For my first Far Cry game, the sixth entry in the franchise met my expectations as I fought against a powerful dictatorship. I enjoyed this game, and I can see why fans of the franchise like it. It is a good mix of RPG elements and FPS action that engaged me, as well as its brutal and interesting story.

Far Cry 6 is set in the fictional country of Yara, and this setting was great in my opinion. It had good latin American representation while dealing with very interesting political themes. It made me want to understand and dive deeper into Caribbean and latin American history. The story is great in the parts where Giancarlo Esposito appears as Anton Castillo, delivering an amazing performance. The other characters were interesting too, but I wish they were written better.

In terms of gameplay and action, the game was fine. Nothing too groundbreaking but a good opener into this new era of 9th generation consoles. I’d recommend Far Cry 6 if you enjoy these types of Fallout-esque RPG shooters, and I wish I had the time to complete the story as it seems very interesting, but it will have to be another day.

Final Score: 75/100

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Deathloop is the newest FPS from bethesda which takes a classic genre and mixes it with a story that is groundbreaking in several ways. We follow Colt, out main character as well as Julianna, a mercenary hunting him for reasons we discover as we advance the plot.

After the intro, Colt realizes that to break the loop he is trapped in, he needs to eliminate eight targets located at different areas of the map at different time periods. I liked this concept, as it makes the player take creative choices as they discover new areas and ways to play.

I have not played the multiplayer yet, but Julianna has turned into an iconic character. I want to keep playing the game and discover all the different ways I can reach objectives more efficiently, using my brain to solve problems and defeat these enemies. I recommend this game and I can’t wait to keep exploring the world of Deathloop.

Final Score: 75/100

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What I enjoyed the most about Returnal has to be the art direction and the setting of the game. It is a haunting, powerful and intense world with plenty to discover. The gameplay is also challenging and creative, with every death offering opportunities to play differently and discover ways to survive better as you discover the story behind the strange alien world you land on.

This was a very fun experience, however, I will discuss the death system in a bit. The monsters you battle all have incredible designs that are inspired by literature. They are as diverse as the environments you discover. Returnal has a little bit of everything for horror and sci-fi fans, TPS enthusiasts, and people looking for a great universe to explore and gameplay.

That being said, the repetitive aspects of the game surrounding the death system can become tedious to some people. That is why I can't recommend Returnal to every player unless they are used to the roguelike system. If you are open-minded and are interested in a wild sci-fi adventure, try it out!

Final Score: 78/100

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There are few horror franchises as great and iconic as Silent Hill. The fourth game is the final of the classic main titles of the franchise. Although a very different experience, it manages to capture most of the things I really enjoy about the series. But it does lack or complicate in some areas that hold it back from being at the same level as the other games.

The world and lore expansion of Silent Hill 4 is fantastic. The new areas you explore are creepy, and there are plenty of small details that make it a rich, dark experience. One example is the backstory of the Twin Victims, who hold one of the creepiest monster designs I’ve seen. The story and mechanics about the room itself are also haunting, getting progressively more cursed as you advance the story.

The design of the monsters and the horrible things you encounter are mesmerizing. Besides the Twin Victims, the ghosts, especially Cynthia are haunting. The game offers plenty of deep lore and symbolism that will disturb you and leave you thinking about its meaning. This is something that I highly appreciate of the franchise as a whole. The rust, blood, and flesh of the environments are so iconic that everyone recognizes a Silent Hill game immediately.

After playing the previous Silent Hill games, the first thing I noticed was that the gameplay aspects were so much different than in the previous installments. 4 takes a more survival horror approach, opposed to more intense action. You don’t have many weapons, dealing with a much smaller inventory. This is a great thing, but it can also be very stressful, so this change of pace might not be attractive to many people.

I have to say that although the first half of the game maintains the pacing of the precious Silent Hills, the second half is nothing short of torture, and not necessarily in a good way. For most of this part, you have to escort Eileen, one of the most annoying characters I’ve had the misfortune of meeting in a videogame. Added to this, the health and saving systems become much more stressful. Seriously, there came a point where I had to repeat whole areas to make sure I had enough health to continue as I struggle to make Eileen follow me. Although some people might praise this as how a survival horror title should make you feel.

SPOILERS AHEAD

Focusing on the story and lore of Silent Hill 4, I think it had a lot to offer. It took a lot of the best elements from the second game, focusing on the demons of the antagonist Walter Sullivan. This character is one of the best from the franchise, a multi-faceted villain whose backstory you understand as the game progresses. What starts as a mystery trying to understand why your apartment door is chained, to a murder story that becomes much darker as the true nature of Sullivan is revealed, the writing keeps you captivated.

Henry Townshend as the main character was duller than previous Silent Hill protagonists. Even some of the minor secondary characters were more interesting. Although it’s not really an issue, since I consider this to be Walter’s game. His motivations and the insanity of his character were impressive, as everything revolves around his terrifying obsession around room 302 and his mission to sacrifice 21 people.

All around, Silent Hill 4 is a must-play for fans of the franchise, but I have to remind players that it took some risks which work about half of the time. Still, it was a good experience. And remember, keep your healing items until the second half, you are going to need them.

Final Score: 80/100

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Horizon Forbidden West was one of my most anticipated games of 2022. Having fallen in love with the first one I couldn’t wait to see how this one improved this awesome franchise from Guerilla Games. I have to say that it lives up to the hype, as I am having a blast with it.

This chapter takes you to exotic and beautiful new locations including oceans, jungles, and mountains that expand this world in great ways. There are also much more new machines that make the gameplay more interesting.

