Reviews - PlayStation LifeStyle

Braid, Anniversary Edition (PS5) Review: Time Sink

Shaan Joshi — Mon, 13 May 2024 15:00:00 +0000

Booting up Braid, Anniversary Edition was, dare I say it, a bit like going back in time. Its opening moments — from the flickering, fiery logo to the foreboding opening track — instantly transported me back to 2008. Nostalgia can be a powerful drug but also a sobering one. As I flew through the game’s opening levels on autopilot (a side effect of having played through the original a dozen or so times), I began to realize just how much time had passed since Braid made its mark on the world. While it might be standard operating procedure at this point, Braid was one of the first few games that showcased the viability of independent, digital indie projects, ushering in a wave of new classics such as Bastion and Super Meat Boy.

Much like how the original made us rethink the fundamentals of distribution and project scope, Braid, Anniversary Edition tries to do the same with what we’ve come to expect from remasters and re-releases. While it’s become commonplace to take a last-get game, dial up the graphics settings, add some “new” content salvaged from the cutting room floor, and charge full price for it, Braid, Anniversary Edition isn’t content with simply rehashing the basics. In fact, this might be one of the most fully-fledged re-releases we’ve seen in years — more on that in a little bit.

For those who aren’t familiar with the original release, here’s a bit of a refresher. Braid is a puzzle platformer of sorts, though, depending on who you ask, trying to neatly fit it into a single box is a bit of a fool’s errand. When I first played it, back when I was a teenager and hadn’t forayed into the world of games media and game dev, I’d have described it as a neat little indie game that marries traditional platforming with time manipulation. More than 15 years later, I could probably spend hours waxing poetic, but I’d also sum it up as a brilliant deconstruction of Super Mario Bros. that, above all, respects the player’s time and intelligence.

There’s also the matter of the game’s “story” (though I use that term rather loosely). A cursory Google Search will yield countless essays and critiques about Braid’s “meaning” and “metaphors,” and to be fair, a lot of these analyses do hold water. I won’t do a deep dive into what Braid means to me, largely because it’s one of those games that will mean something different to each person. To me, it’s a reflection on the circular nature of the choices we make, the consequences of those choices, and how our regrets and (oft-warped) memories shape our future choices. On the other hand, some cultural luminaries, such as the venerable Soulja Boy, have completely different interpretations of developer Jonathan Blow’s timeless classic.

Regardless of what Braid might mean (or does mean) to you, my recommendation is simple: if you have yet to give it a go for yourself, Braid, Anniversary Edition is the best jumping-off point for you to dive in. For those who’ve already embarked on their own journey of bending time and saving princesses, I still strongly recommend giving this one a go, but for wholly different reasons.

The massive jump in resolution, new environmental effects and animations, as well as the remixed sound, would be enough of a reason for most to shell out for a remaster, but Braid, Anniversary Edition takes things even further. After trying to shoehorn in commentary nodes into the game’s existing levels, Blow went in the complete opposite direction, adding 40 or so brand new levels that were designed in tandem with the detailed behind-the-scenes commentary he and his team were looking to add.

These new pack-ins are available from the get-go, and it’s hard to overstate just how in-depth the developer insights are. While some are relatively straightforward and shed light on the origins of the game and its mechanics, others take the form of technical deep dives, digging into bitmap compression and unpacking, the physics, and math that govern the game’s rules and systems, and so much more.

Admittedly, some of these topics won’t be as easily digestible by all players, but the dozen or so hours of developer commentary to dig through is well worth the price of admission, and there’s a satisfying interplay as you play through a level that reflects the commentary you’re actively listening to. Admittedly, the way it’s all organized and split up can be a bit confusing to navigate, and a simplified checklist would have gone a long way in making sure you don’t miss any of it.

Putting aside that minor issue, the most divisive thing about Braid, Anniversary Edition might be how little of the core package has changed. Aside from the visual facelift, the core mechanics and gameplay are just as they were back in 2008, and that more or less dictates who this remaster is for. Those who were turned off by Braid’s strictly linear progression and uncompromising puzzles are unlikely to have a change of heart all these years later. For longtime fans or those who have yet to experience this timeless classic for themselves, Braid, Anniversary Edition is a must-play.

Incredibly rewarding puzzles that feel appropriately challenging
The beautifully-drawn graphics and evocative soundtrack have been given a fresh coat of paint
Packed to the brim with new content
The uncompromising and decidedly linear levels might trip up some players
Developer commentary can be a bit daunting to navigate

Disclosure: Review copy was provided by Thekla.

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Razer Iskur V2 Gaming Chair Review – Lumbar Support Done Right

Louis Edwards — Mon, 22 Apr 2024 19:34:39 +0000

Gaming chairs can be found everywhere these days and can range in price from a cheap build at Walmart to some high-end models that can break the bank. As a gamer and journalist, I spend quite a bit of time sitting on my butt playing games and writing about them, so what I rest my behind on matters quite a bit. When it comes to comfort, I have found that you get what you pay for when it comes to a decent gaming chair, but you don’t necessarily have to break the bank.

Easy Solo Assembly but 2-Player Co-op Recommended

Upon opening the box, the first thing you’ll see is a big warning label and a bag containing your builder’s gauntlets (fancy Razer-colored gloves that give you +10 hand protection) and a warning that you may need a co-op partner for this build. I’ve personally put together a dozen or so gaming chairs, so this was a single-player journey for me. All of the tools you’ll need you’ll find in the box once you start laying everything out, and I went from opening the box to sitting in the chair in about fifteen minutes.

For those that are new to this process, Razer includes a large format instruction page for your reference, with easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions (headset not included, but you can read about them here). For those folks that struggle lifting something heavy or have a bad back, having a friend to help can be a plus.

Game-Changing Adjustable Lumbar Support

Once assembled, the first thing I noticed was the adjustable and adaptive lumbar support. Gaming chairs generally just have a small pillow for lumbar support, with a few higher-end chairs adding lumbar support built-in and adjustable. Razer took that idea a few steps further and created the Iskur V2 with a lumbar support that is not only adjustable, but attached to a moving pad that swivels to your positioning. I use an L-type setup for my office, so I’m constantly turning left-to-right and right-to-left in my chair. The extra moving pad made a pretty big difference in my comfort just from that, but being able to find that sweet spot for my lumbar support was the real difference maker.

The lumbar support itself can be raised and lowered, and the depth of its protrusion can also be adjusted. It took me a day of using the chair to find that perfect spot, but once I did the chair became my new best friend. I’ve been using an Iron Man AndaSeat for over three years, but it looks like that chair will now go to my gaming room for visitors to use. Price wise, the Razer Iskur V2 is comparable to the AndaSeat line, but that $650 price tag will make most folks pause for a minute. If you could spend just half a day in one, you would realize that, with gaming chairs, you really do get what you pay for.

