Silent Hill is a game brought to us by Konami in their golden age. The game sees protagonist Harry Mason, and his young daughter Cheryl heading into a wooded resort town for vacation when they get into a car wreck. Harry wakes up to discover Cheryl is gone and is thrust into the mysterious town of Silent Hill where he must find not only his daughter but also the secrets of this isolated town. The game is a survival horror classic where ammo can be sparse, and tank controls and fixed camera angles are the name of the game. This game takes a while to get used to in terms of controls from a modern perspective but once you do it should get easier as you go on. The game has you exploring the misty and dark streets of Silent Hill solving puzzles, reading memos, and fighting for your life as you look for your daughter. There isn't much to say without spoiling the game but I highly recommend this game to anyone who is a fan of horror games and a great mystery.

Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series is a remastered collection including Klonoa 1 and 2 and so I will briefly talk about both.

Klonoa 1 sees us take the shoes of the titular Klonoa who one day is suddenly tied into a a plot to take over the world by the evil Ghadius, and Joka by taking control of the Moon Kingdom. The game is a pretty standard run of the mill side scroller of it's era but with an coat of extra cute paint, and lovable character designs. There is also the unique mechanic of grabbing enemies with the wind ring and using them as either projectiles or for extra air time and distance on jumps. Don't let the game's childish appearance fool you as there is plenty of challenging platforming challenges, where you have to think quickly on your toes.

Klonoa 2 is more of the same but we see Klonoa with a sleak new design. After the events of Klonoa 1 Klonoa wakes up falling in the ocean where he is saved by two new companions who request his help to save the world from an impending dimensional merge. The game functions essentially the exact same as the first game but this time with more dynamic camera angles and difficult platforming challenges. There is also more level variety with surf boarding levels which provide their own unique challenges.

Overall Klonoa is a fun and enjoyable series of platformers, that are masterfully remastered for this current generation. If you love early PS1 and PS2 platformers and somehow missed this series now is the perfect time to give them a try!

Saints Row Gat Out of Hell is an expansion of Saints Row IV, and it does not let up on the absurdity as the Boss is kidnapped by the Devil himself to be married to his daughter Jezebel, so now Johnny Gat with the assistance of Kinzie, and Dane (from Saints Row 2) work together to defeat Satan, and bring the boss back home. The game is a really short expansion for SRIV but that doesn't mean it's not a quality game. GooH features an all new map along with a whole new set of weapons, the devs seemed to realize that cars were pointless with the inclusion of powers, so they removed all ability to customize cars, or keep them which honestly is fine as the main mode of transportation is using Satan's wings to fly around the city of Hell which is a ton of fun, especially when you upgrade some of your powers. As a short expansion for IV there could be a way worse game but fortunately if you enjoyed IV you will also really enjoy Gat Out of Hell.

Saints Row IV is the fourth entry in the Saints Row series, and the best way to describe it is as a shitpost game. What direction of the Saints go after becoming international celebrities? Well, American politicians of course. The Boss is now the President of the United States but unfortunately for him he and his whole cabinet get abducted by the evil alien Zinyak. The Boss now has to go through a simulation of Steelport with super powers, to bring down Zinyak and free all of his friends. The game plays similarly to Saints Row the Third but now includes super powers. These powers include blasts, super speed, and jumping which is a ton of fun to play but renders a lot of previous mechanics completely pointless like using vehicles or certain weapons which for some people definitely killed the game for them (with the complete disregard for a serious story.) I however feel like if you view this game as nothing more than a shitpost made by a group of devs having fun, It can be quite enjoyable. It's not as good as the first 3 entries for sure, but the amount of fun references, and fun super powers to play with make the game more than enough fun to give a try.

Saints Row: The Third Remastered is as the name implies, the remaster of the third main saints row title. The game sees the 3rd Street Saints growing from a street gang to a multimedia global enterprise. With this new change for the saints comes with many more changes for the Saints Row series. This is the first game in the series to really start taking the comedy aspect to the next level. Saints Row always had a tinge of dark comedy since it's very first entry but this game made the comedic aspect art of the series identity. The game still plays similarly to the previous Saints Row 2 with a variety of different activities for you to participate in to slowly take over the new city of Steelport, and the story still sees the saints facing against enemy gangs to cement it's place as top dog on the streets. This game will still feel familiar to fans of the older games, but you will know a rather large tonal shift. If you can look past that Saints Row 3 is still just as quality as the first two games, and I feel belongs to stand amongst them as solid open world crime simulators.

