Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is an incredible way to experience the entire DBZ saga, for newcomers and fans alike.
Tools Up! is a local-only cooperative four-player game that doesn't quite hit the mark with all of the mechanics. Throwing feels useless when your character refuses to complete the action, and targeting can be a concern in tight corridors. Playing alone can best be described as frustrating, to the point where I wouldn't even recommend the game at all unless you are planning to play with others. The lack of online multiplayer doesn't help either.
Transport Fever 2 forgoes fail conditions and instead lets players focus on the beauty and elegance of designing the perfect transportation system.
Black Future '88 is a thrilling roguelike that eventually feels like you are in a side-scrolling bullet hell shooter the higher you climb. Once you reach the top, you'll begin once again, just with a harder difficulty.
Some may walk away from this game, thinking it was just a game, but I would say that they missed the theme entirely. Bravo, Pillow Castle Games.
The more profound life lesson that Superliminal attempts to convey throughout becomes quite apparent in the final monologue from Doctor Glenn Pierce in the last few minutes of the game. Not only does it connect everything that you have done in the game with a higher purpose and meaning, but it has connected with my own life. Perspective is a powerful sentiment and one that many take for granted. Dropping an enlarged exit sign over two pressure plates to open a door is one thing, but understanding how you can become a better person, by looking at all the possible angles and outcomes, is a life lesson I was not expecting from a video game. Some may walk away from this game, thinking it was just a game, but I would say that they missed the theme entirely. Bravo, Pillow Castle Games.
Megaquarium is a robust management simulation game, and the only one allowing you to build your own aquarium. While PC players have been perfecting their exhibits for quite some time, the transition to consoles has been quite smooth. I thoroughly enjoy how the game operates using a controller, although without going through the tutorial, you may be a bit lost. Many advanced elements slowly creep into the experience, such as ensuring your bigger fish don't eat the smaller ones, properly decorating aquariums to keep skittish fish calm, balancing the amount of a single species to keep them happy.
A Lovecraftian horror title, Moons of Madness, is tense, and at times genuinely frightening. It does focus a bit too much on basic puzzle-solving. I did enjoy the stunningly haunting and interactive environments that you find yourself in. What other game allows you to escape from Lovecraftian cosmic horrors, and then proceed to pick up and fill a mug with coffee?
New Super Lucky's Tale is bursting with charm and character, not to mention numerous improvements, and redesigned mechanics that enhance the experience. While not overly lengthy (roughly took me 12 hours), and relatively easy (except for Foxington), there are all-new levels, all of the previous DLC, and dozens of pages to collect, and outfits to purchase with your coins. Load times are a bit on the long side, especially when needing to restart a puzzle. It would also be helpful for the level to be listed when you pause the game and not just the hub world.
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD is a solid remaster of a sub-par Super Monkey Ball title. The visual style works for the series, and most of the party games that were included represent the best ones from the original release. The online leaderboard integration for the Decathlon and Time Attack modes is a great addition. There are unlockable outfits, and even Sonic the Hedgehog has been added to the game. All of the original music from the Wii release has been replaced due to licensing issues.
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 is an enjoyable collection of Olympic event mini-games that feature local and online play. The story mode is undoubtedly the star this time around. Although it starts a bit slow, I enjoyed the interactions between the characters and the lightheartedness of the entire situation.
The Park's best moments come from the sense of dread and uneasiness in an abandoned amusement as you search for your kid. I wouldn't call it a scary experience, although there are a handful of jump scares, it's more unnerving than anything else. The climatic area drove home the narrative; however, if you were rushing to the end, you may not appreciate the message it is trying to convey.
Stela is a beautiful atmospheric puzzle-platformer; however, it seems to emphasize style over substance. The musical score, however, is phenomenal, making almost mundane actions feel grandiose or anxiety-inducing. The first playthrough only takes a couple of hours, and once you know what to expect, you'll be able to run through the game in under 90 minutes.
There are many different areas where Zombieland: Double Tap - Road Trip comes up short. A $40 price tag is just nuts for a 2 hour game with a barebones presentation and gameplay. Heck, the reload animation is your character looking downwards. That's it. The only time I died in the game was on the final mission when bugged out, and I became unable to shoot. The boot menu screen is only presented as a vertical graphic, and even the main menu doesn't fit the screen. It's plainly obvious that the game was rushed out the door to capitalize on the movie.
Ghostbusters: The Video Game Remastered may be the same game it was ten years ago, but I couldn't help but smile while playing through it once again.
Into the Dead 2's transition from a heavily microtransactioned mobile game to the Nintendo Switch is not without issues.
Although John Wick Hex doesn't play like you'd expect considering the source material, it still is a fun and entertaining title. The narrative is kept on the lighter side, really only existing so that you have a name to hunt through each of the chapters. The actual gameplay is delivered intriguingly, something I would never have thought of.
Frostpunk: Console Edition is a brutal yet highly satisfying survival city management game. At times, you'll agonize over your choices, heck, I couldn't get one in particular out of my mind, even after turning the game off. The console version feels excellent to play thanks to the highly thoughtful control mechanics that make use of every possible button efficiently. Be warned, opening the Xbox guide menu does not automatically pause the game.
Sky 9 Games' first attempt at an epic adventure with A Knight's Quest doesn't quite hit the mark. I wouldn't call any of the game's mechanics or implementation broken, but things tend to feel uninspired. The light-hearted nature of the adventure is appreciated; however, the attempted humor in the narrative is more cringe-worthy than anything else.
The Surge 2 builds upon the formula from the first game in the series with some notable improvements. The Surge 2 is still a grind-heavy game, especially if you want to fully upgrade your gear, and acquire full/partial sets for their sweet bonuses. The game features a much stronger narrative, a well-designed character creator, and an exciting cast of NPCs to meet throughout your adventure.