Recent reviews by Mykurr

This was given out for free on Steam for good reason.

Does this serve well as a companion piece to the movie? No. There's nothing much to see here that other better lego games can better provide. Does this serve well as a substitute or reexperiencing the movie? No. They cut whole scenes out so it's confusing when they go from one event to the next with no actual transitional cutscenes in between. Go watch the lego ninjago movie and the rest of the lego movies instead, those are actually really good. If you want good lego games you can’t go wrong with Lego Stars Complete Saga, Lego Batman 1 & 2, and Lego Indiana Jones The Original Adventures. The one good thing about this game is just the kaiju level at the epilogue after you beat the story.

A certain youtuber has popularized a certain meme that this game “makes you feel like Batman” but honestly this game makes you feel as batman as any other action character I can think of.

Many would hail the Arkham series as one of the best adaptations of capeshit within the video game landscape, but really the competition just isn’t all that tough to begin with. To my knowledge, the only ones that people even respect to a very high degree in the first place are the recent Spidey games by Insomniac and the beloved Lego games which are still honestly pretty brain-dead games. Honestly though, this game is just as simple as those lego games but it works very well for the most part.

One thing these games do that “makes you feel like Batman” is definitely its presentation. The sparse use of colors with everything tending to be very dark and monotone really sells that this is indeed a batman game that can be placed quite comfortably with its other incarnations in other mediums such as the Nolan movies or the original animated series. Maybe it's just me but the animation models how Batman runs and fights also feel awfully familiar to how you’d see him in the cartoon or comics recreating that campy feeling. Surprisingly it doesn’t clash at all with the overly serious grimdark setting of Arkham and just feels like another episode of Batman’s adventures.

Though despite being an iteration of Batman’s adventures, this is honestly quite light on the storytelling for what happens to be a superhero story. Basically, Batman puts Joker into Arkham only for it to be a trap where Joker then proceeds to put Batman into his playground against his rogue’s gallery. This is effective in platforming this action game but doesn’t really make the player really pay attention to the actual narrative beyond “whoa Batman is up against this villain next”. Granted, it honestly doesn’t have to be anything more than what it is since its fun for what it’s worth in running around Arkham Asylum in the first place.

The gameplay is honestly just pretty good, but nothing actually substantial. I’m quite disappointed that the combat has this weird auto-lock to enemies where you don’t really have to control Batman’s direction all that much and really just mash the attack button while occasionally using the counter button whenever the visual indicator for it appears. What’s the actual highlight however is definitely the exploration and stealth in trying to maneuver through the different buildings without getting caught and solving easy but interesting puzzles on the way to your next destination. This part really does feel like an episode of BTAS where Batman has to solve a situation a villain has put him through which I do appreciate.

I like Batman Arkham Asylum. If you like the caped crusader, it's definitely a game worth playing. One thing I forgot to mention actually is the element of horror of the unknown in being in an asylum which I found very engaging. This is especially heightened with the Scarecrow segments which really got me immersed as this being a Batman story. Sometimes the models and combat can feel a bit stiff though, but that is more so because it's a PS3 game more than anything. Good time to be had with this one, worth the 13 hours I put into it.

This is JUST the original game, and that’s why I don’t like it.

Resident Evil 4 Remake just seems outright unnecessary to me. Resident Evil 2 and 3 were originally fixed camera games and their remakes provided fresh takes on a completely new experience of these original games while still maintaining a sense of horror and dread through claustrophobically dark rooms and levels and its scarce resource management (less so in RE3R but there was still that element of terror). Here in RE4R, Leon is just this unstoppable force and never once am I ever really afraid of any possible horrors that Leon can’t handle. Even in the original RE4, despite it being action heavy it felt more as if Leon is just trying to survive the hellscape with how little the player is given and how much the atmosphere makes things tense be it in the villages, castle or laboratory.

