Recent reviews by Mykurr

Goated with the sauce.

When it first came out, Sonic Colors was seen as a beacon of hope as a return of the Sonic franchise. No werehog, no bad motion controls, no kissing a human and everything else bad sonic reviewers of the 2010s have already mentioned. Heck, even mentioning how bad that era of sonic critique was is pretty cliche at this point. Now over a decade later, a remaster has come out and it looked like ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥. But that’s okay, because sonic fans grew up and are now capable enough of fixing everything Sonic Team screwed up on. Truly, there’s never been a better time to be a sonic fan than right now. But how does the actual game stack up in retrospect?

Funnily enough, a gradual shift has occurred within the reception of certain sonic games. Sonic Unleashed used to be seen as a mediocre entry with the werehog stages dragging down what would otherwise be a pretty good game, but nowadays it's universally beloved among Sonic fans. The inverse has occurred with Sonic Colors where its flaws seem to be more visible in the eyes of many with the abundance of 2D sections and the bloated 6 act structure of every level. Although 6 acts does make it a tad weird as some of it can feel stretched, knowing that it's just chopped up pieces of an act 2 helps knowing that each act is more of an exploration of the different gimmicks of the level with the accompanying wisps that can be used. In this regard, I think Sonic Colors level design is actually brilliant in how much variety it has and how it accompanies the player in exploring its different aspects.

In addition to its accommodating level design, sonic control really well in this iteration with the double jump coming in clutch for a lot of the platforming but also the fact its abundance in 2D sections creates less room for error. People hark on said 2D sections but honestly it really isn’t that bad as they both maintain the challenge and the spectacle I expect from my sonic game. The appeal of this game though, the wisps, is what really brings these strong design elements together. I love that Sonic took a page from Mario’s book in getting different power-ups that can help explore these new terrains. Each of the new wisps are surprisingly unique and well-integrated without ever feeling forced onto you as a lot of stages don’t even really rely on using the wisps. This is essentially how I want a sonic game’s gimmick to be incorporated into the game.

With the Re-Rainbow Mod, this game looks outstanding. I’m still going to give a negative rating overall for this game because the base game is honestly just a downgrade of the original, but the folks working on the mod really deserve me giving credit to them as every stage is even more visually beautiful with the restoration of its original colors and lighting brought to HD. With a game with such gorgeous level themes being that of different planets, Sonic Colors is stunning on another level with the Re-Rainbow mod. It also makes the wisp powers pop out more with the cool spectacle they are with better textures in a better looking environment. Sonic Colors Ultimate with the Project Re-Rainbow mod might be the best looking 3D sonic game in my humble opinion so far.

So should you drop the cash to buy Sonic Colors Ultimate now that there’s a mod that fixes everything? It depends. Feels wrong to essentially reward Sega for the work modders did, but ultimately Sonic Colors was their game that they originally developed. If you’ve never played Sonic Colors, then you might as well jump in here and install the mod to witness one of the best 3D sonic games that isn’t Sonic Generations. If you have played the original game, then only get this if you really want to see what the game should look like in HD if you don’t mind giving that money to Sega’s half-assed attempt at it. Either way, I had a good time at the very least with replaying the game this way.

Definitely get it if you liked the other entries of Class of ‘09. The structure is different from the other games with dense each route is with Jecka’s personal story compared to how the other games show more of fragmented parts of Nicole’s life. If you haven’t played the other games you definitely should, they’re very interesting satirical takes of late 2000s american culture anyone can appreciate even if you aren’t from the whiter suburbs of the US or old enough to care about the late 2000s.

The focus on Jecka is actually something a lot of fans probably wanted considering she’s the second most recurring character besides the main character Nicole in the previous Class of 09 games so it's interesting to see what Jecka’s life is like in the background while you’re out ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ up Nicole’s life. Honestly the most interesting thing about this game is how much it actually references the previous games compared to the Re-Up, with one of the conclusions of the previous route really weaving itself well with one of the routes in the first game. In this regard it paints a cool picture for the Class of 09 lore entirely of how Nicole and Jecka’s friendship works and how they’re both getting screwed over in different ways and oddly becoming kindred souls granted this is never really mentioned in the game, still an interesting perspective the game displays.

