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All in all, if you like Demon Slayer and you like Mario Party, there’s a really good chance you’ll have fun with this game, as niche as this condition can be. At least for a little bit. Much like Mario Party though, it may just be saved for parties when you have people around to play with because it’s not exactly the most thrilling thing to play alone, and as mentioned already, you won’t be able to find people online to play with unless you’re really, really lucky.
It does have a lot of issues, but Outcast: A New Beginning also features its fair share of saving graces. It is flawed, but a somewhat good time in smaller bursts. It’s a shame its open world design felt generic, never succeeding at captivating me, because the core combat mechanics and admittedly great visual design did a lot of heavy lifting. It’s an unapologetic old-school game in its premise and content; it doesn’t try to be anything else, nor does it try to punch above its weight. Whether you think this is commendable or not is up to your opinion.
Honestly I hate talking so poorly about any games, but when I can’t find a single redeeming aspect, and I can’t find a single praise to give a game after hours of game time, it’s concerning. If you’re going to ask “why did you play it for hours then? Couldn’t have been that bad!” The answer is I was desperate to find something positive, instead I found a terrible way to waste my time.
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Remake is a fine game, and one I recommend playing. What disappoints me most is just how little was done to this version to set itself apart from the original. The gameplay remains untouched, other than a completely clunky and bizarre co-op mode. The main changes were an enhanced soundtrack and graphics, but the large majority of the game is exactly the same as it was before.
Having said all that, Horrific Xanatorium had its moments, regardless of how short they were. The art styling was good (though I LOVED the pixel art in the credits), the concept was mostly well realized, and this is a really good first work from an up and coming designer and writer. The moments of hallucination, the fears and the inability to distinguish fact from fiction all nestled into my brain quite nicely, and I’m thrilled to be sure that I’m really here.
There’s charm, there’s cuteness, there’s a generous difficulty curve and there’s a plot that passes the Bechdel test. This is the right step forward for Peach into the spotlight, and I hope Showtime! is the first of many more adventures to come.
The major issue is, for something so potentially grand and promising, there’s just no fuel to keep the fire going. You find handfuls of tinder and the occasional decent stick to build a little heat, but when the most exciting moments come from shooting massive spiders and finding innovative ways to run around the map, it’s just a bit of a splodge that doesn’t ever quite find its shape.
Of course, there’s the everlasting conundrum regarding 2K’s monetization practices, but this game did not feel as grindy or egregious as its basketball counterparts. If you are not into online play, you won’t have a lot of options; you will most likely spending many hours grinding for experience points to upgrade your avatar. Thankfully, the gameplay is downright impeccable.
The Switch version of Sticky Business is less of a game, and more of a very clunky and shallow creative tool with not a lot to entice players for long. The progression system is silly, the gameplay loop lacks any kind of excitemente, and the controls and interface are embarassingly bad, never taking advantage of the Switch’s touchscreen, or even giving us the bare minimum of a completely cursor-based interface.
I feel The Hungry Lamb is for a specific audience, though I can’t quite align with whom that might be. It’s not thrilling enough to land in constant VN recommendations, it’s got uncomfortable relationships which will put most people off, and the endings never hit the high note that satisfies everything.
Zombies, Aliens and Guns is probably one of the least ambitious and memorable games I’ve ever played, but oddly enough, it was far from being bad. It fulfilled its reason to exist, which was to distract me for about two hours in a Thursday afternoon, entertaining me with its accessible controls, easygoing level of difficulty, and easy achievements. I played it, beat it, had a bit of fun with it, and will now probably forget about its existence. There’s nothing wrong about being competent but largely disposable.
Overall, I think Stitch is an ultra quaint title that oozes warmth and welcome in gameplay and visual presentation, and is just such a decompression tool after a long day doing literally anything. It gives me such joy and relaxation to bring together the numbers and colors until I’ve made a bicycle or a nutcracker or whatever. I’ll do Christmas puzzles in April, it’s fine and the game doesn’t judge me. Unlock more and more pieces, don’t wait for power ups or villains because there are none, and just keep making yourself happy.
A Difficult Game About Climbing is obviously frustrating, and I don’t exactly think it’s a fun pasttime, but it’s exponentially more enjoyable than the horrendous Getting Over It With Bennett Foddy. It’s actually beatable with enough trial and error. Its mechanics, whilst not exactly polished to the brim, work as intended, with no intentional input lag. It’s still clearly meant for Let’s Play youtubers to film themselves losing their minds over it, but it can still be a passable challenge if you’re up for the task.
New Star GP is adorably retro in its visuals and vibes, but it’s got some surprising amount of depth and an interesting career mode. A little hidden gem in the racing scene, without a doubt.
Had Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Arcade: Wrath of the Mutants been released in, say, 2021, I would have definitely complained about it, but I would have also said there was no better option for us fans out there. In a post Cowabunga Collection and Shredder’s Revenge world, however, this game feels almost like a joke. I don’t know who this game is for. By being so dull, so lifeless, so devoid of joy and excitement, Wrath of the Mutants actually stands out like a sore thumb.
It’s far from being a bad game, mind you. There’s quite a bit to like about it, such as its Half-Life-esque presentation and expansive levels. With that being said, it’s not as over-the-top, and as a result, entertaining, as its predecessor, which featured better combat sections and more replayability. It does scratch a very specific itch. If you want to play something that vaguely resembles the original Half-Life in scope and gameplay, I think that Phantom Fury can satiate said niche.
Bear in mind that I appreciate the attempts at spicing up a Cretaceous-era gameplay loop with elements like the stress meter and a (forgettable, but still extant) story, but all in all, Lunar Lander Beyond is best enjoyed, and then forgotten, in 15 to 20 minute bursts. There was nothing about it that irritated me, but rarely did the game wow me, very rarely did it impress me. It’s a very honest attempt at reviving another Atari IP without the need of turning it into yet another Recharged title, but there’s just so much that you could do to update something that was already quite limited in scope even back in the 80s.
It’s a clever little title, handles well on the Switch and comes in at the same price as a Happy Meal. While it won’t blow away critics at the end of the year, The Exit 8 is memorable and serves as a good proof of concept, like how P.T. once captivated players across the world with unspeakable dread.
I’m not going to say that The Epyx Collection: Handheld is an easy recommendation, but it’s a fantastic opportunity for retro gaming enthusiasts to experience a few hidden gems which had previously only been available on a very obscure, but very underrated portable system. You may think this collection is a waste of time because nobody (aside from me and half a dozen other weirdos) owned a Lynx back in the day, but games like Gates of Zendocon and Blue Lightning are still amazing, more than 35 years later.
Overall, Cartel Tycoon can be a good replacement for other RTS type games. Everything can go wrong pretty easily, as you’d likely be familiar with if you’ve played these types of games before. Sometimes you’ll have games where you steamroll everyone else and feel pretty good about yourself as well. Much like a box of chocolates, you never really know what you’re gonna get sometimes.