CANpatbuck3664
Joined Nov 2015
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When I saw the marketing for Wild B@stards, I was stoked. I've put a lot of hours into the original game by developer Blue Manchu and the shift to the space cowboys motif seemed like an inspired choice. I'll start with that decision and I really dug the atmosphere and world/lore they built in this game. The animation style is still striking but they also switch it up a little by making it more angular and playing with familiar locales in the genre to put a new spin on it. This also applies to the character designs, I'll get to their personality and development later but I also liked how distinctive yet fun everyone looked. From Casino having a slot machine rollers for eyes to Roswell looking like an ET from yesteryear fiction to Kaboom being made of vapor, they really went all out. My hats off to the team for not just being content to just recycle what worked about Void and they decided to build upon it.
My biggest problem with Void B@stards was the lack of a strong central narrative. Other than trying to escape the Nebula as a dangerous convict, there's little to nothing else. I feel like the developers actually listened to the constructive criticism brought forward against Void and did their best to improve upon it. Wild's narrative isn't amazing but it's strong enough and effective in moving the story forward. A mostly dead gang of outlaws are mysteriously resurrected by their former ship to fulfill a mission and reach their version of a getaway. It's not Shakespeare but it's a noticeable previously missing piece of the puzzle that's been filled in and there's enough there to allow your focus to drift to the game's real strengths.
One of the best parts of Void was the real tension that permeated when you went scavenging on a derelict ship. Trying to maneuver around Screws and Zecs when you're almost out of ammo and oxygen is a RUSH. Wild let's the player choose their route and which outlaws to bring but the planet surface acts like a tabletop strategy game. You have so many movement/action points to accomplish your goal and the get out of dodge before the powerful enemies show up. I liked this function, it allowed for a different kind of control of the situation. I also liked the showdowns with the gunplay. They're relatively simple, you just eliminate all the enemies but you can alternate between fighters, use their perks and tilt the fight in your favour. To me, there's was a beauty in the simplicity and I really relished in each encounter.
The real strength of Wild for me was in the diverse cast of characters, their interplay and how gameplay changes based upon which one you use. The gang looks great, sounds great (the game has a lot of fun vocal performances, credit to the cast for sure) and they're often hilarious. I couldn't really get attached to any of the characters in Void, I didn't have that problem here. You can also create alliances and squash feuds inside the gang with resource allocation and it can lead to different perks opening up that will help in showdowns.
If you haven't gathered from the paragraphs above, I mostly adored this game. The only minor flaws I can fling at it are that it can be a tad repetitive and that if you don't allocate resources or budget personnel properly, the difficulty ramps up quickly. I understand that the game can be a little rote for some but so was Void to be honest. The loopish style and the cyclical nature of combat is part of the genre, I'm not criticizing the opposing viewpoint but I don't know what people were expecting from a sequel to the original game. In terms of the difficulty, I think Void was actually more punishing to the player when you made mistakes so I can only recommend turning down the difficulty if the challenge is insurmountable.
I know this game has gotten a mixed reception from Void's fans but I was supremely pleased with Wild. Wild is brave enough to be different while still retaining a lot of what made Void work. Stronger plotting, stronger character development and a new genre slant propels Wild slightly past Void. It might not be everyone's cup of tea but it's mine for sure and I'll wholeheartedly recommend it.
My biggest problem with Void B@stards was the lack of a strong central narrative. Other than trying to escape the Nebula as a dangerous convict, there's little to nothing else. I feel like the developers actually listened to the constructive criticism brought forward against Void and did their best to improve upon it. Wild's narrative isn't amazing but it's strong enough and effective in moving the story forward. A mostly dead gang of outlaws are mysteriously resurrected by their former ship to fulfill a mission and reach their version of a getaway. It's not Shakespeare but it's a noticeable previously missing piece of the puzzle that's been filled in and there's enough there to allow your focus to drift to the game's real strengths.
One of the best parts of Void was the real tension that permeated when you went scavenging on a derelict ship. Trying to maneuver around Screws and Zecs when you're almost out of ammo and oxygen is a RUSH. Wild let's the player choose their route and which outlaws to bring but the planet surface acts like a tabletop strategy game. You have so many movement/action points to accomplish your goal and the get out of dodge before the powerful enemies show up. I liked this function, it allowed for a different kind of control of the situation. I also liked the showdowns with the gunplay. They're relatively simple, you just eliminate all the enemies but you can alternate between fighters, use their perks and tilt the fight in your favour. To me, there's was a beauty in the simplicity and I really relished in each encounter.
The real strength of Wild for me was in the diverse cast of characters, their interplay and how gameplay changes based upon which one you use. The gang looks great, sounds great (the game has a lot of fun vocal performances, credit to the cast for sure) and they're often hilarious. I couldn't really get attached to any of the characters in Void, I didn't have that problem here. You can also create alliances and squash feuds inside the gang with resource allocation and it can lead to different perks opening up that will help in showdowns.
