Niche Gamer
HomepageNiche Gamer's Reviews
The droll and shockingly boring game loop is spread far too thin. The level requirements demand the player go and grind with side quests, but that also means having to endure more of the same tired, coma-inducing gameplay. After a while the inane chatter of the characters and the constant hail of bullets become white noise and the game’s basic components become all too apparent.
Fans of adventure games with a driving psychological story will adore Martha is Dead. Even with the bugs and technical issues, it offers enough intrigue and stimulation to keep the player engaged in the narrative. It might have fewer issues on other platforms but during this Martha is Dead review, the Xbox Series S version was troubling.
Once I made my final choices and watched the end cutscene after about 20 hours of play, I immediately wanted to start a new playthrough and see what happens when I make the opposite choices. And to me, that seems like the sign of a good game; if you disagree, I’ll put you under snakes.
I’m late to playing Crystar myself and hate that I couldn’t play it sooner. The small group of people that have found Crystar, a diamond hidden in the rough, have all praised it from years ago and now I pray that more can see it too. The amazing art, voice work, and fixable gameplay are something that makes Crystar a standout classic in the making.
Even with its bleak undertones, Kirby and the Forgotten Land is an exceptional platformer that is wholesome and unbelievably polished. The local co-op feature is merely icing on the cake to further sweeten this all-you-can-eat desert buffet. It is highly replayable and varied with Kirby’s copy abilities that change the gameplay in a profound way.
ANNO: Mutationem is a grave disappointment. The initial premise, stylish ambiance and cool presentation promise a stellar indie action-adventure game. Sadly, it is a hopelessly sloppy game with terrible localization; often on-screen text does not match character dialogue.
Online or local split-screen; ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove is still one of the best co-op experiences a gamer can have. The boppin’ funk soundtrack, squiggly graffiti and amusing character designs still makes this feel like an authentic 90s throwback without any irony poisoning.
The change to 3D and other changes introduced in Rune Factory 5 are well intentioned but poorly executed. Asides from some new quality of life features, I’d only recommend this game if you’re a fan who’s already exhausted all the content of Rune Factory 4 and just wants more Rune Factory, and if you haven’t played the fourth one already then you definitely should.
Getting sucked in on a new game isn’t saying much since anyone who knows me, knows I’ll get wrapped up in even a mediocre open world game. However, Atelier Sophie 2 is not that, far from it. Atelier Sophie 2 is a very well made and fun game, and has no shortage of best girls either.
Mere hours after beating the game for the Gunborg: Dark Matters review, most of it went in one ear and out the other. In the grand ocean of brutally difficult indie action games, there is not a lot to distinguish this one from its contemporaries.
At the end of the day, I’d argue that Gran Turismo 7 is the most accessible entry in the series so far. There are a considerable amounts of driving assist that help newcomers get acclimated with how driving works in Gran Turismo, but it’s never going to be Ridge Racer so unless you’re passionate about cars, this series still might be a little too deep for the average racing game fan.
Part X Files and part Yu Yu Hakusho, GhostWire: Tokyo offers a completely fresh take on the sandbox RPG formula. It has action when it needs to and it never inundates the player with constant noise or obnoxious tasks to fool them into thinking that they are engaged.
The game’s controls feel more like a chore and the overall gameplay still needs to be patched a bit. Yes, there are not as many bugs as WWE 2K20, but there are still too many. These bugs not only include core gameplay but also graphics and sound.
I had an enthralling time playing and experiencing an aquatic, post-apocalyptic world in FAR: Changing Tides, and the game shines as an example of true high art in video games. FAR: Changing Tides is a little gem that cannot be missed, it’s a masterfully crafted emotional adventure.
Chocobo GP is a game made in a divided house; one one side there were passionate developers who really cared about what they were making. The other side was devised by callous high level executives who mandated terrible, anti-consumer mechanics that were implemented solely for “player retention”, in the sloppiest and most covetous manner possible.
Overall, my thoughts are simple, it’s a fun game. I learned a little bit more about this off-hand title that I first played in Japanese completely on the Xbox 360 and it payed off in the form of this new update. Fighting games don’t get much shine, maybe because of the reputation of the community up to this point, but disregarding all of that, this is another solid fighter to add.
Closing out our Dance Central VR review, I would recommend this on sale and if you have a good workout regiment to assist. You can lose weight by playing and moving to the music, I used to until I got a desk job where I added 40 more pounds. It’s a great return to form and makes me nostalgic for the games of the past on the Xbox 360.
The character designs can only be viewed at very specific angles and are not emotive. It is a major drawback to the style chosen. Even with the better aspects of the art supporting the game; The Cruel King and the Great Hero is ultimately a very hallow and bare bones RPG with severe pacing issues.
Babylon’s Fall should’ve been an 11-13 hour action game with a lot of replay value and over the top cutscenes. It should have been an outrageous and addictive action game. This is a free-to-play game but with the greedy audacity to charge people $59.99. If this was free-to-play, then most of its faults would sting slightly less, but they would still sting.
Young Souls is a solid and lengthy RPG/beatem-up hybrid. It is held back by some mildly annoying technical issues and load times, but offers plenty of customization for the heroes and is easy on the eyes. When playing on the developer recommended difficulty, expect a pitch perfect challenge that is intense enough to hold the attention of genre veterans.