2025 Gaming Plans.

[wagonracer7]

My hype for CFB 26 is starting to grow, I've kept it under control but now that were close and I'm needing my football fix I'm starting to chomp at the bit for a trailer or blog. Started playing Destiny 2 again back in October, it's been fun as no other game scratches that itch for me the way it does. I'm looking forward to the "New" Metal Gear Solid 3 as the original MGS3 was my favorite in the series.

[Armor and Sword]

Re: 2025 Gaming Plans.

Update:


Currently Playing:

MLB 24 - 1990 BLue Jays Season Replay
MLB 23 - 1985 Yankees Season Replay
NHL 25 - Panthers Year 1
CFB 25 - Alabama Year 8
Sniper Elite Resistance
Sudden Strike 4 Complete Edition


Planned Purchases:

MLB The Show 25
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Dynasty Warriors Origins

Update:

Currently Playing:

MLB 25 - Yankees Year 1 July
NHL 25 Panthers Year 1 Stanley Cup Finals vs the Oilers
CFB 25 Alabama Year 10
Elder Scrolls 4 Oblivion Remaster

Planned Purchases:
The Precinct
Metal Gear 3 Snake Eater PS5 Reboot
Ghost of Yosei
CFB 26

Completed Games:
Sniper Elite Resistance
Indiana Jones and The Great Circle

[Cod]

Currently playing:

• Star Wars: Battlefront II - Took part in the "resurgence" today and forgot how great the game is/was. Will definitely be playing more of this and things below may drop off.
• Star Wars: Empire at War
• MLB 25 - Texas Rangers franchise (year 1)
• EAFC 25 - Pro Clubs with friends 1-2 nights per week
• PES 21 - PSV save in master league (year 2)

Planned Purchases:

• Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

Completed games:

• Ghost of Tsushima
• Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order

[jrnlgrn]

Currently Playing:
Primary System (PS5)

• Balatro - Didn't think I would be enjoying this as much as I have. Oddly addicting nice game to just pick and get a run in. Still have yet to complete a run but I'm getting close.
• Clair Obscure | Expedition 33 - Another one I didn't expect to like so much. Love that it's turn based and not some grand open world. Story is solid enough and enjoy the combat. The mix of turn based and real time dodge/parry mechanic is cool
• Mortal Kombat 1: Put Tekken and Street Fighter down and went back to MK1. Definitely still has it's issues but since I've last played they added the towers of time and made some changes to the Invasions mode so I'm back in.
• The Finals - After dropping Off the Grid, I needed a multiplayer shooter to replace it. Finals is actually pretty solid. Destructible environments, lots of game modes to choose from. Devs seems like they actually want people to enjoy the game. I'm not great but it always seems fair.
• Gran Turismo 7 - Always installed just run the weekly online time trials and call it good.
• The Division 2 - So glad I got back into this a couple years ago. Only played a bit of the new DLC but so far so good. 6 years later and after a lot of bumps in the road this game just keeps on giving.
• Pro Yakyuu Spirits - Only sport game I currently installed. Haven't touched my franchise in a while though, Just been playing the live scenario mode. Trying to catch up to the the current game days.

Currently Playing:
Seconday System (Switch)

• Super Mario Bros. Wonder - Haven't really touched it but did complete a couple more levels. Slowly plugging along not in a hurry.
• Mario Kart 8 - Purchase back in April (?) Haven't played much of it but it's Mario Kart of course it's fu

Finished:

• Judgement - Almost just as good as Yakuza 0 might actually be better in some ways. Good cast of characters and the story is strong. Might pick up the sequel at some point or might go play Yakuza: Kawami first.

DNF:

• Eternal Strands - Solid game just didn't hook me. Gameplay is decent but the story so far was pretty thin. LIke the art style. Game reminds me a bit of Immortals: Fenyx Rising. Might return to it at some point.

On the Radar:

• Hell is Us
• College Football 26
• Ghost of Yotei

[pietasterp]

Halfway through the year update (crazy!).

I got on a weird 'Dead Rising' kick and realizing I'd never played any of the games, knocked out Dead Rising 1 & 2. Both good games and fun in their own weird ways, and I'm glad I finally played them but no need to do any more 'Dead Risings' for me.

Just finally finished The Last of Us Part 2'. Long overdue. It's incredible what a high level Naughty Dog makes their games at (basically only Rockstar can compete), and the combat/action in the game was more fun than the first one IMO, although I didn't really much care for the story. It started to drag in the middle of the game and toward the end, but I'm impressed with how much content was in that package.

We'll see what strikes my fancy next and how the summer goes. I'm gonna need to be blown away by CFB26 to get it 2 years in a row.

[LowerWolf]

Mid-year update

PURCHASED
MLB 25
Clair Obscure: Expédition 33
Forza Horizon 5
Ninja Gaiden 2: Black
WWE 2K25

Bought Forza Horizon on a whim in early May, zero regrets. The game is just a blast to play. Expedition 33 may be the game of the year, although MLB 25 is right there with it for me.

WILL PURCHASE
College Football 26
Gears of War: Reloaded
Everybody's Golf Hot Shots

No brainers for me on all of these. I had an Xbox 360 for about a year back in the day. Gears is the only game I really miss from those days. Everybody's Golf on the PS4 was my most-played game.

MAY PURCHASE
Madden 26
F1 25
Ninja Gaiden 4

I hate myself that I'm considering Madden, but it sounds like it's going to be improved (of course, that's true every year). People saying the CPU actually runs the ball in the beta gives me some hope, too. Just please please please don't put that stupid Team Pass stuff in the scorebug. NG4 will likely be an on-sale purchase. I need to finish NG2B first. I may bit on F1 if there's a good sale.

CURRENT DYNASTIES
MLB 25 - Braves
NBA 2K24 - Bulls
Madden 25- 49ers

I gave up on my CFB25 dynasty with 26 so close. I don't have much interest in playing my 49ers dynasty now either. Having a blast with MLB 25 and still plugging away with the Bulls on 2K24. Got my first Platinum trophy with MLB 24, so I've retired it.

CURRENTLY PLAYING - NON-SPORTS
Expedition 33
Forza 5
Gran Turismo 7

Forza got me to start playing GT7 again too. Having fun with both of them.

PLAN TO PLAY
Too many to list at the moment ... lol.

[KSUowls]

Well on top of beating Clair Obscur Expedition 33, I also took it to 100% completion on all achievements. I have never done that before in any game.

Aside from E:33, I've mostly just been bouncing around a few games. I've been tempted to do a New Game+

I did pick up Stellar Blade on PC. Really solid port, no issues with performance or bugs at all. It's a shame that a lot of people I think dismiss it due to the art design. It really is a solid game.

Currently Playing
Stellar Blade (PC)
Diablo 4
Resident Evil 1
Baldurs Gate 3

Gaming goals for 2025:
Complete 8 single player games

Progress:
1 - Clair Obscur Expedition 33 - (10.0)
2 - Clair Obscur Expedition 33 100% completion (it counts)

--------------------------------
2025 Game Release Radar:

Unexpected Purchases:

Spoiler

Stellar Blade PC

Spoiler

Games I will likely Pre-order:

Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition (3/18/25) - Already pre-ordered. One of my favorite RPG developers - Purchased, but need to complete earlier games.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond (2025) - It's Metroid, duh - Unfortunately Nintendo got greedy
Vampire Masquerade Bloodlines (2025) - I'll believe it when I see it, but when I see it I'm buying it
Gears of War: E-Day (2025) - This looks great
Clair Obscur Expedition 33 (2025) - To be honest this game looks amazing from the minimal information that has been shown. The lack of information is my only hesitation.

