Now Playing: Cereza and the Lost Demon

When I saw the announcement trailer for Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon I really wasn’t sure what to think. A spin off game in an entirely different genre with an entirely new visual style? But because I love the Bayonetta games so much and because I wanted to support the series I figured I’d pick it up and give it a go.

What I wasn’t expecting was for the game to become an early contender for my personal Game of the Year and a potential 10/10 score. Yes, that’s how good Bayonetta Origins is. It’s close to being a masterpiece. And it is, make no mistake, a Bayonetta game. It might not look like it. It might not feel like it when you first start to play. But it is.

The way the DNA, I guess, of the ‘core’ Bayonetta games is woven into Origins as you progress is nothing short of remarkable. From visuals, to sound, to dialogue to gameplay – you don’t realise it at first, but it’s all there and the deeper you go, the more prominent it becomes. The game not only serves as a fantastic stand alone prequel, but as a perfect companion piece to Bayonetta 3.

The visuals are unique and distinct and absolutely gorgeous. The animations are fantastic. And I love how the animations evolve over time to reflect the growing relationship between Cereza and the titular Lost Demon – Cheshire. The UI also changes to reflect this. And I need to highlight just how lovely the UI is when so many games these days seem to, at best, settle for a UI that’s bland, but functional.

Every aspect of Origins has clearly had a lot of thought and care put into it – the visuals, the animations, the art, the UI – in order to connect everything together into a beautifully cohesive experience. And the music? The music is, you might not be surprised to hear, also fantastic, as is the voice acting.

But it’s not just how Origins looks or sounds that makes it special. It’s how it plays. The game eases you into controlling both Cereza and Cheshire independently of one another in both exploration and combat. The pacing is, admittedly, a tad slow at the beginning, but once you’re past the opening, your gameplay progression in terms of new abilities, new areas and new skills is pretty much perfect.

I played Origins immediately after Metroid Prime Remastered and in my review of that game I said ‘It’s one of those few games that should really be studied by developers now and in the future for a perfect example of level design, player progression and gameplay pacing.’ And now I feel like Bayonetta Origins is another game that can be added to the list. That’s how impressive the pacing and progression is handled.

As you play you unlock new ‘forms’ for Cheshire which give you new exploration tools and unlock new areas. But these forms also give you new abilities within combat. The combat is fun and very good. I won’t say it’s great. Not quite. It might feel very simple at first but it does grow more complex over time as you unlock these new forms and encounter new enemy types.

The game does a decent job of introducing new enemies and mixing them up, forcing you to switch forms on the fly in order to destroy them more efficiently. But I do wish there was just one more layer or so added to the combat system as you progress. It just falls a little short of the complexity I was hoping for.

At the very end of the game you do get new mechanics, but only as part of the final boss fight. I can’t be too unhappy about that though because that whole fight is pretty f**king stellar. In fact, all of the boss fights in this game are really f**king good. They’re genuinely some of the most fun boss fights I’ve had in years and they’re all unique in the way they play.

We do need to talk about the map, though, which is easily the worst part of Origins and why it’s falling short of that 10/10 score. The funny thing is, you probably won’t ever use the map when you’re working your way through the game because the level design is fantastic and you always know exactly where to go next.

No, the problem is when you hit the post-game and if, like me, you want to see everything Origins has to offer and find all of those missing collectibles. Then you realise how f**king bad the map is. Why? The map is deceptive. And the last thing you want a map to be is deceptive. The map is misleading. It f**king lies. You want a game map to be easy to read and precise.

But the map in Origins often appears to show two paths connecting – only for you to realise they’re actually not and then you realise – to your annoyance – you’ve spent 15 minutes running in a big circle. The game also doesn’t annotate which exits on the local map lead into which nearby regions. This alone would solve a lot of the problems, but the game doesn’t do it (unless they patch it in).

This is a real problem because some collectibles in one region require you to access them through a path from another region, but because the exits aren’t marked, you don’t know for sure which region to start from.

I’m really glad I did take my time and collect everything though (and I’m not ashamed to admit, I used a guide for a few of them) because there’s some really cool stuff to see and unlock, including entirely optional, beautiful areas. There’s also a lot of cool, post-game stuff to unlock like new costumes for both Cereza and Cheshire. Oh, and there’s also a Jeanne focused mission which ties into Bayonetta 3.

In total, I probably spent about 20 hours playing Origins. I didn’t hit 100% completion because I didn’t play all of the Tir Na Nog time trials. The Tir Na Nog challenges are a fun addition to the game, but I do wish so many weren’t entirely combat focused because the puzzle ones are really good and I wanted more like those.

