Ending the trilogy on such an anticlimactic end felt like a nail in the coffin for the franchise. The stakes felt non-existent, the purpose of what we're doing and why we're doing felt unclear and the conclusion felt abrupt and motionless. It made me question what the goal for the third installment even was. No one even cared anymore, when the fourth game came out. Killzone 3 was meant to take off with feelings of intrigue and curiosity left with us, the players. But the ending and the outcome were something none of us wanted, and all the events leading up to it felt so illogical and just lazy. As if the narrative team just wanted to get this out of the way, to get it over with. Such a disappointment in that regard. But the online modes were just as great if not even greater than those of its predecessor. Brutal killing animations upon performing melee kills, interesting game-modes such as the 'Operations' mode where you'd perform objectives dependant on whether you played on the side of ISA or Helghast. The mode would also include several cinematic cutscenes per map, again, differing depending on which faction you played in. The cool thing about these cutscenes, which I loved as a child was the fact that the characters included in these cutscenes would have player names above their heads, so like, you could be that one Helghast soldier who gets blown to smithereens in one of the cutscenes. Glorious. I mean how could you even be upset that you lost? Seeing your own character in a big cinematic scenario. KZ3 failed in multiple aspects when it came to upholding the same level of quality as its predecessor, but by no means is it a bad game.

This was the reason you'd buy a Playstation console. The modern titles of TLOU and Horizon don't even compare. Killzone could have been the franchise that would eventually become the "Halo Killer", but this strength of Sony and Guerilla wasn't made to last. Instead of sticking to what made Killzone 2 so great, they wanted to constantly push the sequels even further, to extents where it became almost unrecognizable. Killzone 2 was the first great FPS game of the Playstation 3 era. A multiplayer FPS experience that was solid in all aspects. And boy oh boy did we play the shit out of it. Mind you, the campaign mode was not something to be sidelined. The campaign alone is worth the cost of the game. A big cinematic experience where you're sent off to fight a war in a planet you're incredibly unfamiliar with. The Helghast are ruthless and relentless and you can definitely feel the struggle against such a force, as you play. The charismatic Helghan leaders offer a great build-up to the boss battle near the finale. FPS games could really benefit from more boss battles like the one with Radec, and they are far too uncommon in those games nowadays. Killzone 2 is a great game that became one of the most adored titles of its generation; which makes it all the more sad to stop and think, where it all went so wrong. A success that was just so short-lived.

Arguably one of my favourite memories out of gaming has been with The Sims 3. You see, when The Sims 2 was in its prime, I was a child. A child with concerns that were few and far between. A life that was simple and self-centered in maximizing my own enjoyment every single day. But as I got into The SIms 3, I was an adult. An adult who could no longer experience life as something I had full control over of. As an adult, I had to worry about my financial stability, maintaining my relationships with my social circles and depression. I'm sure that for many of us who have battled with our mental health, The Sims 3 probably was that game you sought out for comfort and serenity. There's so much content to even the base game, forget the expansions; Listen, if you really like the game, you'll buy the expansions. It's not a feeling of 'oh they're strong arming me into purchasing more content' as it is with the sequel. It's more so that, you feel that the game is already good enough as it is, and you can have some more, if you want. It's just such a beautiful game that looks at life and the limitless options of what roads a person can take. It doesn't restrict you from fulfilling your desires. The base game is a great entry point to the franchise if this is the type of game for your mental needs. I find myself always returning to The Sims 3, if I feel at a loss in life. After each time, while it's no magic trick, I can honestly say that I feel more at ease, in my own mind. A beautiful work of art, that to me, will probably never get old enough to where I can no longer enjoy it. I say this with all the love.