What could I possibly say about this masterpiece that hasn’t been said already? It’s Breath of the freaking Wild. It’s pure adventure. This game is exactly how an open world experience should be, spreading the content out all over the map and allowing each one to contribute to you or the story in some way, nothing feels like filler, it’s all there for a purpose. Breath of the Wild revolutionizes the genre by incentivising exploration through mechanics and gameplay, not just a map marker icon on a compass. Immediately as you explore you start to see the various purposes that things in the world have, and you can use those to your advantage to get to new areas faster. For example, you find plants and bugs that you can cook into a potion that will heat you up, allowing you to explore cooler areas better. Your weapons break, pushing you to not only look for more weapons but find more ways to fight. With so much to toy with and explore, so many challenges to defeat and secrets to uncover, you think that limits have been reached. Yet, Nintendo pulls out all the stops and says “you know you can climb too, right?” Seriously, half of the reason that this game is so incredible is the gliding and climbing mechanics. Where a mountain would force you to find a vehicle or flat path to follow in other open world games, in Zelda it’s simply more to explore and experience. There is so much depth and exploration and experiences in this game, yet it's presented in such a smart way because it lets you find it at your own pace. Laid back and serene music coupled with vistas instill this feeling of awe within you that just makes you feel free.

I can find a good burger pretty much anywhere, however Five Guys, in my opinion, just gets everything about a delicious cheeseburger right. It’s not the only place to get an amazing burger, but you will get the definitive burger experience. Metroid Dread is the Five Guys of Metroid games. It just gets everything about the perfect Metroid experience right. Super Metroid remains my favorite, but Dread is not far behind if not on the same level. Obviously, the best part of this game are the controls. Locked at 60fps, Samus in this game might be the best controlling character I’ve ever played as. Every movement, subtle or super all seem to flow into the other effortlessly, adding to the feeling of progression and power typical in a good Metroid game. The sense of progression here is almost deceptive. You get so many upgrades and abilities (all of which are pretty awesome) at such a steady pace that you barely notice, letting each crushing fight feel like a proper challenge rather than a halting, condescending roadblock. The classic Metroid head scratching is there, but is more durable for most due to the game always sending you in the right direction, even if it might take some thinking. This is done with impeccable map design, and not pestering waypoints threatening you with a game over if you don’t go right to it the way they want you to. It gives you a lot of tools to use to find where you need to go, spot upgrades, and play the game how you want, whether you want to saunter or soar. Metroid Dread is one of those games that is so mechanically tight and creative that you progress in skill simply by playing and learning how upgrades work with the environment and each other, and that is exciting. The EMMI zones are an interesting addition. These eerie zones for the unsettling EMMI bots force players into stressful situations, suddenly sharpening you into careful decision making or stealthy traversal. Getting caught by an EMMI is scary the first few times, and while it gets repetitive and unsurprising later on, it remains a formidable challenge, scaling with your abilities. Metroid Dread, although too short and lacking in music, treats you like an adult, and offers an experience leaving you feeling helpless, alone, beaten down and like the most powerful bounty hunter in the galaxy.

I absolutely love Super Metroid. There is something so continuously mysterious about it, yet so instinctual to me. Super Metroid is a legendary adventure due to its atmosphere, tension, presentation and ability to make you feel unstoppable, despite being stopped quite often. Rich environments and intense bosses make every step into the unknown anticipatingly daunting, and every moment unexpected and unforgettable. Surprise is around every corner, which is exactly how exploring a new planet should feel. The Crocomire Fight, the Wrecked Ship, the innocent animals, Maridia’s Glass tunnel, the intro, the ending, all perfectly crafted to put you properly into the shoes of a bounty hunter going into the exact same unknown you are. Its expertly crafted map and upgrade-based progression coupled with just enough secrecy assists in an experience that rewards experimentation and pushing through confusion. In many instances the game keeps you from progression. Doors are intentionally shut and areas of intrigue are very obviously out of reach because of abilities you do not have, but this totally works because the game has no restrictions on letting you find the keys to these locks. It’s not “get to level 50 go to this area” or “find the button to push”, it’s “go find the upgrades you need to get better, then keep using them to find more upgrades, progressing further and further, funneling you to right path over and over. It lets you find the right solution without hammering it into you that it is the right solution. The feeling of finally getting that item, finding that doorway or beating that boss after figuring it out despite frustration and roadblocks is unmatched and satisfying. I think the reason that this relationship between frustration and reward is so endearing is because it emulates principles in life I hold dear too. Just like Metroid, in life you get lost. You don’t know what way to go and you don’t have what you need to get there, even though you already have a lot. In my experience, and apparently Samus’ as well, the best thing to do is press on. Find another way. Try to do things you’ve never done before and try to look for ways to progress despite your roadblocks. Yeah, it's frustrating. The game obviously has some moments that are far too cryptic, but progression in life or in anything is rarely linear or clear, and trust and persistence leads to that “upgrade” you were missing, if you will, allowing you to move forward and get to the next challenge. Super Metroid teaches me that it’s okay to be incapable when tackling obstacles, because with perseverance, it leads you to rich experiences, better abilities, and a fulfilling ending.

