I love this game. Ever since I first played it I instantly fell in love with the game and batman as a series. Rocksteady created an experience that blends together near perfectly. The characters are superb carrying the story with Mark Hamil's joker being the star of the show. The game really integrates you into the world through character bios and interview tapes creating a world beyond just the games scope grounding the game in a deluded reality. The gameplay is one place where the game shows it's age with the brand new free flow system feeling clunky compared to more modern imitations and a lack of stealth options. The boss fights are also poor unfortunately, with one "terrifying" exception. While these might feel like big issues they barely impact the metroidvania greatness of arkham asylum that is only enhanced by hunting down the pesky riddler trophies.
Injustice 2 is a fun fighting game nothing more or nothing less. The variety in characters to play as is great even though I'm not a massive DC fan behind batman there was plenty for me to love in the rostor and the differences in each character makes trying each one a joy. A special mention to the ninja turtles who I love. The story mode is definitely well above average for fighting games but is a bit of a letdown in comparison to the first games which I felt was superb. The loot system is something that got be hyped in pre release but the execution is far to much of a grind for me to like it, with loot boxes being pushed a bit to high for me. Injustice 2 is a good time with friends but is not the step up I was hoping for from the first
Overcooked is a fun time. The micromanaging of the games various dishes and level gimmicks is a blast with a couple of friends on the couch. The variety of levels on display is fantastic and leads to every level being a new challenge even if what you are doing has only changed due to the environment. There are levels on ice, on moving trucks on pirate ships and much more that make every second of the game a blast. If you can get a crew together overcooked is party game bliss, but be warned friendships could be at risk
Samus Returns very much accomplishes just as masterful a remake of metroid 2 as Zero Mission did of metroid 1 unfortunately the foundation it is build on isn't quite as stable. Firstly the game looks great as while I would have preferred sprite work the 3d models do an excellent job at creating the trademark atmosphere and allow for cool camera tricks unseen in previous games. The music as always is killer creating fitting ambiance and being tunes to bop your head to in equal measure. The gameplay is great once again with samus feeling as good as ever and the new melee counter and free aim are great additions that add to the level design possibilities. SR38 is beautifully brought to life with vibrant environments not possible due to the limitations of the gb. However one limitation that can't be overcome is the games core structure of killing metroids to progress. In the beginning this isn't so bad but the repetitive fights eventually wear out their welcome and become a pain to complete especially due to the bloating added in an attempt to make each fight more epic. The game in general feels a bit bloated compared to its contemporaries and comes close to being overly long-winded. The unfortunate reality is that it was inevitable for it to turn out this way as removing the metroid system which was created due to gb limitations is impossible as it is the games defining characteristic. Don't get me wrong samus returns is a great game and brilliant remake but unlike the original metroid it is impossible to get rid of all the archaic elements without destroying the games identity
Resident evil 5 is an interesting case where I feel the game doesn't fully know what it wants to be. The first third is straight up a more corridor centric RE4 that is decent at best. The middle is more open and really is the highlight of the game for me. The final third is a roller coaster of quality with some brilliant section but it also tries to jump in on the trend set by gears of war 3 years prior and it is a miserable attempt due to the stiffness of the controls which really becomes apparent in these sections. The story of the game is far more connected to the RE universe than 4 and is compelling but none of the characters are standouts like Leon was in RE4. The game has a good variety of environments so the visuals at the very least don't go stale. Pretty much every enemy is similar to RE4's and they function well minus in the cover shooting sections. The boss fights are very hit or miss. 3 of them are great but the rest are absolutely awful. This is an action game not a survival horror one. There's only one section in the game that felt remotely like a survival horror and it was my favorite section in the game. It's not that I hate action I actually prefer action games to survival horror however while this control scheme is perfect for RE4 it is not a fit for a gears of war like game that this game wants to be. It's the indecision in whether to be one or the other but in the end it is neither and the lack of a concrete vision is seen in it's quality. What makes or breaks this game is whether u play in coop or not. If you do it's a good solid game if u don't it is decent at best as the ai isn't the best. The ai in particular is awful at taking cover in those shooting sections leading to much unwanted frustration. Mercenaries returns and is better than in RE4 in my opinion and it comes with the two dlc packs that are two of the best levels in the game. If your playing with a friend there are better but it's a good time but if your playing alone be ready for some potential frustration, worth playing for diehard RE fans but that's about it