Toned Down Gaming Chair Design

Gaming chairs have a tendency to be designed to look cool with a bunch of cool designs and aesthetics that make them stand out. Nothing wrong with that, but some folks would rather have a more subtle chair that brings the same bells and whistles. Razer’s Iskur V2 is that chair.

No holes by the headrest to give the impression of a fighter jet. No flashy images or colors all over the chair. Just black synthetic leather with Razer’s signature green trim and one simple logo to let folks know that Razer built it. Couple that with a cushy seat that seems to be just about right in firmness and comfort, without being too hard or too soft, and 4D adjustable armrests, and your comfort takes center stage. You can opt for an all-black chair, without the green trim, as well as a grey chair.

Any of the three options would work in any office environment as well. Regardless of which one you choose, with the Iskur V2 just know that you’ll be getting a high quality, premium gaming chair that your back will thank you for.

The post Razer Iskur V2 Gaming Chair Review – Lumbar Support Done Right appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Razer Kishi Ultra Review – Remote Play and Mobile Gaming Goes XL

Louis Edwards — Fri, 19 Apr 2024 12:24:54 +0000

Mobile gaming has come a long way in the last few years, and that includes being able to play games on your PlayStation of choice from your iOS or Android device. PlayStation Remote play, in itself, dates back to 2006, and originally, the PSP and PS3 were pretty good at it. Not all games supported it due to the PSP missing a second analog stick, but the release of the PS Vita in 2012 remedied that, and almost all PS4 games could be played via remote play. For those of us with fairly big hands, the controls could get a little cramped smashing dingers in MLB The Show or shooting guys in Uncharted, but we managed and could play our games from anywhere the WiFi was strong and fast enough.

With the progression of more powerful smartphones and tablets, mobile games started to mimic console gaming and have become more and more popular. Playing a first-person shooter on your touchscreen phone is no easy task, though, and different companies stepped in to remedy that situation. Razer released their first phone controller, the Kishi, in 2020, and it got decent reviews across the board but lacked some bells and whistles like a headphone jack. Their Kishi V2 was released in 2022 (two variants) and solved a few of the issues their first controller had, but if you had a larger device like an iPad mini that device was too big for the controller. The controller itself was a little small for bigger hands but it was a step in the right direction and made more games easier to play.

Razer Kishi Ultra – XL Gaming

I recently attended GDC in San Francisco and spent a few hours talking with their team about their latest controller, the Razer Kishi Ultra, and what they hoped it would bring to the gaming world. They were also nice enough to send me my own Kishi Ultra to try out a couple of weeks ago. I have since traveled across the country, using it in airports and hotels for both PlayStation Remote Play and mobile gaming in general, and I am thoroughly impressed.

The first thing I noticed upon taking the Kishi Ultra out of the box is its size. This isn’t a small, cramped controller, it is instead a full size console controller, split in half. Would I prefer it to have PlayStation buttons? Sure. Have I used a PS controller long enough to have the PS controller memorized? Of course. I’m currently using it with my Samsung Note 10+ but you can use any device that measures up to eight inches diagonally and has a USB-C port. The iPhone 15 pro and the iPad mini both fit easily, and the controller comes with pre-made cushions for each device.

Razer Nexus Launcher

In order to use your new controller, you’ll have to install the Nexus app from your app store. It requires iOS 17/Android 12 or higher to install, but that shouldn’t be an issue if you have a newer phone or tablet. The app is pretty simple to use, and you might just find a new favorite game hiding in their suggestion boxes. You can also find other streaming apps for XBOX, Steam, and GeForce Now ready and waiting. You can also find a handful of emulators that work great with the Kishi Ultra controller, but we won’t get into them for legal reasons.

Setting up PlayStation Remote Play

You have two options for using the Kishi Ultra for PlayStation Remote Play. You can use the native app put out by PlayStation, or you can use an aftermarket app call PSPlay for Android or MirrorPlay for iOS. Both are fairly simple to use, but require a few extra steps to work properly.

The Kishi Ultra has a virtual controller that you’ll need to set-up for the touch screen controls in order to map the proper buttons while using the official PlayStation Remote Play app. The PSPlay app doesn’t require that step, but in order to use remote play away from home with it or MirrorPlay, you’ll need to know your home I.P. address and need to add port forwarding to your router. The native PlayStation app doesn’t require that step.

Zero Latency Gaming

With the Kishi Ultra plugged directly into my phone, I never felt any controller input lag. This would have been a deal breaker for playing MLB The Show 24, and would have made my Warzone gaming unbearable. You can connect the controller to your PC or even your full-size iPad with a USB cable, and even then, there is zero input lag. I played Diablo IV on my laptop using the controller, and then switched over to remote play and played on my PS5, and the experience was just about the same, albeit a smaller screen on my phone.

The Improvements

Razer took a lot of information from gamers and applied what they learned to this device. They included a headphone jack, pass through charging so you can game without having to worry about your phone’s battery, and added easy to use screenshot and share buttons. They also gave us the ability to customize the buttons to our liking, and that’s a definite plus. The controller still lacks Bluetooth and has no internal battery itself, but with the direct connection to your device, it probably works better without it.

Conclusion

Razer has been going out of their way to talk to the gaming community in order to create better products that gamers actually want. Their recently released Blackshark V2 (2024) gaming headset is case in point, and actually pairs nicely with the Kishi Ultra controller if you are into Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile.

Razer’s Kishi Ultra not only takes your mobile gaming to the next level with adjustable haptics, pass through charging, cool RGB effects, and a headphone jack, but works great with PlayStation Remote Play too. If you are tired of using skimpy controllers, step up to the XL level and grab one of these.

The post Razer Kishi Ultra Review – Remote Play and Mobile Gaming Goes XL appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Razer BlackShark V2 Pro (2024) Review – When Footsteps Matter

Louis Edwards — Mon, 08 Apr 2024 16:00:00 +0000

Headsets come in quite a few different flavors these days, both wired and wireless, with quite a few recognizable brand names to choose from. Razer has been making them for years and their black and neon green color scheme is instantly recognizable. Before releasing their next generation of headsets, they contacted competitive gamers from all over the world to find out what they really wanted in a headset, and the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro is the end result.

Quality Sound and a Quality Mic

Right out of the box, the first thing you’ll notice is the lightweight, but sturdy build of the headset. The ear pads use a noise canceling memory foam, with breathable cloth for cooler ears during long gaming sessions. I spent four hours straight with Skull and Bones with no discomfort or ear sweat (is that a thing?). The noise canceling works a little too well, if that’s possible, so if you are gaming late at night in a quiet house, try not to speak too loud or your housemates might get upset.

