Eduardo Rebouças's Reviews
Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous is otherwise a fantastic PC experience that is sadly a slog on consoles due to clunky controls and a cumbersome interface.
The subject matter in Dropsy is shockingly deep, and in a similar way to Horace, a platformer I reviewed a while back, the more you play it, the more there is to uncover, and what might seem like a shallow premise at first eventually turns out to be anything but. Dropsy is just that. Layer upon layer of subtle storytelling in a way that’s rarely found in videogames today. I was moved by it and I’m sure you will be too if you give it a chance.
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope is an amazing cover-based tactical shooter that builds upon the excellent structure of its predecessor, adding new features that make it an even better game in every conceivable way.
A Plague Tale: Requiem is an absolute spectacle of a game. And it’s in almost every way a superior game to Innocence. It can be downright disgusting at times, but in the best of ways. Seeing the loving relationship that the de Runes share and the struggles that they endure during their journey, elements that were already so well developed the first time around and are just as good if not even better this time around help elevate Requiem to a level of its own among similar story-driven games. You won’t want to miss this.
To anyone looking for a starting point to the frankly intimidating saga that The Legend of Heroes might seem at first, Trails from Zero is as entry level as it can be. And it also provides even more of the rich backstory that those already into series are bound to eat up.
If this happened to be a budget game with an original take of its own, it would merely be a decent buy for on and off throwaway play, but as part of a very iconic series such as Valkyrie Profile, it’s a baffling proposition. Square Enix themselves have done a commendable job taking similarly traditional genre games such as Final Fantasy VII, essentially turning it into an action RPG with its brilliant remake. That only makes for an even bigger disappointment seeing how mediocre Valkyrie Elysium turned out in the end. It’s not a terrible game by any means, but it’s far from being what could be considered a worthwhile follow-up to the classic JRPGs that came before it.
Overall, it’s quite obvious that both of the Turrican Anthology collections should have just been one product to begin with. The bonus features such as the jukebox, re-recorded soundtracks by Huelsback, art museum that encompass a generous amount of flyers and covers, and extra emulation options, as well as the special Score Attack Mode – a new leaderboard feature that’s exclusive to both Anthologies – are identical between the two. Neither volume has a whole lot of content to warrant splitting them up into separate downloads. Then again, it’s undeniable that what they encompass, some of the best titles in gaming’s most traditional run ‘n gun shooter franchises, makes Turrican Anthology very much worth picking up regardless.
If you thought Shovel Knight was done and dusted, you’ll find that there’s still plenty of cooky ideas left to explore that involve digging and treasure hunting. Shovel Knight Dig is a simple twist on the formula to be sure, but it’s one that’s done incredibly well and is a whole lot of fun to play. I can’t wait to see what’s in store next!
MassiveHive Media’s Potion Permit is about as easygoing as a game about healthcare could be.
For what it is, Madden 23 will please veterans looking to prolong their videogame NFL careers in yet another season of play. The homage to the late John Madden is certainly a nice touch. On the other hand, a more welcoming presentation to newcomers would have worked to the game’s favor. As it stands, those just coming out of the draft might find themselves feeling lost as there’s not nearly enough in the way of easing in players who don’t have at least some passing familiarity with the series and how it plays.
For preservation purposes, as well as discoverability ones, this re-release of Avenging Spirit is incredibly valuable. Given that the general gaming audience probably haven’t even heard of it in the first place, credits are due to Ratalaika Games for doing the work that they’ve been doing with these. Avenging Spirit is easily my favorite among these re-releases so far, and I can’t wait to see what’s coming next out of their seemingly bottomless treasure chest of little known old hits.
With the hindsight that there is now, with spiritual successors to Pyro Studios’ work like Mimimi’s Desperados 3 getting it so right, I hope to heaven that whoever is minding the supposed new entry in Commandos takes heed and avoid the errors that were committed in both the original version Commandos 3 and were further worsened in this HD remaster. It could have been so much better…
If you’re at this point still in doubt if this compilation is worth getting, well, you shouldn’t anymore. The fact that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection includes the classic assortment of TMNT games in an easily accessible package is reason enough to pick it up. Now, add in Digital Eclipse’s extra efforts in making them better with the many different tweaks and online multiplayer, coupled with the insane amount of historical material that makes up the museum only go to cement that The Cowabunga Collection as a must-buy. That goes for just about anyone with even a passing interest in retro games, let alone a fan of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. No ifs, ors, ands, or buts about it.
While I wouldn’t exactly call Destroy All Humans! 2 Reprobed awful per se, it goes to show that being too faithful when remaking a game can be quite harmful to the end product. The way over the top humor and juvenile tone, along with the potentially boring and definitely dated mechanics make Destroy All Humans! 2 Reprobed feel like a relic of the past and hard to recommend. For those who enjoyed its original run years ago when they were most likely impressionable teens, it might end up being more of an embarrassing memory than a nostalgic trip down memory lane.
Murder at Castle Nathria is another strong expansion to the now venerable Hearthstone, but it doesn't address the game's core problems.
I did enjoy what I got to see of the characters that make up your new Saints crew, for as ridiculously all over the place as their personalities are. At the start of Saints Row, you’re already an established group of friends that had no business being as tight as they are, with the protagonist initially being cog in a paramilitary group’s machine and the rest individual members of each of the ruling gangs in town, all unhappy with how things are run and wanting to make something for themselves. It’s a silly setup and a tinsy bit more grounded and held back than usual Saints Row, but the idea of putting together a new crew would’ve made for an otherwise tremendous game. Sadly, Saints Row is a halfway reinvention at best, one that both fans and newcomers to the franchise are likely to be bored with due to how repetitive and by-the-numbers it turns out to be.
Cult of the Lamb’s strength lies in its core formula, giving you great rewards for quick sessions and even better ones if you decide to stick around for even longer. It might leave you dry when it comes to combat, but its management mechanics and adorable aesthetic are sure to please those looking for something more in their next roguelite, making joining this cult a no-brainer for sure.
River City Saga: Three Kingdoms is yet another quality entry in the franchise, taking the Kunio Kun crew on a fun romp across ancient China.
Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series is a decent way to enjoy these classic platformers. For as close to the landing as the collection sticks when it comes to content, the fact that there are more accessible options is something to be lauded. While I was never a particularly huge fan of Klonoa, it would be silly to dismiss this for what it is: a new, fresher, and extremely colorful way for an entirely new group of players to enjoy the dreamy antics of Klonoa and co.
There are plenty of games that approach the subject of the upcoming apocalypse by the hand of humans and their constant influence on Earth’s decay, and although Endling: Extinction is Forever shows but a slice of the effects of our actions upon the planet, it does so in a way that’s sure to leave a mark on you. It isn’t the most action-intensive game you’ll ever play, but it’s fantastic in a way that very few games manage to be with the limited scope that it’s given.