LEGO City Undercover is a fantastic addition to any LEGO fans' Steam library. It's a ball of endearing charm and comes with familiar gameplay that ought to keep people busy well past its monetary value. Co-operative play is a great addition to the game and it really helps to breathe life into the adventure, maybe even for those who played it through on Wii U already several years back. It's a thoroughly entertaining experience that is wholly recommendable.
Berserk and the Band of the Hawk is great. The strong visuals and story are complemented well by the gameplay. It should be satisfying for both fans of the gameplay style and fans of the Berserk franchise, and still approachable enough for fans of neither to enjoy. The only downside is that Warriors games' signature gameplay can lead to fatigue in long play sessions. It's a solid and polished game that is definitely and easily recommended to all.
Atelier Firis: The Alchemist and the Mysterious Journey is a fantastic addition to the franchise. The new world design, new visuals, and small tweaks to the many ingrained game systems make this the definitive Atelier experience. With a tremendous lifespan, consisting of a plethora of side-quests, a long main storyline, and a long, long list of items to synthesise, it should more than live up to many players' expectations. It's thoroughly recommended to fans and first-timers, alike, although be prepared to sit through a good 30-minute slog before the game begins to get going.
Overall Pixel Heroes: Pixel Heroes: Byte & Magic is an interesting game. It brings a very familiar concept to the table and then randomises its attributes until it becomes something different, a less generic RPG with significantly increased difficulty. Its sense of humour, and fun systems and visuals make it well worth picking up for anyone in the market for a turn based RPG, or those who enjoy a bit of traditional tabletop dungeon crawling. For most, the jokes will mostly hit and will stave off the boredom factor, but for those that don't like referential humour, maybe steer clear of this title.
With something for everyone, The Voice is the must-buy karaoke game on Xbox One. The karaoke is well programmed and the gamification of it using points, among other incentives, will keep players coming back time and time again. The full asking price may strike non-music fans as a bit steep, yet for those who relish the genre, there is no question that it's worth it. It's a fleshed-out package that provides for multiple generations of music fans with a solid and recommendable experience.
An incredible game that marries beautiful presentation with fluid and fun gameplay. It tells a story set during World War I that feels believable and invokes thought when things go awry. With a reasonably short, but well planned, campaign and endless potential in the multiplayer, there is definitely value if Battlefront is one's preferred big shooter franchise. A thoroughly enjoyable game that takes the formula back toward the depth of the game's predecessors while keeping in the trends of the modern expectations of the genre.
The feeling is all there and Moto Racer 4 does a lot right, but the crazy difficulty spike, and somewhat unpolished visuals drag it down to a degree. The best things about the original, like the sense of speed and the twitchy, responsive controls, are here and they do indeed bring the nostalgic PSone era feeling that this needed. With the help of a plentiful multiplayer option, and fun challenges, like the aforementioned slaloms, there is plenty on offer for those willing to take the plunge. It's a challenging romp that sets out with a single goal and definitely achieves it with a lot of gusto and its tongue firmly in its cheek.
Without a doubt, Planet Coaster is the definitive theme park simulator. The customisability is key; it's so in-depth and detailed that hours can be spent just crafting the scenery! With intuitive controls and expansive modes, the potential for time sinking is huge for both old-time fans of the genre and those who are willing to venture into this new territory. Polished visuals, as superb soundtrack, and immaculate systems in place, are just the icing on the top. Frontier has excelled itself in almost every way possible, making this not just an easy game to heartily recommend, but one that demands your attention.
Despite the cumbersome controls, weird unresolved stories, and confusing interface, The Silver Case provides a really intriguing and unique gaming experience that, once the mechanics are learned, is a joy to behold. Its enticing tale of murder, insanity, and more, really shines through via the interesting characters and beguiling narrative style. This remaster has brought the old cult classic to life and introduced Westerners to a real treat that looked like never coming to realisation. No visual novel library would be complete without The Silver Case in it.
