Andrew Stretch's Reviews
While the opening to Bloody Ties stumbles a bit once Aiden reaches the Carnage Hall this DLC does an amazing job not just in the challenges that it pushes upon players, but with the narrative depth surrounding Ciro and his family. Unfortunately key moments are let down by clunky combat.
The Jackbox Party Pack 9 brings with it an excellent variety of party games to fit any mood. Whether you want to perform and engineer the comedy yourself or have the game provide ample opportunity there's a game that will appeal to everyone. That being said, there also might be games that just don't appeal to you at all.
Scorn is aesthetically impressive and sets a tone early on. Unfortunately there's nothing more to back up this experience as plot is non-existent and puzzles are linear.
Soul Hacker 2 does a really good job crafting an enjoyable high stakes story and populating it with realized characters. Combat has been left mostly unchanged, which is for the better, but there's a lot to be desired in the copy-paste treatment of the large Soul Matrix dungeon.
Digimon Survive leans heavily into the Visual Novel genre and it pays off. For fans of VN or Digimon this story is one of the best out there. Combat is enjoyable but some mechanics don't stick the landing.
Lost Valley brings with it a new campaign, subclass options, and enhancements to the Dungeon Maker system. While there's a lot of content within the campaign, the fetch quest style progression didn't offer much in terms of a grand adventure, instead leaving players feeling like they're completing a list of chores.
Pokemon Legends: Arceus is a massive leap forward for the franchise in terms of substance and gameplay. Improvements have been made across the board to battle mechanics, world exploration, Pokemon interactions, and more. From Pokemon enthusiast to casual fan you need to play this game.
Dying Light 2 Stay Human is an entertaining game with enjoyable characters and fun parkour elements. Unfortunately a lot doesn't hold up to scrutiny. If what you're after is more Dying Light though, then this is your game.
Halo Infinite does a great job of nailing what makes Halo work so well while expanding the gameplay, adding in new elements like an open world and new armor abilities.
Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are faithful recreations of the 2008 DS title. While leaving most content untouched the Quality of Life upgrades and enhanced features make this the best way to experience Sinnoh.
Shin Megami Tensei V understands its roots in RPG combat, demonic friendships, and plotlines about toppling gods. This new entry takes advantage of the next generation of Nintendo console and improves vastly in look, feel, and in world exploration.
Axiom Verge 2 continues the expansive story of the Axiom Verge universe, and while it might not do Indra justice, it does deliver on exceptional gameplay and exploration. Fans of the original game, or the genre, will not want to miss this experience.
Acid Nerve has demonstrated an understanding of the Adventure RPG genre and has absolutely nailed its execution with Death's Door. Combat is fun and fast-paced, world exploration is rewarding, and the story while light-hearted hides some deeper meaning. Do yourself a favor and pick up Death's Door.
Cris Tales starts strong as a time travel RPG set in a beautiful world, but suffers from a misguided plot and combat woes
Flight School Studios delivers an enjoyable experience with Stonefly. While the concept of King of the Hill combat is unique it's hard to feel it could have taken it a bit further. Exploration and upgrading your rig is an enjoyable and rewarding experience.
Solasta: Crown of the Magister seeks to give players the closest D&D 5e experience they can get without picking up any dice. While there are a number of bugs and glitches to work trough Solasta delivers a fun and challenging experience.
Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD draws players into an interesting world with deep combat and interesting monsters, while some aspects like late-game combat do leave a bit to be desired. Even 18 years later SMT 3 earns what praise it's been given.
The Falconeer is an interesting take on the aerial combat genre putting players in the saddle of large birds and setting off across a flooded world in search of balance between warring factions. While the story and world do feel incomplete the flight combat does a good job of staying entertaining.
The Jackbox Party Pack 7 samples some of the past with Quiplash 3 while managing to revolutionize previous concepts with new twists breathing fresh air into their games. This more diverse collection might not have everything you want, but it likely has something for everyone.
Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time carries on Crash's story as time-space is in trouble again. Toys for Bob have added a lot to this new Crash and while a lot of it works really well, what doesn't work does let the package down. Crash fans will still enjoy even for the new adventure.