Player Reviews

The Good
The boss battles are a highlight in a franchise that has lackluster and repetitive boss battles. Game controls well. Decent soundtrack. Some cool graphic effects thanks to the Super FX2 chip.

The Bad
The game is very boring to play. I don't know if it's because of the art style or because it's trying to be a Mario game without really being one. I just can't get into this game.

If you want to get a perfect score in each level in order to unlock the secret level from each world, you have to have a perfect score in each level in that world. This is easier said than done because part of getting a perfect score is getting 30 stars. When you get hit, your stars start counting down and it will happen a lot. You can get more stars, but you have to be quick to get them or else they will vanish.

When you get hit, Baby Mario will start crying and it gets irritating every time he does and as stated before, it will happen a lot. He will sometimes end up being away from you long enough that you'll eventually lose a life thanks to the level design later in the game with enemies constantly hurting you as Baby Mario continues to float away.

The Bottom Line
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island is like The Simpsons episode "Marge vs the Monorail": overrated. I never understood what people see in this game.

The Good
Good music, entertaining tactics

The Bad
Garbage loot system, journal bugs

The Bottom Line
Killed half of the annoying companions

The Good
The periscope controls makes the player feels like he's really in command of a submarine. It’s a unique feature, offering a new way to interact with the game world. The sonar pings and booming torpedoes hitting ships add to the thrill, making the action feel more lifelike. The moving ships create a sense of unpredictability, keeping the gameplay exciting. The first video game to include a high score feature.

The Bad
While the periscope mechanic is fun, the gameplay doesn’t evolve much. After a few rounds, it starts to feel repetitive. And the time limit and pressure to score points make the game feel too short.

The Bottom Line
Sea Wolf offers a refreshing change of pace. The periscope-based controls bring an immersive touch that other games don’t offer, and the thrill of sinking ships with perfectly timed torpedoes adds excitement. While it shares some of the repetitive nature of its contemporaries like Breakout, the dynamic targets and immersive sound effects give it a unique edge.

The Good
The concept of breaking bricks is simple yet so satisfying. The progressive difficulty as bricks disappears keeps the tension high, making each victory feel hard-earned.

The Bad
After a while, the constant beeping gets a bit grating. And while the game is fun, it doen's have much variation.

The Bottom Line
Breakout feels like a major evolution from games like Pong. While the graphics remain the same, the single-player challenge, combined with the precision and skill required, makes it a highly addictive experience. Though it could feel repetitive after prolonged play, Breakout is a must-play.

The Good
Much improved front and back sprites of Pokémon. This generation introduced the Dark and Steel types, which make Psychic-Type Pokémon much less overpowered. In addition, the bug was fixed so that they are no longer immune to Ghost-Type moves. Tons of new moves were introduced that are more varied like an actual useful Ghost-Type move Shadow Ball and the Dragon-Type move Outrage. 100 new Pokémon introduced including new evolutions and baby Pokémon from the previous generation. The battle animations are more varied and look much nicer.

Item management is much better in this game. You no longer have to worry about filling up your inventory if you find an item in the overworld and on top of that, items are also categorized. Introduces breeding and egg moves. Great soundtrack. Experience points are now shown as a blue line that lets you know how much closer you are to gaining a new level instead of pausing the game frequently and checking the status of a Pokémon.

The game not only takes place in the Johto region, but after you complete the Pokémon League, you can explore the Kanto region from the first game, which features most of the original gym leaders to battle to collect an additional 8 badges totaling 16 in all from the first 8 badges from the gym leaders from Johto. You also battle Red, the protagonist from Red, Blue, and Yellow as a superboss! These features haven't been done since with the exception of the remake from generation IV.

You no longer have to pause to use most HM moves in the overworld. You go to a tree, water, whirlpool, boulder, or waterfall and press A and you use the move. The special stat from gen I is now divided to special attack and special defense, which means that Amnesia is less broken in which it raises special defense by 2 stages. The game is less glitchy overall.

Pokémon can now hold items which add more strategy in battles. There is also a new weather mechanic that affect certain moves and types. The game also keeps track of the time and day that affects what Pokémon you find in the wild and what event is being held and even when certain Pokémon evolve. It's still funny to name your rival something like asshole or retard.

The Bad
Some Pokémon still have limited moves that make them less useful. Out of the 100 new Pokémon introduced, there's only 1 new Ghost-Type Pokémon and 1 new Dragon-Type Pokémon. Some Pokémon introduced in this generation for some reason can only be found in Kanto, which makes no since they weren't in Red, Blue, and Yellow.

There are 2 new HM moves to use in the overworld which are required to proceed the game. And the worst part is the 2 new moves are both Water-Type moves which means you probably need a Pokémon in your party that has all HM moves in their moveset. Keep in mind that you can't replace an HM move if a Pokémon is trying to learn a new move. Only three gym leaders from Johto use a Pokémon from generation II, as if Game Freak was afraid that players wouldn't like the new Pokémon and had most of the gym leaders use the old ones to comfort them.

Like before, there are Pokémon who evolve by trading with a different player and there are also Pokémon that will evolve by trading while holding an item. Good luck finding someone to trade with in this day and age. Not many trainers use Pokémon that hold items except for the major trainers and even then it's usually only one Pokémon.

While not nearly as bad as the previous games, there is a glitch that makes some of the new Poké balls introduced not work as intended. For example, the Moon ball is supposed to make it easier to catch a Pokémon that can evolve with a Moon Stone. However, instead it works as a normal Poké ball.

The Bottom Line
This game is mind-blowing. You had to be there when it first came out to know how great it was to play the sequel to the generation I games. In my opinion, Game Freak has not topped Gold and Silver when it comes to new game mechanics and evolving previous mechanics in future Pokémon games. And remember, this is a Game Boy Color game! Hell, both versions have different front sprites for each Pokémon. They didn't need to make 2 different sprites for both versions, but they did.

The Good
Much improved front and back sprites of Pokémon. This generation introduced the Dark and Steel types, which make Psychic-Type Pokémon much less overpowered. In addition, the bug was fixed so that they are no longer immune to Ghost-Type moves. Tons of new moves were introduced that are more varied like an actual useful Ghost-Type move Shadow Ball and the Dragon-Type move Outrage. 100 new Pokémon introduced including new evolutions and baby Pokémon from the previous generation. The battle animations are more varied and look much nicer.

Item management is much better in this game. You no longer have to worry about filling up your inventory if you find an item in the overworld and on top of that, items are also categorized. Introduces breeding and egg moves. Great soundtrack. Experience points are now shown as a blue line that lets you know how much closer you are to gaining a new level instead of pausing the game frequently and checking the status of a Pokémon.

The game not only takes place in the Johto region, but after you complete the Pokémon League, you can explore the Kanto region from the first game, which features most of the original gym leaders to battle to collect an additional 8 badges totaling 16 in all from the first 8 badges from the gym leaders from Johto. You also battle Red, the protagonist from Red, Blue, and Yellow as a superboss! These features haven't been done since with the exception of the remake from generation IV.

You no longer have to pause to use most HM moves in the overworld. You go to a tree, water, whirlpool, boulder, or waterfall and press A and you use the move. The special stat from gen I is now divided to special attack and special defense, which means that Amnesia is less broken in which it raises special defense by 2 stages. The game is less glitchy overall.

Pokémon can now hold items which add more strategy in battles. There is also a new weather mechanic that affect certain moves and types. The game also keeps track of the time and day that affects what Pokémon you find in the wild and what event is being held and even when certain Pokémon evolve. It's still funny to name your rival something like asshole or retard.

The Bad
Some Pokémon still have limited moves that make them less useful. Out of the 100 new Pokémon introduced, there's only 1 new Ghost-Type Pokémon and 1 new Dragon-Type Pokémon. Some Pokémon introduced in this generation for some reason can only be found in Kanto, which makes no since they weren't in Red, Blue, and Yellow.

There are 2 new HM moves to use in the overworld which are required to proceed the game. And the worst part is the 2 new moves are both Water-Type moves which means you probably need a Pokémon in your party that has all HM moves in their moveset. Keep in mind that you can't replace an HM move if a Pokémon is trying to learn a new move. Only three gym leaders from Johto use a Pokémon from generation II, as if Game Freak was afraid that players wouldn't like the new Pokémon and had most of the gym leaders use the old ones to comfort them.

Like before, there are Pokémon who evolve by trading with a different player and there are also Pokémon that will evolve by trading while holding an item. Good luck finding someone to trade with in this day and age. Not many trainers use Pokémon that hold items except for the major trainers and even then it's usually only one Pokémon.

While not nearly as bad as the previous games, there is a glitch that makes some of the new Poké balls introduced not work as intended. For example, the Moon ball is supposed to make it easier to catch a Pokémon that can evolve with a Moon Stone. However, instead it works as a normal Poké ball.

The Bottom Line
This game is mind-blowing. You had to be there when it first came out to know how great it was to play the sequel to the generation I games. In my opinion, Game Freak has not topped Gold and Silver when it comes to new game mechanics and evolving previous mechanics in future Pokémon games. And remember, this is a Game Boy Color game! Hell, both versions have different front sprites for each Pokémon. They didn't need to make 2 different sprites for both versions, but they did.

The Good
Amazing graphics! Characters look like actual people, and the movements are much smoother than ever before seen. This is due to the incorporation of a digital microprocessor, a debut in video games. It also introduces strategic elements like moving behind obstacles and timing shots, making it more engaging. The sound produced by the guns adds atmosphere to the game.

The Bad
Despite the engaging duels, after several rounds, there isn't much else to discover.

The Bottom Line
Gun Fight feels like a major leap forward. After several years of a saturated market full of Pong clones, we finally have a game where the characters look like people, not just dots or paddles. It makes the duels feel more intense. This pushes the boundaries of what video games can be, making it a memorable experience.

The Good
A very fun to play game that is unlike anything seen before. Despite the simple graphics and sound effects, the idea of controlling a paddle and hitting a ball back and forth feels fresh and engaging, keeping the players coming back for more.

The Bad
The gameplay can get repetitive. Once the players master the controls, the thrill begins to fade after multiple rounds.

The Bottom Line
Pong is nothing short of revolutionary. It opens up a whole new world of entertainment! Despite its simplicity, it represents the start of something much bigger in the world of video games.

The Good
The music an absolutely amazing that you'll want to listen to outside of playing the game. While most 3D models aren't great, seeing monsters fight in 3D is a cool novelty for the era.

The Bad
The game is very hard if you don't have the right cards and fusion combinations in your deck. Even if you did, later opponents will have very strong monsters that will make you lose all of your life points. The game requires grinding to get cards from opponents and get the star chip currency in order to stand a chance with the tougher duelists. And speaking of, you only win one card from your opponent per duel. Rituals magic cards are absolutely pointless. Most cards cost way too much star chips which adds to the grinding.

The Bottom Line
Twin-Headed Thunder Dragon will be your best friend when building your deck. If you also have the time to grind against Meadow Mage, Meteor B. Dragon will also be your best friend. If you are not a fan of Yu-Gi-Oh!, I cannot recommend this game.

The Good
It has good graphics and is a fun game to try and punt cookies into the milk bowl. It reminds me of football, or tennis.

The Bad
I can't fault it for much

The Bottom Line
Great representative of the imagination on and creativity found in games written in the early years of the Spectrum

The Good
The missions sport plenty of lush jungle plants and foliage, with great sunlight, water splashes, and fog effects. It's easy to lose sight and track of enemies, but otherwise adds to the challenge. Some of the missions use the same map a second time, but at least the objectives and little elements vary and it reflects on going back the way you came to get from location to location, as one does in real life. There's objective markers, a mini-map and spoken objectives to give you full guidance without the need for a walkthrough. Even without the ability to do proper stealth, the maps are decently designed and would've made for great multiplayer maps. Music isn't too interesting, but it's there along with ambient sounds, and some dialogue from Jack Jeffers to keep things interesting.

