52 Games Challenge 2025!!!

[bikingjahuty]

75. Halo 2 Anniversary (XBONE)

It was my intention to play the original Halo 2 on the original XBOX, however I was under the impression, for some reason, that the original version of Halo 2 was included on the Master Chief Collection. After a day of waiting for the damn game to download onto my XBONE console, I was somewhat disappointed to see just the updated Anniversary release, an updated version that I honestly forgot existed. I debated just playing the original release of Halo 2 on my XBOX, but a combo of laziness and reading that other than visuals and a few minor updates, Halo 2 Anniversary is more or less the exact same game as its older 2004 counterpart. So in the end, my re-entry into the 2nd game ended up being the newer, flashier version.


Like most people my age, I have a ton of memories with the Halo franchise. I was a freshmen in high school when the first game came out and was a senior when Halo 2 came out. While I did play the original back in the day, most of my memories and nostalgia revolve around Halo 2. I actually even hosted a LAN party at my mom's house around the time the game came out. We had three XBOX consoles, thee giant CRT TVs, a ton of junk food, and to top it off, a fist fight almost broke out at one point. More or less, it was the quintessential 2000s Halo LAN party! I've always liked Halo, however I've always been of the opinion that as a franchise, it's a bit overrated. I was hoping replaying Halo 2 again after last doing so about 10-years ago would make me fall in love with this series like so many other did back in the day. Unfortunately, that didn't happen.


Anyone who tells you Halo, or specifically Halo 2, isn't a good game is lying through their teeth. Halo 2 is a great FPS with mostly fun, engaging, and varied combat. There is a pretty diverse arsenal of weapons to fight with, including a plethora of alien weapons that have various strengths and weaknesses over similar human weapons like rifles, pistols, shotguns, and rocket launchers. There is even a cool melee weapon in the form of the beam sword which is highly effective an one shoting most enemies. The overall gunplay is pretty fun for the most part, as is the option to pilot various vehicles through the game. Where Halo 2's gameplay does falter some is in its overall design, especially in the last third of the game.


Before I get into my criticisms of Halo 2's game design, I will say that it is definitely an improvement over the first game, which was already pretty good. Whether you're playing as Arbiter or Master Chief, both characters have an automatically recharging health meter that requires you to manage how much damage you take while also often taking cover to allow your health meter to recharge back to full again. I have never been a huge fan of this mechanic and I feel it somewhat breaks up the flow of combat compared to games with more traditional health meters that require health and shied pickups found throughout the game. Luckily, Halo 2's health recharge system is well implemented throughout most of the game, however you will run into various enemies in various areas in the last couple hours of the game that will truly test your patience. Luckily, Halo 2 has a very generous checkpoint system that allows you to jump back into a particularly annoying area again almost right away after you just died. But still, having to replay sections that provide limited cover while swarming you with enemies from every direction doesn't exactly scream great game design. There are far too many of these parts in Halo 2 to my liking and I'd be lying if I said they didn't diminish my overall enjoyment of the game.


Storywise, I actually think Halo 2 is a downgrade over the first game. Halo 2 does try and expand the in game universe and lore, which is commendable, but unfortunately it's not always delivered in the most well written way. Despite this, there is way more originality in Halo 2's story and writing than in most other games and I have to give credit to the game's writers for this. Also, there is a fairly big chunk of the game that doesn't even take place on the game's iconic ring shaped world, which makes for a game that feels distinct from its predecessor.


Halo 2 Anniversary's visuals are pretty good and I was surprised by how much better everything looked just a decade after the first game came out. Cutscenes in particular look pretty amazing as to most of the game's environments. There are some levels and level sections that lack the visual appeal and detail of others, and there are also certain areas that look a little too empty and sparse, but fortunately most of the game does not suffer from this. There is definitely way more variety in locations and settings compared to the first game, as well as a greater scale to things which really enhances your experience while playing. There are crazy battles that rage with easily 20+ ally NPCs and enemies, as explosions and shots happen in nearly every direction. As mentioned before, this doesn't always lend itself to the gameplay being fun, but it does make Halo 2 feel appropriately epic.


