Enjoyment - 8/10
Difficulty - 5/10
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard is a return to form.
Depending on who you ask, this is or isn't a Resident Evil game. While that debate and general mantra is exhausting, Resident Evil 7: Biohazard provides big spooks and a fun gameplay loop. If you have only started getting interested in the Resident Evil series, then this is a great springboard!
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Difficulty - 5/10
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard is a return to form.
Depending on who you ask, this is or isn't a Resident Evil game. While that debate and general mantra is exhausting, Resident Evil 7: Biohazard provides big spooks and a fun gameplay loop. If you have only started getting interested in the Resident Evil series, then this is a great springboard!
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2019
Enjoyment - 5/10
Difficulty - 3/10
Days Gone is a fever dream.
I completely forgot to review Days Gone when I was doing my review rounds for the games I completed. I think that should tell you everything you need to know.
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Difficulty - 3/10
Days Gone is a fever dream.
I completely forgot to review Days Gone when I was doing my review rounds for the games I completed. I think that should tell you everything you need to know.
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Enjoyment - 5/10
Difficulty - 3/10
Horizon Zero Dawn is a painfully average video game.
The visual splendour of Horizon Zero Dawn's landscapes and vistas really carries the experience. Also, traversing on your robot horse and encountering imposing machines is cool. However, all of the game's positive aspects are undercut by its conflicting mechanics and genuinely awful story.
Combat is borderline atrocious. Not once did I have a good time with battling human or machine enemies. Dodging, slow-motion aiming, melee, stealth, it all seemed to run counter to the core of the game. Repetitive mission structures and forgettable side quests also paint the game badly. If I am being completely honest, if the game had a NO COMBAT PASSIVISM lean in its framework I think it would've been a much better game with a stronger identity it could build off.
The ecological, industrial, and tribal theming of Horizon Zero Dawn was very promising. Discovering titbits of the world's history that better informs you about this video game space gave me goose bumps. Stumbling across ruined buildings that were once bustling places now turned to moss infused steel henges as a result of nature's reclamation is truly immersive. However, the world building and the overarching stories are not happily married to each other which leaves a confusing energy for its players to divorce. By the end of the adventure, it left me massively disappointed as it only told a children's first human vs. earth conflict story.
Characterization is dreadful. Predictable character arcs. Pandering story beats. Annoying and unlikeable main character. Contradictory character actions within the plot. Bad ending. Very, very poorly directed.
"If the game was five hours long, maybe it would be good" -Girlfriend.
Don't really know how to end this. Horizon Zero Dawn is an annoying ginger girl who clumsily fights robot dinosaur in attempt to do something??
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Difficulty - 3/10
Horizon Zero Dawn is a painfully average video game.
The visual splendour of Horizon Zero Dawn's landscapes and vistas really carries the experience. Also, traversing on your robot horse and encountering imposing machines is cool. However, all of the game's positive aspects are undercut by its conflicting mechanics and genuinely awful story.
Combat is borderline atrocious. Not once did I have a good time with battling human or machine enemies. Dodging, slow-motion aiming, melee, stealth, it all seemed to run counter to the core of the game. Repetitive mission structures and forgettable side quests also paint the game badly. If I am being completely honest, if the game had a NO COMBAT PASSIVISM lean in its framework I think it would've been a much better game with a stronger identity it could build off.
The ecological, industrial, and tribal theming of Horizon Zero Dawn was very promising. Discovering titbits of the world's history that better informs you about this video game space gave me goose bumps. Stumbling across ruined buildings that were once bustling places now turned to moss infused steel henges as a result of nature's reclamation is truly immersive. However, the world building and the overarching stories are not happily married to each other which leaves a confusing energy for its players to divorce. By the end of the adventure, it left me massively disappointed as it only told a children's first human vs. earth conflict story.
Characterization is dreadful. Predictable character arcs. Pandering story beats. Annoying and unlikeable main character. Contradictory character actions within the plot. Bad ending. Very, very poorly directed.
"If the game was five hours long, maybe it would be good" -Girlfriend.
Don't really know how to end this. Horizon Zero Dawn is an annoying ginger girl who clumsily fights robot dinosaur in attempt to do something??
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2022
Enjoyment - 9/10
Difficulty - 4/10
Sifu is a knuckle sandwich. Sifu is a time machine. Sifu is a ticking time bomb. Sifu is a fighting game.
