Nic Reuben
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Writing For
Rock Paper Shotgun
TheSixthAxis
PCGamesNLatest Reviews
The one thought that kept occurring to me during my first playthrough was this: I can't wait to collect everything and get all the upgrades so I can stop worrying about sniffing out air vents and puzzles, switch my brain off, and just play some goshdarn Doom. It took me about halfway through my next run before I realised something: all this exploration, all this bloody gold collecting, it's not something you're supposed to do once as a fun extra before the real game starts. It's an integral p...
So, I think this is basically for two types of people: those who played Oblivion back in the day and think they'll get a real kick out of the updates, and those who just can't deal with the way classic Oblivion looks and controls. It's a game for the curious, for the nostalgic, and for those that want to be part of meme-stuffed zeitgeist moment. It's that last point I imagine Bethesda are banking on, barging themselves back into cultural relevancy on the back of Virtuos's hard work like the c...
Very occasionally, I'll play an RPG that makes me feel ten again. Rebirth. Cris Tales. Revisiting Suikoden. Years come, the big number ticks down, and comfortable appreciation replaces the spellbound enchantment of being told a story, of being swept off to a new world. Of playing Final Fantasy 8 in that special edition shirt that Ben Starr likes to wear that I wish I'd kept because I bet it's worth a bloody fortune now. You wait for a game to bring you back there, mostly certain you've moved ...
Konami's remasters make Suikoden I & II easy to own and play. That's all they needed to do.
Nic: Despite my gripes, I can't see anyone playing this with a mate or partner and coming away feeling they'd wasted the weekend. That's as long as you're both up for it in the first place - I doubt it's going to convince anyone who isn't already into Hazelight's schtick. And it's not like I'd say "this is a wonderful videogame and you'll miss out if you don't rope someone in to play it with you". It's a joy facilitator, rather than a joy generator. A fun bridge, not a fun spout. (Remember wh...
Two Point's third management outing is more impressive for its detail and sheer amount of new ideas than it is fun to play, but robust new customisation tools and novel details make for a good time in short bursts.
So, remember when I said I started Gaiden after finishing and instantly noticed how much better I liked it? It's not just the combat. I can reluctantly forgive no longer being able to gift a cabaret club hostess a cold teriyaki burger fished out of my back pocket, but even Gaiden's opening hours are so much more gripping than anything here. The villains are better, the combat feels weightier, it looks better. To top it off, it's cheaper. I don't regret spending time with Majima again but, 'free' NG+ or no, if I'd paid full price for this thing I'd feel well and truly hornswoggled.
Avowed is not the Obsidian fantasy RPG I wanted, but the decently fun spell-slinging parkour FPS I didn't expect.
At times dull, tedious, disappointing, and unfocused, Rebirth is still an exuberant, earnest and singularly exciting RPG adventure.
A largely uninteresting original story and an otherwise bloated word count aside, Dynasty Warriors Origins is a joyous balancing act of tension and spectacle that's completely reignited my interest in the series.