ABSOLUTE ASCENDANCY

Commencing operation . . .

Overview

My previous post was a little heavy-handed, so today, I will stick to a lighter topic. Over the past several months, I have been drilling a lot of mileage with my PS4. After conquering Trials of Mana Remake, I switched gears and played through two titles which you can read below.

Crash Bandicoot 4

Crash Bandicoot 4 is the first of two, which I will talk through. This game is pretty incredible. They have taken everything that made the original trilogy such a hit and made it even better. The dual paths were a pain in previous games, but they are very short and infrequent in appearance. The power-ups are much better because you can only use them in specific locations, rather than having permanent access to them. The inclusion of the Playback Tape levels was a great addition also. Short but highly challenging levels made a nice contrast to the usual longer, ‘grindier’ levels.

The storyline is more detailed a well, which is a nice addition to the series. Many years after Crash Warped, Cortex and N Tropy have grown up after being sent back to the past. Expending his life energy, Uka Uka was able to open up a dimensional rift allowing the pair of villains to escape their prison and enact a plan of vengeance against the bandicoots. The rift has caused instability throughout the galaxy, and only by collecting the Quantum Masks can Crash and Coco bring about peace once more.

Time has also seen Crash and Coco grow in what I assume is their teenage forms. I love how the game went full circle and returned to Cortex Island from the original Crash Bandicoot game for the final showdown.

I do have a few negatives about the game, though. The perfectly insane relics were a nightmare to grab for full completion of the game. Having to 100% every level without a single death is brutal, and that is from someone speaking on the side of the fence who managed to achieve it.

All in all, this game gets a 7/10, and it’s a game pretty much anyone can pick up and enjoy. You don’t need full completion to enjoy the visually stunning levels and overall solid gameplay that Crash 4 has to offer.

Persona 5 Strikers

The Phantom Thieves are back and ready to doll out further punishment to the wrongdoers of Japan in a countrywide road trip! Persona 5 Strikers is a direct sequel from the original Person 5 and takes place six months after the original game ends. Joker reunites with the rest of the Phantom Thieves during summer vacation, and a particular incident sets their course on a nationwide mission to clear their names from a new ‘Change of Heart’ pandemic.

I truly enjoyed what they did with the combat system for Strikers though I know there are people out there who would have preferred the original turn-based system. I’m a fan of pseudo-turn-based systems, as well as hack and slash, so Strikers fits my preferences better. I would have certainly still enjoyed the game if it was purely turn-based as I did the original Persona 5, however.

The storyline is nothing short of brilliant. It is gripping and pulls you right in from the start and doesn’t really let go until the end, and even then, you’ll be grasping at the memories of the journey undertaken once you’ve laid the game to rest. There is great replay value with the new game plus especially for those who want to play on the hardest difficulty level, only unlocked after a first completion.

One of the things I liked the most about Strikers was the ease of sidequests and levelling up the bond skills etc. In the original, you had to choose the correct answer among a series of choices to get the maximum level up for bonds, which was a pain to read up on. In Strikers, however, your decisions do not matter, and this simplifies the gaming experience. No need to look up a bunch of stuff while playing, except for maybe the location of treasure chests.

If I have to voice one complaint, it would be some of the voice acting for the game. However, I cannot truly give discredit as the VA team worked from home, using their equipment due to the pandemic, so of course, the quality was bound to suffer in some parts. Instead, it is most impressive that they could release the game, despite the series of setbacks the development must have suffered through.

I am scoring Strikers 9/10 as it was an incredible experience to play.

Conclusion

I think I am going to give my PS4 a break for a long while. As I mentioned, I’ve played it a whole bunch over the past few months, so it’s earned a good rest. Consider checking out the games if interested, as they are both solid gaming experiences.

Mission complete – Overlord Drakow signing out.