The main critique that can be thrown at Justice Sucks is that the abilities are easily forgotten about while playing. Enemies move at a variety of different speeds and so much of the time spent in each encounter consists of figuring out which traps will do maximum damage and how to get the most enemies in those traps as possible. This doesn't detract from the fun in any way, but there's no need for anything other than the Dusty's best passive abilities since each level is filled with everything players need to deal damage. There's plenty more to be said about this game, such as its killer soundtrack and heart-warming story, but the most important takeaway is that Justice Sucks is simply so much fun to play.
Midnight Fight Express is a solid beat 'em up that offers more than one would expect. While it would be nice to see some added accessibility options in future updates, it's still possible to get through each of the game's 40 levels and have a blast doing it. Beat 'em up fan or not, Midnight Fight Express is an awesome game with a great sense of humor and is absolutely worth picking up and throwing down.
Without spoiling the finer details, the game's final sequence is filled with tension and emotion as Peter recollects the final moments of the past that lead up to his trip to Antarctica. In it, the game reflects on the key decisions made along the way and rather than respect them, seemed to ignore the work put in by players in a way that made it seem like some of the choices didn't actually matter. It may be possible that this was meant to be a narrative twist on how Peter remembers the past versus how it was, but it's entirely unclear if that's the case, which makes it all the more confusing when it happens. Despite this, the ending sequence of South of the Circle is still packed with emotional catharsis and an ambiguous ending the leaves the player wanting more, and that alone makes this game a must-play for narrative-driven players.
Escape Academy is filled with smart puzzles and unique mechanics that highlight the personalities of each character and the world they live in.
Players will come across the "Hidden Room" area early on and, upon doing so, reveal a moment in which a character enters the basement and goes through a wooden door that now has a combination lock on it. This is the first look at what becomes a more sinister rabbit hole that makes navigating a complicated situation just that much more difficult. Ultimately, Eternal Threads is a slow-burner that tells an endlessly intriguing story through a unique take on time travel. While this isn't everyone's cup of tea, it's something special.
That said, the story is far from the focus of the game and its strong gameplay and striking visual design more than make up for it. The pounding electronic soundtrack is worth shouting out as well because each song manages to perfectly match the energy of the player at any given moment. There are also a ton of minigames present to shake things up in the post-game, such as a speedrunning mode and a bunch of collectable game cartridges that can be played via the arcade machine in home base. Through its marriage of bullet-hell gunplay and fast-paced platforming of games like Ori and the Will of the Wisps, Soda Crisis stands out as a phenomenal side-scrolling action-adventure.
Unfortunately, the boss fights feel a bit tame, save for the final moments of the final fight. Overall, they are repetitive and surprisingly slow at times - an issue made more apparent thanks to the aggressive synthwave soundtrack being pushed into the background instead of into the player's face. Despite these few fights, the real obstacle of Ghostrunner: Project_Hel is getting used to the new movement and combat mechanics. The speed and brutality is still there and anyone who enjoys the base game will feel right at home in this DLC.
This is a hard moment to experience and there are many more throughout Martha is Dead, but none of these are implemented for shock value. All of these moments are carefully thought-out and relevant to the story and exploration of Giulia's mental deterioration. Ultimately, Martha is Dead is a game with simple mechanics that tells a difficult but important story that's well worth experiencing. That said, those interested in playing this game should consider doing so on Xbox or PC if possible, as these platforms are offering the game in the way it's intended to be experienced.
Overall, Kingdom of the Dead is a true love letter to arena shooters and the horror genre. This game stands out among its peers and its visual design, as well as its soundtrack, highlight how unique DIRIGO's style is. It won't be for everyone, as the same things that make the experience tight and replayable can paradoxically make it repetitive and unengaging. Despite this risk, anyone with an interest should absolutely check out Kingdom of the Dead and enjoy some good old-fashioned demon hunting.
