Limbo ~ video game review

Title: Limbo

Played on PlayStation 4

    Limbo is a puzzle-platform video game developed by the independent studio Playdead. It was originally published by Microsoft Game Studios for Xbox 360 and was released way back in July 2010. The game was later made available on other platforms as well including PlayStation 4 which is the version that I played and reviewed here. A unique video game that excels in its simplicity, Limbo has been listed as one of the greatest games of all time by various publications, and it has also won many awards within the industry since its release.

It's Black & White

    Limbo is a minimalist video game not just in its visuals but controls, story and sound as well. When it comes to its visuals, the game is basically in black and white. However, the developer still managed to create beautiful and eerie settings with its monochromatic tones. I'm surprised at how striking the visuals can be even in its limited use of colours and art designs. It shows you the creativity of the developer on how they can stretch their imagination in creating the world of Limbo with simple designs.

    The soundtrack of the game is very interesting. It's more like a compilation of sounds than music, at least that's what I feel about it but other people might disagree. Nevertheless, it's a unique soundtrack that evokes the sense of calmness and at other times, a sense of dread as well. It's a weird combination, I know, but it complements the game very well.

Resident Evil (Remake) ~ video game review

Title - Resident Evil (2002 Remake Remaster)

Played on PlayStation 4

Have you heard the rumour that Capcom might be doing another remake to the first Resident Evil game? Remake of a remake, how crazy is that? Only time will tell if the rumour is true. If it's not, well no need to be sad about it. The remastered version of the 2002 Remake that were released still look amazing and is still great to play.

Here's a brief info of the game. Resident Evil Remake was released way back in 2002 by Capcom exclusively for GameCube. A remake of the original 1996 game of the same name, it has improved graphics, new gameplay mechanics and puzzles, new areas to explore, additional story and reworked dialogues. A high-definition remaster (this is the version that I've played and will review here) was later released in 2015 for multiple platforms (PlayStation, Xbox and PC) and later in 2019 for Nintendo Switch.

A Hauntingly Beautiful Mansion

It's hard to believe that this game is more than two decades old because looking at the graphics, the game still looks pretty amazing. The minute you enter the mansion, the main setting of the game, you will be mesmerized by the amazing details and you can look forward to more eerie settings to come. Gloomy lights from the lamp on the ceiling casting long shadows, with zombies and dogs lurking around the dark hidden corridors barely lit by the dim lights. The sound design complemented the creepiness with the sound of dogs howling, the moaning of the zombies, and the screaming of one Lisa Trevor. Both the graphics and the sound design make the game feels so atmospheric that you immediately transported into the horrific world of the living dead when you're playing the game. Sure, the human characters and the creatures that you fought didn't really look lifelike like the AAA games that you typically see nowadays, but they still look nice and fit with the game's settings and overall design.

Uncharted: Drake's Fortune Remastered ~ video game review

Title - Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (part of Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection)

Played on PlayStation 4

I don't think this game need an introduction but for those who may not have known about this "little" franchise, here's a brief intro. Uncharted: Drake's Fortune is the first game in the Uncharted series released way back on PlayStation 3 in 2007. Developed by Naughty Dog, the game received praise from game critics and gained quite a number of fans, which give rise to a couple sequels and even a film which starred Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg.

In 2015, a remaster of the first three video games was released, titled Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection, for the PlayStation 4. This is the version that I played but I will only review the first game for today.

Time to Explore

Obviously, I'm late to this party. I played the game more than a decade after its initial release. I know it's the first game in a successful franchise but I have to be honest, my first impression of the game visual-wise was not great. I can definitely say that it was underwhelming...and I know the reason why. Throughout the years, I have been keeping up with the news on this franchise; reading articles and reviews, watching walkthroughs and reaction videos, et cetera, et cetera. So in a way, I am aware how the games have grown and evolved throughout the years. I think maybe the greatness that I saw of the 4th game in the series somehow cloud my judgement and I was expecting the visuals of the first game to be at the same level as the latest installment, which is foolish of me. I somehow forgot that this is the first, the very first, game in the series, and furthermore it's just a remaster, not a remake. But as I spent hours playing the game, the visuals grew on me, and I can finally see how beautiful the game is.

Even though it looks a little dated visual-wise, the game still managed to mesmerize me with its beautiful locations and settings; the lush jungles, the winding rivers, the ancient structures; they were all quite fascinating to behold. You get to walk around and explore these great locations and as a player, it feels amazing. Something that I wish the game would have though is more varieties for its locations because sometimes there are a little bit of sameness to some of the locations. 

Unravel ~ video game review

Title - Unravel

Played on PlayStation 4

Unravel is a video game developed by Coldwood Interactive and published by Electronic Arts. It was released back in 2016 for Microsoft Windows, Xbox One and PlayStation 4. It's a puzzle platformer where you control Yarny, a creature made of yarn, across different sets of environment while solving puzzles along the way. It's sweet, it's lovely and it lets you look at the cycle of life through the perspective of its cute little protagonist.

Little Yarn in a Big World

First of all, let me tell you that Unravel is a beautiful video game. The settings are beautifully crafted from the peaceful, soothing locations of the house backyard and the seaside, to the dark, intimidating locations like a gloomy factory, a toxic dumpster area and snowy garage of abandoned vehicles. Everything is perfectly visualized. It feels like you have been shrunk to a small size and you get to explore these amazing places which are basically real-world based locations but from a different perspectives. The fact that it was greatly and beautifully constructed makes exploration a fascinating and wonderful experience.

