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.
Even with the little pathing issues, and text overlaps Mayhem Brawler is an absolute joy to play, wither in single player or in 3 player co-op. The eclectic cast of characters, the grungy yet colorful setting and the bass thumping, bad guy busting soundtrack really help to encapsulate that 90’s vibe the developers were going for, they have managed to not only make a solid side scrolling arcade game but they also delivered a fun and unique story at the same time.
The best advice though that I can give is to play this with your friends, it’s truly how the developers want it played. You will be able to mix the classes and abilities together to great success and trying the various builds and weapons ends up being a blast with your buddies. If you are a fan of the franchise then you don’t need to be advised you are going to enjoy this game, but if you are new to Aliens know that it does a great job of easing you in so that you don’t feel overwhelmed.
If you want a solid arcade flying racer and you feel the need…. the need for speed; then this could be the game for you.
Its not often that you find such a dark and adult story wrapped up in such a whimsical and beautiful package, this one could be a contender for RPG of the year.
If you are a fan of rogue-lites there is absolutely no reason for you to not be playing Hades, and if you aren’t a fan of the genre but enjoy action RPG’s with the above ingredients then you should give this a try. If Hades becomes the gold standard for rogue-lites going forward, then consider me a willing convert and long live the rogue lites!
Coming off of what was a year in Early Access on PC I had high hopes that most if not all of these things wouldn’t be an issue. But the team can correct these things with some patches, and hopefully that is what they are going to do because its going to be a shame to let this universe languish and go to waste because the potential is definitely there for greatness.
As tower defense games go, this should be the new gold standard as it’s chock full of strategy but levels that with being able to actually control your hero and let you go hands on with the action. Hopefully this one doesn’t get forgotten due to its exclusivity to Stadia because it will be a real shame if this is the last Orcs Must Die…especially since I am now a huge fan.
I really can’t recommend this game enough, even with the lackluster facial animations this is an experience that shouldn’t be missed if you value narrative; in particular mysteries.
As I said before Samurai Warriors 5 is a beautiful game, and not to be missed if you enjoy the genre. The team has done a fantastic job of refreshing this franchise, and I am hopeful that they garner some new fans to keep this series of games going for years to come.