David Poole's Reviews
In the end, Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy is a serviceable action game elevated by its story and writing. While the gameplay isn't wholly original, it mixes the ideas in a way that keeps things entertaining and engaging. Yes, there's a few bugs here and there, but even the most frustrating moments were outweighed by the sheer fun. With a rock solid soundtrack, great threads and fantastic vocal performances, this is one adventure you won't want to miss. If you're a fan of the MCU films, this is a fresh new take that you'll settle into easily. For the comic book fans, it's even better.
In the end, I really enjoy playing Back 4 Blood’s campaigns. They’re just different enough from the Left 4 Dead formula and it offers a pretty satisfying challenge. The Swarm and solo modes could be a bit more rewarding, so hopefully Turtle Rock Studios addresses these soon. Overall, if you’re looking for a new co-op experience with some friends, you’ll likely have a good time with Back 4 Blood.
While it’s tough to find a way to make a sequel to such an unusual title, NEO: The World Ends With You manages to do exactly that. Despite the significant changes to the gameplay, the foundation is still there. The style, the music, and even the overall bizarre elements of the game just makes it work. If the game had a more accessible control scheme and was less tedious, it would be much easier to recommend. If you’re a fan of the original, it’s definitely worth playing. For newcomers, it’s an acquired taste that will be much easier to gauge if you play the demo.
For some, a game like Life is Strange: True Colors will be just that: a game. For many others, it’ll hit different, tapping into our deepest emotions and perfectly displaying our feelings in a relatable portrayal. It will peer into our very soul and reveal our own true colors, making our choices that much more impactful. With beautiful visuals, wonderful performances and animation, and an out of this world soundtrack, this is one game that will sit with me for a long time. If any of that sounds interesting to you, then you’ll likely enjoy this game. If you happen to be a fan of Life is Strange in general, then you’ll love True Colors.
Overall, Maneater: Truth Quest is still a fun little addition to the game. It would’ve been nice for the game to offer a bigger shark, but when you add mouth lasers, you’re already pretty powerful. While the story lacks depth and fun references, it still maintains the simple charm thanks to Chris Parnell’s delivery. Just try to play it on higher end hardware for the best results. If you were a fan of Maneater and wanted a bit more on your platter, Truth Quest will likely appease your appetite.
In the end, even with all its faults, No More Heroes III is a true standout to me. I love the meta references, the dialogue, and even the crazy boss battles. The anime inspired cutscenes and effects pump the title with over-the-top energy and I’m here for it. If you’re a SUDA51 fan and you’ve followed the series, you need to pick this up.
In the end, my time with Twelve Minutes was time well spent. The puzzling narrative will have you constantly seeking answers while also raising even more questions. While the gameplay isn’t perfect, it works for this style of game with a visual design to match. The performances are a major highlight, and really push this game higher in the production department. I would honestly watch this if it were a movie. Overall, it’s a fantastic study of the human mind and how it adapts to patterns and acquiring information.
Pokémon UNITE may have its weaknesses, but it definitely offers an addicting experience. There’s definitely room to grow and evolve into something greater, and it seems like that may happen here. Combining the Pokémon franchise with the successful MOBA genre seems like a hit, and it’ll likely be here to stay a long while. Even now, I still continue to move up the ranks online, enjoying my time as I advance my player level. With future Unite licenses becoming available and likely more maps and content on the way, this will surely be a huge success.
Overall, the Mr. X Nightmare DLC is well worth the $8 price of admission. It makes a solid beat ’em up even greater, and seamlessly adds fantastic content to the game. While the story context is minimal, four additional characters and a fun new mode offer a ton of replay value. If the survival mode is too random for you, you can even take on weekly challenges to make it more predictable. With new enemies, items and moves, there’s plenty to love with the new update for Streets of Rage 4.
