Recent reviews by Splitmonk

Out of all the anime games out there, DRAGON BALL FighterZ stands tall. Each fight plays as a scene ripped straight from the cartoon itself, fluid, wild, then suddenly precise. You do not just control characters. You reenact moments that pulse with the same energy as the original series. The way it moves? Exactly how Goku would throw a punch. Not staged. Real. Then again, only a few get this close to matching the source. Here, it works. What stands out most is how the game plays second by second. Each fighter acts exactly like you’d expect, landing hits and abilities that match their nature. Not because they’re fast like Goku, but because their boldness shows in every move. Heavy characters do not just hit hard; they feel massive when they strike. Pulling off combos lands with weight, never empty. It clicks together without needing explanation. Looks matter a lot here. Eye-catching graphics mix flat and deep styles, moving just like the cartoon does. Big moments explode with flair, special moves play out like movie scenes, bright sparks flying everywhere. Each battle hits hard, wild energy turned up loud without apology. Most games try hard to feel alive, yet FighterZ simply does. Smooth controls meet smart design, making entry simple without losing challenge over time. Instead of flashy distractions, the focus lands on movement, timing, and strength. You move through fights like scenes torn from an anime, sharp, fast, yours. Not every title captures chaos so cleanly. Here, each battle pulls you deeper into that familiar universe where energy blasts light up arenas and characters act exactly as they should.

Back again, Overwatch now carries a weight that surprises even skeptics. Years dragged by with empty talk, uneven patches, leaving players unsure what the game stood for especially once “2” stuck its name on everything. This new chapter though? Tossing aside that sequel tag shifted something real underneath. Not just fresh paint, but deeper a return tuned right at its core. Overwatch always played well under the surface. Team fights clicked, characters stood out, yet momentum often faded. Progress felt scattered before, lacking steady guidance. Lately, things fit better changes land with purpose, the vision sharpens. Smooth edges return slowly. A path forward now shows itself. Now things feel different. As new rivals show up, such as Marvel Rivals maybe even helped when Bobby Kotick left his role at Activision Blizzard efforts from the team grew sharper. Content improved fast: seasons got deeper, balancing felt fairer, moments became more alive. Lately, it’s clear someone’s paying attention again. Five new heroes arrived, shaking up the lineup in a good way. These characters bring something different each one playful, imaginative, built with care. Balance stays intact even as options grow larger now. Excitement returns easily when things just work like they should. Overwatch plays like it did when I first got hooked years have passed, yet suddenly that spark is back. Not because of old memories, but because what’s new stands up on its own.

Right away, Monster Hunter Wilds grabbed my attention more than I expected. Even though I enjoyed Rise and World a great deal, this one feels different somehow. From the start, I figured I’d get along with it just fine yet the pull turned out stronger than guessed. What makes it stick? Maybe how alive everything seems. Time slips by without notice while exploring its lands. Hours pass like minutes once you’re moving through the wilds. True, things began rougher than expected. Right away, the experience on PC stumbled frame drops, delays, uneven pacing. Thankfully, newer patches smoothed most of those issues, though early sessions tested my patience, given how deeply I’ve always valued this franchise. Still, right now? Monster Hunter Wilds grabs attention like few others. Even after strong feelings for both Rise and World, this one carves its own path. Hours slip by without notice. That kind of pull doesn’t happen often.

These days, Destiny 2 doesn’t spark the joy it once did. Though I poured hours into it, logging on lately seems harder than before. It used to pull me in with something new each week, but now that energy feels thin. Even so, walking away completely isn’t easy when memories are tied to every corner. Repetition crept in slowly, nudging excitement aside. Because of this shift, my connection faded without a clear moment of goodbye. Even now, thinking about Destiny 2 brings back strong memories. Alone, it still felt good working toward better equipment and growing stronger bit by bit, yet nothing beat showing up with people I knew. Running raids, jumping into strikes, just messing around, those times stood out more than anything else around. When things lined up exactly right, when each of us moved like part of one machine, the game became something rare. Those highs, hard to find elsewhere, are why I stayed through thick and thin. Right now, I’m stepping back, yet what the game taught me stays clear. Those long stretches of play, most with friends beside me, stick close even today.

