Recent reviews by Deneve

You know, I'm something of a rival myself.

Stranger. Stranger, now that's a remake.
When Resident Evil 4 (2023) was first announced I wasn't really on-board with the idea of remaking such an iconic game that helped shape a new entire generation of games. Its original presentation, setting and atmosphere could never be replicated — or so I thought. It's true, the game didn't really need a remake, it's still one of the best games of all time and it felt somewhat modern to this day... that was, until I played this one. Not only it is an improvement on the original in various ways, it is also a template for future remakes and it also stands on its own as a game if you've never played the original or any other Resident Evil games. Some of the new features are a welcome addition, like parries and dodges in place of the old and cumbersome quick-time events. It's also awesome how they rearranged some of the original locations, items and enemies so it feels fresh while also being familiar if you've played the original. Some parts were reworked to better fit the narrative and expand it, and some of the original story even makes a little more sense now, while some still don't. 😂 A little bit of the charm of the original was lost with the new translation into the somber and more "realistic" setting of the remakes, but it's not to say it doesn't have its own charm. CAPCOM definitely went bingo on this one.

Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen is probably one of the most gameful games ever gamed. Often role-playing games let you express yourself through choices in the story that influence how your character is perceived in the game world through dialogue options or how you complete a quest; but I have never played another game that puts so much emphasis on the "action" aspect of an "action-rpg", where you can also express yourself through the combat, in a very awesome and flashy way of doing so. There are so many mechanics that allow this, from the way enemies behave to the way pawns also aid you through the journey.
Also, pawns! They're the best AI companion I've ever encountered in a game, you can customize them with looks, gear, actions and even their manner of interacting, being shy, agressive, confident, along with a few other options. They're far from perfect, though, as the developers intended them to resemble actual humans, and humans are dumb. As you progress through the story, they'll pick up on some of your habits and even mimic some of your actions, you can of course also set your main pawn with different inclinations that'll make them more active or more passive, depending on their vocation or role you want them to play in your party.
There aren't many vocations to chose from, but each feel very unique in their own way to play, even if they do share some commonalities among them. There isn't much balance to find here, as you will ultimately find, all vocations are, in fact, OP.
Want to i-frame your way through everything? Fighter is your vocation. Want to support your party with buffs and healing? Mage is your vocation. Want to quickly and swiftly dispose of enemies with style? Strider is your vocation. My personal favorite is Ranger, I'm always social distancing and dealing with trouble from afar, if anything ever touches me, I can just instant reset and walk it off. Never has any game with ranged combat felt so good. About the story? Well, it mainly bogs down to choice, it's your choice to become an Arisen, it's your choice what to do with that and if you'll take the responsabilty or just the power that it brings.

FEDERAL BUREAU OF CONTROL
REVIEW
Remedy Entertainment's 2019 release "Control" proves to be a unique experience in both narrative and gameplay, although the last seems quite lacking in the variation department.
The story follows Jesse Faden (� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �/ Bootleg Jean Grey) looking for her brother, Dylan Faden (Prime Candidate 6, refer to file � �� �� �� �� �� �), when her search leads her to the Oldest House, the FBC's headquarters, located in � �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �. The Oldest House is a featureless skyscraper, the interiors are space-defying, constantly shifting labiryths connected to various dimensions through spontaneuously occurring � �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �. Once inside, Jesse then meets with the janitor, Ahti, who directs her to the Director's Office, where she discovered that the Director had apparently shot himself. After touching the gun, Jesse is then made the new Director of the FBC by the � �� �� �� �� � and afterwards learns that a hostile force has invaded the Oldest House which she refers to as "The Hiss".
Director Faden then starts working with the Bureau to stop the Hiss, but only as a way to find information on the whereabouts of Dylan Faden. As the newly appointed Director, Jesse has to travel to various sectors of the Oldest House where she also has to survive against hordes of � �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� � staff and use her � �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� � abilities to cleanse � �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� � and � �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� � in order to � �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� � and progress to � �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �.
Further � �� �� �� �� �� � is required in order to fully understand the events that transpired in � �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� � and unfold in the main game and its expansions.

STAR WARS Jedi: Fallen Order™ is the most Star Wars Star Wars has ever been since the original and prequel movies. The story! The setting! The characters! Mwah! *chef's kiss* 💋
In STAR WARS Jedi: Fallen Order™ you play as Cal Kestis John Fallen Order™, a survivor of the purge during Order 66. He was just a padawan when his master sacrificed his life so that Cal could go on and keep the Jedi legacy alive... but he becomes a scrapper in a backwater planet, living in hiding instead. Things get shaken up after Cal has to use his Force™ powers to save his friend and the Empire hears about it and comes gunning for him. Cal then gets rescued by former Jedi Cere Junda, who has a weird outlook about the Force™ and the delightful Greez Dritus, captain of the Stinger Mantis. Together they must face the unsurmountable odds and rebuild the Jedi Order by looking for a McGuffin left by Jedi Master Santos Jimenez, the one responsible for killing Laura Moser and setting Dexter Morgan on the path to becoming the Bay Harbor Butcher. Throughout his adventure, Jerome Valeska has to come to terms with his past in order to survive the present and hope for a future, as he regains his confidence, his connection to the Force™ deepens and he becomes a full fledged Jedi. In his journey he will face the Empire, enviromental dangers and his worst enemy yet... backtracking. Using numerous Force™ powers and the most amazing lightsaber combat ever, you will show your oppositors how you do things the Non-Jedi Way™, while you rag doll stormtroopers and the fauna and flora of the game around or closing the gap so you can lasersword them into submission.
P.S.: Only casuals use the double bladed lightsaber.

