Far Cry 3 was my introduction to the Far Cry franchise and I fell in love with it. In Far Cry 3 the player controls Jason Brody, a man stranded on a mysterious tropical island with his friends, desperate to survive and escape. Far Cry 3 is carried by its villain Vaas portrayed by the great Michael Mando. For its time Far Cry 3 was revolutionary. It was THE standard for the open world action adventure genre. With deep character customization and a massive map to explore Far Cry 3 excels in player immersion and encourages the player to take their time and explore. A game I feel is definitely worth playing at least once. I'm not sure how well this game will appeal to gamers in 2022 but it's one my favourite games of all time.

South Park: The Stick of Truth is a GREAT role-playing game! As someone that isn't a huge South Park fan I was pulled into the universe that Trey Parker and Matt Stone created immediately. The combat isn't incredibly deep but it's serviceable enough that it doesn't take away from the experience. Stick of Truth SHINES via its story. It's HILARIOUS. It doesn't hold any punches and doesn't care if you're offended. South Park: The Stick of Truth according to people I trust stays true to the TV show and that itself is praise worthy because licensed games tend to miss the mark. I highly recommend this game to South Park fans!

Man, my thoughts when it comes to Cyberpunk 2077 are all over the place. First off, what is Cyberpunk 2077? Cyberpunk 2077 is an action role playing game that takes place in a fictional city American city known as "Night City."

The game is open world and set in the Cyberpunk universe. The player controls a customizable character known as V and is played in the first person perspective. The player can choose to play this game in numerous ways. They can play up close and personal using melee combat or fight from a distance using various ranged weapons, or the player can choose to use various hacking skills and machinery to their advantage to avoid direct combat.

The main story of Cyberpunk 2077 felt short to me, but personally I found it really engaging. The side quests and the open world design is where the game suffered for me. While some of the side quests were incredible or disturbing (Joshua!) a lot of them were very basic in nature. Go to a location, kill or save someone, rinse and repeat. I enjoyed exploring Night City. I hardly used a vehicle to get around because I enjoyed travelling through different districts finding shards, or listening in on conversations NPCs were having. As a completionist the data term achievement and finding all of the NCPD Scanner hustles towards the end felt incredibly tedious and frustrating.

From a performance and graphics perspective the game was... just okay. I wasn't blown away by the graphics. I played Cyberpunk 2077 on Xbox Series X. I encountered numerous bugs and glitches throughout my playthrough. Textures in the world would simply vanish, enemies would appear clipped through environments, the frame rate or game would stutter and more. Shutting the game down completely and restarting it would fix the bugs. Reloading my save or exiting to main menu wasn't enough. The main story kept me engaged enough to push through the bugs but towards the end they were definitely frustrating, and I started experiencing bugs more frequently after the 1.52 patch was released.

In summary:
While Cyberpunk 2077 was a buggy experience for me and while the main story felt short, I enjoyed my time exploring Night City. I found all of the story endings to be great in their own ways. I'm wonder which one would be canon if they made another Cyberpunk game in the future. If I could talk to CPR directly I would tell them simply quality over quantity when it comes to the side quests and collectibles going forward and to work on the performance of the game. I'm definitely interested in the expansion and will play it as soon as possible. I WANT MORE Cyberpunk 2077. As long as the performance isn't a mess.

Lake is a chill, beautiful narrative adventure game. I really enjoyed the art style, and the music. The game isn't full of twists or mysteries or complex gameplay. You play the role of Meredith Weiss. A woman who takes a break from her career in the big city and delivers mail for two weeks in her hometown. The gameplay loop consists of the player driving around delivering mail, interacting with the various people in the town that she either lost touch with when she left or moved there after she had left. The dialogue isn't complex and the voice acting isn't earth shattering but it's good enough to draw you in and make you relate and connect to the various types of relationships that the game presents to you. The controls were a bit janky but being able to fast travel definitely made them more tolerable. If you don't have a problem with "walking simulator" types of games and enjoy pleasant, chill, adventure games l'd definitely recommend this game to you. If you have Xbox Gamepass, it's definitely worth checking out if you love chill atmospheric games.

I played Lake on Series X via Xbox GamePass.

Mass Effect 2 is a critically acclaimed action role-playing game developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts. It was released in 2010 and is the second installment in the Mass Effect trilogy. The game is set in a futuristic universe where humans and aliens coexist, and players take on the role of Commander Shepard, a human soldier tasked with saving the galaxy from a mysterious alien threat.

The gameplay in Mass Effect 2 is a significant improvement from its predecessor. The combat system is refined and feels more fluid, allowing for a wider range of tactics and strategies. The game also introduces new weapons and abilities, allowing players to customize their character to suit their playstyle. Additionally, the game features a more streamlined inventory system, which makes managing items and equipment much more manageable.

One of the most significant improvements in Mass Effect 2 is the character development. The game features a diverse cast of characters, each with their unique personalities, backgrounds, and motivations. As players progress through the game, they have the opportunity to interact with these characters, learn about their stories, and build relationships with them. These relationships have a direct impact on the game's story and ending, adding a layer of depth and replayability to the game.

