I've always enjoyed the idea of cinematic platformers, but I've never seen one to completion. Well, until today. Tomb Raider was a game I'd always had in my bucket list, but held reservations towards, due to talk of its clunky controls that allegedly aged like milk. Though having finally spent time with this one, it feels like Core Design play-tested and iterated on Lara's controls until it felt right. It is definitely iterating on games like Prince of Persia '89, which don't control poorly, just have a more methodical playstyle. The experience is only elevated by its gorgeous aesthetics and sound design.

I'm sure later installments only refine the gameplay, but I can safely say that if you are willing to learn the controls, and maintain patience while traversing the game's caverns, you shouldn't have a bad time. Don't neglect the walk button. Combat is a bit of a different story. It does feel as if it was an afterthought, and though most encounters are not an issue, due to generous auto-aim, the lack of consideration becomes a headache as the game reaches its conclusion. Within the last two levels, scenarios start cropping up that are basically made to make you use up health kits. I will concede that these situations aren't impossible, but I can't believe this is good level design in any situation.

I also believe the game is a little too long, with several sections of padding. I believe the game could've been two-thirds the size that it is, not lost anything of value in the process, and resulted as a more enjoyable experience. What started as a playthrough full of two hour sessions quickly became a slog. I was trudging through levels within twenty minute intervals throughout my work week. My only motivation being the desire to reach the end. I honestly spent about an hour on average per level, so I wouldn't be surprised if my true playtime neared fifteen hours.

Despite my gripes, I did enjoy the game overall. Despite obvious reasons as to why this game was so popular within the public conscience all those years ago, I think a lot in here still stands up. I think my biggest takeaway is that they made a 3D platformer work with a d-pad! Tomb Raider feels like the estranged cousin of Super Mario 64. Aesthetically, a lot more edge than the latter, though still full of that visual awe 3D games in the 90's contained, and finding a solution to a problem many teams were trying to answer at the time.

A silly, cute, short character action game that feels really good to play! The story is all fluff, though the world and characters are entertaining. You've got over-the-top villains, clumsy, yet dedicated protagonists, and light jabs at workplace culture. I have to mention the fantastic voice work. It really carries the entire experience. Though I wish for an English dub, as it's hard to read captions in the middle of combat. There's a bit of jank with the enemy AI from time to time, but the combat itself is designed so fluidly, that it wasn't enough to hamper my experience.

Honestly, this has my favorite locales out of the entire reboot trilogy. I think I enjoyed this one more than Rise, though Tomb Raider 2013 is, I think, the best overall. Regardless, I can't deny that this figures out a lot of what the series was trying to do, mechanically. Probably the smoothest experience, and the most fun to actually play. It's also really beautiful. For a minute, I thought game visuals had plateaued, but between this and Final Fantasy 7 Remake, I realize now that I had spoken too soon.

I enjoyed parts of the story, but it does feel like a pastiche of several ideas stitched together. It was also a little funny that Lara is forced to consider both her privilege and behavior throughout both this game and Rise, uses her orphaned status an excuse, yet walks away from that conversation unchallenged. I don't really expect these games to have meaningful writing, though it's a bit hilarious how it's really close to having a great moment, but quickly crumples it and throws it in the bin.

A cute, sci-fi dystopian visual novel that dwells on the inhumanity of capitalism, and the difficulties of being thrust into such a system from a young age. Lovely world-building, and charming characters carry this experience. For most of it, the writing is really strong. Though within few moments, I feel like the plot meanders a bit. My thoughts on the soundtrack are complicated. Most of the time, it felt like stock music with no consideration for the scene at hand. Though a few tracks are really unique, and charmed me. Overall, a solid little experience.

Final Fantasy VII Remake overall succeeds in its goal of translating the 1997 classic into a modern video game. My favorite thing about this title is how it manages to be a technical showcase for last-gen hardware. Yet, it mainly achieves this through use of simple tricks a lot of early 3D titles would use to compensate for lack of processing power. The use of panoramas for huge vistas, and seamless transitions in and out of pre-rendered cutscenes, for example. While a good third of the game honestly felt like padding, in my opinion, the important part is that it manages to do essential plot beats from the source material justice.

It is a crime that Nintendo has let this one fade to obscurity. Wario Land '95 isn't just one of the best games on the Virtual Boy, I'd go as far as to say it's one of the best games in the series. An incredible platformer with astounding presentation, fantastic level design, tight controls, and a sharp runtime of about two hours. The art direction is top-notch, with wonderful pixel-art and detailed animation. The stereoscopic 3D is masterfully executed, and hasn't aged a day. If you have hardware that lets you experience this game as intended, don't miss out. It transforms an already gorgeous game into a visual dessert.

