Vaniel Smegan

Up there with Senua 2 for snorfest of 2024. Should be called "still makes me want to sleep". Unique setting but not scary, linear (no exploration or finding your way), lacked the tension of Alien Isolation, RE7 or Dead Space, didn't really care for any characters, story was anemic, no puzzles, no items and no real gameplay. Just walking from location to location with a few QTEs chucked in. Thankfully like Senua, this was on GamePass.

Loved the first game and was really looking forward to this. Sadly, it's a linear walking sim with repetitive, simple puzzles, non existent combat and gameplay (it's literally walk, talk, cinematic, repeat) and a gorgeous but sterile and restrictive environment you can't explore or interact with. Half of the dialogue is pretentious non sense and the overall story is maybe 2-3 hrs that is padded and slowed down to make it last 5-6 hrs. The constant "chatter" in Senuas head gets pretty annoying, adds little to her character, and becomes a distraction when trying to listen to the general conversations. Use it tastefully to provide perspective, depth and highlight inner turmoil. Not every. Single. Sentence. All it has going for it are the graphics and audio. Feels more like an art project or a demo for the Unreal Engine than a game. Glad it's on Xbox Game pass - would have sucked to pay full price for it.

Can't believe I sat on this game for over a year. One of the games of the year with some of the best gameplay/combat systems.

Great characters, level design, story and gameplay. One of the games of the year and one that I replayed.

Simply a masterpiece and in my list of top games over the past 10 years.