Holly Hudspeth
I rarely ever have any criticism for the JWE2 franchise, and this is no exception. While the Feathered Species Pack is small, it brings with it four wonderful new species, two of which will steal your heart away with their tiny yet fierce personalities. The other two larger species are crowd pleasers that are so unique and beautiful you just have to make room in your park for them. All four of the new species will be permanent residents in my parks going forward. The free Update 6 brings quality of life updates, as well as two new REALLY cool Remote Viewing Galleries you can place within your enclosures. I especially liked the Log Viewing Gallery! If you enjoy this game as much as I do, picking up the Feathered Species DLC is a must!
It's obvious that Pharaoh: A New Era was a labor of love by Triskell Interactive and Dotemu. I am sure there wasn't a massive demand for this title, but there are some die hard fans out there (like me) who enjoyed and appreciated this game beyond comprehension. It keeps the heart and soul of the original Pharaoh, while making just enough tweaks to improve upon a timeless classic. The nostalgia factor is high on this one, and if you liked any of the late 90s to early 2000 city-building titles, then picking up Pharaoh: A New Era is a must. My only request: please consider remastering Zeus & Poseidon!
The Simtimates Collection and the Bathroom Clutter Kit both add a decent amount of options to the game in categories that were previously lacking. The collaboration with MeUndies brings cute and vibrant prints into your undergarment wardrobe. The Bathroom Clutter Kit lets you customize your bathroom spaces to make it feel more like a home. At only $4.99 each, these two new additions are absolutely worth picking up.
I have been a big fan of the JWE game franchise from the start, and the Dominion Malta expansion adds some great new decorations and species for you to play with in your parks. The Oviraptor and Lystrosaurus are precious, and honestly make the pack worthwhile just on that alone. A fun new Campaign that aligns perfectly with the Jurassic Park Dominion movie will keep you busy, and Update 5 brings in new Challenge Levels if the Campaign isn't your thing. If you're a fan of the movies and like park builders, you can't go wrong with the JWE games, and Dominion Malta fits in perfectly.
Land of the Vikings is a fresh new addition to the city building genre that breaks the mold with a gridless building feature. You can place your buildings, farms, and roads in any way you see fit, which allows for fantastic customization. It balances day to day managing of your Vikings out perfectly, making once tedious tasks in the genre a breeze. With excellent graphics and superior attention to detail, Land of the Vikings should not be missed if you are a fan of city builders. I cannot wait to see how this game progresses, and am thoroughly impressed so far.
Sea Monsters DLC for Parkasaurus is an absolute pleasure to play. With new aquatic and semiaquatic creatures, new biomes and enclosures, and three new story missions you will have plenty of things to do in your park. For just $6.99 this DLC comes packed to the brim with content, and most importantly you get new hats. Parkasaurus continues to be my favorite dino park builder on the market, and the Sea Monsters DLC brought in some of my favorite species such as the Megalodon and Mosasaurus.
The Sims 4 Werewolf Game Pack introduces some exciting new things to the game, such as the ability to draw on your Sims fur and stamp on designs which gives you endless possibilities for customization. The new lunar cycle which directly affects your werewolf, and the werewolf packs along with the hierarchy are all fun. I enjoyed the way your Sims looks the closer they get to transforming. However, some of the social difficulties from being a werewolf, and the fury and destruction of items in your own home made things more difficult. I can't see myself making my everyday Sim a werewolf, but this pack is definitely fun to play through at least once or twice!
I hope that the future of Purrasic Jark is bright, and not filled with escapees mauling my guests like those "other" dinosaur theme parks. My experience with Dinosaur Island has been very relaxing, at times downright funny, and not too overwhelming. A lot of sim games, and especially some sim games in the same genre, like to over complicate things. Let's Build a Zoo: Dinosaur Island is just the right combination of giving you enough to manage without making things hectic. I had an absolutely wonderful time over the long weekend enjoying every aspect of this charming title, and I look forward to playing some more.
If you already love the Jurassic World Evolution 2 game, you can't go wrong picking up the DLC packs. They let me play with some of my personal favorites, and with loving the Camp Cretaceous TV show as much as I do, it was very exciting to see them walking in my very own park. The lagoon creatures are always impressive to watch, and I still have to add in an aviary to check out the new Dsungaripterus species. I've loved both installments of the Jurassic World Evolution franchise, and the Camp Cretaceous and Early Cretaceous DLC are just icing on the cake. This game can be dangerous for me to play because I get so involved that I lose track of time.
