General and Gaming > General

52 Games Challenge 2026!!!

<< < (34/56) > >>

marvelvscapcom2:
19. Resident Evil: Requiem [PS5] - finished - March 9th, 2026




IT IS WHAT THE WORLD SAYS IT IS


Yeah, I got bit by the wave of clammering praise for this game. People talk about it like it's the second coming of Christ. Like the game disc ejected itself and drove their wife to the hospital when she was in labor. And since Resident Evil 2 is one of my favorite games of all time and I feared spoilers I decided to get in on what is clearly going to be contender for GOTY. Anyone save some punch for me? Is the pizza still warm? Because I have now attended the party that is Resident Evil requiem. Let's just say. You don't wanna wait on this one... :)


We Stan A Relatable Queen


The game is broken up between two conjoining stories, much like Claire and Leon in Resident Evil 2 except the new face of the game is Grace Ashcroft. The story begins in her teen years, and introduces both you and Grace to the underlying tragedies that forge her story. What I began to notice about Grace quite early is that Grace may be the best representation of functioning anxiety disorder a video game protagonist has ever displayed. From full blown hyperventilating, to this recurring nervous stutter throughout dialogue.  "W-w-what do you mean?". Her tendency to shiver and clatter her teeth when it is not cold at all even just in casual play. Like walking into a room. These are so immersive, far more immersive than you'd expect. It gives you the sense that you are controlling a very scared, socially harmed, emotionally stunted invidual. Not some Axe swinging badass from the jungle. The devs do an excellent job giving Grace this wholesome believable nature that saps through the screen. But for whatever reason. I also really liked Claire for similar reasons. So seems Capcom nails this. It's always refreshing when a main protagonist feels like a real person because the rest of the plot follows suit. Grace battles with feelings of failing others. Feelings of being inadequate and other quirks that give her Personality identity.  Her mannerisms are expressive and overall her plot (I will avoid for spoilers sake) is well written.

The Balance of Grace and Leon (A master dance of the ages)

My favorite element of resident evil requiem is the way it balances the contrasting elements of Grace And Leon Kennedy. This juxtaposition between first person and third person. Between new and old trademarks of the franchise. Geniunelyy weaving their talents and even perspectives. The game starts you out with giving Grace a first person pov and Leon a 3rd person over the shoulder classic shooter kind of perspective. You can change this but the devs intended you to play this way and I am so happy I did. It's canon imo. This alone is symbolic as it says Grace is new, youth, speed, clean, the continuation. Leon is the classic, seasoned, your childhood resident evil returned.  Grace's arsonal of weapons, her hip pouch is smaller and more limited, her energy always feels reserved. She has like I said, social anxiety disorders, self worth issues. Confused and disjointed backstorh. Leaning on stealth more often.  Where as Leon feels like Rambo. Action star extraordinaire. More seasoned. Less giving a shit and they lean on eachother with that contrast. She seeks his firm experience. He basks in her helpful exuberance. It's sweet science of story telling.  I love every bit of it.
Leon has a gameplay element that I cant share due to spoilers. But it does give even more contrast between Grace and Him.  In both combat and story.



the GLORIOUS setting


Resident Evil Requiem, ahhhh. It's a damn Chef's kiss. The setting takes place among many locations. Among many characters. But perhaps the most glorious is the hospital in which most of the beggining game takes place. The labratory is also scenic. The atmosphere is on par with how excellent capcom does with these games and what they pride themselves on.  I know many people like to tout the adage "this game looks like real life" but I never cosign that. It's rare a game actually visually tricks my eye. This one does that. The level of Ray tracing fidelity is succulent, lighter flames flicker off walls, lights gleam off guns. It really does well of placing you into the atmosphere. And the way labratory walls reflect light, a tumbling fire truck's red LED lights kiss the deep dark unknown is just spine tingling. The skin pores, cuticles, it's all beautifully done. Suspensful ambiance made me multiple times want to shit my pants in fear as a undefeatable enemy trails you, your controller beating to the pace of Grace's heart. It's intense. The atmosphere, graphics and HDR contrasts are pushing the PS5 to new heights. This is one of those "yup. Were in next gen" moments. It's a generation seller. No doubt about it.  These graphics help the setting come to life.  Zombie patients, zombie doctors, zombie staff. The hospital gives this trapped feel that is extremely spooky. I find some of the earlier sequences the scariest ive encounted in games.

