Role-Playing

Spyro Reignited Trilogy Review

PS4, Role-Playing

Developer: Toys For Bob
Price: ~$29
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
Reviewed for: PS4
Estimated playtime: 30+ hours

As of today, the world is in the midst of preventing and combating the coronavirus (COVID-19). This means self-isolation to stop the spread of the virus. People are trying to make the best of the situation, and I wanted to do the same by playing and reviewing a very wholesome and nostalgic game from my childhood.

Story

Saving the world, one dragon, gem, and egg at a time

The Spyro Reignited Trilogy consists of the original three games: Spyro the Dragon, Spyro 2: Ripto’s Rage! and Spyro: Year of the Dragon. The story between all three of them is kind of hard to separate. They all follow the same (and extremely simple) plot of Spyro on a quest to defeat a baddie. The first game does not develop much in the way of story, but things became a little more interesting once new characters were introduced in the second game. Cutscenes have still been kept really short like they were originally on the Playstation. When I was little, it was enough to satisfy me, but I was left wanting a lot more this time around. I understand that the Spyro Reignited Trilogy is more of a graphical overhaul than a complete game overhaul, but it could use some extra story bits. However, I chose to play and review this trilogy because of its simplicity in this troubling time. I had to remind myself that an innocent and simple story like this is just what I need in a game right now.

Gameplay

Reading the situation

I could run around as Spyro and spit fireballs ALL DAY. His new running animation looks and feels like a puppy scrambling around and is so satisfying to play. As soon as I gained control of Spyro, it was like a blast to my five-year-old past, but not in the best of ways. I had gamer rage as a child because of how loose the controls were. What I mean by that is how easy it was to accidentally fall off ledges, fly into walls, and barely miss a landing due to controls. Either I have not improved as a gamer in 16 years (which is likely), or the developers did not improve the controls in this trilogy that much. I got the most satisfaction from interacting with the environments and the puzzles spread throughout each world/level. All three games are pretty non-linear and tackling levels and bosses at my own pace was freeing.

Graphics

Our little purple dragon never looked better

This trilogy is absolutely gorgeous and definitely benefitted from being developed using Unreal Engine 4. I was not prepared for how lush it would look. The cartoon-like art style translated really well from the original games to this trilogy. Even when I was little, I thought the environments were so cool, but now they are perfected. The updated character animations are where it really shines. One of the dragons that Spyro rescues early in the first game has the cutest fat tummy jiggle physics (watch out boob physics 0_0). It is so fun to see the different enemy animations when you attack them and watch character’s faces during dialogue sequences. All three games run really well, but I did notice some graphic hiccups when entering a new world or when floating up fast on a whirlwind. Nothing major, just me being picky.

Soundtrack

The Spyro Reignited Trilogy’s soundtrack keeps the original game’s soul intact. Every time I entered a new world, I had deja vu from the soundtrack. Each world’s track fits it perfectly. Magical xylophones in the wizard-themed worlds, whistles in the western desert worlds, you get the idea. It all added to that sweet nostalgia.

Overall Freeze Score

Pros:
Charming, if not simple story
Lush graphics
Nostalgia-approved soundtrack

Cons:
Loose controls

Final Fantasy VII Remake Demo: First Impressions

News, PS4, Role-Playing

Developer: Square Enix
Price: Free
Platforms: PS4
Reviewed for: PS4
Estimated Playthrough: 1-2 hours

Well, I think I have reviewed enough small indie games to try my hand at bigger titles and what better way to start than with the demo of the remake of the century! I hope to do more first impressions in the future since 2020 is shaping up to be an EPIC year for game releases.

Story

#emoboyforever

I won’t spoil too much for you, but rest easy original FFVII fans because all is well up in here! Story-wise, the developers have kept true to the original but have sprinkled in slight twists. For example, a scene has been added to show the corrupted Shinra Electric Power Company aiding in the eco-terrorist bombing mission of its own building. While this one scene does not seem necessary to explain the plot, it does help paint the good guys in a bad light to the public. I hope that the remake as a whole sticks to that formula – adding bits that enhance the story rather than completely changing them or omitting key events. Since it has been straight fan-service so far, I think the future looks bright. Even characters like Jessie have gotten some extra quality lines that really help to develop them further and make them so much more interesting (Jessie x Cloud hint hint ;). If this demo is anything to go off of, hardcore fans of the original like myself shouldn’t be offended by this remake’s refreshing approach to the story.

