50%Nintendo Switch

It's not the same but, in Mario 64 or Pseudoregalia, the non linearity aids to what can feel like game breaking achievements. When you get a star, you can go the normal way or commit to some back-flip wall-jump long-jumps and reach it way faster. Now imagine if instead of an area you can navigate to maximize efficiency you've got an instant win button; that's Echoes of Wisdom. And that was really fun for the first 10 hours, but soon after I just felt nothing. I don't remember a majority of my time with this game; most of what I remember is the times I couldn't hit the instant win button. The Deku prison escape and the Lanayru Temple Dungeon were full of really interesting puzzles that you had to think about to solve. While basic, it had been so long since I used anything other than a bed or floating tile, that it had me struggling for a minute. The music rarely hit, the UI is atrocious, terrible quest rewards, useless as fuck mechanics (wind-up and smoothies), most dialog is from lobotomites, and the performance issues made me (who doesn't ever notice that sort of thing) notice. The bosses and map are great, Zelda is a fun and unique character, the graphics are good, and the lore implications are neat. Being honest though it makes me scared to replay Tears of the Kingdom out of ruining a good experience. I didn't discover the "goblin cycle" until late in the game, and did my best to engage with the level designs. But in that fire temple, fighting with the cart mechanics made me feel silly for not constructing a flying machine. And that's what my dissonance and frustration is all about: having an arguably less fun time by breaking it in the same ways the whole game, V.S. the many different ways it might've been planned but not designed.

95%PlayStation 4

God of War (2018) is like a 20 hour multi-coursed fancy meal with each course being better than the last. This is especially apparent in the slow first course tutorial, but after that the gameplay and environments really hit their stride. The levels are a series of small to medium sized areas that are crammed with chests and eviromental puzzles you have to solve to progress. While you're adventuring, you'll be ambushed by many enimies. With your axe youll be: hacking, slashing, pounding, freezing, boomeranging, beyblading, AOEing, lunging, smacking, and more. Then theres the shield, rage, blades of chaos, and the boy which each have their own skill trees, runes, and builds. The awsome combat in God of War incentives exploration to get more runes for more moves to try out, hacksilver to upgrade your armor for better stats and more slots, etc. With plenty collectibles and secret bosses for those who seek to see 100% of this finely crafted world. The story and score are perfectly matched with the atmosphere of the Norse mythological setting. Both will be hitting you right in the feels multiple times. Each character is very well written with great voice acting. I found myself actually cheering them on and being disappointed (in a good way) with and for them so many times on their journey to take the boys mothers ashes to the highest peak. There's very little i didnt like about the game and it made me very hyped to play Ragnarok next.

100%Nintendo Switch

A wonderful (little) extra map for a wonderful game! Cool concepts such as: a platforming boss, a speed run boss, a wave riding mini game, and a new arc for the secondary antagonist Barma'thazël. Unfortunately though, the post credits scene sets up the next DLC that never came. Amazing. Fantastic. Some high quality content. An shining example of indie games going further beyond!

65%Nintendo Switch

I don’t have much to say about such a short experience. It’s a super creative and tightly designed Mario platformer, and definitely one of the most unique in the series. The physics are also very different from any other game. What definitely makes it the most unique is the level design and the enemies. However, that’s not enough to convey the experience. Play it yourself; it took me less than an hour!

85%Nintendo Switch

Like the original Star Fox on the SNES, I expected this game to feel a bit clunkier than 3D. However, my only issues that remain after completing just one playthrough are related to the controls on the Switch. Recently I watched a side-by-side graphical comparison between the original and the remake, and I suddenly admire both much more. The game's graphics and sound design are really good for the era and didn't need a lot of tweaking to be great. It's super fun and worth revisiting for the 64s charm!

