Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster is an excellent port of an excellent game (keep in mind I am playing on PS5.) It is everything I love about nocturne and more with new added dialogue, upscaled textures and minor QoL features that make this game worth replaying or anybody who has played it before. For new comers there has never been a better way to experience Nocturne officially, and I highly recommend anyone who is slightly curious about SMT to pick it up, at least on PS4 and PC. WARNING: EXTREMELY UNPOPULAR OPINION AHEAD.... I know a lot of people have complained about the game not running on 60fps or higher but honestly I don't think you need 60fps for a turn based RPG. Would it have been nice if it did? Sure, but when paired up with the original that didn't run at 60fps to begin with I have no qualms with what we got. I know the switch version in particular likes to dip below 30fps, but I have yet to encounter this once in my 60 hour play through on the ps4 version through PS5 backwards compatibility. Overall this is everything to love about Nocturne with the engaging Press Turn System combat, and challenging and memorable boss fights. Even if you are a fan coming in from P5 and P5R I highly recommend trying this out as this was directed by Katsura Hashino, director of P3, P4, and P5 and you can definitely see the DNA of those games in this one. Keep in mind it is a game that originally came out in 2003 so it isn't perfect, but the minor adjustments they made here should keep it fresh for any new comer.

Layton Brothers is the first in what I like to call the sequel series to the main Professor Layton series proper. And does this child live up to the legacy of its father series? In my opinion, yes, but I can see why some would disagree. A big part of my enjoyment of the original Layton series for me was the story, characters, and music, not so much the puzzles. The puzzles were certainly fun and memorable, but my main take away from the series wasn't really the gameplay, so that's why I was glad to start this game which has a refreshing take on the world of Layton, with the same exaggerated art style, larger than life characters, and great music (although the music has shifted from the Musette style we have become accustom to for more uptempo jazz.) Even characters that only appear for a single chapter in this game are very memorable thanks to their designs and well defined personalities. But I digress; the gameplay instead of being strictly puzzle focused, is instead a crime scene investigation style of game where you gather clues to help persecute a criminal out of a lineup of suspects. So there is still puzzle solving to some regard in this game, but just a very different style. I feel like this genre change is, or rather I should say was a great direction to take the series into. The story this time around is much darker than what we are used to with the Layton series as you play as Alfendi Layton, and assistant Lucy Baker who both work in the "Mystery Room" department of the Scotland Yard. The titular Mystery Room is where special cases that normal detectives couldn't figure out get taken, so it is brought to Layton who has has a split personality, where one half is timid and kind hearted, while the other is sinister, and has the mind of a killer. With this pairing of personalities Layton is able to understand the minds of the killers he confronts while being able to persecute them for their crimes. This game deals with a lot of blood, and gore, with some very twisted characters you encounter which is a series first for games that are typically more whimsical and light hearted. Unfortunately however after this game was completed it seem like there was no real attempt to keep the story of Alfendi Layton, and Lucy Baker going, despite the game leaving the door open for sequels. No, instead we got the contentious "Layton's Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaires' Conspiracy" and the subsequent anime that accompanied it staring Professor Layton's daughter, and Alfendi's Sister, Katrielle. Fortunately it seems like level5 hasn't forgotten the characters as they appear for a very brief cameo in the final episode of the anime. Overall this game is an excellent experience, and great addition to the world of Layton and it's actually a crime this game is locked behind mobile, as I feel this game would do really well if it was ported to something like the switch. The game's mix of zany characters with the lite Phoenix Wright style gameplay ought to find it's audience on a platform as wide as the switch. But alas, with the closing of Level5's studios in America, I feel like this dream is more dead than some of the cadavers you investigate in this game, which is very truly sad. I highly recommend checking this game out while you can, before it becomes phased out of later iOS or android updates like many mobile games before it have.

