I really love Nightreign. It feels like a natural progression of the multiplayer side of Fromsoft games and capitalizes on the stellar mechanics while fine tuning them for a more combat focused experience. If we ever get an MMO from FS, I hope it's as enjoyable as this one is.

CS2 is a major improvement over GO because I don't have to listen to audio skip over and over again while launching the game.

Disregard my hours played here because I've completed this game several times over on Xbox 360. Now, before we get into the review, it's important I clarify what this game is. This game is a single player Character Action Game in the vein of Devil May Cry or God of War. Please have a look at the following:

1. Fixed camera
2. Linear story progression
3. Only 1 playable character
4. No RPG mechanics, only DMC style upgrades
5. Quick Time Events
6. Non-canonical story
7. Must play with a controller for a good experience

If you don't care about these things and want to know if this is a good game then the answer is YES. Let me convince you why...

Castlevania LoS feels like a complete experience. Nowhere does this game fall short in delivering its money's worth. The story starts off sort of uninteresting but around chapter 4 it sets a few hooks that will interest you in completing it. The characters are well written and even have stellar voice acting. There's a lot of passion here that really sells the characters and their experiences, even if some of the writing is a bit trite (nothing like hearing "You Lie" delivered like Orlando Bloom).

Gameplay wise there's enough variety in enemies to carry you through the whole game. It's essentially broken up into 3 major Acts with Act 1 being the weakest of the 3. If you don't quite enjoy the first 2 hours of gameplay that's understandable. You're very limited in the beginning and the combat suffers without the added challenge and complexity of later encounters. Don't worry, it will get better around Chapter 4.

Where a lot of reviews really fail is explaining how gorgeous Castlevania is. The team at MercurySteam NAILED the aesthetic of the world and each stage is painstakingly crafted to feel lived in and real. You'll travel through fetid swamps filled with goblins to ancient ruins overlooking a sunken city bathed in a warm shade of sunset. And what Castlevania would be complete without a Castle? Don't worry, this one delivers. Ooooooh does it deliver. Each environment is lovingly crafted and perhaps, imo, is the number 1 reason to play this game.

Enemy design is stellar too, with each of them fitting a role in their sandbox. You have cannon fodder units, brawlers, large beasts, magic wielders, and puzzle enemies. Each sandbox has their own distinct monsters so you won't get too tired of fighting them. Bosses, however, do vary in their execution. This game has 3 Shadow of the Colossus style bosses that fail to execute that idea. The Colossus of Rhodes is a better attempt than anything seen here. But each of the Lords of Shadow and some of the in-between bosses are fun to fight. It's standard video game boss fare though and won't exactly rock your socks off.

The story is non-canon, but it's one of my favorites from the franchise. Gabriel is a great character who is fun to inhabit but also at times feels off the rails. He's wonderfully voice acted and the animators did a fantastic job selling his emotions during pivotal scenes. Zobek doesn't fare as well. His character model feels....off? Like it didn't get enough polygons to deliver the same level of creativity. But his voice actor is Patrick Stewart so I'll let it pass. The lore of this world is told through notes written by your fellow Templars of the Holy Order. Like the Ninja Scrolls in Ninja Gaiden, these lore tidbits are told from the first person and are well written. Some divulge secrets, some advance the story, and others are clearly jokes put in by the writers.

While the visuals in this game are gorgeous, in 2020 the sound design still reins supreme. From every clank of metal, thunderous thump, and insidious hiss the soundscape never struggles to reel you into the world. The soundtrack is full of bombastic orchestral pieces during fights with somber songs filling in the negative space between. I played this both with headphones and on my 5.1 home theater with RP Klipsch speakers. This game fully utilizes the space of the speakers and fleshes out nicely on a good setup.

If you've read it this far, you're obviously interested. Well, here's my final selling point: flawless performance. This game runs like a dream on most hardware. I used to play it 4k 60fps on a GTX 980 and now, with my latest 34inch monitor with 2070 Super, I play it at 120hFPS 4k locked. Never a dip. graphics settings are barebones though. So I suppose if you're using an intel chip for graphics you will struggle here. There's native 21:9 support for menus AND cutscenes, a rarity even in 2020 (which is a shame, looking at you Cyberpunk 2077).

So, is Lords of Shadow a bad game? No, it's not. It may not be the game most people wanted but for everyone else they've always enjoyed it after I gifted it to them. Buy it on sale as it LITERALLY goes on sale every few months. $7 is a steal.

I originally reviewed Dark Souls 3 when it first came out, but I'd like to revisit my review after 150+ hours of gameplay to help you, the buyer, make a more detailed decision.

For the first timers, Dark Souls 3 is the latest in the DS trilogy that takes action RPGs to a pure, combat heavy level. Gameplay is fairly simple, but difficult to master. Every player has the option to specialise in any role they choose, use any weapon they wish (provided they have the stats), and change their playstyle on the fly based on desire. Enemies are designed like small puzzles to solve, often requiring you to have a gameplan before each encounter. Light puzzle elements, platforming, and exploration give the series a feeling of old school adventure often lost in the more rigid, textbook RPGs.

