A doubling down on the ideology on display in the initial Sonic the Hedgehog. Now with refinements based on lessons learned from the original’s shortcomings. Gone are the antithesis zones such as Marble Zone, yet the variety of stages is still placed into the spotlight by simply breaking each zone into two parts instead of the original three-parters. The game is concise and direct, probably the most focused Sonic experience throughout the entire series.

Just as the others in the trilogy, there is an emphasis on the gameplay mechanics and everything else the game offers flows naturally from that point. A joy in the movement of Sonic, further improved by the plaything mechanic of the spin dash. Mashing the charge button to get Sonic to fly across the screen is the game-equivalent of winding up an automaton toy car and watching it zip across your living room floor. An emphasis on the momentum of Sonic, and allowing that movement to influence the subsequent level design is what has largely been missing from Sonic games in the years since Sonic 3 and Knuckles. The music is just icing on this cake. Pull up the Sky Chase Zone music, sit with it for a bit. If that isn’t an enticing tease for you, then you must be Nick Chopper.

On paper, 007 Legends sounds like the perfect concept. Using a period of unconsciousness that functioned as a break for title credits in a film, a game's worth of story is presented to the player as though it were 007’s life flashing before his eyes. This simple conceit allows for a game that briefly touches on a handful of standout moments throughout the entire Bond franchise.

As a person that grew up in a home where James Bond was an embarrassingly large portion of our re-playable film rotation, the proposition of ‘The Best of Bond, James Bond’ sounded irresistible to my ears. Looking at the films touched upon, it became apparent that the developers wanted to give each different Bond actor a time to shine with respect to the franchise’s history. My personal favorite Bond film, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, mostly remembered as ‘the one with that one-time James Bond actor,’ would finally be getting the recognition that had until now escaped it.

Jumping into the game, it quickly became apparent that the novelty of the broad concept was the only redeeming factor. If you don’t come to the game with a prior adoration or nostalgia for these films, there isn’t much to keep you invested.

There are a few things that must be reckoned with. First, the game quickly lets the player know that it has a formula, and it will not be deviating from it. Each film is broken down into a loop that consists of entering the facility, finding the villain’s lair, investigating briefly, getting out of there. The game makes you do this five times, once for each film touched upon, and then it is over. Any sort of variety really feels like window dressing that doesn’t meaningfully distinguish each film from one another. To further detract from any attempt to distinguish these experiences, the game used Daniel Craig’s likeness for each separate era of the series, the same gadgets are available to you throughout each segment, and the weapons stay the same. One caveat to all of this is the final Moonraker segment, which feels like a breath of fresh air at the final moments of the game, but even that stage is ultimately bogged down by the chunky mechanics persistent throughout the entirety of the 007 Legends experience. By the end, it is clear that what was meant to stand as a testament to fifty years of quality entertainment instead operates as a suggestion that maybe you’ve been watching the same movie in different clothes over and over for the past fifty years. If instead, they embraced the differences of these films, whether it be showcasing each era, styles in clothing, different Bond actors, or different weaponry and technology; it may have felt more like a celebration than an obligation.

Okay, so the story is presented poorly, and the levels blend together. Maybe the game-play could still entice someone to press on. Unfortunately, this too falls short of a compelling experience. The game is clearly a product of its time, presenting a James Bond story within what is essentially a Call of Duty clone. This is not necessarily a bad thing on its own. Call of Duty games have earned their reputation for a reason. Great sound work, careful weapon design that focuses on weaponry that feels good to operate, and some levels that break out of the typical first person presentation to allow the game to feel fresh as it progresses. Here, again, the execution in 007 Legends falls flat. The gun-play is not satisfactory, a lot of the enemies feel like bullet sponges, the weapons simply don’t feel good to use. An added perplexity is presented in the weapon modification system, that allows you to buy ‘upgrades’ that fail to distinguish your arsenal from that which you may find abandoned on the ground. The Q-Branch gadgetry also feels unnecessary and is generally unpleasant to interact with. The odd exception is a spy-pen that is somehow more powerful than any of the other weapons throughout the entire game.

