Video Game Review #257: Control

Control

PlayStation 4

Nostalgia Factor:

Control is a relatively new game, and this was the first time I had ever played it, so there's not much to report on the nostalgia side of things. 

I first heard of Control back in 2019 when it won Game of the Year honors for IGN. Upon hearing of its premise, the game immediately piqued my interest and I made a mental note to check it out someday when I had the chance. Well, in 2021 that chance finally came.

Story:

I hope you at least have SOME idea of what you are getting into when you start this game, otherwise you are going to be just as confused as I was the first time I started playing. You are in control of a woman named Jesse Faden. She enters a government building only to find it oddly empty. Time to explore. It isn't long before you meet a janitor, who says some weird cryptic shit to you. You explore a little more and find the body of a man who has taken his life with a gun. You pick the gun up and are transported to some weird kind of astral plane where you are taught how to use it. After your lesson, you return to the real world where you find that you've been tasked with clearing an enemy named The Hiss out of the building.

The building you are in is called The Oldest House, and apparently it is some kind of government installation dedicated to the research of paranormal objects and events. The Hiss have come through to our world through some kind of breach in the fabric of the universe? I don't know. This game is REALLY cryptic and confusing and its plot didn't make much sense to me. The biggest comparison I can think of is if David Lynch and the TV show Legion had a baby. That baby would be this game.

As you play, you discover that Jesse came to The Oldest House in search of her missing brother, who was kidnapped by agents of the house years and years ago. But it is all some kind of weird, elaborate plot by the mainframe or the computer that controls the Oldest House to lure Jesse in so it can make her the new director, fight off the Hiss, and bring stability back to the building once again.

Or something.

Look, I am going to be straight up with you. I had NO IDEA what was happening throughout this game as I played it. Things aren't spelled out for you. Many of the characters talk in riddles. What happens on the screen is ridiculously abstract. Visually, the game is amazing. But storywise I had no fucking idea what was happening half the time. This entire recap is probably 100% wrong and completely inaccurate as far as what actually happened in this game. Any diehard Control freaks are probably laughing at my pathetic attempt to recap this game's story for you. And you know what? I don't care. Once it became clear that I wasn't going to be able to comprehend or enjoy this game's story, I completely stopped paying attention to it. I played for the intense gameplay and the awesome visuals. Everything else became completely secondary to me.

Gameplay:

While I can't say I enjoyed this game's storyline very much, its gameplay is what made it a fairly enjoyable title for me. Jesse has all kinds of fun abilities and powers which slowly unlock as the game progresses. You begin to feel like a real badass as you are playing. Not only can you shoot enemies with your cool astral gun, but you can also use telekinesis to pick up objects and whip them at them. This was just so, SO satisfying to me. Eat it, motherfucker!! Late in the game you feel like an unstoppable force of nature, almost like you're controlling a superhero pulled straight from the X-Men universe or something.

I'm not sure how to describe this title's gameplay, as it is not quite open-world. You start out in the administrative offices of the building. You team up with the remaining survivors of the Hiss attack and look to start fighting back. You take on missions for characters, almost like you would in a GTA game for example. An area of the building is marked on your map. You have to make your way there, kill whatever it is you have to kill, save whoever it is you have to save, do whatever you have to do. When you complete your mission, return to the person who gave you your mission and collect your reward. As you play you can level up your character. As you level up you gain new keycards and abilities which you can use to access areas of the building you couldn't access before. I hate to use the generic term Metroidvania here, but there's almost no way around it. Control fits this video game template to a T.

As you play you're going to notice that there aren't very many unique enemy characters. There are battles pretty much everywhere you go. Expect to fight, and fight a lot. I found the action of this game to be quite repetitive, but at the same time I didn't mind too much because it was just so fun. My main gripe with the game is its absolutely AWFUL map system. This is one of the worst maps in video game history. Routes aren't clearly defined, different levels are confusingly stacked one on top of another, it is just a mess. I got lost sooooooo many times as I played this game, and quite honestly it was really beginning to frustrate me. The fact that all the environments kinda sorta look the same wasn't helping matters at all either. I'd know on the map where I needed to go, but not how to get there. It felt like I was aimlessly wandering for hours at a time, no idea where I needed to go to reach the mission marker. They could have given us an arrow that guides you to your goal, or a clearly defined route on the map. The Guiding Wind. SOMETHING. But no. And let me tell you, it is a real struggle. It almost wrecked my enjoyment of the game completely.

Touching on the combat system once again, while I found it to be overall pretty fun and satisfying, I must say that the difficulty balance is really off-kilter. Most of the time I was able to squash my enemies with ease, but then all of a sudden I would fight a boss or a new enemy type and I'd be destroyed in seconds. The difficulty spikes in this game are SO weird and random. When you hit a difficult spot in the game, expect to die. A lot. Eventually through trial and error you'll make your way through the battle, but not after spending about 3 hours looking at loading screens first. Seriously. The loading times in this game. They are just awful. I had the same problem with Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order. Seriously, this is 2021. I know neither of these games are brand new or anything but how are absurdly long loading times like this not a thing of the past?

Graphics:

Ok, this game looks pretty good. I alluded to the show Legion earlier in my review and I can honestly say that this game's visual style reminds me a lot of that show. Trippy colors, flashy special effects, intense BIG LETTERs telling you when you enter a new area. This game has a little bit of Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice in it too. Many of the hallucinations and visual tricks in this game seem to be directly inspired by that one. And I'm not complaining. It all looks really good!

My main complaint with the game's visuals is that the environments look somewhat bland from time to time. It's not like a government office building is exactly the most visually exciting place on the planet, but dang do things look really dull sometimes. Grey corridors, white floors, non-descript doors. Can you get any more bland? They all begin to look the same after a while too, which contributes to getting lost all the time, which I already touched upon. Don't get me wrong, overall this game looks really good. But mainly it looks good when things are weird and supernatural things are happening. Other times it can just be really... meh.

Sound:

I can't complain about the game's sound. Even though I couldn't follow Control's story very well, I could at least recognize that the voice acting was pretty good. The sound effects are creepy and weird and really help contribute to the bizarre situation you find yourself in. From an audio standpoint, all the little atmospheric sound effects are on-point. 

I don't remember a single thing about Control's music, so it must not have been that good. But I don't remember it being bad either. So that's a plus. Like I said, nothing to complain about here. 

