Mr Salieri sends his regards.

Mafia 2 in my opinion is the perfect sequel to the 1st game and comes out as a better game at the end of it. The story is somehow better, with two great likeable characters in Joe and Vito and a narrative that takes you on an emotional journey full of great missions and enjoyable characters.

When it comes to the setting in Mafia 2, as soon as you take the first car ride through Empire Bay you can see how perfect the devs have got that 1940s America vibe. The streets are busy, the shops and billboards all have that oldies aesthetic and the radio station plays some great 40s classics that really help drive that atmosphere home. Its also really nice to see that the environment changes depending what era you're in, as the game takes place in both the 40s and the 50s. The car models change, the music changes and so does the city around you. Little things like that really help immerse you.

So if the environment is perfect for the setting, what about the characters? Everybody you meet in this game is exactly what you'd expect an Italian-American mobster to be. As for the main character Vito Scaletta, wow what a character, and the same goes for his partner in crime Joe Barbaro who has some of the funniest one-liners in the game. 2K really hit the nail on the head with their character writing again.

The gameplay in Mafia 2 is such an improvement on the first (even compared to the remake), with shooting and driving feeling a lot more smoother and less frustrating to work your way around. There were also less times I found myself getting annoyed with a mission. In Mafia 1, there are quite a few missions that have you tearing your hair out but this one didn't really do that for me, with my time playing being a lot more enjoyable on this title. It's definitely still very simplistic and could maybe benefit from some more unique missions, but that's what you get with these sort of games

The story of this game is stellar. The best in the Mafia series and I hope if there is a 4th game, that they take a lot of inspiration from this one. There are a lot more unforgettable moments in this game that had me laughing, crying or just happy as hell. As mentioned earlier, Joe and Vito really make this narrative shine, bringing the magic to those scenes while you're playing.

Something I would like to point out though, is that if you are going to play this game, I would suggest going for the classic edition. Unfortunately this port has a lot of audio and visual glitches that happen throughout the game. The devs haven't fixed them since the Mafia bundle dropped so I doubt they are going to do anything anytime soon

Bugs aside though, I really did love this game and would highly recommend checking it out. It's just a shame everything goes downhill from this title

The first game to kickstart Telltale’s return to the gaming industry and to be honest, it’s a pretty weak one.

Let me start this review by saying I haven’t watched the show so I was going into this game as a newbie experiencing a brand new environment. Did this game intrigue me into the world and it’s story? Kinda. The premise of the story is okay and there are some interesting plot points and tense moments that get you to want to continue playing, but if you compare these moments to previous games in Telltales library, they’re not on the same calibre. It was more of just a ‘oh I guess I’ll find out what happens then’ instead of ‘I can’t wait to find out what happens next’ kind of thing. This isn’t good for a Telltale game when the whole fate of it rest on it’s ability to tell a good story. Another thing it lacks in its story in my opinion compared to the other games is in it’s final episode in particular. When you look at The Walking Dead’s final episode, having to rescue Clementine from her kidnapper, you notice it’s at an anxiety filled and gripping stage. But when it came to The Expanse, I didn’t feel in danger at any bit. I didn’t care what happened to the characters because the character building was nowhere near. The final showdown was flat as well, with the ‘villain’ kinda just popping in at the end and then dying super quick with very little build up. Overall an okay story on its own, but poor compared to previous Telltale titles.

The characters in this game are a mixed bag. Didn’t really get to experience much with some due to my choices in the game but for the ones I did interact with, there are only some that I found myself wanting to learn more about. The main character is fascinating enough to make you want to play as her but I don’t think she’s going to be memorable, not like Lee and Bigby. Everyone was just good enough to pass for a story, but I don’t know, maybe I was expecting more from a company that have delivered me some of my favourite characters in gaming.

Technically this game actually seems to lose a lot of things that were in previous Telltale games. The biggest of these is the stripping of the dialogue changes, we have now been reduced to only 2 options of dialogue instead of 4. This is a really poor design choice as it damages the games replayability with less unique dialogue. I replay Telltale to experience all those small dialogue changes and to have that taken away really puts me off going back to the game. Combat has also been watered down, now being more similar to older Telltale games which is also disappointing. Batman The Telltale Series had such a good combat system, really making the player more involved with the scene so I really can’t understand why they didn’t stick with this design. The level design too is different, with it leaning more to exploration and scavenging rather than an interactive story with bits of exploration dotted in it. This leads to some really long stretched out segments that kinda have you praying for a new cutscene as you slug through it.

