TeeMoz734

Ready or Not for the PS5 retains the gameplay of the original PC release however the reason the game for PS5 is bumped down so heavily is because the censorship is far too heavy handed and causes such an issue to the game's atmosphere that it completely crushes any kind of nuanced or balanced take on the world of the game and it's many troubles. It makes the game essentially a playground for kids where the original was a serious addressing of the many problems of our world and highlighted the inequalities and injustices that funnel people into doing the things they do. By censoring some of the more visually confronting moments this takes away that impact and creates a dangerous misunderstanding of the situations in which the operators find themselves in. Ultimately it also creates a draconian attitude towards creative expression by cutting out certain things a particular platform doesn't agree with. The industry is far worse off having continued tightening restrictions on what content can and cannot be shown, within reason the practice of restricting particular ideas is ok but given the current state of continued tightening of restrictions further and further the gap for creative expression in video games is slowly dying.

Fallout 3 at the time was a fresh and revitalising experience back into the Fallout IP after it's many years as a dead IP. However upon reflecting with what came before and what has come since it very much heralded the path this series was on. Fallout 3 does well in some aspects such as in the music and general design department bringing all of the familiar icons to a 3D stage and did very well to display what a post apocalypse would look like roughly. However the story is a huge disappointment and consistently has me questioning what happened? Why? The story has several inconsistencies for the simple reasoning of adding in the series iconography. The biggest culprits here are the Super Mutants and Brotherhood, both of which are shown to be either dead or dying by the time this game has come around. What Bethesda has clearly not understood about this series is that the premise of the series isn't post-apocalypse but post post-apocalypse, how societies out of the ashes rise and fall and the cycle continues. The tagline for the series "War never changes" isn't supposed to be some surface level commentary about how humanity will always default to violence, it's supposed to be a more nuanced and in depth critique of that entire understanding in itself. The entire argument is that some of humanity will inevitably falter back to defaulting to violence but humanity has the capacity to rise again, and what is not said in the quote is the more important subtext that humanity must change. Hence why the rise and fall of the various societies is important to the series, having the Capital Wasteland be barren and empty does nothing to understand nor further this plot point. Gunplay could have been vastly improved, even with crooked sights and being over 200+ years old weapons still fire somewhere in the range of where the sights go so not having that here was disorienting and frustrating to say the least. Ultimately Fallout 3 was a much anticipated return for the franchise and did well to either introduce it to new fans or reestablish it as a franchise worth pursuing however as it is currently Fallout 3 misses the original message, storytelling and roleplaying of the first two games.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim does well in providing a beautiful and aesthetically pleasing world to the player base but it very much forgets it's roots of where the genre has come from. Skyrim has diluted everything from skills to classes and even entire systems of ecology and lore. While it does make the game far more accessible to a wider array of people it doesn't do any favours to those wanting a deeper experience or a game with more meaningful storytelling or choices. Bethesda has also made their position clear on how they feel about both the modding community and the future of all of their titles. Having creators add things to the games that Bethesda was lazy enough to leave out and then charge for it and ultimately miss paying the creator step was a scummy move and I am glad it is somewhat done away with. As a game in general there is lots of fun concepts and things to be doing here but the consistent rewarding gameplay loop being stealth archer is frustrating after a certain amount of time of having played that way. While there are other ways to play they don't have the same effect as the stealth archer playstyle and are in the long run discouraged given how the level scaling in this game works once again having enemies at higher points on the scale be more tanky and more mastodon with their attacks. The game itself isn't bad but I can't say it's perfect and neither should anyone else. Skyrim's story is very player focused which is nice but it doesn't do anything really interesting or anything really complex. There's an air of the "chosen one" status for the player but the gameplay doesn't do anything to allow the player to actually go on that power trip fantasy. Skyrim could have vastly been improved with a wider selection of skills and classes as well as greater meaning and choice to the story. Dragon shouts are ultimately worse versions of essentially spells especially with mods taken into account, once you have a spell that gives the effect of the shouts the shouts become meaningless. Better design for the shouts and better understanding that making them truly unique would have extended the gameplay loop significantly. Skyrim is a game people cannot help but come back to over and over again not because it's the greatest game of all time but it's mindless fun for an hour or six, mods have definitely extended this games lifespan beyond natural proportions but has now set an unbelievable expectation for the next in the series, which could very well have doomed the series from here on.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

