Justin Oneil's Reviews
New Tales from the Borderlands can’t match the first game due to a less interesting story and cast of characters but it still was a fun time. I did really like a few characters that weren’t part of the core cast and the presentation and audio work is excellent throughout. If you enjoy the Borderlands brand of humor and the universe you’ll likely enjoy this but it isn’t as memorable as the first game.
Missile Command: Recharged is a better game in 2022 than it was in 2020 as the team clearly listened to feedback. There is more to sink your teeth into here and the presentation got a nice touch up too. Some things like the controls on console and grinding to unlock stuff can be a bit of a downer but this is worth checking out nonetheless for fans of the series or score chasers.
Arkanoid Eternal Battle mixes the classic brick-breaking formula with battle royale and turns out to be a pretty fun time. Trying to outlast 24 other players and take down a boss at the end is exhilarating and will have me jumping back in from time to time for more.
Even in 2022, Persona 5 Royal stands as one of the best JRPGs on the market. If you call yourself a JRPG fan and for some reason have yet to play Persona 5 Royal then you need to get right on that no matter which platform you have to buy it on. If you’ve yet to play the game then I’d still say it is a 10/10 experience but I’m personally marking the PlayStation 5 version a bit lower as I already played this before and it doesn’t bring enough new features to the table to warrant the higher score.
The Jackbox Party Pack 9 is another great entry in this yearly trivia series. You have a new Fibbage entry for those looking for something familiar along with some fun new games like Quixort and Junktopia. Roomerang and Nonsensory didn’t speak to me as much but those with different groups may enjoy them more. If you usually enjoy this series then I have no doubt you’ll get plenty of laughs out of this ninth outing.
Hokko Life is another good entry in the farming/life sim genre but one that needs a bit more care put into it to be great. It borrows a lot from Animal Crossing but doesn’t do most of it near as well whether that be the drive to want to keep playing it or the personalities of the villagers. Customization is this game’s strong suit so if that’s what you really enjoy about these types of games you’ll likely really enjoy this.
Last Beat Enhanced is a solid retro-styled beat ‘em up but one that doesn’t do anything to elevate itself to be a must-play. The cost of entry is low and for that price you get quite a few stages of beat ‘em up gameplay to play through either by yourself or with a friend locally. It’s probably better suited to newcomers to the genre as veterans will likely want more out of a game in this genre.
Construction Simulator like many simulator games before it is only going to appeal to a niche audience. If you relish getting behind the controls of a steam roller or excavater in a video game and completing jobs then you’ll likely enjoy this as there is dozens and dozens of hours worth of content for you. Just be prepared to experience some technical issues and a learning curve along the way.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero is a fun JRPG with a great setting, story, and cast of characters. Since it took so long to come to the west it does show its PSP roots in the visuals and the PlayStation 4 version is inferior to the other versions. Despite those things though this is worth experiencing for anyone who is a fan of the Cold Steel games or those who want to jump in for the first time.
DreamWorks Dragons: Legends of the Nine Realms is a fine platformer experience but one that only younger gamers are likely to enjoy. The gameplay and visuals are a bit too simple for anyone older to get much enjoyment out of it. At the higher price point that it has currently though, I would personally recommend waiting on a sale to buy it for your kid.
Potion Permit is an enjoyable life simulation game about helping people but one whose gameplay loop might get tiresome to some players.
Voyage is a beautiful cinematic adventure game and a good first start for developer Venturous. While I enjoyed my short time with it I wish it had a bit more variety to the gameplay, lasted a bit longer, and let the characters move a bit faster. You should also be prepared to figure out everything on your own whether it be the story or how to play. If you’re OK with all that then you’ll find an enjoyable world to explore in Voyage either alone or with a local friend.
Wayward Strand is a great narrative adventure game but its experimental nature won’t be for everyone. The gameplay is rather basic, topics may be uncomfortable for some to listen to, and the lack of clear direction won’t gel with everyone. I didn’t mind these things as the characters and stories they had to share were enough to draw me in and keep me interested until the end. Even now, I’m still thinking about certain moments from it and I want to go back to play more to see what information I missed the first time.
Aquadine is a colorful and feel good visual novel with a great cast of characters to spend time with. It won’t ask for a lot of your time but it also doesn’t have things like choices and branching paths that some visual novel fans may be looking for. If you’re fine with that and enjoy stories focused on teenagers then you’ll most likely enjoy this.
The Dark Prophecy tries to capture some of that magic that old school adventure game had but ultimately falls well short. The visuals and music are actually the best part of this game and while the gameplay is solid it just doesn’t have satisfying puzzles or writing to make it fully worth recommending.
Midnight Fight Express is another great beat ‘em up in a year where we’ve already seen quite a few. The combat system is beauty in motion and levels are highly replayable thanks to the ranking system, diverse amount of attack options, and online leaderboards. It stumbles a bit due to some sections needing to be balanced a bit more but overall this is one to check out for any fan of beat ‘em ups or action movies.
Kid Ball Adventure doesn’t do anything special to stand out as a platformer but it is a solid one nonetheless. The cutesy visuals and simple control scheme will be approachable for anyone and there are plenty of levels here to bounce your way through should you want to.
Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader? has a charm to it and can be fun with friends locally but is a bit of slog at times too. The game’s presentation factor gets in the way too often which can cause these shows to go on longer than they should. Playing solo is an option but will likely get repetitive pretty fast for those who choose to do so. If you have some local friends and family to play with then there is a good amount of questions on hand to provide some trivia fun but there are also better alternatives you can choose from should you want.
Destroy All Humans! 2 – Reprobed should please any fan of the original or those who enjoyed the remake of the first game a couple years ago. Everything about it is bigger and better than that game but it still has some outdated design and humor that may not hit with everyone. I was a fan of the original so I enjoyed my time in Crypto 138’s boots and I hope to see more from this series going forward whether it be a new game or a remake of the third entry.
Maggie the Magnet is a cheap and pleasant physics-based puzzle game that can provide some short-term enjoyment. It will mainly be geared towards those who enjoy these small bite-sized casual games as anyone else will likely want a bit more out of it.