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While there was fun to be had with the absolute bonkers nature of Slam Land, the fun ran out very quickly. It soon became evident that the mechanics were half-baked, and the disorientation that the game depends on for fun eventually turns into annoyance. At $7.99, the game is at least at a decent price—but with so many four-player action party games out there, the only reason to choose this over the rest would be to check out its weirdness, and even that would only last an hour at most. There are more coherent, if but less flamboyant, games of its ilk out there, ultimately making Slam Land a difficult sell.
With the lack of in-game customization options, a small variety of weapons, and a relatively shallow and repetitive experience, H1Z1 doesn't do much to separate itself from the pack.
Combined with genuinely shocking moments that I would have the heart to spoil here, The Walking Dead: The Final Season is already off to an incredibly promising start, even when I know that its ending will surely be hard to swallow. The Clementine that I know and loved from The Walking Dead's first season is very different now, and I can't wait to see how her story ends.
State of Mind explores transhumanism, fiction becoming reality, and the separation between the two. It looks at what it means to fragmented, and not whole, which really is the essence of humanity. It also explores how the strive for perfection through technology, may truly be the downfall of what it means to be human. The game is story-rich and cinematic, with layers upon layers of truth to uncover and figure out how it all fits together. It kept me glued to my screen like it was a TV show I was binging. Like Blade Runner, it left me reeling with questions and conspiracies as only a thrilling adventure that examines what it means to be human can do.
All in all, Hello Neighbor is a massive disappointment and not a very good game in the slightest. While the game's nail-biting AI can make for some interesting moments every now and then, it doesn't make up for how hard the game is, how buggy it can be, and how bad the art style looks. At $29.99, there's absolutely no chance I can recommend it to anyone, unless of course, you like games that tell you nothing about what to do.
Outside of the visuals boost, Madden NFL 19 feels more iterative than last year's entry of Madden did. The series' dedicated and interested fans that buy the game yearly and sink hundreds of hours into its game modes shouldn't have any major issues outside of some glitchy menus, but not enough has changed to make Madden NFL 19 a worthy entry for newcomers or casual players who picked it up last year.
All-in-all, a second portion of Overcooked‘s co-op insanity was exactly what I was looking for. As they say though, variety is the spice of life, and I think Overcooked 2 could have used just a bit more of that: variety. Still, the resulting sequel isn't bad by any means and will absolutely fill you up if you're looking for precisely more of what the original had to offer. If Ghost Town Games were to go back for a third romp in the kitchen though, I'd love to see a few new things seasoned in next time around.
Dead Cells is likely the defining point of the Roguelike genre, thanks to refined combat and clever blending of genres. Whether you are looking for a quick pick-up game or are wanting to get lost in a multi-hour gameplay loop, very few games can master their own genre so well as Dead Cells manages to do. Fan of Roguelikes or not, this is a game that shouldn't pass you by in 2018.
While the game could benefit from having a bit more meat on its bones, WarioWare Gold manages to be one of the most consistently enjoyable and funny 3DS games in recent memory. The game's hilarious cutscenes impress and add some interesting new characters to the WarioWare universe, the microgame collection is the best the series has featured yet, and some of the unlockable side content is hilarious. If you are fine with WarioWare Gold‘s short length, there is no reason not to pick this quirky title up as the 3DS reaches the end of its lengthy lifespan.
Tiny Hands Adventure feels like it's trying to hard to be the next Crash Bandicoot, but pads its experience out with poorly designed levels, bad camera angles, and perhaps too much copy and pasting from other franchises. The mascot platformer may be a fun game if you give it the chance, but it's a more risky choice with other remastered classics readily available.
Salt and Sanctuary takes the Souls-like formula to 2D and almost perfectly executes upon it. While it may not win points for originality, Ska Studios has done a fantastic job of transitioning the Souls style of combat into 2D while simultaneously mixing in elements of platforming and level design found in Metroidvania games. If you still haven't given one of these kinds of games a shot yet, Salt and Sanctuary is a great starting point for novices of the genre.
While it can sometimes be hard to pick and chose which of many Metroidvanias to try out as the market is very crowded, genre fans definitely shouldn't pass on Chasm. The game took the developers six years to make, and this is seems to have paid off when looking at in the quality of the visuals, controls, and how well the Chasm's take on procedural generation and the placement of its rooms works out.
While some of its bugs and awkward graphics take away from the game as a whole, Remothered: Tormented Fathers is an homage to classic old-school survival horror games that fans of the genre will definitely appreciate.
1979 Revolution: Black Friday is a fascinating perspective on a significant historical event that affects the world today. Despite clunky mechanics and sometimes awkward visuals, the title goes above and beyond regarding storytelling by incorporating real-life pieces of media, making a nuanced and varied story out of literal history that most people know nothing about.
Code of Princess EX might itch your craving for a Japanese-style beat em' up: if you missed the game when it released on Nintendo 3DS, it's not super expensive and might be worth a try. I don't think everyone is going to enjoy this game though; I certainly had a lot of on and off moments with it. In the end, Code of Princess needs to do a lot more if it hopes to have any staying power in the future. I will say, though, that I'm somewhat excited to see some of the characters reappear in Blade Strangers when it releases next month.
Bring the Crunch is another notch in the belt for South Park: The Fractured But Whole, offering fans another reason to come back to Colorado. Sure, if you aren't a huge fan of the first game, this DLC isn't going to change your mind. But this horror-themed storyline is going to be enough to keep most series' fans going until the next season starts up.
Fortunately for This is the Police 2, its writing, world-building, and story are great, and are likely what players will remember most from this experience. While there are a couple of problems when it comes to gameplay pacing, This is the Police 2 manages to tell a relevant and enthralling story that stands out within its genre and as better than the original.
Moss is one of those games that will not only re-introduce your VR headset to your entertainment center, but makes the argument that it should be there permanently. With fantastic world building and an endearing protagonist, Moss hits way above its weight — creating one of the few captivating, must-play stories on VR.
Like closing the final chapter on a thousand-page-long fantasy novel, The Banner Saga 3 delivers a dark and thrilling conclusion to remember. Though at times it might prove to be a bit more of a challenge than some might expect, The Banner Saga 3 is the culmination of Stoic Studio's four-year-long journey through a tense and memorable world that's entirely worth seeing through to the end. While I'm sad to see The Banner Saga series come to a close with its third and final act, The Banner Saga 3 finishes it all in a brutal and brilliant fashion. The story may be over, but The Banner Saga‘s world is one that I will surely yearn to come back to.
If you're looking to enjoy more of what Prey already was, then I think there's a lot to like with Mooncrash. The core systems and mechanics of Prey are still readily found in Mooncrash and as such make for a lot of fun, challenging objectives to overcome. For me, it was an experience that lost steam the longer I played, but I can't deny how much I enjoyed its initial opening hour.