Sifu could possibly be the best single player fighting game ever made. I hold this game on such a pedestal because I truly believe we will regard this game as best-in-class in the not too distant future. If not Sifu, then the games directly inspired by it that improve its foundations.
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Now that I am thinking about it, I will make a long-form review of Sifu because there is a lot to unpack here. I'll come back to this and give a timestamp for future reference. [18/04/2024]
Difficulty - 4/10
Sifu is a knuckle sandwich. Sifu is a time machine. Sifu is a ticking time bomb. Sifu is a fighting game.
Sifu could possibly be the best single player fighting game ever made. I hold this game on such a pedestal because I truly believe we will regard this game as best-in-class in the not too distant future. If not Sifu, then the games directly inspired by it that improve its foundations.
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Now that I am thinking about it, I will make a long-form review of Sifu because there is a lot to unpack here. I'll come back to this and give a timestamp for future reference. [18/04/2024]
Enjoyment - 7/10
Difficulty - 3/10
Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales only likes to listen to the same three songs every year.
I wanted to make good use of my newly acquired PlayStation 5 so I decided to play the spider boy game. Being a distant fan of Spider-Man since the Sam Raimi films, I was curious, and genuinely excited, to see what the hype around this modern series was all about. I had my suspicions, and my suspicions were correct.
It is truly a Hollywood Marvel popcorn video game. Even the fact that they preface the game's own title with Marvel's indicates to consumers that what you are buying is a specific brand of video game. It almost acts as a seal of approval. However, nowadays its a signpost for familiarity and fatigue. All this Marvel stuff is like a bad rash that isn't going away. If Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales was more like a hotdog or even a portion of cheesy nachos, I think I would've liked it better and feel fuller in my belly.
In saying all of this, the game does house some great moments. An excellent opening and some of the best open world traversal mechanics I have played with. However, I felt like I had already played this game before. Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales is a jacked up modern incarnation of a tired formula.
If you hold a high regard toward these games, I totally understand because I thought the same about them twenty years earlier.
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Difficulty - 3/10
Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales only likes to listen to the same three songs every year.
I wanted to make good use of my newly acquired PlayStation 5 so I decided to play the spider boy game. Being a distant fan of Spider-Man since the Sam Raimi films, I was curious, and genuinely excited, to see what the hype around this modern series was all about. I had my suspicions, and my suspicions were correct.
It is truly a Hollywood Marvel popcorn video game. Even the fact that they preface the game's own title with Marvel's indicates to consumers that what you are buying is a specific brand of video game. It almost acts as a seal of approval. However, nowadays its a signpost for familiarity and fatigue. All this Marvel stuff is like a bad rash that isn't going away. If Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales was more like a hotdog or even a portion of cheesy nachos, I think I would've liked it better and feel fuller in my belly.
In saying all of this, the game does house some great moments. An excellent opening and some of the best open world traversal mechanics I have played with. However, I felt like I had already played this game before. Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales is a jacked up modern incarnation of a tired formula.
If you hold a high regard toward these games, I totally understand because I thought the same about them twenty years earlier.
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Enjoyment - 8/10
Difficulty - 1/10
A surprise gut punch of a video game. Lost Words: Beyond the Page might make your eyes wet.
An impressively poignant and relatable story with very little pandering or patronising treatments in sight. While Lost Words: Beyond the Page is a very simple game, its narrative leaves a lasting impression. Well done!
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Difficulty - 1/10
A surprise gut punch of a video game. Lost Words: Beyond the Page might make your eyes wet.
An impressively poignant and relatable story with very little pandering or patronising treatments in sight. While Lost Words: Beyond the Page is a very simple game, its narrative leaves a lasting impression. Well done!
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2024
Enjoyment - 9/10
Difficulty - 3/10
Persona 3 Reload is a lovely slice of cheesecake. I do not care if it makes me fat, I LOVE IT!
I was very excited to play this game, since I had never played the original. Persona 3 Reload did not disappoint and exceeded my expectations. The OST is a standout aspect of the experience. VERY COOL MUSIC! The sound design in general scratches my brain in the best ways possible.
Persona 3 Reload bangs you up, like messes you up real bad, and admits you to the hospital. What a kind video game. Must play, must buy.
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Difficulty - 3/10
Persona 3 Reload is a lovely slice of cheesecake. I do not care if it makes me fat, I LOVE IT!
