Absolutely late to this bandwagon but couldn't care less. Playing this for the first time in 23' with the HD project is still an imposing experience.

I loved how memorable dialogue is, I swear even modern games which intentionally try to be funny couldn't land as many bangers as dear Mr Kennedy here does without an afterthought. Not to mean that it's all Leon's credit, the entire cast is hard to forget even for - metaphorically - small characters with limited screen time like Big Cheese Mendez and Krauser. I like the script so much that I'm already pissed that signature lines were scrapped from the - unplayed yet - REm4ke.

Visuals-wise it still looks and sounds good. It would be disrespectful to ignore mentioning the incredible effort made by Albert and Cris plus other members of the HD project team. The textures looked amazingly crisp without a single time looking out of place or wonky, their work is taking years, and they barely break even in terms of finances between their spending and donations, if you can definitely use their work, and if you liked it definitely think about donating if you could.

I could pull a 25 min essay just to brush on how or why RE4 gameplay is so fun, how innovative it is in variation and viability, how tactile and rich it feels. I'll just say that seeing Leon suplex a ganado for the first time irreversibly changed something inside me, how many hours people dumped playing mercs is a stronger testament than my words.

Undisputed milestone for gaming, nuff said.

It's an amateurish satirical attempt to tackle a subject that's way too complex for it to handle properly.

The art is contrived yet nice at least, the audio design serves it well, and it has good atmosphere. The text replies were needless during the dialogue, and replays are a slog compared to the first time.

Milk isn't incompetent as much as it is lazy.

I can't remember if the game was well received in its heyday, but it definitely didn't age gracefully almost a decade later.

Using common sense it'd look like this is a horror game, and that's only less than half right. The Evil Within strongly kicks off as a horror game, but ditches that next to the road a few chapters in. I didn't have a big problem with this survival horror mix but then the horror just up and disappeared, and I was left with a mediocre third person resource management zombie shooter that felt like it was trying to somehow copy the first TLOU.

The story is a huge meh and flat characters do not help, the beats are rare and don't carry weight and distractions made me try to not forget what was going on so far. It's like they somehow got a horrid brew of bad tropes from both Japanese and western game writing.

Hate to see such a solid art design effort bridled with a lackluster game. It's like textured Saw type inflicted gore with otherworldly influences. A big peeve I had is who the fuck thought letterboxing and forced film grain was a good idea? This is a game that makes you smash boxes to collect ammo and brain juice and hunt figurines for keys, and its important to note that these collectibles are there during seemingly important cinematic segments. If I can't suspend my item hunting instinct during your significant expositions then someone was supposed to get fired for this call. That's not even mentioning how It's detrimental to gameplay when you factor the small FOV.

I don't know with what to end my paragraph, but I think it's suitable to tail this with how TEW fails with set pieces. The game wants you to do it exactly how they designed it, failing to do so has all the frustration of working with a hardass director that asks you to reshoot a scene too many times until he's satisfied.

For all the little good TEW holds, it is undoubtedly a mismatched inhomogeneous patchwork of external inspirations.

The idea of a Thing game is odd first and foremost, so I thought this would be a quirky game with some ideas even if it was a crash and burn.
It is even worse than that, a tasteless 3rd person shooting gallery with ZERO horror or atmosphere.

Story is so irrelevant here, because nothing can carry that cold carcass gameplay. Floaty movements with like 4 enemy types in total, and the whole squad trust mechanism is of absolutely no effect on gameplay. Never had a member distrust me and if they shift into monsters I just mow them down and move on without a single care that my mate was a thing.

I thought this would be a mediocre licensed game, it is even worse and there's no reason to revisit it. It's not a half decent game and it takes zero hints from the movie.

NOLUL (Lighthouse) is a simple game that holds a great atmosphere, that's probably because of the stylized PSX visuals and great sound. You're the sole keeper and that solitude makes even the slightest happening have impact on you.

