HOLY SHIT.

Metroid Prime Remastered is one of the greatest video games I’ve ever played, hands down. Is it perfect? Not exactly; this game could really use a fast travel system like the ones seen in Samus Returns and Dread, as backtracking across Tallon IV can be a massive pain in the ass, especially in the late game. But that’s basically my only issue with this game, because holy fuck, everything else is AWESOME.

Let me just start by praising Shigeru Miyamoto. I have plenty of gripes with him and his outdated view on video games, but occasionally he comes up with an idea that completely saves a project. In this instance, he insisted that this brand-new 3D Metroid game be in first-person, a la Halo. He was so adamant about this that a developer left the project out of frustration. And yet, Miyamoto’s intuition paid off. The first-person perspective of Metroid Prime gives the game an unparalleled level of immersion that’s unlike any other game I’ve played, especially among the Metroid series. When you’re viewing the world through the Power Suit’s visor with an arm cannon readied at the side, it becomes clear that you’re not just playing as Samus Aran, you are Samus Aran, and you’ve got some pirates to slaughter.

The world design is everything I loved about Super Metroid, but put into 3D and expanded. Beautiful, in-depth environments from the lush greenery and watery depths of the Tallon Overworld, to the fiery pits of Magmoor Caverns, the ghostly remnants of the Chozo Ruins, the frigid tundras of the Phendrana Drifts, all the way to the horrific depths of the Phazon Mines. These locations are just as beautiful and packed with detail as the regions of Planet Zebes, arguably even more so. There’s still a fuck ton of upgrades to find, too, and as per usual, many of them are optional, leading to plenty of opportunities for sequence breaking. I’m sure there’s an Ice Beam power-up out there somewhere, but I never found it despite finding all of the other beam upgrades, which just goes to show how well-hidden these secrets can be.

The graphics are the best on the Switch, and it’s not even a contest. Never have environmental textures been this fully realized and detailed on this shitty piece of hardware. It could easily pass for a PlayStation game at first glance. I remember being absolutely awestruck when I first entered the Phendrana Shorelines and saw just how magnificent the wintry landscape looked, as the creatures within burrowed through the snow and Ridley flew overhead, reminding Samus of her goal.

Oh, speaking of that goal, this game’s story is phenomenal, in large part due to the fact that most of it is optional. The main storyline is essentially just Samus trying to stop Ridley and the Space Pirates from building up another Metroid army, so no surprises there. But scanning the Pirates’ data logs offers some interesting insights into their operations, Ridley’s personality, and orders from an unseen “High Command” (possibly Mother Brain herself). After playing second fiddle to other villains throughout the franchise, it’s nice to see Ridley take the spotlight as the main antagonist, as while there is an even bigger threat on Tallon IV, Ridley is the only reason Samus is there to begin with, his command of the Space Pirates is actively worsening the planet’s situation, and his success will lead to the Space Pirates dominating the galaxy unless Samus puts a stop to him. Their showdown at the end of the game is built up so damn well, and it makes the major asskicking you give him all the more satisfying.

But then there’s that other, bigger threat, where Prime’s storytelling really shines. A series of completely optional Chozo messages reveal the past history of their colony on Tallon IV, the cataclysm that led to the planet’s sorry state in the present, and the prophecy of a hopeful future in which a woman from the stars will save what remains. Given Samus’ connection to the Chozo, it’s a very poignant and tragic tale that adds some emotional stakes to the plot… and some cosmic horror once you discover the “Worm” that’s been feeding beneath the planet’s surface, festering and infecting everything around it like a Lovecraftian cancer.

The bosses are solid this time around, which is nice considering how disappointed I was in Zero Mission’s lineup. Some of them are legitimately challenging, especially the dreaded Omega Pirate (another character that’s expertly built up throughout the game). The final boss is a great, long, and sometimes brutal test of all of Samus’ abilities. But, of course, Ridley steals the show once again, delivering another frantic, climactic duel to the death as Samus clashes with her nemesis for the fate of Tallon IV, backed up by his epic battle theme.

The music is exceptional, too, and a rare case where technological limitations actually help an OST, rather than hindering it. The GameCube could only handle synthetic or semi-compressed tunes, hence why games like Twilight Princess were unable to use live orchestras. Here, though, the heavy use of synths and slightly unnatural “instruments” greatly enhances the sci-fi and horror vibes that the series is known for.

