ram-blings-of-a-madman - Tumblr blog

[ram-blings-of-a-madman]

I wanna make a review for the nimona movie but I don't think I can articulate my thoughts because everytime I think of it its all just noises

[ram-blings-of-a-madman]

REVIEW 002: STRAY

***

OVERALL: 9.5/10

Stray, as a both as a game and as a story in itself, is an absolute work of genius. For one thing, one of it's main selling points, as suggested by the title of the game itself, is that you get to play as a lovable little cat - which alone is pretty freaking awesome, right? The game is set out as a dystopian adventure from the POV of a cat, leading you to solve puzzles, take on new challenges, and even just explore the world around you as if you were a cat - which not only presents you with an incredibly fun new point of view, but also makes for some interesting challenges throughout the game, and allows you to form a sort of emotional investment, or bond, with the little feline you play as.

The game itself is set in a dystopian world, without humans, and most of its story takes place beneath the roof of an underground city. This city is...pretty strange - for one thing, it's populated only by robots, and some not-so-friendly pests known as the zurks, which are recurring enemies that appear throughout the game, and prove themselves to be irritable little beasts at best, and terrifyingly grotesque at worst. Overall, the setting and premise of Stray makes for a fun concept and an incredibly well-made game, combining fun puzzles and challenges with a strange, new world from an entirely new perspective to create an interestingly immersive experience.

My only real problem with Stray, aside from a few minor camera issues, is the slight lack of guides for where you and your little cat should go aside from towards the main goal. Oftentimes, this will end up with you moving to a new area and getting locked off entirely from where you had been previously, meaning any unfinished side quests will have to remain that way until you can play again.

However, that's more of an issue for those players who prefer to complete the game in its entirety, and people who just enjoy a more relaxed way to play the game, like me, should have no problem with this!

***

GRAPHICS: 10/10

Personally, I absolutely ADORE the look of this game - from the characters themselves, to the environment that surrounds them. The world of Stray, though set in a dystopian world, isn't afraid to utilise bright and striking colours, often making the game feel incredibly immersive and interesting, without pushing it too far and creating a cluttered or overwhelming kind of look. I found myself loving every part of the game's environment, not only for it's incredibly beautiful looks, but also the way it treats the city as a playground for you as the player - as you play through the game, you'll find that, although you are playing as a cat in a robot's world, the game manages to make the city incredibly accessible, allowing you to find newer ways to navigate the world around you. Squeezing through grates, climbing through windows, and of course, jumping from ledge to ledge, as you navigate the city and the world around it, everything feels incredibly natural to play.

On top of that, Stray has managed to blend it's game graphics with the lovable face of a cat, without ever leaning more into the realm of creepy rather than cute. The little feline hero you play as moves and looks realistic enough to make the player feel immersed in the experience, but stylised just that little bit to keep it looking as cute and lovable as as a real cat would. The cat's movements are agile and nimble, so much so that they feel like that of a real cat, allowing exploring the environment to become an incredibly fun experience, and something you will always want to do more of.

***

CHARACTERS: 9.5/10

Many of the characters in Stray consist of the robot companions you meet during your time in the city, and each of them, though fundamentally the same thing - a robot - feel incredibly unique, and take on lovable, unique and even, at times, funny personalities. Interacting with these characters will allow your little cat to "talk" to them (or rather, they will talk to you), which will skillfully reveal not just more about the story of the city itself, but about them and their own backstories, personalities, and characters as a whole. Stray really knows how to create lovable characters, from the cat you play as to your robot companion, B-12, to the inhabitants of the city that you pass and interact with throughout your adventure, which helps emphasise the immersive experience and, at least for me, allows you to grow incredibly attached to both the game and the characters it presents.

(In other words, they're silly and I love them)

***

STORY: 9/10

The story of Stray is, at least for me, incredibly interesting, and not just the story you follow as the player, of the lost cat escaping the city and finding his way back home, but also of the city itself, and how it came to be this strange, dystopian sort of environment. The way that the game reveals its story isn't ever rushed or confusing, and through interacting with the other characters and even just simply exploring the world around you, it becomes easy to gradually unearth the secrets of the city, and piece together the puzzle of what made it into such a place.

The main story itself is pretty awesome in itself, as well, managing to be both heartwarming and intense when it needs to be, and by the end, it shows itself to be a lovely little tale of a cat's journey back home, making the story of Stray easily suitable for both the people who enjoy a more fast-paced, exciting experience, and those who would rather a sweeter, more heartwarming take to the story. Either way, Stray's story is a joy to uncover and very skillfully crafts an incredibly immersive story without ever becoming too confusing to follow.

