Very serviceable if somewhat unambitious sequel to a solid first game. By far the best part is the fact that it's a modern RPG that's absolutely bursting with towns, secret areas, and cool turn based abilities to unlock - just proves that this old school style still has its place. The combat system is also tuned just about perfectly, and the ending encounters genuinely force you to consider all of your tactical options in a really fun way. Story is still nothing to write home about which has so far been the biggest flaw of this series.

Truly a fantastic game that I think has a lot of minute design quibbles that seem nitpicky on the surface but do actually keep it from reaching the occasional perfection of the original (just as one example: Don't like the modern Capcom approach to harder difficulty balancing much). That said it may not have the lows of RE4 2005 either. It's RE4 sanded down and molded into Capcom's modern RE template, and while in some ways that's a bad thing, it's a template that they've managed to nail quite successfully and they've clearly taken a lot of care in transferring it over.

The new Leon one liners make me very happy.

This thing lives or dies by its atmosphere, so it's a good thing it's one of the most well realized, enthralling, and no-this-isn't-a-buzzword genuinely immersive games ever made. The effects the environment can have on the visor... how hasn't every first person game been copying this.

I have some quibbles ranging from minor to somewhat major, the bosses could use work, I wish more movement options unlocked ala 2D Metroid's screw attack or speed booster to make backtracking later feel more rewarding and less occasionally obnoxious, combat in general could have done with some punching up etc but the actual act of just going through this incredible world renders a lot of that moot. Yamamoto's OST is incredible. I really hope that Retro finally shipping something again and seeing the positive reception its gotten gives them the confidence to really deliver in the home stretch of Prime 4.

Really, truly fantastic on the strategy side of things, playing on Hard/Classic had me hyper focused and genuinely invested in every single main chapter. The map design is really well considered and varied, easily some of the best maps I've seen out of my admittedly limited experience with the wider series.

But man this story is utter pablum lol. IntSys, idk what's happening over there but you used to be the best of the best, not sure how it ended up that one of your major franchises now feels completely directionless from a mechanical perspective and the other directionless from a tonal one.

I think this is the game Sam Barlow has been trying to make his entire life. Another game in the "objectively messy but works for me specifically" trend of 2022. A bit too on the nose perhaps and feels like it toes the line between loving homage and straight up stealing, but if you're gonna steal, steal from the best, I guess. With one simple trick this thing innovates on the FMV game in a way that I think could spawn an entire subgenre. One of the best performances of the year in games (you know The One) and one or two moments that are going to stick with me for a long time.