Weapons in the game are varied and not too difficult to handle. Different weapons you have serve for different purposes and situations, such as sniping, blowing up armour, sneak attacks, and close range. The assault rifle is probably the weapon you'll want to use the most because of the plethora of ammunition. That's not an exaggeration. The rate at which the enemy spwans medpaks upon death like giving out candy is just ridiculous, and allows you to breeze through the game, provided that you don't run into a landmine or armoured car machine gun. And it's good that you're not forced into rail-shooting in the pickup truck missions, because you can use your guns if you so desire.

The Bad
Even in its straightforward gameplay and mission objectives, there are some glaring issues you're bound to stumble into. You won't know about the lean mechanics until you go to the control configurations, which for reason don't have their own pre-defined keys, forcing you to set it manually. But even with the ability to lean, you can only do it when firing from the hip and not when your sights are enabled, which sucks. In the pickup truck missions, there are times you need to jump on to the truck, but a misjump causes it to drive off without you, not that you'll ever fail the mission anyways. Speaking of missions, there's no way to tell your allies from your enemies without getting a good look at them. If only the cross-hair turned green or something. It is however hilarious that there's no penalty for friendly fire, just scolding from your objective giver.

The Bottom Line
If you ever wanted an economic version of Call of Duty: Black Ops, this counts. This game does not hand out the hype of better known and more popular FPS franchises, but it offers a unique experience in its own way, somewhere in between a game for beginners and experienced players. While this game may not have it all, it did try to do its best at being a good game. Not too overambitious and well-balanced in mechanics and cosmetics. Really stands out in the Terrorist Takedown series.

The Good
I think this is a good, free, maze game that part of me thinks should be simple. It obviously is not simple because I have not cracked it yet, I have not worked out what the rules are so I am still wandering more or less aimlessly. There is a clue on one of the walls which says "Find Nature", that is in the Steam store description too so I know there is a definite end to the game that I have yet to reach.

I start in a room with four exits. I take an exit, walk down the path, come back and sometimes the room has changed. Sometimes there are four exits, sometimes there are two, sometimes there is a hole in the floor but walking in and out of these exits is all there is to the game. There are what I think are clues, at least I think they are clues, over the exits and on the walls by the exits.

The controls are simple, WASD for movement (though I found the arrow keys worked as well), the mouse to look around and SPACEBAR to jump.

The game has a decent music loop, sort of zen/ambient/piano-like, which I listened to the entire time I wandered around

The Bad
This is my fault and not a fault of the game. I did not read the instructions carefully so after walking around for a while I pressed ESCAPE to get to the in-game menu. Unfortunately there is no in-game menu, no game save, nothing and ESCAPE immediately aborts the game.

The Bottom Line
This is a first person maze game that does NOT hold your hand in any way, shape or form. I suspect the way to crack it is to have a pen and paper handy to record various different paths taken and what the results were.

I liked this game. I may never solve it but I liked it.

"Good Luck" to anyone who tries.

The Good
The combat in this game is super awesome. It makes you feel like the ultimate boss, and you can mix and match different weapons like blades, swords, and spears, which is pretty wild. The character customization is really cool too, with some really attractive and sexy skins that I'm playing the game because of it😁. Plus, the game is a steal at just $4.59 with the deals, cheaper than a Big Mac meal.

The Bad
Not Enough Enemies, The Enemies Are Somewhat Similar Multiplayer Sucks And The Game Don't Need One

The Bottom Line
Graphics Mid Basic Story

The Good
Classics sprites. Appealing graphics considering the game came out in 1985. Great soundtrack that is remixed in later Mario games to this day. Great controls. Easy to pick up and play.

The Bad
You can't save your progress. There are no continues unless you hold down the A button and press start on the title screen, which the game or the manual doesn't tell you. Some of the later levels are hard. When you touch an enemy or get hit by a hazard as Fire Mario, you become Small Mario instead of Super Mario like in the later games.

The Bottom Line
A bona fide classic, but has aged a bit. A must play nonetheless.

The Good
- Fun gameplay. - The element of luck provides a unique gameplay every time. - Easy to pick up for the first time. - The score system allows for replayability.

The Bad
- The graphics are mostly ASCII, which means it might be confusing at first. - The music and sound effects are scarce, and are made up of basic computer sounds. - The element of luck can be, at times, a hinderance.

The Bottom Line
Dracula in London is an interesting and unique early DOS horror game. The gameplay blends adventure and board game elements together to create a unique experience. With the board game aspect, multiple players can also play, taking turns between characters. The element of luck also ensure that no two gameplays will be exactly the same. The luck-based element of the game can be a bit unforgiving at times, though, as you may wind up face to face with a particularly nasty enemy, or taking a lot of turns to even land an attack. One small gripe I have is with the audio, as it consists entirely of occasional computer bleeps and bloops, which some might find annoying. The graphics of the game, being an early DOS game, do not have graphical sprites, but instead are made up entirely of ASCII characters. As such, visually it can be a bit confusing, but after a while you'll probably find yourself memorizing what letter or symbol means what.

Overall, I would recommend it for fans of old DOS games, especially if you're looking for a horror game, or just a game with Dracula or vampires.

The Good
+ Soundtrack is lit, probably the only memorable thing from my experience with this game// + Customizable desktop, email and the forum sections all adds to the immersion// + Big variety of monsters to slay forces you to utilize many different strategies// + Battles using menus ain't that bad, I'd say combat is a good thing in this game, although many players will surely not like it//

The Bad
- Already mentioned emails are written in such an awkward way that makes me think if the writers had any social interactions before contributing to the game (all dialogues in this game are freakin' awkward, not only emails)// - This leads us to the main plot, which takes about 10% of the entire game? I mean, there was some story at the beginning, a little bit in the middle of the game, and some of it at the end - the rest of the story feels like it's made of filler episodes// - Most of our party members are annoying and AWKWARD - there are like 2 or 3 characters I can consider interesting// - The field exploring made me want to give up this game - it's just so repetitive and boring// - Want to know what's also repetitive and boring? Dungeons. There are few types of these, but their layouts are too similar to be enjoyable to explore// - There are too many things that will only make sense after a research or using a guide - such as Grunty and food system, trading, using keywords to create a dungeon in which you want to find certain particular things (all is "explained" in the game, but as a beginner to the series it didn't do much to me, maybe I'm dumb though)// - Game pauses after obtaining EVERY. SINGLE. ITEM. (you'll get a loooooot of them during your playthrough)//

The Bottom Line
The only thing that made me want to try out next installments in this series is the ending, which gave me some hope that the plot is going to get interesting. That doesn't change the fact that this was by far the most boring JRPG experience I had, sorry to say. And I really wish the characters would be much better written, because at first glance a lot of them seems interesting.. but then their flat personalities show up.

The Good
Many of the environments are quite stunning.

The game has a large selection of excellent puzzles. Some can be quite challenging, but I only had to resort to outside help once.

The different "humans" providing different philosophical insights worked well and perhaps better than the failed predecessors of the previous game, as they felt more alive.

The Bad
Bigger isn't always better. The world in The Talos Principle 2 is vast, but often the size is just becomes annoying to traverse, or the repeat of megascan assets just becomes apparent.

Some of the puzzle concepts introduced later in the game just don't work as neatly as the earlier concepts or those from the previous game.

I didn't necessarily want more tetromino puzzles.

The Bottom Line
The Talos Principle was a surprise favourite for me. So its sequel had a lot to live up to.

On the puzzle front the game definitely delivers. I had a lot of fun solving all the puzzles the game had to offer. There are quite a lot of new mechanics introduced throughout the game which ramp up the variety. There's also a lot more of them I think. The additional challenges each "world" contained were of a more mixed quality and generally just involved a lot of walking around. And not always very purposefully.

Where the first game explores what it is to be human, part 2 focuses on a new philosophical question: what the meaning of life is. The other "humans" give a more lively conversation which is nice, but I must admit this second offering doesn't feel as profound as the first. It's still great, but the novelty has perhaps worn of a bit.

Still the game comes highly recommended if you like either a good puzzle game or a philosophical debate, but mostly if you like both.

The Good
The premise of exploration in the game is quite cool and I like how it slowly introduces new goals. The limited oxygen creates a lot of cool tension to go on runs to scavenge for resources or find another lifepod. Especially in the early game.

Later on in the game there are some cool unique environments to explore. Finding something new and unique is a really cool and immersive moment.

The Bad
I dislike the the hunger/thirst mechanics on top of limited oxygen because they are just busywork. Luckily you can turn them off!

When starting out I was dreading having to start the base-building aspect of the game. Luckily the amount of things you need to build is fairly limited. Still not my cup of tea. And while the amount of base building is limited you do need to do a looooot of crafting which is equally tedious. Collecting the resources mostly felt like busywork. Although sometimes you'd be rewarded by accidentally stumbling onto something new and unexpected.

The stylized graphics look alright, but the Switch clearly struggles keeping up to load in objects. There's a lot of popping in of terrain details and objects when moving around in the vehicles which diminish the immersion somewhat.

The Bottom Line
In my initial experience with the game, I played for multiple hours and saved regularly, but after the Switch ran out of power while standby all progress beyond the first hour was deleted. I gave the game a 1 star rating and was going to move on. I didn't want to risk losing multiple hours of progress again. After a couple days I decided to give it one more shot and I haven't encountered a similar issue since luckily.

I don't like survival games. Mostly because I don't like base building nor crafting which are two of the core elements of survival games. What makes me play Subnautica is the story. It reveals nicely in byte-sized chunks as you discover more of the world around you. The unique structures you find and get to explore at times are highlights and the game manages to keep a sense of wonder as the complexity of the gameworld is revealed bit by bit.

The survival mechanics prevent me from loving this game as much as say Myst or The Outer Wilds, but the game definitely has its charms. Another point in its favor is that there's no real combat in the game, unlike most survival games which have a lot of hunting and fighting mechanics to get resources. I like this more pacifistic approach.

A bit on the fence to rate this 3 or 4 stars. I might still change it in the future as I haven't finished the game yet.

The Good
Power-ups are pretty fun

The Bad
Ugly

So boring it induces Ambien grade drowsiness

Makes bad games look decent by comparison

Microtransactions to add insult to injury

The Bottom Line
Even as a free flash game it would have felt hollow. As a PS Vita rlease with microtransactions it's unbearable

The Good
• Visually unique, realistic JRPG character designs and frightening monsters reminiscent of Shin Megami Tensei's sprite work

• Challenging gameplay that requires you to use the game's mechanics to their utmost from start to finish

• Well-crafted and atmospheric soundtrack with unique battle themes that blend rock, classical, and electronic sounds

• On-screen map which shows the position of enemies on the overworld, occasionally allowing you to pull some quick maneuvers to get out of fights in a pinch

The Bad
• Some scenes are rushed and entire tracks from the OST barely get used

• The western release nerfed character stats to make the game more difficult in an attempt to prevent people from finishing it in a single Blockbuster rental -- in some ways this is a positive, but characters miss attacks more frequently than they should, and grinding becomes necessary in a couple areas

The Bottom Line
The 7th Saga, or Elnard as it's known in Japan, is a finely-crafted and dark JRPG experience in a genre that's often cluttered with cutesy characters and childish enemy designs. It offers a unique setting where 7 protagonists (the player chooses which to control) are searching the planet for 7 powerful runes, and each character has their own ambitions, whether it's fortune, fame, sense of duty, or belonging. You come across the other heroes on your journey, and some offer to help while others aim to stop you and thin out the competition.

Wholly unique, and yet there are plenty of familiar RPG tropes here to keep the experience grounded. Still fun today and highly recommended! Just be prepared to yell at your screen every now and again.

The Good
Upon starting this game, you'll find yourself in a firing range, which is the perfect way to start with a weapons practice. Progressing through the missions makes newer guns available to try. When you're ready, you're off. Cutscenes and the objectives screen offer sufficient info on what you have to do, mainly killing enemies.

