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I don't know what these people are smoking that can't appreciate throwbacks to the 16 and even 24 bit era. I absolutely cherish good pixel art games that take me back to the early 90's. Arcade machines, Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis, Turbo Grafx 16, Neo Geo. These are the systems of a fond recollection. And so I never pass an opportunity to relish in this pixel art Renaissance that we're seeing in current gaming. The past year has been a dream come true with such amazing titles as Ninja Warrior Rebirth, Terminator 2D, and now the incredible Neon Inferno. This game is so much fun to play and I'm consistently amazed by the incredible visuals and absolutely crushing soundtrack. What's better is that this is also a two player co op (in addition to single player) and is a blast to play. Neon Inferno reminds me specifically of the 90's arcade machines and especially the Neo Geo and Turbo Grafx CD, in which that barrier between home console and high-end arcade machine had vanished. This game is truly a masterpiece and worthy of your time and purchase.

So I'm only about 30 hours into this game. Nowhere near the 110+ hours some of these "expert" gamers and critics are up to. What's strange though, is that I LOVE THIS GAME! Go figure, a new title that's scoring just under an 8.0. Which is basically upper average by all accounts. And then all the doom and gloom stock forecasts for the developer amidst the games 7.8 launch review... ON LAUNCH DAY. Something is seriously amiss in these reviews. Downright nefarious I'd suggested as they're all parroting the same exact key phrases. Well I'm playing on the base PS5 and finding this to be one of the best games released in the last decade or so. Maybe ever. I love it that much. It's a generational title, which is so good that it's one of the few games in recent memory that I can't wait to get home to play again. It's been a long time since I felt that way. Yes, it has huge influences from The Witcher 3, but also, the amazing sense of exploration (especially vertically) that you had in Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Or the unyielding freedom of choice from Morrowind. Being able to pick up anything. Being able to kill anyone. Being able to go anywhere you can see in the far distance. Then you have the options of approach from Balders Gate 3. Where even the smallest action can yield an entirely different set of circumstances, encouraging outside-the-box thinking. And then the Absolutely brilliant attention to detail that is RDR2. Combine these all into one epic fantasy game with over 100+ hours to complete and multiple endings, and you have GOTY in my expertise. So to reiterate, playing on the base model PS5, 30 hours into gameplay. I've experienced only maybe 2 or 3 very minor bugs, no pop in at all, and a really seamless experience that has completely immersed me into this world. I can't wait to dive back into it, and that's really the biggest compliment I could ever pay a video game. Graphics: 10. Sound: 8.5. Controls: 9. Gameplay: 10 Fun Factor: 10

So I'm only about 25 hours into this game. Nowhere near the 110+ hours some of these "expert" gamers and critics are up to. What's strange though, is that... I LOVE THIS GAME! Go figure, a new title that's scoring just under an 8.0. Which is basically upper average by all accounts. And then all the doom and gloom stock forecasts for the developer amidst the games 7.8 launch review... ON LAUNCH DAY. Something is seriously amiss in these reviews. Downright nefarious I'd suggest as they all parroted the same key phrases. I'm playing on the base PS5 and finding this to be one of the best games ever released. Right up there with The Witcher 3. Which is funny because that's the very first game that came to mind while playing in this amazing sandbox. Yes, it has huge influences from The Witcher. But also, the amazing sense of freedom of exploration (especially vertically) that you had in Zelda: Breath of the Wild. The freedom to do anything, like in Morrowind. Being able to pick up anything. Being able to kill anyone. Being able to go anywhere you can see. Then you have the options of approach from Balders Gate 3. Where even the smallest action can yield an entirely different set of circumstances for completing a mission. Add the smallest amount of details like in Red Dead Redemption 2 and what you have is absolutely brilliant! So to reiterate, I'm on the base model PS5, 25 hours into gameplay. I've experienced only maybe 2 or 3 very minor bugs, no pop in at all, and a really seamless experience that has completely immersed me into this world. I can't wait to dive back into it, and that's really the biggest compliment I could ever pay a video game. Graphics: 10. Sound: 8.5. Controls: 9. Gameplay: 10 Fun Factor: 10

I absolutely love this game! I've now beaten it probably 20+ times and I still have an incentive to keep going at it with all the other game modes. This is definitely a flashback to the 16 bit, dare I say even CD era, of Sega and Turbo Grafx. Terminator 2D No Fate is truly a masterpiece of many different gameplay aspects coming together and it's an absolute blast to play. Really worth every cent in my opinion. Pixel art glory of a bygone heyday. Thank GOD for physical media!

I have a couple things to say about this game. For starters, all the fabricated outrage about this having a day one patch is so ridiculous. Balders Gate 3, probably one of the greatest games ever made, had a day one patch. Diablo 4 had a day one patch. Is it ideal? No, but it's part of playing games in 2025. This ain't 1999. I've played this game extensively today against my gf and her brother and haven't noticed any lag at all. Granted that was offline, but I'm not a huge fan of online play anyway. The abundance of options to tweak each of the games contained in this collection are quite satisfying. Being an owner of the Arcade1up Mortal Kombat cabinet, I can honestly say that this is so much better that it's really not even comparable. And the fact that I can play it on my 65 inch HD TV makes this a no-brainer. I have no problem forking out $70 for something that I'm going to get a lot of fun and play out of. In all honesty, I'd give this a 9 out of 10, but I'm giving it a 10 to make up for all the bogus, low scores. Don't listen to the crybabies and their fake outrage.

