Red & Blue birthed a juggernaut. Pokemon is what it is because of these games, with many of the elements in the modern Pokemon games being the same as Red & Blue or being only slightly tweaked, whether this is for the better or the worse is a different argument, however, it does show the influence and power Red & Blue has upon the circumstances and history of the franchise and its future titles. Despite this, it would be wrong to pretend Red & Blue's age isn't obviously shown, with the games being a product of their time in almost every capacity. Despite the slog that they are though, the fact that they were once innovative and unique will have to be taken into account when concluding their final rating.

I know this review probably emphasises the bads more than the goods, but that is purely because of how huge the bads are. But, if you ignore the stingy micro-transactions and game-play changes in Zombies mainly, Black Ops 4 is one of the best COD games of all-time and can include hours of competitive or plain fun. To the developers who worked on this game, congratulations, you did amazing. To the Execs at the top of Activision, I hope you someday wake up and realise video games are not just a market for you to take advantage of and that it should be a respected art form.

God Of War, a game that has come out within the last few weeks and the next instalment for the illustrious line of games that the God Of War name has produced throughout the years. But is the game really amazing? Can the game reignite that compelling feeling of emotion and excitement that has been missing from gaming for so many years? I certainly think it can and did, but that doesn't mean the game didn't have flaws of course.

Early Climaxes -
Loading up the game, I felt the excitement that I had not felt for a video game in a long time. The opening of the game progresses pretty slowly and gives a dramatic shot of the son praying over his dead mother, as the camera pans to the entrance to the home, the music changes to that godly music, as Kratos appears in the doorway as a silhouette, this immediately gave an aura around Kratos for how his presence and return is supposed to be felt and perceived by the player.

As the game progresses slowly, it comes to the first real fight of this game, which had certainly a lot to live up to given the drama and intensity of the significant God Of War III "boss battles". Baldur appears in the doorway, and as Kratos tries to force him to leave his home, you just know you are in for a treat once this fight kicks off. The initial fight with Baldur left me in awe, it was unlike anything I have ever seen before, the interactivity of the battleground and surroundings and sheer intensity felt within this
fight made me feel instantly invested in what this game had on offer. What really hit home most with me was after about 10 minutes of fighting to the max, Baldur says "I don't feel any of this" before healing himself, which made the hairs on my arms stand up with how much that quote really sank in.

Adrenaline Downfall -
After defeating Baldur for the first time the excitement and adrenaline is pumping and rushing through you, after one of the most intense and jaw-dropping "boss battle" experiences I have ever experienced in gaming, this builds up so much excitement and hype for the rest of the game and for the immediate future of the game and storyline, yet it doesn't live up to that level that it sets so early on as you expect to see more fights to the same level as Baldur, but that rarely happens.

As you progress through the game, fighting more mini-boss battles than fighting with genuine match ups for Kratos, especially off the back of God Of War III, where you fight a genuine God less than a quarter through the game every time, this method of laying out God Of War III made for a constant refill of the drama and amazement, but this new game gave off more of a calmed feel throughout the majority of the game as it focuses more on character development and building a relationship between Kratos and Atreus and especially it is evident of the game's attempts to make the player fall for Atreus as a character.

Personalities -
Throughout this game, it is SO obvious of the constant push for the game to build a bond between the player and Atreus, I can understand the need to build a relationship between the boy and Kratos and the player, especially if the boy's main purpose when being placed into this story was to carry on the God Of War stories once Kratos has inevitably faded from the series. But I thought the feeling for Kratos' personality change was way too sudden, although by the end of the game, I felt it came to the perfect conclusion for why they made such a significant change to Kratos as a person and as a character and how his personality change gave the son a purpose within this game as it gives Kratos an extra role to play within this game than the role he'd have to play in a traditional God Of War game where it is perceived as "Kratos against the world" type scenarios. One negative personality I thought was placed throughout the game was when the boy was revealed that he was a god, and how sudden he changes and lets that title go to his head, I felt like that personality change was very corny and pushed, and then dropped very quickly when it easily could have just never been the case, to begin with.

Bond Building -
As the game continues on its path, you really do begin to sense a "The Last Of Us" type feel, where you can sense that the developers of this game really did try their hardest to make Atreus grow on us as players and to make us feel a connection with the kid to the same level as we did with Kratos throughout the years. A technique they use to make us feel this emotion is how they portray it through Kratos, a man who is meant to be filled with hatred and anguish for Gods and the world around him, yet he still indirectly shows love for his son and has humourous moments with Atreus whilst still have that level of discipline, ruthlessness and tough love that he gained from the Spartans and trying to teach that kind of mentality to his son.