The headset has a removable mic, and for pod casters who use professional mics, being able to take this out of the way is a definite positive. When you are using the HyperClear Super Wideband mic it does a great job of isolating the voice of person wearing the headset, so background noise is non-existent. As a standard headset, The BlackShark V2 Pro works incredibly well as a Bluetooth device for your Android or iOS device. As a gaming headset, it outshines comparable devices.

Designed for Gaming

Where the headset really shines is when using it for one of games in the preset gaming modes. Razer spent countless hours with gamers and three different, ultra popular gaming tiles, tuning the sounds to that specific game. Apex Legends, Call of Duty / Warzone, and Fortnite have enhanced modes that will give you an audio edge over your competitors. The surround sound is set so precise, you’ll know exactly where those footsteps are coming from, or where that gunfire is coming from. It’s going to be really hard for your enemies to sneak up on you wearing these.

Switching between gamer modes, or equalizer modes, is as simple as holding a button down for three seconds to get it into the EQ mode you want, then just click the same button to toggle between games or EQ types. The preset EQ modes are pretty damn good as far as sound quality, but for those folks that really want to fine tune it themselves, there’s the Razer Auido app for both Android and iOS that they can use. The PS5 itself doesn’t have this EQ option using the USB dongle, but Bluetooth the headset to your phone and you have it now.

Built to Last

The BlackShark V2 Pro is built using quality components for long lasting use. The sound comes from titanium 50mm drivers that puts out excellent sound without adding extra weight. The headset weighs less than a pound, and that was surprising with the steel construction, the wireless battery, and extra padding on the head strap. We went for two days (close to 16 hours) on one full charge, and then got another fours of hours of usage on a quick 15 minute charge. The battery life was impressive, to say the least.

Conclusion

Razer’s BlackShark V2 Pro for PlayStation redefines what you thought a gaming headset should be. They went above and beyond in designing it, and spent countless hours with gamers from all over the world to create it and to create the audio profiles for FPS games that everyone loves.

These things might just give you an unfair advantage.

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Dragon’s Dogma 2 Review (PS5): Another Trial By Fire

Nicholas Tan — Mon, 01 Apr 2024 17:45:01 +0000

Dragon’s Dogma 2 essentially exists in its own pocket universe. This open-world action RPG has its own internal logic that’s wholly singular compared to similar games in the fantasy genre. It’s not quite Dark Souls nor The Elder Scrolls nor The Witcher 3, but somewhere else in between them all on the other side of the looking glass. Fans of the first Dragon’s Dogma will understand how unusual this world can be for newcomers, and this sequel successfully builds upon what made the original game a cult classic. This isn’t to say that Dragon’s Dogma 2 doesn’t have moments of frustration and a few gameplay systems that are janky in an old-school way, but to a degree, that’s all part of the charm.

Newly Arisen, one more time

Beastren is a new racial option in Dragon’s Dogma 2.

Similar to the plot of the first Dragon’s Dogma, this sequel is about cycles and whether they should be perpetuated or broken. It’s an Eastern narrative trope in a Western fantasy world. Whenever the dragon appears in the world, it chooses an Arisen who is bound to slay it. That should have been the destiny for your character too, but something goes awry.

The opening chapter sees the Arisen performing menial labor in a distant land and not knowing anything about being the chosen one. It’s only by a twist of fate and one turbulent ride on a griffin that your character returns home to the kingdom of Vermund. However, another Arisen apparently exists, which should be impossible, and has claimed the throne in the capital. Many forces conspire to deny the true Arisen from being the rightful ruler, and it falls to you to set things right.

As you progress through the story, you’ll get caught up in political intrigue and a scheme that involves both Vermund and its neighboring country Battahl. I won’t say too much past that to avoid spoilers. Suffice it to say, the plot is satisfactory for the most part. The lore isn’t as grounded as it is in The Elder Scrolls, nor as cryptic as it is in Dark Souls. While most cutscenes and NPCs aren’t particularly momentous and the voice-acting is spotty at times, the dialogue is written well enough to carry quests forward. That said, much like in Skyrim, the game is much more about exploring the open world, with the main storyline acting primarily as a way for you to take in the sights and travel from one side of the map to the other.

Succumb to wanderlust

The pawns have been patiently waiting for the Arisen to return.

Exploration is remarkably rewarding in Dragon’s Dogma 2. Even if you don’t have a side quest telling you where to go, pointing in a direction and wandering over there scratches that itch for discovery. Sometimes you’ll find a treasure chest tucked away in the corner or behind a cave wall, a golden trove beetle that will permanently increase your carrying capacity, or some flowers, fruit, ore, or other materials that you can combine to create health items. If you’re lucky, you’ll uncover enough shards to form a Wakestone that can be used to revive your character or an NPC that might have been accidentally killed. Also tucked away in the most remote nooks and crannies are Seeker Tokens, 240 of which are scattered around the world and can be handed over at a vocation guild for extra rewards.

On the downside, fast travel is rather finicky and restrictive. Like the original game, you can use ferrystones to travel instantly between portcrystals, but not all major cities have a permanent portcrystal. Instead, you need to find portable portcrystals first as rewards, which is something you likely need to look up since the game provides very few hints on obtaining them. Also, ferrystones are rare consumables that are difficult to find and expensive to purchase, so it’s not something to throw around on a whim. The game tries to alleviate some of this by adding new oxcarts that allow you to travel from one town to another, though I regularly had the oxcart be raided by enemies and then destroyed. Being forced to travel on foot is a frustratingly common occurrence, a problem made worse since some quests are timed.

Vocation sensation

As a Warrior, you can face off against griffins head on.

Outside of towns, the world of Dragon’s Dogma 2 is a hostile one, with enemies littering every road, temple, forest, and cave. It’s a wonder that anyone is able to travel safely anywhere, even with guards on the main thoroughfare. Fortunately, that means a lot of combat, giving the Arisen plenty of opportunities to earn experience points and learn skills from multiple vocations. It’s up to you whether you prefer the melee-oriented Fighter and Thief, the ranged Archer, or the slight but powerful Mage. That said, those are just the starting vocations and you can unlock others like the Warrior, Magick Archer, and Sorcerer by completing various quests. Switching between vocations is easy enough at a guild, though you’ll need the cash and materials to purchase and upgrade class-specific equipment.

Most fights will be against goblins, saurians, harpies, and bandits, but occasionally you’ll need to contend with powerful bosses out in the field that have multiple health bars. Dragon’s Dogma fans will recognize many of these, including ogres, griffins, and chimeras, and you’ll need to pinpoint weakpoints, apply debilitations, and exploit elemental affinities to take them out. Sometimes this means having to climb onto the boss, hacking away at specific spot to stagger it and make it vulnerable. Certain creatures will also only appear at night too, requiring you to turn on a lantern to get your bearings. Whichever vocation you choose, you’ll need to monitor your stamina carefully, evade enemy attacks, and monitor the health of your companions.

