52 Games Challenge 2025!!!

[telly]

Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch (PS4) - 40 Hours

Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is a game that I enjoyed quite a bit even though it definitely has flaws. First, the game has this impressive and beautiful art style that captured me the entire time I was playing that's set perfectly by an incredible score and an immense overworld with lots of secrets and enemies to fight and treasures to uncover. The animations done by Studio Ghibli also created a really nice experience that fit the graphics really well.

I also really enjoyed the gameplay. I actually liked the mixture of turn based in real time combat it reminded me a lot of Kingdom Hearts and I found it to be very exciting and fun with the right mixture of strategy and action. I didn't know that it was going to be based on Pokémon, but once I learned all of the mechanics it was really enjoyable to create a team for all of my party members equip them and boost their stats and picking the right familiar to bring to any given situation it was really fun to experiment with all of those different features including the alchemy mechanic, and all of the different side quests and bounty hunts that you can do to pass the time in between the story missions.

Some aspects of the gameplay that I didn't like was the fact that your companions aren't very smart, and there aren’t a lot of ways to set their actions in battle unless you take control of them directly. They usually make really stupid decisions and die way too frequently. I also found the game to be pretty frustratingly difficult when it came to normal encounters and I died quite a few times just from fighting your typical set of enemies. In contrast, I was able to finish every boss fight on the first time because it's a lot easier to fight one enemy than a group of three, and Drippy your companion fairy often tells you exactly what you need to do to beat the boss which kind of took a lot of the challenge out of it.

By far my least favorite aspect of Ni No Kuni was the story. It's overall a very simple story that airs more on the childish side than mature, even though there are some themes in the game that are very serious. I was hoping that the setup of the game, where in the young main character tragically loses their mom, would be a great foundation for some interesting storytelling. Oliver barely shows any grief or sorrow at the loss of his mom and just continues like nothing happened.

The villains are also super cliché, and this is one of those RPGs where the whole premise of the villains’ motives are based on destroying a corrupt world but their reasons for doing so are flimsy at best. There’s barely any conflict, greed, corruption, or… like… anything evil going on at all in the world, beyond what’s being directly injected into the people by the villains themselves. It just wasn't very compelling or well executed in my opinion. There are also tons of plot holes and inconsistencies due to the mishandling of multiple messy and complicated story elements like time travel, dual souls for each character, and multiple worlds. On that later point, I didn't really like the shifting between both the real world and the fantasy world because Motorville just wasn’t very interesting. Certain storylines also had a lot of artificial padding which felt very frustrating.

In summary even though I didn't enjoy the story very much at all, the game is beautiful and fun to play, and those numerous hours of just exploring the world and fighting monsters and leveling up and doing side quests was enough to keep me enjoyed for quite a long time.

[bikingjahuty]

55. Dead or Alive 5: Last Round (PS4)

2025 is certainly shaping up to be the year of Dead or Alive for me. This year alone I've played through the majority of the franchise, at least belonging to the fighting genre, and honestly I'm having so much fun that I'll likely play another two, maybe even three DOA games before we hit the end of the year. But anyhow, this time I got to return to DOA5, and entry I haven't touched since around the time it came out in 2012. I remember thinking DOA5 was a good game back on the PS3, but I guess I forgot just how good it was since aside from going out with my wife for a while this afternoon and taking our dogs on a walk, I pretty much played this game all day long. After I'd finished Story Mode, I then played arcade mode with nearly every character in DOA5's impressive roster before fiddling around with a handful of other modes too. In short, this is a fun as hell fighting game and another excellently crafted game in this criminally underrated franchise.


DOA5's gameplay is tight, fast paced, and fun. Like many previous DOA games, it is very combo focused and being successful at this game is very dependent on your ability to rack up crazy combos and pull off combo chains. Chip damaging your opponent can work to an extent, but you'll really want to stun lock your opponent and continue to pummel them with DOA5's impressive array of moves that each character posseses. There is a lot of depth to be found in DOA5, but some of that depth is lost in the flashiness of this game, which while it makes for an entertaining experience, it probably detracts somewhat from this game being as competitive as some of its late 2000s/early 2010s rivals. DOA5 Last Round's roster is very impressive with it containing a ton of DOA characters, but also several characters from Ninja Gaiden and also SEGA's Virtua Fighter. Even Mai for the King of Fighterrs series is playable, assuming you purchased her as paid DLC. Unfortunately, even though this is the final, presumably ultimate version of DOA5, there is still surprisingly a lot of costumes and several characters that you don't get by default. Holding back content as DLC in fightng games has been abused way worse in various other fighting games since DOA5's release, but it still annoys me every time I see it. Luckily, there are still a bunch of costumes to unlock by completing various modes and challenges within DOA5. There is also a pretty robust story mode which will cover the events following DOA4. While it's nothing groundbreaking or riveting, it's still entertaining and fills you in on the DOA universe.


