A welcome addition to an increasingly overcrowded subset of Soulslike games, Blasphemous really captures that formula and does the best job it possibly can while presenting a gorgeous pixel art style that will leave you in awe. The lack of fast travel rooms and the unnecessary precision-based platforming leave a bit of a sour after taste in an otherwise satisfying main course meal. If you’re itching for that difficult experience with some incredible boss encounters and over-the-top gore, Blasphemous is sure to be just what you ordered on the menu this year!
River City Girls really did impress me but how polished of an experience it ended up being while staying faithful to the Kunio-kun world. The minor annoyances we had throughout the game and headaches from moving to areas during combat were quickly forgotten about anytime combat initiated because the gameplay was just so much fun. And when it all boils down, that’s truly what matters in a side scrolling beat-em-up, is it not? Fans of the genre, purchase this game.
RAD is a well thought out and put together roguelike that will keep fans of the genre coming back for more. The procedurally generated levels mean that no two runs will ever be the same, and the sheer amount of customization that can go in to a run with all the different mutations will be sure to please fans that want something to just pick up and play from time to time.
I like Control. No. I really like Control. The fact that the game doesn’t explicitly hold your hand and guide you on where to go and instead relies on your innate nature to want to explore was a perfect design choice. Backtracking to find secret rooms, hidden items, and unexplored areas was rewarding 90% of the time and oftentimes even added additional layers and craziness onto the already action-packed story that was being presented. For the most part, it all felt right and satisfying. If Remedy can clean up some of the issues with the frames dropping from time to time, I really think this is going to be the one for them that is received universally well by critics and fans alike.
Damsel is a mixed bag of emotions for me. I came into this really excited for another experience like Katana ZERO and games of a similar fashion, especially because that is still one of my favorite releases in 2019. While there are elements that I enjoy, I can’t get behind the game as much as I initially expected I would. The odd technical issues and way too repetitive missions holds this back into the good department, instead of thrusting it forward into the great department.
This game is not going to be something to appeals to everyone, or even to a large audience of gamers. But there is a dedicated group out there that will appreciate what there is to offer here.
Fans of the NFL and fans of Madden are going to find a lot of enjoyment with this version. There was some significant editions in the X-Factor players that truly can swing a game in almost any direction if done correctly. But the issues with Face of the Franchise, the lack of any new additions to the base Franchise mode, and some technical glitches here and there which Madden always has still holds this back from being better than anything we’ve ever seen from EA. But like I said, it’s still the best it has been on modern consoles, and I don’t expect to stop playing anytime soon.
Every so often, a game comes along that dares to do something different in terms of narrative design and the themes that get explored. The EA Originals lineup of games over the past year has been a blessing in disguise for the company, with the likes of Fe and A Way Out doing quite well both critically and with fan reception. Sea of Solitude is the latest entry into that lineup of games, and the message has been clearly communicated from the very beginning. This is a game about mental health issues and the ups and downs of everyday life as we struggle to get through this together.
Crash Bandicoot’s resurgence into modern culture is a welcome breath of fresh air. Now, let’s get both a new entry in the kart racing series that has never been seen, but more importantly.. a brand new platforming game. Crash is back!
For all of us 1980’s and 90’s kids out there, 198X is a coming of age story that could honestly tell the tale of any one of us. Set in Suburbia just outside the City, it’s the youthful journey of Kid as he discovers the local Arcade and realizes that, through the power of video games, he can escape reality.. be anyone or anything.. and not worry about the obligations of adulthood that are knocking on his door. The latest Kickstarter success story to officially release, I want to give a fair warning now before we dive any further into the review. 198X is episodic, and unfortunately we didn’t find this out until the game was prepping for release on Steam.
Don’t expect to come in to this and see an epic mascot-style story or any type of replayability. The story is about as lame as you’d expect, and only exists at the beginning of the experience and then again at the end with very short cutscenes. This is a one-and-done type of game, but during the 8 to 10 hours it’ll take to complete the journey, especially if you stick it out and go for all of the Arnold levels, you’ll easily find some levels of enjoyment out of Accolade’s latest bobcat adventure. Bubsy: Paws on Fire is definitely the best Bubsy experience released in quite some time, and while this isn’t saying a lot, it definitely doesn’t deserve to be completely skipped over.
Heaven’s Vault is a flawed experience, with the flaws jumping out early and persisting until the end of the story. But there’s way too many other things bundled into this package to simply ignore them on that premise alone. I wasn’t expecting to like Heaven’s Vault as much as I did, but it’s honestly one of the more enjoyable games I’ve had the pleasure of going through so far this year.
Fans of platforming games and Nintendo fans in general, if you haven’t played Yoshi’s Crafted World yet, you’re doing yourself a disservice. While this isn’t a perfect game and does have some drawbacks like the easy difficulty, what it manages to do with different platforming mechanics like having Yoshi control a freaking airplane by moving around it in one stage, made this title worth the journey for me. An incredibly cute and fun adventure, this title is sure to please even the most hardcore of fan when all is said and done.
Capcom is back with a vengeance, ready to reclaim portions of the gaming industry for themselves. If their recent games are anything to go off of, my excitement levels are through the roof for whatever new project they’re cooking up next.
In 2019, you really will be hard pressed to find another traditional Japanese roleplaying game that completely satisfies all checkboxes as well as The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel. While certain portions of the game did feel like filler and every chapter is laid out in an almost identical fashion, this is easily overlooked thanks in part to the memorable narrative, amazing cast of characters, addictive battle system, and incredible soundtrack. Keep in mind that this is also part one in a series, so some of the filler may have more meaning in Cold Steel 2, Cold Steel 3, and Cold Steel 4.
There’s definitely fun to be had with One Piece World Seeker. I know it may not seem that way after reading through the review, but trust me when I say fans of the anime are going to get a lot of enjoyment out of this title, even if it gets dull rather quickly.
Here’s the deal. I have an intense love for all things Japanese, and companies like Nippon Ichi Software tend to release games that speak to my soul. I’ve loved so many things they’re developed as a team and published as a studio, and they’re willing to take risks which I appreciate more than anything. Every now and then, a game comes along that makes me question that, as the disconnect is just too high.
This entry is a giant leap forward with what we saw in the previous game, and with some slight revisions and changes to certain mechanics, we could be looking at a contender for the best Musou around in future installments. For now, Fate/EXTELLA Link is a great game and exists for that core purpose I mentioned at the beginning… let’s just have some fun!
The amount of fun that you and a friend will have while playing through Tick Tock: A Tale for Two far outweighs any small negatives that are present. We need to see more of these types of games releasing on a regular basis, as they offer a different type of gameplay we don’t normally see from traditional multiplayer games.
I’m glad the team at FuRyu didn’t give up on The Caligula Effect after it received such a poor reception when it first released. While still far from being amazing, this enhanced edition is a step in the right direction for the team and the franchise if they want to continue moving it forward.