GameCloud's Reviews
While I just want to outright say that Shadow of the Tomb Raider is an excellent game, it’s honestly not the final message I took away from this series. The most striking take away for me has been the evolution of the character of Lara Croft, developing from a video game sex symbol in the ’90s to a legitimate heroine in the 2010s. While Lara is still sexy, it’s not her looks that define her character in a singular dimension. Her intelligence, strength and tenacity are all equal and make up the sum of her parts far more. I’m sad to say goodbye to Lara for now, but I’m also thankful for the experiences I’ve had playing these games. Lara has defined a generation of aspirational women, and I’m excited to see what awaits her in the future.
At the face of it, the new Xenoblade Chronicles 2 standalone DLC, “Torna – The Golden Country,” is both an elaboration on the story for the fans and an entry point for newcomers, yet it is neither of these things in practice. While it’s still got all the fun of the original, albeit in a smaller package, it fails to add anything substantial for new or old. Ultimately, I would only recommend the experience if you’re in need of another Xenoblade kick, but even then I would steer you towards just considering playing New Game Plus on the original game.
Insomniac Games are my favourite developers, Spider-Man is one of my favourite characters, and comparable games like InFamous and Arkham are among my favourites of all time. Even still, Marvel’s Spider-Man impressed me greatly. It’s not without its flaws, but swinging around, shooting webs and building up combos feels so good that they’re hard even to notice. Spider-Man’s story is exciting and hits hard at its biggest moments, while excellent writing, performances and presentation meet the high standards of the game’s magnificent mechanics. Marvel’s Spider-Man has great strengths on many fronts, and plenty of substance well worth swinging through.
Star Control: Origins fails to capture the magic from its source material. The gameplay is dull, shallow and technically flawed, and it’s not like the story is super engaging either. There’s the occasional small-scale encounter that works well, but these alone aren’t enough to warrant a recommendation. I told one of my friends this afternoon to avoid buying the game, so “not recommended” seems about right. Hell, the fact I stopped playing after only 6 hours should give you an idea of how quickly this game loses its appeal. It’s a shame because I know how good space games can be, it’s just that this one didn’t quite cut it. One day, man, we’ll have a No Man’s Sky that doesn’t suck…
Forza Horizon 4 has impressed me in a lot of ways and disappointed me in some others. I can certainly see why previous entries are held so high in praise, but as an outsider to the genre, I don’t feel engaged enough to constantly come back to it as one of my go-to games. What I can see myself doing, however, is jumping on, driving around, completing a few races, and enjoying what the open world has to offer. It’s a beautifully realised racing experience that lacks in some areas but excels in most. It’s an entry into the genre that any fan can and should enjoy, while still being beginner friendly enough to open its doors to those who aren’t intimately familiar with its appeals. The fact it’s also included with Game Pass makes it a no-brainer to those subscribed and only further adds to the value of that service.
Valkyria Chronicles 4 has all the workings of an excellent tactical RPG, pivoted by an interesting main cast and story, and supported by a refined version of the classic combat of the original game. With some extra benefits, like the change in thematic focus creating a refreshingly new storyline, the overall package is a powerful one. The final result is something that will appeal to the fans, but will still be able to capture a new player without confusion. I sincerely hope we'll see more from Valkyria Chronicles in the future as I believe there's still a lot to be explored here.
I applaud Bungie for taking risks with Forsaken, because most of them work well. Destiny 2 was in desperate need of new content, engaging content, content that would provide incentive to keep coming back. An expansion that would please hardcore players while still alluring new players into the ever satisfying trap of grinding for loot, and Forsaken is exactly that. It builds on everything that made the complete form of Destiny so great, and implements it into the sequel with new meaningful additions that feel innovative, entertaining, and rewarding. I’m extremely eager to see how they build on the Dreaming City and future content drops. If you’re a newcomer or a returning player who was turned off by the prominent casualisation in the first year of Destiny 2’s launch, there’s never been a better time to jump in.
The biggest question mark on NBA 2K19 is if the game can be separated from its economy? And the answer is no, definitely not. Your character can’t both look cool with baller swag and be good at the game unless you’re willing to put in hundreds of hours or spend a significant amount of money. However, can the game be enjoyed despite its economy? Absolutely. Despite the dire circumstances of 2K going all-in on VC, NBA 2K19 has seen a return to form for MyCareer mode as well as a solid showing across every single game mode. But when 50% of your game is heavily reliant upon a “pay-to-win” system, there is something fundamentally flawed about the product and message that you’re putting out to your players and potential audiences. I understand the need for video games to make money, but there are more ethical ways of doing so without ruining the experience along the way. Please buy NBA 2K19 because it’s a great game, but don’t give in to the pressure of the non-existent shiny gold coins – they’re just not worth it.
As my first foray into the Dragon Quest series, I’m absolutely ecstatic at what I’ve found here. A gorgeous world and exciting story made even better by a top-tier cast of characters in design, usefulness and general likeability. From what I’ve researched, this seems to be the standard for the series, so I can happily report that this will just be the first in my journey into Dragon Quest. If you’re a fan of the JRPG genre and you, like me, have never played a Dragon Quest game before, I’d highly recommend giving it a chance to impress you.
Strange Brigade is a fun but simple co-op shooter, wrapped in an enjoyable aesthetic with a hilarious narrator and unusual looking characters. Its trap-filled level designs are a natural chaotic joy, and the interspersing of easy to grok puzzles into the combat is refreshing to someone like me who’s never figured out a zombies level in CoD on their own. It’s not a great game to play on your own, and being a bit less than full-price, I only just feel like recommending it. There will be free horde maps for all players in the future, but new campaigns and characters are locked behind a season pass, so keep that in mind when considering your purchase. If you’re bored stiff of CoD zombies and have long left Uncharted and Gears behind, Strange Brigade could be for you and your budding boffins’ beards.
