Recent reviews by Cynic 0055

(Reviewed for my Steam 2022 Awards Badge... I will come back & do I real review after I get 100%/release my Achievement Guide...)

A Cynical Review: Blasphemous

Is There A Plot?:
You are the Penitent One, bearer of the Mea Culpa. Carve your way through Cvstodia in the name of the High Wills & find true penitence in silence.

Is This Even Fun?:
Blasphemous is the beautiful cross between the platforming style of a Metroidvania game & the brutal combat of a Soulsborne game. Blasphemous is the one of the very few Soulslike game to actually set itself apart & be its own original deal. The Soundtrack is absolutely incredible & unforgettable with extremely addicting, though at times punishing, gameplay.

100% Achievements:
There are 46 Achievements to be earned in Blasphemous. Earning 100% may take a bit of dedication; for the most part the Achievements just pertain to completion & Collectible hunting. The most challenging of the Achievements, Requiem Aeternam, will require you to complete all 10 Boss battles in the game without using any of your healing items which will take some real skill. For more information, check out my 100% Achievement Guide: Blasphemous on Steam.

Is It Worth Buying?:
I highly recommend Blasphemous to any fan of the Soulsborne series, even if Metroidvanias are not really your style. Blasphemous is an amazing experience in every way & is in my top 10 games of all time!

10/10

A Cynical Review: Plants vs. Zombies

Is There A Plot?:
You are just a simple homeowner when the zombie apocalypse arrives. With the help of plants that resemble Pokemon & a bearded man with a pot on his head, you must prevail & keep them Zombies off your lawn!

Is This Even Fun?:
Plants vs. Zombies is a grid based-tower defense game where you of course, use animate plants against zombies. Every plant has its own purpose & each zombie type has their own strengths & weaknesses. It is a very simple game… pretty sure meant for children. But it is quite fun & will give you a good 20-30 hours of fun.

100% Achievements:
There are 21 Achievements to be earned in Plants vs. Zombies. Overall, this is not a hard game to 100%. Most of the Achievements come from completion & just by grinding coins for purchasing specific items. For more information, check out my 100% Achievement Guide: Plants vs. Zombies on Steam.

Is It Worth Buying?:
Plants vs. Zombies is a simple, pick up & go tower defense game. It isn’t worth going out of your way for, but is not a bad way to waste some time.

6/10

A Cynical Review: Portal

Is There A Plot?:
You are a test subject imprisoned by the Aperture Science Corporation. As Chell, you must complete a series of test using the esteemed Portal Gun, that increase in difficulty… until you earn your cake.

Is This Even Fun?:
Portal is a very fun puzzle based game that really shows off Valves fantastic physics & movement engines. The main antagonist is scripted very well & is extremely quotable.

100% Achievements:
There are 15 Achievements to be earned in Portal. The first 12/15 are not very difficult at all to achieve though it will require two playthroughs of the Main Story. The last 3 Achievements however, are very hard as it requires earning Medals (up to Gold) on all 18 Portal Challenges. For more information, check out my 100% Achievement Guide: Portal on Steam.

Is It Worth Buying?:
Portal is a fantastic game that offers a very unique experience that no other game has been able to replicate. If you enjoy puzzle-based games, then Portal is definitely for you.

8/10

A Cynical Review: Half Life 2 – Lost Coast

Is There A Plot?:
Lost Coast a side Chapter that takes place around the same time as the Highway 17 Chapter in Half Life 2. The Combine have taken over a Byzantine style church along the coast & Freeman must liberate it. This side Chapter was used by Valve as a show case for their high-dynamic-range rendering. The vistas look great!

Is This Even Fun?:
This side Chapter is extremely short & can be completed in under half an hour even on the Hardest Difficulty. It is definitely still a Half Life game however & is still quite fun despite its length.

100% Achievements:
There are no Achievements to be earned in this game.

Is It Worth Buying?:
I would not go out of my way to purchase this, but if it came with your Half Life Complete Bundle, I would definitely give it a play. It is still a Half Life game!

7/10

Is There A Plot?:
Arkham Asylum is a very linear game: Joker does something bad, stop the Joker from doing something bad. While it is not really complicated… it is not a bad story either. Arkham Asylum uses a lot of dark undertones in their story telling, giving us a gritty Batman experience similar to our beloved Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight. With many guest cameos from our favourite Batman villains to boot as well.