Metroid Prime Remastered is a deeply immersive masterpiece, virtually unparalleled in the action-adventure genre and a near-perfect transition to the third dimension for one of Nintendo’s most beloved IPs. There are countless other reviews and video essays that can explain this game’s outstanding qualities far more eloquently than I ever could, so I encourage you to seek them out. I hope I’ll be able to play the sequels some day, because I NEED more Metroid Prime in my life.

Well, beating this on my birthday sure was a nice surprise! Especially since this was a pretty great game overall. It was my Secret Santa game in fact, which was something me and my discord fellas participated in. I'll link the list I did for that here.

Any who, yeah this was really good. I beat Prime 1 last year for the first time and thought it was awesome. So I was excited to see how 2 fared and I was not disappointed. I do think 1 was better overall as 2 has higher highs in some parts of the game and lower lows but it's still really good even compared to 1.

When it comes to straight up improvements, there's a couple things 2 did extremely well compared to 1. Loading times are all faster, it takes like half the time for you to get to a new area now. Scans now go from red or blue to green when scanned and are much easier to see if they've been scanned or not. The scanning especially being a lot better than 1's would definitely make me miss it when I replay that eventually lol.

Obviously the game's big mechanic is the dark and light worlds and honestly, I thought it was awesome. I've heard some people say they found it tedious, and I never really had an issue with it. I thought it added a cool spin on Prime's gameplay and made you think. It could make the game difficult somewhat, especially when fighting some of those dark world bosses but I liked that.

Speaking of the bosses, they're very interesting in this one. Overall, I'd say they were an improvement from 1 tho there were a couple that were a pain in the ass. Spider Guardian obviously being the main culprit for most people. I didn't hate it but man was it frustrating trying to figure out what to do while fighting it cuz that one can be brutal. A lot of the bosses were actually pretty tough, they were certainly more complex than 1's bosses. Those last few tho, the 2nd Dark Samus fight...Quadraxis and the whole set of final bosses were easily the best in the game and better than all of Prime 1's bosses. At first I was a little disappointed with the boss roster in 2 but after fighting the endgame ones, overall I do think 2 has better bosses than 1.

Now the biggest thing I think that's holding this game back from being better than 1, is its world. Prime 1 was basically Super Metroid in 3D. You had a very interconnected world to explore that was more into showing not telling. Prime 2 is more similar to Fusion with its bigger focus on storytelling and more linear world. The game is definitely not quite as linear or focused on story as Fusion, but it definitely feels like it took inspiration from it. The world is broken up into 3 main areas to explore and 1 overworld type area you go back and forth from. Rather than exploring at your own pace like Prime 1, it feels more like you're guided around slightly as you have to go back to the hub to unlock each new area. Eventually the areas do have elevators that connect to other areas but even with that the world isn't as tightly designed as 1's I feel. The area's are all cool, especially Sanctuary Fortress...that one is awesome, however I feel there weren't as many "aha" moments whenever I saw areas connect like in 1. I also feel like the game wasn't as atmospheric as 1 was, at least not the atmosphere I dig as much. Still, the world does interconnect by the end, I just think compared to 1 it just aint as good.

As for other miscellaneous things, the OST is pretty solid tho I do think its a downgrade compared to 1. I love how the classic item room theme is back, that's sick. I enjoyed the connections the game made to 1 near the beginning. Dark Samus was awesome to see in this game finally and it seems like it comes back in 3 so that'll be cool. Pirate commanders suck ass and were easily the worst enemy in the game. They're basically Chozo Ghosts from 1, except instead of locking the doors only some of the time, they lock them every time they appear and they're tanky as fuck which Chozo ghosts weren't. Weird change tbh and was just tedious every time they popped up. Navigating menus in this game feels clunkier than 1, they tried to make it all cool but it feels like it takes longer to find a certain file if you wanna read it again. It was interesting to see the screw attack in this game and while I warmed up to it by the end of the game, I still can't help it felt a little lame compared to how it was in prior games. Also again, one of the best parts of the game was just getting collectables and seeing what puzzles you have to do to get/find them. That was still really fun to do in this game, especially with the Dark/Light gimmick. I did get every item, which is of course a Metroid staple, and got a good chunk of the scans so I'm satisfied.