Portal 2 is… kind of perfect. Leave it to Valve to take a simple idea of portals and turn into one of the most ingenious games out there. Back in 2011, I played this game to death and it was even the first game I ever beat. Something I was so enamored with back then was the atmosphere. The cracked glass, muddy Portal panels and hanging vines of the run-down Aperture laboratories bring a somber and sad vibe while also being intriguing and vast at the same time. It really feels like you’ve been trapped in this hellish facility for forever. As for the gameplay, it’s Valve at their best. You know, mature design that really gets you thinking. The newly added spheres, gels, lasers, light bridges, excursion tunnels and aerial faith plates are new toys to play with, adding way more creativity to the various tests and allow you to experiment more and find new solutions to puzzles. The portals combined with these various elements of the levels is an imagination prodding playground. All of the game mechanics are cool on their own, but when you figure out how they interact with each other to find solutions due to fantastic level design, it is one of the most satisfying things in any piece of media, making you feel like the smartest human alive. It really shows that this portal formula that blew people away in the first game is foundational and needs no makeover, just smart evolutions and creativity. The highlights of the game this time around are the ways that it immerses you more in this universe. GLaDOS is as GLaDOS as ever. Sassy, sarcastic, and now strapped right to your Portal gun for half the game, giving you and her a new perspective that carries the story. Her sharp whit juxtaposed with the newly introduced Wheatley’s literal programmed in incompetence and stupidity is a hilarious dynamic and makes for some fun moments and an exciting conclusion. Halfway through the game you get flushed by a power hungry Wheatley to the abandoned part of Aperture labs from the 1960s. Here you learn more of the lore of the facility, its connection to Half-Life’s Black Mesa, and its former CEO Cave Johnson, who is descending into madness just as fast as the organization he heads. Cave Johnson by the way, is perfect because he is voiced by JK Simmons. Anyways, this section is a treat, and all the storytelling is done in the classic Valve way, keeping you in control and letting the world around you do the work. In short, Portal 2 is a masterpiece. A delight from start to finish and one of the best games of all time.

Before Half-Life came out, the first person shooter genre was filled with fast paced arcade-style romps where the blue key card opens the blue door, and glowing green heath pickups levitated behind swarms of demons and monsters. Half-Life took the intense gunplay into a realistic, somber and comparatively sensible location and created a truly revolutionary experience. Despite the graphics aging like milk, the immersion is palpable, as from the get-go, the game throws you right into a tram ride, showing off the facility where you’ll spend most of the game. It’s a proper introduction to the world and really grabbing for first time playthroughs. The rest of the game has you sprinting, fighting and sometimes crawling through various environments including the New Mexico desert, the depths of a research facility and even an alien borderworld. This variety is exciting, and makes you feel like you really are progressing and fighting against the odds. What’s more, the entire game puts you in full control at all times… no cutscenes or tutorial text boxes. You can walk right by any event happening or be an active participant. This relationship of storytelling and agency feels incredible in any game, but Half-Life gets it so right by fully committing to it. Half-Life’s design and gameplay mechanics are also so creative, because most big conflicts you come up against don’t end by you unloading bullets into them, it has you exploring the facility, taking down smaller foes and solving puzzles to accomplish a greater purpose. This contextualizes your small victories and makes you feel like you are always moving forward. All this with some punchy gunplay, great sound design and fascinating plot to boot ends in a distinct and unforgettable game.

