When I revisited the main line R&C games, I was convinced my least favorite would either be the first game or the 2016 remake... HOWEVER:

Dreadlocked was appropriately dreadful to play. The side characters were all either completely forgettable or actively frustrating; the levels are banal, repetitive, and washed-out; the story is relentlessly downbeat and unpleasant but still has the occasional tone-killing joke; and any sense of exploration or puzzle-solving from the previous games is completely gone. The weapon selection is a big step down from the previous two games, and the only new weapon I particularly liked was the flail: I don't even remember the rest. The villain is just Chairman Drek without any of the charm or charisma. Ace Hardlight, the game's only potentially-interesting new character doesn't get enough screen time to leave an impression, and his actions don't always make sense in context. This is a really bad game.

True, the game still has R&C's trademark strong gameplay, even if it is watered down and unvaried compared to previous games. There were a few strong character moments, and I did count three funny moments (two were at the end). The gameplay is still adequate whenever the game isn't glitching or crashing. And, as stated previously, the flail is really fun to use. So, is all that enough for me to recommend this game? Oh, hell no.

Dreadlocked is the purest example of a bad Ratchet and Clank game: tone problems, no variety, taking itself too seriously, bad side-characters, and having no sense of wonder or fun. This game makes me feel bad that I complained about any of the games in the original trilogy: If there's one reason to be glad I played Dreadlocked, it made me appreciate those games more. Still, if that's the best thing I can say about Dreadlocked, then I have no problem calling it my least favorite in the series.

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.

Still the best.

As a guy who thinks the first R&C doesn't hold up very well, I think this one holds up spectacularly. Going Commando fixed every single problem I had with the first game and installed so many of the franchise hallmarks that are still present in the series today. I'll give the first game credit for creating the formula. But, if you ask me, this game deserves credit for perfecting it and putting these games on the map.

The controls are much better: I can finally strafe! The banal weapon selection from the first game was overhauled into an amazing selection of creative weapons that became more addicting to use due to the weapon upgrade system which would be featured in every game in the series henceforth. There is great gameplay variety as well: I can play the racing, arena, and crystal collection sections for hours(and I do): It is very impressive how this game adds so much variety without shattering the core gameplay loop in an obtrusive way. The fact that they are optional is objectively good, but I'd play them all anyway. After all, with 100% completion as excellent as this it is no trouble to get every clever skill point or devilishly-hidden platinum bolt leading up to the excellent hidden museum reward.

To be fair, the writing hasn't much improved unless you count all of it. Going Commando has a really fun, unique story that doesn't remind me of any other video game narrative, and it is the only game in the series not to use the exact same structure of, 'lengthy, contrived series of events to hunt down an obvious bad guy in an inefficient way.' The game is filled with quirky humor and memorable characters. The charm in this game is palpable, Ratchet is no-longer the worst main character ever, and the game features Ratchet's first, and easily best, love interest. Seriously, I never got over the series writing her out after this installment. I'm not too hopeful, but I'd love to see her again.

My problems with the game are very minor: I really like most of the optional content, but I wasn't crazy about the dogfights or the giant Clank sections; Most boss fights are very easy and basic; And the fact that the development became rushed near the end does show. The final few levels are weaker and the conclusion is rushed. But, honestly, who cares? This game is amazing.

In fact, much of this adulation may sound familiar to another Insomniac Game I bent over backwards to praise. The wonderful side-characters, the excellent 100% completion, the fantastic level design with the captivating worlds and quirky charm? To me, this game is the closest Insomniac has ever gotten to recapturing the original Spyro 2. I see so much of that game in this one. And, while I don't like Going Commando quite as much, it is another game I wouldn't have wanted to grow up without.

I don't know if this series will ever reach these same heights again. But, as long as I have this game to come back to, that's fine with me.

But seriously. Bring Angela back! #SaveAngela

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.

"Open your heart to the world as you have opened it to me, and you will find every reason to keep living in it."

When I opened my heart to God of War Ragnarök, I was enthralled by a thematically rich, character-driven story. For as satisfying and versatile as the combat was, I often found myself content to look out over a beautiful landscape, putting the controller down and letting the serene environments and magnificent score sweep me through the valleys of Norse Mythology. The climatic boss fights, air-tight pacing, meaningful side-objectives, and distinct, layered side characters shredded any issues I had with the 2018 game into non-existence. God of War 5 is a profound achievement, taking the medium of Video Game to its bleeding edge and providing a meticulously-woven, epic, fun, beautiful, and unforgettable experience.

"To grieve deeply is to have loved fully." I love this game. I've had experiences with this franchise spanning back nearly twenty years, and I'm sad to see it go, but I think this is time. I can't see the majesty of this game ever being succeeded by any other God of War game, and I believe it is time to move on.

