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From a creative standpoint, Agents of Mayhem is great. Its world stands on its own, looks good, and is hilariously written well… for the most part. Playing around with the agents' special abilities can even be fun, but many missions felt repetitive and dull. If the world of Agents of Mayhem intrigues you, I would recommend diving into it — just know that under the hood, its missions and open world aren't as creative as the rest of the game.
Moero Chronicle is an interesting and entertaining dungeon crawler, which is difficult to mess up given the game's premise. Furthermore, the game's writing is hilarious and self aware which makes it even more delightful. Sadly, the best way to describe the battle system would be mediocre and could have used some unique mechanics to make it stand out in the genre. If you're looking for a game that is not to be taken seriously, full of half-naked monster girls, has a basic battle system, and a touching mini-game then look no further because Moero Chronicle is exactly what you have been looking for.
The system's portability is also a great fit for the game, as I could easily knock out one or two missions while on the go. It reminded me of puzzle games from the heyday of Xbox Live Arcade such as Peggle and Puzzle Quest, and makes me hopeful that the Nintendo Switch will be a similarly great platform for smaller, outside the box indie games such as Ironcast.
From the beginning to the end, I couldn't seem to put Sonic Mania down. One playthrough, without collecting all the Chaos Emeralds took me about six hours, I never said I was the fastest Sonic player. Sonic Mania has helped me rediscover what it was I loved about Sonic when growing up and it took me back to a time where I could just pick up a game and have fun. This if for Sonic fans everywhere and it will not disappoint.
Despite a bug that forced my first playthrough to end prematurely, Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is an incredible game that will continue to linger with me as a singular and emotionally affecting experience. For its audio and visual design alone, it is stunning, but for its ability to use the video game medium to bridge our understanding of mental illness while also telling a personal and powerful story, it is a masterpiece. If you feel capable of withstanding the emotional strain it requires, a dark and fulfilling tale awaits.
West of Loathing is one of the most memorable games I have played this year. It's unique simple-yet-detailed visuals and witty writing for everything from basic dialogue to item descriptions will keep fans of both westerns and RPGs very entertained. Unfortunately, once you hop into battle, the game's cracks start to show. While there is a great feeling of progression, West of Loathing's combat never did much to stand out from the systems in countless other turn-based RPGs. While I won't forget this Western romp anytime soon, I'll be remembering the witty dialogue exchanges and unique graphics more than its gameplay.
Now that Capcom has ported all of the main entry games to console, I hope that they bring us the Mega Man X games next in a collection. Or maybe even Mega Man Legends 3 — a guy can dream, right? If you haven't played the original six games, I'd say the original Mega Man Legacy Collection is a better buy in terms of quality when compared to this one, but nonetheless, Mega Man Legacy Collection 2 is still great, and the best way to replay these classics.
Namco Museum was able to preserve games that I remember fondly, and introduced me to some enjoyable new experiences that I can't wait to get back to. It could have had a bit more meat on its bones, but this collection ultimately is a great addition to the Nintendo Switch's ever growing library and a fitting tribute to some of Namco's greatest hits.
SpeedRunners has officially become a title I will continue to enjoy coming back to for playing with friends and for satisfying my inner speed running dreams. While the single player experience is lackluster in execution and how the bots are controlled leaves much to be desired, the real winner of this title is the multiplayer and the amount of modes to quench any fan of speed running. Its addictive gameplay and unique approach to playing party games offers hours of replayability, all the while remaining fun to play. Go and get your friends, on or offline, and enjoy one of the best multiplayer experiences of the year.
Overall, Circuit Breakers is a decent arcade shooter with a nice retro style aesthetic. I wish there was more variety and more extras, considering there are a good amount of titles similar to this already available on consoles and PC, and because of this it becomes hard to fully recommend as a purchase. You are pretty much getting a very basic twin-stick shooter missing any type of style or personality. However, if you are looking for a new local arcade shooter to play with friends, this may be what you are looking for.
In the end, Collar X Malice is a great visual novel that happens to also be an otome. The story is dark, stressful, and creates an atmosphere that forces the player to want to continue. True, there are many wrong paths, but once you see the end in sight you will understand what makes this game so good. I enjoyed my time with Collar X Malice and I'm eager to experience the remaining routes and endings that I missed, which could easily take 40 hours of accumulative playtime.
All in all, DeadCore is not a very good game. While it's $7.99 price point may be appealing at first glance, it pains me to say that it quickly descends into a incredibly boring, and clunky jump-fest, with its only saving grace being its theme and atmosphere.
The combat and pacing by itself is enough to interest players, but without recognizing the game's potential hardcore MOBA audience, Gigantic will have a hard time keeping them around.
I'm not so foolish as to ignore that some of the game's missteps are just that. However, LKA should be commended for being one of only a few developers in recent memory who has endeavored to express this much humanity and depth for the community of the mentally ill and in a way that is so subversive. The Town of Light is an experience with the power to enlighten many to the anguish of those few still lost in the dark.
The story of Eshe is confusing and mysterious. Throughout the game there are many questions to be asked about what her goal is or how she feels about her unfortunate predicament. However, these questions fade as the drive to fulfill Eshe's unspeakable goal consumed me. I didn't care why she was doing it, I just knew that it must be important enough to put up with all of this to obtain it and that was enough for me. Parts of me wish Sundered never ended, but I was satisfied with the conclusion which made me look back at the choices I made and wonder: if I did it again again, would I embrace or resist this power?
While a party can contain up to four members, players only directly control themselves. One can even set autobattle to have battles play out without having to interfere. The whole battling process is pretty hands-off, and can be sped up with the press of a button, which can make Miitopia a nice game to have on in the background or play in very short bursts. In longer gaming sessions however, the experience can really drag.
SUPERHOT may be a little older than others in your list of recently released games on the PlayStation Store, but for those who have yet to experience it, this title remains a polished gem. The game has a few slight mechanical hiccups, but they pale in comparison to an otherwise solid and unique first-person shooter. DualShockers review of SUPERHOT VR — the PlayStation VR version — will also go live today, July 26, at 12:30 PM Eastern. You can read that review here.
Despite the issues that I have with the tracking in the game, I still think that SUPERHOT VR is a game that all first year adopters of PSVR need to check out. Not only is it one of the most unique experiences I have had in gaming this year, it might be one of the most unique I have had in my entire life. While I think the game is probably much better suited on either of the other virtual reality headsets on the market, playing SUPERHOT VR on PSVR will still give you hours of enjoyment even if you do have to calibrate your device more than you'd like. DualShockers reviewed the original, non-VR SUPERHOT on PS4 earlier today — check out that full review here.
Hey! Pikmin is an incredibly fun platformer that's easy to pick up and doesn't take a ton of hours to finish like many games that have come out this year. While I was able to get through the game in a couple of days, reaching 100% completion on each level will take some time and serious dedication. Fans of older Pikmin titles and even Nintendo 3DS owners that have never tried the series before are in for a treat with Hey! Pikmin — I highly recommend it.
While the first episode does drag a bit in its first half, "Hero in Residence" does a solid job of reintroducing Jesse, Petra, and the rest of the core cast since we last saw them while setting us up for another dose of adventure ahead.