Shacknews
HomepageShacknews's Reviews
Sonic Mania Plus cranks the game up to eleven with its new content and it is a must-play for fans of the original Sonic the Hedgehog 2D platformers.
Too many developers have tried and failed to capture the nostalgic and often magical feelings that players have for the JRPG genre. Pared-down retro releases and fluffed-up remakes come and go, yet none of them seem to get things exactly right. Fortunately, Octopath Traveler succeeds where other classically-styled RPGs fail: the presentation is spot-on, the combat is addictive, and the potential for party customization is tremendous. Small stumbles with dialog and framerate can be forgiven simply because the rest of the game is an absolute delight. This is an experience that players can easily get lost in for dozens of hours, and it's sure to be counted among the best Nintendo Switch exclusives released to date.
Those looking for the basic Runbow experience can find everything they're looking for on the Nintendo Switch. Is it a full upgrade from the Wii U version? Not exactly. The Wii U version had a clever game mode called Color Master, in which one person on the Wii U GamePad could select the color patterns and try to troll their friends into dying. Losing that mode is sad, but fortunately, Runbow has plenty else to hang its hat on.
Just Shapes and Beats is a hidden gem in this year's long list of video game releases. Its appeal transcends fans of specific genres as it borrows inspiration from various iconic game franchises.
Insane Robots is one of the closest things to perfect I've seen in quite some time when it comes to card battlers, and I can't wait to see more from Playniac. They say the Tetris Effect happens when you start seeing Tetris blocks everywhere, but I'm starting to see Insane Robots chips and circuitry wherever I go. Does that mean I'm addicted?
Bus Simulator 18 is not a game changer and to be honest, it's not the most rewarding experience I've ever had in front of my PC. Still, it has solid driving mechanics, some detailed buses, and a gameplay loop that is strangely relaxing. A lack of content, multiplayer bugs, and a boring campaign keep me from recommending the game to all. Bus aficionados and sim game enthusiast will find lots to like in this package. It is possible that the Steam Workshop will be able to breathe life into the game in the future, but without the content available now, the asking price is a little steep. 6/10 drug addicts passed out in the back seats
New Gundam Breaker definitely has some great nuanced aspects to its core concept of mix-and-match mech model making, but what it needed was more variety to spice up the gameplay.
Musynx is a light, quick, and challenging music game with plenty of reasons to keep you coming back for more. It may be devoid of endless options, additional difficulties, and all the window dressing that comes with the "bigger" rhythm games out there, but it's well worth taking for a test drive.
While I found the larger experience to be underwhelming, the game does offer some high points. Moving around the game map and fast traveling is instantaneous and seamless. While I didn't find the game's menus to be as functional as I'd like, they all look really sharp and fit within the game's aesthetic. While music tastes are subjective, I found the included soundtrack to be very well done (as it was in the first Crew game) and it made some of the less exciting races more tolerable. Swapping between vehicles works very well and is probably the coolest part of the game.
It's probably better to think of Milestone's latest release less in terms of a video game and more in terms of a product designed for MotoGP enthusiasts. It's stuffed to the brim with Moto Grand Prix-related details like racers, tracks, and commentary, and includes plenty of different options that riders can use to tweak their bikes and chase a podium finish. With that said, MotoGP 18 simply feels less thrilling than it should, mostly due to its underwhelming graphics, spartan presentation, and monotonous gameplay.
Captain Spirit does well balancing itself as a clear setup for Life is Strange 2, while also functioning well as a standalone tale. Fans of the series will love how the storytelling mechanics have evolved from the first game, while general adventure game fans should enjoy the multiple dialogue choices, the greater emphasis on inventory, and the numerous puzzles scattered throughout the house.
Overall, Unravel 2 is an adequate follow up to 2016's indie darling. It hosts a plethora of new puzzles that force players to think, but without making them go mad. Too many checkpoints may turn off players looking for a genuine challenge, though. The all new dynamic of co-op really gives a jolt of energy to this game; Without that new component I'm afraid Unravel 2 would've just felt like a level expansion. Those that really dug the first Unravel will love what its sequel has to offer.
It's the best the series has seen in years, and that's saying something for this tennis fan. If you're looking for one of the best sports games the Switch has to offer, look no further. You've found it.
Overall, the game is an intriguing mixture of different genres that come together to make for a weirdly satisfying treat.
This is a bad game. It's not worth $20 and, in my opinion, not worth $5, unless you're the kind of person that would get a kick out of Paris Hilton slut jokes in 2018 and can't get enough lazy, casual racism. A lack of cooperative multiplayer outright dooms the title, forcing it be be endured alone by those unlucky (or stupid) enough to buy it. I'm honestly shocked that Shaq lent his name and voice to this turd pile. My guess is that he cashed the check and hasn't seen the game. A disclaimer opens the game stating that the events depicted don't represent Shaq's views or opinions and that those who take issue with the content of the game shouldn't bother him. It's almost like the developers knew ahead of time that all of this was a bad idea and expect backlash to be directed towards O'Neal. Nice work, guys. 2/10 low-effort dick jokes.
It's fun title with some great RPG elements and a lot of nods and winks to the Pokemon series while still being its own thing. Nintendo has definitely once again struck gold with another first party title for the Switch.
As a collection of Street Fighter games, it's hard to say anything bad about the Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection. It's a full-blown compilation of the very best fighting games in the world. (Also, it includes the original Street Fighter.) For anyone looking to play these classics with friends, it's hard to go wrong here and the robust Museum is the icing on this multi-layered cake.
I played the PC version of Conan Exiles for the purposes of this review. From the perspective of a fairly demanding PC nerd, I found the game to be more than adequate. While it has lots of the classic rough edges common to survival games, it can be outright beautiful at times. I encountered no performance issues on my machine during play and the game has all the graphical options and settings you'd expect from a competent PC release. The game works well with high resolutions, ultrawide configurations, and high refresh rates. I found it to be very playable with the Xbox One S controller, though I used a mouse and keyboard for the majority of my time. The game runs on Unreal Engine 4, so users can expect the usual strong point or quirks common to games that license this popular engine.
The developers did a lot of work to keep the immersion intact, like not allowing me to use abilities while in areas with NPCs for instance. This makes the map feel unnaturally bare when moving between districts and also makes one particular series of option quests feel off. Occasionally, I came across helpless humans that I had to save from enemy creatures. When I did so, the NPCs didn't seem to have noticed that I totally vamp'd out and ripped their assailants apart.
Dark Souls Remastered manages to capture the essence of the Dark Souls experience, primarily because this is exactly the same game that debuted way back in 2011, just this time everything is in gorgeous 4K, and everything runs at 60fps – even Blighttown.