Gameplay - The gameplay is extremely solid. There's a much larger emphasis on melee combat (which I enjoy even though I don't really partake in it) but the combat overall is rock solid, I feel like it stands up to the first game. I'm not sure how much more I can say about the combat. Exploration was nice, varied environments were nice, but something I felt it was missing was the initial sense of wonder the first game had after leaving the Nora lands. The first game made such a big deal about it, that when you finally got turned loose everything was "ooooooo aaaahhhhh" and here' you're just seeking permission to go deeper into the map. That "barrier" felt more like an annoying obstacle than something that needs to be there, like how the Nora refuse to leave because they need to protect their sacred land.

Graphical Fidelity - The game looks amazing. There was a much larger emphasis on water in the later stages of the game and in Burning Shores, so the water physics were on point. Rivers flowed and reacted to rocks in them, the underwater portions of the game were well constructed. Being underwater looked as good as being out of water. It was all very very visually pleasing. The lighting was fantastic and the clear nights with the moon lent a very strong feeling of dread when sneaking about in the overworld, not knowing when I was going to stumble into something I shouldn't. The effects were nice as well. Overall, the game is eye-candy.

Audio - The sound overall is good. Sometimes too loud but this can be adjusted. The soundtrack is really good, some tracks give off a witcher 3 vibe, but not many, maybe two. Sound effects are very crisp, and the 3D spatial audio is on point.

Nit Picks - These are things that I personally look for that make a game good or bad. Foliage occlusion is a huge plus for me. If I am stalking through the grass, I want to see the grass move. The water has this particle effect in it when you're under water. This is also something I look for when there's any sort of underwater element to a game.


This review was written after the completion of the Burning Shores DLC. After careful consideration I feel like I can recommend this game, but cautiously. There's a lot of kerfuffle about Aloy being a manhating girlboss, but honestly it's no worse than the first game. The only thing that's different is in Burning Shores, when she seems to warm up to one of the NPCs in a way she's avoided opening up to everyone else. While I don't feel like this is consistent with the way Aloy was initially written, it's not outside of the realm of possibility for Aloy, an outcast herself, to seek companionship in another outcast. Especially since the events of Forbidden West reminded her that life is fleeting. Being staunchly anti-DEI is becoming a huge thing now, and people are taking a much closer look at the social messages their games are pushing, however I don't think this game falls too heavily on the DEI side. Aloy is a bit sharper towards males in this game, and many of the men in the game are written to be less competent, there are still plenty of strong, competent males in this game. A lot of the "Aloy is better than the men" sentimentality seems to be a side effect of the main character syndrome Aloy exhibits because, well, she IS the main character. So, naturally, she's always going to win, and always going to bail people out. These people are men and women alike. For that reason, I can't say I feel like she's "girl bossing".

Gameplay - The gameplay is extremely solid. There's a much larger emphasis on melee combat (which I enjoy even though I don't really partake in it) but the combat overall is rock solid, I feel like it stands up to the first game. I'm not sure how much more I can say about the combat. Exploration was nice, varied environments were nice, but something I felt it was missing was the initial sense of wonder the first game had after leaving the Nora lands. The first game made such a big deal about it, that when you finally got turned loose everything was "ooooooo aaaahhhhh" and here' you're just seeking permission to go deeper into the map. That "barrier" felt more like an annoying obstacle than something that needs to be there, like how the Nora refuse to leave because they need to protect their sacred land. Graphical Fidelity - The game looks amazing. There was a much larger emphasis on water in the later stages of the game and in Burning Shores, so the water physics were on point. Rivers flowed and reacted to rocks in them, the underwater portions of the game were well constructed. Being underwater looked as good as being out of water. It was all very very visually pleasing. The lighting was fantastic and the clear nights with the moon lent a very strong feeling of dread when sneaking about in the overworld, not knowing when I was going to stumble into something I shouldn't. The effects were nice as well. Overall, the game is eye-candy. Audio - The sound overall is good. Sometimes too loud but this can be adjusted. The soundtrack is really good, some tracks give off a witcher 3 vibe, but not many, maybe two. Sound effects are very crisp, and the 3D spatial audio is on point. Nit Picks - These are things that I personally look for that make a game good or bad. Foliage occlusion is a huge plus for me. If I am stalking through the grass, I want to see the grass move. The water has this particle effect in it when you're under water. This is also something I look for when there's any sort of underwater element to a game. This review was written after the completion of the Burning Shores DLC. After careful consideration I feel like I can recommend this game, but cautiously. There's a lot of kerfuffle about Aloy being a manhating girlboss, but honestly it's no worse than the first game. The only thing that's different is in Burning Shores, when she seems to warm up to one of the NPCs in a way she's avoided opening up to everyone else. While I don't feel like this is consistent with the way Aloy was initially written, it's not outside of the realm of possibility for Aloy, an outcast herself, to seek companionship in another outcast. Especially since the events of Forbidden West reminded her that life is fleeting. Being staunchly anti-DEI is becoming a huge thing now, and people are taking a much closer look at the social messages their games are pushing, however I don't think this game falls too heavily on the DEI side. Aloy is a bit sharper towards males in this game, and many of the men in the game are written to be less competent, there are still plenty of strong, competent males in this game. A lot of the "Aloy is better than the men" sentimentality seems to be a side effect of the main character syndrome Aloy exhibits because, well, she IS the main character. So, naturally, she's always going to win, and always going to bail people out. These people are men and women alike. For that reason, I can't say I feel like she's "girl bossing".