 |
|
Gris (PS5) by jp (Apr 20th, 2025 at 20:25:52) |
I distinctly remember Gris getting a "meh" review score in Edge magazine. So, I was expecting to be underwhelmed gameplay-wise though wowed visually.
And yes, I was wowed visually (and aurally too - playing the PS5 version that makes use of the speaker controller in a cool way)...and the gameplay was sort of meh - but, it got better and better the longer I played!
Not counting the "hub" area, the game has four zones/levels that each introduce a mechanic, as well as some in-world things to interact with. And so, the game really goes from less to more as later levels incorporate more in-world mechanics as well as require use of the character mechanics you unlock. It also all makes sense with the game's theme and story and balblabla (ludonarrative harmony is what my students brought up).
That being said, it's a pretty relaxing and flowing kind of game - nods to Journey in there as well - and there isn't really a fail state, though you can get stuck on puzzles and some dexterity-timing dependent puzzles. There's some swimming bits that are just glorious - as you dash from "water bubble" to "water bubble" (blocks of water in the air) - and I loved swimming up waterfalls.
What impressed me the most though were two things:
1. I kept on trying to "go the wrong way" and most of the time, it was the right way.
2. The onboarding and tutorials are really, really well done. You notice a thing, or do a thing, and then that's the thing you have to do later to solve puzzles and so on. It feels very natural and very normal.
So, I'm actually excited to try Neva now...
read all entries for this GameLog 
- add a comment 
|
|
Lost in Blue 2 (DS) by jp (Apr 18th, 2025 at 18:46:41) |
Perhaps the strangest thing for me about this game is that it's a bona fide survival game on the DS. In my mind, the genre is more recent than 2006! I'm thinking of all the indie survival games (craft stuff, gather food, don't die of hunger or thirst) and then ones on Steam..and here's this game - a sequel no less - and it's straight up THAT. Survival. And there's two characters to boot - and you can die (I did, pretty soon it turns out).
I guess I was surprised by how quickly I did die - and, from a novice perspective, it felt sudden and a bit unfair. As in, CLEARLY there was nothing I could have done differently to survive. I spent too much time exploring was probably the main problem, and I left the boy behind in a cave we found, and I'm not sure that's what you're supposed to do? You have to keep both of them feed, hydrated and energized, and I felt like I had my hands full with just the one character.
I think my biggest mistake was probably not getting the spear for fishing made sooner? But then, I'm not even sure how you're supposed to use it - and all the other food I kept scavenging wasn't really doing much. Like, you'd eat it and not see a huge effect. I'm guessing there's something I'm not understanding and it makes me wonder if a full reset makes the most sense? (instead of loading into a saved game that's already doomed/too heavily stacked against success).
Perhaps the strangest thing (for me) about the game is that there's a super simple mini-game for cooking! You collect stuff to cook and also stuff to use as spices and then need to sort of trial and error recipes - though I could set the boy (the character I was not controlling directly) to cook and he'd come up with his own stuff... it's weird.
And it's a sequel? I guess I should look up if this is a port to DS from someplace else? It would make more sense in a way - the game is also low-poly 3D as you wander around the environment. Still...I might just put it on the shelf.
read all entries for this GameLog
- add a comment
|
|
Phantom Abyss (PC) by jp (Apr 6th, 2025 at 19:14:27) |
I'd heard of the game's hook (or gimmick if you will) as, everyday it's a different 1st person platforming game/run, and if you die - that's it. Play a different run later.
I'm guessing stuff changed along the way, though the concept is still here - it's a reasonably challenging rogue-like 1st person platforming game. I've had fun, you have a whip to help you climb and each level has different modifiers (the whip has an ability) and you can pick up boons in your run (if you have enough coins to afford them) and hopefully make it to the end. BUT, you see a bunch of ghosts for everyone else who played this level - if someone died, you can collect their spirit or something for a small heal! During each run you collect keys you can use to buy permanent upgrades, and so you go up the progression ladder of many roguelites...
Someone described this as first person temple run, which is close enough? I mean, the levels themselves are a lot more interesting than the "mere" reaction times that temple run goes for, here you can side-step/etc. stuff - and there are different paths, and in all you can be a bit creative for how you approach stuff...I've had fun so far - unlocked all the green levels and I've started on the blue ones!
read all entries for this GameLog
- add a comment
|
|
Cuphead (Switch) by jp (Apr 6th, 2025 at 13:37:03) |
I only get to play this when my son comes around - and we play together and I realized, yeah - I need to either start practicing seriously or just give up. And, I enjoy playing it co-op, so there's not much sense in practicing, so I decided to give up.
We did make it to the 2nd island(?), and played some of the levels there - but I was clearly starting to see a steeper path to success. As in, it too us (mostly my fault) more and more tries to make less progress. He's already played it, beat it too? So, not much point for him really.
read all entries for this GameLog
- add a comment
|
|
Sonic Rush (DS) by jp (Apr 6th, 2025 at 13:34:08) |
I started playing this from the saved game - with new(?) character Blaze on "area 2" (I don't remember the exact name). And, I just could not beat the level - it was set in the casino world, and everything was moving super fast and on "automatic" - so, you just press move and the character zips along, bounces, etc.
