Since I was a young boy, demolition derbies and monster truck rallies filled my fantasies with destruction, chaos, and the roar of engines. I’ve been chasing the perfect Monster Truck game or Demolition Derby game for a long time. Developed by Bugbear Entertainment and published by THQ Nordic in 2019 for the PS4 and Xbox One before being released on the PS5 in 2021, Wreckfest was my first glimpse at a perfect demolition racing game. Would this be the one? Would Wreckfest make all my dreams come true? Drive hard. Die last. We do in this Wreckfest Review.
Wreckfest Plot:
There’s not much of a plot in Wreckfest, and there doesn’t need to be but one thing that does need to be noted is the awesome descriptions that are located under the events. These add so much to the game as it’s not just a simple “Survive a tractor demolition”. It adds a little layer of fun by saying something like “You’ve upset the local farmers during harvest time and they are out to get you in this demolition derby. Survive the derby and prove to them that you’re the toughest redneck in the town.” Now, I’m paraphrasing but that’s the type of description you would receive and it adds to the imagination of the event.
Wreckfest Gameplay:
Whew, oh boy. Here it is and I simply cannot contain myself. This is the best demolition game that I’ve played, and it’s my favorite racer of all time. It combines the beauty of destruction, the sound effects of crunching metal or glass shattering with the rev of the engine, realistic terrain-changing controls, gorgeous graphics, and most of all edge of edge-of-seat fun. It’s amazing, it’s glorious and it’s everything that I’ve hoped for in this type of game.
Career mode offers tons of content and replayability. You’ll start in the easy leagues before working your way up to the master class. The difficulty curve doesn’t feel like much of a curve, I’m not sure if I’m just that good at this game that I took first place in every event without trying hard (my difficulty was normal) but from the beginner leagues to the expert leagues, the competition didn’t improve much. What did change was the class of vehicle. The higher the league, the faster the car became which put the difficulty on the driver and how well you can control your ride. I had mastered the ever-changing physics of dirt and asphalt so I knew when to drift, brake, and accelerate. Overall, it was about 20 hours of racing and destruction derbies in career mode, but again that was me taking first place in every event on the first try.
That’s not to say that the game isn’t challenging. A few races came down the final lap where I’d win by only a second or so. It’s easy to catch up to opponents because they drive like “real opponents”. They don’t hit every corner perfectly or avoid collisions. Wreckfest is so good because the opponents mess up just like anyone else would. They spin out around dirt corners or fly off the track and crash, but most of all, they get into huge wrecks with each other.
You won’t just be racing old beat-up cars, although you get plenty of them and three different regions including the U.S., Europe, and Japan. You’ll be racing lawnmowers, semi-trucks, campers, sofas, and even outhouses. It’s all wild and fun and the ragdoll physics of dragging a body behind you is hilarious or seeing the lifeless body fly off a lawnmower always brings excitement.
You earn money through racing, and with that money, you can purchase new cars that are required for certain events. Each car that you buy is very customizable to make it yours whether that’s a paint job or a silly accessory. I kept mine nice and basic, but I appreciate that there was an option. When you get a car, you can also upgrade it by visiting your garage and purchasing new parts for it. You can change a B-level vehicle into an A-level with enough upgrades. Most of the changes that were made to my cars were acceleration because the key in Wreckfest is getting off the line quickly enough to get ahead of the chaos that will ensue if you get stuck behind the pack.
There are two different types of events. There’s the demolition racing where the goal is to finish in first place in a race that consists of 3 to 12 laps. These courses change from oval asphalt tracks to dirt races in the boonies, to figure-8 courses that combine both. When racing you aren’t just banging against other cars, but there will be plenty of cushions like tire walls, concrete blocks, and wooden signs. These are all destructible and the sound effects are spot on.
The second type of event is a good old-fashioned demolition derby. That’s where everyone lines up in a big circle and the last car standing wins. These events are a blast to play and the damage can be turned from realistic (meaning one big hit can take you out) to more arcade-like where you can ram people until you’re pretty much a shell of a car. The areas are anything from fields with haybales, concrete circles, to dirt pits with ramps.
You’ll quickly find out that the “triangle” button will be your best friend in a pinch. If you get walloped or go flying off course in a race, hit “triangle” and your car will be reset on the track with a temporary invincibility. I used it probably once a race, the moment I noticed I was in trouble. It does a good job of only putting you a few seconds behind instead of having to play out your terrible steering.
One thing that I wish was utilized is a weather system. I would have loved to compete in rain and snow and see how the different conditions changed how I drove. It’s a minor complaint but a valid one. The biggest complaint that I have, and this is a troubling one, is the lack of couch co-op. How can you make a racing game and not include that mode? I had a friend buy it so he and his son could play it together, and they didn’t offer a split screen. How bizarre and what a bummer.
The last complaint I have is the soundtrack. It’s a short list and you’ll be hearing the same song a ton while playing. The music isn’t terrible but it’s generic rock anthems. I would have preferred a much longer list of music, maybe some more metal.
Memories:
I knew as soon as I saw the trailer for Wreckfest that I had to have it. It was everything that I had hoped for in a game, and I couldn’t pass it up. I asked for it for Christmas, and my sister-in-law ended up getting it for me. It was also the first game I beat in my new house, which makes it even more special.
Wreckfest Review Score:
Wreckfest is the quintessential racing experience for demolition lovers. The chaotic beauty of metal twisting together while you slam your foot on the gas to pull away from the herd as you bump, grind, and smash your way to victory is mesmerizing. This game isn’t perfect, but it’s nearly perfect for me. If I was building a demolition derby game, I couldn’t make one better. If only there was a Monster Truck game to match this. Wreckfest is perfect for weekend-long gaming sessions or for quick 10-minute breaks from life. This is the best demolition racing game.
Wreckfest scores a 9.5 out of 10.
What would you write in your Wreckfest review? What other awesome demolition derby games are there? What was your favorite car in Wreckrest? Let me know your thoughts and comments on Wreckfest. I’d love to read them.
My Metal Gear review saw high praise both for the incredible depth of the game and fun, but intense boss fights. Snake’s Revenge would follow in 1990 on the NES but would the direct sequel be worthy of the Metal Gear name or would it fail to inspire me? Hideo Kojima would not be involved in this version of the NES but would that impact be felt? Very much so. Developed by Konami and published by Ultra Games, the shine from the first game was gone. It’s time to look at a dark spot in the series with my Snake’s Revenge review.
Snake’s Revenge Plot:
Metal Gear games are notorious for their convoluted and sometimes confusing plot. It’s safe just to take it from the manual. Taking three years after the events of Metal Gear…
“The radar invisible Stealth copter dips and weaves through the narrow passes of a vast mountain range which stretches from the borders of Teristan to its capital city Ishkabibil. Only minutes from the drop zone, you clutch your assault rifle and stare out the window. Darkness is everywhere.
Your fellow commandos from the FOX HOUND Battalion sit across from you. One sharpens his knife. The other polishes his grenades. No one speaks, but through the silence, a message comes across loud and clear – this will be the most dangerous mission ever attempted, even more so than the infiltration of Colonel Vermon CaTaffy’s stronghold.
For now, you’re challenging Higharolla Kockamamie and his army of raging lunatics. And you must overcome untold hundreds of Uzi-toting soldiers, a heavily armed battleship, and a loaded locomotive to reach your objective, destroying Higharolla’s Ultra-Sheik Nuclear Attack Tank. Or else the world will be knocked to its knees by a fellow who has won the “Merciless Man of the Year Award” eight straight times.
Side Note this description is awful and the character drawings in the manual are even worse. So bad they are laughable.
Essentially the plot is for you to team up with your Fox Hound buddies and take down a hostile enemy that has gotten their hands on the plans for Metal Gear.
You’ll play as Snake throughout the entire game but there are others who are part of your mission. John is another member of FOXHOUND who gets captured in the beginning to act as a decoy allowing you to enter the base.
Learning that the bi-pedal nuclear tanks are already being mass-produced on a cargo ship, you destroy the ship sinking any chances that the evil organization has of blowing up the world. Once the ship is destroyed, Snake is informed that a new prototype of Metal Gear has already been in development and is located on another base. There’s a FOXHOUND agent named Jennifer who is inside the base and has information on it.
Once Snake infiltrates the base, Jennifer who has been dropping information for you is captured. Nick, another member of FOXHOUND who had been communicating with you is killed, and as it turns out Big Boss who was supposedly killed in the first Metal Gear is back with a new cyborg body.
Snake defeats Big Boss (again) and Jennifer is rescued leading Snake to the prototype of Metal Gear. He destroys it and along with Jennifer escapes. The United Nations declares “World Peace Day” and everyone lives happily ever after. Well… at least in this Metal Gear timeline.
Snake’s Revenge Gameplay:
Sure, this Snake’s Revenge review won’t be the most positive one you’ve read but there were some good things with this game that I want to touch on before heading to my constructive criticism.
First, the soundtrack is very good. It sets the mood and continues throughout the game as the atmosphere changes. I felt that the music was on par with the series’ excellence.
On the side-scrolling portions of the game, it looks very well done. The sprites are a bit larger and have more detail. It was a cool touch to go from the top-down perspective to more intimate side screens. Overall, the graphics look great. This is a clean-looking game from the spotlights that search for you, the factory corridors, and the enemy designs, everything looks top-tier for the NES. A “good-looking” game doesn’t mean it’s a good game though, and that’s what I discovered in my Snake’s Revenge review.
I needed a guide right away. It’s very easy to get lost in this game and every misstep is a point of frustration to an already difficult game. I felt like the receiver in which you communicate and receive help over was less utilized compared to the first Metal Gear. It’s great when they point you in the right direction or drop hints, but I just didn’t seem to be getting the push toward mission goals that were needed which often made me feel like I was truly on a one-man mission.
The first boss you meet was extremely difficult and I’d learn that that would be the theme of the game. It was just five dudes gang beating you together. You need plenty of ammo and grenades to take them down but just trying to avoid being punched by them was tough enough. For me, it was just too tough as the first “boss” fight.
