While traversal can be acomplished through the use of Ultra handed made vehicles of varying complexities, Tears of the Kingdom ends up feeling like a toybox demo than a fully fledged sequel.

The rejigged open world is welcome otherwise this would drag the game signficantly lower in anyones estimations.
In an odd way this game shares similarties with Banjo Tooie, a sequel with plenty of ideas but not fleshed out into a cohesive experience.

There's plenty to do and yet there's an air of uncertainty present that is apparent from the constructs left behind by it's predecesor breath of the wild.
I enjoyed my time playing however it gives off the impression that allowing anything to be a solution is not always the most rewarding experience.
Many shrines are solved in a matter of seconds due to the arsenal of abilities that serve to get you from point a to point b.

There's also sticking objects together like garrys mod which may confuse and irratate those who just want to progress without fiddling around with the finicky building mechanics.
A criticism that has been dug into the ground and levied at botw about the weapons is also not fixed here.

While you will never be in short supply of materials to craft weapons, it becomes tedious scrolling and sorting through a long list just to remake an effective weapon that you crafted before.

What's more confusing is that there is a favourite feature but it is only present for the contraptions menu and not the fuse weapons menu.
The tedium can be somewhat reduced by using an unlockable ability that auto-builds schematics of previously made creations but it ends up costing zonaite, and this is where there is a clash in design.

The sky is under utilised and less sprawling as imagined before it's debut in those trailers years ago. Skyward sword had character in it's approach to the sky section with unique buildings populated by npcs.
The sky being the main draw becomes the least developed compared to the depths which make up a majority of the terrain.

The depths are more challenging than the land or sky due to the blight condition which prevents you from replenishing hearts once you touch or are attacked by blight afflicted enemies.

Your reward for exploring the depths comes in way of easier ways to acquire zonaite to power batteries and collect what were previously amiibo locked outfits from botw in chests.
The cycle becomes this, Build 2 fan and 1 seat flying machine with a brightbloom seed to light the way; find lightroots, mine zonaite repeat.

There are a few bosses sprinkled around the depths as well as above but they suffer from copy and paste that you will get so sick of encountering the 6th hinox that you'll opt to skip it.

As for the regions they have seen a makeover in layout whick makes revisting interesting, there's a lot more thought put into what sidequests there are this time around.
At the same time there is a lot of repetition when it comes to some of these.
The travelling band requires you to find a band member, complete their task before hauling them all up a hill in a towed wagon to a great fairy that does the same thing as all the other great fairies which is upgrade your armour rating but only with the required number of materials for each piece.
Another involves seeking out caves and wells that are seperate to the depths to kill bubuulfrogs that drop buubul gems which can be traded in for items also present in botw.

The four dungeons in the game are a huge step up in comparision to botw and the bosses encountered also are improved but not as clever to solve like in previous zelda's prior to botw.
The champions also make a return with their abilities allowing you to do different types of attacks.

The least helpful one comes with sidons water barrier that will absorb one hit and if you attack it shoots a jetstream slice that clears muck which really only affects the zora domain and some parts of the depths.
Riju will use lighting if you shoot an arrow after it charges up, tulin shoots arrows and propels you forward with a gust of wind and yunobo barrells towards anything in the path designated. Yunobo's ability can be annoying as he will automatically cling to any vehicle you pilot, including tiny ones which blocks a lot of view.
Luckily you can disable any of these at any time, but a majority of the time these abilities are quick lackluster.
I would mention the additional ability but it is considerd a spoiler but even it is a let down when initially you think you can do a lot more with it than you actually can.

Overall Tears of the kingdom is a sequel to breath of the wild, if you enjoyed that then this is more of the same but with a different look. Does it break new ground and redefine the genre? Absolutely not.
It feels held back by what groundwork was laid before it that now it falls victim to the same formulaic curse that it tried to escape from.
Will I return to this years later who knows but it certainly isn't the best Zelda game

Alan Wake II surpassed my expectations. Thirteen years later, Alan returns, and it more than lives up to the time passed. If you've seen Twin Peaks and played Alan Wake 1, you'd be hard-pressed not to draw comparisons between them. This sequel delves into the darker side that its inspiration also drew in the third season.

Night Springs exists as a fictional TV show within the world of Alan Wake, and it's heavily implied that it's fiction within that universe but could also be reality. This separation between the real and surreal realm is what this game excels at by putting you into the roles of two protagonists this time around. You are thrust into the experience with a rude awakening as you control a bloated naked corpse of a detective sent to Cauldron Lake in Bright Falls to investigate the disappearances of Alan and other persons since.