I was very excited to play this game, since I had never played the original. Persona 3 Reload did not disappoint and exceeded my expectations. The OST is a standout aspect of the experience. VERY COOL MUSIC! The sound design in general scratches my brain in the best ways possible.
Persona 3 Reload bangs you up, like messes you up real bad, and admits you to the hospital. What a kind video game. Must play, must buy.
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2020
Enjoyment - 6/10
Difficulty - 2/10
The PlayStation 5 demo experience.
Astro's Playroom is a little world living in your PlayStation 5. A nice guided tour covering the video game history of PlayStation.
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Difficulty - 2/10
The PlayStation 5 demo experience.
Astro's Playroom is a little world living in your PlayStation 5. A nice guided tour covering the video game history of PlayStation.
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2022
Enjoyment - 7/10
Difficulty - 2/10
Tinykin is the guy in the corner at a party wearing a Redbubble Pikmin t-shirt. Remember Pikmin guys?!
Tinykin provides a more forgiving, vertical platforming take on the Pikmin series. Nice to play, however I fear this might be forgotten or deemed an obscure platformer in the future.
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Difficulty - 2/10
Tinykin is the guy in the corner at a party wearing a Redbubble Pikmin t-shirt. Remember Pikmin guys?!
Tinykin provides a more forgiving, vertical platforming take on the Pikmin series. Nice to play, however I fear this might be forgotten or deemed an obscure platformer in the future.
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2022
Enjoyment - 3/10
Difficulty - 4/10
Arcadegeddon is a hot mess. Even trying to spell its name is giving me a headache. The game is best described as an online rougelite shooter with light platforming elements. You gradually rank up your weapons and abilities as you complete levels and defeat bosses. There is a PvP element to the game that felt lacklustre. On release, the platinum was unobtainable which should give you an indication for what is to follow. Since first playing Arcadegeddon back in 2022, releasing as a PS+ essential game, the game has had a number of updates to improve the game and made getting some of the most annoying trophies achievable in single player which is welcomed.
Early in the gameโs life, certain trophies could only be done in online co-op since not enough enemies would spawn in if you were playing in single player (notably Pyrotechnical to kill 15 enemies with a single fireball). This was hard to do legitimately since your teammates are more than likely killing the same enemies and not waiting for them to group up. While it is doable to do most of the stuff solo now, you still need to jump through a few hoops in order to get it done. The trophy list is littered with grindy trophies and some of them are very time consuming especially The Collector. After a number of hours of playing the game I was tired of the it. It did not help that some of the cooler outfits you could unlock in the game were gated off as microtransactions. Yikesโฆ
There is a part of me that respects Arcadegeddon for its creative and daring direction. I was really interested in this game because it gave a lot of Jet Set Radio vibes from its aesthetic and punk attitude. It was a breath of fresh air and I did appreciate that. It is a very different game, for better and for worse. The missteps in microtransactions, poor launch, clunky gameplay, dwindling player base and bad trophy list makes my verdict very easy. Avoid this game.
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Difficulty - 4/10
Arcadegeddon is a hot mess. Even trying to spell its name is giving me a headache. The game is best described as an online rougelite shooter with light platforming elements. You gradually rank up your weapons and abilities as you complete levels and defeat bosses. There is a PvP element to the game that felt lacklustre. On release, the platinum was unobtainable which should give you an indication for what is to follow. Since first playing Arcadegeddon back in 2022, releasing as a PS+ essential game, the game has had a number of updates to improve the game and made getting some of the most annoying trophies achievable in single player which is welcomed.
Early in the gameโs life, certain trophies could only be done in online co-op since not enough enemies would spawn in if you were playing in single player (notably Pyrotechnical to kill 15 enemies with a single fireball). This was hard to do legitimately since your teammates are more than likely killing the same enemies and not waiting for them to group up. While it is doable to do most of the stuff solo now, you still need to jump through a few hoops in order to get it done. The trophy list is littered with grindy trophies and some of them are very time consuming especially The Collector. After a number of hours of playing the game I was tired of the it. It did not help that some of the cooler outfits you could unlock in the game were gated off as microtransactions. Yikesโฆ
There is a part of me that respects Arcadegeddon for its creative and daring direction. I was really interested in this game because it gave a lot of Jet Set Radio vibes from its aesthetic and punk attitude. It was a breath of fresh air and I did appreciate that. It is a very different game, for better and for worse. The missteps in microtransactions, poor launch, clunky gameplay, dwindling player base and bad trophy list makes my verdict very easy. Avoid this game.
