xiaolinstyle's Profile

Average User Score: 7.4

Mar 29, 2017

7

Rain World is a beautifly constructed platformer that suffers from imprecise controls.

This game was clearly made with love and talent. ArtRain World is a beautifly constructed platformer that suffers from imprecise controls.

This game was clearly made with love and talent. Art work is superb. Each screen evokes a sense of wonder and builds this alien world of machinery, animals, plants and various beings that defy typical classification. It doesn't do much hand holding past the first few minutes so you are left to figure out where you need to go. Though there is regular sign posting and a map so you don't get completely lost. It can be difficult as you can often die instantly from predators and your escape can be frustratingly hampered by controls that seem at times not designed for the intricate paths the game wants you to take.

If you are looking for something different or even just a challenging platformer I definitely recommend Rain World.… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful

Mass Effect: Andromeda

Average User Score: 4.8

Mar 27, 2017

3

Mass Effect Andromeda will be seen as the master class in how to alienate your fan base.

I'll start with the fact that i quite liked theMass Effect Andromeda will be seen as the master class in how to alienate your fan base.

I'll start with the fact that i quite liked the last three titles and really enjoyed the multiplayer in Mass Effect 3. None of them were without flaws but mostly enjoyable games. ME:A however has almost none of the charm, likability, or even respect for the player that the previous titles did.

Performance:

This is probably the most talked about issue with the game so I'll deal with it first. It's a PROBLEM. The game suffers in many ways from technical glitches with animation, sound, quests, game crashes and more. It can look fairly decent at times but definitely not anything to be excited about. HDR implementation also seems to be a bit lacking but that's an emerging technology so i won't fault them for that. Frame rates are all over the place. Drops are frequent (on a standard PS4) and annoying.

Gameplay

This is the most well crafted part of the game. Barring aforementioned frame drops, combat is fast and the increased mobility and verticality of jump jets makes you wonder why you couldn't do this all along. No, seriously, why couldn't you? Though the almost draconian reduction in team control has me wondering if the current developers of Mass Effect know what they are doing (yes i know it's still "Bioware", but no it's NOT the same people). Vehicle control feels adequate though I'm confounded by the lack of any offensive capabilities with the Nomad when you acquire it fairly early in the game. Many other parts though seem to be there only to frustrate the player, from unnecessary backtracking to turn in quests, just the worst inventory management, to the complete waste of time scanning the planets you can't land on are. These and many more design choices aren't player friendly and clearly don't come from an experienced team.

Story

This is where the game takes a huge hit. Mass Effect Andromeda casts you as a Pathfinder for the Andromeda initiative. This ultimately boils down to you, once again, being the savior of everyone you know and love. Also you have a sentient AI embedded in your brain named Sam. So as Master Chief...I mean one of the Ryder twins you are tasked with finding and securing a home for hundreds of thousands of people. Which apparently involves a lot of murder, but whadaya gonna do? Unfortunately for the player much of this is told with a cringe worthy script and barely half baked ideas. Many encounters left me with the reoccurring thought "what the hell just happened??" and very much not in a good way. This is of course ignoring the stilted animations and 'please stop looking at my soul like a bon bon' eyeballs that everyone seems to have. Many have said "it gets better" I have, however, NOT found this to be the case. The further into the dull, uninteresting, me too story I've gotten the less I understand what the hell EA was thinking (aside from sheer avarice) releasing this travesty.

Sound

It has some, except when it doesn't. Yup, if you fancy multiplayer, it may very well decide that your PS4's sound card should now **** the bed. Because it will. Frequently. Meaning no game sound, no dashboard sound and any party chat you're in will sound like it's been possessed by an underwater electric demon. 2017 folks. Welcome to EA of the future.

Summary

Mass Effect Andromeda had tremendous potential but falls short in nearly every conceivable way. Fans and newcomers alike will be disappointed with what EA and Bioware have produced here. We have had several great titles released already this year, setting a high bar. ME:A falls far short of all of those and more importantly of itself.… Expand

4 of 9 users found this helpful

Dragon Quest Builders

Average User Score: 8.1

Oct 13, 2016

2

First let me say that I really wanted to like this game. Seriously. Somehow SquareEnix has taken what should be a slam dunk and messed it up,First let me say that I really wanted to like this game. Seriously. Somehow SquareEnix has taken what should be a slam dunk and messed it up, badly.

This game is a voxel style game set in the Dragonquest universe and has very cute art style, music, and sound. If you are at all familiar with the series you will immediately recognize many of the game's elements. The first misnomer is how this is being compared to minecraft. It. Is. Not. Minecraft. I will explain: Minecraft allowed players to combine to create something unique or recreate something from somewhere else. DQB tasks you with recreating a very specific set of structures, BY YOURSELF. This is a SINGLE PLAYER game. No multiplayer. No co-op. Nothing. You will never be able to show your creations to anyone that you dont force to sit on your couch and look at your tv.

SquareEnix has also allowed the very Japanese design choice of not letting you customize the controls. This would potentially not be a problem, if the default layout wasn't so absolutely bizarre. If you read the above and thought, "well I actually like the idea of a single player only voxel game!", and have spent any time playing Minecraft or a myriad of clones then be prepared to want to break your controller. The control scheme has the menu button on 'x', jump on 'o', and those are just the major issues I had with it. Every part of the ONLY control layout is the most jumbled mess one could possibly hope to never have to deal with.

Why SE decided to so sorely handicap a possible breakout star with such ridiculous design choices in the lack of multiplayer or co-op, and a default control scheme that infuriates anyone who has ever played a video game in their life baffles me, but definitely makes the game far far more frustrating than it would be otherwise.… Expand

2 of 28 users found this helpful

Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition

Average User Score: 7.6

Sep 27, 2013

9

Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition Image

This game is a *must* play for any action rpg fan. There is nothing else like it. PC port does present technical issues but they are easilyThis game is a *must* play for any action rpg fan. There is nothing else like it. PC port does present technical issues but they are easily dealt with. Do not attempt to play this without a controller, it is not designed for kb/m interaction.

