Kraven

Hades 2 and Replaced are day one downloads for me. There is an excellent list of games this month.

It’s a great tool for customers who want to dabble in variety. I actually re-subbed a few days ago. With that said, I tend to buy my games (even if they are on Game Pass) when they are on sale knowing they might leave the service at some point. But I do agree - with the current games on the service, it’s hard to ignore.

@TrollOfWar I should have clarified. They aren’t playing Marathon. They are playing Arc Raiders and The Division 2.

Also, I make bad decisions. lol.

The same as last week—and will be for the foreseeable future—Marathon (PS5).

With that said, I’ve actually been in an Xbox mood as of late. I typically play on the PS5 or Switch, but Marathon has me wanting to play online with buddies, and they are Microsoft focused. And yeah … I may have double dipped. You don’t have to judge me, alright; I am judging myself.

On a tangent, if you ignore the incessant negativity about console wars on Twitter (X; I’m looking at you, SnapPlay) about either brand, and people bashing others for liking certain games on whichever console they prefer, the overall product is quite amazing. Seriously, all I’ve been seeing lately from people is, “IGN scored Marathon a 9, but Crimson Desert a 6. They are paid shills. Their credibility is so bad.” It’s at least something to that effect. And it’s not just with those two games — it’s practically everything. It’s mentally exhausting trying to find a community where people celebrate games as they are, regardless of the console it belongs to.

Anyway, back on topic. If you mute out the discourse about Xbox (though it has been positive lately with its changes in leadership), you will see how it’s a great consumer product. Game Pass, while expensive, is still a great deal for customers. Backward compatibility is also a strong features. While Xbox may not have any (console) exclusive games to draw you into buying the consoles, it has an extensive library worth checking out.

So, yeah. Maybe I did go on a shopping spree and buy a handful of games on the Spring sale. I thoroughly enjoy third party games on Xbox more than anywhere else. In the sale, I picked up Silent Hill f, Hell Is Us, and Arc Raiders. I also redownloaded The Division 2 to play cooperatively with my best friend.

In conclusion, what I’m trying to say is I’m 113 hours deep in Marathon, and I’ve decided to play it on another console. That is the TL;DR version of this disjointed rant 👍

I picked up Silent Hill f. I am somewhat tempted to get Hell Is Us, too.

@Broosh I was thinking of picking up those games as well. I’ve dabbled in the first game a bit, enjoyed it, but got busy and never played again. It was fun, though.

I literally just bought Arc Riders yesterday … sigh. Alan Wake 2 might be worth a purchase, though!

Oh, this is cool news. I’ll probably check it out depending on the price. Either way, I recommend people try this game out if they haven’t played it before.

There are at least five games on this list that I want to play. April is stacked! Just yesterday I booted my Series X up for the first time in months, and re-subscribed to Game Pass. There are many excellent games that I’ve been wanting to (re)play.

Pragmata and Hades 2 for me, though I’ve spent at least 50+ hours on the latter on my Switch 2.

This should be a pretty great showcase, even if the games weren’t coming to PlayStation. It’s weird, I’m primarily a PS and Nintendo guy, but I’ve been in an Xbox mood lately, particularly with their recent game pass additions. I think I’ll actually boot up my Series X and play there for a while. Plus, I’ve been wanting to jump back into the Division, and my friends all play it on the Xbox. And I’ve also been hankering for a replay of the Gears of War trilogy.

All I ever wanted was Singularity but that seems to be a lost cause at this point.

I’m thoroughly enjoying it so far! I’m a big fan of the first game and this newest entry is even better so far. And the gunplay is very good. I’m surprised by how much Obsidian has improved combat. It feels incredible to play.

What am I playing this weekend? What do you think - Baldur’s Gate 3, of course. As I sit by the campfire playing fetch with my dog Scratch, I can’t help but reflect what one day can do to a man, or in this case, a Dwarf monk.

My journey in the Shadow Lands has been quite an adventure. I messed around and found out because I’m somehow the savior of this disastrous locale. Throughout my time, I’ve told Marcus Falgor, this bulking man with childish harpy wings, to scram. He didn’t, but I made him, y’know? Afterwards, to celebrate my victory, I shared a few drinks with Thisobald. I used my monk’s willpower to stay sober while we swapped stories. I can’t say the same for him. Who knew beer could cause spontaneous combustion? It was a darn shame - I was enjoying his company. Oh, well; things happen.

