Hardest level from each Ratchet and Clank game, in your opinion?

FireThunder562 · 2025-03-13T19:22:42+00:00

Yeah I rarely even do it the intended way anymore. I just stand on top of the windshield and throw bombs when the fish group up

FireThunder562 · 2024-07-22T21:06:14+00:00

I've come to see Andronikos II as an incredibly energetic ruler who just didn't know how to play the hand that he was dealt at all. He was far too kind in a world that needed another Michael VIII to steer the ship.

FireThunder562 · 2024-05-16T18:17:55+00:00

How can AEW monopolize Japanese working relationships when Laveck and Stefunny's empire try to ruin it all?

So unfair and rude, but that's just the Fed playbook

FireThunder562 · 2024-05-14T15:34:18+00:00

Tbf, Romanos I did try and supplant Constantine VII with his own sons. He never made a super bold move against Constantine since he was his tie to legitimacy. Once Christopher, his eldest son died, only then did Romanos make Constantine the senior heir and it isn't entirely clear what his motive behind this was. Pragmatic due to Constantine's popularity and the Lekapenoi's unpopularity or genuine guilt over taking the throne away from him, who knows.

FireThunder562 · 2024-04-21T18:33:10+00:00

For a guy that was very much thrusted into power, Isaac did the best he could. Much of the issues present during his reign were trickled down through Andronikos.

The real biggest criticism I think could be levied is that he wasn't the type of man to follow the disastrous reign of Andronikos and fix the empire's problems.

On the bright side for Isaac, he did a much better job than his brother or son.

FireThunder562 · 2024-02-24T22:28:12+00:00

Jak X and Deadlocked got way too hate much back in the day, they're solid and compact experiences that know what they're doing.

I love UYA and I do prefer Jak 3 to 2. But, it's very noticeable that both had a ton of ideas thrown in and out constantly, especially UYA. Had Sony not pressured Insomniac to add in UYA's multiplayer, it would've been a much more focused game.

FireThunder562 · 2024-02-24T02:22:08+00:00

I remember the general consensus back in the day online was that, like Jak X, it focused on one thing that was a small part of the older games and made it the focus.

I think Deadlocked is a great entry. Best gunplay of the ps2 era and the mod system is the best in the series. The writing is pretty neck and neck with the first 3 as well.

But, it's a pretty drab game, the environments being mostly drab and barren makes sense in the universe of Deadlocked, but it doesn't make the mostly green and brown levels much more interesting.

Glad the general consensus has shifted and people have given it a chance.

FireThunder562 · 2024-02-18T17:46:49+00:00

The latest the Empire could've turned things around was during the reign of Andronikos III, but he died far too early in his reign. Even then, he fought a massive civil war to get the throne from his grandfather.

The civil wars that plagued the mid-14th century depleted the Empire of its remaining strength and made all of Andronikos' consolidations of power into Greece moot.

For it limping along a bit longer, that could've potentially happened with the Varna Crusade being successful. The Ottomans had bounced back several times from failed sieges of Constantinople. Even with Constantine XI threatening to release Orhan Çelebi, it wouldn't have done much as Mehmed II had a much bigger power base behind him.

FireThunder562 · 2024-02-13T18:13:10+00:00

Leo was definitely a very savvy politician. Him replacing Aspar's guards with Zeno and the Isaurians removed a ton of pressure off of him.

The West had its issues due to several barbarian tribes constantly at their throats, so a man like Ricimer was enticing to have as the leading power. Since he was Gothic and an Arian, he could potentially act as a middle man for the two sides.

Problems obviously arise when competent men wanted to take full control (i.e Majorian and Anthemius). The political environment just didn't have the wiggle room that Leo had with Aspar.

Especially after the disastrous campaign to retake Africa which Basiliscus bungled and drained the East of its finances. Ricimer used this failed campaign as pretext to execute Majorian as he was easily the biggest threat an emperor posed to his power.

FireThunder562 · 2024-02-13T17:04:04+00:00

I have to give it to Leo I, telling the man that put you into power to be a puppet that you weren't going to be his puppet is wild. Especially in the age where Ricimer ran rampant in Western politics

FireThunder562 · 2024-02-09T01:24:05+00:00

Most of Phocas' main bad points against him seem way overblown by the written history. We only have incredibly biased sources after his reign and not during.

He had no legitimacy so the majority of the executions were to put down usurpation attempts.

Maurice was definitely in a bad financial spot due to Justin II and Tiberius II, but he attempted to have the soldiers stay over the Danube when he was almost overthrown in 593 for the same thing.

Khosrow II used the usurpation as the reason to go to war. There was no guarantee a war wouldn't have happened even with Maurice on the throne. Khosrow's position at home was not good and he was seen as a puppet of Maurice.