Back to the pawn shop

My pawn, Argento, is a smart-aleck Archer who can heal other party members with potions.

On that front, this sequel features an Improved pawn system, making it easier to round out your party with members of different vocations. In addition to your main pawn, you can call upon two more pawns that other players have made by summoning them from a riftstone. You’ll also find various types of riftstones peppered about the world and random pawns meandering around that you can hire on the spot, though the riftstones in major towns will let you search for pawns with the specific vocation, level, appearance, and specialization that you want. If you’re having trouble with certain quests, which happens often since many of them have vague objectives, you can hire pawns with specific knowledge to provide a few clues.

Pawns fight autonomously fairly well, not needing you to command them too often in combat. The AI controlling them gives enough support that their aid is helpful while not undermining your role. They also serve as pack rats, which is useful since materials add up quickly and camp supplies weigh a lot. Getting hit in combat reduces your party’s maximum hit points, so you’re encouraged to restore this by resting at a campfire, which is typically cheaper than an inn anyway and allows you to cook meat for temporary buffs.

However, pawns have a habit of falling from cliffs, making it tough to reach them when they’re down, or spilling into the water, which is a death pit for anyone who wades in for too long. They also tend to repeat the same conversations and words of advice far too frequently, and some of their specializations can’t be tuned in any way. The Chirurgeon specialty gives pawns the ability to use potions but they do so at a high rate, and the Forager specialty lets pawns gather materials but they sometimes rob you of the thrill of opening a chest on your own

With dogmatic constitution

The Arisen will need to investigate the palace of Vernworth to take down the false Arisen.

If you make a beeline through the main storyline, it will take roughly 25 hours to complete, but that’s ignoring any detours and does not include the endgame. Finishing every quest and exploring the world to its fullest extent will easily take 80 hours or more. In addition to new game plus, you can also unlock an epilogue that will require a lot of proper time management and strategic combat to finish with the best possible outcome.

To address the microtransactions, they unfortunately do leave a bitter aftertaste. They’re avoidable in that you can find everything you need by playing the game. But just the possibility of purchasing wakestones and portcrystals, even if it’s a limited amount, will rub some players the wrong way. So it’s understandable if that’s a dealbreaker.

Dragon’s Dogma 2 is a funny valentine. The graphics aren’t particularly stunning, quest progression can be vague, and it has some deliberately old-school ideas that are frustrating to deal with. Still, the game is able to capture a sense of freedom and wonder while delivering on challenging boss fights throughout exploration. It’s one of the few games that has made me want to investigate every inch of the world map without any prompting by the game through a notification or a quest. And I haven’t had that sensation in an astonishingly long time.

Disclosure: Dragon’s Dogma 2 PS5 code provided by publisher.

Exploration is well-rewarded
Numerous, flexible vocations
Challenging boss battles
Exciting epilogue and new game plus
Plenty of content and side activities
Fast travel options are frustrating
Pawns have trouble with cliffs and repeat themselves often
Some unnecessary microtransactions

The post Dragon’s Dogma 2 Review (PS5): Another Trial By Fire appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth (PS5) Review: Soldier 2nd Class

Nicholas Tan — Tue, 27 Feb 2024 19:09:27 +0000

It’s time to get out of Midgar. If you’re a fan of the original Final Fantasy 7, you know that game finally opens up in second half of the first disc, with Cloud and the gang setting off into the wider world of Gaia in pursuit of Sephiroth. As such, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is a tougher game to make as it comes with a lot of expectations, more content to recreate, and a lot of build-up from the ending of FF7 Remake. Square Enix has reinterpreted and refreshed all of the enemies, environments, and plot points while adding new, modern elements that still treat the original game with respect. The amount of work that has gone into FF7 Rebirth is truly staggering, and though several parts of the game feel stretched out and encumbered, it follows through on its potential.

The next world

This review will be purposefully vague on the storyline of FF7 Remake and FF7 Rebirth to keep spoilers to a minimum, though anyone who has played through the original game will more or less know what happens. FF7 Rebirth, as a direct sequel to FF7 Remake, comes with several lingering plot threads that are addressed throughout the story. A recap video of the events in the first game is available in the main menu in case you need a refresher.

New cutscenes, conversations, and side quests alter the original plotline enough that it still feels like a fresh take, while the general framework has mostly been kept intact. Revisiting all of the familiar story beats, while listening to modern orchestrations of familiar tunes, is delightfully nostalgic. The party worries about Cloud’s memory, Barret and Tifa want to take down Shinra, Red XIII wishes to return home, and Aerith hopes to learn more about her past. Short scenes involving another character are mainly spliced between chapters, lending an air of mystery on the overarching timeline. It’s not until the latter half of the game that events more significantly deviate from the source material, introducing various elements to the lore that weren’t there before.

The majority of the side quests and protorelic missions spread throughout each region of the world provide opportunities for the party to interact with new characters as well as NPCs from FF7 Remake. Completing these tasks, along with choosing specific dialogue options, also adds relationships points between Cloud and one of the party members. This impacts and provides more options for a particular cutscene later in the game — a mechanic which FF7 fans will recognize. The game doesn’t shy away from adding tongue-in-cheek humor either, especially when it comes to Red XIII riding chocobos and getting mad when humans treat him like a pet.

However, FF7 Rebirth has some trouble sticking the landing, particularly in the last third of the story. How some characters are integrated into the party feels like a missed opportunity and it’s done in an awkwardly deliberate way. Also, the ending reveals a lot of information, but it’s told in a tangled, murky, erratic sequence of events. While it tries to be intriguing by raising as many questions as it answers, it sacrifices clarity for the sake of complex plot structure.

Reforged in battle

Much of the real-time combat system from FF7 Remake has been carried over with a few additional mechanics like synergy skills and abilities. Hitting enemies with basic attacks builds the ATB meter and segments of this gauge can be used to cast spells, use items, and perform character abilities. Enemies also have a stun meter that builds quickly if you’re able to pressure them, typically done by exploiting their elemental weakness or evading their strikes with proper timing. Once it’s full, they become staggered for a long time during which any damage dealt is multiplied.

Each party member has different strengths, so changing which character you control during battle can be strategically useful. In fact, the story has numerous sections that force your group to split up, so you will want to be well-versed with how each character works anyway. Out of the starting party, Cloud and Tifa are strong at dealing single-target damage, Barret and Aerith have long-range attacks, and Red XIII has a multi-hit spinning attack that builds stagger and ATB quickly.

In addition, each party member has access to limit breaks as well as a synergy meter that increases every time ATB is used. This fuels powerful synergy abilities that can give two members temporarily larger ATB meters, access to higher limit break levels, or unlimited MP for a short time. Meanwhile, synergy skills can be used freely and which ones you can use depends on your current party makeup.

