Same game, different region. That sums up Pokemon X/Y. Overall a good game, but I wouldn't rate it any higher than third best gen in the series.
I think I would like X/Y a lot more if I hadn't played all of the other games first. After 6 generations and one sequel, the formula and basic gameplay is becoming a little stale to me. At the basic level, Pokemon remains an RPG with a party selection that no other series comes close to. Chrono Cross boasted over 40 playable characters, and that was huge. Pokemon has 718, if serebii is correct, so it's not even close.
They did try to switch up the basic formula with Mega Evolution, but that really didn't change much. It would make your Pokemon stronger and in some cases change the type, but other than that it wasn't anything big.
The bigger change came with the new addition of the Fairy type, which made Dragons a lot less overpowered. I'm a little confused as to why Fairy is weak to Poison and Steel (the only reason I've been able to come up with is that those types aren't strong against much), but that's not the thing that really bothers me about new types being added. They made such a big deal about how Fairy is the new big thing, but there are pokemon from previous generations that now have the Fairy type added. Why weren't those pokemon the fairy type? Is there something about the Kalos region that turns them into Fairy type? Why did it take them this long to discover a new type? I know I shouldn't expect continuity in a game targeted at younger children, but that still bothers me.
One thing that X/Y does extremely well is the Pokemon selection you get on your first playthrough before unlocking the national dex. You have the option of capturing at least twice the pokemon that you did in previous generations (including Eevee's, and gen 1 starters!) Some of the new pokemon are ridiculous though (I'm looking at you Klefki. Really? A set of keys?)
I would pay good money if Nintendo and Game Freak would give us a game where you can travel to all 6 regions, but that's something I'll probably never see (unless it's in MMO form, and that'd just suck).
Score: 7.2/10
Raiden's Top 100 Ranking: Not ranked.
Upcoming reviews: Phoenix Wright 5: Dual Destinies, The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, Wing Commander IV: The Price of Freedom
If there are any games on my top 100 you'd like to see a more detailed review on, or any games you know I've played that you'd like me to review, let me know! Unfortunately, I don't have time to pick up new games that aren't already on my short list, at least for the next year or two.
Sunday, December 29, 2013
Thursday, December 26, 2013
Raiden's The Last of Us Review
Finally getting around to writing this, and only a hand full of months late! I'm going to try to keep it to light spoilers (if any at all), that don't give away anything as far as story specifics goes. If you're still planning on playing the game and don't want any spoilers whatsoever, you may want to turn back now. You've been warned.
The Last of Us is amazing in every way. Naughty Dog was able to create characters in Joel and Ellie that you can really connect to, and you really root for. One thing I really enjoyed is the moral gray area you take in the game. Most of the time you play as the hero, fighting for justice, peace, etc, but in The Last of Us things are different. Don't get me wrong, you're not playing as the villains or anything, it's just not clear cut. The other people you're fighting against are just trying to survive, same as you (it reminds me of some of the other groups of humans that the main group encounters in the Walking Dead TV show.)
There are a few complaints I've heard about this game that I'd like to address. Similar to Tomb Raider 2013, one of the negative things someone mentioned to me is that "it relies too much on stealth." That can be true, but only if that's how you choose to play the game. Yes, there are areas that are designed in a way that makes you sneak around, but there are also others that are built to make you charge in, guns blazing. If you choose to play the entire game through using stealth tactics and don't want to try anything different, or lack the skill to have success without it, that's not the fault of the game, that's on you.
The big thing a lot of people dislike is the ending. Obviously, I'm not going to go into anything specific about how the game ended, but I will say this. The ending that said people seem to want completely contradicts everything that the entire game has built, and goes against what the characters would do or say. When Naughty Dog was still working on the game, they changed the ending from what those people want to what the final product was for that reason, and I wouldn't want it any other way. The only thing I didn't like about the ending was that it meant the game was over, and my journey through the post apocalyptic world with Joel and Ellie had come to an end (at least until the single player DLC is released, starring Ellie! Woo!). One amusing thing I found was an "alternate ending" where the actors ended up singing all of the lines in the final scene like it was some kind of Broadway show. It was really something to see.
