From the very start of this adventure you will notice a difference from the main game. I'm not just talking about the harsh snow that covers the mountain. Improved animations, cutscenes, enemy behavior and pacing left me very satisfied.

I found the new, smaller scale of this adventure and map entertaining to explore. Its plot was more personal and the rewards for completing tasks felt richer. It provided much of what I was hoping to see in the original base game.

It's not perfect. Being an expansion it shares with it some of the bloat the rest of the title had. But I would say Horizon is a more interesting game to play when it focuses its world's narrative and cuts out the busy work.

If you are a fan of Horizon Zero Dawn, make sure you take a trip up north to see where the real fun is.

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.

Insomniac games came in swinging to show that not only are they one of the most talented video game studios in the business, but a gold star developer in Sony's pocket.

It plays better, it runs perfectly, there were no bugs in my playthrough despite the game being called Spider-Man (ha).

The new web-swinging mechanics and wingsuit lead this to be the best feeling Spider-Man game to play when it comes to traversal. For those who are die hard original Spider-Man 2 fans you can lower the web assist in the options menu. You can always turn on fall damage too if you don't like having fun!

Combat is absolutely insane. Spectacle meets utility for each ability creating incredible looking combat scenarios especially during the boss fights.

Both Spider-Men and their supporting cast are just excellent. Incredible performances all around. Miles and Peter compliment each other so well. Watching them team up is a treat and watching them clash is even sweeter. I'll admit I even liked the MJ sequences this time. They were a huge step up.

Venom and Kraven. Wow. Just Wow.

Kraven is needlessly cruel, he chews every scene he's in. He is a force of nature. He can be explained by few words but those words hold weight. I think making him the driving force was the right call. In the end he got what he wanted. He won and that is quite the feat.

Venom is PERFECT. Tony Todd joins the ranks of Daran Norris and Benjamin Diskin as S tier portrayals of the character while still feeling like its own interpretation. He felt wrong in the best ways. Intrusive, violating, powerful. There was a disgusting aura about him that made him feel like a true abomination. Like something Hell itself would spit back out. The symbiotes as a whole felt so uncomfortable. As if they make the host feel ill in their own skin. This whole review could just be talking about Venom and I wouldn't run out of things to say.

I'm just in awe. This game could have been just a minor improvement on the first and I still would have liked it. But Insomniac did something really special here. In an already stacked year I would call Spider-Man 2 a must play and I can't wait to see what comes next.

TLDR: Kraven really said Harder when Peter was choking him. Full on "choke me daddy" energy right there.

I absolutely love the base game but even I will admit that this DLC doesn't provide much incentive to complete its difficult challenges.

Artic Cruise is also probably my least favorite level when compared to the others. Not based on its design, the cruise ship is really fun to explore! But there are only 3 chapters and only 1 of them actually capitalizes on this exploration.

But even with that the platforming is still superb so you won't feel that your time is wasted by giving this a go.

You really can't go wrong with a game about two badass girls who hit as hard as the absolutely incredible OST does. River City Girls adds light RPG elements and a more simplified combo system to make this a very entertaining brawl.

There are four characters you can play as. Two at the start and two additional unlocked once you beat the game. Fully playable in co-op and each character has their own unique visual flair to their moves. You and your buddy may be performing the same action, but only one of you is dabbing a man to death.

The game rides the line of difficulty very well. Never frustrating but fair and challenging. Enemies were well defined, they telegraphed their moves and I was always prepared to satisfyingly kick an enemy in the nuts so hard he'd fly through the air.

Visually the game packs a lot of style. From its anime inspired character designs to its arcade style art this game was never visually dull. Lots of fun background details in the environment as well.

To note a losing point for some people is possibly the ending. I won't spoil anything but I will warn that it is....abrupt and odd if you aren't familiar with the River City series of games. As this was my introduction I wasn't sure how to peg the ending at first. But After a bit of time in New Game Plus and a quick google I began to appreciate it more. It's one of those endings that is built off in the background if you are paying attention to the little details. But if the ending isn't your thing I think that is completely understandable.

Bosses are also kind of meh. Aside from the final 2 they don't really stand out to me aside from their quirky character dialogue.