Graphically the game is okay with a variety of scenery and settings with fitting props you can use to take cover. The lighting effects work fine even in the night missions, that you probably won't need to use the night vision goggles you're provided. The accompanying music is okay, but nothing special. The same cannot be said for ambient sounds, which almost non-existent.

Controls for the game are a bit crowded but otherwise serve useful purposes. Thank heavens for quicksave and quickload, because you will need them. The leaning mechanic is pretty hilarious due to the ability to lean into walls when you're up against them. The ability to communicate is a little innovative, but you can manage fine without it.

The Bad
Even though much of the game works as you would expect, the difficulty of the game comes as mean-spirited. Since you can only use what ammo, grenades and portable medpacks you have, you're expected to finish each mission in one go, no joke. This easier said than done with enemies popping out from one direction or another. You can try to cheese your way through the level by letting your squadmates do the legwork since they never run out of ammo, but you still have to cover for them. Not a fun way to play the game.

Weapons in the game are a like a mixed bag with a hole in the bottom. While sniper weapons give a higher kill chance, the M249 LMG is terrible. What is worse than any of the guns is the grenades. When you throw them, the player character throws in an awkward angle oriented to left, that you often end up killing yourself and your men, especially in tight corridors. Why on earth does this left hook grenade throw exist? To add insult to injury, the game is very stingy about accuracy that shooting anything other than a live enemy is considered a miss. Pretty harsh considering that you use mounted automatics for half of the game.

The Bottom Line
The works of the game seem a lot more challenging than the average FPS players may be accustomed to. It's hard to call it a balanced game, because the difficulty often racks up against you. It could've done with less rail shooting sequences. Who would've guessed this centered around a real-life war in Somalia? I guess these City Interactive games are good at using material from conflicts that are otherwise known only to military enthusiasts. Real-life war or not, this one didn't quite reach to the quality and standards of better known FPS franchises, but at least you can say this did have some good modern warfare themes before "Call of Duty 4" went up on stage. Probably worth renting, but not buying since you can just about finish it in a day.

The Good
The game can be fun in multiplayer. You can create your own levels.

The Bad
The gameplay is stupidly shallow which makes it feel like a early PS1 game instead of a game released in 2000. The game literally has nothing to do with Monster Rancher. There's no feature to put a cd in to get monsters like in the other games. The story mode is very boring.

The Bottom Line
If there's a game that begs for an explanation for why it exists, this game would be a top contender.

The Good
Open up this game into a futuristic setting. It really shows with those vibrant textures, strobe-like lights, and computer-styled interfaces with generous amounts of shadows and 3-D angles for polish. There's so much careful attention to detail in every level. Each level also plays fast-paced tunes, letting you know that you're in constant combat.

Gameplay is difficult as expected in typical arcade-style video game titles, yet the controls are so easy to utilize. You can play in the fashion of a multi-directional and a scrolling shooter (using the strafing lock) as you please. Some levels will be mazes, while a few others have an open-world feel. You have a nice selection of five weapons which you can power up in between levels if you have the stock. It's fun to experiment to see which weapon types work best in different situations.

The Bad
Even with such flawless gameplay and mechanics, what the game doesn't do is let you know what your next target to destroy is, to avoid aimlessly wandering around. Other desired elements would be a health meter for bosses and a password system to continue from a point. Leaving the little inconveniences behind, this is quite the solid game that has no frustration to put you through and nothing remotely unfair. The only issue is that its quite short and no variation for every new game.

The Bottom Line
This game sports sci-fi vibes of difficult shooters from Super Famicom and Sega Megadrive, but this title sadly never made it to either of those systems, it just stood alone below those two. If you've played a hundred shooters your arcade days, this one just might surprise you greatly. You would never guess the game's goodness from its title and cover, so don't judge, just pick it up and play it. A fun and packed shooter for any gamer.

The Good
Graphics are very well done for a Doom engine game. Semi open-world hub design is a nice change from most Doom clones; you progress through worlds in a linear sequence, but each world is a set of maps that you move between non-linearly. Puzzles and inventory system is a good progression from Doom.

The Bad
Some of the maps are cramped and don't lend themselves as well to combat action compared to Heretic or Doom. Puzzles can get a bit samey after a while, following a "find the switch, flick the switch, get a hint about what happened on what map, go there and see what has changed."

The Bottom Line
This game seems to be polarising, judging from a lot of comments I've seen. Those who dislike Hexen often mention the game being too cryptic or puzzling. I disagree, but I guess people who dislike this aspect also tend to dislike adventure games, or titles like Myst. In my opinion it's nowhere near as puzzling as a typical adventure game.

The Good
This game truly captures the spirit of the horror genre, enhancing the minimalistic choice of colours and internal speaker-like music and sounds, but not backing down on the blood and grisly atmosphere. The anime style of Lily balances cuteness and innocence with the hostile environment. Puzzles are very easy to solve, but getting through the game is a totally different beast. Despite the simplicity of the gameplay, the complexity of the plot is hiding and laying in wait for the right moment to show itself to the player as they get further into the game.

The Bad
There isn’t much that can be said that is genuinely bad about the game. Death encounters are expected so one cannot call this adventure unfair. The only thing missing is an indicator showing the code numbers you have acquired, so you have no choice but to write them down, which was typical of some puzzles of the 1980s, when online walkthroughs didn’t exist. Otherwise you have a whole adventure just waiting to scare you.

The Bottom Line
Have you ever seen a game that fleshes out true horror? Perhaps, though not like this title. If this is your first time hearing about it, don’t underestimate the disturbing theme it brings. The seemingly never ending damage Lily suffers seem to intentionally make you sympathetise for her, and seems to bring vibes akin to dark and grotesque fantasies like Elfen Lied. Unless you have nerves of steel and a clear head, you should probably not play this one before bedtime. Every element is done so beautifully, this game really needs to be ported to the old 8-bit computers such as Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum.

The Good
The Italian cities are shown in great detail and are amazing to explore. The smoothness of all Ezio's animations while fighting and climbing were unrivaled at the time of release.

The Bad
The Ubisoft launcher is an absolute piece of garbage.

There's a lot of grind elements in the game which simply aren't fun. luckily it can just be ignored for the most part.

It takes an incredibly long time before you finally get to do some platforming. The intro is an incredibly boring piece of exposition.

Having the game pause on stick press is such a terrible default control. It's so easy to accidentally press the movement stick.

The sci-fi Animus storyline is still super lame and totally unnecessary.

The Bottom Line
I quite liked the first Assassin's Creed, but its world always felt a bit empty. The second game in the series manages to improve it greatly. An increased number of unique missions and less focus on the grind.

The Good

• Inexpensive
• Building is fun and intuitive
• Build your own world from scratch
• Randomly generated games have never been this scary
• Most fun you'll ever have exploring a world
• Full of surprises
• Build inventive contraptions and rollercoasters using simple tools
• Charming visual style
• Dying in this game will hurt a lot. Especially when it involves lava and all your stuff gets melted. But that makes the game all the more exciting

**The Bad**

• Multiplayer not yet working properly at time of review
• Some grinds just take too long (stocking up on gunpowder, mining obsidian)
• The Nether's loot isn't valuable enough to make venturing there worthwhile
• Encountering certain resources is pure chance. It would be nice if it were possible to scan for the existence of certain resources within a certain proximity

**The Bottom Line**
When at first I saw a short video of Minecraft, I thought it looked quaint and slightly interesting but dismissed and forgot about it. Then I met an old acquaintance who mentioned he was playing it and was totally addicted. So I decided to check it out. So, first I booted up Minecraft Classic with some friends on our own private server. The game only lets you build but it proved rather addictive and for a couple days we were all hooked on the experience. I decided to make the big leap and make the investment of 10 Euros for the full version (in alpha state at the time). I'm glad I did, because this is hands-down the best game of 2010. So I started on the beach of a deserted island. Although? Not quite deserted. To my amazement I see pigs, chickens, sheep and cows roaming the land. After some initial experimentation I start to understand that to build something in this game the materials must first be harvested. After finding a suitable location at the shoreline on the foot of a mountain I build my first wooden shack out of planks I make from trees I cut down. Before it's properly finished night falls however and I'm surprised for the second time. Zombies and skeleton archers besiege my shack. Scared shit-less I block the doors and windows with mud and wait for dawn while the moans of zombies are heard through the walls. And this is where I got hooked on Minecraft Most of the time in Minecraft I spend exploring. Usually mapping huge subterranean cavern structures, on the lookout for Creepers while prospecting for precious ores, but also sailing in my little boat along the coasts of thousands of islands in search for clay deposits. It might not sound as much fun but I assure you it's awesome. Minecraft has no levels or experience points. Rewards in this game are purely in the form of resources and what resources allow the player to do. Some resources (such as clay) don't even serve a real purpose other than the ability to build buildings out of red bricks instead of wood, stone or mud. But you just have to have. I know I do! I love RPGs, but in this game I didn't miss levels and experience at all. It's already incredibly rewarding to find a new diamond vein, because it'll allow you to construct more durable tools or armor. Building things consists of placing blocks which happens instantly (unlike removing blocks which takes a variable amount of time depending on the tools and material hardness). You can basically build anything you can think of as long as it consists of square blocks; but it doesn't end there! Aside from static buildings, the player can also build contraptions and railway systems. using a material called redstone the player can place wiring between pressure plates, railway switches, levers, buttons, doors, lights, TNT. This can be used to build traps for monsters (how about a block of TNT hooked up to a pressure plate?) or create automated train systems. With the most recent major update it is now also possible to visit the Nether which is scary as hell. Huge monsters will continuously scream in tormented childish voices and there's lava and fire everywhere. Interesting about the Nether is that every step you take corresponds to many more steps in the real world, so that this alternate dimension can be used as a sort of means for fast-travel. But other than that I felt that the whole Nether-world added little to the game. Its sound effects are nerve-wrecking and thus I don't go there for my pleasure, and the spoils to be gained there are rather mediocre, although this will likely be fixed by the next update. The graphics are rather simple, but I find them very charming. There's unofficial "high-res" texture packs for download, but frankly I think they all make the game look uglier. Why would I want a photo of the actual moon to replace my perfectly square moon? The engine also runs surprisingly fast. Sound in the game is not very remarkable. Most of the effects don't get old, except the Ghast's sound effects in the Nether. But none of the effects stand out as good either. The sporadic music is nice and can be very haunting. It always sets in when you least expect it. What also happens when you least expect it is that creepers sneak up on you and explode in your face just after you found some invaluable diamonds. "Gosh, I didn't know that there was a lava stream just below the floor." You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll look at marvelous sunsets from the most exotic locations. You'll cower in fear and entomb yourself just to avoid the overwhelming odds. You'll sail the seven seas. Throw snowballs. Ride pigs. Journey to the centre of the world. All the while wondering how a game so simple in its premises can be that much fun. Honestly, I haven't had this much fun in a game in years. I had just started Mass Effect 2 when I found out about this game and that game has been collecting dust ever since.

The Good
During my teenage years I frequently encountered stories about a game called Manhunt and how disturbingly violent it was. Eventually I managed to get the pc version on Steam and throughout the past 15 years I played Manhunt from time to time and always ended up getting hooked by this game’s setting and atmosphere.

In Manhunt you get into the bloodied shoes of James Earl Cash, a death row inmate who, at the start of the game, gets his lethal injection. But instead of leaving this mortal coil, Cash wakes up in a dark room wherein a voice over the speakers demands him to pick up an earpiece and then follow his instructions.

This mysterious voice, who calls himself “the director,” forces Cash to roam through Carcer City and murder gang members in the most brutal ways possible and that way earn his second chance at life. And so begins Manhunt, a game wherein you go from location to location slaughtering everyone in sight so that the aforementioned director can make his next snuff film (a snuff film is a film wherein a person is literally murdered, tortured, raped, mutilated etc.) all for the director’s bloodthirsty fetish and greed and for Cash’s primal desire of survival. The director’s snuff film leads you through various places around the massive city including desolated city streets and slums, abandoned factories, a zoo and an asylum while fighting gangs ranging from low-life street punks and mask-wearing psychopaths all the way to corrupt police officers and professionally trained soldiers of fortune.

