Wccftech's Reviews
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth takes the second chapter of Cloud Strife's struggle to save the planet he calls home and surpasses the highs of Final Fantasy VII Remake in every way.
It can be difficult to square the decade-plus Skull and Bones development cycle with its lack of features in some areas, but this isn’t the wreck many expected it to be. The game’s naval combat is simple yet engaging, its world is striking, ship customization is satisfying, and there are plenty of varied things to do, even if most of them don’t involve getting off your ship. Skull and Bones can be repetitive and it doesn’t exactly capture that devil-may-care pirate lifestyle, but keep expectations in check and there’s fun to be had sailing these pleasantly predictable seas.
Helldivers 2 is broken at launch. That much is almost unquestionable. The game has many high highs and also abysmally low lows. While I can recommend it for players who are seeking a good time due to the physics and the wacky situations a group of players can find themselves in at lower difficulties, it also is a tough recommendation for players seeking thrills with challenging yet fair content. That may change in the future if the developers can fix all the bugs and connection problems.
Mario vs. Donkey Kong may lack the razzle dazzle of its stars’ more recent games, but this remake still has the power to hook players with its tried-and-true retro platforming and a finely-tuned difficulty curve that culminates in some challenges that will truly test your mind and reflexes. Those who have played the original Mario vs. DK to death may not find quite enough new content here, but lapsed fans and new players are in for a barrel of fun.
There's little doubt Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden is Don't Nod's finest action game yet. I would also venture to say it's one of their best games, period, and it's also a great action RPG in its own right thanks to enjoyable combat, a big world with lots of content to explore and interesting stories to experience, and particularly for the amazing couple of lover protagonists.
Persona 3 Reload marks an excellent return to the game that really started the love for the franchise. Bringing in many of the elements that made later games great, modernising the original, it makes for an excellent way to introduce yourself to a classic, or to go back and re-experience the classic in a new way.
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League has a sprinkling of that classic Rocksteady charm, delivering polished visuals, fluid traversal and combat, and some snappy repartee, but the whole experience is bogged down by dreary, repetitive mission design, empty live service elements, and a feel-bad story that’s mean-spirited to the point of feeling oddly resentful. Perhaps most damning, not even the thing promised in the game’s title – fighting and dispatching the Justice League – ends up being particularly fun or memorable. Those who really want to see what becomes of the Arkhamverse may not be able to resist picking this up, but I suggest waiting for a steep discount before subjecting yourself to this tedious team-up.
With a unique twist that gives it a puzzle-game feel, Lysfanga: The Time Shift Warrior is a solid title that definitely stands out in the hack-and-slash genre. The emphasis on combat, the absence of RPG-like mechanics, and reliance on trial-and-error impact the experience slightly, making the game a worthwhile purchase only for die-hard fans of the genre who are tired of the constant grind for better loot.
Granblue Fantasy Relink offers plenty of options for players to engage with in terms of content. It's an action RPG that is easy to pick up and difficult to master when it comes to its character roster choices and mechanics. However, when you get to the deeper aspects of it, it doesn't offer much of note compared to its peers. Still, the way the game delivers its narrative as well as how impressive and tough its boss fights are is definitely worth bringing up. Overall, this is a solid game that could have been a bit more intricate.
An 80-plus hour rollercoaster of emotions and crime drama, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is the perfect way to send off Kazuma Kiryu's lineage and pass the mantle on to the self proclaimed hero Ichiban Kasuga.
Featuring cutting-edge visuals for fighting games and exceptional learning tools, Tekken 8 stands out as one of the best releases in the fighting game genre over the last few years.
The Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy brings some of the most divisive entries in the series with some needed improvements to the aesthetics. While it doesn't do much to improve on their flaws, it is still the definitive way to experience each of these games and relive the next chapters in the story of the original Ace Attorney trilogy.
The Last of Us Part II Remastered is, without a doubt, the best way to enjoy Naughty Dog's excellent survival horror game, thanks to addition of the surprisingly fun No Return roguelike mode, the cut Lost Levels, developer commentary and two display modes for a proper 4K resolution experience. The main campaign's bleak story remains as controversial as it was when the original game launched on PlayStation 4, but underneath it is one of the finest survival horror games ever made.
Another Code: Recollection may seem a bit quaint compared to some of the visual novels and narrative adventures that have come along since Cing’s games helped reinvigorate those genres, but there’s an undeniable easygoing charm to these stories, characters, and world. This collection also completely revamps the original games’ puzzles, usually for the better, meaning even Cing veterans are in for a fresh experience. Another Code: Recollection may not break much new ground, but it satisfyingly evokes memories of a simpler time.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown couldn't have brought back the series after its more than a decade-long hiatus in a better way. With an engaging story, well-crafted Metroidvania mechanics, and a touch of character-action games features in its combat system, Sargon's adventure will be remembered by fans for a long time, even with its minor issues.
All in all, I quite like UNDYING. Sure, it's got some issues, and the localisation is a mixed bag at the best of times. The critical gameplay instructions have been anglicised well for the most part - it can sometimes be a little obscure what your next objective is, but it's rare. The script fares less well, with the original Chinese names being mentioned a few times in the same sentence as the English ones and voice acting not always following the script. Minor in the grand scheme, as it genuinely looks and sounds good, going for a comic book style, almost like The Strolling Deceased.
With its roguelite take on the base game's formula, engaging story, decent amount of new content and excellent accessibility, God of War Ragnarok: Valhalla is a great expansion that is worthy of any God of War's fans time. The focus on combat may turn some players off, but it's only a minor issue in an expansion that could have been easily sold as paid DLC.
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is a remarkable achievement in many ways, bringing a cinematic world to life on a massive, technically-impressive scale like few games have done before. Unfortunately, limited, frustrating combat means the game isn’t always that fun to play once you bump into the RDA. Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora’s world is worth experiencing if you’re a fan of James Cameron’s movies, but as the franchise often reminds us, sky people ruin beautiful things.
The Lamplighters League is an interesting and ambitious, albeit flawed, tactical adventure which invokes the fantastical elements of Indiana Jones (plus you're fighting Nazi's). The blow by blow gameplay is well developed and features interesting and varied characters, in both gameplay and narrative, but is let down by a large amount of repetition. A few technical flaws also let the game down in a market where stronger competition has already done the game thing. It's a decent game, and you could have a good time with it, but one to pick up on discount.
There's plenty of content for those seeking to shell out the cash, however, and that's the best part. Granblue Fantasy Versus Rising offers plenty of content for both its single-player and multiplayer components to justify its price tag and its new mechanics and highly refined visuals are just a beautiful sight to behold.