Keri Honea's Reviews
As a fairly big defender of the "walking simulator" genre, I feel really let down by Dear Esther. It needed more of something, whether it be a better story, more gameplay than wandering, or more interaction with the island. Definitely needed more than a feeling of "huh" when it ended.
Unholy Heights is devilishly simple, and that will turn many off if they only play it for a few hours. It’s when the second floor is erected that the challenge becomes apparent, and that’s also when the addiction really set in for me. I left the game running in the background pretty much all day for the last couple of days, only turning around when I heard the alarm bells of heroes coming. What I really wish with this game is that it was on the Vita instead of the PS4, because as it is the perfect game to have running in the background, I’d love to take this with me everywhere I go. I’d love it to sit on my desk, much like what I did in my dark Tiny Tower days. With the pointing and clicking needed for the tower defense portion, this game just begs for a touch screen, if not a mouse. But I’ll take it as it is, and fans of either Tiny Tower or Dungeon Keeper should take a look into this one too. I can almost guarantee you’ll be as hooked as I am.
The first couple of hours of ReCore were almost downright magical. The story had me on its hook, the gameplay was fun, Mack was adorable and so much fun to use in combat, and I admit that the environment initially took my breath away. A few hours later, everything fell stale. The gameplay gave way to typical dungeon-platforming formulas. Even the beauty of the characters and environment appeared to diminish, as though the game was slowly rolling back to the PlayStation 2 era. At least I had the story to keep me going, and that somewhat made it worth it to push through to the end. If ReCore had simplified a smidge, focused on its core gameplay and core values, it wouldn't be anywhere close to the loose conglomeration of half-executed ideas that it sadly is.
It could be argued that Psycho-Pass: Mandatory Happiness is not, in a traditional sense, a game, but even so it’s unbelievably entertaining. Story gamers will be in heaven, and fans of the anime are sure to find it just as delightful. I’ve never even seen the anime and I definitely found my own happiness within the stories I experienced.
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Spirit of Justice is the first game in a long time that I just could not put down. No matter how tired I was, I was determined to get through just the next witness testimony before bed. And then that turned into the next one. And then I refused to sleep before this particular trial was over. Suffice to say, SoJ does the Phoenix Wright series justice (see what I did there?), and it's sure to be one of the most popular puzzle games this year. Just please don't think this is how a day in court goes. SoJ does many things well, but accurately depicting the legal system is by far not one of them, not that it means to.
Even though Hue looks very bland, its elegant puzzle craftsmanship proves once again that you most certainly cannot judge a game by its graphics. I can't imagine how painstaking it was for this team to perfectly balance the growing difficulty with the puzzles, building upon each puzzle learned and amping it up just a smidge. No room was above and beyond more difficult than the one prior; it was slow and steady growth, and one that will keep you glued to your controller until you finish it.
I greatly enjoyed my time in the Valley, and I can’t wait to dive back in to find all the hidden areas I missed. I’m certain most people, if not all, will enjoy their time in the Valley, too.
It’s unfortunately obvious how much Bound wanted to be like Journey, but it’s even more unfortunate that they go so close and yet failed to fully capture everything amazing about Journey. A beautiful environment, unique concept (the dancing), and deep story will get you very far, but the gameplay needs to be just as entertaining. Unless you’re a Trophy Hunter and/or you enjoy speedrunning, there’s not much that will keep you bound to this title.
Fairy Fencer F: Advent Dark Force honestly has a lot going for it, but failed to seal the deal in the end. No matter the ending, I felt more frustrated than anything with all the monotony thrust upon me. Perhaps if the stories weren’t so predictable, or perhaps if the grind wasn’t so prevalent I would have been able to overlook one or the other. Instead, I wrapped up my adventures with Fang with wistful dissatisfaction.
On the surface, everything about Merryn’s adventure is absolutely charming. The deeper you and Merryn go, the game loses its luster, but it’s still worth undertaking the journey if this style of adventure game sings to you. Just be aware it may not be a complete pleasure cruise.
Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIII undoubtedly has a cult, niche following, as games don’t usually receive that many sequels without such a following. However, this is one niche that is as obscure for newcomers as it is deep, and it’s certainly an instance where real-time strategy simply does not fit on the console with a controller. If you’re a fan of this series, save yourself from grief and pick it up on PC.
The Technomancer tries its best to be a lot of things at once, and as a result, it’s good at most but great at nothing. Not much about the game stands out as must-play, but it’s a good recommendation for RPG-loving friends who are looking for a sci-fi/steampunk RPG to play. I enjoyed my time with Zachariah on Mars, and when I got hooked, I was absolutely, 100% hooked. However, I know most people won’t be patient with a game for that many hours to get to that point, especially with how unforgiving the combat is.
If you loved Hard Reset when it first released, give Redux a try, especially if you never played the DLC. It’s probably the best part of the whole game due to the increased challenge and better hidden secrets. Those who have never played before, add Redux to your must-play list and dive in after you’ve had your fill of DOOM. Sadly, the release date might have doomed Redux from achieving its potential with consumers.
I’m looking forward to Platinum Games returning back to what they do best—creating original games with unique settings and fast character-action with crazy combos to learn. They can certainly make these licensed games look fantastic, but nearly everything else they leave little to desire.
As terrible as I am at Total War: Warhammer, I couldn't ask for a deeper, more robust Warhammer title. Prepare for some frustrations with such a complex campaign, but also prepare to lose hours of your life as you wonder, "But what if I handled that like this…" as you reload your last save for the umpteenth time.
The multiplayer and SnapMap portions will likely improve over time, especially with the Season Pass content, as no one will want to purchase extra content until the multiplayer smooths out. The multiplayer aside, the true appeal to the game remains in the single-player campaign, which is how it was and should be with a DOOM title.
Shadow of the Beast hits many right notes for that old-school difficult feeling, even with infinite lives. It's been made more accessible for all walks of players, but that doesn't mean all players are rewarded equally, pushing for practice and building those skills all while giving extra pats to those who tame the beast. It's a rather brilliant method for bringing an old-school difficult game in front of more people.
Once Upon a Climb was short and sweet, with a heavy emphasis upon sweet. Short games aren’t always a bad thing, but Episode 3 leaves you feeling as though something is lacking. Nothing was abrupt or cut off, but it never feels fully fleshed out either. King’s Quest had such a strong start, but the last two episodes have not lived up to the bar set before them, either from Sierra Games or from the first chapter. At least the humor lived up to the King’s Quest seal of quality.
I loved what I saw of Kathy Rain at PAX East, and the finished product was more amazing than I thought possible. This is one of the best point-and-click adventures of the year, and Raw Fury should be immensely proud of their ability to bottle that retro lightning twice.
Unless you're reading this from prison, you've most likely never partied as hard as this. In fact, you've probably never seen partygoers party this hard either, as it doesn't matter how many people die or how many times the cops show up; they won't stop dancing, the DJ will still lay down the mad beats, and the servers will continue to serve drinks, even if they are the last ones alive.