Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory is the pinnacle of the franchise. The graphics and sound design are perfect, the gameplay has been refined to be as as close to perfect as it can be, and the story telling has reached its apex. A must play game for fans of the stealth genre!
2012
Mass Effect 3 is the third and final game in the Mass Effect series, developed by Bioware and published by EA. The game was released on March 6, 2012, and was highly anticipated by fans of the series who were eager to see how the story of Commander Shepard would conclude.
The story of Mass Effect 3 picks up where Mass Effect 2 left off, with Shepard and the crew of the Normandy attempting to stop the Reaper invasion. The Reapers are a race of sentient machines that are intent on wiping out all organic life in the galaxy, and Shepard must unite the different alien races and factions in the galaxy in order to stand a chance against them.
One of the strengths of Mass Effect 3 is its storytelling. The game features a deep and engaging narrative that draws the player in and keeps them invested in the fate of the galaxy. The characters are well-written and their relationships with Shepard feel real and meaningful. The game also features some truly emotional moments that will leave players feeling heartbroken or inspired depending on the choices they make.
The gameplay in Mass Effect 3 is similar to its predecessors, with players taking control of Shepard and his/her squad as they explore various planets and complete missions. The game features a mix of third-person shooter gameplay and role-playing game mechanics, allowing players to customize their characters with different weapons, armor, and abilities. The combat is fast-paced and exciting, with a wide variety of enemies to fight and different strategies to employ.
One of the new features in Mass Effect 3 is the addition of multiplayer. Players can team up with up to three other people and take on waves of enemies in a variety of maps. The multiplayer is well-designed and adds a new layer of depth to the game, as players can earn experience and unlock new weapons and characters.
The graphics in Mass Effect 3 are impressive, with detailed environments and character models that bring the game's universe to life. The game also features a fantastic soundtrack, with an epic score that adds to the sense of scale and drama.
However, Mass Effect 3 is not without its flaws. One of the biggest criticisms of the game was the ending, which was controversial among fans. Many felt that the ending was unsatisfying and did not do justice to the choices they had made throughout the series. Bioware later released an updated version of the ending that addressed some of these concerns, but the damage had already been done.
Another issue with Mass Effect 3 is the implementation of the game's DLC. While the DLC added new content to the game, some players felt that it was too expensive and that it should have been included in the base game. This led to some backlash from the community, and Bioware later released a "complete edition" of the game that included all of the DLC.
In conclusion, Mass Effect 3 is a fantastic game that provides a satisfying conclusion to the story of Commander Shepard. The game's storytelling, gameplay, graphics, and soundtrack are all top-notch, and the addition of multiplayer adds even more replay value. While the ending may be controversial and the DLC implementation could have been handled better, these issues do not detract from the overall quality of the game. Mass Effect 3 is a must-play for fans of the series and anyone who enjoys a well-crafted sci-fi epic.
The story of Mass Effect 3 picks up where Mass Effect 2 left off, with Shepard and the crew of the Normandy attempting to stop the Reaper invasion. The Reapers are a race of sentient machines that are intent on wiping out all organic life in the galaxy, and Shepard must unite the different alien races and factions in the galaxy in order to stand a chance against them.
One of the strengths of Mass Effect 3 is its storytelling. The game features a deep and engaging narrative that draws the player in and keeps them invested in the fate of the galaxy. The characters are well-written and their relationships with Shepard feel real and meaningful. The game also features some truly emotional moments that will leave players feeling heartbroken or inspired depending on the choices they make.
The gameplay in Mass Effect 3 is similar to its predecessors, with players taking control of Shepard and his/her squad as they explore various planets and complete missions. The game features a mix of third-person shooter gameplay and role-playing game mechanics, allowing players to customize their characters with different weapons, armor, and abilities. The combat is fast-paced and exciting, with a wide variety of enemies to fight and different strategies to employ.
One of the new features in Mass Effect 3 is the addition of multiplayer. Players can team up with up to three other people and take on waves of enemies in a variety of maps. The multiplayer is well-designed and adds a new layer of depth to the game, as players can earn experience and unlock new weapons and characters.
The graphics in Mass Effect 3 are impressive, with detailed environments and character models that bring the game's universe to life. The game also features a fantastic soundtrack, with an epic score that adds to the sense of scale and drama.
However, Mass Effect 3 is not without its flaws. One of the biggest criticisms of the game was the ending, which was controversial among fans. Many felt that the ending was unsatisfying and did not do justice to the choices they had made throughout the series. Bioware later released an updated version of the ending that addressed some of these concerns, but the damage had already been done.
Another issue with Mass Effect 3 is the implementation of the game's DLC. While the DLC added new content to the game, some players felt that it was too expensive and that it should have been included in the base game. This led to some backlash from the community, and Bioware later released a "complete edition" of the game that included all of the DLC.
In conclusion, Mass Effect 3 is a fantastic game that provides a satisfying conclusion to the story of Commander Shepard. The game's storytelling, gameplay, graphics, and soundtrack are all top-notch, and the addition of multiplayer adds even more replay value. While the ending may be controversial and the DLC implementation could have been handled better, these issues do not detract from the overall quality of the game. Mass Effect 3 is a must-play for fans of the series and anyone who enjoys a well-crafted sci-fi epic.
