Hey Poor Player
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It can leave your heart racing, and it can leave you stunned at the scenery, and, sometimes, it’ll leave you bewildered at how brutal the game can be, but ultimately, I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t a diamond in the rough here. It’s gonna feel unpolished and early-access-ish with paltry menus, no saving, and only one map and two heroes to play as. Still, there’s a lot of potential here. But until a few content issues, save system complaints, and AI fine-tuning gets addressed, I can’t quite give Until We Die too much of a recommendation unless you find it on sale.
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart doesn’t try to teach an old Lombax too many new tricks. The core of the series still works and is a ton of fun to play. The PS5 provides just enough to make it feel fresh while new friends provide new possibilities. I’m glad to say that the team at Insomniac has this iconic duo back on track. There’s no better game to show off the power of the PS5.
Alekon is an easy sell — if you like Pokemon Snap but want more freedom to roam around and take pictures without a care in the world, this is your game. With over 50 mini-games and literally hundreds of pictures to snap, Alekon took an immensely enjoyable mechanic and added a uniquely fun flair to the mix. If N64 games were your bread and butter growing up and you want a taste of that retro goodness with all the fixings of updated UI and smooth controls, you’re pretty much obligated to add Alekon to your plate.
Chicory: A Colorful Tale spoke to me deeply. I think most people who have pursued any creative outlet will find something to latch onto in its story. If that were the only strength here, you’d have a game worth your time. When you combine that with a beautiful art style, fantastic music, entertaining exploration, thought-provoking puzzles, and unique boss battles, you have a masterpiece. Coming out during the lead-up to E3, the same week that several other heavy hitters release, it would be easy for Chicory to get lost in the shuffle. Don’t let them happen. Few games releasing in 2021 will be more worthy of your time.
I may have already played through one of these two games before, but that didn’t stop Saviors of Sapphire Wings / Stranger of Sword City Revisited from being an absolute blast. While the punishing difficulty curve of SoSCR might be enough to put off those who don’t want to invest too much time into their dungeoneering experiences, SoSW is much more approachable and acts as a happier, easier version of its grittier counterpart. You’d best pick this two-for-one treat up if you’re even remotely a DRPG fan. You’re totally missing out, otherwise!
Necromunda: Hired Gun had the potential to be a great little romp into the delightfully dreary world of Warhammer 40k, but it missed the mark on getting there. If you really, really like Warhammer and want to scoop up every little piece of lore that you can, then there are worse things that you can buy than this. Unfortunately, unless the developers decide to dedicate some time to get things running properly, Hired Gun isn’t going anywhere good any time soon.
Overall, I honestly loved Winds of Change. Stellar writing, great voice acting, branching choices, and gorgeous artwork make for an impressive visual novel. I definitely encourage you to look past what you think you know about certain online communities and not judge this book by its cover. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed in this one.
I really enjoyed my time with this game. Older-timey without being stale, challenging without being a headache, and with a solid story, The Corruption Within has a lot to recommend it. There’s some replay value, too – there are several optional items to find in the game that will present you with a moral choice you make, which will, in turn, affect the ending of the game. Honestly, my only criticism is that the game is a little short, as I beat it easily in a single sitting. But, like usual, that’s probably just me being greedy and wanting more of a good thing.
The Magnificent Trufflepigs asks players to stop frantically trying to achieve arbitrary goals and instead reflect on why we’ve undertaken them in the first place. It employs an interesting and underutilized mechanic, only to completely change it up once the main character achieves some desperately needed personal growth. It may require a second playthrough to totally understand not only the big reveal but overarching message; luckily, it’s a three hour excursion (at most) across bucolic English countryside, so that extra time is time well spent. If you find yourself exhausted by constantly trying to check things off life’s list, you deserve a breather — grab a metal detector and take a walk with The Magnificent Trufflepigs.
Overall, the Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection is a welcome walk down memory lane for any returning fans of the franchise and a challenging yet fun experience for newer ones. It takes everything that made the original editions of the games enjoyable, polishes them to perfection, and wraps them up in one nicely affordable package. Although the main stories may be a bit on the short side, the collection still offers plenty to keep you occupied with all the extra play modes at your disposal.
