I don’t understand why they rebooted the series when it ended up being quite literally the same as the other saints games.

It’s buggy, it’s short, it’s underwhelming but damn is it kinda fun.

My main disappointment is how they marketed the hell outta it being a whole ‘you build the saints up from nothing’ when in reality thats done in like 2 seconds and mostly as mission complete rewards. Sure, you can place down side content buildings around the map but …. Give me the main storyline actually being more focused on building it up and not in around 5 hours of playtime.

If they ever make a sequel I’m begging them to please, please test the hell out of it and make it less buggy.

I remember playing the initial 'Prototype' for this back in 2020 during lockdown, I was absolutely addicted so learning that it was going to be a full game had me hyped.

Starting with the positives:
- It's visually a beautiful game, very simple yet great to look at.
- The concept of the game itself - revitalising a barren world and making it livable again for wildlife
- The execution of the premise - it's challenging, but not too challenging. While it may be far too simple and easy for some, I prefer the more accessable approach of never really having you struggle to complete anything.

The negatives really only boil down to one thing: It's short. like, far too short. I'm sure it was a small team (if not just one person) developing this but there's 4 different areas with an additional variation to each (which is the 'harder' level of it). This, really, unfortunately, isn't much in terms of gameplay. Sure, each area is randomly generated each time you attempt it, but, once you've done it for the first time - unless you're going to 100% it, there's no reason to go back to it. I just wish there were at least 4 more areas, or, more variations on each.

It would've been nice for there to be potentially larger maps, too or more animals per map, as I really enjoyed trying to create a map that was specific enough to allow for certain animals to 'move in' via their requirements.

I'm hoping this gets some future updates or improvements because damn, is the 'base' of this very very good.

I struggled at the start of this, honestly. The combat felt off, the physics are truly just wild and I thought this would be the point in the series that might start to alter my opinion of it.

However, it turns out it just forces you to be absolutely awful to start with and then makes you so OP you kill the final boss in 3 hits by the end. The combat ended up being actually enjoyable maybe midway through the game.

Having changed up the usual 3/4 different fighting styles in favour of just one with 3 different weapon slots (which, as i learned are absolutely vital to decimating enemies) it actually kinda worked for me.

The story is absolutely the main reason to play these games though - acting as, essentially a soap opera, with each instalment adding more twists and turns.

And then, of course, it wouldnt be a yakuza game without a myriad of minigames and a completion list to try help push you to 100% completing the game.

I’m yet to view a mainline entry as more than an 8/10 - here’s hoping 3 changes that…

Probably my favourite of the REmakes so far.

I played through the original RE4 a couple of weeks prior to the release of this just to understand the love and acclaim the original has - and I didn’t get it and felt it aged poorly (I understand at the time it was incredible though).

Resident Evil 4’s remake however improved more than just its graphics (even if they are absolutely stunning). It added more depth to scenes and jiggled about the more painful moments of the original to create something that, in my opinion is more cohesive.

Combat is tighter, no longer restricted to standing still to aim - the knives now will break leading to more tense encounters - ammo isn’t necessarily sparse as is but the addition of crafting makes it so that you’re never fully out (thankfully).

And then we have Ashley, while not totally as annoying as she was in the original, she’s improved lots - no longer does leon have to help her down every ledge nor does she have a health bar you have to maintain or incessant shouting and whining, she’s still not a good part of the experience.

It’s incredible to see how capcom have reimagined the setting of re4, the layout of areas being fundamentally “the same” but with far more details and “”realism”” to them.

Absolutely the best experience of a Resident Evil game I’ve had so far.

Like a Dragon: Ishin! Follows the same formula as the main ‘Yakuza’/‘Like a Dragon’ games but manages to have a more engaging combat system - similarly split into 4 different types; Brawler (hand to hand), Gunman, Swordsman and Wild Style (a mix of both gunman and swordsman). Wild style became my absolute favourite for how fluid it is, the only downside of course is the strength is lost, and no defence.