Zero Escape: Virtue’s Last Reward
Developed by: Chunsoft (@SpikeChunsoft_e)
Published by: Spike Chunsoft (@SpikeChunsoft_e)
Virtue’s Last Reward has the player once again taking part in a Nonary game. Zero Escape: VLR (as it’s fondly known) is a visual novel/puzzle game that is the sequel to Zero Escape: 999: 9 hours, 9 Persons, 9 doors. VLR is a game that’s heavily texted based and has some great and innovative escape room puzzles. The storyline is confusing, and complex but enjoyable. While I preferred the cast of characters in 999, the characters in VLR still managed to be interesting, and engaging. This game hurt my brain and it left me wanting more. If you’re a fan of 999 I highly recommend this game.
Pros:
The escape room puzzles
The complex and engaging storyline
Cons:
Outdated graphics
Played on: Xbox Series X via Xbox Gamepass
Review score: 8/10
Developed by: Chunsoft (@SpikeChunsoft_e)
Published by: Spike Chunsoft (@SpikeChunsoft_e)
Virtue’s Last Reward has the player once again taking part in a Nonary game. Zero Escape: VLR (as it’s fondly known) is a visual novel/puzzle game that is the sequel to Zero Escape: 999: 9 hours, 9 Persons, 9 doors. VLR is a game that’s heavily texted based and has some great and innovative escape room puzzles. The storyline is confusing, and complex but enjoyable. While I preferred the cast of characters in 999, the characters in VLR still managed to be interesting, and engaging. This game hurt my brain and it left me wanting more. If you’re a fan of 999 I highly recommend this game.
Pros:
The escape room puzzles
The complex and engaging storyline
Cons:
Outdated graphics
Played on: Xbox Series X via Xbox Gamepass
Review score: 8/10
2021
Scarlet Nexus
Developed/Published by: @BandaiNamcoUS (Bandai Namco Studios & Entertainment)
Scarlet Nexus is an action role playing game and a pretty good one all things considered. Carried by its strong combat and engaging narrative Scarlet Nexus is a blast to play. Characters are fully fleshed out, settings are all unique albeit somewhat repetitive in structure and the soundtrack and voice acting are both good to great. The writing and side quests are both at times really mediocre and bring down the quality of the game overall.
Scarlet Nexus takes place in a future where technology and psychic abilities have advanced the human race in ways we can only imagine. Humanity is threatened by an “alien” species known as “Others” who feast on human brains. The player can control Yuito Sumeragi or Kasane Randall, a new member of the “OSF” (Other Suppression Force) an organization that fights back against the Others and tries to defend the human race.
In Scarlet Nexus, as the player makes their way through the game they will encounter and interact with a lot of characters (allies). Each character is unique. They all have their own personalities, backstories, abilities and dialogue. They all enhance the story and will help you get immersed in the world of Scarlet Nexus.
Now, it’s time to talk about the combat. IT’S SO GOOD!!!! If you’ve played an action RPG you’ll have an idea already of what to expect. If you haven't, here's what you can expect. A fast and engaging combat system where you can mix basic attacks like swinging a sword for example with psionic abilities to create crazy combos that utterly destroy enemies if executed correctly. The psionic abilities range from being able to slow down time so you’re able to get in a lot of hits on an enemy on a timer, or being able to move and throw objects at enemies via the player's mind. YOU CAN THROW CARS AT ENEMIES!
I’ve gushed enough about Scarlet Nexus. I loved the game but it seems like it received a lukewarm reaction and I understand why. Scarlet Nexus is on GAMEPASS! If you have Gamepass give the game a shot if you’re a fan of action RPGs! I’m glad I gave Scarlet Nexus a shot. I ended up putting almost 100 hours into the game and I 100% it. I unlocked all of the achievements and played the story twice. Once as Kasane and once as Yuito.
Pros:
The combat
The skill tree
Art design
Setting
Cons:
Side quests
Played on: Xbox Series X via Xbox Game Pass
Review score: 3.5/5
Developed/Published by: @BandaiNamcoUS (Bandai Namco Studios & Entertainment)
Scarlet Nexus is an action role playing game and a pretty good one all things considered. Carried by its strong combat and engaging narrative Scarlet Nexus is a blast to play. Characters are fully fleshed out, settings are all unique albeit somewhat repetitive in structure and the soundtrack and voice acting are both good to great. The writing and side quests are both at times really mediocre and bring down the quality of the game overall.
Scarlet Nexus takes place in a future where technology and psychic abilities have advanced the human race in ways we can only imagine. Humanity is threatened by an “alien” species known as “Others” who feast on human brains. The player can control Yuito Sumeragi or Kasane Randall, a new member of the “OSF” (Other Suppression Force) an organization that fights back against the Others and tries to defend the human race.
In Scarlet Nexus, as the player makes their way through the game they will encounter and interact with a lot of characters (allies). Each character is unique. They all have their own personalities, backstories, abilities and dialogue. They all enhance the story and will help you get immersed in the world of Scarlet Nexus.
