Leonardo Faria's Reviews
I was expecting for the Blizzard Arcade Collection to be a simple throwback to the company’s earlier days. However, I certainly wasn’t expecting to be overwhelmed with tons of extra content and brand-new Definitive Editions of each game included in the collection. This is a work of love, a fantastic tribute to one of the most iconic developers of the past thirty years and their iconic early titles.
I cannot think of any other text-based game that made me want to go for another playthrough with completely different outcomes as soon as I had finished my first one. This might not be the most visually compelling or action-heavy game released in recent memory, but it’s easily one of my favorite games in 2021 so far.
All I can say without spoiling things for you readers is that it’s a game worth experiencing. Despite the myriad of grammatical errors, this is an incredibly smart story that will catch players off guard with its inventive twists. It’s also one hell of a fun mix between an RPG and a rhythm game.
In short, Fez is as good now as it has always been. The reason I call this version the best way to experience this indie game is mostly due to the perfect combination of the Switch’s portability and its screen being much larger than the Vita’s. This is easily one of the best indies ever made, and one of the most important games of the past decade.
You’re getting two of the best action games of all time, as well as Razor’s Edge, with great controls and that borderline satanic level of difficulty that makes Dark Souls look like Elmo’s Fun With Numbers. I wouldn’t have had it any other way. I love this collection even though I’m more than sure I will eventually break a Joy-Con or two out of anger during some of its harder sections.
The borderline perfect usage of the AIM controller resulted in one of my favorite VR experiences so far, and weirdly enough, my favorite Sniper Elite game so far, even if it has very little to do with its mainline counterparts.
NEO: The World Ends with You is the perfect combination of all style, all substance. It’s gorgeous to look, it’s one hell of a feast for your ears, but above all, it’s a fantastic JRPG-beat ’em up hybrid. It has a fantastic story, intriguing characters, and an excellent combat system that is easy to learn but very hard to master.
It is completely devoid of action. You are the one who’ll have to look for an objective to complete in it. But there’s something about it that makes it addictive and irresistible. It’s such a relaxing game that asks very little from you. It literally gives the entire world for you to explore, with an astonishing degree of realism, with simple controls and a laid-back atmosphere.
This game might sound like a tremendous mess on paper, but it perfectly manages to mix arcade-like dodgeball matches with JRPG mechanics and cartoonish visuals to create something completely unique.
I would absolutely score it a “Bill & Ted air guitar riff out of ten” if I could.
F.I.S.T.: Forged In Shadow Torch came from out of nowhere and captivated me with its fantastic controls and map design. Even if its story and voice acting can be a bit dull at times, its presentation and gameplay more than make up for any budgetary setbacks found along the way. If this is what we should expect from metroidvanias in this upcoming generation of games, then F.I.S.T. has already set the bar very high and for that I’m thankful.
I used to consider its predecessor a good game, but one of the weakest titles in the Yakuza universe. This one is the complete opposite. It stands right next to Yakuza 0 and Like a Dragon in the pantheon of greatest titles in the series.
Hot Wheels Unleashed is way better than I could have ever imagined, and I’m absolutely addicted to it. Are there better racing games that came out or are due to come out this year? Absolutely. But I doubt any of them will surprise me as much as this game did.
You really shouldn’t dismiss A Juggler’s Tale as just another Limbo or Inside clone. I might even consider it as good, if not better, than its main sources of inspiration. Not only does it feature gameplay elements that take advantage of its unique setting, but it also has a really engaging story that captivates you right away thanks to some superb voice acting.
Inscryption is an utterly demented piece of software in the best of ways. I don’t remember the last time I played a game that made me go “what the hell am I looking at” with such frequency and intensity.
A lot of people will shy away from Far Cry 6, dismissing it as “yet another open world game by Ubisoft”, but I won’t try to hide it, I had way more fun with this game than I could have ever imagined. I got it for the idea of raising hell on a Caribbean island with a tank and a jetpack, and stayed for the surprisingly well-written story and likable characters.
It’s weird to realize that the Switch hadn’t had the original Lego Marvel Super Heroes in its library up until now, but that basically ended up working in its favor. In an era where we’re a bit saturated with the MCU and the disappointment that was Square’s own Avengers game, replaying Lego Marvel Super Heroes served to remind me of a simpler, more innocent and way more entertaining take on the source material.
More than just a fantastic killer app for the Oculus Quest 2, Resident Evil 4 VR is a killer app for virtual reality in general. Unlike Half-Life Alyx, this is a phenomenal shooter available on the cheapest, most readily available, and most comfortable VR system in the market. It features everything you have always loved from Resident Evil 4, but in a brand new perspective that turns what was already fun and immersive into something even more intense and memorable.
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.
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.