The note about being ‘defined about the transition between them’ and this one being a lot more smooth between games/topics than the first was a nice touch too
Mega Microvideos 3 will have a camera system that doesn't fit the new format, and which will only be fixed in the rerelease, Mega Microvideos 3: Subsistence
Kudos to the person who did the subtitles during the Doom section. They differentiated the Doom titles by the capitalisation of DOOM, the first one, and Doom 2016.
Too bad. I would love to hear Matthew's thoughts on the transitiin from 999 to VLR, both in terms of gameplay and story. I appreciated how the first game made full use of the ds as a platform for telling its story, right dowm to the final puzzle. The next game was released for two platforms and it shows in the design
@@megabyte01 yeah I played VLR om PC and you can pretty clearly see the marks in the transition. That final twist isn't really executed in the same way when you might have predominately experienced the game in "adventure mode".
Good review as always. For some reason I find it really satisfying seeing clips of a huge variety of games in one video. Makes me happy how diverse the medium is.
I love how seamless the transitions between the various topics were. Had you not divided them into chapters below you could have literally just called this “Problems With Video Game Sequels”. Video game sequels are really interesting to talk about because they’re unlike sequels in any other media. The next game in a series could be an entirely different genre from the one before. Also you really got me with that ending. It really made me feel
It always shocks me how they can’t get a sonic game to be consistently good, either the story is fun, light hearted and charming but half of the gameplay falters like with unleashed, or vice versa with generations/adventure 1&2 with fantastic gameplay but a disappointing story, or god forbid both elements with 06, rise of lyric, forces, shadow the edgehog, the only games that seem to be good through out are the ones that are always 2D, hoping the nostalgia reels you in from the original games.
I don't know, I think that's only half of Sonic's problem. One half is they can't pull off what worked and the other doesn't understand why the games aren't great. I have a high tolerance for Sonic, but even I was bored by Forces. I saw potential, but they didn't do anything with it. Half the levels end before they start. Honestly, I don't expect a story out of Sonic games. At its core, I believe a game should be a game first, and if the gameplay is bad, that can't be outweighed by other assets. There are games with ok gameplay but great stories, and they are good because the gameplay doesn't make you want to stop. Memes only work if they have more substance to back them up. Mega Man X4 has a confusingly poor story and memey cutscenes, but the gameplay is fun, so it's a good game. Undertale has bits of gameplay that are food, but it focuses more on the story it wants to tell. I honestly believe that very few Sonic games are fundamentally flawed, they can be fixed, but their poor gameplay doesn't let much make up for it. In addition, I excuse poor programming a lot of the time. Not because it's ok to have janky collision and such, but because at least games like SA2 could be fun when things work properly. Forces was like "haha we have classic sonic and sonic was fun so lets use him" and then it falls way behind Mania on the quality scale and they have no idea why.
@@pikminman13 I completely agree. The speculation with Forces is that it was rushed with only a year of actual production, going by a slide during Japan's Sonic Anniversary event. Mostly due, supposedly, to updating the Hedgehog Engine and reiterating/prototyping ideas. Common theory is also that prior to the custom character, they were going to use Boom Sonic as the 'third' member and dropped this due to the show/game's mediocre performance.
What do you expect from a series that has been about going fast, but forces you to stand around waiting for platforms and drowning since the first game?
Excellent video as always! One thing I'm kind of surprised I didn't see here, especially since the segments were back-to-back, was a remark on how the structure of the Doom reboot is extremely similar to the structure of a Devil May Cry game. You explore an environment for secrets and items to progress, then you're locked in a room with demons that need eviscerating, repeat. Considering the Doom reboot's hard emphasis on CQC (weapons have shorter ranges than classic Doom and Glory Kills reward proximity to your enemies), the new Doom is essentially a first-person Devil May Cry game in many ways. I know it's not the most original observation, but I think it's worth pointing out.
"At one point catching a demonic reflection of myself in my TV, I began to question my life choices more than ever before." Damn, dmc2 must really stink.
I think Doom's core gameplay is one of the reasons it keeps getting maps and mods: there's so much you can do with enemy placement and encounters while 2016 suffers a bit from having too many arena lockdowns. Someone on a Doom thread on /vr/ said it best when one game treats enemies as "obstacles" and the other feels like it treats them as "points". In Doom Eternal's E3 presentation, there was that clip where they show how different levels throw different situations at you and one was an Arachnotron hiding behind a door, meaning there's a chance of more variety in enemy encounters at least. Even if new Doom isn't as Doom as it claims to be, i still think later Doom games introduce some good ideas to the franchise, which is why mods like D4T and MetaDoom are great. These mods mean that a perfect Doom game would be the best parts of each iteration of Doom without aspects like forced arena lockdowns for example.
21:14 is a fair, cogent justification for Matthew's general style. I've always objected(!) to the idea that game criticism should be read as textbook, and it's reassuring to see one of the wizards himself acknowledge this.
Get so excited every time you upload a video Matthew! Don't change a thing and keep up the amazing work, you're the only person who really gets what needs to be preserved and talked about!
I think this is your best "put together" video. The flow between the different clips--and the gags you include--are all incredible. Not to mention, it's super clever having them all based around sequels.