Now, it’s time to talk about the combat. IT’S SO GOOD!!!! If you’ve played an action RPG you’ll have an idea already of what to expect. If you haven't, here's what you can expect. A fast and engaging combat system where you can mix basic attacks like swinging a sword for example with psionic abilities to create crazy combos that utterly destroy enemies if executed correctly. The psionic abilities range from being able to slow down time so you’re able to get in a lot of hits on an enemy on a timer, or being able to move and throw objects at enemies via the player's mind. YOU CAN THROW CARS AT ENEMIES!
I’ve gushed enough about Scarlet Nexus. I loved the game but it seems like it received a lukewarm reaction and I understand why. Scarlet Nexus is on GAMEPASS! If you have Gamepass give the game a shot if you’re a fan of action RPGs! I’m glad I gave Scarlet Nexus a shot. I ended up putting almost 100 hours into the game and I 100% it. I unlocked all of the achievements and played the story twice. Once as Kasane and once as Yuito.
Pros:
The combat
The skill tree
Art design
Setting
Cons:
Side quests
Played on: Xbox Series X via Xbox Game Pass
Review score: 3.5/5
Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Definitive Edition
Developed/Published by: @SquareEnix
Clocking in at over 160 hours played I thoroughly enjoyed my time playing Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age- Definitive Edition. DQXI has a fantastic cast of characters, and unlike a lot of games DQ takes the time to develop them without taking away from the overall story. JRPG fans for years have been singing this games praises and I can see why now. It’s a game that encourages the player to explore with an interesting but traditional open world design and has a simple but effective JRPG combat system. While not revolutionary in any way, DQXI nails what it’s trying to accomplish. The player during DQXi will travel between towns and dungeons via country sides, snowy mountains, a vast ocean and more. They will encounter a wide range of monsters, allies and enemies on their journey and unless the player is a completionist the game will never feel repetitive or stale through its different biomes and dungeon design. Dragon Quest XI is a game that fans of RPGs should play. Containing over a hundred hours of content to get lost in, an incredible world that’s well fleshed out, and written DQXI is a joy to play. I played DQXI on Xbox Series X via Xbox GamePass.
Pros:
Characters (companions etc)
Story
Battle system and combat
Soundtrack
Cons:
Menus
Grinding for completionist requirements. The RNG.
Played on: Xbox Series X via Xbox Game Pass
Review score: 4.5/5
Developed/Published by: @SquareEnix
Clocking in at over 160 hours played I thoroughly enjoyed my time playing Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age- Definitive Edition. DQXI has a fantastic cast of characters, and unlike a lot of games DQ takes the time to develop them without taking away from the overall story. JRPG fans for years have been singing this games praises and I can see why now. It’s a game that encourages the player to explore with an interesting but traditional open world design and has a simple but effective JRPG combat system. While not revolutionary in any way, DQXI nails what it’s trying to accomplish. The player during DQXi will travel between towns and dungeons via country sides, snowy mountains, a vast ocean and more. They will encounter a wide range of monsters, allies and enemies on their journey and unless the player is a completionist the game will never feel repetitive or stale through its different biomes and dungeon design. Dragon Quest XI is a game that fans of RPGs should play. Containing over a hundred hours of content to get lost in, an incredible world that’s well fleshed out, and written DQXI is a joy to play. I played DQXI on Xbox Series X via Xbox GamePass.
Pros:
Characters (companions etc)
Story
Battle system and combat
Soundtrack
Cons:
Menus
Grinding for completionist requirements. The RNG.
Played on: Xbox Series X via Xbox Game Pass
Review score: 4.5/5
2009
Dragon Age: Origins
Developed by: Bioware
Published by: Electronic Arts
Clocking in at over 79 hours played I thoroughly enjoyed my time playing Dragon Age: Origins and its DLC. Dragon Age: Origins has some of the best voice acting I’ve ever heard period, a fantastic cast of characters, and an incredible and epic story. I’m just going to say it now, Dragon Age: Origins is one of the best RPGs I’ve ever played. From being able to fully customize my character or party members to being presented incredibly tough decisions to make that have major implications on the world and story, Dragon Age: Origins had me completely immersed from beginning to end. I’m sad that I waited this long to play Dragon Age: Origins but I’m glad that I finally did. A game definitely worth playing if you’re into RPGs and fantasy stories.
Pros:
Characters (companions etc)
Story
Battle system and combat
Soundtrack
Voice acting
Cons:
I don’t know?
Played on: Xbox Series X via Xbox Game Pass + purchased the DLC
Review score: 5/5
Developed by: Bioware
Published by: Electronic Arts
Clocking in at over 79 hours played I thoroughly enjoyed my time playing Dragon Age: Origins and its DLC. Dragon Age: Origins has some of the best voice acting I’ve ever heard period, a fantastic cast of characters, and an incredible and epic story. I’m just going to say it now, Dragon Age: Origins is one of the best RPGs I’ve ever played. From being able to fully customize my character or party members to being presented incredibly tough decisions to make that have major implications on the world and story, Dragon Age: Origins had me completely immersed from beginning to end. I’m sad that I waited this long to play Dragon Age: Origins but I’m glad that I finally did. A game definitely worth playing if you’re into RPGs and fantasy stories.
Pros:
Characters (companions etc)
Story
Battle system and combat
Soundtrack
Voice acting
Cons:
I don’t know?
