MAFIAxMaverick

Once the magic of the first few hours wears off - it becomes a very generic RPG with the Harry Potter name. The story is just okay and the RPG elements are the same. There's not a lot of variability in combat and spells mechanically. Two things that are amazing are the transmog system and Hogwarts/Hogsmeade. Hogwarts Castle really is a massive fortress I could get lost in for days and I felt like I was inside the castle I read about in the books when they came out during elementary school. So that was a really cool part of it. Overall - not an amazing game, but a fun one. I think there were a lot of places they could have continued to build upon to make it better. Also - no quidditch?!

Probably one of my favorite Final Fantasy games in terms of the story. I also love the action-oriented gameplay. The world looks beautiful, the character models look beautiful. The Digital Foundry deep dive on some of the technical elements of characters and world interaction was phenomenal. From a technical perspective, I think FFXVI is a 10/10. I also love the build variability and think there are a lot of viable builds to use for Clive. My two biggest gripes are - 1. Doing away with status effects. I feel like it really dumbed down the gameplay. 2. There are some amazing side quests - but the side quests in the first half of the game are weak, overall. The amount of fetch quests, I think, will deter people from picking up side quests later in the game and some of the late game side quests provide some of the best storytelling in the game. Overall - I don't know if this is a FF game I will come back to again and again like FFX and FFXII - but I really enjoyed my time with it.

I think the game is really fun - but it has been marred by technical issues since the Tenosian Invasion update. Every patch breaks something else. But when it works it is such a fun experience. I didn't love the introduction of the Battlepass - but in practice I think it works well. It's fairly quick to upgrade and doesn't expire. I got the game as a gift, so I felt fine spending a little bit. I enjoy the game enough to come back and play it casually from time to time.

While some of the same issues/bugs plague the games - this is a 10/10 remaster. The work they did with ME1 made it a much better game as well as the original ME1 did not age well.

Having a blast playing this with friends. Devs listen to feedback, even if it takes a while to implement (it's a tiny team). Feel like I'm back in high school playing Bad Company 2. Gunplay is great - even if some weapons are overpowered. Weapon attachments are a bit of a mess - and I hope those are cleaned up at some point. Don't love some of the way they're handling exclusive skins with streamers and hope that is addressed as well. Overall - I am having a blast and I feel like this will be a 10/10 game if the Devs continue to give it the love they have so far.

Writing this review as of middle of season 4. A lot of the mechanical issues of the game have been fixed by this point - though desync remains an issue. Gunplay feels the best it has since release - especially on mouse and keyboard. The sandbox feels extremely balances - especially in competitive modes. Though I don't love the, essentially, neutering of the Disruptor and Mangler. SBMM and CSR continue to be an issue, specifically in social playlists. After a rough launch year - communication and updates seem to be more regular than they were previously. Cash shop continues to be terribly priced - but with multiplayer being F2P - I'm not surprised. I still would have preferred this been a purchased game without a horrible cash shop. Battlepasses are mediocre - but you only have to purchase 1 to get them all. In the end, Halo Infinite still scratches the arena FPS itch for me in a way other games don't, which is why I have it as an 7/10 at this point in time and will continue to play. I enjoyed the campaign, but it was just okay.

I haven't had this much fun in a video game in quite some time. It really is a perfect encapsulation of Dungeons and Dragons. I did not play BG1 or BG2 - so I am sure there is merit to the points deducted for people saying BG3 feels more like DOS3 - but I can't give an honest assessment of that. For someone who played DOS1 and DOS2 - BG3 feels like the perfect next step in terms of UI, game mechanics, and overall feel from Larian. Can't wait to see what they do next. From a technical perspective - I have not experienced any game breaking bugs or hardware issues.

Ni No Kuni 2 was a blast to play. I put enough time into it to get the platinum (though I still have some end game content left to tackle). All in all, I have about 70 hours put into the game. Combat, exploration, and side quests were a lot of fun. Each NPC in your kingdom had its own unique story. There were a lot of fetch quests involved, but the dialogue between Evan and the NPCs were a blast. The soundtrack for the game is top notch. There's some recycled music from Ni No Kuni: WOTWW, which I was fine with. The combat system was a real treat. Lots of different ways you can build your party, especially with the introduction of higgeldies. It was the right move to switch from a more traditional ATB battle system from the first game to an action one in the second game. I really enjoyed skirmishes, though there are plenty of people that didn't. Fortunately, with the most recent patch, it's easier to see what skirmishes you've completed and which ones you haven't. The cons for me lie in the story and ease of combat. The story wasn't awful, but I thought it was much worse compared to the first game. It may not be fair to make that comparison, but I am. I also felt the game was way too forgiving and easy in regards to combat. I would love to see an option to adjust combat difficulty in a future patch. Overall, I had a blast with this game, and will definitely play it again down the road.

