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If you are looking for something different, something deeper, but want to maintain the darker presence of a Lovecraftian novel, then Sunless Sea: Zubmariner Edition on PlayStation 4 is most certainly your game. With patience and perseverance you may even be able to survive well enough that you do not need to eat your crew… A note of fair warning though, is that this game is less about pushing off from a dock and blowing everything up but rather about managing supplies, fuel, food, and terror as you work to perform quests throughout the Unterzee. With a port that seems meant to be, Sunless Sea: Zubmariner Edition is the perfect game to pick up as we roll into Halloween 2018.
Conan Exiles could have been so good, so rich, but instead it turned out to be an awkward and often poor experience just on the gameplay mechanics alone. Add in the poor framerate on consoles and you will likely do as I did and turn the game off for a spell, hoping against hope that further console optimization without any additional loss in graphical fidelity happens (hint, it likely will not happen). Even the animations do not know where to stand in the quality and functionality of Conan Exiles, as many are plastic or wooden looking while others are smooth as a buttered baby's backside. Hell, even the environments are confused … Water? It is stunning but grass and shrub textures? Purely out of the mid-2000's. Once Conan Exiles is able to take itself seriously it may actually turn out to be a decent game, but by then it may be too late.
Though I may be harsh on Strange Brigade it is because it is coming from a studio that has consistently put out top-quality, engaging, enjoyable, and replayable titles; Zombie Army Trilogy, next to Tom Clancy's The Division and Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Wildlands is one of the most-played titles in my household. Sniper Elite 3 is literally one of the only games I have 100%'ed … since the Super Nintendo was the primary household gaming system. I can say this with utter certainty … After beating Strange Brigade I will not be back to play it again for a long, long time. I cannot say the same for other Rebellion titles, as they are not chalk-full of reused and tiresome puzzles, simple and predictable levels, or sympathetic player characters. Sure the mid-mission briefings done old-school Newsreel-style with a bit of comic relief thrown in are spectacular, but it just feels "off."
In many ways, Haunted Dungeons: Hyakki Castle is a pretty traditional dungeon crawler with its grid-based movement, first person perspective and numbers-heavy combat on the back end. Where it breaks the mold a bit is in how it allows you to split your party up for its real-time combat and Japanese-infused aesthetic. This is a genre that sometimes can get a little stodgy, and does not generally bring a lot of innovation to the table, so despite some annoying difficulty spikes and some lackluster overall presentation values, Haunted Dungeons: Hyakki Castle still makes for an interesting addition to the genre.
If you played Guacamelee, get 2. If you haven't played either, get 1 and 2, and play them in order. Unless you're one of THOSE people... then just get 2, because it is the superior specimen of the two titles.
So Labyrinth of Refrain: Coven of Dusk is my second dungeon crawling title in as many weeks, and while both were good I have to give the nod to Nippon Ichi and NIS America here for crafting one that manages to feel like both a traditional part of the genre while still taking some chances that generally work more often than not. The combat and sound effects can be a little repetitive and there is a bit of menu overload to be had here, but the massive, custom parties plus wall-breaking mechanics combine to compliment an enjoyably presented game with a darker, more interesting story than we usually see out of dungeon crawlers.
SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy has some really great franchises to draw from (I have been playing various SNK fighting games for years, and immediately felt familiarity with the cast of characters), and it has arguably the most accessible fighting mechanics of any game to date, but the fanservice and modes really only go so far. SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy has a nice, fast combat system in place that makes local play with friends zany and entertaining, but the modes themselves and modest number of characters probably are not meaty enough to encourage me to spend a ton of the time with the title either. I've gone through and beaten the story mode several times just so I can see the various interactions and endings, but outside of trying to unlock a few more items, I am not sure the hook here is going to be enough to keep me coming back on a regular basis unless I have a few people over looking to play a quick, accessible fighting game.
Shenmue 2 is an excellent continuation of not only Ryo Hazuki's story, but also showing the evolution of open-world adventure RPGs around the turn of the century. Shenmue 1 & 2 paved the way for so many other greats; Dragon Age: Origins, Grand Theft Auto IV and V, Demon's Souls/Dark Souls, and even the Tomb Raider reboots. Though they may not have necessarily pioneered some of the now-standard aspects of gaming, Shenmue 1 & 2 showed that abrasive functions like the QTE or that open-world aspect of "alive" worlds. With Shenmue 1 & 2's rerelease, gamers of all ages can experience a cult classic that deserved for more exposure than it received. Now, with it releasing on common platforms, Shenmue 1 & 2 has a larger audience than ever before, and those that decide to follow Ryo's story will be richly rewarded.
