Reviews

Of course the series up until the 2nd half of season 4 was awesome. Even up until the ending was awesome for the most part. Great voices, suspenseful story, really good world building, etc. Attack on Titan is wonderful and one of the best anime ever made. The problems come out in this last chapter. There are many arbitrary bits and I'll start from least bad to the worst part of it all.

The first issue is that the lore is incomplete. It's especially unsatisfying considering the fact that titans were a bit mystery in the show. The reason why this is least bad is because the show became less about titans and more about politics. The method of how titans are created is fairly unknown, not even known whether it's supernatural or not. All we know is that the sand Ymir molds corresponds to how titans or human body parts are made. It is also unknown how Ymir exists in paths even though she had died previously. Reasonably you could assume it's spiritual but it's never really been explained. Hallucigenia is never explained fully other than being the source of life. The biggest issue is that its powers are not explained. The origin is okay. It's also based on the Cambrian explosion so that's cool I guess.

The second issue which is more moderate is the arbitrary bits. Why and how are past titan shifters resurrected? You might notice this ties in with incomplete lore. How does falco grow wings? How does Eren "free" Ymir in part 2 when she was only *actually* freed when Mikasa killed Eren?

The last issue is the most severe. The overall character and plot assassination - turns out Eren was doing all this and not succeeding merely because he was "stupid". Seriously what kind of joke is that? The scene of him crying was corny but whatever it's just one scene. Ymir's love for her abusive partner was just bad. Turns out the whole reason titans still exist is because she's "bound by love" for the same person who treated her like she was inhuman. Many people have offered speculative psychological explanations like Stockholm syndrome. But sadly there's almost no writing that implies she would or should have that. Every scene with King Fritz was just him doing awful things. Bro literally fed her body to her kids. And she loves him SO much she is determined to build Titans for an eternity. How does that make any sense at all??? And her being freed from Mikasa killing Eren makes at least a little sense, but it's corny as heck. Keep in mind this whole thing effects the ENTIRE series because it's the reason titans still exist. Even after Eren killed so many, we see at the end peace is lost and humans still fight. This is much more realistic than Code Geass but it hurts all the more knowing how stupid our protagonist was. Either kill everyone or don't at all. The whole plot literally had 0 payoff.

First of all, this show straight out lies to the viewer by saying it is "based off a true story" and "doing it's best to be accurate". It becomes somewhat clear later that the show is at the very least not so accurate if it were based on a true story at all. This is rather gimmicky and unnecessary, I also did not appreciate having to repeatedly read this lie every single episode.

The philosophy is not subtle or interesting. Malvo just flat out says there are no moral rules because humans are actually just animals. While slipping into this worldview has interesting consequences, the presentation of it is too "in your face" and is just sophistry. Other shows explore what the world would be like if this were true, or have someone who believes in morality but has their worldview tested. That's not at all what happens here.

The pacing is bad. There are so many points and even sub plots that don't need to be there. For example, the whole sub plot involving the grocery store owner. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't needed either. The issue mostly takes form with scenes that are just there to extend the runtime so the writers can leave you on a cliffhanger at the end of the episode. For example, scenes with the FBI agents where they're just talking meaningless jargon or bouncing balls of the wall. Who cares?

The plot is too convenient. There are so many times where Malvo slips away conveniently. For example, in the snow storm, Malvo is lucky enough to score on cheap tricks on professional hitmen, Malvo also slips away in the snowstorm unjustifiably and slips away after shooting up the building, when he simply should not have. There are some worse examples, but there's some ideas.

The show tries too hard to be quirky. This is the most annoying part and what probably irritated me the most. From lying in the intro to having sophistry, unneeded scenes to pull some cheap trick later, etc. It's annoying writing.

All that being said, the story is compelling. There is good dialogue and characters that the viewer can empathize with or hate. I usually don't binge shows very much, but this was very tempting because I wanted to know what would happen to Lester and Malvo. The show doesn't really try too hard to be sexual or violent (in order to easily appeal to some), I appreciate the show not dropping F bombs every 3 seconds to be cool and edgy. The violence is more realistic and cruel and makes you feel bad for each victim. Sexual content is present but is more realistic and once again isn't excessive. This show relies on good story telling and dialogue to entertain it's viewers as of season 1. This is worth trying if you like TV series but does not hold a candle to shows of similar scores like Breaking Bad, Sherlock, or Better Call Saul.

Replaying this in 2023, I wanted to make a review. I played this game repeatedly when I was younger and the fun never really ran out. If I were to rank it then, it would have easily been a 10/10. Playing now, I still find it quite enjoyable with some minor issues.