After all the stuff that went down on Middle-earth™: Shadow of Mordor™, you, as Talion, the mighty Ranger! Decided it was time to forge a new Ring of Power to tip the balance of the battle for Middle-earth in favor of... yeah, honestly, I don't know, but I assume it was for the good guys. Well, after forging the New Ring™, you catch the attention of all the eyes in Mordor, specially of the big tiddy goth gf Shelob who wants you to wed her, but your loyal wraith friend Celebitch- I mean, Celebackstabber- I mean... Celebrimbor, objects it, but Shelob won't take no for an answer, so she asks you to choose; Talion being the best of bros, refers to the ancient code, written in the stone tablets of yore and utters: Place thy comrades before yon harlots. So Celebrim-not-a-bro, even though you just forsake the power of the New Ring™ and big tiddy goth gf Shelob in favor of his frienship, still gets pissed; something, something about how he poured his soul into this ring and all, but you simply don't care, because you're friends with him. And so a new journey begins where Talion and Celerybrimbor have to overthrow Sauron once and for all, where every now and then, you get tempted by Shelob, but you gotta remember the code and stick true to your friends. Afterall, you know he would do the same thing for you, if you know, hypothetically, a slender flat chested pointy-eared skinny lipped thighless butless annoying fake blonde came along and asked him for his New Ring™, after all you went through together, you know he'd never ever even consider leaving you to die in the same manner he found you, after suffering for the loss of your family (something you both share in common by the way) and would stay your true bro to the end. Spoiler Alert: He actually does leave you for a She-elf that's like, so whatever. Big tiddy goth gf Shelob then comes to confort you, but since you have no ring anymore, there's no chance of wedding. Talion then pulls a Madonna and says: I guess I'll die another day. And then puts Isildur's ring (yes, that one Isildur) and then goes on to break the cycle, shake up the system, avoid the cliché, destroy his ego, close his body, until he is corrupted by the ring.

You ever heard that one song called Indestructible by the band Disturbed? Well, this game makes you feel like the character described in that song.
In Middle-earth™: Shadow of Mordor™ you slip into Talion's combat boots, a Ranger of the Black Gate, as he and his family fall victim to a play by the Dark Lord to bring about their dominion over all of Middle-earth. Instead of crossing over to the lands of Paradise, Talion is bound to a unknown entity in the form of a Wraith, giving him powers that make him unlike any other Ranger, by a long shot. Now ressurected and thirsting for revenge over his dead wife and son, Talion becomes a Stand Master alongside his powerful stand, Za Wuraito. You now must cry, "havoc!" and let slip the uruks of war.
The game introduces you to the "Nemesis System", a game mechanic that feels like you're playing chess against the dark forces of Sauron. With some nice stealth and action gameplay similar to those of the Assassin's Creed games but on steroids, you lurk around the shadows striking fear in the hearts of men and uruks, which is specially true if you use the "Brutalize" prompt when engaging in stealth shenanigans; making other enemies around your target flee in terror as you maim them. In time, as you progress through the game you'll find captains or warchiefs that know you by name and promise you a beating for being a bad grave-walker. As well as some that will flee in terror at the very sight of you, which is one of the nice touches of the Nemesis System. But if you're particularly bad at the game, some will wonder why won't you die; to which you can swiftly respond: "Wraith powers, son!".

Vergil's human half enlists the help of Vergil's brother and Vergil's son and their friends in his quest to defeat Vergil's demon half, in order to become Vergil again, after he cast aside his humanity in pursuit of power, trying to overcome the trauma of being Vergil. Vergil May Vergil 5 is a solid action game with very good soundtrack, my favorite being Vergil's theme. So, if you like action, you should buy this game, if you like music, you should buy this game, if you like Vergil... you should buy this game.

11/10 - Featuring Dante from the Devil May Cry™ series.

Dude goes to rescue his wife, ends up 1v1 her, axes her neck and she still loves him; bioweapon chooses him to be her new daddy, angers previous dad, 1v1 him in a chainsaw battle and walks victorious; burns down a house full of bugs and a human-bug-hive; survives being trapped inside a saw-style-trap-house full of ...traps; heals his wife, dumps dumb chick who thought she would be the one to taste that delicious winters d.; takes a quick nap while his wife sorts some stuff, wakes up lusting for blood, goes on a final rampage to end the daughter-that-never-was, injects her with some concoction made to liquify her, she gets angry and grows 100x, no problem, he kicks her rollercoaster sized ass into oblivion, goes home with his wife, bangs, has kid.

10/10 - Wounded? Pour some juice on it.

Not a big fan of going in circles to retrieve small items in order to progress, but this game does it nicely to the point it's addictive to keep looking for puzzles.