Ken McKown's Reviews
Immortals of Aveum is a decent game that takes some risks with its technology. Some of those pay off, while others hold it back. The game itself is fun if not a bit too long and it just comes across as a decent game that feels undercooked at times. I enjoyed my time with it, but I am likely to forget it come the end of the year. In an overcrowded year this big budget gamble might not pay off, but I would certainly be in for this team’s next outing. The pieces for a great game are here, just need to fit them into place.
Madden NFL 24 is a solid entry that simply doesn’t do enough to push it forward. I feel like EA really needs to take a year off, do a roster update, and build an entirely new game. This copy paste stuff continues to bring down the advancements made. It is wild that we say the same stuff every year and each year it rarely changes. Like most people though, I play it every time because there simply isn’t another option, and it isn’t a bad game, far from it, it just feels on cruise control. I want the game to get better, and it does, just not enough to warrant yearly iterations.
Viewfinder is a unique game that begs to be experienced. I do wish it was available on more platforms as everyone needs to experience this unique puzzle game. I could not put it down until the end and I cannot wait to see what this team accomplishes next. There is so much here that impresses, it never overstays its welcome, and the technical achievement will be talked about for years. Definitely play this game if you have the means
Double Dragon Gaiden continues the trend of the series’ ups and downs. While it has some truly great designs, it has a lot of frustrating choices that hold it back. I was really excited to see a new game in the series, but it feels like they just want to build something new with each entry instead of capitalizing on what made the original so great. With the recent revival of so many classic beat ‘em up franchises, Double Dragon Gaiden just doesn’t impress nearly as much as it should have.
This collection is more than worth the time even if the digital version feels incomplete. It was great revisiting these classic shooters all in one place. They are not as in-depth as other shooters, but are still a ton of fun. Definitely worth checking out for anyone that still clings to that classic genre.
It feels weird to go backwards with these releases. Raiden III is by far the simplest I have checked out so far. Evolution in reverse is a bold choice. Still the simplicity of the combat makes for an addictive nature. I was coming back over and over to unlock new tunes to listen to and the visuals are still excellent. I love a good shooter and the Raiden series is always a good time. The price tag is also low enough that I don’t have a lot to knock. If you love shooters this is a great addition to your collection.
I could go on and on about this game. It has consumed my gaming time for the last two months and I have not wanted to play much else. I delayed doing the final mission for the longest time as I didn’t want it to end. There is still a ton for me to discover and unlock and I think I am going to keep going back for a long while. Rarely does a game that spans hundreds of hours keep me invested for even close to that long. Nintendo continues to keep this series fresh and while I do love what these new entries are doing, I would be remiss if I didn’t say I do kind of miss the classic design. Still Tears of the Kingdom is by far one of the best games of this generation and if you somehow haven’t played it yet, there is no excuse.
Terminal Velocity is a nice trip down memory lane. I enjoyed revisiting this as much as I did Forsaken when Night Dive Studios remastered it a few years back. These types of games are not as common today and I sometimes forget how much I enjoy them. If you grew up with the likes of Descent this is a must purchase. It holds up surprisingly well in the game play department as long as you can deal with the pixelated polygons plastered all over your fancy high-definition screen.
Super Mega Baseball 4 is an outstanding entry in the series and the best to date. I have enjoyed each entry and spend more time playing these than the licensed Show games. I really love customizing my team and taking them through a franchise season. The updates and additions here really flesh out the series and I am excited for the future. I wonder if they will ever tackle another sport. Would love to see some Super Mega Football in the future.
While there are hundreds of Warhammer games out there, few of them really stand out among the pack. Boltgun is one of those games and even non-fans of the universe owe it to themselves to check it out. It is visceral, addictive, and paced extremely well. The array of difficulty options offer up something for everyone and it has some of the best weapon feel of any of these types of games out there. I cannot recommend this game enough for anyone looking for a good time blowing up pixelated baddies.
It is great to have BlazBlue back on Xbox and available on Game Pass. It gives players a chance to check out one of the coolest fighting game series out there. It is fast, fun, and full of content and I cannot recommend the download enough if you are even slightly interested in fighting games. Let’s hope this is the return of Arc System Works on Xbox. They have been sorely missed.
God of Rock is an interesting experiment that works sometimes. I do wish I could focus more on the action at the top. I also hate that I have to retrain my brain with the button combos and get frustrated when I miss notes as it usually leads to me failing and having a hard time getting back into rhythm. Still the idea is sound, the characters are excellent, and I really had fun with this one. A little more polish and this could easily become a whole new genre.
Resident Evil 4 Remake is an absolute delight. Veterans of the original will love the changes and newcomers can now appreciate just how good this game actually is. Capcom continues the trend of keeping the series fresh in our minds. I cannot wait for the next new entry as well as what remake they do next. Almost guaranteed we will see RE5 next, but Capcom please listen to your fans and give us that Code Veronica remake we so rightly desire. Regardless, fans of the series are eating so good right now.
Nuclear Blaze is a decent romp that is impressive on the idea of how it was created. Firefighting games are few and far between so having a good one is always nice. Finally coming to consoles is good and I recommend giving it a shot if you enjoy the theme. I have always liked the idea and it is always good to get more entries in the genre.
Jedi Survivor is a great Star Wars game with a lot of technical mishaps that really drag it down. The story is excellent, and I loved the characters. The combat still feels good. I just wish the navigation system was better. It feels like the game could have used a little more time, but once these issues are ironed out this game will go down as one of the better Star Wars video games just like the first one. The story of Cal is a great addition to the universe and I hope we see him again in other projects down the line.
I love a lot of what Rift Rally is offering. There is a healthy amount of content and the setup is fairly painless. It is worth mentioning though this is not a cheap entry. The standard edition clocks in at $130 which feels steep for those only mildly interested. There is also a Collector’s Edition that comes with a special RC car, a Hot Wheels Die-Cast car, and a special unlockable car in the game for $150. The price is fair, but be sure you have the interest and more importantly the space before diving in. It is a ton of fun and my son and I had a blast checking it out (outside the cat interference of course.)
Postal 4 is a game that should be avoided. I can see now why some console makers did not want this travesty on their machines. This game is not fun or entertaining at all. Some of the voice work is decent and I laughed maybe twice in my entire playthrough, but on the whole it is embarrassing at best and offensive at worst. This is not a game that succeeds in its offensiveness and instead feels worse because when they attempt to be edgy it comes across as desperate.
In the end, Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse is nice to see. I love that the series is making a comeback. I just wish we could get the original trilogy on modern consoles. Those games are lost to time and would benefit from just a remaster at this point. Still more survival horror is always welcome and we are truly living in an embarrassment of riches in the genre. I wish it was on the same level as others coming back, but for that we need the original trilogy. Make it happen KOEI Tecmo!
The Outer Worlds: Spacer’s Choice Edition is a weird release. While Xbox owns the developer, Private Division still retains the distribution rights to the first game. Which means the normal free upgrade is not here. Instead we have the definitive version of a great game locked behind some weird monetary decisions. If you never played the original, this is by far the best package available. If you did and are looking to upgrade what is here is nice, but not worth another $60. If you own all the DLC this is a solid $10 upgrade. Still I wish it was more accessible or at least a save transfer existed. It taints an otherwise solid release.
Metroid Prime is one of the best games ever made and this new version retains everything that made it special. I have enjoyed revisiting this masterpiece so much and am so happy new players are able to experience it in its finest form. I hope this shows Nintendo that the Metroid series is truly one of the best in their repertoire and we see more games in the series. I cannot wait to see what Retro accomplishes with Metroid Prime 4 when it finally releases.