Karl Smart's Reviews
World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King Classic is one of those games that is held back by two things: The community, which has become so toxic that it cannot be saved, and a company that only listens to its Top 1% of the player base (Streamers and hardcore raiders). Wrath Classic could have been the game that returned World of Warcraft back to its glory days, but listening to the wrong people, has doomed the franchise back into its darkest days, ruining one of the best experiences with it.
Capcom Fighting Collection brings us a good batch of arcade-perfect ports that are themed into a package that is great if you just want those specific titles to play at all times, but with 6 of them appearing in Capcom Arcade Stadium 2, and one already in Capcom Arcade Stadium, Capcom Fighting Collection comes off as a quick cash grab that really should have been pushed out as another DLC pack for either Capcom Arcade Stadium release. Your mileage is going to vary on how desperately you want 3 games that haven't seen a release since the 1990s… and by the looks of it, will never see a release again.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge is a really good game in its own right, capturing the look and feel of the Konami-era arcade games that fans have wanted to see come back for decades. However, when compared to other fan-made efforts (You know the one I'm talking about), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge feels like it was just the same exact concept done with a bigger budget yet more limitations.
Evil Dead: The Game is a game that is great in concept, but makes the same mistake that other games looking to dethrone Dead by Daylight make: Focusing on one franchise and expecting it to carry the whole experience. Evil Dead: The Game has a solid foundation but stagnates very easily due to a lack of variety in gameplay objectives and maps. Not to mention it relies on people working together in order to win as one side, which doesn't work without a solid communication system that everyone actually uses or a community that actually wants to work together.
WWE 2K22 is one of those games that, as a wrestling fan, I don't mind playing a few times over before using it as a WCW/ECW/AEW simulator game till something else comes along. The MyRise career mode looks to be a highlight of an otherwise limited video game. Now only if WWE could do something about their real-life product (and not fire half the roster before a game release) that can compare to some of the bookings you can do in WWE 2K22 and maybe they might have a chance to return to dominance… Till then, bring on the AEW video game!
Gran Turismo 7 is probably the best racing simulation game on the market right now, something that every car fanatic needs to own. Gran Turismo 7 allows you to fine-tune everything from the motor, to the circuits, to the paint, and more. Everything can be made just the way you want it to be. Gran Turismo 7 is also the BEST looking game on the PlayStation 5… PERIOD. Everything is reflective, from the paint to the chrome on the wheel covers… It's AMAZING. If you're a racing fanatic, then this is the game for you.
Sifu is one of those games that sounds amazing in concept but is flawed in its execution. Playing as the unnamed martial arts master feels badass when it works, but once those deaths start to pile up, Sifu becomes such a punishing game that, more often than not, it will see you rage quitting the game for something more balanced and refined.
OlliOlli World looks like the type of game that you would find as a free-to-play mobile experience, but once you get into the grind of things, you'll be kickflipping with excitement as you tackle challenge after challenge that will keep you coming back for more each time.
The King of Fighters '98 is one of those games that will always be remembered for being the best of the series, and The King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match Final Edition continues to show why that is so while adding some modern networking improvements to make sure that it will be played online by the hardcore player base for a long time to come.
Grand Theft Auto Trilogy: The Definitive Edition is one of those "Be careful what you wish for" games. While it has all the improvements that would be considered the bare minimum for Rockstar to put into something, it also exposes the ages of the titles, making the cheapness appear worse than it is. Grand Theft Auto Trilogy: The Definitive Edition is barely worth it for returning players, but is perfect for first-timers to this trilogy of games.
Final Fantasy XIV Online: Heavensward & Final Fantasy XIV Online: Stormblood are prime examples of how you should follow up a great opening chapter in a multi-game game like Final Fantasy XIV Online: A Realm Reborn. The time spent with Final Fantasy XIV Online now feels like it is really getting somewhere instead of just one long introduction. While Final Fantasy XIV Online: Stormblood doesn't quite balance the leveling experience with the story questline, everything comes together as an overall amazing experience leading into Final Fantasy XIV Online: Shadowbringers.