The graphics and sound design in Mass Effect 2 are also top-notch. The game features stunning visuals, with detailed character models, immersive environments, and impressive special effects. The sound design is equally impressive, with a gripping soundtrack, realistic sound effects, and well-voiced characters.

Overall, Mass Effect 2 is an outstanding game that improves on its predecessor in almost every way. The gameplay, character development, graphics, and sound design are all exceptional, making for an unforgettable gaming experience. The game's story is gripping and engaging, and the relationships players build with the characters add a layer of emotional depth to the game. If you're a fan of action role-playing games or science fiction, Mass Effect 2 is a must-play game that you won't want to miss.

Halo Combat Evolved is a must play game. A cultural phenomenon when it first released. In Halo you play as Master Chief, a super soldier. In Halo Combat Evolved the player will find themselves on the mysterious "planet" Halo where they will embark on a journey to uncover the secrets of Halo while fighting the Covenant, a military alliance of alien races. A brilliant first person shooter in which each gun feels unique and the gameplay truly shines. Halo CE is a joy to play. Everyone should play Halo CE at least once.

I replayed Halo via the Master Chief Collection on Series X last year.

If you read my Halo CE review a lot of this will sound similar because it's taken directly from that review!

Halo 2 is a must play game. A cultural phenomenon when it first released. In Halo you once again play as Master Chief, a super soldier. In Halo 2 the player will find themselves as the only thing standing between the Covenant and the destruction of mankind. A brilliant first person shooter in which each gun feels unique and the gameplay truly shines. Halo 2 is a joy to play. With new weapons, new vehicles, and new environments Halo 2 feels fresh and pushes the franchise forward in exciting new ways. Everyone should play Halo 2 at least once.

I replayed Halo 2 via the Master Chief Collection on Series X last year.

If you read my Halo CE or 2 review a lot of this will sound similar because it's taken directly from those reviews!

Halo 3 is a must play game. The conclusion to the Halo Master Chief story told by Bungie. 343 will continue Master Chiefs journey in Halo 3. A cultural phenomenon when it first released Halo 3 was the pinnacle of the franchise. Halo 3 is a joy to play. Everyone should play Halo 3 at least once.

I replayed Halo 3 via the Master Chief Collection on Series X last year.

A tight first person shooter, Halo 3: ODST is fun to play but unlike previous Halo games struggles to tell an engaging story. In Halo 3: ODST you play as "Orbital Drop Shock Troopers" and not Master Chief. The player is trying to uncover what occurred during the Covenants attack of New Mombasa that laid waste to the city. Unlike previous Halo games the story isn't told in a linear fashion. The player has to travel around a map looking for checkpoints that will trigger story flashbacks where the player will play through multiple scenarios of ODST that were in New Mombasa during the Covenant attack.

People swear by the multiplayer mode but as a non competitive gamer I can't comment on it personally. Halo 3: ODST is a game fans of the franchise should play if they have Xbox Gamepass and the Halo Master Chief collection.

I replayed Halo 3:ODST last year via my Series X.

Telling Lies is a "detective game at heart." Telling Lies is a game where the story isn't told in a linear fashion. The story is told via the player watching pre recorded video clips of conversations between various characters. The player has to uncover the video clips by typing keywords into a search engine on a simulated computer. It's up to the player to piece the story together and the game definitely doesn't hold the players hand in that process.

Personally I felt like the game was carried by the casts strong acting performances. The acting wasn't over the top, and I was captivated by the mystery of uncovering exactly what happened to each character and their ultimate fate.

I played Telling Lies via Xbox Gamepass on my Series X and I think my only gripe with the game was that l probably would have enjoyed it more if I used a keyboard instead of my controller to type in the keywords I was searching. If you enjoy games that require you to think and put your detective skills to use this is probably a game I would recommend to you. It's on Gamepass so you really don't have anything to lose. I enjoyed my time with it. If you're familiar with the game "Her Story" this game is its successor.

Psychonauts 2 is a GREAT 3D action adventure platformer that contains some of the most mature and self aware writing that I've ever witnessed. It's funny, it's sad, it's dark but also light. Psychonauts 2 will take you through a range of different emotions throughout your play-through. Psychonauts 2 is incredibly to fun to play. The gameplay feels tight, and the ability to swap in different "powers" keeps the game feeling fresh. The only criticism I have is that you can only have 4 powers mapped on your controller at once and it can get annoying having to go into the menus to re-map them from time to time.

Psychonauts 2 was my 2021 Game of the year. A must play!

A Deck Night game and the latest entry in the Life is Strange franchise, Life is Strange: True Colours is a decent game. In Life is Strange: True Colors the player control Alex Chen, a female that has the ability to sense, absorb and manipulate the emotions of another person. In typical Life is Strange fashion Alex early on in the story experiences a tragedy that sends her on a journey of confronting her "powers" and uncovering the "truth" of what happened. I enjoyed my time with True Colours and was grateful that unlike with previous Life is Strange games all of the episodes were released at the same time. I enjoyed Life is Strange: True Colors more than Life is Strange 2. If you're a fan of the franchise I'd pick this game up on a sale.