This video is a beautiful summation of why Matthewmatosis is so fantastic, with literally every segment reinforcing the core theme AND the existence of this video, along with the core theme itself obviously reinforcing the existence of this video. The transitions flow so incredibly well this time around and the way the entire video is so meta it creates an entirely new discussion once you finish the video. "The best part of [Mega Microvideos 2] happens afterwards when you... throw every game into the mix." I've never been so tempted to break down a review as an equal piece of art to the subject matter of that review. I'll be revisiting this video for a very long time.
i keep coming back to the microvideos as i believe they are some of the best written videos on thee platform i absolutely love the transition between for each segment it flows so naturally and for each re watch i always seem to point out another piece of excellent and cohesive writing still look forward to future parts of this video series
His points on Chrono Trigger's pacing is what I've been saying for years. It's like a reverse MMO Effect where you start the game at 10pm, beat like 3 bosses and 5 dungeons and are like "Man I gotta get to bed it must be like 3AM" and you see it's only 10:45. You do and accomplish so much in such little time in that game.
Yeah, I wanted more explanation of how exactly the things he noted make Bayonetta 2 worse compared to 1. And Zero Escape seems right up his ally, I'd love to hear his take
@Stephen Smith I'm not convinced that was why. Outside of playing it like it's Devil May Cry, which said casual audience wouldn't be doing so anyway, I found the difficulty to be nigh identical. I think they just added lots of new ideas without considering the effect on the previously air tight system. They lowered the skill ceiling while keeping the skill floor intact. Yeah they give the moves quicker, but that's the case for many sequels.
Matt, these microvideos are so perfect. They let you express the creative ways you observe video games, and that's EXACTLY why I love you and your videos so much! Matt's by far the best gaming RUclips video game video essay person I've watched. The pacing transition, for instance, is such clever writing.
I take it you've had a lot of people tell you how much that "there's sincerity in originality" line stuck with them. I'm certainly among them. Great stuff as always matt. Here's hoping at least one of the games you featured here gets a full vid now that you have footage.
Even though this was a little hefty for a single video, I think multiple watches will make it exceptional. Your points on Bayonetta2 were an exact replica of my own thoughts, I never thought anyone else would articulate them so well :) great video Matthew
This is the only RUclips channel on the planet where I only truly understand what the creator was trying to say after multiple re-watches. Great work as always, Matty-boy.
What you say about Ghost Trick existing as a stand alone game, or a creator making a spiritual series, can be true with that game and Ace Attorney. Ghost Trick's slight magical realism meshes into Ace Attorney's own magical realism pretty well. There's a lot of tonal similaries and familier tropes and plot beats between the two. The fanbase crossover is also pretty large. You see the two series brought up in the context of each other a lot, crossover fan art and fan fictions are incredibly common. Fans who like one series but not the other certainly do exist, but it's a (maybe weird) case where the two are more often appriciated together.
this video is honestly a wonderful piece of art in its own right. the fact that it isnt really a sequel to the original Mega Microvideos, because it isn't a series of discordant small reviews any more but a single cohesive piece about the nature of sequels themselves? the gradual reveal that the significant part of the video title isn't the "Mega Microvideos" part, but the "2"? (and then i kiss my fingers like an italian chef) magnifique!
Zero Escape games are worth talking more about if only to go into how the games relate to each other and how the series' troubled development history shaped its identity. I think it's fair to say that budgetary concerns led not just to an overall lack of polish in VLR and ZTD but also a lack of series cohesion. While the overarching plot connects each entry in some way, the connection isn't as strong as you'd expect from a sequel.. Characters from one game will show up in another game, and continuing their individual stories matters, but it's always treated as a subplot of the sequel's narrative. It almost feels as if that's the bare minimum that the designers were able to do with the time and budget that they had. Don't get me wrong. I love Zero Escape. But it's so much less than it might have been if it were allowed to be more faithful to what the designers wanted to do with it. If your Ghost Trick review is about the potential dangers of not supporting the games that really need it, Zero Escape is the example that shows what happens when they're not supported. There's a steady decline. At first, it doesn't seem like a real issue, but over time, it becomes clear that there's a rot.
Funny you mention that lack of series cohesion. Because it's something that I completely felt while playing ZTD, but I thought the fact that VLR treats it's own status of "sequel" with such distance was amazing. For some half unknown reason I honestly think that keeping VLR only loosely connected to 999 was a great narrative choice. Having at the start only one character from the previous game in the sequel gives you just enough to be intrigued and keeps the door open for more ties between the games, while still being a small enough detail that you'll just keep it at the back of your head and treat the rest of the adventure as its own thing. ZTD on the other hand, really blows its load too quick, too hard and it makes the result of everything very underwhelming. Having about 5 cast members out of the 9 people around be characters from previous games, making very obvious that it happens between VLR and 999 in terms of chronology, making it obvious that the events going on are going to be absolutely major and vital to the plot of the series as a whole... The expectations on the narrative side can't be any higher which makes the somewhat lackluster payoff really burn much more.
I'm a little disappointed that you won't cover the Zero Escape series further, mostly because that series doesn't really have much analysis available on RUclips.