100%Emulated

I have played through this game three and a half times, averaging an hour per completion. For me, a game must be incredibly engaging to warrant that many back-to-back playthroughs. Gunstar Super Heroes has no brakes and no dull moments. At all times in this game, there is at least one explosion on the screen; even though it's a Game Boy Advance title, it rarely lags. It's an action side-scroller similar to Contra, Metal Slug, and Mega Man. It blows each other game out of the water in strictly game play and story. Each of the three firing modes for both protagonists has its situational use in level and boss combat. Other moves include a melee attack, dash, and a special firing mode for each of the three styles. The story adjusts with the difficulty, meaning that on easy mode, its dialogue parallels a Saturday morning cartoon, while on hard mode, it draws an almost Evangelion parallel. I love the way the latter contrasts with the cartoon style! Someone show me a better game like this that has come out since, because I can't see any.

85%Wii

Bring back FlingSmash 2024! This game mixes the fun of ping-pong with pinball in the sense that your smacking the ball back in forth while interesting things happen. There are 8 worlds that each have a special theme and gimmick such as: currents, becoming small or heavy, cannons, grinding rails, keys, and more. The amount of force you use to fling Zip around doesn't matter; making a lot of wrist pain from similar motion controls focused Wii games a minor issue. The story works in the smaller beginning and end of world cutscenes, but in the longer one's I wouldn't have minded less of it. Ultimately, this is a fun and gameplay focused game over everything else. The island aesthetics and character designs serve perfectly in propelling this game to one of my favorite titles on Wii. Never leave the house without it.

90%PlayStation 4

Doom, as a franchise, is very important to the FPS genra. Doom 2016 buries every other installment in the ground to me. The music is fire, the gameplay is transcendent, and the graphics are stunning. Every gun you unlock as you progress has unique HD rumble and upgrade paths. The exploration is Metroid Prime-esque with some environmental story telling, but is mostly a means to power up and cool down between fights. You'll be gliding around mowing down hordes of hellspawn with a wide range of ballistics while the most intense djent (a subgenre of prog metal) plays adaptively with the action! You have to play it to understand. I recommend this game 1000%.

35%Wii

Thank god the Sonic Storyboard series was cancelled, because I don't I don't think I could stand another one of these. The game does do a few things better than Secret Rings though, such as: more actions mapped to buttons, vastly improved ui, better story, less time to beat, cohesive soundtrack, and better cutscenes. None of that however matters much as its still an awful experience to play. Where as the last entry had only a couple segments dedicated to waggling the wiimote intensely, Black Knight makes it a core mechanic. There are a lot more enemies this time around and if you thought there was an upgrade again to mitigate this you'd be wrong. You unlock Blaze, Knuckles, and Shadow after the first pair of credits, but barring knuckles they mostly make the gameplay worse. It was someones job to look at this and say "Y'know what... ship it". Fuck that guy. It's best aspect is how short it is; and I reckon the party mode is good again. I'm glad I played it, but wouldn't recommend anyone else play it.

65%PC

Soma contains one of the most interesting narratives I've ever experienced, too bad it's wrapped in boring gameplay elements. The video game format is very effective in delivering some banger moments about: the meaning of self, humanity, society, friendship, the end of the world, time travel, ai, etc. It's impossible to to talk about the story without spoiling major aspects, so I'll just say you have to experience it yourself! The gameplay, however, has some major flaws. It seems that Frictional Games had a very cool idea for environments and monsters with little clue on how to effectively tie them together. Instead of focusing on the interesting moral/ ethical decisions or puzzles, it relies on generic hide-and-seek then chase gameplay that feels like a dull waste of time. Multiple occasions I found myself waiting minutes for a creature to move away from the door I needed to go through. Several other times, after making through said door, there would be a chase sequence where I'd have to rush through the area missing all the neat things that are there. And I knew I would have to wait (again) for the monster to scuttle away to see them. My recommendation would be to play on safe mode. A few sequences will not care what mode you're in, but there's a lot less of them than normal ones. In safe mode enemies won't chase you; letting you explore without wasting time on running away or sneaking. The voice acting performances are fantastic and make the whole journey super immersive. Solving puzzles is, also, very well integrated to the aesthetics. Wrapping up, the games got some great moments and the story is a definite 10/10, but you need to work through medium-sized segments of major boredom.

