Saint's Row 2 let me down in the homestretch. It started off so well but the frustration mounted near the end and I found myself muttering "Jesus FUCKING Christ" far too much. You've made a blasphemer out of me, Volition. I don't know what to say. The last few missions are kind of bullshit. I wanted to beat the game but I didn't have enough "Respect" to activate the final missions so I was forced to play godawful "Diversions" and minigames that pissed me off.
Had to waste a couple hours doing repetitive shit until finally, I could proceed. Because the game ended on such a sour note, all the goodwill it built up in the previous fourteen hours has been effectively rendered obsolete in my memory and the game will be forever tarnished because of it. Let this be a lesson, folks. The end is just as important as the beginning, middle, and everything else. Don't screw it up.
I couldn't wait to delete it from my harddrive. Objectively, it wasn't that difficult, but I was in such a rush to beat the game, I found myself literally running in circles. One of the end missions left me stranded in an underground mall and I spent twenty minutes trying to find the exit. And there were moments when my vehicle (both car and jetski) randomly blew up during a mission and I was forced to drive back to the same spot. So annoying.
Not to mention, the shooting while driving controls are ass and made even worse with cops and gangsters ramming me from behind constantly. Then there are times when I'm driving along, minding my own business when the asshole in the adjacent lane rams me from the side into incoming traffic or off the bridge. What the hell, man?
This is why I'm not a big fan of open-world games. Jank overdrive.
With SR2 down, I decided to go for something more artsy and indie and downloaded Bit.Trip Presents Runner 2 and Ibb and Obb. Ibb and Obb reminds me of Brothers since I can control the two blobs with both analog sticks. There are definitely tricky parts that require intense concentration and finger dexterity. I haven't come across a puzzle that's too hard but I'm still early in the game. I dread to think of future challenges.
Runner 2 reminds me of the auto-scroll segment of Dr. Wily's castle from Mega Man 8. I spent hours as a kid trying to beat that stage. I don't know if I ever beat it then, but I know for sure I beat when I replayed it on the PSP. I still got the juice, baby. Fortunately (or unfortunately), I don't have to worry about horizontal movement in Runner 2. My first major roadblock was the slide jump. I could not, for the life of me, get the timing down. Thankfully, they ease off on the slide jump obstacles in the later stages. I wonder if I can beat it by tomorrow?
/eventlog
