The bones are solid; mechs feel powerful, battles look great, and customization is top-notch but the meat on those bones feels undercooked.
Lynked: Banner of the Spark doesn’t reinvent the roguelite genre; it just reinvigorates it.
Fuga: Melodies of Steel 3 isn’t just a continuation but a culmination. It takes what worked from the first two games, sharpens the mechanics, deepens the emotional storytelling, and delivers a strategy RPG experience that is as thoughtful as it is compelling.
The story has it all, humor? Yep. Trauma. Oh, it’s here for sure in some big doses. Even though I already know the story beats from Final Fantasy 7 but Rebirth still managed to surprise me time and time again in the best way. Come for the Queen’s Blood, stay for the excellent Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth tale.
It’s soccer by way of the fighting game genre: twitchy, intense, and one mistake away from disaster. For me, someone who isn’t a soccer fan, I can appreciate what this game is doing but for fans of this form of football I know you will vibe with Rematch.
The good news is that all these issues can be fixed, but if I’m honest; I miss the days when players could buy a game, take it home and play it with no issues from start to finish, I know digital is the way but it shouldn’t make these developers dependent on the ‘patch’ crutch. I don’t know, just an ‘old man shouting at clouds’ I guess but FBC: Firebreak is fun to play as long as you have a solid team and temper your expectations.
But for SEED fans, especially those who remember poring over the original’s menus with a translation guide in hand, this remaster is a nostalgic gift. For everyone else? It’s an old warhorse with a new coat of paint and a reminder that sometimes, the past is best visited with tempered expectations.
It’s not a game for everyone but for those willing to settle into its rhythms and forgive a few rough edges, there’s something special here. It’s the kind of game you come back to on quiet evenings not because it demands your attention, but because it earns your time.
For fans of the franchise, there’s nothing else quite like it. For MMO players tired of formulaic grinds and empty worlds, this is something richer, even if it comes at a cost. But be warned: if you’re looking for fast progress, you’re going to have a bad time. On Arrakis, everything fights back.
The Alters is a unique, emotionally layered, sometimes hilarious, sometimes heartbreaking game that will have you questioning your own life choices and then simulating alternate versions of them. It’s not just about survival or ‘tree-punching’ as Ken calls it; but it’s about identity, regret, and learning to cooperate with your own worst tendencies… literally. It’s like if RimWorld and Black Mirror had a baby, and that baby wanted to talk to you about your high school failures. The Alters is developer 11-bit Studios firing on all cylinders with what I feel is there best game to date. Do I recommend The Alters? Absolutely! Just don’t play it when you’re already existentially fragile. Or do. I’m not your Alter.
TMNT: Tactical Takedown is a decent time if you love the turtles and aren’t expecting a revolutionary tactics game. It has heart, humor, and enough ninja action to keep fans entertained, truly my only issue is the writing in some areas but even its not enough to distract from how much fun this tactics game is; just like my first time trying pineapple on pizza, I was surprised with how much I really enjoyed this unique mash-up and wouldn’t mind another tactical Turtles game.
Look, in the middle of all this chaos, the world does have atmosphere. Gritty, creepy, and weirdly beautiful at times, it’s just so unfortunate that the graphic fidelity is so freaking inconsistent.
Fans of Crazy Taxi and the Burnout franchise will appreciate the reckless charm therein but those looking for a deeper story or more refined mechanics may find it lacking.
The growth is really shown in the combat fluidity that runs through Kiborg’s moment to moment gameplay. Yes, it is a roguelite so players can expect to die many, many, many times before they find the perfect cybernetic upgrades for success and sure the game is a bit janky; but it’s a lot of fun.
Monster Train 2 is a truly enjoyable experience that feels like the developers have successfully built upon it upon its predecessor’s foundation.
Ultimately, Knock on the Coffin Lid is a solid rogue-like deckbuilding game with some nice additions and twist from the norm.
Blades of Fire is a welcome return to MercurySteam and I think it’s one that is going to be a sleeper hit. The way the story unfolds and pushes the player to explore the environment that is littered with hidden fights and upgrades that will help Aran become stronger.
So, to invest money in this remaster just seems like giving some false hope to fans that are interested in seeing more from Deacon and gang but who am I, just a black guy reviewing games. I am sure Sony knows what they are doing……right?
The moment-to-moment gameplay feels just like watching those cop shows from the 80’s; running perps down on foot, getting into crazy shootouts and exploding cars, even your partner telling you how close to retirement he is; everything about The Precinct is so deliciously 80’s and I thoroughly savored and enjoyed every moment of it.
I love the fact they hand-designed the levels, but the overall graphics might have suffered as the game certainly is nothing to write home about in that area.