80%PC

FAITH creates a very creepy atmosphere that, while not scary, does manage to be unsettling. The games got some deep lore that's not too much effort to uncover yourself if you're up to finding and piecing it together. My one playthrough and lore video was enough to satisfy me though. There's 5 endings and 1 secret boss, so there's a lot to keep you entertained if the one hour runtime leaves you feeling empty. The Atari-style graphics and rotoscope animation are both very charming; and the controls are simple but effective. FAITH is a good time and theres a lot here to keep you entertained. A shining example of self-contained/ analog horror as a video game.

50%Nintendo Switch

Mega Man (1987) would've been a major pain on the original hardware. This game is, straight-up, mean to the player. There would've been so many unfair deaths without rewind. Some of the design in this game is pretty good, like: the levels, boss moves, graphics, and music. But none of that matters if you wouldve been through hundreds of game overs to experience all of it. Save states and rewind are the only reason i was able to reach the credits. The stages themselves are fine barring pits and spikes, but bosses cut you no slack. I have no doubt using the password system this game would've taken 5x long and been 1/2 as enjoyable. That's understandable for then, but I have better things to play and not get stuck on 36 years later.

60%Wii

Certified hood classic. Chicken Shoot delivers a light gun arcade shooter right at home. With amazing hand-drawn landscapes and animation, you can be blasting away at chickens for hours on end (right from your couch)! Play alone or with friends! It's not complicated, just 1. point the wiimote at a chicken, 2. press b until, 3. tap a to reload! There are power ups, wiimote sounds, rumble, and enviromental aounds/ music to increase immersion! Enjoy arcade or classic mode! An absolute must have for Nintendo Wii owners.

95%Wii U

Kirby and the Rainbow Curse is the most creative Kirby since Mass Attack and Canvas Curse on the DS. My favorite part about this game, hands down, is the claymation artstyle. The colors are popping and the graphics are on point. Unfortunately, being on the WiiU did this game no favors. It fails to utilize both screens; with the only unique feature being the touch pad/ stylus gameplay. I played this all on the gamepad using no buttons (it helps that it feels so nice to hold). You complete stages by drawing a line for Kirby to travel and tap Kirby to briefly speed up or attack. There are 3 levels and a boss in each world with no level exeeding 10 minutes. It sounds pretty shallow and basic, but all of the worlds introduce machanics that play off the controls in a very interesting way. The best examples being: blocking projectiles, solving puzzles, changing cart tracks, preventing floating and falling, clearing clay, guiding missiles, and more. In terms of story it's another "Kirby Possession Plot tm," but with new clay characters so nothing crazy. When I played this game the first time near a decade ago I remember the multiplayer being really fun. P2 controls Bandana Waddle Dee in a more traditional control scheme. Along with traveling on Kirby's paths, P2 can clear out enemies taking some heat off P1. 100%ing would've been a pain with a certain collectable only obtainable at the end of the level in an almost roulette game. Only a few songs in the soundtrack stuck out to me through the gamepads tiny speakers. Other than that, Rainbow curse is an absolute delight and is the most unique main console Kirby in the last 20 years!

70%Nintendo Switch

This game would be bullshit without NSO features. Otherwise I'm really satisfied to be honest. A decent little run-and-gun platformer challenge with decent graphics, sound, and gameplay. The only necessary rewind moments deal with the over abundant usage of instant death spikes. There's segments in levels too of falling down screens and not being able to even see them coming. The intention, I believe, was to add challenge by relying on players pattern memory. However you'll never have over 3 or 4 lives, meaning you'd game over frequently and need to restart the game or remember your password. Other than those issues most of the level design is pretty good as well as the enemy robots you fight. A very good "highlights reel" of the real game that fits in your pocket.

