DualShockers
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As a gamer, playing through The 25th Ward: The Silver Case had me thankful to be playing a game that would have otherwise been lost. Coming from the mind of a young Suda51, the story told is as juvenile as it is gripping and engaging. The 25th Ward: The Silver Case takes chances and pushes the boundaries of storytelling and character development. Some of the controls might not have aged well and a couple scenarios overstay their welcome, but The 25th Ward: The Silver Case is a game that deserves the attention of visual novel adventure fans as well as Suda51 groupies.
Despite the short game length and few other minor issues, it does not change the fact that Blasters of the Universe is one of the most amusing VR shooters I have played in a long time. As I repeatedly mentioned virtual reality shooters as a genre is extremely oversaturated, but Blasters of the Universe is a diamond in the rough that is worth owning, and for its $14.99 price tag there is no reason why you should pass up on this distinct title.
Yume Nikki -Dream Diary- is not Yume Nikki, but that ends up working well for it in the end. Developer Kadokawa AGM shows that they are truly fans of the original work and this is proven time and time again through the visuals and sound design. I feel like I want to recommend the game to peers if only to have more people to talk about the story with and hear their interpretations of the events that transpired. Being on an indie budget might have held back this game from being better and it's never going to live up to the standards set by the original, but Yume Nikki -Dream Diary- definitely provides a decent surreal experience.
While I have come out of Kingdom Come: Deliverance somewhat disappointed, Warhorse Studios still did deliver on their original KickStarter promise of creating a realistic RPG unlike any other. While the developers did squeeze as much potential as their studio could out of this concept, to sometimes remarkable results, Kingdom Come: Deliverance may have been a tad too bit ambitious for them on a technical level, and it really shows.
If you love strong storytelling, solid and realistic sci-fi, diverse and engaging characters, quite a bit of charming fanservice, and to be deeply engaged on the emotional level, you owe it to yourself to try the Muv-Luv trilogy out.
Ultimately, Fear Effect Sedna is saved by a great story and awesome puzzle design. I found myself completely impressed with where Sushee Games took the Fear Effect series despite the game's shortcomings. Fear Effect Sedna proves that the Fear Effect series can survive in a modern gaming climate and flourish. During my time with the game, once the story began to take unbelievable twists and supernatural elements made there way into the narrative, I truly felt like I was playing a new Fear Effect game and that's a lot of what I was hoping for from Fear Effect Sedna.
Most of you have probably already made up your mind about Metal Gear Survive. I think Survive has some redeeming qualities and, had it focused firmly on its multiplayer, I may have enjoyed the experience more. As it stands, there are just so many better titles in the survival genre, it's hard to recommend this game to anybody. I'm sad to say that Metal Gear Survive has squeezed any ounce of hope I had for this series I only recently got into.
Subsurface Circular is the brunch of gaming fare on Nintendo Switch — abbreviated, filling, and definitely worth the price. Anyone who finds some joy in futuristic techno flair will fall in love with this indie darling, and the narrative is short enough that it will leave you wanting more — for better or worse.
I enjoyed most of my time with Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet but I felt that it could have been a better experience with improved dungeon design and controls. Thankfully, this is a great new direction for the SAO series to be headed. Hopefully, the next video game installment will continue the trajectory of Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet and make this series the best it can be for fans.
As a game devoted to the art of storytelling itself, Where the Water Tastes Like Wine shines with its powerful writing, exceptional voice-acting, and its visual and aural elements that bring players back into the time of tall tales and endless stretches of road to explore. While its gameplay structure might be a bit loose for some players, the tales and characters that Where the Water Tastes Like Wine introduces make the journey to the promised land that much sweeter, even if there is no telling what is on the horizon.