The Good The level design, combat, and platforming are all fun with very few issues for the time. I actually found this game to have less issues in movement & parkour than Uncharted: Drakes Fortune, which is a big deal because this game came out earlier and (probably) on a lower budget. There is a good variety of combos to use in combat, with plenty of utility to back you up. The only thing I would change is giving more attacks to the whip, but this could end up being overpowered. Platforming/movement is usually fun, sometimes being accompanied with challenges like swimming away from a giant alligator, or trying to maneuver towards a goal before your "timer" runs out. Last of all that I mentioned was the level design, which is very simple and linear. This means that the player will rarely be confused on what to do or where to go, which is always a plus. Not only is this the case, but the locations are memorable, and are plenty nice to look at.

The Bad The parkour can sometimes be frustrating. Indy doesn't control super fluidly compared to modern games, and so sometimes you'll end up jumping at an angle you don't want to. So I'll be running forward for a straight jump, move slightly at the last second, then jump diagonally. This is an issue on old games with a lack of directional control, such as Ocarina of Time. None the less this is a minor issue and barely changes how I feel about the game, similar to OOT. The second issue is the story pacing, and how you switch locations pretty frequently. One minute you'll be in Germany, and then 30 minutes later you're in China. This is kind of an issue with the fast paced story. This doesn't really detract from the fun, but more so of a good story. I personally don't play the game for this, so I don't mind. Speaking of story issues, there's some inconsistency in setting. Not only does the game switch locations frequently, it also changes story genre towards the end. You go from looking for artifacts as Indy in regular settings to battling a sorcerer accompanied by a dragon. This might be hinted towards early on in all fairness, and how Indiana Jones usually has legends shown true towards the end of their movies. This isn't really a big issue but I've included it for those who care.

The Ugly Not much to say here. Only one problem: you have to go for like 3 levels at the end without healing. Idk if I was missing something, but I was 1hp during the dragon fight. Not too well designed but it wasn't a total nightmare because of my EPIC gamer B) skills.

Anyhow the game is quite good and I had a decent amount of fun. For a PS2 game it plays pretty well in 2023. I wouldn't say it's the BEST PS2 game (probably mgs3 or something), it's up there for me.

I'm actually replaying this on master mode 2 years after my first playthrough. I've found the game surprisingly easy to invest time in compared to other games. This game is a combination of Uncharted and Dark Souls from what I have heard. I'm a big fan of Uncharted and I enjoy the souls like combat so there is almost nothing to complain about here. First, let me talk about the positives.

The world building. This game features authentic Star Wars world building which I thoroughly enjoyed except for one planet which I will touch on later. Bogano is a simple yet really nice planet to explore. I love the color pallet and atmosphere. Zeffo is yet another planet with really nice atmosphere. There is a lot to be explored on this planet as well. I found the tomb areas to be really cool to explore. Kashyyyk isn't exactly an original location, but it is still really nice to explore. Again, great atmosphere. This whole game is full of that. I loved the aesthetic used here. Illum is pretty short but it was pretty cool to see and build a new lightsaber at. I don't fully remember Nur, as I'm not quite at that spot in my 2nd playthrough. I think it was short and featured a very cool battle scene.

Now for the planet I didn't really like. Dathomir. This planet just doesn't feel like star wars in any way, shape, or form. I didn't like it in the Clone Wars either. This is just a personal preference and so I don't let this get in the way of enjoying the game, but I'm just not a fan. The duel against Malicos was cool however there wasn't much build up.

The combat and gameplay. The game feels pretty smooth to play and there aren't really any control issues at least on a DS4 remote. The combat is pretty fun and doesn't get old for me. You will get the occasional upgrade, all of which feel satisfying and will allow you to explore more of the game. You can also upgrade your skill tree (which I'm usually not a fan of in videogames) for more advanced moves.

One silly criticism which was more present at release was dismemberment. I find it almost funny that some people were crying about this and declaring this a bad game because it "isn't violent enough". Yes, it would be more realistic but get over it. We're talking about Star Wars here - no realism should be expected. It wouldn't make the game much more fun or badass. I found other criticism silly but this is the worst offense.

The story is of good quality. It's not the greatest thing but I did find myself having attachment to the characters. Honestly I'm not sure if I really have much else to say here... just a really cool ending which was unfortunately spoiled on my end by Youtube recommendations.

Now, the negative.. The only thing I can complain about here is the bugs. I managed to soft lock the game unintentionally in the first hour of my 2nd playthrough. The bugs have been very infrequent on my end however and does not get in the way of enjoying the game. This and Dathomir however prevent me from giving the game a 10/10.

