Baldur's Gate

Released: December 21, 1998 - Developer: BioWare

A classic RPG that many remember fondly. The crude 3D graphics and top-down isometric view does it every possible favor. You're tossed into an open world you know very little about as a sheltered youth just trying to figure out what the hell is going on, and why you are at the center of it all. The combat system is somewhat unforgiving, especially if you're just here for the story. But boy, the story makes it all worth it. Something I especially enjoy is the way the story plays out will make sense regardless of your character's good or evil alignment. It was also very entertaining to do something heinous and a good-aligned companion would curse you out and even eventually ditch the party if they get fed up with you. This game is very dear to me, and Dorn il-Khan especially holds a special place in my heart.

Siege of Dragonspear

The epilogue DLC that would serve as the bridge between the first game and its sequel wasn't exactly what I was expecting, and with it being so short it didn't give you a lot of time to get acquainted with the main antagonist all that much - but to be fair anyone would be hard-pressed to have the same impact as Sarevok. Gameplay-wise nothing much has changed, and iirc you continue leveling from where you left off in the main game so you'll be very powerful early on. The story narrative is still the main focus of the game, naturally.

Personally I didn't give a damn about the Duke's daughter - for roleplay purposes my PC at least tried to be nice - but I was still invested in the story and how it progressed. Something that really surprised me is how your character's true nature still has a huge role to play; Too often I've seen important character elements completely forgotten about for the sake of The Current Plot, but in Siege of Dragonspear this particular element does everything in its power to remind you of its existence, and it will not be denied.

The pacing is a little clunky, but you still get a solid amount of hours out of the DLC if you take your time and explore. The fact that you can actually flirt with Dorn this time around is just the cherry on top, though his romance is only available in the Enhanced Edition so I got lucky this was the version I played.

Completed	Rating	100%
Yes		No

Fatal Frame / Zero

Released: December 13, 2001 - Developer: Koei Tecmo

I've been meaning to revisit this survival horror classic for a while now, and I was glad to find it was still as enjoyable as when I first discovered it. The game is set in an abandoned Japanese mansion with a dark, brutal history that you successively uncover while searching for your older brother. The mansion is absolutely brimming with ghosts, and a lot of them are hostile towards you. The only way to defend yourself is through taking pictures of them with an old camera. The controls are a little clunky, but the slow movement speed and hard-to-manage combat system adds to the tense atmosphere.

I initially struggled far more than even necessary, because I instinctively wanted to raise the camera by hitting R1 instead of circle, which had me missing a lot of the ambient ghost photos until I reconfigured the controls. Another issue was that I didn't realize I could upgrade my camera until after the second encounter with the Long-Armed Man. The fights became a fair amount easier after I figured that part out. It's not as frightening as it was when I was younger, naturally, but the aesthetic and atmosphere is impeccable, and the story kept me interested all the way through. There was only a few times I got stuck and had to search up some clues, namely finding the fifth Buddha statue (the hint wasn't very clear) and needing help with the Number Doors since I can't read kanji.

Completed	Rating	100%
Yes		No

Ghost Master

Released: May 23, 2003 - Developer: Sick Puppies

One of my favorite games from being a kid - still is as a matter of fact.

I have always had a fondness for spooky stuff, and this game in which you play as a supernatural entity guiding a team of ghosts to scare mortals is everything I could have ever wanted. The graphics are your standard fare of janky Y2K 3D graphics, but they give the game a certain charm with its clunky polygons and simple textures. The narrator's voice is perfectly kooky, and I found nearly every spirit to be very memorable. The sound design is one of its strongest points, ranging from its satisfying menu sounds to an absolutely fantastic soundtrack. To this day I'll occasionally just reminisce over the way the music kicks up when a haunt is reaching its peak; all your ghosts are using their strongest powers and there's only a scant few mortals still remaining on the scene.

Something I really liked, as mentioned, is that the player is its own entity within the game, and the trapped spirits you come across will address you directly as the titular Ghost Master. A Ghost Master is, apparently, an entity with so much authority within the spirit realm that any ghost you free will immediately swear fealty to you.

Each haunt has a varying number of trapped spirits, and in order to free them you have to complete certain tasks; some more clearly specified than others. Freeing a spirit involves a level of puzzle solving, some more intuitive than others, and it often requires you to bring a tailored team of spirits who have the correct set of powers that'll help you in the puzzle solving. You can also upgrade your spirits and equip them with more powers, and before long you'll have a powerhouse of terror at your command.

There is a very loose overarching plotline regarding a particular powerful spirit you must work towards freeing; and an epilogue involving the Ghostbreakers (essentially GM's legally distinct Ghostbusters) and their grand plan to, well, break you.

The opening cutscene is top-notch. If nothing else, please watch it as soon as possible.

Fun Fact: When the game asks 'is anybody there?' and you type in 'No' the game will close itself.

Completed	Rating	100%
Yes		Yes

Gregory Horror Show: Soul Collector

Released: August 7, 2003 - Developer: Capcom

This one is started out obscure, but has grown significantly in popularity in recent years. I happened upon its existence back in the early days of Let's Play Youtubers (this was even before accounts like Pewdiepie became a household name, if that gives you any idea of when). I was immediately entranced by the kooky art style, weird character concepts, and the overarching comedy horror of it. The game, however, was painfully obscure and couldn't be found anywhere, and I wasn't able to play it until many years later. In the meantime I coped by watching the anime the game was based on, which goes strongly recommended.

It's a survival horror title whose gameplay relies on a small degree of stealth and a great degree of sleuthing. Essentially, you're a Lost Soul trapped in a hotel run by the titular Gregory, and the only means of escaping the hotel is to collect other lost souls, which are being kept by other residents of the hotel. The means of collecting these souls vary for each guest, and it's through some careful investigation and stalking you discover the means of how to acquire them.

Every guest is unique, and each one of them becomes your enemy once you've claimed their soul - which, mind you, wasn't theirs in the first place - and will beat you senseless should they catch you. Late gameplay is a tense extensive hide-and-seek as you bob and weave through the hotel trying to avoid all the guests out for your blood.

It's a fun time, even if the solutions can seem a little non-intuitive sometimes - but this is offset by the mechanic of spying on guests in order to gain hints. It's further enriched by the large cast of very memorable characters, and I have a hard time picking a favorite. I gotta say though, I prefer Judgement Boy's voice and Judgement Ditty in the anime; he sounds a lot more mean-spirited, rather than the more goofy and whimsical cadence he has in the game. I also appreciate that Death himself inexplicably has the Swedish flag for a hat.

Also, another little fun fact: the healing items are green and red herbs a la Resident Evil. It was developed by Capcom, after all :)

Completed	Rating	100%
Yes		No