These are impressions of an early access version, which are subject to change and based on limited gameplay.

Hades II is a triumph of roguelike action. It's predecessor was already wildly impressive and while it may be the honeymoon phase talking, this feels like an improvement in virtually every way. Environments are just as varied, combat systems are even deeper, and the progression is made even more rewarding and natural. It's incredible how consistently Supergiant are able to innovate and improve upon themselves. With each new Supergiant game, I keep asking myself how it can possibly get better, and as each one comes out, I am left flabbergasted by just how talented these people are. Bravo. Can't wait to sink dozens of hours in during the Early Access, and even hundreds more come the official launch.

I’ve had prior experience with Arkane’s style of immersive sim via Deathloop, however it didn’t really grab my attention and I ended up shelving it. I picked Prey up while it was on sale a few months ago, and I certainly don’t regret it.

The game is gripping for the very beginning, with one of the most jaw dropping opening sequences ever. I ended up playing the game almost entirely on the Steam Deck while on vacation, and while the handheld formfactor diminished the punch of more tense encounters, I found the experience enjoyable enough with little compromise.

Talos-1 is an interesting setting, several sectors each wildly different from the last. There’s a sort of Metroidvania-esque approach to progression, however I found myself making use of the games GLOO gun to find roundabout entrances, which definitely made the experience unique (if not a bit tedious when I would later find the “proper” way to navigate). The alien creatures are varied in their design and a truly terrifying threat at times. The characters, particularly Alex Wu, are incredible, thanks in large part to the stellar voice work. Combat is incredibly similar to Arkane’s other titles, however I am a fan of their gun feel and so all I can really say if “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. Should you decide to go out of your way and do side content, you are greatly rewarded with differing outcomes contributing to how the story unfolds.

Ultimately, for a game that only took a little over ten hours to make my way through, I’m incredibly happy with Prey. There isn’t a single bad aspect to this game, however, there are several flaws- such as slow skill progression and an overly restrictive ammo economy- which prevent me from giving it a higher score. However, a 4/5 is nothing to scoff at, and I truly recommend you give this game a shot.

My feelings regarding this game are complicated. On one hand, it is a masterpiece that innovates in storytelling, takes a violent character and turns the emotional vulnerability to an extreme, and adds a shocking amount of depth to the core cast of characters, to an extent that I had not expected going in. On the other hand, I see a story with contrived events, characters saved by plot armor and things happening just for the sake of it. The spectacle of said events is grand, yes, but they are mainly style-focused, lacking the substance that so many other parts of the game contain. Furthermore, nine times out of ten the combat system is boring, repetitive, and needlessly flashy. Having played on PC with keyboard and mouse controls (which worked surprisingly well), I was able to near-effortlessly left click my way through most encounters, putting little thought into my combos besides what they could kill faster. Combos felt nice to execute, but felt like something I was doing to make fights go by a little faster, rather than out of necessity. The enemies feel kind of spongy, so I'd recommend turning the difficulty down for most encounters, and then cranking it back up for boss fights.

While I have more nitpicks than you'd expect for a 4.5/5 star review, the one thing that keeps it so high is the story. It's so refreshing. While by now, we've all kind of soured on Sony's cinematic gameplay, there's something so special about taking a seemingly one-dimensional character like Kratos, and flipping everything on its head. It's masterfully written, with some truly engaging dynamics between Atreus and Mimir, and some geniunely hilarious banter with the side characters. Each character acts with reason and the vast lore of the world is explained to a point where no mythology knowledge is needed. While not sure if I will immediately, I can definitely see myself returning to the Nine Realms to pick up any achievements I missed while waiting for an all but inevitable Ragnarok PC Port.

I'd like to preface this by saying that of the five available endings (or routes), I had to stop after reaching Ending A because I simply couldn't take this anymore. At times, Drakengard is incredibly fun, but those times are few and far between. Most of the time you are spent fighting spongy enemies and bosses pressing the same button thousands of times and doing the most mindnumbingly boring tasks imaginable for the sake of reaching a minor plot development, only to do the same surface level hack and slash combat for another few hours. At times, the visuals are Drakengard excel for the times, but others, the arenas are nothing but grey expanses. It's truly impressive just how little character this game has once you do anything but look at the story. The difficulty scaling is abysmal, and the mechanics of the boss fight are frustrating for the sake of it. There is no reward to overcoming obstacles, unless you've got a hankering for more boring combat.

It's a pretty run of the mill tactics game, with enough differentiation that it's engaging. The Persona flare is present, the characters are their usual entertaining selves, while the story doesn't do anything groundbreaking, it's enough to keep you going to experience the amazing gameplay. The unique systems the game has to offer force critical thinking, and the wide array of attacks at your disposal allow for a variety of different approaches to the same encounter. Although, having been playing on Merciless, the difficulty is lacking, and at the very least- inconsistent.