@@cons4943 Yeah, especially considering that 999 had some sequel hooks in its ending too. Although it's definitely the most self-contained of all the 3 games.
@@SiestaYonJyuGo I feel the same way. 999 being contained is what made it so great. VLR loses something with its lackluster, arbitrary setting, not to mention some really questionable VO that grates at some times. I think as a person, Matthew can't ignore ZTD in his analysis and just evaluate the first two games or just 999 on its own.
the biggest "downgrade" about VLR for me was that the choices, though much more plentiful, felt more arbitrary, like i was doing routine checkbox stuff to get the true ending that I already knew was the end goal. And iirc you could start from various checkpoints within the story which made your previous life/death choices seem cheap. In 999, the inconvenience of starting completely over and having to work your way back to significant junctions made each path choice feel more organic and consequential. Not to mention the game was far more horror/tension-filled. Most importantly, I didn't know the main gimmick of the series since 999 was the very first one, so I didn't know what to expect or what those branching paths were leading up to.
I really enjoyed this video. The seamless transitions, the less seamless. All of it. The pace at least makes it feel information dense, and I do believe it was. If this was some how an easier video for you, you shouldn't feel guilty about that. If it was more effort, I enjoyed it in a unique way for your channel, so well worth it. Just wanted to say I genuinely enjoy your content.
I'll just take this chance to thank you for recommending Ghost Trick, it has become one of my favorites games ever, and i only know of its existence thanks to you. And yes i agree that that's one game i don't want a sequel to be made, at least not with the same characters and plot.
Still a good game even Matthewmatosis thinks so. Doom 4 sums up what he said about Resident Evil 4 I think, it hits the nail so hard it doesnt matter whether its doom or not
cannon I would not argue that ever. Re4 changed games forever. Every third person shooter after that saw what re4 did and new they had to copy that. Doom4 sorta just makes an explorative arena shooter more visceral but way more linear and Samey. It also doesn’t help how uninspired a lot of things are.
I really like both modern doom and new doom. But it's important to realize they're different. Doom Eternal had problems, sure, but it was more or less a logical progression of the design of Doom 16, and it did a lot of interesting things I really like. The people who feel let down by that game, I think, were often those expecting a more traditional Doom experience.
I've come back to rewatch the RE4 section so many times. As one of those weirdos that does miss the pre-rendered backgrounds, I've always had a complex opinion of RE4. It is undeniably an awesome game and I've played it many times, but it never felt like Resident Evil to me. More importantly, it isn't immersive to me, which is the main thing I'm looking for from a horror game. Matthew really explains my thoughts well here. I particularly love lines about how "it just doesn't matter if you nail it hard enough" and the comment about Rondo of Blood 2.
I have been watching youtube for about 10 years and I watched it more extensively in the last 5 years and this video is one of the best I have ever seen on the site.
When you mentioned the way that DMC2 screwed up the basics of movement and combat, my immediate thought was Dark Souls 2, another game whose flaws were exacerbated by it having terrible movement and futzy animations.
5:40 oof. I hope you’re doing ok. Anyway, thanks for making the most thoughtful, entertaining and hypnotic content ... anywhere. Really ... Your videos are like gifts descended from angels or from some demon who really knows me fetishes.
I would give anything to hear you go in depth on virtue's last reward. Your overview of thoughts on both VLR and ZTD echoed my own, and I'd love to hear more of what you have to say.
This was a really great video, very well paced and with a ton of great points being raised, here's hoping the next video is up soon and not in 4 months since it's always fun to have you around
Your point about VLR being potentially at fault for setting up an impossible-to-resolve plot is something I have always felt about people who praise Mass Effect 1 for it's supposedly great story, and slam the sequels for "failing to live up to it". In reality, the first game's story was mostly just hyping up the true battle that was going to happen in the sequels, which they clearly had no way of portraying in a satisfactory way within the confines of the gameplay - how can normal humanoids battle giant godlike aliens? They had no solution to that narrative problem and yet they didn't consider this when making the first game, so if anything the fault lies with ME1.
While you make a good point, the fact of the matter is that ME2 and ME3 made little attempt to even try to live up to this. Mass Effect 2 ignored the Reapers entirely, focusing on the Collectors and character backstories (which the latter worked well for the game series), and Mass Effect 3 threw even that away by making things up as they went along, all while using ME1's premise as nothing more than window dressing. The laziness shows with the endings, which were all identical save for a palette swap. While ME3 would never have lived up to the promises ME1 set down, the fact of the matter is they didn't even try, which is a more egregious sin in my eyes.
What makes you assume that there was no possible narrative solution to the Reapers? Mass Effect as a whole is more limited by it's focus on "state of the art 3d graphics" than it's story, I'd say.
Why no mention of 999 in the ZTD section? I mean ZTD is technically the sequel of VLR, but I would've liked a comparison to 999 also, since 999 is vastly different than both of its sequels. I would also like more thought about Bayonetta 2, I feel like there's something missing in Bayo 2 from Bayo 1, but I cant quite put my finger on it, I felt like it's the more arcade feeling of the original game, but I also feel like saying Bayo 2 isnt quite as arcadey is not quite the thing I'm disapointed about. Great video as usual, I like the "Mega Microvideos" format, never expected it, but it also wasn't exactly like the original either, I felt like this one had more focus on the flow between each point, and wasn't just microvideos stapled together. Thank you for this.
