MaximumD

This is not worth 30 dollars. The story drags in the beginning, finally gets good in the 2nd act, only to be a complete let down at the end after a ton of investment in the characters. None of the endings make a lot sense and are completely unsatisfactory. Also, this game is still full of major bugs, including hard crashes requiring a complete reset of the Xbox. This is unacceptable. The 2.0 revamp is OK. Shooting from the car doesn't matter at all. You'll barely do it. Cops are anon factor and they still have the same problem that the city just feels lifeless. Oh yeah did I mention glitches? Even on a console there are still constant glitches. Not to mention all the new glitches introduced with the DLC. Unreal. Save your money and wait for a discount for this barebones DLC.

This is not worth 30 dollars. The story drags in the beginning, finally gets good in the 2nd act, only to be a complete let down at the end after a ton of investment in the characters. None of the endings make a lot sense and are completely unsatisfactory. Also, this game is still full of major bugs, including hard crashes requiring a complete reset of the Xbox. This is unacceptable. The 2.0 revamp is OK. Shooting from the car doesn't matter at all. You'll barely do it. Cops are anon factor and they still have the same problem that the city just feels lifeless. Oh yeah did I mention glitches? Even on a console there are still constant glitches. Not to mention all the new glitches introduced with the DLC. Unreal. Save your money and wait for a discount for this barebones DLC.

I bought this game for 12 bucks the other day on a PSN sale. I have to say that for that amount, this game is a steal. I know this game's launch was terrible, but with the addtion of Immersive mode it's like a completely different game. I'm really surprised Ubisoft even bothered. They took a game completely broken by MTX design and stripped it down to essentials. At the same time, they give you the options to customize almost all aspects of gamaplay to suit you. It's by no means perfect, but if you're starved for tactical action, this might just scratch the itch. The gameplay is actually pretty solid and the entire mission system has been redesigned to flow better. Gunplay is spot on and I like the stealth and movement systems. They feel right. If you can pick this up for 12 bucks, I say why not, you might really be surprised. Also, I should add I'm no playing any MP in this game, just solo, and the AI is ok but you can really crank up the difficulty too if you want. Let's just say I'm surprised and happy because I loved the Ghost Recon series since inception and this one goes back a little to the roots of the franchise. Solid now, 4 years after release.

I was highly skeptical of this game when it released and just decided to try out the Warzone 2.0 mode for free. I played for a few days in free to play DMZ and BR modes and decided to bite the bullet and pick up the full game. The gameplay is very good. I originally played MW 1 and 2 back in the day and this game really feels like a throwback to that era. The gunplay and movement feel just right and I don't see too many of these sliding , bunny hopping, crack addicts who sprint around as much as the last version. The action is much more grounded in this version and I feel like the gameplay is king. The Maps for the most part are very well structured and you'll find new avenues and opportunities constantly in the beginning. Mastering map memory is the key to big scores as you out flank and out manuever less experienced players. There are so many paths and vertical spaces that no one is every completely safe and camping spots are at a minimum. Planting traps like claymores has never been more satisfying. The gameplay overall is highly addictive and I can barely keep track of the time when i play. Despite the great gamplay, it's not perfect in other aspects. There is no excuse for the multitude of bugs and glitches present nor the absolutely useless interface. Why did they change it? Anyway, I feel that with time this will become a classic, but right now it feels a tad bit unfinished. There are not too many guns to choose from for instance and it seems that many standard weapons where left out so they can drip feed them in over time. However, the new gun tuning is awesome and I find I can sit and tinker with my m4 all day long, searching for that perfect setup. Of course, microtransactions are ever present and the push for the 30$ Battle Pass is constant. Not worth it though. You don't seem to get much and you can actually unlock the guns fairly quickly. Who cares about operators and skins? Not me, but if you do, then drop the 30 extra dollars and have fun. Overall, I think they nailed the gameplay but the rest really needs some work. The SP Campaign is once again pretty generic and the co-op missions are quite simple and not that much fun. The mp is where it's at and I love the DMZ and Invasion modes for the huge maps and varied gameplay. I would say if you're on the fence, pick up Warzone 2.0 for free and jump into the DMZ beta. That will let you know if you really wanna pull the trigger on the full game or not. Cheers and hope to squad up with ya'll! Edit: I should also mention that I started playing this game a few weeks after it released, so I probably did not experience a lot of the bugs people had on launch. With the release of Warzone 2.0 the game got a pretty big update with bug fixes and gameplay tweaks. For instance, they fixed the controller auto aim exploit people where abusing and the game got a lot more stable overall.

Saying the game is a step in the right direction is fine but that doesn't make it good. Unfortunately the game has once again released with a slew of tech issues and honestly the "improvements" in the gameplay are just what you would expect from simulation football games. The last 3 to 4 Maddens were so bad that a step in the right directions barely begins to fix this mess. It's ok but doesn't even surpass games like 2k5 and Madden 7,8,10,and12. Yeah, I admit it's better than the last decent playing madden which I think was 17, but they are so far from a good product I would say do not waste 70 dollars on this crap. Either play an older version of the game or just pick up some other, better, sports game like NBA 2k or MLB the Show.

Those looking for a similar experience to Dishonoured 1 and 2 or Prey may be a little disappointed with this game. While it shares a pedigree with those legends this game relies a lot more on it's Loop hook and has really dumbed down the gameplay. It's kind of like Dishonoured lite. That being said, it's still a really good game. I just don't feel like it reaches the heights of Arkanes previous work but that just shows how great a developer they are. It's a pretty good game but you will love it or hate it based on how much you accept the repeating loop gimmick. The moment to moment gameplay unfortunately doesn't feel as good as previous games mentioned above. There is just something missing despite the stark similarities of the dishonoured games. Honestly, they lifted quite a few assets from those games, giving me a feeling that this world is somehow tied the world of Dishonored in some way. The real hook here is figuring out all the secrets and hints to slowly put together a "run" that successfully eliminates all the targets on your list. So basically it's a rogue like but things stay exactly the same every run through, and you just get better by repetition and remembering where things are and what time events play out. Fortunately the game does a pretty decent job of keeping track of things for you but in the heat of the moment it's a pain to have to look through all the notes and get your bearings. Long story short, it's still a pretty good immersive sim style game with a weird rogue like twist added in. I don't hate it. Not as good as Prey or the Dishonoured series though.

I got this game for free on PS Plus and figured well I might as well give it a go. I didn't enjoy 3 and 4 too much, nor new dawn and the prehistoric spin off ones that much either. So I just figured I'd check it out and delete it. But now I have to admit this game is pretty fun. It seems like they took out a lot of the fluff from previous entries and made this one more like Far Cry 2, which is the best in the series and a totally underrated gem ****. This game resembles 2 in spirit and is really fun to play. Even the vehicles feel pretty good but the world looks great and I love the setting. The story is nothing special but the cutscenes are all produced well and some of the characters are cool. It's alright and gives you a reason to push forward. I like how this game is a little more tightly focused. It's witout all the extra crap littering the map with boring repetitive things to do like in the 3 and 4 and basically every ubisoft game from the past ten years, LOL. Otherwise, it's vintage Far Cry action offering you a variety of ways to take out foes by going stealth or frontal assault and everything in between. I like flying a plane overhead and then jumping out and gliding down to a nice safe roof top to survey the field. Or you can just ride in guns blaizing and blow up everything in your path. Either way, you'll be having fun, and that's the whole point. Off course the game still has microtransactions which is annoying but looks like they toned it down a bit and there absolutely no reason to spend extra money in the game. You can find everything you need in the game world. A solid return to form for Far Cry and a really good open world shooter with a few small issues in the way. I am pleasantly surprised by this one and since I got it for free on Plus, I'm super happy I didn't spend a dime on it.

I bought this game on a steam sale and was pretty happy that it exceeded my expectations. I think it's the 3rd best Resident Evil game after RE2 Remake and RE4. I didn't really like 7 that much and since this was a direct sequel I was concerned. However, I have to admit I had a ton of fun playing this game and even beat it on the hardest difficulty. It takes elements from RE7 and RE4 and combines them to great effect. There is a lot of variety to the gameplay but also some weak tedious parts that drag the game down. Gunplay is pretty solid and the variety of weapons is nice. You'll mostly use the shotgun. It's typical RE stuff where you are extremely slow and have to manage by aiming well and controlling the situation. There are a few puzzles here and there but nothing reaching the level of RE past games. Thankfully, these sections do not last long you are soon back to blasting away werewolves and ghouls. I would say the highlight of the game is the infamous vampire lady's castle which is very vintage RE. It's got a little bit of everything. Puzzles, shooting, and exploration/item hunting. At that point you also have very few resources, so it's more in line with early RE games. The story is produced well but it does get a little out of control towards the end as usual. Although Capcom does a nice job of tying in canon from past games. There are some serious inconsistencies here though but you just have to remember this is a RE game so you just have to go with it. I was a little disappointed by the ending too. There also many little scripted sequences involving some of the non boss enemies in the game that add to the excitement and plenty of docs to read that expand on the story. It's worth is to read everything you find as it fleshes out the backstories on the bad guys. Graphically, it's pretty top notch too and the entire game is very immersive. The characters all have great detail and textures really pop. The environments are all well put together and it really pulls you in. I liked this much more than what we got in RE7, especially that terrible ship area. The game is a little bit on the short side but you can play through various times with some bonus weapons and even unlock infinite ammo to just have some fun. Also, Mercenaries mode returns for that replayability factor. In the end, I was pretty satisfied with this outing in the RE universe. It advances the series main story and ties up some loose ends. The action is solid but slow, like in RE4. You can almost say this like a remake of RE4, cuz the similarities are very many. You even have the mysterious merchant show up. Pleasantly surprised and looks like Capcom has this series back on track for the most part except for the terrible RE3 remake :( A solid 8 i think since there were some areas of the game that are pretty tedious and the story is a little loose here and there. Overall great though.

