A cinematic Sony game, through and through, for better and worse. It has all the stunning beauty of games like God of War (and its prequel, Ghost of Tsushima), along with all the annoying contrivances of such games - gimmicky, supposedly "cinematic" annoyances like having your character being forced to the speed of a crawl at certain points, being forced to escort characters, or using the controller's touch pad to draw the names of your enemies using calligraphy. In addition, I have personally found that the lack of compelling progression mechanics, the occasionally cliché story beats, and the game's overwhelming similarity to its prequel all blend together to make Ghost of Yotei seem like an overpriced disappointment to me - it is a great-looking game, but feels mostly devoid of the magic that made Tsushima before it such a compelling video game. Ultimately, Yotei lost me within the first hour - Ghost of Tsushima pulled off a much better version of what it tries to do half a decade ago, and I deeply regret paying full price for what I was hoping would be something I could at least call "decent fun," and rated an 8.
30 minutes into playing this game, it crashed while I was navigating a vendor menu. This left a sour taste in my mouth during what has been my first experience with the Far Cry games, which seem to me like the poster child for Ubisoft open-world mediocrity. The light RPG elements are sparse here, and I found little reason to engage with them; the gunplay is decent, but player movement, including driving, feels janky - a bit like my character is wading through waist-deep water most of the time. I also hated having to constantly abandon one weapon for another - this looks like an intentional choice by the developers, but one I found annoying nevertheless. My final say on Far Cry 5 is this: While the introductory scenes set up what seemed like an engaging premise, the actual gameplay part of the game wore out its welcome after less than an hour. I am not sure the game was even worth half the price ($20 CAD) I paid for it. If you are looking for a more engaging open-world shooter, I would recommend Cyberpunk 2077 instead.
Despite my high hopes for it, Lost Eidolons failed to hold my attention. While I am sympathetic towards what seems like a valiant attempt by a small studio to make something magnificent, I found the end product to be deeply underwhelming. Characters' faces lack the emotion necessary to evoke emotions in players, and their voice actors' line deliveries feel like they belong in a much more colourful and thematically vibrant game than this one. Additionally, the characters themselves seem rather trite and uninteresting - while they didn't really get on my nerves, they also didn't do much to hold my attention. And while the gameplay might have eventually gotten more interesting, I found myself struggling to get into it. I really wanted to like this game, but after only a few hours, I cannot force myself to play it anymore, though I truly I wish I felt differently about it.
An absolutely worthwhile add-on for Vampire Survivors. Especially as someone who thoroughly enjoyed Symphony of the Night, the Sorrow duology and Circle of the Moon, I think this game's reverence for Castlevania is on full display in the best way. The Ode to Castlevania stage is great fun, but it really is the plethora of new weapons (and additional features for those already in the base game) that elevate the DLC to greater heights. While perhaps relatively pricey in comparison to how cheap the base game is (I believe it was set to at least 50% of the price of the base game when I last checked, if not more), I think Ode to Castlevania justifies its cost - however, it may not be as appealing to those with no appreciation for the series that inspired it.
The one thing Wario World has going for it is its main character's subversive charm - Wario is undeniably amusing, and his voice lines (even the recycled ones taken from older and arguably better games) will always be hilarious to me. Unfortunately, however, I found the majority of this game dated and egregiously boring. The platforming feels floaty, and there is just this consistent lack of fulfillment from doing anything, whether that is upgrading your health, defeating enemies or completing just about any task or challenge this game offers. I find it a damn shame that so much of the surface charm I saw in this game was upended by a general sense of mediocrity.
Some great gameplay additions to Cyberpunk 2077's base game are on offer here; they exist alongside a frighteningly grim, depressing and aimlessly hopeless narrative that I found hard to push through to the end of. Furthermore, many sections of the DLC's main quest were tedious, excessively on-rails relics of a bygone era of video games that I have no desire to replay. Overall, Phantom Liberty offers some solid gameplay additions, but its story and main quest will not be everyone's cup of tea - personally, after seeing numerous other glowing reviews of Phantom Liberty, I am saddened to say that my time with it was filled with more frustration than enjoyment.