I'm 50 years old, a HUGE fan of Metroid (I still play The Return of Samus on 3DS all the time), and love these types of games. My gf is 20 years younger and LOVES Prime 4. I, on the other hand, lost interest after three hours and went back to my 3rd playthrough in Balders Gate 3. I can't STAND the millennial writing of this games dialogue. It's so horribly amateur, pretentious, and really borderline patronizing, that it distracts from the splendor and awe a game like this relies on. A lot has been said about the constant talking of Miles until you drop him off, but I'm sorry, he still continues to yap and yap and yap on the headset. It's one thing if it was intelligent jabber, but it's mindless directions. Almost like you're a 5-year-old and Nintendo has no respect for your intelligence. I just don't get it. This doesn't belong in a Metroid game. And why doesn't Samus ever respond vocally to any of the guidance or questions she's given? Why are they calling this open world when it's really not. It's obvious the cycle was a last minute additional in order to call it the first open world Metroid, extend the play length, and sell toys. If they would have stuck with what they already have here, and eliminated the cycle, those aspects of the game, the other NPC characters and their horrendous voiceover dialogue, this truly could've been the best Prime. It definitely has the best graphics, but come on, the whole vibe of Metroid is loneliness and isolation on an alien world, and in this game, the Millennial NPC's just constantly pull you right out of it. At least for me they did. Again my girlfriend absolutely loves this game, but she only plays for an hour here or there. I tend to play games for several hours in a row and I just couldn't commit past 3. As it stands, I would place this as my least favorite of the Metroid Prime games. They've never settled for just good. They've always strived for greatness.

I cherished the Ninja Gaiden series. Not just the 2D NES classics but also the Dreamcast Team Ninja masterpiece. I must admit that I'm a **** for pixel art games, especially with the capabilities of next-gen. systems. Blasphemous 1 and 2 are absolute masterpieces and I was so excited when I heard that the same developers were doing a pixel art Ninja Gaiden game for the PS5. My fear was that they would get the graphics right and the sound right, but the game play (which is very nuanced) wouldn't feel like those classic NES titles. The ones were half the kids would throw their controllers against the wall in frustration, especially against the boss fights, and the other half would eventually learn the discipline, patterns, and technique required to adopt mastery of the gameplay. I'm so happy to state that the later is true. These guys really ARE fans of the original series. And did everything they could to make this feel like it was a worthy part of that world. I absolutely love Ninja Gaiden Ragebound and can't recommend it enough.

It's rather amusing to me that as much as I love my PS5 for next-gen gaming (Silent Hill 2 Remake) and watching 4K movies (Tron Legacy 4K), most of the time I spend on the 5 year old system is spent enjoying retro pixel art games. I bought this title (PHYSICALFOREVER!) based on the fact that I owned and loved the original NES version, and the fact that it was an actual pixel art PS5 game. I'm so glad I did! Shadow of the Ninja Reborn is an absolute masterpiece. Is it difficult? Yes. Do the controls take some time and practice to master? Yes. In fact, I'm still discovering new techniques days after playing (such as the continuous downward blade bounce). The graphics are an unbelievable 16-bit style dream come true. In fact, even for say the Neo Geo (24 bit), had a game like this come out for it, they could have built an entire empire around it. Shadow of the Ninja Reborn is literally a coin up arcade game in your living room. You can just see and hear and experience the amount of love, dedication, and time that went into this game. The depth of controls over your character is quite impressive. As is the level design. This is such a beautiful homage to an iconic period in gaming. Why can't we get a new pixel art Castlevania???

I f'n love this game! My first experience playing Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater was on the Nintendo 3DS. In 3D. On the go. And I was hooked. Despite the somewhat wonky controls on the portable, I was mesmerized by this game. The lush forest setting, the depth of gameplay, the ability to hunt animals to survive, and the ability to treat your wounds in real time, all coalesced into an amazing experience. I still have that game on the 3DS but when I heard there was a remake coming to the PS5, after the masterpiece that was Silent Hill 2 Remake, I was really excited. This game does not disappoint. I'm so glad that Konami decided to play it safe as far as making changes to the legacy that Kojima left in this game. Because that's really what this is. Similar to Resident Evil 2 Remake and Silent Hill 2 Remake, this is a beautiful new next-gen upgrade to a beloved original. The character models are excellent and the gameplay is refined to the point that it's almost as fun and fluid to play as MGS5. I know there's a lot of crybabies harping on the price tag of this game but considering that you get a 20+ year old masterpiece of a MGS game in physical media to own and play on PS5, anytime you want with a huge amount of replay value, I really don't understand the bedwetting. Buy this game. It's worth every cent!

I grew up an 80's kid. Spending hours (and quarters) in my local arcade. Mesmerized by the likes of Renegade, Double Dragon, Final Fight, etc. Beat em ups were always my bread and butter and that carried on into the 90's and the 16-bit era. Streets of Rage, Golden Axe, Double Dragon 2... I even bought the uber expensive Neo•Geo mainly because at the time, it was the premiere beat em up experience. I'll be honest, as much as I love Streets of Rage 4, I really wish they had gone for a pixel art graphics style instead of the pseudo cell shaded approach. I love pixel art retro style games. For some weird reason, Mother Russia Bleeds went COMPLETELY under my radar and I never even knew that it existed until a week ago. In 2025! Normally I wouldn't spend $70 on eBay for a 9-year-old PS4 game, but something about this title was calling to me. I found it particularly intriguing that there were absolutely no used copies for sale anywhere online. So I blind bought this game and just finished a 6 hour marathon. Holy moly am I stupid for missing out on this experience for 9 years. Honestly. It is absolutely, retro 1980's arcade beat em up gold! Every aspect of this game exudes style and substance. The fighting system is as deep if not deeper than any Streets of Rage game, the soundtrack rivals any Streets of Rage game, and graphics are a hybrid of that retro arcade 1980's title Renegade and the much beloved Streets of Rage 2. Then, as if that wasn't already enough, they added buckets of blood, gore, deathtrap levels, AND FATALITIES! I am having so much fun playing this game that I can easily overlook the slightly repetitive gameplay. That was always a crux of beat em ups anyway, and the fact that every character in this game has multiple levels of visible damage, including yourself, is just pure genius. Absolutely a 10/10 for any beat em up fan like myself. Yeah it's a bit pricey now because it was a very limited print run but damn if it wasn't worth every cent.

