It is obvious that a lot of care went into this game. It has a fine plot, challenging combat, a superb art style, and pleasant music.

The most striking aspects of this game are the art style and the Souls-like combat. The Rats vs. Frogs war theme, combined with the 2D hand-drawn art result in gorgeous and distinctive visuals. Also, the executions and light green frog blood are a nice touch.

The combat is tough and mostly fair. The main issue I have with it applies to the bosses/bigger enemies. You usually have to be close to damage them, meanwhile, they have unblockable (but dodgeable) attacks that cover half, and sometimes, the whole screen. Later enemies also dodge a lot of your attacks. Ranged attacks are limited and weak, so it’s best to save for the finish. Thankfully, I had patience and I was never stuck on one fight. Finally, the weight system was poorly implemented and the abundance of gear you obtain is pointless, but those are mostly nitpicks.

The game is short, but the free ‘Bloody Whiskers’ expansion adds a few more enemies to fight and contains a startling secret. This is simply a well-made game across the board on a developer’s first try. Impressive.

4.25 Stars
After the shocking ending of Gears of War 4, I was really excited to play this game and it did not disappoint. As usual, the graphics are a marvel, the new weapons are interesting, and the multiplayer was fun for the short time I spent with it. (But, I still miss Beast mode from Gears 3) It is not perfect, but The Coalition takes a few risks in the campaign with great results.

New to the series is an open world. It is much smaller compared to other games, so it doesn’t feel overdone and fits the game nicely. I found it natural and cool to see landmarks along the way and hear Del or Kait say “let’s check this out,” leading to side quests. Landmarks don’t appear on your map until you pass by them, which rewards exploration. Another improvement to the series is the evolution of Jack. He can now aid in combat (and is playable in co-op) and can be upgraded with components. His abilities are game changing and will have you exploring every nook and cranny for components.

An issue I have is the execution of the story feels disjointed. The game basically has 2 plots and they take turns telling each one, which is odd. The “Gears story” has you trying to get the Hammer of Dawn to function again, while Kait’s story continues from Gears 4. The “Gears story” can be redundant and some moments feel unnecessary, while I wished Kate’s story was more fleshed out. I feel Kait’s story would’ve been perfect if it were placed towards the end or the ending itself. Overall, the campaign is pretty memorable and contains some interesting moments and locales.

This game has me excited to play the next entry in the series, yet again. Between the fun multiplayer, great campaign, and as a technical showcase, this game is a complete package.

This game fully delivers on the blockbuster Star Wars action adventure that fans have wanted for a long time. It consists of great combat, cool upgrades, tons of lore, and rewarding exploration. Also, it has one of the best intros I have ever experienced and a shocking cameo appearance near the ending.

My minor complaints are platforming issues and random glitches. Some of the game’s most exciting moments were tarnished by me falling “to my death.” Most of the time, it wasn’t my fault. The game is forgiving, as you just lose some health and retry, but the thrill of doing it in one take was gone.

The production value for this game is enormous. It’s filled with incredible action-packed sequences, comedy, betrayal, and a familiar Star Wars soundtrack to fit many themes. I can't imagine a better start to a Star Wars action series than this one.

An extremely challenging (but fair) Metroidvania. There is a combat arena, where completing it's hardest Trial is one of my proudest gaming achievements. Also, there is a boss who killed me over 50 times, but it did not diminish my love for this game at all.

The Voidheart Edition includes all 4 bonus content packs, which blends into the main game perfectly. This game has a great soundtrack, excellent combat, and an absurd amount of interesting lore. All of this is accompanied by a huge map and a ton of rewarding secrets, making this a must play if you can tolerate the difficulty.

3.25 Stars
While this game is a faithful adaptation of its movie counterparts, I wish it were better. It has a slow start, with the first 2 episodes being pretty dull. Episode 3 is refreshing and has an interesting plot twist, but the series doesn’t reach this peak again.

The cutscenes/story and production value are the best aspects of the game. Doc and Marty ruin the past numerous times and make you wonder how a 4th movie would’ve turned out. Gameplay mostly consists of tiresome puzzles/goals that feel long and drawn out, requiring you to go back and forth between areas, or talk to people multiple times. Thankfully, there’s a hint system that can point you in the right direction or outright tell you what to do.