Overall, this was very good despite some issues I had. I do like Prime 1 more but this was definitely a worthy sequel I feel. Thank you @QuentTheSlayer for having me play this as my Secret Santa game, had a jolly good time! Next is gonna be the original Klonoa. A nice short game will do me good methinks.

Signalis is game i thought i would pick up, finish in 10 or so hours but then forget about, but this game has stuck in my head for far longer than i thought it would and im not sure exactly why, the story of this game is genuinely incomprehensible on a first playthrough and i believe it is intended to be that way, the game will frequently break away from its fix perspective survival horror to delve into atmospheric walking simulators which seem entirely unrelated to the game at hand, these sections while confusing are a big part of why the game stuck with me, speaking of environments, the various locations the game takes place across are stunning, in a bad way (but its a horror game so i guess thats a good thing?) nowhere still sticks in my head with its fleshy design, and despite alot of the environment feeling like generic sci-fi filler, for some reason signalis manages to stand out with environmental story telling as well as having a lived in feeling to all the locations ive yapped alot about stuff secondary to the gameplay and its, well i cant call it great since survival horror gameplay is by design simplistic since it hinges more on scariness and the tension of resource management instead of the moment to moment gameplay itself, so all ill say is aside from a lack of enemy variety the actual gameplay was perfectly functional

Forbes called the game a mix of “Titanfall, Dishonored, and Superhot.” PC Gamer says it's in between “Mirror's Edge and Dishonored.” For me, add Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance to the above, and bam you have Ghostrunner. I’ve played all of those above Well… Dishonored I still need to finish but that’s neither here nor there.

After an assassination mission has gone wrong(You need to watch the intro cutscene starting before you reach the main menu to display a prologue of events. Kinda like Vagrant Story. Please don’t miss it.) You(Jack) are somehow alive and must climb Dharma Tower to defeat the Keymaster. A ruthless being ordering the people to work so hard, she’s milking them until they bleed while the rich stay rich. As a ghost runner who acts as a peacekeeping force such despicable actions are irredeemable! Therefore, she must be terminated. Working alongside Interesting companions as you climb to the top. And honestly, it reminds me heavily of Titanfall 2's(T2) structure where you’re not alone in your fight. Greatly enhancing my experience and making my main goal not so daunting anymore.

Give me a sharp katana, good parkour, cyberpunk setting, and you have my attention. Ghostrunner(GR) embodies all these traits and I am extremely thrilled to report the sheer momentum of slashing unaware enemies is satisfying. Movement feels super smooth and the story kept me intrigued. Teasing me with Alan Turing's ideas.

Environments are plentiful here. Industrialized factories are knit tightly together with turbines and a hodgepodge that works of uneven steel apartment buildings littering areas to traverse as you hop around rooftops and swing about like Tarzan. Felt like I was back playing Cyberpunk 2077. The setting fits. Jumping from wall to wall as I collided past each billboard was not boring at all. Levels range from less than 5-10min to finish early on and can bloom to 30 minutes later on for those who check their surroundings carefully. These areas are carefully designed to induce almost an illusion to make you think they’re larger than intended despite following a linear path. Collectibles, tucked away in places you wouldn’t expect, reward those who search every nook and cranny and offer a nice blurb of lore exposition.

Combat is the bread and butter here. You can’t shoot with a gun sadly, but who needs a gun when you have a katana that can delete your foes in a single blow? Parry this you filthy casual. If you are a master at parrying from a popular Souls franchise or katana-wielding games like Raiden from Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, you’ll thrive here. Unfortunately, I suck at parrying. And yet to my delight in GR, they're not super strict on windows to retaliate. Play a Tetris-like upgrade system and equip chip blocks. Some blocks increase your chances of reflecting an attack. Add another dash or blink, etc. Or activate more options in assist mode, I’ll touch on this later. Under the circumstances, a bumbling dude like me can turn the tide of battle. Incredibly satisfying when a gunner tries to shoot me, only to see Jack slapping the projectile back! Hah! Moreover, despite being weak as hell in the beginning. He turns into an effective killing machine as you progress deeper to unlock new abilities. Bullet time exists here. Providing a nice twist to dodging, and I love how one of Star War’s most iconic powers is utilized to flick enemies away like a filthy bug in your vision. Yuck.

