GamingTrend
HomepageStar Ocean: First Departure R is an above average game that has the potential to be great. While the story, characters, and world are fun to experience, a dull battle system, uncooperative AI, and reliance on random chance bring it down too much.
Draw Chilly is a 2D hack n'slash game that focuses on one man's mission to redirect wayward souls. With the help of an undead squad, a deadly weapon, and crazy abilities, Vladimir will earn his place in Purgatory. Some enemies and bosses are tough, but if you act carefully, you'll make it through.
Little Dungeon Stories is a charming little roguelike with card-based choice mechanics and relaxing gameplay. Gameplay gets repetitive and isn't very exciting, so it's best saved for short bursts of gaming. Even so, the interesting twist on the formula is worth checking out.
With only a few hiccups, Sniper Elite: Contracts finds the fine line between action arcade and sniper simulation. While the story might be forgettable, landing the perfect shot from 500 meters away never stops being awesome.
Audica morphs elements from several music genre bests, but putting a Harmonix spin on it. With a smooth pickup and play difficulty curve paired with a solid and ever-expanding soundtrack, Audica is another fantastic beat buster from Harmonix!
Folding in a fresh stable of mechs, and eight new weapons, Heavy Metal brings new ways to play. It also delivers a brand new mech in the Bull Shark, as well as specialization modules and two new lore-heavy mini-campaigns in the form of Flashpoints. Whether it's your first flight, or if you are a seasoned veteran, Heavy Metal rounds out Battletech nicely.
Dune Sea plays more like an endless runner than an adventure game. Soaring high above the ground and through obstacles as you try and reunite with fellow geese is a relaxing and sometimes effortless breeze. When the game wants, it's charming and has a lot of character, especially with its unique art-style and level design. Other times, the game mechanics and glitches will make you fall out of favor with your lovable goose.
Taking into account the stuttering, low resolution textures, and downgraded 3D models, this is still an incredible game. When I started playing, the game was a bit harder to look at, but as I continued and got back into the flow of its platforming I stopped caring about the visuals. While the glitches are still bothersome, it's a testament to just how good A Hat in Time is that I still adored the game in this compromised state.
I haven't bailed out on a VR game in a while, and only the most severe of nausea will cause me to eject completely rather than grind it out over time, but Golem is just painful to play. There's too many games that have done it cleaner, and with better motion mechanics -- play them instead.
Shenmue III feels like a remake of the Dreamcast game that never existed, for better and worse. It's got everything fans loved about the Sega classics, along with some of their baggage. Still, the best of the series is the greatest it's ever been. It can feel as bloated as the originals, and some mechanics feel unnecessary or are poorly explained. If you're curious about that fabled Shenmue charm, though? This is the best entry to date.