the girl (I forget which one - the one played by the girl from Superstore) - sees something spooky and just goes "Ugh. Unfollow." ?

Edited by DrBloodmoney
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 minutes ago, DrBloodmoney said:

 

Oh man - that trophy - let me tell you - it is an insult - AN INSULT! 

how dare they make a trophy designed to make fun of people with a tremor, or who drink too much coffee?

I am both, and I was outraged! I basically has to set the controller down, and move slowly away from it 1f602.png

 

 

Nice write up man - I feel like we have the opposite problem with the better halves - mine is so horror obsessed that we've basically run out of all the good ones, and now every time its her choice I get to look forward to the absolute dregs of Netflix and Prime in a desperate hunt for "This might be good...questionmark..." movies...(spoiler alert, no, it never is...)

 

I kinda dug that game - like you say - it knows what it is, and knows what it is trying to do, and means that you can go along for the ride smoothly - it's like the Anti-David-Cage experience 1f602.png

 

It actually did pull some intended laughs from me too... "You just got Monked!" was one - or the girl (I forget which one - the one played by the girl from Superstore) - sees something spooky and just goes "Ugh. Unfollow." 1f602.png

 

Haha I forgot about that! The dialogue was unexpectedly funny at times. Also "If you like David Cage... don't play this, it's seriously not that at all" is a great selling point. I ultimately enjoyed Detroit but I'll never play Heavy Rain simply because I feel my David Cage quota is one?

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, YaManSmevz said:

 

Haha I forgot about that! The dialogue was unexpectedly funny at times. Also "If you like David Cage... don't play this, it's seriously not that at all" is a great selling point. I ultimately enjoyed Detroit but I'll never play Heavy Rain simply because I feel my David Cage quota is one1f604.png



 

I actually enjoy all David Cage stuff - but I’m the guy who has only seen Citizen Kane once or twice, but has watched The Room, Birdemic: Shock and Awe, and Showgirls like 10 times each…

 

I like them, but I don’t like them in exactly the way David Cage would like me to like them…?

 

 

Edited by DrBloodmoney
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well Showgirls is such a train wreck that that's more than excusable... I couldn't tell you how many times I've watched that Cinema Sins video on Showgirls, that thing STILL cracks me up.

 

I've own Citizen Kane for YEARS and am yet to watch it. I guess I'm weirdly worried that the hype will prove to be too much and I won't like it and will feel like a film plebeian. I remember being really excited to watch Casablanca and was so saddened that I didn't love it, like my movie buff card was in danger of being revoked or something!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, YaManSmevz said:

Well Showgirls is such a train wreck that that's more than excusable... I couldn't tell you how many times I've watched that Cinema Sins video on Showgirls, that thing STILL cracks me up.

 

oh, Showgirls is the most fun tyre-fire ever, though you need to see The Room - that movie makes Showgirls look like a masterpiece… and Tommy Wiseau is a Straight. Up. Alien. ?

 

 

3 minutes ago, YaManSmevz said:

I've own Citizen Kane for YEARS and am yet to watch it. I guess I'm weirdly worried that the hype will prove to be too much and I won't like it and will feel like a film plebeian. I remember being really excited to watch Casablanca and was so saddened that I didn't love it, like my movie buff card was in danger of being revoked or something!


TBH, you should be safe with CK. it actually holds up remarkably well, even just from a movie watching point of view, and not necessarily a ‘film-appreciation’ one - and if nothing else, you get to play a fun game of realising you’ve already seen like 83% of that movie through the medium of Simpsons parodies ?

 

Seriously - I think they have done almost every scene at some point by now - you could probably cut together an entire parody movie of just those!

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 minutes ago, DrBloodmoney said:

 

oh, Showgirls is the most fun tyre-fire ever, though you need to see The Room - that movie makes Showgirls look like a masterpiece… and Tommy Wiseau is a Straight. Up. Alien. 1f602.png

 

 

Assignment accepted!

 

7 minutes ago, DrBloodmoney said:

TBH, you should be safe with CK. it actually holds up remarkably well, even just from a movie watching point of view, and not necessarily a ‘film-appreciation’ one - and if nothing else, you get to play a fun game of realising you’ve already seen like 83% of that movie through the medium of Simpsons parodies 1f602.png

 

Seriously - I think they have done almost every scene at some point by now - you could probably cut together an entire parody movie of just those!