It's a 10 all the way. A game like this is honestly to be expected as a first party title from Nintendo. But we should still give them the credit they deserve. This game takes the metroid forumula and perfects the style to about as perfect as you can get it. I've played many a metroid clone, including greats like Hollow Knight and all the Castlevania. Bloodstained was a more recent game I beat. Those are all great games, but Metroid Dread just has the "It" factor that makes a game and all timer. If you love metroid and Metroidvania style games, this is a total no brainer. It's the best in the history of the genre. Gamplay, story, pacing, puzzles. It's all here and polished to a diamond like sheen. This game is just a joy to play and I can't seem to put it down. All of the QOL improvements you expect in a game like this are here. Just go and get it if you don't have it yet. Nintendo knocks another one out the park.

This game is pretty slick and easy to play but I really got bored of it quickly. The basic formula is find a new disease and build room to treat it plus hire more staff. Keep everyone happy. Rinse and Repeat. Everything in this game though is nice and polished and building your Hospital is easy and relaxing, but there just isn't much of a metagame going on unless you do the campaign mode. It's a good game to play for a bit and then come back to every now and again to relax. Solid.

I love that these old games are getting released on the Switch. They are timeless really and have aged pretty well. I think they could have just included the three DS era games here as well but they are most likely saving it as another compilation. Also hope to see an updated SOTN switch port as well in the future. Aria of sorrow alone is worth the price of admission, while CotM and Harmony are solid entries. Dracula X is kind of meh, but at least it's there. It's nice to go back and see the glory days of Metroidvania when we have so many of these types of games now that push the envelope like Hollow Knight, Ori, Etc. This collection should not be missed by fans of the series.

Is anyone surprised at this point. The "new" coaching tree is just a reshuffled version of the previous xp system, except now you've got a few more coaches to "upgrade". LOL. How does that even make sense? The coaches in the NFL are already top level, who is upgrading at this point? LOL. Still nothing to do off the field although they made an attempt to freshen things up with the weekly strategy stuff. Doesn't matter what you do, the game plays the same everytime. Whatever boosts you get or don't get, whatever, it doesn't matter on the field. Just use "Shallow Y Cross" play and win win win baby! Or just run up the middle and watch the moronic DL get **** into blocking animations as you prance by. Otherwise they will somehow warp over to you and make a tackle like they invented teleportation. LOL! What a train wreck. On defense, you will get no pash rush as usuall unless you take control of a lineman yourself. The rest of the team just gets tied up in block animations. Doesn't matter if you have all 99 rated pash rushers. They can't even beat a 70 rated OL, and they can't stop the run ever. On the flip side, the cpu never seems to have that problem, as their x factor DT will blow up the center on every run play you try. It's comical at this point. It's more like NFL Blitz than an actual football simulation. Running backs still can't cut properly and they still do that semi truck like turn right into an unblocked Linebacker. My god, it's bad and it's not getting better. Not that EA cares, cuz they are making mega money of gambling addicted teens you are jacking up their parents credit cards every month for that diamond whoever superstar. Furthermore, nothing you do in this game matters. I can easily win with a 65 rated QB and a trash OL. None of the ratings matter since everything is predetermined by canned animations. I have 75 rated WR making unbelievable 1 handed catches without a problem. The X factors at this point are tired too. They don't seem to affect the game too much. The strategy boosts you get during the weekly practices are hardly noticeable. Just another "new" shallow game mechanic. The "new" scouting that is coming is just ripped from NHL. Man, what can you say? This game exists for Ultimate team players and that's it. The last good Maddens that came out were 10 and 12. That's how long this game has **** now. What a disgrace. Can we get a damn football game please? Look at how much 2k packs into their basketball game. I'm not saying that game is perfect, but it does have a ton of features that should be standard in sports games.

Is anyone surprised at this point. The "new" coaching tree is just a reshuffled version of the previous xp system, except now you've got a few more coaches to "upgrade". LOL. How does that even make sense? The coaches in the NFL are already top level, who is upgrading at this point? LOL. Still nothing to do off the field although they made an attempt to freshen things up with the weekly strategy stuff. Doesn't matter what you do, the game plays the same everytime. Whatever boosts you get or don't get, whatever, it doesn't matter on the field. Just use "Shallow Y Cross" play and win win win baby! Or just run up the middle and watch the moronic DL get **** into blocking animations as you prance by. Otherwise they will somehow warp over to you and make a tackle like they invented teleportation. LOL! What a train wreck. On defense, you will get no pash rush as usuall unless you take control of a lineman yourself. The rest of the team just gets tied up in block animations. Doesn't matter if you have all 99 rated pash rushers. They can't even beat a 70 rated OL, and they can't stop the run ever. On the flip side, the cpu never seems to have that problem, as their x factor DT will blow up the center on every run play you try. It's comical at this point. It's more like NFL Blitz than an actual football simulation. Running backs still can't cut properly and they still do that semi truck like turn right into an unblocked Linebacker. My god, it's bad and it's not getting better. Not that EA cares, cuz they are making mega money of gambling addicted teens you are jacking up their parents credit cards every month for that diamond whoever superstar. Furthermore, nothing you do in this game matters. I can easily win with a 65 rated QB and a trash OL. None of the ratings matter since everything is predetermined by canned animations. I have 75 rated WR making unbelievable 1 handed catches without a problem. The X factors at this point are tired too. They don't seem to affect the game too much. The strategy boosts you get during the weekly practices are hardly noticeable. Just another "new" shallow game mechanic. The "new" scouting that is coming is just ripped from NHL. Man, what can you say? This game exists for Ultimate team players and that's it. The last good Maddens that came out were 10 and 12. That's how long this game has **** now. What a disgrace. Can we get a damn football game please? Look at how much 2k packs into their basketball game. I'm not saying that game is perfect, but it does have a ton of features that should be standard in sports games.

I got this on release and played for a bit the first night. Aferwards I immediately deleted PGA 2k from my switch. The gameplay is just so refined and yet pretty challenging. I don't think I'll need another golf game for a while and I'm sure they will add more courses and characters in the future. Nintendo is the best at post launch support of it's products, just look at smash bros. Graphics are what you would expect for a mario game. Same as all the others in style. The minus here though is that there not too much single player content and the adventure mode is kind of boring, but it will at least teach you all the basics you need. Anyway, multiplayer is where its at and this game doesn't disappoint. It's fun to play with friends and is a great addition to all the other main Nintendo games like smash, kart, tennis, Etc. Worth a purchase and arguably the best golf game on Switch unless you can't stand not playing against real world golfers. In that case stick with the inferior gameplay of PGA 2k. Gameplay is king for me, so I vote for Mario Golf.

Coming into the game pretty late here. We all know what went on with this game and their is no reason to beat a dead horse. Overhyped and completely unfinished upon release. However, I personally just picked this up on a sale at GOG and have been having a pretty good time with the game on the pc. I'm gonna say thing, if you don't have at least a basic rtx card or radeon equivalent, don't bother. The game looks terrible without ray tracing. I turned it off to up my FPS and just couldn't take it. My eyes were not taking it well at all. I ended up turning ray tracing on and put a bunch of other settings to medium and low to get into the 60 fps range on my gaming laptop, 2070 RTX maxQ with 32 GB Ram. This game is a hoss now, so I can only imagine how it was launch, lol. That aside, this game does some things extremely well. Great immersion factor and the environments are constructed with an immense attention to detail. There is plenty to do, from the lowliest side missions that pop up randomly to the full blown main missions and main side missions. The map is littered with icons ala Ubisoft games. It's both a blessing and a curse but is typical of open world games. Anyway, the games systems are a bit convoluted and it honestly you can just upgrade your melee fighting skills and annahilate any group of foes with a katana, but it's fun to play around with other methods. If someone asked me to describe this game in one sentence I would just say it's Deus EX Mankind Divided but on a much bigger scale. If you liked that game, you should pick up cyberpunk. Not perfect, but finally playable and worth a look. You can tell that the actual developers and not the corpo heads in charge of CDPR cared a lot for this project. There is a lot to love here, but ultimately does not reach the ridiculous mountain of hype this game got. I'm having fun playing it though and I'm about half way through the main story. Thumbs up.

