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Dynasty Warriors 9 attempts to expand the scope of what a Dynasty Warriors game is with varying effects. The new open world helps to break up the monotony of just playing battles repeatedly, while introducing issues of its own. These are just growing pains though, and Dynasty Warriors fans will appreciate how Koei Tecmo have successfully reinvented their franchise and what the future holds.
The appeal of Hacker's Memory will hinge greatly on your acceptance of the grind and your appreciation for Digimon as a franchise. It's fun collecting and fighting with the huge range of Digimon available, and it's wrapped up in a story that, while a little slow off the mark, does develop into an interesting exploration of themes. Being squarely aimed at players of the original Cyber Sleuth, it's unfortunate that so much of the world is straight-up re-used from that game.
Celeste not only joins a long list of phenomenal platforming royalty, but it stands as a mighty pillar among the very best of them. Its message is clear albeit clumsy, though that doesn't detract from its very real and relatable cast of flawed characters. It's challenging in ways many games aren't while managing to maintain an endless supply of magic.
Dragon Quest Builders is fantastic, marred only by a high price point and some performance issues in handheld mode. Mixing in a great story and RPG elements seen from the mainline series with fun building mechanics makes for an enthralling experience, whether you're playing handheld or docked.
Dissidia Final Fantasy NT does its best to appeal to a more competitive audience, but in the process, has forgotten what drew fans to it in the first place. Despite this, with a strong roster and chaotic yet engaging combat, Dissidia Final Fantasy NT feels like a genuine love letter to Final Fantasy fans. It's just a shame that poor online performance and a story mode that's sure to be divisive ultimately bring it down.
There's more reason to play Shadow of the Colossus than ever before. The presentation improves the incredible spectacle that the game is. The core gameplay can still be a little bit clunky at times, but the satisfaction from taking down the Colossus is greater than ever. At the cheaper price of admission ($54.99) that you'll be playing for this game, it's near impossible not to recommend it even if you've played it before.
Just like Rocksteady did for Batman, Arc System Works has carried Dragon Ball to the upper echelon, crafting a tag-fighting game that captures not only the series' distinctive style but its spirit. FighterZ stands alongside other versatile, yet accessible, games like Marvel vs. Capcom with ease in what is the best fighting game in recent memory. It's a shame the servers hamstring the experience so badly, rendering the game's online a bit of a mess.
Lost Sphear nails the look and sound of classic RPG's while updating the combat in interesting ways. While the story may not stand up with our all time favourites it's a big warm hug that doesn't overstay its welcome.
For all its flaws, Monster Hunter: World is a game that manages to balance the expectations of newcomers while not straying too far from its roots. It is clear Capcom have tried their best to make it as accessible as they can without breaking tradition. This might frustrate new players who are expecting to have their hand held throughout the beginning, but if a newbie like me can pick it up in no time then it shouldn't be too difficult for you. Long-time fans are sure to love the tweaks and changes that have taken place, and will feel right at home getting back to what they love – slaying monsters. It remains to be seen how the game will continue once the online sessions open properly, and how this adds an extra dimension to the gameplay. With so much to explore and ways to play to suit a lot of different styles, this is definitely worth jumping into.
UFC 3 is a rare sports sequel that probably does enough to justify its existence. The betterment of Ultimate Team and the career's focus of becoming the greatest ever help the game feel different from the last. A rich bevy of modes coupled with top notch presentation is a winning formula every time.
The Inpatient has a great premise and concept but unfortunately falls flat. Everything that it tries to do has been done better by either its own predecessor or its competition. For someone just getting into virtual reality, it offers a great little" haunted house" experience, but ultimately lacks the substance to please anyone else.
I've had a lot of fun with AO Tennis over the last week and definitely plan on continuing to go back. The core mechanics are promising, gameplay is extremely fun but definitely still a little rusty at this point. If you've played the Top Spin or Virtua Tennis franchises, you'll be disappointed with the features on display, but these are things that can be added over time. I have high hopes for what this game could be with a little more time and I sincerely hope that Big Ant continue to add and improve.
Now is a better time than ever to jump in and experience the hype. If these games are the current limit to what the 3DS can offer, then one can only hope that the Switch does the franchise proud.
Doom VFR, at it's absolute peak, is a tense and frenetic experience that really sells the Doom experience from the big guns to the fast-paced battles to the revolting denizens of Hell itself. Unfortunately, these moments are few and far between. Ultimately though, Doom VFR is marred by a combination of control schemes, none of which feel truly intuitive. Takes some getting used to, but rewarding to those who are patient.
There's nothing about Ashes Cricket that stands out as being bad, and that's definitely a good thing considering recent Aussie sports titles. There are many smaller changes from the previously released Don Bradman Cricket, that all come together to improve the entire experience and take Ashes Cricket to the next level. Apart from buying tickets to the Ashes this summer, this should be your next purchase, as I absolutely love it.
Skyrim is exactly the kind of game that demonstrates the power of the Switch and what it wants to be. It’s a huge open-world, console-quality adventure you can with you anywhere. The port is fantastic, too, and the Switch-specific additions appreciated. Newcomer or not, Skyrim is a classic deserving of a revisit on Nintendo Switch.
Battlefront II is everything the first should have been: it’s an immersive, fantastical experience with a heck of a lot of content to venture through. However, the game’s Star Card system is still problematic, and the inconsistencies seen in multiplayer, alongside the lack of in-game voice chat, pull it back from fully reaching its huge potential. Whilst the single player campaign is a let down in many aspects, it doesn't bring down the much improved multiplayer portion of the game.
Like the first, Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2 is a really fun title with a large open world to explore and tons of great content to play through at your own pace. There's still issues with the core gameplay, but it's hard not to have fun with the latest in the LEGO franchise.
DOOM on Nintendo Switch is a remarkable achievement. It runs much better than I expected it to and looks fairly decent in handheld mode. The game is still incredibly fun 18 months on and is perfectly suited to the handheld device. It's a great testimony to AAA games on Nintendo Switch and proves that the console can not only handle hardcore games, but potentially even become the best place to play them.
Despite the silly and over-the-top story, Fire Emblem Warriors takes aspects from both respective series and breathes new life into them – the elements of the Warriors series make perfect sense in the Fire Emblem world, and the features and mainstays of the Fire Emblem series bring a new depth to the Warriors franchise. While some may be put off by the fact that the game can be overly helpful, this is adjustable, and ultimately a really good addition to the musou game genre. A real gem for both Warriors and Fire Emblem fans alike.