 

Dude, you aren't lying. I had a similar experience when I finally got around to watching the spectacular (and bizarrely frightening) 2001: Space Odyssey. I had already seen both the beginning and end without even knowing it!

 

I've always loved how a show with gags like a pencil being dropped into someone's ass crack can be so tremendously cultured.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, YaManSmevz said:

Assignment accepted!


Yaaaaaasss!

 

just for a tiny bit of flavour… (don’t worry, you can’t spoil what is already pre-curdled…)

 

 

 

2 minutes ago, YaManSmevz said:

 

Dude, you aren't lying. I had a similar experience when I finally got around to watching the spectacular (and bizarrely frightening) 2001: Space Odyssey. I had already seen both the beginning and end without even knowing it!

 

I've always loved how a show with gags like a pencil being dropped into someone's ass crack can be so tremendously cultured.

 

Haha - yeah, I guess that is another one - between those and the Godfather, that’s like 90% of all Simpsons parodies ?

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

WHAT THE FUCK DID I JUST WATCH...

 

Man. I thought Die Mommy Die had bad acting (albeit deliberate). It's like Willem Dafoe has a supremely untalented cousin who doggedly pursued acting, and this was his magnum opus.

 

Yes, definitely watching this?

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, YaManSmevz said:

WHAT THE FUCK DID I JUST WATCH...

 

Man. I thought Die Mommy Die had bad acting (albeit deliberate). It's like Willem Dafoe has a supremely untalented cousin who doggedly pursued acting, and this was his magnum opus.

 

Yes, definitely watching this?

 

It is OUT OF THIS WORLD.

 

It's like an alien made a movie, but he only knew human behaviour as explained to him via an etch-a-sketch drawing of a man, that he found in a hedge.

 

Edited by DrBloodmoney
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 hours ago, DrBloodmoney said:

but he only knew human behaviour as explained to him via an etch-a-sketch drawing of a man, that he found in a hedge.

 

YOU AHHHHHH TEARING ME APARHHHHHHT DOKTOR BLEEDMANNY!!

 

I don't think there is a more accurate description available than that, about Mr Wiseau's directorial "prowess"

 

Really fascinating reading your thoughts on Until Dawn, Smevz.... Fantastic stuff. I love how much of yourself you are putting into these.

 

I like that game a lot too. It's genuinely very refreshing to see a game just knowing what it wants to be and, well,  just being it. Sounds basic, but I thought it led to a really fun experience.

 

There's a lot of things that have stuck with me about that game. I think having a fairly decent raft of actors helped that game quite a bit, especially as they were equally as clued up seemingly, on what the developers had in mind for it.  I really like Peter Stomare as an actor, so it's great to see him pop up here. I have on many an occasion - completely out of context I might add, tried to say PSYCOPAAAAATH, in the same way that he does, in response to a few people. Got plenty of weird looks of course, but it seemed like a good idea at the time haha! ?

Edited by rjkclarke
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 minutes ago, rjkclarke said:

There's a lot of things that have stuck with me about that game. I think having a fairly decent raft of actors helped that game quite a bit, especially they were equally as clued up seemingly, on what the developers had in mind for it.  I really like Peter Stomare as an actor, so it's great to see him pop up here. I have on many an occasion - completely out of context I might add, tried to say PSYCOPAAAAATH, in the same way that he does, in response to a few people. Got plenty of weird looks of course, but it seemed like a good idea at the time haha! 1f606.png

 

Looooove Stormare (and love even more how much MsBloodmoney makes fun of me every time I pronounce his name correctly(?) "Stor-Ma-Rey" ?

 

Don't know if you've ever seen a small movie he did called Small Town Murder Songs - but I don't think I've ever seen a better version of the 'dude who is a powder keg of rage, struggling to contain it' on film ever -he is absolutely electric in that movie.

Edited by DrBloodmoney
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

23 minutes ago, rjkclarke said:

 

YOU AHHHHHH TEARING ME APARHHHHHHT DOKTOR BLEEDMANNY!!

