Cosmin Vasile
All in all, Sparklite is a nicely built game, if you scale your expectations to an indie title and you do not expect the bells and whistles of AAA game. There are flaws though, especially when it comes to the story. The narrative part occasionally feels neglected, Sparklite relying mainly on the thrill of exploration. Also even though it is fun, the game is rather short and offers no replayability, thus having a hard time justifying its price.
The extremely stupid humor, top-notch combat and wide range of weaponry make Borderlands 3 one of the best shooters of all-time. Although it's an old formula, Borderlands 3 offers one of the best shlooter experiences you can get.
At one point, it forced me to look through the eyes of a little girl caught in the rubble after a Russian bombing in a town somewhere in the Middle East. Her dead mother right next to her and the screams of people topside is not something that I'll soon forget. Modern Warfare might be a game, but it's worth playing so that you can get out of your comfort zone, even for just a little while.
One thing that I would have liked to see in Blasphemous is a full-fledged fast traveling system, instead of the barebone one that we actually get. Still, Blasphemous is clearly a must-play title for those who love Souls-like mysteries and gameplay mechanics, just don't go in expecting a masterpiece.
Despite the lack of polish, John Wick Hex is truly a very fun, yet tough game to play. The solid combat mechanics and amazing soundtrack create an addictive loop that makes you forget about some of the more frustrating moments. If you're a fan of the John Wick franchise, this game is a no brainer.
Having the game take place in space opens up the future of the franchise to a wealth of sequels. If Obsidian plays its cards right, we might be witnessing the birth of a great franchise. There is no doubt The Outer Worlds is almost a masterpiece. Sure, it could use some work here and there, but it's a perfect delivery system for the hungry human imagination that longs for the stars.
It's a pity that all these great changes are overshadowing the core content of the Shadowkeep expansion, but I can't say I'm surprised. For newcomers to the universe, Destiny 2 will be quite overwhelming, while veterans of the series might not find enough reasons to buy the new Shadowkeep expansion unless they really want to check out the new raid and all the gear it drops. But I'm leaning towards "wait for sale."
Icewind Dale, Planescape Torment and Baldur’s Gate were never easy, but they are legendary. They are games that need to be experienced by anyone who calls himself a true fan of RPGs, but those people probably already own it on PC and can enjoy them using a mouse.
If you can get past all the negatives, Daemon X Machina is a very refined mecha game that truly catches the spirit of the genre but falls flat when it comes to narrative and characterization.
Even so, Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening perfectly evokes the original game's presentation on the Game Boy, while bringing the visuals up to date using ingenious toy-like character and diorama world designs. With a top-notch presentation and charming gameplay, Link's Awakening is the living proof that any good game, no matter how old it is, can be revived and brought to new audiences.
Luckily, many aspects of the game are well above average, such as the anime artwork and the story. If you can get past the somewhat clunky combat and boring world, Code Vein can be appealing more often than not.
If what they had in mind was a little better than mediocrity, than the game is a resounding success. I can only hope that the developers understand this type of incremental improvements are no longer enough, and that's it's time for a new kind of wheel.
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Breakpoint will get some extra content, but it's clear that the focus of the game is now the multiplayer part, with the single-player working only as an afterthought. I can only hope that Breakpoint is only a step towards a more polished experience.
Even though it lacks the presentation of a high-budget game, Stygian: Reign of the Old Ones is one enjoyable nightmare that I can't recommend enough to cRPG fans. Bristling with mythos creatures, beautifully-drawn environments, and great Lovecraftian inspiration, Stygian: Reign of the Old Ones is a fantastic RPG that no fan of the cosmic horror should skip.
The game looks better than ever but plays the same, so newcomers to the series should not skip one of the best JRPGs of all time, I would be "brokenhearted." On a serious note, Ni no Kuni remains the same charming game that I've played several years ago and I'm glad that Bandai Namco has decided to bring it to a larger audience.
WARSAW wants to be a mashup of World War II and Darkest Dungeon but doesn't bring anything new to the table. WARSAW is a blatant Darkest Dungeon copy with no innovation or unique gameplay mechanics whatsoever. Everything that it might go as original in WARSAW exists in Darkest Dungeon in a slightly different form. Add to that the design flaws, bugs, and balancing issues and you have a subpar experience that can't be balanced by the tense atmosphere and interesting setting.
GreedFall fails to achieve greatness, but it's the start of something great. With enough time and money, a sequel would be much better since all the downsides of the original are easy to address.
Despite its many shortcomings, the few interesting ideas that the game brings up, as well as the beautiful art direction and surprisingly good soundtrack, save Rebel Cops from mediocrity.
Fire Emblem: Three Houses offers an incredible experience from beginning to end, although the "end" is not really the END, as the story certainly deserves to be viewed from more than one perspective.
The game's unique world can't save it from mediocrity. However, despite its shortcomings, Tokyo RPG Factory fans who liked Lost Sphear will probably find some enjoyment, at least to some extent.