Gameplay

Braver in action

I was VERY skeptical when I heard that the developers would be ditching the original’s turn-based combat for real-time action combat as I am a believer in classic FFVII gameplay. I was scared that it would take after FFXV’s hack n’ slash mess, but I am happy to say that we have got ourselves true active-time battle (ATB) at its best! It is very close to FFXIII’s ATB combat, which is one of my favorite spins on FF’s original turn-based combat. Here, battles do not cut away and you control the movement of the character. Anything other than a regular attack, block, or evade requires you to wait until the ATB gauge fills up in order to use the command list. Once it does, you have the option to use items, spells, and special abilities. It’s a system that makes you pay attention to the flow of battle and strategize your choices and I definitely never got bored from it. For the first half of the demo you only control Cloud but Barret joins the party in the second half. Switching between them was seamless and adds even more strategy to battle. However, when locked onto an enemy, the camera does not faze through the environment very well and close-quarter battles could get very annoying. I should note that the combat described above is the Normal mode, but there is also a Classic and Easy mode available. With Classic, the characters move, attack, block, and evade all by themselves during combat and is equatable to Easy mode.

Graphics

Meh…
…oh hello there gentlemen 😉

I think the side-by-side comparison above speaks for itself but never has FFVII or any FF looked better. We went from polygon arms to hi-def biceps. FF is known for its prettiness and jaw-dropping cutscenes and the eye-candy continues. I don’t think that it could get any better. I can barely contain my 10-year-old inner Cloud fangirl, so I should probably stop now before I go on a rant *drool puddle begins to form*.

Soundtrack

The original FFVII soundtrack is what lead me to fall in love with classical music and eventually play the violin, which I sucked at and quit. Nevertheless, hearing it remastered gave me chills, tears, and pure joy. I’m content to just let the game sit on pause all day to listen to the music. The majority of the tracks included in the demo are fast-paced fighting themes meant to immerse you in the non-stop action, but I cannot wait to hear slower tracks like Aerith’s theme. A sacrifice of the ATB combat is not getting to hear the victory theme after every battle, but it is a sacrifice I am willing to make.

The Final Fantasy VII Remake releases on April 10, 2020, and I could not be more excited. This demo is undoubtedly the best demo that I have ever played and does a great job of showcasing what the full game will offer. If you are new to the series or an old-time friend, this demo deserves your attention, kupo!

Ritual: Sorcerer Angel Review

iPhone, Role-Playing

Developer: David Peroutka
Price: Free intro, $3.99 for whole game
Platforms: iPhone, Android, Steam (PC & Mac), Switch
Reviewed for: iPhone
Estimated playtime: 6 hours

Story

Catch me if you dare plague man

The story of Ritual: Sorcerer Angel follows a resurrected angel named…Angel…on his quest to reach Hell. Angel is an anti-hero who seems to be an enemy to the gods and on a quest to destroy the world, but the ones that stand in your way don’t seem to be very good themselves. The very people that resurrected and then tried to sacrifice you refer to themselves as Cultists and don creepy plague masks. In Ritual: Sorcerer Angel, evil and good are not black and white. While the story runs a little slow and then fast at times, its running theme of trying to figure out if you really are the bad guy in all of this held my attention throughout my playthrough.

Gameplay

Chaotic fun

The gameplay can best be described as addictive chaotic spell-casting pinball. Moving your finger around the left side of the screen changes Angel’s running direction, while pressing buttons on the right side casts your preset spells. Once the level starts, massive amounts of enemies start to fill up the screen and you must avoid, stab, and cast spells to defeat them. It’s all about strategic crowd control. As you progress from level to level, you attain new skills and spells. Customizing them to fit each level’s enemies is really fun and becomes crucial when you get stuck. Learning how to adapt to each level’s environment also becomes a gameplay factor because some have enemy-killing fire traps and others have spikes coming from the ground to avoid. Rather than getting annoyed or overwhelmed when there was an influx of enemies on the screen, I really enjoyed it because that meant more explosions and chances to strategize how I could use the environment with my spells. Another interesting mechanic is that you start at an experience level of 1 at the start of each new level. In order to level-up your experience and defeat the higher-level enemies, you must quickly find and defeat lower-level enemies. If you die, it’s back to experience level 1. However, if you are able to make it back to the spot where you died, you can get your lost experience levels back.

