A third person action game starring the Guardians of the Galaxy.  The bit I played had you taking the role of Peter Quill/Star-Lord as him and the bunch have to do missions to find loot or pay off their debts.  You’ll get plenty of time to interact with your fellow groupmates as you traverse the galaxy with plenty of upgrades and unlockables to bide the time.  Every now and then you’ll get to pilot your ship but those are few and far between.

Visuals:

Hot diggity dog does this game look fantastic.  The environments are vibrant and unique with each one of them giving sweeping vistas complete with weather effects or just life that’ll make you stop and look around.  The character models also look terrific as well with all of them looking extremely believable.  The animations can be a little stilted or showing too much teeth, but that’s a small nitpick.  The flashback scenes are also lovingly done but I just feel it’s a orgy of evidence to be like “Look!  It’s the 1980s!!” that so many pieces of media do when trying to establish a time period.

Audio:

You will get a TON of dialog between the Guardians.  So much so that there is just too much to keep up with that you don’t know which thread to follow.  Not all of it lands but that’s a small portion of it.  The banter between them is very context sensitive so they’ll be ridiculing you every chance you get so you better not take it personally.  Like the visuals, the 1980s soundtrack is very front and center with none of it becoming too repetitive but it does wear thin after a while.  It’s not the game’s fault since that’s how Marvel has been posing the GotG crew for a while.  

Completion:

It seems like there really is so much to do in this game.  I completed chapter 4 where I was trying to pose Rocket as a world ending being but had to escape the broker when shit went south.  The fights are pretty grandiose and screen filling with bosses having multiple phases.  All the while this is going on your team is just quipping away at everything.  It truly is overwhelming for me.  I may come back to it but I think I got my fill for the time being.

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Helldivers is a game that takes the top down twin stick shooter and adds some pretty interesting mechanics to it.  You’ll control a Helldiver, a part of Super Earth’s defense/police force, to try to stop intergalactic threats from destroying our way of life by making them adopt ours.  The gameplay is frantic and very animation heavy.  The enemies are highly dangerous but, above all, the one thing that is your worst enemy is Friendly Fire because that will kill you the most.  In order to call down reinforcements or supplies you have to input a series of button combinations while all of this shit is going down.  Can you handle it?  Good luck!

Visuals:

I’m not really going to knock the visuals because this game came out over ten years ago and was a little project from a small team.  While everything seems kind of bland or lacks detail it does make up for it in just the overall swag this game has.  The enemies are all uniquely different.  The worlds also have their own style to them and they will cause you to really hate going into lava or swamp zones just from the very beginning. 

Audio:

The music and sound effects are where this game truly shines with how it utilizes these so well.  When the music swells and the bullets are flying, it just brings a sense of urgency to the game and makes you want to destroy every enemy you see.  I just wish there was more voice acting in this game because what we do have is severely lacking.  Everything else, though, top notch.

Completion:

I FINISHED THIS GAME!  Well, me and my posse did.  We won the war against the threats to humanity.  Mind you we lost the first time, but that doesn’t matter!  It was a fun game and still is a pretty nice staple to have every night we play.  I just wish there was more to do but that’s what makes a game great, right, when all you want to do is play more and more of it.

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Set in a parallel time of Resident Evil 2, the third games follows Jill Valentine, from the first Resident Evil game, as she tries to escape Raccoon City during the deadly T-Virus outbreak.  If you don’t know, the virus brings back the dead into ravenous zombies.  She also has to deal with the Nemesis monster constantly chasing her as he’s screaming “STARS!” over and over.  This is a retelling of the Resident Evil 3: Nemesis game released on the Sony Playstation in 1999 so you get all new visuals, acting, story beats…the works!

Visuals:

RE3 follows in the footsteps of RE2 so a lot of the wow factor that the first remake had is kind of lost in that it looks so much like it.  Luckily RE3 has you traversing all throughout Raccoon City instead of keeping you in the confines of a mansion or a police station so it does have that going for it.  The visuals still do look beautiful though.  It may be my mind playing tricks on me but it does seem like the lighting and visual flair has been updated to give off a more spooky vibe.  It still does an amazing job.

