Judgment is yet another banger in the Yakuza/Like a Dragon series. Not only that, it probably has one of its cleanest and best written stories in terms of execution: there is no bullshit twist, pointless sub-plot, needlessly convoluted story, none of that. It didn't make me as emotional as most of the other games did - even those that had said issues - but it was still an exciting ride.

Yagami is absolutely a worthy addition to the roster of protagonists RGG has served up; the same goes for the main antagonist who is exceptionally well-writtten, -acted and bounces off of Yagami with a fiery spark.

As usual, the combat takes a while to get used to/open up via a skill tree. Once it does, it's really fun. The crane style definitely needed some more moves though.


Now, after my gushing introduction, come the reasons why I'm taking away a few points. Firstly, the detective game aspect of Judgment at times clashes pretty hard with its linear storytelling: you rarely need to activate your brain during investigations and you can't really make any wrong decisions, as the game will eventually just guide you towards the right one in the main story.

Furthermore, while some of the detective gameplay can be decently fun - like the lockpicking - I really need to throw a can of trash at the tailing missions: they are profoundly boring and excrutiating every time they pop up.

For my second/third and last big complaint: I found the side content to be much less exciting than in a number of the other games. The side cases are just super forgettable and none of the bigger side activities kept me hooked like say the Cabaret Club in Y0/Kiwami 2 did.


Still, Judgment is a rock-solid game whose strength lies in its main story, characters, combat and stylish presentation. It's a game I'd recommend in a heartbeat to any Yakuza fan and also to complete newcomers.

I came away much more positive from this than I thought. Generally it's viewed as one of the worst entries but I cannot agree.

While playing I had quite a few Ups and Downs, it seemed directionless and shambled together at times - in regards to the story most of all. After seeing how it all comes together, I appreciate it way more knowing that everything is about the relationships between parents and their children. The finale is also arguably the tightest and least convoluted after Zero.

Some plot points don't quite make sense, some characters are criminally under-used and the ending chickens out on a key promise. It's not a perfect story.

The combat in this game is very messy but towards the end of the game I did find a bit of appreciation for it as well.

What no one seems to mention is that Yakuza 6 essentially has the best and most diverse long battles/dungeons in the series. The substories are also phenomenal; I love that they're all voice-acted too.

Last but certainly not least, the soundtrack goes incredibly hard - to list all my favorites would be impossible here.

Yakuza 6 has its share of issues that, as with most games in the series, in the end stand in the shadow of its greatest parts.

"Horizon: Forbidden West" is the perfect sequel to "Zero Dawn". I still have a few gripes with it but they are far, far fewer than the ones I had with the original: across the board this is a deeper, more compelling and polished experience!

This game comes with some of the best side missions in any Open World game I've played and some of the most diverse and intense combat encounters in any game I've played - no two fights are ever quite the same here.

The first game's story had its moments but the characters never landed for me past the intro, and the poor facial animations/repetitive camera angles certainly did not help. "Forbidden West" goes above and beyond in terms of presentation and also doubles down on character work - to phenomenal effect! It takes unsubtle inspiration from BioWare's "Mass Effect" series which works wonders here.

So what didn't I like? My few complaints mostly relate to the jank that peers through especially with the traversal still, despite major improvements - glitching through environments, reaching things you're not supposed to is still here. While a great deal of the Open World content is worthwhile, I'd be lying if I said that it couldn't have done with fewer Errands and Salvage Contracts.
This is all minor stuff really.

Overall, I loved this game. For its beauty and combat as I expected but also far more for its story and characters than I ever anticipated.

"In this waking nightmare where all dreams come true...
You searched for control, a way to pull through...
When you were in love you left him in tears
To smother your furies and banish your fears...
But in darkness they came, through stormy black seas
They raided these shores... Do you still hear his screams?

And now... that you're home... he's so far away...
They've taken his soul... To these gods you cannot pray...
They can break you, but not your promise.
Even death won't keep you apart.
Through this darkness you will find him.
In your sword still beats - a heart.

