2023

Although incredibly short, this game was incredible. The music was wonderful, the pacing was great and the story was so emotionally fulfilling and incredibly heartbreaking.
I do wish the game added more context during certain moments but that didn't take anything away from how incredible the overall experience was here.

I think this is definitely one of those games where a majority of the players that played, allowed the negative reviews to impact their judgement...
This game was honestly fine. Redfall delivered quite a bit of really good stuff. The level designs were great, along with sick boss fights, a really fun combat system and a fairly decent story.
It definitely had some flaws but none were bad enough to the point it made the game feel "completely broken" like the general public put it out to be?

I definitely say give this game a go, especially in co-op if you can... I played this with my man @ConnerW and we had a blast from start to finish, and made some funny and great memories here!

You'll never be her...

* fantasizes about Friday The 13th *

Starfield has been a long time coming for me.
Once I found out Bethesda was making a brand new title with such a different and unique concept, I was very excited. I’m a huge fan of theirs with Fallout 3 and Skyrim being the big two and although Fallout: New Vegas was developed by Obsidian and not Bethesda, that’s another one I consider one of my favorites and one of the reasons why Starfield was so anticipated for me.

With that said, Starfield disappointed me. It didn't bring enough to the table, and nothing really stood out to me unfortunately... I'm not saying it didn't give me anything because it did, Starfield delivered some good stuff. It just doesn't feel new... There was so much more they could've done here and that was a massive let down.

Lies of P was highly anticipated for me and it still came through and blew all expectations I had for it...

I'm honestly shocked that this wasn't done sooner because these characters, this story along with the atmosphere and the world all combine perfectly for a true soulslike experience that feels completely new and original, and for me that was a huge relief because that's something that's lacked in mostly all soulslike games leading up to this.
It definitely has it's moments where you can clearly feel it's inspiration but it doesn't rely on it constantly.
The enemies, the bosses, the combat, the looting system, the side quests, the main quests and all in between definitely follow that beloved FromSoftware formula but it does it so well that it feels like something entirely new and i have to give Neowiz Games and Round 8 Studio's props for that because that is not an easy task to pull off.

With that said, Lies of P was a nearly perfect experience for me and will go down as one of my favorites of the year and is without doubt the best non-FromSoftware soulslike game I've ever played...

Being the die hard Soulsborne fan I am, I was curious at what FromSoftwares beloved Armored Core series brought to the table, especially after hearing all the hype surrounding it and unfortunately It's just not for me...

I can definitely see why this game is so loved and hyped up the way it is but it just didn't click for me right now, and that's okay. Maybe somewhere down the line I'll give this game another go!

Insomniac took everything we loved about the first game and elevated it to a whole new level especially from a gameplay standpoint, and like the first game, the story packs some serious punch behind it that pulls you in right away and doesn't let go. It's non-stop from beginning to end with endless surprises all throughout the game!

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 was everything I knew it would be and more, and a game I consider essential for anyone who owns a PlayStation 5.

Alan Wake 2 is one of those games that comes around once in a lifetime and sets a new standard for gaming, especially in story-telling, horror and visual effects.
This game is an absolute achievement in all three of those aspects...

Keeping it short, I've never played anything like this especially in the horror genre. What Remedy has created here is something very special and unique, and you can tell that this is everything they've learned/made, put it all together in one and heightened it.
I can't wait to see what they bring to the table after this because this was a crazy experience that I'll be thinking about for a long time, man...

I love the direction Nintendo went here. They stayed true to everything we love about Mario and made changes for a better experience and doing so made a game I’ve been playing my whole life feel brand new and I can’t praise them enough for that. This game feels so different from every other Mario game from the moment you press play, see the brand new art style, hear the new sound track and everything else in between!

Mario Wonder was a magical and at times surreal experience for me that is without doubt one of my favorite games of 2023.

Why does everyone feel the need to bother me while I’m asleep? JUST LET ME SLEEP DAMMIT!

