DarkZero's Reviews
I enjoyed my time with Cradle, but I dare say many will not. Its detailed, although imprecise storytelling gives many of its suitors reasons to dislike it, to not understand it, and at worst give up on it. Regardless, I believe there is something quite special at work here. The developers have built a fascinating world filled with possibilities, and for that they should be applauded. However, there is no getting away from the fact they could have done a better job presenting players its unique offerings. Simply put, sometimes it can be a little bit too vague for its own good.
Fez, despite what faults I personally found with it, is by no means a bad game, and is easy enough to cope with given the aid of a strategy guide to go along with it. However, I, along with the entire industry can only imagine what Fez 2 would have been like if it had have been developed as originally planned.
If you just want to speed around tracks for a season, then fans will find entertainment here, but really, when it comes down to it, it's probably best to wait for next year's release where, hopefully, missing content is back to bring this great racing engine up to par with the quality of game modes that were once a feature of this franchise.
Overall, Shantae: Risky's Revenge is a nice throwback, even if it's not really that old, with a single glaring problem – being 'Metroidvania' style comes with some responsibilities that this title just couldn't hold up its end of the bargain for.
Anyone able to overlook the mundane presentation will find an intriguing title that will take time to master its mechanics, and is worth checking out for people who have had their fill of Space Hulk or are after the next digital adaptation of a challenging 90s board game.
In the end, Deception IV has a few kinks in its mechanics, but not enough to explode in your face. The trap-setting mechanic will no doubt go over well with creative types eager to torture AI opponents, and the amount of unlockable content will incentivize completionists to run their tests over and over again until the perfect killing machine is invented.
Infused with excellent level design blended with all the good ideas from the 16bit greats of Donkey Kong Country, Yoshi's Island and Sonic the Hedgehog, Tembo the Badass Elephant is spoilt by the bizarre decision to force collectable progression in a game that feels based on travelling fast and hard, along with its reliance on one-stick-commands-all control scheme. Even so, anyone looking to spend an entertaining afternoon with a good platform game should dig their tusks into a jar of Tembo the Badass Elephant.
Either way, it's really unfortunate how formulaic these episodes continue to play out; you interact with a famous character who you can never win over, you engage in a bloody QTE action sequence, you get jerked around some more by other characters, and you top things off with a dramatic cliffhanger that makes you want to take the lumps all over again. With one more episode to go, it remains to be seen if it was all worth it, but if Telltale fails to stick the landing and also fail to innovate for their next games, then they may have to deal with being on the receiving end from angry fans crying out for freedom (to make more meaningful choices).
I'm with you to the end Life is Strange.
At its core Rocket League is gameplay perfected and with a suite of multiplayer options, the game will see life for many months to come.
Simply put, Kholat fails to properly balance its moody aesthetics while keeping the player actively invested. It is yet another case of an experience that is beautiful to witness, but boring to actually engage in.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is more than just an incredible game that successfully brings lush visuals, tactical combat and a captivating world untainted with the issues that games of similar nature have when building such huge open spaces. It is also a respectful closure for Geralt, the series and its fans. Not only is the world a phenomenal character, but the narrative, the fleshed out side content and the character building weaved into this adventure are all purely excellent. With the consequences of morality playing a big part in the outcome of Geralt's adventure, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt sets a new bar for video game writing, and will have players sharing tales of their adventure – in one of the best role-playing games released – for many months to come.
Ultimately, above all else, the game comes across as feeling wholly authentic – and that is a word you can attribute to only a small handful of games released in this day and age.
Though not as expansive enough to call it a true special edition, Devil May Cry 4 features a lot of fan-favorite additions and an attractive price that makes it well worth double-dipping (or triple-dipping if you originally started on console and moved to PC). If nothing else, it proves that Capcom still has people that can deliver a high-octane action game that won so many people over with the first Devil May Cry, and will no doubt continue to have fans begging for a (true) fifth game.
It's a good game that leads to bundles of fun when playing cooperative, but on your own, you are best to go somewhere else, as this combat-focused sequel just isn't made for a single player's mind and will frustrate more than the fun it brings when battling with three other masochistic wizards.
Ultimately, I believe that the Hatred team simply tried to make something controversial in the hopes that nobody would notice how forgettable their title is.
If you really like puzzles and parkour mechanics, check this one out, otherwise you might not find what you’re looking for.
If you can stomach the pandering story situations Neptunia throws at you, or if you happen to actually enjoy it (once again, no judging here), the simplistic-yet-satisfactory RPG mechanics and large amount of content (including quests, optional bosses, unlockable outfits and more) results in a decent RPG experience that's light in commitment, if high in moe calories.
D4: Dark Dreams Don't Die might make you want to smash stamina mechanics, but its strange aura is packed with character, unorthodox plot and is very much made from love from its director and team, and while it's not the best game ever, it's one that should be given the chance to live on and continue bringing something different to video games, because you can never have enough variety in one medium.
It may be a fixed narrative with little alterations, but it's still an interesting narrative, but should that fail at any point than this entire castle built by Telltale may collapse.