Resident Evil 2 Remake Review

I played on: PS4

I paid: £49.99

Available on: PS4, Xbox One, PC

Notes: N/A

Halo Combat Evolved Review

I played on: Xbox

I paid: £0.50

Available on: Xbox, PC

Notes: This review will only cover the single-player campaign and not the online multiplayer included in the Master Chief Collection as that was never part of the original game.

LittleBigPlanet Game of the Year Review

I played on: PS3
I paid: £5 (eBay)
Available on: PS3
Notes: There are games called LittleBigPlanet on both PSP and PS Vita but these are not the same as this original.

Resident Evil Review

I played on: PS1

I paid: ???

Available on: PS1, Saturn, PC

Notes: This is a review for the original version of this game, not the Director's cut, DS remake or Gamecube remake. You can find my reviews for those games here.

2019 Game of the Year Awards

Game of the year; Resident Evil 2

Capcom has been giving us a new golden age for the Resident Evil series starting with the amazing Resident Evil 7 in 2017. Acting as a celebration of the series while still bringing it forward with modern ideas like a 1st person perspective and Texas Chainsaw Massacre tone.

Well, this year Capcom showed us that it still knows how to deliver the tense horror of the classic era games with REmake 2. The PS1 classic is retold with amazing visuals that use the more powerful tech to pump up the horror with amazing use of light and shadows. The new 3rd person perspective makes combat much more practical but the increased durability of the undead hoards manages to still make the threat feel real. The story while not perfect with the 2nd playthrough from the perspective of the character you didn't play as first time round straight up reusing whole boss fights and story beats. Both Leon and Claire will fight Burkin in the station, sewers, and lab, both will get the same security chip from the greenhouse and so on. But despite these flaws I've finished both campaigns multiple times and already I'm itchy to do so again. While I'm not the biggest fan of the classic Resident Evil 2 as I feel it's overshadowed by both RE1 and 3 this Remake is easily one of my favorite games in the series.

I'm very excited about REmake 3 next year!

Best Non-2018 game I played this year; Aliens Infestation

Infestation started life as a DS port of the absolutely abysmal Aliens Colonial Marines which is why I was surprised to find one of the best Aliens games to date. The fast frantic horror of the second Alien film is captured perfectly in this 2D Metroidvania. The story follows pretty similar beats to Colonial Marines but with a much better cast. This makes the permadeath of your party members feel meaningful. That's right, you start with 4 marines and if you die they're gone for good and if all 4 die it's game over. You are able to find more marines around the levels you explore which avoids a harsh difficulty. This creates a wonderful balance where death is always something you want to avoid but the game never feels unbeatable or frustrating.

While Alien Isolation captures the slow-paced methodical dread of the first film Infestation almost flawlessly captures the manic heart-racing terror of the second. This is without a doubt an underrated gem and a must-play for fans of James Cameron's masterpiece.

Final notes

Normally I would have an award for the worst game of the year but honestly, 2019 has been a fantastic year for gaming. While I gave my GOTY award to Resident Evil 2 it was a difficult choice between Ace Combat 7, Borderlands 3 and Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 as well. That's not to mention all the games I just haven't had the time and/or money to play yet such as Death Stranding, Outer Worlds, Control and so on. I'm looking forward to seeing what 2020 has to offer with the upcoming Resident Evil 3 remake and even Project Resistance. Outside of Raccoon City, I'm very excited for Doom Eternal, Cyberpunk 2077, Marvel's Avengers and Halo Infinite. Then you have games I'm just plain curious about like the Final Fantasy VII remake and Vampire the Masquerade – Bloodlines 2.

On a personal note 2019 has been a very mixed year for me. I lost both my Granny and my Aunt which has hit me really hard. Politics as well has been very scary and the future seems uncertain. But I also started to date my best friend and we've started to live together which has to lead to me feeling an inner peace I've never felt before. I'm nervous about the world, obsessed with the shadow death lingering over my family but also feeling confident and positive about my future with a woman I undoubtably love. I go into 2020 feeling very mixed emotions but content in the knowledge that I'm not doing so alone.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR Review

I played on: PS4 VR
I paid: £19.99 (eBay)
Available on: PS4 VR, HTC Vive
Notes: I’ve never finished Skyrim standard or special edition so I can’t say if this is better or worse than those versions.

Wolfenstein The Old Blood Review

The version played for review: PC (Steam)
Available on: OC, Xbox One, PS4
The price I paid: £19.99 (Steam bundle with the New Blood)
Other Notes: N/A

Wolfenstein 3D Review

I played on: PC (Steam)
I paid: £3.99
Available on: PC (Floppy disc, Steam, GOG, In Browser)
Notes: You can play the entire game for free in your browser here: 3d.wolfenstein.com

Watch_Dogs 2 Review

Available on: PS4, Xbox, Windows PC
Price: Xbox and PS Store = £54.99, Steam = £44.99
I played on: PS4
Notes: You can get this game much cheaper online places like eBay, I got it for £20.

Watch_Dogs Review

Available on: PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, WiiU, PC
Price: PS Store, PS3 £24.99, PS4 £34.99. Xbox store, Xbox 360 = £24.99, Xbone = £23.99, Steam = £24.99, Nintendo eshop = £49.99
I played on: PS4
Notes: n/a

Thief Gold Review

I played on: PC (GOG)
I paid: £13.47 (The entire series)
Available on: PC (CD-Rom, Steam and GOG)
Notes: N/A

Steep Review

I played on: PS4
I paid: £15.99 (PSN January sale)
Available on: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
Notes: N/A

Star Wars: Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy Review

I played on: PC
I paid: £6.99
Available on: Xbox, PC
Notes: Hey, this is my first Star Wars game review… surprised it took me this long, to be honest.

Marvel's Spider-man Review

The version played for review: PS4
Available on: PS4
The price I paid: £49.99
Other Notes: N/A

The Amazing Spider-man 2 Review

Available on: Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PC
Price: Varies Second Hand
I played on: PS4
Notes: N/A

The Amazing Spider-man Review

Available on: PS3, Xbox 360, PC

Price: varies second hand

I played on: PS3

Notes: None of the DLC is available for this game since it was pulled from the Xbox and PlayStation Store so keep that in mind when buying this. It will be impossible to get all the costumes and content.

Spider-man Edge of Time Review

Available on: PS3, Xbox 360, PC
Price: varies online
I played on: PS3
Notes: There are versions of this game for the Nintendo Wii, DS and 3DS but they are a little different due to the less powerful hardware so this review is only for platforms listed above.

Borderlands 2 PSVR First Impressions

Spider-man Shattered Dimensions Review

Available on: PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, PC
Price: Varies online
I played on: PS3
Notes: N/A

Spider-man Web of Shadows Amazing Allies Edition Review

Available on: PS2, PSP
Price: varies online
I played on: PS2
Notes: Please keep in mind that I’m not much of a platformer girl normally.