If you know even a little bit about this game’s reputation, you’re aware that Manhunt is infamous for its violence and for good reason. For the most part, Manhunt plays like a stealth game wherein you hide in the shadows and kill your enemies using everyday items like plastic bags, glass shards, crowbars, baseball bats and eventually firearms like pistols, shotguns and assault rifles. One of the main elements that makes Manhunt so gruesome is the way you kill your foes. When you manage to sneak close to an enemy (or hunter as they’re called in this game) you can kill him with a hasty (white), violent (yellow) or gruesome (red) execution depending on how long you hold the attack button. For example, the plastic bag. Hasty: you simply put the bag over the hunter’s head to choke him. Violent: you put the bag over the hunter’s head and then smash his face into your knee multiple times. Gruesome: you put the bag over the hunter’s head, punch him in the face multiple times and finally snap his neck.

What makes the violence even more gruesome then just the executions comes from the sound effects. Choke the hunter with a wire and you can hear him desperately gasp him for air, chop him up with a machete and you can hear the sound of soft flesh being sliced by cold steel, slice the hunter’s belly open with a scythe and you hear his muffled screams as his intestines get exposed.

Speaking of sound, it’s one of the main ingredients that help in making Manhunt’s atmosphere so compelling. When you’re close to a patrolling hunter, you can hear Cash’s heartbeat rise and you can hear said hunter brag about how they would love to cut you up. So there’s the hunters’ taunts and banter, the aforementioned gruesome sounds when you butcher a hunter and to top it all off, Brain Cox’s magnificent performance as the director. When he guides you through the many gory scenes, he gives some pretty creative feedback when you slaughter your way through Carcer City, vulgarly mocking you when you get detected too often and even more vulgarly praising you when you constituently rack up the mutilated bodies.

Visually, Manhunt is powered by the Renderware engine made famous by its use in the GTA 3 trilogy. However, while the GTA 3 trilogy had a slight cartoonlike aesthetic to make the violence less disturbing and more goofy and satirical Manhunt dishes the colorful looks of LC, VC and SA to bring you the ruined metropolis of Carcer City. Filled with locked-down stores, trash and filth-covered streets and, if you’re really deep into gang territory, piles of decaying flesh and hanging corpses of every victim the gang in question has taken thus far. It truly gives you the feeling that Carcer City was a once thriving city that has now being completely abandoned by civilization and overrun by corruption, social decay.

Another visual element that makes Manhunt’s presentation unique is the home-made video aspect of the game. By default, the game has a soft film grain overlay during the gameplay and during the cutscenes (both the pre-rendered and in-game scenes) everything is presented through cheap CCTV cameras which includes occasional stuttering, coloring differences and glitch lines. It beautifully gives the game a homemade, low-budget video aesthetic as if you’re truly got your hands on a snuff film.

Musically, the soundtrack is composed by Craig Conner and features long, dark ambient industrial tracks that complete the darkness, isolation and brutality of Manhunt’s setting. Every in-game track has 3 versions, depending on whether the hunters are casually patrolling (the track is rather calm but still menacing), alerted by the noise you make (the track becomes more complex with sounds that sometimes feel like squalling or yelling) and finally when you’re detected (the music gets fast and aggressive). I particularly enjoy the dynamic music because it builds up the suspense as the hunters get closer and closer to you.

The Bad
During the second half of the game, the stealth gameplay gets less prevalent and you get into more shootouts wherein both you and the hunters are armed to the teeth and the gunplay isn’t as satisfying or as intense or balanced as the stealth. Basically, you can shoot a hunter in the head, run when his fellow hunters come in, hide in some nearby shadows and wait until the hunters give up actively searching for you. For me, it was much more compelling when you have to rely on melee weapons and have to get up close for the kill. With firearms, I felt more like the hunter rather than the hunted (which is less suspenseful). Sure, I understand that the developers probably wanted to bring some variety to the gameplay but I believe there should’ve been more balance between stealth and shooting throughout the game.

In addition, I felt the enemy AI could’ve been better. Usually, they casually walk around while looking around a bit until they stand still for a moment and then turn around to walk the same path. They also never actively search the shadows so once you’re out of their sight, you can simply hide in there even if the hunters look straight at you. I think the hunters would be even more threatening if they actively work together and use stuff like flashlights or flares to light up the shadows and once they found a dead hunter, they could more actively search the place for you and put boobytraps for you like beartraps or trip wires. This would’ve made the later game hunters like the Wardogs or Cerberus soldiers more unique and threatening compared to the earlier game’s gangs.

I agree that the extreme amount of savagery in Manhunt may be a bit too much for its own good. But I believe that Manhunt, thanks to its gruesome imagery and sound effects, humorless and grim atmosphere, nihilistic storyline and unsympathetic characters does a great job at deconstructing the concept of violence and how sensational it’s presented in modern day media.

Said violence isn’t glorified (otherwise the music would’ve probably been more upbeat and the score system more rewarding and prominent) nor is the main character someone you should root for (in the end, Cash is nothing more than a vicious man who mercilessly kills other vicious men who would otherwise mercilessly kill him. To Cash’s credit, however, he does show genuine rage about the fact his family got murdered by the director’s men). There are no legit good people in Manhunt (even the news reporter, who’s pretty much the only friendly character you meet, is more interested in reporting on the snuff ring just to make her own career rather than doing a genuinely noble deed).

The Bottom Line
So, after all the controversy and infamy that this game acquired throughout the past 20 years, is Manhunt really that dark, violent and disturbing? My answer, yes. However, underneath the violence and darkness lies a deep and atmospheric game that masterfully deconstructs violence and therefore makes said violence much more intense. It helps Manhunt rise through the ranks of just being a mere third person stealth/shooter game with high levels of brutality.

I certainly recommend you to give Manhunt a try and if you find it too disturbing, maybe that’s exactly what the game wants to achieve, not by mere shock value, but by showing how brutality truly looks and feels like, unrelenting, unforgiving and uncensored.

The Good
Simple gameplay. The basic slashing mechanic feels good, which leads allows for momentary bursts of enjoyment.

Doesn't overstay its welcome.

The Bad
The aesthetics are ugly and repetitive. Initial creativity quickly becomes uninspired. The experience is shallow and as often as it feels fun, it just as frequently feels like a waste of time.

The Bottom Line
A game that would have found its brief niche as a release title for the iPhone 3. Releasing 5 years later (in 2013) and on the Vita and there's nothing left of note.

The Good
A 1 star review that worked itself up to 2 stars as it has the rare benefit of getting better as it goes along (starting from a low bar). The more complex levels provide a cascading randomness that kept me throwing for a little while longer than I had originally expected.

Some small unexpected charms.

The Bad
Remember all those hours spent playing Angry Birds? Yeah, me neither. I imagine it was a bit like this. But probably with more personality. There's a reason Angry Birds are in commercials and King Oddball... is not.

The Bottom Line
An early 2010's physics game before the genre found its truly bizarre and enjoyable footing.

The Good
Solid soundtrack, visuals and general presentation

The Bad
Specifically on the Wii, visuals are crusty. Lack of any "proper" challenge

The Bottom Line
Worth every penny from Penny Lane

The Good
Passable song selection and instruments. Decently fun multiplayer mini-games and above-average drumming mode.

The Bad
Midi quality sounds, waggle fest, and fun factor isn't very high

The Bottom Line
If you’re an aspiring musician looking for a creative tool, stick with Garageband and leave Wii Music for the bin.

The Good
Where to start. Ever wanted to breeze through a shooter in less than a few hours? That's what this title offers. Even on the harder difficulties its still relatively easier where's virtually no shortage of ammunition and enough cover to avoid getting nailed down. The map on the loading screen doesn't really help and there's only one path so you can't get lost, with lots of ways that stop you from backtracking, robbing you of your freedom to explore. Objectives are simple being get form point A to B, get to from point X to Y to Z, so there's no real rocket science involved. There are a few special effects to break up the usual monotony throughout such as the feeling of being dazed and drained of blood when you need to scramble and get a medkit. That's pretty much what you'll get out of the game. Ask for more and you'll be thoroughly disappointed.

The Bad
Does it need to be said that this game is not even close to the mechanics and features most shooters at the time of its release? You've got an arsenal of five guns and some grenades, but no melee weapon or tactical attachments to do something other than shoot. Not even an RPG of your own to shoot down helicopters instead of blowing up barrels beneath them. None of the enemies pose a real challenge, including the black gas-masked agents. You're basically the unstoppable one-man army commando that wipes out everybody else. Wherever you go looks the same and the following levels reuse and recycle most of the previous levels with you go and back forth to the safehouse. By the end you've got the one and only boss, but no clever moves to take him down, just "shoot him till he dies" (sorry, till he falls down).

Plot and presentation are lacking pretty much everywhere. You take orders from a lower ranking agent that you never actually get to see. and while you're doing the legwork of liberating this stupid island, the rest of the US forces are making up excuses not to send additional reinforcements. Should I be surprised that you'll be your own from beginning to end? Even all the bombs and explosions at various points aren't literally ground breaking.

The Bottom Line
By today's and 2010s standards this shooter is all bare-bone, which offers practically nothing for its content and plot. Perhaps having Chuck Norris in it would've made it a small hit. Even Half-Life looks and peeforms more impressively. Nothing to praise or recommend. The desire to get this game downgrades from purchasing it, to renting it from a video game rental, to getting it for a bargain, to receiving it for free, and finally wanting absolutely nothing to do with it. This could be described as the cheesiest B-grade movie game. I can't recommend it as a first shooter game to new young players or as something different to experience players. I'll take 221B Software Development's "Alcatraz" over this Alcatastrophe of a game.

The Good
Fantastic graphics, very good gunplay, typically for Remedy mysterious.

The Bad
Very bad map, sometimes confusing environment.

The Bottom Line
Typically for Remedy, mysterious, supernatural, incomprehensible at first, but with great action, physics, gunplay and overall audiovisuals. The fights are really intense fun.

The Good
Character development, world design, gameplay

The Bad
Excessively extensive stats for weapons, armor and general equipment.

The Bottom Line
Definitely the best Diablo clone. Very elaborate character development, decent story, still looks good today. A great dark environment. Good longevity.

The Good
Graphics, City design, Frenetic action

The Bad
Very bad map, Game story

The Bottom Line
In terms of gameplay, it's a fairly simple frenetic action RPG seen from a bird's eye view, but with absolutely breathtaking visuals and a total Cyberpunk atmosphere. The graphic sophistication of the city often puts even Cyberpunk 2077 in your pocket.. The game is not extra long, so it is definitely worth the few bucks it costs today :) PS: Prepare your nerves for a disastrous map and a rather confusing story telling..

The Good
The game is fun enough for someone who wanna play a short period of time

The Bad
it just have 16 levels, they are a few

The Bottom Line
bla bla bla, try it!

The Good
Easy to play and a good graphics. The controls are super intuitive, and the hand movements make flying feel natural and immersive.

The Bad
I beat the first 3 levels and I really do love the game! The only problem is it's unwillingness to run smoothly and the achievement doesn't unlock in steam.

The Bottom Line
I recommended this game.

The Good
Great setting and characters. Historical fiction, yay!

The Bad
Since characters have their daily routines you can miss pivotal moments. I'm fairly sure I softlocked my progress at some point. The silver lining here is that I managed to do completely different things on my second try. Talk to different people, witness different events, etc.

The graphics while distinct aren't that great, nor have they aged well. They are fine for most of the conversations, but would benefit from a remaster, especially for the more involved cutscenes.

Unfortunately the story jumps the shark in the later half of the game. It becomes all mystical and fantastical, where it starts so down to earth and grounded in historical fiction.

The Bottom Line
The Last Express definitely isn't a perfect game, but it's so unique that you'll forgive it all its faults.

The Good
Great music, tight controls, interesting challenges, some hidden secrets.

