Alex Game Journal Entries

[AlexRoman]

Game: Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy


Game Author: Andy Gavin


OG platform & Controls:

Playstation 2 with playstation Controller


Controls Used:

I used a PS5 controller but I dont think the arrangement of the controller generations are that different to change the experience of the game.


Describe gameplay and mechanics

Basically the player plays Jaks, whos on a mission to turn his friend (Daxter) back to human. In the start of the story Jak and Daxter are on this island where they come across an enemy. At some point during the fight Daxter falls into a pit of magic goop and turns into a weasel. They go back to their island to meet with the main magic wizard and he tells them that they need to find another wizard because he is the only one that can change Daxter back. Now both of them need to get to the other Wizards house but he lives in a really far area. This is where the game play starts. Your abilities are weasel spin (you literally throw your friend around you to hit enemies), Jump spin, dash punch and a jump dive down. The abilities are rather wacky but they work well with the level of seriousness of the game. There are some electric orbes that you can pass through and they empower the player, breaking and attracting boxes and currency. You have to collect precursor orbs as they are needed to build technology for you. Throughout the game you have to collect, solve puzzles and fight enemies.


Strengths and weaknesses of art and design

The design of the environment was super nice. It has a lot of variety when it comes to the static non interactable objects and the environmental obstacles make sense when walking through. There was no sense of an area feeling too vast. This is one thing that tended to bother me when it came to games like Mario 64, some environments felt too empty where the textures showed an obvious repeat. I understand that this is probably due to some technology restrictions but it is still felt. Jak and Daxters game environment didnt give this feeling at all. From the village to the end of the island felt populated the whole way through. The character designs have a great silhouette to each one. They use a great range of shapes, even on the less important characters. The fantasy technology is somewhat of a contrast to the rest of the environment but the color scheme of sticking with bronze does help it work well. The objects stand out enough without seeming completely detached from the world.


What made it fun?

This game was a lot of fun, silly and chaotic but in the best of ways. The thing that stood out to me the most from the start was how Jak doesn't talk at all or even make a sound. It was interesting because it got me thinking about if Jak was a later response to Link (yes it would be a delay). Typically something like this would be kind of a stretch but his character design seems clearly inspired by Link to me. I could be wrong and I could just be an inspiration because I tried looking it up and really did not find too much on the subject. It would be cool either way though. The use of explanation and directing of the player is pretty good. Maybe a tad bit overused on the map direction and redirecting but it is still pretty fair. The character interaction is super fun due to its casual nature. Its very different from the typical “Ah yes, you must collect the orbs to break the spell” type talking and it helps bring this game out of the typical fantasy setting. The way that the abilities show up is pretty nice and easy at the start. I played a good 15-20 minutes of the game so I don't know if the puzzles or obstacles get harder. I am sure they do due to the popularity of this game alone. All good games do need challenge or they become boring to the players. I really wouldn't mind going back to this game just for fun because it truly left a good impression. Its great for casual play but this game is also good for just setting aside a whole day to just play. This game is great and I would for sure suggest it to anyone who hasn't played it yet.


Now that you’ve played it, why would this game be considered influential? How does it fit into the evolution of games?

This game follows the same formula for Ratchet and Clank, Crash Bandicoot, and even Donkey Kong 64. Its characters (sometimes a duo) are super fun and silly, the surrounding characters are also silly, they go on a crazy adventure to find a major boss or to find someone in general. The contrast of having characters that don't take themselves vs a villain that always does creates amazing and unforgettable dialogue when they interact. I can see why Jak and Daxter have become such a success as a series and that in itself makes this game influential. I don't think that there is anything that makes it stand out to be super influential. The game play is just super enjoyable that it reaches so many different types of audiences. Its sort of like watching Looney Tunes as a kid vs watching it as an adult, there are some things that you'll appreciate and laugh at more the older you get. I guess you could say that the experience is just influential. The fact that anyone could just easily sink a lot of time into this game and it be fun the whole way is enough to be great. I know that a game cant be “good” without any pick-able defining features but I really think its just everything moving together as a whole is what makes this game a fun experience. From the UI, to the game play/ abilities, to the story and the characters, it just makes a great game soup that works in harmony. Its not the most perfect game cause the music was sort of strange and a bit disjointed at times. I get the island theme of the music but I feel like other games did their music better. Its not the biggest deal because I truly didnt notice until I just stopped and listened, so it doesn't take away from the game at all. Its also better than no music when playing.


