i understand how this is essentially the spiritual successor to resident evil 4 but i cannot get past the aspect ratio and the combat. while i do feel desperate (WHICH IS A GOOD THING) in terms of supplies and firepower, the labored animations and clumsily slow pace of combat make the game feel less like the natural and organic yet unsure movement style of a game like alien isolation and more like a tech demo that is still a work in progress. i also had major gripes with how much the letterboxed aspect ratio limited visibility, especially in the earlier parts of the game where looking over walls and through windows is CRUCIAL, but you sort of begrudgingly get used to it as the game goes on.

honestly not as jank as i expected. as someone who is a huge fan of miserable art, i really enjoyed both the story and the presentation. stylistically speaking, this is one of the most striking games i've ever played. the environments you traverse, especially ones dotted with bright signage and flashing lights, are beautifully distorted by the "lens" of the camera. i know the camera shake when running is controversial, but i really do like it. honestly, i really like the ending, too. there is no real closure and we don't get to know what happens to kane or lynch. it just ends. the soundtrack and voice acting are also phenomenal.