Let me start this review off by saying that CNMN is the best character. How often does a banger drop right out of the blue and become an instant game of the year contender? Xbox Game Studios released this pleasant surprise and it's just a treat. It wears its middle-school age cartoon aesthetic proudly, along with its genuinely funny writing and endearing, well designed characters. The characters, feel so classic due to great designs and simple but genuine character arcs and themes. They even have some great arcs that are meaningful but don’t get in the way of the game. They took their archetypes and ran with them, and it works wonderfully. Along with this smile inducing presentation, beautifully simple and simply beautiful gameplay really takes the cake. A rhythm-based 3D action platformer sounds like a lot on paper, but Hi-Fi rush’s gameplay is simple and to the point. The combat is ‘Baby’s first God of War 2018’. Far more approachable and far less mindless because of the rhythmic mechanics. You’ve got to put in real effort to get into the music and tune your actions to the tempo, and doing so really pays off. When you get it, you really get it. Hitting things at the right time is really satisfying. You’re not good because you’re throwing out moves over and over… you’re good because you’re putting in the work and If you stay on beat, you can pull off insane moves just from the basic two buttons put together in the right way on the beat. And boy does it never EVER get old. The message of the game is teamwork, and using different abilities together to become unstoppable, and they show this really well with gameplay. Although switching and summoning each character really kills momentum sometimes, it’s a cool mechanic and makes the ending oh so satisfying. I seriously love these characters and how fun the whole experience was. What a GEM this game is.

games like animal well are really really rare. the kind of game that is so effortlessly and purely gameplay focused that it can’t really compare to much else on the market. like any great indie should, it really gives triple AAA games a run for their large amounts of money by delivering something so incredibly inventive, unique and fun at an astronomical fraction of their price and storage size.

okay but said gameplay is AMAZING. there is truly a surprise and a secret around every turn. it’s densely packed metroidvania map feels incredibly expansive, and you will never have any downtime as new surprises, genius puzzles and poignant moments are never far away… and this combined with its visual style its lack of tutorials result in an incredibly thick atmosphere where you can never quite be sure of what you will see.

the items in animal well are extremely unique. they’re simple enough to immediately understand how they work but so complex in their implementation among the world that you will always be surprised with just how much they can do. they always bring a smile to your face and make solving puzzles a proper challenge and a pure joy. moving throughout this world and the progression is that classic metroidvania upgrade feeling, but made so smooth and subtle. traversing the world feels like cutting butter with a hot knife.

really appreciate the big moments in this game. they remind me of the best surprises from super metroid or metroid fusion. i’ll never forget the dog, finding the fast travel room, the walls of bubbles, the incredible ending…

game of the year for me so far. i’m incredibly impressed with what billy basso and dunkey have introduced to us here and im so excited for what they’re going to do next.

About 30 minutes into my very first playthrough of Banjo-Kazooie, I fell in love with it and put it in my top 25. Maybe it’s just because I already liked Banjo and Kazooie’s character design and inclusion in Smash Ultimate, and I was just waiting for the rest of his game to be inevitably just as charming, but nevertheless, this game slaps hard. Although I despise the creative yet confusing hub world of Gruntilda’s lair, the individual levels are pure magic. There is something fun around every corner, and what you find around those corners is always fun and always satisfying. Mario’s developers have commented on how good it feels to collect coins, and they’re right. For Banjo Kazooie’s collectibles, they somehow cranked that feeling up to 1,000 for a myriad of different items too. The collecting of items is so fun because of several different aspects. First off, the items feel good to collect due to great sound design. Next they are spread out throughout the level. You’re not just handed them on a silver platter, traversal from simple to crazy keeps the pacing of collecting steady and satisfying as a result. In addition these items all have purpose. Eggs are used as ammo, feathers as a resource. Music notes are a high score tracker. Jiggys are the Mario 64 stars of this game and unlock more levels, mumbo skulls unlock more traversal options, and jinjos are just cute. These elements combined while collecting means that it’s constantly motivating, constantly fulfilling and constantly fun. Everything you do in Banjo-Kazooie is just fun, because the developers just got rid of any filler. It all works, it’s all goofy, it’s all one of the cleanest, simplest, most enjoyable 3D platformers ever, rivaled only by a few.

I will take to my very last dying breath two statements: Donkey Kong is the most underrated gaming franchise ever, and Tropical Freeze is the best 2D platformer of all time, only rivaled by a few. The amount of care, attention, creativity and love Retro Studios poured into this game is incredible. Presentation takes center stage but seems to flow right alongside the gameplay effortlessly, only enhancing the perfect platforming. Every single level has a unique gameplay concept that evolves with the level as it unfolds. This never ever feels overwhelming because of the way the game introduces you to each idea little by little. It starts simple, you learn the mechanic, and then small twists are thrown in as the level progresses. You learn exactly what you need to learn, so when the game gets tough (and it really does) your slip-ups feel deserved and like needed lessons on what to correct your next time through the stage. It is perfect. Set pieces, game mechanics and other concepts are stitched together cohesively and effortlessly. Platforms are never just platforms, they’re giant leaves blown from a horn, a piece of wood flung out from a giant sawmill, or a hot air balloon. It feels so realized and somehow believable in the context of this wacky world. It’s crazy how much a simple thing like contextualizing a platform adds to your gameplay experience. It’s just fun to see. The Kongs control like butter and feel just right swinging and jumping through the levels. In a way they feel rightfully and manageably slippery. It feels right and really rewards patience and precision. Plus, the added mechanic of Donkey Kong being able to choose from Diddy, Dixie or Cranky to aid him is a cool feature. I don’t really see why you would need anyone other than Dixie, but it’s nice to see these fun familiar faces. This game’s approach to difficulty is nice, as the hardocre retro DKC players can have their two hit mayhem, and normal people can grab some handy items from the shop. It seems these items are a few helpful boosts rather than automatic win buttons, still allowing that perfect Donkey Kong difficulty to have its place. This game is everything I’d expect from the best 2D platformer, and that’s honestly all it needs to be. Let’s give old DK the respect he deserves.