How would you rate this game (1-5 Stars (5 stars good))

5 of 5

[AlexRoman]

Game:

Halo 3


Game Author:

Paul Bertone


OG platform & Controls:

Xbox 360 Xbox 360 controller


Controls Used:

I used an xbox 360 controller


Describe gameplay and mechanics

When the game starts it's shown that the main character crash landed from an airship and your suit is locked. This relays to the player that at first they will be limited on what they can do and how much they can take damage wise. This limitation is great for getting used to the first set of abilities for the player. The reasoning for the limitations is amazing story telling wise. The player starts off with a gun that carries quite a bit of ammo but you learn quickly that it's not limitless. The game shows how to equip and pick up new guns on the way. As the player maneuvers through the terrain the player understands that they need to be strategic in when they shoot and how often they need to pick up guns. The abilities besides shooting are jumping, throwing grenades, health and you do have a shield that refills if damaged. Throughout the game you're put on multiple missions but it also completes the main story mission. The sound the shield makes when it refills is so great.


Strengths and weaknesses of art and design

I know that there is no such thing as a perfect game but I cant really think of any weaknesses that stand out, that wouldn't be subjective. Sure getting used to the limited ammo design can be hard but wouldn't that just be something in the realm of being a bit more realistic? Cant come up with limitless ammo in reality and even though this game takes place in the distant future, it just follows those same reality rules. Its just an inconvenience when playing and keeps game play from being that much easier. The player cant be going around shooting everything all the time, there needs to be some limitations to provide challenge and thus fun. The environment was very nicely designed with a dynamic change in tunnels and open areas (not too vast). The foliage had a lot of diversity and was pretty well thought of as well as the terrain. I did love the enemy character designs for sure. Each were distinct and clear on the difficulty of both how many shots they take and how much damage they put out.


What made it fun?

So to be honest I had the bar set down pretty low for this game. I understand that the Halo IP is very loved but I have never played it. I know it seems unfair but by the time I really got into gaming (by that I mean playing non Nintendo games), the market had been super saturated by first person shooters. Games like CoD and the 20 billion versions of it, Counter Strike, Modern Warfare and so many more just seemed like all the same to me, so Halo just sort of blended in with the rest in my mind. Because we had to play a Halo game, I looked up and asked around to give the franchise the best possible chance. From visuals alone it tracks with being a game from 2007, not a bad thing but on par. The story starts off full of mystery but its clear in its intended time period. It keeps the player engaged and wondering. One thing that really stood out to me was the music. Other than the iconic well known Gregorian chanting (didn't have to play the game to know where that song came from), the rest of the music was grand and intense. It gives the player a sense of being able to play a movie and manipulate the main character to how you like. This practice is common now and I can't say that it wasn't common at the time of release but it's still a big deal for its time. This steps up the feeling of the game play in general. For the actual play, for me it took me some time to get used to it. Yea I set the mode to easy because Im trying to understand the basic mechanics, but I still needed to look up how to acquire more ammo. Everything else in terms of guidance, the simple map and actually using the weapons plus the grenade all made sense from the start. The background troupe and small enemy characters added some nice whimsy with their short occasional dialogue. The dialogue didnt take away any kind of seriousness from the mission but it did do a good job of balancing it. I think thats part of my main issue when it comes to the common FPS. They tend to be so serious all the time to the point that it gets super boring. I'm glad that Halo doesn't fall into this trap. I can see why this series is loved and I did enjoy playing it. I did absolutely love the music but I'm a sucker for grand sounding music.


Now that you’ve played it, why would this game be considered influential? How does it fit into the evolution of games?

Because I dont really know much about Halo in general and I have only played this game until I died due to time constraints. I had to do a little bit of research as to why Halo 3 was a big deal in the community as well as the industry. As for my experience, this game was fun but the feeling it gave while playing is what makes it stand out. Music (especially in games) is something that is very much missed when not present but can be overlooked easily. Now, when the music is great? Oh boy the player is in for an emotional ride. The feeling you get when you're fighting a boss and the music that plays makes the hairs on your arms and neck stand up, is like no other. Music big time manipulates the players emotions and Halo 3 had it for sure. This alone, I would consider to be influential and falls well into the evolution of games. There is a whole award genre for this. Halo 3 may not have started it but it does establish that a good game can be made better with good story telling (game devs already knew this by then) and great music (this is the difference). When it comes to what I found on why this game was a big deal, it was pretty interesting. From what I could gather, this is a case of loving and caring for the IP, knowing what the players want and essentially looking for when it comes to the next story line, whilst battling everything going wrong at the studio when it comes to the publisher and some higher ups. One big thing is giving to this game what the last one couldnt have but would have been amazing to implement. Not in the way of “this will get us more money” but in the way of “this is what is going to make this game better and step up the experience. The players are going to love it. Putting love and care into a game definitely shows every single time and this game for sure proved it.