I'm having a blast with Pit People so far. I was a huge fan of Castle Crashers back when I was in high school, so to see the art style of The Behemoth return was a treat. The game had me laughing within seconds of it's opening cinematic sequence. The humor isn't for everyone. But I enjoy it. The soundtrack is awesome. My biggest gripes are that there's not much of a tutorial in this game, which I think is important for the tactics style gameplay we've got. You have to get a feel for your new party members by playing them, which isn't a bad thing. But after the first few party members you get via the story, you don't get told how new ones operate. Which is a bit frustrating. I do like how you don't have complete control over your characters in regards to who they attack. It adds a bit of chaos that I really enjoy. There's a lot going on at the screen at any given moment, which can be kind of an eye sore, but sometimes it looks really awesome too. The various menus are a pain to deal with and there wasn't really a tutorial for how different items work. it took me a while to figure out that a lot of items are the exact same statistically, with the only differences being the cosmetic changes. It was an "oh duh" moment when I figured it out, but it would have been nice to know that without having to search around for the answer. Overall, this game is a blast and I highly recommend it if you're a fan of The Behemoth or like the tactics style game with some chaos thrown in there. Haven't tried multiplayer yet.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

Honestly, this is the perfect remaster. It looks amazing while feeling exactly the same as it did with a dualshock 2 in my 13 year old hands. All the visual upgrades are just outstanding (PS4 pro). The music is still phenomenal. And battling the colossi all over again makes me just as giddy as it did when I was a kid. I think it's a tad overpriced for what it is, especially as there was an HD upgrade on the PS3. Can we get an Ico remaster please?

I like the way that Polygon described the game: "Perfectly Imperfect". PUBG may not be the first Battle Royale style game, and the idea was obviously taken from the film, but it is the game that revolutionized and popularized the genre, much like DOTA and LoL for the MOBA genre. The premise is simple enough, and the maps are large enough that even though you're literally doing the same thing every game, there's plenty of variety. I think how much fun you have in this game depends on how you want to play it. Hot jumps can sometimes be fun, but I've enjoyed being tactical and playing the long game, crawling through the grass, trying to be stealthy. There's a lot of different play styles you can use, and you're forced to switch that up depending on where the circle takes you. The game has come a long way since it's early access release this past March. But a 1.0 release does not mean it's a completed product, which is why I'm taking off points. There are plenty of bugs, server issues, rubberbanding, etc that will keep this game from getting a perfect score. I hope those will be ironed out over time as we would hope for any game. But, in the mean time, I'm going to keep having a blast playing a game that has vastly improved since its launch. Playing with friends whether it's duos or teams adds a whole other layer to the game that has kept me entertained plenty a night. What it comes down to, for me, is if I'm having fun. I was having fun in March. I'm still having fun now.