Resident evil 4 is a truly special game. The game blends action with survival so well that it effortlessly shifts you from feeling a badass to being vary of every bullet used. At first not being able to move and shoot felt archaic but if you can get over it the feeling of tension created when deciding to move or shoot adds to the atmosphere. While the game mainly consists of exploring solving basic puzzles and dealing with the many creatures that get in your way, the game avoids tedium by giving you many different scenarios, set pieces and boss fights keeps the game feeling fresh throughout its entirety. The mystery and intrique is a mainstay of the resident evil series and resident evil 4 continues this trend by giving you many questions to answer near the beginning and by the end all of these questions will be answered in a satisfying way. The campaign is far longer than the other RE games I've played, but it never gets stale through the variety mentioned above as well as the traditional resie experience. The campaign consists of five chapters that are broken into stage sections. The game takes the RE3 approach of having multiple areas instead of one big area like RE1 and RE2 but unlike in RE3 you spend such a long time in each area that they all create their own identity and are at least half as big as previous games main areas. This allows the game to give you variety in setting but also supply enough depth in each area to make them memorable. The story and characters are also a highlight as wise cracking Leon bounces off every other character brilliantly with smartass quips and other characters enrich the world and returning characters make us wonder what is really going down here. At times you have to escort the president's daughter which sounds like it would be an horrible escort mission. But it's actually not. you have enough control over her to keep her out of trouble and her inclusion allows for unique set pieces to occur making her inclusion a beneficial one. The game also has side content including a side campaign that shows one recurring characters perspective throughout the game as well as a arcade like mode where the objective is to get as many points as possible by killing enemies. This game definitely leans into the action genre but does not forget it's roots and brings them along for the ride creating for me one of the best RE experiences so far (tied with RE2 remake) and one of the greatest games of all time.
RE resistance is a good time for a short time that I think would truly be great with a group of friends. The game pits survivors and a mastermind against each other both played by players. The survivors play like typical resident evil characters all having their own special abilities like hacking the masterminds cameras, temporary unlimited ammo and a aoe healing ability. The survivors need to collect key items in each area to advance with their being three areas in total per map. The Mastermind has a set of camera from which he can observe the survivors from as well as set traps such as mines, zombies and other creatures including an ultimate monster depending on which mastermind your playing. The mastermind are given a deck of card that include the above items and where you apply them creates a strategic gameplay style that was fun to mess around with. The goal of the survivours to escape all three areas by beating all the objects within the time limit and the mastermind has to stop them from doing so. The actions of each faction increases or decreases the time which means a well placed monster can change the tide quickly if the survivors aren't careful. Playing as the survivors gives you new micro sized RE areas to explore that I honestly enjoyed exploring and the structure of being able to buy stuff based on performance gave me strong COD zombies vibes which is rarely a bad thing. Been given an opportunity to play as Mr X, G and nemesis is also a treat for series fans even if there is very little depth present. Overall this game was enjoyable and not the afterthought I assumed it was but could be made into something truly worthwhile if tried again and given a bit more TLC
Re 2 is survival horror at its peak and nearly perfects it. The love and care put into the environments fills the halls of the station with a foreboding and tense atmosphere but doesn't forget to convey the personality of the world and its inhabitants before it all went to hell, with environmental storytelling and letters left behind. Managing your inventory is still key but the addition of being able to upgrade the no. of slots by finding pouches and being able to discard iraticates any frustrations I had with the original. The gameplay is smooth and tight saying goodbye to tank controls and hello to 8th gen controls. While using your arsenal of weapons never felt better the enemy is still a threat, with even the basic zombie being able to take multiple headshots before going down and the tougher enemies are real resource drainers. The resource management conundrum of whether it's worth it killing a enemy or deciding to try to run around them. and terror the creatures envoke is exactly what I want out of the genre. The puzzles return and are just as well balanced as before challenging but not frustrating. The addition of Mr X however is what makes the game special. The unkillable brute follows you around everywhere and the sounds of his footsteps instantly put you on edge. The two playable characters of Chris and Claire are really well acted and a joy to play with through this well told story. There arsenal changes, story changes and unique area make both playthroughs a must with Claire's being my preference. The only downside is the lackluster boss fights that bring the game down a little. Overall a must play game for anyone remotely interested in giving it a shot