Overall:

I have such mixed feelings on this game. I didn't like the story, but I appreciated the intense visual effects and the fact that they got really weird with the direction of the game. Combat is fun and satisfying, but there are very few enemy types and things start to get really repetitive really fast. The spikes in difficulty are random and somewhat unfair. I hated the map system and how I got lost all the time. I died a lot of what I thought were unfair deaths where I wasn't watching where I was going or I would mistime a jump and plummet to my death. The load times are TERRIBLE. The environments often look bland and too "same-y" everywhere you go. I have no freaking clue what the game's ending meant or what I should expect if this game ever has a sequel.

It sounds like I have more negative things to say about this game than positive ones. And that surprises me because I did enjoy the game, or at least I thought I did. When I started writing this review I expected I'd give it a B- or a C+ grade. But coming to this blog and putting my thoughts in words makes me realize that I didn't enjoy it nearly as much as I should have - especially considering this was a title that won Game of the Year for one of my favorite video game media sites. I expected so much more... and I didn't get it.

I have zero desire to ever come back and play Control again. I'm not even sure if I'll play its sequel. I know that sounds really harsh - and let me assure you I did NOT hate this game. I did have a good time with the combat and completing some of its missions. But it is so flawed. So flawed. I didn't even mention the lagging frame rate and how the action would always get super choppy when a lot of stuff was happening on the screen. I don't know how I almost forgot that, but I'm guessing it is because I was so focused on the plethora of OTHER flaws that bugged the shit out of me as I played.

I won't knock Control and say it is a crappy game. It isn't. I  think buried under all the flaws is a fun and enjoyable title, and I won't judge people for liking it if they think I'm wrong. It's just not my cup of tea.

Final Score:

C-

If you liked this review, check out some of my other game reviews:

Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerberus

Shadow of the Tomb Raider

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice

Star Wars: Bounty Hunter

Video Game Review #256: Doom 64

Doom 64

Nintendo 64

Nostalgia Factor:

I originally played Doom 64 back in 1997, the year the game first came out. I remember being completely enthralled by it at the time. The graphics, the presentation, the sound, the atmosphere - everything about this game was much better than what I had seen in Dooms 1 or 2. 

I never actually owned the game, however. I had only rented it. Due to the limited time I had to play the game, I fondly remember long nights staying up and playing this until the birds started chirping at 4 or 5 in the morning. I think I ended up having to rent it twice before I was finally able to beat the game and drop it into the slot at Blockbuster Video. Several years passed before I found a used copy of the game at Mega Media Exchange and picked it up for a couple dollars. Even more years passed.. and passed... and passed before I finally got around to actually playing the game again. And that brings us to 2021 - 24 years after the game's initial release. This is the first time I have replayed it since 1997.

Would Doom 64 still hold up, or would it show its age? Time to find out.

Story:

There's not much of a story to be found here. You are a badass soldier and it is your job to kill all the demons that are coming through a portal from hell. Then you enter the portal and you kill all the demons on their home turf. Basically the same plot as any other Doom game. This one differs from the norm in the sense that it is a direct sequel to Dooms 1 and 2, and not an original Doom story. It might as well be though. Let's be real: nobody plays these old school Doom games for their stories. No one.

Gameplay:

This game is a blast to play. It handles well, the controls are easy to remember, gameplay itself is super smooth. I enjoyed it a lot.

If you've never played a Doom game, I'll break it down for you. This is a fast paced, guns blazing first-person shooter. You have a giant arsenal of weapons at your disposal. You race through each level, gunning down an endless number of enemies. Each stage is a maze, with keycards needed to advance to the next section of the stage. There are secrets galore and countless power-ups to help you on your way.

The gunplay is satisfying and a lot of fun. If you are more familiar with how modern first-person shooters work, it may take you a while to adapt. There is less "strategizing" to be found here. There is no ducking, although you can move behind walls for cover. The enemy AI doesn't play around: they see you, they come for you. Your character can take a ton of damage before he is killed, too. Expect to slug it out with your enemies quite a bit in this game. And the action is FAST. I actually prefer games like this to newer first-person shooters like BioShock or Far Cry. I'd use Call of Duty as an example but believe it or not I have never played a Call of Duty game.

Enemies range from simple armed soldiers to projectile flinging demons to flying monsters that shoot fireballs at you. Almost all of the enemies you face are reincarnations of enemies from Dooms 1 and 2. It would have been nice to have some original foes for this game, but at the same time it is super satisfying seeing classic Doom staples like Cyberdemons, Cacodemons, Bull Demons, and Lost Souls (ugh, HATE these things!) make the graphical leap to 64 bit.

When you aren't fighting you are going to be working on this game's puzzles. I say puzzles in only the loosest sense of the word. You aren't going to be rearranging blocks or pushing things around. Almost every "puzzle" in the game revolves around flipping a switch and trying to figure out what that switch does. For example, flipping a switch might open up a door or raise a bridge back towards the beginning of a level. But the game doesn't show you or tell you what happened. You have to explore and figure it out yourself. Other switches are timed. They may only open a door or raise a bridge for a few seconds - and it is up to you to race back and try to find it. Other switches you can shoot from a distance. Sometimes you have to push on walls to try to open them up as if they were doors. Mainly you are looking for keycards which open up the next section of the level, until you can find the stage's exit point. Complete the stage and you move on to the next one.

Admittedly, some of these switches and area puzzles can be a bit obscure or hard to figure out, especially considering the size and scope of some of these maps. I got completely lost numerous times as I played this game, clueless as to where I was supposed to go next. The map system is... okay. It's not great and it doesn't really do much to help. Despite this, I still had a pretty fun time with the game. This did not ruin my enjoyment of it one tiny bit.

Graphics:

I'm surprised at how well this game has held up. It is hard to believe it is as old as it is. Environments are dark and foreboding. Enemies, while flat and occasionally quite pixelated, fit the whole aesthetic of the game perfectly. What really sold me on this game's visual appeal is its atmosphere. Dread and tension fill every step you take as you make your way through this game. The environments are a perfect blend of sci-fi and horror. The lighting effects are terrific as well. There is a level very early in the game that has a dark hallway intermittently lit up by red lights, and I just remember thinking HOW FREAKING COOL IS THIS as I walked through it. It looked terrific in 1997 and it looks terrific now.

Sound:

Sound is great too. The music of the game fits the look and feel of the levels perfectly: dark, foreboding, and ominous. Some of the musical tracks are actually quite scary. One of them sounds like it has babies crying or some shit in the background. It scared the crap out of me while I was playing.

A big part of the game is listening for audio cues. You can hear enemies coming based on the noises they make. When you flip a switch you can listen for the door opening and make a break towards the sound. Really, sound plays a huge factor in this game. I would suggest using headphones as you play. It makes for a quite immersive experience. Even with no headphones, however, the game still sounds really great.

