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All in all, Phantom Doctrine is good tactical action game with a great spy culture motif. It's perfect for people who like their spy stories grounded in reality, but also appreciate the subtle approach to world dominating super criminals introduced by modern Bond films like Spectre. CreativeForge succeeds at taking lessons from its previous game, Hard West, and updating the formula. Even if that formula is ultimately a less elegant, less original version of the most popular game in the genre.
I genuinely appreciated what We Happy Few was trying to accomplish. Its unique perspective to storytelling and compelling setting kept frustrations at bay for far longer than they had any right to. I even think that the game has the potential to course-correct though their future DLC. However, this doesn't change the fact that the game has serious issues that make this full retail release feel more like a second round of Early Access. I cannot in good conscience encourage anyone to purchase the game in its current state. It would be best to revisit the game in a few months to see if things have improved. Now if you will excuse me, I have to pop a pill and pray to God that my entire memory of this game will just go away.
I'll be the first to admit, the last couple of seasons of The Walking Dead weren't nearly as strong as the first. Finally, it seems, Telltale Games has figured out how to send the series off with a bang. It's still in the early days, but this first episode will have fans chomping at the bit to see how their choices affect others, and of course if Clementine and AJ will make it out alive. The Walking Dead: The Final Season is a great start, and is hopefully a sign that fans will receive the finale the series deserves.
Uninspired music jams, slow loading and rendering of tracks can all become tiresome, taking away from what generally is a wonderful world filled with color.
Its obvious caricatures aside, Overcooked 2 manages, above all else, to feel like working an actual busy restaurant job – you slave away for what feels like an eternity of non-stop, fast-paced work, certain you're always miles behind where you should be, but then you count the tips at the end of the night and think “You know what? Not too bad.” In that respect and many others, Overcooked 2 is a delightful follow-up where each consecutive levels feels either completely satisfying or enticingly challenging.
Maybe that means I should get back to the grindstone, clear up those PS4 trophies, and then tackle the Journey to Olympus DLC that is included in the PS4 and Switch releases.
Dead Cells may not shift the genre's trajectory or implement roguelike mechanics in any new or inventive way, but it remains a consistently exciting and thrilling experience, even when you've seen that rapier for the fourth or fifth time. It's one of those games that's a joy to play, but even more importantly, a joy to watch because it teaches you the fundamental truth about roguelikes (and maybe life as a whole): let go. Once you learn to let go—or in Dead Cells's case, once you learn to let go of life—you'll find that it's about the experience of the moment, about that run right now. It's kind of like Bukowski's epitaph: If you don't try as hard, you'll enjoy Dead Cells much more. Because its in this nonchalance that the game's systems, however trite, slowly mend together in what can only be described as the perfect run. Before you forgot to dodge.
If you were to look up the word “consistent” in the dictionary, there should be annotation referencing the Madden franchise. EA has cranked out solid installments year-after-year, and this iteration is no exception. They've made strides forward on many fronts, including more realistic controls, new ways to interact with lineups in franchise mode, and several additional Ultimate Team experiences. Sure, there still might be the occasional physics quirk, but Madden NFL 19 still cements itself as the premier football simulation on console.
Castaway Paradise has potential, and it'll be interesting to see if the developer updates it with new content in the future. While it's nowhere near as in-depth as Stardew Valley or Animal Crossing, it is still a very relaxing and entertaining little adventure. Its unique visuals are simplistic but colorful, and the characters you get to meet are entertaining. If you don't happen to have a Nintendo console with which to play Animal Crossing, then Castaway Paradise makes a reasonable substitute.
Despite those hiccups, however, The Banner Saga 3 is good. Really good. Anyone who has played the first two will undoubtedly be picking this game up anyways, but for those who are unfamiliar with the series and curious as to how it all ends: do yourself a favor and pick up the trilogy whenever you get a chance. It's not often that games are made with the kind of style and substance that The Banner Saga 3 has been, and, much like a good book, it's nearly impossible to put down until it all comes to a close, where, inevitably, you'll feel like a small piece of you was left with it in exchange for something new, the way all great stories make us feel.