Assassin's Creed II was an excellent and fun foray into the franchise better than the first that delivered more than ever anticipated. Assassin's Creed II also delivered on the story notes that an Assassin's Creed experience should. Templar cabals secretly running society under the guise of charitable backers to political figures and high ranking generals within standing armies controlled by those backed by the group. It all perfectly cascades into a believable and well thought out reasoning to have such a setting. The landscapes and skylines of Italian cities are amazing and provide such a nice and aesthetically beautiful palette of scenery to please the players. The gameplay aspects are fantastic and provided much needed solutions to the previous problems of the series such as; assassinating from a hiding spot, ledge assassinations, leaping assassinations and double assassinations. All previously stated problems were specifically stated as problems to the game due to how they had created significant gaps for getting around the targets. The story of this game had done extremely well in regards to delivering a fresh and revitalising experience to other games from the time and to be quite honest the series hasn't quite delivered since. The characters all had their place within the story and provided a reasoning for their place within the story. The game did provide an excellent amount of side content and fun activities to do outside of following the story, while not becoming bloated and providing just the right amount of content and not overstaying it's welcome. Points do have to be knocked off for having two entire dna sequences be DLC, but its a very very minor mark against this game. Combat was an excellent experience and all that had really explicitly changed was a simple retuning to make it faster than before and providing an easy option to break the guard of an enemy in order to keep the attacking going. Ultimately this game was quite possibly the zenith of the series and remains to this day almost unmatched depending on who you ask but realistically we haven't had nor even got a whiff of passion for the series like this since. Truly the masterpiece of the franchise.

Mad Max is a good addition into the franchise, that has been neglected and starved for attention. The franchise has been dismissed from a video game perspective since 1990 and this rectifies that issue. While other game franchises such as Fallout do their best to imitate this entire franchise they never quite capture it's spirit. Mad Max is about the titular character Max Rockatansky rediscovering his humanity in a world succumbed to chaos and lawlessness, while learning the value of not only humanity but selfless actions. This game hits the correct story beats and notes of the franchise for a very early days Max still fighting the urges of relentless aggression and merciless acts. While Max does still carry out some of these acts this is a very early stages of repentance Max still grieving the loss of his wife and daughter and is thus more sympathetic. The game has a very solid and fun combat system, while not the most polished it doesn't lean too far into gun heavy combat nor does it complicate a simple system of pipe meet human skull. The car upgrades are a fun and engaging way of extending the gameplay but never succumbs to bloat despite the need to scavenge the resources. While the voice acting is uneven at times it is still passable given some of the horrific performances of the last couple of years. The landscape and atmosphere of the game is fantastic and provides the exact feeling that a fan of the franchise can appreciate. The dynamic weather and day and night cycles add further flavour to the game also by changing the landscape to an expected outcome which pushes the game further into the territory for well fleshed out which was probably not anticipated nor properly appreciated at the time. This game did not quite push the boundaries for a post-apocalyptic exploration game but it did more than enough to justify not only it's own existence but also justify taking another chance on the series if well developed and funded, with more recent film additions in the franchise we may yet see another game exploring Max Rockatansky's journey.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

