If you have never played Red Dead Redemption, it is about time! There is enough to note graphically, but we have to take into account that this is a game from 2010. Bringing it to a 2024 standard is quite a challenge, I can understand. So don't expect Horizon Zero Dawn Remaster quality, because the base game is simply a lot older in that respect. The gameplay and content are still rock solid, although it feels a bit dated here and there. The running, the jumping, the physics, it all feels and looks a bit like you are playing Grand Theft Auto III. But if you're looking for a game that simply plays well, has a good story and looks acceptable enough for this day and age, then Red Dead Redemption for PC, including the expansion, will keep you going and will allow you to relive many Western influences.
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A remaster can elevate a game over a game that was released later. That is certainly the case here because Horizon Zero Dawn looks like a freshly launched, new PlayStation 5 game that was fully developed on the newer console. Everything looks so great and sometimes you even find yourself standing on a mountain enjoying the view that awaits you again. The beautiful weather effects in the game's large map are all a feast for the eyes but also make the game more varied in terms of experience. The addition of more liveliness in the cities, the better NPC motion capture and the improved textures make the game razor sharp. Add to that the already great gameplay and the evolutionary mission structure that manages to offer constant variation and you simply have a perfect game. There are a few small details here and there that could have been polished up a bit more, but all in all this is a must-buy if you have never played the game before, whether or not you want to play it again, but then on the next-gen console or PC via an upgrade.
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After more than 8 hours and the 5 chapters behind me, with a relatively satisfying and interesting ending, it is clear that the story is well put together. It becomes a bit more 'mystical' and 'woolly' from chapter 4 and then you also fly to the end, but in the end I could look back on my experience with reasonable satisfaction. It is a pity that the locations are so much of the same and that the conversations sometimes have to be digested very slowly. The main character, Max, also comes across as a bit boring and too sweet and could have had a bit more experience. Her soft voice is therefore not convincing enough. The extra clothing that you can apply to your character also feels very unnecessary, just like the social media and messages that you can follow on your mobile. Life is Strange: Double Exposure is however a fine game if you like an entertaining story and do not have too high expectations in terms of gameplay.
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Until Dawn is a pleasure to play again, even after all those years that I played the game before. It feels fairly new again in that respect. However, it must be emphasized that the game is finished after about 6 hours. Yes, you can play the game again with different choices and get a different course, but it still feels annoying to have to go through certain scenarios that are quite static and less dynamic. I doubt that you will play the game three times or more. However, you have to pay a full amount of money for that. However, Until Dawn is graphically the best movie game we have seen so far and it is clear that they largely started again on the Unreal Engine 5. It stutters a bit every now and then towards 25 fps, but with the much improved graphics, all the DualSense and UI improvements, Until Dawn feels like a new person.
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GreedFall II is a pretty nice game in terms of concept. It all means well, but the game is not quite there in terms of execution, sometimes even far from it. Audiovisually it is quite weak and in terms of gameplay it all feels quite mediocre. It is clear that the ambitions were greater than the result. If you had exaggerated a little less with the inventory system, the dialogue system and all those other RPG elements and had focused a little more on the gameplay and quality, the game would have been a little more accessible and it would have looked a little more professional. Unfortunately, this did not result in the result that every RPG lover had hoped for. The intention was good, in terms of content you have mountains of possibilities and quests, but the result is unfortunately a reasonable disappointment.
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When it comes to presentation, Looney Tunes: Wacky World of Sports does almost everything right. The game just looks great and also looks cheerful and nicely chaotic. When it comes to gameplay and especially content, it is a bit less impressive. The game modes are too sparsely developed, which means that everything comes down to the same thing. The four sports all play well and I actually don't have a single sport of which I say: No, there's nothing to it. In fact, that is not possible because the tournaments offer all four sports. The challenge mode then offers extra mini-games, but unfortunately they could not keep me glued to the TV. The old animated series could. However, I was able to entertain myself with the game for a few hours and I certainly do not want to advise against the game, although you do have to be a reasonable fan or try to appeal to a young audience who wants to buy this game. Only then will this game undoubtedly be worth buying.