Games that I'm really excited about, but I have a hint of hesitancy

Wuchang Fallen Feathers (2025) - I may not love Souls-like games, but every trailer on this one looks good
Showa American Story (2025) - A post-apocalyptic zombie action adventure game set in America with Japanese culture? It sounds super interesting, but I have so many questions.
Fable (2025) - It's Fable, I have high expectations. - DELAYED
Tokyo Xtreme Racer (2025) - Loved playing this game on the Dreamcast. I'm curious how it will translate in a modern setting.
Nascar 25 (2025) - The way these devs talk about old games like Dirt to Daytona has me really excited. It's been nearly 20 years since I was happy with a Nascar game though.

Intrigued but wait for a sale (a big one)

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 (2/4/25) - I expect it to be good, just not in a rush to buy it when I still have a long way to go in the first game. - Will revisit when it goes on sale and I have more time
Civilization 7 (2/11/25) - I generally love these games. I have some questions around some of the new mechanics, and I have other similar games that will hold me over. - Pass
Suikoden I & II HD Remaster (3/6/25) - I'm tired of re-masters, but I would be lying to say that I don't want it. - Too big of a backlog to justify buying right now
Kingmaker (Q1 25) - Pretty gimmicky, but it's hard to say no to a game that lets you use a tank in the middle ages.
Borderlands 4 (2025) - These zany games are usually fun, but I can always wait for a discount - Randy Pitchford told me not to buy it

Others on my radar

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii (2/21/25) - It's funny if nothing else. - Will play if it ever comes to gamepass
Kaiserpunk (2/27/25) - An interesting combination between city builder and strategy. - Will wait for a big sale
Monster Hunter Wilds (2/28/25) - Not the biggest fan of the series, but all of the gameplay does look fun - Pass due to greedy economics in a single player game
CFB 26 (July 2025) - It's on here by default, but I don't have high hopes
Ship of Heroes (Q2 25) - I've been waiting for this City of Heroes successor for YEARS. As a MMO fan there is a good chance that I try it out.
Eternal Strands (2025) - I don't really like games with a survival mechanic, but this action rpg has a lot of interesting elements. - Tried it on gamepass, kind of mediocre
Lost Soul Aside (2025) - An RPG with modern action combat. It gives off major Final Fantasy vibes
Doom: The Dark Ages (2025) - Nothing against Doom, just not a huge FPS guy anymore. This one looks cool though.
Ghost of Yotei (2025) - I hope that it's good
Crimson Desert (2025) - I wish that combat looked more like BDO, but I'm still interested to see more.
Gothic Remake (2025) - Good call on this Picci. Completely forgot that this was in development.

2025 Game Reviews

Spoiler

January Game Reviews:
Daymare: 1994 Sandcastle (PC) - (7.5) - Good bones on this suspense/shooter

Spoiler

Picked this one up based on a whim during the recent Steam sale. I came away pleasantly surprised. Maybe think of it as a low budget Dead Space in terms of gameplay. The story is pretty interesting, and there is plenty of suspense to get your heart rate up as you go through it. It's pretty linear though and combat is only serviceable at best. Fun enough, especially for just the few dollars that I spent on it.

Diplomacy is not an Option (PC) - (8.5) - Really fun Survival/RTS.

Spoiler

It has some humor that really throws you for a loop. Quite challenging but fun

Earthbound (Switch - Online) - (9.0) - A classic revisited.

Spoiler

Earthbound is available to play as part of the Nintendo online subscription (SNES). It's a cult classic that is considered one of the best JRPG's of the SNES era. I've played through it so many times, and it still holds up today. The story is kind of whacky, and it does not take itself seriously. There are a lot of pop culture things which get parodied in the gameplay. But it never goes so far that it becomes inane. A lot of the gameplay systems are also simplistic. Somehow it all just works though.

Madden 2007 (PS2) - (9.0) - How is a nearly 20 year old game so vastly superior to any football game currently on the market?

Spoiler

You see a noticeable difference between like a 90 overall receiver and a guy who is a 75. Dynasty depth might as well be alien technology for how far advanced it is compared to either Madden or CFB (4 coaches instead of 3, named coordinators not just the head coaches, former players eventually becoming coaches, coach stats tied to attributes instead of cheat code unlocks like the skill tree...and that's just the coaching side. I haven't talked about the Tony Bruno show, the game planning (more informative than Madden), position battles, etc...There are certainly some QOL things that Madden and CFB do better with 20 years of additional experience, but so much about the old PS2 footballs are just better.

Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition (Switch) - (8.0) - What a weird experience.

Spoiler

The creators of this game also created the Xenosaga trilogy which are some of my favorite games ever. Xenoblade Chronicles (XC) was meant to be a spiritual successor to that game, and in a lot of ways XC is really good. The story is quite compelling, the characters are interesting in their own right, and the combat system has a certain flavor to it. In fact, I really like the combat system with its heavy emphasis on resource management and the unique mechanic where you can see the future. Itemization and crafting are also present enough to offer some interest there too.

There is a major 'but' though. The way that side quests are handled in XC is beyond horrible. I can't think of a strong enough word to describe how bad it is. For one, there are A LOT of them. A large percentage of them are some form of a fetch quest too, which isn't particularly interesting. As if that were not bad enough, they are implemented in a way that seems to be intentionally inconvenient to complete efficiently. Many quests have pre-requisites of either/both needing a specific quest completed and/or a certain affinity (ie: completing a bunch of quests in an area) before you can access. This means that you can't just load up on quests at once and do them as you explore passively, you have to actively go back and forth and engage with this system. Some quest givers will also only offer their missions at specific times of the day, which is yet another hoop that you have to jump through. The rewards for these quests really aren't even all that great in most cases either (which is actually a good thing as noted next).

I spent the first couple of story chapters trying to 100% the game and realized that I had spent literally like 5x-6x more time on the available side quests than I had spent engaging with the story, and I was not having fun. Finally I decided to just forget the system entirely, only pick up a couple of quests when it is convenient to do so, and the game experience increased dramatically.

The main game with its story and combat is like a 9/10. The side quests are a 0/10.

Feb Game Reviews - None

March Game Reviews:
Sleeping Dogs Definitive Edition - (PC) - (9.5) -

Spoiler

Amazing game that is criminally underrated. I played the original version years ago, and this remastered edition has not disappointed. Sleeping Dogs is maybe my favorite game in this GTA style open world genre. The story is really interesting, great characters who face moral dilemmas, and the voice acting is top notch.

Combat still holds up on this older title even in 2025. The melee combat system really sets it apart from similar games. Graphics too hold up pretty well for an older game.

Just a great game. I wish they would have continued the series.

OOTP 26 - (PC) - (7.0) -

Spoiler

The score here is based entirely on the fact that I played OOTP 25 (and many prior versions to that). Little has been added to OOTP 26 to make it seem worth the value, and the biggest flaw of the series to me is still very present (AI trade logic). I'd give it a 9.0 for a first time player for its deep set of features, but returning players don't have much to get excited about.

Cyberpunk 2077 - (PC) - (6.5) -

Spoiler

Meh. That words perfectly describes my thoughts on Cyberpunk. I was super hyped when it came out. Quickly became disappointed. Decided to try it again after its years of patches and reworks, and I'd still just call it meh.

The level of immersion seems substandard given what much older games achieved. The main story plays on what is in my opinion a very dumb trope and makes me feel even more disconnected from my RPG character which is further exasperated by what to me feels like a level of player agency that is less than I would hope for this style of open world RPG.

It's a game that you would have a hard time at finding something that it does poorly (allowing for the subjective nature of the main story), but it also doesn't have any place that I can point to and say "yeah that is really good".

April Game Reviews:
Clair Obscure Expedition 33 - (PC) - (10.0) - Incredible

Spoiler

No game will ever be perfect, but I'll reiterate some things that I said in the specific game thread. This game executes at such a high level across the board that you really have to nitpick to find flaws.

