Recent reviews by Anowi

Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is a game made by Ninja Theory, a company known for DMC: Devil May Cry and Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice. Despite its relatively small size, Ninja Theory did a surprisingly good job on the original Hellblade game, providing an intriguing narrative experience while maintaining excellent visual fidelity. With Senua's Saga: Hellblade II, they have successfully created a visual masterclass by utilizing the power of Unreal Engine 5.

Pros:
- Unparalleled visual fidelity, thanks to Unreal Engine 5 cutting-edge features, such as Lumen (dynamic global illumination) and Nanite (virtualized geometry system)
- Captivating storytelling that touches on psychological trauma and losses
- Great art and environment design that perfectly captures the harsh but beautiful world of Hellblade II
- Enjoyable puzzles and battles

Cons:
- Cinematic effects, such as black bars on the screen, chromatic aberration, and distortion, can feel a little forced and overdone (at least they can be tweaked by changing the ini file)
- While puzzles and battles are fun, they can be a little too straightforward
- Linear gameplay, more exploration could have been better

Overall, Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is a visual masterclass that provides a new standard for video game graphics. It is the most visually impressive Unreal Engine 5 game to date and a great showcase of Unreal Engine 5 capabilities. Its stellar graphics are augmented by solid gameplay and captivating storytelling. While it could benefit from some tweaks, it's an excellent choice for anyone interested in a great narrative experience.

Talos Principle 2, released in 2023, is the second installment of the Talos Principle series. It was made by Croteam, who is well known for its Serious Sam franchise and its Serious Engine. The original Talos Principle game was quite a departure from Serious Sam games. Instead of focusing on arcade action with hordes of enemies and gun-blazing massacres, the Talos Principle revolves around solving various puzzles and exploring philosophical themes. The Talos Principle 2 is similar to its predecessor in many ways but differentiates itself through better puzzle designs, more sophisticated storytelling, and superior graphics, thanks to Unreal Engine 5.

Pros:
-Well-designed puzzles that are both unique and fun to solve
-Great storytelling that helps players contemplate philosophical ideas
-Amazing graphics and stellar art design
-Multifaceted and likable characters
-Great soundtrack and sound effects
-Good scalability: the game works well on various machines, from Steam Deck to a high-end PC

Cons:
-Optional monument puzzles are quite cryptic; you will have a hard time solving them without help
-Lack of manual saves; only autosaves exist
-Fast travel is quite limited; you can only fast travel inside a transport capsule

Overall, the Talos Principle 2 is a stellar sequel that improves upon the original in many ways. A shift from Serious Engine to Unreal Engine 5 is also a great choice as the graphical fidelity has increased tremendously compared to the original. In my opinion, the Talos Principle 2 is one of the best puzzle adventure games since Portal 2 and a must-play for anyone interested in the puzzle genre.

Elden Ring is the latest game developed by FromSoftware, a company well-known for its Souls franchise. This time, FromSoftware took a departure from its standard linear/semi-open world approach to its game development. Instead, it opted for an open-world approach, with heavy reliance on Souls’ game mechanics. After I learned that Elden Ring would be developed as an open-world Souls game, I was worried about how the game would turn out. However, Elden Ring turned out to be something far better than I had imagined.

Pros:
- A vast world filled with activities, secrets, sidequests, enemies, and bosses that will entertain players for hundreds of hours
- A wonderful sense of exploration that is unparalleled in its scope and design
- Boss battles that are difficult yet extremely satisfying
- Beautiful graphics that show noticeable improvements over older titles, such as Dark Souls 3 and Sekiro
- Great map system that guides players in the right direction and helps them search for secrets and activities.
- A wide variety of weapons with different ashes of war that allows for diverse gameplay
- An intuitive and efficient weapon upgrade system
- A wide variety of spells, incantations, talismans, and armors to choose from
- Stellar aesthetics/art design

Cons:
- Performance issues: micro-stuttering and framerate drops that got better compared to the launch version but still need more work
- While enemies/bosses are mostly fair, a few of them are overly difficult and can feel a little cheap

Overall, I think Elden Ring is a masterpiece that offers new possibilities to an open-world genre, which has become somewhat stale in recent years. Similar to what Breath of the Wild did five years ago, Elden Ring proves that the open-world genre can evolve and become something truly remarkable.

Monster Hunter Rise: Monster Hunter Rise is the newest installment of the Monster Hunter franchise that was first released on Nintendo Switch in 2021. After about nine months of wait, PC users can finally enjoy Monster Hunter Rise in better graphics, framerates, and other quality of life improvements.

Pros:
- PC specific enhancements (4k resolution support, hi-rez textures, unlocked framerates, widescreen support, etc.) that greatly improve the experience compared to the Switch version
- Great optimization compared to Monster Hunter World/Iceborne
- Introduction of new game mechanics, such as wirebugs, switch skills, and palamutes, that provide new ways of approaching and hunting monsters
- Quality of life changes (streamlined weapon/armor crafting, easier way of acquiring and crafting jewels compared to Monster Hunter World/Iceborne, etc.) that make the game more enjoyable and less tedious
- Fast loading times
- Introduction of a new Rampage mode that I find interesting and fun, especially when playing with other people
- Many monsters (monsters from older series + new monsters) that are unique and fun to fight
- Apex monsters that are quite different from their normal counterparts and provide a fun challenge
- Many different weapons and armors to choose from
- Great aesthetics/art design

Cons:
- Graphics may seem a little lackluster compared to Monster Hunter World/Iceborne
- While I think the Rampage mode is fun, some might find it repetitive and boring
- Weapon balancing issues: some weapons, such as a longsword, are extremely powerful and versatile, while other weapons, such as a lance and a charge blade, are noticeably weaker
- Exploring is less fun compared to Monster Hunter World/Iceborne due to smaller map sizes and fewer endemic lifeforms
- Story is fine but could have been better

Overall, I think Monster Hunter Rise is a great game that expands upon Monster Hunter World/Iceborne. I expect Sunbreak will improve upon Rise and make it even better.