It should be noted, throughout the game if you get hit once you will die. I think dying in one hit, as a rule, is a tricky feature for developers. Lean hard and players will think it's too punishing. Go too easy and breeze through like a cakewalk. Ghost of Tsushima and Superhot tread the fine line for better or worse. Thankfully, GR is smack dab on the edge of the better side. With Assist Mode, someone like me who sucks at intense action-packed titles can somehow become an expert. Consisting of three features: One extra life(This makes it so you can survive one blow), a shorter cooldown to use abilities more, and slower gameplay speeds for more leeway in reacting. The mode single-handedly and substantially changed my experience as I sped through slicing and dicing. I was frowning heavily, during the early parts since I felt the difficulty was a bit too tough and challenging. Once I turned on some of those options my whole expression turned 180. I’m grinning like a loon and nodding my head to the beat of the music(composed by Daniel Deluxe, and man does his name roll off the tongue) where the rhythm and synth wave work in tandem to the combat. Creating a pleasant tempo to listen to. I did feel some tracks were repetitive. Although, after re-listening to the OST it works in its favor. Offering systematic beats Hm hm hm hm.

Level design for the most part is solid to a degree, I find myself reminiscing Mirror's Edge and T2. Both employ excellent sequences using parkour and unique elements. By taking advantage of environment placement and visual hints. GR is much the same. There is a frenetic pace from which you slice, parry, dodge, and adjust your balance to the course of platforming segments. Not too large and not too small either. Designed well to keep you focused, without throwing a hard curveball in your direction. One of the levels I enjoyed repeatedly are the cyber void chunks. Small bite-sized puzzle sections in the cyber world, complete these and you are rewarded a new ability. Each puzzle isn’t copy pasted from the previous iteration. You always have something new to look forward to: from jumping pieces, to mind twists, and in some cases, you have to solve something inspired by Tetris. They offer a fantastic change of pace from the usual combat of fighting and I couldn’t wait to encounter more.

The checkpoint system is very fair and re-spawning instant. I also love how wall running is slighter better here than in previous parkour titles. Over there, I can wall-run until I petered out in the end. Here, I can continue forever. Which is appreciated. In the past, I usually miscalculate. Falling to the dark abyss and greeting death like an old friend, since the main character can only wall-run a set amount. GR removes that entirely. Go the distance without fear of falling. Lastly, when you die, the dialogue resets instead of continuing as if you already know what the characters will talk about. A nice refresher for those who re-spawn repeatedly and want to hear the rest of the conversation.

Moving on. I have to talk about my mixed feelings. Not a positive or a negative. But for the sake of transparency, I'm noting them down. More often than not, I am blocked by forced enemy encounters in some sections. These encounters require me to beat a variety of enemies before I can progress. I don’t like this method, because it enforces a design to halt pacing and force players to eliminate everyone within a room or decently open-sized areas. Fighting through trial and error until you get it right. And while this is a fine idea in theory, the execution leaves much to be desired. You constantly retry to win against these enemies, forcing yourself to die when I think the developers could’ve taken different avenues instead of defeating everyone. Why not stealth? Eliminate some, then move on. Find a key while eliminating some baddies, then continue to your next objective. Why can’t I travel and evade my way to victory? Aim for higher platforming and perhaps lose my skills to force a no-power handicap. Or even to the point where there is a large open area and all you have to do is find any path to get there. Embracing diverse amounts of unique sections and in effect creates more player freedom than constrained enemy encounters. Would run in parallel with the constant momentum the game tries to inject. Additionally, I think extending the campaign to flesh out the worldbuilding, villain, and characters would work. More bosses too, since there are a few here. Nonetheless, how One More Level & Slipgate Ironworks (the developers of GR) conducted them was fairly balanced and unique in my books. As a result, I don’t see a reason why more were not included. They offer creative ways to think outside the box and provide a satisfying feeling when beating them.

With all that said, I don’t think my mixed feelings bring the whole game down a ton. I didn’t experience any bugs, crashes, or glitches. If anything, the intriguing story, slick combat, tight balance of difficulty with solid-level design, and gorgeous cyberpunk aesthetic left me hungry for more. A very generous checkpoint system and fitting synth wave OST takes care to almost override nearly all blemishes I had. And while the campaign is short, I clocked in at a little over five hours. There is a bleeding edge of content in store for newcomers or veterans looking for action-platforming. And Ghostrunner fits the bill. And hey! If you do buy it, You can be excited with me when the sequel launches later this year!

