adiacone
Not all games should be as daring as The Last of Us Part II, but those that aim to be should take notes. Technical achievements aside, this was a roller coaster ride of emotions, unlike anything I ever experienced in a video game. Anger, love, empathy and compassion... they were all on display and I didn't get to choose what came next. From the moment I started this game, The Last of Us Part II drained me physically and emotionally, but if somehow the Lord gave me a second chance at that moment... I would do it all over again!
2017
As with most of these types of games, there isn't much gameplay to talk about. You move from place to place, listening to audio logs and uncovering a mystery on a spaceship. The experience is short, the mystery is intriguing enough and the voice acting is pretty good. A nice palate cleanser for a Sunday afternoon.
A nice little story, more of the same awesome gameplay and some cool new weapons. There's a brand new area to explore that's so well realized it almost gave me the chills and made me appreciate times when I had to go back to the warmer climates. Maybe it's in my head, but it also seemed like the face animations were better. I enjoyed this expansion a great deal, but f**k those Fireclaws!
It took me 5 years to finish this game, playing a bit each year. It never grabbed me like others did, for reasons I won't get into here, so I would always put it down and move on to something else. Yet, I managed to spend 60+ hours in that world, and by the end, I was hooked. I look forward to the next 60 hours! There is still so much to explore.
2022
This is not really a game, but more of a guided tour of the Steam Deck, with the same quirky humor and fun characters from Portal 2. I think they should have made it part of the onboarding process somehow.
It was fun, but it's tough to put a rating on it. J.K. Simmons makes a comeback as Cave Johnson, so that gets a 5/5 for sure!
It was fun, but it's tough to put a rating on it. J.K. Simmons makes a comeback as Cave Johnson, so that gets a 5/5 for sure!
2014
Through the years, I kept finding this game in bargain bins, but I ignored it for many years due to its middling reviews. In 2022, after watching a few videos about it, I decided to pick it up for 3 €. I mean... how bad could it be? It turns out... not that bad!
I found most characters and their voice acting pretty bland overall (except for Jordi and T-Bone) and the story was nothing to write home about. The main protagonist quickly turns from being just a hacker to a remorseless killer, which felt forced, despite them trying to touch on the morality of it all towards the end.
That being said, some of the most fun I had with this game was the gunplay and taking downs bad guys with a silenced pistol in slow-motion, after hacking my way through cameras to get a lay of the land. I ignored most of the side stuff and focused on the main quests, imagining that I'm John Wick and taking things less seriously. I was able to enjoy the game a lot more and even finished it.
Honestly, I'm really excited now for Watch Dogs 2, which I hear is a lot less serious.
I found most characters and their voice acting pretty bland overall (except for Jordi and T-Bone) and the story was nothing to write home about. The main protagonist quickly turns from being just a hacker to a remorseless killer, which felt forced, despite them trying to touch on the morality of it all towards the end.
That being said, some of the most fun I had with this game was the gunplay and taking downs bad guys with a silenced pistol in slow-motion, after hacking my way through cameras to get a lay of the land. I ignored most of the side stuff and focused on the main quests, imagining that I'm John Wick and taking things less seriously. I was able to enjoy the game a lot more and even finished it.
Honestly, I'm really excited now for Watch Dogs 2, which I hear is a lot less serious.
I'm not much of a pinball person, but this game quickly won me over with its satisfying gameplay, charming visuals, and relaxing music. The only gripe I would have is the lack of clear directions toward my next objective. The map is so zoomed out that it almost becomes unusable. I got stuck a couple of times and had to watch a YouTube walkthrough. Other than that, I would highly recommend the game if you're looking for that palate cleanser in between those big game releases.
The writing is better than in previous Quantic Dream games, but it's still a mixed bag and problematic at times. That being said, the presentation and acting are solid (Clancy Brown is great as Hank), and playing the game for 5 days in a row as if it was a TV show was a thrilling experience. Given the branching narrative and the number of endings one could experience, I could see myself revisiting it a few years from now.
2013
The fact that it took me a year and a half to finish this game says a lot. It certainly looks nice on the Vita, but it doesn't do anything special with either the story or the gameplay. Swipe to melee never stopped being annoying.
