*Update*
Repurchased the game after it went on sale for about 30% off and it is now playable. Genuinely happy to have the next-gen updates (about 3 years past due). The game stutters occasionally, but that is more or less to be expected with an EA game. This is the first Madden since Madden 20 that is actually worth picking up on PC if you can catch a sale. Not worth the full price unless you haven't played in a few years.

*Original*
Game crashes upon launching. Running a system with a 4080, 64gb DDR5, and a 7950x, so there’s no excuse for this. Got a refund after trying multiple fixes with no success.

EA Sports is committing fraud, therefore I cannot recommend this game.

After waiting a few years, I finally got a used Oculus Rift S, allowing me to play HL: Alyx. I couldn't justify buying a VR headset just for HL: Alyx, but after finding multiple games I wanted to try in VR, I finally made the leap. VR headsets may not give you the best image, but Valve did an incredible job with the graphics, even at lower settings.

Had I known what this game entailed I would have purchased a VR headset much sooner. I have waited nearly 15 years for this game and it did not disappoint. Combat is extremely fun and I'm sure its an amazing workout, but I chose to be lazy and sit down while I played just because I wanted my first play through to be about the story. Learning the controls is pretty easy and within 15-30 minutes it all feels very natural. Valve has set an incredible environment that feels very real, at times I would get goosebumps from just how realistic and horrifying the game was. The story is also amazing, I don't think I have had this sort of emotional response to the ending of a game since I played HL:E2. This game did not give me closure after years of waiting, as I slowly lost hope of ever finding out the end of Gordon Freeman's journey. The game did; however, give me hope that we may all one day get the conclusion that we deserve.

With all of this being said, I hope that in future installations of Half Life there is an option for both regular PC mode AND VR mode. I think the only misstep Valve made was making the game VR only which effectively locks out many people that may not have the funds to purchase an expensive setup. I read somewhere that there may be a mod that allows you to play the game without VR, but I can't confirm this.

Side note: Don't force yourself to get comfortable with the headset, take it easy and play 30 minutes to an hour at a time until you adjust. I got motion sickness and headaches a few times from playing too long when I first started, but after a couple sessions I seemed to get used to it.

Recently got back into Fallout 4 after seeing the world seemingly fall back into a heightened level of nuclear threat. The Fallout universe is, without a doubt, my favorite in gaming. Some people criticize the decline of RPG elements in the game, but I personally don't care about that as much as I do the improved combat mechanics, which nearly makes VATS pointless. The combat is incredible considering how clunky it felt in previous games, especially with mouse and keyboard. The story is ok, but I have really only played the story once or twice, I typically just build up settlements. Settlement building is pretty good considering its not the primary focus of the game, but mods and console commands improve settlement building substantially and adds a lot of depth to the game.

This game holds up incredibly well, considering it was released nearly 7 years ago. There are still some bugs and weird glitches, with one major game-breaking glitch if you choose to side with the Railroad.

I love this game. I've been playing for about two years and it isn't perfect, but its a great game to play while listening to a podcast and drinking an ice cold Busch Latte. I've spent numerous hours experimenting with various home projects in preparation of buying a house in real life... home repair isn't as easy in real life though LOL.

There are a few glitches, but there are massive improvements over the last game. At this point, my only request from developers is to give us bridges so that we can create a more dynamic and immersive ecosystem. This game is a dream come true for a livelong Jurassic Park fan.

*Update* Probably worth it if you can catch a decent sale and you haven't purchased Madden in a few years.

After last years botched release I decided not to get this until it went on sale. I ended up only paying around $20 after it went on sale for 50% + an extra discount for being a returning customer, and I honestly still mildly regret getting this game. I've played a lot, but its more because of my obsession with football and less about the quality of this game. Here are my takeaways:

- The new scouting update seems to make drafting based on luck.
- The PC version does not get next-gen updates. EA please explain this?
- Still no create-a-team.
- Still no decent my player mode (similiar to EA)
- Updates and patches usually create more problems. For instance, the mid-November update rendered the game unplayable for me. Whenever I try to load my franchise the game starts stuttering and then freezes. This also happens when trying to begin practice mode from the main screen., at the team selection screen.
- Online head-to-head lag has improved significantly, and for the most part feels very playable.
- Generally, animations are broken and tackles look absolutely ridiculous.
- Developers seem to have implemented an even deeper "nudge theory" into the main menu in order to push customers into Ultimate Team and I find this not only morally repulsive due to the target audience, but also annoying. (When loading to the main menu, the first selection is typically the last game mode you played, however; I'm assuming that due to a lack of interest in MUT this year, developers have permanently positioned MUT as the first game mode, resulting me accidentally opening MUT on multiple occasions.)

There's more issues, but I think this is enough for now.

Overall, I do not recommend. If you're mentally trapped into buying this every year like me, then at least have the courtesy to never teach your children about football or Madden.