The original Alan Wake is one of my favorite games of all time, so after seeing all the hype for the sequel I was dying to play it. While I am not as high on it as the average seems to be I did find it to be a really great sequel in many ways. It definitely leans more into the horror than the original, the graphics and sound design are absolutely insane... I am not easily scared but there were a few times I jumped (not counting the really annoying unearned jump scares that happen constantly, those are my only complaint with the horror in the game)

The addition of Saga was questionable to me from the trailers, but she really stole the show for me. Her sections play exactly like I would expect a modern Alan Wake to be, the combat is improved and has a nice weight to it, and her loadout is super fun to use (shout out to the bow). Her story has a lot of similarities to the first game but I love the additions she brings being a detective, the mind place board is a really neat way to follow along and figure out the mystery of the plot.

The Alan sections are a bit more mixed for me, there are some really amazing scenes here that I won't spoil and the really high production value is even more prevalent in these areas. The gameplay though is just lacking to me, swapping the scene to progress constantly is a neat idea but I just didn't ever get into it. The story of Alan resolves really nicely in the end, and I appreciate the really unique meta way of telling it, but it's just not ultimately my favorite delivery method. It is very modern Remedy which fans will enjoy, but I am definitely less of a Remedy fan and more of an Alan Wake 1 fan specifically.

This game was not what I expected in a lot of ways but I appreciate how unique it was, and the survival horror elements are still very good when they are given the time to shine. I recommend for sure.

This just felt like a game that should have come out a long time ago. The original 2016 Detective Pikachu on 3DS was a flawed but charming mystery/adventure game with a clever premise, and if this game came out a year or two afterwards it probably would have gotten a similar reception. Instead the gameplay feels dated and the presentation is just not up to snuff. The plot isn’t bad per say but it also has the problem of the Detective Pikachu movie coming out in 2019 despite the movie adapting material that would be eventually used in this game, so the release timeline for this franchise is all out of whack. The last case in the game makes up for a lot of the slowness in the rest of the game but I just wish the game was more dynamic in structure, it would be nice to feel like you are solving something instead of being dragged along with no agency. I did like how it all wrapped up at least and it did retain some of the charm of the original, I just sadly think this missed its window by multiple years… if it had come out right before the movie it would have felt much more at home.

I was highly anticipating this game for years but I never expected it to be so amazing. Just as a baseline it takes all the elements from Pikmin 1,2, and 3 and brings them back with tons of quality of life and usability updates to boot. Miss the caves from 2? They are back and better than ever, filled with tons of different enemies, bosses, and thoughtful situations to work through. Love the multitasking abilities from 3? Also back and improved by the inclusion of the dog Oatchi who is an unstoppable force. Like the time constraints of 1? Let's just say there is some stuff in here that will be right up your alley.

Alongside all of that are new additions as well, first off having some new pikmin types obviously keeps things fresh and the ice pikmin are a lot of fun to use in combat and problem solving. Glow pikmin aren't in the normal rotation of pikmin but that doesn't make them any less fun to use, their ghostly powers are only used in the new night time missions which are a pikmin spin on tower defense. There are a little over a dozen of these and they are pretty short so they function very nicely as a pallet cleanser to shake up the gameplay.

The new dandori challenge caves achieve this as well by taking what would be normal caves and turning them into fun challenge rooms. Sometimes you need to try to get all the treasures within a short amount of time, or maybe you have to battle an AI in a pikmin battle challenge. These different modes shake things up but aren't so prevalent or long that they ever got stale to me. Add in a a neat hub world and a couple good size bonus modes with great rewards and you are looking at 30 hours to get 100% which felt like the perfect runtime to me.

This is a sometimes great, sometimes alright game that doesn't quite live up to my expectations but still is a worthwhile game to play if you are into the genre. The concept of the game is really creative, taking the yo-yo and making it the whole game mechanic is a neat idea. Rolling on the yo-yo, swinging from it, and using powerups with it is fun and it does a good job mixing things up as you go through the levels. The worlds do a pretty good job differentiating themselves, and I like the addition of collectables and mini missions in each stage. Bosses aren't amazing but they were each pretty unique, I really liked the last one especially. The issue I have with the game comes down to what I see as a lack of polish, I find that the controls don't always do exactly what you expect them to do and while the game wants you to chain combos together and go fast sometimes that is at odds with the level design and camera (this is a Sonic fan team after all....). I had multiple instances where I would get stuck in objects also and have to reload the game, which starts to take you out of the enjoyment of the game. I also never really grew to love the art style, I didn't hate it but it was just kind of meh to me.

