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Checkpoint Gaming

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979 games reviewed
72.0 average score
75 median score
63.9% of games recommended

Checkpoint Gaming's Reviews

8 / 10.0 - Ultros
Mar 14, 2024

Ultros is a stunning space ride through the trippy landscape of The Sarcophagus that will keep players wondering what secrets they will uncover amidst the captivating backdrop. Though the narrative can be hard to get your head around and the world is easy to get lost in the "gardenvania" concept brings additional magic to the Metroidvania genre. Ultros has paved the way for the genre to not play it safe and is one of those experiences that reiterates how games can still present us with unique ideas and worlds.

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Mar 14, 2024

Outcast – A New Beginning presents an exciting adventure into the planet of Adelpha. While the innovative combat and environmental interactions are fun, the game is too similar to other open-world RPGs to truly stand out. Exploring Adelpha in its entirety is also challenging because several bugs hamper your progress, sometimes even crashing your game. The game may not break the barrier into greatness, but you can still easily have a good time if you look past the flaws.

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7 / 10.0 - Highwater
Mar 13, 2024

Highwater is a fun little strategy game about the end of the world, and the struggle of a small group of people trying to survive. The strategy gameplay has some rather creative ideas, albeit ones arguably not exploited to their fullest. Some of the game's elements, primarily the long, largely uneventful boat trips between combat encounters, may be polarising to those seeking a more densely-packed and fast-paced experience. However, if you can get on its level, sit back and enjoy the music and engaging narrative, you'll likely have a good time with Highwater.

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Mar 12, 2024

Penny's Big Breakaway is big on ambition, for a studio the size of Evening Star they have turned in a title that is a cut above the 3D action adventure norm, most of the time. At its best, Penny's is vibrant, colourful and packed with imaginative ideas and mechanics. The use of momentum feels natural and the level design feels intuitive. The overall presentation is excellent and is backed by a banging soundtrack that brings the game to life. That said, there are moments where Penny's Big Breakway crosses the threshold from difficult/tricky and into frustrating territory. Whilst not bad enough or frequent enough to ruin the experience, it did create moments where I felt I needed to put the controller down and take a break. Overall though, in a genre flooded with competitors, if you are looking for something different, Penny's Big Breakaway could be just the ticket.

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8 / 10.0 - Death of a Wish
Mar 10, 2024

Death of a Wish is a great moody action game that's worth adding to your list of must-play 2024 indies. It's a narrative with textbook Catholic guilt, a heartfelt journey of self-discovery, and the exploration of queer acceptance. With its pulsating chalk-like line work that makes the images and action leap off the page, a diverse combat system, and an oh-so-satisfying parry to boot-style and substance are at the forefront of the game at all times. Though you can occasionally get lost in the weeds of the prose-like writing and confusing map design, it's hard to stay mad long at Death of a Wish. It's a damn cool video game.

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8.5 / 10.0 - The Outlast Trials
Mar 8, 2024

The Outlast Trials is a brutally fresh twist of the knife for the franchise. Cooperative play meshes seamlessly with the horror experience, allowing players to squad up and take on brutal trials that are as horrifying as they are fun to survive together. Solo play is more trouble for the same reward, so it's a good thing the game includes a matchmaking system. With more content on the way, it's clear Murkoff has struck gold with this new take on a loved IP!

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8 / 10.0 - WWE 2K24
Mar 5, 2024

It's great that the WWE 2K series is in such a good place, where it doesn't need to change much and still remains a must-have for wrestling game fans everywhere. When the bell rings, WWE 2K24 still continues to have the best in-ring action, with a broadcast-like presentation that very much looks the part. It's filled to the brim with content that will keep you busy until Wrestlemania 41, but its Showcase mode, the key feature of its marketing campaign every single year, needs a serious rethink, as it's holding the series back from legendary status. It might not Finish the Story, but it's another damn good chapter.

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Mar 5, 2024

Top Racer Collection does what it says on the box, it contains the three SNES games from the series, pretty much unchanged. The collection provides the bare-bones quality-of-life options that are usually expected including changing screen size and playing with filters. Some new gameplay options such as online play are present as well. Unfortunately, given the number of better alternatives in this genre, both past and modern, this collection is a bit of a hard sell. However, I acknowledge that the series does have a huge following in some parts of the world, and for those that simply want to play Top Racer again, in their original form and on modern consoles, then this collection will sort them out.

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8 / 10.0 - The Thaumaturge
Mar 4, 2024

The Thaumaturge is a riveting mix of investigating gorgeous environments, weaving together narrative threads and battling through punchy, stylish turn-based combat. It's a story where it feels like the choices do matter, and that makes decisions feel weighty as you progress through the twisted and memorable supernatural setting. Some of the investigations hold your hand a little too much, and it's lacking some overall polish in some areas. Even so, The Thaumaturge absolutely nails the brief in every other way, making for a compelling RPG that stands on its own as unique, visually impressive and deliciously dark.

