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If you’re a die-hard petrol-head like me, F1 2017 is an absolute must-buy. As fun as I’m sure the upcoming Forza 7 on Xbox One and GT Sport on PS4 will be this year, there are few experiences as exhilarating as driving an F1 monster of a car through the twisting streets of Monaco, and Codemasters’ newest entry delivers the definitive experience.
While the narrative takes a long time to really find its proper pacing and return on early character emotional investment, Ken Follett’s The Pillars of Earth delivers an immersive, enjoyable storytelling experience. The art and voice acting combines into a grim world that, despite an initially slow pace, pulls players in and does not let go as it has them putting on blankets to fight off the cold of 1135 England.
With over 100 different levels to play through – including boss battles, skills challenges, hidden passages, an in-game arcade, and a variety of extras to unlock (cosmetics, arts, headgear, and characters), Slime-san boasts hours of gameplay for the hardcore completionist. If you like platformers with a high level of difficulty, have a high threshold for failure (spoilers: you’re going to do a lot of it) or are a sucker for catchy chiptunes, Slime-san is the game for you.
Regardless of its lax difficulty and lack of replay value, Hey! Pikmin has been utterly adorable and fun to play through. If you’re a fan of the franchise and don’t go in expecting it to be a mobile sequel, but rather a casual spinoff of the series, you’ll be pleased. Folks waiting on a new full-scale Pikmin will have to hope the Switch gets one in the coming year.
Sadly, Phantom Trigger is over as soon as it hits its stride. It takes only about 5 hours or so to play through, though this can be extended if you’re set on uncovering every little detail and pick-up. For $15, it’s not a bad deal, but Phantom Trigger is a unique and surreal experience – one I hoped would have lasted a little longer. If you’re a fan of Hyper Light Drifter, Kamiko, and other games of this little RPG sub genre, Phantom Trigger comes recommended.
Agents of Mayhem proudly barrels out into the world as a robust and absolutely fun single player experience. If you want an escape from the grimdark settings of most modern games, but still want to make things go boom, you should stop reading and pick it up now. Above all else, Agents of Mayhem is a master class in fun.
I’ll close as I opened. I found Sudden Strike 4 to be merely adequate. It has a (to me) wonderful array of clever mechanics that promise interesting tactical gameplay, but a laundry list of quibbles ends up draining the glamor from the game. It’s very hard to recommend Sudden Strike over any of the other tactical offerings out there right now, which feels to me to be a shame.
Nidhogg 2 isn’t a feature heavy game. It could use leaderboards, maybe more game modes, and more weapons, sure. But it’s about the frantic gameplay, the hilarious level design and flopping of bodies across the levels. It’s about laughing with the person you’re trying to skewer. And listen – any game that lets you fight inside the bowels of a dying Nidhogg and escape through its sphincter is alright by us.
Miitopia isn’t a fantastic game, but it’s a great casual RPG for fans of the genre, and an even better introduction for newbies to the world of role-playing games. If your kid is the type who longs to go on the epic adventures they see you playing all the time, I’d recommend it for sure. If you’re looking for a satisfying RPG experience for yourself, I might wait for a price drop or go play Bravely Default again.
By the time the first episode is over in The Enemy Within, you’re going to be left wondering just how far Telltale can push Bruce Wayne, and just how dark this series can get. It’s a fantastic example of Telltale at its best, and if you’re a fan of these games, you need to pick The Enemy Within up and get playing. If you’ve yet played the original Telltale Batman series, get it too. This one is made richer by playing its predecessor.
Recent titles like The Sexy Brutale and Rime sacrifice replay value and unnecessary padding to provide an engaging experience from end to end. The Darkside Detective, similarly, does not suffer any baggage. Writing is witty, striking a balance between goofy and dark that never seems to become threatening. Unfortunately, my time with Detective McQueen and Officer Dooley was far too short. While the tone, writing, and characterization are all stellar, puzzles are little more than filler and I closed cases as quickly as I opened them. Hopefully, the game’s episodic approach will allow for more content to be added soon, because the few hours of enjoyment you will get from The Darkside Detective make it worth investigating.
Simply put, Overcooked is a great game on any platform, and one with a couple glaring issues that need to be patched on the Switch. Still, there are few games on Switch that are this well-suited to co-op play, so at $20, it’s worth the price of admission if you’ve got the friends to bring along for the ride.
Even so, Archangel is a giant-sized step in the right direction for VR on the console, delivering a mechanically satisfying experience despite those shortcomings. With further launches planned for both Oculus Rift and HTC Vive later this year, this might be one to keep an eye on.
If you can get past the purposeful pixelated graphics and 8-bit sounding music you’ll no doubt enjoy the throwback feel and pace this game has to offer. There’s a lot of frivolities to be had here if one decides to partake in it!
Fate/EXTELLA is out now on PC and Switch, and it’s worth your attention if you’re a hardcore Fate fan, Anima aficionado, or dying for a new Switch-based RPG. Others may just want to steer clear.
It’s amazing what Ironward’s done with Solstice Chronicles: MIA, and I can only imagine what they’d be capable of with a bigger budget, more staff, and more time. I want more of their version of Mars, and I hope to see it expanded upon in the future.
Super Cloudbuilt isn’t a bad game, but it’s only decent. When everything is at its best and you’re in the free flow of upper stratosphere parkour, it can be downright thrilling. The pure fun of those moments is frequent enough to save it. When you’re forced to slow down and repeat sections, or even a whole level, it loses that luster and the cracks start to show. Given the budget price, that’s forgivable, but it’s too bad the game doesn’t focus more on what it does so well instead of everything else games in this genre are “supposed” to have.
Like Wii Sports, Micro machines, or 1-2-Switch, Infinite Minigolf is incredibly easy to play with virtually no skill barrier. If you can click a couple of buttons you can play against friends and that is where this game really shines. Beating your own record, or watching a faceless opponents ball scurry off into the distance is satisfying, but there is nothing quite like swapping insults and game pads with your friends during an overtly competitive round. Infinite Minigolf is not incredibly difficult, it is not a sprawling adventure of epic proportions, it is a good time with friends in the comfort of your own front room and that is why I’ll pick it up time and again.
Looking back at this point I can see a clear progression From Bastion to Transistor, to Pyre and this is not only the best story they have told but it is also most well-executed game on all fronts. For anyone who enjoys party based RPGs, this is one game you really shouldn’t pass up.
I love the idea of games like Serial Cleaner, before this, I’d only ever seen Viscera Cleanup Detail. Where VCD followed in the footsteps of a hero, Serial Cleaner reminds me as though someone was following in the footsteps of all the carnage in games like Postal, Hotline Miami or Party Hard to bury the evidence. Unfortunately, that charm wears off quickly.