DarkZero's Reviews
8-Bit Armies minimalistic approach to real-time strategy makes it a good gateway for people wanting to sample the genre, enabling those to get in and instantly pick up the game without worrying about complexity.
For better or worse we live in a world where endless arcade games are a hot commodity and a vice even the most casual gamer has indulged in for hours more than expected.
Doom is a big name in gaming history, and this new entry offers a great and faithful encapsulation of its predecessors fast-passed shooting, trademark gore and infamous demons.
Naughty Dog continue to be the best example as to what the artists and engineers in the industry can constantly strive for, and their send off to the poster boy of PlayStation is a feat only matched by their own previous titles.
In all, it was a decent attempt at a new concept but didn’t quite ever make it further than that.
In the end, MegaTagmension Blanc + Neptune vs Zombies is a mediocre action game where its charm and variety rests squarely on its characters.
Valkyria Chronicles received a lot of acclaim during its PS3 debut, and its praises must be sung again in this remastered port. Whatever Sega decides to do with the franchise from here on remains unclear, but at least fans new and old can enjoy one of their finest efforts in the last generation, not to mention one of the single best RPGs period.
Battleborn isn't quite the innovative blend of MOBA and first-person shooter that it could have been, but that does not stop the game from delivering fun with a group of friends or random people online.
All in all, Hyperdevotion Noire is a decent sidetrack from the standard Neptunia games, but it could have used a bit more streamlining and quality-of-life mechanics to bring it up to current SRPG titles. [OpenCritic note: Jorge S Fernandez separately reviewed the PC (6) and Vita (7) versions. Their scores have been averaged.]
Finally, there’s the simple fact that this is an economic strategy game. As such, it’s automatically going to have a rather niche appeal – but I really do hope people give it a chance. This isn’t a dry and cerebral experience: there’s action, passion and nail-biting tension. Surprisingly accessible and deep as you like, Offworld Trading Company is a standout addition to what’s already been a fantastic year for strategy games.
When I put my Vita down after completing Severed, my emotions felt like soft drink fountains at a gas station.
It's a great reboot/re-release. Maybe one of the best, but with a new story that doesn't focus on our heroes and the solidifying of their bond as partners I'm sure that newcomers to the series will only be staying for the fantastic gameplay, but quickly forgetting about the franchise once they put it down.
Tadpole Treble is a great example of how to blend art with gameplay; each enhances the other and elevates the game to something beyond just a fun distraction. If you love music, (and who doesn’t?) you would be doing yourself a great disservice by not checking this game out.
Quibbles aside, Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse is still a breath of fresh air for the buried concept of sprite-based 2D platformers.
It bums me out that Zheros isn't a better game. It begins with such a promising start with its beautiful visuals and art, but trips up where it matters with scrolling beat 'em ups – the gameplay. There isn't enough variety in its level design and themed environments, the difference between characters isn't enough and awkwardly implemented traps cause frustration.
The game’s dramatic victories and crushing defeats genuinely feel like your own – and it’s all wrapped up in an excellent portrayal of one of the most enduring and well-developed settings in science fiction. The lore is pompous, the weapons are deadly and the ships look like floating cathedrals from a Hieronymus Bosch nightmare. It’s Battlefleet: Gothic!
I have nothing but praise for Codemasters' return to the muddy motorsport of rally. This might be barebones when it comes to its presentation, but with the loudness stripped away, what is here, and what matters, is the amazing execution of its gameplay. Dirt Rally is a visceral monster of a rally game, bringing an additive and unforgiving driving model that makes it all so more rewarding when a stage goes right.
All in all The Bug Butcher is a distinct pleasure I keep finding myself going back to. It's got that great arcade feel and frantic pace you look for in a title like this, and is so deftly executed it could delight the most stridently anti-nostalgia gamer. But when you get right down to it, The Bug Catcher just makes it so darn fun to wipe out wave after wave of those gross bastard bugs, and that's really all I need to keep me happy for a good hour or two at a time.
Given the problems with the previous episodes, I would class the whole game as a solid 8, though this episode in particular was an excellent, climactic and, above all, affecting foray into the mind of Michonne.
Inconsistencies aside, this is undoubtedly the definitive version of Final Fantasy IX, which to this day earns the distinction of being a truly classic Final Fantasy experience.