DualShockers
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You can’t forget to put in good game design. If you do, players will actually want to forget the name of your protagonist, not to mention the rest of their frustrating experience.
Though the 3DS version falls short in a number of ways from being the definitive way to play Dragon Quest VIII, the newly-portable version of the title is still, nevertheless, an excellent way to experience an excellent RPG despite its few technical shortcomings. More than anything the pros far outweigh the cons when it comes to a title that, even after a decade after its release, still plays remarkably well and manages to put a smile on my face. Dragon Quest VIII was charmingly old-school even back when it released in 2005, but like the best and timeless stories, the 3DS version shows that this story has only gotten better with age.
While the gaming community shared a collective groan when Kingdom Hearts 2.8: Final Chapter Prologue was announced, the remake is one of the best HD packages the Kingdom Hearts series has ever produced. Holding two entirely-knew Kingdom Hearts experiences and a criminally underplayed title in the franchise, Final Chapter Prologue is a collection that every likely Kingdom Hearts III player should experience.
I enjoyed a lot of what 2064: Read Only Memories had to offer. Gameplay is focused on dialogue and puzzles, and while the latter can be a toss-up between frustrating and satisfying, the former outshines it in both quantity and quality. If not for the relationship between yourself and Turing, as well as the backstories, interactions, and performances of the secondary characters, there wouldn’t be much to keep one engaged. Thankfully all of that is present and make Neo-San Francisco and the stories it holds worth playing through to the very end.
If there is a game that fully embodies and actually easily overcomes the definition of “complete package,” that’s Yakuza 0. It’s a rich, colorful and engrossing experience that I can wholeheartedly recommend to anyone who loves the genre, Japanese culture, or simply a very, very good story with some of the best and most genuinely likable characters you’ll ever encounter in gaming.
At the end of the day, Spheroids feels like the video game equivalent fast food. And while there are plenty of great games with shallow experiences, Spheroids is pure junk. Like the Arby’s of video games, the game is a mix of ingredients that deserve to taste way better than they do, and should ultimately cost much less than Eclipse Games is charging.
I enjoyed my time with Fate/Extella: The Umbral Star as it satisfied my craving for a game in the Fate universe. The fighting controls are tight and responsive, and the action is intense. The lack of enemy variation was disappointing, but it didn’t take away from the frenetic fun of pulling off well animated combos against thousands of aggressors. This game might not be for newcomers to the Fate series, but offers a fun and impressive story arc to the franchise.
Siegecraft Commander can be really satisfying to play at times, especially when you have a large network of buildings and are storming and bombarding your enemies keep. Sadly the game does become boring towards the end of both campaigns, and its controls and lackluster turn-based mode aren’t fun to play. If you are looking for something new to pick up in the genre on PC, I could recommend Siegecraft Commander, but if you are looking to jump into the genre with a really engaging game on console or PC, I would look elsewhere, and wait for Halo Wars 2 next month.
All in all, Rise & Shine isn’t a bad experience. It’s just one that has a lot of wasted potential. If the AAA barrage on indie games is real, then this game would not make a good soldier to fight in that battle. The gameplay is good and the game doesn’t overstay its welcome at 10-ish hours, but the sudden ramp up in difficulty plus the finicky aiming blemishes the experience. If you want a game that touches upon the horrors of military engagement, try This War of Mine. If you want a game that parodies/honors video game culture, try Super Meat Boy or Scott Pilgrim. If you want a weird mash-up of the two, I guess this experience was made for you.
Not only Gravity Rush 2 is a worthy successor for the first game, but it surpasses its predecessor (and its remaster) in ever aspect. Not only it’s extremely fun, engaging and even challenging, but due to its production and artistic value, it’s definitely one of those titles that you’ll want to show your friends when you need to demonstrate why you’re proud to be a gamer. They’re bound to be impressed.
With a PS4 and Xbox One release scheduled for some time this year, there is still room for this game to fulfill its potential. Yet, the console audience is even less forgiving than PC gamers when it comes to technical problems. We can only hope that the development team will learn from the mistakes made with the Steam release, use us PC gamers as guinea pigs for as long as it takes (we're used to it anyway), and then bring forth a more solid package on consoles.
Aside from those few stumbles, “City of Light” overall succeeds as an action-packed finale to Batman: The Telltale Series and Telltale’s vision of the Batman universe. Though I’ve known all (or at least most) of these characters for the better part of decades, the fact that Telltale’s finale made me want to continue seeing more of Bruce Wayne/Batman, Catwoman, Harvey Dent, and its numerous familiar faces speaks well on Telltale’s careful mix of the old and new when it comes to Batman. As the episode concludes with a reveal of what may come in a potential second season, the days of crimefighting for Bruce Wayne and Batman are clearly far from over, and based on what Telltale has offered with wrapping up Batman: The Telltale Series, I’ll be waiting for more.
While it may mark a slight bump in the road, Episode 4 nonetheless still offers plenty of great action and suspense that builds on what has been offered so far, and with only episode to go I’m still looking forward (more than ever) to see where the path leads in the finale to Bruce and Batman’s story.
Like its name implies, “Ties That Bind” and its two-part premiere serves as an excellent introduction to The Walking Dead: A New Frontier that establishes a world for both longtime players and new players alike. Players bound by their emotional connection to Clementine and several other characters from the first two seasons will find much to enjoy from catching up with them and what their new state in this post-apocalyptic world are like, while the season promises many new experiences – both heartbreaking and otherwise – to explore in this wild new frontier with plenty of new choices to make, decisions to act on, and a whole new world to take in.
While I enjoyed my time with Shantae: Half-Genie Hero, I was left a bit wanting in regards to gameplay. It just wasn’t satisfying to engage with the platforming and enemies, it was too simple, too easy. I’m not looking for a punishing experience, but I do enjoy having my skills challenged in platformers. Regardless, the beauty on display and the energy in both the soundtrack and movement of each and every character impressed me. I just wish it had a little more bite.
Steins;Gate 0 will not disappoint those close to the franchise. However, that being said, this will require a certain understanding of the previous game and the various endings that the game had. One would truly be lost jumping into this game without at least watching the anime series. Other than a few localization errors that I saw, Steins;Gate 0 holds up as a great sequel and a required play through for any visual novel fan.
I really enjoyed Chase: Cold Case Investigations ~Distant Memories~ as it brought a short and interesting game to the hands of someone like me who can’t always find the time to sit back and read a 40 hour visual novel. The characters and animations were very well thought out and the ending is definitely something that was unexpected. However, the unexplained back stories were disappointing as it would have made the characters stand out among stereotypical detectives. I hope to be a part of more stories staring detectives Nanase and Amekura in the future because just one case wasn’t enough for me.
While it would be easy to dismiss the GO series as another mobile game cash grab of a recognizable franchise, it's definitely much more than that.
Drive!Drive!Drive! is a very fun arcade racer. If you are a fan of this genre, I recommend that you pick this up. While the physics and collision problems and dying online community can dampen the experience, Drive!Drive!Drive! is like no game I have played before, and probably won’t be like any game I play after. For such a tired genre, it was awesome that developer Different Cloth could breathe new life into it with solid innovation.
Yet, if The Last Guardian and its charming duo of characters click with you (or more properly, if you click with them), this is an unforgettable experience that you will probably carry in your heart for your whole life, just like many did with Ico and Shadow of the Colossus, and possibly even more. Now, if you will excuse me, I need to go pet my cat, because I already miss my Trico.