PixlBit

Games Beaten 

-Metroid Prime 4: Beyond (Switch)

I love that Metroid Prime 4 exists but it is the product of its time and its tumultuous development. It is a contrast of high highs and low lows.

The game looks great. I played on the original Switch and Retro really wrung the best from this aging hardware. The downside is that load times tended to be longer than we are used to in this day and age. One of the fast travel locations in particular was often a full minute of loading, the irony of which was not lost on me.

I'm not a big fan of how they arranged this beautiful world. The various areas remain discreet from each other—as opposed to the complex interconnectedness of Tallon IV in the original Prime—and are connected to a large desert. To cross the sandy vastness, the game gives you a motorcycle, just what every Metroid game has been missing all this time. Unfortunately, the dessert is pretty dull. There are a few shrines to get upgrades from and a couple spots of Federation wreckage that you'll need at the end of the game but that's about it. Crossing the dessert is a chore. The game tries to alleviate this by requiring you to collect green energy crystals (by running them over) as you go back and forth but that just amounts to a mandatory collection quest. The desert represents the worst this game has to offer.

Thankfully, the areas that border the desert are much better. Rather than forming an interconnected world, these areas function more akin to classic Zelda dungeons and are, on the whole, quite good. My favorite was the Ice Belt, a frozen research station nestled up in the mountains. These areas offer exploration, puzzles, and combat to varying degrees. Sometimes they come with a Federation NPC you have to work with but these characters stay, thankfully, out of your way for the most part.

Speaking of those NPCs, this game makes an attempt at a more involved story but it is a disappointing mess. Sylux is the big bad that you see at the beginning and end and that's about it. He has no clear motivation for hating Samus or working with the Space Pirates (who are sadly MIA after the introduction). The metroids themselves are also completely absent once you get to the planet Viewros (the boss scans inform you that the boss aggression is due to fusion with metroids but there's no evidence of that in the visuals or gameplay). While this is certainly not an Other M-level disaster, the story is a disappointment.

MP4 fares well in the gameplay department at least. This time around Samus collects psychic powers—which function just like typical Metroid upgrades most of the time—and elemental shots. I was surprised that these shots consumed ammo but the game threw so many shot upgrades my way that there was no chance I'd run out of ammo, ever (and indeed, I never did). On the whole, the powers and upgrades feel kind of barebones, something I'm willing to chalk up to the troubled development, but at least the controls are snappy and responsive. I did find the enemy variety kind of lacking (needed more Space Pirates). But my biggest gripe with the gameplay is how often the game needed or simply decided to throw text up on the screen to tell me what I could do or how to do it, which really broke the immersion. Show a little faith in your players! This game never achieved the sense of place or isolation that was a hallmark of its predecessors.

If it sounds like I am down on this game...well, I kind of am. It is the worst numbered Metroid Prime game, but that bar is pretty high. I had fun playing MP4. Like I said, the "dungeons" tend to be quite good and the game really is a visual treat. So even though this game is a little rough, I'm glad I played it and I look forward to better Metroid games in the future.

-Bastion (Vita)

Bastion is good in its own right. I find the combat just a tad slow but with the varied weapons and idol modifiers, the combat can be quite deep. The game looks and sounds nice and has an interesting story. The much-lauded narrator does give the game a unique flavor that I enjoyed. But I could really see how this game in particular grew into Hades years later. And for that I appreciate this game even more.

-Destiny 2: Renegades (PS5)

I was surprised to hear that Destiny was doing a crossover with Star Wars but what surprised me most, once I got into the campaign, is how restrained the references and similarities are. Yeah, there is a one-to-one lightsaber analogue but it's not called a lightsaber. And sure, there is a bunch of actual Star Wars stuff for sale in the shop for real money but during the campaign it's largely vibes and they nailed it more often than not. The cinematography and music really evoke that galaxy far, far away. The restraint is surprising but appreciated.

Games Bought

After Christmas I ordered Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection (Switch) with some gift card money but the game didn't come till after the new year. Over the course of January my sons bought Five Nights at Freddy's 2, 3, and 4 (PS5). They have really gotten into the lore of the series, though they are currently stuck on night 5 of FNAF 3 (coincidentally, that is the first game in the series to not have cheats available from the get-go). Later in the month my wife decided she wanted to give Kingdom Hearts a try, so we bought Kingdom Hearts - HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX - (PS5). (She has started the first game and so far has been quite frustrated with the camera and the game's lack of a quest log. Man, 2002 was a long time ago.) Last of all, barely squeaking in before the end of the month, I bought Vampire: The Masquerade — Bloodlines 2 (PS5). Julian and Justin praised this game so much on The Stage Select (while not shying away from its faults either) that I decided to get it when Amazon put it on a pretty steep sale.

As for the PS5 PS+ games, I grabbed Need for Speed Unbound (one of these days I'll play one of these racing games or maybe one of my kids will) and Epic Mickey: Rebrushed. I gave up on this game on the Wii out of frustration but my kids got into it for a while. They might like an updated version of it.

Games Being Played

-Mega Man Battle Network (GBA via Switch)

I am several bosses deep at this point. The main villains have revealed themselves! As was the style at the time, the game doesn't really bother with telling you what to do or where to go, but the battle system is cool.

-Earth Defense Force: World Brothers (Switch)

We are only 17% of the way through the campaign O_O

-Picross: Lord of the Nazarick (Switch)

Unless there is some hidden content waiting to be unvailed, I am near the end of this game.

-Destiny 2 (PS5)

Still shootin' stuff!