Overall:

To answer the question I posed earlier: yes, the game still holds up. It holds up quite well in fact. I enjoyed it more than I did the 2016 reboot of the series, which I gave a middling score. I enjoyed it more than the old Doom games (which I have yet to review). I enjoyed it more than pretty much every other first-person shooter I have played in recent memory. Heck, I even enjoyed it more than I did the campaign version of Goldeneye 007, which I consider to be an all time classic. It's just a lot of fun to play, and very addicting too. Each of my play sessions lasted way longer than I intended, because I didn't want to turn the game off. Just one more level. Just let me solve this one puzzle. Let me get through this one boss fight. On and on it went. To me, someone with an extremely short attention span, that is an obvious mark of a really good game. I couldn't put it down.

As far as flaws, I already mentioned the game's map. It is pretty useless. I also would have liked to see a wider variety in the game's enemies. Many of the puzzles and their solutions were a bit obscure for my taste as well. And the game is quite short. I beat it in just a couple days. 

But that's just me being thorough, as I try to be in these reviews. Really, the game is a lot of fun. I consider it to be the best Doom title out there. Admittedly, I haven't played them all. But of the ones I have, this game takes the cake. It was recently remastered in HD and put on the PlayStation Store, so even if you don't have a Nintendo 64 you can still play this game. I suggest you do. Totally worth it. Great game.

Final Score:

A

If you liked this review, check out some of my other game reviews:

Doom (2016)

Goldeneye 007

Goldeneye 007: Reloaded

Wolfenstein 3D

Alien Trilogy

Video Game Review #255: The Walking Dead: The Final Season

The Walking Dead: The Final Season

PlayStation 4

Nostalgia Factor:

It's been a long ride. I first played a brief demo of Telltale's original Walking Dead game back in 2012, nearly TEN freaking years ago. Believe it or not, I actually wasn't very impressed by the game and didn't bother checking out the rest of the first season. A year or so passed before I finally came back to the game, mainly at the urging of one of my close friends, who sang its praises. 

I don't know what changed, but this time around I absolutely loved the game. I ate up all of its episodes, its DLC, and its second season. After that, the series kind of lost me for a little bit. Back then I only had a PlayStation 3, and the third season (A New Frontier) was only available on the PS4. A few years passed, but eventually I purchased a PS4 and was able to play the third game. By then the fourth season was already in development, but then Telltale Games shut down, putting season four (and the fate of Clementine) in limbo. 

I never bothered to check out what had been released of season four, as I didn't want to play a game that possibly may not ever be finished. Luckily, they did indeed find a way to finish this game and release it to the public. The final episode of season four would be released in 2019, seven years after the release of the first entry in the series. Still, for whatever reason, I never played season four. I think I kept waiting for it to go on sale on the PlayStation Store, and it never did. So in 2021 I did what any sensible person would do: I ordered the title from GameFly.

This was it. My journey with Clementine began back in 2012. In 2021, it would come to an end. Read on for my final thoughts on the last season of what I consider to be a pretty darn epic game series.

Story:

As always, I don't shy away from spoilers. Consider this fair warning.

Some time has passed since the end of season three. Clementine and AJ are out in the wild - fighting off walkers, scrounging for food and supplies, and looking for a potential group to join up with. The last time we had seen AJ, he was just a little baby. Clementine had been on her way to rescue him from the people who had taken him away from her. So how are they together now? What happened in that gap between the third and fourth game? All is revealed through flashbacks as you play.

After nearly being killed by walkers in a train station, Clementine and AJ are rescued by a group of angsty teens who have been holing up in their old school. They are distrusting of Clem and AJ at first, for reasons that become apparent later. I don't know how exactly the choices you make change things, but in my playthrough AJ ends up killing the leader of these kids when he finds out that he's been double crossing the group. AJ in general is just a giant brat, and his actions get both himself and Clementine exiled from the school. AJ and Clem are attacked by a hostile group after their banishment, and come running back to the school for help.

Turns out, the kids have been at odds with this hostile group all along. Clementine uses her survival skills to help the group fight off these attackers, and even brings the battle to their base (a large ship off the coast). It is revealed that the leader of this group is Lilly, who you may remember as the woman with the asshole father in the first Walking Dead season. The battle gets ugly and causes some interesting moral dilemmas, as Lilly's group had kidnapped kids from the school in the past and have now trained them to fight on her side. Clementine's side reigns victorious, but at great cost.

Clementine is bit. Both her and AJ are separated from the group. It looks like the end is nigh for our dear Clementine. Her face has gone pale, she can barely walk. Clearly she is very close to turning. You have two choices: let AJ leave while you turn into a walker or have him kill you. I chose to have him kill me. The parallels of Clem's situation with Lee in the first game were undeniable. Now Clementine was acting as the Lee figure and AJ was acting as young Clem. Tears were freely flowing from the eyes of yours truly as AJ raised the axe in the air. The axe drops, and the screen goes blank.

After a short flashback sequence that shows Clementine killing innocent people to rescue AJ as a baby several years ago, we return to the present time. The community at the school is prospering. AJ is working and pulling his weight. Clementine's noble sacrifice seems to have paid off.... until we find out SHE'S STILL ALIVE!!!

AJ had simply chopped her leg off when she'd asked him to kill her. He chopped her leg off, Coral!

Things end on a high note for our characters as they all build a life together at the school. The end. But damn. Damn. Did I feel manipulated or what? I was glad Clementine was alive. I know this sounds silly, but I had come to care for her well-being over the course of the last 9 years. Her apparent death had completely wrecked me as I played this game. But at the same time I was not happy she was alive either. A tragic ending like that almost seemed inevitable for Clementine - and the way she went out had so much symmetry with what had happened between her and Lee. It was poetic, gutsy, and perfect. The game should have ended there. Clementine should have died.

Sigh.

Aside from that, I really enjoyed this game's story. I barely scratched the surface of the character dynamics, but Clem, AJ, and their relationships with the kids at the school were very well-written. You can romance some of these kids, you can squabble with them, you can have deep conversations with them, you can make bad personal relationship choices and you can make good ones too. The things you say to AJ and the lessons you teach him play a giant factor in how the game unfolds as well.

Gameplay:

For the most part this game acts as any other Telltale Walking Dead game, but there are some welcome changes this time around. When you are walking about and checking out your environment, it actually feels like you are playing a "real" video game this time around. You can walk slowly, you can run, you can pick up collectibles, there are even real battle sequences that involve more than just pointing a cursor and hitting a button. It is like they tried to make this game more of a mainstream experience and less of the same old same old. And it is appreciated!