Subsequently, upon leaving the tavern I got stopped by this gold blob - a toll collector by the name of Gerringothe Thorm. I didn’t like the cut of her gib, not one bit. She was too damn shiny. I convinced her to see the error of her ways and she responded by giving me all of her coin, including herself. It was just another day in the Forgotten Realms … so I thought.

In comes this googly-eyed weirdo; Malus Thorm is his name. What are with these Thorm people, anyway? Lady Shar Almighty. Anyway, I just wanted a touch-up to survive the evening. Instead, I walked into a hospital filled with undead nurses performing surgery on some poor man screaming in agony. Malus had a brilliant idea: having his nurses perform surgery on me. Are you a jester? We just met, you clown. I told him I don’t float that boat because I don’t let people under my skin until people are properly trained. He understood and told his staff to practice on each other. Let me tell you - they did an excellent job. Too good, in fact. That wasn’t enough, though. I told him practice makes perfect. He was confused, so I urged him to see how surgery feels on himself. That was the end of that.

So yeah, long story short, my playthrough is going better than expected. Me and Scratch are hanging out, playing fetch, and just mingling by the campfire before I see what shenanigans I can get up to at the Moonrise Towers.

Last week I talked about how I’m playing Baldur’s Gate 3 - taking my time, playing in spurts, and eventually completing it after reaching the end of Act 2. It would be at this point where fatigue settles in and I would ultimately shelve the game for months, only to come back, forget the mechanics, and create a new character. This process would be repeated over and over.

Meanwhile, my initial goal was to play BG3 between other games: Metal Gear Solid Delta, Shinobi: Art of Vengeance, and Hollow Knight Silksong. Let me state for the record - those goals have gone to hell in a hand basket. I am in DEEEEEEP waters on my trek to reach the pinnacle of Act 3. I genuinely can’t get enough of it, and I’m about to wrap up the second act with a newfound sense of energy.

What blows my mind is how different this playthrough is compared to my previous ones. I have this awful habit in RPGs where I tend to choose the “good guy” route whenever there is dialogue choices. Moreover, I play the same type of character if I can - a high-elf, rogue assassin. And when I get a bad roll of the dice I reload my save until I get the outcome I wanted. This time, however, I’m a Dwarf monk and it has been awesome. I’m letting the rolls dictate the story, good or bad - a true RPG experience. What I wasn’t expecting is how unsatisfying rolls can actually create better moments throughout side quests and main campaign.

Simply put, there is a lot of game here. You never feel as if you missed out on something special regardless of your good or bad choices because the writing is so top notch that every thread is meticulously fleshed out so you can get the ultimate experience. My actions are generally good, but also morally grey. I tend to find the root of the problem and rip it out, but if I can use it to my advantage then I will. I’m living my best life in BG3 and wouldn’t have it any other way.

I want to conclude my rant by making a bold proclamation: from a video game perspective, BG3 might be the greatest of all time. That’s not to say it’s my favorite, but in totality I think it measures up to that threshold. To me, it’s the epitome of what I have always envisioned games to be ever since I could comprehend the basics in 1994.

A rich, lush world beckoning to be explored, filled with many secrets to uncover? Check. Freedom and allows for player expression? Double check. An incredible cast of characters with unique personalities, deep history to learn about, fully fleshed out, and having an experience tailor made to each individual and play-style? Triple check. Writing that is on another level, to the point where each interaction with any character or NPC feels meaningful? Quadruple check. Every facet of this game is seamlessly woven together, and I don’t understand it. I don’t want to, either. I’m just happy it exists.

This weekend I’m not playing anything. My wife and I surprised our daughter with her first ever tickets to a concert in Chicago, so that’s where we will be for the next couple of days. It will be our first time there, so we are going to do all of the touristy things. To say I’m excited to finally try Chicago deep dish pizza for the first time is an understatement.

