Manhunt is a game that felt like it was made with a vision and passion. It had a very consistent aesthetic and oppressive atmosphere. The stealth gameplay was really fun. They had an idea and ran with it. Manhunt 2 feels like a product made because they were told to. It feels like they saw the media response to 1 and decided to push it as far as they could go, without much of an idea where to go. The stealth gameplay is a massive step down. The AI is so inconsistent, ping-ponging between being too smart and too dumb. The level design also feels less inspired and less consistent. I was going to complain about the radar being gone but apparently playing on the second difficulty removes it. I wish I had known that. The guns didn't feel great in 1, but somehow they made them considerably worse. They just don't feel good at all. They feel weak and are far too inaccurate. The story is the only part of the game that felt like they had an idea, but didn't know how to build up a mystery. The twist is incredibly obvious from the first cutscene which led to there being no tension or intrigue throughout the entire thing. At least this one has some alright characters unlike 1 which just had The Director. I played the uncut PC version expecting it to be full of insane gore and violence, but no. It isn't much worse than the first and just like last time, it isn't any worse than any other horror media at the time. Actually while I'm on the subject, this game doesn't feel like a horror game anymore. Manhunt had a great horror atmosphere that 2 just doesn't have. I still think it is an alright game and probably worth a playthrough, but Manhunt is a game I could easily see myself revisiting, I don't think I'll be playing 2 again anytime soon.

“Candy Crush Saga” is a bejeweled clone. Just straight up. There’s really nothing much going on here than the same mechanics found in other match-3 puzzle games. That’s not why I got fairly taken with it. What drew me to Candy Crush was the vibrant and bouncy visual esthetic coupled with the sound design and haptic feedback every time an action is made. These all really helped to keep the dopamine going in my brain and melt my anxiety away. It’s a pleasant, charming and gentle atmosphere in this game. All accompanied by a little girl who shouts and cheers when you do something right. I’m not sure how to explain it, but this game felt more like a psychology experiment of how to gather many different art design esthetics to see how the players brain is affected and all bolted onto a familiar game. All in all, I could see why it addicts people. I’m still playing it myself.