60%Nintendo Switch

To me, Castlevania Legends has enough redeeming qualities to place above mid. For a gameboy title, it holds up well enough. If you prefer the older style of Castlevania you ought to play this entry. There is little story and what it has is retconned. There are 3 cutscenes and a secret ending should you get all the collectables, but I think the default ending is just fine. The level design isn't that bad... if you're emulator supports rewind. Sevral levels have an abundance of bottomless pits and if your control input is a hair off it could be a game over. There is also a timer mechanic where you'll have 10 or so minutes to reach the end, otherwise you end up at you're last invisible checkpoint. The levels are also designed with a few forking paths. The game will not make it clear which way progresses the level or which leads to 1/5 of the collectibles. The only deaths I had due to the timer were because of that. But if you take the collectable path you can just turn around and take the proper one as it never goes very far. If you're planning on going in traditionally, however, there is a 1-up and password system where dying without any means a game over. My first playthrough a few years ago I used a movement speed patch which I think made the game better. Anyway, it took me under 2 hours to beat on Nintendo Switch Online, so I recommend trying this if youre a fan of the best style of Castlevania.

30%Wii

Playing Sonic and the Secret Rings, I had caught myself having some fun until another 15 seconds had passed and I was reminded how broken the game is. The game has a unique style and auto-runner gameplay that I believe could've been pulled off. But it's bogged down by all of the terrible level design decisions, bad controls, poor voice acting, barely serviceable ui, and disjointed story. Besides being a nightmare to play, the soundtrack (only 14 songs) and level+character models are alright. The biggest hurdle playing this game is just the motion controls. Just tilting the wii remote would've been fine, but having to shake the controller for near every action instead of a button is literally headache indicating. Before getting some ring upgrades late in the game, doing a homing attack will kill your momentum. Sonic takes a long time to reach max speed as well. Getting hit also, of course, kills your momentum. You get two special skills, both are mostly useless. Speed break makes you go really fast, but your not invincible and will often be hurt by using this. Time break slows the game down which isnt usefull at all until the first Erazor Djinn fight. I'd reccomended playing this entry in the abandoned Sonic Storybook series if you enjoy frustration and missed potential.

80%Nintendo Switch

I did not go into this expecting anything like Star Fox Command, but only the good parts. The game is so arcade-like and fun I could easily see it being a competitive game with friends. In the year 2024, almost 20 years later though, you'll be better off looking somewhere else. For as much replay value it has, the actual content itself is pretty thin. One new feature the game adds the walker; adding a whole new method of control and exploration. While the walker is fun i feel like it's to the detriment of the Arwing combat, as you're only able to fly in third person in special segments. Being able to swap between both forms of movement though is really cool and pulled off well. Another new feature it adds is the Wingman system which allows you to switch pilots whenever on the map. Different pilots have different abilities and I found myself only switching when one pilot was damaged. You're Great Fox is the method of healing and quickly teleporting around the map. Strategies for defending Cornaria will deploy all of these mechanics to win and take the fight to Andross. The biggest weakness this game has is the tossing of stages/levels to focus on space and starship battles. All dogfights are in 3D environments with only starships having on rail segments. Over all I won't be returning to this one, but it's a solid Star Fox entry you should definitely play at least once.

90%Nintendo Switch

Sonic 2 is the best game in the Sonic Origins Collection. The soundtrack and momentum based platforming are amazing. 100% completion wasn't that difficult either with the collection's retry system. It introduced series staples like Miles "Tails" Prower and Chemical Plant Zone. My only complaints about are the final boss has 2 parts, no checkpoints, and one-hit kills; and the special stages involved a lot of trial and error (even to the point of emptying me of all the retry coins on one occasion). Regardless, this is one of the best sonic games ever made and the point where SEGA understood what makes a Sonic game.

