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.

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.

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 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.

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!

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.

Killer is Dead is a truly interesting experience, it's hard to convey how playing this game feels other than seeing a whole world through a tiny window. As you play through the game you definitely get the sense that the organizations and characters you interact with have such deep and detailed back stories that we only catch a passing glimpse of, and part of that is thanks to this game's incredibly short run time. My playtime clocked in just over 5 hours, and in that brief time I went on a journey that felt like 1 million miles per hour. We step into the shoes of Mondo Zappa, an assassin for the Bryan Execution Firm who are contracted through the US Government. If this sounds familiar it should as this is a plot point very similar to the Killer7 in Killer7 and it should be clear by the title that this game is a spiritual sequel of sorts to Killer7. I know that some people are hesitant to consider this game as a follow up to Killer7 or as a part of Kill the Past, but as I played through this entry in the Grasshopper backlog it became abundantly clear that it is. There are so many call backs to Killer7 but also so many plot conventions from Kill the Past appear in this game that it's hard not to consider it as such. The gameplay is pretty simplistic as far as character action games go, but that doesn't mean it's bad. For a game who's runtime can be completed in one sitting, this simplistic combat hardly overstays its welcome, and provides just a enough depth for the player to master to pull off some really cool combos. The story, as nonsensical as it is, still has some emotional beats to keep you engaged and thinking about this game for a while. The graphical style as well is an evolution on the hard cel-shaded style from Killer7 featuring dark shadows, but with an added hazy effect to give this game a very dream like quality that I thoroughly enjoyed. Any fan of Grasshopper Manufacture, or the Kill the Past series must give this game a try, as there is no real risk outside of 5 hours of your time on a weekend.

No More Heroes 2 is the follow up to the first title which set the gaming world on fire back in the year 2007. While I know many fans have problems with this entry, I feel completely opposite, I feel like this game is an improvement in almost every way over the first, such as in gameplay, and story, however it is still far from perfect, and far from being my favorite in the KTP series. The story this time around personally felt more compelling, as Travis this time is forced to confront his sins from the first game, and is left often questioning the point of being an assassin as he learns empathy with the assassin's he faces in this game's journey. The gameplay is vastly improved as the combat has been far more refined with better animations, and more combos to pull off. The overworld map has been completely removed this time around in favor of a mission select screen which removes much of the padding of the first game, and the job system, while still remaining, is no longer required to progress the story. I wish the job system was still a little necessary as that is part of the identity of the series, but it certainly doesn't hamper the experience. I was very pleasantly surprised with NMH 2, and i'm excited to see what the series has in store next with Travis Touchdown, as he continues to mature as a character.

Travis Strikes Again is the third entry in the No More Heroes series, and the culmination of the Kill The Past Universe (at the time of writing this review.) This game is a very interesting and exciting twist on the NMH formula. The gameplay feels almost like a mix of various elements of retro and indie games which is no mistake as Suda originally intended this game to be a huge cross over of indie games instead of KTP, but despite that original idea not coming to fruition, it's DNA is still strongly prevalent in the duration of this adventure. There are various different kinds of puzzles and gameplay styles that are explored in this game such as side scrolling, third person action, bullet hell, and top down dungeon crawling ala Gauntlet, and Hotline Miami which takes up a majority of the game's gameplay. As someone who deeply loves games likes endless enemy fighting in a top down gauntlet style this game was a bit of a blast for me to get through, but I know many people had a problem with this style, so if it's not your cup of tea you might not enjoy it as much as I did. What may make the game more palatable for many people is playing CO-OP with a friend to go through the various Death Balls (dungeons) as there are plenty of chaotic situations to go through with friends. Speaking to co-op, the game's story revolves around Badman as he hunts down Travis to get revenge for killing his daughter, Bad Girl, from NMH1. But as Badman closes in on Travis they both get sucked into the Death Drive a video game console where they learn about the enigmatic Dr. Juvenile who created the game world. Now Travis and Badman must to work together to find all the Death Balls, which are the video games to the Death Drive, to summon an all powerful Tiger that can bring Bad Girl back to life. Each death ball serves as their own individual dungeons with their own stories and puzzles to solve with yourself or friends. And in between each Death Ball level you go through a visual novel segment where you see many familiar faces from the KTP-verse and continue a couple plot threads from those games. All in all I think TSA is just a very misunderstood game because people expected this to be NMH3, but now that we have NMH3 I think it deserves another chance. And now that games like Silver Case, 25th Ward, and Killer 7 are more accessible to everyone, this game should be able to reach a wider audience that can appreciate what it was trying to do. Go ahead give it another chance.

