joshjmilli

GTA V for 9th Gen consoles is still as good as it was back in 2013. The intricate and bombastic story between the three iconic misfits is an absolute classic, of which you can now experience with fancy ray traced shadows and reflections. It looks superb for a game that originally released on the 360/PS3. I won’t speak for the online mode, but the story is well worth the asking price, even after purchasing it on multiple generations/platforms myself. A solid 9/10.

Detroit: Become Human is an excellently written, multifarious story that’s worth replaying multiple times. The cinematography, graphics and score are best-in-class, even today in 2024. The game certainly isn’t perfect. The abundance of QuickTime events are extremely annoying, especially when you get them wrong. It’s frustrating to have course of your story change because you didn’t press R2 in time. It ultimately feels like a cheap way to raise the stakes and make the experience feel more interactive, and I think is just completely unnecessary given how much the story carries this game on its own. I’d recommend playing on casual for your first playthrough so that you get the desired choices without QuickTime events getting too much in your way. I’d realistically give this game a 7.5/10, but I lean towards an 8 since this is far from an “average” experience.

Sure, ME3 definitely has shortcomings. The sidelining of certain crew members can be distasteful to some, and the ending itself was quite shallow for such a deeply complex narrative with a whole host of potential variables individual to each playthrough. Yet, I personally cannot bring myself to let that massively detract from an otherwise fantastic game. The story up until the climax is enthralling. The character dynamics, cinematography and writing are arguably the best in the series. The gameplay combines elements from the first 2 games to create a satisfyingly air tight cover shooter that allows for multiple play styles. And I’ll also give a honourable mention to the sound design; The Reapers just sound exceptional! In 2024, I’d be dishonest to myself if I gave this game anything lower than an 8 as a complete package with all the DLC. On the other hand, it’s an entirely different story if you’re playing without the DLC; It’s a much different, much inferior game at that point. Theres so much here that makes it far from mediocre. It’s simply another fantastic Mass Effect game that I think 100% deserves to stand on the pedestal with 1 and 2.

Mass Effect Andromeda is a decent game. 50% of the game consists of repetitive filler that often feels like a waste of time. Yet, there’s still gold to be found here that makes the game worth playing, especially if you’re a Mass Effect fan. The story is pretty decent, and the combat and character building is honestly great. So great that I’d say it single handedly kept me sane through all of the fetch quests. The biggest star of the show has to be the crew. All of the best moments in the game come from interacting with them and their own unique loyalty missions. It’s the only aspect of the game that can really hold a candle to the og trilogy. Definitely worth trying if you can pick it up for less than 20 bucks.

Forza Horizon is still a banger a decade later. It has such a distinct festival vibe that I’d argue none of its sequels were ever able to recapture.

The Mass Effect trilogy is a must play for anyone remotely interested in Sci-Fi. It’s a gem that only classic BioWare could ever pull off. After all, someone else might have gotten it wrong.

The Mass Effect trilogy is a must play for anyone remotely interested in Sci-Fi. 3 really great games all with a fresh coat of paint that remains remarkably faithful to the original artistic intent, as well as bringing some much needed tweaks here and there that never got addressed in the original games. Don’t be put off by the negative reviews ripping on Mass Effect 3. The game is much better than people give it credit for, and I doubt many new fans would take issue with the ending in its current state, disregarding historical context. Overall, the Mass Effect trilogy It’s a gem that only classic BioWare could ever pull off. After all, someone else might have gotten it wrong.

Halo 3 is a must-play for anyone remotely into shooters. Some would say Halo 3 was peak Halo; I tend to agree.