As you progress you'll have to adjust to the uncomfortable presence but whatever is fucking with you will ramp it up faster than you can cope.

The plot itself is obscured and it won't be easy for you to comprehend the full mystery without replays, but after trying to replay I found that the eerie situations don't have much staying power and you'll feel like you're going through the motions again until you see a chance to act differently in this playthrough. It is a short game but replays don't even come close to the first trial in terms of immersion, which is a shame since the first time experience is great and I wish it was more bearable to re-run and explore the mystery more.

This was the changed director's cut which almost reinvents the entire second half. Looking at the original makes it clear that the changes are net positives but still isn't enough to captivate in subsequent runs.

I played SOMA for the narrative and so should you.

Coming from Frictional Games, I thought it would be a horror game and thus added it to my Spooktober backlog, however I got more than I wanted.
I don't think SOMA should be labeled mainly as a horror game, since it isn't its main shtick, nor its best part, because you wouldn't find a proper horror game that lets you take the horror off the gameplay. Instead it can be seen as an adventure puzzler with horror stealth segments.

The gameplay's alright, stealth is rudimentary and situations to solve vary in quality, but if there's a reason I'd recommend SOMA to anyone, it would be the story. Because SOMA's premise is quite nuanced and punches above its weight while keeping it simple and accessible at face value.

If you haven't played it yet then I suggest trying first, I'll talk about the story and I believe your experience would be best going in blind. STOP HERE.


The story beats in SOMA are quite well written, from global principles like the coin toss continuity to simpler ideas like having mankind's last stroke be shelved and shot from the bottom of the ocean. The transition between being scanned in Toronto and waking up in Upsilon is a memorable shift as prologues go. Visual buildings like the delusional mockingbird scans, the bleeding gel holding a beautiful analogy, even some of the monsters are well conceptualized byproducts of the WAU. The idea of the WAU itself and its actions being driven by its deformed flat idea of what is alive, what is human, and what "care" they should be provided. Simon himself is a luddite compared to everyone else on Pathos II and that makes expositions quite organic. Catherine being a recluse was a good choice for a companion, she's goal oriented for the most part and that makes Simon at odds with her serving as the emotional one while she is the "big picture" calculative mind. This uneasy cooperation gives dialogue a good texture even in the idle chatter between them.

There's way more that I'd like to point out but that wouldn't be a review then. Just play SOMA because even the writing alone is worth being experienced.

I emulated using duckstation, the game's performance was choppy overall and at times sluggish. I got BAD+ then GOOD+ endings.

Silent Hill is one of those games which give us a special experience that's so groundbreaking for its time that you give it more leniency. Its cons are usual in my opinion. A reliance on combat that over-estimates combat's longevity and novelty in such a game. It has levels that don't really offer anything to remember and only serve as padding, it feels like design was hurried on a shorter fuse near the end.

But for those cons, I wish I could have played this around its time. It is very capable of instilling dread that other games can only envy.
You're Harry Mason, you're looking for a girl, short black hair and around 7 years old. You are not ready for what the plot(s) unveil to be. The apparent stillness of silent hill breaks when you're attacked by rabid creatures but wait till it completely shatters as you peel the subplots.

I'll be honest, I thought I had a good grasp on the game until I lost it at some point and didn't regain that faint understanding until the very end, and yet I dug around to get the rest of my answers. The story is supernatural, psychological, occult, and fantastical. I thought SH was a primarily psych game, so it took me a minute to readjust. Even when I fully understood, some elements felt more loose than others, but I wouldn't yank those out of the game for anything.

The game's presentation is a milestone for the medium, it could expertly and flawlessly use cinematography at set stages and it never feels less than great. The foggy town feels ethereal with or without the monsters. The grungy and rusty nightmare design is on par with its rival in atmosphere, especially with its cacophony of metallic bangs, distant sirens and other hallucinatory sounds. It is the stage that frames Harry's creeping descent into the madness of silent hill. Lisa was a wonderful addition that struck me personally, her and dahlia are the most competent performances, everyone else feels so detached from the literally incomprehensible horrors that surround them.

