Alan Wake is a title that could best be summarized through the phrase "growing pains". It's a game with great ideas, an engaging story and picturesque landscapes. It is also a game that has problems with level design, enemy behaviour and unsatisfying combat. Most of what I liked about Alan Wake was its approach to storytelling and focus on characters. I liked Alan's inner monologue, and the constant tongue in cheek references to literature and writing got a kick out of me (someone dumb enough to get a degree in writing.) The way the game leaves you wanting to know more, getting you to go onto the next episode like a TV show, is genuinely well done. The Twin Peaks influence comes out in droves, and like the show, Alan Wake is quirky and intriguing with its mix of people and supernatural. When the game has scenes set in the day, it looks great! It's just that 90% of the game takes place durring night, and after a while, you get tired of dreary dark forests that would be easy to get lost in if you didn't have the HUD compass guiding you. Guns are satisfying, but there's little selection, and it won't matter too much when you're getting pelted in the face with hammers from enemies you can't see behind you. It just feels clumsy, like a first draft of a story before you send it off to your editor and beta readers for thoughts. It sounds like Alan Wake 2 delivers on almost every one of these problems, and I will be picking it up when I get the chance.

I've reached the end of the Metro saga, and we finish off with the absolute peak of the series. Metro Exodus takes the atmosphere and worldbuilding of the previous 2 Metro games and combines it with a detailed and fascinating combination of open-world levels with linear setpieces. The gameplay in Metro Exodus doesn't feel like a continuation of the previous Metro games, but rather a spiritual successor to Far Cry 2. Guns can be meticulously customized but they must also be maintained. there are pros and cons to every decision the player makes from utilizing crafting materials to gun attachments to side quests and fighting enemies entirely. I played the game on hardcore and I wholeheartedly recommend it as it provided a level of tension that I found very satisfying. I also just want to put a spotlight on how much the 4A engine has improved from Redux; everything feels so much smoother and less janky, as well as the graphics on display are amazing overall. I played the enhanced version with RTX on and the game looked phenomenal. I look forward to the next project 4A has cooking, but with the war in Ukraine currently, that may be some time away. I send my regards to the Ukrainian team, and I'm gonna start harassing people to play the Metro games.

Well, after playing Last Light I can say that it is a better game than 2033, but not by too much. As I was expecting it takes the base that 2033 established and streamlines more of the clunkier aspects of the gameplay. There's a larger variety of weapons, stealth felt a tad easier and the level design feels much more open to multiple approaches. You can complete most of the enemy encounters without killing anyone, but there is still ample cover if things get too hot. The atmosphere is still amazing and I like the new checkpoints and towns visited in the story as it feels like getting a small look into how a society grows within the confines of the metro. The story itself was decent but takes a more black and white approach as compared to the greys that 2033 presented. Instead of finding the dark ones, you're trying to prevent a conflict between the main factions of the metro. More explosive sure, but not as nuanced as the first. In the end, I still enjoyed my time within both 2033 and Last Light, and I look forward to moving into Exodus.

Also, my game kept crashing on the last mission so I guess I didn't technically beat the game but I ain't gonna reinstall the game just to play 10 minutes of the game and get an achievement lol

Having always heard good things about the Metro series, I decided to begin my journey with the series. Metro 2033 shows a great foundation for the series, but unfortunately, it doesn't evolve much higher from that. The atmosphere that 2033 is able to pull off is amazing, and the graphical fidelity of the game is outstanding at points. Everything else just feels a tad clunky. The shooting is satisfying enough but not amazing, the movement can be a bit janky, knowing where to go can get confusing at times and the amount of stuff you need to worry about (battery charge, gas mask and filter, pneumatic pressure, lighting cobwebs) is a bit overbearing. There is a charm with these Ukrainian games that shines through in both Metro and Stalker, and I am looking forward to Last Light as I've heard it vastly improves upon the base 2033 establishes.

Also having multiple endings locked behind stupid ass "morality" points that are practically never introduced is stupid lol

Halo Infinite is the next installment in the Far Cry series.
Halo Infinite is a return to the original XBOX classic.
Halo Infinite is the latest 343 flop.
Halo Infinite shows 343 can make a good game.
Halo Infinite has great variety.
Halo Infinite has no replay value.
Halo Infinite is dead.
Halo Infinite is fun.
Halo Infinite is

I've been thinking and I came to the conclusion that I should be more thorough than before. I've never played a final fantasy game before, although I've tried to many times before. I have copies of 6, 10 and 15 but I never took the plunge until 7 remake. While I don't think remake is representative of the whole series, it has engaged me in a way where I want to try out the other games again. The story of 7 has an amazing base, and I love the world building within. Midgar is a world I love exploring and seeing how people live from the slums to the Shinra towers. The characters are a fair step down in contrast, but they are with some good moments. Cloud is such a goober that tries to act tough it wraps around from being annoying to just funny. Barret is just overtly goofy, Aerith got that "kinda quirky doe" energy and Tifa has the characterization equivalent to a level 7 porcupine. They did grow on me, but that could be due to the fact it took me 6 months to beat this game. The gameplay is flashy, but satisfying enough to keep me engaged. Turn based combat seems to be quite the problem for some audiences, and I do think the real time combat suits the game well. It somewhat reminded me of a more methodical kingdom hearts, which isn't a surprise as this was directed by godking of belts Nomura. I hope the kingdom hearts 3 team enjoyed seeing this, I'm sure Osaka team loved this. The greatest benefit of this game is the graphical fidelity and sheer scope of the game. You feel immersed in this world, and the level of detail present throughout the game made me genuinely say "wow, games look pretty crazy now". Square seems to be one of the only companies that knows how to use unreal engine, but I hope the effort put into luminous and crystal tools doesn't go to waste. As I finished the game, I felt rather satisfied, and then started writing this. Play 7 remake, it's pretty good. Get it on pc or ps5, I can't imagine playing this at 30fps. LOL!!!!