Battlefield V fell extremely short of it's mark in regards to the series as a whole, the story was rather nothing at all. While both Call of Duty and Battlefield have never expressly focused on these aspects it wasn't at all at par for what is expected. Now the meat an potatoes being the multiplayer. The multiplayer aspect could never seemingly find a happy medium, guns were extremely under or overbalanced and made no justifiable sense, a .50 cal should not be hitting enemies like a peashooter while a little 9 mm hits like a freight train. There was obviously an overabundance of attention on sniper rifles and fast firing weapons which is okay but the balance should also be felt for all weapons. Entire class abilities like mortars being removed was such a drastic letdown especially in the balancing department because it took away an option to clear an objective, without mortars or a suitable replacement there wasn't a reasonable way to clear an objective without it being a "bum rush the pits" scenario. It seems in this regard Dice listened to fans too much and failed to keep the spirit of Battlefield in the game, war was not nor ever is fair and previous games displayed that attitude. Dice then continued on a horrific train wreck of decision making in deciding that a microtransaction store for skins and apparel was necessary but only added to the frustrations of players given that they ignored the apparent flaws in favour of obtaining the most amount of money from this game as possible. Then if things could not get worse Dice decided that a battle royale mode was what this game needed like it was the cure for cancer. The battle royale mode was a blatant attempt at chasing the trend of Fortnite dollars at the time but never worked because it was never set up correctly nor ever appealed to the player base (if it ever had a chance to). All of this ended up leading Dice to abandon this game before the reset of their development cycle had even finished which in turn hurt their other projects. Today it stands as a warning to the other FPS titans of the genre to stay the course but innovate in new ways.

Fallout: New Vegas is an excellent reaffirmation of the post-post apocalypse RPG genre. This game if nothing else did one thing absolutely correct in regards to it's story and RPG elements and that was very little to no backstory for the player and get them in the driver's seat as fast as humanly possible to play the game their way. The game deals with an extreme amount of themes both explicitly and implicitly that provide a fantastic view of the world in which the characters live through various perspectives. The game tackles issues such as holding onto the past and letting go and does provide less clear implications of holding on being a bad thing with the factions holding onto the past most being the ones with the least amount of karma. Although the karma system is less important in this game it is substituted for the faction reputation system which makes the world feel much more reactive and alive, although the minus to this is that it does seem unrealistic (especially because, how would everyone in the legion know I killed a patrol in the middle of the desert?) while it is kind of hand-waved away with the explanation of "all the factions have an immense network of spies". The gunplay is great with this game building upon Fallout 3's mechanics adding true iron sights to actually be able to tell where the round might actually land, but this time Fallout also delivers a bit of flavouring with various ammo types as well making the entire role-playing aspect change on a dime. The dialogue is immense and well tailored to what a player might imagine themselves saying in a particular situation and doesn't have the incredulity of Fallout 3's dialogue. All locations are thought out and have had a clear time and attention to detail and provide excellent explanations for why certain societies can survive where they do and how they do. At launch however the game did suffer from several game breaking issues and did have troubles with some save file corruption, it had some particular jank that all Bethesda properties provide on release, however as time has gone on we should come to realise that this is a Bethesda game engine issue not a Developing studio issue. Music and in-game radio stations are fantastic like previous Fallout titles however with Mr New Vegas it's turned up to another level above Fallout 3 with Three Dog. Mr NV discusses the topics of the Courier's exploits and even provides commentary on actions throughout the wasteland that the Courier was involve in but doesn't reference them directly making it feel like a real and adaptive environment. The Courier isn't the entire story of New Vegas just one small subsection of it. Conclusively this game has rightfully so been hailed by fans even to this day as the best and most true property of the Fallout franchise from a Bethesda studio and it remains to be seen if we will receive another title on it's level.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

Devil May Cry 2 was a very disappointing sequel into the franchise. Again I played it late into the PlayStation 2's life cycle but it wouldn't have affected how I view the game regardless. The main idea of bringing in fans that were not particularly fans of the hack and slash genre is not lost on me, however it wasn't the right idea for this game. The game doesn't provide real challenge like the previous installment nor like the subsequent installments. Ebony and Ivory alone trivialiase the game (not to mention the sub-machine guns) which in the end can only be seen as a net negative. The swords all behave the same despite the fact that, that is part of the franchise that all devil arms have pros and cons for particular situations. The combos for the swords are all confusingly tied not to button delay but to left stick manipulation which is strange on it's own but worse still that the player cannot use the lock on button in tandem with the left stick to utilise the different combos! All of this coupled together makes for very unappealing combat scenarios that really just do not deliver and leaves the player wondering why they'd ever even touch the triangle button when the square button exists in this game. The story is once again one of the weaker aspects of the game but ultimately it doesn't do anything either outwardly horrendous nor anything attractive for the game and just kind of.. exists. One area that Devil May Cry 2 absolutely delivers on like all of it's installments is music, the music once again provides a little excitement to the combat scenarios but wears away extremely quickly after the original appeal is lost. The only two other positive things of note are simply a one button dodge system which while implemented badly does have its uses and does have more upsides as opposed to downsides, and the other is the item visibility, with items and orbs being so prominent in the landscape it did make for a more enjoyable experience spotting and collecting them even if they didn't ultimately provide much to the overall experience.

