System: Windows PC
Rating: 54/100
Playtime: ~1.5 Hours
Saw this and was thinking it gave off Little Nightmares vibes, but unfortunately those expectations were too lofty. The game is alright, and it worked as expected aside from some stuttering that was odd. The game was unfortunately just very bland, including a chase that could've been very fun. The enemy chasing you was one of the most generic options, and the setting wasn't enough to carry through. The second half was way more interesting than the first, and the paper gimmick was interesting enough, even if both halves felt like the same powers just tweaked a bit.
Rating: 54/100
Playtime: ~1.5 Hours
Saw this and was thinking it gave off Little Nightmares vibes, but unfortunately those expectations were too lofty. The game is alright, and it worked as expected aside from some stuttering that was odd. The game was unfortunately just very bland, including a chase that could've been very fun. The enemy chasing you was one of the most generic options, and the setting wasn't enough to carry through. The second half was way more interesting than the first, and the paper gimmick was interesting enough, even if both halves felt like the same powers just tweaked a bit.
System: Windows PC
Rating: 57/100
Playtime: ~1 Hour
As part of the Arkham City GOTY edition, there's enough here to at least get another mission's worth of time out of it. If it was 2012 and I paid for this, I'd be way more negative. At an hour runtime, it's interesting that they gave a full Robin build, when you barely play as him. Robin was a fun build to use, but I wish it would've been more to it, and less Batman who you just played the whole game as. I also see people talking about how hard this DLC was, but I had the opposite experience. I was taking bullets like it was nothing. The Hugo Strange fight was so difficult to me, and the Harley fight that was similar was a piece of cake.
Rating: 57/100
Playtime: ~1 Hour
As part of the Arkham City GOTY edition, there's enough here to at least get another mission's worth of time out of it. If it was 2012 and I paid for this, I'd be way more negative. At an hour runtime, it's interesting that they gave a full Robin build, when you barely play as him. Robin was a fun build to use, but I wish it would've been more to it, and less Batman who you just played the whole game as. I also see people talking about how hard this DLC was, but I had the opposite experience. I was taking bullets like it was nothing. The Hugo Strange fight was so difficult to me, and the Harley fight that was similar was a piece of cake.
2011
This review contains spoilers
System: Windows PC
Rating: 85/100
Playtime: ~11.5 Hours
A game that improved on Arkham Asylum in almost every way. The combat felt better, even if Catwoman was jarring with how fast she is compared to Batman. The cast of villains still carried, with Batman not doing much for me still. I did have an issue with the big bad of this one, with Hugo Strange just not doing much for me. It felt like what could've been an interesting story didn't get fleshed out, and it was back to Joker being the main villain again.
Rating: 85/100
Playtime: ~11.5 Hours
A game that improved on Arkham Asylum in almost every way. The combat felt better, even if Catwoman was jarring with how fast she is compared to Batman. The cast of villains still carried, with Batman not doing much for me still. I did have an issue with the big bad of this one, with Hugo Strange just not doing much for me. It felt like what could've been an interesting story didn't get fleshed out, and it was back to Joker being the main villain again.
2021
System: Windows PC
Rating: 59/100
Playtime: ~2 Hours
This game was just too chill. The home was one that I enjoyed spending time in, with the art style looking very nice. The gameplay was unique as you controlled the robot, and it led to some enjoyable platforming. The puzzling was something I didn't enjoy here, as it felt like it was just an addon for what could've just been a platformer. Act 3 made the whole game feel like nothing happens, and I don't understand why I got the ending I did. Unfortunately I didn't enjoy this enough to go through and see the true ending, so that's where it'll stop for me.
Rating: 59/100
Playtime: ~2 Hours
This game was just too chill. The home was one that I enjoyed spending time in, with the art style looking very nice. The gameplay was unique as you controlled the robot, and it led to some enjoyable platforming. The puzzling was something I didn't enjoy here, as it felt like it was just an addon for what could've just been a platformer. Act 3 made the whole game feel like nothing happens, and I don't understand why I got the ending I did. Unfortunately I didn't enjoy this enough to go through and see the true ending, so that's where it'll stop for me.
