Azfar Rayan's Reviews
Despite having an interesting theme, Stray fails to be a good game. It's fun, particularly during the exploration periods when you can observe the neon-lit world through the eyes of a cat and scale skyscrapers and other seemingly unreachable locations. It falls flat when it tries to use exciting action to excuse the fact that it is a video game; the fighting is as uninspiring as it is pointless. It may be brief, but there is no compelling reason for it to be expanded upon.
Matchpoint - Tennis Championships has all the makings of becoming a spectacular tennis game in a given time. Even though the AI lacks depth, the gameplay is still entertaining and captivating. It has the potential to be a much more captivating game in future updates or releases if all the issues are addressed to improve the overall experience. It's been years since we've had a tennis game that came this close to being recognized as potential. Perhaps the lack of effort on the overall delivery makes it seem like the game took a step backward. Torus Games and Kalypso Media still deserve much credit for giving fans the hope for a great tennis simulator.
Bloodhunt provides a unique experience, which is something other games of this genre cannot say about themselves. Although cross-platform play remains uneven versus more proficient PC players and worries over balancing and map variation continue, it is still one of the more refreshing Battle Royale attempts in quite some time. If the imbalance continues, chances of success are slim, given the dwindling interest in Battle Royale games.
South of the Circle is the ideal game for anyone who wishes to enjoy a sophisticated and engaging narrative without exerting excessive effort. As long as it's viewed as nothing more than an interactive narrative in which we may adjust the emotional nuances and little aspects, it creates an exciting and intriguing adventure that will appeal to fans of this genre.
Way of the Hunter may not have broad appeal, but it succeeds in creating an immersive, realistic experience so that criticism seems misplaced. Currently, it's not the finest hunting game out there, but with little polish, it might easily become the best. You'll have fun here if you like hunting but don't want to deal with the mess and inconvenience of skinning and taxidermizing the animals you kill. Despite certain visual issues, it comprehensively analyzes hunting in the United States.
For those who have been clamoring for improved single-player experiences, NBA 2K23 delivers. This edition improves on last year's strong entry with on-court upgrades, a richer career mode, and nostalgic content. Eras becomes a must in subsequent editions, but Jordan Challenges remains an optional extra. Whereas MyTeam has a long and consistent history, MyPlayer has a short, sometimes irritating, one. The NBA 2K series has been popular for many years, but this year may be the one you decide to get back into it.
Steelrising's atmosphere and plot may have made it the Bloodborne-inspired Soulslike that fans of From Software's masterwork have been hoping for. Unfortunately, Spiders only managed to deliver an average game, and its problematic gameplay makes it hard to recommend even to enthusiasts of the genre. There are elements that may have made it a great RPG in the vein of Souls, but the game's mechanics and presentation aren't polished enough to keep players engaged.
Dorfromantik is a brilliant idea that adapts the genre of city builders to the puzzle genre without sacrificing the strategy elements that make for compelling gameplay, providing a soothing environment in which to construct picturesque villages that exist in harmony with their natural surroundings. The calming reputation of Dorfromantik is well-deserved. It's the ideal pastime for those long train rides or lazy afternoons at home.
Soulstice, developed by Reply Game Studios, is perhaps the studio’s most audacious project to date. A well-made game that does its best is nonetheless far below the genre’s best. Despite its fresh take on fighting and the dual blue and red field mechanism introduced in the game’s sister pair, Soulstice still seems like a carbon copy of other superior hack-and-slash titles. If these issues are addressed, Soulstice might stand out as a pleasant surprise and become an enjoyable game.
FIFA 23 is a fantastic soccer simulation. A presentation deserved by the next-gen consoles and is close to being groundbreaking. The available game modes are engaging, appealing, and mostly fun. For the last installment in the EA Sports-led FIFA series, it seems appropriate that FIFA 23 goes above and beyond to build upon its already strong fundamentals. There's hope for the future of EA SPORTS FC thanks to the company's Hypermotion technology and other enhancements, which have helped them score big on the field. This last chapter takes a little leap from its predecessors and serves as a fitting send-off to football's most prolific IP. If you're a football/soccer fan, you can't miss playing FIFA 23.
