If you can’t tell, I didn’t like Doctor Who: Edge of Reality in this iteration. Had I played this in VR I think some of my issues would have been resolved, but the mistreatment of both Doctors is quite unforgivable and would be a huge issue in either version of the game. While I think it is almost as hard to make a good Doctor Who game as it is to make a good Star Trek game, I appreciate that studios keep trying different things… but this ain’t it bruh.
The changes that have been to the formula that was created for XCOM are welcome ones, and hopefully this isn’t just a one-off adventure into this universe.
If you can’t tell, I really loved Age of Empires 4. If I had to complain it would be that while I love the depth and difference in each civilization; I would like to see more added. Perhaps one with an African/Egyptian flair. And that I wasn’t able to try out the multiplayer, but it does have a nice quick match system in place where the player can choose to queue up for multiple types of matches at a time. As I said above Age of Empires 4 is the perfect mix of old and new and I really think the legions of fans who’ve been waiting ever so patiently for 16 years for a new entry in this storied franchise will find much to love here.
Turtle Rock Studios have made a triumphant return to the genre that kickstarted a whole zombie craze so many years ago. That return isn’t perfect though, issues with the controls, missing game modes and bugs have marred what is otherwise an enjoyable zombie killfest. At the time of this writing a few patches have gone out that have corrected most of the larger bugs, but there are still issues with spawning too many special infected at a time and other little issues. While these things can be frustrating, they don’t destroy the fun of Back 4 Blood when playing the game as it’s meant to be. That is playing multiplayer with a group of friends smartly navigating a nightmare filled world.
There are secret areas to explore, walls that can be broken by attacks, bosses hidden off the beaten path and so much more. And its these moments that make Death’s Gambit: Afterlife shine brightest for me, but if you are a fan of rouge-lites then you will find much to love here as well. It doesn’t really add much new to the genre but it checks all the boxes that rogue-lites require and there is nothing wrong with that.
The beautiful graphics, unique characters and fun combat doesn’t take away from the fact that this is an old-school RPG at heart with new school wrappings. AA boasts a fun take on the traditional job systems found in JRPGs, I just wish it was given a story to match all of the great things it has going for it. Fights can drag on at times much like the JRPG’s of old, what helps is the amazing art and effects from the various attacks. But while fans of the older Final Fantasy’s and even Dragon Quest games may enjoy this trip of nostalgia; those folks raised on Persona 5’s and the last few Final Fantasy’s might be in for a bit of a shock. Astria Ascending isn’t a bad game, just a flawed one; but if you enjoy Vanillaware games and don’t mind a grind a lot of fun can be had here.
Diablo 2 Resurrected is a masterpiece in its own right; it evokes a freshness all the while hitting players with an overwhelming sense of nostalgia. The sheer joy that is had when delving into dungeons to destroy the Lord of Terror and by extension is brothers (the expansion Lord of Destruction is included in this release with all of the classes/items and fixes that it brought back in the day. But players can play vanilla Diablo 2 but its not recommended for beginners) is indescribable. I am getting a giddiness just thinking about returning to the game, and not too many current video games can evoke that kind of feeling; and that’s where Diablo 2: Resurrected shines brightest.
While I am glad to see MechWarrior make a return; its just not the one I’ve been waiting for. While the latest expansion Legend of the Kestrel Lancers adds new mechs, biomes and a linear story missions its still more of the same, so if one doesn’t like the base game…. Then the expansion isn’t going to do much to change that.
While never having played a Xuan Yuan in the past, I can confidently say they have a new fan. As I stated above all of the talking, and explaining can turn off some folks, those that stay will be in for quite a thrill ride of a story full of Chinese mythology, politics and epic fights. While some of the translation is off during the script and on some combat abilities it was never enough to break immersion. The words that popped up were always close enough, that I was able to understand what was going on in the scene.
