Nightdive did it again. They remastered the game in a way, that it is 100% faithful to the original, but still made it modern enough to be enjoyed more by old fans and newcomers alike. Hexen is the star of the show here - for me - as it is one of the most underrated and most hardcore fantasy FPS ever created. It is an early example of a complex metroidvania game, and was really confusing when I was a child. Honestly... it is still confusing, but with some modernized systems that can help your journey, now it is more accessible than ever! Two absolute bangers in one package (and expansions, and 2 totally new episodes) reworked soundtrack and no excuse not to try it. 5/5 star, not even a question.
Might and Magic 6 is a game I play through again and again every 1-2 years. I always decide to just pop into New Sorpigal for 5 minutes to check on the residents, and boom, I find myself standing at the entrance to the Hive armed with laser guns. And every time (after more than 10 playthroughs), I think: What an adventure that was! The adventure of my life... That's the feeling this game evokes, an epic adventure where a couple of nobodies become flying demigods turbocharged with golden armor, laser guns, and mass destruction spells. The game features some of the best-designed, most creative, and most impressive dungeons ever, while presenting us with a completely open 3D world, the likes of which had never been seen before in role-playing games. The feeling of freedom is complete, no one is holding your hand, and if you want, you can go to the land of dragons even at level 1 to see if you can find something valuable in a chest before the fireballs reach you and burn you to ashes. The story is charming and silly, but there is something sublime and beautiful about it. It is a true epic tale of heroes, dragons, demons, ancient secrets, and even more ancient laser weapons. The lifelike faces created from photographs lend the game an atmosphere that, unfortunately, none of its successors have been able to replicate. Although I also like part 7, and part 8 even more, Might and Magic 6 is a unique and unrepeatable miracle, the atmosphere of which has not been matched since. Am I biased? That's an understatement. This game means more to me than just a great experience. This game is core memory! (memory crystal alpha...?)
A way smaller and much less "epic" experience than MM6, but still better than MM7 with some really great ideas and a lot of unique charm. Kinda unbalanced, but that's true for every episode. (here's a little bit too much because of the recruitment system and the dragon characters) The story is a bit darker, but the world is really colorful and rich. The infinitely empty dungeons that were characteristic of MM7 are much rarer here (thank the gods!), but unfortunately we are still a long way from the gigantic and amazingly crafted dungeons of MM6. The only reason I'm not giving it 5 stars is because MM6 overshadows it, but otherwise it's a fantastic game full of soul, humor, and the promise of a great adventure.
This is how you remaster a classic with love and care. Make it a little prettier, smooth out a few wrinkles, but in a way that you keep the vibe, the atmosphere, the charm (even the jank) and basically everything that made the classic a classic back in the day. Respect it, and give a little shine to it, where it needs. As someone who beats the original in every 1-2 years (sometimes more than once a year) I can only give it the highest praise. Not perfect, but nothing is perfect - expect our godess SHODAN, of course - but it is damn close.
Hmmm... this dungeon looks pretty simple. I've already cleaned 20-ish rooms. There can't be too much more of it. Ah, here's a door. Let's step through it. Now I'm suddenly facing 350 enemies. Literally. Well... here we go! Welcome to the world of Might and Magic VI! A bit more seriously: Fully open world, with fantastic, diverse locations, amazing (melancholic and beautiful) music, plenty of true WTF moments, and of course unbalanced but endlessly FUN gameplay! New Sorpigal is my second home! 11 points out of 10.
The first 3 levels of Outlaws are the best any FPS can ever achieve. First, an introduction level, some farmhouse,s and barns. Simple, yet very effective. The level design is superb. The second level is an open city full of houses you can explore. No restrictions, no guidance. The real western feeling. The third one is a train level, and oh, man, it's maybe the best train level ever produced in an FPS game! The later levels are great too (except the sawmill, that strange abomination...) and the last level is simply amazing! The story is minimal, yes, but super-effective and satisfying to play through. The shooting is so-so (in bad and ugly modes also pretty hardcore too) but the shooting was pretty harsh and inaccurate in the real wild west too, so it gives a specific charm to the game. THE MUSIC IS AMAZING!!! One of the best soundtracks of all time! (just the soundtrack alone worth the game price!) It's stunning, uplifting, dramatic, just... perfect, in pair with the great voiceover. (Tony Plana is Marshall, you maybe know him from Grim Fandango). But maybe the most important thing: This game is just full of heart and soul. And no, it's not just nostalgia speaking. I just completed the game (I don't know, maybe 4 or 5 time in my life) and it was just as great as when I was a child. Yeah, it could be a little ugly here and there, but the artstyle is so great, that it just works anyway as a whole. “Cowards die many times before their deaths; The valiant never taste of death but once."
