The House of the Dead 2 was one of the biggest parts of my childhood. I grew up playing both House of the Dead 1 and 2 endlessly in arcades and even had the PC ports at home. They were two of my favourite games back then, so naturally, I was excited to check out the remake. Unfortunately, just like the remake of the first game, this one doesn’t quite live up to the originals. The biggest thing missing from the remake is the dark, grimy tone that gave the original games their atmosphere. The lighting in the remake is too bright and clean, which takes away from the creepy arcade horror feel that made House of the Dead 2 so iconic. The ragdoll physics also don’t help and i'm still not a fan of it. In the originals, every shot had impact and “oomph”. You could feel your bullets penetrating the zombies. In the remake, enemies just flop around and it feels floaty and unsatisfying. One thing I did appreciate was the option to switch to the original soundtrack which was missing from the first HOTD remake. The music from the classic games made a huge difference in the experience. It immediately brought back memories and reminded me how much atmosphere the original audio design added. The original House of the Dead 2 had famously bad voice acting, but that was part of its charm and what made it memorable. In the remake, it feels like they tried to replicate that same cheesiness, but it comes off as forced and unnatural instead of funny or nostalgic. Overall, this remake is about the same quality as the first one. It’s not terrible, but it’s nothing impressive either. If you’re a House of the Dead fan or curious to revisit the nostalgia, it’s worth checking out. But just like the first remake, I don’t recommend buying it at full price. It’s a really short game and just not worth the full cost. Wait for a sale if you want to experience it for nostalgia’s sake.

Playing Resident Evil 3: Nemesis for the first time in years has been an absolute thrill. The game holds up incredibly well. The graphics, music and atmosphere all deliver classic survival horror at its finest. Nemesis remains a genuinely terrifying presence, appearing during random encounters while the music intensifies. You haven’t experienced true fear until facing one of the most iconic pursuers in the series. The gameplay feels tight and satisfying, striking a perfect balance between exploration, puzzle-solving and combat. Every encounter is exciting and conserving ammo or choosing when to fight adds real tension to the experience. I loved revisiting the classic tank controls and limited inventory. Having played RE3: Nemesis extensively growing up, it didn’t take long for me to get back into the flow. The environments are impressive and detailed, considering the hardware limitations of 1999, the developers did an excellent job with the attention to detail. The puzzles are well-designed too. I remember struggling with the water puzzle in the Dead Factory as a kid, but this time it didn’t take long to solve, which made the experience much more enjoyable. Overall, RE3: Nemesis proves why it’s considered a classic of the survival horror genre, and it remains one of my childhood favourite games of all time. It’s a shame that the remake cut so much content and ended up feeling closer to a reimagining than a true remake. The original remains terrifying, challenging and rewarding. I highly recommend it to fans of the series or anyone seeking a true survival horror experience.

I had no idea this game existed until recently! 😆 I grew up playing Rumble Arena 1, so stumbling on its sequel felt like discovering a hidden gem. Rumble Arena 2 feels like a huge step up from its predecessor. The gameplay is noticeably smoother and less clunky, making the combat feel much more responsive and fun. Visually, the game looks great. No surprise given it's running on PS2 hardware. One of my favourite improvements is the ability to digivolve not once, but twice! Unlike the first game, where you could only digivolve once, here you can go even further beyond, and it really adds to the excitement mid-battle. Bringing back most, if not all, of the original voice actors was such a nostalgic bonus for longtime fans of the show. However, i found the soundtrack to be less memorable than the first game's. It's serviceable, but nothing really stuck with me after playing. Like Rumble Arena 1, the lack of a story mode is a major downside. It would have been nice to have even a simple narrative to tie things together. The characters are definitely unbalanced. Diaboromon is insanely overpowered. You can basically steamroll every match with him by spamming his special attacks with the huge range that they have, ultimately even stun-locking your opponents and getting easy wins. Despite its flaws, Rumble Arena 2 is definitely an improvement over the first game. It's a fun, fan service-filled brawler that could've been better with a little bit more polish. Definitely recommend it for Digimon fans. I know i would have loved playing it on my PS2 had i known of its existence back in the day.