How would you rate this game (1-5 Stars (5 stars good))

4.7 out of 5

[AlexRoman]

Game: Cult of the Lamb


Developer: Massive Monster


Publisher: Devolver Digital


Music Designer: River Boy


What is your favorite game soundtrack and why?

Music is one of those things that when it comes to making a game that when its okay, it can easily be missed and be accepted as background noise when playing. When the music is perfectly conducted to the game, it can completely step up a game as a whole. I dont think I have heard of too many games where only the music was considered great but the gameplay, characters, environment were rated as just okay. I dont think music magic can work backwards but I guess I could always be wrong. What it can do though is manipulate the emotions of the player. Great music in a scene can make the player cry, feel joy or both. When fighting a boss, a great track can make the player feel powerful and motivated to keep getting up and trying again. Game music is designed to keep the players immersed and focused on playing the game for hours on end. If there is a distracting odd note, it can take away the focus of the player and lower the ability to play. Most great game soundtracks mentioned when you ask around are going to be for games like God of War, Halo, Eldenring and so on. Dont get me wrong, those soundtracks are amazing in their own right and give the player a grand feeling while listening to it. For me, they dont tend to help me focus when not playing the game. They are great in the context of the game. I have found a fantastic soundtrack that I can not only enjoy when playing the game but I can also study to it or even just vibe to it. I could be a bit biased because I absolutely love playing Cult of the Lamb any chance I can get. The soundtrack is obviously an indie game soundtrack but it has captured both the cute and dark elements of this game. It plays so incredibly well with each dungeon, boss and chill environment. The ramp ups in the boss fight songs keep the player going and fighting to the point that it adds to the feeling of accomplishment when you beat that boss. When making the decision to start your cult the music sounds inquisitive and important. This soundtrack has become so versatile and loved that sometimes I look forward to when I need to study or focus on something because I get to play this track. There is so much attention given to each song. Like in Anura, the theme is very woodland cottage core and you can hear stick-like sounds throughout it. There is the same thing in the song Silk Cradle (Spider den theme dungeon) and you can hear what I can only explain as spiders crawling around in their web (it gives a sticky feeling sound). The artist added a nice harmony when it comes to the chants throughout the album that adds and goes so well with the cult theme. When fighting the bishops of the old faith there is a distortion that gives an uneasy feeling during the battles and it works so incredibly well. There was so much thought that went into this album and it adds so much more beauty to this already amazing game. I love how odd the sounds are, there are of course some recognizable instruments playing throughout it but the artist overlaid these fitting but odd musical samples or voices (I am not too familiar with making music so I may be wrong in my vocabulary). I strongly suggest to not only play this game but give the soundtrack a try too.


How would you rate this game (1-5 Stars (5 stars good))

10 out of 5

[AlexRoman]

Game: Meat Boy


Game Author Edmund McMillen and Jonathan


OG platform & Controls:

Flash Game with Keyboard


Controls Used:

I used a keyboard


Describe gameplay and mechanics

Main idea for the game play is that as meat boy you need to save your girlfriend Bandaid girl, but before you get to close but complete the level, Dr Fetus takes her away. The way that you complete each level is by going through the obstacle course without drying. If you die you have to start the level over again every time. In some levels you will see some bandages sprinkled throughout. If you manage to collect them, you can unlock some playable characters. I had to look it up but its usually 10 per character and there are about 100 bandages throughout the game. You have three abilities that get you through the game. Its a standard walk, run, jump and wall jump. The wall jump is unique to Meat Boy because its linked to his character design. Because hes made of meat, he tends to stick to the wall a little bit before falling off.


