Tyler Treese
If you’re willing to put up with the difficulty, you will find some stuff to really like about McDROID. It has a fantastic art style, and the planet is always interesting to look at.
It's all one long microtransaction process of repeating the same steps that goes with the theme, but eerily so.
Despite never playing the PC version of Polarity, I couldn't quite shake the feeling that I had seen everything that the Ultimate Edition had to offer. While the puzzles are all well thought out, there isn't anything that'll be remotely challenging for gamers that have completed Antichamber or Portal. The lack of complexity is paired with a disappointingly short experience that brings absolutely nothing new to the table for first-person puzzle games. It's not bad, but it's certainly forgettable.
There are some really great ideas found within Touhou Double Focus, but they aren’t fully executed here. The gameplay needs to be tighter if it’s going to focus on difficulty, and it pales in comparison to other difficult platformers like Shantae. If you get this as part of the physical copy of Touhou Genso Wanderer then by all means check it out, but Double Focus leaves a lot to be desired by itself.
Pixel Gear has the base to be something truly great, but it ends before hitting any real type of stride. With only three levels, and a strangely designed main menu, it feels more like a proof-of-concept that never was fleshed out. Hopefully the first-person shooter will get updated with more content and features in the future, but right now it’s just a whole lot of missed potential.
Loading Human: Chapter 1 is a flawed start to what might become an interesting journey down the line. While the execution was sloppy, I’m invested in Prometheus and Alice (you never forget your first VR kiss, after all), and am looking forward to finding out what happens next. If the puzzle design gets better and the controls fine-tuned, then Loading Human might be able to turn into something worth the high asking price.
Killing Floor 2 just doesn’t have the variety needed to keep the attention of players. No matter what map is being played, things start to feel eerily similar after the first few hours. It desperately needs a cherry on top of the solid gunplay, and it just isn’t here. Pick it up if you’re desperate for cooperative offerings, but try to play it in short bursts as the monotony sets in rather quickly.
Moon Hunters is worth playing, just not on PlayStation 4. The lack of online play is a devastating blow to the overall package. Throw in the constant technical issues, and you have a bad port of what is a really interesting game. Check this out on PC if you can, as it’s more fully featured and runs better.
Overall, Extreme Exorcism doesn't have the pick up and play quality of other games in the genre and fails to captivate audiences.
After an extremely positive first hour that was tremendously terrifying, Neverending Nightmares wears thin. The gorgeous visuals aren't enough to save the game from its own tedious design, and ultimately I was bored by the time the game ended less than three hours later. There's a lot of interesting ideas, but very few are capitalized on in any captivating way.
If there is one core issue with Gundam: Extreme VS-Force it's that it feels like it should be on a console.
Dead Island Definitive Collection is the best way to get these two flawed experiences, ones that are enjoyable despite some poor design choices.
It is difficult to put up with The Rumble Fish 2‘s shortcomings in the presence of so many other great new fighting games and worthwhile bundles of classic ones.
There’s no denying that Gotham Knights is a sizable disappointment even if it settles into being a decent, yet forgettable, game.
Unless you’re already a diehard fan of Superbike, then SBK 22 is just a fine yet ultimately skippable racing game.
Once the Lego charm expires, you’re left with a console game that requires a lot more of a financial investment than free-to-play titles that have significantly more content. And as such, Lego Brawls is stuck in a strange space where it can’t quite reach its intended audience.
Kao the Kangaroo is a polished platformer that, to its credit and detriment, feels like a time capsule. It's so much of a throwback that its simplistic nature is both its greatest attribute while also holding it back from being a great playing game in the year of our Lord 2022.
The Lego Builder’s Journey PS5 port keeps the whimsical charm of the base game, even if it’s not the best-looking or playing version of it.
Nearly all praise comes with a caveat of some sort and it becomes clear that Omnia can't match up with the genre's best or even its own inspiration.
This foray into this vein of loot-based, cooperative multiplayer is far from PlatinumGames' best, although those that continue on with the campaign will get to experience some engaging boss encounters and more interesting level design that are kept from those who bail early on. Ultimately, Babylon's Fall is an enjoyable enough diversion if you have a friend willing to go with you on the journey, but that time can clearly be used better in other games that aren't bereft of players.