[ GAMING ]

As mentioned on the home page, I began playing video games around 1989. Over the years, I've enjoyed gaming on various consoles and occasionally on PC whenever I upgraded my system. By 2024, although I’m not completely ruling out playing new titles, it will only happen on rare occasions since there are hardly any games that suit my tastes anymore. Before my gaming memories fade as as I grow old, I want to preserve at least some trace of them. Below, I present my favorite video games, listed chronologically from the most recent to the oldest. As you scroll down, you’ll travel further back in time. This list is not meant to be a complete inventory of all the games I like—that would be far too long—but rather to highlight the games I want to remember years from now.

Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2

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Lollipop Chainsaw RePOP

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DOOM + DOOM II

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Baldur's Gate 3

An exceptional RPG, Baldur's Gate 3 sets a new standard in the genre with its epic, multi-layered story and numerous endings. The game boasts tens of thousands of choices, which impact the narrative significantly, and unprecedented narrative complexity. However, it can also trick you into unwelcome gay scenarios, which can be avoided by limiting interactions with male companions. It also forces, on a couple of occasions, some bizarre feminine animations on your male avatar. I found this to be very immersion-breaking. Despite these issues, Baldur's Gate 3 remains an incredible achievement and the greatest RPG to this day. In fact, it is so far ahead of every other video game, in terms of narrative complexity and roleplaying mechanics, that I doubt it will be beaten within the next 10 years, at least.

Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty

Phantom Liberty is a fantastic expansion that enriches the original game in numerous ways, beginning with a much better story. Still, it regrettably fails to address the base game's biggest flaw: the atrocious endings. It even exacerbates the issue with a new ending worse than the existing ones, feeling like an outright insult to fans who wanted a more positive conclusion. Marketed as the "cure" for V, it ended up as another instance of player manipulation by arrogant and spiteful writers. It's a terrible shame because otherwise, it is a stellar package. Shame on you, CDPR. I won't buy their game again until I'm absolutely sure the ending is worth the investment.

Elden Ring

A milestone open world game with stunning art direction and breathtaking visuals. However, being a Souls game, it lives up to its reputation for extreme difficulty. The game's lack of any guidance whatsoever is frustrating, compounded by controls that are less than intuitive. Despite these challenges, the game is one of my top three favorites in terms of art direction and design. But when it comes to gameplay mechanics, it's just not for me. It sucks that the only way to see the end is to use guides and cheap overleveling exploits.

Forza Horizon 5

As someone who doesn't get into multiplayer games, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed Forza Horizon 5 online. This game stands out with its vast sandbox environment where you can drive, mess around, and collect cars. The atmosphere is like a big, ongoing party that’s incredibly fun. This excitement lasts until you complete all the map's activities, which I eventually did before moving on. Nonetheless, I have fond memories of both playing it and watching my young daughter enjoy high-speed roaming and the engaging gameplay.

Scarlet Nexus

Scarlet Nexus offers an original story with a distinctly anime-esque flair that will appeal to fans of the genre. The game's visual style is particularly impressive, featuring unique monster designs and a striking aesthetic. The gameplay is fast-paced, dynamic, and undeniably fun, complemented by quality voice acting that brings the characters to life. However, the experience is somewhat marred by the repetitive use of levels for both main story missions and side activities, which can detract from the overall immersion. Additionally, the game's budget constraints are evident in its storytelling approach, relying on static, comic book-style images, albeit fully voice-acted. Despite these drawbacks, Scarlet Nexus stands out as a great action JRPG with an engaging plot, endearing characters and exhilarating combat.

Mass Effect: Legendary Edition

A great package, combining all three games with all DLCs, making it a comprehensive collection for fans and newcomers alike. The original Mass Effect has been sort of remastered with rehauled mechanics, though it’s still hard to get through as it has aged significantly. It’s unfortunate that some camera angles focusing on fan service have been censored, and I'm not a fan of the recoloring done in some scenes, or possibly even throughout the games. Despite these issues, Mass Effect 2 remains the best and most satisfying entry in the trilogy, while the ending of Mass Effect 3 still disappoints just as much as it did in 2012. Overall, it’s a good collection of all three titles for the current era.

