DualShockers
HomepageDualShockers's Reviews
There is something about Hob that I really enjoy. I'm not quite sure if it's the cartoonish art style, clever puzzles, or an amalgamation of the two, but my overall experience was quite pleasant. However, frequent frame rate drops, mindless combat, and its open-world facade hindered my amusement and often relinquished any feeling of consequence while exploring the game's dangerously portrayed world. Similarly, the unspoken and symbolic mystery that unfolds begins as an interesting tale, but quickly becomes shallow when there are no other factors to create a meaningful and emotional conflict. Hob boasts a lot of promising ideas at the outset, but ultimately fails to fulfill those promises by the game's end.
Etrian Odyssey V: Beyond the Myth is another great game in the Etrian Odyssey series, and is one of the few games that needs to be played on a Nintendo 3DS.
Project Nimbus makes a great attempt at capturing the mech action genre that rarely comes West. Fans will find a lot of what they want from mech action, but the lack of motivation to complete missions could potential hurt the chances of them completing the game. For a small indie game, Project Nimbus hits all the right ques to be a great action game, but dated visuals and
The LEGO Ninjago Movie Videogame is by means going to be my pick of the season, but I'd be lying if I said it didn't keep my thumbs busy for a few days and a smile across my face. Filled with light-hearted comedy, the game is a breath of fresh air for those looking for lighter fare in their Fall lineup. And while the game certainly feels limited due to it being so tied to the underlying movie it is based on and technical issues, the game is a solid purchase for both children and children at heart.
I hate to sound like I didn't enjoy my time with the game. There's a lot to love about Dark Arisen, but it's hard for me to ignore some of its more glaring issues. If you're an action RPG fan who has been looking to sink their teeth into a meaty game before the end of the year, Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen is definitely worth checking out.
Chaos;Child is a visual novel that needs to be taken slowly and digested over a few days. There are still scenes that I can't stop thinking about because of how graphic and powerful they were. Steins;Gate sets the bar really high for me and Chaos;Child is the first visual novel in a long time to come so close to that emotional of impact on my mental state.
Bad Apple Wars explores the afterlife in a way that is sure to grab the interest of visual novel fans, especially those who are already fans of Angel Beats!. However, the inconsistencies in character routes and a few dull events involving Rinka's pathetic attitude holds the game back from being a great otome. There is plenty to love of Bad Apple Wars, but to me it doesn't stand out when compared to some of the better otome visual novels available.
Cyberdimension Neptunia: 4 Goddesses Online made me excited for this series' potential again. I took a break and came back to find that, outside of Unreal Engine 4 graphics, the biggest changes were in gameplay and story progression, but the cast of characters, which I feel is the heart of the series, is better than ever in this entry. With solid controls, a variations of quests, multiple dungeons to explore, and many hours of items collecting and level grinding, Cyberdimension Neptunia: 4 Goddesses Online will provide that Nep-tastic adventure that fans have been waiting for while at the same time slowing down in certain parts for new fans to jump in and acquaint themselves with the Goddesses.
However, when a game is purposely difficult solely due to the amount of overpowered enemies it can throw at you, it makes for an unsatisfying experience. This blended with clunky gameplay only amplified my disappointment. I would not be surprised if someone stopped playing twenty minutes into Ruiner with its uninviting gameplay. Despite my outlook, if you're a fan of dystopian sci-fi revenge stories, Ruiner may be worth checking out.
I really enjoyed my time with Samurai Shodown V Special, I just wish it had given me a couple more reasons to come back in the future. After a few runs in the arcade mode there isn't much else to do on the single-player side of things. I hope we'll get the opportunity to see this series return again someday.
Shadow of War finds its success in perfectly expanding upon everything that made Shadow of Mordor so great. Despite the game's slow start, once you get into the weeds of Shadow of War's systems, you'll find yourself engrossed and addicted to its satisfying gameplay loop for hours on end. This increased depth along with the much larger scale of the world and battles within Shadow of War make it a far better game from top to bottom than that of its predecessor.
Ultimately, we'll have to see how Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite develops as far as expanding its character roster with its (forthcoming) DLC, and how the hardcore community takes to the game after spending more time with it and learning its deeper mechanics. While it may not quite match the blend of style and substance that Marvel vs. Capcom 3 provided in the last generation, Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite still provides an enjoyable romp with Earth's (and video gaming's) mightiest heroes, warts and all.
Forza Motorsport 7 is a fantastic game — as a whole, the series has managed to tweak a near-perfect racing series to provide the best sim racing experience year after year. If you are a die-hard Forza Motorsport fan, I can assure you this game is worth its purchase price. For all you novice sim racing fans or casual gamers out there who are looking to get into the Forza series, this title is one that you should definitely start out with. Or, if you are looking to invest in one of the best looking games you can play on the upcoming Xbox One X, Forza Motorsport 7 is a must-have.
But on a technical and artistic level, Cuphead is a stunning achievement in both gaming and interactive art, and unlike anything I've ever played before. Some of the game's levels had me on the edge of sanity trying to best them, and I ended Cuphead with a few sore spots on my thumbs because of it. More importantly though, I had a smile on my face the whole time through it all.
Final Fantasy IX on PlayStation 4 has rekindled my imagination that for years I thought I had lost, giving me a reason to return to these characters and story that deserve to be experienced by any fan of the genre. Final Fantasy IX on PlayStation 4 is upgraded and re-rendered up to the best possible version for every fan of Final Fantasy, new and old.
Metroid: Samus Returns is a remake that plays it close to the original, for both good and the bad. To its credit, the story (or lack thereof) is still a thrilling exercise of environmental storytelling and the puzzles are varied and interesting; however, the lack of boss variety, experimental stop-and-go gameplay, and dated visuals make this Metroid title more of a love letter for old-school fans, and potentially a chore to those more accustomed to contemporary genre norms.
Battle Chasers: Nightwar shows what an independent studio that cares about their graphic novel IP can do. Through hours of RPG combat and dungeon exploring, the game manages to stay interesting and fresh, which makes it difficult to put down. It's clear that developer Airship Syndicate has created a unique and fun turn-based RPG, but most of all they breathed life in the Battle Chasers universe to expose the series to a new group of fans while satisfying the old ones with a brand new adventure.
In addition to that, unless you want to keep trying for your best score in each track offline, you're not going to want to come back to the game — not many people are playing online. While the game is most certainly fun and unique, I cannot recommend the game for $40 to most people. If you're a racing fan, and you're getting bored with the genre, then this offers something new and fresh, but beyond that, it's probably worth waiting for a small discount.
However, Death of the Outsider is a leaner and meaner take on the Dishonored series, and one that continues to highlight the special world that Arkane Studios have crafted. There's an argument to be made for the series to continue on as much as there is for the franchise (at least in its current form) to end on a high note like Dishonored: Death of the Outsider, and with that last point, it serves as a bloody finish to a beautifully violent series.
Coming from someone who has spent many years playing board and card games, Culdcept Revolt does an excellent job at delivering that experience in a unique way. The constant stream of new cards and maps that are unlocked throughout the game keeps it fresh and helps with the story's pacing. As I play past the 30 hour mark, I just hope I don't have to wait another ten years for a new Culdcept title in the West.