GBAtemp's Reviews
Elden Ring is the most fun I've had with a video game in years. I went into the game expecting to have a bit of fun and came out 100 hours later craving more. If you've been on the fence with the Souls series, there really is no better time to jump in.
I greatly appreciated Atelier Sophie 2 and it serves well as the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Atelier series. Like prior titles, Sophie 2 is a fun slice-of-life game where the stakes aren’t astronomically high, but the story is fun and the characters are lovable. It was great seeing Sophie and Plachta on yet another adventure, one that I would recommend to newcomers to the series and veterans alike.
Racers will absolutely love this title, and it finally lives up to its mantle of being a definitive sim-racing title to keep in your repertoire.
ELEX II is like a weathered veteran donning their armor for one more campaign, ready to show the youngsters some of the old tricks they may have foolishly forgotten. It's a brand-new game that somehow feels like it has a grey beard - it feels dated, in good and in bad ways. I personally enjoyed it thoroughly and I was happy to start it back up each day, eager to carry on playing because products like this one, ones that don't just play homage to the classics but rather play like the classics, are few and far between. Given the size of the team behind ELEX II it's remarkable that they've managed to push out a project this good - Piranha, you've done it again. Once again, you release a game that's bigger, better and prettier than its predecessors, and I hope you'll continue doing so for many years to come.
While it's far more valuable as an entry into the Portal series than a Steam Deck tutorial, Aperture Desk Job ably accomplishes everything it sets out to do.
I want to like this game more, but I simply didn't enjoy it because of my own lack of rhythm and timing. There is something special here, something that should definitely be given a chance, but it's up to you to unfurl the fun within its core pillars of gameplay.
While enjoyably relaxing and full of wondrous exploration, Hidden Depths manages to shrug off its strap-line sub-name and contains very little depth in content.
Dying Light 2 Stay Human lives up to the expectations by delivering an engaging gameplay in a detailed open world complimented by the series’ characteristic parkour mechanic that neatly blends in the exploration and combat.
It's easy to sound trite by saying that Pokemon Legends Arceus is a breath of fresh air that the Pokemon series desperately needed, yet it's also entirely true. For the first time in ages, I'm excited by, and fully invested in a Pokemon game.
Sucker for Love: First Date is an impressive visual novel that ably balances its horror and comedy, providing a unique take on the Cthulhu mythos you're unlikely to see anywhere else.
Overall, Monster Rancher 1 & 2 DX is ok. If you're a fan of the series, or if you just want a game you can play in the background while doing something else, it may be a good choice for you. With plenty of monsters to generate and decent QoL improvements, you'll certainly get your money's worth at only $29.99. But if you're expecting an in-depth monster breeding simulator with lots to do...well, it'd be best to look elsewhere.
In this collection you have three stellar games and a bonus stocking filler. While I have my issues with Danganronpa S, it shouldn't be allowed to overshadow the brilliance of this series and the accessibility being on the Switch brings to it. Be it individually or as the Decadence collection, the Danganronpa games are ones you should check out.
Surreal yet well-crafted, The Eternal Cylinder is easily one of the most unique games of the year.
While Bright Memory: Infinite is the best-looking game I’ve played all year, it’s not the best executed one; but as a product of a one-person team, it is an impressive feat.
While Conway: Disappearance at Dahlia View doesn’t offer that tough of a case to crack, it does deliver an original atmospheric narrative-driven mystery game.
Devoid of the stress and grind that has become staples of most modern games, Sable reimagines what a fun, open world game can be and delivers with an original take.
Great fun blasting zombies that in turn became a go-to game to just pass some time during the review, and will likely continue as such.
Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - Definitive Edition, at the end of the day, is three well-regarded games bundled together, with some modernizations to help keep them relevant, nearly 20 years after their original release. Perhaps it’s due to the fact that I’m new to GTA that prevents me from finding many issues with this collection, as I’m absolutely taken with the fun gameplay and more than content with both the graphics and performance. But that also goes to show how this collection helps introduce these games to the current generation, allowing new fans to understand the hype behind three classic industry-defining titles.
An averaging remaster of some phenomenal games, this could have been more than it is. Stuttery load/save points break immersion in the first two games and any ray tracing options are pointless. Thankfully each of these is individually available to purchase, and I would personally skip the original Crysis unless you are a truly avid fan of the series.
Chernobylite might not be AAA, but it's great bang for the buck. At £29.99 I think it's a steal, but buyer beware! With its numerous performance issues the title isn't for everyone.