The introduction sets the tone instantly with a cult ritual, which looks like it would fit in well with 2010-era music videos. We are then given a winding road shot of our new protagonist, Saga Anderson, and her hard-boiled partner Alex Casey, whose face is based on Sam Lake, the director, writer, and iconic face of Max Payne.

Saga is slowly taken up to speed with the supernatural events occurring in Bright Falls, as is the player—both new or returning—in a way that doesn't beat you on the head with exposition. Everything unravels as you piece together separate clues that you assess on the case board, which also acts as a guide in case you forget what to do or have a few missed items you want to look into.

You will find manuscripts and lunchboxes that let you upgrade your weapons, and it is all so familiar if you've ever played Resident Evil 2 Remake. Even the item box mechanic is borrowed here with the shoebox that allows you to store extra supplies that you can't hold. The puzzles are quite intuitive and rely on intuition and exploration to figure out the solutions, which is something Resident Evil could learn from.

The obnoxious yellow paint dilemma that bothers some people is here but only when you shine the torch, which doesn't detract from the game as it fits diegetically. You might be wondering, what is the purpose of having two protagonists? In this game, you'll be traversing the real world and the dark place; this is where Alan has been tortured by his inner demons and quite literally a demon lookalike in the form of Mr. Scratch, who was mentioned in the Writer DLC of the first game and shown in Alan Wake: American Nightmare.

The Dark Place can be altered by different plot board adjustments that you can shift between, making the scenery change as well as adding enemies and items that weren't there originally. This would be a terrible gameplay system if it wasn't instant, but due to the nature of modern consoles and PCs being able to load areas fast, it makes a seamless transition that really makes this game shine in this area. No other game utilizes the speed of an SSD for an interesting use case such as Alan Wake 2.

The appearance of the Taken also differs between the Dark Place and reality as they will be dreamlike and hard to see in Alan's campaign, whereas in Saga's, they are completely visible, like waking nightmares. The tone shift from the first game to pure horror focus is a welcome change, and it's reflected in the gameplay. You'll need batteries for the flashlight to allow you to damage the Taken, bullets, and escape items such as flashes to escape if you get overwhelmed. You also need to be careful not to overdo the flashlight boost as there are shadows that are not always guaranteed to be Taken but there to put you on edge, and it works. They whisper and move sporadically, adding to the unease factor.

I was not expecting to be that in love with Alan Wake 2, but it has somehow overthrown Resident Evil 4 Remake for me. The Herald of Darkness performance was also stellar.

The final Draft:
Inital gameplay bugs and oddities have finally been ironed out. A cult stash crossbow floating above the road is something alan would come up with.
Sad to hear about the passing of alex caseys va James McCaffrey. Looking forward to the nightsprings dlc whenever it drops.
I liked the revised ending as it seemed to clear what the symbolism meant at the end.

A PS2 era-esque game in 2023.
A divisive entry in FF as it does away with nearly every aspect that makes it a Final Fantasy game while still being above par.

Solo protagonist, no elemental weaknesses, no vehicles bar ambrosia and a very FF12 world (A positive imo).
My initial playthrough took around 60 hours due to the lengthy side content that wasn't too involved. A majority of these result in speaking to npcs or killing a monster.

The combat system doesn't compare to devil may cry V's and seems as though it's held back due to the lingering elements that still make it a rpg.

The stagger system for tough enemies is much more simplified than that of FF7 remake as any attack will wittle it down.
Eikons are limited to three which means you'll tire of the same two before swapping in others to give them a go and then swapping back. I never removed phoenix as the abilities are far too useful such as the homing dash and ultimate to warrant removing it.

I'll be looking forward to replaying this on Fantasy mode as the normal difficulty did not prove challenging. I did all the hunting board but it begins to wain on you after hearing the main battle theme for the 10th time.

As many have stated before it has it's low points but many high points that make it feel close to a metal gear rising or Asuras wrath but sadly the length of the game feels bloated.
Had this gone for a shorter and more concise experience it would rank higher but sadly it's held back by elements of the rpg it's trying to desperately hold onto that it falls short of being an excellent action game.

The story could of done without the final stretch in waloed as that is the point I began feeling the game becoming more of a slog.

DLC hopefully will include a short sandbox of different gameplay elements now that the core experience is finished.
Until future playthroughs this remains my opinion of the game.

