Lou Contaldi's Reviews
Cooking Mama: Sweet Shop is by no means a broken game. It just wholly lacks any soul or incentive to be better than any previous game in the series. With shoddy systems, repetitive gameplay, annoying sound design and better iterations of the game elsewhere, dessert diversity wasn't enough to keep me interested.
At the end of the day, Spheroids feels like the video game equivalent fast food. And while there are plenty of great games with shallow experiences, Spheroids is pure junk. Like the Arby’s of video games, the game is a mix of ingredients that deserve to taste way better than they do, and should ultimately cost much less than Eclipse Games is charging.
League of War: VR Arena isn't a bad game, so much as it is underbaked. With a lack of diversity in modes or gameplay, the VR game takes interesting core gameplay and seemingly squanders it on a throwaway campaign. With plenty of exciting and fully-fleshed out VR experiences, I'd only recommend League of War: VR Arena to people looking to round out their PlayStation VR library with a tabletop component. And at the $30 price tag, I don't think I could reasonably recommend it to anyone.
Developer The Chinese Room is capable of capturing many highs and lows of human emotion through both their sound design and storytelling. With that said, Dear Esther: Landmark Edition feels more like a lukewarm experiment — a legacy precursor that paved the way to their more successful titles - an experience that is both significant, while also being entirely out-of-date by modern genre standards. Dear Esther was the baby step that aided in the creation of the genre — while you have to learn to walk before you can run, Dear Esther’s modern competitors have been sprinting for years.
The Deer God may be a great visual experience to unwind with, and it has a spiritual message to match. But when it comes down to the actual gameplay, the game just feels too stiff and uninteresting. Despite an almost enchanting presence, the actual mechanics of The Deer God will do as much as possible to push you away.
Super Bomberman R is living among a wave of re-imagines of classic titles and often feels too traditional for its own good. Despite terrific post-launch support from Konami and a creative level design, the thoughtful online modes and customization are hindered by terrible infrastructure that drags down the experience.
There's no doubt a ton of positive elements to We Happy Few, but it seems like a fantastic world clouded over by overzealousness on the part of Compulsion Games. While they should be lauded for their hand in crafting a world that I wanted to dissect every inch of, too much of the game feels like filler for its own good. Perhaps with a little Joy, We Happy Few could be more palatable to modern audiences.
Even with the $5 asking price in North America, I’m hesitant to recommend VEV: Viva Ex Vivo to most. The game can be “beaten” in exactly two hours, and the gameplay felt stale before I had even played 30 minutes. With all that said, the game should be on the shortlist for any prospective PlayStation VR owners. Given the absurdly affordable price and diverse visual environments, VEV already feels more at home as a visual “experience” game than its marketed “arcade shooter” genre.
Kingdom Hearts 3: ReMIND is DLC made for fans, with an annual injection of heart and intrigue. But novice KH fans will want to keep away.
Assassin's Creed: The Rebel Collection for Nintendo Switch significantly undermines visuals for portability; there are better (and cheaper) options for Black Flag and Rogue.
Far Cry New Dawn is both a magnificent re-imagination of the storied series, and a lackluster approach by Ubisoft plagued with repetition.
Wonder Wickets is firmly one of the better mini-golf games you are going to get on PC. While I don't see this as a game that will revitalize the genre, if you are looking to scratch an itch after playing Golf Story, this will be your game.
Stifled is absolutely not the best indie horror game on the market, but I have to respect it for what it brings to the table. While the game is short and the frustration can – at times – be palpable, Stifled is a smart and satisfying game (especially for anyone invested in VR setups). Although we are out of Halloween and horror season, any fan of the VR medium and the indie horror scene should take a chance on this game and see… or, not see… what it has in store.
SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy is a light fare for fighting games, but there is more than enough smart systems to keep fighting game aficionados interested. Even better, the game is a cute entry point for people new to the genre. So long as you aren't expecting a deep combat system or extensive PvP functions, you won't be let down. Either way, the fabulous SNK heroine cast will likely impress–one way or another.
So much of Far Cry 5: Lost on Mars is a unique take on the Far Cry 5 layout. While it may be a shallow five-hour romp, fans of the original will get their kicks while turning some aliens into exploding cows. And isn't that all anyone is really asking for?
Nintendo Labo Toy-Con 01 Variety Kit shows off a lot of what makes Nintendo great: charm, ingenuity, and undefinable Nintendo magic. However, the Variety Kit feels like more of a tasting than a full-course meal; without a hook to have gamers come back after the cardboard is built, it is hard recommending a purchase of the $70 kit. However, parents looking to develop their kid's interest in building and creativity should feel secure in this purchase.
Floor Kids for Nintendo Switch is not without its faults, thanks to gameplay that puts a little too much faith into in-game exploration. However, it shouldn't be lost in everything else that Floor Kids has to offer, namely a distinguished art style, a fresh take on a genre, and beats to mash it up. If you are a fan of passion projects, Floor Kids is going to be right up your alley.
The LEGO Ninjago Movie Videogame is by means going to be my pick of the season, but I'd be lying if I said it didn't keep my thumbs busy for a few days and a smile across my face. Filled with light-hearted comedy, the game is a breath of fresh air for those looking for lighter fare in their Fall lineup. And while the game certainly feels limited due to it being so tied to the underlying movie it is based on and technical issues, the game is a solid purchase for both children and children at heart.
Metroid: Samus Returns is a remake that plays it close to the original, for both good and the bad. To its credit, the story (or lack thereof) is still a thrilling exercise of environmental storytelling and the puzzles are varied and interesting; however, the lack of boss variety, experimental stop-and-go gameplay, and dated visuals make this Metroid title more of a love letter for old-school fans, and potentially a chore to those more accustomed to contemporary genre norms.
While there may be plenty of things I'd like to change in Gal Metal, the core of the game is an unmistakably fun time. With so many heavy hitters on the market in 2018, sometimes you need to just sit down, unwind, and out-play alien invaders with electrified versions of classical music.