Zoroxica

After first playing the Bloober Team Silent Hill 2 remake, then being let down by the change of tone and game mechanics of SH:f, I then downloaded this free game hoping it would at least have some elements of SH 2. While the creators of this game had their heart in the right place, attempting to discuss themes of abuse, school bullying, and societal pressure caused by the advent of social media apps, their attempt to use GenZ dialog tropes, annoying cell phone pop-up scenes that break up any immersion the game is trying to achieve, and messaging with the subtlety of a 1-ton anvil falling on your head make for a painful and insulting experience. This game has many of the same issues that SH: f suffers from only Silent Hill: f feels more like a game and this is more like a walking simulator with set chase sequences that involve no combat. There is no collecting weapons, ammo, or health in this game. You basically walk around rooms with very little suspense and you'll reach a point where, after you have read all the little notes spread about and opened all available rooms, you'll then open a door and the chase sequence will happen over and over again with the game introducing more elements of the story each time rinse and repeat. The devs would have been better off to not use the SH name as this game has nothing in common with SH other than attempts to get at the underlying psychology which lacks real emotional depth and feels more like the devs are simply playing on tropes making for an over-simplistic game. While others have praised the graphics, I found them to be lacking compared to other PS5 games. There is very little to interact with and it becomes very apparent the longer you play this game. Much like my criticism of SH:f, the world does not feel alive as there is a lack of feeling of wind giving the world around it a static appearance more in-line with previous gen games. The music is decent and is about the only thing that makes it even feel remotely like a SH game however the creepiness factor quickly fades once you realize that nothing will happen to you outside of the chase scenes. There are no monsters hiding in closets or corners. The devs of this game want to get their message out, they might have better luck with working with the studio that produces "Life Is Strange" rather than Konami. As it stands, I'm giving this game an E for effort and a 0 out of 10 for a dull and boring experience.

If you're a fan of the Silent Hill series, I'd strongly recommend playing the demo before committing to a **** graphics are serviceable, but the environmental detail falls noticeably short of what Bloober Team achieved with the SH2 Remake. Small touches that made that game feel alive — torn paper drifting in the breeze, cloth moving in the wind — are largely absent here. Trees sway, but the world otherwise feels static. Even the collectible notes feel like a missed opportunity; rather than featuring handwritten text as the SH2 Remake did, giving each note a sense of authenticity and personality, they are rendered as small graphics with plain computer-generated text. It's a small detail, but it speaks to a broader lack of care in making the world feel genuinely **** writing is where the game struggles most. Rather than trusting the player to draw their own conclusions, the narrative over-explains itself at nearly every turn. For a franchise built on psychological ambiguity, this is a significant misstep that makes the storytelling feel amateurish by comparison.Combat is heavily emphasized, and while the mechanics borrow from the Souls genre — rewarding precise dodging and timing — it works against the horror. Enemies are too easily staggered, making encounters feel routine rather than threatening. The weapon degradation system adds maintenance without tension; repair kits are scarce, but the system feels more at home in a Resident Evil title than a Silent Hill one. Similarly, the decision to respawn certain larger enemies after only a few seconds is more irritating than frightening, which is a meaningful distinction in survival **** puzzles, historically a pillar of the SH experience, feel like an afterthought here — too simple and too sparse to carry any weight.Taken together, this is a game that mistakes activity for engagement. It kept me busy without ever drawing me in, and I came away both disappointed and underwhelmed. Score: 2/10

Silent Hill 2 Remake is the first entry in the series that I truly connected with. I remember picking up the original Silent Hill on PlayStation back in the day, but never finished it — borrowed or rented, it always slipped away before the credits rolled. This remake pulled me in completely.What sets it apart is the atmosphere. Bloober Team didn't just recreate Silent Hill — they made it breathe. The moments that stayed with me most weren't the horror sequences, but the quieter ones: sunlight cutting through a hospital office window, loose papers stirring in a gentle breeze, the distant rustle of leaves on still trees. These small, unhurried details make the world feel genuinely alive in a way I haven't experienced in any other game.That's what makes the horror land so hard when it does come. The horror hits harder because of what comes before it, and the game understands that better than most. The attention to environmental detail, from cloth flapping in the wind to the stillness of an abandoned room, is the kind of craft that elevates a good game into something unforgettable. A perfect 10.

The Midnight Walk is undeniably one of the more artistic and visually inventive games I’ve encountered in recent years. Its distinctive use of claymation and puppetry creates a surreal, handcrafted atmosphere that sets it apart from conventional indie fare. The art direction is evocative and immersive, and full credit goes to the developers for crafting a world that feels both eerie and intimate.That said, while the presentation is exceptional, the gameplay leaves something to be desired. The pace is slow, and moments of true tension or engagement are few and far between. The handful of sequences that involve escaping from a looming creature offer a glimpse of excitement, but these moments are too infrequent to sustain the experience.Around the midpoint, repetition begins to take its toll. Many sections involve performing nearly identical actions in slightly different settings, which starts to wear thin. The latter half of the game shifts noticeably in tone and pacing, resembling more of an interactive film than a game. While narrative-driven experiences can certainly work, here it feels like the interactivity takes a backseat, with much of the player's involvement reduced to passively watching scenes unfold. Puzzle elements are minimal to the point of being almost nonexistent by the end.Perhaps the most difficult aspect to overlook is the price-to-value ratio. At $40, The Midnight Walk feels overpriced, especially considering its short length and limited replayability. It’s a title that could have felt more appropriate at a $20–$25 price **** summary, The Midnight Walk is a visual triumph that falters in gameplay depth and pacing. While I admire its creative ambition and aesthetic boldness, I ultimately found it lacking in engagement and substance.

Stellar Blade is a throwback to the glory days of console gaming. Rather than provide the same gameplay as many AAA titles in recent years, Stellar Blade delivers a blend of action and cozy moments when spending time in the town. Besides the top-tier graphics, I was blown away by the game's soundtrack. It fits with the vibe of the game and it stands out from the crowd of other recent games where they generally will provide ambient background sounds or generic cinematic scores. Stellar Blade's music takes this game to a completely different level from futuristic to a pop/shoegaze style that elevates this game beyond its peers. None of the PS5 games in my library bring the joy and excitement that Stellar Blade offers. My only nitpick is that the "normal" mode of the game is too challenging compared to the "storyline" mode which is a bit too easy.