Since it’s Jecka’s game it’s pretty novel seeing all the events unfold from Jecka’s perspective, to the point that it gets a lot of criticism of being outright torture porn but in reality it really is the same events, Jecka just happens to actually have emotions and responds appropriately to the messed up stuff compared to Nicole. Also the fact that since these characters are legally 18 within this game that the creator really didn’t try conceal his fetishes this time around. I guess it's just a filter against all the anti-sex puritans who are fans of the series because despite how fetishy it is, it's still very in-brand with the stories it tells.

Two of the five routes are straight up feet fetish routes and honestly they were quite entertaining as one having Nicole being a literal murderer and the other being outright NTR. Very shocking but also what I expected to get out of Class of 09. The FYE route was honestly quite tasteless though in comparison as beyond the crass attempt with middle eastern countries, there just wasn’t much comedy with it. I’ve also seen a lot of criticisms of the groomer route saying it was too far but like, every male adult in the previous games was also trying to groom Nicole? Anyways the main ending that connected to the first game was a cool nod especially since ties a lot of the main themes of Class of 09 as a whole together but it does feel like it was missing the comedic oomph.

Really, this game is kind of missing that snarky punch the previous games have. Sure it is from Jecka’s perspective and she isn’t the character to throw witty insults the same way Nicole does but there really isn’t all that much funny interactions or moments I can easily remember besides the 7 seconds bullying joke. This compounds by the fact that there’s only 5 routes in the game so there really isn’t much variety on the possible scenarios to be in which is a shame since I’d really like to see Jecka doing other things. Also doesn’t help that one of the routes is really boring and doesn’t even have a worthwhile payoff. Another thing I noticed with this game in particular is that there’s an awful lot of screaming=joke compared to previous entries. Sure the joke does land at times, but it feels like copout from being unable to think of more clever punchlines from natural dialogue. It's a bit of a shame but it’s very evident that the writing in this game just doesn’t hit as hard as the first game.

Overall, this game is definitely the weakest entry out of three, but I also want to keep in mind that the creator is working on “the anime” while also working on this so I’m willing to take on its concessions. The game is really not getting some heat for it online but surprisingly a lot of the hate for it feels like stuff that were also in the previous games that just seem worse because of the change in perspective. It's still worth playing regardless if you’re a fan of the games but I’d be lying if I didn’t have some amount of disappointment both in the quality and quantity presented here.

Having issues with stable frame rate despite my PC being clearly powerful enough to run it. The game itself doesn't feel particularly challenging at all with not much besides the action going on at least for the normal difficulty. Story is completely whatever I do not care about what's going on at all. Complete waste of time.

A straight improvement from the first game in every way. The bump system has been further refined so even though it's not too different from the first game, its slightly more consistent with how you approach enemies and such. A lot of the foreshadowing and setup of the story in Ys I pays off really well with the climax of this game, which is surprising considering how far they can prioritize a narrative for a game that originally came out in the 80s. Exploration is also way more intricate compared to the first game, but surprisingly not too overwhelming as the finite amount of paths to take essentially just make it so you’re bound to grab most of the extras by simply wandering around. Boss battles are also way more engaging with the added magic that Adol can do, leading to some interesting strategies with stuff like using homing fire magic or even time magic. You definitely have to play Ys I first before playing this, but if you got some enjoyment from that then this is an obvious must play.

Here is the start to my Ys binge! Did this wow me? Maybe not, but it was interesting enough that I want to keep going.

As an old game, it does the thing I hate where the game doesn’t naturally lead me where to go next with its level design, but when talking to key story NPCs they fortunately make it obvious enough on where to go next. Up to the final dungeon, I never actually had to wonder what I should do next and so I consider this to be a great positive aspect for this game.

The problem though is that a lot of the environments just repeat themselves, so it’s hard to see when sufficient progress is made if you're not just walking in circles. This is made even worse during the final dungeon where the insides and balcony look the same so I’m always unsure if I’m actually entering a new area.

Surprisingly, I can see the DNA of the Kiseki series in this game as although brief, there’s definitely an attempt in fleshing out the NPCs to make the place more lived in. The OST is a banger which is expected of Falcom so that's something to look forward to in future Ys games.

The bump system is uhhh… I feel uneven as although I can’t properly do the combat right, it also seems very easy when your stats are inflated enough. Speaking of, the level cap at 10 really sucks since there’s not much to work towards and there isn’t much to buy so gold is useless halfway through the game.

Overall, this game is really rough on a lot of its edges. I still beat it though, which means there’s still some value to this game despite its age. Ys II is looking good if its supposedly an improvement of this game. Play this if you’re interested on what’s supposedly “one of the first action RPGs” out there.

