Does This Game Still Hold Up?

Naughty Dog took their charming PS2 platformer and somehow turned it into a kid-friendly GTA with time travel, and Lennon and David think it absolutely works. They cover the tonal shift, the upgraded gunplay and combat, Baron Praxis as a standout villain, the plot twists, and whether Jak 2 still holds up in 2026.

Naughty Dog's 2001 platformer sits in Crash Bandicoot's shadow, but Lennon and David find out pretty quickly that Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy has more than enough to stand on its own. They cover the seamless open world, the movement, the collectathon design, Easter eggs hiding in the Forbidden Jungle and Goal and Maia's Citadel, and whether a twenty five year old PS2 classic s...

In this week's episode, Lennon & David finally tackle the anticipated sequel Darksiders 3... and boy, do we have our thoughts on this game.#darksiders3

Darksiders 2 was the most expensive game ever made at the time of release, and Lennon and David think the budget shows. They cover the loot system and RPG mechanics, death as the standout horseman, Jesper Kyd's score, and why this game proves the series can stand on its own.

Darksiders had one of gaming's most interesting premises, a Horseman of the Apocalypse clearing his name across a ruined earth caught between heaven and hell, but does the 2010 cult classic still hold up in 2026? Lennon and David cover the combat, the level design, Mark Hamill as the Watcher, the ending that sets up the whole series, and why a game this packed with inspiration from God of War, Zel...

Dishonored Death of the Outsider is a short standalone expansion that wraps up the Dishonored story by following Billie Lurk and her mentor Daud on a mission to kill the Outsider himself. Lennon and David cover the removal of the chaos system, Billie as a protagonist, the level design highlights, and whether a four to five hour campaign can still justify its place in the series.

Dishonored 2 picks up sixteen years after the original, with Empress Emily overthrown and either Emily or Corvo fighting their way back to the throne through the sun-soaked streets of Karnaca. Lennon and David cover the dual protagonist system, the upgraded level design, the chaos system, and whether Arkane's 2016 sequel still holds up in 2026. The gameplay is the star of the show, but does th...

Dishonored came out in 2012 and has been sitting in the backlog ever since. In this episode, Lennon and David kick off their Dishonored series to find out if Arkane Studios' steampunk stealth classic still holds up in 2026. They cover the plague ridden city of Dunwall and why the art style makes a fourteen year old game look more timeless than most modern releases, the chaos system and how you...

Batman Arkham Knight is the final chapter of one of gaming's greatest trilogies, but does Rocksteady's 2015 send-off still hold up in 2026? In this episode, Lennon and David close out the Arkham series to find out if the biggest and most ambitious entry in the franchise still delivers over a decade later. They cover the darker, grittier tone that sets this apart from Asylum and City, the Joker's b...

Batman Arkham City is one of the most beloved sequels in gaming history, but does Rocksteady's 2011 follow-up still hold up in 2026? In this episode, Lennon and David continue their Batman Arkham series with Arkham City to find out if the game that expanded Gotham into an open world super prison still delivers. They cover the layered story juggling Hugo Strange, the League of Assassins and the Jok...

Batman Arkham Asylum kicked off one of the greatest trilogies in gaming history, but does Rocksteady's 2009 classic still hold up in 2026? In this episode, Lennon and David kick off their Batman Arkham series with Arkham Asylum to find out if the game that defined the superhero genre still delivers. They cover the claustrophobic island setting, the free-flowing combat system and why almost no game...

The Mass Effect trilogy ends here, but does it go out on a high? In this episode, Lennon and David close out their Mass Effect run with Mass Effect 3 to find out if BioWare's galaxy-wide finale still holds up in 2026. They cover the story, the Reaper invasion and why it loses some of its urgency, the changes to the Paragon and Renegade system, and the incredible character send-offs that make t...

Mass Effect 2 is widely considered one of the greatest sequels ever made, but does it still hold up in 2026? In this episode, Lennon and David continue their Mass Effect trilogy playthrough to find out if BioWare's magnum opus still delivers. They cover the story, the overhaul to combat and the Paragon and Renegade system, and why the loyalty missions carry more weight than the main story itse...