This game obviously looks good for the most part as it's the same RE engine used for RE2R and RE3R so dem graphics are going to look gorgeous in portraying the location it's set in. However, like mentioned above the presentation just doesn’t sell the horror to me. It just feels like playing an action game that occasionally gives you a jumpscare here and there which just feels cheap at times. If I were to compare it to the original, the laboratory scene comes to mind where the original had the perfect lighting and ambience with the strange creature approaching, the horror is in just that fear knowing the inevitable is coming. With the remake, a moment that pissed me off is really just opening a door and suddenly some monster was already behind it giving it a cheap surprise. The presentation is just missing that special sauce to me. Also what the ♥♥♥♥ did they do to Ada Wong, ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ her new voice is so bad now WHY WOULD THEY DO THIS TO HER I AM SO MAD SO MAD SO MAD SO MAD- anyways I used a mod that fixes her voice so I’m gucci.

Story-wise it is exactly the same as the original RE4 but with some events shuffled which I actually appreciate since it presents said old ideas in new ways I can appreciate. Sure they toned down Luis being a creep to Ashley and the fact that Ashley is way more mature than how she was originally but I’m honestly fine with that. Cheesiness is all but gone unfortunately as the events are taken much more seriously, with more emphasis on Leon’s PTSD over the events of Raccoon City and him just cracking less goofy one liners. The bickering between Leon and Ashley is still there but it's more like Leon is reassuring a child rather than the back and forth of the original. There’s definitely an intentional tonal change between the 2 games but I don’t really mind it that much as it means that they are trying to do something different which I appreciate a remake to do.

As an action game, I might actually consider this to be a really great game. The knife parrying feels so rewarding to do and the action sequences with guns in trying to clear an area is satisfying to an extent. However, the tin says Resident Evil and that’s the standards I will be adhering to. Although on the surface it is great not being limited by tank controls anymore, it also means that so many other factors like the enemy movements and such have to be changed according to what you can do. The limitations of the original really added an element of terror in the limited things Leon can do with the scarce resources, paired with the slow moving enemies really created that horror gameplay experience of just a gradual escalating tension of panic. In comparison, the remake is just an action game that plays really well, but nothing particularly distinct or Resident Evil about it for me.

Honestly, I’m probably not even being fair to this game. My biggest issue is the fact that it's incredibly close to the original game without enough that makes it unique enough for me to recommend as its own experience. But at the same time, I have to admit this is a solid project and I can see many considering this to be the definitive Resident Evil 4 experience. I wish I could tell people to play the original instead, but I know there are aspects to it some folks just can’t get past like the tank controls and this game does serve well as a modern version just without actually being very distinct on its own compared to many other remakes I really like. Other than that, it's a solid game that I just fundamentally disagree with.

What a great movie-like experience this is! But that’s all it is.

Not to be too harsh towards this game, but this game kind of explained to me why a lot of people like to call certain games as “movie games’. I don’t find it necessarily disparaging, but it really demonstrates how the game really tries to mimic a movie-like experience albeit interactive with all the epic set pieces as to how Lara Croft maneuvers through certain obstacles. All this cool ♥♥♥♥ is happening on screen, but all the player really is doing is just holding a direction and occasionally pressing A or X.

There are some actual interactive parts in this game though like the puzzles which are actually pretty interesting to solve despite how easy they are, though they’re very few and far between so there’s not much to be impressed with. The worst part of the game has to be the skirmishes against waves of enemies, not only does it feel monotonous and repetitive, it's just not what I expect a character like Lara Croft to be doing. I get that she's a superhuman, but from what I understand she really isn’t meant to be this guns-blazing force of power type of character.

Some areas are explorable which is cool to find journals, artifacts and the like since it actually feels Tomb Raider-y with actually being an archaeologist as it adds more to the world. Speaking of the setting, it's interesting that they’re trying to have Lara’s friends have their own narratives but I either can’t get invested by it or I just outright dislike the character. The lore surrounding the island is cool though, so I’m at least fine with Sam and Lara’s dynamic. Otherwise it's a pretty forgettable narrative and I can see a lot of players just outright skipping all the cutscenes.