I finally got around to playing this game and I know that it's been out a while. I've got to say this is a real gem and I'm fairly surprised how much I'm enjoying it. It's probably the best RPG I've played in years. It's a real slow burn, so impatience players may be put off by the opening hours. It takes a long time to develop your skills, but the game is incredibly in depth and I've got to take my hats off to the developers. You can tell this was a labor of love and they stuck to thier vision to bring something unique to the table. The game is still a little janky and un polished, but I know it's a lot better now than it was on release. Many bugs and performance issues have been squashed at this point and plenty of DLC has been released. The combat system is very tough, especially in the beginning. Be prepared to die a lot if your not prepared. However, the thing I really like about this game is your character Henry is so useless when you start that by the end you really feel like you've progressed to the point where you are a master of the world and the level up system makes a lot of sense. Common sense, the more fight, the better you get at it. Same with persuasion and sneaking, Etc. It's a very true RPG where your actions level up your character and not some arbitrary skill tree that you unlock like so many games these days. It's pretty dang good, I would recommend this to anyone who likes there games on the more realistic side. Give it a chance, especially in the beginning few hours with are a bit of a slog. The game opens up quickly thereafter and choices become endless.

Another game that I got from PS Plus that I'm so glad I did not pay for. Story, Graphics, Environment, Controls. They are all awful. The cars drive like sleds on ice. Enemies seem to spawn out of nowhere half the time. I remember the first 2 Just Cause games were pretty fun action games, but this game replaces the fun with a task system that is just way too convoluted for it's own good. Meh, better not to waste your time with this.

Got this for free on PS plus and I'm certainly glad I paid no money for it. This game is basically "The Last of US" but you have this chessy bike mechanic and the zombies are more deadly ( sort of). Everything else is by the numbers. Fetch quests for characters you don't care about and hundreds of repeatable side missions. Oh look another area where you need to clear out zombie nests or sneak through a camp and kill humans. The requisite crafting is here as well. You get to ride a chopper around, which breaks down or runs out of gas constantly but in this bleak world there seems to be plenty of bike pumps and fuel just randomly lying around. People really didn't do a good job of scavenging for the preceding 275 days gone prior to the start of the game apparently. A by the numbers game, nothing special whatsoever. It seems like the 3rd person action adventure type game has just runs it course on the PS4/PS3 era. Boring and formulaic, with the same stereotypical characters as every other game in this genre. Pass.

It's ok. Basically Dynasty Warriors, but with Zelda characters and story. The action gets a little repetitive after a while but at least you have some variety in how the different characters handle, and then there's some RPG lite elements to worry about. It might hold you over until BOTW2 comes out but honestly, I wish I had waited for a discount before splurging. Like I said, It ain't bad, it's alright. I've got to admit though that it's probably the best Dynasty Warriors type game made up to this point, so credit to Nintendo for that.

I've recently bought a nice new gaming laptop and decided to pick this up on PC on the cheap for a replay. This game is great and in my eyes it's completely underrated by the gaming media. If you like Deus Ex type games and the Dishonoured series. This is right up your alley. This game has: Cool original design and story, Rpg elements, expansive weapon and equipment options and upgrades, and just a completely forboding atmosphere were you are constantly on edge. Multiple optoins on how to solve problems and build your character. It's much better than Deus Ex Human revolution and Mankind Divided and on part with Dishonoured 1 and 2. Graphics on the PC can be top notch depending on your rig, but the game runs smoothly and is optimized for pc. You can't go wrong here, especially now that the game is discounted. Pick it up and you won't be disappointed.

I finally picked up a switch after all these years and picked up BOTW, MarioKart, and Smash Brothers. The 3 quintessential Nintendo games. Since then I've barely touched Mariokart and Smash Brothers because I've been absolutely hooked on Zelda. This is definitely the best Zelda game I've played since the Snes days. I would say there are only 2 negatives for me with this game, which are actually design decisions and not actual flaws: first, the weapons simply break too fast. This is alleviated immensely with extra slots when you progress, but it's still very annoying when you run out of weapons and shields against a tough enemy. I always found myself hoarding good weapons for those surprise encounters against a Lynel or boss fights. I think a better system would have been to let us repair those weapons with stuff we find in the world, same as upgrading armor. Also, why doesn't the armor break? It doesn't make sense. But say you have a wodden Boko bow, you should be able to repair it using wood and Boko parts. Simple. Ok Second, I love climbing around and I have no problem with the stamina wheel. But good God man to whoever decided that you can't climb during rain. I can't count the times I had a long tough climb, chugging elixirs all the way, getting right to the end and failing cuz it started to rain. LOL. This freaking happened all the time to me and I would go ape **** Seriously. So that's it. The rest of the game is flawless. It **** you in so bad you will not be able to put it down. It's the best open world game ever made. There is literally something to find in every corner of the world, which is huge. There are so many side quests and little missions to complete, I honestly don't know if I'll ever finish 100%. You can have a goal when you start playing only to get side tracked exploring some interesting areas and find hours have gone by. Plus, this is one of the only games where the rules of the world totally make sense, so if you just think logically and try something it probably will work. Like the first time I realized that metal chest at the bottom of a river can simply be picked up with the magnet power. LOL, I spent at least half an hour trying to get that chest, and then it just dawned on me. I just got the magnet power right before this and sure enough I was able to latch on to the chest and pull it out of the water. LOL, I felt so dumb. That's just one example though. This game's puzzles are completely logical and it does not hold your hand, but let's you just work things out. I find that respect for the gamer very gratifying. Kudos to Nintendo for making this masterpiece. It's amazing and almost perfect. Best game i've played in a very long time. I really hope Nintendo puts out the sequel soon and also really want a new Metroid adventure. Nintendo = Quality over Quantity always.

Ghosts of Tsushima is a pretty solid game overall that really just get too samey towards the end. The positives outweigh the negatives: -Excellent environmental design. Nice Graphics. The colors are spectacular. Environments are varied. -Great Swordplay really holds everything together. The combat is fun throughout. -Nice tech tree branch will useful new powers to unlock. Really does a good job of making you feel like you are becoming a bigger samurai baddass as you move through the game. -Some fun side activities like Haikus and Bamboo slicing. These are fun but fleeting. -Story is solid. -Boss duels are great with an epic standoff before each bout. -Decent immersion for exploration with the guiding wind, but it gets old eventually. Nice touch though. -Can also forget stealth and call out enemies for a standoff, which is pretty cool. I like how the game gives me the choice with how to deal with a particular situation. Go stealthy or march right up to the gate and call out the fiercest warrior of the group for a one on one showdown. Very epic. -Exploration is also fairly solid. The game does not hold your hand as much as other open world games and there are some nice environments to discover. And although there many little great details that add to overall enjoyment of this game, like lots of outfit customizing, in the end the game suffers from much of the same faults that the open world rpg genre is known for. -Not enough variety in missions and side missions are basically all the same variation of one mission. - Tailing missions are here. Tail an enemy to a location without being seen. Boring and dumb. Overall the structure of the missions are very similar to Ubisoft open world titles with some small exceptions. Ie., go to location and free outpost, save hostages, etc, etc,. Unique missions are quite low in number. -Enemies are very low on variety and it's gets to the point were you are just bored. You will see guys with swords, Swords and Shields, bows, and spear type weapons. Eventually bomb throwers appear too but they are basically archers. For each type, there is also a Brute variant, which is basically a big version of the aforementioned types. And that's it. It gets old fighting these same old guys non stop. -Craftable loot has made into this game as well. Gather up tons of stuff to upgrade gear. It's tedious now and forever. Also, tons of collectibles lying around that are absolutely pointless like in any other open world game. -Platforming is very basic and gimicky. Nothing new here. -Stealth is very by the numbers. If you've played AC series you know what to expect. Hid in tall grass or on a rooftop and then stab guys in the back. Unlock more powers like stab two people at once, LOL. Then unlock option to stab THREE people in the back. More LOLs. The one cool thing is you can stab guys through bamboo doors. It never gets old. But the rest is just blah. AI is dumb as a rock. It's more fun to approach openly and duel and skip the stealth part. -Oh yeah, there are forced stealth sections, LOL. There are a few other minuses but honestly, the immersion, story, and swordplay really make the game shine, and it's polished. I have not seen any bugs. Not one so far. It's very solid Samurai epic with a lot of style, so I can definitely recommend a buy here. I just really wish one these companies would figure out a way to overhaul the mission structure in these open world games. The genre really needs to move forward. Zelda:BOTW and RDR2 did it better, but this is still a very solid game.

I recently picked up this game on my PS+ account for free and decided to give it a shot. I also want to say that I have never played any of the Souls type games before, so I really didn't have any preconditions or preconceptions of this genre. I was a little bit worried about the dying part. I died a lot in the beginning. Especially the first two levels. But the game only really takes away your experience points and only if you die again before reclaiming them. I found that the gameplay itself is so good that I didn't mind the repetition so much. It's a lot like the save system in Alien Isolation, which is a game that also forced you to get better and really understand the mechanics before proceeding far on your own merits. Meanwhile, you are constantly upgrading gear and skills and getting better at the game itself. You only lose exp points after you die and then die again before reclaiming the points at the spot you died. At some point though the gameplay clicks and you can really breeze by some of the lesser enemies or avoid them altogether if you choose. I'm actually surprised by the wealth of options the game gives you to use from melee to ranged to magic, and stealth too. Managing the death and rebirth cycle actually turns into a type of strategy all on it's own. Do you push ahead and risk death in a new area, or do you circle back and cash in your points which resets the enemies? It's like a game within a game sort of. Now for my biggest pet peeve in this game. The amount of items you can collect in this game is just too much. It's takes too much time to sort through and manage all this stuff and becomes quite annoying. It's loot overload. I typically donate everything to the shrine for more exp. points. However, I do really like the way they copied the MGSV mission structure which allows you to play at your own pace and tackle previous areas doing challenges and side missions. However this does kind make the story feel wonky but honestly the story is second fiddle. It's your standard Samurai fantasy stuff with demons and guardians and what not. Not terribly interesting and pretty much a carbon copy of every type of game ever made in the ninja action genre. This is not a game for everybody but at the 20 dollar or less price point, it's a steal. It's a full game offering hours of action but there is some stiff difficulty at times and that can get frustrating. But you can play at your own pace and if an area proves too difficult you can always hit up a previous level and try to grind for a little bit. There are also plenty of items that speed things up as well and honestly the constant dying and difficulty is a little overblown in some of the reviews. Just have patience in the first two levels and then things really open up. Bottom line, gameplay is top notch and will keep you coming back. If you like action games give it a try.

