James Berich's Reviews
I have no idea what it would be like to explore an alien planet with a toxic atmosphere in real life, but No Man's Sky sells itself with a sense of authenticity that I really have no choice but to believe that this is what it would feel like to take one small step for man.
7 Days To Die has a compelling premise and concept that slowly disappears as players begin to play more and more of it.
Back In 1995 does an earnest job at trying to emulate the experience offered by the survival horror canon of the nineties, especially visually. But beyond it’s looks, 1995 fails to recognise why those games were so great, and is unfortunately an inferior experience because of it.
When Capcom released Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City I thought they couldn’t put their publishing name to a title any worse. It felt awfully generic, it didn’t play all that great and it liberally reinterpreted Resident Evil in a way that rubbed me the wrong way as a fan.
As far as kart racers go, Nickelodeon Kart Racers is a disappointing case of missed opportunity. Nickelodeon, as a brand, is rich with properties though barely any are appropriately handled here too, with a roster that's quite frankly anemic. Instead, Nickelodeon Kart Racers offers some serviceable kart racing that's ultimately devoid of any personality. Some kids who don't know any better will find some enjoyment here, but most probably won't.
Ultra Street Fighter II: The New Challengers feels like a lazy afterthought from a developer reluctant to commit fully to the Switch. It's so frustrating given that Street Fighter II is itself a classic game, but Ultra does little to provide reason to purchase it yet again. Way of the Hado and an Art Gallery are nice touches, but ultimately superficial and fail to justify the game's price tag.
The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics falls into the trap of mimicking the greats of its genre without understanding what made them so great. While a passable strategy game at best, the only saving grace of Age of Resistance Tactics is the world it’s based on. And even that’s not as great as it could be.
While Sea of Thieves is one of the best-looking games this generation, it unfortunately fails to live up to the expectations of most players. Incredibly fun with friends and designed to encourage teamwork successfully, Sea of Thieves just lacks the content or the staying power to be worth it. The foundation here is solid, and I'm sure it'll grow into something remarkable as time goes by, but in its current state, the state it's being offered in, it's hard to recommend.
Metal Gear Survive had the potential to grow into something unique but now it's just an uninspired mish-mash of poorly balanced systems that translates to an experience that feels like a chore. The story is frustrating, the only aspects that are great are the ones carried over from Metal Gear Solid 5 and the overall gameplay loop is monotonous. Metal Gear Survive ironically won't survive the test of time, though in several years' time you'll probably not be able to play it anyway.
Voodoo Vince Remastered is a great remaster, but the game lying underneath this fresh coat of paint simply doesn't hold up today. There's some fantastic art direction, an interesting locale and an even more intriguing premise. While it might be fun for a younger audience, Voodoo Vince doesn't capitalise on its intriguing premise enough to make itself genuinely essential. Voodoo Vince is an authentic remaster, retaining the feel and play of the original, for better or for worse. Unfortunately, some things are best left in the past.
It's hard to recommend Narcosis to anyone who wants something more than just a story. There's some interesting concepts here that could've translated to some great gameplay mechanics, but they feel under developed. The story and characterisation is great, but everything else pales in comparison. Narcosis is a great premise that unfortunately never really lives up to what sounded like high potential.
Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League is a serviceable action game bogged down by an insistence on being a live service title. While the characters are well written and the comedy is on point, a handful of repetitive objective types betray the intentions of an otherwise strong combat system. There is potential here – perhaps over time, Suicide Squad can evolve into something better – but for now, it's something that only absolute diehards will enjoy, and even then, that's not a guarantee.
Chocobo GP offers up some fantastic core racing mechanics that are otherwise held back by a lacklustre offering of content. Hampered by tedious progression systems and typical microtransaction practices, Chocobo GP barely makes it past the finish line to be the best kart racer it could be.
Biomutant is a vibrant and beautiful looking game that unsuccessfully attempts to leverage so many different aspects of open-world games from the last decade. It buckles under the weight of its own ambition and is sorely lacking the focus needed to offer a stand-out open-world experience and carve out its own identity.
Twin Mirror has an intriguing premise but ultimately fails to do anything remarkable with it. While it's DONTNOD's most impressive game technically, Twin Mirror is a by-the-book thriller that only just manages to scrape through to solve its core mystery that's unfortunately lacking thrills.
Windbound is a beautiful artistic accomplishment in terms of presentation, but fails to make good on its promise of bringing together an open-world single-player game and typical crafting-survival elements. Despite attempts to make it approachable for all, it is an ultimately frustrating affair that squanders its potential with the same rigid survival mechanics that we've seen in a lot of other games and that's a real shame.
Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore features some much-needed quality of life improvements, as well as a strong opening and novel combat. But, ultimately, tedious dungeon design and unrefined boss battles that plagued the original remain and prevent Encore from being the improvement it could be.
Underneath it all, RAGE 2 is one of the most energetic and frenetic shooters I’ve played since DOOM. But you must, unfortunately, wade through a poorly paced story, a drab open world, and a few locks and progression gates to even experience the best it has to offer. Those who persist will adore RAGE 2, but it’s such a bizarrely inconsistent journey to get there that it’s hard to recommend to everyone.
YIIK is an ambitious little RPG with an intriguing premise and engaging battle mechanics that is ultimately let down by some poor pacing and a very unruly inventory management system. In a game where stats matter so much, this is a pretty big issue to have. Regardless, if you can see past its flaws, there's a kooky game here with a weird but wonderful plot and a lovable cast to enjoy.
SEGA Mega Drive Classics does a great job at modernising the classics, bringing in some games that we haven't seen in a release like this before, but at the same time drops some true classics like Sonic 3. While a plethora of features and some slick presentation make this feel like less of a cynical cash grab than it could be, the omission of these titles and cumbersome navigation makes this collection serviceable but less than definitive.