Devil May Cry was my first introduction to the series although I did get to it quite late (having played it for the first time in 2011) however even still it was an amazing foray into the series proper. The game provided a fantastic experience for a first time player who was new to the hack and slash genre, the ability to style on enemies was amazing for the time especially when compared to the other titles of the time. Music was amazing for all of the battle sequences and provided the adrenaline rush very much needed during those sequences. The story wasn't the best thing about this game but it ended up being passable. The atmosphere was fantastic as well especially for the first section of the castle especially as a new player. it provided a sense of tension until you get used to the power Dante has and the abilities he has command over and it's at that point you realise that you are the danger in the castle which made the entire game so much better. Devil May Cry was an excellent launch pad into the series and to think it came about due to a failed Resident Evil concept. Happy accidents indeed.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

Resident Evil 3 Remake is a disappointing revisit of Raccoon City, not because of an apprehensive feeling of another visit but because it fails to understand and display the things that made the original game excellent. Interactions with the Nemesis in the remake are all scripted and are all played the exact same way, by holding up on the left stick or some variation or combination of buttons to escape. It really misses the essence of those original encounters being that the player had the choice to stand and fight or could run. Some encounters in the original game were unexpected events in which the player could be doing their own thing not really worrying and then have Nemesis come flying at them while they're unprepared and unawares. Nemesis isn't treated like the threat he is by any of the characters either which drags the entire feel of encountering him down. Not to mention that even by the environment and plot he isn't treated with the proper respect, a building is burning down and he doesn't chase Jill all the way to the ladder he just disappears, or he shows he is more than capable of busting down a concrete wall but cant bust down a door held back by Jill and a bookcase. Raccoon City as a whole was cut down from two entire maps worth of areas to explore to about two streets which is an unbelievable downgrade. The plot remains mostly the same which is good but it could have done with more time to render a truly faithful remake that fans were desperate for. This game is fine as a game and as a Resident Evil game but as a remake to the original Resident Evil 3: Nemesis it falls flat in so many ways, far too many to mention here and one can only hope that going forward if Capcom decides on more remakes they decide to not strip away what made the original games great.

Resident Evil 4 Remake is a fantastic blast from the past, it hits most of the high points of the original and creates the nostalgia feeling fans have wanted for a long time. The blend of action and horror was right on the cusp of perfect as it was in the original with the particular high points being the fear inducing Dr Salvador with the new design giving an uncanny valley kind of feeling with such spaced apart eyes on a face hidden behind a burlap sack. Another high point of the horror would be for sure the Regenerators as they were once before, especially in such a dark environment. The game takes away some things that were ultimately unnecessary in the original that made it too much of a slog such as the lava room and the giant Salazar statue. As well as updating other frustrating locations such as the water room making it less of an arduous task to complete. The one downfall of the game in this reviewers opinion is the voice acting, Ada and Krauser are the main problems simply because Adas voice actor more sounds disinterested and less playful when interacting with others and Krauser has lost the intimidation Dad like figure through his voice. Other than that Resident Evil 4 Remake provides a great experience back into the original Resident Evil 4's pattern of play and nostalgia remembrance. Definitely recommended for fans of the original and for new comers as a starting point.