Here is a JRPG that knows what it sets out to do, and executes it in a fantastically fun way. The unique battle system, solid platforming, and interesting story should keep players going for the game's entire duration, even despite the grinding. The overall presentation takes a bit of getting used to, but it is genuinely good looking, if a little rough around at the edges, with great music and passable voice-acting. It's recommendable to Valkyrie Profile fans, though it differs from that series in many ways.
An amazing ending to what has been a successful reimagining of an old classic. This chapter is so heartfelt and simultaneously heart wrenching; it is unlikely to be forgotten by those who played the whole season. This episode is great to play through, with its interesting puzzles, neat environmental touches and original King's Quest references and humour. It has some odd moments, but ultimately it is an amazing and fitting send-off for the series. It is thoroughly recommended to have some tissues ready for those harder hitting moments.
It's easy to see why those who have a nostalgic link to Day of the Tentacle might enjoy this remaster a lot. It's full of character, the new visuals are like playing an interactive cartoon, and the voice-acting is pretty great. Unfortunately, the puzzles and characterisations might fail to gel with a modern audience despite the visual and audio representation. Far from a bad game, but it will definitely not be everyone's cup of tea.
Now That's What I Call Sing 2 is very good at doing what it set out to do. It's a very fun and engaging karaoke experience but there comes a point where it needs more options. The accuracy of the game for sensing the voices is fantastic and there is potential for DLC songs that cover the older Now That's What I Call Music CDs. The variety of modes, challenges and the visual and audio quality of the videos is enough to make the game thoroughly recommendable as a party experience - just be wary that the music won't be to everyone's tastes.
The atmosphere in Criminal Girls 2: Party Favors is really good, and the level of mystery built up keeps the story entertaining. For those who want it for the motivation scenes, there are many and varied, and very, very perverted. With a long playtime and plenty to discover, a fun battle system and interesting characters, this second entry into the series is well worth a look. Just don't get it if you consider underwear, lewd poses, noises, etc. offensive.
A cracking little game with big bosses. The journey Jotun: Valhalla Edition takes players on is heartfelt and was clearly a labour of love. It's almost perfect. Just to reiterate, it's not much of a hack 'n slash. There isn't a lot of fighting outside of the boss battles, which really helps the fights to have even more weight. It's great, and without spoiling anything, it's one to experience.
From a non-footballer, here is the verdict. Pro Evolution Soccer 2017 is a great football game and it deserves to get as much spotlight as the new FIFA. The unlicensed teams are hilariously close to puns, the customisation of players and the team management aspects are fantastic, if a little complex, and the pitch play is amazingly fun. With the multitude of modes and options available, it's worthy of this year's football game crown, and it's a must-have for those who like a bit of realism and meat to their sports games.
Chapter 4 of King's Quest has some great standout moments, and fantastic characterisation and script, with an almost unpredictable plot twist, which keeps players in suspense until just before the very end. Due to the slightly repetitive nature of the puzzles, it's likely some people will get bogged down, but the payoff at the end is definitely worth it, especially back in the present with its "subtle" foreshadowing. There is a lot of fun to be had with this, and it can be thoroughly recommended to those who are playing through the series.
Dripping with a rich atmosphere, The Bunker brings FMV back in a big way. Its intriguing story setup, the setting, and plot twist provide an unforgettable experience. While it's not hugely interactive, it is hugely enjoyable, and well worth a look from people who like horror, BBC programmes, and the tasty spices of a period drama. Stellar work from a team that will hopefully want to make more games in a similar style!
Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme VS-Force is not a bad game at all, the setup and premise is pretty simple, the characters interesting, and the designs colourful. It is by no means the prettiest title on the PS Vita, but a smooth framerate makes up for that factor. If a long term Gundam fan picks this up, a good amount of content with a fulfilling set of lore can be expected, but for anyone else, it may just fall short of greatness.
Solar Shifter EX is a fun and dynamic shoot 'em up that embodies the genre and adds a little something unique. It's a well thought out romp with plenty of great moments but it just misses out on greatness. No doubt this is an amazing effort from a one-man team and it will provide fans with plenty of challenge.