What Are You Playing?

Every time I thought to myself, “Is there something wrong with me? Everyone else seems to love this game,”
To each his own I guess...
Another thing is that you haven't played to it back when it has been released and obviously, it have aged.

See, I heard many times that Fallout 3 was great.
Last time I finally got it from GOG, installed it, I liked the setting at first then I started noticing every lil things I've always disliked about most western PC games. infinite useless possibilities in your choices of responses, the menus, etc.
I ended up uninstalling it, because I wasn't having fun and clearly, it wasn't for me.
 

Rhombaad

Video Game Time Traveler
To each his own I guess...
Another thing is that you haven't played to it back when it has been released and obviously, it have aged.

See, I heard many times that Fallout 3 was great.
Last time I finally got it from GOG, installed it, I liked the setting at first then I started noticing every lil things I've always disliked about most western PC games. infinite useless possibilities in your choices of responses, the menus, etc.
I ended up uninstalling it, because I wasn't having fun and clearly, it wasn't for me.

Yep. Sometimes games just don't stand the test of time. I found that to be the case with the first two Tomb Raider games on PlayStation. They were okay, but I didn't think they'd aged that well. However, at the time, those games were huuuuuuuuuge! It seemed like every other page in Gamepro, EGM, etc. was an advertisement for the next Lara Croft game.
 
So last year I discovered the wonderful world of Metroidvanias, a genre I had not ever tried before as I used to dismiss side-scrollers out of hand as outdated and simplistic (how wrong I was). The drought of game releases since the PS5 was released forced me to look elsewhere, and I ended up playing Hollow Knight. My love for the genre began with that game. I've recently finished another one, Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights. That brings my number of games from that genre to a total of 10. So I thought I'd share my experience with those games.

Metroidvania Games I've Played to Completion

1. Hollow Knight
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This one is still the king, as far as I'm concerned. Few games have left me so absorbed into them, to the point of not wanting to play anything else while I was not finished with them. Other games may have better gameplay, or may exceed this one in certain areas, but as an overall work, Hollow Knight is still the best one from among the 10 I played so far. Gorgeous art style, great soundtrack, memorable world, deep lore...you name it, it's got it.

2. Blasphemous
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This is the most depressing game I've played in recent memory, if not ever. Honestly, it's misery porn, and the product of a truly fucked up imagination. That said, I've played it through twice. Despite its shortcomings, such as its sometimes illogical world design, something about it keeps bringing me back. I've also grown to appreciate it more after understanding its lore better.

3. Metroid: Dread
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Probably the best one in terms of pure gameplay. I really, really loved this game. Exploring the world, picking up upgrades, finding ways to access previously blocked areas...basically everything I've come to appreciate about the genre is here. The boss fights were intense and fun too. I enjoyed the hostile atmosphere of the world, and the feeling you get when eliminating those damn killing machines that are always after you. Can't wait for a replay!

4. F.I.S.T: Forged In Shadow Torch
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Another really good one when it comes to gameplay, which more than makes up for the shitty B-movie storyline. You're a rabbit with access to massive murder weapons, what more could you want? I appreciated the diesel-punk world and the exploration too. Would play a sequel if they ever put one out!

5. Tails of Iron
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This one was great, if a bit on the short side. I enjoyed everything about it, from the brutal combat to the gorgeously hand-drawn world. It's also very cool to have Geralt (Witcher) voice actor Doug Cockle narrate the game. Highly recommended!

6. Vigil: The Longest Night
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Very Bloodborne inspired, which is what drew me to it in the first place. I enjoyed it through and through, despite some shortcomings, such as its weak writing. Still, the atmosphere and gameplay and so on gave me more than enough of a reason to stick around. I'm glad I did!

7. Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights
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This one was unusual, as you play as a helpless little girl who depends on her spirit guardians to protect her. Finding and taming such guardians, and combining them in battle made for endless possibilities. The atmosphere is a little too melancholic for my liking, but the game gave me enough reasons to stick around, among them the gorgeous art style.