I've always had a weird relationship with the first Wario Land. There were things I enjoyed about it. Though I found it OK overall, and always wanted to like it more than I did. Wario Land VB cleans up the majority of its issues, tightens up the runtime, and elevates the visual presentation, resulting in a really solid, quirky platformer. It gives me the measured delight that a game like the first Kirby's Dreamland does. It's a shame Nintendo hasn't preserved this wonderful experience on any of their more recent hardware, but it's absolutely their loss. If you're a fan of platformers, find any way to experience this gem.

A eerily captivating horror point-and-click. Distant cousin to Hypnospace Outlaw; more railroaded than the latter, but still clearly related. Its roots are firmly seated within internet horror. Gemini Home being the clear inspiration, though genre staples like SCP Foundation also came to mind throughout my playthrough. Yet despite its inspirations, Home Safety Hotline manages to maintain its own identity throughout.

I went into this excited to dig into some neat world-building, but wasn't expecting the game to actually scare me. Some of the phone calls, especially those resulting from fail-states, sent chills down my spine. Absolutely stellar voice-work elevates the experience. Wonderfully creepy cryptid illustrations leave a lot to the imagination. The retro-PC UI allows for a couple of creepy moments through the removal of player autonomy.

We aren't even a month into 2024, and it's already started off with a stellar horror experience. Home Safety Hotline is a chillingly delightful surprise that doesn't spoon-feed you scares. Absolutely worth checking out if you're enjoying the current wave of independent horror.

A super simple concept supported by great aesthetic direction, and gameplay full of depth. It carries the same energy as the many experimental titles you'd see on PS1 and PS2. The dystopian backdrop, accented by its quirky script, had me completely engrossed. The grimy art direction, which manages to feel like a less restrained MGS1, complement this nicely. I also have to mention the soundtrack, mostly relaxing, and a nice compliment to the challenge of completing a meal.

Though despite the challenge, there is something mesmerizing about the gameplay loop. Mastering the flip is difficult, but when you get to the point where you're flawlessly juggling food on a stuffed pan, it is extremely satisfying. There's a method to the madness. Initial food placement is vital to finishing a dish. Also, the sensitivity adjustment, with the scroll wheel, is a great QOL addition (though to be honest, I ramp it up all the way). Food also doesn't cook when your pan isn't moving, which is super helpful when positioning for a flip.

Arctic Eggs is something special. After completing a couple of requests, I was compelled to see this one to the end. I clocked out at about an hour, and I was totally satisfied giving it my time of day. Not too short, but not too long, and I feel like it wraps itself up nicely. There is a more expanded version on its way; maybe hold off for that one, but this is definitely an experience worth checking out.

A sloppy, hard-as-nails arcade-style run-and-gun with a uniquely 2000's aesthetic that is absolutely charming. I remember playing the browser demo back when I was in my early teens, and itching to buy the Gamecube release, though never doing so. I didn't own a 360, so it's first re-release also evaded me. This is my first experience with the full package, and I have to say, I enjoyed it a lot more than I expected!

This is definitely more Contra 1 than it is Hard Corps. Despite clear homages to the latter, the gameplay is raw as hell, with little thought on player convenience. Hominid's movement is stiff with few mobility options, and enemy attacks have very strict tells. I grew up playing a ton of brutally difficult NES releases, so I'm tolerant to this sort of gameplay. I think it's charming and serviceable, but your mileage may vary.

My only real gripe with this game is attack visibility. On-screen chaos can tend to blend together. Particularly, enemy bullets. They flash several different colors, which is meant to catch your eyes, but depending on what is occurring in the playfield at the given moment, they can blend in with explosions or corpses. Next thing you know, Hominid's on the floor, and you're left with no explanation. I think a sharp outline, or bolder colors to contrast against the slightly-washed palette would've been enough to address this issue.

Alien Hominid feels like a game that would be hard to recommend. I think the appeal it does have is niche in this day and age. I'm surprised it took this long for us to finally see it again on modern storefronts, and I don't really expect even the smallest surge in its popularity, though I'd love to be wrong. Still, it's jam-packed full of charm. If the game ever caught your eye back in the day, and you've yet to experience it, I think you'll find something to like. Give it a shot.

The "Super Mario Bros." of modern horror games; their gameplay distilled into its rawest form, warts and all. A love letter to some of the most popular works in the genre, yet creative enough to feel like its own, unique experience. For such a straightforward gameplay loop, it's ridiculous how good Spooky's Jumpscare Mansion is.

