GothamInGray
In short: Nobody Saves The World has fun art, great ideas, and a lot of personality. Not all of that will hit for everyone, but generally, I think it executes on those three core things extremely well.
Unfortunately, the gameplay loop isn't engaging enough to really pull the player the whole way through. The ideas are great, but through a mechanical lens, the actual core gameplay doesn't hit as well as other, similar games.
Unfortunately, the gameplay loop isn't engaging enough to really pull the player the whole way through. The ideas are great, but through a mechanical lens, the actual core gameplay doesn't hit as well as other, similar games.
2021
A true delight. Beautiful art/music, tight controls, fun bosses, and a simple but impactful story to tell.
Additionally, it's an easy, satisfying 100% that feels worth it to put the extra couple of hours in.
Additionally, it's an easy, satisfying 100% that feels worth it to put the extra couple of hours in.
2019
A true delight and a magnificent way to spend an evening.
Superliminal is so familiar with the missteps of other, similar games that it dangles the possibility of making those same mistakes in front of the player just to yank them back into the light as if to say, "Don't worry. We know better" and bring the whole experience to a satisfying, hopeful end.
Among the best first-person puzzlers of the post-Portal era. Unless you get motion sick easily, there's no reason not to give Superliminal the few meager hours it asks of you.
Superliminal is so familiar with the missteps of other, similar games that it dangles the possibility of making those same mistakes in front of the player just to yank them back into the light as if to say, "Don't worry. We know better" and bring the whole experience to a satisfying, hopeful end.
Among the best first-person puzzlers of the post-Portal era. Unless you get motion sick easily, there's no reason not to give Superliminal the few meager hours it asks of you.
2021
It's good, freeing, and chill. Forza Horizon 5 continues the zen sandbox for which the "Horizon" side of the franchise has become renown.
Turn your brain off and vibe around Mexico.
Turn your brain off and vibe around Mexico.
Youngblood is clearly the black sheep of the Wolfenstein reboot games. It's impossible to deny that, and I don't necessarily disagree.
It certainly isn't the fine-tuned, character-driven experience of its predecessors, but make no mistake: Wolfenstein Youngblood is a good game.
It retains all the fun of crushing platoons of Nazis, and it's still an interesting, exciting entry in B.J. Blazkowicz's saga, as it sets up a great many things that could make Wolfenstein 3 (whenever that eventually arrives) an unforgettable conclusion to a brilliant FPS franchise.
It certainly isn't the fine-tuned, character-driven experience of its predecessors, but make no mistake: Wolfenstein Youngblood is a good game.
It retains all the fun of crushing platoons of Nazis, and it's still an interesting, exciting entry in B.J. Blazkowicz's saga, as it sets up a great many things that could make Wolfenstein 3 (whenever that eventually arrives) an unforgettable conclusion to a brilliant FPS franchise.
This review contains spoilers
Wolfenstein II puts on an FPS masterclass.
I say this knowing full well that it isn't a popular opinion, but I stand by it.
This game has everything you could want from the genre: tight gunplay, improved combat from its predecessor, a memorable cast of characters, and a story worth being invested in. This game continues the personal journey that BJ is on in previous titles, carving out moments to let players hear what he has to say, what he feels, and what the other characters around him have to say in response.
These things are rare in most modern FPS games. To have a thoughtful, personal story on top of the great gameplay and over-the-top sci-fi sequences and set pieces? It felt like my birthday every time I turned the game on.
I went into this series expecting to shut my brain off and kill time, but Wolfenstein (and New Colossus, especially) has absorbed me in ways I could never have predicted.
I say this knowing full well that it isn't a popular opinion, but I stand by it.
This game has everything you could want from the genre: tight gunplay, improved combat from its predecessor, a memorable cast of characters, and a story worth being invested in. This game continues the personal journey that BJ is on in previous titles, carving out moments to let players hear what he has to say, what he feels, and what the other characters around him have to say in response.
