I'm sure spell check will appreciate that spelling.
Zeal & Ardor came out of nowhere for me, and they instantly became one of my current favorite bands. Their third album may have actually knocked off Taylor Swift's Midnights from my top three of 2022. I've since gone back to their other albums and can't stop getting them stuck in my head. My bangers list is full of ZaA.
But now it's a new album! Greif, which, I've been told, is the German word for gryphon, is a new story. Zeal & Ardor's last three albums have told the tale of an alternative America, where slaves realized the Bible was keeping them in chains. They turned to Satan and went to war against their enemies. On first (and second) listen, that epic is over. Is this a new tale, or am I just imagining it? I'll talk a little about the musical and lyrical qualities of a song and then go into detail about how I think this is a concept album. Maybe vice versa...
Track one is a short intro. It sets up the story with a shock appearance of "the bird, the lion, and the wildkin," which is how to describe a gryphon. The lyrics are five lines: a declaration of war. They've been waiting for this, and they're never gonna stop. "Here's to the dead." The prevailing music motif is a civil war drum snare beat with a mildly disturbing child's choir in the background. The standard ZaA guitar tone plays to remind us who wrote this, but this song simply sets things up.
"Fend You Off" was an early single. The video is a woman driving a car with the word "Descendent" in the corner, with the description referencing the "Heir of the Gryphon." It also mentions a resistance. ZaA shows off the disturbed sing-song lyrics Manny has brought to previous albums. Rather than go through each line, I'll suggest that the song was about a chosen one type of being, but they don't feel happy with this destiny. They've "eaten the lies to fend you off" and have been clenching fists and grinding teeth. Is this how they become better than the "next of our very kin"? I guess that's why they fight each other.
"Kilonova" is a real world thing. It's a magnetic burst from outer space. It has the power to wipe out all life on Earth, so I guess it's why it's a good metaphor for the arrival of this unnamed enemy. The word "Dessa" (meaning wanderer) is repeated often, so I'll call them Dessa. There's more of that sing-song singing, which gets really unsettling with lines like "Bring the son, bring the father and the nun. As we'll never feel the meaning if we didn't die…Bring the salt, bring the circle and the chalk. And we'll never make a promise if we didn't lie." It's something I can randomly see myself singing in the shower. But this is the inciting incident of our tale. Musically, there's one riff that drones on through the entirety of the track. It's very ZaA, even if the riff isn't something out of spirituals or metal. A commentator on YouTube said it reminds them of a heartbeat. There's also a weirdly jaunty but scary bass behind it. The key changes to something higher for the chorus. It's a very unsettling song. Drags on a bit, though.
"Are you the only one now" is about the survivors of the initial attack. They try to move slow and fear to even breathe too hard. Everything is "embers" now. As you'd expect, it's tonally depressing. A single guitar (that I don't think is tuned correctly) slowly strums a dissonant chord progression. It's occasionally joined by an electric guitar that plays the credits of the bad ending of a movie. Halfway through, though, it suddenly turns into some black metal with low screams and fast guitars. It represents that the bad ending isn't over yet. Kinda drags a bit, though.
"Go home, my friend" is about those still trying to live. They dream of making it through the night and getting to safety. They hope others do, too. Some try to sail away or hop a train. But hope is fleeting. Many ask for rope and want others to remind them god isn't coming. Classic Zeal & Arder show up with their slavery inspired call and response techniques. The guitars are even reminiscent of that era, too. It ramps up from an acapella song to what critics may call an "imagine dragons" song where they bring up the devil. Oddly, it ends with a synth…
"Clawing Out" is vintage ZaA. It has Latin words! It's staccato and disturbing, and it jumps around from one line to another, verse to chorus. The Latin chanting even grows more and more unsettling. The Latin words apparently translate to a justifiable evil deed (Genius.com). It's a song that is as frantic as a rock track can get and works for this album. Lyrically, this is when the "hero" from song three starts to fight back against the Dessa. But the "hero" isn't sure who he is or what he's fighting for. The song drags on for a while, but it works here.
"Disease" is when the hero joins the good guys, but the good guys don't like him. Someone is called a "disease," and the line "Insisting that you're kind but you're the enemy" is a pretty damning indictment. Alternatively, it could be about a group of people who want the speaker to be a hero, but the hero knows they can't trust them, "them" being humans and all. I think the second view fits more with the second half of the album. Musically, it oozes desert stoner rock vibes. With a driving drum intro followed by a fat bass melody beneath a guitar that's playing something on the body frets, this isn't a typical ZaA track. There's not a lot of variation in the track, so it really drags on for a while… This song did not need to be 4:30 minutes.
