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Chris Sawin (602 KP) rated the PlayStation 4 version of Little Nightmares II in Video Games

Apr 9, 2021  
Little Nightmares II
Little Nightmares II
2020 | Action/Adventure, Horror
The incredible story. (3 more)
Great visuals and interactions with items both in the foreground and background.
Brilliant score.
Its gameplay and controls are mostly entertaining.
Some puzzles are difficult to solve without cheating. (2 more)
It is ridiculously difficult at times. Expect to die. A lot.
It is longer than the first game, but still feels short.
A Visually Creepy Masterpiece with a few Minor Flaws
Little Nightmares II is a vast improvement over the original game that still has a few flaws that could be ironed out in a sequel. The first game was creepy and a lot of fun, but it felt incredibly short. It was the type of game you bought, played through quickly, and traded in because it didn’t seem to have much replay value. Although I'm just now reading about the DLC for the game and the hidden ending to Little Nightmares II, but I digress.

Little Nightmares II has you playing as Mono, a young boy that wears a paper bag over his head; not unlike Ugly Bob from the Terrance & Phillip In Not Without My Anus on the first episode of the second season of South Park. The game is a lot like Limbo with more color. Mono is thrown into a world of bleak surroundings and even darker outcomes. Thankfully, you have Six from the previous game to assist you. However, Little Nightmares II is only one player which seems like a missed opportunity for this to be a two player game.

The format of each level is pretty similar other than the last one. You typically flee a major boss character that chases you while you search for the key to a locked door. Stealth is involved throughout the game. If you make too much noise, run too fast, or walk into the light from the shadows in view of a boss’s eyesight then you get eaten or killed. You use your surroundings to thwart the boss, which usually involves killing them yourself. The chase element is the same near the end of the game, but you're thrown into more surreal and dreamlike surroundings.

It does seem like you interact more with the background in comparison to the previous game. You can almost always run into the background on any level. It may result in you falling off a cliff, but that kind of exploration ability in a side-scroller is really cool. I played Little Nightmares II on a PS5 despite the game being for PS4. What’s cool is you can feel Mono’s heartbeat through the controller when situations are tense and seeing little dust particles float through the air as you explore is a nice addition.

The highlight of the game is the story. The world Little Nightmares and Little Nightmares II takes place in is so deliciously dreary with what feels like no hope for survival. You root for Mono and Six to stay together as friends, but that outcome seems less and less likely as the game progresses. You also gain powers as Mono later on; the most noteworthy one being able to use televisions as portals. All of the major bosses are fantastically terrifying, as well. You’re chased by a hunter with a shotgun, a teacher with a stretchy neck and an appetite, twitchy mannequins that only move in darkness, viewers obsessed with television, and The Thin Man who kidnaps Six.

The game can be frustrating at times. Not only is it difficult and will result in you dying over and over again, but certain puzzles are almost impossible to solve without looking up how to solve them first.

According to the internet, it seems as though this may be the end of the Little Nightmares franchise since the creators are moving on to something new and will focus less on sequels in the future. It’s unfortunate since Dave Mervik’s writing with the story of the game is so well done and the game as a whole is mostly very fun and entertaining to play while providing legitimate thrills and chills. Tobias Lilja’s musical score is a frightening delight. However, despite Little Nightmare II’s flaws, it’ll be impossible not to be invested in anything Tarsier Studios is involved with in the years to come.
  
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Connor Sheffield (293 KP) created a post

Jun 12, 2017  
I may be a little bias with this franchise, but I can honestly say this looks incredible. It has taken the best elements of previous games such as the beautiful visuals of Black Flag, the ever evolving free running elements of AC3, Black Flag, Unity, and Syndicate.

It also has its own new elements as well though, with the new setting of Ancient Egypt, using an actual Eagle for the franchises famous 'Eagle Vision', which will allow you to fly and look over an entire settlement to discover the path you want to take to get to your target, or the path you're going to use to escape, and not to mention the new executions that are seen including throwing knife after assassinating a previous target, and shooting a bow after leaping from a tree, utilizing a slow motion element to allow the player time to target the enemy.

The new RPG system seems similar to that of Injustice 2, but obviously for one character and not requiring you to quit the game to equip it. The new combat system seems very reminiscent of Bloodborne from the Dark Souls series on PS4, including the ability to parry, and slide away from enemy attacks, which might mean the combat it somewhat more difficult compared to the often easy combat system of the previous games.