In terms of improvements over the first game Forbidden West has plenty to offer. There is a wide variety of weapons and combat styles that provide a fresh experience even for Horizon Veterans. There is a lot more to discover in terms of machines and locations you visit. The writing is pretty much the same quality as Zero Dawn, but the graphics receive significant improvements in facial expressions, lighting and environments. This game truly feels as part of the 9th generation of consoles with the PS5 version.

Aloy, the game’s protagonist, grows a lot in terms of her role in this story and universe. However, the side characters suffer from the same problems as the first game. I hoped that their role was more prominent, as I felt much of the plot revolved solely on Aloy.

The story of Forbidden West impressed me. Although still have a way to go until the ending, what I have seen so far expands the story in ways that I think are groundbreaking from a sci-fi standpoint. Without spoiling much, the themes in this game touch on existential issues that get more interesting as you progress.

I think this game was a lot of fun. A great expansion on the Horizon universe that takes the franchise on new directions. If you are new to the franchise, you might want to play the first one before this one, as a lot of it relies on previous knowledge of this world.

Final Score: 92/100

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I bought Elden Ring with next to no knowledge of the game. So it was a huge surprise to see how incredible it is. Becoming used to FromSoft's style through Bloodborne, I was ready to embark on a dark fantasy adventure that would challenge me. And oh boy it did.

The game’s mythology is magnificent. It has some of the best designed enemies, bosses, locations and lore I've seen. Even without traditional dialog and storytelling, Elden Ring’s universe made me curious to see what I would encounter next.

The bosses are challenging, but at the same time the game gives you a lot of ways to improve and defeat them at your own style. I loved the wide variety of paths you can take while exploring the world at your own pace. In a way, the sandbox-like nature of Elden Ring has a charm that reminds me of Minecraft in the best ways.

The combat and gameplay is similar to Bloodborne. More accessible, but still insanely fun and challenging, something that makes this game series what it is. I guess it really depends on what aspects you are looking for in terms of universe and what kinds of enemies you battle in these games.

I feel like I am only starting my journey in this universe. There is so much to do and so many areas to explore that I can’t wait to check out everything. I highly recommend playing Elden Ring especially if it is your first Souls-like game.

Final Score: 95/100

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Few games have made me laugh as hard as Religion Inc.. This game is a brilliant satire that exposes religion in a way that doesn't stray far from the truth. The objective is simple: create a religious movement with the end goal of converting the entire world into faithful fanatics.

Along the way, you can upgrade your religion by unlocking new aspects to strategically overcome challenges. These made me laugh, but at the same time despair knowing how close to reality they are. You can make your religion more peaceful or warmongering, open or secretive, etc. While making sure the atheism counter doesn’t reach 100%, otherwise you lose.

This game takes a lot of elements from Plague Inc.. The gameplay involves obtaining skill points in order to strategically use in these paths. If you enjoyed that game, you will enjoy this one. Overall I can’t recommend Religion Inc. enough. If you are devoutly religious, you will probably be offended. But I think anyone can learn something from the way these organizations use sneaky and immoral tactics to gain power and control.

As a massive fan of the Evil Dead franchise, an official game with some of my favorite characters was a very welcome surprise. This game is centered on multiplayer, where you can fight a either a survivor or a demon. The environments, references, and designs are great, and I had a blast once I got used to the controls and dynamics.

Overall, this game was an enjoyable experience... but only for the first two or so hours. The novelty wears off really fast, and different modes don’t do much to add to the diversity of the gameplay. I liked a lot of the aspects they were trying to do here, and the combat was fun, but I wish they expand it more in the future with updates.

Ghostwire Tokyo is a fun, fast-paced, and beautifully designed game that made I enjoyed quite a bit. Especially with the way it incorporates Japanese culture into its world. The environment, enemy design, and story are amazing.

Some of the areas where I wish Ghostwire was better is in the gameplay, as some of the main character’s attacks and movements feel clunky. But I got used to it after a while. Overall, a great experience that holds itself pretty well. I also appreciated the way that the language is Japanese by default. I think more games should be in the original language of their location.

Final Score: 78/100

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As someone who grew up with the original LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga, I was excited for this game. I haven’t played a LEGO title in a while, but I remembered how fun they were.

The Skywalker Saga explores all 9 Star Wars movies while so much more content to the game than the previous games. It feels very complete, something that makes my inner child very happy. The graphics and character roster are also a beautiful update. I found a lot of interesting easter eggs that I would love to explore in the future. The voice acting was also great, but I have to admit that as someone who grew with the silent LEGO characters, it feels different.

Something I miss from the original game is its simplicity. The Skywalker Saga feels too convoluted sometimes. The reason I give it a lower score than The Complete Saga is that it feels like it misses the spark that made that game so special. But in the end, one has to admit that this game is something all of our inner children have been dreaming of since The Force Awakens was announced.

Final Score: 75/100

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2015

I didn't expect it to be that short, but it did feel like it started to overstay its welcome. However, SOMA was very interesting and had a lot of powerful sci-fi and existential themes, especially with the topic of mind uploading. If you like philosophical games, this one will be a treat.

A very cute and entertaining game that made me laugh a lot. If you like dungeon crawlers and satirical stories you will definitely enjoy Cult of the Lamb. I thought it was fun in the beginning but the combat can get tiring after a while. However, the village-management parts are hilarious and very entertaining.

I remember playing this at around 7 years old on the extinct Cartoon Network website. It was probably fun at the time but I remember it being very simple.

2022

A pretty short game that I think was worth it. The level of care, detail, and design it has is beautiful and phenomenal. The only issue I had is that after an hour or so after playing it I got motion sickness and a lot of people report the same. The developers should definitely fix this in the future.

This game was very fun and has potential. I want to play it more in the future. However, as I never played the first one, I can't compare it or say that it is better or worse. But I feel like the combat and competitiveness have a lot of ways to mix and match and open up possibilities.