This DLC provided a bag of investment I didn't expect, plus it felt quite short.

It had a lot of thick lore to it and interesting character dynamics going through it. It was also my first time actually snagging a companion in New Vegas lol.

I liked the surroundings it provided, the options it manifested, the weapons I took with me, and the battles within it. There was some spirited variety in this one and definitley my favorite DLC so far for NV.

Jumped into this DLC before I did literally anything else in New Vegas. Under prepared and under ranked. This was genuinely a very fun challenge to grind through, it had me playing differently and prioritizing my equipment better than I have before.

Although, the repetitious "testing" missions got on my nerves a bit and the exposition here can be exhausting. I'm all for dialogue and world building in games, but nearly 10 mins of talking when I wanna start moving/exploring/and fighting just felt really patronizing.

I liked this DLC, but did not LOVE it in the slightest

Right off the bat, TR2 feels a bit more fluid than the first game. Albeit, still using tank controls the game feels just a smidge more refined in that regard. I'm not struggling as much moving around through areas and crevices. That could be due to my playtime with these games as of late, but I think TR2 is just designed better and is more spacious.
There are some jumping with backflip switches added in this game which I had to learn on the fly, which didn’t bother me too much but I wish it was fleshed out better.

I think the heavy amount of variety in gameplay has improved the experience from the last, although it kinda feels like a different game entirely sometimes. Still HARD, but the puzzles aren't as complex. At least in the first half of the game. Also, this game gets insanely dark at times and I mean the lighting. Whether I switched between OG or remaster, some sections were pitch black or pitcher black. The addition of flares though, was neat and taught you to navigate with caution.

The hefty addition of human enemies keeps you on your toes and item management is treated with much more care. I liked this a lot, because it taught me to conserve certain weapons and use my medical kits more wisely.

I'm not sure if I'd say TR2 is favored over TR1, purely for nostalgia purposes. But I think the argument that TR2 is a better game is a fair assessment.

It took me just over 17 hours to finish, and I really loved the beginning and end of this game. The middle section with the rig is a bit of a slog, but a 2nd play through down the road might not be as painful.

First Impressions...

A straight forward and simplistic style, that encourages a strategic approach to the combat. Although it is fun, its aesthetic and gameplay can feel stale pretty quick.

I've been playing in bursts to avoid burnout

Right off the bat, TR2 feels a bit more fluid than the first game. Albeit, still using tank controls the game feels just a smidge more refined in that regard. I'm not struggling as much moving around through areas and crevices. That could be due to my playtime with these games as of late, but I think TR2 is just designed better and is more spacious.
There are some jumping with backflip switches added in this game which I had to learn on the fly, which didn’t bother me too much but I wish it was fleshed out better.

I think the heavy amount of variety in gameplay has improved the experience from the last, although it kinda feels like a different game entirely sometimes. Still HARD, but the puzzles aren't as complex. At least in the first half of the game. Also, this game gets insanely dark at times and I mean the lighting. Whether I switched between OG or remaster, some sections were pitch black or pitcher black. The addition of flares though, was neat and taught you to navigate with caution.

The hefty addition of human enemies keeps you on your toes and item management is treated with much more care. I liked this a lot, because it taught me to conserve certain weapons and use my medical kits more wisely.

I'm not sure if I'd say TR2 is favored over TR1, purely for nostalgia purposes. But I think the argument that TR2 is a better game is a fair assessment.

It took me just over 17 hours to finish, and I really loved the beginning and end of this game. The middle section with the rig is a bit of a slog, but a 2nd play through down the road might not be as painful.

What a throwback.
So the upscale version looks great. However, its lighting provides a bit of issue sometimes. Literally with a click of a button the game swaps back to ps1 graphics and the lighting is much brighter in some cases. There were a few levels I played entirely under the old format just so I could see better. This is especially useful when looking for a key or navigating through tight corners.

Modern controls are not for me. It sends the camera into a frenzy and tank controls didn’t bother me tbh. I think that's in part to nostalgia and playing these games a lot as a kid. I can see this as a massive turn off for new players because those controls are indeed dated.

The manual save feature makes this game so much easier. I died A LOT and had over 200 manual saves. That is primarily due to the design of the game. It’s really easy to fall to your death or Lara not grabbing a ledge in time. Plus, its cryptic nature can really shrivel your confidence entering different sections of levels. So manually saving before you enter a new area with a thick amount of platforming is heavily recommended. Otherwise, youre gonna back track far just to arrive to that same jump and fail.

None the less, it’s a splendid way to restore a great trilogy. I loved my playthrough of TR1.

Quite similar to its predecessor, but adds a couple of decent mechanics and weapons that increase the variety in gameplay!

I found this one to be a smidge tougher and I have yet to beat it. It is for sure one that I want to come back to and play again compared to the others.

Visually and mechanically, it’s almost beat for beat the same as 2. Although I think this one had the right amount of difficulty that I enjoy.

