Swords, waifus, excellent character/outfit designs, amazing music, and fun gameplay. I really don’t need to say anything more than that. Ignore the weird discourse that’s been surrounding this game. Does this game do anything revolutionary? No. But it knows exactly what it is and doesn’t try to be anything else and I appreciate it for that reason. An original IP that‘s just pure fun. Story could have been better but honestly, I ended up loving the characters and the gameplay too much to even care about that by the end. I hope there’s a sequel to this in the future

Also, Eve > 2B

I was really anticipating this game after being blown away by Remake. Mind you I don’t have any experience with the original so this is my intro into the world of FF7. And while I was excited initially, I kinda just feel underwhelmed by Rebirth now that I am done with it. Story was fine, gameplay was fun, characters were as good as ever, but something was just off for me in this game and I found myself just rushing to complete it.

I think a big part of why I feel this way is the pacing of this part of the story. This game got too cute for its own good and followed many serious/thrilling moments with some of the worst segments I’ve seen from any game. Nothing is happening when it comes to story progression at certain points and these moments can DRAG a lot. All the mini games were so tedious too. And at this point I just think that Final Fantasy is incapable of creating a fun open world. I actually quite enjoyed how linear Remake was and how concise it was with telling that part of the story. That game being semi open world really worked for me. Also Midgar is probably the only area I find interesting when it comes to the world of FF7. I really did not care for any of the regions in Rebirth and it just felt like a slog for me to explore them(I was already checked out as early as Junon). This game became better for me personally when I just ignored exploration and the open world aspects completely. Playing this game in a linear manner somewhat made the experience better but there’s still many moments where good parts are followed by either boring or annoying parts of the story. I get that Gold Saucer was a memorable part of the original but oh my god I almost uninstalled the game when I got to that chapter. What the hell was that Mad Max kidnapping subplot that followed it too?? Again, too cute for its own good.

I hate sounding so negative about this game bc I did find myself enjoying many moments when it did take itself serious. I also liked the personal moments we got with most of the characters (exploring Barret’s backstory was very well done). Idk if this was in the original too but they made the Turks do damn likable in this game. Rude, Elena, and Tseng came off as badasses in most of the scenes they were in. I am still looking forward to the final game of this trilogy. I just hope that they do what they did with Remake and just tighten up how they tell their story in the third game. This is one of the few instances where I think a game would be better suited as a linear experience as opposed to an open world/free roam type of experience. Forcing myself to ignore a pretty large aspect of Rebirth really hurts how I view this game and it’s why i’m being so harsh on it. It was still fun but I just did not enjoy it as much as I did with Remake

I’m going to preface this by saying I have a bias towards Remedy games. I genuinely believe they create the most unique games in the entire industry and when it comes to referring to some games as works of art, I’d always point towards any game made by Remedy. They are all creatively weird, mysterious, interesting, and fun in their own way and are not afraid to take huge risks when it comes to storytelling (especially in Quantum Break).

Alan Wake 2 follows this same trend with every other Remedy game. It has everything you’d expect. Strange atmosphere, jarring story, horror elements, and just the right amount of challenging and engaging gameplay. I also really like the detective aspects to the game as well considering that you’d want to explore and figure things out in the world anyway. Although I do feel indifferent about telling the story from 2 perspectives bc it really hurt parts of this game in my opinion. While I enjoyed the storytelling in Alan’s part, most of the level design and gameplay of his sections were not all that fun(the movie theater chapter especially omfg that was a nuisance). Saga’s part of the story was much more fun to play through and had better level design, but the storytelling aspect was weaker and honestly a bit boring compared to Alan. The game also starts off REALLY slow. But as the case with other Remedy games, once the story eventually unravels itself you get so immersed and honestly don’t want it to end. Also, the art design in this game is nuts. I thought Control knocked it out of the park with that but this game takes it to another level. The first Alan Wake was more so just straight horror and linear storytelling. This game is similar but emphasizes the use of environmental storytelling as well with unique art direction. This was definitely a nice touch to add. And of course there are Old Gods of Asgard music sequences which are phenomenal as always. I thought the first Alan Wake was an underrated gem and I’m glad to see Alan Wake 2 get a lot more recognition. Definitely a worthy sequel

