Justin Oneil's Reviews
The King of Fighters 2002: Unlimited Match lives up to its heritage and still stands as one of the best entries if not the best entry in the franchise. While there isn’t a ton here for modes or extras, what you do get is a brilliant 2D fighting game with a huge roster of characters and a deep combat system.
Overall, while Habroxia 2 doesn’t do a whole lot to stand out from other shoot ‘em ups it is a solid new choice in the genre. The levels switching between horizontal and vertical help keep you on your toes and a variety of upgrades for your ship will have you testing different loadouts out across the main game, New Game+, and the other modes on offer. If you’re looking for an enjoyable and affordable new shmup for your catalog then Habroxia 2 is a great choice.
Turrican Flashback combines four of Factor 5’s classic Turrican titles together but is missing the features that players have come to expect from retro collections like this. The addition of rewind and save states are welcomed but the package is really let down by a lack of other compelling features and a lack of more games. I would stir on the side of caution for this collection at full price unless you’re just a massive fan of Turrican who is itching to suit back up again immediately.
Control: Ultimate Edition on the new generation of consoles is truly the best way to experience Remedy’s most recent title. The game looks and performs great whether you’re playing it with Ray-Tracing or at a smoother 60 frames-per-second. The massively reduced load times get you into this world faster than ever while things like the PlayStation 5’s 3D Audio, DualSense features, and activities help get you through and feel more immersed in said world. When you combine all of that with a lengthy base game and two great expansions you’ll see why Control was on so many Game of the Year lists in 2019.
MXGP 2020 is improved over the last entry but its first outing on the next generation consoles isn’t as impressive as I would’ve hoped. It looks better, loads faster, and plays smoother than ever before but I think it’s still outclassed in most of those areas as well as in things like its Career mode by some last generation racing games. Dirt bike fans will enjoy the realistic handling model and the DualSense features help to make it a bit more immersive while playing. If you skipped MXGP 19 or are just that hardcore of a fan then this isn’t a bad pick up but it might be worth waiting for MXGP 2021 to see what the franchise can do on the next generation with a bit more time to fine tune it.
Space Invaders Forever offers some good arcade score chasing fun but might not be for every fan out there. For $30 you are getting a really good Space Invaders Extreme game, a fun mobile port, and a multiplayer Space Invaders that you may not have the friends available to play with. I do like that the team elected to go with some lesser known titles in the franchise with this collection but I’m just not sure everyone will enjoy all three games included.
Helheim Hassle is a great time from start to finish despite some issues with the controls and certain gameplay sections. The writing, characters, world, art style, and voice acting are all at a really high level for an independent game and many of the game’s puzzles are enjoyable to figure out and solve. It’s really just the timed sections and the control layout that makes this trip to Helheim a little bit less enjoyable. If you haven’t joined Bjorn and Pesto on their journey yet though I highly recommend doing it in the future as the rest of the game outside of those two things is really good.
Root Double: Before Crime * After Days Xtend Edition is a visual novel that tells a captivating sci-fi story with lots of mystery and intrigue. Despite some pacing issues and uninteresting sections, I still found myself playing all of the routes through to see what was going on and how the story would end. I like the idea of the SSS system but I think more can be done to make it stand apart more from the typical visual novel choice system.
Spirit of the North: Enhanced Edition is a short adventure game that does a great job of telling an emotional tale without words thanks to some great visual and audio design. The game doesn’t offer much to those who already played it though so unless you really want to play with a couple new skins and better visuals and performance you may want to pass on it. Those who have yet to play it and are looking for a more tranquil experience will likely enjoy exploring these beautiful vistas as a fox for the few hours that it lasts.
Chronos: Before the Ashes is a fine action RPG game that provided me around a dozen hours of fun. I thought the aging when you die mechanic was an interesting concept that worked well but also could have you feeling like you missed out on certain upgrades if you didn’t die enough. It also has a few issues with the camera and while it borrows a lot of things from the ‘souls’ games it never felt anywhere near as challenging as them. Anyone who enjoys solid combat, good dungeon and puzzle design, and who may want more lore from the Remnant universe will likely enjoy their time in the Labyrinth.
