By today's standards, Metal Gear Solid is outdated and frankly a chore to play. Unintuitive controls, archaic game design, restrictive saving system are already detrimental but typical features of older games. The real problems lie in the story and boss fights. MGS's story pales in comparison to later entries, with less stakes and more idiotic moments, portrayed by liquid snake, who's an unremarkable villain devoid of any wit or charm. It's not a bad story by any means, but it isn't the spy action blockbuster that it's hyped up to be. However, the worst part of this game is unequivocally the boss fights. While some can be decent, most of the boss fights in this game go from annoying to downright frustrating, especially when factoring the terrible controls. The last boss fight in particular is especially drawn out and terrible. While Metal Gear Solid was an innovative product for it's time, especially with it's decent characterization, game mechanics, set pieces and voice acting, it is antiquated, frustrating, and in dire need of a remake.
Onikakushi is the start of my newest favorite visual novel series of all time, and what a banging start. While Chapter 1 has possibly one of the worst starts to any video game, with overly anime writing and cringey slice of life moments, it sprinkles in a few creepy moments to remind you that this isn't just a generic anime vn. What differentiates higurashi from other games is how it can leverage it's seemingly horrible writing and turn into the most intense and horrifying psychological horror experience of all time, all through words on a screen. It is unrelentingly tense and doesn't give the player time to breathe with stellar pacing and plot points, which culminate in one of the most insane endings of any game, which had me floored. This is the best higurashi chapter.
We've been waiting for a new IP from Atlus for a while, and it's safe to say this one has not disappointed. While not as flashy and relatable as the Persona series, Metaphor diverges by offering strong world building with great, unique art direction and a grittier story with themes of racism, discrimination and political crimes. The calendar system from Persona returns with minimal changes, with the same tasks: you can hang out with friends, dungeon crawl or do miscellaneous activities, from campaign rallying to sight seeing. Characters are strong across the board, with notable personalities like Brigitta, Alonzo, Heismay, Eupha and Junah. It's great to note that no social links are bad, showing how far Atlus has come with writing good characters. The story starts off strong: we land in the capital of the kingdom, looking to find a mercenary. We then awaken to our archetype and set out to become the king of the land in a huge political campaign to gain the popular vote. This is an exciting premise, and while the end does slightly taper off with sluggish pacing, it's still an interesting story for most of the game. Let's now talk about one of the strongest parts of the game, which is the combat. Metaphor introduces a revolutionary feature that makes this turn based system one of the best on the market: Rewind. Missed a crit? Messed up a move? Think you could've played better? Rewind to the beginning and try again. There are no catches or consequences, just pure freedom to choose how fights begin and end, giving players creative direction to be whacky and try out new strategies, especially when combined with the archetype system, which is less revolutionary (traditional JRPG job system), but still offers creativity and skill expression through being able to inherit moves from different archetypes, allowing players to create busted setups, especially in the end game. Metaphor respects the player's time by allowing them to skips fights entirely if they're too powerful for the enemies. The dungeons are hand crafted and are fun to traverse, and while not as memorable as Persona 5's palaces, they remain very serviceable. To conclude, while Metaphor doesn't quite live up to the stratospheric heights of the Persona series, it remains a mastodon of the JRPG genre, with it's strong storytelling, great worldbuilding and kick-ass combat.
Complex and stimulating, this Grand Strategy title is a beefed up clash of clans with dozens of empires to control and multiple paths to victory, ensuring unique runs every time. I can guarantee that hours will pass while you tell yourself "only one more round of this ****".
ATLUS has a record for churning out amazing turn based combat games, and this is no exception. Adrenaline pumping hard fights combined with a killer soundtrack makes this experience as close to a turn based dark souls as one can get. While the story is nothing to write home about and the gameplay a bit repetitive, running around a ravaged wasteland with free-flowing blue hair is pretty fun.