7.5/10

6-22-23 - Edited for clarification on one hit death. And removed some useless words. 99% of review still intact.

In a tweet by Yuri Stern, one of the developers of the two man team rose-engine along with Barbara Wittmann of Signalis. They remark how "I wish people would be more open to letting others figure out for themselves how their ending made them feel. Instead of telling a streamer "you got the best ending!", maybe you can ask "did you think this was an interesting conclusion?" And they can decide if they liked it or not" Their comment was in response to how some players classify conclusions as absolutes for true, bad, good, etc.

Stern’s answer caught my attention and I admit throughout my time playing games with multiple outcomes in the finale. I realize I am guilty of this too. And yet, this establishes a thought-provoking notion to provide clarification, evidence, and reasoning, beyond simple claims. Player interpretation differs for each individual. Classified as neither good, bad, or in between. It simply is. Consensus can say comparable beginnings, middle, and end. And yet, we conjure causes to describe something that can be difficult or perhaps easy to comprehend. In my attempt to understand everything throughout my playthrough, I’ve come to see it as a Lovecraftian Sci-Fi blended with Survival Horror. Reputable individuals have noted inspiration, references, and homages to King in Yellow by Robert W. Chambers. The Festival by H.P. Lovecraft. Evangelion by Hideaki Anno, Stanley Kubrick, Resident Evil & Silent Hill franchise Et al. To me, include Nier and Prey(2017). With a dash of Studio Shaft’s techniques. And while I haven’t read/watched/played some of those homages they harken too. A considerable amount of careful effort to not create a reference-filled fiesta akin to Ready Player One. Plenty of satisfying content and unique properties, enough to stand on its own.

You control Elster, a [Redacted] in search of someone important to her. This is her journey after her ship crashes onto an unknown planet. She doesn’t start with much, but a sufficient tutorial resides to grant a fighting chance. Make no mistake, this isn’t a game you run away from consistently. You. Can. Fight. Back. From a top-down 2.5D perspective. Lengthwise, the game took me over nine hours to complete and I didn’t have any major/minor bugs or crashes. Ran smoothly notwithstanding looking akin to a Playstation One game. An aesthetic remarkably familiar to our past of CRTs, floppy discs, and VCRs with unfamiliar technology. A retro-tech meets dystopian surrealism. An unforgiving world, which I became horrified to learn about and lost myself in admiring the art. The color red is used prominently, like in similar games: Scarlet Nexus and Astral Chain for blue, yet it doesn’t detract from the overall presentation. A pleasant strength tied to supplementary elements the game displays to the player. The retro style succeeds in its favor since you’ll be walking, running, and fighting through broken old corridors sometimes in derelict space stations and facilities. The soundtrack has some nice tunes, but you’re usually dealing with silence or at the very least oppressive atmosphere that can be ethereal. Some tracks lend to an ambiance with static to varying degrees of echoes of various sounds you wouldn’t expect like crashing waves, slow piano tracks, and even a tiny smidge of synth. Oddly enough, an inconsistent/consistent rhythm and tempo permeates; some may find grating to hear and will switch into the opposite range and become somehow ‘relaxing’ to listen. The dual nature of melancholic and comforting generates an intriguing dichotomy. Ultimately, the whole soundtrack is decent, though I wish for more variety to bring ‘life’ to the moment-to-moment scenes. Granted, I think this was a deliberate decision by the composers 1000 Eyes & Cicada Sirens to construct a suffocating pressure to incite ‘space hell.’ And I can’t help, but begrudgingly praise the decision to do so. It works!?

The combat felt very tight, responsive and didn’t suffocate me constantly. For several moments I would have despaired, but a handy walkthrough and some tips kept my spirits up! One could even take advantage of Steam’s new note-taking feature to remember critical material! Accessible during in-game and when you exit. So you don’t always have to keep the program on. Combat when shooting could’ve been tweaked a little to make it more accurate. Considering how the enemies' artificial intelligence acts and how we can’t be experts in hitting shots 100% of the time. I can forgive this slight. Certainly not a dealbreaker, but make sure to watch out for your ammo, aim well, and trust in your gut the bullets will fly through. Healing is painless and not complicated. Intermittent yet equitable drops of supplies to recuperate, so you're not left struggling if you carefully check your stock and surroundings. Heck, you can even combine components to make weapons use different ammo, healing, and key items to save slots since you only have six in your inventory to hold. Aiming isn’t even the main bread and butter. Melee weaponry serves as an acceptable tool to fight baddies. You can attain a stun rod to down enemies then kick them to unconsciousness, and push them freely when you need to gain some distance. Hell, you can even burn them when they fall. Cause boy oh boy these nightmarish creatures(I’ll spare you the imagery) can stand up once more! Thankfully, they don’t return to life or should I say unlife heh within a short time. Probably a decent length passes before you realize your foe is ready for round 2.

