The first Assaisin's Creed game. Or should I say the game that built the basis for the Sly-like genre leading to the wildly successful game series known as Assasin's Creed. This game is such an enormous step up from Sly 1, creating an entirely new identity and focusing on the stealth platforming mechanics that made the first game so unique. The story is elevated, the animations and style are even better, and the overall progression (albeit repetitive) is fun to blast through. I think some levels are much more defined and memorable than others. The more experimental environments unlike what we usually see in 3D platformers (Contesas's Prison, the Blimp) are what I wanted more of. And I think the game reusing environmental themes as a Part 2 for certain levels also didn't sit well with me. But the level design is crafted too damn well to really complain. It feels good to traverse in Sly 2. You are always in control, and you the environments are your playground for that control, rather than an obstacle like in Sly 1. The story captivated me more than I expected, and now I am obsessed with these characters. I love their chemistry, and I'm so glad the game let them grow not only showing their growth as a team, but also growth as individuals. The ending is perfect for the journey they endured.

The mini-games though.... At least they feel more grounded to the "heist" premise of the game, and they don't overstay their welcome. However, I still think the game could do without turret sections, and 15 different hacking mini-games. Regardless, Suckerpunch knocked it out of the park with this title. To think this was a PS2 title as well.

8.5/10

As a Journey lover, Gris should have been the game for me. But it never really clicked for some reason. Gris delivers undoubtedly with its gorgeous artstyle and animation, along with its subtle but emotionally deep storytelling. It's the definition of pure artistic expression. However, Gris never embraces the power of the medium of video games, and it seems like there is an overall lack in confidence from the gameplay department. It's like it almost to afraid to really go all out with what a game like this can really achieve, resulting in a game with glimpses of masterful design cluttered by very boring "move all the way left or all the way right" progression and bare bones puzzles. Nothing really feels great to play in Gris, which for me made the game feel like a slog at times, which is never a good sign for a game like this. But maybe that's the point, right? Gris is an interactive art piece, woven together by decent mechanical ideas that bring you to one scene and then onto the next. You're drawn in by the narrative and the presentation, while the gameplay itself is just a vessel to tell the story. Just stinks that vessel wasn't more fun on to be on.

6.5/10

Max payne is rad. But I died like 3 million times, so I can't give a 10/10.

In all seriousness, the griping narrative tied to a simple but very fun bullet time mechanic resulted in a game unlike anything I've ever played before. The difficulty and the seemingly random enemy accuracy bugged me a bit, but it's still such a rad game. It's identity proves remedy knows how to tell a story and create a world that keeps you hooked from the look alone. It's just amazing this was their first real crack at it.

8/10

A much needed palette cleanser for the 2D Mario series. Mario Wonder is an endless idea jar, filled to the brim by fun and fresh experiments in level design, and gameplay elements. Some good, some really good, and others flat out amazing. This game brought me so much joy, that I was longing for in 2D Mario since the Wii release. However, I think there are some ideas that I can't wrap my head around just yet. For as cool as the badges are for varying each run, certain badges are so overturned that they feel like they do everything and more. I think being able to have several badges selected in co-op would be fun, but I think I prefer characters having unique traits instead. Also, I think it's a pretty big missed opportunity to provide a new baddie next to Bowser for the mini bosses. Odyssey was brave enough to do it, and in a game so filled with new and exciting enemy types (shout out to the Wubbas), it feels like a cop out to use Bowser Jr. and the EXACT same moveset as the New Super Mario Games. Besides that, this is not only a very tight designed 2D Mario game like New Super Mario series before it, it's a breath a fresh air that I wouldn't mind getting more of it. I know this type of thinking led to the previous series going stale, but Wonder has a format that I think has only scratched the surface of what its capable of. Regardless of the future, Nintendo is back on track with 2D Mario, and I'm excited once again with what they do with the series.

Wubba/10

May be my favorite God of War entry. As much as there was controversy towards the shift in camera and combat philosophy in this entry, playing GOW 2018 made me feel the same way as when I played the original GOW. The combat is still mashy, and the real meat of the game for me is everything else. This game's main focus is on the characters and their relationships and growth throughout the game, and for Kratos, his growth throughout the series. As much as the original is origin story of sorts, sementing Kratos as the God of War, and the monster he'll soon become, GOW 2018 is Kratos's attempt to reinvent himself, and leave behind his past he so desperately wants to forget. In both story and mechanics, GOW 2018 is a fresh start for the Kratos, but regardless how much you distance yourself from your past, the memories will never go away. It's almost poetic how similar the game plays to the previous God of Wars once you get the Blades of Chaos. Like the game is saying "back to business as usual" , a far too familiar feeling that Kratos is scarred by. It's fantastic! God of War 2018 is a remarkable achievement for "cinematic" narrative focused games, and a welcome reinvention of the series that seemed to peak at the third entry. Just wish the mini bosses were better, the RPG elements were non-existent, the side missions were reworked into the main story, and the pacing near the late game was a lot cleaner.