The worst thing you can say about this game is that they needed a bigger budget. It shows in the graphics and general polish of the game. It's not at AAA levels. Otherwise, the game is as good of an RPG that you can play this year. Player choice is key and the game revolves around this. It reminds me of other games like Prey and Deus Ex where you have smaller and more contained open worlds but a lot more decisions to actually make within these "smaller" worlds. Player customization is pretty good and you can pretty much figure out a solution to any problem based on your character build. It's not all about just shooting. However, the shooting ain't bad either with quite a few weapon types available. Plus melee is an option too. Also, the game gives real consequences to your actions, more in line with old school RPGs from the 90s, like Fallout 1 and 2.They hit it out of the park in the game play department. Still, I really can't stand these graphics. Whoever chose the color palette didn't really do a good job. Objects all kind of blend in. It's seriously hard to make out where things are sometimes. On top of that there random neon lights and colors here and there that are just out of place. You'll have a sea of drab and then one bright neon object drowning everything out. Nighttime ****, I can't see a damn thing! Player models are also like from last generation. What saves it all though is the dialogue and voice acting, which is all pretty good. Got give the developers a pass for that though, because they are a small team with a small budget, and they managed to outperform most AAA developers this year. It's a great accomplishment and big lesson to these AAA developers who keep churning out absolute garbage year after year. I would say if you were disappointed by the last Mass Effect, this game can fill your space adventure void. I did not regret picking it up despite it's few flaws. Game-play trumps everything else.

Definitely the best playing PES in a while. Feels like the glory days of PS2. The thing about PES is this. It's all about the goals. The variety of goals you will see yourself and the computer score is astounding. You will never see the same goal twice. You may see similar types of goals, which true of real life futbol as well, but never an exact copy ****. That's something Konami gets right with PES and this year the goals are better than ever. I'm giving the game an 8 though legacy inconsistencies remain and at this point they should have been ironed out. Defending and trapping control issues remain and on higher difficulties it seems as the game takes over at times and your players don't respond as well. It's get frustrating sometimes because it doesn't feel fair when you get scored on in a close match due to AI limiting your own players. However, this is the same issue that's always plagued PES. I've learned to live with it and fully enjoy the game. Also, you still need an option file but this year they really packed in a lot of smaller leagues so it all feels much more official. You'll only need options for a few missing kits honestly, but's still a pain to set up. Another minus is the refs have apparently disappeared again this year but the CPU will get all the calls it needs to set up multiple free kicks just outside your box. CPU free kicks are automatic unless you get lucky and knock it back with a wall jump. For all the glitchy AI problems though, Konami made sure the goalies were revamped and you can really see a difference. They rarely allow any shady goals and top goalies are a terror in some games. A good goalie can save a match for you or vice versa as the cpu goalies are tough. I think this is the best PES in years and I've pretty much played them all. I'll stick with it for a while but it does have it's issues on the field. Still, it's better than FIfa on the pitch and the revamped ML is pretty fun as always, but no major renovations there. Just a few changes to the presentation that bring the mode to life a bit. I would highly recommend this game for any footy fan since it hits where it counts, in the game-play department. And despite my annoyance with some of the AI inconsistencies, this is still the most polished version of PES I have played yet. PS. I've been reading a lot of the negative reviews. Not sure where some of these people are coming from except that yes there are a few scripting/control issues which are legacy PES issues. AI certainly does not score every shot and the goalies are very good in this game. Gameplay is pretty fluid and responsive for the most part. The issue of scripting is completely overblown by these negative reviewers in my opinion.

I've barely scratched the surface here, maybe like 10 hours in. The only thing I can say is that if liked these games: Ico Shadow of the Colossus Journey Alien isolation RDR2 then you will most likely enjoy this game. The reason I've mentioned those games is that they have 1 major element in common. It's takes hours to get through a lengthy intro and then the games really take off. You have to have some patience and also you will not shoot a hundred enemies in the first level like COD. This game is very slow paced but also very thoughtful and you will not begin to see this until many hours in. At least like halfway through episode 2. Give at least that much time, like 10 hours. If you like a game you need to sink your time into in order the get the most out of it, then Death Stranding will not disappoint. The graphics and immersiveness of the environments will **** you in. The draw distance on consoles is incredible, even beating out RDR2 in fidelity. If you have a pro and an HDR TV your in for a real treat. The gameplay is slow paced except for times where enemies show up and you need to improvise. So far that has been my favorite moment in the game as I had to run and scramble up some precarious cliffs, deviating harshly from very well though out route. After I lost the baddies I luckily had made two ropes previously and was able to rappel down to safety. Like Alien Isolation, improvisation and quick thinking payed off. That's not to say the game is without problems. The inventory system and delivery terminals are a hot mess of confusing menus and information. I'm sure it's all useful in some way, but i'm not there yet. Also, the story is typical Kojima with a lot of exposition. It can get annoying sometimes when you keep getting calls on the radio from the supporting characters non-stop while your just trying to take in the game and play. So for me, these things detract from the game, hence a 9 score. So just want to touch on one more thing. I read through the negative reviews and see that most people probably did not even play the game or maybe played a few hours after release on Friday. Metacritic should really get a handle on this crap. If the game is not for everybody that's fine, but these ridiculous zero scores with no substance need to go. If you give the game a low score and provide some reasons for this, that's fine. But reading many of those reviews just made me realize that I should get the game, because just like the games I mentioned above, this game is not part of the same rehashed norm that AAA games have become. The new COD gets rave reviews, and yet it's just the same game as the original that came out like 12 years ago. And some people just want more of the same which is cool too. I'll spend my time playing Death Stranding, something new and interesting.

I do not give out zeroes lightly. As a matter of fact, I've never given a game a zero. Since I've been burned so many times by Madden, starting with Madden 13, I've just been renting this from redbox every year to try it out. Wow, this game deserves a zero and there is really no reason to go into details. Just read the critic and user reviews here and it tells you all you need to know. I just want to say that it's crazy when the first Madden I ever played, Madden '99 on PS1, had better overall gameplay than this trash. Even the franchise mode back then was better than this garbage. The last even decent madden game was 2012, and the franchise has seriously fallen off from the pinnacle, which was Madden 10, featuring such revolutions as proper blocking and gang tackles. LOL. This is what happens when you get rid of competition. There is no more innovation. No one pushing the envelope and trying to produce the best possible product they can. 2k basketball seems to be suffering the same fate, but it's still a decent product overall honestly.

I judge games on various things, but most importantly it comes down to one factor. When I'm at work or doing something else, am I feeling a giant urge to return to playing this game? If yes, I would say the game is a good for me. No? Well I probably won't finish it. That would be like doing chores. Unfortunately for me, after a few hours I hung it up with this game. No idea what the hype is all about here. Genuinely. I gave the game a shot, and was excited to start playing it. But there where a few apparent issues right from the start: -no respect for my time. I played a half hour through the intro and died on the first boss. Figuring ok, this game is fairly challenging but that's good! Much to my horror though, as I soon found out, this game does not save during the intro. That's right, over half and hour of time wiped out and it's back to the BEGINNING OF THE GAME! That means back to the first tutorial. With no warning. Let's just say that did not start me off on a good note. I was pissed, and almost hung up the game right there. I was literally in dis-belief that I had to re-start the entire game because saving is not allowed. Ridiculous. -Despite sticking with it and changing to EASY mode for the intro, the repetitive fetch quests and backtracking through a massive central world just got to me. No fast travel and nothing but a barren wastleland to travel through with a few random re spawning enemies around to beat on. It actually started out kind of cool with the first 2 quests, and then I was hit with what this game is about. You go to a village and meet the leader who gives you an item to take back to base. You slog all the way back to base, on the other side of the freaking map. What do you get? The leader of the base gives you a mission to go BACK to the other village and deliver an item. LOL. I'm supposed to be an android warrior, but i'm making FedEx deliveries for villages. Excellent design on display here, LOL. Like I said before, this game does not respect you time whatsoever, and apparently developers thought it would be funny to rub in your face constantly too. They actually remind you in game that you are basically doing chores! -Gameplay. Repetitive and bland. Spam light attack and heavy attack, or shoot from range. That's pretty much it. I was bored of this after the lengthy intro, where you do it ad nausea um. But then you just keep doing it, over and over, for the rest of the game. Awesome. Story might be good in the end, I wouldn't know cuz I couldn't slog through this borefest to find out. At least I bought this at a discounted price form Gamestop otherwise I would have been genuinely pissed considering the high praise this game got across the board. What an overrated pile of garbage this is. Game design has come a long way but these guys missed the boat completely. Actually, the music is awesome though and I might buy the soundtrack :).