40%Nintendo Switch

I had a very boring time with this one. If it weren't for the SNES versions many fans this wouldn't have ended up in my completed list. With the transition to the 3rd dimension, very little has been changed from the original such as: no weather affects, no lighting affects, no new animations, no difficulty balancing, or any movement improvements. The only remastering of any kind I could tell was the score, some cutscenes, and the removal of Mario's peace sign. On normal difficulty you won't face any challenge at all and can buy out any shop you come across without selling anything. There were maybe only a handful of fights I had to strategize as well. Square-Enix has put out some of the most gorgeous HD2D games ever made, but there is absolutely no life (only stiffness) in every part of this game. The worst example I found was this one boss where the battle initiates at noon, it cuts to the battle screen and it's sunset, then after the "battle won" screen it's noon again. In my opinion, the bare minimum that could've been done to vastly improve the game, would've been a day/night cycle and some weather affects. On the SNES I probably would not have had any issues because it worked great on that hardware. I also understand that this is supposed to be a very accessible game, and for more challenge I'd be better off playing a Paper Mario or Mario and Luigi game. Remastering a game and not making it the definitive experience is bad. Ultimately, go and play the SNES version and appreciate the game for what it is (easy as it might be).

95%PlayStation 5

This entry in the franchise sands off any edge that existed in Metal Gear Solid 1 exept controls. Once you get used to them and the new features, you'll be able to enjoy the great story and experiment with the new hidden mechanics. I think most people know this by now, but in this game you play as a new character called Raiden instead of Snake. That decision put me off a little at first, though it quickly becomes apparent that Raiden is also an interesting character with things happening to him that would bounce off more interesting than Snake again. The graphics hold up very well, and the model designs do as well. All of this culminates into a mastepiece that's gameplay, style, and themes still hold up phenomenally 20 years later.

75%Nintendo Switch

Pikmin 4 is a disappointment, but its more Pikmin which is a net good. What I liked about the game is done much better in Pikmin 1 & 3 (except Oatchi of course). Exploration, graphics, combat balancing, and plot are all traded for a much more accessible game. The map sizes feel smaller and more scarce in order to cram everything in the caves. For only feeling like there are 4 styles of environment, there are 24 caves which make a combined total of 102 sub-levels. Doing a lot of Caves and Dandori Battles back to back gets very tiring. The amount of boring dialog and loading time is also pretty bad. Where I had the most fun in the game was the Olimar side story and the Trial of the Sage Leaf; both of which are not unlocked until you get the credits. Thankfully the game isn't too long and i still plan on 100%ing and replaying in the future.

90%PlayStation 5

Not the best, but definitely one of the best open world games ever. The environments, effects, and graphics are all breathtaking. The amazingly written storyline and characters, especially the protagonist, will have you very invested. The combat and stealth is very fluid and satisfying once you figure it out. The exploration can be good in the first few hours of an area too. Having the wind being ever-present rather than an objective marker is a really cool concept that was well executed. Ghost of Tsushima is only really held back by some ludonarritive dissonance with the protagonist, dumb character ai, climbing mechanics, no weather effects, and quickly empty map that feels stale and repetitive. Overall this has a lot of elements that are really refreshing for the genra but still carries a few of the same frustrations.

65%Emulated

I got very similar feelings playing this game to Sonic the Hedgehog 1, and not in a good way. There is no attempt at a story even though the GBA is very capable of at the very least a cutscene. The first zone tricks you into thinking this'll be a fast paced, momentum based platformer. And every other Zone and Act is a slog. They are slow, full of traps, and other bullshit that kills the flow. Don't even think about getting all the chaos emeralds; in my playthrough i never even got into a bonus stage. All your moves other than jump and roll also kill your janky momentum. The only positives I can think of are the animations are fun and smooth and the soundtrack. Still, I would rather play this bad game than a boring game (Sonic Forces).