Despite those two issues this is a pretty safe game to recommend. It's got likeable characters, a who's who of youtubers/content creators voicing the cast, energetic combat and again, that OST is superb. If this genre of game interests you in the slightest or you just want an anime girl to step on you I would recommend it.

TLDR: I wish I was an enemy in this game so I could get stepped on.

Everything about this title works for me. Its characters are funny and memorable. Its level are unique and mostly avoid the archetypes you would find common in platformers. Mafia Town is officially in my top 5 locations when it comes to 3D Platforming fun.

The soundtrack is an absolute standout offering not only great level themes but also unique remixes for almost every song. The controls are great, Hat Kid plays like a dream and the options menu offers a good amount to tweak minor settings.

There is so much expression and personality in this game that it quickly has become one of my favorite games in this genre. If you are a fan of 3D Platformers and haven't played this, you owe it to yourself to give it a try.

It's incredibly telling that what Nintendo did here was a great idea that was executed poorly.

The music, the concept, the characters designs, the actual combat is all really great. But there isn't anything to do here aside from online matches and Grand Prix. Grand Prix being a series of 10 AI fights ending with a OP boss at the end. Don't get me wrong this is a common problem with a lot of fighters. Many of them lack anything that would normally keep a casual fan coming back. But even back when this released fighting games were being held to a higher standard.

There is no story mode. They went above and beyond with these character designs only to give us so little in terms of actual character. All you get is a text blurb at the start of each match. Your first fight in this game is the same as the last. Other than minor differences, once you beat the Grand Prix with one character you've done it with them all. Credits roll and game over right?

Well....no... I played a bit more afterwards. I like this combat in small doses. I loved the arenas, each pulling from the background of one of these fighters. I REALLY love the music and I just wish the game had more. I want an Arms 2, I want Nintendo to give this idea another chance. Do I think it will happen? I don't know. It didn't sell great and Nintendo has ignored way more profitable IPs for this to come back. But then again it is Nintendo and they do what they want.

It's honestly just a shame. I like this game. I wanna play more of it, but not right now. This is 100% a play a match once in a while. If you can accept that I would recommend it, but if you are looking for more meat on these bones unfortunately you'll want to look elsewhere.

TLDR: I wrote enough about Arms for there to be a TLDR. That shows I'm conflicted.

While its lore, characters and art style have a certain charm it never really succeeds in properly blending its two styles of play.

Its platforming and combat aren't at all satisfying and its tower defense gameplay adds up to little more than mindless spamming. I can't speak on the co-op as I played it solo. But I can't really see this game improving with a friend as there are plenty of moments of downtime that drag on maybe a bit too long.

I find myself respecting the title for a solid attempt at a unique idea. It really did start off promising and got me excited for what was to come. But that doesn't change the fact that I didn't really enjoy my time with it overall and was happy to see the credits roll. I would say sadly this is a disappointing skip.

If you consider the fact that I know almost nothing about Warhammer 40k, I'm not terribly into Boomer Shooters and I played the game on weakest system this 3.5 stars probably looks more like a GLOWING recommendation.

It's simple fun and there appears to be a lot under the hood. But if you had any interest in playing this game you likely already have.

To speak candidly on the performance of the switch it ranges from Solid at the start to nearly dry heaving towards the finish line. I played the title on Switch as (at the time of writing) it is the only version that got a physical release. Why they decided this I have absolutely no clue. I highly recommend you avoid it as the final chapter as a whole just did not run properly and I would call it nearly unplayable.

TLDR: I recommend you play it on anything but the Switch.

Always a looker with it having a gorgeous presentation, adorable characters, and at times some expert level design that feels perfect for the grapple mechanic. I found the villain amusing, our protagonist great and you know I got hit with a burst of joy when I found out you can pet him after getting all the collectibles in a level.

But those highlights didn't stop me from finding the soundtrack REALLY numbing as it loops endlessly. The specific levels that require intense precision were rather frustrating as the grapple can be stiff at times. And a few bugs (that appear exclusive to the switch version) including a hard crash that hit me right at the end forcing me to play the final level again after beating the boss.

Despite the title being more or less a mixed bag I did have a lot of fun. I will likely go back occasional and try and nab all the collectibles. I am 100% happy to hear a sequel is coming that will hopefully address my concerns.

Grapple Dog may not end up being your favorite 2-D platformer but it has enough there to make it worth a recommendation if you can accept some problems.