Dark Souls 3 is what you get when you combine a "Dark Souls Megamix" with a team who hadn't yet gotten 2015's Bloodborne out of their system. It's a great game, yet it also struggles to properly differentiate itself. The combat is, in my opinion, a slightly more sluggish Bloodborne, and the world design is often sloppy rehashes of series staples. Additionally, the lore often feels less cohesive, instead opting to often simply reference a Dark Souls 1 story beat with an elbow prod and a wink. I love Dark Souls 3, I just also wish it did more.

RE4 Remake exists in a strange place for me. It is undoubtedly a great game, and one that I can see myself returning to in the future. However, I can also still say the same about the original 2004 release, and many of the changes feel more like sidegrades than strictly upgrades. It's biggest draw is the improved pacing. The game's final third drags significantly less than its counterpart. Unlike its sibling RE2 Remake, I don't see RE4 Remake as an explicit replacement for its source material. Especially when this game removed some of the biggest draws from RE4. By grounding Leon and his adventure in a more realistic environment, a lot of the goofiness also goes with it. Leon still spouts one-liners, but they're just not as fun as they used to be, and classic B-movie scenarios like the laser hallway are nowhere to be found.