Topic: Last Game You Beat

Alan Wake 2

The Mobius Machine

Persona 3 Reload. After having beaten the excellent Persona 5 Royal, the somewhat boring 5 Tactica and the weird Persona 4 Golden, I consider Persona 3 Reload the best of the bunch, overall. What I appreciated the most is that the combat is slightly more entertaining and that there aren't any annoying characters like Morgana. I like the optional older songs and the fact that they are making DLC related to Aigi's story. The cut-scenes are incredible, too bad you can't replay them.

Polished remake, worth 9/10 points and still available on Game Pass.

Sea of Stars

Disclaimer: I do like RPGs. Sea of Stars is one that has its combat heavily based on timing, that gets repetitive and annoying five minutes later and still is repetitive and annoying by the end of the game. The story is mildly entertaining, but the gameplay is dull. The writing is so-so, with some video games clichés jokes and interesting stories by the campfire, but otherwise inane. No clear objectives sometimes, interrupted flow and no maps available in the dungeons nor in the world mean additional frustration. I didn't get lost. I beat the game in 25 hours, less than most people, but sometimes the dialogue leaves you wondering where to go next.

While the graphics inspired by 16-bit RPGs are really nice, the music is so-so, with some exceptions. Some of the songs are as tacky as Tee Lopes's original work. In any case, you can tell that this game was crafted with care, love and time. It's packed with tons of different enemies, a secret ending and it's charming enough to be played because of the graphics, animation and story but, ultimately, it's boring and routine. It didn't make me feel anything at all until the second half and I don't mean just emotions but also interest. The writing and the gameplay are its worst enemy, from the many it has in store.

6/10

Conker: Live and Reloaded

I actually completed this game three months ago in January, but it was the most recent game I completed from start to finish.

I actually prefer playing this version over the original for the controls and graphics. While I do think that the N64 version was impressive for its time and had lots of great ideas and concepts, the gameplay I felt was badly executed in some parts by how outdated and janky the controls were, which killed my interest in doing a second playthrough. In my opinion, one of the most important parts of a video game is having good controls, and the remake greatly improves upon this aspect. Two things I hated about the original was the poor camera (which made easy tasks harder to accomplish) and the shooting gameplay for the slow movement and lack of reticle, so the remake fixing those two issues made it all the more enjoyable. The game has some repetitiveness, but it attempts to remove some of it by making changes to parts of the gameplay, making some parts easier to get through.

The new graphics and textures are great too. They are really impressive for the console they were released on, and it helps make the game look less dated visually. A lot of the environments look amazing and outdo the original’s a whole lot! Even now the graphics still amaze me with how great they looked for the time they released it.

Prior to buying it, I heard people say that it was a bad remake, but I actually disagree with that opinion respectfully. I do understand people not liking censorship, and I agree that the game censoring various curse words like the s-word and a-hole is silly, since they are not on the same levels of bad as the f-word and have mildly vulgar denotations. However, in my opinion, I don’t really think the censoring is that heavy overall. I only think it is heavy and overused with the swearing, and there is censorship applied to other material (e.g. suggestive) but it isn’t so excessive, so the content in the game is relatively unchanged.

Despite saying that, it isn’t entirely perfect, though most of these criticisms are rather minor and not quite big; although I think the graphics are great, I dislike some of the newer character designs. I feel the charm and cartoony-ness present in the original was erased with some of the graphical overhaul, and I think them putting semi-realistic fur on some of the animal characters (e.g. the main character) does play a role in that. The redesign I hated the most was the Tediz, since they don’t even look like teddy bears anymore when that was the whole point of their character. To me, it felt Live and Reloaded was trying to take itself seriously rather than light-hearted like Bad Fur Day (hence the added grittiness and redesigns) but I feel the tonal change they were going for doesn’t work. Related to that criticism, the facial animation system looks worse. It’s minor, but any character that isn’t the main character
either doesn’t emote or shows little emotion, and some details of characters moving their eyes were removed, though I should maybe add that the main character’s facial animations look significantly downgraded from the original, and it makes him look a little bit less emotive in the remake. It’s strange, since they previously nailed the animation system and expressive characters well on the N64 but couldn’t replicate it here. From what I saw, cutscenes can get blurry as well, but it goes away quickly and doesn’t really affect anything.

I also did hear criticisms about the multiplayer modes in the original getting scrapped in favor for a CoD-esque third-person shooter mode with weapon classes, but I thought it was fine since I never really played the modes in the original and didn’t get any real fun out of them since I don’t have anyone to play with. Plus, since I’m new to playing the games, I was expecting it already and it came less of a surprise for me.