Metroidvania Games to Anticipate

1. Hollow Knight: Silksong


2. Meifumado


3. Crowsworn


4. The Last Faith


5. Blasphemous II


Still on the List

1. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
2. Classic Metroids
3. The Ori Series
4. Carrion
5. Dead Cells, etc...
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
You should play the other Castlevania games as well before going to SotN, they're all great and SotN feels good as a sequel to Rondo of Blood, not just as a standalone title.

And it also borrows elements from Castlevania 2 and 3! That's dedication if he doesn't like side-scrollers though.
 
You should play the other Castlevania games as well before going to SotN, they're all great and SotN feels good as a sequel to Rondo of Blood, not just as a standalone title.
And it also borrows elements from Castlevania 2 and 3! That's dedication if he doesn't like side-scrollers though.
Haha. I like side-scrollers a lot now!

I would love to play the other Castlevania games, but SotN's great reputation makes me eager to sink my teeth into it, so that's why I skipped right ahead. But if you guys vouch for the other ones, I'll gladly add them to the list!

By the way, in an era of endless remasters and remakes, it's a waste that a game like SotN hasn't received the remake treatment. I can already imagine Aaz shaking his head and saying "the original is fine as it is", which I don't doubt. I just think it might be nice to get a faithful upgrade, which may also bring in new players to the series. Konami needs to sell this IP to a company that gives a shit.

With my luck, a remaster/remake will be announced as soon as I beat the game :ganishka:
 

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
Haha. I like side-scrollers a lot now!

I would love to play the other Castlevania games, but SotN's great reputation makes me eager to sink my teeth into it, so that's why I skipped right ahead. But if you guys vouch for the other ones, I'll gladly add them to the list!

Yeah, as you seem well aware, SotN is regarded as one of the best games ever made, so you don't need to play every other Castlevania game, as good as they are in their own right, as a precursor or some hurdle that needs to be cleared first. Dar_Klink is being a gatekeeper. :iva:

By the way, in an era of endless remasters and remakes, it's a waste that a game like SotN hasn't received the remake treatment. I can already imagine Aaz shaking his head and saying "the original is fine as it is", which I don't doubt. I just think it might be nice to get a faithful upgrade, which may also bring in new players to the series. Konami needs to sell this IP to a company that gives a shit.

Well, I think a version with some quality of life upgrades to the presentation would suffice to bring out its retro appeal. The problem is a lot of old games, especially PSX titles from this era utilizing an early mix of pixel and polygonal effects, will look far worse on modern hardware and displays than they did originally, where a once beautiful game with detailed pixel art will be reduced to a small, jagged, blurry box in the middle of your screen.

With my luck, a remaster/remake will be announced as soon as I beat the game :ganishka:

Well, since I don't see it on your list, if you end up loving SotN then Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is the modern spiritual successor by longtime Castlevania producer Koji Igarashi. It's basically an attempt to recreate the magic and make a new SotN game. The results on that front are mixed, it's hard to wear the mantle of a an all-time classic, especially out if its time, but its a good and fun game in this genre. You seem to be playing a lot of these, so if you really like SotN then I recommend you follow Dar_Klink's and Aaz' suggestions and then check this one out too.


Borizon Forgotten Rest - I'm still holding off on doing the last mission even though I'm not really doing any more side stuff (to focus on the last mission =). So, I realize I simply like that stuff better than the main game! Total reversal from my usual MO, so I don't know if that speaks especially well of this games peripheral activities or not so nicely of the main progression.