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2023
Enjoyment - 8/10
Difficulty - 3/10
To preface, Street Fighter is one of my favourite gaming franchises of all time. I regularly compete in local fighting game tournaments and have been for almost a decade. At one point I had a brief stint as a professional Street Fighter V player when I took the game very seriously. This genre has been close to my heart ever since my first console, the Dreamcast. So safe to say I was extremely excited to see what Street Fighter 6 could bring to a casual and competitive audience.
Casually, Street Fighter 6 has a full single player mode, a battle hub to meet other players, and extreme battles with ridiculous rules for chaotic fun matches. Street Fighter 6โs online netcode is the best in the series. Playing online is almost as good as playing offline which is a huge achievement for a fighting game. You get the whole package with Street Fighter 6 and you will really enjoy these parts of the game. If you are like me and have a competitive itch for fighting games, then this next part might resonate with you.
In the first month of playing Street Fighter 6 competitively, I did see a meta forming with the drive system. In its current state, a gung ho style of play is benefitted from the drive system which makes each round feel like a slobberknocker. Because of the oversimplification of the drive system, input system and buffer windows, I do not find a lot of things in the game to be โhypeโ or โimpressiveโ. There are a lot of checkmate situations in this game and deflates the excitement of competitive matches for players and spectators. If a checkmate scernario, even from a block, can take away 50+% of your health from a simple bread and butter combo, it needs to be adjusted. Street Fighter 6 is a very reactionary kind of fighting game and I have experienced inputs not registering properly in the game (especially super inputs), resulting in me losing the game. This is extremely frustrating and it means I cannot take the game seriously if I am doubting my own inputs.
The trophies are way more manageable compared to Street Fighter V (considered a 10/10 difficulty). Most of the trophies are for playing and winning online matches with some miscellaneous trophies on top. Depending on your skill level, this can take a short or long time, but it is all doable. Given how popular the game is casually, you shouldnโt have much of a problem and even if you do encounter issues, you can use Gaming Sessions on PSNProfiles to boost. Overall, Street Fighter 6 is one of the easiest fighting game platinum trophies you can get!
I am sure with balance patches, mechanical tweaks to the input system and new additional characters I will start to enjoy the game again. Do not let the rantings of a washed-up player like me deter you from trying out Street Fighter 6, especially if this is your first foray into fighting games. If this game sparks your interest and subsequent love for fighting games, then please give it a go!
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2012
Enjoyment - 6/10
Difficulty - 1/10
Thomas Was Alone made me emotionally connect with little rectangles and squares. Simple platforming, making shape friends and going along for the ride makes Thomas Was Alone a nice snack for all.
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Difficulty - 1/10
Thomas Was Alone made me emotionally connect with little rectangles and squares. Simple platforming, making shape friends and going along for the ride makes Thomas Was Alone a nice snack for all.
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Enjoyment - 8/10
Difficulty - 5/10
I have been meaning to play This War of Mine for a long time. When I found that This War of Mine: Final Cut was coming to PS+, I knew I had to give it a go. After a few playthroughs getting to grips with the game mechanics, I finally got the platinum trophy.
This War of Mine: Final Cut is a survival game that provides a stark reminder of the horrors of war. You control a number of survivors who have different skills and traits that can help or hinder your survival. In order for you to survive, you have to maintain the physical and mental health of your survivors. However, if you find yourself struggling to maintain this, you will have to decide whether or not you steal precious resources from others or outright kill them. Based on the decisions you make throughout the game, your survivors will voice their own opinion through their inner monologues, further cementing the positive and negative consequences of your actions. This War of Mine: Final Cutโs gameplay loop can be mixed up by creating your own story, changing a variety of settings including survivors, maps, weather, and length of the war.
Considering the trophy list, I never found myself bored with my time going for the platinum. There was always something I could work on in the moment and plan for in a future playthrough. The biggest hurdle of the game is understanding the mechanics and discovering what actions influences which stat. When you get the hang of it, This War of Mine: Final Cut is a straightforward platinum trophy.
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Difficulty - 5/10
I have been meaning to play This War of Mine for a long time. When I found that This War of Mine: Final Cut was coming to PS+, I knew I had to give it a go. After a few playthroughs getting to grips with the game mechanics, I finally got the platinum trophy.
