Explosion Network
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I couldn't help but keep finding elements and ideas I wished could have been built upon in a better game, which kept my attention enough and gave me a reason to see the story to the finish. Still, there's nothing scary here, and it's just frustrating, tedious, and a major letdown.
The opportunities within Weird West do feel endless at times due to the emergent gameplay, story beats and the way you are endlessly rewarded for exploration. Capped off by some excellent presentation, atmosphere and fascinating story, Weird West's detracting factors are only minor marks on an overall great experience.
If I'm being honest, I was glad it ate my save file and gave me a legit reason not to play it anymore.
I'd love a sequel to this from ThinkingStars that irons out some of the issues and continues to expand the world they've set up here. ANNO: Mutationem is a unique game that I appreciate for all its ideas and attempts to do something so large in scope.
Ghostwire: Tokyo is an odd collection of ideas from a studio that is obviously trying to break out of just doing horror. Some of it works, some of it doesn't, and the game feels unique and like playing a PS3 open-world game simultaneously.
The performances are riding on ridiculous but make the game lively and enjoyable. It's a somewhat entertaining but forgettable couple of hours that could be made more accessible with the options to speed up dialogue.
It may not do anything particularly unique, but its bite-sized ocean world to explore feels relaxing, not threatening, and I appreciate that fact.
There are a lot of interesting ideas at play in Aztech Forgotten Gods, even if they have not all coalesced in a way that knocks it out of the park. Still, there are joys to be had when flying around an interestingly designed world and colossal bosses in a way that their size can be fully realised.
Gran Turismo is still the premiere racing simulator that fans will love, and it's been so long since a proper GT game, the car enthusiast PlayStation fans will be more than happy to see GT come home.
Instead of honing in on what made their world so exciting to explore in 2017, they've made it prettier but sacrificed the narrative, which takes a deep dive into ridiculous and uninteresting in the last third.
Overall, an enjoyable RPG with a little bloat, allowing you to progress at your own pace as you quell rebellions across the Roman Empire.
Lo Wang's return is a joy to play, with all the systems combining seamlessly. Movement, weapons and well-designed arenas are the centre marks for this experience, an experience that would be enjoyed best over a day or a weekend.
There's a much better game here if it focused on the photography mechanics, trauma exploration and ghost stories. Instead, it’s a game bogged down in many different directions. I don't think this game, much like developer LKA's last game, Town of Light, handles mental health in the best way, but there's a somewhat interesting story here. It's just so boring to get through.
While the game has its negatives, I have enjoyed it, and I hope others will too. My experience was mostly positive, and it was definitively easier with a second person on the controls.
It doesn't have the variety of a Jackbox, but it doesn't have the same price tag either, and I'd love to see this concept expanded.
At first, the game was fun, but the frustrations and lack of polish showed through early.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus is a game that many of us Pokémon fans have wanted for a long time, and although it isn't perfect, it is a step in the right direction.
If you're able to practice your martial arts, breathe in and have patience and persistence, you'll find a deep combat system, rewarding fights, and moments that make you feel like a flawless kung fu master.
OlliOlli World is an additive skater, and the "just one more" loop at attempting to best some of the games more complex challenges will be sure to hook old and new fans of the series.
For what's here, they are fantastic games that look and play even better than before; it's just a pity there isn't something more here to make the package feel like more than a timed release for the upcoming movie.