Graphics

Cute, yet dark

The sprites and environments are high-res and run beautifully during gameplay. I was surprised that I never experienced any lag, even when the screen was filled with enemies and I was running around shooting fireballs 360°. While the characters and environments are cute, the overall art direction is dark and muted. I love games with that juxtaposition. The brief cutscenes and character portraits that display during dialogue are just as enjoyable to look at. *mwuah*

Soundtrack

I can best describe the soundtrack as an afterthought. It mainly consisted of low and slow beats, with angelic singing cues here and there. Even when I messed with the game’s settings and turned the music volume up, I never really noticed it. That’s not to say that I couldn’t hear it, it just never really stood out to me or rose high enough over the surplus amount of combat sounds. Not bad, just didn’t stand out.

Overall Freeze Score

Pros:
Interesting story
Smooth and consistent graphics
Addicting and high replayability gameplay

Cons:
Dull soundtrack

198X Review

Role-Playing, Switch

Developer: Hi-Bit Studios
Price: $10
Platforms: Switch, PS4, Xbox One, PC
Reviewed for: Switch
Estimated playtime: 2-4 hours

Story

The Kid

Set sometime in 198X, you play as The Kid – a cynical but relatable high school boy who is desperate to escape his small town suburbia. We meet him at a time when he is experiencing the struggles of growing up that we all face, but he discovers a way to escape through his town’s basement arcade. The story follows The Kid’s daily life as he seeks more and more relief through the arcade. It’s a narrative that mirrors many of us that sought out games as a means to escape the confusing and often troubled reality of childhood. Even though I wasn’t around during the 80’s arcade era, the game’s dialogue does a great job of portraying all of us misunderstood gamer kids and is a nostalgic introspective experience. It hits hard.

Gameplay

My favorite of the arcade games: Shadowplay

This is where things get really interesting. While you play as The Kid, you don’t really control his character other than through the arcade games he plays. The gameplay breaks down into various minigames that call back to retro arcade classics. There’s the side scrolling fighter “The Beating Heart”, the space shooter “Out of the Void”, the racer “The Runway”, the ninja platformer “Shadowplay”, and the dungeon crawler “Kill Screen”. Each of these minigames has quality game mechanics that ring true to their inspiration. However, I call them “minigames” here for a reason. While they cover a broad selection of genres, they lack any real depth to them. Each only has about two short levels and no real difficulty wall. With the game only being comprised of five minigames with short cutscenes in-between, it only took me about three hours to beat. While I understand that this is only a $10 game, I wanted more from each level.

Graphics

Ahhh those polished pixels

198X brings the retro pixel style of the 80’s into the modern era. The cutscenes between gameplay are incredibly detailed, pulling me into the experience rather than taking me out. It really made me appreciate that art style and realize that I put too much emphasis on the hyper-realistic graphics of today. When gameplay switches to the arcade games, the quality barely seems to drop. Whether you’re looking at exploding spacecraft in “Out of the Void”, or racing down a fluorescent highway in “The Runway”, everything is gorgeous. The difference in art direction for each level is different, but cohesive.

Soundtrack

The chiptune soundtrack of 198X adds yet another layer of the retro gaming feel. During cutscenes where you listen to The Kid’s musings on life, the synthesizer’s beats are low and made me feel like soul-searching too. When you jump into a minigame though, the tone switches to match. Each track fits perfectly with its level. When I was frantically spinning around trying to avoid 20+ galactic fighter jets shooting at me all at once, the upbeat synth music added to the fun insanity. I usually find chiptune music to get annoying after a while, but even when I had to repeat “Shadowplay” a few too many times (apparently I can’t avoid shuriken well), I never got tired of the level’s track.

Overall Freeze Score

Pros:
Relatable and memorable story
Gorgeous pixel graphics
Catchy chiptune soundtrack

Cons:
Shallow depth of gameplay