 

I don't think there is a more accurate description available than that, about Mr Wiseau's directorial "prowess"

 

Really fascinating reading your thoughts on Until Dawn, Smevz.... Fantastic stuff. I love how much of yourself you are putting into these.

 

I like that game a lot too. It's genuinely very refreshing to see a game just knowing what it wants to be and, well,  just being it. Sounds basic, but I thought it led to a really fun experience.

 

There's a lot of things that have stuck with me about that game. I think having a fairly decent raft of actors helped that game quite a bit, especially as they were equally as clued up seemingly, on what the developers had in mind for it.  I really like Peter Stomare as an actor, so it's great to see him pop up here. I have on many an occasion - completely out of context I might add, tried to say PSYCOPAAAAATH, in the same way that he does, in response to a few people. Got plenty of weird looks of course, but it seemed like a good idea at the time haha! 1f606.png

 

Yo how did I forget to mention Peter Stormare???? Ugh. Absolutely loved him, and how gradually his performance went more and more over the top.

 

You guys are reminding me how valuable a bit more retread is before going into review mode. A question for you both (or all comers, really): what kind of preparation do you do before writing a review?

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, YaManSmevz said:

You guys are reminding me how valuable a bit more retread is before going into review mode. A question for you both (or all comers, really): what kind of preparation do you do before writing a review?

 

Mine are all over the place - just whatever I feel like I need.

 

For an older game, I try to at least play a little bit for a feel of it - that varies game to game though.

something like Until Dawn, I'm happy to just watch some footage, as it's a less mechanical game, and the actual 'feel' of the game is less of a focus than the visuals and narrative), but I wouldn't review something that is mechanics-and-feel-heavy like, say, Resogun without playing some for a refresher first.

 

I will for sure have the plot synopsis from Wikipedia open when I write it, to fact check character names or actors etc., and I might skim read the top comments on the game from the date of release in something like IGN, to remind me if there were significant glitches or technical issues... though I don't really consider technical problems at launch that were subsequently fixed to be a problem. (Prey, for example, was a bit of a mess at launch, but 2 weeks later, it was all fixed, so there's not really any value to holding that against a game in perpetuity)

 

I will also generally google which other games came out in the same timeframe, to get a sense of what the game's immediate peers were - an issue with looking at games across a wide expanse of time, is that it's hard to judge graphics - were they good at the time, or bad for the time, and make mention of that...

 

That's why I don't put things like "Graphics - 7/10" in my reviews, as those are only meaningful in context. I mean, Beyond Good and Evil probably got a 9/10 in terms of graphics when it released, and so did Horizon Zero Dawn. Those scores were both true at the times they came out, but there is a pretty big delta between the graphics of both now, so really, an X/10 scale would be totally unfair to use now to compare them!

 

What I avoid, is actually reading any reviews, as I don't want to end up plagerising by accident - generally, I have a good enough memory of games that I've S-Ranked to be able to go with the idea that - what I don't remember is less important, and what I do remember is the most important - since if it was stand-out good or stand-out bad, it would have stuck in my mind ?

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

52 minutes ago, DrBloodmoney said:

Looooove Stormare (and love even more how much MsBloodmoney makes fun of me every time I pronounce his name correctly(?) "Stor-Ma-Rey" 1f602.png

 

Don't know if you've ever seen a small movie he did called Small Town Murder Songs - but I don't think I've ever seen a better version of the 'dude who is a powder keg of rage, struggling to contain it' on film ever -he is absolutely electric in that movie.

 

I haven't seen that.. Or heard of it either. I've just looked it up and it looks really interesting. I'll have to seek it out.  So thank you very much for bringing it to my attention.

 

My personal favourite Peter Stomare performance is in Dancer in the Dark.. Which is a film I really struggle to re-watch.

Spoiler

That ending makes me feel like someone pulled my beating heart out of my chest, took  a bite out of it and then stomped it into a pile of mud. You cruel man Lars von Trier... How do you do that to someone as gentle and lovely as Selma in that film.

I really like the film though, it's such a brilliant subversion of "the musical" - it's so brilliant the way von Trier does his own very "him" take on the bombastic musical numbers you'd come to expect from a musical. I never quite get used to seeing Peter Stomare sing in this bit.