I grew up an 80's kid. Spending hours (and quarters) in my local arcade. Mesmerized by the likes of Renegade, Double Dragon, Final Fight, etc. Beat em ups were always my bread and butter and that carried on into the 90's and the 16-bit era. Streets of Rage, Golden Axe, Double Dragon 2... I even bought the uber expensive Neo•Geo mainly because at the time, it was the premiere beat em up experience. I'll be honest, as much as I love Streets of Rage 4, I really wish they had gone for a pixel art graphics style instead of the pseudo cell shaded approach. I love pixel art retro style games. For some weird reason, Mother Russia Bleeds went COMPLETELY under my radar and I never even knew that it existed until a week ago. In 2025! Normally I wouldn't spend $70 on eBay for a 9-year-old PS4 game, but something about this title was calling to me. I found it particularly intriguing that there were absolutely no used copies for sale anywhere online. So I blind bought this game and just finished a 6 hour marathon. Holy moly am I stupid for missing out on this experience for 9 years. Honestly. It is absolutely, retro 1980's arcade beat em up gold! Every aspect of this game exudes style and substance. The fighting system is as deep if not deeper than any Streets of Rage game, the soundtrack rivals any Streets of Rage game, and graphics are a hybrid of that retro arcade 1980's title Renegade and the much beloved Streets of Rage 2. Then, as if that wasn't already enough, they added buckets of blood, gore, deathtrap levels, AND FATALITIES! I am having so much fun playing this game that I can easily overlook the slightly repetitive gameplay. That was always a crux of beat em ups anyway, and the fact that every character in this game has multiple levels of visible damage, including yourself, is just pure genius. Absolutely a 10/10 for any beat em up fan like myself. Yeah it's a bit pricey now because it was a very limited print run but damn if it wasn't worth every cent.

This is definitely a medieval simulator and not an arcadey exploration dungeon battler. You can't really just sneak around killing and robbing everyone. Mixing potions successfully really requires reading in-game grimoires, and winning in fights, whether against ravaging wolves or insolent ruffians, actually requires patience and timing, and wandering about without adequate supplies can easily get you killed. It's a tough game. That's because it's literally a thinking man's Skyrim and I absolutely love it. This game sets the bar so high for NPC intelligence and actual real-world ramifications for your actions. I've never seen anything to this level and at times it can feel quite punishing. But that's also it's beauty. Every time I play this game and step into it's world, I'm in awe as well as befuddled. It feels like you're playing a VR game. The immersion and beauty are incredible. Even down to the littlest details. I'm playing on the regular PS5 (not Pro) and it looks truly breathtaking. This world is a living, breathing environment and exploration is rewarded with remarkable moments and suift punishments. All equally enticing.

Why do I love this game so much? I really shouldn't. The character models look early PS3 era, the dialogue seems like a butchered English translation, and the controls do get a tad floaty at times. Yet, as a leather-clad motorcycle helmet wearing badass, I run down an alleyway, distracted by mirror reflections of the city lights within the water puddles, barely jumping over boxes and garbage that a fleeing Slitterhead tossed behind, I get him cornered behind a shop and pull out my mag-shotgun, only for his head to split open revealing some disgusting chimera of "The Thing" and Cthulhu. THIS is why I love this game. The soundtrack is killer and the gameplay itself, while fringing on repetitive, always manages to throw in a fresh task that keeps it interesting. The graphics btw, while the character models could use some work, it does actually make sense since almost any of them could be your next protagonist. It's baffling to me how such a new and interesting game concept isn't getting more 8s and 9s. The graphics are so dang good! Maybe not the character models but the city really feels and looks alive. And most importantly, the gameplay is FUN. We don't always want or need open-world sandbox games. The incomparable Silent Hill 2 Remake has proven that. And so does Slitterhead. I would describe this game as a 1980's action-adventure/horror 3D Beat'm Up with more depth than it has any rite to. And even THAT'S not an accurate description. Please give us more creative games like this! Fresh ideas and willing to take chances. A+

Silent Hill 2 is absolutely my favorite game of all time (xbox). I would've taken a remaster as opposed to a remake, for the simple reason that it already had such a perfect formula for inducing existential dread and despair, and I cringed at the thought of what Bloober Team may do to this beloved tale. Well, after playing 6 hours straight upon sliding in that disc (physical media forever!) I can honestly say that Silent Hill 2 Remake is now also one of my favorite games of all time. The graphics and sound may be the best that I've ever seen in a video game. I'm not exaggerating! There were numerous instances where I just left the controller alone and watched the TV in amazement. What Bloober Team has accomplished here is nothing short of a miracle and I'd go so far as to say that I think it might even be better than another title I love...Resident Evil 2 Remake. I love the way the developers present the fog in this game and how its not a crutch but rather an integral component of inducing the existential dread and despair and apprehension that horror fans are looking for. My girlfriend watched me play for about 20 minutes and had to leave the room because it was giving her "anxiety." If that's not a ringing endorsement of the Silent Hill 2 Remake then I don't know what is. Get this game. One little bit of advice for Konami, sign Bloober Team as an exclusive developer and have them use the same engine and team to remake Silent Hill 1, 3, and 4. You do that, and you'll have ridiculous profits for the next 10 years!