You may want to look at Daedron12's Bayonetta 2 video (link here ruclips.net/video/6jIQkohrSvQ/видео.html). MM describes the some of the same flaws mentioned in that video, but that video goes into much more detail.
The way you transition between games through vague resemblance in theming or mechanics is fucking godly man. Keep doing what you do, RUclips and the video game culture as a whole needs more critique that looks deeper into the meaning behind "game play" and storytelling with an objective eye
Even though ZTD disappointed me a bit in the end, nothing will ever take away the rollercoaster of emotions that VLR made me feel. It's genuinely my favorite game on the 3DS and will always remain that way.
Other interesting sequels are Super Mario Land 3: Wario Land, and Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. Both spawning new series. Although whether they are actually sequels or new properties in disguise can be discussed.
Ghost Trick is the ONLY story I can remember that cleared up 99.9% of questions, AND it was a TIME TRAVEL-BASED PLOT. Not to mention, it provided a decent enough suspension of disbelief. One of the best games I have ever played, and a deep wedge in my heart.
Nice use of the Sopranos at the end there. Good video overall! It was interesting how a meta narrative structure was made in the video by having the sequel to your last similar video be all about sequels.
Amazing how you themed the sequel to Mega Microvideos around... sequels
Good catch
The note about being ‘defined about the transition between them’ and this one being a lot more smooth between games/topics than the first was a nice touch too
This guy is one cheeky-ass writer he is so proud of himself
@@KidUncommon he should be. matt is one of the best reviewers/critiquers/analyzers on youtube.
You beat me to it. I was going to comment that.
Hopefully Mega Microvideos 3 will live up to how much I loved 2
Mega Microvideos 3 will have a camera system that doesn't fit the new format, and which will only be fixed in the rerelease, Mega Microvideos 3: Subsistence
Mega Microvideos 3 will probably suffer studio interference and will start chasing trends and focusing on the overseas market.
@@Sorrelhas DAMN YOU, CHINA
Mega Micro Dilemma
Matthew will unfortunately only write a third of the next one due to time constraints.
This video has good pacing. Each segment lasts as long as it needs and transitions well into the next.
I agree with most of that.. except i still feel like the wario-ware segment has basically fuck all to do with the rest of the whole video
The Chrono Trigger of videos
@@truthwatcher1808 It's about Wario Ware's sequels (mostly Smooth Moves). Absolutely on-point with the rest of the video.
The series is themed after wario ware anyhow
@@truthwatcher1808 it's almost like this video isn't as good as the first one
I can't wait for Mega Microvideos 8 where Matthew has to once again find something insightful to say about Warioware.
I can't wait for Mini Macrovideos
He'll talk about Game&Wario, remember that?
He opens by talking about Rhythm Heaven instead.
cute to make a "mega microvideos 2" that slowly reveals itself to be just as much about the "2" as it is about the "mega microvideos"
matt you too smart
finally I don’t have to keep rewatching the dark souls commentary over and over again
I've watched it like 3 times now
@@OctopusGlove 4 times for me, aways on christmasfor some reason...
The DMC1 commentary is his best imo
@Linda Niemkiewicz The Lost Soul Arts is basically his DS3 review
It’s fucked up how often I rewatch his shit. I just finished the Darks Souls commentary again last night
Kudos to the person who did the subtitles during the Doom section. They differentiated the Doom titles by the capitalisation of DOOM, the first one, and Doom 2016.
For anyone searching: The mods / WADs / level packs shown in the doom segment are:
1. Alien Vendetta
2. Doom 4 Vanilla
Thanks :)
Oh, and a little warning to the new: Alien Vendetta is *Hard*. Much tougher than the hardest levels of Final doom’s Plutonia
Scythe 1 would be a good wad to check out if you find Alien Vendetta too difficult. I didn't get past map 06 on UV lol
@@grodycoyote Good call! Scythe 1 was the first ever Wad I played, followed by Vendetta. So I can vouch for it being a good prep
also, if you want literally hundreds of hours of free, high quality wads to play, check this out www.doomworld.com/cacowards/
Matthew: “you probably shouldn’t end things on a cliffhanger”
Valve: *sweating profusely*
matthew will never do zero escape videos, life truly IS unfair!
Matthew PLEASE do a VLR review!
Matthew's motives are... complex.
Too bad. I would love to hear Matthew's thoughts on the transitiin from 999 to VLR, both in terms of gameplay and story. I appreciated how the first game made full use of the ds as a platform for telling its story, right dowm to the final puzzle. The next game was released for two platforms and it shows in the design
I would love to see him do a Did You Know Gaming
@@megabyte01 yeah I played VLR om PC and you can pretty clearly see the marks in the transition. That final twist isn't really executed in the same way when you might have predominately experienced the game in "adventure mode".
Good review as always. For some reason I find it really satisfying seeing clips of a huge variety of games in one video. Makes me happy how diverse the medium is.
I love how seamless the transitions between the various topics were. Had you not divided them into chapters below you could have literally just called this “Problems With Video Game Sequels”. Video game sequels are really interesting to talk about because they’re unlike sequels in any other media. The next game in a series could be an entirely different genre from the one before.