I also struggled with aiming, even with one of those Batarang-looking grips. And if you have fairly large hands, you will too.
I do kinda' feel like replaying Killzone 3 though.
I also struggled with aiming, even with one of those Batarang-looking grips. And if you have fairly large hands, you will too.
I do kinda' feel like replaying Killzone 3 though.
2018
I dig this format with multiple self-contained mini-campaigns. I enjoyed it in Battlefield 1 and I enjoyed it here.
There wasn't a lot of backstory to the characters you play, and yet they managed to deliver a compelling and even heartfelt narrative that kept me engaged.
Playing this back-to-back with Modern Warfare made me realize how different the games are in terms of gameplay. Sure, it's all left-trigger-right-trigger stuff, but one is more focused, faster-paced, and more action-packed, while the other features large open spaces and a variety of vehicles. I enjoyed both experiences.
There wasn't a lot of backstory to the characters you play, and yet they managed to deliver a compelling and even heartfelt narrative that kept me engaged.
Playing this back-to-back with Modern Warfare made me realize how different the games are in terms of gameplay. Sure, it's all left-trigger-right-trigger stuff, but one is more focused, faster-paced, and more action-packed, while the other features large open spaces and a variety of vehicles. I enjoyed both experiences.
I remember enjoying the first two games more than this one. The story felt convoluted and confusing, the main villain is uninteresting and the progression isn't very satisfying. Oh, and the UI choice for the skill tree is pretty weird. That being said, the game looks great, the combat feels pretty good and the bow is as awesome as I remember it. I just wish I had the chance to use it more. Tombs and crypts were nice, but nothing blew my mind.
2011
The first time I tried playing this game was on the PlayStation 4, but it didn't grab me, so it got lost in the shuffle. Last year I picked up a Vita and thought I would give it a try, thinking playing it on the go might help. It didn't, so I abandoned it once more.
Finally, when I bought a Steam Deck this was one of the games I was most excited to try. I just couldn't come to terms with the fact that this well-beloved game didn't click with me.
I managed to roll credits, but I can't say playing it was the experience I was hoping it would be. The gameplay did little for me, with the only things pulling me toward the end being the interesting visuals, the awesome soundtrack, and my stubbornness to see it through this time. The story was just ok, but the storytelling was pretty good.
This was the first game by Supergiant Games that I played and it was kind of nice to see where they got their start. Hopefully, this will help me appreciate their later titles a lot more, especially Hades!
Finally, when I bought a Steam Deck this was one of the games I was most excited to try. I just couldn't come to terms with the fact that this well-beloved game didn't click with me.
I managed to roll credits, but I can't say playing it was the experience I was hoping it would be. The gameplay did little for me, with the only things pulling me toward the end being the interesting visuals, the awesome soundtrack, and my stubbornness to see it through this time. The story was just ok, but the storytelling was pretty good.
This was the first game by Supergiant Games that I played and it was kind of nice to see where they got their start. Hopefully, this will help me appreciate their later titles a lot more, especially Hades!
2018
God of War is an impressive technical achievement, a triumph of game design, and a masterclass in what it means to truly revive and reinvent a franchise. On a personal level, this was the culmination of a story arc that began with a younger version of myself playing the original God of War on the PlayStation 2, my very first console game on my very first console. Almost 15 years later, here I am with a boy of my own, receiving valuable lessons in fatherhood from an axe-wielding Kratos. Who would have thought?
I played this while also playing Syndicate. I did miss the grappling hook, but I appreciated the shorter story and the little easter egg at the end. The naval combat makes a return, which I did enjoy. This was the perfect Steam Deck game! It works well, the battery time is pretty good, and looks great at a smaller resolution.
2021
This is by far the best couch co-op game my 12-year-old son and I ever played. The gameplay is so much fun and the levels are so inventive! Do yourself a favor and don't watch any videos before diving into this game. Being constantly surprised by the different locations and mechanics is the second-best thing about the game, with the best thing being the minigames. They are so basic, yet we spent so much time beating our high scores and I can't wait to go back and discover all of them now that we finished the game. Totally deserves all the praise it got!