There’s also a TON of little easter eggs for fans of the other games as well. Lots of references to Control, Quantum Break, and even Max Payne. There’s probably references to future projects too that we’re just not aware of yet idk. But that’s just the cherry on top for those who played other Remedy games

SLIGHT SPOILER ON THE ENDING
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In context with how they told the story when it comes to “breaking the loop”, I can halfway understand why you have to play NG+ to get the real ending. It technically makes sense and fits the narrative. But that is a steep ask for most players who played this game, me included. I’m sorry but I’m not going to play the entire game again just for an extra couple minutes for the real ending. This might work for some people but in my opinion that is a terrible decision. Just give me a good ending to an already good game and I may end up playing NG+ anyway later down the road when there’s a dry spell of game releases. If you feel similar to me, go ahead and just watch the real ending like I did or read up on it. I thought it was very good but I just wish it was done as an all in one playthrough instead of inconveniencing the player into starting again right after finishing a story heavy game

There’s so much I can say about this game but it’d be reiterating a lot of what you probably already heard. In short, it lives up to the hype. This game gave me the same feeling I had when I played Witcher 3 for the first time. In the first few minutes, I just knew I was going to be playing something special. Is it perfect? No. There are some minor issues and I personally didn’t like some of what they had you doing in Act 3 but this is still such a fun game. That ending was beautiful. And despite putting in 107 hours on my first playthrough, I still feel like there’s so much more that I didn’t get to see in this game in terms of choices and consequences. BG3 truly is a masterpiece.

Also, this might be a minor spoiler but the song that plays during the boss fight with Raphael (if you even choose to go this route) is PERFECTION.

I’ll keep it short and sweet. If you liked the first game, this one is essentially more of the same. Insomniac followed the formula of “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” and your opinion on this game could be affected by how you view that. If you expected something innovative and different, you might not find a lot here to satisfy that. But if you just simply wanted more Spiderman content that’s similar to the first game, well that’s exactly what you’ll get. I fall into the latter category. Yes Insomniac played it really safe with this sequel but the story is still pretty good, the gameplay is as smooth/fun as ever, and there’s just enough content here that doesn’t make the game overstay its welcome. I enjoyed my time with this game in the same way that I enjoyed the first game. My only criticism of this game is that I wish Miles was included a bit more. He faded to the background way too much for my liking but based off the ending, that may have been for a reason. I hope future DLC exclusively focuses on a unique Miles story

This is my first Quantic Dream game so I don’t know much about their other games but oh my. If the storytelling in this game is indicative of their other games then I might have to dive in to their entire catalog bc this game blew me away.

I honestly didn’t know what to expect going in. All I knew was that it was a choose your own narrative type of deal and that it’s about AI. After playing through, this game is really eye opening when it comes to where we are at in reality with AI and how the world can potentially end up being. I’m a sucker for these types of stories(considering I was a huge fan of the HBO’s Westworld which dealt with a similar story).

There was not a dull character/moment in Detroit. Which is surprising to me considering that it was a bit longer than I expected it to be. But that’s not a bad thing! It took me about 15 hours to complete this game and that’s about the sweet spot I have for how long I like games to be nowadays.

Now the only complaint I somewhat agree with from what I read from other reviews is how hollow Detroit’s racial allegory theme is. A lot of what’s being said is surface level stuff and a little too on the nose of “racism is bad”. But I was able to put that theme aside for about 90% of the game bc I simply viewed Detroit as a story about revolution and more so on the potential dangers of AI and consciousness. It wasn’t until you met Rose and there was a something brief she said that really reinforced the racial allegory theme. And that’s honestly the only time where it was in your face and it just felt very corny and surface level. If anything, I LOVED how they approached the topic of religion and I wish they focused on that theme with rA9. Idk how other versions of the story played out but mine kinda left that question unanswered. AI developing a religion is a unique concept and I wish more of the story was centered around that theme along with revolution. Now that I look back on it, the stuff with rA9 is really the only major plot point where we did not have a character perspective(no I do not count Connor bc he never became obsessed with it like other androids. It was more of just a part of his overall mission). I think that’s a missed opportunity for an even better story in my opinion.