Back to Warframe I go, again and again no surprise there. It’s among the games I play most, plain as day. Warframe grabs attention because the world stays busy no moment feels empty. Chasing fresh equipment keeps me moving, plus each upgrade adds another step forward. Goals pop up everywhere, making downtime rare. What makes it stick?How everything flows when you move. Once the basics settle in, gliding through spaces while aiming becomes second nature. Shooting mid leap across corridors brings its own rhythm. Fun hides in how fast things respond. Never too slow, never stuck. Warframe never runs out of things to dive into. Picking between countless Warframes lets players shape how they move through missions. Fresh setups keep matches feeling alive, long past the first few hours. Updates roll in regularly, adding new layers without warning. Each patch brings unseen corners to explore, almost like starting over except everything feels familiar yet changed.

Chaos levels rise in Borderlands 3, though the story stumbles badly. Humor finds its way into the plot, yet the Calypso Twins come across as grating instead of clever. Jokes land awkwardly, moments feel forced, wishing for the sharpness of Borderlands 2 creeps in. Still, moment-to-moment play works beautifully here. Smooth shooting moves quicker now, almost like it breathes with you. Each weapon carries its own rhythm, standing apart without trying too hard. New powers add spark, turning small moments into something worth remembering. These Vault Hunters carry weight differently, stronger, sharper somehow. Landscapes stretch wider, painted loud and wild, alive with surprises around every edge.

On Pandora's moon, the Pre-Sequel unfolds how Handsome Jack began his fall. Who would’ve thought he once seemed almost decent? Yet slowly, that changes bit by bit, he becomes the sharp tongued lunatic known later on. Seeing him shift like that adds weight to a character many love to hate. Gameplay feels different here, too, shaken loose from what came before. Floatiness comes through in how you move, thanks to light footing and air control that feels just shy of flying. Using the laser gun zaps joy right into your hands, while freezing enemies with cryo gear turns fights into icy puzzles. Claptrap joins the roster now, bringing skills so wild they almost break the game, yet somehow still fit. Each fresh hero adds chaos in ways no one saw coming, making old tactics twist sideways.

It starts off basic, find the Vault, but really, it's just a lead-in to everything wild ahead. What makes it pop? Those playable characters are each packed with quirks and powers all their own. Not just them, though, even the smaller roles shine; take Claptrap, who crashes every scene with punchlines nobody sees coming. Strange vibes run through the whole thing, odd in ways you won’t shake anytime soon. What really stands out is how it plays. Getting hooked on blasting bandits and skags, gathering piles of gear, seeing scores climb higher, this felt fresh at the time. Wild weapon traits mixed with roleplaying features, tossed into frantic team play, created something unlike anything before. A blend of dungeon crawler energy and shooter speed nobody had quite seen. It didn’t just join the lineup; it sparked a whole new kind of game people still talk about.

Chaos erupts the moment you fire your first shot in Borderlands 2. Explosive gunfights unfold across wild landscapes, fueled by absurdity and relentless energy. Instead of quiet moments, expect loud colors, louder weapons, and enemies that never seem to stop coming. Humor crashes headfirst into heartfelt drama, making some scenes laugh-out-loud funny while others catch you off guard with real weight. At the center stands Handsome Jack, smirking through lines so sharp they stick long after the credits roll. Each Vault Hunter brings their own flavor, awkward, bold, strange, but somehow fits right in. Even returning faces feel fresh, showing up at just the right time to shift the mood completely. Gunplay drives everything forward, layering explosions on top of chaos until it feels like too much, yet still leaves you wanting more. Gunplay snaps tight here, while loot piles up wild. Skill trees twist in crazy directions instead. Co op chaos bursts into every fight somehow. Each moment hits fresh because of it. Laughter runs through everything loudly. Explosions tear across the screen often. Yet feeling stays strong beneath all that noise.

Hours upon hours spent diving into Marvel Rivals alongside friends haven’t dulled the thrill one bit. Sure, folks might link it to Overwatch both revolve around teams and heroes shooting things but actually playing reveals distinct flavors. Structure tightens Overwatch; players stick to assigned roles without shifting. On the flip side, Marvel Rivals leans into wilder rhythms, loose and buzzing with energy, somehow making messiness work beautifully. Out of nowhere, a weird team setup might actually work. Friends shouting over voice chat turn ordinary games into something you remember. When powers collide by accident, sparks fly literally or not. It does not matter if the plan fails; laughter kicks in right after. Matches twist unpredictably, yet somehow that feels satisfying. Even mess ups pull people closer. A well timed move from your favorite hero changes the mood fast. Familiar faces from Marvel bring comfort, like running into an old pal mid battle. Watching them clash, combo, dodge it sticks in your head. No two rounds ever copy each other. Waiting for the next game begins before the last one ends. Still fresh past six hundred hours. One more game keeps pulling me back, especially when it turns into laughter with friends. Hard to walk away from moments like that.