Outside of combat. I found worldbuilding to be richly rewarding and added substance to the environmental storytelling. I was craving to know more about the inhabitants, the government, the leaders, technology, etc. So much depth and breadth in going the full nine yards where I know about the whole history of nations, the background of citizens and military soldiers of a strict hierarchy during a tumultuous time. Missions and roles for each [R$%#%$#@] unit and even enemies are spared no expense in displaying how they came to be. Chekhov's Gun tickles nearly every reach imaginable and in effect shines so hard, even in the darkest moments. I constantly read countless lore notes in the form of classified documents, redacted information, diaries, and even propaganda posters! No shortage of information almost to the point of overload, however, Barbara and Yuri have emerged with a balanced tightrope to not overgorge the player while not slipping morsels of info. Proportionally, to induce a sense of curiosity to know more, nagging at the far reaches of your brain to check every room for more data to consume. One cool feature in the form of an archive in the menu, you can access anytime. No need to backtrack to the origin of papers. Thereby, making recollections of pertinent details at the press of a button, straightforward.

The puzzles are solid. Used to great effect to tie into the lore whenever possible. Some examples are lockpicking, numerical password combinations and structural obstacles that could hinder your progression. So retracing your steps for an important piece is advisable to progress. There are extras, but I'll refrain from listing them. Best as a surprise. I found the inclusion of them to be welcoming. Didn’t overstay, while having plentiful time for me to seek answers/clues. Some solutions are more obscure than the rest. Though, for the most part, all of them I felt were fitting, and the hints satisfactory to figure out the solution. Careful precision to not go rage-inducing while not making it too easy for newcomers and veterans. Remember it's okay to fail some puzzles and return with a clearer mind.

Likable NPCs. They're personable, relatable, and offer intriguing perspectives during my playthrough. They complement Elster, by acting as foils. With their objectives at large and didn’t detract at all from their sheer presence. I was content, I am not alone all the time knowing comrades are nearby, who are bravely keeping on despite the horrific nightmares, and even more where I’ll refrain from stating, but suffice it say I was sad to see. A dangerous atmosphere prevails and the mood can become bleak in the blink of an eye. Not to the extent that I became leery. While it may seem dangerous due to the unnatural air and presence. These NPCs 'helped' me on my journey and for that, I am grateful for their company but also their dialog. Conversations revealed vital pieces to tying what happened on the planet and what threads they could link to the plot.

The horror elements are not, at least to me, horrific to the point I was disgusted or vomitable. Didn’t see major jump scares to remove my soul from my body, and I am incredibly grateful this didn't occur. Constant jump scares can cheapen the experience if not done well in my opinion. Again balance is integral and the devs have managed to produce a nice gameplay loop of exploration, scavenging, combat, reading lore, drip-feeding you cutscenes, and solving puzzles to be as painless as possible while still creating enough difficulty for a challenge.

Speaking of the story. I’m a bit mixed on. And this isn’t to say it is a bad thing at all. Think of my mixed feelings as neither positive nor negative, but food for thought I'll outline. In aspects, the game tries to impart to the player. I felt the execution was fragmented. It’s not clear what is shown to be definitive or literal to assert a conclusion on which I can base my facts and evidence. This may sound confusing. And I apologize if I’m not making sense. To clarify, you have to build the ‘narrative’ so to speak. This is fine in theory and there is a thread to follow. But sometimes the writing can be somewhat obscure along with puzzling. This pains me greatly since I couldn’t get enough of the worldbuilding. In the end, I was left with a ‘hmmm’ on the execution. Certainly, games like the Souls series are similar in environmental storytelling. Not so much on the beats of the plot to bridge together, but the world itself you piece towards to understand in your eyes what the story could be.

