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Way of the Passive Fist is an imaginative twist on a classic genre. It's fun to imagine a hero that can go through an entire warrior's journey without laying a hand on anyone… mostly. (The Wanderer's special attacks are a power punch, body slam, and gravity-powered explosion.) The idea isn't to beat everyone to a pulp, it's to rhythmically withstand everything that everyone else can dish out.
Rad Rodgers is a familiar yet satisfying platformer that doesn't always hit all the high notes, but it does so often enough to feel like a hit for anyone looking for a reminder of the way things were when it comes to these kinds of games.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance is a fantastic and absolutely frustrating experience.
Subsurface Circular is one of the most unique games available for the Switch right now, and this iteration feels right at home on the console.
Moss is a fantastic game with a story that will draw players into its world and it has some great visuals to back it up. While there is some death and darkness to the title, I would still consider it a family friendly title, but maybe not something for the young, young kiddies.
It's an interesting and wholly engrossing exercise in survival that I enjoyed more with every hour that passed. Don't go into the game looking for any sort of Metal Gear gratification, and you'll come out relatively pleased with what's on offer.
The original Secret of Mana was a charming, imaginative adventure that made a considerable impact on a lot of gamers' lives. Any attempt to reinvent that experience implies two things: that the original game had room for improvement, and that modern technology and design can bring about such improvements. Sadly, while the original Secret of Mana was by no means a flawless experience, the remake's attempt to improve upon the formula has resulted in a game that's markedly inferior by comparison.
Fe's charm is in its concept and its songs, as I learned new songs with different pitches and tones, and learned to communicate with new wildlife. It also has flashes of visual brilliance, thanks to its use of soothing water color landscapes. But a humdrum story, lack of direction, and inconsistent controls didn't leave me wanting an encore.
It's hard not to be charmed by Dragon Quest Builders. The team at Square Enix have managed to improve upon the concept of a crafting-focused sandbox game simply by adding in a touch of direction and personality. Players are still able to tear down and rebuild the world as they see fit, but the addition of townspeople and objectives makes Builders feel like a much more robust experience than similar games that came before it, even if it does at times feel a little clumsy.
Admittedly, many of the flaws or problems I have with Dynasty Warriors 9 are nothing entirely new to the series. It's just that now there's a whole new layer of problems that have been put on top of them that make the original issues that much more apparent. For almost every aspect of the game's features that I felt were on par with the quality of past titles, there is a contradiction.
As a first-time player of the series, Monster Hunter: World has given me unique experiences and memories that, for better or worse, other games will be measured against for years to come. That has to be a win.
The time I've spent with Long Hat House's latest title has forced me to reevaluate my expectations of the Metroidvania subgenre. On one hand, Dandara is a perfectly serviceable romp through a series of well-designed and attractive environments; on the other, it's a deliberate yet confusing sidestep of well-established gameplay conventions. It may be that Dandara's atypical traversal mechanic will click with some players, particularly those who pick up the game for the Nintendo Switch or mobile devices, but others may find that the game's middling charms aren't enough to make up for its potentially-frustrating controls.
Sprint Vector is a pretty great value that deserves a spot in the VR ecosystem's upper tier of games.
Dissidia Final Fantasy NT is an amalgam of both positive and negative design choices, but overall it's an excellent combination of interesting fights, varied characters, and entertaining fan service.
Lost Sphear is a game that seems to fall victim to its own ambition. It presents plenty of classic JRPG elements that fans of the genre will enjoy, but its efforts to follow a nostalgic form result in something that ultimately feels insincere. The foundation is solid, particularly with regard to its battle system, skill customization, and overall presentation, but the soul of the experience just isn't there. Lost Sphear is meant to feel like a proper return to a traditional form, but its lackluster dialog and underwhelming plot development instead result in a game that simply can't stand up to the classics it's inspired by.
The heart of the game is in its fighting and that's as good as it's ever been.
While the remaster does a great job of bringing the games already noteworthy visuals and story into a new generation of HD consoles it is unfortunate that the same cannot be said about the controls. Sadly, the game's control schemes are stuck in the past and make for a clumsy experience at times. Climbing commands feel like there's a delay in the reaction and there were several times I failed to grab onto something that seemed like a straightforward transition.
It's fast, frantic, and quite fun overall, but the surprisingly steep challenge and general lack of variety might have players moving on after only a matter of hours.
Kirby: Battle Royale is clearly meant to offer another bit of multiplayer-centric fun for 3DS owners, but nothing about it feels like a full-fledged offering. The short Story Mode and the repetitive nature of the mini games available make for a game that you probably won't come back to after you've exhausted what it has to offer. It's good to see more Kirby on the handheld, but with Kirby: Star Allies on its way on the Nintendo Switch, it doesn't offer a can't-miss Kirby experience by any means.
Those who are looking for one of the year's first true single-player challenges should look no further than Celeste. The team at Matt Makes Games has crafted a tough, yet not entirely unfair platformer, one wrapped in a touching narrative with some memorable characters. It's clear that a lot of heart went into writing the story, while it's also clear that Matt Thorson put his best level design foot forward. Some of the areas in Celeste were very reminiscent of some of his Super Mario Maker work, in terms of gimmicks, precision jumping, tricks, and difficulty.