When I first played Far Cry 2 in 2012 I was so drawn in that I played for thirteen hours straight and forgot to eat. I launched it for the very first time just before noon one day and finished just after midnight.

It would take me until late 2018 to find a game that was capable of doing something similar but this game still holds a special place in my heart. While later entries have an undeniable edge when it comes to polish and having a more fleshed-out open world, I don't think someone would find it as special if their intro to the series was one of those games. FC2 is more unforgiving than subsequent entries and takes its story more seriously.

It's kind of bonkers to me how this game isn't massively popular considering it's one of the absolute best immersive sims out there right now. It's certainly the clearest example of the genre to me, with all the signature mechanics that make it fun. The monumental amount of ambition and finesse the devs achieved here is truly breathtaking, making for one of the freshest and most unique gaming worlds I've ever had the pleasure of playing through. The Steam page touts the game as "Prey 2017 meets Portal," and quite honestly I'd have a hard time coming up with a better selling point for the game myself. The level/environmental design here (like portal) is immensely detailed and puzzling, giving the player complete and utter freedom on how to approach it. Each level essentially acts as a giant sandbox of possibilities, complete with a full arsenal of upgradable tools to create some of the most insane chaos imaginable, it's glorious. Not to mention the traversal and movement are perfect for navigating the levels in a way that feels right to you. I seriously love how every approach to this game is the correct approach, letting the player craft the game through their own meaningful lens, SO cool. I however won't discuss the story or specific gameplay mechanics, as it's something best experienced blind, british quirks and all. If you love puzzle games with emphasized freedom, exploration and amazingly janky combat/controls, play. this. game. And if you don't, play it anyway, it rules.

Love at first sight would be what grabbed my interest in Genji and I am so glad that the game delivered from start to finish. An action rpg that combines stylish action combat from former Onimusha staff with RPG mechanics for newcomers & veterans to experiment in these fearous battles. Gorgeous next gen visuals, lovely instrumental sounds and thrilling bosses make Genji: Dawn of the Samurai the strongest first impression from new studio GameRepublic then and now.
It’s a shame Genji 2 throws pretty much all of that out of the window. Giant enemy crab aside, it truly is a bummer that next gen Genji did not deliver. However, Genji: Dawn of the Samurai is 100% worth a play if you have the means to acquire it. It deserves to be on the PS4 and PS5 so that millions can experience one of the best action games of all time. Thank you GameRepublic, JapanStudio, and Sony Interactive Entertainment for making this wonderful hidden gem!

Wow... I'm actually speechless by how good this game was. Going from a game that I nearly hated completely to something ALMOST perfect.

They improved upon everything from the first game. Combat is far more polished and satisfying, superior visuals, far less linear and most important of all: The story is very strong here. While not as dark or grimy as the first game, it still delivers in offering a pretty strong psychological and surreal experience.

Aside from how nicely directed the cutscenes are, the cast feel like actual characters now. I really cared about Sebastian in this one, compared to how much of a husk he was in the first one. Even supporting characters like Kidman, Myra and Alpha Team are pretty interesting in their own ways and made me root for them to make it to the end.

The villains could've been better developed but they're all pretty entertaining to watch at least, Stefano being the main highlight. By the way, did you know he's a tumblr sexyman? You'll only find art of him in the game's tag. lol

If I have any complaints... The game can be glitchy as heck. Kinda led to a couple of deaths or immersion breaking moments while playing. The game is also not particularly difficult in the normal difficulty once you start getting upgrades and is also pretty forgiving on giving you ammo. And worst of all: Playing the first game + DLCs feel required for understanding this game's story. Good luck with that shit! At least you'll have a good payoff for when you get to this one.

What an incredible action horror game, honestly. We better get a third game someday.