Lords of the Fallen shines in the most of the ways that Dark Souls 1, 2 and 3 did before it - it has solid mechanics and gameplay systems that it seems to have unabashedly copied from its progenitor. Sadly, I found myself deeply frustrated by most of its innovations and unique features, especially those involving the Umbral realm (one of the game's main features). Additionally, the game features some particularly sadistic moments that verge on being frustrating in a bad way - occasional massive difficulty spikes, moments that feature an overwhelming number of enemies, and an egregiously inconsistent camera make this game inferior to the Souls games it apes. Overall. this is a very enjoyable game, and well worth a buy at a discounted price - it's nearly on the level of the Souls games that it feels so similar to. However, it features some tedious and annoying design choices that mar what is an otherwise fun time. While I am personally concerned by the overwhelming number of features borrowed from FromSoftware's playbook, I have been enjoying my 70+ hours with the game so far. Still, I am not sure how much more I will find subsequent playthroughs when considering this game's shortcomings, which have proven to be slightly more abrasive each time I play through it.
A very fun romp through a massive, sprawling world. To put it succinctly, I believe DK Bananza is a step in the right direction for Nintendo's approach to 3D mascot adventure games - while Super Mario Odyssey left me comparatively underwhelmed, Bananza has been much more appealing to return to. I do have some gripes with Pauline, the execution of some of the games' mechanics, and a growing resentment of Nintendo's current approach to their video game soundtracks; however, I have enjoyed my time with DK Bananza so far, and have been shocked at how consistently enthralled I am by the game's conceptual simplicity - hitting and breaking stuff is a lot of fun, and I plan to hit and break a lot more stuff in the near future.
Having revisited the game in 2025 after devoting a great deal of time and energy to it from 2004 to 2006, I can say that in its original "Classic" incarnation, WoW will likely appeal to a certain type of player while simultaneously alienating most others - it is a very slow-paced game, where progress feels highly incremental yet monumental; where what you earn feels so substantial because of the time and effort it took to earn it - this could be a positive or negative, depending on your perspective. Furthermore, it does not allow much in the way of player freedom; while the game has a diverse set of classes and several ways to play each of them, the game's social culture and baked-in mechanics essentially prevent experimentation outside of the predetermined specializations of each class. Finally, the game is not at all solo-friendly - much of the game's sense of progression, along with the entirety of the endgame, demand joining other players in groups of 5 or more to defeat more powerful enemies. Some will enjoy these aspects of WoW; others, like myself, will come to despise being forced to kowtow to this game's insistence on playing by its rules. Overall, the game is confusing to rate, because its highs are arguably the highest of any game I've played, but those highs are ruined by the game's insistence that I play it the way it wants me to play it, and this inherent expectation that I play in these expected, "meta-adherent" ways ruins any fun that might potentially exist when it comes to experimentation.
After several hours, I can say this much: Clair Obscur starts off with a bang, and the story it tells hits incredible highs. Its prologue sets up a world and story that are both rife with beautiful despair - however, the moments in between the biggest story beats can really drag. Despite also having a beautiful and haunting soundtrack, pretty environments and having a compelling aesthetic style all its own, I've felt a frustrating sense that while the vast majority of the elements surrounding Clair Obscur's gameplay are excellent, the actual gameplay itself seems middling. The linearity and turn-based combat do not appeal to me, even with the added quicktime parries and dodges that this game has become noteworthy for. Additionally, the grim, morose moments where characters are overwhelmed by grief are interspersed with a great deal of whimsy, which can sometimes feel like tonal whiplash. As such, I offer a word of warning to those who have read one or more of the many glowing reviews of this game: Please consider whether or not you like JRPGs, slow-burning stories and many of the elements Clair Obscur is offering before believing that this is the sort of "generational" game numerous reviewers have been claiming it is. The story's highs and ending are unbelievably moving and uniquely haunting, but they are elements that are forcibly sandwiched between things that I personally found frustrating. If you aren't big on turn-based combat or games with a strong narrative emphasis, I would still recommend watching the story's cutscenes on YouTube, as it could be worth skipping the parts of the game that don't interest you in order to see this game's most glorious and praiseworthy parts. Ultimately, Clair Obscur's narrative on grief is so moving and powerful, even as it feels undone by its less enticing elements - I may not have been sold on it as a game, but I cannot deny the power behind its storytelling.