Audio:

The voice acting can still be a little bit stilted with Jill being kind of no nonsense.  Carlos’s character also needs some work because he just comes off as a little tryhard.  The real effect is the ambient sounds of the game.  You’ll hear screams and moans off in the distance.  Creaks and things being rattled are just constantly messing with you causing you to look around every corner cautiously.  Nemesis is just a…well…nemesis in that he’s always hunting you.  The music is frantic and his hits are devastating as fuck.  Not to mention he is yelling at you!

Completion:

As of right now I just got the subway back online, after being infected and throwing up some parasites.  Nemesis was chasing me around to which I felled him with a trusty shotgun.  Guy even gave me a silencer!  The game is a lot more action oriented than RE2 was and that’s kind of a nice departure for the game.  I remember playing RE3 back in 1999 but I remember nothing of that game so I am going into this with fresh eyes and I’m liking what I’m experiencing!

Update: 01/25/2026:

I FINISHED THIS GAME! RE3 leans heavily on the action set pieces and does a hell of a job assuring the player knows that Jill Valentine kicks ass. It also does tread over the same ground by making Nemesis the ongoing antagonist but the fights are fun. I enjoyed the game and it was all new considering I hadn’t played RE3 in almost three decades!

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You take to the skies to turn the tides of war of the country which has taken you hostage.  You’ll have to go through a gamut of missions with you dogfighting enemy plans, destroying ground to air forces, defending escaping dignitaries, and many more.  The missions are fast paced and full of chatter which progress the story along all the while you’re trying to escape, I think.

Visuals:

This game looks pretty beautiful with all the stuff going on throughout the missions.  When you fly through clouds you get condensation all over your cockpit with the same for dirt when going through sandstorms.  The ground textures look amazing as well but you won’t really see them as much since you’re traveling pretty fast.  The cutscenes also look amazing as well with the characters not being too realistic but the film effects have a nice enhancing look to them.   The main focal point of this game are the planes.  You can tell the developers put their heart and soul into these since they look impeccable with the cockpit looking even more amazing.

Audio:

You know I can’t really tell you about the audio because with all the chatter going on through the missions it kind of gets jumbled with all the action going on.  The voice acting seems ok, at least to the parts that I could pay attention to, but the constant barrage of “Warning” and “Missle” that you’ll hear throughout the game does kind of get grating.  The cutscene narration is kind of lifeless and, I hate to say, sounds like a low grade porno flick.  Like the visuals, the planes sound amazing with everything they do.  

Completion:

I’ve so far done 13 missions and each one of them has been different from the other.  This has been the first Ace Combat game I’ve ever played and I can say it’s been pretty fun.  The flying feels great as does the dog fighting.  I can’t tell you if this story is a continuation of what’s been going on in the previous iterations but I am having a great time.  Can’t wait to see where the game goes!

Update: 12/28/2025

I FINISHED THIS GAME! It was a hell of a game and pretty fun. The story went some interesting places and the end missions were pretty cool. It still is a gorgeous game and I am really looking forward to either the previous installments or the next ones!

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You play the role of a creature on a quest for something.  I wish I could tell you what I was searching for or doing but the game didn’t make it clear to me.  All I could gather is that you are going through tunnels and defeating monsters which give you gems for you to purchase new items to make you stronger or more mobile.  It’s a side scrolling game utilizing 2-D art.  As you progress through the game you’ll get different abilities to help you traverse the world and be able to access locations you couldn’t before.  If this sounds familiar it really is just a derivative of a Metroid game.

Visuals:

Some people like how these types of games look but not me.  To me it just looks like a Macromedia Flash game that was all the rage back in the early 2000s.  Sure it can look nice at times but the world just looks very bland, at least for the little amount that I saw.  I dunno, I just wasn’t impressed.

Audio:

Same way for the audio.  It’s just bland.  Bland bland bland.  I wasn’t happy with the way the characters talked or just any of the sounds of the world.  Again, this is just me and I don’t know what the hype is about.  To each their own.

Completion:

I wish I could tell you how far I got in this game.  I was just kind of lost and meandering around going from one room to the next.  I did beat the False Knight, so I got that going for me.  I got back to the surface, walked around for a bit, sat back on a bench and just called it there.  I was just bored.