What happens when you combine incredible graphics, satisfying combat and a good premise with risk-free writing, repetitive gameplay and unskippable cutscenes? A game that loses it's steam very quickly. It's a shame that **** studios didn't take bigger narrative risks (or gave us the ability to skip cutscenes), as the experience takes a dive into mind-numbingness after the 5th copy-pasted side quest the game shoves down your mission list.
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona is the progenitor of my favorite video game series of all time. I had played every single Persona entry until then, and I knew that I had to complete my journey on the title that spawned the franchise I love. Coming off of Persona 2: Eternal Punishment, the rudimentary systems and mechanics were of no great shock to me, although the first person dungeon crawling and grid-based combat and movement were definitely off putting. The game pulls it's charm off it's catchy soundtrack and distinct characters, although you will have to choose which ones you'll keep for the rest of the game, as contrary to later entries, you won't get exposition for all the party members you meet, let alone opportunities for combat. This is not great, as you barely get to know seemingly important characters, who kind of fade into nothingness if you happen to decline their request to join your party, with only one slot available for the entirety of the main story, and one particular character has much more relevance to the plot than the others, making picking him a safe bet for a first playthrough. But, combined with the fact that there is a separate story for the main game, you could postulate the fact that this game is highly replayable, but will you actually bother going through it another time? The story, while fine on it's own, is not up to the caliber of later entries, let alone its successor. The characters, who do have their moments, are not very well developed, and you don't really feel as strong bond of a bond with them as you would with say Golden, in which characters define your experience, and you get to know them from inside and out. The gameplay is nothing short of tedious and borderline frustrating, with high encounter rates, annoying dungeons engineered to waste your time through endless backtracking and traps, convoluted battle systems that don't mesh well together, and a persona fusion system that, while a bit better than Persona 2, still relies heavily on RNG and grinding. The final boss for this game was also extremely frustrating, taking me upwards of an hour and a half to conquer on Beginner mode, although that could be due to me being under leveled, which reminds me of the issues with the levelling system for this game: depending on who does the most damage, the game allocates a bigger share of EXP towards them, meaning that your party members with early-game centric Personas will clean house and out level your team by a lot (Reiji was level 50 while Nanjo was level 38!), making for an extremely unbalanced combat experience. I also regret taking Reiji over Eriko, as the former is not nearly as interesting as the latter who also appears in P2EP, so if you plan on playing Persona 1, take the party members who looks the most interesting to you instead of what internet dweebs suggest you to pick, like I did. Overall, I can't say Persona 1 is slept on or even underrated, but I can say that if you do try it, it is worth your time, and you will find something to love about it, even if it can't compare to it's successors in any shape or from.
Eternal Punishment relies heavily on it's prequel to get the worldbuilding and characters introduced and developed to the player, but it doesn't simply dwell on them to reintroduce a story we've already heard with small modifications. Instead, it brings characters we've interacted with previously in an entire new position where they can shine and witness some incredible writing and development, as is expected from this one of a kind series. It introduces some of the best characters of the series in Baofu, Katsuya, and (this one blew my mind) Tatsuya, who's shifted from a mute MC with no personality, to a full blown badass with some of the best characterization I've ever seen from this series, especially with the Shiori Arc. It was also super cool to see cameos from the first game come back, such as Jun, Eikichi, Lisa, and even Persona 1 characters such as Kei Nanjo, Elly and Brown, who have surprisingly really impactful roles in the story. Regrettably, the bubbly and cheerful Maya that was such a strong personality and character in Innocent Sin, has been relegated to a mute protagonist, a common problem with this duology, but it isn't that big of a deal, since we've gotten her exposition and motivations as a character from the previous game. The soundtrack is also a noticeable downgrade, especially in some themes and especially the battle music, and the cut ins have been nerfed, losing the aesthetic the first game had in battle, which is a minor nitpick, but matters a lot of this series, which is renowned for it's unparalleled style and flow of combat. The game is also noticeably harder than Innocent Sin, and while the battle system is a bit better with smarter action inputs, character order randomly changes for absolutely no apparent reason, forcing you to constantly re-order the battle menu, which is very annoying. The story is also a lot more grounded than the first game, but is in return much more serious through it's adult cast and darker tones, which plays incredibly well with the worldbuilding we've experienced through the first game. While I do think that both the Additional Scenario and main game's endings could've been executed a bit better, there is no doubt in my mind Persona 2 Eternal Punishment offers one of the best narratives of an RPG, and is a must play for any Persona fan or anyone who loves an unforgettable narrative.