It wasn’t too hard, but it’s not easy either! The amount of final boss stages can get tiresome in the back half of the game which is where I decided to take a break in my Mega Man journey, but the fact of the matter is. Mega Man 3 is a slight improvement from 2. Purely on the adjustment in challenge and small inclusions!

I’ll be back for more on this one, without a doubt.

An improvement from the original, with a more tender approach and better replay value. However, stage 4 going into the final boss is a broken nightmare.

I enjoyed the variety of levels in this one visually and aesthetically more than the first. Hell it even knocks the 1st game down a peg with how much more polished this one felt.

It’s also easier for someone like myself who’s not an avid MM fan and has only gotten their feet wet with the X series.

It’s safe to say this is the best one so far, since it’s just a better looking game. But the Boobeam Trap section sucks eggs hard, due to the backtracking it caused for me. It doesn’t feel like a slap on the wrist, it just feels like padded design that is specifically created in order to make you fail and restart to nail your precision.

Sometimes, I don’t mind that. A game like this though that is quite challenging at times. It doesn’t help its score. Overall, Mega Man 2 is fun and one I’d revisit!

A charming look into hell.

Playing it tested my patience, and my thought process. I enjoyed its atmosphere and 8 bit aesthetic to an extent, but this was mind numbingly hard. So difficult in fact, that it makes sense to be as sharp as it is. This game is incredibly short and needs to keep the player on a consistent learning curve that way it takes endless hours to complete, rather than a few hours. The game will outlast you as you try to master its blueprint.

In the end, I think its sheer difficulty and unforgiving nature outweighs the desire to master it. I’m glad to have played it, and see one of the cornerstones to the platforming genre!

A colorful and lush looking game that is smooth like butter. It's tone and atmosphere fit right in with the feelings of the original trilogy, which is something EVERY other Crash game struggled to capitalize on.

The music is fine and derivative in an acceptable way, but nothing I'd call memorable. It would've been cool to have like a jukebox feature to play songs from the OG games.

This was challenging as hell too. By far the hardest of the mainline 4 games. But it does feel quite fair, so much so that it made/makes me want to improve and go back to replay some levels just to test my skills. Granted, the difficulty for this would instill months of pain for full completion, so i will avoid that.

I think the addition of other playable characters is bittersweet. The Tawna and Dingo levels are a lot of fun and offer up a change of pace, whereas the Cortex levels are a bit more frustrating. Also, the absence of heavy vehicle levels is much appreciated.

If I had negatives, they'd be the following...
I think the level design can be visually overwhelming. Especially with the rail sequences. Maybe my depth perception is off or something, but sometimes it'd screw with my view of the level when trying to figure out when to jump, hang, or swing. These are really just a nitpick rather than a criticism, because there isn't much wrong with the game.

I think its genuinely great, and exceptionally tough with a satisfying system. I hope Crash V is in the near future!

Welp, the positives. I think it’s vibrant, colorful, and maintains the pulse that is indeed Crash Bandicoot. It has some genuine comedy that works, some of the music is quirky and catchy, and I enjoyed some of the elements implemented with Cortex!

The negatives, nearly everything else.
After doing some research, it was evident that this game was unfinished so I don’t wanna pound it too hard but that’s obviously the primary reason for this games faults. Hardly any sound in cutscenes, making them awkward to watch. Some of the levels feel half cooked and needlessly difficult. Like corridors/caves not being tall enough for you to ensure your jump is safe to clear a pit.
The trial error formula here attributes to that unfinished feel. It doesn’t feel like a fair challenge, I feel like the game was actively working against me to ensure I struggled more than learning the curve.
Aku Aku felt worthless, whenever I’d achieve the 3rd mask the invincibility did nothing. I’d just bounce into an enemy and nothing would happen. Plus, all he does is grant you extra hits from enemies. Crates and environments still murk you in one hit. This is especially mind numbing due to the horrible check point system which sometimes forces you to rewatch the cutscenes.
Plus, the camera is a big adversary sometimes. The more linear vehicular sequences were the most fun and the camera didn’t try to bully you. Whereas it’s floaty feeling caused me to get hit off screen a lot by enemies I didn’t see or just fuck me over on jumps.

To top all of this off. The game is quite glitchy. Sometimes Cortex doesnt initiate things when he is supposed to. Sometimes high falls would cause my character to no longer move and I would have to load a manual save setting me back.

It’s an unfinished product and it became so infuriating that I just despised the experience after awhile. I’m done.

A fun experience with friends, but alone a troubling RNG journey that can really bend your patience.

After being a big supporter for many years for Crash Bash. I finally decided to sit down and attempt a start to finish play through on my own since I was a kiddo. I tried and I caved near the end.

The grind to get trophies in the mini games winds up feeling like a chore. Half of the games are paced poorly or rely heavily on RNG elements to either cripple or enhance your chances.

In the later warp rooms I don’t really feel that my skills are being tested, but my will to have fun and push to the end. This recent play through was a harsh reminder that nostalgia is a hell of a drug and everyone was right. CTR is much better than Bash.

It does however have some solid mini games like crates, tanks, and the polar levels. However, the experience is highly recommended in co-op or a group.