South Park: The Fractured But Whole is the follow-up to the Obsidian, and Ubisoft collaboration South Park: The Stick of Truth. The Stick of Truth was a very solid turn based rpg, which you wouldn't expect for a tie in game, but it delivered through with that South Park, and Obsidian charm we have come to expect. For some reason the follow up ditches the turn based rpg style for a very light strategy rpg style, and ubisoft decided they could make the game in house without the assistance of Obsidian, and you can tell right from the get go. How little things operate like movement speed, and game balancing feels way different from the previous entry, and in fact this turned me off of the game for many years, but I decided to give it another try and I'm glad I did. Despite the questionable game play change, and abandoning of Obsidian there is still a lot of that laugh out loud SP humor thanks to Trey Parker, and Matt Stone still being in charge of the writing and direction of the story. It feels like a legit episode of SP but elongated for a game's length, and that is this game's strongest aspect. And by the end, the game play did grow on me as there is still a little strategy and stuff involved. Overall if you liked SP Stick of Truth, I think Fractured But Whole is a must play.

Call of Cthulhu Darkest Corners of the Earth is a horror action FPS created by the now defunct Headfirst Productions and is set in the preestabilished mythos created by the stories of famed horror author H.P. Lovecraft. The story follows P.I. Jack Walters as he gets caught in a world of supernatural beasts, and dark mysteries as he tries to get to the bottom of 6 years missing from his memory. The gameplay starts off as investigative first person exploration game having you read notes and letters, talking to NPCs, and sneaking around alleys and locked buildings. As the game progresses however, the game becomes more and more of a straight forward FPS with sub par gunplay, but with interesting mechanics thrown in such as the sanity meter which actually predates games like Amnesia the Dark Descent. The game also suffers from the issue of unskippable cutscenes which can really be annoying when some lean on the couple minute range and you have to retry bossfights multiple times. Some of the level design can also feel a little uninspired while other locations can drip of excellent atmosphere. For a solid 6 hour adventure this game will deliver plenty of thrills, chills, and an interesting story that will leave you thinking for years to come. There was clearly some attempt to set up sequels and a continuing story line, even confirmed by the devs, with 2 cancelled projects. Sadly this game will forever remain as a solo experience, and as the start of what could've been something bigger.

Sifu is the newest game from the studio that brought you Absolver, and it is a high octane, quick paced Kung-Fu action film akin to the works of John Woo, or Wilson Yip in video game form. The story follows our protagonist who witnesses the murder of his father/master at the hands of a former student. Now it is up to him to claim his revenge on those who sought to bring an end to his family with the help of his magical pendants which allow him to survive guaranteed death at the cost of aging one year at a time. The game is a third person over the shoulder Kung-Fu simulator where you have to choreograph your moves in real time whether it's light attacks, heavy attacks, dodges, parries, and blocks which is easy to learn, but hard to master. However once you master the base mechanics that this game has to offer you will be flying through enemies and levels at a breakneck pace in the most satisfying way possible. You will be clearing rooms as a one man army, and it will leave you feeling not only badass, but invincible. I highly recommend Sifu to anyone who is a fan of quick paced action games as there are tons of fun combos, and new skills to learn to become the ultimate Kung-Fu master.

Sonic Adventure 2 Battle is the port of the original Sonic Adventure 2 from the Dreamcast, and follow-up to the original Sonic Adventure. The game follows Sonic and friends as they try to uncover the secrets of Eggman's new scheme involving a new mysterious hedgehog named Shadow. The game no longer has the openworld aspect that the first game had, but instead focuses on a predominately level based structure. This game is divided into 3 seperate game styles with Running/Platforming with Shadow and Sonic, Running/Gunning with Tails and Eggman, and Treasure hunting with Rouge, and Knuckles. This game is considerably more difficult and refined to it's predecessor but even saying that there are still plenty of rough edges that make the game not hold up incredibly well, but despite that the game still has a fun and interesting story, and a great (mostly) set of levels that will have you coming back for more.

