Recent reviews by SlaynDay

9/10

Hellblade II: Senua’s Saga builds on much of what made the first game special, while shifting its focus in meaningful ways. The presentation is absolutely stunning, with some of the most impressive visuals and facial animations in modern games. Every environment feels grounded, detailed, and cinematic, making the journey visually unforgettable.

Combat is more forgiving compared to the first game, offering a smoother and more accessible experience while still maintaining weight and tension. The game is also shorter, placing a stronger emphasis on narrative flow rather than challenge or mechanical complexity.

Narratively, Hellblade II moves away from the heavy psychological horror of the original and leans more into a story about hope, resilience, and moving forward. While themes of mental struggle are still present, they no longer dominate the experience in the same way. Instead, the game feels more reflective and uplifting, focusing on Senua’s growth rather than her suffering.

The audio design and soundtrack once again shine, reinforcing emotional moments and enhancing immersion without overwhelming the player. Combined with the game’s cinematic direction, it creates an experience that feels closer to an interactive film than a traditional action game.

Hellblade II may not reach the same level of psychological intensity as its predecessor, but it succeeds as a beautiful, emotionally grounded continuation of Senua’s story. If you appreciated the first game for its atmosphere, storytelling, and presentation, the sequel is absolutely worth experiencing, just expect a shorter, more forgiving, and more hopeful journey.

10/10

Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice is a deeply atmospheric and emotionally intense experience that blends striking visuals, precise combat, and powerful storytelling into something truly unique. The game follows Senua, a warrior on a harrowing journey shaped by grief, trauma, and self-acceptance, drawing heavily from Norse mythology and psychological horror.

The combat is unforgiving, relying on careful timing, positioning, and awareness rather than button-mashing. Every fight feels deliberate, tense, and personal, reinforcing the game’s grounded tone. Visually, the game is stunning from haunting landscapes to subtle facial animations that convey emotion without words.

One of Hellblade’s most defining features is its authentic portrayal of psychosis. Through binaural audio, distorted visuals, and environmental cues, the game places you inside Senua’s mind. The voices are not just a mechanic; they actively shape how you experience the world, creating constant tension, doubt, and vulnerability. It’s unsettling, immersive, and handled with clear care and respect.

The soundtrack is absolutely stellar, seamlessly blending ambient sound design with emotional musical themes. Music swells during moments of struggle and reflection, enhancing both the narrative and the gameplay without ever overwhelming it. Combined with the audio design, the soundtrack plays a huge role in making the experience feel intimate and unforgettable.

Hellblade is not a traditional action game, it’s a narrative driven journey that prioritizes mood, meaning, and emotional impact over scale or spectacle. It’s a game that lingers with you long after it ends, challenging you to sit with discomfort rather than escape it.

If you’re looking for a game that tells a mature, meaningful story, supported by incredible audio, visuals, and atmosphere, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice is absolutely worth your time.

9/10

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2009) delivers an excellent campaign that builds perfectly on its predecessor, continuing the overarching story with higher stakes and several unforgettable moments. The pacing, set pieces, and characters helped define what a Call of Duty story could be at the time.

The multiplayer was a massive part of the game’s legacy and is still widely considered one of the best of its era. While not perfectly balanced, it was incredibly fun, fast-paced, and packed with iconic maps, perks, and weapons that made every match memorable.

Spec Ops was a standout addition, offering cooperative, time-based challenges built around campaign missions. It added a fresh layer of replayability and was perfect for quick sessions or pushing for better completion times with a friend.

Overall, Modern Warfare 2 remains a defining entry in the franchise, with strong modes across the board and a lasting impact on multiplayer shooters.

10/10

Call of Duty: WWII is my favorite Call of Duty entry. The campaign returns the series to a more gritty, grounded WWII story, and it’s one that genuinely sticks with you. It focuses less on spectacle and more on the human cost of war, which makes it one of the more memorable CoD campaigns.

The multiplayer was excellent, featuring strong map design and solid weapon balance. While supply drops were controversial, unlocking new weapons through them still felt rewarding over time. One standout feature was the social hub, a Destiny-like shared space filled with players, challenges, and small Easter eggs that made the game feel more alive than a standard menu-based multiplayer.

This was also one of the few Call of Duty games where grinding felt genuinely satisfying. Reaching Master Prestige and earning Platinum camo felt achievable through dedication rather than frustration, especially on console.

Zombies took a darker, more horror-focused approach than usual. While that style didn’t land perfectly for everyone, the enemy and map designs benefited from it, making Zombies feel distinct and unsettling in a way the series hadn’t really explored before.

Unfortunately, Call of Duty: WWII was somewhat overshadowed by Fortnite at the time of its release, which kept it from getting the recognition it deserved. Even so, it remains a standout entry in the franchise with strong modes across the board.

10/10

Red Dead Redemption 2 is one of the most detailed and immersive games ever made. The graphics are absolutely beautiful, and the level of attention to detail is unmatched from character animations to wildlife behavior, weather, and small world interactions that make everything feel alive. The world genuinely feels lived in, not just built.