100%Nintendo 3DS

From start to finish, this is the greatest Kirby game you could play of the new 2.5D trilogy. If the New Super Mario Bros. games sanatized their brand and stopped innovation, this game is Kirby team perfecting the new formula while taking enough risks for it to feel fresh. The new abilities and especially the mech suit fit together so well with the gameplay. Rather than an overpowered-up you get near the end of a level, you get the Robobot Armor sometimes near the middle. With it you can scan enimies, push obstacles, lift things for puzzle solving, jump, hover, and that's not including any of the scanned abilities which are also used for unique platforming and puzzle segments. The Level design and enemy placement is on point with very cool techno overtaking nature aesthetics. The soundtrack (which is amazing they got it on spotify) is the of the best in the series and is also techno inspired. If you play 3ds it's criminal to skip this game, as it is maybe the best platformer on the handheld system.

90%Nintendo Switch

If you've played Star Fox 64 play this game, even if you're hesitant about the graphics. Those groundbreaking graphics (for the time) do look like they're all less than 6 polygons, but the intentions are very easy to read. The game plays spectacularly aside from a few minor issues such as the barrol roll not always feeling responsive. All of the stage, enimies, and obstacles hitboxes are consistently on point and easy to shoot at. The music slaps right out the gate with Cornaria's theme with the same high energy being carried throughout the other stages. The story was rad and clear, although the characters have a lot less personality than in later games. I had a lot of fun in all three levels and your definitely missing out by skipping the beginning of the franchise.

80%Nintendo Switch

One of the best 2D mainline Sonic games I've played. The zones in this entry are designed like 1991 Sonic, but have time travel mechanics which reward exploring the stage. The levels also lack as many speed traps and jank as the previous entry. If your playing this in the Origins Collection you're treated to some really cute cutscenes and anniversary controls which translate very smootly to this old gem. With the advance in hardware, I think, this game holds more storage. That means that the enimies have more animations, the Zones have more detail, and more gimmicks could be achieved. And to top it off, this is one of the best soundtracks of any Sonic game ever.

70%Nintendo Switch

Genisis does what Nintendon't, and they did something with this one for sure. Sonic (1991) kicked of a cultural phenomenon that started a franchise that's still ongoing, but in my opinion this entry is one of the weaker games in the franchise. While far from the worst I think it has some poor level design. Often times when you're platforming at a fast pace the game throws a hit at you. The bosses often have checkpoints way back in the stage, so with most bosses being a little roughly designed, causes you to retread a whole lot of ground many times. All that is a serious shame because sonic is always at it's most fun when going and a fast pace and making platforming decisions. Definitely worth playing to know more about the series roots as it's not that long a game.

85%Nintendo Switch

Bastion gives you little context, kicks you in the balls, brings you to beutitiful hand-painted world literally crumbling around you, starts playing "acoustic frontier trip-hop," and then introduces an old man with a kick-ass southern accent who starts narrating all you're shit the whole rest of the game. You meet this man in a little while and you wont learn his name until two-thirds of the way in. Like the platforms you're bashing hostiles on, the narrative slowly comes up on you. You learn there's been a callamity and, pretty much, everyone in the city you lived in is dead. You meet only three survivors in the whole game, but the only way you can interact with them is through the narrators afterwords of your inquiries. You'd do well to keep that disconnect in mind as you progress through the games story. If you got Hades gameplay and combat, you'll get this game's. Unlike Hades it's not a rogue-like, but has levels and challenges with a base you spend mcguffins to rebuild. The base repairs allow you to swap and upgrade weapons, skills, and Spirits that give you certain abilities. A lot of the combat variety, other than enimies, comes from the builds you can make with the weapons and secret skills. As you hop across floating islands it's gonna throw a lot of these new weapons at you. They're all really unique and reward experimenting. The only flaws I can think of is some button mashing and some things the plot didn't adress much. You get a lot in this package and, in my opinion, the experience works best on an OLED Nintendo Switch. It's on sale a lot on the eShop. It looks gorgeous here and the HD rumble has just the right amount presence.

