Justin Oneil's Reviews
Embr isn’t a must-play in my opinion but if you want to see what it’s like to bust into burning buildings and toss people from rooftops to save them then it can be worth checking out. The game is perfectly playable solo but is much more fun when playing with others online just to see what kind of crazy and absurd things all of you might do.
If you’re a fan of cartoony co-op games like Overcooked or Moving Out then Merek’s Market is a worthy addition to your library. Between the crafting and haggling I liked that the game feels different enough from those other titles to stand out.
Deathloop is a smart, stylish first-person shooter full of great writing and some really cool puzzle solving. It has some issues when it comes to AI and the conclusion wasn’t exactly satisfying but the rest of it is quite brilliant.
Monster Harvest is a nice mix between Stardew Valley and Pokemon but it’s missing some stuff that makes both of those other games great.
Sonic Colors: Ultimate brings a decade old game to a modern audience and despite some prevailing franchise issues it’s still an overall good time. Racing through these levels, using the Wisp powers, and picking up all the collectibles is fun so long as the controls aren’t getting in the way. The game’s new lick of paint makes it look really good and performance is super smooth as it should be. I missed this game when it originally released and am glad I got the chance to experience it now. Hopefully the next new actual Sonic game can figure out the control issues though.
Pile Up! Box by Box is a colorful, fun puzzle platformer for the family but there just isn’t enough of it to last. Figuring out different ways to solve each world’s puzzles is enjoyable, there are tons of collectibles to hunt down, and there is some fun mini-games. The downside is that you’ll need local players to enjoy this to the fullest even if the core game is playable solo. If you’re looking to play as some cardboard boxes and solve some puzzles with the family it can be worth a look.
Blitz Breaker is a fun single-screen platformer that can be had for a very affordable price. The game doesn’t do anything special but the platforming is responsive and it looks and sounds solid while you’re figuring out how to get to the end of each level. Trophy hunters will also find it is yet another easy EastAsiaSoft list in that regard. If this is your thing and you got a few bucks to spare then give it a whirl.
Pretty Girls Klondike Solitaire is your basic game of solitaire only with some fan service anime girls to look at and listen to while you play. The game is at a budget price making it easy on your wallet but it doesn’t have a ton to offer. You’ll easily unlock all of the outfits for the girls in no time and after that it’s back to just moving cards around. If that sounds like the type of game for you then check it out.
Bishoujo Battle Mahjong Solitaire is pretty much more Mahjong Solitaire for anyone who may be looking for that. If you already played the Delicious! Pretty Girls variant of this then it’s basically identical to that except with girls who are less fan service looking. It’s cheap, will appeal to trophy hunters, and does offer quite a lot of layouts to keep you busy if you’re into the game. Give it a try if matching tiles is up your alley.
WRC 10 returns most of what made WRC 9 great and builds on it with anniversary content and more. The physics model still feels great while playing and there is a ton of content here to play through. Getting to relive the history of the sport through the Anniversary events and cars was also awesome. The DualSense support on the PlayStation 5 version is also once again fantastic and the platform I recommend you play this game on. Some areas of the visuals can still be improved on in future entries but despite those blemishes this is one of the finest rally racing games on the market.
Deadly Days is a solid retro looking rogue-lite game but may not be for everyone. It has plenty to keep you busy so long as you don’t mind doing a lot of the same types of objectives over and over.
RiMS Racing is absolutely a game aimed at bike purists as they will be the ones to get the most enjoyment out of this game. The game is challenging and having to constantly maintain your bike by buying and swapping out parts won’t be for people out there who are just looking to get in and race. The selection of bikes here is small but each one is full of detail. Some parts of the game could’ve used with a bit more polishing but RiMS Racing comes out as a solid winner for motorbike fans out there.
Trigger Witch is a charming and fun marriage of the twin-stick shooter and adventure genres. The game clearly draws a lot of inspiration from classic games like Zelda but that isn’t a bad thing. Arming your witch with all manner of guns and blasting apart enemies solo or with a friend can be a lot of fun for a few hours even if it doesn’t challenge you that much. The game leaves things open for a sequel and it would be great to see the team build on the solid foundation that they’ve established here.
Greak: Memories of Azur is one of the most beautiful games I’ve played this year but the rest of it doesn’t match the visual quality. Having to control three characters at once leads to a lot of frustrating moments even though at other times It seems to work well. If you’re a fan of Metroidvania games I do recommend checking it out at some point if only to see this gorgeous world.
Cotton Reboot! revives the 90s cute ‘em up with a nice lick of HD paint but the steep price for the short amount of content can be hard to recommend. The new visual style can also make things hard to see when on-screen action gets busy which ends up leading to some cheap deaths. If you catch this one on sale though and enjoy shoot ‘em ups, being able to play the original version and the new HD one is worth it for fans of this genre.
Within the Blade is a solid stealth-action platformer with challenging gameplay that might bring back memories of Ninja Gaiden. It’s got a good amount of content to play through and plenty of challenge for those who like that in their games. The downsides are that the challenge may turn some away, the controls have a learning curve, the visuals get a little repetitive, and some of the systems like the crafting don’t feel thought out enough. I still enjoyed my time with it though and for the affordable price I recommend it to those who enjoy the genre.
The Forgotten City has successfully broken free from just being a Skyrim mod and came out as one of the sleeper hits of 2021. The time loop story is so interesting and full of interesting topics and characters that I just couldn’t stop thinking about while playing. It’s got some rough edges but fans of great storytelling and solving mysteries will not want to miss this one.
Blightbound has flashes of fun within it but could’ve used more time in early access before launching in full. When I got to play with two actual other people online, I quite enjoyed taking down the enemies and bosses in these dungeons, at least for a time. The game has a great look to it but so much more can be done to improve it. It needs better bot AI, better loot that encourages you to want to keep playing, more compelling dungeons, and better optimization. For right now I would be hesitant to recommend it to those looking for a good dungeon crawler as there are many other better options available out there.
Metaloid: Origin draws a lot of inspiration from Mega Man but misses the mark on matching that franchise in a few areas. My biggest issue with it is that the visuals mess with the gameplay a bit and lead to you taking damage or dying which feels unfair. What it does get right though is that it generally plays well and gives you three unique characters to play as which leads to you having a reason to replay it. If you’re looking for a cheap Mega Man knock off there is fun to be had here, just don’t expect an easy Platinum this time.
Hentai vs. Evil is pretty tame for an M-rated game (especially on PlayStation) but it has some solid third-person shooting gameplay. Everything here works well enough the problem is that there just isn’t much to it. With only a few levels and a few weapon types to use it quickly runs out of steam. It isn’t a pricey game though so if you want an easy Platinum or just want to blast some demons as a girl in a sexy outfit then feel free to check it out.