Is This Even Fun?:
Gameplay is quite fun in this game, though somewhat unpolished. Its combat is very similar to the Combo/Counter based fighting style you find in the Shadow of Mordor or Mad Max games. While this is a very cliché thing to say about a super hero game, Arkham Asylum really makes you “feel like the Batman".

100% Achievements?:
Unlocking 100% of the Achievements is definitely doable in this game. It will require a 100% Completion playthrough as well as a separate playthrough on Hard Difficulty (though these can technically be done in the same playthrough). The most difficult part of unlocking all Achievements is the Challenge Mode, requiring you to really excel at the stealth tactics & combat in the game. Check out my 100% Achievement Walkthrough, A Cynical Guide: Batman – Arkham Asylum for more details.

Is It Worth Buying?:
This is a great game to play, if nothing less than to give you the backdrop for the sequel Arkham City which is the best game in the series! Besides, who doesn’t want to play as Batman?! I’M BATMAN!

7/10

Is There A Plot?:
The plot of Nier – Automata is divided across three playthroughs. The first two playthroughs are mirrors of one another & you play through the same events as two different characters. The third playthrough is a sequel to the events of these playthroughs & essentially feels like Nier – Automata 2, but unlike EA, Nier's creators included it in the game as just more content. The story telling in Automata is phenomenal, & one of the best I have seen in a game, period.

I highly recommend playing through the game with Japanese voice dubs on. The game will play like a high octane anime. One of the main characters, 2B, is voiced by Yui Ishikawa who voices Mikasa Ackerman in Attack on Titan; what more could you have asked?!

Is This Even Fun?:
If you are a fan of Souls-Like games, then Automata is right up your alley. This game is an amalgamation between Dark Souls, a 2D platformer, & a bullet storm shooter. It is fast paced, & very addicting. Combined with the classic elements of most JRPG’s, this game is very well done.

The only problem with Automata… is that it is a VERY bad PC Port. It isn’t that the game itself is bad, but that there are awful issues with your frame rate & screen tearing. The cut scenes seem to lag even though your computer could run the explosive gameplay just fine. Fortunately, there are fixes for it that will completely restore the game like it plays on consoles. For a hassle free fix, check out Kaladaien’s FAR mod.

100% Achievements?:
Unlocking 100% Achievements will either take you 30 hours or 100 hours. There are a lot of Collectibles, over 26 Endings, & you have to max out all 39 Weapons in the game which requires hours & hours of Material grinding. Or… you can just buy the Achievements with in game currency. That is right. If you beat all 3 Routes, you will unlock a Special Shop in Post Game where you can literally buy your Steam Achievements & they will unlock. If you are an Achievement purist however & that does not sit well with you, check out my 100% Achievement Walkthrough: Nier – Automata for more details.

Is It Worth Buying?:
If there were no fixes available for the abysmal PC port Square Enix did of this game, I would tell you with two thumbs down to not buy this game. Fortunately, that is not the case. This is an absolutely amazing game on so many levels. I truly recommend you try it out (once you mod it back to life that is...)!

10/10

A Cynical Review: Bioshock - Infinite

Is There A Plot?:
To say there is a plot is an understatement for this game. I have never played a shoot to date that has as good a story as Bioshock – Infinite. As a series known for its clincher plot twists, Infinite definitely takes the cake, almost guaranteeing a second playthrough out of it so you can fully understand the magnitude of its ending. An absolutely phenomenal story with incredibly written protagonists.

The two story based DLC Episodes, Burial At Sea, are amazing & create a cyclical nature to the Bioshock series. Burial At Sea will end, & Bioshock 1 will begin.

Is This Even Fun?:
Bioshock – Infinite plays very similarly to the first two games while always feeling fresh & unique. It is like Bioshock 1 meets Doom 4. The combat pacing is very fast & the range of Weapons & Vigors you are given is pretty broad. There is so much going on in this game for a linear shooter. It is more linear than the first two games. Your customization in the Weapons you can carry & bonuses you can equip are more limited, but more focused if that makes sense. You do get a companion that follows you around, Elizabeth, & her AI is amazing. I think most companions in future games should be based off her; she is incredibly useful!

