I write this review with multiplayer in mind, preferably with friends. This game solo would more than likely receive a lower score.

Holy shit man, this is by far the best of these types of co-op horror games out there. It is hard to remember the amount of consistent fun I have had with a game like this. In fact, I don't think I ever have. Something like Phasmaphobia is fun for the first couple of hours, but I have around 15 hours logged of this game with my friends, and we're still having a blast. Please check this game out, it is both hilarious and horrifying. Best experienced if you and your friends go in completely blind. I'm really excited to see what the dev(s) of this game have in store for the future.

The day after Christmas 2016, I got my PS4. A couple months prior, I finally got back into Playstation gaming after strictly being a Nintendo Fanboy for years. With my PS4, I got the Uncharted Collection, Uncharted 4, Skyrim, Little Big Planet 3 and Final Fantasy XV. I couldn't wait to dive into all these games I wouldn't have even given a chance years before. Fast forward to early April, I decided on a whim to pick up Persona 5 only a day after it came out. I knew almost nothing about Persona besides my one friend always recommending the series so I took a chance, and ended up loving it. Fast forward to May 2017, I pick up NieR Automata. That one friend who recommended the Persona series, would also show me gameplay of the original NieR. At this time I was still in the middle of playing Persona 5, but knowing I took a chance on that and was loving it, I took a chance on Automata as well. I didn't start it until June and didn't beat it until August of that year, but from my memories of 6 years ago I remember absolutely loving it. Fast forward to today and I decided I wanted to replay this game finally. I was wondering all this time if I'd love this game as much as I did back then, because 2017 was my absolute favorite year ever...at least that timespan of like April-August and it could have clouded my judgement. Well my thoughts are complicated but as you can see by my score, I do indeed still love this game overall.

When I first started this, I decided to replay it on hard. It had been 6 years since I played it but I figured I could do it. After dying 10 times in the super long intro, I decided to bump it down to normal. It might be a skill issue but I didn't find it fun to die in 2 or sometimes even 1 hit. I played the entire game on normal and I don't feel bad, I just wanted to have fun. Though tbh, on my first playthrough through Route A...halfway into it I kinda wasn't having much fun. My main issue was, I kept comparing every little thing to Gestalt which is the consequence of playing this immediately after that. I kept missing the main cast of that game and just wasn't digging Automata's cast much. By the end of route A, I was disappointed in the game...and disappointed in myself for feeling this way. I absolutely adored this back in 2017...did I change? Was I too cynical now or something?

My main reason for being disappointed was because my favorite aspect of Gestalt, the cast, was not even comparable in this game I felt. My favorite character was 9S and his best scenes don't even happen until the later routes. The cast of this game is solid I'd say but doesn't come close at all to Gestalt's main cast, at least for me. That was my main hangup during route A, and is still even now the biggest downgrade this game has compared to Gestalt.

During route A, even though I was disappointed by the end of it, there were still plenty of things I liked about the game and several improvements compared to Gestalt. The combat for one is definitely improved overall. Yes the combat is not on par with something like Bayonetta or DMC, but it's still flashy enough so that it feels good. You have two weapons at once and it feels good to switch between both. You also have these Pods that act as the Weiss of this game. You can switch abilities with them, and some of the abilities are straight up ones from Gestalt which was cool. Same with the weapons, some of them were ones from Gestalt so you know I had to use my beloved Beastbain. I also really loved the movement in this game compared to Gestalt, dashing around this post-apocalyptic world...especially in mid-air on top of buildings, god it feels good.

Speaking of the post-apocalyptic world..this a bit of a running gag in my discord server that I have a major hard on for it. And that's correct, I still absolutely adore the world in Automata. The world is not as fleshed out as actual open worlds, but that's partly why I love it. I think the world is the absolutely perfect size for a gaming world. It's small enough where I don't find getting around to be a chore, even if you can fast travel...and big enough where it's fun to actually explore and take in the amazing locales. Goddamn I love the aesthetic this world provides. The starting area is a ruined city overgrown with plant life and that aesthetic is like my #1 aesthetic now thanks to this game. You also have a massive desert with a whole city half buried in the sand at the end of it. You have an abandoned amusement park full of celebrating machines. There's more ruined buildings on the coastline. There's a forest area that leads to a grassy castle. Right before that area, you go through a little shopping center that's full of overgrowth. There is no area I dislike going to because every single one has such a cool aesthetic which really does it for me. The world/setting of the game was my absolute favorite aspect when I first played (besides the OST) and even now it's still probably my favorite aspect. If there's any single one thing that this game destroys Gestalt on, it's definitely its world.

Speaking of the OST, it is still fantastic 6 years later. While personally, I do prefer Gestalt's OST by a fair margin...Automata's is still awesome. Back then my favorite themes were all the area themes and while they're still great, I really like a lot of the battle themes now. Grandma Destruction and Emil Despair, obviously because they're remixes of Gestalt songs but A Beautiful Song may be my favorite totally originally Automata song now, it's fantastic. The OST is indeed objectively amazing but I think the reason why I don't like it as much as Gestalt's now is because the songs have way more going on in them while Gestalt's are more simple. Automata's songs are also generally more epic and fast paced vs Gestalt's more elegant sounding songs. I still do love Automata's OST tho and it's definitely one of my favorites ever. Honestly tho I think Gestalt might have my favorite OST ever in any game, at least as of now so ofc that would be hard to top but Automata certainly isn't that far off.