Persona 2: Innocent Sin is one of the weirdest games I have ever played. The Persona series has come a long way since Persona3's groundbreaking innovation in the form of the Calendar system, which has changed the series moving forward. This is what makes Persona a unique series that offers unparalleled character interaction & development amongst other JRPGS and even videogames in general, but what about Persona 2? The gameplay & structure is much closer to a traditional JRPG/Megaten game, with dungeons and no time limit for accomplishing tasks. It is very different from modern Persona, but you can still identify some ideas & mechanics that have made their way into modern games, such as negotiations, unique element types & the famous Velvet Room. Let's now talk about the actual game: P2IS offers a pretty compelling story with a good cast that gets going strong early on. Characters have pre-established backstories and even the protagonist has roots in the game (is well known within his school, is friends with Lisa from the start, has family & relationships with a certain character), and it's interesting (and in a way refreshing) to have these narrative twists realized in a medium that can sometimes be formulaic with the recent games. This game features a Rumor system, which seems interesting, but is a bit one note, and choices have an impact on the story, in a much more consequential manner than recent games. While the story and characters seem well realized, as is expected from such a renowned series, it is clear that the gameplay is by far the worst part of the game. Battles are slow and require little to no strategy to win, status effects stay forever until you die/heal them, traps and awkward controls make some dungeons nightmares to traverse, and random encounters with high rates make for even more frustrating dungeon exploration. The animations are dated, and the negotiation system, while novel and interesting, is sometimes nonsensical and seems to be luck based, requiring trial and error until you magically find the right combinations in order to get tarot cards, which are required to summon Persona. This system is arguably dated and idiotic, and I am happy that they have scrapped it from future games, especially considering that Persona function in a much more different manner than newer titles. The ending of the game is well realized and comes off as especially impactful, with a great villain & twist. Overall, the story is quite strong, although it can be a bit convoluted when new plot points are introduced that twist the story in almost unimaginable ways, and although it remains the weakest of the series in my opinion, Persona 2 will be remembered as the setting the groundwork for the (arguably) greatest game series of all time, lending some of it's many influences to its successors, and on it's own, it stands as an emotive & impactful story about sin & forgiveness, even when things may not seem as they appear.
Persona 3 Reload is a love letter to anyone who likes video games. It masterfully crafts stark cinematic tension, dark themes that you will think back on for days, and superb, honest character writing. It has no compromises in how it wants to tell it's story, and it is fully capable of breaking your preconceptions (and heart) in the process. The soundtrack has an incredible range of tones and themes, from the relaxing "Want to be Close" track, to the blood pumping "Mass Destruction", circling back to "Fearful Experience" and it's haunting uncertainty, finally arriving at "Memories of You" and it's melancholic, sad, yet hopeful meaning. Every single music piece complements the story beats and conversations in an immaculate fashion, and while it isn't as strong as Persona 5's track, there is definitely close competition to be had here. The game also looks phenomenal, and it is a decently big step up from P5's engine. Shadows and reflections help bring out Tatsumi Port Island's gorgeous views, and lighting changes are an absolute wonder to behold in cutscenes, combat encounters and even day to day activities. Tartarus is revamped considerably, and introduces tons of QoL and new gameplay elements that make the dungeon crawling feel novel and exciting. Elements have been borrowed from P5 and enhanced to an amazing degree, with so much energy and care put behind the new attack & crit animations, Cut-Ins, Theurgies, All-Out Attacks and KO screens, that it can feel sometimes hard to come back to the older titles. While the graphics overhaul and combat changes are most definitely welcome, the biggest change