Sonic Adventure DX is a remaster of the first truly full 3D Sonic game originally on Dreamcast. The game sees our titular hedgehog find himself facing off a mysterious liquid foe named Chaos who is tied into Eggman's newest scheme. Sonic and his friends will discover the secrets of the Chaos Emeralds, and the Master Emerald while simultaneously saving the world. The gameplay sees you take on the shoes of several Sonic characters old and new such as Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Big the Cat, and Gamma. Each character has their own unique play styles with sonic focusing on speed and platforming, Tails focuses on flying and racing, Knuckles focuses on finding and collecting pieces of the shattered Master Emerald, Amy focusing on puzzle solving and platforming, Gamma on shooting and platforming, and Big the Cat on... fishing. The game certainly isn't the most polished platformer by today's standard, and there were definitely mechanically superior platformers around the same time like Mario 64 despite this the game still functions as intended and there is clearly a lot of soul and vision put into this title. It's not the most deep game from a narrative and gameplay standpoint but for Sonic's first full 3D outing it could've been a lot worse. Due to this game's heart, and genuinely fun moments this game will stick with me for a while.

Saints Row 2 is the follow up to Voliton's 2006 open world sandbox crime simulator, Saints Row, and they wasted no time expanding the scope, and story telling if this game compared to it's predecessor. The game still maintains the comedic tinge that the first game established while going down a more dark, and twisted route than before. We regain control of our Playa from the first game, who now takes on the reigns as the Third Street Saint's boss, and he is not messing around. In the years he was in a coma, all of the city of Stillwater has fallen into the hands of new and upcoming gangs and corporations, and the Playa wastes no time reminding the new gangs who the Saints are and reclaims the city for themselves. There are several moments where the Playa goes off the deep end and does some pretty heinous murders, and crimes as it seems the coma he endured may have left some screws loose. But even though there are plenty of depraved and grim moments to be had throughout the story, the game doesn't forget it's comedic roots as it takes pleasure in making jokes out of dark situations, and it never really seems to take itself so seriously where you'll really be feeling bad about any of the crimes you may commit. Much like the first game there are plenty of customization options and activities for you as the player to enjoy. While the game is still not as fantastical as later entries, it still delivers a fun and engaging time that anyone who is a fan of any of the other saints games or GTA games will be left with a good time.

Saints Row is the first game in Volition's long running open world sandbox gang simulator. The game takes you in the boots of the Playa, a new recruit to the fledgling gang, The Third Street Saints, who are fighting to reclaim their turf. The game is very similar to it's contemporary competition, GTA, but with some bold differences, and that is it's more cynical and comedic nature. While more stripped back than what the series would become with Saints Row the Third and IV, the game will still deliver plenty of environmental gags, and witty/absurd lines that will leave you chuckling while still engaged with an interesting story of warring gangs. There is plenty to do in this game with customizing your characters clothes, customizing cars, and participating in activities such as Insurance fraud, and mayhem. Each story mission sees you take different districts back from rival gangs, with a healthy level variety such as races, shootouts, and vehicular combat. If you are willing to go back and look at the slightly dated, but still largely enjoyable roots of this iconic series I think you will be left with a decent time, and a couple laughs along the way.

REVIEW FOR FINAL FANTASY 1:

Final Fantasy 1 is one of the most beloved games of all time spawning one of the most beloved franchises of all time but does it still hold up today? Well there are literally dozens of different iterations and remakes of this title alone that each one has it's own balancing making slightly different experiences between each version. The version I chose to play is the PS1 version through the Origins Collection which is perhaps the most faithful adaptation to the NES version in terms of general balancing and item options. The main difference is this version has vastly improved visuals, and orchestrated soundtrack. The story follows a prophesied 4 heroes of light who set off on a journey to defeat the agents of chaos and restore balance to the lands of Cornelia. The story is rather simplistic but it has this charm to it that feels timeless almost like a fairy tail for the modern ages, especially with the the villain of the game. The combat is the bare essentials when it comes to turn based combat, but that doesn't make it any less engaging or fun to play. There are dozens of classes to choose from to build your team, and tons of resistances, and weaknesses that you can use to your advantage. With all that said FF1 is still a very basic RPG that if you go in expecting something more akin to the series' later entries you might not feel all that satisfied, but if you keep an open mind then you just may find yourself having a pretty decent time overall.

