Recent reviews by Sam I Jam

I've played this story a few times (original and remastered), but this is my first time experiencing the remake.

I'm about 6 hours into the game and wanted to share my positive review around the performance of this game.

This game launched with major issues due to Naughty Dog and Iron Galaxy not having done their due diligence around 'technical QA' — this has been resolved. I waited to purchase this game and can confirm that shade build is quick, the performance is solid (albeit is visually demanding if you go beyond High settings), and the amount of fine tuning options in the Graphics menu is lovely (lots of flexibility to adjust and fine tune visuals).

This is the state the game should have been on launch. Feel free to purchase and enjoy this gem!

I adored Elden Ring and the Souls series, but I still stand by my original review that that this is the finest and tightest gameplay to come out of FromSoft. The swordplay controls will spoil you for all other games. Also, the atmosphere and vibe are more my jam with the feudal Japan atmosphere.

There is so much game here, it's nearly impossible for me to really go into it. I'll just say that this is pure FromSoft magic, but expanded into an open world that is a joy to explore. I'd comfortably put it at 2x the size of their previous games. Best of all, there's still little to no hand holding. Also, no waypoints (unless you set them -- take notes AAA open world devs).

Let yourself get lost and enjoy dying (a lot). All fans of Sekiro and the Souls series (or Bloodborne) will be right at home.

Replayed after a year and props to CDP for really polishing and adding a lot of extra touches to bring this game in line with the original vision. Absolutely loving my replay experience (hence the crazy amount of time played). If you enjoy story driven action RPG experiences with a lot of meaningful exploration, this is a no brainer.

Next to RE2 Remake, this is probably the best overall RE game entry (so far). Great production, fun story, solid puzzles, and excellent gun play/upgrade system.

It even has a stronger sense of exploration and treasure hunting than prior entries. Really hits the sweet spot and doesn't overstay its welcome. Best of all, it's an excellent PC port. Highly recommended.

Wholly unique — even in the realm of Arkane's 'play it your way' rulebook. The evolution of being a weakling working your way through the daily grind to the bigger reveal and evolution in power infusion/gameplay is such a treat. Also, the character and world designs are highly memorable. Each of the big four maps are full of mysteries that you'll likely never fully see/solve in your first play-through.

Woah. What a labor of love. Lovely art, animation, and production. The game's narrative is a bit slow in the first several hours, but bear with it and once it opens up, you're going to find yourself hooked. Fans of mid-90s Square RPGs and Zelda will find themselves very much at home here. Looking forward to see what this small team puts out in the future.

Another gem from Amanita.

Delectable art style that I've yet to see incorporated into this type of game. Puzzles that are just challenging enough to get you thinking, but rarely frustrated. The storyline is delightful as always, sans dialog to drag you down (as you'd expect from Amanita). Also, a fantastic musical score by Hidden Orchestra with production from the wonderful Tomas Dvorak as well.

I guess what I'm saying here is, buy this game. You won't regret it.

A work of art. This may just be Kojima-san's grand opus.

The visual, narrative, polish, and score are all the product of a game designer that's at the peak of his craft. You can sense all of Kojima's love of films, electronic music, and games in this one experience. Narratively touches on so many things that we're dealing with globally, including isolation and the need (and power) of human connections. Couldn't ask for a more spiritual gaming experience. Highly recommended!

I can comfortably say that this is the best overall Yakuza game in the series. From the trademark soap opera narrative full of drama and big-smile moments, to the new RPG system (which is delightfully solid) -- this is a winner. If you're new to the Yakuza series, this is a great way to step in. However, I think playing Yakuza 0 and jumping to this can also be the ideal combo. Either way, you will fit right in and feel like you belong.

P.S. Ichiban is number one!