Just finished the game with my 6-year-old son. He loved it (obviously). I was 8 again... Saw the "cutscenes" and the last two levels for the first time after 20 years. The last "run" level was a killer, but Hades is a joke. We beath the old guy with Champ rating on the first try. It was a real father-son moment. Thanks for this! 5 stars, no question. We will beat this again together... and again... and again...
Short summary: First of all, you need to know that this is an insanely hard game. Oh, yes, you eat hard games for breakfast, but no... This is on another level, mate! The difficulty spikes are like the Marianna trench here, and even if the game tells you about the core mechanics, oh boy, it is brutally secretive about the real dynamics of its gameplay. You will be frustrated and angry and confused a lot, my lad! BUT! - Even with this, this title is one of the special ones... It needs time, patience, understanding, and love! Yes, it is flawed in so many ways, but also deeply and carefully crafted, like a whiskey made in a small, family manufactory. Some tips for you: - Start on easy mode! I know, I know, you are a tactical genius, you played through all the XCOM games with your foot, and you are such a fan of this genre that your whole life is basically turn-based, but still... Choose the easy mode, mate. The formula is this: Narrative mode is Easy, Easy mode is Hard, Normal mode is Brutal, and above that... I don't know... Absolute and total madness?! - Save spamming: The game uses an autosave feature, which might be fitting for this genre, but this one is so unfair and unclear, that you'll need the "Save and exit" + "Continue game" dual combo pretty often. Especially in the first half of the game. (otherwise, you could easily be stuck in a slow but inevitable death-loop.) Still in the end, with all its frustrations and balance issues, with all the downsides and f_ckups, this game is magic! It has a soul, it has an atmosphere, it has a great story, it understands the (pulp side of the) Lovecraftian mythos very well, and it has a pretty great dynamic between its main gameplay parts. In fact, it could be even super-addictive when you master it. A big nod for the developers (from a fellow dev), I really hope that they have plans for updating and expanding this game for a long time because under the filth, algae, and shells, a real pearl lies hidden.
Yep, Guacamelee! is one of those rare games, that clearly has a soul. It's just obvious in every moment of the game. It's clear that the developers fell in love with their own project and the love lasted till the end (and till the sequel to be more precise...). This is a platforming-action Metroidvania with a small but very-well balanced progression system, some neat costumes (with their own buffs and debuffs) a super-simple but great and touching story, absolutely bollocks (Mexi-)humor and a flashy, light-hearted, beautiful style. I want to say something bad because no game could be perfect, but in regards of what Guacamelee trying to achieve, it's really is. The game is not trying to be the most hardcore or technical platformer (thank the gods!) and also not trying to beat the Devil May Cry level super-duper-hardcore battle and combo system. To be more clear, it could be hard but it's never unfair and it's fun for the less seasoned platformer gamers like me, but also challenging enough for hardcore plat veterans. It is just what it is: A great action-platformer with superb level design, a fair length, and a lovable, living (also dead) world and characters. If I write more it will become a clueless, blinded praise, so I'll cut it here: It's one of the most pure FUN games I ever played. It's just wants to be FUN from beginning to the end and it remains FUN throughout the whole journey. And what a journey this is...
...If we consider the first one perfect. And yes, the first is one of the most fun and most refined Metroidvania games ever created. The sequel have everything that the first one had and it has a little more in every aspect. Buuuuut that not equal to being better, because sometimes too much of the same gimmick can hurt the overall experience. Platforming: I like the new mechanics, the grappling hook is a little broken though, the extra, optional challenges are super-brutal-hard, but the core experience is pretty solid. Most of the platforming puzzles are pretty creative and fun. The other half are super-mega-turbo-hardcore stuff, so if you already have some gray bits in your hair, don't even try those... Action: The original has more brutal battles therefore more clueless, chaotic fun. The sequel feels way more platforming oriented and that's hurt the action department quite a bit. I didn't like the new skill system at first, but it's pretty neat and way more customizable than it was in the first game. But in the end - you will be a Lucha-god, just like in the original, no matter what. ;) Story: The story is a little "we need a sequel which is more frantic, bold, weird and funny!" - and it is, but it never touches the brilliant simplicity of the original. But that's not a big issue, I liked the writing, the jokes, the chicken bits are brilliant and the character development of some of our old "friends" (especially X'tabay's) are very satisfied and fine touches for a coherent universe. Level design: I felt it build the way it built just to be bigger because it is a sequel so it has to be bigger... Overall, if you liked the original, you will love the sequel despite the balancing issues it has. It has a soul, just like the first one had, and in the end - despite every frustrating rage-quit moment - you will end up wanting more and more. Yep, it's a must-buy and almost perfect game and we need to go back to Mexiverse the third time ASAP!
