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Evan Norris

Veknoid Outcast
Veknoid_Outcast
Veknoid_Outcast
Veknoid_Outcast

Favorite Games:
  • The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
  • Deus Ex
  • Halo: Combat Evolved

423 games reviewed
65.2 average score
65 median score
31.4% of games recommended

Evan Norris's Reviews

A lifelong fan of video games, Evan Norris began writing for the sales site VGChartz.com in April 2015. Some of his favorite series include The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario, Castlevania, and Resident Evil.
6.5 / 10.0 - Farmagia
Dec 1, 2024

In the end, Farmagia isn’t a must-play game, but it’s a perfectly fine way to pass the time.

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Nov 27, 2024

There's a lot of potential hidden away in Divine Dynamo Flamefrit that, unfortunately, goes unrealized. Still, what we do get is fairly good: a silly, knowing storyline; flashy, crunchy action; and rock-solid boss battles.

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Nov 20, 2024

Despite some faults, including simple puzzles, a clunky control scheme, and tedious exploration, Hifumi Kono's seminal survival-horror game is worth playing, at least once.

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Unscored - Tetris Forever
Nov 17, 2024

Once again, the Gold Master Series proves to be the gold standard in game preservation, documentation, and celebration.

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Nov 13, 2024

The games here are arguably better overall than those in Volume 1, mostly due to the greatness of GunForce II, but they've received fewer upgrades. Hopefully future installments will include more refinements, more bonus content, and more ways to appreciate and celebrate each game.

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6 / 10.0 - Card-en-Ciel
Nov 10, 2024

For a new IP, Card-en-Ciel shows potential. The premise is intriguing, the core rules and mechanics provide a strong foundation for tactical decision-making, and the replay value is absurdly high. Regrettably, the campaign that houses everything is a slight letdown, due to clichéd storytelling, forgettable characters, and generic, tedious dungeons.

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Nov 1, 2024

In terms of murder mysteries, it doesn't get much better than Master Detective Archives: Rain Code Plus. The setting is fascinating, the story provocative, the characters full of personality, and the game world dripping (literally) in atmosphere. The only area where it stumbles is gameplay, which, unfortunately, is the most important area.

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7 / 10.0 - Iron Meat
Oct 26, 2024

Even with a short running time and a lack of special set-pieces, Iron Meat does justice to the genre, not to mention its own on-the-nose name.

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Oct 24, 2024

By marrying the expectations of a typical top-down 2D entry with the improvisational, do-it-yourself gameplay from Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, Grezzo has arrived at a winning formula that mixes old and new. That said, not everything is perfect: the echo system isn't great in combat situations and the game's dungeons demand more complexity.

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Oct 4, 2024

Thanks to refined camera controls, additional moves, quality-of-life enhancements, expanded 2D platforming sections, and the retention of almost everything that made the Wii version special, Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed is the best way to experience Mickey's adventure in Wasteland.

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Sep 25, 2024

Thanks to three must-play DS games, innovative porting work, a slew of special features and quality-of-life upgrades, and a surprisingly strong remake of a former franchise dud, it's among the best collections released under the Konami banner in the last five years.

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7 / 10.0 - Wild Bastards
Sep 18, 2024

It has a lot going for it, including a fascinating premise, 13 unique playable characters, excellent moment-to-moment action, and outstanding production design. With a better story and more nuanced strategic and relationship-building gameplay, it would join its predecessor as a GOTY contender.

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5.5 / 10.0 - Yars Rising
Sep 10, 2024

The final product doesn't do much to elevate the Yars franchise, due to an excessively flippant tone, an over-reliance on unsatisfying stealth and hacking mechanics, and generally straightforward, unsurprising gameplay. The controls are solid, the power-ups are interesting, and the exploration is rewarding, but that's not quite enough to save the game from mediocrity.

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8.5 / 10.0 - Bakeru
Sep 4, 2024

Thanks to engaging combat, impressive level variety, rewarding exploration, an immersive hub area, and vibrant art, it's one of the very best games of 2024.

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Sep 1, 2024

Shadow of the Ninja - Reborn takes what was effective and inventive about the original — weapon upgrades, vertical level design, and local multiplayer — and enhances it significantly with new moves, additional weapons, more complex level designs, and lavish sprite work. Only a few small faults keep it from greatness.

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Aug 29, 2024

Mika and the Witch's Mountain is a cozy, comforting little adventure. It benefits from an interesting premise, breezy mechanics, some fanciful tunes, and a rewarding gameplay loop that pushes you forward. Its biggest problem is that it feels unfinished; the story and character relationships don't have enough time to mature, and the mechanics don't have sufficient room to evolve.

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Aug 27, 2024

Natsu-Mon might not be the best game of the year, but it's destined to be one of the most memorable and affecting. Its emergent storytelling helps you feel like the author of your own adventure. Its seamless open world provides an exciting sense of discovery. And its many quests and quest-givers will keep you engaged for over two dozen hours.

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Aug 9, 2024

Volgarr the Viking II is a throwback title, for better or worse. On the positive side, it deploys its simple control scheme to maximum effect, leverages several interesting platforming ideas, and provides hours of challenging gameplay that will test your reflexes and resolve. On the negative side, its punishing nature, overlong levels, and general opacity can prove more frustrating than rewarding.

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Aug 6, 2024

Even with a few underdeveloped components, Arranger is very much like its heroine Jemma: charming and hard to ignore.

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While the social component of the game is strong, the micro challenges that underpin it are ultimately too insignificant to stand the test of time.

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