You can't outdo perfection, but this was a valiant attempt.

This game honestly reminded me of Spyro 2 Reignited in that it's a really good game and you should absolutely play it, but I can't bring myself to say it's better than the original. In both instances: improvements from the source material are present but rare, The voice acting is missing some of the original's distinct charm, and some(not many but some) of my favorite elements from the original were weft out.

If you want my full feelings about this game, just read my review of the original RE4 and note that this is that with a bit less enjoyable camp, a touch weaker voice acting, and a few less memorable set pieces.

Believe me: this game is amazing, and I'd be a lot more excited about it is it wasn't riding on the heels of one of the all-time greats, but those are big shoes to fill. Still, I feel this remake did the 2005 original justice, it just didn't replace it.

This game was really, really fun up to a point.

Charming and compact levels are what I love to see in a platformer. The boundless creativity of the Mario games is on full display here, and it makes for some short but captivating levels.

However, that same boundless creativity does not extent to the gameplay. Captain Toad's adventures worked very well as a side-mode in a bigger, more varied experience, but on it's own, it's too minimal and repetitive to span an entire game. Still, if you enjoyed the Captain Toad sections in 3D world, you'll have some fun here.

Buy this game on sale and play it in short bursts, you'll have a good time.

Why did I remember this game being so mediocre? It's actually good!

Tight controls which compliment a distinct gameplay loop; A charming Outback aesthetic and lovely soundtrack bolstered by strong enemy, character, and level design; and a good variety in terms of weapons and gameplay styles. It feels great to re-visit an old game and realize it's way better than you remember it.

However, not all of my initial criticisms were unfounded. Ty is an early, low-budget PS2 game, and the first game in a series, and it shows: Character interactions and dialogue are very awkward(and not in a self-aware kind of way), the cutscenes don't look great, and the storytelling is so poor the basic narrative can be confusing. The game also suffers from tedious item collection and an abysmal boss roster. These are definitely issues, they just aren't as bad as I remembered them.

Given how much Ty had going against it, I think Chrome turned out a strong product. I'm very glad I gave this game a second chance, and I'll happily recommend it to any fan of classic platformers.

This game is RIPPER! (there I said it.)

Water, Ear - er Lightening, Fire, Air

Long ago, the four Divine Beasts lived together in harmony. Then, everything changed when the Calamity attacked. Only the Hero of Time, master of all four runes, could stop it. But, when Hyrule needed him most, he vanished. One-hundred years pass by and my Wii U and I discover the new Hero of Time: a young swordsman named Link, and, though his weapon-breaking skills are great, he has a lot to learn before he's ready to save anyone.

But, I believe, Link will dick around in shrines for 150 hours then watch Zelda save the world.

Instead of reviewing these games, here is a boss ranking:

Every boss gets a score out of five:

16: Dr. Cortex
Game: Crash 2
Score: 0/5

The namesake boss of Crash 2 is an embarrassment; I'm not even comfortable calling it a boss. He never attacks you and there is no remote element of combat. The boss is tedious if you don’t know what to do, and pitiful easy if you do; It still blows my mind how bad this boss is.

15: Papu Papu
Game: Crash 1
Score: 1/5

Objectively just as bad as the previous fight, but at least he attacks you, and he has the excuse of being the first boss of the first game. Still a terrible note to start on.

14: Ripper Roo
Game: Crash 1
Score: 1/5

Still no element of combat. A unique setup can’t make up for this boss feeling more like a level hazard; the timing on the TNT crates can be irritating as well. Fortunately, there is another boss further down the list that uses Ripper Roo’s setup much better.

13: Ripper Roo
Game: Crash 2
Score: 2/5

Really not a big fan of Ripper Roo boss fights. This one has more interesting attacks and slightly better aesthetics, but still just feels like a level hazard and is really boring on future playthroughs.

12: Komodo Bros
Game: Crash 2
Score: 2/5

This fight would rank much higher if not for one thing; the area is too big. It’s almost impossible to get hit by anything, and there is no challenge as a result. Great aesthetics can’t make up for that unfortunately.

11: Pinstripe Potoroo
Game: Crash 1
Score: 2/5

You could lob the first half of his health bar off all at once in the original ps1 game. This version is slightly harder, but still too easy and basic to be noteworthy.

10: Tiny Tiger
Game: Crash 2
Score: 3/5

The second-best boss in Crash 2 barely made the top ten; Crash 2’s bosses aren’t very good. Tiny is a fine encounter; it takes Ripper Roo’s mechanics and improves them by having the boss actively pursue you. Tiny is fun, but very basic. The best thing about him by far is the music, which is common for Crash 2.

9: Koala Kong
Game: Crash 1
Score: 3/5

The first good boss in the series. I could almost tie Kong with Tiny, but I put Kong slightly higher because he has more attacks and slightly more complex mechanics. Kong is basic fun, nothing more, nothing less.

8: Dr. Cortex
Game: Crash 1
Score: 3/5

Dr. Cortex fights run the gambit in terms of quality. This one provides a worthy challenge and an appropriately epic setting for the game’s conclusion. I have no idea how the next Cortex fight was such a downgrade, but maybe the one after that will be way better.