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Set after the events of the first Resident Evil, you take control of either Leon S. Kennedy or Claire Redfield.  The former being a rookie cop starting his first day [night] at the Raccoon City Police Department.  The latter being the sister of one of the first game’s protagonists, Chris.  Upon arrival either of the two are met with a zombie apocalypse which has taken over Raccoon City.  They’re immediately separated and have to find a way to escape this new found horror.  This version of the game is a remake/remastering of the original game which was released in 1998 for the Sony PlayStation.  A lot of things have changed in the 20 years since the first release so let’s talk about it.

Visuals:

I was super impressed with the original game.  I thought it looked super cool and realistic.  This version blows that out of the water.  Even 6 years later, this game is still a looker.  Everything looks so amazing and highly detailed you’ll feel the gooeyness of the zombies and other monsters.  The lighting in this game also is basically its own character because when a hallway is devoid of light it just amps the scariness of the game up to 11.  The character models all look great as well with them looking completely different than what was shown in the original instruction booklet but still being their iconic characters.  What a triumph this game is.

Audio:

Like I stated, the audio is also one of the main characters as well.  You’re just constantly hearing creaks and groans while you play.  Disembodied footsteps happen around every corner which constantly put you on edge.  I hate it!  The voice acting is wonderful.  It’s not AS corny as the original game but there’s only so much you can work with when the dead walk and you’re dealing with zombie dogs.  I do love the little quips the characters make when they’re taking zombies out.  It’s always a little treat.  Like the visuals, this game is a triumph at remaking what once was.

Completion:

I’m working on it but I felt I had to write about it because of how much of a blast I’m having with this game, so far.  Everything about it is just perfect and completely encapsulates what used to make a Resident Evil game a spectacle.  Currently I have just met Mr. X, shot off his hat, and then ran away.  Lets see where the game takes me from here.

Update: 12/16/2025

I FINISHED THIS GAME! Got an S rank on Hardcore with Leon which got me ending A. Now do I want to play it again with Claire and go for ending B? Maybe I’ll come back to it later. Heck of a game though. Super creepy.

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A single player poker game where you get buffs to help you take on an ever increasing score you have to beat.  Not only do you have to beat the score, but the “people” you’re playing against will also have ways to debuff you.  Sometimes your score will be cut in half or you won’t be able to draw more than five cards, instead of seven.  To also help, you will also acquire special Jokers to either increase your score or your multiplier, as well as cards to add to your deck which also increase your score or multiplier.  Another component are Tarot and Celestial cards to help overcome the score.  You only get one shot so make sure you’ve got the necessary cards to destroy all these scores.

Visuals:

Tis a very simple game.  You’re just looking at your cards, for the most part, and seeing the score go up and up.  There really isn’t much fluff as it’s mimicking a CRT with the blur, glow, and rounded edges.  It does a very good job and you start to not notice it after a while.

Audio:

Dog, what a relaxing and chill game.  The music in the background is so nice you just sink into the couch and just play.  There isn’t anything to really stress you out.  Seeing the score/multiplier tick up is also satisfying as well.  The only thing that really bums you out is when you lose.  Everything just grinds to a halt and you have to start over again.

Completion:

I FINISHED THIS GAME!  Kinda.  I beat the Red Card challenge after a lot of trial and error but I can say I did it!  I then played some other challenges and beat them.  It is a hell of a game and super relaxing.  I would love to play more but I gotta keep moving!

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A remastering of the original game, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, this version of the game updates the graphic engine to Unreal Engine as well as modifies the controls and user interface to be less clunky than the initial release.  You get all the bells and whistles of 20 years of upgrades and ease of use while still encountering one of the greatest games ever made.  Some other items are included like the online multiplayer mode, the Snake vs (Creature), and others.  Either way, if you know MGS3 inside and out, like I do, you will feel right at home with everything about this game.

Visuals:

I don’t have rose tinted glasses with MGS3.  I know how the game looks and I know its shortcomings.  I still think it’s an impressive game for what it was able to do on the PS2 but that doesn’t mean I can’t give the remake its props.  Delta bumps everything up and makes the game look fucking incredible.  You do get the typical UE hiccups every now and then but it does little to take away the spectacle of the game.  The character models all have their distinct looks that made them so memorable.  The environments, while still cramped, are all bustling with life and foliage.  The game just looks amazing.

