I have an incredible amount of bias towards Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate since it was my first Monster Hunter game. In fact, I had been so interested in the game from the start that when I saw it on sale, I picked it up months before I even had a Wii U. An action game entirely dedicated to lengthy boss battles just stood out from what I was expecting when looking into the early titles on the system. In a strange way, the Wii U's limited library worked in favor of this game with how easy it was to spend hundreds of hours replaying all the different hunts. Despite the long quests and numerous times that missions had to be replayed to get the right loot, it rarely ever feels like a grind. It's just a fun challenge that always feels so unbelievably satisfying when you finally take down that monster.

Although I appreciate how the later installments prioritize fast movement and drop the underwater fights, I'm also glad MH3U plays how it does for a uniquely "weighty" combat experience. I'll definitely be back for more once fan servers resurrect the online play.

Back to back on the PETA attack!

Hey, it beats Super Meat Boy Forever in terms of design! Aaaaand it's still one of the worst games I've ever played. Genuinely. It's not even funny bad. It's just BAD. McCardiarrac Arrest aside, this is absolutely abhorrent. Bad controls, abysmal graphics, terrible level design, I mean, shit! I could at least laugh at Cooking Mama Kills The Animals's graphics, but THIS is just blood and gore shat straight out of someone's ass. I rage quit eventually because the controls were simply THAT awful and unfun. Isn't this designed for kids???

What a joke.

Honey, they put RPG skill trees in our Sims game.

In an effort to bring a bit more of the thrill of The Sims 2 without the abrupt bluescreen crashes of The Sims 3, we have now come to the first of a handful of occult related expansion packs. Look, I am not the biggest occult stan.. never fully seen Twilight even as a joke, I will admit. Some fans would disagree and claim they’re like the air they need to breathe or else they shall perish if we don’t get them all as soon as possible. I am never going to sneer at a different playstyle, but I’ve also never quite seen the appeal at the same time. My Sim can no longer go outside in the sun, this is not revolutionary. That is just everyday life for the average Gamer.

That being said, we’re on that immortality grind mothafuckas!! Vampires do not need to sleep or PISS, so there is no other perfect time than now to force your Sim into maxing all those Skills you still have left over. All you have to do is locate the nearest vampire and simply ask for them to change you. Although I recommend avoiding Vladislaus Straud as much as you possibly can. He has what I would call ugly disease and therefore he was killed almost immediately in my save file. Since Vampires can’t die of old age, it was the only way to make sure his bloodline ended early. No thank you.

With that Skill tree though, you can unlock more powers to use that are actually quite interesting. The more powers you use/more blood you drink, the more XP you get and then those lead to levels like a normal video game. Basically anything that is annoying can be eventually rectified through this, such as becoming immune to sunlight. However, those abilities come at a cost; for every power-up you obtain it must be accompanied by a weakness in order to prevent you from being an unstoppable God. The weaknesses aren’t really that big of a deal though, it’s stuff like needing to drink more often or having to sleep in a coffin, etc. You can make it so your Sim gets super sad about having to drink blood. Shut up, you crybaby!! There’s one where you will take more damage in the sun though, I don’t know why on Earth anyone would ever take that one. Maybe for hard mode, pain and suffering I guess.

I really only dabbled in the whole Vampirism bit for my challenge, so I purchased the perks that mainly revolved around survivability and convenience. There are some diabolical powers at play here though, like randomly decreasing a Sim’s needs? I love the idea of watching a Sim eat a sandwich, then instantly dropping their hunger meter back to starving. Just keeping them in a constant state of joyless waste. Of course, there’s also turning into a frickin’ bat and converting other Sims into Vampires. I went for the Good Vampire Aspiration first, then the Vampire Family one after. Oh, the fall from grace she had when it turned out that transforming others is not actually consensual, and her new siblings were in fact very unhappy with their new lifestyle. Sorry!!

There’s also the addition of Forgotten Hollow, but I’ve never personally lived there. It seems rather quaint and gothic of course, but I’ve never enjoyed that it’s always nighttime there. Perfect for a vampire connoisseur though. Overall, it’s a good bit of fun for a while but I have no intention of staying a Vampire forever as they do not, in fact, sparkle. Yes, I turned a bunch of my friends into them and then cured myself LOL. Sorry again!!

Oh hey, bat sex.

While many have lamented that Dragon's Smegma II is essentially a remake or, at best, a 1.5 update to the original game, I'm perfectly fine with that because it's been 25 years since the original was released, there's no other RPG or game of any genre like it, and the original is one of the best RPGs ever made.

My concern with Dragon's Dogma II was that Capcom's recent output has been lackluster (I know that this is a minority position, fuck off) and has proven that they are ready to sand away the idiosyncracies of games to appeal to larger audiences. E.G., Monster Hunter.

This concern was reinforced by the amount of positive press the game received, especially from gaming journalists who were ambivalent about the original.

In a way, my concerns are justified. But thankfully, this game still understands what made the original so compelling, even if it is a bit of a step back in many ways.