FF7 Rebirth provides many opportunities for character progression beyond basic leveling. Obtaining a wide variety of materia and giving them AP from battles is vital, making materia slots on weapons and armor crucial for keeping pace with enemies and bosses in the long run. Every new weapon you find allows a character to learn an ability from it permanently, and various accessories you can purchase or craft from materials can increase base stats and grant immunities to status effects. Also tracked is Party XP earned by defeating story bosses and completing minor world intel objectives on the map. As this increases in level, your party will unlock new options on their skill trees that can be learned by spending skill points.

The main weakness of the combat system is that it’s finicky on occasion. Evading homing attacks, particularly the swallow ability from land worms, is more difficult than it should be. Figuring out limit levels is tricky too since you have to learn the appropriate skill synergies on the skill tree and then track limit level increases on your own in battle. Since using items takes one ATB charge, using them in battle is a rough call when abilities and spells tend to be better options. It’s not until you earn the Item Economizer materia or have Mist potions on hand that using one is worth the action economy.

Overlapping audio is an occasional problem as well. As you explore a town, you’ll sometimes walk around a crowd of NPCs and all of them begin talking at the same time to the point that you can barely make out what they’re saying. In fiend battles on the map, a new AI character named MAI will interrupt the fight by spewing out facts about the enemy. It’s supposed to be helpful, but alongside the intense music and special effects, her dialogue is a distraction that you can’t turn off.

Gold Saucer-eyed

One of the best parts of FF7 Rebirth is seeing every environment expanded to an incredible degree. The first town of Kalm has beautifully detailed streets and shops, while the opening Grasslands region has green rolling hills, watermills, and trickling streams. Those are merely starters compared to several cities later on, like Cosmo Canyon, Costa Del Sol, and the Gold Saucer, that are even more impressive. The level of detail just in the number of objects that fill each area is incredible. This remains consistent as you progress from one chapter to the next, even as regions become more complex to navigate.

Fortunately, dealing with the rougher terrain is by and large resolved by riding a chocobo. Not only are chocobos faster than walking on foot, but they also make grabbing resources easy and can sniff out hidden treasures on the map. Much of these are materials that can be sold for gil or transmuted into items and equipment. Specific regional versions allow you to reach restricted areas as well, like mountain chocobos being able to climb the side of cliffs. You can locate chocobo stops too that give you a chance to rest and provide another point for fast travel.

On the downside, around half of all the activities on the map amount to busywork. Similar to viewpoints in Assassin’s Creed, activating remnawave towers will reveal locations of nearby points of interest. But finding every tower, life spring, summon sanctuary, fiend battle, moghouse, cache, excavation site, and more is exhausting. The chocobo stealth activity and the Moogle Mischief mini-games are especially burdensome (and the Moogles look more like koala bears for some reason). Even if you aren’t a completionist (like I am), you are encouraged to finish as much as you can to earn Party XP, purchase powerful materia from Chadley, and unlock combat simulator battles.

Otherwise, most of the mini-games are enjoyable side diversions that add a lot of flavor. Queen’s Blood, a three-lane card game that’s similar to Triple Triad from FF8, requires a lot of strategy in placing cards on the field, and there are players in every town that you can challenge. Out of all the activities at the Gold Saucer, chocobo racing is the main attraction and plays very close to Mario Kart. In addition to Chadley’s combat simulations, there are a few other arenas for more intense fights. The piano performance mini-game from the demo appears throughout the journey too. Other mini-games from the original game have been recreated here, including the Shinra Junon parade and Fort Condor. Doing well at all these games awards strong materia, weapons, and accessories, so while many of them are optional, completing them is time well spent.

Completing the main campaign and every world intel mission takes around 100 hours, more so if you decide to tackle optional content that unlocks after you finish the story. Some chapters feel stretched out more than they should be, with some levels that go on for too long and activities that repeat themselves across every region. Tying the more mundane tasks to one of the party members, similar to how side quests are done, would have helped alleviate the tedium.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Final Verdict

Through its expanded story, fantastic graphics, and abundance of side activities, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth vigorously continues the momentum from FF7 Remake. While some parts of the game are too slow or padded for the sake of content, the majority of the experience is a pleasant ride through nostalgia. It will be curious to see how progress, if any, is carried over to the next game, given all the exploration and items that you can obtain here. At any rate, FF7 Rebirth lives up to its promise as a love letter to the original game and solidly sets up the third and final title in the trilogy.

Revamped, nostalgic story
Detailed environments and reorchestrated music
Wealth of side activities and mini-games
Red XIII is a beast in combat and plays comic relief
Didn't experience any crashes and bugs
A few characters are integrated awkwardly
Issues with overlapping dialogue
Some content is mundane, slow, or padded

Disclosure: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth PS5 code provided by publisher.

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Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy (PS4) Review: Rise From The Ashes

Shaan Joshi — Mon, 22 Jan 2024 15:00:00 +0000

(Photo Credit: Capcom)

For fans of Capcom’s long-running Ace Attorney series, the last few years have been rather hit or miss. On the one hand, a collection of the first three games in the series was finally ported to modern platforms (freeing them from the shackles of mobile and handheld devices), and the two Great Ace Attorney games (which were previously Japan-exclusive) were localized and released for western audiences. On the other hand, it’s been close to a decade since we’ve seen a brand-new release in the mainline series, with Capcom going radio silent about the possibility of a seventh game.

In what we can only hope is a peace offering to tide us over, the fourth, fifth, and sixth entries have been given a fresh coat of paint and bundled together in the oddly-named Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy (more on the weird choice of name in a minute). For anyone who played the first Ace Attorney Trilogy, you’ll more or less know what to expect here: higher-res graphics, modernized UI, and a slew of quality-of-life features.

Aside from being able to jump into any game, episode, or chapter (intended play order be damned), players who only want to experience the story can turn on Story Mode, which lets you take it easy while the game plays itself for you by solving puzzles, interrogating witnesses, and collecting evidence. For those who don’t have a penchant for jamming on the X button for hours on end, you can also choose to have the game advance the dialogue for you, with a conversation log available should you want to re-read lines that you glossed over initially. Granted, these inclusions are far from revolutionary, but they are certainly leaps and bounds ahead of what was available on the original DS and 3DS versions.

(Photo Credit: Capcom)

While Apollo Justice appears front and center on this trilogy’s box art and name, only one of the three included titles features him as the main protagonist. Having originally released back in 2008 for the Nintendo DS, Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney has more in common with the original trilogy compared to the two games that came after it. Granted, every mainline entry is split up between investigative phases and court trials, but Apollo Justice’s debut was, and still is, a 2D affair, save for a few sections where you examine evidence in 3D.