I wish the inventory limit of six expanded as you progressed further. Like up to eight. I didn’t find it too troublesome to turn back to my storage chest to unload my stuff. Yet, this exhibits a constant chore since I want to collect everything in nooks and crannies only for me to check the nearest save room to remove them. This isn’t a big deal. I could just run past enemies, right? True. Elster does have the capability. The issue is when I am running, some enemies will come alive to attack. After I already defeated them. Making traversal to new areas a slightly tedious to do, since I must retreat and precious supplies may be utilized. This is exacerbated when I have to redo this method again when I need more space for key objects to progress. A solution I was ruminating; having separate slots for crucial items. Like, say a flashlight or gun. As accessories.

Lore papers could’ve been more definitive as vague as I could put it. In doing so, the given knowledge would become stronger to grasp. Some notes are clear-cut to comprehend, but these ties could've been linked to creating a tighter cohesion in interpreting the plot. We are given an ample amount of lore to draw our conclusions. This is fine in theory and I’ve seen examples amongst my peers that resonated more with them. So the execution worked. For me, however, I’m stuck in the middle of a hallway facing a door of “greatness” and behind me, a door says “Not greatness.” I wonder if the devs could’ve made some threads easier to digest and distinguish. An alternative drip to gently feed the player. Admittedly, this is my personal preference and should not be taken as a common critique of the game. Individuals aside from me have rated the game highly which is fair. And I have seen the inverse side too. So where do I land? Sweats nervously In between those spectrum's sadly enough. There is a solid vision the two-man development studio established and they walk a tightrope in balancing narrative ties through the gameplay and cutscenes with a red Chekov’s gun to use every tie imaginable to draw players and I can say it prevails with some stumbles. I’m not sure if this is a method of drawing everyone to understand completely what the developers try to impart by the time the end credits roll. Nonetheless, I am unsure if this is a title that could vibe with you until a session of play. And in that respect, makes this incredibly challenging to quantify against the entirety of what the game offers.

Speaking of the ending. And again, no spoiler territory. I think easier alternatives were possible to attempt other outcomes. I got one of them and after checking out the rest, I couldn’t help but conclude the requirements are obscure for players to know. I had to research guides and see how technical the wire can run. Won’t delve into the exact details, but suffice it to say, I surmise avenues are within reach making the process less burdensome if the devs were to patch it. Though I doubt they would. Whether or not, newcomers know multiple resolutions. Before I forget, please go on Youtube for the rest, if you were unsatisfied with the one you got. Just a gentle reminder. One of them is so convoluted the community cooperated to discover the hidden requirements. Sszz127 from the Signalis subreddit was the first to discover clues leading to it as far as I know.

I'm sad to report how strenuous it is to depict my proper feelings in describing how much the title appeals to me against the concerns I stated earlier. A variable slow-burn, that may catch those who don’t mind it. Others may find it not as resonating. Besides the regular praise, I see fellow reviewers and fellow peers of mine who call it “a masterpiece, a return to modern survival horror, one to watch out for and more.” Wonderful seeing high acclaim regarding the game in their manner and I find gratifying content is an enjoyable affair. Equally as those who offer a differing perspective from the norm with evidence. I am at a crossroads where I’m not sure. To discern if it’s a must-play for fans of the genre due to my lacking experience in the department. I’ve only played Metro 2033, The Evil Within series, Bloodborne, Omori, etc. So I’m not an expert. If this can appeal to a newcomer. One could even take advantage of Steam’s two-hour refund policy to see if it appeals to you. And if it doesn’t, no shame in refunding. For me, I was hooked after the first hour.

I believe Signalis may provide newcomers with a unique mileage that might vary experience and value. For horror fans and for those who are not used to it like me. I love the worldbuilding and how retro-tech merges wonderfully with the dystopian sci-fi era. The lifeless music at various points forge an almost oppressive atmosphere that is both melancholy and comforting. The combat is balanced to the extent that I wasn't quite a female Rambo, but someone like Ellen Ripley(Aliens) and Leeloo(Fifth Element). Elster perseveres despite adversity. Has no crazy powers nor impressive intellect to bedazzle us at every turn. She simply is a [redacted]. And I like that. Gameplay elements like puzzling solving were fun and tied nicely with the environmental storytelling. Terror aspects turned out to be not too scary or overdone in a manner I found tiresome to see. A genuine effort by rose-engine to keep them challenging and fair in such a way I still endeavored to keep going. Regardless of my struggles, and food for thought, a cool hidden gem exists. Moreover, I echo what Stern posits about not classifying endings as absolutes and asking yourself how the game made you feel and why? Whether at the end of your journey, you conceive some semblance to share beyond the scope of classifying it in categories. Then by all means, please do so. Your voice is appreciated. There is beauty to find out if Your experience left you something meaningful or not.