90%PlayStation 4

In 1946 Captain BJ Blazkowitz U.S. military is on a mission with Richard Wesly to retrieve a folder containing the location of Deathshead's compound. The whole game took me under 6 hours to complete and is a really nice (prequal) compliment to New Order. In fact, I might prefer this game to New Ordee. The first mission after the prologue has a bit of an overreliance on stealth, but after you get some guns it's alright. Every gun is from the first level of Wolfenstein: the New Order and feels perfectly punchy, are super satisfying to shoot, and have their own situational use. At the beginning of most encounters you get a reminder that the enemy doesn't know your here yet. That means that you can, optionally, sneakily take out the one or two nazis that call reinforcements and then go guns blazing. The shootouts will have you: throwing knives and grenades, mowing down hordes nazis with guns, running out of bullets, changing guns on the fly to mow down more nazis, and it's so fun. After the shootouts you're back to proceeding to the next location to progress the story. The levels in this game look really good. From the dank dungeons, to the castle tunnels, to the bridge, the cozy town, the fucking cemetery its all very atmospheric. The story is pretty grounded this time around, until the end, again just providing more incentives to kill nazis. The way the stakes keep rising and you're combat gets more violent really kept me engaged the whole way through. I loved this game and I really wouldn't skip it if you plan on playing any of the 3 newer Wolfenstein games.

80%Nintendo Switch

This game is half an hour long, even if you fail and restart. On the Nintendo Switch eShop it's frequently on sale you can both games for $5. The sequal is twice the length. I did not find it scary for a psychological horror visual novel, but it's a nice story. There's only 1 alternate ending and no saves to reload but one. I'd say pick it up.

90%Nintendo Switch

This game is a classic and holds up very well. The gameplay and level design is very tight and responsive with a decent learning curve. Over the course of the game you get really powerful and feel like you accomplished a lot. The only issues I have with the game are criticisms of the collection; being lack of save states, lame ass menus, and a weird save system resulting in loosing progress on final stage and with an upgrade.

50%Nintendo Switch

It was bad. I went in knowing it might be bad, but I didn't expect to feel so little about the experience overall in the end. The locations in this game look really nice, but the plot that takes place there sucks. Most of the avatar and modern sonic stages are alright, but the classic sonic levels are awful and the physics are super broken. The custom character customization is super fun to play around with, BUT the wispons and the way there implemented push you to just stick with the basic flamethrower you start with. For every high there's a low for this game earning it my middle of the road score. I would recommend it to anyone who felt the same way as me before I played it, so you can stop anticipating and be over it already (the sooner tbe better).

75%Nintendo Switch

About 3/4 of this game is genuinely enjoyable, while the other quarter can be quite a drag. The highs are pretty good; the music can be great at times, graphics look nice, the controls feel ripped from mania, the level design is solid, and the side content is fun. But with most bosses there's about 30 seconds of dodging shit, proceeded by a 5 second period to land a hit then repeat. The last boss is an especially horrid example of this loop taking minimum 2m 45s to get past the first stage with a fuck load of bottomless pits which are instant deaths which then you have to start all over. The music goes from bangers to sonic 4 levels of ass (my favorite and least favorite tracks being: pinball carnival act 1 and the mini boss or the early boss theme). Its so short i could easily call this a pretty good sonic game thats shortcomings are only a small part of an overall good game.

95%PlayStation 4

Played with a buddy. Absolutely amazing hoe they used the medium to have a cinematic two-player stoy. Minus 5% some of weren't animated at all, but not at any important moments.

90%PlayStation 4

Played this really cute game with a freind. Story is Pixar quality and the gameplay is always changing. Some segments aren't as good as the rest, but I'd say most areas and mechanics are very solid. Our favorite chapter is definitely Rose's room, with or favorite section being Spaced Out.

90%Nintendo Switch

As a one-to-one perfect remake of one of my favorite Zelda games it serves very well. Not much outside of graphics and redone score has changed at all from the gameboy color version. On the 3ds this virtual console release solidified my love and respect for older RPGs and 2d zelda, so the nostalgia is very strong. I would recommend playing this instead or before DX, as the extra buttons save a lot of menu time and its more accessible.