It's actually quite boring! Because you just do this, at some point you hit an enemy (very few enemies in the game!), lose your rings, and then carry on. But, I'd lose because I'd fall into a bottomless pit, lose three lives and then out.
I'd say it wasn't so much frustrating as it was a disappointment. Yes, the point of Sonic is that it's "fast" - that's it's thing. But I find that there's little interaction to the game for most of the levels - you just "go along with the direction". It's neat when sometimes you get bounced around automatically, but for the most part I like to control the character.
So, I deleted the save file and started a new one, this time with Sonic in the equivalent of green hill zone. This level has two areas and then a boss. So, it's like 3 levels make up a level.
And, the experience was pretty similar - run on automatic for a while, lose rings suddenly or die, repeat with a bit more caution...etc. I did make it all the way to the boss fight - which I almost beat one too many times, and I just realized - ok, this is dumb - at least the boss fights have more gameplay ( you dodge, make an attack when the weak spot is open, etc.) - but it's still a pretty boring/uninteresting platforming experience.
So, off to the shelf it goes!
read all entries for this GameLog
- add a comment
|
|
|
|
|
GameLog hopes to be a site where gamers such as yourself keep track of the games that
they are currently playing. A GameLog is basically a record of a game you started playing. If it's open,
you still consider yourself to be playing the game. If it's closed, you finished playing the game. (it doesn't matter
if you got bored, frustrated,etc.) You can also attach short comments to each of your games or even maintain a diary (with more detailed entries)
for that game. Call it a weblog of game playing activity if you will.
[latest site fixes and updates]
[read more]
|
view feed xml
|
 |
|
2286 registered gamers and 3257 games. 7789 GameLogs with 13266 journal entries. 5110 games are currently being played.
More stats
|
 |
|
most recent entry: Saturday 26 January, 2008
|
Rayman: Raving Rabbids
Gamelog entry #1
Summary
In Rayman: Raving Rabbids you play as Rayman, enslaved in a Coliseum run by crazy bunnies. You are forced to complete various missions and mini-games for the Rabbids’ amusement in return for plungers, which eventually help you climb the wall of your cell to freedom. The controller for the Wii adds a unique essence to the game as it must be manipulated differently for each game.
Gameplay
You can choose to play Raving Rabbids in either story or score mode. My first time playing was with a friend so we chose the multiplayer-compatible score mode and teamed up in a Bunny Hunt. I was in a good mood before we even began just because of the ridiculous style of artwork and noises the menu screens made. Each player can mix and match all of Rayman’s outfits to create their character. Some of the choices include a mariachi costume, gangster, grandma, and a bunny suit. The “hunt†is an arcade-style first person shooter, where your character moves on a set path around one of about a dozen maps. The plunger-launching gun you are equipped with has infinite ammunition allowing me to shoot as much as I want at the bunnies sprouting continuously out of the most unexpected places.
The bunnies squeal when you hit them, and, if you are accurate, a headshot is rewarded with a plopping noise as the plunger connects with their face. This kept me laughing for most of the game, but the sheer amount of Rabbids always kept me on guard because they had their own plungers to chuck back. Points are given whenever you hit your target, and based on the percent hit out of shots fired. Since you must aim with your controller, it is slightly difficult at first to hit the bunnies, as they are small targets, but once you get the hang on shooting and reloading fluidly, they stand no chance.
Since each level followed a set path, I didn’t have to worry about where to go and could focus all of my energies on plunging the white fur balls. With my friend we could also face off against each other and try and beat the other’s score. This added another aspect to the game to keep it from getting too repetitive, and the loser could trade off with someone else to include more people in the fun. So far, at least this part of the game flows smoothly and keeps me interested.
Gamelog entry #2
Gameplay
Although the Bunny Hunt was getting slightly repetitive it was still, honestly, no less entertaining. But I figured I should see what the actual game was all about so I played the story mode for a little while. Playing as Rayman imprisoned in the Rabbids’ coliseum, the story mode is composed of lots of strange mini-games. Each game is unique, but more challenging versions of the same game come up as you get further along in the story. This gives you more chances to get better at the games, but it also makes you play some again that you might rather skip. After completing a few of these challenges, you play a level of Bunny Hunting, which makes all the other games worth it.
The motivation for your character is freedom, and as you complete more and more challenges, the bunnies reward you with different outfits and music for your cell in addition to plungers that allow you to climb the wall, and eventually escape out the window. It is interesting to see the new presents but they aren’t that exciting. The game kept me interested enough to play for a while, and I could have definitely sat down and beat it in a few hours without getting too bored.
Design
I’m not sure how unique Raving Rabbids would be if it wasn’t being played on the Wii, because playing with wireless, motion-sensing controllers really made this game great fun. Each mini-game requires the player to use their remote in a different way. This was fun, but it means the player has to figure out how to play each game before they start. The Bunny Hunts were by far the most fun of this game. Each level had its own theme and shooting plungers at bunny rabbits didn’t get old for a while.
The other challenges become repetitive after the second time around, however, after struggling through them, the player is soon rewarded with another Bunny Hunt. There is little replay value for the story mode of Rayman, but the score mode always challenges you to perfect your handling of the remotes, and its accessibility and enjoyable controls keep it entertaining for you and up to three of your friends.
[read this GameLog]
|
|
|