Strengths and weaknesses of art and design

For the most part the design and art concept is odd but fair. It creates an interesting story thats a bit shrouded in mystery but not the point that it makes the player wonder (at least in the prototype). Im assuming that the story goes way more into depth in the other games. Speaking in the realm of how this game starts, the story can go into wild card territory. The characters are so odd but accepted from the start that the story can truly go anywhere. The developers did put in some care into their character design, like linking Meat Boys wall jump ability to his design over all. It seems like a rather small thing to add but it does show thought and love, which is rather nice. Some weakness would be in the controls themselves. They just needed to be adjusted because they were a little bit too sensitive. This was something that was adjusted in the next game.


What made it fun?

I would say this was pretty fun. The music was repetitive and upbeat in the best way. The design per level had a simple design but not easy because you can still mess up. The tutorials gave a lot of grace and were nicely guided. I appreciated the credit they gave to the musician and included a plug for his site. So the actual abilities like the jump and walk seem a little bit floaty which took a bit to get used to. Now the ability that I actually really enjoyed how they implemented was the wall jump. Every other game that I have played, it takes me forever to get used to the wall jump and I mess up, so its an ability that I have always avoided to use. The way that the character sticks to the wall a bit before falling off is actually quite smart. It may have been a function that was done on accident given how floaty the jump and movement abilities feel like. Now why would I see this as smart in character design way? The character is meat! If you throw meat at the wall, it would stick for a bit before falling off! Genius!! Its silly, I know but I love when these types of things happen. I also did love how nice the meat juice particles looked in this game. I would very much like to know why meat boys girlfriend was made of bandaids. Before I read her name, I thought she was just made of chicken or some other light meat. Meat boy is pretty fun to spend some time on. It does seem like the type of flash game that would be very enjoyable to put the time in during middle school computer class when you finish your work early.



Now that you’ve played it, why would this game be considered influential? How does it fit into the evolution of games?

This game is the prototype to Super Meat Boy and that on its own is what makes it influential. Super Meat Boy is a game that I have heard over and over again and I know that it is a super loved IP. Meat Boy being the first and a prototype isnt a perfect game but the concept for it is great and fun on its own. I played a little bit of Super Meat boy and the developers did actually change things for the better by making the controls a bit tighter and brought up the difficulty. Meat Boy had its own difficulty standards but I do think that is due to the floaty controls. The concept is pretty silly and the character design list is a bit odd and inconsistent in theme. This does however make sense for the time it was released. 2008 was the year where the emo and scene aesthetic were super popular and the influence of those reverberated throughout society. Things that were considered random or edgy or both became very popular. This could have been the thing that drew a bunch of people to play Meat Boy in the first place and the popularity was due to the game being actually good. I think this game like other silly type concepts follows a nice balance that a lot of other great and silly games offer and result in success. The game has to have clear mechanics and semi simple game play, there needs to be challenge to it and the humor doesn't or even shouldn't be on all the time. By that I mean that the concept can be silly or obviously unserious in visual design but if dialogue is in the mix, there needs to be a balance of serious and jokes. Meat Boy has a nice balance of visual seriousness with the design of the levels like bringing in saw blades and fire but it keeps its silly balance with the characters involved.


How would you rate this game (1-5 Stars (5 stars good))
4 of 5

[AlexRoman]

Game: League of Legends: Wild Rift


Game Author: Brendon Williams

Riot Games


OG platform & Controls:

Mobile touch screen device


Controls Used:
I used an iPad


Describe gameplay and mechanics

The main idea for this game is that youre in a group of five and the main objective is to destroy the other team's nexus at their base. The way your team can get stronger is by destroying dragons that appear at certain times in their pit. Each dragon possesses an elemental buff for the team when killed. Another way is to destroy Barron at his pit to get a team buff. Some ways to get stronger as an individual is by killing minion waves, gather the coins they leave and buying at the shop. Killing minions will also gather experience which helps you level up. The more things you kill on the map, including other champs, the faster you level up. At the start of the game, the player goes to their lane that was predetermined at the lobby. Each Lane has two towers down the row and the teams meet at the middle and either choose to fight each other or strategically clear waves. Usually after one or two towers are destroyed, depending on the champs in a team this signals that both teams should group up. During team fights, players have to work off of each others synergy to kill their opponents or force them to retreat back to base. During this retrieval time, the team that won the fight is free to either go back to base themselves or keep pushing and bring down more towers. The less towers your team has the less protection your nexus has.


