Kraven

My copy has been preordered for a while now. I can’t wait get my hands on it—it feels like the perfect Christmas game.

This is an easy day one purchase for me. It reminds me of the 90s when my parents would take me to a pizza shop and they had arcade cabinets featuring X-Men, and a Metal Slug.

I’ve been debating on picking this up for a while. I think I might just pull the trigger today and get it over with. I’m sure if I do buy it now it will go on sale tomorrow, haha.

I have it downloaded and ready to go; I can’t wait for its release.

I thought the demo played fine—this isn’t really a jarring experience for me in terms of frame rate. I’ll be happily playing this in a couple of days.

This weekend will be a busy one for me, so gaming might not be in the cards. My best friend is getting married today, and I’m the best man! It’s going to be a fun evening, albeit a long one on Sunday, if you know what I mean. And the following weekend I will be attending another wedding.

To provide a quick update: I’m probably 75% through Ghost of Yotei. I’m hoping to get the platinum in the next couple of (free) days I have. In addition, I’m approximately halfway through Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter and it’s one of the best remakes I’ve ever played. I’m so happy this franchise is getting more prominent in the West.

That’s about all I’m playing. I was hoping to have both games completed by the time Persona 3 Reload releases on the Nintendo Switch 2, but that is implausible. Anyway, that’s all I’ve got.

I’m excited to check out the new update! I’ve been playing in my Switch 2 without any issues, but any new additions is only a bonus.

This is a really cool concept, and I’m looking forward to the final product when it releases. I’ll be back in a month.

Nothing for me this week which is fine considering I’m drowning in games at the moment.

This is a good reminder for me to play Vengeance. I played the original version and absolutely adored my time with it. I’ve been meaning to replay the game with the Vengeance version, so maybe when the game—when and if—receives a Switch 2 update I’ll jump back in for a fresh play-through.

I just woke up and read the headline. I thought the final word said “porn” instead of poem. I was VERY confused, but equally curious.

I’ll be getting MP4 without a doubt; however, I am slightly interested in AC: Shadows. If it reviews well, I might pick it up.

I think I’m a little burned out on gaming at the moment. I’ve been bouncing around with several games—something I rarely do because I typically focus on one game at a time. It’s not as if the game(s) I’m playing aren’t holding my attention; they most certainly are, but I feel overwhelmed with the amount of games currently out that I want to play.

With that said, as mentioned earlier, I am playing multiple games. This is because my wife surprised me with a Nintendo Switch 2 while I was at work. When I got home, not only did she have it set up, she even purchased and installed Donkey Kong Bananza and Cronos: The New Dawn. To say I was ecstatic is an understatement.

The games I’ve been playing are as followed:

Ghost of Yotei - I’m still enamored with Ezo. I haven’t made a ton of progress in advancing the main narrative — I’ve yet to kill the second member of the Yotei Six other than the first person that is unavoidable. The side content, however, is so engaging, and always flows back to its overarching narrative, so everything you do feels meaningful rather than checking boxes off, though there are a few trappings of modern game design. More importantly, GoY knows how and when to be a “game”. Everything in this game feels deliberate, and I think it’s a masterclass in open world game design.

Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter; Nintendo Switch 2 Edition - The Trails’ series has always been one of my all time favorites, and this remake is no different. To newcomers, I’ll say that the harshest negative most games in this franchise has is its opening hours are a slog to get through. If you can muster five to ten hours of slow pace world-building you will be rewarded with an incredible journey.

Cronos The New Dawn; Nintendo Switch 2 - I’ve been playing handheld and it’s been great so far. Blooper Team has clearly found their footing in the survival horror genre. I’m impressed by the pacing and excellent world-building and environment storytelling. It may not be entirely unique—it wears its inspirations on their sleeves, but it doesn’t detract its own ambitions.

That is about it so far. I’m really hoping I can finish at least a couple of the games on my docket before The Outer Worlds 2 and Ninja Gaiden 4 releases, but I don’t think it’s likely. In the next two weekends I’ll be out of town because of weddings. Oh, well; the games will still be here when I get back, and so will my anxiety.

I just started this game in earnest yesterday on the Switch 2 and am having a blast. I will always take more updates, though - this one sounds interesting.

This review sold me on the game. I was curious to see how the beat-em-up genre would translate with roguelite elements, and I’m glad to see it is handled well.

The only game I’m interested in this month since Mina The Hollower got delayed is Persona 3 Reload. That will be a day one purchase for me—just in time for my extensive holiday traveling.

This is a real bummer—I have been wanting to play this game for years. With that said, if it needs to be delayed for polishing and to make the game better, so be it. Thankfully, it won’t be a long one.