Much like the first game, the majority of Snake’s Revenge is spent sneaking around avoiding enemies, completing mission objectives, and then facing off with a boss to conclude a specific assignment. While on the surface, this seems like the bread and butter of the series, the difficulty on everything was just a touch overdone. When a game is too difficult and it doesn’t have much direction, the fun factor goes away. You get punished for exploring instead of being rewarded. Boss fights are dreaded instead of getting that satisfaction. Missions where new objectives are added produce groans instead of excitement.
Elements like knifing a cardboard box 25 times and having it disappear I just consider dumb. Something I was hoping would be corrected from the first Metal Gear, was cheap deaths. There were a few electric floors that rotated on a train section that were very hard to predict. Other cheap deaths included holes on the train floor that would open up if you walked onto them. It was unfair and a huge turn-off for continuing the game.
There is a portion of the game where you need to escape a boat before it blows up. You have about 50 seconds to do so, and if you are PERFECT it takes 30 seconds to escape. So if you make one wrong turn or have one misstep, you’re pretty much blown up. It’s these microfractions of needed perfection that just cause more frustration than fun.
You’ll need to hunt down items to make your mission easier or even possible. These include infrared goggles, binoculars, antidotes, rations, power armor, an X-ray detector, a dry cell, an antenna, a backpack, and plenty of pass cards.
While the earlier bosses were extremely difficult, I did find some head-scratching easy ones later on during my Snake’s Revenge review. For example, there is a tank on a bridge that needs to be defeated. The key to this fight? Just stand to the side.
The final boss is well… Big Boss. He’s now a cyborg after being revived and put together from the first game. In his first form, it’s a pretty easy fight if you use run-and-gun tactics by shooting missiles toward him and then running away to hide. Once you do this enough he’ll transition into his next form in which he stalks you. To cause damage you need to get up close and personal and place mines for him to walk into.
When Big Boss goes down, there will be a countdown timer until Metal Gear is activated and starts shooting nukes. You need to shoot guided missiles into a vent to stop Metal Gear but here’s a huge point of frustration. There’s no damage meter or health bar. You have no idea if you are doing any damage with the missiles nor do you know how many missiles you need to shoot. You just keep shooting and shooting hoping that it’s doing something. I was able to know what to do using the guide, but without it, or for those playing back in the early ’90s, I’m sure this portion caused a ton of panic not knowing if they were causing any damage. You also have to hit Metal Gear specifically on a flashing portion. It’s not as obvious as you’d think it would be.
Beating the game doesn’t feel very rewarding. You get some text updating you on characters and staff credits. No cool cutscenes or a flashy payoff. I beat the game simply in the name of the series as I’ve wanted to play every spin-off or main series title in Metal Gear.
This is a very tough game. Both in elements of boss battles, cheap deaths, and the ability to get lost or not understand what to do next. When you beat a game like this, you hope there’s a reward at the end. That’s not really the case with Snake’s Revenge.
Memories:
I remember being sick and emulating this for a weekend. I took long naps in between turns of playing it and I had to follow a step-by-step guide due to the all random hazards. I was excited to play it since I loved the first one, but I quickly realized that this was the black sheep of the series. Oh well, they all can’t be winners.
Snake’s Revenge Review Score:
Snake’s Revenge was disappointing due to the sheer difficulty, lack of Metal Gear atmosphere, and character interactions. Gadgets and items felt less “cool”. It’s the black sheep of the series, and easily the weakest.
Snake’s Revenge scores a 6.4 out of 10.
What would you write in your Snake’s Revenge review? Who was your favorite boss? Where does this rank in the series for Metal Gear? Let me know your thoughts and comments on Snake’s Revenge. I’d love to read them.
Developed by Rage Games and published by Majesco Entertainment, Totaled was released in 2002 for the Xbox in North America. The destruction derby racing game should be a recipe for success, especially for my personal tastes. But would Totaled be a massive wreck or would it get my engine revving from the start? Buckle up for this Totaled review!
Totaled Plot:
There is no plot for Totaled, this is a pure arcade destruction derby-style car racer.
Totaled Gameplay:
My Totaled review features four different game modes. The one that most people will spend the most time on is the career mode, and that may not be much time at all due to some issues that I’ll bring up shortly. In career mode, you can race on 16 different courses and select from 12 unique vehicles. All the courses and vehicles won’t be available at the beginning. You’ll have to win events to unlock more options for cars and tracks.
Vehicles that are available in Totaled include Hot Rods, Muscle Cars, and Performance Cars. The hot rods are built for destruction and are able to withstand a lot of damage but lack speed and acceleration. They also don’t handle the best, but if you find yourself in a destruction derby instead of a race, hot rods will give you a decent chance. Muscle cars are good at just about everything but great at nothing. They have good speed, and handling, and can take a hit or two. The muscle cars are great for beginners that want to try out different events and get a feel for the game. Finally, the performance cars handle great and have top-end speed. You’ll zoom around in them but be careful because a few hits will take them down.
During your career, you’ll play through different events. These include “Free For All” which is a deathmatch with every car involved. You want to earn points by hitting other cars and the car with the most points at the end wins or if it is the final car. “Last Man Standing” is very similar except you score based on “kills”. You want to total other cars as well as being the last car left. “Points Limit” is just like Free For All but with a point limit set and the first car to reach it wins. “Hunter” acts as another version of Free For All except with a car being the target of the match and other players getting points for hitting it. “Stuntman” is based on points earned from stunts like barrel rolls and ramps. “Eliminator” is a racing mode where you must pass checkpoints and the last car in the race gets eliminated. The final two modes include “Offensive” and “Defensive” driving which are more one-on-one and two-on-two modes.
These modes are also included in “Arcade” and “Multiplayer” which can be accessed at the main menu. I had no interest in continuing my Totaled Review once I completed the career mode. Sometimes I’ll grab a friend and see what they think of multiplayer modes but with Totaled, I did not see the point in playing this bland game.
Let’s start with some positives before moving to the negative. I did enjoy the intro video of Totaled and thought the soundtrack of the entire game was a unique flavor. It was very much British Punk and Underground Scene, and I found myself listening more than I thought I would. Unlocking cars was a nice attempt to keep players playing the game but in the end, it doesn’t make the slog worthwhile.
No matter how you put it, Totaled just isn’t a “fun” game. It starts with extremely long loading times. I was shocked at how long it took events and races to load and it dissolved any excitement I had for the race. The entire action aspect isn’t done well. Sometimes your car will get caught on a wall, or another vehicle, and the game slows to a crawl making it very frustrating. Once you detach the vehicle it takes FOREVER to get moving again. Accelerating even with performance cars is a joke. It just feels like the tires are spinning in place or you’re stuck in neutral. With a game like Totaled, everything should be fast-paced but it felt like all the cars were stuck in glue.
One aspect that I love whether I was a kid gaming or an adult, is the physical damage and destruction of cars. Give me a decent video game with awesome damage and I can forgive a lot. Totaled did not have amazing damage or vehicle destruction. Instead, Totaled has very average damage, and the graphics were poor for the time. Even the fun customization and paint jobs can’t cover up all the flaws.
Control is another issue. The steering is way too sensitive and at times the action is too fast or too slow and you can’t control the car in order to adjust. I could tell the difference in steering between the muscle, performance, and hot rod cars but not by much. Steering and control sucked with all of them.
Memories: I am a sucker for demolition derby games so I had high hopes for Totaled when I found it. It’s hard to mess up car chaos, right? Well, immediately I realized this wasn’t a very good game. I was disappointed after about 30 minutes of playing it and quickly lost enthusiasm for it.
Totaled Review Score:
This should be a mega-hit for my personal taste in video games. Cars and destruction, that’s hard to mess up but Totaled did. The action was far too slow and the steering of the cars was sensitive. Getting stuck on other vehicles or objects was frustrating and just made the wheels spin. Even with a nice soundtrack, Totaled should be left on the shelf whether that’s at a used video game store or if you have it in your personal collection.
Totaled scores a 5.1 out of 10.
What would you write in your Totaled review? Did you enjoy this game or was it disappointing? What was your favorite mode in Totaled? Let me know your thoughts and comments on Totaled. I’d love to read them.
Taking full advantage of the dual analog sticks on the PlayStation, Ape Escape was released in 1999. Developed by Japan Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment, Ape Escape, would become one of the best franchises in the early era of PlayStation. Apes have escaped the circus and are powered with helmets that have cranked up their IQ, they’ve traveled back in time to change the future. It’s up to Spike to catch all the monkeys and return them to their correct era. We’re here to catch every single monkey in this Ape Escape review!
Ape Escape Plot:
Curse these damn dirty apes!
The Professor who is a local genius inventor has created a helmet that increases the IQ of the one who wears it. Somehow, this helmet has wound up in the hands of a white monkey in the circus named Spectre who puts it on and instantly becomes a “genius”. Not wanting to be a circus monkey anymore for people to stare at, Spectre frees himself and then mass produces similar helmets (although not as strong) and frees all the other apes from the circus.
Spectre comes for the Professor and ties him up along with his assistant and jumps in a time-traveling machine along with his ape army. He intends to have his apes travel throughout the past and change history making apes the dominant race and enslaving humans. The apes hide throughout time and begin trying to change the future.
Spike and Jake, who are kids and friends with the Professor head to his lab to see his new invention. When they see the Professor tied up, they realize something is wrong. The Professor explains the situation and enlists their help to go back in time and round up all the monkeys to be returned to their proper time.
At some point shortly after this, Spectre gets to Jake and brainwashes him into being on his side. Jake becomes Spike’s rival and tries to prevent him from stopping Spectre’s grand scheme. After Spike catches all the monkeys and defeats, Jake, he faces off with Spectre. Once he locates Spectre, the two of them battle with Spike capturing Spectre.
Spectre is returned to the Zoo and his helmet removed while Jake returns to his senses. All is back to normal and the monkeys are back in their rightful place. The closing moments have Jake and Spike racing each other to the Professor’s lab to see his newest invention.