Despite how middling I felt with this game, I was actually never all that bored since it paces itself well while never having a dull moment. Tomb Raider (2013) isn’t all that special, but for what it is I can enjoy it. Play the game if you wanna experience a thrilling adventure that checks all the boxes as to what a game should do to keep your attention. Just don’t expect something mind blowing.

Greatest of all time. Zenith of the medium. Hallmark of media. Gold standard of storytelling. Apogee of creativity. Vertex of invention. Crest of ingenuity. Acme of imagination. Pinnacle of innovation. Epic of epics. Legend among legends. Peak fiction.

I played this game in honor of Akira Toriyama after his passing as this game is known for having the “dream team” staff as part of its development. Compared to most games I’ve played recently, everyone around me has been hyping this game up as one of the best the video game medium has to offer so my expectations were the highest it could ever be. But this game surpassed them. Chrono Trigger is the video game that encapsulates why I love video games, from its grandiose adventure to its gameplay mechanics all serving the only purpose a video game should have; to be fun.

Easily one of the best looking SNES era games, sure it doesn’t look as technologically advanced as say Donkey Kong Country or uses mode7 graphics like Final Fantasy 6 all that often, but the art direction is just simply magnificent with how the world looks in how it fits well to the stellar Akira Toriyama character designs with the main playable characters looking as slick as hell. Monsters look like this perfect fusion of Final Fantasy eldritch horrors mixed with Dragon Quest’s charming silliness that creates a cool balance of both. Chrono Trigger also has a godly soundtrack where each music piece feels so resonant with the scene playing that I always end up humming the tunes while I play. Even if you dislike older video games, everyone owes it to themselves to at least check out this one with how amazingly well it has aged.

One thing that playing Chrono Trigger has made me learn is that every western inspired JRPG really is just trying to mimic this game and I can see why. It is THE turn-based combat JRPG for players who hate turn based combat. With the ATB system similar to Final Fantasy but with an interesting twist with positioning on the screen, Chrono Trigger’s combat really gives the illusion of being more lively and involved compared to other turn-based JRPGs in this sense. How quick the combat is against enemies also really helps the exploration, especially the fact that it has no random enemy encounters. That must certainly be a huge boon for some. But that’s just scratching the surface of what makes the exploration great as the real meat is in fact the time travel letting you explore the world in different time periods and impacting history in different ways to complete side quests and progress through the story.

It is with this gameplay element that the story truly shines as something completely unique. It starts off with Crono simply being dragged into the time travel shenanigans but it gradually escalates into this amazing time travel adventure where you meet interesting party members each very distinct to their original time periods and having a lot of character and personality. The overall main story is surprisingly short, but it makes up for it with its sheer amount of side quests available before the final boss. I like this structure to be honest, it gives a lot of content for those who want to make the most out of their games while also being a game that can be relatively quick for those who just want to see the main things of what makes this game so great, Either way, Chrono Trigger will rarely ever keep a played bored with how well it directs them to the next interesting event.

So you're wondering right now, "why is this marked as not recommended when you've just been praising it non-stop?" Because I want you to know, the person browsing through the steam store during a steam sale for random games to buy but never play scrolling through reviews, that Chrono Trigger is an amazing game and this contrast between the rating and the the first few words of this review will catch your attention. But more importantly, if I have achieved this then I also want to let people know NOT to buy the steam version. It constantly crashed and the only reason why I didn't give up on this is because the bookmark system lets me reload saves close to where the game crashed. But if you don't want a miserable experience in playing one of the best games ever made, set sail for the seven seas and rev that emulator up.

Just some spectacular fun in the most greasy way possible. The MS paint pizzeria aesthetic really sells its identity well as this oily cheesy run and jump fun that you can really feel with the slippery yet responsive controls. Despite being a 2D platformer, I would definitely recommend using an analog stick to perform more precise inputs. Every stage in this game is so distinct in its level design, theme and gimmicks, yet they're all so wondrously huge that you’re really getting your $10 worth out of these 12 stages. Then there are the bosses, possibly the most exciting and exhilarating boss battles I’ve ever played for a 2D platformer where they perfectly ride the balance between challenge and fun. Seeing they’re goofy expressions while I pummel each unique boss is such a high, and this high is brought to its absolute height with the amazing final boss which is essentially the greatest boss rush ever conceived. Issa mastepees.

