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Steven Santana

Number8Axel
SephirothItachi-
SephirothItachi

Favorite Games:
  • Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
  • Persona 4: Golden
  • Pokemon Gold

36 games reviewed
70.6 average score
75 median score
44.4% of games recommended

Steven Santana's Reviews

Born in Queens, 22. Staff Writer for http://DualShockers.com . I talk about video games, film, world news, and Uncharted 2: Among Thieves.
9.5 / 10.0 - Hyper Light Drifter
Aug 3, 2016

The more I think about my time with Hyper Light Drifter, as well as my continued journey in New Game Plus, the more I realize how much I like this game. Every aspect of it contains a high bar of quality. The sound work, composed by Disasterpeace, is subtle, but will crescendo at just the right moments. The graphics are a throwback to a bygone era of gaming, but also effectively convey a real and lived in world rich in mythology and fantastical events. Combat has a solid foundation that it builds upon, and enemies are fun to fight or watch plummet to the abyss below thanks to a disappearing platform. Hyper Light Drifter is a game you should not miss out on.

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9.5 / 10.0 - Owlboy
Nov 7, 2016

While Owlboy may have small sections that cause numerous restarts, those portions are buried underneath the overwhelming amount of great moments found within. Nearly everything about Owlboy is well-crafted. From the graphics, the soundwork, the characters and their inter-relationships, the changing state of the world, the gameplay, and the title’s ability to introduce and drop mechanics in a dynamically-paced way, Owlboy is a perfectly executed composition of story and gameplay.

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9 / 10.0 - XCOM 2
Oct 4, 2016

XCOM 2 rises above these small errors, and is still a highly recommendable strategy game for those both new and familiar with the franchise. Both friendly and hostile upgrades are doled out to yourself and the opposition over the course of the entire campaign, ensuring variety through to the end. Whether or not you will make it there is entirely on you, which is why success is celebrated and losses so discouraging. XCOM 2 introduces new elements that keep the strategy game fresh, continues to overwhelm the player with options, and challenges you to overthrow the alien overlords in power. There isn't much more I could ask for.

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9 / 10.0 - Disco Elysium
Oct 25, 2019

Disco Elysium is an impressive RPG that eschews combat for conversations and introduces an engaging world that rewards inquisitiveness.

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Sep 23, 2016

I very much enjoyed all of my time with Jazzpunk. Slowly understanding that a character from Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas had made its way into the tropical resort level was one of my favorite realizations while playing. Jazzpunk knows its all about the joke and never spends too much time on one singular scenario. Due to the speed of which these are thrown at you though, you may lose your place or forget what exactly you were supposed to do and how to do it. Despite that I still find it recommendable to almost anyone who can appreciate absurdist humor and a irreverence for logic when it comes to comedy.

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Mar 31, 2020

Control: The Foundation is an easy recommendation for anyone who loved what Remedy introduced in the original game.

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8.5 / 10.0 - Control: AWE
Aug 31, 2020

Control: AWE brings back Alan Wake and Bright Falls while smartly integrating the fiction of Control with Remedy's connected universe.

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Nov 11, 2015

The varied and meaningful skill tree system is the best part of Wasteland 2, as it pushes you to create a very defined set of characters. Assigning skill points is consequential, and while that level of permanence is not felt in the narratives decision making, the combat and unique factions you come across will be enough to push you forward. Wasteland 2 is a great CRPG ported to consoles, and while you may find some technical hiccups, the overall experience is well worth it.

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The difficulty is never so punishing that you feel like you can't improve, and playthroughs can be short enough that you are never too far from just restarting a run fresh in order to succeed where previously you failed. The lore is shallow yet entertaining and battles infrequently unfair, but I keep finding myself wanting to play just one more run to see if I can perform better than last time on my way towards utopia.

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8 / 10.0 - Soft Body
May 17, 2016

Despite the late game bullet hell elements and frustration of certain levels, Soft Body does succeed at the meditative aspect with its clever combination and stacking of gameplay elements as it progresses and usage of simple shapes, color, and sound to create a very pleasing and enjoyable game.

