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Thoughts on The Gardens Between in 1000 characters exactly

The forwards or backwards movement of the analogue stick directs the flow of time. Players must use this elegant interaction to solve an impressively diverse set of puzzles, helping two childhood friends scale abstract landmasses strewn with the paraphernalia of their shared youth.

Since you don’t control them directly, the friends are free to express themselves - squatting to inspect a passing crab, impatiently tapping a foot, or joining hands as they approach the summit. These luxurious animations, alongside charming dioramas of the duo’s memories, succinctly and wordlessly portray an emotional and relatable childhood friendship.

Unfortunately, the game ends abruptly, before promising mechanics develop enough to stretch the player, and without introducing any conflict to add texture to the central relationship. It’s admirable how elegantly the journey walks players down memory lane. Had that journey only pushed a touch further it could have become a cherished memory in and of itself.

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Thoughts on The Witcher 3 in 1000 characters exactly

Once again, the Witcher’s stories offer frequent yet unforeseen narrative turns, each artfully subverting player expectations and revealing more of the world’s complexities. Players may be initially tasked with anything from hunting a monster to putting on a play, but things rarely unfold as anticipated. Despite this narrative diversity, a lacking variety in mechanics leads to most stories feeling strikingly similar to play. In such a long game repetition is expected, but the rigidity of these activities causes them to grow laborious. Glowing footprints? Follow them. Glowing objects? Interact with them. These routines are so mindless that players may well rush through in pursuit of the next story beat. Whilst this is a condemnation of the gameplay, it is also an endorsement of the storytelling’s enduring appeal. Even dozens of hours in, players will eagerly follow the umpteenth set of footprints into the forest - the twist at the end of the trail will be worth the monotony of the hunt.

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Thoughts on Metroid Prime in 1000 characters exactly

Although the shift from 2D side-scroller to 3D first-person adventure has reduced the speed and kinetic satisfaction of Metroid’s moment-to-moment gameplay, it does prove beneficial to the series’ more immersive and atmospheric aspects. Seeing through Samus’ eyes already elevates these qualities, but Prime takes things a step further by framing our view through her visor. Raindrops trail down its surface, steam fogs the glass; these aesthetic touches sell the presence of the visor while heightening the ambiance. But the true stroke of genius lies in how the interfaces are integrated into the visor’s heads-up display. This diegetic method of conveying information elegantly obscures the developers’ presence, whilst the visor’s functionalities empower players to gather data for themselves. The resulting sense of isolation on a hostile alien planet has never been more palpable or compelling - a world so remote, so abandoned, that it feels as if even the developers themselves are long gone.

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Thoughts on The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker in 1000 characters exactly

Having the freedom to sail anywhere, whilst also believing that significant discoveries lie over the horizon are both vital components of a captivating high-seas adventure. When it cultivates these conditions Wind Waker excels, but alas, it struggles to do so consistently.

In the first third, that freedom to explore is artificially withheld. Wind Waker's linear narrative structure and free roaming make for an unnatural pair, and so those who drift off course are swung back onto the critical path.

Once these restrictions lift, players begin to perceive the lack of quality structured content among the islands. There's not enough to sustain wanderlust throughout the amount of sailing required, and once what's there is exhausted, the player will surely follow suit.

Sadly, this choppy pacing renders Wind Waker unable to keep its high points above water for the majority of the playtime. The result is a deeply uneven experience, with curiosities spurned from the outset, and dashed by the end.

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Thoughts on The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess in 1000 characters exactly

Twilight Princess sets out to elevate the series to new heights of cinematic production, with theatrical elements fuelling player's sense of adventure. However, these feelings risk being extinguished as players become more aware of how carefully directed the experience is.

During overworld questing, instruction is delivered overtly through dialogue. You're doing as you're told - the antithesis of adventure. Conversely, dungeons direct players elegantly through the layout of each room. Whilst the sequence of keys and doors you're shepherded down remains linear, it weaves across interconnected spaces and evolving central hubs.

In cases such as this, where the director's hand is more subtle and aligned to player desires, an effective illusion of autonomy is curated. The spark of adventure is rekindled, and stoked into a blaze through epic cinematic quality. As you fell the dungeon boss, the orchestra rises triumphantly, urging you on. Even bound to a script, it's a thrilling role to play.

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Thoughts on Castlevania (NES) in 1000 characters exactly

Compared to contemporary action platformers, Castlevania's key actions are performed more slowly whilst also demanding a higher degree of commitment. Your standard attack has a significant delay, during which you're rooted the spot, and the arc of your jump is set in stone from the moment you leave the ground.

As a result, effective execution of these actions requires precise timing. To ascertain the correct moment to make their inputs, players will need a clear read on any given situation - and fortunately the design facilitates this well. The thoughtfully placed monsters populating Dracula's castle are visually distinct with set behavioural patterns, and attacks have set distances and trajectories.