Overall, Bayonetta Origins is an absolutely fantastic game. Yes, it’s a very different kind of Bayonetta game but it is, without a doubt, a Bayonetta game at heart. If you’re a fan of Bayonetta as a character and the story surrounding her then this is a must buy. But even if you’ve never played a Bayonetta game before, this is still a game you should pick up and play. It’s an absolute masterclass in design from visuals, to sound, to animations, to gameplay pacing and progression.

Shame about that map, though.

9/10

Tears of the Kingdom: First Impressions

I’ve played The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom for about 12 hours and I’ve just completed the first dungeon so I figured I’d pull myself away from the game and share my initial (spoiler free) impressions.

I think it’s safe to say that if you liked Breath of the Wild, you’ll also like this because this is more BOTW. It’s a direct sequel and many features of BOTW carry directly into TOTK. Combat, cooking, korok seeds, shrines . . . all work (mostly) the same. Even the horses you had stabled in BOTW will transfer over to TOTK. Not your money though, unfortunately, or your perfectly completed Hyrule Compendium, which kind of sucks.

I understand that TOTK is designed for people who may not have played BOTW, and I understand the need to (literally) strip Link of gear, hearts and stamina at the beginning to reset everything for a new adventure, but I do kind of wish more stuff had transferred into TOTK from BOTW. Mostly I’m just salty about the Compendium.

The opening of TOTK is, structurally, almost identical to BOTW. You’ll begin in an enclosed tutorial area in which you’ll visit a handful of shrines and gain access to the key abilities you’ll need to complete your quest. Once you have those, you’re pretty much free to go where you want and tackle the content in any way that you want.

I would recommend following the main quest, at least at first, because your initial few missions will unlock your (essential) glider and the ability to reveal the map via the new sky towers. But, once those are out of the way, it’s really up to you. Like BOTW you’ll be directed to the four distinct regions of Hyrule each with a problem to solve but the order in which you tackle these is really up to you.

The game does suggest heading in one particular direction to begin so that’s the way I went. After retrieving one of my horses from BOTW I set out across the world, solved some shrines, explored some (new) caves, fused what looked like a dildo onto the end of my sword and eventually arrived at my destination and my first ‘dungeon’ and boss fight.

I say ‘dungeon’ but don’t expect a more traditional Zelda style dungeon. I’d say it’s closer to those than the Divine Beasts were in BOTW, but it’s still a more open ended approach to dungeon design that lets you use your abilities how you see fit to solve it. The boss fight was pretty fun too and felt uniquely themed and designed for this location. I’m assuming the other three bosses won’t just be a colour coded copy but their own unique thing. At least, I hope they are.

There’s a comfortable familiarity to TOTK and I’m really glad we’re getting a story that moves on from and builds upon the events of the first game. We get a chance to see how the world and characters have changed. I’m genuinely excited to return to locations from BOTW to see what’s new and to see what everyone has been up to.

But if you think this is just more of the same, you’re in for a shock. The world is bigger than before – much bigger – with new locations to explore both above and below. I won’t say more than that, but when you realise the scale of TOTK, it’s pretty f**king amazing. Nintendo must be f**king wizards to get this game running on a Switch.

The size of the world, the incredible draw distance, the realistic physics . . . and everything is so smooth and seamless. Yes, there are odd frame drops here and there but I can forgive those considering everything else. And your new abilities really do change everything. The way you fight, the way you traverse the world. They encourage creativity and I’m already seeing some pretty incredible creations being shared online. And laser dicks – because of course people will make laser dicks.

From a story perspective, I like what I’ve seen so far. It hits a lot of the same structural beats as BOTW, but it also builds upon those and I’m really curious to see where it goes. If it does follow the same pattern as BOTW then it may end being a little predicable, but maybe it won’t. Maybe it will surprise me.

Overall, I’m having a great time with TOTK but I don’t expect to finish it anytime soon. I hope to have the review up by the end of July, but we’ll see.

Now Playing: Metroid Prime Remastered

I played Metroid Prime when it originally released on the GameCube in 2003. I also played Prime 2 (also GC) and Prime 3 (Wii), although I don’t believe I actually finished 3. I don’t recall enjoying it as much as the previous games. That said, it’s been such a long time I don’t really remember much about these games at all and they’ve been on my ‘must play again’ list for years but I’ve just not gotten around to them.

But then they announced Metroid Prime Remastered which I wasn’t initially sure if I wanted to pick up given I still had the GC version sitting on my shelf, but with a very fair RRP and the prospect of playing the game with enhanced visuals and modernised controls, I figured if I was going to replay Metroid Prime, this would probably be the best way to do so.