The Noise update was pre good too!

What is the appeal of Yakuza games? The badassery of Kiryu Kazuma? The thrilling narrative of the Tojo Clan’s strife against themselves and its rivals? The Silly substories and plot twists that occur throughout this franchise? Well, Yakuza Kiwami 2 has all of these for sure. Entering after my slight disappointment of Kiwami 1 considering that Yakuza 0 is my favorite game of all time, I honestly couldn’t expect much from Kiwami 2 to really engage me. Just played the game because of a weak reason, that is “since I really loved one of the games, I might as well play the whole franchise”. But Kiwami 2 really reminded me of all the things I loved in Y0 with how gripping these yakuza characters can be and a story that actually has some meat to it, if not for some hiccups near the end.

From what I understand, Yakuza Kiwami 2 is using a different engine from Y0 and YK1 which many have told me to be a significant downgrade in terms of combat. Surprisingly, I am honestly fine with it as the ragdoll physics made it very hilarious to see whenever Kiryu punches the lights out of someone. It is disappointing that the other styles are not being included in this game, but for the most part I never actually got bored mowing down mafia goons. One thing I was worried about is how my friend told me that the enemies in this game have inflated health and defenses, so I just opted in to playing easy despite playing in harder difficulties with previous games. Honestly, playing on easy made this game so much fun since it builds way better to the narrative of how Kiryu is this unstoppable force of nature that can take down anything that stands in his path.

Further discussing that immersion factor, Yakuza Kiwami 2 really goes all out in presenting the Yakuza narrative with how much better the direction and visuals look in both cutscenes and gameplay. Scenes that had or were related to Sayama Kaoru in particular really stood out to me where the cinematography felt so intended to evoke something meaningful that really captures the emotional beats of the story. Adding to this was an especially memorable soundtrack this time around with the banger SiM song that just elevates the scenes further and Yakuza Kiwami 2 comes really close to Yakuza Zero in terms of an overall game if it wasn’t for a few hiccups in its narrative.

I say hiccups in the narrative but honestly Yakuza Kiwami 2 has a very strong story for the most part. Compared to Kiwami 1 where I couldn’t really grow to like any of the characters with me just thinking Nishiki being overall pathetic, Yakuza Kiwami 2 was a breath of fresh air with how distinct the new characters are during their own spotlight be it how intimidating Ryuji Goda was at taunting Kiryu or how much you want to root for Sayama Kaoru as a woman trying to complete her duties. The story overall between the Tojo clan trying to spring back up is pretty engaging to see considering Kiryu and the player is the cause for all of it. The mutiny of the Omi alliance is also interesting, especially the investment from playing Zero and Kiwami 1. My biggest issue has to be the Jingweon Mafia plot line where all the soap opera level plot twists occur where it turns out every new character is actually Korean lul. This story is close to being up there with Yakuza Zero but is disappointingly dragged down by trying to have a less compelling plot thread weaved in.

Overall I definitely enjoyed Yakuza Kiwami 2 a lot, far more than I did Kiwami 1 be it in terms of story or gameplay. It doesn’t come close to Zero but it's definitely a worthwhile 20ish hour game especially with how low the price gets during steam sales. After playing this game I’m definitely looking forward to playing the rest of the yakuza games to see more of Kiryu’s misadventures of being dragged into this silly yet gripping world of Yakuza. 7.5/10, Sayama best girl.

NOTE: This review only covers the first game as its the only one I've played so far.

As a fan of the original Ace Attorney Trilogy, nothing could’ve piqued my interest more than the setting change to a Victorian era courtroom and all the miniscule setting changes that would entail such as the lack of better forensic technology. I see this as allowing them to have more freedom in the cases they can write as more simpler events can’t just be hand waived with just searching a single aspect like blood DNA or fingerprint.