The Bad
Let's be honest. It looks like crap. You won't notice it much while playing though.

The Bottom Line
VVVVVV is a ton of fun. There's some infuriatingly hard parts, but the elation when you finally get is is well worth it. It helps that it's all skill and no randomness.

The Good
It's fun to draw things and to have physics influence the drawing.

The Bad
You basically solve all the puzzles in the exact same way.

The Bottom Line
When first seeing the game it looked a bit like magic. It was very novel at the time, but it was very light on content. Hopes were high for Crayon Physics Deluxe, but it doesn't really keep up with the expectations. Quite quickly you realize all problems can be solved with the same solution, slowly sucking all the fun out of the exploration.

The Good
The slide animation makes it less likely to get lost.

Voice overs are a nice way to improve the mood of the game.

The interface is greatly improved as well, ditching the retarded marching order from the previous game where you had to continuously swap the character portraits in order to let them be able to make melee attacks.

Another silly artifact from the previous games are the lockpicks. If they last forever and can open any chest, what's the use in including them? You could just have chests without locks.

The Bad
Outdoor environments just don't work in a game based on square grids like this. It didn't work in Eye of the Beholder II either.

The Bottom Line
I'm glad they got rid of the AD&D license, because frankly I don't think AD&D works well for action RPGs, because the action results are too random. Unfortunately the current system is still very much inspired by it and carries over some of its flaws. While they got rid of totally redundant and useless stats (for these kinds of games) such as charisma and wisdom and spells; there are still monsters that when lucky kill your characters in a single hit. Luckily, death is just a phase in this game and as long as one of your party members is still alive you can still easily resurrect the others.

All in all, Lands of Lore is an improvement in all ways over Eye of the Beholder.

The Good
The little rubber boat ride was one hell of a trip!

The Bad
At the time the system requirements were very high and the game suffered from long loading times.

The English dubbing is pretty mediocre. Play with the original Russian VO and subtitles if you can.

The Bottom Line
I liked Cryostasis a lot more than I had expected I would. The game manages to constantly keep me on my toes. while the game play is, when you get down to it really shallow (very linear, and simple combat), the atmosphere and weirdness are able to make up for it.

The Good
The story is simple, but a step up from the previous game.

Exploring the dungeons is a lot of fun and there's a strange sado-masochistic sort of joy in not having an automap. I really enjoyed mapping it out on gridpaper. There were too many parts where the walls would keep moving or the player would be randomly teleported, though.

The Bad
Some parts of the game are extremely difficult, including a part near the start.

The combat is as bad and annoying as in its predecessor.

Despite the Dungeons & Dragons core of the game, the game lacked a distinct sense of progression. Characters didn't really feel like they were getting more powerful and there wasn't a lot of interesting items to be found.

The Bottom Line
Most of The Legends of Darkmoon doesn't really step away from its predecessor. The story is a bit better, you get some outdoor parts (which are still gridlike blocks), but nothing revolutionary. So worthwhile only if you liked the first game in the series.

The Good
Match-3 is a very simple and addictive mechanic. The powers you acquire add some strategy beyond the basics.

The Bad
It gets to be a big grind after a while.

The Bottom Line
The game is quite fun and very addictive to play. At some point you just start grinding through it though. The quests are only barely interesting enough to keep you going. The game never gets really challenging.

The Good
I like the grungy brown-green of the game, but I can imagine some might feel it gets repetitive. The level design is really good with a simple premise of finding keys, but they really nailed the execution. Never a dull moment and never a dead end or retreading through areas already cleared. There's no getting lost, but also no cheaply respawned monsters.

The weapons pack some serious power with the icon nailgun grenade launcher being the most fun in requiring both skill and being super powerful. The nailgun

The Bad
Like Doom 2, the game's setting feels completely undefined and random. The weapons mostly just exist in a vacuum. Doom and Quake 2 both felt a lot more coherent.

Unlike the weapons, the most of the enemies aren't very interesting.

The Bottom Line
Quake is a gem in level design, and a great shooter. Just don't expect anything else beyond cool levels to shoot your way through (in single player).

The Good
I kind of liked the graphics. They are quite impressive for the time. But really that's it.

The Bad
I wasn't expecting to like this game as it's not my cup of tea, but I wasn't expecting to dislike it this much either. The campy story, the mediocre audio, the constantly shifting camera perspectives, the game just freezing, everything just piles up for a terrible experience.

The Bottom Line
I didn't manage to get very far in this game. I did manage to enjoy its sequels Resident Evil 2, and Code Veronica a bit more to the point they were almost enjoyable. But in the end this series is just not for me.

The Good
The setting is amazing, and sets it apart from other games from this era. Like the literary genre of Weird Fiction.

The story is very enjoyable with some mysteries along the way. The voice acting is a mixed bag with some really great acting and some mediocre acting.

The Bad
The game has a frustrating autosave system that tends to save at moments when you have a single hitpoint left and are just about to fight more enemies. The difficulty is also generally quite high.

The game is incredibly linear, which is kind of a shame for such a unique world. It just begs to be explored further. Even just some alternative paths would have been great.

The Bottom Line
Without the super weird and unique setting probably nobody would have given this game a chance. But behind it lies a game that's quite solid in its own right, but the setting is really what seals the deal.

The Good
The game looks amazing and the first person style and animations work out wonderfully. Running around the the shiny rooftops is a blast!

The Bad
The story is very underwhelming and cliché.

At some points it does feel the first person is more of a gimmick and the game would've been nice in 3rd person.

While I like the fact you can't store weapons and mostly run away from combatants, there are parts in the game where the player is forced into combat. These parts felt much harder than the rest of the game and weren't always enjoyable.

The Bottom Line
The game has some annoying bits, but they mostly stand out because the rest is sooooo good! Mirror's Edge does prove a "platforming" game doesn't have to be in third person if done correctly. It's not necessarily better than 3rd person platforming games, but does feel more immersive in 1st person.

The Good
It's cool to see some of the stuff you know and loved from the earlier games but now in 3D.

It's cool to see the post-apocalyptic versions of real-world locations in the Washington DC area.

The shooting gameplay is arguably more fun than the hack, slash and magic of The Elder Scrolls games.

The Bad
The bleak environment isn't as nice to roam around in as Bethesda's previous games Oblivion and Morrowind were.

The game has a level cap which is ridiculously low if you want to explore the world beyond the main quest. There are mods that can help bypass this limit.

The Bottom Line
Fallout 3 does an admirable job of bringing the world of Fallout to a 1st person action game. But it's not without its shortcomings.

The Good
The Settlers II was the first Settlers game I played. And no other ever quite managed to reach the same level of charm and fun.

Except this remake. Obviously it plays just the same as the original, but looks even better.

The Bad
The expansion pack was never released outside of Germany, leaving out one of the factions from this game.

The Bottom Line
The 10th anniversary remake made all those fond memories come flooding back. A great nostalgia trip.

The Good
The visuals are good and seeing the hare succeed is very satisfying.

The Bad
. There's no sequel.

The Bottom Line
I played this game in my childhood. It's still as wacky as I remember.

The Good
It's funny to see people's reactions when playing this game without knowing anything about it. The in-game story is pretty hilarious.

The Bad
One-hit deaths. Repetitive music and gameplay. Insane difficulty. Ugly graphics and nonsensical backgrounds.

The Bottom Line
I'm actually glad that this game exists as a joke. I'll never forget the first time that I saw this game reviewed by stanburdman. Legendary game for all the wrong reasons. The very definition of kusoge.

The Good

Employs a unique mixture of top-down world exploration, sidescrolling combat, and RPG level-up elements

Filled with an abundance of rewarding secrets

Features a strong, memorable soundtrack that’s arguably better than its predecessor's

An interesting game world that rewards player progression with consistent novelty—I particularly love crossing into the island region of Hyrule for the first time with the raft

The Bad

Mandatory, overly cryptic side quests between dungeons

Weak platforming and level design—many of the sidescrolling areas are flat, simple hallways with minimal deviation, particularly early on

Towns, though novel, feature extremely clunky, immersion-breaking dialog

Some of the dungeon solutions are almost unguessable

The final dungeon is ludicrously difficult, to the point where the player is practically compelled to avoid combat and rely on cheap, exploitative tricks (like the one commonly used against the final boss, who would be virtually unbeatable otherwise)

The Bottom Line

Zelda II is obviously very different from its predecessor in terms of both its sidescrolling gameplay and comparatively linear world progression, though the two games do align more closely in their bountiful creativity, multifaceted world design, and cruel proclivity for abrupt difficulty spikes. It's in this final regard that Zelda II unfortunately outdoes the original Legend of Zelda, with its endgame in particular standing out as almost comically unwinnable. Both games are, however, very different experiences, and though I'd gladly recommend the first to many a determined player, I find it somewhat harder to recommend this tough-as-nails sequel.

The Good

Beautifully drawn backgrounds

Good gameplay, solid difficulty

Represents an ambitious spin on the Kirby formula

Sports numerous appealing collectibles scattered across its labyrinthine map, adding replay value and encouraging completion

The Bad

Very forgettable boss designs for a series typically rife with creativity

Though memorable, the music is typically short and repetitive to a fault, and several tracks, though thematically appropriate, aren't very good (Mustard Mountain, Peppermint Palace, Radish Ruins)

The game's otherwise promising Metroidvania-style approach to its level layouts can be obnoxiously baffling without a more detailed map

The Bottom Line

A single flowing, continuous game area would've served Kirby & The Amazing Mirror well. Unfortunately, the decision to make the in-game maps collectible items, the poor level of detail on said maps, the inclusion of "goal" areas which are effectively dead ends, and, worst of all, the use of door-in-the-background screen transitions rather than maintaining a spatially contiguous map, all combine to undercut an otherwise good idea. But even if it can be a little frustrating, The Amazing Mirror is still a fun, good-looking platformer. Don't let me dissuade you if you like what you see.

The Good
The theme music is among the most catchy ever, and the Amiga's sound hardware was ideal to recreate it. You could happy sit there listening to it without even playing the game.

I recommend playing it though. The level designs are intricate, with some great attack patterns and a variety of enemies to surprise you, all recreated in minute detail from the arcade. The look and feel is spot on.

This was a hugely innovative game, spawning a number of similar titles.

The Bad
Unfortunately, games like Project X and Disposable Hero contained better power-up systems, more balanced difficulty levels, and far prettier graphics, especially backgrounds.

The game style seems rather passé now, in an age where we're used to viewing action from the human perspective, and having control mechanisms to suit.

The Bottom Line
A sideways scrolling shoot 'em up featuring a variety of weapons, all manner of bad guys, and lots of fast thrilling action.

The Good
There are references to the Pokémon anime such as of course having Pikachu as your starter and not wanting to evolve into a Raichu and having it's cry based on Ikue Otani's voice and Jesse and James from Team Rocket making multiple appearances with their Pokémon from the anime. The front sprites of the Pokémon have been designed to more resemble the official artwork.

Some Pokémon have slightly tweaked movesets and some trainers and gym leaders have different Pokémon, so it won't feel completely the same if you played any of the other two versions and have access to different Pokémon such as the three starters from Red and Blue. This allows you to have the same team Ash Ketchum had during the show.

The Bad
Not much has changed since it's still a generation I game so all the flaws from Red and Blue are still here, including the ugly back sprites which stick out even more with the vastly improved front sprites. If you want a Raichu to complete your Pokédex, you have to trade one from Red, Blue, Gold, Silver, or Crystal along with the other Pokémon that are excluded from the wild in this version.

Pikachu is statically the worst starter in the entire franchise since you can't evolve it so it's a waste of a slot unless you grind it to be a higher level especially at the Elite Four.

The Bottom Line
Play it, don't play it, I don't care. If you want to try a Pokémon game from gen I, any version is fine but if you already played Red, Blue or even both, you decide for yourself. If you did watch the anime back in the 90's, then you'll enjoy the game more.

