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While there isn't much of an incentive to play the game outside its online modes, Virtua Fighter 5 still does what it does quite well, and with a much-needed updated version now available to a newer generation, more players can now appreciate this stellar classic.
The Sims 4 Dream Home Decorator Game Pack was just what I needed, as I really wanted to start designing some of my own homes and rooms. I very much enjoyed the hands-on experiences with each of the clients' unique homes. My only complaint is that some of the likes and dislikes are not obvious, especially when it comes to particular styles, and that the clients don't tell you what you did wrong at the end of the renovation. The reveal at the end is super fun, and reminds me of being on a fixer upper TV show.
Summary: Miitopia is a fun and funny if flawed game. While this rerelease may be worthwhile to some for the character creator alone, its unwillingness to provide deeper and more balanced gameplay makes it difficult to want to experience everything the game has to offer or even just finish it.
There are few games that have ever made me scream in anger or shout with unbridled joy as often as Knockout City and I absolutely can't stop playing. It's a near-perfect team multiplayer game packed with strategy, heart, and an incredibly impressive level of polish. Even if it's a bit buggy and lacking in content at the moment, I can't recommend it enough.
Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance has sadly not held up for a modern audience. If you already enjoyed the game, then this is a decent port to current hardware. For everyone else, the game is clunky, drab, and boring.
Riddled with repetition, Biomutant is as grand in ambition as it is bland in execution. Where it shines in character creation and choice, it fumbles in its narrative and empty morality system. Where building your powers, weapons, and toys is great, finding all the parts to do so is simply a chore. Odd to say, but in this case, less might have been more, but what is here is fun. Just not as fun as it could have been.
Knight Squad 2 is a fun, competent, and chaotic multiplayer game great for parties, but features little to keep players interested beyond the few hours it will take to tackle all the game modes and unlock all the Knights. The addition of cross-platform play is certainly nice and a feature I hope more games implement in the future. A few more unlockables or even a leveling system for the Knights would have been nice, but as it stands I enjoyed my time with Knight Squad 2.
Fights in Tight Spaces is a stylish roguelike deck-builder that uses a clever resource system to back up some truly satisfying cardplay. While the amount of content is fairly light in its current Early Access state, what's there is fun, entertaining, and polished. It may not be as deep as some other card games out there, but I have no concerns about recommending Fights in Tight Spaces to fans of the deck-building genre, or simply those who love a good action movie.
Jay and Silent Bob: Mall Brawl does a great job recreating the look and feel of an original NES release, but takes its retro inspired roots a bit too far and becomes a game which few but the most dedicated will finish. That said, I did enjoy my time with the game and catching the references to other Kevin Smith movies.
Godstrike will test your patience and your abilities with a controller. When at its best, this game is fully creative, fun, and all around a good time, but not one game is perfect, and this game will show its cracks from time to time.
The Invisible Hand is a deceptively absurd take on the corporate circus that is Wall Street day trading. It's at its best when it lets the player wreak havoc however they please, but in trying to juggle both stock market shenanigans and its satirical story, it fumbles on both fronts.
The team did an outstanding job with the Courtyard Oasis Kit, and for such a low price I think it's a no-brainer. Any Sims 4 building enthusiast needs this in their arsenal! The nods at Moroccan architecture are well done, and I'd love to see more cultural Kits like this in the future! The good news is, I really enjoyed trying to build this outdoor oasis, and want to take a deeper dive on my own builds.
Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster is a fantastic game at its core, but does little to justify the HD Remaster part of its title. The visuals are improved greatly and being able to choose between Raidou and Dante is nice, but there are few improvements the base game desperately needed like better dungeon design.
In terms of presentation, the graphics are charming and have a Saturday morning cartoon feel to it. Cloudy and some NPCSs are rendered in cardboard while other objects are in a minimalist 3D style. It’s a nice contrast that pops with the colorful graphics. There are a few hiccups here and there when playing in handheld mode, but it’s alright when docked. The music is a bit of a weak point, with some stock tracks being used to grating effect. It’s not a dealbreaker, but I would have appreciated more original tunes than what was offered here.
Psychonauts is an incredibly unique experience from beginning to end and is worth playing and replaying over and over. It's heartfelt, hilarious, memorable, and a joy to play.
Days Gone is the perfect PlayStation game to make its way to PC. It was already a beautiful game, but held back by the PS4 and PS4 Pro. On PC, Days Gone gets it's chance to flourish, running at uncapped frame rates, high resolutions, and touting an FOV slider. While it is missing some cool next-gen upgrades like ray tracing and DLSS, Days Gone runs nearly flawlessly on PC, and serves as a testament to Bend's tradecraft. Even if you've already played the game on PS4 or PS4 Pro, it's worth jumping back into the shoes of Deacon St John on PC to massacre a freaker horde at the highest level of performance possible.
The fact of the matter is, there are over 100 hours of game ahead of me across three games and more than 40 pieces of high-quality DLC like Lair of the Shadow Broker, Leviathan, and Overlord now folded directly into the story. So the saying goes, you can’t step into the same river twice, but Mass Effect Legendary Edition is certainly going to make one hell of an attempt at it. Now, if you will excuse me, I’ve got some Keepers to go scan.
Wrath of the Druids is simply more Assassin's Creed Valhalla, both for good and ill. For a paid expansion, it doesn't add much new or interesting and the main quest doesn't have much to deal with Druids. Still, more Valhalla is more Valhalla and it's enjoyable for what it is.
Technical issues and autosave woes aside, I've really enjoyed my time with Subnautica: Below Zero. While the story beats are pretty hit and miss, and there are quite a few bugs and technical issues to contend with, the core gameplay of building and exploring is addictive, and in many instances provides that child-like sense of wonder that many games aim for but struggle to achieve.
New Pokémon Snap is a delightful photography game that I'll be coming back to constantly for just one more course. Seeing Pokémon in their natural habitats captures a unique magic the series has been missing for a while, and seeing how they react to you is a ton of fun. While filling out the Photodex is rewarding, equally rewarding is taking more creative snaps, editing them, and sharing them online.