Chalgyr's Game Room
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When Nintendo announced the Switch, Disgaea was the last thing that I ever would have figured would be coming its way. They, being Nintendo, are surprising a few of us however with some of the - and hang with me here - mature content. Disgaea can often be seen as immature to some, but that is selling the brilliant dark humor that lies beneath short. Murder, death and subjugation at the hands of the one known as Void Dark is back and it runs just as brilliantly on Nintendo's new platform as it did on Sony's current one.
Rive is an insanely challenging yet satisfying game that is mostly shoot-'em-up, but tosses in a few genre wrinkles as well. It is an unapologeticlly brutal game however, and it could use a handful tweaks here and there, but the overall experience is still a fantastic one.
Regular readers of our site know what a tremendous fan I was of Dragon Quest Builders. It was Dragon Quest with the best parts of being able to build through an open concept voxel world. Portal Knights is exactly this in concept, though it shifts points of emphasis. Here we have less story, more combat, and the ability to share in the fun with others.
There is a fun game here in NBA Playgrounds, but this is by no means the best version of the game. The other issue is that the game is a little on the shallow side. It is a shame really, because there is a fun title to be had here, but issues hold it back and the end result is a merely average sports outing.
We loved Mario Kart 8 when it released. We scored it a nine out of ten and felt that was the start of the Wii U's strongest run. With so few titles released for the Switch so far, I admit I was a bit wary about one of Nintendo's biggest early games being a rehash. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is more than just some graphic tweaks and a couple of pieces of DLC however, and fans of Nintendo's premier racing franchise will find plenty to like about this new iteration.
Out of the initial three episodes in this new series, Above the Law was easily my favorite. It is a much meatier installment, both in terms of episode length and the types of challenges Javi will face. The first couple of chapters left me somewhat uncertain, but now? After Above the Law I am ready for more.
If last episode was one step forward, this one was unfortunately one or two steps back. The Walking Dead: The Telltale Series - A New Frontier Episode 4: Thicker Than Water is a solid enough offering, with its usual assortment of quality voice actors and gut wrenching moments. That being said, some of the characters wore thin on me really quickly in this particular chapter, and once again it is Clementine to the rescue.
With a planet in danger as an evil tyrant invades with his army at the press of a button, a duo from the Zheros squad is dispatched to protect it. Taking out the initial invading forces in the span of time equal to that of writing a Twitter post, it doesn't take long for even more of the invaders to be sent off in order to finish both the job and the duo that stands between liberation and subjugation.
If you already have the base game for Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIII (a title that we enjoyed a great deal when we reviewed it), you owe it to yourself to consider this DLC expansion then. It is a fairly pricey pack, but it brings a lot of great new options to the table and makes the core experience considerably better. And isn't that exactly what we want? DLC that actually adds something to a game we already enjoy, and not just frivolous weapons or costumes? In my case, the answer to that question is a definitive 'yes'.
Expeditions: Viking brings together two of my favorite things - RPGs and strategy. The packages has a few flaws here and there, but it is easy to overlook them when the overall game is so much fun to play. It seems Vikings have been a more popular topic over the last few years, from television shows to movies and even video games. There is a little bit of Banner Saga vibe here as you are tasked with leading your clan after your father passes away and you are forced into a situation your character may not be fully prepared for.
Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality is an odd game to say the least, but it has the potential to pull in two different sets of audiences. The first is of course, those who are fans of the Rick and Morty show. Those who enjoy Job Simulator should also find a lot to like about this title in Virtual Reality. While it is a little light on content, what is here is well-made and a lot of fun.
While the Sniper: Ghost Warrior games are in no need of an introduction, I myself am new to the Ghost Warrior line of Sniper titles and was a bit unsure of what to expect when going into CI Games' Sniper: Ghost Warrior 3. From the developers of the criminally under-appreciated Lords of the Fallen, Sniper: Ghost Warrior 3 takes the previously-linear tactical snipe-fest and opens the franchise up. Though enjoyable, the open-world aspects of Ghost Warrior 3 do tend to pull away a bit from what it is that it does best, and that is sniper rifle-filled tomfoolery. Half-hearted open world shenanigans aside, Sniper: Ghost Warrior 3 an excellent tactical sniping title set in a beautiful world that tends to get in the way of itself.
What we have here with Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy - Episode 1: Tangled Up in Blue is a solid if unspectacular entry into the latest Telltale Games series. I have really high hopes for Guardians of the Galaxy, and while Tangled Up in Blue does a decent job of setting the stage without any major trip-ups, there is plenty of room for improvement to be had as well.
Cosmic Star Heroine is an awesome title. It's story is well paced, the environments are gorgeous in that retro style that they use and the combat is simply fun with the variety of characters that themselves are great with their personalities. All of this is made even better with the various nods both big and small to other series such as Chrono Trigger, Pacific Rim, I believe I saw something for Xenogears and the obvious tribute to Cthulhu.
Don't let the copious amounts of fanservice dissuade you from picking up Estival Versus, the gameplay is solid, the soundtrack is absolutely beautiful, and there is actually a surprisingly engaging storyline. If you're a fan of 3D brawlers and anime style graphics, you'll definitely enjoy Estival Versus. Just make sure you know where you're playing, cuz the fanservice might be difficult to explain.
Overall as much as I enjoyed the first Banner Saga I enjoyed the second even more so. With the small adjustments to the graphics and the visual elements in general, it felt like an even better packaged experience. I don't think that I need to mention it, but, I'll be eagerly awaiting the release of the third and final entry into the Banner Saga.
The Suda-sensory Mother Lode The Silver Case, more than any virtual art piece I’ve experienced this year, is a product of its time. It is a reflection and speculation on the technological potential and cultural paranoia that partially defines the digital revolution and, more specifically, global internet culture from the late 90’s to the present day.
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have a system judge your every action? If you have, now's your chance to live it! Bulletstorm is back for more foul-mouthed - and at times creative linguistic hilarity - with even more creative ways of taking out your enemies. The better you do? The more the systems rewards you by allowing for an easier time in dispatching the rest of the enemies headed your way.
Atelier Firis: The Alchemist and the Mysterious Journey is the latest in Gust's Atelier series and quite honestly one of the best so far. Set after Atelier Sophie, join both the new and old protagonists Firis and Sophie through a wonderful and open-conceived alchemic journey.
On the surface, it felt like the stars were aligned to make Mass Effect Andromeda one of my most anticipated games in a very long time. I absolutely love the original trilogy, and the idea that this was going to be a "Dragon Age Inquisition" in space captured my imagination. The problem is, the execution feels rushed, and in the end what I had hoped would be a spectacular game simply has to settle for being a pretty good one.