Anyway, I thought it was a good remake. Not entirely a masterpiece for some slight gripes, but a great experience and an improvement upon Bad Fur Day!

@Pastellioli Excellent review and input. I didn't have many issues with the original one (on Rare Replay), but all you say is true. I'm a fan of this game, considering both versions essentially the same game, because it isn't politically correct. It would be impossible for something like this to be greenlit today, but yet we have much worse stuff overall. Actually, the only thing I disliked was the gore and that's the only allowed offence these days.

@Banjo- That is true. Compared to most media nowadays, Bad Fur Day/Live and Reloaded I’d say is far more tamer in retrospect. I still wouldn’t say it’s a kids game (obviously) but it’s less worse than most adult-oriented stuff nowadays, plus some aspects, like the poo humor, was done intentionally to be juvenile. I can understand and agree with the complaint towards the violence and gore; while I could handle it (mostly from the game’s older graphics and how some of the violence was exaggerated) I usually prefer to not play games full of violence or have violent material as a huge selling point. I actively avoid most modern games with detailed and semi-realistic graphics since some of the violence in those games look sickening and chilling to me from how almost realistic they look…

And yeah, I do think it would be difficult for a new entry or a game similar to it to get greenlit without causing a ruckus online or having a bunch of people dismiss it as being childish, especially since we live in an era where people online like to cause controversies over small things and harass and scandalize people over say a slightly “edgy” joke that wasn’t intended to be taken seriously or discriminatory. Although I am disappointed they did not do a sequel (especially after hearing it got cancelled despite having a finished story with a beginning and end), I can’t imagine how botched a modern sequel could possibly be regarding the humor and jokes, since I have a feeling they would sanitize it all as to not offend anyone or cause controversy, despite the fact there is other media that have far worse content and jokes that are deemed “acceptable.” If the sequel did get finished and they released it in the same era as Bad Fur Day (or at least in close proximity) I am sure they would’ve been willing to take risks with the material and do whatever the heck they wanted with the jokes and writing without anyone getting upset at it.

@Pastellioli I couldn't agree more! I was just a kid, those days. You too, perhaps. I miss those years. Yes, Conker's game is not for children and I played it later, but it's full of charm and intentionally juvenile. Audacious and direct like many things those days, not awkward and unnatural like most things now.

I don't understand what's the point in today's hypocrisy and self-righteousness, as if each person in the world was completely right about everything, but was not able to communicate nor respect anybody else. We see this everywhere, here too, but your vibes are good 😊.

Funnily, the first time I read you was earlier today on another thread and then I realised that I also played many Rare games years later on Rare Replay. Donkey Kong Country was a childhood favourite, though. I'm pretty sure it was my favourite game at that time.

@Banjo- I enjoy the game so much for its creativity and silliness. I just really love the charm Rare’s older games exuded and how they liked to experiment to spice things up with the gameplay, even if it didn’t turn out 100% perfect. Even after completing the Banjo-Kazooie games as well as Conker’s Bad Fur Day and its remake, I still can’t stop thinking about them for all the heart that went into them. I found the settings in all the games to be unique, there were plenty of silly moments and jokes thanks to the developers having a sense of absurd and dry humor, and the casts were so memorable to me. I just appreciated how Rare tried to stand out of the crowd by adding new twists to game genres and innovating with them!

And I do agree with the respect thing. One issue I find with the internet is that, when it comes to opinions, they try to make their opinion seem like it is the correct one while not respecting those that disagree. I just feel that sometimes people forget how to act toward different opinions and feel more inclined to argue and insult those with different feelings, usually when it comes to entertainment and pop culture. Someone could maybe think negatively about a game that has universal acclaim, and then get insulted by others for not liking it. And I’ve seen that whenever someone is stating a view they have towards something (in this situation, a video game) they don’t go “in my opinion, this game is great” and instead say something like “this game is the bestest of all time and anyone that disagrees is wrong and is my personal enemy!” I feel when some people state stuff like that, it makes it look as if they think the opinion they hold is better than everyone else’s, or any different one is forever wrong. However, because opinions are subjective, one side is not truly right, but the other isn’t truly wrong. It is fine for someone to not share the same opinion on a piece of media like someone else, and it never warrants harassment from others that don’t carry the same feelings. To me, it looked like that years and even decades ago, anyone was able to express their negative and positive opinions on pretty much anything without angering people and getting attacked for it.

