The day is April 1st, 2024. April Fools' Day! What are some silly pranks I can play on people on such a momentous occasion as this?
I've got a good one! I'll finally play the sequel to that game I hate, and see if it's actually any good.

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I've made it clear enough how much I hate Breath of the Wild, how much it quite literally pains me to play it. Obviously, I wouldn't be looking forward to Tears of the Kingdom either. Especially with just how much they tried to hype it up, like good lord this shit ended at least four Nintendo Directs. Despite all that, I decided to make a fool of myself today and give it a try, thanks to my brother being a BOTW fan in my stead, and purchasing this game back when it released. Be surprised when you hear this: I still don't like it.

I went into TOTK with no intentions of ever finishing it, and certainly no intentions of putting too much time into it. I gave it two hours, finished two shrines, and fucked around with whatever new mechanics they gave me. Shockingly though, I can at the very least admit that I didn't hate the new ideas. I enjoyed fusing items together a decent amount. It's definitely more Zelda than I felt with its prequel.

Unfortunately, there's still the entire rest of the game. The large, open world that has me running in circles for lord knows how long because I can't figure out a way to reach that spot I pinpointed on my map. The open world that I will be begrudgingly slogging through because my stamina doesn't allow me to speed up for any longer than three seconds. The very same open world that ends up giving me a headache if I spend too long in it. I didn't like it then, and I still don't like it now, fun new gimmicks or otherwise.

But hey, that's more than I could say for Breath of the Wild. Given that I had even the slightest amount of fun ever, I can still call it better than the first. It even took a little longer to give me a headache this time around. Maybe next time we can get an actual Zelda game.

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why did i do this?

Banjo and Kazooie are a hilarious duo, with one being an easy-going bear who's okay with the cartoon hell he exists in, and the other a very cynical bird who makes people hate her almost as fast as she'll hate them.

The two are a hilarious duo in a creatively worked out collect-a-thon that still feels good to play in the modern day. With each puzzle being creatively planned, yet challenging and each world having a fun theme within a witches castle, it's no wonder Banjo-Kazooie still manages to be a classic game that just feels fun

Didn't think I'd be writing that, but Silent Hill 4 is my favorite SH since the 2nd one.

What won me over is how unique and lightly experimental it is compared to the previous ones. The concept of Henry locked in an ever-changing apartment fascinates me. It messes with your sense of safety, because if the protagonist isn't safe in his own house, anything else can happen. This makes SH4 one of the most disturbing and intriguing out of the 4, even if it's not the scariest.

I also prefer the focus on melee combat instead of puzzle solving. It does take away the dreadful sense of exploration that the others have, but it makes up for being its own consistent thing. And with it, comes a touch up in the combat sytem. I mean, it's still not perfect and, quite frankly, dated, but it's the best one. Even the camera works a little better. Pack that up with great visuals and some disgusting enemy designs and you have a very creepy challenge ahead of you.

The story is also great!

Definitely not better than 2 and might not be as horrifying as 1, but I love how the mystery slowly unfolds. The pacing feels just right, characters are memorable, there's an eerie sound to the voice acting, the main villain is good and the pay off felt satisfying, in most of the 4 endings you can get. The tone set by your interactions inside the room and the frightening things happening outside of it helps a lot in building up tension and curiosity.

The only thing I did not enjoy so much was Henry, but you get used to him.

And I won't even take too much time talking about how The Room handles sound. I've said it before in past reviews and I'll just say it again: Akira Yamaoka is a god! If it wasn't for him, I don't think Silent Hill would've been as memorable as it is and this is not different in this game. Again, the best one since 2.

I do have to point out a few things that I definitely agree in relation to this game's negative criticism. And that's the 2nd half of it.

I was not happy when I figured out that a lot of things changed when Eileen comes into play. As I played, I figured out that it isn't horrible to deal with her, but depending on the type of player you are, she can ruin your journey, because she is an unquestionable nuisance. Protecting her can be challenging even on easy, especially when you enter rooms filled with ghosts. I don't understand why the devs turned the game into a giant escort mission.

The 2nd half aso brings hauntings into Henry's room. And while I did find the concept very engaging, it got old soon and some of them can be very frustating if you do not correctly manage your items.

There's also the fact that the inventory just sucks. It is unapologetically bad. Some items are useless, the way it handles ammo and guns makes no sense, you can't discard items and it encourages mindless backtracking, which can totally break immersion. And the level design just doesn't help, since it's mostly linear, with some rooms FILLED with enemies. And this is coming from someone who actually prefers linear games.

I really don't understand why the devs made such weird decisions about how the final half of the game would roll. But while it could have ruined the experience for me, it just didn't. I could not dislike Silent Hill 4. In fact, it became my 2nd favorite out of the ones that I played.

If you have a chance, play Silent Hill 4. Especially if you're a horror fan. This is a very unique game, with a wicked mystery and some very off-putting imagery that, while definitely not perfect, shines in its strange design.

The Room but without Tommy Wiseau.

The black sheep of the original four Team Silent games, but is that rightfully so? Well it for sure is understandable. Henry Townsend is the definition of a dull and one dimensional character. Pretty much in contrast to Heather who is arguably the most 4-dimensional character I have ever witnessed. However SH4 has the series most interesting villain. Tommy Wisea...I mean Walter Sullivan. He sure looks like Tommy though lol.

Anyway the story about Walter and the 21 sacraments is pretty damn intruiging. The enemy design is great. Enemy sounds are pretty damn odd though, especially those burping monsters. Combat is worse yet easier at the same time. Once you got the axe you become invinvible ruining much of the horror. Imagine how dangerous those Twin Victims (one of the best and most underappreciated monsters in the franchise) would be with Silent Hill 3 gameplay and combat mechanics. The handgun is kinda like a shotgun shooting through multiple enemies sometimes.

The level design is great but I miss the radio and flashlight. The escort mission isn't as bad as in RE4 but witout it and the backtracking is something I could do without but I don't really mind it. Akira Yamaokas score is a masterclass. Room of Angels anyone?

9/10 Ghosts haunting your apartment.