Hayes Madsen's Reviews
With everything from combat to story Tales of Berseria feels fresh, fast paced, and exciting.The darker tone for the story is a welcome change and works wonders, while the cast manages to be as memorable as any others you’d find in a Tales game.
For Honor tries something new, and ultimately succeeds much more than it fails. With its surprisingly fun campaign, intense and challenging gameplay, and varied multiplayer, there’s plenty to keep you busy. There are balancing issues I sincerely hope get worked on, but for now, For Honor is a unique experience well worth your time, and could be the start of a daring new franchise.
In terms of a console RTS, Halo Wars 2 stands just about at the top. It’s easy for newcomers of the genre to pick up and play, but still has a enough meat and complexity for veterans to be satisfied. Because of how the campaign wraps things up, I truly hope it gets a sequel. But until then, Halo Wars 2 is definitely a quality exclusive to add to your Xbox One lineup.
It's been four years since the original release of Captain Toad, and yet, the game still feels as wonderfully unique as it did then. There's nothing else quite like it, and the Switch version looks and plays wonderfully. The overall experience is a short one, but there's plenty of replayability, and it's an experience that any Switch owner should jump on.
The core gameplay of Company of Heroes has never felt better, and there are hours upon hours of fun to be had simply blasting your way through other players or teaming up against AI opponents. The dual campaigns are honestly a bit of a letdown, but I’m hopeful things could be streamlined or improved with future patches and updates. The RTS genre has undoubtedly been in a slump over the last decade, but Company of Heroes 3 might be just the shot in the arm it needs to keep going.
Crisis Core Reunion doesn’t alter the story of the original PSP game, but it lands somewhere between a remaster and a remake on account of its gorgeous graphical updates and gameplay improvements. That being said, the limitation of the original game being on a handheld still shines through, becoming obvious through the game’s simple structure that uses mostly small confined environments and linear pathways. For anyone coming from the tremendously ambitious Final Fantasy VII Remake, Crisis Core is going to feel remarkably limited. Still, the overwhelming positives of experiencing the Crisis Core story on modern consoles make its minor flaws totally forgivable.
There’s still a layer of jankiness the series can’t escape in terms of visuals and tropey writing. But the compelling characters and gameplay mechanics overshadow the rough edges. If this is the last Star Ocean game, Tri-Ace has gone out with a bang.
Like most hero shooters, the key to Gundam Evolution’s success is going to be how well Bandai Namco supports the game, and whether post-launch content can keep up a steady cadence of adding interesting new content. Still, Gundam Evolution has gotten the most important piece of the Overwatch formula right, making each hero feel distinct and providing interesting interactions between them. What that means is that Evolution should appeal to any fans of the genre, even those without any knowledge of Gundam whatsoever.
After years of arena fighters and lackluster sequels, like New Gundam Breaker, Battle Alliance feels like the breath of fresh air the franchise needed in video games. It’s a love letter to one of the most prolific anime franchises out there, but even if you aren’t a Gundam fan there’s a great action RPG underneath, with a surprising amount of variety. Between its deceptively fun original story and dynamic combat, it’s absolutely a standout in the crowded market of anime games.
Floppy Knights is a charming experience that brings something unique to the table, even though it doesn’t reinvent the wheel for either of its genres. I do wish there was a little more meat to the experience, and despite the charming writing the story simply lacks a strong core. Despite that, however, it’s a journey that’s well worth taking, especially if you’re a fan of tactical games or deck builders.
It’s an utterly unique title that boasts astounding production values, supported by a cast of actors that do an incredible job of playing multiple characters. There are a few niggling issues with the various gameplay systems, but it’s an incredible experience that easily stands out as one of my favorites of the year.
Skywalker Saga is easily one of the best Lego games ever made, but I hope to see the franchise’s core gameplay loop evolve a little further in the future.
Self-aware humor permeates throughout 'Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin, 'and by and large, it works really, really well. Any fears I had about 'Stranger of Paradise' were dispelled after a dozen or so hours with its phenomenal combat system, strange but genuine story, and a surprising commitment to celebrating everything Final Fantasy — all through the eyes of an angry edgelord named Jack.
A Plague Tale: Requiem is a superb sequel that fixes or improves nearly everything from the original while telling one of the most emotionally harrowing stories of the year.
Two Point Campus is an A+ management sim that lets you build the wacky school of your dreams, then watch it run in all its glory.
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.
Kena Bridge of Spirits is a charming adventure that packs a ton of heart, as well as a wealth of engaging systems.
Anonymous;Code is a stellar addition to the Science Adventure that’s sure to please fans, but still holds enough for newcomers to jump into as well.
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.