WeView

⭐10/10 What a year it's been for games! In the last few months, I've played 3 games that all approach top ten all-timers for me. Between Returnal, Silksong, and now this one, Hades II might actually be the game I was in love with over the others.  That's not to say I think it's the best of the three. I have some quibbles for sure. The things that I usually really care about were not all great here. I don't think this game looks particularly good, with a messy art style and cluttered screen. I never thought the music was great. I also couldn't care less about the story in a game like this, but for the record people didn't love it. I guess my bigger complaint with the story is that I find the presentation so, so dull. It's entirely told through people talking in boring ways. I'm always surprised people enjoy a story that's told this way.  But who cares about any of that! I was utterly taken by this game. I guess I should explain the gam...

⭐10/10 Like Tim, this was one of my most anticipated games of all time, especially because that anticipation grew year after year with every tease. I love Hollow Knight, and would rank it among my favorite games of all time, and yet my thoughts still differ from his namely because I don't enjoy always being angry during my leisure time. So for those who haven't played, this is a 2D indie action-platformer that is known for a lot of things: beautiful art, brilliant design, satisfying combat, and punishing, punishing difficulty. I do think the difficulty is worth discussing because so much of your enjoyment of this game depends on your pain tolerance... but also simply your skill level. Tim beat it in 50 hours, I beat the same thing in 75. This is skill-privilege and it will not be tolerated on Weview.  So I'll start this review with the difficulty to get it out of the way. I really, really wanted to give this game lower than a 10 to highlight the absurd lows this...

⭐ 10/10 The sequel to one of my favourite games of all time, there was no doubt in my mind this game would be a masterpiece. It actually reminded me of Tears of the Kingdom in some ways, building on top of an incredible foundation, introducing more mechanics but holding true to the core gameplay and style. And I actually think both were originally conceived of as DLCs, so that makes sense. It has been many many years in the making, with basically zero news on it until release, and I love that these developers can pull that off. Always worth mentioning how incredible it is that such a small team can make something so polished, clearly so much attention to detail and love. Every room you go in feels thought through, either with its level design of little lore nuggets that make this world feel completely alive. For a game based on exploration that is relatively light on story (although not as light as the original), I love how I can feel my brain firing on all cylinders as it soaks up th...

⭐8/10 This was last year's Game of the Year winner, and unfortunately I played it between Returnal and Silksong which I think will be personal all-timers. Of course I couldn't help but keep comparing it to these other games I love and wonder what was missing for Astro. This game is good for sure, but I spent a lot of time wondering if I actually liked it.  This is a 3D platformer very similar to Mario games in that the story is kinda silly and childish and not the focus, but rather the focus is unique mechanics and creative challenges. People will say that this game is distilled fun and nothing else, but I kept wondering, am I actually having fun? It's an interesting question because I'd be about to take my character down a waterslide and be like, oh this will be exciting, even though I know there is no challenge or even any inputs involved, but the visuals and magical, tangible controller vibrations somehow make it feel like you're going down it yourse...

⭐ 7.5/10 This is Mario Kart - consistent and a game I will probably still be playing in 10 years. Its lots of fun, but outside of the racing there is not a ton to pump up the score. I got the credits rolling after beating all the main circuits, so why not review? So this one does have a bunch of new mechanics, and it was cool learning them and feeling bad at the game for the first time since I was a kid. However, it did not take long to learn. There is this open world that is interesting, and I like how all the tracks are tied together. But the open world is a bit disappointed, with challenges scattered randomly throughout it without great rewards or any way to track progress. I don't want Metroidvania world discovery in Mario Kart... but maybe I do? The challenges was fun, it just felt so unstructured. Once I felt like it had taught me the new controls I basically never went back to it. The racing is fun as always. Great music, great tracks. The Rainbow Road finale was actually r...