If you haven't gathered from the paragraphs above, I mostly adored this game. The only minor flaws I can fling at it are that it can be a tad repetitive and that if you don't allocate resources or budget personnel properly, the difficulty ramps up quickly. I understand that the game can be a little rote for some but so was Void to be honest. The loopish style and the cyclical nature of combat is part of the genre, I'm not criticizing the opposing viewpoint but I don't know what people were expecting from a sequel to the original game. In terms of the difficulty, I think Void was actually more punishing to the player when you made mistakes so I can only recommend turning down the difficulty if the challenge is insurmountable.
I know this game has gotten a mixed reception from Void's fans but I was supremely pleased with Wild. Wild is brave enough to be different while still retaining a lot of what made Void work. Stronger plotting, stronger character development and a new genre slant propels Wild slightly past Void. It might not be everyone's cup of tea but it's mine for sure and I'll wholeheartedly recommend it.
I primarily played Street Fighter 6 on the new World Tour mode (essentially campaign/story mode). I was pleasantly surprised how much effort was put into this to update the game and yet tell a coherent story. I don't know if any fighting game will ever have a literary-quality story (my favourite is still Def Jam Vendetta 2: Fighter For NY) but Capcom also didn't phone it in. The protagonist searches for the meaning of strength while gradually interacting with the rest of the roster and picking up styles and moves from sparring with them. There's a larger focus on the disappearance of his friend Bosch as well and that got the job done for me. But as much as I enjoyed playing through the story, I'd be remiss if I didn't also explain how it could be so subsequently frustrating. World Tour isn't super challenging until it is. Forget about facing characters leveled past you, you don't have any shot whatsoever. Certain battles took multiple attempts, spamming certain attacks or oodles of consumables just to finish. Difficulty can also spike randomly to infuriating results. I didn't love the lack of checkpoint in tournament-style engagements as well. If you've got 4 scheduled matches and you lose on fight 4, you're transported back to the beginning. This just seemed unfair to me and I would have to go fight random npcs over and over again to level up to a point that I would finally do sufficient damage. World Tour is surprisingly well crafted but I considered giving up at a couple of times too. The game can be punishing and that affected my enjoymen at times. I also enjoyed the largely goofy tone but it also felt like it was cribbing of some of the strange vibe from games like Yakuza: Like a Dragon. Street Fighter 6 was funny for sure but not wholly original in the weird directions it decided to go.
Street Fighter 6 allows you to either use classical controls or an updated version called modern. When you're not an exceptionally talented player (such as myself), the concessions the game makes to help more people get comfortable can be a tricky balance. You have to prioritize engagement with the uninitiated without ticking off veteran players. I was mostly satisfied with how the game functioned, I thought the controls were slick but still carried the much needed punch. I enjoyed stringing together combos and countering while blocking and playing defense far less than I should have. The bouncy tone of the game overall flows into the sound design. The pops and crunches boom in a way that's not realistic but they amp up the stakes. But I didn't find anything too buggy or discover any notable performance issues and with the state of gaming today, that's a low bar that's cleared far fewer times than it should be.
While I think World Tour was mostly well done and the mechanics are impressively accessible, I think the biggest draw for this game will be the varied cast of characters. While the NPC fighters get repetitive (which was predictable) I never got tired of interacting with or fighting as our main roster. They all are distinct, funny and fun-loving. Street Fighter 6 is not a subtle game but I also doubt that's what the creative team had in mind. The characters all have different styles that can be mastered and it's a lot of fun experimenting with each of them. They updated the designs of the characters while retaining the flavour and I appreciated the effort.
I can't say I loved/enjoyed every moment I spent playing Street Fighter but colour me impressed overall. I'm not going to touch on the online/co-op play, I would never consider myself good enough to even attempt to beat other people who play this game regularly. I know some of the fans are exclusively picking up the title for that side of the game but it's just not my forte. World Tour mode is a genuinely fun and surprisingly fresh take on the campaign of a brawling/fighting game despite some migraine-inducing difficulty spikes and some checkpoint systems that tilt the game in favour of the house. While I think the game will please a lot of fans of the franchise, Street Fighter 6 is a great introduction to new players and I think that's where it succeeds the best. The controls are easy to pick up, the characters are a lot of fun and I think the enthusiasm the game is reveling in borders on infectious. I got this 1/2 price on sale and I more than got my money's worth out of it. Fighting games can be a little intimidating but if you're looking for something to even play casually, I'd have no reservations about recommending Street Fighter 6.