Earth Defense Force: World Brothers took a big risk giving a whole new look and feel to the EDF series, but it’s a gamble that pays off well. The more cutesy stylings and arcadey gameplay will turn off some, but many others will find it to be a fresh twist on the EDF formula. With a gigantic cast of international characters to play as, there’s plenty of chaotic joy to be had.
While not the definitive way to play Umurangi Generation, this is still a stunning game. With a unique vision of the future, informed in part by current times, it has a strong message, delivered with fascinating gameplay and unique style. If you have the option to play on PC, I would recommend doing so. If not, however, Umurangi Generation is well worth your time on any platform. This is a deeply felt game tailor-made for our times.
Pecaminosa – A Pixel Noir Game hits all the right notes in both the pixel-art style and noir genre. It has fun fights, challenging bosses, interesting art, and even some entertaining mini-games to break the routine. It’s easy to recommend but difficult to master; expect more action and less mystery with this police action RPG. If you want something that feels new yet simultaneously possesses retro vibes, take a deep, long draft of Pecaminosa – A Pixel Noir Game.
Edge of Eternity has not only met, but surpassed my expectations in every way imaginable. It goes beyond simply being a “love letter to the classics” and has the potential to eventually become one itself someday, given that it gets a little bit of polish here and there (which I’ve already heard that it will be receiving, at least in part). In a gaming landscape that seems to have largely given up on many of the more traditional JRPGs, it’s nice to see that there are others out there who insist on keeping it alive—and it’s encouraging to see that they have the means to see things through.
With style to spare and refined gameplay, Knockout City knows exactly what game it is. That happens to be an excellent, highly addictive, online slugfest. It’s excellent to pick up and play for a short burst, and its strategy can hold your attention for longer sessions. My biggest hesitation with it is how unsure EA seems about what they want it to be. Will they continue expanding its free play period to make it fully free to play? Will they continue adding new modes, maps, and other options to keep the gameplay fresh? It’s hard to say. I can, however, say that with hours of play available even under the current free model, this is a city worth visiting.
If you’re new to the Guilty Gear series, there isn’t a better place to start than -Strive-. If you’re a returning veteran, enough has changed to keep things feeling fresh, but I have a feeling you’ll be up to speed in no time. While definitely complex and at times a bit intimidating, it does a fantastic job of initiating players. Guilty Gear -Strive- never holds back. If you remotely enjoy fighting games, this is a stunner you shouldn’t miss.
Castle Flipper adds a fresh twist to the burgeoning builder genre by providing puzzles and personality that make a seemingly empty world feel surprisingly alive. With the power to build not only immense castles but tiny towns teeming with signs of life, landlords and landladies will quickly come up with a treasure trove of backstories for their kingdoms in Castle Flipper. Complete with a musical score that feels right at home in a cozy Dungeons and Dragons campaign, Castle Flipper pleases now and promises more later. Claim your throne with Castle Flipper (or in the very least clean up after those lazy peasants) on Steam today.
I truly enjoyed this opportunity to review Mighty Goose. Though the game veered just shy of perfection, it’s still a very worthy and enjoyable action platformer. I spent a handful of hours beating the game, and even then, I have a few extra things I want to unlock. While I do think it would have benefitted from minor improvements and wish it had some additional modes to keep me playing, it’s still a ton of fun. This is the perfect start to the Summer gaming season. Now I’ll just wait with bated breath for Blastmode to announce they’re working on an even bigger sequel!
With soothing music, calming visuals, addictive gameplay, and a unique tale that unfolds slowly, The Wild At Heart is incredibly easy to recommend. In fact, the only thing you will need to find real enjoyment with this gem is a controller and a good 20 hours to sink into it. There is so much charm and energy in this little puzzler, and I was so engaged in figuring out the whimsical world of the Deep Woods that I hardly noticed the time just whizzing by. If you’re the type that likes to play problem-solving games to relax, you absolutely need The Wild At Heart.
Save Me Mr. Tako: Definitive Edition hits a lot of the right notes: beautifully nostalgic, quirky, and fun mechanics and catchy music. With a surprising amount of dialogue, secrets to find in each level, and 50 silly hats to discover and wear, there’s plenty to keep you coming back for more. If you’re in the market for a game that pays homage to the good ol’ days of the Gameboy, I think you’ll find plenty to love here. Especially since the game offers adjustable difficulty, so if you, like me, aren’t super great at platformers (but love them anyway), you can scale the game somewhat to your abilities.