The goal of the game is simple; survive one-thousand rooms, and reach the end of the mansion. The catch is the "Specimens" inhabiting its halls, which will try and end your progress. A good half of them revolve around chasing the player to the exit, but each is visually distinct, and adds their own unique quirk to the chase. About halfway through, the game gets creative with new encounters, and the race to the next save point becomes much more thrilling.

I think my only gripe with the game is the writing, which is very of-its-time. Particularly, some of Spooky's dialogue, and the closing line of the "good ending". There's a ton of nods and winks, and I think this sort of self-aware dialogue can work, but I just thought it lacked nuance, at times. I think some small revisions to the script would make this one timeless, though that is just my opinion.

Overall a fun time that masterfully iterates on a simple concept. It somehow manages to be tense, as well! I honestly was expecting it to be a horror comedy, but Spooky's absolutely crafts some great atmosphere through its sound design and bestiary. Yet, despite this, it's pretty accessible, and gives the player plenty of room to breathe. If I were ever asked a recommendation for someone's first horror game, this would be it.

Pseudoregalia was quite the surprise! It's a gorgeous 3D platformer that is unbelievably fun to control. Super Mario 64 would be the obvious point of comparison. Though it isn't a collectathon, it's a search-action game. So like in your usual Metroid entry, you dig around areas, find mobility upgrades, and these in turn not only help you in traversing areas more efficiently, but allow you to reach paths previously inaccessible.

The game doesn't give you much direction after the starting area, so initially, a lot of the game is figuring out what areas are accessible to you, and digging through them thoroughly for upgrades. Without a guide, this can feel a bit annoying, but I think these moments are elevated by the downright mesmerizing music, and choice direction in its environmental art. There were a few times where I caught myself hopping around aimlessly in an area, trying to reach places that looked like they could hold something, without really knowing if there was anything there. Personally, I respect any game that can have that effect on me.

Once you're fully upgraded, you're on a hunt for literal keys. These will open up a locked door with five keyholes, in an area you stumble upon for an upgrade. The first key you get early on in the game, so I felt the game did its best to direct you towards this goal without literally stating it to you. I can understand some people might hold the game for possibly leaving players completely lost. I think, if this one has you completely stumped at some point, there's no shame in using guides. I was honestly kind of surprised that I got through this game without ever really getting stuck. I personally felt there's a lot of really solid usage of landmarks, and areas are just the right size. Big enough to feel oppressive, but not labyrinthian. Though your experience may vary.

I grew up with the N64, so I naturally have a bias for low-poly 3D games with muddy textures, and short fog rendering distances. I'm also a sucker for the abstract art direction that this game has. I want to say it reminds me a lot of playing Touhou, or Undertale. It's a really unique mood, and I wouldn't say either coined them, but I'm sure they inspired this game in some way. As much as I loved Pseudoregalia, I think it's really going to come down to taste. I wouldn't be surprised to here some folk hated this one. As for me, it was honestly love at first sight. It's a delight to play, and it doesn't overstay its welcome. So glad I got to finish this one before the end of the year.

This is the first Kirby game thrown out by HAL that's enthralled me since Kirby's Canvas Curse. Not to say I didn't have fun with Return to Dreamland, Triple Deluxe, or any of the other titles released in-between, but during my 10 hour playthrough of Forgotten Land, not once did it get stale! In 2003, Kirby Air Ride gave us a tease of a three-dimensional Kirby game. It took almost 20 years to finally get it, and though this is honestly the farthest thing from what was implied, the results are still fantastic.

Less Super Mario 64, and more Crash Bandicoot, this is a pretty linear fare. That said, something about the usual Kirby gameplay adds so much flavor to an otherwise simple formula. There's also a dash of Character-Action game in here. It's no Bayonetta, but there's a surprising amount of depth. Despite the small pool of copy abilities, each has some fairly thought out potential in combat, especially with the upgrades. You're rewarded for perfect dodges with a small increase to attack charging speed. I also have to mention Mouthful Mode, which grants new abilities for Kirby, though not their typical ones. Most seem silly, but their practically is extended through challenge rooms on the world map. In regards gameplay, Forgotten Land is no slouch.

