maybe the best ever??

There’s arguable value in someone who’s first entry into a long running franchise is the one they are reviewing

There’s value in someone who has extensive history and adoration in a franchise they are reviewing

There is functionally no value for someone who hates a franchise to review a new entry

And while there's not a savestate function for most games there's a mod called thprac which lets you practice on all of the attacks in the game. Legacy of Lunatic Kingdom does have a savestate-esque mode but I couldn't beat that one even with it (it's balanced around it and is insanely difficult)

there r also lots of really good fan games to start with if shmup gameplay is too much of a barrier... I love labyrinth of touhou and Fantasy Maiden Wars! FMW is an srpg that adapts the first few "modern" games into an actual story and Labyrinth is an incredibly fun DRPG

turn that fuckin life counter all the way up in the settings, pick reimu's homing shot, and play on easy if normal is too stressful!!

really u probs just have to watch like a playthrough of the first couple of levels and like. Understand who max Payne is and what he looks and sounds like lmao. Could maybe even just do mp3 bc afaik that game is pretty playable on console (tho not done by remedy)

instead of playing American nightmare u should play max Payne 1 before u do Alan wake 2 that one actually has some fuckin pay off to it (if u want it's not like mandatory or anything. Especially bc that's a game u def wanna do on PC + m/k if at all possible and I know u don't fuck with that much)

fwiw I did find the dlc more enjoyable bc it does just embrace the tps aspect reatehe than pretending u need to scrounge at all. And don't worry in the slightest about American nightmare I did not feel like I missed out at all with control and 2 not having played it

so insane how u have like a 3rd locked to the hardest difficulty that isn't even available for ur first playthrough. Like sorry Alan there is no chance I'm playing this game again IMMEDIATELY after finishing on a difficulty that fully expect to be less enjoyable

They're like narrative first games still but the gameplay is so much improved from 1 where it was actively detrimental and pushed up against the narrative in really unsatisfying ways. Control and AW2 both play well and their gameplay improves and enhances ur experience of the story I think

control and aw2 are both like WAY more functional and involved as games while taking up the vibesband overall narrative to levels aw1 couldn't even imagine. They're honestly both really good (though I didn't dislike aw1 quite as much as u keke so we shall see!!)

Yeah the story is also mostly like vibes based and a lot of the meat is in exploration rewards and collectibles that you have to fuckin march around these weirdly huge maps to find
There's some good stuff in there but it's def a prelude to control and aw2 I think

yeah it's Neat but like so uninteractive and just not very engaging to actually play

like super small ammo and resource caps disincentivizes exploration and engaging with the combat because it's gonna refill you anyway and you can't build up a meaningful surplus

Plus like 2 enemy types and 3 guns