"369" is a quick reminder that someone(s) is a devil. He ain't dead, and things will be written in gold. Griffons protected gold in mythology, so I assume it's about the hero. Perhaps they're wanted by both sides? The speakers talk about being the "left hand path," so it's definitely from Dessa. This is a good reminder that this is a ZaA song. It mostly stomps, claps, and natural clangs.
"Thrill" is my favorite song on the album. The hero has started fighting, and they're a big fan of it. They "don't feel anymore. Baffled by the thrill of it all." I'm not sure what the "cut your bombadiers" means, though. The uselessness of manmade weaponry? I said it was my favorite, but the music is kinda generic rock. It's fun and gets into your ear by being weirdly danceable, but it's probably the least traditional ZaA song in an album that doesn't sound very ZaA.
"une ville vide" is an instrumental. The title means an empty city in French. It's a two minute electronic build up.
"Sugarcoat" has very few lyrics: eight lines and an oft repeated chorus. Of all my guesses about lyrical meaning, this is my worst idea because I don't know… Another inciting incident? It mentions coming alive and feeling alone a lot. There's also a shockingly disturbed "la la lalala" all over the place. It sounds like an old Queens of the Stone Age song. And that's a good thing.
"Solace" is the beginning of the end. It's depressing for all the reasons a song could be. Whatever made the hero feel alone in the last song is now making them think that "There is solace and hope/In the end of your rope/To be sharp as a blade." It's a somber piano song, but the almost black metal guitars try to pop in late.
"Hide in Shade" is a Zeal & Ardor song. It flips back and forth from spiritual call and response to black metal speed screams. The lyrics show when the hero realizes they can't do anything. "It's gonna burn" is spammed throughout. They know they'll be gone soon, so they're talking to someone else. One day, others will talk about this person. Sometimes good ("sing"), sometimes bad ("scream"). "Burn your hope, it's only gonna hold you back" is repeated at the end. The video shows a gryphon egg, so is this a message to a child?
"To my ilk" is the final song. It's another message to the child about their future: a warning. Strangers will one day come to hunt them to "make you pay." But others will worship them. "Wrapped in finest cloth and finest silk." It will be up to them to bring peace. The video is a gryphon doing a Batman pose. Why does it have holes in it? Regardless, the entire song is a depressing but fast guitar (or two) with clapping to keep the rhythm. I would consider this a ZaA song, and it ending the album on a sad note is perfect.
The ending kinda confuses me. Where did this child come from? When was another person mentioned? Could it have been an unknown object in Sugercoat? Of course, this assumes this is a concept album that tells a cohesive story. It could just be an anthology with a common theme.
In an interview with Keranng, Manuel Gagneux described a ceremony from his home in Switzerland about a man dressed as a gryphon "sticking his ass out to the man." The event is a tradition called Vogel Gryff, where the working class shows their disdain for the rich across the Rhine River. He even mentions how so much hippocracy is involved around this event and the band.
In that same interview, he states that all the songs are just about how he was feeling that day when writing, and it combines the grief of all the new band members who have, up to now, just been touring musicians. This is the first Zeal & Ardor album where Manny wasn't the sole contributor. And that's likely why it's such a strange album, even by the standards of a strange band. In a way, it's the first album from a new band.
—
Skill) Nothing about this album sucks, even if it doesn't necessarily sound like Zeal and Ardor. And the lyrics are still fun to decipher. 2/2
Variation) This is a weird one. Most songs are different from one another, and many get frantic and shift throughout. But, yowie wowie, do they drag on for a while… 1/2
Bangers) We've got a record (for this year) of four! 2/2
Replayability) I think I'm already up to eight times through this album, and I'm still not sick of it. And it's still ZaA, so I'm gonna listen to their old stuff, too. 2/2
Extras) I think this might be too short of an album… I'm missing one track to explain where that egg came from. That aside, I loved what I listened to and want to dig more into this potential concept album I may have made up. 1/2
So Greif by Zeal & Ardor gets an 8/10.
