Portal 2 feels like the fully realized version of the original Portal. At it's core it feels the same, but the sequel just has so much more going for it, more personality.

In this game, Chell is no longer bound to the test chambers of Aperture Science like in the first Portal. After an incident in the story, she decides to take a little stroll through an abandoned salt mine and the backstage parts within the facility while she's at it. All of this while she is accompanied by three unique companions throughout the game. Speaking of the companions, the dialogue in Portal 2 is a big improvement over the one in Portal. In the first game, GLaDOS' comments happened every now and then, but here you pretty much have a narrator by your side all the time. This alone makes for quite the tonal shift in atmosphere to Portal, which had a pretty isolated and empty feeling to it - I can see how people prefer that, but personally I really enjoyed the extra dialogue and characters, since GLaDOS' remarks in the first game were one of the best parts for me. Back to the atmosphere in general, I think Valve did a really good job with setting an unique vibe for each individual area. My personal favorite is the salt mine, the vintage setting really landed for me!

As for gameplay, Portal 2 introduces a variety of mechanics to make the puzzles more enjoyable than the first game. Energy balls are completely gone this time and are replaced with light bridges, gravity beams, new cube variants and three different sorts of paint. Sounds like overkill at first, but those mechanics don't really overstay their welcome and they are really fun to play around with.

The narrative weaves those puzzles together in a logical way, while also delving into the background story of Chell and Aperture Science; there's some really good worldbuilding in there. The companions aren't one-note personalities and each one adds to the story with a different purpose, which makes them distinctive and memorable in their own ways.

Overall it's an amazing puzzle game, absolutely deserves the praise it's been getting. Had a good time with the main story, but the community maps are a nice treat if you're still in the mood for some more Portal action.

I used to hate Shadow of the Colossus. The movement is clunky, the horse is terrible, the climbing feels largely unresponsive, the camera... Any time I would bring up my criticisms of Shadow of the Colossus, a friend would constantly say, "That's the point." I never understood it. Looking at Ueda's other works, I would always say that I thought that The Last Guardian is by FAR his best game and is a modern masterpiece. I think I get it now.

I first played Shadow of the Colossus in 2021. I bought it around my birthday, and I was so excited to get lost in its world. I had only ever heard good things about it. At first, I saw what all the hype was about. Around halfway through the game, though, its problems started showing up more and more. By the end, while fighting the final Colossus, I started to hate it.

Now that I'm older and my tastes have changed, I figured that I should give it another shot. During that halfway point where I started to get annoyed originally, I instead felt like I was getting it. All of its "problems" work together to make an experience like no other.

The remake elevates all of its qualities by giving it an incredible presentation. The remade OST is atmospheric, and the graphical overhaul that Bluepoint and Japan Studio (RIP) feel exactly like what Ueda would have made if he was not constrained by the technical limitations of the PS2. The camera being fixed in some places or moving on its own gives the game a filmic quality that I feel no other game has nowadays.

The gameplay is simple albeit fascinating. Try to put yourself into Wander's shoes. I know that I wouldn't be able to fight any of these Colossi, and Ueda is able to show this with gameplay. You are powerless compared to these giant freaks of nature. The horse, I feel, is still one of the weakest parts of the game. Wander and Agro have obviously been with each other for a while, so I am unsure why we are not able to control him too well.

With all that being said, I still think that this game isn't perfect. Like I said, the horse isn't great, and some Colossi aren't that fun to fight. The camera, although cinematic, can sometimes be terrible. In some fights, it can be really hard to see where you are, where you're going, or what the Colossus is doing.

I still think that The Last Guardian is better, but Shadow of the Colossus is a damn good experience.

I am a rookie concerning 2D-Super Mario titles, and yet, I was hoping for something like I felt playing through the marvelous Super Mario Odyssey: the sense of wonder. I could sense little sparks of it, but they vanished as fast, as the signature snapping-sound of the system, this game runs on.

You can’t deny that this game oozes of creativity. The new enemies are fun to face, the movement is slick and especially the musical levels make you giggle like a child. But especially in the first third, I could not help but wonder, how fast these levels end. At times they feel hilariously linear and like a chain of tutorial levels. Sometimes I thought, I was playing Before Your Eyes, because every time I blinked, I finished yet another course. That is a strength and a weakness at the same time, as the levels are snackable in size, but feel so easy to beat. And i was honestly confused, by the extended use of „filler“-levels, like the break-levels, the battle arenas or the riddle ones. Normally Nintendo is known for their holistic creativity, that wanders into every last digital corner of their games. In this one, they seemed lazy.

Yet, I finished 99% of the game, collecting all purple coins, wonder seeds and all flags. Don’t get me started on the last level, it is just incomprehensibly difficult. The badges are a cool feature, but not implemented too deeply. The elephant feels powerful - a bit overpowered even - the drill is cool, but I avoided Bubble Mario, as he felt sort of useless. The soundtrack is undeniably mesmerizing, playful and sets the pace for a wonderful adventure.

In the end, I made peace with the game. As I collected all the missing coins and wonder seeds before finishing up the „plot“, I found joy in the simplicity and clarity of design that Wonder prescribed itself too. I realized, my expectations were simply too high and the wish to squeeze the explorative nature of Odyssey into the two-dimensional space was plain and simply unfulfillable. It could have elaborated on it’s tools more, be more brave, cheeky and edgy and more importantly: be more memorable. The wonder flower levels felt like a psychedelic trip, that is funny and adrenaline invoking, once you are in, but fades away, as soon as it ends. What will stay for sure, is the memory of the cringy, cheesy, yet charming talking flowers.