As a remaster, I’d say Metroid Prime Remastered is a perfect example of how to do it right. The core game remains exactly as it was. They haven’t tried to ‘modernise’ the experience. There is, however, a choice between an original control scheme (sort of – it’s not like you’re actually playing with a GC pad) or a modern control scheme, which is how I chose to play.

The visuals are enhanced in high definition and honestly, it’s one of those moments where it’s such a good update that it kind of tricks you into thinking the original looked just as good . . . until you check out some videos of the original and remind yourself how drab and flat a lot of the environments look compared to the remaster.

I’d say the lighting is the most noticeable difference between the two visually. They did a fantastic job updating it, yet retaining the ‘feel’ of the original game. This remaster also runs flawlessly with no technical issues or bugs which doesn’t feel like something you can say very often these days although I won’t be giving it bonus points for doing so.

Okay, so as a remaster, this is a very good one. I guess the question now is: how does Metroid Prime as a game feel to play 20 years (oh god, I’m getting f**king old) after its original release? The answer, perhaps unsurprisingly, is that it’s still a fantastic and enjoyable game. It’s one of those few games that should really be studied by developers now and in the future for a perfect example of level design, player progression and gameplay pacing.

It’s kind of funny how unique Metroid Prime still feels to play, even today. It’s a first person shooter but it’s really focused on exploration and puzzles more so than shooting. In fact, the combat aspect of Metroid Prime is easily its weakest component. I think that was true at release and I’d say it’s even more true now.

The combat is . . . fine, at best. It’s not bad, but it’s never really engaging or exciting. There’s a good selection of enemy types and I do appreciate how the game mixes up enemies with specific weaknesses and gives you the ability to combine various weapons (such as freezing an enemy and then shattering them with a missile – although this actually works for pretty much everything and will likely be your go to combo of choice once you unlock the ice beam).

The boss fights are fine but nothing special. The last boss is a bit of a grind to get through. I guess the problem is that there’s nothing very clever about any of the boss fights which feels kind of weird when the game is so cleverly designed in every other way.

The level design, the way you unlock each new area in turn which leads to new weapons and equipment which then unlocks new pathways and new secret areas . . . and then new skills that open more. It’s tried and it’s tested game design but few – if any – games have done it as perfectly as Metroid Prime.

But the combat just isn’t as smart. Most fights take place in fairly small areas so there’s not a great deal of room to manoeuvre and honestly, most fights I just stood still and tanked the damage because it was just easier that way. So yeah, if there’s one aspect of Metroid Prime that’s kind of weak – both at release and even more so today – I’d say it’s the combat and boss fights.

The exploration though is great. The way areas evolve as you progress and unlock new abilities giving you new pathways and shortcuts for when you have to backtrack – which isn’t actually as often as I’d feared. The game is always pushing you in new directions. You’re always unlocking cool things that unlock more cool things.

And every time you stop and think there might be something hidden nearby, there nearly always is. I finished the game in about 12 hours with an 80% item completion rate, so I didn’t find everything and I’m honestly kind of amazed by that because I thought I’d been pretty thorough. But the thing is, you don’t need everything. But you try to find it purely because it’s fun.

The game does have a ‘nudge’ system (which you can turn off) to point you to your next objective, but for the most part, the game trusts that you’ll be able to figure things out on your own and find your own way. And you can, thanks to that perfect level design that uses subtle direction to push you onto the correct path, but not in a way that ever feels like you’re being railroaded down a linear track.

Overall, Metroid Prime Remastered is a very easy game to recommended for both new and old players. It’s a great example of how to do a remaster right, and the game itself still provides a very unique and enjoyable experience.

But I’m also going to be a little harsher on it than some other reviews I’ve seen because I do think the combat aspect of the game which, although certainly not the focus, is still a significant part of the experience and it was – and remains – its weakest component. And for me, that does drag the score down. That said, it’s still an excellent title and one I’d happily recommend.

8/10

Gallery: Sable

Now Playing: Sons of the Forest

By the time this review is posted, Sons of the Forest may have had an update or two that directly addresses some of the criticisms I raise in this review. But I can only review what I’ve got and, at the time of writing, there’s only been one substantial update to Sons of the Forest and the issues I raise still exist.

I said in my First Impressions post that Sons of the Forest, as a sequel, is a little disappointing and now, having played through the entirety of the current content, that’s still how I feel. As its own thing, Sons is . . . pretty decent, I guess? It’s certainly not bad and I can’t say I’ve not enjoyed the 30 hours I’ve put into it. As a sequel, however, it’s undeniably disappointing in its current state.

Even with an Early Access release I would have expected Sons to offer a similar level of content to the original game. A sequel should try to build upon and refine. I don’t mind a more iterative sequel but if it’s really just going to be more of the same, then it needs to be just as good if not better. Sons, currently, doesn’t really succeed at being an iterative sequel or something new.