At its heart though, this is a Telltale game through and through. You have conversations, you make choices. You're playing for the story and not the gameplay itself. And I am totally okay with that. The game doesn't drag. It doesn't ever get boring. I was fairly hooked the whole way through.

Graphics:

This game looks so much better than A New Frontier. Colorful graphics, detailed environments, varied and distinct character models. The whole thing has a decidedly more cinematic feel to it as well. It's no graphical masterpiece, but it does a great job at embracing the "graphic novel" look and bringing it to life.

Really though, no one plays these Walking Dead games for their graphics.

Sound:

The music is fantastic. The characters are well-voiced. I don't know what else I can say that I haven't said in my previous Walking Dead reviews. Telltale (or whoever the heck finished this game) has done it again. 

Overall:

I had a good time with this game. I only use the word good because although I liked the game, I can't say for sure that I loved it. 

The story is good. The game has a good cast with some good twists. I like how your choices matter. There are some good, heart-wrenching scenes to be found in this game. There's some good action too. The word good can describe just about everything that has to do with this game. Good good good. It's a good game. 

I think what keeps this game from being more than just good is the ending. I hate to come back to that again, but I can't tell you enough how much it rubbed me the wrong way. They could have given us a memorable gut punch of an ending but took the easy way out. And it was totally unnecessary too. They could have made a way for everyone to live happily ever after that didn't involve the most ridiculous fake out in video game history. It just felt cheap and manipulative, and honestly it soured the whole game for me.

I still like the game. I'm still going to give it a B, which to me is a pretty decent score. Although I wasn't a fan of the ending, I had a solid time with this game the whole way through. But still; it could have been so much better. Clementine deserved a more memorable ending than this. 

Even though this game is officially titled The Final Season, I hope that someday we are able to revisit with our good pal Clementine (or maybe have her character cross over with one of the TV shows. Wouldn't that be awesome?). Until then, I guess we'll have to settle for just a "good" ending to the series. I guess it could have been worse. If you've played the previous games in the series, you still have to check this one out.

Final Score:

B

Every Walking Dead Game reviewed (twice!)

The Walking Dead

The Walking Dead Season Two

The Walking Dead: Michonne

The Walking Dead: A New Frontier

Re-Reviews:

The Walking Dead Season One (PS3)

The Walking Dead Season Two (PS3)

The Walking Dead: Michonne (PS3)

The Walking Dead: A New Frontier (PS4)

2020 Movie Ranking: The Top 5

It's March, so I guess I'd better hurry up and finish this ranking. Without further adieu, here is my top five. 

#5

Parasite

I wanted to see this movie even before it did so well at the Oscars. I came into it with no idea what to expect, and all I can say is that I liked it a lot. It's about a poor family that worms their way into the lives of a rich family. The way they do it is really clever, sabotaging all the help and one by one taking their place. Needless to say, things go south pretty quickly as the ex-housekeeper returns to the house and uncovers their lies. Violence and chaos ensue. People die, the family frantically tries to cover things up. All I can say is that it is a bonkers movie and well-worth watching. Not only very entertaining but a very clever and very well-crafted and filmed too.

#4

Bloodsport

Another movie I had never seen before watching it in 2020. I'd always heard it was one of Van Damme's better movies, but seeing as how I'm not really a martial arts movie kind of person (which is ironic when you look at my top 5) I never gave it a chance. I finally bit the bullet last year. Much to my surprise, I found this movie to be fantastic. It's part 80s cheese fest but also really well-done at the same time too. It's easy to follow, it's got great characters, the fights are highly entertaining, and it is just freaking fun to watch. I loved it. Why had I never given this a chance before? 

#3

Big Hero 6

I watched this movie on Disney Plus while scouting out kids' movies that I have never seen before that I might want to watch with my son Channing when he gets older. Little did I know that I would actually really, really like this movie. It may be my new favorite Disney movie of all time. It's fun to look at it, it's got an entertaining storyline, fun characters, and some moving plot moments that really get you in the feels. Why didn't this movie blow up bigger than it actually did? I think it is great.

#2

The Karate Kid

A classic movie that has only gotten better with age. This is as close to a flawless movie as you can get. The acting, the music, the cinematography. This movie is pure 80s fun. None of its sequels have come close to touching it, although I do admit that I absolutely love the Cobra Kai TV show. And it all started right here. Watch it and bask in its glory.

#1

Mandy

No movie had as big an impact on me in 2020 as Mandy. I came into this film having no idea whatsoever what it was about, other than that it was "crazy." Well, that is a bit of an understatement. I don't even know if I can put this movie's greatness into words. It's just so... different. The basic plot breakdown is that Nicolas Cage and his girl Mandy are living in a relatively isolated environment, in peace and totally in love with each other. All this changes when Mandy is drugged and kidnapped by a psychedelic hippy cult. Mandy mocks the fragile cult leader and is murdered in front of Nic Cage in brutal fashion. Nic is released and returns home to drink and watch weird TV commercials and freak out and have a mental breakdown in such an overacted way that only Nic Cage can pull off. But it works. Everything about this movie works. Nic goes on a brutal revenge tour to kill the cult that murdered his girlfriend, armed demonic biker guard patrol and all. It's just so freaking weird, but I loved every second of it. The colors, the acting, the way it is filmed, the trippy and hallucinogenic haze that has its influence everywhere. This is a brilliant freaking movie, and it left me in absolute awe every step of the way. I understand this movie won't be for everyone, but it definitely left a giant impact on me. I couldn't stop thinking about it for days. Mandy truly has to be seen to be believed.

Re-Review #11: The Walking Dead: A New Frontier

The Walking Dead: A New Frontier

PlayStation 4

To see my original review of this game, click 

>>HERE!!<<

Most of the time when I am re-reviewing a game and look back at my initial review, I agree with my original assessment. If I play something and I enjoy it the first time around, chances are I'll still enjoy it the second time. That didn't happen with this game.

I can't even say what really changed. I think a part of it could be Walking Dead burnout. I recently re-played the first two games in the series (as well as the Michonne spinoff) in rapid succession. It's possible by the time I got to this one, I was simply going through the motions.

But I don't know about that. I am currently playing The Final Season and really enjoying it. No burnout whatsoever. Maybe it's because I've already played this game before? Well, I've already played (and re-reviewed) the three games that came before this, and I didn't experience any kind of burnout with those titles. So what gives?*

*in case you're wondering why I didn't re-re-review those other Walking Dead games, even I have limits. I'll review a game and even re-review it if I play it twice, but that is as far as I'm going to go. If I play a game a third time, it does not get another review. Glad we've cleared that up.

