Saving Content
HomepageSaving Content's Reviews
If you haven’t tried the Serious Sam games, now’s the time. This entry truly starts at the beginning, serving as a great jumping off point for anyone to get acquainted. It’s a return of the classic run’n’gun first-person shooter with some damn funny punchlines, and Croteam gives it new life with a story and improvements all around. Serious Sam 4 is resplendent, with astronomical hordes of enemies to dispatch by devastating and varied weaponry – this is Croteam’s best shooter yet.
Crysis was a technical marvel thirteen years ago, and in some respects still is. It was the game to beat in terms of graphics and benchmarks for so many years. Crysis Remastered tries to insert itself into that conversation again, but it’s just not there yet. It’s clear that Crytek and Saber Interactive have made some mistakes here, with removing features deemed essential to the experience, cutting a level inexplicably, and making visual changes that affect the mood. It’s not a mediocre remaster, just disappointing and hamstrung in places you wouldn’t expect. Crysis Remastered is still a solid science-fiction shooter sandbox, lacking things that are supposed to be the barometer of PC gaming excellence in favor for what seems to be console compromises.
I want more from Level 91 Entertainment, and soon. In the meantime, there’s so much more work for me to do to improve my times, beat that Grand Prix that’s been eating away at me, and complete 100% of each character’s story. This is a game with heart, soul, and fantastic controls. It’s not kind to you in its first few hours, and can put many off from it, but you’ll eventually get the hang of it. It’s incredibly gorgeous to look at, but it won’t let you squeak by without working hard for your wins. Inertial Drift is revolutionary with its twin-stick drifting, full-stop.
When you figure out what your style of play and preferred level of challenge is, art of rally is a beautiful marriage of sim and arcade. This is a game that continually showcases its name through its visuals and easy-to-grasp controls. It’s simple, yet elegant. It’s complex, but intuitive. It’s satisfying, and rewarding. art of rally is transcendent.
All of that said, I think Spellbreak is a truly unique take on the Battle Royale genre which brings enough ideas to the table that it feels like a fresh multiplayer experience, even within the familiarity and comfort of the larger mechanical systems at play. It may not spark a revolution in multiplayer gaming, but it’ll give you something new to be excited about in an otherwise crowded landscape of all-too-similar shooters.
Is a dungeon still a dungeon if the majority of the levels are above ground? Well, the game doesn’t seem to need or want to answer this. When The Dungeon Of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet Of Chaos isn’t crashing or displaying incorrect text, it’s actually a challenging game that provides some well-earned laughs. The combat can be lengthy, and even sometimes frustrating, but very rewarding when you scrape by with a victory. When you divorce the conflicting ideas being humorous and a hardcore tactical RPG, while ignoring the graphical faults, there is an enjoyable game in The Dungeon Of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet Of Chaos. You just have to dig a bit deeper to find it.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater is back in a tremendous way. Where every move, every level, every detail matches or exceeds the first two games, and doesn’t miss a step in its recreation. Movement in the game feels just right as the memories come flooding in. It’s so fresh and exciting thanks to the challenge system, as well as numerous other improvements and enhancements. Vicarious Visions have redefined what it is to be a remake, and have done so spectacularly. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 is The Second Coming of Christ Air.
Windbound seeks to move beyond the “emergent story through gameplay” standard among survival games, and while it succeeds somewhat, I think it still has some room to grow. There are also some balance issues with some of the systems that the developers have talked about tuning post-launch, so it is entirely possible that Windbound will grow into something that feels overall really polished, but at present it just isn’t quite hitting all the right notes for me. There’s a lot to like about Windbound, and maybe with a little more time and care, there will be a lot to love. For now, it’s a strong concept with some really well implemented mechanics that just leaves me wanting for the better, more fleshed out version of this same thing. In the meantime though, it is a joyful, bright game that has enough going for it that you may want to keep dipping your toes back in. Just know that the waters may be a tad more shallow than they appear.
Hotshot Racing has these early 90s SEGA vibes like SEGA Rally and Virtua Racing, but the performance issues hurt the sense of speed and feeling that it’s going for. The modern-retro look and feel works well with the low-polygon environments and cars, yet crisp textures and no aliased edges. The racing itself offers different styles for all kinds of players, and the boost mechanic is really clever. Hotshot Racing lacks the overall staying power of more modern racers, but it’s sure to occupy your time online and off.
Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning is a weird release. It doesn’t have any substantial improvements compared to the original, and maybe on PC there’s going to be less of difference than for consoles. So if you have the original on PC, there’s basically little reason to upgrade except to play the upcoming Fatesworn expansion next year. That said, if you’ve never experienced this game, now’s a great time. Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning really holds up as a great RPG filled to the brim with content, and its build-your-own class system remains a highlight, backed with some really fun combat. Don’t miss out on one of 2012’s best games now.
