The game really shines in its presentation. The pixel art is beautiful but the star is the attention to detail, the post processing, the music and sound effects… Besides that, it’s just okay. The story was a bit dull and predictable, and none of the characters particularly grabbed me. Still, it’s a decent mood piece with a lot of cool details poured into it. (I found the controls weird, requiring keyboard for movement and interaction — I understand what they were going for but I would’ve preferred to play it mouse only)

I actually think this is better than the original Life is Strange and way better than True Colors (which I played before 2). DONTNOD really tried to not only improve every single aspect from the first game but evolve and be more ambitious in terms of scope, themes, choices, representation, etc. I realize now why they left the franchise, because they tried to do so much with this game that probably didn't know where to go next. The easy choice would be to go back to basics, which is what Deck Nine did with True Colors, but what wouldn't satisfy a studio like DONTNOD and I respect that. Life is Strange 2 is a fork in the road, and Deck Nine decided to simply go back.

The journey Life is Strange 2 takes you through is incredible, and way more profound and varied than I expected. You feel these characters grow and you shape them at the same time. The relationship between Sean and Daniel feels authentic, refreshing and extremely well performed. The story goes unexpected places and doesn't end with a perfectly happy ending, but that's life.

Overall I'd say Life is Strange 2 is one of the boldest games I've played. From the themes it tackles to the way it defies expectations. DONTNOD said "ah, you think you know what is a "Life is Strange game"? Then watch this!". Maybe your definition and theirs don't match, but it's undeniable they achieved what they set to make. And, luckily, it really spoked to me.

After my first playthrough I can safely say this is one of my favorite games of all time. It isn't surprising that it is but I was surprised at how much it exceeded my expectations.

Some context. Since the announcement of Baldur's Gate 3 in 2019, I've played Divinity: Original Sin 1 & 2 (2 twice, solo and co-op), Baldur's Gate 1 & 2 plus their expansions, Pillars of Eternity 1 & 2, Solasta: Crown of the Magister plus expansions, Wasteland 3, Planescape Torment, and more. These games represent the best the cRPG genre can offer, from the cinematic moments of Wasteland 3 to the thought-provoking world of Planescape, from the systemic interactions of DOS2 to the cozy-yet-epic journey of the original BG. Baldur's Gate 3 brings the best of each game into a package that feels the culmination of the genre and the studio that is Larian. It's an achievement, but also so damn fun to play.

Baldur's Gate 3 has deep and charismatic characters that I thought only BioWare could write, an incredibly presented world that rivals the best moments of The Witcher 3 or Cyberpunk 2077, a systemic, strategic and satisfying combat that is probably the most fun you can make 5e (not the most accurate, we have Solasta for that), and a scope that surprised me time and time again during my over 130-hour adventure.

I really hope it's not true, and that Larian (or someone else) will surprise me, but it's hard to imagine a better cRPG than this. Let's enjoy it.

This blew me away. The amount of “game” this has is honestly very surprising. They chose an interesting but overlooked character from the books and developed an epic tale that you play… with cards. Like, what? But it works! And then, somehow, successfully recreated the open world RPG feel of the Witcher games with an isometric view and a very limited amount of interactions. It’s a great accomplishment.

It’s weird to feel like an AAA game is a work of passion, not because there aren’t passionate devs working on those but because of the scope and financial pressure those projects have. Thronebreaker is absolutely a passion project with great writing, amazing art and a lot of attention to detail. Loved it!

Arguably the most beautiful isometric-ish games ever. The lighting is stunning, the maps are filled with details, animations and interesting objects and characters. I wanted to take screenshots of every single location. Even a dark cave looks interesting thanks to the dynamic lighting (Xoti’s lantern is a great showcase for that).

Deadfire is also a big step up in terms of the overworld map. I quite liked the stronghold mechanics of the first game but the fantasy of having your own ship and crew and just explore a whole region is undeniable.

In terms of story, the main quest is clearly an afterthought compared to the factions and side quests the game offers. It’s also different in mood and tone, and whichever you prefer depends on the type of player you are.

So, overall, a great sequel that looks amazing, and trades moodiness and a very complex main quest for freedom and exploration. A mustplay for CRPG fans, for sure.

A very solid, polished and confident 7/10. The main mechanic is a great success — chaining kills with Deer never stopped being fun, and my brain loved the dopamine hit of seeing the death icon followed by the bravado glow and sound effect. Had to rely too often on the very generous auto saves to fix apparently harmless mistakes that ended with half of my party wiped out in the next turn (thanks to sometimes unclear enemy ricochet but also pure carelessness from my part). Could've switched to Normal instead of Hard but I honestly liked the stakes, and the missions seemed fair. The story is very thin but what it lacks in emotion and depth it has on spectacle and flair.

Despite loving the first game, I found this one to be sort of a chore to get through. The cases get too crazy and supernatural, and they’re worse for it — not because they aren’t grounded or realistic, but because they lack a certain logic or thread to follow, and in an adventure game with puzzles that’s essential for me to be engaged. There are longer cases where you’re left to wonder kinda aimlessly and way more moonlogic than in the first one. The bonus cases are also very hit or miss, which was a disappointment compared to the mostly excellent from the first game.

I admit if I hadn’t played that one first I’d have dropped ‘Fumble in the Dark’ or at least given it a 5.