SmashPad's Reviews
After a few rough goes at it, Capcom has finally recaptured the magic of RE4 with Resident Evil Village. In some respects, it even feels like a spiritual successor to the commonly revered title.
Everything from its overall look, the amazing orchestral soundtrack, its mostly tight combat, and exquisite level design makes the fact that Acid Nerve is primarily made up of four people simply astounding. Devolver Digital has published no shortage of fantastic games, and Death’s Door just might be the new crown jewel. This is a game that’ll put Acid Nerve over as one of the top indie teams out there, and I simply can’t wait to see what they have next.
AEW: Fight Forever brings back the fun, pick up and play type of wrestling game that has fallen by the wayside over the years.
I don’t care for card games, but Marvel Snap has just been every bit as enjoyable as it has been addicting.
Shredder’s Revenge is one of those rare games where the awesome feeling you felt watching the first trailer is surpassed when you play it, so if beat-em-ups are for you, this is a definite must-own.
Trails to Azure is an easy recommendation, even if it’s an old game for $50. You just need to have played everything else, which admittedly is quite the undertaking in its own right.
If you are looking for a layered and nuanced game you can sink your time into and not feel like you’ve wasted a second, this is it.
Sea of Stars really feels like a special title and you shouldn’t miss it.
Despite the flaws, Octodad offers a good, ludicrous journey that at least pays off in its key moments to make enduring the frustration worth it in the end.
inFamous: Second Son is a big improvement on many aspects of the previous games in a technical and mechanical sense, though it still falters in some of the same ways that they did.
With the three month break since the first episode, The Wolf Among Us comes back with the right kind of episode to get you hooked on seeing this investigation through all of its many twists and turns as it focuses just on furthering the story.
Everything else, however, is of the quality you would expect of a Mass Effect game. The writing and characters are amazing. The combat is extremely enjoyable, the graphics are gorgeous, and the plot is gripping.
The Shiness: Lightning Kingdom brings forth an effort that far exceeds its minimal $30 price tag.
The game is a feat of creative brilliance that should definitely be given a try by any gamer looking for a mellow, yet thought-provoking experience. Campo Santo has got a real winner here, and if Firewatch is any indication, it’s tough to contain any excitement over whatever the developer’s next project is.
Trails of Cold Steel is a superb game best experienced by those who’ve already immersed themselves in Trails’ lore. So while the game is still enjoyable without playing Trails in the Sky, I’d still wholly recommend picking those games up and finishing them before moving on to this one. You don’t need to, but doing so makes this good game great, and it’s a more affordable method of knowing whether this is the series for you.
Persona 4: Dancing All Night is another good Persona 4 spin-off following the heels of the Arena fighting games and Persona Q that makes good on the story and style personality that you expect.
So at the end of the day, is Madden NFL 17 worth the upgrade from last year’s solid entry? The gameplay received just the right amount of polish, Franchise Mode has gone through some long-awaited construction, and the presentation has been enhanced tenfold, so I’d say yes.
If The Fractured But Whole is your first South Park game, you’re in for a treat. If it isn’t, you’re still in for a treat. Just don’t expect it to surprise you as much as the last one did.
Pokémon Sun and Moon are giant steps forward from a series that might’ve been getting stale, and it’s hard to remember a time when the series was this engaging and enjoyable.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II is every bit as awesome as the first. Not only is the sequel bigger, it hits closer to home on political issues such as social inequality, negligent leadership, and the hardships of an ongoing war.