Also you really got me with that ending. It really made me feel
like a viewer.
The cuts in the megaman section of this video are practically seamless, had to watch it a few times. Great work.
*This video:* Bad sequels exist to be learnt from
*SonicTeam:* lmao
It always shocks me how they can’t get a sonic game to be consistently good, either the story is fun, light hearted and charming but half of the gameplay falters like with unleashed, or vice versa with generations/adventure 1&2 with fantastic gameplay but a disappointing story, or god forbid both elements with 06, rise of lyric, forces, shadow the edgehog, the only games that seem to be good through out are the ones that are always 2D, hoping the nostalgia reels you in from the original games.
I don't know, I think that's only half of Sonic's problem. One half is they can't pull off what worked and the other doesn't understand why the games aren't great. I have a high tolerance for Sonic, but even I was bored by Forces. I saw potential, but they didn't do anything with it. Half the levels end before they start. Honestly, I don't expect a story out of Sonic games. At its core, I believe a game should be a game first, and if the gameplay is bad, that can't be outweighed by other assets. There are games with ok gameplay but great stories, and they are good because the gameplay doesn't make you want to stop. Memes only work if they have more substance to back them up. Mega Man X4 has a confusingly poor story and memey cutscenes, but the gameplay is fun, so it's a good game. Undertale has bits of gameplay that are food, but it focuses more on the story it wants to tell. I honestly believe that very few Sonic games are fundamentally flawed, they can be fixed, but their poor gameplay doesn't let much make up for it. In addition, I excuse poor programming a lot of the time. Not because it's ok to have janky collision and such, but because at least games like SA2 could be fun when things work properly. Forces was like "haha we have classic sonic and sonic was fun so lets use him" and then it falls way behind Mania on the quality scale and they have no idea why.
@@pikminman13 I completely agree. The speculation with Forces is that it was rushed with only a year of actual production, going by a slide during Japan's Sonic Anniversary event. Mostly due, supposedly, to updating the Hedgehog Engine and reiterating/prototyping ideas. Common theory is also that prior to the custom character, they were going to use Boom Sonic as the 'third' member and dropped this due to the show/game's mediocre performance.
What do you expect from a series that has been about going fast, but forces you to stand around waiting for platforms and drowning since the first game?
@@tyler-xo3rb never thought of that way.
I am always down for some Matthewmatosis. Glad to have a new video from you
Excellent video as always! One thing I'm kind of surprised I didn't see here, especially since the segments were back-to-back, was a remark on how the structure of the Doom reboot is extremely similar to the structure of a Devil May Cry game. You explore an environment for secrets and items to progress, then you're locked in a room with demons that need eviscerating, repeat. Considering the Doom reboot's hard emphasis on CQC (weapons have shorter ranges than classic Doom and Glory Kills reward proximity to your enemies), the new Doom is essentially a first-person Devil May Cry game in many ways. I know it's not the most original observation, but I think it's worth pointing out.
"At one point catching a demonic reflection of myself in my TV, I began to question my life choices more than ever before."
Damn, dmc2 must really stink.
I think Doom's core gameplay is one of the reasons it keeps getting maps and mods: there's so much you can do with enemy placement and encounters while 2016 suffers a bit from having too many arena lockdowns.
Someone on a Doom thread on /vr/ said it best when one game treats enemies as "obstacles" and the other feels like it treats them as "points".
In Doom Eternal's E3 presentation, there was that clip where they show how different levels throw different situations at you and one was an Arachnotron hiding behind a door, meaning there's a chance of more variety in enemy encounters at least.
Even if new Doom isn't as Doom as it claims to be, i still think later Doom games introduce some good ideas to the franchise, which is why mods like D4T and MetaDoom are great.
These mods mean that a perfect Doom game would be the best parts of each iteration of Doom without aspects like forced arena lockdowns for example.
"There was an era where 'Warcraft' meant Real time strategy"
And I wish it still did.
there's still starcraft for us lol....
This is a great sequel to the first video. Less bad, more good.
I hope I get to see a Mario Odyssey review before I die of old age
@A C
Because I feel conflicted about the game which makes an analysis extra interesting
Matthew, you've outdone yourself. This is an incredible video!
That ending was beautiful.
The way you transition from one game to another so seamlessly is top tier my guy!
21:14 is a fair, cogent justification for Matthew's general style. I've always objected(!) to the idea that game criticism should be read as textbook, and it's reassuring to see one of the wizards himself acknowledge this.
Matthewmatosis: Touched
twisted came before
Why are you such a great writer????? Everyone one of your videos just has this amazing flow to them
Get so excited every time you upload a video Matthew! Don't change a thing and keep up the amazing work, you're the only person who really gets what needs to be preserved and talked about!
I think this is your best "put together" video. The flow between the different clips--and the gags you include--are all incredible. Not to mention, it's super clever having them all based around sequels.