Even if you can ignore that Nuts & Bolts is a complete sidestep away from the established Banjo-Kazooie formula, this is a pretty medicore game. While car-building seems like it might be fun, driving feels awkward, and the perceived ultra-simplicity of the mission-based gameplay feels simple to the point of being condescending. Despite these issues, it is beautiful-looking game that has some of that charming humour from the old games - ultimately, however, Nuts & Bolts is pretty underwhelming. If I can bring myself to return to this game after my very short time with it, I may revisit this review - however, because of how put off I was by the game's first impression upon me, I don't see myself wanting to go back to playing this game.
It’s Oblivion for the second time around - this will either appeal greatly to you, or you’ll be underwhelmed. After many wonderful memories with the game back when it came out, I found myself disappointed by how unappealing most of the game feels after almost two decades. It is, in almost every sense, Oblivion with a fresh coat of graphical point and a few bells and whistles to bring it into the modern age. If you haven’t already milked Oblivion dry and absolutely loved it upon release, it might be worth a shot. However, I have found the experience quite middling thus far, and don’t expect my opinion to change much. While this is a graphically impressive remaster that adds some much-needed changes here and there, it is largely the same game with a fresh coat of paint.
An insultingly simplistic endless runner that does little to substantiate the presence of numerous microtransactions. History will not be kind to this game - however, it is a nice-looking game, especially considering that it was released on iOS in 2013. Ultimately, it is vapid and overly simplistic.
A simplistic and fairly boring but ultimately functional fighting game. Beyond the somewhat eclectic roster of fighters and the downright wacky moves characters use, Sega's first attempt at a fighting game failed to get the tone right for what this sort of game should be. If you are looking for a decent Sonic fighting game, I recommend Sonic Battle instead. Sonic the Fighters works best when viewed as a building block that Sega used to refine how a Sonic fighting game would work.
An abysmally boring game that lost me within the first half hour of gameplay upon release. Because I played this at such a young age, it was hard to articulate exactly what lost me - however, I believe that if even at a younger age (at a time when video games weren't nearly as deep or technologically advanced), a game fails to capture your attention, it is probably not a very good game. And sadly, that was my experience with Gothic 4.
A comparably worse game than Stick of Truth, but not much worse. The show's writing and tone are still carried over with aplomb, but what is on display here was mostly done better in this game's predecessor. Still, the slight improvements to gameplay are a welcome change, and while the narrative is a bit spastic and hard to follow, this game is an overall solid follow-up to Stick of Truth. It is unfortunate that this game has to live in its predecessor's shadow, as it might have been perceived as a better game had the former not knocked it out of the park in terms of presentation.
A comparably worse game than Stick of Truth, but not much worse. The show's writing and tone are still carried over with aplomb, but what is on display here was mostly done better in this game's predecessor. Still, the slight improvements to gameplay are a welcome change, and while the narrative is a bit spastic and hard to follow, this game is an overall solid follow-up to Stick of Truth. It is unfortunate that this game has to live in its predecessor's shadow, as it might have been perceived as a better game had the former not knocked it out of the park in terms of presentation.
A game that is a phenomenal homage to the TV show it was born of that bears zero pretence or arrogance. While perhaps a simplistic RPG, the story and overall presentation of this game are so phenomenal that they elevate the game, as a whole, to something far greater than the sum of its parts. If you are not a South Park fan, this game may have limited appeal - however, fans of the series will discover that this is almost certainly the best South Park game ever made. Overall, this is a competent turn-based RPG that successfully captures the ethos of TV show.
*(This rating is for the original Flash versions of these games, which I played many years ago)* For those unaware: Sonny 1 and 2 were RPGs released on free Flash games websites like Newgrounds and Armorgames. Of the numerous games on those sites, I can comfortably say that Sonny 1 and 2 were some of the best. The depth of the mechanics for a game of this scope were unfathomable, and I can remember being enthralled by the variety and depth of both the skill trees and itemization. While I cannot speak to the quality of this release specifically, I can say that in their original incarnations, both Sonny games were absolutely remarkable for their time.
Depression Quest is a difficult game to "rate." While perhaps not a great video game in the same way that Skyrim or Super Mario World might be, its potentially evocative main theme might be lost on those who do not understand depression, whether from firsthand or secondhand experience. One review I read criticized this game for setting the player down the same path, no matter what choices they make - while this might be a fair criticism of most choice-based video games, this seems to me like a purposeful thematic choice, and an example of the game choosing to forego player choice in favour of exemplifying the merciless cruelty depression exerts on a person - what could be interpreted as developmental oversight was, I believe, highly intentional. This intentionality leads me to believe that this is not so much a video game as it is an interesting exploration of what it means to suffer from depression, and examining it solely as that would only serve to devalue both the game and its overarching message. I hope the power of this message, despite its slightly heavy-handed presentation, is not lost on those who play it. If this game helps people to better understand depression, then I believe it has merit and importance.