Combat is hands down the best that I have ever experienced in a RPG. I'm a sucker for the classic turn based RPG games of old like Final Fantasy (up until recent versions). I just think it fits really well with a party based system when it is implemented well. 33's turn based system would be one of the best that I have ever played even if it did not have any other mechanics. Each character has a unique skill set which makes you think about the party that you want to use, and you can make the skills synergize with each other. Each character basically has 2 different resources that you have to manage for skills and combos which just makes it really interesting and complex. What really sets 33's combat apart though is the dodge/parry system. It takes an already interesting and complex turn based system and adds an intense 'skill' system to it. It's not as punishing as a Dark Souls game, but the timing windows are still very tight. It's extremely rewarding to pull off a series of parrys that result in a big counterattack by your party.

The story is unexpected. There is always a 'save the world' trope, but this one has some unique twists. The characters are all really interesting too. The prologue sucks you into the the narrative within the first 30 minutes of gameplay where you are just like "oh my god". It also has a good bit of humor in the game, and the humor is all well placed. It's a story of grief and sacrifice, hope and hopelessness, and you're just along for the ride.

I consider music to be a feature of a RPG, and it's a great feature in Expedition 33. You're not going to get some of the scores that will get your blood flowing like in a Nobuo Uemetsu soundtrack, but the music here is designed to spark emotion which fits the tone of the story.

Exploration might be one of the weaker parts of the game, and I would still give it a very positive rating. There is not much to do on the open world map, but within each 'dungeon map' (using the term loosely), there are a lot of side passages that you can take which will reward you with additional items. I actually think that it finds a good balance of giving you reasons to go off the beaten path without being overly cumbersome.

Voice acting & graphics are both stellar. I don't consider either to be core components to a game, but they do help. Expedition 33 is great at both. The performances by all of the voice actors is perfect. There was not a single instance where I thought even the most obscure character had a cringy dialogue. The main cast all play there roles supremely well.

------------

[KSUowls]

This year is flying, and I'm not making a lot of progress. I've been juggling a few different games over the last month. Diablo 4 season 9, EA CFB 26, Wuchang Fallen Feathers, and a bit of Resident Evil 1. So, not a ton of progress in any individual one.


July Game Reviews

EA CFB 26 - (XB1) - (6.5) - 2 small steps forward, 1 step back

Spoiler

I'm sure this will be considered a hot take, but I don't think that CFB26 is a very good game. This is going to be a long review because it's a game that I really WANT to like.

I do think that it is better than CFB 25 (at least in some of the ways that I care about), but I was even more critical of CFB 25. The series exists as the only modern college football games available to us in 2025, and they are the first games of their kind in over a decade. This gives them quite a free pass (I waited a month and a half before reviewing the game last year because I wanted to give it so many chances) and imo it creates a lot of scenarios where people view the current series with rose-tinted-glasses. I do hope that some things improve with patches, but I don't think it's unfair to review a game that has been out for over 2 weeks now.

EA clearly took the approach of refinement rather than evolution for the 2nd iteration of this series' return. I don't think that this was too surprising, and we do see some good things that come from this refinement. Formation subs have been added and there are numerous QoL additions to the dynasty hub like being able to access a player's card from any screen. It's a small thing, but one of my biggest complaints in last year's game was that it gave me no reason to spend time in the dynasty hub. Arguably it actively dissuaded me from spending time there due to how inconvenient certain menus were and what kind of information was available in others. So kudos for cleaning up some of those things, and that is where I think the game has seen the most improvement. However, I think it's also a far stretch from actually being good in this arena. Matchup previews at the play week screen still default to team ratings rather than team stats (even though the later is an available feature seen in the post season). We don't have certain team historical stats like we had way back in NCAA 14, and some menus are still quite inconvenient to navigate. So, while the dynasty hub has improved it is still a relatively shallow experience.

Some of the presentation aspects are improved too. My first game I saw a graphic for "keys to the game" during the pre-game. This was something that we had in much older versions of the game (I don't recall it being in CFB 25). Unfortunately it is inconsistently applied to the experience though. It popped up in my first 2 games at launch, but I've only seen it sporadically since then. I don't understand why this would not just be a staple for every pre-game. I have also found that the in-game commentary is generally more accurate than last year. It still has its moments, but I have far fewer instances of thinking that the commentary is just factually wrong.

The transfer portal is much more impactful this year too which was another one of my huge complaints last year. Roster turnover wasn't a thing at all in CFB 25 (outside of guys graduating), and so I really like that I now have to manage playing time of my roster. Playing Style is still kind of a broken aspect of the system though due to how certain aspects of the game function. I like the idea of location based recruiting. I think that is a huge plus for the mini-game that is recruiting. It's kind of offset by just how easy it is to recruit though, and I think it has some unintended consequences for those seeking a simulation experience too.

We also got a whole bunch of new sliders to give us more ways to customize our experience. I consider this a huge plus. There were also some gameplay enhancements like the new blocking schemes that I think are a net positive.

Lastly the addition of real coaches does bring a little more connection to the game world and the real world. The coaching system in general is also improved imo with how some things were rebalanced. I still hate the system in general though as it forces arcade style power ups inside of linear skill trees that have more sim-like powerups later on down the skill tree.

I mention a lot of positives here, but I also mention a lot where the execution didn't fully deliver. This is the general theme of my experience with the game.

Last year I said "If the game play is an 8/10 then everything else is 2/10". I focus a lot on the "everything else" above that is improved, but I think the gameplay has taken a noticeable step back.

Gameplay and Penalty sliders have little to no effect, whereas they did feel more impactful a year ago. Penalties in general seem to be turned down (despite the in-game help box noting that sliders at 50 are based on real world data). RoboQB is in a state that is as bad as it has ever been for the entirety of EA's college football game franchise. LB's now attack the run gaps with impunity. Now, I actually do like this from a gameplay standpoint, it makes running the ball actually have some challenge. But it's not ratings based at all. A 60 ovr and a 90ovr linebacker will attack the run in the exact same way, which brings little variety to the game-to-game experience.


The halftime show is still terrible and not worth watching. Focus players in the pre-game have their overalls listed instead of their stats, yet another instance where I struggle to see this as an acceptable state of a full price game that didn't offer much in the way of big feature improvements from the prior year.

HFA is still implemented in such a way that is completely asinine in how it creates incorrect play art for your team. Make it hard to audible, increase the chances of false starts or even delays for your Oline at the snap. I'm even okay with some level of stat penalty for composure loss. Home Field in the real world because of how it impacts your ability to communicate at the line of scrimmage, and sometimes even just getting the play in at the huddle. It does not make players suddenly forget what play was called 2 seconds earlier in the huddle though. So, seeing the play art for a run play when I called a pass, just because the stadium is loud, is absurd. Not only is that not a simulation experience, it doesn't even follow the design philosophy of any other parts of the game (including HFA) because it's the only feature that can be 100% overcome by "skill" (in this case, memorizing your playbook). This aspect of HFA needs to be completely removed or at minimum a customization option offered. I actually like the challenge that HFA brings to the the table with the other things that it does (which are life-like), but I would rather not have the feature at all than to have incorrect play-art.

The introduction of career wear & tear may indicate that their heart was in the right place in adding nuance to your roster decisions, but it's both poorly executed and the career W/T pool makes little sense from a sim perspective. 18 and 22 years should not be worn down by the grind of their short college careers. This would absolutely make sense in a Madden game where guys have already played their college careers and go on to play another 10 in the NFL (hitting 30 years old and later), but not for a college game.

This only played a minor part in my overall view of the game since I am a 99% dynasty player, but RTG is terrible. I don't know how they heard feedback of "we want high school games like we had a decade ago" and implemented a series of 4 scenarios per game where you are only graded on whether or not you perform specific challenges.

Going back to my separate rating scale from a year ago. As of right now I'd give the Gameplay about a 6/10 and "everything else" about a 5/10. Which comes in a little shy of the 6.5 overall score, but I do give it a bonus for being the only college football game in existence right now.