Your enjoyment of this game will be enhanced if you’ve seen/are a fan of the movies. Otherwise, it is a below average Adventure game.

This has to be one of the most weird, unique, and creative games ever made. There are countless memorable and thought-provoking moments. I would even describe some of them as powerful. I really enjoyed the open world, the depth of the combat, the serene soundtrack, and the engaging story and characters. My only grievances are some of the weaker side quests and the story can be a little too abstract, especially if you don’t do a little homework on it’s lore beforehand. I will be contemplating this game for a long time.

I am impressed that Naughty Dog managed to develop a slightly scaled down Uncharted game (without Nathan Drake) in about a year. This game is basically Uncharted 4.5, but is surprisingly lengthy and stands on its own mainly due to a likable cast. Chloe is carefree and charismatic, while Nadine is tough and serious, creating an interesting dynamic between them.

Gameplay includes the usual puzzle solving, platforming, and gunfights. Similar to Uncharted 4, this game includes a mini open world and even has an engaging side quest. I was not a fan of the gunfights this time around, however. You can avoid most of them by being stealthy, but getting caught seems inevitable. The weapons are great, but environments felt too cluttered and enemies seemed to always have an angle on me. I specifically recall a group spawning behind me during the second phase of a fight. Thankfully, there are not too many gunfights and everything else is great.

This series usually has epic moments with close calls and near death experiences. This entry is no exception. It feels like an over the top action movie, with moments so unbelievable and unrealistic, it’s actually captivating. This was originally supposed to be DLC for Uncharted 4, but it turned into a stand-alone experience (no need to own U4) and includes that game’s multiplayer, which is a fast-paced, unique, and fun experience itself. This is a very solid package overall and a worthy entry to the series.

This is an incredible and ambitious Tactics/RPG. For starters, this game has an extensive tutorial and the ability to recap the story and rewatch cutscenes. All are first that I’ve seen in a PS1 game. It also has a vast amount of lore leading up to its story. The world of Ivalice truly feels alive and great care went into its history and world building.

By far the best thing about this game is it’s job system. There are 20 jobs (classes) and unlocking them is a thrill in and of itself. You can assign a job to a character and equip them with skills from other jobs. The result is near endless experimentation by mixing jobs and skills. I could easily see myself making a team of Summoning Archers or Time Mage Ninjas in the a future playthrough. There are many possibilities. As glorious as the job system is, it can become quite overwhelming. To prevent wasting job points, I often felt forced to change jobs once I mastered one. Doing this for 5+ characters felt like a hassle. This becomes more apparent the longer you play. Thankfully, your primary job’s set of skills can be used as secondary, preventing you from starting from scratch when changing to a new job.

I loved playing this game, but there were a few flaws. Some attacks/abilities are unclear as to what attributes are important for their power/success rate. There is guide online but it is extremely complicated. During boss fights, the game suffers from difficulty spikes and/or scripted battles. You’ll learn quickly that these battles need to be done ASAP, as the boss and their minions will slaughter your party, but it diminishes the strategic element of the game. These fights usually end when the boss is in critical condition, making them seem anticlimactic as they vanish off the screen, only to fight them later. This happens often. There are also times where you’ll have consecutive battles. If you aren’t properly leveled up and save in between these battles, you could be stuck in a fight that you can’t win.

I didn’t find the story outstanding, but it is unpredictable and complex, with drama and mystical elements that I always find appealing. The strategic battles can create some unforgettable moments. One battle, I stole a bosses’ sword, so he was forced to punch me instead of using his regular attacks lol. In another battle, a boss and his minions nearly wiped my party but I killed him with what would’ve been my final attack.

This game has an insane amount of detail, a nice soundtrack, and the job system is addictive. I can’t imagine that there are many PS1 games better than this.

This game is basically Spider-Man 1.5. It features the same map (in a Christmas setting), most of the move set, and identical side activities from the original game. It stands on its own however, thanks to its unique soundtrack, surprising plot twists, and another lovable protagonist.

I unexpectedly had issues with the combat. It was nothing too hard, but some of the enemies were a nuisance. I played on Amazing difficulty (normal) and I strive for long combos in these types of games. To be brief, most fights included multiple enemies that couldn't be hit directly, while multiple enemies were shooting you. It became too chaotic for my liking.

