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The bug fixes and minor improvements to the overall experience are extremely welcome, and Monster Rancher 1 & 2 DX proves itself to be an excellent way to play the games on PC without needing to bother with the hassle of configuring emulators.
Ultimately, Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker continues the game’s legacy of immersive storytelling, fantastic music, and inspiring dialogue. Which is fitting, as Endwalker is to be the end of the current saga of Hydaelyn and Zodiark. This statement which has left gamers scratching their heads over what will come next.
While my complaints are numerous, I still enjoyed Jurassic World Evolution 2 more than I was frustrated by it. It’s already better than the original in many ways, and with a few more patches and DLC, it will probably be a great theme park management game. For now, I’d personally recommend holding off to see how the game is improved in the coming months.
Metal Unit is an indie title with a great deal of love put into it, and it’s easy to tell. However, there are glaring issues that need to be addressed and dealt with swiftly for longevity. I didn’t hate playing it, but I wish there was fine tuning in some areas.
The lack of care put into this maligned entry suggests that maybe higher ups at Koei Tecmo do not care about Fatal Frame. Maybe it should be laid to rest. If it can’t be allowed to be great, then perhaps it would be better off as nothing.
New World might be the first ever MMORPG in my two decades of playing these titles that made me hit a wall and go “Yeah – this isn’t fun, I’m out.” That’s saying something, considering I’ve reviewed both TERA and Bless Unleashed.
Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl is an improvement on the DS originals, even if Platinum still has the edge overall. There are some promising signs that developers other than Game Freak, even when under what could be a similar budget, can address some of the concerns fans have. The “chillax” JRPG series is still doing its thing, but there’s a little more challenge on cart if you want it.
Operation Raccoon City has very standard third person gameplay. The subpar scenario and lack of personality end up making it less interesting than Umbrella Corps., which was so incredibly shoddy and absurd it became entertaining. The wolfpack take themselves too seriously, and the game really tries to make them seem like bad-asses. Instead they just become forgettable.
BloodRayne 2: ReVamped is a sloppy action game, but it’s a sloppy action game to be admired. The sleazy violence and high-school edginess are the kind of qualities that developers are too afraid to embrace now. Terminal Reality were unafraid to make a hero who was as sexy as she was brutal, and their artists made it very convincing.
The long wait for Shin Megami Tensei V has been worth it. This could have been another disaster like prior games with lengthy development cycles, but this is the one that actually delivers on all of its promises and then some.
Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition deserved better. Never mind the lack of parity across all the versions- each platform gets its own flaws to deal with. Sadly, Nintendo Switch is the console that gets the absolute worst way to play any of the games in this trilogy.
I wanted more for Battlefield 2042, and I wanted more for this new live service game. But with other glaring issues, I feel this might need to be somewhat avoided.
RPG fans who missed this on PlayStation 4 and already traded their console for a Nintendo Switch will likely get a lot of enjoyment from Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom Prince’s Edition. Young gamers especially will be enchanted by the whimsical setting and premise. The action style combat is also easy to pick up for eager kids who want to cut up some monsters.
Some could argue that wall running didn’t belong in previous entries, but they added verticality to gameplay, and made players look up instead of left and right. Vanguard lacks all originality, doesn’t improve in almost any areas, and goes down in quality.
Despite the server latency issues and the stupid censorship, this is still the Diablo II I’ve loved for most of my life. The Blizzard Entertainment that produced this timeless classic is sadly not around anymore, but at least the archaeologists that touched this up for 4K displays did a fantastic job. How can such a dark and twisted world feel so much like a nostalgic, fuzzy homecoming?
The 2D action was the best part of the original ActRaiser, and it’s still the best part in ActRaiser Renaissance. The other gameplay modules certainly have been greatly expanded and fleshed out to the point it changes the entire experience, and sometimes at the expense of the player’s enjoyment, due to the new systems requiring absurdly long and frequent tutorials. No matter what though, the music is pure fury.
From initial impressions, I admittedly didn’t have much faith in this game, and how the premise would grab me. However I did find that the more time I spent, and the more I explored it, was more than I thought. Blue Reflection: Second Light is rough around the edges in the graphics department, but makes up with everything else for a trade-off.
For its price, Crysis Remastered Trilogy is a bargain for first person shooter maniacs. The only issue is that the collection is incomplete, since the Warhead DLC is missing from the first game, and all multiplayer modes have been gutted. It’s understandable that the multiplayer modes may not have been possible to preserve, but to lose single player DLC seems wasteful.
Demon Turf is the kind of game that wears its flaws on its sleeve, but everything in it comes together, and works that it becomes hard to not get sucked into the gameplay. Platforming and making progress is engrossing when the gameplay facilitates a rhythm to the level design and gaps; and this title revels in it.
In conclusion, this is a cute visual novel about love, perfect for something around Valentine’s Day. The price for this game is $49.99 USD, which is a little much when dealing with a visual novel with this much content. On one hand, this is a much more serious topic with a niche crowd that will appreciate it, but will take some convincing.