Destiny: The Collection, Catching Up on the Original Before Circling Back to Destiny 2

Games · Purchased June 10, 2023 · $26.39 via PSN

The Setup

Before I went further into Destiny 2’s expansions I wanted to actually play the original, so I picked up The Collection — the original Destiny plus every expansion released for it: The Dark Below, House of Wolves, The Taken King, and Rise of Iron, all in one package.

The Review

A massive amount of content for the price, and a genuinely good entry point for catching up on Destiny 1’s story before diving deeper into Destiny 2. The Taken King and Rise of Iron content in particular still holds up as some of the series’ best. The population for older activities is thin these days, and some of the Year One content feels dated compared to Destiny 2.

What I Liked

Massive amount of content for one price
Great entry point for catching up on Destiny 1
The Taken King and Rise of Iron content still holds up

What I Didn’t

Thin population/matchmaking for older activities now
Some Year One content feels dated
No cross-save with Destiny 2 progress

The Verdict

Rating: 4/5

Where to Buy

Destiny 2: The Witch Queen, Still the Series’ Best-Written Expansion

Games · Purchased June 11, 2023 · $18.74 via PSN

The Setup

Right after finishing The Collection, I moved on to The Witch Queen — Destiny 2’s sixth expansion, centered on Savathûn, the Witch Queen of the Hive, and her theft of the Light. It introduced the Void 3.0 subclass rework, weapon crafting, and the Vow of the Disciple raid.

The Review

Playing it a year after launch, it’s clear why this is still considered the series’ best-written campaign. Weapon crafting gave a genuine long-term chase, and Vow of the Disciple is a standout raid. Bungie later scaled crafting back from what it was at launch, which stings a bit for anyone (like me) coming in after the fact and reading about what it used to be.

What I Liked

Widely regarded as Destiny 2’s best-written campaign
Weapon crafting added real chase and customization
Vow of the Disciple raid is a standout
Strong new legendary weapon pool (glaives)

What I Didn’t

Weapon crafting was later scaled back by Bungie
Higher-difficulty replays for loot can feel grindy

The Verdict

Rating: 5/5

Where to Buy

Another Fisherman’s Tale, a Puzzle Sequel That’s Four Times Longer and Twice as Clever

Games · Purchased May 13, 2023 · $20.09 via PSN

The Setup

The sequel to A Fisherman’s Tale, a VR puzzle-adventure built around a recursive, doll-within-a-doll perspective trick. You detach your own hands, swapping in tools like a hook or claw, and manipulate objects (and even your own scale) to solve increasingly mind-bending puzzles across a narrative-driven story.

The Review

Roughly four times longer than the original at around 4 hours, with noticeably more inventive puzzle mechanics and a surprisingly emotionally mature story about love, loss, and family. The narrator’s performance and pacing carry a lot of the experience. Camera control gets awkward when manipulating detached hands from odd angles, and the perspective-shift moments are more disorienting than fun a few times too many.

What I Liked

Much longer and more inventive than the original
Surprisingly emotionally mature story
Strong narrator performance and pacing

What I Didn’t

Camera control gets awkward at odd angles
Some perspective-shift moments feel disorienting rather than fun
Fairly linear with little room for exploration

The Verdict

Rating: 4/5

Where to Buy

Disney Speedstorm’s Ultimate Founder’s Pack: Buying Into a Kart Racer Before It Was Finished

DLC · Purchased May 2, 2023 · $93.49 via PSN

Disney Speedstorm Ultimate Founder's Pack — Photo: Gameloft / Steam

The Setup

Two weeks after the Standard Pack, I was hooked enough to upgrade to the Ultimate Founder’s Pack — the top tier for Disney Speedstorm’s early access, bundling a much larger chest of premium currency, multiple exclusive character/kart cosmetics, and a Founder’s-only badge and title that were never obtainable again after early access ended.

The Review

Best value of the three tiers if you were planning to stick with the game long-term, and the permanent Founder’s badge is a nice touch for early adopters. It’s a steep price for a still-unfinished, free-to-play game, and there was a lot of overlap with things I could’ve just bought gradually from the in-game store instead.

What I Liked

Best value-per-dollar of the three Founder tiers
Immediate early-access entry
Permanent, never-repeated Founder rewards

What I Didn’t

Steep price for an early-access, unfinished game
Heavy overlap with regular in-game store purchases
Thin character roster at this stage

The Verdict

Rating: 3/5

Where to Buy

Steam

Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores, a Short, Stunning, PS5-Only Send-Off

DLC · Purchased April 20, 2023 · $20.24 via PSN

The Setup

Burning Shores is the story DLC expansion for Horizon Forbidden West, taking Aloy into the ruins of Los Angeles to confront a rogue AI and a new antagonist faction. It’s PS5-exclusive, no PS4 version, and adds a new map region, story missions, and machines.

The Review

Some of the series’ best-looking set pieces yet, and the emotional final act to Aloy’s storyline landed better than I expected. New machines and combat scenarios feel fresh rather than reused. It’s short for the price (5-8 hours) and locks out anyone still on PS4, and the middle section drags a bit with fetch-style objectives.

