I picked up Starfield again for the first time since December and I must say this new update is absolutely fantastic. I have been playing on 60 FPS with no problems and the polished city maps, bug fixes, and new survival mode features have made by second playthrough even more thrilling than the first. I am now more optimistic than ever about the big Shattered Space DLC coming this Fall. Bethesda has clearly listened to feedback and is putting in some serious work. I have always stated that the rhetoric around this game will change with time. I think we might be approaching that time. Fingers crossed Shattered Space does to this game what Phantom Liberty did to Cyberpunk 2077 for those people who did not love their first experience with the game. Regardless, good things ahead!

This review is strictly for the game's campaign. I will actively continue to play multiplayer and have been enjoying that very much. The main campaign, however, is shocking and frustrates me very much. When I heard that it was the equivalent to a DLC expansion in terms of duration and content, I thought people were joking. That was, in fact, not a joke. Actually, I have seen many DLCs with way more content than this "main campaign." Being a huge AAA release, I hope this is not going to set a precedent moving forward. For the price of the game, consumers deserve way more than what they get from this. With the 6 hours of story or so that we get, I found the set design and graphics to be good, but there is very little of a story present due to its short duration. I expect and hope the next iteration of COD to be way better in this area. It is very sad....

This has been my first time fully playing the GTA V campaign and man has it delivered. Ten years ago, I probably would not have appreciated the feat that Rockstar has accomplished here, so I am glad I am playing this again in 2023. The level of character depth, dialogue options, lack of loading screens, diverse cars/buildings/songs/clothing/etc/etc reminds me how far ahead of its time GTA V was when it was released 10 years ago, in 2013. It really is one of the best, most thoughtful, and intuitive video game campaigns I have ever played. The game is as fun and addicting as ever. It truly is one of the best games ever made. I am that much more excited for GTA VI as a result of my most recent playthrough of this classic.

The game is well developed and the menu screens are strong. Gameplay and the authenticity packages, however, have become a bit too arcade-like for my liking. A good balance is always nice, but I have found certain mechanics, like shooting, passing, deking, and poke checking to be very mechanical and not the smooth flowing skill moves that is common in today's NHL. Also, the new celebration cutscenes are really not my cup of tea. I am all for special cutscenes depending on the weight of the goal, but the developers should take a note from the FC/FIFA franchise and make goal celebrations more seamless and diverse. Overall, good new strides were made this year, with a focus on trying new things... both of which I appreciate, but I hope they take the feedback and incorporate it into next year's game. It will make it that much stronger.

For me, nothing can replicate the charm that The Complete Saga had. It was one of my favorite games growing up. The Skywalker Saga, however, does a very nice job incorporating new technology and graphics into this historic franchise. The semi-open world elements are a nice addition, but something does feel a bit off not having Dex's diner (or something similar) as the main hub for the game. The voice acting is actually very strong, but to replicate the old feel, I would love an option to turn that off and use the classic Lego mumbles and grunts instead. Overall, with all the expansion packages, this is a game that has delivered fun for a long time.

I have played over 200 hours prior to writing this review. Fans of Bethesda RPGs will instantly fall in love, but those who are new to the genre or to the studio may take time to develop interest. The game's two biggest flaws are its slow start and the abundance of loading screens. However, this game was hit was overly aggressive negativity in part due to the XBox x Bethesda merger and the lack of PS5 support. This has blown those 2 flaws out of proportion, and I can confidently say they do not impact the experience nearly as much as some say. The main quest line and the faction quest lines (particularly the UC Vanguard one) are fantastically written and genuinely compelling with plenty of surprises and unpredictability to keep you on your toes. Additionally, space combat and ship/outpost building deliver hours of fun. Given the strong foundation, scope, and number of explorable planets, I am confident this game is a modders paradise and will be thought of very highly as time goes on. Also, as technology progresses, I believe future iterations of Starfield will be even more thrilling.