It Takes Two does the impossible by teaching an important, and real message through gameplay. This game is so SO fun because it clings to its premise and title and refuses to let go. There is no single player. It truly does take two, and that is reflected in its design. Other games’ co-op is usually confined to a separate mode, and you’ll find that most times it’s just the singleplayer with more people and some added content. In It Takes Two, you cannot progress without the other person’s special abilities, communication, understanding and ideas. For example, there’s an entire level where one player is given nails to shoot into walls and the other is given a hammer to whack with. Level elements are centered around how these two mechanics work together; one player cannot get to a platform unless a nail is holding it up. A nail can’t smash glass jars that block your path the way a hammer will. The game isn’t just fun because of focused level design, though. Hazelight went crazy on the side minigames in this one. Everyone loves some friendly competition, and that’s why you’ll get distracted by rhythm games, a chessboard, a snowball fight, a snail race and WAY more that dot each level and offer some real fun distraction. Level after level of this type of these minigames and this tight design is endlessly fun, and it all totally works for players of any skill level. I had my parents, who have barely touched a video game in their lives (especially my mom) play this game, and they were hooked. What was supposed to be a twenty minute session turned out to be an hour and a half, because they were so invested in using real communication to solve problems and figure things out. It’s so cool to see a game’s premise and design seep into the real world and teach a valuable principle; that any effective team truly “Takes Two”. The game won’t work if one player does everything, you won’t progress without any communication, and you won’t have fun if you aren’t focusing on getting the other person to progress with you. What a special video game this is, deserving of its 2021 Game of the Year award. Good job, funny guy from game awards.

This has been said but as a game, Earthbound has some glaring problems. Things like quality of life slip ups, annoying UI quirks, and combat that’s pretty run-of-the-mill keep it from being the perfect JRPG. However most of the problems might be the consequences of time, and as an experience, Earthbound absolutely shines. Videogamedunkey said that Earthbound is “a weirdo game”, and that is a gross understatement. The undeniable highlight and main appeal of Earthbound is its absurd, and goofy presentation and how it wears this like the biggest, weirdest badge of honor. Most JRPGs are medieval or steampunk and pit you against dragons or trolls or slugs or slimes. You heal with potions or spells and probably live in some cute little farming village. In the realm of the genre, it’s standard stuff. In Earthbound the starting area is a modern suburban town where a gang of kids dressed as sharks on pogo sticks are trying to keep you from going on a quest a bee sent you on. Heal with a juicy hamburger you got from a present in the woods, fight a hippie with a yo-yo and get your pictures taken from a random photographer who descends from the sky. Just watch out for the giant metal eraser in your way, and don’t forget to get rid of it with an item you got from a kid in an apple costume. But seriously, that’s like 10% of this game, and I barely got into the Blue KKK. This wacky attitude and unconventional dialogue really take you out of the frustrations and tropes that sometimes plague this gem, and also don’t cover up a subtle story of love, friendship, overcoming odds, and breaking through pressures and evils. Combat, as standard as it is, offers a rolling slot machine as an HP counter rather than a bar. This gives you the chance to heal a party member before the numbers roll down in real time to 0. It’s pretty neat. Something to be said here is that the quiet moments in Earthbound are so special and almost sacred. Soft dreamy melodies and simple dialogue really tough your heart throughout the game. Honestly, it just doesn’t get more Earthbound than Earthbound.

