Nazih Fares's Reviews
With an arcade-style gameplay and RPG elements, Penny-Punching Princess is quite an original title. While not as easy as it seems, the game is still a fair challenge, but might be a niche game that fans of the genre will appreciate.
The Witch and the Hundred Knight 2 is great for the fans of the original, but we can't really recommend this to newcomers due to its repetitive gameplay and subpar graphics.
A compilation of everything that worked in the past with some amazing innovations, Far Cry 5 is easily the best entry in the entry since the third opus. Whether it is the settings, storyline, charismatic villains or supporting characters, this is by far one of Ubisoft's best work this year.
Now available on Nintendo Switch, Earthlock: Festival of Magic is neither a good nor a bad game, but still a rather solid effort from Snowcastle Games to create a unique JRPG influenced by the 1990s titles in the genre.
Rare banks heavily on the journey you'll experience with Sea of Thieves, yet sadly the destination is confusing or might be a letdown for others. At the current state, we cannot suggest Sea of Thieves as a game but it's solid on a technical level and can be fun with friends for a while. Let's hope Rare can upgrade the experience fast enough to keep the attention of the most loyal players.
Assassin's Creed Rogue Remastered is a decent port of the original, with a major upgrade to framerate, textures and resolution on this generation's consoles, but is outshined by the latest entry in the franchise. It's still a good opportunity for those that never played this episode to try it out, but will feel outdated for some after having played Assassin's Creed Origins.
Final Fantasy XV Royal Edition is the definitive version of the award-winning 2016 game, and its additional content, the inclusion of Season Pass and free updates makes it a great buy for those that didn't get the chance to play it on console or PC.
Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom is easily one of the best games of this early 2018 and will probably mark the rest of the year for its great accomplishment. Both a visual and musical feast for all sort of players, Level-5’s sequel to the original JRPG mixes both a bold change of gameplay mechanics, additional depth, and a solid story without harming the legacy of the series. A delight for both fans and newcomers.
Haemimont Games and Paradox Interactive's Surviving Mars mixes the best of the 4X and city building simulation game into a futuristic package, but its weak end-game might bore some. Thankfully the game has mod support on PC and enough achievements for console players to last.
The most beautiful experience in the series, YAKUZA 6: The Song of Life is great way to close the Kiryu's story in style, with a fun and long adventure, full of content and side activities. Even if you didn't play the previous games, you shouldn't miss this goofy yet also mature and serious game.
With Attack on Titan 2, Koei Tecmo and Omega Force manages to upgrade the game experience from the original, adding more content and modes to make it worth your while. No fan of the franchise, anime or manga should miss this title.
Scribblenauts Showdown is not what you expect from the franchise, but it's a decent alternative to interactive party game. But with a lack of content in terms of mini-games, you might not stick too long.
Previously remastered in 2012, this re-release of the original Devil May Cry trilogy on current generation of consoles is a worthy investment for those that never played the game. But with just a simple port to a higher 1080p and 60fps display, Capcom has unfortunately not added much to appeal to the hardcore fans.
Available now on modern consoles, De Blob 2 has been remastered into a simple port, with barely any changes including its original faults. But I'll highly recommend this game to those that never tried it, especially for the younger generations as it's an entertaining title.
More than an interactive experiment than anything, NORTH is still a title created for a good cause, even if it's not really entertaining.
Tribute Games' Flinthook is a unique take on Rogue-like games, with gorgeous pixel art, catchy soundtrack and addictive gameplay mechanics. Now available on the Nintendo Switch, it's a worthy investment on the console if you haven't played it yet on other platforms.
If the core gameplay mechanics becomes quickly repetitive and boring, The Trail: Frontier Challenge is still an original game from 22cans and Kongregate. I would advise you to try it on mobile devices first, before jumping the gun and get this console version especially with a $15 price tag.
A well paced arcade platforming and twin-stick shooter, Bleed 2 is a solid sequel to the original game made by Ian Campbell, now available on Nintendo Switch. With its retro style pixel art, a motivating soundtrack and the charm of 1990s run and gun gameplay mechanics, this is a must for speedrunners and OCD score players.
With Fear Effect Sedna, Sushee has managed to create a different yet faithful new episode in a long forgotten cult franchise. While the gameplay mechanics are not optimal for most, and the graphics engine is sub-par for what you would expect from a 2018 title, but it's worth picking if you're a fan of Fear Effect. Here's hoping Fear Effect Reinvented, a remake of the original Fear Effect and Sushee's other project, will be a better way to showcase the French studio's talent.
All in all, Rad Rodgers is one solid platformer from Slipgate Studios. Sure it's not reinventing anything major in the genre, but knows how to merge the best in platforming games from our past and give it a modern approach.