I couldn't get the taste NOS and orange Monster Energy out of my mouth the entire time I played this, and I haven't had an energy drink in 10 years!

Definitely a case of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. While the individual gameplay mechanics, systems, traversal, and combat all leave something to be desired and can feel unwieldy quite often, if you can buy into the specific charm and vibe it's going for, you'll love it.

I mean, a GameFAQs reference AND an appearance by King Motherfucking Buzzo? Sold.

Not bad, but disappointing. While it's an absolute stunner graphically, it's held back by its actual gameplay (or lack thereof). While I did actually like the more cinematic combat and slight improvement in enemy variety, there just wasn't enough of it. On top of that, the puzzles were still basically the same formulaic chores from the first game, which I was really hoping would be more significantly improved.

Narratively, it felt much more aimless and less personal for a lot of the game's very short run time, and often feels like a string of tech demo segments.

Going into this game with AA expectations 5ish years post-release definitely helps put things into immediate perspective. For what it is, it's enjoyable, but the whole game has a feeling of not being "quite enough." Sure, completing quests, leveling up, getting new ability points, and other RPG monkey brain activities feel good in isolation, but everything ended up feeling very boring and same-y.

Narratively, it never really commits to either serious or satire, and I just found myself feeling bored and tired of the same 5 jokes being recycled. Either go full-on Futurama or don't, because this didn't work.

Completely maintains the essence and emotion of its predecessor, and manages to flesh out the combat to be much more engaging. The platforming also felt better. That being said, the shard and upgrade systems felt a bit bloated and unnecessary. The power progression systems of the first with the improved combat options of the sequel would be the ideal combo. Alas, the game is still incredible and worth checking out.

As someone who didn't play the original or Dark Arisen, this still scratched my Fantasy Adventure itch pretty well! The framerate issues really didn't bother me and the microtransactions were not impactful or dangled in my face at all. If they were on the level of Diablo IV or any other modern Blizzard outing, this review would look much different.

I'm interested to see if Capcom gets around to DLC to flesh out the vocations, enemy variety, and add some more post game activity. A solid game that also isn't really trying to be my "forever game," which is always nice!

Frustrating. It's a beautiful game for sure, and I'm certain in 2013 that would have been an even bigger understatement. That being said, beyond aesthetic improvements, it consistently missed every mark. The changes to weapons, combat, and upgrade systems felt several steps backward as Bioshock 2 essentially hammered out the weak points of the First game. 2 weapons at a time felt awful, and gear felt just as bad.

While Rapture -was- Bioshock 1 and 2, Columbia was just a bunch of forgettable samey setpieces that take a back seat to the story that I found myself wanting to check out from once I hit the 30% mark.

Disappointing.

Captivating and horrifying, worth playing for the story and atmosphere alone given that it's not a massive time commitment. That being said, I found the actual gameplay segments to be the weakest part of the game beyond the first 90 minutes, as fighting waves of the same handful of enemies and repeating variations of the same awkward visual puzzles became super repetitive. It works in some cases, but I found the set pieces and narrative to be hands down the best aspects of the game.

More engaging and intuitive puzzles with more enemy and combat variety will guarantee the sequel to be a home run, assuming it can match this game's narrative strengths.

On one hand, this is the most buttery smooth 3D Mario has ever felt thanks to great controls and near-perfect pacing, while at the same time this is probably the easiest of the 3D entries by a country mile. Yes, I know that post-game challenges and bonuses are there, but the significant ease of the main game all the way to the end minus 2 encounters at the tail end also diminishes a lot of the experience. It felt weird being 6 to 7 hours into the game and feeling like I was still in the first level.

That being said, the game is so easy to jump into and recommend, and is a beautiful love letter to the Mario franchise as a whole, so just play it.

Rapture is amazing as always, though the "been there, done that" feeling can't really be shaken, as the initial awe of taking the place in can't be replicated. The combat improvements, while very noticeable and more than welcome, weren't enough to keep me going at the pace of the original due to the story not being as engaging.

This game -needed-Minerva's Den, while the original is absolute kino as is. In any event, if you think Rapture is the coolest setting ever, there's no reason to not enjoy more of it!

The emphasis on quick decision making really complements the fast-paced narrative and it does get your heart racing and blood pumping, for sure. The latter half of the narrative wasn't quite as strong as first few chapters but it's definitely worth one or two playthroughs.

Bad luck with power ups and dying early sucks, but few things compare to the raw power of becoming the Ulimate Garlic Bible Deathball

Went in with no expectations whatsoever and was blown away by how immersed I ended up getting in everything by the end! I'll definitely be coming back a few more times to explore alternate choice paths. Don't sleep on this!

I really want to love D4 but the game just isn't there yet. If only the back 40 levels felt as good as the first 40. I'll come back in a season or 2 to re-evaluate it before the expansion hits.

Fast-paced, immersive, intuitive, and atmospheric as hell. Rapture is one of the best game locations ever.