Recent reviews by everything49

I mean it's Hollow Knight: Silksong. Cmon.

play solo

Genuinely as good as Half-Life, which is saying something. Don't look at it as just a DLC, but as a whole extra story with new mechanics, similar to Dishonored's DLC expansions.

Scratches a space itch I was really needing. Small game, big vibes, absolutely recommended, especially with a podcast in the background. Perfect.

The concept of a Demon Spider Train is hella original, and though the game had some graphical errors and was rough cut around the edges, the sheer terror of seeing Charles speed towards me from across a misty field is enough to have me terrified. Quite a nerve-wracking game, and I'll always be impressed with the originality of the mere idea.

Very fun, a good story generator if you are the creative type.

Fantastic, more review in development. Go get it.

I hated every second of this game, 10/10 please dont do this again

Hollow Knight

Hollow Knight is a small game where you play as a lonely bug in a vast and maze-like underground kingdom. My adventure with this game started when I was looking for a dark-but-atmospheric game to sink my time into, and before I knew it, I had become engulfed in the world that the developers at Team Cherry created. My time was spent being inspired by the world, struggling through combat, jumping past platforming puzzles, and exploring the dense secrets littered throughout the kingdom of Hallownest. My whole playthrough was enjoyable and incredibly hard to put down, so here is my humble review after reaching the credits. Twice.

Hollow Knight is classified as a Metroidvania game, which is basically a term to describe the type of world it creates. The beginning of the game is linear and has relatively simple paths to follow, but as the game continues to expand, so does the world. Different skills allow new paths to open in areas you’ve already explored, which gives players a reason to backtrack and become more immersed in the world itself. Hollow Knight achieves this perfectly. I love a good exploration game, and Hollow Knight had me finding new paths and locations well after 25 hours of playtime. I was never able to explore the whole map from the start, which means that the dopamine that came from finding a new place lasted the whole playthrough. Holding a player’s attention for that long is an achievement that few games have mastered, and Hollow Knight deserves to be recognized for the brilliant use of the metroidvania name.

The world itself is filled with an extreme variety of areas to explore and traverse. Each little section of the map seems new, unique, and challenging all at once. The areas tend to be relatively spaced out and large, but soon it becomes easier to go back through places you’ve already been. The entire map is only available towards the end of the game, which I think is a brilliant design choice. There are various creative ways to travel between areas, usually requiring a new skill or fast thinking to accomplish. But seriously, the areas are just so unique and interesting. +A on that topic.

Worlds are only fun if moving around them is fun, though. That is why it is a surprising joy to move around the world of Hallownest, jumping and dashing from one platform to another. The controls and responses feel sharp and refined to such a point that the agility is easy to learn and difficult to master. There is a fast travel system, because the world is frikin’ massive, but it doesn't feel unfair, out-of-place, or immersion breaking. The “Stag stations” are positioned at perfect locations to encourage travel on foot more than simple teleportation. If it weren't for the enjoyable and creative movement options, Hollow Knight wouldn't be nearly as great as it is.

Combat comes next. 2D games usually tend to feel similar in terms of combat and movement, which is why I was so surprised with the brilliance and style that Hollow Knight introduces. At the beginning of the game you are given a simple attack and a jump, and you are left to discover more difficult moves as time progresses. Soon the simplistic attack-and-run strategy became infested with dodging, dashing, bouncing, and crying. The combat only gets more challenging, but it carried along with it a sense of mastery and fun. I never felt cheated by the game, or that certain sections were unfair or not balanced properly. Every time I messed up, I had the feeling that it was because I made a simple mistake, and with the help of more tries I was able to learn from that mistake. The bosses never got easier; instead I got better. Few games carry that feeling with it, but Hollow Knight is one of those few. Crushing difficulty was soon replaced by frantic swordplay and then triumphant mastery. Hollow Knight does combat right.

The soundtrack is beautiful. Each world area is accompanied by a memorable theme to add to the atmosphere and depth. For the more intense moments or boss fights, there are musical tracks to match the insanity. The various cutscenes were filled with such emotion and dramatic stringed themes that I felt like I was watching a cinematic masterpiece at time. The score and musical ability of this game has me replaying songs and marveling at the beauty, complexity, and genuine thought that went into creating this world and the feelings that it aroused.