Classic point and click retro horror game that i really enjoyed. I wanted to get into the Clock Tower series since i missed out on them growing up so i decided to start on this one. Game was tough like similar games from that era, and i did spend hours trying to figure things out. But its definitely a must try! Even with limited hardware and technology of its time, the game managed to nail the scary atmosphere and music. Jennifer's movement can get a little frustrating as she sometimes moves at crawl speed. The lack of a map can confuse you with the multiple rooms and halls so you'll definitely have to rely on memory. You may end up going in circles and being thorough in each room trying to find any clickable item and trying out different key items are a must, but once you discover things, it feels great. Multiple endings mean multiple playthroughs and i'm definitely gonna replay this game to get the different scenarios and endings! Overall i recommend playing this game if you're a horror game fan. This is definitely a classic and i'm happy that i finally got to play it.

I haven't played this game since i was a kid and this game is still as fun as i remembered and REALLY HARD for certain sections! I enjoyed the exploration aspects of the game, discovering secrets in the Ruins and upgrading my weapons to become even stronger. I enjoyed the anime inspired story and characters. They were really entertaining! The controls were very outdated but i got back into them after awhile. Other than that, i really enjoyed this gem from the PS1 and i would still recommend trying this out, even if you're not a huge Mega Man fan like myself. Give the Legends series a try. 😄

Silent Hill f is the first new main entry since Silent Hill Downpour in 2012 and it feels great to finally have the series back. Even though the game takes place in Japan rather than the town of Silent Hill itself, it still carries the core spirit and psychological atmosphere that define the franchise. The game excels in storytelling, atmosphere, visuals and music. It’s haunting, beautiful and emotionally heavy in all the ways a Silent Hill title should be. I genuinely loved almost everything about it. However, my experience was dragged down by the frustrating stamina system, weapon durability and the unclear direction of the combat. It feels like the game wants to be more action-oriented, throwing waves of enemies at you, yet it punishes you with limited stamina and breakable weapons. A bit of tuning, like reducing stamina cooldown or reducing encounters, even allowing players to avoid combat altogether, would have made the combat encounters much more enjoyable. With a few tweaks, I wouldn’t have many complaints. By the end of my first playthrough, I was left unsatisfied with the default ending, which everyone gets on their initial run. I found out afterward that you need multiple New Game+ playthroughs to unlock more context, additional scenes and notes that expand the story. While I enjoyed my NG+ runs, I still wish the first playthrough offered a more complete and conclusive ending. NG+ should feel like an optional bonus and not something required to understand the full narrative. I played Silent Hill f on PC and Unreal Engine 5 definitely caused issues. My first playthrough was filled with performance problems that affected my experience. Lowering graphics settings didn’t help either and I eventually had to use a performance mod just to make the game smoother. As of writing this review, the devs have released official patches to improve stability. I have yet to test it out for myself but i am looking forward to jumping back into SH f as improvement on stamina recovery is included as part of the latest patch. Overall, Silent Hill f is a strong return for the series, even if it isn’t without flaws. I still recommend it to longtime fans. For newcomers however, I’d suggest starting with the recent Silent Hill 2 Remake for a smoother and more accessible experience before diving into the more demanding and experimental Silent Hill f.