2013
System: Windows PC
Rating: 68/100
Playtime: ~5.5 Hours
It's a shame that this game didn't do as well as Microsoft would've hoped. As one of the premiere launch titles for the Xbox One, I feel like the shoes were just too big. It tells a solid enough story set in Rome, that is brought up by the graphics that are still very impressive. With just a shader and mod to remove the HUD applied, I'd say that it's competitive or more against Assassin's Creed Mirage. The combat is a bit dull for how often you're just facing hordes of enemies, but the execution system is kind of wild. I would've been so interested in what came next for this team, but unfortunately it just wasn't meant to be.
Rating: 68/100
Playtime: ~5.5 Hours
It's a shame that this game didn't do as well as Microsoft would've hoped. As one of the premiere launch titles for the Xbox One, I feel like the shoes were just too big. It tells a solid enough story set in Rome, that is brought up by the graphics that are still very impressive. With just a shader and mod to remove the HUD applied, I'd say that it's competitive or more against Assassin's Creed Mirage. The combat is a bit dull for how often you're just facing hordes of enemies, but the execution system is kind of wild. I would've been so interested in what came next for this team, but unfortunately it just wasn't meant to be.
System: Windows PC
Rating: 78/100
Playtime: ~8.5 Hours
I really enjoyed walking around the asylum, and feel like the atmosphere was the strongest aspect here. The villains also were a strong point, with a great roster of enemies in the game. The scarecrow segments were a nice change of pace as they popped up throughout. The final fight was a disappointment, and felt anticlimactic with no real fighting of the main boss. The combat started off with me feeling it might be outdated, but it's still holds up after the upgrades start unlocking causing you to think about your movement, instead of just button mashing like so much Arkham combat turned into.
Rating: 78/100
Playtime: ~8.5 Hours
I really enjoyed walking around the asylum, and feel like the atmosphere was the strongest aspect here. The villains also were a strong point, with a great roster of enemies in the game. The scarecrow segments were a nice change of pace as they popped up throughout. The final fight was a disappointment, and felt anticlimactic with no real fighting of the main boss. The combat started off with me feeling it might be outdated, but it's still holds up after the upgrades start unlocking causing you to think about your movement, instead of just button mashing like so much Arkham combat turned into.
2023
System: Windows PC
Rating: 74/100
Playtime: ~4 Hours
Initially drawn to Strayed Lights by the aesthetic, I'm glad to say that that held up throughout. The boss fights are also the standouts here, all of them unique with their own formulas, even including some perspective shifts. Unfortunately, the rest of the game felt shallow and didn't have much more to offer. The combat system was fun, but barebones, not evolving at all throughout the game. The enemy selection was also pretty limited. Eventually I got tired of seeing the same enemy and just ran passed to get to the next boss. The game is pretty short, which may have helped it not get too repetitive. For $25 it's a tough recommendation, but on sale or part of a bundle I'd definitely recommend it if the screenshots look interesting to you.
Rating: 74/100
Playtime: ~4 Hours
Initially drawn to Strayed Lights by the aesthetic, I'm glad to say that that held up throughout. The boss fights are also the standouts here, all of them unique with their own formulas, even including some perspective shifts. Unfortunately, the rest of the game felt shallow and didn't have much more to offer. The combat system was fun, but barebones, not evolving at all throughout the game. The enemy selection was also pretty limited. Eventually I got tired of seeing the same enemy and just ran passed to get to the next boss. The game is pretty short, which may have helped it not get too repetitive. For $25 it's a tough recommendation, but on sale or part of a bundle I'd definitely recommend it if the screenshots look interesting to you.
2023
System: Windows PC
Rating: 57/100
Playtime: ~15 Minutes
A short parkour platformer based on playtesting a game as the main character. I didn't expect the game to have voice acting at all, and especially not Nolan North, but it was a hugely welcome surprise. The platforming was fun, but some jank. I did enjoy the shifted perspectives and what was done with that, and there were a couple of set pieces in just fifteen minutes of gameplay. It was too short, and I feel like this would be a very fun game if it was eventually expanded upon.
Rating: 57/100
Playtime: ~15 Minutes
A short parkour platformer based on playtesting a game as the main character. I didn't expect the game to have voice acting at all, and especially not Nolan North, but it was a hugely welcome surprise. The platforming was fun, but some jank. I did enjoy the shifted perspectives and what was done with that, and there were a couple of set pieces in just fifteen minutes of gameplay. It was too short, and I feel like this would be a very fun game if it was eventually expanded upon.