While I have seemed harsh in my evaluation of the game so far, I didn’t hate it. It got me to play to the end and I was interested in what was happening to a certain degree. I was actually disappointed by its length, wanting it to be longer. 5 hours is very short for a Telltale game.

But Telltale are back, and while I think this game is far from their normal work, it is good to have them back. Hopefully they can build on this and get back to the heights they were once known for

Another stereotypical run-and-gun military story about a hero saving the day is what I expected going into this, but that is far from what you get from this game. Instead, you are dealt with an emotionally gripping story that shows you the true horror of war, a realistic adaption that doesn't shy away from being dark.

The narrative of the game is beautifully written and the twist at the end of the game is unexpected and really opens the player's eyes up. I won't spoil what it is, but when it hits, it hits hard. It is honestly in my opinion one of the best I have ever experienced. It left a lasting impression on me long after, and if a game does that, best believe I am holding it in high regard.

So why isn't the game a 10/10? Well purely because of the gameplay. It's very mediocre and there is nothing special about it. But that's not the selling point of this game, the outstanding story is. If you want a game to make you think, then play this underrated masterpiece immediately.

And the award for biggest disappointment of 2023 goes tooooooo....

This game is another example in Bethesda's journey into making lifeless boring games and losing touch with what made their games magic in the first place. When I first played Fallout 3, my first Bethesda game, the thing that hooked me instantly was the landscape and how in whichever direction I went in the world, I was bound to find something interesting. That doesn't exist in Starfield and let's be honest, that is what makes or breaks a Bethesda RPG. The exploration is boring as hell with planets basically being made up of the same auto-generated crap and you spend hours walking around in boring landscapes that just makes everything feel like a chore to do.

The quests are boring, the characters are boring, the gameplay is boring. The only thing Starfield does right in fact is its lore which is a shock for Bethesda. The background of the Colony Wars and such was so interesting but the unfortunate thing is that took place all before the game, so you don't get to experience any of it. You just get given these boring fetch quests around uninspiring worlds that have no effect on your playthrough or character.

The mechanics are Fallout 4 reskinned meaning they are still rubbish. They changed the dialogue back, which you would think is good (because that Fallout 4 dialogue choice was horrendous), but no it still manages to be underutilised and bland. And don't get me started about the new persuasion mechanic, it's hideous. The gunplay is still Fallout 4 so nothing new or changed. Even the weapon models and animations are just Fallout 4 ones, it is such a lazy design. And the loading screens, THE DAMN LOADING SCREENS. You can’t go two damn minutes without being interrupted by a loading screen, it totally ruins the immersion. Look at Spider-Man 2 for comparison and it’s embarrassing for Bethesda.

All in all, Starfield has none of the magic Elder Scrolls and Fallout have and this makes it a boring slugfest to play. I'm shelving this for now but I don't really have any plans to return to it. I'm just worried about Elder Scrolls VI now, don't f*ck it up Todd

I put off playing Dishonored for the longest time due to thinking I wasn't that much of a fan of stealth games, but recently my mate told me to give it a chance. He was right to say so because the way this game handles stealth is so well done. It's not annoying nor is it the be-all and end-all if you do get detected, there are so many ways you can go about taking your enemies down and all them are just as fun as the other. The powers are super fun to use as well and are probably this game's best quality, the way you can just teleport from one ledge to another silently taking out the guards truly does make you feel like some sort of second coming of Ezio. Because I did a stealth run I found myself using blink, dark vision and stop time the most and these were so cool, but the next time I'm going to do an aggressor playthrough and this means even more powers to play around with. What I'm trying to say is, whatever your play style, this game has an answer to it.

Dishonored's story has so much charm and so does its world. The idea of being a royal guard trying to right his name from a falsely accused crime he didn't commit seems like a simple one way plot but it really isn't. There are so many sub plots to the main plot building stories around the characters you interact with through the game meaning if you take your time to read the letters or drop in on conversations, you'll learn even more about this diverse beautifully designed world. This is my first experience with an Arkane game and after experiencing this writing, it won't be the last.

And finally the one thing that stands out the most in this game is its unique but very appealing art design. The different sandboxes you traverse through while in levels are so well designed and clearly have had heart put into them in order to make them as authentic and fun to explore as possible. You could honestly take time from doing your main mission and just go around these areas looking at the different structure and world designs, just taking them in. I feel like I've barely scratched the surface with my first playthrough and I'm still impressed. I for sure will be doing more of this when I come back to this game for a 2nd time, which I inevitably will do.