The Good
It's a great first person fps game, I've been playing it since last October, although I haven't played any fps game before, valorant is very simple and catchy, my friend and I play it every day when we have free time and it keeps us entertained! This year I started watching valorant games and I would say it's really a game that brings people closer together. There's nothing else makes you happier than turning on your computer and playing valorant with a group of friends after work.

The Bad
Nothing bad! If I had to say, I think there may be some games with less friendly players. But that's only a minority of cases! And it doesn't affect the experience of the game.

The Bottom Line
Nice game I like it!

The Good
Great combat system. Using the right type of move and the Pokémon with the right type(s) is very rewarding. Nice variety of Pokémon. The three starter Pokémon have great designs, evolutions, and a clever way on making your difficulty level with the 8 Gym Leaders depending on its type. You can thankfully save anywhere. It's always funny to name your rival something like asshole or retard.

The Bad
Absolutely hideous front sprites for the Pokémon and even worse back sprites that were not changed from the Japanese Red and Green versions.

Some types are terribly unbalanced. Psychics have access to Amnesia which double their special stat and the move Psychic is a powerful move that has a 1/3 chance to lower the foe's special stat. Also, 33 Pokémon are Poison-Types which are weak to Psychic-Type moves. Due to a glitch, Psychic-Type Pokémon are immune to Ghost-Type moves since in the anime Ash had to find a Ghost-Type Pokémon to defeat Sabrina, the Psychic-Type Gym Leader. It wouldn't matter so much because there are only 3 Ghost-Type moves, 2 of which cause damage and Lick is a very weak move with the other move Night Shade only doing damage equal to the user's level like Dragon Rage which funnily enough is the only Dragon-Type move. Psychic-Type Pokémon are weak to Bug-Type moves, but Bug-Type Pokémon suck in Gen I and Bug-Type moves are very weak.

Some Pokémon have very few moves to learn which diminishes their usefulness and not very varied when it comes to different types. For example, most Rock-Type Pokémon know only 2 Rock-type moves because there are only 2 Rock-Type moves in the game! Also, some moves don't work as intended such as Focus Energy cuts the chance of critical hits instead of quadrupling it.

Limited inventory which sucks. You're forced to go to your PC to store items and you can only do that at a Pokémon Center. TMs can only be used once and only a few can be bought at stores (unless you use the MissingNo. glitch to duplicate your items). HMs suck because they take up valuable move slots and cannot be forgotten. You also have to pause the game and select what Pokémon to use and then use the specific move in the overworld.

Some Pokémon require trading to evolve which now seems impossible to do since nobody is going to use a link cable to trade with you which also means you won't be able to complete your Pokédex.

The Bottom Line
Even though I listed a lot of flaws and probably some that I've forgotten to add, I recommend playing this just to see how far later Pokémon games have changed for the better. You'll still have fun with it, especially if you're a fan of JRPGs. Look up a guide if you need to find out Pokémon's movesets, because you'll be surprised by which Pokémon are borderline useless during your playthrough.

The Good
Great combat system. Using the right type of move and the Pokémon with the right type(s) is very rewarding. Nice variety of Pokémon. The three starter Pokémon have great designs, evolutions, and a clever way on making your difficulty level with the 8 Gym Leaders depending on its type. You can thankfully save anywhere. It's always funny to name your rival something like asshole or retard.

The Bad
Absolutely hideous front sprites for the Pokémon and even worse back sprites that were not changed from the Japanese Red and Green versions.

Some types are terribly unbalanced. Psychics have access to Amnesia which double their special stat and the move Psychic is a powerful move that has a 1/3 chance to lower the foe's special stat. Also, 33 Pokémon are Poison-Types which are weak to Psychic-Type moves. Due to a glitch, Psychic-Type Pokémon are immune to Ghost-Type moves since in the anime Ash had to find a Ghost-Type Pokémon to defeat Sabrina, the Psychic-Type Gym Leader. It wouldn't matter so much because there are only 3 Ghost-Type moves, 2 of which cause damage and Lick is a very weak move with the other move Night Shade only doing damage equal to the user's level like Dragon Rage which funnily enough is the only Dragon-Type move. Psychic-Type Pokémon are weak to Bug-Type moves, but Bug-Type Pokémon suck in Gen I and Bug-Type moves are very weak.

Some Pokémon have very few moves to learn which diminishes their usefulness and not very varied when it comes to different types. For example, most Rock-Type Pokémon know only 2 Rock-type moves because there are only 2 Rock-Type moves in the game! Also, some moves don't work as intended such as Focus Energy cuts the chance of critical hits instead of quadrupling it.

Limited inventory which sucks. You're forced to go to your PC to store items and you can only do that at a Pokémon Center. TMs can only be used once and only a few can be bought at stores (unless you use the MissingNo. glitch to duplicate your items). HMs suck because they take up valuable move slots and cannot be forgotten. You also have to pause the game and select what Pokémon to use and then use the specific move in the overworld.

Some Pokémon require trading to evolve which now seems impossible to do since nobody is going to use a link cable to trade with you which also means you won't be able to complete your Pokédex.

The Bottom Line
Even though I listed a lot of flaws and probably some that I've forgotten to add, I recommend playing this just to see how far later Pokémon games have changed for the better. You'll still have fun with it, especially if you're a fan of JRPGs. Look up a guide if you need to find out Pokémon's movesets, because you'll be surprised by which Pokémon are borderline useless during your playthrough.

The Good

Somewhat fun to play

Good track variety

Solid item balancing—items like blue shells and lightning, which are famously overabundant in later Mario Kart installments, are quite rare here, whereas some of the more moderately aggressive items (red shells, stars) are pleasantly commonplace

The Bad

Feels like a considerable step down from its 3D predecessor, Mario Kart 64

Loose, floaty controls

Has aged very poorly graphically

Below-par music—a few songs are actively annoying

The Bottom Line

Substandard. In addition to being the least innovative entry in the franchise, Mario Kart: Super Circuit has aged like fine milk. Every other Mario Kart game massively outclasses it in one way or another and would be a better choice to play.

The Good
I like the awesome setting and story

The Bad
The game is rather unbalanced. I've put quite a lot of points into pistol use, but now that my initial bullets are spent there's nowhere to get new ones, making every battle nearly impossible. A stimpack that only heals a fraction of my hitpoints is as expensive as everything I own combined! The first time I went to the scorpion cave I killed 6 of the 9 scorpions without so much of a scratch. Then I died with the seventh. Then I loaded a save-game and tried again and died because of the first scorpion 3 times in a row! Random dice throws at its worst. I fail to see the challenge or fun in that...

The Bottom Line
My notes from 2008: The setting is awesome, but gameplay wise it's not up to par with Baldur's Gate or Planescape Torment. And I would have thought that I would like the turn-based system more than the now more common real time system, since I used to play Baldur's gate with so many autopauses that it was practically turn-based. But somehow I didn't, which left me confused. It's too slow, particularly with lots of enemies like in the Necropolis or the Raider Camp. The slowness doesn't bother me much in tabletop rpg-ing with friends because when it's not your turn you can still chat with each other, but for a computer RPG it annoys me. Maybe a hybrid form between real time and turn based remains the best solution (for me at least).

The Good
It's fun to map out the dungeon and explore all the nooks and crannies.

The Bad
It does get a bit repetitive and lacking in the sound and story departments.

The Bottom Line
Get yourself some graph paper before you start!

The Good
The pistol feels really nice and powerful. Also the vehicle sections are quite cool!

The Bad
It's nice that the game has both indoor and outdoor environments, but the indoor environments are incredibly boring and repetitive. A real shame.

I did manage to push myself through, but once you get endless waves of Flood enemies I threw in the towel and uninstalled the game.

The Bottom Line
While the game might have been revolutionary on Xbox, on PC it's just a mediocre shooter compared to the competition at the time.

Perhaps it was a lot of fun in multiplayer, which I never played.

The Good
The first Tomb Raider game I played was Tomb Raider II and I only played the original many years later in 2009. But I still loved it, in spite of some frustrations with the controls. The atmosphere is amazing, the puzzles are fun and the claustrophobia is real. Like more games from this era you'll feel desolation exploring these tombs all alone. Also the game can be downright thrilling. Multiple times I nearly had a hard attack due to enemies suddenly lurking around the corner. I don't often have that in games. Particularly the raptors and apes had this effect.

The Bad
No matter if you play it in DOSBox or with a Glide emulator. While atmospheric, the game looks absolutely terrible by anything but 1996 standards.

The movement controls don't really stand the test of time. with no grace frames whatsoever to perform the complex movements later on in the game. The camera is also atrocious.

Combat is super lame.

I had great fun with all the levels up until the Coliseum and Midas Temple. Which I found majorly frustrating. The game picks up again after that. The puzzles get better in the final stretch of the game, but the setting is absolutely absurd and nonsensical, which is a shame.

The Bottom Line
While not the best Tomb Raider game, it's still easy to see why it was so popular at the time. It didn't stand the test of time too well.

The Good

• Great blend of genres
• Interesting story and characters
• FMV quality
• Really scary!
• Great exploration game
• Great ambiance

The Bad

• Poorer FMV quality near the end
• Limited combat
• Poor AI
• Grind puzzles
• MIDI music

The Bottom Line
I had never really heard of this game, until I stumbled upon it here on MobyGames. So it was quite a surprise to find out how good this game is. It's a mixture of various genres, but blends well into a nice coherent package. The game plays in first person in a 3D world and in that regard can be compared to Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss or the Tex Murphy series. But it also features first person shooter combat which adds a hint of DOOM. The story is told through interactive movies with real actors in Full Motion Video (FMV).

The first shock was that the FMV sequences are actually quite good! It's not often that I'm not terribly annoyed with the acting in games. Although I must say that near the end of the game the quality of the FMVs notably decreases, which is a shame.

The story is quite interesting. It's a bit "out there", but it's neatly tied into the game and worked out in quite a deep level of detail. In the game you can have conversations with your female side-kick about pretty much any person, item, concept or location of importance in the game. This gives the player a lot of information about everything. There are also many diaries to be found which detail the worlds even further.

The player starts out going to an old mansion after the death of the protagonist's father. The mansion can be explored at will and is the first portal through various worlds. While the game is mostly "DOOM"-style small corridors, there are no loading screens. Almost the entire game-world is connected. So at any time the player can backtrack all the way back to the starting area. And quite often he'll have to. The only times the game play is interrupted is by FMV sequences and the odd "Please insert disc 4" message.

The main game play mechanic in this game is exploration. The levels can be quite a maze and often a lot of items have to be found. There's no "auto-map", but it's possible to find a hand drawn map of each area. These maps are a real life save because the areas are rather maze-like and huge! The player can not look at the map while walking however, so some navigational skills and a good memory come highly recommended.

There are various kinds of puzzles in the game varying from finding the right key for the right lock to pushing buttons and more logic-skill puzzles you'd expect to find in The 7th Guest. All in all they're a lot of fun, but some require a bit too much exploration to find arbitrary items. The most important example being a machine which requires 16 brains which are spread out through a maze of windy passages with hardly any change in textures and a lot of similar rooms.

The combat can be a bit dull at times. This is mainly due to the poor AI. Monsters will almost always spawn near you and either walk towards you in straight line or shoot projectiles. In the beginning of the game you only have a pistol and later shotgun at your disposal, since ammo is rather precious this makes the game a real thriller. You really want to make every shot count or else you might have to fight the next monster in melee which usually isn't very good for your health. After a while you get various magical weapons which are powerful, but need time to reload which means you'll be running around a lot trying to dodge monsters. That is until you have enough magical weapons and one is always fully charged.

The graphics are good but not amazing. There are some nice lighting effects, breakable windows, mirrors and monsters that go up in flames when you kill them. There are some graphical bugs from time to time particularly in bigger rooms or long hallways when sometimes walls are drawn at an incorrect angle. There are some 3D objects in the game such as chairs, beds, cupboards etc. But all items and enemies are sprites. Most of them are drawn from six or eight angles so it's not too noticeable.