In Conclusion, I think Egypt is a perfect setting for this franchise, and a great place to begin the franchises reboot. I will certainly be pre-ordering this game, possibly the statue edition when it's announced. I know for a fact I will love this game, and I cannot wait to get my hands on it.

     
Doki Doki Literature Club
Doki Doki Literature Club
2017 | Role-Playing, Simulation
Atmosphere (1 more)
Art
Not a lot of actual gameplay (0 more)
Unsettling and Entertaining
I am not a fan of dating sims. I would not have played this one if I had not heard a podcast on horror tabletop gaming say to play this game. They gave no details whatsoever, except that the game was free. No harm in trying it when it's free!

There is very little actual gameplay, as with most dating sims. A lot of just reading and clicking on dialogue choices. The game has all the stereotypical dating sim personalities and events to work through: culture fest, clubs, making friends, getting to know people. It takes a bit, but eventually, small things start to seem out of place or odd.

Once you start to notice the weird things, though, the roller coaster ride begins.

The game takes you on an unsettling, sometimes disturbing, trip that crosses into meta-gaming and breaks the fourth wall in some unique ways.

The art is solid. The dialogue and writing are excellent. Some parts of the game remind me of some of the older meta-gaming efforts out there in the late 90s, early 2000s.

Even though there are not a lot of choices to make in the game, not a lot of gaming, it is still worth the effort to watch the show and be part of the game itself. This game sucks the player in and adds you to its dossier. Guys and girls alike will get a thrill out of it if they stick through to the end. And trust me when I say that when you think you are at the end, just keep playing. Don't turn the game off for a second. Keep playing. And when you think you are at the end again, keep playing. And when you think you are at the end again, keep playing.
  
Ready Player One
Ready Player One
Ernest Cline | 2011 | Fiction & Poetry
10
8.9 (161 Ratings)
Book Rating
(This review can also be found on my blog: <a href="http://alltheupsandowns.blogspot.com/">All the Ups and Downs</a>).

Wow! I loved this book and was sad when it ended. I really didn’t know what to make of it when I read the book blurb. It just didn’t sound like something I’d like. How wrong I was!

I saw this book sitting in my local library and decided to give it a chance. I’m glad I did!

I loved the characters! I don’t wish I knew a bit more backstory about each of them, but it didn’t deter me from the book. I loved Art3mis the most.

I loved the setting of the book and everything that goes on in the OASIS. I felt like I was there a lot of them through Cline’s descriptive writing.

There are so many 80’s references in this book. It helps if you are big on 80’s pop culture. I feel like it would give you more of an advantage in picturing what Cline describes.

Sometimes the 80’s pop culture references were a bit much as was all the technology speak, but I wasn’t put off by the book.

The writing is fantastic as is the plot! I hated the Sixers and Sorrento so much and wanted them to fail.

I would say this book is better suited for those 16 or older due to the language. Adults will enjoy it too not only because of all the nostalgic 80’s feels, but also because it’s just a great book.

I would definitely recommend this book. I was totally immersed in Ready Player One. I think most people would enjoy it especially those who grew up in/around the 80’s and those that are gamers.
  
Tempest 4000
Tempest 4000
Shooter
Back in the 80s when the arcade was king; Tempest was one of the more popular arcade games of the era. Anyone who turned their allowance or paychecks into quarters remembers the furious spinning and shooting combinations of the classic Atari game.

Tempest 4000 is the latest version of the classic game which blends new and retro graphics to

Create an updated version of the game. Playing the classic Claw, players must navigate various webs and fields to destroy and evade enemies which emerge from the center of the playing area and shoot and advance on the player. Players also will have a limited amount of Smart Bombs to use which destroy all in site which is a big help when enemies make their way to the edge of the playing area and start advancing their way to take out the players.

The game has some great new maps and colors and the action is fast paced and insane but will seem very familiar for fans of the original.

Playing on a PS4 Pro did have a bit of a learning curve as the control stick is not as ideal to circle a map as the disc of the original as I often found myself going too far or not far enough at first.

The gameplay is fast and intense but did seem repetitive after a while. No matter how many new maps, colors, and enemies it throws at you, it still comes down to how fast you can spin and shoot.

Tempest 4000 is a pleasant enough distraction for those looking for some updated nostalgia and a few hours of fun gameplay.

http://sknr.net/2018/07/31/tempest-4000/
  
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