I was one of the few that backed this game from Kickstarter 3 years ago. I witnessed it evolve through numerous edits and variations. There was a point about a year ago, when I thought this game was canceled. The very fact that's it's late 2024 and I'm actually playing it on a PS5 is astounding. I absolutely love pixel art Castlevania type games. Not necessarily just metroidvania but also straight up sidescrolling gothic horror creature killin' type games. I had mitigated my expectations for this title because of how long it was in development, but I gotta say, I'm about 5 hours in and I LOVE this game! I am enjoying it infinitely more than I did Blasphemous 2 and that's saying something. The multi-level parallax scrolling backgrounds are gorgeous. The littlest details are what stand out and it's just so well done. I can't believe how much I enjoy the fatalities along with the op lightning magick (think Palpatine). There's even an effective whip weapon for your Belmont nostalgia. The music is perfect. Literally. It's what you'd expect from the likes of Super Castlevania 4 and yet still it's own vibe. I love the various NPC interactions and they ALL have recorded dialogue which really just makes all the difference in the world! What strikes me a bit different from the Blasphemous type games out there though, is just how much fun The Last Faith is to play. Challenging? Yes. But never to the point of frustration, which I can't honestly say was true for Blasphemous. That game was punishing. This game is rewarding. All in all, if you're a gothic horror fan, a pixel art fan, a Castlevania fan, or just a metroidvania fan, you owe it to yourself to pick this game up. It's gothic horror pixel art ambrosia. 10 out of 10 easy.

I first want to mention that I've been waiting for this game since day 1. I remember when it was going to be broken up into 2 parts. I then, finally got to play it on my Steamdeck and it ****. This is NOT a game made for a 3 inch screen. This thing is a painting with so much depth and detail that you really need a large screen to see all of it, much less appeciate it. On the deck, I couldn't see object indicators nor did I notice the insane amount of background detail. So when I had to chance to buy this brand new for Playstation 5 on physical disc (Collector's Edition), there was no hesitation. And I'm glad I bought it because I so f'n love this game. Scorn is an utter masterpiece when it comes to atmosphere and anxiety of being immersed in a threatening Gieger nightmare. I've seen some negative reviews about it being a slow burn and the maps being confusing. I'd compare Scorn a lot to Carrion. Even though they're different games, both do a great job of guiding the player through maps, objectives, puzzles, and enemies. Neither game will spoonfeed the player, but if you're paying attention, you'll make it through. Which is why I found the level design in Scorn to be quite brilliant. The intricacies of creating a believable alien world and the complexity of having that un-human way of existing within it have NEVER been done to this level. Period. It's not a Redbull guzzling knee twitching Call Of Duty gamer's dream come true. In its pacing, it's much more akin to a Silent Hill 2 game, and if you're willing to immerse yourself in this world, you'll probably have nightmares about it. I did.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

Beyond the repeated pattern of everyone comparing it to DMC and Dark Souls, I actually found Stellar Blade to be MUCH more akin to a combination of Metal Gear Rising Revengeance and Ninja Gaiden. Or to be more precise, it's style and gameplay, and adult humor, reminded me of Hideo Kojima and Tomonobu Itagaki (Team Ninja), which is absolutely the highest praise I could bestow on a brand new game and hopefully franchise. I suspect that there is a lot of reviews out there giving this game an upper average/mediocre score only to drag down the overall score without being completely obvious as to being snowflakes giving it a 1. Regarding the recent non-drama, Cyberpunk has waaaay worse adult advertising and graffiti in it, and yet the snowflakes didn't care. Why? Because you could literally make your androgynous female character have a "she"nis...

I've recently decided to try out some PS4 games that didn't necessarily receive the recognition they deserved upon release. We know that in cinema there are several films, now, that are considered cult classics and absolute gems that when they were released had been panned by critics and audiences alike. Halloween, The Thing, Blade Runner, etc. I didn't want to deprive myself of these possible experiences in gaming, so with the suped up processing power of the PS5, I decided now is a good time to try some of these older titles out and see if they really were as bad as their online ratings would indicate. So far I've found 5 absolute diamonds in the rough; Mad Max (like this game, was released in 2015), Days Gone (one of the best games I've ever played), Vampyr, Shadow of War (brilliant gameplay), and The Order: 1886. I LOVED this game. For starters, let's address the graphics, which are by far, the best that I've seen in a game. Ever! I can't believe the attention to detail and esthetics that these programmers literally squeezed out of the PS4. This game came out nine years ago and obliterates almost anything that's come out on "next gen" systems since. The biggest complaint about this title seems to be the shorter length of time it takes to complete it, but I actually found this very refreshing. One of my favorite NES games of all time was Double Dragon 2 and I could complete the entire thing in less than 30 minutes. Silent Hill 2 IS my favorite game of all time and I played it so many times that I could complete the entire thing in one afternoon sitting. My point is that sometimes we don't have the time or energy to commit our lives to an Elden Ring, or Witcher 3 (also came out in 2015), or Skyrim, or Harry Potter. This is a shooter grounded by a behind the shoulder camera much like in RE4 or Gears of War. However, the actor portrayals and the character models themselves are unmatched. And the frenetic frantic gameplay does make this feel more like a cinematic experience than a gaming experience. But that's alright. This is the exact same reason I love Until Dawn. And the best aspects of RE4 (it's just too long for a perfect score). At the end of the day, I would just have to say that I really, really enjoyed playing this game. Maybe that has something to do with me playing it on a PS5, I don't know. The real sad part is that we never got to see the conclusion to the story as I believe was originally intended. To me, that's its only fault, in not telling a complete story. And I would've liked to have seen some other characters of that time period introduced like Dr Jekyll, Rasputin, Albert Einstein (as maybe a teenager), Aleister Crowley, etc. The possibilities could've been endless but ended up a bit myopic. Nonetheless, now you can pick this game up easily for around 20 bucks and experience it on your PS5. Give it a shot!

