GBAtemp's Reviews
This game truly is the Samurai Jack game that fans have been longing for for years. Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time is clearly inspired by the original God of War games and follows many of the same patterns. There's enough fan service in this game to keep fans happy, while simultaneously being enjoyable for a new audience. If you're a fan of this old-school style of action-adventure game play, I recommend this title.
Virtua Racing, Scud Racing, Daytona, Outrun: these games are synonymous with quality and class with that certain something only Sega could muster in the '90s, and yet here we stand in a COVID cloaked version of 2020 with a game as striking and endearing as you like, with visuals you can't help but gawp at and multiplayer playability that has through the roof levels of enjoyment. Hotshot racing does a solid job of replicating the arcade vibe, but fails to impart its own identity to really excel.
A fun rhythm game both for fans of Avicii, and for fans of rhythm games. Easy enough to attract rhythm rookies that are fans of Avicii, and becomes challenging enough for rhythms fans to get their eyes and ears open to Avicii's music.
Neversong is a litany of missed opportunities, poor design choices and an underwhelming story. However, anyone looking for an inexpensive and time-respecting source of chills and nerve-tingling horrors will find something to enjoy in the journey--if not the destination--of Neversong.
Paradise Killer may not be for everybody, but by focusing so singularly on one niche aspect of games, it makes detective work more engaging and memorable than any other game of its kind.
Reviewing Wasteland 3 was tough. It's always hard to do justice to a product that you thoroughly enjoy, but one that simply doesn't work as it should. This game was destined for glory, but it trips at the final yard line, and I can't overlook that in good conscience - it would be unfair to you, the reader, and it wouldn't be right. If Wasteland 3 wasn't marred with technical issues, it would be flying in the high 9's territory, but as it is... well... it is what it is.
When all is said and done, Metamorphosis is a relatively solid game. It's not without its faults but it does what it was trying to do; to tell a Kafkaesque story. It's an interesting game, certainly, but doesn't have much staying power.
Windbound should have been better. The potential and aesthetic are strong, but it is such an uninterestingly strict jaunt that I really couldn't find many redeeming features to make me want to play it any further than I have.
At the end of the day, Kill It with Fire knows exactly what it wants to be, and succeeds at it in the best way. It's an arachnophobic power fantasy that's just pure, unfiltered fun the whole way through, even if the ride isn't as long as I'd like it to be.
If you're a fan of action RPGs that are Souls-like, I'd probably suggest giving Mortal Shell at least one playthrough, or at least maybe waiting for a comprehensive map to be created by the community. With fun boss fights and good combat, Mortal Shell is one of the better Souls-like games around that's simply plagued by a lot of bad design choices.
Deadly Premonition 2 is a competent sequel that comes close to reaching the heights of the original, but falls short due to sloppy gameplay, technical issues and an unwillingness to stray too far from its comfort zone.
I adore Aokana. From its characters, to its visuals, to its made up sport, I thoroughly love it all. It's the kind of story that will captivate you while saying and ultimately doing little. For visual novel fans on the Switch it's another triumphant port, and one that has me eager to see what PQube decide to bring us next.
As it stands right now, Eastern Exorcist is an excellent work in progress. It certainly isn't without its share of issues but most of them can be fixed in subsequent updates. I recommend at least giving it a look if you enjoy a good challenge.
Overall, Maid of Sker is a fairly decent game that could just use a bit more polish and maybe some more varied gameplay mechanics. Is it worth a playthrough? Perhaps, if you like indie horror games. But regardless if you play or not, definitely check out the soundtrack elsewhere!
The game should have been made entirely as a graphic novel. Or had a higher budget to improve the dungeon sections.
I really enjoyed this title. It caused me to think outside the box a few times, and gave me the impetus to proceed through its intriguing narrative. The use of forced perspective is absolutely genius to behold, but I feel that this is the prototype for something much bigger, more rounded, and more appealing in future. Pillow Castle is definitely one to watch as they have some really neat tricks up their sleeves.
Crysis accomplished yet another feat by running on this console generation's weakest hardware but not without some expected and noticeable issues.
At the end of the day, Ghost of Tsushima gets enough right and then some to forgive its shortcomings. Fans of samurai, period pieces, and action games will most certainly enjoy all that it has to offer. The only question is will you fight with honour or not?
Despite offering an original tale presented in a loveable aesthetic, Röki is held back by its core gameplay mechanism.
Beyond a Steel Sky plays well as a contemporary point-and-click adventure game but doesn't come off as a particularly striking or memorable one.