My train of thought crashed midway, I still need to let it sink in. Definitely a must-play if you're a fan of unorthodox horror.

The combat is kinda fun, being a one hit kill you're made to think your approach for every room/screen. Design and placement gets kinda forceful nearing the end. The time slowing mechanic is undercooked in relation to game design and I didn't use it save for a few chokepoints because it trivializes the already accessible difficulty.

In terms of visuals it's sprite art generic cyberpunk, that's supposed to be neo-noir but a couple of streetlamps and piano tunes isn't enough for it to be called so. Zero's design is boring and the samurai shit really undermines the whole noir thing they're trying for, that goes for other characters as well ranging from decent to laughable.

Honestly I don't even wanna write about the story because it's so forgettable. It might appear that the game's conversation options determine progression, but that's almost nonexistent, you can also interrupt others mid-sentence, but that's mere skip dialogue button that barely changes responses. Depends on how you see it, but the plot isn't fully concluded and that's because the awaited DLC is yet to be released. The April's fools katana hero reskin doesn't really affect your experience, in fact it might be even better because it doesn't emphasize the story as the base game would.

For brevity, game is alright but story is wack. Not worth it, perhaps check it when the 3 years late DLC drops.

RE3 takes place and time next to RE2, you're Jill and you're trying to simply escape.

This one takes a lot from 2's action elements, but is still more challenging than Code Veronica. It pays some homage with limited access to areas like the police station. There's not much for me to say because if you wanted more of RE2 then this is a good candidate.

The RNG system was nifty, swapping between multiple instances of enemy arrangements and item placement, changing puzzle and codes to avoid tedium and decrease save scumming effectiveness. What's interesting is that it had a sizeable effect even in my single playthrough, instead of it being a different template reserved only for subsequent runs. It's not groundbreaking but it is definitely an improvement for the most part.

Its story was again, better than CV despite it being less consequential. Mostly you're trying to escape the city and avoid Nemesis before the town gets obliterated.

In general, it's the better sequel compared to CV, but still nothing gets close to the duo that is REmake1 and RE2 (OG) IMO, one gets horror extremely well and the other with action.
I do feel this formula was wearing off so I'm hyped for RE4

Seconded only by the first Modern Warfare, World At War is one of my favorite CODs in terms of presentation. It doesn't have as tight of a plot like MW but instead opts for tracing select battles from both theaters of WWII.
The reason why the campaign feels more than just a super-cut of random stages is because of how it side-steps being a marine on the pacific front to an infantryman pushing back towards Berlin. One mission you'd be a marine struggling with an enemy who won't give an inch with bloodshot eyes, right after you'd be the bloodshot soldier fighting toe and nail in the soviet half. It is COD's final letter to the WW era, it acts the struggle, the cruelty, the necessary, and it does so without further comment. You don't need to read an Eisenhower quote after dying to understand why this man-grinder is bad.

Gameplay somewhat varies between playing the Soviet or American soldier. The American storyline is an island hopping arc of pushing back and reclaiming Japanese occupied strongholds. The Japanese are a relentless enemy, ambushing you from hatches and tall grass, sniping from treetops and charging banzai, you will however show cruelty in return by wielding flamethrowers that obliterate ditches and flora alike.
The Soviet storyline starts with brushing close against death in Stalingrad and stumbling upon Reznov whom you accompany in completing his assignment, then you meet him again during the Soviet counterattack all the way to Berlin, here you see the bigger part of unnecessary (Or necessary?) cruelty driven by a desire of revenge.

Difficulty wise the Pacific missions were more frustrating, with worse checkpoints, more gotcha ambushes, clown car spawns and more. This was played on 2nd hardest difficulty, but I wouldn't recommend as it's not a challenge but a tug of war between you and the levels.

