gabrielcrem
2023
I adored Hi-Fi Rush, and I'm mad at myself that it took me this long to get around to it. It's so clear that every element of this game was crafted with love which is something that is becoming more and more rare. I am so looking forward to playing more AA games with similar scopes as this one.
2021
Unpacking is a bittersweet and heartwarming experience that continued to delight me throughout. I finished Unpacking in only a few hours which was not an issue, however its gimmicks and creativity are stretched thin by the end which disappointed me.
2020
I know, it's a silly game to review - but this game was shockingly special. When quarantine restrictions were starting to lift in Australia, people were allowed to exercise / interact with one other person outside, and my friend and I would play this game a lot. It's ridiculously simple, but it's charming and works well. I'll always cherish it in a funny way.
Unlike any other piece of media I have ever experienced, I can confidently say that The Last of Us Part II genuinely affected the way I thought and comprehended things for a long time. A story that feels this grounded, harsh, raw, and real being set in such a depressing world really made me reflect on my personal experiences, and what matters to me. Nothing I have played takes such dramatic risks so frequently and manages to land them all. Story aside, the gameplay is enhanced from the 2013 original and is perfected.
The idea of a BotW prequel based in the calamity is amazing, and although Age of Calamity doesn't directly deliver that, its adaptation of the story is commendable. The hack and slash gameplay suits this world very well, and it borrows enough elements from other Warriors and Zelda games to make the core game function well. As most Warriors games do (from what I've heard) Age of Calamity struggles with both repetition and performance issues, which are extremely prevelant, particularly in the latter half of the 20ish hour campaign.
2010
Red Dead Redemption is a game I would always lie about having played and preferring to it's sequel, so when I was very relieved when I finally got the chance to play it and DID prefer it to RDR2. For its time, Red Dead Redemption was truly something special, and I believe it's morally grey philosophies stand as some of the best the gaming industry has ever had.
2012
When I describe Telltale's The Walking Dead's story to my friends, I say "it is like The Last of Us but without the positive moments". This game is absolutely heartbreaking in every metric, and the decisions the player has to make are harder than any puzzle in a game I have played. Speaking of puzzles, the "gameplay" is point and click as expected, however the amount of mundane walking set pieces brings down the pacing and quality of many chapters.
2023
Written 13/1/23
The Finals is such a hit or miss game. The gameplay feels so smooth and the core mechanics have so much potential, but a severe lack of content outside of a few modes make it get very repetitive after a short amount of time. The weapons and items feel really good to use, but the UI is frankly terrible. Some may call this nit-picky, but the use of AI for the voices is a disservice to the games industry and makes me concerned for the future.
The Finals is such a hit or miss game. The gameplay feels so smooth and the core mechanics have so much potential, but a severe lack of content outside of a few modes make it get very repetitive after a short amount of time. The weapons and items feel really good to use, but the UI is frankly terrible. Some may call this nit-picky, but the use of AI for the voices is a disservice to the games industry and makes me concerned for the future.
2009
Bayonetta is a prime example of Hideki Kamiya's game design at work. It may be mundane to say, but Bayonetta's smooth and defined gameplay tied unique storytelling are made for each other and work perfectly hand in hand. The scale of the game is grand with insane set pieces and massive bosses. The main issue I had with Bayonetta was its length; I finished the game in 5 hours, and because of that, didn't really have the time to be accustomed with the characters and their ambitions, making for less impactful scenes.
2020
Cyberpunk 2077 has so many elements that stand out as industry leading, whilst others feel like a game from a time long past. It has some of my favourite 'lore' in any game. Its world and characters are so fascinating and the way that the game tells it works excellently. The soundtrack is a highlight of this game for me, as it undoubtedly feels like something from the far future. The core shooting is tactile and works, but any other combat, the driving, and many NPC interactions feel stiff and janky.
Horizon Forbidden West's gameplay evolution in comparison to its 2017 predecessor is incredible. Climbing, paragliding, swimming, refined skill trees, enhanced combat, and more travel choices all stand out as drastic improvements and although not new for the industry, do feel like a necessary modernisation for the franchise. Horizon Forbidden West struggles with an issue that many modern sequels have, that being a larger story scope with the same length. Everything feels crammed in or out of place, and frankly, the game's story could (and maybe should) have been split into two instalments.
2011
Minecraft's significance to my personal life is surpassed by no other game. I have so many memories playing this game from childhood to adulthood, and I will never take that for granted. The core concept of Minecraft was so unique for its time, and for a decade was concistently improved. Nowadays however, Minecraft's updates lack proper themes and seem to act as filler to gain income rather than actual implementations of features created with the intentions of improving an already finished title.
2018
Marvel's Spider Man traversal and gameplay loop are addictive in every sense of the word; they are satisfying, polished, and intuitive. Unsurprisingly, the storyline is compelling and suffices. Marvel's Spider Man succeeds in the basic elements of a triple A game, however when analysing the more minute details such as the attention to detail, open world design, and side activities, I can't help but think about how safe of a product this is.
2013
Everything that makes Rockstar Games themselves is put on full display in Grand Theft Auto V. Their witty humour, ambitious storytelling, banging soundtracks, industry leading voice acting, and immersive worlds are everywhere in GTA5, but so is Rockstar's few flaws, such as janky controls.
2018
God of War (2018) takes a perfect amount of inspiration from its contemporaries such as The Last of Us and thrives with it. The gameplay gradually develops throughout the beautiful storyline from a simple hack and slash to a detailed system that both acknowledges and praises its predecessors.