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Virtually everything about NHL 19 is a genuine step forward in quality. While some modes received the lion's share of the attention, it feels like damn near everything received SOME love. If you have been on the fence, now is the time to lace up and hit the ice. We'll see you between the pipes.
Failbetter Games have brought upon themselves a trademark capable of enduring over time, born with Fallen London back in the day and now present in both Sunless Sea and the upcoming Sunless Skies. This is by far the best way to experience the studio's vision and their unique take in narrative driven games.
Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner M∀RS is a solid remaster that fans of the original shouldn't hesitate to pick up. Having said that, the game hasn't aged all that well. Combat can quickly get repetitive, and new abilities are hardly used before another new one comes along. Top it all off with a campaign that only takes 6-10 hours to complete, new players may wonder what all the fuss was about when the original released (especially with the script's hilariously bad translation). Still, this release is the most complete version of Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner to date.
Labyrinth of Refrain: Coven of Dusk is definitely not a fairy tale, but if you're okay with playing something with a darker, more mature tone then it's worth giving this a go. Exploring every inch of the labyrinth is addictive, and its unique battle system and an in-depth character creation system will keep you busy for quite a while.
While it has some good ideas that are well-intentioned and will surely provide some entertainment to die-hards, NASCAR Heat 3 is missing all those things and, in the wider scheme of racing games, is still several laps behind.
By the way, thanks, devs, for bringing to life my greatest fear as a child—the possibility of getting eaten by piranhas. I'm not going to be able to go swimming for a long time.
Valkyria Chronicles 4 is an excellent game, compelling in both its character roster and its gameplay. While it runs adjacent to the original Valkyria Chronicles, its contrasting of the Second Europan War with multiple coming of age stories makes it powerful in its own right. These types of games aren't necessarily for everyone, but if you've ever had a passing interest in tactical games, Valkyria Chronicles 4 is a wonderful entry into the genre and the closest thing we've ever had to a true successor to Valkyria Chronicles.
Developer Soleil should be commended for giving players a fun world to create their ultimate ninja and then try out your best moves on people. The combat doesn't flow as nice as earlier games developed by CyberConnect2, but it's satisfying to run up a wall, jump off, and pull off a ninjustu mid-air. While that feeling is great, there is not enough built up around it to keep you engaged and feeling like a part of the ninja world. There were options out there to make the game a living, breathing, ninja brawler with some character, but those must have failed the Chuunin exam. Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker is a good start and will provide you with a good time, just don't be surprised if you find yourself growing tired of the rinse and repeat of VR missions and PVP.
While I can't say SNK Heroines is a bad game, I cannot recommend it to you unless you love its aesthetics and fanservice. Because, what is the point of recommending a gameplay-wise average fighting game at this time? 2018 has already treated us to EVO's new favorite Dragon Ball Fighterz, Blazblue CTB, Fighting EX Layer, Street Fighter V Arcade Edition, Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection. This year was fantastic for fighting games, and it hasn't finished yet (Soul Calibur VI and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate are still coming!). There isn't any strong reason why you should pick SNK Heroines before any of these other high-quality games. But you will have some "sexy" fun if you do, and I know this can be a dream game for a lot of players.
There are many things to appreciate in this year's installment of NBA Live. The addition of mixed gender rosters, female created players, the introduction of Court Battles, and the new commentary team all help the game keep pace with their previous improvements. It is not going to raise the quality bar anytime soon, but they've managed to deliver an authentic NBA experience. If you're looking for a solid alternative to 2K's offering, look no further.
Blade Strangers is fun for what it is, a smaller-scale fighting game with a bizarre set of crossover characters you would never expect to see in a Japanese-developed fighting game. Even the Japanese stuff that is involved is weird together, frankly. While it struggles with how simple it does or doesn't want to be, Blade Strangers has a cute vibe, an earnest sense of humor, and flashy enough gameplay that running through it with all the characters is definitely worth a few weekends in-between Evo training.
Technical issues aside, I greatly enjoyed my time in the Heretic Kingdoms. The hack-n-slash combat with puppeteering strategies always felt fresh, the enemies always presented a challenge on the Normal difficulty, and I never got tired of the vast exploration and puzzle solving. Playing again is inevitable for me, as I'm really curious how much choices affect the puppets and the world around me. I played the goody-two-shoes route this time, by not making pacts with other demons and offering to help everyone under the sun. But I can't help but wonder how differently the game would go if I played as Vlad the Heartless. How would that help me unlock puppets I missed this time? How would it change the already chaotic world? Does it have as many ending varieties as Dungeon Siege III? I also can't help but wonder about the backstories for the other soul puppets I didn't choose. With all of that replayability bubbling under the surface, it's nigh impossible to not recommend Shadows: Awakening to all hack-n-slash RPG fans, especially those who never tire of the tried and true Diablo III formula.