Growing up in the 90s, I always wanted to play The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, but I never owned an N64. As a huge Zelda fan, I mostly played the top-down entries, with A Link to the Past being one of my all-time favorites. I had always heard that Ocarina of Time was a masterpiece and a true classic. I decided to finally try OoT out to see for myself whether this game holds true to its reputation. This was my very first 3D Zelda game and honestly, it was a mixed bag. On the positive side, I loved the sense of exploration, the charm of the retro graphics and the soundtrack. The music is still fantastic even today. I give the game full credit for pioneering 3D action-adventure and introducing Z-targeting, which many modern action-adventure games still use. Unfortunately, the gameplay itself hasn’t aged well. The controls and camera felt janky and combat wasn’t fun because of its clunkiness. Platforming can be frustrating. Sometimes I would push the thumbstick forward to jump a gap, only for Link to run to his left or right and fall. The Water Temple absolutely lived up to its painful reputation. I usually avoid guides, but I had to resort to one more than once because objectives weren’t clear. Navi, instead of being helpful, often interrupted to state the obvious while staying silent when I actually needed a hint. I understand now why the common criticism or hate for the fairy now. For the most part, i had fun with OoT. I loved the exploration, figuring out puzzles and finding secrets. But the janky controls and camera really dampened my experience. What should have been an exciting journey in another Zelda game was more frustrating than fun. I can see why people who grew up with this game praise OoT. I can only imagine how blown away they were to transition from a 2D Zelda game into the world of 3D. Sadly, i think a lot of the praise today comes through nostalgia goggles. Do I recommend OoT? Not as someone’s first Zelda game. I think newcomers would walk away with a bad impression. Games like A Link to the Past or Breath of the Wild are much better entry points. But for longtime Zelda fans curious to see what the fuss is about, Ocarina of Time is still worth experiencing once, just to understand its place in history. Overall, Ocarina of Time is a pioneering game, but not free of flaws. I'm glad i finally played it, but for me, there are other Zelda games that are more fun and polished.

Control is a fun action-shooter game with some psychological horror elements. I really enjoyed the psychic abilities. It felt like i was using the Force and it was so satisfying to use. I just wish there weren't cooldowns on both the psychic powers and the handgun. I guess it's the game's way to prevent spamming, but during combat where the game throws wave after wave of enemies at you, i think it would have felt more balanced if at least one of them had no cooldown. While my gameplay experience was fun, it was not without its frustrations. Combat can feel overwhelming, especially when enemies deal massive damage to your health. It's moments like these where the cooldown system really adds to the stress of enemy encounters. Another issue i had with the game was the map. I think it is poorly designed and difficult to navigate. It took me quite a while to figure out how to get around the game and not go around in circles trying to get to my next destination. Storywise, Control is lore heavy. There is a lot to process and i don't think first time players can fully digest everything on their first playthrough. That said, the world building is intriguing, and i like how mysterious and at times creepy the atmosphere is. Despite my minor gripes about the game, i would still recommend Control to anyone who hasn't played it. There is still a lot of fun to be had, especially if you enjoy weird, supernatural action games with some challenge. Just expect similar frustrations along the way.

I first played Fatal Frame 2 on my PS2 in my early teens but i never beat the game, and that was due to not having a memory card at the time. Despite that, i was able to experience the game and it was one of the scariest games i've ever played. I decided to revisit the game recently and Fatal Frame 2 holds up so well today. From its fear-inducing atmosphere, creepy sound design to its gameplay mechanics. FF2 took what made the first game great and improved upon it. It still manages to scare and unsettle, even after all these years. The game is not free from its frustrations, like fast-moving spirits that are hard to capture with the Camera Obscura and a tough final boss fight with almost impossible tight combo windows, they didn't take away from the overall experience. I had so much fun with the game that i couldn't wait to jump back into the game. Beating Fatal Frame 2 for the first time felt like a full-circle moment, especially since i never finished it as a teen. My younger self would have been proud. Fatal Frame 2 is one of the best Survival Horror games and the series is such an underrated entry in the genre and deserves more praise and recognition. I highly recommend trying out Fatal Frame 2 if you haven't or are a Survival Horror fan yourself.