Ratchet and Clank Rift Apart is the long awaited sequel to the series that continues where Into the Nexus left off. The story picks up the plot threads left by the "Future" series but many years later where the titular Ratchet and Clank are now feeling out of shape as heroes since they haven't been on an adventure in many years. But they are quickly thrust back into action when Dr. Nefarious gets his robot claws on Clank's Dimensionator which sucks them into a parallel dimension where Nefarious always wins. It is here where Ratchet and Clank get separated and clank meets up with the alternate reality version of Ratchet, the rebel lombax, Rivet. It is here where Ratchet and Rivet's fates intertwine on a journey to send Ratchet and Clank back to their dimension and stopping Nefarious from conquering the multiverse. In this game you play between 4 main characters, which mirror each other resulting in honestly just 2 different play styles. Ratchet and Rivet play the exact same as each other in the typical R&C format. Quick gunplay while strafing with occasional melee and platforming. There are some minor additions such as "Ghost Shifting" and the use of Rift Portals which help you zip and fly around battle arenas. The gameplay is a ton of fun as is the case with most of the Ratchet and Clank games. Clank, and his counterpart Kit play the same segments where they enter dimensional rifts where they solve simple puzzles to reach an objective. These puzzle segments aren't as complex or difficult as Clank's puzzle segments in Crack in Time, but they feel just as rewarding when you solve them. The visuals, as are with most PS5 first party games, are absolutely stunning, and a great example of the PS5's power. The non existent load times also help keep the flow of gameplay at a constant stream which will keep any player engaged to the gameplay. I really hope Sony is willing to see the excellence and sales of this game and seek to bring back the golden Playstation trio of Sly and Jak back into the fold with this type of fidelity, but only time will tell. My only major complaint for the game was I wished there was a little more diversity between Rivet and Ratchet's play-style but I understand why the didn't, and honestly that's just a minor complaint. Overall this is a great return to the main story line of ratchet and clank, and I cannot wait to see what insomniac has in store for us next.

Layton's Mystery Journey is the newest, and final (at the time of writing this) game in the Professor Layton series, and what else can I say other than what a bad way to end the series. I must make it clear from the start, this game's biggest issue is it's complete and utter lack of focus. The game is about the daughter of Professor Layton, one Katrielle Layton as she starts her own private detective business in London. The game, much like the previous entry, Layton Brothers, is split up into cases for you to piece together and solve, but unlike Layton Brothers, this game just lacks a central focus and plot line to follow. Instead we just get little slice of life chapters with very simple and predictable mysteries that struggled to keep my attention in fact my main enjoyment from the game was the very minor call backs to the previous games in the series. I don't necessarily think the characters or the set up of the game is bad, in fact it's far from it, the problem stems from the fact the game completely ignores all the interesting plot points it sets up for the complete opposite. For instance the set up shows Professor Layton leaving Katrielle on a foggy night setting up for an interesting premise.This plot point is never brought up again until the post credit scene, but more on that later. Next we have Sherl who is allegedly a human trapped in the body of a dog introduced in the first case who tags along with the main team for the complete length of the game. Sherl, and Katrielle's fates intertwine when Sherl reaches out to Katrielle's detective agency to help find out how he turned into a dog, but guess what, that plot point is completely waved away, and is NEVER brought up again for the remainder of the game. In stead we spend around 15 hours lolly gagging with Katrielle and crew as they solve, quite frankly, very boring cases that you can probably guess the answers to before you even start them. The only case that really was interesting to me was the 12th and final case 'Diamonds Aren't Forever.' The mystery is compelling enough, and the big reveal was genuinely surprising to me, but too bad it felt like one of the shortest cases in the game. The gameplay overall is the best part, as the typical layton formula is translated well enough to the nintendo switch system. Map navigation, interaction and puzzle solving feels true to the series and or that I honestly cannot complain. Some of the puzzles were a little too simple, but with the passing of the original puzzle master for the main series, I feel like they picked up the pieces as best as they could, and I can't fault them for that. All that said, this brings us back to what's up with the """"central"""" mystery of the game, what happened to Professor Layton? Well instead of making a sequel game, they decided to make a follow up anime that is 50 episodes long and is only officially released into japan that answers that exact question. And seeing as how Level5 USA is no longer existent it feels surreal that us in the western audience will potentially never get a conclusion to this question. Sure there is fan subs out there, but this is honestly less than ideal. I genuinely hope this is not the end of the Layton Series but seeing as the sales and reception for this game aren't particularly great, this might actually end up being the lasting legacy of the series which is actually incredibly depressing. I feel like the better route for the series was to perhaps continue the Layton Brothers story, but instead we got this (which does reference characters to Layton Brothers.) I didn't mind Katrielle as the one to continue the torch of the series, but she really needed to be in a better overall game. Sad to see it end like this, honestly.

