NBA 2K22 really is pretty satisfying for me with minimal adjustments. I've ditched MyTEAM after accepting what a slog it was gonna be and how uninterested I was in anything past Domination, did a fantasy draft MyGM and hilariously wound up with Ben Simmons at PG and Joel Embiid at C somehow. Also have Rodman at the 4 though and it's just really cool how all that length and defense translates to the court, it just feels right. Kudos, 2K, you've kinda won me back.


PSYCHONAUTS 2 got finished and, yea, gonna be tough to unseat at GotY time. That being said...


KENA: BRIDGE OF SPIRITS is pretty fantastic, y'all. It's got a cute, Dreamworks look to it and some truly gorgeous environments, but all that obscures some of the toughest-yet-fairest boss fights I've encountered outside of Bloodborne or Horizon. Really excellently designed stuff that forces you to get creative without ever feeling like you're being cheated. The moment-to-moment gameplay is a little lighter, but there are still some challenge chests and story beat fights that can kick your ass if you let your guard down. PSYCHONAUTS might ultimately win out for me, but if it does it'll only be because I was so charmed by its story.

There's something about smashing your head against a boss for two hours straight only to finally vanquish it, watch this really emotional cutscene explaining how that boss wound up how it did...and then just take a seat with your little companions and ask them to give you a kiss on the cheek. Really, really soulful stuff. One thing I won't waffle on, however, is the soundtrack: this soundtrack RIPS, one of the best and most original I've heard in a while. They do a lot of cool dynamic stuff with moments as small as opening a chest or crossing a big jump that boosted the immersion significantly alongside the DualSense's haptic stuff. Suddenly really excited to see what bigger studios will accomplish with dynamic scores this generation...


Otherwise, cracking open more of that backlog...


RUINER I don't have much to say about other than I played a couple hours and really enjoyed it's mix of twin-stick melee combat, cyberpunk/synthwave aesthetic and Hotline Miami-like intensity...only now it's been a week or so and I'm afraid I'll have lost the touch. REALLY cool game to find on a sale and mess with, though.


GHOST OF TSUSHIMA I keep trying to use as my graphics powerhouse showcase, but I also keep insisting on playing the game on Lethal+ since that's where I finished with it last year...turns out, Lethal+ is HARD AS FUCK when you have no idea what anything does anymore. Might have to give up on that for a bit.


YAKUZA KIWAMI 2 is just as much of a binge-able timesink as Yakuza Zero, what a cool series. I'm scared of 3-4-5 just because they're straight ports of PS3 games that weren't always well received at the time but I almost feel like I HAVE to see the franchise through at this point, it's really held me down during Covid and beyond. The story is probably the weakest of the first three, though I can see why critics prefer it's scrope and grandeur compared to the smaller stakes of Kiwami 1. I get the feeling Zero probably IS the peak of the franchise, though, which is a little tough to chew on.


DISHONORED is pretty cool too, I'm ashamed I slept on it for so damn long! I can tell this is a fairly short game you're meant to play repeatedly and fuck around with which admittedly isn't my bag, but there is a basic rush to pulling off a sweet assassination and blinking around the map that's deeply satisfying. I'm glad Bethesda had all of Arkane's games on deep, deep discount right before Deathloop dropped, was able to channel that hype into catching up on some uncut gems instead and so far, pretty, pretty good!


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"This is the streets, and I am the trap." � Jay Bilas
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