Strengths and weaknesses of art and design

The main strengths to this game are the visuals within the lobbies and store. Since you can see the character models so up close, there is a full animation sequence that shows off the skin. Sometimes the abilities are shown off in this sequence. These functions take the time to show off the skin for the players and its super cool. When in the game mode lobby when you set your skin you can actually see the skin on the model. The design in the reward systems use some pretty flashy looking images to get the player to spend more money into the game. The user interface for your own game profile is pretty crowded as well as the interface within the game modes. The clutter feels distracting when idle but only gets worse when you have so many other players running in on the map.


What made it fun?

I have been playing League of legends for about twelve years now (the original PC version). Wild Rift came out about 4 years ago and I tried it once or twice when it first came out, but it never stuck. Since I haven't played Wild Rift in a few years and I have heard some interesting things coming from the rift community, this journal was the perfect time to try it out again. The main things that I have been hearing were about the beautiful skins and they are indeed very beautiful. Compared to the skins being pumped out on OG league, the wild rift skins have so much more story to them. The skin lines make sense with the chosen champions and the ability effects look like the artists actually took the time to design them. The user interface for the lobby, store and passes look beautifully designed although a bit cramped at times but an upgrade from League in general. Thats where it sort of stops though. Since in League I tend to just play ARAM, I decided to stick with what I know and go for an ARAM in Rift. I felt like I was playing the game for the first time again but with a familiar look to it. Everything was so different but not in the best way. I guess Iv been spoiled because the changes that og league made to the aram map have not yet made it to rift. It looked old, the shop was suggesting a build for my champ that sort of made sense but not really (it seemed like an old suggested build from years ago). The controls (apparently my problem with most games because this is the number one thing I talk about in these journals it seems) felt clunky and clumsy. I probably just need to practice to get used to them but they do actually function differently compared to the PC version. It sounds silly because its touch screen and of course they needed to make these kinds of changes but its radical changes like skill shot abilities can be actively manipulated during its path. I feel like that doesnt make it a “skill shot” anymore. Well not totally because it would be a skill shot that would take a bit less skill. Wild Rift didnt really feel like it was super fun, it feels a bit gilded. They draw you in with super pretty visuals and because of the mobile format, the player gets to truly appreciate the models and each skin they have. But the controls feel like they need to be thought of a bit more. The gatcha system that plagues this game is also pretty wild. I am glad that the PC doesnt have it as much (used to not be there at all) but its the same reason why I stopped playing the other mobile game I was obsessed over. Of course the developers do it on purpose to get more and more money but the gatcha system is so gross.


Now that you’ve played it, why would this game be considered influential? How does it fit into the evolution of games?

The discussion of moving popular games to mobile and the act of it has been going on for quite some time. Its a move that makes sense business wise since mobile games are such a huge market within the industry. The way that it is done is just moving some things and controls around to make the game work with touch screen and making it available in the app store. Its now more and more common to make games even cross platform but this has brought its own complications when it comes to game play. What riot did was create a whole new game with the same concept and ways for players to keep coming back. I believe the main method that they have used when it comes to wild rift are the reward and skin systems. It has created a jealous divide where champion mains always complain when wild rift comes out with a new much prettier skin for their champ. The argument always goes the same way: “release this skin in PC league!” but its rarely: “I should play wild rift now”. This game hasnt really transferred PC players to mobile but it has brought in a new set of players just for this game. Its been an odd thing to witness but it makes sense since both games play differently. The skills you gain arent able to transfer well even if the champion you play has the same abilities and are in the same play mode. I guess this game is influential simply by starting the strange dynamic within riot players in general. Although I do think the “PC is better than mobile” argument is still going around. I cant make that argument because I very much do have a bias.


How would you rate this game (1-5 Stars (5 stars good))

3 of 5

[AlexRoman]

Game: Bayonetta


Game Author: Hideki Kamiya


OG platform & Controls:

Xbox 360 and Playstation 3

Xbox 360 controller and Playstation 3 controller


Controls Used:

Nintendo Switch controllers


Describe gameplay and mechanics

You play as the last known Umbran witch on a mission to discover her forgotten past. As an urban witch you are armed with quite a few abilities. You can use Witch Time which is a doge and time slow combo, summon demons to aid your strength, and use torture attacks. Bayonetta is also equipped with hand guns and guns on her feet. This allows for some really interesting fighting techniques. She usually fights with a bit of dancing flair, so she can use the standard punches and kicks but gain attack reach through shooting. These are where the fighting combos are used and the player gets graded or trophies based on performance at the end of each level. With each enemy defeated, you gain halos as currency. This currency can be used at Rodin's shop for weapon upgrades, health, attack boosts, invulnerability boosts and so much more. There are quite a few collectables throughout the game like vinyl records but also useful in game ones like moon pearls and witch hearts that when complete, expand your health and mana meter.