⭐10/10 I'd always had a bit of interest in this game, but I was not expecting this. A marvel on every level, this is now one of my favorite games of all time. Buckle up cuz this will be a long review.  For a quick overview, this is a game about a our lead, Selene, crash landing on a foreign planet (Alien movie vibes) and having to fight her way to a signal, except every time she dies, you start the game over with very limited progress. The problem (and one that has drawn criticism) is that runs are very long, sometimes upward of 3 hours, so death can be devastating.  So let's start with a personal story. I'm not amazing at video games, but I do enjoy some hard ones if I'm invested enough. I was able to fumble my way through games like Hollow Knight and Elden Ring, and cruised through Dark Souls 3. But I have been brick walled by some others like Sekiro or Lies of P. I died a TON in my first twenty hours or so of Returnal. And then I read reviews. People were...

⭐9/10 This is the coolest, most badass video game ever made. It's also the most Christian video game ever made because in what other game are you trying to kill the devil?  I don't actually know that much about the DOOM universe, but I don't think that's important. This is the second game I've played, and in each one you play as the Doom Slayer (I mean, what a name) as you fight off an invasion of demons, and then travel to hell to finish the job, all the while rocking out and killing things to metal music. There is a little more story to this one, complete with cutscenes and all, but it's all a bunch of nonsense. You are here to blast demons into smithereens.  This game, and this series, is an ode to badassery. You play as some sort of vengeful demigod, and your weapons consist of a shotgun, a gas-powered chainsaw shield, a gun that crushes skulls into bone-fragment bullets, a spiked mace, a gun that shoots a ball on a chain... I mean everything her...

⭐ 10/10 There are many games I would consider my favourites because of the nostalgia I have attached to them, and even the games I would say are the greatest have some glaring flaws that I can overlook. Red Dead Redemption 2 broke me, what I would call a perfect game in all aspects. I can use qualifiers and say that this is the best story-driven game I've ever played, but that's lame - let's just put it on the Mount Rushmore. Playing this game outside of the toxic discourse and depressing year it came out in it is impossible for me to understand any reason someone would dislike this. But I don't want to make straw man arguments, I'd rather just say what I liked about this. My lead at work says this is his favourite game of all time, that it uses a video game to tell a story in a way only video games can, and I agree completely. The lackluster season 2 of the show, and even season 1, feel like cheaper copies where there is a barrier between you and the characters yo...

⭐8/10 A Call of Duty review? What a sorry state this website is in! I have almost no experience with this franchise. However, I DID play a COD campaign on my Nintendo DS many, many moons ago and actually really enjoyed it. And now, something about the current political climate has had me itching to go back to kill some Nazis.  I actually thought this campaign was totally badass. It's around 7-8 hours, and it is nonstop action with shootouts that run off pure adrenaline and cinematics that have you jumping out of falling buildings. I'm not sure what I was expecting from a campaign that is made purely for the multiplayer, but this went far above my expectations. The shooting was fun, the action exhilarating, the cinematics thrilling.  Otherwise? Nothing to see. There is certainly some attempt at crafting a story, but it was a little melodramatic and uninteresting. I also know that COD isn't the game for it, but I thought there were the bones for a moving story tha...

⭐9/10 Astro Bot the Mario killer! After like 80 hours with KCD, a deep rpg with mature themes and complex mechanics, it was nice to kick back with a short platformer.  This is technically a demo that comes free with every PS5, but I put a good 5 hours into this to 100% it.  After a long time of grappling with my innermost thoughts, I have come to admit that I'm a Mario fan. This game is as similar to Mario Odyssey as it can get: super tight controls with unique and creative platforming challenges. It takes place in a silly world with lots of secrets and side-challenges. Every level presents a new little gimmick to master, and the only element of progression is becoming better at the moveset.  Yeah, this was absolutely awesome. The platforming was consistently fun, and they never hung on to an idea for too long. In fact they may have even left a little meat on the bone, but that's totally acceptable for a demo. I'm 100% on board to play the proper game that won...