I was baffled at how little I enjoyed this game, as I had heard nothing but good things about Torchlight 2. Unfortunately, my brief time with it made me see that its mechanics seem dated by today's (high) standards; its classes do not appeal to me; and I find its art style overly garish and unappealing. A disappointing experience, which is sad considering that the game seems perfectly fine on a technical level - it simply seemed very bare-bones, lacklustre and generally unengaging to me in most other respects.
A generally above-average game whose strongest facets are in its exploration mechanics and writing. While this may appear to be most similar to Skyrim in appearance, it is important to state that Avowed is more of a semi-linear open-world RPG - more like a streamlined, action-focused Dragon Age: Origins. It can be janky at times, and the ending comes a bit abruptly - it also seems to slow down in the second third of the game, but picks up near the end. However, most of what is on display here is truly solid, and will probably garner at least one complete playthrough from most players. Overall, I think this is a well-conceived, accessible and focused RPG most people will enjoy at least somewhat.
While I completely understand that Bloodborne is held in near-reverence by most people who have played it, I could not get into it. Admittedly, I struggled to feel that "click" I felt at a certain point, which I experienced with all 3 Dark Souls games - perhaps if I had given it more time, Bloodborne would have done the same. However, I simply did not enjoy how it felt to play this game. While it is a game with clear effort put into its environments, mechanics and combat, it simply was not for me. As such, I only offer my review as a personal one - my experience should not be taken as objective fact. However, I feel that my rating of the game is still worth expressing, and so I have written this with that caveat I mentioned in mind. If you enjoyed the Souls games, you may enjoy Bloodborne - however, the assumption that you absolutely will enjoy it is not a fair one to have, as was the case with me.
Grim Dawn took a while to click with me. At first, it seemed like a good ARPG whose greatest achievement was its dual class (or Mastery) system that allowed for a wide variety of builds - after many hours spent min/maxing and obsessing over getting bigger numbers, however, I'd say Grim Dawn is not just good, but great. It is not flawless - like many ARPGs, it suffers from a lack of clear feedback (i.e. "How did I die?"), and it definitely has a more niche appeal to those looking for a more "hardcore" ARPG. Additionally, the Series X/S port of this game suffers from a lack of strong optimization, especially in the late game - the UI isn't really built to fit most TV screens, causing me to be unable to see certain gear attributes at the edges of the screen; furthermore, the game cannot handle having too much going on onscreen at any given time - in the endgame, when enemy and projectile spam are at their most frantic, playing certain areas almost guarantees the game crashing to the Xbox menu. Yet despite all that, I can safely say that I am enjoying playing Grim Dawn more than its most noteworthy competitor, Path of Exile. It is a fantastic game that is only limited by the technical issues with its port and some minor endgame gripes. I highly recommend it.
A somewhat short but compelling game with a likeable protagonist, very solid voice acting, and great moment-to-moment action. This game is, in my opinion, short and sweet - it is a solid, compressed burst of excellent semi-open world action with a narrative that is very compelling. In short, it is a very high-quality game that might not feel remarkable in the current day and age, but is more than deserving of your time.
Starfield is an open-world Bethesda game that, in reductionistic terms, can be summed up as "Fallout 4 in space" - I believe this is the most succinct way to describe it in relatable, comprehensible terms, even if that description is somewhat limiting. It is not the "bad" game numerous journalistic outlets and individuals would have you believe it is, but arguably, it is not one of the game-changing RPGs that Oblivion, Skyrim and (again, arguably) Fallout 3 were. Where it suffers is likely a familiar refrain for those who were critical of Skyrim before it: The radiant quests can feel mind-numbingly repetitive; it is prone to bugs, crashes and moderately long load times (though perhaps not as much as its predecessors); its main quest is painfully uninteresting; and it can often feel too big for its own good. However, despite all those criticisms, Starfield's combat feels excellent - it also has remarkable scope, an utterly gigantic and seemingly endless open world to explore, solid progression and some genuinely interesting and evocative side quests, and starship-building mechanics that felt unbelievably engrossing. I was petrified when fighting my first Terrormorph; I was glued to my seat for much of the UC Vanguard quest; and I loved raiding the bases of enemy pirates for more loot. While ultimately, Starfield has flaws that may lead to it not landing with everyone, I believe that for individuals like myself, this is a great video game that will offer those who it clicks with hundreds of hours of enjoyment.
