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Purists of boomer-shooters will find things to enjoy, but it may prove to be the discussion over whether Sprawl is a boomer-shooter or not is the most interesting thing about the game. Sprawl will certainly find itself a healthy audience, but suffers from doing too much without nailing a singular element that can carry the rest. An admirable effort that often jabs, but never lands a powerful shot.
Warhammer 40k: Darktide is hard to recommend, even a month after release. There’s a good game here, but it’s burdened by issues I’m sure will be fixed after a few major updates; the only question is whether or not you’re willing to deal with it until then.
Made in Abyss: Binary Star Falling into Darkness has all the potential makings of a great anime game adaptation, but it, unfortunately, ends up falling short. Its frustrating mechanics and lengthy mandatory tutorial mean that you’ll have to put up with a lot in order to get to the best part. If you’re a big fan of Made in Abyss, you may be able to look past these flaws, but otherwise, I’d wait for a polished sequel.
I bounced so hard off The Ascent that it left a bad taste in my mouth and a wish that it spent another few more months in the oven.
Scarlet Nexus has the foundation of a great idea that’s executed poorly and spends more time introducing new systems than exploring the ones already provided.
I would avoid Cris Tales on the Switch until there’s been some patching done or you’ve tested it on another platform.
Akiba’s Trip: Hellbound and Debriefed is a rough game all-around.
If you were the person to put this game down because it’s an endless slog, then it’s probably not worth the steep price tag.
An old game relying on old conventions is easily forgiven and forgotten. Asha in Monster World has no such excuse.
A lacking homage to decidedly better content.
If you’re a diehard fan of 3D platformers and you’ve run out of better games to play in the genre, you might get some enjoyment out of Balan Wonderworld, but only if you’re willing to put up with a lot of tedium along the way.
Even though Twin Mirror is listed as a thriller, there’s nothing really thrilling about it.
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered is an overall disappointing re-release that keeps both the original game’s charm and faults intact.
Hellbound is more imitation than inspiration. Lacking in originality and flair with merely passable gameplay, it makes us wonder why we shouldn’t just play Doom.
A basic 3-D puzzler that grows stale despite a relatively short playtime.
Sword Art Online: Alicization Lycoris is a disappointingly dull action game.
You remember all those ideas people throw at the wall and don’t stick? Heroland manages to pick those ideas off the floor and use them as integral parts of its game design. If you’re looking for something to play over time that doesn’t require much concentration and doesn’t really grip you, Heroland is your game.
Ultimately, Star Ocean: First Departure R is merely upscaling an already flawed game that fans of the series will enjoy, being able to play on modern hardware, but is otherwise a frustrating experience.
Contra: Rogue Corps is a fun but flawed twin-stick shooter that feels more than a bit rushed. Its visuals are mixed and it reuses its levels in a frustrating manner, but the core gameplay and customization can be quite fun from time to time.
Wolfenstein: Youngblood succeeded in doing something I didn’t think possible: killing all enthusiasm I had for the series. Sure, the gunplay still feels great but that doesn’t matter when the entire product is hampered by tone-deaf mechanics that are trying to fix a game that wasn’t broken.