The seminal 21st century horror masterwork. An utterly consuming post-modern translation of Victorian anxieties; the dangers of industrial progress being married to church doctrine as told with both gothic and celestial aesthetics. However it doesn't stop there. That's nothing to say on how the game further goes on to explore the terrifying Eldritch possibilities of unspeakable extraterrestrial beings beyond comprehension lying dormant within labyrinths and our attempts to understand and exploit these cosmic powers. How the result of humanity's endless search for more knowledge is ultimately rendered as capital once it breaches the surface. Just an unimaginably dense work capable of being terrifying, moving, sexy, and amusing in equal measures and completely goes all in on these facets; never shortchanging. My mind spins on the many narrative tangents this game takes you on, its profound sense of empathy for the cursed victims of exploitation, and beyond that it's also just a really fun and addictive gameplay loop with gorgeously designed areas and haunting bosses/enemies that ring in the head long after the television powers off. So stimulating exploring different weapons and builds and seeing what works and what doesn't. Perhaps some of the areas are more annoying than others (Nightmare Frontier, Upper Cathedral Ward, and Yahar'gul can fuck right off) but for something I deeply loved the first time I'm just shocked how much better this feels now. The m-word gets thrown around a lot nowadays but this work of art truly deserves the plaudit of being labelled a masterpiece. A sweeping culmination of everything FromSoftware has been striving to achieve. Everybody else should just stop trying.

This is more like it. Motion controls here are far more intuitive and typical of thatgamecompany the soundtrack is lush and feels beautifully in tune with what's going on in the game. However's there has got to be a better way of incorporating a sense of progress in a game besides "light every plant up". Especially when you end up having to scour an entire area over and over again in search of that one petal buried in the fields of grass you missed. That kind of shit bogged an otherwise pleasant game down to bits along with the preachy attempts at profundity in its second half. I just wanted chill vibes. I don't need to be taught the ugliness of industry; especially when its this hammy and obvious. Thankfully with Journey the developers learned to craft these atmospheric titles without having to contain themselves to "gamey" formulas in the process.

Something I'd definitely try on VR at some point.

A game to make Tobe Hooper and Lucio Fulci proud. Lo-fi VHS swamp aesthetics, grotesque body horror and musty set dressing all married with uncomfortably clunky mechanics. It’s such a toxic relationship but all things considered makes for one of the most nerve wracking and accomplished horror experiences I’ve had in a minute. Didn’t give as much credit to this before as I should have even if it still fights with minor third act deflation and rough moments of stuffy first person awkwardness (hopefully will be straightened out in Village). Like pretty much every RE the sense of helplessness gives way to the player’s imminent empowerment through powerful weaponry by the end so I wasn’t as annoyed with the ship/mine sections this time around. In the end, I cannot deny that it’s invigorating to see the franchise finally grapple with what it means for a resident to truly be “evil” in a metaphorical sense, even with the ending somewhat missing out on the punchline with its flagrant optimism. Here, Americana is corrupted and manipulated by capitalist overlords, the rural family unit ruptured and grossly replicated, and any semblance of safety stripped. It’s all such seat-shifting excitement that it’s kinda dazzling that it works at all. While it may miss out on being a masterwork on the likes of some of the other entries, Biohazard is nonetheless a fruitful horror game that reminds us how banally unsettling an empty house really is and how terrifying it feels to know that you’re actually not alone and the dread that comes with seeing just how far down the rabbit hole goes. Good shit.

Despite its great looks and cities with lots of activity, Assassin's Creed is unbelievably frustrating in its repetition and flatness. The story certainly has potential, particularly the story outside of the Animus. However, the biggest drawback for me was how bland Altair was, with his arc happening but it never feeling like I had any sort of connection with him. His actions remained the same throughout the game despite his supposed changing throughout, so the change that Altair is having that he and other characters are talking about never really feels present.

The game does a fine job with creating an immersive environment, with great looking worlds and lots of places to jump and climb about. The frustrating part is that none of the cities feel like they have any distinguishable personality. Jerusalem, Acre and Damascus all look and feel the same, with everything that you do in the city feeling the same pretty much. The lack of interesting environments piles onto the general repetitive nature of the game. Assassinating 9 different people, but always getting stuck doing the same types of investigations prior to the kills, the same types of people around the cities and the same type of action. It becomes mind-numbing after a time and certainly did not leave me excited to press on.

I will say that the story leaves me intrigued to see where it goes in the next games, and the changes in the story after the 9 assassinations definitely was more intriguing. But really, it ended up boiling down to the repetitive fighting that populated the rest of the game up to it. And a lot of it got really clunky and frustrating at times.

