Niche Gamer
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Lords of the Fallen is better than its predecessor, mostly because it’s half of a good game instead of an entirely bad one, but it’s quite difficult to recommend it. The amount of work that was put into this reboot is technically impressive, enough to make me interested in trying out its sequel; let’s just hope that one can stick the landing.
If you like Resident Evil, school horror games, or stealth, you’ll enjoy Fear the Spotlight. The horror is also family-friendly, with no gore or jump scares, so it’s safe to gift this to a younger family member or sensitive friend even if they normally don’t like horror.
From a gameplay standpoint, this is passable for a $3 game, but the physics based stuff needs a lot of fine tuning.
Big Helmet Heroes is a very safe choice for young gamers who are new to the genre that won’t overwhelm them with complex mechanics. Being able to pick up weapons allows flexibility to mix and match fighting styles with different classes on the fly while still playing as your favorite character. The toy-like aesthetic will certainly please kids.
The blueprint for a title like this has already been set by 2017’s Deadwood, so it’s disappointing to see Edge of Sanity completely miss the mark in such a way, failing to provide a competent horror experience as it chooses to ignore its strengths to focus on tedium and repetition instead.
If you are looking for an excellent, semi-realistic RPG, look no further than Kingdom Come: Deliverance II. The combat within the game can get your heart racing with adrenaline pumping through your veins. Kingdom Come: Deliverance II will provide you with hours of gameplay that will feel worthwhile whether you buy it for full price or during a future sale.
Suicide Squad is an utterly dour and painful experience. Hearing Tara Strong’s Harley voice is like nails on a chalkboard and never stopped making my skin crawl and I hoped somebody would throw acid in her face.
It may not be definitive or “complete”, but it still packs a lot of bang for your buck and offers one of the most robust action game experiences on the market. Ninja Gaiden Black II is utterly epic and will push gamers to their absolute limit.
The Combat is serviceable for a VR game involving firearms and maybe a little more enemy variety feels needed. However, a light at the end of the Metro tunnel is seen through its fantastic storytelling and world-building.
As someone who hasn’t played the series since the first game, getting to experience how the franchise has changed over the last 20 years and evolved really shows how much Rebellion Developments has put into making a realistic but fun WW2 Sniping experience.
It doesn’t feel great to criticize a title that has clearly had effort put into it and is even somewhat charming in its execution, but Tails of Iron 2 simply fails to be different or interesting, at least to someone who is more than familiar with the genres it borrows from.
Eternal Strands manages to be more than a checklist of influences that market research would appreciate. This is an outrageous action adventure game that leans hard on unbelievable physics to suck the player into its setting. It can be a little hard but every problem can be solved with unconventional thinking.
There are a few more things that felt were missing, but Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist manages to bloom as Lilac herself. If there’s anything I learned from this is that cute girls with white hair in a dystopian setting, are a sure-fire recipe for success.
Overall, Dynasty Warriors: Origins is a really good revamp of the classic formula, but it’s also a pretty good action game for newcomers to the franchise. Considering these games have always had a niche following, it’s good to see them get a shot in the arm that might bring in some new blood.
While it may be a 15-year-old game now, it holds up beautifully and still delivers thrilling platforming, spectacle, and diabolical challenges.
In its current state, you’ll be lucky to beat this game. There is no telling what causes some of the bugs. It feels random, but maybe during a full moon on Friday the 13th, DreadOut might not throw up all over itself. It could have been “so bad, it’s good”, but instead it’s “so bad, it’s unplayable”.
The Rangers in the South does the bare minimum to be considered an ARPG and thoroughly fails at being a roguelike. This is a game that would have benefitted a lot from player input and more development time, as it feels rushed and lacking in content.
This was a very responsibly made JRPG that has an epic vision and scope with a sweeping adventure, mystery, and a cast of lovable characters. It scratches that very specific itch that only a real Final Fantasy can scratch.
Adol may not be able to remember them himself being the professional amnesiac that he is, however, I will not forget this experience. Fantastically tight and responsive action combat, a light-hearted story, and dungeons to explore are what Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana promises, and it delivers.
A game that consistently feeds players with such raw dopamine hasn’t come along since Vampire Survivors initially released, and it shows that indie developers can turn anything into a fun roguelike experience. If you are still in the fence about it, give Balatro a try, you won’t regret it.