"Visibly embattled, from its lifeless vestigial third-person combat to its then-unprecedented use of product placement; one can sense the Microsoft execs bristling at the idea of ponying up the big bucks for a video game with a writer protagonist. The lack of confidence on display is only exacerbated by the overexplained cosmology and intertextual references, Remedy tossing fish to clapping seals who may or may not be media-literate enough to recognize a reference to The Shining. Using obscure collectibles as narrative scaffolding and the cryptic ending at least suggest some measure of interest in letting the player piece the world together themselves, as befitting a game about narrative and mythmaking. The stormy PNW atmosphere is also a major positive tilt for me, and you do have to give it some credit for attempting an unconventional starting point for genre entertainment. " - A disgruntled man

The hubris in the above review reflects an individual who has succumed to the elder gods. Alan wake is a departure for Remedy but also entangled with the guilt of creating one of the most prolific action video games of all time. In creating alan wake they attempt to murder that which made them legendary in the first place.

Under ridiculous expectations both from executives and fans it's no wonder that this game is as polarising as it is.
The pure gameplay junkies will foster great resentment at Remedy for this but those with understanding will see that they did not want to feel beholden to it's audience for all eternity.

The ending of Alan wake being open ended and writing an escape in a sense narratively fits what has now become remedys cherry pie. Not stuck in the pasts glory days but at the same time hallmarks of max payne can be found all over their work.

They understand more than the begrudgeny audience that shower max payne in the light while leaving the studio that made it in the dark.
The meta nature of the game will make the avid gamer scream so for those like myself who don't mind the pacing or structure then it's a non issue.
Alan wake getting prop killed by a fridge is as hillarious as it sounds.
Don't waste your time with reviews that sneer and whine over this title.
They're worth the same as leech's on a penny wound.

This is where Devil May Cry truly hit it's stride. From cartoony setpieces such as riding a motorcycle down a tower to pointing a gun at a jesters shnoz this game embraces the silly nature that gives it character. Dante is a goofy protagonist that sits in direct opposition to his twin brother virgil who takes himself too seriously.
The level design is built around the tower and it's many floors and rooms filled with demons you can surf around on.
The game implements a style feature as well as 4 different stances dante can adopt which can be swapped to on the fly on the Nintendo Switch version making it The definitive version available.

Difficulty wise it's easier than dmc1 but in the fun department it's miles better. This game holds the top spot for character action games before the likes of mgr existed

This along with RE2R share the glory of return to form as capcom deliver banger after banger. The RE engine coupled with fast and aggressive gameplay deliver a unrivalled character action showstopper that is still making waves today.
The inclusion of Vergil makes 4 characters each with their own unique movesets that take time and due diligence to master and refine.

As you progress you'll be juggling enemies, collecting orbs and challenging yourself to acquire the highest rank possible and this is encouraged by the music amping certain elements depending on your skill level tied to your style rank.

Motion capture brings these characters to life and the bonus material showing the behind the scenes is hilarious.

A must play game from 2019

Mass effect explores the vastness of the universe while simultaneously exploring the more inter-personal relationship between player action and reaction
Through mass effect, you're given the role of commander as you designate your Sheppard's background, skills and appearance bad character creator look that lead you down a intergalactic mystery that intertwines that of man and machine.
Being new to an interspecies federation, humankind attempts to assert their place amongst many other species each with their own politics and problems. You play as your own captain kirk, in charge of several crewmates that you order around to varying degrees of competence

You can choose to be a paragon meaning you're a goody two shoes that chooses to be compassionate and acts heroic.
Or you can opt to be a renegade asshole that picks the opposite of a narrative space adventure in favour of playing the game as a gun-ho, that's it just gun ho.
You can also just play how you would in these situations, creating a more nuanced character.

I'm going to be reviewing mass effect 1 and discuss how bioware made a significant impact on narrative driven games back in 2007. For this review I played the game twice and my second playthrough was through the Legendary edition released on ps4, xbox one and PC in 2021.

The prime directive
Before the pains of andromeda
mass effect was a flagship for bioware, being a titular series that would promise synergy between each game in player continuity, ensuring that your choices reflected the narrative that you told through play within the confides of the developers vision.
I think part of the reason that I find myself detached or bored when watching someone else play mass effect is because I want to micro-manage each choice to my vision.
Back seating mass effect is like trying to tell david lynch what to do or tarantino on a set, you just don't do it. In Mass Effect, the person in control is the director of this game flick, customising everything from loadout, spec to dialogue choices.
I remember one evening when having a friend over I decided to show them mass effect 1, the ps3 version I should add that came out long after the game had already been around at this stage and after about 30 mins falling asleep during the opening mission. It's a different experience watching versus playing this series.