I guess I could say that COD is better when it's quieter and less talky.

Despite Mikami's claim that Code Veronica is like 60% of his vision for a perfect RE at the time I strongly feel the opposite, coming after the immaculate horror of 1 and after 2's sweet-spot action formula C:V was a strong letdown, and to think they meant for this to be the true sequel instead of 3.

The tone of horror - aside from quality - tries to ditch the evil experiment labs (But it doesn't or can't) for a more intimate story of a creepy (not so much) family that runs as a comparative parallel to the Spencer house plot. Whether in writing or presentation, the Ashfords feel like neurotic wannabe Spencers. You're constantly reminded with their burning desire to restore their honor and retain the glory days of their magnificent ancestor whose beauty is unmatched. You might think I'm being overly critical but I snorted when I saw one or two rooms that felt like discount RE1 rooms.

Plot-wise it's stupid, stupid in comparison to the hallmark goofy writing of RE so that's a high bar to leap. A hurried derivative plot, uninspired new characters (Steve gets a pass), huge confrontational cutscenes that are almost always solved by either A. someone conveniently enter/exits a room, or B. DODGE ROLL. Good god the Redfields dodged in C:V more than a dex dark souls run.

Difficulty is out of touch, you're drowning in ammo and health compared to previous games and enemies aren't difficult to fight, so we don't get resource management nor good action. Boss fights are bad but at this point in the IP it's a given.

There's much to pick out and complain about, but what about the good? Well they brought HIM back because apparently the Ashfords can't carry the story alone, even though I'd preferred a stronger presence from Alexia instead.

Why should you play despite all that? Well some consider it the truer sequel than nemesis (for some reason) and I guess Mikami likes Code: Veronica. Otherwise you're not missing out anything substantial here.

En Garde popped up on my radar because someone said its combat is akin to a big bar-fight, and that made me give it a shot.

While a lot of people enjoyed it, I wasn't into its visuals. I don't like the Unreal Engine colorful cartoonish style. It's ok and even enjoyable for others but the strong colors just dulls my eyes towards the visuals.

The story is one element I really liked. While it could come off as being just humor that doesn't commit to anything, I think it actually sets the tone of the game pretty well. Story beats that include other characters are nice for the most part. Enemies don't die once defeated and how they exchange quip-y barks with the MC is funny and sets the tone better than any other element.

Since we're all here for the combat, I'd say that it's mostly a strong formula that they have. The mix of reactive skill that commands duels with the tactical skill that lets you set up traps and environmental attacks is very good.
My 2 points of contention is the lock-on system and the level design & NPC AI.
Your attacks are automatically aimed at the enemy you're locked on unless you point and attack at another, this switching is often faulty especially when enemies gang up on you, they as well will lunge across sizeable gaps and connect while you're sprinting away from them to take a breather or to reach a prop or trap to set. This is coupled with cluttered -and sometimes claustrophobic- rooms or arenas which means you're consistently hemorrhaging life points proportionally with bigger fights.
Some enemy types like the duelist require your sole attention, with this conflicting position you'll see how in big fights this ends in a cat and mouse chase as you try to dispatch others while dodging this enemy until he's left last.

It is a very solid effort, and it has a huge room from improvement, but the large holes in its fabric makes it hard to recommend, even for a single digit hours romp.

As my 2nd playthrough, I can only appreciate Prey more and more for what it was able to do.

An immersive-sim with a punch that earns it a place among the greatest of all time for the genre.

Environmental storytelling, interconnect quests and rippling effects, a stylish well written grounding, character impressions and a lot else that it nails almost perfectly. That is besides the story that packs a lot in a humble package. There's a lot to praise prey for and little in terms of criticism or comments.

It is worthy of being Arkane's magnum opus on so many levels that I feel unprepared to give it a nuanced and detailed review. It is an absolute must-play.