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They Came From the Sky 2 is a game that feels great in terms of atmosphere and presentation, but offers somewhat meager possibilities in terms of gameplay. In the beginning you have to get used to the controls and the walking and shooting, but you will soon see that there is little new under the sun. The linear design could have felt a bit more varied by, for example, building in levels or progression systems. The unlockable improvements should also try to offer the challenge. In my opinion, that is a bit too meager, which makes the game repetitive a bit too quickly. For the price of 10 Euros you can certainly enjoy yourself for the first few hours, but the game will not have much more to offer you.
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Chasing the ball and scoring points is the most fun, followed by the Keeper mechanism. I didn't really like the other two options, including the Breaker. They try to give the game some face and content by sprinkling a lot of collectibles, level progression, skill points and all kinds of customizable options, including adjusting the appearance and upgrading the 'brooms' with speed, agility and durability, but in terms of content the game actually offers very few real possibilities. The tournaments are actually just an exhibition mode with a nice hat on, but that's all it really has to offer. Online it's fun that you can play with and against others, but even there, after a few hours of floating around, boredom reigns a bit. The game can also be played single player and online, the AI lends itself perfectly to being able to play 'offline'. Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions is fun for a while, but has no game modes or content that will keep you glued to the TV for weeks. However, are you looking for some entertainment every now and then and do you want to get to know the Harry Potter universe with friends or bots with a game of Quidditch? Then this is a game that will play quite nicely.
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AS is a bit of a game of averages. On the one hand it sometimes gives a realistic impression, on the other hand it falls a bit short here and there. Although not all the tasks of airport life are included, the professions that are there are sufficient. It may not always seem like the game it should be, but I had a fair amount of fun with it. Despite bugs and glitches, which are not totally present, I think AirportSim has a chance of success. It just needs some work. The steep price of about 39 euros is too high and should be lowered, although I can't say exactly by how much. In any case, the game gives a reasonable impression of the ins and outs of working conditions at an airport. If you like a game that gives a realistic impression, then this is for you. However, you don't always have to do it for the gameplay, but the overall picture and the roaring planes are of course something for the real airplane enthusiast. The GPS needs to be improved, as does the automatic route that is set via your tablet. Being able to set more in the game, as well as more executive tasks at the airport, would also be nice in the near future. It's not a perfect game, but it's not bad either.
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Thief Simulator 2 is a funny game that excels in terms of atmosphere and tension. The game also offers quite a few gameplay features and hours of gameplay, as you may not have unlocked everything with about 15 hours of playing. The loading times are short, the adaptive trigger effects when lock picking are funny and some other details have been nicely worked out, such as the red-blue lighting of the touchpad when the police are chasing you. Thief Simulator 2 is an entertaining game for anyone who would like to step into the life of a burglar.
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Darkest Dungeon II is a game with a large manual, literally and figuratively. The game is not a pick-up-and-play title like part 1 and involves a significant entry barrier. Yes, you can get quite far if you just do something, but if you really want to beat everything in the game and the final bosses, then you will really have to delve into the matter. In terms of ambiance, the game feels incredibly atmospheric and in that respect there is little wrong with this turn-based RPG. However, in terms of controls and navigation, it is sometimes a struggle on the console to be able to assign and apply everything properly and clearly. This extensive RPG is mainly intended for avid RPGers. If you are the kind of person who wants to put in many, many hours, then you can't believe your luck with this title.
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Sometimes you have games that are not a SHiM (dutch saying) of a standard game. This is such a game. It is not a dime a dozen game that you see regularly. In terms of gameplay, the game does not do anything special, but the level design combined with the graphics make the game unique and perhaps never seen before. This is a title that is relaxing and yet offers enough challenge to get your brain working every now and then.
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In terms of concept, Bloodhound is a game that we could indeed expect to see as standard around the 90s. If the game had been released then, it still wouldn't be a Quake or Unreal beater. The constant racing from one room to another and the constant supply of meat ensures that you have seen enough after an hour. The light RPG possibilities with the abilities and the reasonable variety of weapons, which develop a little more variety, do not make you want to play the game again. It is nice that keys have been added to the level design, with which you have to unlock successive rooms and that some bosses appear every now and then. However, Bloodhound is ultimately nothing more than a mindless dime a dozen shooter. If you can appreciate that, then you will be fine with this.
