Grand Theft Auto IV, is a game about choice and perspective. "What does the American dream mean today," was printed on the back of the box and the game runs with the theme. Liberty City, like the city and country it was based on, is a land of dichotomies: Pessimism vs. Optimism, Principles vs. Greed, Promise vs. Reality. Each of these dichotomies reflect part of American life, and through the lens of an immigrant, they are given a different perceive than we normally receive in media.
While Niko's American dream may be different from another mans, their shared pursuit of dreams makes both Americans.

This was the first video game I ever owned and played. It's something that has a lot of nostalgia and meaning to me. However, beside all of those memories and good times, lies a really good game.
It's been years since I last played the console version, and deciding to pick it up again on my PS3 was an amazing choice. The level design is so good, every level has a sense of scale and purpose, nothing feels out of place or too ham fisted. It's an incredible balancing act. The gameplay is also incredibly deep for a Lego video game. This playthrough was the first time I even noticed the Lightsaber characters delayed combos, and it was an incredible game changer. The music is also amazing, lifted right from the saga, it enhances the gameplay with it's amazing mixing.
This truly is one of the best platformers of all time, and one of the video games to start with. Finally, I also 100%ed the game, It would make a young me really proud.

When I reviewed Metal Gear Solid IV, I compared it to a non-canon what if story. A fun story, but a very unfulfilling story because it's not meant to replace the main story. My thoughts on IV have smoothed some, and I can appreciate it a lot more as the end of the series. Now this game fills the "non-canon what-if" slot.
At it's heart, this is an incredible game, with so much good stuff to rip into... gameplay wise. The game is a dream to control, and very fun to fight in, I don't have many notes. The story however, is what brings the package down for me. This game does so many weird things with Raiden's arc, and the world of metal gear overall. Why in the four years since SOP's fall have cyborgs become the main fighting force, why does a child work as a rocket scientist, where is OTACON DAMN IT! However, being a side game in a new timeline, I can't much fault it, and I would dislike it a lot more if it was the true end of the timeline.

If you're a star wars fan, then you may have heard of the Star Wars Infinites comics. They tell what if stories based on the Original Star Wars trilogy. Because the one comic series has to go through a few movies worth of story, they often have long expositionary dialogue and convoluted stories. This feels like the Metal Gear equivalent. It feels like it covers a few games worth of history, and is more a what if end to the series, rather than the real cannon ending. That's not to say the story is bad though. I think it's one of the best in the series, I can't help but feel, however, that this should have been either a longer game with more gameplay, or split into two games. What is there I love; The gameplay is a good evolution, the Soundtrack is amazing, and the Story is near perfect, but it feels like it needs more time, and room to breathe.

A perfect story, but an alright game

__This is a review of all of the Fallout 3 DLC__
I liked the DLC overall, with some that missed and some that hit for me. While I don't think it was to the quality to Fallout NVs, it was still good. I also really liked how some parts of it were foreshadowed in the base game, like the Pitt and the Anchorage Simulation. Very solid package overall, my individual thoughts are below.

(Ranked from least favorite to most favorite)
5. [Mothership Zeta]: It was a close call between the bottom two add ons, but ultimately I think Mothership Zeta was my least favorite; it's a lot of long boring hallways and while it does have some cool moments, items, and ideas. I think it ruins them in execution with too many high health enemies and tight spaces. I do like the family dynamic of the crew though.

4. [Point Lookout]: I have a similar problem with Point Lookout that I do with Zeta. The tribals should not have the health of a dump truck, and neither should the swamp hicks. I went into all of the DLC (expect broken steel) without any of my base game gear, since I think a DLC should give you all the tools to beat it without outside help; point lookouts weapons were not up to snuff most of the time. I was putting magazines into the Swampfolk and Tribals and they were not going down. The combat really ruined my opinions on the DLC because I really liked the area, how some of the content carried over to the base game, and the fun B-movie esc story (the big punga is highlight). Still though, the stupid combat tarnished the otherwise good story.

3. [The Pitt]: I think the pit struck a good balance of difficulty and interesting story. The Pitt intrigued me with the concept of 'Troglidation' and all the encounters in the DLC felt fair and balanced. The final quest also really made me question if what I was doing was right, and I think it's resolution was a very good choice to make. Just a good DLC.

2. [Operation Anchorage]: I don't typically play Fallout for the combat, but for some odd reason I really like this combat focused adventure. Maybe it's the ability to see my home remade in fallout (albeit inaccurately), the good pacing of the missions, or the very good reward for the mission. I just generally enjoyed it. The DLC also taught me how to play Fallout on a controller, and through the lens of a tutorial, it's a very efficient one.

1. [Broken Steel]: On the one hand, I dislike how it cheapened the Lone Wanderer, and lessens one of my favorite parts of Fallout 3; on the other hand, it's very fun, the adventure takes you to new parts of the map, and does a wonderful job encouraging exploration. I really liked all of the missions, and seeing the wasteland change because of your actions was a really cool detail. I do wish some more things were changed, maybe a new Enclave leader, or if you didn't destroy Raven Rock, Eden would be in charge of the Crawler, but eh. I'm glad that this DLC exists in the first place.

Fallout 3 gives me a certain feeling when I play it. Like I'm never alone, even though I may be. I can always find something to do while playing, find some nook I never once found, an interaction between two raiders that makes me laugh, or a new weapon or build to try out. The gameplay is very good, the loop is incredible, and the best out of any game I've played like it.

And then there is the story. "In the vault you were born, and in the vault you will die," summarizes my favorite part of this games story, the complete life of the lone wander is shown; their growth from a small lad to the hero of the wastes, a legend to be remembered. I don't know why I like the story so much, it's very simple, but in spite of that it feel so impactful. The impact of the story also is complemented well with DC, the sprawling area gives the game an eeriness that I never felt with any other Fallout. It truly is the ultimate fallout experience.