Scott Ellison II's Reviews
While METAL EDEN isn’t here for a long time, it is here for a good time. The kinetic gameplay and stylish presentation is just enough to justify the price of admission, even if it leaves you wishing for more content and a better-paced story. This game is stylish as hell, and is not to be overlooked, it’s an instant classic. METAL EDEN is stylish as hell, nailing its core mechanics with surgical precision to rip & sear.
Mafia: The Old Country knows what it wants to be – a period-authentic, gritty mob drama – and largely succeeds in its ambition. While some mechanical elements might feel a touch dated in their implementation or the pacing occasionally rushes you forward, these are minor grievances against a backdrop of intriguing world-building, compelling storytelling, and a deep commitment to its historical setting. Hangar 13 has delivered a potent reminder of why the Mafia series resonates with its unwavering focus on narrative, character, and an unparalleled sense of time and place. It’s not a perfect game, but it offers an experience that’s rich in atmosphere, brutal honesty, and thoroughly captivating from start to finish. For those who appreciate a well-told crime story with unparalleled historical flavor, Mafia: The Old Country is an offer you should accept.
In a lot of ways, you're acting as customer service or even some levels, as a wedding planner to find the right place for everyone and get seating arrangements just right. Seating people in such a way that they don't interact or interfere with others is paramount. You may be stumble into or seek a methodical solution, but no matter how you arrive at solving these puzzles, is a rewarding experience. The little bit of story you get is icing on the cake that compliments the wonderful gameplay for this distinct puzzler. Is This Seat Taken? as a puzzle game doesn't hinder or restrict the player, but instead provides frictionless entertainment for all ages to enjoy.
In the real world, Wheel World is a repetitive and monotonous game. It’s good in a lot of areas like world building and strong controls, but variety isn’t one of them. At points where it should be celebrating your successes, just falls flat and misses the moment. Wheel World is worth playing, but it’s not something that’ll stick with you after the credits roll.
The price of admission for Cyber Clutch: Hot Import Nights seems about right, actually. You could do far worse for $15, but there’s far too many bugs, is lean on modes, and just lacks refinement. All is not lost, this is a game that if you dig deep enough you might find something to latch onto. It reminds me of late 90s or early 2000s car combat games which offers a bit of nostalgia for those who were around then. But like those games were for me then, this feels like it’s just a weekend rental. I still don’t know where “Hot Import Nights” fits in to this game. Cyber Clutch: Hot Import Nights lacks anything compelling to keep you coming back, and is ultimately just perfunctory.
Wildgate is a bold and ambitious undertaking that succeeds at what it sets out to do. It’s something that demands teamwork, rewards tactical thinking, and delivers exhilarating moments of high-stakes action throughout every match. You won’t find this to be overwrought with monetization or collaborations, it’s a simple game that really does everything right. Moonshot Games has ensured that this is a multiplayer experience that feels fresh and exciting. The core of Wildgate is incredibly strong, and win or lose you’re bound to have a good time in the untamed cosmos.
The Game Kitchen really cooked here, because this looks and feels like a classic Ninja Gaiden game, but with way more going on. The sublime controls and gorgeous pixel art will cement the notion that “Ninja Gaiden is back!” While I don’t love the levels themselves, the game’s combat is a vehicle that takes you from place to place that you won’t be bothered by it. NINJA GAIDEN: Ragebound takes the series back to its roots, even rivaling its modern 3D counterparts with ease.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 builds on the foundation that Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 set, but the changes to THPS4 detract what is otherwise a fantastic couple of games. There were certainly some tough decision that had to be made, making it less faithful to the original games it is named after. This is arguably better than its predecessor, because of the new moves for chaining combos, great levels, and sheer amount of content. Iron Galaxy had their work cut out for them, but really made something great here. Ultimately, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 is a triumphant remake worth playing, as it’s still a fantastic collection and duology of games that capture the essence of what made these games so special in the first place.
RoboCop: Rogue City - Unfinished Business picks up right where Rogue City left off, and explores so many new ideas, it absolutely needed to be a standalone experience. Teyon has made an incredibly satisfying game that serves as a great companion to the films without stepping on their toes. Unfinished Business is highly enjoyable, the new missions, locations, weapons, and enemies make everything feel fresh and new. RoboCop: Rogue City - Unfinished Business doesn't completely payoff, but it's a ton of fun. “Excuse me, I have to go. Somewhere there is a crime happening.”