As you’d expect, the original artwork and sprites have been remastered for high-definition displays, and while I’ll always miss the pixelated look of the original, it’s hard to deny how slick this one looks when blown up on a big screen with proper support for 16:9 aspect ratios. It goes without saying; even fifteen years after its original debut, Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney still impresses. Unlike its predecessors, this one throws you right into the deep end with its tutorial case, weaving together several unanswered questions that are slowly unraveled throughout the subsequent three episodes. Apollo’s ability to “perceive” when witnesses are lying makes for interesting moments, with a suspect’s nervous twitch or tick often tying directly into their testimony. And of course, this game introduced us to the iconic Papa Phoenix. What’s not to love?

(Photo Credit: Capcom)

The other two games in this trilogy — Dual Destinies and Spirit of Justice — bring about some of the biggest changes the series has seen. For starters, the pair are the first games to feature fully-rendered 3D environments and characters, eschewing the tried-and-true sprites and fixed camera angles for a more dynamic, modern look. Having originally launched on the 3DS, this shift in visual style was met with mixed reception. The most diehard purists will likely not be swayed by these remasters, but the move to more powerful hardware lets Capcom’s artwork and animations truly shine. If you were ever put off by Dual Destinies and Spirit of Justice’s low-res presentation on the 3DS, the Apollo Justice trilogy might just sway your opinion with the bump in resolution.

Speaking of Apollo Justice, while he certainly plays a key role across all three of these games, he takes a bit more of a backseat in Dual Destinies and Spirit of Justice. Not only does Phoenix Wright return as a playable character, but newcomer Athena Cykes has joined the legal team. Where Phoenix and Apollo used their mystical magatama and bracelet to deduce when someone is being less than truthful, Athena makes use of an AI companion and a program dubbed the “Mood Matrix,” letting her pick up on subtle emotional cues and finding discrepancies between what a witness’ testimony and their emotional state. It’s a welcome addition (and thankfully, one that isn’t overused) that adds a new layer to the franchise’s tried-and-true trial and interrogation mechanics.

Spirit of Justice also makes use of each of the protagonist’s special abilities, while also throwing another wrinkle into the mix — Divination Séances. The original trio of Ace Attorney games had several plotlines centered around spirit mediums and communicating with the dead, but Spirit of Justice fully embraces this idea with Divination Séances, which lets you see the final moments through the eyes of the murder victim. If all of this sounds a bit off the wall, that’s because it is, though the devs do try to make it all sound plausible. While previous games in the franchise featured an interesting hodgepodge of Japanese culture thrown into an American setting, Spirit of Justice takes place abroad in the Kingdom of Khura’in, which itself is heavily inspired by the Eastern Himalayas. It took well over a decade, but Spirit of Justice does go out of its way to at least justify the series’ (sometimes) bizarre mix of criminal justice and spirit channeling.

(Photo Credit: Capcom)

Even though I’ve played every game in the Ace Attorney series (many of them more than once), it’s hard not to be enamored with what the Apollo Justice trilogy offers. Being able to relive the trials and tribulations (pun intended)of Phoenix and company without the friction of having to dig out aging handheld systems or emulate on PC is a godsend, and the numerous quality-of-life additions and bonus pack-ins are icing on top of the cake — along with a bevy of art assets and soundtracks to look over and listen too, all of the DLC costumes and episodes from the 3DS games are included, alongside an animation studio where you can throw together your own vignettes using character models, animations, in-game music, and voice lines.

If there’s one criticism I think will be levied against this new collection of games, it’s that, at the end of the day, it’s simply more of the same. Series diehards and more casual fans will undoubtedly find a lot to like here, and I certainly hope it’s a sign that we’ll be seeing much more of the Ace Attorney franchise in the coming years. For those who weren’t sold on the original trio of Phoenix Wright games, this second collection won’t do much to sway your opinion.

More of what you loved about the first three Ace Attorney games
An excellent showcase of writing, music, and unique characters
New quality of life features and bonus content
All three games are decidedly linear, making it easy to get stuck on a single puzzle
Some assets and cutscenes don't look as sharp when blown up to 4K

Disclosure: Review copy was provided by Capcom.

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Alan Wake 2 Review (PS5): Lost in the Dark Place

Michael Leri — Tue, 31 Oct 2023 12:25:28 +0000

Alan Wake has been tirelessly tapping away at his typewriter for over a decade in an effort to pump out the perfect follow-up to his hit Alex Casey series. A sophomore slump would do more than sink his career since it, thanks to the Dark Place, would also doom everyone he holds dear.

Following up on success is a tough responsibility and something that developer Remedy Entertainment knows all too well with Alan Wake 2. Alan Wake has been trying to develop his new series for as long as the studio has been trying to make Alan Wake 2, creating a fairly obvious and meta-parallel between creator and creation. But 13 years was not enough time to polish off a fitting sequel, as Alan Wake 2 is a buggy and frustrating title that falls well short of what Remedy is capable of.

Remedy’s experience making action games has unexpectedly not translated well to Alan Wake 2 in its descent into the action horror genre. Alan and Saga, the other protagonist, move and shoot like they are in a Resident Evil game but without the nuance and fluidity that make those Capcom-developed titles adept shooters. Dodging is not reliable and often fails to effectively weave through shovel swipes and flying sickles (the latter of which can fly through solid objects and can’t be shot out of the air). Readying items and switching between them is a sluggish process that seems even more sluggish when trying to frantically heal in the midst of combat, a futile task that often ends with being pounced on by a blade-wielding cult member.

Its gunplay may look like Resident Evil 4’s, but it absolutely is not that smooth.

Aiming at these enemies is also a chore because of how often they fly off-screen or warp forward to get in a cheap slash or three. It’s doubly frustrating in the game’s many pitch-black areas where darkness and its many effects obscure the action and twist tension into tedium. Burning away a foe’s outer layer of darkness is also meant to build tension as it tacks on one more step to worry about in the middle of combat. However, it’s just another repetitive aspect that never grows or changes and only demonstrates how shallow it all is.

Alan Wake 2 fumbles the “action” part of its status as an “action horror” game, yet its failures in the horror department are far grander. Its penchant for darkness spotlights how incredible Alan Wake 2’s lighting is — it’s a stunning mix of moody neon signs, reflective surfaces, and natural sun rays — but it doesn’t utilize that tech to ratchet up the terror. The horror is only implied through the narrative and doesn’t show up in the gameplay since it doesn’t use the environment or enemy spawns to frighten players. Instead, almost all of its scares are hacky live-action clips that sharply blare the audio and take up the whole screen in a desperate attempt to catch the player off guard.