However, throughout the week I decided to start a fresh playthrough in Baldur’s Gate 3. I’ve done this twice - both times reaching the end of Act 2, but getting fatigued and putting the game down for a long while. It’s truly a special game, but I have a tendency to implement the same style of play each time - a high elf, rogue assassin that focuses on stealth and archery. I do this with The Elder Scrolls, too.

This time I’m making a devoted effort to play in different ways. For starters, I’m a Dwarf with the subclass of Paladin. Secondly, I have a terrible habit of save scumming and being a good guy. While I will still be good, I’m going to choose dialogue options that are appropriate rather than solely choosing the “right” response, and whatever the dice rolls I am going to allow myself to accept the decision, good or bad. And lastly, I’m going to try new character abilities during combat. I generally play it safe and focus on raw strength and advantages rather than coming up with unique methods to approach combat, or not at all.

So far, my experimentation has turned out quite well. Who knew using magic was so fun? I’m throughly enjoying how I approach every situation and living with the results. Moreover, by doing so, I’m discovering unexpected side quests that I never found in my first two endeavors, and branching narratives that I can tell will have an impact later on. I’m really curious to see how things evolve.

The one thing that will never change: romancing Shadowheart. That will remain a constant until Gale decides to end us all with an explosion of jealousy and addiction. And on an unrelated side note - I’m praying for a Nintendo Switch 2 port because I’ll be doing a lot of traveling this upcoming year and it would be the perfect companion piece.

I finished up the platinum trophy for Mafia: The Old Country this week. I found it to be the epitome of a 7/10 game which is a compliment. I honestly would rate it higher if not for a couple of nagging issues that prevent it from excelling.

The story and characters are very well written and acted. I managed to get invested in their arc(s) and care about the main protagonist and his fate. It may have been a predictable tale, but that didn’t stop it from being effective. My complaint, however, lies with its ending. It wasn’t bad—it was rushed. There should have been a few more chapters sprinkled in to flesh out the narrative. There are character perspectives that go from adoring someone in the Mafioso family to complete defilement in the span of one chapter. It didn’t make sense. Thematically, I understand, but how we got to that destination felt diluted.

On the other side of things, I found the gameplay solid and enjoyable. The driving felt more intuitive than Mafia 1, and the combat and stealth mechanics were great, albeit uninspired. It felt like an Uncharted game from the early PS3-era, with its cover based shooting, stealth elements, and set pieces.

The only real annoyance I have with the game - and this dates back to Mafia 1 - is the collectibles. My goodness, talk about atrocious. The developers really needs to come up with a better system for how you acquire these items, particularly when it’s an limited open world that encourages you to stay on the main course by having a countdown of 15 seconds to return to the main objective if you stray off the beaten path. Guess where at least a partial amount of those collectibles are; yep, you guessed it.

Thankfully, once you beat the game there is an option for chapter replay and “explore” mode, meaning you have access to the entire world map. This sounds great in theory, but it still makes hunting for collectibles tiresome. They won’t appear on the map unless you are physically next to it. This wouldn’t be much of an issue if there was an incentive to get out of your vehicle or dismount from your horse, but there isn’t. Speaking of the map, you can’t set any markers, so you are constantly opening and closing your map to see how close you are to your destination.

What doesn’t appear on the map regardless if you are near is the infamous foxes that you can obtain. There are 50 of them total, and unlike other collectibles such as Newspapers, Saint cards, and Photographs, they don’t have a specific name registered to them. Moreover, some of these collectibles are exclusively tied to main missions, and since there is no tracker for what you have or haven’t collected in the story, good luck with the hunt.

Overall, I think the game is good to borderline great. If you’re a fan of a tight narrative with compelling characters and serviceable gameplay you should definitely try this game out. There are a few stumbles along the way with its pacing, but if you’re looking for something to beat over a weekend then you can’t go wrong with this game.

I feel like this could be a sleeper hit, similarly to Banishers last year. I’ll be keeping my eye on this — I hope it reviews well.

I’m also playing, finally, Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound. It’s brilliant, challenging, features precise platforming and engaging combat, but it doesn’t rush you to the next transition screen. You can take your time if you want, but you also feel like a badass if you rush in and mow down enemies without being hit. There is a deep level of satisfaction due to the degree of difficulty Ninja Gaiden is as a whole. With Blasphemous and now this, I can’t wait to see what TGK cooks up next. Castlevania, perhaps? Please.