Assassin's Creed is a super neat concept that feels like such a bare bones game. The freedom to move around is worthless since the additional content like flag searching, saving citizens and climbing the towers doesn't really add anything; it's just filler to try to justify the open world.

I am looking forward to seeing how this franchise builds upon itself, especially the environments since the concept obviously has lent itself to blending in numerous different time periods and settings. The potential is there, and I am hoping that as I go through these games, it is fulfilled.

Come for the breathtaking vistas and immaculately detailed environments, stay for the fascinating probing of the delusions of grandeur from the American middle aged man and the rousing hijinx that ensue. Quite easily the strongest in the franchise, something I wasn't expecting at all, thanks to quality of life improvements with the shooting/combat and extrapolation of core narrative elements. It's such a fluid and coherent experience that I was left agape by how much genuine fun I was having traversing the comprehensively decorated settings and navigating the vast arenas to mark my enemies. While it doesn't pack the punch of Last of Us' narrative, by smoothness of execution this has it beat in spades despite the slight bloat in the latter half. Structurally, this is Naughty Dog's most ambitious work thus far (when this was written in 6/3 at least). Borrowing from Last of Us' novelistic approach, the first half of this weaves in flashbacks and stuffs an immense amount of information within the first several hours that leaves the player's head spinning by how quickly it progresses without skipping a beat. Once it slows down leading into the second half in Libertalia, we are presented with some of the finest character work Naughty Dog has done with the near crumbling and renewal of Nathan and Elena's marriage, acting as the true climax to the story.

This section is nuanced in how it employs a hushed sentimentality in lieu of outright melodrama and it's bold to see the throes of domesticity being engaged with so explicitly. This is a game less so about the ramifications of violence (which is ideally where I'd wanted the series to mature but LOU has us covered there) than it is about a mid-life crisis on candy coated adrenaline. Ditching the supernatural elements of the previous games, this entry follows an innate obsession with capturing glory as a means of validating existence and the subsequent thrills of "adventure" in all its forms that arise from that yearning. Following Last of Us' acclaim, some of this also feels like a meta commentary on "good fortune" and attaining humility in the midst of resplendent yet dilapidated splendor (exploring Libertalia in particular). Its thematic value is based in Nathan's relationships with others and how his actions and lack of honest communication potentially jeopardize these binding ties. The stakes are entirely emotional and surpass any idea of "death" that the franchise can conjure up at this point. Throughout the series Nathan's allies have been concerned for his mental well being and not Nate himself, who continued his adventuring without any thought to the possible harmful outcome.

Here, his brother Sam is an outright enabler of his shitty habits and Sully/Elena are subsequently exhausted by these antics by this point. Everybody here is just tired and the game suggests that the boisterous cartoons of yesterday have run their course and must be buried for good. The subjects are now drawn to the pull of reality and feel the sting of mortality with every push forward. While it's valuable to see Naughty Dog finally take the time to deeply explore any semblance of themes in these games, it doesn't get quite as complicated and messy as I'd hope; specially since it deals with the consequences of emotional duress. The exploration of these ideas is as broad as they come but it's okay. For what it is, a tour-de-force blockbuster epic that adopts that term to its fullest capacity, it intensely satisfied me and assisted in helping me escape from the reality of the turbulent world we live in now. At least for the 15 hours it took to complete its sweeping campaign. Despite my disappointment with the previous entries and my hesitance in approaching this, that's all I could ask for.

I feel like the best way to describe God of War is that its basically one of those E3 showcase demos, only it keeps on going. Honestly, if western AAA games were always done this well, id feel confident saying blockbuster films are a way of the past, because this type of experience is something a film could never achieve. Unfortunately, there not, and God of War is in the minority in that aspect. Everything about this game feels like there was no expense spared, the art direction, the voice acting, the music, the graphics, the list goes on. There are some small blemishes that can take you out of the experience and will not age well come 5 years from now, like the very frequent loading zone “tight spots”. But obviously with the PS4 that was unavoidable. I went into this game, probably like a lot of people, having not played a God of War game before, and I REALLY like coming from that angle. I was vaguely familiar with the concept of the series going in, and the way this game strikes a balance between setting up a new trilogy and keeping the past games intact, while also feeling like a reboot of sorts, is pretty masterful. Really makes me want to go and play the original trilogy sooner rather than later.

