It might well have been coincidence, but that's the problem with Monopoly as a game; it relies too much on luck and it's hard to spin that into something entertaining.
I really like Gear.Club, though it is overly simple as far as "serious racers" go, while also lacking the personality and spirit that makes an arcade game soar.
I love it because it's genuine bona fide art, made with that explicit intent and, importantly, successful at it. It's a game that weaves a masterful story, and would only really work as interactive art, because ultimately, what this game is about is a conversation... and it wants to hear your answers as much as it wants to pose questions to you.
School Girl / Zombie Hunter is not the longest game, which makes it ideal for quick bursts of fun. It has a brilliant little gameplay loop that certainly has its bugs and low-budget irritations, but never stops being utterly entertaining. Throw in the most perfect take on trashy B-grade horror that I've ever seen in a game, and there are not many other games released this year that I've had more fun with than this one.
This is a game that offers such poignant and relevant social commentary, and after many years of being either PC-exclusive, or released in a very watered down fashion on game consoles, it's great to see that this great experiment in giving us the tools to play around with humanity is finally on console in a full and unabridged way.
While every moral conundrum gave me real pause to think, too often I thought my emotions were being exploited and toyed with by a game that was going to play out the same way regardless.
I'm glad that this is not a game that outstays its welcome, but at the same time it's not a game I'll remember, beyond that adorable skipping run of my adorable little furrball.
The experience also naturally fits with the Nintendo Switch and handheld gaming
I'm sure if I had have played the previous Summon Night games I would have enjoyed Summon Night 6 more. The foundations are all there as a tactics JRPG, with solid production values and sound gameplay mechanics. What lets it down - and badly - is the assumption that people are familiar with all the other Summon Night games… most of which were never actually released in English.
There's no question that Tokyo Tattoo Girls is a very, very niche game.
This is one of the best games Australia has ever produced.
I'm sad for the end of the end of the franchise, but at least in Etrian Odyssey V it went out on a real high note.
Demon Gaze II is only one or two tiny steps away from breaking away from its genre trappings to be a game that is so good that people who don't usually like the dungeon crawlers should give it a play. The developer has done a great job in making the game more accessible (while still leaving plenty of ultra-difficult stuff there for the really committed), and the art direction for the characters and monsters is so vivid and vibrant that you can't help but admire them.
This release is perhaps an anthology that could never hope to appeal to any but the nostalgic, but I have to hope that one or two people out there might be twisted just enough to enjoy the way that these games seem to enjoy messing with their heads.
Dungeons 3 looks and plays simply compared to some of the other strategy games out there, but there's a definite depth of challenge to the game that, coupled with its sense of humour and excellent co-op mode, make for the perfect game to kick back with on a lazy weekend afternoon and some beers. It's hard not to love it for that.
About the best thing I can say about it is that it's not overly long, which in itself will sound like a criticism to some, but after witnessing Persona 5 ruin itself by being fifty hours long, I've come to admire JRPGs that know not to outstay their welcome. Revenant Saga at least knows that its ability to hold my attention is limited.
You need to be patient and committed to get much out of ELEX, but give it a chance, and there's a soul in there that should grow on anyone who enjoys their RPGs.
Numantia has really impressed me in the way that it has inspired me to learn more about the conflict it depicts, and it has done a really good job of accurately recreating the surprisingly varied range of battles, locations, and twists and turns that occurred through the war.
It's the humour and presentation that makes No More Heroes VR worthwhile in the end.
This is the best game in the Assassin's Creed series.