Cyberpunk 2077 critique -- Spaghetti Mage

 

I’ve never seen a game get raked over the coals after launch quite like Cyberpunk 2077.  I know it was quite a buggy game, but did it deserve this?  I have seen and played plenty of buggy games.  It only bothers me when the bugs are so severe that it prohibits you from playing the game.  I had that experience with a Lord of the Rings game several years ago.  The bug prevented you from entering a boss fight, so your game was over at that point.

I bought Cyberpunk and played it on the PS5.  It’s a beautiful game, and the realism of the city is amazing.  I chose a Corpo character background, and specialized myself with pistols and katanas.  I also poured some points into stealth.

I just finished the ending to Cyberpunk.  There are many endings, but the option I chose was giving Johnny command of your body so Rogue and him could storm Arasaka.  

The main story involving Johnny Silverhand is amazing, and it was so very cool having Keanu Reeves in your head for every quest.  Some of the commentary is quite comical.  I even got to rock out with Samurai!!!

Overall, I think the stuff Cyberpunk does good, it does incredibly good.  The interaction and storylines are very good.  Driving around town (I recommend it over fast traveling unless the distance is extreme) allows the player to really take in the depth of the city.

Unfortunately, besides the main quest and some side quests, there isn’t a lot of depth to the rest of the game.  The gig quests get very repetitive.  The size of the city is so massive and beautiful, yet you only really engage certain parts of it.  I ignored most of the ongoing assaults in the game.  I never really used much crafting either.

 

In addition, the game gives you really cool toys to play with, but you never really get to use them much.  In Panam’s story, you get a really cool tank, yet I think you have 1 mission to actually use it.  Why??  I didn’t get the Skippy pistol till late in the game.  There are just a lot of areas that game could improve on. 

It’s a great story surrounded with a lot of baggage.  Parts of the game like the main storyline get an A+.  Other parts are just lacking.  And then there is the massive bugginess…

I did really enjoy playing it though.  I will miss Johnny Silverhand rocking out in my brain.

 

 

 

Code Vein critique -- Spaghetti Mage

 

 

Code Vein is a Souls-type game set in a strong anime visual theatre (including big……battles…..).  If you like the Souls-type games, but you’re looking for something new because you’ve beaten the Cleric Beast or the Asylum Demon 5000 times, this is worth playing.

I think there were things Code Vein did well, and other aspects where the game flopped.  One of the areas the game flopped was the levels themselves.  Many games from the Souls series (Bloodborne included) provide levels where you pop out at a very scenic view, and can often times actually see features of the world you are traveling through.  It’s a facet of exploring that the Souls series pulls off very well.  Code Vein’s levels are very maze-like, and often a chore to navigate.  The Cathedral of Sacred Blood in particular was extremely painful.  I must have used over 100 chemical lights to try and keep my bearings.

The storyline is actually compelling, and the way you learn more about each character, their background and their situation, by traversing their memories is done well.  The characterization is pretty good; I felt like I actually knew the characters by the end of the game.  The Souls series is kind of the opposite of this, done on purpose, to provide a feeling of vague mystery, so it was nice to see a Souls-type game with a little more clarification as to where the plot is heading and who the main players are.

I also liked the different blood codes in the game.  There are lots and lots of different blood codes; I really didn’t get a chance to try them all.  It adds a lot of flexibility and replayability to the game.  On my first play through, I gravitated towards the ISIS blood code with a maxed out Nagimukuro Fortification +10 weapon and Imperial Raiment +10 armor.  The sword packed a punch.

Overall, I enjoyed Code Vein.  The story and play were enough to keep pushing through the maze-like levels.  I think the story is set up well for a sequel too.  What ARE the monsters that the red mist was keeping away?  There is definitely more to the mystery, and I would gladly play a Code Vein 2 if it came out in the future.

Thoughts on Bloodborne -- Spaghetti Mage

 

“The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown.” -- H.P. Lovecraft

So…I faced off with Gehrman, refused to sacrifice myself, fought and defeated him, and got hugged by the Moon Presence just before I defeated it.  Afterwards I am assuming I ascended and turned into a cute squid for the doll lady! Very exciting!

Once you dive deep into the Souls series and explore the games out there as I have, coming late to the party, you see a continual progression of games.  Demon’s Souls lead to Dark Souls, which spawned two more games, Dark Souls 2 and 3.  However, you spot one game, Bloodborne, that sticks out as an oddity.  It’s a sidestreet to the Souls series that takes you to a new gothic world of the Great Ones, where hunters roam the streets in a waking nightmare.

I can see why many people think this game is the best of the Souls games. The world is encapsulating, not that the other Souls game are lacking, but there is something special about Bloodborne.  The HP Lovecraftian vibe and feel throughout the game is very enriching; the game sucks you in to the bloody darkness around every corner. 

The boss fights aren’t simply boss fights, they are art, where you engage the bizarre accompanied by incredible music that enhances the dreadfulness or mystery of the experience.  When you first drop down to fight Rom the Vacuous Spider, it is such a bizarre experience that is visually stunning and incredible; I will never ever forget this boss fight.  It is ingrained in my memory.  Chasing Micolash (which is actually one of the easiest bosses in the Souls games) through foggy corridors while distorted insane piano music is playing is amazing.

If you have played Souls games and rely on blocking with a shield, this game breaks you of that habit; it teaches you to parry.  I like the concept of the trick weapons too; it creates a lot of versatility in fighting.  My preference for my first playthrough was Ludwig's Holy Blade. 

My one complaint about Bloodborne is I feel the player doesn’t get enough cool weapons till later in the game.  I feel like they chose to remedy this in the DLC: The Old Hunters.

The storyline is mysterious, but a little vague and can leave you a little confused as to what’s going on.  I actually searched youtube to find a good synopsis of the story.  This guy does a good job at putting it all together:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjWOy6ioVHI

Overall, I really really hope FromSoftware and Hidetaka Miyazaki decide to keep exploring further in this world of Yharnam and the Great Ones.  Bloodborne is by far one of the best Souls games and might be the best of the Souls genre.  Give us more Bloodborne!!!