DualShockers
HomepageDualShockers's Reviews
Assassin's Creed Shadows is a bloated collection of uninspired quests that quickly turn into a repetitive, boring grind. While the art and history teams deserve recognition for their efforts, it's all unfortunately wasted on a narrative that goes nowhere, is poorly explained, and has no satisfying resolutions.
The developers made it clear that the game was meant to be intentionally uncomplicated, but I expected more from a game that aimed to be a spiritual successor to the Sun Haven games.
This game is very ambitious in terms of what has been done to the franchise up until now, and I think it is definitely going in the right direction. This is exactly what the game needed in terms of a fresh new look, and the open-world aspect of the game truly created an experience for me that I wish I would've had with all the games in the franchise coming up to this one.
WWE 2K25 stakes its claim as not just one of the best wrestling games ever made but also an all-time great sports game. There's an impressive amount of content that will keep you busy long after WrestleMania season ends.
I can confidently say that Museum is the strongest entry in the series so far. Everything Two Point Museum sets out to do, it achieves with flying colors.
Constantly full of excitement, beauty, joy, and downright absurdity, this title earns its place alongside its spiritual predecessor as arguably the best two-player experience on current-gen hardware. Split Fiction is a technical marvel that pushes the boundaries of design without ever sacrificing the notion that video games are fun and should be experienced alongside our friends and loved ones.
After 100 hours of gameplay and reaching Hunter Rank 110, I can confidently say that Monster Hunter Wilds is a better game than World and Rise. Largely focusing on streamlining and making the overall experience more accessible, without removing the core principles that veteran hunters have come to know and love, Monster Hunter Wilds is a game that should be experienced by everyone.
Avowed isn't what I expected, but I loved every second. It's the type of game I'll gladly play through again and again, a feat made easier by its somewhat short runtime.
RGG has done a marvelous job capturing the old-school Pirate era with naval combat that feels arcade-like and simplistic to have fun with and sea exploration to get lost in for a few hours.
There's a fantastic game somewhere in Civ 7 that I'll easily spend 1,000+ hours with. Even in its current state, I can see myself playing this for years to come, though nowhere near as much as I did with Civ 6. There are too many frustrating issues that need addressing. At least that's what I keep telling myself, only to come back to boot up another game. Firaxis made a gigantic gamble with the changes to Leaders and Ages, and somehow, it paid off. If they can improve the game's flaws with future updates, we'll have another iconic entry in the legendary 4X strategy series.
Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 is an unapologetically unique RPG that takes everything that was great about the original and takes it to the Nth degree. It's a cinematic, historically charged epic with a sublime open world to explore, a depth of systems to master, a wealth of meticulously designed quests to complete, and a sandbox survival format that makes simply existing in this world a satisfying and rewarding experience.
The game's childish appearance hides plenty of depth, including an engaging world and story that makes you want to reach the bottom of it without stressing out about leveling up or grinding unlocks instead of focusing on the game itself.
It features complex but fun dice mechanics, a choose-your-own-adventure playstyle, and many memorable characters to interact with. If you're able to push through the initial learning curve, you'll find a worthy and long-lasting VN experience.
SYNDUALITY: Echo of Ada is a refreshing take on the extraction shooter genre. Utilizing its lore-rich gameworld and anime aesthetic, the game delivers on many of the key elements which make a great PvPvE experience. Gameplay and progression are satisfying while each run carries with it the edge of a potentially fatal encounter. While the game looks good and is fun to play, there are certainly glaring flaws when it comes to the in-game microtransactions and paid items being lost or stolen. Overall, SYNDUALITY: Echo of Ada is a great game which I'd recommend to anyone who is a fan of extraction shooters and the anime aesthetic.
There is nothing particularly revolutionary about Sniper Elite: Resistance, but games don't always need to do that to be good. This is a fun game that serves as a window to an important part of history, and if you enjoyed Sniper Elite 5, you will most definitely love this. If you are new to the franchise, I highly recommend giving this a go if you crave that tactical espionage fix typically associated with classic Metal Gear. Just remember: headshots only.
Tails of Iron 2: Whiskers of Winter is a great sequel that is bigger and more punishing in the best way. The addition of elemental spells and a monster-hunting gameplay loop make the overall experience a huge improvement over its predecessor.
Deathtrap is a return to form with much-appreciated new twists like 4-player co-op, upgradable traps, hero abilities, and much bigger maps. Although the barricade limit is a solid deal-breaker, Deathtrap feels and plays like a solid Orcs Must Die! game and finally feels like a proper step forward for a series that felt like it was doomed to be forever chasing past successes.
Ninja Gaiden 2 Black reminds us why the franchise was formerly the gold standard for 3D action. It's fast, furious, and a bloody good time. I can't think of a better way to prepare for Ninja Gaiden 4.
Donkey Kong Country Returns is still a fantastic game today. The fact that it stands tall compared to other platformers is a testament to the original release's quality. However, this is the third re-release the game has seen in 15 years, and this one carries a $60 price tag with virtually no new content.
The sequel, Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero, expands on the original's mechanics. It introduces new ways to employ the phantoms and their quirks in strategic combat and also adds fresh methods to strengthen and progress characters. However, a lackluster and overly childish story might turn off players uninterested in grinding to astronomical levels, potentially putting the series back into a long hiatus or even ending it for good in favor of NIS's more acclaimed tactical RPGs.