Recent reviews by AudibleSwiftness

An absolutely amazing Yakuza spinoff game that's great for already fans of the series, as well as a starting point for those who prefer more graphical polish or english dubs.

Or dragon engine ragdolls.

The gameplay is of course similar to the Yakuza games; with fighting styles for combat, various minigames and substories/sidequests that range from good stories to stupidly out-of-tone scenarios. (in a good way I swear)
The characters are well written, and the mystery story is fun to follow- though as usual there is sometimes a bit of pacing weirdness. Still my second favorite RGG game, bested only by Yakuza 0!

There's also an english dub if you need it but uh.... it's not bad but it's definitely like. An english dub.

9/10 if I get one more text message about the keihin gang I'm tiger dropping myself

Miles' game may be on the short side, but it's still really good; in a lot of ways a streamlined version of the original.

The story is enjoyable, and playing as a Spider-Man learning the webs ropes makes for a fun arc.
Combat feels improved with Miles' venom powers and cloaking, which also makes stealth-clearing outposts a lot of fun.

Swinging feels energetic and faster, and a snowy New York has a really nice vibe.

I try to be of the mindset that length and price of a game shouldn't be too closely dependent ubisoft makes that clear ; but the sale price does feel more fair in my opinion. There's not a whole lot to do in the way of activities and side-stories; I 100%ed the game in ~20 hours

Absolutely worth a shot if you liked the first Spider-Man game, or even just wanna start out a bit smaller.

8/10 there's a suit that you can take a CAT with you... if that doesn't convince you idk what to tell you

Even as a newcomer to the RE series, 4 has been an absolute blast to play.

It's a bit more accommodating for people used to action games than 2's remake, with faster paced combat and weapons; though ammo and inventory management are still very important.
More on inventory management, 4 has the most fun method I've ever seen in a game, allowing you to manually place and sort all your items if you'd like. Or just press a key to have it sorted for optimal space, if it's too stressful.

While the original still holds well gameplay-wise in my opinion, the story changes in this remake have definitely been for the better; with more likable character writing and tweaked plotpoints.

There's a lot of replayability, whether it's going for better times, grabbing all collectibles or going for achievement challenge runs... that, and it's a great loop that's just fun to do again. (Fret not, they're not ubisoft collectibles... they're appropriately spread out and sellable to the merchant)

I can't say much performance-wise, I cap to 30fps; but I had no stuttering or frame drops, and other reviews seem to say it's fairly well optimized.

This is only one of two games that I don't regret paying full price for, it's definitely worth it.

9.5/10 leon in chains got me feeling a certain way

* I've played another ~91 hours via the Ubisoft Connect version. I purchased again on Steam because I wanted a version without the DLC... which should tell you what I think about them. *

Assassin's Creed Odyssey is one of those games that are great on their own, but maybe not as a series entry.

As an AC title, there's not a huge focus on stealth (though you can build for it), there's no hidden blade, and takes place chronologically hundreds of years before the, well, creed of assassins.

But as a bounty hunter RPG in the ancient Greek world with fantastic melee combat, a choices-matter system and hints of "magic but actually science" mythology, it's very good.

The world is gorgeous, with vibrant autumn/late summer colors and beautiful seas. Combat as previously mentioned feels really good, with various weapon types and optional abilities.

You can tag enemies ahead of time with Ikaros the eagle and stealthily take out enemies if you want and build for it. (Also, for some reason you can use a bow and arrow while hidden in the bushes... not complaining though!)

Odyssey also builds on the naval combat of Origins, and is good enough to compete with even Black Flag in my opinion.

In short, I would not recommend the DLC though. Legacy of the First Blade absolutely shoehorns you into an awkward relationship for your misthios, and tries to do too much in a short time. The Fate of Atlantis is a bit better, though almost has the opposite problem of being stretched too long. (I also played Immortals Fenyx Rising beforehand, which... kinda did everything FOA did but better.)

All in all, I'd say the standard edition is definitely worth a try on sale.

malakas/10 (also read, 8/10)

Even if you're not keen on the series' new direction, I'd still strongly recommend Origins for new and returning fans. Old will likely appreciate a change of pace from the older formula, and new may enjoy modern game elements and an introductory story for AC.

I gave it a try because I figured I'd like the RPG elements if nothing else, but I ended up falling in love with the story and idea of Assassin's Creed... and playing all the games in order.

