Despite its flaws, I enjoyed my time with Iron Harvest. Mostly with the campaign, but the more flexible gameplay style allowed with weapon switching made Skirmish/Multiplayer promising. Sadly, the game’s lack of content and poor faction variety hurts its longevity.
I hate games like this. The actual concept is great, but playing it just sucks all the fun out. There’s so much potential here, so many things to do, and the presence of both PvE and PvP means that low player count isn’t an issue. But those wait times that also highlight the terrible AI just invalidate all of it.
After Final Fantasy VII REMAKE went from a game I had no interest in to one of my favorite games in years, I didn’t think anything else could surprise me this year. But 2020 is proving itself to be one long surprise, and this is definitely one of it’s better ones. Nothing what I expected, it delivers in every way it needed too.
It was just so refreshing to play a 4X game that wasn’t obsessed with making everything as needlessly complex as possible, while taking as much of your time as it could to do it. If only more games in the genre took the hint…
All in all, this is the game I wanted so badly for Wasteland 2 to be. It doesn’t just repeat what came before, but expands upon it all. Not just mechanically, but story wise as well.
Somehow, Fairy Tail ended up being one of the most enjoyable JRPG’s I’ve played in a while. The characters, the stories, the variety and freedom in play, it all comes together for a very enjoyable experience.
As it stands, Warhammer 40000 Mechanicus is the best Warhammer game on consoles (sorry Vermintide II). It comes with a great narrative penned by a good Black Library author, with strong gameplay to accomany it. The issues that plagued the original release such as lack of difficulty, replayability, and build variety have been all but fixed due to dedicated post-launch support from Bulwark Games.
Trackmania is one of those games that’s just fun with a capital F. It doesn’t redefine the genre or bring anything new to the table, but is a highly polished example of it. Other than a janky menu UI, there’s nothing it does overtly wrong. Some may be turned off by the subscription model, but with no microtransactions and Ubisoft’s typical support coming over the next few months, I feel it’s still more than worth it.
Strategy games are among my favorite genres, and a portable RTS done well is the dream. Ancestors Legacy even comes close, and proves that it is possible for a console RTS to be playable. What holds it back are core gameplay decisions.
All in all, this feels like a game made for a very specific type of player, which is a rare thing these days. Either it clicks, or it doesn’t. As for me, it ended up being one of the most unique and enjoyable games I’ve played in a long while.
We can finally get over the PTSD flashbacks that the words “Portable Borderlands 2” caused because of that terrible Vita port.
You’ll have plenty to do while waiting for this fall’s release of The Dark Heart of Skyrim’s finale. If Greymoor is anything to go off of, it’ll be worth the wait.
It’s undeniable that later games were better in almost every way that matters. For anyone who’s already played the hell out of them though, Borderlands: Remastered is there. It might take a while to get its hook in you, but if you give it a chance there’s some fun to be had here.
Overall though, what kept me coming back to Dungeon of the Endless was the way every run felt like a different puzzle to be solved. Though each level started to look the same, the wide variety of room types and layouts available meant that it never felt the same. If you’re a rogue-like fan desperate for something new, this is exactly the game you’ve been waiting for.
Book of Demons is a clever twist on what’s admittedly a very safe genre. While everything looks to work the same as you’d expect, the card and movement systems really do change things up. Not to mention the Flexiscope system, which gives you the ultimate flexibility in playing how you want as well.
Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy is a real mixed bag of a game. The combat and character customization is superb, but the campaign doesn’t feel worth it. Amazing multiplayer with lots of depth, but not enough people are playing to make it worth it either.
Zombie Army Trilogy is unassuming yet fun, especially on the Switch. The pick up and play nature of the game makes it a perfect fit for a handheld. Also the lack of games of this genre on Switch makes it a standout, versus the over-saturation of L4D clones everywhere else. It could be more, without a doubt, as evidenced by the additions made for Zombie Army Trilogy 4: Dead War, but for what it is, it’s more than enough.
I can’t help but feel this would make a perfect fit on the Switch. The time wasted would be far more palatable on a handheld versus your television. At least with the Switch, you can watch some TV while you’re auto-skipping your 20th turn in a row.
I always enjoy seeing a true classic get a new lease on life, especially when they look as nice as this one. Some parts have aged better than others, but I think it’s a true testament to Interplay’s genius just how playable Wasteland remains overall. It can take a few minutes to get used to and it’s not an easy game, but it’s worth the investment.