Rollerdrome - Played the PS+ free trial, a half hour time limit, and while it showed some promise, looks really nice and the gameplay loop could be fun if there's a little more depth to the later environments, I spent a majority of the time doing the mandatory tutorial; not the most engrossing part of any game. I guess a time limit makes sense if they can really only offer these random free trials as limited unlock timers, but it'd be way more enticing if I could play the first half hour of the game past the tutorial as much as I wanted because if I really enjoy doing that and get hooked I'm inevitably going to unlock the game. As it stands, I still haven't had enough time to decide if I really like it or not in a lasting way. Some games have a learning curve to the controls for instance, and whenever that clicks for you or not can make a big difference; hell, I don't think any game feels especially comfortable yet the first 30 minutes you play it! Anyway, it's a dumb system so I didn't buy it is my point, but at least it's not as bad as Capcom's recent fuckery in this regard.
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
Yeah, as you seem well aware, SotN is regarded as one of the best games ever made, so you don't need to play every other Castlevania game, as good as they are in their own right, as a precursor or some hurdle that needs to be cleared first. Dar_Klink is being a gatekeeper. :iva:
Maybe not every CV game, but since SotN is a direct continuation of Rondo of Blood, introducing Richter, Maria. and the whole scenario with Shaft, it makes SOME sense to at least play that first.
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
Well, since I don't see it on your list, if you end up loving SotN then Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is the modern spiritual successor by longtime Castlevania producer Koji Igarashi. It's basically an attempt to recreate the magic and make a new SotN game.

Honestly I'd recommend the GBA and NDS games first, many of them are pretty neat.
 

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
Maybe not every CV game, but since SotN is a direct continuation of Rondo of Blood, introducing Richter, Maria. and the whole scenario with Shaft, it makes SOME sense to at least play that first.

Technically, but I was going out of my way not to make fun of the idea one would "miss out" on the "story" elements of these games. =) But since you insist... on that basis, it's like recommendeding someone watch the prequels before Star Wars, but if Star Wars' plot, characters, dialogue and acting also sucked. These are great pure games, but didn't do much for "games as dramatic works."

Honestly I'd recommend the GBA and NDS games first, many of them are pretty neat.

I didn't play all of those, but you're probably right, I was just giving him the literal answer to his request for a modern take on SotN. It didn't blow me away, but I did eventually get into it and did all the secret shit, etc.
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
Technically, but I was going out of my way not to make fun of the idea one would "miss out" on the "story" elements of these games. =) But since you insist... on that basis, it's like recommendeding someone watch the prequels before Star Wars, but if Star Wars' plot, characters, dialogue and acting also sucked. These are great pure games, but didn't do much for "games as dramatic works."
Well while we’re just pulling metaphors completely out of our asses, why bother with Breaking Bad when Saul is sitting right there at the top of my Netflix feed?

Beyond context, Rondo is a great game, well worth anybody’s time. The connecting story beats into SotN make it a no-brainer to me. Together, they’re one scenario. If that matters to @Lawliet , then he should play Rondo first. That’s not to mention the extra layer of CV references/jokes that’s on top of every area in SotN.

I think older people like us carried a stigma for Rondo because it wasn’t very accessible at the time of SotN’s release. That changed its perception as nonessential. But newcomers really may as well jump in since it’s everywhere now. You can get both bundled on PSN for $20.
 

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
Well while we’re just pulling metaphors completely out of our asses, why bother with Breaking Bad when Saul is sitting right there at the top of my Netflix feed?

I almost pulled that one! Actually, it was going to be more like insisting one has to watch Saul to understand or appreciate Breaking Bad (rewatched some of those latter Saul eps and they're even more impressive in retrospect, the transitions between BB and BCS in the Breaking Bad episode are incredible).


Anyway, while that's not the situation here, and I appreciate your point Rondo didn't get a fair shake and is underappreciated, my point is that it doesn't really matter, if he just wants to play SotN because that's the big, iconic one, that's fine. He doesn't need to course correct for our sins, and it was kind of proven that playing Rondo isn't essential to SotN working (though if the roles were reversed, maybe the same would be true).