Ape Escape Gameplay:
I’ve reviewed some games from my childhood that I loved dearly as a kid only to replay them and learn that they weren’t very good. I do my best to avoid nostalgia goggles when critically reviewing video games. Ape Escape is one game that was my favorite PS1 game as a kid, and I’m happy to say it holds up in this Ape Escape review for a variety of valid reasons.
First, the very nature of the gameplay is extremely addicting. As Spike, you will travel through different time eras all wonderfully designed with era-specific scenery and environments. Each level will have a required number of monkeys to catch as you explore. The first few levels require 3 to 5 monkeys to complete the level whereas the later levels might require 15. Each level will have more monkeys to catch than is required, which means you’ll be revisiting levels once you get new gadgets to further unlock or investigate areas.
You’ll start off in the prehistoric area filled with jungles and dinosaurs and work your way through time before landing in the present day. The final hub is a huge circus area with a variety of levels. Once you beat that section, the final level is a monster castle where Spectre resides. The difficulty ramps up with each era as there are more environmental hazards along with stronger monkeys that come equipped with weapons, extreme speed, or are just hidden very well.
To help Spike catch all the monkeys, you’ll be gifted gadgets from the Professor. These gadgets are implemented extremely well and control perfectly with dual analog sticks. Here are the gadgets and their effects:
Stun Club – Swing it to stun the monkeys or knock them down. Time Net – Hit the monkey with it and you’ll catch them. Hoola Hoop – Spin it around to gain extreme speed or knock monkeys down. R.C. Car – Control it to access small areas for switches or run into monkeys with it. Monkey Radar – It will direct you toward monkeys with a signal. Water Net – Used to catch monkeys underwater. Slingshot – Used to hit monkeys or switches, has three different types of ammo. Sky Flyer – Spin it around to extend jumps or float up in the air. Magic Punch – A boxing glove on a spring that breaks open boxes or stuns monkeys.
As you unlock each gadget, the professor will transport you to a tutorial training course for the gadget for you to master it. This is extremely helpful as it teaches you the proper ways to use the new gadgets before continuing your journey. Gadgets range from combat purposes to accessing new areas, or a bit of both.
Catching monkeys is the name of the game, and there is a ton to catch! A total of 204 monkeys are on the loose in Ape Escape. They all have different traits based on the color of their pants with some being extremely aggressive with weapons, or quick at running away. One of my favorite aspects was filling up the Monkey Book where you can look at in-between levels and read silly facts about the monkeys you’ve caught. It helped fuel the addicting factor and made the Monkey Book a trophy case for me to look at and see my hauls.
There are plenty of things to do besides catching monkeys which I did in my Ape Escape review. You can unlock mini-games to play by finding Spectre Coins at each level. These large coins are typically hidden or require a bit of thinking to get to.
Once you have a certain number of Spectre Coins, you can play a variety of mini-games including Monkey Skiing, which I never quite mastered, Monkey Boxing, which is very challenging but extremely fun, and a Monkey UFO game similar to old space arcade games. The boxing mini-game was one I spent hours on as a kid that required me to thrust the analog sticks up and down strategically.
Aside from the mini-games, the main game is broken up by challenges from Jake, Spike’s rival. You’ll race him in obstacle courses which are tons of fun and require the master use of some of your gadgets. The inclusion of the mini-games and obstacle courses really add to the experience of Ape Escape.
As you make your way through time and capture more monkeys, the difficulty curve will ramp up. You have a cookie meter that acts as health. If you get hit, you lose a cookie. I believe you can take five hits before it’s game over but there are always cookie jars throughout levels that spew infinite cookies when you find them. The real challenge in the later levels is the platforming. Timed jumps can be tricky and you’ll automatically lose a life if you fall off into the abyss. Making your way up Spectre’s Castle can be very difficult.
Once you have enough monkeys, you can face off against Spectre in a one-on-one fight. You can defeat him but he’ll escape. The credits will roll but you’ll have the option to keep playing. If you go back and capture every monkey in every stage, it will open up a new fight against Spectre where you can capture him for good which is the true ending.
During this entire journey is an incredible soundtrack of techno. It fits perfectly into the atmosphere as some levels have chill vibes, while others are frenetic and fast-paced as you think about the encounter you will soon face against Spectre. Sound effects are just as good as each enemy squeaks or make a noise when you hit them. Each gadget has unique elements, like pulling back on the slingshot you can hear the ropes tightening with the resistance. It’s all very well done.
Memories: I have so many memories of playing Ape Escape as a kid. It’s my favorite PS1 game of all time. It was simple enough for me to understand and master, but addicting in nature. I already loved collecting monsters because of the Pokemon series that was at the height of its popularity and catching monkeys was just as satisfying as going through each level and hunting them down one by one.
My dad and I used to shoot his rifle on my uncle’s farm every now and then. I’d draw targets up and we’d shoot at them. A few times I drew big pictures of the monkeys from Ape Escape. The monkeys were always on my mind.
Aside from the main game, I spent hours playing Monkey Boxing. It was so much fun and I mastered it after playing it obsessively. I wouldn’t have the time today to play it but as a kid, I had all the time in the world. There were many Summer days that I spent playing Ape Escape and the game represents some of my most innocent childhood times. Life was great back then when all I had to worry about was what gadget to use to catch that monkey.
I didn’t beat the game as a kid. I caught all the monkeys except one. He was locked in a box that required the boxing glove and for some reason, I never put it together to use it on him. Eventually, I lost interest and put the game away for years. It wasn’t until I was in college when I randomly fired it up and played through it that I properly caught every monkey and defeated Spectre for the first time. A few months ago, I beat the game again in its entirety. It was just as good as I remember it and whenever I hear that music it takes me back to my childhood and that’s something that I can’t put a price on.
Ape Escape Review Score:
The best platformer on the original PlayStation. Its innovative controls with the dual analog sticks, masterful soundtrack, and addicting nature of catching ape after ape in a time-traveling quest are nothing other than a masterpiece. Ape Escape is timeless, and you’ll spend hours exploring and seeking out the naughty monkeys. This isn’t just a game to have in your library, it’s one you need to fully experience. Catch every monkey in the game, trust me, it’s worth it.
Ape Escape scores a perfect 10 out of 10.
What would you write in your Ape Escape review? What was the first game that you used dual analog sticks on? Do you have a favorite level in Ape Escape? What monkey was the toughest to catch? Let me know your thoughts and comments on Ape Escape. I’d love to read them.
As the new console generation was launching, there was a variety of starter games to be released early in the life cycle of the PS5. Scarlet Nexus is an action-role-playing game developed by Tose and published by Bandai Namco. Released in 2021, the game takes the meaning of “brain power” to a whole new level offering two different playable storylines. Would this game be a brain teaser or would it become brain dead? We find out in this Scarlet Nexus review!
Scarlet Nexus Plot:
Like brain untapped brain power? You’re going to love this Scarlet Nexus review. Taking place in the future, humans have discovered a unique hormone in the brain that gives people intense powers with their senses. As humans honed in on their brain power, mutants that were called “The Others” came from outer space and feasted on human brains for this hormone. Regular weapons and firepower were ineffective against these mutant visitors and the only ones who could battle them were the humans with intense brain powers.
The Others still roam Earth often invading cities, but humans have put together a force known as the Other Suppression Force (OSF) to combat the mutants. Most of the people in the force are humans with special brain powers, so they are at the frontlines protecting cities or going on missions to kill Others. There is also a looming threat of the extinction belt that is creeping toward Earth destroying everything that it comes into contact with.
You may play as two different characters, each with unique plot arcs that intertwine with each other. You’ll need to play the game twice to properly gain perspective on their overall arcs. I chose to play my Scarlet Nexus review at Yuito, the male character. He’s cheery, helpful, and on the naive side. There’s also the option to play as Kasane who is reserved, no-nonsense, and would rather attack first than ask questions.
Yuito has been recruited to join the OSF and help protect humanity. Kasane has already been in the ranks for a bit but is still relatively new. On one of their first missions together, Kasane’s sister gets turned into one of the Others while Yuito’s best friend, Nagi, becomes traumatized from the event. Kasane struggles with the reality that her sister is no longer a human, while Yuito tries to help a reluctant Nagi who has undergone rehab to help “forget” the event making him mentally unstable.
Meanwhile, the OSF is breaking up into fractions, and each platoon is unsure of who is on what side. After witnessing another event where someone is transformed into a Other like Kasane’s sister, they begin to suspect an inside job from the OSF. Nagi continues to go off the rails due to his fragile mental state and shows up to a mission killing his platoon leader. The stress of the events activates the power between Kasane and Yuito that opens up a dimensional gate called the “Kunad Gate”.
Kasane and her squad are sucked into the hole and travel 50 years into the future where she meets an older Yuito who explains to her that his powers are very dangerous and the more he uses them, the more the Kunad Gate sucks everything up destroying the world. He wants Kasane to kill him in the past to prevent the destruction of the world.
Back in the present day, New Himuka is under attack by the Others, where Yuito witnesses his father being murdered as Kasane stands over his father’s body. Kasane then tries to kill Yuito as instructed by his future self. The battle ends in a draw and both units go their separate ways as the OSF continues to fracture under a rebellion.
Yuito and his platoon take shelter at an old abandoned hospital where it is learned the OSF conducted experiments on children and citizens that created the Others. While at the hospital Yuito learns that was was someone who was experimented on as a child because he was a “dud”. A dud is someone who is born without powers but because of all the experiments on him, he inherited brain powers.
The two platoons set aside their differences for now, and venture to Hieno Mountain for more information. It is revealed that Kasane and her sister were Design Children, or artificially created humans with the goal to return their people to the Moon by manipulating the Red String’s ability that Kasane has to control the dimensions and world around them. These Red Strings are attached to specific people from the past, and once untangled, they can achieve the desired result of closing the Kunad Gate to prevent the world from being destroyed.
Kasane travels through time to kill people who are entangled in the red strings to help shut the Kunad Gate, including Yuito’s mother. Karen, who has been a member of the OSF and a huge part of the rebellion has been trying to save a girl named Alice who he loves. He’s been trying to use the Red Strings for himself to save her but because of this, he has been causing more entanglements in the Red Strings making it impossible to shut the Kunad Gate. Yuito and Kasane defeat Karen and he agrees to help them close the gate.