I'm still playing it because I love college football, and even a mediocre college football game will provide me with entertainment. I don't play it for hours at a time like I used to in years past though.

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers - (PC) - (8.0) - A good challenge

Spoiler

Maybe I like these types of games more than I think. I like Stellar Blade and I loved the old Ninja Gaiden games. But I do struggle to embrace the concept of "difficulty is a feature" in video games. But I once again finding myself enjoying one of these games.

Wuchang has a few things going for it. The environment and general atmosphere are hugely appealing. Now, I am biased as I do generally like East Asian aesthetics, but for people who whare my interest then I think you will find that it offers a solid atmosphere.

The game is challenging, borderline punishing. The sparse places to save your game can be frustrating, but I do find the overall challenge to be just under that threshold where it would make me rage-quit when I die and have to start back from the last shrine. It nails the balance there imo.

There are some interesting mechanics combat and death. Death can be rewarding or it can be extremely punishing. I think people's take on this will largely depend on their skill level. I don't think that I am particularly good at these games, but after about an hour of learning the game I rarely died anymore.

As a PC player I also benefit from having a pretty powerful PC. Most of the negative Steam reviews seem to be around performance, with console players generally like the game more since its better optimized there.

I rate it just a half step behind Stellar Blade since it is definitely more punishing and forces a slower pace of combat. It isn't so slow that it feels like you're just bogged down though, and I think it's just a solid experience across the board.

Currently Playing
Wuchang Fallen Feathers (PC)
Diablo 4
EA CFB 26

Gaming goals for 2025:
Complete 8 single player games

Progress:
1 - Clair Obscur Expedition 33 - (10.0)
2 - Clair Obscur Expedition 33 100% completion (it counts)

--------------------------------
2025 Game Release Radar:

Unexpected Purchases:

Spoiler

Stellar Blade PC

The List

Spoiler

Games I will likely Pre-order:

Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition (3/18/25) - Already pre-ordered. One of my favorite RPG developers - Purchased, but need to complete earlier games.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond (2025) - It's Metroid, duh - Unfortunately Nintendo got greedy
Vampire Masquerade Bloodlines (2025) - I'll believe it when I see it, but when I see it I'm buying it
Gears of War: E-Day (2025) - This looks great
Clair Obscur Expedition 33 (2025) - To be honest this game looks amazing from the minimal information that has been shown. The lack of information is my only hesitation.

Games that I'm really excited about, but I have a hint of hesitancy

Wuchang Fallen Feathers (2025) - I may not love Souls-like games, but every trailer on this one looks good - Purchased and enjoying it so far
Showa American Story (2025) - A post-apocalyptic zombie action adventure game set in America with Japanese culture? It sounds super interesting, but I have so many questions.
Fable (2025) - It's Fable, I have high expectations. - DELAYED
Tokyo Xtreme Racer (2025) - Loved playing this game on the Dreamcast. I'm curious how it will translate in a modern setting. - Looks good, but I don't buy into "early access" games as a general rule. Hopefully the full release is soon.
Nascar 25 (2025) - The way these devs talk about old games like Dirt to Daytona has me really excited. It's been nearly 20 years since I was happy with a Nascar game though.

Intrigued but wait for a sale (a big one)

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 (2/4/25) - I expect it to be good, just not in a rush to buy it when I still have a long way to go in the first game. - Will revisit when it goes on sale and I have more time
Civilization 7 (2/11/25) - I generally love these games. I have some questions around some of the new mechanics, and I have other similar games that will hold me over. - Pass
Suikoden I & II HD Remaster (3/6/25) - I'm tired of re-masters, but I would be lying to say that I don't want it. - Too big of a backlog to justify buying right now
Kingmaker (Q1 25) - Pretty gimmicky, but it's hard to say no to a game that lets you use a tank in the middle ages.
Borderlands 4 (2025) - These zany games are usually fun, but I can always wait for a discount - Randy Pitchford told me not to buy it

Others on my radar

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii (2/21/25) - It's funny if nothing else. - Will play if it ever comes to gamepass
Kaiserpunk (2/27/25) - An interesting combination between city builder and strategy. - Will wait for a big sale
Monster Hunter Wilds (2/28/25) - Not the biggest fan of the series, but all of the gameplay does look fun - Pass due to greedy economics in a single player game
CFB 26 (July 2025) - It's on here by default, but I don't have high hopes - Purchased...see July review
Ship of Heroes (Q2 25) - I've been waiting for this City of Heroes successor for YEARS. As a MMO fan there is a good chance that I try it out.
Eternal Strands (2025) - I don't really like games with a survival mechanic, but this action rpg has a lot of interesting elements. - Tried it on gamepass, kind of mediocre
Lost Soul Aside (2025) - An RPG with modern action combat. It gives off major Final Fantasy vibes
Doom: The Dark Ages (2025) - Nothing against Doom, just not a huge FPS guy anymore. This one looks cool though. - Skipped because I was busy with Expedition 33
Ghost of Yotei (2025) - I hope that it's good
Crimson Desert (2025) - I wish that combat looked more like BDO, but I'm still interested to see more.
Gothic Remake (2025) - Good call on this Picci. Completely forgot that this was in development.

2025 Game Reviews

Spoiler

January Game Reviews:
Daymare: 1994 Sandcastle (PC) - (7.5) - Good bones on this suspense/shooter

Spoiler

Picked this one up based on a whim during the recent Steam sale. I came away pleasantly surprised. Maybe think of it as a low budget Dead Space in terms of gameplay. The story is pretty interesting, and there is plenty of suspense to get your heart rate up as you go through it. It's pretty linear though and combat is only serviceable at best. Fun enough, especially for just the few dollars that I spent on it.

Diplomacy is not an Option (PC) - (8.5) - Really fun Survival/RTS.

Spoiler

It has some humor that really throws you for a loop. Quite challenging but fun

Earthbound (Switch - Online) - (9.0) - A classic revisited.

Spoiler

Earthbound is available to play as part of the Nintendo online subscription (SNES). It's a cult classic that is considered one of the best JRPG's of the SNES era. I've played through it so many times, and it still holds up today. The story is kind of whacky, and it does not take itself seriously. There are a lot of pop culture things which get parodied in the gameplay. But it never goes so far that it becomes inane. A lot of the gameplay systems are also simplistic. Somehow it all just works though.

Madden 2007 (PS2) - (9.0) - How is a nearly 20 year old game so vastly superior to any football game currently on the market?

Spoiler

You see a noticeable difference between like a 90 overall receiver and a guy who is a 75. Dynasty depth might as well be alien technology for how far advanced it is compared to either Madden or CFB (4 coaches instead of 3, named coordinators not just the head coaches, former players eventually becoming coaches, coach stats tied to attributes instead of cheat code unlocks like the skill tree...and that's just the coaching side. I haven't talked about the Tony Bruno show, the game planning (more informative than Madden), position battles, etc...There are certainly some QOL things that Madden and CFB do better with 20 years of additional experience, but so much about the old PS2 footballs are just better.

Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition (Switch) - (8.0) - What a weird experience.

Spoiler

The creators of this game also created the Xenosaga trilogy which are some of my favorite games ever. Xenoblade Chronicles (XC) was meant to be a spiritual successor to that game, and in a lot of ways XC is really good. The story is quite compelling, the characters are interesting in their own right, and the combat system has a certain flavor to it. In fact, I really like the combat system with its heavy emphasis on resource management and the unique mechanic where you can see the future. Itemization and crafting are also present enough to offer some interest there too.

There is a major 'but' though. The way that side quests are handled in XC is beyond horrible. I can't think of a strong enough word to describe how bad it is. For one, there are A LOT of them. A large percentage of them are some form of a fetch quest too, which isn't particularly interesting. As if that were not bad enough, they are implemented in a way that seems to be intentionally inconvenient to complete efficiently. Many quests have pre-requisites of either/both needing a specific quest completed and/or a certain affinity (ie: completing a bunch of quests in an area) before you can access. This means that you can't just load up on quests at once and do them as you explore passively, you have to actively go back and forth and engage with this system. Some quest givers will also only offer their missions at specific times of the day, which is yet another hoop that you have to jump through. The rewards for these quests really aren't even all that great in most cases either (which is actually a good thing as noted next).