Played on: Xbox Series X via Xbox Game Pass + purchased the DLC
Review score: 5/5
2011
Dragon Age 2
Developed by: Bioware
Published by: Electronic Arts
Dragon Age 2. What’s there to say about this game? It definitely doesn’t live up to Dragon Age: Origins at all. While Dragon Age 2 had a cool idea for a story, and while I think I enjoyed it overall I can’t help but feel like Dragon Age 2 was poorly executed. It feels like a rushed product. Dragon Age 2 shines in its gameplay and story. The story takes place during 10 years of the main characters life and it picks up around the time Origins is ending. The stakes don’t feel as big as they did in Origins but because of the way the story is told, it allows the player to get immersed and build relationships, friendships and enemies, and witness the outcome of their decisions. Dragon Age 2s weak point is that it reuses assets, maps, locations way too much. It’s a shame. It’s blatantly obvious this game was rushed to market. If you have GamePass and have never played the Dragon Age games this game is worth playing at least once but it’s the weakest game in the trilogy by far.
Dragon Age: Origins > Dragon Age: Inquisition > Dragon Age 2
Pros:
Characters (companions etc)
Story
Gameplay
Graphics (for its time)
Cons:
The games reuse of locations
Sidequests
Played on: Xbox Series X via Xbox Game Pass + purchased the DLC
Review score: 2.5/5
Developed by: Bioware
Published by: Electronic Arts
Dragon Age 2. What’s there to say about this game? It definitely doesn’t live up to Dragon Age: Origins at all. While Dragon Age 2 had a cool idea for a story, and while I think I enjoyed it overall I can’t help but feel like Dragon Age 2 was poorly executed. It feels like a rushed product. Dragon Age 2 shines in its gameplay and story. The story takes place during 10 years of the main characters life and it picks up around the time Origins is ending. The stakes don’t feel as big as they did in Origins but because of the way the story is told, it allows the player to get immersed and build relationships, friendships and enemies, and witness the outcome of their decisions. Dragon Age 2s weak point is that it reuses assets, maps, locations way too much. It’s a shame. It’s blatantly obvious this game was rushed to market. If you have GamePass and have never played the Dragon Age games this game is worth playing at least once but it’s the weakest game in the trilogy by far.
Dragon Age: Origins > Dragon Age: Inquisition > Dragon Age 2
Pros:
Characters (companions etc)
Story
Gameplay
Graphics (for its time)
Cons:
The games reuse of locations
Sidequests
Played on: Xbox Series X via Xbox Game Pass + purchased the DLC
Review score: 2.5/5
A Plague Tale: Innocence
Developed by: Asobo Studio
Published by: Focus Home Interactive
A Plague Tale: Innocence is awesome! The game is dark, depressing and incredibly well designed. The story is unique, and on a technical level the graphics, sound design, and soundtrack are all great. I clicked with this game from the start. A Plague Tale: Innocence is primarily a stealth game and from my point of view the developers nailed the gameplay. The gameplay felt “tight” and engaging. In A Plague Tale: Innocence the player controls Amicia, a French nobleman’s daughter who gets tasked with protecting her younger brother as they are chased down by The Inquisition. I wasn’t expecting much from this game when I decided to check it out because I saw it was on Gamepass and I’m glad that I did. This game blew me away. I have some minor gripes with the way the game wraps up but detailing what those gripes are would require me to spoil the story and I don’t want to do that. If you’re a fan of stealth, and/or horror games I can’t recommend this game enough. It’s definitely worth checking out if you’re a GamePass subscriber.
Pros:
The narrative/story
The art design and overall graphics
The game play
Cons:
Completionists can easily miss collectibles if they’re not thorough
Played on: Xbox Series X via Xbox Game Pass
Review score: 4/5
Developed by: Asobo Studio
Published by: Focus Home Interactive
A Plague Tale: Innocence is awesome! The game is dark, depressing and incredibly well designed. The story is unique, and on a technical level the graphics, sound design, and soundtrack are all great. I clicked with this game from the start. A Plague Tale: Innocence is primarily a stealth game and from my point of view the developers nailed the gameplay. The gameplay felt “tight” and engaging. In A Plague Tale: Innocence the player controls Amicia, a French nobleman’s daughter who gets tasked with protecting her younger brother as they are chased down by The Inquisition. I wasn’t expecting much from this game when I decided to check it out because I saw it was on Gamepass and I’m glad that I did. This game blew me away. I have some minor gripes with the way the game wraps up but detailing what those gripes are would require me to spoil the story and I don’t want to do that. If you’re a fan of stealth, and/or horror games I can’t recommend this game enough. It’s definitely worth checking out if you’re a GamePass subscriber.
Pros:
The narrative/story
The art design and overall graphics
The game play
Cons:
Completionists can easily miss collectibles if they’re not thorough
Played on: Xbox Series X via Xbox Game Pass
Review score: 4/5
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
Developed by: Ninja Theory
Published by: Ninja Theory
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice is an experience, a one of a kind experience. I thoroughly enjoyed my time playing Hellblade: Sensua’s Sacrifice despite feeling uncomfortable, and unsettled the entire time. This is a game that is carried by a strong narrative, incredible graphics and unparalleled sound design. The combat in Senua’s Sacrifice is intense but simple, but also incredibly satisfying.