Finally, Halo 2 Anniversary has some excellent music and voice acting. I couldn't find a definitive answer in my limited research about whether the OST is altered or not, but regardless, it all sounds pretty awesome for the most part. The voice acting in Halo 2 Anniversary is thankfully ripped direction from the original game, which is exactly what 343 needed to do. Altering any of the voices in this game would have definitely taken me out of the experience somewhat, but since that isn't the case, I got to enjoy all the familiar sounding voice cast I've been hearing after 20-years of playing this game.


While I am happy to have revisited Halo 2 for its own sake, the thing I'm actually most excited for is pressing further in a series I have never experiences beyond the second installment. For reasons unknown to even myself, I have never played any of the other Halo games beyond Halo 2. I plan on changing that in the near future and I sincerely hope I end up enjoying Halo 3 as much as so many others seem to. While I will probably play some of the more contentious entries in the franchise at some point, I'm just thrilled to be able to see what happens next in Master Chief's fight against the Covenant and the Flood. (7/13/25) [37/50]

[marvelvscapcom2]

48. Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3+4 [PS5] - finished July 13th, 2025



The Hawk Flies Again!


I was hesitant when I learned that iron galaxy and parent company activision would be removing the story mode from tony hawk pro skater 4. It caused hysteria from fans of the original games. But then I realized that I much prefer the lay out of the timed challenges i'm already so familiar with. And for the most part they did a perfect job integrating the original story format into a timed challenge format! On top of that. Most people since reference just how aged the quality of the npcs were in the original thps4. And with such costs. It would have effected quality. The game also had an extremely fairly priced collectors edition with actual quality piece that I feel warranted support for the project and im happy I did! It's a rocking good time.  And the backlash is largely exaggerated.  You're basically only changing how challenges are delivered. Not the levels or challenges themselves. They all mostly remain in tact.   If you enjoy thps 1 + 2. This is much of the same.  But I think thats where it maybe needed to push the envelope just a tad. 


Control Schemes -  the skating is as fluid as ever.  Moves feel responsive.  Chaining combos at blistering speed feels organic. The haptic feedback is nice and reverting using the triggers is a satisfying sensation. It all works clean and achieves a nice framerate even on slim ps5.  Textures are gorgeous.

Graphics - the graphics are simply monumentous.  The lighting effects are dazzling and the colors vibrant. Character models are the same as thps 1 though. So again. Not much upgrade there. But it overall looks serene and lush.  No sepia filter. No ugly film grain.

Gameplay - many quality of life improvements have been made. Such as a camera mode that allows you hover a drone to look to see where your gaps are. What clearances you need to jump and where S K A T E letters are located.  Of course customizable characters.  And heres the big golden goose kicker.  NO MICRO TRANS.   Hot diggity dog.  A company not ripping people off post launch?  It would be easy to do with a game like tony hawk.  Add a couple of cheap levels for 19.99.  Demand a vitrual currency for cosmetics. Or even the cruelest. Charge for stat upgrade points.  Use a online skin model like fortnite. But overall. Nope.  It kept it clean again. Its just classic tony.  Throw it in.  A stale faygo on your bedside end table.  Smelling like after shave and slim jim meat from a 3 day tony hawk bender in 1998.  No micro this. And dlc that.  You just turn it on and combo chain till oblivion.  It is what it always was. 


The soundtrack was another source of controversy. Tony Hawk himself has spoken out as to why it was slimmed down. His intent with these games always was since the beggining to turn people on to new music. Not just new as in age. But new to them.  So he wanted a blend of old and new to form a hybrid of sounds. And it kicks ass.  Some were mad at tony for saying "if you want the old songs.  Open spotify" but I think his intent was in kindness. He clearly has minimum control in licensing and it prob boils down to licensing.   But thats not gonna take away from the soundtrack kicking wholesale ass!    Motorhead, kendrick lamar, Travis barker drums, denzel curry and acts like iron maiden and anthrax grace the game.  Among others.  It's still the cool kid in town despite growing up and putting on a new jacket.