Boy/10 :)

Cocoon: The game that is scientifically designed to make you go "whoa" every 2 minutes. The game's level and puzzle design are very impressive from a conceptual standpoint yet at times quite tedious in execution. I spent most of my time pondering how they made a certain challenge rather than wondering how to actually beat it. The slow pace of the puzzle-solving was starting to get to me until the environment got crazy. The world moved from your typical swamp and desert to this creepy living brain world, and it only got better from there. Also helps that the game is drop-dead gorgeous, and the seamless travel from world to world feels fantastic every time. The game was at its best when it pushed the player to utilize several different orbs within each other, asking you to think two steps ahead, but unfortunately, only the end game really achieves this. Cocoon is a nice little technical marvel, that I wish I could come up with. I can't wait for the inevitable Cocoon 2 that introduces two playable characters and simultaneous multi-dimensional puzzles to the mix.

8.0/10

Well, time to add Alan Wake 2 to my list of yet another masterpiece that I have too much to say so, I'll probably never have enough time to write a proper review.

I can't get this game out of my head... If Hi-Fi Rush didn't shadowdrop this year, this would be my GOTY. Alan Wake 2 is art.

A place like New York that's not New York in a lake that's not a lake, but an ocean/10

Pikmin 2: Now in HD!

I am a new fan of the Pikmin Series. I started last year with Pikmin 1. Pikmin 4 was officially announced during my playthrough of Pikmin 2, and it was released during my playthrough of Pikmin 3 Deluxe. I did not have to wait a collective 20 years for two new main-line games to be released. I have not played the originals countless times, hoping Nintendo would give me a crumb of information on anything Pikmin-related. However, I have learned to love all of them for all sorts of different reasons. And I am glad to say, Pikmin 4 is no different.

Pikmin 4 proves that a Pikmin game can be anything as long as the core formula is intact. Each game now has a completely new objective in mind for what the game is trying to achieve, all while refining the formula to make it more accessible, streamlined, and dare I say more fun in certain aspects. Pikmin 4 takes from Pikmin 2 by establishing yet another game that just focuses on collecting and exploring rather than managing time and resources efficiently. However, Pikmin 4 doubles down on this design philosophy, by rewarding the player with a sense of growth not only through Pikmin size, but through new abilities, NPCs, side missions, base structure, and more. The motivation to collect everything is rooted in wanting to see your community thrive, which worked wonders for me. I spent a good hour chatting up the NPCs, wishing that they played an even bigger part. It's weird to me that no one can control pikmin but you, but I understand from a gameplay perspective. Each expedition turns into a mini "work-day" as you comb the lands searching for treasures and survivors to increase your base and exploration range. Without the frustrating design of Pikmin 2 to hold it back, the game becomes incredibly addicting, as hours can pass by without even knowing as you inch closer to the 100% completion for that area.

The gameplay loop is at it's best yet again, keeping the Pikmin design philosophies of "what's over there, how do I get there, and how do I get it back". The giant maps, all with their unique and varied environments, challenges, and charm seem to grow as you explore them, which is the aspect of Pikmin 3 I freaking loved. Now, they have the additional benefit of the well-designed caves, moving to a more strategic approach to the level design that I loved from Pikmin 2. However, a major element of the core design Pikmin 4 has dropped from the older titles, especially Pikimin 1 is "what is the risk?" Why is that? Because of Oatchi lol. Oatchi is legitimately the best addition to Pikmin 4 but I don't EVER want him to return in the same way as he is in this game. He is the most overtuned, unbalanced pikmin of all time, rendering so many environmental challenges, enemies, and bosses pointless. In previews, my first impression was that he seemed to be more along the lines of a captain, but in execution, he's way more of a pikmin who you happen to be able to control. With a few upgrades under yourt belt, Oatchi becomes an unstoppable beast. His rush attack is far too powerful and I don't think I experienced around 80% of the bosses in the game. I killed them too quickly! No speedrun setup was used or anything. Just using rush at the appropriate time can wipe out so many obstacles. In addition, Pikmin hop on top of Oatchi so maneuvering with a large amount of Pikmin (which used be a challenge in and of itself) becomes the ideal way to play. However, not using Oatchi feels like a handicap, so there's really no happy medium. I think it may come from so many returning enemies not being able to keep up with Pikmin 4's mechanics, causing them to be severely underpowered. However, I can't lie that it was extremely cathartic to absolutely wipe the floor with so many enemies and bosses that led to too many resets in Pikmin 2.