2017
System: Windows PC
Rating: 86/100
Playtime: ~2 Hours
With Little Nightmares 3 on the horizon, I got the itch to see if the first two still held up. The gameplay and puzzles are pretty simple, but they feel good to play. The first chapter was much slower than I remembered, but I believe it's a good introduction to get used to the gameplay without anything too intense. The game really shines in the chapters after, however, as the character design and chases throughout still had me feeling involved even with it being my second playthrough. The ending felt abrupt, but the time there was definitely good, and I still want to get back into the second.
Rating: 86/100
Playtime: ~2 Hours
With Little Nightmares 3 on the horizon, I got the itch to see if the first two still held up. The gameplay and puzzles are pretty simple, but they feel good to play. The first chapter was much slower than I remembered, but I believe it's a good introduction to get used to the gameplay without anything too intense. The game really shines in the chapters after, however, as the character design and chases throughout still had me feeling involved even with it being my second playthrough. The ending felt abrupt, but the time there was definitely good, and I still want to get back into the second.
System: Windows PC
Rating: 89/100
Playtime: ~ 43 Hours
I've wanted to give this one a try for a while, as I've always enjoyed XCOM, and the idea of adding cards in was an interesting twist. The gameplay was a hit for me, as I thoroughly enjoyed the gameplay. I also went in expecting the Abbey to be pretty hit or miss, especially since I didn't have any familiarity with the Midnight Suns characters. Thankfully, I enjoyed that part as well, going to the club activities, building those relationships. Some of the characters I enjoyed the most even came from the Suns, which I didn't expect.
I have to talk about the 2K Launcher, as before I disabled that aspect I was having major problems with the quality. I don't know why it happened, but my framerate was so bad until after I disabled that. I didn't have many other issues, aside from some things like the enemies glitching on the battlefield, staying even though they were KO'd.
I only really do have nitpicks other than the couple of bugs, like when you'd have a conversation with people. They'd be talking about somebody else talking about how it needs to be a secret, but the person is standing right behind us. It wasn't a big deal, but it was kind of immersion breaking. I feel like the acts could've been paced better, getting a bit more equal time with other villains, but it wasn't a huge deal.
Rating: 89/100
Playtime: ~ 43 Hours
I've wanted to give this one a try for a while, as I've always enjoyed XCOM, and the idea of adding cards in was an interesting twist. The gameplay was a hit for me, as I thoroughly enjoyed the gameplay. I also went in expecting the Abbey to be pretty hit or miss, especially since I didn't have any familiarity with the Midnight Suns characters. Thankfully, I enjoyed that part as well, going to the club activities, building those relationships. Some of the characters I enjoyed the most even came from the Suns, which I didn't expect.
I have to talk about the 2K Launcher, as before I disabled that aspect I was having major problems with the quality. I don't know why it happened, but my framerate was so bad until after I disabled that. I didn't have many other issues, aside from some things like the enemies glitching on the battlefield, staying even though they were KO'd.
I only really do have nitpicks other than the couple of bugs, like when you'd have a conversation with people. They'd be talking about somebody else talking about how it needs to be a secret, but the person is standing right behind us. It wasn't a big deal, but it was kind of immersion breaking. I feel like the acts could've been paced better, getting a bit more equal time with other villains, but it wasn't a huge deal.
2023
System: Windows PC
Rating: 51/100
Playtime: ~ 1 Hour
Was looking for something short to break up AC Mirage and whatever I decide to get into next, and I decided to give this a shot. I was drawn to it when looking through the Steam Discovery Queue reminded of old flash games I played as a kid.
I knew that there was something to it from briefly looking through the steam reviews, but didn't know how deep the story would go. I though the utilization of visual novel-esque cutscenes along with the gameplay was an okay balance. Unfortunately, the gameplay wasn't very interesting, not going further than those old school flash games.
The story will be where you get the most out of this, and it wasn't clicking with my until the end did hit me. I understood what was going on, and the writing could've made me cringe but it was competent and didn't cross the line. The story unfolding left me wanting more, but the ending was a solid conclusion.
It was a free game, and it only takes an hour, so it's hard to go wrong. I'd assume that the less you know the better, so if either the style draws you in, or what you've seen from the story does it, I'd just give it a shot.
Rating: 51/100
Playtime: ~ 1 Hour
Was looking for something short to break up AC Mirage and whatever I decide to get into next, and I decided to give this a shot. I was drawn to it when looking through the Steam Discovery Queue reminded of old flash games I played as a kid.