More of a rough stone than a dazzling gem, Raji is glimmering with potential in lots of important ways and has some truly wonderful moments, but leaves something to be desired in terms of polish and consistency, especially where player movement is concerned. Overall this is a solid debut effort from a new developers and I suspect that the Steam version might be the one to play when it comes out later this year. Still, even with its flaws, Raji: An Ancient Epic offers a unique experience and a great story that are worth seeing, if you can get past the rough edges.
Iron Harvest is an incredibly solid RTS with a fantastic setting that will keep you enamored during the entire 20+ hour campaign. KING Art games have crafted a beautiful game with destruction backed by solid and balanced gameplay. It’s missing a few nuts and bolts to hold the rest of it together, but what’s here is sturdy to stand tall for now. I look forward to seeing the game expand and grow beyond its current state to fulfill its promises. For what you get, Iron Harvest is unique, rewarding, and full of depth; it’s absolutely worth playing.
I understand that the change in developers would cause 704 Games from touching too much, fearing too big a change could break it. It also gives them time to focus on next year’s product, as they become more familiar with the game engine and code left behind from Monster Games. It’s such a shame that they stalled the momentum they gained from the previous releases, though. Here’s hoping that with the next NASCAR Heat title, they will make some strides in improving the career and continue to deliver a fun racing experience.
Crusader Kings III is all about the dynasty you’ve built, and the legacy you leave behind for a future of fame, fortune, and family in an ever-unfolding drama that’s brought unto you, or what you create for yourself. There’s a chasm-wide cast of characters to play as from real royal families from hundreds of countries, many of which you’ll want to see them through. Whether a new or returning player, hours will pass like minutes, and you’ll realize the game has a hook on you that you won’t want to remove. This is grand strategy at its finest, and Crusader Kings III is an immensely replayable, unscripted narrative masterpiece.
WRC 9 is the fully realized game that KT Racing has been building towards all these years. And it being so good sets up both the already announced WRC 10 and WRC 11 with incredible foundations to work from and build upon. It has some persistent and pesky bugs, but they should be ironed out. Future updates will include new cars and multiplayer where you can be the co-driver giving pacenotes, all for free. This is a richer and fuller experience over WRC 8 in every way. WRC 9 is not only the best WRC game to-date, but one of the best rally simulations to exist.
There isn’t much to hate about this latest Battletoads; I found it a lot of fun. But I know that the humor will get on some people’s nerves and you’ll have a group of people out there that feel the combat is too repetitive. Oh, and of course, the lack of online co-op will upset some folks. But even with all that, I still feel as if Battletoads is a great way to spend your afternoon. Not to mention, it’s on Xbox Game Pass, so if you already subscribe, there’s nothing to lose by giving it a try. It’s crazy to think that after all these years, that there would be a good Battletoads game. Maybe we’re the ones stuck in a simulation, trapped in an alternate universe where Battletoads is good, and the world around us is terrible. If that’s the case, then let me out, let me out now. Just let me sneak a copy of this game with me, though, ok?
CONTROL‘s second and final expansion raises more questions than it answers. AWE is a great on its own, I just wish there was more to it. It feels like it’s going to do bigger things with this crossover, then doesn’t. So I feel like Remedy set expectations a bit too high with this one. AWE is still incredibly well written, has great main and side stories, and the unique gameplay changes things up in clever ways. With the Remedy Connected Universe in motion, things are now falling into place, and AWE gives a glimpse into the future of Remedy’s games and universe at-play that we’ve never seen done before. After all, it’s not a lake… it’s an ocean.
It took me a while to realize how much these interactions, whether it be the interpersonal conversation or combat encounters themselves, stuck with me. Wasteland 3 has rules, but they only exist for you to bend them. With limitless character creation combinations, branching dialogue choices that affect what quests you do or don’t experience, and multiple endings, Wasteland 3 is an expanse of content and opportunity. The change in locale does wonders, no longer relying on a tired post-apocalyptic biome. Wasteland 3 has a wonderful backdrop in Colorado’s frozen wastes, making it the perfect place to spend a nuclear winter.
Anyone who didn’t like what Project CARS and Project CARS 2 offered, will love Project CARS 3. But also, the inverse is true; if you loved the first two for their pure unadulterated simulation, you’re likely to be turned away with this third entry. I found it a bit of a balanced approached that’s way more focused and in-line with other games in the genre, that remains appealing to me. Project CARS 3 is incredibly deep, retaining a lot of the DNA of what makes it so good. When you’re able to open up cars in straight lines to hear their exhaust notes, you’ll be sporting a Grinch-like smile that extends from ear-to-ear. That’s a priceless reaction you won’t get anywhere else but in Project CARS 3.
Flight Simulator at launch is only the beginning, as it’s set to be a game that evolves and grows over time rather than being a static product. If this was all the game would be, it’s great as-is. No matter whether you buy it, or download it via Game Pass, you’re getting the best flight simulator to-date. Microsoft Flight Simulator soars to new heights, and has easily been worth the the fourteen year wait.