I think Pikmin 4's reliance on the second game to shape its identity is a positive and negative. On the positive side, it allows the design to be improved, by removing the jank that made Pikmin 2 a game from hell, into an endlessly addicting adventure. I looked forward to every cave I went into in Pikmin 4, because I wondered what new idea they were going to work with. In Pikmin 2, I looked forward to what sort of bullshit they were planning to throw at me. One is funny and frustrating, while the other is fun and relaxing. However, I don't like the caves that took too much from Pikmin 2, because in Pikmin 4, they don't work as well. The water wraith cave, the boss rush cave, the cave filled with different bulborbs. These worked as insane shakeups in Pikmin 2, but in Pikmin 4 they act as nostalgic levels that don't hit as hard. Maybe it's because I just finished Pikmin 2 a couple of months ago, so it doesn't feel like the pseudo-20-year celebration and return of Pikmin 2's design and levels. Instead, it feels like an homage, that takes away from the sheer creativity that comes from the new caves and environments.

That being said, Pikmin 4 has a new sort of vibe that might be my favorite in the series. The scale and map design I think heightens the game's sense of wonder. At times, I had to sit and take in how fantastic they are designed, and how much of the levels that I had already explored. I think the midpoint is where the game is at its best, providing locales that dip much more into the creative nature of Pikmin taking place on Earth. It helps that this game is soo good-looking as well. It's no question that Pikmin 4 is in the running for one of the best-looking switch games, so I only have good things to say about how much love Nintendo poured into this game's visuals.

The Dandori battles/challenges and the nighttime expeditions are cool ideas that never clicked for me. They are fun, but I wish the amount caves were increased instead, and I wish the night time expeditions allowed for more of Pikmin's core design to shine rather than turn into a tower defense game. They are fun, and I am glad others vibe with them more, but I think of them as more of side activities that serve as distractions to the main appeal of the game. I love that all all the Pikmin make a return in the game, but some feel like afterthoughts or just straight obligations that serve no greater purpose to the overall level designs, unlike Pikmin 3. I think the number of types may have been a bit too ambitious to properly balance around, which made me not use certain Pikmin as much as I hoped I would. However, I love the synergy they provide in combat (If only Oatchi wasn't such a dominant force...)

I wasn't expecting to have so much to say on Pikmin 4. It's a game that I played non-stop for 20+ hours, and thoroughly enjoyed my time. I think Pikmin 3 is what I want the most out of a Pikmin game, so it's still my favorite. However, Pikmin 4 proves to be yet another insanely polished, charming, and memorable adventure despite my gripes with a few of its design choices and its over-reliance on being the Pikmin 2 of the 2020s. I'd love to hear how a person reacts to Pikmin 4 as their first game, as it might just be the ultimate Pikmin package.

Oatchi/10

Bayonetta: It's for the kids!

After the disappointing yet highly ambitious third title, it seemed like Platinum really wanted to experiment with Bayonetta, and the core of the series. With it, it removed a lot of the identity that made the first two titles so strong, which led me to believe they simply didn't want to make a Bayonetta game. It's still a fun as hell game, but it felt disconnected, and a bit messy, trying to grasp on to it's roots while constantly distracting the player with its barrage of ideas to unnecessarily diversify the gameplay. However, this game feels like Platinum finally committed to breaking away from the series. And I'm all for it!

Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon is such a charming little surprise that I wished came earlier. It may be unlike anything Platinum is known for it. Metroidvania like level design, a dual stick 2 person control, a slow pace with a focus on exploration and puzzle solving, and a simplified but puzzle like combat? It's a complete 180 for what a Platinum Game should be, yet Origins flourishes with it's design, feeling like Platinum has been dying to make a game like this forever.

The art style is breathtaking. Too many times, I had to stop myself to look at how expertly crafted the environments are. The colors and style create a dreamlike atmosphere, which fits perfectly with the Story book presentation. It's feels like a spiritual Successor to Okami in many ways, having the art of the world pop and feel like a moving and living drawing book. And with each new environment, it just got more unique and creative. I wish I could say the same about the enemy designs. They are pretty, but have the Bayo 3 design problem, where there's no distinct looks to a lot of the enemies, causing variations to blend in one other. Thankfully, the bosses don't have this problem. One of which felt like something straight out of Monster Hunter, which is bonus points in my book.

