Based on the review cycle and general sentiment online at release I was expecting simply an okay action game, I was not expecting close to what I got, an action game that combines the genres best bits from the last three console generations into one game.
There is one glaring flaw with the game, it's narrative polish and cohesion which as is feels lifeless and subpar because of flat VA, some archaic design choices such as locking the character in place during conversations and just a general vibe that doesn't translate to what they are going for here, a Neir Automata introspective, thought provoking story. It just doesn't hit it's beats. I have to imagine if you speak Korean this is a non issue as the game swept up 7 awards there recently at a big event.
That aside, well past the mid point of the game and tidying things up, I've played enough to know this has risen in the ranks of the genre for me to near the top. The game is a combination of the best pieces of the action genre, taken to form something that feels masterclass in many areas but mostly in the incredible core combat and brilliant progression. The exploration isn't just fun, it's meaningfully rewarding and it's refreshing to see puzzles return to the genre aswell as well as mini games. The small stuff like picking up items is given love in what seems to be an Eastern phenomenon, they just know where and how to polish the small stuff much like Death Stranding is held up by this method, so is this game. Little breaks between exploration like QTE set piece events feel familar and are done and placed perfectly. It feels like playing through so many different games in the genre over the past 20 years with so many elements taken and refined. And I'll just add...
- Level design is excellent.
- The visuals are impressive.
- The combat is stellar
- Progression is expansive and rewarding
- Unlocks are spread through the game evenly
- The old and new styles of combat blend perfectly
- Looting is immensely fun and rewarding
- Quest are many, a little repetitive but massively fun
- Loads of content for a game in this genre
- The music is strangely fitting and out of place at the same time creating a unique vibe
- Animation work is brilliant
- The stylish cutscenes are better than a DMC game
- It feels and looks so fucking cool
- The world is well built out and interesting
All the while, the game is home to probably the most attractive female character in gaming and leans into that providing some pretty revealing clothing options, it's unashamedly coated in sex appeal for no other reason than it just can and in an age where characters have to be ugllified which is now happening to both sexes, it's great to see. Outfits are entirely cosmetic and entirely optional with many cool looking suits that aren't sexually revealing at all and given early for those who want to avoid this aspect.
It is massively disappointing that they weren't able to stick the landing on the narrative, VA and general polish in that regard but what they have done is made an easy ten and one of the best experiences in genre. The developers Shift Up are doing a colab with Neir Automata in a few days and I would love to see them combine efforts to make a game in the future, thus game excels in all areas where Neir Automata falls short and fails in the areas Neir Automata does exceedingly well, they feel like the are two pieces of the same key and could easily create a best in genre game.
Absolutely masterclass stuff, I am gobsmacked as I have went back to reviews and when games series of the past which suffer the same issues of cohesion in narrative presentation which were largely overlooked but still hold scores worthy of the core game and where the game excels over its flaws such as the Metal Gear Solid series (Metal gear solud 5 ffs, a 10 for me but it has almost ecactly the same issue) it's a shame to see this hover at an 8/10 and get such low scores from some outlets, many 6/10's. Here's hoping Shift Up learn for the next game or Sony give them help where they fail in the narrative department or Yoko Taro provides the help needed. Sekiro, A game which clearly inspired this games most core combat design suffers the same issue with an English dub and was so much better received.
Let me know you own thoughts on this game, please. I feel like I'm going insane when I see scores so low.
Last edited by LegitHyperbole - 3 days ago
