Niche Gamer
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Whether you’re a hardcore platforming speedrunner, or someone who wants to try their hand at a platformer a little more difficult than you’re typical Nintendo fare. I’d be hard-pressed not to recommend Glyph.
So many games have tried to present a cinematic experience but the vast majority have no idea what they’re talking about. Trek to Yomi is one of those rare games that not only mesmerizes with its finesse and all-encompassing presentation, it manages to leave an impression on you just like Kurosawa’s films did. Trek to Yomi receives my highest recommendation.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge is a love letter to both of the previous arcade titles, but also brings the Turtles into a more mechanically relevant beat-em-up, ensuring that all new generations of Turtles fans can have a great time with this newest entry from Dotemu.
The game can make players feel a variety of emotions ranging from pure joy to depression. Random characters you meet along the way tales can have you feeling heartbreak. The betrayal or the death of a beloved cult member can leave a void that only monster slaying can satisfy.
But as someone who never played the game when it first appeared on PlayStation 4, I have to say, if you’re going to play one superhero title that is not a Batman Arkham game, this should be the game for you. It’s incredible, and Insomniac should be patting themselves on the back for making a game that feels genuine and fun. I know I will be going back in for a second playthrough before the year is over.
Wild Hearts is an extremely fun monster-hunting game that anyone can sink their teeth into. The building system is a treat, the hunts are challenging, and the game has been really polished. Finding any complaints about the game feels like nitpicking, as the game doesn’t have any glaring defects or flaws. It’s rare when a gem like Wild Hearts comes around but it really is just a fantastic game, and I hope we get some expansions.
Hogwarts Legacy is a great way for those who have never watched a Harry Potter movie or read the books to experience the universe. Fans of the franchise will be able to express themselves and live out their own magical fantasy. We definitely recommend picking up this game if you like Harry Potter or love RPGs.
It’s easy to see the amount of care that went into Gravity Circuit; it’s a fantastic love letter to the Mega Man franchise, it plays very well, has a surprisingly good plot and features some fantastic character designs. I really want to see more of this game in the future, be it in a DLC or sequel.
Overall, The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria is an extremely solid survival crafting title, and stands proudly as one of the best Lord of the Rings games, as well as one of the best releases of 2023.
BlazBlue Entropy Effect manages to deliver a really fun and fast-paced hack-and-slash experience while still respecting the characters and how they originally played in their fighting game appreances. It feels fantastic to upgrade your character as you progress through runs, and the Evotype system lets players constantly get stronger in a really interesting way.
Risen 3 is a triumphant return to Piranha Bytes' golden age and a fantastic CRPG in its own right. An open world epic that is guaranteed to get better with each passing hour you put into it and won't let you go until the end. With its long 60+ hour quest, well over 300 side-quests and a very easy to grasp combat system, it's by far and away the most approachable of Piranha Bytes' games – and perhaps its most enjoyable one as well.
If you did not like the games back in the 2000s, nothing has changed. But if you can take the cheese along with the odd boring minigame and puzzle – this is probably the quintessential Final Fantasy RPG. It would be a sin to miss out.
Ultimately, the lack of available options to approach combat with doesn't make Bloodborne a bad game, at all. Where it does hurt, however, is the online longevity of the game. While Bloodborne is absolutely worth picking up and playing through a few times, it's likely that most fans of From's games will be sticking with Dark Souls 2 for their long-term PvP online.
If you're not a fan of Warriors games, but are curious, give it a go. The game is crazy fun and the amount of content will make your head spin. But if you don't like Warriors games at all, this one is still a DW game – if you don't like the series, you won't like this.
This game, to me, is about proving to yourself that even the small victories count, and no matter how many times you fail, you shouldn't snap your game system in half. It's just not worth the trouble. Plus, it was expensive, and you know it.
Is Transistor worth your time? Well, I'm here to say that yes, it absolutely is. Stunning visuals, heart-breaking but well-written narrative (with a few rushed bits here and there), brilliant sound design, and a fun and rewarding battle system are some of the things you'll be signing up for if you purchase this game. And for a paltry twenty dollar pricetag (or your regional equivalent), you could do a hell of a lot worse. Transistor is a moody, atmospheric, tragic love story, and it's absolutely wonderful. A few pitfalls keep it from being perfect, but I'd still recommend it to anyone who loves games.
I can honestly say there wasn't one moment that I ever thought about skipping the games dialogue scenes. They're just so entertaining, and I can't help but smile when one of the characters makes an awesome reference to a game I haven't played in a while, or maybe have forgotten altogether. I'll go as far as to call this game a must buy, because I know I'll be playing this game for a long time to come.
Suffice to say, this game produces with guns blazing. It's a refreshing take on roguelike games that adds multitude of learning paths and difficulty curves. Crypt of the NecroDancer has rewarding gameplay and amazing, intelligent music-oriented gameplay which makes this game stand out amongst most rogue-likes. The game has a ton of potential to grow, even more of which I am excited to see what Brace Yourself will produce more with this title.
Overall, I think that Dark Souls III could easily be the best the series has had to offer yet. While it'll be a while before the internet has truly had its way with the game to uncover the secrets and intricacies of the game, as it stands, Dark Souls III is a fantastic RPG and another great Souls game from FromSoftware.
There is a wealth of content here for the singleplayer gamer such as myself, and while the multiplayer is fun, I can't help but feel it will be dead within the year.