Niche Gamer
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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.
With a story that is cheekily woven into the gameplay, rock solid action, air-tight controls to compliment an amazing gallery of enemies, level design, and weapons; Dusk has it all. The only problem with Dusk is the craven sensation felt when the game ends. There are few horror themed shooters that have the unbelievable rush that Dusk offers.
The shooting mechanics might not be as refined or satisfying as other FPS games on the market, but they get the job done. If you don’t mind the short length and minor technical issues, INDUSTRIA is a fairly enjoyable experience that you can complete in a single session.
Eidos-Montréal proved in their Deus Ex games that they are masters of environmental story telling, and in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, the developers go all out.
I enjoyed getting back in the saddle of playing a Senran Kagura game with a cast of Neptunia characters. The gameplay was simple enough to learn and it felt natural. Some other elements like the graphics and weird mouth flap choices were the biggest issues. The story not being too much else than traveling from place to place and defeating a boss at the end of a stage is fine for replayability.
Maybe in time, The Lightbringer will get an “illuminated edition” or some kind of redux, where the developer can give the game the extra bit of refinement it needs. If that never happens, for its price, The Lightbringer is still worth a play for its feel-good atmosphere, and engaging platforming.
So in closing, is Cruis’n Blast fun? Absolutely. Is it worth the price tag? For all the arcade fun without munching through quarters? Absolutely.
I love Inscryption even more because I expected something entirely different. It does everything so well, and I’m itching to get back to playing already. This deck-building psychological horror is more than worth your time, and one hell of a great game.
The Ascent manages to create an unbelievably detailed and dirty cyberpunk world for you to explore and find your place in. All the while you’ll unravel cyberpunk-esque corporate schemes. I couldn’t stop playing the game, The Ascent is absolutely dripping with cyberpunk aesthetics and is a true love letter to the genre by clear lovers of cyberpunk fiction.
Even without post-game rewards, Metroid Dread is a thrilling entry for the series, and for the Metroidvania sub-genre. It may not have the biggest and most cryptic world, or the best soundtrack, but it’s one of the best paced and varied examples on offer. It introduces new ideas to the series, while putting a new spin on tired concepts; pulling it off confidently with a beautiful presentation.
Looking past the obvious flaws in The Good Life, players will find a very unusual and engrossing mystery, with a lot of depth to the gameplay and witty characters. It’s a very personal game that presses the player to slow down and take it easy; to chill out and enjoy life.
I’m still adamant that the best usage of Hot Wheels was the DLC pack in Forza Horizon 3, but that success only came because it was built into an already excellent racing game. This is a passable at-best racer, but it damn sure ain’t anywhere near Forza.
Most gamers will come for the balls to the wall, bone breaking, violent kung-fu action and adventure. Some may come for the mini-games and retro video games. No matter who plays Lost Judgment; everyone will stay for the dramatic, thrilling story and characters.
Probably the biggest and easiest missed opportunity to get players on board with some of the characters they know nothing about would have been to include a cartoon episode for each character. Instead there is nothing but still images. For $49.99 USD, this is a rip-off and is a wasteland of content. Maybe Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl will get better with updates, but it would take a miracle to salvage this pile of slime.
Overall my experience with Fuga: Melodies of Steel was pretty solid, and I enjoyed the 20 or so hours I spent on it. The characters were cute, the setting was interesting, and perhaps in a less dark story this could really get fleshed out well. I just think the WW2 time period is a bit outplayed at this point, especially for a game about anthropomorphic dogs and cats.