Adrian Morales's Reviews
Time has been kind to Apollo Justice, but Capcom has been especially kind to the re-release efforts of the Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy. Much like The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles and the Phoenix Wright Trilogy before it, the Apollo Justice Trilogy is another fantastic effort by Capcom in updating and re-releasing its legacy courtroom battle games for modern audiences and with a few fixes and tweaks to make it more fitting for this day in age. Returning fans will be able to jump right into their most nostalgic moments with the series whenever they like and with plenty to come back to, while new fans can experience Apollo’s story in its best form yet.
Unicorn Overlord is a standout tactics RPG landing just when the genre is coming back to life. It's deep, creative, gorgeous, and incredibly addicting, with plenty to offer for those who want to dig into all its systems. The game may stumble a bit with its simple plot, tedious UI, and quantity over quality side character stories, but those feel like small issues in an overall impressive and well-rounded game. Great for newcomers and genre veterans alike, Unicorn Overlord is a can’t-miss title.
Monster Hunter Stories 2 certainly isn’t a perfect game, the story is paced awkwardly, the voice acting is dry and it’s mostly a stripped-back Monster Hunter experience that not every Monster Hunter fan will want to play. Where Monster Hunter truly succeeds is in making the combat captivating, the story charming and the monsties fun to collect and manage. If you’re both a Monster Hunter fan and a JRPG fan, or just someone looking to scratch that Pokemon itch, Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin is just the game you’re looking for.
Team Ninja nails the gameplay. Killing classic Final Fantasy monsters has never been more fun than it is as Jack Garland. If you can dive into Stranger of Paradise knowing that you’re in for a chaotic mess with a solid gameplay foundation, you’re in for a good time.
However, where Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands truly shines is in its superb setting, well-written characters, and off-beat writing that feels right at home within the framework of four friends playing a game of Bunkers & Badasses.
The Iki Island expansion is a little weak, with its strange supernatural storyline that is far too brief; however, the side quests and exploration of Iki more than make-up for it. If you’re someone that enjoyed Ghost of Tsushima, then this expansion is well worth your time. Iki Island has plenty to do and lots to see.
Solar Ash is at its best when you can skate a line perfectly and enter that satisfying flow state where nothing can stop you. The only thing Solar Ash asks of you is to fall into its groove and fall in love with its style, and if you can do that, you will have a wonderful time.
MLB The Show 22 is one of the best baseball games on the market, if not the only one players should consider. However, as the MLB The Show series has cracked the code for crafting a baseball game that looks authentic and plays fantastically, development studio Sony San Diego may have painted themselves into a corner. Progress made since MLB The Show 21 is minuscule, and this year’s entry is mostly a rehash of the previous game, begging players to ask if this year’s entry is worth full price. That isn’t to say that MLB The Show 22 isn’t worth the time investment from its fans, because it is quite an excellent sports game, but it might be time to start thinking outside of the box about how the franchise can begin to iterate.
Loopmancer is an action-packed, atmospheric detective mystery that works best in the heat of combat, but its roguelike elements could use some work.
Overall, Salt and Sacrifice still nails the core elements that make a 2D reimagining of Dark Souls a compelling idea thanks to its fundamental understanding of how character and level progression should flow and its expansive combat system. By adding in an extra layer of Metroidvania-style exploration and a unique approach to boss encounters with its Mage Hunt mechanic, Salt and Sacrifice sees Ska Studios carve out a space for itself as more than the studio that is good at making 2D Dark Souls games.
Hard West 2 takes a fluid and action-focused approach to turn-based strategy that isn't as complex as its inspirations but is still plenty of fun.
The best way to describe Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is “safe.” Much like with Jedi: Fallen Order, it is clear that Respawn has a lot of good ideas for this franchise and wants to draw from a variety of influences to make something special, but it ultimately ends up making a pastiche of AAA game mechanics and fixings that are serviceable but not very refined. Jedi: Survivor doesn't have the same novelty and luster that Fallen Order had behind it, so when it rests on its laurels like this, the whole package feels underwhelming. When coupled with a clunky story and a laundry list of technical issues, it's clear that Star Wars Jedi: Survivor still has a long way to go before it reaches its full potential.
Ultimately, Remnant 2 still hits more than it misses. This mish-mashing of two wildly different styles of games still largely succeeds despite not being an entirely clean fusion, and best of all, Gunfire Games has expanded the foundation laid by the first game into something that is truly unique and interesting. Remnant 2 is still rough around the edges, but its interesting worlds, incredible procedural generation system, and variety of playstyles do enough to hold up a game that might not always feel as refined or intuitive as the inspirations it draws from.
There is plenty to praise when considering that this is Ascendant's debut game and how it ended up being an incredibly competent and entertaining experience that manages to pull off a solid combat system and a fun story. However, there really isn’t much that feels new or particularly interesting otherwise. It is clear that a lot of thought and care has been put into all systems of Immortals of Aveum, from its shooting to its puzzles, but none of it is compelling enough for another playthrough. Immortals of Aveum is well-executed, easy to digest, and remarkably solid, but overall incredibly familiar. Still, it may pleasantly surprise more than one shooter fan, and has enough going for it to likely attract a dedicated audience.
But even with a few technical hiccups, checkpoint woes, and a sense that maybe going this big with such an intimate game wasn’t the best choice, The Invincible is an enjoyable experience. The Invincible is a '60s sci-fi novel brought to life that is best suited for those who love to get nerdy about hard science and love that retro sci-fi aesthetic. More casual fans will likely find plenty to enjoy with the game, but they should know that this a game about getting immersed in a world that wants to tell a story instead of the usual space-faring adventure shtick. When The Invincible gets its hooks in players, it can be a narrative experience that is thrilling, thought-provoking, and worth the ride.
Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden is in the spirit of high-quality AA games that should not go unnoticed. Banishers does not necessarily break any new ground with its systems but it keenly focuses on a single vision with its narrative and ensures that everything else is working in rhythm with it and working well. In the end, love is the driving force of Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden, and anyone who thinks that they might be interested in Red and Antea’s story is undoubtedly in for a good time.
Lucid Dreams Studio's Biomorph is a solid Metroidvania that should definitely scratch the itch for any fan craving more from the genre, and with a neat Kirby gimmick to boot. Its strong platforming and level design elevate Biomorph's otherwise straightforward approach to the genre, while its main issues mostly come from a desire to see the game do more with its concepts. Despite some lacking elements that do take away from the overall experience, there is nothing here that stops Biomorph from being an easy recommendation in a genre already filled with great releases.
MotoGP 21 is a great choice for newcomers to the series as it introduces a rigorous tutorial mode that will get you playing and having fun in no time. However, returning fans might be disappointed to see that this year’s MotoGP game is mostly the same as last year’s with an included bike retrieval mechanic. Overall MotoGP 21 is still the premier motorcycle racing simulator on the market with the best feeling racing experience for both newcomers and veterans.
Overall, if you know what you’re getting into with Insurgency Sandstorm, I am confident it will be an enjoyable game. It is a competent and decently fleshed-out mil-sim shooter that is rarely found outside of the PC space. Otherwise, you might just end up playing in silence, get sniped a few times from an unseen enemy, and decide to spend your time elsewhere as the game doesn’t do much in terms of catering to solo players thanks to its hardcore nature.
At its best, Shadow Warrior 3 is a competent Doom clone, serviceable enough for anyone that is really looking to kill some demons and kill some time, but perhaps best at a discount. Otherwise, Shadow Warrior 3 is uninspired and underdeveloped.