Many reviewers are disappointed with this album, but I don't get why. The songs are still fun to listen to, and I love the backstory of making the touring musicians into full fledged band members. It's like a union! What's further confusing me is ZaA is, by design, a strange band. An avant-garde band wrote an avant-garde album, and people are mad. Go figure…
Monday, August 26, 2024
Sunday, August 25, 2024
Thousand Arms
So...a bit controversial here, but Thousand Arms sucks. I don't think that opinion is a boiling hot take, but I've only experienced about ten hours of it. In that time, I've struggled to enjoy most of it.
Maybe it's because I'm ace, but our MC is annoyingly horny. The main draw of the game is that it's a dating sim. Meis can date the girls that join his party and a few extra here and there. Doing so increases Meis' ability to forge stronger weapons/learn new spells. The dates are boring, long, repetitive, and I feel like the girls are just sex objects. I know the game came out in the 90s, but I feel gross. Doubly so because I'm an adult man in my thirties.
Worst still, the dating mechanics don't end up being rewarding. They're supposed to lead to more powerful weapons, but I didn't notice any of my stats increasing. How do you gain stats in TA? And the spells aren't worthwhile because the battle system sucks.
You can bring in three people, but only one can do anything. The back row acts as one and can only do a small amount of spells. Luckily, cure is one of them. And battles are long and tedious because the devs wanted to overcorrect the NA release because the Japan version was called too easy. So get ready to spam heal and potions... I struggled to find a balance between having HP or MP. And even without the sword sponge mobs, it's painfully slow. The game has an opposite ATB gauge. You select your action at the start of your turn and then wait for the bar to empty, pressing X upon completion. The mob will always be slightly faster than you. This just means there's a lot of nothing happening in battle, mainly because you're just controlling one character. It would be fine if you're only against one mob, but there are plenty of full (three) enemy parties. I felt trapped in every battle.
I don't know anything about the story, but there seemed to be promise. You're a blacksmith who communes with spirits, and you need the power of friendship to beat up a robot. There were some interesting twists early on, and I spoiled a few in the far future, but there's no way it can even out the rest.
I listened to the OST on YouTube and found it pretty alright. It seemed it would have been the best part of Thousand Arms.
Graphics were also fine enough, but I already saw plenty of spell animation reuse and mob palette swaps.
After only ten hours, you can't make a true declaration of worth. My guesstimate is Thousand Arms would get a 20 out of 50. Sorry if it's your favorite (a guy I watch on YouTube said he liked it), but I'm moving on already.
Maybe it's because I'm ace, but our MC is annoyingly horny. The main draw of the game is that it's a dating sim. Meis can date the girls that join his party and a few extra here and there. Doing so increases Meis' ability to forge stronger weapons/learn new spells. The dates are boring, long, repetitive, and I feel like the girls are just sex objects. I know the game came out in the 90s, but I feel gross. Doubly so because I'm an adult man in my thirties.
Worst still, the dating mechanics don't end up being rewarding. They're supposed to lead to more powerful weapons, but I didn't notice any of my stats increasing. How do you gain stats in TA? And the spells aren't worthwhile because the battle system sucks.
You can bring in three people, but only one can do anything. The back row acts as one and can only do a small amount of spells. Luckily, cure is one of them. And battles are long and tedious because the devs wanted to overcorrect the NA release because the Japan version was called too easy. So get ready to spam heal and potions... I struggled to find a balance between having HP or MP. And even without the sword sponge mobs, it's painfully slow. The game has an opposite ATB gauge. You select your action at the start of your turn and then wait for the bar to empty, pressing X upon completion. The mob will always be slightly faster than you. This just means there's a lot of nothing happening in battle, mainly because you're just controlling one character. It would be fine if you're only against one mob, but there are plenty of full (three) enemy parties. I felt trapped in every battle.
I don't know anything about the story, but there seemed to be promise. You're a blacksmith who communes with spirits, and you need the power of friendship to beat up a robot. There were some interesting twists early on, and I spoiled a few in the far future, but there's no way it can even out the rest.
I listened to the OST on YouTube and found it pretty alright. It seemed it would have been the best part of Thousand Arms.
Graphics were also fine enough, but I already saw plenty of spell animation reuse and mob palette swaps.
After only ten hours, you can't make a true declaration of worth. My guesstimate is Thousand Arms would get a 20 out of 50. Sorry if it's your favorite (a guy I watch on YouTube said he liked it), but I'm moving on already.
Monday, August 12, 2024
Assassin's Creed:Bloodlines
Why, tho?
Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines is a direct sequel to Altair's escapades in the Holy Land. He's chasing after the Templar remnants who fled to Cypress. I don't remember if there is a reason why, but Altair learns of an archive, presumably filled with relics similar to the Apple of Eden. He's brought along Maria, the right hand woman of Robert de Sable, but she's not thrilled.
While aiding the citizens of Limassol and Kyrenia (for no reason) and killing Templars, Altair considers the Apple of Eden and the people who made it. Meanwhile, Maria learns the truth about her order and comes to appreciate that Altair hasn't killed her. Betrayals, twists, and confusion lead the way into a game that makes me ask one question: what was the point?
I like the Assassin's Creed series because all the games are interconnected. I'm the weird one who enjoyed the out-of-Animus segments. There are always two or three stories being told, but Bloodlines drops the hall on all of those fronts. Desmond is never seen at all. We get a framing device about being in the Animus, but who are we? What is Abstergo even seeking? There is no mention of another Precursor Artifact, and (SPOILER) a potential thing they could want gets destroyed. So why are we living as Altair again? And what did Altair even get out of this journey besides a wife? AC is about genealogy, but this didn't need to be a game.
Especially one with these terrible controls! Early AC games were sketchy, but AC1 was playable! Altair randomly stopped or jumped way too often. He constantly refused to grab on to things, which, in his defense, were shockingly few. Worst still, he kept leaping to the wrong thing, often to his death. It's frustrating and unrewarding. There are not even any cool parkour runs like in the Holy Land. Combat is also weirdly sluggish. It feels like a step back from AC1.
The music is...odd. Jysper Kid's techno ambiance remains, but nothing hit me here. I enjoyed the stuff from AC1, Brotherhood, and the other games, but it's empty on Cypress. And all the combat songs are the same.
Graphics are also lacking. While all three cities in AC! looked and played differently, both primary locations in Bloodlines look the same. The castles/dungeons are different, but they're short and one time events that carry their own nonsense with gameplay and boring boss fights.
My biggest gripe with AC Bloodlines is how empty everything feels. Nothing is explained, and I never once felt rewarded for my actions. As Bloodlines was short and concise but empty, so to will this review.
Overall score: 18/50
Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines is a direct sequel to Altair's escapades in the Holy Land. He's chasing after the Templar remnants who fled to Cypress. I don't remember if there is a reason why, but Altair learns of an archive, presumably filled with relics similar to the Apple of Eden. He's brought along Maria, the right hand woman of Robert de Sable, but she's not thrilled.
While aiding the citizens of Limassol and Kyrenia (for no reason) and killing Templars, Altair considers the Apple of Eden and the people who made it. Meanwhile, Maria learns the truth about her order and comes to appreciate that Altair hasn't killed her. Betrayals, twists, and confusion lead the way into a game that makes me ask one question: what was the point?
I like the Assassin's Creed series because all the games are interconnected. I'm the weird one who enjoyed the out-of-Animus segments. There are always two or three stories being told, but Bloodlines drops the hall on all of those fronts. Desmond is never seen at all. We get a framing device about being in the Animus, but who are we? What is Abstergo even seeking? There is no mention of another Precursor Artifact, and (SPOILER) a potential thing they could want gets destroyed. So why are we living as Altair again? And what did Altair even get out of this journey besides a wife? AC is about genealogy, but this didn't need to be a game.
Especially one with these terrible controls! Early AC games were sketchy, but AC1 was playable! Altair randomly stopped or jumped way too often. He constantly refused to grab on to things, which, in his defense, were shockingly few. Worst still, he kept leaping to the wrong thing, often to his death. It's frustrating and unrewarding. There are not even any cool parkour runs like in the Holy Land. Combat is also weirdly sluggish. It feels like a step back from AC1.
The music is...odd. Jysper Kid's techno ambiance remains, but nothing hit me here. I enjoyed the stuff from AC1, Brotherhood, and the other games, but it's empty on Cypress. And all the combat songs are the same.
Graphics are also lacking. While all three cities in AC! looked and played differently, both primary locations in Bloodlines look the same. The castles/dungeons are different, but they're short and one time events that carry their own nonsense with gameplay and boring boss fights.
My biggest gripe with AC Bloodlines is how empty everything feels. Nothing is explained, and I never once felt rewarded for my actions. As Bloodlines was short and concise but empty, so to will this review.