Street Fighter 6 allows you to either use classical controls or an updated version called modern. When you're not an exceptionally talented player (such as myself), the concessions the game makes to help more people get comfortable can be a tricky balance. You have to prioritize engagement with the uninitiated without ticking off veteran players. I was mostly satisfied with how the game functioned, I thought the controls were slick but still carried the much needed punch. I enjoyed stringing together combos and countering while blocking and playing defense far less than I should have. The bouncy tone of the game overall flows into the sound design. The pops and crunches boom in a way that's not realistic but they amp up the stakes. But I didn't find anything too buggy or discover any notable performance issues and with the state of gaming today, that's a low bar that's cleared far fewer times than it should be.
While I think World Tour was mostly well done and the mechanics are impressively accessible, I think the biggest draw for this game will be the varied cast of characters. While the NPC fighters get repetitive (which was predictable) I never got tired of interacting with or fighting as our main roster. They all are distinct, funny and fun-loving. Street Fighter 6 is not a subtle game but I also doubt that's what the creative team had in mind. The characters all have different styles that can be mastered and it's a lot of fun experimenting with each of them. They updated the designs of the characters while retaining the flavour and I appreciated the effort.
I can't say I loved/enjoyed every moment I spent playing Street Fighter but colour me impressed overall. I'm not going to touch on the online/co-op play, I would never consider myself good enough to even attempt to beat other people who play this game regularly. I know some of the fans are exclusively picking up the title for that side of the game but it's just not my forte. World Tour mode is a genuinely fun and surprisingly fresh take on the campaign of a brawling/fighting game despite some migraine-inducing difficulty spikes and some checkpoint systems that tilt the game in favour of the house. While I think the game will please a lot of fans of the franchise, Street Fighter 6 is a great introduction to new players and I think that's where it succeeds the best. The controls are easy to pick up, the characters are a lot of fun and I think the enthusiasm the game is reveling in borders on infectious. I got this 1/2 price on sale and I more than got my money's worth out of it. Fighting games can be a little intimidating but if you're looking for something to even play casually, I'd have no reservations about recommending Street Fighter 6.
While I was perusing for deals on the Playstation store, I just happened upon Gris and after gazing upon the ethereal beauty in artwork, my jaw hit the floor. How could you not be arrested by the style and care that was weaved into the visuals of this game? I'm probably repeating other reviewers but platforming through Gris, it felt like moving though a painting. The environments are varied and all of them are stunning in their own way. There were so many moments where I would stop to better process the intricacies of how this world functioned or to catch something new in the background. I understand a game should have more than standout visuals but I can't imagine anyone's interest not being at least piqued when taking Gris in for the first time.
Gris doesn't feature wall-to-wall action. It functions as a puzzle -platformer and I also think it does a good job of flirting with the line of being too difficult. Most of the puzzles aren't too precise or require too much from the player. Our protagonist gains new abilities from stage to stage and you use those to manipulate the environment to progress. These abilities all function as intended and are fun to use. The key is if you'll be okay with the lack of direction the game gives you. While some gamers instinctively know where to go and what to do, I'm not blessed with that kind of foresight. Getting from one side of the level to the other required a fair amount of trial and error and while I never got too frustrated, I could seeing it being an issue for some.
The stumbling point for the majority of prospective players with Gris is the way the game chooses to tell its story. Gris has a larger narrative about the protagonist processing grief over the loss of a loved one but the game almost has a complete absence of a story. It's told through metaphor and subtext and I think that will divide people. I get both sides of the debate, if I was making the game, I might have approached it different and tried to make it more accessible. But I can also respect the decision the creative team made to have it unfold this way.
I think some people will adore Gris and others will despise it. I liked it a fair amount and while it won't appeal to the whole spectrum, it's going to make a certain demographic very happy. I don't know if I'll ever replay it but Gris is an experience for sure and if you want to play something that will leave you awestruck after even just a couple of scenes, it's absolutely worth playing.
Gris doesn't feature wall-to-wall action. It functions as a puzzle -platformer and I also think it does a good job of flirting with the line of being too difficult. Most of the puzzles aren't too precise or require too much from the player. Our protagonist gains new abilities from stage to stage and you use those to manipulate the environment to progress. These abilities all function as intended and are fun to use. The key is if you'll be okay with the lack of direction the game gives you. While some gamers instinctively know where to go and what to do, I'm not blessed with that kind of foresight. Getting from one side of the level to the other required a fair amount of trial and error and while I never got too frustrated, I could seeing it being an issue for some.
The stumbling point for the majority of prospective players with Gris is the way the game chooses to tell its story. Gris has a larger narrative about the protagonist processing grief over the loss of a loved one but the game almost has a complete absence of a story. It's told through metaphor and subtext and I think that will divide people. I get both sides of the debate, if I was making the game, I might have approached it different and tried to make it more accessible. But I can also respect the decision the creative team made to have it unfold this way.
I think some people will adore Gris and others will despise it. I liked it a fair amount and while it won't appeal to the whole spectrum, it's going to make a certain demographic very happy. I don't know if I'll ever replay it but Gris is an experience for sure and if you want to play something that will leave you awestruck after even just a couple of scenes, it's absolutely worth playing.