Cyberpunk 2077

Despite its broken promises and disastrous launch, Cyberpunk 2077 offers a stellar experience. The art direction, music, visuals, and atmosphere are exceptionally well-crafted, with the city design being particularly jaw-dropping. However, the main story is a significant flaw, poorly aligned with the game’s design. This results in severe ludonarrative dissonance, as the depressing narrative clashes with the immersive open-world fun. The endings are especially disappointing, detracting from what could have been my favorite game of all time.

The endings are so unsatisfactory and offensive that they compelled me to create a lore-accurate epilogue to fix the narrative issues. This was necessary for me to find some level of closure and to continue enjoying the gameplay and open world after the credits roll. See my epilogue HERE.

Ghost of Tsushima

Ghost of Tsushima captivates with its visually stunning graphics, particularly in the enchanting Golden Forest. The combat system strikes a balance between precise timing and arcade-style button-mashing, emphasizing mobility and dodging, especially against arrows. Jin's journey is engrossing and ends heartbreakingly. However, the game plays it safe in depicting war's brutal realities, and two prominent female characters, including Yuna, do not convincingly appear Japanese, which detracts from immersion. Additionally, the world feels completely desexualized, further diminishing realism. The open world, though vast and beautiful, lacks diversity in random events, offering little beyond routine Mongol encounters. This repetitive nature unfortunately makes "Ghost of Tsushima" a one-and-done experience rather than one that beckons for multiple playthroughs.

Streets of Rage 4

Streets of Rage 4 took me some time to warm up to, as it initially left me cold due to not being developed by the original team, but rather by Western developers who brought some changes I found lackluster. The game's look is disappointing, opting for a comic book style instead of using old school sprites, which is too much of a radical departure from the original style. The music is OK, but it's a mishmash of tracks by nearly ten composers, with the best ones being the 2-3 tracks made by the original composer Yuzo Koshiro. While there are a few other good songs, I can't help but compare Streets of Rage 4 to the fan-made Streets of Rage Remake, which is a superior package in every way. Ultimately, I've learned to enjoy Streets of Rage 4 for what it is: a great sequel, even if it doesn't reach the perfection of the unofficial Streets of Rage Remake. On a positive note, Blaze Fielding is hotter than ever, which is a huge plus.

DOOM Eternal

Doom Eternal feels like a step down from the 2016 reboot, suffering from a lack of freedom in combat and forcing players into a specific playstyle to survive. This "combat puzzle" approach is less enjoyable than the traditional gameplay of its predecessor. Additionally, the brutal difficulty, constant resource management, and out-of-place platforming detract from the experience. The shift from a darker sci-fi horror art style to a more colorful space fantasy is also disappointing. However, the game features much larger and varied levels, and Mick Gordon returns with an outstanding score, offering more melodic and memorable compositions while retaining the intense, brutal sound. Despite its flaws, the compelling story and exceptional music make "Doom Eternal" well worth playing.

Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot

Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot offers fans a unique semi-open world experience of the Dragon Ball universe, letting players explore and enjoy dynamic combat as iconic heroes. The game captures the series' charm and fosters a sense of "togetherness" among its characters, just like the anime. Unfortunately, it shows its AA game limitations with open-world areas that lack any meaningful content, and typical JRPG fetch quests. Despite its colorful graphics and dynamic fights, constant interruptions by the same enemy mobs does become tedious. More developed side quests and additional engaging activities beyond fishing would have enhanced the experience. Overall, it’s a decent JRPG for non-fans, but a must-play for DBZ enthusiasts.

Hades

Hades is an absolute triumph, seamlessly making repetition a joy rather than a chore. Each death progresses the story, making you eagerly anticipate what will happen after your next failure - An bsolute genius gameplay decision! Interactions with the various mythological characters are captivating. We simp for Megaera of course, but for those who want more pain, Alecto will be equally enticing. The controls are impeccable, allowing you to dash and decimate enemies through randomly generated maps with a sense of power that’s both visually stunning and aurally thrilling. Undeniably, this game has secured its place as one of my all-time favorites.

