Overall, Castle Kong tries to recapture the original Donkey Kong’s original feel and succeed in doing that but maybe slightly too well, leaving the game to feel very slow. Castle Kong is also frustratingly difficult, and the long respawn times make the temptation of switching over to something out very appealing.
Infliction nails most of the traditions horror tropes and does well to create a genuinely intriguing and anxiety-inducing atmosphere with is detail design and ever-changing environments. However, the lack of any real memorable scares and countless scripted deaths that get old quickly paired with recurring performance issues consistently break the immersion that was so brilliantly created.
Overall, Space Invaders Forever seems lacking in any real thought, while extreme is a delightful trance trip. Gigamax 4SE offers so little, and Arkanoid vs. Space Invaders is a frustrating addition to the collection that feels like a complete afterthought that they threw in to try and justify a very hefty price tag. No extras are included in the collection, which is also a shame and adds to how bare-bones the experience is.
I loved my time with Chaosbane and am putting in more hours by the day to try and get that platinum, even though I have no idea how many more relic hunts I need to do. Its poor story and early game loot system are such minor problems in the broader scope of what is an excellent action RPG set in a beautiful universe with top combat mechanics and plenty of choices on how you want to play.
I enjoyed Rogue aces gameplay and satisfying explosions, and the variety of multiplayer modes on offer. And its solid controls mean you can jump right in if you are playing modes with auto-land on. However, it did not take long for the experience to become repetitive because of the extended campaign mode and lack of varied missions. Finally, the landing mechanic made arcade mode inaccessible to me as I could not master landing, even after spending half an hour in the tutorial trying to get the hang of it.
However, for what HyperParasite lacks in presentation and progression, its unique gameplay ideas and exciting abilities make every run feel different enough to want to keep coming back for more, and it will have you muttering, “Just one more run” for hours.