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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.
It's the perfect remake. It's Shadow of the Colossus exactly as I remember it, yet it's Shadow of the Colossus like it's never been before.
The pitch for Out of Ammo sounds interesting on paper, but the execution is probably the worst PSVR game that I have ever played. Out of Ammo makes far too many critical mistakes as a virtual reality title, mistakes that even launch games managed to avoid. I spent more time fighting with the systems and mechanics than I did actually playing the game, but anytime I did get a fleeting moment of play, it wasn't worth the effort expended to get there. While the blocky Minecraft styling may have been an interesting novelty if the gameplay weren't so broken, uninteresting and unoptimized gameplay make the visual style seem more cheap than anything else. If you want an example of how to endlessly frustrate a VR player, go ahead and play Out of Ammo, but if you're interested in user friendly and entertaining VR experiences, Out of Ammo never even starts out with any ammo.
I've been very vocal in the past about how I don't find the Joker to be the most compelling Batman villain, but I have to give credit where it's due. Telltale has not only managed to make one of the most interesting incarnations of the Harlequin of Hate, but the slow build has paid off wonderfully over two seasons. It doesn't feel rushed at all, and it has all built up to a natural point where John Doe is finally embracing his madness in a way that was impacted by the player. I'm incredibly excited to see what happens next, and to see what sort of chaos I accidentally helped cause.
If you're looking for a fighter, there is simply nothing better on the market than Dragon Ball FighterZ in terms of what it offers as a 2D, high action brawler.
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This is the modernization that Monster Hunter definitely needed. Not only is it the most dynamic title in the series to date, it's just a fantastic action role-playing game. Even if you've bounced off the series in the past, I highly recommend giving Monster Hunter: World a try. It's where the series finally truly clicked for me, and that is very much by design. Capcom has updated their formula for a new generation, and it's a real treat for all.
Besides dealing with computer-controlled submission attempts, I largely feel that EA Sports UFC 3 is the best playing mixed martial arts game to date. That's why it was so disappointing to find out that so few of the modes managed to capture my interest. Perhaps it's more of a statement on the current over-saturation of the UFC, but there's not a ton of appeal of going into the exhibition mode and seeing meaningless fights play out anymore. I need something more than that, and I don't feel like either Ultimate Team or the career mode provide it. It's in the weird position of being a game that I like playing, but one that I'm not drawn to at all. But hey, at least there's Snoop Dogg.
Lost Sphear has all the makings of a classic RPG, along with some of the trappings expected with the genre. The presentation will take many gamers back to the golden age of RPGs, with menus galore, a charming art style, and intense soundtrack. The graphics may feel a bit too basic for those who have gotten used to the likes of Final Fantasy and its grandiose aspirations, but Lost Sphear is not lacking in small details, whether that's the motions of a cook as he receives a much-wanted ingredient, or the headshake of a character as they are exasperated at their colleague's response. Indeed, Lost Sphear checks all the right boxes for those looking for a traditional RPG they can get lost in for the next 30 or more hours.