Recent reviews by SharkThug

Half-Life: Alyx is easily the most transformative gaming experience I've ever had. Probably won't get the same reaction from someone who's completely new to the series but for those who are familiar with the Half-Life universe this feels like a dream. It delivers an incredible story with one of the best set piece endings of all time. But even without any familiarity with the older games, Alyx offers unparalleled immersion with incredible graphical fidelity all while being very new-VR user friendly. Other than the main campaign there is also a lot of really good user generated content as mods on the workshop.

Alyx feels like a peek into the future of VR and I hope the tech gets more accessible so more people can play this absolute masterpiece. Really worth getting a VR headset just for this.

Probably one of the best value for money collections on Steam just for the 6 classic campaigns with 60+ hours of content. The multiplayer is a huge added bonus. It might feel dated in some parts but it's a great remaster and still a lot of fun with a fantastic story. I also tried this on the game pass but would recommend MCC on Steam because it lets you do modular downloads here with DLC management. Microsoft's own Xbox store makes you download the whole game your first time.

I've been in love with Hades since Early Access and it has now become one of my favourite games of all time. This is Supergiant's masterpiece putting together the best of everything they've done till date. The gameplay is incredibly good, the art is amazing, soundtrack is perfection and most of all it's a ton of fun to play. The way the roguelite gameplay is weaved with the narrative makes for some really unique storytelling. 100 hours in and I don't feel like I've seen any character interactions repeat which feels insane for a game of this genre. And because of the depth the game offers, the difficulty modifiers and huge amount of content that is still to be discovered I can see myself sinking several more hours into Hades.
Easy 10/10.

Easily one of the most fun games I've played this year. Gorgeous aesthetic with an addictive gameplay loop. RoR2 makes for a great multiplayer experience with friends or even solo. Every character has a very different playstyle and the huge pool of items make for very interesting interactions that make you keep coming back for more. Artifacts are modifiers that you can unlock which drastically change the way every run progresses. All of this provides for insane replay value.
Another incredible aspect of this game is the modding community. If you want to get more out of your RoR2 experience I'd highly recommend getting a mod manager and trying out stuff from thunderstore.io. There are some really transformative mods out there.

...and the music is electric.

Outer Wilds is one of the most unique gaming experiences I've had in a while. Space exploration is a lot of fun and every discovery feels super satisfying. The story is told through bits and pieces of ruins and puzzles scattered through a small but beautifully crafted solar system. The in-universe sci-fi lore has been done very meticulously and with a lot of consistency. Movement can feel slightly clunky and punishing at first especially when you are in critical positions and a single mistake might mean repeating a whole time loop. However once you get used to it and are patient with the game it can feel extremely rewarding. It might not click for everyone because you need to be okay with a fair amount of repetition and backtracking. But definitely worth it for the moments when the game makes you feel pure awe and fear of the unknown.
Would highly recommend going in blind because it's the journey of discovery that makes this game such a masterpiece.