It still has a beautiful open world to explore with well-designed quests that ask the player to pay keen attention to their surroundings or fuck around until something works. In general, Dragon's Dogma II simply respects your intelligence in a way that most modern AAA games don't.

It also maintains an excellent combat system with some of the best game feel of any genre.

I never tired of wandering through the wilderness, taking on hundreds of foes, experimenting with class synergy, and ensuring my pawn was well-equipped to help other Arisens in distant worlds. Scaling a fucking griffin is just as enjoyable in hour 50 as in hour 10. It gets even better when you realize you can hitch a ride on one's back as it flies away and heads off into uncharted regions.

Speaking of, this game is filled with emergent gameplay and allows the player to find many creative ways to solve problems. Did you know that when you knock a Golem apart, you can pick up his fucking head and fire laser beams at shit?

Fuck man, YouTubers are milking the ever-living fuck out of "Things You Didn't Know You Could Do in Dragon's Dogma II" videos with soyface reaction thumbnails just like they did with Breath of the Wild. I remember when I finished the first half of the Sphinx's questline, and she suddenly took off; I decided to see what would happen if I grabbed onto her tits. She took me for a ride across the entire map and brought me straight to the next destination!

I fucking love gradually making my own efficient fast travel network, the same way I did in the first game. It's still just as gratifying to drop a portcrystal in front of a quest giver to instantly teleport to them when I'm ready to turn a quest in.

I'm so glad that Capcom didn't give in to demands from a particularly vocal minority, primarily those who didn't even like the first game, to add co-op. The pawn system is just as good as the previous game and still shines as one of the game's most unique mechanics. Co-op would have ruined this, as balancing the game around both would be impossible.

While Itsuno has mostly stuck to his vision, some unfortunate compromises were made, just like with Monster Hunter before it. I felt like I was losing my mind recalling how many people complained about this game's "friction," with some accusing the developers of intentionally making the game unforgiving to sell its admittedly fucking stupid microtransactions.

I'm sorry, but anyone with this position is a walking fucking skill issue because this game is much easier than Dragon's Dogma in just about every metric. The combat is easier, the classes are more powerful earlier in the game, the world is much simpler to navigate, there are many more quest markers, etc.

My biggest disappointment with Dragon's Dogma II is just how little friction there was compared to the original. I remember that, for at least the first half of the game, wondering around at night was extremely difficult, and if I found myself unable to return to an inn before nightfall, I would sit and wait for the sun to rise.

There's nothing like that in II. Even traversing the world is much easier due to the increased emphasis on verticality.

Still, this isn't enough to ruin what is otherwise an incredible gameplay loop.

I will say that the post-game felt very rushed and is the most prominent example of a great idea that wasn't followed up on. I don't know; maybe they ran out of money.

Still, though, great fucking game. Even if it isn't the earth-shattering masterpiece that its predecessor was. It is a shame how poorly optimized it is and I won't lie and pretend that the performance didn't bother me at times. But I specialize in Eurojank RPGs, so I'm pretty used to it from this genre.

I'd say that I'm looking forward to playing the third game when it releases in 2035, but I'll probably be dead by then.

Legendary is a very underrated first person shooter that got a lot of hate when it was released. After playing the game I don't get it. The premise of mythical creatures being unleashed in New York City is the coolest thing ever. The shooting is decent and the dismemberment of the wolves is neat. Some of the game is bogged down by a fixed health system that really makes some sections a chore. Since you constantly have to refill your anima to recharge your health. One boss fight in the game has a one hit kill attack that is 9 times out of 10 unavoidable. But this is a budget game and I can't fault it too hard. If you want a fun shooter about monsters this one is for you.

don’t ever serially experiment on lain!! worst mistake of my frigging life !!!!

double featured this w we’re all going to the worlds fair which like pair together rlly well,, touching on same themes and ideas,, even repeating some of the same dialogue which was like unexpected

prob one of the coolest and most interesting games architecturally speaking,, like how almost all of the clips/images in game are either of rotted half abandoned buildings or visual clutter and overpopulation like the cramped subway or wires connecting everything and everyone. idk idk makes sense why ppl try to find some solace online but also why the rot seeps through there too. sad game lmfao

I thought I wanted an old school, text based, paper mapping, dungeon exploring adventure.

Boy was I wrong.

30 minutes in I knew it wasn't for me. Love the aesthetic though. 4 stars just for that. I'd love to see a more fleshed out version in a sequel. But at the same time the minimalism is part of its charm isn't it?

Like the genius I am, I decided to wait until summer to start working on my backlog of at least 10 horror games. I’d rather not wait another 6 months for some extra atmosphere, so with sunlight penetrating my blinds I got started with the original Silent Hill. I tried to play this game last year, but I hadn’t bothered to empty my Dad’s old memory card, so I moved onto Silent Hill 2 (I was more excited to play that game anyway).