I'm only advocating for it at all because it is a big commitment to play a game to play a game, a pretty large game at that, because even if they're both great one could more easily lose steam halfway through (these games are old and he's already looking for a remake =). Then if he loves it, he can go back and play Rondo of Blood and all the rest later. Or, he can just play Rondo first if he's now convinced for all I care, it's not going to be a tragedy either way.:shrug:

Man, what an old nerd argument we're having, the zealous Rondo of Blood-truther versus the chalk SotN fanboy! He's going to read this and determine he should stay away from ALL these games because of us. =)
 
Wow. That was quite the discussion that mini-list stirred up. My takeaway from it is that Castlevania is obviously worth checking out if it stirs this kind of passion. (Although, I did also at one point consider going back to Hollow Knight with my tail between my legs, as @Griffith predicted LOL). Alright, so the ones to check out are Rondo and Symphony. Sounds reasonable enough. Actually, I was surprised to learn from a friend who played it that Rondo isn't even a metroidvania in the usual sense, and more of a linear game with a set number of stages. Regardless, I'll play them both, though in which order remains to be seen. I'm glad to know the option to start with either exists. Thanks for the advice, everybody.

Yeah, as you seem well aware, SotN is regarded as one of the best games ever made, so you don't need to play every other Castlevania game, as good as they are in their own right, as a precursor or some hurdle that needs to be cleared first. Dar_Klink is being a gatekeeper. :iva:
Yeah, every other game was a tall order to begin with :ganishka:

I've yet to do that with Zelda (though I tried Link's Awakening, Switch version and quickly dropped it as it sucked)!

Well, I think a version with some quality of life upgrades to the presentation would suffice to bring out its retro appeal. The problem is a lot of old games, especially PSX titles from this era utilizing an early mix of pixel and polygonal effects, will look far worse on modern hardware and displays than they did originally, where a once beautiful game with detailed pixel art will be reduced to a small, jagged, blurry box in the middle of your screen.

True, but the thought of something like a hand-drawn remake of the original has me salivating haha. On the other hand, remakes have proven to be a tricky business, as I have yet to see one that can fully recapture its original, Demon's Souls and Shadow of the Colossus included.

Well, since I don't see it on your list, if you end up loving SotN then Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is the modern spiritual successor by longtime Castlevania producer Koji Igarashi. It's basically an attempt to recreate the magic and make a new SotN game. The results on that front are mixed, it's hard to wear the mantle of a an all-time classic, especially out if its time, but its a good and fun game in this genre. You seem to be playing a lot of these, so if you really like SotN then I recommend you follow Dar_Klink's and Aaz' suggestions and then check this one out too.

Noted and added to the list. Actually, I was already intrigued when Bloodstained and Blasphemous had a crossover; Miriam shows up as a character in the latter and gives you some weird missions. I have to say that I do prefer these kind of games to be hand drawn or pixelated (or some sort of 2D) as opposed Bloodstained's aesthetics, but I can get over that if the game is fun.

Borizon Forgotten Rest - I'm still holding off on doing the last mission even though I'm not really doing any more side stuff (to focus on the last mission =). So, I realize I simply like that stuff better than the main game! Total reversal from my usual MO, so I don't know if that speaks especially well of this games peripheral activities or not so nicely of the main progression.

First off, Borizon is officially how I will refer to the series from now on, so thanks for that!

And yeah, I can't tell what this says of the game either. Maybe I'll work up the motivation to go back to finish it one day (maybe even before you do :troll:), but I'd rather have another Elden Ring playthrough. Man, ER did a number on this game, didn't it? :ganishka:

Rollerdrome - Played the PS+ free trial, a half hour time limit, and while it showed some promise, looks really nice and the gameplay loop could be fun if there's a little more depth to the later environments, I spent a majority of the time doing the mandatory tutorial; not the most engrossing part of any game. I guess a time limit makes sense if they can really only offer these random free trials as limited unlock timers, but it'd be way more enticing if I could play the first half hour of the game past the tutorial as much as I wanted because if I really enjoy doing that and get hooked I'm inevitably going to unlock the game. As it stands, I still haven't had enough time to decide if I really like it or not in a lasting way. Some games have a learning curve to the controls for instance, and whenever that clicks for you or not can make a big difference; hell, I don't think any game feels especially comfortable yet the first 30 minutes you play it! Anyway, it's a dumb system so I didn't buy it is my point, but at least it's not as bad as Capcom's recent fuckery in this regard.

