SoupPlate
2021
I'm waiting for more content at this point, but clocking in at close to 70 hours, valheim has managed to suck me in more than a vast majority of new releases do even in it's first iteration. The vastness of the world combined with interesting enemy design and some very impressive lighting and physics makes being a viking fun and accessible. Best with a small group, but still fun solo, valheim is by far my current favorite entry in the survival genre.
The best fighting game ever crafted. 20 years later I'm still watching and playing melee weekly. No other fighting game has ever offered this amount of mechanical depth while still being interesting for casual viewing. Newer smash titles may have more casual merit, but melee is still the best piece of competitive gaming ever made.
2011
For all of Dark Souls' quirks compared to it's refined successors, it's yet to be topple. Dark souls is the most bespoke, creative, engaging action RPG to ever be made. The lore is interesting, the gameplay is punishing but well-tuned and responsive enough to not feel frustrating, and the world design (especially the first 2/3rds of the game) are a work of pure genius. Dark Souls is flawed, but still a masterpiece. Trying to describe why it's good does a disservice to it. Just play it
2010
There isn't a better RPG. Fallout New Vegas is entrancing from the moment it starts until forever. The soundtrack coming from your pipboy backing your voyage across Mojave is if apple pie were a noise, and the world is littered with lore rich, interesting areas so no matter which way you wander, you stumble into something good. Fallout New Vegas is the only piece of modern Fallout that feels like it understands it's origins, and in the yellow and brown desert, obsidian nails the many shades of moral grey that the story and world are about. The NCR and legion are the most intricate and interesting factions the series has to offer, and the smaller groups that make up the story of your playthrough all have engaging backstories, and multiple ways to play around. Jacobstown, the boomers, the casinos, etc. All are creative, and actually interesting to interact with. No other game has kept me engaged through as many playthroughs and still has me brainstorming what I want to do next time before I even finish.
2017
I've had Hollow Knight at a 5/5 for a whole now, but I figure if I'm going to wax poetic about the new things I play that aren't perfect scores, I should return to flesh out my thoughts on a game I truly love.
Hollow Knight is fundamentally a standard Metroidvania in structure. Metroidvania is a pretty heavily contested term when it comes to describing games, but Hollow Knight is a quintessential example of the genre. Super Metroid and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night had a bug baby, and it's name is Hollow Knight.
HK's artistic direction is the most recognizable, and one of the best aspects of the game. It's beautiful, unique, and clean. The foreground and backgrounds of scenery blend into these gorgeous screens but without making it unclear what is actually a part of the environment. The character designs are unique, the VFX are great, it's varied, and easy on the eyes. I cannot praise it enough
Mechanically, HK is the true pinnacle of the genre. The ability variety, drip feed pacing, and smoothness of combat all contributes to a fun game with a heavy challenge curve that doesn't feel frustrating.
Describing the gameplay loop isn't worthwhile when you can just Google what a metroidvania is, but it's fun, lol.
And why it's a 5/5? I don't have any complaints. I like all of it.
Hollow Knight is fundamentally a standard Metroidvania in structure. Metroidvania is a pretty heavily contested term when it comes to describing games, but Hollow Knight is a quintessential example of the genre. Super Metroid and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night had a bug baby, and it's name is Hollow Knight.
HK's artistic direction is the most recognizable, and one of the best aspects of the game. It's beautiful, unique, and clean. The foreground and backgrounds of scenery blend into these gorgeous screens but without making it unclear what is actually a part of the environment. The character designs are unique, the VFX are great, it's varied, and easy on the eyes. I cannot praise it enough
Mechanically, HK is the true pinnacle of the genre. The ability variety, drip feed pacing, and smoothness of combat all contributes to a fun game with a heavy challenge curve that doesn't feel frustrating.
Describing the gameplay loop isn't worthwhile when you can just Google what a metroidvania is, but it's fun, lol.
And why it's a 5/5? I don't have any complaints. I like all of it.
Modern mastery of the action crpg. Combat is crisp, fluid, and very fun. Class building and the depth of customization options is mindbogglling. There are so many fun side quests and interesting ways to progress the story that it's hard to fit into a concise review. It's a table top rpg with a great DM but with all the benefits and streamlining offered by the videogame medium.
2011
If this was an official Nintendo release it would be a 5. The only thing keeping PM (now known as P+) from being as good as melee is the lack of a competitive scene to push the Meta.
2013
Visually stunning, and moving in more ways than I think I was able to see in my first play, KR0 is proof that the medium has the depth for engaging, thought provoking narratives that don't specifically appeal to same centers of the brain video games normally scratch. I won't ever forget KR0, even if it isn't infinitely replayable
The ying in my favorite third person shooter ying yang. I like it because it's fun... Yeah. I love the art style, I love the cheesy humor, the shooting is really fun, and the weapon variety is elite. Call me when they make a more fun third person shooter and it'll overtake this, but for now, this is it.
I'm in a weird spot with Kotor 2. In many ways I think it is truly the optimized, perfected version of the Bioware rpg that defines the era, and the best mood and lore of any starwars game. However, in some sections I think the story telling itself does leave something to be desired, and some combat stretches are just a slog to get through without knowing they're coming well in advance. I finish playthroughs feeling very happy with the game, but it always declines for me in retrospect...until I play again. At games end I'd give it close to a 5, but I'd drop it to a 3.5 or 4 on bad days. At the end of the day the playing matters more, but I'm hedging.
Rhythm game perfection, and I fear we'll never find something better. I still play guitar hero 3 semi-often, and recent attempts to change the formula have only made it worse. It's a full-body experience, and a unique gaming experience some 15 years later
Battlefront 2 is still my favorite multiplayer shooter. The diversity of content still is unrivaled in 2021. Maps are large but dense with interesting objectives and choke points, the special modes are fun distractions, and the story mode provides an engaging set of fun scenarios. A very complete package, and a game still worth playing
From 2012-2018 I finished one (singular) open world videogame. That's Shadow of Mordor. The nemesis system is the single coolest thing in any game from the 2010s, and it made playing the game a constantly evolving experience. It doesn't give in to the wordly temptation of overindulgence on a variety of loot systems or puzzles and QTEs (except the lass boss and beast catching ); ) it's just fun to sneak around, kill orcs, use cool powers, and manipulate the hierarchy of goblin command
A contender for the best Pokemon game. Gen 2 has the best array of core Pokemon, and gen 4 may just be my favorite blend of old school vibes and new QoL additions (gen 3-5 is the sweet spot) Pokemon is fun, and this is good pokemon
The definitive way to play the game that started it all. Gen 1 is home to a swath of amazing Pokemon designs and memorable gyms and while time has made the original Red/Blue less savory, Firered and Leafgreen are still great experiences. It got popular for a reason, play it!