While Mario Golf: Super Rush doesn’t feel like a complete package yet, it has a solid foundation. What it lacks in content and features, it makes up for it with a stellar presentation and fun new modes. It would’ve been great to have some incentive to play more modes aside from unlocking star clubs, but maybe we’ll get changes in future updates. With a lot of additional free content on the way, there’s still a chance that Super Rush can become a great title. For now, it scratches the Mario Golf itch just enough, but still falls a bit short. Overall, the game is simply par for the course. Nothing less, nothing more.
Despite the numerous bugs I faced, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is still a fantastic adventure. The quality of the game is so high, that my many issues didn’t detriment my enjoyment of the experience. That’s definitely a testament of Insomniac’s abilities as a developer, and the overall work that went into crafting this experience. With more fluid and engaging combat, cool set pieces, and tons of great weapons, this may be my favorite Ratchet & Clank game. The visuals are breathtaking and the overall presentation is fantastic, making for a true test of the PlayStation 5 hardware.
Overall, I feel like Scarlet Nexus is a game that can easily be judged by its cover. In an industry where there are tons of generic anime action games, it’s hard to pick out the right ones. Hopefully people give this one a chance, because the fantastic combat and the visual style make it something truly special. While it does have some pacing problems and some unrealistic alliances, the incredibly unique story manages to entangle you in a web of intrigue.
Overall, Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade is a great upgrade to an already amazing experience. The main game is even better with sharp visuals, enhanced performance, and speedy load times. We even get an extra photo mode and a challenging new boss fight that digs deeper into the lore. As for Episode INTERmission, the star attraction, it adds a fun new story to enjoy. Yuffie is a joy to witness, adding a charming ray of sunshine to the setting of Midgar. She gives us a small glimpse of the story’s future, but it seems like it’ll be worth the wait. Hopefully, Square Enix can manage to meet the expectations of fans for the next part.
With Chivalry 2 coming in at a budget price tag, it’s a great multiplayer experience for anyone to enjoy. The combat is deep and full of variety, giving players a chance to live out their medieval fantasies however they wish. Utilizing cross-play and great animations, players will always have someone to have their epic duels with. While it might not be perfect in the performance department, nor for offline play, Chivalry 2 is still good fun.
When all is said and done, Guilty Gear -Strive- offers a bit of everything for fighting game fans. It’s not perfect by any means, but it’s full of style and that heavy metal spirit that will rock your socks off. Gameplay packs a mean punch while delivering rocking tunes to your ears. The visuals maintain the Ars System Works quality while also delivering fantastic new designs for the great cast of characters.
Overall, Knockout City is a blast to play. It offers a unique dodgeball game that’s easy to jump into and have a good time. It takes a little time to get the timing right, but once you get used to catching and master the different ball types, you can dominate the playing field.
Overall, Resident Evil Village is a fantastic entry in this beloved series. While the game leans in on the monster mash theme, it creates a big experience that delivers plenty of thrills. There’s tons of scares, action, insanity, and multiple surprises in store for fans.
Overall, Returnal is a tour de force of the roguelike genre. Housemarque has created an interesting world that engages your senses and entrances you. Jumping into Selene’s world and discovering more about her and the planet is intense, but fulfilling. With beautiful visuals, gratifying combat, and surprises at every turn, this is what a AAA roguelike experience should feel like.
Overall, it’s incredible to see how much of Persona is retained in Persona 5 Strikers. This truly is a sequel, even with the gameplay changes in effect. Sure, we can actually take our time now, but many of the core themes and ingredients of Persona 5 carry on to Strikers. While things can definitely get busy, it’s great to get another grand adventure with the Phantom Thieves.
Overall, Monster Hunter Rise is an incredibly impressive feat. It looks amazing, plays fantastically, and it’s chock full of everlasting charm and replayability. The quality of life improvements far outweigh the sacrifices, and the game is as addicting as it ever was. With a great selection of monsters to hunt, plenty of new features, and new buddies to love, this is quickly rising up to being a new fan favorite. Whether you’re a monster hunting pro or taking your first venture, Monster Hunter Rise is a fantastic game to play for hours on end.