Overall score: 18/50
Thursday, August 8, 2024
Digimon World
Digimon was a better anime than Pokémon. Hate me 'cus it's true.
I think I bought Digimon World as a kid. It might have been a gift, though; I don't remember. It may have just randomly appeared in my hand one day! DW may be the only game I have no recollection of obtaining. But I remember playing quite a lot of it despite never really figuring anything out. I don't think I even enjoyed it, but it triggered so many reward mechanics in my dumb brain. But why?
Digimon World is a second person RPG, which is a novel idea. You play a young kid who, like the kids in the rad anime, gets sucked into the digital world because the Tamagotchis are in trouble. He, who I named 0, meets his egg watch, Amigo, and the digital monster who will guide him through this journey, Jijimon. Jijimon informs 0 that the island we're on is dying, and the Digimon inhabitants are going feral. What few remain sane now live in the small, desolate village of File City. If we want to save File (city and island), we're gonna need to knock sense into a lot of Digimon and find out what's responsible for all this. Many mons we find can be encouraged to join and rebuild the city, returning it to a thriving home.
Before heading into the world, we need to get used to the primary game loop of the game: Green Gym. The gym is the best way to gain stats for your Digimon. You'll need to empower your friend in order to beat anyone, digivolve further to take on stronger mobs, and explore the vast regions of the island. So you'll be spending a lot of time here. So, so much time... It can get painfully boring and tedious as there is no interaction during training sessions unless you want to gamble. And while you do this, you need to pay attention to Amigo. He needs food, gets tired, sleepy, and needs to poop. Yes, you need to take your bestie to the nearby toilet often.
Once you're sufficiently beefy, venture into the Native Forest and beat up an Agumon. You do this by telling Amigo what to do. Sometimes, he listens. You don't actually get to control anyone during combat, which is why I called this a second person RPG. All 0 does is guide the real hero by yelling vague commands. But Amigo wins, and Agumon regains his senses and opens up a bank in File. Our first resident! Other Digimon reside in the forest and nearby mine. You can also leap across a new friend's head to reach a rainforest. And from there, we explore a few canyons, plains, deep forest, ice flow, concrete jungle, and another forest. We even have to fish! Within these areas are future friends that open up new shops, clinics, arenas, fast travel spots, gym upgrades, and other cozy features. Rebuilding the city is definitely the fun part of Digimon World. Seeing this empty plot grow and fill with allies is my favorite thing to do. I'm noticing how much I love communities in video games. There's probably a psychological thing there, but I don't have the money to discuss it.
It's especially true here because the story is so bare bones. You're sucked into the world, aimlessly walk around, and only discover the enemy just before the final dungeon. There's only one thing of plot before then, and you only finally meet the main boss when you defeat him. 4/10 Plot
The plot is tertiary to the city and roguelike gameplay. You eventually learn that you have the only Digimon who can die and have to start all over again. So welcome to a second person, roguelike, open world RPG! There are about 60 Digimon, so that's a more rewarding goal than the story. 8/10 Gameplay
The music is also lacking. There's a lot of ambiance here but very few bits of actual melodic tunes. I want to say more, but I can't. It really is just not a big thing. 6/10 sound
Graphics are iffy. It's very budget esq, but the opening, ending, and post game cutscenes are surprisingly well made. They're even dubbed. And there's a lot of confusion as to where I can walk. Pallet swaps exist but make sense. But there's a lot of stuff to see, at least. 4/10 Visuals
For a potential budget title, there's a lot of charm here. If you love the Digimon anime aesthetic, the game replicates it well. There are so many natural things that look unnatural and vice versa. Since the city building aspects are the driving force, I can confirm the NPCs are rewarding. The tone of the anime is also brought here, and it's a good length for what it's going for, especially if you're into roguelikes. 9/10 Charm
Sadly, since so much of the game takes place in a gym, figuring out the time and dealing with so many unexplained mechanics, Digimon World feels tedious. Especially finding the five percent rare mons or trying to finagle the three specific ones you need for the dungeons. The loading times are also frequent and long. -7
So Digimon World gets a painfully low 24 points.
I feel like that's fitting, actually. It's a real shallow game that's aimed at the nichnist of audiences. I enjoyed the game, but I wish I hadn't bought it. I don't feel like I've grown by finishing this childhood flight of fancy. I cheated to finish this after my first Amgio died (Centarumon) and finished the game with my second (Megaseadramon). There is post game content (I think), but I don't care about beating the main boss again. I entered the final dungeon with a city prosperity of 69, so that's nice.
