Jason Rodriguez's Reviews
Salt and Sacrifice is enjoyable in short bursts. It retains certain core concepts from the original, including a fairly controversial one: the lack of a map. This is further compounded by repetitive Mage Hunts that become tedious after a while.
Despite having some interesting concepts and refreshing mechanics, Galactic Civilizations IV suffers from an unintuitive UI, lack of tooltip information, and production queue bugs.
Weird West does have some interesting and novel ideas. Sadly, bugs, AI issues, and questionable mechanics prove to be problematic.
While Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Dawn of Ragnarok has some brilliant ideas, it's far from the epic expansion that you'd want it to be. It's hampered by reused mechanics and a story that's woefully disconnected from your main character's arc.
WWE 2K22 does have some notable problems, such as modes that feel lacking or tacked on. Thankfully, it manages to excel in other departments, including visuals, controls, and performance. Although its predecessors set a very low bar, WWE 2K22 still cleared it and exceeded expectations.
Elden Ring is a spectacle and a marvel to behold. Although there are some issues, the overall experience remains deeply engaging. It's one of the best open-world games I have ever played.
While it does have some notable flaws, namely a somewhat messier campaign progression, Total War: Warhammer III still manages to impress. With multiple factions and legendary lords to choose from, along with a plethora of improvements to existing mechanics, you're bound to have one hell of a good time.
Crusader Kings III: Royal Court offers a plethora of customization options and more role-playing flavor. Sadly, it's bogged down by its reliance on random events that can get tiresome later in your campaign.
Dying Light 2 still retains many of the key factors that made the original enjoyable and exhilarating. Unfortunately, it's also bogged down by technical issues, janky mechanics, and a restrictive save system that prevents you from readily seeing outcomes.
Rainbow Six Siege starts out strong owing to tactical gameplay and frantic moments. Sadly, the grind becomes tedious down the line. Worse, there's a lack of incentives to keep you excited for the endgame.
Unfinished, buggy, and broken, Icarus should not have released at this stage. With mind-numbing repetition and baffling design decisions, it's a survival game that's more frustrating than challenging.
Far Cry 6 Vaas: Insanity provides a deeper and more nuanced look at a troubled character. Unfortunately, it has a fairly restrictive rogue-lite system if you're pressed for time. Worse, there's not a lot to look forward to after your initial clear.
With a strong narrative and exceptional investigation mechanics, Sherlock Holmes Chapter One manages to one-up its predecessors. Sadly, it also doesn't reach its full potential, though we can hope that future titles are more in-depth.
In many ways, The Dark Pictures: House of Ashes is significantly better than its predecessors. One can even say that it's the most thrilling and action-packed offering from Supermassive Games. Unfortunately, it's also plagued by technical and design issues, as well as a borderline ridiculous twist.
Far Cry 6 is grand in size, scale, and scope. It will make you marvel at its sights, all while enjoying the frantic action. Likewise, I definitely appreciated it due to a shared culture and history with Latin American countries. Unfortunately, it's also bogged down by crashes due to screenshots and atrocious AI combatants. The former can get fixed via a combination of graphics settings, but the latter will require more than a prayer to the Virgen Maria.
Astria Ascending is filled with countless features and mechanics to add more flavor to an adventure that can last dozens of hours. However, it does have some noticeable issues that can sour the experience. The poor narrative and progression can become too tedious, and some characters will feel useless down the line.
Even with some refreshing concepts related to investigations, Gamedec stumbles owing to uninteresting plot points, bland characterization, unclear systems, and pesky bugs.
Outside of some annoying crashes and mishaps, Deathloop remains a stellar game with a brilliant premise, refreshing mechanics, and delightful characters. You'll repeat the same day and retread the same paths over and over. But, replayability is enhanced given how you'll discover new secrets and abilities to help you progress.
King's Bounty II offers numerous options to keep you playing its 40-hour campaign. Unfortunately, it suffers from questionable design, janky movement while exploring, and confusing alignment system outcomes. It can be a treat for long-time fans, but it's also rough around the edges.
Humankind is ambitious in size, scale, and scope, allowing you to try out multiple combinations of cultures as you progress through various eras. However, it's also hampered by limitations in certain mechanics and systems that don't mesh well with the overall gameplay.