Just before the gate is properly closed, Karen uses his copying ability to copy the power of the Red Strings and travel through time one last time to travel through time and attempt to save Alice as he disappears for good. The Kunad Gate closes and with it, the extinction belt disappears as the world is saved.
Scarlet Nexus Gameplay:
The tone for my Scalet Nexus review was set right away with the fast-paced action and EDM soundtrack that pushed you as you fought. I don’t know many games that implement EDM into the soundtrack, but it fits very well with Scarlet Nexus with how quick and smooth the combos in the game are. There’s a small tutorial section that I highly recommend before taking on the main story of the game. It will teach you the basics of combat and how to chain combos and use alternate attacks. Once mastered, the combat is the most satisfying element of Scarlet Nexus.
One thing I hate about games that are made from the year 2016 to the present, is that they try and tone down or change how guys “talk” with each other. It’s very politically correct now, which makes in-game conversations not accurate. During my Scarlet Nexus review, I was pleasantly surprised to see the dialogue between the male characters authentic. It was just dudes talking about chicks and who they thought was cute. Being a guy, this is what we do when we are alone with our guy friends! It was refreshing to see this and it made the male characters much more fun as they discussed topics that normal, everyday dudes talk about.
There were aspects of my Scarlet Nexus review that I felt were cheap. I hate panel discussions, and that’s how the dialogue and conversations were presented. They looked cheap as opposed to making the characters speak with each other and made me feel like this was a budget title. The one perk was the character profiles for the panels. Kasane’s portrait for her panel was hilarious. While cheap in design, some of them were at least entertaining.
Some of the best conversations were from the gift-giving system. There are trinkets, items, and gifts you can bestow upon your fellow squad while at the hub. This leads to new sub-missions where you partner up with that character and learn a little bit more about them. It will increase their attitude toward you as long as they like the gift. There are hints as to who likes what and it’s fairly easy to tell. It was fun to find items and then give them to the correct characters during breaks and it helps change the pace of the game if you don’t want to continue the main story.
The absolute best thing about my Scarlet Nexus review was the combat. All battles are quick and fluid. You’ll destroy enemies within seconds as you chain combos together. Switching between characters is easy and you can set their behaviors up to match how you want to fight. Different characters have different powers and it’s fun to use them or see their styles. Besides the combat, the enemy designs were very interesting and eye-catching. There were a lot of bizarre combinations but they all looked good and had different styles of fighting. Sometimes, your best bet was sheer physical strength, while other times you needed to use psychokinesis.
Psychokinesis is a big part of the game as your character can develop new powers with the brain map as you earn experience from every battle. One of the cooler aspects is chaining your powers together with your team to make super attacks. This helps a ton with bringing down bosses along with using the environment to hurl objects at enemies. It all goes very quickly and when you’re in the zone, you feel like a badass.
Scarlet Nexus is not overly challenging. I think it leans more on the easier side as save points seem to come every 10 seconds. The final bosses and levels were challenging, but with some practice, it became easy to figure out the combat. Once you beat the game, you can replay it again as the other main character giving you a dual sense of plot and understanding the story from the other perspective. It’s a good idea, and it works well for those interested in replaying the game.
One thing I found a bit annoying was how nice and pleasant the characters were to each other. The main male character, Yuito, is just way too nice to everyone. He gets reamed out all the time or people are very rude to him and he just acts like it’s okay and that he’s very sorry for being himself. I played as him during my Scarlet Nexus review and found him to be annoying at times due to his nice and forgiving tendencies.
Kasane on the other hand was fiery, vicious, and aggressive. At one point, she nearly kills Yuito just for him to brush it off. They definitely play off each other as extremes.
Overall, it was fun to explore the different environments and interact with different objects on multiple runs within a level. The enemy placements generally stay the same and you can see them coming so battles are a surprise. There are plenty of items to find and little secrets in nooks. Exploring was satisfying and it was nice to return to the hub base and sort out my side quests or just talk to other characters.
Great combat and enemy designs along with a killer soundtrack highlight the gameplay of Scarlet Nexus. Cheap dialogue panels, some annoying character traits, and constant saving tarnished the game a bit, but it’s worth a playthrough. It’s on the easier side, but you can raise the difficulty I’m sure.
Memories: This was the first PS5 game I found myself enjoying after the stinkfest that was Immortal Fenyx Rising. While I had fun at times with Scarlet Nexus, it wasn’t my “OMG THIS IS WHAT THE PS5 IS ALL ABOUT”. I had fun for two weeks during my playthrough but I don’t feel the need to replay it despite the option to play as the other storyline.
Scarlet Nexus Review Score:
Scarlet Nexus was my first enjoyable game with my PlayStation 5. It scratched an itch but it still didn’t show off what the PS5 could do. The story kept my attention, and putting together the combos during the fast-paced combat was fun.
If you need a filler game while you wait for a new release. Scarlet Nexus is a good distraction. It won’t blow the doors off your PS5, but it was a solid experience overall, especially for those who enjoy action role-playing games.
Scarlet Nexus scores an 8 out of 10.
What would you write in your Scarlet Nexus review? What’s your favorite JRPG on the PS5? Who was your favorite character in the game, and what path did you choose? Let me know your thoughts and comments on Scarlet Nexus. I’d love to read them.
Parasite Eve: The Third Birthday launched on the PSP in 2011 on the PSP. The series took another step away from the beloved model it had created with the original. Would this new action shooter live up to the franchise name or would it suffer an unchangeable mistake? We’re jumping through timelines in the Parasite Eve: The Third Birthday review!
Parasite Eve: The Third Birthday Plot:
Oh boy, are you ready for this? Starting on Christmas Eve, 2010. Aya and Kyle are set to be married in New York. For a full recap of Parasite Eve and Parasite Eve II please read my reviews on them. Ruining their wedding are these giant monsters who have invaded New York and the government calls these creatures the “Twisted”. During the chaos, Aya loses her memories, and Kyle and Eve disappear and are erased from existence. Already, off to a wild start in this Parasite Eve: The Third Birthday review, eh?
Well, two years later the U.S. government formed the CTI (Counter Twisted Investigation) to help combat the Twisted and try and save Earth. New York City remains a mess (just like real life!) as it’s been completely destroyed by the Twisted which uses a mammoth tower that arose from the ground as their headquarters. All humans have left New York or have been killed by the Twisted.
Ready for more bizarre elements? So the CTI determines that Aya is the only viable option for their new machine that can take over the conscience of others in the past. Aya is able to control people in the past and through this, hopefully, change the events that happened when the Twisted attacked New York. Through these means, Aya can control different soldiers and help them fight off the invasion.
Now the entire plot of Parasite Eve: The Third Birthday is extremely convoluted. I will do my best to recap it but this is the bare-bones version because it is wild. Here we go.
Aya is being held semi-captive by the CTI with the man in charge named Hyde. He directs Aya on various missions to defeat the Twisted, alter time, and rescue key figures in the CTI. Aya continuously alters timelines and seems to be traveling through many different ones. She slowly regains memories of her wedding day when the Twisted invaded and Hyde continues to instruct her on missions.
She alters enough timelines where Kyle exists again but she remembers shooting Eve at her wedding. It is revealed that Hyde wants the Twisted to succeed and that Eve was the “mother” of the Twisted. Aya and Hyde face off as they continue to travel between timelines back to her wedding day. Aya and Kyle are able to defeat Hyde but Aya knows that Eve’s body still needs to be destroyed so the Twisted not to invade. She forces her soul and Eve’s soul to swap with each other so Eve is in Aya’s body, and Aya is in Eve’s body. “Eve” then shoots “Aya” killing Eve’s body along with Aya’s soul. Before disappearing, Aya has some comforting words for Eve.
Kyle realizes at the wedding that Aya is no longer herself but in fact, Eve and says that she needs to be her own person. (Probably for the best since Eve is 13 and was about to marry a full-grown man). Kyle then decides he is going to look for “eternity” and find Aya. He encourages Eve again before leaving. Eve is seen walking by herself at the end and living her life when a woman who looks like “Aya” walks by and wishes her a happy birthday before disappearing.
I assure you the story is much more complex but man, I don’t have time to divulge it all because I get confused myself. Lots of timelines, lots of chaos, lots of “is she dead” etc.
Parasite Eve: The Third Birthday Gameplay:
My Parasite Eve: The Third Birthday review kicked off with a stellar opening video. I miss when video games had incredible openings, and almost feel that it is a lost art now. Despite being less than enthused with Parasite Eve being part of the plot, I loved the intro. It sucked me into New York again, which is where the original Parasite Eve takes place.
New York is back, and so is the Christmas theme! The first takes place on Christmas, and the third game follows. It was a fun throwback to the series but that’s about all as far as resemblance goes between the original and my Parasite Eve: The Third Birthday review. In the original, Parasite Eve was more of a JRPG with combat. The sequel was more of an action RPG, and the third transforms into a third-person shooter.
Don’t get me wrong, this was wildly fun. The combat is very satisfying and you’ll take on tons of enemies as you blast them out of the sky, hallways, and buildings. Aiming was easy, and changing between targets was smooth. You’ll be able to build up a meter for a massive attack too.
Death has an interesting twist in my Parasite Eve: The Third Birthday review. Aya’s essence will take control of a soldier and as long as there’s a soldier standing on the battlefield, you’ll be okay. You can transfer your spirit between them if your health is running low. If you die before switching bodies, it’s game over, so it’s opportunistic to change around soldiers during battles. There were only a few times when I died.
Ammo is all around you, but there were times when I ran out of the good stuff and had to switch to my minor guns. When this happens I struggled. It’s important not to waste your powerful ammo or weapons on meager enemies and save them for bosses or huge encounters. You’ll be carrying machine guns, pistols, and some launchers. All of them have different damage and rates of fire. You can upgrade the weapons between missions at the control hub with the experience that you earn in battles along with a DNA board that acts as the superpowers that Aya has.
