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It's really not a good sign that I've been spending much of this review comparing Caveman Warriors unfavourably to games made over twenty years ago.
The biggest challenge I found with the game was finding the motivation to actually finish it; it might not get anything wrong, but it's such a lengthy quest that it really needed a greater thematic depth to maintain my interest, and unfortunately it wasn't quite able to replicate Nihon Falcom's own, brilliant, Trails of Cold Steel in offering that.
Knowledge is Power is an entertaining quiz game, and based on my multiple playthroughs I'm yet to hit a question for the second time. It's Mario Kart-style item system ensures that most games are close, no matter the quiz knowledge. At the same time, the questions themselves are entertaining and varied enough that this one comes highly recommended for trivia heads.
Games like Hidden Agenda are what we need to see more of. The game itself isn't perfect, but it is a perfect example of games that try new ways to tell a story. Full credit to Sony for trying something new with the mobile phone linking system.
SingStar was a beast, but the lack of backwards functionality, latency issues and a rather generic song list is no way to "celebrate" what made SingStar so great back in the day.
Uurnog Uurnlimited is a Nifflas game through and through, but unless you're a diehard fan of his puzzle design philosophy, this isn't a game which will win you over. So many times in play, I felt like the developer was assuming I was going to think the same way that he would – and maybe that would be true for fans of his other games, but for players expecting a more traditional platformer experience every design choice here will be infuriating.
Despite my criticisms, Apollo Justice is an unforgettable entry in the Ace Attorney series. It serves to push the series' overarching plot forward in meaningful ways while hammering home the value of truth to a world that so desperately tries to avoid it. It even represents the peak of comedy in a series that is renowned for it.
This is a game that doesn't do anything new, but it takes a classic genre and delivers on it so well that it's hard to fault the lack of innovation. If you have even the slightest interest in shoot 'em ups, this is a game you don't want to miss.
It'd be easy to write off New Style Boutique 3: Styling Star if you're not interested in fashion or fashion games, but I'd recommend at least trying out the demo. If even someone as void of style as me found it as enjoyable as I did, you might just find your perfect fit.
Star Ocean 4 is, as far as I'm concerned, a modern classic, and I am so, so glad to have had the excuse to play it through yet again.
Hopefully, in the not too distant future, THQ Nordic will see fit to bring out a new de Blob game that takes the core idea of what makes de Blob an enjoyable time, and builds upon it by modernising the more archaic elements of the game.
Instead of giving players an interesting original story, it's just yet another by-the-numbers LEGO title that will leave players occasionally laughing between bouts of frustration between its dull combat and often counterintuitive puzzles. Ultimately, this is one brick that doesn't have to be collected.
I enjoyed my time with Xenoblade Chronicles 2 a great deal, but it saddens me that I only enjoyed it a great deal. I honestly can't believe that a studio of Monolith's size and prestige would somehow miss that its narrative is rife with tonal inconsistencies, and leave me wondering whether I was playing something serious.
Both games do look good on the Nintendo Switch's hardware. Neither are particularly ground-breaking works of visual design, but they get the job down, and so far as the Switch is concerned, character models are detailed enough, and environments are clear enough to make an impact when they need to.
While Black Mirror is skilfully crafted and wonderfully researched, it's not going to hit the right notes for many players and so it's best to understand the niche appeal before diving in.
Both games do look good on the Nintendo Switch's hardware. Neither are particularly ground-breaking works of visual design, but they get the job down, and so far as the Switch is concerned, character models are detailed enough, and environments are clear enough to make an impact when they need to.
I would love for nothing more than Kemco to give its development teams a little longer to actually refine these games, because I do genuinely believe that they could be turned into something worthy, but until that development time is there, these things are a plague.
You'll be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn't love hanging out with cute critters, and Cats & Dogs is yet another great addition to a consistently high-performing saga. Also, Akitas are the best.
The original Pokemon Sun & Moon is still readily available and popular. Releasing another version of this game doesn't feel like it adds anything to the Pokemon franchise as a whole, and just makes me want a new Pokemon game on my Switch all the more. It's still a very, very fine game, but as a product release, this one is quite disappointing from Nintendo.
It's a relaxed, laid back and generally amusing side story to the Final Fantasy XV universe, and it throws some great variety and boss battles into the gameplay mix. It's not the essential VR experience, but it is a delightful little game that fundamentally benefits from the VR platform.