The Callisto Protocol: Mostly Atmosphere, And Not Much Else

By Striking Distance Studios / Krafton - PlayStation Store, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=70948364

After finishing Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy. I decided to play another single-player experience, but of a survival horror variety. The Callisto Protocol is a sci-fi, survival horror game released in 2022, which bears striking similarities to a previous sci-fi, survival horror video game series, namely the Dead Space series. I was interested in playing this game and seeing if The Callisto Protocol is as good as Dead Space 1 and 2, or is it an inferior title like Dead Space 3.

I Went To The Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Concert

When I wrote my review of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, I mentioned in that review that the Rebirth soundtrack might be my favourite Final Fantasy soundtrack out of all the Final Fantasy games. I apparently loved it so much that when I found out that the Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Orchestra World Tour was coming to Toronto for two shows at Roy Thomson Hall, I managed to snap up a ticket for the second show. The Toronto Symphony Orchestra was going to perform renditions and medleys of many of the hits from the game. I could not wait.

Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy (the video game)

By Eidos Montreal / Square Enix - Square Enix, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=67954937

I finished playing Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, which is the action-adventure game released in 2021 and based on the Marvel comic book series of the same name. Most people that are familiar with GotG are familiar with the trilogy of Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movies, and I have certainly enjoyed these movies. I heard many rumblings about the video game, and so I picked the game up on sale and played the single-player campaign, and here are my thoughts.

Sonic Frontiers: Sonic's Middling Adventure

By Sega - https://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/sonic-frontiers, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=71589758

I picked up Sonic Frontiers as part of the Steam Summer Sale not too long ago because I have heard many various things about this game since its release in 2022. I have heard wide-ranging opinions ranging from positive (ex: This is finally an excellent 3D Sonic game) to negative (ex: Sonic Frontiers is just as bad as most other 3D Sonic games). I do not believe the video game community ever concluded how good or how bad Sonic Frontiers is. I have since finished Sonic Frontiers and I will offer my own opinion about this game in the pot of already wild opinions.

Quick Thoughts - Super Mario RPG Remake

I was able to snag a copy of the remake of Super Mario RPG for the Nintendo Switch that was on sale. I remember briefly playing the original Super Mario RPG on the SNES but I never came close to beating the game. I thought this was a good time to finally complete Super Mario RPG and give some thoughts on the experience.

Remembering Conker's Bad Fur Day

By May be found at the following website: http://www.lukiegames.com, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8624904

There was a game on the Nintendo 64 that I remember vividly; not because I have ever played this game (until now), but because of the controversy this game would happen to generate at the time of its release. I am talking about Conker's Bad Fur Day, developed by Rare (formerly Rareware). Rare was probably one of the most highly-regarded video game studios of the 1990s and early 2000s, putting out highly influential and critically-acclaimed games such as the Donkey Kong Country series, GoldenEye 007, and Diddy Kong Racing. Diddy Kong Racing introduced two characters that would go on to have their own games: Banjo (Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie) and Conker, the cute red squirrel who will be the focus of this blog post.

Do Not Pursue Lu Bu, Do Not Collect $200 (Dynasty Warriors Tribute)

I was thinking about a video game-related question I saw while lazily browsing the internet. What is a video game or video game series that is not necessarily well-received or highly-regarded, but provided you hours upon hours of joy and entertainment while playing? My immediate answer to this question were the Dynasty Warriors games. I do not believe there is a Dynasty Warriors game that is genuinely amazing, but these were some of the most satisfying video games I have ever played in my life. I have referenced Dynasty Warriors in a few of my game reviews, but I have never talked about the video game series directly. In this post, I will give my long-awaited flowers to the Dynasty Warriors video games.

Animal Well Is A Treat

After playing Animal Well, I think it is safe to say that this game is going to be the best indie game I will play this year. I bought this game on a whim on Steam not expecting much, but Animal Well surpassed my expectations (and then some) on a short, but rewarding experience.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth: Basically Mario Party

I just finished playing Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, which is the second game in the Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy, and FF7 Rebirth is undoubtedly a great video game with outstanding music, amazing character performances, and much-improved combat. However, FF7 Rebirth does have some flaws as well, and I will talk about all of that down below. 

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Content-Heavy (SPOILERS)

By https://www.xbox-now.com/en/game/20146/like-a-dragon-infinite-wealth-standard-edition, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=75041798

I am not going to write a full-on review about the newest entry in the Yakuza/Like a Dragon franchise. I have already written posts about the Yakuza franchise, including why the Yakuza games are so brilliant, as well as talking about Yakuza: Like a Dragon (the previous main-line entry in the franchise). If you have played Infinite Wealth (or any other Yakuza game), then you already know what to expect: excellent storytelling, bonkers side-quests, and fleshed-out side activities. I will spend most of this post talking about the new stuff in Infinite Wealth, and then also talk about the potential direction of the franchise. I am going to talk about spoilers in this post so this is my warning to you.