7: N. Tropy
Game: Crash 3
Score: 3/5

The weakest fight in Crash 3 is in the upper half of the list; five of the top seven bosses in the trilogy are just Crash 3; That should tell you something about Crash 3’s boss quality compared to the previous two games.

Tropy is a solid fight. He has challenging attacks to dodge and the fight itself has good aesthetics. I’d be happy to rank it higher, but the rest of Crash 3’s bosses are just too good: Which reminds me…

6: N. Gin
Game: Crash 3
Score: 4/5

This fight is objectively the longest and most varied in the trilogy. Unfortunately, it also stands out as one of the very few that was notably better in the ps1 version: This fight is much easier, and you feel much less impact from damaging the parts of the robot. Still a great fight, but a bit of a downgrade.

5: N. Brio
Game: Crash 1
Score: 4/5

My favorite Crash character is also my favorite fight from Crash 1. Honestly, this fight is so varied and clever that it’s hard to believe it’s from the first game. The actual gameplay of this fight is nothing special, but the setting, mechanics, and the boss character are among the best in the trilogy.

4: Tiny Tiger
Game: Crash 3
Score: 4/5

Best first boss in the trilogy without question. Twinsanity and Crash 4 may have had better first bosses later on, but this one set a new standard with an excellent area, varied attacks, and being the first boss to give you an upgrade after defeating him. Tiny provides a challenge early on that doesn’t feel overwhelming given your place in the game. I have no idea how they’ll top this.

3: Dingodile
Game: Crash 3
Score: 5/5

They topped it. Wildly creative area and boss character, unique mechanics, and the best boss theme in the trilogy. The fact that you earn the double-jump from this fight, which can be used to cheese this fight on a second encounter, is just icing on the cake. This is probably one of the best bosses I’ve ever seen in a platforming game.

2: N. Gin
Game: Crash 2
Score: 5/5

The saving grace of Crash 2’s boss roster. N Gin has so many attacks, a great boss theme, a cool voice, a good design, and a fair challenge. His attacks will even vary depending on if he has one or two shoulders left. That attention to detail is admirable. Crash 2 would be right alongside Spyro 1 as a posterchild of good games with bad bosses if not for this encounter.

1: Neo Cortex
Game: Crash 3
Score: 5/5

Have you all figured out by now I really like Crash 3 bosses? Especially those with excellent music, varied attacks, memorable areas, and a climactic sense of scale? This fight has it all: an epic 2-v-2 encounter with two foes built-up throughout your entire journey, and one where you must win without taking damage due to Aku-Aku’s pre-occupation fighting his brother. Much like Spyro 2’s final boss, the added hurdle of winning with no damage adds a lot to the encounter and helps forgive the lack of difficulty. You can argue that N. Gin or Dingodile have the better gameplay, but I think Dr. Cortex’s Crash 3 fight is the complete package.

I reviewed each ps1 game individually and these game are just those with streamlined controls, better graphics, some dated elements of progression removed, and optional time trials across all three games. This trilogy is great, and you don't need me to tell you that.

Another banger.

Megaman X2 brings more of the great music, fast gameplay, and satisfying combat which made its predecessor a masterpiece. The new set of Mavericks were a blast to fight, the new items were satisfying to collect, and the addition of the three optional bosses was a brilliant touch which provided and added layer of challenge and helped X2 stand out from other games in the series.

Some consider this game as good as the original, and while I'd certainly call it a worthy successor, I can't say it's as good: some of the Mavericks were a bit too goofy, many of the collectables were more frustrating to find(the heart container in Wire Sponge's lair comes to mind) and not as helpful. The intro level was weaker and SIgma had much less stage presence. And no, that last problem won't get better in later games.

Nitpicks aside, I'm giving this game two thumbs up. Play it if you haven't already.

Best combat system I've ever experienced.

The intuitive controls, lightening-quick traversal, and satisfying duals with grunt enemy and intimidating boss alike make Sekiro a credit to FromSoft's already stellar lineup of interactive epics. I've waited my entire life to play a game wherein every encounter with every enemy felt challenging and engaged, and Sekiro made that possible by combining a skill-based combat loop that rewards strong reflexes and is bolstered by a section of inventive gadgets and an abundance of enemy variety. These legendary duals take place with a backdrop of atmospheric music and a gorgeous setting which captures the beauty of both historic Japan, and Japanize folklore.

Honestly, if this game had a story I cared about and a bit more variety in terms of bosses, it could have taken my top spot for FromSoft games. Sadly, Sekiro's boss roster would be sparce by FromSoft standards even without all the repeated encounters. I found the characters to be cliched and underdeveloped with lethargic vocal performances not doing them any favors for memorability; And the storytelling and lore also failed to captivate me. I would never say the game has a bad story, but it's not one that I will remember.

I can only say this game represents the best if gameplay is the only factor, but that gameplay will stick with me as long as I continue to play video games. FromSoft is among my favorite game studios, and I consider Sekiro among their greatest acomplishments.

I would rather re-watch Lightyear.