Hellblade on the surface is a story of a Picts warrior named Sensua who embarks on a journey to Heilheim to save her loved ones soul. On the surface is the key part of the previous sentence if you didn’t pick up on that. This game is about so much more than that. It’s an examination of psychosis, how it can effect someone and the people around them. Hellblade will be too much for some people to handle. If you’re someone that deals with psychosis or a mental illness I’d recommend consulting your psychologist or psychiatrist before playing this game or at least doing a bit more research on what to expect.
Hellblade is going to stick with me for a while. I’m glad I finally gave it a shot after hearing about it for years. This game is an experience as I said at the beginning of my review. I highly recommend it at the end of the day.
Pros:
The narrative
Sound design
Graphics and the art design
Cons:
A pretty linear game without a lot of exploration
Lack of variety when it comes to enemies (if that’s important to you)
Played on: Xbox Series X via Xbox Game Pass
Review score: 4/5
Developed by: Ninja Theory
Published by: Ninja Theory
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice is an experience, a one of a kind experience. I thoroughly enjoyed my time playing Hellblade: Sensua’s Sacrifice despite feeling uncomfortable, and unsettled the entire time. This is a game that is carried by a strong narrative, incredible graphics and unparalleled sound design. The combat in Senua’s Sacrifice is intense but simple, but also incredibly satisfying.
Hellblade on the surface is a story of a Picts warrior named Sensua who embarks on a journey to Heilheim to save her loved ones soul. On the surface is the key part of the previous sentence if you didn’t pick up on that. This game is about so much more than that. It’s an examination of psychosis, how it can effect someone and the people around them. Hellblade will be too much for some people to handle. If you’re someone that deals with psychosis or a mental illness I’d recommend consulting your psychologist or psychiatrist before playing this game or at least doing a bit more research on what to expect.
Hellblade is going to stick with me for a while. I’m glad I finally gave it a shot after hearing about it for years. This game is an experience as I said at the beginning of my review. I highly recommend it at the end of the day.
Pros:
The narrative
Sound design
Graphics and the art design
Cons:
A pretty linear game without a lot of exploration
Lack of variety when it comes to enemies (if that’s important to you)
Played on: Xbox Series X via Xbox Game Pass
Review score: 4/5
2022
As Dusk Falls
Developed by: Interior Night
Published by: Xbox Game Studios
As Dusk Falls was a frustrating, but engaging and entertaining experience. A “choose your own adventure” style game similar to Telltale’s The Walking Dead or Quantic Dream’s Detroit Become Human, As Dusk Falls has many branching storylines and is filled with little moments that will effect the way you view a character or their character development. As Dusk Falls has decent voice acting, some well written and not so well written characters and great art design. The game isn’t revolutionary in any way and your enjoyment of the game will 100% will rely on your investment in the characters and the over arching storyline.
While I enjoyed my time with As Dusk Falls as a completionist towards the end I started to wish that the developers had put in a “speed up dialogue” button in the game. Having to rewatch scenes over and over again to pick a different outcome felt tedious and not enjoyable.
With that being said I still enjoyed my time with As Dusk Falls and would recommend this game to anyone that’s a fan of Telltale or Quantic Dream, or Dontnod style of games. I played As Dusk Falls via Xbox GamePass on Xbox Series X.
Pros:
The narrative
Graphics and the art design
Depth of branching storylines that encourage replayabliity
Cons:
Some voice acting is subpar
Occasional lag and unstable frame-rate
Played on: Xbox Series X via Xbox Game Pass
Review score: 3.5/5
Developed by: Interior Night
Published by: Xbox Game Studios
As Dusk Falls was a frustrating, but engaging and entertaining experience. A “choose your own adventure” style game similar to Telltale’s The Walking Dead or Quantic Dream’s Detroit Become Human, As Dusk Falls has many branching storylines and is filled with little moments that will effect the way you view a character or their character development. As Dusk Falls has decent voice acting, some well written and not so well written characters and great art design. The game isn’t revolutionary in any way and your enjoyment of the game will 100% will rely on your investment in the characters and the over arching storyline.
While I enjoyed my time with As Dusk Falls as a completionist towards the end I started to wish that the developers had put in a “speed up dialogue” button in the game. Having to rewatch scenes over and over again to pick a different outcome felt tedious and not enjoyable.
With that being said I still enjoyed my time with As Dusk Falls and would recommend this game to anyone that’s a fan of Telltale or Quantic Dream, or Dontnod style of games. I played As Dusk Falls via Xbox GamePass on Xbox Series X.
Pros:
The narrative
Graphics and the art design
Depth of branching storylines that encourage replayabliity
Cons:
Some voice acting is subpar
Occasional lag and unstable frame-rate
Played on: Xbox Series X via Xbox Game Pass
Review score: 3.5/5
2022
Immortality
Developed by: Sam Barlow (@mrsambarlow)
Published by: Half Mermaid Productions (@HalfMermaid)
Immortality is the story of the disappearance of actress Marissa Marcel, developed by Sam Barlow and his publishing studio Half Mermaid Productions.
