An apex action spectacle. Misses out on the arduous challenge and provocative dynamism of the previous installment which made for an invigorating gaming experience but this makes up for it with how seamless the pacing and combat feels here. It's more superficially cinematic in every way from its sweeping soundtrack to how the grandiose bosses and level design are easier to grasp while remaining consistently bombastic and exciting to play. It definitely feels like a clean-cut blockbuster which takes away from the earnest scrappiness of the first however it hones in so well on the strengths of its predecessor that it doesn't make a difference. It's just as funny and transgressive if in different ways. Nothing feels shortchanged for those just looking for an electrifying dance between heaven, hell, and the broken sense of duality they share. The first was a bold exploration of this mythology and world but here it is a wide embrace of the chaos that encompasses it. To the uninitiated, it can be head spinning. For the rest of us, it's undeniably bliss.

Has no business being as long as it is and a game like this doesn't quite need QTE events as constant as they are but the sheer chaotic energy present in almost every element of its design from beginning to end makes the entire journey worth it. It's beautiful, garish, and provocative in its world building, extrapolation of characters and unfolding of plot. There are times when I thought I was playing a masterpiece and other times I was dumbfounded by the difficulty and occasional jankiness. It's a heavenly plunge into nonsensical titillation and makes no excuses for its narrative but that's the only way something like this could function. I adore it with slight reservations.

Another fantastically solid HITMAN title. My only real gripe is that the maps may be overwhelmingly sprawling instead of hyper-focused like the 2016 iteration so it can be a bit much at times. Also with IOI parting ways with Square Enix we didn't get any photorealistic cutscenes with their lacking budget, but I'm still amazed at how much they were able to accomplish from a design standpoint. The first and final level were fantastic from an atmosphere standpoint; I really miss the darker brooding aesthetics in Contracts which I hope to get in III. Other than that a solid title and has exceptional replay value!

This is my second time beating this game and after playing Dark Souls 1-3 and some of Sekiro, I appreciated this even more, and it managed to be a completely unique experience from my first playthrough.

Certain bosses that gave me so much trouble on my first playthrough like Vicar Amelia and Mergo’s Wetnurse were so easy that I took them down on my first try, and then bosses I thought were super easy like Cleric Beast and The Shadows of Yharnam were actually really tough this time. It just shows how different builds and different approaches make the game feel completely unique each time you play it.

Now having beaten the DLC bosses (with some help) and being able to take down Gehrman on my third try after previously considering him the hardest boss I’ve ever fought in any game period, I’d like to consider myself a pretty decent Souls player. So, if anyone wants to do Co-op or needs help, just ring that beckoning bell and dm me on twitter because I’d be glad to help.

The Pitt is actually a great location, and feels straight out of an Interplay Fallout title. My main gripe comes with the expected technical glitches that would not let me collect all the ingots as intended because I'd keep falling through the roof. On top of this there was an item I picked up (I think it was clothing?) that kept freezing my game, and of course Bethesda didn't patch any of these. I was about to lose my mind, but instead decided to not hoard everything and dropped it; which is good because you can come back and revisit the location at ones leisure.

Other than smaller technical issues I really enjoyed the aesthetic of everything. I just wish there was more to it because it feels so limited in scale. The Pitt is a VERY underutilized location that isn't explored enough behind it's façade of buildings, and I would love to see more of this.

Damn, this was some trippy shit. People have made comparisons to Twin Peaks or The X-Files (I can only vouch for the latter currently). Despite this, I was still very engrossed in the story. Jesse is one of my favorite female protagonists in recent years. All the abilities you learn really add to the exploration and combat. I've always been a sucker for psychokinesis, and getting to pick up and destroy everything around you is so satisfying. I couldn't help thinking of Luigi's Mansion 3 in a way (though, it's arguably more impressive there since the Switch is less powerful). It's also extremely gorgeous to look at. It makes me hate that Sony removed Facebook functionality. I have a lot of pictures saved.

