Chalk it up to this being another example of a game that is just so much a part of who I am that it would be fraudulent to not rate it this highly. This is undeniably one of my favorite games of all time. I still have such a blast revisiting it today to experience its incredibly immersive and captivating narrative, with a wonderfully written cast of memorable characters, raw, acerbic dialogue, a beautiful yet grounded world that’s rich in both atmosphere and vibrant attention to detail, complimented by timeless gameplay mechanics and the eclectic, awesome soundtrack. It’s more than evident that the devs at 2k czech (even through the game’s rather notorious fraught development cycle) poured genuine passion into this game and it effortlessly coalesces into a gripping final product that holds up brilliantly even 13 years later. I love the hell out of Mafia 2 and I seriously doubt that my fervent enthusiasm for it is going to waver anytime soon. What a flawed but immensely special gem this game is.

Was I full of shit when I originally gave this game a paltry 3 star rating and I rather glibly dismissed it as being largely boring? I absolutely was. This game is fucking amazing. What few gripes I do have with it are slight because this is seriously one of the most inventive, deeply original, and (for lack of a more apt descriptor) wonderfully weird games that i’ve ever played and I wouldn’t hesitate for a second to call it a masterpiece. The sheer leap in quality from Limbo to this game alone is nothing short of incredible. The levels are equally as tightly wound but far more creative and complex, managing to avoid feeling stiflingly linear while still remaining an incredibly focused and cohesively packaged experience, the mechanics feel weighty and smooth, aided by some fantastic controls and responsive animations, and the game features plenty of interesting and detailed environments that are consistently a treat to explore. The underwater levels are especially wondrous and they add a ton of flavor and tension to individual stretches of the game. From a technical and sensory standpoint the game is equally as outstanding too, sporting rich and captivating art direction, stark and beautiful visual storytelling, and a droning, atmospheric ambient score that’s coupled together brilliantly with the eerie and immersive sound design. All of these elements are just some of Inside’s many sumptuous delights. It also excels in regards to gameplay variety and it never once feels boring or uninspired. Nary a moment goes by here that’s not exciting or memorable in some way or another, the game masterfully blending and balancing platforming and puzzle solving, highly scripted but no less fun pseudo stealth sections, and equal parts engaging and thrilling action set pieces to great effect. The puzzles in particular deserve to be singled out for how surprisingly enjoyable they are. They’re unique, challenging, well wrought, and both immediately rewarding and immensely satisfying to solve, requiring genuine thought and skill from the player but never once feeling obtuse or oblique. The more trial and error driven gameplay segments from Limbo are still very much present here and they too are vastly improved over its predecessor. Not only are they utilized far less frequently throughout (on top of being generally less frustrating to play through due to very merciful checkpoints) but the game is so brilliantly designed and deftly paced otherwise that they are easy to discard as minor hiccups in the grand scheme of things. Bottom line? I had a total blast coming back to this game all these years later and it’s definitely much better than I had remembered it being when I first played it. It was frankly erroneous of me to have taken it for granted. It’s abundantly clear to me now that playdead studios are extremely talented game developers and I’m excited to see what they do next.

I’ve considered myself a fan of the Resident Evil franchise for a few years now and to say that I was ecstatic to have finally played the seminal classic that started it all would be a seismic understatement. Put bluntly? This remake fucking rules. It completely executes everything that it sets out to accomplish and it does so with aplomb, creating an incredibly immersive, deep, atmospheric survival horror experience that had me thoroughly enthralled from beginning to end. Couple that with a solid story that presents you with just enough intrigue to keep you engaged and gameplay that honestly hasn’t aged all that much. If anything i’d argue that the tank controls and the fixed camera system are only a boon to the tone that this game is going for rather than detrimental flaws that detract from it. From the expertly crafted and intrinsically connected level design, the deeply rewarding exploration loop, the puzzles that are simple, well designed, and immensely satisfying to solve, to the beautifully haunting soundtrack from the musical genius Masami Ueda which adds a ton of emotional resonance to the game. It’s all so deftly handled. Add to that the tight inventory mechanics, the resource and item management, coupled with the punishingly limited checkpoints, the frequent sprinkling of frantic combat encounters and set pieces, and you’ve got yourself one hell of a scorching powder keg, making for moment to moment gameplay scenarios that are both palpably intense and positively thrilling. The only aspect of this game that I’m not totally crazy about are the frequent door loading screens. They are incredibly archaic and they have a tendency to bring down the game’s otherwise flawless pacing to a languid halt at points. I also found the boss fights to be somewhat lacking (the final one is especially disappointing when you consider the build up prior to it) despite them being consistently enjoyable to play through. Otherwise though? Resident Evil is pretty much pitch perfect and it’s every bit the unassailable masterpiece that it has been hyped up to be.