This looks awesome — I’ll definitely check it out.

Silksong is easily the best of the month to me. Hades 2 is also very good, and it’s shocking how much content there is despite the repeated nature of its design.

I’m playing Ghost of Yōtei. For the hours I’ve put in so far, what impresses me the most is how each thing you do feels personal, but purposeful. Similar to the first game, you’ll discover bamboo strikes, hot springs to reflect, endearing NPCs, side quests, and bounties—it all feels connected because everything in Japanese culture is intertwined with the human spirit. How Sucker Punch managed to capture that essence in video game form is nothing short of incredible.

In addition to how the game feels personal, Yotei also provides a great lesson in how we take for granted the little things in life that make this world churn. And despite its inherently violent nature narratively, it is a deeply calming game that teaches patience, humility, and compassion to people, animals, and the environment. It is a reminder to be content with the basic essentials to survive as a human being.

On the gameplay side of things, it’s more Tsushima, but with a larger variety of weapons and tools at your disposal. Every weapon feels unique in its structure and satisfying to master. There is a level of strategy involved when encountering foes with different weapons. You may be able to hack-n-slash enemies by brute force, mashing the same button relentlessly, but it’s not an optimal experience. You’re encouraged to spice things up in the fly. It’s a system that offers a lot of depth, although stealth almost seems like a tacked on mechanic similar to its predecessor.

As for exploration, I think this may be Sucker Punch’s finest work to date. It flawlessly manages to be an open world that feels alive, and full of organic encounters. It reminds me a lot of Red Dead Redemption 2; one moment you’re cooking food by the campfire, the next there may be a wanderer stopping to rest, sharing their story that could lead to new clues for something to explore. This culminates into an open world where side activities feel as interval as its main narrative because you are rewarding with beneficial upgrades. It’s a very fun gameplay loop that is consistently compelling.

All of this would be meaningless if the story wasn’t engaging; thankfully, that’s not the case. While it may feature your typical (revenge) tropes, they are handled with precision and care. I love how the narrative is drip fed through flashbacks and current time simultaneously, and you piece the past together bit by bit as you traverse the world. What may feel like riding to point A-to-B may turn into an introspection on why and how you are where you are. Again, it harkens back to that organic nature of discovery.

I’ve yet to touch on other points that make Yotei standout, particularly with its cinematic fight scenes, the music that encapsulates your every moment, customization to fit your play-style, and graphics that are some of the very best I’ve seen. There is such a wide array of positives that wash out the negatives. I really can’t get enough of this game, and funnily enough it has given me an unexpected sense of purpose, like a ghost in the dark.

I’ll be picking this up digitally whenever it releases. I don’t care about GCKs, and I’m sure the game will run relatively fine on the Switch 2. It’s not as if it’s an overly demanding game. And, if not, oh well, I’m sure I can handle 30 frames per second.

Lost Lace made me chuckle a lot. Every time she killed me she would put her hand to her head and look up and laugh, taunting me. When I finally beat her, I can’t even tell you how manically I mocked her. My wife was like, “What the hell are you doing”?, and I said she wouldn’t understand, but it is a necessary reaction.

It’s about time if you ask me. I jest; I really enjoyed your content over the years. Best of luck to your future endeavors!

I have been playing the game on my Switch Lite, but it is very blurry. I’m not typically adverse to these types of things, but it is pretty jarring. I think I’ll put the game on hold until I get a Switch 2. Aside from that, from a pure game it is fantastic, albeit a slog in the opening hours.

@SterlingEyes I had trouble with that gauntlet too. You have probably already done it (I did not), but upgrading the needle makes that gauntlet easy. I forgot all about upgrading my weapon up until that point. When I realized I probably should, I made quick work of that challenge.

I need help. I’ve become unhealthily addicted to Hollow Knight: Silksong. I’ve beaten the game twice, but I can’t get enough. As I play the game I am constantly asking myself, “Is this my new favorite video game of all time?”, and the more I dwell on it the more I can confidently say it just may be. I couldn’t tell you exactly when that moment occurred—I just know it happened frequently.

I’m surprised by this because I am not someone who typically enjoys Metroidvania games, but I simply can’t stop playing. I do want to clarify: I wouldn’t say I’m great at the game. I’m not skilled as others; I can’t do any “no damage” runs, and boss fights can still take me up to double digit attempts. However; I’m good enough to complete the game 100% without a guide. That is the best compliment I can give the game and myself, and I’m proud of it.

I promise; next week I will (hopefully) be singing the praises of another game—probably Hades 2.

This is pretty cool, but the soundtrack is way too good to turn off.

I hope this game can take away my addiction to Silksong. I’ve beaten it already, but I can’t stop playing it. 🤞 Hades 2 will take over my life so I can put Silksong on the side. Hah, we shall see.

