Recent reviews by Ice

An absolute masterclass of writing.

walking simulator but sometimes you die

I would very much like it if we could get some other Papa Louie games on Steam : )

imagine mario party but it sucks

Given the price of this game and the it being the first one by these devs on steam, it is quite successful as a game. The game creates a sort of alien atmosphere and narrative right from the beginning. It is a strange, yet beautiful environment that you find yourself in. You are given free reign to explore a quite large world. There are also hidden areas that contrast with the starting world. In the end, it is an open world game where you can solve small puzzles and explore vibrant landscapes.

Pros:
Looks great, especially given the price
It is strange and odd in all the right ways, pushing that alien narrative
You can do whatever you feel like doing right after the very beginning
It is really interpretative as to what meaning is to be found, creating unique experiences

Cons:
The movement is a little strange and takes some getting used to
There are a few graphical bugs spread around that can take you out of the experience
There is not a set path for players to follow, so some players could get confused or disinterested

Overall, I think it is a positive game. There are some things which can be improved, but its a nice time for those looking for a causal or pretty exploration game.

It has been a while since I have been so thoroughly engrossed in a game. This game is stealthily addictive. Thought I would just play it for an hour or two to learn the ropes and ended up putting down 3 or 4 hours in my first session without realizing it. If you love to manage and micromanage, this is the game for you. This game is still getting regular updates so you can still look forward to getting more content in the future. Additionally, there is workshop support with great mods on there (including multiplayer). Overall, this is definitely one to get if you want to try many times to build up a civilization but end up way short of that 99% of the time.

This is a game from a series that needed to be shook up. Yakuza 6: The Song of Life was not necessarily a bad game, but probably worst or second worst in the main series. It wrapped up the story as best it could, which wasn't that bad, and put our characters to rest.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon had to create a new experience with new characters, none of the old ones to prop it up. They went big, bold, and original. It has paid off in all the best ways.

The first game in the series to be turn-based, the biggest and first major change of note. You don't get to go out and pound hordes of enemies with previous skill. You need strategy now. They worked this turn-based style into the main character Ichiban Kasaga.

Speaking on Ichiban, he is a wonderfully written, developed, and likable character. If anyone could be an heir to the Yakuza name, it would be Ichiban. He goes through his story with all his heart and makes a new thing a good thing.

The battle system is well developed and thought out. It has lots of little things here and there that make it something you can learn something new in every day. All of your party members are unique people and can all be utilized in one way or another.

The side games are new and fresh. You can go play Mario Kart, fill out your Pokedex, run a million dollar business, develop bonds with your friends, fight in battle towers an dungeons, and collect cans in a Monkey-Ball like way. All the classics are here as well: golf, baseball, darts, karaoke, gambling, arcades, and more.

The music is also unlike previous games. They mix in new elements of electronic instruments while keeping and expanding upon their traditional instrument orchestra. The music always fits the events happening and adds to the emotion.

Your enemies and other forces are real, understandable people. They have motives, ideas, and schemes that are plausible and make sense for the person they are. The conflict is real and has high tension. The plot is properly paced and develops the characters as people, as well as the world it takes place in. From start to finish, this story is something that will keep you interested and invested in.

Overall, whether a new player or longtime fan of the series, you will find many things to like in this game. You probably should play the previous games (0, 1, and 2 at a minimum), but if you are new it is still something you can thoroughly. This silly, serious, exciting, somber, explosion of all-around developmental talent is well worth a shot. I eagerly await the next installment of the Yakuza series, whatever form that may take.

To start off, I do think the base price tag of $50 is a bit much, especially given how old the game is. I would wait for it to go on sale.

The game starts off pretty slow story-wise, as it establishes the characters in play for the game. You play as 2-5 characters in any given chapter. Each chapter is divided into 1 hour blocks where you make decisions that create branching paths on an overall timeline. Once you get past the first 2 chapters, you will find the game picks up very quickly. The story gets very engaging and exciting after the slow start, and it will keep you coming back to find out just what is going on. It was a very well written, fun experience.

There is a good amount of bonus content in the game as well. I beat the base game in under 30 hours and found more than 5 hours of extra content. There is a lot of game play here, but I found most of the bonus stuff to not hold my attention as well. Some of it was good, but most of it just did not match what was played in the base game, tonal or otherwise.

I really enjoyed the use of FMV here, as real actors are able to bring a great deal of realism and immersion to the game being played. Every character you play as are unique, well written, and overall great. I did not dislike any branch or character in any part of the game, a great feat by the writers I would say. They all have fun and developed stories that make each one a treat.

Other than the lackluster after content, I found this to be a wholly great game. My advice is to get this under $20 and get your way through the first couple of chapters if you find yourself getting bored. Phenomenal game that you should really play if you like the visual novel, mystery, or Spike Chunsoft catalogs.

There are small changes to this game from the original, some which affect game play and some which don't.

There seems to be a few sound effects missing from the game such as hitting certain objects and fish, defacing Squidward's self-portrait, passing through gates, etc.

The movement seems a bit slower for both playable characters and enemies, making combat somewhat easier.

Jump positioning can be more finicky when fighting, especially bosses which require somewhat precise jumping.

Jumping is always max height, making jumps more consistent.

Hints displayed for every stage of every boss fight, kind of holds your hand in this aspect.

I've gotten stuck in the ground in Downtown Bikini Bottom and had to load back in.

Camera can sometimes display oddly when in more enclosed spaces.

The mouthing of characters can be off during many conversations, but perfect in others.

It seems like the general dialogue when exploring has been changed on when it queues with less variety.

You get markers of where hits will land on bosses and projectile based enemies now, making combat easier.

Spongebob's abilities like bubble bowl are easier to maneuver.

Patrick's throw ability now has lock-on targeting for going up platforms, making it much easier to use.

The slope/sliding portions are now much easier to control your character on, even being able to go backwards for a bit.

Sandy's grappling ability has been changed a bit, where you have to hold down the ability button and it guides you along paths to a much greater degree.

The final fight in the game against Robot Spongebob now has checkpoints, making it a much easier fight.

Lastly, the change to the scale of Mr. Krabs golden spatula trade has been made to be 3000 on the first level and increasing in increments of 3000 up to 24000 shiny object on the last one. It adds a monotonous grind for those last shiny objects which just feels boring as an artificial increase to game play length.

Given all of these differences, it is still an overall great game, albeit even easier to beat now, and it is something all fans of Spongebob should give a shot. It looks really good, bright and colorful, and plays at 1920x1080, 144fps easily. The soundtrack is phenomenal as before and all the original voice actors for the characters shine through wonderfully. It is a good game and a great addition to the Spongebob franchise.

For being the 4th installment with the same core mechanics, it still manages to keep me interested in the story and game play. If you have played the previous games, I wholly recommend giving this one a shot. My only complaint with this is the length, however. It seems much shorter than the other games in the series. Full price may be a difficult sell, but on sale, it is a great game to pick up.