Snagfat

Awesome! This game put a big smile on my face and had me cursing and laughing in equal amounts as I died many many times on the first few levels. The graphics are great, the game play is smooth and the new mechanics are actually fun and critical to success. This feels like Crash and if you enjoyed the first 3 games you will feel right at home with this one. The game obviously has tons of replay value as boxes are hidden in clever locations, secret gems can be found in subtle intractable objects and levels can be played with different goals in mind (time trials, get all the fruit, get all the boxes, only 3 deaths etc.) As an experienced crash player, it will still take me lots of time and effort to 100% this game. Overall I couldn't be more pleased with my purchase. I only have three minor critiques 1.) The music is good but not nearly as memorable as the originals. 2.) Each island has a specific environment and art style that is repeated for every level on that island. 3.) I have yet to unlock any costumes as they appear to be gained by getting 5 gems from a level. I would like to be able to enjoy a couple costumes during my initial play through. Please buy this game at full price and support Toys for Bob who has obviously put tons of love into every aspect of this game. We need more developers like them. Also, great first week sales will maybe convince Activision to tone back the micro transactions in future games.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

I very much enjoyed TLOU 2. (NO SPOILERS) I replayed The Last Of Us remastered the week before part 2 released so it was very easy to compare the two. The original is a 10/10 but does have its flaws. I forgot how little dialogue there actually is between Ellie and Joel and how much of the game is spent running around in silence. I have heard a lot of people saying they loved the first game but hated the second one; yet many of the flaws they passionately criticize in this new release are very much present in the original. Personally I thought part two was a very smart continuation of the story that answered many questions from the 1st game. It also provided ample fuel for speculation and discussion, similar to the ending of the original. Having played both games back to back, I can say that they actually match up well and are directly intertwined in fundamental ways that I found satisfying as a longtime fan of the original. I took my time with this game and it is a BIG game. The amount of content provided blows away almost all similarly priced games and delivers an exceptional amount of value for $60. Coming from someone who thought Uncharted 4 was a blast but ended too suddenly, the scope of the Last of us 2 allows you to fully immerse yourself in the world. The documents and collectibles available in the game are actually fun and engaging this time around, and seriously help to flesh out the story and add atmosphere. Collectibles were a major disappointment in the original and I was thrilled to see Naughty Dog put much more effort into them this time around. I enjoyed exploring every single zone to fully take in the visuals and discover hidden secrets, and it felt rewarding to do so. Speaking of visuals, this game is stunning from beginning to end. It is by far the best looking game of this generation and even people who hate the story can't help but praise how damn good this thing looks. The frame rate remains silky smooth even in the largest open spaces and during frantic combat. Not once did a technical glitch break my immersion and I always felt fully in control of my character. The variety of locations and color pallets will make you stare in awe, sometimes for minutes at a time. After replaying the original, it was clear to me that combat needed improvement. Part 2 improves upon the original's game play in almost every way. It is tense and brutal, but also carries with it a huge amount of variety and player choice. Your character has much more momentum and when your stealth plan breaks down, you can sprint and hide and ambush even in the heat of battle. The game also features an incredibly good checkpoint system that consistently updates your progress mid encounter, but that will also allow you to completely start over if you wish. Restarting from your checkpoint takes less than 2 seconds which allows you to easily rectify a missed headshot that alerts the whole camp. I found myself using this feature often so that I could play through each encounter in a way that felt tactical and satisfying. I never lost more than a minute of progress and load times were basically nonexistent. Although the combat is some of the most realistically portrayed violence in a game, it never felt too over the top or in bad taste. If you shoot someone in the head they die instantly; if you shoot someone in the neck it is also an instant kill but they sputter and choke for a few seconds before falling silent. It added a certain realism but never made me feel uncomfortable. I actually had fun much the same way adults enjoy a good R rated movie such as gladiator for realistically portraying violence. Finally to address the story. It is complicated, non-linear and gives the player many opportunities to draw their own conclusions and make their own judgments. I must mention that this ambiguity was openly praised in the original, and what made the original's ending so good is undeniably present in part 2. Personally I found the story mature, heartfelt, tragic, and believable. I didn't cry the way I did during parts of the original, but I very much enjoyed the expertly crafted tale. You will not end this game with a feeling of "OMG I have chills" such as I felt upon completing Bioshock Infinite or the original TLOU. Instead this story is very much a sum of its parts that leaves you pondering and recalling details long after completion. I felt a little let down by the end, but the longer I think about it, the more everything seems to tie together into a masterful work of art. It is not perfect, but is so carefully crafted that I don't feel in a position to point out a specific change or flaw, for doing so would potentially ruin the cohesive tale and emotional impact of the game. In conclusion, very few games match the high bar Naughty Dog has set. If you absolutely hate exploration, looting, 3rd person shooting and complicated stories I can understand a 8/10 review. Buy this game!!!

I looked forward to this game introducing a massive new player base to WC3 multiplayer. This new version has THE WORST matchmaking I have ever seen in a game; and with no levels or ranks, new players are consistently matched against pros and every match feels like a roll of the dice with no strategy or reaction mattering at all. Maybe this will be added later but less people will be playing this game a year from now then were playing the original a month ago. Thanks for killing my favorite multiplayer game.