The Silver Case is (officially) the first game in the Kill the Past Saga, and is also the first game by Grasshopper Manufacture. This game is also the first true VN I've managed to sit though, and I don't regret it one bit. The game follows several people from the Heinous Crime Unit as they pursue the elusive serial killer, Kamui Uehara, and his influence over the 24 Wards of Japan. And that's all I'll say as It's hard talking about the game without giving too much away, but the game has a really interesting and engrossing story that is split in two parts through Transmitter, and Placebo. These two halves slowly merge together the further you go. The gameplay, yes there is gameplay, is actually not what I expected. We get to play the game through a first person dungeon crawling perspective and I find it very fun to explore and interact with the world but unfortunately these segments are a little short for my taste. My biggest problem however, with this game is the fact that it ends on a bit of cliff hanger, but I can't hold it against it too hard as there are 2 follow ups that continue the story. So overall Silver Case is a great introduction to this universe that would later foster the No More Heroes games, and I highly recommend it to VN and NMH fans alike as there really isn't anything like it out there.

Killer 7 is a highly unique and interesting game for it's era, and as a chapter in the "Kill the Past series." This game is easily one of the most unique, and impactful games on the Gamecube in terms of visual presentation. The cel-shaded graphics give a precursor look to what we would later see in future Kill The Past games such as No More Heroes, but with a more rough angle to it. The gameplay features you running on a set of preset paths where you can chose a direction to go once you reach an intersection. This style of movement took a little getting used to, but it also gave me a hint of the feeling of playing the previous Kill the Past entry, The Silver Case, so after a couple levels I got the hang of it. The combat requires you to stop in place to aim down sights like a rail shooter and hitting targets before they attack you and blow up. Successfully killing enemies gives you thick blood which is then used to trade into levels to further buff your character of choice. Speaking of characters, you play as the titular Killer 7, who are a group of world renowned assassins who all possess the body of Harman Smith, an old man in a wheel chair. You are able to switch between any character in the killer 7 via a safe room through the TV or through the pause menu, each character with their own sets of strengths and weaknesses. My personal favorite to play as were Dan Smith, and Mask De Smith who use a revolver, and grenade launcher respectively. The story primarily follows the exploits of Garcian Smith, one of the "personalities" that reside within the head of Harman smith as he goes on a mostly episodic adventure taking out various targets to help the prevention of terrorism in the United States. The story starts to explore the origins of Garcian and the other Smiths towards the end of the game, culminating in a truly mind bending and interesting conclusion that is sure to stick with anyone for years. Killer 7 is a worthy game to add to your backlog, and a great game in the Kill the Past Series. My only complaints are that I wish the story had more focus during the middle portion of the game, that's not to say that the episodic structure is bad, or that I didn't enjoy those missions, but having them tie in to the overall narrative would've made the game that much better. Also some of the songs in this game are absolutely stunning, but for some inexplicable reason Suda (the game's director) decided the best course of action was to put the best song in the game, Rave On, in a short 5 second section, really an odd choice. But regardless Killer 7 is a game that will forever hold a special place in my memory, and I cannot wait to see what the rest of Kill the Past has to offer.

25th Ward is the sequel to Silver Case and is the 4th game in the Kill the Past series following Silver Case, Flower Sun and Rain, and Killer7. One thing I really enjoy about 25th Ward is the characters, the new cast of characters all feel very engaging and fun, as you learn their stories and their relationships. Unlike the first game, this game is split into 3 story arcs, as opposed to 2. First we have Correctness which is the main story line featuring Shiroyabu, and Kuro, two detectives in the titular 25th Ward as they investigate the dark going ons happening around the ward. Next is Placebo which puts us back in the shoes of an amnesia raddled Tokio Morishima, as he tries regaining his memories, and finally we have Matchmaker which follows Tsuki, and Osato, to members of the Regional Adjustment Bureau in charge of making sure everything stays on track in the 25th Ward. Stepping back and looking at it as a whole, the game's story is very good and is a worthy follow up to the first game however, the plot in my opinion meanders a bit too much for my liking. For the most part the original Silver Case was a very tight and concise story with very little fat around the edges however this game is nearly double the length, and you can feel it. The game just over stays its welcome a little bit in my opinion and drags on a bit much. There are some segments in the story that by the end were completely pointless and could've been cut to greatly reduce the length of the game. Otherwise I think 25th Ward is worth your time, and is a great game for any Suda, and Kill the Past fan.

