Nth replay, one of the great monuments. Played the MCC version on original settings this time on Heroic. I really dislike the over-produced version from 343's anniversary edition. Encompasses a scale only surpassed by its sequels in both scope and level design. Each level is a realistic size, it pushes away corridor gameplay for a more free-flowing journey. The gunplay remains precise and satisfying over 20 years later, still blows anything near its release out of the water. Its only flaw I can think of is The Library, and that's mostly because it continues to kick my ass no matter how many times I've played it. This certainly will not be the last time I play this masterpiece.

A childhood classic, revamped and replayed. Revisiting this over 20 years after I first played it was just so pleasant. It's the rare game that stands up to the awe, grit, and challenge I remember. The controls feel better than ever on modern hardware, no longer having to fidget with the N64 controller. Honestly it's a miracle I could figure it out at such a young age. I'm not sure if I ever actually finished it then, the first few levels are so familiar and burned in my mind, but not so much the last half.

It's a singular esoteric experience, just inhabiting it feels dreamlike. The score bumps as you traverse impossible landscapes and architecture as soldiers, dinosaurs, and robots (sometimes combined) rush you from all directions. All of this with an array of satisfying and creative weaponry from your trusty bow all the way to the legendary Chronocepter of which you find a single piece of in each level that is combined just before the end.

All of this to say Turok: Dinosaur Hunter is a pure gem, no ugly blemishes or fluff. Nothing on its mind but collecting keys and killing dinos, and I think that's fucking beautiful.

A fine-tuned remix of a classic masterpiece. It's sharp, quick, and pulpy as we've come to expect of this new era of Resident Evil. I'm a big fan of how they've upped the viscera; blood gushes and limbs fly.

I'm not sure if it's because I'm so unused to shooters with a controller, but I found this to be a much more difficult experience than the original. Maybe I'm just getting worse at games. Either way, I was on the edge of a knife constantly. Running out of ammo and health, mad-dashing to find any peace within some of the arenas for just a second.

There are pieces of this that surpass the original. It ups the intensity of almost every encounter, makes Ashley and Luis much better characters, has an obvious fidelity upgrade, and adds some much welcomed movement improvements. Not to mention hotkeyed weapons. I loved this and I'll be playing it at least a couple times more, no doubt. Overall I prefer the original game. It's one I couldn't shake and while this is not a necessary remake, it's an extremely pleasant and sturdy one.

Solid and atmospheric, also only maybe 5 or so hours long. I don't think it helped that I played King's Field II first (mistakenly as it was released as King's Field I in the US), but there's a lot here that was built upon to make King's Field II more robust. This one is a tad more obtuse in comparison, but the combat loop is mostly the same. These aren't games with a combat focus which is okay, the adventure is the real draw. You are completely inside on this one and the further you go into it's mazes the more claustrophobic and tense it becomes. By the end of the game you're practically an unkillable god and it's very satisfying to just one shot all the things that gave you so much trouble before.

It's really cool to play From's first game because all the groundwork is there for what would turn them into a juggernaut following Demon's Souls. A hands-off approach with a mixture of player trust and frankly obtuse design make these singular works. Finally used the very first iteration of the Moonlight Sword and it's neat.

Easily the most well-rounded of these first three King's Field titles, really broadening the scope both narratively and physically. The environs blend into each other naturally and each area has a more distinct feel than areas in previous games. The combat remains unchanged, but the model work on enemies, weapons, armor, and spells are improved which gives it more weight. I've really loved the scores and this is no different. Each area has its own theme, giving you a better sense of its history or pumping you up for battles to come. A very solid RPG all around with the best sense of exploration so far. It was neat revisiting a couple of floors from the first title, a slightly nostalgic stroll for anyone who played that one and a nice interlude for those who had only played the US releases. One of my favorite aspects of playing these is seeing that From's design principles have stayed true for decades.