This game is an utter masterpiece and it's absolutely criminal how this game was buried under assanine and imbecilic reviews. There's so much love and detail and depth in this game that I can't believe how underappreciated it is. Seriously! Gameplay, story, control, atmosphere, music and sound, it goes on and on. And I'm playing this on a PS5 and it's the best looking game I've ever played. I'm not sure if it's being somehow upconverted on the more powerful hardware but the fact this even released on PS4 is a groundbreaking achievement.

I don't know what kind of world we live in when a game like this isnt held as a triumph of horror gaming. Anyone who says differently needs to be seriously questioned about what they think makes a game great. I really don’t know what more one could want here. Serious contender for GotY it really is that good. Great, now give us a physical release so we're not just renting the game. In fact, for anyone that argues digital isn't a glorified rental agreement, the very beginning license agreement states that at any time and for any reason the developers can withdraw this game from your digital library. For a horror experience this awesome, I'd easily pay even $20 more than normal for a physical release. Give us a Collector's Edition PLEASE!

***UPDATE 9/27/23*** Originally I had rated this game a 7 out of 10 for various pros and cons. It's was recently exposed that the game is utterly broken. The player 2 hit zone is much larger than player 1. This means that player can pull off various combos that player 2 cannot. All fighters, across the board. This is kinda industry ****. First of all, how does Netherrealm reconcile all the player stats and scores saved up going into the game's 3rd week?? Secondly, this game is **** (beautiful but still ****) and now we find it's broken. Like literally doesn't work. Can I return this to Best Buy for a refund? 1 out of 10. I have some serious issues with this game.Ones that are difficult to overlook. And yet I still do because I'm such a Mortal Kombat fan AND because my favorite fighter, Havik, finally gets his due. To start with the positives... HOLY MOLY are the graphics insane! I mean absolutely eyeball melting good. The backgrounds are the absolutely best I've ever seen in a fighting game. They breathe with life and are hypnotic in their detail. So good. As are the fighters. They look buttery smooth and have the coolest animations that really **** you into the action. So graphics and audio are easily a 10. Where the game falls short is on plot and unlockables. The loss of The Krypt is definitely felt. Hard. And for this really being a truly next-gen follow-up to MK11, it's a severe downgrade in things to discover and unlock. I'm surprised by this but there are whisperings of a "create-a-fighter" DLC mode, and so I'm actually holding out hope this is true. It definitely seems plausible considering the fights you encounter late in the story mode. The Kameo system is awesome! What's not awesome is the restricted number of Kameo fighters. I just don't understand why they didn't make every main fighter also available as a Kameo fighter. And why not make every unique Kameo fighter a main character? You'd think that for this being a reboot and starting big, you'd make this the biggest reunion of MK fighters ever assembled. Perhaps this will come with future Kombat Packs but I would've liked to seen twice the starting roster out of the gate. ***SPOILERS*** Lastly the plot. Aye the plot. I don't want to give away major spoilers so all I'll say is that the online pre launch speculations and rumors turned out to be far more interesting than what we actually got. Basic run of the mill MCU epic climax super battle, with very few surprises. I've always wondered, with all these multi-verse multiple timeline film, comic, and game plots; if there's an infinite number of worlds, and they're converging into a giant epic battle, how the heck would you tell the good guys from the bad guys? Especially considering the infinite combinations of both sides. I imagine it's difficult writing an engaging plot that incorporates 30+ different kombatitants in a fighting game. I will say, the tournament concept has worked in most MK games but here it takes a major backseat. And the main story feels like the plot of a Power Rangers episode from the 90's. The post credits scene, however, was quite possibly the best ending surprise of any MK game and I'm so excited for the story mode DLC in the future.

Blasphemous is absolutely one of my top 5 favorite games of the PS4. I grew up on Castlevania and still consider Simon's Quest to be the best of the series (Dracula X a close second). The abstract pseudo-christian/Gothic horror of the original Blasphemous was so perfect. Also, the game was difficult but fair. I am at least 7 hours into it's sequel (thank you for a physical release!) and I am loving it! The beautiful pixal-art graphics are just so mesmerizing and the soundtrack is a masterpiece. The story is as odd and nightmare inducing as you'd hope for. The original was lauded for it's perverse difficulty. Oddly, I'm actually finding the sequel to be more challenging in many regards but mostly due to laggy controls. I don't remember having to wrestle with the combat inputs in the first game NEARLY as much as I do here. In fact, the input commands are soooo sluggish that I'll get knocked down and when back up I'll swing an attack thats already 2-3 seconds late. Also, cheap deaths are on sterouds in this game. How many times have I got stuck taking damage and literally couldn't even move until dead. Having said all that though, a game this glorious really has to be cherished. Hopefully some updates will dramatically improve the lag when attacking.