Something I definitely loved this time around was the Gestalt connections I wouldn't have ever gotten when I first played. Like certain lines reminiscent of Gestalt, or really obvious things nowadays like how the desert machines all wear Facade-like clothing. There's a quest in the desert that even has you finding hidden items that were all connected to Facade which was amazing to discover. Speaking of quests, I honestly think they were a lot better in this game compared to Gestalt. Sure, you don't have the amazing banter between NieR and Weiss. However as a whole, I found there to be less fetch quests and more memorable quests that felt somewhat impactful towards the worldbuilding. Obviously, the single best quests are the Emil ones for me just cuz they connect to Gestalt so heavily but that was gonna be a given. Oh yeah, Emil is back...his side quests were awesome as stated before but besides that he's only really here as a shopkeeper which is okay I guess. If he didn't have either of the side quests, he would have been a big disappointment but those salvage his appearance I'd say. Also up to the end of Route A, I'd say the bosses were solid overall but none of them really wowed me besides Simone who was amazing. That's partly because A Beautiful Song plays during it but still. Also Also, I forgot to mention I did do every side quest and of course upgraded all weapons to max. For what you get from doing that, which is some of the best content in the game imo, I think it's worth it.

Anyways, a lot of things have been improved from Gestalt but the big downgrade being the cast hampered my enjoyment of the 2nd half of Route A cuz I kept comparing the two games the entire time. I established this before, so you'd think Route B would be even worse because it's pretty much a retread of Route A except with small changes here and there, kinda like Route B in Gestalt except not nearly as good. Well here's the weird thing, I honestly enjoyed myself more with Route B than A. That's weird because usually people hate Route B from what I've seen but idk I digged it. Maybe it's because I was playing as 9S who I enjoyed a lot more than 2B. Or maybe it was the addition of hacking which I honestly quite enjoy even tho I know many others don't. Idk but once I beat route B, I was definitely enjoying myself more than I did at the end of route A. So I don't get when people say Route B is bad, it's different enough that it's fun to play through again. Then Route C is next and that's where the story has it's peaks...and where the game definitely won me over again.

Route C is totally different from A and B and that's a huge change from route C in Gestalt. There it was the exact same as Route B except with two new endings so Route C in Automata is definitely a big improvement. There's tons of twists, reveals and heartbreak and it's 100% the best route no question. I still don't think the story elements or character interactions come close to gestalt in its ending, but they're definitely very good. I think story-wise, I like it less overall then Gestalt's just because of the inferior cast but it has some really emotional singular moments and so I like to think I love the moments in this game more than the entirety of its story which is opposite of Gestalt. Going into those moments though, and they both happened in Route C, they were the final super boss that you access by getting every weapon to max...and ending E.

The final super boss I knew would get me because of its connection to Gestalt, and they are huge connections, but I didn't think the waterworks would flow as hard as they did. Even more surprising was ending E. I still remembered what happened but idk man it really got me. When that certain part happens and you hear the choir, I broke down. This is THE moment I'm giving this game a 10 for now. I was contemplating whether to actually drop it to a 9, and I still might eventually who knows, but the fact I cried to something that had no connection to Gestalt really...that made me realize I do still love this game even without the Gestalt shit.

I may not be in love with the game's story or cast, and I think the OST is somewhat of a downgrade..however. The combat being improved, the still wonderful OST, my favorite world in any game and the worldbuilding and connections to Gestalt I do love. And so as of now I'm going to keep this at a 10, again I might drop it down eventually but Ending E won me over for now. I do definitely love Gestalt more now as you already know, which is so weird because I once had this at a 10 and Gestalt at an 8 lol. Funny how things change.

The Talos Principle 2 is not particularly clever, but it is brilliant. I will elaborate, but the main reason I make such a distinction is as a comparison to its predecessor. For context, The Talos Principle is one of the toughest puzzle games I've ever played, requiring strong wits to just solve the main puzzles and incredibly outside-the-box thinking to complete all it has to offer. Coupled with its philosophy-laden focused narrative, that game earned its place among my favorite puzzle games ever.

The sequel joins those ranks, but for different reasons. As far as gameplay is concerned, Talos Principle 2 has many puzzles which nearly all amount to simple brain teasers. Generally, there are clear intermediate steps to work towards and a somewhat obvious end state, so the puzzles are not very challenging on their own. However, it introduces many new puzzle elements to play around with, all but one I thought were great additions.

As you explore an unfamiliar territory, the game has you grappling with several of life's big questions. I enjoyed the thought that was provoked from the text and dialogue, especially the titular dilemma of what makes man different from machine. Instead of the first game where nearly all of this was introspective, the second game has the discourse between the humans (robots?) of the future which was a much more interesting way to take things in.

While pondering those stumpers, you can take in perhaps the game's strongest aspect: the environments. The island you travel to has over a dozen unique areas to explore, all of which are rich with beautiful nature scenery and impossibly grand architecture. It's a good thing this game has a photo mode, because I ended up using that a lot.

So yeah, Talos Principle 2 is a romp through spectacular landscapes eating brain candy the whole way. I had a hard time putting it down, and I'd recommend it to anyone due to the puzzles being more accessible.

I've been waiting to write this review since I played the campaign early. This is the worst CoD campaign by far (even Ghosts has a better campaign and that game is objectively bad) and a major disappointment for me as a long-time CoD fan.