Builds on it's predecessor in interesting ways, stacking the world into 3 zones that all have their own unique feel and methods of navigation. The combat and weapon systems are the same, but bolstered by the fuse system that adds a new layer of improvisation. If it's not broken, don't fix it. The sandbox style of play is the real winner in Tears of the Kingdom and while most of the time I think the game gives you the exact tools for the job, the game is totally open to you playing how you want to and building what you have in mind. The sky is the limit.

As far as issues, it's really all the same things I have issues with in most open-world games: a massive world with a set of collectibles you need to get in order to improve your character, side quests that don't feel that meaningful which is certainly not always the case, and a world so massive that it really doesn't fully use the ability to create vehicles when the glider is the best mode of transportation.

Narratively this is a more satisfying game, especially in it's climax that is as thrilling as any I've seen in a game of this scope. I think Nintendo has this aspect down pat where their games always build to something truly spectacular. It's an especially awesome finale. I'm not really here for the narrative but it does the job, sometimes excelling, and rarely gets in the way.

Overall I really enjoyed my time with Tears of the Kingdom. It doesn't feel as refreshing to the medium as Breath of the Wild did, but it is a better game on every level. I think something like Elden Ring is now more my speed, where the exploration is its own reward and a more robust combat system keeps me engaged consistently. I'm glad there are still open-world games like this that can keep my interest, ones that are attempting to build on the genre in ways that compliment video games as a medium. I'm excited to see where The Legend of Zelda goes from here, and how Tears of the Kingdom's sandbox style is emulated just as Breath of the Wild made waves.

A throwback to brawlers like War of the Monsters and the Godzilla games of the PS2/Gamecube era. Just a total blast, so fun to play something this well put together. It plays better than what inspires it, even. The single player is short and sweet, only took me about an hour and a half or so. I think some might see that as a detriment considering it's roughly $25 at this time, but it has a robust multiplayer. After all, it's a brawler! My only real gripes are that unfortunately it's not very alive online. It would make for a killer couch game though.

Received this for free with my AMD 7900X.

Not much to say. Complete ass on PC for the most part. The times it ran well were nice, but the game itself can be such a slog. Half-assed platforming sections constantly with a poorly balanced difficulty slider. There's a reason the games this apes don't have one. There's no point in talking the narrative. It's the thing for the SW/Marvel bunch to pretend is groundbreaking or remotely interesting. Boring!

Did not enjoy the first game much, which I played on Jedi Master difficulty and that's the difficulty I chose for this. It's not challenging as much as it's annoying. The combat still isn't responsive enough, feels too floaty and weightless. It's a game that constantly pulls punches and rarely ever feels satisfying.

Graphically this felt like a step up, but I was playing this on PC this time whereas I played the first on PS5 where it's such an ugly, muddy experience. Unfortunately here, again and obviously, Respawn released a shitty product on PC. The game looks like shit unless you have FSR on, even playing at native 4K with settings at Epic. The opening on Coruscant tricked me into thinking this was a visual delight until I got to the barren and frankly ugly Koboh. Some of the tighter corridors look fantastic though! The inside of the Mantis looks stellar, as well as the inside of the cantina on Koboh. Lots of intricate detail. The environments are totally boring though.

All in all, I'm not sure what I expected after playing the first game. I just can't care for these half-baked adventure/soulslike games. None of them reach the heights of what they take inspiration from. This is another "baby's first From" experience with a Star Wars coat on, but you also have to do mindless platforming between any remotely interesting combat experience. I'm sick of it! This isn't even a terrible game, it's just a totally forgettable one. I got just over halfway or so before giving up. Can't waste any more time.

Day 1: Hunt squirrels, give wife squirrels.

Day 2: Hunt squirrels, give wife squirrels.

Day 3: Hunt squirrels, give wife squirrels.

Day 4: Hunt squirrels, give wife squirrels.

Day 5: Hunt squirrels, give wife squirrels. Meet God.