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While a feeling of déjà vu and retreading familiar ground may spring up, The Forgotten Kingdom still musters enough originality and welcome content to hunt down to make Remnant II's second DLC outing a satisfying if not spectacular addition. What it may lack in true environmental and level design variety, it more than makes up for with new enemy types and testing boss fights alike. As divisive as its perilous puzzle and platforming segments may wind up being, The Forgotten Kingdom still makes sure to pepper such moments with the worthwhile gear and weapons we've come to expect. A case of more of the same, which in itself is no bad thing, The Forgotten Kingdom while not the most substantial or stand-out of efforts, is still very much a fitting reflection of Remnant II's greatest strengths.
These types of games rarely do well with hardcore gamers, but they can sometimes reach mainstream success with casual gamers if they can get some good buzz on social media and streaming sites like Twitch. Personally, I don't see myself sticking with the game for the long haul, but then again, I'm not the target audience for it.
Despite issues with its difficulty balance and some of the elements of the metroidvania genre, Tales of Kenzera: Zau is still a promising start for Surgent Studios, with its smooth, fast gameplay, astounding world, engrossing story and jaw-dropping visuals. Hopefully we'll be returning to Kenzera sometime in the future, because no matter what form any future tales may take, there's a ton of potential here and a lot of fun to be had.
The crowdfunded spiritual successor to the acclaimed Suikoden RPG series, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes marks the final work of Yoshitaka Murayama, who created the Suikoden Series, and led Eiyuden Chronicle's development.
Reigns: Beyond is a unique game that combines strategy, simulation and a choose-your-own-adventure styled narrative, making it an appealing choice for indie game enthusiasts and fans of the series. The game's appeal lies in its blend of humor with engaging card-based gameplay, all set within a space adventure and indie music. Although the game can be confusing initially, and the instructions may not always be clear, players who stay with it will find a satisfying, albeit quirky, experience. There's room for improvement, though, as some elements are not explained enough. While the level of engagement may sometimes dip, the fresh dialogue, intriguing card mechanics and delightful visuals make it worth playing for those who want a unique experience.
Buckshot Roulette is easily one of the year's most pleasant surprises, even if everything about its presentation is the opposite of "pleasant," ironically. It's a unique gem that puts a further twist on an already twisted bit of gambling, with gameplay that requires a sharp memory, a strategic mind and the occasional prayer towards Lady Luck. Throw in a warped industrial style that gives everything an eerie look and feel, and you have a delightfully deranged game more than worth taking a gamble on.
Nearly seven years later, and Gigantic: Rampage Edition is still just as fun to play as it was back in the genre's heyday. New additions like Rush mode are fun and make for a quicker blast, though hopefully we can find a way to deliver more major content later on. But as is, there's still a crop of fun heroes on display, all of whom are still a joy to try out, and it's just a joy to see a unique bit of action like this again, especially with Overwatch still having soured its reputation. In fact, if this takes off, maybe we can see about reviving Battleborn in a similar way next, if only because it would make for one hilarious scenario...
It would have been nice if Planet Crafter had gotten the AAA budget and polish, but the game as it exists nails all the important parts in ways that can make multi-hour gaming sessions fly on by in minutes. It's a dead cold rocky ball without a hint of life when you get there, but each new crafted item is another step closer to the terraformed paradise it can become.
Broken Roads is a cult classic in the making. It hearkens to the best parts of games like Fallout 2, and many other CRPGs of the '90s, and it fits right in alongside classic Fallout and the Wasteland games. It’s flawed in some areas, with bugs in spots, but it offers tremendous role-playing and storytelling that make it more than worth your time to spend upwards of thirty or more hours in post-apocalyptic Australia.
While many will feel it's one or two chapters short of a truly fleshed-out and fully-realized vision, Children of the Sun's short but lavish flair for the hyper-violent is one of both visual and audible delight throughout. With what might be one of the most interesting and quick-to-convince takes on shooter mechanics in many a year, developer Rene Rother's knack for the look and feel of such an onslaught allows both art-style and gameplay alike to boldly glisten. As divisive the in-game graphics and general presentation might wind up being. But it's in no small part thanks to composer Aidan Baker's treatment of sound on top that only emboldens Rother's vision more so as one of both depth and replayability. An easy-to-understand pitch that comes with just as easy a recommendation, Children of the Sun is a blistering but brilliant take on shooting as a puzzle to be solved.