But I really have no complaints about this game otherwise. If you missed the entire PS4 generation like I did and you got yourself a PS5 and are wondering what to play, really consider this game. It won’t disappoint you

I have so many mixed feelings about this game. The highs are really high and feel like a great FF game. But the lows are just meh and feel like another generic Square Enix “rpg”. The real big problem I have with this game is that once I get past the fun spectacle sequences, the in between stuff(which is where you’ll be at many times for a big chunk of this game) is just boring and meaningless. Which is a damn shame bc the world/lore they’ve built in FF16 is so interesting. I honestly don’t really know how to even rate this game. It’s good but also has so many faults that I can understand why some people, especially the hardcore fanbase, would be turned off by FF16. But if you just like a flashy action/adventure game with some rpg elements to it then sure you’ll probably have a good time. But this game just felt so soulless to me.

I’d compare FF16 with FF12. FF12 was a Final Fantasy game with a Star Wars inspired theme to its story. Bc of this inspiration, the world building and overall narrative was well done. But the uninteresting characters and the mostly empty world that you actually played in really dragged the game down from being great. FF16 on the other hand is a Final Fantasy game with a Game of Thrones inspired theme to its story. And just like with 12, world building and overall narrative benefits the most from this inspiration. But that’s where the comparison with 12 stops. At least 12 did something innovative with its gameplay and stood out as a unique game in its own right(which is saying a lot for me considering I don’t really like FF12). FF16 though just feels so generic at times. I also couldn’t connect with a single character in this game. Maybe it’s just me but idk. Clive felt like a lifeless FF protagonist with 0 interesting character traits. Lifeless and 0 interesting character traits describes almost all of the characters in this game tbh. Can’t believe they managed to dethrone Lunafreya from FF15 as the most boring FF love interest with Jill. That’s honestly really impressive. Cid and Joshua are probably the only characters I actually got somewhat invested in(Torgal is a good boi too so I will not be slandering him). I’d even go as far as to say that I think it was a mistake to make Clive the main protagonist when Joshua has the more interesting character story arc and would overall just make for a better protagonist.

Also despite the world being interesting, it’s just very empty when you’re actually playing in it. Yeah there’s some “side quests” scattered but they’re all so half baked it’s not really necessary to do them bc they don’t really add anything worthwhile and aren’t all that fun. You can do the typical FF grind in this game but so many of the RPG elements that the series used to have has been stripped down and you’re not really grinding for much outside of a character level and a few pieces of gear. The skills in the hollow skill tree don’t really provide much of a benefit either bc all you’re really unlocking is a new flashy cooldown ability animation that you can do.

I know I’ve been mostly negative but when it comes to the highs in this game, man do they make you feel like you’re having a tremendous experience. The highs in the story are so engaging and do genuinely feel like you’re watching a FF spin on Game of Thrones. Benedikta was a great introductory villain. And everything from Hugo Kupka’s arc in the story and beyond was really well done and engaging to play through. Ultima was an okay villain with a pretty dope character design. Combat is fluid for the most part and there’s a lot of fun combos you can do. I just wish there were elemental effects to enhance it(weird choice to take that away btw). The big boss battles with the Eikons are always so damn cool too. And of course, the game is very pretty to look at.

But again, a lot of what’s in FF16 is just not for me and it may just not be any deeper than that. I wanted to love this game but there’s just a lot holding it back for me despite the occasional fun moments that are presented.