That’s not to say it doesn’t try anything new – the key word being try. I like the idea of seasons but right now, they don’t mean anything. You just wake up one morning and there’s snow, and then ten or so days later you wake up and there’s not. There’s a new building system that allows a lot more creativity and freedom than in the original but, the problem is, it doesn’t offer as much variety of objects to build. It’s also, right now, entirely pointless. Building in Sons, whilst undeniably fun, is actually detrimental to your survival.

It makes you a target in a way that simply staying mobile and camping on the move does not. You don’t need a base for food or water when they are abundant within the world. You don’t need it for shelter from the cold or rain. And there’s no point building walls to protect you when the local cannibals / monsters can simply glitch through.

Walls also present a problem for your AI companions which is another neat – in concept – new feature but, once again, it just doesn’t really work at the moment. Kelvin often just ignores your orders because he spotted a cannibal or got stuck on terrain. If you tell him to stay he’ll follow you regardless. He also can’t open / close gates so you have to babysit him every time you need him to work outside your walls.

And then we have Virginia, the three armed, three legged lady who is initially wary of you, but then suddenly trusts you for no obvious reason. You can’t give her orders and she really just hangs around your camp, drops the odd item at your feet and continually beckons you to follow her to the same nearby point of interest. You can give her a gun, I guess, but every time I tried she couldn’t shoot for shit and the gun would eventually just disappear out of her inventory and return to mine.

Companion AI kind of sucks and the cannibal / monster AI isn’t much better. The cannibals were one of the most interesting parts of the original game so I was hoping to see a real expansion to their behaviour and interactions with the player in this sequel. But Sons doesn’t do anything interesting with the cannibals at all.

They work exactly the same in the sense that they start curious of you, before turning hostile and sending increasingly harder variations of cannibals / monsters to murder you. There’s no rival ‘tribes’ on the island competing for land, there’s no way to communicate or trade. They’re all just dumb cannibals that spawn in and attack you in groups regardless of what you’re doing.

And then we have the caves beneath the island which is where the original Forest turned from being a survival game, to one of horror. The cave systems in the original were extensive, complex and exciting. You could spend days under the ground exploring them, mapping their routes. In Sons, the caves are incredibly lacklustre in comparison – at least in this current build.

There are several ‘caves’ which are actually just single rooms with a few supply boxes in so I assume these are going to be expanded into full cave networks later? At least, I hope they are. Because at the moment, there are only really three major caves to explore and they’re all fairly short and very linear.

I do like the modern bunkers you can find in Sons, but these are all mostly copy / pasted environments and there’s really not much to them. In order to ‘complete’ the current build of Sons, you only need to visit those handful of caves – which are all located within a small area of the island – to retrieve a few key items.

Once you have them, it’s just a case of trekking right across the island to pick up the last key item you need before heading to the exit. So it does have an ending – sort of. It’s clearly not finished. I mean, it better not be finished because what’s here is f**king terrible and very incomplete.

This doesn’t bother me too much, however. In fact, I think they probably should have left the story stuff out of the game entirely until it had been properly fleshed out and instead focused purely on the survival elements, building systems and the cannibal / companion AI.

But they didn’t. They just gave us a really half-arsed story aspect that doesn’t even feel close to half finished. They also gave us a half-arsed survival system and half-arsed AI. Like I said, none of it is bad. I still enjoyed playing through it. But I’m not going to sit here and pretend it was good, either. There’s a lot more work needed on Sons before it can even be considered as good as the original game, let alone better.

But what I will say in its favour is that the potential is there. It can surpass the original with the right focus and updates. But, right now, I honestly can’t recommend it in its current state. I’d say it’s best to wait for those updates. I wasn’t sure if I should score Sons, given it’s in Early Access. But if they’re selling it, I’d say it’s fair game. I will, however, update this score over time if the game does improve. Let’s hope so, because I really would like to play this again when it’s more complete.

5/10

Suburban Killbot Year 11

I really need to get back to writing fiction this year. In fact, I’ve already started work on a new book but, with the new Zelda releasing shortly, I’m not sure if I’ll get much work done on it over the next month or so. I’m also still not sure if it’s a very good idea. Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.

It’s quite different to my other work and it’s going to require a lot more thought and planning. Don’t expect me to finish it anytime soon, if at all. I’m going to take it slow, draft more chapters and see if it’s actually going to work.

In other news my new PC is up and running but I think I’ve actually spent just as much time on my Switch this year and with Zelda incoming, I’ll probably spend even more. I should have my initial impressions ready to post in early June followed by a review in July. In the meantime I’ve got lots of reviews lined up and ready to go.

As always, here’s the updated mosaic of my top rated games –