But anyway, I have some theories. The first being that maybe, just maybe, the people who gave this game bad reviews were right. I ignored those bad reviews back in 2019 when I first played this game, and really ended up liking it. Gave it an A-. 

But maybe they were right. Maybe this game isn't as good as I initially thought. My first time through I welcomed Javi and the new cast, and I applauded the whole civil war story with the New Frontier. This time around, I was thoroughly unimpressed. 

All the events of the game seemed old hat. I've been there/done that with some variation of this infighting storyline in countless other movies, TV shows, and video games. The characters aren't very likeable. I know that aside from Clementine getting separated from AJ, almost all of the characters are 100% irrelevant to Clementine's tale and where she ends up in the future. You don't see or hear from Javi, Kate, or anyone else again. That makes this whole game seem rather pointless, especially considering this game is fully centered around them.

The gameplay is uninspired. The graphics and the colors in this game seem lifeless and a bit drab. Characters carry on conversations that are painfully long and boring. I would zone out during some of these talks and pick up my phone and start looking at it. Then I'd lose track of what was happening in the game and miss important button prompts or conversation choices.

Don't get me wrong - this isn't a bad game. It just pales in comparison to the greatness of the two titles in the series that came before it. In no way, shape, or form is this an A- title. It's not even a B title.

It's still something you want to play, though, especially if you're a fan of the series or even just a Walking Dead fan in general. Just don't expect me to jump out of my seat and start singing the praises of a game that I consider to be just "all right."

Because it's just all right. Nothing more, nothing less. 

Just all right.

Final Score:

C-

Video Game Review #254: The Last of Us Part II

The Last of Us Part II

PlayStation 4

Nostalgia Factor:

The original Last of Us is widely renowned as one of the greatest video games ever made. I've played through it three times now, most recently a few years ago when I gave it a glowing A+ review. I didn't ever expect there to be a sequel, but I was pleasantly surprised when I heard the announcement back in 2016. 

In the months leading up to the game's 2020 release date, plot leaks and spoilers hit the internet. Everywhere you looked, people were sounding off on what they thought of The Last of Us Part II. I miraculously managed to avoid these spoilers, so I entered my 2021 playthrough of the game not knowing what to expect. All I knew was that on one hand the game was controversial and had polarized many fans of the original game - while on the other hand it raked in several Game of the Year titles and was overall praised by most major gaming news outlets.

What side would I stand on? Well, that is what this review is for.

As always, I don't shy away from spoilers in my reviews so if you haven't played this game yet and don't want to know what happens, you may want to come back and read this at a later time.

Story:

The Last of Us Part II takes place several years after the events of its predecessor. Joel and Ellie are living in a community in Wyoming, which you may recognize as Joel's brother Tommy's settlement from the original game. Things have expanded quite a bit. This is a community full of friends and family, and the characters are as close to knowing peace as they have in years. That all changes when Joel and Tommy disappear on a scouting mission. Ellie knows something is up, as it is unusual for Joel to not check in like that. She races off to his last known whereabouts. 

Ellie arrives just in time to see Joel getting his head beat in with a golf club by a strong, muscular woman named Abby. Ellie and Tommy try fight these mysterious attackers, but they are helplessly outnumbered. The attackers claim they are only there for Joel, and after he is dead, they depart - leaving a grief-stricken Tommy and Ellie in their wake.

The next day, the attackers are identified by their badges as members of the WLF - a freedom fighting organization similar to the Fireflies that is based out of Seattle. Tommy leaves to track these killers down and get revenge. Ellie and her girlfriend Dina chase after him to lend their support. The first major section of the game is Ellie and Dina arriving in Seattle, where they try to track Tommy's whereabouts and see if he has any leads on the killers. 

Ellie and Dina get caught up in a war between the WLF and a cult called the Seraphites - a religious group that sneaks around in silence and disavows use of technology or anything from the "old world". Our heroines take shelter in an abandoned theater, where Dina tells Ellie she is pregnant. Dina's ex, Jesse, arrives at the theater. Apparently, he had been following Ellie and Dina all the way from Wyoming. Ellie and Jesse head out to track down Abby, leaving the pregnant Dina to rest at the theater by herself. 

Long story short, they don't catch Abby but they find her last known location where they are forced to kill two of Abby's known associates - one of them a pregnant woman. Injured in the battle, Jesse and Ellie return to the theater only for Abby to show up, kill Jesse, and attack Ellie and Dina.

Then the game cuts away from present events to take us to the past. That's right, all of a sudden we find ourselves in control of the game's villain - Abby.

Controlling Abby, we wander around the WLF camp which is a lot more organized than we are led to believe. Abby goes out on a mission to find a man named Owen, who has vanished. Through a series of flashbacks we learn that Owen discovered an abandoned aquarium and likes to hang out there. He and Abby have a romantic past, although now he has a new woman who is very jealous and also very pregnant (hint hint - she's the one later killed by Ellie). These flashbacks also reveal Abby in a different light. She's not just some monster who killed Joel - she is a caring and emotional person with a troubled past. Her father was the doctor that Joel killed to save Ellie's life at the end of the first game. All of a sudden, her quest for revenge becomes a lot more understandable and sympathetic.

Abby is captured by the Seraphites (or Scars - as the characters in the game call them) but is rescued by two kids/young adults named Yara and Lev. Yara and Lev were Seraphites themselves but were cast out of the group when Lev shaved her head and began identifying as a man to avoid an arranged marriage. Abby takes Yara and Lev to the aquarium with her, where they find Owen who is alive and well, but getting ready to leave Seattle to head to California where rumor has it the Fireflies are reassembling. Lev and Abby leave to find medical supplies which are needed to help amputate Yara's broken arm. They return and the amputation is successful, but when they catch wind of a WLF attack on the Seraphites' home base, Lev runs off to try and save his mother.

Yara and Abby take off after him, only to get caught up in a giant battle between the Wolves and the Scars. Lev is forced to kill his devoutly religious mother when she attacks him for betraying the Seraphites. Yara is killed helping Abby and Lev escape - which kind of makes the whole trip to the hospital and trip to the island seem somewhat irrelevant, but whatever.

Abby and Lev return to the aquarium to find Owen and his pregnant girlfriend slaughtered. A bloodied map leading to a theater is the only clue left behind. You see where this is going, right?

