The Outerhaven Productions
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Easily on of the best homages to old-school arcade gaming in quite some time. Easy to pick up, hard to master, but damn if you won't have fun along the way. With some fast-energy tunes, a gorgeous looking world and plenty of frantic action, Nex Machina has me wishing the days of arcade gaming weren't over. The only thing that would make this game even better is the addition of an online co-op mode.
What TEKKEN 7 does isn't all that revolutionary, no pun intended. However, TEKKEN 7 takes a chance by adding some things that may prove to extend its life in not only the Fighting Game Community but also in the casual market as well. A well-crafted story, tournament mode for organizers to utilize and a variety of fighters to choose from, TEKKEN 7 stakes its claim as one of the best fighting games to come out in a year where fighting games are stuck in the public eye.
Although ARMS may not be perfect, it's a really good time playing both online and locally with friends. Its single player offerings are underwhelming, and more story content to experience and the removal or refinement of the three bland mini-games would have pushed ARMS to near perfection.
Little Nightmares is an amazing experience, albeit there are some things that are left to be desired. However, for a first attempt by the studio that gave us Little Big Planet content, as well as Tearaway Unfolded, Little Nightmares is an easily recommended time-killing adventure.
Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia proves that looking back doesn't mean missing something. In fact, this will definitely go down as one of the greatest Fire Emblem games in my opinion. Great characters, powerful story, challenging combat, this game has it all.
All in all, Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers is an impressive title for the Nintendo Switch. Sadly, the fact that we've seen this game several times before heavily negates its appeal. Short of adding two new characters, and the disappointing Way of the Hado mode, this is still Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo HD Remix. The title is worth picking up if you enjoy fighting games, but not its current price. Definitely, wait for a sale.
Injustice 2 is a fine game. It's basic enough for newcomers to pick up and play but still has depth for experienced players to explore. The story mode is the best in the fighting game genre and really warrants more. However the whole experience is crushed by an experiment to bring mobile game style random bullshit into console games and ultimately makes the game forgettable once something else comes along.
Your Trusty and Old Faithful Disgaea
For visual novel fans, or anyone who gets excited about Vita releases, Hakuoki: Kyoto Winds is worth checking out. It's not perfect - the story is slow to start and the writing can be a bit cheesy at times. However, its visuals are beautiful, the story is fun, and the Japanese history lesson is a bonus.
After putting in over 40+ hours into The Surge, I'm happy to admit that this game was a pleasant surprise. I fully expected this to be a failed attempt to capitalize on the Soulsborne series, like some many others. Instead, I played a game with an interesting story, tons of hidden content, a cast crafting system and more than enough combat to keep me swinging away. Deck 13 Interactive should be applauded for what they've managed to pull off and more importantly, it will help to remove the blemish that is Lords of the Fallen.
Probably not meant for me - but that didn't stop me enjoying it!
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe makes the small changes needed to differentiate itself from its inferior Wii U version. It's a worthy purchase regardless of the time you've spent playing the same tracks on the Wii U, as the battle mode will keep you entertained for years to come. For any fan of local Mario Kart multiplayer, this is a no brainer. Still, I can't fully recommend buying it for online play until Nintendo resolves poor connectivity issues.
For those who can't stand the "walking simulator" genre, Edith Finch likely won't change your mind. But Edith Finch does incredibly interesting things for fans of these kinds of experiences. Telling stories from different perspectives throughout time allows it experiment with different types of gameplay in different settings. At two hours it may be a bit short, but ultimately I was satisfied with its conclusion.
Puyo Puyo Tetris has a deep Adventure Mode, plenty of ways to play, and is guaranteed to make you smile. If you're looking to have fun in a puzzle game and just so happen to have a Nintendo Switch? Then Puyo Puyo Tetris is for you!
We are fortunate enough to live in an era with more video games being released than ever before. Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns pays tribute to is spiritual predecessor, Harvest Moon. Unlike Harvest Moon, however, this title isn't breaking new ground (pun definitely intended). Fans of the farming-sim formula will likely be pleased, but not surprised. While it was a fine way to pass the time, I don't think this title has enough gameplay variation to hold my interest until the long winter.
With bright colorful palette, cartoony soundtrack, and goofy cast of characters, Yooka-Laylee is sure to be a hit with younger players, as well as an older crowd eager to relive gaming's past glories in 3D platforming and adventuring in an open world format. It's a visually beautiful game with a brilliant soundtrack, bringing together Rare's technical and creative talents to the table for Playtonic Games' debut. It was a fully des vu experience, reliving waves of warm nostalgia as it was happening in front of me.
In all, Full Throttle Remastered is a great package.
Use Your Words doesn't break a whole lot of new ground, but it is fun to play, and a welcome addition to the growing genre of be-the-funniest-in-the-room games.
Has-Been Heroes isn't a bad game, but I wasn't excited to start over after my first loss. After coming to understand the mechanics and strategy better, I am enjoying it to some degree, but I don't feel any less frustrated every time I lose. The only thing driving me to play more is my inner completionist, but if you're looking for a game with a compelling story and more to it than just unlocking more in-game items and spells, then this might not be the title for you.
There isn't much more to be said. With masterful visuals, combat, and story, Persona 5 is a beautiful foray into the RPG scene. There are some gripes that I have within the game, such as being forced to go to bed after visiting the metaverse or doing anything in the evening. I understand it's to keep stats under control, but perhaps a system where you can start an extra activity each night at the cost of a penalty in XP or social stat gains the next day due to fatigue would have been nice. With that said though, I find it impossible to call Persona 5 anything but a phenomenal experience.