Like A Dragon: Ishin! is a great game, but doesn't do much to stand out against other games in the series. The story and setting are novel and interesting, however, the combat lacks any sort of balance. Even so, the excellent melodrama is worth seeing through to the end.
Wild Hearts brings a uniqueness to the monster hunting genre that keeps the experience feeling refreshing. The Karakuri and different weapon options are very fun to experiment with and present interesting combat opportunities. Overall, Wild Hearts capitalizes on what made monster hunting games so much fun in the first place while still giving fans of the genre a new reason to get excited and dive back into the fight.
In terms of gameplay, Rise has been a refreshing reintroduction to the series for me. After Monster Hunter: World I turned away from the series, skipping over Stories 2 entirely as the Stories games hadn’t really piqued my interest. It is a little daunting to restart the grind for gear and to ascend the Hunter Ranks again, which is why I don’t play MMOs anymore. Unlike with World, I don’t have a co-op partner for Rise, which can make some fights a little more difficult if you don’t want to queue up with randoms online. However, after diving back in for this review, and discovering the dual blades are so much better than the bow in Rise, I can see myself sinking a lot of time into this one.
If there’s anything that Mortal Shell has done for me, it’s that I am now slightly more interested in trying Souls-like games again. While much of the experience has been the type of frustration you would expect from a player new(er) to the genre, I’ve become kind of addicted to the vicious cycle of getting stomped for a couple hours, finally emerging victorious, and then getting stomped again. Games like this require patience and one of the biggest tips I’ve heard from Souls fans is that learning attack patterns is key.
From a gameplay perspective, Amnesia Memories and Amnesia Later x Crowd have translated well to the new platform, with this being the first time Later x Crowd is available to fans outside Japan. Unfortunately, as a newcomer to the series, an incredible story about a girl’s journey to recovering her memories and discovering the truth is grossly overshadowed by the love interest side of the story where she is often subjected to very poor and sometimes disturbing treatment.
From a gameplay perspective, Amnesia Memories and Amnesia Later x Crowd have translated well to the new platform, with this being the first time Later x Crowd is available to fans outside Japan. Unfortunately, as a newcomer to the series, an incredible story about a girl's journey to recovering her memories and discovering the truth is grossly overshadowed by the love interest side of the story where she is often subjected to very poor and sometimes disturbing treatment.
Marvel’s Midnight Suns has been… well, a marvel. The last superhero game I played and thoroughly enjoyed was Deadpool (2013), so I’m very excited to have found another that hits the spot while also introducing me to a genre that I’d previously ignored.
After a hard day’s work, you and your Kaiju return to The Ranch where you can tell your Kaiju to rest, check letters that have arrived offering words of congratulations or letting you know your breeder rank increased, give your Kaiju a treat, or visit the shop to get some more goodies or food ingredients. Ultra Kaiju Monster Rancher is a great game for passing time or winding down after a long day at work. I only play for short periods of time myself, but one could easily sink hours in a day just hanging with their Kaiju.
Charon’s Staircase is more a thriller than a horror with a very intriguing story that has some pretty cool twists. Some of the puzzles are a bit ambiguous and will leave you scratching your head, but in the end you’ll have experienced another treasure of storytelling from the minds of a talented and dedicated smaller studio.
Last Days of Lazarus is a fun indie (almost) horror game with a lot to puzzle over. The game is well designed, taking much inspiration from the developer's Romanian roots. The voice acting does leave much to be desired but the gameplay and exploration were a good offset.
The next generation edition of Biomutant may not have been necessary, but it doesn't hurt anything either. Overall, the game is very smooth, never dropping a frame no matter how crowded it may become, and the world is as beautiful and colorful as ever. My biggest gripe with the game is pretty universally mentioned: there was a lot more going on in the game than could be given proper attention, such as the upgrade and crafting systems, but it makes up for it in my opinion with a story and a world that is fun to explore.
Destroy All Humans 2 Reprobed is a beautifully done remake of a cult classic that fans are sure to enjoy. There are some bugs and glitches that still need to be ironed out and the boss battles are more exhausting than truly challenging. But, praise be to Arkvoodle.
Summary: MADiSON is an astounding success in the horror genre, especially for someone who doesn't play many horror games (me). The game was well put together and delivered on the spooks, however some puzzles are rough to figure out and could have been a little less obscure.
Dolmen provides fans of SciFi and Souls games with another daunting adventure full of defeat and satisfaction. The game isn’t without faults, having a few bugs as well as some inconsistencies with some combat mechanics, but the team at Massive Work Studio have laid a solid foundation. The game provides just enough reward to make the challenge worth it.
Something I don’t often remark on for games is the soundtrack, but I’m going to for The Serpent Rogue. I loved how each area had a different track, some darker and menacing, others more lighthearted and serene. Most of the safe areas had music that served well to not be distracting, especially when trying to work through the brewing process or recover losses. Other areas, even some of the safe areas, had musical tones that kind of set me on edge a little, reminding me of the futility of some of my efforts and the fragility of my situation.
Once you’ve had your fill of the story mode, you can jump over to versus mode to test your demon slaying skills against other players in PVP. Those Kimetsu Points you picked up throughout the game can be redeemed in the Rewards menu for different voice lines for each character, different costumes, profile customizations, and, of course, different fighters to unlock. Go head to head with other players in battles both online and locally with characters not only from the anime, but the series’ official spinoff as well.
Diablo Immortal is an absolutely stunning experience, even on mobile. The game is really easy to pick up, even for people new to the Diablo series. Gameplay is smooth and impactful and the voiceover work is top tier. Aside from hating the 'grind', this is my new favorite MMO experience!
Monster Energy Supercross 5 is what you would expect of another entry in the Monster Energy Supercross series. With a lot of the series mainstays as well as some newer features, players have a plethora of options to choose from. I just wish it was more welcoming for newer players.
Godfall is a godlike load of fun to play. I am a firm believer in giving games a second chance and this one is no exception. Gameplay is smooth and uncomplicated, as is really the rest of it, making it easier to get into, and it's oh-so-satisfying.
The Indie gamer's dream, Revita is sure to be a hit with many people. Never knowing what each run will hold makes it easy to keep going back, especially for the completionist who wants to find all of the secrets and unlock all of the things!