chemergency
2004
A well-made horror-themed Max Payne clone that's able to overcome most of its flaws through its spooky atmosphere and gripping narrative.
A flawed, but unfairly-bashed sequel that simply had no chance of living-up to the original game's groundbreaking ambition and open-ended design on a console, though the story is interesting, the visuals are pretty sharp for the time, and there are still some compelling gameplay scenarios to carry it through to being decent.
2006
It tries to basically be "Sonic Adventure 3" with a bold title suggesting it to be a reboot of the franchise, but winds-up being the absolute worst game in the series plagued by an incomprehensible lack of polish and horrible bugs that suck all the joy out of what could potentially otherwise be some fun levels and setpieces. Give Project 06 a shot but otherwise stay far, far away from this awful trainwreck of a platformer.
Though it's basically a prequel expansion to GTA III with essentially the same map, Liberty City Stories boasts impressive production value and cool missions, and seeing this run on a handheld in 2005 was nothing short of jaw-dropping. Probably the first killer-app for the PSP though it was later ported to the PS2.
2007
Crackdown's most well-remembered for its inclusion of the Halo 3 multiplayer beta, but it's a fun and bombastic open world game in its own right, tasking the player as a powerful augmented law enforcer unloading heavy force onto a horde of criminal scum with superpowers and big guns to reclaim control of the city. Great fun on co-op and sometimes there's so much mayhem, destruction, explosions, gunfire, and other shit going-on you just can't help but slow down to take it all in.
1994
One of the best and most-underrated Sega Genesis games. Despite looking like a Zelda clone on the surface, I'd say it's more of a combination between Zelda, Secret of Mana, and Kirby, with some neat abilities to experiment with, great dungeon design, and delightful visuals.
2010
An understandably divisive entry in the series that served as Bungie's swansong. A good prequel with an engaging plot following the tragic events leading-into Halo CE with some memorable and powerful moments and setpieces, overall the campaign is great though decidedly more linear and scripted than previous entries as far as gameplay's concerned. The multiplayer is loaded with content and has the best version of Forge arguably to date, though not every new weapon is a winner and armor abilities make some controversial changes to Halo's gameplay formula that can drastically change the way competitive play is approached. Halo Reach is absolutely a good game on its own terms but unless you're starting here I'd say temper your expectations just a bit.
2023
Red Dead Redemption's still a wonderful game after all these years, but this cynical re-release omits the multiplayer while failing to offer any significant enhancements or added features to make-up for the $50 asking price, and the lack of a PC port is irredeemably-frustrating and disappointing considering the whole "x86 spaghetti code" myth has been debunked.
On the bright side, the Switch version plays quite nice on the toilet... and also on Yuzu which means you can now play the game on the Steam Deck without having to install Windows, and no one at Rockstar is gonna stop you! God bless emulation.
On the bright side, the Switch version plays quite nice on the toilet... and also on Yuzu which means you can now play the game on the Steam Deck without having to install Windows, and no one at Rockstar is gonna stop you! God bless emulation.
2023
It might polarize some purists with the drastic changes to enemy behavior and balancing, but personally I feel that it and the compass fix Quake II's biggest flaws (being too easy and having tedious exploration at points) and breathe new life into the game that'll be very welcoming to newcomers and veterans that wish the game would be more challenging alike. The new expansion content, ported N64/PS1 content, crossplatform multiplayer, and other bells and whistles are also excellent. Definitely give this one a look even if you didn't care much for Quake II the first time you played it.
2009
A fun open-world superhero/supervillain game with a well-designed world, fun combat and abilities to experiment with and upgrade, and two distinct paths for progression that add a solid amount of replay value, even if the enemies can be annoyingly damage-spongy as the game progresses.
2007
A great hack and slash with a crazy, in-your-face sense of humor, gratuitous levels of blood and gore, and some fun minigames and open world elements despite them feeling tacked-on in the grand scheme of things. Good, unobtrusive use of the Wii remote too.
2015
A rather average and short Gears of War clone, but an impressive tech demo for the PS4 and a well of untapped potential with its cool alternate history setting and worldbuilding.
It's the same great Halo you know and love with some shiny new textures and models and lighting, though unfortunately most of these graphical changes compromise the game's art direction and make it look rather garish and inconsistent, and the classic mode graphics have some visual regressions and downgrades from the original Xbox version. Multiplayer is also a disappointment in the Xbox 360 version as instead of the original multiplayer it includes what basically amounts to a pack of remade Halo 1 maps for Halo Reach, and whether you like that is going to hinge on whether you like Halo Reach, though luckily the original multiplayer is restored in the MCC version.
Funny, quirky, colorful, witty, and timeless. The original Monkey Island rewards smart players overcoming its brain teasers with sharp writing and genuinely funny humor. One of the defining games of the point-and-click genre, and for good reason.
2001
A very unique and "Nintendo" take on the RTS genre that sees you taking control of a stranded Elf-like astronaut raising strange plant-born creatures called Pikmin, which essentially act as troops for combat, barrier destruction, building, and other tasks (and are color coded to signify proficiency in different areas). With these Pikmin you'll have to navigate and dispose of hostile and bizarre creatures, collect plant pellets to increase your garrison of Pikmin troops, and collect parts for your ship within a 30 in-game day time limit to survive your trip home. It's not an especially long game but it is quirky, atmospheric, varied, and enjoyable enough to keep you busy for a day or two.