Abby and Ellie's paths merge in an epic smackdown at the theater. Abby wins, but decides to let Elli and Dina go when she finds out Dina is pregnant. Got to set a good example for Lev, right?

I thought this would be the end of the game because it fast forwards to the future where Ellie and Dina have returned to Wyoming and live on a ranch by themselves (and Dina's new baby). But nope, the story rolls on. Tommy shows up to tell Ellie that Abby has once again been spotted - this time in California. Ellie deliberates, but haunted by the PTSD brought on by Abby's actions in her life, she decides to leave Dina and the baby behind on her quest for revenge.

Abby is trying to find traces of the Firefly movement, which was rumored by her late friend Owen to have started up again in California. She and Lev are captured by a terrifying group of violent, slave owning bandits known as Rattlers. Ellie arrives just in time to save them after they've been tied to poles and left to rot. Not satisfied on her revenge tour, Ellie forces Abby to fight her by threatening an unconscious Lev. Abby and Ellie engage in a brutal, violent battle that leaves Ellie with two fingers bitten off and Abby nearly drowned and with multiple stab wounds.

Ellie just up and decides that this circle of violence is all pointless, and leaves Abby and Lev behind. They disappear in a boat, presumably to resume their hunt for the Fireflies. Ellie returns home, only to find that Dina has packed up her things and left. Ellie finds her old guitar and forlornly thinks of Joel while strumming a few cords with her injured hand.

The game ends.

Gameplay:

If you've played the first game, you shouldn't have a hard time picking this one up. It handles almost exactly the same. One major difference is that the stealth mechanics have been refined. Also, things are a bit more "open world" this time around. An area early in the game has you checking out locations on a map trying to explore everything and figure out where to go next. But overall, this is still a pretty linear game.

You run around, you explore, you go from point A to point B to advance the story. Expect a lot of walking and a lot of talking. Not gonna lie, I was a bit bored from time to time as I played this game. I'm all for immersion and good character development but sometimes you just got to pick up the pace to keep people entertained. This game definitely has some pacing issues.

Combat is fun and challenging. I enjoyed adapting my strategies as I went from human enemies to non-human ones. There's something inherently satisfying about picking off enemies one by one. Even if they see you, you can find a place to hide until they stop looking for you. Then I'd pop out and do the same thing over again. Just getting involved in straight up firefights is very satisfying too. There are a lot of ways to tackle this game's combat and no particular way is considered right or wrong. It's up to you to decide how you want to play.

I can't say the combat didn't get repetitive though. Every time I'd enter a big open area with lots of small hiding places I'd think - here we go again. It was obvious a big fight was coming. And there are SO MANY fights in this game that they started to become a bit dull after a while. You can only do the same thing so many times over and over again before it begins to get boring.

Boring is never a word you want to hear when playing a game. I was really invested in the stories of Ellie and Abby and I was always on the edge of my seat waiting to see what would happen next. But the problem is that the game oftentimes takes way too long to get there. And it really got in the way of my enjoyment of this title.

Graphics:

I have nothing to complain about here. This is truly a fantastic looking game. I've been blessed to play such gorgeous games lately, namely this one and the Resident Evil 3 remake. They may be two of the best-looking games I have ever played. The characters look great. It is easy to forget these aren't real people as you're playing. They are so realistic, well portrayed, and brought to life so wonderfully.

The environments steal the show, however. The level of detail that went into this game is just amazing. Entire cities and neighborhoods are brought to life with astonishing detail. If you ever wanted to see what the world would look like after an apocalyptic event, you need look no further than this game. The mix of old businesses and buildings overrun with wildlife and decay is truly a thing to behold. The interiors of the game are just SO well detailed. Some of these locations look like they could have been lived in or occupied by real people - down to the dishes in the kitchen and the posters on the walls. 

Not only does the game look astonishing, it is very atmospheric as well. The feeling of dread as you walk around in an abandoned building with nothing but a flashlight is hard to put into words. I'd suggest playing this in the dark with headphones on. You will lose yourself in the world of this game.

Sound:

Naughty Dog spared no expense when it came to the presentation of this game. Everything I said about the graphics rings true for the sound as well. The characters are brought to life by some truly remarkable voice acting. Joel, Ellie, Abby, and all of their friends and enemies feel like real, breathing people. I can't offer enough praise for this game's cast. Whether they are talking, fighting, singing, or just shooting the shit - they are all super believable as characters.

The sound effects match the atmosphere created by the game's visuals. When you're in a dark underground tunnel - it SOUNDS like you are in a dark underground tunnel. Water dripping from the ceiling, the splashing sound as you run through a puddle, the growl of a nearby enemy. This is all A+ stuff. I love how the NPCs communicate as well, calling out the names of their fallen comrades in battle. The Seraphites and their coordinated whistling while they stalk you through the playing field helps to create a harrowing experience as well.

The music is subtle but effective. Honestly, this game doesn't really have any iconic or memorable musical tracks like a Final Fantasy or Resident Evil game. But it isn't trying to, either. This game is all about atmosphere, and I would say it succeeds immensely in that regard.

Overall:

This is a great game. There is no way around it. The graphics are amazing, the characters are well-written, the story takes you places you're horrified but also thrilled to go. And mainly - it is a ton of fun to play. This is not a flawless game, however. I already mentioned the pacing issues, the repetitive combat, and the fact that I got bored from time to time. Don't expect me to give this game a perfect score because I am not going to. 

But it is still a great game. I didn't realize how all-consuming this title was, how much it had gotten into my head until I had finished playing it. My mind kept coming back to Ellie and Abby, and where they were going to go and what they were going to do next. I couldn't stop thinking about the game. I wanted more more more content from the wonderful and dark universe of The Last of Us. To me that is a sign that a game is truly a great one when it gets in your head like that.

I'm not going to say this game is flawless, but I am not going to say it's not exceptional either. And clocking in at about 25 hours or so to complete (I'm very thorough and check out EVERYTHING), I'd say it is well worth the price of admission. I plan to come back to both this game and its predecessor at some point in the next few years... maybe before part three comes out. Please let there be a part three. Hey, I can hope, right?  

Final Score:

A

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2020 Movie Ranking: #40 to #6

Onward we roll with my 2020 movie ranking. I decided it would take too much time to put a picture by each movie, so I am only adding one for the first movie on the list. You do want me to finish this, right? Sacrifices must be made. Anyway, let's go. The top 5 will be coming within the next few days/weeks/months/whenever the hell I feel like it.

#40:

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

I've come to appreciate this movie more and more the older I get, but compared to the other Marvel movies to come it is missing some of their humor and personality.


