Tag: video-games

PowerWash Simulator 2: Same Great Grime, Better Toolkit

Game Review · Purchased October 23, 2025 · $37.50 CAD via PSN

Key art for PowerWash Simulator 2
PowerWash Simulator 2. Photo: PlayStation Store

The Setup

After an entire year of buying nearly every crossover pack the original PowerWash Simulator put out, picking up the actual sequel felt less like a purchase and more like an inevitability. The sequel drops the fictional town of Muckingham on players, with new locations including Sponge Valley, Power Falls, and Lubri City to scrub clean.

The Review

The core loop is exactly as satisfying as it’s always been, which is the correct instinct for a game this beloved for its simplicity, but the sequel adds real mechanical texture rather than just reskinning the original with new levels. Multi-stage jobs give individual cleaning tasks more structure than the original’s more single-note approach, and new tools like an abseiling rig and a cherry picker open up verticality that the first game never really had a good answer for.

The bigger structural change is multiplayer: split-screen co-op alongside online play for up to four people turns what was always a solo, meditative experience into something you can genuinely share with friends or family, and it works well without disrupting the low-stakes, relaxing tone that made the original a hit in the first place. Small additions like a customizable home base and a cat companion are the kind of low-effort, high-charm touches that this series has always been good at.

Coming off a year of buying five separate crossover packs for the original, this sequel makes a genuinely strong case that it will be worth doing the same thing all over again once its own crossover content starts arriving.

What I Liked

  • Core cleaning loop remains as satisfying as ever, with real new mechanical depth
  • New tools like the abseiling rig and cherry picker add welcome verticality
  • Split-screen and online co-op meaningfully expand how the game can be played
  • Small charm additions like the customizable home base and cat companion

What I Didn’t

  • Still fundamentally the same core loop as the original, for better or worse
  • No crossover content yet at launch, which was a huge part of what kept the first game interesting all year

The Verdict

Rating: 4/5

A genuine improvement on a game that didn’t strictly need fixing, and the new co-op options alone make this an easy recommendation for anyone who enjoyed the original with a friend looking over their shoulder.

Where to Buy

Dying Light: The Beast, A Standalone Sequel That Earns Its Own Name

Game Review · Purchased October 18, 2025 · $89.59 CAD via PSN

Key art for Dying Light: The Beast
Dying Light: The Beast. Photo: PlayStation Store

The Setup

Originally planned as DLC for Dying Light 2 before growing into a full standalone release, The Beast follows Kyle Crane, the protagonist of the original Dying Light, now carrying both human and zombie DNA after years of captivity and experimentation. Set in the new, zombie-infested valley of Castor Woods, it blends the series’ trademark first-person parkour with a new dual playstyle built around Crane’s monstrous abilities, plus up to four-player co-op.

The Review

The parkour, the series’ defining strength since the original game, feels as good here as it ever has, fluid traversal across a genuinely well laid out map that rewards momentum and vertical thinking over just running in straight lines. Bringing back Crane specifically, rather than a new protagonist, gives the story a sense of continuity the more recent mainline entry sometimes lacked, and the new beast abilities add a satisfying second layer to combat that goes beyond the usual crafting-and-melee loop.

Castor Woods as a setting strikes a good balance between the series’ urban roots and something a little more open and rural, giving traversal a different rhythm than the tightly packed cityscapes of past entries without losing what made the movement systems fun in the first place. Whether this fully justifies growing from planned DLC into a full-price standalone release is a fair question, but the amount of new content and the strength of Crane’s return make a reasonable case for it.

What I Liked

  • Parkour and traversal remain the series’ strongest asset, and it shows here
  • Bringing back Kyle Crane gives real narrative continuity
  • New beast abilities add a genuinely fresh layer to combat
  • Castor Woods is a well-designed change of pace from past settings

What I Didn’t

  • Started life as DLC, and the full-price ask reflects some growing pains from that transition
  • Newcomers without prior series context may miss some of Crane’s return’s emotional weight

The Verdict

Rating: 4/5

For longtime Dying Light fans, this is an easy recommendation, sharp parkour, a satisfying new combat layer, and a genuinely welcome return for Crane. Worth checking current pricing before buying, since it launched at a premium for what began life as an expansion.