OG God Of War -
Just when original fans of the series might have thought that the blades would not make a return, finally something significant happens in this field when the boy falls sick, which triggers the story to take a twist, which leads to one of the most iconic cinematic scenes within the game, as you see Kratos travelling down the stormy river, alone, being spectated by Athena and eventually arriving at his home, only for him to uncover and rap the chains of the fire blades around his wrists again, which would signify the idea that no matter how much he tries, Kratos can never live a different life, he will always be bound by the ghost of Sparta and he can never change his vengeful ways. This scene of him reacquiring his old blades puts everything about his personality changing so significantly into perfect context also. This storyline is told perfectly, although happens definitely way too far into the game as I feel many players wouldn't have the will power to drag themselves through the hours of Dragr fights and mini-boss battles.

The Ending -
The ending of this game gave me goosebumps, it was almost completely perfect, as you see the giants predicting everything perfectly and the visuals...oh the visuals... they are planned out to perfection, for Kratos to see the final stage of how the story of him and his son is meant to go as we see Kratos seeing himself dead in his son's arms, but unfortunately, despite all this drama and excitement, Kratos survives and he and his son just carry on their lives after spreading the ashes, as if nothing had ever happened. I think this could have been such an amazing ending but really did leave me feeling with a sense of a void as the game never really came to a proper conclusion, which I expect to be changed in the coming title. 

Overall -
Positives: Strong backbone to the game, very well planned and evidently is a passion project for the game developers. Incredible graphics, easily the best I have ever seen and an incredible display of voice acting and emotion within these voices, all on top of a fantastic story that adds perfectly to an already illustrious line of God Of War games.
Negatives: The game is quite drawn out and repetitive at points, too much boat travel also (not a popular criticism, but I just dislike travelling by water in any game), the finale is also quite an anti-climax, considering how amazing and dramatic that ending could have been.

Conclusion -
I haven't felt like this for a long time, probably since The Last Of Us, where once the game ends, I feel like part of my life has been taken away from me. I hope they do not leave us waiting for the next God Of War game, as I feel I would probably die from withdrawal. This was a fantastic game and has some of the best storytelling and visual effects I have ever witnessed in gaming. I suggest that everybody plays God Of War and experiences this as it is truly jaw-dropping.

The Last of Us Part II is far from perfect, but no game is ever perfect. It could have done so much to really cement it as an experience to remember for decades, but that does not detract from the many experiences and emotions felt when playing through and experiencing this title. I will always prefer the original game, due to Joel, but if I were to remove my nostalgia goggles and bias, I would say that this sequel blows the original title out of the water in almost every single aspect possible. It is a masterpiece and something that is hard to describe without experiencing it for yourself, yet I have still done my best to try and attempt to do that.

There is not much to complain about when it comes to what can be regarded as three of the most popular and enjoyed games of all-time. If you are looking for hours of fun to take you away from the terrible world we live in today, then this collection is perfect. The price of €60 may seem hefty to many, but for me, Nintendo could have easily sold these three games separately and people would have still bought them, so I am glad that something that once seemed like a far-off rumour was able to exist physically in my hands.

Obviously, the collection would have been perfected if it had been remakes of the three games, rather than just upscaled ports, but sometimes in life not everything can be the ideal version of what you would want. I too would have adored remakes of these three games, but my want for remakes does not detract from my enjoyment of playing the originals.

Overall, I would say Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the third highest quality product on the Switch, coming in just behind Breath of the Wild and Mario Odyssey. New Horizons has potential for thousands of hours of gameplay and years of longevity for people who are still on the fence about whether to get the game. The gameplay can seem repetitive and boring from the outside, but once it has reeled you in, there is no escape and suddenly your Animal Crossing island will feel like a second home. Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a stellar title, with no effort saved when it comes to the quality, abundance and detail that comes with the game.

There has not been a game that has given me this sense of calmness, joy and nostalgia despite being new to the experiences it offers in years. It is a game that can disconnect you from the harshness of reality. A genuinely pleasant experience for all.

Little Big Planet was an iconic game, and despite its mismanagement in recent years (that's a different story for a different day), it was a game that shaped my childhood and gave me hundreds of memories that will never leave me. It was a game that maybe has not aged the best, but at the time, if you played Little Big Planet in its prime, you knew you were playing one of the greatest games of the 2000s, who was in the process of creating one of the most iconic characters in gaming and one of Sony's best mascots, and you were enjoying every moment of it.