The Sims 4 Carnaval Streetwear Kit is just fun, plain and simple. It might not be for everyone, but I really enjoyed the pieces. There are so many items you can use to change up the look of your Sims; nails, accessories, clothing, makeup, even some cool shades. Now for my suggestion to the Sims team, give us an actual Carnaval destination! Let us dress up and travel to Brazil and have a blast.
The Sims 4 Modern Menswear Kit fails on multiple levels. The pieces are targeted at male Sims to give them a trendy and updated look, but they fall short of that. Frumpy sweaters, pleated mini skirts, and silly looking pants bring nothing to the table. Out of the 23 total pieces in the Kit, I really only sort of liked 3 of them. Save your money, and pass on this Kit.
The Sims 4 Blooming Rooms Kit adds in a lot of plant-type decorations to your home, not only in the form of potted plants, but also planted lights, shelving, a vine curtain, and tables. It gives the player more choices for cozy and homey decorations, but I feel some of them only fit specific aesthetics. While The Sims 4 has definitely had better Kits release this year, at only $4.99 it's worth picking up so you have options
Whether you're a seasoned Jurassic World Evolution player or brand new to the franchise, I can guarantee you that you will have a blast with Jurassic World Evolution 2. While I think a couple of things could be tweaked to make certain things more obvious, it doesn't stop you from having an absolutely wonderful time playing the game. The addition of the flying and aquatic dinosaurs has been excellent, and I really hope for more content and DLC to go along with it!
The Sims 4 has released a lot of quality content this year, and the Fashion Street and Incheon Arrivals Kits don't disappoint. Both add wonderful pieces of clothing to your Sims wardrobes, with new and unique options we were desperately missing. The kits are reasonably priced at just $4.99 each, and definitely spice things up for your Sims!
I've been playing Cottage Living for an hour or two each day for a week now, and still feel like I have a lot left to discover. There are plenty of quests, and I really like the laid back simple living feeling to the expansion. Caring for and dressing up my farm animals is an absolute delight. Cottage Living is a total home run in my opinion, if you're a fan of the game this is a must-have for your collection.
I am a huge fan of the entire Elder Scrolls franchise, and have played ESO since beta. My absolute favorite Chapter was Elsweyr and that will forever be a hard one to top, but Blackwood was quite enjoyable. The addition of Companions is fun for both new and veteran players, but I am kind of left feeling like this could have been a DLC rather than a full-blown Chapter. I had a good time questing through the area and completing the main story, and the throwbacks to Oblivion with the story and portals were very cool. I definitely hope to see more Companions added to the game, even if it's through the Crown Store. My only request is to add on to the already amazing story that is being told!
Chivalry 2 was a pleasant surprise, and something totally different in the PvP realm for me. There are a few bugs that need to be fixed, but the maps are gorgeous and the gameplay is engaging and fun. The humor and endless ways you can die are very appreciated.
The Sims 4 Dream Home Decorator Game Pack was just what I needed, as I really wanted to start designing some of my own homes and rooms. I very much enjoyed the hands-on experiences with each of the clients' unique homes. My only complaint is that some of the likes and dislikes are not obvious, especially when it comes to particular styles, and that the clients don't tell you what you did wrong at the end of the renovation. The reveal at the end is super fun, and reminds me of being on a fixer upper TV show.
The team did an outstanding job with the Courtyard Oasis Kit, and for such a low price I think it's a no-brainer. Any Sims 4 building enthusiast needs this in their arsenal! The nods at Moroccan architecture are well done, and I'd love to see more cultural Kits like this in the future! The good news is, I really enjoyed trying to build this outdoor oasis, and want to take a deeper dive on my own builds.
The Sims 4 Paranormal Stuff Pack has a lot of potential but needs some tweaking with the emotion buffs. A little more guidance on how to get things set up to be Haunted would make it easier for the player to jump in. The Medium skill is a lot of fun, and the new Paranormal Investigator career, while frustrating at times, is definitely something new and fun to try out if your Sims have been in a rut. At $9.99 it's worth the purchase, and a welcome addition to the game.