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After taking a break and returning to it, Age of Imprisonment becomes enjoyable again and provides a lengthy grind to achieve 100% completion. Don’t expect much post-game content or a “Dream Mode”; this entry focuses on expanding on Zelda’s side of the Tears of the Kingdom story.
Fuga: Melodies of Steel 3 has small issues but feels like a fantastic experience for me as a fan of the trilogy. The story, gameplay, and replayability make it the definitive experience of the three fantastic games where you ride a massive tank and blow up villainy.
Tomb Raider (2013) was very much a misguided product of its time. It’s more enjoyable than any Uncharted game, thanks to the metroidvania progression, fun puzzles, and deeper combat, but its dumbed-down gameplay makes it dull compared to its predecessors. On Switch 2, you’ll enjoy a tight 60FPS and some incongruent graphics, but I think they still look pretty good.
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If you are looking for a decent horror game, then it is worth picking up A.I.L.A. If you are looking for a satisfying one that rivals The Dark Pictures or Until Dawn, then you might want to look elsewhere. At the end of the day, it just depends on what you are looking for. Hopefully, they will fix more of the bugs in the game, add difficulty settings, and update the visuals in future patches to make the game more accessible to everyday gamers.
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Fear Effect is still a pretty cool and edgy adventure game that’s elevated by its ambition, atmosphere, and style. The crushing gameplay takes some getting used to, and this new version has the bare minimum when it comes to its presentation. Yet, the core is engrossing as ever and grabs players, forcing them to play by its rules.
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Marvel Cosmic Invasion is a really good yet simple game. It’s laser focused, knows its target audience and delivers in spades. Marvel Cosmic Invasion feels like a Saturday morning cartoon made interactive by the fine folks at Tribute games. If you’re anything like yours truly and stuck in arrested development, clinging to nostalgia like a safety blanket – keep an eye on their future releases, they know their stuff.
NOVA DRIFT is highly recommended to fans of twinstick shooters, even if it may not seem like their cup of tea. And for those of you with a Steam Deck – oooooh boy is this a perfect fit. It’s slick, it’s stylish, it’s polished. It’s cheap too. Go get it.
Demonschool brings fresh and engaging strategic ideas to the popular Persona-like, school-focused RPG genre, but it’s held back by an overwhelming number of game-breaking bugs that desperately need fixing. After waiting three months for improvements following its initial build, I’m completely baffled that the same problems still plague it.
You do not need to play the original game to enjoy this one, but playing through it does give you a deeper appreciation of the game’s backstory and lore, which you do not get from playing just the second game.
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When Scurge ends, it says “to be continued”. Obviously, that never happened and is a promise that will likely never be fulfilled. At the very least, gamers can get a glimpse of missed potential and see where Orbital Media’s hopes and dreams ended and wonder how they could have been improved in a sequel that they never made.
The puzzles are designed to resist brute-forcing, and hitting a wall is an intentional part of the experience. Dual Effect clearly did their homework, showcasing a deep understanding of classic survival horror. Their confidence in crafting intricate puzzles and captivating aesthetics makes them a worthy successor to the genre’s iconic classics.
Add everything up and include a season pass that you probably won’t care enough to finish if you buy it and you’ll find that Painkiller 2025 is literally just an attempt to cash in on a franchise that’s been stuck in limbo for no other reason than to hopefully make a few bucks on an established name. Perhaps if there’s a true single player mode added the decent at best gameplay loop might be enough to hook players for a few moments, but in its current state, you’re better off playing any other three player shooter, like Abyssus.
I really wanted to like Pokemon Legends: Z-A, and at PAX, I thought it had a lot of promise, but after playing it, all I’ve felt is disappointed and wish that I had my time back, maybe to replay Arceus or an older game in the franchise.
Full Metal Schoolgirls can be a grueling experience. It doesn’t have great combat, but it looks great and the gimmicky rogue-lite mechanics are cleverly designed enough that it sinks its hooks in you… in small doses anyway.
The best feature in Hotel Barcelona is easily its personality and style. The game is oozing with character despite its shortcomings. The outrageous climax completely won me over, and even though I didn’t need to, I kept coming back for more because I grew to love the characters and that God damned hotel.
The game boldly embraces girl battles, complete with dynamic cutaways and iconic “beam struggle” climaxes. If the storytelling were more compelling, this could easily be Inti Creates’ best title to date.