I think I bought Digimon World as a kid. It might have been a gift, though; I don't remember. It may have just randomly appeared in my hand one day! DW may be the only game I have no recollection of obtaining. But I remember playing quite a lot of it despite never really figuring anything out. I don't think I even enjoyed it, but it triggered so many reward mechanics in my dumb brain. But why?
Digimon World is a second person RPG, which is a novel idea. You play a young kid who, like the kids in the rad anime, gets sucked into the digital world because the Tamagotchis are in trouble. He, who I named 0, meets his egg watch, Amigo, and the digital monster who will guide him through this journey, Jijimon. Jijimon informs 0 that the island we're on is dying, and the Digimon inhabitants are going feral. What few remain sane now live in the small, desolate village of File City. If we want to save File (city and island), we're gonna need to knock sense into a lot of Digimon and find out what's responsible for all this. Many mons we find can be encouraged to join and rebuild the city, returning it to a thriving home.
Before heading into the world, we need to get used to the primary game loop of the game: Green Gym. The gym is the best way to gain stats for your Digimon. You'll need to empower your friend in order to beat anyone, digivolve further to take on stronger mobs, and explore the vast regions of the island. So you'll be spending a lot of time here. So, so much time... It can get painfully boring and tedious as there is no interaction during training sessions unless you want to gamble. And while you do this, you need to pay attention to Amigo. He needs food, gets tired, sleepy, and needs to poop. Yes, you need to take your bestie to the nearby toilet often.
Once you're sufficiently beefy, venture into the Native Forest and beat up an Agumon. You do this by telling Amigo what to do. Sometimes, he listens. You don't actually get to control anyone during combat, which is why I called this a second person RPG. All 0 does is guide the real hero by yelling vague commands. But Amigo wins, and Agumon regains his senses and opens up a bank in File. Our first resident! Other Digimon reside in the forest and nearby mine. You can also leap across a new friend's head to reach a rainforest. And from there, we explore a few canyons, plains, deep forest, ice flow, concrete jungle, and another forest. We even have to fish! Within these areas are future friends that open up new shops, clinics, arenas, fast travel spots, gym upgrades, and other cozy features. Rebuilding the city is definitely the fun part of Digimon World. Seeing this empty plot grow and fill with allies is my favorite thing to do. I'm noticing how much I love communities in video games. There's probably a psychological thing there, but I don't have the money to discuss it.
It's especially true here because the story is so bare bones. You're sucked into the world, aimlessly walk around, and only discover the enemy just before the final dungeon. There's only one thing of plot before then, and you only finally meet the main boss when you defeat him. 4/10 Plot
The plot is tertiary to the city and roguelike gameplay. You eventually learn that you have the only Digimon who can die and have to start all over again. So welcome to a second person, roguelike, open world RPG! There are about 60 Digimon, so that's a more rewarding goal than the story. 8/10 Gameplay
The music is also lacking. There's a lot of ambiance here but very few bits of actual melodic tunes. I want to say more, but I can't. It really is just not a big thing. 6/10 sound
Graphics are iffy. It's very budget esq, but the opening, ending, and post game cutscenes are surprisingly well made. They're even dubbed. And there's a lot of confusion as to where I can walk. Pallet swaps exist but make sense. But there's a lot of stuff to see, at least. 4/10 Visuals
For a potential budget title, there's a lot of charm here. If you love the Digimon anime aesthetic, the game replicates it well. There are so many natural things that look unnatural and vice versa. Since the city building aspects are the driving force, I can confirm the NPCs are rewarding. The tone of the anime is also brought here, and it's a good length for what it's going for, especially if you're into roguelikes. 9/10 Charm
Sadly, since so much of the game takes place in a gym, figuring out the time and dealing with so many unexplained mechanics, Digimon World feels tedious. Especially finding the five percent rare mons or trying to finagle the three specific ones you need for the dungeons. The loading times are also frequent and long. -7
So Digimon World gets a painfully low 24 points.
I feel like that's fitting, actually. It's a real shallow game that's aimed at the nichnist of audiences. I enjoyed the game, but I wish I hadn't bought it. I don't feel like I've grown by finishing this childhood flight of fancy. I cheated to finish this after my first Amgio died (Centarumon) and finished the game with my second (Megaseadramon). There is post game content (I think), but I don't care about beating the main boss again. I entered the final dungeon with a city prosperity of 69, so that's nice.