The controls are very smooth, and the crafting system works very well. You're able to find limited amounts of stuff like rags, alcohol, bottles, etc, and have to determine what you want to make with those resources. You also have to do that in real time, so there's no pausing to craft something you need in the middle of battle. There is also a proper New Game+ mode, so you can take a powered up Joel through again if you want to (which I did).
The Last of Us is an amazing, emotional journey that shows both the best and the worst (mostly the worst) of human nature. Watching the bond between Joel and Ellie grow and develop is very satisfying, and felt real (most games aren't capable of making those things feel genuine). I can say without any doubt that The Last of Us is the best game of this generation, and the second best I've ever played.
Score: 10/10
Raiden's Top 100 Ranking: 2nd Place (after Final Fantasy VI, before Tomb Raider 2013)
Upcoming reviews: Pokemon X/Y, Phoenix Wright 5: Dual Destinies, The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds.
If there are any games on my top 100 you'd like to see a more detailed review on, or any games you know I've played that you'd like me to review, let me know! I unfortunately don't have time to pick up new games that aren't already on my short list, at least for the next year or two.
The Last of Us is amazing in every way. Naughty Dog was able to create characters in Joel and Ellie that you can really connect to, and you really root for. One thing I really enjoyed is the moral gray area you take in the game. Most of the time you play as the hero, fighting for justice, peace, etc, but in The Last of Us things are different. Don't get me wrong, you're not playing as the villains or anything, it's just not clear cut. The other people you're fighting against are just trying to survive, same as you (it reminds me of some of the other groups of humans that the main group encounters in the Walking Dead TV show.)
There are a few complaints I've heard about this game that I'd like to address. Similar to Tomb Raider 2013, one of the negative things someone mentioned to me is that "it relies too much on stealth." That can be true, but only if that's how you choose to play the game. Yes, there are areas that are designed in a way that makes you sneak around, but there are also others that are built to make you charge in, guns blazing. If you choose to play the entire game through using stealth tactics and don't want to try anything different, or lack the skill to have success without it, that's not the fault of the game, that's on you.
The big thing a lot of people dislike is the ending. Obviously, I'm not going to go into anything specific about how the game ended, but I will say this. The ending that said people seem to want completely contradicts everything that the entire game has built, and goes against what the characters would do or say. When Naughty Dog was still working on the game, they changed the ending from what those people want to what the final product was for that reason, and I wouldn't want it any other way. The only thing I didn't like about the ending was that it meant the game was over, and my journey through the post apocalyptic world with Joel and Ellie had come to an end (at least until the single player DLC is released, starring Ellie! Woo!). One amusing thing I found was an "alternate ending" where the actors ended up singing all of the lines in the final scene like it was some kind of Broadway show. It was really something to see.
The controls are very smooth, and the crafting system works very well. You're able to find limited amounts of stuff like rags, alcohol, bottles, etc, and have to determine what you want to make with those resources. You also have to do that in real time, so there's no pausing to craft something you need in the middle of battle. There is also a proper New Game+ mode, so you can take a powered up Joel through again if you want to (which I did).
The Last of Us is an amazing, emotional journey that shows both the best and the worst (mostly the worst) of human nature. Watching the bond between Joel and Ellie grow and develop is very satisfying, and felt real (most games aren't capable of making those things feel genuine). I can say without any doubt that The Last of Us is the best game of this generation, and the second best I've ever played.
Score: 10/10
Raiden's Top 100 Ranking: 2nd Place (after Final Fantasy VI, before Tomb Raider 2013)
Upcoming reviews: Pokemon X/Y, Phoenix Wright 5: Dual Destinies, The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds.
If there are any games on my top 100 you'd like to see a more detailed review on, or any games you know I've played that you'd like me to review, let me know! I unfortunately don't have time to pick up new games that aren't already on my short list, at least for the next year or two.
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