This is the only walking sim that had actually impacted me in any shape or form. Where games like Edith Finch squander for me, SOMA excels in every possible regard. The story that's tied to philosophical questions that have been explored many times before was still immensely engaging and leaves you with an amazing ending that, with any form of attention paid, could've been seen coming, but STILL hits as hard as it could.

This game HAD to be a walking sim to work honestly, it lets you absorb yourself in the dense, hopeless atmosphere the game perfects. But at the same time, I just wish that element was done better...the game's a lot better in Safe mode and I personally wouldn't bother with the monster encounters as they're generic and really easy at the same time.

Thankfully the game is really short and because of that it's a really easy recommendation to just sit through and absorb this incredible experience.

An impressively constructeed remake that contains all the delights the Source engine brings, yet with its new additions still leaves parts to be desired. The puzzles stand out as some of the most engaging I've experienced in a title like this and the game honestly looks superb for a Source engine game. Soundtrack also goes crazy, seriously makes a lot of otherwise "whatever" moments feel more impactful.

I'd say the first half of the game within Black Mesa is the strongest part of the game, as well as the intro of Xen, but as the game goes deeper in it begins to crack with monotony lining each of the levels, especially in the new Xen. While the puzzles are still quality, they become repetitive in structure and goal and by the end it feels kind of mindless.

It's a cool game but doesn't have all the extra oomph that Half Life 2 has with its story and gameplay, even as the remake aims to push a similar envelope in what the Source engine can do. It's still a decent game but not one that maximised its potential in creating Xen a much more unique world that separates itself from the somewhat mundane reality of Earth and its technologies.

I felt seen while playing this even though I'm not Tamil, it was just nice seeing my culture being properly represented in media (aside from ATSV). Very relatable too since I grew up in Australia my entire life and have essentially forgone my heritage in many ways. That being said, the game itself is just very short and kind of underbakes its ideas a little, it's neat for its runtime and its premise but I didn't really get much out of it apart from it being relatable. Neat though, happy to have a story like this adapted like this.

When people talk about video games as an art form, and as a general storytelling medium, Bloodborne is the shining example of the potential for video games to exceed even the most critically acclaimed works of art in other mediums. In all the things I've ever seen, played, read or watched, I don't think I've ever felt so strongly about something that so heavily emphasises a "show, don't tell" angle. Not only one of the best games ever purely mechanically, but possibly the best world ever created in the medium. So dense, richly atmospheric and endlessly captivating that it becomes intoxicating. Years since I've beat this and it still never leaves my mind, Bloodborne is the thoughts of a genius stylised with Miyazaki's blood, sweat and tears. Perfection.

One of the most fluid and exciting games I’ve played that succeeds heavily thanks to it’s unique personality that makes it stand out a lot because it kept me coming back for more. It balances out everything it needs to incredibly well: the OST, the bosses, the level design, the variety in the gameplay and the actual mechanics themselves. There are issues like the fact the story is kind of just okay, and there are some segments in the game that feel pretty weird to play and are kind of clunky, but other than that this game was so fucking enjoyable and I loved almost every moment with it. This game is special and stood the test of time well.

ohhhh butits a t-third person cam dialogue splurge cinematic game that doensn't utilise the medium to tell the st-

Look, those games are amazing and all and I love when video games ACTUALLY utilise the unique elements granted by it to tell the story, but I honestly don't care when you have one of the single most fleshed out protagonists in the overall medium getting a phenomenal conclusion. Oh, and having the deuteragonist ALSO share an effective dynamic with said character ? Along with the fact htat the game is just fucking RAWWWWWWW in every way possible?! Man, I do not care how the game is presented and how it's "basically a movie" (which is kind of absurd to me considering there are games that quite literally do NOTHING but try to be a movie). I truly adore this game and it means so much to me, a very potent exploration of fatherhood and positive masculinity that had me tearing up in the end. I'll always love this game.

I feel like I’d have enjoyed this game a lot more as a kid rather than now. The gunplay is fluid & fantastic and the gun variety is solid, almost every gun here feels well designed and balanced. The soundtrack is immaculate, lends heavily into its setting & the circumstances of the story & makes a lot of these explosive scenes and moments feel much grander than what they honestly really are. Speaking of the story, it’s… okay? I’ll be honest, I just wasn’t remotely invested in any of these characters or their stories, there was no hook here and the climax & ending made me feel nothing. This game was essentially a shooting gallery for me and as a shooting gallery… still not all that amazing either. While the gunplay is great, the level design wasn’t as well polished. So many levels are just frustratingly designed with annoying enemy spam, and when the late game hits with the brutes it becomes even worse. Maybe the co-op input lag made it feel a lot worse than it should, but it wasn’t very fun getting one or two-shot with a 1 second delay on firing. There are parts of this game that have aged well, and others that feel like a product of its time period. As great as the game looks and feels at times, its taken away by its bizarre and frustrating design. Yet even then, still liked it a lot more than my short time with Combat Evolved. Hope the series shows improvements from hereon, especially the story.

Played this game for the first time in the Summer of 2015 and ever since then I don't think I ever found a game that gave me as much agency in my decisions and had me so immersed in it's world, story, characters and lore until this year. Has a special place in my heart and also completely destroyed my perspective on other RPGs in how much they allow the player to actually roleplay because only New Vegas has done this to a degree I'd call perfect. It's a complete mess in terms of it's technicalities but every single replay I've had with this game and all the phenomenal moments of character writing in this game has stuck with me years since I played it. Genuinely such a special, one-of-a-kind game that I don't expect any other company being able to replicate ever again.

A personal favourite forever, haven't lost my love for this game and every subsequent replay makes me appreciate it more and more. Beauty.

Super fun game in all the right ways, it's been a while since I've last played a Mario game and this is easily the most fun I've had with the series. Love how the game controls and how it encourages player exploration in just about every turn, and it felt so rewarding to just use my head for a second and think of imaginative ways to reach power moons or kingdom-specific coins. There are so many little details in the game's design and so many elements that work together so well, it's a complete treat to play through every kingdom. Hell, even the simplistic ass boss fights were still enjoyable even when they're repeated. This game kicks ass in so many ways and I can't even really think of a complaint relating to its fundamentals apart from its story which...yeah, duh. Doesn't matter anyway, this games fun as fuck, play it!

A fun and engaging story and cast of characters with a charming artstyle, it's pretty much set to be a great game from the get go and it was. Although I can't really agree with the game's brazenly high reception in regards to how the narrative ACTUALLY unfolds, I'd say the fact its a tight and well knit plot overall isn't a fact that brings it down. It just doesn't do ENOUGH for me to think of it more than being a game that hits everything in the right spot but doesn't transcend beyond that.

It may sound negative, but overall it's still a great game and everything everyone who's played the game is spot on with their remarks about it. Loveable, bubbly characters and a distinct and charming style that oozes in about every element of the game made this feel distinct from any other puzzle game I've played. The twists with the ending were great and caught me a lil off guard too but it's just a good ass game even if I don't think its a masterpiece, and well worth the time spent with it.