Where to Buy

Life is Strange: Double Exposure, A Solid Sequel That Does Not Quite Match the Original

Game Review · Purchased December 22, 2024 · $44.99 CAD via EB Games

Key art for Life is Strange: Double Exposure
Life is Strange: Double Exposure. Photo: PlayStation Store

The Setup

Double Exposure catches up with original Life is Strange protagonist Max Caulfield years after the first game, swapping the original’s time-rewind mechanic for a new parallel-timeline system: rather than rewinding a single reality, Max can shift her perception between two diverging versions of the same moment.

The Review

Having replayed the Remastered Collection earlier in the year specifically to prepare for this, I went in about as primed as a player can be, and the writing and voice work that made the original resonate are clearly still present here: grounded character moments, a strong sense of place, and performances that carry a lot of emotional weight. Where reception, and my own experience, landed more mixed was the central mystery plot and the new parallel-timeline mechanic itself, which several reviewers and I both felt was less tightly constructed than the elegant simplicity of the original’s rewind power.

It is a game that clearly wanted to evolve the formula rather than just repeat it, and I respect that instinct even where the execution did not fully land for me the way the original did over a decade of hindsight and cultural conversation behind it.

What I Liked

  • Strong writing and voice performances consistent with the series’ reputation
  • New setting and older Max give the story fresh emotional territory to explore
  • Genuine attempt to evolve rather than repeat the original’s mechanics

What I Didn’t

  • New parallel-timeline mechanic feels less tightly constructed than the original’s rewind system
  • Central mystery plot underwhelmed compared to the series’ past narrative highs
  • Best appreciated with real prior investment in the series

The Verdict

Rating: 3/5

For existing fans of the series, this is a worthwhile continuation, but if you are new to Life is Strange, start with the Remastered Collection first rather than jumping straight into this one.

Where to Buy

The Astro Bot DualSense: Buying a Controller for the Paint Job

Hardware Review · Purchased September 6, 2024 · $111.98 CAD via EB Games

Astro Bot Limited Edition DualSense wireless controller
The Astro Bot Limited Edition DualSense. Photo via PlayStation.Blog.

Sometimes you buy a piece of hardware for what it does. Sometimes you buy it for what it looks like sitting on your shelf. This is very much the second kind of purchase, and I am not going to pretend otherwise.

The Background

Astro Bot launched in September 2024 to the kind of reception that immediately tells you something special happened: near-universal critical acclaim, and eventually the Game Awards’ Game of the Year trophy. Sony backed the launch with a limited edition DualSense controller in Astro Bot’s cream-and-blue colour scheme, complete with small Astro Bot etchings and a matching light bar treatment, and it sold out fast enough that I count myself lucky to have grabbed one at EB Games on launch week rather than hunting resale listings afterward.

I bought this the same day as the physical copy of the game and the digital deluxe upgrade, so this was very much a “go all in on launch day” purchase rather than a considered, separate decision.

Living With It

Let’s be completely honest about what this controller is: a completely standard DualSense with a limited edition paint job. The haptics, adaptive triggers, built-in speaker, and touchpad all function identically to the roughly $85 base model. There is no functional upgrade hiding in here, no exclusive feature, nothing that makes Astro Bot the game play or feel any different than it would on a plain black pad.

What you are paying the premium for is entirely the aesthetics, and on that front it delivers. The colourway is genuinely well done, restrained rather than garish, and it photographs nicely if you are the type to post a setup shot. Because these sold out quickly around launch, there is also a small collector’s satisfaction in having one from the actual release window rather than picking one up later.

If I am being fully honest with myself, the DualSense form factor itself is what makes this purchase easy to justify at all: it is already a genuinely excellent controller before you factor in any paint job, with haptic feedback that meaningfully changes how a lot of PS5 games feel to play.