Alan Wake 2 prioritizes these embarrassing, Bloober Team-esque jump scares instead of creating an atmosphere where unpredictability naturally evokes dread. The ghosts that show up in Alan’s half of the campaign that have players second guessing which ones are harmless and which ones are hostiles seem like a decent realization of this notion but are overused and never change, thus dulling their impact. Not even its infrequent checkpoints can sow fear in the player since losing 15 minutes of progress is only infuriating when bugs or unfair deaths are the cause.

The bizarre live-action scenes are usually the best parts.

Remedy has almost always been able to use its storytelling abilities as a shield against lackluster gameplay, but Alan Wake 2’s narrative can’t bear that load. The studio’s affinity for absurdity and mystery shines in the early stages, though, as off-kilter talk show segments and a constant barrage of new questions leave a breadcrumb trail that’s impossible not to follow. Its use of live-action scenes not only accentuates the team’s style but also helps reinforce how silly it all is and ties into the meta layers of the story. Writer and director Sam Lake’s roles in the game strengthen its metaphors for the ups and downs of the creative process and how art is both a struggle and a healing power, all of which is beamed through a twisted Lynchian lens.

Alan Wake 2, however, lacks follow-through. It uses Dark Place magical bullshit to explain away more than a few of its mysteries instead of properly building up convincing justifications. Not everything in Alan Wake 2 needs to make perfect sense; that’s not what Remedy’s brand of weirdness is about. Control — the team’s magnum opus — and Alan Wake gave players incomplete pictures and were not always chained to logic.

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The main difference here is quantity. Alan Wake 2 presents all these enigmas and then is unconcerned with giving satisfying answers to most of them. It loses its bearings as it ventures deeper into the depths of its riddles and sinks when it becomes clear in the last act that it isn’t concerned with anything but vibes and setting up a future game. Its finale is emblematic of these shortcomings since it offers no cathartic release and only raises more questions, a bold move for a sequel that took 13 years to come out.

Alan Wake 2 Review: Final Verdict

Those 13 years should have led to something better, and it’s surprising that they haven’t. Alan Wake’s gunplay has gone from dull to frustrating in the sequel, while its venture into true survival horror has been plagued by predictability and amateurish jump scares. Its narrative has a few memorable moments and is able to periodically use its outlandish antics to its advantage, yet it is still dragged down by its refusal to provide enough rewarding resolutions to its litany of riddles. Alan Wake 2 doesn’t improve on what made the original such a cult hit and is instead an uncharacteristically rough draft that needed more edits. It’s not a lake or an ocean. It’s a disappointment.

Beautiful visuals with some stunning lighting
A unique blend of well-acted live-action scenes and traditional video game cutscenes
Awful checkpoints
Clunky combat and cheap jump scares make gameplay a chore
The story lacks a rewarding ending and is often weird just for the sake of it
Buggy

Disclaimer: This Alan Wake 2 review is based on a PS5 copy provided by the publisher. Played on version 1.000.005.

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Ghostrunner 2 Review (PS5): Running in Place

Michael Leri — Mon, 23 Oct 2023 15:00:00 +0000

Ghostrunner captured the fantasy of being a cyborg ninja better than any other game before it. Its trial-and-error nature could be taxing, but it trained players to perform its many acrobatics in one smooth motion like a “real” cyborg ninja. Momentum defined that cyberpunk parkour game. However, that momentum hasn’t fully transferred to its sequel, Ghostrunner 2. Instead of fully darting forward, it opts to slow down both literally and metaphorically, which keeps this follow-up from reaching a new top speed.

Ghostrunner 2 is able to keep some sort of pace with its predecessor by having many of the same moves. Outside of a few rare and understandable quirks, its smooth controls ensure that it’s always possible to slow-mo dodge, wall run, dash, slash, slide, and grapple around its elaborate urban jungle gyms. Chaining these together perfectly to get through a tough section by mere inches is a rush that often only comes after failing a few times. Generous checkpoints, instant restarts, and the tight controls mean that it is never frustrating and, as was previously stated, allows players to feel more like an adept cyborg ninja.

This also applies to the arenas with enemies that are more akin to puzzle challenges than combat ones. Figuring out how to most efficiently slash everything to ribbons without taking a single bullet is tricky but often open enough to allow for some player expression. Whereas platforming usually depends on nailing one route, these more violent sections are less linear and thus more liberating. Both halves require skill and reflexes to conquer but intelligently contextualize that thesis in their own ways. It’s one cohesive experience brought together by its fast-paced electronic soundtrack that often perfectly fits the action and cyberpunk aesthetic.

Ghostrunner 2 needed more tough cyber world tracks like this.

However, not many of these sections are as challenging as they were in the first game or its incredible expansion, Project Hel. Ghostrunner 2 is not an outright easy game, and most of its sections only require a handful of retries to get through. It lacks the tough gauntlets a sequel like this should have, ones that push skilled players and fully stress what its fluid controls can handle. Some of this challenge is relegated to its fantastic roguelike challenge mode, but the base game deserves more complicated sections that force players to improve.

Some of its relatively easiness stems from how many tools and scenarios it borrows from the first game; wall running across billboards and grappling to a platform isn’t tricky after spending a full game repeatedly doing that. The motorcycle and wingsuit seem like they are the tools to do just that, but aren’t properly utilized.

Traversing the wasteland is unexciting and has the game’s blandest visuals and music.

This isn’t clear during the first section with the motorcycle since it’s a stunning set piece that has players speeding through a narrow hazard-filled tube and then down the side of the massive tower where both games take place. Narrowly avoiding lasers, ejecting from and then grappling back to the bike, and blasting obstructions make it an adrenaline-pumping exercise that takes the core values of the parkour and gloriously applies them to a completely different setting.

But instead of only using the bike for explosive scenes like this, it mostly devolves into a means of traversing a boring wasteland. Its utility as a faster parkour machine is tossed aside in favor of being a normal bike. The wingsuit is similarly stunted. It’s the centerpiece in a handful of segments that add a whole new dimension to the platforming and show what’s possible, but Ghostrunner 2 simply doesn’t have enough sections like this. It’s also only introduced in the final hour or two, meaning it barely has any time to stretch its wings.

The story, to its detriment, isn’t just told through the radio this time.

Both shortcomings also feed into how much Ghostrunner 2 slows itself down to a crawl. A lot of its more intense sections are padded out with out-of-place puzzles or sequences that don’t have much else going on. The action is constantly interrupted with cutscenes and brief trips back to base where players are expected to talk to the two-dimensional side characters about the superfluous story.

Ghostrunner does movement better than most games, so it’s puzzling why it insists on branching out into areas it doesn’t specialize in. It doesn’t need an open wasteland full of mindless traversal, repeated treks back to headquarters, lengthy dialogue exchanges, or puzzles. Going into new territory is not a bad idea in theory, but it is questionable when those fresh ideas directly oppose the series’ core tenets. The fast platforming and action are excellent in Ghostrunner and almost everything that doesn’t support that actively impedes it.