At it's best I think this game has a lot of really great ideas and when you are really flowing it can border on a great 3D platformer, I just wish it was a bit more polished.

This is easily one of my favorite Metroidvania games I’ve played, I was hopeful seeing the original trailers and it blew my expectations away. The movement in this game is amazing and just gets better as it goes, chaining together your usual double jumps, dashes, wall jumps with tons of other abilities you unlock as you go make the game feel incredibly fluid and allows for some great platforming sections. The collectibles are often in spots that require you to use all these skills so they feel super satisfying to get each time, as well as using a lot of them for leveling up weapons or buying perks/more potions/etc. The game does a great job balancing all these light RPG systems where you feel like you could beat the game without doing them all if you are skilled, but really making it feel rewarding if you take the time to find things in the map.

The combat is also quite fine despite not being overly complex, you have a few different combos you can do with your blades as well as a bow but really the skill comes from dodging or parrying at the right times. The boss battles all felt fair even some of the tougher ones later one and led to some really awesome moments. The way the map flows is also quite good, you pretty frequently find golden trees where you can restore your health and save, as well as finding fast travel points around the map which are super useful but also not game breaking. This allows you to jump around a bit but by limiting where you can initiate to only those spots it doesn’t take away the feeling of exploring. The areas themselves vary from pretty standard settings to a few that really stand out that I won’t spoil. The map also lets you place icons as well as a collectible you have that let’s you save screenshots on the map so you can easily remember a spot you want to return to later which is a great feature.

If you are a fan of the genre this is definitely a game I would recommend, it plays super well and the story, while not the most in depth hooking narrative ever, has a pretty neat concept that kept me entertained and led to cool gameplay moments.

This is the best 2D Mario game since Super Mario World by far. The gameplay feels super smooth and the design is amazing, the New Super Mario Bros. look, feel, and sounds are gone replaced by something much better in my opinion. The animations are charming and fun, and the stage designs are immensely creative even before you factor in the Wonder Seeds. There are tons of new enemy types and very creative level ideas, plus a badge system, badge challenge stages, KO arenas, and many more to shake it up.

The Wonder Seeds are the true game changer here, basically every standard stage has one to find and when you do the game gets weird (in a great way). The whole world warps and suddenly you could be in the middle of a musical, or space, or transformed into some sort of creature, or TONS more. This is really Nintendo showcases their creative muscles. There are also tons of stages spread across the multiple worlds, it really feels like you are on a grand adventure.

The game is also super fun to get 100% in. Finding the 3 hidden coins in the stages is never too hard but makes you explore more thoroughly and really appreciate each stage. Having to get all the standees was maybe a bit much but I didn't really have to go out of my way to be able to afford to do that so ultimately wasn't a huge issue.

If you are a platforming fan you owe it to yourself to try out this special game, you will not be disappointed.

A creative game that is part linear 3D platformer, part super monkey ball. You roll through stages dodging enemies and avoiding different obstacles to get to the end without running out of time. What is neat is there is no health, you can take as many hits as you can as long as you don't fly off the stage (easier said than done) but that is wasting precious time that can only be brought back by picking up more coins. Unfortunately as you get further in the game you can feel a bit of a lack of polish as the levels get harder, the physics could have used a bit more work because you can do the same action in the same spot 3 times and have 3 different results leading to some frustrating sections. As long as you can get past these moments there is a lot to like here.

I have loved Dragon Ball basically my entire life, I’ve played tons of different games based off the series over the years and while I’ve adored tons of them this one has become my new favorite. Playing through the entire saga of DBZ from start to finish is amazing, and it really feels like you are living in the world as you fly through all the locations you recognize from the series.

I understand why people who love the “RPG” in the action-RPG genre but as someone much more into action games this was perfect for me. There are tons of RPG systems here you can use, but ultimately they are all additive and as long as you are spending a tiny amount of time leveling up your moves as you play through the sagas this game plays just like a fighting game. The combat is just deep enough where I never got sick of it, it has tons of flash to it and makes you feel like a total badass as you teleport behind enemies and unleash a powerful move to wipe them out. Despite being named Kakarot you do play as a good number of characters which was much appreciated. All of them are fun to play and have great unique move sets.