The story is exceptional and emotionally grounded, delivering one of the strongest narratives in gaming. The characters, pacing, and themes elevate the experience far beyond a typical open-world game, making it feel more like a slow-burning western epic than just another action title.

Gameplay is deliberate and sometimes slow, but that pace fits the world and tone perfectly. It reinforces the feeling of being part of a harsh, fading frontier rather than rushing from objective to objective. As a result, it stands as probably the best cowboy game ever made.

I didn’t spend much time in the multiplayer, so most of my experience comes from the single-player campaign. Based on that alone, Red Dead Redemption 2 is an unforgettable experience and an easy recommendation.

9/10

Call of Duty: Black Ops II is a strong sequel that builds meaningfully on the original, especially in its campaign. The story introduces branching paths and player choices that add replayability while still delivering a memorable and well-paced narrative.

The multiplayer is often argued to be one of the best of its era, thanks to solid balance, memorable maps, and the introduction of the Pick 10 system. Even today, matchmaking is still somewhat active, making it possible to find games without relying entirely on community servers.

Zombies continued to evolve here with more unique and ambitious maps, many of which are still widely praised. Maps like Mob of the Dead stand out for their atmosphere, storytelling, and design, and remain favorites for many players.

The graphics have aged, but they still hold up well enough to support the game’s tone and gameplay. Overall, Black Ops II remains one of the most well-rounded entries in the Call of Duty franchise and a high point for both multiplayer and Zombies.

9/10

Call of Duty: Black Ops delivers an excellent campaign with a memorable story that stands out as one of the stronger entries in the series. The narrative is focused, intense, and still holds up as a single-player experience.

The multiplayer was a highlight of its time, featuring solid weapon balance and a variety of modes that encouraged both competition and fun. Party game modes like wagering COD Points added a unique social element that made matches feel more playful without losing their edge. While official matchmaking is no longer what it once was, the game is still somewhat active through community-run servers, making it possible to find matches if you’re willing to look.

Zombies truly started to take off in this title. The maps introduced here are still some of the most recognizable in the mode’s history, offering strong atmosphere, replayability, and cooperative depth that defined what Zombies would become going forward.

While the graphics have aged, they’re still decent enough to support the game’s tone and atmosphere. Overall, Black Ops remains a well-rounded Call of Duty entry with strong modes across the board and lasting impact on the franchise.

9/10

Borderlands 2 delivers fun, satisfying gunplay with an absurd amount of personality. The game shines through its unique characters, each with distinct playstyles that make experimenting and replaying genuinely enjoyable. Whether you prefer chaos, precision, or pure explosions, there’s a Vault Hunter that fits your style.

The game’s humor and writing are a huge part of its charm, and while it won’t land for everyone, it gives Borderlands 2 a strong identity that sets it apart from other shooters. The cartoonish art style is timeless and still looks great today, helping the game age far better than many titles from its era.

That said, the game can definitely feel grindy, especially if you’re chasing specific loot or pushing into higher difficulties. For some players that’s part of the fun, but it may wear others down.

Overall, Borderlands 2 remains a standout looter-shooter with tons of personality, replay value, and a style that hasn’t faded over time.

9/10

Battlefield Hardline is honestly one of my favorite Battlefield games. The story mode is underrated the cop drama was a refreshing change from the usual military setting, and it kept me hooked the whole way through. Even today, the graphics still hold up really well, especially the lighting, environments, and character detail.

The multiplayer was a blast at its peak, with fun modes and a faster, more chaotic feel that still felt like Battlefield. One thing I always loved was the cool weapons, and the rare reload animations, which added a lot of personality and attention to detail you don’t always see.

That said, the biggest downside now is the player count. There are a couple servers that can be active during the weekends, but outside of that, multiplayer is mostly dead, which is a real shame because the gameplay itself still holds up.

If you’re coming in for the campaign, or just to experience a unique Battlefield multiplayer, it’s absolutely worth it. Just don’t expect full multiplayer lobbies every day anymore.

I want to start by saying that I loved Killing Floor 2, but this game feels like a step down in comparison. Yes, the graphics are better. Yes, you can now add attachments to your guns, which is a great addition. And yes, enemy behavior has changed due to the new setting. However, despite these improvements, the overall gameplay feels rather bland.

There are only a handful of maps available, most of which feel much smaller and less detailed than those in Killing Floor 2. There are also roughly half the number of classes the second game had, and the perk systems feel more complicated than they need to be. Weapon variety has taken a noticeable hit as well, with only about 25–50% of the weapon choices that Killing Floor 2 offered.

The cosmetic system is another major downgrade. In Killing Floor 2, you could at least grind for cosmetics or buy exactly what you wanted from the Community Market. In this game, you earn armory points to unlock items, which sounds good at first, until you unlock around ten items and are then required to spend real money to continue.

Overall, the few improvements are appreciated, but they don’t make up for what was lost. These changes would have worked much better as a DLC rather than a full sequel.

5/10