A tragic letdown of a DLC for a game that I initially loved, Titans is more of the same of many of the worst aspects of Everspace 2: The monotonous, frustrating puzzles; the kinds of mission objectives that make you feel like a horse being led to water; and a bunch of uninteresting characters spouting meaningless drivel that only serve to propel an uninteresting plot forward. Not even the promise of new gear and ship parts, the biggest allure of the original game, could keep me interested in this DLC. For as tacked-on as this DLC felt to me, I want to reiterate that the base game still provide absolutely excellent bang for your buck - however, I would personally hesitate to recommend this DLC, which I think only illuminates the base game's most glaring flaws, which is a damn shame.
Rita's Rewind is true to form when it comes to capturing the campiness and general aesthetics of Power Rangers, but is ultimately a highly derivative and boring game. The on-rails vehicle and Megazord sections, in particular, are shockingly boring, and lack the "oomph" of even the somewhat lacklustre beat-em-up stages that comprise most of the game. The cherry on top of this is the game's high asking price for what is on offer here - certain games being offered for half the price of Rita's Revenge will give you ten times the hours of playtime. In short, this is, sadly, a relatively uninteresting game that is asking too high a price for what it is offering.
An undeniably engrossing strategy game with plenty of interesting customization and methods of giving the player the freedom to mold a faction to their liking, rather than the usual strategy game method of being locked into a predefined archetype. Even beyond its fantastic roleplaying elements, this is also an extremely engaging game - one minute, I'll have started up a new game, and suddenly, hours will have flown by in what feels like minutes. Personally, I am not usually drawn in by most 4X strategy games - as such, Age of Wonders 4 will likely either be my gateway game, or set an impossibly high bar for other similar games I play in the future. Overall, this is a fantastic and extremely accessible game that will appeal to a wide range of individuals, and I have been thoroughly enjoying my time playing it. *Note: Having said that: I returned to this review after some time to state that I think all of Age of Wonders 4's DLC packs are egregiously overpriced, and personally diminish what I found to be an excellent game. While the base game is 100% worth your time, I would caution anyone against buying any of the DLC or expansions, as I think none of the ones I bought add enough to the game to justify their cost.
A compact game with a fantastic sense of humour and solid mechanics. A bit glitchy at times, but generally very fun - especially with more than one person. I found myself pleasantly surprised by the laughs this game inspired in me, and the gameplay also brought out more than a few laugh from myself and those who joined me in playing it. Definitely worth the price, and while there is not a tremendous level of depth to what the game has on offer, its simplicity and charm are undeniable.
An occasionally fun game that often made me feel like I was purposelessly banging my head against a wall. This is a tough roguelike game where the payoff for any measure of success often feels unfulfilling, and death (which often comes quite swiftly and frequently) feels fairly punishing. I think this is a game for masochists, and while I enjoyed it somewhat, I don't think I could stand to play it at length.
Having had some time to mull my opinion on the game since its release, I have found that while Veilguard has some excellent aspects to it (the combat and technical performance are both outstanding, and I am generally a fan of the progression systems and itemization), it is hard to ignore that the narrative of this game only felt compelling in its final hours, and the companions feel like benign narcissists who are shallow, one-note and at worst, inspire frustration and resentment. As such, despite my two playthroughs of the game (totalling over 100 hours), I can't say those hours were as enjoyable as I wanted them to be. Overall, your mileage may vary: This is a good game, but it is deeply flawed in many ways (even outside of its narrative), and I believe its divisiveness is merited. If you enjoy mindless, generally competent hack-and-slash action RPGs, you'll probably love Veilguard. But if you are coming off the heels of another RPG with far better writing (i.e. older Bioware games, the Baldur's Gate games, the Witcher 3), it is likely this game will actively anger you.