The open world is very basic, you can find the dragon balls and make wishes which is a great feature, but it mostly exists just to fly through and get from mission to mission (as well as pick up XP orbs like Crackdown). This was fine with me as it was very quick to navigate and filled with side quests that put the spotlight on lots of lesser used characters, especially tons with original Dragon Ball characters that were forgotten.

The last thing I want to shout out is the production value, the game does a great job adapting the entire story and while it does a good solid job most of the time there are moments they really go over the time. These moments are reserved for only the most special moments of the series, I won’t spoil them but they are done great justice here and are super memorable. This was just a great way to experience such a pivotal series in mine and many other’s lives so I’m very glad I played it.

This wasn't entirely new for me but I only played the original once quite a few years ago so it was a welcome opportunity to revisit. The world is unique, full of original characters headlined by Mallow and Geno which gives the game it's own totally unique feel. The writing is snappy and funny, and while the plot certainly isn't intricate it is nice to have a different cast of villains than the usual (the dynamic of Bowser being an ally is a real highlight).

The combat is solid, the timing button presses for attacks and defending keeps you always focused, and all 5 of the characters feel important to the squad. I love when JRPGs allow you to swap characters in and out without wasting a turn, it allows you to give them all time in the spotlight without feeling like you are wasting time. The new additions for the remake are a nice touch, but they do make the game incredibly easy. This isn't a huge deal but it does make it feel like fighting every enemy you see is a bit pointless and tedious.

Ultimately I think this game holds up really well and you can see it's influence in all the Mario RPGs that came after it. While I think it is lesser than the original 3 Mario and Luigi games and Paper Mario (haven't played TTYD yet but I am guessing that one as well) that doesn't mean it is bad at all, just a bit simple but it is a good time.

I used to be a big Assassin's Creed fan, but like many my interest waned post Black Flag for quite awhile until I jumped back in with Origins, which I enjoyed but the RPG system wasn't really what I wanted. As they went further and further in that direction I feared the series was done for me for good until this game got announced.

This isn't a perfect game by any stretch, but this is almost exactly what I wanted for many years. The stealth focus is back in a big way, I was able to play basically the entire game sneaking around assassinating from the shadows, utilizing multiple different tools to get the job done. The upgrades you got felt very useful and powerful also, by the end I was a true stealth assassin and felt like a badass. I really liked the investigation style of progression, where it just gives you a bunch of different directions you can go and you can tackle objectives in whatever order you want. While lots of the missions are pretty small scale there are also some big areas that allow you to find your own route to the objective which are really fun.

You can still see some of the RPG influence in this game, which isn't my favorite but honestly I was able to avoid it almost entirely. I played the game only upgrading my suit and weapons a few times each, so it does feel mostly like an addition if you want it. The story is totally fine, Basim was a solid protagonist but nothing really stood out to me in any strong way (I have no idea what is happening in the lore at this point so I was confused a few times but that ultimately didn't affect my enjoyment).

I think for me this is a great step back in the direction I would prefer for the series, I know the RPG games are well loved but I hope they continue to at least do spin offs in this style.

Very light spoilers
I have been a Spider-Man fan my entire life and read more Spider-Man comics than I could even count, so to say I have a love for the character and his world is an understatement. I can safely say this is one of the best adaptions of the character and even surpasses the original Insomniac game in basically every single way. Plot wise this game really excels to me, it showcases both Peter and Miles giving them each a lot of character development and plot lines that really resonated with me. Their supporting casts are also done extremely well, Mary Jane, Harry, Rio, and Ganke are all wonderfully done, and original character Hailey steals the show multiple times. This game is also loaded with villains, I won’t spoil them all but seeing so many of this famous rogues gallery given time and care made me extremely happy. Kraven and Venom are both imposing, frightening figures that bring a lot of intensity to the story and creating amazing set pieces. The plot itself isn’t too crazy if you’ve seen the movies or read the comics but it is well done and very nicely intertwines multiple famous storylines together while adding a unique spin on it all.

