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Post by RadicalRex on Nov 11, 2024 17:50:16 GMT
Valfaris (Steam)
Heavy metal action platformer that gets a lot of praise but I wasn't feeling it. Audiovisually, I thought it was ugly and for a heavy metal game I found the soundtrack surprisingly bland and subdued. The triple weapon system of having pistol, melee and a heavy weapon that is charged up by hitting enemies with melee is interesting, but sadly pistols have annoyingly low fire rates and melee attacks are slow to come out and feel weirdly fluffy so it all felt pretty unsatisfying. I guess the slowness is deliberate to make it feel heavier and meatier (along with the inertia-based movement), but I don't know it just didn't work for me.
There are major visibility issues, it's mostly dark and enemies have a tendency to blend into the background. The game loves to spam flashy (and ugly) 32-bit style visual FX which doesn't help, especially when there are attacks that are like giant clouds with gradients of transparency and it's completely unclear where the hitbox is. The most dangerous thing about melee combat is that there's so much VFX and gore flying around that it can become near-impossible to see if there's still an enemy in front of you.
At its best the action is alright, but often it just feels clunky and haphazard, a few bosses in particular had unpredictable RNG attacks with horrible hit detection, one of them even sniping you from off screen all the time, that one was in the late mid-game I think but it was the one that took me longest. Difficulty in general is imo slightly above average for this type of game, but mitigated by an abundance of checkpoints. I definitely liked that there were so many but I can't help but feel that they were sometimes glossing over often clunky and chaotic gameplay.
Of course, the less you enjoy a game, the shorter you want it to be, and spoiler alert I didn't enjoy Valfaris much. In the end I got a total duration of 7 hours which was 6 more than I cared for. It took me two weeks or so to finish because I often couldn't stand playing more than one checkpoint a day.
5/10
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Aunty Treats
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Post by Aunty Treats on Nov 11, 2024 20:01:01 GMT
Called it
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Post by RadicalRex on Nov 14, 2024 23:48:08 GMT
Just a little reminder that Castlevania: Anniversary Collection is free on EGS this week
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malek86
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Post by malek86 on Nov 16, 2024 9:20:05 GMT
Just a little reminder that Castlevania: Anniversary Collection is free on EGS this week Got that a couple days ago, started the first game, beat up the first boss with ease... then in the second level, reached the part with the medusa heads and instadeath when falling off the screen... lost all three lives in one fell swoop. Yeah, no. These games aren't for me anymore, or maybe they never were. Although i do remember getting somewhat far in the NES Classic edition for the GBA. Even got up to Death, iirc. |
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Post by dangerousdave on Nov 16, 2024 9:56:51 GMT
They are literally 80s Dark Souls. Learn the patterns of bosses and repeat the paths to those bosses until you’re practically invincible. I have never beat the first game, but it’s an all-time classic.
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Aunty Treats
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Post by Aunty Treats on Nov 16, 2024 10:07:06 GMT
There'd be no Castlevania without Dark Souls
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malek86
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Post by malek86 on Nov 16, 2024 11:15:33 GMT
They are literally 80s Dark Souls. Learn the patterns of bosses and repeat the paths to those bosses until you’re practically invincible. I have never beat the first game, but it’s an all-time classic. It is for sure, but I've never beat it either. Games in those years were super hard anyway. As hard as this is, I'm not sure it's even half as difficult as something like Ghosts and Goblins. Also, I know you can save every three levels, so with enough perseverance it should be possible eventually. I wonder how many people can claim to be able to beat it in one go, however. |
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Post by RadicalRex on Nov 16, 2024 11:35:41 GMT
If you still care, the Japanese version of Castlevania 1 (included in the collection) has an easy mode that removes knockback
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malek86
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Post by malek86 on Nov 16, 2024 13:47:01 GMT
If you still care, the Japanese version of Castlevania 1 (included in the collection) has an easy mode that removes knockback That's actually good to know, thanks. Knockback is the most annoying thing by far. The increased damage in later levels is also a big pain, but without the constant dread of instadeath while jumping, it should be manageable. I will give that a try. |
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Post by RadicalRex on Nov 16, 2024 16:36:49 GMT