I want to start by saying I’m very easy to please when it comes to video games and thank goodness for that. Throughout my 35-years I have seen many game reviews that are either mediocre, average, or my favorite, 7/10, and oftentimes I end up adoring them. I reflect on the pre-internet days in the 90s when my parents would take me to the movie/game rental store and I’d pick out NES games based on the box art; sometimes they were great games, sometimes they weren’t, but I discovered a lot of games that I love that I later found out weren’t reviewed well once the internet became prominent.

That brings me to Blades of Fire. It has a respectable user score of 8.2 on Metacritic, while (some) critics weren’t that high on the game. Nonetheless, it clearly made a positive impression on the players, and I am one of them. I’m glad I took a chance on it despite its generic box-art because it’s the definition of “don’t judge a book by its cover”, and I’m enthralled by it.

First and foremost, it’s a 3D action adventure whilst simultaneously being a Metroidvania. This should come to no surprise considering their most recent game was a new 2D Metroid (Dread). Some people have touted it as a Souls-like, which I think is an inaccurate comparison. It may feel that way in terms of its difficulty, and believe me, it’s not even close to being that hard in terms of defining it as an entire genre built on that punishment.

The game shines in its combat, offering a wide array of weapons and combat techniques. Each weapon has its unique move-set and the way to attack enemies is based on directional hits. It’s a distinctive combat system that really requires you to experiment. And the way to acquire new weapon types is by defeating enemies a certain number of times, making you feel like you’re always progressing. However, you have to forge these weapons in order to obtain them. It’s an addictive mini-game that plays a drastic role in your success or failure in future combat encounters.

The game world itself is charming—it really does feel like that old school PS3/Xbox 360-era of action adventure games where the characters are over the top, the story is bombastic but fun, and it doesn’t take itself too seriously. It evokes feelings of when I played the original original God of War for the first time, and that’s probably the most accurate description for the entire game because it plays like it in terms of progression, exploration, and combat.

I have only one real complaint, and if it was handled a little bit more eloquently this game would be top tier for me; that is the level design and map. While exploration is rewarding, it’s very easy to get lost despite the game being touted as linear. There are so many interweaving paths in dense sections and it can become confusing, and the overworld map does little to help with navigation. I think it would benefit greatly with a mini map. With that said, it has Metroidvania DNA so it’s meant to be obtuse. Additionally, I’m playing on the hardest difficulty where it doesn’t show you where your next objective is, so exploring your surroundings and paying attention to dialogue is key to advancing the story.

Do they still do lay-away? Lol.

@DeadSpace Yeah, I’ve lost my way a few times now, but thankfully when I go the wrong way on accident it leads me to something rewarding, so I wasn’t getting too frustrated. My only real complaint right now is the dodging. I wish it wasn’t the left bumper and could be changed to the O button. With that said, I understand why it’s not and I’m slowly adapting.

This week I’ve played, beaten, and got the platinum trophy in RoboCop: Rogue City - Unfinished Business. I think it’s exceptionally better than its predecessor, which says a lot because I think highly of the base package.

I like how the game is set in one location - a tower where your goal is to reach the pinnacle. This allows the game to set its own pace. For the most part it succeeds, though it does falter from time to time. Throughout its 10-hour runtime, the game switches its perspective by allowing you to play as other characters for a brief moment. They are short and sweet, but add context to its totally 80s-90s story.

When you get to play as Alex Murphy the game feels different to play in a positive way. The developer clearly has a knack for the first person shooter genre and it shows by how smooth the gunplay feels as a regular Joe instead of RoboCop.

I do have a few issues with the game. First, I wish there was more weapon variety. While there is large arsenal to choose from, there is only one weapon that is new compared to the first entry. To be fair, it’s a linear expansion that takes place immediately after the events of the main game, so it’s only a minor, almost irrelevant complaint. Plus, your quintessential Auto-9 feels amazing to use throughout the entire experience.

My second problem is the RPG-lite mechanics. You gain experience points and can level up various abilities, but I think the options could have been trimmed significantly. You can dump all your acquired points in the engineering tree so you can eventually unlock the ability to open all safes in the game without a combination. This is an essentially useless considering I only discovered one safe throughout the game and there wasn’t any meaningful reward. It’s not an issue that takes away any form of fun factor, but it is noticeable.