I can’t wait—I have it pre-loaded and ready to go. I even have the day off work tomorrow, so it should be a solid day. I hope it will run well on the original Switch; but I’m sure it will be fine.

I’m ready! I have it preordered and installed—just waiting for it to release.

This will be a day one purchase for me. I hope this sells relatively well because I’d like to see Tactics Advance get the same treatment. We are eating good with the games right now; excellent review!

@OK_Commuter Just a quick tip on The Mist; if you follow the butterflies it will lead you to where you need to go. I think you need to use the Needloin, but I’m not 100% certain. If you jump back into the game I hope that tip helps!

@theberrage I have to strongly disagree. I think it’s an easy GOTY contender. Just because you are finding it difficult to progress doesn’t mean it’s any less good. As for the Last Judge, there are ways to make it easier—the Magma Bell for example. It makes a tremendous difference.

I’m not sure how you consider the game unrewarding with its exploration. I actually think it’s one of its strongest suits. If you are struggling with an area or boss you can explore and find other ways to circumvent that area altogether and still progress the story. You are never locked out of progress. Moreover, exploration can lead to discovering new tools, mask shards, NPCs that may help you in various situations later in the game, unexpected mini games, new crests, and more. If you don’t feel satisfied with rewards from exploring then I’m unsure what you are actually wanting.

Well, I beat Hollow Knight Silksong finally. It took me approximately 50 hours. It is without doubt a modern masterpiece that will continue to surprise you up until the very end, and then go even farther once you think you are done.

Throughout my personal journey in Pharloom, I’ve heard the discourse online about how difficult the game is. Honestly, I don’t understand this sentiment. This is coming from someone who typically dislikes the Metroidvania genre and am mildly decent, if not bad at Souls-likes. As long as you put in the work it will be a fair experience, albeit challenging, but manageable nonetheless.

To contradict myself, there was a moment in the High Halls where I thought I was going to give up the game entirely. It was an absolute grueling experience that changed my outlook on the game itself. I stopped having fun.

It was that moment when I had an epiphany: this entire time I stupidly hadn’t upgraded my weapon (needle). After retracing my steps and upgrading it to level 3, I beat the section where I struggled for hours on my second attempt. I had another revelation—I’ve been fighting every boss up until that point without upgrades. I could have made the majority of my play-through easier, but in a way I’m glad I didn’t because I felt as if I got more of a raw pure experience. From then onward, I felt like Silksong was literally perfect.

For the first time in a long time I genuinely considered this medium an art-form, particularly with the boss fights. In fact, some confrontations felt like peak cinema, from the cinematography, music, and combat that pushed you to your limits. It’s exhilarating—you feel like a gymnast on a stage meant for ballerinas, and in some instances you are.

I’m now revisiting the game and cleaning up optional side quests and areas that I didn’t fully explore. I don’t often do this. Once I see the credits roll I am typically satiated with my experience; however, Silksong is just fun to play, and I’m still uncovering secrets in the most unique of ways.

Now onto Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter.

@SpaceboyScreams I agree with a lot of your points, but I do think you are missing something from your argument, and that is criticism. The review on this site is a 10/10, but that doesn’t mean the game isn’t without its blemishes. Just because it’s the developer’s creation and artistic vision on how they handle the difficulty doesn’t mean it is perfect; otherwise, why have reviews to begin with? There are moments in the game that is unbalanced, and should be criticized for it. A good example is the High Halls gauntlet. Feel free to explain to me how that is a good design choice, and not just because it is the vision of the developer. By the way, that section of the game is my only real complaint; everything else has been challenging, but overall, fair. But ultimately, no game is perfect.

I’m not too keen on the rogue aspect, but everything else looks great. I’ll give the game a go when it releases. Let’s hope it plays as well as it looks.

It truly is a sublime game, and it’s true - you can go somewhere else to reach the same destination you have been trying to get to. However; there does come a point where you can’t go somewhere else to progress, and when those moments do occur they are incredibly unbalanced. You either have to persevere or give up.

The only game I’m picking up out of that list is Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter. I really hope it runs well on the original Switch. Thankfully, the game has been getting glowing reviews, so at least it’s a great game overall.

I understand the nervousness, but we barely saw a snippet of what the open world is going to be like. It may very well be like Gears 5, or any other empty open world game. Or, it could be entirely fresh and fits into the world of Metroid. If there is anything to be nervous about it would be the lack of importance Nintendo seems to have for this franchise. This should be a game that had its own direct; instead, it had a brief trailer in the weirdest spot in the direct and barely got any attention. That is what is worrisome to me.