Well it's taken me a very long time to get around to finishing this game but damn, I'm glad I did.

Let's start with the setting. LA Noire perfectly captures that late-40s aesthetics with its map design and atmosphere and as someone who is a bit of a sucker for anything from that period, I fell in love with this world. It's so appealing to look at and just take in while you're driving in your Chevy to the next case location listening to Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall.

And the characters in this game mwah. Every single main character you come across in this game is so complex and has a clear personality, but this is something I've come to expect from Rockstar, and they were once again bang on the money here. Cole Phelps might even be in my top 3 favourite Rockstar characters.

The story of this game is good, however, I can't say everything is sun and roses. There is a key turning point in the story where something big happens and to be completely honest, I can't say it was satisfying. There was no build-up to it at all and it seemed completely out of character. The ending too in my opinion did feel a tad bit rushed and probably could have done from some more depth being applied to it, just to really hammer home that emotion that Rockstar is so renowned for.

I did also have a problem with one of the game mechanics which is one of it's biggest selling points, the interrogation system. Because I'm playing the old version, the labels are still Truth, Doubt and Lie. For a start lie is one of the most stupidest labels, as sometimes you actually hit lie to see the relevant dialogue to make you think of accusing them. This can cause you to hit doubt based on the original dialogue but then get it wrong because you were none the wiser. This actually ends up forcing you to hit lie whenever you're not sure now, but luckily you can back out if it ends up being a failed accusation, however, it's a bit of a pain to do. Doubt and Truth can also be very misleading at times as well with it more being like Push and Calm. Saying this, the new labels in the remastered version are much better to be honest so credit to Rockstar for that.

So overall, LA Noire does have its drawbacks but that didn't stop me from coming back to it during my playthrough. The story is engaging, the world is stunningly accurate and the characters are unforgettable. I think I'll end this on a quote I can't seem to shake

"I SAY WE BUST IN THERE AND FIND THE GODDAMN EVIDENCE!"

While Hell Let Loose succeeds in its efforts to be a great WW2 military sim, the game is let down by some silly mechanics and technical issues that really bring it down.

The graphics are stunning in this game and when running smoothly, really allow this game to showcase itself. This is helped by the very well designed maps which all represent exactly what a WW2 battlefield would look like.

However, what makes this game shine, is the execution of creating the sim experience. Every mechanical aspect of this game has been designed clearly with the idea of being as realistic as possible meaning if you go in all guns blazing, you will get punished. It forces you to think tactically about your strategy. So many times I found myself dying easily and having to change what I was doing by being more sneaky and effectively using my cover and I liked that. It engages you more and gets you thinking instead of mind-numbingly tapping buttons.

However, while I loved everything about the sim gameplay, I did not enjoy the technical side of this game. The server crashes way too often and too many times I got random frame drops out of nowhere that completely dampened my playing experience. There are also really long deployment times that have you sitting around doing nothing, and while I understand its intentional to stop constant spawning, the game does nothing to keep you interested during this waiting period. The movement can also get real clunky with the vault mechanic seemingly having a mind of it's own

Another thing that really damages the game is the need for voice communication. If you go into this game solo, you will probably find yourself walking for 80% of the game. You really need to be willing to talk over mic or have a group of friends if you want the best experience out of the game otherwise you will have a snorefest

I adored this game as a kid. Even coming back to this game I still love it a lot. It was made for us kids whose parents wouldn’t let us have GTA 3. Can’t gun down civilians on the sidewalk? How about kicking em instead? The amount of weekends I spent kicking Flanders across his garden were too many to count

There are so many references to the show and as someone who watched it, I really do appreciate these callbacks. The three maps and their variations are pretty fun to explore for a bit and again, lots of references to be seen and gags to enjoy.

Technically the game is very simple but it’s a kid game so what do you expect. The driving is decent enough and the combat is as easy as tapping a few buttons (side note I really like the kicking animation, just looks silly and that’s what you want from a game like this). I’ve seen some people complaining about the difficulty during the last mission, but I didn’t have this problem. Finished the game with ease and probably only had to replay a couple missions.

Content wise I feel there is a decent amount here but I do think it’s a game you have to put down for a bit and then come back. Trying to play it in one sitting would be too boring as there’s not much variation with the missions. It’s basically just race this person or collect this before the time runs out and that’s it.

However despite this, I will still always hold this game close to my heart. It was part of that golden age of games during the PS2 era and if you weren’t there to experience, you really have missed out. Games aren’t the same nowadays

The best Arkham game, no debate around it. It was hard for Rocksteady to top Asylum but damn did they do it.

