Blade Strangers is a fun, friendly, accessible fighter. It allows newcomers and experienced players alike the opportunity to throw down with some great characters, without necessarily concerning themselves with one-frame-links or meaty reversals. Whilst that lack of tech-depth may prevent Blade Strangers from holding the attention of the pros, or blowing up on the competitive circuit, it's sure to be a hit at any good-natured rumble with friends, battling for pride within your own four walls.
Though SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy is not the Gals Fighters 2 we may have been hoping for, it is a very daft, very fast, and fun brawler. There is a serious question of longevity to be considered, and veteran players should consider the game's simplicity before purchase. But in a group setting, or among newcomers, sisterhood of sluggers will get the job done, looking fabulous while doing so.
There's a very simple reason why so many modern pro-wrestling games are bad. Pro-wrestling is not a legitimate competitive fight, it's two or more people working together to put on an incredible, breath-taking performance. Wrestlers work within slight nuances of pace, timing and storytelling. The psychological skill of knowing when to kick it in and when to cool it down is just as important as the memorable characters and jaw-dropping moves.But in a video game, you're working against each other, because you're both trying to win. That's all well and good for FIFA, or Madden, or even Street Fighter. But you can't accurately translate the speed and intensity of modern pro-wrestling to a complex, realistic sim. That's why when Adam Cole (Bay Bay) and Ricochet have a ladder match in NXT, it's a breathless thing of beauty, but if you have the same match in a WWE 2K title, it's a boring clusterfuck. The more "realistic" the genre gets, the worse it gets.Fire Pro Wrestling is a long-running series that strips wrestling sims back to basics, while featuring deep gameplay mechanics and so many customisation options that it becomes less a competitive wrestling title, and more of a sandbox wrestling title. Fire Pro isn't attempting to perfectly recreate Sports Entertainment "like on TV", it's instead trying to encourage players to create their own memorable moments within the confines of the squared circle.
Now a young woman, wise and self-sufficient beyond her years, Clementine has reached the end of her story where, alongside AJ - a young boy she rescued during previous seasons - she will finally face her fate.
We Happy Few is unique. It features gorgeous environments, great music, twisted humor, and a magnetic story. It deserves praise for those aesthetics. But the game is what matters, and it is sadly lackluster in that regard, with bad combat, mundane stealth, and endless, frivolous mechanics. By choosing the fastidious "micro-management" path, We Happy Few distracts far too much from its true potential as a dystopian gaming classic. And that's the biggest downer of all.
The plot of Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn is, as Shaq says himself "convoluted and full of holes". A poor Chinese orphan, Shaq Fei Hung, is forced to face up to his destiny when it becomes apparent that some of the world's biggest celebrities are actually demons plotting to keep the people in a state of moronic subservience. As dictated by The Prophecy, Shaq must use the skills taught to him by his kung-fu master, Ye-Ye, to travel the globe, take down the celebrities and save the universe.The game itself is a simplistic scrolling brawler. As Shaq, players take on wave after wave of drone-like enemies. Mashing attack builds up a combo, before ending it with Bayonetta-style giant boot finisher, Shaq also has a shoulder charge, a ground pound, and a fairly useless jump-kick. Various weapons can be gathered from the streets or dropped by opponents. Once you reach the end of a stage, you face a celebrity boss, who must be defeated to progress.The problem is, the game is just so numbingly repetitive. Despite the fact it is a mere six stages long, and can be completed in about three hours, it becomes so drawn out, due to the endless waves of villains - non of whom put up a decent fight - and tiresome sequences designed for variety, but are just tedious. For example, one stage has you push boulders down a hill onto enemies for what seems like an eternity, before you move to another hill and do the exact same thing again. Occasionally a stage will lock you into an area, power you up (such as with the "Big D" Mech suit) then force you to defeat, literally, 200 baddies before you can move on. Even though you can mow through them with ease, it's just really boring to do so.
This is about as pure as a game can be. You learn how to play it in a few minutes, but can sit with it for hours. Its stylistic visuals and awesome soundtrack draw you in and keep you hypnotised, while addictive and challenging gameplay teases you with frantic block-dodging mayhem, great multiplayer modes and weird, surprisingly emotive "characters." In a time of incredible looking, but often flabby titles, it's nice to be reminded that, sometimes, Just Shapes & Beats is all you need.
Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection brings together some of the greatest fighting games of all time - many of which are still top-tier titles today - complete with slick online gameplay and a fully-featured training mode, all for 40 bucks. Though SF30 doesn't quite live up to its potential as a comprehensive historical document, ultimately, The Fight is all that matters. In that regard Capcom, some 30 years later, just scored another K.O. We await your return, warrior.
Little Witch Academia: Chamber of Time is a disappointment.
Dragon's Crown remains not for everyone. Some might consider it repetitive, vulgar and may even be left wondering what all the fuss was about. But, for those of you who ever fell in love with arcade brawlers, fantasy storytelling, and tabletop RPGs, then Dragon's Crown Pro will shine oh-so-brightly as the unique and sublime treasure it is. Your legend awaits, hero. Seize the day.
Metropolis: Lux Obscura is another entry in the crowded Match 3 market, albeit one with a decadent coating of sleaze and brutality. Fans of the genre will have a fun time while it lasts, but anyone disinterested in such games will find nothing new here. Though it certainly isn't without its merits, namely in its great art, branching pathways and low price, Metropolis suffers due to its unoriginality and short lifespan, which may be enough for some to give this otherwise interesting release the hard goodbye.
Overall, Episode Five: Same Stitch is a worthy finale.
Pato Box is one of the most unique titles I've played in some time. It has its share of problems, with an unorthodox style that might not be to everyone's taste, but feels destined to acquire a cult following. Though quite flawed, it still has the ability to get the heart pounding, and sounds damn good while doing so. Pato Box fails to score a knockout, but it's an exciting bout, and I'm certainly up for a rematch.
Fear Effect Sedna shows that the developer truly knows its source material inside out, but unfortunately the gameplay aspect remains lost. With poor voice-acting, a broken, almost unnecessary tactical system, unreliable A.I., and flat action, Sedna just isn't fun or compelling.
What Ails You is the best episode of The Enemy Within since the season opener.
It's tough to be down on Gang Beasts. At heart, it's just very silly entertainment for you and your pals, like the multiplayer games of yesteryear. It's kind of bad, broken even, and it's certainly not going to become a mainstay of anyone's regular gaming catalogue. But it certainly guarantees some laughs with your pals. Isn't that what gaming was designed to do?
There just isn't enough novelty, length or content on offer to satisfy as standalone purchases... Just don't tell Shantae I said that...
Although there is some excellent work put in by Catwoman and John Doe, Fractured Mask is ultimately just a series of "Choose A or B" conversations, taking place in overly-familiar locales, with stakes not quite as high as the game would have you believe. With only two episodes remaining, it's going to take something special to kick this story into high gear for the climax. It certainly isn't impossible; even when the chips are down, you can always bet on Bat.
The latest marriage of LEGO and Marvel is a mixed but promising step-up. Its star-studded story, inventive hub-world and new presentation style all add much-needed freshness to a stale format. However, technical issues, clumsy controls and overwhelming déjà vu remain. LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 still has the power to entertain, but while the game's chronological theme has allowed the brand to stride confidently into the future, its core mechanics remain rooted firmly in the past.
Call of Duty: WWII is a satisfying experience. It is also easily one of the best-looking and feature-packed iterations of the franchise to date. But the cracks are definitely showing, with years of repetition getting ever-harder to disguise. The game will please a huge contingent of its dedicated fanbase, but its reliance on the status quo might be wearying for others.