Narita Boy has a certain flare. I will give it that. When it is not trying too hard to be dark and edgy by showing scenes of torture, mutilated characters, and using crucified characters as barrier style enemies, the bright colors and dramatic set pieces of the game are outstanding. The music is pretty solid, so I have no complaints there. The game play is where things suffer. The controls are too loose, and the platforming aspects of the game are wonky. The enemies are not overly challenging, but have a tendency to land cheap shots. There are some really strange design choices, such as puddles suddenly becoming dangerous for nonsensical reasons. There was an early forest section I was looking forward to because it seemed to promise something different and new. However, after gathering all the needed items and skills to access the area, it turned out to be not much more than a walk through cinematic and the power that I had worked for would not be used again or even mentioned. That same cycle of buildup and disappointment permeated my whole time with the game. About the time that I thought the effort of chasing down yet another string of irritating sections with copious backtracking to get all the keys needed to get a MacGuffin that I thought would open up a creative and interesting part, the game disappointed me. After reading all the glowing reviews for this game, I felt like I had been a victim of a bait and switch. While the game is not horrible, I do not feel the experience of playing it was worth the money or my time.
Fallout 3 is a solid game all the way around. It has flaws. It is clunky in spots, such as its inventory sytem. It is looking and feeling dated to play now, but it still one of my favorite games. I still boot it up every now and then to venture back into the Wasteland, which is a lot more than I can say for most of the games that came out when Fallout 3 did.
Opening Disclosure: I own the Steam version of Echo, not the GOG offering. Echo's strongest points are its setting and storytelling. The laid back start to the game introduces you to the location and its two characters well. The visuals are great to start off with. When you get into the Palace proper they become phenomenal. The scenes are detailed, beautiful, and yet somehow oppressive. The game’s signature mechanic is both a great strength and a hindrance. While the game is centered on teaching or not teaching your opponents your tricks, the game will teach you what and what not to do in brutal fashion as well. The main character cannot take much punishment and the aiming and fighting mechanics are rough enough to where if you get into a tight spot that the controls can speed your death. Once you learn what to do and what not to do, the game becomes an enjoyable challenge. Until you reach that point, unforgiving is the only word that comes to mind as to how the game handles any mistake. Echo’s level pacing and its story pacing are all over the place. You will have a series of scenes that allow for lots of check points and then go for spells where you are begging for the opportunity to save. With some of the larger levels combined with the frequency of death, this design flaw can lead to frustration. The same can be said of the story. You get information dumps and then can go for a while before either character says another word to the other. Overall Impression: A solid overall C with caveats and warnings. While in no way a direct comparison, Echo strikes me as a game much like The Void.* There are going to be people who love the game for the bold and interesting ideas it presents despite its design flaws. Others will hate it or want to avoid it like the plague. *Nothing can really be compared The Void. It is a trip all of its own. If there is a game that can be compared to it, please message me with the title.
Overal a very bland and, at times, frustrating game that should be bought when in the bargin bin. I grabbed this title after enjoying the Van Hellsing series. While the two are similar, I feel this is the far lesser of the two games. The game has some great ideas and moments, but it's gameplay falls flat. Due to the skill and weapons systems, I never felt that I could mould Victor to play any particular style very well. There are difficulty spikes galore to the point of frustration that only compound that issue since they force you to make some odd skill approaches just to exploit the one weakness of some of the creatures when you encounter them in overpowered mobs. While a decent action, hack and slash title, I can only recommend it if it is on deep discount and titles such as Torchlight or Van Hellsing are not on sale as well.
Overall, I recommend Furi. However, due to its difficulty and style choices I caution those on the fence about buying it to research it well before hitting the purchase button. Demanding, fast, and stylistic game. The game will pound you into the dirt. The majority of the fights are fair, but there are a couple of bosses that have some cheap shots. If you have the patience for it, Furi is a great game that will make you feel that you can overcome any gaming challenge thrown at you. Its style is unique, and may not be to everyone's tastes. The music is great, if you like pulse pounding electronic fare. For full disclosure, my version of the game was bought on Steam.
