Drew Hurley's Reviews
The Champions' Ballad is highly enjoyable and a reminder of just why this game has already won its first of what is bound to be many "Game of the Year" awards.
There are so many big games these days, it's easy to forget the details of one even as recently as last gen, and L.A. Noire does a fantastic job in reminding just how good it is. The story is engaging, the investigations are fun, the world is deep and immersive, and the interrogations are truly unique. Even with the slight performance woes, the game is very impressive on Switch, especially in handheld mode. This, along with titles like Skyrim and DOOM, sets a promising precedent, and open the door to many other games well deserving of remasters that would be amazing to be able to play on handheld.
This feels like a true sequel to 2013's LEGO Marvel Super Heroes, and that is both a positive and a negative. Just like its predecessor, it is stuffed to bursting with fan-service and it delivers the signature fun LEGO gameplay elements that have always been core to these titles. However, it feels like a game out of time, something that should have come out in 2014. It fails to integrate the many innovations and changes to gameplay that subsequent Tt LEGO releases have created. If this had included the same type of open world as LEGO Marvel Avengers and the combat of the recent LEGO Ninjago the Movie, it could have been the best LEGO iteration to date. Instead, LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2's just on par with what has come before. Not that that is a particularly bad thing, it is just that it could be so much more.
Fire Emblem Warriors falls a little short of what it could be, or rather what it should be.
Kirby Battle Royale on Nintendo 3DS is a somewhat fun mini-game collection, but one that doesn't have much life outside of its three-hour or so story, and a handful of hours afterwards. Kirby is once again relegated to a mediocre little release that few will play, and fewer will remember a year from now. The biggest grievance with this, though, isn't the mediocrity or the lack of innovation - it's the cost. This is certainly not worth the asking price and it would be far more appetising if it was a good 50% off the RRP.
While the original clocked in at only 3-4 hours, this is easily double that. A superb sequel that more than lives up to the original and a truly chilling experience that any horror game fan owes themselves to experience.
As a finale, Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy: The Telltale Series - Episode Five: Don't Stop Believin' is a complete failure. The big action sequence lacks any real punch, and the final moments are not joyous or victorious, instead being boring and feeling like a fan-fiction written by a teenage supporter. Telltale recently announced the lay-offs of 25% of its workforce, so it could produce higher quality stories. Hopefully, this trimming of the fat will return it to the halcyon days that now seem so long ago.
Finally, Telltale seems to be getting onto the right track with this property, but it may be too little, too late. Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy: The Telltale Series - Episode Four: Who Needs You is enjoyable but still has issues, especially with its unlikeable characters.
Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony is a good game. It manages to deliver a cast that lives up to previous alumni and stories that are on par with the best the series has produced. The Class Trials are just as fun, mostly, and the murders smart little enigmas. This should have been a home run, but, it isn't. The narrative choice made is going to be massively divisive in the fan base. It's a bold choice; it's an interesting choice; it's the wrong choice. Sometimes it can be about the destination and not the journey, especially if the driver suddenly swerves into a wall.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and more ready for a hidden blade right through the centre. Assassin's Creed: Origins is an absolutely stellar return to form and even those who have previously not enjoyed the series would be wise to give it a second shot here. The new combat design is a big improvement, the world is rich, the story compelling; there is a lot to like here and it also massively returns on its investment thanks to the amount of content. There are easily over 30 hours here just in taking on the regular story and way over double that to complete the whole map. Buy this game.
The LEGO Ninjago Movie Video Game is a by the numbers release that feels like it may have been rushed to completion as a side project of Tt while it worked on the upcoming LEGO Marvel Superheroes 2 (which can't come soon enough!) and is certainly a little smaller in comparison to its other recent games - with a small story and even the 100% completion clocking in at under 10 hours for most players. That being said, it's still well worth the price tag. The story is funny, the levels well designed and the extra features enough to keep players coming back to get to that 100% without getting burnt out. Best of all, it exhibits some improvements and innovations to the Tt formula that will hopefully be seen in future titles.
Wulverblade is a welcomed addition to an already impressively broad catalogue of titles on Nintendo Switch. It's exactly these types of games that make the Switch so appealing, giving it a varied selection of superb smaller titles on top of the big blockbusters. Challenging, nostalgia-filled, brutal, and fun - it is an arcade classic in a brand new form for all the '80s and '90s gamers out there.
Those who loved Don't Starve will find their new obsession here. The Flame in the Flood is a highly enjoyable rogue-lite survival title that makes a fantastic game to play on the go. Headphones on, volume on full and enjoy the ride with this addictive new release. Get ready to welcome yet another distinct and individual game into the fold, fattening up the Switch's already bulging catalogue.
Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns could have been a repetitive and tedious experience, and indeed the first few days playing it seems to deliver exactly that, but this breaks expectations in the long run. It manages to keep a steady flow of new gameplay elements and mechanics to continually keep the action interesting. This is the perfect title to chill out with after a long stressful day, and thanks to its addictive gameplay and huge amount of things to do, it's one to keep returning to again and again.
Kat may be a Layton but she's far from "the" Layton everyone knows and loves. Layton's Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaires' Conspiracy feels more like a pale imitation with glimpses of the greatness that has come before. There's a ton of potential here and the adventure is still enjoyable, but just falls short. It holds a lot of promise for the future, at least, and the story wraps up with plenty of questions unanswered. Level-5 is clearly ready to keep this story going; however, hopefully it is with something much better and more deserving of the series' lineage.
Players going in to enjoy Senran Kagura: Peach Beach Splash for the fan service will find plenty awaiting them. However, the game itself is not worth the investment for that fan service alone. The core gameplay is fun for a quick blast, and the splash moments are just what fans will want, but the battles are far too easy and get horrendously repetitive very quickly. Peach Beach Splash would have been better served from some extra gameplay modes, or maps, or more weapon styles, or anything to give it a little more life. It's also a terribly greedy game. The amount of time investment required to actually level up the cards and characters collected is far too high - although, of course, there's always the option to buy the cards for real money...
There have been some truly remarkable horror stories to come out of South Korea. Train to Busan, for example, is one of the best zombie movies ever made, along with Seoul Station, plus White Day is an amazing horror experience, as PSVR players will soon find out. The Coma: Recut doesn't live up to any of these titles. The gameplay is too easy and lacks the scares a horror game requires. The story has promise but it ultimately fails to deliver; if the wealth of supplementary information from the notes had been worked into the story itself, instead of just being text, this could have been much better.
The Monster Hunter franchise has a rich and varied universe but outside of a handful of spin-offs; its games have always been limited to their very specific formula. That's a doubled-edged sword, as the fans don't want big changes but those who don't enjoy the series' core mechanics are missing out on a fantastic universe filled with some amazing monster designs and the fabulous Felynes. Monster Hunter Stories breaks the mold and delivers an experience that shows that universe is just waiting for more innovative ideas. Like Final Fantasy Tactics and Dragon Quest Builders, Monster Hunter Stories delivers a wholly new experience that is utterly addictive and absolutely superb. If you enjoy Pokémon, give this a chance!
A brilliant, dark, twisted tale reminiscent of the phenomenal Steins;Gate, and one that will get players digging into every possible branching pathway to experience every facet of the story and finally understand the truth beneath this marvellous tale.
A thoroughly enjoyable little romp that hardcore One Piece fans need to pick up. It's even worth double-dipping for those who originally bought it back on a handheld during its original launch. There's an enjoyable story to experience that feels like it belongs as part of the One Piece canon, a simple but fun combat system, addictive collection elements, and the fantastic Coliseum, which give plenty of replayability to the game.