With a game like Dread Hunger, some may feel that this death system hinders the core objective of the Thralls, while others may feel that it forces them to be more creative in dealing with other players and focus on turning the crew against each other rather than rely on brute force. Similarly, the crew may feel like there is too much to keep track of or they may feel like the gameplay loop is encouraging and rewards creativity. Ultimately, Dread Hunger is truly a well-thought-out and brutal game that feels novel in its execution, but its difficulty and gameplay loop may not be for everyone.
Even as the final moments occurred, which also felt like it came out of nowhere, it didn't feel like the player was a hero. Given the wonderful mechanics, design, personality, and narrative intentions of Scarf, the confusing storytelling is unfortunate but, thankfully, doesn't make the game any less enjoyable. While it's never fun to push story to the sidelines, doing so will let players get lost in Scarf's beautiful worlds and have an absolute blast during its short but sweet playtime.
Overall, Riders Republic is an incredibly fun game that's held back by its controls and the Ubisoft fanfare of microtransactions and content bloating. These issues can be fixed though and with players already being turned off by these issues, Ubisoft will likely take steps to address them - even if it's just tightening up the controls. Though Riders Republic is a thoroughly good time, some players will rightfully feel that its current issues may not justify the price tag.
While there's something a bit disappointing about yet another entry to the Cthulhu mythos that doesn't quite manage to translate its best features into the video game medium, there are hints and moments of other smaller Eldritch creatures that keep things interesting. In particular, the way The Alien Cube ultimately handles its final moments is incredibly satisfying with its visuals. The story may not stick the landing for some, but the overall experience is dark, engaging, beautiful, and disgusting. The Alien Cube is a love letter to the genre and is a strong choice for the fans who are on the hunt for a non-literary medium that manages to get Lovecraft mostly right.
While the fast loading times and updated graphics show off the beauty of Dharma City's neon-grunge aesthetic and keep players in the action, it's ultimately the same experience. Screen Rant's first Ghostrunner review perfectly sums up the PS5 version's experience, in that it's "Sometimes Fast, Sometimes Slow." Ghostrunner is a great game that provides a proper adrenaline rush when everything works as intended, but those hoping for any significant changes in this next-gen version will be disappointed.4
While this left a sour taste in that moment, it just serves as a warning to save the game frequently, because the devs are actively fixing many of these issues for launch and these hiccups shouldn't get in the way of playing Sable. It has a beautiful story to tell about the ups and downs of growing up and leaving home for the first time, with plenty of lovable characters and unique moments to experience along the way. With its beautiful design, surprisingly deep lore, and comforting soundtrack, Sable provides a joyful and inspiring escape that would be a shame to miss out on.
There are some fun nods to its inspirations, such as having an area puzzle that mirrors the Ocarina of Time's Lost Woods puzzle; it even has a race and city called "Neptyn" that look a lot like the Zora and an un-frozen Zora's Domain respectively. While these references are clear, both in its design and gameplay, Flynn: Son of Crimson has a very defined sense of identity and has many unique features that set it apart from its inspirations. Flynn: Son of Crimson is absolutely worth checking out as every second spent in its beautifully designed world is one well spent.
Overall, Recompile is a mixed bag that struggles to balance each aspect of its design.
Overall, The Ramp is exactly what it says it is. It's designed from the ground up to entertain its players with a simple gameplay loop that can be enjoyed for a couple minutes or a couple hours. That simplicity not only makes it easy to pop in and out of, but its mechanics are incredibly addicting, and setting personal challenges becomes most of the fun. Given its low price and the hours of fun it provides, The Ramp is absolutely worth picking up and dropping into whenever one gets the urge to shred.
Overall, NARAKA: BLADEPOINT remains a wonderful, fast-paced, and addicting experience. While it has plenty of room to grow, it holds its own against competitors like Hunter’s Arena: Legends and offers a polished experience to those who choose to join the fight.
Nevertheless, Where the Heart Leads is worth picking up and playing as soon as possible. The story it has to tell is carefully crafted, emotionally vulnerable, and will stick with players long after the final lines of dialogue fade from the screen.