TheVan75
2011
Fun puzzle game with just enough Nintendo charm to make it feel special. This could very easily work as a mobile game if Nintendo ever decides to revisit the series.
2021
An improvement on the first game which I didn't think had much room for improvement. Fantastically creepy design and presentation. It knows just when to hit you with a big scare and when to pull back and just give you a creepy image that lingers without a musical sting. The only criticism I have is some of the environmental puzzles are hard to read. The rooms can be so detailed it's hard to figure out what is interactable and what is set dressing. Overall it made me feel like I was playing Limbo again which is one of the highest compliments I can bestow.
TBD
The best modern way to play Jak 2. Even nicer on a Steam Deck.
This full decompilation is very impressive. I've noticed little details in this port that always passed me by in other versions. Agreed with the rest of the reviews here: this is the definitive way to play Jak 1.
Pretty fun RPG coming from someone who doesn't have a lot of experience with RPGs. It does start to drag near the end but I never felt the need to grind.
Bowser's Minions was a total bore I gave up on after about an hour. Mind you that was an hour of constantly holding down the fast forward button.
Bowser's Minions was a total bore I gave up on after about an hour. Mind you that was an hour of constantly holding down the fast forward button.
2024
Well this is disappointing. 343 clearly had season 6 mostly complete but Microsoft pulled the plug on it to get the studio working on a new game. It's evident the devs weren't happy about this considering they didn't even give this update a name and shoved all the armor pieces on the store for $38. Only one new map?
It seems the strategy was to get Infinite to good standing with the player base with the past 2 seasons and then cash out with a pitiful "content update."
It seems the strategy was to get Infinite to good standing with the player base with the past 2 seasons and then cash out with a pitiful "content update."
Kind of an elongated minigame. Not bad at all but almost too simple for its own good. The one thing I can't forgive is not showing the secondary objective on the level select screen often times requiring you play through each level at least 3 times to get the star, do the secondary objective, and find the hidden pixel Toad.
Much improved over the original Separate Ways. So much is added you could essentially call this a entire new B scenario for RE4. A lot of the missing sequences from the original RE4 are placed here and work a lot better. I much preferred the Saddler fight here as opposed to the Krauser rematch from the og Separate Ways. Maybe time for some Assignment Ada DLC? I won't hold my breath.
2023
Amazing remake of an amazing game. Some aspects, like the characters and story, are improved while others, like the boss fights, are more lateral changes. The only negative is the game still dragging at the end despite all the changes. In fact the increased length can make the dragging feel worse than the original in some spots. Overall, just as solid as the original with enough new surprises to keep it interesting.
2017
Starts off alright but falls flat in the underground sections. From there the puzzle design often expects you to look up which is really hard to convey even for expert developers. Kinda interesting in parts but really annoying in others.
2022
Cute. I feel like this should've come preinstalled on the Steam Deck to show off the features.
Neat mod with some cool ideas. I wish it built on them more but at only 45 minutes to an hour long it doesn't have much time.
2015
Really good remake taking many queues from Valve design post Half Life 2. Very faithful when it needs to be and unafraid to take its own direction when the source material doesn't hold up. For the most part it nails bringing Half Life up to date for modern audiences. Everything before Xen is damn near everything I could've asked for in a remake.
Xen on the other hand I'm mixed about. It feels like it's own mini campaign stapled onto Black Mesa. I appreciate all the design work that went into creating the almost entirely new version of the world but I feel Crowbar Collective went too far with it. It's 4 times as long and definitely overstays its welcome. That and they somehow made the Controllers even worse enemies than the original game. Overall the Xen chapters aren't bad but they don't really fit with the design and vibe of the rest of the game.
Xen on the other hand I'm mixed about. It feels like it's own mini campaign stapled onto Black Mesa. I appreciate all the design work that went into creating the almost entirely new version of the world but I feel Crowbar Collective went too far with it. It's 4 times as long and definitely overstays its welcome. That and they somehow made the Controllers even worse enemies than the original game. Overall the Xen chapters aren't bad but they don't really fit with the design and vibe of the rest of the game.
The flip side to Opposing Force. As much as that expansion adds, Blue Shift takes away. It was meant as a bonus mode for the cancelled Dreamcast port of Half Life and boy does it show. Skippable unless you really want to know what happened to Barney before Half Life 2.
Opposing Force is the best example of an expansion done right. Gearbox learned all the right lessons with this one. Condensing all the best parts of Half Life into a 6 hour action packed game. It doesn't do anything special other than give us more Half Life but that's not a bad thing.