Story wise, it’s pretty much what you expect from a Ryu Ga Gotoku game - family, death, betrayal and vengeance. Only this time set in 1800s Japan, which, is absolutely beautiful to look at (thank you modern graphics).

Again, as per the other Ryu games, it’s packed with side content to abundance - minigames, side stories, farming etc etc.

I found the addition of having ‘troops’ to be a bit jarring only because they add ‘special abilities’ to the player like shooting lightening or fireballs (though the health restoration ones and attack boosts were soooooooooooo handy). Of course, this means that all bosses also do weird super moves, again, jarring.

There’s also weird and annoying difficulty spikes that made me really have to go back and spend time grinding money to craft better armour and swords.

When Village first came out I was on that 'Here we go, yet another RE game the fans are overhyping' but after playing it - god damn it has such a good and well told story.

First person horror games are not for me, so I waited for the third person dlc (thank you capcom) and I'm so glad I did, I know full well I wouldn't have had to opportunity to experience what is now, after completing 2,3, 4 (original), 5 and 6 - one of my favourite RE games.

Somehow, capcom have managed to make a game that resembles 4 in most all aspects yet again and it not be absolute trash. It has that over the top action elements (not quite to the extent of 4, but they're there) - it has the set pieces, it has the village as the center and the over-the-top villains of the piece.

My biggest issue, and it's an issue as a whole with the franchise - is just how short they are. I get it, replayability, a story that doesn't outstay its welcome etc etc. but I really would have loved just another 5-10 hours to add into the story, expand some areas out - the Beneviento house, for instance, is pretty much half hour long at most, almost surprisingly short.

I'm genuinely excited to see what capcom do next with the franchise as recently they really have not been missing with it...

Hotel Renovator is an interesting one, on one hand it has so many options to choose from when making over rooms and truly lets you customise to your hearts content, on the other... it's lacking some refinement, some polish and some much needed 'content' past its, well, 'content'.

The story feels far too short to say the least, offering up maybe 8 rooms to renovate (after which you're free to expand further) with some rather lack-luster requirements, sometimes, none at all per room.

There's also times when the game struggles to load in textures/meshes when going between rooms - and - unfortunately no option for objects to snap so placing wall-mounted lighting or paintings was very much a 'Lets hope this lines up' shot in the dark.

Other than that, it's absolutely fine and enjoyable as a means to tide you over before House Flipper 2 arrives (Though, this does offer way more in terms of decoration options and things that actually match in size than House Flipper does).

Final Fantasy III is the first 'Proper' FF game I've completed - However I'd completed the 3D remake on the DS so it was nice to go back to the pixel style original.

III is marginally better than it's predecessor - it ditches the individual weapon/magic level-ups by how much you use them in favour of a 'Job' system and weapons now just affect stats and don't need to be levelled.

It also has a better and more fleshed out story and is the longest out of the original three games with a bigger world map, too. Although I wish they'd kept some of the depth the 3D remake added - infact that's my biggest complaint. There's definitely things the 3D remake did that were left out (I know it's to go back to the 'true' NES release, but, these improvements would have helped so much.)

I don't have the same nostalgia as everyone else has for the Resident Evil franchise but going into this knowing it is one of the highest rated, if not the highest rated, of the series I was expecting greatness...

and I partially got it, sure, I'm now looking at a 2005 game through the lense of someone playing it in 2023 for the first time - so - outdated (even though they weren't at the time) mechanics aside - Resident Evil 4 is a genuinely enjoyable game. I appreciate the steps towards more of an 'action' game whilst retaining some of the survival horror elements of the previous titles.

My biggest fear going into it was just how much of an 'escort mission' is this game going to be? and surprisingly ... not much, there's a few moments where Ashley's there but then she's gone again - and - of course there's a whole ass segment of playing as Ashley that I'm trying to scrub from my brain.

I'm now more excited to try the Remake as I'm sure with an updated control scheme and more depth to the characters/cutscenes will help me truly view this as the masterpiece everyone else does.

