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Iron Wings shows a lot of promise, but is in need of some redesign of some of the more important game elements. The graphics are fast and beautiful and there are some interesting new twists to the air battle arcade model, but the current balance between challenging vs. downright frustrating leans to heavily towards the latter.
The Golf Club 2 could have been a non-sponsored, better priced game as an alternative to the full-pro games out there, but it really needs a good shakedown to be a valid option. A better swing system, a better putting system, and an overall touch-up to the aesthetics (crowd, graphics issues, player) would make this a viable alternative to sponsored games costing 20-30 dollars more but have a fancy name on the cover.
It's really short and you won't get much replay value, but being Batman even for one a night, and in a more passive role, is still pretty cool.
Embers of Mirrim is an ambitious game. It combines visual storytelling with mechanics that make the player think about how to get through obstacles, and also has a touch of fast-paced escape fights that, while aiming to fill the moment with tension, ultimately falls flat
Jupiter's Forge is an intimidating economic battleground. That's entirely intentional. Don't come here waving your old strategies around; they won't gain much traction. Only veterans need apply to this meaty, punishing DLC.
Serious Sam: Bogus Detour does a fantastic job of distilling the Serious Sam formula down into a twin-stick shooter. While there are a couple hitches along the way, the game is a surprisingly robust package and a lot of quality content for a great price.
With smooth gameplay, a well constructed narrative, and AI that is sufficiently intelligent; Dawn of Andromeda offers enough to overcome its learning curve and keep replays fresh. There will be a learning curve because much of the nitty-gritty of managing settlements never really grace the tutorial or hints, but after a few matches, likely leading to a few annihilations, much of the game management, must-do's, and politics fall into place. It errs a little heavy on the necessity for a strong early military, but I guess that's just the proof that it exists in the space of a hostile galaxy.
A fun but ultimately shallow experience, Victor Vran offers a dungeon crawler experience that is solid, but not particularly interesting.
Monster Slayers is a great blend of an RPG and a deck building game. While it's not as complicated as traditional deck building games, it works really well with the RPG elements of the game. If you're looking for something different than your traditional RPG…or deck building game for that matter…especially if you're a fan of Vertical Drop Heroes, you should really enjoy Monster Slayers.
The new DLC for Nier Automata is a fantastic reason to hop back into an already fantastic game. Just hope you kept that save file.
Conarium is hauntingly beautiful and competent as an adventure-puzzle game with some light horror elements, but as a true H.P. Lovecraft survival horror game it isn't long or scary enough.
Expeditions: Vikings is a fantastic role playing strategy game for those of us whom feel the need to raid and pillage. It creates an authentic social environment where traditions and customs and be enforced or forsaken, much like the gods and myths in the Norse universe. Its a bit clunky, and not very pretty, but neither were the Vikings. With a few more character portraits, and some spit and polish it could be a real gem for any gaming collection.
I'm glad to say that Persona 5 is everything I had hoped it would be and then some. The incremental improvements over the gameplay of Persona 4, the visuals, the soundtrack, all of it came together almost perfectly. That translation could have used a little bit more polish, but otherwise this is the finest work Atlus has ever produced.
And that sums it all up. Bye-Bye Boxboy! packs a lot of punch for its size. Its combination of platforming and puzzle-solving is unique, and its simple premise gets complex early in the game. The additional content is anything but slim, and not only adds, but enhances the experience of the game. The developers did a great job of crossing classic platforming with new puzzle-solving to create a new style of game that exercises the mind.
After almost a year of waiting for the right simulation racing game to come around, Dirt 4 has me zoned-in for the duration.
Overall, the ridiculously gory fights and simple level system feel fun and rewarding. Even still, progress is sometimes unnecessarily halted by the random nature of finding key items. In spite of missing a beat or two when adding tedium to the experience, Runic Rampage succeeds at providing an old school arcade experience in the present day.
Narcosis isn't much of a game, but it is an amazing, immersive horror that everyone should experience.
Pixel Night makes a brave foray into the exploration genre that doesn't quite pan out in the end due to detached storytelling and repetitive mechanics. If you're a dedicated adventure game player, Empathy: Path of Whispers will offer little challenge, except maybe in the way of overcoming boredom. It is, at the end of the day, a walking simulator that knows exactly what it wants to be, but falls a few steps short of actually being it.
Rezrog is essentially the "miniatures on a grid" portion of Dungeons & Dragons so to speak and I enjoy that. However, the early going can be tedious as you learn the game's mechanics and some frustration may set in until you start to get your characters leveled up. This is definitely a game where strategy must be employed to survive without getting your heroes captured, but if you stick with it long enough you'll find an enjoyable experience that tabletop RPG fans will likely enjoy.
The Long Journey Home is a roguelike sci-fi survival simulator fueled on hope and hopelessness. Bring them home, commander. But be ready to die a hundred deaths before that ever happens.