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Super Mutant Alien Assault is a fast paced and action packed joy ride. It’s always rewarding the player and poses new options to create interesting loadouts while maintaining a fair balance of skill after each level. It does suffer from a repetitious level design but the fun is learning how to use all your weapons and powers in unison.
GoldenEye. God of War. Halo. Super Mario Odyssey. Games worth buying an entire console to play are a rare breed. Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 is not one of them. That is not to say it isn’t a great first entry by Team Ninja as it is. For Ultimate Alliance fans the 10-year wait has certainly been worth it. With the minor slip-ups in the development though I cannot recommend investing in a Nintendo Switch just to become part of the Marvel universe no matter how fun that might be for fans of the Marvel universe.
The Blackout Club is a fun co-op experience, with elements of horror that diminish over time. Nonetheless, the setup is great and the navigation through levels is fun as well. If you or your friends are looking for a new co-op to sink some time into, The Blackout Club is worth your consideration.
You won’t find many games like this. The mirroring of reality and history, the pensive and sober presentation (unlike the over-the-top Far Cry 5) puts you in a different headspace as a gamer if you’re earnest about the experience from the moment you step into the jungle. If you want to experience something that is distinctive, a far cry from what you might be used to, The Church in the Darkness will give your conscience a workout. The weighty subject matter is not for everyone, however.
I was recently allowed to try out the newly released Nintendo Switch version of Pawarumi, by Manufacture 43. Pawarumi is a modern shoot’em up set in a pre-Columbian inspired futuristic universe. You play Axo, pilot of the ship named Chukaru, the most powerful vessel in this world. Think of this game similar to arcade-y games like Ikaruga and Gradius V.
Personally, there haven’t been that many games that originated on PC that would announce a console port that I would get excited for. I was ecstatic when Diablo 3 came to consoles and other game as well like Hollow Knight, Slay The Spire, and etc. They Are Billions was a game that got a ton of press attention on Steam and I was excited to hear that it would come to PS4 and Xbox One. It had been a while since an RTS game that was noteworthy came to consoles and I wanted to see how that story would unfold. RTS games have always had this problem of trying to achieve the barrier of a gamepad centered control scheme. They Are Billions came to PS4 and Blitworks did an amazing job at making sure the game ran well but the caveat being that it’s just another “console RTS game.” I highly recommend playing this amazing game but know that this is a lesser product when compared to its PC predecessor. Currently, Survival is the only mode available while the campaign mode will be added at a later date. The game is still engrossing and developing optimal builds and structure placement makes the They Are Billions worthwhile. If you’re going to play on TV, you may want to scoot a bit closer and keep in mind which input shortcuts work best for you. Otherwise, you’ll have to buy a mouse and keyboard if you want the “optimal” experience but don’t buy them solely for this game. They Are Billions by Numantian Games and Blitworks is out now on PS4 and Xbox One. Let us know what you think about adjusting to a controller for this zombie apocalyptic game!
Link Evolution has some cracks in its otherwise pristine armor. Some bugs carry over from the 2015 release of Legacy of the Duelist. Some cards don’t function as they’re supposed to (though the impact is minor for those I came across). Particularly, cards which activate in specific phases of battle have some issues. There is also an unfortunate lack of settings to adjust. One of my biggest bugbears is the lack of an option to disable unique card animations. Some iconic cards have fancy animations that play when you summon them, and whilst this little touch is charming at first it quickly becomes an irritating break in the pace of duels. It would be a simple fix to just add the option to switch these animations off but unfortunately, it just isn’t there. When you consider some of the issues with card acquisition and these minor bugs and annoyances, it’s frustrating. Link Evolution is without a doubt the best Yu-Gi-Oh experience on offer, but there are caveats to consider. If you’re a fan of Yu-Gi-Oh or you’re just looking for an excellent TCG for the Switch, Link Evolution is a winner. The price tag is a tad higher than perhaps it should be, but with no additional microtransactions or DLC, it’s safe to say Link Evolution is a complete package well worth your time and money.
It’s a very solid game that does everything it’s trying to do very well. It manages to weave a narrative seamlessly into rogue-lite gameplay and maintain the standard mechanical progression alongside it. Space rogue-lites are a genre I’ve been desperate to love for a long time, but between FTL and Space Traders: Frontiers I just couldn’t. This one is the exception to that rule. It takes the same formula and makes it far more palatable. It’s well worth playing.
LEGO Jurassic World is almost an exact port of its 2015 counterparts. Which includes all the good and bad aspects of the game including bad audio from the movies and its linear open world. On the other hand, it makes for a great on the go which you can play anywhere with a friend using a second Joycon. Expect a level of quality that isn’t the best that LEGO games have to offer but do a good enough job to entertain Jurassic Park and Dinosaur fans alike.
