As we said in our initial preview, there's potential in Exoprimal. The basic mechanic of blasting away dinosaurs is absolutely fun, and the presence of competent bots filling in for missing humans ensures that no one is going to get shortchanged in a bout. There are enough goals in a match that there's no guarantee about what you'll get to play, and that keeps things fresh enough if you can progress through levels at a good clip. At the same time, the lack of a campaign mode hurts when it feels like the story is better served by having one, even if it only mimics Dinosaur Hunt with bots. Since this is an online-only game, it has a definitive shelf life unless Capcom can patch in something to help prevent the game from being obsolete if the servers ever get pulled. The game is fun now, and its presence on Xbox Game Pass ensures that subscribers can give it a shot before committing to a purchase, but it'll be interesting to see if the population holds up by the time the second season rolls around.
At its core, Terror of Hemasaurus is a fun title. The scattershot nature of the story might not hit the funny bone for some people, and the lack of online play is a shame. The addition of physics to the core gameplay loop along with varied objectives ensures that the game isn't monotonous during its short playtime. If you still have a soft spot for wanton destruction by abnormally large animals, Terror of Hemasaurus is well worth seeking out, especially with friends in tow.
Harmony: The Fall of Reverie feels like a game that works best for players who are curious about the visual novel genre but want more recognizable game mechanics and a few restrictions to help them along. The Augural makes choices simple enough if you're trying to go for a specific outcome, but the story and character reactions make you second-guess your approaches. The game looks and sounds wonderful compared to many of its contemporaries, and while it might not make you a convert to the genre, it is an interesting adventure that you'll want to go through, provided you can get over the constant world-flipping and a few story quibbles.
As a sequel, Oxenfree II: Lost Signals is at least on par with the first title. The game strikes a good balance of platforming and puzzle-solving, while also giving you the freedom to figure out things without much hand-holding. The art style may present small characters, but the graphics still shine, and the music is haunting enough to maintain a feeling of unease throughout the adventure. It is once again the fleshed-out characters, deep narrative, and excellent pacing that will keep you hooked on the game from the opening moments all the way to the end credits. For fans of adventure games, Oxenfree II is a worthy buy, even if you've never played the first title.
Crime Boss: Rockay City isn't a complete disaster. The idea of fusing together managerial duties with action-oriented shooting works well on paper since the gameplay styles complement each other. However, neither aspect plays out that well, and when you combine it with a lackluster story and worse than mediocre performances, the experience doesn't improve as you get further into it. Unless you're hard up for a crime-based game, there's little reason to give this title a shot.
The good news is that Crash Team Rumble isn't a bad game, mechanically. The play mechanics are solid, characters are well defined, and matches can be quick, which does well to compensate for the differently paced progression on characters and the season pass. Despite this, the concept is already a difficult sell, and with the absence of offline modes, the title is solely dependent on a player base to ensure that there is actually a game to play. The low price in this space, when compared to other titles from major publishers, might make it appealing for curious players, and they'll have a good time with it, but be warned that there is the real possibility of this being a title with a short life span if there aren't many other players who are either open to the idea or outright enamored by it.
Individually, the games in the Toaplan Arcade Shoot 'Em Up Collection Vol. 1 bundle are good. Zero Wing is fine, Truxton is solid, Out Zone is a forgotten gem, and Twin Cobra is one of the few shooters to star a helicopter rather than a spaceship. As a package, though, it is a reminder of just how good Toaplan was when it was around. This is good stuff, and we hope that Bitwave plans to release the rest of Toaplan's games soon on the PC.
Fans of the promotion and wrestling games in general will find themselves partially satisfied with AEW: Fight Forever. The flaws are noticeable, such as the truncated introductions, limited arenas, and a smaller roster compared to the competition. The presence of creative tools gets hampered by the lack of a built-in way to share them, and the absence/trimming of match types can feel off. While the story mode is goofy in several ways, it is the strength of the wrestling engine that keeps the game fun to play, match after match. If the rumors are true, then this good game can get much better with patches and downloadable content for years to come. Otherwise, if this potential series follows a more traditional development cycle, this title is a very good base to work with for a hopefully more ambitious and meatier sequel.
Classic Sport Driving is fine if you don't mind some quirks. Having to register before playing online is rather unnecessary, and some of the campaign bugs detract from the enjoyment of the title. Still, the racing is good once you get used to the handling and driving, while the track randomization and leaderboards for each permutation ensures that you can get in some quick challenges when time permits. It's a nice diversion for fans of old-school racers who don't mind playing solo.
