It's interesting to see where the franchise started and come back to the odd lonely feeling the first game would illicit in me. I actually hated that feeling when the game first came out and really wanted to play it with people but everybody was obsessed with fifa and cod so nobody wanted to play.

It's quite a relaxing game, just running around shooting things and looting things, not really paying attention to any of the storyline or characters. One thing I noticed is claptrap and his various incarnations are actually quite charming and not annoying at all. Infact a lot of the really obnoxious elements of the later games doesn't seem to be present at all in this one.

It runs extremely well on the steam deck, suited to playing in bed listening to a podcast or something. Maybe I need to give borderlands 2 another try i might not hate it as much this time.

Overall a kind of tedious game where I didn't enjoy the gameplay loop much. It's not hard by any means just kind frustrating and clunky until you figure out the quirks then end up feeling nothing but just wanting it to end... And then it just goes ON AND ON AND ON.

The good:

One of the best looking ps2 games with such nice reflections it makes me wonder what we even need ray tracing for. The final boss fight is also quite good.

I actually really enjoyed the final level getting thrown down into Hades because it wasn't actually that hard but did feel like crawling out of hell itself. Cool area design and the people falling from the sky screaming was a nice touch.

The mid:

The combat is ok I guess its just disappointing that you unlock all these moves but there's no real use for them in the game. A lot of fights you are expected to parry (had no luck with dodging has no iframes also awkward to use with right analogue) and in order to parry when you need it limits you to light attack combo which is all that can be animation cancelled out of. I suppose this was still quite advanced for the time it came out so I can't be too harsh. Combat generally boiled down to mash square then L1 repeat. Sometimes square ans triangle and if ur really lucky L1 and circle!!!!! Then spam Poseidons spell cos its the most generally useful. Like i feel you either go the DMC route with combat and add depth and utility to all the moves or you go the dynasty warriors route and let me just smack down some goons but this game doesn't really do either. The spartan rage or whatever its called i didn't get to use often as it takes forever to charge almost forgot it existed.

The puzzles are ok, very easy to solve just tedious block moving things. I think the middle section of the game having the wider area wrap around in on itself as you solve puzzles and gain abilities was quite cool.

The story is ok. Cutscenes and narrative are rationed heavily its got in total maybe like 5 minutes of cutscenes overall so its spread thin.

The bad:

Fucking platforming and wall climbing. You have no ground shadow to see where you're landing like cmon we learned this in the ps1/n64 era but also there's just loads of really boring wall climbing sections. Slow, tedious, insta death if you don't wiggle your stick hard enough... Like why so many? Padding? Just give me more combat rooms ffs. Oh i do love having all my combat abilities taken away and reduced to 2 shitty moves to poke other person on wall. A lot of the platforming is very frustrating for no good reason and i ended up using save states to not eat my own fingers off doing them.

Enemy variety is confusing? The game actually has a fair few enemy types but they seemingly get used once or twice and then never seen again. The second half of the game is filled with like the same 3 enemies over and over. The composition is also strange it doesn't try anything fancy it just throws small enemy then big enemy then bigger enemy on loop so combat gets very repetitive.

And finally the music. I mean it was good for the first hour the horns and drums very ebic but it just doesn't stop and its the same shit the whole game. It gets incredibly grating after a while but it also plays in sections it shouldn't while no combat is happening and I'm just walking around.

Oh finally finally the QTEs just suck but they're never good in anything (except ninja blade) and they went for the worst variation of qtes with no margin for error at all

Next up. Dark Cloud

Oh mysterious hanging box room tell me your secrets.

Found this game oddly calming

My most favourite resi 4 ripoff. It was prettier as well

He said, "Son, when you grow up Would you be the savior of the broken The beaten and the damned?" He said, "Will you defeat them? Your demons, and all the non-believers The plans that they have made?" "Because one day, I'll leave you a phantom To lead you in the summer To join the black parade" When I was a young boy My father took me into the city To see a marching band He said, "Son, when you grow up Would you be the savior of the broken The beaten and the damned?" Sometimes I get the feelin' She's watchin' over me And other times I feel like I should go And through it all, the rise and fall The bodies in the streets And when you're gone, we want you all to know We'll carry on, we'll carry on And though you're dead and gone, believe me Your memory will carry on We'll carry on And in my heart, I can't contain it The anthem won't explain it A world that sends you reelin' From decimated dreams Your misery and hate will kill us all So paint it black and take it back Let's shout it loud and clear Defiant to the end, we hear the call To carry on, we'll carry on And though you're dead and gone, believe me Your memory will carry on We'll carry on And though you're broken and defeated Your weary widow marches On and on, we carry through the fears Oh, ah, ha Disappointed faces of your peers Oh, ah, ha Take a look at me, 'cause I could not care at all Do or die, you'll never make me Because the world will never take my heart Go and try, you'll never break me We want it all, we wanna play this part I won't explain or say I'm sorry I'm unashamed, I'm gonna show my scars Give a cheer for all the broken Listen here, because it's who we are Just a man, I'm not a hero Just a boy, who had to sing this song Just a man, I'm not a hero I don't care We'll carry on, we'll carry on And though you're dead and gone, believe me Your memory will carry on You'll carry on And though you're broken and defeated Your weary widow marches, oh Do or die, you'll never make me Because the world will never take my heart Go and try, you'll never break me We want it all, we wanna play this part (we'll carry on) Do or die, you'll never make me (we'll carry on) Because the world will never take my heart (we'll carry on) Go and try, you'll never break me (we'll carry on) We want it all, we wanna play this part (we'll carry on!)

I've played 2, contracts, blood money on loop. Absolutely nothing beats these games for pure sandbox level fun. Its all iconic and i know the perfect silent assassin route through every level organically through my own discovery with no guides.

I played these games hundreds of times over. Fuck absolution. Also i love splinter cell it peaked at chaos theory the absolute best shader model 3.0 game ever to exist

I think about saboteur a lot. And red faction. Oh volition... Oh pandemic