The comical aspects of Two Point Hospital are a convincing camouflage for a deep and almost tactical hospital simulation game. That very comedic façade can be misleading and is often dangerous as you may find yourself enjoying the humor and being focused on the actual people a little too much, and spending far too little time in the financial sliders of Two Point Hospital. Though it can be challenging, in no way have I found any intentional malice or downright brutality and that is a fine line to walk with simulation titles. Fortunately Two Point Hospital takes itself serious enough that diehard simulation fans will find some enjoyment in it while those new to the genre will be gradually introduced to the finer enjoyments of a deep simulation title.
Since the game released back in 2015, it's been ported from system to system and has received good to excellent praises throughout the years and once again this is not exception. The game is fun, fast and engaging. If you're looking for something that fits those categories then look no further than Freedom Planet to stop those jittery nerves. This game get my rating of 8 out of 10 for being a colorful, speedy, surprise.
When it comes down to it all though? Shenmue I & II are fantastic and must plays. The character designs, the efforts into the locations, the various gameplay systems from the QTEs which are actually good to the Free-Fighting system that is among the best that I’ve ever tried. All of it, comes together so well that it’s sad to think that it was a commercial flop and that it took this long for the series to come out to KickStarter in order to once again see the light of day. I’m quite looking forward to the third once it finally arrives. Check out PY's Part 1: http://www.chalgyr.com/2018/09/Review-PS4-Shenmue-1-2-Part1.html
The Banner Saga, The Banner Saga 2 and The Banner Saga 3 make for one very fulfilling experience. From the very start to the very end, the quality of the writing, the animations, the visuals, the music and choices you make mesh to create an experience that others would be hard pressed to match. Would I do it all over again? Not tomorrow but yes. There are still loads of choices that I would like to know the outcomes to and I would like to see the adventure through Alette’s eyes.
Overall, God Wars: The Complete Legend is a great re-release of God Wars: Future Past. With all previously available content present and more added in upon this release, there’s more than enough to love while either at home or on the go and it has really found an amazing home on the Nintendo Switch.
Deiland is worth it. If you like relaxing experiences, do it. If you like moving around a farm and growing crops without worry for much else, this has you covered. If you like things closer to Rune Factory or Popolocrois, this may not quite be for you but I would suggest taking a look anyways as while the combat and the RPG may not be on the same levels, it’s fun. So with anywhere between ten to twenty hours of relaxation? This little planet is more than worth your time!
It's nearly impossible to play Yakuza Kiwami 2 without feeling spoiled. This remake doesn't just transform an old game's visuals into something more visually palatable. It actually adds all the elements you'd expect from a modern day Yakuza title and wraps them around the bones of the most polished version of the developer's most modern game engine. Fuse these assets together with fan-favorite story and a plethora of side activities, and you have yourself not only one of the best remakes on the market, but also one of the best Yakuza titles to date.
The impression I got is that the game was trying too hard to do too many things, and it didn't end up being stellar at any of them. The plot and progression speed weren't exciting enough for me to not want to put the game down. That being said, I will go back to this game for short and infrequent intervals when I am in the right mood for it.
With a timer and handy teleportation gates strewn about areas, Dead Cells certainly feels a lot faster paced than most of the other rogue-like games I’ve played. Even the combat, with liberal use of the dodge roll, feels a lot more fluid and technical. With a fresh soundtrack that I felt really captured the ambiance of each zone inside the castle, and some pretty dang nostalgia inducing pixel style graphics that aren’t grossly overdone or under-styled, Dead Cells is certainly a game I’d recommend for any fans of the rogue-like genre who are looking for a challenge, especially since there is such a wide array of platforms to choose from.
My final score on Primus Vita is a seven out of ten. The game has an excellent foundation, amazing character development, and an intriguing narrative. As such, I look forward to the other character episodes. After all, I need to save Earth!
That said, Ys: Memories of Celceta *did* accomplish many of the things I was looking for within a new franchise; it is a series of games that I have not experienced before while scratching the action-RPG itch that I have had for some time. With clean, highly adjustable graphics, running along smoothly along at 60 FPS is a wonderful affair and after Nihon Falcom / XSEED pushed through a fix to address combat slowing down a bit at higher framerates, an extremely fast and engaging experience. When combining the delicious sound effects, voice acting, and snappy combat, Ys: Memories of Celceta is both a successful port and a fun little title; just try to reduce any expectation of it bringing something new and exciting to the table.
As Sudden Strike 4: European Battlefields provides gamers with the core game as well as the Road to Dunkirk and Finland - Winter Storm campaigns, fans of the tactical RTS genre will have plenty to keep them busy and when the campaigns have been beaten, there are plenty of maps (13) to play in the single-player Skirmish mode or various multiplayer modes to enjoy (not my personal cup of tea, but they are enjoyable to those in the mind for classic skirmish or Domination modes). The excellent focus on tactics and intelligent aggression combined with stunningly rebuilt late-1930's to mid-1940's battlefields, Sudden Strike 4: European Battlefields should be lauded for its successful adaptation of the RTS genre on console. Now if only others would follow suit …