This video is a beautiful summation of why Matthewmatosis is so fantastic, with literally every segment reinforcing the core theme AND the existence of this video, along with the core theme itself obviously reinforcing the existence of this video. The transitions flow so incredibly well this time around and the way the entire video is so meta it creates an entirely new discussion once you finish the video. "The best part of [Mega Microvideos 2] happens afterwards when you... throw every game into the mix." I've never been so tempted to break down a review as an equal piece of art to the subject matter of that review. I'll be revisiting this video for a very long time.
gibbdude I’ll definitely look into that!
Even putting aside the nice segues between each topic, it was cool to see how you tied each micro-essay together into one coherent topic.
i keep coming back to the microvideos as i believe they are some of the best written videos on thee platform i absolutely love the transition between for each segment it flows so naturally and for each re watch i always seem to point out another piece of excellent and cohesive writing still look forward to future parts of this video series
His points on Chrono Trigger's pacing is what I've been saying for years. It's like a reverse MMO Effect where you start the game at 10pm, beat like 3 bosses and 5 dungeons and are like "Man I gotta get to bed it must be like 3AM" and you see it's only 10:45.
You do and accomplish so much in such little time in that game.
It's always nice to watch a good youtube video.
it would've been nice to hear you elaborate more on Bayonetta and Zero Escape but this was a nice sampler.
Yeah, I wanted more explanation of how exactly the things he noted make Bayonetta 2 worse compared to 1. And Zero Escape seems right up his ally, I'd love to hear his take
This video explains Bayo 2's flaws pretty well. ruclips.net/video/6jIQkohrSvQ/видео.html
@@niiinjaaaaa are you Ninja from Fortnite?
@@niiinjaaaaa I'm xri from Super Smash Bros. Melee!
@Stephen Smith I'm not convinced that was why. Outside of playing it like it's Devil May Cry, which said casual audience wouldn't be doing so anyway, I found the difficulty to be nigh identical. I think they just added lots of new ideas without considering the effect on the previously air tight system. They lowered the skill ceiling while keeping the skill floor intact.
Yeah they give the moves quicker, but that's the case for many sequels.
The Segways in this video are insanely smooth...
I've loved your videos for years Matthewmatosis. I'm so glad you're branching out with them. You're amazing
I can’t believe how good this is
Matt, these microvideos are so perfect. They let you express the creative ways you observe video games, and that's EXACTLY why I love you and your videos so much!
Matt's by far the best gaming RUclips video game video essay person I've watched. The pacing transition, for instance, is such clever writing.
I take it you've had a lot of people tell you how much that "there's sincerity in originality" line stuck with them. I'm certainly among them.
Great stuff as always matt. Here's hoping at least one of the games you featured here gets a full vid now that you have footage.
Did he say that in the original Mega Microvideos?
Yeah it was in the Abzu/Journey portion of it
The last mega microvideo was one of my favourite of your videos, i hope this is just as good
Kronksterpher it’s a worthy sequel
Even though this was a little hefty for a single video, I think multiple watches will make it exceptional. Your points on Bayonetta2 were an exact replica of my own thoughts, I never thought anyone else would articulate them so well :) great video Matthew
I never thought I'd live to see the day when Matthewmatosis uploaded again.
This is the only RUclips channel on the planet where I only truly understand what the creator was trying to say after multiple re-watches.
Great work as always, Matty-boy.
What you say about Ghost Trick existing as a stand alone game, or a creator making a spiritual series, can be true with that game and Ace Attorney. Ghost Trick's slight magical realism meshes into Ace Attorney's own magical realism pretty well. There's a lot of tonal similaries and familier tropes and plot beats between the two.
The fanbase crossover is also pretty large. You see the two series brought up in the context of each other a lot, crossover fan art and fan fictions are incredibly common. Fans who like one series but not the other certainly do exist, but it's a (maybe weird) case where the two are more often appriciated together.
Absolutely love this format and that it was all about sequels. I’m inspired!
I love that Matthew just does exactly what he wants
Now the question that remains is how the Mega Microvideos series' trajectory will go.
this video is honestly a wonderful piece of art in its own right. the fact that it isnt really a sequel to the original Mega Microvideos, because it isn't a series of discordant small reviews any more but a single cohesive piece about the nature of sequels themselves? the gradual reveal that the significant part of the video title isn't the "Mega Microvideos" part, but the "2"? (and then i kiss my fingers like an italian chef) magnifique!
Zero Escape games are worth talking more about if only to go into how the games relate to each other and how the series' troubled development history shaped its identity. I think it's fair to say that budgetary concerns led not just to an overall lack of polish in VLR and ZTD but also a lack of series cohesion. While the overarching plot connects each entry in some way, the connection isn't as strong as you'd expect from a sequel.. Characters from one game will show up in another game, and continuing their individual stories matters, but it's always treated as a subplot of the sequel's narrative. It almost feels as if that's the bare minimum that the designers were able to do with the time and budget that they had. Don't get me wrong. I love Zero Escape. But it's so much less than it might have been if it were allowed to be more faithful to what the designers wanted to do with it.
If your Ghost Trick review is about the potential dangers of not supporting the games that really need it, Zero Escape is the example that shows what happens when they're not supported. There's a steady decline. At first, it doesn't seem like a real issue, but over time, it becomes clear that there's a rot.
Funny you mention that lack of series cohesion. Because it's something that I completely felt while playing ZTD, but I thought the fact that VLR treats it's own status of "sequel" with such distance was amazing.
