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« Last post by broodwars on August 10, 2025, 12:50:38 PM »
I have finished 2 games:
Resident Evil 5 (PS4) - Every once in a while, I like to replay an RE game to scratch that "horror shooter" itch, and I've been meaning to replay this one for a while now, as well as "the good version" (allegedly) of RE6. Having Platinumed this game once again, I have to say that this might be the most replayable game in the series from a pure mechanical perspective. The game's not the least bit scary, the difficulty scaling's all over the place, and the plot is just plain stupid, but it sure is fun to shoot these enemies in the face over and over again as you farm for treasure and higher difficulties.
RE5 does not give a **** what you need or want to do to complete it. Ran into a rough spot in the main game and you're low on ammo? Sure, you can replay an easier early level to replenish your stock. The devs don't care. Want to replay just a single chapter of the late game on other difficulties? Hey, it's your game. Go nuts. It's a very liberating game in that respect. Yes, there are FAR better RE games, but I can't think of any other game in the series that lets you play it however you want.
Donkey Kong Bananza - Finished this one last night, and considering this game was the entire reason I bought into the Switch 2 early I'm sad to say this game is just "good". It's not "great". It's kind of the quintessential 7.5 or 8 out of 10, largely because the game is so goddamn easy and takes so long to get interesting. IMO, the first 1/3 of the game is incredibly dull, because the only mechanics the devs decided to work with early on was "punch wall" and "punch floor". I'm sorry, but I didn't find the countless forgettable moons worthwhile in Odyssey, and I don't find the similar Bananas much better here, even if they do feel less random.
It doesn't help that the game will go to great lengths to build potentially interesting setups to Bananas, only for me to inadvertently smash through the back entrance through a wall or ceiling because I saw them on my radar and the radar doesn't distinguish between Bananas you're MEANT to tunnel through and ones you're meant to overcome an obstacle to get. The game starts designing Banana challenges surrounded by impenetrable material in the later areas, but by that point it's too little too late.
As the game goes on and it starts layering new materials with special properties and Bananzas with special abilities, it does get a LOT better but I don't find this entire "big open area with dopamine hits every 5 seconds" design particularly satisfying. I prefer the older Nintendo/Rare style of collectathon where the major collectables were few in number but memorable and challenging.
At least the game ends in a particularly memorable fashion, though I don't think I'll bother with the post-game. I didn't really bother with it in Odyssey, either. I just don't feel any compulsion to replay areas I've already spent hours in just to do more busywork.
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