I was cautiously optimistic about the new open-combat missions; I'm always supportive of studios trying to change up their gameplay formula in order to innovate on existing ideas. Unfortunately, they missed the mark entirely with these missions. The missions have essentially no narrative focus outside of a brief cutscene at the beginning and end, and some incessant radio chatter in-between if you're not completing your objectives fast enough. These missions essentially feel like watered-down versions of DMZ maps in Warzone and I ended up dreaded seeing the "open-combat mission" pop-up while I was playing.

Speaking of Warzone, the blatant re-use of assets from Verdansk is wild. I immediately recognized several parts of the map while I was playing and couldn't believe that they had cut this many corners in trying to ship this game out in less than a year.

I've always given this series the benefit of the doubt since I have a soft spot for it, but this kind of feels like the last straw for me. The fact that I paid $70 for a campaign that barely lasted 4 hours and was this low quality is infuriating, and this feels like a low point for the series. I'm hoping with the recent Microsoft acquisition that the CoD teams can take a step back and re-evaluate because this emphasis on micro-transactions and Warzone over a good campaign just isn't it.

Super Mario Bros Wonder is an interesting case. After four New Super Mario Bros games and them not being super innovative compared to each other, 2D Mario had become stale. Were they bad games? No, they just didn't do anything special in the slightest. Now after 10+ years since the last NSMB game, we have the next big 2D Mario game, Mario Wonder. Does it do enough different from the NSMB series? Hell yeah it does! Am I totally in love with it and consider it peak 2D Mario like a lot of people have been feeling? Sadly no, it has several issues that really hold it back in my eyes. But it does do a lot right.

The biggest change from NSMB and one of the best aspects of this game is the changed art style. Gone is the very samey art style that was used in all the NSMB games. Now Mario and the gang are expressive as ever and really feel more like their more classic games. There's so many different animations for various moves and interactions with things, it's great. They even brought back Mario's hat moving up and down when he jumps from Mario World. There was clearly a lot of love put into the overall style of the game, definitely a much-needed change, I think.

Another really nice change is just the amount of new stuff they crammed into this game. This game is absolutely filled to the brim with brand new enemies and level gimmicks. There were some returning enemies ofc but like 80% of the enemies in this game were all brand new, and that's just awesome imo. And as for the level gimmicks, they tie into the new wonder flower which basically just throws all kinds of ideas at you. One level you may see singing piranha plants, another one you might see Mario turn into a spiked ball. There's even one where you ride this super cool dragon, man that was cool. The abundance of different ideas, even if they do get reused sometimes, is just very immense.

I also enjoyed the secrets this game had. It's definitely not as expansive as Mario World in that regard but finding the game's secrets were pretty fun. Especially since it unlocked the special world that you can access early on like Mario World, man that was cool. I'd say I enjoyed most of the worlds in this game actually besides World 3 (idk it was just lame) but besides that every world was pretty solid. My favorite world though had to been 4 just because I remember being really impressed with some of the levels there.

Badges were whatever. I didn't really use them most of the time because I felt they made the game easier depending on the badge. The badge levels tho were pretty cool even if a little short.

Alright time for the negatives, why I don't love this game as much as everyone else. One of the biggest issues I had was the difficulty curve. I honestly did not think this game had a good climb in difficulty. I found every world pretty easy for the most part up until the bowser levels, which amped it up a little bit. And then the final badge stage was actually decently tough. I found past games, even the NSMB games to have a much better difficulty curve. Speaking of that final badge stage, while I found that somewhat difficult (even if it did have 3 checkpoints in it, that and the final regular stage in the special world were nowhere near as hard as some of the final stages in some of the more recent Mario games. Found that somewhat disappointing along with the easier difficulty as a whole.

Another thing I didn't like were the lackluster bosses. Reusing Bowser Jr 4 times was just really lame imo. They got so creative with the levels and they end up doing that for the bosses? Man, that's just so much missed potential I think. Speaking of the final Bowser fight, it was alright? It was again easy but also felt uninspired. Like the first thing I thought of when I saw it was the final boss to DKCR. Idk, they could've done much better with it along with the bosses as a whole.

Something else that kinda irked me, while I do like how experimental a lot of the levels can be, a chunk of them just felt like filler. You have your regular levels, your little badge levels which is fine but then you have these break levels that sometimes take literally 5 seconds to beat. I'd much rather play actual full-length levels instead and a lot of the time I just said out loud "what was the point of that". Idk, I never hated any of them, again they just felt more like filler.

I guess one more little thing that annoyed me, and it ties into the easiness of the game, is the fact that when you collect those purple coins worth 10 and then die, you keep it even after dying. Star coins never worked like that in the NSMB games and it makes certain levels that would otherwise be pretty tough to 100%, super easy.

The talking flowers I'm neutral on. They can be kinda funny but they never made me hate them nor like them too much. They're just kind of there and don't disrupt the gameplay really.

Before ending the review tho, I will say after beating the final final badge level, that final badge you get is very awesome. I just love how weird the developers got with this game, that badge reminded me of that one song in We Love Katamari lol. Also the end credits to the game were really cool too.

In the end I did really enjoy this game and it's definitely a step-up from the NSMB games overall. However, it has enough issues imo that hold it back from being really great. I know that's a hot take, I'm not expecting a ton of people to agree with me but I'd take Mario World any day over this game personally. I'd put this game around on par with Mario 3 and 3D World methinks. Also speaking of Mario World, playing this made me wanna replay that so that's what I'm gonna do. Look out for that review next!