Minishoot Adventures is an excellent twin-stick quest in a wonderfully-illustrated 2D world that's equal parts shooting and poking about to see what might be hiding under a bush or between the rocks. The story isn't particularly deep, but it gets the job done, and at the end you'll have an energetic little village filled with a number of different friendly ships that have each helped the adventure along in their own way. Fighting through the enemies also feels like an achievement, especially seeing as the number and variety of encounters means that few fights end up similar to each other. Zipping and dodging through enemy firepower while sending back a fan of bullets, deciding when to use the overdrive and when to hold back, and getting ready to figure out the pattern of the next barrage never gets old, and interspersing the encounters with a secret or two is the best way to cool down between one burst of intensity and the next. Minishoot Adventures is a fantastic little game that deserves all the love it can get, and a great fusion of two genres that don't get to play together anywhere near often enough.
Freedom Planet 2 takes everything that worked about the original's quick pace and diverse playable cast and improves upon it. The samey-feeling character play has been completely revamped allowing every playthrough to feel different, while keeping enough familiar elements across each character to make each runthrough rewarding. The gameplay has been tightened up while the blend of story mixed in with gameplay has been improved in terms of pacing and acting. The graphics have remained outstainding, but received a visual overhaul in terms of detail level that nicely improves upon the first.
Clocking in at around three to four hours to roll credits, Pepper Grinder while not the lengthiest of platforming titles thanks to its prime drilling mechanic, makes said run-time a thoroughly satisfying one. A core premise that's aided on top by a thoughtful approach to level design, not to mention a knack for continually chopping and changing the formula with one interesting new element or introduction of a neat gimmick after another. Developer Ahr Ech's ability to conjure so much from out so little a detail as how a character moves should not go unnoticed. Serviceable, bordering on unnecessary, its secondary content might feel, Pepper Grinder's ability to be just as satisfying to control, as much to work out and eventually beat, grants this particular drill-powered adventure a well-deserved identity all its own.
Open Roads is a touching love letter to grief, the breaking of generational cycles and the complexities of family relationships. Dever and Russell’s performances are at once invigorating and heart-wrenching, demonstrating a genuine passion for acting throughout the game. The interactive environment feels lived-in and authentic to the early 2000s, adding another layer of immersion to the player's experience. While the voice acting is impressive, the characters’ appearance and facial movements become repetitive around the thirty-minute mark, diminishing some of the emotional beats in the story. Overall, Open Roads is a must-play poignant experience for fans of visual novels.
Reverse Collapse: Code Name Bakery has all the makings of a top-notch narrative-driven tactical RPG. It has amazing art, sound design and unique options for making each mission victory feel personal to the player. All of these fit in well with the vision of how Girls' Frontline operates, and the developer is respectful of its origins while still moving on to create something new. This is a rich experience, and while it might be lacking in the ability to challenge veteran tactical RPG players, it's a fantastic place to start for newcomers of the genre.
Felix The Cat is a commendable effort to bridge the gap between the simplicity and complexity of video gaming's past and present. While it shines for speedrunners and retro gaming fans, its steep difficulty curve and some design choices may alienate casual players, although the rewind feature might be able to alleviate some of this. Nevertheless, for those willing to embrace its challenges, Felix The Cat offers a rewarding journey back in time, with enough modern twists to keep it engaging in today's gaming landscape.
Anyone who is a fan of South Park needs to play SOUTH PARK: SNOW DAY!, especially if they really enjoyed Stick of Truth. The cooperative gameplay with the action/adventure combat element actually makes this more approachable to play with others compared to Stick of Truth, which was a turn-based RPG. If you are not a fan of South Park, some of the gameplay limitations may inhibit the experience as it seems the development team didn't want to over-complicate the gameplay while also focusing on the story being told. With post-game options and the ability to play with others, this adds replayability, but currently it's hard to tell if the longevity will be there unless there are plans for narrative DLC down the road. The horde mode option helps to add to this. The art and combat design here does work, but the main issue comes with the audio complaints with mixing and repetitive lines. The world of South Park is the driving force of SOUTH PARK: SNOW DAY!.
Millennia is an interesting, if flawed, take on the civilization-like experience that could be so much more with polish and time taken to it. It’s worth experiencing if you like these types of games, but it’s not going to revolutionize the genre, or dethrone Civilization anytime soon. With some polish and the right updates, it can get better, but for now it's a good, but flawed experience.
Horizon Forbidden West’s PC release is a joy to play to get a refresher on the latest game in this series of breathtaking games so far. It's a blast to run around and experience the world the game offers with maximum detail. The work put into the game to make it run smoothly on PC is amazing. Players will be happy with this PC port and can look forward to experiencing the game once again without any restrictions or graphical limitations on it.
Team Ninja shot for the moon and delivered a fun open-world action game that, despite its faults, is an excellent experience. Rise of the Ronin provides a fantastic new vision for Team Ninja.