Evan Norris's Reviews
Overall, this is an admirable first attempt from Airship Syndicate, but one with a lot of unrealized potential.
A solidly-constructed and engaging action-adventure game with a terrific set of boss battles and a huge world filled with secret chambers, ferocious monsters, and a hint of things to come for gaming's most celebrated bounty hunter.
Maybe a Knack III would elevate the series, but as of right now Knack stands as one of the most aggressively average and forgettable Sony first-party franchises.
It would be easy to take a quick look at Beach Buggy Racing and write it off as shovelware. It's not. It's a surprisingly fun kart racer with lots of single player content and local multiplayer options for four friends.
With Baja: Edge of Control HD, THQ Nordic has brought back into the limelight an undervalued gem of a racer.
This is a title that can go head-to-head with anything released in 2017, including Breath of the Wild. With charming characters, fun combat, lots of opportunities to explore, and a large set of role-playing mechanics operating like clockwork, it accomplishes everything it sets out to do.
When the game does relinquish control, during firefights and around puzzles, it tends to improve sharply. Such is the case in chapter 9, where the designs of the studio meet the input of the player to create a winning symbiosis. Earlier chapters are far less successful and consistent. The end result is a game that's less than the sum of its parts.
Intellectually and aesthetically, it's a knockout. However, it's held back somewhat by a stingy power-up system, a burdensome time mechanic, and a few mundane modes.
The story is mysterious and cerebral, the pixel art evocative and opulent, and the combat system deep and versatile. With a more sophisticated upgrade framework and with more worthwhile RPG elements, it could take the next step towards greatness.
On the story front, Collar X Malice is a knockout. The premise is unique, the artwork stunning, and the voice-acting passionate and professional. In terms of gameplay, it's far less successful.
A procedurally-generated Metroidvania might seem like an oxymoron, but Sundered proves the concept's efficacy.
Fans of the borderline-masochistic nature of old-school action-platformers like Ghosts 'n Goblins and Castlevania will adore Cursed Castilla EX. It's a punishing affair that can be replayed again and again to reach high scores and unlock alternate endings. Players with a lower tolerance for pain and a disinterest in leaderboards should probably stay away.
There are 80 levels to be played solo here — most if not all of them more challenging as a solo venture — but it's only with a group of friends that you'll extract everything Death Squared has to offer.
Inti Creates' cross-over is a success, in the end. Its short length is offset by high replay value. Its steep difficulty is offset by optional power-ups and frequent checkpoints. Its adopted hero, Beck, removed from the controversy of Mighty No. 9, is allowed to shine.
Despite an underdeveloped Buddy Battle, a poorly-conceived and executed "Way of the Hado," and some missing modes, Ultra Street Fighter II is joyful to play.
It's neither as engaging nor as terrifying as first-person horror games like Amnesia or SOMA, but its earnest spookiness goes a long way.
Disgaea 5 is an enormously ambitious game in terms of content, systems, and battle mechanics. With a lengthy campaign, scores of side quests, lots of customization options, and tons of optional content, it's a title that will keep strategy RPG fans coming back for more.
Underneath the game's clumsy exterior is an experience well worth sharing with friends at home and visitors online.
With 25 characters, two of them new to this version, plus added story chapters and gameplay tweaks, Rev 2 is the definitive version of one of the finest 2D fighters of the generation. It's not a quantum leap over -Revelator- but it represents the peak of the Xrd series.
It's difficult to summon many negative things to say about The Surge. It checks all the boxes of a successful Souls-like.