It is, however, one of the finest games of our generation.… Expand

0 of 3 users found this helpful

Dragon's Crown

Average User Score: 8.4

Aug 11, 2013

9

First let me say this game this game is not for everyone. Having said that being a great fan of Vanillaware's Odin Sphere on PS2 I knew IFirst let me say this game this game is not for everyone. Having said that being a great fan of Vanillaware's Odin Sphere on PS2 I knew I would love this game and I do.

Dragon's Crown is a love letter to DnD and beat em up fans. The art direction is jawdroppingly amazing. The characters and environments must be seen to be believed. Character progression is varied and satisfying. Combat is fun and fluid, although somewhat difficult to hit your enemies with ranged attacks. Voice work is quite good and I loved that all the characters could be chosen as the dungeon master...I mean narrator. The purists even have the option for Japanese voice work. The music score is beautiful but oddly enough, is only in stereo. You won't care after five minutes of Kamitani's masterwork in gaming visuals. Online is unlocked only after a significant amount of time has been put into the game, but local co-op can be enjoyed right from the start.

Vannilaware has made a masterpiece, if you enjoy rpg's, beat em ups, or just art you would be remiss to not check out Dragon's Crown.… Expand

6 of 6 users found this helpful

Hell Yeah! Wrath of the Dead Rabbit

Average User Score: 7.4

Oct 4, 2012

4

Hell Yeah! Wrath of the Dead Rabbit Image

I wanted very much for this to be a great indie hit, but unfortunately this game suffers greatly from poor design. You are asked to jumpI wanted very much for this to be a great indie hit, but unfortunately this game suffers greatly from poor design. You are asked to jump around and shoot at enemies but must use the right trigger the right analouge and the A button all at the same time.... Yes I know thats impossible with human hands. Combine that with cheap AI that can hurt you from off screen whilst being invincible, very poorly placed check points, and unskippable dialouge that you will be forced through mulitple times and this title quickly deteriorates. Arkedo's art work and character design are decent to look at unfortunately the game is not fun to play after a very short time.… Expand

1 of 4 users found this helpful

Hell Yeah! Wrath of the Dead Rabbit

Average User Score: 8.4

Oct 4, 2012

4

I wanted very much for this to be a great indie hit, but unfortunately this game suffers greatly from poor design. You are asked to jumpI wanted very much for this to be a great indie hit, but unfortunately this game suffers greatly from poor design. You are asked to jump around and shoot at enemies but must use the right trigger the right analouge and the A button all at the same time.... Yes I know thats impossible with human hands. Combine that with cheap AI that can hurt you from off screen whilst being invincible, very poorly placed check points, and unskippable dialouge that you will be forced through mulitple times and this title quickly deteriorates. Arkedo's art work and character design are decent to look at unfortunately the game is not fun to play after a very short time.… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure HD Ver.

Average User Score: 4.9

Aug 29, 2012

0

If you bought this crap you are contributing to the downfall of the gaming industry as a whole. We CAN NOT ALLOW companies like Capcom to pushIf you bought this crap you are contributing to the downfall of the gaming industry as a whole. We CAN NOT ALLOW companies like Capcom to push out rehashes and charge a premium price for them. This game is in NO WAY worth $20. DO NOT BUY IT.… Expand

3 of 3 users found this helpful

Darksiders II

Average User Score: 8.2

Aug 29, 2012

1

Having played through the vast majority of the game and having liked the first one very much I must say Darksiders 2 is a MUST AVOID. It is inHaving played through the vast majority of the game and having liked the first one very much I must say Darksiders 2 is a MUST AVOID. It is in nearly every way worse than its predecessor. The platforming is extremely repetitive, combat is frequently unresponsive, and the game has a MASSIVE amount of GAME BREAKING bugs. If you liked the first one and wish to continue the story do yourself a favor and wait for the patch. If you are on the fence wait till it hits the bargain bin...cause it definitely will.… Expand

5 of 20 users found this helpful

Dungeon Fighter Live: Fall of Hendon Myre

Average User Score: 7.5

Jul 15, 2012

4

Dungeon Fighter Live: Fall of Hendon Myre Image

Dungeon Fighter Live represents much of what is wrong with console ports today. Nexon took thier fairly popular MMO and stripped it down toDungeon Fighter Live represents much of what is wrong with console ports today. Nexon took thier fairly popular MMO and stripped it down to bare bones put an HD coat of paint on it and what would appear to be just for kicks added some truly terrible design elements. This of course is deemed worthy of 10 bucks where as the PC ver is free to play.

I can get past having only 3 of the 12 classes, no sub classes and the MMO being removed for an awkward 4 player coop. What I find absolutely unforgivable is the game breaking design elements ADDED to the 360 ver. First of all as OXM mentions they made your main attack the loot button so good luck trying to do the single most important thing in a mission, keep your combo going, as you will be constantly interrupted by loot pick ups. Secondly and even more astoundingly both online and off line multiplayer are lock all players to the same screen. Yes in 2012 a game has been released in this condition. It boggles the mind as this serves no purpose other than to frustrate players trying to play with friends or just with other people.
There are a myriad of other smaller issues, yet still annoying, that I won't go into that will ultimately leave most gamers wondering why Nexon even bothered with this port since they clearly weren't interested in it succeeding.

Suffice it to say only the hardcore dungeon crawler/beat em up fan should bother with DFL, at least until they update it (if they ever do).… Expand

3 of 4 users found this helpful

xiaolinstyle

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