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Pool Party offers fun party gameplay that is easy to digest and playable. However, everything is very chaotic, it sometimes comes down to luck and you often experience short periods of time. The constant tutorial for each game is sometimes a bit annoying, as is the soundtrack, which is constantly the same. Graphically, the game looks colorful and fairly sleek. The customization options for the characters are also quite limited and add little extra value. Pool Party is just about worth the money for two bucks, but it certainly doesn't deliver more value for money. The game is fun for half an hour here and half an hour there, and then usually disappears again for a while. Pool Party is therefore not much more than a mediocre party game for the family.
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The depth of this modest game that not many people will probably know, ensures that The Land Beneath Us will take many hours to complete. The Relics, the weapons, the upgrades that you can then make on both, the perma-upgrades in the Lab that you can purchase and the versatility of the gameplay and platforms on which you play ensure that you can have a lot of fun with this game . After about 5 hours of playing I was only through 4 levels and then I was only halfway through. After that it becomes a bit more challenging and you will have to spend many hours again. The small details, including the chips, the quests that you can complete separately, the teleporting and the ability to even skip turns, also make the game feel very versatile.
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It's great that the tennis genre is being revived by 2K. It seems like a new addition to the studio's already quite extensive portfolio. In terms of atmosphere and game modes, there is still some room for improvement in the coming years because besides the MyCareer mode, there is not much to do in the game and even the MyCareer is far from varied. Online it feels much the same as offline and you can of course use 2 controllers/players offline. The gameplay, however, manages to keep the game afloat and matches really feel great to play. The timing mechanism and advanced game mechanics ensure that you can make it as easy or difficult as possible, which in turn influences the level of realism. I had a great time with this new game and it seems to be the stepping stone for more and better games in this franchise every year. However, the launch of this new tennis game has not yet been a very successful one. However, do you like tennis games and are you satisfied with good gameplay? Then this is basically the best tennis game on the court.
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Theoretically, Let's! Revolution! very little content. You play 10 levels and defeat the King who keeps tracking you down the levels before, and that's it. However, the characters and skills you unlock provide the challenge. In addition, you can increase the difficulty level to give you a little more challenge, without making the game really difficult. The visual representation of the game and the gameplay options and tactics you use take this game to a high level. Although a run feels conceptually the same, the skills still give the game an extra dimension, so you will soon be playing for dozens of hours. Let's! Revolution! This makes it a surprising game in my portfolio, which I really enjoyed and which also manages to live up to expectations on the console.
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Mighty Mage is available for little, but also offers very little for the money. All in all, the fifteen waves that you have to get through are not too bad and the gameplay is comparable to that of Hero Survival . However, the latter offers much more challenge and more replay value as far as I'm concerned. Mighty Mage is a mindless game that can be fun for an hour, but otherwise doesn't offer much of interest.
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Rise of the Ronin is therefore a very strong first game in a new IP. It's the Assassin's Creed in Japan that we've been looking for for years. It manages to create an epic story where choices really matter. The gameplay is deep and manages to find a nice balance in terms of difficulty and challenge. The game is extremely ambitious with sixty hours for the story and packed with various options, but this does come with a few downsides. Graphically, the game is less strong and exploring the many extra assignments and missions feels very repetitive. The many bosses and characters are similar and lack creativity. The three regions are not different enough, but the game still manages to keep you interested for sixty hours. It manages to tempt you into another mission every time. I can't wait to dive back into the game and see what I missed because of my many choices.
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After 6 chapters and about 6 hours of playing, the credits roll and you are immediately curious about other outcomes with other decisions, which makes the replay value of this game relatively high compared to, for example, Life is Strange, which is actually barely has different outcomes. This game does have that. After Dusk Falls grabs you by the throat from the start and continues to impress until the end, although the story drops off a bit after chapter 3, when you are halfway through. Zoe in particular feels like an unnecessary character. The game has almost no gameplay but mainly quick-time events. So you can't walk and the like. Still, the story is compelling enough to keep the game very interesting, especially by keeping everything to the point. The magnificent artwork-like graphics and the choice of stop-motion make the design a hit. With great soundtracks, especially in the main menu, I can only say that this next-gen version is a must-play for every movie game lover.
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