It's not without its flaws but I think Lies of P does a lot right to stand on its own despite its clear inspirations from Bloodborne. Its more linear nature is welcome and its world is one I was interested in seeing. The presentation is top notch, though I think it excels more with the mechanized horror of the puppets over some enemies you see in the later third. Overall sound design is straight 10s across the board. Every hit, block and parry sound just incredible.

I was surprised by the story. Not where it was going but more how well it was told. It's a more straight forward tale from other soulsborne titles. Lovingly taking elements from the original fairy tale and expanding on them. They really play into the bit and if the sequel tease is legit I think we can expect more of that in the future.

Combat is a bit of a mixed bag to be honest. The weapon customization is a mechanic I want to see others adopt. The difficulty curve on the other hand doesn't really prepare you for the late game. I would say it starts off a bit too easy and then just slams you against the wall out of nowhere. There are absolutely fights that feel unfair for the sake of it. But that didn't stop me from running headfirst into them with my giant electric pizza cutter.

Overall I think Lies of P is a really great game and I'd be lying if I said this wasn't worth your time.

I feel conflicted about this title. I don't think it is "One of the Best Open-World Games of This Generation" as Gamespot put it...But I certainly think this game has more to offer than its most outspoken critics.

Its lore is rich , its machine combat exciting, its world breathtakingly beautiful. I think Aloy is a great protagonist and think where the story goes is rather interesting. But I don't blame anyone for not getting to that good stuff before falling off.

This is a game that is brought down heavily by its pace. It takes hours for the real gameplay to start. And for a game with such attention to machine combat you really spend most of the adventure fighting boring humans in low stakes fights that feel like effortless target practice. I think if this game didn't include many of the RPG trappings that bog it down we would have a really tightly made game.

I like Horizon Zero Dawn, I think it's a good game. But I don't think it's a must play, and I don't blame anyone for disliking it.

I believe that despite some woes Guerrilla Games really did make something special here. They may not be winning any awards for release timing, but they provided a beautiful world to explore, filled with deep lore and great enemy design

At the time of writing, only 62% of players on PS5 have made it past the opening questline. That kind of makes me sad. While the pacing is better than Zero Dawn it does still take a bit for the main plot to move forward. And I am certainly not going to pretend that all of the writing works here.

But between the incredible voice cast with the likes of Ashly Burch and the late great Lance Riddick, I think its more high sci-fi ideas are more interesting than people give it credit for. Both Horizon games are filled with unique tribes, internal myths and ideas that really do make this world feel like its own.

Traversing that world is even better. Whether swimming through the flooded remains of a sunken casino, walking across a vast desert or gliding through an icy tundra. The visual spectacle here is impressive and just walking through it is a sight to behold.

And of course the machine combat is just absolutely incredible. At one moment you'll be fighting a giant turtle that tends to burrow underground for surprise attacks. The next you will be jumped by a pack of kangaroos, wielding elemental yo-yos. New weapon types add to this experience with some tools that feel ripped right from a Ratchet and Clank game. Machine combat was the biggest strength in Zero Dawn and it is only improved here.

I am not going to lie to you and tell you that every element of this game is completely unique but its highs more than make up for its lows. If you have the stomach for another open world adventure I would say give this a go. It might surprise you.

Building off of the already impressive open world design philosophy of Breath of the Wild this title could have easily coasted by just being more of the same. Instead we were treated to a wide range of incredible set pieces, unique puzzles and powerful enemies. All which we had the freedom to tackle how we see fit.

Formulating my thoughts on Tears of the Kingdom is tough. I feel like it is hard to capture into words just how immersive and freeing this title is. Nintendo created unique and interesting locations but rather than gate us down a specific path that gave us the true freedom leading to so much variety when completing objectives.

One could argue that BOTW already accomplished this goal, but even that title had specific limitations that are broken down by the new masterhand abilities. Each one fundamentally challenges your imagination and makes the world your own personal adventure.

All of this on top of the significantly richer narrative and lore that this version of Hyrule has lovingly crafted. Finding the Master Sword is a moment I will not soon forget given its plot significance, and this Ganondorf stands out as the most menacing and determined version of the character. This is just as much his story and he steals most scenes with his confidence and power.

I will admit completely that if BOTW wasn't your jam, I don't think this title will win you over. Much of what is here is building off that foundation set by those survival elements. Weapon durability, resource management and shrines galore. If those were deal breakers for you before they will be here as well.

But even when considering that I find myself in the same place I was when I was playing/reviewing the recent Resident Evil 4 Remake. I believe objectively, this is not only one of the greatest open worlds but one of the most intelligently designed games. Is it my favorite Legend of Zelda title? No, but I will 100% say with full confidence that I believe this is one of the greatest games ever made.

Playing Pseudoregalia is like experiencing a lucid dream. Having full function while being mesmerized by the world around you. Absolutely incredible controls, fantastic movement and a beautiful atmosphere. I think the only thing that holds this one back is the combat. If that had been perfected to match the other skill set I think the game would be perfect. But as it stands it's pretty damn close. When it was all over I only had one question....



Why they make the main character so thicc?!