Arkham City is a great location and really opens up the ability to explore and traverse around as Batman that Asylum just couldn't offer. This is made easier with the improvements made to the controls of flying Batman around with gliding and rappelling made a lot easier.

The combat also is so much better than the previous entry with the flow being so much cleaner and giving you the ability to pull off those high combo moves and feel like the dark knight himself. A lot of new gadgets and combat moves to choose from as well, as well as the thugs having much more counters to your moves that you will have to work around. Stealth combat is also a lot better, with the introduction of much more takedowns that make stealth sections less frustrating and more enjoyable.

The story of this game is incredible, from being chucked into Arkham City as Bruce Wayne to having to stop what Hugo Strange is planning as the Batman. There are so many great characters here and they all play a big part in this story. Everything they chose to do this time was spot on and didn't have that same problem as Asylum with the underwhelming ending. This time it is memorable, and not in a bad way. The addition of side quests also gives the player a lot more content to enjoy, with some really nice little stories dotted around while showcasing more of the villains from the Rogue Gallery

Arkham City has everything a Batman fan would want in a game and more. For me, it is easily the best in the series and even maybe one of my favourite games of all time. if you haven't played the Arkham trilogy, you need to.

The first Arkham game ever made and what an introduction to this series. From the moment you load this game up and pull up on Arkham Asylum ready to kick some ass, you know the developers of this game are big Batman fans.

The atmosphere of Arkham is bang on the money, having that creepiness and uneasiness the whole way through. The colour scheme is dark and bleak, the music is eerie, the structures are all old and worn. I truly feel like I've been thrust into hell itself. Even the small things such as guards being dead when you come back to them after the beginning of the game. They nailed the profile of Arkham on the head.

The characters are written superbly and the voicework quality is exactly what you'd expect of a Batman product (especially Mark Hamill as Joker and Kevin Conroy as Batman). They really kept true to the source material which is something I can really appreciate.

And let's get on to what makes the Arkham games great, the combat. While understandably, Asylum has the worst combat out of the series, it's still very impressive for the time. While simple, its very fun to watch and truly does make you feel like the Bat. For this title, it does feel a little janky at times with you not being able to flow as nicely but again, it's understandable for it's time.

The story of Asylum is in my opinion a mixed bag. It starts really good, involving many different Batman characters and maintaining a tense feeling as you try to take back the asylum but then slumps out at the end with a disappointing end. The final boss fight is very clearly rushed and no effort has been put into it. It’s just ‘hit a couple of buttons and then defeat some thugs’. Very underwhelming ending for an otherwise great game.

These things in my opinion stop the game from getting that 5/5 mark. However, despite this, I do believe the game is definitely worth trying as it is still a top game, especially if you’re a fan of Batman

Recently replayed this absolute gem for the 200th time and once again, it proves to me why it's the best game ever made.

Where to even start? Fallout New Vegas takes everything that Fallout 3 does and makes it even better. The introduction of the reputation system for the many different factions of this game is a huge addition and raises the stakes. No more committing mass genocide against Brotherhood patrols and still being best pals with them. Your actions have consequences, you more you help one faction, the more you become an enemy of the other.

Building on this, the factions are so much better than those we saw on Fallout 3. There is no stand out ‘Bad Guy’ and ‘Good Guy’. Every faction has their perks and their problems and it’s left completely up to the player to decide who they think deserves to be in power. The game ending even tells the character how this choice has affected the Mojave Wasteland and this is different for all these different factions. A big gripe of mine for Fallout 3 was the inability to side with the Enclave and New Vegas doesn’t even let this be a possible issue, with all the factions here able to be sided with.

The dialogue saw a huge upscale with many different skill checks in conservations requiring different skill categories, the speech skill isn't the only useful thing now. The writing is also clearly on another level which is all credit to Obsidian and John Gonzalez. One thing New Vegas really holds over 3 is the number of interesting characters you run into while roaming the Mojave. From a cold and broody ex-NCR sniper who wants to avenge the murder of his wife to a sex robot that asks you to assume the position, there are so many characters to learn about and just enjoy. There are hardly any quests in New Vegas that will have you groaning as you slug through it.

And on top of all this, you still get that Fallout magic that you can expect from these games. The Mojave Wasteland, the soundtrack, the characters, and of course the humour. Even all of the DLC delivers on this.

While technically it is well past it's time, I don't think that should put you off from experiencing this game. If you haven't played New Vegas yet, go to your local CEX now and pick it up for a couple quid, you won't regret it