The sequel to 2016's Overwatch, titled simply Overwatch 2, is entertaining to play through but does not provide any game-changing mechanics. The foundation that made Overwatch so unique is in Overwatch 2, a game so full of character, variety, and charm that its rivals can't hold a candle to it. Overwatch 2 is a game that, with some careful tweaks from Blizzard, has the potential to carry on its epic legacy for generations to follow.
Despite being 100% linear, the hack-and-slash features in Valkyrie Elysium make it seem like it belongs in the souls genre, regardless of the game's action RPG label. The game suffers clear production restrictions even though there is nothing fundamentally wrong or terrible with to describe it. The problem is that the entire experience is just tiresome. Valkyrie Elysium delivers an inconsistent experience with its mix of good gameplay, uninspiring plot, and level design. This remake is an admirable effort at a fresh start, but it won't go down in history as a classic.
Asterigos: Curse of the Stars should've been one of the most thrilling action role-playing games in the vein of the Souls series, but the level design lets the game down. However, with over 22 bosses with a wide range of attacks and numerous mythology-based settings, it’s undeniable that the game delivers a satisfying and comprehensive experience. Acme Gamestudio did a decent job uniquely delivering their first game and if they can adjust the balancing of the two genres, a sequel to Asterigos can set a new benchmark.
Despite being quite challenging, however, there’s still a lot of fun to be had in LEGO Bricktales. The game’s sandbox mode is designed to foster players’ imaginations. Although it has a lot of promise, the game is held back by some issues with the gameplay, most notably the building mechanism. However, the thrill of attempting to construct a wide variety of things will surely be a delightful treat for LEGO enthusiasts.
A Plague Tale: Requiem, simply said, a well-crafted masterpiece. It improves upon the original in every way and contains all the features one would expect from a sequel. The game's varied mechanisms keep things interesting, and the excellent pace makes you feel like you got the right amount of each element at the right moments. The plot itself is engaging enough to overcome a few gameplay issues, providing a compelling sequel even though it may seem like a rehash of the original in many aspects.
Those who prefer strategic role-playing games will find a lot to like in Lost Eidolons. The game's static speech background could use some improvements, but for those who can see beyond these little annoyances, Lost Eidolons really offers something unique. There is certainly space for growth and a few bugs that need ironing out, while its many existing strengths make it one of the finest SRPGs of 2022.
There are a lot of new features and improvements in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, but the gameplay is mostly unchanged from the first Modern Warfare game. Its campaign mode will draw much criticism, while it's obvious that the single-player mode hasn't been a top focus. Overall, it's not too dissimilar from its 2019 remade predecessor, but this time around, expectations meant that there wasn't much room for innovation or surprise.
Resident Evil Village: Winters' Expansion is an entertaining plot extension lasting about three hours and has some excellent scares in the middle while it fizzles out a bit in the climax. Despite not being pushed to its maximum potential, The Winters' Expansion is for those who want their teeth into more of Capcom's newest horror thriller.
While there are certainly issues to be concerned about, the mix of the iconic high-speed platformer with the open world is innovative. It might be an excellent foundation to construct the franchise's future. If you can get beyond the technical issues, Sonic Frontiers plays quite well and will please longtime fans and those discovering the series for the first time.
Anticipations were a bit too high for an indie game of this level, and yet it didn't fail. Even though most gamers would hate Horse Tales: Emerald Valley Ranch because of its current state and the complex mechanism, a horse lover would love it. This game is purely made with the intention of pleasing this particular segment of gamers. Simply said, if you enjoy riding horses and enjoy spending time with them, then there is no better game than Horse Tales: Emerald Valley Ranch.