The setting is beautiful, and doesn't really overstay its welcome unlike Odyssey or Valhalla. Though it's worth mentioning that cities aren't really densely built to make parkour interesting. The parkour is more functional-over-form, made for climbing anything you see- rather than fluid and flashy movements like the older games.

Bayek and Aya are amazing lead characters, with Bayek having the best voice acting I've heard in a video game. The story is thrilling- maybe not the series' peak, but definitely enough to get newcomers interested I'd say.

It's fairly accommodating for different playstyles, with of course an emphasis on stealth and hidden blade assassinations- but the melee combat is also well designed (Though if you want more brawler-type combat, definitely look at Odyssey!)
Using Senu the eagle to scout out bases ahead of time is insanely fun once you get used to it.

All Ubi games do unfortunately require their own launcher even when purchased on Steam, but I've personally not had any problems with it. If you don't want to use two launchers at once, I'd recommend just buying it on Ubisoft Connect.

All in all, I very much believe it's worth a shot on sale.

10/10 I want to marry Bayek

Can't believe this is only early access!

As of right now, there's not a -whole- lot different from the original; most changes being quality-of-life, like being able to harvest resources with the vac-pack and some gorgeous visuals.

And of course, new slimes!

Personally, I've not even really encountered any bugs or major performance issues with medium-low settings.

Even if you're not huge on early access releases, I'd still strongly recommend you keep your eyes on this, as it's already a very fun game on its own, and is only gonna get better.

9/10 I would give my LIFE for batty slimes

Yakuza 0 is one of the best introductions to a series you could ask for!

Chances are, you've heard how bats--t crazy Yakuza is- and while that is true of the side quests and minigames, the main story itself is separated well so as not to be too unimmersive. It has mystery, drama, and excellent characters. Entering blindly definitely made it my favorite story in a videogame.

It does admittedly start a bit slow, taking a bit of patience while the game introduces mechanics. But once it gets going, it goes 0-to-f'in-60.

The gameplay itself is also great, with a beat-em-up style that feels really good to play, and several different ways to tackle fights. Bicycles are overpowered.

If you need a break from the intense story there are tons of well designed minigames to pass time, which are almost as fun as the main gameplay- karaoke, disco, arcade games...

mahjong......

And of course, the music- absolutely awesome. Great combat music, 80s style pieces for minigames, and a banger of an opening.

All in all, Yakuza 0 has a lot to offer and is an awesome beginning point to the Yakuza series.

9/10 would weaponise bicycles again

Witcher 3 is an absolutely amazing RPG- and despite being the third in the series, a great introduction to the Witcher universe. You know it's a good game when it gets me reading books

The story is well done- not my absolute favorite, but still great; with many meaningful choices and emotional parts. The environments are beautiful and well designed, movement and combat feel amazing- suited to many different playstyles. The music is excellent and very memorable. It's filled to the brim with monster hunts and meaningful side quests, and great characters along the way.

I'd highly recommend GOTY/Complete addition, as the DLC takes everything up another level. Hearts of Stone, in my opinion, has a story even better than the main storyline in the base game. And Blood and Wine introduces a whole new region, story, adds even more monster hunts and side quests, and wraps up Geralt's story nicely.

[EDIT after the next-gen update] Performance seems to have been worsened a bit, especially in the DX12 version. Definitely recommend using the DX11 version either through the launcher or direct .EXE if you don't care for or can't run ray tracing.

Overall, I'd definitely say it's worth a purchase, and even more so on sale.

11/10 "I'm a Witcher. We don't feel emotions." Geralt said, emotionally.

If you weren't bi before, you are now

Everything from the environments to the character design to the music to the gameplay is amazing.

The world is gorgeous and interesting throughout, and each regional tribe has their own aesthetic. The machines all have great designs and are fun to fight, and there are different options for taking them down to suit your playstyle via several different weapons and arrow effects.

The story is really well done, with engaging characters throughout and some different dialogue options to keep repeat playthroughs interesting. Though it's worth noting it's not necessarily a "choices matter" type of rpg.

Performance seems to be a mixed bag; I've had good luck, but it may be something to keep in mind.

Overall it's an overwhelming yes from me, definitely one of my favorite games now. For sure worth full price, and even more so on discount.

10/10* would bully robo dinosaurs again

*A genuine 10/10 not just a meme.