What I Liked

  • Clean, well-executed colour scheme that does not feel gimmicky
  • Same excellent DualSense hardware underneath (haptics, adaptive triggers, speaker)
  • Limited release window adds a bit of genuine collector’s value
  • Paired perfectly with launch day for one of the best games of the year

What I Didn’t

  • Zero functional difference from the roughly $85 base DualSense
  • Pure premium-for-aesthetics purchase, easy to talk yourself out of if you are budget conscious
  • Limited stock meant a real risk of missing out entirely if I had waited even a week

The Value Verdict

Rating: 3/5

Judge this one by what it actually is: a paint job on hardware you would probably buy anyway. If you love Astro Bot and want the shelf piece to match, it delivers exactly what it promises and nothing more. If you are looking at this as a controller upgrade, save the premium and get the base model instead.

Where to Buy

Astro Bot: The Full-Price Game That Actually Earned Its Full Price

Game Review · Purchased September 6, 2024 · $89.59 CAD via EB Games

Key art for Astro Bot on PS5
Astro Bot. Photo: PlayStation Store

The Setup

Astro Bot took home the Game Awards’ Game of the Year trophy for 2024, and it did so as a pure, joyful 3D platformer built from the ground up to show off exactly what the PS5 and DualSense controller can do, level by inventive level.

The Review

I bought the physical copy on launch week alongside the limited edition controller and digital deluxe upgrade covered elsewhere in this series, and the game more than justified going all-in on day one. Every level introduces a new mechanic, gadget, or gimmick tied specifically to the DualSense’s haptics and adaptive triggers, and rather than the usual pattern of a few standout ideas stretched across a whole game, Astro Bot keeps generating fresh ideas at a pace that rarely lets up across its full runtime.

This has been widely compared to the best Mario platformers of the current era, and having played through it, that comparison holds up: tight controls, generous but fair difficulty curve, and a level of craft and polish in every individual level that most platformers, even good ones, do not sustain for an entire game.

What I Liked

  • Constant stream of fresh ideas and mechanics, level after level
  • Some of the best use of DualSense haptics and adaptive triggers in any PS5 game
  • Tight, satisfying platforming controls
  • Genuinely joyful tone throughout

What I Didn’t

  • As a mascot platformer, it will always have a lower ceiling of mainstream attention than bigger franchise names, despite deserving comparison to the best of them
  • Some players may find the difficulty curve too gentle if they want a harder platforming challenge

The Verdict

Rating: 5/5

This is the rare full-price game that consistently gets recommended as worth buying at launch rather than waiting for a sale, and having played it, I agree completely.

Where to Buy

The Dark Pictures: Devil in Me, The Anthology’s Best Character Writing Yet

Game Review · Purchased December 27, 2022 · $80.00 CAD via Gamestop

The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Me key art
The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Me. Photo: Steam

The Setup

The fourth and final entry in Supermassive Games’ first Dark Pictures season, sending a documentary film crew to a museum built as a working replica of real-life serial killer H.H. Holmes’s “Murder Castle,” where the curator traps them in a deadly game.

The Review

This is the best-written entry in the anthology so far by a clear margin — the film-crew characters feel like more than just vehicles for quick-time events, helped considerably by each one carrying a unique gadget that turns into a genuinely clever character-specific puzzle tool rather than a generic interaction prompt. The slasher-movie premise, playing off a real historical serial killer’s methods, gives the environmental storytelling and collectibles a stronger hook than some of the more purely supernatural earlier entries.

The visuals and animation are noticeably behind Supermassive’s own The Quarry from earlier this year, with stiffer, more segmented character movement during routine interactions that occasionally breaks the immersion the writing works hard to build. Still, as a closing chapter for the anthology’s first season, it goes out on its strongest character work, and that’s the part of these games that actually matters most.

What I Liked

  • Best character writing in the Dark Pictures series so far
  • Character-specific puzzle tools are a genuinely clever addition
  • Strong environmental storytelling tied to real historical horror
  • Engaging slasher-movie narrative throughout

What I Didn’t

  • Visuals look noticeably dated next to Supermassive’s own The Quarry
  • Stiff, segmented character animation breaks immersion during routine interactions

The Verdict

Rating: 4/5

The anthology’s strongest character writing yet closes out the first season on a genuine high note, dated visuals aside.