⭐7.5/10 A video game! Been a while since I've written one of these because I have been playing this damn game for MONTHS! I had trouble sticking to one game for a while, and in all honesty I had no intention of actually beating this one. It was on sale for like $3 and the sequel was coming out, so I gave it a try, but then was instantly hooked.  So this is a deep RPG, almost a medieval simulator. This is a game that takes it's historical accuracy very seriously. You play as Henry, an ordinary blacksmith from Skalitz, a village from fifteenth century Bohemia. And just like in history, it gets sacked by Hungarians, and so in this game you start with nothing and you are nothing. You just have some sense of making a life and some sense of wanting revenge, though there are certainly some exciting inciting conflicts that make for an evocative story.  I don't actually like RPGs! I hate standing around having conversations, choosing dialogue options, and making decision...

⭐ 10/10 As a kid I was obsessed with DDR, and I find rhythm games to be the most satisfying style of video games. This is the peak version of that, swinging a light saber to slice blocks while crazy songs are playing. I am reviewing this game, but I am by no means done. My PC has felt like a designated Rocket League machine for 10 years, and now my VR headset is a designated Beat Saber machine. I beat the campaign, which was quite challenging, and now going through songs and trying to beat the next difficulty level for each has got me hooked. It makes you feel like a god, your brain completely turns off and you enter this flow state where your body is moving and the blocks are being sliced and you couldn't verbalize how your brain is possibly reacting to these things flying at you. I am getting pretty good, and the only downside is that even when you cast the headset its hard for others (my wife) to watch and be impressed by my powers. I'm sure I look like a dork playing it, b...

⭐ 10/10 This is the game that made me believe in VR, and its 9 years old! From the moment I stepped in I was completely immersed.  The mechanic of time stopping if you don't move is so brilliant and works perfectly for VR, especially a shooter.  The first time I caught something flying at me and threw it back I felt the thrill of a young video gamer experiencing 3D Zelda for the first time. A revolutionary experience, one that makes me feel like the potential for VR is incredibly high, even though this game is still pretty old. There are many unforgettable moments in this unfortunately short play through. I almost fell over multiple times, hiding behind barriers and leaning out, or reaching to grab a gun.  The difficulty here is perfect too, completing a segment on your first try is satisfying, but many require a couple attempts, and when you strategize correctly you feel smart. All other games I play in VR will be measured against this one.

⭐9/10 This is a rogue-like deck building game, which are not genres that necessarily speak to me, but some recommendations forced me to give it a try. I have been struggling to really get into a game, leaving my last few unfinished, so maybe it's enough to say that I became COMPLETELY addicted to this game almost instantly. I went from not wanting to play anything to not wanting to do anything else overnight.  This game is excellent. What I appreciate about this game is that they get you playing immediately. There is no story to speak of, no drawn out tutorial, no introduction, just enemies and cards to kill them with. Like all great games, it is simple on the surface but has incredible depth. As you go, you learn to synergize your cards and abilities, you learn your goals, and you feel like a god by the end. The feeling of "one more enemy" or "one more level" or "one more run" will have you stuck in this loop for hours. When you close your...

⭐7/10 So first off, I didn't finish this game. BUT I did spend 70 hours in it, according to my file, so I feel I have some right to have an opinion. I got to part 2 of 4, and while I liked this game, I just wasn't ready to put another 70 into it.  I feel like this review will be mostly negative, and that's only because this game has been so wildly popular that I feel like I need to explain myself for not finishing. But let's start with some positives: First, this is the ultimate experience for deep rpg lovers. You can get absolutely lost customizing your party, your stats, your abilities, your gear. This game offers total freedom in how you want to build your squad and how you want to interact with them. The way you take on combat, the way you have your story unfold -- it's just so open in a way that is unmatched in video games.  I also think the writing is as good as advertised. From major story beats to interactions with townspeople, you can tell every...