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8 / 10.0 - The Park
May 4, 2016

The Park is a great piece of psychological horror, one that doesn't dip into jump scares or excessive grit. Instead it introduces a playable protagonist you can't rely on, in a discomforting situation that smartly paces itself and holds back from excess. For anyone who wants to feel perturbed and have a hard time sleeping immediately afterwards, The Park is definitely for you.

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Jun 23, 2016

Remasters, remakes, and ports are nothing new, and Deadlight is one of the few games from last generation that deserves it. Releasing on Xbox 360’s Summer of Arcade in 2012, Deadlight later made its way to PC with little fanfare. Now, on Xbox One and PlayStation 4, Deadlight: Director’s Cut has a chance to impress new players with its take on a zombie apocalypse. The art style helps to mask the age, but it can’t stop certain gameplay mechanics from feeling rough on these consoles. Those complaints aren’t enough to keep me from recommending this solid experience, especially given the additional content and low launch pricing.

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Oct 24, 2016

Yomawari: Night Alone has small elements that may be frustrating, with repeated death and wasted time spent wandering, looking for the one thing that will cause some progression. This is mitigated by its short run time and great sense of atmosphere. The reserved score, reliance on player imagination, and world building make it a worthwhile investment for those who aren’t afraid of surrealistic creatures lurking in the dark.

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Dec 2, 2016

Most of Darksiders Warmastered Edition work rather well. Even if you can easily attribute the major elements to other games, Darksiders adapts them for its own use and mixes them together in such a way that it is surprising it had not been done before, and really hasn’t been done since. The gameplay is greatly satisfying and, while the story is very dumb, completing dungeons and slowly building your power does a great deal to helping you overcome that shortcoming. Sure the executions are more like an FMV than an engaging QTE, and the lip syncing is really bad, but this is a game worth checking out, especially if you haven’t touched the original.

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Jan 23, 2017

I enjoyed a lot of what 2064: Read Only Memories had to offer. Gameplay is focused on dialogue and puzzles, and while the latter can be a toss-up between frustrating and satisfying, the former outshines it in both quantity and quality. If not for the relationship between yourself and Turing, as well as the backstories, interactions, and performances of the secondary characters, there wouldn’t be much to keep one engaged. Thankfully all of that is present and make Neo-San Francisco and the stories it holds worth playing through to the very end.

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Aug 26, 2018

Despite my minor frustrations at the way I had finally reached the epilogue, upon watching the credits roll and various screens appeared bringing up memories of earlier game moments I felt a fondness for each of the characters. Over the course of 428: Shibuya Scramble I had grown to know these characters and see them through tough situations. I was genuinely concerned when some were put in danger, and often found myself chuckling at whatever ludicrous situation or funny ending I happened upon. 428: Shibuya Scramble left an empty feeling in my stomach once I had finished, as I realized my time with these characters had come to a close and no new significant time would be spent with them. It's a familiar feeling, one that punctuates the end of stories that I was always sad to have to finally put down.

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Dec 31, 2016

While I enjoyed my time with Shantae: Half-Genie Hero, I was left a bit wanting in regards to gameplay. It just wasn’t satisfying to engage with the platforming and enemies, it was too simple, too easy. I’m not looking for a punishing experience, but I do enjoy having my skills challenged in platformers. Regardless, the beauty on display and the energy in both the soundtrack and movement of each and every character impressed me. I just wish it had a little more bite.

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Oct 30, 2018

Gwent became a means to an end by the finale, a necessary thing to do to unlock the next story segment, and something I would avoid when possible. Its a shame because Thronebreaker does some good work modifying the familiar Gwent rules, they just get easily overshadowed by the main storyline and the various decisions you can find along the way.

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Jan 18, 2019

Despite being undercut by too many characters and some frustrating mission parameters, Ace Combat 7 is a very welcome return to the world of Strangereal.

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7 / 10.0 - MXGP2
Jul 6, 2016

MXGP2 isn’t going to convert anyone over to motocross, but it will happily entertain anyone who is a fan.

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