Joseph Whitfield's Reviews
Rhythm Fighter might only have five levels but it puts up one hell of a fight. It requires multiple playthroughs before you get to make serious progress. Due to the randomly generated levels and well-paced upgrade system, this never feels like a chore and the character designs are so charming you can’t help but come back for more. The difficulty in the later levels can be tough, especially if you’re only just starting out, but the game encourages you to get better rather than demoralising you. For me, Rhythm Fighter is one of those “just one more go” games and a rather enjoyable one at that.
It’s how a video game should be - it's never too difficult and it doesn’t take itself too seriously. The fourth wall breaks and callbacks to other chapters had me laughing out loud. The surreal nature of the plot and presentation won’t appeal to everyone, but for someone who loves the stranger side of life, this will be right up your street. It certainly lives up to the Twin Peaks-meets-Zelda description and then some.
The horrors unfolding in-game aren’t the most scary thing about the game - the limitations of the hardware however were frightful, meaning that the game is just two analogue sticks away from being a must-own title for VR players. Sadly, the things that let Layers of Fear VR down are outside the control of the developers, but if you power through the technical issues, you’ll find a game that gives a satisfactory return on your investment just on the story alone.
Radio Viscera is an entertaining romp through the camp of Y2K cultists to say the least. The twin stick shooter manages to tick a lot of boxes and make you forget the few negatives. While the setting is a little ‘by the numbers’ and some of the puzzles could have been implemented slightly more effectively, you’re left with a relentless and comical game that doesn’t overstay its welcome. With fast paced controls that are perfect to a tee and cartoonish violence everywhere, Radio Viscera accomplishes what it sets out to be – a fun shooter experience and you can’t fault it for that.
Neptunia x Senran Kagura: Ninja Wars - a game that’s full of humour, fluid gameplay and a story, which despite being hamfisted to bring two series together, was ridiculous enough to work. It is more Neptunia than Senran Kagura so I think it’ll appeal to the former fan base rather than the latter, but the run time left a bitter taste - just as the game was starting to roll, it ended. The team up between both franchises was a strange choice from the outset but it's well crafted and surprisingly well done, at least until the developers seemingly decided it was time for the Neptunia and Senran Kagura girls to wrap up and go home.
Monark treads the fine line between a good RPG and a truly great one. I enjoyed that it was a stripped back affair and that I only had the story to focus on instead of thousands of pointless side quests. The story, while dark, was enjoyable, particularly in the second half of the game. Some of the investigative portions really tested my mettle and while there is a grind to keep up with the difficulty curve, this was well balanced and always fair. If the early stages of hunting Pactbearers wasn’t the same process in a different environment, Monark would be a truly great game. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a pretty good RPG, but the flaws are noticeable, and it runs the risk of putting people off.
You might call me old before my time, but for me Word Forward is an engaging puzzle game that really tests mental capacity. Despite how tough it gets, I enjoyed what can only be described as an oddly specific form of torture (particularly once I clicked the music off). By implementing a chess-level of strategy, it elevates the title to one that stands out in the overcrowded casual-puzzle game space. Word Forward makes no bones about being difficult; even with the power ups it will be a struggle to complete all of the challenges, that is unless you either take a serious amount of time carefully planning each move, or are a seasoned enigmatologist. Either way, I’d say it’s worth it to try.
As a technical showcase of what the PlayStation 5 can do Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart sets the bar and sets it high and don’t get me wrong, all of the elements of a brilliant platformer are present and the gameplay is phenomenal while it lasts. Out of a 20 hour 100% run, only 5-7 hours of Rift Apart is spent playing the game, while the rest of the time was spent watching cutscene after cutscene full of explosive set pieces. So long as I didn’t deviate from the set path, those few hours where I had control were absolute perfection, but it felt like Insomniac Games was focused more on how pretty they can make a videogame look rather than producing a memorable game that fans have waited eight years for.
Dr. Fetus’ Mean Meat Machine might be a spin-off, and it might be a bloodier version of Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine, but everything that made Super Meat Boy an enjoyable (?!) platform game is present here. The match-4 formula has been given a facelift to operate more like Dark Souls than Puyo Puyo, with numerous obstacles not only in your way, but actively trying to kill you. Those looking for a challenging puzzle game will be hard pressed to find anything more frustrating than Mean Meat Machine.
Source of Madness is one game that stands out from the ever-growing roguelike crowd. The very nature of the genre means that there is a long grind in front of players but the team at Carry Castle has done an excellent job at making sure the gameplay is as engaging as it can be. Restarting over, over, over and over again never feels like a chore, rather it sets a target for you to beat. Sure, Source of Madness has its flaws, particularly the odd enemy design and vague story, but if you are in the market for something that is super accessible, easygoing and looks as gothy as a Tim Burton film, then Source of Madness is a game I’d recommend.