I looked this up. Tony Hawk with guns, huh? Looks interesting, even if the art style isn't that appealing to me. I heard that some stages require certain conditions to pass, like finishing an entire level with one combo! Sounds like a pain in the ass, to be honest. But also looks like fun. Weird.

I recommend creating a list. Then, you start at the beginning of the list… :troll:

I swear, I was about to bring you up and say I'm feeling like a mini-Rhombaad here, going on my own video game time-travelling odyssey! I don't have your discipline and willpower though, so any huge list I create will ultimately be abandoned, especially if it's full of really old games.

Thanks for the recommendation though :guts:
 
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Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
Actually, I was surprised to learn from a friend who played it that Rondo isn't even a metroidvania in the usual sense, and more of a linear game with a set number of stages. Regardless, I'll play them both, though in which order remains to be seen. I'm glad to know the option to start with either exists. Thanks for the advice, everybody.

As I'm sure I told you before, "Metroidvania" is a stupid term that is both a misnomer and has been overused to the point of having almost lost all meaning. It originally referred to the Castlevania games that came after SOTN, since they all followed the same formula of borrowing the map system that was introduced in Super Metroid and the exploration component (with certain zones blocked off until you find a relevant item) that is key to the Metroid series.

But nowadays it's practically used to refer to any sidescroller. It boggles my mind that the industry didn't move past that, especially since it ends up confusing people like yourself who often have no idea what Metroid nor Castlevania even are. It'd be simple to just make up an acronym like we did for RPG or FPS. Something like "AES" (action-exploration sidescroller) or "SAE" (sidescrolling action-exploration game), since that's what these games are at their core.

Anyway, Rondo of Blood is indeed not an "action-exploration" title like SOTN or those that followed. It's the pinnacle of classic Castlevania, meaning an action game with light platforming. But it's still good and worth playing.
 
Been playing Bloodborne for the 10 millionth time. Had some lovely major health issues, and this felt unbelievably appropriate to play afterward.

Also, Final Fantasy VI Pixel Remaster. Wanted to replay this for ages, but once this announced this I just waited. Damn is it ever a lovely trip down memory lane. The redone music is one hell of a treat too.

And Fatal Frame 5. Played most of this on PS4 last year, but then Elden Ring came and fucked everything up. I also ended up with a PS5, so I decided to replay it, and damn good decision too. The audio and visuals are just amazing. Love this series so much. Few horror series can match the atmosphere in these games. Makes me really love how just like Silent Hill, the series is in gaming purgatory because they couldn't figure out that releasing a game on an already dead console (Wii U) as download only with no advertising didn't do well. These are the mysteries!
 

Dark Emperor

Dweller of the Lotus Moon
So last year I discovered the wonderful world of Metroidvanias, a genre I had not ever tried before as I used to dismiss side-scrollers out of hand as outdated and simplistic (how wrong I was). The drought of game releases since the PS5 was released forced me to look elsewhere, and I ended up playing Hollow Knight. My love for the genre began with that game. I've recently finished another one, Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights. That brings my number of games from that genre to a total of 10. So I thought I'd share my experience with those games.
I can endorse Blasphemous. That game slaps. I got all the DLC too. Probably one of the hardest games that I played in a while.
 