Update: The story definitely becomes much more interesting as you continue to engage and are able to learn more about the world, but more importantly, the new characters. The more and more I learned about the dynamic between Erina and Toshiro, the more I wanted to help them out, and as the threads begin to intertwine, it all crescendos into one of the most comprehensive stories in a spin-off. Although the pacing is inconsistent, and the story can be predictable at times, it is engaging enough to satisfy. Alongside the quality tactics experience, it's well worth your money. The boss mechanics are all unique and varied, and the game is a fun experience to 100%

I don't even know what to say regarding NieR Replicant that either hasn't already been said before or comes across as complete gibberish. It's worth every penny. The characters are charming, and the story is engaging, especially the multiple endings are unique and nothing short of beautiful. Initially, I only expected to get Ending A before moving onto Automata, but I am hooked. They are worth the extra time, as you'll grow to understand and empathize with the characters to a degree few games have done before. The only major issue I have with the game is just how much running back and fourth there is. There is a lore reason as to why fast travel is not an option, however, with how much the quests are designed to send you all over the map with little regard for your time, get used to mindlessly running. There's also a minor issue with severe frame drops, but just wait those out and the game will return to normal within thirty or so seconds.

Truly a once in a lifetime experience.

The more I've thought about this game after rolling credits, the more I've come to realize a simple truth: this is my favorite game of all time.

NieR Automata is a masterpiece, plain and simple. There is no angle that this game can be viewed upon in which its unending perfection is not crystal clear. It is the embodiment of a video game, and yet, one of the most thought provoking pieces of media I have ever had the joy of experiencing. It's equal parts hack and slash, bullethell, twin stick shooter, and open zone RPG yet it holds itself together effortlessly forming one of the most coherent experiences to date.

The combat is fluid, and each of the three playable characters differentiate themselves in such a way that experiencing every route just for more gameplay worth it. However, do know, that once those credits roll for the first time, you are all but required to go back and experience Endings B through E. Never have I seen alternate endings enhance an experience to such a degree, and never have those endings kept exceeding even my wildest of expectations.

The game contains expertly crafted meta-commentary on everything from minor aspects of the games industry, to thoroughly crafted examinations of the human experience, life, and love lost. It's story is engaging from the very beginning, and will only sink its teeth in deeper as time progresses.

Lastly, from a technical standpoint, this game is a marvel. Every issue lamented regarding the PC port appears to have been ironed out, with stellar visuals that have aged like a fine wine. Steam Deck support is stellar at a near locked sixty frames per second, without compromising on visuals. When playing at the desktop, the game supports Ultrawide resolutions flawlessly.

I cannot sign this games' praises enough, do yourself a favor. This is a piece of high art that everyone should experience.

It is games like this that make me wish Steam had a neutral score option. Fundamentally, Far Cry 3 is a good game. However, the PC Port is laughably bad. Playing on a modern system, there are endless texture filtering issues (regardless of quality settings), poor UI scaling on high resolutions to the point where some elements of the interface overlap each other, and consistent crashing that is only redeemed by a somewhat generous autosaving system. In addition to the poor technical state, the Steam version is a glorified shortcut to launching Ubisoft Connect (formerly known as UPlay) which then launches the game itself. As a result, you have to do a mandatory online connection check with Ubisoft's servers, thus eliminating any ability to play the game offline despite the fact that its online content has been shut down.

When it comes to the game itself, it's hard not to like Far Cry 3. It's a fun and decently short action game with a fascinating villain. Vaas is one of the most easily recognizable and iconic game villains of all time, and that title is easily deserved. However, throughout the majority of the game the pacing is inconsistent and some plotpoints are incredibly contrived and convenient making the whole story feel less like something you control, and more like something you watch unfold. The combat can be clunky at times and the hunting and gathering mechanic is more tedious than its worth (primarily due to the limited space in your inventory in tandem with a lack of proper inventory management) however, for a campaign that can be completed in less than a dozen hours, it's worth setting aside a weekend and diving into the island.

In essence, it's hard to not recommend Far Cry 3, however, if you have any other means of playing the game, I would shy away from the Steam and the PC version in general.

If there were ever a Metroidvania to eclipse the genre’s titular forefathers, Hollow Knight is easily befitting of the crown. It is incredible that such a game was made by such a small team. Exploration is at the heart of Hallownest, with something new to be found at every corner. The shear amount of variety in the game world is incredible, with no two areas looking even remotely similar, yet they all blend together to form a coherent world. The narrative, although it takes a backseat, is prominent enough and rich in detail. Excellent reoccurring characters and charming companions take your side throughout, with everyone demanding your attention in one way or another.