These things are rare in most modern FPS games. To have a thoughtful, personal story on top of the great gameplay and over-the-top sci-fi sequences and set pieces? It felt like my birthday every time I turned the game on.
I went into this series expecting to shut my brain off and kill time, but Wolfenstein (and New Colossus, especially) has absorbed me in ways I could never have predicted.
While the obvious points of praise for Wolfenstein's 2014 reboot is that it revitalizes the feeling of old school shooters (much like Doom would a few years later), what many fail to mention is how much genuine heart and charm exists within this game.
On one level, it's the least controversial shooter you could make pre-2016 because your enemy is evil incarnate, but on another level, there's a surprisingly deep personal journey of love and loss that the writers kept separate from the high-adrenaline combat, save for some quiet inner monologues from the protagonist.
While the gameplay shows its age a bit seven years later, the game is designed to make itself straightforward and constantly push forward momentum, making it increasingly difficult not to jump right into its prequel and/or sequel as soon as you're done.
On one level, it's the least controversial shooter you could make pre-2016 because your enemy is evil incarnate, but on another level, there's a surprisingly deep personal journey of love and loss that the writers kept separate from the high-adrenaline combat, save for some quiet inner monologues from the protagonist.
While the gameplay shows its age a bit seven years later, the game is designed to make itself straightforward and constantly push forward momentum, making it increasingly difficult not to jump right into its prequel and/or sequel as soon as you're done.
2018
A beautiful, fun game with great vibes and fun characters.
It overstays it's welcome slightly, so try not to get too bogged down in the minutiae to avoid that struggle.
It overstays it's welcome slightly, so try not to get too bogged down in the minutiae to avoid that struggle.
2021
This review contains spoilers
One of the best games of 2021, and I'm not afraid to say so. On one level, it's a short, calm, unbelievably peaceful puzzle game.
On another level, there's a quiet, heartfelt story happening around you as you play that you could easily miss, and the slow realization of that is what makes this game so special.
I started the game just enjoying the ride, but by the third level or so, I couldn't wait to see the progression to the next part of the game. So much so that I was shouting aloud in my living room in the same way a very sweet movie might.
On another level, there's a quiet, heartfelt story happening around you as you play that you could easily miss, and the slow realization of that is what makes this game so special.
I started the game just enjoying the ride, but by the third level or so, I couldn't wait to see the progression to the next part of the game. So much so that I was shouting aloud in my living room in the same way a very sweet movie might.
2016
The perfect boss rush game.
Tight controls, difficult but fair fights, one of the best soundtracks in gaming, etc. Furi is one of a kind, and it deserved a better chance to prove that.
The narrative is, admittedly, a bit overdone, but it never overstays its welcome, only popping in during the brief downtimes between fights.
Tight controls, difficult but fair fights, one of the best soundtracks in gaming, etc. Furi is one of a kind, and it deserved a better chance to prove that.
The narrative is, admittedly, a bit overdone, but it never overstays its welcome, only popping in during the brief downtimes between fights.
A simple story, but beautiful visuals, absolute freedom, and characters that grow on you unexpectedly.
Few games reward critical and environmental thinking like Divinity: Original Sin II does, whether that means taking advantage of the battlefield to create the largest fire you've ever seen in a video game, or realizing you can skip an entire dungeon by teleporting to a cliff entrance that most players wouldn't even see.
No matter what your approach, a playthrough of Divinity will feel uniquely yours.
Few games reward critical and environmental thinking like Divinity: Original Sin II does, whether that means taking advantage of the battlefield to create the largest fire you've ever seen in a video game, or realizing you can skip an entire dungeon by teleporting to a cliff entrance that most players wouldn't even see.
No matter what your approach, a playthrough of Divinity will feel uniquely yours.
A beautiful, fun, unique experience that, with the DLC all included, does start to overstay its welcome a bit by the end
It's not my favorite Metroidvania out there, but it's undeniably one of the best.
It's not my favorite Metroidvania out there, but it's undeniably one of the best.
