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In the end, Hellblade is a game that wants to have its cake and eat but forgets that it’s a game first and foremost. At times I found myself extremely bored with the repetitive nature of the game’s design. Open or vaguely circular arenas always painfully signposted another combat section and the visual puzzles, no matter how interesting at first, felt overplayed.
Volition has essentially created their own open world hero shooter in the universe of Saints Row. Taking staple elements that are becoming increasingly popular with each passing day; Hero Characters, Loot Boxes, and Open Worlds. Splicing popular elements from other games has previously worked Volition's favour, but the lack of mission diversity, other than bosses, holds AoM back more than I’d have liked it to. The small world to explore meant things got boring and repetitive. Although, AoM isn’t so long that it becomes a total burden. If you were a fan of Saints Row then Agents of Mayhem could go either way for you, but there are nice nods to the combined universe. But, it can also be lighthearted fun and the humour is on point, as expected from Volition.
Wolfenstein: The New Colossus is a mixed bag of ideas that could work well but somehow don’t. I felt forced to sit behind cover for large sections of the game instead indulging in gun toting, dual-wielding promises. And even when I successfully managed to reach cover, the slightest movement would alert those around me and compromise any semblance of a stealthy approach. I was stuck in a parasitic loop that left me pining for the days of Wolfenstein 3D or even Wolfenstein: The New Order.
If you're a fan of fast paced puzzle games then Castles is the game for you, but I wouldn't buy it if you're expecting a lengthy playtime.
It’s a shame really, because under a whole load of mess, there’s a game just waiting to be refined and perfected. Shadow of War did in fact right some wrongs, but it lumped them in with some odd choices that really prevent you from investing in a system that they have peacocked left and right.
there is a place for Shift Happens. A very specific place. So if you think you fancy a bit of a go on Shift Happens, I hope you had the foresight to procreate. If not, maybe leave it. The game that is. Procreate away.
Outbreak's outward appearance of a survival horror game is inadvertently inaccurate. The traditional tropes are there, but the conventional style of gameplay that we associate with survival horror has been tampered with. Outbreak requires you to build your “perfect run” strategy for each level rather than taking it slow and steady. This isn't what I expected, and isn't all that bad, but delivers a completely different style of gameplay than initial impressions would have you believe.
Overall, Toby: The Secret Mine is a good game, even if it does feel like a shorter version of Limbo. It’s a charming puzzle platformer that I enjoyed putting a few hours into and what little story there was does give you the opportunity to let your imagination go and make up your own backstory for the characters and situations. If that’s the kind of thing you don’t mind doing. The thing that stops Toby: The Secret Mine from being a great game is the numerous similarities to Limbo as well as the lack of guidance around puzzles.
earth's Dawn is a poor man's Odin Sphere, but a decade too late. Crafting and upgrading might help elevate spirits throughout your playthrough, but the combat and execution prevents Earth's Dawn from being anything special.
The Dwarves is a game that takes time to get to grips with and much longer to master. There will be plenty of game over screens for all players of all skill types and will ultimately have players fall back on the same strategies over and over again, until they succeed. If it doesn't work the first time then try, and try, and try, and try...
If you’re the type of person who loves completely unreasonable difficulty, then you’ll want to give Toy Odyssey some money. Otherwise? Maybe find some other toys to play with.
Slain will throw dumb A.I. and impossibly tricky situations at you throughout your time with it. It almost feels like any strategy goes out the window when you face enemy encounters and you're forced to frantically swipe at them in the hopes that you succeed, which isn't enjoyable in the slightest.
Having never played the previous two Syberia games, I can only comment on Syberia 3 as a standalone game. I have to say overall it is currently not very polished. It does have two things going for it though, the story and characters adding a great amount of depth to a game which otherwise would fall into obscurity otherwise.
The Detail is a genuinely interesting story with fleshed-out characterisation and a lovely look. With a little more attention paid to branching conversations and the consequences of your actions, season 2 of The Detail (fingers crossed!) could be pretty special. As it stands just now, season 1 is a pretty good proof of concept.
Ultimately Adam’s Venture Origins is an okay title. It’s not excessively bad, and it’s not excessively good, and I’d almost say that’s worse than being either.
Even though The Town of Light fails at any sense of creating a compelling gameplay experience, it does do a fantastic job of illustrating the difficulties individuals face with metal health problems, even if it does focus on the past and how such cases were handle.
Armikrog is a bit of a diamond in the rough. It's rough and it's a bit awkward but it's a solid choice if you're after a bit of console pointing and clicking. Just don't go into it expecting a 90s style adventure game with witty dialogue out the wazoo and plenty of items to rub on other items at your leisure. This is a very focused title and it both benefits and suffers for that.
As far as 2D arena bralwers go, Extreme Exorcism will never live up to Towerfall. Without any meaningful variety the experiences turns staler than a month old loaf of bread.
Mother Russia Bleeds is a good game. Not a great game, but it's a fun enough throw back to a genre that once was king. While it's better in co-op, I had a decent amount of fun playing solo, too.
Ultimately, Mirror's Edge Catalyst falls short of all our hopes and dashes what little faith I had in the series, pun intended. There are some truly brilliant moments and Mirror's Edge Catalyst looks gorgeous and feels brilliant to navigate once you finally get all the gadgets and extended slides etc. but forcing you through the campaign to get any real modicum of enjoyment hurts the experience drastically.