The Puzzles

Some of the best in franchise history, some of the greatest mental journeys Ive been on within a digital world, and even more so. Mentally rewarding. I know these are also franchise staples but this game did such a wonderful job. Assembling a dentonator by finding 3 parts accross raccoon city was invigorating and the way the game pushes your brain to solve challenges is fun.  To give a quick example of it, you may need to get fuel for a generator to use a crane to zipline to a fallen skyscraper. You may need to shoot out a window so a infected falls through it. It's brilliant preplanning just like the resource management that defines the series. (Ink ribbon optional)



Resource Management

RE9 returns the classic puzzle solving of the franchise.  And also the "resource management" elements the franchise has implimented into it's games for decades. But it introduces three very fun and entertaining currency systems for aquiring new weapons or crafting new supplies.  Which are

. Infected Blood (Grace)
. BSAA Dollars (Leon)

With the former, when you snuff out a infected, Grace is able to syphon Infected blood which can be used to craft all kinds of stuff like clorophorm injections (the cosby jab) and the classic GREEN HERB (the hemp of life).  It can be found in blood transfusion bags and sometimes when you're on deaths door one of these will present itself as a ticket out of trouble and that is a refreshing situation to say the least. As with all RE games you must ration this stuff. Unlike other shooters. You must use bullets sparingly.


As for the latter, Leon's currency based system awards you different amounts of money depending on how many and what types of Infected you kill. Which is rad. Then when you return to the BSAA camp it allows you to use that money to upgrade weapons with muzzle upgrades, extended magazines, scopes and more. As well as purchase new weapons, armor, ammo ect.   Leon has a new gun called the Requeim. Its a big ass buffalo thumper that one shots most enemies.  So he has even more insentive to keep ammo wasting at a minimum because trust me. They dont hand the stuff out.  It takes a lot of pre calculating which I love about the franchise.





In essense, Resident Evil Requiem blends universes, an aging Leon, a folklore hero from days passed meets a fresh take on ferocious bravery.  Grace is so awesome.  The game easily takes my heart, my feels and my soul.  I am grateful I didnt wait on it. I perhaps would have regretted not experiencing this when the moment was fresh.  It emboldens the connections we have made with the franchise. It continues its long tenured string of excellence and it lets the gaming industry know its here to play.  A cinematic masterpiece as visually excellent as it is audibly.  A pure spectacle and id say a game that cozies itself up to RE2 as a tie for my favorite survival horror game ever made.  Welcome to the jungle! Absolute wonderwall. 


Rating - 100/100

bikingjahuty:
22. Freedom Planet 2 (Switch)

One of my biggest gaming surprises of 2025 was beating the first Freedom Planet game and falling completely in love with it. As a Sega kid back in the 90s and a lifelong fan of Sonic the Hedgehog, particularly Sonic's 2D platformers, I'm genuinely surprised Freedom Planet didn't pop up on my radar sooner. For what it's worth, Freedom Planet was one of my favorite games I beat last year and I've been dying to try out its sequel. After my wonderful wife gifted me Freedom Planet 2 on the Switch for our recent anniversary, I was ready to see if the second game in the series was as fun, memorable, and passionately crafted as the first game. In many ways, yes, it is just as good. In other ways it's even better than Freedom Planet, and in some ways it's actually a decent amount worse.


Let's start off with Freedom Planet 2's best quality, it's visual presentation. If Freedom Planet 2 doesn't have the best sprite work in a game I've ever seen, it absolutely deserves to be placed in the top 5 when it comes to its 2D visuals. This game's visuals were crafted by masters of 2D pixel art and it lovingly shows in absolutely every inch of the screen. Whether it's the amazing character animations, gorgeous stage backgrounds and set pieces, extremely memorable bosses, or pretty much just anything you experience with your eyeballs, everything in Freedom Planet is gorgeous. While I have a soft spot for the exceptional, but undeniably less refined look of the first game, Freedom Planet 2 is undeniably more polished and better looking than its predecessor. There are also 3D elements thrown in sparingly and these arguably look just as good as the 2D artwork on display. While Freedom Planet 2's visuals are an improvement, I can't necessarily say the same for the game's story.


Freedom Planet 2 takes place 3 years after the events of the first game. A new threat has emerged and like last time, it's up to Lilac, Carol, Milla, and now playable newcomer Neera to stop their new foe, Merga. Along the way, the four heroes will encounter new friends, enemies, twists and turns, and everything else in between. It's an undeniably entertaining story and plot that is complemented by the game's incredible visuals, as well as very well done character animations. These animations allow for a huge range of emotions and expressions that had me caring about the characters, as well as making me laugh at various points too. Where Freedom Planet 2 falls short compared to the first game's story is in its writing. Some of the plot as well as certain character motivations seem very poorly developed and weak. And it's not like the first game was a story telling masterpiece by any means, but I found my interest in Freedom Planet 2's story to be lacking compared to the first game.


