Joonatan Itkonen's Reviews
If you're a fan of big robots, melodrama, and love exploration, Xenoblade Chronicles X should be right up your alley. It's a wonderful time capsule from a console that barely got its due, and a terrific example of how well some of these almost forgotten games have stood the test of time.
For old-school fans, this is a welcome addition to the collection. It has everything you might remember, only better and more polished than before. For those curious about classic RPGs, Saga Frontier 2 represents an island in time that, for the first time, is more accessible than ever. If we can't have a full remake, then this is the next best thing. Especially if it's your first time with the saga.
It’s a weird juxtaposition to have a progressive story against a regressive game, but that kind of contradiction feels almost perfect for South of Midnight. It is, after all, a game about how messy we are as people, and how, sometimes, it makes us so unique in the end.
Civilization VII feels like an Early Access title with a premium price tag. Its foundations are solid as ever, and it's still fun to play. But there are fewer reasons than before to jump ship into the latest chapter of the illustrious series, especially as Civ VI is around. Give it a year, and we'll talk again.
Review in Finnish | Read full review
Superbly written, gorgeous to look at, and a thrill to play, Assassin's Creed Shadows is a triumph for the iconic series.
Monster Hunter Wilds is the most accessible, grand, and finely-tuned adventure in Capcom's illustrious series to date. It's a blast to play and explore, and the new mechanics make it a fantastic first introduction for a whole new generation of monster hunters.
Review in Finnish | Read full review
At its price point, Ender Magnolia is a terrific game. It won’t reinvent the genre, but that’s hardly a knock at it. Sometimes it’s enough to just be one of the best.
Avowed is the most comprehensively captivating fantasy experience since Skyrim. It’s a triumph of old-school role-playing that combines the thrills of Dungeons and Dragons with a sense of joyous wonder I haven’t experienced in years.
In short, SYNDUALITY needs to take a long, hard look at itself and ask what does it want to be, and how will it get there. Right now, it’s not worth the asking price, especially with all the micro-transactions still found in the game. But maybe, after some updates and potentially a free-to-play model in place, SYNDUALITY emerges a better, more thought-out product.
Wren’s Resurgence is for a limited crowd, but I’m not sure that’s entirely a bad thing. This is a labor of love that understands what it’s emulating. It has its heart in the right place, and there is plenty to enjoy in the platforming aspects. It’s nowhere near perfect, but sometimes passion is enough to cover other parts that fall short.
Featuring one of the most immersive game worlds ever created, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II is a hugely entertaining adventure yarn that rivals the film epics of Ridley Scott. Some of the game mechanics are downright terrible, but its story and characters are so enthralling that any complaints eventually fall by the wayside. It's only February, yet this is already a strong contender for one of the best games of the year.
Review in Finnish | Read full review
The narrative is still a jumbled mess, but the surprisingly deep combat system and breathtaking battles make this one of the finest entries in the long-running franchise.
Review in Finnish | Read full review
Despite the occasional gripe about difficulty, and the fact that this is the third remaster/remake of a title from 30 years ago, Donkey Kong Country HD remains such a joyous experience that it deserves a recommendation.
Freedom Wars Remastered is like a cross between Monster Hunter and a Paul Verhoeven movie. It’s a loud and often clumsy satire that is so audacious you can’t help but fall in love with it.
While Wukong is not a bad game, it's nowhere near the greatness of genre-defining titles like Bloodborne or Dark Souls 3, both over a decade old at this point. Moments of Wukong play it so safe, it feels like a product predating the iconic outings made by From Software.
Fantasian is comfort food for fans of the genre. It's a gorgeously made exploration of all the themes Hironobu Sakaguchi began to explore with Final Fantasy. It's almost traditional to a fault, but that won't matter to the devoted, who will rejoice in the return to the familiar.
Review in Finnish | Read full review
The first expansion to the superlative Final Fantasy XVI is slight but memorable thanks to some terrific boss battles and visually breathtaking splendor. As a continuation of one of the best Final Fantasy titles in years, it's a welcome addition well worth exploring.
Review in Finnish | Read full review
I want to like Twinsen's Quest more than I do. It has all the elements of the classic game that I love and numerous great ideas and updates that make it worth a revisit. But it's a hard sell to newcomers, yet that's exactly who it should cater to.
The Great Circle isn't without faults, but MachineGames' accomplishments are so staggering that it doesn't matter. It captures the heart and imagination the same way that Spielberg and Mangold did with their stories of the beloved archeologist. Welcome back, Indy.
Review in Finnish | Read full review
Brothership is a great first-time-RPG, one that teaches about the genre as much as it does about kindness and compassion. Give it to someone who hasn't played Final Fantasy yet, and they'll be enamored by the possibilities Acquire's adventure presents. On that level, Brothership is a huge success.