7.5/10

So after playing Mario Wonder and generally enjoying it, I wanted to replay my favorite 2D Mario. I wanted to see if it was total nostalgia that was keeping me from not liking Mario Wonder as much as this and well maybe it still is? Either way, as I did with my other playthroughs, I had an absolute blast playing this and still consider it peak 2D Mario and one of my favorite platformers ever.

I think the main reason I really love it, is there's just so many secrets to find. There's 96 different exits in this game and like at least a third or more are secret exits. They're everywhere and they're really fun to find. Some of them can be quite tricky for newcomers, tho I've played this game so much that I know where everything is. Finding a secret exit in a normal level and then finding a secret exit in that secret level you just unlocked, man it's just so cool. Every single time I start a new playthrough, I always go to the star world really early, it's super fun.

I also love just how weird and wacky this game is, a lot of the stages can feel very dream like with how out there they are. In general the level design is very fresh and there's new ideas thrown out you even until the very end of the game. The game is also chock full of brand new enemies, even ones exclusive to this game that never returned to future titles.

The general gameplay is more slippery than Mario 3 and while some players may dislike this change, I enjoy it. It takes a little getting used to it at first but once it clicks, it feels great. It's more skill based but also never frustrating at least for me. I also think the game as a whole is never super frustrating (well maybe some of those special stages lol) but also never a walk in the park. I think this game has a perfect difficulty curve, it can get a bit challenging in certain levels near the middle and end. Though you could also easily get 99 1-UPs from that one level with the immense amount of Koopas lole.

I really love the OST, it's very simplistic with how it's just different renditions of the same song for most of it but it really works. I absolutely adore the end credits theme too. Another awesome thing this game did was give Mario a lot of personality. Whether it's his hat bobbing up and down when he jumps, to those really wacky cutscenes that play when you beat a castle, this game is full of personality.

Even though I've played this game many times, I still have trouble with it at certain points. I had a really rough time trying to get the secret exit for Cheese Bridge Yoshi-less, and then some of the special stages (specifically Tubular and Mondo) always give me a hard time. Some castle levels also trip me up sometimes too, I don't think this game is super easy like I've heard some people say idk.

So in the end, yeah it may just be nostalgia talking but I truly think this game is peak and definitely peak Mario, at least for me. I love this game so much man.

Like a Dragon: Ishin is a familiar experience to RGG fans like myself, but definitely feels different enough to warrant its existence. Many of the pieces are there -- substories, minigames, goofy ass combat, and a killer main plot. There's a couple things that I think set Ishin apart, though.

The most obvious is the setting. I thought it was awesome to see this take on 19th century Japan, especially juxtaposed with all the wackiness of a Like a Dragon entry. The story it follows is one about incredible people fighting hard for the sake of their home, which is easy to get behind. I'll admit I thought it had a slow start, but I was captivated by the back half.

Ishin returns to real time action combat, with the notable twist of allowing you to equip troopers for your different battle styles which grant both passive effects and abilities. I thought this was a nice way to keep the combat fun, but unfortunately I only encountered a select few choices that were just way more viable than the rest so there wasn't a ton of variety. The game also tends to make its drawn-out combat sections a little too drawn out, throwing traps, bosses, and hordes at you without giving hardly a break.

I may just be fatigued on the Like a Dragon formula, but the innovations that are here to me don't heighten this game to the likes of Y0 or YK2. There's many things in Ishin that just feel way more tedious than they need to, and it feels like RGG did not do too much beyond reskinning one of the old Yakuza titles with a handful of new mechanics. Honestly, with some quality of life tweaks, overall less tedium, and a slightly fresher coat of paint, this could have been an instant classic. Instead, it joins the "good but overall unimpressive" camp of RGG titles.

After recently completing Yakuza Kiwami 2, I was extremely hesitant to start Yakuza 3. This hesitation was due in part to all of the Yakuza games I had played prior to starting this entry being much newer games. For example, with the exception of Yakuza 0, every Yakuza game I had played was either a complete remake of a much older game (i.e. Yakuza Kiwami 1, Yakuza Kiwami 2, and Like a Dragon: Ishin) or was built on Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio’s new Dragon Engine (i.e. Yakuza: Like a Dragon). Yakuza 3 would be the first title in the series I experienced that was merely a remaster - nothing more than a reskin of a title released nearly 15 years ago. With that said, the remastered façade of Yakuza 3 fades easily against dated sluggish combat, blurry visuals, and shallow environments, but the more personal story makes this an incredibly important game for the development of main character Kiryu Kazuma.

In this third installment of the Yakuza series, players step back into the shoes of Kiryu Kazuma, as he attempts to leave the Yakuza behind and run the Morning Glory orphanage on the island of Okinawa. Miles away from the dirty street of Kamurocho, Kiryu finds himself in an idyllic island setting, caring for the children of Morning Glory and building a peaceful life away from the criminal underworld. This is how players spend the opening hours of the game - traversing the island streets of Ryuku, playing baseball with the children, cooking dinner, catching fish, and solving everyday childhood squabbles. This peace on Okinawa, however, is short-lived as Kiryu learns that the orphanage faces the threat of demolition due to a land development scheme between government officials and the Tojo Clan. To protect his new found home and family, Kiryu must navigate the dangerous world of politics and shady real estate deals to uncover a conspiracy that involves rival Yakuza clans, corrupt politicians, a mentor thought long dead, and even the CIA.

