Cinematic beauty and story setup: "this game looks incredible" (5:13); "incredibly beautiful and cinematic" (0:48); "this is my first time playing this" (9:07) with immediate immersion into story via Kratos calling "boy" (1:00, 3:17, 4:47); emotional hook with mother's death vision: "is this game going to make me cry like The Last of Us did" (6:39), "L there do I see my mother H there do I see my father" (6:55-7:08); "that emotional transition from combat to... Outburst" (34:16-34:28); "very very cinematic you've seen it with your own eyes" (53:44).
Smart control introduction: "they're not giving me control of the right stick yet... which I think is smart" (5:44-6:03).
Mood-setting via visuals and audio: "the fire has such a huge Heat Wave so much heat waves coming off the top of it just unrealistically large" (3:41); "[Music]" repeated (e.g., 1:42, 2:42, 7:08) building atmosphere.
What would you change?
Pre-game choices: "I never know which ones to choose... I really don't like choosing stuff before I know anything about the game" (1:17-1:35); "balanced experience I don't... know if it's going to be a hard game or an easy game" (1:22).
How could it be better?
(Missing information here: no direct suggestions on improving intro navigation or mood beyond pet peeve on choices.)
GETTING GOING
What impressed you?
Intuitive mechanics teaching: "I really like the way they're teaching me these new mechanics that they really let me just kind of have... trial and error um in a very controlled environment I feel like that's a really solid way" (20:43-20:58); axe recall: "nice I like the if to push the button to get it to come back" (16:32); companion commands clear: "just tell me what to shoot" (26:31), "wait for my mark" (24:00).
Feedback systems: Gold indicators for enemies/attacks (1:10:47); health from glowing bits/smashables (23:13, 30:36); "tasty feeling combat" (14:20).
Goals clear via story: "you are hunting deer" (10:28), "we leave for the mountain" (10:55).
What would you change?
Initial stick control: "they're not giving me control of the right stick yet that's all I can do with it look around a little" (5:44).
(No other direct changes mentioned.)
How could it be better?
(Missing information here: no explicit ideas on easing learning curve beyond positive notes.)
FUN
What impressed you?
Combat satisfaction: "that's some pretty tasty feeling combat" (14:20); "very satisfying and crunchy combat really well done I really like the way that feels" (19:56); "this combat feels really good" (1:41:43); "some of the coolest uh feeling fights I've ever done in a game" (51:38-51:45); "dodge that isn't like get way the heck out of the way it's just dodge those little attacks it's useful" (15:05).
Excitement/stress: "wow go" (13:02); "that feels very satisfying" (13:09); emotional highs: "we did it" (34:10); "I would play this one straight through" (1:43:16); laughs: "that's a funny way to put it" (17:46).
Early intensity: "throw me into a fight pretty ASAP" (26:03); "throw me into a fight this intense feeling so early in the game... I have enough tools" (55:44-56:04).
What would you change?
Repeated dialogue in long fights: "the variable nature length of time in these battles really does make the um repeated dialogue seem... a little pedantic" (57:39-57:51); "I feel nothing... being repeated over and over" (59:04).
How could it be better?
(Missing information here: no direct suggestions beyond nitpicks on repetition.)
VISUALS
What impressed you?
Realistic with dramatic flair: "this game looks incredible" (5:13); heat waves: "so much heat waves coming off the top of it just unrealistically large... after going for such a realistic look" (3:41-3:49); "the explosion effects have all the warping stuff which is the same Shader as the fire... reuse the Shader... looks good" (47:43-48:08).
Clever effects: Shaky cam for intimacy: "shaky cam that's a thing they're doing a lot... does that do like personal up close and personal kind of cinematics" (39:06-39:30); controller color change: "my controller changes colors based on what's going on on the screen it's fun" (46:04).
Interactables highlighted: "in a very realistic game realistic environments find it interesting how they're highlighting interactable objects" (1:34:55).