GRIPES


The game is much of the same. It plays it safe. This is good... excellent. We know were safe from a shit tony hawk like pro skater 5.  But theirs something slightly sad about that trend.  I do know it largely has saved a dying franchise. But I do know the game is now without risks.  We may never get a game like tony hawk American wasteland. Or a new underground because its far safer to remaster the classics.  I like it. Its amazing. But I do wish they at least added modes.  A new mode where you gotta upgrade iconic skaters to unlock mini chapters based on each?  Maybe a retro mode that includes the original games in full?  Anything to spice it up. Make it off the wall.  But its sorta thps 1 + 2.   


And lastly.  The level zoo was botched. No way around it.  That level in the original was this sprawling metropolis of animals.  You could be chased by aggressive leopards and lions. Rail grind buzzards. Hitch a damn elephant.  Aquariums sprawling with life.  Now?? A defunct ghost town used only for a cheap lame comp with no goals or even animals at all.  That in itself is rough to overlook. Id almost rather they just removed the level.  Its that sad to me.  All the other levels have changed. Made omissions here and there but rarely.  But zoo?  It's nuetered. Its not really a fun level either.  It's just a shell of what it used to be.  And I can imagine that is harsher if you're nostalgoc for thps4.  Like a faded photo of the ex that got away. 


Overall - an amazing revisit to classic tony hawk games. Another home run for a consistent mission to keep all generations loving the good ol T Miester Tony Hawk.  It is perfect at its mechanics.


Rating - 95/100

[bizzgeburt]

08 - Daffy Duck in Hollywood (GameGear)
Highscore: 16.451.470
https://vgcollect.com/item/28622

Searching an intermediate short game whilst re-playing GTA2 for the first time in 2 decades, I picked Daffy Duck in Hollywood, one of the youngest entries out of my growing PAL Game Gear Collection and beat it after a few sessions.

Developed by Probe Entertainment and published in europe by SEGA in september 1994, this title is a quite straight forward plattformer. Playing as - you guessed it - Daffy Duck, our goal is to finish six distinct "scenes", each divided into three levels, which adds up to 18 levels in total. Every scene itself again is divided into three parts by walls or trap doors made out of leafs that only disappear, when you've destroyed all (destroyable) enemies in the area. For doing so, our dark feathered pal Daffy is equiped with a bubble-shooting gun that can be upgraded to shoot further or more powerful projectiles by collecting bonus items that - at first - seem to appear in the levels out of nowhere (life gets easier when you figure out how to trigger them to appear).

With the first scene being set in a desert-like, cactus-filled Terrain, Daffy's journey through Hollywood leads him through gloomy, haunted forrests, back in time into the middle ages, to ancient China, Fighting shuriken-tossing ninja apes Kung-Fu-style up into the 24th & 1/2 century, blasting extraterrestrial invaders as the famous and legendary Duck Rogers!
Considering the Game Gear's original battery lifetime of about two hours (!), and no save- or password-feature built in, this game seems almost unbeatably long - a flaw with a lot of good Game Gear games as long as you don't play with an AC-adaptor and/or -cable. With my handheld being retrofitted with a more modern screen granting a battery lifetime of about 10 hours, this poses no problem at all.