An extremely slow start + some pretty clunky combat mechanics made this a rough game to try and get into to see the things that others actually love about it.
2021
This review contains spoilers
UPDATED REVIEW:
Multiplayer: Even in its opening days, I had 95% good things to say about the Halo Infinite multiplayer, and in the time since, it has only improved. The team at 343 has heard the concerns and acted on them quickly. So much so that the state of multiplayer progression is, if you ask me, not something I can even complain about now.
As for the campaign: what can I say? It's the best campaign, the best story in the series' history. 343 crafted something very special in Infinite, which is additionally impressive considering the hard pivot they had to make in its development after poor reactions to Halo 5. But, somehow, they did it. They created a perfect soft reboot for the series, while also rewarding those of us who have stuck around through all 6 of Master Chief's adventures, including some much needed character moments for our aforementioned hero, some lovable new faces, and some heartfelt send-offs, all without truly abandoning the heavy sci-fi intrigue 343 set up in Halo 4 and Halo 5.
In my opinion, every new addition to the campaign's gameplay and structure hits it out of the park: useful (and upgradable) gadgets, a skill barrier via quickly switching between those gadgets that becomes more satisfying the better at it you become, an open map that's easy (and fun) to traverse without bloating itself to Far Cry levels of insanity.
And best of all? Actual boss fights. In a Halo game. Yes, actually. And better yet? They're damn good too. Halo is a series that has always struggled to make it satisfying to take down its big bads, but Infinite delivers with enough confidence to include a dozen or so throughout both the story and optional missions. They're intense, rewarding, challenging, and I sincerely hope they become a permanent fixture of the franchise from this point forward.
Halo Infinite may not be a perfect game, but it's damn close, and an easy argument could be made for it being the best FPS of the last 5 years (or more). 343 Industries has taken a lot of abuse from Halo "fans" the last few years, but with Infinite, they've created something truly special.
It's never been a better time to be a Halo fan, and I look forward to seeing what 343 has in store with future expansions on this rock-solid foundation.
Multiplayer: Even in its opening days, I had 95% good things to say about the Halo Infinite multiplayer, and in the time since, it has only improved. The team at 343 has heard the concerns and acted on them quickly. So much so that the state of multiplayer progression is, if you ask me, not something I can even complain about now.
As for the campaign: what can I say? It's the best campaign, the best story in the series' history. 343 crafted something very special in Infinite, which is additionally impressive considering the hard pivot they had to make in its development after poor reactions to Halo 5. But, somehow, they did it. They created a perfect soft reboot for the series, while also rewarding those of us who have stuck around through all 6 of Master Chief's adventures, including some much needed character moments for our aforementioned hero, some lovable new faces, and some heartfelt send-offs, all without truly abandoning the heavy sci-fi intrigue 343 set up in Halo 4 and Halo 5.
In my opinion, every new addition to the campaign's gameplay and structure hits it out of the park: useful (and upgradable) gadgets, a skill barrier via quickly switching between those gadgets that becomes more satisfying the better at it you become, an open map that's easy (and fun) to traverse without bloating itself to Far Cry levels of insanity.
And best of all? Actual boss fights. In a Halo game. Yes, actually. And better yet? They're damn good too. Halo is a series that has always struggled to make it satisfying to take down its big bads, but Infinite delivers with enough confidence to include a dozen or so throughout both the story and optional missions. They're intense, rewarding, challenging, and I sincerely hope they become a permanent fixture of the franchise from this point forward.
Halo Infinite may not be a perfect game, but it's damn close, and an easy argument could be made for it being the best FPS of the last 5 years (or more). 343 Industries has taken a lot of abuse from Halo "fans" the last few years, but with Infinite, they've created something truly special.
It's never been a better time to be a Halo fan, and I look forward to seeing what 343 has in store with future expansions on this rock-solid foundation.
A clear example of why Iga is a legend in the industry. Even as a spiritual successor to Castlevania, Bloodstained is one of the best Metroidvanias there is, standing tall even among the Oris and Hollow Knights of the world.