BigEvilSquirrel

2.5 out of 5. Maybe it’s my fault for finishing Doom (2016) just before playing this. The platforming is killing this for me. It’s done competently enough, but it’s just not fun. Doom (2016) had some platforming, but it was toned down and kept with the flow of the game. Doom Eternal throws double jump, double dash, wall climbing, moving blocks, and dropping platforms before the end of chapter 2. Then there’s the changes in combat. Way too much focus on the weak point system. Again, maybe my fault, but I’m not that good of a shot. Chainsaw for ammo, flame thrower for armor. I had to laugh when I got to the first rune, encouraging players to figure out their play style when the game clearly wants you to play one specific way. I might come back to this game later, but I think I’ll have a better time hitting up the back catalog in the time being.

5 out of 5. This game is pure platforming fun. Each level requires you to go through the level and acquire moons to get to the level. Simple, but the level design is so good you’ll go moon hunting far beyond the required number. There are many costumes and collectibles to go after. Possibly the best Mario 3D game, loads of fun here.

2 out of 5. Dragon Age: Inquisition suffers from OK gameplay that has gotten stale, but tolerable. The real shame is that progression in the game is locked behind a mission table: select a mission, assign a general, and wait the timer. Side quests are cookie cutter and boring. This game seems to be getting a lot of praise elsewhere, but I just don’t see it. Sure the world is lush and open, but that seems about it.

3 out of 5. Dragon Age II suffers from either being rushed, laziness, or both. Environment assets are reused so much it becomes painfully obvious. Enter a cave, and it’s the same map as the previous cave. Gameplay is fun, I really enjoyed playing as a mage. I do recommend giving it a play, but not at full retail.

3 out of 5. Dragon Age II suffers from either being rushed, laziness, or both. Environment assets are reused so much it becomes painfully obvious. Enter a cave, and it’s the same map as the previous cave. Gameplay is fun, I really enjoyed playing as a mage. I do recommend giving it a play, but not at full retail.

5 out of 5. Dragon Age: Origins is an excellent RPG from Bioware. The character you design decides your opening chapter (or “origin”), once complete will lead to the normal story. There are six origins to play through, my favorite was the Human Noble (as a Rogue). There is a lot of replay if you want to see everything, as you must pick a side for each quest. Combat is typical for a Bioware game, which is not a bad thing. A recommend if you liked Knight of the Old Republic.

5 out of 5. Dragon Age: Origins is an excellent RPG from Bioware. The character you design decides your opening chapter (or “origin”), once complete will lead to the normal story. There are six origins to play through, my favorite was the Human Noble (as a Rogue). There is a lot of replay if you want to see everything, as you must pick a side for each quest. Combat is typical for a Bioware game, which is not a bad thing. A recommend if you liked Knight of the Old Republic.

1 out of 5. The Final Fantasy series has been beloved to me, but it’s last pair of non-MMO offerings are deeply concerning. Final Fantasy Verses XIII went into development hell and came out as Final Fantasy XV, a pile of hot garbage that’s at least pretty to look at. Combat is just not fun and takes some getting use to. The story gets the job done, but I’ve long since stopped caring and moved on to better games more qualified of my time. Worst game in franchise history,

5 out of 5. This game manages to take everything good about Castlevania and blend it perfectly with everything that made Super Metroid great, making a game formula others have been trying to duplicate for centuries. This game manages to perfectly blend various genres into a beautiful masterpiece. Excellent platforming, RPG elements, and exploration seamlessly come together here. The music is second to non and elevates the atmosphere to astronomical levels. The gameplay is just on point. I just can't recommend this game enough.

5 out of 5. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is open and expansive, giving you the tools to truly play the way you want. The variety of quest lines will keep you busy for quite some time. Leveling doesn’t penalize you as previous entries in the series, and that is a welcome change. Combat is excellent. The stories are great with some hard decisions as to which side to take, while making you feel uneasy either way. The world is vast, you will be hard pressed to run out of things to do. If you’ve played a Bethesda game, you know what to expect, and this game is their masterpiece.

5 out of 5. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is open and expansive, giving you the tools to truly play the way you want. The variety of quest lines will keep you busy for quite some time. Leveling doesn’t penalize you as previous entries in the series, and that is a welcome change. Combat is excellent. The stories are great with some hard decisions as to which side to take, while making you feel uneasy either way. The world is vast, you will be hard pressed to run out of things to do. If you’ve played a Bethesda game, you know what to expect, and this game is their masterpiece.

5 out of 5. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is open and expansive, giving you the tools to truly play the way you want. The variety of quest lines will keep you busy for quite some time. Leveling doesn’t penalize you as previous entries in the series, and that is a welcome change. Combat is excellent. The stories are great with some hard decisions as to which side to take, while making you feel uneasy either way. The world is vast, you will be hard pressed to run out of things to do. If you’ve played a Bethesda game, you know what to expect, and this game is their masterpiece.

5 out of 5. Octopath Traveler takes much of what made old-school Final Fantasy great, gave the graphics a modern splash of paint while maintaining 16-bit era pixel art, and made the gameplay feel modern. Random battles exist, but learning weaknesses and learning when to implement a boost attack make each one more exciting that the Final Fantasy games of yesterday. While each character’s story doesn’t intersect, they are interesting enough to entertain. Unlocking secondary jobs adds enough customization to keep things interesting as you can mix and match Support Skills to make some powerful characters. Despite not being Final Fantasy in name, it is a better than more recent entries in the series.

3 out of 5. We Happy Few feels like it is full of potential that it just never lives up to. The survival aspects of the game (eating, drinking, sleeping) feel like they could have been done away with. The crafting system is well implemented was was a JOY to use. Combat is ok, nothing special. Overall there just feels like a lack of polish. The story feels good so far, and will probably be the driving force to completing this game. It just feels like a couple of design choices and a lack of polish are holding We Happy Few back from true greatness.

5 out of 5. This game manages to take everything good about Castlevania and blend it perfectly with everything that made Super Metroid great, making a game formula others have been trying to duplicate for centuries. This game manages to perfectly blend various genres into a beautiful masterpiece. Excellent platforming, RPG elements, and exploration seamlessly come together here. The music is second to non and elevates the atmosphere to astronomical levels. The gameplay is just on point. I just can't recommend this game enough.

5 out of 5. This is quite possibly the best game I have ever played. I have gone back and played Breath of the Wild multiple times now, and I’m still enjoying it. I cannot recommend this game enough, I will admit that it is light on story, but the game itself makes up for it with plenty to explore and things to do. One of the greatest of all time.