In Immortality the player is given a variety of footage from Marcel’s unreleased movies, and is tasked with examining each one for clues in order to find out what happened to her. There are three movies in Immortality that the player will be examining and each one is unique and honours a different period of film making. There’s 1968’s Ambrosio, 1970’s Minsky, and 1999’s Two of Everything. The player can fast-forward, rewind, pause, zoom in or out of each clip, as well as interact with objects in a selected clip to uncover new ones.
Immortality is an immersive experience. If you’re drawn in like I was you’ll find yourself examining each clip multiple times looking for hidden clues in order to piece together the over arching story of what happened to Marissa Marcel. The story is not told in chronological order if that wasn’t clear by now.
Personally speaking I was drawn in by the stellar performances of the cast and the mystery that was crafted by Sam. Immortality is a game where I kept telling myself “5 more minutes” because I wanted to figure out what happened as soon as possible.
Performance wise Immortality crashed on me a few times which was disappointing and one achievement was bugged for about a week. Half Mermaid Productions worked quickly to fix the bug and was communicative throughout the process.
I played Immortality on Xbox Series X via Xbox GamePass and would recommend Immortality to anyone that is a fan of Sam Barlow and enjoyed his previous work, Her Story and Telling Lies.
Pros:
Brilliant performances
The story
Cons:
A core mechanic of the game at times doesn’t feel smooth or “right.” Hard to explain without spoilers
Bugs (when I played it one achievement was bugged and the game crashed a few times)
Played on: Xbox Series X via Xbox Game Pass
Review score: 4/5
Developed by: Sam Barlow (@mrsambarlow)
Published by: Half Mermaid Productions (@HalfMermaid)
Immortality is the story of the disappearance of actress Marissa Marcel, developed by Sam Barlow and his publishing studio Half Mermaid Productions.
In Immortality the player is given a variety of footage from Marcel’s unreleased movies, and is tasked with examining each one for clues in order to find out what happened to her. There are three movies in Immortality that the player will be examining and each one is unique and honours a different period of film making. There’s 1968’s Ambrosio, 1970’s Minsky, and 1999’s Two of Everything. The player can fast-forward, rewind, pause, zoom in or out of each clip, as well as interact with objects in a selected clip to uncover new ones.
Immortality is an immersive experience. If you’re drawn in like I was you’ll find yourself examining each clip multiple times looking for hidden clues in order to piece together the over arching story of what happened to Marissa Marcel. The story is not told in chronological order if that wasn’t clear by now.
Personally speaking I was drawn in by the stellar performances of the cast and the mystery that was crafted by Sam. Immortality is a game where I kept telling myself “5 more minutes” because I wanted to figure out what happened as soon as possible.
Performance wise Immortality crashed on me a few times which was disappointing and one achievement was bugged for about a week. Half Mermaid Productions worked quickly to fix the bug and was communicative throughout the process.
I played Immortality on Xbox Series X via Xbox GamePass and would recommend Immortality to anyone that is a fan of Sam Barlow and enjoyed his previous work, Her Story and Telling Lies.
Pros:
Brilliant performances
The story
Cons:
A core mechanic of the game at times doesn’t feel smooth or “right.” Hard to explain without spoilers
Bugs (when I played it one achievement was bugged and the game crashed a few times)
Played on: Xbox Series X via Xbox Game Pass
Review score: 4/5
2021
Death’s Door
Developed by: Acid Nerve (@acidnerve)
Published by: Devolver Digital (@devolverdigital)
Death’s Door is a game that encourages the player to explore and is engaging, challenging and rewarding from start to finish.
In Death’s Door, the player controls a crow who acts as a reaper, assigned to retrieve specific souls for the Reaping Commission.
The world design, the art style, and soundtrack are all beautifully crafted and designed. The environments are unique, as well as the enemies and bosses found in each one.
An action adventure game with unique characters in a beautifully crafted world, Death’s Door is a must play game for fans of the 2D The Legend of Zelda games or similar games.
Death’s Door is definitely in the running to crack my top 5, even 3 when it comes to my “the best games I played this year list.”
Pros:
The art direction
The soundtrack
The gameplay
The story
Cons:
No map
Played on: Xbox Series X via Xbox Game Pass
Review score: 4.5/5
Developed by: Acid Nerve (@acidnerve)
Published by: Devolver Digital (@devolverdigital)
Death’s Door is a game that encourages the player to explore and is engaging, challenging and rewarding from start to finish.
In Death’s Door, the player controls a crow who acts as a reaper, assigned to retrieve specific souls for the Reaping Commission.
The world design, the art style, and soundtrack are all beautifully crafted and designed. The environments are unique, as well as the enemies and bosses found in each one.
An action adventure game with unique characters in a beautifully crafted world, Death’s Door is a must play game for fans of the 2D The Legend of Zelda games or similar games.
Death’s Door is definitely in the running to crack my top 5, even 3 when it comes to my “the best games I played this year list.”
Pros:
The art direction
The soundtrack
The gameplay
The story
Cons:
No map
Played on: Xbox Series X via Xbox Game Pass
Review score: 4.5/5
2022
Tinykin
Developed by: Splashteam (@SplashteamDevs)
Published by: tinyBuild (@tinyBuild)
Tinykin is a FANTASTIC platformer! Tinykin is collectathon at heart that immerses you with its gorgeous art style, environments, and engaging gameplay.
