The best things in REYNATIS are the combat and the music. Getting past the initial knee-jerk reaction of the subpar graphics will be hard for most gamers, as will the dull level design and missions. However, those who stick with it and allow the better qualities to settle in and expand will be engrossed by the action and spectacle.
If you can’t get your hands on the original version of Lollipop Chainsaw and you’re very desperate for zombie hunting with panty shots, get OneeChanbara Origin. Maybe if the developer patches things up, RePop might be as awesome as it should be. The missing music will always loom over this port, but is it even Lollipop Chainsaw anymore without it?
Keylocker is a magnificent and creative tour de force. The charming and lurid visuals and music elevate what is already a very thoughtfully designed RPG into an engrossing and humorous adventure that keeps players guessing. The setting and characters are beautifully realized and there isn’t anything like it.
The grab-bag remixes of Yar’s Revenge are surprising and not knowing what is coming next keeps the gameplay engaging, even if Emi’s stealth mechanics are as basic as possible. At the very least, WayForward took an old Atari game that nobody cared about and did something new and interesting with it.
Astro Bot is a crowd-pleasing kind of game, but it is also a very superficial one that you forget about after playing. The haptics and the sensory experience from playing are novel, but after a while, there is not much else to the game. It can be depressing for older gamers who wish the cameos didn’t feel like you were in a wax museum of dead celebrities; a haunting reminder of Sony squandering some of their classic games.
Stealth games are rare these days and Evotinction is a worthy effort that leans more in the direction of strategy than action. The graphics look great thanks to the artists being responsible with their limitations and the music elevates the atmosphere. The protagonist is unrealistically limited by what the game demands and the enemy designs are uninspired. Yet, Evotinction is a game I admire for its ingenuity and tactical gameplay.
The value gamers get in the Castlevania Dominus Collection is unbeatable, and each title included offers something unique. Whether it is Dawn of Sorrow‘s touchscreen gimmicks, Portrait of Ruin‘s tag-teaming, or the savage difficulty of Order of Ecclesia, you can expect to have a grand time with any of them. They’re masterworks all, you can’t go wrong.
Anyone interested in a laid-back comedy adventure game with a soul will have a lot to chew on with Repella Fella. It is a surprisingly lengthy and epic game that is twice as long as you’d expect and feels like bingeing a short season’s worth of episodes or an exceptionally long animated film.
Shadow of the Ninja Reborn is another hit for Tengo Project and Natsume Atari. This feels like it is their best work yet given the scope of the game, added content, and gameplay enhancements. You won’t find a better 2D action ninja game than this and it is not for the faint of heart.
White Day 2: The Flower That Tells Lies – Complete Edition is a disappointing reiteration of the original. It removes features and streamlines the experience, while also telling a story incoherently. At the very least, some scary moments managed to make my blood run cold thanks to the impressive atmosphere and the puzzles were stimulating.
If you miss Goemon and the kind of off-beat Japanese humor that came with it, BAKERU delivers the fun while also being a gigantic platformer epic. This is the kind of game you used to see during the PlayStation 2 and Gamecube days but made with the dazzling veneer of modern technology and effects.
Nihon Falcom used to be a pioneer in the game industry. They revolutionized action RPGs and set the standard with awesome character art. Tokyo Xanadu eX+ feels like a fall from grace. Now Falcom copies whatever is trendy. They recycle concepts and assets and the art used in Tokyo Xanadu eX+ is utterly bland and generic. It is an unfortunate sign of the times that Falcom has resorted to these practices to keep going and stay afloat in an industry that is spiraling out of control.
CYGNI: All Guns Blazing is a heart-stopping, adrenaline-fueled shoot-em-up. Its steep learning curve may initially deter gamers, but mastering its intricacies leads to an incredibly rewarding and satisfying experience. The sheer intensity of the action is almost overwhelming, pushing the limits of human perception, yet it’s undeniably impressive in its fearless approach.
STAR WARS™: Bounty Hunter™ was never a great game and while this new port does address many of its issues, it still isn’t the best it could be. Despite its flaws, this is still a very enjoyable action game and a lot of that has to do with its sensibilities being tied to the early 2000s when games could let players indulge in their inner sadist and didn’t morally grandstand about their actions. STAR WARS™ might be lame and gay today, but Bounty Hunter™ will always be the cool edgy kid that smoked behind the school.
Cat Quest III is a very light and fun action-adventure game with pleasing visuals and an open world to explore with a friend. Kids or anyone who enjoys the Lego games will find that there is a lot to enjoy in Cat Quest III. Even with the awkward ship combat, the gameplay is breezy enough that it won’t hinder the experience.
Natsu-Mon! 20th Century Summer Kid is excellent despite its terrible frame rate. The West is very likely never going to get an official release of Boku’s games, but the truth is that Satoru has the better summer break.
This is the kind of game that attracts a certain kind of gamer who hungers for a hearty challenge and high skill ceiling. Eden Genesis will certainly deliver on that front, but it won’t satisfy players who want a compelling story with characters they care about, which is a shame because Eden Genesis does try to offer. If you like pointing at the screen at things you recognize, then you’re going to feel right at home.
There is a reason why used copies of Tomba! fetch prices past the $100 range in the second-hand market. It is a blissfully enjoyable experience that makes you feel like a hyper kid again with snot running down your nose as you hold in your pee because you don’t want to stop playing. Given how many remakes and remasters get things wrong, maybe it was for the best that Tomba! Special Edition is as safe as it is.
Bloodhound is such a massive failure that it gets nothing right. Everything a gamer looks for in a shooter is bungled and it creates new issues with its staggeringly bad design choices. Compounded with the technical failings that make it almost unplayable, there isn’t anything worthwhile here at all.
CLeM is an enjoyable mystery adventure game that incorporates some metroidvania elements with great success. It would have benefitted if the game was a bit longer to flesh out some of the late story components and maybe a redesign of that tiresome firefly puzzle. At the very least, it has the easiest platinum trophy I acquired and I never actively seek any trophies/achievements.