I spent the first couple of story chapters trying to 100% the game and realized that I had spent literally like 5x-6x more time on the available side quests than I had spent engaging with the story, and I was not having fun. Finally I decided to just forget the system entirely, only pick up a couple of quests when it is convenient to do so, and the game experience increased dramatically.

The main game with its story and combat is like a 9/10. The side quests are a 0/10.

Feb Game Reviews - None

March Game Reviews:
Sleeping Dogs Definitive Edition - (PC) - (9.5) -

Spoiler

Amazing game that is criminally underrated. I played the original version years ago, and this remastered edition has not disappointed. Sleeping Dogs is maybe my favorite game in this GTA style open world genre. The story is really interesting, great characters who face moral dilemmas, and the voice acting is top notch.

Combat still holds up on this older title even in 2025. The melee combat system really sets it apart from similar games. Graphics too hold up pretty well for an older game.

Just a great game. I wish they would have continued the series.

OOTP 26 - (PC) - (7.0) -

Spoiler

The score here is based entirely on the fact that I played OOTP 25 (and many prior versions to that). Little has been added to OOTP 26 to make it seem worth the value, and the biggest flaw of the series to me is still very present (AI trade logic). I'd give it a 9.0 for a first time player for its deep set of features, but returning players don't have much to get excited about.

Cyberpunk 2077 - (PC) - (6.5) -

Spoiler

Meh. That words perfectly describes my thoughts on Cyberpunk. I was super hyped when it came out. Quickly became disappointed. Decided to try it again after its years of patches and reworks, and I'd still just call it meh.

The level of immersion seems substandard given what much older games achieved. The main story plays on what is in my opinion a very dumb trope and makes me feel even more disconnected from my RPG character which is further exasperated by what to me feels like a level of player agency that is less than I would hope for this style of open world RPG.

It's a game that you would have a hard time at finding something that it does poorly (allowing for the subjective nature of the main story), but it also doesn't have any place that I can point to and say "yeah that is really good".

April Game Reviews:
Clair Obscure Expedition 33 - (PC) - (10.0) - Incredible

Spoiler

No game will ever be perfect, but I'll reiterate some things that I said in the specific game thread. This game executes at such a high level across the board that you really have to nitpick to find flaws.

Combat is hands down the best that I have ever experienced in a RPG. I'm a sucker for the classic turn based RPG games of old like Final Fantasy (up until recent versions). I just think it fits really well with a party based system when it is implemented well. 33's turn based system would be one of the best that I have ever played even if it did not have any other mechanics. Each character has a unique skill set which makes you think about the party that you want to use, and you can make the skills synergize with each other. Each character basically has 2 different resources that you have to manage for skills and combos which just makes it really interesting and complex. What really sets 33's combat apart though is the dodge/parry system. It takes an already interesting and complex turn based system and adds an intense 'skill' system to it. It's not as punishing as a Dark Souls game, but the timing windows are still very tight. It's extremely rewarding to pull off a series of parrys that result in a big counterattack by your party.

The story is unexpected. There is always a 'save the world' trope, but this one has some unique twists. The characters are all really interesting too. The prologue sucks you into the the narrative within the first 30 minutes of gameplay where you are just like "oh my god". It also has a good bit of humor in the game, and the humor is all well placed. It's a story of grief and sacrifice, hope and hopelessness, and you're just along for the ride.

I consider music to be a feature of a RPG, and it's a great feature in Expedition 33. Some of the music hits you just as hard as anything that Nobuo Uemetsu ever produced in the Final Fantasy games. Really solid soundtrack throughout. To be completely fair and thorough, E:33's best scores are a perfect 10/10 matching up with any other individual scores from other games. I'd only rate the overall OST a 9/10 though because I don't think that it maintains that perfection throughout. Nothing is ever bad, but there is a clear difference between a boss battle and the overworld for instance. Whereas a game like Final Fantasy 8's overworld music is every bit as iconic as what you get from the biggest boss battles. It's being ultra nit-picky though (That Renoir song is musical perfection).

Exploration might be one of the weaker parts of the game, and I would still give it a very positive rating. There is not much to do on the open world map, but within each 'dungeon map' (using the term loosely), there are a lot of side passages that you can take which will reward you with additional items. I actually think that it finds a good balance of giving you reasons to go off the beaten path without being overly cumbersome. So, does it offer the best video game exploration ever? No, but it offers a really great one.

Voice acting & graphics are both stellar. I don't consider either to be core components to a game, but they do help. Expedition 33 is great at both. In fact, the voice acting is so good that I WOULD call it a core feature. The performances by all of the voice actors is perfect. There was not a single instance where I thought even the most obscure character had a cringy dialogue. The main cast all play there roles supremely well, delivering on the emotional experience that the main story also gets you with.

I'm only sad that I never again experience this game for the first. It's my favorite game of all time.

June Game Reviews:

Stellar Blade - (PC) - (8.5) - Solid across the board

Spoiler

Just a really solid game. Combat plays fast which is something that I appreciate. There is a pretty good character progression system which offers lots of different skills. The game is challenging without being overly punishing. It also runs fantastic on PC which is something that you don't always get with ports.

Honestly hard to find anything to criticize the game for. It's just kind of solid throughout

------------

[pietasterp]

Great CFB26 review

[Dead2009]

I've been juggling all 3 consoles lately. Haven't had time to really finish anything outside of Robocop and a Care Bears game lol, I havent had time to beat anything.

[KSUowls]

Work has once again consumed my life, so no progress other than trying out some new games.

August Game Reviews:

Madden 26 - (XB1) - (7.5) - Best Madden in years, but it's still Madden

Spoiler

The first Madden that I have pre-ordered in a long time after some really exciting pre-release announcements, and I have to say I don't totally regret that decision.

For the Pros:
-The new coaching system is really interesting and a huge step in the right direction. I love the idea around gameplan loadouts as they do provide somewhat of a simulation experience since. By that I mean, you don't have a full skill tree of passives that are active at all times, the loadout system can be seen as simulating real weekly gameplanning.

-I love the new heavy snow & rain. I've wanted extreme weather in football games for so long, and I am happy that it's finally here. I do think that the default impacts are a little over stated, but I can live with that since we do have the sliders

-The new half-time show and weekly presentation are massive improvements over what Madden has had for 2 console generations now. They are actually interesting to watch and worth paying attention to.

-I think aspects of the running/passing game and defense all feel better in this year's game.

-The commentators are less horrible than they were in last year's game.

Now for the Cons:
-The downloadable draft class (and other downloadable sections) UI is beyond atrocious. It's only slightly more user friendly than what NCAA Football on the PS3 had when you had to type out a user's name to get a roster. I can not fathom why someone actively went to this UI last year and again this year when they had a functional system before. This is a major con because one of the major features that Madden has added to their franchise depth in the last 15 years is downloadable draft classes, and the current roster share system is almost unusable.

-The commentators are less horrible, but that only means that they are tolerable enough to only mute every other game.

-Aspects of gameplay feel better, but there are still some glaring issues. RoboQB is alive and well, just like in CFB26. Even though it's technically possible to get realistic completion percentages with heavy slider adjustments, the core gameplay issue is still there. Just like in CFB26, it's treating the symptom of high completion percentage, but the perfect accuracy still impacts the game in other ways and that can't be fixed with sliders.

-Penalties...where are they? EA's own in-game note states outright that the default penalty slider at 50 should reflect real world data. I haven't seen a pass interference yet, only a couple of false starts and like 3 holds.