If it isn’t obvious from the synopsis, the main story of Yakuza 3 is somewhat shorter than most other Yakuza titles. There aren’t an incredible amount of plot twists, main villain reveals, or tangents to distract from the main plot of saving the orphanage from demolition. This length, however, is not a bad thing. With the more contained story there are less characters to introduce, less villains to topple, and less subplots to tease out. The main plot then is able to move along at a decent pace and focus on the characters who mean the most to the story - Kiryu, members of the Ryudo family (particularly Rikiyia), the children of Morning Glory, and Yoshitaka Mine. Three of these four are introduced in the opening hours of the game that seems to be a point of contention for fans. In comparison to other Yakuza titles the opening hours in Yakuza 3 lack any real sense of urgency or danger. The player spends this time participating in small slice-of-life moments between Kiryu, the children of Morning Glory, and the Ryudo Family of Okinawa. This time, while slow and less action packed than veteran players are used to, really delves into Kiryu’s personal life, exploring his relationship with the orphans and his role as their father figure. These emotional moments add depth to the story and to Kiryu’s character that would otherwise not exist. While I can understand why players may be turned off by the gameplay here and believe it is a slow start to an otherwise great game, without this opening certain moments in the story just wouldn’t have the same weight and Kiryu would be the same Yakuza brawler he has always been. As for the last important character, Yoshitaka Mine, his characterization throughout the game is great. He is always portrayed as a loose cannon that could explode at any moment and, while I would have preferred he entered the picture as a villain earlier, he does a great job as a final boss and a foil to Kiryu.

As stated earlier, the combat, visuals, and environments really show the age of Yakuza 3. The combat, while still the beat-em-up style Yakuza games are known for, feels extremely dated and slow in comparison to newer Like a Dragon titles. Compound this with a lack of weapon, enemy, and attack variety, laggy controls, lackluster heat actions, and a game full of combat and you have one of the most mediocre and boring combat systems I have experienced in a Ryu Ga Gotoku game. The visuals, while upgraded from the initial PlayStation 3 release, are decent at best and awful at worst. While the faces and animation work of the main cast of characters like Kiryu, Majima, Haruka, and Yoshitaka Mine all look great, and the cinematics are obviously polished, the faces and animations of sub-story characters and enemies leaves a lot to be desired. Honestly, the opposing goons scattered through Okinawa and Kamurocho fared the worst in this remaster as several of their faces looked like Kiryu had already beaten them long before their heads were crushed with a vending machine or sign post. Finally, while I may have been spoiled by the Kamurocho present in Yakuza 0, Yakuza Kiwami 1, and Yakuza Kiwami 2, the Kamurocho available to explore in Yakuza 3 is incredibly bare bones. While there are the obvious mini-games to participate in, plenty of sub-stories to complete, and the always abundant things to waste your time doing, the explorable area of the city seems to be missing. Alleys are rarely accessible, buildings that were available to explore in prior entries are now closed, and restaurants that once could be eaten at are now only exterior facades. The blame for this is obviously on the limitations present in the original release of Yakuza 3, but it is still a shame nonetheless.

Overall, Yakuza 3 is a great addition to the Yakuza series that delivers an engaging and character centric story. While it may not have the graphical polish of more recent titles, its charm and depth more than make up for it. Whether you're a longtime fan or a newcomer looking to dive into the world of Kiryu Kazuma, Yakuza 3 is a trip worth taking.

When it comes to unique and eccentric gaming experiences, few titles can hold a candle to the enchanting world of Katamari. Originally released in 2004 for the PlayStation 2 as Katamari Damacy, this game has rolled its way back onto modern consoles with a remastered version in Katamari Damacy Reroll. The result is a charming and nostalgic adventure that introduces a new generation of gamers to the quirkiest universe in gaming history. As someone who experienced the original release, I was more than excited to once again try my hand at making the largest Katamari possible and appeasing The King of All Cosmos.

The story of "Katamari Damacy" is, to put it mildly, unconventional. You play as the Prince, tasked with rolling up objects by your demanding father, the King of All Cosmos, who has accidentally destroyed the stars and planets of the solar system. The narrative, while present after completing a level, is light and doesn't take itself too seriously. The dialogue and cutscenes are filled with whimsy and humor, and the bizarre cast of characters adds to the game's oddball appeal. This story, however, is really only a vehicle to get the player behind a Katamari to roll up more and more oddities, a fun backdrop for the game's wacky antics.

At its core, Katamari is a third-person puzzle-action game, where you control a small, adhesive ball (the Katamari) that you use to pick up objects and grow ever larger. The objective is to meet a specific size requirement in each level by rolling up everything you can find, from thumbtacks to people, cats, cows, and cars. Once you reach the specified size (or larger if you are fast enough), The King of All Cosmos turns the Katamari into a planet, replacing the ones he inadvertently destroyed. The controls, although a tad quirky and hard to get used to, become more intuitive with practice. You essentially control the Katamari much like a zero-turn lawn mower with the Left and Right joysticks acting as the control sticks. While this should be simple enough, the never ending amount of objects, insects, animals, and people you need to avoid until you are large enough to stick them to you Katamari is what makes controlling the ball, and the game overall, a challenge. The Reroll remaster did implement support for the Nintendo Switch Gyro controls, but I never utilized this feature as it wasn’t how I originally experienced the game back in 2004.

