I had the same experience when I played HALO: CE (the original version) for the first time this last summer. I could write the same words... well, actually I had started writing reviews for games I finished this year, but then lost steam along the way, just when it was time to review this particular game. I ended up giving it a 3/5 rating, just OK, not great.
It's a pity since combat is actually very good, with challenging opponents and satisfying (if not particularly varied or fanciful) weapons. But that level design, so uninspired and repetitive, really killed the game for me. All those copy-paste corridors, rooms, bridges, over and over again...
At one point, I wasn't even sure I was really making progress, I felt like I was backtracking! And it doesn't get better the more you go on, no it possibly gets worse. I started wanting the game to be over soon, which is never a good sign...
There was some twist in the plot, but I stopped caring for that and the characters, with all their banter - I was reminded of Portal 2, and not in a good way.
The outdoor sections were indeed the best, as you write, and the vehicles were great, so fun to ride (especially the tank, of course!). It's also a very beautiful game, both visually and aurally. The more a pity. With a little more creativity in the level design department, it could have really been something great.
Perhaps my disappointment stemmed in part from very high expectations in approaching this revered piece of gaming history.

I finished Drakensang. Of course I haven't played and finished it in the 10 days since 30-10 (when I finished Dungeon Siege 3)! I had played Drakensang till I reached Murolosh (the last area of the game) earlier this year, but then I halted it for some months. These days I returned and finished it.

Completed a few games since last time:
- Suzerain: A political simulator. Very difficult. I played it twice to try different outcomes. The good ending is quite difficult to get though.
- Quake - Episode 1: Fun. I'll continue the other episodes later.
- Once upon a Jester: An UFO very difficult to explain. I enjoyed it though.
- Injustice 2: A solid fighting game but I suck at those :)
- Yi and the thousand moons: A short musical game. Not much to do but the songs were enjoyable.


Full list here.

Dear Esther: Landmark Edition (2017) (Linux/Proton)

OMG. It's sooo slow and frustrating. Do not miss the correct path, jumping the cliff does not help in such case. Literally no gameplay also.

List of all games completed in 2024.

Expeditions: A Mudrunner Game (XSX Game Pass)

The most common complaint people seem to have with this game is that it isn't SnowRunner 2. That is not my complaint as Snow Runner is still getting huge expansions and has hundreds of hours of content, even in the base game. Expeditions is more of a general offroad simulator rather than an offroad Euro Truck Sim. It's actually a very different game.

Unfortunately, they messed it up. SnowRunner is one of my favorite games. All they had to do with Expeditions was take the idea of off-roading with scout class vehicles and medium trucks and keep the same sort of quest and progression system and the same controls and UI. Somehow Expeditions is way more tedious in the way the tasks and jobs are handled. The game needlessly sends you somewhere just to pick up the job, then sends you to all points of the map. It just badly lacks something and soon became nothing more than a slog. The tasks give you little money and doing them can cost you more than you earn and that's before you factor in the time you took. Offloading what you're carrying, such as fuel or repairs, to make way for a quest item is not possible just anywhere- not even at depots if they have no open space...the entire UI and is just tedious and annoying. So, I struggled through the expeditions (which is the story mode) and left almost all of the tasks and optional contracts.

In the end, this is a great idea, but messed up in execution somewhat, I'd rather just buy the expansions for SnowRunner and just play more of that.

The Surge

one of the best combat systems in Souls(likes) games I've played.
Challenging but sometimes borderline unfair - they even have dogs equivalent of those nasty scorpion-like machines.
Second map is absolute maze even with markings and signs telling you where it goes. The DLCs and further levels weren't that convolutet luckily.
The gameplay loop of farming cash (with multiplayer mechanic that can be abused) and parts to improve your gear.
Story was OK and easier to follow than FROM games.

Ok/10
worth the time for sure
won't play Surge 2 because the vibes ain't for me and it's much uglier

Darksiders 3
played with classic controls

Some soulslikes elements here, but nothing special.
It was ok, not great like other DS games in the series. Dialoges were decent along with character developement - something not existing in other entries.
Some connections with Remnants series, maybe, at the end?
Game was easy with exception of DLC bosses (Keeper of the Void) and Arena.