Strengths and weaknesses of art and design

The weaknesses when it comes to the art is due to the technological limitations of its time. Sounds very bias and silly but this is a beautiful game and I would absolutely love to see Bayonetta 1 go through a remaster. The Character design is so much fun and creative from the Umbran Witches hair magic to the demons, angels and everything in between. I guess when it comes to some of the optional alternative costume designs they are a bit too fan service-y. I think thats just a matter of preference. I use some of them because they are still super fun, except for the P.E uniform… that ones just super weird to me. The main shining designs have to go to the angels and demons for sure. Mari Shibata (artist) had an amazing artistic vision for these monsters and they were executed perfectly. Each creature design radiates majesty with the details and they fit so well with each other. You can clearly see the hierarchy within heaven's monsters and the same goes with the hierarchy of hell. There is so much detail put into these creatures and its so impressive. As the players fight each foe and summon their demons this game gets more and more impressive in it design.


What made it fun?

This game is the most woman centric and empowering game I have ever played and I absolutely love it. I have played and beat Bayonetta 1 (and 2) so many times and I have yet to get sick of it. Ever since I got this game for the first time on the XBox One store in 2015, I have played this game along with Bayonetta 2 (now 3) once a year, every year. I usually go back to Bayonetta 1 the most for replay. This game journal gave me the excuse to start playing Bayonetta 1 and oh boy, this game is still perfect! Of course this carries to the other games but Bayonetta 1 is the perfect mix of flashy,fashionable, empowering, ridiculous, beautiful, and just overall amazing. This is the game that got me into the hack n slash genre as well as eventually teach me not to button mash in order to get better at it. Unfortunately I had a little bit of time to play this and that start of this game has so many cut scenes for story set up. This game has a great set up and guide system for the player. At first in the flashback playable fight scene, it seems like the player is thrown to the wolves. However, there are no penalties during this time, sure the player can get hit but health is not lost. This is the time to just button mash and see what the abilities can do, sort of dipping your foot in before you're taught to swim type idea. The next cut scene rolls into the present day and the tutorials begin. It shows the basic abilities quite nicely but then it ramps it up when the hand and leg guns are introduced. Even for first time players, these ideas are easy to grasp. The game holds your hand for a little bit longer and then just lets go and it's great. During the loading screens the player is able to practice some combos so they don't use the same one over and over again. This decreases the chances of game fighting fatigue. I feel like so much was thought about gameplay wise so the player doesn't get stuck in a combo rut. The use of Witch Time is something I absolutely love about this game. Its used not only in battle but to figure out puzzles as well. Its such a smart idea and very well implemented in the world its in. The scenes always seem to contain some fun witty banter which tends to nicely break up the seriousness in a scene.


Now that you’ve played it, why would this game be considered influential? How does it fit into the evolution of games?

This is the game that showed me that a strong female character can embrace all of the qualities of a woman and be portrayed as incredibly strong and powerful. I know it sounds sort of off but its been interesting seeing how female characters have been shown through video games. Its either showing no femininity until the end of the game twist reveal (Samus), intentionally sexualized but can also get away with practicality (Laura Croft) or just a damsel in distress and helpless (Peach). What Bayonetta symbolizes at least for me is the owning of feminine sexuality and qualities as well as embracing power and strength (qualities usually given to men). Throughout the game she is finding her past, saving Luka and doing it all on her own. Princess Peach, Samus and Laura each are missing little elements of femininity as a whole. Peach lacks strength, Samus lacks showing being a woman, and Laura is an interesting case. Shes sexualized in her outfit but there is no intention to be sexualized from the character herself. I am not saying that any of these are wrong but I feel like each of these example characters dont take back the power. Bayonetta uses her femininity as a weapon in all aspects. She is intentional with how she dresses, fights (often through dance), talks, moves and its all out in the open. Bayonetta 1 is incredibly influential in showing that female characters can be fun, whitty, strong and everything that male characters can be but more. Shes an exaggeration of female qualities but its owned, embraced and used to its fullest extent. This game shows that the Fem Fatal trope can be expanded on and empowering to any player. Bayonetta 1 helped open so many doors to quality design. The story is great but I think that the abilities and character design throughout this game has created a huge impact in gaming history.


