As my first Metal Gear game, this was quite an impressive introduction to the series. Compared to games like the original Legend of Zelda, Metal Gear had a few more moments that I would have never gotten past without a walkthrough, but it more than made up for it with the consistently tense stealth-action gameplay and unique puzzles spanning across entire buildings. The segment that really sold me on the game was when it incorporated the trope of NPCs lying to you, but with traps that could be identified by applying your experience gained throughout the game. Even with the limitations of hardware and game mechanics from the mid-80's, the original Metal Gear has the creativity and cleverness that I expected from this series.

Part of the Glitchwave Top 100 Project (#19/100 - Metal Gear Solid HD Collection)

After nearly a dozen playthroughs over the years, Super Mario World has remained one of the most consistently fun experiences for me in video gaming. There’s not a single level I would leave out, and the secret exits just make the worlds even more replayable. On top of that, the power-ups are the best of the series, with the cape feather in particular being immensely satisfying to glide, bomb, and dive with. Even obstacles as basic as Koopa shells offer a great variety of options when it comes to kicking and throwing. Everything just fits together so well in offering freedom of control and challenge.

It’s the quintessential idea of what a “perfect game” means to me.

Part of the Glitchwave Top 100 Project (#44/100)

When I had previously played Doom, I had a great deal of respect for the historical aspect of the game, but there was something about the graphics that made my eyes sore after just a few minutes. However, I went with the DSDA Doom version instead of the Steam port and that issue went away after I turned off weapon and view bobbing. From there, I had a much more enjoyable experience with the original Doom.

One of the biggest factors that I love about this game is the incredibly fast movement speed. Unlike so many other shooters (especially modern entries in the genre), I was always able to go exactly as fast as I wanted to at anytime. Just as importantly, the controls were also very precise, which lead to some immensely satisfying weaves and strafes through enemy fire. Any damage given or taken was all down to positioning, which I always felt in control of. On top of that, the speedy movement was perfect for navigating the levels. It helped make exploration feel just as fast-paced as the combat, and never made it a slog to cross even the largest rooms.

Another aspect I quickly grew to appreciate this time around is the gruesome visual style. The wide variety of texture definitely helps in keeping a sense of direction, but just as importantly, it perfectly conveys an eerie atmosphere. There were a few instances where I would stop just to admire the macabre environments. I can’t think of any other game that conveys the dread and horror of traversing through hell just as expertly as Doom does.

Part of the Glitchwave Top 100 Project (#100/100)

It’s often hard to tell if a game starring an animal will be more than shallow bait for memes. Untitled Goose Game had charm, but was often frustrating and got increasingly more tedious as it dragged on. Skatebird was a decent pun that should have stayed just a pun. So it was unclear if BlueTwelve Studio’s cat-led platformer Stray would suffer the same fate and be more fun to joke about than to play. But instead of leaning on one joke for five hours, Stray is an engaging experience that thrives on its unconventional main character and wonderfully realized dystopian city.

Read the full review here:
https://www.comingsoon.net/games/reviews/1232233-stray-review-ps5-worth-buying

Before 2022, if you asked me what the cutest post-apocalytic game was, it would have obviously been Pikmin 3. But now we've got Kirby and the Forgotten Land AND Stray??

Stray is great! It felt at first like it was going to be a straightforward exploration-focused game, but there's a lot more Early 90s Sierra influence than I expected. The world is beautiful and just the right size; each time I started to feel like an area was too big to not get lost in, I would suddenly start to get my bearings. The environments are well laid-out enough that I could now point you towards any location of interest from memory. I still wouldn't have said no to a Metroid Prime-esque map, but it's not as harmful of an omission here as it was in something like Supraland or The Gunk.

Anyhow. Stray emphasizes that it's nice to go outside. That there's a need to escape from the city now and then. Which means THIS banger kept popping into my head during my playthrough (sorry @Alexizaki it's not what you're thinking): https://youtu.be/Yvg8p0wKiJo

The last chapter in Kiryu's storyline is a solid one featuring a new physics engine taking advantage of the PS4 power. New physics are detailed but can throw a wrench in the combat and just overall movement if you are used to play the other Yakuza games with the old engine.

Story is a roller coaster, with intriguing sections and full-on absurd happenings and theories later in the game but overall is on the good part and shows an interesting side of Kyrius's personality.

This game offers a new area/island to explore which is great considering the Yakuza games rely too much in previous areas for the most part. The clan wars side game is actually very good and has a good amount of depth.