Jake Su's Reviews
For a genre that is now getting even more popular and perhaps even saturated, getting the basics right is the least we can expect if a game hopes to make an impression. However, with all these issues plaguing the game, plus visuals that hardly scream 2022, Dolmen is not living up to expectations at all. The game tries to include many of the hallmarks of the genre, but muddles it all up with poor systems and execution. For a fan that has grown used to the genre’s often challenging requirements, recommending Dolmen is something that will only happen in an alternate dimension.
The Complex is a failure of an FMV game, with meaningless choices and boring characters that would make you wish for your time back.
MX vs ATV Legends is anything but what its name suggests, unless the team was planning on creating a game so bad that it becomes a flagbearer for mediocrity. While a AAA experience was never in the cards, this arcade racer flatters to deceive in even the most basic of areas, and instead of raising a checkered flag, it should never have made the starting line in the first place.
Despite what is a promising combat formula as well as the supporting systems behind it when it comes to skills, crafting, and upgrades, there are also several equally frustrating aspects of it that hold the game back.
Despite efforts to include a vast collection of Dragon Ball characters and references in The Breakers, going as far as to provide a somewhat logical explanation of why it is possible for dead villains and normal civilians being able to transform into your favorite heroes, the game is ultimately let down by its poor mechanics and systems. Instead of giving players a chance to sink their teeth into a new way to enjoy the storied franchise, Dragon Ball: The Breakers will only be consigned to the place of a bad memory, much like a poor filler episode of an anime.
Rather than delivering an undercooked campaign mode and real-time combat, allowing players to experience life as the Norse fully would have gone a long way; alas, it was not to be, and it might be best to leave this game out in the cold if real-time strategy is what you are seeking.
At the end of the day, The House of the Dead: Remake is a modern version of the arcade classic that is serviceable enough for fans looking to play at home. It brings added replayability with its difficulty, the scoring systems, and the new Horde mode, but is held back by poor performance, frustrating controls, and a lack of new content. Unless you are a big fan, The House of the Dead: Remake is not the best way to experience this classic for the first time, and it would have probably been better off dead than revived in this form.
The barebones nature of SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake is ultimately disappointing, especially when there is so much potential with the license. While it delivers the charm and characters from the beloved television series, the lack of creativity makes it a barely enjoyable video game experience. Even for the most ardent of fans, this is one game that should remain in a pineapple under the sea.
A less-than-ideal cohesive story and poor systems design make Vampire: The Masquerade – Swansong a game that perhaps should not have seen the light of day.
A game of checklists that promise little excitement, Crackdown 3 is more of the same, but just not good enough.
Soccer Story is by no means a perfect game, especially where there are bugs and glitches that require a hard reset and cause a loss of progression, but it does manage to deliver an entertaining time on occasion, even if it doesn’t necessarily have to do with the ball on the pitch. It might not be a great recommendation for those that are looking for more soccer action, but as a narrative-driven roleplaying title that just so happens to involve soccer, Soccer Story remains something worth checking out if you temper your expectations.
Ultimately, Redfall could have been a great way for Arkane to branch out in its development philosophies and strategies, but the final product leaves too much to be desired. Instead of turning players into willing thralls of exciting combat and teamwork, dropped into an engaging world full of treasures, what we have got is the opposite. Everything fans love about the studio’s work is sorely missing in this nightmare, and that is but a stake through the heart of a risk not worth taking.
A classic brought back from the dead with too much baggage from the past, there is little room for MediEvil’s dated design.
8-Bit Armies might not be the saviour of the RTS genre, but it is a neat and simpler alternative for the consoles.
It is hard to say that Scars Above is a bad game, but rather, it feels like something that was not made for the modern gaming audience. There is some merit to how it approaches some of its systems, but they never ever go far enough to make a significant difference as a whole. Interesting ideas are only half the battle, and with its mixed visuals and wonky controls, it turns a potentially complex alien journey into a road of forgettable crashes.
Great on paper, bad on execution, Throw Anything misses the mark with this particular PS VR iteration.
Paying homage in a way that detracts from the experience, Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World is an unfortunate missed opportunity to introduce a classic to modern gamers.
Bogged down by unnecessary hurdles and overly complicated storytelling, This Is The Police 2 does not do its premise justice.
Between the obvious love for the franchise and the commitment to bringing every bit of that to life through the visuals, the colours used, to everything hammy that is prime Starship Troopers, the game does seem like a miss for a real-time strategy title. It has a good foundation to build on, but the various design choices leave us scratching our heads. Starship Troopers: Terran Command may well be made for the diehard fan, but even so, it might just be a bridge too far to recommend.
Like a nightmare of old, the bad movie tie-in game makes a reappearance with The LEGO Movie 2 Videogame, and it is a shame that everything is not awesome.