Parasite Eve: The Third Birthday has some of that old-school video game feel to it. I LOVED this, but what exactly do I mean? Well, Aya’s clothes get torn up and ripped off when she’s damaged. You may see some cheek or side-boob when after a battle. Nothing wrong with that. One of the characters (Maeda) is a HUGE perv. The stuff he says and the way he says it made me laugh just because of the sheer ridiculous nature of it. I miss when video games didn’t take themselves so seriously or when games could make a joke without offending Twitter. Just take a look at the cover of the manual if you want to be offended. Man, I miss manuals!
The dialogue during my Parasite Eve: The Third Birthday review was incredibly hilarious. At one of the most important sections for wrapping up the plot, Kyle wishes everyone a “Merry Christmas”, and Aya a “Happy Birthday” before saying he is going to “Find Eternity”. One of the bonus “perks” to beating the game is unlocking new costumes for Aya to wear during her playthrough including some scantily clad ones that are revealing as well as unlocking a new “view” mode.
Memories: I bought this from an ex-marine who sold me a ton of PSP games from his collection. He told me he played these while in Iraq to pass the time and he gave me a hell of a deal on them. I was so EXCITED to get all of them in my collection. He told me he was selling his PSP collection to get his Thai girlfriend to America and wanted to cover the costs. He seemed like a good guy, but I remember buying this game more than my actual experience with it.
When I did play it, it took me about a week to beat. I remember being shocked at how fun I was having while being equally disgusted at what Parasite Eve had become. I kept thinking, just make this a new IP and it would be a smash hit. Parasite Eve needs no involvement in this. Oh well, it was a good time.
Parasite Eve: The Third Birthday Review Score:
During my Parasite Eve: The Third Birthday review on my PSP, I loved the gameplay and combat. The levels were well-paced and kept my interest with near-perfect length. Unfortunately, you can’t stick a legendary IP like Parasite Eve and completely change the gameplay and expect fans of the series to be receptive. It’s like making Final Fantasy a first-person shooter. Fans don’t want that or expect it. Parasite Eve: The Third Birthday never had a chance due to the severe change in the direction of the gameplay compared to the first two titles. The series is now dead, congrats. It’s too bad because this is a fun game, but you can’t put Parasite Eve with it. Make it an entirely new IP, and you’ll have a hit. Instead, we have a dead franchise.
Parasite Eve: The Third Birthday scores a 6 out of 10.
What would you write in your Parasite Eve: The Third Birthday review? What other series completely flamed out that you loved? How do you feel about the direction that Parasite Eve went? Let me know your thoughts and comments on Parasite Eve: The Third Birthday. I’d love to read them.
One of the most underrated games in gaming was released in 2021 when developer Rainbite Limited teamed up with Eastasia Software Limited to produce Trigger Witch. This little-known title is superb from start to finish with the gameplay and insane plot twist. My Trigger Witch review was completed on the Switch and I found the controls excellent on the system. Strap up and bring plenty of ammo, you’ll need it for this review.
Trigger Witch Plot
Trigger Witch follows the journey of Colette, a powerful witch, who embarks on a mission to uncover the mysteries behind a world in which firearms have replaced traditional magic. The game is set in a fantasy world where magic and technology coexist. Magic no longer is used by the witch kingdom, Evertonia. It has been forgotten with the convenience and use of guns. Almost all citizens of this land use guns or worship the religion of guns.
The game begins as Colette wakes up and needs to pass her final test to graduate from “The Stock”, a tough program that trains witches into gun-toting protectors of Evertonia. She soon meets up with her friends Shelly, a gentle witch who is compassionate, and Remi, who acts as a jealous rival. Before taking on the final test, Colette visits the Ordnance Rift, a strange and mystery dimensional rift that can give powerful weapons to those it deems worthy. When Colette visits, she is gifted a pistol, making her worthy. Together they all take the gauntlet but only Colette passes. The final boss in the gauntlet is Colette’s high school bully! I can’t believe they were able to get that to fly in today’s age but it’s a fun fight.
Remi becomes increasingly jealous of Colette while Shelly is supportive. A man in black soon appears and Colette wants to investigate who he is as he’s been causing trouble. Evertonia is split into two kingdoms, there’s the witch kingdom, and then there’s the Goblin Kingdom. The witches have ceased to use magic as they use their firearms for everything, while the Goblins still use magic as they were not blessed with guns from the rift. The problem with this is that both kingdoms grew suspicious of each other and stopped talking. There isn’t a war between them but the nations don’t talk and are not friendly.
Colette’s investigation leads her all around both kingdoms, with some missions in Goblin land leading to her being arrested or needing to help Goblins to gain their trust. Shelly helps her out when she can, while Remi becomes increasingly hostile eventually leading to a fight. Once Remi is defeated she begins to support Colette and realizes that she shouldn’t be upset at Colette’s success.
As Colette hones in on the mystery man in a black cape that has been causing trouble in both kingdoms, she learns how powerful magic used to be for the witches. She takes on more quests to unseal portions of the kingdom that have been previously protected by magic. She finally catches the man in black who jumps through a portal as he encourages her to follow.
This is where the game gets WILD in this Trigger Witch review and I ABSOLUTELY LOVE HOW OFF THE RAILS IT GOES.
Colette is transported to another realm through a portal and soon discovers the man in black is none other than JOSEPH STALIN the former Premier of the Soviet Union and the architect of Socialism! He has been searching for a way to gain power for the Soviet Union and he believes the magic from the witches will help turn his kingdom into a superpower.
Stalin says he will spare the people of the witch kingdom in exchange for the magic. Colette doesn’t care as she just blasted half of the Soviet Union army away but Stalin has a trick up his sleeve and blasts Colette’s mom in front of her forcing her to fight him as he hopes she’ll use magic and he can steal it.
After a brief fight, Stalin says he will use the power of Goblin levitation to power rocket ships and control the solar system. He then hops into a rocket and blasts off landing on the moon. Colette is hot on his trail flying her broom into space where they crashland on the moon. Stalin then becomes Mecha Stalin and faces off with Colette in the final showdown. As Colette defeats Stalin, he insists that she is a fool and that her empire won’t stand against him. Just as he is about to warp into another dimension, Colette puts a bullet in his head ending Stalin’s reign.
Colette rushes back to her mom and heals her with a potion and they decide that despite the amazing weapons and guns that Stalin has stashed in his hideout, they need to destroy the dimensional rift. They escape through the portal and land back in Evertonia. Much to their surprise, it has been decades since they left as time passes differently in the other realm. All of Colette’s friends are very old now. Remi has become the oracle and Shelly the Queen. Your mother is healed and Shelly and Remi take you to an overlook of Evertonia as the game ends.
Trigger Witch Gameplay
When I first started my Trigger Witch review, the color palette stood out immediately. It was pastel colors and almost made me think of Easter, but the gameplay is far from family-friendly. The game features fast-paced, top-down shooting gameplay, mixed with puzzles, exploration, and crafting mechanics.
The game is played from a top-down perspective, with the player controlling Colette, the main protagonist, as she battles her way through various levels filled with enemies and obstacles. Colette can move around the environment using the left analog stick and aim her weapons in any direction using the right analog stick. You’ll be able to also use the game’s auto-aim feature, which targets the nearest enemy in Colette’s line of sight but I rarely used it during my Trigger Witch review. I went in freestyle aiming and I left tons of bodies in my path. The aiming was quick enough that I didn’t feel the need for the auto-aim.
Colette can carry up to two weapons at a time, each with its own unique attributes and ammo type. The game features a variety of weapons, including pistols, shotguns, machine guns, and even a flamethrower. Colette can also use a melee attack with her broomstick, which deals a significant amount of damage and can be used to break open crates and barriers. It was so satisfying to level up the weapons by collecting gems off the bodies of my enemies. There wasn’t a weapon I didn’t love in my Trigger Witch review, and each of them is designed to better destroy certain enemy types but even the pistols which I used a ton were efficient enough for most shootouts. There were times when I was surrounded by tons of enemy hordes and I found that the machine guns were best suited to take out large numbers. There’s plenty of gore to go around with blood and guts emptying out on the floor after all the chaos. I loved the clash of dark red against the pastel environments and enemies.
In addition to weapons, I used magical spells during my Trigger Witch review, such as a shield to block incoming projectiles, a teleportation spell to move quickly around the environment, and a time-slowing spell to gain an advantage in combat. These spells require a certain amount of magic energy, which can be replenished by picking up mana orbs dropped by defeated enemies. While it was nice to have these magic spells, I didn’t overuse them and relied more on the sheer power of my guns and the nimbleness of Colette to speed around and avoid enemies. The quick burst spell was the most helpful as it got you out of pinches in a hurry.
The Stalin boss fight is as much ridiculous as it is fun. It was such a blast and was an excellent final fight in the game. You have to defeat him as he has bullet deflectors on his body which cause bullets to curve around him. Once you defeat that portion, you’ll hop on a broom and the game turns into a shoot ’em up. It was so much fun and a solid challenge.
Once you defeat the shoot ’em up portion, you’ll land on the moon and Stalin will enter a mech. This is the last segment of the fight and it’s just as good as the rest. Fighting a mech Stalin on the moon… was just a beautiful moment. I didn’t struggle with the final showdown but I can see where it could be difficult for some.
One thing I didn’t get to experience in my Trigger Witch review was the co-op. Trigger Witch can be played entirely in co-op which would be tons of fun with this type of gameplay. Maybe, someday?
Memories:
I bought Trigger Witch from PlayAsia and honestly, I didn’t know what to expect. I thought it might be a cute game to play for a few hours but after seeing all the gore I knew this was going to be a sweet game. Making my way to the end stages was berserk. My jaw was on the ground when the game not only took a left turn but drove off the cliff. I LOVED the twist and had no idea it was coming.
Trigger Witch Review Score:
Trigger Witch was a super sleeper hit. The controls are fluid, the weapons are satisfying to pull the trigger on, and the level layouts are welcoming. My jaw hit the floor with the plot twist and I was laughing at how ridiculous it got, but it was all for the best! Overall, this is a hidden gem that should be played and supported.
Trigger Witch scores a 9.5 out of 10.