Lastly, and more importantly, the bugs. This game could desperately use a patch or two. Everything was in tip-top shape until midway through the campaign, when I started noticing dialogue issues where the NPC would go silent while speaking, or the cutscene ends abruptly when it shouldn’t have. In the same suit, I had issues where the overall sound was static, as if the speakers on my PlayStation Portal were going bad. I decided to see if it was a game issue or a hardware issue, and my television was also experiencing the same problem. To be on the safe side I booted up a few other games on both devices and it sounded perfect, so I know it was simply the game itself. Other than that, there weren’t any gameplay bugs or mission hindrances.

This might raise some eyebrows, but RoboCop: Rogue City - Unfinished Business will be in the conversation for my GOTY. It’s not perfect by any means, but in an age where every game feels like it has to be open world, having a linear experience was a breath of fresh air. I’ve yet to be disappointed by any Teyon developed games, and they know how to tick all the right boxes that I look for in the medium.

A quick side note: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is my clear GOTY choice and it’s not even close.

I’m now biding my time until Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound releases. In the meantime, I did buy Blades of Fire since it is on sale. I have read tons of reviews and it sounds like it could be a cult classic down the line.

@BattleMonkey I primarily play on PlayStation, but I have a Switch as well. I like all three consoles and like to stay in the loop. The last time I actively played my Series X - I usually use it as a media device - was when Stalker 2 and Indiana Jones released. They were fantastic experiences. I’m very interested in this new Xbox Rog Ally X, and depending on the price that could be where I do a lot of my gaming in the future.

And more and more reason why I don’t bother turning on my Xbox much these days. It’s a shame. Oh well; I’m curious as to what the next ports will be. My guess is Starfield, Avowed, and South of Midnight. I don’t think Halo will be announced until after Gears, but who knows?

Glad to see the game is still being supported with patches and updates. Let’s hope the DLC turns out great and brings this game back on the map in a positive way.

@Ernie Moon Studios is well known, and they’ve been known to make some of the best Metroidvania’s in recent years. They also, at the time, made these games exclusive to the Xbox and really brought people into the ecosystem. So, I’m not sure if you’re being sarcastic with your reply, but they are an established studio.

@Fiendish-Beaver I think your comment is the correct answer. It’s hard to rationalize the cost of resources making the game for the Xbox when it more than likely won’t sell enough to reap a profit. It’s a shame, but this is the current reality of the ecosystem.

Sifu is great, but they don’t need a sequel to it. I’m under the impression they want to have a diverse portfolio of games. I’ll be honest, when I saw that their next game was Rematch I was disappointed because it’s not my type of game and I was unrealistically expecting something more along the lines of Sifu (combat oriented). However, Rematch has turned into a huge hit and fans love it, so I think this will be added motivation to develop a wide array of genres and I respect that. I’ll be looking forward to their next game.

I hope whatever their next game is will be Wolfenstein related. The New Order and Colossus are a fantastic couple of games. I also wouldn’t mind more Indiana Jones. They have a solid blueprint with The Great Circle, and if they can hone down some of the rough edges then they will be in a great position. I’ll be looking forward to whatever project they are working on.

I’m excited for Wuchang. It looks interesting, and is attempting to bring something fresh to the table.

@theduckofdeath I sometimes like having a goal to strive for in my games. Not all the time, but sometimes I do. It also gives me an incentive to see 100% of a game that I may not have otherwise. When I was a kid in the 90s there were some games that I would play, particularly RPGs, where there were a lot of secrets that I never uncovered because I didn’t know about them, but now trophies/achievements show me I may be missing something like that, so it’s gives me motivation to get the most out of the games I play. That’s just a personal preference; I know I’m in the minority.

I’m an odd duck because I like to buy third party games, but it depends on what it is. I like the trophy system more than I do the achievement system, so if it’s a game I know I won’t get all the trophies for via PS, I’ll pick it up on Xbox. I prefer the Batman Arkham Collection on the Xbox and Far Cry, and even Metal Gear Solid.