Warsaw is a turn-based 2D strategy game with RPG elements. It is great for anyone who fancies themselves a World War II history aficionado and those who want a new take on the 2D genre. Despite the occasional glitch, it is still completely enjoyable. Pixelated Milk continues to develop the title, so what we see here may not be the finished product.
In the end, I loved playing Killer Queen Black even though I didn’t manage to play much of it. The gameplay is fast-paced and exhilarating. The ways to win were well varied and open to a lot of replayability. The art style is delightful enough that it didn’t get old to look at. The music and sound effect were amazing in my opinion, managing to somehow fit into the overall style of the game. If you’re looking for a fresh new competitive multiplayer game, then you might want to check out Killer Queen Black. I definitely will be playing it a lot once it’s officially released to the public.
John Wick Hex provides a unique take on the tactical top down game, and by adopting different systems, is able to capture the fast pace renowned in the films. The fun gameplay combined with the art style make John Wick Hex a fun, but albeit short, and occasionally awkward experience.
A Knight’s Quest has a solid foundation to be a great game. But it suffers from to many problems to break itself away fro the pack of Zelda-Like games.
While there are some aspects that I enjoyed, such as the core mechanics of puzzle solving and explorations and the game’s visuals, I do wish there was more emphasis on a coherent story or goal and more noticeable music. And I truly wish I didn’t have to deal with the obnoxious touch controls. I’m going to give this game a shot on my PC or phone, but for now, I’m going to judge my experience on the Nintendo Switch port. If you like games like Myst or The Witness, you might want to give Eyes of Ara a shot, but I suggest playing on a different platform or waiting for the touch pen accessory.
In the end, I solely admire that Game Freak managed to create what was clearly a passion project. However, there are quite a few flaws with the game. Primarily the gameplay being overly big and messy while also being quite tedious. Plus the bland character doesn’t really help as well. However, there is some aspect that helps it a lot like the magnificent soundtrack, enjoyable dialogue and great visuals. If this game gets a sequel and fixes these issues and tweaks a few other aspects of the game. Little Town Hero could be something special in the JRPG community.
For every slightly redeeming feature AeternoBlade II showcases, such as the interesting boss and world design, the game does ten things terribly wrong that makes experiencing those interesting nuggets nigh impossible . At every turn I prayed something would stand out. I wanted to meet a new character I liked, fight a boss that really took me, or even hear a song that would move me. None of those things happened. Instead, I had the realization that I was playing a bad game that wasn’t going to get better. And sure enough, it never did.
In the end, I had a blast playing through Planet Zoo. Sure there were a few hiccups once a while with some minor glitches and some features that I feel need improving. But the amount of creativity you can achieve, the fun and varied game modes, stunning visuals and appeal, and more. It’s so hard to let these minor flaws affect my experience. If you’re looking to get into these types of simulation/management games, then Planet Zoo is the best way to start. And if someone who loves these types of games like Zoo Tycoon and Tropico like I do. Then I promise you will have a great time!
While there are a few hiccups, AO Tennis 2 feels like a fairly good tennis game. There are still a couple of things the developers can improve on, like tightening up the controls to finally hit that perfect balance, but as is, it certainly scratches that itch for tennis. The other slightly glaring issue is how there aren’t really that many “real life” tennis players here. That isn’t to say the real-life Australian Open has any particular stipulations in registration and participation, but when you can have about 128 players in the virtual Open and only 25 of them are real life figures (12 men and 13 women), it feels like there isn’t much variety in actual real-life participants. But at least you have Rafael Nadal, so if you like watching him in action, you can enjoy using him.
You’ll meet it with a little resistance but will soon feel surges of joy. However, your enjoyment may short circuit when you blow a fuse because of this titles shortcomings. Also, be wary of the price as there is a danger of being overcharged.
There aren’t too many actual issues weighing this game down, it’s a pretty all-around good time. Just don’t expect anything more than that. This is exactly what to get for a fun party night with friends, a great arcade shoot and survive level-based game. Though that’s all it is and it’s not that long. There’s no real plot, you’re thrust into some levels and eventually, it’s over. Still very fun for the little while you play it, but if you’re looking for an actually fleshed out game, there are many better choices over this one. It Came From Space and Ate Our Brains is an adrenaline-fueled treat from beginning to end and well worth a buy. So did this convince you to It Came From Space and Ate Our Brains? You can find it on the Steam store for $14.99! Or if you’ve played it, tell us how you feel about it down in the comments! Come check out Culture of Gaming’s other reviews like our AO Tennis 2 review and our Moons of Madness review. As always, thanks for reading Culture of Gaming!