#39:
The Cable Guy
I always liked this when I was a kid and wondered why it had gotten such bad reviews. Now I know. It isn't a good movie. It is ridiculous. But I still like it.


#38:
Toy Story 3
Not my favorite Toy Story movie but still a good one. The series should have ended here, as the movie ended on a high note and would have been the perfect send-off for these characters. But no, they had to go make another movie and wreck it all!


#37:
Super 8
I like what the movie is trying to do but I feel the second half of the film couldn't match the first. It is still entertaining, but it left me expecting more.


#36:
Driving Miss Daisy
A quaint and fun little movie with a lot of heart.


#35:
Deep Impact
I don't think I will ever be able to decide which movie is better: this or Armageddon? Luckily I won't have to decide this year as I did not watch Armageddon and it won't appear on this ranking. Yay! 


#34:
The Fear of 13
One man narrates his harrowing story of being rescued from death row by DNA evidence. Even though it is just one guy talking for the whole movie, he really demands your attention and tells you a pretty good story. If you like the Netflix series I Am a Killer you will like this.


#33:
Supersize Me
Interesting documentary about what eating large portions of fast food every day does to your body.


#32:
Ant Man
A solid, funny Marvel movie. Ant Man is not my favorite character, and honestly the movie's plot isn't too interesting to me. But the humor and the awesome visual effects make this an enjoyable ride nonetheless.


#31:
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Entertaining movie to be sure as you never know what Jack Nicholson's wild card character is going to say or do. I'm not sure I see the emotional significance this movie seems to carry with some people though. Am I missing something?


#30:
Rocketman
I expected something more along the lines of Bohemian Rhapsody rather than a musical that tells most of its story through song. But it was still pretty good, and did a lot to reinvigorate my interest in Elton John and his music.


#29:
Goldeneye
My favorite Bond movie but honestly I remember it being better than this. 


#28:
The Greasy Strangler
Just really, really freaking weird. One of the weirdest things I have seen. Normally I don't like abstract movies like this but this one was just outrageous enough that it grabbed my attention in a "can't look away from the car wreck" sort of way. Not to say the movie is a car wreck. It is good, it is just.... you need to see it for yourself.


#27:
Doctor Strange
I have come to appreciate Doctor Strange recently. In the past I would have said this is one of my least favorite Marvel movies, but I really got into it this time around.


#26:
Toy Story 2
Probably the pinnacle of the Toy Story series. I liked it.


#25:
The Platform
I like the lesson this movie tries to tell. The concept is really outrageous and original, which is what drew me to it initially. It is unsettling but in a riveting way. I can't really say I had "fun" watching it, but it was certainly something different and unique.


#24:
Monster House
I had never seen this before, but it was surprisingly entertaining for adults - for a kids' movie.


#23:
Terminator Dark Fate
I am probably overrating this movie but its tone reminded me a lot of the original Terminator and T2 - which I liked. It's a fun popcorn flick and seeing how all the Terminator movies have sucked lately this was a breath of fresh air.


#22:
Star Wars: A New Hope
Great movie and I want to start a Christmas tradition now that we have a baby of watching a Star Wars movie every Christmas. We started with this one, but with his short attention span it took us like 5 days to actually finish this movie.


#21:
Me, Myself, and Irene
This is the part of the list where things are starting to get tough. I have always had a soft spot for this movie as it was something me and my first "real" girlfriend uses to watch over and over again. All these years later and I still like it.


#20:
Child's Play (2019)
You know, I expected this to be absolutely horrible and instead I came out pleasantly surprised. Obviously this will never be a Best Picture type movie but I thought it was so entertaining!


#19:
Ant-Man and the Wasp
Although I already mentioned that I wasn't a huge Ant-Man fan, I thought that its sequel was very entertaining. It is funny. The action is over-the-top with all the shrinking and expanding objects and how cleverly they are implemented. It is fast moving and colorful. It ends on a cliffhanger that ties the movie in with Infinity War and Endgame. Just really a fun movie that flies by as you are watching it. Pun intended.


#18:
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
A movie that never gets old.


#17:
The Wicker Man
Can you believe this was my first time seeing this classic? I thought it was great. Now I need to see the Nicolas Cage version I've heard all about.


#16:
Spider-Man
I think these Tobey McGuire Spider-Man movies are a lot better than some of the movies in the MCU. The 90's-style action and jokes really make this feel like a true comic book movie.


#15:
Spider-Man 2
I had a hard time deciding which of the movies was better, but I settled on the sequel as I love Alfred Molina as Doc Oc. The action and cinematography in this movie is just so good. Both these movies as a whole have aged remarkably well. Let's just forget about the third one.


#14:
Guardians of the Galaxy
Fun movie with a great cast of characters. Really opens things up to the whole expanded universe with Thanos and the Infinity Stones and everything, so it is an essential part of MCU lore as well.


#13:
Phantasm
I've always thought this movie was mediocre, but I completely changed my mind on it upon my 2020 viewing. I love the setting and the characters and the classic 80's horror movie feel of the whole thing. The "other dimension" is something that caught my interest and has made me seriously consider checking out some of the sequels.


#12:
Thor Ragnarok
The embodiment of a great superhero movie. 


#11:
Dennis the Menace
Another one of those "can you believe he's never seen that??" type of movies. I loved it! How did I never watch this when I was a kid? I would have loved it then too. Has a very Home Alone vibe to it.


#10:
Black Panther
I've always liked this movie but for some reason I appreciated it extra this time around. Maybe because my wife and I coincidentally watched it a day or two after Chadwick Boseman died. The whole movie carried a lot more weight to it.


#9:
Star Trek
All these years since this movie has come out and I still am impressed that it is as good as it is.

#8:

The Buddy Holly Story

Who knew Gary Busey could pull off such a fantastic Buddy Holly? I was thoroughly impressed by this movie, both the acting and the music. I never knew much about Buddy Holly either so it was very informative and also made me a fan all in one fell swoop.

#7:

Green Inferno

A gory torture fest where a group of do-gooder college students travel to the rainforest to stop a destructive construction site and are captured and cannibalized by a group of hostile natives. This is a disturbing, non-PC bloodbath and I am here for every second of it.

#6:
Three Men and a Baby
A charming cast, an intriguing crime-related subplot, and a lot of really funny humor and jokes make this film a real joy to watch. Too bad I didn't care much for the sequel.

TOP 5 COMING SOON!