Daffy Duck in Hollywood, for probably being a Master System port like most GameGear-games, presents itself with quite decent visuals. The platform- and background-graphics are colourful and always set the right athmosphere for the distinct scenes. Daffy features different slapsticky sprites, for example when waiting for the player to push buttons or when hitting the ceiling of a cave with his head. Every scene seems to feature the same types of enemies, but with different sprites/design for each scene.
I promised myself to enbed more musical info into my finished game reviews, for the musical score is a very important factor for me personally in order to enjoy a game or not, especially when it comes to 8-64bit games. Most of the games' soundtrack was obviously composed by an english video game music composer named Matt Furniss (not to be confused with the graphics designer with the same name), who seems to have composed a lot of game music for Sega systems. Only exceptions are the intro- and game over scores, which are the known WB-licensed Looney Tunes opening and ending themes. The different pieces themselves aren't bad, but also no huge bangers at all. Most of them Sound vivid and a bit over the edge, and for that fit well into the kind of crazy Daffy Duck experience - but they're actually not very recognizable or memorable. My personal favourite themes in this game are the themes of scenes 4 and 5, they give their respective stages the exact athmosphere needed.
To sum the all in all presentation of this game up: it's very well made and worked out for what it is. No trash at all. For Odin's sake it's a Duffy Duck game! 

Controls are simple, yet highly reactive and manouvering through the big sectioned scenes is easy. There are a few specific places in the game that require you to dash-jump higher distances, but those are scarce and mostly easy to land.

I enjoyed this game way more than I anticipated. I like such positive surprises, when a game you suggest sucking S comes out to be playable and enjoyable. Another mark on my theory, that 8-32Bit Looney Tunes games where in deed good games of high quality.

Another game beat, another hopefully informative review for you guys and girls to enjoy reading 
And - to stay in tune with the observed and played source material:

That's all Folks! 

[telly]

Game 14 - Silent Hill 3 (PS2) - 9 Hours

I wouldn't say that I have the most experience with survival horror games. I've played a few Silent Hills; I've played a few Resident Evils; the random Fatal Frame and Amnesia game here or there… But for my money the scariest game that I've ever played is Silent Hill 3. To me (no surprise) it comes down to the atmosphere. In my opinion, the graphics in this game were some of the best PlayStation 2 had to offer, which were used to make some of the most visceral, disturbing, and stomach-churning environments, enemies and set pieces. The developers make extremely smart use of textures, lighting, sound design, and uses that to artistically craft a truly unsettling and terrifying horror experience. The game rides this fine line between gross out creepiness but also vaguely enticing imagery so that you want to look away, but you really aren't able to. The monster design is excellent, and the difficulty is perfect with the improved controls and a wider variety of weapons and tricks to use against the monsters.. And of course, the game is tied together with this excellent soundtrack that brings the trademark mixture of ambience, industrial, instrumentation and rhythm that sets the mood perfectly of both the game and the story.

With all my praise up until this point, it's unfortunate to me that I didn't really find the story all that great. I enjoyed Silent Hill one’s story a lot more on a replay. But Silent Hill 3, in many ways, just feels like a repeat of a lot of the basic structure of the first game. Perhaps it was meant to be a huge twist that Heather in fact was carrying the God all along, but this is never really explained to the player how this happened, and it ends up feeling like a rehash of Cheryl’s story. Most of the game afterward is filling this back story of Alessa and Heather’s shared past that as a player you already saw it in SH1 so it isn’t really interesting. There wasn't enough of Heather really grappling with this new discovery of herself that previously had been repressed for so long it doesn't come across as very well executed. I imagine that Silent Hill one was not intended to have a sequel originally because none of these new cult members, like Leonard, Vincent and Claudia were ever present or mentioned in the first game. So to me that's a little odd when they seem to be such important figures of the cult membership.

Lastly while I think this game dives a bit more into the actual cult as a religion, including it’s key figures, traditions, and worldview (which appears to be an interesting combination of several different religions) the overall motive behind Claudia’s desire to rebuild the is about cliche as you can get. It felt more like something a typical role-playing game villain would pursue than something a religious leader would get behind. And the fact (again like in Silent Hill 1) that this God can die after you can pump a few shotgun shells into doesn't make it all that convincing. The ending was also really unsatisfying, with just a few quips between Heather and Douglas and then a cut to the credits.

So overall, Silent Hill 3 absolutely brings it with unparalleled horror gameplay but with a mostly underwhelming story that just felt like a retread of the original.