Miguel Moran's Reviews
Panzer Paladin is the kind of game I dreamed of as a kid. A flashy and colourful platformer with nearly a hundred weapons, over a dozen levels, cool anime art, and even the ability to draw my own weapons? It's a tall order, yet Panzer Paladin manages to deliver. Its sharp combat and even sharper visuals kept me glued to my screen for hours, but there were times where I struggled to engage with the best parts of the weapon system. Managing durability and an overflowing arsenal ended up being far more of a challenge than any of the platforming or enemies within the game.
Death Stranding takes on a whole new meaning in 2020, and it's a story well worth revisiting or experiencing for the first time on PC. The pacing of the game can certainly drag to a screeching halt through the middle, but with boosted frame rate and crisper visuals, you'll likely be too mesmerised by the hauntingly gorgeous world of Hideo Kojima's latest masterpiece to even care about the uneven story beats.
All in all, this is a high-quality collection of games, but the experience is brought down by some missing content and a high price tag.
All in all, like with the companion Arcade collection, this is a high-quality collection of games, but the experience is brought down by some missing content and a high price tag.
Ys: Memories of Celceta does it's best to put the spotlight on the series narrative, but the adventures of amnesiac Adol barely hold a candle to the fast and frenetic combat of the game. What seems like a mindless hack-and-slash on the surface quickly becomes a palm-drenching test of patience through its punishing and satisfying boss battles. Even if you come to Ys: Memories of Celceta looking for a trip through the lore of the franchise, you'll likely end up staying for that classic, addictive Ys combat.
With fluid gameplay, gorgeous visuals, and an incredibly inventive story mode, there's a lot to love in this unique fighting game.
Ultimately, Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition takes a Wii RPG that was years ahead of its time and gives it new life and the visuals it deserved a decade ago. This is a must-play JRPG full of iconic characters, immersive environments, and addictive combat. There may be some minor technical and visual issues with this re-release, but they're outweighed by the brilliance of the new content and the inarguable timelessness of Xenoblade Chronicles.
Utawarerumono: Prelude to the Fallen is yet another port of Utawarerumono for Japanese fans, but it's the first time in nearly 20 years that the first chapter of this iconic hybrid visual novel trilogy is playable in English. A unique world and unforgettable characters are at the heart of this game, but they're complemented by gorgeous artwork, addictive battles, and incredible music. It drags in the middle act, but once that final act ends and the credits roll, you'll barely remember the rough edges of this otherwise fantastic experience.
Touhou Mechanical Scrollery is a mess of a game. It's obvious that there's high ambition and plenty of love for the source material, but the final product is riddled with poor controls, rough visuals, and forgettable combat mechanics that make it an absolute chore to get through.
Relic Hunters Zero: Remix takes the standard roguelike experience and shifts it into overdrive, delivering a faster and more consistently rewarding experience. I always felt like I was making progress and never felt like a run was wasted. Some technical issues and a lack of environment variety keep the game from sticking the landing, though. With more environment variety and remappable controls, Relic Hunters Zero: Remix could easily go from good to great.
Sakura Wars may be a crisp, fully 3D modern release, but every inch of the story, characters, and sound feels like it's straight out of the 90s. This soft-reboot may not revolutionise gaming as the original game did, but it still manages to deliver an expertly crafted love letter to those old-school stories and characters that will put a smile on anyone's face. The combat scenes may lack the same depth and intrigue as the story beats of the game, but they're a minor part of an otherwise unforgettable anime adventure.
Disaster Report 4: Summer Memories has solid ideas, but very few that manifest themselves properly.
Trials of Mana is an exciting new step for the Mana series, breathing new, fully 3D life into a SNES classic that was left inaccessible to English fans for decades. The inventive and memorable story of the original game blends perfectly with the flashy new real-time combat system, and while muddy textures and a lack of co-op prove to somewhat sour the experience, this is still a stellar action RPG remake that anyone can get a kick out of.
Murder By Numbers puts a narrative-heavy spin on the Picross experience and accompanies it with enough difficulty setting that even a mathematically challenged fool like me to get engrossed in the grid-filling action for hours on end. Unfortunately, so much of the story is tainted by unlikeable characters and a constant barrage of eye-rolling references that take away from the otherwise unique style of the world.
One Piece Pirate Warriors 4 is a fan's dream game, as it takes the iconic battles and moments of eight major story arcs and puts you right in the action like never before. Combat is fun and flashy while still managing to be surprisingly thoughtful, and although a few characters aren't a joy to control, a majority of the cast is an absolute delight to play as. One Piece Pirate Warriors 4 is a jolly good time.
One Step from Eden has great ideas and a wealth of love put into the number of spells and abilities available; it's just a shame that the breakneck pace and daunting multitasking requirements of the combat make it hard to appreciate all of that depth.
Besides these more difficult levels and the arcade version of Bubble Bobble, there isn’t a lot of staying power in this new entry. You’ll still be delighted by it during the brief time you spend with it, thanks to adorable 3D visuals and sharp music. It’s just a shame that there’s so little to do here, especially after such a long wait for a new entry in the series.
All of that gameplay polish is wrapped up in a slick and stylish aesthetic that delivers some of the best fighting game music and most memorably characters in recent years
Doom Eternal doesn't just set the bar, it breaks it. Many of the best games of the FPS genre do what has already been done, and can do it really, really well, but Doom Eternal does what no other game has done before, crafting a fast-paced power fantasy that sets your brain cells on fire. It's an addictive exploration of the mythic Doomslayer character that delivers hours of blood-drenched fun, dozens of memorable collectibles, and a fan-pleasing story book-ended with gorgeous worlds and unforgettable music. Doom Eternal is a ripping, tearing masterpiece.
Whether you want to whet your appetite before Animal Crossing: New Horizons comes out or you're looking for your next fix after blowing through everything available in Stardew Valley, Rune Factory 4 is the perfect second-life for you. You might feel a bit overwhelmed at first, but once you manage to find your focus the addictive gameplay lets you wash away hours of your day in an instant.