LTTP: Resident Evil 3 [PS5]

posted in: Reviews 0

Resident Evil 3 Remake felt like an expansion to Resident Evil 2 Remake which made the original $79.99 asking price a tough one to stomach. On its own, Resident Evil 3 Remake can be seen as “too short” and “too straightforward”, but I bought it for less than half the asking price and as a standalone expansion, it was fine. There wasn’t much exploration and its hook, Nemesis, was more of an ongoing gag than something to be feared.

The return of Jill Valentine was the highlight of the game; it was good to see her back in action. She held her own and didn’t take nonsense from the other characters which fed to the mystique as a “super cop” and veteran of zombie fighting. 

Carlos actually felt like a soldier equipped to handle a zombie apocalypse which made his segments more of a cakewalk than I was expecting. However, it wasn’t a foreign feeling as the RE2 Remake’s alternate character sections felt similar. I just wished they didn’t have to lean into “finding the cure” trope again.

The predecessor was a lengthy adventure, but it was padded retreading familiar territory twice.  RE3 Remake intertwined with the timeline of RE3 Remake, which meant visiting familiar territory for a third time, but thankfully the vast majority of the game was new. 

Jill and Carlos felt more nimble thanks to their newfound ability to dodge attacks. They also discovered knives that didn’t shatter through the course of a 6 hour adventure. Those two gameplay tweaks along with the muscle memory developed by playing RE2 Remake made for a breezy feeling game. There were spots of uneasiness, but I have to admit, RE3 Remake felt like a romp compared to my first run through the RE2 Remake.

I enjoyed my time in Raccoon City again; especially for the very modest price of admission nowadays. It’s a well made modern Capcom developed Resident Evil game which wasn’t something we could count on not so long ago. It may not be as meaty or impactful as its predecessor, but it’s still worth checking out Jill Valentine being a super cop.

Verdict
I liked it

Ratings Guide

LTTP: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019) [PS5]

posted in: Reviews 0

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare was a defining moment for first person shooters; single player and multiplayer shooters wouldn’t be the same after this seminal game launched. It effectively kicked off the annual Call of Duty franchise we know today. It was so iconic that Activision-Blizzard decided to remaster the game in 2016 and reboot it in 2019. The reboot managed to reinvigorate the franchise’s multiplayer and successfully launch a battle royale in Warzone, but the campaign didn’t hit the memorable marks that I was hoping for.

I have to admit that I actually finished the campaign months ago and completed two other games before realizing that I didn’t jot down my thoughts on what I played. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare’s campaign leaned in on its blockbuster Hollywood depiction of war with unrealistic outcomes the nuance of a sledgehammer wielding gorilla.

This Call of Duty: Modern Warfare campaign tried to be more subtle and nuanced, but it still comes off clumsy and, frankly, forgettable. They tried to play between the lines of morality and deeper character motivations, but it didn’t manage to strike a memorable note. Who are the bad guys? How are people radicalized? Playing as a small child to save their brother from a superhuman invader by attacking and hiding three times doesn’t help me understand the situation any better. 

I played the game on the PlayStation 5 in 2022, and it’s still holds up quite well. The presentation and feel of the game was a step above of any other Call of Duty title to date; probably only outdone by its 2022 sequel, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. 

Bombastic spectacles were still present, but they were less ridiculous and entertaining than those found in the original Modern Warfare. They were trying to highlight the complications of identifying the enemy in this reinvented Modern Warfare title where battlelines are blurred and battlefields are much smaller in scale. Breach and clears were a punctuation point in the 2007 game, while it was — annoyingly — the point in the 2019 game. Creeping through buildings, to clear them out room by room is not my idea of a good time. Perhaps they were trying to convey that fact, in which case, they succeeded.

I was very curious what Infinity Ward would bring to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. Choosing to reboot a beloved game was a very deliberate act to stir up excitement in a very long running franchise. I understand why they though it was a good idea to update Modern Warfare and actually have it reflect what warfare means in the 2020s. However, I think it’s trying to take itself seriously and created an even bigger tonal gulf between the campaign and multiplayer halves of the game. It’s ridiculous, but not in a good way.

Verdict:
I didn’t like it

Ratings Guide

LTTP: Resident Evil 2 [PS5]

posted in: Reviews 0

I played the original Resident Evil 2 on the Sega Dreamcast of all consoles. It was my second Resident Evil game after finishing Resident Evil: Code Veronica on Sega’s impressive 3D console. In fact, the only reason I even played Code Veronica was because of a school friend who bought his Dreamcast for the exclusive. My impressions of the original RE2 were not as glowing as I hoped. I was coming from a game that refined tank controls and generationally superior in every technical aspect. 

I recall finding it neat that it had two playable characters, but at the same time, I was disappointed that I was essentially playing the same 10 hour game twice. Coming from the 20 hour epic campaign of Code Veronica, it felt like things were wrapping up as soon as things started moving. 

