Completed with 100% of achievements unlocked. An enjoyable 'time-waster', Cats in Time is a hidden object game, challenging players to locate the cats hidden in a series of 3D dioramas through some simple puzzle-solving and object manipulation. With cute, bright visuals and some intricate environmental design, the game is immediately engaging, and with a series of 28 primary levels across 7 varied environment types, each taking no more ten minutes or so to complete, it's easy to dip in and out of for short sessions. Of course, nothing here is particularly ground-breaking, but that's not why you'd come to a game like this.

Modern Warfare II pulls on nostalgic strings while bringing the franchise to new, exceedingly bombastic heights in terms of spectacle. Its campaign is filled with the action set-pieces we've grown to expect of the franchise, while also bringing back iconic cast members such as General Shepherd, John "Soap" MacTavish, and Simon "Ghost" Riley. At its best, MWII slows things down and invites a playstyle more akin to a tactical shooter. Smart stealth sequences, including a lovely callback to Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare's "All Ghillied Up." Perhaps to its fault, MWII does take great inspiration from the original Modern Warfare Trilogy (which featured games releasing in 2007, 2009, 2011) and hardcore fans of all the 'Modern Warfare' games will appreciate the subtle and obvious callbacks that litter this entry.

The story if for the most part an enjoyable, well-paced romp. The campaign is not quite as intriguing as the one we saw in its 2019 predecessor. This campaign outing does not speak to the gravity of war and conflict to the same extent we saw in CoD: Modern Warfare (2019). It also struggles to develop its protagonists in a meaningful capacity, despite them being interesting characters at baseline. However, Modern Warfare II excels in other departments. The setting is dynamic and provides unprecedented environmental diversity with breathtaking visual fidelity and care. Even the shortest of mission sequences have a blockbuster levels of tenacious detail. Multifarious mission design invites players to explore and traverse this campaign utilizing many different mechanics. This does result in some peaks and valleys in the overall experience, in my opinion. Not all facets of MW II's game design are equal in fun factor or quality. For example, I found some of the water traversal sequences to be excellent, but my experience was contrastingly marred by questionable vehicular encounters. Sound design feels incredibly high budget, further serving to sell the immersion already offered by the game's stunning visuals. The gunplay and performance has never been better. Modern console hardware runs this game at a smooth, responsive 120fps and offers a much appreciated FoV slider.

This franchise is nearly two decades old, but MW II has managed to deliver a truly contemporary first-person shooter that's core gameplay that outclasses all of its predecessors in its core gameplay and technical performance. Prior to 2019, it felt as though Call of Duty was on the downtrend, but MW II serves as a zestful reminder that this franchise is bigger and more relevant than ever. I fully expect MW II to captivate the masses and dominate the FPS space for the next couple years. Spec Ops, core multiplayer, and Warzone 2.0 should only further solidify MW II as the most definitive Call of Duty experience to date.

Campaign Review: 8.0 / 10.0 ★★★★ - Great
Multiplayer / Spec Ops Review: TBD

There's a lot to love in Escape Academy from the intricate escape rooms to the quirky characters. It does the prior incredibly well with simple, fun puzzles to solve on your own or with some friends. None of the escape rooms were challenging for me, perse, and I usually was able to figure out what I was missing, but the handy hint system was always there if I needed it.

One of the more challenging things for me is the lack of replayability with escape rooms. You complete them once and it's hard to have that same experience again.

What I can say is, each of these rooms encapsulate the fun of an escape room in a very easy bite-sized manner. With the upcoming DLC and free updates, I think this game is definitely worth your time ESPECIALLY if you have some friends to join you.

If you have Game Pass, just play it already. You won't regret it.