Sipathador
While sometimes bogged down by intricacy and tedium, the overall project here is rather impressive. Solid storyline, great voice acting, an interesting leveling and progression system, and killer combat create some rather cathartic moments during the gameplay. Getting kills feels more and more satisfying the higher level and more skilled you become, creating a great incentive to progress. While the final bossfights are pretty disappointing, the overall journey was very much worth the time!
2004
Messy and bloated, while some of the core mechanics are quite fun, Halo 2 creates far too many annoying and frustrating moments to make this an overall good experience. While you can appreciate much of what it what for its time, the irritating checkpoint system, inconsistent battle mechanics, overly long waiting periods, and redundant gunplay make it not quite worth one's time. Moments of fun, but pretty big disappointment overall.
A detail-oriented mystery that takes a while to settle into. The mechanics and general process are vague at the start, making for a sometimes frustrating experience in the open-world setting, but once you get the hang of the game's direction, the overall journey becomes significantly smoother and the underlying story revealed stays engaging, layered with metaphor and suspense. Fun time!
2007
Simplistic yet mind-bending puzzle that doesn't overstay its welcome and offers plenty of interesting and even funny moments.
Repetitive moments and frustrating combat hamper what is otherwise a compelling origins story with plenty of interesting elements to pull from. Batman feels gritty and grounded, with great voice acting across the board. The villains are compelling, and while there isn't much depth the overall aesthetic really works. Fun time overall!
2013
Engaging story that is spread somewhat thin with minimal direction over the plot, but still a compelling journey with believable, grounded characters.
Immersive and beautiful experience that emphasizes world-building and characterization through detailed and creative artistry. Although there is a good bit of narration, the environment reinforces and builds upon the storyline to create a truly emotional and surreal experience. Phenomenal game.
2017
Although little variety is experienced in the gameplay from the first, this follow-up nails a gritty, atmospheric nightmare with sufficient lore to compel you to the end of the journey.
2018
Rich, badass banger that makes you feel alive with every swing while maintaining an interesting father-son dynamic.
The best story game, and arguably the best game of all time. Aside from the brutal, engrossing gameplay, aside from the expansive environments, aside from the graphical wonders generated, aside from all the technical aspects, the depth and emotional rawness of the story are unmatched. It simultaneously distinguishes itself from its predecessor while building off of and respecting the first game to create a thematic journey that explores the cycle of violence, factionalism, forgiveness, and what it means to heal. So much here to dissect and ponder on, although at the end of the first playthrough, you can't help but feel emotionally destroyed. Masterpiece.
Simple and emotional storytelling at its peak, all story-based games should take notes from this one.
2011
Limitless and perfect.
The perfect childhood game.
Massive RPG that transcends the genre in depth and immersion. Every aspect nails its function, so incredible.
2013
A compelling adventure with perfect gameplay and a strong personality, what more do you want?