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Golf Club: Wasteland has a great vibe for its somber and solemn story about the end of the Earth, and I loved the concept behind its world. But it's burdened by a golf game that is simply not all that fun (granted, perhaps it shouldn't be fun to golf on the headstone of humanity). Occasional moments that seemed to portend exciting new golf puzzle mechanics were quickly followed by more lobbing to almost out of reach platforms, made intolerable by frustratingly simple mechanics that seem to have an air of randomness and luck. But while I won't be subjecting myself to Iron Mode, I did thoroughly enjoy the story, art, and music throughout as it plainly commented on the state of the world, making at least one round of golf on this post-apocalyptic world very cathartic indeed.
Hoa is a wondrous adventure that can easily be consumed in a day. It'll make you forget about your troubles as the soundtrack lifts you up. Even its climax isn't particularly intense, but the last level is a great change of pace. Though it lacks some of the modern features we take for granted these days, perhaps part of the charm is randomly running through the whole thing again so that you can be reminded of simpler times, when games didn't ask you for more money with flashing ad banners for the latest season pass or premium skin, or fail to even start because of a service being offline. There are longer games priced at $14.99, but none are this pleasing to the senses.
For all of its issues, Rustler is a fun little game that tries something a bit different, recapturing a long-lost element of game design and adding a fun new twist. Its humorous and satirical elements help keep it light-hearted, and though it occasionally has some comedic misses, its also full of genuinely laugh-out-loud moments. I'd hope to see some adjustments to the combat system as well as a general cleanup of the odd variety of bugs encountered, but as a whole Rustler is a clever and fun title that has zero shame being exactly what it is.
Perhaps the biggest downside is that, as of right now, Monster Harvest isn't particularly long for a farming sim game. I think I finished it in just over twenty hours or so. To be fair, I was grinding so I could write this review, but by the time I finished the first year in-game, I had already reached my maximum XP cap and unlocked the bunker. In the first week of Year Two I had fully upgraded all of my tools and had enough materials (just short on cash) to finish upgrading all of my farm buildings. In week two I beat the SlimeCo boss. If the developer doesn't have plans to make events a real part of the game or expand the story and dungeons, this unique experience just isn't worth a full price investment.
Overall, NEO: The World Ends With You is a wonderful homage for fans of the series, in many ways it seems like a remake of The World Ends With You on a bigger screen and a fresh set of faces. However, if you were not a fan of the original game, NEO may come across as lacking in plot and game mechanics; perhaps it is worth a rewind to really appreciate the lore of this franchise.
Clid the Snail is a lot of really interesting ideas executed in a way that feels really rough around the edges. It's almost there in many ways, but some quality of life issues and design choices hold back the unique concept. Its brilliant art and character design is masked by some hazy aesthetic choices. Its "methodical" combat often ends up more cumbersome and overwhelming than tactical. An interesting story, world, and mystery, however, helped to keep my interest despite these issues. If you love taking a chance on weird ideas-and that key art of Clid with his gun caught your attention-it's worth experiencing Clid's world, but be prepared for a number of speedbumps along the way.
I wish Tormented Souls had a story to match the amazing visual work. I get imparting the tale via personal journals but pairing that with characters that pretty much ignore Caroline's direct questions and statements regarding it is just sloppy and uninspired. This could have been a game that left me with my hairs standing on end and delicious goosebumps. Instead, when Caroline's screams persisted through the continue screen and bled into my game it ate away my desire to pick the controller back up. Not enough morphine in the world to make me want to suffer through this again.
There are tons of other games that already do what Yuoni attempts to do, and do it way better. Spend your $20 there instead.
Finally, it seems we have some competition in the superbike video game space. RiMS Racing is a solid start from RaceWard Studio, and they should be proud of what they have built. From here, expanding upon the bike roster should be priority number one, because we are spoiled for choice in other bike racers. Just the thought of this team getting their hands on new bikes to scan, model, and record gets me excited in much the same way as hearing Polyphony Digital does the same thing to add to their roster of cars. You just know it's going to be given the royal treatment! The parts removal/installation mechanic is neat, but a way to speed on past it would be great for those who play games to get away from the more mundane portions of a hobby. One thing is for sure: it's an invigorating time to be a superbike fan, and RiMS Racing is a great example of why.
