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Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition is a solid fighting game. It expertly meshes the gameplay of Dynasty Warriors and The Legend of Zelda with a decent story and a massive amount of content. It’s not perfect, but it’s a lot of fun and immensely satisfying to just plough through scores of enemies in a single hit.
While it definitely won’t change your mind if you loathe the genre, One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3 Deluxe Edition does enrich the fan with a nerdgasm full of content while providing a simple, but somewhat therapeutic swabbie smashing experience.
Wild Guns Reloaded is among one of the best examples of bringing an older title over to a newer system. While it would have been one thing to do a simple port job of this SNES cult-classic, the wealth of fresh new content adds another layer to this already excellent shooting gallery experience. Steeper price aside, this is a perfect fit for Switch offering an action-packed, fun time on your own or with friends.
Of course, should you choose to only play once, then the game’s 90-minute length may leave you worrying about value for money. Treat it like a cinema ticket, though and honestly, it’s worth every penny. It’s fun, it’s interesting and when played in handheld it feels like a whole new genre has opened up like a vein of precious metal.
What I love about Darkest Dungeon is that it knows it’s difficult and it knows it’s going to challenge you. My biggest concern is that by the nature of what it sets out to be, it will put a lot of people off before they even play as it does require the player to put effort into it to understand all of the nuances and general aspects that simply isn’t there in most other games.
Would I recommend it? Not really. Is it a good game? No. But I love the fact that it’s out there. I also love the fact that it’s a game where death is encouraged. However, because we want him to die, it does remove any tension or risk of failure, therefore lacks excitement.
Shelter Generations is a mixed bag, then. Shelter 2 is burdened with many flaws, the linearity to Paws helps it to become a more meaningful adventure, and the content that accompanies them lends charm to the whole collection. Taken as a whole it disappoints, which is a shame as, beneath the adorable exterior, the concept has far more potential than what has been achieved.
In order for the story to be truly engaging, we need to be fully absorbed into the game, rather than pulled out by jarring moments. As I progressed, I began to care less and less about Tom, his old crew and his plight.
If you aren’t going to speedrun or discover the secrets hidden away, the game won’t last long, but I still urge you to buy it, explore it and test yourself on some of the harder elements to be found.
As a throwback to an arcade favourite, Raging Justice does a decent enough job to provide you with the short and shallow candy fix that made the genre appealing in the first place. It may be ugly in design, in a 90s 3D model pre-rendered kind of way, but it does have a plasticine charm to it all to make it visually stand out.
Hyper Sentinel does a great job of bringing a classic formula into the modern world of gaming. Its addictive and fast gameplay sinks that hook deep enough into those who want to make a dent on the online leaderboards.
Bombslinger is a fun time whether playing alone or in a group but its tough and often frustrating difficulty can prove too punishing at times. While I welcome a challenge, levelling up your character and purchasing an assortment of upgrades only to have them stripped away upon death be it through mistake or controller accuracy just plain sucks.
Who knew that cardboard could be so incredible? The Nintendo Labo Toy-Con 02: Robot Kit may have been created with a more singular vision than its Variety Kit counterpart, but it clearly demonstrates how Nintendo has found a new direction in which to continue to rekindle its innovative spirit.
When they did load, the levels themselves offered little to no joy, at all, despite the cute protagonists, DragoDino is shallow and sadly cannot live up to the visual style.
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze was and still is a fantastic 2D platformer. It looks and sounds brilliant and plays just as well, constantly surprising you with new and creative ideas throughout its six-island quest. This may have been my second time playing through the Retro Studios platformer but I enjoyed every moment despite a disappointing lack of new content. And if you never got the chance to check out the big ape’s icy adventure back on Wii U then this Switch version is an absolute must.
The Nintendo Switch is starting to build up a nice library of horror titles and, as with Outlast 2, this is one of the better offerings the console has to offer. But, it’s not without its problems. Coming in at around five hours for the base game and another two hours for the included Whistleblower downloadable content, you have yourself a game that doesn’t outstay its welcome. However, it must be said that there is a huge difference in fear, enjoyment and overall quality during the first half of the game compared to the second.
The story that OPUS: Rocket of Whispers has to tell is a meaningful one, that touches on mental health issues such as loneliness, dealing with grief and low self-esteem. It is clear to see that it is a game that has been created from the heart, and, while much of it will be spent scavenging for rocket parts, it is the message that it imparts that will linger in your memory for a long time to come.
Atelier Lydie and Suelle: The Alchemists and the Mysterious Paintings readily enchants with a charming story and some fantastical worlds to explore. But, while the game’s greatest strength lies in the depths of its alchemy system, Gust has failed to have thrown enough new ingredients into their murky cauldron to innovate on the experience as much as has been seen in what came before. What we’re left with is a rather average concoction.
It is in the thrill of space combat that Manticore: Galaxy on Fire comes alive, as you get an enemy in your sights and mercilessly hunt them down. It’s not without its imperfections, but genre fans will get more than enough from the spectacle of it all.
Jotun: Valhalla Edition a short but memorable experience. The art style and animation alone stand out tall and proud amongst the ruckus of the indie scene. At its core, it is a game that does repeat traditions and repetition both in gameplay and pace that some may find a little tedious. But, as for myself, I found it quite difficult to put down. There would often be times where all I needed was one more strike to down a Jotun, only for it to bury me in the ground and punish my impatience. It was within these subtle moments and lessons learned that kept me willing and invested until the very end.