Aside from the ridiculously bad ending, this game is such a gem. Play this if your into the cyberpunk genre with a 2D sidescrolling twist. The world in this game is so intriguing and I cannot stress that point enough. World building is honestly what kept me going for most of my playthrough. The combat is simple, yet fun and rarely ever gets boring despite the simplicity. The story is very well done too but boy oh boy, does it fall flat in the final act. It doesn’t take away from the fact that this is still an otherwise good game and an enjoyable experience

This game is incredible. There’s really not much else to say. Hi-Fi Rush reminded me of why I fell in love with gaming in the first place. Goofy dialogue/story, voice acting is top notch, extremely fun and refreshing gameplay, short and sweet, and just an overall good time. Not everything needs to be a think piece, extremely challenging, a 50-100+ hour journey, open world rpg nonsense, nor a glorified movie game. Hi-Fi Rush reminds me of how a lot of games used to be before the 2010s and it sucks that these types of games are rare nowadays in 2023.

A rhythm/action platformer is the best way I can describe this game. It’s clearly inspired by a lot(like Sunset Overdrive) but it manages to carve its own unique lane. Also, the museum level in particular felt 100% inspired by Persona 5. Everything from the music to the level design felt so familiar and I was genuinely impressed by it.

While the story is simple to follow, I think that is why it’s so great. The characters are very well crafted and their interactions with each other are even better. There were many moments that the humor in this game consistently made me laugh. I also LOVE that it’s self aware and is not afraid to make fun of itself(and gaming as a whole).

My only issue with this game is extremely minor and is really just me nitpicking but I didn’t like that character customization was introduced after you complete the game. It would’ve been cool to just have it from the start but based on what they intend for you to do after you initially beat the game, I guess it makes sense. They wanna provide you with content and a reason to continue playing once your finished and I can halfway appreciate that.

If you have gamepass, please play this game. It’s well worth your time and I can guarantee you’ll have a good time. It’s quite bold of Xbox to just drop an exclusive with 0 marketing beforehand and it ends up being an amazing experience. This may not be one of my favorite games of all time but I’m willing to put it really high up there bc of how unique it is in 2023.

Realism defines this game. Don’t go into it expecting a typical FPS arcade style game. Attempting to play this like COD or BF will probably be the reason why you won’t have a good time. HLL has a STEEP learning curve and it will take some time to get adjusted. You will be dying a lot in the beginning but once you understand the roles to be played and how well you can coordinate with your squad and the rest of the team, then the beauty of this game will reveal itself. The community is extremely helpful when it comes to getting the hang of things so don’t be afraid to speak up in your squad. Of course there are some trolls out there but for the most part, everyone’s just trying to have a good time. Comms is such a key component of this game and while playing this game being silent can work, it’s a lot more detrimental to you and your team if there are zero callouts. Especially if you are playing squad lead or a role that’s not focused on pure combat. Immersion is such a huge aspect to HLL and it can get quite addicting bc there isn’t a game like this currently out in 2023. Also, the sound design in this game is incredible. I don’t think any other game comes close in the shooter genre.

Of course there are minor bugs and glitches throughout this game but none are game breaking. There really aren’t any major issues that I have with HLL. Only thing holding it back is the lack of factions and some historical locations. They just added with Soviets but where are the English? Italians? Give us locations in Italy, North Africa, Greece, Poland, etc. It can get repetitive at times fighting the Germans somewhere in France for the millionth time. And although it’s a pipe dream but I would LOVE to see implementation of the Pacific Theater. Whether it be in an expansion or a sequel.

Also, you can’t currently select a specific server on console. Hopefully in a future update they give us console players a type of server browser so that we’re not constantly getting into near empty lobbies and quitting out while trying to find a full server.

Final thoughts is play this game if you are a WW2 buff. Play it if you are into strategy games and may want a unique FPS twist to it. Play it if you just want something outside of the arcade norm of the FPS genre. You won’t be disappointed

A sequel that actually feels necessary and is a complete upgrade from the original. It’s sad that this is not commonplace with most sequels nowadays.