You fought for love unspoiled by your darkness within.
You fought for your dreams, now there is no way to win.
In the head of his corpse lies the seat of his soul,
So you must carry his vessel and bring him back home."

Mortal Kombat 1 is phenomenal.
That's not to say that all parts of it work but it has the goods where they matter. Namely: the kombat.
I've tried a few fighting games over the years but nothing, absolutely NOTHING gets close mechanically, visually or plain stylistically to Mortal Kombat. And this entry may just be the best one I've played.

Where it falters a bit is its story, which starts out cheesy and fun but ends up in generic multiverse bullshit. The Invasions mode as well is just...fine.

However, the item/skin economy is a fundamental improvement from MK11. That also goes for the kombos, how creative you can get with building them - only now do I realize just how restrictive MK11 was in this regard.

Lastly, my favorite part of this whole package might just be the stage music: Cage Mansion, Tomb of the Dragon Army, Fire Temple, The Hourglass and The Hanging Gardens are some of the tracks I've had on repeat since launch. I can't believe the official soundtrack just released without some of its best tracks.

Finally, FINALLY got around to finish this, including all the DLCs.

This is nowhere near as good as literally any other Soulslike by FromSoftware. It certainly has some interesting ideas, even a small number of fantastic boss fights and moments. Overall however, it is an incoherent, inconsistent mess that lacks a clear vision. From level design and boss runs to hitboxes and environments, I could list a lot of specific things that I think are mediocre or bad but I'd be here all day. So many things are just undercooked.

The DLCs are (partially) a step up that show what this game could have been: sprawling, visually striking areas with tons of secrets and interesting level design, thrilling boss fights and intriguing lore. Too bad you have to trudge through most of the base game to get there.
Without the DLCs this would be a 5/10.

Resident Evil Village is a solid game, most of all because of its gameplay foundation and atmosphere; there has clearly been put so much love into the design of this world. Some sections of this game were truly masterful.

I'll get to the point: I did not enjoy this nearly as much as RE2 Remake and RE7. Why? Because it lacks the cohesion, the focus and precision that those games had. Village tries to unite the direction of PS3 era Resident Evil games and the radically different style of RE7 - this results in a theme park of different experiences. For some people, this exactly what they want. For me, it was not.

At the most scary part, I wished this game had more of it. At its most action-movie parts, I wished this game would commit to that. This game's only commitment is that it doesn't want to commit at all!

This is a very mediocre game. Let me start with the positives though: on the gameplay side it's pretty good - notably the gunplay. Some of the later levels and encounters are also mildly memorable. And that's all I have.

This game is built for co-op but unlike RE5 and 6, playing as the secondary characters is an absolute chore; their unique mechanics are cool in concept but it's simply not enough. Playing as Claire or Barry is infinitely more fun than Moira or Natalia.

Speaking of the characters, the story is bad even for Resident Evil standards - truly awful. Some ideas are good but any potential was squandered. What's also awful about this game is the re-usage of the EXACT SAME LEVELS in the early episodes; playing as different characters doesn't make them any more interesting.

Overall, it's an alright co-op experience. I would never play this on my own.

So, this game's overarching plot is extremely forced and the antagonists are among the worst in the series. Kiryu's part is okay and Saejima's part has major pacing issues.

Why then, do I consider it to be my new 2nd favorite game in the series?
The short answer: maximum refinement! The combat, all the different gameplay styles, side stories and content in general is on a level of quantity and quality, polish and depth that only Zero has topped in my experience. Considering the game's size, the consistency is outstanding!

This series is known for its blood-pumping soundtracks; and this one does not disappoint one bit. (Looks like SEGA Sound Team will be my Top Spotify Artist for a third year in a row hehe.)

Now, the big highlight of Yakuza 5 are simply the main characters: even when the big plot falters, most of the people and their small moments never do - I was close to tears multiple times. Kiryu and Saejima's parts leave a bit to be desired; Haruka, Akiyama and Shinada's parts however are peak Yakuza!

And the very end to this game...is simply beautiful.