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 is a one of a kind game that defied all odds and ended up being a massive success for Suda51 and the rest of Grasshopper, but how does it stack up to the rest of the kill the past series? NMH is a very interesting game in that it feels like an amalgam of various different gaming tropes such as character action combat, open world exploration, and convoluted plots which doesn't only feel like a jab at other developers but also a nod to Suda's previous works. Despite it's glaring commentary on the hyper violence and prevalent tropes in not only in gaming but also anime and movies, the game's messaging in my opinion falls a little flat for me in comparison to the grandiose theming that Suda tackled in his previous works such as Killer7 and Silver Case. But taken as it's own independent work, it does achieve what it sets out to do and for that I can applaud it, but at the same time I was just left wanting a little more out of the game's not so subtle commentary. The gameplay on the other hand is really inventive on how the flow is broken up which is where to be able to go onto the next mission you must complete part time jobs to make enough money to fund your next assignment. However, while this mechanic does over stay it's welcome a little bit by the end, it still is something I will always fondly remember this game for as it is something I hadn't really seen before in a game like this. My only major complaints other than the theming is that the over world map really serves not too much of a purpose other than a buffer between missions since there isn't really a whole lot to see or explore. Overall NMH is a good game, and a fine addition to the KTP lineage, but it may leave some KTP fans a little disappointed with the story.

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.

Shantae is the first game in the legendary platforming series known for it's excellent sprite animations, and lovable character designs. The story revolves around a Half-genie, the titular Shantae, who is the guardian of a port side village called Scuttletown. One day her village is attacked by the nefarious Pirate Queen, Risky Boots who steals the plans from a local inventor to build a steam powered machine of destruction. Now it is up to Shantae to not only avenge her friends but also stop Risky from taking over the 7 seas. The story is rather simplistic, however it is still enjoyable as all the characters you encounter are all vastly unique, and have their own quirky character animations that help them stand out from each other. So certainly don't expect a NieR, or Killer7 level of writing with this game, and to me that's just fine to sit back and enjoy a fun little adventure. The gameplay is a rather traditional sidescroller platforming adventure on the surface but what makes Shantae stand out from the crowd is the transformations you unlock as you progress through the game. Shantae can transform into things like Monkeys, Spiders, or even Elephants to help traverse through her world and this opens up many possibilities for solving puzzles or defeating enemies. Speaking of enemies, one of the major drawbacks in my opinion is that Shantae's primary method of attack is whipping her hair at enemies which all things considered is a very short ranged attack. The problem with this is that most enemies you encounter through dungeons or the overworld are rather tanky taking upwards for 5-10 hits to dispatch, meaning you have to be right up on the enemy whipping your hair as fast as possible. This causes a problem when a lot of these enemies have a combination of ranged and close quarter attacks meaning you'll almost always take hits, even if you are really skilled. I found most of the time I just ended up skipping most of the fights I could just to avoid losing HP and personally I feel like that strips away some of the fun of a platformer. Overall however, Shantae is a very unique game, and is perhaps one of the best games to have originally come out on the GBC. The version I played was the remaster on Nintendo Switch, where they used a proprietary engine to upscale and faithfully recapture the original game's feeling and appearance and to that I say they did a pretty good job, also with adding a couple filters to best suit the player's taste. Shantae is a solid first entry to what would later become a very popular franchise, and I can't wait to sink my teeth into what the later games have in store as there is a lot of potential here to improve and make a truly unforgettable experience.