DOA5 Last Round's presentation is excellent. Character models have been updated from their DOA4 counterparts to look slightly less animeish and a bit more realistic. Gravity defying jiggle physics are still as crazy as ever, and the majority of the female roster is still scantily clad in many of their outfits, but they all look and move a little more realistic compared to previous entries. Male characters have also been updated and look better than they ever have in DOA5. There is also some pretty cool perspiration and dirt effects that occur during each mach that make characters look like they've been getting a workout while fighting, as well as maybe getting knocked to the ground one too many times. This definitely makes DOA5 Last Round one of the best looking fighting games of its time and one that still looks pretty impressive even today. DOA5's stages encompass some of my favorite and least favorite in the franchise. Certain stages are absolutely awesome and over the top as you'd expect them to be in a game that allows you to knock your opponent off a ledge or through a wall as they fall 40 feet to the ground below. There are a few stages like the Oil Rig however, which are boring and unremarkable in nearly every way. Luckily, the goos stages definitely outweigh the bad ones, making DOA5 a blast to play no matter what level you're fighting in.


Finally, DOA5's audio is pretty good for the most part. The Japanese voice actors are absolutely better than the english ones, but that's not to say there isn't some talent on the English side of things as well. There aren't any egregiously bad performances, and while the dialogue is often cheesy and melodramatic, it's all pretty entertaining thanks to that aforementioned voice acting. The OST is good as well, with some new tracks being combined with various classic DOA songs as well. I'm definitely more of a fan of those older songs they included, but the new tracks are mostly enjoyable as well, maybe minus a couple. Sound effects of punches, slamming characters to the ground, hitting an energy forcefield, or some other explosive object all sound great and really give a weight to the combat of DOA5. The audio is awesome and I have few complaints about it.


At the end of the day, I felt torn about whether I prefer DOA4 or DOA5 Last Round as my favorite DOA game. Both games look, sound, and play very well, and are highly entertaining. However, I felt like I connected just a tiny biy more with DOA5 which is why, at least for now, it's my favorite DOA game. I cannot stress how enjoyable and crazy the DOA games are, and its a series I have come to love and appreciate more and more this year as I've spent a good chunk of time with each installment. There are still a few DOA games that could give DOA5 Last Round a run for its money, but it's going to be hard to beat, that's for sure! (4/26/25) [37/50]

[dhaabi]

23. Silent Hill 2 || PlayStation 5 || 04.22.2025



When news was formally announced that Silent Hill 2 (SH2 2024) would be released again as a modern remake, I was excited for what this means for the franchise but was simultaneously reserved with my expectations. Now, after having played through every mainline game within the Silent Hill series and just six months after its release, I was able to experience the Silent Hill 2 remake.

Unlike my other reviews, my thoughts for Silent Hill 2 will largely focus on its role of a remake in relation to Silent Hill 2 (SH2 2001) which released in 2001, so I suppose I'll mention my thoughts for SH2 2001 for those interested. In short, this game is not a 1:1 recreation of its source material—both in regards to gameplay and story—which makes it easy for me to recommend playing both games to those who are interested. Of course, there are some changes to be praised and others which I question, though I'll be upfront now and say that the majority of differences are positive. Concerning differences between the two, it does not take long for SH2 2024 to deviate from what veteran players are expecting. And despite these differences, many prominent aspects of SH2 2001 which have been re-imagined are preserved as minor references referred to as glimpses of the past. While protagonist James Sunderland can only stop to stare at them, they're interesting callbacks.