Marvel's Spider-Man doesn't innovate on the open-world genre, but Insomniac doubled down on creating a spectacular Spider-Man fantasy. It simply feels good to travel through Peter Parker's New York as the webslinger, even if whatever Spidey-suit you choose is covering a competent and entirely expected open-world formula. Filled with more emotion, heart, and humanity than we've seen in superhero adventures before, Insomniac doesn't need to reinvent the open-world wheel. Marvel's Spider-Man embraces the man behind the mask and gives us the best interactive Spider-Man experience to date.
If you take a step back and look at the big picture, it's hard to shake the feeling that Pro Evolution Soccer 2019 may actually be taking a step backwards this season. However, upon closer examination, a vast majority of the criticism consists of minor problems in an otherwise stellar football simulation. Unless the loss of Champions League is a deal breaker, at least on the pitch, this remains the premier choice for the discerning hooligan.
Firewall Zero Hour shows the potential for the world of VR games. It makes a solid case for the Aim Controller, which will hopefully see continued support from not only Sony, but other publishers as well. While there is a steep grind to unlock all of the tactically useful items, those who manage to tough it out will be rewarded with a more satisfying experience. Firewall Zero Hour is an intense, immersive experience which will put the Aim Controller through its paces, and may be the best VR shooter released thus far.
As I mentioned above, I've not been this impressed with a game within these genres since The Witness, and prior to that, I think of Blow's other game, Braid. For me, those two games are the pinnacle of puzzle games, but Planet Alpha announces what it wants to do, and does it, so it's difficult for me to fault it. Slip away into the world of Planet Alpha for a while, filled with puzzles and color. It's a real charmer.
If you want a game, there are better music puzzlers out there with heaps more content, and if you're looking for someplace to fire up your musical chops, there are actual music production tools that will serve you in better ways than Track Lab's isolated creation mode. At the end of a long hard day, Track Lab isn't the game that's going to get you to pull out your VR headset for even a brief gameplay session. If you desperately want to use a PS4 controller to produce music, wait for Dreams, which will have a far superior audio production toolset and the ability to take your music outside of "the lab." While a neat concept, Track Lab never polishes any of its strengths enough to shine.
I have never played a game quite like 428: Shibuya Scramble. It's hands-down the best visual novel I've ever experienced. Anything you could want in a VN it offers. Deep character development, a rich, meaningful story, humor, action, romance, you name it! Hell, it even teaches you things! Did you know that in Japanese law a kidnapping is different than an abduction? The more you know, am I right? I can see why it's one of only 25 games to have ever earned a perfect 40/40 from Famitsu Weekly, Japan's largest circulating video game magazine. The bottom line is, that as far as visual novels go, 428: Shibuya Scramble is one of the best. Download the demo on the PlayStation Store today and try it out for yourself.
If you're looking for something that will challenge you and twist your brain into knots, this game isn't it. There's no real skill curve, and most of the puzzles are simple enough that you can more or less accidentally stumble on the solutions, with a few rare exceptions. But I assure you that from the first moment you tip something into that hole and see it grow, you'll be hooked. You'll want to consume everything, making the void of consumption grow ever larger. No, I'm not talking about getting addicted to Twitter or Reddit. I'm talking about Donut County. It's brilliant, it's charming, and it's simple, but I would never call this hole shallow. It holds a depth in its tranquil destruction, a surprisingly refreshing and unique experience, on the (w)hole.
I have my issues with Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age. It's a bit clunky when it tries to pretend it's cool like other video games. I wish I had vocations instead of skill points to play with, and it would be nice if I could get from point A to B a bit faster, or have more to do along the way. But at the same time, I found myself engrossed in the usual grind I've come to love over the years, the silly and fantastical creatures from my favorite artist, and the storytelling that met and even rattled my expectations. There's even a neat little crafting system I didn't have room to mention, secrets to find, and of course hours and hours of post-game content. If you want to go on an adventure, and I mean a real adventure that tugs on your heartstrings, makes you smile, and yells puns at you constantly, do not sleep on Dragon Quest XI.