"Metro Exodus", like the series as a whole, frustrates me to no end. Parts of it are truly amazing (like the Volga, Yamantau, Dead City and Interlude chapters); but it fluctuates in quality, and as the game goes on, the cracks in level design and writing start becoming very noticable. The main problem it comes down to is a lack of polish: it is no doubt a step up from previous games, but it's still not quite there. Often, dialogue that is meant to feel snappy ends up being awkward, and moments that are meant to be immersive fall apart because of inconsistent mechanics.
I don't need every game to be polished to perfection, but a game that is going for this level of immersion desperately needs it. If "Exodus" had that, this would be a 10/10 for me. As it is, the game is solid, but it's also lesser than the sum of its great parts, and that...is a real shame.

Amnesia: Rebirth in my eyes is a criminally underrated horror game. Sure, the puzzles and level design can be awkward and the story can feel a bit all over the place.

However, the core of this game is rock-solid and really engrossing. I was scared shitless at many points throughout and I always had the feeling of barely making it. I don't know how much of the tension was just an illusion but it absolutely worked - and using matchsticks for light that quickly burn away and can be hard to come by is a cruel but brilliant mechanic.

It doesn't just get the scares and atmosphere right though, no: Tasi Trianon, the protagonist of this story and its beating heart, is such a wonderful and fascinating character. I love how much the game grounds you in her experience both as a pregnant woman as well as someone who's suffered a terrifying loss. The actress absolutely nails the performance too.
So much of one's enjoyment hinges on whether or not you can empathize with her and I certainly did.

And honestly, even though the puzzles can feel awkward, I never felt like they were too obscure to solve - just requiring you to patiently experiment.

This was my first Amnesia game, and especially towards the end I was pleasantly surprised, baffled at the ratings too.

7,5/10

"HIgher beings, these words are for you alone..."

I've had one hell of a journey with Hollow Knight, dropping it after a first few hours because I just didn't feel it, only to give it another try years later and finally click with it. Despite my praise and my rating, I don't think I love it as much as everyone else does but it's a special experience nonetheless.

What I love most about Hollow Knight are not the bosses, its combat, lore or its level design: it's simply the atmosphere. Many of the game's areas provoke such a striking feeling - sometimes serene, sometimes somber and other times just unsettling. It's magnificent, and the soundtrack is ironed into my brain.

Hollow Knight also feels super refreshing in its pacing. The progression is slow but every step, every item, every ability feels meaningful. It's a chunky game with plenty of content but despite the relatively slow pacing, it's not bloated at all. I also felt that my playthrough ended just when it could have started to drag.

So now here I sit, the experience still marinating inside my head, and I want to urge anyone who dropped this game on a first attempt to pick it back up - it's worth it.

Jedi: Survivor carries over all of the strengths and weaknesses from the first game: the fantastic characters and memorable moments but also the messy combat that is still just as janky, unbalanced and buggy.

That's not to say that Survivor doesn't bring anything new to the table, it definitely does. There are more stances, more abilities, more customization options (thank god) and generally just more things to discover. The movement, while also still quite janky at its core, feels much more diverse and open thanks to some cool new moves and gadgets - don't go thinking the level design lets you experiment though, it still doesn't.
There are better animations in general but especially in combat they always seem to bug out unless you're extremely careful. For a game that tries so hard to be cinematic, that's a big problem.

Now what I actually want to talk about are the story, pacing and setpieces. The game starts out really strong in this regard but up until the last few hours the story doesn't seem very coherent - the middle of it definitely drags a bit.
But everything I've heard about the finale of Jedi: Survivor was true: this is not just perfect Star Wars, it's simply perfect, period.
Everything finally clicked, and I wish the game had felt as tight in its direction and structure before that. The twists, the boss fights, the setpieces....your honor, they cooked!

I think this game's finale outmatches even Fallen Order's but overall because of the unpolished gameplay and pacing issues, I like it about the same. Can't wait for the conclusion to this trilogy.

The premise of a Doom-inspired shooter centered around rhythm and curated Metal songs is so cool and when I played the demo some years back, I was very much into it, even as someone who cannot get used to growling in Metal songs.

Unfortunately, even at a lean playtime of 3 hours, this became quite repetitive: there is hardly any signficant variety in enemies, levels or especially bosses. This a one-trick pony and the game doesn't mix things up - not even experimenting with any different time signatures like Metal is known for. Nothing except some different weapons, and they are just okay.

Stygia is where this game peaked for me, when the gameplay loop still feels fresh and exciting and where the music is, in my super biased opinion, by far the best. The song "This Devastation" from a later level is also good though.

A solid co-op horde shooter that was clearly made with a lot of love for the Aliens franchise, one that puts its focus where it needs to be in a game like this: the moment-to-moment gameplay of defeating hordes of enemies, and it nails that.

This is a lean package that does not overstay its welcome; hell, I felt lukewarm about it at first and my enjoyment only grew. As this was clearly made on a budget and as a studio's debut title and because the team likely put most of its effort into the gameplay and design, the extremely forgettable story and characters are an unfortunate but understandable shortcoming.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time holds up astoundingly well. The platforming and accompanying level design is honestly still some of the best in the business, all these years later.

I was surprised how light the game is on storytelling; it's mostly just the beginning and end that double down on it. What's there is simple but really good - especially the ending.

Another thing I love is the music, which elevates an already enthralling atmosphere and makes even the most annoying fights feel epic.
Annoying is indeed sadly how I would describe the combat. There is some cool stuff you can do but the camera is an absolute pain to deal with and the game actually bombards you with enemies - who also delight in stun-locking you.
The camera issues extend to the platforming, though to a slightly lesser degree.

I won't lie, I got quite frustrated by these things but I could barely stop playing this game regardless. The vibe is immaculate, the platforming timeless (pun intended) and little things like drinking water from basins and streams to heal just cool.

Excellently paced and written expansion that channels the best parts of the base game and gets super creative with them. All of the characters are so well-realized, especially Gaunter O'Dimm, who is an absolutely brilliant villain. I just love the plot itself as well, though It is kinda weird how quickly the Ofieri become totally irrelevant to it.

My issues with the gameplay, i.e. the combat, still persist unfortunately - which is mostly why I don't feel comfortable rating this any higher than 8,5/10 for now, maybe a 9/10 in time.

"Kara Hassan, Match Victory."

A very fun little indie game with tight movement, strong shooting mechanics and a perfect cellshaded artstyle. The blend of a trick-based skating game with a frenetic shooter is ingenious, honestly.

I was absolutely terrible at this game but I had a great time with it.
Thus, I highly recommend it, basically to anyone who likes fast-paced arena shooters.

A game that makes you wonder if video games actually are a waste of time.

It does exactly what it wants to be and does it well but like...why? I mean to some extent it's soothing but every time my friend convinces me to play it with him, I can only think of all the other things I could and would and should rather do in that time.
So...thanks PowerWash Simulator for making me think about how I spend my time more?
5/10