Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania was a great dive into a franchise I haven’t touched since the GameCube. The gameplay felt tight, the challenges were challenging, and only a few times did the game ever give me controller smashing frustration. That said, there’s enough content here to keep a party of friends satiated, and a good onboarding system with the helper mode lets new players stick around for longer.
SkateBIRD offers a similar experience to other skating games out there. Even if it doesn’t compete technically with the likes of EA’s Skate or challenges the skill needed for Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, I still found it fun to play. SkateBIRD won’t replace your preferred skating game, but I think it’s a good, relaxing experience to try out. Plus, you get to play with birds, and what isn’t there to love about that?
As I mentioned earlier, Cruis’n Blast is exactly what I want out of an arcade racer. It’s fun, it drives well, it’s over the top, and it’s arcade racing in its near-perfected form. The only way this could be better would be Raw Thrills shipping the arcade unit to dock your Switch in.
It’s hard to give a score to an idle game like this because many people come at these games from different perspectives. Me, I like to let the game take the reigns and slowly build up my empire, while others may want to be more engaged. If you’re looking at something that will keep your fingers twitching while earning, this won’t be for you. But for how I like to play idle games, Cookie Clicker is #1. Plus, after importing my web save into Steam, I sat there for 5 minutes watching achievements pop, and who doesn’t like that endorphin rush. Cookie Clicker is fun, peaceful, and respectful of your time. You don’t have to babysit this idler and can go at your own pace watching those precious numbers go up and up. Whether you like to manage every aspect and hit things right as they are available or like me, let the game chill while you watch YouTube, Cookie Clicker is tremendous fun. I’ve even baked cookies at home while having the game earn cookies for me; it feels kind of meta, doesn’t it?
Death’s Door has some fun lore and a fantastic main character; I mean, I love birds, and what’s not to love about a little bird with a sword? The combat is tight, and battles with enemies and bosses never feel unfair. If anything, each failure felt like it was my fault, something I could fix in a future run or my playstyle overall. Everything comes together so well in Death’s Door; it’s just so enjoyable to play. It has become a top ten contender for my games of the year list so far.
Other than the noted changes, Mass Effect is exactly how I remember it, great story beats, incredible voice acting, fun and engaging combat scenarios, and characters that you just want to hang out with. The Mass Effect: Legendary Edition is absolutely fantastic and overall an absurd amount of content for one bundle to contain. All three games have aged well, save for a few cringy lines of dialogue and player decisions. For new players, this is the way to experience ME. For old ME Vets, it’s an incredible look back. If there were one thing I would have liked to have seen included in this collection, it would have been some history extras. Behind the scenes, a documentary, VO outtakes, etc… Something, anything, Bioware would have had leftover to give us fans a little treat to celebrate the Mass Effect legacy. The Legendary Edition is worth every penny they ask for and you can’t go wrong with this purchase.
Rainbow Studios has been known for some high-profile off-road titles in the past, Motocross Madness and ATV Off-Road Fury, to name drop a few, so you’d think who else would you leave an off-roading property too. Underneath the issues I had with this game, something is promising here, and it’s something I’d have confidence in Rainbow fleshing out. As I mentioned before, I enjoy the physics; the trucks feel good to drive. The worlds are cool to look at, but there’s not much of a reward for exploring. The career has good bits but is ultimately bland and is a giant slog, leaving a poor aftertaste. Maybe it’s the licensed nature of the beast here, but I’m confident Rainbow Studios can knock it out of the park. They just didn’t do it this time.
There’s a vast amount of content in each destination to see and experience; you’ll actively want to try various ways to play. It’s a game that’s meant to be played repeatedly, and combined with Hitman 1 and 2; you’ll have a near-endless World of Assassination to explore. As with the previous two titles, an internet connection is required for challenge and progression unlocks. So if you’re looking to check off everything there is to do in the game and earn rewards, you’ll want to be connected to the Hitman servers. If Hitman 3 is your first entry, I wholly recommend picking up the unlocks for the older games; the phrase “worth the price of admission” couldn’t be any more accurate when speaking of the Hitman series. The World of Assassination continues to thrive, so be its savior or its terror 47, I leave you to prepare.
