Dragon's Dogma 2 almost passed with honors, but misses the mark with unnecessary and superfluous in-game items for real money. Graphically the game is usually beautiful, but there is still some work to be done here, just like with the sound and some controls? Is it a cult classic or not? I don't dare say that yet, but the game does a lot right, but also a number of things not. Time will tell whether Capcom will address the concerns that have been going back and forth across the web or not. Does the game have a decent replay value? Strangely enough, there is always something to discover and, as with other open world games, new things are discovered by gamers years and sometimes hundreds of hours later.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
Children of the Sun is like a summer Saturday in April. Short, powerful and nice to experience in between. For anyone who likes puzzle games and wants something new, this is an excellent game to at least try.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
Pepper Grinder may be a bit on the short side. However, just like Mega Man Purely to perfect every level. It's a short and powerful platformer with a lot of spice and a focus on quality instead of quantity. In a time where games are getting longer and longer, we can welcome this.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
It is expected that all DLC will be included in the very pleasant price and you can find all the things you can expect from a PC port. The resolution and frame rate can be significantly higher than previous versions and with a much greater draw distance, this is the definitive version of Dragon Quest: Builders that you can purchase. Although this port is a bit late, it is a very good port of a game that is still fun.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
A while ago I wrote that this was one of my most difficult reviews. That's because Rebirth does everything it can to make it as difficult as possible to love this game. Despite the adjustments, the main story is still fantastic, the soundtrack is great and so are the graphics during cutscenes. The open zones are not necessarily bad, but they are overcrowded with meaningless content that only functions as filler and not enough combat. When Rebirth opens everything up and you can dive into the combat or the story, then you can enjoy it. It's a shame that the game does everything it can to pull you out of there and saddle you with boring meaningless padding. Rebirth is at times brilliant, fantastic, beautiful and leaves you as an emotional wreck. It's just that it's interrupted so often that the entire outcome leans more toward "okay" and not what it could have been.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
The developers promised a lot with their Kickstarter campaign and during interviews it seemed like it could be something special. Unfortunately not much was made of that. Farsiders revels in mediocrity and I still struggle to think of why anyone could like this game. So leave it alone.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
Fearmonium is a Metroidvania with a pretty heavy theme. The depressing themes in combination with the gloomy environments are not for everyone. It might even put off those who are interested. On the other hand, it has become a very original game in the genre that I would like to recommend to everyone without too many caveats. Even if you have a phobia of clowns.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
There's something here that could have been brilliant. With just a little more time in the oven to give more variety in missions, a more interesting skill set and more different enemies, this could have been a fun game to play with three friends. Now it is a game that is fun for one mission and then quickly forgotten.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
The longer I played this game the more frustrated I became. For the first hour I was still smiling through the presentation. However, it ended with swearing. The game is not completely unplayable, but it would have been better if a number of problems were resolved and the game had a release around Christmas. A shame, because at this time when it gets dark early, a good Christmas game would have been a lot of fun.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
Explaining everything that is in Star Ocean: The Second R is a task in itself. It is a huge game with a lot of replay value, great options to customize your characters to your own wishes and a fantastic battle system. The only downside is the somewhat simplistic main story. This remake takes the original to new heights and modernizes sufficiently while keeping the charm of the original intact.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
I personally had very different expectations of Infinity Strash. This title was announced as a kind of action RPG in the Dragon Quest world. In reality it has become more of an arena fighter with a story told at 8x speed. I wonder who this game is actually for. If you want an arena fighter, you better buy Dragon Quest: Heroes. Would you like to experience Dai's story? Then it is much better to watch the 2020 anime.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
Final Fantasy XVI manages to wash away the foul aftertaste of Final Fantasy XV without any problems. It has become a much better game on all fronts. The story may start slowly and in the beginning does not feel very much like we are used to from the series, but once the brakes are off it does not stop. Many fans will immediately drop out because of the combat, because it should be turn-based. That does not alter the fact that the end product has become very good. I warmly welcome new fans who have become interested in the setting and combat. Don't let yourself be chased away.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
Doomblade is a Metroidvania you don't often see anymore. In a sea of imitators and titles that don't offer much else, Doomblade surprises. Rarely do you see one with an exploration system that gives you such a satisfying feeling. With just under ten hours, the game is the ideal length to play again to go through the story without upgrades, for example. That duration depends very much on how good you are. Checkpoints can be a bit far from each other and the game is quite challenging.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
If I didn't express my enthusiasm for Live A Live correctly with the account above, let me just sum it up. Perhaps it's a good thing that Live A Live never came out in Europe in 1994, because this remake has made me want to enjoy the genre again. It's a great game and a must for anyone with even the slightest interest in the genre. There are some lesser aspects, such as the combat, and some scenarios are a bit less than the others. Although that again depends on each person. The conclusion, however, is well worth the journey.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
Since it is a product of the arcade '90, the duration of the game is not really long. Games at that time became longer mainly due to the sky-high difficulty. Cannon Dancer is no exception to that rule. There's basically just under twenty minutes of gameplay once you've fully learned it and can actually play it without errors. It's in the replay value, because you'll never be able to do that flawlessly in one go. It is therefore entirely up to you to get the most out of it.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
Of course I can only speak about my own experience here (although the Steam reviews are not tender either). After several hours of adjusting settings and hoping for at least an acceptable experience, I had simply given up hope. Then fight through all kinds of glitches and crashes. There will probably be configurations that the game will work well on. The reality, however, is that most of them are better off waiting for some performance-related patches. Until then, stick with the PS5 version, because in its current state it is a shadow of what the game actually is.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
Tales of Symphonia Remastered comes at an odd time. The excellent new version of Dead Space just came out and Metroid Prime Remastered showed how it can be done too. This remaster of a classic JRPG then comes with what seems like minimal energy to really improve the game. It all looks and sounds a bit better, but it doesn't change the fact that this is just a mediocre remaster of a game that deserves a lot more.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
Returnal is just as good a game on PC as it is on PS5 and even better in some areas. For fans of third person shooters who like a good challenge, it is a blind buy. Especially if you have a system that can play the game stably at 120 frames. That only makes the game better. Just don't expect the game to be playable for the "casual" gamer right now. All the additions help, but the gameplay is still unforgiving. All in all, this is a successful port that Sony can once again be proud of.
Review in Dutch | Read full review