The premise of Tinykin is that you, the player are Milo, a tiny space man who has crash landed inside someones house on Earth. Think “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids.” Everything inside the house is “normal” size but you, the player as Milo are the size of a bug.
The players goal is to travel throughout the house looking for components to rebuild Milo’s spaceship. As the player travels through each room they will come across various items to collect and a small cast of unique but fun characters.
What takes this game to another level is the “Tinykin.” A small creature that once you free them from their eggs will follow you around and assist you in various ways. Some Tinykin will lift heavy objects for you, some will create platforms, some will conduct electricity and others will stack and allow you to use them as a ladder to reach high out of reach locations. It elevates the gameplay and is one of the most creative things I’ve experienced in a game in years.
The fun gameplay, and mystery surrounding the house immersed me from the very first cut scene. This game is one of the best games I’ve played this year. A must play game if you enjoy platformers.
Pros:
The art style
Gameplay (specifically the story)
Music, and sound design
Cons:
Length of the game. (I was left wanting more because it was incredibly fun which I guess isn’t really a con? It didn’t overstay its welcome)
Played on: Xbox Series X via Xbox Game Pass
Review score: 4.5/5
Developed by: Splashteam (@SplashteamDevs)
Published by: tinyBuild (@tinyBuild)
Tinykin is a FANTASTIC platformer! Tinykin is collectathon at heart that immerses you with its gorgeous art style, environments, and engaging gameplay.
The premise of Tinykin is that you, the player are Milo, a tiny space man who has crash landed inside someones house on Earth. Think “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids.” Everything inside the house is “normal” size but you, the player as Milo are the size of a bug.
The players goal is to travel throughout the house looking for components to rebuild Milo’s spaceship. As the player travels through each room they will come across various items to collect and a small cast of unique but fun characters.
What takes this game to another level is the “Tinykin.” A small creature that once you free them from their eggs will follow you around and assist you in various ways. Some Tinykin will lift heavy objects for you, some will create platforms, some will conduct electricity and others will stack and allow you to use them as a ladder to reach high out of reach locations. It elevates the gameplay and is one of the most creative things I’ve experienced in a game in years.
The fun gameplay, and mystery surrounding the house immersed me from the very first cut scene. This game is one of the best games I’ve played this year. A must play game if you enjoy platformers.
Pros:
The art style
Gameplay (specifically the story)
Music, and sound design
Cons:
Length of the game. (I was left wanting more because it was incredibly fun which I guess isn’t really a con? It didn’t overstay its welcome)
Played on: Xbox Series X via Xbox Game Pass
Review score: 4.5/5
2022
Escape Academy
Developed by: Coin Crew Games (@CoinCrewGames)
Published by: iam8bit and Skybound Games (@iam8bit, @skyboundgames)
In Escape Academy the player has just arrived at Escape Academy, a school that specializes in training students to become Escape Room Masters.
The game consists of a simple narrative designed to push the player forward from escape room to escape room. Each room is unique and presents the player with its own unique puzzles and challenges. There is a sense of urgency as rooms will sometimes have an overarching threat that will “kill” the player if they take too long such as the room flooding, burning down or filling up with poisonous gas. The controls at times can be “clunky” and laggy but they didn’t take away from my overall experience.
I enjoyed my time with Escape Academy but the game overall wasn’t anything special. If you’re a fan of Escape Rooms and puzzles and have GamePass this game is hard to not recommend.
Pros:
The escape rooms - their design, the puzzles and overall presentation
Cons:
The controls
The narrative
Played on: Xbox Series X via Xbox Game Pass
Review score: 3/5
Developed by: Coin Crew Games (@CoinCrewGames)
Published by: iam8bit and Skybound Games (@iam8bit, @skyboundgames)
In Escape Academy the player has just arrived at Escape Academy, a school that specializes in training students to become Escape Room Masters.
The game consists of a simple narrative designed to push the player forward from escape room to escape room. Each room is unique and presents the player with its own unique puzzles and challenges. There is a sense of urgency as rooms will sometimes have an overarching threat that will “kill” the player if they take too long such as the room flooding, burning down or filling up with poisonous gas. The controls at times can be “clunky” and laggy but they didn’t take away from my overall experience.
I enjoyed my time with Escape Academy but the game overall wasn’t anything special. If you’re a fan of Escape Rooms and puzzles and have GamePass this game is hard to not recommend.
Pros:
The escape rooms - their design, the puzzles and overall presentation
Cons:
The controls
The narrative
Played on: Xbox Series X via Xbox Game Pass
Review score: 3/5
Final Fantasy 8 Remastered
Developed by: Square Enix
Published by: Square Enix
Man, what’s there to say about this game? I just finished my first play-through since the 90s when I was a kid and it still holds up.
The remastered version contains enhanced character models and some QOL gameplay modifiers that can also be found in the FF7 remaster. The modifiers are 3x speed, no encounters, and max health in battles.