I knew that there was something to it from briefly looking through the steam reviews, but didn't know how deep the story would go. I though the utilization of visual novel-esque cutscenes along with the gameplay was an okay balance. Unfortunately, the gameplay wasn't very interesting, not going further than those old school flash games.
The story will be where you get the most out of this, and it wasn't clicking with my until the end did hit me. I understood what was going on, and the writing could've made me cringe but it was competent and didn't cross the line. The story unfolding left me wanting more, but the ending was a solid conclusion.
It was a free game, and it only takes an hour, so it's hard to go wrong. I'd assume that the less you know the better, so if either the style draws you in, or what you've seen from the story does it, I'd just give it a shot.
System: Windows PC
Rating: 58/100
Playtime: ~ 13 Hours
Finally got around to playing the latest Assassin's Creed release, and I found it to be a mixed bag. I've played through and enjoyed the open world formats prior, but this was a welcome return to a more focused outing.
There were no game breaking bugs that I faced, but this far out I expected a smoother experience. There were things that I wouldn't normally care about, but they happened multiple times throughout my thirteen hours, so it has to be mentioned. The amount of people spawning in / walking through building walls was crazy, and things like floating rats also got me. I'm pretty sure things like this were mentioned in Valhalla, but I don't remember nearly as much in probably 10x the play time. The rendered cutscenes were also shocking, if it was just a FPS drop during them it'd be one thing, but I also experienced the audio desyncing, and what couldn't have even been close to 30 FPS.
The part that gets really bad is simply the story. I didn't find the storyline particularly interesting, even though I did enjoy the format that the story was laid out in. The characters had me longing for the side characters of Socrates in Odyssey, both main and side quests. The voice acting didn't help as some of them were just plain bad.
Going around and doing stealth led to some very fun moments, but the combat fell off and the stamina system left me frustrated. There were also moments where I pressed the button and it was unresponsive, when I feel like I should've had enough stamina to perform the move.
I feel like with the lowered runtime, this is definitely worth playing if you get it for cheap. There will likely be some moments you enjoy, and if the story clicks for you, you'll definitely get more out of it than I did. I don't regret my time, but it's not a must play either.
Rating: 58/100
Playtime: ~ 13 Hours
Finally got around to playing the latest Assassin's Creed release, and I found it to be a mixed bag. I've played through and enjoyed the open world formats prior, but this was a welcome return to a more focused outing.
There were no game breaking bugs that I faced, but this far out I expected a smoother experience. There were things that I wouldn't normally care about, but they happened multiple times throughout my thirteen hours, so it has to be mentioned. The amount of people spawning in / walking through building walls was crazy, and things like floating rats also got me. I'm pretty sure things like this were mentioned in Valhalla, but I don't remember nearly as much in probably 10x the play time. The rendered cutscenes were also shocking, if it was just a FPS drop during them it'd be one thing, but I also experienced the audio desyncing, and what couldn't have even been close to 30 FPS.
The part that gets really bad is simply the story. I didn't find the storyline particularly interesting, even though I did enjoy the format that the story was laid out in. The characters had me longing for the side characters of Socrates in Odyssey, both main and side quests. The voice acting didn't help as some of them were just plain bad.
Going around and doing stealth led to some very fun moments, but the combat fell off and the stamina system left me frustrated. There were also moments where I pressed the button and it was unresponsive, when I feel like I should've had enough stamina to perform the move.
I feel like with the lowered runtime, this is definitely worth playing if you get it for cheap. There will likely be some moments you enjoy, and if the story clicks for you, you'll definitely get more out of it than I did. I don't regret my time, but it's not a must play either.
This review contains spoilers
System: Windows PC
Rating: 53/100
Playtime: ~ 2 Hours
Bought this in a Fanatical bundle for about a buck, without really knowing what I was going into. I ended being shocked when I saw that this was made in 2021, with so much of the humor in it feeling dated. I've seen lots of people say that the jokes in the game were funny to them, but they definitely are the kind that make me roll my eyes. Just references needlessly, without a punchline, with Navy Seal copypasta-esque humor throughout, and some bacon on top.
The gameplay was fine, not much variation, and the puzzles didn't really feel like puzzles until the final section of the game. I really did enjoy some of the music, and the art overall was kind of cute, but the game won't leave me with much beyond that.
For the price point I got it, it was a quick and enjoyable enough experience, but it's not one that I'd recommend.
