The Soulful Gamer

Originally posted on Game People.

Bioshock 2's essence feels somehow diluted by returning such a hallowed location. Although the atmosphere and environments conjure up the same rich experience, the story and revelations regarding Rapture's continued demise were not nearly as powerful as they could have been.

The most fascinating part of the original Bioshock for me was the journey through Rapture. The slow descent into this failed utopia, unearthing its brave vision and ultimate destruction, went hand in hand with the discovery of your own characters history and purpose.

The real star was Rapture itself and not the compelling personalities of Andrew Ryan, Frank Fontaine and Sander Cohen. In this sequel I found neither the new parts of the city or the characters sufficiently interesting enough to hold my attention.

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Originally posted on Game People.

Endless Ocean 2: Adventures of the Deep brings a gentle and calming underwater adventure to the living room that, in spite of the Wii's awkward motion controls, succeeds in transporting you to a serene world.

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Originally posted on Game People.

Mass Effect 2 is one of the greatest video games that I have ever played. The subtle links to the first game, the standard of character writing and the universe detail gave me an experience I quite literally fell in love with.

What's more, recruiting old and new crew-members and the development of these characters made the journey of my Commander Shepard all the more special. I felt like I was interacting with proper people and meant the final act of the game was a brutal roller-coaster that left me drained and exhausted.

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Originally posted on Game People.

...There's a moment in Dark Void when the mythos of the Void world, the history of the Bermuda Triangle and the shadow of World War Two come together and create a brief instant of epic storytelling. Unfortunately, that fleeting moment is buried under generic gameplay and a lurching narrative that led towards an unsatisfying and disappointing end.

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Originally posted on Game People.

...As a result each boss fight that concludes a chapter has a pace and pleasure that’s akin to another stage in the process to a world-ending sexual climax; Each fight has its own stimulating ending but each minor encounter becomes a tease, a deliberate delay to the ultimate climatic conclusion that leaves you breathless with pleasure.

Does this sound fanciful? The kind of fantasy that's 'typically Japanese' and 'bat-s*** crazy'? That would be a clichéd and lazy appraisal of a game that doesn't just pour insanity around merely for the sake of its own visual effect. The world of Bayonetta is fantastical, like the inside of Terry Gilliam's head, but it makes sense within its own extraordinary boundaries.

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