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Very little stands in the way of what makes Little Goody Two Shoes special. Apart from some pacing issues in important parts of the game, this RPG Maker title channels psychological horror wonderfully. Don't let the cutesy presentation fool you: There's something sinister laying in wait underneath it all, and it's a joy to play.
This Bed We Made is a great game that kept me returning for more. I loved the narrative experience and the human element of its story. Though it was a short experience, the various paths to take to the ending had me trying repeatedly to see every scene and ending. Sophie is a unique character that I grew to love and was driven to protect no matter what. This Bed We Made is a game I highly recommend.
While RoboCop does have some fun moments and enjoyable gameplay, it is, on the whole, a shallow, repetitive experience. Living the power-fantasy of being RoboCop does not save it from glitchy, rudimentary gameplay and a story that is too similar to the movies. If you love RoboCop like me, you may find something here to enjoy, otherwise, look elsewhere for your gaming goodness.
13 years since its predecessor, Alan Wake 2 was absolutely worth the wait. Improving on the original in every way, with Remedy embracing their inspirations, and honing their craft, Alan Wake 2 is a surrealist horror masterpiece.
Ghostrunner 2 fails at being what it should be, a proper sequel. Instead, it ends up feeling much more like a 1.5, or a big DLC expansion, because of how little is changed or evolved from the first game. Where it does try to expand, it more often than not fails on the execution, and while the core combat is still just as insanely fun as it was the first time around, Ghostrunner 2's failings get in the way of that core experience so much that it drags down your whole experience.
Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged is a fairly decent approximation of toy car racing, with the added bonus of being able to customise your car collection and design your own tracks. However the karting / arcade gameplay doesn't quite click in either direction, and the failure to make the game accessible for younger children adds to the feeling of mild disappointment which pervades the whole game.
Crymachina has several good ideas that it begins to explore. However, the kind of output needed to make those ideas flourish did not happen. Instead, this is a gorgeous-looking game that leans too heavily in the wrong directions, leaving its more intriguing elements as accessories instead of features. There's a decent game here that plays well, but its middle-of-the-pack execution in a sea of action RPGs doesn't do the game any favors.
Gargoyles Remastered is a good addition to the growing library of classic remasters. It's faithful to a fault to its original release. Though I praise the developer for keeping the game as true to the original as possible, that doesn't mean it couldn't have used some extra updates. The visual upgrade is tremendous in recreating the animated series visuals, and the rewind function is excellent. Still, that doesn't keep the combat and platforming from being incredibly frustrating at times.
Underneath the thick red skin of its unpolished exterior there is an entertaining and surprisingly sophisticated roguelike brawler to be found in Hellboy Web of Wyrd. It's just a shame that sluggish combat, uninteresting lore and poorly executed exploration all conspire to drag Hellboy Web of Wyrd down into the depths.
Ultimately, The 7th Guest VR is the best sort of surprise. A great mix of entertaining puzzles, compelling exploration and some unexpectedly cutting edge visual design, for this Halloween there's probably no better reason to get out your PS VR2 headset than this.
If there is one word I could use to sum up Wild Card Football it would be Potential. It's a lot of fun and with some refinements it could be a very compelling annual must have for fans of the sport.
Full of emotional highs that will make you get out of your chair and cheer at the screen in a way that few games have managed to achieve in recent memory, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 represents Insomniac Games operating at the apex of its considerable powers. Spectacular and amazing, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is a superior, spectacle stuffed action adventure that provides players with the ultimate superhero fantasy. Full of surprising heart and delicate moments that balance beautifully with the sort of blockbuster superhero bombast that its developer has refined to a fine art, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is a toweringly polished, unparalleled masterwork that redefines the superhero video game genre at large and is better than the previous two games in every way imaginable. This is exactly what you've been waiting for.
Caligula Effect 2 tries to mix up the RPG formula with combat previews and expanded social elements. However, much of those ideas get buried under their over complicated presentation and execution. There is something new here that RPG fans may be curious about, but not many others will take a chance on it.
Vlad Circus Descend Into Madness makes the puzzle genre worth playing through. It may not streamline anything the genre offers, but it does keep you motivated to move forward, thanks to its simplistic visual style and thoughtful writing.
Sonic Superstars is clearly a game made with a lot of love and passion for the Sonic community as a whole. New additions to the formula help to really set this entry apart from its predecessors and blaze new ground for a hopefully promising future. Co-op play is included in a way that's both intuitive and approachable for players who may have never encountered a Sonic game before, making Superstars a fantastic jumping on point. But in maintaining the core of classic Sonic gameplay, it also brings the common flaws of those very first games from years ago and stumbles in some key areas that will frustrate rather than engage with boss battles that slow the pace down to a crawl at times. While it may not reach the heights of previous Sonic games, this is a solid new entry for the series that fans will certainly enjoy, as well as their friends.
Lords of the Fallen does a lot of things right. Its exploration is its strongest point, and jumping from the human and Umbra realms provides unique enemy encounters and secrets. However, while its combat could have been great, it's ultimately marred by poor hitbox detection and a lock-on camera that will get you killed more than it will save you. There is just something about the world that kept me coming back for more. Whether it was the exploration, the great monster and character designs, or the world itself. Lords of the Fallen is a great return to the dark gothic style of these highly difficult titles.
Honkai Star Rail offers a palpable universe full of possibilities on top of an accessible turn-based combat system that you can dig as deeply into as you want. There's a grind involved with any gacha game, and Honkai Star Rail is no exception. Strong writing, intriguing characters, and engrossing combat make Honkai Star Rail a must-play game that's also relatively friendly to free-to-play players.
Long Gone Days is a game that is clearly more interested in telling a story rather than lighting the turn-based genre on fire. A mechanically solid RPG frames the story of Rourke and his allies. In that regard, the story that is delivered is a phenomenal exploration of the genuine costs of war on those who are forced to survive. It's a deeply resonant story that will likely connect with a great many people. Pixel-art and character portraits help to avoid the typical drab and dreariness that almost defines this genre of story. Extreme effort has gone into making sure the main party and those around them are characterised in a very human way, despite the art-style being rooted in a clear anime influence. There are some moments that may break the illusion of this weighty narrative and these moments did take me out of some of the action. In spite of this, I still enjoyed my time with the game, with a story that will sit with me for a long time.
Though Lil Gator Game isn't especially long, it leaves an indelible mark on you, like a high-five with a loved one that leaves your hand with a pleasant soreness to remind you of the fact. Lil Gator is restorative in a way that many games just aren't - it slowly strips away your layers of resistance until you fall in love with its straightforward, though greatly satisfying adventure platform beats. Lil Gator Game is unreservedly pure, distilled happiness and innocence all in one glorious concoction and couldn't we all do with a bit more of that these days?
Infinity Strash: DRAGON QUEST: The Adventures of Dia is a great adaptation of The Adventures of Dia anime, but it's a disappointment when it comes to being a spin-off in the Dragon Quest franchise. Simple combat and a bad mission structure will have you watching screengrabs from the anime more than playing the game. It tires hard to be an epic adventure, but it feels like it was designed for the mobile market before being moved to a console release.