The saying that everything deserves a second chance should not have applied to Elex. Elex II takes so many steps backwards from an already poor game, it’s astounding. Its writing, optimisation, combat, and game systems all stand as a new benchmark on what to not do.
Elex is an unfortunate case of an intriguing world ruined by most of game which the world is tied to. With average gameplay, horrid combat, bad voice acting, bad sound design and a myriad of technical issues, Elex does little to encourage players to invest time in its vast landscapes, deep RPG mechanics and interesting ideas.
BioWare really dropped the ball with Anthem. It has a fairly average story, is rife with terrible design and problems, laden with as many bugs as a Bethesda game and the endgame is incredibly unenticing
Though it does a great job at making the isometric ARPG formula more accessible, Minecraft Dungeons ultimately falls short due to its shallow nature
Elderand feels like a game that would have thrived in a previous generation of gaming. It holds onto some mechanics that just don't feel that great compared to what the Metroivania genre offers in the modern day. It's not all bad, but there are better games in the genre that you can play.
In reality, it’s developed into a shallow game with little to no story content but lots of tedious busywork. Its great moment-to-moment gameplay isn’t enough to distract from how the game is built around artificial padding that even houses a pay-to-win microtransaction economy
If I were to say that Monster Hunter: Generations Ultimate wasn’t enjoyable I would be doing it a great disservice. It has a huge monster roster to offer with an engaging and addictive gameplay loop that is extremely gratifying. Unfortunately, it is a relic of a bygone era in terms of game design and communication
From bizarre difficulty balancing to a poorly written story, Lightfall has a lot of misses. However, it also makes a lot of good changes that enhance the general gameplay like with Strand subclass and the accessibility of buildcrafting. It isn't the worst Destiny 2 expansion, not even close, but it is also far from being great.
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet offer a unique and incredibly engaging experience that the series has desperately needed since its transition to 3D back in 2013. Unfortunately, it has also been released in an incredibly unoptimised state which sours the whole experience.
Salt and Sacrifice makes a number of changes to its general design and structure that are absolutely not worth the cost, and while the game is still enjoyable, it ultimately feels like a step backwards from the charming 2016 original.
It is my sincerest of hopes that this shaky start is just an anomaly for Bungie’s new direction, but the game’s state ever since Shadowkeep also leads me to believe otherwise
Does The Teal Mask redeem Pokémon Scarlet and Violet for the faults made last year? No, but that doesn't stop it from being an inoffensive, nice experience.
Though it can be a relatively shallow and imperfect game, Minecraft Legends offers a fun and unique experience that feels befitting of a Minecraft spinoff.
High Isle offers a number of fun, entertaining experiences. However, it focuses on mostly delivering more of the same rather than building and properly expanding on the game’s core ideas. It’s completely fine that it does this, but I just personally wish it strived to be a little more.
While it does make a lot of good changes, Pokémon Sword & Shield make more mistakes compared to previous iterations in the franchise. Regardless, newcomers and Pokémon fans alike are bound to find enjoyment in the new region and those that inhabit it.
Code Vein is a pretty solid attempt at a formula that is tried and true and manages to bring some cool ideas to the table
Minor improvements make for an all-round better experience, but not without a few steps backwards
Final Fantasy VII Remake has converted this detractor into a believer. Even with its handful of issues, the richly detailed world and story are something to behold.
It's Dark Souls, but better
I wasn’t quite expecting to enjoy the relatively small experience that is Little Nightmares as much as I did. It captured the clever puzzles that I loved from Limbo, while also having a great visual style that gives it a good sense of identity