Disco Elysium is one of the most thought provoking games I have ever had the pleasure of playing. You play as a detective in the city of Revachol who wakes up with no recollection of who you are and how you got there; I mention 'you' as the detective because you can decide what type of person and detective you will become over this twenty five to forty hour journey. The systems in play in this game are incredible. Without spoiling too much you can place character points into various different aspects such as intelligence, fine motor skills, spirituality or physicality which break down to twenty four different sub pieces which can be fine tuned over the play time of the story. The difference with Disco Elysium is in your choices! your choices can greatly affect your play-through in comparison with other players, which is fascinating. For example, say you create a more physical build with a lower intelligence level this can thoroughly affect how your game plays out, you may be able to impose yourself when interacting with NPC's in the game world, but because of your low intelligence level you may not be able to decipher key information that you have been given. This system makes every play-through different because of how many choices are presented to the player.

Disco Elysium is very dialogue heavy and as a player you will be reading a lot of text, however the quality of the writing is phenomenal which keeps you engaged in its story. Each character you meet along the way is multi-layered and complex with interesting stories behind their backgrounds and how they came to be in this world, this makes the game very interesting to uncover and keeps the player engaged in its story. The writing is complex in many areas which makes it a joy to analyse and mull over the choices you have made in game, the story takes you through many emotions such as sadness, regret, lost love and the morality of our actions. I have never played a game what has made me put so much thought into how I unfold the story and how I think of its characters.

The art style, sound design and graphical design are what makes Disco Elysium stand out too, the game has a water colour painting style which suits the aesthetic of the game really well, the city of Revachol is detailed with unique structures that set the world apart from other game worlds with a clear disparity between the rich and the poor in the game world being cleverly illustrated with its city design and inhabitants. The orchestral sounds of the game are also stunning, with melancholic beats being played to reflect the situations the player finds themselves in, this is just one example of how good the sound design is.

In conclusion, Disco Elysium is a truly unique game, I have personally never played a game with this much choice. It is truly a thought provoking game and one of the best games I have ever played. The writing is the best I have ever seen in a video game, to experience this game is wonderful.

Verdict: 10/10

Death Stranding was an experience to me, the story hit me in my soul, it resonated on a deeper level. I have only felt this one with one other game. If you are a parent or have lost a loved one this story will speak to you. I think before going in to Death Stranding you have to know this is a completely unique game, a lot of time is spent walking, delivering and planning. I, myself, love this aspect, however, I understand if a person does not. The main message of this process is connection, humanity has a need for connection, to face the world as a team, not alone.

The visuals are superb and so are the performances from every single person in the cast. Hideo Kojima has a knack for creating intricate stories, in this aspect, Death Stranding is reminiscent of Metal Gear Solid 3. This game needs to be experienced personally to appreciate its beauty.

I love in the world players are also connected with one another; placing a structure such as a ladder or climbing anchor, can show in another players world to aid them too. I have to applaud the soundtrack and themes, they truly bring this game to life, walking across a melancholic vista and a sombre track starts invokes emotion to the player. Death Stranding has truly become my favourite game, it is a journey which will stick in mind forever.

You cannot really give this game a rating, as the enjoyment is heavily subjective on what the player is expecting. I do think this game is more at home with the PC community.