Omen of Sorrow has more good things going for it than bad, the overall combat system feels fresh and new. The characters all feel relatable while at the same time being totally original. Fights can last longer than in other fighting games, not to mention the soundtrack is absolutely out of this world. But that’s where a lot of the good things end, the utter lack of content and the length of time it takes to actually find matches online really takes a lot of the wind from these sails.
As a fan of the original two BloodRayne games I am excited to see one of my favorite dhampirs back in the gaming spotlight. On the other hand, I wish that Ziggurat would have brought those remastered games from PC to console. Betrayal: Fresh Bites isn’t a bad game at all, its just not a great example of BloodRayne at it’s best; even with the new HD bells and whistles. My hope is that this game will give Rayne some attention and make the developers see that she is a character worthy of not only a remaster but a brand-new adventure.
Severed Steel is a fantastic ride while it last, there is a map editor for the brave but replay value is only going to be found for those that have the need to top a leaderboard or want to record some dope slo-mo montages. Anyone looking for a supremely easy to get into action game that blends the bullet-time from Max Payne with a bombastic soundtrack pumping techno music and all the slides and dives from 80-90’s action movies…look absolutely no further than Severed Steel. For a first game Greylock has nailed it and I can’t wait to see this gem on consoles.
Aftermath is an interesting title for this expansion to World War Z. The very definition of the word is the “aftereffects of some sort of significant unpleasant event, but honestly this expansion is anything but unpleasant. Sure, there are some frame drops, and the FPS mode is gimmickier than anything else but this is an extremely solid update. The addition of the extra class in the Vanguards, the extra story missions as well as the Horde XL update adding more hordes of the undead to take down and what you get is a very pleasant update to an already stellar co-op zombie shooter.
I really enjoyed my time with Tails of Iron, it had a very mature story to tell wrapped up in a charming yet dark world. The clever use of communication between the creatures while using ‘Geralt’ for narration duties is definitely one of my highlights from this game. While I am not a fan of the ridiculously named ‘Souls-Borne’ genre, there was so much to love about Tails of Iron that it was easy to overlook. Sure, the combat was very difficult but who doesn’t like a challenge; I just hope we get to see more from Redgi and his brothers in the future.
Whatever side of the line you land on, the constant will be that Ultra Age is a lot of fun to play. While its systems might not be deep; the enjoyment of juggling combos/blades and enemies is worth the 7 hour length.
Even the story in Clid the Snail hit all the notes of comedy, tragedy and action on queue. But that combat… they absolutely NAILED the challenging part. It’s just a shame that it isn’t much fun and instead just feels like an exercise in futility at parts.
I didn’t hate King’s Bounty II; I loved the combat system. The hex design and the battlefields are all highlights. However, the things that can be done in-between those fights is where the majority of the player’s time will be spent. And it as much as I usually enjoy exploring RPG’s, there was no joy in navigating the overworld in King’s Bounty II due to the ridiculously slow movement speed. Those that are fans of the franchise will no doubt find much to love here with the fun combat and varied units and even decent main story.
Deathloop is a fantastic game and worth the price of admission, my hope is that it is not left by the wayside due to its exclusivity and the sub sequential buyout of publisher Bethesda by Microsoft. I know a lot of fans feel they need to be on one side of this or the other, but I am here to tell you that Deathloop is a great game and worthy of a playthrough wherever you choose to experience it. Deathloop is probably one of the best examples of really blending those rogue-lite elements into an otherworldly and excellent story, freedom of choice, tight controls and a delightful cast of characters all wrapped in a beautiful package.
If you aren’t a huge fan of the films but can get past the egregious decision to only include a sparse amount of playable modes and endure the grind to unlock the other fighters; then Big Rumble Boxing can be a solid and fun fighting game to play.
Its almost as if for every step forward Recompile takes, it insists on taking one back. However, the saving grace is that its not a long journey through the motherboard, that is to say it is thankfully pretty short. So those folks that are forever chasing those achievements can rack up some score here, and its on Game Pass which makes the cost of admission even better. If you enjoy ‘metroidvania’ type games and you don’t mind the issues then there is fun to be had here, and you don’t even have to go digging in the dark web to find it.