As you can tell by the rating, it's not perfect. The difficulty can be very cheap at times. Certain enemies can take out huge chunks of your health and you'll have little time to recover. You could just want to explore, then a barrage of them will spawn in a room. One boss fight was so annoying, I ended up turning on immortality. The final moments feel pretty anti-climactic compared to what came before, but it leave things open-ended for a possible sequel (plus, I still got the DLC to play). There are notable framerate issues either from all the action onscreen or simply un-pausing the game. I figured it was just on consoles, but even the PC version does it. I didn't think that was possible.

And my biggest gripe, the map sucks ASS!!! Sure, it will highlight your next location, but it doesn't take into account whether there's a locked door or some kind of debris in the way. I had to look up walkthroughs on occasion because of it. Metroid got it right in 1994, so what's the excuse here? Regardless, I really enjoyed this one. I look forward to more from Remedy. Praying that the next game is Alan Wake 2.

A lot of dumb zombie bullshit for what amounts to the custody battle for the ages! Anyways, so much of this contains strong, superficially creative threads but overall lacks the off-kilter direction and wonky tone that defined the unforgettable unpredictability of the previous entry; despite its detrimental flaws that is. However this sequel definitely feels like an attempt to gradually parse out the downright inscrutability of the first while remaining accessible enough for the masses. It is actually quite successful at that for the most part as it adopts a uniquely open world survival horror mold. It is unfortunate that much of the material that fills this mold is more of the same shit you see in most other AAA titles, but that this tries something bold from the get is interesting. Its linear portions are propulsive and slowly progressing through the open areas had its rewards. Its a shame that this gameplay loop runs its course by the midway point (you'll know exactly when lol) and by then you still have at least another eight hours of story to trudge through. This beast is just entirely too long. All in all though it remains a AAA horror blockbuster devoted to actual ideas and character development and world building so for me, that is enough to warrant a single playthrough even if it relies too much on this bland functionality over the radical artistry of the first. I doubt I'll ponder on it much after a few days but I'd recommend it to those that need something competently creepy and gratifying but unlike its predecessor, not completely oppressive and unapproachable. It's a fun time waster.

One of the most gripping, intense, and best games I have played in a long time. Something happens in the beginning of this game I didn't expect, and I thought that would be the most shocking thing. Then at about the half way point of the game, the story flips and gives you a whole new perspective to the characters and story. Now, every previous thing you committed while playing the game suddenly has consequences and actually makes you think about your actions. I am trying to be as vague as possible for spoilers, but let's just say I can't think of any major games like this willing to take a risk. All the performers give award worthy performances but this is all about Ashley Johnson and Laura Bailey. Bailey is especially tasked with a difficult part and ends up becoming one of my favorite video game protagonists in a long time.

If the gameplay had been about the same as the first one I still would have loved it but they even improve upon that one. Fights are intense and there are multiple ways to beat enemies. The AI behaves in a way that makes it feel like you are actually in a post-apocalyptic world. They'll alert each other, panic, look under every nook and cranny, and converse with each other like humans do. The infected in this game are still terrifying and there is a boss battle with one that is almost like something out of Resident Evil (and I mean that as a compliment). I almost forgot to mention the graphics but the level of detail applied to the environments made me want to explore every inch of this world. All of this really helps to immerse yourself in the game.

I am honestly shocked at some of the responses to this game cause it does exactly what a sequel should do: enrich the world of the previous one, provide a new arc for the characters, tell a new story, and provide a new perspective that can make you see this world in a whole new light. All of this makes me excited to see what HBO will do with this but more importantly where the story could go from here. If it is even half as good as this one, then it will be a success.

Vengeance as a preordained impulse. Ellie exists as an emblem of trauma and the player as the casual observer to her building pain and guilt, only extending a hand to act out her violent and reactionary compulsions through button prompts and extensive combat sections. It's horrifying to witness and partake in, but bleakly honest to how rage can drive a person to the limit of their foundational moral standards. The game doesn't force the player through these tribulations as punishment but to underscore the dissonance between how we perceive a character and what they want and how ultimately the player is rendered powerless against the sheer density of said character's desire to fulfill their own needs. Ellie, as her character is expressed by her creators, essentially is an unstoppable force and for better and worse the player is seemingly culpable in the rampage that follows from years of gathered wounds and the traumatic event that sparks the fire. It's difficult to fully accept how this unwavering dynamic shapes this sprawling, brutal, and droning depiction of the cyclical chain of violence and the endless ripples that emanate but the outcome is a streamlined, urgent, and anxious experience that bravely tests patience and comfort levels.

