Dave Aubrey's Reviews
This is so far away from the games that made Chibi-Robo a recognizable Nintendo character. This is an average, easy platformer. Unless you want to play just that kind of game, you would probably do well to steer clear.
With that said, I'm glad we have No More Heroes 3. This is Suda51 to a tee: a wonderful and utterly ridiculous celebration of otaku culture and the series he's built up over the years. Travis' fourth-wall-breaking smart mouth makes me smile incessantly, despite how stupid it can be - and it can be very stupid indeed.
In reality, Game Builder Garage feels like the perfect place to build a game prototype. You can create a basic idea, see if it works and is fun, and then maybe take that concept into a real game engine development kit - but not much more. It can truly pique the curiosities of kids, and I hope it does, but it's launched in a world where it has big competition, and the depth and charm of those tutorials which only Nintendo could pull off so well can't carry the rest of the experience.
Ultimately Shin Megami Tensei 3 HD Remaster is a perfectly acceptable port of a cult classic PS2 RPG. Playing this at the same time as Mass Effect Legendary Edition has definitely coloured my perception of what we should expect from a remaster, but despite the fact it doesn’t have AI upscaled textures and 4K60fps presentation, it’s still a masterful example of how to build atmosphere in a game while still keeping players engaged, instead of bored. It also features Dante from the Devil May Cry series, which always helps.
This is a game in between a rock and a hard place, and while it will definitely find its audience, it won’t make it onto any list of essential RPGs as its predecessor did.
What turns out to be a fun JRPG with a big world to explore and good combat is marred by bad story, bad quests and some diabolical pacing. Only recommended for SAO fans.
Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 is hard to recommend as it's so similar to the first, but if you're new to Xenoverse and a fan of Dragon Ball I can heartily endorse this game. If you've played the first, well... It's still good, just not really a must-have.
There's a decent JRPG here, if just incredibly dull. Digimon fans will find plenty to enjoy, whereas casual observers of the series will probably be better off by picking something better.
Oceanhorn 2: Knights of the Lost Realm isn't a bad game by any stretch of the imagination, but it does feel like it's lacking something. This is a Zelda-like through and through, and if you want some traditional Zelda action, it's not a bad game to play. But due to being so rote, it's unlikely to stay in your mind for long once you're done.
Everything Torchlight III does, it does worse than one of its contemporaries. Primarily Diablo. While what is here looks good and plays fine, it's repetitive and lacks the magic of games it shares a genre with. But all of that could've been forgiven if it had at least allowed me to suffer through it with a friend in local multiplayer, but it couldn't even do that. If you get the urge to play Torchlight III, just play Diablo III instead.
ATOM RPG is a game so clearly designed for mouse and keyboard on PC that you should only play it on Nintendo Switch if you already have experience with the game. Going in as a complete newbie will be a brutal lesson in patience and frustration, and you need the kind of knowledge of how to play and the ease of use that comes with the PC version first. Ultimately, that makes ATOM RPG an interesting, but incredibly difficult game to recommend.
Terminator: Resistance is the kind of shooter-meets-RPG hybrid you've seen a dozen times before, and isn't a particularly impressive one. But everything it does, it does well enough to pass. I can't bring myself to hate Terminator: Resistance, I think it's a fun, cheesy game, but I also wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I recommended that anyone bought it at full price.
Detective Pikachu is a mystery game built for kids, and that is clear throughout, though adult gamers can still have fun with the mysteries and world of Pokémon. Simple, charming, though certainly far from essential.
Solstice Chronicles: MIA is a bit hard to sum up. It's well polished and offers moments of great fun, especially in co-op, but as a single player experience the game is slow and starts to drag quite quickly. In some aspects it feels rough and unfinished. As it stands, if you have a friend to play Solstice with, you're likely to enjoy your time with it - but if you're going to attempt the game solo, then maybe wait for a sale.
Not bad by any means, but the seriously plodding pace for the first few episodes kills much of the excitement in Batman - The Telltale Series. Though the game really picks up for a great crescendo in the latter two episodes.
If you're a fan of the series, or just want to play a decent JRPG, then sure, this is it. Just don't expect anything you haven't seen before.
Project Zero can be frustrating, scary, demanding and off-putting all at once. Fans of Japanese horror will enjoy this, whereas the repetitive combat and recognisable enemies will put others off severely.
Deadbeat Heroes is a fun co-op beat ‘em up with a lot going for it and a strong sense of style, as well as a sense of humor. While it's not the best brawler I've played lately, I believe that with some refinements, a sequel could be fantastic.
Hyper Scape is a polished and pretty battle royale, but it is also bland and generic from start to finish. In a market already saturated by free to play shooters to try, Hyper Scape should be an afterthought. It doesn't have the confidence or the personality of its competitors, and it's come onto the scene far too late. There's a lot to like about Hyper Scape, but you probably won't find yourself playing it for long.
Warface: Breakout is a very admirable attempt at a close-quarters competitive shooter, but in a market with CSGO and now Valorant, Warface looks to be the very weakest option. It doesn't do anything unique, and it's aesthetically ugly. When Warface: Breakout works, it works well, but as it stands now I do not see a future for the game long-term.