Just like the Marvel Cinematic Universe iteration of the franchise, no one expected anything from this game, from this group of miscast nobodies. This isn’t the Avengers, they aren’t perfect, but that is kinda their thing. All this time, I wanted more Guardians of the Galaxy in me. Who would have thought? Sometimes, I guess it is the B-Sides that make or break an album.
It isn’t that SkateBIRD is bad, there is just nothing there to make any part of it more than ok. It feels as if Glass Bottom Games spent all their energy high fiving each other over the idea of putting tiny birds on tiny boards and making real world environments into skate parks. There just wasn’t anything left in their tank to make the rest of the game as interesting.
The end result of Foreclosed is, as I said, “ish”. It is a mixed bag, a good little game that stumbles to some fantastic moments. It’s an interesting game with some overall design issues. You breathe in a visually stunning world, both in design and in execution, but struggle to care about the who and why with a story that doesn’t pick up much after the opening act. Foreclosed is a game that absolutely has moments you will enjoy, but it will be deleted from your data banks not long after.
Where the Heart Leads doesn’t want you to play and after a while, I just stopped fighting it.
Insomniac did something great in reminding us that the best of games can still just be fun. That doesn’t mean to toss away narrative or to do without seriousness, but that a game doesn’t need to rely on them. PlayStation has been knocking them out of the park this gen, yet somehow Ratchet & Clank finds itself standing a Rift Apart of the competition.
Mundaun is one last story from Grandpa. You’ve just got to deal with some snoring now and again to get through it.
Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood comes across like an accidental homage to a time best left to nostalgia. Games back in the PS3 era were excelling despite obvious limitations. This game exists in a time when those limitations are all but removed, yet still feels like it comes up short because while it plays like them, it just wasn’t intentional.
Olija never sets out to be more than it is. It plays it safe, delivering an action platformer with a traversal mechanic and never straying too far from what works. But Olija has an undeniable depth of charm and character that some higher budget productions just can’t grasp. Olija is a tale that deserves to be heard at least once.
If you are a fan of Warhammer’s fantasy universe, then there is a lot to enjoy. If you just need more isometric loot slashers in your life, then you can’t go wrong. But even with that, I just kept thinking, “I could be playing Diablo right now.”
There is no reason not to visit this delightful world. Whether you focus on catching every single bugsnax available or mixing it with the mystery, wit, boss fights, charm and an overall system that appeals to adults while accessible to kids, it is a treat. Bugsnax is an excellent entry point to story driven narrative adventures.
I can’t say that I disliked A Tale of Paper. In fact, I can very much say that I enjoyed my short experience. I just didn’t get it. I didn’t get the why, I didn’t get the where, I didn’t get the who. It is a solid game that, on paper, just isn’t as memorable as those that have come before it.
As much as the team at GameMill Entertainment hit, they also missed. Overall, G.I. JOE Operation Blackout feels like a Fortnite game without any of the hook. Even with the love behind the game, there is no mistaking that this is a licensed product and plays like a licensed product. But at $40, it isn’t entirely not worth it. It just isn’t entirely worth it either.
Marvel’s Avengers does so much right when just being a game, but ultimately fails when trying to be the game Crystal Dynamics wants, which is an obvious Destiny clone.
Neversong is an indie in every sense of the word, and in the best sense of the word. It has the serious charm of games that have come before it, yet finds a way to not only stand on its own, but to stand side by side with the Braids, the Limbos, and the Celestes of the world.
Even if you weren’t a 90’s kid, what Arvore has managed to create will still delight any gaming fan in general.
Not the prettiest game on the market: Check. Absolutely needs Quality of Life improvements: Check. Comes complete with a plethora of wonky glitches: Check. However, it finds that sweet spot where the hook just plain works. The reward of leveling and loot, the stress of scanning the treetops when you hear that Preda-purr, and the satisfaction of systematically wiping out an entire fireteam; it all just works.
Moving Out is a whimsical and absurdly hysterical game at times. Although it fails to deliver when you’re playing by yourself, it otherwise shines by focusing on the fun while finding smart detours around the frustration. Fans of same-screen co-op should definitely be moving on to Moving Out.
Covert is a great little heist adventure if you are a fan of couch co-op titles and have family or friends nearby. The often hilarious back and forth interactions are casual enough to include mostly anyone while never devolving the fun into frustrated arguing or finger pointing.
Paper Beast is a tranquil meditative walking sim that requires problem solving to move forward. You don’t learn about the world by scanning objects, but more live in the world by interacting with its paper inhabitants. It overcomes some awkward mechanics to slowly take you from curiosity and wonder to truly sensing and even caring for the life of the world.
Bloodroots really is an amazing little title that frantically bounces you between frustration and accomplishment in the most entertaining way possible. Its one-shot-kill keeps the action going nonstop, even when you’re the one being taken out, again, and again, and again.