Just like the amazing visuals of Freedom Planet 2 enhance the overall experience of playing through this game, so does the game's audio. Freedom Planet 2's OST is nearly as good as the first games. A mix of high energy tracks that would fit perfectly into some of the better Sonic games is combined with more chill, almost atmospheric retro tunes which fit in very well with the action going on as you play through the game. However, what arguably steals the show in the audio department is Freedom Planet 2's incredibly talented voice cast. Virtually all the voice actors from the first game return to reprise their respective rolls. There are also a decent amount of new characters and new actors to give them life, all of which do just as good of a job as those veteran voice actors. Speaking of veteran voice actors, some of the new characters are voiced by well know anime voice actors which I found to be a pleasant surprise. Other than the voice acting, sound effects and other auditory flourishes all sound great as well.


Much like the first game, Freedom Planet 2's weakest quality is its gameplay. By no means is Freedom Planet 2 an unpleasant game to play, nor is it a complete mess from a design or control standpoint. Maybe Freedom Planet 2's greatest gameplay sin is putting quantity over quality throughout much of the game. There are A TON of stages in Freedom Planet 2, over 30 to be more specific. Between the story cutscenes and the exploring hub levels, this is a 10 hour platformer, which for a 3D example of the genre is a long ass game. While this does somewhat impact the pacing negatively, the biggest issue is actually with the inconsistent quality of stages and boss battles. Most stages in Freedom Planet 2 are great, some even better than any stages found in the first game. A noticeable chunk are okay, and then another junk are borderline bad. This is also true of the boss battles too. I found some boss battles to be excellent while others were just terrible. Luckily the good ones outnumbered the bad ones by about 4 to 1, but I couldn't help but think maybe the devs should have focused on making fewer really, really good stages and bosses instead of just throwing everything plus the kitchen sink at this game.


Aside from the Sonic-esq stages you'll be dashing through as one of the four characters, there are also things like shops, mini games, and other distractions you can engage with throughout Freedom Planet 2. I found these added extras to be of limited value, including the ability to buy special items that are supposed to help make the game easier, but they mostly seemed irrelevant when deciding whether or not I succeeded or failed at a specific stage or boss encounter. There is also an overworld that you get to explore in this game, but other than showing a form of progression throughout the game, its inclusion seemed a bit unnecessary.


The four playable characters all control and handle differently. I played through the game as the game's main protagonist, Lilac, but I did play about an hour as Milla and Carol just to see how different the game was from a gameplay perspective. Undoubtedly, your experience with each character is going to make Freedom Planet feel noticeable different depending on what character you choose, and this extends beyond just how they play and control. There are certain parts of Freedom Planet 2's story that are exclusive to specific characters. In other words, to get the entire story experience of Freedom Planet 2, you will have to beat it with all four characters. While I really enjoyed Freedom Planet 2, I just don't have it in me to beat it three more times to see every inch of the game's story. Given the story isn't amazing as mentioned earlier, this doesn't really motive me to go back in with the other three characters and do it all over again, at least not so soon.


While I know it's contrary to the popular opinion, I actually prefer the first Freedom Planet slightly more than its sequel. I get why Freedom Planet 2 is often considered the superior game; it's hard not to be bewitched by how amazing this game looks and sounds. However, the tendency for Freedom Planet 2 to feel a bit bloated, sometimes at the expense of having fun with the game keeps it from being as enjoyable as the first game. Still, Freedom Planet 2 is an outstanding retro inspired platformer that is still better than most of Sonic the Hedgehog's 2D adventures, which is saying a lot considering we wouldn't have Freedom Planet 1 or 2 without Sega's flagship platforming mascot. So yeah, go play Freedom Planet 2 if you're a fan of 2D Sonic games, it's so incredibly good! (3/9/26) [40/50]

telly:
Game 5 – Pokémon: Emerald Rogue (Android) – 19 Hours

As Pokémon has progressed as a franchise, it’s gotten easier and easier. I think that’s why the Nuzlocke run became so popular, and I remember fondly spending a lot of time doing Nuzlocke runs about 15 years ago. If you like Pokémon Nuzlockes, then Emerald Rogue is the natural progression of that idea. It’s basically what it sounds like, a build of Pokémon Emerald but with changes to make it play like a roguelike, consisting of multiple “runs” through a random assortment of areas/routes from RSE, FR/LG and DPPt, including random Pokémon, events, and trainers. Each time you lose a run, get a little more support in the form of extra money, items, and a homebase that you can add buildings to which provides you with more resources to help you go a little further on your next run. As the name of the game suggests, I set my runs to a  “vanilla” build of Pokémon Emerald, but you can also set it to include Pokémon from Generation 1-9 if you want, with the physical/special split and modern items/conveniences. I also added some additional rules, including 1) I could only bring one of each species with me from a given area, and 2) no items during trainer battles (although I did cave on that last challenge and used items against the final Champion).