is the new voiced Social Links which have completely revolutionized the series. Every single social link (yes, even the Moon) have instantly been given much more personality and motivation behind their actions. It's honestly a game changer for the series and a new standard that is fully expected to make it's return in the upcoming Persona 6. The social links are over the board brilliant, with some being the best in the series, and few possibly amongst the worst. Adding to this, new Linked Episodes & Events have been added to the SEES members, which sees their characters truly become fleshed out, especially for the boys, who do not have social links, but instead have excellent events that help bolster their personalities. These are pretty much indiscernible, probably even better, than regular social links in booth quality and presentation, it is mind-blowing how much care was put into this new content. Characters in Persona 3 are by far and away the best part of the game: unlike Persona 4 & 5, where characters are absolutely lovable and friendly, but don't really have conflicts with each other (bar a few exceptions), it seems like the SEES group acts more like a real group of people, with their insecurities sometimes getting the best of themselves and having them act out in a way that is both shocking and refreshing. It serves to bolster the fact that the SEES members are, above anything, regular high school students with their own personal problems outside of shadow-hunting, and characters like Junpei and Yukari bring this out in a memorable way. The overall narrative is extremely strong, albeit with a few predictable moments. The villains are great and have amazing moments and serve to bring tense, climactic moments that are a delight to behold, even if they can seem a bit shallow in their motivations at times. While everything I have just mentioned alone (not including insane, jaw dropping set pieces) warrants this game being GOTY and a top 3 best game of all time, the ending to Persona 3 Reload is singlehandedly the best ending to a piece of media I have ever witnessed in my life. It is fulfilling perfection, and will have you pondering on it for weeks. In all, Persona 3 Reload is a strong contender for the best game of all time, and only time will tell if i end up valuing it over Persona 5 Royal, but in any case, this is a game that is worth every single cent you spend on it, and I can confidently say that I can whole heartedly recommend this game to ANYONE who is remotely interested in pressing buttons on their keyboard or is able to pick up a controller. It truly is a life changing experience.
Hi-Fi Rush is one of the best and most unique hack and slash games in recent times. It features a battle system where combos and rhythm based attacks are intertwined to give you a frantic yet deeply combat experience, that is easy to learn and complex to master. You will be chaining mid-air combos all while in sync with the awesome soundtrack and gorgeous, comic book-style visuals. The story can be kind of lackluster, but the gameplay speaks for itself.
Very fast paced and challenging, akin to the likes of ULTRAKILL and DOOM Eternal. While it isn't as thrilling as the former, nor as polished as the latter, it is still damn fun in it's own right.
Objectively, Dave the Diver is great for someone who likes relaxed gameplay akin to The Sims or **** valley, but for me, it's a bit too boring. The half fishing half restaurant-sim aspect is pretty unique, so if you're down for simulation gameplay, this will be right up your alley.
Pizza Tower is extremely unique. It's got a distinct, hilarious art style that sets it apart from other platformers and great mechanics that almost make it feel like a more unique Sonic game. There isn't much more to ask for here: if you're down for hilarious and fast paced platformers, this is something you should definitely pick up.
A walking simulator that isn't extremely funny or unique. It just feels like a fan project that you play for half an hour rather than an actually realized game. For actual humor, go play Portal 2 or Jazzpunk.
A worthy prequel/spinoff of the main series. Cases are strong, but it almost feels too similar in execution rather than actually trying to bring change to the series.
A promising start, but is also not clear on how to actually progress through the game. Combat is nothing special if not impractical for down attacks, who's execution in games like Rogue Legacy 2 is much more intuitive and easy to get down without compromising on the notorious difficulty of the genre.