What would you write in your Trigger Witch review? What other games go completely off the rails at the end? Are there other games like Trigger Witch? Let me know your thoughts and comments on Trigger Witch, I’d love to read them.
Some games fly under the radar, some games are deemed a failure, and some split public opinion right in half. Days Gone from 2019 on the PlayStation 4 fits that narrative. Developed by Bend Studio and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, those who played Days Gone enjoyed it while Sony seemed to be disappointed with the sales numbers. Hop on your hog, we’re going for a ride in this Days Gone review!
Days Gone Plot:
Days Gone features the ultimate rescue mission. A man, desperately searching for his wife who may or may not be alive. He’s given up almost all hope and is ready to accept her death until one small clue gives him insight that she may still be alive. Days Gone has a wide cast of characters, some well-written, some not. I’ll be diving deep into the plot of Days Gone so full spoilers will be ahead and I’ll be giving some insight into some decisions made with characters, something I don’t typically do. But let’s start at the beginning with Deacon St. John, our protagonist.
At the start of the outbreak which was caused by a virus made in a lab, (Not in China, Can I make that joke yet?) Deacon is part of a motorcycle club. He previously served in the army but has since found fellowship with a motorcycle gang. They partake in illegal activities but he has a good heart. When the virus overtakes the world, his wife Sarah is stabbed by a child who is turning into a freaker. Deacon pleads with a helicopter to take her away as she won’t survive without immediate medical attention. The helicopter takes off while Deacon and his biker buddy, Boozer, are left behind as the city burns. The two escape and go into hiding as the world falls into chaos. At first, they try and head to the camp where the helicopter was taking Sarah, but when they arrive they find it destroyed by freakers with bodies everywhere.
Days Gone takes place in Oregon, in the forests of the Northwest, although the outbreak has claimed the entire world. Now, Days Gone retells some relationships through flashbacks, especially Deacon and Sarah’s relationship and how they fell in love. Sarah was a botanist who inadvertently helped create the virus that destroys the world. They ended up getting together as Deacon helped her on the side of the road one day as her car is broken down. She starts to ride on his motorcycle and a relationship is created as they get married after some time. (Yes, I loved the ride me like your motorcycle line)
While Deacon is in the motorcycle gang, he must abide by strict rules or risk losing his membership. One gang member, named Jessie kills a man over a drug deal gone wrong. Jessie is then stripped of all his connections to the motorcycle gang including the numerous tattoos on his body which are burned off by a blow torch by Deacon and Boozer. As Deacon and Sarah become more involved, Deacon decided to become a Nomad of the gang, and spend less time with them and more time with Sarah. It upsets most of the gang, but Boozer still remains close friends with Deacon.
Deacon and Boozer adjust to their new life making runs for camps and taking on special missions that are dangerous. They split their time between two camps including one run by Ada, a former warden of a prison, and Iron Mike who runs Lost Lake. Iron Mike is a man who is trying to rebuild and bring people together to fight off the horde.
The horde of freakers decimates most of civilization but there’s a cult that has started up who semi worship the freakers. These cultists are called “Rippers” and are led by a man named Carlos. Rippers aren’t afraid of the freakers and often feed their victims to them. The Rippers shave their heads and mutilate their bodies with numerous cuts. They kidnap people and brainwash them by torture to join their cult. So, there’s a lot of hostility going on in the world of Days Gone.
Deacon and Boozer are attacked by Rippers who severely damage Boozer’s arm, so much so that his life is in jeopardy. The two of them escape, but Boozer needs time to heal so he is couped up in a defense tower while Deacon continues to do runs for the camps. This isolation begins to take a toll on Boozer as he becomes paranoid, aggressive, and lonely. He falls into a deep depression, and Deacon does his best to keep Boozer positive about the outlook. While Boozer is recovering Deacon starts doing runs for different survivor camps until he comes across a NERO helicopter.
NERO stands for National Emergency Restoration Organization. The goal of this organization is to study the freakers and learn as much as possible about them and the virus. Deacon tracks the helicopter and infiltrates a study zone full of NERO employees who are in hazmat suits. As he secretly holds one of the NERO members against their will for some questioning, Deacon realizes that the man he is speaking to named O’Brien is the same man that took Sarah in the helicopter the night of the outbreak. O’Brien reveals that the helicopter that Sarah was on was diverted to another camp, making it possible that Sarah could still be alive.
Boozer’s arm continues to worsen so Deacon takes him to Lost Lake camp where the doctor amputates the arm to save Boozer’s life. Deacon continues to stay in contact with O’Brien who requests help from time to time in exchange for information on the potential outcome of Sarah. The Lost Lake camp where Boozer is now stationed has a truce with the Ripper Cult but is on the verge of breaking. One of the main characters in the camp is a white-trash wannabe gangster named Skizzo. Deacon and Skizzo do not see eye-to-eye and Skizzo goes behind everyone’s back and trades Deacon to the Rippers who were interested in Deacon. It turns out that the leader of the Rippers is Jessie, the man that Deacon and Boozer tortured and burned when he was removed from the motorcycle gang.
Deacon escapes the Ripper camp and with the help of Boozer, blows up a damn that floods the Rippers killing most of them including Jessie. Skizzo is deemed untouchable despite his betrayal, and instead of being killed, is exiled from camp by Iron Mike. Continuing to dig up information on the possible whereabouts of Sarah with the help of O’Brien, Deacon heads to a militia camp where he discovers that Sarah is alive, and is working for the militia as a researcher. Deacon shows up at the camp, but he and Sarah can’t reveal that they know each other.
Sarah has been working on a bioweapon to stop the freakers once and for all as it’s been revealed by O’Brien that the freakers are evolving and only getting stronger. While she works on the bioweapon, Sarah refuses to leave the camp until it’s done so Deacon does work for the militia in the meantime. He meets the leader, Colonel Garret, who essentially is holding most researchers hostage as he prepares for a mass war against the freakers. Sarah tells Deacon that she isn’t working on a bioweapon, but a cure that might stop the spread and save the lives of those who have been turned.
Skizzo has made his way to the militia camp and lies about Deacon’s past getting him arrested while the militia attacks the Lost Lake camp killing Iron Mike. Deacon is freed by a member of the militia who believes him and Deacon heads to Lost Lake to warn the camp that the Militia will be back in bigger numbers. Boozer, Deacon, and a few others go on a suicide mission to blow up the militia base. They succeed and Deacon is able to kill Skizzo and rescue Sarah.
In the epilogue, Deacon is living at Lost Lake Camp with Boozer and Sarah when O’Brien contacts him. Deacon meets with O’Brien who lets him know that the virus is continuing to mutate and that more people are becoming freakers with advanced intelligence. O’Brien then unzips his suit and shows Deacon that he has become a freaker before leaping 20 feet in the air back on the helicopter announcing that NERO is coming.
I enjoyed much of the plot during my Days Gone review, but there were a few things that bothered me. When Skizzo heads to the militia camp and clearly interacts with Sarah, was he not aware that she was the wife of Deacon? Deacon had been quite open at the Lost Lake Camp with a few members about wanting to find his wife named Sarah. Along with that, he has a GIANT neck tattoo of “Sarah”. Did no one at the militia connect the dots? Kouri was an officer at the militia camp where Deacon tells him his wife’s name is “Beth”, but did Kouri not see the huge tattoo of Sarah? Come on.
It was poetic justice that Iron Mike was killed because of Skizzo. He let Skizzo go and is repaid by Skizzo again betraying the camp. That was a frustrating decision to watch, but Iron Mike is more forgiving than I am.
Throughout most of the game, you are trying to get Boozer to want to live again. He is so depressed and you spend many missions trying to get him to want to continue his life. When the suicide mission came up, I was very annoyed that I spent so much time trying to get this man to live only for him to blow himself up in the truck bombing of the militia because the way it was shown, there was no chance he was surviving that blast. He does survive thankfully, but at that moment I was quite annoyed that he just blows himself up anyway after hours of trying to get him to live.
For much of the majority of the game, the lesson of “teamwork” comes up and Deacon continues to say he can’t do this alone in destroying the militia in the finale. Meanwhile, the actual gameplay is Deacon by himself climbing up the militia mountain entirely by himself, killing 50 men, and then rescuing Sarah all by himself. I thought it was kind of dumb that the whole “I can’t do this by myself” angle was pounded into our heads just for Deacon to go alpha male on the militia anyway.
Days Gone Gameplay:
Days Gone is an open-world adventure game where portions of the world are unlocked through a progression of missions. Deacon will do various quests ranging from bounty hunting, fetch quests, exploration, and clearing out hordes, as well as doing large-scale combat missions that involve killing many enemies.
Perhaps the best part of my Day Gone review is the incredible feeling of riding your motorcycle through the wilderness and post-apocalyptic world. Deacon will ride his bike on every mission getting from point A to point B. It’s very satisfying to ride through the forests, or on the open road. The sound effects of the bike are realistic from the screeching of the rubber on pavement, sliding around in the mud, to the muffler backfiring on occasion. Days Gone serves as a perfect example of how to craft a fun way to travel on a large map. You can upgrade your bike throughout the game with credits at camps, but be careful on your long journies as you’ll need to fill up on gas whether that’s at a camp or an abandoned gas station. There’s no greater feeling in Days Gone than being on the open road or weaving your way through a horde of freakers on your bike.
When Deacon is in conversation with other characters, I came away impressed by the facial animations. If there was an inside joke or something he found funny, he’d give a smirk or smile. Voice acting is another positive for Days Gone. Each character has solid acting, especially Deacon and Sarah. The cut scenes felt dramatic and it was a nice change of pace to watch them unfold throughout my Days Gone Review. (And Yes, I’m one of the people that loved the line “Ride my like your motorcycle” during the vows) One character in particular that I found hilarious was Taylor. He was a millennial druggie but acted like a complete jackass in his humor, openly mocking or making jokes at Deacon. He was well-written and made me laugh.