I cannot recommend enough, open your heart to this game and live in its world for a time, and you'll find some of the best the medium of video games has to offer.

A redemption, a rebirth, and a reinvention.

There is no better example of a game I never knew I wanted. The ending of God of War 3 rung hollow for me, and the oversaturation of mediocre content and lack of creative ingenuity the franchise displayed afterward made me ready to hang up the blades of chaos and explore newer, more inventive titles. I'm pleased to report that God of War PS4 is everything a bad God of War title isn't.

The incorporations of Norse mythology are inspired, weaving a rich, unique world nothing like what we would see in the PS2 titles. The cinematography captures the strong facial animations and both the strong vocal performances and excellent score ensure the experience will be just as much a feast for the ears as the eyes. The excellent combat system allows you to fight iconic Norse monsters with satisfying weight behind your attacks, incorporating whichever approach to combat you would like. This game is a huge technical marvel and a bold advancement, not only for the franchise but for video games as a medium.

However, the game is not perfect. This game clearly took inspiration from the original Dark Souls, and much like that game, I think this game created an incredible framework that shook the foundation of video games as a medium, but the execution of that framework was flawed.

God of War PS4 is infamous for a lack of enemy variety, most notably among sub-bosses; the game should have taken more advantage of the pantheon of Norse characters, as there were only a few and some (most notably the villains) weren't as fleshed out as they should have been; the game also suffers from uncompelling side-objectives and some tedious travel and item collection; Oh, and I can't stand Nifelheim: it's my second-least-favorite location in any God of War game. I'm glad it's optional and I appreciate Ragnarök for completely changing it, but I would have preferred if it were removed altogether.

In summary, this game is still incredible. You don't need me to tell you to play it, but play it. Also, if you liked my review, be on the lookout for my review of the sequel, especially if you're mad that I don't consider this one of the greatest games ever made. It may take a while for me to compose all of my feelings about Ragnarök, having just finished it, but boy am I looking forward to talking about it.

I've found a new game to play every October.

I love the aesthetics of this game so much: The excellent music and designs that walk a perfect line between disturbing and cartoonish, Tim Burton would be proud. The main character has a really novel backstory and the short levels are excellent for anyone looking to play the game in short bursts. The writing can be pretty amusing as well.

Sadly, It's true that most of the other characters are forgettable, the combat is really basic, and the weapon degradation system is Breath-of-the-Wild levels of frustrating. Most upgrades are also pretty redundant, mostly serving the same purpose and replacing a weapon you just got, making progression somewhat unsatisfying.

In summary: I didn't think MediEvil was anything groundbreaking, but I did think it was a lot of fun, and perfect game to get me in the mood for Halloween.

It had been too long since I reviewed a five-star game.

I have nothing but respect for Ocarina of Time for its development of the franchise and impact on the medium of video games but how can I consider it a perfect game if Majora's Mask improved on every single aspect of it: providing better-developed side characters, better dungeon design, a thicker atmosphere, better side quests, much better 100% completion, a balanced currency system, a more unique and thematically-rich story, gameplay that simultaneously feels more varied and less gimmicky, subtle-yet-interesting worldbuilding; Look, I could go on, but I need to make dinner soon.

The game's unforgettable, haunting story walks the fine line between the the uncomfortable and the absurd beautifully; The collectables are so balanced and the objectives so meaningful, I found almost everything without the use of a guide despite not playing the game in years; The unique story structure makes a strong argument for video games as a medium for this story wouldn't have worked as well in any other form; The deft storytelling, meaningful character interactions, and clever item placements add a great deal of depth and worldbuilding to Termina without ever breaking the game's pace; And, seriously, I'm starting to get hungry! Let's wrap this up.

I acknowledge Ocarina of Time as the more important and groundbreaking game. And, if I can be honest, Wind Waker HD is still my favorite Zelda game for personal reasons, but Majora's Mask is still about as good as video games get if you ask me. We're still talking about it more than twenty years later, and we'll be talking about it twenty years from now.

Alright, I'll go make dinner. I'm having pasta.

The whole of Sly 3 is lesser than the sum of its parts.

It's a real shame I can't rank this game higher, because it clearly has a lot of hard work put into it, but Sly 3 is so uniquely-unsatisfying to play that a six out of ten is the best I'm giving it.

