A game ahead of its time in every sense of the phrase. While really innovational with its gameplay, the age of this game does occasionally show. Brilliant interaction with the world and thoroughly engaging stealth is bogged down by a game that also isn't afraid to waste your time (especially in regards to exploration). While necessary to pad out play time in the past, it can make what would be a really strong title sometimes tedious. All that being said, it is totally playable to the gamer willing to explore or even the gamer willing to look up level layouts. Starting off the game as the former, halfway through I was unashamedly the latter.

A brilliant management game that makes you face hard choices, always precariously balancing humanity with doing what is necessary. The main scenario took me a few attempts to complete, and exploring how far different approaches got me was certainly a joy every time. Replaying the scenario does make it clear that the weather forecast is consistent for each playthrough, which did cut down the tension on my final and successful playthrough. Only seeing the cracks after repeatedly playing it does go to show just how addicting and fun this game is.

A definite standout in the PS1 library, but a game that does occasionally show its age (particularly towards the end of the game).

The hilarious over the top nature and self-awareness of itself as a video game should by all rights undercut itself, but instead reinforces the game as reality. In doing so it masterfully gives it narrative real stakes as you're never quite sure to what lengths you can make a difference through some other approach. This is combined and enhanced by really solid puzzle solving that requires the player to apply some real world logic to the game, something that still makes Kojima unique here in 2023.

Overall a really good time that is easily approachable to a modern player, but not without its occasional frustrations. Its triumphs outshine those flaws like a supernova though, making this very difficult not to recommend.

The Dark Pictures Anthology has been a really fun movie night game franchise for me and some close friends since they first came out. We've been chasing the high of a playthrough of Until Dawn we all watched many years ago, but the Dark Pictures games haven't lived up...until now. House of Ashes seems to perfectly capture character interactions, clear themes, surprising twists, and real threats throughout that make the game so tense.

While still the same loop of quick time events, choice making and clue finding, this game works really well as it always feels like you're on the verge of discovery right before the reveal. More than the previous games, Man of Medan and Little Hope, House of Ashes has me seriously contemplating a second playthrough to see how I can correct the wrongs of my first one. This game would likely not have been as much fun on my own, but having played it in a group made for a really good time. As a game night with a group of IRL friends, I honestly couldn't recommend it more.

In short, MGS2 is a really great game that translates MGS to the sixth generation of consoles really well just like MGS did to Metal Gear for the fifth generation. The stealth is all really fun, with great logic puzzles that toe the line between realism and meta awareness of itself as a game. It is everything the first one was but better in terms of gameplay.

I'm hitting a snag on being firm on which I ultimately prefer. The gameplay sections of this avoided the occasional frustration of MGS, but the narrative lost me a little. The MGS franchise is over-the-top convoluted (and that really is part of the appeal for me) but while MGS struck a balance with this, MGS2 feels like it goes off on the deep end in the final act. The plot itself is relatively simple (relatively doing legwork here) but is revealed in something like 5 twists of who ACTUALLY was behind it all. I've had no problem following the plot so far in the franchise, but the ending here took some real focus to sift through, and I don't necessarily feel like that's the case because it's clever. That being said, there are some interesting themes being dissected here about the overreach of government and the information age, something I respect immensely given that it came out just after and was in production before 9/11.

The fact that I have so much and more to say about the plot does prove to me it has value, but I think it falls short of 5 stars because its reach exceeds its grasp ever so slightly here ...I look forward to seeing the series continue to strive for those heights. All in all, really fun and engaging regardless of a few potential flaws.

Metal Gear Solid 3 has really rich and detailed gameplay that can take you through multiple playthroughs where you still are learning new tricks. The downside to this is that when bosses require a specific part of that gameplay that you've gone through the whole game not even realising was possible. There were multiple bosses that flustered me and had me looking up methods to deal with them (although this may be tainted by the fact that I was trying to do a no kill playthrough on my first attempt). When it does come together though, it's amazing. A highlight for me was the battle with The End; a waiting game of hiding in the brush, sneaking dead slow, and looking for any hint of that enemy sniper. I think on repeat playthroughs I will definitely begin to grow on this game even more than I already have.

I think of the series so far, MGS3 also has the best story. While still having that ridiculous Kojima charm, there's a really heartfelt narrative that leaves you feeling shattered and empathetic with Naked Snake by the end of it. Some really great relationship development here, enhanced all the further having played Metal Gear 1 & 2 and knowing of Big Boss' own turn. The stories have been fun and thoughtful so far, but this has been by far the most effective for me.

MGS3 also feels like a PS3 game stuck on a PS2. This is both a compliment and a detriment. While the control scheme of MGS2 is passable in how that game presents itself, sneaking here with the inability to crouch walk and shooting with a button combo and pressure sensitivity makes this game feel more clunky than I'd like. I found I'd alert guards as often from Snake not doing what I intended on screen as much as my own mistakes, which did sour the experience a bit. With enough time in the game I'm sure this will be negated, but on a first playthrough it made for a rocky start. Once you do come to grips with the complexity of everything you can do in the game though, it makes you wonder why games today don't have the same detail in gameplay rather than graphical fidelity. While being stuck in the PS2 era of graphics, the world of MGS3 feels tangible and interactive which helps immersion more than something like mud or cloth physics ever could.

To end this meandering review, ultimately MGS3 is the strongest showing of what the PS2 was capable of, and is a brilliant game. Spending a few days away from it has me thinking fondly of it and upgrading my initial rating. While there are potential flaws for a first playthrough, I can see the benefit of them in the long term of replayability. I look forward to revisiting this one down the line.