My initial play through was in Fidelity mode, so the lower frame rate may have played a factor in my frustration. Combat seemed easier (or maybe I was just better) during my brief stint with New Game +, which I played in Performance mode on Ultimate difficulty.

Despite my complaints, this game does enough to separate itself from the original and was a memorable experience.

This game encompasses everything enjoyable about the Guardians of the Galaxy movies. The presentation, production values, banter between the crew, and world building are all top-notch. Honestly, the banter approaches legendary status and sets the bar for party-based games going forward. Drax and Mantis are particular standouts.

As for gameplay, I was sold when I found out you only control Peter and direct the other Guardians, rather than it being a co-op experience. Everyone has a unique move set and they are all useful. Outside of combat, there is platforming, minor exploration, and numerous action scenes reminiscent of the Uncharted series. Also, you will make choices that affect certain scenes. Early on, you sell a “monster” to a collector and what you choose drastically affects what happens.

The game isn’t perfect though. The story gets a little too weird for my taste and it drags on towards the end. I also encountered small glitches that forced me to reload checkpoints. Nevertheless, if you have an affinity for the movies, playing this game is a no-brainer.

4.25 Stars
This game maintains the greatness this series established long ago. It features the usual hectic combat, ridiculous upgradeable arsenal, and witty humor. The plot alternates with another dimension, where you meet counterparts of all the main characters, creating a charming intergalactic adventure and adding to an already likeable cast.

This game seems to be the series' most accessible also, based on its settings and easily attainable RYNO and Platinum Trophy. The visuals are magnificent (photo mode emphasizes this) and the game ran great in 120hz, fidelity mode.

This game easily ranks amongst the best the Ratchet and Clank series has to offer.

I’ll admit that I was unable to beat this game. It is hard and stingy with its healing items and I had too much pride to use the game’s beneficial accessibility options for aid lol.

This is a solid roguelite with light platforming and bullet hell elements. Combat is fast, fluid, and challenging, but the hit boxes are occasionally inconsistent, which lead to a few cheap shots. Also, for a game where you’ll die often, the amount of guns, mods, and upgrades was underwhelming. It made the game feel repetitive pretty fast.

Despite my failure, I enjoyed this game a lot. I was heartbroken by a few of my deaths, but even then I retried instantly. Definitely try this if you are a fan of roguelites or 2D action games in general.

This game starts off promising and mysterious, but ends up being unimpressive mainly due to an uneventful ending. It just felt empty. Throughout the game, there isn’t much to explore while hiking and a lot of what you find is uninteresting and unusable. Also, viewing the map is clunky as you have to frequently come to a stop to get your bearings and see where to go next.

The characters, their backstory, and the banter between Delilah and Henry are the clear highlights of the game. It is interesting to hear them converse. There is a revelation in the game that is pretty shocking, but it is related to a secondary plot, so it does not feel as impactful as it would otherwise. I enjoyed this game and even played it twice, but sometimes it just felt dull and I was disappointed by the ending.

3.75 Stars
I never compare games in my reviews, but I can’t deny how similar this game is to The Division, mainly it’s expansion, Underground, which focused on PvE. The Division is one of my favorite games ever, so my comment isn't an insult. With the bullet sponge enemies, high difficulty, tactical abilities, stat modifying weapon attachments, and overall feel of the game, the comparison is hard to ignore.

This game is clearly meant to played in a group, even on Standard difficulty. Bots aren’t useless but take a lot of avoidable damage and often stand still. The story is forgettable and the dialog is abysmal. Finding intel unlocks lore but I stopped caring almost immediately.

This game shines with its upgradable classes and pure fun gameplay. You will be repeating missions and mindlessly shooting down hordes of xenomorphs but you're always progressing. The perks and weapons you unlock are worthwhile and accommodate many playstyles. Dozens of relentless enemies fill the screen and come from everywhere. Most encounters are intense, leaving you with a "Who's next?!?!" attitude when its over. The end of the last mission is outstanding, so much so, my friend saved a clip and kept rewatching it lol.

I was looking for a co-op game with the potential to be played indefinitely and despite being a budget game, it has filled that void nicely.

PS: I love that there are 2 modern games that capture the spirit of the first 2 movies in this franchise and are properly named.