In an era defined by large and mostly bland open-world games, rpg’s, souls-like’s, and FPS’s - Evil West decided to go completely against that and create a straight from 2005 PS2 era Action-Shooter game that feels completely enjoyable start to finish.

Now, it has its issues (lack of enemy variety, short length, levels tend to blend into one after a while - as well as a distinct lack of visual/gameplay polish) BUT it’s still an incredibly fun time. The story is nothing to write home about, vampire hunter hunts down vampires and spoils plot to overthrow the USA etc etc.

But there’s something that was so fun about mixing a western with quick-draw style moments with a fast-paced action game. I really do, however, wish there was more use to half of the upgrades and abilities you get as half of them were pretty pointless and I’d only unlocked maybe half by the time I reached the final boss.

If this ever gets a sequel, I absolutely will be buying day 1.

Final Fantasy II: Pixel Remaster is probably my fourth game - of the ‘Main’ numbered entries - in the Final Fantasy franchise that I’ve completed - and without knowing so, twice now - forgetting the time I played it on the PSP.

What’s most interesting, and, annoying, about this entry is the ‘Levelling’ system. No longer are you levelling your character as a whole - well, not fully, you still get stat increases - now you’re levelling individual weapons and, the most frustrating part, spells!

I managed to absolutely breeze through the majority of the game until I realised as I attempted the final boss, that most of my spells were not past level 2/3 (They go up to 12) - cue grinding for about 3-4 hours just to make sure my party were using at least level 9 spells and voila.

I mean, it’s not the worst thing in the world but it’s absolutely my least favourite kind of levelling system.

The rest of the game is as-expected of an early FF title, basic story of ‘Big evil, go defeat it by travelling across the land’ - this time with an interchangeable fourth party member who always ends up being the weakest and a liability in tougher battles.

Currently going through the Yakuza franchise,
Big fan of 'If both characters have ripped their shirts off it's the final boss'.

In all seriousness, Yakuza Kiwami and Yakuza 0 are the only two I've played so far - 0 is definitely my favourite out of the two having a better story but Kiwami is more enjoyable due to its single character focus.

I've noticed a pattern of the games not really being 'too' different between each other - and the main differences so far being purely story based.

Enjoyable combat though 10/10

(I also, really don't like Goro Majima in this and wish he'd been how he was for the first half of 0, and I know that's not possible as this is a remake of the first and 0 came after)

Forspoken is genuinely a decent game and I'm really struggling to see what people as a whole are disliking about it.

At no point did I find the dialogue nor story 'cringe' as everyone else seems to, infact, it's just the same as most open-world RPG's - which is baffling to me.

I actually quite enjoyed the story, and my major criticism for the game is that it was a little bit too short.

Graphically, yes, it's been downgraded from the initial teasers and announcement - which, as a title built for the PS5 is disappointing, but it's still not the worst looking game I've ever played.

The open-world is pretty much the same as most modern open-world games, littered with locations to explore and 'complete' - and hundreds of chests to collect.

There's a surprising lack of side quests though, which is annoying given the story's length.

The combat, however, is the main draw for this game. It's something different and is incredibly engaging, once you've gotten the hang of how the spells work and using them combined with Forspoken's parkour system becomes just delightful to experience.

I will absolutely be spending the next 30 hours collecting everything in this game - and would not be mad at a sequel.

It’s always fun revisiting childhood classics - will they live up to the nostalgia you hold for them? Will you realise they’re absolute turd?? Who knows?

In the case of Escape From Monkey Island, I remember vividly never being able to get past the start of chapter 2 and always replaying and never managing to do it.

Now having fully completed it - I can say whole-heartedly it wasn’t worth it. It is, unfortunately the worst Monkey Island game I’ve played so far - and this boils down to two key factors

1) the awful controls I spent most of my time battling
2) Monkey Kombat. Why do I need a spreadsheet just to be able to do the final segment of the game?? Who thought this was a good idea??

The rest of the game is ‘fine’ the puzzles are tricky but not so much in a fun way and the story is pretty forgettable.

It’s a shame, because I really did remember loving it.