Miles Morales is an iteration rather than an innovation on Marvel’s Spiderman. It adds slight refinements and upgrades to gameplay elements which made the original such a blast in 2018, with the venom abilities being the real standout addition. The venom abilities look and feel fantastic, not to mention being incredibly useful to turn the tide in combat and stealth encounters. I also love the personality which oozes in the animation design, making Miles feel distinct and full of flair. There are quality of life improvements elsewhere with improved side quests, though some quests types can get repetitious, and the game prioritising quality over quantity more with its collectibles. However, all these minor additions do not stop Miles Morales feeling a bit too familiar. Moreover, the story did not grip me like I was hoping it would because of the weak antagonists and largely unengaging narrative. Don’t get me wrong I enjoyed my time with Miles Morales; it just feels like Insomniac has all the pieces there to make a truly special experience but are held back my some poor design decisions which plague many open world games and various narrative shortcomings.

2020 Ranked
Ranked Open World Recommendations

Bastion oozes personality. Whether it be with its witty narrator, its eye-catching art style or its sublime soundtrack. All these elements have aged gracefully. Though the plot didn’t pull me in like I was hoping it would, the puzzle solving was very simple and the combat a bit stiff. However, the constant introduction of new gameplay features along with the games meaningful upgrade trees and layered combat systems kept me engaged throughout its duration to the point where I stuck around after completing the campaign to try high score challenges and upgrade my weapons. This game’s attention to detail has helped it stand the test of time surprisingly well, and while it has its flaws, its easy to see why it is considered amongst the crowning jewels of the first wave of indies which came out in the early 2010s.

2011 Ranked
Indie Recommendations

Season 2 of Telltale’s The Walking Dead feels very familiar. It’s gameplay, visuals and style of storytelling are near identical to its predecessor. On the one hand, that means another fantastic narrative full of interesting and nuanced characters; albeit the narrative beats and cast aren’t quite as strong as in the first season. Though seeing Clementine mature as the main protagonist of this story, learning who to trust and who not to trust when trying to survive, was a personal highlight. On the other hand, the gameplay desperately needs a facelift, still feeling very cumbersome and unengaging. This is still a great experience which the vast majority of fans of the first season will enjoy. Just temper your expectations slightly as even though Season 2 has its share of memorable moments, it does not reach the highs of Season 1, subsequently remaining in its shadow.

2013 Ranked