Showing it can be more than just “Rocket League with human feet”, Sloclap understands what makes multiplayer soccer engaging. The Prologue teases what a story mode could be like, and it would be really good had there been a campaign. REMATCH can be a little dry in its presentation, but is a grounded and surprisingly strong soccer game that only a well-executed competitive sports game can provide – the last-minute goal, the perfectly executed pass, the coordinated defensive stop. Sloclap has mastered multiplayer for Absolver, and then excelled at creating fluid animations in Sifu, for this all to coalesce in REMATCH to be a wonderfully flowing soccer game that has legs.
I wanted to love FBC: Firebreak, but I’d settle to even just like it. The lack of dynamicism gives me no want to replay any of the jobs because you’ve seen and done it all after just the first time you’ve completed it. While this isn’t an Early Access game, the emaciated amount of content makes it feel like one. This is a big misfire from Remedy. FBC: Firebreak is stands out in the space only because of its genesis, and that’s just not enough when everything else here is so boring and underwhelming.
Dune: Awakening is a compelling and ambitious entry into the survival MMO landscape. Funcom has managed to weave together challenging survival mechanics, engaging combat, and a satisfying progression system within a rich, atmospheric setting. While it might benefit from further content expansion and minor polish to reach its full potential, the foundation here is undeniably strong. Dune: Awakening is best when you’re in the safety net of PvE, but even then, the net has a few holes to be patched up. Though two things are certain in Dune: Awakening, no matter how far you’ve come, you’re never clear of danger or free from death.
For every challenge I was faced with, I felt like I was solving problems in equal measure. The Alters often faces existential complications and the human condition with gravity and weightlessness to allow you to laugh. You’ll be exploring, fighting for survival, or chasing a intriguing narrative, but each system feeds into the other so seamlessly, you’ll never be bored or want to leave a task unfulfilled. The Alters science fiction at its finest, and one of the best and weirdest games of the year.
Codemasters are operating at peak performance this time. This feels like a next-generation release through and through. F1 25 is absolutely brimming with feature after feature of high quality, the driving model is stellar, and is the best it’s ever looked. F1 25 is the reason you get into racing simulation games.
Frog Legs is a solid, thoughtful game. I wish each of the games you so briskly go through offered so much more. This decidedly short game has some great ideas I wish were more fleshed out, simply because they are so fun to partake in. Frog Legs is fun, while it lasts.
Ultimately, the challenge just isn’t there for RoadCraft, and it’s just a shame as the series deviates from what made it so special. The activities and missions you do are by far the best in the series, to just make this game worth it. Longtime fans will find this to be a game that’s too much work, especially for how fiddly everything is. RoadCraft is a construction and restoration sim that makes it hard to find the fun.
The Precinct plays in a smaller sandbox that you might be used to, and there’s a finite number of things to do, but it’s all well worth it. The developers have learned a lot since their last game, and it’s a richer and deeper experience for it. It lasts just as long as it needs to, and is not filled with any unnecessary bloat. Like its predecessor, The Precinct serves and protects as a homage to games of the past, and Fallen Tree Games offers restraint in its simcade police game.
DOOM: The Dark Ages is id Software firing on all cylinders. This game fixes everything I didn’t like about DOOM Eternal, and enhances everything I loved about DOOM (2016). It’s a first-person shooter that smartly incorporates timing and challenge in a whole new way, with lots of replayability. A customizable parry window ensures The Dark Ages can be for anyone, regardless of skill level. DOOM: The Dark Ages finds refinement upon excellence to be a bright spot in the dark ages for this third and hopefully not final entry for the venerable first-person shooter.
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered successfully revitalizes a classic RPG with significant visual and technical improvements, making it a must-play for fans of the genre. While it doesn’t feel wholly modern, anyone playing this for the first time will find so much to love and enjoy here. Prepare to lose yourself once again in the captivating world of Cyrodiil and all the locations within its borders. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered is not a perfect remaster, but it’s a damn good one, preserving the heart and soul of Oblivion while making it shine on modern hardware.
South of Midnight has so many characters I want to see more of because of their natural dialogue and strong relationships, both built and pre-existing. It does feel like it tries to do a lot in a single game, in the event that a sequel can’t be made. But there’s so much to like here, that Compulsion Games should get to make another game set in this world, for it’s so lived in. South of Midnight is bona fide storybook classic full of character and culture, and a game to be remembered and treasured.