Niche Gamer
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As it stands, unless you’re a die-hard fan of the Dead or Alive Xtreme series, I suggest skipping this entirely unless it happens to be on sale. Until then, play something like Senran Kagura: Estival Versus instead.
It genuinely upsets me, not as a critique, but as a fellow gamer that this game turned out the way it did.
Overall, this DLC is another piece of bland content on top of an already mediocre game. From broken quest triggers to a dumbed-down plot and repetitive missions, Black Panther: War for Wakanda just doesn’t manage to deliver anything remotely interesting.
Although Voodolls has a lot of potential, but the game in its current state feels more like early access than a fully released title. The game’s lack of a real tutorial causes the player to discover how to play the game rather than enjoy it. Traps do not feel like they assist the player and seem more gimmicky than a helpful tool. Visually, the levels are colorful and change from level to level, but the bugs within the game make it hard to enjoy. If you are considering picking this up to play with your friends, we suggest waiting. Voodolls needs a lot of polish.
Even then, it seems enjoying it with a friend where you can feel more free to experience would lead to a more optimal environment. Other than that, Live by the Sword: Tactics is better off to be skipped.
Dolmen isn’t a terrible game, but it definitely wasn’t ready to be released yet. Perhaps it can be improved by future patches, but as it stands, there’s no way this game is worth $20 in its current state, let alone $40. Pick up Dolmen if it shows up free on PS+ or Xbox Game Pass, but otherwise, go play Hellpoint or The Surge games if you want a futuristic Souls clone.
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.
At it’s core, Klang 2 is a pretty cool idea with the heavy visual inspiration from Tron and the alternating basic blue, pink, and orange color schemes that helped games like Audica and Just Beats and Shapes stand out so well. Unfortunately, I don’t think the Nintendo Switch is the best way to experience this game. Combos are often dropped due to a lack of response from pressing the analog stick in the right direction while also trying to time your shots. Most of the time it’s fine, but no matter how many times I replay a stage, I couldn’t seem to score better than a 92%. A score I’d venture to guess I could have easily crushed had I been playing this on a touch screen only interface like VOEZ.
You’ll have fun if you like puzzle platformers, but you’ll lament what Balan Wonderworld could have been, and deserved to be. I do want to close out saying that I did enjoy Balan Wonderworld, but I can appreciate the fact that it’s an unpolished game oozing with wasted potential. I just have a soft spot for 3D platformers.
Like Spore before it, Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey falls victim to its own ambition and fails to be engaging. Too much focus is put on the exceptional amount of immersion, that none is spent on making the game fun.
This is a very mediocre shooter that plays it too safe and lacks the charm of the originals. There are far better options out there like Blazing Chrome or Gunlord X that will scratch that itch far better and those are priced more fairly than Contra: Operation Galuga.
Alone in the Dark is hopelessly mediocre and rife with technical issues. While the bugs can be addressed, the generic gameplay and confusing story will always hold it back. There should have been some effort to include the original 1992 Alone in the Dark as an unlockable extra to add value to this remake, like how Splatterhouse (2010) had the 16-bit trilogy or how the Medievil remake had the PS1 game as an unlockable.
Welcome to ParadiZe isn’t without its merits. It is an appealing-looking game, ran well on PlayStation 5, and it is mercifully short for what it is. The average gamer could potentially reach the end in under 15 hours, so it won’t feel like work. It is functional, mediocre, forgettable, and can be charitably considered a guilty pleasure.
Unfortunately, The Return also exposes the underlying weaknesses in Part II‘s mechanics, especially when compared to older stealth-action titles like Metal Gear Solid V or even Manhunt on PlayStation 2. Labeling this a “Remaster” is disingenuous, and “Director’s Cut” wouldn’t be accurate either. At best, The Last of Us Part II Remastered qualifies as a “Special Edition.”
Overall, Bem Feito would be a really good first chapter of a game. It’s easy to get hooked by its mysteries at first, as you keep wanting to see what else there is, but the fact that there’s nothing else afterwards is pretty disappointing.
The best and most notable Jurassic Park games tend to be management sims since they lean heavily on the core ideas of films and novels. Adapting the movie as generic action platformers was limiting since there was no shortage of them in the 90s. Gamers who are interested in more enjoyable dinosaur-themed retro action games would be better off with Dino Crisis or the Turok titles.
This game has the potential to become an enjoyable video game for kids, with substantial updates such as adding offline modes for a more casual experience and dropping the battle pass scam, like how Chocobo Racing GP did less than a year after it came out. As it stands now, it is merely streamer bait.
There is no shortage of metroidvania games with cute anime girl protagonists. Inti Creates has made a few good ones, but Yohane the Parhelion: BLAZE in the DEEPBLUE is not among them. It is a joyless and mediocre effort on their part.
At the end of the day, Let’s Sing 2024 is a gimmicky game that can be fun for hardcore Karaoke fans who do not have room for a Karaoke machine or cannot afford one. Before we jumped into the game, we were excited about the aspect of singing our hearts out but by the end of each session, we felt tired and almost defeated. Defeated not because the game is difficult; instead, defeated because it lacks the overall excitement and passion that the real experience provides. Maybe our views on the game will change once the companion app works or the VIP pass is accessible, but for now, Let’s Sing 2024 is definitely one game you can skip this holiday season.
Detective Pikachu Returns‘ biggest failure isn’t its basic gameplay or sterile presentation; its most heinous blunder is how agonizingly boring it is. Playing this game with children (the target audience) only alienated them. The lack of grit or edge didn’t lure them in and the sorry writing didn’t keep them hooked either.