GBUReviews

It's time to bring in the new year! This episode I'm going over my top 5 most anticipated games of the new year. My name's Joel, I'm a game designer and this is another episode of GBU reviews. I'll break down the good things I like, the bad things that need work, and suggest some ugly, back-of-the-napkin solutions that I would have tried if I were on the design team. Support Me / Socials: Twitter - @GBU_GameReviews EXTRA READING ON THE TOPIC: Learn more about why designers avoid difficulty levels in modern games: - https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/difficulty-levels-and-why-you-should-never-use-them#close-modal Video Sections: 0:00 Intro 0:47 Number 5 1:44 Number 4 2:37 Number 3 3:37 Number 2 4:27 Number 1

It's the end of a year! Time to rank all the games I reviewed this year. My name's Joel, I'm a game designer and this is another episode of GBU reviews. I'll break down the good things I like, the bad things that need work, and suggest some ugly, back-of-the-napkin solutions that I would have tried if I were on the design team. Support Me / Socials: Twitter - @GBU_GameReviews EXTRA READING ON THE TOPIC: -None this episode Video Sections: 0:00 Intro 1:26 Final Fantasy 7 Remake 2:15 Final Fantasy 16 3:45 Fire Emblem 3 Houses 4:49 Gran Turismo 7 5:22 Hogwarts Legacy 5:55 Homebody 6:36 League Of Legends 7:15 Rainbow Six Siege 7:52 Resident Evil 4 Remake 8:36 Resident Evil 8 9:24 Street Fighter 6 10:03 Stray 11:11 Zelda Tears of the Kingdom

Tears of the Kingdom is the evolution of Breath of the Wild. The series has changed its core aesthetics of play! Follow me on today's episode, where we'll talk about the concept of the aesthetics of play and discuss how Zelda is handling the shift. From the opening hook to the new inventory tied to an open-world crafting game. Read the full paper that began the aesthetics of play here: https://users.cs.northwestern.edu/~hunicke/MDA.pdf Another episode of GBU reviews where I'll break down the good things I like, the bad things that need work, and suggest some ugly, back of the napkin solutions that I would have tried if I were on the design team. Support Me / Socials: Twitter - @GBU_GameReviews Chapters: 0:00 Intro 1:25 The Good 3:59 The Bad 4:53 The Aesthetics Of Play Listed 6:37 The Bad Continued 10:31 The Ugly

It's the cat game! Nearly universally praised and created by studio Blue Twelve, today we dive into how the simplified gameplay of Stray allowed non-gamers to enjoy the experience and why it failed to resonate with me. Were the developers or publishers too scared to fully commit to their vision? Another episode of GBU reviews where I'll break down the good things I like, the bad things that need work, and suggest some ugly, back-of-the-napkin solutions that I would have tried if I were on the design team. Support Me / Socials: Twitter - @GBU_GameReviews Chapters: 0:00 Intro 1:32 The Good 5:39 The Bad 9:23 The Ugly

Resident Evil Village is a scary game, but how do you scare players? Each different boss from the game uses different techniques to build up the tension and get players in the right mindset to be afraid. And while Dom mommy, Lady Dimitrescu does her job, others like Salvatore Moreau don't do quite as well. Learn about the tension and release cycle on this episode as well as techniques for building tension such as revulsion on today's episode of GBU reviews. Another episode of GBU reviews where I'll break down the good things I like, the bad things that need work, and suggest some ugly, back of the napkin solutions that I would have tried if I were on the design team. Support Me / Socials: Twitter - @GBU_GameReviews Video Sections: 0:00 Intro 1:48 The GoodA 6:51 The Bad 10:22 The Ugly

Final Fantasy 7 Remake brings a classic into the modern day. But my favourite part is the combat and equipment system! Learn about FOO (First Order Optimal) strategies and how Final Fantasy uses a subtle touch to get you away from button mashing and into a true Soldier First Class! Another episode of GBU reviews where I'll break down the good things I like, the bad things that need work, and suggest some ugly, back of the napkin solutions that I would have tried if I were on the design team. Support Me / Socials: Twitter - @GBU_GameReviews Video Sections: 0:00 Intro 1:50 The Good 7:58 The Bad 11:17 The Ugly