There you have it folks, a barebones RTS with gorgeous graphics and clunky controls. Even with all the negatives, I would say I had fun with it for the most part. It was a change of pace from the usual games that I play and it wasn’t so bad that I had to walk away from it. It’s an alright time waster, not much more than that. It looks like it was supposed to have some longevity to it as it does have crossplay multiplayer but I didn’t touch on this before for the simple fact that I couldn’t actually play it. There are so few people picking the game up that I wasn’t able to get into any multiplayer matches. In short, it was fun for a couple hours, but I probably won’t come back to it.
For all the positives that Zero Dawn Remastered brings, there’s one major “issue”: did we really need this? Don’t get me wrong, the remaster is beautiful, and the time and effort that went into it is clear. You even get the Frozen Wilds expansion bundled in but this is only a seven-year-old game that was released on the previous generation of consoles. The original still holds up remarkably well, both visually and gameplay-wise, and it remains a fun experience. Ultimately, the only people who truly benefit from the remaster are those who didn’t get the chance to play the original.
As with all games, especially those aimed at young kids, there’s going to be some shortcomings. You can’t expect there to be the same amount of spit and polish as a AAA game. That being said, Bluey: The Videogame really isn’t all that bad. The biggest complaints I have are all visual in nature. And I guess, the biggest problem is it’s really short, like too short. After paying $60AUD for the game, it was over in a couple of hours. But really, these aren’t problems for the intended audience.
Dead Island 2’s HAUS DLC is an enjoyable little excursion into a new area that slightly expands on the original ending and leaves us with more questions than answers. In many ways, I feel there is a lot of missed potential from this DLC. It could have expanded the world more than it did and it could have offered significantly more playtime.
Layers of Fear 2023 is a perfect blend of psychological horror and jump scares. It has multiple interesting and interlocking stories that have just enough breadcrumbs to tell a story but leaves room for your own interpretation. The game has some replayability too as each story (except The Writer) has multiple endings. If I HAD to pick one thing I wasn’t a fan of, it’s that The Writer’s story ends a little abruptly but everything else was fantastic.
Dead Island 2 is an extremely fun game that doesn’t mess with the dumb gameplay of bashing around zombies. However, not every game is perfect. Between the rushed ending and the audio problems, it feels like they wanted to ship this game out ASAP. It’s always a little worrying when a game is set to come out of Development Hell, the vast majority of the time it’s either a glitchy piece of garbage or just boring. Dead Island 2 is definitely far better than most other games that have been through Development Hell, but I wish they had taken a little extra time to polish it up before shipping it out.
Like a Dragon: Ishin has a little something for everyone. A compelling story, mini games to suit all tastes, an easy to learn but repetitive combat system and plenty of side jobs to keep you busy. At first I found it all a little overwhelming but found myself soon running all over the city knowing I had so much to do. Even after almost a hundred hours in, I still haven’t finished everything. Though I have also heard that if you just want to stick to the story you can get everything done in as fast as four hours. Why you want to do something crazy like that though is beyond me.
One Piece Odyssey is a stunningly brilliant game that’s full of charm, put together with love and a guiding hand from the series creator himself. Odyssey is the perfect game for any long time One Piece fans and even perfect for those looking for a new game with a classic RPG feel to it. The characters are wonderfully portrayed, the story is interesting and the gameplay is wonderfully pieced together. The overworld is full of colourful scenery while the combat is fast-paced and well balanced. You can see how much love, care and planning went into the game as a whole and it’s one I can see myself playing for quite a while to come.
Them’s Fightin’ Herds is a fun homage for fans of My Little Pony, but also quite a strong contender for a competitive 2D fighting game. The visuals are very pleasing and the comedy is on point. However, while it’s an easy game to pick up, it’s a difficult game to master. I wouldn’t advise anyone to attempt this with just a controller and to invest some money in a fightstick, which should hopefully make the fights much easier and enjoyable. Overall, I did enjoy my time with the game, but would have preferred to see it be more beginner friendly for anyone not overly adept at fighting games.
Return to Monkey Island is a fun puzzle adventure that will keep new and returning fans entertained for a decent while. The gameplay is solid and smooth, I couldn’t find any fault in it, it’s just a great point and click adventure game. The story is an enjoyable tale and the visuals are very pleasing to see. I guess if I had one grievance, I just wish the game were longer. Monkey Island games have always been fun and hilarious, I just wish there was more of them.
New Tales From the Borderlands offers a story is quirky and comedic with decent replayability due to its dialogue choices. The trio of protagonists actually have flaws that they work on leading to some decent character arcs and the game is smooth as silk in the exploration. Where it really lets itself down is the lack of any resolution to a previous storyline and the overabundance of QTEs. If they also had the really enjoyable side characters make more of an appearance, it would have also help flesh out the world.
Destroy all Humans 2: Reprobed is a short, fun game full of references, silly moments and stereotypical humour. And that’s exactly why we enjoy it. I mentioned earlier about looking through the lens of nostalgia glasses, well, I may still be looking through the glasses, but the lenses aren’t as thick as once thought. The game isn’t perfect, no game is. But while it lacks in a thrilling story or long gameplay, it makes up for in the comedy that keeps giving us a good chuckle.
With a legacy spanning almost 13 years, does Wonderlands live up to its predecessors? Yes, but also no. The combat in the game is seriously fun, the guns are responsive and the inclusion of melee weapons was the best thing they have done since the inclusion of Handsome Jack. But it also felt too easy. It was too easy to find a build that would allow a player to breeze through the game on a normal setting, especially being able to multiclass and take the best traits from two classes. It turned most enemies into little more than rats of an unusual size. The game lacked the challenge that the other games provided. While the chaos chamber does improve that, one can only run the chamber for so long before you’re completely kitted out.