The gameplay is somehow even better than before. The combat feels amazing and more streamlined, losing some of the gadgets might be sad to some but I didn’t miss bringing up a gadget wheel personally. Having powers and gadgets mapped to L1/R1 made it super fast to jump between all your different abilities, and the upgrades make you feel powerful which is half the fun. They somehow made movement even better which I didn’t think was possible, the web wings just fit in to the swinging and launching so seamlessly it honestly might be hard to go back to the games without it. The fast travel is lighting quick but swinging and gliding is so fun I hardly used it.

The side content also got a make upgrade in this game. I liked it in the original game but it got pretty repetitive, whereas this game has a ton of different types AND most importantly captures that Arkham feel by incorporating different villains not in the main story. This makes the whole world feel more fleshed out and I love it. There are even a few that really make you feel emotional. MJ stealth missions are also back but much improved and didn’t take away from the experience at all.

I could say a lot more but ultimately I can just say that this is my favorite Spider-Man game ever, one of my favorite versions of the world, and I look forward to seeing where they go next.

This was a lot better than I thought it would be, what it lacks in gameplay challenge or complexity it makes up for with sheer creativity. Each of the ten different costumes for Peach lead to drastically different stage designs and mechanics so things are always staying fresh, especially since you only see each one three stages each they really go all out with them each time. The whole look of the game is really great, the animations are beautiful and just the concept of the levels being stage plays leads to tons of great visual design. Collectables add reason to fully explore each stage, but I would thing replaying just to find them all may be a bit more annoying than it’s worth because each stage is very scripted so they are super cool the first time but might be a bit more tedious if you were to jump back in ASAP to clean up things you missed. The boss fights were also a bit of a low point, they weren’t bad but also weren’t great. Shout out to the king fu and ninja costumes those were my favorites, but they were all enjoyable.

Similar to the first game this is a hard one for me to review. The positive is this game is a huge step forward from the first. On balance it controls a lot better, the game structure is more open and free with the interconnecting levels, and you aren't being hounded by police every two seconds. Things are shaken up pretty often, you are spraying graffiti, racing, tag racing, fighting, and more. The game also has a wonderful charming style that holds up today, great art, cool designs for the different playable characters and rival gangs, and of course an awesome soundtrack (Aisle 10 was my favorite).

However this game really needs a modern remake (I am glad we are getting a reboot!) to fix some issues. The jumps are so floaty yet they have so many areas where you need to be super precise that it just leads to frustration, honestly without save states I am not sure I would have pressed onward in certain sections. The map also might be the worst one I have ever seen, it is almost indecipherable in some sections where the text is just on top of the map entirely and you have no idea what you are looking at. There are other issues but they are pretty of the time, such as a rough checkpointing system and a lack of clarity at times on what you should be doing, but I can accept a lot of that since this is a 2002 game.

Ultimately I think the back half of the game will make me think of this game a lot more fondly than I was working through the horrible sewer level earlier on, and that helps me look past a lot of the issues. Great style and I look forward to a modern take on this, I think it could be special

I am a fan of the OG FF7 game but I have no nostalgia for it because I didn't play it until last year, so going into this game I wasn't totally sure how into it I would be. Turns out I was into it a lot even if I have some issues with it.

The combat system is amazing to me, I like the real time combat mixed with the ATB where you are juggling items, ATB moves, and materia all at once. Each of the four playable characters feel super unique and I honestly couldn't say which I enjoyed the most. I loved swapping between them all and mixing up the combat at a moment's notice, it keep things fresh and allowed for tons of viable strategies in each encounter. Also as a very light fan of RPGs I loved how this game didn't rely on grinding or leveling up almost at all, you could build your characters how you wanted and it kept things moving which I love.

I also enjoyed the plot, its a little slow at times and suffers from insanely slow pacing (it is mainly just the first few hours of the OG game so I expected that) but it turns that into a huge positive for the characters. Cloud, Aerith, Barret, and Tifa all have tons of great character moments and development throughout this game, and they even flesh out tons of side characters like Wedge, Jessie, and Biggs to make you really care about them. As cool and weird as the plot gets later in the game I think what I will remember most fondly about the game is these wonderful character moments.

The Yuffie DLC is a very good additional story, I was a big fan of Yuffie in the original games and she is done a great service. She is a really fun character, full of life and really made me laugh multiple times. The story is definitely light but it has some great character moments and I am excited to see Yuffie in the next game. Also Fort Condor is really fun.