-Team relocation is very stale. They clearly haven't put any resources into this in several years, choosing instead to rely on teambuilder. I get the appeal of teambuilder, but I'd rather have some curated options with game focused presentation elements (if you pick to relocate or use a teambuilder team then the overall presentation package is of a little less quality as it doesn't know how to deal with custom names and such which to me provides a diminished experience).

-For the love of god EA. Let us see the coin toss in the pregame in your football games!

-The scouting system that Madden implemented a few years ago is still terrible. It's a system that I actively avoid and do not engage in, even though I want the sim experience. It's terrible, and I seriously question the people who designed and authorized it.

The game has improvements, but it also just has so many legacy issues which limit its overall potential

Currently Playing
Wuchang Fallen Feathers (PC)
Madden 26
EA CFB 26

Gaming goals for 2025:
Complete 8 single player games

Progress:
1 - Clair Obscur Expedition 33 - (10.0)
2 - Clair Obscur Expedition 33 100% completion (it counts)

--------------------------------
2025 Game Release Radar:

Unexpected Purchases:

Spoiler

Stellar Blade PC

The List

Spoiler

Games I will likely Pre-order:

Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition (3/18/25) - Already pre-ordered. One of my favorite RPG developers - Purchased, but need to complete earlier games.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond (2025) - It's Metroid, duh - Unfortunately Nintendo got greedy
Vampire Masquerade Bloodlines (2025) -Is Paradox the worst publisher in gaming? Locking two vampire races, that are ready at launch, behind a day 1 paywall. A full price game with a $30 day 1 paywall to access one third of the available clans at launch. This game was a pre-order, day 1 buy, and a game that I would have considered buying a collectors edition for because I loved the first one. Now it's a complete pass.
Gears of War: E-Day (2025) - This looks great
Clair Obscur Expedition 33 (2025) - To be honest this game looks amazing from the minimal information that has been shown. The lack of information is my only hesitation.

Games that I'm really excited about, but I have a hint of hesitancy

Wuchang Fallen Feathers (2025) - I may not love Souls-like games, but every trailer on this one looks good - Purchased and enjoying it so far
Showa American Story (2025) - A post-apocalyptic zombie action adventure game set in America with Japanese culture? It sounds super interesting, but I have so many questions.
Fable (2025) - It's Fable, I have high expectations. - DELAYED
Tokyo Xtreme Racer (2025) - Loved playing this game on the Dreamcast. I'm curious how it will translate in a modern setting. - Looks good, but I don't buy into "early access" games as a general rule. Hopefully the full release is soon.
Nascar 25 (2025) - The way these devs talk about old games like Dirt to Daytona has me really excited. It's been nearly 20 years since I was happy with a Nascar game though.

Intrigued but wait for a sale (a big one)

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 (2/4/25) - I expect it to be good, just not in a rush to buy it when I still have a long way to go in the first game. - Will revisit when it goes on sale and I have more time
Civilization 7 (2/11/25) - I generally love these games. I have some questions around some of the new mechanics, and I have other similar games that will hold me over. - Pass
Suikoden I & II HD Remaster (3/6/25) - I'm tired of re-masters, but I would be lying to say that I don't want it. - Too big of a backlog to justify buying right now
Kingmaker (Q1 25) - Pretty gimmicky, but it's hard to say no to a game that lets you use a tank in the middle ages.
Borderlands 4 (2025) - These zany games are usually fun, but I can always wait for a discount - Randy Pitchford told me not to buy it

Others on my radar

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii (2/21/25) - It's funny if nothing else. - Will play if it ever comes to gamepass
Kaiserpunk (2/27/25) - An interesting combination between city builder and strategy. - Will wait for a big sale
Monster Hunter Wilds (2/28/25) - Not the biggest fan of the series, but all of the gameplay does look fun - Pass due to greedy economics in a single player game
CFB 26 (July 2025) - It's on here by default, but I don't have high hopes - Purchased...see July review
Ship of Heroes (Q2 25) - I've been waiting for this City of Heroes successor for YEARS. As a MMO fan there is a good chance that I try it out.
Eternal Strands (2025) - I don't really like games with a survival mechanic, but this action rpg has a lot of interesting elements. - Tried it on gamepass, kind of mediocre
Lost Soul Aside (2025) - An RPG with modern action combat. It gives off major Final Fantasy vibes
Doom: The Dark Ages (2025) - Nothing against Doom, just not a huge FPS guy anymore. This one looks cool though. - Skipped because I was busy with Expedition 33
Ghost of Yotei (2025) - I hope that it's good
Crimson Desert (2025) - I wish that combat looked more like BDO, but I'm still interested to see more.
Gothic Remake (2025) - Good call on this Picci. Completely forgot that this was in development.

2025 Game Reviews

Spoiler

January Game Reviews:
Daymare: 1994 Sandcastle (PC) - (7.5) - Good bones on this suspense/shooter

Spoiler

Picked this one up based on a whim during the recent Steam sale. I came away pleasantly surprised. Maybe think of it as a low budget Dead Space in terms of gameplay. The story is pretty interesting, and there is plenty of suspense to get your heart rate up as you go through it. It's pretty linear though and combat is only serviceable at best. Fun enough, especially for just the few dollars that I spent on it.

Diplomacy is not an Option (PC) - (8.5) - Really fun Survival/RTS.

Spoiler

It has some humor that really throws you for a loop. Quite challenging but fun

Earthbound (Switch - Online) - (9.0) - A classic revisited.

Spoiler

Earthbound is available to play as part of the Nintendo online subscription (SNES). It's a cult classic that is considered one of the best JRPG's of the SNES era. I've played through it so many times, and it still holds up today. The story is kind of whacky, and it does not take itself seriously. There are a lot of pop culture things which get parodied in the gameplay. But it never goes so far that it becomes inane. A lot of the gameplay systems are also simplistic. Somehow it all just works though.

Madden 2007 (PS2) - (9.0) - How is a nearly 20 year old game so vastly superior to any football game currently on the market?

Spoiler

You see a noticeable difference between like a 90 overall receiver and a guy who is a 75. Dynasty depth might as well be alien technology for how far advanced it is compared to either Madden or CFB (4 coaches instead of 3, named coordinators not just the head coaches, former players eventually becoming coaches, coach stats tied to attributes instead of cheat code unlocks like the skill tree...and that's just the coaching side. I haven't talked about the Tony Bruno show, the game planning (more informative than Madden), position battles, etc...There are certainly some QOL things that Madden and CFB do better with 20 years of additional experience, but so much about the old PS2 footballs are just better.

Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition (Switch) - (8.0) - What a weird experience.

Spoiler

The creators of this game also created the Xenosaga trilogy which are some of my favorite games ever. Xenoblade Chronicles (XC) was meant to be a spiritual successor to that game, and in a lot of ways XC is really good. The story is quite compelling, the characters are interesting in their own right, and the combat system has a certain flavor to it. In fact, I really like the combat system with its heavy emphasis on resource management and the unique mechanic where you can see the future. Itemization and crafting are also present enough to offer some interest there too.

There is a major 'but' though. The way that side quests are handled in XC is beyond horrible. I can't think of a strong enough word to describe how bad it is. For one, there are A LOT of them. A large percentage of them are some form of a fetch quest too, which isn't particularly interesting. As if that were not bad enough, they are implemented in a way that seems to be intentionally inconvenient to complete efficiently. Many quests have pre-requisites of either/both needing a specific quest completed and/or a certain affinity (ie: completing a bunch of quests in an area) before you can access. This means that you can't just load up on quests at once and do them as you explore passively, you have to actively go back and forth and engage with this system. Some quest givers will also only offer their missions at specific times of the day, which is yet another hoop that you have to jump through. The rewards for these quests really aren't even all that great in most cases either (which is actually a good thing as noted next).

