At times this game is very sleepy. There are a lot of time-wasters in the gameplay, often times they are interactables that don't offer any reaction from the character, Lee just looks at the thing and says nothing. I wasn't into the dialogue, it can feel stale with some characters. The saving grace is that this is actually a super good story. Every episode has a distinct story beat, location, and problems which makes every sitting feel vastly different from the last. It does feel somewhat episodic however it all is fueled by a common goal.
Favorite episode: 5- No Time Left
Least favorite episode: 3- Long Road Ahead

It’s been a while since a game made me excited to keep playing. I’m always looking for that feeling when I choose what game to play next, and I wasn’t certain before but sure enough Resident Evil was a perfect fit. Basically one giant zelda dungeon themed to a zombie thriller. I love the careful and meticulous nature it encourages you to play as on the first go. I’m not sure how the hell anyone says survival horror is a “comfort genre” for them because this game had me stressed out until the last few hours. Excited to play RE2 soon

It was rare that I enjoyed playing Starfield, it had some short lived moments. While absolutely just a novelty, the sandwich tracking does make for some personality. Uber-customizable ships. Some cool sound design.
But it is lacking both the solid base and real expanse it deserves. There is little roleplaying to be found in this RPG, choices are incredibly limited and don't matter. Characters are written and performed like milquetoast. Conversations are often a chore to get through. Planets are the least interesting I have seen from a game, and as everyone says exploration is practically non-existent. Due to a genuine inability to create atmosphere, starfield substitutes that with filters. The use of filters is glaring and ugly. There are more than a few times where bugs lead to soft-locking quests. Far too much fast travel and too many quest markers. Performance is sub-par, no matter what Phil Spencer says, otherwise why would they need to lock a full price AAA game to 30fps on consoles. On a 3070 and sub-par settings, I was still experiencing severe performance issues on locations like New Atlantis.
It is hard to think of a single thing in Starfield that is not done vastly better by 5 other games. A shame it couldn't get the same care that previous Bethesda games seem to have had, even though I have never liked Bethesda's style. I don't see them getting out of this hole easy. After Fallout 76 and the clear divisiveness of this new universe I do not see Elder Scrolls VI getting close to expectations. Then again so many blind news outlets give this game a 9-10 purely for existing.

I and many others consider Mario Galaxy to be one of the greatest games of all time. It is still wonderful to play and a beast in the 3D Mario lineup. But there were many concepts that didn't make it into the first installment, perfect to put in a sequel. Amazing ideas that can be found all around Galaxy 2. In the music, sound design, creative ass levels, powerups, and even the front cover which shows off the most significant of them all- Yoshi.

Yoshi opened up many gameplay and level opportunities. Even his own power ups which are distinct from Mario's. His power ups are used for entire levels that are designed with it at the core. Yoshi breathes life into every level he is a part of. The kicker is that Yoshi only shows up in a handful of the galaxies, somewhat disappointing because he literally takes up more space on the cover than Mario. Still, the majority of galaxies he is absent in are great.

Moving into the unfortunate regressions of Galaxy 2, first I want to mention the story and atmosphere. Upon the opening It is slowly realized that this will be a retelling of its predecessor's plot. A real shame after what an amazing job Galaxy 1 did with it, they could have taken many other approaches especially since the first game had very recently come out. It feels lazy for them to not find any other drive for this game to occur. With a full view of the story post-credit-roll it is very much an abridged version of the first. Most people may not find issue with that as story has never exactly been the focus of Mario, however I think it limits this game's potential in many areas that could have been switched up between the two.
A great part of Galaxy 1 is the lonely wonder that is perfectly instilled in the cosmos you are exploring. Galaxy 2 leaves that behind for an atmosphere more akin to your average Mario game. There are less starry-skies filled with various planets and more blue cloudy skies inhabited by stages. Even the progression system switched from themed domes at Rosalina's comet observatory to a linear world map designed for quick access. I found myself sorely missing the original's atmosphere, which wonderfully distinguished Galaxy from the other Mario games.

Despite it's fallbacks the level design in Galaxy 2 is still stellar and keeps the action packed fun. It absolutely holds a candle to the first game. My favorites in no particular order were
-Boo Moon
-Tall Trunk
-Bowser's Galaxy Generator
-Chompworks
-Melty Monster
-Cosmic Cove

I may soon try to 100% this game, something I haven't really thought of doing for Galaxy 1

Revisiting Infinite

Playing infinite's multiplayer in 2021 I gotta admit i was pretty underwhelmed. I didn't get to play the campaign yet cause I was In the process of playing halo 4 and 5 beforehand. From its conception 343 Industries has been fucking up; CE Anniversary, Halo 4, Halo 5. Playing the multiplayer on launch nothing seemed to justify the time. You were also unable to play any specific mode you wanted, and were forced to play a quickplay playlist. Fortunately the gunplay still slapped so my friends and I got some mileage out of it for a few weeks. The big team battle was better than anything battlefield had put out in the past 8 years. Too bad we ran out of objectives.