Wintermoor Tactics Club is fine choice for those who are seeking a tactical RPG that is a bit on the simpler side. I wish the load times were better and that it had some voice acting to help pull me into the experience a bit more. Hardcore fans of the genre may find it a bit easy but I would still recommend it for the interesting story that it has to tell, the hand-drawn visual style, and the wonderful soundtrack.
Bluepoint Games and Japan Studio have outdone themselves yet again with the remake of Demon’s Souls on PlayStation 5. The teams have stayed faithful to the core of the original game while making massive upgrades to the technical side to show off what the new console can do. Some nice quality-of-life upgrades have also made the game more enjoyable but no less challenging. Demon’s Souls is the best showpiece of what PlayStation 5 can do right now and if you’re a fan of the “souls” genre then this is the perfect way to experience the game that pretty much started it all.
Marvel’s Spider-Man: Remastered comes bundled with the Ultimate Edition of Miles Morales on PlayStation 5 and it complements it really well. It’s the perfect place for newcomers to start and players like myself who already played it on PlayStation 4 will likely find it worth playing again just to experience the improved visuals, better performance, and near zero load times. Even two years later, Insomniac’s first take on Spider-Man is still one of the best playing super hero video games of all time.
Astro’s Playroom is the perfect game to play first to kick off the PlayStation 5 generation. It’s a fluid and fun 3D platformer sure, but it being built around showing off what the DualSense controller can add to gaming Is what really starts to make it special. Add in all of the PlayStation love letters scattered about inside these worlds and you have another magical, must-play experience from Team Asobi. I wish Astro’s latest adventure lasted longer but I have no doubt that we’ll be seeing more of the new PlayStation mascot in the future.
Lunch A Palooza had potential but overall, I felt like it came out a bit undercooked. There isn’t a lot of content here for a $20 game and with no online functionality it will only be for those who have local players. The poor physics and hit detection also make the gameplay hard to enjoy despite the charming visuals and soundtrack. With a bit more time this could’ve been an appetizing meal but as it stands this is one option on the menu you should skip.
Bubble Bobble 4 Friends: The Baron is Back! is another great entry in this long running arcade series. This latest version adds a good amount of new challenging levels to the package giving you and up to three others 200 levels in total to play through. The lack of online multiplayer is disappointing and depending on how fast you can finish the levels you may or may not feel like you got your money’s worth. If you don’t have any local friends to play it with then you may want to wait on a sale but if you do then you’ll find a lot to enjoy in this game playing alongside them.
ve played every one of Bloober Team’s games over the past few years and Observer: System Redux is their best one so far in my opinion. The way they tell their story in this game through the gadgets such as the dream eater is quite different from most other games out there. The world is interesting and horrifying and that is made even more true by the graphical enhancements and gameplay improvements that they’ve made in this version. There isn’t a lot of new content for those who already played the original but anyone who has yet to become an Observer shouldn’t pass up the chance.
Sackboy: A Big Adventure is an excellently designed 3D platformer that is full of fun, imagination, and charm. It’s the perfect game to pick up with your PlayStation 5 to give the whole family a reason to crowd around the next generation console. While the lack of online multiplayer at launch is disappointing this game still has plenty of content to play through while we wait for that patch. The imaginative level design, beautiful visuals, and surprisingly good soundtrack will have you and the family smiling from ear to ear until the end.
Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales is very much a continuation of what Insomniac Games built with the last game but when that game was a game of the year contender is saying that such a bad thing? It’s one of the best launch titles I’ve ever had the pleasure of playing and it shows off the graphical, performance, and fast loading capabilities of the PlayStation 5. The story and world activities are also a bit more focused this time around due to the shorter run time which is a good thing in my opinion. Anyone picking up a PlayStation 5 should be suiting up as Miles as it is nothing short of a heart warming fun time.
Chicken Police is one of the best surprises that I’ve had the pleasure of playing this year hands down. It absolutely nails its art style and it makes you feel like you are right there in an old-time buddy cop detective movie. I found every single animal character to be interesting and memorable and I had a lot of fun gathering clues in the scenes and through interrogating. I wish there was a bit less talking and more of the other stuff but it didn’t hurt the experience that much in my eyes. If you are looking for a point-and-click adventure game to spend a few hours with then you don’t let Chicken Police pass you by.