This readability and consistency equips the player with the necessary knowledge for the experience to feel fair, whilst the slow pace and high damage values makes your actions feel consequential. The result is a engaging experience that rewards a pleasingly patient and methodical approach.

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Thoughts on The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom in 1000 characters exactly

Whether spectacularly skydiving between floating islands or delving deep into new subterranean environments, Tears of the Kingdom opens strong with an all-out showcase of novel content types. However, once you've seen a few examples of each, their patterns and paltry rewards become predictable, and the extrinsic motivation to seek them wanes.

This was an issue in Breath of the Wild too, but at least in that game the topography was new, and thus motivation enough to engage with the process of traversing it. In Tears of the Kingdom however, the reused world is all too easy to disengage from. Sky view towers and vehicles facilitate instantly gaining and perpetually maintaining altitude, and so sailing silently through the stratosphere becomes the optimal travel method.

I spent more time this way as the game went on. Sky high, with no incentive, desire, or requirement to descend unless to reach the next quest marker. Glancing down, it's hard to believe how exciting this world used to feel.

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Thoughts on Final Fantasy XIII in 1000 characters exactly

The series' combat has always had a back and forth, sometimes you're on the back foot, and sometimes you're pressing your advantage.

By facilitating instantaneous switching of party member roles into customisable configurations, the ingenious 'paradigm shift' promotes players to be the custodian of this ebb and flow. The enemy stagger gauge intensifies this, significantly multiplying damage when filled, creating exhilarating moments of going all-in on an enemy.

Outside of combat things are more one-note, players are funnelled down lengthy linear gauntlets of encounters. Whilst XIII doesn't necessarily require staple dungeons or towns to be worthwhile, not having portioned out alternative sources of variety throughout an experience of this length results in considerable fatigue.

Sadly this obfuscates XIII's numerous merits. From nuanced characterisation of our heroes to incredible combat, there's a fantastic series entry somewhere in there, waiting to be coaxed out by a ruthless editor.

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Thoughts on Final Fantasy X-2 in 1000 characters exactly

X-2's bewildering pop concert opening sequence confidently states its intention to embrace a more playful energy than its melancholic predecessor.

Active time elements, attack chains, and interactive abilities palpably bring this fresh new energy into combat. The ability to switch character classes mid-battle magical-girl transformation style makes this one of the most dynamic battle systems in the genre.

It's such a pity that this vibrancy struggles to manifest in other aspects of the experience. New areas are woefully drab, side missions are largely arduous, and agonisingly unenjoyable mini-games are practically mandatory. Whilst cherry-picking missions can arguably result in some success avoiding these monotonies, the prominently visible story completion percent encourages a more thorough approach.

The best of X-2 has an electric energy that has drawn me back in again and again over the years. Yet somehow, I do always walk away feeling I've had my fill of its languid tedium instead.

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Thoughts on Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling in 1000 characters exactly

With low damage numbers and a tight combat balance the margin for victory is sometimes as narrow as a point or two, and it's satisfying to strategize well and come in just under the wire. This satisfaction ramps up as your options broaden and enemies grow stronger. However, once healing skills no longer outpace damage and more expensive attack skills are necessary, you’ll find your stock of restorative food items depleting rapidly - which begins a cycle of busywork I came to dread. Different merchants offer various ingredients which to be effective must be cooked, in some cases by specific chefs. These NPCs are scattered across the land, so replenishing your stock constitutes a logistical pilgrimage from province to province, stopping to wrangle with inventory limits and inefficient interfaces. Eventually I was skipping side quests and ducking combat to avoid repeating this process - which is a shame, because although I lost my patience along the way, Bug Fables was a charming journey.

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CrossCode

My thoughts in exactly 1000 characters

Players may imbue their actions with one of four elements, which are intuitively and instantaneously switchable using the d-pad. The variety of ways in which these elements must be employed to solve ingenious puzzles and penetrate enemy defenses are impressive. What is truly incredible though, is how by drawing from this elemental system for both a radical synergy between puzzles and combat has been cultivated.

In part due to this complexity, difficulty climbs, and whilst pitch-perfect controls empower players to rise towards that ceiling, the graphics sometimes let the side down by struggling to convey information. For instance, a lacking sense of depth leads to missed jumps, and limited enemy animation leads to damage taken.

Despite these issues, irritation was only ever brief. CrossCode has an earnest heart, an infectious fondness for MMO culture, and an endearing silent protagonist. These factors ensured that even as I bounced between wonderment and frustration, my admiration held.

★★ A truly special experience

Played on PC, including DLCs

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Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age

My thoughts in exactly 1000 characters

With understated characters, a politically driven plot, and an ambient soundtrack, XII doesn't reach the same emotional heights as other entries in the series. What XII brings to the table is depth, a remarkable depth that gradually reveals itself over time in response to a player's attention and patience.