Even though the games are on Game Pass, I’ll be picking up the Batman Arkham Collection. They are an excellent trio of games. I’m also going to buy Mad Max — it’s been on my radar for a while. I wish some of the achievements were unobtainable, but it is what it is.

I’m still playing Death Stranding 2. I’ve reached chapter 12 113hours and I feel as if I’ve hardly accomplished anything. Don’t ask me what I’ve been doing this entire time—I won’t have an answer. But gosh dang, am I having a blast. The entire gameplay loop is addicting, from the dopamine rush of collecting packages, to the sound it makes when picking up items, it ticks that satisfaction part of your brain.

I’d like to also mention that Episode 11, “Quake”, might be one of the best things I’ve ever experienced in a video game, from the gameplay, environmental exposition, and answers in its story—everything is intertwined so perfectly. It impacted me emotionally in an unexpected way, and it’s one of those rare gaming moments I’ll never forget.

I have also played a couple of hours of RoboCop: Rogue City - Unfinished Business. As a big fan of Treyon, particularly Terminator and the thoroughly enjoyable Rogue City—I got the platinum for it—this is more of the same in the best of ways. I’ve had a blast shooting criminal scum in the crotch. I would buy this game for a dollar, but I felt like it deserved $30.00.

There are also several games on my Xbox Series X I’d like to get to soon: South of Midnight; Atomfall; Avowed; and My Friendly Neighborhood. And in a couple of weeks Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is releasing. That is anime immediate day one purchase, and whatever I’m playing at that moment will get put on the back-burner.

I’ll probably pick up Final Fantasy XVI—it’s a great game worth playing.

It’s a solid 7/10 to 8/10 type of game. It doesn’t do anything special, but what it tries to accomplish—making you feel the essence of RoboCop—it succeeds in every way. It has a lot of jank, but it’s part of its charm. I had fun 100%’ing the game.

I have the game downloading as we speak — thanks for the heads up!

This looks awesome. I particularly love the art-style. I hope it comes to console at some point.

It sounds like it’s more of the same from Rogue City and that is perfect for me. I’ll be playing it today.

@Coletrain That’s a bummer about the performance mode. I am with you — XV was too much of a bromance (though I did like it a little bit) — but XVI hits different. The only real negative I could criticize the game for would be its side quests; however, if you finish them to completion the payoff(s) are incredibly rewarding at the end of the game, and you can appreciate how great the writing is. Unfortunately, some of the side quests leading up to the crescendo can be somewhat dull.

@Coletrain I’m not sure how it runs or plays on the Series X, but it’s one of my favorite Final Fantasy games in the entire franchise. I hope those interested in the game will purchase it because it deserves support.

@Wizzle8899 Id say “alright” and “solid” are the same.

Yeah, I feel like we won’t reach the Series X and PS5’s true potential until 2026-2027. Death Stranding 2 feels like the real starting point for this current generation. Hellblade 2 was a great stepping stone for cinematic quality graphics, but it was missing everything else. However, we are on the cusp of what these machines are capable of. I can’t wait for the future of both consoles.

Can we just sit back and appreciate how incredible the turnaround for this game has been? As of right now, I think it’s one of the best RPGs you can play. I’m looking forward to this new update.

I’ve yet to play this but it’s installed and ready to go for whenever I make the leap. It looks really solid, and I may wait for its bigger update before jumping in. I’m glad Obsidian is still actively working on the game and improving it as best they can.

My Friendly Neighborhood looks awesome — I’ll definitely check it out. I hope the puzzles aren’t too difficult to figure out because I’m bad at those types of games. It seems more Resident Evil coded which is perfectly manageable. This might be what I play in-between Death Stranding 2.

@Friendly I agree. This is the type of news I like to hear about, and makes me glad I’m part of the ecosystem. If only it could be a consistent thing.

Ninja Gaiden 4 is my most anticipated game this year in general. It looks sublime in every facet. I’m also looking forward to The Outer Worlds 2. I found the first game to be excellent, and had just the right amount of exploration without feeling overwhelming. Everything I’ve seen from the sequel seems to be a massive improvement.

Shoutout to RoboCop: Rogue City! That game rules. I hope more people will play this gem since it’s on Game Pass. I’m also looking forward to its next game, Unfinished Business. I already have it pre-installed and ready to go.