Leonardo Faria's Reviews
I liked Frogun. Sure, its nostalgic aesthetic was a cheap shot for someone like me, but the game isn’t without its qualities. This is an adorable platformer that set out to look, feel and play like a classic 3D platformer from the Nintendo 64 era, and it succeeded with honors. I hope the game receives a patch or two to fix some of its janky physics and jumping mechanics, but you can still have a great time with it right now.
I love Two Point Campus. It took everything that worked so well in Two Point Hospital, and elevated it to a whole new level thanks to its creative premise, intuitive controls, and Community-esque feel. Even though it has a few issues here and there, and it’s still best enjoyed on a PC, I have to say I am impressed with how much better this game is in comparison to Two Point Studios’ previous outing.
In most cases, a game being “more of the same”, not being THAT different from its predecessor, would be considered a disappointment. In the case of Moss: Book II, however, being more of what made that 2018 game so special isn’t bad at all, since that title left us wanting more upon beating it. I liked it more than its predecessor not only because of the slightly better design, but also due to the improved controls, courtesy of the Quest’s hardware.
This is easily one of the most pleasant VR surprises of the year. Considering its minuscule price tag, I thought Shock Troops was going to be one of those really short, “one and done” VR experiences that come out every other week on the Quest or PSVR. How wrong I was! Thanks to some pretty solid controls, an excellent premise, and a surprisingly lengthy campaign, this is one of the best VR shooters you can find on the Quest 2 right now.
Krut: The Mythic Wings is not a downright awful game. Out of so many games released in 2022, it’s nowhere near as infuriating as crap like Postal 4 and Destroy All Humans! – Clone Carnage. It has some interesting ideas and I like its premise, but this is a textbook example of a game completely devoid of redeeming factors when it comes to its execution. Average-at-best visuals, a weak framerate, no interesting sound capabilities to speak of, and a really poor combat system all result in a very harmless yet underwhelming experience.
This is the kind of game I wish was more common. I got hooked on Lord Winklebottom Investigates for its utterly nonsensical premise, impressive plot, and barrage of chuckle-worthy jokes and puns, the kind of British humor not often seen in today’s gaming scene. Even though it’s your typical “one and done” kind of adventure game, and its gameplay could have received a handful of improvements, I had a great time with it. I got way more involved in a game featuring a giraffe wearing a god damn monocle than I could have ever imagined.
The final question: does Elden Ring hold up after nearly half a year? Yes. Is it still the best game of 2022, after the barrage of titles we’ve seen from March to July? Absolutely. That initial buzz may have died out a bit, but I’d have to be insane not to call it one of the most impressive games I’ve played in years, and most importantly, FromSoftware’s greatest title of all time. It’s as special now as it was back when it dropped onto the world like a nuke.
The Origin: Blind Maid is further proof that having great ideas for a game is just 50% of what makes it a banger. If you can’t deliver on your vision, all you’ll have to offer is a disappoint game that will reek of “what could have been”. The ideas are there, the ambition is laudable, but the execution left much to be desired.
It’s hard to talk a lot about Redout 2. It’s much better than its 2017 predecessor in almost every single aspect, but it’s just serviceable. Decent at best. It’s a good antigrav racing game, but I can’t point out a single thing about it that makes it stand out against other titles like Fast RMX, Pacer, or even the Wipeout remasters for PS4.
Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series is a collection of good, but not outstanding platformer remasters. They are charming as all hell and quite relaxing to play, but they feel dated in terms of its mechanics. Tying the reach of your attacks to the difficulty level of choosing was a totally unnecessary call, and its hit detection could have received some extra tinkering in order to feel less clunky.
Glitchy and low-budgeted as it might be, DC League of Super-Pets: The Adventures of Krypto and Ace has a great foundation for one of the best Star Fox clones released in years. It nails everything it needed in order to offer a younger demographic an entry-level version of a rail shooter, with a great gameplay loop, some educational value, and a fair, but ever-increasing difficulty curve that’s perfectly suited for them.
Even if it’s unfair and beyond cheap at times (it’s a Contra clone, after all), I loved Spidersaurs. It’s not just because of its utterly bonkers premise; its gameplay is tight, its level and enemy designs are superb, and it’s really replayable. One of the best Contra-inspired games I’ve ever played, and one of my favorite WayForward games of all time. It’s just a shame this game had to remain an Apple Arcade exclusive for so many years. I’m just glad it will finally be embraced in a way that does its gameplay justice.
There aren’t many glaring issues. It’s not very ambitious, but it succeeds in what it set out to do. The only big problem I have with it is that, despite featuring a sizeable amount of content, and even being fun on your own, it’s a bit pricey. Were this about ten bucks cheaper, I’d call it a must-have on your console’s party game catalog. I fully recommend Rabbids: Party of Legends, as it ended up being a lot more entertaining than I could have ever imagined, but just wait for a slight price drop.
It might not exactly be a pretty game when it comes to its presentation, nor does it feature the most robust of rosters, but Matchpoint Tennis Championships nails the essentials. With regards to its gameplay, I haven’t played a tennis game like this since the golden days of Top Spin for the original Xbox. As a tennis enthusiast, I was salivating for a game like this for many years. It lets me play and come up with strategies on the fly, just like I’d do in real life. Whether you decide to tackle a career or just play a quick arcade match, Matchpoint Tennis Championships delivers. It’s one grand slam of a game.
Zero Tolerance Collection is a really weird retro compilation. Technically speaking, you are getting a bunch of really dated, janky, poorly performing first-person shooters that haven’t managed to stand the test of time. On the other hand, they are a fascinating achievement for their time, being better first-person shooters than even the titles available for the Super Nintendo. The sole fact they exist, and run as well as they do on such dated hardware, makes this collection worth checking out if you’re a retro enthusiast.
Finding issues in these games is the real challenge. I just can’t. I’m not even angry, I’m being so sincere right now: Portal: Companion Collection is the real deal. It’s easily one of the best “retro” compilations on the Switch. You get two of the best games of all time running flawlessly on both docked and portable modes, with a fantastic framerate, motion controls, developer commentary, additional maps, online multiplayer, and more. Do yourself a favor and grab this cheap as hell collection if you’re a Switch owner. Even if you’ve played Portal a bagillion times before, it’s still worth another playthrough. Or ten.
MX vs ATV Legends is not a bad game, but considering the benefits granted by improved hardware, and the ever-increasing scope of the racing genre, I expected a bit more from it other than just “the same, but slightly prettier”. For everything it does right, such as its great environments and lighting effects, as well as great controls, it bogs the experience down with terrible animations, a plethora of glitches, and an open world that is way less exciting than the one seen in its predecessor.
If you’re a fan of retro shooters, there’s a lot to like in here. If you’re a fan of the 16-bit era of gaming, you’ll love these slightly revamped graphics. The game is cute as all hell, I can’t deny that. Sadly, there’s a fine line between challenging and frustrating and Pocky & Rocky Reshrined loves to mentally torture me by jumping between these two states, all due to some questionable (and dated) gameplay mechanics.
Bassmaster Fishing 2022: Super Deluxe Edition is a game that gets the job when it comes to pleasing a stupidly specific niche of gamers (hardcore fishing enthusiasts with Nintendo Switches), but it’s a nearly impossible sell for anyone else.
I love Capcom Fighting Collection. It pays respect to the company’s past, all while giving players a brand new (and refined) way to play some of the best fighting and puzzle games of all time, complete in one, smooth-as-silk, pristinley remastered package. Its online play is reliable, its presentation is sublime, and its extras are satisfactory.