Infinite could have been excellent if it didn’t topple over itself with ambition, and had taken less influence from early 2010s shooters. That said this is still a fine game. The introduction sequence into Columbia is phenomenal and as beautiful as Rapture’s, loaded with detail and imagery. Booker and Elizabeth’s story starts enjoyable but jumps off the rails by mid-game into a convoluted cesspool of sci-fi screwery. The ending is unforgettable, both fascinating yet pretentious to experience.

Mature complex themes have always been part of Bioshock’s DNA, which are handled well but can be a little assertive; Infinite is no exception. The meticulous detail of Elizabeth and how she interacts with Booker and the environment is exceptional. Unfortunately, gameplay has changed to be linear, action-forward with less strategic elements and dismissal of the weapon wheel; losing a lot of what makes Bioshock 1 & 2 great. Grinding around the tracks with the hook is a lot of fun however.

Bioshock 2 might not have the peaks of the original in terms of story and awe; but it stands up well as a great sequel with many improvements, and with the best gameplay in the series. Improvements include tighter combat, upgrades, hacking, research, visuals, decisions that impact story, cult philosophical nuance all along with rapture’s immersive atmosphere. To add the ability to fire weapons and plasmids together is splendid. After all this time I fondly remember enjoying my online multiplayer experience just as much as the story, which was a blast. I must admit setting vending machines to explode was quite amusing.

The unforgettable introduction (along with other moments) to Rapture is so captivatingly enticing in the way it submerges you into its world. The twisting narrative, fine-detailed setting, atmospheric storytelling and portrayal of philosophical themes are all well-crafted. FPS / RPG elements are mixed in well enough, weapons with plasmids are satisfying to use along with the environment to overcome foes and obstacles. Unfortunately there’s a significant momentum drop during the final segments and a very underwhelming ending, but everything up until the big reveal and of course Fort Frolic is wonderful. Not a huge fan of the silly research camera and story-explaining audio logs.

Here I am trying to save my game and 3 substories, 2 biker gangs looking for pain, and a fun karaoke machine come up between the convenience store and the phone booth. In the world of Yakuza 0, curious distractions are everywhere, everything will try and pull you from advancing the plot. Thankfully it’s all good quality content that mostly never lets up. I can’t imagine being the one to decide box art for the back of this game. The plot takes a bit to get going, but when it does it’s exciting and very rememberable. Both Kiryu and Majima are great protagonists, and being my first Yakuza it’s clear why they’re beloved characters. Both main areas are graphically impressive, interesting and loaded with detail. Killer soundtrack, Pledge of Demon, Heartbreak Mermaid and t u s k go hard. I hope to play more from this series.

Dead Space is survival action-horror that’s as inspired as inspirational; taking, building and pushing the genre forward. Excellent design choices that prioritize on immersion throughout your horrifying time on the Ishimura, full of interesting areas, background story secrets, and of course the scary necromorphs. The ways each type of necromorph are introduced is great, especially with the divider; simple but effective. The weapons and focus on dismemberment is brilliant. My very minor nitpicks are with its endgame pacing and dated controls.

A decent debut for the series with that incredibly effective ‘Mad World’ commercial, was very awesome back in 2006. Playing this now, Gears of War tells a one-dimensional story with loads of testosterone; shoot, blow and rip stuff apart is your objective that thankfully doesn’t overstay its welcome. Mindless entertainment that’s best enjoyed couch coop on insane over beers and stories. Movement and shooting always feels heavy with delay, spotty bullet detection that takes getting used to. Influential ideas and designs are very apparent, cover and reload mechanics are enjoyable. I’d say it was worth the one story run, I’ve not played online multiplayer which is/was good from what I hear.

A splendid return to traditional survival horror with a killer aesthetic, perplexing plot and characters. Signalis is well-balanced between puzzles to solve, doors to unlock, holes to jump down, story to decrypt and fight or flight staying alive. Many awesome nods to various works of horror, especially with the quote during the introduction where I had to open my HPL book and find it. Good soundtrack that’s a mix of classical, noise and electronic that complements to the tragic and dark mood, and one I’ll be going back to.

I found joy in discovering Signalis’s cryptic intricacies post completion, as most of it went over my head and sought the help of others to wonderfully piece it together. One thing I’m critical on gameplay-wise is taking damage while tapping your way into a door or picking up an item, frustrating when you’re right in front of it and nothing happens. Overall, one I recommend for fans of the genre.