I'm and older game, so I was worried that perhaps some rose colored nostalgia goggles would hype me up too much for this release. Many Metroidvania clones have disappointed me over the last decade or so and I would always gravitate back to a playthrough of SOTN or one the classic Metroid/Castlevania games on the GBA to get my fix. After all these years, SOTN is still the best in the genre. I was worried that this game too may not live up to that high mantle. Man was I wrong to worry. I've been playing this for many hours and so far I'm coming away impressed. It really feels like Iga has brought this genre to the next gen finally, after years of having to slog through handheld versions and smaller indie titles that used the Metroidvania formula but just had something off here and there. Not that those versions are bad, but it feels nice to be able to play a game like this natively on my PS4 and 70" TV. Iga is the master of this genre and only the few metroid games like Samus Returns and Zero Mission can even compare as a rival to his great releases. The only thing that bothers me about this game a little are the graphics. There's something wierd about the hybrid 2d/3d format, but I'm getting used to it. As usual, the enemies are spectacular and cleverly designed. The Floating Pig thing makes me laugh everytime. The difficulty on normal is fair because the gameplay is very tight as to be expected. Every weapon class has it's own pluses and minuses and they all feel very unique. There is a purpose or situation for every weapon in the game, so none of them ever feel obsolete or useless. There is no one uber class of weapon. Sometimes a fast light weapon is ideal, other times you want to equip a high damage but slow claymore for max effectiveness. The special shards are basically magic, and also offer an insane amount of variety. These are basically like Souls from before. Also, the presentation gets a major upgrade here and I guess that's why it's a bonus to go with a 3d engine. Cutscenes are not like the traditional side view style, but zoom in and out all around offering close up views of characters and monsters. This really fleshes out the storytelling and improves upon one of the main flaws of the original 2d sidescrolling Castlevanias. The story is good, fairly interesting but kind of a been there done that tale, very closely mimicking the previous games. I mean, once again there is a castle to infiltrate. LOL. It matters not though, the action, level and monster desing, and pacing of upgrades is perfect. When it comes to side scrolling adventure, Iga has proven that he is the undisputed master of the craft. I hope this game does really well so we can see more AAA titles like this make it to our consoles. Extremely happy with this game and it's probably the best game I've played this year since RE2 Remake. Old school is new again this year! Giving it a 9 solely cuz I feel the graphics are bit to anime/cartoony style for me. Others probably love it though and the characters are definitely charming enough.

After all the hype I've read about this game I was pretty excited to finally get my hands on it. Got bored not even half way through. Put the disc back into the box which now resides in a pile destined for Gamestop. The graphics and presentation are top notch to be sure and the action is decent, but the game is just boring to me. There are much better 3rd person action games out there right now like Sekiro, Dark Souls, Nioh, Etc. that just offer far more in the game-play department. While the environments look great, there is not any sense of exploration or vastness. Everything feels like your walking down a corridor and there is usually only one way to go. Therefore, the action needs to be the most interesting element, yet it's just a few combos and a couple new moves you can learn. Some of the moves are actually exactly the same, involving a power that blasts enemies out of the way. There are literally like 4 of these moves to unlock that do the same damn thing. Then the game bogs you down with some unnecessarily complex rpg elements which barely affect anything until the end game. The story is really not even that interesting to tell you the truth. The Last of Us, but with a God and his son, LOL. Game gets a decent score for polish and production values, and the first fight which is basically the highlight of the game. It quickly spirals down a well after the first 15 minutes. When the best part of the game occurs literally 5 minutes after the game starts, you've got some problems. The game can even get infuriating with completely cheap bosses who need like a hundred perfect combos to kill. Just dodge, combo, dodge, combo. Honestly, it's lazy game design on full display. A good action game better keep the action interesting. Also, the enemies are all the same. Fight a troll, then fight a huge rock thing with nearly the same move-set, and then fight Another troll, but it's red this time. LOL. You have to change up the action by introducing new unique enemies and weapons to use in a game like this. Devil May Cry series is one that gets this right. Just as a new weapon has run it's course and starts getting boring, you find something that unlocks a whole new move-set to master. Bloodborne anyone? I don't know, I just need more. There is nothing fun to find and exploration is basically go down this obvious side corridor and find a chest. There are a couple puzzles requiring throwing the axe which are well thought out. For me the Sony exclusives are behind the curve when it comes to designing fun games. These games are serviceable, but get boring very quickly. You literally beat this game by going Dodge, L1, L1, L1, L2, lol. Once in a while you can throw the axe, which is cool, but does not save it for me. I'm out, and honestly I'm gonna be quite wary about Sony games after being burned by GOW, Spiderman, and Horizon. Sony's motto should be "Play our games halfway and get bored then grind it out to the end!"

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

As a Spider-man game it's great. They really paid attention to the lore of and authenticity of the storied character and gave him a nice fresh new look. I also like how this isn't just another rehash of the origin story but takes place well after Spiderman has established himself as a hero. However, the game itself is just not that great. Outside of the main storyline you have these side mission that are just cookie cutter filler and completely ripped of from every type of open world game out there. Outposts, random crimes on the streets, catching pigeons for some reason, etc. Not too interesting. Also, while the graphics are alright, there is nothing exmplemplary in the environments. Just a bunch of cookie cutter boxed buildings with a few exceptions like Avengers HQ and the Daily Bugle. Compared to games like Arkham Knight, the city is just bland to explore, but I guess it's just New York. The combat just gets old very quickly and the most basic moves are really all you need to progress. It used the same tried and true formula created by the Batman Arkham series but really does not innovate. Difficulty rises simply because the game will throw numbers at you and you just need to manage the massive amounts of enemy types, from basic thugs to Riflemen to shield toting guys, etc. Each enemy has most efficient way of getting disposed but mostly you bash 2 buttons. The side missions are all just pretty meh as well although the main story is solid and there is a plethora of spidey suits you can don, but unlocking some of them is a chore. Ultimately, the game itself turns into a chore by the end and there just isn't enough diversity to the gameplay. Still, overall a great Spiderman game and I did enjoy it while it lasted.

A cookie cutter open world game with a bland story and characters. The main character is uninspired and of course has a bow. Another action game where you use a bow, not very original. I guess I'm just over these formulaic open world games since playing RDR2. It's hard to go back to the old standard. The characters are thoroughly uninteresting and the mechanics are the same as just about every open world game that's come out in the past couple of years, namely Far Cry. I found little reason to care for the characters or the mystery in the story. You also get the standard branching dialogue response, which basically gives you the option to be nice, mean, or smart. No idea where it all leads as it seems as though it has no effect on what happens. Instead it's fetch this and go kill this and then get x amount of this, ad nauseum. When the first mission in the game tasks you with "get x of this and y of this" you know your in for some lazy game design. The UI is a total mess and there is so much crap on the screen at once. Simply navigating is hard to do here and of course you can climb but only on pre approved surfaces in certain areas that have the necessary prompts. The upgrading is standard faux RPG action hybrid in the style of Far Cry. You can add things like slow motion aim and auto stealth takedowns. It's all been done before yet better. The stealth is barebones. Hide in tall grass or else you are seen, lol! The enemies are also pretty uninteresting and uninspired. The look cool though. Like I said, it's hard to go back to this archaic open world design after playing games like Witcher 3 and RDR2. This game does have some solid graphics though, which is to be expected since it's a platform exclusive. It also runs pretty smoothly and has a few interesting areas. I'm not too impressed by the rest though. It's a just carbon copy of AC/Far Cry games.

I've now put in about 150 hrs into the game and I'm on a second playthrough right now so I've decided to re-review the game here. Slowing down the pace and really soaking in the game this time around has made me garner a greater appreciation for this mesmerizing open world. The slow pace of the game is not for everyone and those who blaze through the story will have missed a whole lot. That's what I see now that I'm taking my time. The game has some flaws to be sure, but it is a near masterpiece if not an outright masterpiece depending on what your game preferences are. The open world design on display here will be the golden standard moving forward for creating living, breathing game worlds. In that regard Rockstar have outdone themselves. I agree that some of the gameplay is clunky and the story is about as linear as it gets these days. Still the amount love and work poured into this game really shines through overall. I say take the advice of a lot of online sites and play the game as slowly as possible to soak it all. Go explore, find treasure, hunt, etc. Spend some time in the towns. On a second playthrough and I"m not even bored yet. I can't believe how much I actually missed on the first run. It's not perfect as there some glitches and well let's say the bounty system is kind of rigged and wonky at times. The law will basically always side against you in confrontation and it seems pretty unfair at times. Other times I had no idea if I was experiencing a glitch, logic fail, or if the bounty system was working as intended but just badly designed. I had some issues with the story overall, but that's really personal preference. ON the other hand, I love the slow paced nature of the shooting mechanics and all the stuff some people find tedious and unnecessary I find really helps provide total immersion in the game playing as newly iconic character, Arthur. Online, well that's another story. The same basic gameplay but a barebones world as compared to SP. There is work to be done there for sure. Overall though, I would give this game a 9.5 if I could, but have no problems giving it a ten here. I think it's up there with Witcher 3 as the games of the generation. It's truly a special product and you can see the love that Rockstar put into this. The level of detail is astounding. You can say it's unnecessary even, but it's there and it brings the world to life like no other game previously. Is it perfect? Nope, but what game has ever been? There are some flaws, but the overral package is amazing. I recommend that you shirk the naysayers and don't deprive yourself of the experience of playing this game. Hell, just rent it and try it out at least. You owe it to yourself to try the game and then decide if it's for you. Highly recommended, much better than GTA V and RDR 1.