Flashy and cool spinoff of Yakuza, but missing the charm and gripping story aspects of the series. The combat is fun and bombastic, but it can also feel finnicky and imprecise. The story isn't extremely captivating, and you're introduced to dozens of characters that look and talk similarly, as opposed to mainline Yakuza, who's characters are commanding and distinct from one another, both in their looks and their behavior. The added detective features are cool at the start, but quickly devolve into rather lengthy and annoying sequences that kill the pacing. I'd recommend Yakuza 0 or LAD over this.
MGR Revengeance has good set pieces and even better OST, but the combat system is garbage. The camera is broken, enemy hit registration is wonky, and your attack button is also your parry button, which is horrible game design, as games like Sekiro and Lies of P understood and delivered on this concept in a much better way. The story is nothing short of moronic, the visual animations aged horribly along with the voice acting, and the villains are written like baboons. Nevertheless, I would still recommend a playthrough, as the boss fights do kind of make up for the glaring flaws, even if they're pretty easy (except for Monsoon who is a bit annoying).
Celeste surprised me with it's difficulty. I played this after completing Super Mario Odyssey, which was pretty easy, but this game is harder than I expected. But it is not frustrating: rather, it challenges you to push your limits in carefully crafted levels. Thoughtful level design, good soundtrack and variety in traversal makes this a great platformer that is worth playing.
Portal 2 is what every puzzle game wants to be. Every single puzzle is meticulously well crafted and is a legitimate joy to play. The narrative is strong and mysterious, and will keep you guessing as to what will happen next. The voice acting and writing is on par with Rockstar and Naughty Dog, making this one of the most well-written (and hilarious) games ever made. The returning GLaDOS is once again an amazing character, and the new robot Wheatley is also surprisingly well written. There is very little wrong with this game, bar some non-obvious exploration sections which take up a negligible part of the game. There is no bad puzzle or bad section, and the game is paced freakishly well. This game is absolutely timeless and will hold up as one of the best puzzle games of all time.
Mario Odyssey is a love letter to the critically acclaimed Mario Galaxy. While it doesn't share the mesmerizing space theme and the planet travelling, it innovates by introducing levels that function as world hubs. It effectively plays out like a pseudo open world game, with side objectives sprawling across every single Kingdom. There are so many hidden stars and areas in these levels, and it is fun to just roam around and discover hidden paths. The kingdoms also look amazing in their own right, and the environments are varied and detailed, especially New Donk City, which is the shining jewel of levels. However, the biggest innovation this title introduces to the series is the hat mechanic, which is pretty much what Kirby does. You can control a ton of different enemies & objects, allowing creative traversal & platforming. Notably, the Octopus and Jockey are engaging and pretty fun to pilot. The boss fights can be lame, but they're actually not that bad, and some of them are pretty fun, notably the Bowser fight(s). The music is also pretty good, as usually expected from this series, but the music sequences in New Donk City and the ending are exceptionally good. This is one of the best platformers out there, and it is a worthy spiritual successor to the Galaxy series.
It's not bad, but definitely gives off generic RPG vibes, coupled with as basic as can be combat and really, really bad voice acting. I feel like Square Enix is incapable of producing well written/performed games, as this is a recurring pattern in all of their games. But, this game is oddly charming and sets itself apart with it's beautiful Toriyama artstyle, snappy battles and comedic moments. It won't convert you over to RPGs, but it's definitely worth a shot.
It's the best battle royale game, but battle royales really ****, so that isn't much of a compliment. The no build mode can be fun with friends, but that's about it.
It's fun, just needs a lot of fixes & changes, like reducing TTK, reworking classes and weapons, reducing map size and respawn timers, and adding a deathmatch mode.
