Opinions!

Disclaimers and Foreword

I'm not a cishet white man with extremely questionable opinions, so podcasting was out of the realm of possibility, so I'm making this instead! Because I'm pretty sure my friends get sick of hearing my rants, so I'm going to be filling this page with various reviews of various things, sorted into what type of media they are. Though if it's here, that's because I have very strong feelings about it, trying to avoid lukewarm, emotionless reviews here.

Generally, I'll be ranking using the A+ to F scale, in an only slightly specific order. Standalone media or media that I have not yet played/watched/read the full franchise of will be at the top, with the longer franchise segments being towards the bottom of each respective part. For franchises, I will be listing them in order of release.

If any specific piece of media has several elements that I would rank differently enough to warrant it (i.e. Game's DLC, an especially noteworthy song on an album, etc.), I will rank them separately under the same piece of media.

Not all reviews will be worded nicely — nor constructively — because it's not my job to do this, I LIKE to do this. I'm sure if pressed I could make four-hour-long Youtube retrospectives on the things here I have the strongest opinions on. But, I'm not feeling pressed to do so, so I won't :3

It's probably gonna trend more positive at the top, because it's usually easier for me to think about piece of media I like than ones I don't.

If you're looking for any specific piece of media or series, check the directory on the sidebar on the right!

Video Games

I spend probably too much time playing video games, so here's where I can infodump all my thoughts on all of them I have played!

Signalis - A+ [RoseEngine]

Starting strong with probably my favorite single piece of media ever, do not think, go play this. If you are trans and/or a lesbian like I am, you need to play this. If you like survival horror and/or are nostalgic for early Resident Evil / Silent Hill, go play this. If you rank Dead Space among your favorite games, go play this. If there were an equivalent to the Criterion Collection for games, this would be an easy inductee, I'm sure. Classic survival-horror gameplay with a story that has haunted me (In a good way!) since I finished it. Also indirectly responsible for reigniting my love for writing, so, I have RoseEngine to thank for that.

The Long Dark - A+ [Hinterland]

Total transparency, I suck at this game. I easily have over 400 hours in it across my old Xbox account and my current Steam one, and I still suck. I beat Darkwalker once when I got the game and vowed never to do that again. I have gotten the Technical Backpack once, and still think Ash Canyon is "hardly worth it."

In spite of all that, all those skill issues, I fucking ADORE this game. The artstyle is beautiful, the world is haunted by a mystery that we don't even fully understand, with survival mechanics that don't hold your hand but give you every opportunity to fix your mistakes. For a while I wrote off the DLC Tales From The Far Territory as being just more of the same, and it is, but positively. It adds secondary goals to the survival mode that make long-term survival less of a drag. I always go out of my way to collect every unique item and gathering up all the collectibles. Oh and I haven't played Wintermute. And I most likely won't :3

I need Blackfrost to be good. So, so badly. And the layoffs really scare me on that front.

Lunacid - A+ [Akuma Kira]

Lunacid is one of the best games I've ever played, full stop, top 5 contender. From the tight and responsive controls, the compelling world and art direction, the phenomenal soundtrack that had me genuinely have to stop just to enjoy the songs (Looking at you, Me When The Harp is Chord), to the delightful characters that I instantly fell in love with, and the impeccable vibe of exploring that had me genuinely scared the first time I walked through the Mausoleum. I did not grow up with Shadow Tower Abyss or Kingsfield or any oldschool dungeon crawler like them, but playing this makes me wish I had, so that I could appreciate Lunacid even more. If I had been able to find more images that fit, this page you're on now would be absolutely DECORATED in Lunacid artworks. I think it goes without saying, but I am thrilled to see whatever Akuma Kira makes next. Even if it's entirely different, it will be absolutely KIRA, and that's what I hope to see more of.

Marathon (2026) - A+ [Bungie]

I have been fortunate enough to be a part of two playtests for Bungie's latest: the Marathon reboot. Unfortunately, I am still under strict NDA, and cannot elaborate on anything specific, but I fucking love this game. I don't like extraction shooters, but this game has me wrapped around its finger and I am thrilled about its impending release. Will update with more thoughts as I'm able to play after full-release!

Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes and Phantom Pain - A [Kojima]

I could speak at length about this duo, which in all honesty, should have been one single game. A perfectly fitting end-cap to such an important franchise. Trust me, no other MGS games came out after this one, don't bother looking. Enjoyable stealth mechanics with an evolving amount of challenge that increases in a very natural way over time in response to how you play. And a kickass story that is so perfectly convoluted with an excellent message. My favorite stealth game, in one of my absolute favorite franchises. One day I will finally beat the European Extreme difficulties 100%. Just... Not today.

