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Starlink's beautiful worlds invoke the wonder of heading into the deep unknown, and it's one of the best implementations of the toys-to-life genre we've seen so far. Shallow mission and exploration structure can make the game seem repetitive, but exhilarating space combat while being able to customize your ship at any time helps stave off the boredom that might come from ferrying your 20th helium diffuser. While it's not perfect, Starlink is a fantastic base for a new wave of toys-to-life games, innovating on the genre in a special way that further connects players with both the toys and the experience. And even when the game is off, for this 30-year old gamer at least, the spaceships are still fun to play with.
Warriors Orochi 4 is the latest in a long line of Musou brawlers, a new entry in its own sub-series that assumes your fandom already as a multi-series crossover. Despite its roots in historical fiction, Warriors Orochi 4 allows itself to dip into over the top, supernatural territory, using mythology as an excuse to put real-life generals and warlords into even more bizarre combat situations. Bringing the likes of Zeus and Ares into the mix only makes things more fantastical, and the combat mechanics are bumped up to scale. The ceiling on combat potential has been shattered here, and using the new tools at players' disposal can allow them to more or less combo indefinitely to their hearts' content. While the breezy, fast and simple style of Musou isn't for everybody, fans will undoubtedly have a blast pushing this one to its breaking point, should one even exist. Warriors Orochi 4 is an easy highlight in a series that has consistently improved (Dynasty Warriors 9 being an exception) over the past few years.
If you love hosting board game night, why not pick this up and gather around the TV for a night. You won't be disappointed.
While it isn't going to be blowing the doors off of the tactical strategy genre, Space Hulk: Tactics is a perfectly adequate game. Thanks to a solid combat engine, good writing, twin-headed campaign, and level designer, players will certainly be getting their monies worth for the forty-dollar price tag. Now gear up and get back out there, brother. You've an entire species to defend!
As an NBA Playgrounds apologist and lover of arcade sports sims, this game can only be characterized as a disappointment, and a frustrating one at that. NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 has all the ingredients for an excellent game, but its best flavors are overpowered by the saltiness of its microtransactions and repetitive season. It's a shame, because the gameplay itself is absolutely excellent; it's the surrounding constructs, progression system, and a lackluster season that leaves this game tripping over its own laces.
Once you accept that the campaign is gone, you'll realize that Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is a game made specifically for the fans.
If that reminds you of a situation that currently involves Roman Reigns, then you'll see why I'm so convinced WWE 2K19 is the best WWE port 2K Sports has ever made. Just like the real WWE, there are different audiences even within the same fandom, and there will be plenty of gamers who are blown away by the depth and tweaks made to WWE 2K19. WWE 2K19 is a great WWE game that is only a good wrestling game, and feels like it has reached the end of what is possible within the constraints of the WWE 2K series as we know it.
Evasion is another example of a fast-paced VR game that doesn't seem like it could work in theory, but has been executed with a care and precision befitting of a developer that has a lot of expertise in the VR field. Bullet-hell in virtual reality? Archiact made it work well, despite what naysayers may say about what the medium can handle.
It lends itself well to those who simply want to quickly boot up a game and knock out a few matches within minutes. But if the basic loop of fight until you win isn't enough to keep you coming back for more, there is nothing else on offer to change your mind.
It's too bad we may never see the intended ending of The Walking Dead: The Final Season. While the series may not reach the same critical heights it did as with the inaugural season, things were finally starting to get interesting again. The Telltale Tool engine runs well, the art style is unique and fun to look at, and the writing has improved. If this is how things must end, it could have been much worse.
The game was a joy to experience and I cannot wait to see how the world is saved. Visual novel fan or not, the characters, writing, and unique gameplay are all easily appreciated and enjoyed. And while the fan service is definitely there, it's not the focus of the game. In fact, in a perfect, non-destroyed world, you'll see as few panties as possible.