Between this and last year's Origins, it's questionable to call this an AC game. This is a copy and paste of Origins but with Greek assets. I'm not really sure where the assasin part of the game fits in anymore as you can pretty much just brute force you're way through the game. The game once again suffers from gated story missions and other content. Anyone can see this was done to increase grind and get people to pay for XP boosters and what not. They tried to rip of Witcher 3 with this new AC style but failed to capture the magic. The side missions get boring very fast. It's the usual Ubisoft formula where you just clear out nameless enemies a 100 times in each region. I never finished Origins because I got bored of this. Luckily I just rented this game to try out before buy. Looks like AC is finished. They should have just created a new IP for this and Origins because it's certainly not AC anymore. Graphics are great though and the architecture as AC games are known for. Sadly, this game is for people who have 200 hours to grind on pointless side missions so they can get to the levels needed to progress in the game. The last decent AC game was Rogue it seems.

Picked this up recently simply because of the nostalgia factor. No doubt this remake looks fantastic and the world is beautiful to behold. However, legacy issues dealing with controls and camera remain and there is nothing new to see here. It's a straight up remaster of the original with a few tweaks to the control scheme. Still, it's a masterpiece of game art and still a pretty bold release by today's standards. All you do is ride hard and slay colossi again and again. Once you figure out the key to each one they are cake. There is not much extra to explore within the world either, but the world itself is like a character with a story to tell and is simply beautiful to behold. It's definitely one my favorite games of all time and I"m glad to enjoy it in all it's new graphical glory, but some elements have not stood the test of time. This was a masterpiece in the PS2 days however and some things like camera and controls sometimes took a back seat back then. However, it's a missed opportunity not to address these issues now. They should have completely revamped the movement, controls, and camera for the new age. Still, I'm glad to have revisited the game once again as the graphical overhaul is well worth it to really enjoy the beautiful atmosphere of this game.

It's a good game. Solid graphics and environments that are always an AC staple. While it's a step in the right direction I think they took 2 steps back with the implementation of the RPG/ Micro-Transaction elements. This is essientially AC: The Skyrim version. You are forced to skip elements of the game because you're character is too weak to tackle said temple or fort. Where as the old games made you more powerful through acquiring upgrades to equipment but never impeded your progress, here you become stronger simply by collecting XP and anything above your own level is instant death. So simply playing the game using stealth and action is not enough in the new and improved AC. Come across a foe with a read skull of death icon above their head and you better run. It makes no sense whatsoever. I cleared out a temple in an area that had bandits at my level. Not far away I discovered another fort with the same exact generic bandits but you can't stealth kill them for the arbitrary reason that they are at too high a level. Instead they reverse the move and then proceed to one hit insta kill you while your attacks do nothing. Why? Because this generic "Bandit Leader" is level 20 but his twin brother you just killed not far away was only level 5. LOL! I say a knife or an arrow to the head should pretty much be an instant takedown. Enemies should be harder because they have better protection like say helmets to protect from arrows and they are better at detecting you as you sneak. Everything has a level, including equipment, but you can't equip something that is too much higher than you're own level. Confusing? Yes, that spear looks exactly like the one you have equipped, but you can't use it because it's level 10, and you are only level 5 for instance. It's just dumb and does not fit the rest of the gameplay aspects of AC. You have a huge world to explore but are restricted to only interacting with enemies who are equal or of lesser class than you. It makes the game world completely disjointed as you'll discover cool things and then have to pass up exploring because the enemies are twice your strength or the quest level is twice your level. It turns the whole game into an unnecessary grind. Oh and the upgrade grind is here as well which at this point is a ubisoft staple of gameplay. You'll need x amount of leather and y amount of copper to craft z upgrade. It's a never ending push to collect materials for tiny increments of improvement to your gear. What a slog. On top of that, combat is just not very good but at least the stealth is as good as previous AC games. It's hard to give a bad score to this game because it really is entertaining as long as you follow the beaten path and the Egyptian landscape looks fantastic. The Pyramids tower in the distance and climbing around feels great. The story is also ok I guess. It's a shame they decided to lock everything behind a completely unnecessary grind wall that you can speed up with extra money. That's right, you can buy boosts all day and you'll be level 40 in about 5 minutes and have all legend gear. Just spend another 50 bucks and the you're faced with zero gameplay restrictions since you're at the top level. The game even sends you messages while you're playing that a quick xp boost is just a click away. It's just awful what micro-transactions have done to gaming in general. This game suffers in that regard as is evident by the disjointed leveling system which serves only one purpose: impede your progress. Shame, but ultimately still a solid game once you reach a respectable xp level.

I played previously on PC before all the expansions. While I had a great experience I ultimately shelved the game as it became a little tedious. Now that I picked up the Legendary version on PS4, I have to say this game has come a long way with several major updates fleshing things out. I noticed that lot of people say this game is a grind. It depends on how you approach it. If all you want to do is make as many credits as possible, yes that it probably true. However, this is a sandbox simulation with no end game and no goals. You have to be prepared to make your own decisions on how to play. You have complete Freedom here and also have to deal with the consequences of that freedom.However those new to the game can be quickly turned off by constant failure from such things we take for granted in other games. Like actually manually having to land your ship and having to manage your power distribution on the fly. If Frontier can develop somekind of friendlier intro incorporated at the start, I would rate the game higher for sure. The game in the beginning is unforgiving and there are major minus points for Elite in regards to showing newbs the ropes. On the other hand, the community surrounding this game is absolutely outstanding. The best I've seen and you can head to the forum to pretty much figure out anything or find like minded people to play with. I have to say this is one of the most unique games out there. An old school game updated for the modern platform. Thanks to Frontier for developing and supporting such a risky endeavor and if you have the time for it, the game ultimately rewards you for sticking with it. There are so many hidden wrinkles to discover and the universe is constantly expanding due to actual community driven goals, which to me is amazing to see in a game these days. For instance, there is a brand new Colony being built far away from the Earth Bubble near the center of the Galaxy, with many pit stops created as well to help get there. This did not exist 3 years ago and is due simply to actual players participating in the production of the colony. Awesome. As stated previously, if you're just looking to pad your credit stack constantly in a bid to quickly buy all the best gear, this game will turn into a grind. As with any other game in this vein like Destiny or GTAO(or any MMO up to this point). Or just fly by the seat of your pants and have fun doing whatever takes your fancy. That will lead you down the path of enjoyment for a long time. You do not need much money to access all the game has to offer. Even better, do it with some friends and explore the galaxy together. Give it a shot Commander. Edit: Bumping this up to a 9. After playing the PS4 version and experiencing all the new things added since Horizons, I'm fairly astounded by how much the game has improved since release. Update 2.4 set to drop soon will further add new features. This game is simply not for the casual gamer, but if one takes the time to learn it's many system, you can arguably play infinitely.

I been playing this series off and on since it was called Goal Storm back on the ps1. We've certainly seen our fair share of ups and downs with every release over the years. The best version I personally played up until now was 2009 but I think Konami have finally put it all together again in 2017. I know this because I cannot tear myself away. It's always "one more game and then I'll go to bed". I haven't had this feeling since PES 2009, considered by many to be the best iteration. This year they really put it all together. Well almost. The overall package really shines. Master League is once again very engaging and entertaining with a plenty of drama in the big games that only PES can provide. This mode is the meat of the game. Every match seems to play out differently and I've had to adjust tactics and have scored in so many numerous ways i've really lost track. Headers, Free kicks, corner kicks, one time blasts, crazy dribbles, hilarious own goals, and 35 meter bombs even! The gameplay is very organic and for the most part challenging yet rewarding. You will see your tactics play out on the field and on the surface things look very shallow. However, once you dig in the options available are astounding. You no longer need to really solely on speed. Great passers and technicians are once again able to make an impact on the field. Post players really can muscle in on the defense and provide aerial options. That's not to say everything is perfect. On the higher difficulty levels there are still some very questionable scripted moments, but I can live with it since it keeps the big games close. It can get frustrating at times, but the big thing that really puts it all together is the greatly improved goalkeepers. Even if the AI gets a great shot on goal, what used to be an automatic goal can turn into and amazingly improbable save by your keeper. It keeps you on edge and I've had some wild games that bring me back to the golden era of PES. Simply put, the gameplay on the field is head and shoulders above the competition and the Master League sim is finally engaging again. Also improved is the defensive AI. They will actively look to block shots in the box and in general do not let in too many of those crazy through balls as in years past. When the cpu goes with a defensive strategy, it is genuinely touch to find openings on goal. All in all, game play is simply great. The fox engine is a treat. There are some wonky collisions every once in a while but the ball physics are awesome. I love how players battle and jostle for the ball and the outcome of any play is never certain. Most players look good and the pitches are fine. Graphics are good as can be expected and the animations are fantastic. Wish there were more stadium options and some more dynamic weather too. That's just being picky though Adding in a player salary budget has added an extra little challenge to the mix forcing you to make some tough decisions with your players. You now have a separate transfer budget and you must manage both. However, transactions are fast and smooth and bringing in loan players is very simple. You can also add an option to buy out a player, so if you like anyone on loan you can put them on salary to keep them on your team. The youth team is back as well, but unfortunately one the big negatives is the Regen players. I just had Ibrihamovic appear in my youth team a year after he retired at a 77 rating. LOL, that is dumb and I wish I could turn the feature off. There really is only one negative I can give here and it's the lack of licenses. It is very easy to load an option file yet this really should be resolved by Konami in the future. We should not have to hassle with this and the game should be ready to go straight out of the box. Not that big of a deal and if you've played PES before you should be used to it. But it's time for Konami to pay for these licenses. That and the option to turn off the regen players would be a welcome change. However, I have to say that not only is this game a great soccer sim, it's really up there with all the best sports games like NBA 2k and MLB the Show. Good job by Konami. PES is back baby!