How would you rate this game (1-5 Stars (5 stars good))

10 of 5

[AlexRoman]

Game: Devil May Cry V


Game Author: Hideki Kamiya


OG platform & Controls:

Playstation 4 with PS4 Controllers


Controls Used:

I used a Playstation 5 controller, but I don't think the experience would be any different if I used a ps4 controller. If anything the ps5 controllers are an improvement and it enhanced the experience.


Describe gameplay and mechanics

This hack n slash game starts with the main mission to fight and kill the demon that took your arm. Nero is literally armed with a few arm weapon attachments made by the mechanic Nico. She builds, and upgrades all of your weapons. The arm weapons do get destroyed or used up in fights, so you do need to be stocking up regularly. There are multiple arm attachments to choose from that can fit any player's fighting style and or fight needs. Nero also is equipped with a demon/ motorized sword as well as a gun. There is also a temporary ability that amplifies your damage for a short amount of time. In the shop, you can unlock some fighting combos that can aid in not only the fights themselves but help your in game score. The more combos that are used during the fight, the better the score you are given at the end of the level/ mission.


Strengths and weaknesses of art and design

This game has incredible strengths in design and art that work in perfect harmony. Each element seems like it was chosen so carefully. In reality it had to be for a few reasons. The IP is so incredibly loved and it took such a long time for the fifth installment to the story to release. They had to make sure that not only the story was great but it had to look incredible graphics wise. The design of Hells environment is so perfect. It looks gruesome and almost painful with the flesh and bone walls and bridges. The creatures all have a clear silhouette and you can tell how strong they are from their looks. The lower level foes being inspired by bugs goes spot on with their abilities and numbers because they are annoying but satisfying to kill. As you work your way up to harder enemies, they become more and more beautiful and storytelling in their design.



What made it fun?

This is the first Devil May Cry game I played in the series. Yea its a bit backwards but I am glad I did it this way. The beauty and detail that the character models have captured me almost immediately from the start. The amazing beauty of the environment came next. This game is visually impressive and it really shows what the Playstation 4 can really do graphics wise. Every cut scene especially in the beginning displays the love and care that all of the character and environment artists put into their models. You can tell that the animators worked as a great team with character and environment artists. Usually in a movie setting, I would probably see this amount of slow motion in an action scene as too much. Not in this game though, the slow motion adds flair and it is still ridiculous but it also shows all of the hard work put into every model in this game. As Nico's Van gets flipped, you can see all of the mechanics on the bottom of her van were modeled out for this exact reason. Each model is incredibly life-like and believable. The music is also incredibly crazy but it hypes up the player, keeps them motivated and gives the feeling of a thrilling rush. The fighting mechanics are absolutely ridiculous, exaggerated, and incredibly fun. The fighting combos just look like and feel like they came out of a John Wick movie and I absolutely love it. DMC5 is a perfect balance of edgy, ridiculous, flashy and fashionable all wrapped up and thrown into a house party. The edgy cheesiness gets passed on from game to game and in this case its the signature expected look. I absolutely love this game for that. Its a certain flavor of edgy though, the taglines and the way all of the characters speak in general just ooze early 2000’s grunge but with a modern flair for update's sake. It hits that nostalgic tone without you even realizing it while playing.


Now that you’ve played it, why would this game be considered influential? How does it fit into the evolution of games?

DMC5 is the perfect example of going all out when creating the next installment of a game series in a comeback fashion. It keeps all of the elements of what makes the Devil May Cry series loved and pushes it further with the available technology. The story has a few obvious twists but I don't think it tries to hide them? I guess they are in the manner of hiding in plain sight. The developers know that this game is ridiculous but it is done and pushed in such a balanced way that it rides on the edge of being too much but never quite hits over to “I just can play this, its too ridiculous'’ territory. It takes edgy and explodes it but still manages to keep it in the acceptable range. DMC5 shows to the industry that you can keep making more and more modern games (in story and in graphics) and keep its crucial core so it still fits within the games universe. It not only keeps the original player audience happy and excited for more but it also brings new players to the community. After I played this game, I became a huge fan of the series and immediately looked into playing the past games as well as looking up the order I should play them in. It can get a bit dodgy with the timeline and some games are more suggested than others but life's too short to care to play any game in order. Being a comeback to the series game DMC5 impacts the industry by showing that if you put love and care into your next series game, the player base will greatly appreciate it. I This game doesn't feel like a cash grab at all, its thoughtful, detailed and true to its story roots.