I've now spent numerous days playing Starfield and feel like I've assessed this game fairly thoroughly. While visually very impressive (for the most part), it left me underwhelmed, and honestly, dare I say, I actually prefer No Man's Sky. Most of the planets here are dead and lifeless. Or worse...repetitive landscapes and tunnels. They are little more than giant asteroids. What disappointed me the most, however, was that you MUST quick travel to different worlds within the same system. You cannot fly from one planet to the other. Unlike No Man's Sky. I found this to be incredibly disappointing to say the least because what should be space exploration is really just a series of loading screens in disguise before POOF! There you are. I remember when gamers were whining that you couldn't manually land your ship on planet surfaces in NMS, which was later fixed. Here you can't even manually fly to the planet. If you try, you not only waste time from your life, but you glitch the game and pass right through planets. Everything is done for you, which completely removes your imagination from the experience. Also, one final gripe about Starfield. WTH is up with all the invisible barriers?? I would expect better on next gen systems and especially for a game that's literally all about exploration. How are you going to follow a free-form space exploration game like NMS 7 years later, with a game that has invisible barriers on all the planets. Now don't get me wrong, the combat is superb and actually Bethesda's best yet in any game. However, I wanted to be an explorer in the final frontier, not a rehashed space pirate in a COD game. The ability to construct your own ship is a welcome diversion but these aspects only entertain for so long. I'm actually quite annoyed that THIS is what we got in lieu of Elder Scrolls 6. It's just more of the same gameplay but in a very restricted space sandbox.

I just purchased Mad Max new for $20 after selling Red Dead Redemption 2 used for $20. I enjoyed the graphical and narrative depth of RDR2, the ridiculous level of detail is insane, but I just couldn't commit the massive amounts of time required to complete the often times, very mundane objectives and gameplay. I liked it, I liked it a lot actually, but I wasn't having fun playing it. RDR2 felt tedious more than it felt fun, and this was always one of my grievances with the otherwise brilliant Death Stranding. Mad Max was a game I wanted since it came out 8 years ago. That may seem like a long time ago but consider Grand Theft Auto V and Skyrim are nearly 13 years old. So I came across a rare instance of Mad Max brand new and finally decided to purchase it. Holy crap am I an idiot for not buying it sooner. This game is a masterpiece! Right from the opening title sequence it actually feels like a Mad Max film (I love all of them, but Beyond Thunderdome is still my favorite.

Love this game! If Nintendo created some sort of Super N64 with HD graphics, and Asmik/AKI made a wrestling game for it, that game would be AEW Fight Forever. May not be a pretty as the WWE 2K games, may not have nearly as deep of a create-a-wrestler mode, may have a career mode that's just as hokey as 2K's titles, but dang if it's not like 10x more fun!

I love Biomutant. I'm now about 7 hours into the game and find myself smiling every time I play it. So much heart and soul went into this fun experience, that it vexes me greatly to see some of the absolutely ridiculous and amateur reviews it's receiving. The visuals are often times awe-inspiring, the narration and character design is top-tier, and most importantly, and one thing many of these "professional" (I use that term loosely) reviewers are not mentioning, is just how addictive and fun the game is to play. I fail to understand how a game like Final Fantasy Remake, which is barely an RPG and more **** tour in futility and frustration with absolutely no freedom at all (loved the original, HATED the remake) can garner such praise when a new and lovingly crafted IP such as Biomutant is getting crapped on. Ok so the world doesn't have a super lot going on at the **** anyone really played Shadow of the Colossus? Because they're ain't a whole lot going on in that games world either. And that game was also often times an exercise in frustration when it came to combat/controls/climbing. The sad reception **** such as this, is living proof of why companies shell out mindless and soulless clones of COD and Madden every year. Most people just don't want to try anything new or different. Well to those knee jerking, Red Bull drinking, Funnion eating, twitch-finger zombies, keep your wallets full because the clone age will never leave you. I'll stick to titles with imagination and vision. DON'T LISTEN TO THE NEGATIVE REVIEWS. PLAY THE GAME FOR YOURSELF. IT'S BRILLIANT.

It's rare that a game occupies my mind in moments of other activities (work, gym, hiking, etc.) but that's exactly what Returnal is doing. It's haunting my thoughts and making me examine my time-management for the next opportunity to explore this immersive and creepy world. Every measure of credit must be given to the developers for creating something so unique and satisfying. Difficult? Yes. Fun? Yes. Comparisons to the Souls game will be inevitable, however trust me when I say that this game is its own experience. Truly the first title to impress me on the new consoles, it's very obvious from the get go that a lot of love and effort went into the details. Don't miss an opportunity to play an amazing title that will undoubtedly slip under the radar for most. Returnal is the first great game of the next generation!!

I'm 15 hours into FF7R and I actually hate this game. This is sad. The original Final Fantasy 7 was a HUGE part of my childhood. It was magical, immersive, engaging and fun. All the things this abomination is NOT. FF7R is frustrating, nonsensical, repetitive and anger inducing. There's some good aspects such as the voice acting and storytelling, but a bulk of the rest such as the subpar graphics (the textures are Xbox era quality no joke), ridiculous level design, tasks that make hemorrhoid removal seem appealing, and a soundtrack that was so overbearing, loud, obnoxious and repetitive that I actually muted the the game, tank this modern retelling of a classic. It also makes it painfully obvious, that this story just does not hold up well in today's day and age. Even as a remake released in 2020, it feels dated. And for my final beef with FF7R, since when does a beloved classic RPG deserve to get re-envisioned as a button masher???

Well, I've just completed the campaign mode for Doom Eternal and as I sit here with a shot of whiskey in my hand, panting heavily from the past 2 hours of white-knuckle, edge-of-your-seat vicious action-packaged carnage, all I can say is...Holy Hell! What a journey it was. I have to give the developers major props for creating this masterpiece. Not only is the game epic in scope, it gives you way more bang for your buck than almost any other title out there! You seriously get your money's worth and I'm not even referencing the replay value, which is through the roof. The graphics are superb. The frenetic gameplay is superb. The **** superb. I love every aspect of this game-including the new "platform-type-gameplay" in certain areas which really encourages the exploration aspects. I bought Doom 2016 and thought it was a good game. Doom Eternal annhiliates that predecessor in every possible way! Get this game. Period.

