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After being such a fan of the anime, I really wanted to fall in love with The Seven Deadly Sins: Knights of Britannia. I was really hoping to see the same treatment given to Naruto or Attack on Titan, where the game really brings to life the anime in a fun, challenging, and engaging way. What was released sadly, was a game with some interesting ideas that failed to fully deliver on any of them. The game isn't terrible by any means, with some fans of the show sure to enjoy reliving Elizabeth's quest, but there is too much wasted potential here. If you don't mind the obvious lack of depth here, you can have some fun playing the game, just don't expect that fun to last.
Mulaka has some neat ideas and a sometimes gorgeous look to it, but little else to offer. The individual locations fail to stand out, and the game quickly becomes overly formulaic. The combat is too sloppy to impress, the platforming is plagued by a stiff moving character, and the puzzles are never captivating. It's a completely forgettable experience with a few really nice sights that are better experienced as screenshots.
Past Cure is an odd mash of Max Payne, The Evil Within, Heavy Rain, and a bit of Inception, without ever fully realizing any of those influences—compartmentalizing each section instead of creating a unique blend. Ideas teased early on never come into play, with nightmares and the real world staying largely separate from one another until the script calls on them not to be. An intriguing narrative is interrupted by long bouts of boring wave-based shooting against generic enemies in dull locations. I can't help but think of the early moments in Ian's house, seeing ceramic horrors in reflections and being excited for a cinematic psychological-horror action game that would never come to be.
OK K.O.! Let's Play Heroes won't end up on many year-end lists, but it should go down as an important title. It's one that shows that licensed kids cartoon adaptations don't have to be mediocre, and that they can be filled with the same charm as the television shows that made them beloved in the first place. Let's Play Heroes is a success because of how respectful it is towards its source material, and is one of the few licensed games that feel like a true extension of its world rather than a hollow recreation.
Secret of Mana is an entirely skippable remake of a game that was the progenitor for a number of JRPG conventions. That's a shame. The greater failing, however, is what happens when fans will inevitably pick this title up in the hopes of recapturing some of the feelings of grandeur the original game contained so much of. They, like me, might end up realizing that a game they had placed on a pedestal for decades is actually rather ordinary by today's standards, and any magic that made it a lasting impression on those who played it has long since been left behind by the cruel, inexorable march of time.
Guilt Battle Arena is a fun distraction for a little while. Naturally, this party game is also a lot more fun played with friends and/or family. Having only one bullet is a nifty gimmick which can introduce some level of strategy to the madness that unfolds, too. Modifiers and an assortment of game modes help to increase the title's longevity, but there isn't a whole lot of content to speak of, including one of the shortest campaigns we've ever seen.
Even with the occasional boneheaded design choice, there's still so much that Apex Construct does right. The absorbing level design, outstanding voice acting, and competitive combat all prove to be fantastic uses of PlayStation VR. Ultimately, the game feels like a very promising glimpse into the potential future of the platform. Even with its wrinkles, this adventure exemplifies what VR experiences could be on PlayStation.
It's genuinely difficult to not be charmed by the foul-mouthed shenanigans of Rad Rodgers. The game somehow manages to morph extremely dated design ideals into a form that is palatable to the modern console crowd. If you can get past the constant barrage of unnecessary vulgarity, you will find the muted luster of something special hiding beneath. Here's to hoping that Slipgate Studios gets the opprotunity to make something a bit more substantial the next time around.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance is an incredibly deep and intricate game that looks beautiful, but it has a fair amount of stumbling points in its quest for realism. The sheer scope and ambition comes with a number of silly bugs that are far from realistic, and some quests can be impacted. It's a hard game where taking risks (and stupid mistakes) can mean a lot of wasted time. The slow burn can be agonizing when you are 15 hours in and barely feel like you've made progress, but suddenly simple and intimate victories are made rewarding. Succeeding in sweet-talking one person, intimidating another, or finding a clever and tricky way to complete an objective often feels more rewarding than becoming a powerhouse and solving every problem with a sword. As much as the game frustrates, it frustrates by design and intention. For every situation where I felt that Kingdom Come was wasting my time, I always wanted to come back to see how I could subvert and overcome the systems for just another small victory.