 

 

 

34 minutes ago, YaManSmevz said:

You guys are reminding me how valuable a bit more retread is before going into review mode. A question for you both (or all comers, really): what kind of preparation do you do before writing a review?

 

If it's one that I've recently played, then it's pretty much always just a case of writing down my current thoughts, as I usually tend to write them just after, or maybe at the very most one or two days apart.

 

With older titles it's a little different. When I did the three Tomb Raider's recently it was a mixture of going off of memory and then re-watching some of the games cutscenes. Listening to the games soundtrack, watching some gameplay to see if I notice anything specific. Other times, if the game is short enough, I'll play through it again to re-familiarise myself. That tends to be quite helpful, in games that are quite gameplay focused. Sometimes I go purely on memory. I think that works (I can only speak for myself of course)  if that game is particularly memorable for you. It all depends on the game I think.

 

I always think if I'm writing my own reviews of things I've already played, then I think it's fairly fitting if there's certain bits you don't quite remember, it makes a bit more sense as a "looking back" kind of thing - I'm worried if I re-familiarised myself too much I'd just feel like I'm reviewing something I'd just played. instead of fondly remembering something, whilst casting a critical eye over it. Hope that makes sense and isn't too rambly. 

 

Half the fun for me, in writing about older games I've played is that realisation as you write them, why you enjoyed them so much in the first place. I really loved delving into some of the minutiae of the music and sound design in Dear Esther and Everybody's Gone to the Rapture, when I did those a few months back. I still find I get that satisfaction from doing a little bit of research beforehand, because you'll probably find hearing old pieces of music or seeing certain visuals tends to evoke a few more memories here and there, at least in my case it does.

Edited by rjkclarke
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 minutes ago, DrBloodmoney said:

For an older game, I try to at least play a little bit for a feel of it - that varies game to game though.

something like Until Dawn, I'm happy to just watch some footage, as it's a less mechanical game, and the actual 'feel' of the game is less of a focus than the visuals and narrative), but I wouldn't review something that is mechanics-and-feel-heavy like, say, Resogun without playing some for a refresher first.

 

I will for sure have the plot synopsis from Wikipedia open when I write it, to fact check character names or actors etc.

 

Pulling up some YouTube is an excellent call, I think I'll employ that in the future. I did the necessary fact checking for things I wasn't sure about, but as far as the gaming experience itself I've been going strictly off the top. I just don't want to continue leaving out factors that are very much deserving of mention... Peter Stor-Ma-Rey's performance for instance was something that charmed the hell out of me and frankly I can't believe I forgot to mention it.

 

2 minutes ago, rjkclarke said:

My personal favourite Peter Stomare performance is in Dancer in the Dark.. Which is a film I really struggle re-watch.

 

Dancer in the Dark is one of the most heart wrenching movies I've ever watched, and I have seen my share of fucked up cinema. Beast of a soundtrack too (well Bjork, so duh).

 

5 minutes ago, rjkclarke said:

With older titles it's a little different. When I did the three Tomb Raider's recently it was a mixture of going off of memory and then re-watching some of the games cutscenes. Listening to the games soundtrack, watching some gameplay to see if I notice anything specific. Other times, if the game is short enough, I'll play through it again to re-familiarise myself. That tends to be quite helpful, in games that are quite gameplay focused. Sometimes I go purely on memory. I think that works (I can only speak for myself of course)  if that game is particularly memorable for you. It all depends on the game I think.

 

 

I always think if I'm writing my own reviews of things I've already played, then I think it's fairly fitting if there's certain bits you don't quite remember, it makes a bit more sense as a "looking back" kind of thing - I'm worried if I re-familiarised myself too much I'd just feel like I'm reviewing something I'd just played. instead of fondly remembering something, whilst casting a critical eye over it. Hope that makes sense and isn't too rambly. 

 

Half the fun for me, in writing about older games I've played is that realisation as you write them, why you enjoyed them so much in the first place. I really loved delving into some of the minutiae of the music and sound design in Dear Esther and Everybody's Gone to the Rapture, when I did those a few months back. I still find I get that satisfaction from doing a little bit of research beforehand, because you'll probably find hearing old pieces of music or seeing certain visuals tends to evoke a few more memories here and there, at least my case it does.

