VGChartz's Reviews
There were several different ways Midboss could've approached this sequel, likely all of which would've been better than Read Only Memories: NEURODIVER.
Between atmosphere, mechanics, and storytelling, Crow Country gets caw-fully close to bonafide classic status in the survival-horror pantheon.
The driving is snappy and satisfying, the light simulation elements add a touch of strategy, and the Mode 7 experience goes a long way. A lack of backdrop variety is a bummer, as is the screen-hogging rear-view mirror, but the pros outnumber the cons in this spirited racing game.
The idea of an under-equipped cat roaming the underworld in search for her owner is a great one, but it never makes the transition from page to screen. Because everything is designed around the abilities of a simple house cat, stage designs are far too simple and boss battles are disappointingly monotonous.
MultiVersus is by no means irredeemable; there’s potential here for a competent Smash-like fighter and real effort to be found in elements like the characters and stages, but this is its second shot at living up to that potential and it seems to have actually taken more steps backward than forward.
It retains the spirit of the groundbreaking 1981 Apple II game and makes it more approachable, less exhausting, and far more glamorous than ever before. Sometimes it hews too closely to the original, resulting in tedious, taxing gameplay, but in general it delivers a dungeon-crawler worthy of the Wizardry name.
Surgent Studios' debut title is a tale of two extremes: enthusiasm for this heartfelt story about grief and apathy for the Metroidvania around it.
The creative fun of Super Mario Odyssey blends with the beauty of Ori to create one of this year’s indie gems.
With its closest inspirations at the forefront (Playdead & Studio Ghibil), Wishfully's debut makes great strides in honoring them both, despite also retreating back to safe design tropes too often.
Judged only on the hybrid version, Aggro Crab's underwater adventure is a choppy, unsightly mess that veers briefly into unplayable territory in the Unfathom, potentially due to memory leaks. If you're a Souls-like addict, Another Crab's Treasure is worth checking out — as long as it's on a platform other than Switch.
While some gameplay limitations dampen its mechanical & narrative potential, Loretta remains a harrowing & surreal ride through a twisted psyche.
Although Rauniot is shy on its lore and narrative, it still excels at captivating the player with an eerie, haunting world and incredibly tough riddles.
While it's impossible to ignore the surfeit of launch-window technical issues, Abstraction Games recaptures the mechanics & magic that places Gigantic among the best multiplayer games of the past decade.
Its low-stakes, easygoing nature might not be to everyone's taste, but for those who land on the Stardew Valley side of the gaming coin, Bootleg Steamer is a curious, pleasant nightcap to the end of any evening.
Between its great pacing, breezy atmosphere, and more, Botany Manor shows Balloon Studios has a green thumb for game design.
Little Kitty, Big City obviously profits from its feline main character, but remove the cat and you're still left with a breezy, cozy game with a colorful cast of characters and a bunch of diverting side missions.
Thanks to HD visuals, co-op support, and some quality-of-life fixes, this new version is somewhat better than the Dreamcast game. Unfortunately, too much of that game's DNA is preserved here, leading to a middling experience.
With some work, I think there could be something enjoyable here, but as it stands at launch it’s very difficult to recommend.
Presenting El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron to a new audience and preserving it for future generations is a great thing, especially considering its cult status. Whether that audience will enjoy it is another matter entirely.
No copycat should be satisfied in reproducing its inspiration without incorporating a visual, aural, story, and/or mechanical nuance alongside it. None of these four categories are met here, so what's left is a ditto platformer that's content with showing yet another hellish landscape after humans are nearly wiped out.