Nier Automata is a PS3 game masquerading as a philosophical masterpiece but fundamentally misunderstands what makes this game interesting. The questions of nihilism and existentialism this game parrots as it's driving plot points and themes are shallow and unimpactful: there is nothing really shocking or special about the way the themes are approached here. Endings A and B are laughably bad, being an exact repetition with slightly different gameplay elements and a few new cryptic cutscenes that fail to intrigue or surprise. Ending C and D, while admittedly more interesting, keep hammering in the question of consciousness and self-determination in a way that is too explicit ans surface level: is the player really supposed to be shocked at the grand revelation that black boxes for androids and machines are the same? The game becomes a mess when it tries to give personalities and emotions to these robots. What constitutes emotions relative to the programming of these robots? It feels hammered in because the natural evolution of emotions is forced in a way that is inorganic and rushed to conform to the story's pacing. Furthermore, some gameplay design choices become increasingly annoying, especially the bullet hell sections (looking at the Soul tower and goddamned Ending E), and the cheesy "losing functions so must walk slowly across this big ass map" sections. While I wasn't impressed by the story or endings in the slightest, the gameplay, RPG elements and soundtrack carry this game. It's a decent hack and slash with a flot of customization options and a pretty cool ram system with different abilities that you can customize for specific situations, combined with pod programs that can let you one shot bosses. The side quests are unremarkable, but the best part about this game is undoubtedly the soundtrack. It's not the best OST in history, but it's definitely above average and carries the game through monotonous sections. Overall, Nier Automata can be fun, and some of the fourth wall elements are novel and cool, but the botched execution of the story combined with annoying sections make me reluctantly recommend this game.
Good combat system and great graphics, but the writing and voice acting is really subpar and can get annoying sometimes. The PC performance is quite frankly abysmal, and will stutter constantly, like TLOU Part 1. The story is also not that interesting, and the amount of filler sidequests, animations and hallways can really start to get annoying.
A slightly better version of BOTW, as the power ups are much more interesting and creative, but that's about it, as much of the negatives of BOTW remain in this game virtually unchanged.
The story is a bit more interesting than GTA 5, but the gameplay and animations haven't aged too gracefully. It's janky and monotone, and while Liberty City is interesting, it's a pain to get through this today.
Uncharted 4 is one of few games that push innovation and break limits in the gaming industry, even 8 years after it's release. A promising plot with great dialogue, naturalistic voice acting and insane sequences that make you feel like the main character of a Mission Impossible movie. While the story is quite predictable with a few cliche twists and turns, the set pieces more than make up for it with action packed fight scenes that will have you run across the battlefield, looking for cover and flanking enemies before they surround you. This is one of the best games on the market, and skipping it would be a shame.
Rogue Legacy 2 starts off very badly. The game is obviously quite hard, but some mechanics, like collision damage and directional damage, can throw you off from the game. But something keeps reeling you back in: the levelling system. You can level a character to Narnia and turn them into an unstoppable beast, but to get to that level you'll need to grind a lot of money, The boss fights are well realized, and some characters are fun to play as, but most of them are embarrassingly sloppy (Mage, Ronin).
The Last of Us is a game about characters. Characters trying to survive in a miserable post-apocalyptic world inhabited by two vicious creatures: the infected and humans. You will get to interact with both parties in tandem, exploring the ugly truths of a newfound merciless America through the lens of Joel and Ellie, two very different, but also fundamentally similar people, as they trek through desolate environments in order to reach a safe haven. You will get to see some great character development and even better voice acting, as this is some of the best in the industry. The characters feel as well written as Red Dead Redemption 2, and they make the world feel alive. Enemies will flank you and hunt you down relentlessly, forcing you to adapt and use your environment and arsenal to your advantage. You do not get much ammo in this game, which is why you cannot brute force through everything, adding a strategic element to an already stealth-heavy game. Zombies are ruthless and will rush at you, and they come in different flavors to spice up the gameplay, with the most imposing ones taking careful planning to take down. The exploration is beautiful and some scenes are intense and very fun to play out, but some sequences can become frustrating, as Clicker & Bloater zombies will one shot you up close, leaving little to no room for error. Some sections are also annoying, and scavenging for hours can become a bit of a chore. The plot, while strong, is predictable, and Joel and Ellie aren't given enough exposition to see their relationship truly pan out. Overall, this game has incredible combat combined with beautiful environments & intense, blood pumping sequences and a great story, but also sports questionable game design choices, some annoying sequences, terrible pc performance with frequent visual & technical bugs and some shoddy writing at times. A must play and one of the best games in recent history.