Final Fantasy XIV Online: Heavensward & Final Fantasy XIV Online: Stormblood are prime examples of how you should follow up a great opening chapter in a multi-game game like Final Fantasy XIV Online: A Realm Reborn. The time spent with Final Fantasy XIV Online now feels like it is really getting somewhere instead of just one long introduction. While Final Fantasy XIV Online: Stormblood doesn't quite balance the leveling experience with the story questline, everything comes together as an overall amazing experience leading into Final Fantasy XIV Online: Shadowbringers.
Diablo II is one of those games where you could recommend till the cows come home, but Diablo II: Resurrected, on the other hand, is one of those remasters where you should expect something more than a fresh coat of paint. Diablo II: Resurrected should have been a game that was a true remaster, fixing the remaining few issues with Diablo II, but instead is another horrible remaster from Activision-Blizzard that removes more than it adds to the overall game and experience.
Back 4 Blood is a good game, it improves on the Left 4 Dead formula in a way that is challenging and creative. However, the move to forcing people to advance the overall game by going online, being forced to work with randoms in a very badly connected cross-platform multiplayer games where without a solid communication base, resulting in Back 4 Blood being an experience in frustration rather than a very enjoyable game. If Turtle Rock allows for private games where you can do under 4 players with bots instead, then maybe this game can truly be something that is a must-own. But at the moment Back 4 Blood is only worth playing if you have a premade group of friends.
Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn is a great introduction to the world of Final Fantasy for both new and old fans of the series, as well as people looking for a new or different MMO to play. While still having a lot of the standard tropes that an MMO does have, along with a lot of ones from the Final Fantasy series, the combination of both are a breath of fresh air for those people who have been stuck inhaling the stench of World of Warcraft for over a decade.
Resident Evil Village is a great entry into the otherwise weird third trilogy of the Resident Evil franchise. Taking a lot of what made Resident Evil 7 work as a great horror experience and adding to it with things that people enjoyed about Resident Evil 4. However, Resident Evil Village does feel like by adding things from Resident Evil 4, that CAPCOM is about to remake some mistakes of old.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is one of those games that people are going to find their own value out of. For me, the story campaign was a great experience, and the Zombie mode is always a fun bonus. Graphically the game is one of the best I've seen on the market for any video game of this cross-over generation and would recommend people who have high-end PCs or Next-Generation consoles give the game a play. However Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War does nothing to change the reputation of the online multiplayer mode, from the push to buy season passes to a very toxic community, this would be the only huge negative I would point out, which will upset a lot of die-hards. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is a game the die-hards will love, but won't do much to convert new players to its fold.
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands shows that the whole World of Warcraft game is really showing it's age, not to mention that since losing a lot of their key development people from the Blizzard side like Chris Kaleiki and many others, leading to this being a more "by the metrics" Activision based game experience than what Blizzard is renowned for. For a lot of people, the heart and soul of World of Warcraft is dead at this stage, but since it is still early days, future patches and content additions can revive the game into a playable state for those who are still addicted to the game after over 16 years… But only time will tell at this stage.
MARVEL Spider-Man created a huge benchmark for MARVEL Spider-Man: Miles Morales to shoot for, and it not only achieved that benchmark, but surpassed it with new gameplay, attention to detail, representation, and story. Well worth a full-game in itself that also continues the saga of Spider-Man, while carving out a piece of the overall universe for itself. Visually pushing the PlayStation 5 as far as it can go at launch, while also giving people the option to sacrifice those visuals for extra gameplay power. Should be a Game of the Year contender due to being more of what made the first game an amazing game to play. A must-own for PlayStation owners of any generation.
Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1+2 is the remaster that gets just about everything right. The graphics are amazing, the skaters are here from both games alongside some newer skaters from the modern era, the gameplay is lifted from the best games in the series with the option to customize things to your liking, and the music brings that good wave of nostalgia that the series is famous for. Though there are some missteps here and there, the remaster is right up there in the realm of the best remasters available for any video game. Working nostalgia into a very satisfying recreation of two of the best games in the genre is something that will have you smiling from game to game.