Where to Buy

Sonic Colors: Ultimate, A Nostalgia Remaster That Knows It’s a Nostalgia Remaster

Game Review · Purchased November 22, 2022 · $30.00 CAD via Amazon.ca

Sonic Colors Ultimate key art
Sonic Colors: Ultimate. Photo: Steam

The Setup

A 4K/60fps remaster of the 2010 Wii original, with Sonic infiltrating Dr. Eggman’s “Interstellar Amusement Park” to free enslaved Wisps — alien creatures granting temporary powers like laser-drilling or rocket boosts — from being used to power a mind-control weapon.

The Review

This is exactly what it says on the box — a visual and performance upgrade over a well-liked 2010 platformer, with a handful of genuinely nice additions like new Rival Rush races against Metal Sonic and some character customization. The Wisp power-up loop is still the most inventive part of the design, giving each stage a reason to feel a little different from the last, and at $30 it’s an easy, low-stakes pickup for anyone wanting a lighter platformer between bigger releases.

Judged against 2022’s platforming competition rather than 2010’s, the level design feels samey and the challenge stays firmly on the easy side even for an experienced player, and the 4K/60fps coat of paint can’t fully disguise that this is, structurally, a 12-year-old game. It’s a fine, comfortable choice for a younger or less experienced player, or for pure nostalgia — just don’t expect it to compete with anything genuinely new.

What I Liked

  • Wisp power-up system still gives levels real variety
  • New Rival Rush races and customization add worthwhile extra content
  • Visual/performance upgrade to 4K/60fps is a genuine improvement
  • Low price point makes it an easy, low-stakes pickup

What I Didn’t

  • Overly simplistic, floaty platforming for experienced players
  • Level design feels samey across the whole game
  • Still visibly a 12-year-old game structurally, despite the coat of paint

The Verdict

Rating: 3/5

A perfectly fine budget nostalgia trip, but not much more than that — fine for younger players or pure Sonic nostalgia, skippable otherwise.

Where to Buy

  • Steam listing (also on Nintendo eShop, PlayStation Store, Microsoft Store)

God of War Ragnarok: A Launch-Day Buy That Earns Every Bit of Its Ambition

Game Review · Purchased November 9, 2022 · $100.00 CAD via Walmart.ca

God of War Ragnarok key art
God of War Ragnarok. Photo: PlayStation Store

The Setup

Picked up right on launch day, Ragnarok continues Kratos and Atreus’s Norse saga three years after 2018’s God of War, as the pair prepare for the prophesied Ragnarok while confronting Thor and Odin across all nine realms.

The Review

The combat retains everything that made the 2018 game feel so good — the Leviathan Axe and Blades of Chaos are just as satisfying to swing here, and the environmental puzzle design across all nine realms gives exploration real texture rather than just padding between fights. The story is the real headline, though: this is genuinely ambitious mythology-building, with Thor and Odin as compelling antagonists, and letting you directly control Atreus in dedicated sections adds welcome variety to a formula that could have easily just repeated itself.

A few specific encounters have unfairly spiky difficulty that stands out against how well-tuned most of the rest of the combat is, and the second half leans on more backtracking than I’d like. The health-item button doubling as the grapple button also caused more than a few accidental deaths in the heat of combat. None of that meaningfully dents what’s otherwise a hugely ambitious, well-told conclusion to this era of the series.

What I Liked

  • Combat retains the brutal, satisfying feel of the 2018 game
  • Ambitious Norse mythology storytelling with compelling new antagonists
  • Playable Atreus sections add genuine variety
  • Excellent PS5 visuals and performance/graphics mode options

What I Didn’t

  • Some specific encounters have unfairly spiky difficulty
  • Noticeable backtracking in the second half
  • Health item and grapple sharing a button causes accidental deaths in combat

The Verdict

Rating: 5/5

A hugely ambitious, well-earned conclusion to this saga — an easy launch-day purchase that was worth every bit of the hype.