Friday, August 2, 2024
Wild Arms
Sorry, I forgot to update. I was having too much fun.
And I cannot stress that enough. Wild Arms is an absolutely amazing game, and I wish I had played it years ago. The internet tried to tell me Wild Arms II was better, but that was a lie. I meant to update more often about the going ons in Filgaia, but I kept going into overtime. I had to know what these characters were doing, what plan those bosses had up their sleeves, and listen to this music. I regret procrastinating on this! Why did I let me do this!?!? So let's get into it!
Despite all that praise, let's start with what sucks.
It's kind of an ugly game. Despite releasing two years after the PlayStation's debut and being the seventh RPG on the console, WA still uses SNES looking character sprites and tile sets for the world and field areas. There aren't any prerendered backgrounds or 3D models there. That's a design choice I won't argue against, but even compared to late SNES releases, they don't hold up. As I said, Treasure of Rudra looked better. As for the battle graphics, they are 3D in battle, and they're...fitting for the time, but that brings its own issues. The spells remind me of Quest 64. What I mean by that is there are two levels of each spell, but animations for both versions are the same. Back to the tile sets, many dungeons tend to look the same. They're all either caves, pallet swapped ruins, or Magitek Research Facility knockoffs. But this is a bit of a ticky-tacky problem. And, honestly, ugly is the wrong word. They're just dated. And it was Media.Vision's third game, after all.
Who even cares graphics when everything else is so wonderful?
The gameplay is filled with interesting puzzles throughout the dungeons that make use of the game's Tools, character based field specials that the player can trigger throughout an area. Rudy can bomb certain things to remove them from the path, Jack gets a grappling hook to bridge the gaps, and Cecilia uses a plot relevant mcguffin that opens magical doors. Along with typical puzzles (blocks, locks, and damage floors), it makes for some fun crawling through the kinda repetitive ruins of an ancient civilization. It's a strange shame that the mobs feel thrown around haphazardly, though.
The music was an unexpected bit of enjoyment. Wild Arms 2's OST was rather middling, and I struggled to find my favorite song because they all kinda sucked. But I had the opposite problem in Wild Arms. World map, towns, dungeons, certain scenes: all amplified by the melodies and notes that passed through my speakers. I did not expect this from someone I've never heard of. My apologies to Michiko Naruke.
I absolutely loved the characters. I was sucked into the struggles of a seventeen-year-old princess, a twenty something warrior with a troubled background, and a silent protagonist with a forbidden power and amnesia. How they grew as people, became friends, learned about themselves, and became fond of their planet forced me to play five to eight hours a night. And even the bosses were fantastic. Even their reasons to fight changed over time and for varying reasons. They all really drove this plot with their twists and intricacies. So good!
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Plot: world changing. Between the characters, good and bad, and how they drive the story to exciting climaxes, I couldn't put down Wild Arms. I'll get into a deeper point on this at the end. 9/10
Gameplay: matches. The actual game part of this story could have been a second rate experience, but the devs didn't skip any corners here, either. 9/10
Sound: why cats? Why do so many mobs sound like a cat was kicked to record them? Other than that, I want to go listen to the OST again. From relaxing tunes to morose melodies, action themes, and a Xenogears vocal track: I dug all of them! 10/10
Art: dated. I spoke enough about my nitpick and don't want to again. 7/10
Charm: the important bits. The world is great, and there are a number of NPCs who help the story expand. Shout out to the goat, Earth Golem! Exploration brings you to so many secrets and super bosses, and the game is the perfect length. And I laughed at the Link doll in Cecilia's room. The only point lost is because I don't see a lot of replayability here. But ask me again in a few years or when I get a hold of the remake. 9/10
Sadly, there are some negatives. A lot of enemies and bosses love to spam negative status effects. It really bogs down the game and artificially creates difficulty. -2
And with that, the original Wild Arms garners a more than respectable 42 out of 50.
Had I played Wild Arms when it first came out, I think this would have been my favorite game. I wouldn't have cared about the graphics, the status effects, or the enemy placements. I only would have paid attention to Cecilia and her story, how rad Jack is, and the best implementation of a silent protagonist I've seen. There's even a handful of bosses that kicked my butt I want to go back to. To say nothing of the secret dungeon and all that! I am so glad I played Wild Arms, and it reminds me why I love this genre. I want to find Alter Code...
