Tomas Franzese's Reviews
Tetris 99 improves an already near-perfect game and proves that battle royale can transcend genres, but it is held back by Nintendo Switch Online.
Vane boasts some gorgeous visuals for an indie game but sadly suffers from a litany of bugs and strange design choices.
Double Cross for PC and Nintendo Switch feels quite unoriginal and bland despite coming from the team that gave us the excellent Runbow.
While Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! starts slow and is quite different than usual, it's still a very enjoyable and accessible RPG.
I'm ultimately sad to see that I have grown out of a franchise I once loved, with underlying problems that I may have not noticed as a child building on top of one another to make LEGO DC Super-Villains much less enjoyable than I thought it would be. I may still return to LEGO DC Super-Villains in the future if I'm in the mood for some DCAU voice acting or want to play the TV show and movie themed DLC, but at this point I can tell that I'm done with the LEGO franchise as a whole, which is a shame.
The Nintendo Switch version has noticeable technical faults, which does make it the weakest version of Valkyria Chronicles 4. Fortunately, outside of annoying menus the rest of Valkyria Chronicles 4 is so solid I am more than willing to overlook those flaws. Due to its likable characters, engaging plot, and fun and unique as ever gameplay, Valkyria Chronicles 4 has definitely cemented itself as one of my favorite strategy games in recent memory.
The Bard's Tale IV: Barrows Deep is definitely for a specific crowd of hardcore RPG and series fans, and for those, it caters wonderfully. It features a fascinating world and one of my favorite turn-based combat systems in recent memory. That being said, it may not be as appealing to a mass audience due to its complicated nature and glitches. For a franchise that hasn't been seen in 30 years, that may not have been the wisest decision. However, I do hope The Bard's Tale series sticks around because the core experience is great, making the game one of the most interesting RPGs I've played in 2018.
The Mega Man series is back, and with Mega Man 11's ending indicating it's here to stay, I couldn't be happier. Even when taking this title's problems into account, Mega Man 11 has finally given the series forward momentum for the first time in years, and I can't wait to see where Capcom does with the famous Blue Bomber next.
Outside of a couple of minor tweaks that most players won't notice, things are mostly the same, which is odd when you consider that both One and Pro-Am could work well offline and that this game's servers will shut off one day. Yearly players who stay offline should heavily consider whether the few small changes there make NHL 19 worth picking up, but I have no problem recommending it to the multiplayer die-hards or those who want to jump into the games for the first time.
The Golf Club 2019 is a comprehensive simulation, and will undoubtedly please those who are looking for one. Considering that the game does not have much competition, it is nice to see that the developers aren't slacking and are delivering a passionate product with authentic branding. As for people like myself who are more accustomed to less realistic golf games, The Golf Club 2019's steep control learning curve and uneven presentation may turn you off at first, but you may find yourself getting addicted to the game once you get the hang of things.
If you can get past some of Flipping Death's jank, you will find a hilarious comedy game to you'll want to see through. It liked the visuals and characters so much that I always wanted to see what or who Flipping Death would have me processes or do next. If the idea sounds interesting to you or the art style catches your eye, you'll likely enjoy the game. Others will probably be turned off by the glitches and platforming sections.
Even with its technical flaws and progression structure problems, I still can't bring myself to dislike Little Dragons Café. When Little Dragons Café hits its stride mid-game, it is indeed a beautiful, relaxing, and wholesome experience that I would recommend to those looking for a more laid back title to cleanse their palette before this busy fall season. That being said, enough problems did persist to still make it a tad disappointing. Little Dragons Café may be worth waiting on until some technical issues are fixed and the price drops if the incentive of raising a dragon isn't enough for you.
Outside of the visuals boost, Madden NFL 19 feels more iterative than last year's entry of Madden did. The series' dedicated and interested fans that buy the game yearly and sink hundreds of hours into its game modes shouldn't have any major issues outside of some glitchy menus, but not enough has changed to make Madden NFL 19 a worthy entry for newcomers or casual players who picked it up last year.
While the game could benefit from having a bit more meat on its bones, WarioWare Gold manages to be one of the most consistently enjoyable and funny 3DS games in recent memory. The game's hilarious cutscenes impress and add some interesting new characters to the WarioWare universe, the microgame collection is the best the series has featured yet, and some of the unlockable side content is hilarious. If you are fine with WarioWare Gold‘s short length, there is no reason not to pick this quirky title up as the 3DS reaches the end of its lengthy lifespan.
While it can sometimes be hard to pick and chose which of many Metroidvanias to try out as the market is very crowded, genre fans definitely shouldn't pass on Chasm. The game took the developers six years to make, and this is seems to have paid off when looking at in the quality of the visuals, controls, and how well the Chasm's take on procedural generation and the placement of its rooms works out.
Fortunately for This is the Police 2, its writing, world-building, and story are great, and are likely what players will remember most from this experience. While there are a couple of problems when it comes to gameplay pacing, This is the Police 2 manages to tell a relevant and enthralling story that stands out within its genre and as better than the original.
If the procedurally generated levels were better, I'd wholeheartedly recommend 20XX to anyone, but with how it currently functions, I can only recommend it to Mega Man fans who need that itch scratched. With that said, Mega Man X Legacy Collection releases later this month, and Mega Man 11 arrives in October, so that window is already dwindling. 20XX is a game that controls nicely and surely felt needed and relevant back when it hit Early Access in 2014, but winds up feeling underwhelming in 2018.
If you haven't tried Sonic Mania yet, now is a better time than ever to jump in — whether you opt to pick up Sonic Mania Plus and all the extra things it brings, or just download the Encore DLC and free updates.
Even though its online multiplayer isn't perfect, and the Switch version specifically can occasionally suffer from a lack of precision when using a controller, Sushi Striker: The Way of Sushido wound up being one of the most original and entertaining puzzle games I have played in years. It exudes the quirk and charm typically associated with some of Nintendo's most popular IPs, so I hope this isn't the last we see of Sushi Striker and its adorably odd world.
If you can get past Everspace's few flaws, a game that merges the best parts of roguelikes and space shooters exposes itself. The game manages to stand on its own as a unique entity within both the above genres, so Everspace should have no problem finding an audience in the sea of modern roguelikes and space shooters.