While I tried to play this series in order, I didn't get access to MG2 until I got to the MGS3 Subsistence disc. I really wish I had played it earlier though. It steps up from Metal Gear in a big way, becoming a lot more fun and accessible, as well as pioneering a lot of the systems I thought were introduced to the series with MGS. Having played MG1 and MG2, it's crazy how much of MGS is reuse of certain game mechanics and set pieces but in 3D. So much so that I think a lot of what MGS gets credit for should really be given to MG2.

This game was a pleasant surprise and a really fun game to play. What holds it back is puzzles that rely on the original manual, which do not always make it clear that that's where the solution can be found leading to some frustration. In comparison to MGS it is also a lot more slim on the story, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. The game really feels like all killer and no filler, although if certain shortcuts aren't found between buildings you may disagree when it comes to all the backtracking. I think if you're a big fan of MGS you really owe it to yourself to play MG2 as it really is the progenitor of a lot of what made that title great. Plus it's only about 6 hours so even if you don't like it, it's not the biggest time commitment.

Despite a shaky start that had me seeing the combat as mediocre but ultimately something I would suffer through for the sake of the plot (and Batfam fandom), this game really came around on me. After about 10 hours of play time, enough combat abilities are unlocked to where you feel you can really express yourself in fights. And you'll need to, because as you level up so do enemy variants and combat tactics, making for tougher fights in terms of strategy and not just larger health and damage numbers. By the end of this game I was doing extra side content simply because of my love of the combat.

The characterisation of both the protagonists and the city of Gotham are really strong. While Gotham and the characters may seem a bit cookie cutter or bland to begin with, the depth of thought gone into planning them out make story beats and the open world so interesting to navigate. There is tender love and care put into the minute detail for those willing to look for it.

I think ultimately where this game falls short though is the crafting economy. Engaging with it to min max strength and weaknesses based on the factions you plan to fight is engaging, but the micromanaging of upgrading your suit, melee and range weapons for every level up (essentially every single 'patrol') is tedious. It's the one thing that would get me to end a play session. If the leveling was removed and instead suit element types and bonus conditions were kept, I think this would be a far easier game to parse and get the most out of. Unfortunately not effectively engaging with this system can make it seem like enemies are hit sponges where that really is not the case, but rather planning and knowing your enemy through your equipment choices are heavily rewarded. This latter part makes this a great Batfamily game, but disengagement with the system created by the constant gathering of loot and numbers to look at obfuscates this from a lot of players. I don't really blame the people who bounced off this because of it.

If you can push through the initial shallow combat and the loot economy, you will be rewarded with a game that has a lot of love put into it. Besides just the character of Gotham and all the comic inspired areas or easter eggs to find, you have a plot that makes it feel like whichever character you choose to play was the one always intended to be the main protagonist. The balancing act pulled off here is insane and in theory makes for a very replayable story, however the idea of pushing through that initial slog and managing the inventory again makes me think twice.

If you're a big Batfamily fan, I think there's something really good here for you. It unfortunately takes some patience to see, but once you do you will be rewarded with a gameplay loop that more accurately represents the fantasy of the Batfamily (patrols, intel gathering, crime solving and stopping, and grand overarching narrative) better than any other game out there, even the Arkham games.

I've played the original twice, and aside from some better animated and higher detail models this feels much the same (which is not a bad thing). I do think this remaster is more worth it to those who played on the 360 back in the day whereas hopping from the original PC version to this isn't that much of a facelift. That being said, Alan Wake is still a narratively great game with solid combat mechanics all wrapped up in some of the best atmosphere in video gaming. Bringing all of this without alteration but including all the bonus content of the collector's edition to a new audience is only a good thing in my books. This game isn't flawless, but damn if it isn't a world that I love to hop back into.

I think Quantum break is a really interesting and great attempt at a mixed media narrative. It's not quite a show, not quite a video game. I think there's a lot that's great here. The decision making is really great in that no decision ever feels truly like the "correct" one, and the storytelling goes beyond the script and includes the environment and supplemental texts which Remedy does so well. The world field palpable and lived in, which goes a long way towards making the stakes of "saving the world" feel fresh.

I do think the combat is simply good to serviceable, and I almost wish this game focused fully on environmental exploration and storytelling to enhance a film narrative instead. I can see how that would be a touch too experimental though.

Overall really enjoyed my time with this one. I think someone who prefers gameplay over narrative would struggle to like this, but in a world where gameplay is almost always the primary driver of a video game, it's interesting to take a peek at a timeline where narrative is the well executed focus instead.

Max Payne 2 is everything from the first one, but better presented and with more polish...yet somehow it doesn't quite feel as good as the first one to me. I think part of that has to do with the low budget charm of Max Payne 1 (that charm does still exist with the expanded in universe tv shows and advertisements).
While I like the quickness with which enemies die, I also feel that by default Max is far tankier and painkillers are far more abundant than in the first one. Max Payne 1 felt like each room was a puzzle you had to tackle with your limited resources, whereas Max Payne 2 feels like the world is a canvas for you to paint with an palette full of ammo and health. I don't think one is worse than the other, but I do prefer Max Payne 1's approach. I'm sure this would differ with the unlocked difficulty modes which I haven't touched yet though.

I think the story has a lot more to offer and is a lot more compelling. It somehow takes the nonsense of the first one and further ties it all together. Nothing new is necessarily learned with Max Payne 2, but the recontextualisation of existing characters and their conflicting goals makes for far more compelling cutscenes and interactions.

I really think this is an improvement over 1 in most ways while never going overboard with changes, but the lack of initial difficulty compared to 1 had me less engaged with the gameplay. That's totally personal taste, and I look forward to playing this again with the unlocked difficulty modes. With better story and presentation, but less compelling difficulty, this hits an equal 3 and a half stars to my rating of Max Payne 1. I think the goofball and indie charm of 1 makes it my favourite of the two though.