Kyle Foley's Reviews
Pikmin 4 brings back a storied franchise in a way that will appeal to players both old and new. The significant amount of freedom allows players to craft their own journey with so much to be discovered. New modern tools help assist players by making the experience more streamlined without ever feeling like hand-holding.
Crash Team Rumble feels like a great idea for a game that still had work to be done before it launched. The singular game mode, limited maps and characters, and a small online community kept from growing due to a high price point of entry do not bode well for the future of the game.
In a world full of games trying to stand out, Final Fantasy XVI has no problem rising above the rest. Wonderfully fun combat and beautiful presentation help make the excellent story even more impactful in an adventure well worth the price of admission.
Aliens: Dark Descent is a fun real-time strategy squad game that manages to feel tense and rewarding at the same time. It isn’t a perfect game, the loop can get a bit repetitive, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying every second of it.
The Lord of the Rings: Gollum is a love letter to a flawed character that shares some flaws of its own. The care and love of Tolkien lore are quite obvious, but it doesn’t always mesh well with the disappointing mechanics and less-than-stellar gameplay.
Star Trek: Resurgence has an enjoyable story in a beloved universe but is bogged down by outdated mechanics and visuals in a genre that others have shown can be vastly improved.
Afterimage is a truly beautiful experience, one worth taking the time to enjoy. There are some frustrating moments like a lack of clarity in direction or forced moments of experience grinding, but a compelling story and fascinating world kept those from ruining the experience.
Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp combines two of the greatest turn-based strategy games of all time in one beautiful package.
Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores is an excellent example of how to do DLC the right way. If this is just a taste of what is next for Aloy, I can’t wait for the whole meal.
Like a good dad joke, Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin may not be for everyone, but it grew on me and in the end, I loved every minute of it.
Incredibly personal environments and storytelling more than make up for some slightly outdated mechanics to make Rendezvous a thoroughly enjoyable and unique cyberpunk experience.
MLB The Show 23 does enough to revamp an excellent formula, while the Storylines: Negro Leagues mode serves as an important history lesson within the confines of the game.
Figment 2: Creed Valley dives into the human mind and perfectly balances the story, gameplay, and visual design to present a complete package worth checking out.
Ken Follett’s The Pillars of the Earth is an excellent story set in 12th-century England that brings players an incredibly authentic tale full of intrigue.
Theatrhythm Final Bar Line is a fantastic game, no doubt about it. The gameplay is easy to learn but challenging to master, and the massive library of songs and characters gives players countless hours of content to enjoy.
Metroid Prime Remastered is the gold standard for how to remaster an old game. Retro Studios have earned a reputation as one of the best game developers in the business, perfecting the balance between nostalgia and modern game development. Fans of the original Metroid Prime and newcomers to the franchise alike are in for an absolute treat.
Overall, One Piece Odyssey is the best video game story set in the One Piece universe to date. A delightful story and beautiful worlds more than make up for some more frustrating and outdated JRPG staples. Non-fans of the franchise might have a harder time getting into the already-established world, but it’s a hurdle that can absolutely be cleared. Whether players are newcomers or lifelong fans, One Piece Odyssey is a grand adventure absolutely worth going on.
Cobra Kai 2: Dojos Rising struggles mightily to match what makes Cobra Kai so appealing, largely because of how poorly the game itself actually performs. I was really hoping to get more out of my time with the game, and I hope future patches can help improve playability. Even if the bugs get squashed, a lack of innovative choices or new stories will still make Cobra Kai 2: Dojos Rising a disappointing release that couldn’t live up to its potential.
Despite some of my frustrations with how boring PGA Tour 2K23 can feel, that also just feels like golf in a nutshell. Golf is an old game with very little innovation, so watching the most popular golf game franchise follow that same path makes sense. As a golf simulator, PGA Tour 2K23 is as good as it gets, but for players who aren’t into the extremely accurate golf representation it’s going to always feel a bit boring.
While there is quite a bit about Dragon Ball: The Breakers that frustrated me, that doesn’t mean that the game is entirely disappointing. There were several moments when I was able to win as both the survivor and raider that felt really rewarding. Plus, getting to play around in the Dragon Ball sandbox is always entertaining as a fan of the franchise. It feels great to customize your own character and have them appear in a universe that feels distinctly Dragon Ball, which helps overcome some of the main gameplay issues I had. Most of the issues are also things that can be fixed going forward, which leaves me feeling optimistic about the future of Dragon Ball: The Breakers.