Worth Playing
HomepageWorth Playing's Reviews
Enjoy Kosmokrats in short bursts and avoid frustrating yourself into burning up in orbit, and you'll be fine. The puzzles are fun for a while, and the silly Russian accents and exemplary voice acting is cute. Quit before you get frustrated and start to rush and fail. That's your cue! Come back later, potato peeler pilot. If you do come back, there are higher difficulties to unlock, should you become a drone pilot pro. Until then, das vedanya, peeler, and may you gently nudge together your Space Force pieces with finesse and not punt them all over the solar system.
Torchlight III is fine but only if you don't have too many expectations. Ignoring the many elements of the old free-to-play formula that still remain, the game is relatively unchanged from the first and second entries, which can disappoint those looking for improvements. It's a simpler action/RPG, and it's good for those who might want to get their feet wet with the genre but don't want to do so with an older game. Genre veterans, on the other hand, might not be too impressed with what they see.
Nioh 2: The Complete Edition does everything that's expected from a sequel. The original game's mechanics remain as tight as ever, with the new additions slotting in perfectly without upsetting the overall balance. The game remains as tough as ever, but the deaths never feel cheap, and while the depth of the various skill trees and mountains of loot may scare away those who aren't used to this sort of thing, it works perfectly for those who want something different in their masochistic action games. Nioh 2 features a ton of content and the ability to play co-op, so Soulsborne fans will likely be playing this one for a long time.
The Journey Down is an enjoyable adventure title that doesn't break new ground, but it doesn't need to. It's well written, has delightful art and audio, and is everything that an adventure game needs to be. The somewhat weaker first chapter drags down the experience a little, but once you get past that, The Journey Down fires on all cylinders until the end. If you grew up on LucasArts adventure titles, The Journey Down is the game for you.
The 2016 Hitman was one of my favorite games of the year, and the same could be said for the follow-up. As I said before, it truly made assassination a game, and an extremely replayable one at that. Hitman III is an excellent third act, and it will probably stay as one of the more fun titles you can have in your early PS5 library.
To put it bluntly, Tamarin is messy. The story isn't that interesting, and the characters try to make it sound important but come off as pompous. The platforming is decent once you learn that you have useful moves, but the finicky nature of some elements and the slippery physics mean that asking for precision is inviting frustration. While the thought of resurrecting a Jet Force Gemini-style game is intriguing, the execution fumbles greatly due to it casting aside the advances that have been made in third-person shooters in the last 20 years. Unless you're craving an exercise in frustration, steer clear of Tamarin.
Cyber Shadow isn't as exceptional as Shovel Knight, but it's a darn good attempt at making a Ninja Gaiden game. In many ways, I had more fun with it than I did with The Messenger, and it feels both modern and nostalgic. It's mostly held back by a few frustrating design decisions and a forgettable cast and story. If you like NES-hard games but dislike NES-frustrating difficulty, then Cyber Shadow will hit the mark for you.
Even at its relatively cheap $5 price tag, it is difficult to recommend Connection Haunted. The premise could be interesting, but its vague nature means that there's no impetus to pursue the game's endings even though they're short enough to conquer in an afternoon. It is supposed to mimic first-person shooters from the early days of online play, but it looks decidedly worse than most of them, and the performance is passable at best. Worst of all, with no scares of any sort or action or intrigue, the game is utterly boring. Unless you're a collector and absolutely need every single Switch game, it's a hard pass on Connection Haunted.
Like many of Bloober Team's titles, The Medium isn't a horror game made for all horror fans. The lack of jump-scares can be refreshing, but some will be turned off by the lack of combat and danger. The game's relaxed pace, its linear nature, and the ease of its puzzles can erode the tension of the mystery. The strong atmosphere, grounded characters, and solid storyline will attract horror fans who are looking for something other than grotesque monsters to hunt down or run away from. For those who value plot over punch, The Medium is a journey worth taking.
Rock of Ages III: Make & Break is fine. The campaign allows for more flexibility in how you approach the game, but its absurdity works best if you haven't experienced the two prior titles. The core gameplay remains fun and frustrating, with the ball-rolling mechanics providing the bulk of the enjoyment while the defense elements do the same after loads of trial and error. The level creation tool's ease of use gives the game legs, and the busy community has provided a vast library. Overall, Rock of Ages III is a good time as long as you don't expect major improvements over the formula compared to the prior titles.
Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy might not be ambitious, but if you enjoy Atelier titles, it's a solid and engaging experience. It's basically the original Ryza title, only larger and more polished. The Atelier franchise usually keeps things fresh with a new protagonist and cast for every game, but with the full cast from the original title, Ryza 2 can sometimes feel like a repeat of the previous adventure. This isn't bad, since the original Ryza was fun and the gameplay is solid, but it can sometimes feel a touch too familiar.
I enjoyed Cyberpunk 2077 despite its warts. Underneath all of the bugs, broken AI, and questionable Reeves voice acting is a gem of a game that would greatly benefit from additional polish. Considering the developer's track record, I fully expect CD Projekt Red to release voluminous updates to address the title's many issues, but until the inevitable "Game of the Year" edition, prepare yourself for a fun cyberpunk playground that's currently marred with a litany of issues.
I feel weird rating The Uncertain: Light at the End, since I haven't played the prior title or the upcoming conclusion, but I also think that a game, whether it's part of an intended series or not, should stand on its own. Light and the End does not. The story is all right, and the premise behind the game is stellar, but the broken mechanics and omitted quality of life options made it really frustrating to play, and I didn't enjoy it. Hopefully the next game makes up for these shortcomings, but in the meantime, if you value your time, I would suggest skipping Light and the End in its current state.
The third Hitman game delivers a satisfying and worthwhile ending to the series and some fun and varied stages, all while adding a bunch of minor adjustments and content that fans will enjoy for hours. If you're a fan of the series, Hitman 3 is a very competent end to the trilogy that provides a massive and deep Hitman experience that is easy to recommend.
As a light gun shooter, Dead Z Meat is novel since the genre is so rare nowadays in the home console space, and players can overcome the finicky control scheme with some practice. The shooting gallery setup has so few variations that it can quickly grow old, while the lack of multiplayer seals the game's fate. If you have a remote interest in this title, you'll want to wait for a deep discount.
In the end, Pumpkin Jack is a game that is flawed but still enjoyable. The platforming is solid if you don't mind the unsteady camera and loads of objects blurring your view. The sections where you can only control your head and the chase sequences add some variety to the adventure, but they feel overused. The combat is basic enough to get the job done. If these things aren't enough to drive you away from the title, and with the game running roughly six hours or so if you're thorough, it is easily digestible for a weekend and worth checking out for those who don't want something too deep.
Ghostrunner was a pleasant surprise. It's a short and fun action platformer that keeps you busy with challenging but fair stages, while smartly mixing things up throughout the experience. It's not quite as great in telling its story as it is with its movement and combat, and it can be frustrating at times, but when everything works well together, it's a satisfying and fun skill-based action game. If you are looking for a linear and challenging game, pick up Ghostrunner.
It may be a little over 10 years old, but Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game - Complete Edition remains a top-tier title for beat-'em-up fans. The changes and improvements made over the original River City Ransom formula make it a tight game that feels rich in its genre, while the presence of online play resolves the main criticism in the original title. Those who have played the game before will enjoy that it's portable on the Switch, but those coming in fresh will find this to be a gem on a system that's already flush with excellent beat-'em-ups, both past and present.
Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin works well on all levels. The action segments are a treat thanks to their fast pace, since they deliver an experience that matches up with other fast-paced action titles. The farming segments are interesting because they're so involved and go into so much detail that the title surpasses all but the most dedicated farming simulator titles. When combined, the experience is fantastically balanced - provided you can deal with the slower overall progression rate. In the end, Sakuna is a great title that delivers on a unique experience.
Mortal Shell is an enjoyable title for those who are already fans of the SoulsBorne sub-genre, and it has more positives than it has flaws. The swamp hub world is bland and confusing, but the different biomes you eventually reach are gorgeous, even if they're relatively familiar. The lack of a deep leveling system has a very good replacement in the shell system, which ends up providing more versatility in your character build and the attack system. The relatively shorter length makes it great for newcomers, while genre veterans will find it to be a great debut effort from a small development team.