Absolver - A+ [Sloclap]

A truly impeccable game that I haven't sunk nearly enough hours into. Intense and in-depth martial arts combat in a mysterious and interesting world? And don't even get me started on the soundtrack. If you play anything on this list that isn't Signalis (GO PLAY IT!), make it this, Sloclap and their games deserve more attention, and the loyal Absolver community could absolutely do with more members.

Nowhere Prophet - A+ [Sharkbomb]

I used to hate deckbuilders. Now, I love Nowhere Prophet. A deckbuilding rogue-like (Yuck, a buzzword, I know) set in a fascinating sci-fantasy world with rich Indian influence, every piece of art is a sight to behold. But the gameplay itself is no slouch either, lower your guard for even a moment and that's a full save-wipe, "Better luck next time!" I adore that, and I'm so, endlessly excited for their upcoming game Crownbreakers. BUT I BEG OF YOU SHARKBOMB, please put the fucking soundtrack back on Spotify, it is so SO good.

Quake Brutalist Jam III - A+ [Various Developers]

I liked a mod so much I'm reviewing it. Of course this was going to be an A+. I am such a sucker for this exact kind of shit. Community driven modding projects like this make me unbelievably happy, especially when they're so, SO, niche like this one is. I remember describing it to a friend like this: "The QBJ team looked at Quake and said 'Yeah, okay, it's a top 10 game of all time, but what if it was top 5?'" For the record, my favorite maps are Penis Day At The Gym and A House Need Not Be A Home. If you haven't played it yet, go Play It, you don't even need to own Quake to play it. Also its soundtrack/OST is genuinely some of the best music I've heard in a video game, much less a fucking mod. The sooner Eradication by Blood Instinct gets put on Spotify the sooner I can stop needing antidepressants.

The Elder Scrolls Franchise Reviews [Bethesda]

One of my favorite franchises, and one that has certainly inspired me quite a lot. No I haven't played Arena or Daggerfall, I probably won't.

Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind - A+

An impeccable RPG. It is always cheap, the OpenMW mod is free and easy to install, there's even a multiplayer mod to play with friends. You have no excuse not to play this, in all honesty. "Oh It's dated," "It looks so bad," your soul is weak and your heart will never flourish as mine has. Put down Oblivion and play this fucking game.

Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - C+

A mediocre showing after Morrowind, I think. The story is lacking the rising tension of Morrowind, the combat is tedious at the best of times, and the worldbuilding is so bland after the alien mystique of Morrowind. It gets a half-hearted C+. No I'm not going to play the remaster.

Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Tentative A

What can I say about Skyrim that hasn't been said already far less concisely in a billion-and-one 4-hour video essays on Youtube? It was the first game I played that showed me games could be WORLDS. Of course I'd played games like The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker and Twilight Princess on my Gamecube when I was even younger, but Skyrim was different. "No shit," you say, "Of course, it's an obvious fact that they're different games looking to accomplish different things," but Skyrim being my first RPG has kind of ruined me for a lot of other RPGs, unfortunately. It has set my standards based on my first-ever playthrough of Skyrim far, far higher than most games can achieve. I struggled to play through The Witcher 3 some years later because I was upset that I couldn't create my own character (Though, dysphoria played a statistically significant part in that as well). I initially struggled to play through the earlier Elder Scrolls games because they felt woefully unrefined. Again, no shit. Skyrim is far from perfect, and after nearly a decade and a half of playing it on-and-off, modded and vanilla, on console and PC, I always find myself coming back.

But I don't know if I like that. I find that somewhat disappointing honestly. There are hundreds, thousands, even, of better games out there, games that I like MORE! But Skyrim keeps me coming back.

Fallout Franchise Reviews [Interplay/Black Isle & Bethesda]

Another of my favorites, that has been consistently disappointing as of late.

Fallout: A Post-Nuclear Role Playing Game - Unrated

I don't feel like I can rate this one fairly, it's just a little too far back on the shelf for me to get fully into it. Love what it sets up and the franchise it would spawn, and I can absolutely respect it for that aspect. However age has shown to be a limiting factor in my enjoyment of it. To quote FUNKe's words on Metroid Prime, "...I hesitate to criticize this game, because of its age, and therefore experimentation - but I also hesitate to praise it for the very same reasons." For what it's worth, The Master is my favorite Fallout primary antagonist to date, and I don't anticipate that changing anytime soon.

Fallout 2 - A+

Invariably superior to the first one, the rare case where the sequel is the definitive piece of a series. Though it may seem odd to say, as the technology hadn't advanced much in the wake of one year and a handful of days, but I love this game, absolutely. My first character sucked. And then I found a sick-ass exploit outside of San Francisco. My second character ruled. And then my computer died and I lost my saves, I haven't played it since. If I could own any fictional object, it would be the Highwayman. (And whoever composed the Highwayman travel song deserved more attention for creating the best song in the fucking game.) Fallout 2 makes me wish I could peer into an alternate universe where Interplay/Black Isle never went under so I could see how Fallout would have turned out with them (yes, I'm aware of Van Buren, I haven't played it, and even if I had I won't rate demos here)

Fallout 3 - F (Do better!)

Play Fallout New Vegas instead. Better gameplay, better story, better setting, better pro- and antagonists.

Now that I've officially pissed off all four die-hard fans of FO3, and ruined any chances of an actual discussion, I'll get serious.

To give it an actual review, Fallout 3 is decent as a game, but compared to the rest of the Fallout lineup, its just disappointing. And trust me, I'm not of this opinion for lack of trying, I have done EVERYTHING in Fallout 3. Every main, DLC, and side quest, all the collectibles, every ending possible on different playthroughs, several different builds, all on different difficulties. The story is boring and gives you no reason to actually care about any of the characters shown, its so long and meandering that I can't remember the last time I watched a video on Fallout 3 where they didn't just run straight from Vault 101 to Smith Casey's Garage to skip the entire opening act. The Enclave, which were each and every one total brick shithouses in Fallout 2, are now wearing "the most advanced armor to ever be seen" and yet you can shred through them like paper, and their plasma weapons are no longer cool and unique because they feel like bringing a squirt gun to a knife fight. Oh and don't get me started on J.H. Eden, what a letdown that is. I can appreciate that all the companions can die, very in-line with the previous games, but you're given no real reason to like most of them. Overall, my favorite part of Fallout 3 is The Pitt because it lets me forget I'm playing Fallout 3 for a while. Even when it came out, it wasn't revolutionary. It was impressive in a lot of ways, I give it that, but compared to other games that were out at the time (or before, given that Bethesda's TES3 Morrowind had come out only a handful of years prior and had an impeccable story), it leaves me flabbergasted that any publication gave it as high of ratings as it got.

Fallout: Fallout New Vegas - A+

Fallout New Vegas has not left my top 5 list since I played it. And no, it's not just because I'm a trans woman. It's because the more I learn about it the more I love it. The Courier is the most fascinating protagonist we've had in any Fallout game period, and they're backed up by an incredible supporting cast of friends and enemies. The first game to ever make me cry was Fallout New Vegas, after finishing the final DLC. It contains within it the absolute essence of what Fallout is and should be: It's a slapstick gore comedy, it's a serious critique on conservatism, it's a cautionary tale of war in all forms, it's a scathing criticism of racism and prejudice, it's a hero power-fantasy, it's a tragedy about how heroes make mistakes and hurt people. It's all of these things and more. It's amazing, and the second I finished it I started up a new save, without realizing it was - for me - another Skyrim, it had upped my standards for Fallout Games irreversibly.

Fallout 4 - C

The unfortunate target for that raising of standards is none other than Fallout 4, every Fallout fan's favorite punching bag. And that upsets me, because Fallout 4 is an enjoyable game! I won't suck its dick like IGN and their frankly ridiculous 9.5/10. But after having played some games with really exemplary stories and especially choices, Fallout 4 is so lacking it almost feels comedic. The game(i.e. Gun)play is phenomenal, but melee combat feels weightless and unimpactful. The game sets up every new player to build around using power armor as a default, which I think is doing the armor system a huge disservice. It's far from revolutionary, but I personally find it leagues more fun than waiting around until level 50 or so to get the actually good power armor.

The story is... Middling. It's fine, it's just Fallout 3 again wearing a mask and trying to be another Fallout New Vegas. It isn't. The core factions are mildly interesting at best, bland and poorly utilized the majority of the time, and hair-pullingly boring at worst. The best of them is the Railroad, followed by The Minutemen, for the way both draw on real Massachusetts history. Then the Institute for what I feel like is a decent payoff on what we learned of them in Fallout 3, and the absolute worst is the Brotherhood of Steel.

