David Poole's Reviews
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.
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.
As mentioned before, the Blizzard Arcade Collection is a great way to look at the company history. With three unique games, each with three different versions, behind-the-scenes artwork, videos and more, there’s plenty to enjoy here.
Overall, Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury is still a great game. While it does have some flaws, this two-for-one package is still very worthwhile. It’s unfortunate that the online multiplayer limits progress to the host player, but it’s still fun for quick sessions. Even if the length of Bowser’s Fury is somewhat underwhelming, it’s a fun experience that makes for a cool experiment.
It’s a lot to take in, but Atelier Ryza 2 manages to succeed more than it falters. Even with the fan service, it’s hard to hate this game. With a heartwarming story and an emotionally powerful ending, this is an enjoyable RPG experience from start to finish.
If you’re a fan of the graphic novels or the film, you’ll likely have something to love about the game. Come for the fantastic pixel art style, stay for the Anamanaguchi music. This is still the classic we deserve after half a decade.
To my surprise, I really liked Airborne Kingdom. I wasn’t expecting to beat the game in one sitting, but it was an enjoyable experience from start to finish.
While I didn’t have as great a time with Sackboy: A Big Adventure as I did Astro’s Playroom, this was still a fun time. It’s definitely a much longer platformer, and it offers a lot more challenge as well. It doesn’t take as much advantage of the DualSense controller on PlayStation 5, but this is likely due to the game being available on PlayStation 4 as well. Either way, Sackboy is still a strong platformer for friends and families to play together this holiday season. The levels are diverse, the music is catchy, and the charm is excellent.
Overall, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is an excellent successor to the original Hyrule Warriors. When it comes to being a Breath of the Wild prequel, it captures the spirit and essence, but it also somewhat tarnishes the story that game told. Despite that, the gameplay is fun and inventive enough to see this new story through, and it should still be enjoyable for fans. If it means this will fill the void till we get the proper sequel, then so be it.
If you’re a die-hard fan of the Yakuza series, then there’s plenty to love here. Even if you’re not, this is a great place to become one, especially given the standalone nature of this title. With that in mind, joining Ichiban’s heroic journey is an easy choice here.
It lets players give in to their destructive tendencies, piling on dry humor in the most absurdly entertaining ways. Maneater is a rare breed indeed, and it’s well worth spending time with.
Sega found a great way to bring Sakura Wars back into the world, and it deserves to stay. If you like anime, this one deserves to be on your radar.
Even though it’s definitely a different experience from RE2, Resident Evil 3 feels like a healthy mix of old and new. While it shifts focus from horror to action, it still delivers a short but sweet experience.
While it may not be a long experience, with a story lasting roughly a half an hour, Space Channel 5 VR: Kinda Funky News Flash! is still a groovin’ good time. The music and dancing is addictive fun, and it really challenges players to keep track of the rhythm. As far as VR games go, it’s one of the better games I’ve played, working well in both concept and function.
With 40 different characters to explore, and a lot of variety with the V-System, fans can fight the way they want. Street Fighter V: Champion Edition is truly the definitive Street Fighter V experience. After four years, the game is finally at the level that fans have come to expect from this series.
While it’s not perfect, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is an incredibly enjoyable experience. Not just a retelling of the story, but ultimately the definitive way to play the Dragon Ball Z saga.
Respawn has done something for fans of the series, making what is practically a love letter to the franchise. Because of this, thankfully, we can happily say the single-player Star Wars game is back in full force.
Overall, it should be known that Life is Strange 2 is an achievement in narrative storytelling in video games. It’s an eye-opening story of two brothers that have everything thrown at them, yet they continue to persevere.
Whether you’ve been a fan from the beginning or you’re starting out now, The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III is a fine JRPG. It may have an overwhelmingly rich history, but there’s plenty of elements in place to help newcomers.
While it has a few flaws, mostly in the performance department, don’t be fooled. The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening is still a dream come true.