Niche Gamer
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ArcheAge Unchained is a fun, bizarre, and honestly, pretty niche MMO that still holds up in all the most important ways. Now that it is no longer weighed down by scummy monetization, I would say that this is the time to give it a try.
While I don’t believe that this is the first step in the revitalization of the franchise, and doubt we’ll see a new Super Monkey Ball game any time soon, it’s still awesome to see this game come back to life for people like myself who never got into the series back then.
There is just something special about games like Ring Fit Adventure, pushing for this type of positive innovation. I feel like my money and time were well-spent, and this might even be the title I end up playing the most this year.
The new monsters, locations, and quality of life changes are extremely welcome, and while $40 is nothing to sneeze at, I definitely feel like you get your money’s worth with this one.
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t find a decent amount of things to like in The Outer Worlds, but at the same time I can’t help but feel like it has the potential to be so much better.
If you’re a new player just getting into the franchise, you might be a little lost with the narrative, but you’ll still have a good time with the fast and frenetic gameplay. For a paltry $15, the game’s meager length can be pretty easily forgiven as well.
Perhaps some of the issues I have with the game will be patched or fixed some time down the road, but from where I stand now, there are simply better games in this genre to play.
It nails the aesthetic and gameplay of Genesis era side scrollers, and looks like something that could have been released during that era and go down in history as a fondly remembered classic. Even if you’re sick of retro-inspired action-platformers, you should still consider giving Valfaris a shot.
You do not have to be the darkest dungeon, or write a great odyssey. Sometimes you just need to take lots of good ideas, and put them together in a way that works, to make something brilliant. If you want great strategy, Mistover should not be passed over.
If you’ve never played Link’s Awakening because you never owned a Game Boy or are too young to have given it a chance, you have absolutely no excuses to miss the game again now. Link’s Awakening is simply a joy to play, and remains a love-letter to the franchise.
If you aren’t already a fan of the series, then Trine 4 probably won’t change your mind. If you love the series already like I do, then you’ll find a worthy new installment in the franchise that only occasionally stumbles in a few places here and there.
Code Vein has incredible promise and I hope that it sells well enough to warrant a sequel because the issues that I do have with it can easily be solved. I honestly believe that Bandai Namco has something big on their hands here. I can only hope that the future holds good things for Code Vein.
If you’ve got a friend and some free time, I think there’s a lot of enjoyment to be had here with River City Girls, and the amazing art and music certainly enhance that.
Nowhere Prophet is, I feel, a few tweaks and content expansions away from being a truly great roguelite deckbuilder. It has some great presentation, an interesting setting and lore, and fun tactical card-based battles, but stumbles when it comes to difficulty scaling, viable deck build diversity, and random encounter variety.
If you like finding loot, building giant robots, or even if you want to chill but not totally disengage your brain, this is perfect for the job. The devil might not be in the details, but you can have a hell of a lot of fun in the cockpit.
Ni No Kuni is crafted with such care and detail that it feels as though I was playing through a Studio Ghibli movie that lasted me 30+ hours. In my mind, it is one of the most charming JRPG’s I have ever experienced.
If you go in expecting a budget RPG that had some corners cut here and there, then you’ll probably find a lot to like here as well. I feel like Spiders has finally discovered their niche with GreedFall, and with some more refinement, tweaks, and added depth, I think they will eventually have a winning formula for their next game.
The game’s style is well realized, backed by a great looking, great sounding experience. Combined with a deep mystery, it is something to keep an eye on. If you like games of similar genres, or even VNs in general- we highly recommend it. Miss out? You must be dreaming.
Iga’s goal was to make a solid Metroidvania game, and he definitely achieved that in spades.
Gears 5 is not just a good Gears of War title, it is a love letter to fans who have been around from the beginning with many callbacks to previous entries.