⭐7/10 This is an indie game from a few years back that was pretty popular. It's an action platformer, akin to maybe Shovel Knight and games like that. It's a throwback to the NES days, but then has a nice little suprise when the game turns into a SNES-style game (I felt it was more a gimmick than an interesting change). It's nice and simple - you platform and kill things through a level, and then fight a boss at the end. Perfect! I can't say I was in love, but it was solid and I enjoyed.  Then, about midway through, and game becomes a little more involved and you need to track down collectables and stuff to move on. I think that's a fine idea, but I was really enjoying the simplicity of this one, and didn't end up actually finishing the game once it opened up. I still think it's a good game and wanted to mention it here, because I do think it was solid even if it wasn't what I wanted at the time. It's short, it's got fun music (Jess e...

⭐ 10/10 I've been playing this game on and off since its release in May 2023, and I love it.  I am a sucker for Zelda games, hearing the music is enough to make me give it a 10/10 rating.  But I thought this game elevated Breath of the Wild in such a way that I don't think I could ever replay that one, which is kind of crazy. The way this game starts is genius, and then the world opens up in a spectacular way, one you are totally expecting, but when I dove off that sky island and saw the familiar-but-different world open up before me I couldn't wait to explore every corner. That's what this and BOTW nail - the world.  This game makes traversing it easier with all the things you can do in the air, and even after 100 hours I am enjoying poking around everything, looking for Koroks, just seeing what's over the next hill.  It's an experience very few games can match, constantly being distracted by something in the distance and being fulfilled by whatever you find. ...

⭐ 9.5/10 This review has been a long time coming. I started this game probably a year and a half ago, having never played a Dark Souls game.  I always thought they looked kind of dull and lifeless, boring colour palette and rage-inducing gameplay.  This is the Dark Souls to end all Dark Souls, and it was getting universal appeal, so I had to try it.  Not breaking any news here, but this game is amazing. I think what it does best is the environment.  The world you are in is so massive and detailed, with an insane array of things to fight.  The storytelling is complete gibberish, but that doesn't matter when the world is full of so much life that your brain is basically making up story as you play.  Made me feel like a child again, uncovering new things around every turn, along with the immense satisfaction of beating such difficult bosses. No boss really sticks out in my mind as one that took forever. Actually nevermind it was Malekith and when I won it fel...

⭐ 7.5/10 This was a fun little indie game that I enjoyed.  Any game of this style, where there is an empty map that you explore the edges of as you gain new powers of traversal, is fun for me.  I think story telling done through atmosphere and the world is awesome, and I don't need a plot or storyline to motivate me to explore every nook and cranny of worlds like this. I think a downside was that the world felt a bit repetitive at times.  Hollow Knight, which is one of my favourite game ever, is the perfect version of this, where the exploration and combat are perfect.  This game has almost no combat, and every region of the map was kind of similar.  It was hard to remember rooms I wanted to revisit because they all kind of blended into one, where as Hollow Knight had such distinct regions. I ended up using stamps all over the map, which helped, but the selection of possible stamps was not intuitive, I have no idea what each stamp was supposed to symbolize, but...

9.5/10 This is the sequel to Fallen Order which I played a few years ago, and back then I gave that game a ten, being basically the only person in the galaxy to truly love that game. The sequel came out to good-not-great reviews, so I put it off, and wondered if maybe I overrated the first game.  No! I didn't! And I don't get people saying that these aren't masterpieces! I think they are phenomenal in several areas, and the absolute perfect games for me. To be fair, these games always release in an unfinished state, and that affects the reviews, so for me, always playing a year late, I have very few complaints in that regard after they are patched up. But still, I feel like these games are never appreciated as much as they deserve.  I said in my first review that it takes clear inspiration from Uncharted and the Souls games. In some ways, Survivor falls short of both, but in other ways, I actually prefer this one. Uncharted has those amazing sequences and beauti...