The Mass Effect trilogy begins here, but does the game that started it all still hold up in 2026? In this episode, Lennon and David kick off their Mass Effect series with Commander Shepard's debut to find out if BioWare's landmark space opera is worth your time nearly two decades later. We cover the story, the Reaper threat, Saren as a villain, the Paragon and Renegade system, and what mak...

The Prince of Persia trilogy ends here, but does it go out with a bang or a whimper? In this episode, Lennon & David revisit Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones to find out if the final chapter of the Sands of Time trilogy still holds up in 2026. They cover the story, the return of Farah and the Vizier, the Dark Prince mechanic, the new stealth kills and parkour additions, and whether the Babylo...

In today's episode, Lennon and David are back on the Sands of Time trilogy and Warrior Within is a different beast entirely. The Dahaka, the dual-wield combat, the past and present time mechanics, two endings, a Monica Bellucci voice credit nobody talks about, and a game that somehow got made in one year. Does it hold up in 2026? Yeah. Yeah it really does.

In today's episode, Lennon & David revisit the 2003 classic to find out if this PS2 masterpiece still holds up, and the answer might surprise you. From the Dagger of Time's rewind mechanic to the surprisingly seamless parkour and combat, Sands of Time laid the foundation for Assassin's Creed and changed gaming forever. We're going through the story, gameplay, setting, and prese...

Assassin’s Creed Rogue might be the most underrated game in the entire Assassin’s Creed series. In today's episode, Lennon & David have replayed AC Rogue in 2026 to see if it actually holds up or if it was always overshadowed by Assassin’s Creed Unity. We break down Assassin’s Creed Rogue from start to finish, including Shay Cormac’s Templar story, the gameplay changes from Black Flag, the...

Is Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag a better pirate game than an Assassin’s Creed game? In today's episode, Lennon & David dive into Edward Kenway’s character arc, the Assassin vs Templar conflict, the Sage storyline, and the controversial modern day sections. We also unpack the naval combat loop, upgrading the Jackdaw, hunting legendary ships, tailing missions, and why AC Black Flag still f...

Does AC3 still hold up in 2026? We revisit Assassin’s Creed 3 and Connor’s divisive story. In this video, we replay Assassin’s Creed 3 to see whether AC3 deserves its reputation or its criticism. From Connor’s monotone rage and the Haytham twist, to the American Revolution setting, naval combat foundations, and that controversial Desmond ending, we break down what works and what falls apart. Is As...

Dead Island 2 drops you into a quarantined Hollywood and asks one question: is it actually good? In this episode, Lennon & David break down Dead Island 2 and whether this zombie sequel delivers on its brutal LA premise. Set in a quarantined, zombie-infested Hollywood, the game trades open-world sprawl for handcrafted zones like Beverly Hills and Venice Beach. We dive into the gore system, mele...

In today's video, Lennon & David revisits Dead Island Riptide to see whether it deserves a second chance in 2026. What we found is a game that feels like a glorified expansion: clunky combat, aggressive difficulty spikes, padded mission design, poor navigation, buggy systems, and a paper-thin story stretched across an oversized map. We break down why Riptide feels worse than the original D...

Dead Island was a zombie game we all loved back in the Xbox 360 era, especially in co-op. But replaying it now in 2026 tells a very different story. In this episode, David & Lennon revisit Dead Island Definitive Edition to see how it actually feels today, from the clunky combat and awkward gunplay to the infamous voice acting, uneven story, and surprisingly influential design choices that even...

Crysis 3 still looks incredible in 2026, but does it actually hold up as a game? In this episode of Does This Game Still Hold Up?, we revisit Crysis 3, the final chapter in Crytek’s FPS trilogy, to see how it plays today. From Prophet’s return to a ruined New York trapped under the CELL dome, to the Alpha Ceph plot, the nanosuit upgrades, and the introduction of the bow, we break down what works a...

In today's episode, Lennon & David revisit Crysis 2 to see if Crytek’s alien invasion, Nanosuit power fantasy, and Prophet’s legacy still land today. Set in a ruined New York City, Crysis 2 drops you into the boots of Alcatraz, fused with Prophet’s Nanosuit and thrown into a war between alien Ceph forces and the CELL corporation. We break down how the campaign plays now, from the tighter g...