Nintendo games are notorious for never going on sale. So if you buy one, you should know going into it whether it's your cup of tea. I enjoy many of Nintendo's games, from Mario Kart and Pokémon, to Fire Emblem, Xenoblade, and Animal Crossing. I've even enjoyed the two open world Zelda games (despite disliking the prior Zelda games). The only title in Nintendo's recent lineup that I didn't enjoy much was Super Mario Odyssey.
Why? I'm not a platformer person. While it's fun in small doses, I don't really like entire games built around it. I also am not fond of puzzles. If I have to play a game with platforming and puzzles, then I want it to have good combat or quality voice acting with an engaging story. Super Mario Odyssey checks none of those boxes for me personally, although I acknowledge its strengths: slick gameplay, precise movement, and creative use of imagination.
I figured I would give Donkey Kong Bananza a try, despite having been lukewarm with Odyssey, mainly due to its central mechanic: destruction. I've always loved destruction in games, from Hulk: Ultimate Destruction to Battlefield: Bad Company 2, if it has destruction I'll eventually play it and probably enjoy it.
Going into Bananza, I asked myself, "would the destruction mechanic be able to overcome the other things I don't like about these kinds of games?" The answer is...yes and no. Bananza has top tier destruction. It's incredibly satisfying and I like how the game gives you more and more ways to wreck things as you gain additional banana powers/skill points.
On the other hand, this game is still Super Mario Odyssey at its core. When you aren't destroying the world, you're platforming, fighting goofy enemies, trudging through a childish story, and dealing with minimal world building and voice acting.
To its credit, I'd say that Bananza is probably the best possible realization of this kind of gameplay. And I'm not saying I don't find parts of it fun. Anything that requires creative destruction brings a smile to my face. If the game focused just on digging and finding cool items and powering up, I'd probably enjoy it more. The mini-games, side characters, and overarching story are less appealing to me.
If you aren't a fan of the platforming gameplay and worldbuilding style of this development team, I don't think the destruction is enough to validate a $70 purchase. I would probably take back my purchase if I could. I did get some enjoyment out of the game, but I'd put the game more on the level of say No Man's Sky in terms of value. Like No Man's Sky you can destroy the terrain, dig for fossils, and do random activities. But unlike No Man's Sky, which is frequently $23 and constantly being updated for free, you're basically stuck with what you have with Bananza (minus some overpriced DLC).
If you aren't a fan of the platforming gameplay and worldbuilding style of this development team, I don't think the destruction is enough to validate a $70 purchase. I would probably take back my purchase if I could. I did get some enjoyment out of the game, but I'd put the game more on the level of say No Man's Sky in terms of value. Like No Man's Sky you can destroy the terrain, dig for fossils, and do random activities. But unlike No Man's Sky, which is frequently $23 and constantly being updated for free, you're basically stuck with what you have with Bananza (minus some overpriced DLC).
To sum up, Banaza is fun, but not worth the premium price if you are someone like me. Your money is better spent elsewhere.
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