7.7/10

Additional Material I couldn’t fit in this review, but may prove useful for those who played the game already:
Source for twitter link by Yuri Stern
Signalis Index - Theory, Lore, Commentary, Symbolism, Reference, Music, Decipher, Data-mining, Unsolved questions and more
Steam Guide on endings with Authors Plot Interpretation - Major spoilers
A Literalist view of Signalis - Major spoilers
A Non-Literalist View of Signalis - Major Spoilers
A Youtuber’s take on Signalis - Warning major spoilers
Camera Perspective mod
Final stats of my playthrough
My thoughts on the ending/s of Signalis
^Major spoilers throughout. Only click if you finished the game.

Note: If any links are down please let me know and I’ll try and correct that.
7-30-23 - Note - Added a Non-Literalist View of Signalis and added further clarification on the Signalis Index link.
11-29-23 - Edited first opening paragraph with correct pronouns. 99% of text still intact and largely unchanged.

Rise of Nations is a legendary real-time strategy game that, while not overly complicated or complex, manages to deliver a highly enjoyable and addictive experience. Its approachable mechanics and captivating gameplay keep you hooked from start to finish, and the phenomenal soundtrack adds an extra layer of immersion.

One of Rise of Nations’ greatest strengths is its accessibility. The game strikes a perfect balance between depth and simplicity, making it easy for newcomers to pick up while still offering enough strategic elements to keep seasoned RTS players engaged. The gameplay revolves around building a civilization from ancient times to the modern era and the seamless integration of different historical periods adds a unique twist

The soundtrack, composed by Duane Decker, perfectly complements the game's epic scope and historical theme. The orchestral scores are atmospheric and they set the mood but also adds a sense of grandeur to every decision you take.

Overall, while it may not be the most complex strategy game out there, its fun factor and engaging design more than make up for it. For anyone looking to dive into a good RTS that is also entertaining, Rise of Nations is a must-play.

Man o man, this game was absolutely nuts; I haven't had this much fun with a game in a long time.

Metal: Hellsinger is a unique blend of a first-person shooter and a rhythm game, reminiscent of Doom but with a twist that makes it even more badass (don't kill me). Shooting and slashing to the beat never gets old, adding a layer of engagement and excitement that's hard to match. The rhythm-based combat requires you to time your attacks, dodges, and abilities to the beat of the music, creating an immersive and intense experience that keeps you on your toes.
The torments, which are challenging mini-missions, were also really fun and provided a nice break from the main gameplay loop.

We must talk about the soundtrack... what a soundtrack this game has... 🤘 absolutely goated. The game's music features lead singers from renowned metal bands such as Arch Enemy, Jinjer, Lamb of God, Trivium, System of a Down and many others. The soundtrack is full of bangers like "Stygia" , "Burial at Night" , "This Devastation" and "No Tomorrow" which elevate the gameplay experience to another level. If you like metal, this game is for you! The adrenaline-pumping tracks sync perfectly with the gameplay, making every encounter feel epic.

The DLC for Metal: Hellsinger adds even more content and variety to the game. It includes new bangers like "Leviathan", expanding the already impressive soundtrack. The DLC also introduces new challenges and torments, providing more ways to test your skills and keep the gameplay fresh.

I must say, I recommend playing without the accessibility settings. I tried it with them on, but it's not the same experience in my opinion. I had more fun playing the game without them, as it felt more immersive and challenging, staying true to the rhythm-based mechanics that make this game stand out. The unfiltered, raw experience of syncing your actions perfectly with the music is where the game truly shines and is unique.

The wild ride that is Metal: Hellsinger, the unique gameplay, combined with a killer soundtrack featuring top metal artists, makes it an unforgettable experience. Whether you're a fan of metal music or just looking for something different and exciting, this game delivers on all fronts. The DLC content adds even more value, ensuring the game stays fresh and engaging. So grab your headphones, crank up the volume, and dive into this hellish, rhythmic frenzy!