Karl Smart's Reviews
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.
CARRION is a game that only someone associated with the madhouse publisher that is Devolver Digital could create.
Money aside, Street Fighter V: Championship Edition doesn’t do much to fix a long list of problems that the fighting game community has pointed out about this game since the beginning and doesn’t look like they’ll do anything about it either. Long term fans will know to avoid this like the plague, diehards would have all of the content already at triple the price, and newcomers are smart for waiting out to buy this game cheap.
Resident Evil 3 is a solid remake, it looks and feels fresh compared to the original. But when you take a look at the much better Resident Evil 2 you notice that the time and care taken with the two games is much different thus creating a very different experience from the previous game.
At the end of it all, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is just the same old Dragon Ball Z story with the Dragon Ball Xenoverse cost of paint and a much shinier graphical upgrade.
Mario & Sonic: Tokyo 2020 is one of those games where you would think it would be very stale, but thanks to some retro nostalgia it doesn't. Sure, the games are limited and do wear thin after a while, but there are so many that it will give die-hard sports fans something to play at all times. The story is enough to give you a few chuckles but is only worth one play through.
Resident Evil 2 is much more than a HD update that so many people thought it would be. Just like Resident Evil when it was brought back for the Gamecube, things have been changed around enough to make the game fresh and exciting, even for those Resident Evil diehards who have played the original to death.
Just Cause 4 is just more of the same. The physics engine that has been around since Just Cause 2 is still fun to see in action, but that's about it. There is nothing new about Just Cause 4 that makes it stand out from other entries in the Just Cause series. The Extreme Weather system that was meant to make a huge difference in Just Cause 4 just isn't used enough for me to care, and outside of things going BOOM, the game just seems like more of the same.
Hands down MARVEL Spider-Man is one of the BEST games I have played all year. Within moments of swinging out into the streets of New York I was hooked. From there the game took me on a wild ride that I wished would not stop. Loaded with references to other Spider-Man games, the movies, TV show, Cartoons and of course the comics; MARVEL Spider-Man is the ultimate comic book video game if not 2018 Game of the Year… Fight me!!
We Happy Few is a game that promises to be one hell of a good story drive ride from start to finish, but what we got was something that is so full of bugs and crash issues that it completely ruin the experience. Frankly We Happy Few needed to spend more time in development than it does being played. When something like this starts on Kickstarter, sometimes it just need to stay there. We Happy Few’s story is a highlight and should be an animated film more than a less-then-playable video game.
Yakuza kiwami 2 shows exactly what happens when a good story meets good gameplay… Perfection. You’ll spend hours of your life playing the main game, then another half of your life just doing the exciting and awesome side missions and distraction events. Any game that makes taking a piss into an action filled experience deserves the highest of praise.
Sonic Mania Plus is the best Sonic game of modern times, quite possibly the best Sonic game of all time. With all the right things in place with the original release, then adding two new characters and remixing levels to add a new level of challenge, Sonic Mania Plus is a must have game.
Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection is exactly what was promised: A celebration of the arcade culture that made Street Fighter great. However, there feels like there was a lock of effort put forth in the selection of the version of each game placed in the collection. Going with the base bones versions when people know there are much better versions out there to play just isn't good enough for the hardcore fans who will buy this game on day one.
Sorry SEGA fans, but this collection doesn't feel like anything more than a cheap cash in.
Challenging puzzles framed with one of the most recognizable serial killers in film history mixed with cute graphics would be a weird mix, but it works. Friday the 13th: Killer Puzzle is a great experience that makes you want to give it one more go to get that sweet kill instead of turning you away in frustration when you miss that final character.
Pure Farming 2018 is a "as the box describes" experience. If you love farming, or want to learn about farming, then Pure Farming 2018 is going to be perfect for you. Heck, if you want an afternoon of doing next to nothing, then this also works for you. But unless you have the passion for farming, it's hard to recommend Pure Farming 2018 as a video game.
Dragon Ball FighterZ looks pretty as hell, almost as good as the anime these days. However the game has a serious balancing issue, the company has a serious greed issue. Overall the more you play the game, the less you're going to like it unless you enjoy grinding against people who will combo lock you into hell. Single player gets boring quickly, leaving a terrible online experience. Expect this game to disappear into the next dimension when the next flashy anime style fighting game arrives.