The game has little-if-anything to do with the previous two, making it a very anticlimactic note to end the trilogy on, but it's also jarring and disjointed within itself. The abrupt shift from disconnected chapter to disconnected chapter becomes more jarring each time as the cast becomes more oversaturated and the gameplay becomes more unfocused. The game has moments of excellent gameplay and sharp writing, but it isn't consistent in any aspect of its quality outside of getting weaker: Sly 3 has a near-perfect downward turn in quality as the game progresses; I liked each chapter just a hair less than the one before, and I wasn't enjoying it at all by the end. The game also has some pretty bad plot holes and poor storytelling.

Sly 3 has some wonderful characters and strong gameplay sequences, but nothing in the game is given the attention or development it deserves: Most villains are underdeveloped, most heroes are underutilized, character arcs disappear between chapters, and there are far too many gimmicky, one-off gameplay sequences. I respect any game that attempts all this for its ambition, but a game is going to far if it has: a canal chase with guns, a crane minigame, a scuba minigame, a sequence where you fight a giant sea monster with fireworks, dogfighting, a section where you feed guards to an alligator or mow them down with a wolf(this game got dark), an all-out brawl in a lemonade bar, a section where you catch giant scorpions in a giant truck, RC car driving or helicopter flying, and a tedious section where you shoot guards with a turret attached to a tiny camera. Seriously, to the people who worked on this game: calm down. Do any of the activities I just listed sound like they belong in a stealth game?

The tragedy of Sly 3 is that I see so much quality within it, but I never feel tempted to replay it. If you're someone who takes video games moment-by-moment and doesn't read too deeply into things, you'll probably like this game more than I did. I wish I liked Sly 3 as much as 2 or even 1, but sadly, it's not to be.

Sly 2 isn't one of the best games I've ever played, but it may be one of the best sequels I've ever played.

Every single aspect of the first game was cranked up: the already-strong soundtrack was made even better, the story is much more unique and better told, the side characters are so much better established, the gameplay is so much more distinct and varied, and the progression is endlessly satisfying, because the objectives both within and between levels are so specific and well constructed. The first game is still enjoyable, but this one blew it out of the water!

Some consider Sly 2 one of the all-time greats of the platforming genre, but I can't go quite that far: the game is just a hair too long, the level themes needed more variety, the ending feels somewhat rushed and uncanny, and I take issue with some of the game's writing and characterization. If there is one thing I really give Sly 3 credit over Sly 2 for, it's in writing strong characters who leave impressions: most of the side characters of Sly 2 aren't very memorable, and the main characters can be unlikable and their interactions inconsistent. If you could put Sly 3's characters in Sly 2's story, maybe this would be one of the GOATs.

As it stands, Sly 2 is still terrific and easily my favorite of the trilogy. If there ever is a Sly 5, I hope it can do this game justice (but I'm not too optimistic on either account).

When elegant simplicity meets mind-numbing repetition.

If you've played the first level of this game, you've essentially played the whole thing. Yoshi's Island's beautiful artwork, strong soundtrack, and solid gameplay loop weren't enough to stop me from being overwhelmed by a feeling of repetition so strong I could only play about three levels at a time. Worth mentioning is that the game's stressful 100% completion, tacked-on minigames, and (mostly) weak boss roster didn't help.

Play this game in short bursts, and you'll have a good time.

It gets the job done and little else.

Nearly every aspect of this game can be summed up as 'basic but functional.' The story, the gameplay, the presentation: it all does the bare minimum, but does it well enough(except the soundtrack, that's pretty good). I'll admit the game does suffer from inconsistent theming: why does this stealth game have a level that takes place during the day time, and how do turret minigames mesh with stealth gameplay? But, these issues aren't so bad that they ruin anything.

There are only two stand-out aspects of the game: Level 3, which is easily the worst level in the game. It doesn't fit the theme of the game at all and it ends with the worst boss fight in the series; and Level 5, easily the best level in the game. Succinct and loaded with fun gameplay sequences and ended with the best boss fight in the series. The rest is pretty standard.

Play this game if you want. I don't have much of an outro, I'm just excited to talk about Sly Cooper 2; see you soon!

The most fun you'll have with this game is talking to the NPCs without having completed their quests. Here are some highlights:

N. Gin: Ah! So beautiful! It is the stuff dreams are made of if you dream about plutonium all the time. I certainly do!

Crunch: What's wrong with you fool? Should'a stayed in school. Don't know what number's bigger than another number. Become an accountant. Go on to bigger things. Instead, you a chump. A chump that can't count. Crunch needs the coins, and brush your teeth: looks like a checker board in there.

Also N. Gin: Wah I'm crying because... I'm not pretty! Please Crash, bring me something that will make me pretty.

Cortex: Crash. Can you help me out? I need power crystals for my weapon of mass... helping people.

I love N. Gin: I know your weakness Crash: Bullets!