VGChartz's Reviews
Even with a short running time and a lack of special set-pieces, Iron Meat does justice to the genre, not to mention its own on-the-nose name.
By marrying the expectations of a typical top-down 2D entry with the improvisational, do-it-yourself gameplay from Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, Grezzo has arrived at a winning formula that mixes old and new. That said, not everything is perfect: the echo system isn't great in combat situations and the game's dungeons demand more complexity.
The Plucky Squire's misused potential and diminished challenge keep it from scoring a Newberry Medal, but it still remains a charming children's page-turner that's tough to put down.
Digitales Interactive's sophomore effort explores intriguing topics with solid puzzles, but certain design and writing missteps prevent its interstellar potential from leaving orbit.
Goodwin Games' interactive folktale ironically evokes its dour atmosphere in two ways: impressive presentation and unpolished gameplay.
Featuring every arcade Marvel game that Capcom has produced, Arcade Classics boasts high-speed action that stands the test of time, and a wide variety of characters from both companies' catalogs.
Slight reservations towards mechanical simplicity aside, Astro Bot's polish and relentless fusillade of charmingly creative concepts places it among the best 3D platformers in recent memory.
Thanks to refined camera controls, additional moves, quality-of-life enhancements, expanded 2D platforming sections, and the retention of almost everything that made the Wii version special, Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed is the best way to experience Mickey's adventure in Wasteland.
Overall, Star Wars Outlaws is an ambitious assemblage of different mechanics and concepts gracelessly pressed into an open world too confused to handle them.
Thanks to three must-play DS games, innovative porting work, a slew of special features and quality-of-life upgrades, and a surprisingly strong remake of a former franchise dud, it's among the best collections released under the Konami banner in the last five years.
I have deeply conflicting feelings towards Ys X: Nordics, to such an extent that it turns out to be difficult to score. The part of me that really enjoyed the battle system and sense of exploration, which are both better than ever before in a Falcom release, would opt for a high mark; the part of me that's disappointed with the characters, narrative, and visuals would score it lower.
It has a lot going for it, including a fascinating premise, 13 unique playable characters, excellent moment-to-moment action, and outstanding production design. With a better story and more nuanced strategic and relationship-building gameplay, it would join its predecessor as a GOTY contender.
Although Crytek's multiplayer relaunch fumbled on certain launch-window errors and design alterations, Hunt: Showdown 1896 is still the premier extraction shooter.
Through slick design refinements and engaging new storylines, The Iron Rig's otherwise conservative aims still make for a seaworthy expansion.
Age of Mythology: Retold is both a solid RTS and reimagining, but a bit of an odd one as well. It brings enough changes to the table to offer a new experience, but at the same time one that is in other ways bound in the past. Both this and its less than optimal visuals make it feel a bit stuck between old and new.
The final product doesn't do much to elevate the Yars franchise, due to an excessively flippant tone, an over-reliance on unsatisfying stealth and hacking mechanics, and generally straightforward, unsurprising gameplay. The controls are solid, the power-ups are interesting, and the exploration is rewarding, but that's not quite enough to save the game from mediocrity.
Cat Quest III is a delightful ARPG that embodies what I love about the genre: colorful themes, adventuring, and thrilling, fast-paced combat that also yields subtle depth.
There's a certain irony to Creatures of Ava: that an unadulterated alien world teeming with wildlife can feel so tamed and overdeveloped by the very hands who crafted it.
Thanks to engaging combat, impressive level variety, rewarding exploration, an immersive hub area, and vibrant art, it's one of the very best games of 2024.
World of Goo 2 is worthy sequel to its classic predecessor, while also standing tall (albeit a bit wobbly) as a distinct experience.