I'm about 30 hours into Xenoblade Chonicles 2, and I am having a blast thus far. As someone new to the "Xeno" series, but someone who enjoys JRPGs, this is a big win for me. I have a few gripes about the game that force me to take a couple points off (I think it's really an 8.5). Pros: Really fun, engaging, combat system. That being said - it's a pretty complex battle system, with a lot of different chains and abilities that happen with the press of 5-6 buttons. You really have to be aware of your surroundings too. Want to tackle a strong enemy? Make sure you clear out the smaller ones before you engage or you risk dying after 10 minutes in battle because you aggro'd another enemy and they killed you. I'm really enjoying the story so far. There's lot of typical JRPG cliche's, but I enjoy the character interaction and overall story so far. The world is beautiful. Each titan is very unique, and even though we're confined to one titan (continent), we get the feel of a huge open world. Uraya has so many different, and awesome, color schemes working in it's favor. It really is a treat to run through the different titans and do some exploring. There's a lot customization and progression options as well. I admit, it can get a bit confusing with all the different types of experience for leveling up your weapons, affinity charts, character level, etc. But it's got depth. Depth and different ways to diversify a gaming experience are so important for me. Cons: The graphics are sub par. The art direction for the game is great, but I thought we'd have better graphics considering what I've seen already from the Switch. The map - for a game where we're exploring so many different areas and following quests, the map becomes more of a hindrance than a tool. The only way to pull up the map is to say you're going to fast travel somewhere. The minimap is small and even if you bring up the large overlay, it's not very helpful. Some arrows on the minimap would be awesome for quest direction, because the waypoint system isn't that great. There are times where the waypoint would be in the middle of the screen but it'd say I was getting further away from it. It's a little weird. English voice acting is hit or miss. I enjoy it for the most part, but there's some voicing that feels so out of place it ruins the immersion a little bit. Would love to see a bit cleaner UI, or at least the ability to customize. There's a lot going on on the screen anytime you get into combat, which is expected. But I don't think they did a great job making key parts of the UI visible through all the chaos, such as HP bars or numbers not really catching the eye. There were several times I didn't realize one of my party members died until I consciously checked the side of the screen. Sexualization of female blades, people, characters. I'm sick of seeing this in games, and we get a lot of it in XC2. Not only that, but there's so many cutscenes where it zooms in on a character's cleavage, or rear end. It's just not needed, or wanted. Overall, I'm really enjoying Xenoblade Chronicles 2. I would love to see an update that makes the minimap a better tool and a bit of cleaning up the UI. I like the story, I like the customization, and I absolutely love the combat. There are many complaints of battles taking too long, but I'm okay with that based on the way the complex combat system works. I think if you're a fan of the series, or JRPGs in general, then this is for you.

From a technical perspective, this game is a 10. If you played the first Splatoon this is a worthy upgrade. It's a lot of fun. My only gripes are the horrible lobby system for multiplayer coupled with a pretty poor attempt at voice communication. I wish Nintendo would figure out how to just give us in game chat options. It's been a norm with consoles for years and it's time Nintendo get on board. I like the rotating maps within the game modes but am not a fan of Salmon Run being available sporadically. The customization and clothing options are fun and give you an opportunity to build your SquidKid how you want. Will be playing this game for a long time.

Excellent remaster of one of my favorite Final Fantasy games. It feels good to be back in Ivalice! I've been able to put about 20 hours in in 3 days thanks to having summers off as I work in the schools. The "new" Zodiac job system is amazing. I really have enjoyed being "forced" to spec a certain way and build a party around that. Graphically, it's not the best looking PS4 game, but it looks remarkable compared to it's PS2 counterpart. Cinematic scenes look really good. The remastered music is awesome. The optional speed up options 2x and 4x speed are a godsend as well. The negatives come in the same place they came back when this game first released. Vaan and Penelo **** and add very little value to the story. The camera is still crappy sometimes when you're fighting up against a wall. Looking forward to playing FF12 until I get the platinum.

Definitely an unexpected treat. Glad I finally got around to playing Firewatch after picking it up a year or so back. It's definitely a different kind of game. Beautiful art directions and graphics. Short, but with a pretty good story. Really enjoyed the dialogue between characters and the options you were given in regards to conversation paths.

[Updated 4/24/17] - Probably 80 hours into single player now and 50 or so hours in MP. Many bugs have been fixed, including game-breaking things I was running into previously. Facial animations look better now, but they're still pretty bad for a 2017 game. Ended up not being as big a fan of the story as I was initially. Bumped up from a 5 to a 7. I have about 30 hours put into the single player so far, about 15 hours in MP. Definitely a letdown compared to the original ME trilogy - especially in regards to the technical aspects of the game. I'm actually enjoying the story and re-integrating myself back into the lore. Multiplayer continues to be a treat. The technical issues is where this game just fails for me They're glaring and really can't be ignored.. From the game locking up when cutscenes don't initiate properly, to horrible teammate AI, to the oft-memed facial animations and static eyes. I feel some of the same issues that plagued the original trilogy are still here and then some. Overall - I'm enjoying the game. But the glaring technical issues make me believed this is a rushed release - which is likely out of Bioware's hands as we know EA loves their money. It's a damn shame too. I also can't fathom how they added only two new species to the game. We're in a completely different galaxy. Multiplayer 9/10 for me though. Having a blast playing it with my buddies.