F.E.A.R. is definitely a fun game. It is combat heavy and some horror elements sprinkled here and there. Can get a little repetitive and predictable after awhile. It definitely feels dated and a product of its time. Everyone seems to have played this game before except me. 😂I've been told that this is a good, scary game. Unfortunately, this game failed to scare me. It is primarily an action game and you mostly fight clone soldiers with guns...lotsa guns. The horror aspect of it were mostly short sequences, visions and the occasional sightings of the infamous ghost girl. I wonder if i had played this game many years ago when it first came out, would i have been more terrified by it. The Bullet Time feature is really fun but the slow recharge can get a little frustrating. This game has dark shadows and corners so you rely on the flashlight frequently to see better. I don't understand why the flashlight has a cooldown and i constantly have to wait a few seconds for the flashlight battery to recharge before i can use it again. It would have been better if i can just keep the flashlight on. Definitely a questionable game design. I was expecting a huge final boss fight but there weren't any. Nevertheless, I'm glad i got to try F.E.A.R. after missing out on it when it first came out.😊

Silent Hill 4 was the final game made by the original Team Silent. I’ve heard many things about SH4 over the years, mostly in a negative light. It’s often called the “black sheep” of the series, but I was genuinely curious to try the game out for myself. I’ve never been one to let others’ opinions decide for me as I prefer forming my own when I play a game. After beating SH4 recently, I can confidently say that this game is far from bad. In fact, it’s a good game and a great final entry to a classic PS2 era of horror. SH4 definitely feels very different compared to the first three entries, but I welcomed the experimentation. One of the biggest changes was the first-person perspective inside the apartment and the introduction of ghost enemies that constantly pursue you and are mostly unkillable. I love the concept of the room as the central location of the game. At first, it feels like a safe haven. A place to rest, heal and escape from the horrors outside. But as the story progresses, that safety is slowly stripped away. The hauntings begin, the room becomes dangerous and even starts to harm you unless you cleanse it with holy candles or saint medallions. It’s such a cool and eerie concept that makes you feel a strong sense of dread and isolation. The story itself hooked me from start to finish. I loved uncovering the mysteries, the supernatural elements and the dark twists. It’s very different in tone and structure compared to SH1–3, but I appreciated the change. What I didn’t enjoy were the unkillable ghosts. They were frustrating to deal with especially when I just wanted to explore in peace. The combat felt clunky at times. It took me a while to get used to the system and the difficulty ramps up once you start escorting Eileen. Keeping her safe while managing enemies was stressful and I often had to leave her behind in safe rooms, clear out the area, complete objectives and then go back for her. The game also isn’t always clear about what to do next and I occasionally had to look up a guide to figure out what to do next. The limited inventory system was another annoyance. After SH3’s unlimited slots, constantly returning to the room to manage items through the item box broke the pacing. Despite its flaws, I had a lot of fun with SH4. I appreciated Team Silent's willingness to try something new and different and I welcome the experimentation. I love its dark tone, psychological storytelling and unsettling atmosphere. It’s definitely the toughest game in the original series and in my opinion, one of the most underrated. A flawed but fascinating experiment and a great final project from Team Silent.

My first playthrough of Silent Hill 3 has been so much fun. Like many early 2000s Survival Horror games, SH3 holds up remarkably well. The graphics still look good, the sound design is unsettling and the atmosphere is perfectly creepy and immersive. SH3 is definitely tougher than Silent Hill 2 but in a satisfying way. I loved racking my brain on the puzzles. They were challenging but well designed. Silent Hill puzzles are always a favourite of mine to tackle in these games. Heather is such a likeable protagonist that she's become one of my favourite video game characters. She is feisty and tough, and it's easy to believe that a teenager like her could survive the horrors of Silent Hill on her own. The monsters are much tougher than in SH2, so it's usually best to avoid combat whenever possible. The game uses tank controls like many horror games of its era, but I adapted quickly since it has become second nature to me having grown up with games that used them. The dynamic camera angles mostly add to the tension of not knowing what lies ahead, and you can always reset the camera behind Heather with the L2 button. However, during intense combat, the camera can occasionally hinder you. I also found myself getting lost at times, mainly because the game doesn't always provide the map immediately in new areas. I relied heavily on the map, as the locations can get very confusing. It would have been helpful to receive the map earlier. Overall, I had an incredible time with Silent Hill 3. I can see why this is considered a fan favourite. This game holds up beautifully and i highly recommend to fans of horror or the Silent Hill series.