Okami is one of those legendary games that will live on through history thanks to it's impeccable style, charm, and the devotion of it's fans. The game is made by Clover Studios (Proto-Platinum Games) and is directed by the legendary Hideki Kamiya (Devil May Cry, Bayonetta) and sees us take on the role of Amaterasu, the legendary sun Goddess of Japanese mythology who takes on the form of a white wolf who is revived after 100 years to defeat her eternal foe Orochi who has been revived by a mysterious figure. But she quickly learns that there are threats out there far worse than Orochi who threaten the very fabric of Nippon's reality. The game takes a lot of inspiration from The Legend of Zelda, and that should be apparent to anyone who has played games like Ocarina of Time or Majora's Mask. You traverse the "open" world of Nippon which is split up into multiple large sections with tons of hidden secrets and collectables to find. These areas also include dungeons which see Amaterasu gain new godly brush techniques which help her solve puzzles, fight bosses, and explore terrain. There is no lack of side content in this game with things such as side quests, collectables, and a beast journal to keep you more than occupied and engaged with the world presented. The combat starts out pretty simple, with Amaterasu encountering enemies in fields and in dungeons where she is able to land simple combos, but as you gain more brush techniques, weapons, and combo upgrades the combat becomes more in depth and allows for more experimentation in battle. The game certainly isn't the most complex action game ever, but it still mixes things up enough to keep you entertained through your journey. Speaking of journey one of my biggest gripes with this game is the length. There are multiple points in this game where it feels like the story is setting up to end but instead just keeps going. Thankfully the characters and the mysteries propped up by the writing keeps you more than interested in what's going on, but the fact is there is certainly some fat that could be trimmed off this otherwise solid experience. There is one, rather tedious, boss you have to fight 3 times over the course of the game's story it just felt a little unnecessary at the end of the day. An average play time of 30 hours for a standard action game is a bit long and I wish they could've tightened up the story just a little bit to decrease the amount of time required for the full experience. Otherwise Okami deserves it's place in gaming history as one of the most memorable games of the PS2 generation, and I highly recommend it to anyone who is a fan of Platinum/Clover or just someone who likes solid action game experiences.

Paper Mario The Thousand Year door is an interesting turn based RPG brought to us by the talented studio being the Fire Emblem series, Intelligent Systems. On the surface to an outsider this game may look nothing more than a basic, watered down JRPG fare, but it is in fact more than it let's on. The game sees Mario receive a mysterious map from Princess Peach which takes him to a mysterious harbor town called Rogueport full of shady characters, and dark secrets. When he arrives he discovers that Peach has been captured (obviously) by a mysterious new foe called the X-Nauts. And it's up to Mario and his new band of misfit friends to save not only Peach, but the world from a mysterious force. The game plays like a standard JRPG on the surface having you encounter enemies in dungeons, or in open areas, where you then take a series of turns plotting your attacks to take down the enemies. This game however takes an interesting approach to the turn based formula by adding interactive button prompts for each move making it more engaging to fight through encounters. The game also rewards the player for pressing hidden timed prompts during attack animations to get various stylish bonuses or continual damage to an enemy. This level of subtle but engaging interactivity tossed in to the Turn Based Format really adds a unique wrinkle to the well established genre. This style of gameplay has it's origins in Mario RPGs of the past, but this game in particular uses them to their full advantage. The character building system in this game is also pretty unique for the time only giving the player 3 levelable stats to pick from such as HP, FP (Mana), and BP which acts as your stash of points in which you can equip badges to make your build. Each badge has their own effects, and BP requirements to equip which allows for a lot of build diversity when it comes to making your character. So while the story isn't anything particularly amazing, the characters, and the RPG systems this game presents are some of the best you can find in the whole turn based genre and I stand by that 100%. Even if you aren't a Mario fan I highly recommend giving this one a shot.