Leonardo Faria's Reviews
Between its mediocre visuals, unappealing presentation, borderline mindless gameplay loop, and complete lack of interesting set pieces or boss battles, there is really no reason to give this aggressively bland title a go, when there are literal dozens of much better dungeon crawlers available on the Switch. Ironically enough, most of them coming from NIS America themselves.
Know what you’re getting into before deciding to tackle Circuit Superstars. It’s not a bad game at all, and it’s really fun at times, but it’s neither a retro arcade racer or a simple “pick up and play experience”. It might look like Micro Machines, but it lacks the simplified physics and overall zaniness from that series. As it stands, Circuit Superstars is a game that requires a bit more from your average arcade racing player, but once you get used to its gameplay, you’ll be greeted with a pretty fun and refreshing experience.
I am not going to call this a commendable effort, because honestly, this is how Cyberpunk 2077 should have been released in the first place. Sadly, committing to last-gen platforms at first, combined with fan demand, death threats, and the COVID-19 pandemic, resulted in a botched version of a great game that left a horrendous first impression. That is not the case with this PS5 version. This is how Cyberpunk 2077 should be played.
It’s not that River City Girls Zero is inherently bad. It definitely isn’t, but I do think that its title did the game no favors. The original River City Girls was amazing, elevating the Kunio-kun franchise to a previously unheard degree of quality, so attaching the name to a port of a really dated Super Famicom game made me (and will surely make everyone else) expect a lot more from it. Pay double attention before biting the bullet with this one.
I knew there was something special about GetsuFumaDen: Undying Moon, but I didn’t expect for it to become this juggernaut of a roguelike that captivated me like no other game in the genre has ever done, and doubtfully will do in the foreseeable future. It’s not just about the jaw-dropping ukiyo-e visuals; it’s the addictive loot acquisition, the ultraviolent combat system, the enemy designs, and the sense of beating an entire level without ever getting touched by an immense boss, all culminating into what’s possibly my favorite roguelike of all time.
The fact that its aggressively bland campaign is, by far, the best part of the package says a lot about the overall quality of what this game has to offer. A multiplayer mode so clunky and so hell-bent on making you spend money on microtransactions to a beyond insane degree, you can’t even play it ironically, in order to make fun of it.
Sure, it might be a bit rough around the edges when put next to a few higher-budgeted fighting games, but The King of Fighters XV ended up being exactly what I wanted it to be. Kudos to SNK, for they have successfully delivered a banger after so many delays and setbacks.
The original game had a ton of potential, but it was quickly forgotten by players due to its original hardware limitations, unfortunate launch dates and poor sales. Nightdive revived a forgotten (and flawed) game, proving that there has always been potential in it. It was ahead of its time. I loved playing PowerSlave Exhumed, not only because of its fun combat and setting, but mostly due to its proto-metroidvania format and progression system, and can’t wait to see what Nightdive will unearth next.
The main problem with Breakout: Recharged is that the block breaking formula has spawned literal hundreds of different games over the past decades, a good chunk of them featuring more gameplay elements and content than this one. Why should I pick this one up instead of a Taito collection featuring Arkanoid or one of the dozens of Breakout clones published by Sometimes You? The only thing going for Breakout: Recharged is the authenticity badge it carries, the fact it is the return of the original block breaker franchise.
I wanted to play OlliOlli World thinking it was going to be a trippy and challenging arcade experience. Sure, it can be that if you want to, but what I liked the most about it was its inviting atmosphere, which made me want to tackle it as a borderline relaxing, “feel good” experience.
I did not expect to like The Company Man as much as I did. Sure, it has some gameplay limitations stemming from some design choices, but not only did I enjoy the fluidity of its controls, and especially its inventive boss battles, but I couldn’t stop laughing and relating to the unhealthy amount of postmodern corporate satire included in here.
Some people will hate its art style, while others will love it. Some people will call it way too punishing and overcomplicated. I may agree that it is a punitive game, but I couldn’t stop playing it. I loved almost everything the game offered me, from its slick graphics and neat storytelling, to the cathartic sensation of clearing an entire room full of goons without losing a single chunk of health. This is a game that will demand a bit more from players, but those who decide to stick with it will be rewarded for their patience.
There’s a lot to praise in Les Mills Bodycombat. When it hides the fact it’s a workout method, when it lets you believe you’re just playing a game that uses your body as the controller, it’s a blast. I adored its rhythm-based gameplay loop, its soundtrack, and the simplistic yet effective ways it rewarded my actions with visual stimulation.
I’m not going to deny that Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments isn’t a proper fit for a portable system, and it has aged somewhat weirdly. With that being said, a good game is a good game, no matter the platform it is released for. I still had quite a lot of fun with this title.
Final Space VR: The Rescue is not a bad VR shooter, it’s just a game that’s hindered by its unfortunate low budget and small scope. It has good shooting mechanics and a lot of charm taken directly from the show, but it suffers from repetitive combat sections and bland environments. With that being said, it can actually be a bit fun if you manage to find a few friends willing to have a crack at it via online co-op.
Lost Recipes showcases one of the biggest strengths offered by virtual reality. Were this a console game, I would have probably hated it. It was the added novelty of doing my own dishes with decent motion controls, all while learning a bit about ancient history, that made this game way more entertaining than I could have ever imagined. Sadly, it’s ridiculously short. I would have loved to spend more time cooking more dishes from other ancient cultures.
Hello There Games have successfully converted one of the more entertaining rhythm games released over the past years into a VR feast for the eyes and ears. The additional music packs, the Quest’s portability, and the obvious novelty of being able to play this game in VR make this port of AVICII Invector: Encore Edition the best version of what was already an excellent rhythm game, as well as a fantastic tribute to the late DJ/producer.
Anshar 2: Hyperdrive is a flawed space combat simulator, but I still had my fair share of fun with it. By no means it is the best example of what VR can do with the genre, as Star Wars: Squadrons is alive and well, but it does have a few tricks up its sleeve. It’s much cheaper, it’s arcadey in nature, and most importantly, it’s available on the Quest. Squadrons isn’t. A fun, fast-paced space combat simulator available on what’s essentially a portable VR headset? I don’t know about you, but that sounds good enough to me.
We’re getting there. Rugby 22 is still a flawed game, but it’s better than its predecessor, which was already a massive improvement over the disastrous Rugby 18.
You will buy it because it looks, feels and plays like Symphony of the Night, but you’ll keep glued to it because it features enough qualities to make it stand out not only from its main source of inspiration, but from most metroidvanias in the market. It may suffer from a few performance issues, but all in all, this is one of the most entertaining exploratory action platformers I’ve played in a while, and it’s well worth your time.