Hollow Knight is filled with replayability, but not to the boring extent of bigger games with useless collectibles. This game has different items and bugs to find, and each one feels like another achievement and a step in the right direction. Usually you are rewarded for your findings with either Geo (the ingame currency) or other special charms that change the gameplay. Once you beat the game, though, there is still more to do. In fact, while I am writing this review, there are still a few more boss fights I could go find, and a few more challenges I could beat. That's not to mention the other game modes and achievements that are scattered through the game. Hollow Knight is a game that I can see myself replaying easily, and sinking many more hours into. Oh and side note, no game has made me feel the same way that Hollow Knight has. If I were to compare it to another emotional game, the closest would probably be Undertale, but they are vastly different still. Hollow Knight simply contains a magic that I rarely find in games, and for that I am in love with it.

This review has been all positive, and for good reason. From the moment I was introduced to the world of Hallownest, I was enticed and amazed by the masterpiece that it was. Throughout my +40 hour playthrough, I was filled with emotion, wonder, confusion, frustration, and determination. So after finally beating the final FINAL boss, I am given the opportunity to look at the piece of gold that is Hollow Knight. It is critically acclaimed by the gaming community, and I can now see why. The world constantly remains interesting, the combat is hard but rewarding, the story is mysterious, the visuals are beautiful, and there are no errors or, uh, bugs, in the game that wrecked my experience. Hollow Knight was only made by three people, but those people managed to create a near-perfect game, one that is far better than most modern games out there. That is why I choose to realize the excellence and art that Hollow Knight is and will remain.
Rating: 5/5