@Pastellioli You are completely right about that toxic behaviour. Regarding Rare, I also think that their games are extraordinary. I still think about them, about the situations, the characters, the writing, the art style, the music... The Donkey Kong Country trilogy, Banjo-Kazooie, Banjo-Tooie and Conker's Bad Fur Day all have remarkable writing, but basically all their games have original and ambitious gameplay. Their games are very gamey and fairly challenging. Even today, they make some modern games look extremely boring, not just because of the writing but the gameplay! Even Nintendo's own games look and sound like a chore compared to Rare's. It's amazing how these old games still are more fun than games made 20-30 years later in the platform, shooter, arcade or racing genres.

@Banjo- Their games for sure were pretty challenging at times! Conker’s Bad Fur Day I’d say was the most challenging out of them all.

I can remember how early in that game there was that sewer segment where you had to time your movements correctly to not get killed in one hit by the blades. When I played the game for the first time last year, I actually nearly got through that part on my first try, but I got instantly killed by accidentally jumping on the small blades near the entrance to the prehistoric level. There was a racing mini game in that same level that I had to retry so many times since you have to race fast all the while avoiding crashing into walls and obstacles, as well as timing your jumps right, plus you can’t finish the game unless you survive and complete the race. The entire War chapter was so cool, but it was pretty challenging to get through! I remember I kept dying during the timed escape segment from touching the lasers, plus I did a bad job at retaining my health. I even found that Matrix parody nearing the end to be difficult at first, but my solution to it was to repeatedly use the B function to jump in the air back and forth and then just shooting endlessly at the enemies.

Gears Of War 2 most recently. Miles better than the first one. I was shocked how well it looked, being a 360 game and all. The FPS boost on series S made it look even better

@Pastellioli I had a few issues with the difficulty near the end, but nothing beats getting 100% (101%) and some of the involved mini games in Donkey Kong 64 🤣. The good thing about Conker's game is the abundance of checkpoints and that it doesn't overdo collectibles. I played Conker's Bad Fur Day short after Donkey Kong 64 and I found Conker's game so reinvigorating. I kind of like collecting, but Donkey Kong 64 is pure excess.

@Banjo- I do agree! Although I do not mind the collectathon aspects of their platformers (namely the Banjo-Kazooie games; I haven’t played Donkey Kong 64) I liked how in Conker’s Bad Fur Day you can progress through it normally without really having to collect a bunch of items to progress. The only thing you collect in that game is money, and from what I can remember only two locations in that game are unlocked with a specific amount of cash. Another great thing about it is how they simplify the button functions as well!

@Pastellioli Yes, I think it was a very modern game in terms of gameplay and progression and although it's linear, it doesn't stop surprising players. Banjo-Kazooie is a greatly balanced game and the Xbox remasters improved the progression.

Grabbed by the Ghoulies

I started playing the game for the first time a few weeks ago, and as of the time I am writing this, I finished it a few minutes ago. Before I started playing, I kept hearing people said the game was one of Rare’s worst, or at least, one of their weaker titles. Now having completed it, I can say that I respectfully disagree with that opinion, but I still don’t think the game was entirely great despite that.

To start off positively, the beat em’ up gameplay was fun! I have played beat em’ ups before and liked the few titles I’ve played in that genre, and here I felt the fighting gameplay was great too. Some weapons you use in the game were unique (at least to me) and pretty fun to use, like using a shotgun with soda cans as ammo and even a water gun full of holy water! In the game, if you don’t complete a challenge in time or break a rule in a challenge, it summons the Grim Reaper, who is supposed to kill you when he gets into contact, but you are able to manipulate him into one-hit killing enemies, which I did get the hang of nearing the end of the game, and doing so really helped complete some tricky challenges! I think what they did with the reaper was cool since you’re able to use him to complete harder challenges, and even when he arrives, it does not result in an instant game over.

I also really liked the creativity the game had. The game absolutely screams late 90s-early 00s Rare with the humor and the game’s cast. I really love games that carry silly tones and aren’t serious. Even though some characters in the game were one-note, didn’t appear much, or were not particularly deep, I still liked them a lot from how much charm and hilarity they exhibited. There’s something with the casts of Rare’s games that I just love a bunch. With almost every game I’ve played from them, the characters show some sort of charm and appeal, even the smaller characters too!

However, I think what really prevents me from liking it a is this one word; repetition. Rare’s older games do have some repetition with them, but out of all the games I’ve played from them, Grabbed by the Ghoulies is the MOST repetitive. It mostly stems from the challenges, which tend to occur one after another. I know that they were likely put there to prevent the player from completing the game extremely fast and to spice things up, but it was too annoying and overboard for me. I didn’t mind at first, but I gradually got frustrated with them, especially the ones where you have to accomplish a certain task under a time limit; the game is loaded with that specific rule, and the last mission in the game is timed as well, which resulted in me absolutely disliking the game’s final chapter.. There are abilities you can use to make the challenges easier or to finish them faster, but a lot of the time I’d still fail anyway. Some were too similar to each other and had little differences with them, which really didn’t help my annoyances at all.
I can remember this really annoying challenge where you had to defeat a specific enemy type hiding inside these haunted coats, and to find the enemy, you have to destroy the coats. However, the game times the challenge and there are zero indicators for which enemy is in which coat, which always resulted in a ton of leftover enemies that always ganged up on me when I finally found the foe I need to defeat. I had to retry that specific part an endless amount of times.

