Umar Bastra
Even though it released in a year full of major blockbusters, this little game ended up stealing my heart.
The Tomorrow Children is definitely a case of style over substance which fails to provide any sort of reason to keep you playing. It's a chore - and when a game feels like actual work, it's just not a fun game.
Star Ocean Integrity and Faithlessness is a sub-par JRPG that has a list of problems as long as its name.
In the end, Shadwen is a game that I so badly wanted to love but even with all its quirks and interesting mechanics, I couldn’t get past its bland levels, disappointing story and odd gameplay hiccups. A shame, really, as it could’ve been something special. Instead it’s nothing more than average, at best. The interesting gameplay mechanics found in Shadwen do little to hide the fact that the game is pretty boring and has a story that hardly amounts to anything.
Assassin's Creed Chronicles: India is a game that should have everything going for it with its great visuals and setting, established world and an interesting protagonist. Instead we're left with an average game with a bland narration that's frustrating to control and play. It's truly such a shame.
Animal Crossing Happy Home Designer looks and sounds like the game that fans were expecting; unfortunately it lacks the depth and addictiveness to keep you interested. Even with its cast of adorable characters and excellent soundtrack, the gameplay becomes stale really fast and you'll find yourself grasping at what little the game has to offer in order to find something to hold your attention.
Miitopia is a quirky and entertaining RPG-lite in very short bursts, but unfortunately the game doesn't have all that much to offer outside of a few goofs. The lack of substantial player involvement leaves it feeling too automated and the experience grows stale, fast.
The Dragon of the North DLC does little to shake up the Nioh formula, providing familiar environments with uninspired boss battles. That said, this is more Nioh, and the strength of the base game should still give you the challenge and thrill of combat despite the DLC's downfalls.
Onrush is the perfect game to play after a long day at work. It's fast, it's fun and somewhat cathartic as well. Unfortunately the lack of content and a cooperative multiplayer focus that's never fully realized will leave you rushing to play something else after a few sessions.
Detective Pikachu, as a character, is really quite special - but the game itself is unfortunately just not very much fun to play.