What I Liked

Gorgeous new environment and set-pieces
Strong emotional final act for Aloy’s arc
Fresh new machines and combat scenarios

What I Didn’t

PS5-only, locks out PS4 owners of the base game
Short for the price
Middle section drags with fetch objectives

The Verdict

Rating: 4/5

Where to Buy

PlayStation Store

Disney Speedstorm’s Standard Founder’s Pack, Testing the Waters Before Going All In

DLC · Purchased April 18, 2023 · $27.99 via PSN

Disney Speedstorm Standard Founder's Pack — Photo: Gameloft / Steam

The Setup

Disney Speedstorm’s early access launched April 18th, and I grabbed the entry-level Standard Founder’s Pack to test the waters before committing further — a free-to-play kart racer starring Disney and Pixar characters, with the pack offering a smaller allotment of premium currency plus a couple of Founder-exclusive cosmetics.

The Review

It was the cheapest way into early access and it did the job — the Founder cosmetics are exclusive and won’t come back, and it gave me enough of a taste to decide I liked the core racing enough to upgrade later (see the Ultimate Pack post). On its own it’s noticeably thin next to the pricier tiers, and the game itself was still rough at this stage.

What I Liked

Lowest-cost way into early access
Still included exclusive Founder cosmetics
Good low-risk way to test the game

What I Didn’t

Noticeably less content than the higher tiers
The game itself was unfinished/buggy at this stage

The Verdict

Rating: 3/5

Where to Buy

Steam

Dying Light 2: Stay Human, a Parkour Playground Wrapped Around a Shaky Story

Games · Purchased March 25, 2023 · $39.99 via PSN

The Setup

An open-world action-RPG/survival-horror set in the post-apocalyptic city of Villedor. You play parkour specialist Aiden Caldwell, blending free-running traversal with melee combat against human factions and zombie variants, in a world four times larger than the original Dying Light with a day/night cycle that changes zombie behaviour.

The Review

The parkour is genuinely best-in-class and makes just moving through the city fun on its own. It’s a huge, densely detailed world with real verticality, and the choice-driven questlines visibly reshape the city as you go. Combat feels floaty compared to the movement system, and the writing is a clear step down from the original.

What I Liked

Best-in-class parkour/traversal
Huge, densely detailed open world
Choice-driven questlines that reshape the city
Strong 4-player co-op

What I Didn’t

Combat feels floaty against the movement system
Story/dialogue writing is a step down from the first game
Launched with bugs and balance issues

The Verdict

Rating: 4/5

Where to Buy

Hob: A Wordless Zelda-Like That’s Been Sitting in My Backlog Since 2017

Games · Purchased March 24, 2023 · $6.74 via PSN

The Setup

A PSN sale finally got me to pick up Hob, six years after it originally released. It’s a wordless action-adventure from the Torchlight developers — the whole story is told through visuals alone, as you explore a mechanical alien world, solve environmental puzzles, and gradually unlock new powers and areas.

The Review

It’s a genuinely gorgeous, atmospheric world that rewards just wandering around and poking at things. The puzzle design is smart without being obtuse, and there’s a real sense of discovery to it that a lot of modern open-world games have lost. Combat is the weak link — functional but clumsy, and the fixed camera has cost me a couple of avoidable deaths.

What I Liked

Gorgeous, atmospheric world that rewards exploration
Smart, non-obvious puzzle design
Wordless storytelling that still lands

What I Didn’t

Wordless narrative can leave the plot murky
Fixed camera causes a few unfair deaths
Combat feels clumsy next to the exploration

The Verdict

Rating: 4/5

Where to Buy

Pistol Whip, a Rhythm Shooter That’s Somehow Still One of the Best VR Games Around

Games · Purchased March 26, 2023 · $27.99 via PSN

The Setup

A rhythm FPS where you auto-advance through stylized levels, shooting enemies in time with the beat of the soundtrack — part on-rails shooting gallery, part rhythm game. Originally a PSVR title, it picked up PSVR2 support around the new headset’s launch.

The Review

Still one of the most stylish, kinetic games in VR, with the music synced perfectly to the action and smart auto-aim that keeps the pace up without playing itself for you. It won an Immersive Reality Game of the Year award for a reason. Level structure is repetitive once you clear the core campaign, and the small pool of levels means you’re relying on remixes/modifiers for long-term replay value.

What I Liked

Stylish, kinetic presentation synced to the music
Smart auto-aim that keeps pace without overdoing it
Clear visual telegraphing of threats

What I Didn’t

Repetitive level structure post-campaign
Small pool of levels for the amount of remixing needed
Constant forward movement can still cause mild discomfort

The Verdict

Rating: 5/5

Where to Buy

PHOGS!, a Two-Headed Dog Co-Op Game That’s Impossible to Be Mad At

Games · Purchased March 25, 2023 · $11.72 via PSN

The Setup

A cooperative puzzle-platformer starring a two-headed dog, Red and Blue, that can stretch its body between the two heads. Solo or co-op, you bite, grab, and stretch through three themed worlds — Food, Play, and Sleep — each with six stages and a boss.

The Review

Genuinely adorable and charming, with co-op stretching/tug-of-war mechanics that feel creative rather than gimmicky. It’s a great low-stakes couch co-op pick for a relaxed weekend. Camera and controls get fiddly in tight spaces, and the puzzle difficulty is easy enough that it might bore a solo veteran puzzle fan.

What I Liked

Adorable, colorful art style
Creative, unique co-op puzzle mechanics
Great low-stakes couch co-op pick

What I Didn’t

Camera and controls feel fiddly in tight spaces
Puzzle difficulty is very easy

The Verdict

Rating: 4/5