The music fits nicely, but I think it's a pity that it's all MIDI. Some CD redbook audio could have greatly enhanced the ambiance even further. The sound effects in the game are great.

I can recommend this game to anyone who likes hybrid genres that combine both action and adventure elements. And even if you like the one and not the other, you can set the difficulty for action and adventure separately to create the game of your dreams.

The Good
Conveys a lot of emotion. World is fun to explore and puzzles are nice.

The Bad
Nothing stands out negatively.

The Bottom Line
Machinarium is a very cute little game which conveys a lot of emotion. It's even more fun than I hoped it would be! A great improvement over the earlier Samorost games.

The Good
I thought the first game was OK, but this was the one that pushed me over. The level design is a billion times better (both graphically and when it comes to flow).

The inventory system was greatly improved, and there's less useless loot to pick up. Loot fever might be a good mechanic for games that don't have much else going for it, but ME2 proves that a good RPG doesn't need it.

The Bad
My biggest gripe with the game is the glitchy cover system. This is the first cover-based shooter that I play (not counting the Mafia 2 demo), and while I don't oppose to the system, I think they didn't implement it very well. It seems to be completely random which items you can't or can take cover behind. Sometimes there are two identical objects right next to each other, but you can't get cover behind one of the two. The same thing with the ability to jump over objects, I feel I'm at the level artists whim. If (s)he thought I might have liked to jump over a certain object, I can. But if (s)he didn't I can't. There's lot's of low ledges you can't jump over that are the same size or lower than ledges you can jump over. Also (particularly in the DLC missions) Sheppard tends to go flying when walking up or down ramps which has to do with sloppy bounding boxes and walkpaths I assume.

Actually, my biggest gripe with the game is the stun-lock that you get when hit by a missile or flamethrower. You get blown away from cover, massive damage, and are stunned for 2 seconds. There's absolutely no way you can survive that, so it all comes down to an insta-kill from the AI you can do nothing about. It should've been possible to quickly dash back to cover or something as a sort of quick-time event or whatever.

And what's with the gun that kills entire armies in a single shot? It feels more like a cheat. "Darn I got defeated twice in this battle. Oh well..." click *BOOM "GG!" I'm not sure that balances out, even if you can only use it once every two missions or so.

The free DLC missions are pretty mediocre.

The Bottom Line
Like with Star Wars, the best entry is the second in the series.

The Good
Great humor. Novel mechanic of controlling your minions using a controller.

The Bad
There's not a lot of challenge.

The Bottom Line
From my 2010 notes: I liked Overlord. It felt very new and fresh and the controls worked incredibly well and intuitive (on a controller at least). It was also very funny. While a fantasy spoof is of course nothing new, the jokes were well executed and it felt great rampaging the entire land as an evil menace, where most games would only allow you to be (as doctor Evil would put it) quasi-evil.

The Good
I mostly bought this to play with friends, which is alright, but I much prefer the faster pace of Unreal Tournament.

The tactical stealthy missions in single player are quite nice.

The Bad
The gun ho action sequences in single player just feel too random in outcome. Making them quite frustrating to play.

The Bottom Line
From my notes from 2010: I tried some Modern Warfare 2 single player. But I couldn't get into it. I liked the multiplayer mode when I played it on a LAN with friends but the single player mode is the same mixed bag as Modern Warfare 1. There's some tactical missions in which you have to be stealthy and kill the right enemies at the right time or avoid them. And they are a lot of fun and challenging. And then there's the "Random rockets, grenades and bullets flying everywhere" levels where everything is pretty much random and no tactics whatsoever will help you through because there are infinite enemies and showing face around any corner will turn it in a shrapnel and bullet magnet. I would have a lot of fun with this game if I could just skip these levels. Now it's just agony...

The Good
Same great BioShock experience, but with some improvements to the combat.

The Bad
The plot twist in the first game was one of the most memorable moments. This sequel doesn't manage to match up in that regard.

Despite playing a big daddy now, it plays mostly identical to when you were just a human.

The Bottom Line
My notes from 2010: It's good, but doesn't really offer anything new whatsoever. Could've been an expansion pack. I just wished there was something new in the game. Now it's just a déjà vu experience...

The Good
Super smooth controls. Awesome track builder. Great community with quasi infinite tracks to download. Instead of different car types like in previous Trackmania games, there are now different track types which basically allow the same car to behave in the ways of the different car types in the older games. But tracks can now mix and match allow for an even wider variety of tracks. Although lots of mixing doesn't often lead to a very good track, and merely to a more frustrating track.

The Bad
Subscription based, keeps you paying. While not expensive, it does feel a bit weird for a game that's more or less identical to the multiple games in the series I bought in the past.

The Bottom Line
First there was TrackMania (2003), a stunt racing game that evoked fond memories of the old DOS stunt racing game Stunts, albeit a bit quirky with cars that felt more like toy cars than real racing cars.

Then came TrackMania Sunrise which did away with the dinky toys to create a more serious look, which was different, but not necessarily more fun.

Then came free TrackMania Nations, which featured less modes, but focused more on the community building and eSports. This became the staple TrackMania we now know.

TrackMania United bundled all the previous games' modes into a single fantastically diverse game.

Then came another more stripped free game with Nations Forever. And TrackMania United was freely updated to United Forever to be brought up to par.

Then Trackmania 2 arrived on the scene, but required players to purchase each of the four game modes (released over time) separately. Leaving the game feel much less in quality and variety than United ever was.

Trackmania (2020) is an evolution of all the previous games. Instead of a boxed package like most of the previous games or free like Nations, instead it opts for a free base with a subscription model for all kinds of extras (like hosting LAN servers). It's not super pricey and if you like the game worth it in my opinion. But I can't help but shake the feeling I already bought this game multiple times in the last 20 years, with not a lot of changes. It solidifies and in a way is the most diverse Trackmania game yet, but on the other hand it doesn't really feel like much has changed at all since United in 2006. Not as bad as the Worms series, but still.

Big fan of the series? You probably just going to roll with this. New to the series? This is a great entry point. Casual fan of the series? You can just replay one of the older ones you already own if you just want to time trial.

The Good
Variety of events; fun concept. Pool Joust provides a decent challenge. Clever graphics and animations.

The Bad
The only event that provided any challenge is the Pool Joust, and it’s just not that fun. The other events are slightly fun, but with no real challenge. Really poor controls

The Bottom Line
The lack of challenge and poor, imprecise controls turn a fun concept into an annoyance.

The Good
The visuals are atmospheric and work wonders. the unlocking of new recipes happens in a natural way, which makes you want to push forward and explore, exploit, etc. It's nice to explore the islands different biomes.

The game allows for dedicated servers, mods, etc.

The Bad
It's super grindy. A lot of things in the game just feel like a chore. Combat isn't very satisfying. You just watch healthbars go down while struggling with your own stamina and health. There's no visual flair to make it fun to do.

You can build a lot of stuff, but the process is quite painful and tedious.

The Bottom Line
These grinds and chores are not elements I like in games so the game held little appeal for me.

The Good
It's beautiful, some levels/maps and ships are very neat.

The Bad
The story and cinematics are worse in the series, the gameplay misses the mark and is in many cases is outright broken. Just about everything feels off and under baked, the combat is to frantic to have much meaningful control or input, the attrition of units is to high, unit pathing is broken, unit behavior is broken. New features like the terrain with tunnels is a neat idea but ultimately pointless. The new roguelike mode is pretty dull and repetitive. The worst Homeworld game out of all of them by a considerable margin.

The Bottom Line
Game looks great, plays like a rough beta that ran out of budget. With an uninspired story and generic cinematics that removed a lot of what gave the Homeworld games the character that made them classics.

The Good
Offers an incredibly fun and smooth gameplay loop. Story is engaging and gradually revealed to the player via either audio logs or conversations. Incredibly in-depth world with plenty of room to speculate and question what has truly occurred. Unique art style that subverts the dull and repetitive graphics of modern day video-games, which doubles as allowing the game to run on almost any modern computer. Still remains under work with an incredulously receptive team that updates the game regularly.

The Bad
With its small team and low playerbase the updates made to the game vary in time taken and content within. Is not a perfect game and suffers from occasional bugs, wonky physics, lack of current customization options, unoptimized/empty areas and other issues involving the UI.

The Bottom Line
Abiotic Factor is a game that suffers very little in its future as a classically wonderful indie game within the current gaming scene. It offers a fun and enticing experience for both you or your friends.

The Good
Was one of the highest selling Indie games within the Xbox360 arcade marketplace. Offered a fun if not short experience to have with any number of people due to the low price point and easy to understand concept of the game.

The Bad
Is still at the end of the day a hastily created addition to the CastleMiner franchise attempting to replicate the success of sandbox crafting games such as Minecraft. A lack of updates led to saturation setting in very quickly within playthroughs.

The Bottom Line
A fun and easily playable experience that lacks progression and allows for anyone to play with the low price point. While it was lacking for the time, the hayday of this game within the indie marketplace was something to behold and provided a fun if dull experience.

The Good
A very solid exploration platforming game. Not as impressive as Ori or Hollow Knight, but manages to entertain from start to finish. The digging mechanic is fun to play with and reduces the emphasis on combat. Some of the upgrades you get later on really change the way you play the game.

The Bad
Can't think of anything that's bad.

The Bottom Line
Highly recommended if you like Metroidvania style games. It's not super challenging though.

The Good
Fast-paced, frantic action. Lots of opportunities to improvise with objects in the level. Plenty of secrets to uncover depending on how you perform in the levels.

The Bad
The "to be continued" at the end says it all. This game's dying for a sequel. Lots of story threads that don't get resolved.

The Bottom Line
This game certainly takes inspiration from Hotline Miami, for themes, non-linear storytelling, and difficulty alike. Oh, right, and the music! It's still got an identity of its own, a story with lots of cool twists and turns, and challenging boss fights. I really hope this game gets the sequel it's hoping for, because I'm eager to see where the story goes from here!

The Good
The positive, light-hearted vibes with a little bit of a funny-bone. From start to end, this is a feel-good game. Friendly and eccentric characters throughout the whole adventure. Soundtrack's comfy.

The Bad
For the most part, if you're looking for a challenging game, you're in the wrong place.

The Bottom Line
It's adorable. A very light-hearted game with relatively simple puzzles, a silly writing and cozy music. Lots of charm from start to finish.

I missed a couple animal photos here and there, but otherwise I've experienced the whole game, including the Basto Island expansion, in around 6 hours. They were spent with almost no moments of frustration and only having to look up one or two puzzles that eluded me.

As it stands, this is my favorite casual game I've played, and I'd easily recommend it for anyone who's after the vibe this game gives off. It's a welcome change of pace, compared to more popular high-octane action stuff.

The Good
One of a short list of roguelikes I'd actually recommend finishing Music's incredible, each gun's got a unique feel, lots of challenging boss fights that become pretty fun when you learn their patterns. The random perks in each run are varied enough that what you get early on can radically change your approach to the end. Health bars mean you can afford a couple missteps and keep your run going.

The Bad
The monochrome (+blood red) aesthetic can be a bit hard to read sometimes. Takes some getting used to.

The Bottom Line
Very satisfying top-down shooter roguelike. Music's incredible, and, while challenging I found it to be less unfair than the Hotline Miamis that inspired it. Easily recommend!

The Good
The game's main mechanics of controlling the terrain's elevation get used to great effect.

The Bad
The audio holds it back on almost all fronts. Sound effects are weak, voice acting is amateurish. The controls are a bit slow and floaty by design, which can be a turn-off for some.

The Bottom Line
It's actually a really neat game for a dev's first title. It's very obscure, and it's not without its faults, but for a 3hr game there's fun to be had here.

The Good
Fast action, great hack-and-slash controls, two playable protagonists with different cutscenes.

The Bad
Somea of the bosses are a bit brutal difficulty-wise. It's obvious which protagonist has the canon story, since the level structure much more closely follows Yuki's quest.

The Bottom Line
One of XBLA's hidden gems, this game's plenty of fun for fans of stylish action games.