The gameplay is the biggest source of controversy when it comes to Final Fantasy 8. People seem to either love it or hate it. While you're able to level up your characters in Final Fantasy 8 like other Final Fantasy games or RPGs this game is designed to encourage the player to NOT level up. The game wants the player to strengthen their party members by mastering the junction and Guardian Forces (GF) ability system.
In Final Fantasy 8, GFs can learn abilities, such as no random enemy encounters, HP+20%, Speed+20% and so on. These abilities alongside junctioning magic make the players party stronger. Let me explain "junctioning." GFs give the player the ability to “junction” or “add” magic that is extracted from enemies (primarily) onto your party members to raise their stats, their HP, speed, etc. The lower level you are, and the better magic you have junctioned the stronger your party will be. Furthermore, to explain why this game encourages the player to not level up is the fact that enemies level up with your character and party member. They gain more health, more powerful attacks and can be extremely frustrating. Grinding is definitely not encouraged in the traditional sense in Final Fantasy 8. It can take multiple play throughs to fully understand the junction system if you’re playing the game blind and without a guide. It is NOT for everyone.
With that being said Final Fantasy 8 has a fantastic cast of characters, a sometimes crazy, and absurd plot that is filled with great moments of character development and sentimentality. The soundtrack is incredible and I’d say under-rated and under appreciated, and the cut scenes are still impressive to this day when you consider the fact that the original Final Fantasy 8 was a PS1 game.
My biggest frustration while playing Final Fantasy 8 was the controls. Multiple times I found myself traveling in a direction I wasn’t pressing, and in moments where I had to search an environment for an item the sensitivity to where I had to stand to find the item was incredibly annoying. It felt like I had to be pixel perfect and multiple times I just ended up spamming the x button over and over again until I located the item I was looking for.
Overall, this is a quality remaster. Completionist will have an easier time playing Final Fantasy 8 Remastered than they did playing the original back on the PS1. Hours normally spent grinding GF abilities or Triple triad cards will be greatly reduced if the player use the 3x speed feature. Players will also find the no random encounters and max health features useful if they're not playing the game for the challenge and just want to experience the story.
To wrap things up I beg people to give this game a chance. It is a severely under-rated game.
Pros:
The Triple triad card mini game still holds up
QOL improves such as 3x speed
Soundtrack and story
The characters
Cons:
The controls,
The junction system isn’t for everyone
Story (it’s divisive, people either love it or hate it)
Played on: Xbox Series X, purchased digitally via the Xbox store on sale.
Review score: 4/5
Developed by: Square Enix
Published by: Square Enix
Man, what’s there to say about this game? I just finished my first play-through since the 90s when I was a kid and it still holds up.
The remastered version contains enhanced character models and some QOL gameplay modifiers that can also be found in the FF7 remaster. The modifiers are 3x speed, no encounters, and max health in battles.
The gameplay is the biggest source of controversy when it comes to Final Fantasy 8. People seem to either love it or hate it. While you're able to level up your characters in Final Fantasy 8 like other Final Fantasy games or RPGs this game is designed to encourage the player to NOT level up. The game wants the player to strengthen their party members by mastering the junction and Guardian Forces (GF) ability system.
In Final Fantasy 8, GFs can learn abilities, such as no random enemy encounters, HP+20%, Speed+20% and so on. These abilities alongside junctioning magic make the players party stronger. Let me explain "junctioning." GFs give the player the ability to “junction” or “add” magic that is extracted from enemies (primarily) onto your party members to raise their stats, their HP, speed, etc. The lower level you are, and the better magic you have junctioned the stronger your party will be. Furthermore, to explain why this game encourages the player to not level up is the fact that enemies level up with your character and party member. They gain more health, more powerful attacks and can be extremely frustrating. Grinding is definitely not encouraged in the traditional sense in Final Fantasy 8. It can take multiple play throughs to fully understand the junction system if you’re playing the game blind and without a guide. It is NOT for everyone.
With that being said Final Fantasy 8 has a fantastic cast of characters, a sometimes crazy, and absurd plot that is filled with great moments of character development and sentimentality. The soundtrack is incredible and I’d say under-rated and under appreciated, and the cut scenes are still impressive to this day when you consider the fact that the original Final Fantasy 8 was a PS1 game.
My biggest frustration while playing Final Fantasy 8 was the controls. Multiple times I found myself traveling in a direction I wasn’t pressing, and in moments where I had to search an environment for an item the sensitivity to where I had to stand to find the item was incredibly annoying. It felt like I had to be pixel perfect and multiple times I just ended up spamming the x button over and over again until I located the item I was looking for.
Overall, this is a quality remaster. Completionist will have an easier time playing Final Fantasy 8 Remastered than they did playing the original back on the PS1. Hours normally spent grinding GF abilities or Triple triad cards will be greatly reduced if the player use the 3x speed feature. Players will also find the no random encounters and max health features useful if they're not playing the game for the challenge and just want to experience the story.
To wrap things up I beg people to give this game a chance. It is a severely under-rated game.
Pros:
The Triple triad card mini game still holds up
QOL improves such as 3x speed
Soundtrack and story
The characters
Cons:
The controls,
The junction system isn’t for everyone
Story (it’s divisive, people either love it or hate it)
Played on: Xbox Series X, purchased digitally via the Xbox store on sale.
Review score: 4/5