Battletoads is a retro comeback that not only revives the much-loved series for fans, but one that elevates it to new heights! Truly, the development team has worked some magic to make this the best it can be, truly knocking it out of the park. There is very little wrong here that can stop from this being a star recommendation. The small amounts of missteps it does have don't hurt the experience in a meaningful way, leaving this to be an absolutely fantastic retro revival. It's great to see Rare credited on a game that is genuinely great.
It's easy to write this off as a 'baby's first dungeon-crawler,' but it's proven itself to be something more; something that transcends that viewpoint. It's a great exploration of the Minecraft universe, and shows what a developer is capable of outside of the creative block hellscape of the original survival format. It's fair to say that it's a real blast to play with responsive and chunky gameplay that is mostly unhampered by a couple of small flaws. Highly recommended to anyone who loves a bit of a bash, especially with friends!
The definition of niche visual novels. It's easy to see that there is probably a demographic for this story and its geeky exploration of trains, but the slow pacing feels wrong. The exploitation of its childlike characters, mixed with a lack of a choice system means that this is very hard to recommend, even though the technology and artwork is commendable.
Fun but limited combat, punctuates a fantastic, character-driven drama about putting on shows and pulling a once beloved group and theatre out of its rut, and into the spotlight on an international level.
If you are invested in FFXIV, this DLC will probably excite and please you. It's a fun but forgettable romp that runs just the wrong side of boring during its hours-long retelling and bland A-B mission style. If this tickles your fancy, be sure to start and play with a team of friends - it will easily be 10 times more enjoyable, if infinitely longer.
A fantastic collection of some of the best Megaman titles!
Honestly the biggest surprise in a long time. Such a crazy and un-family friendly concept pulled into an extremely fun game package with loads of laugh-out-loud moments, sharp visuals, and endearing characters. Definitely not one for the living room, but if you have a modicum of interest in what you've read here, then it's definitely a recommendation. A unique adventure that oozes with charm and always has a tongue in its cheek that's only let down by virtue of it being a remake that still shows its portable routes.
A flawed port that struggles to overcome mediocrity in its implementation, and that suffers from a lack of multiplayer, leads to a less than stellar experience. Star Wars Jedi Outcast is purely saved by its solid level design, and fan service. There are probably better options if you want a good TV experience, but nothing can beat this port's portable experience, which is in all honestly its saving grace. Recommended for fans looking to take it on holiday, and a near miss for fans looking for a Star Wars title worthy of being played in the big screen.
It's not often a racing game comes along and hits the sweet spot between simulation and arcade, and yet that is exactly the balance that the developer haσ hit with GRID. Fantastic, speedy chaotic, gameplay, supported by some great visual and sound design, giving racing fans of all levels and abilities another great title this year worth diving into with gusto. Totally recommended to genre aficionados, especially after the inevitable split-screen update.
Nearly flawless, Planet Zoo is a masterpiece of tycoon simulation, and is one of the most relaxing, engaging, and fantastical pieces of entertainment of 2019. It's a showcase of fun mechanics, and it really draws from the wealth of experience in Frontier Developments as a developer. It's impossible not to recommend this to anyone who has even a passing notion about the genre. Get this!
Goat Simulator is a bundle of fun. Its baffling lack of polish and crazy misdemeanours are so charming and, in all honesty, hilarious, making this hard to put down... initially. Playing it with a friend will provide a couple more hours of entertainment, and could liven up a party a little if it needs an ice breaker. That said Goat Simulator is a lot of things and in the end it will wear thin. A fun romp but only while it lasts. In the words of its creators, you'd probably be best to spend your money on something else, if it's not on sale.
A game dripping with cool intrigue and style marred heavily by bad level design, bland hordes of enemies and awkward systems. Fate/Extella will still appeal to many but in this case, it feels like failed potential. To have started with an awesome, stylish, uncommon RPG to being diluted into a simple hack and slash title. This "Warrior-ising" of franchises is slowly wearing down the existence of more unique games. Disappointing.
Slime-san is a blast through and through. From its normally tight and fun controls, the fantastic atmosphere built by its unique visuals and fun music, there is very little it does wrong - some of those things could be put down to player error. The bite-sized levels and variety of modes, power-ups, plus the amount of content, means that not only is this perfect for those wanting quick retry-based, semi-rogue-like levels, but also those who want a host of varied and interesting content - it really offers bang for your buck, so its thoroughly recommendable to those who enjoy the genre.
A very solid and fun Lego game that tries to undo some of the more tired series trends by offering up a more interesting and varied style of humour, deeper puzzles and fighting mechanics but most importantly being less buggy. It's really a great title, and though some fans may find the gameplay still a bit stale, anyone who gives it a shot should find plenty of fun to be had and lots of value for money.
The detail to which you can customise the cities in here is astounding, and Mass Transit is not only adding more to the plethora of options already in Cities Skylines, but also tweaks some of the more frustrating elements, easing up the controls, and letting the player really get into the nitty-gritty of the road and traffic networking.
The biggest thing holding Warden: Melody of the Undergrowth back is its reliance on old school sensibilities that might push away new players or frustrate people who didn't enjoy the likes of Zelda and Banjo-Kazooie, among many other titles. It does offer a lot of its own charms, though, and they are among some of the best reasons why this developer's first game should be in many peoples' Steam libraries. This is a thoroughly recommendable indie purchase for any and all "Golden Era" gamers.
Worth the price of admission the Cities: Skylines - Natural Disasters DLC offers extra depth to a game that was already quite engulfing. It enhances the experience by upping the excitement factor and by offering players the ability to play God. This is easily recommended to those who already own the original base on Xbox One.
Adventure gaming may have seen a decline, but with gems such as Dreamfall: Chapters and King's Quest, the genre seems to be on the mend.
If the original base game, Cities: Skylines piqued your fancy, then this new Snowfall DLC is a fairly small, yet robust, expansion that should bring gamers back for more. The new management and maps, as well as the new update to all users, reinforces the already solid main experience, making it a greater purchase. Overall, it's a thoroughly recommendable expansion pack.
For anyone who's looking to experience Cities Skylines and doesn't have access to a PC, this is the version to purchase. It's a thoroughly enjoyable game that really captures the old-school simulator catharsis. It's very addictive and with promises of more patches and potential for more DLC, it's probably going to be the long term leader of the city building genre on consoles for a long time to come. Heartily recommended to all who are interested!