Luuc ten Velde's Reviews
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is a triumph in many ways thanks to its story, a plethora of minigames, an improved fighting system and a sprawling open world full of activities that are fun and rewarding. The story dips a bit towards the middle though, while the new mechanic that tracks the relationships in the party is a bit unclear at times.
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Super Mario Maker 2 is a remarkable continuation from the original game. This new entry in the series takes the best elements of the previous one and adds a huge number of new elements, modes and styles. The creator mode is larger and deeper, the online multiplayer is just fun; but the story mode lacks on personality. Even though the game is bigger and extensive, it is definitely not the ultimate Mario Maker.
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Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart is very important for the PS5 as it's a true showcase of what the hardware is capable of. The dynamic duo looks amazing in 4K, although it's the ray-tracing that really shines the most. Rivet is also an amazing addition to the cast, while the gameplay truly feels next-gen thanks to the DualSense and SSD. The game is rather short however which makes the 75 euro price tag stand out.
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All in all, Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition is a fantastic title that's well worth playing. With a story you'll remember for a long time to come, characters to love, and a particularly good combat system, the game is well worth playing. Especially on the Switch, the game comes into its own thanks to the option to play handheld.
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If you play the game alone, you also do not have to worry that the experience is less. The story is fantastic to experience and tastes like more play sessions to see how the characters could deal with situations in a different way. The artstyle will not attract everyone and for a sequel a little more depth in animation work the game would certainly not be out of place.
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While Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is by no means mom's prettiest, it can't be denied that Monolith Soft has delivered one of the best RPGs on the Switch. With countless hours of missions and a juicy story that constantly begs you to keep playing, you're glued to your Switch. There is some lamentation based on the first hours that keep serving tutorials and cutscenes, but we have to swallow them.
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While not for everyone, Death Stranding still is a breathtaking experience thanks to a beautiful world filled to the brim with amazing characters. The gameplay lacks some variety in some ways, yet with such an amazing story you just want to keep playing. The same thing applies for the stealth-sections which are some of the best Kojima has ever created.
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Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is a modern classic in all the right ways. A great story, beautiful music, great combat and wonderful characters make this a RPG everyone needs to play.
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Catherine Full Body offers up a nice blast from the past with some new twists to keep things fresh. The added multiplayer keeps you playing the hard puzzles over and over again. The gameplay in the campaign isn't for everyone though.
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Black Ops 4 brings the fun and dares to change. There might not be a campaign, but its replacement called Blackout is so much fun to play. Even if Battle Royale isn't your thing, you can still find enjoyment in the revamped Zombies and the multiplayer modes.
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Moss is a fantastic game despite an imperfect ending. The fantastic protagonist Quill, great gameplay and clever puzzles make Moss an experience to remember.
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Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is a great game thanks to improved combat, traversal and quality of life improvements. There are still some improvements to make though, as Insomniac could've listened more to the feedback on the first two games.
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Monster Hunter Stories 2 is a great game thanks to its impressive combat system. The real star of the show however is the lively world that keeps you entertained throughout. Even though the Switch might not capable of the prettiest graphics, the game still looks great. It comes with a price however as the framerate is not that good.
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Star Wars Squadrons truly shines in its VR form as you enter grand scale space warfare. Although a bit light on content, the game offers up great gameplay, even when you're not in virtual reality. It's a shame, the story doesn't live up to more recent Star Wars stories though.
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All in all, the Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut is the best way to experience Jin Sakai's adventure. The already existing adventure looks and plays better than ever on the PlayStation 5 and the addition of Iki Island is more than welcome. This one gives you many extra reasons to enjoy Jin's adventure even longer, despite the extra storyline being on the short side.
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Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands looks a lot like Borderlands 3 and plays a bit like it as well. Luckily, the Wonderlands offers up a fantastic setting full of great enemies and humor that hits a lot better. It's a shame the Overworld feels so unnecessary, although there is plenty of fun to have thanks to the bigger focus on customization.
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Concrete Genie leaves you begging for more in an experience that's short and sweet. Even though the game isn't challenging it feels great to play as you let your imagination run wild. With a charming story and great characters to boot you should definitely be playing this if you don't mind the short runtime.
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Gears 5 offers up an amazing campaign that isn't afraid to take risks, while staying true to its core. The new Escape mode is great, just like the additions to the iconic Horde mode. It's a shame the game suffers from many technical problems.
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Dragon Quest Builders 2 is a great time for kids. Adults might be slightly bored by the stale combat, but will be impressed with the amazing building-mechanics. The story is a tad long though, but that's understandable seeing how this is still a JRPG.
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The first Smash Ultimate DLC delivers a great fighter with Persona 5’s Joker. His fighting is balanced well even though he’s pretty bad in the air. Luckily Arcane has his back and that’s just one example of the great fanservice this DLC has to offer.
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