Mario Kart 8 is the best Mario Kart, period. I know double dash is quirky and has the double gimmick or whatever but Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is just so tight and fun and gorgeous. The roster kinda sucks but that’s really it. When I first got my Wii U, the original Mario Kart 8 was bundled with it, and since I didn’t have a job it was the only game I had for a while, and I just fell in love with it, man. First off, I still think that this is one of the most beautiful games to date. No, it doesn’t have the highest polycounts or lighting effects or whatever, but because of its sheer attention to detail, I’d put it up there with Uncharted 4 or God of War 2018. It’s a strong argument in the case that power doesn’t equal better graphics. They committed to an art style, ran to the moon and back with it, and it is gorgeous. Every track has so much love pumped into it. Even the lame ones like Donut Plains 1 or Cheep Cheep Beach have been overhauled so much that they’re some of my favorite tracks ever. Obviously the racing controls are smooth and responsive and it feels great, but the soundtrack? I don’t know why they went so deliriously balls to the wall with the music for this game but holy frick they did! So many bangers just add to this supreme vibe of the whole game, from the title screen, to Sunshine Airport, Dolphin Shoals and Thwomp Ruins. So good, so good. For Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, it seems like the cut corners in the Wii U version have finally been glued back on. Battle mode makes a triumphant return, online improvements are always nice to see, and the DLC included? Why does this game slap so hard? Why isn’t it $200? It’s worth that. I love the guest characters. Link is so cute and goofy in a Go Kart and the Animal Crossing crew and Inklings feel right at home. They fit so weirdly well that I never want them to be cut from a future roster. It really feels like they put their heart and souls into this game, and it shows, not just in the insurmountably high sales numbers, but in the pure fun it brings to everybody.

So i finally finished this really awesome game and even after beating it I still think it’s one of the best first person shooters i’ve ever played.

you really have to lock in for this game and that’s because id developed a really smart and strategically angled gun play system. it’s as satisfying and visceral as you’d expect from DOOM, but it’s so much less about just emptying a magazine into every enemy you come across… in fact if you play it like that you will not have a good time. in order to play the game effectively you need to really pay attention and use the right guns in the right ways, and that goes for nearly everything you do. its got a great cause and effect/weakness exploitation thing going on. it’s a very clever way to get you to play the game right and make you really good at it too.

i think my biggest complaint with this game is that while it does make you feel amazing and powerful, it really holds certain weapons and mechanics back. like it lets you play as a revenant for like 5 minutes… and then never ever again. it gives you one of the coolest swords in gaming and then barely gives you any times to use it in regular combat other than the boss fight. and said boss fight just feels so lame and lazy because after a game of mastering extremely fulfilling and strategic gunplay it makes you do the exact thing I just praised it for NOT doing—unloading into a bullet sponge, with virtually no pushback. i really hate when games pose big enemies as a huge threat but then toss you astronomical amounts of pickups and just say “go shoot it”. it’s a DANG big shame because all the other bosses are really fun and the progression just makes you feel so powerful.

anyways. one bad apple doesn’t make the grove bad, and i still love DOOM eternal. i love the traversal and movement options, the upgrades actually mean something (most of the time) and it’s such a fun-focused game. i didn’t know how they would top DOOM 2016 but they did, and i cannot wait to see what ridiculous carnage they bring to Doom Dark ages

Pokemon Arceus is… rough around the edges. The late 2010s have not been kind to Game Freak and they have not been kind to us. The Pokemon formula has gotten stale fast, and it seems that the developers of this prestigious franchise just can’t keep up. Pokemon Legends Arceus is a fine example of this. Shortcuts are everywhere. There’s so much time looking at bland animations, hearing lackluster music and reading frankly pointless text that effects nothing. The visuals truly look bad. There is no excuse for these kinds of graphics when Breath of the Wild, Witcher 3, Wolfenstein 2, DOOM, Nier Automata and No Man’s Sky run beautifully and look great. There are just some glaring problems with this game, and the gameplay is so good that these problems don’t even matter! What this game gets right, it gets so right that this is one of the strongest and most fun Pokemon titles to date. This game understands that the best part of Pokemon games are the Pokemon and sets you free in an open world structure that lets you get up close and personal with hundreds of them. The endearing and headlining act of capturing Pokemon no longer takes a jaunt through tall grass, a hope and a prayer that you’ll get a cool one, and then whittling down a poor Psyduck so you can hope and pray again that it’ll get caught. If you want to catch a Pokemon, just catch it. No really, just go up and catch it. If you want to find one, go find it! If you want to battle a Pokemon, just battle it. This game’s accessibility to the best part of Pokemon games provides hours of exciting and fun gameplay, and really that’s all it needs. It’s a shame that Scarlet and Violet didn’t continue some trends from Legends Arceus, because at the end of the day, it’s Pokemon, and Legends Arcues lets it be Pokemon.