Now 2023, I have finished 4 & 5. I heard that 343 fixed a ton of issues and has stuff to do now. Spent some time playing the multiplayer before the story. I love super fiesta, big team social, and the forest map. I don't have fun with infection, it's not the same as old infection and there's an overreliance on equipment. After playing some multiplayer for a few days I started the campaign.

I can confidently say Infinite is 343's best campaign. It's clear that they tried to make this Halo's breath of the wild, a love letter to the roots of the game where they give you complete freedom in your approach to combat. Unfortunately this open world has little to no distinct environmental and level design. Every area looks exactly the same and the only way to find out where you are is to open the map. It is entirely populated with the same tree for some reason, did they run out of budget in the tree species department? It is rumored that Microsoft sunk 500 million dollars into making this thing, and the world should feel more hand crafted than it is with that in mind.

The open world is ugly and barren but offers a breath of fresh air. It has more numerous enemies, explosive barrels everywhere, and a larger elevation difference in engagements. The combat is my favorite in the series. There is still a consistent flow of large scale battles, something already achieved by Bungie in the classic games. But the classic games didn't have a grappling hook, something that wasn't all that impressive in multiplayer now seems like a massive innovation.

Infinite's story does not feel high stakes or urgent like it's predecessors. Instead it is a character study of the Master Chief and Cortana. Delving into who this AI is and what she should be. This is like a therapy session for how the Master Chief feels in the aftermath of both a personal and professional loss. Unfortunately he banished and big red guy just drag it down. Big red guy is like a Master Chief fanboy trying to get his attention at every opportunity and when you face against him the stakes are very low. I see Echo 216 almost never mentioned when people talk about Infinite, probably because he is a cardboard man that fails to bring any emotion out of you. I would often forget about him until he showed up on my coms for the first time in an hour. Just as in Halo 4 the only part of this that I enjoy is the relationship of Master Chief and Cortana, but I feel it is so strong in both games that it helps lift the story out of a grave.

Hallway simulator!
Didn't quite hit my expectations. I was optimistic because of the darker atmosphere and chance to make a better ending. I think they tried. 40% of the game takes place in a neon-vision AR that mostly hurts the great atmosphere outside of it it. And Ruin does nothing to fix the ending of the base game, it actually kind of makes it even more complicated. And the ending to this dlc is… laughable. I couldn’t believe it was over when the credits rolled.

Still there are good bits to chew on. Cassie & Roxy, Candy Cadet, Gator Golf Catwalks, the Wet floor signs. In my opinion the new mechanics are more engaging than calling Rockstar Freddy to help you all the time, but still not much better. Seems like steel wool heard the complaints from Security Breach and did an alright job at showing they can do it, and in a free dlc at that. I had fun but I don't see myself playing this ever again or recommending it to others

I enjoyed season 2 way more than season 1. It still has some of the same problems i.e. bad dialogue at times, fluffed gameplay segments, and a weird number of unlikable characters. Chapter 4 drags and has a lot of bad writing, but the full story is more connected than the first's. I am a huge fan of the personal drama that takes a front seat, so many broken people put together in a group creates more interesting relationships. There are less of the bland characters that plagued season 1 {katjaa, doug, omid, the cancer group.}
I have a feeling I would like season 1 more if I played it again.

Favorite Chapter: 5 "No Going Back"
Least Favorite: 4 "Amid the Ruins"

A laid-back game with a unique and relaxing experience. I really enjoyed the soundtrack, a perfect fit for the game. Glenn Pierce adds a good amount of humor and charm. The funny dialogue keeps things light and enjoyable as you solve puzzles.
While the gameplay is not overly complex, it is still satisfying and not overwhelming which I worry about in puzzle games.
Beneath its tranquil surface, Superliminal carries a subtle message about thinking outside the box and challenging perceptions. Though not explicitly emphasized until the end, the game left me with a thought-provoking takeaway.
This is a pleasant way to unwind and have a few hours of light-hearted entertainment.

God of War 2018 is a gripping reinvention of the Norse mythos. The entire Norse world, with its broken relationships, cycles of destruction, and stories of control is a perfect place for Kratos to continue his story. Not just for him, but through Atreus as well. It is hard to talk about how amazing this story really is without diving into spoilers.