As I'm sure I told you before, "Metroidvania" is a stupid term that is both a misnomer and has been overused to the point of having almost lost all meaning. It originally referred to the Castlevania games that came after SOTN, since they all followed the same formula of borrowing the map system that was introduced in Super Metroid and the exploration component (with certain zones blocked off until you find a relevant item) that is key to the Metroid series.

But nowadays it's practically used to refer to any sidescroller. It boggles my mind that the industry didn't move past that, especially since it ends up confusing people like yourself who often have no idea what Metroid nor Castlevania even are. It'd be simple to just make up an acronym like we did for RPG or FPS. Something like "AES" (action-exploration sidescroller) or "SAE" (sidescrolling action-exploration game), since that's what these games are at their core.

Anyway, Rondo of Blood is indeed not an "action-exploration" title like SOTN or those that followed. It's the pinnacle of classic Castlevania, meaning an action game with light platforming. But it's still good and worth playing.

Yeah, I remember you saying that, and so I wince when I use the M-word around here :ganishka:

That said, I've played other side-scrollers that I haven't listed above, such as Shovel Knight and Little Nightmares, so I'm aware of the general difference haha. In other words, it doesn't have to be an AES for me to enjoy it. So I shouldn't have a problem with Rondo in that regard.

I can endorse Blasphemous. That game slaps. I got all the DLC too. Probably one of the hardest games that I played in a while.

Oh yeah. Have you fought Isidora, the Voice of the Dead? Man, that one was brutal!
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
I'm about to wrap up Cult of the Lamb. It's been fun, mostly playing it with my kid in the evenings (we've named our cultists after our pets and friends—very wholesome), but I've snuck in a few sessions during work. It splits its time as both a dungeon rogue-like and a city-building/management game. But it's very light on each aspect. The lack of depth makes it easy to return to every day for small sessions, but I can't imagine playing it for more than an hour at a time.

What makes it stand out are the visuals and the music/sound effects, which are so solid that you forget you're playing a B-tier indie game. The soundtrack in particular has a lot of style and personality to it that took me by surprise. It's probably what got me to plunk down $25 on it in the first place.

 

Vampire_Hunter_Bob

Cats are great
Golden Sun and then Baldur's Gate II. Wow, that's like eating a dessert and jumping straight into a multi-family Thanksgiving feast.
Speaking of which I still think about that blog post you wrote about going to the ER for going too hard on Thanksgiving.

-------------------------------------------------

So I have a new child, which means that I am now playing video games 1-handed (left hand feeding a baby; right hand developing carpal tunnel). I did this with kid number one, mainly sticking with RPGs. This time I tried that as well, beating Yakuza Like A Dragon (I loved it) and Echo Generation (eeeeehhh), but I am trying it with Elden Ring, with not exactly terrible results, and Power Washing Simulator, which is far easier one handed as you may expect.

Elden Ring - I defeated Rykard and slaughtered my way to the mountain top of giants. Rykard was challenging, until I remembered that the Mimic Tear existed. I upgraded that summon and went back with two serpent hunting lances. I'm not exactly sure how I bested Rykard because the camera went into several 360 spins while I was directly underneath him.

Power Washing Simulator - Not bad. Just something leisurely to play. I don't see myself rushing to finish it but I do enjoy it.
 
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Dar_Klink

Last Guardian when? - CyberKlink 20XX before dying
Whoops I didn't mean to start a big ol' discussion :troll:
I did start by getting the Rondo/SotN pack and thinking "I should start with Rondo!" and then playing it a bit and thinking "I should check out the older ones first" and getting the Classic pack or whatever it's called and playing through the old ones which I greatly enjoyed each in their own right and feeling like, as Aaz said, Rondo was the pinnacle of that style before going into and also loving SotN. It was cool playing SotN with all the past games in mind and I think that was a sort of ideal experience, but I usually enjoy most things if I do them in "production order" rather than just trying out the big ones people say are best.
 

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
Actually, I was surprised to learn from a friend who played it that Rondo isn't even a metroidvania in the usual sense, and more of a linear game with a set number of stages.