One of the standout features of every Katamari game is its vibrant and quirky visuals, and this upgraded version of the original doesn't disappoint. While the remaster retains the game's original whimsical and colorful art style, it is able to take full advantage of modern hardware, like the Nintendo Switch OLED screen, to deliver crisp, high-definition graphics. Furthermore, the soundtrack, composed by Yuu Miyake, remains just as catchy as ever. From the iconic "Katamari on the Rocks" to the soothing "Lonely Rolling Star," the music perfectly complements the game's unique atmosphere. You'll find yourself humming these tunes long after you've put the controller down, especially my personal favorite “You are Smart.”

Katamari Damacy Reroll, much like the original release, offers a decent amount of content, with a variety of missions and unlockables to keep you engaged. There's also a competitive local multiplayer mode that allows you to compete with friends to see who can create the biggest Katamari. Also like the original release, however, this remastered version is still a bit short for those looking for a more extended experience and doesn’t contain any significant new content.

Katamari Damacy Reroll is as charming, whimsical, and odd as its initial release nearly 20-years ago. This slightly new, yet still bizarre experience manages to recapture the magic of the original while looking better than ever. Its quirky visuals, delightful music, and uniquely addictive gameplay make it a must-play for both nostalgic fans and newcomers. While the lack of any substantially new content is a bit of a disappointment, the game's originality and charm remain as strong as ever. So, if you're in the mood for a heartwarming adventure through the cosmos with a dash of absurdity, Katamari Damacy Reroll is well worth the ride.

I want to preface this review by saying I have a negative bias when it comes to this game. My brother and I were rabid fans of The Walking Dead when Survival Instinct released and were more than excited to get our hands on it. The disappointment felt upon popping this game into the PlayStation 3 and playing through the first few levels, however, is likely the first true disappointing gaming experience I had ever had up to that point in my short life. I have since revisited the game as an older gamer, but it is still just as disappointing as ever. Over the years I believe my disappointment has turned to hatred and that hatred boiled over into this review. Sorry in advance.

The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct, released in 2013 for the PlayStation 3 and other home consoles, is nothing short of a trainwreck. While the game attempts to capitalize on the popularity of The Walking Dead franchise, it falls far short of even the lowest of expectations for a piece of media set in that universe. It's an absolute mess in nearly every aspect, a pitiful disgrace to both the gaming industry and the franchise it attempts to leech off of, and a slap in the face to fans of the show or comic book.

The gameplay in Survival Instinct is a horrendous exercise in boredom, tedium, and frustration, an endless repetition of sneaking around and dispatching the same zombie models over and over again. Furthermore, navigating its barren wasteland of a game world is akin to wading through a Georgia swamp - slow and boring. The game attempts to be a first-person shooter that captures the essence of the TV series, but fails to do that even at the lowest of levels. The clunky controls make aiming difficult with any weapon you equip, and the AI (whether friend or foe) is more brain-dead than the zombie hordes you are tasked with dispatching. Speaking of the zombies, you'll often find yourself simply running past them instead of smashing in their skulls because it's not worth engaging with them.

As for story, the game attempts to be a prequel to the TV series, following arguably the most popular character from the show, Daryl Dixon, as he embarks on a journey to find his older brother, Merle. However, the story is paper-thin, lacks any depth, and is really devoid of any worthwhile substance. Daryl, Merle, or any other character in the game are so underdeveloped and the story writing so painfully lackluster, that the game is unable to provide any insight into the personalities or motivations of anyone. By the end of it all we are really left with the same two characters the game begins with, as neither undergoes any significant growth. Furthermore, the character traits on display for each brother are either hot-headedness or assholeness, there is no inbetween. Anything more than that surface level analysis is far too deep for the writing of Survival Instinct. The game honestly feels more like a fan-made, low-budget spin-off than an official installment.

Even in 2013, the graphics on display here are subpar at best and atrocious at worst. Character models are bland and reminiscent of the PlayStation 2, environments lack detail and are uninspired reused atypical apocalyptic backdrops, and the presentation is just plain unattractive. It fails to capture the gritty and horrifying atmosphere of The Walking Dead, making the game even less engaging for fans of the series.

While the voice acting is serviceable (even though it lacks any nuisance of emotion), the repetitive and uninspired soundtrack contributes to the overall feeling of mediocrity. You won't find any memorable tunes or earworms here, which is a shame for a franchise known for its chilling and emotionally charged soundscapes. Survival Instinct truly falls short as a game based on a horror franchise as the sound design is anything but subtle. The grunts, groans, and shuffling of zombies is always so loud that you’ll never guess where they are and never once find yourself surprised by their appearance except for the obligatory jump scares.

The lack of variety in both gameplay and story, as well as the numerous technical glitches, make Survival Instinct an excruciatingly dull and frustrating game to play through for the first time. There's virtually no incentive to replay it once you've suffered through it once.

In summary, The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct is a shameful attempt to cash in on a beloved franchise. It's a prime example of a rushed and poorly executed licensed game that tarnishes the reputation of The Walking Dead. There are plenty of great games based on this universe, but this is not one of them. If you're a fan of The Walking Dead, steer clear of this abomination, and if you're a fan of video games in general, do yourself a favor and invest your time and money elsewhere.

