Jason Rodriguez's Reviews
Europa Universalis IV: Emperor is a massive expansion that has a number of flaws that can be annoying to experience. Still, it's guaranteed to keep your next playthroughs refreshing thanks to tweaks and overhauls to existing systems, as well as new mechanics for the Holy Roman Empire and Catholics. New mission trees for dozens of nations like Bohemia and Austria will also change how you approach your campaigns.
Even though the campaign might be short and the mechanics a tad bit shallow for an ARPG, Minecraft Dungeons still manages to dazzle at times with its unique charm. With online and local/couch co-op multiplayer, you can have a blast and enjoy your romps with this family-friendly offering.
Eschewing role-playing aspects, depth, and fan-favorite features in favor of simplified pause-and-play automation, ridiculous map-painting mechanics, and lackluster strategic options, Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIV is one of the most disappointing offerings from Koei Tecmo's popular franchise. It's the Liu Shan, not the Zhuge Liang, of the series.
With its surprisingly creative level design, architecture, and platforming mechanics, Journey to the Savage Planet will wow your eyes, while its quirky humor entertains you from time to time. Unfortunately, flaws such as uninspired combat, lack of enemy variety, and a fairly short campaign mar what could've been a truly unforgettable journey.
Total War: Three Kingdoms - Mandate of Heaven presents a massive conflict and an evolving sandbox campaign, with several features and events to keep you entertained. Sadly, it's also bogged down by its reliance on older concepts that lack strategic depth, glaring bugs, as well as missed opportunities. Though you could expect to log in the extra hours, it becomes repetitious to a fault once the rebellion has been quashed.
Although it isn't perfect, Sniper: Ghost Warrior Contracts manages to hit its mark. With a simple yet effective campaign presentation, massive locations and stunning visuals, and the thoroughly engaging gameplay that keeps you coming back for more due to a user-friendly progression system, it's the best Ghost Warrior title to date.
Bland, boring, and uninspired, Narcos: Rise of the Cartels isn't quite the tie-in product that fans of Netflix's series would want to see. It's bogged down by flawed fundamentals, a repetitive campaign, and unengaging gameplay.
Some technical issues still exist and delving deep into mysterious sites doesn't mesh well with the overall gameplay. However, Age of Wonders: Planetfall - Revelations does present an engaging campaign. Likewise, its unique mechanics such as the Heritor secret tech and Forgotten faction's use of Entropy weapons are worth a try.
Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition has the content to keep you entertained for a time. Unfortunately, the visuals and core mechanics are woefully behind 20 years after its initial release. It's a nostalgia trip for fans given the low price, but it's lacking in this new age of strategy games.
Bugs, glitches, missing features, sluggish gameplay, and unreliable systems -- it's a smorgasbord of problems that would lead anyone to conclude that WWE 2K20 should not have been released in this state. In modern times, WWE 2K20 is the jabroni of pro-wrestling games. It didn't just set the bar, it lowered the bar.
Destiny 2: Shadowkeep has picture-perfect and grand setpieces on the moon, combined with excellent gunplay. Unfortunately, it's also marred by a middling campaign, weak narrative, inane endgame activities, and repetitive mechanics. The only thing haunting this expansion is its inability to reach the heights of Forsaken.
Warsaw is challenging at times to the point of harsh realism and it has an assortment of foes to take out. But, with mechanics that are downright arcadey and odd, Warsaw's missteps mar what could've been a brilliant look at a major event in Poland's history during World War II.
Charming, adorable, and delightful, Cat Quest 2 offers a solid adventure-RPG romp. Sadly, it's best played in short bursts due to repetitiveness, and you're bound to seek help from another player since the AI teammate can be downright incompetent.
With loads of content, amazing core gameplay mechanics, and unrivaled presentation, it keeps you engaged whether you're playing casually or competitively.
Fantasy General 2 is not a bad game, per se. But, it is sorely lacking in what can be considered as a full-fledged fantasy RPG or fantasy strategy experience.
While there are a few notable flaws, Man of Medan encapsulates the thrills and scares of the horror genre while offering numerous branching choices for the narrative. It's the perfect way to set the tone for the rest of The Dark Pictures Anthology series.
Ridiculously lacking in new content and with a Weave game mode that feels like a parlor trick you've seen before, Warhammer: Vermintide 2 - Winds of Magic's only saving grace is the introduction of the Beastmen. Even then, it's still a mediocre expansion for a once-promising game.
Total War: Three Kingdoms - Eight Princes feels familiar, although, sadly, also a repeat of what you've already gone through in the past. While you can choose from eight princes, your overall experience (especially if you've put in hundreds of hours into the base game) would be more like a solid "7" instead.
With a few technical issues, a disconnected story, a very short new campaign, and an unbelievably nonsensical final boss encounter, Mutant Year Zero: Seed of Evil is a disappointing expansion to a once-promising game.
A number of flaws such as a disappointing campaign, a rigid tech tree, and a couple of bugs hamper Age of Wonders: Planetfall. However, it more than makes up for these flaws with its refreshing charm, tactical battles, and customization choices for the avid 4X player.