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Killer Is Dead: The Man Who Stole My Heart

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 Lately, I have just been on an action game kick. And so I decided to jump back into my Hard Mode playthrough of Killer Is Dead. A gem that came out in 2013 from Grasshopper Manufacture. The studio that is best known for No More Heroes, killer7, and Lollipop Chainsaw. But this was my first experience with the GhM style, and I was completely enamored.  According to some very handy Achievement tracking, I started playing in 2014. That sounds about right because I remember playing KID in High School. It was one of those games where I just wanted to keep going. And it stuck with me throughout all these years. I can even remember seeing the cover at my local GameStop, and being draw toward it. A title that oozes so much style that it doesn't even try to contain.  Not to mention, the game's unabashed horniness. It's both comedic and sexy. A combination that works within reason. And I think that KID nails that approach. Our main character, Mondo Zappa, is so cool that women can...
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Action Games: Modern Problems, Require Old Solutions

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 With the release of modern Action games like The First Berserker: Khazan and Lies of P, it is becoming clearer to me that the direction of the genre is skewing hard. Only a handful of titles like Soulstice or Valkyrie Elysium seem to be leaning toward that Devil May Cry, or Ninja Gaiden-esque style anymore. And why would you? The FromSoftware formula has been working like a charm. Elden Ring is one of the most popular games, and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is being used as the blueprint despite the foundations being laid down by Team Ninja with Nioh and Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge. Obviously, this should also include PlatinumGames's Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance as well.  But I think at the end of the day, the big culprit is Dark Souls itself. This is funny to think about because Demon's Souls was just two years prior, yet it wasn't the buzzword game that its successor would be lionized as. So fourteen years later, the modern Action game has almost homogenized into the...
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Silent Hill 2 Remake: I'm Not Your Mary

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 I recently finished the Silent Hill 2 Remake from Bloober Team. And quite frankly, it's good. I'm not in love with it, yet I think they did a great job regardless. While the combat and general movement are vastly different, the DNA of the series is embedded within. It works well enough and there are some really intriguing elements that get added in the Remake that set this game apart from its contemporaries. So, I am going to give my thoughts on the Remake and how it stacks up to the original.  To start off, I think Luke Roberts killed it as James and his acting gave the story the weight it needed. I say this as one of my criticisms for the original is that Guy Cihi can be a little too goofy and awkward. That's not to say James is supposed to be perfect, but the James in the script matches the energy that Luke Roberts gives off moreseo than Guy Cihi. I also feel the same way in regards to Angela's performance in the Remake.  I think that Gianna Kiehl was able to more a...
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Ninja Gaiden: Drawing the Blade

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 Recently, I found myself wanting to press buttons. And so, I was feeling like I should play some more Bayonetta. But then I thought, that I should actually give an honest shot at the Ninja Gaiden games. I have owned the three reboot titles: Ninja Gaiden Black, Ninja Gaiden II, and Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge for years. However, I never really got into the groove with NGB. The game is not only very difficult, but it has intense AI that punishes you at every turn. So, this high ceiling made me fear the blade. I didn't think that I could match the intensity and precision needed to succeed in these games. But I learned, and then I conquered all three games on my initial playthroughs. So now, I am going to give my thoughts on them, along with some focus on the storytelling in the games.  What better way to start then with Ninja Gaiden Black. The most difficult game in the trilogy without question. Well designed enemy patterns  and bad camera angles made for a ...
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