I'm sorry Michael, it was I who killed your horse (when you were offline). I buried the bones under our house, cooked the meat and ate the evidence. This is my confession.

Aliens fans rejoice, but just don't compare too heavily to the inspiration. If I were a teacher grading homework, I might have to change the score the minute I reach little XCOM.

The poster tells you everything you need to know.

There was another option besides stealth?

Even 343 can't get in the way of such a strong foundation. The single-player experience can be lamented with two biomes and a grapple hook. Fun, but painfully underwhelming.

The slow migration to a more frenetic multiplayer experience akin to Call of Duty is noticed, and not welcome.

Enjoyed thoroughly, only by a personal hiatus of rinse and repeat previous entries.

Preferred the on-rails experience of previous Souls titles, the difficulty could be easily overcome by forging a new path. The rewarding open-world setting, creative bosses and attention to detail made for the most polished Souls experience yet.