I use a few websites for keeping track of upcoming games and their prices. As my main hobby keeping track of hundreds of games can be difficult and I like everything organized and efficient as much as possible within my life. Whilst looking through new releases on PSprices it has genuinely shocked me how many of them are just downloadable content for skins, emotes and above all battlepasses or real world money for fake world currency for some kind of bland looking games as a service gatcha. Monster Hunter itself isn't immune to these trends with cosmetic fluff for new haircuts and emotes abound on digital store fronts. When I was growing up though, additional content had substance in the form of expansion packs, which is much closer to what Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak is. It's actual value for money for those that want more of the base game.

I'm not going to talk about what Monster Hunter Rise is as a game, if you haven't played it you shouldn't be reading this. I'm going to discuss what Sunbreak adds, what content it brings to the aforementioned experience.

For a start it has a whole new story carrying on from the end of Rise with a new faction and new hub location the Elgado Outpost. Story isn't Monster Hunter's strong point but I do feel this was a slight improvement for an excuse for you to be slaughtering Monsters. The hub is full of new characters that give side quests and the way it ties some of them back to Kamura village is quite nice. It has all the details I really love about the series with Palico's riding little mining carts, hidden owls on roof tops and the animations and design are all great. There are two new maps to explore The Jungle and the Citadel. The Jungle is a remake of a classic Monster Hunter location with lush beaches and well...jungle. I really liked going back there in a more modern gameplay setting. The Citadel is a frozen crumbling ruin with a tiny bit of swamp attached. Both settings are fun new locations to fight with more great wirebugs, relics and secrets to find. In these locations (and the old) there are also new endemic life added. My personal favorite is the marionette spider that you can lasso a monster with and then pull it into a wall.

The biggest aspect of these new locations and characters though is how it improves the single player quests by allowing the knights there (and later former Kamura village characters) to go on hunts with you either through follower quests or survey quests. The way they improve the single player experience to make it feel more like a group hunt is outstanding and should be in all single player Monster Hunter games going forward. They set traps, heal, and sometimes go "I'll be back in a minute" and come back riding an Anjanath or something barreling attacking your target. It's hilarious and really adds to the experience.

Speaking of the Monsters, Sunbreak adds a variety of new ones, some from previous games (Astalos, Shogan Caenataur etc.) and some completely new. Around 10 in all plus a variety of subspecies like Furious Rajang. Previous Monsters from Rise all have master rank tougher variants with their own armor and weapon sets to boot. The new inclusions are all pretty intimidating initially and the art design is absolutely spot on. Malzeno the cover monster is especially cool, like some kind of vampire dragon.

I've mentioned quite a bit here already in broad strokes but the thing is about Sunbreak is I could keep talking about it, it's just more of what was in Rise and I don't mean that as an insult. I haven't even mentioned skill swapping, the Castlevania looking arena level, Risen Elders etc. My group and I haven't even finished all the quests ourselves and we have been playing it for many hours now.

To be blunt, if you like Rise, buy Sunbreak, it's almost a full second game.

A stylish, old school inspired, science fiction, psychological, survival horror game at an affordable price point. Yes please and thank you!

Signalis plays how you would expect a survival horror to and is heavily inspired by Resident Evil and Silent Hill. You have a limited inventory space, which means considering what to pick up and planning your trips to the item box. You use the map to get around and see what needs to be explored next. Every enemy encounter needs consideration as you have limited health, ammo and items and you will probably need to back track through each location again too. There are good puzzles to solve which are not too easy but not too obtuse. The game does not hold your hand either and there are no constant check points. It’s all very satisfying to play and it is the type of game that is hard to put down. I found myself saying “I’ll just check out these two rooms” or “I’ll just see what this key opens.” Then another hour would fly by and I’m still playing.

The combat is the weakest part. The way the enemies move, look and sound is creepy but they don’t really pose a threat on their own. One or two enemies can usually be easily dodged around or put down. The way the game ups the difficulty is by throwing small groups at you and/or heavily restricting space. It would have been cool if the enemies were a challenge on their own and a greater variety in enemies and how they attack would have been good too. I found the combat definitely got tiresome by the start of a second play through. There are also some first person sections which felt too slow and tedious.

The story, world and lore of Signalis is interesting and I really enjoyed it. It’s not told in a direct way and there is room for interpretation. There are multiple endings as well which are all valid. The art direction and sound all fit perfectly with this story and world. It looks somewhat like a PS1 era game but has so much of its own personality and style which I am a big fan of.

Signalis was easily one of the best games released in 2022. The very small development team are absolute legends and I can’t wait to see what they do next. If you have any interest in survival horror then you need to play this or even if you just like good games in general then I recommend Signalis.

8.3/10

If you've never moved before, I don't think Unpacking will resonate with you as much. It's not even a matter of the game not being impactful so much as it's nostalgia that Unpacking can only hit if you have been through the process of moving your life into a new place. Unpacking is, of course, a game entirely about moving from place to place over the years as we watch a femme someone move, and see their interests grow and needs change. It's a mixture of your own personal feelings, subtle storytelling, and visual placement that all works together to make your own experience with it.