Storywise this entry is definitely a visible upgrade from the original trilogy, granted I can’t say much compared to the Apollo Justice games as I haven’t played those. Each case feels incredibly significant to not only the characters involved but also Naruhodo’s development as a lawyer in a foreign nation. With each chapter, there’s a sense of progress in the main character’s understanding but also how well realized the world is in which Naruhodo feels a stranger to yet acclimatize. This culminates with every courtroom battle feeling tense but also hype when he eventually gains his victory, with him being an underdog making it all the more rewarding when he does bring the truth to the court.

The gameplay remains largely the same with previous iterations in being mostly a visual novel with some interactivity when investigating and choosing options in the courtroom. There’s some added features to it which makes it more suitable for the era it's in but nothing substantial enough I would point out here. What’s worth noting though is the puzzle element in this game feels the most forgiving in previous games as although not obvious, they also never make it too apparent as to what is the key in solving a particular scenario which I appreciated a lot. This level of difficulty really lets me fully engage with the story while being challenged, yet never overwhelmed to the point of ruining my immersion which I feel these sorts of visual novel mysteries tend to struggle in balancing.

My biggest highlight for this game has to be its presentation. They just completely nail the 19th century London aesthetic creating this drab yet lived world where a couple of Nipponese ambassadors would feel unwelcome. The brownish color palette is just perfect in encapsulating the melancholic vibe of this fictional London’s unforgiving atmosphere perfect in the winter season this game is set in. Couple this with the elegant soundtrack which captures the British class culture, creating an enamoring experience where I’m just fully immersed in the setting of the world as Ryunosuke Naruhodo.

The Great Ace Attorney Adventures is an amazing entry to the classic Ace Attorney series, and works well even as an entry point as there really isn’t much background you need to know to get into this game. It takes its time in getting you invested with its world and characters while also providing a dramatic narrative with twists and turns as you navigate a mystery with its intuitive system in both investigating and the trial. There isn’t much negative to say about this game besides the fact if you’re not into this genre. 8.5/10, that cliffhanger ending makes me grateful the re-release comes with both games.

Might as well give it a go with the whole anniversary celebration getting people talking about it again. From what I understand it's one of those “most important games in the industry” but I don’t exactly see what aspects of it that revolutionised its genre. It has a pretty fun campaign being something similar to how I played Metroid Prime being mostly a linear adventure FPS with few backtracking here and there which is easy to get engaged with. The slippery controls took a real good while to get used to, especially considering I don’t really like using mouse and keyboard, but still tolerable for the most part. My biggest surprise was how narratively light it was being more so dressing in the background besides the long introduction at the start. Not that I mind, since the overall experience made the light narrative work well with essentially getting the player into the game as much as possible and just having the core gameplay of making mad dash through the lab as fun as it can be. I’m going to put this on pause for a while since I’m just not in the mood for this kind of thing, but from what I played I really enjoyed it and it was definitely a worthwhile experience. 7/10, needs better controller support.

This game is really just Resident Evil 2.2: More Resident Evil 2. The gameplay is more or less the same with similar mechanics, weapons and means of exploration. Being able to explore Raccoon City is pretty neat in contrast to Resident Evil 2 only having the police station, the sewers and the laboratory, but it also made things a lot more linear in exploration and puzzle solving. It also didn’t help that the lack of claustrophobic inducing corridors are gone for wide streets which made RE3R the least scary game so far in my Resident Evil binge. The biggest issue is certainly how short the game is compared to other entries, combined with how easy it is, how much supplies it gives you and how close save points are too close to each other, it really feels like it holds your hand, even on standard difficulty. One thing I will praise that it has over RE2R is how the big bad, Nemesis, although not appearing as often as Tyrant, feels more menacing in his appearances and doesn’t annoy the hell out of me in being a nuisance more than being a threat. Overall, buying this game at full price is definitely a scam, but otherwise the six hours I spent with it were definitely worth it, 7/10.