Shin Megami Tensei V is the newest entry in the long running JRPG series from Atlus, and my favorite series of all time. Does this long awaited JRPG live up to the hype and anticipation built up to it's long and troubled development? The short answer is yes and no. There are aspects to this game I really enjoy, and other aspects not so much. To start off with the positives is that SMTV is definitely the next big step of the series as this time the developers reduced the focus on big dungeons in favor for big open areas that serve as micro open worlds full of content such as side quests, treasure, various different demons to recruit and fight. One of the original concepts for Nocturne was to have a big open world to be able to see demons walking around the world, and being able to look up and get a scope of the world and how you fit into it and now it feels like that vision is finally coming to fruition and Atlus, and Team Maniax stick the landing for the most part. One of my major qualms with with the open world however is it feels like they didn't take full advantage of being able to sneak in tons of secrets like Nocturne. Nocturne had so many hidden boss fights and areas like Mara slime, and Masakado's palace with the Devas, and this would've been the perfect opportunity to explore those kind of hidden secrets even more but sadly there isn't much to be found on the over world in terms of secrets. The combat is the best that the series has ever been, with the press turn system, but also the introduction of Magatsuhi skills which allow you to pull off moves that don't take a turn that can either buff your party or deal heavy damage to your foes but thankfully the game is balanced in such a way that the Magatsuhi skills don't break the game. There is still plenty of challenge to be had, as enemies can also take advantage of Magatsuhi skills. This small tweak to the SMT formula really helps keep the combat fresh and allows for a lot of strategy when facing a boss as you may have to choose between several magatsuhi skills which could make or break the fight. Now to briefly touch on my biggest problem with the game is the story. My problem with the story doesn't stem from the writing per se as I feel it's a massive step up from Apocalypse, however the story just kinda ends. The final bit of the game just kinda deflates and it feels like a quick race to the finish line which is a huge juxtaposition to other games in the series like SMT IV and Nocturne where those game's final parts were considerably longer and delivered a lot more of a pay off. It might be because development on this game restarted part way through, or because of covid but it feels like this game just kinda ends 3 quarters of the way through the story, and that really deflated my positivity for this game. Maybe we will get an expanded release one day as the game files seem to suggest but until then SMTV is a very solid entry in the series, and is mostly a course correction from Apocalypse, but it's still far from reaching the heights and the glory of earlier Mainline titles.

Deathloop is the newest game from Arkane studios at the time of writing this review, and it carries the mantle of the sandbox style gameplay we have become accustom to through their similar games like Dishonored, and Prey. And i'm happy to report that this game does in fact carry that legacy on with style and grace, but it isn't without it's flaws. Deathloop is set in an alternate 1960s where scientists have discovered an island with an odd anomaly where the same day loops over and over again, and it's up to our protagonist, Colt, who wakes up on a beach with no memories to try and break the loop and not only set himself free but also the inhabitants of the island, willing to or not. This simple premise is what ties together the big mechanic of the game and that is the looping day system. This is where the same day is played on repeat until you break the loop. The day is split into 4 sections, morning, noon, afternoon, and evening, and within these four blocks you have to try and figure out how to take out all 8 targets in 1 run to be able to break the loop. The gameplay is your standard first person shooter fare in terms of gun play but with the added element of you gun having the potential to jam. This can cause some intense moments when surrounded by hostiles. This game also incorporates supernatural powers for colt to use to be able to traverse and manipulate the world around him to better achieve his goals. Some of these abilities are familiar ones from Arkane's other games while others are new, but all remain as fun to play around with as ever. My biggest gripe with the game is the lack of any pacifist route which has been present on Arkane's other sandbox offerings. Pacifism routes are probably my favorite aspect of Arkane's library due to the added challenge and unique plot elements presented through taking non lethal methods. Sadly this game exclusively opts for a shoot first ask questions later approach which made the game feel a little too easy at times. But once I got my head in the right space and started going in guns blazing I had a much more fun time. There is also the aspects of invading which you can be invaded by other players who take the roll of Julianna to try and stop you from breaking the loop but unfortunately by the time I played the game the servers were rather empty and more often than not I ended up fighting just NPC Julianna's, and when I tried to invade others it would take upwards of 10 minutes to find someone else. Regardless the game is still a blast, the story is engaging especially towards the end, and the world is dense with so many details that it feels really lived in. Here's to hoping Arkane's next offering isn't an exclusive to Xbox consoles so I am able to give it a try.