Dustin Chadwell


51 games reviewed
79.7 average score
85 median score
80.4% of games recommended
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9.5 / 10.0 - Tearaway
Dec 17, 2013

Basically, if you own a Vita, you should own Tearaway. For me, it's the best piece of software the handheld has seen to date, and it's the best Sony release since The Last of Us. It's a remarkably interesting, charming and emotional platformer from Media Molecule, and it shows that this studio is capable of more than just Little Big Planet. While this is certainly one of the busiest video game seasons in recent years, you should take a little time out of your next-gen schedule to experience a modern-day classic.

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Very little is enticing about Adventure Time: Explore the Dungeon Because I DON'T KNOW! outside of the license being used, and even that isn't applied properly here. Cut the game length by half, cut the price even further, stick this in a digital shop, and you have an OK time-waster that doesn't overstay its welcome. Even then, I think most would see through the shoddy, repetitive structure that makes up the meat of this game. "Adventure Time" fans deserve far better than this.

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4.5 / 10.0 - Deadfall Adventures
Feb 4, 2014

All in all, Deadfall Adventures doesn't have a lot of positives. I can appreciate that The Farm 51 made some effort to evolve this beyond a standard FPS experience with the exploration and puzzle-solving elements, but it feels like they spread themselves too thin concept-wise, and the entire game suffers for it. The best thing I can say about Deadfall Adventures is the environments look absolutely fantastic, despite not offering a great deal of variety. At the same time, the level of quality in the stages triggers your imagination in way that the game never fully manages to engage, and that makes the disappointing aspects of the gameplay stand out even more. I certainly can't recommend Deadfall Adventures; there are far better experiences available to PC gamers than this.

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8.5 / 10.0 - Trials Fusion
Jun 3, 2014

All in all, I find myself very happy with what Trials Fusion has to offer, and I think this is a fantastic first entry for the new generation of console hardware. It's a great-looking game with active background and foreground elements, fantastic track designs, an interesting future aesthetic, and some strangely appealing narrative pieces provided by the quirky AI announcer. While the general Trials mechanics are largely unchanged, outside of the misstep represented by the tricks system, I've never seen much need for improvement in the series' basic controls and physics. RedLynx certainly hasn't lost any of the ideas that make the Trials series so much fun to play and has escalated the track design in a way that makes this game feel fresh and new, despite being the 13th entry in a decade-old series.

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8.5 / 10.0 - Tropico 5
Jul 17, 2014

I really enjoyed my time with Tropico 5. As a total package, it's a great starting point for new players. Gameplay mechanics like diplomacy have been simplified, so it's pretty easy to understand for newcomers. It'll help to have some working knowledge of similar sim titles, but even without that background, the campaign does a great job of easing you into the basic functions of city-building. The simplification isn't always in the best interest of the game, as I found when attempting to stave off exports of much-needed resources. While trade routes are a great addition, not being able to have direct control over which goods I export and import was often problematic. Issues like this are few and far between with Tropico 5, making it an overall positive and very fun experience.

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Nov 18, 2014

Beyond those issues, I really enjoyed my time with Sherlock Holmes: Crimes & Punishments. It's a really solid adventure game that I'd urge console players to check out. It features a host of interesting mechanics that do a great job of capitalizing on the character and world of Sherlock Holmes, and the six cases are very intriguing. Crimes & Punishments is easily one of the best Holmes titles I've played, and I look forward to what Frogwares has in store for the next game in the franchise.

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Passive AI and lackluster online support from the community isn't enough to make Civilization: Beyond Earth a total wash. If you've enjoyed the series over the years, you'll likely spend many hours with this entry as well. It deviates just enough from the excellent Civilization V to be a worthwhile experience, and it offers a different pace than its predecessor, so even though it's not a significant upgrade, it's still pretty remarkable.

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Jan 9, 2015

Dragon Age: Inquisition is one of the few western RPGs on the market right now, and it's certainly one of the more robust since the release of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. If you're looking to satisfy that RPG itch on your brand-new, current-gen console, you can certainly to do so with Inquisition.

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May 15, 2015

If you can hunt down a demo or rental, giving it a chance isn't a waste of time. There are enough positives so it's worth a look, even if I doubt most will want to see the game through to completion. I'd love to see developer Acquire refocus its efforts into something more substantial, and I hopefully the lackluster combat here remains the exception, and not the rule, for future Acquire-developed titles.

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I found myself fairly engrossed with Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes, and would argue it's the best of the Omega Force/Nintendo collaborations so far. It runs really well in both handheld and TV mode (certainly far better than Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity) and the combat is propelled to another, more interesting level when you start utilizing the ability to command your various units as objectives appear. So even if you've not played through a single musou game before, I think Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes would make a pretty great impression for brand new players, while also breathing some fresh air into the formula for returning fans.

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Aug 5, 2022

While Avenging Spirit might not be my top '90s arcade game by any stretch, I do think the low price point and attention to detail on this release make it worth picking up.

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Aug 26, 2022

I really, really dug my time spent with Arcade Paradise, and thought the sheer variety of arcade games was pretty impressive, as was the actual amount of upgrades and story content available.

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Sep 12, 2022

While not the most innovative of the Shin Megami RPG spin-offs, Soul Hackers 2 is an enjoyable, lengthy, amalgamation of what you'd expect out of these games at this point.

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Sep 15, 2022

I really found myself engrossed with Metal: Hellsinger, and the solid FPS gunplay paired with a challenging rhythm mechanic keeps you pretty engaged throughout. It's a neat concept that certainly hasn't worn out its welcome so far, and I'd certainly like to see it expanded upon in the future, so hopefully a sequel or DLC won't be out of the question. Definitely check it out Metal: Hellsinger if any of this sounds intriguing, you won't be disappointed.

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Sep 26, 2022

I've really enjoyed my time with Shovel Knight Dig, and it's a fantastic follow-up to the first Shovel Knight adventure. Everything comes together so well here, and it feels so great to play, that you'll have a tough time putting this one down.

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Oct 5, 2022

I wouldn't call Moonscars a must play game, but I can appreciate that it tries to do a couple of new things with a sub-genre of Souls-like games that has become increasingly popular over the past few years. I think there are better examples of 2D Souls games out there, but Moonscars doesn't overstay its welcome and the combat/exploration is fun enough that I found myself willing to overlook most of the other issues.

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Oct 17, 2022

The DioField Chronicle is a game that I had little trouble sticking with throughout the review process, and could easily see myself going back to in order to finish up the few remaining trophies I have left. The fun gleaned from this strategy title is almost entirely due to the engaging battle system, which while a bit basic compared to other titles, is still a lot of fun to play. It's not a game that I'd wholeheartedly suggest picking up at full price, but I'd certainly suggest giving it a go after a sale or two.

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While Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed isn't a full priced, AAA style release, it's still a solid ghostbusting experience overall.

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Nov 3, 2022

While not as shocking of a change as 2018?s God of War reinvention, God of War Ragnarök has proven itself a fantastic follow-up over the 40+ hours I?ve spent playing it. Ragnarök, like a good, traditional sequel should, expands upon ideas and mechanics from God of War in ways that feel like a natural evolution of the 2018 game. Kratos and Atreus’ journey across the Nine Realms is fully realized here, making for a fantastic visual and gameplay feast that is sure to please the many fans that God of War: Ragnarök's predecessor gained.

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Front Mission 1st: Remake seems to mark a possible resurgence for the strategy mech RPG in the West, and while I'd like to have seen a little more done with the concept of a remake here, I still enjoyed my time spent with one of the two campaigns for this review. It's not perfect by any stretch, but it was nice to revisit the original game again.

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