The Good
Gameplay loop is very refined. Whether you play through it aggressive or cautious, there's always a way to keep making progress.

The Bad
There's roguelike elements, which can be a turnoff for some.

The Bottom Line
The dev's worked closely with his community and a long-running youtube development serious to make the game as robustly fun as possible. I think, in general, Lychee Games succeeded with this approach.

The Good
Story is oozing with charm. Music's great. Lots of nods to classic sidescrollers. The princesses have a lot of personality

The Bad
Despite being a platformer, can't recommend gamepad controls over mouse and keyboard here. The main attack needs to be aimed like a twin-stick shooter, but since you can't hit jump and aim a punch at the same time, some rebinding might be required. Much easier with mouse aim and wasd controls.

The Bottom Line
Instead of saving princesses, you're out there capturing them. The writing steals the show for me. It's got a good sense of wit and humor to it. Despite its control quirks, I personally feel it deserves a lot more plays than it's gotten so far.

Worth mentioning there's a webcomic that continues the story. Worth checking out if you're a fan as well!

The Good
The twists and turns in the story keep you guessing where it's going next. The map is full of unexpected surprises, secret passages and oddities to keep you entertained.

The Bad
One puzzle piece stumped me along the way, had me walking the halls of the suite for much longer than I did on subsequent playthroughs.

The Bottom Line
This game captures what it was like inside the dreams of a kid who's played way too many N64 and PS2 games. It's an outlandish and surprising adventure, with a lot of lovely commentary on the music world throughout. Enjoyed it a lot!

The Good
Diving for treasure is a simply but dangerous pastime. The deeper you go, the more dangerous it is to run out of oxygen, or die trying not to die from a shark attack. I found it well worth replaying as a kid, and still today it is challenging enough to warrant for gaming .a night or two

The Bad
No sound other than a beep here and then.

The Bottom Line
A classic title from 1983 that is worth it still today.

The Good
This game allows you to play like you are a part of the show, or even play special episodes or as the Banker.

The Bad
The art style is among the worst I've seen. The characters look like monkeys and were poorly designed.

The Bottom Line
The arcade game is way better.

The Good
The game looks amazing, especially for a free to play game. The gunplay is pretty solid and despite an overload of systems they made it so it's easy to get into the game. I played both with strangers which is very easy to hop in and out of and with people I knew which can be quite fun.

I played a class with a grenade launcher and the grenades were really easy to use. There game is clever enough to apply a bit of aim assistance to make sure the grenade ends up exploding exactly where you want it. It makes you feel quite powerful.

The game clearly places a high attention to detail.

The Bad
The game starts out pretty fun, but every time you return to the hub you are reminded of the dozens of systems that exist in the game. And because it's a free to play game you just know these systems exist purely to eventually get you to spend money on buying off timers, purchasing consumables and cosmetics. Maybe it's not so bad as other free to play games? I don't know cause I'm not going to stick around to find out.

The Bottom Line
I don't want to fall into that dark hole of dark design patterns. I'd rather play a game designed to be more fun the more I play.

The Good
Very cleverly designed game in the style of a more rudimentary Legend of Zelda or Metroid. The gameplay is entirely pacifist (or almost entirely) and focused on exploration and item collecting. The abilities you get are not many, but most of them are very useful and well thought.

It has this interesting idea that you basically cannot get a game over. Instead of dying you get teleported home, fully healed and keeping all items. You lose a day but it is very forgiving penalty. It's a bit similar with what we've seen we've seen later in Super Metroid or System Shock.

The Bad
Compared to something like Metroid, the game world is way more open, and you have access to most of it from the beginning. This part of the game can be a bit overwhelming, learning all the different locations with the constant need to get food and rest acting as a timer is tough.

The Bottom Line
I rate it for it's time, since many later games did it better. For an early Commodore game, it's well polished, the graphics are clean enough, and the world-building is a level above what a other platform games were doing thanks to being based on a series of books.

The Good
+ Not bad visuals for a 2005 game (but could be better)

The Bad
- Lack of interesting characters, which comes with a lack of interesting dialogues (in fact, there were almost none NPCs till the moment I stopped playing) - No ability to use collected items (everything is used automatically, which is strange for a point'n'click game) - Interesting location at first glance (it's some kind of Hogwarts after all) which quickly hits us with huge, empty and plain boring sublocations - Really hard puzzles that are overly complicated and sometimes not even working (no wonder the authors gave us an option to skip them) - Walking from point A to B is often a long chore, which makes backtracking common and annoying - Unintuitive map

The Bottom Line
I must say, Keepsake is probably the worst and most boring point'n'click game that I have ever played up till now (I played a lot of these). It's not about aging, because need I remind you about a masterpiece called The Longest Journey from 1999, which was so captivating in every aspect? Keepsake simply cannot make me intersted enough to keep going with its bland plot, characters and locations. Don't try this game unless you are a really, REALLY patient gamer that won't get bored with anything easily.

The Good
-Awesome core mechanic. -Tells what ends up being a dark and meaningful story with relatively few words. -Doesn't overstay its welcome. -Combat feels great. -Not grindy.

The Bad
-Some may find it fairly short. -VERY easy. -Quite linear. -Some side quests can be missed if not completed soon after you get them.

The Bottom Line
I really enjoyed this game, but there are a couple of caveats that might turn off certain players.

Firstly, this has a simply told, but fairly meaningful and surprisingly dark story that ends in a way I did not see coming. It does a good job at conveying a lot of meaning without needing a ton of words to do it. The titular Gunbrella is also an awesome combination of multiweapon and traversal tool, giving your character a way to move around that I've never seen in another game, but which also feels fantastic and is easy to master.

You will travel around the world, unraveling the story and completing optional quests for people you'll meet along the way. Don't sit on them too long though as there are several you can miss if you progress too far before completing them. At certain points, you can go back and forth between areas, but this is pretty linear overall.

The two things that I didn't mind, but that I think some might is that Gunbrella is both very short and VERY easy. My playthrough where I did most of the side quests, but missed a couple only took me about 5 hours, though How Long to Beat says 100%-ing it can take up to 10. I also died maybe a half dozen times in the entire game and half of those were on the final boss, who I thought might be a challenge until I discovered something quickly that made him trivial. Unless you have bad aim or bad reflexes, you won't find this challenging at all. I didn't mind either of these things as I prefer shorter games these days and sometimes, I just enjoy a fun adventure that isn't a skill test, but some players will find the lack of challenge boring. That's fair if you're that type of player, so you should know that.

I had a good time with this and I hope Doinksoft makes more stuff like it.

The Good
This is so hard to rate, because on one hand, these are the original Sega console Sonic games. On the other, this is a lazy cash-grab that does nothing to enhance the games themselves. The Game Gear games truly save this collection from being one star from me, they're all hidden gems in their own special way, even Labyrinth.

The Bad
Oh, no. I had high hopes when this was announced and every expectation of mine was absolutely not met. This is not the definitive way to play Sonic at all. It's the opposite, this is the absolute worst way to experience Sonic 2 and 3. If someone is playing Sonic for the first time through this collection... I am so sorry Sega did this to you.

The Bottom Line
Sonic 3 is almost unplayable. There was so very little updated that it's not at all worth going back to. At least with the Game Gear games we got, they were releasing in the west for the first time in about 20 years. Other than that, Sonic 1, 2, and CD are just the mobile ports. I don't like to throw the word "lazy" around a lot but this fits the bill.

The Good
It's muscle memory and addicting gameplay in its purest form. My reflexes are forever imbued with Donkey Kong instincts. Repetitive gameplay will never be this fun again.

The Bad
It's only 4 levels. There is not enough content for a new player to even consider picking up. And that's sad, given how influential this game is.

The Bottom Line
You don't absolutely need to play Donkey Kong, but it's not a crime either. It's about halfway between average and good, but also taking into account the basic graphics, this isn't THE greatest game, even of 1981.

The Good
The two words, "Pac-Man," immediately brings to mind the maze genre. It changed the name of an entire genre to "Pac-Man clone". If that's not an indication of how popular it was, I have no idea what is. Wait, maybe I do. Commercials, sequels, merch, ports, multiple TV shows... Pac-Man is everywhere. Namco has been milking this cash cow for nearly 40 years and it's not running dry anytime soon. It's not a deep game. It's not the absolute most fun game you'll ever play. But it's history, and that matters.

The Bad
Literally two-dimensional gameplay. Nearly no depth makes replaying it more of a time killer than anything else. It's fun if you haven't played it in a while, but let's be real, everyone in the English-speaking world has probably played Pac-Man in some form over the past 365 days at any given time.

The Bottom Line
It's Pac-Man. I don't know why I'm reviewing this, it's literal Pac-Man in every sense. You don't need a review, because you have and inevitably will play it.

The Good
It's fun. It's not flashy. It's not deep. It's just a shooting gallery, and it does its job spectacularly in that department. Also, some of the animations are goofy, which I don't see as a bad thing,

The Bad
Graphics aren't great on any platform, and it's somewhat difficult, which wouldn't be a bad thing if it wasn't such a shallow game.

The Bottom Line
Not particularly outstanding, but definitely pick it up and play if you see a cabinet or a cartridge out in the wild. It's a good time all around.

The Good
The art is striking in general. Everything is extremely detailed, and it adds atmosphere to what would otherwise be an average game.

The Bad
It's way too hard. Even at the easiest setting, this is brutal. And not in a fair way. This game legitimately cheats. I don't mean that in the way like "Oh, it's so hard, it's almost like cheating", I mean, this game was designed to eat coins at arcades. It's borderline unfun.

The Bottom Line
It's a watered down NES Castlevania except for the graphics, which are extremely good for 1988. Don't seek this game out, it adds little value to the series.

The Good
Widely considered the peak of the 2600's technical abilities, this game also plays well, believe it or not. Feels more like an NES game than an Atari game and I mean that in the best way possible.

The Bad
This game has been rereleased a ton of times. The reason I bring this up is because on its own, the game is shallow compared to modern games in its own genre. But if you get it in a collection, or buy it as a cartridge, you'll get your money's worth.

The Bottom Line
This masterpiece of the 2600 might not seem like much now, but surely back in the day it was impressive. Bonus points for this game pulling off everything on plain 2600 hardware and not exploding.

The Good
This is the best game I've ever played gameplay-wise. Putting it into words doesn't do it justice. You can interact with nearly anything, and the clever player can turn anything anywhere into an assassination opportunity in any of the semi-open world maps. Not to mention, Agent 47's veteran voice returned to the series, keeping the same stoic personality fans have known since the beginning. Cutscenes look great, and the in-game graphics, while not revolutionary, still hold up well.

The Bad
The story takes a backseat, especially during escalations. As much as I love this game, the story during 2 and 3 isn't interesting until near the end. Taking into consideration the World of Assassination bundle with all three "seasons", Hitman 2016 is the peak of this trilogy's storytelling. The gunplay and combat has not changed since 2016, save for adding a few new weapons, but even then those aren't always used in straight-up fights.

The Bottom Line
In consideration for my favorite game of all time. As for if new players will enjoy it, well, it's a different experience for everyone, and that's a good and bad thing. Overall, if you're into stealth games, this is the pinnacle of AAA gaming in my opinion.

The Good
Taking after the previous BioShock and System Shock titles, the gameplay is expectedly excellent. RPG elements, the vigor powers, the bombastic arsenal of guns and other weapons, it's all here for Irrational's swansong.

The Bad
Where to begin... The story is absolutely horrid. It does nothing to immerse the player or make them interested in the stakes. All it makes me want to do is skip the cutscenes. Burial at Sea does a better job of storytelling, but not by much. 1999 Mode feels like an afterthought, and while it was supposed to be more than just a difficulty setting, the plans for it were scrapped, leaving the mode in a hollow shell of it's prerelease self.

The Bottom Line
While I personally like this game just fine, it has no appeal whatsoever to both hardcore fans and players jumping into the franchise for the first time. It's good, but if you want a truly great game, just play the other BioShock titles.