When I was finished with it all and the Platinum trophy popped up, I had no desire to play the game again, but neither did I regret the experience. Pop-Up Pilgrims is an interesting virtual reality diorama that is just a bit longer than it should be. The best thing that Pop-Up Pilgrims does is present a fascinating papercraft pop-up world that more VR developers should explore. Had it offered a more consistent growth on mechanics and rapid change between the variety, it would have stuck with me more than it did. Instead it was a monotonous and repetitive 60 levels that didn't offer anything memorable during the five or so hours that it took to complete. Pop-Up Pilgrims isn't a bad game by any stretch, but it's not all that interesting or engaging either.
The Station is short and sweet, which could be seen as a detriment. However, I liked the fact that there wasn't a lot of fluff to the story, and there weren't any fetch quests or other modes of padding the game to keep it going. There was plenty in the story to tell, and the developers didn't drag it out at all. The brevity actually solidifies how stellar the narrative truly is, and I can't recommend it enough to all gamers who love a good story, especially a good mystery.
Although there are certainly stumbling points, it's the aspect of exploration that really makes Fe a memorable experience. There's seemingly always something to do from stumbling upon ferocious animals that are hidden in a cave to figuring out how to get an upgrade shard. The game world that Zoink has crafted is truly wondrous, and learning to work together with its inhabitants is a truly rewarding experience. Sometimes we just need to learn how to understand each other.
As it stands, though, Dynasty Warriors 9 is more of a foundation for the next title than the dawning of a new era for the franchise. That's perfectly acceptable, too, given that series like Dynasty Warriors inevitably must evolve to stay relevant. Right now, there are just some growing pains, and anyone who was interested in the newest iteration because of its new gameplay features would do better waiting for the next one instead.
Developer Milestone S.r.l. has been making racing games for so long, it comes as no surprise how nicely Monster Energy Supercross turned out. From the detail in the dirt, to the details in the bikes, this is not only a great looking game, but a great racing game too.
For those who find enjoyment in the intricacies of puzzle-solving adventure games, The Fall Part 2: Unbound isn't any different to what you would expect. For those wanting a heightened action romp, you should probably stay away. But if you're looking to experience one of the smartest, wittiest, and thought-provoking stories of the generation, then do yourself the favor and play through both the first game and Part 2: Unbound.
Crossing Souls has a bunch of elements that should be right up my alley, but some flat writing and uninspired design really keeps it from hitting the desired marks. There's a good idea here, and I have no doubt that a teen adventure starring ghosts and Egyptian Gods could be really dope, but a cool concept doesn't make a great game. Instead, it just makes the end result all the more disappointing.
Under Night In-Birth Exe: Late[st] is an excellent fighting game, but if you've already played through Exe: Late on the PS3, there's not much here to entice you to upgrade. The new Chronicles Mode is ultimately a disappointing slog. While there are two new characters to learn and master, with the current fighting game climate, there's likely not many people you'll be able to try them out against. It's a shame, because Exe: Late[st] is a fine fighting game in its own right, but will inevitably be lost in the shuffle.
For a short time, I was genuinely in love with this game. It managed to be so damn fun, despite the fact that it was whipping my ass right and left. The low-fi production values and unique character designs and power-ups only deepened my affections. However, the fact remains that while it was fun, it was a supernova of a game. It burned hot and bright for a short period of time and then fizzled out almost as quickly. It's surely worth a glance, but it may be best to wait until you can play this with friends, where it has the chance to truly shine.
Dissidia is Final Fantasy through and through, from epic battles to incredible music to deep and obscure mechanics that most players won't fully understand until they are hours into the game.
Cold Iron is a fascinating and unique game that could use a little bit more polish. I'd love to see additional puzzles and worlds added in the future, and maybe some kind of tutorial or power-up that could assist with better aiming for those elusive bullseyes. The test of skill is reason enough to play again and again, with the challenge of a reflex puzzle-based shooter persistently pressing for just one more duel to try and do slightly better than I did before. Textures and difficulty aiming aside, I always wanted to hear that bell one more time and watch my enemy slump into the dirt. Or maybe? Maybe it's just the curse of the gun that won't let go—the grip of Cold Iron on my soul.