Combat in Hollow Knight is relatively simple, consisting of a single melee attack, and a small variety of ranged abilities powered by the soul power of your fallen foes. Combined with the fluid movement system which expands as you progress, the game is a joy to control. Combat is tight and responsive, with plenty of challenge to keep even the most skilled of players on their toes at certain points. The menagerie of boss encounters are incredibly unique, with a conciseness in encounter design.

The world grows as you unlock new abilities, keeping even early game areas blooming with new content to discover. While this is a prominent aspect of other titles in the genre, I have never seen it pulled off in such a concise manner. Areas that I previously had assumed were just for decor later had a purpose that became essential to game progress. Everything in Hollow Knight is designed with such intent and precision, to a degree of accuracy never thought possible.

It is a triumph in every sense of the word.

Death Stranding is a weird game. It's hard to even call it a game for that matter. A substantially portion of my playthrough was simply holding down the 'W' key alongside the occasional balancing act when stepping on uneven terrain or some course correction here and there. But I'm so glad I stuck with the game through the credits, until the very end.

Hideo Kojima and his team have crafted what can easily be considered one of the best and most intriguing video game campaigns of all time. I mean it when I say to go in as blind as possible. This game is filled with masterful metaphor and extremely complex symbolism that can easily have infinite interpretations. The story itself is far from straightforward, however, rest assured knowing that nearly every question worth answering is answered to some meaningful capacity. Each character is finely crafted to serve a purpose, and while the actions of the player may seem inconsequential at times, every action builds to make the world feel more real.

Let's talk gameplay, as that is easily the most divisive aspect of this game. I am a fan. While it is objectively boring and tedious (almost to a point where I almost assume it was defined to be aggravating) it really puts you in Sam's shoes. Your struggles are his, and his are your's. The multiplayer aspect integrates seamlessly into general gameplay and helps you realize just how much impact you have not only in your individual instance, but in the world of other players. Combat sequences are tight and responsive, with everything from grenades to a wide arsenal of guns feeling incredible to use. This is in stark contrast to the rest of the controls which are serviceable at best and miserable at the absolute worst. Some menus are clunky, and several mechanics are hard to initially grasp, but it all makes sense in due time.

The game is an incredibly slow burn, however, towards the end (after about Chapter 7) it picks up significantly. However, chapter duration ranges wildly. For example, Chapter 8 took me around 8 hours to complete (although I wouldn't be surprised if it takes some much more) while the very next chapter took me just eleven minutes (excluding cutscenes).

Lastly, let's talk this PC port. 505 Games have done an excellent job of porting the Director's Cut to PC platforms, with incredibly solid performance, in depths options (minus an FOV slider), and some nice quality of life options such as Ultrawide resolution support.

I truly can't recommend this game enough. While not for everyone, sticking with this game despite it's flaws is absolutely worth it. I cannot wait to see what Kojima and his team are cooking up next.

Alan Wake is innovative in all the wrong areas. It's a survival horror game that is neither scary nor intensive. It tries so hard to be like its contemporaries, such as Resident Evil 4 (dumb quips and all) however Alan Wake is not Leon Kennedy. Instead of suplexing parasites, Alan stumbles through the forest with clunky combat, aided in no small part due to the dual resource management of the flashlight system. On paper, this is an interesting mechanic, however it needlessly slows down combat. Once you unlock Flashbangs and Flares, combat becomes even more pointless as you can essentially run from Point A to Point B dropping them occasionally as you avoid any and all hostiles.

The story is fine, however, it is filled with events that happen for no reason. It's surreal, sure, but the surrealism is not done in a way that makes the player actually interested in exploring deeper with the metaphor. The sound design is poor, with some actions lacking sound effects entirely. The only bit of interesting atmosphere comes from the various live action TV segments which are definitely innovative. Unfortunately, they can be almost entirely overlooked. The characters themselves are one-dimensional with only two or three notable characters across the entire cast. The story is divided into six episodes, of them vastly overstaying their welcome. They could easily be cut down by a half hour each with little of substance lost. As the story drags, you're treated to a few standout scenes but so much of it blends together to the point where it's hard to give each episode its own identity.

Traversal is slow and boring, with a stamina system that gives you no idea on how much you can sprint or how long it will take for you to be able to sprint again. Ammo and consumable limitations are far too low for some battles, and several fights can easily be skipped in their entirety with nothing but a single flare. This game is painfully easy, with little to no balance. Some enemies deal far more damage than they should and some are incredibly bullet sponge-y. For every good thing this game does, there are two more that are abysmal.

The PC port has aged terribly, with horrible motion blur and incredible amounts of pop in even on the highest of draw distances. The postprocessing effects during the darkness periods fail to create any notable ambiance, instead they create a terrible amount of blur and distortion that, when combined with the overdone motion blur only succeeded in nauseating me. Camera controls are fine, but the stock settings are overly sensitive.