For returning players, Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut is well worth diving back into for the Iki Island expansion alone and the way it explores a different facet of Jin's internal conflicts. It may not sate the desire for a full sequel, but it does a lot of cool things to make the experience feel fresh even as it explores the familiar. For brand new players who missed the game on PS4, there's no better way to experience Ghost of Tsushima. An engaging new story chapter will give new players even more insight into Jin and PS5 enhancements improve the entire adventure, which itself was already a technical marvel on last-gen consoles. Sony's experiment into re-releasing last-gen games on the new consoles with meaningful additions is so far paying off.
Greak: Memories of Azur provided me the opportunity to experience a beautiful hand-drawn world in a way that best suits my gaming time and style. As I get older and find myself more and more selective with my gaming, intimate experiences like Greak are so much more rewarding than the biennial installment of a huge triple A title. Perhaps you're noticing the same habit forming with your gaming. If so, this hidden gem might be exactly what you've been looking for, too.
It's a bit rough around the edges, but Foreclosed's story and style are worth a look, especially for the PS+ launch price of $15.99 ($19.99 normally). When I think of my time spent in Foreclosed, I think it made for a good, short adventure that had me impressed by its presentation, but ultimately left me wanting more. More story, more combat, more world building, more consequences from my actions. Just about the only thing I didn't want more of would be the stealth sections. So, with any luck, the open-ended nature of Foreclosed's endings, combined with enough sales of this game, may result in us seeing a sequel down the line.
Blue Fire does not punish players for exploring their environment and that is further reinforced with the addition of side quests you can pick up along the way. Despite the difficult platforming the game does not feel overwhelming to complete, and there is always a benefit to revisiting old areas. There is always a missed breakable object or an emoting statue that was forgotten; one should not underestimate the power of emoting.
I haven't felt this drawn to a game in a long time. Hades is fully deserving of every award that it has earned, and PlayStation players finally get to experience this perfected Supergiant Games masterpiece on PS4 and PS5. It's an utterly brilliant melding of narrative, art, music, gameplay, world, and characters, with unique details throughout each element that come together to create a game unlike any other. Hades bears the mark of being a Supergiant game, while never feeling like it retreads any of the developer's past work. Rather it builds on everything they've learned. It's a triumph of player choice and discovery, consistently engaging, and always begging for just one more escape attempt.
Despite these bugs, Button City is a relaxing little game with a great storyline and characters you care about despite their faults. Players can work their way through the game at their own pace as they battle to save the arcade from greed, and Fennel from his own shy and unconfident self. The story isn't lengthy, clocking in at 6-8 hours depending on how much time you spend playing arcade games and completing side missions, but it's a nice little distraction for a rainy day.
Tribes of Midgard has its moments of awe buried in a mountain of grinding. Players who enjoy a long haul to get to sweet rewards will find a lot to love here, especially for only $19.99. Others who don't have the time to invest in yet another survival game will probably want to look elsewhere, though unlocking the Survival mode can make things easy enough to simply enjoy the game on your own terms. Playing with friends is, as usual, the best way to experience this co-op adventure, over and over and over again.
Cris Tales' number one selling point is its use of time manipulation as both a plot device and battle mechanic. It's what makes the entire experience. It's a solid mid-range game, great for teens and adults looking for a fairly breezy thirty-ish hour adventure. However, there are better games out there that you should experience first, especially if you have to be more selective with your cash.
As far as co-op games go, into doesn't get much more frantic or fun than Orcs Must Die! 3. It's at time unintuitive and feels like it's missing a few key quality of life features that could really help smooth out the experience, but at its core, the simple trap-building orc-killing gameplay loop is addictively engaging, far outshining any issues it may have at the menu level, particularly if you have a co-op partner to go through it all with. There aren't many shining examples of "active" tower defense games, but Orcs Must Die! 3 absolutely exemplifies what's so great about the genre and series, even if it stumbles a bit on its way to get there.
This is why I don't think it's really apt to say that Eldest Souls is a Souls-like game (though what defines a souls-like game is really not a debate that I'd like to get into). Rather, I think it's a boss-rush game with Souls-like aesthetics because, in terms of gameplay, the only real similarity with the Dark Souls franchise is the fact that it's a difficult game with a stamina bar, boss fights, and a focus on dodge mechanics. Consequently, it's also why I feel if you're looking for a game similar to the Soulsborne games, Eldest Souls may not be your cup of tea. But hey, if you're a fan of boss rush hack-and-slash games, why not give it a try?
OMNO is a game worth experiencing despite its minor faults, especially as it's a great testament to what can be created by a single person. There's no need for a complicated storyline, just simple puzzles and platforming to create a satisfying experience. The gratification comes from working things out on your own and making your own way to the Gate of Light through a journey that never become too difficult or frustrating.