OnlySP's Reviews
As for the extras, players are most likely to run through ‘Blood Ties’ only once or twice, (depending on whether you have a shiny new PSVR), while ‘Lara’s Nightmare’ has limited appeal, and co-op Endurance mode, while great, may force you reconsider some long-standing friendships if you play it for too long. However, this all just icing…Wait, no, the DLC is the icing. This 20 Year Celebration is the cherry on an already delicious birthday cake for one of gaming’s most iconic, enduring, and beloved series. Happy Birthday, Lara! Here’s hoping you don’t have to reinvent yourself again for your 30th anniversary!
I do not think I have ever played a game available for retail that was as unfinished as Grimshade. Unfinished games on Steam are a dime-a-dozen, but I cannot be certain I have the strength to trudge through to see the rest of a game that, doubtless, bit off more than it could chew. Besides, if this really is as large a world and extensive a narrative as promised, one should never feel obligated to push through hours of also-ran adventure hoping for an uncertain and potentially imaginary catharsis.
That the game is such a disappointment is a true shame; its ideas are as intriguing and novel as any to be found across the vast plains of the indie sector. The Piano's strengths prime the title to embed itself in the hearts and minds of gamers willing to give it a chance. Unfortunately, the weaknesses are too many and the sense of discord across the production too high. Put simply, The Piano falls flat.
The team at Phantom 8 should be proud of what it has achieved in terms of atmosphere and core gameplay. Past Cure, similarly to Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice before it, is a testament to the idea that small indie developers can produce a quality of content matching that created by blockbuster studios. However, the excellence of these aspects makes the flaws in design, audio, and storytelling more glaring. What looks like a sterling experience feels amateur. Past Cure is ambitious, which can be a fantastic quality, but the developer's effort is misplaced, leaving the game incapable of surviving its own confusion.
Dynamic Pixels seems to have begun with a simple, brilliant concept, but struggled to make a cohesive game out of it. The AI neighbour and skewed environment are both wonderfully executed pieces of game design, but every other aspect of the project is flawed, making for a fundamentally unenjoyable experience. In some languages, "hello" also means "goodbye", and the latter is more apt here; no matter what horrors lay within the basement, they are not worth persevering through the horror of playing this game.
The game is lifeless, with anime stereotypes coming and going without any impact. The effete princess. The stoic soldier. The spunky one. A conflicted villain whose arc doubly disappoints by taking the entire course of the game to play out a single face turn. After all, if he had left the axis of evil sooner, the game could not recycle his boss fight three times. Honestly, criticising Revolution for resorting to overused cliches is an insult to better JRPGs that use anime stereotypes wonderfully. So much is worth commenting on as a lesson of what-not-to-do, but the above critique is more than enough. Valkyria Revolution is a dull action game, a wafer-thin war story, and a mishandling of the franchise: disappointing whether one played the previous games or not. Gamers know that Sega has so much more to offer, even if the series might now be buried for good thanks to this spin-off. Instead of revitalising a beloved property, Revolution is a snafu.
Despite its few rather minor flaws, For Honor provides a new experience for both experienced gamers and those new to the genre. With exceptional graphics and mostly-superior audio quality wedded to an immersive and dynamic gameplay experience, Ubisoft Montreal’s recent fighting game with hack-and-slash elements grants hours of addictive virtual warfare. Whether looking to sit back and relax with a few friends or play it solo, For Honor is a bloody and thrilling addition to Ubisoft’s repertoire.
Similar to how Ryo is eternally stuck in 1987, Shenmue III is trapped in 2001, when having an open world with many NPCs was more important than filling that world with anything interesting. The game tells a high-stakes plot at a snail’s pace, with terrible writing and acting. The clever combat system of the previous games has devolved into a button-mashing mess. The title does have moments of brightness: the actual story beats are great, the setting is fascinating, and it features the best forklift simulation on the market. However, with such incredibly dated gameplay, only the most ardent fans will enjoy Shenmue III. Even then, it is easily the weakest link in the franchise.
