I expected this punching bag of a failed reboot to be really bad. And honestly, it’s pretty good? At least for the most part. This might be the biggest example of “x game is good but it’s not a x game.” This game is quality, but it’s not a Devil May Cry game. I think if the title was different people would love this game.

First of all, the gameplay is really good. The changes in mechanics take a bit to get used to, but everything flows pretty well and the combat is enjoyable. I will say it’s a bit on the easy side in terms of difficulty, and the mechanics are not at all complicated, which isn’t really what I want from a DMC game, but it’s still good. Secondly, the level design is great, with solid platforming, and very interesting world design and art style. There was clearly a lot of effort and soul put into this game, and I appreciate that.

Sadly, this is a reboot, and the worst part about this game by far is the tone. Devil May Cry should never take itself too seriously (look at Dmc2). I mean, watch the Dmc3 opening cutscene, it’s cool but also silly. Dante doesn’t take anything seriously. But here, Donte is so overly edgy, constantly swearing in our faces and getting laid as a hobby, with big bold letters showing up in the levels saying "KILL DANTE" it’s LAME and so forced. Donte’s design is also generic, nothing offensive, just not Dante. Vergil is just lame and weak in this game, and his “twist” villain ending feels pretty forced too. The story is alright, not bad, but it’s so overly serious and Donte is so edgy that I understand why people hate this game. Also thanks for this Definitive Edition so Vergil doesn’t have that horrid fedora.

This game is good, with great gameplay and levels, but sadly it’s hard to ignore that this is a failed reboot with overly edgy and serious replacements for two of the best characters in video games. The best part of this game is probably that Capcom realized how much people care about Dmc, hence why Devil May Cry 5 even exists. Still, I enjoyed my experience, it's kind of inoffensive since this reboot didn't go anywhere, and I don't know if that helps or hurts it.

I'm not as big of a fan of Spyro as most 3D platforming fanatics are (I'm more of a Crash guy), but this is still a very fun and charming game like the first Spyro. Collecting in these little worlds is just so relaxing, and the atmosphere is just so wonderful, especially in the hub worlds. I will say there are some inconsistency issues in this game, and it definitely feels like something is missing without the Spring world. Otherwise, a solid upgrade to Spyro 1

Also I don't know why but it took me 3 years of playing on and off to finish this, which is really bad of me. I gotta get better at finishing games...

God of War is undoubtedly one of the most influential games of the last 10 years. I can understand why, but it took me a while to get there. Kratos and Atreus make a great duo and have a great dynamic and story together. This game’s story is amazing. I love the combat too, it’s different but familiar enough to feel right for a modern God of War game. I think Kratos has a really good natural progression as a character and playing the previous games makes this game hit way harder. Kratos’ evolution is just done perfectly, with him reflecting on his dark past and trying to move.

Now that’s not without flaws. I think there are things that aren’t perfect about this game. The pace is pretty slow at some points, the first half of the game isn’t nearly as fun as the second half in my opinion. I also strongly HATE the overcomplicated RPG menus, it’s just not necessary in this series. I also don’t really understand the need to remove jumping either, kinda removes some complexity to puzzles and combat. The puzzles are a definite downgrade due to losing that extra dimension, they’re never super fun or interesting in this game. Also, the over-the-shoulder camera really bothers me a lot. These are things that bother me but definitely did not ruin the game at all.

Once you get to the second half of the game and a certain moment happens, this game really picks up pace. The story is more intense, the combat is more varied and fun, everything gets better. And that’s when I realized that I love this game a lot. Even though I don’t prefer this game over the older games because I think the grandiose action and epic scale is cooler, I still love the more peaceful world, emotional father-son story that is more grounded, and I am very happy with where Kratos went as a character. Although I don’t agree that this is the best game ever made (not even in this series imo), I still think this is a legendary game and a great way to revitalize the series while keeping the essence of what originally made it God of War.