Ghostrunner 2 Review: Final Verdict

Ghostrunner 2 goes against its programming by repeatedly slowing down, but it’s still made up of enough of its classic parts. Sprinting and dashing around the neon-lit city while cutting down its many cybernetic forces can be an empowering trip that’s only bolstered by its thumping electronic soundtrack. A strong core like this deserves to be expanded upon more robustly through its new and existing mechanics, which just isn’t the case here. Ghostrunner 2 has taken a few steps forward and a few steps back, but even though it is running in place, it’s still faster than most of its competition.

Fast-paced parkour is still a thrilling trial-and-error exercise that rewards execution
New additions like the motorcycle and wingsuit further expand the core set of tools
Electronic music thumps and matches the tempo of the action
Far too many story sequences slow down the flow
The motorcycle and wingsuit are underutilized
Too many sections are about puzzle solving or filler traversal and not fast parkour, especially the misguided parts outside of the tower

Disclaimer: This Ghostrunner 2 review is based on a PS5 copy provided by the publisher. Played on version 1.000.001.

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Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 Review (PS5): A Solid Package That Falls Just Short of Big Boss Status

Michael Leri — Mon, 23 Oct 2023 07:00:00 +0000

Metal Gear has resurrected all sorts of previously dead characters — Colonel Volgin, Liquid Snake, Big Boss — and now it is attempting the most ridiculous resurrection yet: Konami. The company is now trying to claw back some of the goodwill it had before divorcing with Hideo Kojima through nostalgia-fueled rereleases and remakes. Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 is the first example of this initiative meant to pander to players burned by Konami’s sinking standards. And while lacking in a few key areas, the bundle surprisingly rises above these rock-bottom expectations with its compilation of important games and lovingly composed extras.

Extras are what make packages like this more than just simple port jobs. All but one of the Metal Gear games comes with a Master Book with sections that speak broadly about the series and others that zoom in on the specific game in question. These chapters are extremely dense — anything attempting to explain Metal Gear lore would be — but it also lays it all out in a relatively easy-to-read manner with screenshots, Yoji Shinkawa’s classic art, and small symbols that clearly label what parts pertain to what installments. There’s even a long timeline with color-coded icons that separate fact from Metal Gear fiction, an exhaustive list of Easter egg guides, and full collectible walkthroughs, all of which add more richness to these supplemental materials. However, not being able to view these strategy guides while playing minimizes their usefulness.

The Master Book even speaks to Colonel Campbell’s prescient speech on disinformation.

Its ability to delve deeper beneath the surface is what makes this more than a simple throwaway PDF full of wiki entries. The Master Book also explains why these games were so important in their time, which is crucial for a celebratory collection like this. It goes into how Metal Gear Solid’s cinematic camera angles were revolutionary, the many details that made Metal Gear Solid 2 what it was, and Metal Gear Solid 3’s introduction of close-quarters combat, just to name a few. It misses some of the broader context, like the subversiveness of playing mostly as Raiden in MGS2, why there are two different Metal Gears, and MGS1’s ties to the PS1’s technology, but it’s still a pretty comprehensive digital tome on all things Metal Gear.

Those aren’t the only missing extras, though. Master Collection Vol. 1 has no video making-of features, a strange omission for a series with a few official documentaries. These would add variety to its text-heavy offerings and honor the important people who shaped the franchise. Some parts like the manuals, animated graphic novels, and half of the MGS1 versions are even annoyingly excluded from the initial download (and weren’t online before release). The Ape Escape crossover Snake vs. Monkey, Twin Snakes, the Game Boy Color version of MGS, and the 3DS remake of MGS3 are all also stuck in first-party prison and left as unplayable entries in the Master Book. Master Collection Vol. 1 has a generous suite of bonuses, yet its blind spots are noticeable; a shortcoming that was inevitable given the sheer volume of extras the franchise has accumulated over the years.

Here are all the fake saves players can implant for Psycho Mantis to see.

Some of the shortcomings related to the actual games seemed avoidable, given how many excellent retro collections from Digital Eclipse there are to draw from. Rewinding and save states should be a given for a package like this, but those features are inconsistently applied, if at all. Only the two versions of Metal Gear, Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, and Snake’s Revenge have not-so-quick quick saving and rewinding is nowhere to be seen. Metal Gear Solid also has neither feature.

Omitting contemporary luxuries like this makes these throwback titles harder to go back to. Games this old can be abrasive at times and not implementing these modern assists is only going to limit their appeal and who gets to experience these important titles. Metal Gear Solid at least lets players pause cutscenes and add fake save data for Psycho Mantis to sift through, both of which are thoughtful additions.

But it’s not possible to pause cutscenes in the other two MGS games for some reason and just shows how straightforward and sporadic these ports are. These are the exact versions from the 2011 HD Collection down to the resolution, frame rate, and the loading screen icon that’s just the old HD port’s logo. Bluepoint Games did a great job with those HD rereleases, but the bar has been raised in the ensuing decade. Save states and rewinding have become commonplace in that time and would cut down on the time spent reloading and navigating menus here.

While not without their faults, the Metal Gear Solid games are still unique experiences.

Even though most of these games don’t hide their age, it’s still clear why they have such a prominent place in gaming history. Metal Gear’s ability to mix off-the-wall humor and political drama creates unique stories that still stick out in the medium decades later, facets that are only aided by the fantastic cinematic presentation and voice acting. Kojima Productions’ commentary on nuclear politics and the endless war machine is still as sharp as ever and only proves how bold and ahead of its time the team was. The stealth gameplay may not be as fluid as recent entries in the genre — the fixed camera in the earlier games is limiting — but they are still full of small details and thrilling moments that only get better as the series progresses.

Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 Review: Final Verdict

Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 does not have everything that a modern collection should have. Its inability to ubiquitously implement modern features like save states and rewinding only keeps players from fully celebrating the history this compilation seems intent on celebrating. But the extras paint a decent portrait of its accomplishments by delving deep into its lore and speaking to almost every entry’s significance within the medium. And even though the actual games haven’t seen many improvements, they are still unique marvels generations later that lovingly balance quirky jokes and deadly serious diatribes about nuclear proliferation. The bundle largely captures what makes the franchise so beloved, even if some useful quality-of-life features have sneaked on by it.

The Master Book is organized well and full of valuable lore breakdowns and entries explaining each game's impact
The Metal Gear Solid games have, for the most part, aged well and still stand out
Quicksaving is inconsistently doled out and rewinding is nonexistent
The extras are text-heavy and contain almost no videos or making-of materials

Disclaimer: This Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 review is based on a PS5 copy provided by the publisher. Played on version 1.000.000.

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