TJ Denzer's Reviews
Phantom Blade Zero has been a long time coming, and feels like the wait was worth it.
Stellar gameplay, music, scenery, characters (new and old), and a great set of options for altering the intensity make this the easily one of the highest-quality action-platformers I have ever played.
As unforgiving as Valor Mortis can be, it doesn’t forget the fun between the frustration.
This is a fantastic flight combat experience and I’m going to be shooting for high scores and multiplayer sorties well after this review.
Control Resonant hits a vibe I haven’t felt in a while in an action melee.
Orbitals pulls a lot of interesting and familiar elements into a tidy package with a charming pair of heroes and a lengthy array of challenges to put their friendship to the test.
Onimusha: Way of the Sword’s cast, quest, numerous asides, and the evolution of techniques and combat throughout this adventure have the weight and depth to make you roar in triumph, groan in agony, and hit most of the feelings in between along the way. And that’s exactly what I want out of my demon-slaying samurai action-adventure.
This is not how any of us expected Marvel fighting games to come back, but I sure am glad it happened this way.
That said, the strategy, depth, and, most importantly, vibes are all there in respectable fashion. Whether you want to introduce a young fan to baseball sims or pick this up for some fond memories, Backyard Baseball will serve up good RBI for the price of admission.
The Mermaid Mask is a mystery full of quirk and intrigue that pulls the player in and keeps them going with a riveting story of wayward souls and their mysterious benefactor.
Its little games are simple, yet addictive, its imagery is silly and light-hearted, and there is undoubtedly music that will stay with players well after they clear any given round. I’m not crazy about how simplistic some of the bonuses are, but I did like the parallel progress through co-op games with their own unlocks.
Mina the Hollower is a charming and challenging adventure that never ceased to delight and surprise in music, art, and gameplay.
Invincible VS is a great start. Quarter Up brought the characters, the mechanics, and an overall presentation that just might make Mortal Kombat fans blush. I really dig how many niches and specialties are represented in this pool, and it ends up making for a satisfying experience in both offline and online play, with solid netcode and crossplay systems to keep the fun going. I wish the story cutscenes weren’t jarring compared to the rest of the game’s animation, and that things like Sudden Death and Assist Break didn’t leave me feeling grumpy after a sweaty match, but I can’t deny I had a blast assembling teams and seeing how they matched up against the rest of the game. I found it hard not to read this as an opening chapter for Quarter Up and Invincible VS, and it's a good one.
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I suspect some speedrunner will weave wizardry in their mastery of Super Meat Boy 3D and its levels. That said, this feels like a game in which you have to have more patience that ever to put up with the shenanigans that a fast-paced 3D Meat Boy game presents.
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Twisted Reflection has enough juice to be a good RPG for most players between its charming story, interesting characters, and engaging combat.
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