More than anything, the two most immediate aspects which sets apart the two games from another is exploration and environmental design which I found to be exceptionally designed with the remake. With the change in camera perspective, rummaging through each area and even individual room showcases the level of detail put in to make them unique. There is a lot to discover including written material and discarded artifacts both old and new, and the thematic depth and relevancy to the the original game is quite successful. Unfortunately, though, an aspect that's left me divided upon is James's presence and his role as an active participant. Throughout his journey in finding the truth of his wife Mary, he's force to overcome the grotesque and otherworldly, yet he moves forward with no hesitation. There's never a moment he comments on how he feels or what's being experienced, and this contrasts his design in SH2 2001 where he then provides internal dialogue and introspection. This also concerns his finding discovery of significant items and ones which provide world-building. Aside from narrative sequences, he's a silent protagonist throughout all gameplay. In fairness, it's difficult to be critical of this change as narrative sequences in SH2 2024 are the game's biggest strengths which do provide some insight into James's physical and mental state yet, even while watching them, there is little for audiences to learn about how James feels in his own words.

Meanwhile, the degree and tone of visual horror is just what I'd expect from a modern making of this game. With the up-close camera perspective, navigating through much of the game's dark and dilapidated environments is downright terrifying, and that's only made worse by roaming monsters or even ones waiting in silence. With that said, enemy design is also successful although it's less impactful since they're monsters previously encountered. However, enemy behavior itself is far more impressive than anything else relating to them. In fact, there is one enemy so exceptionally designed that I feel inclined to discuss it with some depth, and that enemy is the mannequin. While neither their visual or auditory design is all that scary, their behavior absolutely is. That these enemies are positioned in such inconspicuous places often low to the floor, out-of-view from where players are led to look, or subtly behind environmental set pieces makes them quite off-putting and a surprise. When mannequins sense you, they'll abruptly awaken and attack, and it's made worse by the fact the player will generally be facing them unknowingly.

Relating to visuals, I'll now discuss sound. To be succinct, I found the game's soundtrack good but did not find it to be as strong as its source material. Thinking back, a big reason for why SH2 2001 is so successful is not just its sound design but its implementation of it. There are many sections of that game which utilize an uncomfortable silence or some unnerving ambiance, but that element never stood out to me while playing SH2 2024. Perhaps my impression of SH2 2024's sound would be higher had I played the game with headphones on, though I question if I'd actually have been able to experience the game that way on a first playthrough. Regardless, the game's sound design across other aspects is something worth praising, though this aspect is far more comprehensive as it includes vocal performance and delivery, narrative composition, and cinematography.

With that said, whereas dialogue often felt flat and snappy in SH2 2001, there now is so much time in the remake for emotions and words to carry meaning. Now, silence and pauses in-between lines add leave a strong impression throughout narrative cutscenes. Of course, this is made so much more achievable by the combined performance of the vocal cast. In this modern remake, characters feel like real people and not like exaggerated caricatures (although Eddie—another stranger to the town of Silent Hill with their own struggles to face—particularly does still come across as cartoonish, though this instead relates to character design.) Taking the mystifying Maria as an example, her involvement and expression with James feels far more realistic than ever before as a result of authentic back-and-forth  conversation and her flirtatious advances. Overall, the game's acting, cinematography, facial animations, and expressions elevate SH2 2024 to a series high, and the distance between it and everything else is vast.

In spite of the many praises I have for SH2 2024, I did find myself often feeling conflicted about my playthrough experience, and the reason for that lies in emotional impact. Unfortunately, the emotional depth this specific Silent Hill entry is known for was something I never discovered while playing. And this obviously isn't because story execution is poor because I find them to be the game's biggest strengths either. Instead, I think it's the simple fact that I've already experienced the story of Silent Hill 2, and it wasn't all that long ago either. While I don't regret my time playing SH2 2001, I do wonder just how much more there would be for me to praise about SH2 2024 had I only experienced it instead. Perhaps I just needed more time in-between playing the two games, or even more time away from the franchise entirely, before playing this remake.

