Hayes Madsen's Reviews
Monark is a game filled with great ideas and themes, and it manages to deliver on some of those in spades. Unfortunately, Monark is also its own worst enemy, and many of the gameplay elements simply get in the way of making it something truly exceptional. Still, if you can manage to get through the slog of repetitiveness, there’s a fascinating and thematically engaging story underneath.
Reverie Knights Tactics feels like a run-of-the-mill strategy game that isn't quite bad but fails to do anything particularly memorable.
The overwhelming feeling I had in my time with Expeditions: Rome is that it's perfectly average.
Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker is the game's most ambitious expansion yet and feels like both a fitting ending and a new beginning all at once.
Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars is a quaint game that doesn't bring anything exceptionally new to the genre, but is undeniably charming.
Volume 1 of Gundam Battle Operation Code Fairy is a fairly strong start, but it feels like a small snippet of the overall experience. Hopefully, the next volumes can develop on it in a meaningful way.
Bright Memory Infinite's tight gunplay is simply spread too thin to make up for an otherwise uninspired experience.
Age of Empires 4 is a bold and ambitious evolution of the series, and quite likely one of the best RTS games ever made.
Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy is a surprisingly compelling single-player adventure that packs in some real emotion, despite a few shortcomings.
Life Is Strange: True Colors - Wavelengths is an intimate look at one of the game’s most dynamic characters, and a laid-back experience with meaningful messages behind it.
Although some visual and design elements feel a bit dated, Alan Wake Remastered is the definitive version of an all-time classic horror game.
Kena Bridge of Spirits is a charming adventure that packs a ton of heart, as well as a wealth of engaging systems.
Life Is Strange: True Colors is an unforgettable journey with some meaningful messages.
King's Bounty 2 is a massive role-playing experience, but a hollow-feeling open-world works against its combat and gorgeous art style.
Resident Evil Village is a grand return.
Persona 5 Strikers is a strong comeback.
This collection gives 3 games a needed update.
Celebrating the whole franchise with music.
Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin is a charming experience, and its charming cast keeps things surging forward, even while the main story drags on for a bit. There's certainly a bit of a learning curve, and the game could do a better job with tutorials, but there are deep systems to dig into once players get the hang of them.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon might be a massive change for the series, but it certainly doesn't suffer for it. It's the most exciting and fresh the franchise has felt since Yakuza 0, and players will quickly fall in love with its quirky cast of characters. Like a Dragon is compelling because of how it plays double-duty as both a love letter and parody of the JRPG genre. Its story and combat system take some time to really come together, but once they do, it's a wild fever dream that's not easily forgotten, and one that can be enjoyed even by those who aren't traditionally interested in JRPG stylings and turn-based gameplay.