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Despite my shaky feelings on some of the core modes, College Football 26 is a marked improvement over College Football 25. I got a lot out of the smaller changes, like the new Dynamic Substitutions and supplementary Dynasty features. It’s yet to be seen if this franchise will fall into the cynical rinse and repeat pattern that Madden has been on for several years now, but for the time being, it’s more CFB goodness.
Mystery Dungeon sickos may be disappointed with a game that looks like one of those but thoroughly isn’t, but the combat mechanics feel distinct and fun to play with even if their busyness doesn’t always translate to a challenge. Sometimes a dungeon-crawler can just be cute, and that’s okay.
The character models don’t always look great, and the feel of combat wasn’t always where I wanted it to be, but this is still an interesting take on the Soulslike action-RPG style, bringing enough unique elements to the table that it feels well worth the challenge.
This is an utterly fascinating experience, and a wonderful exercise in a team taking something mundane and being relentlessly creative. Tons of people will probably hate it. But folks who gel with this particular brand of crazy have a potential new cult classic in their libraries.
There are sequences in this game that instantly crystallized in my mind as iconic Nintendo moments, and the studio’s expertise in 3D platformers makes for a heap of fun and challenging levels. Beneath all of that, it’s the dynamic between Donkey Kong and Pauline that gives an emotional weight to everything, and drives me towards each new objective.
It truly is worth the trip.
It told me a story made up of stories, restored my belief in the idea that the things we do, even when we are directionless and alone and afraid and all seems lost, can have profound impacts on other people.
MindsEye isn’t a “so bad it’s good” situation. It’s just bad in a mundane, uninteresting way.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 is a faithful recreation of two pivotal entries in the franchise’s storied history. While some fans may be waiting for remakes of Tony Hawk’s Underground, I am happy to finally get my hands on a remake of my favorite game in series history.
Maybe it will improve as time goes on as Flow Studio adds to it; I hope it does. I wanted to like Len's Island. It just wasted several hours of my limited time on this Earth. And that’s one sin I cannot forgive.
Sloclap is onto something here, and I even found myself sneaking a couple matches when I got stuck writing this review. That’s a hell of an accomplishment. Now all I need to do is find a regular team. Anybody looking to kick a ball around?
As it stands, I'm better off respecting the angle from a distance. Rooftops & Alleys isn't for me, but it's good at what it's interested in doing.
Survival Kids is an interesting take on a popular genre, one meant for a much younger audience. At the same time, kids have been growing up on Minecraft for over a decade, so Survival Kids may not be giving the gaming youth enough credit.
So while it’s rough around the edges in some ways, and a little confusing in others, the core of Popucom is a fun, creative, and thoughtful co-op challenge that combines a set of ideas you don’t see put together often.
Sometimes your line might sit in the water and nothing bites, and sometimes that’s the best part. Wombat Brawler gets this and delivers a thoughtful game where you Cast n Chill. That’s it, that’s the hook. Pun intended.
Dune: Awakening is a big game. Its wide array of content to explore makes the game a perfect one to boot up with a group, but it’s also entirely playable solo as long as you’re prepared for a slow grind.
I had some good fun just hopping in and shooting around for a few matches every night. Battle royale ultimately feels derivitave, but the modes I actually enjoed were able to scratch that FPS itch. I wish it was the kind of shooter that I could get completely lost in, but it’s not that. Still, it’s among the more interesting options in an arena shooter genre that’s pretty barren right now.
It gives just as much back as you put in, and I appreciate that in a platformer like this. It probably won’t change your life, but it might just get you through a couple of sleepless nights. Sometimes, all you need is a little help from a friendly Sandman to make it to dawn.
That said, I am eager to see if the game gets a sequel down the line and what kind of changes the developers implement to improve on the formula they have started cooking up here. Remember, sometimes the sequel really is better than the original.
So much like the Frankentitle, we have a Frankenupdate. Neither historically accurate nor boastfully made-over, what we have is… weird! Neat, but weird.