Nick Herber's Reviews
For racing fans, F1 2020 is the real deal and the best entry in the series I can recall. Incredible replay value and management depth go a long way towards making this title one I find myself replaying more than previous iterations. Usually a season or two does it for me, but I’ve already surpassed that and intend to go back for more. Add to it the split-screen feature and wealth of accessibility options and there is more broad appeal to be had here than many of the earlier games in the series. So, if you were turned off by the simulation style of the game in years past – go ahead and give this version a go, as you can tweak your experience in numerous ways.
Spongebob Squarepants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated is one of those titles I never would have considered for a remake, despite having some pretty decent nostalgia for the game's initial release. By and large it does a good job of polishing up a decent game, even if it does not really reinvent the wheel.
In small doses, Maneater is pretty mindless fun. Exploring is entertaining, there’s enough shiny objects scattered about to keep things interesting and the progression options are nice to see as well. However, the progression path could provide a bit more meaning if the combat and movement were somewhat more refined. Considering the bulk of the time is spent moving and fighting, that is a somewhat severe drawback from what would otherwise had the potential to be a pretty fantastic guilty pleasure.
Sakura Wars is a welcome franchise reboot that I hope sees more titles released by SEGA in the future. The mech combat is fun, but could use some more depth. The majority of your time will be spent in the visual novel / dating simulation portions of the game, but the characters help to elevate the overall plot. Wonky camera angles hurt the presentation, but the overall visuals and music make this about as close to an interactive anime as you can get.
Wartile’s a good game, with an interesting if somewhat flawed gameplay system that is supported nicely by a fantastic presentation. The progression system is good enough to sustain interest until the end of the campaign, but the sights and sounds are gorgeous and unique.
Deep Sky Derelicts does a pretty good job of mashing together a few different types of game. Visually it is pleasing to look at, and there is plenty of strategy to be had when venturing out into the old ships. Progression is fun, because it happens in multiple ways, and this game definitely had me wanting to do ‘just one more run’ pretty regularly. There are a few rough edges here and there along the way, but the overall experience was my cup of tea.
Langrisser I & II is not going to be for everyone, in part due to it being a niche genre that is a polishing up of an already old, challenging game. If you are looking at getting a friend into the SRPG genre, there are less frustrating options to be had with more modern quality of life features. All of that being said, there is something very comfortable and enjoyable for me personally in playing this classic tactics game, and I was quite satisfied revisiting it.
By no means does Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late[cl-r] bring anything truly revolutionary to the series or even the fighting genre at this point, but it is slick, stylized and plays wonderfully. Fans of the one-on-one fighting genre should find plenty to like here, and this is about as accessible of a new fighter as you will find that on the market, while still having plenty of depth for those who really want to delve in and learn the characters.
While Romance of the Three Kingdoms XVI is unlikely to unseat more popular strategy titles like the Civilization series, I think this release has focused on a lot of the best aspects of the series. I prefer the focus on rulers over officers, I appreciate the streamlined monthly commands and combat, even if there were a couple of areas where a bit more micromanagement might have been appreciated. Still, this latest release in the series provides many (many, many) hours of satisfying strategy and simulation for those such as myself who are fans of the setting.
Double Dragon & Kunio-kun Retro Brawler Bundle provides a pretty good selection of games, many of which are welcome blasts from my past. Plenty of options to tweak the experience were welcome, though perhaps the presentation and generations of consoles represented would have provided a more robust overall package. Fans of old-school brawlers and rough-and-tumble sports should come away entertained.
The Yakuza Remastered Collection does an excellent job of bringing three games from last generation to the current gaming systems. We are nearing the end of the PlayStation 4, it seems appropriate for this trio of games to arrive now. We are not looking at a complete reworking of the original titles, but a few quality of life improvements and an improved coat of paint on the visuals is certainly appreciated. Fans of the series won’t find much new here, but they will probably enjoy the newfound polish. Newcomers will want to play these versions, as they are the definitive take on these three games. Packing the three titles together at an attractive price is also a win. These are massive games – cancel any plans you might have for the next few weeks as you undertake these titles, but they are certainly worth it.
In all, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics is a really solid strategy game. The pacing will not be for everyone, but the character progression and slower, more thoughtful approach to gameplay works well with this darkly themed fantasy title. It does not really bring anything new to the table, but what the game does, it does pretty well.
Both of these tables are a good deal of fun, and easy to recommend to fans of the Pinball FX3 series. The visuals are fantastic, and the two tables while both Halloween themed may seem similar, they play quite differently from one another. Of course, having a third table in the pack would have been nice, but the two we got were high quality and easy to spend several hours with.
Zen Studios knocked it out of the park with the Arabian Nights and Cirqus Voltaire tables, both of which were ones I enjoyed in my younger years and still find challenging and entertaining today. Being able to play classic tables like this in digital form is an absolute joy and they fit beautifully withing the Pinball FX3 framework. I am sure there are players who will enjoy the slightly cramped, high speed offering that No Good Gofers provides, but for me at least it was the least entertaining of the tables in the pack.
Ski Jumping Pro VR offers bite-sized fun at a slightly higher price point than I can recommend. Even knowing that, what we have here is a slightly better than average effort that provides an enjoyable, if brief, VR experience.
VR Ping Pong Pro has a solid enough presentation and gets more right than wrong in just about every area but the one that matters the most - the actual gameplay, which misses the mark worse than one of my real life volley attempts. That unfortunately holds back what could have been a good game from reaching its full potential.
Doctor Who: The Edge Of Time is a solid virtual reality adventure offering that probably could have stood a bit more content, slightly faster movement options and maybe a few more chances taken along the way. All of those things being said, fans of the series should find a whole lot to like about the performances and presentation, and even those who have not followed the exploits of the Doctor will probably enjoy the adventure as well.
In terms of the gameplay, there is nothing really revolutionary here. Wandering, completing basic puzzles and tapping out a rhythm game are all pretty standard video game fair, but to its credit Deemo -Reborn- does these things very well. While you can play this game without the virtual reality, I don't know that I would recommend it. The immersion and better gameplay options would be heavily compromised by doing so. Deemo -Reborn- is a fantastic game however, and anyone who can appreciate a slower paced story and some lovely music via a rhythm game should give this title a chance. It is well worth the time.
The premise is ridiculous but cute, and the action is certainly well-done with a nice fast and fluid feeling that Sonic the Hedgehog would approve of. It makes for a quick, entertaining diversion, though I do not know that it really has the depth in the single player to keep me coming back for more once I worked through the stages - but Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD is a blast with some friends if you enjoy some multiplayer shenanigans. It might be a bit more difficult to justify this release if it were a full sixty dollars, so ringing in at only two thirds of that price certainly helps. I do wonder if there were not better choices in the series to choose from that would not require a complete reworking of the controls, such as Monkey Ball Deluxe which had a lot more content available. Still, what we have here is definitely fun, even if it is in shorter bursts.
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games: Tokyo 2020 is a pretty great collection of games and characters, all themed around two of the most popular mascots in video game history. I have always appreciated that two long-term rivals can come together for Olympics themed games, and that mishmash works well here yet again. It is a fun distraction and a great reason to have some friends over to share in the fun, though the single player experience kind of dries up once the story mode has