Man... This game not only delivered one of the most unique and beautifully crafted world's I've ever seen but also an incredibly heartwarming story that I couldn't get enough of!

I want more games like this so badly!

Santa Monica Studio and Eric Williams continue to blow me away with how much care and heart they put into this game and this story...

In Valhalla, we finally get to see Kratos face the shadows of his past and reflect on an important chapter of his life that many fans will be extremely familiar with and honestly, I'm shocked at how well this worked... This DLC adds in a surprisingly fun and addictive roguelike/roguelite experience allowing this game to feel much more rewarding than ever before and allowing the combat to shine brighter than ever!
I was caught by surprise in many ways here with the main thing being how well of a job it done at making Kratos feel extremely vulnerable. Usually I feel safe, confident and unstoppable as Kratos but here I actually found myself worrying about how my next encounter was going to play out depending on how my previous one went and how far I was in my run and this made my playthrough feel super tense and extremely cautious and I absolutely loved that!
Also, the fact that this is a free DLC is mindblowing to me. This isn't your typical "free DLC" here. This is a full on epilogue with a lengthy and strong story behind it, new abilities, armor sets, trophies and much more. I easily would've paid $10-$20 for this so the fact it's free is awesome to see!

Overall, God of War Ragnarok: Valhalla is an excellent way to bring the Ghost of Sparta's journey to a close.
There is still much to be told but if this is it for the aging hero's Ragnarok journey, farewell, and amazing work Santa Monica!

(Also, I don't usually review DLC so this will be a rare occasion but if you know me, you know God of War means a lot to me and I love voicing my opinion on anything to do with these games so, this one was a must!)

After finishing this, I have now officially beat every Uncharted game but man, I’m really bummed I didn’t play this when it released in 2017 because this is how you end a decade long series!

This is almost as perfect as an Uncharted game can get! The Lost Legacy delivers a great story, great treasures, great puzzles, a stunning world, amazing and breathtaking action sequences that put you on the edge of your seat and two characters that have a lot of depth and value to them. Nadine and Chloe are a dynamic duo here and it was so badass to see this iconic team up!
I absolutely loved just about every minute of this game. Uncharted 4 is one of my all-time favorite games and my favorite Uncharted game so with this being an expansion to that was a treat and an amazing way to end the legacy of the world’s greatest thieves story-line.

I truly hope the Nathan Drake saga or this game ever gets touched or continued. This is as perfect of a story ending any fan or anyone could ask for.

Well done, Naughty Dog!

Final Fantasy is a franchise I’ve always been interested in but never picked up because I had no clue they were all stand alone stories. I always thought I’d have to start from the first game and work my way up but nope, you can just jump in wherever and when I found that out it really heightened my interest in them.
There’s quite a bit of Final Fantasy games that caught my eye but not like Final Fantasy 7 so I started with it first and man… I now understand the love and reputation these games have…

The story of Final Fantasy 7 is a roller coaster of emotions. It was brilliantly written, constantly throwing twisted curve balls at you from beginning to end and keeping things perfectly hidden until the right moment and I give Square Enix props for that. I know this is a remake and I’ve heard it’s technically not the same game in a lot of ways but this story was originally written in 1997 and it’s REALLY impressive they were able to express this story into a video game that didn’t even have voice actors at the time and yet still have a HUGE impact on the world with it and over two decades later, do it all over again.

The characters here are a huge highlight also. The emotional connection I had with all of these characters was built up extremely well. Cloud Strife, Barret Wallace, Tifa Lockhart, Aerith, Wedge, Biggs and Jessie all had phenomenal depth to them and something to really care for. I found that feeling intensify more as each chapter passed and that feeling never stalled once and by the end of the game, I loved a lot of these characters and that’s a rare one for me!

After playing Final Fantasy 7, It’s changed my whole perspective on these games. There’s something about the heart, passion and care that was put in here that excites me about the others and I can’t wait to experience more of these stories…