MonsterVine
HomepageMonsterVine's Reviews
Buzz or Die has a lot of style and some interesting concepts, especially if you enjoy the creative aspect of creating video thumbnails. However, it lacks difficulty and doesn't spend enough time with its characters. I enjoyed my time with Buzz or Die, but a longer or more complex experience might have made it something truly special. Ultimately, it's the sort of game where I have mixed feelings about it, but I will be looking forward to what the developers do in the future.
Nintendo Switch Sports Resort mostly nails the casual fun of motion-controlled arcade sports anyone can enjoy. Though a couple of activities are a little too simplified, most are stellar and control perfectly. The character customization and progression system add even more to the package, making it a great pick for family and friends at the holiday gatherings you’ll likely be attending in the coming days.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 feels like the series it used to be in its glory days. The story is perhaps the best it’s been in recent titles, with twists and turns at every corner. Multiplayer fixes many of the key issues from previous editions, and DMZ offers a fun way to get more of a narrative experience, even if it gets dull at times.
Minecraft Dungeons II has a promising start. Its overworld is enjoyable to explore, platforming adds welcome variety, and the loot and build customization give you reasons to keep experimenting. But those strengths can’t overcome a gameplay loop that wears thin, a story that fails to pull you in, and rough edges that make playing less convenient. Minecraft Dungeons II has some worthwhile ideas, but they don’t come together into an adventure I’d ultimately recommend.
The most disappointing aspect of Fireteam Elite 2 is the hope it built on the original. Instead, it’s more of the same, with more synths and unskippable cutscenes filled with utter guff.
It’s deeply unfortunate, but Demons’ Night Fever misses the mark in every way. The narrative is bland, unfunny, and pathetically earnest in developing a main character I’d rather see shot into the sun. The combat sacrifices tactical depth for randomness, and the dull map design leaves much to be desired. The in-between mission management lacks interaction and has far too many numbers and stats to be readable in any meaningful way. This is one party I wish I RSVP’d “no” to.
Final Fantasy Resonance takes a discontinued mobile game and reinterprets it as a fluid, fast-paced RPG you shouldn’t miss. The leveling curve for the game’s Visions can be a little wonky, but the turn-based gameplay, party customization, and stellar presentation make that a trifle moot, as it both appropriately lionizes Final Fantasy and offers a new experience for those who missed the mobile game.
One Piece: Grand Gourmet takes the best parts of Kairosoft’s game design and One Piece’s neverending world and combines them into a truly delightful dish. Aside from a couple of small translation trip-ups, the game is a blast to take in. As someone who’s loved One Piece for almost as long as I’ve been alive, I've been pleasantly surprised by this and have struggled to put it down. Kairosoft gets what makes a sim game truly fun, and it mixes that fun with the whimsy and silliness of One Piece in a brilliant way.
Ratatan captures pretty much everything that made Patapon fun, though your mileage may vary on the first few runs. Once things get going, Ratatan lives up to its predecessor’s reputation, mixing a solid roguelite angle with its unique, incredibly satisfying rhythm-based gameplay. If you dig rhythm games, I recommend giving Ratatan a go, as it’s got plenty to offer that you won’t find anywhere else.
I genuinely wanted to find the fun in Stupid Never Dies. With each run I started, I hoped its combat would finally kick into high gear. With each boss I beat, I prayed for a new mechanic that wouldn’t force me to grind run after run until I could reach the next boss with a high enough level and enough time left on the clock. With each trip to the body-hacking upgrade shop, I was sure the right equipment would present itself and let me rule the Underworld once and for all. But, sadly, that moment never came. Instead, I had to grapple with the reality of the situation. Rather than lean into the roguelikes it clearly takes inspiration from, Stupid Never Dies is content to lift ideas and mechanics from the genre without any idea how to assemble them into a fun experience. It’s a complete buzzkill of a Frankenstein, and is perfectly happy to let you shamble through its slog of a campaign.
Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse is a strong return to the franchise’s roots. The combat is excellent, the traversal feels fantastic, and player-driven exploration is a big part of why it works. The music is easily the weakest part, but it does not drastically diminish what is otherwise a near-perfect revival.
Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave is a massive, well-crafted strategy game that makes the most of its fresh ideas. Though the free time periods can get repetitive, the maps, narrative, and character progression more than make up for it, making it one of the best games on the Nintendo Switch 2. I can’t even imagine what the next Fire Emblem will be like, since upping the ante from Fortune’s Weave seems nigh impossible.
I’ve only scratched the surface of what Order of the Sinking Star has to offer. By my estimate, I still have around 600 or so puzzles left to discover and solve, many of which have remixed the very premise of the game in some truly surprising ways that I won’t dare spoil. But with several dozen hours of playtime logged, I can safely say that it is, without exaggeration, one of the best puzzle games I’ve ever played, standing toe-to-toe with the genre greats. There are very few games on the market that are this intentional with their design and are unwavering in their dedication to a handful of core principles. For all the moments where I found myself stuck in my tracks or banging my head against a wall, there were many more “AHA!” moments and flashes of insight and realization that made the struggles all the more worth it. Order of the Sinking Star is unparalleled in communicating ideas and concepts without saying a single word, but more impressive is that I feel like I’m having a genuine conversation with it with each puzzle I solve.
Ghost of Yōtei: Complete Edition is chock-full of enjoyable new content that makes an already excellent game even better. The added campaign strengthens the game’s world, while the Most Wanted roguelike mode lets you experience intense combat in a fresh way. There’s no better time or way to experience Sucker Punch’s most recent banger, so I fully recommend giving it a go.
Kingdom Hearts Collection [I~III] is an excellent way to experience most of the Kingdom Hearts franchise, whether for the first time or for the umpteenth. Most of the bundled games deliver essentially perfect performance on the Nintendo Switch 2, while the more recent games still maintain consistent enough frame rates to please most. Being able to play the entire franchise on the go is a thrilling prospect, and I’ll likely be doing so for a good long while to come. This is a great way to get ready for Kingdom Hearts IV, and I’m sure many Nintendo-exclusive fans will be doing just that with this top-notch bundle.
Gears of War: E-Day is an excellent-feeling third-person shooter. It's gorgeous, runs well (even in split-screen), and is a ton of fun when it focuses on firefights. It lacks an interesting take on being both a prequel and an invasion day story mechanically, slipping back into classic Gears a little too quickly. The open zone levels are dull, checklist-filled areas that create unnecessary downtime. Multiplayer is sharp and well executed, but also doesn't rise above being more Gears. Horde Siege takes on the faults of the open campaign levels and becomes too focused on meta upgrades, losing sight of having fun in the current match, not the next one. It's well-crafted, but ultimately feels at its best when it's trying the least.
Star Wars: Galactic Racer is a fantastic racing game that perfectly captures the breakneck speed of the source material’s iconic vehicles. The story and abundance of modes make for a unique racing experience, and though a couple of small rough edges exist in how it’s presented, this is a brilliant title that had me frequently jolting to the edge of my seat. Whether you like Star Wars, racing games, or both, there’s lots here for you to sink your teeth into.
Qliphah in Providence's Shadow will likely attract a small group of enthusiasts who enjoy digging into its unique combat system and mastering its timeline-based mechanics. However, its chaotic presentation, frustrating design, and repetitive structure make it a hard sell for most, and its lackluster story isn't enough to carry it.
Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve exemplifies “High-Flying Action” and takes it to another level, while also giving new fans options to ease into it. Personally, I say dive into the deep end; flying directly into the ground a few times puts some hair on your chest. If you enjoy exploring an action game in a massive 3D space, love jets and airplanes, or are already a fan of the franchise, Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve is a masterclass in its category.
While Silent Hill: Townfall focuses a bit too much on stealth for my tastes, it has a tense atmosphere and a somber story that make it a worthy entry in the Silent Hill series, even though it isn't set in the town itself.