The visuals and atmosphere at first seem standard as far as pixelated indie games go, but it does have more going on than it may initially suggest. Things start out very bright and colourful, like most Ghibli-inspired indie titles tend to be, but Phoenotopia: Awakening has a much darker side to it. There are some weirdly chilling moments and well directed sequences that build a profound sense of unease and alienation. There are some surprises within that may shock people who dismiss this as another generic Zelda II clone. The team behind this is not afraid to get dark and to show a little teeth.
La-Mulana 2 ranks as one of the greatest metroidvanias ever made.
The broad and generic story is the least offensive aspect of Daymare: 1998. The rotten gameplay and ugly presentation that support this roof of mediocrity won't shelter even the most desperate horror fan. There is nothing classic about the gameplay or story; it is every bit as derivative as most of the soulless schlock that modern studios excrete from their focus group testing. There is no attempt at having any guts at trying to make something that is a throw-back, and the best Daymare: 1998 can offer are a few Easter Eggs and obvious nods to the games that inspired it.
La-Mulana is an exceptional metroidvania, but only to those who are capable of braving its meticulous ruins. Understanding the symbols and meaning behind so much of its cryptic messages is only half of the battle. Being able to meet it physically is another story, since the enemies care as insane as the ones in old-school Castlevania, and the traps are more methodically implemented. The adventure is epic with quite a few miles to it.
Bleeding Edge has almost nothing to offer. What potential it has in it is woefully stuck in a product that is so meagre and void of content. It is like taking a single slice of cheese, and trying to cover an entire pizza pie; there just not enough here to make this work passed a few hours, and that's all. There are not enough modes, not enough interest in the community to keep it going, and the combat is way too simplistic for high level play.
Only the most die-hard of retro game enthusiasts will get something out of SEGA AGES Shinobi. Everyone else would find a much more enjoyable experience with the other Shinobi instalments found in the SEGA Mega Drive Classics compilation
This truly requires historical understanding of the limitations of the time it was made, and that many RPG developers were just barely coming to grips with 3D engines. Everyone else would be better off replaying Skyrim.
Katana Kami: A Way of the Samurai Story is likely going to still be a cult classic like its predecessors. This experiment has proven to be a huge success. Even gamers who are turned off by the words 'procedurally-generated' and 'roguelike,' might actually enjoy this new take on ronin simulation. It is mostly elevated thanks to the combat, and the attention to detail of choices that can be made to tip the scales in one's favour. Don't expect something like Ninja Gaiden 2, since the combat here is more methodical and gritty.
Hell Warders won't even be remembered as the sloppy low-budget experiment that it is. It won't be remembered at all. It is much too rough to meet the standards of average gamers, and not weird enough to be interesting. It certainly is a huge hassle to play for more than four hours, but those first few moments before the balancing gets out of hand are actually enjoyable.
It is a huge package of value that seemingly never stops giving.
Shenmue 3 is a tough recommendation for general audiences.
Take away all the disturbing and horrific imagery, and Tamashii becomes a run-of-the-mill, trial-by-error indie platformer. It will test one's patience and frustrate to no end, thanks to its design and structure. It is much too rigid to allow anyone to get immersed in, and the tedium of having to memorize a new level only fills the soul with regret. The horror flourishes are what save this otherwise subpar title.
The new UI is ugly as sin, and the animation added to the boss sprites is laughably out of place. The new background art is a mixed bag of some decent work and a couple examples of soulless imitation that fails to capture the intent of the original. All of this applies for those who are familiar with the original Romancing SaGa 3. For everyone else, this is an excellent RPG that has a lot of content and replayability. A vast cast of weirdos and miscreants to recruit, and shenanigans to get into await in this saga.
Aside from lacking any new content and the slightly roughness of Vanquish's presentation, Platinum Games 10th Anniversary Bundle is well worth the purchase for those who missed either of these classics. Returning fans will be undoubtedly disappointed by the bare minimum that has been given to both games, but that should not deter those who have not experienced the splendour of two of the most energetic and invigorating 3D action titles of all time.
Playing this is the videogame equivalent of drinking cobra venom. There is nothing to be gained, probably is bad for your health, and should only be done as a dare.
It is an unusual situation where a remake is influenced by its sequel.
Zombie Driver: Immortal Edition is an amusing distraction that is elevated thanks to the generous amounts of unlockable content. The main campaign will never get anyone emotionally invested, but then why would anyone hope to care about characters in something titled Zombie Driver? The developers knew exactly who their audience is. This is pure zombie schlock for people who are fans of the Splatterhouse games. An unapologetically gory, arcade-like experience.
Blasphemous is an admirable piece of art. It does the whole metroidvania thing in a much less tedious way than most indie games do these days, and is bolstered by its distinct flavour and style.
Leaping in Travis Strikes Again has a bit of stickiness to it which is not the best way to negotiate narrow platforms with bottomless pits. Thankfully these do not occur frequently enough and they are still not the worst platforming found in the indie scene. They just stick out because everything else is just so enjoyable.
Lucky himself might be unlucky to be such a boring character, but he is fun to play as, and gets to run around in charming worlds.