A few weeks removed and this lingers in my head as something genuinely exhilarating. An earnest and true AAA horror blockbuster if I ever played one. As a morbid collection of grotesqueries this succeeds at patiently doling out its dense if simply designed environments for the player to quickly sift through on top of an effectively satisfying central hub. The narrative moves at a lightning pace, never letting up and it's so pleasing to see the varied facets of horror (European gothic, Italian schlock, industrial body horror, the decay of civilized towns and swamps, etc) explored and dissected. This is as much a clever deconstruction of its respective genre as it is a new "Resident Evil" title and that earns it a lot of respect from me for pulling off a neat balance of the two while remaining wholly accessible. Nothing feels short changed and every location and story beat is gorgeously and meticulously designed to deliver maximum atmosphere. While I feel VII might be the more immersive, absorbing entry this is a more than worthy successor if only for how it continuously expands its mythology and Ethan as a character. The inclusion of the typical RE tropes, while expected, were homely and properly integrated in a fashion that only perpetuates this franchise's knack for giving complete wack finales and wraparounds. I was giddy as hell all throughout this. What it means in its totality is yet to be determined but I adored how well Capcom nailed so much of it.

THIS is exactly how you do a prequel-sequel. Devil May Cry 3 has more polished gameplay than 1, and a much more emotionally engaging story to boot. All the characters are given so much more depth and context within the universe, and there are so many great moments throughout. I was never big on the hack and slash genre, but I can thank the DMC series for making me fall in love with it. Extra points for not ever including quick time events (in all cases they are more frustrating than fun).

My biggest criticisms come from some dated mechanics, mainly backtracking and repetitive mission structures. Mission 18 or 19 can be hell depending on what difficulty you play on and it almost seems unfair to play it on harder modes (or maybe I'm just bad).

Although the goofy tone is set up in the beginning (sort of semi-dropped later on) and goes full force into serious, I have to say some of it does feel clunky in tone. Other than that it still retains and builds off it's predecessors gameplay mechanics and really manages to go all out. The gameplay, soundtrack characters is fantastic. Oh I also had an OH SHIT moment when they incorporated the name, and it was handled so well. Absolutely stellar, I'd dare say it was a super sexy style of a game.

It's hard to say as it's literally not even been out a week (at the time of writing) but this might be the best work Capcom has ever done for this IP. In terms of enemy variety, boss design and overall storytelling nothing even comes close. Featuring Chris's best character writing since the series' inception and an emotionally investing story they've really outdone themselves. The music and level design are all top notch and the plot structure is finely executed with well realised twist to keep you on your toes.

On the gameplay side of things it's a perfect mesh of action and horror but since it's atmospherically in tune with the latter throughout it never feels jarring when it switches between the two. Everything I wanted from a remake of 4 is in here, bringing back the merchant and weapon upgrades gives the gameplay much needed heterogeneity that I felt was missing from previous installments. I really love the briefcase style inventory so I'm glad it made a comeback but with the added quick selection shortcut keys to make it feel more free-flowing.

Back to the level design. Every RE game has areas where you absolutely dread coming up. Think the facility in 5, or the ship section in 7 or literally anything after the village in 4 (it's been 15 years, I've earned the right to love to hate it.) This had none of that. Every new area feels fresh and well thought out, the castle and the factory specifically, and the enemy changes add something new at every corner forcing you to switch up your playing style and adapt to the situation. Contrasted with 7 which was just mold, crawling mold and fat mold, it makes me WANT to replay the game over and over whereas on 7 I was practically done the moment I got the platinum trophy. I was just relieved I didn't have to play it again.

I'm glad they addressed my biggest issue with 7, and I'm sure is everyone else's, which was unskippable cutscenes. Especially when they're as long as they are. It makes subsequent replays feel trite, which is not a good thing, especially when they're a requirement for the platinum trophy.

I'm not without my complaints but they're minor bordering on inconsequential. I felt the castle segment could have been a little longer since they marketed it so heavily but I do love the labyrinthian layout of the area (something that is quite frequent throughout other segments of the game.) The elevators on the game I feel are far too long and slow down the pacing. And the map can be difficult to navigate (I struggled to see exactly where I was at times) but just like with 2r, if you play it enough times you no longer need to look at the map.