Rating: 53/100
Playtime: ~ 2 Hours
Bought this in a Fanatical bundle for about a buck, without really knowing what I was going into. I ended being shocked when I saw that this was made in 2021, with so much of the humor in it feeling dated. I've seen lots of people say that the jokes in the game were funny to them, but they definitely are the kind that make me roll my eyes. Just references needlessly, without a punchline, with Navy Seal copypasta-esque humor throughout, and some bacon on top.
The gameplay was fine, not much variation, and the puzzles didn't really feel like puzzles until the final section of the game. I really did enjoy some of the music, and the art overall was kind of cute, but the game won't leave me with much beyond that.
For the price point I got it, it was a quick and enjoyable enough experience, but it's not one that I'd recommend.
2015
System: PC
Rating: 65/100
Playtime: ~15 1/2 Hours
I had always heard good things about this, but I never got around to it until I saw it in the WB Humble Bundle. I didn't have any experience with Mad Max until this game, so it was my first exposure.
The gameplay is pretty fun, with some solid combat, even though I did feel like it was too easy. I enjoyed the story and characters, and from what I saw after beating it seems like they got the Mad Max aspects down pretty good there. Completing all of the main missions, along with the wasteland missions I'd say that the main story were all pretty fun, but the wasteland were hit and miss.
My biggest problem with the game is that I feel like it being open world hurt it tremendously. I usually like open world games, and some of my favorites come from the genre. Here though, the entire map felt so similar, and with the setting being what it is, it was just too empty. I felt basically no interest in completing more than was necessary, with the scavenging being especially bad, getting out of the car only to have one piece of scrap on the ground.
If it was a streamlined experience, only lasting around ~10ish hours, my enjoyment would've been higher.
Rating: 65/100
Playtime: ~15 1/2 Hours
I had always heard good things about this, but I never got around to it until I saw it in the WB Humble Bundle. I didn't have any experience with Mad Max until this game, so it was my first exposure.
The gameplay is pretty fun, with some solid combat, even though I did feel like it was too easy. I enjoyed the story and characters, and from what I saw after beating it seems like they got the Mad Max aspects down pretty good there. Completing all of the main missions, along with the wasteland missions I'd say that the main story were all pretty fun, but the wasteland were hit and miss.
My biggest problem with the game is that I feel like it being open world hurt it tremendously. I usually like open world games, and some of my favorites come from the genre. Here though, the entire map felt so similar, and with the setting being what it is, it was just too empty. I felt basically no interest in completing more than was necessary, with the scavenging being especially bad, getting out of the car only to have one piece of scrap on the ground.
If it was a streamlined experience, only lasting around ~10ish hours, my enjoyment would've been higher.
System: PlayStation 5
Rating: 77/100
Playtime: ~8 Hours
It was definitely a breath of fresh air to see story DLC that Rockstar put out. One that only left me wishing we actually saw what could've come out for Grand Theft Auto V.
I enjoyed the overall story and characters getting revisited almost as much as I enjoyed the main story. The main missions felt a bit short, and I didn't realize that the final mission came when it was coming. It didn't need hours extra, but I feel like an epilogue at least would've left me feeling satisfied.
One of my main issues with going through the main story of RDR now was that the gunplay felt outdated, or at least didn't click with me. This led to the some of the loops here feeling like drags; saving the cities from hordes, clearing cemeteries, etc. The shorter cities weren't bad, but some of them had 5+ bubbles to clear, and it just started to lose me.
Overall a good piece of the "remaster" package, and a good DLC that I wish we got more of.
Rating: 77/100
Playtime: ~8 Hours
It was definitely a breath of fresh air to see story DLC that Rockstar put out. One that only left me wishing we actually saw what could've come out for Grand Theft Auto V.
I enjoyed the overall story and characters getting revisited almost as much as I enjoyed the main story. The main missions felt a bit short, and I didn't realize that the final mission came when it was coming. It didn't need hours extra, but I feel like an epilogue at least would've left me feeling satisfied.
One of my main issues with going through the main story of RDR now was that the gunplay felt outdated, or at least didn't click with me. This led to the some of the loops here feeling like drags; saving the cities from hordes, clearing cemeteries, etc. The shorter cities weren't bad, but some of them had 5+ bubbles to clear, and it just started to lose me.
Overall a good piece of the "remaster" package, and a good DLC that I wish we got more of.