TheSixthAxis
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Metaphor ReFantazio is sublime. Persona fans will have an absolute blast playing this, and hunting out the subtle (and not-so-subtle) nods to its franchise cousin. A couple of minor annoyances make it feel a little rough around the edges hold it back from an otherwise perfect score.
Undisputed is a valiant attempt by Steel City Interactive, bringing back boxing to the fore in video games after a long absence. The in-ring action is generally very good and the roster is well stacked. What is missing is good commentary and there are gameplay issues that need to be addressed, including lag and stuttering. Undisputed is not ready to be a title challenger yet, but updates may see it get there eventually.
Arco is an artistic achievement, blending the struggles of gameplay and narrative into each other seamlessly as it draws you into the depressing but important stories of Mesoamerican natives struggling to carve out a space for themselves, in a world that grows more and more hostile by the day.
Playing Kill Knight feels like what happens if you gave a medieval peasant a bottle of soda. It's violent, and unexpected, and adrenaline-charged and fun as hell.
Squirrel With a Gun is more than just a jokey throwaway meme game, but in some ways this is its biggest downfall. There is so much potential in the central mechanics that is held back by floaty controls and so it falls between two stools. A little more refinement and this could have been a more solid experience, but as a joke it goes on too long. That being said, there is enough here to entertain if you can look past those control issues.
For under a fiver and with around five to six hours of content, the Mask of Darkness is practically an essential addition for fans of The Lost Crown. Offering an intense experience; as well as a surprisingly compelling story that fills in many of the blanks from the original game. Recommended.
While some of its gameplay diversions miss the mark, Dustborn is an excellent example of how to craft engaging characters and wrap a story around them. The game is filled with surprisingly natural sounding conversations, whether they're serious and detailed or funny and light. It's very rare that I encounter characters that are so believable in a game. Quite the achievement considering one of those characters is a gruff, bearded New Yorker with dwarfism who heals people by reciting poetry, who I honestly wish I got to spend more time with.
As with the original, Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2 is a simplified and cutesy take on the whole EDF think. While it succeeds in that goal, it loses a lot of the allure as it does so.
I'm still none the wiser who Funko Fusion is for. It's a kid's game that's too adult for kids, with a batch of franchises that only older fans will really appreciate, but then they've dialled down the difficulty, presumably to appeal to younger players. The shame of it is, with the right characters, this is a great kids game, and the Jurassic World levels only highlight that. Funko Fusion offers plenty to like, but just like its plastic-melting antagonist, it fuses too many of the wrong parts together to feel cohesive.
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is a charming delight, an adventure for Zelda herself that embraces a wholly different style of gameplay to Link's tales, allowing for player expression and creativity throughout.
EA Sports FC 25 is a slightly better offering than FC 24, thanks to the new Rush mode. FC IQ is still in its early stages and while it could have a huge impact on future titles, it is not yet very apparent how it is impacting the on the pitch action in this game. This is the EA Sports FC as you already know it. Whether that is a good or bad thing is up to you.
Beyond Galaxyland shows a lot of potential and has a very good battle system in it. Unfortunately, it is let down by bugs, some poor platforming, and racing. The bugs can be addressed in patches, but a bit more focus and refinement would have helped elevate this experience.
While the release schedule is packed with holiday season blockbusters, it's indie delights like Caravan Sand Witch that are the true pioneers of gaming, Sauge's adventures across Cigalo mirroring Plane Toast's exploration of the human spirit.
Epic Mickey Rebrushed is the ultimate version of the game and the team at Purple Lamp have clearly put a lot of love into updating the game for a contemporary audience. That being said, the additions to Mickey's moveset are completely unnecessary and the core game remains largely the same. If you've played Epic Mickey before then this version will bring back any nostalgia you have for the game and if you haven't then it is a good way to experience a neglected title. The lack of anything more than a cosmetic upgrade does make the high price a little hard to justify but this is still a solid game for anyone with a fondness for the Mouse.
Ara: History Untold is another distinctive take on the historical 4X strategy genre, putting a real emphasis on furthering your nation, managing supply chains and resources, and shifting the focus away from warring mentality it's so easy to sink into. There's room to grow, but this is a strong contender.
Cobra Kai saved Karate Kid from drifting into irrelevance, plunging Daniel LaRusso and company into modern cultural consciousness. Sadly, there's nothing about The Karate Kid: Street Rumble that will save it from fading into obscurity. And based on the apathetic fisticuffs the game offers, that's probably a good thing.
Reynatis is a game full of heart that reminds me of the golden age of PS2 RPG adventures, for better and for worse. It's full of interesting ideas, but is lacking consistent execution. If you can see past that, I do think that the charm of the game – the strong character writing, the living city of Shibuya, and angsty JRPG vibe of it all – will really resonate.
Charming, gorgeous and tonally perfect, The Plucky Squire is easily one of the indie highlights of the year.
Demon's Mirror is a wonderfully refreshing take on the whole deckbuilding genre, and well worth a look if you want something that genuinely feels new. If you've never played one of these before, however, then it's probably going to feel pretty tough to begin with, but it'll be worth it.
Ultimately, Jackbox Naughty Pack is the worst Party Pack to date, and while the bar is pretty high on the whole – tee hee – that doesn't change the fact that this just feels like a miss. It certainly doesn't help that there's only three games and two of them reskins, but maybe what's funny about being pure filth in normal Jackbox games is that you're doing it even if the game isn't winking and nudging you constantly. Maybe making our own fun and our own filth is the way forwards to a truly naughty experience.