Bad graphics, lazy storytelling, repetitive gameplay, and an awful camera with terrible controls. I can't remember the last time I abandoned a game after thirty minutes.

The only remotely-enjoyable parts of the whole experience were those split-second cutscenes from the show. I never watched the cartoon myself, but I trust it's much better. If you're ever tempted to play this game, just watch that cartoon instead,.

So, I played GoW 5 when it first came out, and it was the easiest 5/5 I ever gave. I didn't feel like my initial review did the game justice, but it was simply one of the most varied, polished, artistic, satisfying, and just damn fun games I had ever played. With a year having passed, I decided to consider the possibility that my opinion on what I thought was one of my new top-ten favorite games of all time would change if I played it again: It did, the game actually got a little better. It isn't a top ten game for me anymore, it's a top 5; top 3 isn't out of the question.

I found the performances even more compelling, the combat even more engaging, I unlocked a whole new tier of appreciation for the level design, and even the parts of the game I wasn't looking forward to as much weren't as tedious as I remembered them. I'm so glad the DLC came around to compel me to revisit this masterpiece, and you should definitely play that as well.

I don't think either of my reviews do this game justice, it is one of the greatest accomplishments in the medium of video games this decade in my opinion, but if even one person gives this game a chance because of either of my reviews, I'll be pleased with myself.

It would inspire much better games, and that's the best thing I can say about it.

I don't hate this game: I loved it when I was younger, but it just got worse every time I came back to it. The level design, is solid, it controls well enough, the soundtrack fits the aesthetic, and all-in-all the game is still playable.

However, the original Ratchet and Clank has a generic and badly-told story, the selection of weapons is easily the worst in the series, the main character sucks, the tone and pacing are inconsistent, and I'm not a fan of most of the writing.

As I said, the game is still playable, which is more than I can say for some other two-decade old games, but I don't see myself revisiting this one any time soon. Fortunately, there are some much better R&C games I'll get to revisit soon.

Best-looking video game ever.

The 11/10 score I'd give this game for presentation alone makes it worth every penny. The fluid motions, realized landscapes, and vivid textures paint a picture even the modern Pixar film would blush at. Ratchet and Clank has always pushed the envelope for video games with regards to presentation, and Rift Apart is their greatest accomplishment in that regard.

For everything ese the game is... good. It has a very weak and predictable story, though it is better paced and better told than the average R&C game. The level designs are great, the enemy variety is lacking, and the gun selection is average by the series' standers: though all three borrow just a bit too much from previous games. The gameplay variety and exploration are acceptable, though a step down from Crack in Time in my opinion. Lastly, the writing was forgettable: I remember almost nothing said by any character and I don't think I laughed once.

Rift Apart is a typical R&C affair but still a fun one. For many people, it was their first PS5 title, and I think it is a great way to be exposed to the console.

Jim Ward, you will be missed: I wish you a fulfilling retirement.

My feelings about this game, especially with regards to the other two, are pretty easy to sum up: I like it quite a bit more than the first game, and quite a bit less than the second.

The whacky, unconventional story and memorable side characters from Going Commando are mostly gone. Up Your Arsenal instead opts for a pretty generic story with plenty of plot holes and mostly re-used characters I didn't even like that much in their first appearances, echoing many of my problems with the first game. Most of the new cast is either totally forgettable or memorable for the wrong reasons. Thank goodness this game brought us Dr. Nefarious and Lawrence, otherwise I'd have nothing positive to say in the writing department.

With that said, Dr. Nefarious is a perfect antagonist for a Ratchet and Clank game: walking a perfect line between being genuinely hilarious and a legitimate threat. His vocal performance is excellent, he has most of the best lines in the game, and his range of motion and animations are very impressive for the PS2 era. Also, Lawrence is underrated. His lines and vocal delivery are also excellent, and the schtick between him and Nefarious is gold: Nefarious wouldn't be the legend he is without his butler.

Still, the quality of the game's humor is very inconsistent, for every genuine laugh, there is a painful groaner, and the humor has a mean-spirited tinge I really don't care for. There are a few character moments that sound good on paper, but the game's conclusion is so rushed, none of them are able to resonate the way they should.

So, I didn't care for the story, characters, or writing. Thankfully, the gameplay is still up to standard. The game has an excellent selection of weapons, strong enemy variety, and an addictive gameplay loop that does its predecessor justice. In addition to satisfying combat in story missions, there is also an addictive arena section, a decent hacking mini-game, and a surprisingly-fun video-game-within-the-video-game that add welcome variety without overstaying their welcomes. With that said, there were a number of curious downgrades: the crystal collection mini-game is much worse due to the lack of visibility and repetitive enemies, most levels lend themselves less to exploration than previous games, and the sheer number of enemy-wave shootout sequences in the game can become tedious after a while. Still a strong gameplay loop, just lacking the polish and variety of Going Commando.

In summary, Up Your Arsenal is a really good podcast game: Strong gameplay with occasional hiccups and weak writing with occasional brilliance. I certainly wouldn't call it Insomniac's best, but I would call is a really fun time.