Release Year: 2012
Reading Year: FA2024
Developer/Publisher: Arkane Austin/Bethesda Softworks
Time to Beat: 17 Hours

Thoughts: This game is simply excellent. As many who have played this game have said, I do not like stealth games. Yet, I finished this. I enjoyed finishing it. Every aspect of this game felt intentional and beautiful. Even the short comings only feel as such because there are facets of this game that are 10/10 in their own right. The voice acting, the art style, the level design, the writing, the characters, the world, the mechanics, the systems. All of these are unique and well-crafted. Even if I was anxious about beating a level, the narrative and motivation would draw me in. Akin to SuperGiant Games, it feels like Dishonored is the game to recommend to your friend who doesn’t like stealth games. Because it isn’t a stealth game. Dishonored is all about what player you want to be, and how far you are willing to go to realize that vision. You can spec up into an assassin build and take the world head on. You can have fun and the plot will stay intact. Or, you can experiment with the mechanics and get out of your comfort zone with non-lethal assassinations. Most importantly, you are rewarded for the latter. You are rewarded with more of the world (you have to go to different locations), interact with more NPCs, hear more dialogue, and see clever endings with solid payoff. How they pull this off is simple in words: the game is as difficult as you want it to be. I don’t envy the engineers for the systems, but it works! This game can be really easy. You can use wallhacks as a power and teleporting. The AI have a very forgiving vision system and leave you alone pretty quickly if you disappear. It means you constantly have opportunities to change how you approach the level, or just restart it entirely. I personally save-scummed just to try new strategies over and over again. I didn’t want to be punished, so I wasn’t. As with any immersive sim, I don’t think I pushed the systems particularly far. The only critiques of this game I have concern the story. It’s fairly obvious and heavy-handed at times. It’s also quite linear and short. Each level is very fun, but very constrained, so finishing the level can feel a little unceremonious. Because you spend time in the world before the assassination encounter, and you must leave the scene of the crime, it’s a non-normative level design/pacing. It must be said, the ending leaves everything to be desired. It is shockingly quick and absent of meaning or message. Overall, I am so happy I played and finished this game.

Release Year: 2008/2012
Play Year: WI2023
Developer/Publisher: Atlas
Time to Beat:

Thoughts: GAME PAUSED DEC 21 2024

Yep, I finally did it. The weeaboo who will pour countless hours into manga and anime is finally taking on the game. A game series that is world-renowned, exceptionally highly reviewed, and laden with anime references and literal anime cut-scenes.

Release Year: 2022
Reading Year: SU2024
Developer/Publisher: Obsidian/Xbox Studios
Time to Beat: 23 Hours

Thoughts: The only context I had for Pentiment when I was gifted this game was, “it’s a lot of reading, but it’s worth it.” I was told it was beautiful and that the unique fonts for each character (and their scratchy, crunchy sound effects) would wow me. However, neither particularly hit me in the way I was hoping. I spent the first hour or so just… walking around. Having conversations that bored me and disconnected from the whorish artisan I had begun playing as. And then, everything changed.

Release Year: 2012
Reading Year: WI2024
Developer/Publisher: GameFreak/Nintendo
Time to Beat: XX Hours

Thoughts: I think this is the best Pokemon game. I get it. As someone who played every single of game in the main-series except this one, I had always heard that the Black and White games were different. Now, I can I say that I agree. So, I am mostly going to say what others have already said. The story is more nuanced, but more importantly is given space to breathe. The Team Rocket equivalent is muddied in a very refreshing way, especially with N as a character. It should be high praise that this game felt like i was present playing a Pokemon game and not just going through the motions. I will also say it was the first time since Sword and Shield that I felt wowed by the animation gimmicks. Every Pokemon game there some marginal animation improvement and it typically feels like a waste of resources. But here, I was genuinely excited with each gym to interact with the 3D space or see these magnificent bridges and cityscapes! This is the best of Pokemon in the classic handheld era hands down.

Release Year: 2012/2021
Reading Year: SU2024
Developer/Publisher: BioWare/EA
Time to Beat: 40 Hours

Thoughts: After nearly a hundred hours, I have finally rolled credits on Mass Effect 3. A series that was created in 2007. 17 years ago. A series I grew up around, albeit on the periphery (in my ME1 review below). A series that felt so mature and was endless in scope. A true space opera. A series whose first two games I scored a 9/10 and 10/10, respectively.