I spent the first couple of story chapters trying to 100% the game and realized that I had spent literally like 5x-6x more time on the available side quests than I had spent engaging with the story, and I was not having fun. Finally I decided to just forget the system entirely, only pick up a couple of quests when it is convenient to do so, and the game experience increased dramatically.

The main game with its story and combat is like a 9/10. The side quests are a 0/10.

Feb Game Reviews - None

March Game Reviews:
Sleeping Dogs Definitive Edition - (PC) - (9.5) -

Spoiler

Amazing game that is criminally underrated. I played the original version years ago, and this remastered edition has not disappointed. Sleeping Dogs is maybe my favorite game in this GTA style open world genre. The story is really interesting, great characters who face moral dilemmas, and the voice acting is top notch.

Combat still holds up on this older title even in 2025. The melee combat system really sets it apart from similar games. Graphics too hold up pretty well for an older game.

Just a great game. I wish they would have continued the series.

OOTP 26 - (PC) - (7.0) -

Spoiler

The score here is based entirely on the fact that I played OOTP 25 (and many prior versions to that). Little has been added to OOTP 26 to make it seem worth the value, and the biggest flaw of the series to me is still very present (AI trade logic). I'd give it a 9.0 for a first time player for its deep set of features, but returning players don't have much to get excited about.

Cyberpunk 2077 - (PC) - (6.5) -

Spoiler

Meh. That words perfectly describes my thoughts on Cyberpunk. I was super hyped when it came out. Quickly became disappointed. Decided to try it again after its years of patches and reworks, and I'd still just call it meh.

The level of immersion seems substandard given what much older games achieved. The main story plays on what is in my opinion a very dumb trope and makes me feel even more disconnected from my RPG character which is further exasperated by what to me feels like a level of player agency that is less than I would hope for this style of open world RPG.

It's a game that you would have a hard time at finding something that it does poorly (allowing for the subjective nature of the main story), but it also doesn't have any place that I can point to and say "yeah that is really good".

April Game Reviews:
Clair Obscure Expedition 33 - (PC) - (10.0) - Incredible

Spoiler

No game will ever be perfect, but I'll reiterate some things that I said in the specific game thread. This game executes at such a high level across the board that you really have to nitpick to find flaws.

Combat is hands down the best that I have ever experienced in a RPG. I'm a sucker for the classic turn based RPG games of old like Final Fantasy (up until recent versions). I just think it fits really well with a party based system when it is implemented well. 33's turn based system would be one of the best that I have ever played even if it did not have any other mechanics. Each character has a unique skill set which makes you think about the party that you want to use, and you can make the skills synergize with each other. Each character basically has 2 different resources that you have to manage for skills and combos which just makes it really interesting and complex. What really sets 33's combat apart though is the dodge/parry system. It takes an already interesting and complex turn based system and adds an intense 'skill' system to it. It's not as punishing as a Dark Souls game, but the timing windows are still very tight. It's extremely rewarding to pull off a series of parrys that result in a big counterattack by your party.

The story is unexpected. There is always a 'save the world' trope, but this one has some unique twists. The characters are all really interesting too. The prologue sucks you into the the narrative within the first 30 minutes of gameplay where you are just like "oh my god". It also has a good bit of humor in the game, and the humor is all well placed. It's a story of grief and sacrifice, hope and hopelessness, and you're just along for the ride.

I consider music to be a feature of a RPG, and it's a great feature in Expedition 33. Some of the music hits you just as hard as anything that Nobuo Uemetsu ever produced in the Final Fantasy games. Really solid soundtrack throughout. To be completely fair and thorough, E:33's best scores are a perfect 10/10 matching up with any other individual scores from other games. I'd only rate the overall OST a 9/10 though because I don't think that it maintains that perfection throughout. Nothing is ever bad, but there is a clear difference between a boss battle and the overworld for instance. Whereas a game like Final Fantasy 8's overworld music is every bit as iconic as what you get from the biggest boss battles. It's being ultra nit-picky though (That Renoir song is musical perfection).

Exploration might be one of the weaker parts of the game, and I would still give it a very positive rating. There is not much to do on the open world map, but within each 'dungeon map' (using the term loosely), there are a lot of side passages that you can take which will reward you with additional items. I actually think that it finds a good balance of giving you reasons to go off the beaten path without being overly cumbersome. So, does it offer the best video game exploration ever? No, but it offers a really great one.

Voice acting & graphics are both stellar. I don't consider either to be core components to a game, but they do help. Expedition 33 is great at both. In fact, the voice acting is so good that I WOULD call it a core feature. The performances by all of the voice actors is perfect. There was not a single instance where I thought even the most obscure character had a cringy dialogue. The main cast all play there roles supremely well, delivering on the emotional experience that the main story also gets you with.

I'm only sad that I never again experience this game for the first. It's my favorite game of all time.

June Game Reviews:

Stellar Blade - (PC) - (8.5) - Solid across the board

Spoiler

Just a really solid game. Combat plays fast which is something that I appreciate. There is a pretty good character progression system which offers lots of different skills. The game is challenging without being overly punishing. It also runs fantastic on PC which is something that you don't always get with ports.

Honestly hard to find anything to criticize the game for. It's just kind of solid throughout

July Game Reviews

EA CFB 26 - (XB1) - (6.5) - 2 small steps forward, 1 step back

Spoiler

I'm sure this will be considered a hot take, but I don't think that CFB26 is a very good game. This is going to be a long review because it's a game that I really WANT to like.

I do think that it is better than CFB 25 (at least in some of the ways that I care about), but I was even more critical of CFB 25. The series exists as the only modern college football games available to us in 2025, and they are the first games of their kind in over a decade. This gives them quite a free pass (I waited a month and a half before reviewing the game last year because I wanted to give it so many chances) and imo it creates a lot of scenarios where people view the current series with rose-tinted-glasses. I do hope that some things improve with patches, but I don't think it's unfair to review a game that has been out for over 2 weeks now.

EA clearly took the approach of refinement rather than evolution for the 2nd iteration of this series' return. I don't think that this was too surprising, and we do see some good things that come from this refinement. Formation subs have been added and there are numerous QoL additions to the dynasty hub like being able to access a player's card from any screen. It's a small thing, but one of my biggest complaints in last year's game was that it gave me no reason to spend time in the dynasty hub. Arguably it actively dissuaded me from spending time there due to how inconvenient certain menus were and what kind of information was available in others. So kudos for cleaning up some of those things, and that is where I think the game has seen the most improvement. However, I think it's also a far stretch from actually being good in this arena. Matchup previews at the play week screen still default to team ratings rather than team stats (even though the later is an available feature seen in the post season). We don't have certain team historical stats like we had way back in NCAA 14, and some menus are still quite inconvenient to navigate. So, while the dynasty hub has improved it is still a relatively shallow experience.

Some of the presentation aspects are improved too. My first game I saw a graphic for "keys to the game" during the pre-game. This was something that we had in much older versions of the game (I don't recall it being in CFB 25). Unfortunately it is inconsistently applied to the experience though. It popped up in my first 2 games at launch, but I've only seen it sporadically since then. I don't understand why this would not just be a staple for every pre-game. I have also found that the in-game commentary is generally more accurate than last year. It still has its moments, but I have far fewer instances of thinking that the commentary is just factually wrong.

The transfer portal is much more impactful this year too which was another one of my huge complaints last year. Roster turnover wasn't a thing at all in CFB 25 (outside of guys graduating), and so I really like that I now have to manage playing time of my roster. Playing Style is still kind of a broken aspect of the system though due to how certain aspects of the game function. I like the idea of location based recruiting. I think that is a huge plus for the mini-game that is recruiting. It's kind of offset by just how easy it is to recruit though, and I think it has some unintended consequences for those seeking a simulation experience too.

We also got a whole bunch of new sliders to give us more ways to customize our experience. I consider this a huge plus. There were also some gameplay enhancements like the new blocking schemes that I think are a net positive.