The Burial At Sea DLCs change up gameplay a bit harkening back to the original Bioshock which is pretty cool. The third DLC, Clash In the Clouds, is an Arena based DLC which is only fun due to the strength of the fast paced, chaotic, combat in this game.

100% Achievements?:
Unlocking 100% of the Achievements is tricky… but possible. 79/80 Achievements are doable, some being harder than others. But there is one Achievement in the Clash In the Clouds DLC that is an absolute nightmare. It essentially requires you to complete 60 mini-Achievements with challenges ranging from simple to obscene. Good luck with that! Check out my 100% Achievement Walkthrough, A Cynical Guide: Bioshock – Infinite for more details.

Is It Worth Buying?:
Even if you have never played Bioshock 1 or 2, this is a game every true gamer should play. It has one of the best stories I have ever witnessed in a shooter, or most games in general. You must play this game!

10/10

Is There A Plot?:
Welcome back to Rapture. While not as gripping as its predecessor, Bioshock 2 still manages to deliver an interesting & worth while story. As the Big Daddy called Delta, we must search for our Little Sister & rescue her from the hands of those who would see to exploit her. The Minerva’s Den DLC also had a decent plot as well & is definitely worth playing through.

Is This Even Fun?:
The Bioshock series offers a unique experience in a shooter, blending FPS tactics as well as Plasmid usage allowing you access to a wide variety of abilities that can alter how you approach encounters. Bioshock 2 builds upon & improves the system designed in Bioshock 1. This is a very Trap heavy game, allowing you to control the battlefield & really prepare for encounters. This game does feel like a large DLC for the first game, however. There are no real differences in controls or in graphics, especially since we are still in Rapture.

100% Achievements?:
Unlocking 100% of the Achievements is very achievable in this game, more so than Bioshock 1. Aside from the 2 separate DLC Campaigns, all Achievements can be unlocked in a single playthrough of the game. Minerva’s Den will only require a single run as well, but the Protector Trials may need multiple tries. Check out my 100% Achievement Walkthrough, A Cynical Guide: Bioshock 2- Remastered.

Is It Worth Buying?:
If you enjoyed Bioshock 1, then picking up Bioshock 2 is a no brainer. Who doesn’t want to play as a Big Daddy?

7/10

Is There A Plot?:
The plot of Dragons Dogma, conceptually, is exceptionally epic... but how they deliver it is very underwhelming & poorly voice acted. You will appreciate its story a lot more in hindsight after beating the game than while you are actually receiving it. Story-telling, is not the strong suit of the game. What's worse, is that the plot is a shameless rip from the amazing manga series Berserk (the inspiration for Dark Souls). Though funnily enough, Berserks author Kentaro Miura adores Dark Souls & absolutely despises Dragons Dogma... so that should tell you something.

Is This Even Fun?:
We do not play the game for its narrative. We play it for the AMAZING gameplay. This is one of my favourite JRPG's ever made. Character customization & the shear volume of weapons, armor, & loot is insane. Combat is where the game truly shines with a very innovative & stream lined way of activating your Skills & attacks without sacrificing quality of life. As well, you fight some truly massive opponents & the game allows you to literally climb on them to attack their weak points. What is better then fighting a dragon? Climbing on a dragon to stab its eyes out! There is also a seamless NG+ system that pretty much lets you play the game in perpetuity; letting you redesign your character while carrying over all your Levels, loots, & gold. The one downside however, is that unlike Dark Souls, there is no spike in difficulty... so it does get stale pretty quick as you annihilate everything...

100% Achievements?:
Earning 100% of the Achievements will take 3 playthroughs of the game, & as a whole it is not too difficult. It can be grindy at times though; trying to get to Level 200 is the most time consuming part of it. Though there is a great way of farming a certain boss to get to it in a matter of hours.

Check out my 100% Achievement Guide: Dragons Dogma - Dark Arisen for more details...

Is It Worth Buying?:
If you enjoy RPG's in the slightest, then you should really enjoy this game. It is like a more high octane Legend of Zelda... without the plot & a lot more blood. For all its faults, this game is in my top 10 favourite RPG's & I truly recommend it to anyone who has never played it before. The final boss battle with The Dragon is one of the most epic boss battles I have ever played in a game!

8/10