Throughout my time with Bayonetta 3, it felt that the game was always on the cusp of setting my Switch on fire, but thankfully my house is still standing and the slick performance was intact. The story is as bonkers as the rest of the series, raising the stakes to a level that’s on par with the latest Marvel movies and while I do think that it is a little try-hard in some areas, we still have another great hack ‘n’ slash from Platinum Games. Bayonetta 3 might have taken a thousand years to arrive, but thankfully it's bloody good fun and is a fitting addition to the franchise.
Hell Pie manages to be one of those games in which the theme, humour and gameplay are consistent from start to finish. I never tired of the sarcastic comments from the NPCs, or Nugget’s daft commentary throughout the 17 hours it took to complete the platformer. It’s a shame that technical issues plague Hell Pie, with the primary culprit being the camera. Still, even with those issues, I’ve not experienced such a succinct platformer in a long while. There was not one point in Hell Pie where I felt the game suddenly jutted out of line, gave you too much to do, or fell flat in the comedy department. Even in the later levels, like when Nate and Nugget found themselves at the Pearly Gates, the platformer still felt the same game as when I first tapped the Cross button to begin the adventure.
The Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection’s package is impressive, especially when you consider the amount of content you get for the price. The developers could have taken a leaf out of Nintendo’s book and created a 3D All-Stars-type collection with just the games and called it a day, but to their credit, Konami has crammed a lot of stuff into the collection to keep you busy for days. While there are no graphical improvements, they run fine as long as expectations are adjusted accordingly. If you have no way to play any of these games or would like to experience the Metal Gear series for the first time, I absolutely recommend Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol 1. If you already own the originals or the HD Collection, your money is probably best saved for the inevitable remakes.
The turn-based affair isn’t for everyone as it moves at a snail’s pace, for the most part, it gives weight to each battle but during a long play session, tedium can set in. That being said, if you’re aware of the plodding nature, this off-beat battler is a rare gem that is both funny and meaningful. The standout of the piece is the medieval styling, which looks as if Terry Gilliam was responsible for putting together the Magna Carta. While I was thoroughly sold on the visuals and humour, there was no better feeling than obtaining the win by using a fart-push combo to dispatch that last opponent. Inkulinati might not be for everyone, but for those who like the strategy genre, then you’re in for a fun time.
The Letter is a scary, if somewhat predictable affair riffing heavily from Japanese horror films such as Ringu and The Grudge. The plot starts off strong but by the end game, when you’ve heard the same lines of dialogue seven times, I ended up wishing death upon all of the characters as I skipped through the same dinner party, although the final conclusion wasn’t one I was expecting. Once the main story has concluded there is still a large amount of game left to explore and branching story options to discover, which does add more context to the whole experience and gives the game a tonne of replayability - it’s just a shame that the visuals and scripting hold it back from being a truly great experience.
Skabma - Snowfall tells a beautiful story of the Sami people. While the story weaves through realistic situations of survival, it’s coupled with magical and mystical folklore that has not been told in such a way before. The visuals are brilliantly represented and having the game told in the Sami language was refreshing. There are some issues with the camera and the lack of clarity on some missions did leave me scratching my head, but the message that Red Stage set out to tell works brilliantly and is an experience I’d want to play again, despite the pitfalls.
Neptuinia Sisters Vs Sisters feels more accomplished and, dare I say, more grown up than any of the other games I’ve played in the series. The humour remains as cutting and irreverent as ever, taking every opportunity to send up the video game industry and often hitting the mark. Likewise, the gameplay is just as repetitive, and although there is less of a grind this time around, I still felt fatigued after playing through some of the levels. At this point, Idea Factory certainly knows what they are doing when it comes to the series, and with over a decade developing Neptunia, they are still finding ways to surprise and delight players. I’d have preferred more varied environments to explore, though there are signs that future titles will look to take cues from the groundwork laid here. What took me by surprise is that the story is a more genuinely mature (and not lewd) affair, for a series that has often leaned on the fanservice aspect to hide its shortcomings and did make for an enjoyable experience.
The Pillar does exactly what it sets out to do; it’s a puzzle game that takes the escape room experience and presents it as a video game. Some puzzles are easy, some are frustrating but it never feels unfair. The short run time is unfortunately a big drawback, especially as there’s not a lot of content post game. The lack of any clues whatsoever, including the controls, also might put some people off, but if you’re in the market for a game that gives you the feeling of an escape room without leaving your house, you can’t go wrong with The Pillar: Puzzle Escape.
Inside such a compact game, you have humour and ridiculous situations that are fun to play. Characters are well voiced and the stupid requests hit home on a personal level. Unfortunately, being restricted to an on-rails experience that lasts only a few hours hampers the enjoyment, but it is rather fun while it lasts. It’s just a shame it couldn’t stick around longer.
The beautiful story takes you on a sizable journey despite the short run time; it had me engrossed and packed a punch on more than one occasion. The choices made at key moments in the game felt meaningful for both Sid’s life as well as my own. Regrettably, the technical limitations hold the game back in a significant way and keep Frostwood Interactive from realising their vision for the game. When these issues are fixed, and I’m sure they will be, I would have no problem increasing the score.