GamingTrend
HomepageGamingTrend's Reviews
Depending on your preferences, God Eater 2: Rage Burst is likely going to be either everything you love about JRPGs or everything you hate about them. While it sports an incredibly deep combat system, fun and complex hunting gameplay, and a lot of personality, it suffers from a lot of technical issues, repetitive grinding, and a cliched story that follows a two dimensional cast.
Few games execute as well within their actual play as NHL, and that continues with in the newest installment. There’s a lack of girth around the main game, with Draft Champions and Franchise Mode feeling like copies from previous EA Sports games. But at the same time, the on-ice play has never been better, the on-ice trainer is improved further and adding in net battles was a smart move. While it disappoints slightly, NHL 17 is still a must-play for hockey fans.
Jotun: Valhalla Edition is a beautiful, but sometimes shallow, crash course in Norse mythology that shines in its boss fights’ designs and overall presentation. And while Valhalla Mode isn’t much of an incentive to jump back in for returning players, it adds tremendous challenge to the already difficult core experience.
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Spirit of Justice is yet another fantastic game in the Ace Attorney series. The gameplay is better than ever, and the stakes have never been higher, all of which only helps to make one of the best stories in gaming even better. Play this game — you won’t regret it.
For the curious and the creative, brimming with replay value, and fairly priced, Project Highrise is the game that SimTower should’ve been.
While it may look simple and even a bit silly on the surface, The Final Station is quite the captivating game. The story and survival aspects have been blended wonderfully, and it leaves you with plenty to mull over long after the credits roll.
Despite superficial similarities to classic Nintendo games like Super Metroid, Axiom Verge isn't afraid to bring a lot of new ideas to the table, and is all the better for it.
While I applaud Blizzard’s effort to provide fans of the StarCraft 2 campaign a reason to jump back in, the large amount of time between each mission pack’s release is a massive buzzkill. The gameplay is a bit stale at this point, and this second mission pack is less adventurous than the first, but the cut scenes and soundtrack are still phenomenal and almost alone worth the price of entry. I recommend Nova Covert OPS DLC 2 to only the most ardent of fans, but otherwise urge you to wait until all three mission packs are available before deciding to jump back in.
As a fan of Snow White and the Huntsman, I can appreciate the premise of the story and the effort to expand the universe through Elisabeth’s story. As a gamer, it did become frustrating at some times. The takeaway from this is that, while you don’t have to have watched the movies to enjoy this game, it definitely helps solidify the universe in which you’re playing. It draws on elements such as Queen Freya’s castle or the enchanted forest known as Sanctuary, or understanding that Goblins are extremely weak to fire. It’s little things, but it makes the experience a little more meshed together. I can say this much, it was a better story than Winter’s War.
Sally’s Law is held back by a lack of challenging puzzle gameplay and replay value. However, if you can get past its flaws, you’ll find an undeniably cute and positive story that will warm your heart.
Hue is a unique platforming experience that marries a charming art style with an original gameplay mechanic that differentiates it from most other platformers. Focus is required to make it through the interesting puzzles, and without this you are bound to be punished which can be frustrating.
Bright, bold, and loud is the Metronomicon, and though it has a namesake broiled in evil, the game is pure, unfiltered goodness. A dance step game that is also a RPG battler, the game keeps you active, keeps you thinking, and loosens some of the stagnation for both genres by throwing them into a blender together. A grand concoction, The Metronomicon is a must have for any gamer.
One Way Trip is the story of a definite and unjust death sentence, told amongst an eerily realistic dissociative drug trip backdrop that freaked my delicate mind more than once. Basic, disjointed, and tragic, this game strips away almost all functions of a game and makes you a decision maker. Plagued with crashes that can cause fatal errors, One Way Trip does have some improvements to make. With those improvements, and time, One Way Trip is sure to become a cult favorite of the PlayStation 4 age.
Grow up was a uniquely calming experience, from the soft colors and bioluminescence, to the ethereal music that played along with the visuals. I highly recommend it as a refreshing break from more conventional high-paced, thrilling, adrenaline pumping titles that fill the gaming industry.
Attack on Titan is an enjoyable experience that is worth a playthrough, but it could've been so much more. It surprises with solid combat mechanics and features some exciting and action-packed gameplay moments, but its presentation, story, characters and content outside of the campaign are severely lacking.
Polished and pretty, the dazzling visuals and crisp sound aren’t enough to overlook Meridian: Squad 22’s many issues. This RTS is every bit as unremarkable as its story. Even at $15, this is one to skip.
The first few minutes of Valley show a lot of potential, but it quickly falls short, and gives way to repetition, a bad narrative, and some downright disappointing game design. Lasting only 3-4 hours, $20 is a steep price for an experience that leaves you bored and frustrated as often as it proves to be an enjoyable experience.
Slain is a fun retro platformer with a slick combat system, great visuals, and a killer soundtrack. While its difficulty feels unfair at times and the Castlevania-inspired levels and enemies may be a little too close to the source material for it to feel totally original, it’s still a blast to play.
While Master of Orion probably isn’t going to satisfy fans who crave the most complex civilization building games, it’s easy to pick up and fun to play for anyone new to the genre. The level of personality and attention to detail really set it apart from the competition as well.
Strike Vector EX is a whole lot of fun to play with friends, but is held back by a few multiplayer issues and an entirely fruitless campaign. If you're interested in immediately diving into multiplayer and murdering a bunch of people in cold blood using a giant robot, then this game is for you…just be prepared for the occasional headache when your buddies accidentally blow you into tiny pieces for the fourteenth time.