Recent reviews by BarryPepper

Put on some good headphones and dim the lights. This is a rare, meditative experience. Incredible music and fun traversal. I started the game a bit confused, but soon you find a flow and rhythm, and the whole thing comes together beautifully.

I have played five GTA games but never finished any of them. The clumsy driving and uneven missions always pushed me away.

Sleeping Dogs is smaller in scope, but its core mechanics are excellent. The driving feels good, the gunplay is enjoyable, and the melee combat is savage and satisfying. I was also surprised by the game's consistent quality. In GTA, some of the story missions felt like filler, but Sleeping Dogs offers up diverse and consistently exciting missions, especially later in the game.

Although the story is a bit formulaic, Wei Shen is a sympathetic action hero, and Hong Kong is a great setting. Sleeping Dogs might seem like a game you've played before, but it's a surprisingly unique and polished open-world experience.

Dishonored is one of those games that you'll finish and start re-playing immediately. At a time when so many action games lead players through funhouse levels and "set piece moments", Dishonored is content to let players explore complex non-linear environments and learn the game's systems at their own pace.

It was a pleasure to sneak my way through this game, relying on silent takedowns and tranquilizers, but I had just as much fun ripping enemies apart in a second playthrough.

The Knife of Dunwall and Brigmore Witches DLC are also a lot fun, and Daud is a cool character, although neither DLC has a particularly satisfying conclusion.

Forget about difficulty. Lots of games are tough.

Dark Souls provides rewarding challenges, and that is part of its greatness, but it offers so much more than challenge.

The world of Dark Souls is mysterious, its characters are fascinating, its music and voice acting are excellent, and its story is subtle and affecting. Exploring the world of Lordran and uncovering its secrets is one of the best gaming experiences I've ever had.

Don't be scared off by Dark Souls. Look past the "Prepare to Die" marketing nonsense and you'll find an artful, absorbing action-RPG experience.