Guacamelee 2 is a nifty little Metroidvania that flies by despite being packed with stuff to do. It cuts straight to the good stuff and keeps things continually moving to create an engaging, succinct playthrough. The tricky traversal and tight, purposeful level design account for some wonderful platforming that feels worthwhile regardless of how tough it gets. On the other hand, however, the story belittles itself to a nagging extent, the sights and sounds are indistinguishable from the last game, and there are more than a few more little annoyances I have with Guacamelee 2, but they’re not enough to hold it down. Any issues I have here are much easier to look past than the much more explicit successes that make Guacamelee 2 a great time.
Fans of the Shenmue series place the games on a pedestal reserved for the gaming greats, heralding it as one of the greatest things to ever happen in the industry. In a sense, this isn’t incorrect; for all its faults, Shenmue blazed a trail that many amazing games would go on to follow. Its ideas at the time weren’t just novel but borderline revolutionary, and its reputation in that sense is well deserved. That said, the games have aged incredibly poorly, and by modern standards, they are downright terrible to play for a multitude of reasons. A slow and dull story, clunky controls, more forced waiting than an MMORPG, and any other number of design elements that haven’t aged well. Effectively, they’re an essential part of gaming history, but they aren’t fun to play. For new players coming into the Shenmue series on nothing but recommendations alone, temper your expectations with the understanding that “cornerstone” in this industry does not automatically mean “classic.”
Yakuza seems to be picking up more and more traction without showing signs of stopping, and Yakuza Kiwami 2 is a shining example of why that is. Despite some shallow combat, it encapsulates everything that makes a Yakuza game special. The break-neck pacing of the main story ensures its hooks get right into you, and even if you do get side-tracked by the plethora of activities available in these dense open worlds, you’ll have just as much fun. It’s a title that aims to please both fans and newcomers alike, which it pulls off with flying colors, proving once again that Yakuza is a series worthy of the attention it receives and more.
Dead Cells is a fantastic melding of two seemingly contradictory design philosophies. A Roguelike at heart, the game utilises Metroidvania levels in a way that gives the player freedom of choice without making any style of play pointless. There’s plenty of opportunities to employ your brain cells in crafting different builds of stats and items, and even with the simplistic combat, the game is a blast to get through. I cannot recommend the game highly enough, and it may very well have cracked a gap through my cynicism for the first time since I saw Yennifer on a unicorn.
When I first saw Overcooked 2, I knew there was something special about the game. The fact that Nintendo chose what was a little-known, independently developed game to showcase at E3 this year alongside flagship franchises such as Super Smash Bros. Ultimate demonstrated their faith in the game. And that faith was not misplaced. New features such as the throwing mechanic, online multiplayer and improved production values sweeten what is already one of the best multiplayer experiences on the console. And although there are some negative points (such as the lack of native voice chat during online play), these are minor gripes when compared to the mayhem and pure, unadulterated fun that local multiplayer sessions offer. If you have three friends and are looking for some of the most fun on the Nintendo Switch, you’d be hard pressed to pass on Overcooked 2.
For everything I could criticise about the design of Octopath Traveler, I would not hesitate to recommend the experience to any fans of the genre. Between excellent character customisation and one of the best combat systems I’ve had the joy to experience, the faults are easier to accept. However, if you’re hoping for an in-depth story or a cast of eight characters standing side-by-side, you won’t find that here. While it certainly could have been improved on, this is still an absolute must-play for Switch owners out there.
LEGO games have definitely hit their stride in the last few years, cranking out some stellar licenced titles like Star Wars, Pirates of the Caribbean, Lord of the Rings and so on, not to mention the brilliant LEGO Worlds. Based on that, you’d think an Incredibles game would do well, but unfortunately, it fails to really define itself as anything more than a simple video game tie-in, especially when the LEGO Marvel or DC games have already filled the superhero spot many times before, getting better with each entry. It feels like TT weren’t really allowed to go as off-book with this title as they have done in the past and the result is a game a bit more average than incredible. You can play it solo or with your kids for a quick bit of fun, but watching both movies back to back will probably be more enjoyable.
Just as in the movies where Jurassic World succeeded where Jurassic Park failed, yet still succumbed to the same problems, Jurassic World Evolution outdoes its predecessors while still having a lot of the same core issues. The dinosaurs are glorious to look at and are worth the price alone, but in a game with so many other problems and odd decisions, it’s almost annoying to have to plod through it just to unlock the next creature. With a robust, fantastic set of source material to draw on and a legacy of some really outstanding business management games to refer back to, Frontier Developments could absolutely tweak things and make Jurassic World Evolution a game to entirely break the mould. Until that happens, though, we’re just gonna have to see how this one shapes up, because right now it feels like it needed just tiny bit more work on its DNA before it was brought to life. Fingers crossed this game eventually finds a way.
While I’m usually a fan of the monster-catching genre and greatly enjoy anything Lovecraftian, The Lost Child fails to hit a lot of the key points that makes both of these genres fun. Add to this a standard storyline, repetitive combat and a pointless overworld, and you’ve got a game that’s ultimately very hard to recommend spending time on. With many exciting RPGs coming up in the near future, only those in desperate need of some monster catching or dungeon delving should look here.
Mario Tennis Aces is an exceptional tennis game at its core, with fun additional layers to keep things interesting. The inclusion of Adventure Mode is also very much appreciated, adding a good little set of more varied objectives to reach. The limited levelling system and frustrating difficulty issues of the single-player, on the other hand, leave it falling short – albeit on a great trajectory. For anyone who’s into Mario Tennis or even just likes the idea, this is a great one. For anyone who isn’t sold, I can’t see this changing their mind.