Silent Hill 2 may have one of the best intros in gaming, but there’s a lot to like about the beginning of Silent Hill 1. Running into deep fog, only for your surroundings to get more metallic, more bloody, more violent, until you get attacked by polygonal monsters…only to wake up in a cafe with funky music. A great sample of the beats of this franchise.

This game creates a rough formula that will be followed by its successors:
- Objective: Reach a marker on the map. This path is usually obstructed, leading to an exploration of the town where you must find alternate routes and hidden items to reach your destination.
- Objective: Explore a building. You’ll be given an interior map, some area-appropriate enemies to deal with, and word based riddles for solving inter-connected puzzles. Then you’ll go to the “Otherworld” version, which is more alien and hostile.

Comparisons to Resident Evil are inevitable, although these games are vastly different. One of the best features of Silent Hill is holding the L2 button to reorient the camera behind you, as it follows you most of the time instead of the entirely fixed camera angles of Resident Evil. Silent Hill needs no inventory management, and is more generous when it comes to health and ammo. I don’t really see the point of comparing these franchises any further, other than their differences helping me appreciate each of them more.

This is because Silent Hill is less about the challenging survival aspects of the genre, and more about creating fear through psychological horror. Atmosphere is the main thing that separates Silent Hill from its competitors. Most notable is the fog, which was introduced to hide terrain loading but was so effective that they kept it for every game. The CG cutscenes give the game a real uncanny valley feel. Dialogue delivery is pretty stilted but I think that actually helps things feel more weird. Of course a lot of what makes the scares effective is due to the beautiful work of Akira Yamaoka. You needn’t have me tell you how amazing his compositions are, but I want to specifically highlight how effective his sound design is for creating horror. The radio static for nearby enemies is perfect for tension, especially when you can’t see them yet. Instead of opting for jumpscaring you with a sudden enemy, the game lets you know they’re nearby far before you ever see them, and so you build up fear yourself from the anticipation. Furthermore the static compliments the more industrial and “noise” songs in the soundtrack, by making you completely uncertain at times whether you’re hearing “music” or an approaching enemy. There was a part of the game where I ran for my life because I couldn’t tell if it was music or enemy noises and I didn’t want to find out. It ended up being one of the scariest moments from a game in recent memory. Honestly just the whole sewers section is terrifying to me.

There are some cool references to be found in the game, too. Every street is named after a famous horror author, and the title song remixes the Twin Peaks theme. Certain songs do sound very inspired by that show’s soundtrack, too.

My only issue with this game is the combat. The enemies suck. They all have weird shapes and erratic movement. The combat is sluggish even for survival horror standards. By the time you’ve aimed the gun and pressed the trigger, the enemy has either moved out of the way or already done tons of damage to you. Bosses are also quite irritating. Now, this does help the fear, since you’re encouraged to dodge enemies, which can be very tense. However other horror games achieve fear through enemies without making it this annoying. I might go back on Easy mode next time so I can get the other endings without getting too annoyed.

Silent Hill 1 is a great game, but it’s missing a bit of that oomph that Silent Hill 2 has. It’s still worth checking out as one of the most effective horror games I’ve ever played.

did a quick replay through the base game plus all side quests and hidden areas so i can move onto the DLC and Alan Wake II finally. there's so many nice costumes/skins in this game that end up available after you're finished pretty much. such a waste tbh.

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as with Quantum Break before it, this was also a bit better than i had given credit for in the past. the combat plays like a refined version of what that game was working with but the powers stand out more on their own and have much more oomph/impact to them. Jesse feels like one of the biggest examples of glass cannon i've encountered in a game in that you will be reaming EVERYTHING but can only take two, maybe three solid hits yourself before dying. playing this the first time years back near release before any of the updates with combat settings and better performance (this game made my PS4 pro sound like a hairdryer constantly) made for a rough adjustment with the relative difficulty of everything but today it fared better. as long as you boost your health/energy a few levels earlyish on, level your launch to max asap, and keep moving you should be okay.

elsewhere i also enjoy the moment to moment gameplay of navigating the Oldest House which has a surprising amount of variance in pathways, hidden areas, and other stuff to uncover. getting from point A to point B at times can be more complicated than expected which is natural for its setting. this was a replay and my prior knowledge kept most of this just fresh enough that i wasn't getting lost much, if at all.

the only place this truly stumbles is in personal investment to the narrative, overall universe, and characters honestly. Jesse as a lead character is someone that i go back and forth on. some of the abrupt cuts to her inner monologue are funny and among the best parts of the game but at the same time she falls into the gabby protagonist/player character thing that wears thin for me. at large, the characters are stronger than the narrative and universe itself for me with Arish and Marhall being my favorites. almost every section of the Oldest House is absolutely stunning, it just ends up being a bit of a pretty but otherwise vacant thing for me.

who knows, maybe the DLC chapters will be what fully pull me into Control investment wise. at the very least, i'm under the impression that the second one in some way helps set up Alan Wake II so it should have that going for it at least. curious to how Control 2 turns out as well. exciting times for Remedy.