I beat the game a few days ago, and I'm not sure what score to give it yet. It feels like a lot to process. At the start of the game, it feels like what's going to be an awesome and fun open world to explore. The music, combat, and characters were and are still great. But to say the least, things take a turn after playing the 2nd ending.

It becomes more than just a videogame. Things get real bad, real fast. Everything you are attached to (and in my case, very attached) is either tainted or destroyed. 2B getting infected was sad, but I can't remember anything in a videogame that made me feel more pain than the whole thing with pascal.

Personally, I got ending D first. The reason for this is because while I knew picking A2 was the better option, I let my attachment to 9S control the decision after the game said "are you sure". I told myself I would just go back and get the other one after I saw what happened, which I did. After picking A2, I'm not even sure if I can call ending E happy. It's probably the best I could get, but the story still hurts.

As I said I don't even know how I feel about it on an emotional level. Was the experience good? Am I glad I played it? I don't know. I will say that the game is very well put together and definitely did it's job. The only criticism I have is that the PC port isn't good and you need to replay the first ending as 9S, but maybe I made a mistake in skipping out on the side quests.

Pros: controls, combat, characters, soundtrack, story, world building

Cons: pain.

I find it pretty interesting how anyone who is giving this a positive review is leaving a 10/10. Not a 7, not an 8, or a 9. Always a 10, claiming that it is a masterpiece or one of the best games ever made, which is actually ridiculous. This game has certain good aspects from a technological standpoint, but just because a game has good graphics, does not mean it is anything special. Any competent AAA developer will make a great looking game. The gameplay is rather uninteresting, it's very similar to the original and does not accomplish anything special. These factors are not bad by any means; they are good, but they don't accomplish anything in the gaming industry.

One more positive I would like to add is the voice acting. If you haven't played, expect good things from this. Very good performances.

The plot one the other hand, is just laughable. As most of you know, a beloved character is murdered randomly by people that were introduced just minutes before his death scene. This is a very disrespectful thing to do towards fans. There is no buildup to this, it kind of just happens. On top of that, he is out of character in this scene and says things that he would not normally say, including admitting his identity to strangers in a post apocalyptic world. When Ellie walks in, she kinda just looks but doesn't even bother to shoot her gun, just gets knocked to the ground like cattle. The writers did not even bother to make sense of the situation. They really wanted to have some shock value but with no substance. Unfortunately, a lot of players have fallen for this rather lazy and underwhelming trick, also used in things like The Last Jedi. To add to this, the writers have the audacity to make you play as the killer shortly after the scene. It's like an insult to the player.

The second criticism for the plot, is Ellie's character. For the majority of the game, the player (Ellie) seeks revenge, killing several, maybe hundreds of men and women. The player has no limits, and doesn't even stop at killing a pregnant woman. All of this is done in order to take revenge on Abby (the killer), which in the end, Ellie finally encounters Abby in a vulnerable state. This time around, Ellie makes an impulsive decision that bloodshed is wrong and revenge is the big bad. Ellie lets the killer go. (keep in mind this is what the game has been building up to for the last 20 some hours) Guess all those people died for nothing. Sorry pregnant lady, plot just used you for shock value.

There is even more to complain about in the plot, but here I have summarized the major issues. If you want to play this game, you can, but maybe rent it or something. Also keep very low expectations. It's not worth your $60 or $30.

My final rating - 3/10.

I have actually never finished a Zelda game before this one and I will say, this is fairly different from other Zelda titles. This is more like a really good open world game. I love the art style, gameplay, and music. There are a couple things that this game could improve on, which I personally don't mind very much. There could be some more musical queues, like when you see the ruins of Lon Lon Ranch. The weapons could last longer, however there isn't much of a shortage of them on the map and it gives you a chance to try out a lot of different stuff. The other thing is that the Ganon bosses pretty much all look the same. They all have the same eye weakness, and Calamity Ganon kind of looks the same on his first phase, however he is much larger. The voice acting could be better on the english dub, but this is easily fixed by playing with Japanese audio. The story mode is actually very long, being a 40h playthrough for most. When playing this game, I didn't even realize that I spent that much time. I think I have around 60 now since I have the DLC. The 4 locations are awesome, and really fun to explore. I don't think I've ever enjoyed exploring in a video game as much as I did in this game. I really like the master sword part, I think it should have been a main quest but technically you don't need it at all to beat Ganon. The DLC adds the awesome Mastercycle, unfortunately at this point in the game there isn't much to do in main quests, but you can still explore the huge map. The outfits are pretty cool, I'm currently rocking the Ocarina of Time set. A must play in my opinion.