Leonardo Faria's Reviews
Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour‘s biggest problem isn’t even the fact you gotta shell out some cash in order to experience it. The problem is that, sadly, it is an incredibly lame title, with just a few memorable minigames which aren’t enough to make me forget about the sheer amount of befuddling quiz sections, annoying collectathon mechanics, and the overall sensation that you are not playing a game per se, you feel like you’re witnessing the company patting itself on the back with this brand new system.
Ruffy and the Riverside is a joyful little game with a really inventive gameplay loop. It mixes elements from open world adventures, logic-based puzzles, and the level structure of classic 3D collectathons to create something that is truly unique, whilst still being accessible, and not at all condescending. It also helps that its visuals are great, and its sense of humor is completely on point.
Look, no matter how I try to put it, there’s no denying that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate is basically Hades, but with more reptiles and pizza. But let me reiterate, that ain’t a bad thing. Sure, if you’re expecting for it to be as good as Hades, then you’re out of luck, but this is still a fun roguelike with a neat combat system, fun character interactions, and some great multiplayer support.
This is not a game without a handful of flaws, namely its underwhelming story and really ugly (human) character models. That being said, consider me a brand new fan of Raidou Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army, and the Devil Summoner subseries as a whole. I really enjoyed it being a faster-paced, action-oriented take on the Shin Megami Tensei formula, in an episodic format that makes it highly enjoyable in smaller sessions. It may have aged visually, but mechanically-wise, it still holds the hell (pun intended) up.
When a collection has a literal hundred games, you’re bound to find one or two you end up playing for quite a while. Even if 100 in 1 Game Collection is one of the least creative gaming compilations I have ever seen, with the in-game characters themselves stating you shouldn’t expect much from it, it’s not the worst thing in the world. There’s just not a lot of creativity in this package. Most games are clones of classics from thirty years ago, with a less exciting presentation.
There are two correct answers to the question, “is the Gex Trilogy collection worth your time”. If you want to be technical, no, the collection ain’t worth it. The games have never been part of the upper echelon of platformers from the 90s, and haven’t aged that well. The other, more emotional and subjective answer, is that, yes, this collection is worth your time, as these are funny, creative, and inventive games from a bygone era. Even if the original Gex just isn’t good at all, both Enter the Gecko and Gex 3 are hilarious and inventive titles that will easily please any 3D platforming fan, no matter their age or experience.
I have no idea what happened for MindsEye to come out at such a pitiful state, but even if it worked as intended, it would have been, at best, a truly mediocre cover shooter with a subpar “what if big techs were bad” story (spoiler alert: they also are in real life). But when you add in the horrendous framerate, poor optimization, braindead enemy AI, and countless bugs, then there’s no way to recommend this trainwreck, even to those looking for an ironic playthrough of a crappy game.
Even with these handful of issues, PaperKlay is still an easy recommendation, with a few asterisks. If you are looking for something very akin to old-school 3D collectathons, you’re going to be a bit disappointed. It’s a bit more linear, vastly less challenging. Now, as an introduction to the genre, a very accessible game to convince casuals to play something a bit more traditional, this works oh so well. At the end of the day, it’s a very competent and easygoing 3D platformer with a lot of charm and heart.
There’s a lot of potential in here, and if you were a fan of Conan: Exiles‘ grindy loop, you’ll have a blast with Dune: Awakening, considering it’s a tad bit more forgiving than its predecessor. Oddly enough, however, the more you’re a fan of the Dune books, the more off-putting Awakening will become, considering its bizarre fanfic-y premise and ideas that just go against everything the books (and even the most recent movies) have been saying for the past half-decade. As a result, Dune: Awakening, whilst easily the best Dune game since the strategy titles from the early 90s, is more appealing to those just seeking for a new survival MMO, and not exactly die-hard fans of the seminal sci-fi franchise.
The best thing I can say about Scar-Lead Salvation is that it is a competent Returnal clone with some decent controls. Sadly, it is bogged down by a cheap presentation and obscenely repetitive gameplay loop, even for a roguelike. I kept playing it to see if something interesting would eventually happen, but nope. It was a neverending barrage of repetitive rooms, simple combat, a ton of expository dialogue, and the occasional jiggle physics. If anything, it actually made me want to play Returnal instead.