I ragequit Digimon Rumble Arena. That's it. I'm never touching this game again for the rest of my life. 🤬 I grew up with this game. I used to love it, probably because i was a massive Digimon fan, and nostalgia goggles made me overlook its flaws. But revisiting it now? Wow. What a frustrating, janky mess. The controls are clunky, the character balance is almost non-existent, and the camera angles are horrendous, often causing you to fall off the stage to your death. That's not even the worst part about the game, because wait until you face the final boss - Reapermon. He's ridiculously overpowered, with insane range and cheap, spammy attacks, not to mention the final stage where you fight him is disorienting as hell. Who thought this was a good design? Be prepared to lose. A lot. And not in a fun or fair way. The difficulty spike feels less like a challenge and more like punishment. Couple that with the clunky controls? Not a fun time. Credit where it's due, seeing your favourite Digimon in 3D models and being able to digivolve mid-battle is still a cool concept. There's something so genuinely satisfying about charging up your bar and hitting R1 to digivolve into your Mega form. That alone can still spark a bit of childhood joy. The soundtrack is decent, though not exactly memorable. Bringing back the original voice actors for the game was brilliant. It gives you the anime nostalgia type of feeling when you hear their voices in-game. But honestly, that's about all the praise i can muster. Unless you're a hardcore Digimon fan wanting to relive childhood memories and willing to suffer for it, i wouldn't recommend this game. There are far better, more polished fighting games out there.

I never got to try Devil May Cry 3 when it first came out so i'm glad that i now have the chance. I've been told that this is one of the best DMC games and it's a fan favourite, and i can see why. The game is definitely a fun hack and slash, action adventure game. It has a really intriguing story, and i wanted to keep on playing to further the plot. The cutscenes were in glorious PS2 era graphics and i'm always a fan of PS2 graphics. There's a certain charm and nostalgic feel to it, at least for me. DMC3 is fun but it can get really tough to get through. I love a good challenge, and this game serves a good challenge whenever it can. When a Boss fight is hard to beat, the game allows you to study its attack patterns to discourage you from spamming your attacks. Hence, being strategic and calculative in when you want to get your hits in are important. However, i have encountered certain Bosses where their attacks were either spammy or they don't give you enough window to either dodge or get a hit in. I think it's a badly designed enemy if their attacks are spammy or stun-lock you, to give you the illusion that the Boss fight is "hard". I understand that it was a design choice of this era, to prolong the gameplay length. I personally am not in favour of this design choice. Fortunately, most of the Boss fights were fair. Tough but you can study their attack patterns and beat them after many tries. It's really rewarding when you've been struggling with a Boss fight and you figure out a strat and beat it on your own. The map is badly designed. I could hardly figure out how to read it so i ended up not using it most of the time. I still had fun with DMC3 and it is still worth trying. If you have never tried a DMC game, the 3rd entry is a good place to start, as it is a prequel to DMC 1. Just keep in mind that it's a really tough game for the casual gamer.

What a phenomenal remake. Kudos to Bloober Team for achieving what many thought was gonna fail. I'm so happy for them, for proving everyone wrong. OG Silent Hill 2 is one of my fav games ever. Now this remake is on that list too. They nailed everything here - Atmosphere, sound design, ambience, music, gameplay. They remade the exact same game and expanded upon it. I praise Bloober Team for how they handled the heavier themes and difficult subject matter with care and respect. I was hoping to get the Leave Ending like my 1st playthrough of OG SH2 but i'm happy with my 1st playthrough results. 10/10 game highly recommend. 😊