Combat is satisfying as you take on hordes, camps, or single enemies. Deacon makes good use of his military background and is proficient in guns. I enjoyed picking off enemies one by one with headshots as I snuck around the camps. When I infiltrated a camp, I knew that I would be the last one standing despite the numerous traps that were littered throughout the campgrounds. Combat in Days Gone is best done with a mixture of stealth and precision with guns. It was rare that I felt armed enemies had the upper hand or an unfair advantage. Some fights with major characters like Skizzo and Jessie were jokes. They took less than 10 seconds and were very disappointing fights that were not satisfying after making these characters so hateable.
What I did not enjoy were the hordes. These massive trains of freakers were a pain to deal with and I avoided them at all costs. “Thinning out the horde” is a common statement in Days Gone and I wanted nothing to do with it. They made me uneasy and gave a slight horror element to the game as you would have to sneak around them, careful not to disrupt their slumber. While it made me uneasy, that wasn’t why I hated facing them. Horde battles take a long time, sometimes 15 minutes, with the longest horde battle that was required taking me almost an hour to defeat as I picked them off slowly, baiting them with me and then running away using guerilla tactics. It was not fun but instead felt like a very long chore. I can understand some people LOVING this gameplay element, but it just wasn’t for me.
While I disliked fighting off hordes, I thought the realism shined through when I approached random camps and they were under attack by random freakers, cultists, or drifters. That seems like something that would happen in a post-apocalyptic world, so when I approached camps that were under attack, I gladly defended them. It wasn’t just freakers or drifters, sometimes you’d come across hungry wolves trying to get into camps. All of these encounters felt realistic and their inclusion was noted in my Days Gone review.
One element of Days Gone that I adored was the connection to the Syphon Filter universe. It was created by most of the same people and they left a few easter eggs as surprises. The air taser may be the greatest weapon in video game history and I can’t tell you how many enemies I fried as a kid with it. It was a great nod to include it as an unlockable weapon.
There were both many positives and negatives that I experienced during my Days Gone review. I’ll detail them as much as possible, with some being small complaints, to larger concerns. One of the smaller complaints I had, was the load times. On occasion, loading can take longer than expected, especially for a game released in 2019 on the PlayStation 4.
Saving was a bit of another issue. When I saved the game, I expected it to be saved in that exact location but there were times when I’d save the game and it’d reload me at the point before a mission. It wasn’t that big of a deal, but I made a mental note to be careful when saving.
Unfortunately, glitches occurred somewhat often in my Days Gone review and this was almost three years after the game came out. One NPC had his legs shaking all about and got stuck in a door that opened. Another dead body was pinned against a wall and eventually fell through, so half his body was inside the house and half of it was outside. Another glitch had an enemy’s body launching 20 feet into the air and then staying there like he was being possessed.
The worst glitch I ran into, was during a crucial mission fighting a horde inside a cave. This part of the game was very difficult and it took me multiple tries to make it this far in the mission. I needed to completely clear a wave of a horde to trigger the next wave. During this part, you are in a tiny cave. You can set up boobytraps in preparation for the horde coming. The first wave, I was off to a great start barely using any traps and my health was in great shape. The problem was after the first wave was killed, the second wave didn’t trigger. I kept walking around for five minutes in this tiny area seeing if there was a freaker left but it was empty. The sounds of a freaker horde were there, but there were none to be seen. After searching for over ten minutes, I looked up on YouTube this section to see if I had missed something and that’s when I knew that a trigger wasn’t happening.
I had to restart that mission which really pissed me off because it was the most difficult of the game. As much as I hate glitches, I can forgive some but when it comes to a huge title with a lot of testers, debuggers, and patches, I expect the game to be in good shape. Replaying a difficult level and losing all progress because something won’t trigger was beyond frustrating.
Some enemies just felt cheap. I hated riding my motorcycle on the highway or roads and some random sniper just picks me off. There were times when it was just one guy, a lone wolf out shooting at me. When gangs attacked in groups, I understood it but when there was a lone gunman, it was more frustrating.
Other enemies that were cheap were the grizzly bears. I often invaded camps and raided them for supplies or to collect a bounty. Sneaking around the camp was fun until a giant bear would sneak up on you! I don’t have a problem with the bear sneaking around and attacking you but the bear only chases you. If you run into the camp it will chase you but only seek you out instead of causing chaos and attacking the other humans. It didn’t feel realistic that a bear would just chase one person in a crowd of 20.
There was a bit of an issue with smoothing and loading full textures. When I entered militia camps, on occasion the flags were pixelated. These might not seem like big deals but when you want to be immersed in a game when you notice that objects haven’t loaded correctly, it takes you out of that mindset.
Days Gone Review Score:
I really wanted to love Days Gone and went in with a positive mindset that I was about to experience an amazing game. While there are a lot of good things about Days Gone, there are numerous nagging issues in the gameplay that stopped it from becoming a megahit in my book. It’s a good game, but not a great one.
Days Gone scores a 7.5 out of 10.
What would you write in your Days Gone review? Do you feel the game was under the radar or were the critics justified? Who was your favorite character in Days Gone? Let me know your thoughts and comments on Days Gone, I’d love to read them.
Advertising at its best gets consumers interested in their products or puts a positive view on a company. In 1993, 7up did just that with the release of Cool Spot on the Super Nintendo. Developed and published by Virgin Games, Cool Spot is a side-scrolling action game that sees the red spot from 7up rescue other little spots from cages. It’s considered one of the best product games and today we crack open a bottle of 7up and drink this Cool Spot review!
Cool Spot Plot:
Cool Spot doesn’t have too much plot, and that’s okay but it does have a silly story in the manual. Let’s investigate and see what all the fuss is in Cool Spot.
Breaking News: SPOT and his friends, SPOT, SPOT, SPOT, SPOT, SPOT, SPOT, SPOT, SPOT, SPOT, and SPOT are in trouble and they need help…FAST!
Old News: For years, Wild Wicked Wily Will has been trying to capture a real live SPOT to prove to the world that they really do exist. (Up to date, they have never been ‘spotted’!)
Hot News: Now, Will may ‘be about to get his wish.
Bad News: Will, in a moment of true wickedness, put cunning SPOT trap cages in all of the fun places where other SPOT friends would be hanging out.
Really Bad News: The traps have worked all too well! There is now a SPOT caught in every cage!
Truly Awful News: Will will be back any minute to take them into captivity forever.
Good News: You’re here to save the day! You can help SPOT who has got “SPOT Cool Shots” to spot the cages, free his fellow SPOT friends, stop Will and be totally “COOL SPOT!”
SPOT TO THE RESCUE: Due to incredibly good planning (okay, you were actually out surfing at the time) you are the only SPOT character that is still free to have a good time. All the other SPOT characters have been trapped in one of Wicked Will’s cages.
So, there you were, being totally cool as usual, when a sign caught your eye. On it was pinned hurriedly scribbled message: “HERO WANTED”.
You, as Cool SPOT, must rescue your friends before it’s too late! You’ll need to use your cool wits and your Cool Shot of bubbles in a race against time (good thing Will is a little slow) to free your friends from the traps. Are you up for it? Will you be cool enough before Will gets his wicked hands on them?
Cool Spot Gameplay:
Cool Spot… is well… a cool game! It just gives those vibes off starting with the music. It’s upbeat and keeps you going as you make your way through the platforming and rescuing the other spots. During my Cool Spot review, I noticed little animations of Spot whether he was just hanging out on screen or doing action moves, everything is smooth and detailed. The sound effects also help give that classic cool vibe. When a video game doesn’t have much plot, the gameplay is the core of the experience, and the music, sound effects, and animation are top-notch for Cool Spot.
The core mechanics of Cool Spot come down to three elements. You’ll need to collect a specific number of spots that are scattered throughout the level. They will be guarded by enemies, tough to reach, hidden, or out in the open. Once you collect enough spots, you can rescue one of the Cool Spots that are locked away in cages. You need to rescue the Cool Spot before the timer on the stage runs out. Collect the little spots, to unlock the cage and rescue the Cool Spots before the timer runs out. That’s the basis of Cool Spot. The timer can be a factor as it pushes you to rush through a level. Numerous times I failed because I ran out of time.
There are seven levels in Cool Spot, each uniquely themed with environmental hazards, enemies, and obstacles. For instance, my favorite enemy was the mice that threw cheese at you. They were cute but tough! To help fight off the enemies, Spot can shoot bullet bubbles with the tap of a button. They are infinite so you can go wild and obliterate anything that moves.
When you take damage, Spot’s face at the top of the screen will begin to show damage and deflate. It was a nice touch and gave you some wiggle room to take damage because Cool Spot is no easy game. You’ll need to master the controls and layouts of the level if you wish to progress, especially with that timer ticking away. By all means, this is not a kid’s game despite its happy-go-lucky nature. It’s tough To help you combat the tough nature of Cool Spot, you’re blessed with checkpoints throughout levels. These help a ton, and I gladly welcomed them as I made my way through my Cool Spot review.
What makes Cool Spot such a great game is the controls and graphics. It’s For 1993, the level design was amazing from the nails in the woods to the glass bottles, and the mouse traps. All of it works well and fits into the bigger picture of the level layout. Combined with catchy music, addicting gameplay, and great sound effects, Cool Spot is a tough challenge that is worthy of your patience.
While the majority of the game is great, the ending left me with more to be desired. You are treated to an end screen that says congrats and tells you to send a photo of this screen to the address in the manual to what I can only imagine would earn you a free pack of 7up. A flat ending to an otherwise delightfully fizzy experience.
Memories: I don’t really have memories of Cool Spot growing up, but I do have a friend that has an adorable video of herself receiving Cool Spot as a Christmas gift in the early 90s. I’ve asked her about it a few times, and her fondness for the game made me want to give it a shot. I’m glad I did, it turned out to be a pretty tough but fair game. It’s unlikely she ever beat it as she can’t play a game longer than 10 minutes without being distracted. Oh, and she’s not very good anyway. Wink. Wink.
Cool Spot Review Score:
While there’s plenty of action that accompanies a great soundtrack, Cool Spot offers a tough challenge for platforming fans. Seven levels will give you spurts of difficulty but the real fun is the journey, not the lazy end screen. Cool Spot will quench your thirst when it comes to challenging platformers as it has plenty of fun to offer on the Super Nintendo.