I stumbled upon this game a few random times, but never really dove into it. It always seemed like another Grand Theft Auto clone, sprinkled with a fresh coat of Asian paint. The action seemed boring and the story didn't really grab me. Yet, one fateful day, my weakness was taken advantage of as it went on sale, and my easily-swayed wallet was shaken for some extra coin, simply to add this game to my ever-growing library of video games. I bought this game twice at that moment, one for a good friend of mine Jong Woo, as I thought it may have helped him live his fantastical Asian-Kung-Fu-Crazy fantasies or something. Honestly, it just seemed like a cool game that we could play and make inside jokes about.
I didn't actually plan on playing this game quite yet; I was still fresh off of replaying Jedi Fallen Order when I downloaded Sleeping Dogs, expecting to just hide it away in a storage disk to use one day. Then I chose the fateful decision to simply open the game to see what it was like. After playing with the settings and running a benchmark test, I was immediately surprised at the interesting atmosphere of the game. The riveting title music was enough to get me pumped for whatever this may have held.
I don't want to say something cheesy or cliche like I was blown away. Frankly, it took awhile for me to invest enough time and interest into this game. The start of the game didn't grab my attention with an opening scene that blew me away (though chasing through docks was a fine way to open). It took some time, but eventually I became emotionally invested in the story, of all things. Ya see, video games take a dark turn when it comes to story-telling, because rarely are they able to hold a player’s attention long enough to drive home a complex narrative. There are exceptions to these trends that simply blow the competition away in terms of story (I’m looking at you, To the Moon). Jumping into this game, I didn't expect much besides an open world and some fun martial arts combat. What I was greeted with was a fantastically fresh and vibrant city, complete with a very intense and intriguing narrative that drove me to finish the game, simply to see the outcome.
As a storyteller and observer, it was fascinating to suddenly love characters that I didn't care about in the beginning. The gritty undercover cop story fleshes out certain people that I never thought I would have pity on, and yet here I was, awed at the twists that took place, ready to finish the story and see that sweet ending, whatever it may be. Without spoilers, I can say that this game is worth playing for the story, straight up. It takes inspiration from Grand Theft Auto for sure, but the interesting contrasts and morality of our main character Wei Shen provide a much more interesting backdrop of rights and wrongs, which collide with the events and scenarios that successfully did as most games try to accomplish: they got me to think. I thought about what the character must’ve been thinking at that time, or how they were justified in their anger, or whether that decision was right or not. He lives by the standard of “the end justifies the means”, and it does a fine job of holding my attention and getting me to feel emotions, which most action games fail at.
The combat comes next in the line of awesomeness, slowly trailing behind the story. Okay, to start, it wasn't challenging. I rarely died, and when I did it just felt like I made a stupid mistake. I didn't feel pushed to try harder, but instead I just ended up laughing at myself and trying again. Now, saying that the combat isn't challenging doesn't mean the game wasn't challenging; simply the combat aspect. The Arkham-style free flowing combat was a breeze to learn, and it was still quite enjoyable to beat up groups of thugs with Bruce Lee level fighting skills.
One thing that made the combat genuinely enjoyable was the fact that it wasn't Batman doing all these crazy combos and supermoves, but instead a super immensely skilled dude, beating the crap out of bad guys with what looks like actual martial arts moves. Leg breaks happen and over-the-head arm bends are frequent towards the end of the game. A collection of moves being slowly unlocked allows for more and more surprising and powerful punchy and kicky moves to unleash on your unhappy and bruised foes. The challenge didn't play a part in the enjoyment, as I found it satisfying to return to combat over and over again, reliving that dopamine ride every time I tackled another unnamed thug. There are guns, but they seem out of place and not necessary for a good fighting game. The combat is definitely swayed towards melee, and that doesn't take away from the game in any way.
Now, the story was impressive, and the combat was satisfying. What else could be near-perfect in this odd little gem, you wonder? WELL BOY DO I HAVE ANOTHER AMAZING ASPECT! The DRIVING was beyond exciting. The controls and drifting took some learning, but soon I was on those streets speeding past cops and gunning down parking meters. Being behind even just a regular old car feels immensely fun as the city provides countless streets to get lost in and drift past. Each path you can drive down tends to be quite narrow, allowing some of the most satisfying car chases and sneaky vehicle drive-bys I’ve seen in a video game. Not to mention the little side mission where you get to drive a FREAKING BATMOBILE! Turrets, ramming power, and a sleek black sports car easily made driving one of the most enjoyable aspects of this game.
The last bit I would like to touch on is the open world. Open world games scare me most of the time, because not only is it difficult to tell a story in a free-roaming city, but they also tend to be stuffed with pointless collectibles and side-missions. Well, to my surprise, this game actually checks those boxes but still manages to deliver a very strong city that feels new and exciting. Hong Kong is not a city I had previously visited before games, especially to this detail and variety. The flashing colors and winding streets had me amazed at the four large cities that you were given. The story didn't suffer from such a large playground, as it fit right in with the narrative and added to the experience. The missions you were required to go on took you to one of the four towns that gave the successful impression of being big and expansive.
Thrown in with this fantastically colored city were the various collectibles that were scattered where the player occasionally visits. Collectibles in games don't usually serve a purpose besides bragging rights, and yet these addicting lock-boxes and shrines had me stopping whenever one would appear on my minimap (an option that revealed itself later in the game). The pointlessness of these trophies was diminished by the rewards that were received with the findings of the various collectibles in the city. I found myself slamming on the brakes to crack open another safe and take some money, only to go running after another one that just appeared somewhere nearby. Indeed, my interests were held by these odd trinkets to collect on my adventures through a bright and entertaining city scape.
Downsides? Not a ton. The parkour system was finicky and could've been a tad more polished, but it didn't ruin my experience. There were some frustrating bugs that had me rolling my eyes, but nothing game breaking. The graphics weren’t Arkham Knight levels of beautiful, but--wait, actually I take that back. The graphics were incredible, especially since this was a “definitive edition”. Games that are remastered don't usually get a very fine beauty treatment, but while I drove past those perfectly made puddles in the rain, I found myself in awe of the beauty of this urban game world. The graphics were something to behold, and won't be becoming out-of-date for a very long time.
The language and violence is what you would expect from a GTA-inspired game. It contained the most language I