Reno Gazette-Journal
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As someone who loves Monster Hunter, Phantasy Star Online and the Lost Planet spin-off E.X. Troopers on the 3DS, I found “Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet” to be surprisingly enjoyable. It still lacks polish in some areas and its anime-style look and story won’t be for everyone. If you’re looking for an MMO-inspired third-person shooter with old-school loot hunting and grinding plus online co-op, however, Fatal Bullet just might hit all the targets in your brain’s pleasure centers.
As helter-skelter as the game can be at times there will be folks who will love The 25th Ward. I mean, I personally tuned out of Evangelion toward the end but there are folks who love that series' confusing and, at times, raw and disturbing style. If you love games with an aesthetic and plot akin to an M.C. Escher lithograph, The 25th Ward: The Silver Case will be right up your alley. Or inverted stairs.
After feeling a bit underwhelmed by the first game, I found The Witch and the Hundred Knight 2 to be surprisingly enjoyable. Granted, the dungeon combat can feel clunky and repetitive and the English localization seems to be trying too hard to be edgy at times. A nice mix of that Nippon Ichi charm and humor on top of its darker, witchy elements, however, makes this worth sampling from your gaming cauldron, particularly if you like more niche JRPG titles.
The beloved pink puffball returns in Kirby Star Allies, this time with the ability to recruit friends into battle. As a Kirby game, this one is accessible as ever and the addition of couch co-op as well as extra modes is welcome for families. It’s a still a bit too easy as far as platformers go and the AI can be inconsistent at times. For Kirby fans, though, Star Allies delivers another charming platformer that will suck your time. It's an adorable, family-friendly romp for the young and young at heart.
Frantics carries on the tradition of party games with its kooky cast and sabotaging shenanigans. The mobile device requirement adds an extra element to gameplay but also serves as a barrier to entry. The final minigame competition for each set of challenges can also feel unfair at times. That being said, Frantics offers a solid selection of activities for you to undertake against friends and family. If you love the minigame genre and engaging in friendly sabotage, this’ll be worth checking out.
For a game that I pretty much had to drag a reluctant cousin into, A Way Out surprisingly found a way in into our hearts. It’s certainly not perfect and it has its share of hiccups from both a narrative and mechanical standpoint. A fun co-op experience (koala-hugging above the skies of Mexico!) combined with an interesting story that features a surprise twist at the end, however, made us root hard for both Leo and Vincent as their journey headed toward its shocking climax. For the best experience, I recommend playing it with someone right next to you.
I waited 13 long years to finally play Shadow of the Colossus. All I can say is, boy, was it worth the wait. It's undoubtedly a timeless classic that resonates even today.
Despite the solid foundation laid by Metal Gear V: The Phantom Pain, Metal Gear Survive trips before crossing the finish line thanks to some questionable decisions with some of its mechanics and microtransactions. It's a shame as there are some good and fun things in here that could have given birth to an excellent survival game. In the end, however, Survive just can't seem to figure out exactly what kind of game it wants to be.
Overall, I loved my time with No No Kuni 2, thanks to its wonderful character designs, charming story and enjoyable game mechanics. The narrative isn't quite as chunky as the first game, which can be a good thing or bad thing depending on whether you like long expositions or want some more balance between story and gameplay. Some plot points also admittedly feel a bit hurried and Evan can sound unrealistically Pollyanna-ish at times. Likable characters, a plethora of side activities, fun combat and solid storytelling, however, make Ni No Kuni 2 a must-have game for folks who pine for the Golden Age of classic JRPGs. It's the perfect chaser after Persona 5.
Cereza continues to age well as "Bayonetta 1 + 2: Switch Collection" brings Platinum's high-octane franchise to Nintendo's latest system for new players and series fans alike. Folks who already own both games might not have much reason to get it unless they want to experience the Bayonetta series again on the go. For action game lovers who never played either game before, getting this is pretty much a no-brainer. Now bring on Bayonetta 3.
A retro art style, charming characters and intriguing gameplay that mixes action platforming with tower defense makes Aegis Defenders a welcome addition to the genre. Floaty controls combined with a punishing solo experience, however, take away some of the sheen from its otherwise solid concept. To get the best Aegis Defenders experience, I recommend finding a co-op buddy to play with.
Compared to the great fighting games we've seen as of late, Dissidia NT feels a bit slow and slightly dated. It's still a solid fighter and lovers of Final Fantasy games over the years will appreciate its dream roster and beautiful character designs. That being said, its brand of technical combat won't be for everybody and its luster is also outshone by several excellent rivals in the suddenly competitive fighting game space.
A large part of your enjoyment in Fe basically depends on how much you enjoy figuring things out and how fast things click for you. There will be folks who will absolutely enjoy Fe's nontraditional gameplay and getting lost in its mysterious world. Others will pine for a Goomba or a power-up — anything familiar that would help them make sense of what the game is all about. Just like art, Fe's merits as a masterpiece or hack will lie purely in the eye of the beholder.
It honestly pains me to say this as someone who continues to be a big fan of the original. The problem with Secret of Mana HD doesn’t lie in what the developers changed as some might believe. It’s what they did not change. I almost hate myself for saying this but one of the key parts of Secret of Mana — its combat — just don’t hold up as well today. I’m still a big fan of the game. But my view of it is now a more tempered one as opposed to the blind devotion I had for it before I replayed the original game and played its new HD version as well. It’s still a solid game but also feels a bit more flawed.
A classic-style JRPG with a twist, Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology features an interesting time-travel mechanic as well as position-based combat that makes for some interesting strategy. The game is surprisingly linear despite its multiple paths and can get repetitive after a while. A novel concept combined with interesting characters, however, make Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology worth sinking a lot of time into.
Dragon Ball FighterZ is a stellar fighting game that not only gets the job done but does it really well. With its faithfully impressive visuals and easy to pick up yet still surprisingly deep fighting mechanics, Dragon Ball FighterZ is is no mere cash grab that layers on the fanservice and then calls it a day. This is the Dragon Ball game longtime series fans have been waiting decades for and, boy, am I glad to be around to finally see it.
Kirby: Battle Royale trades in the pink puffballs platforming adventure with a collection of arena battles and mini-games. The game certainly can be fun in short bursts but lacks the depth of the mainline titles. It also gets a bit boring when playing solo so you'll want to scrounge up some warm bodies for this one. It's great if you like party games with combat but feels more like a light appetizer than a main course.
Dead Rising 4: Frank’s Big Package is the definitive edition for fans who want to experience the fourth mainline entry in the game. Although the addition of extras like “Capcom Heroes” is nice, the aging combat is starting to feel as fresh a zombie. The removal of the timer might disappoint purists, though it makes the game more accessible to newcomers. It feels like a series at a crossroads, for sure.
The game could have easily done what’s safe and made minor improvements to a tried-and-true formula. Instead of going for the easy cash grab, however, Monster Hunter World takes a big risk creatively and financially by going for broke and making the most ambitious entry in the series to date. Is it perfect? No, it’s not. Is it a 10? In the eyes of this Monster Hunter veteran, absolutely. This is the best mainline Monster Hunter game I’ve played. Ever. It’s also one of the best games I’ve ever played, period.
Steep is a refreshing and unconventional take on the snow sports genre that boasts a more open, chart-your-own-course approach than its more structured brethren. It's not going to be for everybody and hardcore racing junkies will want to look elsewhere. If you enjoy experiencing the mountain as opposed to simply conquering it, however, Steep is definitely worth jumping into.