a 5 to 10 minute adventure that plays with all of your expectations, even on what a game should be.
for free, i'd say this is a fantastic short experience, and i want to see more like this.

gameplay gets a 4.
story gets a 5.

intense and insane.

the gameplay will throw everything it has at you, and try it's hardest to overwhelm you, even with a very simplistic gameplay loop.

the story mainwhile, successfully managed to make me scared, conflicted, and confused, and managed to fluently turn that into confident, and proud.

gameplay gets a 5/5.
story gets a 5/5.

the cleaning of the bugs and major issues, have only revealed this to be a disappointing game.

the gameplay feels like it's trying to do too much, with too little.
hacking, upgrading, weapon stats, on top of a cod-level-of-simple gameplay loop.
meanwhile, the bosses are just unfair, and unfun.

the story meanwhile, is a complete disappointment.
V is nothing. they are a vessel for the player to drive. and with that, Johnny Silverhand has no room to be a fun character, due to the only character he can interact with, being a vehicle for the player.
there is no space for the interactions between V and Johnny to surprise me, or intrigue me.

gameplay gets a 3.
story gets a 2.

WOAH
this game is fantastic!
the gameplay is sturdy, and the impressive graphics never get in the way.
the kill counter, and recoil reticle, are fantastic ways to make the learning curve way less steep, and to keep things feeling fair and fun.
the progression could be better, it needs more maps, and the balancing can be shakey, but this is a fantastic upgrade.

gameplay gets a 4.

this is a big part in demonstrating roguelikes, vs roguelites.
this is a roguelike, there is no progression system, and no way to get better stats over runs.
the base gameplay is fun and interesting, but there's nothing keeping it afloat.
you play with the same luck and stats, every time.
runs start all feeling the same, and soon it feels like there's no reason to keep playing.

gameplay gets a 2.

this one isn't as good as 3 and 4.
some of the cosmetics are cool, but a lot of it is nostalgia bait (which the fanbase is 100% falling for), the new mode is a fun concept, but isn't too fun in execution.
especially with all the Halo 3 playlists, this really feels like 343 giving into Halo Fans' desires of wanting to constantly be reminded of the past.
and it's working, and bringing a lot of positive attention to the game.

hopefully this leaning into nostalgia doesn't leak too much into gameplay; fucking up balancing for "casual players".
this season could either be an off step towards a wider image of what halo can be, or the beginning of Halo Infinite becoming cheap nostalgia bait, while sacrificing it's balancing, or unique style.

this one gets a 3.

this is what i'm talking about!
this is 343 accelerating and getting better at introducing fun new content!
along with forge and co-op, this is Halo Infinite's come back!

this one's a 4.

this game is a very fun premise, but is plagued by accessibility and quality of life issues.
unless you already know where you're going, finding entrances, fire exits, or your own ship, can become a hassle, that could easily be fixed by the inclusion of a map.
it also falters in that it is most enjoyable with large amounts of people, but without a mod, you can only play with 3 others. and in singleplayer, the game is almost unplayable.
losing your progress when everyone dies is also extremely frustrating - basically always killing your run, but still giving you time to really feel that pain.

however, this game is masterful at setting stakes, and building tension. nothing is more terrifying than not knowing if you're the last one left or not. and with the slow inclusion of more and more terrifying aspects, i have high hopes for this game.

gameplay gets a 3/5.

this game has issues, but has the potential to become a social game that outclasses Left 4 Dead 2.

Red Dead Redemption 2 is the best story Rockstar has told, while being one of it's more shakey gameplay experiences.

the gameplay, while it's roots are fun, adds all these side systems that bog the rest of the experience down. cleaning your gun, cleaning your horse, and all these side systems that needlessly effect the main experience, just end up slowing it down.

the story how ever, is perfect. it's a very big, very slow story, about family, loyalty, and fate. all these characters, moving in their own directions, all being their own people, and perfectly forming a wonderful story.

gameplay gets a 3.
story gets a 5.

coming from GTAV, my hopes were high for it's older brother GTAIV. but sadly i was thoroughly disappointed.

the gameplay can be decent with it's driving and physics. but when playing the campaign, the flaws in the shooting, and pacing can shine through.

the story mainwhile, completely fails to keep my attention. you are a side character, fulfilling tasks for other side characters. as soon as the ball starts rolling, and you feel like the stakes are getting higher, you start doing more chores for more randos you don't give a shit about.
i completely gave up on the story half way through.

gameplay gets a 3.
story gets a 1.

gameplay is amazing when it focuses on it's basic mechanics. the combat is SPECTACULAR, and so god damn satisfying.
however, sadly, i could care less for all the bothersome side stuff it throws at you. i do not care for the puzzles at all. i don't mind the traversal if it's used to tell the story, but the puzzles just feel like they get in the way.

the story is amazing. i wish Atreus's troubles with his ego was done a little more naturally, but other than that, this story made me so god damn happy.

gameplay gets a 4.
story gets a 5.