And I cannot stress that enough. Wild Arms is an absolutely amazing game, and I wish I had played it years ago. The internet tried to tell me Wild Arms II was better, but that was a lie. I meant to update more often about the going ons in Filgaia, but I kept going into overtime. I had to know what these characters were doing, what plan those bosses had up their sleeves, and listen to this music. I regret procrastinating on this! Why did I let me do this!?!? So let's get into it!
Despite all that praise, let's start with what sucks.
It's kind of an ugly game. Despite releasing two years after the PlayStation's debut and being the seventh RPG on the console, WA still uses SNES looking character sprites and tile sets for the world and field areas. There aren't any prerendered backgrounds or 3D models there. That's a design choice I won't argue against, but even compared to late SNES releases, they don't hold up. As I said, Treasure of Rudra looked better. As for the battle graphics, they are 3D in battle, and they're...fitting for the time, but that brings its own issues. The spells remind me of Quest 64. What I mean by that is there are two levels of each spell, but animations for both versions are the same. Back to the tile sets, many dungeons tend to look the same. They're all either caves, pallet swapped ruins, or Magitek Research Facility knockoffs. But this is a bit of a ticky-tacky problem. And, honestly, ugly is the wrong word. They're just dated. And it was Media.Vision's third game, after all.
Who even cares graphics when everything else is so wonderful?
The gameplay is filled with interesting puzzles throughout the dungeons that make use of the game's Tools, character based field specials that the player can trigger throughout an area. Rudy can bomb certain things to remove them from the path, Jack gets a grappling hook to bridge the gaps, and Cecilia uses a plot relevant mcguffin that opens magical doors. Along with typical puzzles (blocks, locks, and damage floors), it makes for some fun crawling through the kinda repetitive ruins of an ancient civilization. It's a strange shame that the mobs feel thrown around haphazardly, though.
The music was an unexpected bit of enjoyment. Wild Arms 2's OST was rather middling, and I struggled to find my favorite song because they all kinda sucked. But I had the opposite problem in Wild Arms. World map, towns, dungeons, certain scenes: all amplified by the melodies and notes that passed through my speakers. I did not expect this from someone I've never heard of. My apologies to Michiko Naruke.
I absolutely loved the characters. I was sucked into the struggles of a seventeen-year-old princess, a twenty something warrior with a troubled background, and a silent protagonist with a forbidden power and amnesia. How they grew as people, became friends, learned about themselves, and became fond of their planet forced me to play five to eight hours a night. And even the bosses were fantastic. Even their reasons to fight changed over time and for varying reasons. They all really drove this plot with their twists and intricacies. So good!
---
Plot: world changing. Between the characters, good and bad, and how they drive the story to exciting climaxes, I couldn't put down Wild Arms. I'll get into a deeper point on this at the end. 9/10
Gameplay: matches. The actual game part of this story could have been a second rate experience, but the devs didn't skip any corners here, either. 9/10
Sound: why cats? Why do so many mobs sound like a cat was kicked to record them? Other than that, I want to go listen to the OST again. From relaxing tunes to morose melodies, action themes, and a Xenogears vocal track: I dug all of them! 10/10
Art: dated. I spoke enough about my nitpick and don't want to again. 7/10
Charm: the important bits. The world is great, and there are a number of NPCs who help the story expand. Shout out to the goat, Earth Golem! Exploration brings you to so many secrets and super bosses, and the game is the perfect length. And I laughed at the Link doll in Cecilia's room. The only point lost is because I don't see a lot of replayability here. But ask me again in a few years or when I get a hold of the remake. 9/10
Sadly, there are some negatives. A lot of enemies and bosses love to spam negative status effects. It really bogs down the game and artificially creates difficulty. -2
And with that, the original Wild Arms garners a more than respectable 42 out of 50.
Had I played Wild Arms when it first came out, I think this would have been my favorite game. I wouldn't have cared about the graphics, the status effects, or the enemy placements. I only would have paid attention to Cecilia and her story, how rad Jack is, and the best implementation of a silent protagonist I've seen. There's even a handful of bosses that kicked my butt I want to go back to. To say nothing of the secret dungeon and all that! I am so glad I played Wild Arms, and it reminds me why I love this genre. I want to find Alter Code...
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