A focused action RPG with solid combat, a fairly high level of approachability and a surprising level of depth. To put it concisely, this is a 3rd-person ARPG with moment-to-moment combat similar to Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, but with some added touches that modernize it and give it a unique identity. Its narrative is nothing fancy, it can be a bit laggy/buggy at times, and the grind can become quite tedious, but all in all, this is a content-packed hack-and-slash game with depth that belies its colourful art style. To top it all off, the game feels very reasonably priced - I got about 200 hours out of it for less than $30, which feels like great value for what I paid. As such, I highly recommend Wayfinder to any fans of action RPGs that are light on story but don't skimp on solid mechanics.
Return to Moria was a nostalgic, engaging 40-hour romp. The game is not particularly pretty, nor does it run at industry-level standards in terms of consistent frame rates; it also does not boast particularly engaging combat mechanics. However, for all its flaws, I truly enjoyed my time with the game as someone who does not often play survival-crafting games. Despite having seen many reviews that rank it as a 4 or 5 out of 10, I personally found it more enjoyable than what those ratings may imply. To be fair, while this game is janky and lacks polish in its mechanics, Return to Moria's campaign was solid fun as a solo player, and I found myself glued to my chair for hours as a result of the things it manages to get right. It is not a game for everyone, but players unperturbed by the rough edges may find themselves hooked.
A perfectly satisfying addition to the franchise in terms of gameplay. Where this game stumbles is in its characters - while most seem inoffensive and generally true to form, some of the characters in this game were utterly painful to have to listen to, and wore me out quickly. While I have heard many complaints from others about Ava and the main villains, it was actually Vaughn (as someone who did not play the Tales games) who I found utterly insufferable. While I may differ in terms of which characters I found aggravating to listen to blather on endlessly, it seems that many characters were deemed as annoying by many who played the game, which makes past standouts like Handsome Jack, Scooter, and others shine brighter in comparison. On the plus side, it was nice to see some moves towards a truly sincere form of inclusivity (i.e. with Hammerlock and Wainwright's relationship), and as stated before, this is still very much a Borderlands game, and plenty of good can still be found here in that regard. Overall, a solid game that may not reach the highs of BL1 or 2, but manages to hit par all the same.
Somehow, despite every mainline Borderlands game managing to captivate me upon release, the Pre-Sequel couldn't hold my attention for more than 30 minutes. Some of the mechanics I was introduced to in the starting area of the game, such as the oxygen/air mechanic, were just not enjoyable to deal with - beyond that, however, I felt that the Pre-Sequel suffers more from a lack of innovation, or much in the way of anything compelling, really. This felt like a dialed-back Borderlands 2, and I could not manage to keep playing it for very long as a result despite what seemed to be a solid foundation similar to that of Borderlands 1, 2, and 3. An overall disappointment.
At the end of the day, Shadow of the Erdtree is more Elden Ring, in all its glory and failings. If you like Elden Ring, you probably already own this DLC - if not, it is absolutely worth the purchase, as this is a massive DLC with plenty to offer. Having said that, the DLC is not without its pitfalls - some bosses are quite frustrating, and really test that incredibly fine line between "tough" and "unfair." Despite that, however, at least one boss, in my opinion, represents the pinnacle of FromSoft boss design, and is the highlight of the entire DLC. All in all, between the new weapons and armour, the bosses and the new regions to explore, this is a fantastic DLC that lives up to the quality of the base game.
At its core, Rise of the Ronin is very typical of the Team Ninja formula - it's twitchy 60 FPS action combat. The only difference is that unlike its previous efforts, this game is essentially an open-world take on that formula. It feels like a cacophonous mix of Nioh, Elden Ring, and the open-world Assassin's Creed games - sadly, this blend doesn't end up gelling all that well. What shines here are the boss battles and the seamless, unobtrusive mechanical aspects of the game. Fighting one early-game boss, in particular, was tons of fun; similarly, there is very little delay between various activities - load times are basically nil, traversal is fluid, and you can generally avoid unwanted downtime, since everything happens so quickly. The combat - a main part of Rise of the Ronin - is very much on par with Nioh and other Team Ninja efforts. To put it simply: If you liked Nioh, combat here will likely be enjoyable. Personally, I didn't enjoy Nioh's combat much, and found it only slightly more accessible and enjoyable here. And sadly, I did not find the open world compelling enough to encourage exploration. I certainly wouldn't say that the game shouldn't have an open world - in fact, I prefer the open world to the more linear approach of Nioh. However, the way this open world has been structured just doesn't feel good to me. I think that generally, Rise of the Ronin is relatively inoffensive. Nothing in the game felt excruciatingly frustrating, but not much felt very appealing, either. I can see myself playing the game for an hour or two at a time, getting mildly annoyed by something in it, and putting it down until i can muster the wherewithal to put aside a better game to play it. In short: Unless you were a huge fan of Nioh's mechanics, I would either avoid playing this game, or wait for it to go on sale. It is a mediocre open world game with distinctive combat, good boss fights, and overall solid mechanics that sadly don't seem to flow well with one another.
