I still have no idea why or how these games exist, but I’m glad they do. I’m a sucker for a fun tough 2D platformer that’s not a bullet-hell or a “move one pixel too far and you’ve lost everything” kind of game. It’s the perfect blend of hack ‘n slash and platforming for me, with plenty of variety in enemies and environments to keep things interesting.
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.
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.
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.
For fans of the franchise, it’s a purchase. Either at launch or the minute it gets to a “too good to pass up” sale. Especially when it’s such a popular series, and in this case a very popular arc that’s been adapted. For people who aren’t already in the know, nothing about the game is designed to bring people in. Little marketing, gameplay trailers unashamedly show off all the flaws, and the Japanese only voice acting is a huge deal-breaker for many in the west. For me personally though, I fall into the former category.
If you ever wondered what a western JRPG would look and feel like, King’s Bounty II is kinda it.
While I understand those less than impressed, I still really enjoy Torchlight III. I feel if the game had stuck with its original title, reception would have been totally different. As it stands, it feels like this weird hybrid game, with elements of both Frontiers and a proper Torchlight III haphazardly mashed together.
Until You Fall is a great example of a well done VR game. Strong idea that uses the strengths of VR to their fullest, realized systems with depth and variety, and a satisfying gameplay loop that brings it all together. Even with some drawbacks, it’s still now one of my favorites to play. A quick 30 minute session is so satisfying, both in-game and physically. Because, damn, if this game doesn’t wear your arms out after serious play.
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…
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.
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.
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.
Controls were tight, and the minute-to-minute gameplay just feels great and smooth. I could live without the loot system, but even then the worst crime it commits is being bland. It’s a good game, a very solid space sim. My issues stem from its failure to stand out.
The cover system is absolutely fantastic and just works as described. The level of destruction and interactability with the environment is something every RTS should have. It launched with two full campaigns as well, even if I much prefer the mission based one to the Total War knockoff. The biggest issue I have with the game is how unbalanced and limited the Multiplayer feels in its current state. There’s also a total lack of Multiplayer progression, which feels like a weird omission for an RTS title. Still, there’s nothing broken here that can’t be fixed, and while I’m really getting tired of playing unfinished games, at least the foundation here is incredibly solid and fun.
Marvel’s Midnight Suns was a game I wanted to love more than I did. And don’t get me wrong, I did really enjoy it. I can’t express my love for the combat enough, it’s fast, furious, and fantastically flashy. The deck-building aspect is great too, with loads of options and variety. It’s what you’re doing when you’re not in combat that’s the problem.
This isn’t just some Space Marine cashgrab designed to milk money from desperate 40k fans. It’s a legitimately well-crafted game that should do a lot to improve the general opinion of Warhammer games. Sadly though, it suffers from technical issues that bring down the experience. Still though, in my opinion, the base game experience is still more than worth it.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Hinokami Chronicles is that rare anime game that has something for everyone. Established fans of the franchise get to play through a fantastic adaptation of the anime. Newcomers get a fantastic introduction to the anime franchise that took the world by storm. And people who don’t care about that at all and just want a fun flashy arena fighter to play around with get that in spades.
Expeditions: Rome is a great game that does exactly what it sets out to do. It’s a CRPG set during Ancient Rome focusing on authenticity and balancing RPG mechanics with hardcore strategy mechanics. A balance it strikes well, with a well written story and a polished Roman Legion customization and battle system.
I like Left 4 Dead clones, and I love VR. It was made by a developer with previous experience in both, so I figured it had a good chance of being quite fun. Even then though, the game still impressed on every level. Game design, both in gameplay and graphics, did exactly what they set out to do. Is it particularly innovative or forward thinking? Not really, but at the same time that’s not what I signed up for. If you want a fun atmospheric VR Left 4 Dead clone with solid gameplay and a decent spread of content and replayability? Then After the Fall is your game.
Enemies and locations do eventually get kind of repetitive, but the combat is what you come for and it’s what makes you stay. VR needs more games like this, ones you play because you just wanna have some harmless thoughtless fun.