Cool Spot scores an 8.8 out of 10.
What would you write in your Cool Spot review? Did you play the Sega Genesis version of Cool Spot? If so, what are the differences between them? What other games that feature products are well done? Let me know your thoughts and comments on Cool Spot, I’d love to read them.
In 1999, Sega gave gamers one last console launching the Sega Dreamcast on September 9th. The console would ultimately cease production just a few years later but it did come with some unique experiences that would shape the landscape of video games. Shenmue is one of the most unique games ever created as it combines a life-simulator with quick-time events, and beat ”’em-up action to give gamers a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Developed and published by Sega, Shenmue was released on December 29th, 1999. Let’s look for some Chinese sailors in this Shenmue review!
Shenmue Plot:
Shenmue is a story of revenge and mystery. Our hero, Ryo finds himself thrown into an intricate plot filled with twists and turns and plenty of questions. Where do I begin in explaining the first Shenmue plot? Let’s start with Ryo Hazuki, a young martial artist living in Yokosuka, Japan in 1986. Ryo’s father, Iwao Hazuki, is murdered by a mysterious Chinese man named Lan Di, who is searching for an ancient artifact called the Dragon Mirror in the opening scene.
Determined to avenge his father’s death and uncover the truth about Lan Di and the Dragon Mirror, Ryo sets out on a journey to find the killer. He begins by questioning people in his neighborhood and investigating the local area. To help him along the way, Ryo lives with the housekeeper, Ine Hayata, and Masayuki Fukahara, a student of Iwao who gives him emotional and financial support.
As Ryo’s search progresses, he discovers that Lan Di is a member of the Chi You Men, a powerful criminal organization with ties to the Chinese underworld. Ryo also learns that the Dragon Mirror is part of a larger artifact known as the Phoenix and Dragon Mirrors, which are said to have immense power.
Throughout the game, Ryo faces many challenges and obstacles as he tries to uncover the truth about his father’s murder and the Dragon Mirror. He meets a variety of characters, most of which try and help the headstrong Ryo. Let’s briefly discuss some of these characters and their relationships with Ryo.
Ine-San: She’s the housekeeper who helps Ryo out by giving him money each day. This comes in very handy as Ryo can spend it on items to help him on his quest or blow it on little toy vending machines. I did both.
Fuka-San: He’s a student of Iwao but lives with Ryo. He can help spar with Ryo to sharpen his skills but doesn’t offer much more. At times he wants to tag along with Ryo but Ryo turns him down.
Tom: This reggae Asian with dreadlocks runs a food truck in the town. He is really friendly with Ryo and gives him advice or information on quests or items. Tom ends up leaving Japan and flying away in a surprisingly heartfelt moment as Ryo wishes him well and hopes to see him again in this lifetime. There are some emotional moments throughout my Shenmue Review that left me impressed.
Nozomi: She’s a close friend and classmate of Ryo and has a crush on him. Ryo might be a little too daft to realize it and puts his father’s revenge as a priority over Nozomi. Throughout the game, there are some touching moments between Ryo and Nozomi although Ryo clearly has bigger things on his mind with the need to avenge his father.
Chai: He reminds me a lot of Golem from Lord of the Rings in his mannerisms, voice, and dialogue. Chai sneaks around and is a formidable foe who attacks Ryo throughout the game. He is spying for Ryo’s enemies.
Yaowen Chen: He’s a wealthy man in the trading business originally from China. He helps assist Ryo in putting together information and moving forward in the investigation.
Guizhang Chen: He’s the son of Yaowen Chen and an expert martial artist. He tests Ryo from time to time in a friendly rivalry. There are some missions that Ryo and Guizhang take on together and they generally make a good team when beating up thugs. Guizhang was originally supposed to depart with Ryo to China but is critically injured in the final duel. Needing rest, he stays behind as Ryo takes off.
Lan Di – A master of a powerful form of martial art that was supposed to have disappeared long ago, Lan Di’s chilling stare alone is enough to intimidate most opponents. But those brave enough to ignore his state usually forfeit without a fight once they see his deadly moves. Evil to the core, he is capable of showing no mercy and will stop at nothing to bury anyone who dares to cross him.
These characters along with many others help shape the plot of Shenmue. In a series of investigations, Ryo begins to search for Chinese sailors and begins working at the docks as a forklift operator as he discovers the Mad Angels, a local gang that has their hand in many illegal activities. As Ryo continues to try and dig up information on Lan Di, he discovers that Lan Di is soon planning on traveling to China. With time running out, Ryo and Guizhang head to the ship docks in hopes of finding Lan Di.
Ryo and Guizhang pursue Lan Di but are confronted by Chai in a final battle. In the end, Ryo is able to defeat Chai but is left with many unanswered questions about the Phoenix Mirror, the Chi You Men, and his father’s true past. Guizhang is wounded and is left unable to travel at the moment to China. The game ends with Ryo vowing to continue his search for the truth and to avenge his father’s death, setting the stage for the sequel, Shenmue II as he hops on a boat and heads to China.
Shenmue Gameplay:
Shenmue is an experience like no other, something I had no previous resemblance to in my gaming history. It was a journey that was immersive, casual, and at times comical as you search for Lan Di. The small details are everywhere and it’s hard to fathom this came out in 1999. Shenmue combines many genres to make one of the most unique experiences I’ve had in gaming.
The opening movie was beautiful and set the stage for Shenmue to captivate me for the three weeks I played it. While the animation is smooth and the environment detailed, the voice acting is absolutely atrocious to go along with the comical facial features. Usually, I would knock a score down because of this, but it was “It’s so bad, it’s good” with Shenmue. Every character is voiced whether they are main, side, or NPCs. You can strike up a conversation with anyone and the results are hilarious. Some people just want to be left alone, while others will give you clues or hints.
There is so much to do in Shenmue aside from finding Lan Di. This could be considered a life-simulator as you live a virtual life walking and wandering around the town and streets visiting people, conversing, and shopping. Almost everything you come into contact with is interactable. If you see a dresser, you can open up all the drawers and search for things. There’s a Sega Saturn you can plug in and play and later on earn games for it. The majority of the game is played in the third-person view, but you can use a first-person view and search for more detailed items in a room. You could play Shenmue ten times and discover something new each time. I wish I had time to experience and write more Shenmue reviews, but alas, I only have so much time.
As somewhat of a life simulator, you’re free to do whatever you please. Lan Di can wait as you visit the local arcade and play real Sega games preserved perfectly. I can’t express enough, how real it felt to me that I was in 1986, Japan. It was a feeling that I rarely experience in my gaming, but I felt so immersed in this game. It felt like I was there, saying hello to the neighborhood kids, feeding the orphan kitten, watching shopkeepers open up, and bumping into citizens living their lives. There’s a time cycle that starts each day you wake up and continues to bedtime. People will live their days. Shops open and close at certain times. Events happen during specific times and the days will pass on by. When the holidays come, the town puts up decorations and lights. I saw men dressed as Santa Claus walking down the street, one of them was drunk. It was incredible.
During your investigation to get information on Lan Di, Ryo will be involved in different quests. Sometimes, you’ll be waiting a little too long for events to happen but to pass the time, you can find music to listen to in your walkman, play at the local arcade, or just explore! One segment of Shenmue has you becoming a forklift operator, a real 8 to 5 job where you move boxes from warehouse to warehouse. I got into a groove and was an expert after a few days. It sounds stupid and maybe boring but it was just so different from other games, I didn’t mind doing it for a few days. When you aren’t working jobs in Shenmue, you’ll be asking a lot of questions to people. Searching for clues is a huge part of the gameplay and you can ask different subjects. It feels like one big cat-and-mouse game as Lan Di or whoever you’re searching for is one step ahead.
My Shenmue review featured plenty of other gameplay elements including quick-time events that were somewhat groundbreaking at the time. There will be cutscenes in that you will be an active participant in pushing buttons when they come up as Ryo chases someone or fights off thugs. They aren’t too difficult, and if you fail you can repeat them in a quick manner.
Aside from quick-time events, there’s a portion of the game that has you brawling with martial arts moves you’ve learned in the game. Button combinations pull various moves and combos. Ryo can kick, punch, throw and dodge during fighting segments. It all combines for fun action and there were only a few times when I would have to retry a fight during my Shenmue Review. One of my favorite parts of the game was when I had to make my way through the Mad Angels in a massive gang brawl where I beat up well over 50 thugs.
Shenmue is part life-simulator, part brawler, part investigation, part quick-time events, and part cinematic experience. It sounds silly but it blends together and works. During one segment of the game in which the love interest of Ryo, Nozomi gets kidnapped you’ll find yourself rescuing her at the gang’s hideout. Nozomi and Ryo didn’t get much screen time together but you could tell they cared for each other. One of the single most powerful cinematic experiences I’ve had in gaming was the rescue of Nozomi. I thought to myself, now would be a perfect time to have some type of cinematic experience as Ryo and Nozomi ride off on a motorcycle under the city lights at night. Sure enough, I was treated to a beautiful scene of the two of them riding the motorcycle on the highway as a love song played as Nozomi held Ryo tight as the city lights glowed. It was powerful and touching. One of my favorite moments in video games.
The cinematic experience didn’t stop there but continued as Ryo got on the boat to China. It felt like an end to a chapter in a huge story. Very rarely, do emotions stir in me for characters, but I felt for Ryo as he boarded the boat, unaware of what would happen next to him but cheering him on silently.
Shenmue Review Score:
It’s hard to describe Shenmue. The combination of so many genres blends together to make an incredible experience that I wish everyone could have. I felt like I was living in 1986, Japan. The voice acting is terrible, but it has its own charm. Truly, Shenmue has some type of gameplay that everyone would love and a world full of characters to move along the plot. One of the greatest gifts Sega gave us before dying was Shenmue, and I couldn’t be more thankful.
Shenmue scores a 9.7 out of 10.
What would you write in your Shenmue review? Who was your favorite character in Shenmue? Which type of gameplay did you enjoy the most? What secrets did you discover during your Shenmue playthrough? Let me know your thoughts and comments on Shenmue, I’d love to read them.
Tiger Chainsaw 