[Update 4/24/17] - A lot of the technical issues have been patched and I haven't run into anything crazy in a couple of week. Bumped from 8 to 9. From a gameplay and graphics aspect, this game is phenomenal. RTTS is fun, Dynasty mode is fun. The game is fun. My biggest complaints revolve around the games menus. They are not very fluid and very laggy. Sometimes it takes a solid 10-15 seconds just to transition to another menu after you've input something. I've had the game lock up on my while transitioning through different menus a couple times as well. Overall - loving the game and will be playing it for quite some time.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

Fantastic remaster of timeless classics from the PS3. Some parts didn't age as well, but that's to be expected. There are some frustrations with the cover system and little bugs that remain from the originals. I didn't expect them to be knocked out in the remaster, but still frustrating nonetheless. Gives me a chance to play these games on a better system. I'm happy to put the collection right next to my PS3 versions of the respective games.

Sunk about 60 hours into FFXV for the platinum. Game looks gorgeous and I even liked the more streamlined gameplay in terms of combat. Hunts are a lot of fun and made me really look forward to the hunts that I'll be reliving in FFXII remaster later this summer. It may be unfair to judge this compared to it's predecessors, but I haven't cared less about a Final Fantasy game's story like I did for FFXV. I'm hoping DLC will change that, though it's disappointing to need DLC to feel a sense of completion with the story in a series such as this. I hope Square does not continue down the path and, instead, releases a full game next go around. For all the years in development, even though the game was probably scrapped and restarted from step one, I'm disappointed. I really enjoyed the gameplay and side quests. If the main story was even half as good as I hoped it was going to be, then this would be a 9 or 10 for me. But the main story was so disjointed and full of holes that I felt virtually no sense of intrinsic reward/happiness/sadness/anything when it finally ended.

Story, difficulty, times it made me sweat - 10/10. Controls - 5/10. I was going to wait to get this on PC, as I hadn't built my rig yet, but I saw it for a goo deal on the PSN store over the holidays a few years back. I truly have enjoyed playing the game, though the frustration of poorly optimized controls has killed me more times than I care to admit.

Fantastic DLC expansion for an already fantastic game. Lilith immediately became my new favorite character. Afterbirth adds a new mode, Greed Mode, which changes up the rules a bit, but is a lot of fun. We get new enemies, items, floor models, room styles, added to the base game as well. A worthy expansion from a great developer.

A good expansion. Dark World offers the opportunity for a 4 player co-op experience, which was not an option in the base game. I've had a blast playing through the co-op version of this game with my 3 best friends. I'll admit tackling Legendary has tested our frustrations with each other, but it's all in good fun. Outside the new co-op experience I feel that it did not offer much else. I'd give it a 7.5, but will round up to 8 here since I've put so may hours into this couch co-op masterpiece and still find myself coming back every time the boys are all in town.

Some people knock Towerfall Ascension for not having online capabilities. But, for me, that's exactly what makes it a 10. This is a game that I've dumped well over 100 hours into - because of its couch co-op feature. My group of three best friends and myself are always playing TA when we're together over a few beers. It's the perfect game after we've all had a long week for work. We can kick back, and just have a fun without a huge time commitment. I don't think enough games like this have come out in recent years. From the co-op to the versus modes, it's always a fun time. Gameplay is fast, fluid, rewarding if you're skillful, and unforgiving if you make mistakes. Soundtrack is amazing and all the gameplay customization options call for a fun, different experience on the fly.

A fantastic, deep, difficult, and time consuming game. It really brings me back to those feelings of frustration I had playing these kinds of games as a kid. It's a game that has be coming back two years post-release. Everything from the gameplay to the soundtrack are top notch.

I haven't had as much fun with a "new" (2 years later) mechanic in a game as I have with Shadow of Mordor. The Nemesis System was a pleasant surprise for me and I can't wait to see what they do with it in Shadow of War. Gameplay mechanics are fluid and rewarding. It's a game worthy of all the praise it's received over the years and the added expansions are a lot of fun. Knocks on it for a mediocre story and issues with the lore. I had to keep telling myself this game isn't trying to be canonical and that helped a bit.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]