Set in the ruined kingdom of Lothric, Dark Souls 3 immediately sets the pace of a faster, slimmer souls game. Taking queues from Bloodborne, DSIII has given the series a major stream lining in gameplay. Healing no longer stops you dead in your tracks, weapons no longer break (for good or bad based on your opinion of challenge), enemies are way more aggressive, and animations are much faster. This may through off some of you, but IMO it's a change for the better.

Level design is back to a mastercraft level, providing the most cohesive experience of all 3 DS games. Highlights include a dilapidated village, an enormous church and surrounding grounds, a moon lit city, and an enormous library shrouded in dark. While some areas are not as well developed as others, with a particular zone midgame, overall quality is way more consistent that previous entries. The fine models, textures, and world design is second to none. The environmental detail is astounding, often telling a story of its own. Bosses, the highlight of any souls game, make a triumphant return after the poor showing in DS2. You can expect some very interesting fights this time around, as well as some neat encounters never experienced before.

However, DSIII is not without its flaws. If you are a returning veteran, DSIII may be the easiest game in the series. The reduced stamina cost of rolling, lower health pools of bosses, and forgiving iframes allow you to get away with more risks than ever before. Sorcery and faith based builds have been nerfed from previous entries. Poise is gone, replaced by a hyperarmor system that is tied to weapons, armor, and frame data with swings. Invasions are much harder as coop has been given a major boost in stability and length, often leading you to gank squads of estus chugging try hards that will mock you when you lose their 3v1 game. And, while it's an engaging experience, DSIII is on the short side. You can expect an average playthrough of 30 hours, give or take how much gimping you do yourself and assuming you don't get help from other players.

DSIII will test your patience, reward your determination, and grant you new skills. It may also ruin other ARPGs for you. This is a fantastic game that every gamer should own as it's the perfect send off to a beloved series, full of mystery and horror. See you in game, Ashen One.

Germans Win WW2: 10/10 historical accuracy

So you're deciding to pick up Max Payne 3, but you're unsure if it's the right match for you? Well, let me give you a break down as to why I think this is one of the best games to come out in the last 5 years.

Max Payne 3 is a narrative third person shooter that follows the life of a man who's living on his last thread. And I put heavy emphasis on narrative. Even though there's plenty of action to be had, this game wants you to care about Max Payne as well as give a purpose for all the killing you're about to do. So expect a half and half- not quite Metal Gear Solid, but some may definitely be put off by having the keys taken away every now and then for the sake of plot. So if you like your game jam packed with action with little interference, you may want to hold off for a sale to try this tale.

Hands off to Rockstar on this one, though. The world they've built is so fresh and believable, you really feel like you're in another world. Sao Paolo and the Brazilian locales are all wonderfully and meticulously realized, it feels more real than any other game that's come out. Civilians are everywhere, living their lives regardless of the incidents around them. Police roam the streets and favelas, issuing curfews and exacting brute force when insisted. The enemies don't speak in thick American accents. Hell, half the time the protagonists don't speak english (or translated), leaving the player to feel alienated and alone. This ties in perfectly with the character of Max- with the loss of his family, his lover, and his career, Max is a drifter with no place in this world and its up to you to push him through and give him a reason to live and a peace in his heart.

MP3 still retains the action packed gameplay from before, however this time it's a bit slowed down. Max needs to take cover far more often, as the enemies can finish him off really quickly. Max feels a bit clunky, but I can understand this as representing the character himself- An out of shape, drunk pilled up wreck of a man. You still chuck pills to heal yourself, you still rack up bullet time from kills and headshots, and you can still shoot dodge, causing max to leap in the direction you choose while being able to fire your weapon , with or without bullet time (though the latter will just be real time).
The weapons range all over the place from pistols, to SMGS and LMGs. You can dual wield any 1h weapon, which causes Max to drop his 2h weapon automatically, a puzzling choice to be sure. Max also has a melee attack, and if you're low or empty on ammo the move can steal another enemies weapon.

Taking cover is pretty similar to other TPS of the time and it's a little stiff. You need to press the cover key to actually take cover, which can lead to some frustrating moments. Similarly, the roll action is rather poor and inconsistent. You'll get the timing down by the end, but it's still one of my least favorite moves. And last but not least, this game is challenging. Expect yourself to be on your last pill, bleeding out, and entering a room with 10 militia rolling in with full body armor. I've beaten the game on all difficulties, and I highly recommend starting on normal or easy, the latter will make you cry.

So all in all, if you're interested in the game and have read this far into the review, then I recommend getting this game. The story's fun, it time travels all over the last few years, it never stays still for too long, and it has wonderful (if sometimes corny) voice acting and motion capture. Do note that the multiplayer is all but dead except for cheaters, so it's probably not going to satisfy any MP itch. Average campaign is probably 9-12 hours first time through on normal, and there's plenty of reason to go back through with different game types and challenges.

One last thing to note, Rockstar's DRM is so awful that you may run into some problems. There'are plenty of walkthroughs and troubleshooting tips to get pass the Club sign in, but keep in mind it's pretty inconsistent.