NieR: Automata - Why Is This Game So Special?

Before I start to answer the question in the title, I want to talk about my relationship and experience with playing NieR: Automata. The first time I played this game was maybe around 2018 or 2019 on the PS4. The release of NieR: Automata was in 2017, developed by PlatinumGames (makers of the Bayonetta series, among other titles), and published by Square Enix. 

Dave The Diver: You Are What You Fish (And Serve)

By Mintrocket - https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/1868140/capsule_616x353.jpg?t=1688092032, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=74176167

For my first game of 2024, I chose to play Dave the Diver. I found it difficult to define what kind of game Dave the Diver is. I think Dave the Diver is mainly an adventure game with some RPG elements. You spend your day fishing at a place called the Blue Hole; catching fish for the nearby sushi restaurant and collecting resources for various upgrades. In the night, Dave the Diver turns into a business simulator where you must manage the sushi restaurant, with everything from setting the menu to serving customers on a nightly basis.

My Top 10 Games I Played in 2023

By Insomniac Games - https://blog.playstation.com/2023/06/08/marvels-spider-man-2-arrives-only-on-ps5-october-20-collectors-digital-deluxe-editions-detailed/, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=73989403

I played so many video games in 2023 that I can actually write a top-10 list on my best games I played in 2023. Just a reminder, this is NOT my top-10 list on games released in 2023, but rather my top-10 games I played in 2023. Some of these games came out before 2023 (though most of these games are from 2023). 

"Sea Of Stars" Is An Excellent Tribute To SNES RPGs

By Sabotage - Giant Bomb, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=72375507

I just finished playing Sea of Stars, which is a turn-based RPG from Sabotage Studio, which has had heavy influence from the Super Nintendo RPGs that came before it. There is so much influence from those SNES RPGs that Sea of Stars feels like a tribute game, or a love letter, to that genre on that system. Part of the fun of Sea of Stars is identifying which classic games influenced this game.

Looking Back On The "Gears Of War" Series

I had a trial for a month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, and last month was the time for me to use it, because I had the craving of playing the Gears of War games all in one go. I have not played a Gears of War game since Gears of War 3 came out in 2011. I thought it would be as good of a time as ever to relive the original Gears trilogy, as well as play the newer Gears games (4 and 5) and give my brief thoughts on those games as well.

Grand Theft Auto VI Trailer Thoughts

If you have been living under a rock for the last little while, we finally got to see the first trailer for Grand Theft Auto VI. I did not think I was going to see a GTA VI in my lifetime, considering how long ago the initial release of GTA V was. I am so genuinely excited and hyped over this announcement and the trailer that 2025 cannot come soon enough. I just want to offer my brief thoughts on the trailer and offer my general thoughts on the Grand Theft Auto franchise to this point.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder Review

By nintendo - https://www.ign.com/games/super-mario-bros-wonder, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=75108015

Some of my earliest and fondest gaming memories was playing Super Mario Bros. 3 for the NES and Super Mario World for the SNES when I was a child. Playing these platforming games and trying to get to the end of the level was captivating to me, and it helped to stoke a love affair for video gaming that I still continue to have. Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World were hugely influential games and along with Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, were the pinnacle of 2D platforming games.

Final Fantasy XVI - If "Game Of Thrones" Was A Video Game

I do not think I have reviewed a main-line Final Fantasy game on this blog. I have reviewed the Final Fantasy VII Remake, as well as Crisis Core, but I finally get to talk about a brand-new Final Fantasy adventure and find out if FFXVI is as good as the legendary name that dons it.

Diddy Kong Racing - The Superior N64 Racing Game

I have been thinking about creating blog posts giving my thoughts playing video games that I used to play religiously in my childhood. There is no video game console that defined my childhood more and that I remember more fondly than the Nintendo 64. I have already written posts about Super Mario 64, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and Super Smash Bros. However, I want to use this post to talk about Diddy Kong Racing, which is the superior racing game on the N64, and certainly better than Mario Kart 64.

Cassette Beasts Is What Pokemon Should Have "Evolved" Into

I have been playing Cassette Beasts, which is a monster-taming RPG that takes inspiration from Pokemon. Cassette Beasts is an indie video game made by Bytten Studio that I bought on sale during the Steam Summer Sale, because I heard good things about this game, and I wanted to check it out. I am glad I played this game, because Cassette Beasts is solid, and feels like an evolution to the long-outdated gameplay mechanics of the mainline Pokemon games. Before I compare the gameplay mechanics between Cassette Beasts and Pokemon, I will highlight the other aspects of Cassette Beasts and give my thoughts.