 

I do believe that's the ticket. It sounds like you've struck a great balance between researching and maintaining your memory of your experience - after all, every person is an expert when it comes to their own experience and nobody can write about it better than them.

 

Thanks guys??

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Platinum #33: Mark of the Ninja: Remastered

1L1a645f.png

 

The reasons for the name that I gave this thread are pretty self-explanatory, but I'd like to elaborate all the same, and this game felt like the perfect opportunity to do so.

 

I am not the most talented gamer that you'll ever meet. I'll see profiles where I think "Oh, they're the same level as me!" and then realize that no, it's not their level that's similar to mine but rather their amount of platinums that matches my level number. When I hit the "compare" button on other profiles my percentages often pale in comparison. And most damning of all, when I play a game like this, with a rated difficulty of 3/10, I will struggle at points, think "3/10 my ass, this is hard," only to complete it and then afterwards think "yeah... actually 3/10 is perfectly fair, I was just being a baby."

 

Because Cuphead this is not. It's a quick, breezy game, and it's so damn fun. Mark of the Ninja caught my eye back in my 360 days, and I loved its cartoonish look and reliance on stealth. The gadgets and mechanics looked dope (spoiler alert: they are) and honestly who doesn't want to take part in some Samurai Jack-ish stealthy ninja goodness?

 

Jerks, that's who.

 

The story is gloriously cheesy, complete with voice acting that ranges from hammed up (terrified guards are awesome) to bizarrely bland ("Stop him, he must not get away") and a twist you can see coming a continent away, and you couldn't possibly care less because of how effortlessly engaging it all is. The gameplay is slick as can be, although again, due to my limited skills, it took a bit of an adjustment period for me because platforming has never been my thing and it was a bit too easy to drop when I meant to switch ceilings or run into a guard's cone of vision when I was going for a stealth kill. That's a me problem though, not a Mark problem. Most players will adapt just fine! Plus, even if you are like me, the game essentially gets broken wide open once you get that teleportation ability in the second half.

 

The Metal Gear Solid nods were definitely cute. Why else sneak in a cardboard box ability? Not to mention that the music for when you get spotted is tremendously similar to that of MGS, particularly the percussion.

 

I loved how they played around with the animation, the ending in particular was really well put together. It's like you're a kid watching a bad ass Ninja cartoon. Also, I've mentioned this before, but I've developed such an affinity for these 2D games. This is something you could've played on the SNES (sorry Genesis, in that era you'll always be second to me) but presented with the beautiful graphic capabilities we're spoiled with today. There's just something so charming about that.

 

So you've got cool abilities, excellent stealth mechanics, engaging presentation, fun puzzles, I mean what more could you really want? Not to mention that this is a plat you could easily get in a day if you've got nothin else to do.

 

THAT Trophy: Perfection

 

This actually isn't difficult at all, I only put this here because of the seal where you have to kill three guards in fifteen seconds. There's a checkpoint in between guards, and I kept missing the time so I had to restart the whole level three times?

 

Also, Mark of the Ninja is the first inductee into my illustrious Post-Platinum Play club! That's right, this game is so fun that once the platinum popped, I shrugged and kept playing anyway. I could of course be biased, and only saying that because when I got back into gaming five or so years ago this was one of the first games that appealed to me and has sat in the back of my head all this time, but this is some good shit.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, YaManSmevz said:

Platinum #33: Mark of the Ninja: Remastered

1L1a645f.png

 


I love that game!

 

Man - I liked stealth games a lot growing up, but over the years I thought I had all but given up on them - then within the past 6 odd years, The trifecta of Hitman Reboot, Dishonoured and Mark of the Ninja totally recharged the entire genre - and stuck it right back near the top of my genre favourites!

 

Fucking Klei man - they are something else. They make 1 stealth game… and it’s one of the best ones ever ? 

It’s nuts!

 

I cannot think of a 2D game that makes you feel so powerful and slick and cool while sneaking around - and lets you just toy with the guards like a cat with a mouse, yet never feel like you are overpowered.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, DrBloodmoney said:


I love that game!

