The more I play this game the less I like it. The initial gameplay loop is fun, but it definitely grows stale as time progresses. The alien AI become laughably predictable. After a couple missions you can predict where the xenomorphs are coming and just sprint through the levels. I was also seriously disappointed in the lack of boss fights. You do encounter the alien Queen, but the entire sequence is a letdown. Also, do not play this game solo. The android marine AI allies are useless, they just get in the way and contribute very little. This is a fun game to play with friends, but not alone. This game has a serious lack of content. Yes, it isn't a full retail price, but I was expecting more. I worry for the replayability of this game. There are 4 chapters and only 12 missions and a horde mode. That is not much to keep people coming back. Once you've finished the game, which took me 10-11 hours, there is not much reason to go back and play it again. There is a fun game to be had here, but it lacks substance.

While generally and overall, a very solid game, that definitely kept me engaged from beginning to end, I was ultimately expecting just a little bit more from this sequel. The scope was not as big as I was hoping and there was not as many big overarching choices in comparison to the first game. Also, the romances were not as engaging as the original. I romanced Grace but it never felt like we were really romanced at all. But the story is engrossing while building up lingering plot threads from its predecessor and the way it tackles mental health issues was inspiring and done very well. If you were a fan of the original, I highly recommend it. For newcomers, I'd skip it.

I want to like this game more, I really do, but the core gameplay loop is repetitive and boring. This also has the worst shooting mechanics in any of the games by far! The weapons lack punch, power and your basic melee attack is a total joke. It feels weak and has no give whatsoever. I found myself avoiding the skills all together and just spamming the assault rifle for every encounter. All the tasks feel the same. You are either defeating all the enemies in a given area or driving a vehicle to a designated location. The world itself is lacking. It all, for the most part, looks the same. Also, with a game that has so many casinos decorating the world, I’m really disappointed that you can’t go inside and play poker, blackjack, etc. In this age of player interactivity with the world, I hate that there is so little to do in Saints Row. The character customization is better than ever, and they’ve tweaked clothing around so once you’ve bought the item its yours to customization as you see fit. As a long time Saints fan, this is a nice touch. No longer do you have to buy the same item but in different colors. The main cast of characters are also really lacking. There are moments where they show true character development, but those moments are few and far between. But I will say, LARPing with Eli never gets old! The more I play, the more I miss Shaundi, Gat, and Pierce. Overall, this is just barely better than the last entry, and that’s saying something. Saints Row needed a fresh start, and this was not that. Removing the weird wonky activities of the later games and going back to what made those first three games so great. A fun GTA alternative that didn’t take itself too seriously and allowed you to be who you want to be. And now that Embracer group has shut down Volition, I doubt we'll ever see this once beloved franchise again.

An improvement in almost every way over the 2018 original. No boring MJ/Miles stealth missions. No tedious lab outposts. This is a pure Spidey adrenaline rush from beginning to end. Sure, the story is rather predictable, but it still does a great job creating genuine heartfelt moments and characters I look forward to seeing more of in the future. It has gameplay that builds upon what came before but feels so appropriate for Miles, his venom abilities are seriously no joke and so fun to use. The costumes are also great with a variety that will satisfy just about everyone. Looking forward to playing new game plus with the spider-cat suit! For the price, this is exactly what I was hoping for.

The last of Us Part 2 successfully builds upon both the story and systems established in the first game and creates a visual wonderland of splendor and stimulation that could not have been done on the PS3. For me, the game is a solid 9/10 because of its emotionally resonating and gripping story, with gameplay that, for me, dragged on a bit at the end. Would have liked to have seen driving sequences, a more robust crafting system and a few other tweaks. A more open world would have been nice, especially after the open Seattle sequence that contained the DNA of a fully immersive open world Naughty Dog played around with but decided against. As for the big controversial twist in the middle, I did not find it that out of left field. In fact, I enjoyed playing Abby because we already spent so long killing her allies who were, from our perspective, nameless antagonists, to suddenly getting to know them and realize they are not far removed from Ellie's people in Jackson. But no matter how much you may feel sorrow for the loss of the fallen, they are sadists that feel no remorse. For me, the very fact people lost their minds over Abby is proof that the character worked. That was the reaction Naughty Dog wanted but it got blown out of proportion. At the end of the day, I have to give Naughty Dog props for going against the grain and telling a story in this way that was much harder on themselves, which they knew would spark controversy, but they felt was necessary for the plot. Revenge and empathy are the key themes of part 2 and while it may not be a perfect 10, like Part 1 was for me, it is still very much worth playing and experiencing.

Callisto Protocol seemed too good to be true going into its release. But then, when the product launched, its shortcomings were made clear. It’s a laborious callback to the studio’s previous games with no new ideas to back it up. Callisto is like Punch-out meets Dead Space. Combat handles like a boxing game. Solid for one-on-one encounters but is completely broken when you fight more than one enemy. The weapons are seriously lacking! There is not a single unique or interesting weapon at your disposal. You get two shotguns, two pistols, and an assault rifle. Nowhere as interesting as the Plasma Cutter in Dead Space. It’s also a very short game with only one real boss fight. The story also takes a back seat and is the least interesting thing going on. Which is a shame since the studio really tried to push the story to the forefront. But Callisto is visually appealing, no corridor looks the same, with amazing sound design and is even better with headphones. It’s a shame the game ended up the way it did. I really want to like this game more, but I just can’t. Hopefully things take a turn for the better down the road. Until then, this a purely rentable title and nothing more.