Yeah, technically it's not even relevant to the subgenre you were talking about. =)

True, but the thought of something like a hand-drawn remake of the original has me salivating haha. On the other hand, remakes have proven to be a tricky business, as I have yet to see one that can fully recapture its original, Demon's Souls and Shadow of the Colossus included.

And those are pretty close to approximating them in a modernized package. If you thought those were off I can only imagine SotN with a modern facelift being moreso. That game is very much of a particular time and place with the Sony PlayStation's specific graphical characteristics. Also, the VA work is best appreciated in the same way as the original Resident Evil's.

Noted and added to the list. Actually, I was already intrigued when Bloodstained and Blasphemous had a crossover; Miriam shows up as a character in the latter and gives you some weird missions. I have to say that I do prefer these kind of games to be hand drawn or pixelated (or some sort of 2D) as opposed Bloodstained's aesthetics, but I can get over that if the game is fun.

Agreed on the graphics of these games, even decent ones like Metroid Dread aren't as fun as their true 2D counterparts, and I didn't know Miriam showed up in Blasphemous, which I really enjoyed whem I played it. Maybe I should pick it back up on PS5...

First off, Borizon is officially how I will refer to the series from now on, so thanks for that!

And yeah, I can't tell what this says of the game either. Maybe I'll work up the motivation to go back to finish it one day (maybe even before you do :troll:)but I'd rather have another Elden Ring playthrough. Man, ER did a number on this game, didn't it? :ganishka:

Borizon Forgotten Bust! Now that's really some slander since I think it outsold Elden Ring on PS5, at least initially, but yeah, what terrible luck the most anticipated, unreleased and legendary vaporware out there comes out a week after your big AAA prestige GOTY candidate. It's awesome too! I finished my party's sidequests and upgraded all my preferred weapons... Nothing to do but finish it and fuck around if I still care. Of course, the experience is never going to compare to a level 1 run in Elden Ring.

I looked this up. Tony Hawk with guns, huh? Looks interesting, even if the art style isn't that appealing to me. I heard that some stages require certain conditions to pass, like finishing an entire level with one combo! Sounds like a pain in the ass, to be honest.

I'm glad you mentioned this: I'm officially out on this one, but yeah, I enjoyed the idea and overall quirkiness, but too repetitive and annoying combining the skate trick shit with combat simultaneously (you couldn't work in a music rhythm game too?). It's like pizza and ice cream.

As I'm sure I told you before, "Metroidvania" is a stupid term that is both a misnomer and has been overused to the point of having almost lost all meaning.

How about a Soulsborne Metroidvania!?:iva:

It'd be simple to just make up an acronym like we did for RPG or FPS. Something like "AES" (action-exploration sidescroller) or "SAE" (sidescrolling action-exploration game), since that's what these games are at their core.

I knew you would come up with your own nomenclature, and they're good as expected too. I don't know why you rejected my submission: Action-Scavenging Sidescroller, or... nevermind. Kidding aside, something simple like an "explorer" or "scavenger" game would've worked, but I'm afraid we're stuck with Metroidvania or more general descriptive terms like "action exploration game"

Anyway, Rondo of Blood is indeed not an "action-exploration" title like SOTN or those that followed. It's the pinnacle of classic Castlevania, meaning an action game with light platforming. But it's still good and worth playing.

Super Castlevania IV is pretty representative of the old school, I feel like Rondo is a bit more evolved, the literal stepping stone between classic Castlevania and the rise of the "Metroidvania." Some of this is just parsing hairs though.