85%PlayStation 4

Incredibly fun FPS that had me itching to shoot and stab nazis the entire time. The times the story comes out and you maybe get 5-10 minutes of chill. That "respite" seems mostly there to get you pumped up to get back to killing nazis, and it does a good job. Most of the story really stretches any realism and can just be waved off as video game logic, so if that bothers you just know it leads to interesting set pieces at least. For instance: Captain Blazkowitz stays jacked the entire 14 years hes in a coma, the shit he survives too, insane science shenanigans, etc. There's not a lot of stealth and it's very mechanically shallow, therefore, I only relied on it when I was light on ammo and I still ended up maxing out the skill tree. The gunplay is really tight. I liked the dual weild mechanic; where when you have a lot of ammo you can mow down enemies with two shotguns or machine guns for a short duration. That about somes up my review, so yeah really enjoyable nazi killing simulator with decent plot and gunplay.

90%PlayStation 5

Conflicting. Narrative-wise this game is much weaker than Part I, though, Game play is stronger than Part I. Like, about 12 hours into the story, you start Seattle over from Abby's perspective. By the time you catch up to present as Abby your agency is taken away to do something you may not want to do. The story will occasionally force you into these scenarios where the game will not progress until you make the intended actions. In the last of us Part I, those scenarios are, at least, relatable. As Joel I understand the decisions he makes, so I feel encouraged to follow through. When Ellie sets out to Seattle for revenge and then ends the cycle of violence it didn't feel earned. Because of the split plot line and dozens of flashbacks I found it difficult to relate to the struggles of the main protagonists in multiple instances. The graphics, combat, and exploration are all excellent though.

95%PlayStation 4

For my first playthrough of Dishonored 2 I decided to go full stealth. I would only recommend that to veterans of the first game. While it felt like sometimes my game was all quick saves and quick loads, the stealth and lore of this game just satisfy me so much. I can't wait to do a high chaos as Emily in the future.

80%PlayStation 5

If this interactive video essay were just a guy talking in YouTube video I probably wouldn't finish it or give a thumbs up. The game is short, sweet, and very pretty and I like learning about interactive game mechanics in this format. I ran into quitw a few bugs, but I'd still recommend to anyone who likes interactive learning and video essays.

85%Nintendo 3DS

The dark souls of platforming, exept the stamina meter is a sanity meter and it's in real life.

Tightly packed platformer, revolving around a flip mechanic with no jumping. The soundtrack for the game is really solid and the graphics simplicity complements the gameplay. Midgame involved really trippy frame wraparound that hurt my brain. To collect all Trinkets is a fun challenge and gets you the good ending, highly recommend.

95%Nintendo Switch

Played with a freind. The game is absolutely wonderful, just sheer joy, haves you grinning the whole time. Relatively short and easy to 100% complete I'd imagine, but the completion reward got spoiled for me and I sort of lost interest (maybe later). Minus 5% because the multiplayer wasn't really fun like I remember it in New soup on the wii.

95%PlayStation 4

Amazing, though really short experience. The movement and fast pace action was incredibly fun and innovative. The level design blew me away with how well it played with the mechanics. There was some jank with the turbines in level 7 or 8, but it didn't drag on.

95%Nintendo Switch

Catherine was a joy to play with excellent puzzle gameplay and story. The falling blocks, similar to tetris, have you managing many micro decisions while immediately facing the consequences of your decisions. The story is the same with most choices will swing your gauge left or right depending on if the answer fits order or chaos (Catherine or Katherine). You can definitely blast through this one in a weekend or two which works great if you want to get all the endings.

90%PlayStation 5

Amazing story and stealth action gameplay. The characters and Kojima twists were exiting. The fixed camera angles add a lot to the atmosphere. Minus 10% out of frustration with some of the bosses.

90%PlayStation 5

Incredible gameplay holds up. Still stops being scary a quarter in, but atmosphere remains on point so not a huge deal. Some pop-in and graphical bugs hold this back from 100% for me.