Another bit worth noting are the segments that attempt to break the mold, whether it be the vehicle segments, a skiing segment, or the boss encounters. Each serves to underscore the poor execution of concept, and further distances the player from experiencing life as the titular character, a suave intellectual that always emerges unscathed despite the most impossible of circumstances. The clearest example of these failures at work are in the boss encounters. It is clear that the designers were uncertain how to present a ‘boss’ in a satisfying way. Each of the boss fights are presented through a QTE-esque fist fight that follows the same progression. Through matching your joystick placement with the one displayed on screen, James Bond engages in a fist fight with each villain. After a few punches are exchanged, the villain will appear to be losing. The villain will then pick up a blunt object. Through your matching exercise, James Bond will disarm the villain, and then continue to punch them until their health bar is depleted. This same boss encounter is consistent throughout each level and is only distinguishable by the character you are looking at as you complete the matching exercise.

In the end, as a fan I must say I was very disappointed in this game. Now that I’m done with the experience, I can only help but wonder how this game would hold up for someone with no prior attachment. Without any interest in references to the films, I can’t see a person lasting beyond a level or two. Even as a die-hard, I can’t help but feel I wasted my time. Now as I’m sitting here writing this, I’m also realizing that the game fails to revisit the opening concept: James Bond, unconscious, reliving these memories. Instead of suggesting that something was learned as he comes out of his unconscious state, the game simply ends and we never even learn if he awakens again. This lack of consideration for even the most basic of narrative considerations speaks to the inattention on display throughout 007 Legends.

As I reflect on James Bond as a character, and consider the characteristics that have lead to his status as a cultural icon. I realize that the James Bond contained within 007 Legends fails to capture almost any of the appealing aspects of one of the longest running film franchises of all time. It's honestly impressive.

Before diving into the world of Control, I tried to avoid reviews and comments on the game as much as possible. I knew Control had received a ton of accolades, and I was also aware of the broad strokes: a mash-up of Twin Peaks, Lost, and X-Files, wrapped around a third-person shooter/puzzler. My initial thought was, “sign me up.”

Sitting a couple hours deep, I began to feel my contrarian tendencies boiling up. The game felt sluggish to control, the visuals just felt a bit off, and I could really only describe my experience to that point as flat. Luckily, someone suggested that I switch my PS5 from the graphics mode to performance. Like a driver stepping out of an Audi A3 to get behind the wheel of an Audi RS3, I was reinvigorated. Changing to 60fps completely transformed the feel of the game. It’s the first time I’ve ever been aware of such a notable change in game-play and its effects on my enjoyment.

Refreshed and determined to see the mission through, I continued to push deeper into ‘The Oldest House’ to see whether there was actually a great game hidden hours in. By the time it was over, I could say that although it had grown on me, I was not left completely satisfied.

As you progress, you amass a wider range of powers. Each power unlocked makes the combat more varied and compelling, but unfortunately you won’t fully appreciate the mechanics of these battles until you are well into the final stretch of the game. Once the game resolves, you have finally seen the combat click into place in a satisfying way, but sadly at that point you are only left with whatever endgame and DLC you choose to explore.

As high as it may appear I am on the fighting by the end, I still wish there had been some more variety in how the various enemies were designed. After hours fighting the same 5 or 6 things, they started to blend together and feel indistinguishable. Some could fly, some could warp, but they all looked like one another. Additionally, the checkpoint system felt pretty archaic. There were a handful of times where I accomplished my main task, and accidentally died soon after. Oddly enough my death would be rewarded, the previous checkpoint so distant that I would accidentally leapfrog a portion of the challenge.

With regards to the story, there is an impressive level of ‘collectibles,’ paperwork, tapes, and the like--all contributing to the larger mood of the game. Unfortunately, if you’re like me and constantly fear that you’re missing vital story beats contained within an obscure invoice or note, you’ll get easily bogged down by the overwhelming level of detail here. Perhaps the game could have better flagged what was essential reading, or introduced some voice-over work to allow you to review the contents while continuing on with your mission. Maybe this criticism says more about me than the game itself.

The story also relies in part on various mixed media/video pieces that are both well executed and entertaining. They often lighten the mood of an otherwise dreary setting. When the game presents the story through it’s character models interacting with one another, the segments feel somewhat wooden and often pull away from any immersion the game otherwise succeeds in.

All this is to say, I suppose I was ultimately underwhelmed by Control. There were aspects that I really enjoyed, but it was clear that there was plenty of room for improvement. If you told me a sequel was on the horizon, I would be interested yet again, but I hope that they would build upon the frame of a good game they have here.