Yakuza 4 was initially released for the PlayStation 3 in March of 2010 in Japan and March of 2011 in North America. Just like every Yakuza game released on the PlayStation 3, a remaster of Yakuza 4 was released worldwide for the PlayStation 4 on October 29, 2019. As the fourth entry in this long running series, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studios felt the need to expand both the game world and character roster for this release, therefore leading to the largest shake-up in the history of the Yakuza series - the introduction of four playable characters. These four characters—Masayoshi Tanimura, Shun Akiyama, Taiga Saejima, and Kazuma Kiryu—have their own unique fighting styles, backstories, substories, motivations, revelations, and minigames that makes them each feel unique. While all of these characters inevitably end up exploring the expanded Kamurocho, now with an expansive rooftop and underground area to explore, they each embark on their own separate journeys that eventually collide to form a single complex narrative. A narrative that not only functions as a sequel to the events of Yakuza 3, but also deals with the consequences of actions taken in Yakuza 0, the aftermath of Yakuza 1, and the failure of Kiryu as the Fourth Chairman and protector of the Tojo Clan.

As previously mentioned, Yakuza 4 introduces four distinctive playable characters. While the gameplay for each character stays true to the series' core - visceral hand-to-hand combat, engaging story-driven narrative, and a plethora of side activities for each character to interact with - all four protagonists are unique and have their own particular fighting style that is worth diving into.

The first character players are introduced to, and my personal favorite out of the four, is Shun Akiyama. Akiyama is introduced as a wealthy loan shark who owns and operates the credit company Sky Finance with his dutiful secretary Hana and the cabaret club Elise. With his laid-back and charismatic personality, Akiyama is an instantly likable character who will grow on the player as his backstory is revealed and his relationship with the citizens of Kamurocho and his secretary comes to light. Akiyama employs an agile and fluid fighting style, excelling in fancy footwork thanks to a wide range of kicks and hard hitting Heat Actions. Akiyama’s speed, however, has the drawback of lacking damage output when compared to the other playable characters, and his limited defense makes him vulnerable to attacks from larger foes. Without spoiling the plot, Akiyama's story arc involves financial mystery, complex relationships, love, betrayal, murder, and his journey to uncover the truth behind various conspiracies in Kamurocho. Akiyama's character brings a breath of fresh air to the Yakuza series, making him a beloved and memorable addition to the game's ensemble of characters.

The second character players are introduced to is Taiga Saejima, a formidable and stoic individual who has been on death row for the last twenty-five years. Saejima’s history and infamy within the Tojo Clan is deep, having been a member of the Tojo Clan's Sasai Family, being a sworn brother of Goro Majima, and the lone assassin of eighteen Ueno Seiwa Clan members in a brutal attack in 1985. As is likely apparent from his size, Saejima’s fighting style is all about brute force, relying on his immense strength to pummel enemies into submission. Thanks to Saejima’s massive size and bulk he is able to deliver high damage dealing punches and incredibly powerful grapples and throws. Nevertheless, his slow movements and attacks can be challenging to handle and will leave him open to attack if the player is careless with positioning. Saejima's storyline in Yakuza 4 revolves around his quest for redemption and uncovering the truth behind the Ueno Seiwa Clan Massacre. His journey takes him through a series of challenges, confrontations, and self-discovery, as he seeks to atone for his past actions and make amends for the betrayal he endured. His character is a symbol of resilience, strength, and the pursuit of redemption within the Yakuza world.

Masayoshi Tanimura is the third character players gain control of in Yakuza 4 and, thanks to his background and occupation, brings a unique perspective to the game's narrative. Tanimura is a detective in Kamurocho who specializes in dealing with non-Japanese residents, particularly the Chinese community. Tanimura is characterized by his strong sense of justice and empathy, which sets him apart from the typical Yakuza protagonist. While it is fair to say that most of the protagonists in the series show some sort of empathy in the several sub-stories that center around helping individuals and all of them seek justice, it is the way Tanimura goes about seeking justice and who he shows empathy towards that makes him unique. Unlike most in Kamurocho and throughout Japan, Tanimura has a deep and empathetic connection with the non-Japanese citizens of Kamurocho. Whether they be Chinese, Vietnamese, or some other Asian country, Tanimura helps these individuals navigate the complexities of life in a foreign land and aids them in finding a place in the world. His interactions with the Chinese community in particular reveal his commitment to offering support and protection to those who are often marginalized or face discrimination. After the betrayal of Koreans in Yakuza 2, this is nice to see and something that is expanded upon in later entries in the series (i.e. Yakuza: Like a Dragon). When it comes to fighting, however, Tanimura adopts a counter-based approach that turns enemy attacks against them. While he's a skilled defensive fighter, his slower attack animations and limited offensive damage makes him the weakest of the four in my opinion. His counter-based fighting style is interesting, but is counterintuitive when compared to the other three fighters on the Yakuza 4 roster. Tanimura's story throughout the game intertwines his quest for justice with his dedication to aiding the vulnerable in Kamurocho. As a character who goes beyond the typical Yakuza archetype, Tanimura's journey is one of compassion, moral integrity, and the pursuit of justice within the context of a city filled with crime and corruption. His unique role in the narrative adds much needed depth and diversity.

