Stevivor's Reviews
What was an opportunity to standout in an ever-growing field of sim racing competitors has sadly fallen by the wayside. There’s still a chance for Project Motor Racing to shine though, and success will hinge on just how good the online multiplayer ends up being.
While Air Riders might not be my personal cup of tea, it feels like a faithful and loving reward for all the folks who loved the original Kirby Air Ride. Without the benefit of nostalgia, though, you may find it harder to get up to speed.
If Modern Warfare 3 fumbled its campaign directly after Modern Warfare 2, Black Ops 7 completely drops the ball following Black Ops 6. This tactic of rushing out direct sequels isn’t working for Call of Duty. Now all that’s left to ponder is where the franchise goes next after wearing out and devaluing its flagship Modern Warfare and Black Ops series this generation, like Marge Simpson’s tattered Chanel suit.
Issues aside, Europa Universalis 5 has been an utterly incredible introduction to a whole new gaming world for me. It’s wonderfully welcoming yet entrancingly absorbing, and I can’t recommend it enough to anyone interested in getting into the grand strategy genre.
Cut corners, bugs, janky mechanics, and limited content shows that a project of Wreckreation's size may have been too ambitious for Three Fields Entertainment's small team.
The Outer Worlds 2 is more of everything I liked before in The Outer Worlds, but dialled up to 110% - just like a new and improved offering from Auntie’s Choice!
Ultimately, Ninja Gaiden 4 is fun, but not memorable -- something that extends into its general narrative. You're not there for witty banter though, nor for its plot twists and turns -- but instead to decapitate enemies as a bad-ass ninja. In that sense, Ninja Gaiden 4 does exactly what it says on the tin.
What a difference three years, and four versions of Just Dance makes!
The combination of level- and base-gameplay is really what makes Ball x Pit a joy to play. You’ll either end up with a winning run and get to either progress further down the pit, or you’ll quickly realise that a character needs to be levelled up through more levels, or through careful upgrading of buildings tied to speed, damage, and so on. There’s always something to do, and you’re always progressing in some way.
Rather than sticking to its guns, Battlefield 6 diverges from the formula. We could have had a steaming hot meal of scrumptious all-out warfare, but instead we’ve been served a lukewarm plate of I-Can’t-Believe-It’s-Not-CoD.
If you’re a fan of Little Nightmares, or similar games in this genre — and, are willing to overlook some pretty loose design — then you’ll find enjoyment in this; a $60 AUD price point also helps. Otherwise, you’re better off steering clear, or engaging with other co-op titles like It Takes Two. If you’re on the fence, a demo is available, though it doesn’t offer progression into the main game proper.
Let’s just hope that when Super Mario 3D All-Stars Deluxe arrives for the 50th anniversary on Switch 3, it combines all of these games and more with the proper remastering they may not actually need, but definitely deserve.
If you like to dabble in Alien games and haven’t played Alien Isolation as yet, I’d recommend that over this. If you’re a true Alien fan and happen to love VR, grab that version of Rogue Incursion instead. If you’re still reading, don’t have VR, and don’t mind a $45 AUD price tag, then this one is for you, warts and all.
All up, LEGO Party is a worthy contender to Mario Party; you’ll need to decide if its strengths and weaknesses appeal to you. With noticeable framerate drops during fly-throughs, even on PS5 Pro, I’m also a bit concerned about how this will actually play on a Switch.
Know what you’re in for, and pull the trigger accordingly; though kudos to publisher Cult Games for setting this at a very digestible $60 AUD price point. I had a blast setting things to easy in order to blow through the lion’s share of its story (as in I missed a side mission or two) in roughly 6 or 7 hours.
And love Baby Steps I did. There are few ways this game could better achieve its aims; in what it is trying to be Baby Steps approaches perfection. Whether what it is trying to be is for you, well that depends on if you feel that a rapturous level of self satisfaction is worth braving a storm of intense frustration and inconsolable rage. For those with the resolve (or stubbornness, or self loathing, or masochism), you won’t find a better test of all of them than Baby Steps. If you have the resilience of a damp tissue and capacity for frustration of a tired toddler, keep on walking by
Silent Hill f balances threat and reality in a way that kept me playing longer and longer per session.
Dead Reset has something of a consistency problem when it relates to special effects, storylines, and acting — though I need to commend Daniel Thrace for a very strong performance as Cole — but that all comes together to nail the feeling of a B-grade horror film. Again, that’s a compliment; it’s giving off a pre-Disney Doctor Who vibe.
Hockey is family. Hockey is life. Hockey is a source of joy. NHL 26, less so. For all the good it does, this is an off year; this is certainly no NHL 17. I hoped for more.
While it may not be up there with the likes of Dead Space, Resident Evil, and Silent Hill, Cronos The New Dawn is still survival horror done well. Fans of the genre should absolutely give this one a go.