By far my favorite parts of god of war, even more than the story are the sound design and soundtrack. The soundtrack composed by Bear McCreary perfectly complements the epic nature of the game. It blends Nordic influences with powerful orchestral arrangements, creating an emotional and grand stage that elevates the game's storytelling. Along with the music every word from Kratos, clash of battle, and roar of a dragon is booming. The attention to detail in ambient sounds and character dialogue enhances the experience, making the journey feel all the more impressive.

The combat is both challenging and satisfying, vastly improved from the original games into a more refined and strategic experience. The Leviathan axe combined with Atreus' ranged attacks and combo moves encourage you to master skills and think quickly.

While the majority of environments in God of War are breathtaking and immerse you in the world, some areas feel slightly fabricated, detracting from the game's overall realistic vibe. The occasional overly linear level design feels like they couldn't figure out how to make the area feel believable which breaks immersion.

So much buildup, so much hype, so much suspense, slowly squandered.

This is not the same Lightfall that was announced at the Beyond Light showcase in 2020. Nobody really knows why the real Lightfall became Final Shape, and why they made this filler version of it to take the original's place.
The popular assumption is that they just didn't have a solid narrative for the big finale yet, so had to keep it in the oven for longer. It wouldn't be surprising considering how often the narrative of destiny has been retconned, rewritten and rewritten again. But that's still not a good excuse for creating the "filler Lightfall." Honestly it doesn't make any difference, no matter what the reason, nothing can excuse this large of a stumble.

The seasons that came out in the year of the Witch Queen were premonitions of Lightfall. A slow burn which started before Haunted even launched.

Season of the Haunted was not advertised until the very night before it released, a bad start which only irritated everyone awaiting it. Until Haunted, the standard was: Normal seasons get a trailer well before release to give for hype to build. The exception being that the final season of the year (the one right before the next expansion, and the one narratively tied to it) would be shown off on the day of its release alongside the showcase for the next expansion to emphasize their connectedness. These such final seasons had a special quality of hype because they always had huge reveals in the trailer.
SO, when haunted didn't get a trailer until the night before everyone's expectations went up. What could they have been hiding to not even give us a trailer a week in advance? Well, the trailer was pretty subpar. Announcing a reused location (the leviathan) accompanied by rereleased weapons from season of opulence and Nightmares. Nobody liked Nightmares, all of them are reskinned bosses and nightmare hunts from shadowkeep are terrible. Bungie waited so long hiding THIS, a season of reskins.
Over the course of Haunted, more cracks began to show. Airborne Accuracy, hit and miss story missions, and a pretty boring gameplay loop. despite this I still enjoyed haunted for the most part.

Now half way through the year of Witch Queen it's announced that Lightfall's showcase will be shown a season early on the day of Plunder's release, alongside Plunder's trailer. The Lightfall showcase was the complete opposite of the title card advertised in 2020, which stunted a large amount of hype. It's worth mentioning that the plunder trailer also had nothing to do with this Lightfall showcase, once again the trailer was held from us for no reason. Plunder turned out to be a breaking point for the player-base, apathy began to form among the community and player counts reached an all time low on the steam charts (which go back to shadowkeep). There was almost nothing good to note in plunder aside from the remake of King's Fall from Destiny 1, my favorite raid.

At the final season of Witch Queen, we're not waiting for the Lightfall showcase on account of it already being shown, and expectations are at a low not seen since Curse of Osiris. Once again, in the new expected fashion, the trailer for season of the Seraph came out the morning of the season's release. Seraph pulled out just enough surprises to get everyone at least looking at Lightfall. A decent and slightly more difficult activity, some interesting environments, and a banger final cutscene. The final cutscene of Seraph is in my opinion one of the best cinematics to come from D2. The music, the cover art, the D1 armor sets, all of it exudes the energy that I hadn't felt since the first game. Just enough hype to set up Lightfall.

But Lightfall was doomed to fail. It was never going to work with the direction they went. They said this was our Infinity War, this was Bungie's Empire Strikes Back, but all of it was a lie. A quarter of a complete narrative, the worst dialogue since 2017, terrible tone deafness, a bland location, a subpar raid, and forgettable weapons. Everyone has said it, and it is true that you can stitch together the first and last cutscene and you would not miss a beat. Lightfall became filler when they delayed the real version to become Final Shape, and that video is proof.

Soma may be the most unique horror game in my library. Simon and Catherine have wonderful voice actors and the two of them push this game to its best. The core horror of Soma opts for a psychological approach, which should sure as hell should be more common. Every minute is feeding you food for thought, long walks at the bottom of the sea are opportunities for Catherine and Simon to show their different opinions on life and machine. Long after finishing it I still find myself thinking back to this long journey. Soma is definitely one of those games that makes you stare at the full credits and just say "Man."