Another criticism I have (though this is a little minor) is the shooting gameplay. As I mentioned earlier, the game has you wield guns a couple of times. Usually in most games you shoot with the trigger, but here you instead have to push the control stick forward to use it, since the camera controls are with the trigger buttons. Because of that, I had issues with the shooting, not to mention that there is no aiming at all. Sometimes I would intend to shoot at an enemy, but instead the gun would shoot at an inanimate object or area, which would result in me taking damage from the enemy. To add on, in some challenges you are given a gun but some have rules in place that don’t allow you to use it directly, and so you instead have to swing the gun around to attack. However, because of how the shooting controls were relegated to the stick, it was extremely hard to not shoot, and I’d fail a few challenges thanks to that.

Overall, do I think this game is entirely bad and one of Rare’s worst games? No, I liked parts of it and it’s far from being super bad. Did I think it was really good? Unfortunately, no. Despite how much I liked the fighting gameplay and characters, it was the repetition and little attempts to differentiate the challenges with one another that made me find the experience to be a mixed bag. Even though I think it was creative and had some good ideas, I don’t think I’ll play the game again, or replay it anytime soon.

Grabbed by the Ghoulies was the first Xbox game to be ported to Xbox One. Not just the resolution but, most importantly, the frame rate boost made it better. Can you imagine how better 60fps over 30fps is in a game like this? Grabbed by the Ghoulies is the typical joke, even Rare made fun of it in Nuts & Bolts, but for me this game is absolute arcade fun and I love it. The art style and soundtrack are wonderful and the gameplay is straightforward, fun and challenging. The name is pure genius. According to designer Gregg Mayles, the name of the game materialised after he overheard someone mention "being grabbed by the goolies", and thought that it would make a suitable name for an upcoming Rare game.

@Banjo- Oh yeah, I probably should have brought up the resolution and frame rate! When I started playing it, I was also impressed by how crisp and clean the resolution made the visuals, and it absolutely helped make the game look less aged. I was also fond of the cel shaded art style they went with. If there is one thing I like a ton about Rare’s games, it’s probably the art direction for some of their games. My most favorite art style from them is the cartoony ones they use in their platformer games.

Sorry if in my post I came off a little negative and rambly. I still think the comments that call the game one of Rare’s worst games are pretty exaggerated, since the game has fairly fine design and is pretty unique, cool and had some great parts and ideas, but I unfortunately couldn’t like it in its entirety from some repetition it had. However, I am glad you were able to like it more than me! It makes me happy when others find enjoyment in media that I may not like a ton.

@Pastellioli Why? Oh no, my reply was 100% friendly and of course not everyone has to love the same games! My post was just to remark that this was the first Xbox game to be ported to Xbox One, boosting not just the frame rate like later ports, but also doubling the frame rate, that benefits this fast-paced game very much. I enjoy when you bring Rare's games to discussion.

Grabbed by the Ghoulies is challenging like many Rare games, but the main issue I experienced was getting used to the Xbox ABXY buttons, because they are the opposite of Nintendo's and Rare Replay was my first Xbox game. As you know, you need to complete challenges pressing the front buttons quickly. In spite of that, I beat the game 100% and it's one of the those I'd like to replay.

@Banjo- I know you weren’t calling me out or anything! I just reread my comment and I think I sounded a little bit negative and maybe a bit extreme with my comment about not playing it again ever, sort of like if the game was really bad when I didn’t actually feel that way toward it. Maybe I will come back to it at some point. You are really friendly in your posts and I appreciate that

There are these challenges I unlocked in the game, so maybe I can try those soon! I did mention on another video game forum somewhere that I was going to get the most out of Rare Replay by trying to make progress in some of the games included in the collection.

And I definitely agree that the game was a little difficult, especially the challenges that have a ton of rules in place! I was sort of slow with the super scary shocks that occurred at parts of the game since I always needed to remember where which button was and I got afraid I would tap the wrong button. The final part where you save the prisoners I wish wasn’t timed, but I will say that it wasn’t entirely bad. I just wish the game didn’t have a ton of timed challenges leading up to that point.