So I'm not exactly sure what ulterior motive gamers would have for review-bombing this game but it's entirely unwarranted. The top grade graphical and gameplay goodness that was the RE2 remake has even been bumped up to a higher notch here. This game is stunning both visually and auditorily! I was surprised at just how much I enjoyed playing this game. Many people have complained that it's too short. I'm an average player (not some sugar-fixed, twitching, impatient spaz) and it took me about 8 hours to complete. I find this duration almost perfect. I don't live in my parents basement. I actually have a job, responsibilities and obligations. The RE2 remake of last year was nearly perfect but a bit long in my opinion. I don't need a horror game to last 30+ hours. Perhaps a fantasy RPG like FF7 Remake, but then again, a game like that will probably take me months to complete. Yes RE3 has some stages removed from the original but it also has new ones- which I actually think work better in relation to the game's context and narrative. I've seen a bunch of crybaby reviews slamming the game for removing the typical puzzles of 90's video game obscurity. Trust me when I say that those puzzles just do NOT hold up well anymore. We're 2 decades past that. Rehashing those gameplay mechanics just wouldn't work and I always felt in the case of the OG RE3 that it actually stalled and broke up the otherwise superb pacing of A HORROR GAME. *Also, for the record, there are no QTE moments in this game. If you see reviews mentioning them in the game, you know it's a fake review-bomb*

With games like Resident Evil 2, Devil May Cry 5, Mortal Kombat 11, and Rage 2 starting off the year, and games like Death Stranding and Cyberpunk 2077 (hoping!) wrapping up the holiday season, it would be all too easy to let a virtually unknown title like A Plague Tale slip under your nose unnoticed. That would be a huge tragedy. Not only is this one of the most graphically impressive and beautiful games (the lighting is unmatched) I've ever played, but the characters, story and gameplay pull you right into the world and really never let go. I actually CARED about the people in this game and found it difficult to put down the controller. This is "survival horror" at its best and so many developers and publishers should be taking notes. Watching hordes of evil plague rats devour living victims in no time, or having Crusading henchmen chasing after you are actually nothing compared to the other frights awaiting you. And let's talk about that soundtrack... Easily one of the best in gaming. I really wish there was a Collector's Edition of this game!

HUGE DoA fan since #2 released on Dreamcast 20 years ago. The fighting system is easy to pick up for newbs but extremely deep for advanced players. By far the benchmark for graphics and physics in fighting games over the years AND the most interactive and destructible/expansive arenas in ANY FIGHTING GAME. Dragon Ball Xenoverse is a close second. Having reserved the CE of DoA 6, I'm supremely pleased with Team Ninjas latest outing. We all knew the SJW's were going to whine and cry about the boobs and outfits. This was expected. Also, the DoA series is known for tons of DLC and so I feel the high cost of the Season Pass is warranted. With 30 characters and often times numerous outfits/skins for each character, along with extra stages, this equates to around $1-$3 per add-on. On the down side, I'm not a huge fan of how the costumes are unlocked as random parts, the stages seem slightly underwhelming compared to previous outings, and the roster is very meh. Having said that, I have faith these minor gripes will be rectified by future updates. I'm not sure why reviews keep labeling this game as incomplete. I was never a huge fan of tag matches and the grsphics blow every other fighting game away!

Thank you Capcom! In a world where things we once loved are being "rebooted" and destroyed along with pounded into the ground, Capcom has done something here truly special. They have brought a classic into the modern age all while maintaining what made it special and yet improving it in ways I didn't think would be possible. AND most importantly, they placed the fans first! Disney and pretty much every other company out there (in film, music, television and video games) should take notes and study from this. In fact, send interns to Capcom to learn how to do things right. Resident Evil 2 is simply a masterpiece in every regard. So happy I'm able to witness this.

Anything less than a 9 for this masterpiece is a crime against gaming! This whole package is a masterpiece. People whining and wetting themselves over the loot feature havent even played the fantastic story mode. Buy this game and appreciate it for what it is, one of the most fun adventures (and best looking) around. Warning though! The AI, aka Nemesis System, is scary good.

***UPDATE***I firmly believe someone is deliberately trying to tank the score for this game by leaving 1 or 2 point scores with no review. The User Scores are not matching the overall User Score! First let me begin by saying that I am an avid Magic The Gathering player. I have been playing MTG since 1993 and have won numerous championships and local tournaments over the years. I stumbled upon the game description for Culdcept Revolt by accident as I was browsing through "upcoming" 3DS releases. It sounded so intriguing! A hybrid (or chimera rather) of MTG AND Monopoly? I couldn't resist-especially considering how much I love my 3DS and the notion of a portable fantasy card game was just too enticing to ignore. I preordered the Limited Edition from NISA America and just received the package yesterday-a day before the official release no less! I love this game! For starters, everything that one enjoys about fantasy, collectible card games, and the strategy of board games is present in Culdcept Revolt. Some have criticized the overly thorough tutorial when starting but I would argue that with a game this deep, and with the substantial learning curve, the tutorial was actually incredibly helpful as I had never played a Culdcept game before. There is just so much to keep engaged with in this game and just in the small time I've put into it, I have already seen the vast potential for strategy and divisive planning. The multiplayer is a blast as well since it's so much fun to pit your "Book of Cards" against another human rival. The AI can be quite vicious but in all honesty I actually appreciated that. It makes me a better player and far too often the AI in games feels like the equivalent of playing against a 3 year old. The graphics, while not the best I've seen on the 3DS, are perfectly adequate and do a fine job in submersing the player in the world of creatures and spells. My guess is that not enough reviewers are going to put the time into playing this masterpiece in order to see the full range of strategies, cards and what the game has to offer. I've already seen some Critic Reviews that I know were done after only about 5-10 minutes worth of gameplay. A title like this needs to be explored and learned in order to get the most out of it. I guarantee that if a Critic were to go to a local MTG game night without much preparation or understanding of how MTG works, they would offer a very mediocre testament of their experience. Don't let these part-timers fool you, Culdcept Revolt should be purchased immediately by anyone with a 3DS and interest in CCG's/board games. On a final note, I'd like to say that the Limited Edition version of this game was so profoundly packaged with amazing artwork and very cool extras that I simply couldn't believe the amount of love and detail that went into the preparation. This is a small sample of how much love and care went into the development of the game as well. Please give it a try!