Video Game Review #253: Sly 2: Band of Thieves

Sly 2: Band of Thieves

PlayStation 2

Nostalgia Factor:

Back in the early to mid 2000s I was dating a girl that absolutely loved the Sly Cooper series. Every time a new game in the series would come out, she'd buy it immediately. I enjoyed the first game with its more traditional 3D platforming mechanics, but for whatever reason I was never very fond of its two sequels. To me, they were too slow paced and too focused on stealth mechanics and goofball conversations between the characters. I played through the games from beginning to end when they first came out - and I even replayed the entire series back in 2011. My opinion didn't change.

With that said, I didn't expect to really like Sly 2 when I played it for the third time here in 2021. But hey, sometimes a game will pleasantly surprise me. Not only did I really enjoy Sly 2, I would go so far as to say I had a great time with the game. What happened? What changed? Aside from ten years passing, I'm not sure. But I'll try to break it down for you in this review.

Story:

This game has a fairly simple story. Sly discovers that the villain from the previous game, Clockwerk, has had his mechanical body parts stolen from the museum. Sly and his sidekicks Murray and Bentley set out on a quest to retrieve these parts from the criminal organization that has stolen them. Each stage of the game takes you to an area of the world where that particular villain is hiding out with his or her respective Clockwerk part. It is up to you and your gang to pull off a series of heists that allow you to steal back the missing Clockwerk pieces one by one.

Throughout the game you are chased by Sly's nemesis Inspector Carmelita. Carmelita is betrayed by her partner, Constable Neyla, who is after the Clockwerk pieces herself. Spoiler alert: she is the big baddie at the end of the game. 

That is the super simple breakdown of the game's story, but there is more to it than that. This game is packed with all kinds of humor. Conversations with your sidekicks take place through a Metal Gear Solid codec-like screen. The villains are impressively fleshed out and have very unique and distinctive personalities - which shine through when you play their respective stages. You'll play lots of fun mini-games that really add to the world-building of this game. The world of Sly 2 is a bright, colorful place - similar to that of a Saturday morning cartoon. And that world really shines through in this game.

Gameplay:

This is where Sly 2 shines. Whether it is jumping, running, attacking, picking pockets, or latching onto objects in your environment - controls are crisp and responsive and easy to get a hang of. You should be able to pick up this game and have it figured out in no time. 

Each mission has an overworld where your gang has a safe house that they use to plot their heists. You have to select a character (either Sly, Murray, or Bentley) and enter the overworld looking for mission markers. Head to the mission marker with the appropriate character, and you begin a heist that will get you one step closer to a Clockwerk part. When in-between missions, you can explore the overworld looking for collectible bottles that lead to extra moves and abilities for your character. Or you can look for precious artifacts to bring back to the safe house, which will net you a pretty penny. Or you can run around the map pickpocketing enemies. Use the gold coins you acquire to purchase even more moves and abilities for your characters.

The missions themselves are pretty varied and fun. One thing this game is NOT is repetitive. One mission will have you dancing while you infiltrate a masquerade ball and another will have you planting bombs on a bridge that you need to destroy. Another mission will have you sneaking around taking recon photographs while another will have you trailing enemies around the overworld map in an attempt to uncover the location of their hidden base. There are missions where you steal keys, there are missions where you have to rescue your cohorts, there are missions where you have to destroy all the enemies/obstacles identified on the map, there is even a mission where you have to engage in Olympic-like winter games.

One thing that is super cool about this game is how different your three main characters are. Sly is all about jumping and agility and grabbing onto things and picking pockets, while Murray is all about bashing enemies with his brute strength. Bentley sneaks around and shoots sleeping darts at his foes, while his missions tend to focus on hacking enemy computers with Asteroids-like mini games. If you've played Nier Automata, these hacking minigames should look very familiar to you. Just remember: Sly did it first!

I haven't even mentioned the flying stages, the shooting stages, the ones where you control RC cars, the ones where you parachute from the sky, the ones where you have to carry objects around without being spotted or attacked - so on and so forth. There is SO MUCH variety to this game. Once again,  I can't really figure out why I didn't enjoy this game during my previous playthroughs.

Graphics:

The world of this game is bright, vibrant, and colorful. I already said it before, but I guess I will say it again - it is like stepping directly into the world of a Saturday morning cartoon. If you are playing an original copy of this game on a PS2, you'll find that it this game is a little dark and grainy and it shows some age. I would suggest playing the HD version of the game on the Sly Collection for the PS3 for the full, crisp graphical effect. 

Not only is the game's aesthetic enjoyable to look at, it creates a very fun atmosphere as well. There is just something about the level variety in this game and how charming that variety is. My particular favorite is the snow level. You run around in the snow dodging bears, going into caves, hitching rides on trains, and visiting warm and cozy cabins with fires blazing in the hearth. There's just something comforting about this stage. In fact, nearly every stage has something about it that gives me that warm and comforting feeling of "home." I don't know if I am just being weird or if you understand what I am talking about. I'm not sure I know how to put it into words!

Sound:

This game sounds wonderful too. The music fits the tone of the game perfectly. I love the little "spy jingles" and how they are incorporated into the game - like when you steal a key item from an enemy or sneak past someone on a ledge. The little tune that plays when you complete a mission is perfection as well. 

Voice acting is really good. Each character has such a distinctive feel, sound, and personality, and it couldn't be done without these voice actors. Just really impressive how these characters are brought to life.

Overall:

This game was such a pleasant surprise. I really had a blast playing it. I loved the story, I loved the characters, I loved the look and feel of the game, I loved its voice acting, I loved its music, I loved its mission variety. Overall, I had just a really, really good experience with this game. If I had to nitpick any flaws it would be that the game's conversations can drag on from time to time. Blah blah blah, cut the banter and just let me play! I also think that the game would have benefited from an overworld map of some kind. Finding all the bottles started to become a bit tedious after a while. It also can take an obnoxious amount of pickpocket grinding to be able to afford all the upgrades in the game - not that they are necessary to obtain by any stretch of the imagination.

I'd recommend Sly 2 to anyone even remotely interested in the 3D platforming genre. This game is just bursting with personality and gameplay variety. I have NO idea why I didn't like it that much the first few times I played it back in the day. It is a very enjoyable title. Is it perfect? No. Is it a little too scatterbrained at parts? Yeah. But it is still a lot of fun. Now that I have changed my mind on this game, I am curious to see how I will feel about its follow-up, Sly 3. I remember thinking that it was the worst game in the series, but I guess I will just have to play it and find out.

Final Score:

A-

If you liked this review, check out some of my other game reviews:

Sly Cooper and the Thievius Racoonus

Banjo-Kazooie

Beyond Good and Evil HD

Super Mario Sunshine

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas