This past week I found myself with some unexpected extra gaming time and boy did I take advantage of it. I finally beat Uncharted: Lost Legacy, I beat The Pathless, and I beat Bleak Sword DX (on PC).

Uncharted: Lost Legacy (PS5 upgrade)

Pros:

• Outstanding environmental details
• Great character chemistry and backstory
• More Uncharted

Cons:

• Gameplay is a bit dated with what we have come to expect from Naughty Dog
• Some glitched cutscenes that were easily remedied by pausing and selecting "restart cinematic"

Recommendation: Buy

The Pathless

Pros:

• Fluidity of movement, sense of speed, and hypnotic rhythm
• Beautiful environments, story, and overall messaging
• No minimap or directions
• Stellar boss fights and chases
• Storm mechanic is very cool

Cons:

• World can feel empty
• Backstory told mainly via exploration and text (could be considered a good thing)
• No danger in the open world other than the storm
• I don't think you can actually die in the game, only lose "gems" like sonic. (this is a deliberate choice by the devs to keep you in the story)
• Puzzles are not very difficult
• I found my self rushing from boss fight to boss fight as these were the standouts

Recommendation: Buy if you liked Abzu and Journey; Wait for sale if you're on the fence; Pass if you didnt like Abzu or Journey. I really enjoyed it overall.

Bleak Sword DX (played on Steam Deck - No PS version available)

Pros:

• Mid to late game fights are intense.
• Difficult on the back half but not as difficult as Dark Souls or Hollow Knight
• Worlds are like Mario (e.g. World 1-1 through 1-12)
• Deaths never send you back to the start of a world, just the level.
• Music and sound design are good (especially if you like the sounds of demon blood gurgling)
• Deaths never feel cheap

Cons:

• Not on PlayStation
• First 3rd of the game is too easy, leading to choppy gameplay as you go from one level to the next. Levels here can last less than 30 seconds to 1 minute each, taking you out of the immersion
• Mid to late game is harder, and it takes too long to respawn. A system more akin to Hotline Miami where you get right back into it would have been better.
• Visual effects (chromatic aberration, blur, and depth of field) are hard on the eyes, but can be turned off.
• A story you wont care about

Recommendation: Buy if you like hard gameplay and tactical combat in a bite sized format. Difficultly can be turned up if the beginning is too easy and there are endless modes. Pass otherwise.

Anyway, what have you all been playing or what are you planning to play? Let us know below!

P.S. I'll be out of town for 2 weeks starting next Friday. I'll still have access to internet so I may still post, but just a heads up that content from me may be reduced. For my upcoming trip I'll be playing mostly Dave the Diver on my Steam Deck since I wont have my PS5 with me.