whatsnexttrevor
2022
updated after beating the game:
yea... best game i've played in years. it's so easy to just get lost in the world for hours on end. perfect, perfect game. so, so, so excited for whatever fromsoft does next. i hope it's a total curveball. in the meantime, i'll probably keep going and messing with different builds
updated review after beating rennala:
the way this game keeps unfolding is just incredible. it's of course still very difficult, but the world design and exploration make it so rewarding to pass a given obstacle and see the world keep unfolding further and further. i still haven't touched caelid, and i have yet to tackle caria manor, so i imagine i'll be doing this for a lot longer. i'm actually really glad to be taking this slowly. still, it's already cemented itself in my pantheon. i wouldn't be surprised if it's my favorite game by the time i'm done
first review:
still early, but yep. it's brilliant
yea... best game i've played in years. it's so easy to just get lost in the world for hours on end. perfect, perfect game. so, so, so excited for whatever fromsoft does next. i hope it's a total curveball. in the meantime, i'll probably keep going and messing with different builds
updated review after beating rennala:
the way this game keeps unfolding is just incredible. it's of course still very difficult, but the world design and exploration make it so rewarding to pass a given obstacle and see the world keep unfolding further and further. i still haven't touched caelid, and i have yet to tackle caria manor, so i imagine i'll be doing this for a lot longer. i'm actually really glad to be taking this slowly. still, it's already cemented itself in my pantheon. i wouldn't be surprised if it's my favorite game by the time i'm done
first review:
still early, but yep. it's brilliant
2021
as soon as you realize the structure and ultimate solution are not nearly as freeform as the game suggests, it loses a lot if its appeal. i might return eventually, but for now i’m going to focus on the more refined narrative stuff i’m playing at the moment
2019
the single most tense gaming experience i've had interpersonally. beat this with an ex, and it confirmed that the relationship indeed would not work. whoops
2020
gameplay is better than the original, but i hate the atmospheric and story changes they made from 2016. i hope the inevitable 3rd entry finds a happy medium between the prior 2
first review: i doubt i'll ever wrap my head around all the ideas at play here, but i don't think that's the point. for now, i absolutely adore the art and the pacing of the narrative
after finishing: well, it took me like 2 years, but i finally got through this. it's beautiful, impenetrable, and such a special work in the history of games. time to hit the essays
after finishing: well, it took me like 2 years, but i finally got through this. it's beautiful, impenetrable, and such a special work in the history of games. time to hit the essays
2014
my highlight with this one is the music and the uplifting tone of interacting with this world
2008
the memory of this game is magical for me. this really made me fall in love with exploration in games. the secret courses prodded my imagination. i must have created an entire secret side of the mountain in my head
2023
this game can't quite shake the knock-off portal vibe, but wow is the tech behind this amazing. throwing up random pictures truly never gets old. in conclusion, portal 3 when?
2022
great game pass pick up. still don't fully understand its mechanics, but it really plays like a fighting game. really love its spin on the genre, and getting my ass kicked online
2024
man, dunkey has made a reputation for himself over the years as quite the tastemaker, and this certainly legitimizes that rep. all credit here obviously goes to billy basso, though.
this game is so naturally intuitive, so delightful to explore, and so, so, so beautiful. this is easily my favorite game i’ve played this year, and my favorite indie since inscryption. what a debut for billy basso and bigmode. both have instantly cemented themselves as huge names to watch on the scene.
edit: just platinumed the game twice. yep, this one's special.
this game is so naturally intuitive, so delightful to explore, and so, so, so beautiful. this is easily my favorite game i’ve played this year, and my favorite indie since inscryption. what a debut for billy basso and bigmode. both have instantly cemented themselves as huge names to watch on the scene.
edit: just platinumed the game twice. yep, this one's special.
2022
This review contains spoilers
second take:
just bumped up my score, the more i think about this the more i love it. i love how they kept so many details mysterious. the goodbye at the end felt so gratifying, and seeing kratos finally, truly break (while keeping his full expression hidden) was just magical
first take:
god the production value is just ridiculous in this one, and it delivers without sacrificing gameplay. the story could be a little tighter, but the experience was so wonderful and gratifying, especially having played 2018.
they manage to keep the father/son dynamic the focal point, despite the far grander scope and all. that is probably this game's greatest achievement.
some characters felt more than a little superfluous, which is probably my biggest complaint. i wish we had more time with kratos and atreus, still.
either way, i'm grateful they didn't make this a trilogy, and i am very excited for whatever santa monica does next. hopefully it is a well-deserved break from god of war
just bumped up my score, the more i think about this the more i love it. i love how they kept so many details mysterious. the goodbye at the end felt so gratifying, and seeing kratos finally, truly break (while keeping his full expression hidden) was just magical
first take:
god the production value is just ridiculous in this one, and it delivers without sacrificing gameplay. the story could be a little tighter, but the experience was so wonderful and gratifying, especially having played 2018.
they manage to keep the father/son dynamic the focal point, despite the far grander scope and all. that is probably this game's greatest achievement.
some characters felt more than a little superfluous, which is probably my biggest complaint. i wish we had more time with kratos and atreus, still.
either way, i'm grateful they didn't make this a trilogy, and i am very excited for whatever santa monica does next. hopefully it is a well-deserved break from god of war
2023
dear god this game is waaaaaaay too long.
the combat is a lot of fun, and man the highs are high, but the lows are inescapable and the final villain isn't just weak, he's annoying. it is pretty hilarious how this game shamelessly imitates game of thrones, and ends in a similarly strange way. so much bloat. if you shaved 10 hours off it would be stellar. i nearly broke on the triple-fetch-quest for mid. sheesh.
boss fights are this game's saving grace. the production quality in those setpiece moments is honestly ridiculous, even if the combat within them can be a little clunky. mini-bosses have way too much health and some of those fights drag on way too long. that's really this game's biggest failing, there are pacing issues everywhere.
despite all this, i can't deny i had a lot of fun with this. ben starr, you're a treasure.
the combat is a lot of fun, and man the highs are high, but the lows are inescapable and the final villain isn't just weak, he's annoying. it is pretty hilarious how this game shamelessly imitates game of thrones, and ends in a similarly strange way. so much bloat. if you shaved 10 hours off it would be stellar. i nearly broke on the triple-fetch-quest for mid. sheesh.
boss fights are this game's saving grace. the production quality in those setpiece moments is honestly ridiculous, even if the combat within them can be a little clunky. mini-bosses have way too much health and some of those fights drag on way too long. that's really this game's biggest failing, there are pacing issues everywhere.
despite all this, i can't deny i had a lot of fun with this. ben starr, you're a treasure.
2010
i was more capable when i played this one, but man was it still difficult
2013
really loved it at the time! when i replayed it recently, though, i could see just how hollow it was, and just how far storytelling in games has come since. when compared to its contemporaries from 2013 (gta, tlou), it looks even weaker
2016
so relaxing, love fish