Narrative: 4 - Gameplay: 4 - Visuals: 4 - Soundtrack: 3.5 - Time: 4
Stars: 4
This is my second FromSoftware and Soulslike game. Elden Ring was my first and, of course, hardly another one will fill its shoes. I feel like Souslike games are the next big formula for the industry. They're fun and punishing, but in terms of overall game design and level design, it doesn't offer a sufficiently different experience - thus the formula bit. Nothing against formulas, just something to take into consideration.

Narrative: 5 - Gameplay: 4.5 - Visuals: 5 - Soundtrack: 5 - Time: 5
Stars: 5

As an Alan Wake and Control fan, I had my expectations set high with the new Remedy's entry. They were not only met but viciously surpassed them with gusto.

I will take the bad out of the way because it's only one minor detail, but that needs mentioning - the bugs. In the early chapters, I encountered a sporadic bug here or there, but as I progressed, they became more frequent and, frankly, quite annoying. Fortunately, I won't go so far as to claim that these hiccups detracted significantly from the overall experience. This is solely because the game itself is a masterpiece, an exceptional work of art that manages to overshadow any technical glitches. Otherwise, it would have been way more problematic, but the sheer brilliance of the game elevates it beyond such minor inconveniences.

Now, with the good stuff.

Following up on the first entry was a big of a challenge enough. We all remember our first encounter with Bright Falls, its mysteries and characters. he relentless pursuit of our beloved Alice, coupled with the profound emotions of anguish, terror, and madness, etched an indelible mark on our experiences.

Then it came Control and set all of that great horror story inside a greater and ambitious science fiction background. The hype was palpable.

And that's just the thing, Alan Wake II incorporates its history and newly acquired lore organica and masterfully. The fraction in two and all of the dualities that the game plays with are incredible. Alan and Scratch, Bright Fall and the Dark Place, as well as the eternal struggle between Light and Darkness.

The right to choose your own path and make the story yours, changing realities in edge-sitting chapters makes everything even more immersive. Alan Wake II emerges not just as a sequel but as a captivating journey that skillfully builds upon its own foundations while introducing fresh and intriguing dimensions to the storyline.

Spoilers ahead. I love that there's no leaf left unturned, all the characters are explored and fulfill a role in one shape or another, being a connection to the previous entry or building drama around the protagonist. Saga shines through in this aspect, being the new character, the one that we knew nothing about. Her ties with the great Old Gods of Asgard and the mysterious Mr. Door give me the chills and compose some of the most emotional scenes for me. And Alice, from a damsel in distress to an organic, deep, and bad-ass character. With her story fully articulated, we embark on a journey following her unique form of art, delving deeper into the intricacies of the Dark Place. There's little not to love.

Alan Wake II doesn't leave anything to desire, being an astonishing videogame. Evidently, the graphics are realistic and last-gen. The design, although, it's absurd. The way the lights and shadows interact, and the little distortions everywhere make the game a living nightmare. And this brings me to a gargantuan praising point: this game gonna frighten you for sure. I'm not easily scared at all, especially with jump scares. But goddamn you all, the jump scares are amazing. There were several times that I almost threw my controller at the TV, startled by either the screams or genuinely upset by an enemy lurking about.

I am in love with Alan Wake II and can't wait for the DLCs coming and the next Control game.

Narrative: 4.5 - Gameplay: 5 - Visuals: 5 - Soundtrack: 4 - Time: 4.5
Stars: 5

Spider-Man 2 is, without a shadow of a doubt, a great game. If it were in a different year, it would be the GOTY. Yet, we all know that 2023 will be marked in history as one of the greatest years for gaming - ever. I'm still playing all of the other contenders (there's a lot to go through), but you don't need to play any of them too much to understand that they're all peak. With that out of the way...

The game itself doesn't have many flaws, being consistently noteworthy all around. Swinging and fighting as not one, but two spiders is awesome. The graphics and BGM speak for themselves. The story, although it didn't hit the kind of emotional drive personally as the first one, is solid and well constructed. Which leaves us with the not-that-great stuff.

I feel that the world is not that filled with stuff to do. I get that is the same city and characters as the first one, but if anything, ToK showed us that that's not an excuse. The story is solid, but it looks somewhat constrained. I mean Alan Wake 2 is both solid and revolutionary in several aspects. They both work by alternating the playable character, but Wake does a so much better job. I mean (SPOILER ALERT) you can literally switch between REALITIES.

As I said before, these are some not-too-great stuff, however, it doesn't bring the game down. It is a great game, period. But it gets a little behind when we are talking about the other monsters of 2023.

Narrative: 4.5 - Gameplay: 5 - Visuals: 5 - Soundtrack: 4 - Time: 5
Stars: 5

After my more than epic encounter with Shogun 2, I had my expectations uncapped. Feudal Japan was an immersive, yet limited, experience. Taking control of the provinces was a lot of fun, and becoming a shogun was a real challenge. But I would be lying if I said was ready for another Shogun campaign. There are several clans, however - even for a Sengoku Jidai affectionate like myself - they were not that different to justify a whole new run. That's where Warhammer is a game changer.