There is so much depth to this game that I’m more inclined to say that it’s better you just try it out for yourself if you’re interested, but I’d highly recommend it.

realpoketendonl:
7. Rayman Origins [GOG / Steam Deck]

Game number 7 down: Rayman Origins. Bought it for a few bucks on GOG and played it on Steam Deck. The first Rayman game I've ever beaten. And I liked it!

I gotta admit, it took a while for me to get into it. In the first bit of the game, I found it a tad dull. The platforming takes a bit to get interesting. But as the difficulty increases and you get more abilities, it becomes pretty fun! Smoothly running through a difficult segment perfectly is pretty satisfying. Especially near the end it can take a couple of tries, but it has an extremely forgiving checkpoint system and unlimited lives which is hugely appreciated. It's all tied together by worldbuilding that clearly isn't even trying to be realistic or cohesive, as long as it's creative, and I appreciate that.

There was one thing I gotta say I didn't like, and that's the sound design. It's annoying as hell. The soundtrack and sound effects are nothing but kazoos, jaw harps, and high-pitched voices going DOOOBEEEDABEEE DOBADABWAAAAA DOOOBAAADABWAAA. I did not enjoy it. Eventually I got to the point that I could tolerate it, but it was always present and always annoying.

But apart from that, I enjoyed this game a lot! I played a few levels on the train every day, and it's perfect for that. I got it on GOG for like 2 bucks on sale, and at that price? It's a steal! If you like 2D platformers, I think you'll really enjoy this game. (Just check your tolerance for Minions, Chipmunks and toddlers going BABABABABABABABABABABABA first.)

marvelvscapcom2:
20. Chip and Dale: Rescue Rangers [NES] - Finished March 10th, 2026




Chip and Dale: Rescue rangers is a tale of brevity saving an otherwise redundant and unfair game. And although I can look past the clunky controls, and repetition of boss concepts. I can't overlook a game that has problems underneath the surface with mechanics, UI or level design.  In that sense the game is shallow. It looks the part but once you get familiar with it's controls you realize you got cat-fished by grey plastic cartridge yet again. Duped by a fun happy plot with the innards of an LJN game.

My main gripes with Chip and Dale Rescue rangers is that it is close to broken mechanically. Again I feel like that is sacrilegious. Like insulting someones elderly Uncle based on how beloved the game is. But it hasn't aged as well as countless other platformers on the console for whatever reason.  The main issue is the hit boxes. The hit boxes are atrocious. Countless times I tested this.  Fire up the game and gently nudge Chip a milimeter at a time near an unmoving enemy [fly trap] and notice that the game registers you being hit when you are still [  ] this much away from the enemy. Not even a close graze. A good cm gap on screen. And in platformers this precise and tedious. That stuff matters.  The game feels cheap and so many times I found myself being sent to the beginning of an entire level just because the game killed me 3 times by hitting NEXT to my character. 

Also on at least one ocassion an enemy would randomly spawn mid jump in an area off screen. How on earth would a player be able to mind bend the space time continuum to predict that would occur? It's like you'd have to assume "ok as soon as the screen slides over there will be a lizard throwing top hats. Press A instantly" like come on. What were they thinking? But the game was developed by capcom. Now i'm not saying that's a bad thing. They are revered juggernauts of the era. But they are known for cheap kills and brutal unpredictable platforming patterns. Ask anyone who has beaten Mega Man.


The difference is Mega Man felt fair. Its hit boxes were cleaner. It gave you a variety of changing suits, powers and cannons. Chip and Dale gives you nothing but a wannabe Squirrel which is all chipmunks are to begin with.  Your ability? Throwing crates. No gun. No acorns. No bubbles. You throw crates.  The bosses of each level are some variation of the same concept. Throwing a red ball until you hit it.  The whole thing is basically Diet Megaman with none of the flash.

Then you get the little mini games after each level. Where you pick up boxes revealing random black boxes with white text on them. I've ran into thousands of these things and have still yet to learn their purpose. Nothing changes no matter how many I get. I suppose id need Nintendo power. Like what in the blue blazer was this company thinking? Why?


Is it bad per say? No. Lets get into what works now.  The game is adorable. The likeness of Chip is captured adorably for 8 bit and the bosses are memorable due to the repetition.  The levels have quirky obstacles to learn. Like twisting faucets to stop water flow to continue. Thing's like timing conveyer belts and fan speed. And the precision of which Chip jumps is actually really nice. He feels light weight. Like spring loaded almost. Which works for a chipmunk.  I find the actual traversing to be pin point accurate. Which makes up for the wonky hit boxes sometimes.  If you be sure to jump about 2 centimeters from the enemy instead of 1.   


Chip and Dale is a cute, quick and competent platformer buried under poor design. It's "babys First mega man" but perhaps not even that good.  It makes up for it by being cute and quick. 


Rating - 69/100

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page

[*] Previous page