So I have a new child, which means that I am now playing video games 1-handed (left hand feeding a baby; right hand developing carpal tunnel). I did this with kid number one, mainly sticking with RPGs. This time I tried that as well, beating Yakuza Like A Dragon (I loved it) and Echo Generation (eeeeehhh), but I am trying it with Elden Ring, with not exactly terrible results

I've had very little luck playing while holding a kid, trying to cradle him in my arms for example, so can't imagine it's fun. I'm particularly impressed you can do this with Elden Ring; I've always thought we dads deserve extra esteem for beating these bosses with kids running around. I tried Yakuza Like A Dragon and was certainly entertained by it's colorful language; I don't recall hearing anybody called a "cumstain" in one of my games before. =)
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
Agreed on the graphics of these games, even decent ones like Metroid Dread aren't as fun as their true 2D counterparts, and I didn't know Miriam showed up in Blasphemous, which I really enjoyed whem I played it. Maybe I should pick it back up on PS5...

It was added as a free DLC a while after the release. It's not particularly noteworthy in my opinion.

Kidding aside, something simple like an "explorer" or "scavenger" game would've worked, but I'm afraid we're stuck with Metroidvania or more general descriptive terms like "action exploration game"

Yep. Honestly I'd take anything over the abomination that is "metroidvania". I'm pleased that "Soulslike" seems to have displaced "Soulsborne" though. Even if it seems a "Soulslike" will soon be any adventure game with a third person perspective. Or where you die and respawn. :shrug:

Super Castlevania IV is pretty representative of the old school, I feel like Rondo is a bit more evolved, the literal stepping stone between classic Castlevania and the rise of the "Metroidvania." Some of this is just parsing hairs though.

Yeah, I didn't want to get nerdy and Rondo benefits from its superior hardware and later design (and direct tie to SOTN), but SCIV is obviously very good and iconic as well (and is a game I actually played when it released and not years later). And of course, beyond all that my fondest memories are that the three NES games. Fun fact: my ringtone is Vampire Killer!
 

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
Meant to write this sooner, but I continued taking my sweet time...

Horizon Forbidden West - Well, they stuck the landing well enough. Bosses were perfunctory at this point though, and I'm not as impressed with the details of the plot as the broad strokes, but they didn't lose me either, and now I know what the hell the third one is going to be about. Admittedly, I think it's a better end of game twist than intriguing premise though. I'd have rather "Nemesis" been the final boss basically, and then come up with something new for the third game: how about the challenge of rebuilding the world and essentially becoming the new order instead of struggling against the old one (maybe you're the bad guy after all!)? I think that's more interesting than a bigger, badder iteration of the rogue AI bit, which they've already done to death, and more cleverly. The Zeniths we're actually a more interesting twist and made this game feel more important than the last, but they didn't really do much with them.

It was added as a free DLC a while after the release. It's not particularly noteworthy in my opinion.

Hmmm, sounds like it was more about commerce than a pay DLC would have been. =)

Yep. Honestly I'd take anything over the abomination that is "metroidvania". I'm pleased that "Soulslike" seems to have displaced "Soulsborne" though. Even if it seems a "Soulslike" will soon be any adventure game with a third person perspective. Or where you die and respawn. :shrug:

Speaking of commerce, it's indeed funny how both those terms are used as complete misnomers to describe any sidescroller or third person action game as you say. It's a testament to the popularity of those genres that you'll have puzzle games describing themselves as Soulslike these days.

Yeah, I didn't want to get nerdy

A bit late for us I'm afraid. :griffnotevil:

Rondo benefits from its superior hardware and later design (and direct tie to SOTN), but SCIV is obviously very good and iconic as well (and is a game I actually played when it released and not years later). And of course, beyond all that my fondest memories are that the three NES games.

I need to grab all the collections when they go on sale again (I'm very proud of getting Mega Man Legacy Collection 1 on sale, plus I have 9 and 10 in my PS+ library; that's all the one's I care about outside the X series, which I'm considering =). My concern, and why I didn't get them already, is SotN didn't look great on PS4 in the images and I'm afraid the visuals are optimized poorly, or not at all, for modern displays.

Fun fact: my ringtone is Vampire Killer!

But which one!?

 
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