This is the definitive Persona 3 experience! Yes, the original has its own uniqueness and charm to it with certain features absent on this installment. Nevertheless, this own entry is just so rich in the amount of extras they put in that this has to be the way Persona 3 is experienced. The most beautiful Iwatodai has ever been. A combat system that always feels rewarding in its challenge but without the tedium of the original. New hangout events that explore more of the characters that were missing in the main game as some weren’t social links. This game has it all.

Presentation-wise, this game is a direct upgrade on all matters of visuals. The portraits look so much better with how detailed they are to match the newer persona games, not to put down the original but as much “SOVL” the designs had, the polish here just makes them worlds apart. It also looks graphically amazing, turning the PS2 game into this modern world in the same style as Persona 5 with how vibrant everything looks. The menu and UIs look amazing that it never feels bothersome staring at menus for hours as you would typically do in a JRPG, though I have a slight issue with how boring a lot of the fonts are, being some basic Arial variant. In terms of music, I have to agree that the new remixes of original tracks just don’t hit on the same level. However, the newer tracks themselves are amazing and further heighten the amazing experience of playing Reload as it completely turns this game into its identity separate from previous iterations.

For its gameplay, Persona 3 Reload is essentially the modern version of Persona 3. You have your daily life sections and your dungeon crawling sections which is standard of Persona of course. There’s not much to get into here broadly speaking since it's as great as the formula that made me fall in love with the franchise in the first place. What I do like which I think are new additions are the computer apps that do a variety of things such as increase stat or help with social links, which is great since now you have more options at night. There’s also hangouts that I mentioned earlier with characters that aren’t part of social links like Junpei and Akihiko which are honestly pretty interesting to read through, but the fact that they aren’t social links and only provide stat bonuses gives little incentive to do these hangouts compared to further progressing social links.

The tartarus gameplay is where things really improved though, each block now has a very distinct look and map design making things feel less repetitive. Combat has gone through a massive upgrade with the additions of theurgies and shifting allowing for a greater degree of freedom and power. I played this game on merciless difficulty and although it's challenging, it also always feels fair. Bosses always have some out to them be it a weakness, ailment or enough damage without feeling spongy. Some might dislike the removal of splitting the party but I always saw that as a crutch to how barebones the dungeons are. Also just the sheer amount of new content like the Monad sections and being able to let underleveled party members catch up just makes everything worth it.

Although it has a lot of nitpicky issues for me, Persona 3 has still one of the greatest narratives I’ve witnessed in gaming. Its core message and living life to the fullest and being aware of your own mortality making that life all the more meaningful, although a tad preachy, still connects as the whole daily life system that modern Persona games uses is thematically most resonant with this very story as you make choices in how you try to get the most out of your life. Although I did complain about hangouts not having worthwhile in-game bonuses to them, I think it does add to the themes of Persona 3 as you’re essentially weighing in that connection with a worthwhile friend against min-maxing an efficient life. It really is just like life. But what exemplifies these ideas even more is how Tartarus comes into this, as members of SEES have that to deal with while living their lives. Junpei for example finds the dark hour to be his calling, while characters like Yukari and Mitsuru consider it as a curse as the ones who took their loved ones from them. Persona 3 beautifully develops its characters in perfect tandem with the story weaving in a structure where all feels fulfilled by the very end. I do have some issues I can’t help but point out such as how the airplanes work with the existence of the dark hour or how much it actually affects the world with different time zones and all, but most of that doesn’t really conflict with the actual point of Persona 3.

So play Persona 3 Reload. It’s the best way to experience Persona 3. Live out that daily life of a highschooler who battles shadows at night. Make those unforgettable bonds with those social links and hangouts. Save the world from apathy! Enjoy the whole experience revamped to how I always wanted it to play.

This was basically Arkham asylum but bigger and better… and batman-er. Had more or less the same combat which worked well for the most part so there’s not much to complain there. The more expansive setting was great for traversing especially with how Batman glides now, but also worked well with Catwoman as another playable character whose skill set was different enough from Batman that it was also enjoyable on its own. Granted the bigger world does kind of make it tedious by the time I got sick of exploring and just wanted to get to the next objective quickly, though a fast-travel wouldn’t have really solved it and most likely just ruined the structure of the game. The story is actually more engaging this time around with Hugo Strange as the main antagonist and how each villain feels very realized in their own motives and ambition compared to the first game where it was really just the Joker Show. Will probably play more of the expansion now that I’ve beaten the main story, it's definitely a game that's worth the time spent.

