Twinfinite
HomepageTwinfinite's Reviews
Overall, while LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is more of an evolution of the franchise than a full on revolution, it’s still quite possibly the definitive Star Wars video game collection right now, not only from a content perspective, but from an authenticity and a fun factor perspective as well. Equally charming as it is nostalgic, it’s a wonderful experience, especially for those with a soft spot for that galaxy far, far away.
In essence, In Nightmare is a narrative heavy puzzle game where all too often you must engage in more action heavy scenes in order to progress. That, coupled with frequent sections where you must navigate a room of either a single monster or multiple and avoid detection, caused the game to wear out its welcome sooner than it should have. When it’s just puzzles where you have have all the time in the world to reason out is when the game works best, and I found myself wishing for more of that as the game went on.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land is an important step forward for the franchise, even if it may still be a bit too linear. The Mouthful ability and the full transition to 3D are two features that should be here to stay, as they open up the gameplay possibilities considerably.
This is one game that is certainly worth checking out, if only for the setting and story premise, and if you could find some way to look beyond the less than ideal conditions of the gameplay segments, then perhaps you already possess the necessary steel and nerve to make it in the Weird West.
While the gameplay felt familiar, Tiny Tina and the rest of the main cast carry this one on their backs through witty, fun dialogue that stayed consistently entertaining throughout the campaign.
Long-time fans of the series might be disappointed, but it is at least check the same boxes that all of the other titles in this niche genre do. More casual players will probably just want to pass on this entirely, as the pros won’t outweigh the cons.
If, however, you enjoy your anime, mecha, turn-based tactics, and a deep and interesting story with a rich cast of attractive characters, it’s easy to recommend Relayer. It’s really as close to a playable sci-fi anime as it gets, and I’m all for it.
Ghostwire: Tokyo is a must-play for anyone who loves action-adventure, even with some less than inventive design choices for its structure.
As it stands, this is a tough one to recommend as long as the bugs persist, but it may be worth checking out after a patch or two to resolve the more blatant issues.
Every once in a while, a true indie gem comes along.
Unless you’re a hardcore Valhalla fan or someone who is particularly enamored with finding a collecting the (admittedly cool-looking) new armor sets, wait for this one to go on sale to satiate your craving to plunder.
Stranger of Paradise is a peanut butter and chocolate combination of Final Fantasy XV and Nioh. The beauty of it is that you don’t even have to be a fan of Final Fantasy I to enjoy Stranger of Paradise. The story explains everything you need to know and anything you bring into it from previous knowledge is just extra. The combat is just spicy enough that you can feel like a powerhouse, but lets the players somewhat tweak the difficulty to their own desires if they’d rather face a tougher challenge. If this is the way that Square Enix will be remaking the early Final Fantasy games I am entirely in. This iteration takes modernization to the best possible level.
Even with slight hiccups like this, I still adored my time with Far: Changing Tides. The gameplay and design are reminiscent of Playdead’s Limbo and Inside, while featuring a beautiful setting that really draws you into the world without ever saying a word. If you like puzzle games and are looking for a quick and scenic adventure, then Far: Changing Tides is going to be just for you.
The true problem of Babylon’s Fall is that it has no sense of identity. There’s nothing that sets it apart from games like it, and it only shows itself as a poor comparison to other, free, games. Babylon’s Fall feels like it was made to check a box, because it is just so empty and slapped together. The cookie-cutter levels only serve to wear you down as you just want to make it through main missions that are just about your only way to play the game. At the end of the day, Babylon’s Fall is a live-service game, assuming it survives this rocky launch, there’s enough potential to maybe transform it into something much better in the future.
I think fans of the genre are going to really appreciate what Triangle Strategy has going for it, even if the character development could use a bit more work. And for genre newcomers or those less familiar with it like myself, this is a fantastic entry point with an engaging story to keep you hooked.
All in all, Gran Turismo 7 is looking like it could be the best racing game of 2022. There are so many other superlatives you can go with for this game like it’s the best-looking PS5 game or it’s one of the best PlayStation exclusives of this generation so far, but the important thing is that the game is just straight-up fun. Despite a few stumbles here and there, the shine of Gran Turismo 7 greatly exceeds the negatives and makes it a must-have for anyone that’s looking for their next PS5 title.
The use of the jetpack meant that the map had to have more to it. There could no longer be somewhere players couldn’t/wouldn’t go. This is probably the first game of its kind where I honestly believe I saw at least 90% of the map. ELEX II is one hell of an experience and made swooping around the map to unlock fast travel points and complete the main story feel like an adventure rather than just ticking off boxes. The freedom ELEX II allows through the traversal mechanics is something that I have never encountered before in a game like this but will now always think about going forward.
The development team has to be applauded for pushing the boundary of the horror industry with its ideas. It’s just a shame that it stumbles so heavily when it comes to the execution and dilutes its strongest element with generic, repetitive gameplay.
Hopefully, Bioware can right the ship and add in some more detailed content and quality of life features that balance things out soon. If not, this new 10-year journey is going to go the way of Mandalore in no time.
For the first time since I was a child, I finally feel excited for the future of Pokemon. While it’s true that Pokemon Legends: Arceus has some problems that do feel inexcusable in this day and age, there’s no doubt that the game is a milestone for the franchise. I can only hope that Game Freak decides to build on the ideas that work well here and grow the concept into something even better.