Simply put Bridge Constructor Portal is a great puzzle game. It's fair but challenging, it includes a ton of levels, and best of all it feels like a part of the world of Aperture Science, while at the same time feeling like it's own separate entry in the franchise. At $14.99 I can absolutely recommend it to both hardcore fans of puzzle games and Portal, as well as casual gamers. It's certainly no Portal 3 (and I don't really think anyone was expecting it to be), but there's no doubt in my mind that this title is worthy of the Portal name in every way, and I can't wait to see what other creative ideas developers can do with the license in the future.
If you are a huge racing game fan that is interested in what the game is trying to do, it may be worth checking out, as it's not a poorly-made game. Otherwise, I'd wait for a price drop before adding this to your collection. Gravel does have a lot of room to expand for a sequel, so I do hope Milestone gives this type of racing game another stab with more memorable results.
Zoink Games' Fe may be occasionally rough around the edges and gameplay derivative, but failure to look beyond that is missing the forest for the trees. The exquisite audio direction and artstyle help build on a world to create mystique across the board. Even better, a hands-off approach to gameplay allows those willing to invest the time an avenue to organically explore and fix the broken world left behind.
If you can get past the somewhat janky visuals and combat, you will find a decent action-adventure game that does an excellent job exposing new people to an intriguing culture and mythology. If you are a fan of games that infuse history or different mythologies into the experience and have not heard of the Tarahumara people, Mulaka is definitely worth checking out. It is vital to preserve smaller and somewhat ignored cultures through things like storytelling, so I'm glad Lienzo choose to do so for the Tarahumara people in an interactive way with Mulaka.
It's sad when a video game title based on an anime/manga series is unable to capture the magic and fluidity fans of said series rightfully expect. Unfortunately, The Seven Deadly Sins: Knights of Britannia manages to disappoint in just about every category and fails at capturing just about anything that makes the series memorable. If you've been itching to have a go at this game, I'd recommend that you just wait for a price drop. Unfortunately, I can't say that The Seven Deadly Sins: Knights of Britannia will be as fondly remembered as many of the older anime games that came before it.
The only positive thing I can say about Past Cure is that I've taken this hit and played the game for you so that you don't have to. In a time where I believe games are better than ever, I implore you to spend your hard-earned free time cozying up to literally any other game — even Superman 64. Past Cure is not just the worst game I have played over the past few years; it's now on the shortlist of worst games I've ever played in my life.
Even though both games are coming well after players enjoyed them on several other platforms, the Bayonetta games remain near-perfect examples of pure, unfiltered action and spectacle. Both Bayonetta games seamlessly blend escalating action with imaginative design and a combat system that toes the line between accessibility and making you feel like a true badass, and rewarding players with careful timing and experimentation. Bayonetta‘s over-the-top action and style may not be for everyone, but for Switch owners looking for a bit of blood-pumping action to have on-the-go, it's easy to recommend having Bayonetta show you a good time.
Dandara is more than the average Metroidvania and is a game worth your time. Although its unique stop-and-go gameplay may have you stumbling at first, movement turns into an art form as you get accustomed to it. And though not everything about Dandara stands out, the titular character is executed so masterfully it is hard not to be impressed with the folk-lore based heroine.
The developers kept the physics, systems, and gameplay almost identical to the original Secret of Mana and I'm overjoyed that they did. With Secret of Mana being grouped up by so many gamers as their favorite game of all time, it was important for Square Enix to deliver as close to that same experience for a new generation, and they did that just that. Some features might not have aged well or should have been added in for good measure, but this release of Secret of Mana is the same adventure that I remember, and I couldn't have asked for more.
Sprint Vector may have a lot of problems; however, I think the pros outweigh the cons, especially when you consider that Survios has redefined VR movement with its “Fluid Locomotion” movement. The real issue is whether or not Survios was able to tackle a big problem in VR gaming successfully: in a reductive way yes — yes they did. Several of the cons found in the game can indeed be fixed in future patches, however, the most significant risk that the game tackled was in-fact the game's movement. A prime example of high-risk, high-reward, Survios's Sprint Vector is a game every VR owner should certainly consider.