No More Heroes 3, despite it's titles is the fourth, and final(?) entry in Grasshopper's No More Heroes franchise and is the latest installment in the Kill the Past series at the time of writing this. This game follows Travis Touchdown after the events of Travis Strikes Again who is living out in the No More Heroes Motel which is currently overrun by his various friends like Shinobu, Bad Girl, Bishop and Naomi when all of a sudden his beloved town of Santa Destroy is invaded by the evil Space Prince Fu, and his 9 minions. Travis now steps into action to protect not only his town but also the world. This game continues several plot threads not only from NMH 1 and 2, but also TSA which really made me happy as I was concerned Suda would have skipped that game considering fan backlash. This game also brings back some of the Kill the Past elements from TSA which brought a smile to my face. The gameplay in terms of combat is refined compared to the previous entries, however I still prefer the gameplay to NMH2 more personally. It's not that it's worse than 2 it's just that it is different enough that It didn't scratch the same itch 2 did which was a little disappointing personally, but isn't a knock against the game at all as it is more of a personal preference thing. The overworld on the other hand is a completely different story, as that the game chugs on the nintendo switch's hardware as you explore Santa Destroy and it's surrounding areas. Jobs also make a return however they feel not very required as you make more than enough money doing designated battles around the map which take over the role of dungeons in this game. I know the lack of dungeons may disappoint some, but with the designated battles I felt mostly indifferent and didn't really feel too much one way or another. Overall NMH 3 has the makings of the best game in the series however, thanks to it's poor performance for what ostensibly is one half of the whole game I can't really rate it higher than the previous 3 entries. Maybe if it makes its way to PC or PS4/5 I'd be willing to reevaluate but in it's current state it's a little disappointing.

Hitman 3 is an excellent conclusion to a brilliant reboot trilogy to a beloved series. Hitman 3 takes all the strengths from the previous 2 entries and blends it together into a wonderfully orchestrated experience of mayhem. With that said there are some issues with this game. Namely a level in this game feels particularly on rails (no pun intended) and it left me wanting a little more. Getting one of the 6 level slots of this game dedicated to essentially what feels like a playable cutscene felt a little unfortunate, but despite this, the other missions are a blast to playthrough. You will notice coming from Hitman 2 that there are a considerable lack of the number of Mission Stories/Opportunities per level leaving the player to use their creativity if they want different ways to take out their targets. This may be an issue to some, but for others who didn't like the hand holding nature of the reboots may find this as a welcome change. I felt indifferent about it as I usually play both story missions, and try my own approaches. All in all the game is a great way to cap off the series for the time being and I see it going down in franchise history as a fan favorite.

An awesome follow-up to the first game in this reboot series. It takes the gameplay of 2016, and perfects it ever so slightly to allow for a more seamless, and smooth experience. The level design as well takes a major step up thanks to it being developed all in 1 cycle instead of being broken up into an episodic release like the first reboot. Also the story takes some interesting directions, and truly expands the Hitman mythos. I'd highly recommend this game to anyone who loves to mess around in a sandbox like environment, and looking through every nook and cranny in a level. My one major complaint with the game still persists however, and that is the heavy reliance on being always online. For the longevity of this game (i'm talking many years down the line) I don't see the online thing working out well in their favor. Overall this game is a great package, and I can't wait to see what IO Interactive does next! And remember, no one is untouchable.

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.