For some half unknown reason I honestly think that keeping VLR only loosely connected to 999 was a great narrative choice. Having at the start only one character from the previous game in the sequel gives you just enough to be intrigued and keeps the door open for more ties between the games, while still being a small enough detail that you'll just keep it at the back of your head and treat the rest of the adventure as its own thing.
ZTD on the other hand, really blows its load too quick, too hard and it makes the result of everything very underwhelming. Having about 5 cast members out of the 9 people around be characters from previous games, making very obvious that it happens between VLR and 999 in terms of chronology, making it obvious that the events going on are going to be absolutely major and vital to the plot of the series as a whole... The expectations on the narrative side can't be any higher which makes the somewhat lackluster payoff really burn much more.
I'm a little disappointed that you won't cover the Zero Escape series further, mostly because that series doesn't really have much analysis available on RUclips.
Also matthew seemingly doesn't realise that VLR is a sequel to 999. I really hope he's played it, as it's the best in the series by far
Con S He called it Zero Escape 3 at 23:59.
@@cons4943 Yeah, especially considering that 999 had some sequel hooks in its ending too. Although it's definitely the most self-contained of all the 3 games.
@@SiestaYonJyuGo I feel the same way. 999 being contained is what made it so great. VLR loses something with its lackluster, arbitrary setting, not to mention some really questionable VO that grates at some times. I think as a person, Matthew can't ignore ZTD in his analysis and just evaluate the first two games or just 999 on its own.
the biggest "downgrade" about VLR for me was that the choices, though much more plentiful, felt more arbitrary, like i was doing routine checkbox stuff to get the true ending that I already knew was the end goal. And iirc you could start from various checkpoints within the story which made your previous life/death choices seem cheap. In 999, the inconvenience of starting completely over and having to work your way back to significant junctions made each path choice feel more organic and consequential. Not to mention the game was far more horror/tension-filled. Most importantly, I didn't know the main gimmick of the series since 999 was the very first one, so I didn't know what to expect or what those branching paths were leading up to.
Relentlessly clever scripting Matt, you’re getting even better at this
I really enjoyed this video. The seamless transitions, the less seamless. All of it. The pace at least makes it feel information dense, and I do believe it was. If this was some how an easier video for you, you shouldn't feel guilty about that. If it was more effort, I enjoyed it in a unique way for your channel, so well worth it. Just wanted to say I genuinely enjoy your content.
Glad to see another one of these. This format is perfect for topics like these that can't sustain a full length Matthewmatosis video.
Ironic that really the end isn’t a cliffhanger since we knew what you were going to say
"You probably shouldn't end things on a Cliffbar, they're deceptively high in sugar and you should really eat a balanced meal instead."
@@HRZN_YT I read that in his voice
I feel you missed a glorious joke by not ending the video with "Tune in next time when I'll be discussing----"
I'll just take this chance to thank you for recommending Ghost Trick, it has become one of my favorites games ever, and i only know of its existence thanks to you.
And yes i agree that that's one game i don't want a sequel to be made, at least not with the same characters and plot.
I’m glad someone finally summed my problems with modern doom.
Still a good game even Matthewmatosis thinks so. Doom 4 sums up what he said about Resident Evil 4 I think, it hits the nail so hard it doesnt matter whether its doom or not
cannon I would not argue that ever. Re4 changed games forever. Every third person shooter after that saw what re4 did and new they had to copy that. Doom4 sorta just makes an explorative arena shooter more visceral but way more linear and Samey. It also doesn’t help how uninspired a lot of things are.
I really like both modern doom and new doom. But it's important to realize they're different. Doom Eternal had problems, sure, but it was more or less a logical progression of the design of Doom 16, and it did a lot of interesting things I really like. The people who feel let down by that game, I think, were often those expecting a more traditional Doom experience.
I've come back to rewatch the RE4 section so many times. As one of those weirdos that does miss the pre-rendered backgrounds, I've always had a complex opinion of RE4. It is undeniably an awesome game and I've played it many times, but it never felt like Resident Evil to me. More importantly, it isn't immersive to me, which is the main thing I'm looking for from a horror game. Matthew really explains my thoughts well here. I particularly love lines about how "it just doesn't matter if you nail it hard enough" and the comment about Rondo of Blood 2.
i thought we were talking about video games but instead got a in-depth pondering on the metaphysical properties of succession.
I have no complaints
I have been watching youtube for about 10 years and I watched it more extensively in the last 5 years and this video is one of the best I have ever seen on the site.
When you mentioned the way that DMC2 screwed up the basics of movement and combat, my immediate thought was Dark Souls 2, another game whose flaws were exacerbated by it having terrible movement and futzy animations.
I love these mega microvideos, they're really wonderfully done
The trajectory of this video series is going up! Loved the way you linked segments together.
Always enjoy your critiques. Opens my eyes to aspects of videogames I normally wouldnt think about.
5:40 oof. I hope you’re doing ok.
Anyway, thanks for making the most thoughtful, entertaining and hypnotic content ... anywhere.
Really ...
Your videos are like gifts descended from angels or from some demon who really knows me fetishes.
Aw yeah!