At the end of the day, even if it hasn’t aged as well as expected, being able to play Onimusha 2 on modern consoles is still one hell of a treat. Just know what to expect before grabbing a copy. Get ready for some uninteresting cutscenes and dated controls, but stay for the amazing combat, music, and overall setting. As an appetizer before the release of the actual new Onimusha game coming out next year, as well as the stepping stone for a possible remaster of the third entry in the franchise (as in, the best one), Onimusha 2 gets the job done, without a doubt.
Not all indie darlings live up to the hype, apparently. Haneda Girl might even have a decent gameplay loop, but it’s uninteresting in terms of its story, visuals, controls (its button placement is odd at best) and overly demanding medal system. I can think of a handful of arcade action platformers I’d recommend over it, but if you’ve already beaten them all and are salivating for something akin to Hotline Miami or Katana Zero, I guess Haneda Girl still gets the job done. Great soundtrack, though.
I may have sounded overly harsh, but in reality, I actually enjoyed my time playing Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon IN SPITE of its many issues and bugs. It’s a fun world to explore, it’s an interesting lore to unveil, and, as previously mentioned, the story is actually really good. I can’t help but deeply respect a smaller team for coming up with what’s essentially their own take on The Elder Scrolls. That being said, those Bethesda RPGs have a certain charm and mojo that’s impossible to replicate.
I may have made this game sound like it’s the biggest and most pointless waste of time in history, but, in a shocking twist, I loved Cubic Odyssey. Despite its flaws, despite its horrendously grindy nature, I clocked in 23 hours in a mere week. I was immersed in its world, I was feeling accomplished whenever I was able to upgrade my gear, or when I was able to stealthly murder every single pirate in a base. Seeing my little base grow from a derelict shack in front of a temple to a complete scientific station with advanced tech and self-sustaining capabilities… flawless.
Speed Freeks will live or die based on its developer and publisher’s ability to maintain a sizeable player count for the foreseeable future. I really like the core gameplay loop, sense of humor, and presentation. It’s a totally dumb and over-the-top multiplayer funhouse, just the way I like it. If you’re even moderately into vehicular combat games, even if you don’t know a damn thing about Warhammer, Speed Freeks is an easy recommendation, despite its flaws and limitations. Make sure this game will last for a while, as it’s quite fun with the right mindset.
Deliver At All Costs is filled with creative mission ideas, an awesome physics engine and an emphasis on an above-average story, but it’s also marred by technical and design issues, as well as an overall repetitive nature. Its presentation is also a mixed bag, but then again, I don’t think the game is that bad. In fact, there’s a lot to enjoy in it. It is a very unique experience, and it’s so devoid of urgency, it almost feels relaxing at times. You can’t say no to driving through entire houses, destroying them in the process, whilst listening to some good old surf rock from the 50’s.
I kept playing The Midnight Walk, and enjoying my time with it, because it was just a blessing for my eyes (and occasionally for my ears). By featuring the bare minimum of gameplay to make it stand out from other walking simulators, it’s vastly more enjoyable than most of its peers. That being said, it’s a one-and-done experience at best.
I would have legitimately given JDM: Japanese Drift Master an even higher score if it wasn’t for the somewhat lacklustre amount of content it offers as of now. The foundation for a truly spectacular love letter to Need for Speed Underground 2 can be clearly seen when you’re cruising around Japan with your pimped out ride. It’s an amazing game technically-speaking, it just needs more meat, some extra cars and modes. It actually feels original, and you can obviously notice the amount of love and effort put into every single corner of its map. Just add more sushi to this platter and it will become one hell of a feast.
This is a pretty small and underwhelming indie racer. I guess I should say it’s a competent game devoid of glitches and issues, but I was also not having a lot of fun playing it. I played Super Engine GT Turbo SPEC for about an hour and half, whilst thinking I could have stopped after just 45 minutes, considering how repetitive and devoid of content it is.
Ignoring one or two slightly dated titles, plus a truly terrible one, Capcom Fighting Collection 2 goes to show that no one is doing arcade gaming preservation as well as Capcom right now. Just the inclusion of Capcom vs. SNK 2 by itself, in such a pristine, rollback-supported stated, is enough of a reason for you to purchase it, but add in games like two Power Stones and the best version of the best Street Fighter, and what you have here is more than a lot of bang for your buck. What we have here is an infinitely enjoyable collection of fighting works of art.