This was... well, it was special. I've seen people claim this is a 'return' to the classic survival horror roots of the first Resident Evil game, but honestly, they're full of shit. This game isn't awful, but man does it feel weird to play.

First off, how about some good things? The enemy designs in Revelations are awesome. The aquatic theme for the fucked up mutants in this game is executed really well, and I was pleasantly surprised with each new enemy. In all honesty, the enemy variety and uniqueness might be the best out of every RE game I've played so far. The aquatic theme also works alright for the setting. The cruise ship is a very distinct location, but it's hampered by issues I will mention later. Finally, the soundtrack is pretty sweet. The tune that plays at the end of each episode is a real earworm, and some of the music toward the end of the game really stood out to me as well.

Okay, now for the bad. The episodic format of the game isn't really bad, but the fact that you rarely play the same character for more than ten minutes at the time is jarring. It's cool that they wanted to tell a story via multiple characters at once, but it doesn't feel very cohesive, particularly since the story is not that good (though I do love the idea of Terragrigia and I think Veltro and the FBC v BSAA conflict are cool). The gameplay is also subpar. The gunplay doesn't feel weighty at all, the camera is kind of annoying, the Genesis, while somewhat engaging, is a pain to use half the time because it slows the pace of the game, and the level layout... oh boy. The Spencer Mansion in Resident Evil gets to be big and sprawling because you are constantly backtracking, so by the end of the game you know where you are at all times and how everything connects. Revelations bounces you between 4-5 locations, so the cruise ship doesn't feel familiar to you at any point. Getting around is confusing, particularly because the in-game map gives no indication of which room is which. It's a shame, because as I said earlier, an abandoned and adrift cruise ship is a promising setting for a RE game, but the disjointed nature of the game makes it ultimately pretty lame in practice.

In the end, I don't hate the game. Parker and Raymond are neat new additions to the RE character lineup, the story has some interesting ideas, and the enemies are memorable, but I have no desire to ever replay a game with such tedious gameplay.

This game is a massive mixed bag. On the one hand, it single-handedly popularised a hugely influential sub-genre of ARPGs; on the other hand, it fucking sucks.

Seriously, most of the hype for this game is unwarranted. I think that people like the 'idea' of Dark Souls more than they enjoy what the game really is. The notion of interconnected levels and choice with regards to game progression is cool, but in reality, backtracking all the way to Firelink Shrine from Demon Ruins is nothing more than a chore. There is nothing added to the game by forcing the player to walk from bonfire to bonfire.

But this hints at one of the major ailments that Fromsoft fanboys are afflicted by: an inability to see poor game design for what it is. This flaw has become increasingly evident as time has gone on; one only has to look at those who get genuine delight from the fact that Elden Ring has several poison swamp environments. It really does confuse me, because I would never fault someone for liking a bad game, but I cannot fathom the defensive ignorance employed in order to protect an okay game from valid criticism.

I must admit that I warmed up to the game. Despite having runbacks on par with DS2, some of the worst bosses in the series, clunky and outdated combat, bullshit enemy placement, and unfinished levels, there is a certain charm to Dark Souls: Remastered that has compelled me to continue on into NG+. I really do wish I could enjoy the game more though, and I might if the fanboys could stop telling me that I'm not enjoying it enough because I am demented in preferring Dark Souls 3 or whatever.

I really hope that someday someone makes a good Dark Souls game...

I gotta say, this does not live up to the hype. With how much I had heard about Opposing Force, I expected it to be to Half-Life what Episode Two was to Half-Life 2. Alas, it is not. While there are some cool weapons, enemies, and gimmicks added to the base Half-Life gameplay, it's just not nearly as interesting an experience; worse, it retains a lot of the frustrating and tedious combat and movement without the cool level design or story beats as the first game. I also heard this was supposed to be more combat-oriented, but it didn't feel like it. Sure, there weren't any levels that were heavy on platforming segments, but this game is also half the length of Half-Life, so I expected more fights than I got.

Opposing Force isn't a bad game, thankfully, as could well be expected from an expansion to what is already an arguably outdated and painful gaming experience. Unfortunately, it doesn't really improve on its predecessor either. It's a shame, because I really do enjoy the cool new stuff, I just wish the game overall was more polished, less buggy, and more cohesive.