Luna: The Shadow Dust has a beautiful art style, and the early puzzles are fun and interesting, but it falls short of becoming a truly great game. Players who are adept at out-of-the-box thinking might find more to enjoy here, but many will be put off by the levels of frustration prompted by later puzzles.
Separation is long on atmosphere and artistry, but short on content. The impression it provides is that something deep and meaningful is hidden in its beautifully realised world, but the glacial pacing and slightly frustrating controls seem intent on keeping it in the dark. Separation has things to say, but does not quite seem to know how to express them.
Despite everything written so far, Narcos: Rise of the Cartels does exactly what it aims to. The game is not an attempt to rewrite the strategy rulebook, but rather a gateway drug for anyone not familiar with the genre who is already hooked on Narcos. In that context, the title is solid: an entry-level strategy game that eases players in. The shallowness stems from the mass appeal and, as such, is a strength. However, those concessions will not spark joy for strategy veterans or anyone looking for a meaty, engaging experience.
Like its protagonist then, Woven is an odd beast. Alterego has succeeded in making something distinct—the game certainly stands out from the crowd. However, that uniqueness comes with concessions. Every charming feature is offset by a fumble: a fun premise by a non-existent story, a stunning aesthetic by burdensome exploration, solid puzzles by technical issues. Nevertheless, the game is fully functional and will certainly be worthwhile purchase for young children or anyone else who enjoys the simple pleasures.
Code Vein tries hard to overcome its flaws with anime style and flamboyance—and in many areas almost succeeds. The character creation and Code-based upgrade system are intriguing, but the combat and partner AI are too inconsistent to overcome the uneven pacing and difficulty. Code Vein has its positives, but is flawed as a single-player experience.
Devil’s Hunt is visually stunning in many ways and seeks to rise above its indie roots, but sadly the game is lacking in polish in many areas. Though at times the gameplay can be genuinely fun and engaging, Devil’s Hunt suffers from frustrating flaws that put it in the shade of other hack-and-slash titles. The clunky and occasionally tasteless writing does the game no favours either.
So much potential is wasted in The Great Perhaps. Puzzle design is solid throughout, but hampered with finicky controls. Art direction is outstanding, but the story that the game is trying to support flounders between ‘funny’ and serious, and is full of clichés. Offensive content notwithstanding, The Great Perhaps is a very run-of-the-mill time travel story delivered in a monotonous tone. Many adjectives could be used to describe this game, but ‘Great’ is certainly not among them.
Stranger Things 3: The Game is only for really big fans of the show. Even then, the title is hard to recommend since it is an inferior version of the television season. While the gameplay is not bad, it is too repetitive to be enjoyable on its own. The game would perhaps be best played just before season four comes out, as a novel way of recapping the previous season.
Wolfenstein: Youngblood had the potential for greatness. MachineGames has proven itself as one of the best FPS developers active today with the previous two series entries, and Arkane Studios has a well-deserved reputation for great immersive sim experiences. Both are highly regarded for their single-player offerings, yet this collaboration squanders so much of the magic that could have been. The gunplay is as tight as fans could hope, and the central storyline is just strong enough to overcome the malaise that the repetitive open-world exploration breeds. However, those boons are not enough to offset the flaws, foibles, and—most of all—the sense that this is a game designed to keep players coming back: even as it lacks a hook to do so.
Warhammer: Chaosbane is a functional though fundamentally unspectacular addition to the Warhammer universe. The number of missions, the multiple playable characters, and the additional modes available after completion give the game a thick padding that could provide weeks of entertainment for the right player. However, the core experience is more bones than meat, which means that that ‘right player’ may be a rare breed.
Fade to Silence contains many interesting elements, but they simply do not combine well. The mix of a meditative base builder with clunky combat and the stress of permanent death results in a gameplay experience that is certainly unique, but unfortunately not enjoyable.
Jupiter & Mars is a calming experience overall. In small doses, the title could be a great antidote to a stressful day, particularly if played in VR. However, the game’s short length and lack of threat makes it too dull for long-term or repeat play. The soundtrack is the project’s major stand-out element, and the OST album would be worth buying on its own—if and when it ever becomes available.