It's great that the collection includes the Japanese versions of most games, and I recommend checking the Cutting Room Floor website for regional differences before playing any of those. Sometimes the western release is audiovisually inferior, sometimes there's cut content like blood or crosses, but most importantly at the time many western releases of Konami games were considerably harder than the Japanese originals, sometimes outrageously so. Castlevania 3 and Bloodlines are good examples of this. Keep this in mind also when playing Contra games, which also have an anniversary collection that includes Japanese versions. Going from the Japanese to the US release of Contra Hard Corps (aka Mega Drive Probotector) is like jumping from medium to nightmare difficulty. |
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Aunty Treats
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Post by Aunty Treats on Nov 18, 2024 0:12:56 GMT
My one complaint about Monster Boy is this last area - or what I assume is the last area - in the castle. Now granted, I may be being a bit thick, but there have been a few puzzles that have stumped me and meant having to stop playing because I'm stuck. Maybe I'm just being too impatient and not taking the time to think things through, but this bit feels like it is presented as the final stretch (the music especially) so I'm ready for the end Got stuck on a puzzle the last time I played it, had to stop. Came back after a few days, made some progress pretty quickly, now stuck again on a boss - not because it's difficult or I'm dying, I just have no idea what it wants me to do I want the end to make me feel like a badarse with all the powers and upgrades I've accumulated, not frustrated and stupid Even if I am |
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Post by RadicalRex on Nov 18, 2024 0:22:34 GMT
I remember some of the endgame puzzles making smoke come out of my ears. And/or searching around forever, not sure anymore I just remember it was a little rough.
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Aunty Treats
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Post by Aunty Treats on Nov 18, 2024 12:53:47 GMT
That makes me feel better
I've been happy getting occasionally stuck early/mid game. But, pacing wise, I'd like a smoother finale. I blame the exciting music
Have you played Berserk Boy, Rob?
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Post by RadicalRex on Nov 18, 2024 13:39:59 GMT
No, may check it out in the future
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Aunty Treats
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Post by Aunty Treats on Nov 19, 2024 8:50:44 GMT
Still can't work out the boss in Monster Boy (or at least his third phase. Worse than Malenia), so I've started Axiom Verge 2 as it was on sale. So far so good. Feels like a proper Metroidvania- or just Metroid... er? You're exploring a strange and interesting alien planet/world anyway
The soundtrack is once again excellent and the sound effects in general have that weird crushed sound to them that I really like
I don't think it got a great reception here (or at least I don't think Rob liked it) but so far I'm hopeful. I killed a giant worm thing that was chasing me by dropping rocks on its head and that was cool
I also got Cyber Shadow as that was on sale as well. Not really into ninjas or Ninja Gaiden but robot ninjas are alright
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Post by RadicalRex on Nov 19, 2024 11:05:42 GMT
Axiom Verge 2 is generally well received, I just didn't like it. Cyber Shadow is one of my favourite games
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Post by rajin on Nov 19, 2024 12:43:39 GMT
Castlevania 1 NES (japanese version) 7/10
Played this on the anniversary collection, the japanese version is much more forgiving. Finished it after 2 hours and a number of deaths and retry's. Still a amazing game with great flow. Some of the bosses are a bit boring and the giant bats on the bridge really anmoy me.
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Aunty Treats
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Post by Aunty Treats on Nov 20, 2024 9:21:52 GMT
Guess who's not stuck in Monster Boy anymore
/bows
Was I being stupid? I'm not going to tell anyone what bit it was so we'll never know! In my defense, I was playing handheld on the Switch, so the thing I needed to interact with was less noticeable. (Probably)
Honestly felt so good 'working it out' though. This is why I don't look stuff up - it's frustrating being stuck but the satisfaction is worth it
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Aunty Treats
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Post by Aunty Treats on Nov 21, 2024 2:14:53 GMT
Also no longer stuck in Dawn of Sorrow. Had nothing to do with the last ability I'd got (stopping time) and was just a new area I could get to using the doll - which I must have found as it was already on the map, but decided not to explore at the time for some reason
Should have done that first, so was probably out of sequence. Which is why I was lost
Did have to explore almost every room on the map again to find it though
I think that's me all unstuck game wise now. Yesss
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