The soundtrack for the video game is well-crafted too; complementing it's beautiful sceneries with soothing and calm music, while slow and melancholic music complement it's dark and depressing locations. The music and the environment go hand-in-hand in making the journey richer and satisfying. Not to forget the sound design; crashing waves, rustling leaves, flowing water, all of which play an important role immersing us in the adventure of our little protagonist.

Heavy Rain ~ video game review

Title - Heavy Rain

Played on PlayStation 4

Heavy Rain is an interactive action-adventure drama video game by Quantic Dream first published by Sony Computer Entertainment in 2010 for PlayStation 3. A remaster of the game was later released for PlayStation 4 which, for the record, is the version that I played. The game was also later released for Microsoft Windows.

It was my first time playing an interactive drama video game like Heavy Rain, so I was a bit worried if I would not like it. Will it be like a movie? Will it have enough gameplay for me to enjoy? I have so many questions. I think I did watched few gameplay videos for the game before but still I was worried. Now I can happily say that I love this game and the experience it gave me. It has its flaws and plot holes, no doubt about it, but I was enjoying it so much that I ignore them all and just focus on my enjoyment of playing it.

2021 PlayStation Showcase: What's Your Most Anticipated Game?

Did you watch the 2021 PlayStation Showcase event? I didn't catch the livestream but I did watched the video that they uploaded later and I must say, what a fantastic line-up of games!

There are altogether 18 games that were showcased but I'm going to pick half of it that I find interesting. Find out my list down below and you can click on the links to be directed to the individual game trailer on YouTube.

9) Marvel's Wolverine

This is a nice surprise. We see so little of it and yet it looks so good and promising. There are quite a few X-Men games before but I only ever play fighting games when it comes to X-Men characters. This game will probably be more focused and character-driven on the aforementioned title character based on the title. I wonder if it will have an original story, or adapted from a comic book series or movies?

8) Ghostwire: Tokyo

There are two things that stood out for me during the video for this game; one is the hand movement of the player character when in combat which looks very cool; and second the ghost design that the player will be fighting that reminiscent the ghosts from Japanese folklore and urban legend, which is also very cool. It seems to be very action-heavy but still have that horror element to it.

7) Tchia

This is a very cute game. The island setting looks very gorgeous and inviting. I'm not sure how the gameplay works, at first I thought it was just an exploration game where players can inhabit other creatures but as the video continue, it seems to have combat as well together with a very curious story. I'm intrigued.

6) Marvel's Spider-Man 2

This is another nice surprise, it was announced out of nowhere. I'm sure people have so many questions regarding this game but as it is schedule to be released in 2023, I don't think we will get much answer yet for now. This and Wolverine are being develop by Insomniac Games.

5) Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Remake

To be honest, I don't know anything about the classic game that they are remaking but I hear so many good things about it, and read the excitement from people who had played the original game, that I am in turn become excited too. If the original game is as excellent as people claim it is, then this remake will be a special one for a lot of people.

4) Project Eve

Stylish character and stylish combat. The robot companion and the enemies' attacks reminded me of Nier: Automata while the character's combat styles reminded me of Devil May Cry series. Overall, this looks good.

3) Forspoken

The visuals for this game is just amazing. The open world, the enemies, the main character's design and most importantly, the power display that the main character is projecting. Not sure what's the story about other than the main character who got sucked into an unknown world and was asked to defeat a powerful...witch? Square Enix, the publisher of the game, described it as a "narrative-driven adventure" and it will focus on speed and fluidity travel of the open world. Sounds exciting!

2) Alan Wake Remastered

I always wanted to play this game and it seems now I have a chance! For someone who cannot afford to buy multiple consoles, this news is indeed a blessing. The remastered will have general improvements, support 4k resolutions, will include both DLCs and additionally will include a new commentary track by Sam Lake.

1) God of War: Ragnarök

I think most of the people watching the showcase will have this game as their most wanted game. The footage that they showed finally revealed some of the characters that will appear as well as the gameplay, which looks oddly familiar but at the same time feels updated and refreshing. This is going to be an amazing and emotional adventure for Kratos, Atreus and us (the players!) who will accompany them on yet another soon-to-be epic journey.

Which of the showcased games are you most excited about? If you missed the rest of the games revealed at the event, you can check them out below.

• Tiny Tina's Wonderlands
• Rainbow Six Extraction
• Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online Remastered
• Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy
• Bloodhunt
• Deathloop
• Kid A Mnesia Exhibition
• Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection
• Gran Turismo 7

Perhaps you were looking forward to another game that wasn't featured in the event?

God of War (2018) ~ video game review

Title - God of War

Played on PlayStation 4

God of War is a video game from Santa Monica studio published in 2018 by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It's the sequel to God of War III but also somewhat of a reboot to the franchise. Different settings, different mythology, different antagonists, but same old Kratos, the fallen Greek God of War, now with a son and a new journey awaits him.

2020 is the year that I went back into console gaming and this game is the first game that I've completed story-wise. I feel like it's the perfect introduction for me to the games of this generation; it won a lot of awards, highly praised by critics and beloved by fans. Well, it also came free with the console bundle that I bought so yes, it make sense for this to be one of the first game that I played.

Although I have enjoyed a lot of playthrough of the games in the franchise on YouTube, my experience in playing the games myself is not much, I've only played the first God of War game on PlayStation 2 which I must say was an amazing experience, I love that game. But the franchise has evolved throughout the years and with the 2018 God of War, a lot has changed not just in gameplay but narrative-wise as well.