There is no doubt in my mind The Midnight Sanctuary will find an audience. Fans of CAVYHOUSE and Carpe Fulgur may give it a chance out of loyalty and visual novel aficionados may pick it up out of curiosity. This is not a game for a more general audience. Hell, I have been playing visual novels since before they became popular in the west, and I had trouble sticking with it. Lots of strange choices were made in this game, and all of them made it more difficult for me to connect with the story and its characters. I imagine others will feel similarly. But hey, people who enjoy constantly shifting and awkward camera angles, a storyline that takes about an hour and a half to really start getting good, and playing peek-a-boo with a stylized crane will definitely dig it.
At its core, 8-Bit Armies is a an imitator. A competent one, a throwback, with a few clever tricks of its own, but nothing wholly original or revolutionary. If you're itching for another strategy game it will satisfy well enough, but it doesn't feel essential.
As someone that loves boxing as a workout, this is an interesting title to have in my collection, but if you're looking to feel like Adonis Creed, you'll be a bit disappointed. This VR game lands some good punches, but it is far from achieving a knockout.
What you're really getting out of Disgaea is a lot of fact-paced, tactical gameplay, tons of grinding well beyond what you see in similar games, and quirky, off-kilter humor that will appeal to your inner irony goth. It's less remarkable now that anime is just a normal part of everyday geek culture now, but what you're looking at here is history, from when being weird was in the middle of starting to be cool, and Persona was still a grungy PS1 game nobody had heard of. Disgaea 1 Complete is a celebration of that legacy, of the game that put NIS on the map. Disgaea is so familiar to me that I'm not blown away by this release in particular, but I'm glad it exists, so that someone new can.
No matter how you look at it, Mega Man 11 feels like a genuine successor to the storied franchise. Though it's much prettier than you'll remember in your mind's eye, the lineage is unmistakable. Aside from a few minor platforming quirks thanks to the introduction of the third dimension, this is still the Blue Bomber that you've come to know and love. But don't let the gorgeous presentation fool you, because it will still mercilessly kick your dick in with remorseless gusto. A heaping helping of retro-inspired, buster-blasting goodness awaits, so suit up. Your inner ten-year-old will thank you for it.
Dark Eclipse has a good foundation, with a good outlook for the future. New players to the genre may struggle at first, given the extra-light tutorial that expects players to figure out mechanics on their own, without so much as a codex to read about the five different tower types. Since online is a ghost town, the only real option for practicing is to play against AI, or in an online-only match against a friend. You can't beat its free price, however, so all PSVR players should at least give Dark Eclipse a shot to see if it's their cup of MOBA and to help populate the servers.
If you ever wondered what it would be like if Kazuma Kiryu gained like 200 lbs and fell into the Mad Max universe, well that's Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise summed up pretty neatly. On the other side of the coin, Fist of the North Star fans will have a blast tearing it up as Kenshiro, but those still hoping for a great video game adaptation of the classic manga may come away disappointed in that respect. Rather than adapting the story, Ryu ga Gotoku Studio puts its own spin on the IP, with an attempt to fit themes and characters into the irreverent Yakuza mold. It's somewhat awkward at first, as it struggles to introduce the characters and world in a compelling way, but once it leans on its strengths, it's easy to lose plenty of time with the various side activities and snappy combat. It's not quite Hokuto no Ken, but it's definitely Hokuto ga Gotoku.
Ubisoft set out to create an Assassin's Creed game worthy of Odysseus' name, and bravo, they have done it. It's certainly as long as one of Homer's poems, but every minute of it is entertaining, and, well, fun. It never gets old Sparta kicking an enemy off a cliff. Clearing out Locations is always satisfying, especially when they require setting things on fire. Talking to Sokrates will make you question everything about your life and the game itself. Some of the choices you make will have a similar effect. You can't come away from Odyssey without feeling like you were actively part of that great journey, from the highs to the lows and all of the incredible twists and turns in between. This is a voyage you don't want to miss.
The game was enjoyable when it worked. However, there are far too many times that it didn't work that marred my experience. Like many contractors I've dealt with in real life, the game left the job half-finished and with its paycheck anyway. Keep the barrels out and the safety lights on, because this one still needs some work.