 

Man - I liked stealth games a lot growing up, but over the years I thought I had all but given up on them - then within the past 6 odd years, The trifecta of Hitman Reboot, Dishonoured and Mark of the Ninja totally recharged the entire genre - and stuck it right back near the top of my genre favourites!

 

Fucking Klei man - they are something else. They make 1 stealth game… and it’s one of the best ones ever 1f602.png 

It’s nuts!

 

I cannot think of a 2D game that makes you feel so powerful and slick and cool while sneaking around - and lets you just toy with the guards like a cat with a mouse, yet never feel like you are overpowered.

 

Well said on never feeling overpowered. Particularly with how they handled new game plus - rather than making it more difficult per se, it was just more realistic, for lack of a better word. As cool as your abilities are, one misstep and it's over.

 

Dishonored (sorry, I'm a yankee) is something I'm very much looking forward to, although I've heard some horror stories about that DLC so I've dragged my feet on that one. Also speaking of Klei, Invisible Inc. (such a cute name) recently joined my backlog on the strength of your glowing recommendation! If this is any indication, that one's gonna be a blast!

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

7 hours ago, YaManSmevz said:

Dishonored (sorry, I'm a yankee) is something I'm very much looking forward to, although I've heard some horror stories about that DLC so I've dragged my feet on that one.

 

Oh... yeah, that Trials DLC in the first one is a tough nut - it's weird, I think it's pretty fun, and well made, but from a trophy point of view, it is so far off the 'grading curve' of that series - there is not a single other instance across all 3 games that asked even a fraction of the patience and precision that that DLC asks of them.

 

7 hours ago, YaManSmevz said:

 

Also speaking of Klei, Invisible Inc. (such a cute name) recently joined my backlog on the strength of your glowing recommendation! If this is any indication, that one's gonna be a blast!

 

Woot woot ?

 

Awesome choice man - it's an absolute marvel. It's funny - this right here:

7 hours ago, YaManSmevz said:

Well said on never feeling overpowered. [...] As cool as your abilities are, one misstep and it's over.

 

...could so easily be a description of Invisible Inc instead of Mark of the Ninja - that same philosophy of "We'll make you feel like a bad-ass, but you slip up, and we're gonna stomp on you!" is carried through to that game too ?

 

'course, it's a little different, in the sense that Invisible is so much harder - but then, it also has rewinding, so you can keep Prince of Persia-ing reality until you manage to be the bad-ass you want to be?

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well... That's me sold on Mark of the Ninja... Awesome write up as ever man!!Guess I'll add that to the backlog too when I eventually buy it.. I mean at this rate I'm going to look like Hans Moleman by the time I even get remotely close to catching up on mine.? Still it's a sacrifice we all have to make right? Right? RIGHT?.... COWABUNGA DUDES!

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, DrBloodmoney said:

...could so easily be a description of Invisible Inc instead of Mark of the Ninja - that same philosophy of "We'll make you feel like a bad-ass, but you slip up, and we're gonna stomp on you!" is carried through to that game too 1f602.png

 

'course, it's a little different, in the sense that Invisible is so much harder - but then, it also has rewinding, so you can keep Prince of Persia-ing reality until you manage to be the bad-ass you want to be1f604.png

 

 

The vague xcom comparisons I've read about saying "It's like xcom except it's not like xcom at all, not even in the slightest, but it's kinda like it even though it isn't" also helped me jump on board? I am not ashamed to scum save my way through a mission til I figure it out!

 

10 minutes ago, rjkclarke said:

Well... That's me sold on Mark of the Ninja... Awesome write up as ever man!!Guess I'll add that to the backlog too when I eventually buy it.. I mean at this rate I'm going to look like Hans Moleman by the time I even get remotely close to catching up on mine.? Still it's a sacrifice we all have to make right? Right? RIGHT?.... COWABUNGA DUDES!

 

"Trophy Hunting has ruined my life... I'm 31 years ooooolllld!!"

 

Thank you! And incidentally I have taken your advice and listed FFIX as a game to complete on a backlog challenge over the fall and winter. I came here to chew bubblegum and jump rope... AND I'M ALL OUT OF BUBBLEGUM.

Edited by YaManSmevz
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...