Sonic Origins Plus still can't be considered the most comprehensive collection of the classic Sonic the Hedgehog titles. From a completionist's standpoint, it would've been nice to have Sonic 3D Blast, and the Genesis version of Sonic Spinball and Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine. Others will lament the fact that the original music for Sonic the Hedgehog 3 remains missing. The inclusion of 12 Game Gear titles makes this feel like a better value, while the modified versions of the original four titles are still a great way for new players to experience these classics without dealing with the things that don't fly in modern game design. For fans of old-school platformers, Sonic Origins Plus is well worth checking out.
Players will find something special here, as the stories told in the overall game and the books you dive into are rich and well written.
Danmaku Unlimited 3 is a gem of a shooter that has arrived fashionably late to the PS4. The frantic action that's expected from a bullet hell shooter is improved upon with interesting attack patterns and a set of mechanics that rewards quick kills and exhibiting some flair during gameplay. There's a nice balance for veterans and genre newcomers, with the latter being served especially well; the difficulty and lack of continues fosters a need to improve, while ensuring that death isn't as immediate as in other games. Topped off with a great presentation all around, Danmaku Unlimited 3 is a standout in the genre that fans shouldn't miss.
Impaler is a fun game if you know what you're getting into. It's a simple enough arena shooter that plays fast and is short enough to ensure that you can squeeze in multiple runs in a short play session. The need to kill airborne enemies with a stomp can put a damper on things, but the rest of the gameplay is solid. Impaler is priced at $2.99, so it's worth a look for shooting fans who want a quick fix.
With Super Mega Baseball 4, Metalhead has another solid baseball title on its hands. The existing modes get enough overall improvements to make them worthwhile, while Shuffle Draft keeps things fresh for a long time. The introduction of pros is awesome, but the game did well to not forget the originals, while the gameplay remains rock solid. Baseball fans of all types who aren't hung up on only playing with the current pros will enjoy this title.
As a straightforward port of the GBC classic, Shantae works quite well. Minor issues like button remapping aside, once you get over a few things like the lack of a map and a more brutal life system, you'll find this to be a classic platformer that shows off how good this series and WayForward were from the beginning. Shantae fans who only own a PlayStation system will be very happy with this, and we hope that this means Xbox and PC fans will also be able to get this game on their platform of choice soon.
Street Fighter 6 succeeds in its ambition to cram some big things into one fighting game. Battle Hub may be silly, but it has a lot more personality and more to do than most other titles with their own online lobbies. Fighting Ground does a great job of showing off the new roster and improvements to the fighting engine, while placing an equal amount of attention on both offline and online players. World Tour makes for a somewhat nonsensical yet addictive adventure that can serve as a good basis for a full-fledged Street Fighter RPG. All of this is tied together with a presentation that does well in improving what came before it, only with more fidelity and flash. As stated at the beginning of this review, fighting game fans are going to have a good year, and Street Fighter 6 is an excellent component of that.
Idea is a game that'll only appeal to a niche audience. Those looking for any sort of exciting adventure or meaningful ending won't find it here, especially since the game's own idea messaging system is filled with random characters instead of something meaningful. The game is a nice distraction, as it can be relaxing to see where the ball ends up if given a little push. It's neat, but don't expect anything profound.
Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun is everything that retro first-person shooter fans can enjoy, even if they have no love for the grimdark space setting. The action is constant, and the gore is plentiful, but the game forces you to play smart, even at the lower difficulty levels. The gameplay loop doesn't deviate from the classic key-finding formula, but the levels are larger, which means more enemies to shoot and a higher chance of getting lost, whether or not you're trying to find secrets. The game is long enough that multiplayer isn't needed, but it also never feels tiring despite some things that may be irksome. Boltgun is a solid piece of work and one that we'd definitely recommend checking out.
Planet of Lana is a pleasant surprise. It tells a compelling story with some unexpected twists, and it does so without the need to utter a word in a language we understand. The puzzles aren't obtuse enough to be frustrating, while the platforming never feels imprecise. To top it off, the presentation both looks and sounds amazing. Unless you dislike the entire genre, Planet of Lana is easily a contender for any "best of" lists this year.
Tents and Trees is a solid nonograms game that does a good job of handling the twists it has for the player. The board limitations make for some very interesting puzzles, while the casual nature of the game and generous hint system don't scare away those who aren't already well versed in this type of game. With a near-limitless supply of puzzles at hand, Tents and Trees is a great recommendation for anyone who is a big fan of the genre.