World of Warriors may look great on the PS4 but it become tedious...
An interesting real time take on the strategy JRPG genre. Unfortunately bogged down by a generic story and a lack of purpose between missions.
An affecting story and dazzling presentation is marred by a series of frustrating gameplay mechanics.
Deadly Premonition is both very hard and very easy to recommend. For fans of the series it's a no-brainer. It's another 30 hours with York and his gang of nutty friends. The story is Twin Peaks meets True Detective put through several extra filters of oddness. For newcomers to the series the gameplay, graphics, animation and loading times may simply be insurmountable obstacles. For those that can look past it there are so many interesting ideas at play and the game can be genuine fun. In short it sucks, but it may also be one of the more interesting games of the year. It's destined to be a Let's Play classic.
Syberia and its sequels suffer a common fate with many classic games released on the Switch. It is expensive. 15-year-old PC games should not be double the price of pieces of genius like Celeste, there is a problem. Nostalgia should not extend to the feeling of knowing you've been ripped off because Electronics Boutique is the only store in town that carries the game you desire. If these games were half the price, I'd suggest looking in to two hidden gems of a mistreated genre. As it stands, I hesitate to whole-heartedly endorse it. Fans of the series may get a kick out of it, but there's so much more out there.
Oninaki is disappointing. Mostly because the right elements were in place to make it great and it's so thoroughly mediocre. Tokyo RPG Factory have yet to release a truly essential game. As it stands they've released three games with interesting ideas and spotty execution. Perhaps one day they will get it right and release a defining RPG. However, today is not that day, and Oninaki is not that game.
The Last Remnant is a fascinating and frustrating experience. Beneath a fundamentally mediocre game are a lot of interesting ideas. The story is epic and interesting, but only in parts. The battle system is wholly unique and feels massive in scope. Except you have to play the game for hours and hours before it becomes any fun. The Switch is full of quality RPG ports at the moment, and there are plenty more coming. The Last Remnant is not one of them.
For every cool idea in Sonic Forces, there is a half-hearted execution, and while that may give me warm memories of my childhood, it doesn't make for something I could whole heartedly recommend.
HoPiKo is challenging and moves at a lightning pace, although it can't escape the fact that it feels more like a game you'd play on your phone than on a console.
While it might not keep up with the mega JRPG franchises, Star Ocean: The Divine Force is a big leap forward over previous entries, and has a fun combat system and just enough charm to recommend.
eFootball PES 2021 Season Update is last years game at a cut price with mostly up to date rosters. It's a beautiful game to play, marred by significant presentation issues and the lack of any killer game modes.
Life is Strange Arcadia Bay Collection allows a new generation of gamers to experience one of the 2010's best adventure games. Just don't expect the labelled 'remaster' to provide much of an added sheen
Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers edition brings a classic JRPG to the PAL region for the first time. The port may not be exceptional, but the game itself deserves to be experienced.
Will Final Fantasy diehards get a kick out of Stranger of Paradise? It's hard to say. There are multiple enjoyable nods to past games throughout the levels, enemies and pieces of lore. The soundtrack is excellent, featuring remixed or remastered themes of multiple games. The combat is fast paced and the extensive job system takes the Final Fantasy system of old and thoroughly modernises it. Yet the game is decidedly un-Final Fantasy. Exploration is minimal, the story takes far too long to get going, the dialogue is often laughable and the characters are mostly bland blank slates. As an over the top action cheese-fest, the game puts points on the board. Just don't expect it to compete with the greatest hits.
So FIFA ends its run on this console generation as the undisputed champion of sales, and will probably remain that way for years to come. Whether EA will try to further innovate the actual game, or if they even want to remains unseen. eFootball PES continues to outshine it on a pure gameplay level, but without the flashy licenses and expensive bells and whistles many will be content to keep rolling with EA's juggernaut. FIFA is still a fun game to play and at times can still be addictive as anything. You just can't help but wish for those two or three major signings that would take it to the next level.
Marvel's Avengers seems uncomfortable with itself. The single player campaign is charming and only lags in the areas that feature dull loot collecting sections. The post-game features fun combat in a co-op setting but can be a genuine drag to slog through. Overall the game is lacking a sense of life and variety to compliment the fun combat. It's a shame because playing as the Avengers is a delightful experience, with each hero having its own endearing play quirks. Perhaps future updates will nail the balance, but right now it's not quite worthy of lifting Thors Hammer.
Star Ocean: The Last Hope is an ambitious but flawed game. Exploring planets can be thrilling, but spending time with some of the characters will wear on the nerves. The combat can at times be deep and strategic, but it happens so frequently that the pleasurable aspects of it are often dulled. The graphical remaster looks great, but the presentation of cut scenes and the voice acting are bargain basement, especially compared to something like Persona 5. For those interested in Star Ocean as a franchise, the discount on this remaster could make it worth your while. For people looking for a great JRPG though, 2017 has seen a slew of great current and remastered games to make Star Ocean: The Last Hope essential.
Those who love old school JRPG grindfests will find a lot to love with Bravely Default II.
Ultimately your enjoyment of the Switch port comes down to whether you value accessibility over performance. XCOM 2 is a fantastic game and is a great title to play on the go
Sunset Overdrive wants to be liked and it wants to be different. Badly. The fact that it manages to pull this off in spite of more than a few annoyances is an achievement in itself. At the end of the day, it is a hell of a lot of fun to navigate the city and blast enemies, the customization is enjoyable to mess around with and even some of the attempts at humour land (The re-spawn animations in particular). The shortcomings are there however, and it prevents Sunset Overdrive from being the game it so desperately wants to be seen as.