This is the second best Hitman game, after Blood Money. The reason it's good is because the developers went back to creating a game in the spirit of Blood Money. Wide open levels with multiples paths and various ways of disposing your targets. The story is just your run of the mill contract killer/espionage type deal. Nothing special but it works. The real treat is the exquisite details in the levels themselves. Level design here is exemplary with nuanced, multi-story, multi-area playgrounds. There are some things that are scripted throughout the levels which help you with the hits. I recommend turning off the hints and just figuring it out on your own. The game really holds your hand otherwise and ruins the discovery otherwise. Also, all the levels are very varied and interesting, with each one posing a slightly different challenge due this it's layout and nature. The Colorado level for instance is so wide open compared to the others yet hard to infiltrate due to theme of the level. Don't want to spoil anything so I'll just say really only two levels are similar in structure. The variety here is great and you'll have fun coming up with creative ways to kill people. I nailed one guy with a fireaxe which was very satisfying. There are some negatives too. A minor one is there is no freaking sniper suitcase. Wha!!! Come on IO, this is series staple! Bring back now! Lol. The Ai does get a little wonky sometimes too and you'll be scratching your head as to how you got discovered from time to time. The people who can "see" through your disguise sometimes just seem so arbitrary. You can get a military uniform, but the receptionist knows I'm not supposed to be a soldier somehow? Wierd little things like this detract from the game. The game also used to be online only, but after much Ballyhoo by fans, IO updated the game so you can enjoy everything offline as well. As it should be if ask me. Also, gunplay is as bad as you would expect. This was never really supposed to be an option for a game of this nature but shooting controls could be better. These are small things though. Also, there are many challenges to complete which unlock more tools of the trade. Most of these tools seem quite worthless except for very specific challenges, like the exploding rubber ducky. Anyway, IO where is my sniper suitcase!!! Overall, this is great return to form for Hitman and I hope they keep going with more episodes.

This is probably the best money I've ever spent on a video game. I passed on the Witcher 3 when first released, so I feel I got more than my money's worth here by far. All the DLC First off, I'm not really a graphics snob and usually don't care much for that as long as the game design is good. However, this game simply blew me away. The level of detail in the world is astounding. I can only imagine how awesome this looks on a fast PC. This is simply the best looking game I've ever seen and I've played a hell of a lot of games. The attention to detail in the world building is top notch as well. I keep noticing little things here and there that just add so much life to the world. It's amazing from a visual standpoint. Like Skyrim times 10. It wouldn't mean much though if the gameplay wasn't great, but here too the developers knocked it out of the park. It's fluid and fun with a lot of little nuances. Magic and melee and ranged combat all intertwine effortlessy and there are many crafting options to enhance your weapons and abilities. This is an RPG at heart and so you expect to see some kind of upgrade path. It's quite robust and the abilities you can earn are plentiful. I spent many a painstaking moment trying to decide if I want that damage boost or if I should pump up my magic. The possibilities are endless and you can really tailor the character to your prefered style. Story. Well it's simply the best game storytelling wise I've ever played. Nuff said. I think this game is nearly perfect and you just don't see this type of product any more from a lot of the big name developers. A single player game that is complete and offers 200 hours or more of gameplay, amazing graphics, superb main story and side quests that matter. Polished to a perfect sheen. If you haven't played it, I recommend getting it right away. I don't really like giving out 10/10 perfect scores, but this game is worth it. I hope these developers continue in this fashion and can't wait to see their next game.

This game is a pretty nice follow up to one of my favorite games on the PS3. I think overall the gameplay has improved quite a bit over it's predecessor, but unfortunately I thought the story took a step back. It's just a little too ham-fisted for my tastes, but that's not to say it's very bad or anything like that. Just didn't enjoy it as much as the story in Human Revolution. I like the improvements to the AI. They seem quite more reactive and I was even surprised on the first level when I busted out my sniper for a long distance shot. The bad guy was looking in my direction. I'm so used to dumbed down AI I figured I was far enough away he wouldn't notice me despite looking right at me. However, this was not the case. He spotted me from way over on the other side of the level because of proper line of sight logic. That is refreshing to see and I wonder if the AI improves even more at a higher difficulty. That being said, stealth take-downs are still handled in the weird way from the first game where you're taken back to a 3rd person perspective for an extensive take-down scene. It's very un-stealthlike and kind of breaks the immersion factor. As per any AAA title, the graphics and voice work are top notch. Environments are immersive and full of details, but the levels are still kind of static like the first game. The art direction in this series is fantastic. However, the game feels too short and I see there is already talk of DLC coming out. Seems as though they left some important story moments in order to cash in on the DLC. It's unfortunate but that's the state of the industry these days. In the end though, I got what I wanted. More Deus Ex! If you have the patience for it though, I would wait for the inevitable complete addition which would come with the aforementioned DLC on disk at a reasonable price. I for one did not have the patience but I don't regret it since I'm thoroughly enjoying the game. Also, Breach mode is not to shabby and merits mentioning. It will extend your time with the game a little for sure. This game is solid.

I didn't play this upon it's original release, so I'm rating the game as a first time play through. As with most of the DMC games, the gameplay is smooth and very easy to get into, yet complex enough for die hards to master without getting bored. The story to me is kind of meh. Another demons vs angels type thing. People really hate the new Dante, and I can see why. They try to give him some more deep feels type personality which clashes with the original version of Dante, who was all attitude and cheese with no reservations. There are some other cool quirky characters here though so it's not a total loss. I'm not a fan of the story, but the gameplay is spot on. The levels are just long enough to not become boring. The game will give you new toys to play with at regular intervals, so your pretty much learning some new moves every few levels or so. Playing around with the combos gives you style points which in turn gives you more upgrades for new moves. Once you unlock everything the possibilities for combos are quite robust. The worst thing about the gameplay I would say are the platforming parts. However, I just hate platforming in games like this. You might like it who knows? Botton line, other than the story, this is a solidly made game and this version comes with the Virgil DLC on disc as well, plus slightly enhanced graphics. You can get this pretty cheap at this point, so I would recommend if you like action games.

If you missed this back on the PS3, this is a great option for the PS4. Dishonored is probably one of the best games to come out in the last era of consoles and it has aged pretty well. You'll also get the DLC which adds some extra hours of gameplay, although it's more of the same yet fleshes out the story some more with a new character. It is linear in the sense that the game progresses through the story, but levels are wide open and have more than a few ways to complete them. Considering that this game used a slightly cartoony or caricature type style, the graphics hold up surprisingly well even after a few years. The gameplay is the same but still quite smooth and allows for stealth or action, whatever you prefer. I played this on the PS3 and yet still picked up this new edition on sale because this game is really that good. Gameplay, art style, and story all meshed into one cohesive hole. The world is very immersive in a steam punk/fantasy environment. It's awesome and will be considered as one of the greats like Half-life, Halo, and Doom are today. Pick it up and you won't be disappointed. If you played the hell out of this game on the PS3 though, it might not be worth a pick up as there is nothing new at all here. Despite that, I'm scoring the game itself here, and it holds up very well. It's better than a lot of the crap recently released actually.

