spvrinna
Just good, old-fashioned video game-y fun. The racing has enough spectacle and speed to be entertaining, and the controls feel responsive and manageable. The game drip feeds new maps, modes and boats to unlock throughout to keep the experience feeling fresh. My only complaint is that the DLC, while really good, needs to be purchased separately.
The first time I played this game, I sunk so many hours into it I don't think I got a full night's rest for a week. Every time I go back to it the same thing happens. I really love how the game's complexity expands at the same rate as the player's civilization, slowly easing them into more difficult political and mechanical scenarios. It's brilliant.
2003
2002
A meta-commentary on a hyper-capitalistic society with a surprisingly touching story about two guys learning to do the right thing and work together. Ratchet and Clank is incredibly detailed, with environments chocked-full of considered enemy placement and level design, where the aesthetics of each world tell a story that's weaved effortlessly into the consumeristic themes of the game. All this topped off by an OST overflowing with club bangers.
The deconstruction of the Jedi/Sith dichotomy the series has always needed, KOTOR II tells the forbidden story of Star Wars: that morality isn't always black and white, and the monomyth is stupid. It's unfinished, and the party members aren't quite as compelling as the ones from KOTOR I, but the themes of the narrative and how they're explored are just that good.
2013
2013
2010
They actually tried with this one. The campaign is a benchmark for storytelling from any of the COD developers, with branching storylines, and loadouts and perks that unlock new gameplay options. I wish the multiplayer was still active, I don't think COD ever was or will be as balanced as this one was.