How would you rate this game (1-5 Stars (5 stars good))

5 of 5

[AlexRoman]

Game: Beatsaber


Game Author: Jan Ilavsky


OG platform & Controls:

Playstation 4 Oculus


Controls Used:

Playstation VR2


Describe gameplay and mechanics

Game play and mechanics are rather simple. You pick a song, some boxes with arrows will show up and you have to hit them in the direction that the arrows are facing. Some boxes have circles and those can be hit in any direction. Boxes can rotate at the last minute, so the player has to be ready for anything. The more boxes you hit right during the game, the higher the score. If you happen to not hit enough boxes right, the song will stop and you lose. There are some on stage obstacles like jelly walls that you have to avoid. There are spiky mines as well that if hit will dock some points from your overall score. The difficulty scales from easy to expert+ and that just adds more boxes to the stage that need to be hit on beat and more obstacles that need to be avoided. There are also different types of modes like solo, campaign, online and party mode. Online and party mode are for playing with others and the solo and campaign mode are for playing alone.


Strengths and weaknesses of art and design

The design and art are rather simple but the use of neon lights steps it up. The environment that is created fits well with any song and its not distracting during play. There are options for changing the colors of the blocks which is nice, its not only nice for customization purposes but it helps those that have some difficulty seeing some colors. I think for the most part, the over all design has been well thought of. There isn't too much going on so the player can just focus on the blacks that are coming in but there is the added spice of the laser stage lights. It adds to change up the feeling of the stage according to the song that is playing without them being too much. I wouldn't say there are weaknesses when it comes to design or art, at least not any that I could pick up on during play.


What made it fun?

So, I have had Beatsaber for a while now because it was one of the first games we got for the VR2. I played one song when we first got it, got a little bit nauseous from it and quit after the song was done. Picking it up now for this journal, I guess I have a different frame of mind because I managed to push through the motion sickness. I also customized the settings for my profile so that probably helped quite a bit. I played a few different songs, some familiar and some not and I have found a new appreciation for what this game actually does. It reminded me of the feeling I got when I played Guitar Hero back in middle school but better. Its sorta hard to get into and find your rhythm but once you do, the game just gets better and better. Now one artist does stand out and shine when playing their songs. Any song from Lindsey Sterling is a magical experience that gives so many ideas for other types of game play. If you happen to watch one of her music videos, you'll see how she gracefully moves and dances with her violin and its absolutely mesmerizing. Beatsaber has managed to incorporate these types of swaying movements during play and it makes the experience so much fun. I probably wouldn't suggest it for first time players but once they get their rhythm, that would be my number one suggestion. Its not just one song either, we happen to have two and they both just capture those movements so incredibly well. Of course this game does super well with beat matching but there is some grace given in normal mode at least. One thing that's super cool are the walls and obstacles that are incorporated. They look like jelly but when the remotes or headset “interact” with them, they also vibrate as if going through jelly. Its an odd feeling but so interesting at the same time. It for sure gets you to move.


Now that you’ve played it, why would this game be considered influential? How does it fit into the evolution of games?

I would say that Beatsaber is the Guitar Hero of VR. Its super fun, you get to play popular songs and an added plus is that you move around a bit more without it feeling like its too much. It does follow the same price model when it comes to picking out artist bundles like in Rock Band but I guess thats okay. Although Beatsaber wasn't made to show off what VR can do, it for sure accomplishes it anyway. It plays around with movement quite a bit, sort of like a fusion between Guitar Hero and Just Dance. On the plus side you don't get the melting walls for playing too much due to the obstacles during the song. I remember when this game first came out, it was absolutely everywhere and anytime there was an oculus, Beatsaber was the game that was on. It ended up going hand in hand with VR when it came to mainstream talk. The reason why I would think that this game would be considered influential is that it opened up to a broader audience due to the nature and design of the game. More people tried VR and got to truly experience it thanks to this game. Its an inviting concept of hitting boxes on beat and getting points while listening and moving to your favorite song or at least most tolerated song from the list. Most people find that Idea doable, fun and willing to try a new piece of technology for it. Getting someone who doesn't play video games to try something like VR isn't an easy thing to do. Beatsaber opened that door and I think that it played a sizable part in making VR an ongoing or even here to stay type thing.


How would you rate this game (1-5 Stars (5 stars good))

5 of 5