Finally, Kiryu Kazuma functions as the games final playable character and is introduced in the aptly named chapter “Reunion.” While Kiryu’s role in Yakuza 4 is more limited compared to previous games, Kiryu's presence remains essential to the Yakuza universe. After shadows of his past literally wash up on his doorstep, Kiryu once again becomes embroiled in a complex web of intrigue, crime, and personal challenges as he grapples with his responsibilities within the Tojo Clan. Kiryu’s fighting style in this installment remains mostly unchanged from prior entries and is really Yakuza 4’s best all around fighter. With a variety of attacks and agility at his disposal, Kiryu is as powerful as he has always been and can dismantle an onslaught of enemies with little issue. While his fighting style can feel less specialized than the other protagonists, it doesn’t detract from the joy of once again playing as the Dragon of Dojima after several hours with the other three protagonists of Yakuza 4. Kiryu's story in this installment revolves around his realization that he can no longer avoid his responsibilities as a Tojo Clan leader. He ultimately must decide whether his life as father-figure at Morning Glory Orphanage or his duties as the Fourth Chairman of the Tojo Clan are more important. This subtle character development, mostly thanks to the events of Yakuza 3, reflects his commitment to upholding the values and honor of the Yakuza world, even when he's not at the forefront of the action.

Ultimately, the choice of character will depend on your preferred playstyle, and each protagonist brings their own strengths and weaknesses to the game's combat system and overall story. I personally prefer the fast kicks, swift movements, and suave of Akiyama, but others swear by the counters of Masayoshi Tanimura.

On a visual and auditory level, the remaster doesn't aim to compete with the latest triple A titles but excels at what Ryu Ga Gotoko Studios does best - capturing the essence of the Yakuza universe. This of course means providing an incredibly detailed and vibrant Kamurocho that feels alive and authentic. You are able to hear and see the sights and sounds of Kamurocho come alive as you pass the cabaret clubs, convenience stores, and karaoke bars that line its streets. There is never a dull moment in Kamurocho and this is obviously apparent from what appears on screen and what comes out of the speakers when playing this game. Yakuza 4, much like every Yakuza game, is able to immerse players in its gritty atmosphere unlike any other game is able to do. This is one of the hallmarks and selling points of the franchise and something that Yakuza 4 does in spades.

The main story of Yakuza 4 is just as engrossing as any other in the series. It oozes mystery and neatly connects past events long forgotten to bring the last three entries in the series full circle. The main story, however, is far from all that is available for players to experience. There is a never ending supply of side activities, minigames, and sub-stories to engage with that only become more and more wacky and fun with each game in the Yakuza universe. Whether you're singing your heart out in karaoke, playing darts, or diving into sub-stories that range from heartwarming to absurd, there's never a lack of something to do in any Yakuza title.

However, not everything about Yakuza 4 is perfect. Traversing the crowded streets of Kamurocho's Chinatown can be an exercise in frustration, with cramped spaces and an overwhelming number of NPCs to try and avoid. Furthermore, certain boss fights in this game can become overwhelmingly difficult. One in particular is a recurring boss fight against Saito, a prison guard that appears in Saejima’s part of the story. After playing nearly every game in this franchise at this point, I can say that Saito is by far the worst boss fight in any Yakuza game and I despise anytime his face is on screen.

Overall, Yakuza 4 Remastered offers an engaging narrative with a diverse cast of characters and a deeply immersive world. While the gameplay has its hiccups, it delivers intense brawls and plenty of side activities to enjoy. The visuals and sound design contribute to the game's atmosphere, and its replayability, supported by an array of minigames and sub-stories, ensures you'll never run out of things to do in Kamurocho.

In 2003, Vicarious Visions would create the unexpected gem for the Game Boy Advance "Bruce Lee: Return of the Legend." This portable beat ’em up is, as the name suggests, a homage to the martial arts icon Bruce Lee and delivers a surprisingly entertaining, if not short, experience. The game, while certainly not the best pixel art on the GBA, successfully blends that retro art style with fluid martial arts-inspired animations to deliver a game that captures the essence of Bruce Lee's cinematic prowess and skill as a martial artist.

At its core, this GBA title is a side-scrolling beat 'em up where players take control of Hai Feng (played by Bruce Lee) as he combats waves of adversaries using his signature moves. The controls, consisting of nothing more than a few button presses, make it a breeze to execute rapid punches, powerful kicks, and exhilarating combos to dismantle the enemies standing in your way. Furthermore, the player can find a variety of weapons scattered throughout the levels, such as nunchucks and throwing darts, to further bolster their capabilities. This combat system, regardless of whether you are fighting hand-to-hand or with a weapon, is easy to pick up and doesn’t require a lot of time to master. I would have personally enjoyed a tad more variety to the combat options available considering the skill of the game's namesake, but the surface-level combat doesn’t detract from the game's enjoyability.

The level design present in Return of the Legend is serviceable. Most levels offer enough diversity and verticality to still be engaging, but levels rarely transcend beyond the typical beat ‘em up level found in any other game, which is completely fine. The most exciting stages, however, are those requiring the player to infiltrate an enemy base without being seen. This stealth gameplay, if it can be called that, is a nice break from the constant beat 'em-up action present in every other level and can be incredibly challenging without precise platforming and enemy patrol pattern memorization.

While the game is an overall triumph, it's not without minor setbacks. The difficulty curve can be unforgiving at times, especially for newcomers and upon reaching the prison escape sequence in Act 7. Certain boss fights can also feel disproportionately challenging given their massive health bar, impressive reach, and quick attack speed, but with practice, these challenges can be all part of the fun.

In summary, Bruce Lee: Return of the Legend was a delightful surprise for a lover of the Game Boy Advance like myself. The game not only honors the legendary martial artist in a way that will undoubtedly please fans, but is also a great classic beat 'em up game in its own right. With responsive controls and a visual style that pays homage to Bruce Lee's legacy, this title offers an enjoyable and nostalgic experience. If you're a fan of the genre or just want to channel your inner Bruce Lee, this is a game that should not be missed.