I’m the weirdo who would have preferred a remake of Resident Evil: Code Veronica over Resident Evil 2. With that in mind, I still recognized Leon and Claire’s first adventure has its place amongst fans of the franchise and video games at large. I was curious if I would enjoy the remake more with a fresh new coat of paint and a revised perspective many years later.

The remake’s philosophy seemed to have been: “Keep the spirit and hallmarks of the original while modernizing just about everything that makes sense.” Third person over the shoulder camera established in Resident Evil 4 made its return. I found the first person camera in Resident Evil 7 fine, but to me, it doesn’t feel like a Resident Evil game unless its in the third person. 

A generous checkpoint system, friendly controls, and melee counter options gave Leon and Claire more fight and capability than ever, but they were still bound by the confines of the original’s design. They could jog and jump down in this game, but a 3 foot gap was too much to handle. They still had to re-arrange giant bookshelves just so they can build a makeshift bridge across the library’s second floor.

I was generally impressed with how the game looked technically; I was playing the PS5 upgraded version at 120FPS mode. My only gripe was with the screen space reflections which were a distraction. I would have switched on the ray tracing mode to fix those flaws, but the performance issues in that mode deterred me from staying with that mode.

I was also a fan of how the zombies, police station, and just about everything aside from Leon and Claire looked. I found both protagonists looked and sounded derpy with their awkward lines. Ada Wong and just about every other character came across fine, but Leon and Claire were a couple of awkward fools that didn’t quite grasp the gravity of their situation. 

Playing through Resident Evil 2 twice wasn’t satisfying. Claire’s playthrough was faster and had a handful of interesting moments, but it didn’t warrant retreading so much of Leon’s adventure. I understand this was a relatively novel idea when the PlayStation version debuted, but I’m just not a big fan of having to go through games multiple times to unlock true endings — especially when the differences aren’t enough to warrant it.

When I was in the thick of it, creeping by a licker because I was low on resources or just jetting through the station because Tyrant was nearby, I was loving every second of Resident Evil 2. The game was in its element and executing on every level. It’s unfortunate that there was just a tad too little of it and the experience was watered down with the Claire playthrough. 

Verdict
I liked it

Ratings Guide

LTTP: Judgment [PS5]

posted in: Reviews 0

I’ve been meaning to check out Judgment for a while now. As a fan of Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio’s Yakuza/Like a Dragon franchise, it only made sense to check out Judgment. Judgment was the first game they developed to star a completely different cast of characters with Kamurocho as backdrop. It plays like a Yakuza game in many ways, but it has its own distinct voice and style.

I warmed up quickly to Takayuki Yagami and his partner, Masoharu Kaito. In fact, many of the characters, including the antagonists were instantly captivating thanks to their outstanding performances. They did a great job teasing out tidbits of information about the characters and their history. 

Like with RGG Studio’s previous works, the story was the driving force to punch my way through the streets of Kamurocho. I wouldn’t describe the execution of the murder mystery narrative as excellent, but it was captivating and I was satisfied with how it wrapped up in the end. I felt the transitions from between beats and twists took a bit of liberties and didn’t quite do enough stitch together a believable ramp up. Nevertheless, I was till thoroughly entertained and still found it to be the most relatable story the developer has ever put out.

Considering the detective angle, a number of gameplay mechanics were introduced to compliment the shift in tone. As a private detective, Yagami tailed a lot of people, and spent a fair amount of time looking for clues and evidence. There were moments of piecing everything together, but they were not as involved as I would like. Yagami was a former lawyer turned detective, and I was hoping to see more Ace Attorney style mechanics where I would be presenting evidence and dispelling lies. There were some, but not nearly as much as I hoped for.

Brawling was still a focal point to the core gameplay loop. Yagami was more nimble and acrobatic compared to Kiryu, but a faster paced style is not foreign to the series. Health and ki meter management was given greater weight because Yagami could suffer severe injury that would temporarily cap his max health until he visited a clinic. Attacks from weapons such as swords and guns could injure Yagami unless he harnessed his ki. 

The side content involved Yagami taking on side cases, getting way into flying drones, and the occasional Mahjong. Kamurocho will still radiate Kamurocho things which included hostess bars, drinking, and oh so much delicious food choices. I was a tad disappointed that there wasn’t a larger overarching mini-game on the size of a running a hostess bar, but alas, I felt there was still enough to do in Kamurocho in-between major story beats. Unfortunately, Judgment took the Mr. Shakedown concept and took it too far. I kept running into the same fights over and over again which became nuisance more than a fun distraction to conquer.

Knowing how the Yakuza/Like a Dragon franchise is going down the turn-based route, I think RGG Studio can successfully continue their story driven brawler games with the Judgment franchise based off my impressions after the first game. I was so impressed with how well they introduced the new characters and stories. Judgment felt like a long running franchise already. The familiarity can largely be attributed to the familiar setting and mechanics, but there was no guarantee that I would like this spinoff just because it was set in Kamurocho. It’s not the place that defines meaning for me, it’s the people, and RGG studio introduced us to some great ones.

Verdict:
I liked it

Ratings Guide

1 2 3 4 5 698