What would you change?
Overdramatization curiosity: "I'm always interested why they choose to overdramatize some things like... the features like that" (4:01).
How could it be better?
(Missing information here: no suggestions.)
INTELLIGENCE
What impressed you?
Enemy awareness: Trolls "can be hit in their arms and legs during a certain text to it to interrupt them" (30:07); draugr attacks: "they almost you are still here" (1:41:37).
Personality: Stranger taunts: "you bore me... are you even trying" (45:00-46:37); "I can't feel any of this" (53:20).
What would you change?
Enemy dumbness: "not very bright are you" (45:50); shield forgetfulness: "forget how to use a shield" (45:33).
How could it be better?
(Missing information here: no explicit ideas.)
IMMERSION
What impressed you?
Time flying: "60 minutes just fly by" implied by "really enjoying this game though I would play this one straight through" (1:43:16); "really well done" (56:09).
Emotional pull: "that emotional transition" (34:16); "interactivity can be done really well... interactivity genuinely makes the story better" (54:22-58:31).
Freedom/response: "trial and error in a very controlled environment" (20:49); "the game responding to you" via companion: "caring for another character seems really interesting" (1:08:16).
What would you change?
Breaks: Level ups "my least favorite part of most games is the level UPS I feel like it absolutely grinds a game down to a halt" (1:14:19).
(Missing information here: no direct ways to enhance immersion.)
CAMERAS
What impressed you?
Cinematic pretense: "this is an interesting cinematic thing where it's like pretending I'm in control I'm not" (49:27).
Shaky cam positive: "shaky cam... personal up close" (39:06).
What would you change?
Shaky cam overuse: "they're doing a lot of a lot of shaky cam" (39:06).
Invisible cameraman: "the they just have the cameraman run at me" (48:47).
How could it be better?
(Missing information here: no avoidance suggestions.)
CONTROLS
What impressed you?
Satisfying: "attacks being on the... triggers it's very satisfying and crunchy" (19:56); "simple core mechanics it'll just feel really good" (1:06:58); "100% of any mistake was your fault" implied by "be better" self-critique (13:29).
Genre learnings: "this combat feels really good it's not quite the way I imagine my own game... but this is pretty close" (1:41:51).
What would you change?
Forgetting: "forgetting the uh controls a bit" (19:03); start button pause (1:11:44); no lock-on frustration: "keep trying to lock on... there's no lock on" (1:21:38-1:21:49).
Axe issues: "the ax isn't working" (1:35:56).
How could it be better?
(Missing information here: no specific changes beyond frustrations.)
IDEAS
What impressed you?
Axe focus: "most of the uh most of the mechanic revolve around your axe which is pretty cool" (40:23).
Companion: "companion character so I didn't really get to play enough with um... but I'm curious" (1:05:47); "caring for another character seems really interesting" (1:08:16).
Puzzles: "Little Zelda dungeon puzzli which I dig" (1:33:00).
Fresh: "a good game will have really simple core mechanics" (1:07:15); early intense fights (55:52).
No customization mentioned.
What would you change?
(Missing information here.)
How could it be better?
(Missing information here: no customization noted.)
MEMORY
What impressed you?
Positive aftertaste: "hope it's obvious why this game's on the list it's definitely pretty dang killer" (1:48:03); "really enjoying this game though I would play this one straight through" (1:43:16); "I like this game really well" (1:48:49).
Want more: "really enjoying... I would play this one straight through" (1:43:16).
50-word high-point: "Some of the coolest feeling fights I've ever done... simple enough just impactful... interactivity genuinely makes the story better... crunchy combat... incredible presentation." (51:38+58:31,19:56,58:03).
What would you change?
(Missing information here.)
How could it be better?
(Missing information here.)
1 Backlink
100 highest-rated games
David Perry suggests using gameranker.com for [[202501031828 The David Perry Challenge]], and filtering for platforms you own. I found this list to be...