Unpacking is a simple concept of a game, as you literally are just unpacking everything, and figuring out where things go. From time to time you can find different items in boxes where they don't belong recurring items that keep showing up, and expanded interest in the characters desires. It really is a neat and novel game that works as a psuedo puzzler, as figuring out where to put everything in your house can often be. What makes Unpacking more captivating however is that you are following a single person throughout the years, and watching them grow. In a way this can be a trip for those that moved to college or moved in together with someone, and that's kind of the magic of Unpacking. While you are helping this person unpack, you can also be called back to the times you had your first move or dorm or apartment. It's simply being able to relive the excitement, and troubles of starting over again.

Visually the game looks pleasing using a pixel like artstyle, and the music is usually just some beeps and boops that can be relaxing. Honestly though, looking at Unpacking as strictly a game, it doesn't have a lot going for it. When you start to not think of Unpacking like a game, that's where I feel the game thrives the most. The enjoyment really is on the player, and their own experiences with moving, and for a lot of people being reminded of a fresh start is all it can really take to uplift your spirits.

An underrated gem. I honestly have never heard anybody say anything about this game, but I tried it because it's free with PS+, and I'm glad I did. It captures the irreverent spirit of the Guardians films, but the characters are more true to their comic book counterparts. Listening to the team banter between missions is as much fun as Dragon Age: Origins, and the story is actually really good. I was not expecting as much emotional pathos and chuckle-worthy wittiness. The cast they got is also great and delivers outstanding performances.
The only downsides I can think of is the combat gets repetitive and there are some nasty bugs. Nothing game-breaking, but some sequences did have my PS4 lagging a little too much. There's also a glitch with collectables that is very irritating, but I managed to work my way around that for the platinum.
Overall, I had an actual blast with this one. It's a great experience that I doubt we'll ever get again. It's not as standout amazing as Marvel's Spider-Man, but it's a definite sleeper hit. A lesser masterpiece.

After beating Fatal Frame 1, I was hesitant on whether or not I even wanted to continue the series since while the game had plenty of fascinating ideas, it fumbled its execution and it resulted in a boring and frustrating game. But, I stuck with it, and I'm glad I did because this game is easily one of the best horror games I've ever played.

For starters, I like this story much more. The game aged quite well visually and the voice-acting is actually pretty solid so it's easier to get invested and Mio and Mayu are a step up from Miku and Mafuyu since there's actually something to their characters with Mayu having separation anxiety and Mio feeling responsible for the accident. The plot also does a good job of tying the dynamic between the sisters with the backstory of the ritual and it all culminates in an ending that is the perfect blend of sad, touching and bittersweet. Before I fought the final boss, I took some time reading every note, file and radio recording I collected because I liked it enough to where I wanted to make sure I had a good grasp on the plot. It also helps that the files you get in this game are more focused and compact whereas in the first game, I felt like the notes could get a little too long and would often focus on details that had next to nothing to do with the main plot.

The combat has seen a slight change and it works for the better. Instead of damage being based on how long you keep the cursor over the enemies, damage dealt is now dependent on how close you get to the ghosts and it's a really good change since it forces you to get within breathing distance of them in order to get good damage. Enemies also don't teleport nearly as much so the frustration of 1s combat is gone. I just wish the ghost designs in this game were better, compared to how uncanny and deformed 1s ghosts often looked, 2s look quite generic in comparison. This game is also, way too easy since dealing with ghosts is now easier due to them dealing less damage and moving slower and the game also drowns you in healing items. By the end I had about 35 of them in my inventory and it's a real shame because it eliminates any source of tension I could've had when it came to resource management. I would say that in terms of being scary, 2 is a stepdown from 1 but it was much more enjoyable and I'll take enjoyable over frustrating any day of the week.

But the area where 2 absolutely shines for me is in its layout. This time, you're exploring an entire village rather than a single mansion and for the most part, every chapter has you exploring a new area and these chapters are just right in terms of length. Not only are puzzles in these areas less repetitive and slightly more interesting here, but I even liked the subplots in them, especially the one about the possessed doll. Backtracking is still present though not to the same extent as in the last game and it's much clearer on where to go. In general, I think this game is paced wonderfully, I couldn't stop playing it.

Sure, it may be too easy and not as scary, but Fatal Frame 2 is still everything I wanted it to be. It erases most of the flaws of the first game while building on what it already did well and it results in a game that's easily up there as one of the best sequels I've experienced.

finished this today. what an incredible game. unique concept reminiscent of alice in wonderland (but much, much bloodier - and much more disturbing), but with so much unique storytelling & lore with it. the art style is amazing, and for a "point & click" type of game (which i usually don't enjoy), it's exceptional. the score is also noteworthy, with world-building notes of doom & dread making up the soundscape. the concept of realms and ultrareality is so creative and original, i have to applaud all the artistry. the humor is also great, my friend & i laughed a lot throughout this game. i can without a doubt say that it's a journey that became one of my favorite experiences with a video game. the puzzles are pretty challenging, and i'm someone who is really good at puzzle solving, so being stumped is something i usually don't have to work through so much. 10/10 amazing video game. if you can handle the gore & the disturbing aspects of it, then you definitely won't be disappointed with the quality level fran bow achieves. highly recommend.