I have spent a long time trying to figure out how I feel about Dragon's Dogma 2. Originally, I felt more positively about it - however, in its current state, and after many hours with it, I ultimately walked away from it feeling somewhat crestfallen. I was a big fan of the first game, and it seems as though a compressed, modernized version of the first game - obtuse warts and all - was what they strove to make here. Ultimately, I think Dragon's Dogma 2 has some strong aspects (such as its combat, exploration and character-building mechanics) - however, its quest design is atrociously obtuse and outdated; its narrative is horribly convoluted; its pacing is utterly baffling; and its main quest is far, FAR too short. Ultimately, I think many fans of the first game will be mostly satisfied, but somewhat disappointed with what is on offer here - newcomers will likely either be enthralled or completely alienated, and I believe more will fall into the latter camp than the former. Make no mistake - I think Dragon's Dogma 2 is a good game, but I also believe it is willing to die on a hill over things that no modern game should.
A solid party game that can easily stand with any Mario Party title, Worms W.M.D. even offers a decent single-player experience to those looking for something that seems to loosely resemble Angry Birds (albeit with a Worms twist). The ability to make your own Worms team is awesome, and the number of customization options is laudable. However, it would be hard to recommend this game at its MSRP of $39.99 (CAD) - still, I personally got this game at a steep discount (about $7.50), and that feels like a steal by comparison. As such, if you can get W.M.D. at a discount, it will prove to be more than worth the asking price - it is arguably less worthwhile at its full price, but will undoubtedly provide you consistent fun regardless, especially with a group of friends at a get-together (though the game does demand slightly more intellectual investment than your average party game, which may initially put off any average partygoer looking for something simpler).
Vampire Survivors offers some of the best bang for your buck ever. For its low purchase price, the game offers plenty - it is a sublime combination of relaxing and frenetic, letting you feel all kinds of dopamine-fuelled excitement while you simply control the game with a single stick and the occasional button confirmation.
While its gameplay loop wears thin after several hours, Vampire Survivors, with its ease of access and rewarding gameplay, will provide just about anyone a ton of fun. In terms of what it strives to be and what it offers players for its price point, this game achieves its goals with aplomb, and is absolutely worth what you pay for it.
Solasta is a valiant attempt at a CRPG that falls flat in a few areas. While it has the fundamentals right, it has quite a few issues that prevent it from being something greater than what it is.
I believe it is important to note that to some extent, you get what you pay for - with a price lower than half of what I might pay for a "full" video game, Solasta is certainly more affordable than most games out there, especially modern CRPGs. Having said that, it is also not a very long CRPG - my first (very complete) playthrough took me about 30 hours, and I ran into some minor gripes with the sometimes-frustrating UI. And while the game did run fairly smoothly (with relatively minimal load times), it also had one of the most disappointing and insufferably boring endgames I've ever played through in a video game, filled with boring puzzle-solving, some strange battles, and a shockingly anticlimactic ending.
Where Solasta shines is in getting the basics right. It also does not only have its main story campaign to offer - even on consoles, the game allows users to play through each others' custom dungeons (though I am not sure whether or not console players can create their own dungeons - I have been unable to do so as of yet). Despite that, however, I found that the Crown of the Magister campaign did not offer me enough to entice me to play any other campaign, as I struggled to see how any user-generated campaign could improve on what the game's developers have already done, and found that playing the game felt more tiresome than fun once I had beaten it.
The best way I can describe Solasta is that it is a "good" game, and a great one for the price it is being sold at. it is also a solid first attempt from Tactical Adventures, and it is my sincere hope that with greater resources, the studio could manage to improve on what is a solid CRPG foundation.
