Amazing and unique game that got turned into shit once again by completely incompetent developers. Why does this happen everytime? Rainbow Six Siege, League of Legends, Overwatch and so many more of these games that have such potential.

Basically, the goal of the game is to win. That's it. As a survivor, you're never scared and running for your life to survive. The average game is "oh okay he's x killer", "oh okay he has x perk", "oh okay he's in x place" and infinitely being chased and looping. It's a cat and mouse game except the cat and mouse are 800 miles apart and one of the two is dead. There is no skill, no fear, no team coordination (thanks NOT voice chat!) and absolutely no fun to be had in this game.

As a killer, you run around a map for 30 minutes looking for douchebags who t-bag constantly on the offchance that you MIGHT hit them. And even if you do, here comes their buddy to flashlight you and save you.

The problem with all of these games is that eventually, the game becomes meta-centered because people simply get good at it. You're never hopeless, never scared, never excited. Maybe for the first 3 games! But then, it's just an annoying and unbalanced slob. But hey, on the bright side, it's dying.

Also has the most toxic community I've ever seen other than League and Siege. Fun!

Fuck you Behaviour Interactive.

It actually does hit different, in a good way. 2K22 throws out the simulation experience and adopts a refined, streamlined control scheme for faster-paced, arcade-style gameplay. There's a lot to like here from the detailed creation suite that allows for unlimited user created content, to a variety of match types, all the way to a new Career mode and the return of GM Mode.

Controls are basically identical to WWE '13 and though 2K22 is of course a wrestling game, it adds in some fighting game elements. You can press a combination of punch, kick and grapple buttons to throw out quick combos. Breakers have been added, which are rock-paper-scissors guessing style counters that allow you to counter your opponents' attack.

As fun as 2K22 is, several bugs have been present throughout the game which have caused crashes and annoyances. The game modes even feel largely undeveloped. The new MyFaction mode (a WWE card-collecting mode similar to NBA 2K's MyTeam and EA's Ultimate Team) comes off as frustrating and grindy, relying more on cheap tactics rather than skill. The new MyRise Career mode provides fun, but gets repetitive due to the fact that the mode consists of short stories lasting anywhere from 3-5 or so matches, with cutscenes being few and far in-between. GM Mode is severely lacking compared to it's SmackDown vs. Raw 2007 counterpart. NBA Live 19, a game known for it's weak Franchise mode, is more fleshed out than WWE 2K22's take on Franchise. Lastly, while Showcase mode is fun, the mode plays more like an extended tutorial with a checklist of objectives. It's definitely a mode most people will play once to unlock everything and never look back.

WWE 2K22 is a fun wrestling game that feels more like the later THQ WWE titles (SvR 2010 through '13). More time ironing out the issues and developing the modes would have made this one of the greatest of all time.

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 is a masterclass in casual gaming. The key part of that sentence is "casual". There is nothing casual about this game, in fact, it's hard as shit to master, let alone even gather all of your achievements/trophies.

For the first 3-5 hours of this game, I sat basically throwing myself around the first few maps. I had absolutely no clue how to work the game, do complex tricks, or string together a combo. I went to the lab for the game, along with a few YouTube videos, and came back a bit more confident. I failed, yet again. Yet this time, I got a trophy for bailing or failing a combo over 100k. Hey, I mean, if I could land it, that would be pretty sick right? I had no idea top scores for this game were in the tens of millions, most of those being achieved in under two minutes. However, the small victory tided me over all the same.

Hours later, I completed all the challenges for the first map. I tried to collect the secret tape for way too long before realizing how great wall riding is at propelling your character higher. I was able to unlock more maps, as I tried out the mall and a few others from THPS one. I set new special moves, invested the skill points, and I was starting to get the hang of it.

Twenty hours in, I had completed the game but left many challenges, points, and everything else uncompleted. I had to go back, and some challenges were way too tough for their own good. It wasn't about the points anymore, as much as it was hitting certain gaps, and dealing with gold medaling in freestyle, in which I had no idea how to make a line in. I continued to pursue this time and time again thanks to the addictive gameplay that always, and I mean always, makes it your fault for not landing the trick.

Then, after completing all of the game, I went back for more. I was throwing up one million points per combo, unlocking insane boards that move as you skate on them. Even heading into the multiplayer for a bit to flex on some people who hadn't hit my threshold yet, while doing every gap in the game and all of the "get-there's", one of the toughest challenges in gaming I've ever attempted.

I put it down after grabbing every trophy, but THPS 1+2 Remastered feels like what I should be getting out of more games. The feel of climbing the mountaintop in the most progressive way possible, anticipating every turn but never feeling a spike. I suppose this is the same appeal of Soulslikes and games like Bennett Foddy or Jump King, but THPS 1+2 just does it better in every way when it comes to learning what makes this game tick. Not like those other games are bad, but I see this game as a boundary-pushing piece of media that consistently delivers on great sound design, soundtrack, and going from 100 point combos, to 10,000,000 point combos within the 60-80 hours I played.

It's a damn fine skateboarding game, but it's so much more than a skateboarding game.

is a spectacular backstory to kiryu, majima, and especially nishiki. theres a lot of issues i have with the overall narrative but who gives a shit, i can ignore that with so many gutwrenching scenes and amazing characterization. kuze is genuinely the best character in this franchise and i dont think i would like this game as much without him. theres some weird inconsistencies with kiryu and majima somewhat idolizing and basing themselves on people they really have no reason to but they write around it in a way that at least makes a bit of sense so i can't say i mind.

and remember, real yakuza use a gamepad

Greatest innovations in gaming history:
1. The D-Pad
2. 3D Rendering
3. Handheld Game Systems
4. Online Multiplayer
5. The Revert in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3

positives: iconic licenses, fun gameplay when the meta isn't cancer, goated soundtrack, and great way to make gaming friends!

negatives: repetitive gameplay can lead to easy burn out, bhvr implementing FOMO tactics, game is unbalanced and always favors killers or survivors more depending on the meta (but as an asym this is expected), for some reason the mobile gacha game gets more love than the main game, and genuinely one of the most entitled and childish gaming communities i've ever witnessed.