Valhalla successfully builds upon the systems established in Odyssey, such as combat, crafting etc. with a solid story, interesting characters and rudimentary RPG mechanics. Sadly, I never really felt like my choices actually made much of a difference overall. 8th century England makes for a great backdrop which is sure to make both history nerds, like myself, and casual observers enamored. Valhalla is easily one of the most beautiful games I have ever played! And, if you're playing on PS5, it shows just what next gen is capable of. Glad to see character customization options, even if they are limited to hair style and tattoos. And, after the plethora of armor options in Odyssey, I was surprised how few armor pieces you can gain. My biggest problem is with the skill tree and acquiring abilities. Because it takes so long to acquire abilities and finding books of knowledge, which give you new abilities, the first few hours are horribly sluggish with downright boring combat that gives you few options. The skill tree abilities are hidden so as you put points in more and more of the tree becomes visible. This problem fades as your level increases, but I do not see why we can't have a completely visible skill tree from the get go so you know what you're building towards. If this is your first AC experience, it may turn you away from the beginning. But, as you put in 10-15 hours, it does get better, combat opens up, and everything becomes more enjoyable. Also, raiding is a blast! The settlement, your home/hub, is also a nice touch with upgradable buildings and a decent level of customization. Overall, a good game, but it could have been even better.

Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy is a fun, hilarious, action-packed thrill ride from beginning to end with a great choice system, circa Tell Tale Games, and addictive combat that is more sophisticated than I thought it would be. It is the closest we may ever get to a proper Han Solo simulator, and I love it! This is a game made for the fans, both film and comic alike, with lots of great easter eggs and surprises along the way. Eidos Montreal successfully gave us the Guardians single player experience we wanted, and I really can't wait to see what they have in store for us next. If you played Marvel's Avengers, then you would be forgiven for being hesitant at the prospect of another Square Enix produced Marvel game. Don't worry, I felt the same way. But, after finishing the game and seeing everything it has in store, I was pleasantly surprised with the end result. The story is at the forefront of this game, and it is very enjoyable. As you make choices, you create different outcomes, and your team will react differently. I absolutely loved the character progress of both Peter Quill and his allies. You start off at each other’s throats and by the end you are a tight knit unit. Combat is a lot of fun, though the control scheme did take some getting used to. Using each Guardians abilities by giving them commands works really well and allows for some really sick combos. My only big negative is the number of bugs and glitches I came across that hindered the experience. Also, I really wanted more ship focused missions!! They give you a couple to wet your appetite but I really wanted more and more. Also, and maybe this is just me, but I found some of the unlockable costumes to be lack luster. Overall, this is the Guardians of the Galaxy experience I hoped for.

Marvels Avengers succeeds in creating a visually stimulating adventure game with a solid story that, aside from Thor, gives all the Avengers moments to shine and use their unique abilities in fun and exciting ways. Sandra Saad destroys it as Kamala Khan, who acts as a perfect outsider character to enter this world and unite the Avengers. Each character feels appropriate with a combat system that works the same no matter which character you play. The problem is when the campaign is over and the endgame sets in, which becomes a typical looter shooter gear grind. The problem with Marvel's Avengers is it feels dated, like it should have come out six years ago. It gets bogged down by graphical and technical mishaps, I came across a dozen weird issues as I was playing, and a gear system that feels totally underwhelming with loot that does not change the way you look, unless you've unlocked the cosmetic options, but changes your statistics which did not really mean anything. The maps and gameplay also became boring and predictable as time went by, felt like I was repeating the same actions again and again. There are shades of something great in this game. But unfortunately, they never fixed the issues. This game will now forever go down as a cautionary tale.

Halo Infinite successfully gives us the most entertaining and ambitious Halo game since Halo Reach, and it pretty much delivers across the board. It retains the amazing gameplay we all know and love but in a slightly new package. Infinite sports a fantastic weapon arsenal with very few stinkers in the mix. The biggest addition is the inclusion of equipment that opens up gameplay like never before. It puts the equipment from previous entries, like Reach, to shame. The grappleshot in particular gives a new level of maneuverability and verticality I've been waiting for! The open world format of the campaign is fantastic and feels like something Halo should have done a long time ago. While the activities are a bit shallow, it opens the door to some really interesting possibilities in future installments. Infinite also probably has one of the most entertaining competitive multiplayer experiences I've played in a long time. It was definitely rocky at the beginning, but it has since improved greatly. Progression was a real grind at first, but 343 has continually balanced the challenges making it easier. They just need to give us better rewards for the battle pass, another shade of grey for level 99 of a 100 level pass is just laughable. However, my biggest negative is in the story which leaves us with more questions than answers. It tries to fill in the loose ends of Halo 5 but ultimately struggles to create a new fresh story this time around. Even after finishing the game and collecting most of the recordings I'm still scratching my head in confusion! The campaign also lacks map variety. You'll pretty much be fighting in the same places over and over again. Also, I am not a fan of all the microtransactions, especially the way they seem to shove them down your throat. It’s clear this is only the beginning for this new generation of Halo games, and Zeta Halo still has plenty of mysteries to uncover. But the prospect of more open world Halo experiences make the wait more palpable. But, above all else, 343 really needs to get their act together and prove they deserve to maintain the IP rather than Microsoft giving it to someone else.