This War of Mine: Final Cut is a survival game that provides a stark reminder of the horrors of war. You control a number of survivors who have different skills and traits that can help or hinder your survival. In order for you to survive, you have to maintain the physical and mental health of your survivors. However, if you find yourself struggling to maintain this, you will have to decide whether or not you steal precious resources from others or outright kill them. Based on the decisions you make throughout the game, your survivors will voice their own opinion through their inner monologues, further cementing the positive and negative consequences of your actions. This War of Mine: Final Cutโs gameplay loop can be mixed up by creating your own story, changing a variety of settings including survivors, maps, weather, and length of the war.
Considering the trophy list, I never found myself bored with my time going for the platinum. There was always something I could work on in the moment and plan for in a future playthrough. The biggest hurdle of the game is understanding the mechanics and discovering what actions influences which stat. When you get the hang of it, This War of Mine: Final Cut is a straightforward platinum trophy.
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Enjoyment - 4/10
Difficulty - 2/10
Saints Row: Gat out of Hell epitomises how a trophy list can sour an already average game. While this spinoff game was never going to push the envelope, it still held promise banking off the wacky world of Saints Row. The gameplay and dialogue did provide funny moments, but they are short-lived as the main story can be completed in two hours. What is left for completionists is a boring grind that does not reward the player in a meaningful way.
The trophy list does have variety, however there are some absolute STINKING trophies here. For example, Twenty-Twenty Vision asks you to spend 20 hours in the game (bear in mind I completed everything in around 14-15 hours) AND Double Trouble for playing 3 hours in online co-op. These kinds of trophies are totally unnecessary and only pad out the gametime. I also encountered a trophy glitch where one of the challenges for The King of Hell did not register properly, meaning I had to join an online co-op session in hopes it would pop. Thankfully it popped but if it didnโt, I would have had to do the ENTIRE game again, (challenges, collectibles, story etc.) no thanks.
Overall, Saints Row: Gat out of Hell does have turn off your brain moments of enjoyment, but it is let down by a very short campaign, repetitive endgame content, and a poor trophy list.
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Difficulty - 2/10
Saints Row: Gat out of Hell epitomises how a trophy list can sour an already average game. While this spinoff game was never going to push the envelope, it still held promise banking off the wacky world of Saints Row. The gameplay and dialogue did provide funny moments, but they are short-lived as the main story can be completed in two hours. What is left for completionists is a boring grind that does not reward the player in a meaningful way.
The trophy list does have variety, however there are some absolute STINKING trophies here. For example, Twenty-Twenty Vision asks you to spend 20 hours in the game (bear in mind I completed everything in around 14-15 hours) AND Double Trouble for playing 3 hours in online co-op. These kinds of trophies are totally unnecessary and only pad out the gametime. I also encountered a trophy glitch where one of the challenges for The King of Hell did not register properly, meaning I had to join an online co-op session in hopes it would pop. Thankfully it popped but if it didnโt, I would have had to do the ENTIRE game again, (challenges, collectibles, story etc.) no thanks.
Overall, Saints Row: Gat out of Hell does have turn off your brain moments of enjoyment, but it is let down by a very short campaign, repetitive endgame content, and a poor trophy list.
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2016
Enjoyment - 7/10
Difficulty - 1/10
ABZร brings a flurry of gorgeous aesthetics as you discover deep water ecosystems, forgotten relics, and a mysterious corrupting force, creating a captivating reflective narrative. Mechanically it does not pretend to be something its not and purely focuses on its narrative world building to entice players to keep playing.
Trophy wise, there is an emphasis on collectible and miscellaneous trophies however they did not overstay their welcome. You can complete the game AND get all the trophies in one playthrough when consulting a guide, but this is not essential as you can go back through chapter select.
A lovely little game and worthy of a recommendation especially if you appreciate environmental storytelling.
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Difficulty - 1/10
ABZร brings a flurry of gorgeous aesthetics as you discover deep water ecosystems, forgotten relics, and a mysterious corrupting force, creating a captivating reflective narrative. Mechanically it does not pretend to be something its not and purely focuses on its narrative world building to entice players to keep playing.
Trophy wise, there is an emphasis on collectible and miscellaneous trophies however they did not overstay their welcome. You can complete the game AND get all the trophies in one playthrough when consulting a guide, but this is not essential as you can go back through chapter select.
A lovely little game and worthy of a recommendation especially if you appreciate environmental storytelling.
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