Persona 5 Royal

Persona 5 is an epic journey that delves deep into the societal norms and issues of Japanese culture, particularly scrutinizing the behavior of adults and its impact on society. It stands as the most comprehensive entry in the Persona series, offering a plethora of locations and side activities to explore. The game boasts an extraordinary sense of style, with visual artistry that transforms the UI and aesthetics into an incredible masterpiece. Its score and music are fantastic, enhancing the overall experience. The cast of characters is great and immensely likable, though, personally, I found the characters and murder mystery of Persona 4 more endearing, and the rural setting of Persona 4 had its unique charm. Nonetheless, Persona 5 Royal perfects the Persona formula, making it a true masterpiece and one of the greatest JRPGs ever made.

Code Vein

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Assassin's Creed: Odyssey

I've always hated the Assassin's Creed franchise, viewing it as the epitome of bloated AAA garbage, and Ubisoft sucks as a company. The story, especially the sci-fi aspect with the Animus and the laughably stupid concept of genetic memory, is absolutely ridiculous. The only reason I played and loved Assassin's Creed Odyssey is for the open-world immersion and the beauty of the Greek world. I also adore the main character, Kassandra. The game mechanics are polished, and the AI is great, making it truly enjoyable in that regard. However, I won't be playing any other Ubisoft game anytime soon. Odyssey is an exception due to its incredibly beautiful and immersive open world and its endearing main character. As long as it sticks to history, it's very enjoyable, but the sci-fi lore remains laughably dumb and unbearable.

Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise

As a longtime fan of Hokuto no Ken, I believe Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise excels in making you feel like Kenshiro, massacring armies of punks and causing them to explode in torrents of gore, with exhilarating combat and enjoyable side stories and mini-games, especially the bartending game. However, budget constraints limited the developers' ability to populate the wasteland with more settlements and interesting discoveries, which can make the game feel somewhat repetitive. The main plot, an alternate retelling of the search for Yuria with a satisfying happy ending, will please fans of the series. Despite its flaws, I recommend this game to Hokuto no Ken enthusiasts as roleplaying as Kenshiro is a dream come true.

Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Definitive Edition

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Ruiner

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Azur Lane

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NieR: Automata

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DOOM

An exceptional reimagining and sequel to the original trilogy—Doom (1993), Doom II: Hell on Earth, and Doom 64. It excels in visuals, gameplay, and audio. Mick Gordon provides a masterful score, blending aggressive synthesizers with heavy, distorted guitars and even a chainsaw, creating something completely new. The combat is top-notch, with a relentless AI that keeps players constantly on the move. Despite the intensity, players feel powerful as the Doom Slayer, an unstoppable force revealed to be the original Doom guy who remained in hell to fight demons for millennia. While the game becomes somewhat repetitive near the end, with a cycle of arena battles and brief exploration, DOOM 2016 remains outstanding, and my favorite modern era first-person shooter.

The King of Fighters IV

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The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Complete Edition

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Fallout 4 modded only

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Life is Strange

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The Stick of Truth

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Saints Row IV: Re-elected

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Sleeping Dogs - Definitive Edition

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Grand Theft Auto V

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Persona 4 Golden

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Max Payne 3

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Skyrim - Legendary Edition

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The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings

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Streets of Rage Remake

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The King of Fighters XIII

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Fallout: New Vegas

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Mass Effect 2

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Dragon Age: Origins - Ultimate Edition

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Saints Row 2

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The Witcher - Enhanced Edition

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Mass Effect

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The Darkness

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Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2/3

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Bully

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Prey

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Hitman: Blood Money

The pinnacle of the franchise. It masterfully balanced essential improvements to mechanics with intricate level design and immersive atmosphere. This game also marked the final contribution of Jesper Kyd's score, which had been crucial in shaping the mood and atmosphere of every Hitman game up to that point. For me, the dark electronic music was always a defining feature of the series, vital to its unique vibe. After "Blood Money," I was never able to enjoy another Hitman game.

Soul Calibur 3

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Quake IV

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SWAT 4

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Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodlines

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Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

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