Lastly the addition of real coaches does bring a little more connection to the game world and the real world. The coaching system in general is also improved imo with how some things were rebalanced. I still hate the system in general though as it forces arcade style power ups inside of linear skill trees that have more sim-like powerups later on down the skill tree.

I mention a lot of positives here, but I also mention a lot where the execution didn't fully deliver. This is the general theme of my experience with the game.

Last year I said "If the game play is an 8/10 then everything else is 2/10". I focus a lot on the "everything else" above that is improved, but I think the gameplay has taken a noticeable step back.

Gameplay and Penalty sliders have little to no effect, whereas they did feel more impactful a year ago. Penalties in general seem to be turned down (despite the in-game help box noting that sliders at 50 are based on real world data). RoboQB is in a state that is as bad as it has ever been for the entirety of EA's college football game franchise. LB's now attack the run gaps with impunity. Now, I actually do like this from a gameplay standpoint, it makes running the ball actually have some challenge. But it's not ratings based at all. A 60 ovr and a 90ovr linebacker will attack the run in the exact same way, which brings little variety to the game-to-game experience.


The halftime show is still terrible and not worth watching. Focus players in the pre-game have their overalls listed instead of their stats, yet another instance where I struggle to see this as an acceptable state of a full price game that didn't offer much in the way of big feature improvements from the prior year.

HFA is still implemented in such a way that is completely asinine in how it creates incorrect play art for your team. Make it hard to audible, increase the chances of false starts or even delays for your Oline at the snap. I'm even okay with some level of stat penalty for composure loss. Home Field in the real world because of how it impacts your ability to communicate at the line of scrimmage, and sometimes even just getting the play in at the huddle. It does not make players suddenly forget what play was called 2 seconds earlier in the huddle though. So, seeing the play art for a run play when I called a pass, just because the stadium is loud, is absurd. Not only is that not a simulation experience, it doesn't even follow the design philosophy of any other parts of the game (including HFA) because it's the only feature that can be 100% overcome by "skill" (in this case, memorizing your playbook). This aspect of HFA needs to be completely removed or at minimum a customization option offered. I actually like the challenge that HFA brings to the the table with the other things that it does (which are life-like), but I would rather not have the feature at all than to have incorrect play-art.

The introduction of career wear & tear may indicate that their heart was in the right place in adding nuance to your roster decisions, but it's both poorly executed and the career W/T pool makes little sense from a sim perspective. 18 and 22 years should not be worn down by the grind of their short college careers. This would absolutely make sense in a Madden game where guys have already played their college careers and go on to play another 10 in the NFL (hitting 30 years old and later), but not for a college game.

This only played a minor part in my overall view of the game since I am a 99% dynasty player, but RTG is terrible. I don't know how they heard feedback of "we want high school games like we had a decade ago" and implemented a series of 4 scenarios per game where you are only graded on whether or not you perform specific challenges.

Going back to my separate rating scale from a year ago. As of right now I'd give the Gameplay about a 6/10 and "everything else" about a 5/10. Which comes in a little shy of the 6.5 overall score, but I do give it a bonus for being the only college football game in existence right now.

I'm still playing it because I love college football, and even a mediocre college football game will provide me with entertainment. I don't play it for hours at a time like I used to in years past though.

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers - (PC) - (8.0) - A good challenge

Spoiler

Maybe I like these types of games more than I think. I like Stellar Blade and I loved the old Ninja Gaiden games. But I do struggle to embrace the concept of "difficulty is a feature" in video games. But I once again finding myself enjoying one of these games.

Wuchang has a few things going for it. The environment and general atmosphere are hugely appealing. Now, I am biased as I do generally like East Asian aesthetics, but for people who whare my interest then I think you will find that it offers a solid atmosphere.

The game is challenging, borderline punishing. The sparse places to save your game can be frustrating, but I do find the overall challenge to be just under that threshold where it would make me rage-quit when I die and have to start back from the last shrine. It nails the balance there imo.

There are some interesting mechanics combat and death. Death can be rewarding or it can be extremely punishing. I think people's take on this will largely depend on their skill level. I don't think that I am particularly good at these games, but after about an hour of learning the game I rarely died anymore.

As a PC player I also benefit from having a pretty powerful PC. Most of the negative Steam reviews seem to be around performance, with console players generally like the game more since its better optimized there.

I rate it just a half step behind Stellar Blade since it is definitely more punishing and forces a slower pace of combat. It isn't so slow that it feels like you're just bogged down though, and I think it's just a solid experience across the board.

------------

[Jgainsey]

It only took me about 6-7 years and 3 or 4 false starts, but I’m finally over the hump on Hollow Knight.

I’ve made it through the first few areas, I’ve got a few extra abilities… It has clicked and I’m hooked.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[peter42O]

2025 YEARLY UPDATE

2023 COMPLETED GAMES
- Lies of P (8.5/10, great, base game, digital)

2024 COMPLETED GAMES
- Granblue Fantasy Relink (8.0/10, great, digital)
- Star Wars Outlaws (8.0/10, great, base game, ubisoft+)
- Star Wars Outlaws: Wild Card (7.0/10, good, expansion, ubisoft+)
- Visions of Mana (8.0/10, great, digital)

2025 COMPLETED GAMES
- Avowed (9.0/10, excellent, game pass ultimate)
- Assassin's Creed Shadows (8.5/10, great, ubisoft+)
- Clair Obscure: Expedition 33 (9.5/10, excellent, game pass ultimate)
- Doom: The Dark Ages (9.0/10, excellent, game pass ultimate)
- Mafia: The Old Country (8.0/10, great, physical)
- RoboCop: Rogue City - Unfinished Business (7.0/10, good, digital)
- South of Midnight (8.0/10, great, game pass ultimate)

CURRENTLY PLAYING
- Lost Soul Aside (base game)

BACKLOG
- Assassin's Creed Mirage: The Valley of Al-Ula (expansion)
- Assassin's Creed Shadows: Claws of Awaji (expansion)
- Battlefield 6 (base game)
- Borderlands 4 (base game)
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 (base game)
- Cronos: The New Dawn (base game)
- Cyberpunk 2077 (base game)
- Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty (expansion)
- Diablo IV (base game)
- Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred (expansion)
- Dying Light: The Beast (base game)
- Echoes of the End (base game)
- Final Fantasy XVI: Echoes of the Fallen (expansion)
- Final Fantasy XVI: The Rising Tide (expansion)
- Ghost of Yotei (base game)
- Horizon Forbidden West: The Burning Shores (expansion)
- Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: The Order of Giants (expansion)
- Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga (base game)
- Lies of P: Overture (expansion)
- Marvel's Midnight Suns (base game)
- Metal Eden (base game)
- Ninja Gaiden 4 (base game)
- Outcast: A New Beginning (base game)
- Remnant II: The Awakened King (expansion)
- Remnant II: The Dark Horizon (expansion)
- Remnant II: The Forgotten Kingdom (expansion)
- Star Ocean: The Divine Force (base game)
- Star Ocean: The Second Story R (base game)
- Star Wars Outlaws: A Pirate's Fortune (expansion)
- Tom Clancy's The Division 2: The Battle For Brooklyn (expansion)
- The Outer Worlds 2 (base game)
- Y's X: Nordics (base game)

NOTE: I have listed the 2025 games that I have already pre-ordered or that I will be playing via subscription in the BACKLOG section mainly due to the fact that im currently having a multiple game run on PlayStation 5 Pro from September through completion of Ghost of Yotei in early October. Plan is to complete as much of my backlog for PlayStation 5 by the time The Outer Worlds 2 premium upgrade releases as that's when I will go back to playing games on Xbox Series X. Thankfully, once Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 releases, my next new game release isn't until Resident Evil Requiem in late February 2026 so starting with The Outer Worlds 2, I will have four months to play and complete as many games/expansions as I possibly can for Xbox Series X.