Honestly? I hate the Brotherhood in Fallout 4. So much so that I would have taken a retcon that the entire Capital Wasteland chapter was wiped out by aliens after the events of Fallout 3 over what we got. And its not for their snobbish attitude or blatant fascism, any good setting or story needs assholes. But I hate them because they are used as a vessel for little more than nostalgia, getting so many of the cool abilities and setpieces. The Minutemen gets a flare gun that is a gods-awful weapon that can be used to summon what are essentially farmers with pipe rifles; The Institute can - what - summon some Gen 1 Synths? For how the lore builds them up I'm left horribly disappointed by this. The Railroad actually gets a really cool exclusive thing, the Ballistic Weave, now all those fashionable outfits and underarmor you find can be reinforced to actually do something! That rocks! But The Brotherhood gets you a summonable-at-will Vertibird you can travel across the map with and essentially use like the Dragonriding from Skyrim. Go to Hell, Bethesda, for giving the good guys (not accepting criticism on this) moonshiner backup and fashion viability while the tin-man techno-theocratic fascists get a FUCKING VERTIBIRD. The thing every player to ever set eyes on a Vertibird in past games wanted. Oh and you can get the new fancy retcon power armor for joining up with the Brotherhood at a supremely low level.

The setting is good, had potential, but was underutilized. A few areas had some really above-par content (Salem, Goodneighbor, the Vaults, USS Constitution), but these areas are so few and far between that it just honestly feels like a slog to go out of your way to do any of them.

Fallout 4's biggest redeeming quality is the three major DLC, Automatron, Far Harbor, and Nuka-World.

Automatron should have been base game content, if I'm being honest. It's good, I like the callbacks to The Mechanist, and the robot construction is fun and provides more incentive to actually loot scrap, but it's all of two hours of content, not counting radiant quests. Good, but only barely worth the price tag.

Far Harbor is Bethesda's magnum opus as far as the Fallout franchise is concerned. A Bethesda game Youtuber I enjoy, Joov, has claimed that "in isolation, Far Harbor is [his] favorite Fallout game." I'm not sure I'd take it that far, but I do adore it absolutely. The atmosphere, the story and central conflict, the worldspace of Mount Desert Island, the side content, all of it is so magnificent I wonder if the QA team between the base game and Far Harbor were the same group.

Nuka-World struggles to follow Far Harbor, I think. Which isn't necessarily its fault, it's a hard act to follow. The Raider-focused angle is fun and new (Citation: Fallout 3's The Pitt), but most players won't ever really get to experience it because most gamers default to being good guys to some extent when playing RPGs like Fallout. So for most good-guy style playthroughs, Nuka-World is a moderately fun dungeon disguised as a raider gameshow, with a mildly creative bossfight, followed by a complete and total massacre of every last living raider in Nuka-World, which makes the entire DLC approximately an hour of gameplay if you're taking your time. The Raider gangs are creative, but pretty flat and lacking in good execution. Overall, pretty lukewarm feelings on it.

I just wish they'd stop fucking updating the game already, it keeps breaking mods and nobody gives a damn about more Creation Club content.

Honestly, if you're on the fence about Fallout 4, don't play it. Get New Vegas, the gunplay may be more dated, but you're playing an RPG, not Call of Duty, you'll survive.

Fallout 76 - B

Actually pretty decent as of the last time I played. And I have a good few hours logged into it (145 just on pc as of writing). The Atom Shop is wildly overpriced, Atoms are much too hard to come by in gameplay, and Fallout First is a scam that capitalized on players' nostalgia by offering the NCR Ranger Combat armor that is unobtainable otherwise. Okay, those are the big negatives I have to say about it. Otherwise, it's a pretty enjoyable MMORPG experience. I like the perk card system vastly over the previous games' perk points, I think the mutation and now the Ghoulification systems are fun mixups that allow for quite a bit of build variety, I adore the C.A.M.P. system, and I actually personally liked the sans-NPC experience at launch, though I understand it was an insane choice for a company that specializes in NPCs. I cannot speak to any content after March 2025 with the release of The Ghoul Within, and most of the content I haven't even gotten around to doing yet, but the game itself, at its core, is an enjoyable experience WITH FRIENDS! I do not think this game is fun when played solo, which is unfortunate because my friends do not really want to play any more Fallout 76 with me.