Where to Buy

The Quarry: A Nearly 200-Ending Slasher Movie You Actually Control

Game Review · Purchased July 12, 2022 · $90.65 CAD

The Quarry key art
The Quarry. Photo: Steam

The Setup

Supermassive Games’ follow-up to Until Dawn drops nine teenage camp counselors into one supernatural night at the isolated Hackett’s Quarry summer camp, mixing monster-movie horror with slasher tropes and a genuinely star-studded cast including David Arquette, Lance Henriksen, and Ted Raimi.

The Review

This is cinematic, choice-driven storytelling done at real scale — branching decisions and quick-time events across an 8-10 hour story that reportedly has close to 200 possible endings depending on who lives, who dies, and what you decide along the way. The performance capture and voice acting carry a lot of the weight and mostly earn it; the story holds attention for its full runtime, which isn’t something every game in this genre manages.

The accessibility options are a standout — Death Rewind lets you undo a fatal mistake, which is a genuinely welcome addition for a game this branching, though it does soften the tension if you lean on it too much. The character animation dips into uncanny-valley territory in some scenes, and the creature design doesn’t hit the same memorable highs as some of Supermassive’s other work, but as a big, well-produced interactive horror movie, it delivers exactly what it promises.

What I Liked

  • Engaging, well-paced story that holds interest for the full runtime
  • Strong performance-capture acting from a genuinely notable cast
  • Near-200 possible endings give it real replay value
  • Death Rewind and other accessibility options are a welcome touch

What I Didn’t

  • Character animation dips into uncanny-valley territory in places
  • Creature/monster design is less memorable than in prior Supermassive games
  • Death Rewind can undercut the tension if overused

The Verdict

Rating: 4/5

A well-produced, genuinely replayable interactive horror movie — the near-200 endings alone make a second playthrough tempting.

Where to Buy

Paper Mario: The Origami King, A Great Adventure Wearing an RPG’s Clothes

Game Review · Purchased January 25, 2022 · $50.85 CAD via Amazon.ca

Paper Mario: The Origami King key art
Paper Mario: The Origami King. Photo: Nintendo

The Setup

Peach’s Castle has been wrapped in giant paper streamers by the origami villain King Olly, who’s folded most of the Mushroom Kingdom’s inhabitants into paper along with it. Mario and new companion Olivia set out to remove the streamers one region at a time, in the latest entry to swing the Paper Mario series away from traditional RPG mechanics and toward pure adventure-game structure.

The Review

The headline mechanic is the ring-based battle system: enemies are arranged on a rotating circular battlefield, and before you can attack you have to rotate and slide segments of the ring to line everyone up in a row or a 2×2 block. It’s a clever spatial puzzle wrapped around combat, and for the first several hours it’s genuinely fun to solve. The writing carries just as much weight — Olivia is a fantastic companion, the jokes land consistently, and the papercraft art direction gives every region its own distinct, charming look, especially in the boss fights, which are the clear highlight of the whole game.

Where it stumbles is the thing longtime Paper Mario fans actually wanted: there’s no experience points, no leveling, and nothing meaningful gained from fighting regular enemies at all, which makes the ring puzzles start to feel like a toll booth rather than a reward the longer the game goes on. A weapon-durability system on top of that adds friction without adding much fun. It’s a genuinely funny, gorgeous adventure game that happens to have Mario’s face on it — just don’t go in expecting an RPG.

What I Liked

  • Olivia is one of the best companion characters in a Mario game, full stop
  • Consistently funny, well-written dialogue throughout
  • Boss battles are creative, varied, and genuinely challenging puzzles
  • Papercraft art direction gives every region real personality

What I Didn’t

  • No experience points or character growth from regular combat
  • Ring puzzles feel tedious by the back half of the game
  • Weapon durability adds friction without adding fun
  • Puzzle difficulty swings unevenly between trivial and frustrating

The Verdict

Rating: 4/5

Judge it as the charming adventure game it actually is, not the RPG its name promises, and this is one of the funniest, best-written Mario games around.

Where to Buy