There could definitely be some balancing with the weapons, and bosses, as the bosses can feel like way more of a challenge than any of the enemies depending on your setup. That said though, it’s a very okay game with a lot of potential so maybe in the future with a few balance patches, it could stand on its own two feet for Hades fans waiting for the second game.
That is essentially the ups and downs of Sonority. It’s not a super long game by any means, but it’s a nice little game for anyone that is into puzzlers, especially if you’re particularly into music and its theory. Sonority isn’t revolutionising the genre, but the usage of music and understanding of notes and scales could be good for anyone younger who is into or looking to have a better understanding of it.
I didn’t realise going into The Captain that it was a point-and-click adventure. I may have passed up on it had I known. Instead, I found what may arguably be one of the best and most unique games I have played in the genre. I do believe anyone who feels indifferent to this style of game should give it a shot, because it may be the one to change how you feel towards them. That, or if you just like tactical games, the battles can be a lot of fun, but there’s significantly less of those.
The Punchuin is good fun and definitely an excellent pickup over the holiday period for something to play, especially in short bursts. See how quickly you can clear it, especially once you know how to do some of those puzzles, because they can be real tough. Plus, the music has got to be better than Christmas tunes.
Why fix what isn’t broken? For some reason, Cobra Kai 2 decided to go off in a whole new direction from the original game, which was on form and simply just needed a touch of polish. Instead, here we are with something that is so out of left field, and so horrifically broken, that playing it felt more like a chore than a hobby. Hopefully, if a third game ever comes to fruition somehow, I hope there is a long, hard look at what that game should be, and maybe just a touch of quality assurance.
I had such high hopes for Gungrave G.O.R.E. and it peaked with the intro cutscene, but it all fell apart from the moment the gameplay started. The worst part is I continued to play mostly in hopes it got better, but also because I just wanted to see more cutscenes. In the end through, Gungrave G.O.R.E. just didn’t feel like a game that respected the time of the people playing it, and didn’t respect the fans who returned from the PS2 days.
Bravery & Greed is a great new addition to the roguelite genre. It has a lot of pros, specifically being able to play co-op and attack each run in such a different way every time. The cons are the less than stellar distinctions between the different dungeons, and the less interesting soundtrack.
Modern Warfare 2 is the strongest release from the series in quite a while, possibly since Modern Warfare, maybe even longer than that. There are some missing features though: the battle pass won’t launch until nearer the end of November, while hardcore playlists don’t exist. The multiplayer maps are decent enough, but nothing overly spectacular, but at least the multiplayer feels mostly balanced. The campaign was a great experience, with a small visual glitch here and there.
End of the day, coming into Dragon Ball: The Breakers expecting the stress of Dead By Daylight is going to be disappointing. You can fight back, as running is only part of the strategy. While it has the bad guys from Dragon Ball Z, there isn’t a huge amount that makes this feel like a Dragon Ball game outside of the title. The lack of customisation is disappointing, especially for the raiders, and not being able to queue solely to play as a raider made it take incredibly long to finally get in a game as one, let alone getting to play a few to fully get the feel for it.
There are elements in We Are OFK that other narrative-driven games should take a look at. At the same time, feeling like your decisions don’t matter is a bit of a turn off. The story in here is great, it’s relatable, all thanks to a great cast of characters. It’s also refreshing to witness a tale of people coping with anxiety and stress, giving us an opportunity, an inside look on how others also struggling with these issues actually feel on the inside. All in all, I feel like it’s an important story to be told, and hopefully it helps people see they’re not alone.
If you’re into Portal, The Talos Principle, or any other game that forces you to think outside of box or in other creatives manners in order to solve puzzles, Youropa is a decent pickup. The amount of levels and collectibles throughout the game will give you plenty to do, and so much customisation means creating your perfect character. All in all, it’s a solid, if somewhat forgettable experience.
Taiko No Tatsujin: Rhythm Festival is another welcome addition to the drum hero series. With so many different styles of songs to pick from, and not just having to play song after song with no variety, it’s one of the easiest versions of the series to pick up and play.
It’s seriously not as if BPM is a bad game. Since its release, so many other games have come out doing roughly the same thing, but building upon it. It runs well on Switch, but definitely is hindered by the limitations of the system, especially in handheld mode. That definitely doesn’t mean don’t play it, because it is easy to pick up and play for one or two runs, and pick up to play on a daily basis. It’s the perfect style game for the Switch, it just needs a little bit of tweaking in order to be fully enjoyed.
Tyrant’s Blessing is one of the most interesting tactical RPGs in recent times. Everything throughout the game is looking to make this genre more interesting than it’s been before. There are blemishes in the game for sure, a lack of map variety for starters, or the sheer repetition in the mission variety, but they don’t make it any less enjoyable.
Azure Striker Gunvolt 2 is a lot of fun. This is definitely a game that aged better than most, especially in this genre with so many games coming out at all times.
LOUD doesn’t feel like it was trying to copy the myriad of other rhythm-based games released over the years. It does feel like its own thing. The way the story is built feels much more like a personal story, making it feel more unique than other games in the genre. On top of that, it feels relatable, and anyone can understand whether it’s for the style of music, wanting to be a musician, or just having a passion for anything that you need inspiration for.
Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance II is literally the same game, since it’s a direct port. All the best parts, and all the flaws, all are still prevalent in this release. It does feel a touch better thanks to upgraded hardware, thankfully no areas have slow down, while some sections early on in the sewers felt a bit sluggish originally.
Battle League features a HUGE gap in content that Nintendo is promising to patch in with post-launch updates, but that really doesn’t help anyone who decided to buy the game at launch. Online play is just as you would expect from the Switch, replaying cups just isn’t enjoyable, and quickplay just kind of exists. If I wanted to turn on a game to play for 5 minutes, plus the time the game is paused for each goal (something that doesn’t happen in football), I would be much more likely to turn on something even like Super Mario 64 or Super Mario Sunshine, where you can knock out early levels that quickly. Yet another disappointing Mario sports outing on the Switch.
Dadish 3 genuinely is just more Dadish. And let me be clear, that is not a bad thing. On the contrary: it’s excellent. If you were a fan of the first two games, this one just continues to expand on their solid foundations, adding more challenging levels and puzzles to the mix. I’m willing to bet I’ve had more deaths in Dadish 3 than Dadish and Dadish 2 combined.
The Serpent Rogue is a fun experience the whole way through, a slow burn that’s well worth your time.