***

FINAL THOUGHTS:

All in all, I absolutely LOVED the game stray, and it's definitely up there in one of my top 5 games of all time!! Would recommend, I am incredibly attached to the little cat and the robots alike (they're very silly)

Also fun fact!! I loved this game so much that I've ended up starting a little Stray-inspired story of my own :)

- Ket!! :D

[ram-blings-of-a-madman]

REVIEW 001: LITTLE NIGHTMARES

***

OVERALL: 9/10

Little nightmares has been one of my favourite games for a long time, since before I had even played it myself. The game is set out as a side-scrolling horror platformer, with constantly changing and moving scenes - even the screen itself rocks faintly from side to side, like the movement of a boat, often leaving the corners of the rooms just outside of your field of vision and creating a queasy, uneasy feeling that plays into and emphasises the overall unsettling atmosphere of the game.

The game itself is set in what looks to be a boat, named the Maw - yet as you explore this setting throughout the game and begin to uncover it's secrets in and out, it becomes less clear as to what the "Maw" actually is. An asylum? A prison? A restaurant? Each of the possibilities are strange, especially when the clues of the game put together tie in to all of those and more - but I think that's intentional. Little nightmares skillfully creates a low-lying sense of unease, even outside of the chase-scenes and the grotesque looks of the monsters you encounter. It leaves you feeling - well, uneasy, without pushing the horror element to far into the zone of cheap-feeling jumpscares and monsters that feel more irritating than scary.

However, I do think that the game has a tendency to rely too much on trial and error for some puzzles and chase scenes - which isn't inherently a bad thing. In fact, during my playthrough I began to enjoy going back and forth and figuring things out slowly, bit by bit - but some people would enjoy a quicker, easier route, or at least one that doesn't require them to die three times before they figure out how to beat the scene they were on.

***

GRAPHICS: 9.5/10

The overall look of this game was INCREDIBLE - it managed to combine the usual, murky and dark feel of horror with bright colours in almost unsettling places - it didn't need to be monotone to be creepy. And on top of that, it didn't feel cheap or tacky even with the "lower quality" graphics of the console it had been made for.

The setting itself was designed incredibly well, combining the protagonist's small size with the daunting hugeness of The Maw, and while there were many, MANY different rooms and scenes and settings throughout the game, none of it ever felt repetitive. The whole game was just incredible, and looked incredible, and even the monsters felt terrifyingly appealing, in a very, very spooky way.

***

CHARACTERS: 9/10

The characters of Little Nightmares, namely the monsters themselves, are incredibly well-crafted, grotesque yet human enough to create that familiar sense of unease. The game has no problem with showing these monsters to you - to the point where you become less worried about seeing them, and more worried about them seeing you. On top of that, the chase scenes and puzzles don't feel repetitive for each of the different monsters, and combined with the hard-to-navigate world of The Maw, end with you feeling genuine fear during your escapes.

Each of the characters in Little Nightmares are unique, from Six, the main protagonist dressed in her signature yellow raincoat, to the residents of The Maw themselves, a strangely unique cast of fleshy creatures, each made with their different quirks, purposes and appearances, without ever feeling tacky or repetitive. These characters truly hel to emphasise the uneasy atmosphere of Little Nightmares - the protagonist is strangely small compared to the other characters, which not only creates an incredibly strange and unsettling atmosphere but also allows for some interesting puzzles involving climbing, hiding, and fleeing from their clutches.

The gnomes were also incredible. Search up a picture of the gnomes if you haven't seen them and you'll see what I mean. Little guys.

***

STORY: 8/10

The story of Little Nightmares is unsettlingly terrifying, and incredibly well-balanced, managing to be immersive, creepy, and endlessly interesting throughout the game You, as the player, follow the protagonist of a young child, Six, on their journey through this strange setting and learn the clues of where, why, and how this world has come to be. The story is fairly linear and easy to follow, but as it Little Nightmares is a game with no dialogue, or even written words, it can at times become confusing to try and follow or figure out the full story of this game.

Overall, though, the story is incredibly interesting to figure out, and it can be great fun to theorise about the nature of Six's - and the other characters' - backstory.

***

FINAL THOUGHTS:

I absolutely LOVED every second of my Little Nightmares playthrough!! It was interesting, unsettling, and I grew incredibly attached to the protagonist and the monsters alike. I have even gone back and replayed the game multiple times since my first playthrough!! Little Nightmares is an incredibly well-made game, and I would recommend to ANYONE, horror-enjoyers or otherwise, that they consider taking the time to play this amazing game.

- Ket!! :D

[ram-blings-of-a-madman]

INTRODUCTORY POST

Hi hi hi!!! My name is Ket, and for a while I've wanted to make a blog where I review things - so here it is!! The creation of this blog was...technically spurred by the fact that my friends made a game review account without me (I am very angry <- KIDDING I love my friends really) soo this is my personal attempt.

Keyword: attempt. I have no idea how this is going to go.

So this blog is mainly just going to be gam reviews, and specific reviews will be tagged so you can look for the games you want to see. I would also LOVE suggestions for games you'd like me to play and review!! I'm always looking for something new to get into :D

So I hope you enjoy reading my reviews, or just hanging out on this blog!!

- Ket!! :D