Last but not least, I have to talk about Village of Shadows difficulty which I've developed a sort of love/hate relationship with. It makes you completely change your style of play (which I love) because even standard enemies can take as much as 4 shotgun shells to the head to finally kill them which means you have to play a lot of cat and mouse avoidance games with them, especially at the bookends of the game, most notably the opening Lycan attack. Which requires you to survive waves of Lycans for 4 minutes with only enough ammo to finish off yourself; and believe me, you want that ammo. The last thing you need is softlocking halfway through because you don't have enough bullets to kill the ridiculously tanky bosses (which I hate). That's to say none of this would be so bad if the area you have to navigate wasn't smaller than a room in The Binding of Isaac. It plays like it was purposely designed to be used with NG+ weapons which does play into what I loved about it which is the challenge. Its been a long time since I was actually challenged by a Resident Evil game so this ticked all the right boxes for me. For those who have played it, I've just beaten Moreau. Wish me luck.

This really is a solid hack and slash game and it pains me that I slept on the series for so long (considering I watched the anime first way back in my youth).

It would've been a solid 4/5 game but I do have some issues that bring it down half a star:
-Camera angles can be wonky for certain combat encounters when you need to be constantly running around and on your toes fighting an enemy
-The damn water levels should've been omitted entirely, I heard about them and there about as painfully annoying as described because it puts the fun parts of the game on hold (especially when you're binge playing them). The only upside is that they're relatively short but it still makes me wonder what kind of drug a Capcom dev was on to think this was a good way to change things up. Not all levels are greatly designed either and it's mainly the combat that keeps me invested; it's certainly no Nier: Automata in that regard, but the dark ambiance here (especially in a hack and slash) is appreciated
-No level select. For a collectible-centric person like me it was no biggie since I usually do them all in one go so it's mainly up to opinion since the levels aren't necessarily stand out unless you play the whole thing. Red orb fragments can be exploited in certain ones anyway so even if it wasn't intentional to have mission selects, I could also see why in that regard.
-Dialogue and voice acting is kind of wack (it's on Tommy Wiseau levels of expressionism), and plot is fairly basic and barebones especially compared to other PS2 era titles of the time.
-Why the hell are the controls inverted in the final boss fight, should've let me change those but whatever.
-The "oh wait it's not actually over" level felt meandering. It would've gotten the same point across had it been reduced to a cutscene instead of (yet another) series of fights. I already know how badass Dante through the entirety of my playthrough so it kind of dragged as I wanted to see the game wrap up and conclude. Like ok escape missions are fine, fighting enemies are fine, seeing an enemy reappear only to finally defeat him is fine, but did we actually need an aerial plane section introduced last minute?

Criticisms aside I'm really impressed to be honest because after the first boss encounter I was ready to hate it or give up playing the rest of what I thought would be a janky mess. After I died I kept asking myself what am I doing wrong, and I kept trying new things or buying proper move set that would counter the enemy. Like I didn't know how much fun it would be to actually learn this shit and have it work. This is what it must feel for people playing Dark Souls because the whole learn through trial and error really felt alive here. There's also a certain grittiness in this game that I know got lost along the way in its sequels that I appreciate. I absolutely adore the gothic atmosphere (I'm aware DMC's divergence from RE4) and I love the weird underworld stuff that reminds me of Silent Hill. Nobodys are the stuff of nightmares and I'm intrigued by their design.

Best of all it isn't filled with sweaty and frustrating quick time events like in many other hack and slash games (Bayonetta, Metal Gear Rising, God of War, etc). For as intense the game might often seem, it's actually a really relaxing game to play all things considered. Soundtrack is really on point too and really well done for its genre. For its time Devil May Cry really does stand up, and I have to say this one really surprised me in how much I actually enjoyed it. Would love a remake/re-imagining from Capcom but Resident Evil is their golden goose/child right now and I don't know if or when they'll do it. In any case Devil May Cry is a solid game and looking forward to delving more into the series.

Another Mikami masterpiece. Like what he does with God Hand, The Evil Within and to a minor extent Resident Evil IV, Mikami blows up its respective genre, finding unique manners in which to pay earnest homage to overplayed tropes while subverting them with wacky self-aware humor, innovative cinematic flair, and challenging if at times indulgent gameplay. Vanquish works beautifully as a hilarious satire and mockery of Western third person shooters but stands just as well as a brilliant piece of pulp sci-fi with its nonsensical story, rousing set pieces, and electrifying visual spectacle. It's just gorgeous; zipping through its balletic warzone for six hours made for a surprisingly exciting experience. It feels like the prototype to what Titanfall II would eventually elaborate on with gooey sentimentality and a tighter structure but what Vanquish lacks with looser pacing it makes up for with its almost hypnotic pull. It's a trance-like dance of speeding bullets, pumping testosterone, ardent Russophobia, and endless rocket boosts. Front to back, it never lets up. Verhoeven would be proud.