Niche Gamer
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If you enjoy multiplayer battle arenas and are a fan of Crash Bandicoot, then Crash Team Rumble is a game you will most likely enjoy; if you like an occasional multiplayer match-up, CTR can be a fun game to play but there are a variety of other options. Achievement hunters should pick up Crash Team Rumble because the achievements are fairly easy to earn and you can have fun doing so.
Overall, I think I enjoyed my time with Exoprimal. I still don’t like the more live service-y things it has, and sometimes it felt like my enjoyment was in the hands of others, but I can’t say I hate it. It’s a game I’ll play every once in a while, but it doesn’t get me hooked for long periods of time.
Overall, Remnant 2 is more of the same, which is not bad if you just want more Remnant. It follows the first game’s formula pretty closely, and despite not having any groundbreaking changes, it manages to be a fun experience with some rough spots here and there.
If you’re after a grueling challenge then this might not be the game for you, but with a fun and campy plot, enough mechanics that the game requires some thought, you’ll probably have fun whether you’re new to the genre or a city building veteran looking for something a little more relaxing.
LISA: Definitive Edition is a harrowing odyssey that plunges you headfirst into the fevered mind of Brad, as he battles inner demons and outer monstrosities with equal ferocity. While Buddy’s story is unnecessary, it is fascinating to witness a more profound execution of the themes explored in The Last of Us Part II.
Pikmin 1+2 is close to being the definitive way to experience these games before playing the second and third sequels. The low-effort porting of these games is a letdown, but the core games are wonderful and are faithfully converted to run on a reliable and widely available console.
So in closing, Atelier Marie Remake: The Alchemist of Salburg is a definite must-play if you are a mediocre fan of open world gathering RPG type games, which if you’ve ever played any of the Atelier games, they are that and much more in spades in most cases. The shorter campaign in this one might turn some folks off who are looking for a game to sink hundreds of hours into, which realistically you can in this one, but grinding is boring, let’s get real here.
It’s easy to see the amount of care that went into Gravity Circuit; it’s a fantastic love letter to the Mega Man franchise, it plays very well, has a surprisingly good plot and features some fantastic character designs. I really want to see more of this game in the future, be it in a DLC or sequel.
We Love Katamari REROLL+ Royale Reverie does an ample job of being a remaster with modernizations like saving anywhere and a list to get to requests easier. Some of its minor drawbacks are what I feel to be essential to the game and somewhat puts it in a weird place of being ALMOST perfect. I’d recommend this game still even for the minute gripes I had, especially for the price of $29.99 USD for the base game and only $39.99 for the series music DLC and additional items.
Pikmin 1+2 is close to being the definitive way to experience these games before playing the second and third sequels. The low-effort porting of these games is a letdown, but the core games are wonderful and are faithfully converted to run on a reliable and widely available console.
Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective is a gripping and utterly engrossing story full of twists and stimulating puzzles that will keep gamers drawn in. Veterans will find that the immaculate presentation of this HD version will be worth experiencing if they played it on DS.
Overall, this DLC is another piece of bland content on top of an already mediocre game. From broken quest triggers to a dumbed-down plot and repetitive missions, Black Panther: War for Wakanda just doesn’t manage to deliver anything remotely interesting.
Fans of the Danganronpa games will surely find a lot to like with Master Detective Archives: RAIN CODE. It is a worthy spiritual successor that expands on a grander premise and introduces new ideas. The callbacks are tasteful and the new cast hold their own in the fascinating world of Kanai Ward.
Mortal Shell is full of interesting ideas and awful execution; it’s certainly a unique attempt at a souls-like, and fittingly, it’s heavily flawed. It may be one of the nicest-looking games I’ve ever played when talking purely about the graphics and usage of shadows, but it’s also uninteresting to look at due to its drab locations.
Aliens: Dark Descent is a very creative mixture of genres and ideas that are contained in one of the most beloved IPs of all time. Its concept and premise are sound and the execution is generally solid. The only things holding it back are the technical issues and the sloppy writing and acting. This is one of the more interesting takes on the RTS genre that mostly sticks to landing… mostly.
Stay Out of the House very easily could have become overbearing to the point of headache-inducing. Fear and tension can only maintain a high for so long until the feeling becomes tiresome. Stay Out of the House masterfully balances the horror and game mechanics into a beautifully cohesive nightmare… just don’t try to pet the other dog.
Although Voodolls has a lot of potential, but the game in its current state feels more like early access than a fully released title. The game’s lack of a real tutorial causes the player to discover how to play the game rather than enjoy it. Traps do not feel like they assist the player and seem more gimmicky than a helpful tool. Visually, the levels are colorful and change from level to level, but the bugs within the game make it hard to enjoy. If you are considering picking this up to play with your friends, we suggest waiting. Voodolls needs a lot of polish.
Frictional Games have finally abandoned their “walking-sim” style horror games with Amnesia: The Bunker. The experience is unrelenting white-knuckle terror where the player’s actions and choices are critical. Fans of Alien: Isolation and classic horror will get a lot of enjoyment from this.
Miasma Chronicles is a novel take on tactical turn-based gameplay. Some ideas are not fully realized to their fullest; like the ambushes or the adventure mode. The core gameplay is one of the better examples of its genre. It manages to impress thanks to its incredible visuals and likable cast of offbeat characters and strange world.
If the team behind The Lord of the Rings: Gollum manages to get it in an acceptable state, the foundation of this game is still hopelessly rotten at its core. No amount of polish can undo the miscalculated story and game design. Daedalic would effectively have to restart the entire development process and start over to salvage it.