Niko Lähteenmäki's Reviews
Fallout 4's Switch debut is an excellent way to play this classic, either on tv or on the go.
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Screamer is a stylish, content-rich, and ambitious racing game that slightly stumbles over its own grandiosity. Narrative shortcomings, combined with a hint of excessive multitasking lower its overall score just enough that it doesn’t quite reach the very top tier in my eyes. Despite these nitpicks, it’s still an enjoyable high-speed racer that manages to carve out something unique in its own market.
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There’s a reason why Pokémon are so beloved. LeafGreen and FireRed Versions are both still undeniably enjoyable, evergreen releases and have aged well, because their mechanics were so carefully designed from the very beginning. At their best, they take me back in time to a more carefree life – for example to those moments when I was a kid and sat on the yard swing for hours, playing with my Game Boy. As a re-release however, it is too lazy and cynical, topped off with a price tag that’s a bit too high.
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Escape from Ever After is a refreshing surprise in this year’s lineup of games and therefore a strong candidate for my personal Game of the Year list. Its whimsical premise, satirical tone, and overall humorous writing – combined with quirky gameplay mechanics and sufficient variety – carry the experience wonderfully throughout the entire adventure. Best of all, it offers entertainment for all ages: cutesy and fairy-taleish' elements for children, and an engaging script for adults that brings a smile on my face time and time again, enhanced by enjoyable gameplay mechanics. The end credits even left a slight sense of wistfulness in the air, as this is the kind of game one would have gladly kept playing for longer.
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The wacky and murderous feast gets even better when the universes last hero gains access to a skateboard, a host of new weapons, and an even more diverse playground to wreak havoc in, among other things. High on Life 2 is a sequel that improves virtually every aspect compared to its predecessor, including writing and the jokes. Hopefully the occasional technical issues can still be ironed out – luckily the updates that have been released so far show that things are heading in the right direction!
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Rayman: 30th Anniversary Edition offers an excellent journey into the origins and history of the first Rayman adventure. However, the absence of the original compositions lower the overall rating, as the atmosphere clearly suffers without them, and therefore it cannot be described as the definitive release.
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From the co-creator of Rick & Morty comes an imperfect but fun FPS that has waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too many jokes that doesn't quite make you laugh. At its best however, there is some fun to be had, including solid gunplay, actually funny jokes and colorful landscapes.
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Probably the wackiest Suda51 game ever. Fans will love it, others... Well, you just have to try it. As an action-adventure game, it is solid for the most part!
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I can’t say how much fans of the original work may be irritated by the changes made to gameplay or graphics, but from a personal perspective, Dragon Quest VII Reimagined completely won my heart. The diorama-style presentation, charming visual design, successful changes to pacing, masterful music, and of course the safe yet great gameplay made this "bloke" long for simpler times. At every turn, the game radiates a warm, cinnamon-roll-scented coziness – as if I was returning to my own lovely home after a long journey.
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Despite its difficulty, Sektori is pretty much a perfect arcade-style twin-stick shooter and has fully earned its score. Even after hours of gameplay, I still don’t feel particularly skilled, but that is by no means the game’s fault – quite the opposite. I’m aware that I’m only at the beginning of my journey and nowhere near satisfied yet, and I intend to continue my “studies” with the game so that I can climb as high as possible on the global rankings. Sektori is a modern work of art that justifies every one of its gameplay design choices with style and craftsmanship. Instead of mocking the player, it rewards improvement fairly as skill grows.
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Almost as charming and whimsical as the first Tombi!, but that's not enough when controls are this frustrating. The 3D graphics haven't aged that well either, and the soundtrack is a bit of a let down compared to the first game. If your nostalgia is strong with this one, you might get some enjoyment from Tombi! 2, since it is rather faithful to the original release.
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Tombi! Special Edition makes up for its shortcomings with its distinctive charm and cheerful vibe so effectively that the occasional ’90s jank hardly bothered me at all. Yes, at times you really have to rack your brains about where to go next and some of the tasks are downright esoteric, but the overall experience is still quite refreshing. As a platformer, Tombi! is fun and childlike in a good way.
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Despite its short length, Terminator 2D: NO FATE is an excellent retro shooter that emulates the '90s gameplay so faithfully that it doesn’t really introduce any particularly fresh ideas of its own. However, as a cultural piece of art, Bitmap Bureau’s latest work is such a spot-on achievement that its minor shortcomings hardly detract from the experience at all.
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What kind of experience is the new Just Dance from the perspective of a dance newbie? Well, first of all, everything is cheerful, lively, and colorful – which isn’t necessarily my cup of tea, but you get used to it. On the other hand, everything runs smoothly (at least on Switch 2), and the experience has been pleasant enough that I definitely plan to keep sweating it out on the "home dance floor". What bothers me more however, is the lack of imagination, especially regarding the game modes. It all feels a bit too safe for my taste, even though there’s so much potential to do more.
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Syberia - Remastered is successful re-release (especially visually) that remains faithful to the original, though it could perhaps have been refined a bit more towards a modern gameplay experience. However, in my book, the points of criticism are so minor that they don’t spoil the experience at all. On the contrary: even in its remastered form, Syberia remains one of the finest works of its genre from the 2000s. Hopefully the sequel will receive an equally polished treatment in the future, as the first game famously ends on quite a cliffhanger.
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Ninja Gaiden 4 restores faith in the long-running series after a rather mediocre third entry. The nineteen-chapter adventure is just the right length for this kind of action, especially if you’re eager to hunt down every collectible and fight your way through every (devilish) Purgatory stage.
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Even with a few rough edges here and there, Yooka-Replaylee totally earns its spot as a re-release. Playtonic has clearly been listening to fan feedback, and it really shows. Thanks to the solid foundation of the original, the game now feels properly on par with the big names – a genuinely fun (if pretty chill regarding the difficulty) ‘90s-style platformer full of dad jokes, babbling characters, and googly eyes on just about everything. I caught myself grinning more than once, even though that Banjo-style character mumbling might not be for everyone. Don’t worry though – you can turn it off in the settings! And if Yooka-Laylee ever gets a proper sequel, I’d love to see Playtonic go for something even closer to Banjo-Kazooie – more worlds, a tighter structure, and that classic collect-a-thon magic turned up to eleven.
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One of the most positive surprises of the year is here: Digimon Story Time Stranger manages to impress even those who are unfamiliar with Digimon, despite some minor hiccups. It’s a solid turn-based role-playing adventure that even Pokémon fans shouldn’t pass.
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It feels a bit tiring to give the same summary every year, but it’s true: despite its shortcomings, EA Sports FC 26 is once again the best football game on the market. That said, there still isn’t much real competition. Aside from Konami’s wonky eFootball (formerly known as Pro Evolution Soccer), there are only a few smaller titles, such as the 5-on-5 game Rematch and the excellent, emotional, story-driven football tale Despelote. However, in terms of style, these play in a completely different league compared to EA Sports FC.
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Swery and Suda together! What could possibly go wrong? Well, unfortunately, quite a lot of things. It’s just a true shame that personality, good music and horror movie references alone doesn’t make for a good gameplay experience. Maybe masochists and roguelite veterans will get more out of this, but for me it fell disappointingly flat. Here’s hoping that Suda’s next epic will deliver on its promises better next year.
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