The original xbox 360 release still holds up surprisingly well, although it does tend to show it's age on level geometry anti aliasing as well as enabling film grain by default which is most apparent during cutscenes so I tend to disable this.
As for the changes that legendary edition made to this game wel for one the game runs significantly better at a higher than 30fps with a much higher resolution or you can opt for 4k. There's been adjustments to facial models and textures bumped up in resolution which is neat as well as fixing the mako tank.
A welcome change is having the other gender sheppard visible on the character select screen now instead of being hidden away under several menus.
Action really wasn't the focus for the mass effect series so the combat in 1 while lacking in comparison to other 3rd person shooters was intentionally made for you to command your allies to carry out various bionic abilities and order them to form your own little strike team of sorts. You could order them to blindly rush in to draw enemy fire and snipe geth from a safe distance or take a cautious approach and have them use their powers to overload and unearth enemies from behind cover.

Conclusion

There was a tactical element to the combat even though the shooting wasn't as flashy or accurate as many of it's contemporaries, but it was serviceable for the role playing game genre it inhabited.
It played into it's strengths of story telling and character progression, you commanded you and your team on this space voyage making choices every step of the way. A game is a set of interesting choices, and mass effect presents them in it's gameplay and narrative. Legendary edition made the action more streamlined to coincide with it's sequels but there's no denying that the heart of mass effect is in it's world building and choosing what sort of commander you are.

Through choosing between paragon and renegade, you've been granted a small instance of control, but in reality the creator holds true creative freedom over the illusion.
Kaiden ended up becoming a farmer on eden prime, the locals took him in as one of their own despite his likeness to buzz lightyear.

Whether you prefer chocolate or vanilla, the options presented are finite, just as a game can only hold so many possibilities, the plot will always arrive at it's designated end.

Multiple routes in games aren't a rarity nowaday but the way they're conveyed through their writing and mechanics tend to follow a pattern that mass effect and pen/paper stories followed. A film is up to interpretation from the viewers perspective and it's up to the director to deliver a vision that can be viewed as theirs, the viewers and the critics.
This was the first stepping stone and it's not my favourite of the trilogy but the building blocks are here.
The enemy variety could of been better, the final boss re-using an enemies movement while also looking goofy previously with a hover platform could also have done with refinement.
It's a rare game for it's time but you can appreciate what it had to offer back in 2007

Originally started control back in 2019 and while the gameplay was good and the graphics were stunning I wasn't pulled in with the story. The main bulk of the game takes a bit to get to. You'll be obtaining powers until 3/4's way before everything clicks and it truly starts rolling.

The Foundation: The mars look is a good departure from the office building environment that you inhabit for the main experience. A couple of minor tweeks to puzzles and funnily enough it's miles easier to find where to go than the main game. I was getting lost quite frequently before but this dlc I had no issues figuring out where to go next.
Worth playing as well as AWE.

AWE: The Redacted enemy in the dark is truly a terrifying entity. Nothing in the past few years has made me uneasy while playing a game such as this. If you're wondering how important control is to know what's going on for alan wake II there's only really small contextual details that lead into it. Still worth your time

This game has sat in the backlog for a long time and due to unfortunate circumstances where I lost my 3DS save from the great bay portion I had lost motivation to pursue replaying it, however years later I picked it up on a whim on the Nintendo Switch Online NTSC version and it truly has stood the test of time.

The game is structured like the typical 3d zelda however each main mask and item are used so well that you won't be confused on what to use at any time.
My favourite section would be snowhead as the goron mask is quite fun to use as well as the pacing in the dungeon was done in a way that didn't suck the enjoyment out.

The much hated water temple trope I felt didn't apply here at all but the boss was a bit underwhelming.
The one section I felt was tedious if you didn't look up what you needed would have to be ikana well where you must trade with the gibdo mask specific items in order to access a crucial area but other than that there wasn't any headaches throughout the game.

The time mechanic really only applies to sidequests as that is where you will struggle to do them unless they are on a specific day.
The enemy designs are quite varied and nothing like ocarina's and the areas are also quite distinct it becomes shocking how much was put into this game in the timeframe the devs had.

23 years later I feel it still is worth your time playing as it isn't too difficult and offers enough variety it doesn't become stale.

However if you want to go for 100% I would recommend you play any other version, even the 3ds version with the restoration fan patch as owning this game will always surpass a literal time limit to playing it that online sevices such as NSO impose on you.