GameCloud's Reviews
Battlefield V isn’t without issues. The single-player is novel but boring, and the game currently has more than its fair share of bugs. However, none of this managed to dampen my time with the multiplayer. There’s a lot to like here if you’re a Battlefield fan, and I’ve barely touched on all the good that’s still in this game, let alone what’s yet to come. The maps are all of a high quality, especially the likes of “Twisted Steel” and “Arras,” which are both set in the French countryside and are absolutely beautiful. The company system, too, allows for the best level of player customisation yet seen in the series. Further to this, loot boxes are gone, all DLC including future single-player episodes are going to be free for everyone, and a Battle Royale mode is still on the way. This is the game Battlefield 1 should’ve been and is one of the most addictive instalments in the series yet.
LEGO DC Super-Villains was a delight to play from start to finish and once again shows an attention to the source material even the big budget DC films sometimes seem to lack. The astounding voice cast brought together brings the world to life, and the refined gameplay systems are as simple as ever to pick up and jump in. Even though the target audience for these games is no doubt on the younger end of the spectrum, Traveller’s Tales have delivered a superb game with a little something for everyone. With great new gameplay additions, hilarious storytelling and the impressive rogue’s gallery of DC to draw from, LEGO DC Super Villains lives up to its bad guy rep and completely steals the show.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is undoubtedly a technical masterpiece and a new high watermark for cinematic storytelling. Whether players will enjoy playing Red Dead 2, however, will depend on how accommodating they are to Rockstar’s strong design choices. These choices prioritise immersion and realism over pure fun and will be off-putting to some. But perhaps we need to consider that maybe fun wasn’t the goal here; these mechanics were crafted to pull players into the world. After more than 70 hours with Red Dead 2, I had embodied and become Arthur. His choices were mine. Viewed from that lens, Rockstar has succeeded in giving players an unprecedented level of agency. Despite some gameplay quirks, I would wholeheartedly recommend Red Dead Redemption 2 as a must-play to all fans of video games. After all, isn’t escapism the very reason we play video games?
Pokémon Let’s Go has been designed with some clear key phrases in mind: “streamlined gameplay,” “capture focused,” and “primarily TV-based.” It nails these points precisely but takes little time to consider any needs outside of them. What this has resulted in is a game that I feel would be an excellent point for a casual gamer to enter into the series and have a blast, or to introduce a young gamer into the world of Pokémon. However, it offers the more experienced gamer little more than some nostalgia, and such gamers may be better off holding on for a hopefully more challenging experience with the new core game next year.
Dark Souls seems pretty at home on the Switch (which all up is not a particularly surprising conclusion to come to since this console launched with a Zelda title, and Dark Souls is basically Zelda but difficult… Haha, don't look at me like that, I'm kidding. No really). Should you pay full price to get it, though? I don't know. It apparently costs the same on PC at the moment too, and if you're strictly comparing the two options, well, Switch seems like a smart one. I don't know if Dark Souls on Switch is the most Dark Souls version of Dark Souls, but it sure gives you a lot of options as to how you want to suffer through it.
HITMAN 2 is more of the same, with an emphasis on more and same. The gameplay is damn near unchanged, but it’s still satisfying to line up the hit and carry it out. The more massive levels and challenges lend themselves to more replayability, and even if the AI is one acid tab away from brain-death, it’s fun to see what you can pull off. Those hankering for a better-told story than the last game will be left wanting, but it’s a small price to pay for such elaborate and dense levels. If you liked the first game, you’ll like this one, because it’s practically the same but bigger.
You know when you purchase your favourite packet of chips from the shops, take them home, and upon opening them, find they’re half filled with air? Well, that’s kind of how My Hero One’s Justice feels. It’s slick as all hell, looks great, and has the elements to be a winner because it has a great foundation backed with solid gameplay. However, it’s also just a bit empty and leaves you with the feeling of wanting more. With some minor tweaks, My Hero One’s Justice could have fallen the other way into a “must have” sort of game. Unfortunately for now, though, you’re going to have to satiate yourself with a couple of tasty handfuls and nibble at the crumbs that dropped onto your shirt.
While Call of Cthulhu suffers from some minor technical issues, and a few things could be better explained, this never impeded my ability to enjoy the game. With different choices, better ways to use my skill points, and the possibility that the terrifying survival level wouldn’t take me seven tries again, it could be just as entertaining a second time. It was scary enough that I fought not to have a panic attack alongside Edward every time we hid, well written so that even with so much previous knowledge of the universe I could enjoy the narrative, and was simply a joy to explore overall. Cyanide did justice to both the pen and paper RPG Call of Cthulhu is based on and H.P. Lovecraft.
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is a brilliant and beautiful game, but it’s also very clearly abandoned too many of its own time-tested mechanics in favour of ones from other games. The inclusion of narrative choices is nice and selectable genders was long overdue, but then so much of the game is spent on pointless side content that offers nothing to overall gameplay except to fill the unnecessarily oversized map or delay the story. It was encouraging when Ubisoft skipped a year to develop Origins, and I’m relieved the series is going to be taking another year off in 2019. While Odyssey isn’t a bad game by any stretch, I think a more extended break might be in order, to help the series rediscover its identity. Odysseus was lost for ten years before he finally found his way home. Maybe one day, Assassin’s Creed will too.
I immediately wanted to invite some friends around so I had an excuse to bring out Playgrounds 2. It’s a lot of fun, but it’s also difficult to sustain lengthy sessions of play by yourself when there’s not much more than three different modes to cycle through. It’s a decent game that ultimately suffers from a lack of content, and for that, the game stumbles before the finish line, unfortunately. While I’d recommend giving it a look, especially if you loved NBA Jam back in the day, it’s also something you could sleep on for a while before giving it a shot.
While Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum ‘n’ Fun failed to make the motion control experience capture the challenging appeal of the original arcade game, it’s not without merit. The colourful presentation and catchy set list are a joy to experience, and the tap controls are responsive if a little easy to master. It’s certainly nothing to shake a stick at, but fans of the genre may not find much for them here here, especially when the console already has some solid rhythm games available.
Aside from some admittedly minor gripes and the typically icky post-launch content malarkey, Black Ops IIII is an undeniably appealing multiplayer gaming package. Blackout is a faster and more dynamic battle royale mode than the reigning PUBG and Fortnite; the arena mode has changed in ways that encourage team play, and strategy and Zombies is still a joy, just with more customisation. Black Ops IIII is like your dad’s favourite brand of beer that finally brought out a bolder tasting summer brew; familiar, reliable and now interesting enough for you to accept that you will one day die. Or something.
The World Ends With You is a brilliant action RPG that is worth your time if you own a Switch. Despite the inherant flaws that come with its control scheme, it tells a compelling story with complex and well-developed characters that keep you engaged for hours on end. It’s a unique experience that deserves the praise it receives from so many, and it’s made even better through the capabilities of the Switch. If you’re a fan of the genre and can look past its minor shortcomings, I can’t recommend this title enough.
The re-release of Luigi’s Mansion provides the perfect platform for fans who’re looking to re-engage with the series before the tentatively titled “Luigi’s Mansion 3” releases on the Nintendo Switch next year. It was also a fantastic throwback to the early 2000s for a 30-year-old kid who made the error of straying from the path of N, and I relished every second playing this GameCube classic and will continue to cherish the series as a Luigi diehard. All I can say is put your money where your mouth is, and back the guy in green!
It’s true that there’s surprisingly little in the way of innovation in Soulcalibur VI, and I’m not one hundred percent on board with condoning a game that takes so few risks and perhaps feels several new characters short of a final product. Yet while this complaint still stands, I can mostly forgive it because, at its best, Soulcalibur VI is a giddy pile of fun. It’s fun because it’s a particularly well-tuned version of the same free-flowing slashy-kicky fest the series has always been, but now it’s also on PC. It’s fun because it has good online matchmaking options that actually seem to work. It’s fun because the character creator is ridiculous and good and excessive. It’s fun because it’s an intuitive fighting game that provides some self-improvement tools for the competitively-minded. I like it, basically, despite how it took me a while to be sure I was even playing a new title, and I hope it sticks around for a while.
While some things still need to be worked on to return WWE games to the golden age of the PS1/2 era, this is the best wrestling game that has been turned out over the last 5 years. 2K seems to have finally listened to the calls of fans and critics alike and have managed to make a successful overhaul of their series work in just a year. In closing my review of WWE 2K18 last year, I vowed I wouldn’t be trying another WWE game for a few years, but I just couldn’t help myself. And I’m glad I’ve had the opportunity to renege on my promise because I got to witness what could be the rebirth of top-tier WWE gaming.
Despite taking place in a marvellously detailed, humorous, and lively world, the story of The Bard’s Tale IV: Barrows Deep is rather by-the-numbers, and a lot of the game’s design harkens back to the old games in the series in the worst, most rigid ways possible. Further to this, even after a few updates, the game is still fraught with technical issues, but it is slowly being patched, and inXile has a good track record for working on their games to improve them. And the good things that are still present in this game are excellent, like the fantastic writing, refreshing approach to puzzle designs, and beautiful music present throughout. The design could also be tweaked to remove the sting of a lot of the older design tropes that cause the most grief. As it stands, the game in its current state is rough as guts, but there’s a lot of room for improvement, and I’ve faith that it will improve. It will just take time.
Astro Bot Rescue Mission is the best example of traditional video game mechanics executed in VR yet, amplifying and broadening 3D platforming to a whole new platform. The fundamentals, while nothing too unique, are consistently strong, allowing for the great VR mechanics and interactions to be built upon them. The wonderful tone and feel of Astro Bot’s levels paired with their thoughtful design makes it a joy throughout. Rescue Mission is directly designed around VR, while being fully featured and very high-quality, making it one of the very best VR games yet and an excellent example of the possibilities of virtual reality.
When Mega Man 11 was first announced, I was somewhat wary, especially considering it was to be a new addition to the original series. However, whatever concerns I might have had quickly melted after just a short period of time with the game, which is absolutely spot-on about how it carries the classic style of Mega Man games. It has a challenging, sometimes punishing platforming design that demands both quick reflexes and a helping of forethought. The double-gear system is a fresh new mechanic that enhances the original design as opposed to attempting to replace it. The overall presentation and artistic style of Mega Man 11 gives the impression of a Saturday morning breakfast cartoon, which actually fits perfectly as a progression of the classic Mega Man appearance. For old fans of the series or absolute newcomers, this game should be an enjoyable scratch for anyone with a platforming itch.
Super Mario Party is a wonderfully presented game packed full of excellent minigames; it’s just that the means to play them are disappointingly uncomplex. Mario Party mode is finally a step back to what fans have been yearning for, but the boards are small and straightforward. Partner Party, River Survival and Sound Stage are superb new additions, but having them limited to certain types of minigames means they get repetitive fairly quickly. Challenge Road is a great attempt at some single player stuff, but it feels a little undercooked too. Everything in Super Mario Party is good; it just consistently restricts itself in ways that keep it from being the great game it could have been.