섬란 카구라 시리즈의 외전격인 작품으로
닌자 전투가 아닌 데카모리 요리대회를 주제로 한 리듬액션 게임이다.
아무래도 본격적인 리듬게임은 아니여서 조금 투박한 면이 있지만
전반적인 완성도는 나름대로 괜찮은 편이라고 생각한다.
그리고 섬란 카구라다운 노출과 선정성은 여전하고
승부에서 승리한 다음 여체그릇을 감상하는 맛도 상당하다.
또한 각 캐릭터의 스토리도 잘 짜여져 있기 때문에 스토리 보는 재미도 있다.
섬란 카구라 시리즈를 좋아하는 사람이라면 해볼만한 작품이라고 생각한다.

리메이크 툼레이더 시리즈의 최신작인 쉐도우 오브 더 툼레이더는
앞서 출시된 두 작품에 비교해서 많이 부족한 작품이다.
레벨 디자인과 퍼즐은 단조롭고 어디선가 봤던 것 같은 진부한 느낌을 준다.
또한 스토리도 엉성해서 게임의 몰입감을 높이는 역활을 전혀 수행하지 못한다.
전투에도 문제가 많은데 그중 가장 큰 문제점은 전투 자체가 재미가 없고 긴장감이 없다는 것이다.
전작인 라이즈 오브 더 툼레이더만 봐도 상당히 박진감 넘치는 전투가 가능했고
여러가지 무기를 사용해 다양한 환경에서 적들과 싸우는 맛이 있었는데
쉐도우 오브 더 툼레이더에서는 그런 부분들이 많이 부족하다.
총을 쏠 때 타격감은 거의 전무하고 적들의 종류도 많지 않다보니
게임을 진행하면서 비슷한 흐름의 밋밋한 전투가 계속 반복이 된다.
전작들을 재미있게 플레이한 사람으로서 이번 쉐도우 오브 더 툼레이더는 실망스러웠다.
조금 발전한 건 그래픽뿐 나머지는 오히려 퇴보한 후속작이라고 생각한다.

전설적인 몬스터 헌터 시리즈의 최신작 몬스터 헌터 월드는
시리즈의 진화를 그대로 보여준 훌륭한 작품이다.
다양한 생물과 식물이 공존하는 역동적인 세계는 플레이어로 하여금
마치 그 세계에 있는 것 같은 몰입감을 준다.
또한 대형 몬스터 마다 행동 양식, 약점, 서식지등이 달라서
그걸 분석해 사냥하는 맛이 일품이다.
이번작에서는 시리즈의 코어는 유지하면서 입문자들을 위한 배려도 잘 되어있으니
PSP 시절부터 했던 경험자나 월드로 입문한 초심자들 모두 재밌게 플레이 할 수 있을것이다.

싸우면서 옷이 점점 찟어지는 선정적인 요소를 중심으로
다양한 미소녀 액션을 즐길 수 있는 게임이다.
스토리는 특별하진 않지만 나름대로 개성있게 잘 풀어나갔고
각 캐릭터마다 사이드 스토리 미션이 있어 그걸 클리어 하는 맛도 쏠쏠하다.
전투는 좀 투박한 맛이 없잖아 있으나 그걸 커버하는 다양한 노출 이벤트가 있어서
꽤 재미있다. 모두를 위한 게임은 아니지만 미소녀와 액션을 좋아한다면
재미있게 플레이 할 수 있는 작품이다.

전작인 Human Revolution을 재미있게 해서 이번작도 기대했는데
기대한 만큼 잘 만든 작품이였다. 스토리와 레벨 디자인은 여전히 뛰어났고
다양한 무기와 신체강화 능력을 이용해 자신의 입맛에 맞게 플레이 할 수 있는 점도 좋았다.
다만 메인 스토리가 잘 진행되다가 중간에 갑작스럽게 끝나버린것이 아쉬웠고
플레이 도중 중간 중간 프레임 드랍이 생기는 점도 조금 거슬렸다.
출시된지 얼마 안됐을 때와 비교해서 많이 나아지긴 했지만 기술적인 문제는 아직 남아있는것 같다.
그래도 전반적으로는 잘 만든 게임이다. 전작을 재미있게 플레이 했다면
이번작도 재미있게 할 수 있을것이다.

로그라이크, RPG, 메트로베니아등의 여러가지 장르를 조합해서
훌륭한 작품이 탄생하였다. 수많은 아이템과 무기들을 사용해
자신만의 스타일로 점점 강해지는 적들을 상대로 싸워나가는 재미가 상당하다.
난이도는 꽤 높은 편이지만 워낙 몰입도가 높아 죽어도 계속 플레이하게 만드는 매력이 있다.
요 근래 플레이해본 로그라이크 게임중에 가장 인상깊은 작품이다.