The difficulty doesn’t need to be adjusted much more in my opinion. I think it is completely manageable as is, and was before the previous patch. That said, I will say the developers over-did it with some of their gauntlets. The gauntlet in the High Halls is arguably one of the most unbalanced designs I’ve ever experienced. It drags on way too long, and the room is too small, and some of the enemies, particularly the fifth, sixth, and eight wave does not allow you to move due to how much they take up the screen and damage you for a minor mistake. I’m absolutely loving the game. In fact, I was in agreement with the 10/10 review from yesterday; however, at where I’m currently at and reading the discourse online about this particular challenge, I’d have to lower my score by a point.

I agree wholeheartedly with this review. I have a few nitpicks with the game, but they aren’t enough to detract from the immense brilliance this game has to offer. If it wasn’t for Clair Obscur it would be my GOTY. And this is coming from someone who didn’t vibe with the first game.

@krogp Ideally, the comments should be about the topic in the article, and not an entirely different subject matter. If you want to discuss GKC then you can start a personal thread and share your sentiments there, or find a relevant article on this site — there are plenty. Your original comment has nothing to do with FF7, and unfortunately, your comment baits others into discussing something unrelated to the topic at hand. There is a time and a place for everything, and I personally believe your comment wasn’t the time nor the place for it.

I don’t mind these new difficulty settings. They are, as mentioned, entirely optional. If you as an individual don’t want to use that approach then this future update shouldn’t even bother you or diminish what you are wanting from your experience. Personally, I’ve beaten the game a couple of tomes — on my PS4 and then PS5 — but never attempted hard mode because I found the final boss very difficult even on normal settings. That’s just me, though.

This weekend I am playing Hollow Knight Silksong. There are so many wondrous things I can say about the game, but I want to use one word to describe my experience: exhilarating.

I could also discuss how incredible the world design is, from its atmosphere, intertwining levels that connect together, the music by Christopher Larkin, but I won’t. What I will talk about is how the game makes me feel, and how this culminates.

I’ve reached Act 2 and I’ve realized how brilliantly paced it is, particularly with its difficulty. It’s been challenging, yet fair. There were a few boss fights that had me stuck for an hour or two, but I eventually overcame my adversity.

Silksong gradually introduces you to new mechanics (obviously, it’s a Metroidvania), but also enemies and bosses. It will start you off with enemies that will take three hits to finish; a boss encounter with one phase; or a region that has more traps than the previous area. This happens just when you, the player, begin to feel like you’re getting comfortable with its design, and subsequently makes you uncomfortable momentarily. The crescendo is the boss fights that make you remember everything you have learned up until that point. And then you discover a second phase, and then a third.

It is at this moment your skills and reflexes take over. When they do, my goodness - you feel like a God. It reminds me of the movie Dodgeball, with the quote, Dodge, duck, dip, dive, and dodge! You begin to realize you are memorizing enemy patterns. Muscle memory starts to take over, and suddenly you are jumping, dashing, dodging, and parrying attacks all at once and in between multiple enemies. It is utterly satisfying.

I haven’t felt this type of emotion since Bloodborne. I have fond memories of fighting bosses, dying repeatedly, but inching my way closer to victory each time. And when I knew I had the enemy on the cusp of defeat my adrenaline would start pumping, my hands got sweaty, my arms got shaky, and I entered the zone. It’s been 11 years since I’ve experienced those same dopamine spikes, and I didn’t think I’d ever have that again from a video game. Thank goodness, I was wrong. As I said in the beginning: it is exhilarating.

P.S. Screw Sinner’s Road and its bench!

I’m not crying; you are.

This was a fantastic reveal. I didn’t like the last Fire Emblem game because of its childish art style and story, but Three Houses is one of my all time favorite games. This one seems to be following the same route. I can’t wait!

I think the bike is actually pretty cool, so long as it doesn’t take up the majority of the gameplay. I’m looking forward to it - here is to hoping it delivers.

@fluggy Chapel of the Beast had me stuck for a few hours too before finally conquering him. It was tough, but I personally found it to be a fun boss fight. Funnily enough, some are saying that boss is akin to some late game bosses in the original Hollow Knight, and is more suited for mid-game content rather than early stuff. I never beat Hollow Knight - I didn’t like it for some reason - but I love Silksong, and perhaps I’ll find new appreciation for the first game.

I played the game on the PS5 and got the platinum, but double dipped on the OG Switch. I personally haven’t had any issues with the frame rate, but patches and updates are always more than welcome.

@EarthboundBenjy I agree. This area is very trap heavy - why would we expect any different the more we progress in this area? I thought it was a fun, humorous addition that is easily remedied. The people on here complaining about this having yet played the game are really overblowing this.