Easily my new favourite kind of video from you. Bitesize thinkpieces on notable pieces of game design.
Coming back after finally finishing ghost trick and my god that line at 20:26 was f***ing genius
You're alive, I've missed your videos!
I would give anything to hear you go in depth on virtue's last reward. Your overview of thoughts on both VLR and ZTD echoed my own, and I'd love to hear more of what you have to say.
Great video! Really enjoyed how you bounced from game to game so seamlessly, making excellent points with each one.
I really love this format
This entire video was incredibly clever and surprisingly sassy, I really enjoyed it
A clip of Alien Soldier yet not even a word spent talking about it? You're breaking my heart, Matthew.
Excellent set of minireviews, seems we are going to see DMC3 review in a future :)
This was a really great video, very well paced and with a ton of great points being raised, here's hoping the next video is up soon and not in 4 months since it's always fun to have you around
Chrono Trigger's encounter design is probably its other great strength. It is almost never replicated.
This video calls for switching to the extra comfy pajamas if you're going to insist on uploading during my bedtime
Your point about VLR being potentially at fault for setting up an impossible-to-resolve plot is something I have always felt about people who praise Mass Effect 1 for it's supposedly great story, and slam the sequels for "failing to live up to it". In reality, the first game's story was mostly just hyping up the true battle that was going to happen in the sequels, which they clearly had no way of portraying in a satisfactory way within the confines of the gameplay - how can normal humanoids battle giant godlike aliens? They had no solution to that narrative problem and yet they didn't consider this when making the first game, so if anything the fault lies with ME1.
While you make a good point, the fact of the matter is that ME2 and ME3 made little attempt to even try to live up to this. Mass Effect 2 ignored the Reapers entirely, focusing on the Collectors and character backstories (which the latter worked well for the game series), and Mass Effect 3 threw even that away by making things up as they went along, all while using ME1's premise as nothing more than window dressing. The laziness shows with the endings, which were all identical save for a palette swap. While ME3 would never have lived up to the promises ME1 set down, the fact of the matter is they didn't even try, which is a more egregious sin in my eyes.
What makes you assume that there was no possible narrative solution to the Reapers? Mass Effect as a whole is more limited by it's focus on "state of the art 3d graphics" than it's story, I'd say.
Was literally just thinking a couple days ago that I’d love to see a new video of yours soon. What a treat!
That ending is probably the best it could've been for a video like this.
I really liked this style of analysis. I hope you bring it back.
These mega microvideos are a fantastic format, congrats Matthew.
Jesus, you videos are amazing. Onr of the few channels that analyse games without putting your feelings on it
"A little time in Hell makes Heaven all the Sweeter."
The amount of phenomenally prosaic throw away lines in these videos is astounding.
Why no mention of 999 in the ZTD section? I mean ZTD is technically the sequel of VLR, but I would've liked a comparison to 999 also, since 999 is vastly different than both of its sequels.
I would also like more thought about Bayonetta 2, I feel like there's something missing in Bayo 2 from Bayo 1, but I cant quite put my finger on it, I felt like it's the more arcade feeling of the original game, but I also feel like saying Bayo 2 isnt quite as arcadey is not quite the thing I'm disapointed about.
Great video as usual, I like the "Mega Microvideos" format, never expected it, but it also wasn't exactly like the original either, I felt like this one had more focus on the flow between each point, and wasn't just microvideos stapled together.
Thank you for this.
You may want to look at Daedron12's Bayonetta 2 video (link here ruclips.net/video/6jIQkohrSvQ/видео.html). MM describes the some of the same flaws mentioned in that video, but that video goes into much more detail.
this was mind blowingly good
If you had only waited to upload this a few weeks later, it would have been on the 1 year anniversary for your 1st MicoReview video!
The way you transition between games through vague resemblance in theming or mechanics is fucking godly man. Keep doing what you do, RUclips and the video game culture as a whole needs more critique that looks deeper into the meaning behind "game play" and storytelling with an objective eye
Even though ZTD disappointed me a bit in the end, nothing will ever take away the rollercoaster of emotions that VLR made me feel. It's genuinely my favorite game on the 3DS and will always remain that way.
I can only imagine how much your channel would grow if you released videos more than every few months xD
i love how your sequel video was about sequels. this video was dope! always great to watch one of your videos
Other interesting sequels are Super Mario Land 3: Wario Land, and Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. Both spawning new series. Although whether they are actually sequels or new properties in disguise can be discussed.
Ghost Trick is the ONLY story I can remember that cleared up 99.9% of questions, AND it was a TIME TRAVEL-BASED PLOT. Not to mention, it provided a decent enough suspension of disbelief. One of the best games I have ever played, and a deep wedge in my heart.
Nice use of the Sopranos at the end there. Good video overall! It was interesting how a meta narrative structure was made in the video by having the sequel to your last similar video be all about sequels.
RUclips just recommended this to me, if you keep this kind of content up, you've got a solid subscriber for the unforeseeable future
All hail the algorithm
flowed pretty well with one consistent point shining through
this is a smorgasbord of good takes. its so refreshing
I like this layout of touching on several different games individually whilst speaking on a central thematic gaming element
This man is the God of videogame reviews- my mind is blown