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Lost in Harmony is a game that suggests a deep, meaningful relationship with music as a medium, but it only superficially uses musical clichés as a vehicle for its story. Again, this in itself wouldn't be a problem if the story was an incredibly poignant one which was improved by the form of dreamscape storytelling utilised in the game. Unfortunately, DigixArt clearly meant well, it struggled a little with turning a sad story into an interesting one.
Shining Resonance Refrain might not be a classic example of the genre, but it gets the most important components of the genre right – the characters and the storytelling – and backs it up with some gorgeous art and a perfectly competent combat system.
Groove Coaster, to me, isn't a game about precision and perfection, like most rhythm games. It's a game about letting your senses get overwhelmed, and enjoying the music through sight and touch as much as by hearing it; the "game" is just one means of bringing that about. More than anything else, Groove Coaster is a game about losing yourself in the music, and that's something it achieves perfectly.
While the Nintendo Switch version of the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy may not look quite as dazzling as its counterparts, there's no denying that it's bolstered by being available on a portable system.
Mushroom Wars 2 is the ideal casual strategy game.
At the start of this review, I came in thinking I would really like The Crew 2. And that was certainly my first impression of the game; the ambition and energy was infectious. But a few hours more play on and I've realised that The Crew 2 really isn't all that engaging.
Koihime Enbu RyoRaiRai is going to be one very niche fighting game on the PlayStation 4. Very few people in the west will care about the extended franchise that it comes from, being adult visual novels, and those that are fans enough of Koihime Musou have been able to buy the previous version of Koihimi Enbu on PC. I hope some people discover it though, because there really is a good little fighting game in there.
It's just disappointing that Hexologic didn't prove testing enough on the intellect to be a truly spectacular example of a puzzler.
despite the individual failings of nearly every part of the game, the finished package is coherent.
Overall, Donkey Kong Adventure feels like a lick of fresh paint on the same experiences that were provided during Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle.
It's apologetically grindy, and a time sink for the sake of being a time sink. Most of the time, it's the kind of thing I simply wouldn't enjoy, and yet, somehow for both it and its predecessor, it all comes together to be something I do really enjoy. The purity and simplicity of what drives this game is appealing, and even refreshing, and the perfect thing for a lazy Sunday afternoon, when you just need to clear your head.
I would have liked more context to the action, better realised characters, and more involved levels. And, of course, some kind of single player experience. But, for what it is, as a no-frills Overwatch clone, Paladins gets the job done. It's a game I'll likely be playing for quite some time to come, because it certainly scratches a very specific itch.
Lumines is at its best when it's pure immersion, no frills.
It's still delightful, but perhaps a game that would have been better off in the hands of developers with a greater capacity for music curation.
While the latest package of Ikaruga isn't quite the grand celebration it should be for a classic title, Treasure's shooter has aged fantastically well. The puzzle-like shooting is just as thrilling and demanding as it was back in 2002, and it's sure to challenge any fan of shooters. Ikaruga's themes of polarity help it stand out from the bullet hell crowd, and make it one of the finest shoot 'em ups that can be purchased on Switch.
Fans of the series will play this and find themselves completely relieved of any lingering concerns that they may have had that Max and Chloe are no longer the focus of the series, with Captain Spirit proving the Life is Strange universe - and Dontnod's on mastery over this kind of storytelling - is bigger then just the original protagonists.
I have never played any other game quite like this which uses all the trappings of religion in a way that subverts our everyday conceptions of it. What happens when you hold people to artificial standards of behaviour that turn everyday acts into punishable sins? This game peers at the line between portraying real life religion in a game and using it as artful commentary, and completely obliterates it.
As far as pure entertainment goes, it's hard to look past Sushi Striker.
Bloons TD 5 is representative of a once-great studio at rock bottom. Let's hope that the good folks at NinjaKiwi haven't completely forgotten how to make a game fun, and either find a way to revitalise Bloons, or find a new game entirely, if the plan is to ever release another Nintendo Switch game again.
It doesn't thrust anything new and shiny onto you, nor does it have to beat the same drum by picking from a pot of clichés. It's more of the same: more of doing what it takes to survive, more of learning to live with yourself when you can't save everyone, and more of making the most of a worsening situation.