Airheart will appeal to those who enjoy learning a game's systems by trial and error. The bizarre-sounding concept of skyfishing is ridiculous when first seen, but quickly feels almost natural.
When all is said and done, the handful of people sitting in the middle of the Venn diagram marked "doesn't own a PC" and "wants a hardcore train simulation" still deserve a game that isn't buggy, runs well, respects their time as a user, and one that provides more for their money than this one does. On the upside, the trains are so detailed here that if anything happens to the driver on my local route during my commute, I'm pretty confident that I could take over and nobody would be late for work. I can't promise strudel, though.
Overall, the progression is solid, but there are a few moments where I felt it was sort of unfair (i.e having to backtrack with no health in sight) due to the procedural generation. You'll want to pick this game up, because while it does have its flaws, there's something incredibly satisfying about sneaking up behind enemies and zapping the stem cells out of their skulls. It's a feeling I encourage all of you to seek out.
The X Collection disappoints on that front, but it's still Mega Man X at heart. It's undeniably entertaining to explore every level, backtrack for new upgrades, and go toe-to-toe with themed bosses. I miss the save functionality and don't see the point of having two separate games, but the Mega Man X Legacy Collections are fully worth a play.
The X Collection disappoints on that front, but it's still Mega Man X at heart. It's undeniably entertaining to explore every level, backtrack for new upgrades, and go toe-to-toe with themed bosses. I miss the save functionality and don't see the point of having two separate games, but the Mega Man X Legacy Collections are fully worth a play.
When played in small bursts, Mothergunship has the potential to be an extremely amusing experience. The bite-sized nature of the mission structure and fast-paced action make it ideal for burning small bursts of time. Even better, the constant progression makes every session, regardless of length, feel like it's consistently contributing towards turning the player into a certifiable badass. As long a bit of repetition isn't a turnoff, there are countless hours of destruction that await.
It was tragic to see something as great as Tempest fall into obscurity, only to have the spiritual successor taken away before it could really make its mark. As weird and whiplash-y as it is, it's just as great to see the same developer get to make a comeback and do an officially branded sequel. It feels like a dream come true, and I can't imagine how exciting this is for the folks at Llamasoft. Sure, it could have benefited from some more bells and whistles, but Tempest 4000 is the real deal, a new version of a remarkable arcade classic that isn't spoken of nearly as much as it deserves today. It doesn't feel cheap or old; it's pure game design boosted by badass music and a distinct visual style that settles comfortably into high definition. If we continue to get stuff like this from the new Atari, then sign me up.
Earthfall somewhat succeeds at it's core mission, if it's mission is to try to kickstart the multiplayer subgenre that Turtle Rock started a decade ago. It's biggest failure is convincing people that it is a better alternative to Left 4 Dead 2, which is still very available on limited platforms. There's also Call of Duty's Zombies/Invasion side modes, which are ubiquitous. Not to mention Vermintide, which is a fresh look at the genre. You will absolutely have fun liberating Earth from aliens with a group of your friends – friends make even the most rote experience interesting. But outside of a few sessions with the group, you'll all find something better to do.
Although my journey with The Path of Motus was short, when I put down my controller and went to bed for the evening I was still thinking about the message within. It reminded me of a lot of events in my life that I'd rather forget. Any game, no matter the size and scope, that can drag those dredged up feeling from the hole I buried them in is both a blessing and a curse. Now excuse me while I shovel them back down and drown them with ice cream. (Thank the gods this game came out during National Ice Cream Month.)
Animal Force has a cool idea, as it introduces gamers to tower defense in 360 degrees. But its execution feels more like a tech demo than a fully fleshed-out game. A massive difficulty spike in the second world will leave many players desperate for any sense of progress, and leveling up units takes a long time when one is stuck on a particular level. A trio of local multiplayer games gives players something else to do when they're tired of the inevitable grind, at least. A bit more time spent balancing such a new form of tower defense could have gone a long way towards making Animal Force more enjoyable. At $15.99 ($12.79 for PS Plus) USD, it's not a terrible buy, but it could have been a hit with just a few more tweaks.