Robin Baird's Reviews
As I’ve mentioned a few times, there are still several things I haven’t had the chance to mess with or get into yet. There’s a ton of content in Diablo IV and digging into it all will take some time. Additionally, seeing how everything goes on launch and immediately after will significantly impact how enjoyable it is. Lastly, seeing the shop's actual impact on everything is also a considerable aspect that will need to play out. We know what we’ve been told, and looking at the information given to us, it should be fine. Certainly nothing like Diablo Immortal. Seeing all these aspects in the live game will be the final bits needed to put a score to Diablo IV.
I had such excitement for Diablo: Immortal through development, and the game itself is a solid experience and well worth the time. I'm not sure how well it will hold up over the long term as an MMO, but it's a good effort, and if I could just score that alone, it would be a 9. However, the monetization is very player unfriendly currently. Rather than getting out of the way and letting players enjoy the game and then spend money because they want to support a game they love, we are consistently being leveraged into feeling like we have to spend an indeterminate amount of money just to have a chance. Heck, you might have to shell out money just to make a clan to play with your friends. This isn't the worst monetization I have seen, but it's still a far cry from good.
Overall Landmark is fun and really interesting. I enjoy making things and figuring out how everything works a lot more than I thought I would. Unfortunately, there are a number of areas where the game just doesn’t feel entirely complete or polished. I don’t have an old or out dated computer and the load times were incredible and having lag when working with the build tools is really frustrating. However, Landmark is only ten dollars and does provide a fair amount of entertainment.
Neverwinter Nights Enhanced Edition brings a classic game to a more modern look while retaining everything which made the original a classic in the first place. It's worth playing for anyone who hasn't ever played it and a fun trip through memory lane for those of us who have loved it. Unfortunately, the Switch version suffers from not having the touchscreen-enabled for navigating menus and in-game.
Anthem is a fun game that has some weird oversights built into it. On the upside, BioWare has been quick to respond to issues and especially bugs in game which is hopeful for the future longevity of the game. Currently, if you play with the mindset of just wanting experience the game and take your time with it, it’ll likely be a fun experience. However, if you tend to have the mindset of needing to be max level NOW and have all the best gear NOW it will probably not be fun.
Overall Anamorphine is a touching and interesting story which is infinitely relatable. I wish the storytelling had been a bit more varied and I hadn't had my issue with motion sickness. All of that said, if you enjoy narrative exploration games this is a good one to check out.
Overall Valkyria Revolution is an interesting and fun game, but it does take a while to really get going. The introduction and early chapters are really the low points of the game so if you can make it through those you should be good. I had no real issues with anything in terms of anything not working correctly or performing badly. There are however a lot of loading screens and they can sometimes feel like they take forever, but none were very long. For anyone who enjoys action RPGs with a heavy focus on storytelling, this game will be a winner.
One of the first things I noticed about World of Final Fantasy is it exudes copious amounts of cuteness. From the adorable chibi versions of monsters which have been staples of Final Fantasy games for decades to the main two characters in the story everything is just adorable and sweet. Of course, since it’s also a Final Fantasy game it’s also filled with danger and a bad guy trying to do bad things, but also being adorable while doing it. This is our World of Final Fantasy Review.
Kingdom Under Fire 2 has gotten off to a solid start, and I honestly had a ton of fun playing. Unfortunately, for me, the gender locked classes are a pretty big deal, and having issues with finding groups to do things can be frustrating.
The art and setting of Inner Chains in incredibly beautiful and detailed, I often would stop and just look around everywhere there was an overlook because everything was so breathtaking. There’s so much detail in every part of the game it’s impressive. Unfortunately, all this detail might be a reason I had some issues with the performance of the game. My computer isn’t top of the line anymore, it’s a few years old at this point, but it also isn’t a toaster and there were a lot of areas where the background would be flickering. In addition to this, I had significant drops in FPS while playing where things would suddenly grind to a bit of a halt.
Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time is a fun romp through some of the episode settings in the series. Although many old characters make appearances, there isn't a whole lot of interaction or story development in-game. This might Battle Through Time a bit harder to get into for players who weren't avid fans of the game. However, if you like old-style action RPG games, this will probably be right up your ally.
I've only really scratched the surface of things which are going on in this game and trust me I haven't covered everything by far. This game has a ton to offer to both new CRPG players and players who have been around the genre for a while.
Reignited is a very well done remaster and was well worth the time and effort put in by the developers. Everything looks, feels, and sounds as if it could have come out this year as a brand new game. All three games are fun though the first and second are the strongest entries in the series. As platformers go these games aren't incredibly challenging, but there are some spots which can be fairly difficult especially when trying to 100% the games.
Metronomicon Slay the Dance Floor is a ton of fun and I hope to see more rhythm RPGs in the future. The soundtrack is also top notch and I often had various songs stuck in my head long after I stopped playing. For anyone who likes RPGs and Rhythm games, this is one you won't want to pass up.
Overall A Pixel Story is a ton of fun and aside from some minor glitches here and there it was a delight to play. Though I do recommend taking breaks if you’re struggling with any of the puzzles because it can get quite frustrating.
The content of Wrath Classic is still great and has held up over time really well. However, the many issues and bugs of the launch have dulled the experience, particularly for players on very high-population servers or players who were hoping to join friends already on high-population servers. I’m hopeful that as we move through phase one and into phase two Blizzard will continue to polish things up and get everything righted. However, their history of solid Classic launches has been a bit tarnished with this one.
We finally have the remastered Final Fantasy VIII fans have been waiting for. They gameplay is there exactly as it was previously and it’s a fun trip through a crazy timey-wimey story. But how does the remaster hold up decades later?
Overall, I had a lot more fun in Albion Online than I would have expected because I generally don't enjoy sandbox games a whole lot. They seem to have struck a wonderful balance between pointing player towards activities and letting them wander and find adventures on their own.
For fans of tactical RPGs Regalia of Men and Monarchs is a must buy. The combat can be challenging and frustrating at times though there is a story mode available for people who would like a bit of a simpler game experience. Regalia had far more story and content in general than I was expecting going into the game and everything is executed really well.
The mystery of what is really going on in Oakmont, and with lead character Charles Reed, kept drawing me in and often kept me playing far longer then I intended to.