Helldivers 2 is a fresh and exhilarating launch into the PvE shooter genre that not many other games have been able to capitalise on. The updates being given to balance the less loved weapons and strategems is what is keeping the game from being lost and forgotten and was a welcome change from the usual developers not listening to the players that so many other games suffer from. The feeling of a patriotic last-stand holdout to accomplish a common goal is what drives players to want to continue with the gameplay loop of this game. Warbonds provide excellent bonuses that making player engagement worthwhile and give good bonuses to the most dedicated of divers while not forgetting about those divers that have less time to participate with the much loved idea of not sunsetting the content put out, something Destiny 2 had made a mistake with. The feeling of calling down perfectly coordinated combined arms fire onto enemies provides a rush that keeps players wanting more and more. The only issue that this game can be faulted with is simply sample requirements for the super-destroyer bonuses being a bit demanding as sometimes missions don't go the way expected and can lead to a frustrating loss of samples. But this doesn't adversely affect the game at large as it's experience of "gaming with the boys/girls, no worries" that 2012 Call of Duty style gameplay loop is still provided to a standard that exceeds expectations. Would highly recommend this game for those that want to party up and take on the most dangerous threats to Super Earth or want to have a chill game experience after work.

Ready or Not provides a great reminder that hearkens back to the old days of SWAT 4 thrust into the modern day with updated graphical and tactical gameplay and environments. The gameplay does a great job displaying what a high stress and strenuous first through the door situation consists of as well as providing as close to realistic tactical breaching and clearing procedures as possible within a 2D space. The sound design is also quite fantastic and adds moments of dread when it reaches a hair raising apex moment of the dark and depressingly scary criminal underworld and connections. The main places the game falls off however is within AI tuning, weapon selection/customisation and a few missing features. AI tuning is extremely unfair in some situations and in others doesn't make sense, why is someone under the influence of drugs able to have laser-like aim? As for weapon selection and customisation, the game simply suffers from not having enough of it, while the game is made from a Los Angeles SWAT team perspective it still suffers from having few too many selections for both weapons in general and their attachments and could do with some level of updating to add more choices. Lastly missing features such as having a dedicated sniper team would not only be preferred but in some cases feels almost mandatory, while this might make the game far too easy depending on the player it feels like a massive missed opportunity especially with the release of Home Invasion wherein one map of a large house with lots of windows might very well necessitate two or more sniper teams that would greatly improve the level. Regardless of these issues Ready or Not provides players with an almost positive realistic first hand look into the breaching and clearing life of a SWAT team and is recommended for players who enjoy a tactical shooter experience in which the player is just as fragile as those they are against.

Deus Ex Mankind Divided is a slight step up from Human Revolution however it still doesn't compare to the first entry in the series, the world just isn't as interactive as the original game. The choices and consequence don't particularly have a massive effect on the story as a whole but they do exist. Gunplay is janky and unnatural it could have done with significant improvement if the player wishes to play that way. The game was just overall disappointing as it seemed to want to narrow the player into one specific style of play as well as one specific path the story can go which seemed more annoying than anything else. Recommended for fans of the series to try but not recommended for the larger bulk of players

Stellar Blade has good combat and feels like the earlier entries into the Devil May Cry series in that its easy to pick up but hard to master, obviously as it is a first hit out for this IP the combat isn't as in depth or detailed as DMC's later entries but that's ok it works perfectly fine as. Character designs are a hotly contested issue however I cannot fault any character design within this game they all bring a unique and fresh design with good customisation for Eve. Music was the weaker part for this reviewer with music not 100% gripping me however it wasn't bad by any stretch. Collectibles and side activities are good with there not being too many to count or collect which made wanting to collect them worth the time and effort. Overall this game is good and worth a playthrough if you enjoy the hack and slash action genre.