Phantom Liberty is CDPR's successful attempt at giving Cyberpunk an actually interesting plot line, and it starts with a bang. After meeting the DLC's main character, you're thrown into a pretty epic start in a town previously unexplored, resembling an enclave in Fallout NV or Junkertown from Overwatch. The DLC is quite slow, and can be a bit of a slog to set the pieces, but once you get to the "Hotel", the story ramps up dramatically and the game explores new mechanics of infiltration which are fresh and unseen in cyberpunk, culminating in one of four finales that are much better than the base game's endings. Bar a few annoying missions (Cerberus), the usual bugs and an underwhelming relic, this DLC is quite good, and solves Cyberpunk's problem of mediocre narratives. An easy recommendation.
Some of the best map movement I've ever seen in a videogame. You can swing through New York with such speed & style that it makes normal traversal an exciting part of the game. The combat is flashy and satisfying, and the open world is decently populated with sidequests and things to, but the writing in this game has got to be some of the most atrocious I've ever seen in a piece of media. This **** is quite frankly embarrassing, and it's exacerbated by the fact that Peter never shuts up. Underneath it all is a very mechanically successful open world action game that is muddied by garbage tier writing and a poor plot premise.
Very creative visual novel with beautiful and unsettling imagery. This game executes the loop concept we've seen time and time again a bit differently from other titles which is good and the music is also decent. The story is surprisingly deep and will keep you engaged. A recommended play in the VN genre.
Resident Evil 4 remake is a game that knows how to play to it's strengths, and it does so remarkably well. Leon's journey across a plague-infested rural Spain is both thrilling and hilarious. It features some of the most intense gameplay I've seen from an action survival game, with a difficulty that is challenging but never unfair. The combat is amazing, and you'll be doing roundhouse kicks and backslams on zombies left and right while using up ammo against tougher enemies. You never feel underpowered but need to play it smart against big hoards or tough encounters, but luckily the game design is so airtight that the games gives you numerous tools to get through encounters. While this game isn't extremely scary, some scenes can really get your blood pumping while never resorting to cheap jumpscares or overly loud noises. This is one of the best action games in recent history akin to the Last of Us, and while it doesn't quite reach the narrative of it's cousin, it definitely makes up for it with incredible game design, fun sequences and few to no bad levels. You need to play this.
One of the best telltale games out there. An interesting story about a detective who needs to balance his work investigation with his deadly temper, and while the game lacks in some areas story-wise, it is still captivating and will keep you attention to the very end.
Neon White has some of the best gameplay out of an indie game in recent times, but it also features some of the most god-awful writing I've ever seen. The levels are exhilarating and challenge you to always find a better, more optimal way to solve them, while staying short and straight to the point which helps pace the game effectively. On the other hand, the characters you interact with are obnoxious and quite frankly embarrassing to listen to. With better (or at least not straight up annoying) writing & characters, this could've easily gotten a 9, but the gameplay alone is worth the purchase & playtime.
A videogame that revolutionized choice-driven games and spawned a new genre of telltale like videogames, from which bestsellers such as Until Dawn and Detroit: Become Human take inspiration from. Excellent story and gripping characters throughout all games, with the Final Chapter closing off the series on a great note despite the rough times at telltale in 2018. A must-play classic.
Fun & satisfying, but fundamentally very simplistic and a bit exploitable. It is helped by the variety of available plagues, but the gameplay loop stays the same.
The best FNAF game even today. Great cast of animatronics combined with engaging mechanics that are simple but skillful to master. The lore is also quite good and interesting, but due to the lack of gameplay variety and the simplicity of these types of games, a 7 is fair.