The combat is yet another attempt at controlling two characters at once. It boils down to stunning with Cereza and pummeling with Cheshire. I think the swapping of elements creates some good depth to the combat, but the game is too afraid to challenge the player. With no real threat or challenge, you can get by by mashing and spamming magic, which is a bit of letdown, but there can fun with how you combine your different elemental abilities. The game is at it's best when it throws at you all different types of enemies with their strengths and weaknesses, but that's not until the last 15% of the game. The dual control scheme however is perfect for the traversal and puzzles solving in the game, leading to some very satisfying exploration. I wish there were more puzzles in the game, as I think it's where this game is at its best. The world being this interconnected maze works wonder for the sense of being lost in a forest of magic, never knowing what you'll be up against. I just wished the map was not so terrible. The map is unbelievable unintuitive to a point where backtracking and locating missing secrets and collectable is a chore rather than a reward for having your character "level up" like other metroidvanias. I gave up trying to 100% the game after stumbling around for an hour looking for one Wisp.

The story as an isolated event is a heartwarming little adventure. It's nothing super special, but it fits the storybook aesthetic. It starts slow, but ramps up quite nicely, leading to a conclusion that is might be one of the best conclusions in the series. It's almost poetic how the game ends, as direction of the game begins to mirror a Classic Bayonetta game, as Cereza finally achieves her full potential. The soundtrack also heightens the experience, with my favorite being a homage to Bayo's 1 and 2s themes.

Overall, this game blew me away, and I want more of it. I hope Platinum keeps the spin off series going, improving the combat and going further with their creative ideas for an adventure game. It's not perfect, and it can get a repetitive at points, but it's presentation, level design, music, atmosphere, and overall feel were enough to make it me love it despite its glaring issues. Can't wait for the YouTube essays labeling this a "Hidden Gem" in 5 years, when this game is never ported to anything else.

8.5/10 :)

Easily one of FromSoft's raddest games ever. Like undeniably cool. Too cool for school I might argue. Mechanically, I'm not sure what's going on half of the time, and balancing is just no where to be found. Sometimes I steamroll, sometimes I get steamrolled. Regardless, I'm confused on what's happening even 30 hours in. But the chaotic nature of the combat, tied with the drop-dead gorgeous visuals, fantastic storytelling, and characters, ultimately results in some jaw-dropping moments that rival other From Soft's classics and cements Armored Core 6 as another must-play From Soft title. I wish the combat made a little bit more sense, so I could feel the satisfaction of taking on the colossal challenges in this game, but hey maybe I'm just bad.

9/10 :) Will update if NG+/++ changes mind at all. (If I get through it)

"Sly, before you can progress in this game about sneaking around, platforming, and avoiding lasers and guards, you NEEED to light these 30 candles with your flamethrower, Sly! You neeed to in order to get the key! And, your flamethrower is fueled by piranahas, Sly! Light the 30 candles with your piranha-fueled flamethrower to progress, SLYYY!"

Easily, my favorite of the PS2 3d Platformers by far. Just wished it let me play the fun parts for 100% of the game.

7.5/10

Probably the most polished souls like to date. Nails it in presentation, and mechanics (most of the time) but the world-building can be a bit lackluster. My engagement of Souls games comes from a sense of exploration and wonder, and finding out how people survive and operate in the screwed-up worlds they live in. Lies of P doesn't really make me question a whole lot. Everything is laid out, there are no real discoveries to have, and the story is very much in your face. You can't miss it. There's no real room to interpret or ruminate on what the journey meant, which I think is the biggest letdown. Quests have a very user-friendly design which I think is a positive and negative. They actually can be completed without a wiki on hand (thank god!!) but on the other hand, they feel too gamey now? Like, time to go here. Deliver this to that person. Time to talk to this person, didn't you see the face on the level screen? It's the one thing that made Soul's game create that sense of discovery and that the world is alive; organically interacting with NPCs on their own journeys. Regardless, it's a shining achievement for a team like this to hit so many correct notes from FromSoft's design, while still trying to establish their own identity and justify their game's existence. I may not be 100% on board with all the decisions made in the game, but man was I thoroughly impressed. Solid game, and I can't wait for the sequel.

8/10 :)