Daxter may not be a must-play game that you need to drop everything to play, but it doesn't have to be for me to have a good time with it, which it certainly has provided me. The focus is on pure platforming that, while simple, is very fun to do and keeps the level design consistently strong and not tiring to go through, which is also helped thanks to the smooth controls and excellent presentation carried over from the Jak trilogy.

I have a couple of gripes about this game. First off, the main levels really could have used a map feature, especially in those open levels where I found myself getting lost. And those quick-time event mini-games are fucking dreadful. The story was okay, but I just couldn't get into any of the new characters they introduced.

To sum it up, I admit that it is very simple and, therefore, not setting the world on fire. Yet, there's just something about this kind of game that gives me such a good, comfortable time and striving for that platinum trophy, which reminds me of my experience with Pac-Man World 1. While it may not be a game you absolutely have to play, if you happen to come across it, I guarantee you'll have a pretty enjoyable time.

Although it begins strongly, it regrettably loses its appeal because half of the forms are not enjoyable to use, there is too much grinding even for rogue-lite standards, and the boss battles lack excitement. The world is intriguing, and I appreciate the idea of playing as the villain to defeat the heroes, but the story itself lacks the charm to keep me engaged.

I didn't find it painful mediocre at all, and I actually had some fun with it. However, I couldn't bring myself to complete a run for this one compared to Dead Cells or Hades. It's an okay game.

Upon booting up this game, despite learning about its reputation, I anticipated a Devil May Cry 2 or Mega Man X6 equivalent within the Yakuza series with this third installment. However, after playing it, I was pleasantly surprised and kind of enjoyed it. As I continue my Yakuza journey, I expect this to be the weakest entry, but if the worst Yakuza game I've played is still a 6-7/10, it's impressive how consistent this franchise is.

The story and characters continue to give me so much joy, whether it's during lighthearted or intense moments that the main storyline executes so well, keeping my attention and investment. Unfortunately, I didn't feel the same excitement for the substories this time around, unlike in Yakuza 2. There were a few cool ones that caught my attention, but those were the exceptions.

I gotta say, the combat in this game, to me, is enjoyable despite the jank. The only thing that bugs me is how obsessed the enemies are with their blocking move. It can really drag out some fights. But other than that, I still enjoyed smacking down enemies, stringing together combos, and leveling up. Even though I've played Yakuza 0, Kiwami 1, and both versions of 2 before, I still had a blast with the combat in this game.

The graphics in this game have definitely aged, with blurry textures that are noticeable when it comes to things like clothing, backgrounds, or some character models. The one aspect that I do appreciate about the presentation is how the lighting and skyboxes look depending on the time of day (shoutouts to Kamurocho at night), but you can tell it's a PS3 game.

It feels kind of anticlimactic now that I have played this game, and my thoughts are not really aligning with its infamous reputation. I'm not going to argue if it deserves that or not, but from my point of view, it wasn't as bad as I expected. It turned out to be an alright game that I really enjoyed, despite its flaws. Hopefully, Yakuza 4 will be a smoother experience, regardless of how I feel about Yakuza 3.

Here are my other Yakuza reviews:

Yakuza Kiwami 2
Yakuza Kiwami

Metro 2033 serves as a perfect example of how to effectively railroad players along a linear path in a game, mainly due to being so engrossed in the world that this game has created. This makes the characters I interact with feel very believable and hear people having conversations or arguing with each other as I traverse from one tunnel to another. It truly convinces me that the world of Metro is constantly in motion and that these people actually inhabit these tunnels.

It is really crucial to highlight that this aspect contributes to my engagement with the story and world-building. Although there are occasional instances of rushed pacing, I argue that it ultimately improves the overall gameplay experience because combat & stealth sections are well-paced and the game knows when to utilize chaotic moments to feel earned instead of constantly blasting itself like a bad CoD campaign.

The icing on the cake is the excellent presentation that, despite a few outdated character models, has aged gracefully to add more to the immersive atmosphere of Metro. Playing Metro 2033 and other FPS games recently has taught me that I can appreciate linear gameplay when it's well-paced, features a compelling world and characters, or is simply fun. This game has the right amount of length, not too short or too long. I highly recommend this game!