Audio:

Here’s where it is kind of sad.  I can’t be sure if everything is still the same from the previous game but it sure does sound like it.  All the dialog and sound effects seem to be lifted right out of there with no changes whatsoever.  The BIGGEST change of the game is how, in my opinion, they fucked up the Snake Eater song.  It was so iconic and they went and redid it.  If they’re going to do that, at least make it for the better.  Boo.

Completion:

I’m still working on this game but I felt I’ve played enough to write about it because nothing about the game has changed except for the visuals.  All the animations, dialog, and story beats are beat for beat the original game.  I love me some MGS3 and I don’t mind playing it with a new coat of paint but it just feels like the least amount of effort while doing the most amount of effort.  If you’ve played MGS3 to death, you can probably skip this.

Update: 11/26/2025

I FINISHED THIS GAME! And, as I said above, it is the exact same game. Hits your emotions in all the same places as before. Still amazing.

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You ever wonder what a cat gets up to?  Especially if the cat is in a post-apocalyptic [?] world and doesn’t really know what’s going on?  Well then this game is kind of for you.  You take the role of a cat as he/she traverses the world after it gets lost from its family.  As it goes along the way, you will meet strange creatures and robots who seem terrified of you.  Enjoy being a cat and doing cat things because that is what you’re going to be doing!

Visuals:

I’m at a loss of how this game looks.  The cat and its animations look amazing and seem very catlike.  The world seems super detailed and well realized.  But, to me at least, the world just kind of seems devoid of what should make the world seem fun.  I would love to see what types of hijinks a cat could get up to.  In the end, though, the cat just seems like it could be substituted with any other character and it would get the same point across.  Just feels like the cat was shoehorned in just because.

Audio:

Like the visuals, this is too a mixed bag.  The music gets the point across for the most part but just kind of seems bland as well.  There is a language going on in here but it’s all just babble.  It would make sense to be babble as why would a cat be able to understand it, but for some reason it does.  The cat should be the focal piece of this game but it doesn’t really sound like a cat.  The meows sound like a person mimicking a tiny cat meow or purr.  You can meow at the push of a button but when the meow sounds off it does become annoying after a while.

Completion:

I REALLY wanted to like this game.  REALLY REALLY!  But, man, it just goes off the deep end after the first couple of  hours.  What starts off as just a little fun romp going through a dilapidated world turns into a full blown adventure with quests, vendors, inventory, etc.  This really wasn’t what I was looking for when I started this game and it really lost me when the game got too big for its own good.  

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You’re a lighthouse…yes, a lighthouse…who has a bird friend whom you saved from a bunch of flying bugs and you’re both trying to get to the top of a mountain to reunite the bird with their family.  Also, you have legs so you can traverse the world in which you’ll come across puzzles, ancient relics, and friendlies along the way.  The premise for this game is way out there but it works and the game and characters become very endearing.  I never thought I’d relate to a sentient walking lighthouse, but here we are.

Visuals:

You ever see the most beautiful game and then a new one comes out and trounces it completely?  That’s what happened here.  The Keeper just looks amazing.  The characters look impeccable…for being a lighthouse…and the bird friend looks like no bird I’ve ever seen.  The world is a mix between a surrealistic world and a dream.  Kind of like the movie, “What Dreams May Come” and it does an amazing job.  The lighting in the world also looks superb because it better with you being a lighthouse.  What a beautiful game.

Audio:

The sounds and music in this game are just charming.  You don’t really hear much dialogue between anything other than the chirps of your bird friend and the groans from other creatures you meet.  The music in this game, to use a previous word, is incredible as well.  It’s just the right amount of ambience and funk that make this game so unique.  I don’t really have a complaint on what I’ve witnessed.

Completion:

I’m still working on this game but I had to write something down because this game is hitting on all cylinders.  It has been enough of a relaxation game where it’s made me happy to play only to change now into a platformer but still be super cute.  Now I’m something completely different and I can’t wait to see where it takes me.  I really adore this game and I can’t say a bad word about it yet.

Update: 11/16/2025

I FINISHED THIS GAME! Just when I thought I had seen everything, the game changed it up on me two more times and just got better with each and every change. This really is a special game.

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