Descending into shadows and blood, I took hold of the von Carstein family and threw the Old World into an era of Darkness. Control all my favorite fantasy monsters and be the ultimate Lord Vampire with my unique mechanics. Destroy the Empire, Bretonnia, and the Dwarfs while searching for my corrupt and magical items. All of that made Warhammer ascend to the ranks of my favorite games.

And that's just the thing: I've only played with one specific lord of the Vampire Counts. I can play with all of the other factions and lords, and I'm sure that I'll have a completely different experience. I've said I can play with the others, but what I really meant was I'm already playing with the Wood Elves and if that's not a great sign, I don't know what it is.

Narrative: 3 - Gameplay: 4 - Visuals: 3 - Soundtrack: 5 - Time: 3.5
Stars: 3.5

My journey with Super Mario's three-dimensional platformers is coming to an end. And so far ahead in the road, I come across some weird game. I mean, what the hell was Nintendo thinking? Everything - from the cutscenes to the gimmick chosen to be the core mechanic - is weird...
And kind of cool.

The plot with Bowser Jr. in his dramatic search for his misplaced mother is absurd and so funny. FLUDD is a nice gadget-side-kick (character?), but where's the mouth? The screw are eyes? And don't get me started with the islanders and that water-type mammal-shaped Island. And, by the way, I hope to God that Delphino Island and its inhabitants aren't some sort of reference to Brazil or Latin America. At the same time, the carnivalesque soundtrack sure points towards that. Regardless of my doubts, their design is just awkward. None of that takes us off the solid gameplay.

When I saw some bad criticism about the second half of the game, I was surprised and kind of suspicious. I mean, we all know that Nintendo can drop the ball with new consoles or IPs, but to think they would mess up one of their main franchises would shock me. Well, it was not exactly like that. I see the frustration that comes with some of the clunkiness of the controls, and some levels can get irritating, but in the end, it's all good fun and solid game design. There are challenges, and I won't lie: I'll die cursing Pinata Village (and praising Sirena Beach).

In the end, I'm glad that Nintendo took some weird directions with this one. I feel that it can hold its ground with no shame side-by-side with all the other three-dimensional Super Marios.

Next - and final - stop: Super Mario Galaxy.

Narrative: 3 - Gameplay: 4 - Visuals: 4 - Soundtrack: 4 - Time: 5
Stars: 4

I surely took my time with this one. Not only I've played a total of 71 hours according to Steam, but I've been playing this one on and off since 2013.

The thing is, I love strategy games. Board, card, or video games, real-time or turn-based, I don't care. As long we sit and plan our next moves, figure out the most efficient way to turn the tide to our side, or even stress about a bad early-on decision, I'm in.

When it comes to real-time strategy, it started with Warcraft III and Age of Empires III. Both of them hold a special place in my heart to this day. The thing is, those two are in the middle of what they can be. The systems around city management and resource gathering aren't that complicated and the military tactics that one can draw are very limited by the population cap. When I found out about Sid Meier's Civilization VI, that first itch was finally scratched. A game where the complexity of itself was the protagonist of it all.

And that's just the thing, I thought that Total War would be the one to give that spotlight to military engagement and tactical strategy on the battlefield (excuse me XCOM, I mean medievel-like battlefield). I guess that, over the years, I never gave a chance to it. Because, let's be honest, there are a ton of mechanics, keyboard shortcuts, and skills that we need to internalize before enjoying the gameplay. It took me 10 years of flirting, but when I put in the work, it just clicked.

Total War: Shogun 2 rose to my attention and obsession. When and how to attack, how to work with my units according to the situation, developing while thinking which weather would best suit my army; those became my priorities, that was the value of the game. I haven't played all of the battles myself of course (that's what building a brutal army is meant for). But, when the battle mattered most when every single decision could change the outcome... That gave me the thrills and made me think, what an incredible game.

I think that now this door is open I'll keep exploring the franchise. But enough of the historical background, Japan is sufficient. It's time for fantasy warfare, it's time for Warhammer.

Narrative: 4 - Gameplay: 5 - Visuals: 5 - Soundtrack: 5 - Time: 4
Stars: 4.5

If my first experience with Pikmin was marked by a lack of expectations, Pikmin 2 was the opposite. The first game left me with a hunger for more, but also with a pinch of fear that the next entry would disappoint me. I don't know why I had those fears because Nintendo hardly messes it up. But sometimes, when it's a new IP and with such great reception, it can easily go sideways. I'm glad it didn't.

As suspected, Nintendo did tickle with some of the level designs. Doing a simple equation: add two cool Pikmin and some caves, minus the time limit and we have a remarkably different game experience. If the first game was all about surface exploration and time management, the second one was all about boss fights and situation/Pikmin management. For some (and I include myself in this group) many boss fights can be overwhelming and frustrating. On the other hand, Pikmin is essentially a straight shot of stress. In the end, more stress is just more fun.