Leonardo Faria's Reviews
I honestly think Amid Evil VR showcased the Quest 2’s biggest strength like no other game in the system so far: it’s a perfect place for VR adaptations of older or arcade-like games released in the past. PCVR can keep the bulkier physics, and PS VR2 can have the more cinematic and graphically-intensive games from bigger publishers. This game is a surefire hit and a must-have for owners of this VR headset. Now, can we get Dusk in VR too?
In the grand echelon of modern bullet hell shooters, R-Type Final 3 Evolved is still one of the most advanced and featured-filled games available right now, but as a game only available on the PS5, supposedly taking advantage of what that hardware has to offer? Yeah, I don’t see the point. It’s barely better performing than its predecessor, sometimes featuring framerate hiccups not even R-Type Final 2 had. I don’t see why this wasn’t a cross-gen title, since its exclusivity will do nothing but hinder its sales.
I like this ultraviolent delight even more than I like Hotline Miami. It took everything that worked in those beloved action games, gave players a bit more leeway with an improved health system, and dialed things up to eleven, be it with its insane soundtrack, aggro-as-hell nature, and especially its roguelike elements. They just fit in perfectly with this particular arcade-like gameplay loop.
Maybe I just expected more from Gun Jam because every other rhythm-based action game released over the past years ended up being such a banger. It’s not bad at all, as it features a decent cel-shaded presentation, runs like a dream, and features really responsive controls. Sadly, even though the foundations are solid, its main gimmick is a bit too clunky and confusing. I love shooters, and I love Guitar Hero… but combining these two games, without leeways, resulted in a messy experience.
The sheer amount of recipes, Michelin endorsement, and intuitive mixture of gameplay styles are enough to satisfy gamers who are also culinary enthusiasts. Just make sure you have a controller in hand if you decide to buy it on Steam. In a scale from Pizza Hut to Gordon Ramsay, this game scores an honest Guy Fieri.
Luckily for it, nothing about its graphics, performance, or controls is bad enough to relegate it to echelon of historically bad failures, but maybe that’s also one of its biggest issues. It’s a bland game that just so happens to have a nonsensically star-studded cast, and one not crappy enough to warrant an ironic playthrough.
Moviehouse: The Movie Studio Tycoon has a solid foundation for a movie producing simulator, but given how you can’t actually make these shorts like its main source of inspiration, The Movies, all you get here is a basic business management simulator with little action, player input, or excitement. If this was a budget title available on a phone, then sure, this could work as a nice pastime for fifteen minutes at a time. It isn’t, so it’s hard not to remember it’s far from being the love letter to Peter Molyneux’s magnum opus it so proudly boasted before release.
Even though Squad 51 vs. the Flying Saucers is beyond frustrating, I didn’t think it was that disappointing. It’s still very unique and completely bonkers. Its premise is set, and needs no improvements. Its gameplay design choices render it annoying to deal with right now, but I honestly think a second attempt, with a smaller playable character and better balancing, would result in one of the best bullet hell shooters in years. As of now, this is a fun diversion, but a flawed one.
Despite being originally released as some sort of April Fool’s prank, The Murder of Sonic The Hedgehog is not a joke. Sure, it’s silly as hell, but it’s a pretty decent and lighthearted visual novel with some clever writing and a unique premise. Even if it was released as a paid product, I’d call it worth your time, but as a Steam freebie? Just go for it, we’ve all gotten worse stuff on that platform for free.
There’s something cathartic about Terra Nil‘s gameplay loop. It might not be the most engaging or addictive strategy/puzzle hybrid out there, but I commend Free Lives for making the sole act of wanting to clean up a wasteland fun and engaging. It is not the most realistic eco-friendly game out there, far from it, but I think it manages to deliver its “save the world” message better than most songs, movies, Twitter posts or activists out there.
Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon is a weird beast. It’s a pretty decent game, with a neat level of presentation, and a nice change of pace from the tryhardish action seen in the main games. However, it’s also a game I simply cannot recommend at the suggested retail price.
As far as Switch ports go, this one is not bad. Sure, compromises are apparent, namely in the visual department and some egregious loading times, but I had a good time with it. Or better yet, I had as much fun with this particular port as I could on my own. This is still a co-op game at heart, so we can only hope more people buy it in order to populate its lobbies. As of now, however, I can’t say this is a must-own.
It was a commendable effort by its developers, but sadly, the game falters in its minuscule roster size, pointless story mode and ridiculous trophy requirements. Still, I am actually glad this game exists. There’s something about it that made it extra charming. Omen of Sorrow reminded me a lot of those adorable mid-tier fighting games that were everywhere during the Nintendo 64/PS1 generation. Games like Fighters Destiny, Bio Freaks, War Gods, Mace: The Dark Age. Games that weren’t able to compete with the big ones, but sure as hell tried, and we all lauded the attempt.
Mile High Taxi has its flaws, namely in the lack of challenge (unless you play in Sequential Mode) and the occasional visual glitch, but color me impressed: this is one of the best, if not the best Crazy Taxi clone I might have ever played. It makes up for its flaws with its unique setting, excellent performance, and the fact that, at the end of the day, it plays and feels like a Sega arcade from 1999. It is a clone, no doubt about it, but with enough qualities of its own.
I can’t help but constantly feel like this game, or its predecessor, could have just been part of a cheaper upgrade DLC pack, or something akin to what Konami did with PES before its demise a couple of years ago. There’s just no reason for Monster Energy Supercross 6 to be a full-fledged game. If you really want a supercross game and don’t own a single one so far, then sure, Monster Energy Supercross 6 is an excellent choice. But if you already own any of its predecessors, just stick to them.
Color me impressed, Justice League: Cosmic Chaos was actually quite fun. Is it too simplistic? Yes. Is its combat beyond shallow? Yup. Did I dislike the fact I only have three playable superheroes at my disposable? For sure. With all that being said, it was pretty hard not to fall for such a cheerful presentation, with some high quality voice acting, and an open world that was just fun to full around as a cocky and pun-loving Superman.
If you love Digimon and want to play some great Digimon games, don’t worry: between Cyber Sleuth and Survive, you have more than enough content to satiate your needs on the Switch. Digimon World: Next Order is nowhere near as good, fun, engaging or memorable as these other titles. Sure, it might be a love letter to a PS1 classic (?), but there’s a reason as to why not a single other Digimon World besides that first game had Tamagotchi-based gameplay, it just wasn’t fun.
This is a straightforward recreation of a simple, but addictive Atari game very few people have even heard of. That’s probably why Caverns of Mars: Recharged feels oddly fresh. It feels like the kind of indie roguelike any small team would develop as its first title. It’s also a game that manages to overcome some of its flaws, namely an average presentation and questionable collision detection, by simply being way too addictive, the perfect kind of game to own on a portable.
Once you get used to the controls in the Story mode, skip towards the game’s sandbox mode. With little to no stakes or objectives, Hotel Renovator quickly becomes a relaxing game to be enjoyed while listening to music or a podcast, as the game itself barely has any music to begin with. That’s the bizarre magic behind games like this one and House Flipper. They are beyond flawed, buggy, messy, not very intuitive, but there’s an inexplicably relaxing gameplay loop in the middle of all this mess.
This game is unbelievably silly, almost to a surrealistic degree, but man, it works. Fitness Boxing: Fist of the North Star is a fun mixture between a workout session you can take with you on-the-go and a fun homage to one of Japan’s most famous franchises ever. It looks the part, sounds the part, and its controls are way more reliable than I was expecting.