Starfield is a game with very little going for it that actively makes players want to engage with it. Story is poorly written in that choices don't matter, the player is forced to make the decisions that the writers obviously wanted but they never echo what the player wants. The player is forced into joining constellation and upon asking why the answer players are met with is a simple dismissal that essentially amounts to "you wouldn't understand" or the other type of answers the player may receive is an insulting demeaning of their intelligence such as when asking who created the relics the player is met with the frustrating insulting answer of "well the creators created them obviously". The game is set up perfectly to allow choices to be carried out any way the player sees fit due to the cyclical nature of the games new game+ mode but the choices all end up the exact same way. Bethesda had the perfect plot for players to play around with choices and make differing decisions but failed to capitalise on this. As well as the fact that the story has the player do all of the menial tasks while every other NPC pats themselves on the back for achieving what was essentially the players victory which is uncompelling, unrewarding and frustrating. All of the planets are empty with very little to do or explore making playing this game so unbelievably boring that it isn't worth the time poured into doing anything in it. Combat is stock standard Bethesda of player does less damage and takes more, enemies deal more and can take more, unashamedly lazy and uninspired. Bethesda needs to seriously bring on a weapons consultant as their designs and operation make no sense nor provide a comfortable experience with the weapons Bethesda have created, sometimes seeming to operate on the power of imagination or willpower, this is a routine Bethesda shortcoming and a much needed area of improvement. Would strongly recommend that players wait for user reviews on any further Bethesda titles going forward as it's clear their strategy for developing games going forward is to strip away everything that made them AAA in the first place.

Deus Ex is a fantastic futuristic RPG experience and provides not only such a unique experience but it provides quite possibly the most encompassing RPG experience that is available on the market. The world building is a thing of beauty if a bit prophetic of 2024. It's clear great detail went into making not only the most fantastical world that can be made but also a very very well detailed world. With an excellent pattern of choice and consequence this game really set a benchmark for what an RPG should roughly look like in regards to make X choice deal with Y consequence, some routes are rewarded for player preparedness and planning whilst other routes are either completely closed off to the player or they are significantly more difficult whether by dialogue choice or by skill choice either way the player has the agency to choose how they play every aspect of the game. That door? You can pick it if you've got the know how, you can swipe the key if you know where it'll be or if you so choose you can just smash it down if you feel inclined. Every option is open to the player and there's no right nor wrong way around the games challenges its entirely based on what the player feels is best for them. The music from the original soundtrack is amazing and gives the player the feeling of being thrust head-first into the far flung future whiplash included. Graphically speaking in 2024 yes it's rough but the revision mod will clear that to a degree but even then it's not to everyone's liking, however speaking without the benefit of hindsight it does well to establish what each item is as well as what it can do and characters are easily distinguishable and unique in their own designs. The story is fantastical and conspiracy riddled but it never goes off the rails and loses itself or its identity and remains even to this day a great cautionary tale of the dangers of uncontrolled technological advancement. Every choice has an impact that matters even minor choices that seemingly don't matter can have larger broader consequences later on down the line and the player has the power to choose them all. All in all Deus Ex really set a high standard for the RPG genre as whole and even today maintains an excellent standard that few can lay claim to matching.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

Elden Ring is a dream come true for a long time Souls and Bloodborne fan. The landscapes, atmosphere, music, combat and enemies are all fantastically tuned and crafted. Elden Ring gives the player a sense of joy and reward when finally overcoming the challenge they are faced with, which is exactly what soulsborne games should focus on. The boss arenas do an excellent job of displaying how a character should be perceived as well as how they are they way they are with the music added as well on top pushes that feeling to an even greater level, a personal favourite being the Godskin Duo arena with it’s accompanying soundtrack. The lore is vibrant and at times does get confusing but the search for the truth of the lore reinvigorates another run through of the entire game time and time again looking for any further morsel I may have missed. In conclusion Elden Ring has brought together several elements that show a dedication and passion to their respective departments as well as the tenacity to not leave until it was almost perfect. This is what games within the next couple of years should strive to be like in terms of quality and polish.

DATV fails in several aspects, from storylines to character arcs to even recurring messages and themes. The combat and environments are the redeeming qualities that make it worthwhile to review above a 0 or a 1 but having to go through the constant political messaging that gives off a feel of “you need to know this and if you don’t you’re bad” isn’t worth it to see only the landscapes and combat. While the issues being talked about are topical and are important to be seen ultimately players do not want to be morally grandstanded to, they ultimately just want excellent games. Every dialogue interaction feels as though it’s with teenagers at best or children at worst, writing needs to be vastly improved before it can be worthy of praise. In conclusion it would simply be best if the writers of games could not make the focus of the games they are making about the political and social issues they struggle with but instead make them a background tidbit or side quest that doesn’t have a huge bearing on the game.