Watch Dogs Legion is good fun, even if I’m not a big fan of it’s setting. The “Be Anyone” mechanic is a welcome addition to the series and one I would miss if it were not included in future titles. In fact, I think you have to include it in all titles going forward as it’s that fun to have. I do hope they improve on the storytelling and voice modulation for future titles using this feature though.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is another incredible and densely packed experience crafted by the fantastic teams within Ubisoft. There’s so much to do and see in Valhalla, and yet, you’ll never feel overwhelmed. You could sit down with this game, pour over a hundred hours into it, and still crave more. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is the best Assassin’s Creed title to date. Now, let’s sound the horn and go raiding.
Criterion and Stellar Entertainment did an impressive job with this one; I’m still having a hell of a good time drifting turns and chasing perps. It’s a testament to how well made the original game was that it can be re-released 10 years later with some small graphical tweaks and still knock my socks off.
As with each title before it, Cook, Serve, Delicious! 3?! gave me that sense of accomplishment and satisfaction of a hard day's work in just a few minutes. For as frantic as things can get on screen, it still feels relaxing to me, being able to keep my mind focused on the task at hand. Who knew that cooking in a fake apocalypse is a good distraction from the real one?
I understand that the change in developers would cause 704 Games from touching too much, fearing too big a change could break it. It also gives them time to focus on next year’s product, as they become more familiar with the game engine and code left behind from Monster Games. It’s such a shame that they stalled the momentum they gained from the previous releases, though. Here’s hoping that with the next NASCAR Heat title, they will make some strides in improving the career and continue to deliver a fun racing experience.
There isn’t much to hate about this latest Battletoads; I found it a lot of fun. But I know that the humor will get on some people’s nerves and you’ll have a group of people out there that feel the combat is too repetitive. Oh, and of course, the lack of online co-op will upset some folks. But even with all that, I still feel as if Battletoads is a great way to spend your afternoon. Not to mention, it’s on Xbox Game Pass, so if you already subscribe, there’s nothing to lose by giving it a try. It’s crazy to think that after all these years, that there would be a good Battletoads game. Maybe we’re the ones stuck in a simulation, trapped in an alternate universe where Battletoads is good, and the world around us is terrible. If that’s the case, then let me out, let me out now. Just let me sneak a copy of this game with me, though, ok?
The underpinnings of a great racing sim are here, but for Assetto Corsa to branch out and hit that next level, it needs more next time. They have a physics engine that feels good, even if it’s too temperamental with a gamepad. The cars and the environments are stunning to look at, even if it’s not the best you’ll find on a PS4. It can even be fun to play, but with how dry the game feels, there isn’t any incentive for those other than your hardcore endurance sim fan to continue racing.
Maneater has a little bit of everything needed to make a game like this fun. A beautiful and brightly colored world, incredible shark animations, fun gameplay, and a not-so-serious comedic tone to it all. It honestly feels like a first in a genre and a way to bring back an arcade-like feel to games. Throw a score counter at the top, and I could easily see this as a cabinet you’d throw quarters into. I’ve seen the game run far better on more powerful hardware, and it’s incredible, so it’s a shame that the base PS4 suffers so much.
I will always enjoy these types of games, constantly trying to chase the high of me pouring hours into titles like ThemePark or Zoo Tycoon. Planet Zoo is another sim management game that I can wholeheartedly recommend. It may not be for the casual player with how much the game asks of you in regards to management, but to everyone else, it’s a heck of a good time. Maybe we’ll get lucky and see some Aquarium stuff out of Frontier Developments next, I’m crossing fingers here.
I sincerely enjoyed my time with Autonauts and could see anyone from a pro programmer to someone with zero experience having a good time with this game.
NASCAR Heat 4, at its core, is still an amazing NASCAR experience. The physics are tight and what you expect to feel when driving. The A.I. seems smarter, and even if it isn’t, they still do a great job of reacting to your presence on the track. But even with how good the core is, the game is still plagued by a career mode that needs some more work if it wants to hold my attention for longer and get me into the Cup series.
My wish for the end game of Ancestors is to have our character evolve into what we know as the common man, but I honestly have not made my way far enough to know if this is where things go yet, but I’ll keep playing and enjoying my time in the world. I only wish I could make my progression more enjoyable. I have no clue what to expect as I evolve further and I guess that’s the point, to be curious and excited about what’s next.