Tag: capcom

Resident Evil 4

Perhaps Resident Evil 4 did not even need to go so far out of its way in order to reinvent the franchise’s gameplay. Maybe the title could have gotten away just fine by neatly replicating, with better visuals, what its predecessors had done. But the bottom line is that the bold decision to throw a considerable dose of action into the series’ well-established survival horror formula paid massive dividends, and thanks to that, the game is a rare case of a property that essentially defined a genre also finding a way to reinvent it significantly. However, ultimately, Resident Evil 4 is not great simply due to how it takes a big leap and lands successfully; it is excellent because whether it is daring players to shoot up the place or challenging them to face the impending horror on screen, it is always coming up with engaging scenarios as well as generating an immeasurable level of tension.

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by Matt

Duck Tales

As the first fruit of a collaboration that would go on to yield bright platformers and adventure games, Duck Tales was a very positive sign of what was to come. With it, Capcom used the wisdom of its talented development team to turn a famous Disney property into a very engaging gaming experience, and it is not hard to understand why the title not only succeeded in its time, but also remained beloved long after that era. After all, rather than settling for a competent but forgettable design, the studio perfectly translated the cartoon’s charm to pixels while sprinkling it with refreshing gameplay ideas. The result is one of the NES’ finest hours and a project that would go on to serve as an example for anyone trying to use popular television and movie characters as the inspiration for a game.

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by Matt

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney − Trials And Tribulations

Trials And Tribulations is a worthy conclusion to what is not just one of the Nintendo DS’ most beloved properties, but also one of the best franchises to ever hit a portable system. In Trials And Tribulations, players ought to find all elements that make the Ace Attorney saga so special: the cartoonish goofiness, the gripping mysteries, the tense courtroom events, the revealing investigation moments, the wacky characters, the brutal personal dramas, the moving human stories, the hilarious dialogues, the expressive animations, the picking apart of testimonies filled with contradictions, and the constant unfolding of cases that are impossible webs of crazy twists. Given its position as the last chapter of the trilogy, though, Trials And Tribulations covers all of those elements with an extra touch of grandeur; one that allows it to feel like a rather special event in spite of looking and playing a whole lot like the two titles that preceded it.

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by Matt

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney − Justice for All

Fairly, some may complain Justice For All is too similar to the first Ace Attorney game, since it features the same exact visual presentation and even goes as far as using twists that recall those of its prequel. But, in the end, the truth is that what it provides is pretty much what fans of the saga expected at the time; that is, an extra batch of cases starring the gaming world’s most famous defense attorney and the greatly beloved cast of secondary characters that surround him. Yes, this sequel could have used some extra time for new ideas to flourish more naturally and for fresh gameplay mechanics to be evaluated. But as far as fulfilling fans’ desire for more courtroom action goes, Justice For All is a success, since it packs more thrill in its trials than most action games out there contain in all of their missions.

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by Matt

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles

Inserted in a tradition inaugurated by the trilogy starring Phoenix Wright, The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles carries the expected characteristics that have always made the franchise a thrill to play: gripping cases, unforgettable characters, quality humor, cartoonish production values, and text-based puzzles that bring creative gameplay to trials and investigations alike. However, two factors in particular play an essential role in making the title feel like a peak for the property: the fact its ten episodes gravitate around a greater mystery, creating an epic of nigh unimaginable scope; and the quality of its gameplay additions, which make the action in and out of the courtroom more engaging than ever. Because of that, The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles is not just a great new chapter in the saga; it is also, so far, its brightest moment.

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by Matt

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney is not brilliant solely because it unlikely finds a way to transform a profession of mundane character into a unique gaming experience; even though that is undoubtedly one of its most remarkable achievements, it is far from being the only one. This is a package whose cases and characters have a similar worth to those found in great books, films, and television shows dedicated to portraying criminal investigations. The thrill of its action, the surprise of its twists, the weight of its dramas, and the excellence of its humor are pleasantly matched by brain-teasing puzzles that push players into slowly undoing the apparently very solid cases that have been built against the protagonist’s clients. The result goes beyond a title with unique gameplay, giving the adventure a vibrant soul that makes it no surprise it would be the first of many installments from a long-running and greatly beloved franchise.

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by Matt

Monster Hunter Rise

The bottom line is that there are a few tiny punctual complaints that can be thrown at Monster Hunter Rise. In general, though, the balance of the changes executed by it leans far more to the positive than to the negative. Via its streamlining of various gameplay details, it ends up removing a lot of little annoying quirks that were more bothersome than challenging. Thanks to the beautiful flexibility it adds to hunters’ movement and arsenal, it produces the most thrilling and satisfying battles the saga has ever witnessed. And with a thick pile of progressively tough quests to be tackled, it gives players plenty of reasons to keep going for many hours. The conclusion is that, sure, Monster Hunter has been much harder and demanding in the past, but it is tough to make an argument that it has ever been this fun to play.

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by Matt

Resident Evil Zero

Resident Evil Zero is, much like its chronological sequel, a flawed game, with the shortcomings it exhibits being of a magnitude and frequency that make them very hard to ignore. At the same time, though, its prowess in matters of tension and fear is absolutely notable, because playing it is being constantly surrounded by sheer dread, whether stemming from an unshakable feeling that something horrifying is always about to happen or originating in its sometimes overwhelming shortage of resources, and that ability is boosted by a fairly original gameplay setup that finds its own signature both in a slightly heavier focus on action and in the presence of a duo of protagonists that must work together in order to survive. And it is thanks to those excellent features that the game justifies its existence, for although it does not succeed either in improving on the chapter that it works as a prequel to or in satisfyingly filling up the blanks it left, Resident Evil Zero plays sufficiently different but also pleasantly familiar to it, and even if such proximity does not continuously work for the best, it ends up being more positive than negative.

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by Matt

Resident Evil

The immaculate and horrific atmosphere of Resident Evil is clearly the product of a game whose every single piece was designed to serve its ability to create tension. Sometimes, that subordination works for the best, as it is the case of its frightening scenarios, its calculated soundtrack, its obscure and fragmented storytelling approach, its controlled yet open-ended exploration, its ominous puzzles, and its dedication towards putting players in situations where life is only maintained through grueling survival. Sadly, that focus also causes a couple of considerable slips, which come to the surface in its constantly shifting and fixed camera angles as well as in the extreme implementation of its inventory system. As big as these problems may be, though, Resident Evil is just too successful in mixing genuine horror with engaging gameplay to be contained by any of that. Once it starts, its infectious suspense breaks through whatever physical barriers stand on its way, quickly surrounding gamers and immersing them inside a thriller that tests one’s capacity to both be resilient and not look away.

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by Matt

Mega Man X

Mega Man X is the particular kind of game that, at the same time, succeeds because it is too similar to what came before it while also struggling for that same reason. Its levels are finely designed and its bosses are utterly memorable, supporting a gameplay experience that is undeniably enjoyable; however, as the franchise was leaping between generations, it is partially disappointing to see it remained strongly attached to its 8-bit roots. While many major gaming properties took advantage of the arrival of a new era to expand their reach, try out new ideas, or simply mature, Mega Man stood pat. With a decreased level of difficulty when compared to its NES counterparts, the value of the package of eight robot bosses it offered grew shorter; and although it does try some new tricks to give more depth to its content, a couple of them are not fully realized. Regardless of those shortcomings, though, Mega Man X is one of the Super Nintendo’s best combinations of action and platforming. Even if for those who are familiar with what came before it, the game may wind up feeling like it is too safe for its own good.

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by Matt