This is a kid's game, but I do love that, alongside Robobot, some of these recent Kirby games are giving the younger crowd something to chew on. Denizens on an abandoned planet from an alternate universe kidnap citizens from Dreamland, forcing most into free labor, while collaborating with a select few familiar faces. Kirby travels through ruins of a once-thriving society, raptured by hubris and greed. It takes me back to playing through Shiver Star for the first time, in Kirby 64, and slowly putting dots together in my head. I don't want to make it sound like it's more than it is, it's an incredibly simple story. Not really any different than what, say, the original Sonic trilogy was doing back in the 90's, but it adds a lot to the entire experience.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land blew me away with its incredible gameplay, fun story, and absolutely gorgeous visuals. Back to the Crash comparison, it honestly stands toe to toe with It's About Time as a modern extension of that sort of gameplay! I don't say this lightly; this is one of the must-buy Switch exclusives. Honestly, one of the greatest games on the platform, and one of the best platformers ever made in this style. I'd go as far as to say I enjoyed it as much as I did playing Super Star or Adventure for the first time. Much as I love the series, couldn't say the same for any other game in the franchise. Whether you're a returning fan, or this is your first Kirby game, this is an absolute must play.

Trepang2 is a really fun snack-food FPS, with a pulpy as hell plot, simple-yet-satisfying gameplay, and slick vibe. At it's core, it is a military shooter. That said, it's also got sci-fi, and a bit of horror thrown into the mix. In particular, it absolutely loves Internet horror. Aside from the Backrooms level, there is a side-mission with heavy SCP vibes. Some find it corny, but they're undeniably well-executed!

The combat mostly consist of arena-style encounters that felt a bit reminiscent of the modern DOOM entries. The bullet-time and cloaking really opens up your options in approaching enemies, and though the former isn't a new idea by any means, the latter adds an extra layer to gameplay that I felt was unique to the Trepang2 experience. My only complaints would be the two weapon limit and the measly stamina bar, but I'd say these thoughts are subjective.

It took me about six hours to complete the main story on Normal, though I did not go for everything. So I'd say there's a good amount of content in here! There's a surprising amount of side-missions, though they aren't mandatory. Overall, Trepang2 is super entertaining. Though it's by no means perfect, I'd be excited to see a sequel that iterates on this fantastic foundation.

An absolute classic. I often hear people recommend skipping this one, and going straight for REmake, but Resident Evil '96 hasn't aged as poorly as people would have you believe. For an early fixed camera game, a lot of thought and care was put into the controls. The tone is absolutely chilling, thanks to great world-building. The enemies are nasty and legitimately threatening. The game is also pretty lean, at about six hours for a first-time playthrough. The two big points people count against this one are the visuals, and the voice acting.

An outsider looking in might see the overly simplistic 3D rendered environments as amateurish, but throughout my playthrough, they hit me with this unsettling aura because of how uncanny they look. I'm not sure if that was intentional, but as a result, the Spencer Mansion and its surrounding environments are oppressive as hell. Regardless, the amount of details they packed into some of these scenes, for 1996, is impressive. Several rooms in the Mansion and Laboratory do feel as if they've been occupied at some point, with all the clutter.

The character models are also... shockingly good for the polycount restrictions! Texture and poly warping might hurt it, but Chris, Jill, and the rest of S.T.A.R.S. look like adorably stylized versions of their live-action counterparts. They are in perfect juxtaposition with the grotesque bestiary. The first time I got a real good look at a zombie's face, it freaked me out. Those things are fucking terrifying! Not because they're poorly modeled, either. The standard zombie's face is bizarrely close to the one from the infamous cutscene near the start of the game.

The voice acting is a little silly, but you can tell the actors aren't terrible at their job. To me, it felt like they didn't have enough context for the lines they were given. There's also a few moments of poor wording, which isn't their fault, either. They're just reading off the script, which may have been a victim of poor translation. As a big Lynch fan, I personally can get down with cheesy writing and voice acting, especially the more whimsical something is, so this is going to vary from person to person. To me, I think the off-kilter way everyone talks to each other just adds to the already unsettling atmosphere.

Overall, the game is surprisingly sturdy as hell. Tightly built, and perfectly paced. The tank controls are very serviceable, especially for the time. I think only Alone in the Dark predates this, and they figured it out so fast! Enemies are engaging, and are rolled out in a smooth difficulty curve. Hunters and Chimeras can be a little tricky, but they do have patterns that you can learn. I was steamrolling them by the end of it. Puzzles can bring the game to a halt, but you get a good amount of rations, so I never felt stressed to figure anything out. I had an overabundance of ammo and healing items by the last area, and I never felt concerned about having to start over from square one. Though based on footage I've watched, this may be an issue if you play above Original difficulty.

The original Resident Evil is an amazing game to experience for the first time in this day and age, especially if you're a fan of later games in the series. So many tropes started in RE1, some that I wasn't even expecting, and it's kind of wild to see how much of a blueprint this one was. If you're absolutely certain you're only going to play this game once, or are completely turned off by fifth generation visuals, I can understand skipping straight for REmake. As for me, I'm glad I sat down with it. It's a timeless game that is still influential to this day. I can't recommend it enough.