I've never liked roguelikes, but this one was different.

Balatro is a crazy good game at making you feel like a genius and an absolute buffoon in a matter of minutes. The sheer amount of ways you can set up your jokers and cards is nearly endless, and I've taken wildly different approaches in the many hours I have played this game. The jokers are amazing at elevating your game, and the way they can complement each other makes for some blind-shattering runs. And even after you flop an amazing run at the bitter end, you always come back for more.

I finally understand why people play roguelikes over and over. I've always thought "It's just the same game over and over, why bother?", but it really isn't.

The best atmosphere I've experienced in gaming. The Oldest House is the perfect setting for playing as Director of a secret government agency. Art direction is the strongest point in Remedy Games, and Control is no exception.

Combat is overall pretty solid, although as you progress further into the game you will realize that you only need a couple of abilities in your arsenal to maximize your damage. So the combat can become pretty barebones during the late game. The enemies and missions are amazing, and one mission in particular stole the show. You'll know it when you play it.

The story unfortunately falls short near the end, which is disappointing for a game with such deep lore. Jesse, although a relatable protagonist at first, is a little shallow in personality. You will find yourself more interested in other characters, who are far more well-written.

Still, a game I would say is worth playing. A lot of the issues I have can most definitely be easily fixed in the sequel. And when that comes out, it's got a good chance of being a top 5 game.

A solid improvement from the first Dishonored game. Chaos system is far more fleshed out with more leniency towards a brute force approach. Level design and maps are just as interesting as the first, and the non-lethal approaches to eliminating targets are more involved and interesting, an improvement upon the first game.

And unlike the original, I found no mission unenjoyable or a slog. No "The Flooded District" in this one, which was a relief to me. However, that constant looming urge to quicksave persists from the first game. If you are gunning for a good ending, you'll find yourself constantly saving and loading to aim for the perfect setup. And with the annoying 20/20 vision of many enemies, resorting to this is almost inevitable.

Story is not as in-depth as the first, a pretty standard too. But it doesn't bother me too much, as I never play Dishonored games for the story. Emily is a great protagonist though, and I enjoyed my playthrough playing as her over Korvo.

Still, Dishonored 2 is an amazing game that improves upon the first where it mattered.