Alex McCumbers's Reviews
Sydney Hunter and the Curse of the Mayan has some areas that could use more consideration and improvement but it is a challenge worth attempting...Those who enjoy retro design should at least give it a try.
These games have introduced me to a new world of gaming that I am excited to explore further.
I don’t find Mighty Switch Force! as appealing as Shantae or River City Girls but they are fun, simple, yet challenging platformers that some players may really enjoy.
Psikyo Shooting Stars Alpha is a great launch point for shoot-em-up and arcade fans.
Standing tall as a bearer of the indie game banner, Shovel Knight is one of the best games of this generation with immense value for players.
I would really love to see this combat system in a third entry with better levels, more complex characters, and good writing that ties it all together. It’s great to see both games packaged together for a single price but they are so similar that I can’t imagine playing through both of them all the way through.
Flaws aside, this is the best Power Rangers game so far and I can only hope that nWay continues to create and iterate within this franchise. Battle for the Grid is a stellar game for Power Rangers fans and it was clearly made by people with equal love for these heroes.
Resident Evil 2 is one of the best horror games I’ve ever played.
Praise aside, I don’t think Death Stranding is a game that I will repeatedly come back to...That said, I am immensely grateful for playing it and I am much more motivated now to play Kojima’s colorful history, especially the Metal Gear Solid series.
River City Girls may have been full of walls for me but I can still wholeheartedly recommend it to just about any player, especially those fond of the beat-em-up genre. Just be warned that going without help is a lot tougher than expected.
After years of seeing praise for this game, I found myself underwhelmed. It seems to run like a dream on Switch and this is the Definitive Version of the game, so all the extras are here, but I just didn’t find myself as in love with it as I’d have hoped.
Blair Witch is an improvement over Bloober Team’s past work and I hope to see them further explore more game mechanics in their titles. Even though they’re good at perception-altering visuals, I want to see them branch out more and more. I think that one day in the future, Bloober Team could release a truly knockout horror game.
Whipseey and the Lost Atlas looks and sounds like what I would want in a game emulating a classic platformer, but it lacks the finesse that made those platformers great to begin with.
Lapis x Labyrinth is an excellent palate cleanser. I think the long haul of trying to actually finish the game could dip more into a mindless march, rather than the frantic energy the first time Fever Mode is activated, but the game overall can be a fun distraction in between more dramatic or demanding titles.
198X is a grounded tale of growing up lost and finding salvation in an unlikely place. Arcade games are the anchor for this character and for many players out there this story rings true.
There are some cool ideas in Redeemer but they just don’t come together in an enjoyable way. Hopefully, a more refined sequel will put Vasily in a better light. For now, his defiant echoes through the mountains will likely fall on deaf ears.
I think that overall Ritual of the Night will satisfy longtime Castlevania fans. Despite the game’s performance hangups, there is a lot to love in this game. Yet, I am keeping my eyes towards the future, as this particular version is less than ideal
This development team is arguably the best that Sega has. There seems to be a consistency here that many studios lack. Judgment is a great starting point for newcomers to this style of game and one that could surprise many Yakuza players.
I think Isolation could use a sequel. There are plenty of great ideas and the presentation was mostly on point.
Anyone interested in classic film will probably find something to love and discuss but anyone hoping for something more dreadful than the first game or others like it will probably want to avoid it for now.