New System Shock excels in many aspects, breathing new life into the cult classic. The graphical overhaul is a sight to behold, immersing players in a beautifully dark and atmospheric world. The attention to detail is remarkable, enhancing the sci-fi elements and transforming the game into a visual feast. The revamped sound design further elevates the experience, with an eerie ambient soundtrack that keeps players on edge. It dramatically improves over original upbeat audio mess. The variety of weapons and combat-enhancing stimulants offer a versatile approach to combat, allowing players to experiment and adapt their strategies to the ever-present dangers. The narrative has also been given a fresh coat of paint, offering a compelling and thought-provoking storyline. The chilling presence of a rogue AI SHODAN remains as captivating as ever, constantly taunting players and questioning their actions. The controls can feel a bit clunky, unresponsive and frustrating at times, especially when engaging in intense combat situations. Certain sections lack proper signposting, resulting in moments of confusion and backtracking. Navigating this monstrous maze quickly becomes very daunting, as you can technically go everywhere right from the start. This can hinder the overall pacing and immersion, especially for newcomers who are unfamiliar with the original game. I got lost so many times that I eventually started making my own notes. Another area of improvement lies in the cyberspace "hacking" minigames. They are improved dramatically over the original, but I found them confusing and frustrating, and I dreaded each time I had to go through them. Despite its flaws, the System Shock Remake stands tall as a worthy homage to the original masterpiece. I hope to see System Shock 2 reimagined in the same way.
And I'm glad I didin't because Chained Echoes is an amazing jRPG. Pros: - it is seriously impressive that this was done by mostly one person - it borrows heavily from Chrono Trigger, FFVI, IX, XII, Suikoden etc - it has a lot of quality of life improvements like autosaving, fast travel and even quest log - no random encounters and no grinding - specialized party members - You regenerate HP & MP after each fight, which encourages all out battles where you don't have to worry about conserving your resources - world map while seemingly small, has a TON of locations - there is plenty of side content to do, including optional hard bosses and side quests - plenty of enemy models - no recolors Cons: - there are a lot of systems in the game, but I'm afraid that some are not really fleshed out - crystal system and UI is overly convoluted and too random to be useful - some character portraits look laughable or unfinished. One of main characters has such a dull face that it was hard for me to take him seriously - many characters are optional and join your party very, very late - as I'm writing this there are still occasional bugs, softlocks etc. Overall it was an amazing experience and a true surprise at the end of the year 8+/10
Psychonauts 2 is fantastic. It is one of the best games I've played in 2021 and I hope we wont have to wait 16 years for part 3. Each mindscape you enter is a delight to explore. Every brain you visit is incredibly memorable, and they all burst with captivating designs. Some are whimsical, some heartfelt, some creepy and some very, very dark. You just never know what to expect. While linear at start it eventually becomes much more open giving you an option to take on different tasks in any order you like. Figments and other collectibles are much easier to find There is a lot of accessibility options like colorblind mode, easier combat or invincibility to help make the game a smoother experience You can easily skip cutscenes, including splash screens at the start Combat still feels clunky and tacked on Psi Power upgrades and pins hardly make a difference - most of them are pretty useless While platforming and combat gameplay is tighter, it is still a far cry from games like Mario Galaxy or A Hat in Time, and it really feels stuck in the past. The unconventional writing and ingenious world design carry an otherwise middling platformer to greater heights. Like almost all Double Fine games - it is amazingly inventive but gameplay-wise it is just good.
It's great to play another Shantae game. After level based Half-Genie Hero I wanted the series to go back to good old metroidvania, and Seven Sirens goes back to it in style. Get ready to explore giant interconnected world filled with secrets, dungeons and collectibles. Armed with new dances and transformations (now instant!) Shantae ventures deep into vast sunken city in an attempt to rescue her new genie friends. Seven Sirens reuses quite a of assets from the previous entry. Sounds, enemies, boss attacks, magic, animations etc. Even Risky Boots got copy pasted from Half-Genie and it doesnt help that you fight her four times! It adds to the sense of repetition and sameyness. Seven Sirens is also really easy. Only last boss provides a little bit of challenge, but with abundance of healing options, you can brute force it without much problems. There is a pseudo "new game+" mode that can be quite challenging, as Shantae takes double damage at the cost of higher magic pool. Despite all that Seven Sirens is still good. It is an ideal entry-level game for people that would like to pick up a Shantae game. It looks great, has butter-smooth controls, moderate-low difficulty, lack of grind and the adventure is wacky and cheerfull as always. There is also new card collecting system, that gives you passive benefits, altrough most of them are very situational. Despite its drawbacks, Seven Sirens still provides good few hours of light entertainment. Too bad it lacks variety and some more innovation.
TL;DR Dead Cells is best rogue-lite I've played since Risk or Rain I always had a soft spot for rogue-type games, ever since playing the original and of course ADOM in late 90s. Since then, I played quite a few titles, but over time I started to drift more towards more accessible rogue-lites. They are usually less complex, shorter and more action-based. Dead Cells is the newest iteration of the genre and dare I say, it is everything I thought Rogue Legacy would be. You start out as a green amorphous blob possessing a cadaver of a fallen warrior. Armed with very basic, rusted weapons and a new pair of legs you wander out to explore this huge towering castle and it's outskirts. It is of course filled with vicious (and beautifully animated) enemies each with unique behavior which you will have to learn by heart if you want to make any progress. Along the way there are treasures abound that will help you on your quest. From simple necessities like gold and valuable gems through multitude of ranged and melee weapons to traps, grenades and spells able to turn whole rooms of enemies into a satisfying bloodbath. However, most precious of them all are Cells, bright blue orbs that you can spend between stages for permanent upgrades that will give you an edge in your future runs, because you lose everything upon death. As is tradition. There is much to like in Dead Cells: the pixel-perfect controls, the zone randomization, useful teleporters, stuning enemies when bursting through a door, new abilities that open whole new zones and so on. There are of course few bugs and other things that could be ironed out. If there is anything that I would like to change it is music. It plays somewhere in the background and is barely noticeable. Dead Cells is still in early access but even in its current state it is well worth buying. Recommended.
