I never took any interest in Titan Quest when it hit the market and honestly, it doesn't particularly grab me now. However, I can recognise that it does a lot of things right within its genre, and for that I applaud it even more than a decade after the fact. The idea that it got this brand new expansion so long after release is a testament to the dedication of the staff involved. Even if it doesn't make me ragna-rock hard.
Elex has extremely limited appeal thanks to the horrendous combat and seemingly mindless balancing issues. Even habitual RPG players will be put off by these problems, and that spells doom for almost anyone outside that little niché.
It's clunky, it's ugly and it's held together with cellotape and spit. At least it's playable, although it's anything but Shiny.
If you like to go solo there's definitely fun to be had with Rogue Trooper Redux. It's a time-capsule dressed up real pretty, and sometimes it's nice to take a look back and see how far you've come
It's still held back by the formulaic nature of the LEGO franchise, but LEGO: The Ninjago Movie Videogame is a great addition to the franchise that changes just enough to make it feel fresh. It's excellent news for kids and even fun for old men like me. It comes highly recommended, unless you really hate fun.
Chances are you'll have a good time playing Pankapu if you pick it up, but it's very unlikely that anyone will be putting it on their list of best games ever made. It's good, not great, and slightly lets down its beautiful art style with its unremarkable gameplay.
Skylar and Plux is a very good time, and would make a solid choice if you were hankering for some simple 3D platforming. But a massive warning about the technical issues that Skylar and Plux suffers is definitely warranted.
there is a place for Shift Happens. A very specific place. So if you think you fancy a bit of a go on Shift Happens, I hope you had the foresight to procreate. If not, maybe leave it. The game that is. Procreate away.
It may have worked fairly well as a mobile game that you play for 3 minutes at a time, but brought to the home console scene its issues become glaringly obvious. It’s even missing fairly standard quality of life inclusions.
Slain will throw dumb A.I. and impossibly tricky situations at you throughout your time with it. It almost feels like any strategy goes out the window when you face enemy encounters and you're forced to frantically swipe at them in the hopes that you succeed, which isn't enjoyable in the slightest.
All in all, Ginger: Beyond The Crystal is a competent 3D platformer, bringing with it all the nostalgia you’d want for games of the time, whilst also bringing some of the gameplay quirks that are likely to frustrate. As a relatively cheap stop-gap between now and Yooka-Laylee, you could definitely do a lot worse.
If you’re the type of person who loves completely unreasonable difficulty, then you’ll want to give Toy Odyssey some money. Otherwise? Maybe find some other toys to play with.
When the Hobbit films hit cinemas at 48fps instead of the standard 28fps people complained that it ruined the immersion. They could suddenly tell that characters were wearing makeup, the illusion was gone. That’s sort of the feeling I get from Syndrome.
Armikrog is a bit of a diamond in the rough. It's rough and it's a bit awkward but it's a solid choice if you're after a bit of console pointing and clicking. Just don't go into it expecting a 90s style adventure game with witty dialogue out the wazoo and plenty of items to rub on other items at your leisure. This is a very focused title and it both benefits and suffers for that.
Ultimately Adam’s Venture Origins is an okay title. It’s not excessively bad, and it’s not excessively good, and I’d almost say that’s worse than being either.