I've yet to even discuss gameplay despite the subject of this review being for an interactive game, though I suppose that fact reinforces the game's focus on narrative. Moving forward, combat is really not all that much more intense than in the original game, though it may feel that way as a result of the changed camera perspective. Unlike in SH2 2001 which utilizes a bird's eye third-person view, SH2 2024 adopts a more direct, over-the-shoulder point-of-view. When melee weapons are used, there is a good weight to them when making contact with enemies that feels rewarding, and ranged weapons feel serviceable. I'm being a little brief with these descriptions, but an aspect of combat I thoroughly enjoyed is when the player stomps on enemies. There isn't any limit to stomping enemies even once they've felled, and the act is the best vehicle for demonstrating James's anger, frustration, and desperation all at once being unleashed. For a time, the beginning areas of SH2 2024 seem to follow SH2 2001's level of difficulty, in that it's at a minimum even when playing with the Standard combat difficulty mode selected. If players take the time to be thorough in investigating their surroundings, they'll be rewarded with more than enough resources. I also noticed how, when inventory count is already high, the amount of each resource item you'll find will be noticeably lower. So, to a degree, the survival horror aspect of the game feels a little diminished in the same way the original game did. However, this level of ease does change as more enemy types are introduced and combat sequences become not only more frequent but more difficult too.

Generally, games within the survival horror genre stay fairly short to prevent players from becoming desensitized to the horror aspects. However, SH2 2024 ignores this guiding principle as it doubles the playtime established by SH2 2001 to near a total somewhere around 20–25 hours. At first, this change wasn't noticed as story sequences, town exploration, puzzle design, and enemy encounters maintained just the right level of balance. However, this changes toward the middle- to late-game. Specifically, the issue lies in combat as the second halve of the game places a larger emphasis on combat than the original had, and areas seem far too drawn out. Even so, environments are redesigned in ways which feel faithful to the original title and franchise as a whole, and this applies to stage progression and puzzle design too which has been altered. As a remake, SH2 2024 is quite successful in recapturing veteran players' interest in addition to new players', though its success does eventually become diminished due to game length.

In the end, SH2 2024 is a remake that greatly succeeds in proving its reason to exist, although I still would rather for development efforts in general to be made toward new experiences. While there is still much to praise for SH2 2001 and especially when in the context of its time of release, the remake sets itself apart in just as successful ways to recapture new and old audiences. Personally, my highlight of the game is with Angela, another stranger to the town of Silent Hill, as her characterization and depiction is tremendously improved and offers players an especially authentic look at emotional trauma through her own journey. At this time, I'm caught up with (nearly) all of the Silent Hill franchise, though there is still some left for me to experience which I intend to do to the best of my accessibility.

[realpoketendonl]

2. Shantae and the Pirate's Curse [3DS]

All right! Almost May and that's game number......two. Yeahh, I'm not gonna get a high tally this year. I've been so busy with work and activism this year that I've barely had time to play games. But I did now finally make some time and play through Shantae and the Pirate's Curse, and I'm glad I did. It's a fun game!

This is a classic Metroidvania. I found it fun to go through! It controls buttery smooth, and Shantae's slick attacks and movements feel great to pull off. The world never felt like a drag to go through. I usually had a decent idea of where to go next, though at some points I will say I found it a bit too cryptic. There were a few points where I'm not sure I would've found something without a guide, because there was seemingly no visual indication something essential was there, and I'm not a big fan of that. I know that's par for the course with Metroidvanias, but still. Something newer titles like Metroid: Samus Returns and Metroid Dread handle better, I suppose. I will also admit I checked a guide probably a bit more often than I needed to, but whatever, I still had fun playing through the levels!

The story was a bit hard to follow and the characters make stupid choices at times, but it helps they're likeable and colourful. I don't know what it is, but there's something about Shantae as a character that just keeps her sticking around in my head. She's memorable and fun!

Also, I played this on 3DS, which I've had it on for years. Instant item access on the touch screen was handy, and with how easy the 3DS still is to bring along, it was easy to play a little bit on the train from work every day. Performed flawlessly, for those who care, but I wouldn't expect less for a 2D pixel-art platformer.

Overall, I recommend it! I'm not sure whether I like it better than Half-Genie Hero or not, because I did beat that one too, but I honestly don't remember that much about it. Guess we'll see how much staying power this game will have in my mind. Either way, if you're looking for a fun upbeat Metroidvania, I'd say this game is worth a look.

No idea how actively I'll be gaming from here. I do want to beat Metroid Prime 3: Corruption before Metroid Prime 4: Beyond comes out, so I guess we'll see.