Recent reviews by Etheom

MHWilds is exactly what I wanted for the start of the 6th generation of Monster Hunter. They carried over some of the most fun mechanics of MHRise and further built upon the story building strengths of MHWorld. One of the most exciting things of this new storyline is how interconnected our new story is with the previous story of MH4U. I'm expecting to see some fantastic things to develop over the next year as we head towards the expansion and the true end game content. Until then I'm expecting to see a wide variety of tempered, archtempered, and frenzied variants of the current monster roster alongside some returning monsters from previous titles to release in the upcoming free title updates. Thankfully I have been lucky enough to not run into many hardware issues but I have seen first hand getting the game to run properly can be a challenge currently at launch. Either way, this game is easily a top contender for Game of the Year 2025.

Remnant 2 is everything I want in a game. Seamless co-op, endless build making potential, and an addictive gameplay loop. I cannot properly express how much I value the sandbox features in this game, such as no cost to swapping builds, swapping traits, and very little cost to downgrade/upgrade weapons and weapon mods. It is truly the most ideal environment for build creativity in comparison to other games in the genre that have limited respecs per playthrough. Being able to reroll the campaign and adventure mode to endlessly find new secrets hidden within the worlds is such an addictive way to hunt for certain secret items. I highly recommend everyone give this game a chance both solo and co-op.

The gameplay is fun, immersive, and exactly what I was hoping for. I have thoroughly enjoyed all of the breathtakingly beautiful environments, and I want to specifically note the deeply moving musical scores that accent the places the game has taken me. There have been many moments that made me stop and take it all in as my squad of Ultramarines were working together to help humanity.

I have one major criticism to offer. Imagine all of the PvE Operations planned to be added in 2024 and 2025... please double that number. The game needs a huge variety in the PvE gameplay loop to be truly successful in the long term.

Helldivers 2 is the new gold standard for co-op multiplayer gaming. The combat is more fun than I expected and exceeded all of my expectations. The currency used to purchase the seasonal pass content is obtainable in-game and feels fair in a way that I hope other games take note of. I look forward to see what content the developers have cooking up for this fantastically fun shooter.

Dragon's Dogma 2 is a fantastic adventure through a high fantasy Tolkien-esque world. The Arisen and their fellowship of Pawn companions are tasked with an eternal burden of vanquishing a power so great that mortals can hardly begin to fathom it. By exploring the world and befriending the characters that reside within it, the player unravels this great mystery and their role within it. Through this exploration, the game offers a sense of grand adventure that not many games have been able to provide. There is a feeling that I need to prepare before departing into such a deep journey away from the safety of towns, and I absolutely love that subtle sense of danger the game imposes on the player. This fantastic world has consequences to the events that unfold within it, and I'm fully prepared to see it through again and again.

Dragon's Dogma is the most underrated action RPG I've ever played. The world feels like a perfect marriage between Lord of the Rings and Berserk. The gameplay is fun with a level of replayability that most games can only dream to have. It's so rare to find a game that gives you the right amount of action RPG sandbox to play in. There's something so exciting about being able to make one save file and play literally anything and everything, anytime you want. This game is astoundingly good and worth every penny.

The game has a ton of performance issues, save file bugs, and major game engine bugs depending on your hardware. EA should have let this game cook for another 6 months before forcing the developers to launch it with these bugs. With that said, I enjoyed playing through the main story and learning how to use each weapon. I don't have many praises to give it other than learning the weapon mechanics and karakuri mechanics was fun. MHW and MHR are both superior in every way.

Easily the most fun indie game I've played in years, although I'm hopeful to see the game released with a little more content. The current state of the game is an excellent foundation and surprisingly robust for a pre-release early access title. The game's aesthetic was slightly jarring at first because the developers went with a pixelated look, yet it grew on me quickly. I think the exact moment I realized how much I love the aesthetic was shortly after a lightning storm in the game... the weather is an experience on its own. Heavy rain and flashes of light help illuminate the night as I traversed the meadow forests, and as the storm ended I saw my first sunrise from within the black forest. The way the pine trees swayed in the wind as the sun would rise between them... it was a breathtaking moment. There are many challenges to discover in Valheim, and I recommend it.

Elden Ring has surpassed all of my expectations. The game is a perfect marriage between Dark Souls combat and Breath of the Wild exploration. To my pleasant surprise, Elden Ring was able to make world exploration the most enjoyable part of the experience for me. Being able to almost immediately unlock our horse companion makes the early game a wonderful time. There is something magical about riding through the world, enjoying the beautiful environment, and hunting for all of the secrets to be found. Again and again I was shocked by the diversity of world design, the depth of the dungeons, and the scale of the world itself. Elden Ring gives me a feeling that no other game has; the feeling of walking through an area with the sense that I've been here before. This chilling sense of nostalgia alongside the outstanding depth of combat options is the reason why I will be returning to Elden Ring for years to come.

Furthermore, Shadow of the Erdtree released this week and I'm completely mind blown by the scale of this expansion. The Shadow Realm is stunningly beautiful and absolutely massive. I have found so much joy in simply riding through the world and hunting for all of its many, many secrets. There is a continuous drip of dopamine around every corner as the world opens up through the progression of the areas. The bosses in the DLC are very challenging. A few of them pushed my build to the limits of its potential and pushed my abilities as a player to the boundary of my skill ceiling. This game has hit the mark in a way that no other game has. This is everything that I expected from the talented developers at FROM SOFTWARE. Elden Ring is something very, very special and I can't wait to see what they have cooking up next.

After putting 500 hours into the Switch version, I'm happy to say the PC port runs phenomenally well and is a worthy candidate for my main platform when Sunbreak releases. MHR brings all the fun from Weapon Arts in MHGU but in the form of wirebug attacks, and it's so much fun to play. Traditionally the Master Rank expansions add an entirely new end game system that adds an unbelievable amount of replayability. We can expect the same once Sunbreak is here.