This is one of those rare games that bring back the nostalgic feelings of wanting to stay at home from school (or work now that I'm an adult) all day and play! I really can't articulate well enough how much of a treasure this game truly is. The Switch has received some criticism for not having a more robust launch line up, but the fact of the matter is that Zelda: BOTW is a Game of the Year title and is pure gold for the launch of a new system. Yeah, yeah, the PS4 and Xbox One both had dozens of games available out the door, however do you still own any of them? I guarantee that every person who purchased a Switch at launch (or is about to) will still have Zelda years down the road. Beautiful graphics, music, gameplay and story and best of all, it was all stitched together with the love that Nintendo pours into it's games. This is really feels more like the sequel to Ocarina of Time that we had been hoping for, for such a long time. Do yourself a favor and buy this now. Oh and did I mention how incredibly amazing it is being able to play this Zelda ANYWHERE-thanks to the smooth as silk transition from large screen TV to handheld device? The Switch has me convinced!

This is pure nostalgic video gaming bliss given new life thanks to a spit polished 3D coat of graphical charm and prowess that only Sega's M2 team can deliver. Oh how I long for the simpler plug n play days of the Genesis, Super NES, Neo Geo, and Turbo Grafx 16. There was something about that era that's missing in Today's world of online required, DLC and patch mandated rush ****'s called life! 3D Sonic the Hedgehog 2 for 3DS gushes life and sparkles with an inner quality that humbles most current games. Fun, challenging, and infinitely repayable, this is an absolute must buy for any proud 3DS owner. I've become such an M2 fanboy that I would purchase a cartridge system if they were to release one. Please add this game to your collection poste haste! Now all I need is a 3D Sega Strider (Genesis version) and 3D Golden Axe. You keep making them Sega/M2, and we'll keep buying them. Thank you♡

I absolutely adored the G1 Transformers animated series, 80's movie, and most importantly the toy line. I have never played a Transformers game that really not only did the concept justice but also brought back the nostalgia of my childhood. That is until now. This game is an absolute blast! Not only are the cell-shaded graphics absolutely stunning, but the gameplay is so much fun. A bit on the short side but theres so much to unlock that the replay value is much higher than most AAA games out there. It's also a great treasure that they were able to get the voice actors so well known for Optimus Prime and Megatron. The sound, music, voicing, and graphics are all a 10/10. Buy this game!

I'm usually a pretty hard sell on games that are based on film, television, and book licenses. The main reason being that there's never enough attention to detail and production value put in such games as they are mainly created to cash in on the name. There are a few exceptions though, and this may be the biggest one. As a huge Tolkien fan, I will admit I was disinterested by the concept of this game when I first heard about it. I really didn't feel it could do the books or films any justice, but I was hugely myopic in my assumptions. This game truly is a work of art in nearly every way. The attention to detail-such as the voice acting (the orcs are amazing!), the collectibles, the weapons, the graphics, etc. are all some of the very best I have ever experienced. It's very obvious that this game was a labor of love by those who developed it, and that shines through in nearly every moment of playing the game. And oh what fun there is to be had. Visceral, intense, threatening, and awe-inspiring are just some of the adjectives that come to mind in a typical play-session of Shadow of Mordor. They have done an outstanding job of presenting an experience that feels removed right out of the brilliant Peter Jackson films. It saddens me to great lengths, that this title will not be receiving the attention and hype it deserves-lurking in the "shadow" of the other regurgitated titles that were released around the holidays (GTA5 as an example), for it truly deserves to be praised and heralded as a great gaming moment. It is no doubt the sleeper hit of 2014 and would without question, be my pick for Game of the Year!

I have been a longtime fan of first person shooters, fantasy games, MMO's, and Halo. I agree that the hype for this game was out of control (as the media always creates monsters of the consumer), but the negative reviews for this game are absolutely ridiculous! Not ony is this the most visually impressive piece of work I've ever seen on a console (it finally feels like the next-gen is here), the gameplay is super smooth and tight. I don't think players realize that the different player classes all control slightly differently and come with different abilities, which makes this type of game incredbily refreshing. I have had no issues with framrate or playing online with my friends. I almost only use the hand cannon, sniper, and melee blade and have been having a blast! How can anyone complain about the boss battles being too long??? They require some intelligence and skill, but yes-they aren't over in a matter of a couple minutes. I think the real problem here, is that the fanboys of games like COD are really not doing so well with this type of game. I have several friends who are twitch fanatics with COD and clean up the maps. When playing them in this game however, I can smoke most of them. I believe that is where many of the lower scores are coming from. Sure there are one or two missions that get a little tedious, but there are more than enough things to do in this game (without the expansions) to keep one busy. And please! It's not like GTA V wasn't a little repititive. I just cannot fathom how this game can score less than a 9 unless those giving it lower scores are either jaded COD fanboys or they are critics that only spent 10 minutes playing it-which usually seems to be the case with uneducated reviewers.