Recent reviews by dan

Games like this genuinely don’t get made too often and are quite a rarity to see nowadays. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is an experience with exceptional writing, characters, and gameplay. Please avoid spoilers at all costs and play the game at your own pace. It’s short and sweet at around 40-70ish hours to beat with every hour feeling satisfying and engaging. It’s a must-play and id put it in the same tier as games like Elden Ring and Baldur’s Gate 3 in terms of the quality and effort put into it by it's developers.

Black Myth Wukong is a cinematic gem in the the souls-like genre which takes place after the Journey to the West. The game plays more like a God of War game mixed in with souls-like mechanics, such as resting to regain your gourd/health while respawning enemies. If you are used to Dark Souls or Elden Ring, you'll find that this game has a more direct story-line and much more cinematic instances. The environments are stunning and the game has a full blown mythology journal which can goes over a short story for EVERY enemy you come across. There are numerous references to Journey to the West, in terms of characters and locations but you won't need knowledge of it to enjoy this game's story.

You'll be fighting a wide variety of bosses with very few instances of recycling. Some of the bosses can be defeated first-try whilst others will take many. After each chapter you are presented with a short cinematic movie, which are beautifully well done and overall great additions to the story. This is a game you should try if you like souls games but also have an open mind to something a bit different and more story driven. I also recommend attempting to go for the secret ending on your first playthrough as it feels like the true ending to the game, and allows you to fight one of the best bosses in the game.

Dark Souls 2 is very experimental and it shows. It added a lot of good features such as powerstancing, but also added some features that had me scratching my head. After playing through the entirety of the game, including all of its DLCs, it's definitely not as terrible as most people make it out to be. However, its low points are some of the most frustrating and unfair moments in the entire franchise. I uninstalled and reinstalled this game numerous times going through the base game.

The agility mechanic feels cheap and I'm glad it never made its way into future FromSoftware games. The game feels alright after getting agility to around 105-110. Even with agility leveled up, everything feels slow, a lot slower than even Dark Souls 1. Whether it's going through mists, opening doors, or opening chests, you do these actions at a snail's pace.

Some areas and enemy spawns can also seem absurd. On the bright side, there are also some positives—the DLC bosses are quite fun, and the DLCs in general have some great areas which are way better than the base game. I do also like how much build variety there is. Despite not personally doing NG+ myself, I appreciate the thought the developers put into having so many unique weapons and playstyles that could be had with those weapons.

I think it's worth at least trying Dark Souls 2 if you're on the fence about playing it. This game definitely has more flaws than other FromSoftware titles, and does need to be played differently than other Souls games due to its mechanic changes, but I still think it's a unique experience you won't find anywhere else.

Dark Souls 3 is an excellent game with incredible bosses, visuals, and build variety. I believe the DLCs complete this game and should therefore be bought together for a complete experience. The main game + DLC bosses are quite challenging and have some excellent areas.

It's worth noting that the game is a lot more linear than Dark Souls 1 and 2. While some areas can definitely feel and look a bit repetitive (mainly the swamp areas), it's 100% worth playing through this if you liked Elden Ring or any previous Dark Souls titles, as it's extremely memorable and has quite a lot to offer.

While Dark Souls 1 can feel a bit clunky and slower when coming from newer titles such as Dark Souls 3 or Elden Ring, I still believe this game is a must-play for anyone who is longing for more dark fantasy Soulsborne games.

The bosses are fun and memorable, the level design in the first half of the game is unreal, and the atmosphere is unmatched. It does take some getting used to, but after around an hour or so in I was able to adjust to the capped fps and clunkier movements.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is the most gameplay-unique out of all of the Soulsborne games that FromSoftware currently offers. The story is really good regarding world-building and its characters, and this game is definitely the most brutal when compared to Dark Souls or Elden Ring.

Instead of using dodging i-frames as a means of avoiding attacks, you must learn how to parry attacks in order to break an enemy's guard. This is a big change and learning curve for someone who is used to traditional Souls-like games. For example, the final boss was one of the hardest fights I had to ever face compared to any Soulsborne game I've played up to that point.

Elden Ring is a culmination of everything FromSoftware has learned throughout the decades as a game development studio. This experience has an excellent roster of mainline bosses, exploration, and build diversity. It is truly one of the most incredible gaming experiences I have ever sat through on a first playthrough.

It's important to note that the gameplay may not be for everyone, as needing to consistently die before you can defeat a single boss can be irritating and tilting at times. However, once you gain the patience to push through and genuinely improve, the selling point of what it means to play a Soulsborne game makes itself apparent.