As a music based rogue like you can be glad the music slaps by default with the use of classic Zelda tracks. It does lean more to a rogue like than being a Zelda game, dungeons are randomly generated crypts with the series trademark puzzles being absent. Some of the items I collected just felt useless in the grand scheme of things such as the hookshot which is a shame

Even though the rhythm based combat does eventually grow on you and become pretty fun it can still be frustrating with enemies crowding you as well as hard to read patterns making you easy to get hit.

I still had fun with it but it does have its hiccups if you aren't into this kind of game.

This game does these characters justice, the insane amount of dialogue they packed into this title as well as the interactions with the team are executed so perfectly. The gameplay itself is fun with a cool shooter approach with action RPG style team commands which while simple and often repetitive did keep me entertained. But yeah the game is the strongest in it's story and characters which pull you through the times where the gameplay does come to a halt for extended periods of time and while I did think these sections of no action do sometimes overstay their welcome, the stellar writing did keep me intrigued.

I really hope this gets a sequel because I had a blast

I've never played 06 so I went into this fan project only knowing the infamy and vitriol that the original 2006 release caused. With the Silver update installed I finally decides to give it a try. Overall from a fresh perspective, it's a pretty solid yet flawed 3D Sonic adventure that feels like a natural continuation refinement and evolution of the Adventure style.

When the game is moving at a consistent pace especially in the regular Sonic stages its a blast and a really good time. ChaosX really must've done a great job because this feels like some of the best 3D Sonic action there is. Of course it does suffer from the larger levels while really good at providing the opportunities for some shortcuts, can be cryptic in where you need to go next which did make me waste time. There's also how repetitive the combat can get which wouldn't be a problem if the game didn't throw so many enemies at you with such a limited moveset at your disposal, there are also some fun gameplay twists like other playable characters and Shadow's vehicles which go by way too quickly or feel underdeveloped.

Regardless of my gripes, I had a good time and I learn to appreciate it more when I replay levels learning from my past mistakes.

Off the bat it has some of the strongest dungeons in the series, amazing art direction, fantastic well realized characters, a beautiful soundtrack and really fun items. But the widely known problems this game is faced with sadly did come to frustrate me in my playthrough. The combat is interesting but it does get tedious and my 14 year old Wiimote got pretty finnicky with trying to be as precise as it should sometimes, also the overworld is easily the weakest in a 3D Zelda with a barren sky and often returning to the exact same three areas multiple times. The padding here could get borderline atrocious but getting through those issues you still have a very solid installment in Zelda which I appreciate more now with the way BoTW completely reinvented how 3D Zelda and how Skyward Sword is the last of the style Ocarina established in the series thus far.

I have an unhealthy adoration for Spider-Man if you know me well enough. It pained me that I didn't own a PlayStation at the time that this came out and everyone was raving about it.

I finally got the chance to play it with the new PS5 I have now and my dreams have finally been fulfilled. Insomniac's version of the wall-crawler is one of the best adaptations of the character led by a great performance by Yuri Lowenthal and fun twists on classic Spider-Man elements. The web-slinging and combat didn't click to me straight away but once the game got deeper and expanded your arsenal and skill, I had an absolute blast and was motivated to 100% the main story and the DLC chapters. The combat does bear some similarities with the Arkham games but there's a bigger emphasis here on fluidity and air-time that gives it a more Spider-Man touch. Even with minor annoyances like the side missions being really repetitive at times, the story repeating predictable and samey beats at points(mentors/friends becoming evil) and the camera sometimes being frustrating to work with, were hardly enough to take the stupid grin off my face the whole time.