Manifestations of this depth enrich every corner of the experience, whether in discovering the complex interconnectivity between the labyrinthine areas of the world, in intuiting the unspoken motivations of characters, or in immersing yourself in gloriously realised locations. The degree of detail throughout renders all these factors credible - the cities feel lived in, the cultures authentic, the characters believable.

The breadth of content threatens to overwhelm, but the genius gambit system provides the means to code party member's behaviour, allowing creative automation of many encounters, reducing moment-to-moment cognitive load whilst simultaneously preserving player autonomy.

★★★ Personal favourite

Played on Nintendo Switch

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Kula World

1000-character game review

Solving puzzles in topsy turvy Kula World necessitates constructing a mental image of the abstract shapes that constitute each level, and then maintaining that image as you roll around levels, and they in turn rotate around you. A plethora of gimmicks are carefully introduced to these cuboid levels, and then ingeniously interwoven with other gimmicks, resulting in some consumingly complex quandaries. These complexities along with strict timings and erratic hazards guarantee failures. Failures incur point loss, and ultimately, game overs. This necessitates replaying through, ideally whilst retaining more points. During these replays, your success hinges less upon solving puzzles, and more upon accurately re-enacting solutions from previous runs. Although this can make it a less involving experience the more you play, Kula World is still fascinating. Beautiful mechanical simplicity, laser precision focus, and a bizarre psychedelic aesthetic came together to make an unforgettable classic.

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Sunless Sea

1000-character game review

The eldritch ocean world of Sunless Sea is deeply transactional. Everything is a commodity, even your own experiences, and specific resources at specific ports are required in exchange for progress down any one of many narrative threads. Due to the slow sailing speed, the limited hull space, and the many dangers of the Unterzee, to make any reliable progress you must know in advance what is needed where. Unfortunately, the quest log interface is a lovecraftian horror beyond human comprehension. This necessitates that you keep your own meticulously thorough log, and whether you'll plumb the depths of Sunless Sea hinges upon whether the captivating narratives and rich atmosphere can sustain your intrigue in the face of this cognitive load that the substandard UI requires of you. For me, despite many lengthy voyages, Sunless Sea refuses to be truly understood or comprehended. I can't help but admire it for being so uncompromising, and for having such thematically appropriate shortcomings.

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Tenchu: Stealth Assassins

1000-character game review

The most significant issue caused by the limited draw distance is the strange influence it has on guard behaviour. Sighting a corpse places an guard into an alerted state, but only when both corpse and guard are rendered within the small circumference of your sight. This can result in a guard entering your vision, getting triggered by a corpse, becoming alert, and spotting you, all in the same bewildering instant. However, some frustrations must be expected with the first 3D stealth game ever released, and it is astounding how much Tenchu nailed out of the gate. One particularly genius example of its design is the Ki metre, which places a numerical value on the proximity of the closest enemy. Much can be intuited from this, alleviating some challenges of the draw distance. From the expansive moveset and varied inventory to the open environments, its impressive how many ways there are to approach situations, and mastering these techniques makes for a compelling and rewarding experience.

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Tomb Raider 1996

1000-Character Review

The cost of misjudging a jump can be very high. Fortunately, each of Lara’s jumps unfailingly clear a predetermined distance once initiated, and levels are comprised of cubes aligned to a strict grid. These factors cultivate a procedural rhetoric that encourages an observant and calculating approach to challenges. Should you take a moment to measure your surroundings and orient yourself, you can proceed with certainty of success. This methodical approach to platforming has remained uncommon to the genre, and highly rewarding for those with the patience for the slower pace. These grounded mechanics are matched by an equally grounded presentation. Navigating these credible, interwoven spaces with only your footsteps and sporadic musical stings to punctuate the silence creates a special atmosphere of solitude. Lamentably this sense of authentic beauty goes entirely to pieces in the hideously ugly final quarter, alongside its introduction of disastrously incongruous exploding flesh demons.

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Medievil 1998

1000-character review The camera cannot phase through level geometry, so is contantly getting boxed into place and is rarely amenable to suggestion. It moves into scripted perspectives in certain areas, but as movement is relative to it, this shift can send the player careening into hazards. As such, the camera is the worst of both worlds, neither providing a malleable tool to facilitate exploration, nor a reliable viewpoint of the action. Despite this and other wonky factors, its the non-gameplay elements that have endured through the years. The technically impressive environments are comprised of twisted, uneven topography, these are then populated by expressive cartoonish characters resulting in a distinct, almost Burtonesque aesthetic. Uncovering secrets can be narratively rewarding, showcasing the surprising level of thought put into the setting of Gallowmere, and the misfortune and mockery endured by the protagonist immediately renders him sympathetic, investing the player in his quest for redemption.