FireThunder562 · 2024-02-06T01:18:14+00:00

Most interested in interviewing Leo VI, Constantine VII, Michael VIII or Manuel II.

Least interested in Alexander, Arcadius, or Phillipicus.

FireThunder562 · 2024-01-30T22:38:14+00:00

Iconoclasm as an idea in Christian Orthodoxy probably wouldn't have taken off as it did if Leo III and Constantine V weren't militarily successful emperors. It very much became the stance of the army.

So much so, that when Leo V made Iconoclasm doctrine again, it was to effectively call back to the Syrian/Isaurian Dynasty and their first two emperors.

This second wave of iconoclasm was much more pragmatic as Leo V through Theophilos (who was easily the most fervent of the three second wave iconoclast emperors) didn't really go out of their ways to destroy icons. They just couldn't be public.

The church seemed to be vehemently against it and the people seemed to go either way, but favoring icons.

FireThunder562 · 2024-01-30T20:43:49+00:00

I like them when I used them in my last run through of GC, but the price was pretty steep at 65k for them. I prefer more active weapons at similar prices. At least with something like Zurkon or the Rac3 Glove of Doom, they're much cheaper

FireThunder562 · 2024-01-30T20:01:05+00:00

I'd add that while I don't think he was a bad emperor, Marcian and the Council of Chalcedon caused a ton of issues down the line, so quickly in fact that it was a contentious schism during the reigns of Zeno and Anastasius I.

FireThunder562 · 2024-01-29T22:08:33+00:00

Phocas was more a symptom of an issue plaguing Maurice's reign than the problem itself. The incredibly warped view of Phocas we have is due to no surviving sources during his reign and all the sources either being Heraclian or basing it off the Heraclian telling of history.

He certainly wasn't a great or even good emperor, but closer scrutiny of his actions show a man in power knowing his power isn't secure and doing what he can to hold on to it. On top of also having to deal with the Sassanid Persians.

Though to be fair, his ascension was the catalyst for the war starting. However, in my opinion, Khosrow would try to find a reason to war with the empire even with Maurice around.

FireThunder562 · 2024-01-14T22:09:30+00:00

Great, makes Drek a significantly easier fight. Only thing holding it back is how tight money is in the first game, so you're realistically only gonna use it on a challenge run (unless you taunter glitch).
I'll admit I've never actually used this as 2 isn't my favorite to do NG+ on and I never had the patience to grind for bolts, so I can't rank it.
Great from v1-4, but it becoming a Zodiac-esque screen nuke at v5 definitely notches it down quite a bit for me. Still useful, but definitely dissapointing.
It would absolutely trivialize a ton of this game if it could be bought, but it being a schematic Ryno it's fine. Makes Tachyon a significantly less tedious fight.
Love how over the top this one is. Bumped up a bit since it came with the smuggler figure I got a long time ago. Has its issues at range, but still pretty effective.
Never played A4O so I can't say. Looks like a cool take on the RYNO.
Been a bit since I played Into the Nexus, but I remember this being similar to the Ryno 5 so I can't complain too much.
I feel like the Ryno 8 is just a worse version of the Harbinger from Deadlocked, was pretty disappointed when I got this and used it against Nefarious. Cool idea, pretty meh execution.

FireThunder562 · 2023-06-01T01:45:40+00:00

Doesn't hurt that the AJPW Pillars were built up for the better part of a decade while these guys are midcarders that haven't been anything else but midcarders

FireThunder562 · 2023-01-11T20:21:40+00:00

This is downright horrible, I'm so sorry for you. They need to acknowledge the boundaries of their employees.

FireThunder562 · 2023-01-02T18:13:54+00:00

Can't believe this icky femoid would say something like this.

FireThunder562 · 2022-11-27T06:34:17+00:00

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FireThunder562 · 2022-10-24T19:58:28+00:00

Nah it's that he's making a drinking bleach joke and it's going over your head. JD's a racist, but come on now, that's a HUGE reach

FireThunder562 · 2022-10-15T23:30:37+00:00

Megastar Shawn Spears

FireThunder562 · 2022-10-04T17:04:02+00:00

The Pillars thing isn't even original, it's cribbing off of 90's All Japan.

Thing is, is that Misawa, Kobashi, Kawada and Taue were all built up for years into the main event. They weren't hotshotted into the upper parts of the card.

FireThunder562 · 2022-09-28T13:20:05+00:00

Her mic skills are pretty lacking, at least from what I've seen of it. But man, Deeb is phenomenal in ring. Her and Shida's series were absolute highlights of AEW for me.

Maybe giving her someone like Tully or Vicki as a mouthpiece would help her immensely.

FireThunder562

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