I’ll keep it short and sweet. This game is a literal improvement on every single thing that the first game did well. Story is excellent, gameplay is engaging and exciting, and the characters are even more well written. I don’t really have anything negative to say about this game other than I’m sad that this might be the last Plague Tale game. If you haven’t played the first game, please play that first. Then play this game. It is more than worth your time

I can only speak for the recent console release and I do not know the state of the game back when it released originally on PC so I’m not gonna review it off that.

What I will say is that this game is miles ahead of Warband and I’d go as far as to say that this is their best work so far. The improvements all around are great and make for an enjoyable role playing experience that you would expect at this point. My only issue is that they are on the cusp of something great but not quite there yet. I had this same feeling with Warband as well. Things like diplomacy is something that I find extremely important in games like this and much like their previous titles, it feels really lackluster. There should be no reason why I can’t make alliances with other factions. Why can’t I temporarily ally with a rebel faction to help them expand? Or at least join them? Why can’t I ally with the enemy of a faction and have a joint war? Why can’t I negotiate with looters or bandits to form a type of organized rogue gang or even a whole minor faction to terrorize the major factions? Why can’t I hire them to terrorize other factions without directly declaring war? Why can’t I negotiate trade with a faction? The list goes on and on. I’d wish they would borrow some of Total War’s ideas with diplomacy options(instead of having to rely on mods) bc it makes the role playing experience that much better.

I also think that their system of companions needs a major overhaul. Having simple dialogue explaining their backstory, hiring them, and then not doing anything else with them is leaving a lot on the table for something good. They could easily implement something like loyalty missions that you’d have to do before you’re able to recruit them to your party. That would make each potential companion unique and make them stand out by more than just their skills. They can also make some companions extremely difficult or easy to recruit based on where your character is from or which faction you are friendly/not friendly towards.

I would also like there to be some implantation of naval combat, trade, or even just transportation. There’s large bodies of water and islands in this new map but it’s just empty space due to the lack of anything to do with ships. There could easily be island factions or at least villages/castles/towns on these islands.

This game does the exact same things as Warband but just better so I feel talking about the positives would be regurgitating the same points as many of you. This game is good and fun but it’s missing a lot of things that would make it truly great. Hopefully mods become available on console but we shouldn’t have to rely on mods. Maybe they are 1 or 2 more games away from creating something really special.

This game is a must play if you’re a fan of other point and click narrative driven games like Life is Strange or the Telltale games.

I think it presents a fresh and unique spin on the simple point and click foundation through its art style and how many different paths it can tell its story. Not everyone is going to have the same journey and I love that this game even allows you to play from specific parts of the chapters to see different routes. I think it’s neat that they even give you the choice of not saving or overwriting your previous choices just to see the different outcomes.

The story is obviously the selling point and I think it’s a well written one. Might get in to spoilers from this point on so be warned. Most of the characters are also well written and interesting. Jay obviously steals the show and I think the VA’s performance in portraying him is really good. Also, that “one” scene with Bear Holt and Jay was one of the most powerful scenes I’ve ever seen in a video game.

In my opinion there are only a few negatives I have with this game and they’re all based around certain narritive choices. 1st off, playing as Ash really halted the momentum that this game was building. It felt like it was a cheap way of slowing the game down and I would go as far as to say that this was “filler” content for the story. The only real impact of it was to just make a choice at the end(which btw, didn’t even make sense story wise for Ash to even reveal the secret location to Dante. So there was really only 1 logical choice). Another problem I had was how many loose ends were left untied by the end. Why did Dante’s wife hate him so much? There’s clearly more to Dante’s “black book” so why wasn’t it expanded upon? Why did Jim instantly recognize Sharon and Paul? Is there more to Jay’s real parents? And obviously, who shot Jim at the end? I get it, they probably want to make a sequel but I felt that a little bit too much information was introduced just for it to be left unexplained.

Besides all that, it’s still a really fun experience. This is one of the better narrative driven games I’ve played this year in 2022 and has a ton of replay value.