Immortals Fenxy Rising (PS4)

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JustLikeHeaven
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Immortals Fenxy Rising (PS4)

Postby JustLikeHeaven » June 4th, 2021, 10:42 am

I'm not one to usually play AAA from the likes of Ubisoft. I remember being intrigued by this beautiful game back when it was revealed as Gods and Monsters. A stunning looking Breath of the Wild inspired game using Greek Mythology as a backdrop. However, much like Icarus, this game got a bit too greedy, flew too close to the sun and ended up a gaming tragedy. Maligned with a dumb name change, tonal issues, and never really rising above it's primary BoTW influence...it seemed destined for the bargain bins. Which is exactly where I found it and scooped up a copy.

I will admit that I almost immediately turned this thing off as it forces you to sign up to Ubisoft's online service. However, I trudged forward and I'm glad I did. Immortals FR has won me over and it's really a shame that a game this good will probably never find it's audience.

The short version - If you have even a passing interest in Breath of the Wild and or Greek Mythology you'll probably find something to enjoy here. It's 100% Breath of the Wild: Greek Mythology Edition and it doesn't even try to hide this fact.

I'm not one to really care about visuals, but the art style and graphics are breathtakingly beautiful. Vibrant and colorful, while charming and whimsical. Tips to developers...if you're going to make an open world game, make sure it's nice to look at as well as interesting to explore!

This is a game that I find myself enjoying in small little chunks. The map screen is littered with treasures to find, vaults (dungeons) to explore, puzzles to solve and more. I'll usually set aside an hour and clear a chunk of the world. You're constantly rewarded with new equipment, abilities, or things to upgrade. You're given a tremendous amount of freedom to explore and possibly get in over your head.

The tone of the game is, uh, unexpected. But I find it charming. This is not a serious game at all! It's very tongue and cheek and the narrating Zeus and Prometheus sound like something out of a 90s animated movie. That being said, I'll take its more silly approach rather than something trying to be grim dark or overly edgy any day. It's a bright and colorful game and the tone very much matches its aesthetic.

Will the game win any awards for originality? Absolutely not. It's shameless in its cribbing of Breath of the Wild. Is that really a bad thing though? Taking inspiration from what many consider a modern day masterpiece is not the worst place to start when designing a game. Plus it has some streamlining and quality of life improvements that I'm all for. Your weapons never break. Abilities can be enhanced and upgraded. Crafting is simple as you only need to find a single ingredient to make potions. It does some very smart things.

I'm not sure if the game will keep me entertained enough to see it to completion. However, I've already dropped about 15+ hours into the thing and I'm ready for more. Don't listen to the haters. If you had any interest in this one at least give it a shot. It's a well crafted game and a series I would gladly see Ubisoft continue.

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ActRaiser
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Re: Immortals Fenxy Rising (PS4)

Postby ActRaiser » June 4th, 2021, 10:56 am

This reads like a review by the critic. Short, to the point, and explains why someone would want to play it. You sold me on it. Well done.

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VideoGameCritic
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Re: Immortals Fenxy Rising (PS4)

Postby VideoGameCritic » June 4th, 2021, 3:05 pm

Agree this is very well written. I was very interested in the Greek Mythology angle. Thanks for mentioning you need to connect to Ubisoft servers. This is a major detail a lot of "professional" reviewers would omit. It's a real turn off, which as you mentioned is unfortunate.

One again the case of a talent programming team subverted by managers/marketing people who care only about the bottom line.

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BlasteroidAli
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Re: Immortals Fenxy Rising (PS4)

Postby BlasteroidAli » June 7th, 2021, 7:59 pm

I try to avoid Ubisoft products. As such I will avoid this. Though it does look good.

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MSR1701
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Re: Immortals Fenxy Rising (PS4)

Postby MSR1701 » June 8th, 2021, 6:08 am

VideoGameCritic wrote:Agree this is very well written. I was very interested in the Greek Mythology angle. Thanks for mentioning you need to connect to Ubisoft servers. This is a major detail a lot of "professional" reviewers would omit. It's a real turn off, which as you mentioned is unfortunate.

One again the case of a talent programming team subverted by managers/marketing people who care only about the bottom line.

Wonder if the server connection is required on the Switch version... that would be a major reason to ignore it then...

Voor
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Re: Immortals Fenxy Rising (PS4)

Postby Voor » June 8th, 2021, 7:35 am

What’s the turn off about connecting to the server?

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MSR1701
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Re: Immortals Fenxy Rising (PS4)

Postby MSR1701 » June 8th, 2021, 7:44 am

Voor wrote:What’s the turn off about connecting to the server?

For one thing, it means always being connected to the internet, which A. Is terrible if your provider is crap, and B. Sucks if you are using a Switch Lite. Also, C. Additional delay before playing a game.

Voor
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Re: Immortals Fenxy Rising (PS4)

Postby Voor » June 8th, 2021, 8:22 am

Guess I don’t see the big deal. My switch is connected to my internet all the time anyway. ISP is pretty good (AT&T fiber). I wouldn’t let it stop me from playing a game, that’s for sure. Connecting to the internet is a 10 second process.

What about the switch lite makes it worse?

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MSR1701
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Re: Immortals Fenxy Rising (PS4)

Postby MSR1701 » June 8th, 2021, 8:46 am

Voor wrote:Guess I don’t see the big deal. My switch is connected to my internet all the time anyway. ISP is pretty good (AT&T fiber). I wouldn’t let it stop me from playing a game, that’s for sure. Connecting to the internet is a 10 second process.

What about the switch lite makes it worse?

Having the wifi on drains the battery faster, which for a game like this increases the drain by a good bit.

Sadly, out here we have Windstream, which is terrible as they are the only viable game in town and know it. Their competition is dial-up and satellite (which charges by the megabit).

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MSR1701
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Re: Immortals Fenxy Rising (PS4)

Postby MSR1701 » June 8th, 2021, 1:07 pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVmJ13yLXKM

Might give it a go, assuming the price drops (and if Breath of the Wild 2 doesn't materialize before then...).


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