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It’s a rare Metroidvania that feels different, that knows what it wants to be and manages to pull it off without feeling overly indebted to the games that inspired it. I enjoyed it, but most importantly, I felt like I was playing something with its own identity. Like the Sandfox themself, it could not be here without what came before it. But like the Sandfox, it charts its own path forward.
Veterans of the series should only consider F1 25 if they're specifically interested in the expanded My Team mode or invested in the next chapter of Braking Point. Otherwise, if you're satisfied with F1 24, there's no pressing reason to upgrade this year.
There are things I respect about Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon. Its soundtrack, for one, is uniformly pretty good, and the game’s ambition is undeniable, but I can’t really say I enjoyed much of my time playing it, moment to moment. Occasional striking vistas and questlines can’t make up for a world that feels pretty inauthentic in its representation of a fictionalized version of Celtic culture, and the way you are forced to constantly wander it to complete straightforward missions makes it a space that is hard to enjoy exploring. And while there are interesting roleplaying narrative beats, that is rarely reflected in gameplay that railroads you into one of two playstyles.
For a game that is clearly inspired by Returnal, we seem to have really missed the forest for the trees here. But points for trying, especially from a set of studios that haven't played in this space before. I’d love to see another shot, no pun intended.
Short, sweet, and smart, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tactical Takedown took me by surprise. It’s not just about how much I enjoyed it, but how intelligently Strange Scaffold came up with a gimmick that sounds bizarre on paper, but absolutely nailed it in practice.
By the end, Deliver At All Costs reminded me of the 2000s, where a good idea wouldn't realize its full potential, but it was still good for a few hours of entertainment. This is a game that would have fit in wonderfully in that era. In that sense, this game does offer a sense of nostalgia, just like its 1950s setting.
Monster Train 2 capably builds on the original game and improves on it immensely. It leaves the station and only picks up more speed as it goes, so get on board or get out of the way.
It’s a kind of game that feels out of place in time, but benefits from its accidental time travel by doing things a PlayStation 2-era console simply can’t.
Onimusha 2 is a strange but good action game. There aren’t many things like it, but I’m glad it’s back just the way it is. The swordplay and progression are great and the story is an oddity determined by a number of decisions you make at crucial points.
Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a bulldozer stuck in the mud that needs rescuing.
Whether you’ve played these games before or are cracking them open for the first time, you’re in for a treat, especially if you bring some friends along.
After Doom Eternal proved somewhat divisive among fans, Doom: The Dark Ages should be a Doom game everyone can appreciate. It’s fast and hard hitting, featuring robust combat systems that make learning their ins and outs fun and empowering. I daresay it’s even better than Doom 2016, and is a must-play title for everyone interested in Doom, first-person shooters, and action games as a whole.
There are weirdos like me that find comfort in horror games, but The Midnight Walk strategically and intentionally walks the line between cozy game and horror game. Come for the vibes, stay for the vibes, as you tread along The Midnight Walk.
There’s a real charm to this world, its story, and characters. As a kid who grew up in the 2000s, I’ve got a lot of nostalgia wrapped up in Oblivion, and a bit of concern realizing that this game is approaching its 20th anniversary. The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered is undoubtedly the new definitive way to experience Bethesda’s flawed masterpiece, a game that continues to be a standard for western RPGs.
Calling Tempest Rising "familiar but fun" sounds damning, but it's the most accurate way to describe it. Most of what Tempest Rising does, it does very well. There's nothing particularly exciting about it, and it's all been done before.
It was a fun game about a bald man who shoots guns at the floor to do Mario Things while Satan says mean words at him from a distance. It is never more or less than exactly that. I had a great time for around three or four hours, and will probably never think about it again. But that’s okay, because I don’t think Shotgun Cop Man intended to reach beyond that outcome. Shotgun Cop Man simply is, and I respect that about him.
Skin Deep is a neat, little game that takes recognizable gameplay conventions from immersive sims and repackages them into something smaller and sillier.
Zoe may be the chosen one destined to save the world, but the game around her never really feels like it's convinced of it — or itself. And if you can’t persuade yourself of the story you’re telling, it’s damn hard to convince anyone else.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a story I needed in a world that feels like it’s falling apart. Things are not always what they seem, and there's always hope, no matter the odds. A better world is possible; you just need people willing to fight for it. When one falls, we continue.
It’s a solid-feeling fighting game in one of my favorite series with good offensive and defensive options, a great starting cast that promises even more in the years ahead, a mostly good variety of modes, solid music (and the availability of classic tracks), a fun comicbookish animation style, and an editor to adjust character looks to your liking. That said, it’s not like this is perfect by any stretch.