This was all around a pretty fun game but not one that’ll stick in my mind for the long run. I had a good time but I don't really have the drive to do any of the post-game stuff. It's a visual treat for sure but something about the colors just ain’t right for me, could just be my eyes though. The action and rhythm synergy is all around great, especially mixed with the variety of combat styles it makes it all pretty enjoyable, but the structure is pretty meh with walking around corridors and occasionally doing basic platforming to get to the next wide open space to do the next beat em up stuff. Story is also kinda whatever although it has some cool characters, the writing feels awfully post-2010s meta humor where everything is snarky tongue and cheek that I’m just not vibing with. Still overall a pretty good game, but its not the first thing I’ll recommend if someone asks for a cool action game.

Playing this game again two years after its initial release and I’ve more or less have the same opinion on it.

The open zone formula is pretty interesting but the puzzles are generally all way too easy and the overall terrain isn’t all that pleasing to look at being just vomit realism. The pop-in really doesn’t help either but for the most part it's never gotten to the part where it bothered me at the very least. Story is in the absolute abyss, it tries way too hard to be serious for some lore I can’t fathom people would actually get invested in. The highlight of this game is still very much the bosses with how great they are in spectacle despite how light they actually are on gameplay, albeit replaying again makes me realize the cutscenes honestly ruin the pacing for me. My biggest change of mind has to be on the fourth island, with how I originally disdained it for not feeling interesting though in retrospect I’m now a bigger fan of the vertical challenge of climbing the towers.

Sonic’s overall skillset keeps the game fun with the amount of options you can use to travel the islands, but the combat is awfully mediocre even with the special skills you can use. Thankfully the auto combo allows the player to skip it entirely which is honestly fine by me even if it's an obvious sign that the devs weren’t all that confident in it. Cyber stages suck ass though, it's already bad enough these are ripped stages from previous games with only four backdrops which makes looking at them eventually nauseating, but sonic’s moveset simply doesn’t compliment these levels. What’s more is that the upgrades don’t even affect his physics in the cyberstages so it just feels jarring losing all the speed and movement you’d usually have in the open world. Overall replaying the game was a fun time, but with how rough it is it does make me worry a tad bit with Sonic x Shadow Generations. But this is without considering its expansion…

Final Horizon changes everything. The simple puzzles and obstacle courses pose an actually interesting challenge that I very much welcome in engaging me with the open zone structure. However, due to the level of complexity increasing, the flaws of the pop-in really begin to show as being demanded to traverse through the island more skilfully is hindered by not being able to see assets that haven’t loaded yet. The new mechanics such as the spindash and perfect parrying are very welcome editions I wish were included in the base game, but it’s a shame that the overall game doesn’t really accommodate the use of these new skills besides the last trial and the final boss.

Its great seeing sonic’s friends being playable in a way that doesn’t take away the core appeal of sonic games unlike the adventure games, but it really felt undercooked with how stiff characters like Amy felt with not being able to control her right. Knuckles was a lot of fun from the get go luckily enough, but I think my favorite new character to control was surprisingly Tails. He starts off sucky with not even having the homing attack compared to the other two, but by late game he's easily the most flexible character to use with how unlocking his skills such as the tornado make exploring the islands an absolute blast. These characters alongside Eggman are also more utilized in the story but at this point of my gameplay I just skipped every cutscene because I was already cringing at the overly seriousness of this game.

Ultimately, I didn’t like this game. As much as I do appreciate the bump in difficulty, the level design for the towers basically contradicted what I enjoyed about Sonic games the most by trading in high speed spectacle for annoying stressful precise platforming. I tried to push through all the friction because I heard the final boss was hype as hell, but it turns out to be an annoying version of the supreme boss with some mechanics the game barely tries to hint at you to the point of me just finding out the method through happenstance. Super Sonic 2 was supposed to be this cool thing but blue eyes and red aura is whatever to me. There was this cool form at the very end but it ended up just being a cutscene which again is my biggest issue with this whole game.

At the very least, I’m glad Sonic Frontiers was successful. Despite the meme, this is a step in the right direction and with how Sonic x Shadow Generations is looking to be, Sonic Team seems to be actually getting the respect it deserves from Sega with actual polish and quality control this time around so there’s something to look forward to thanks to this game’s success. Play the game just to show that there is interest in the series so that future entries can be more promising.