This game is minutely orchestrated to make us feel the weight of our actions however it's not a shallow critique of the player or the characters as many have labeled it but rather acts as a vehicle for perceptive empathy, where through exploration of its dense cityscape and weaving through religious/militant societies, we form our own thematic narratives of what it means to forgive and to understand what drives a person to animalistic madness in a world beyond saving. You get out of this game what you put in. It can be manipulative and cynical, one that tests the line between acceptably nuanced and crudely exploitative. It's in the viciously realized second half where players will either be moved by the innate thesis of what Druckmann and his team have patiently built up or will emotionally tap out and be disgusted by the extent of which they have chosen to take its nihilism. Once the game barrels towards its unyielding finale, I found myself exhausted but utterly immersed. As the executor of Ellie's monstrosity I had become a mere shell of all the atrocity I had committed throughout the game. As the hypnosis of obsession took hold, it rang in my mind the wailing of grief and shrieks of pain I caused and the haunting stillness of Seattle left in disarray.

On a spiritual level I can understand the disdain towards this. In its searing closing set-piece I found it painfully difficult to go through with the final actions and considered stepping away, out of fear that the entire thematic arc I built up in my mind would fall apart. I was at an emotional impasse in which the developer's concluding decisions skirted between satisfying the majority and sacrificing my good will or coming through with the grand ambition from the rest of the game for something special. For me, they made the right choices in the end. This is a massively self indulgent and exposed work of art not unlike how a filmmaker such as Von Trier or Bergman frame their characters as thematic devices; tools to enact the verbosity of human savagery and suffering. On top of that the rampant crunch culture that infects the industry at large reared its ugly head as I marveled at the masterfully designed visual compositions, intense attention to detail of the city itself, and the peerless facial animations that enhance the already terrific cast (Bailey and Johnson give two of the best performances of the year).

This game, to many's disappointments (and my own initially), ruptures the brilliant ambiguity of the first's ending. Why this works is because this is no longer about whether or not a cure is possible or the moral cost of such a cure, but bluntly asks if this is a world deserving of a cure. Despite humanity persisting through resourcefulness and the binds of community it remains eternally tied to the bonds of systemic oppression. The true villain is the idea that we can ever "go back" to the normality that defined past generations' idea of capitalistic order. Chasing the notion of the "American Dream" amidst the rubble of our destruction. Reality is, as showcased by the divide between communities, nothing has changed. Nature has just taken control and has chosen to wipe away the debt. Flawed ideologies are still rampant but are now weaponized by the primal instincts to survive at all costs. Part II acts as a possessed refraction to the previous entry's concept of the perseverance of hope amidst pastoral landscapes. The first game had giraffes and a colorful "road trip" structure to hammer in the expansive nature of Ellie and Joel's journey. In contrast, this is a pitifully inert plateau crowned by the aching consequences that acting from ardent and undying love alone can bring. The rotted, stinking corpse of aforementioned giraffe.

Anyways, most certainly will be game of the year. I both dread and anticipate the inevitable replay on PS5. I doubt anything from 2020 in all mediums of art (film, tv, music, etc) will effect me as deeply and irrevocably as this.

Tremendous game from start to finish with absolutely incessant crashing. The world of Rapture is fascinating to be in and the gameplay is certainly as slick as the first with some nice changes in terms of weapons and being able to wield plasmids and weapons at the same time. As far as the crashing goes, sometimes the game would run flawlessly for awhile with no issue while other times it would crash 4 times in a period of about 5 minutes of actual gameplay. Great great game, but please get it for a console.

As much as I absolutely adore this game and almost everything it does, I’m glad I played Bloodborne first because if this was my first souls game I’m not sure I’d stick with the series.

I’m convinced that I’d still love it, but some rather bizarre choices after the Ornstein/Smough fight leave me wondering whether or not I’d consider playing this again to the end anytime soon. It’s a great game, but it’s definitely not for everyone.

Still, this is a game and a series that I love, and I’m excited to get into the sequels as well as Sekiro and Demon Souls.