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Feb 29, 2024

Classified: France '44 is rather good as both a turn-based combat experience and an exploration of one of history's darkest periods. Whether you are sneaking around taking down Nazis from the shadows or heading in guns blazing, the game is fun and decently complex, with enough variety in terms of units to recruit and factions to side with to encourage multiple playthroughs. While the missions themselves start to blend together after a while, and the soundtrack could have stood to throw in one or two new battle themes for the sake of variety, I think any fan of history or turn-based combat is going to have a rather good time with Classified: France '44, and I look forward to Absolutely Games hopefully building on this foundation with future games exploring different periods and settings.

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Checkpoint Gaming
Checkpoint Staff
7.5 / 10.0 - Dicefolk
Feb 26, 2024

Even though its overarching story world could be fleshed out further, Dicefolk offers a refreshing take on the roguelike formula. Thanks to its combat mechanics, dice system, and variety of chimeras and equipment, gameplay is varied and complex while still being accessible to newcomers. Added to this, the feature of customising different dice allows players to tailor their dice according to their personal tastes and playstyle, making Dicefolk a good fit for both casual and more hard-core roguelike fans.

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Feb 26, 2024

Neptunia: Sisters VS Sisters has some stumbles on the Switch. The frame rate can drop, multiple endings are hard to find, and the intricacies of combat pass you by. But if you give the game a chance, you will find a story that occasionally moves you while entertaining you with light-hearted humour. It's not a story that stands out because it's special, but because it's easily accessible and funny. The game is inviting even if you haven't played other games in the franchise. You might have to work harder to understand and spend more time on the mechanics, but it's an adventure well worth the investment.

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6 / 10.0 - Foamstars
Feb 26, 2024

FOAMSTARS knows what it's doing following the Splatoon blueprint, but it's an easy pop that values its in-game economy more than fostering a community during the teething period of its release. I worry for the future of this one in the live service vacuum. While there are aspects that feel fun, this game still needs to prove itself in the market which is no easy feat. Locally, this is a tall ask but with server numbers untenable it really may be the writing on the bathroom wall for such a new multiplayer game – bubbles not included.

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8 / 10.0 - Promenade
Feb 25, 2024

Promenade is a cute 2D platformer with heavy inspiration from 3D platformers of yore. It dips into other genres like puzzle, Metroidvania and collectathons and eases players into its varied gameplay ideas. While the game could explain things better, such as what buttons to press for certain mechanics, what it does is create a great and vibrant experience for its players. Considering this is the debut game from the team at Holy Cap, it's a fantastic achievement.

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Feb 22, 2024

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth defies all expectations and is the new benchmark for what a remake should be. Bold and unapologetic with something to say but also true to its roots. I've loved, I've laughed and I've cried while playing this game and if you fall into the right crowd, you very will too. Provided is an unforgettable journey, a magnetic cast, and a world that is magic and an experience that is transcending. From combat to graphics to music to side activities to writing to performances, Rebirth is one for the books and I can't wait to see where we go from here.

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8.5 / 10.0 - Solium Infernum
Feb 22, 2024

Solium Infernum finds itself perfectly situated to fill a multiplayer niche that other 4X games can't, with its asynchronous multiplayer option allowing those without much time to play a game with their friends. That's not to say the singleplayer is not just as good, however, with enough here for hours upon hours of fun just by yourself if you have the ambition to take it.

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6 / 10.0 - Skull and Bones
Feb 21, 2024

Considering the game's notoriously troubled development, Skull and Bones is definitely not as bad as it could have been. With many of its tweaks to the naval combat pioneered in Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag, the game is often fun, particularly with a friend. However, those moments of fun are often hard to find, and are buried under boring travel, glacially-paced harvesting and looting, and a rather shallow world to explore. If you're a fan of other multiplayer live-service titles and are looking for a new kind of game to check out with friends, Skull and Bones certainly brings something new to the table that Destiny 2 and The Division 2 do not, but it is not all smooth sailing.

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8.5 / 10.0 - Helldivers II
Feb 19, 2024

Helldivers 2 proves a basic ideology: create something special and the players will come. Built on a foundation of cheeky satire and visceral gunplay, this cooperative shooter is engaging, charming, dynamic, and at no point feels greedy or unnecessary. It's live service done right, with appropriate progression and a feeling of global connection as you fight toward a shared goal. Server issues still impact this game's release and they aren't insignificant, yet they are still a mere minor inconvenience when compared to Helldivers 2's many triumphs.

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Feb 18, 2024

Spirit Hunter: Death Mark II is an excellent game, a love letter to gamers obsessed with urban legends and regional gothic lore. Like its Japanese horror counterparts, Death Mark II offers players a unique audio-visual experience with remarkable sound and art designs. However, there appear to be some missteps in exploring the combat and gameplay mechanics in this release. While I wish that developers had retained these aspects from the previous game, I appreciate their ambition in not settling for merely reproducing the same game but instead exploring new avenues.

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Checkpoint Gaming
Checkpoint Staff
8 / 10.0 - HELLCARD
Feb 17, 2024

Overall, Hellcard offers an engaging deckbuilder with a unique perspective on the classic formula; its combat map and companion system keep things interesting, and the number of cards, artifacts and companions add hugely to its replayability value. While it may not be the best title for newcomers to the genre, considering the game's UI can feel a little unwieldy and there's a lot to keep track of, Hellcard is sure to reward persisting players who don't shy away from a steep learning curve.

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