One of the most offensively overpriced DLC additions to a video game I have ever had the displeasure of playing through. To anyone who might have enjoyed the whole Asgardian plot threads in Valhalla, this may appeal to you - otherwise, this DLC adds nothing close to enough to justify its $49.99 (CAD) price tag. Even at the steep discount I bought it for, this feels underwhelming and lacking, especially considering that many of the new abilities you acquire in the DLC cannot be used outside of the DLC areas. Unless you personally thought Valhalla was a 9/10 or 10/10 experience, I can only recommend you buy this DLC if it is discounted at more than 60% of its standard price - it is full of the monotonous busywork of the original game, but without nearly enough new material to substantiate doing more of the same things.
An unbelievably boring slog I endured for the rewards you get for sitting through it. The short sword you get for completing it is one of only a handful of short swords you can acquire without microtransactions or DLC, and you cannot otherwise get any short swords until far later in the game. Unless you REALLY want to use a short sword early in the game, or you have some interest in this game's story, I cannot possibly recommend sitting through this.
By 2024 standards, I think Fallout 3 can sometimes feel a bit "of its time," for lack of better terms. However, this game is still a solid romp through a post-apocalyptic open world that still holds up. I don't have too much to say about Fallout 3 - most of its mechanics work well, and where they falter is mostly due to the fact that video games at large have come a long way since 2008. But the fact that I still enjoyed playing this game for about 30 hours, even over 15 years after its initial release date, speaks volumes about its quality and legacy. At the very least, it will likely provide up to a few dozen hours of open-world goodness that later games provided more of, and serves as a game that focuses more on the role-playing elements than its sequel did. And even if that aforementioned focus ended up making the shooting mechanics a bit lacking by modern-day standards, I think that what this game does right allows it to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with its sequel.
(Real score: 7.5)
To put this succinctly: Valhalla is a game that has a massive open world, solid combat and so many merit-worthy aspects to it. Unfortunately, this pretty great open-world experience is often marred by an uninteresting and poorly told narrative, bland characters (with the possible exception of one or two characters here and there), some egregiously boring escort missions, and occasionally frustrating climbing (though the parkour is often perfectly fine). The best way to say this is that instead of just being a fun open-world game, Valhalla constantly gets in its own way by being an Assassin's Creed game. Without that label, it would likely be a fantasy open-world action RPG not bogged down by its less-than-ideal aspects.
I highly recommend playing this game in a way that allows you to speed through some of the slower parts of it (i.e. the beginning, grinding levels and other more tedious aspects of gameplay). If played on original hardware, I'd rate this game a 6/10 by modern standards, because it (and other Pokémon games) are unbelievably slow. However, when sped up, I would put this game at a 9/10. Black 2 is one of the best experiences I've ever had with a Pokémon game. It cuts out a lot of the tedium of the other games, and while there are still many very slow moments, increasing the speed of the game can turn a frustratingly slow experience into one that I believe Pokémon should be. Having said that, I cannot recommend playing Black 2 in its original incarnation due to the absurdly slow pace of battles and annoying moments of "filler" (i.e. story events and excessive dialogue).
This game is not made for someone like me. I know that this game has received universal acclaim, and is generally very well-loved, but I could only will myself to play through about 30 minutes of it before I was annoyed at the lack of just about anything that might draw me into it. For all the praise Persona 5 has received, its English dialogue struck me as fairly stilted and not well-translated. It also suffers from having what seems like such a frustratingly slow start that it made whatever lies beyond its introductory sections impossible for me to reach. Furthermore, nothing was appealing enough to me to force myself to break through the tedium of the downright archaic turn-based combat - though there may be more to what seemed like a frustratingly outdated style of combat to me, I couldn't bring myself to see it. I always hate it when a game that receives near-unanimous praise doesn't gel with me - I am frustrated by the fact that I spent money on this and got none of the joy out of it that others did. Nevertheless, Persona 5 is one of those games. I recommend you take my rating with a grain of salt, however - considering all the praise this game has received, you may find that you enjoy it a lot more than I did (which I hope that you do).
When I first reviewed this game, I believe I was on my first playthrough, and was still swept up in it. And yet, after well over 1500 hours across over 20 playthroughs, I am somehow STILL finding this game entertaining to play through. Baldur's Gate 3 has excellent gameplay and associated systems; is beautiful; has a powerful story driven by compelling, well-written characters; and, overall, is a game that can live up to the hype. It is not a game for everyone, but if you can get over the initially intimidating hump that is Dungeons and Dragons' overall complexity, you will find a truly remarkable video game.
