Nick Herber's Reviews
Redout has been one of the best VR experiences I have had to date. The virtual reality helps to create a genuine sense of speed, the racing is fun and unique, there are plenty of things to do to progress the career mode and the overall presentation helps to sell the futuristic setting. Racing fans will find a lot to like here.
Titanfall 2 does exactly what you would hope it would, by offering improvement in almost every aspect of the game. The presentation is top-notch, the campaign mode is cleverly done and the multiplayer finds better pacing with more options that should keep the community engaged for some time to come.
Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIII is a niche game to be certain, with the kind of learning curve that could easily scare away casual strategy fans. Despite its emphasis on characters, this is not a tactics game akin to Fire Emblem, but something with a much different layer of city management and simulation layered onto it. It is a shame that the graphics engine - which looks very nice the majority of the time - seems to struggle a bit with the PlayStation 4 hardware, and no matter how well you design a user interface, a game like this is probably always going to be a smoother experience with a mouse as opposed to a controller. Those two concerns aside, Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIII offers a uniquely deep experience that will no doubt have me coming back for more for a good long while. It also has me hopeful that we might see even more strategy titles coming out of Koei Tecmo in the future.
Blaster Master Zero hearkens back to a much older age in video gaming, but it does so with a certain loving care that does more than just rely on nostalgia. In truth, the original Blaster Master on the NES always felt somewhat ahead of its time when I played it, mixing genres a little and providing some outstanding platforming and action thrills. Blaster Master Zero is a really strong release title for the Switch and should readily appeal to fans of the older games.
Out of the initial three episodes in this new series, Above the Law was easily my favorite. It is a much meatier installment, both in terms of episode length and the types of challenges Javi will face. The first couple of chapters left me somewhat uncertain, but now? After Above the Law I am ready for more.
There is a whole lot to like about this latest release from 4A Games, the makers of the Metro titles. Arktika.1is incredibly polished, it looks fantastic and perhaps most importantly, nails the desired atmosphere through details large and small to create a very memorable virtual reality experience.
Fate/Extella Link does not take a lot of chances, and it does not really shake up the core formula of the first game - but it does improve upon it in subtle but effective ways throughout. There is a lot of content here, and if you are a fan of the Fate/ series, you will likely enjoy getting to spend some time with its cast of quirky, colorful characters. The combat and progression are both deeper than the last outing as well, even if by the end of the game there is the risk of things getting a bit repetitive, but that did not keep me from spending a lot of time with this game and unlocking every last thing I could. There is still potential to do something more with multiplayer than the 4-on-4 mode that was introduced here, and I would not object to a bit more depth in terms of RPG elements as well, but all in all Fate/Extella Link was exactly what I was looking for in this sequel.
By and large, Catherine: Full Body does most of what you want to see from a remastered game. It makes improvements upon some of its more notable flaws, adds some more content and does a great job of meshing all of it together. Is this enough to convince people who found the first game too difficult or frustrating to come back and give it anther shot? I hope so, but I am not entirely convinced. That being said, there is enough new content here that those who enjoyed the original or never played it in the first place should enjoy what Full Body has to offer.
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.
Simply put, Fantasy General II: Invasion is a deep, enjoyable strategy game that works surprisingly well on consoles. It offers a lengthy campaign that provides ample challenge and replay value through the unit development and choices that can be made along the way. There is a bit of a learning curve to the mechanics and controls, but once you’ve learned how to play, Fantasy General II: Invasion is a must-play for strategy fans.
This has been a weird year in general and for sports in particular, but PGA Tour 2K21 is a perfect reprieve from all of that. The PGA license is put to good use and the authentic presentation help to round out what was already a great core system. The Golf Club lives on in PGA Tour 2K21, and is a game golf fans are going to want to get their hands on.
Observer: System Redux is a welcome update. At first I questioned why we were getting it so soon after the initial game’s release only a few years ago, but those concerns abated rather quickly. Small quality of life improvements to the gameplay make the experience less frustrating this time around, the additional missions are well-done and welcome additions and enough cannot be said about how much better the visuals look this time around. As someone who enjoyed the game when it first released, I did not regret my second time with it here. If you missed Observer three years ago and dig cyberpunk themes, you really do need to check this title out.
The gameplay loop here is going to be hit or miss, based on your fondness of the roguelike genre. I enjoyed the combat enough that I kept coming back to Star Renegades over and over again, but the repetition might not be for everyone. Unlocking new characters and improving my team incrementally was just enough of a dangling carrot that I never felt crushed by watching my dimension lose time and time again. It helps that the RPG/Strategy hybrid genre is one of my favorites, and Star Renegades is a fine addition to it.
Brigandine: The Legend of Runersia is an excellent strategy / RPG hybrid that recalls some of my favorite old school games of the genre, but benefits from some modern updates and solid storytelling. The presentation didn’t wow me, but the progression is rewarding and the combat meaty enough that I stayed engaged for dozens of hours. This was the perfect holiday gift for me (if not my spare time, which Brigandine: The Legend of Runersia soaked up a lot of).
Natsuki Chronicles is a smooth, polished shooter that has some great, modern RPG-lite features that make it accessible despite the shoot-‘em-up genre being one traditionally known for being brutally challenging. A bit more effort in localizing the audio would have gone a ways for making the in-stage narrative easier to soak in, but that is a pretty minor complaint about an otherwise very entertaining game.
Star Wars Pinball VR provides a pretty good bang for its buck, given that there are eight total tables and two of them are brand new. Some table layouts and thematic choices will resonate with people differently, but as a whole the package is quite enjoyable. The presentation is fantastic, both of the new tables are well-made and Star Wars Pinball VR gives me hope we will see even more virtual reality pinball from the wizards at Zen Studios in the future.
Chivalry 2 works on most fronts, and certain where it is needed the most – bloody, visceral combat. To that end, the hackfest that is Chivalry 2’s meat and potatoes delivers a lot of fun for both casual players and those who want to dedicate their time into digging deeper into the gameplay mechanics. The progression system and maps are both quite good, even if I’d have liked to see a few more options with both. All in all though, Chivalry’s carnage-filled gameplay is just a whole lot of fun.
If The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet of Chaos was content just to tell a goofy story with a bunch of charming humor, it would have been a pretty solid offering. However, this is also a very solid tactics / RPG hybrid that offers a really fresh take on a very familiar genre. The humor and the pacing of the combat probably won’t appeal to everyone, but consider me a huge fan as I hope from some continued hijinks in a future sequel.
Synth Riders is an excellent rhythm game, with a strong selection of songs and fantastic visuals that really drew me into the experience. The variety of modes and difficulty customizations make this the kind of game that is easy for people to pick up and play, but also provides a gameplay loop that keeps you coming back for improved performances. The lack of online multiplayer is one of the few bummers here, but the overall package is too good to pass up on.
Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water reminded me why I love this series so much. It has its flaws, but they are minor compared to what the title does really well. There is a genuine sense of creepiness that permeates almost all of the game, and those brief times of respite help to build up the interesting story at the heart of the game. Horror fans will want to give this a go. Meanwhile, I will impatiently await my remake of the original trilogy.