I'll have to say that this game does feel like more of a Metal Gear Spinoff that a true Metal Gear game. However, that's great for me, because my 2 favorite in the series were Peacewalker (the remake for ps3) and MGS3. This game is more along the lines of those two, offering much more freedom than the standard MSG formula of moving through a room and watching a 30 minute cutscene followed by a 15 minute codec conversation. Don't get me wrong, all MGS games have been stellar, but I found MGS4 and 2 to be the worst as it offered the most limited gameplay and terribly long cutscenes. That being said, for 60$ or less depending on when you get it, the bang for your buck is astounding. Go on missions, free roam, or do side ops while building up your base, with an option to further things with the online portion which is also pretty robust. The story is fleshed out with long casette tape recordings so if you want in on it, play the tapes. Or don't, it's up to you. I love the freedom. After completing about a 2 hour session of missions and free roaming (extracting specialists for my base and scrouging for precious supplies) I sat and listened to a few tapes on the way back to Mother Base to fill in the story a bit. Everything you do in the field has an impact on your base and while the world is a little sparse, it's really all about infiltrating outposts and finding stuff to extract and build your resources. The amount of weapon variations and gadgets is huge and once you start cruising with R&D you won't even know what to do with all the possibilities at hand. Also, having buddies come with you on missions to build trust is also essential and really enhances the gameplay. Any hey, if you don't feel like stealthing it and just want to blow **** up, you can do that too. The controls are as tight as any game I've played on new gen thus far, so you can shoot it out with high caliber weapons if you so desire. Or go ahead and call in that support chopper to rain hell as you sit back and enjoy the view from a hilltop with your horse. Gameplay is emergent and things happen that you would not expect. You can do things that seem logical and they work, like shining a flash light at a guard with night vision which will blind them. Leave an unconscious guard on a bed and no one will notice, or they stop and complain that they are lazy, lol. I recently had an incident where I deeply infiltrated a base to extract a specialist, but as I pick him up to carry him out I was spotted. I booked up a cliff under heavy fire I noticed he got clipped a couple of times by his buddies. I thought nothing of it, except that when I tried to extract him out he was dead, lol. That **** but at least it makes sense. Stuff like this that you don't expect frequently happens during gameplay. For instance, guards can clearly see you from a long distance during the day, but they have rely on spotlights and flashlights at night, so doing missions in the dark is logically much easier. Other times they will shoot flares out in an effort to spot you. Simply put, things feel natural and if you think you can do it, you probably can actually. If you put on green camo, you hide better in tall green grass. Put on the yellow camo and you hide better in the desert. It makes sense and the game doesn't need to explain it to you. The one thing that detracts from all this though is the addition of boundaries at certain places. You can climb a cliff as long there is a crack, but sometimes you can't traverse up a 5 foot high stone for instance. It's kind of distracting when it happens. Another thing, for some reason soldiers sometimes act really dumb and I'm wondering if they don't all have there own hidden skill levels. Every once in a while you will see them make some stupid decisions. Also, sneaking around in a box has always been ludicrous, but it's a staple of series at this point but I choose not to use it too much. I guess no game is perfect, but overall gameplay wise this might be the deepest game I've come across yet. Tell ya what, if you liked Peacewalker just get the game and you won't regret. The lack of major cutscenes in the game is a little jarring if your a fan of MGS4, but otherwise the game is superb. It's not like there are no cutscenes, it's just that they are not as developed and snake barely says anything in them. My one ohter disappointment is that there a clear lack of boss battles like some of the legendary ones in games past. Those were the highlights of previous games but they are almost non-existent here or are completely underwhelming. You won't any find battles like the one against Psycho mantis or The end,etc. So I have to knock the game down a notch to 9 because of that, but hey it's already got plenty of straight 10s

After seeing all the negative user reviews I was hesitant to get this game but I sure am glad I finally pulled the trigger. The main negative of the last two games was that it didn't expand on the gameplay enough. Well here is the Batmobile, an expansion to the gameplay. I don't mind it at all like some poeple, giving the game zeroes. OK, let's just get the two worst things about this game out of the way first. -Tank Battles - easily the dumbest addition to the franchise. However, this is getting way overblown in negative reviews. I noticed there are many other things to do with the Batmobile, such as chasing down enemy vehicles and using it for some environmental puzzles. It's launching system is also super awesome, allowing you to effortlessly glide across huge swathes of the city. The game does not force you to drive the Batmobile, you can still choose to go on foot if you please. Also, the tank battles are not as frequent as advertised by those 0 reviews and they are very short most of the time. -Riddler - After 3 games of this crap I think I've finally had it with the Riddler and his totally illogical puzzles. Unfortunately here he is again with more trophies and puzzle rooms which are easy, but many and tedious. Also, you need beat his stupid rooms to free a side kick. Touche Rocksteady. This dude somehow has the resources to build huge race track style death traps under the city. It's ludicrous. Worse villian of all time. The riddler should have never been more that the actual riddles that you need to solve by scanning in items in the environment. That has always been fun. The trophies and challenge rooms, not so much. If you can get over those two things like I did, you will have a hell of a time with this game. The new fear takedown mechanic makes you really feel like the Batman. Throw a smoke bomb, take out three armed thugs, and then swoop back away before anyone sees you. It's awesome. The controls are tight and the closeups of the takedowns are nice and brutal. The two main modes of combat, melee and predator, are completely intertwined now letting you choose what to do in any encounter. Stealth movement and grappling have been polished to fine sheen, letting you move effortlessly around and plan your moves. The gadgets are still plenty and a whole wealth of new options are at your disposal for taking out enemies. This is good because the enemies are smarter overall whether it's just regular melee combat or a predator room. There are also new types, like the medic who revives enemies you've already taken out. It lends some new strategy to think about. I have to say overall, the gameplay aspects are polished to near perfection in this game so you could just concentrate on being Batman. Gamepley wise, it's the best in the series by far. One detraction though, there still some camera issues during melee combat. The story is also well done and all cutscenes are top notch. It's not my favorite Batman story, but I'm kind f a comics snob so there ya go. Batman purists have always found issues with Rocksteady's take, but it's their take and the production values certainly don't detract. Voice acting is top notch. Environments are varied and you are tasked with some short puzzles in addition to beating down thugs as you move through the story. Certain areas also require some detective work, which has been enhanced a bit from previous games but still rather easy to figure out. Also let me add that the city overall is very well laid out with interesting nooks and cranny all over. From dank sewers to the highest point you'll never see the same things. The detail is simply superb. Great level design going on here, but some may feel the area is smallish, more on par with City than Origins. I don't mind that. I'd rather have interesting environments than some huge empty world like we saw in Arkham Origins. There are a ton of side activities to do as well and the only negative I can say about them is they are required to be complete in order to see the real ending. That means Riddler and all his stupid trophies as well. However, the rest of the side missions are pretty robust and they don't feel tedious to do. Rocksteady will at times block of the pursuit of a side mission until you proceed further with the main story. I actually liked that, but some people will find it annoying. I found to be a good balance throughout the game. Anyway, I guess I got a little long winded there. Long story short, if you loved the previous Arkham games you will absolutely love this game too. Don't worry about the tank battles, they are not that bad but definitely not "Batman" like. The Batmobile other than that is a fun tool to have at your disposal. I can't enough of the glide boost function. If you are on the fence like I was and if you loved City and Origins, just get it. It's a bigger and better version of Arkham City, which previously was my favorite. Honestly though, Riddler trophies. GAH! Why Rocksteady?

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

Alien: Isolation is a game that is a must for a any fan of the Alien fiction. The production values and attention to detail in terms of the original film are fantastic. This could easily have been the sequel to the first movie. The Alien itself is terrifying yet fantastically detailed and creates tension throughout the whole experience. Honestly, technologically the game is brilliant, especially the sound. However, I still can't get myself to give the game a straight 10 for a few design issues, namely the spacing of the save points and ultimately too much exposure to the Alien. At first I almost hung up the game completely out of frustration. I died a lot during the first main Alien encounter and had to restart countless times. There was a lot of trial and error and many things I didn't understand. I got killed hiding in lockers too petrified to move for fear of having to reload again. The Alien seemed to just be everywhere and I had no chance but get my brains pushed out the back of my head over and over and over again. I nearly quit the game at this point, but boy am I glad I stuck with it. I gradually came to see the genius of the save system. Without it I would not learn how to survive against the Alien, since I would have nothing to lose if I could just reload wherever. I realized that I started adapting and learning the nuances of how the Alien moved and sensed. I was learning how to survive against it and gradually started to make it further and further on every attempt. I really needed to be aware of how the level was laid out to understand where the Alien was lurking. The sound cues are amazingly well done and after a while everything becomes second nature. The game strikes a perfect balance between the tension of getting caught and the thrill of pulling off a risky move to get through a room and to (relative) safety. Mix in some human enemies and the game really took off as I watched the Alien rip some poor shmo to shreds while cowering under an operating table. Reloading was no longer such a pain since I was learning how to swiftly move through a level with carefully calculated risks and shrewd use of gadgets. Basically, if you stick with the game long enough, you will eventually "get" it and it becomes quite enjoyable. In the end though, there is just too much Alien and too much sneaking around. You end up seeing the Alien so much that it just kind of loses it's terrifying nature. When you eventually get your hands on a certain weapon later on the Alien becomes more of a nuisance than a real threat, although it will still surprise you every now and then. Simply put, the game is too long and It has too much backtracking and sneaking around non stop. Objectives are essentially the same as you need to trek through a long level to get some thing in order to power some other thing back at the start of it. The whole time the Alien is prowling around but at this point you'll have it completely fooled.They needed to change it up a bit further along in the game. It got to the point where I was just racing to the end to finish the story. The sum it all up, this certainly a great Alien game first and foremost, but also a really solid survival horror game, at least in the very early parts. The Alien starts out as an absolutely terrifying antagonist and then sort of loses it's luster form overuse by the developers. Still, a solid 8 out of 10 for the technical achievement and definitely the best Alien game ever!