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Overall. Vesper is a highly impressive indie platformer. Its stunning visuals and mysterious game world will likely immediately hook the player, while its gameplay hits a sweet spot that will maintain that interest throughout its short runtime. It may sometimes go into comfortable spaces seen by other games in the genre, but even so there's more than enough flair here to make Vesper worthwhile.
Min-maxers can prioritize equipment and stat upgrades to further sabotage any challenge, but everyone else can just jump into Dodgeball Academia’s matches and glide through the snappy story. By the end, a full roster of characters unlock for use in a versus mode pack-in, albeit with no online multiplayer available. Super Dodge Ball fans will immediately respond to what Pocket Trap is up to here, but Dodgeball Academia should also prove an easygoing delight to anyone looking to sink into a very specific type of sports RPG.
The Sims 4 Cottage Living has the potential to become one of The Sims 4's essential Expansion Packs in the eyes of the community, forever altering gameplay like Seasons and Parenthood did. There is a lot to like about The Sims 4 Cottage Living, and with luck, Sims 4 fans will see more like it in the near future.
Some areas of the game do need some improvement, with certain Hunters being a little too strong at launch and button inputs not completely registering in combat engagements, leading to moments of confusion when a Hunter doesn't do what they should. However, Mantisco has already released a patch within the first week to improve the game at time of writing, which indicates the potential for swift improvements to any shortcomings at release. All things considered, Hunter's Arena: Legends is definitely a battle royale game that fans should check out, with enough of its own identity to seriously contend for people's time in an increasingly crowded genre of quality options.
While there is room for growth in Doomsday Vault, currently it offers a variety of good challenges with engaging gameplay. The puzzles are great for players of any age, and those who enjoy relaxing, exploration experiences like Abzu or Monument Valley will likely find the atmosphere of Doomsday Vault a great way to escape at the end of the day. With a few updates to improve replayability, Doomsday Vault could become a great choice for those who enjoy puzzle-style gameplay, and remains solid for those interested in the genre as it currently stands.
Trigger Witch is certainly not a bad game by any stretch, but it does feel like it doesn’t quite hit the highs that it could have. The surreal world and wacky concept can start to feel a bit stale after a while, as the action becomes repetitive and the story fails to really develop. Even with those complaints, though, it’s still a satisfying gameplay experience for the most part and will provide a few hours of fun for those who enjoy twin-stick shooters but want to experience something a little different from the genre.
Although The Ascent is far from perfect, it gets more right than it does wrong and is most successful at creating a world that is filled with interesting characters and fun to explore. The sections that require some grinding might frustrate, but there is enough variety in the combat to keep the gameplay from becoming stale thanks to the wide array of weapons and the cover mechanics. Add in the possibility for co-op multiplayer with some friends and The Ascent can certainly provide hours of riotous fun, especially with a release on Xbox Game Pass day one.
There are some problems in Eldest Souls, though, including weird pathing to certain bosses that require trap-dodging, which just feel out of place. Additionally, the lack of a true pause means re-speccing may require a return to a previous checkpoint. These are ultimately small gripes for what is a wonderful experience overall, as Eldest Souls is a challenging but fair boss-rush with great pixel art and some smart New Game+ content. The Souls community is sure to enjoy this, but the build experimentation and shard system add an appealing sense of growth that makes Eldest Souls feel like it has even broader appeal than its niche.
Orcs Must Die! 3 feels like a known quantity from the moment it loads up. Those who have never played before will have a great time discovering the various traps and monsters the developers at Robot Entertainment have come up with over the years, but experienced players don't have much to get excited about. The additions are nice for what they are, but they don't give a true upgrade to what the series is known for beyond the graphical bump that comes with making a game on new hardware like Xbox Series X. There's no denying that this is the best that Orcs Must Die! has looked, and the War levels do throw more enemies than ever at players. Going in with the lowered expectations of a remaster rather than a full sequel makes all the difference, but it's hard to say whether or not a game that still feels a decade-old is worth the return trip.
Chernobylite's mixed collection of gameplay styles comes together beautifully. The narrative is engaging, the world is atmospheric, combat is solid , and the base building is decent. It may not be a STALKER game, and it's eclectic collection of elements are integrated with varying degrees of success, but Chernobylite offers a worthy replacement, full of its own charms and quirks that will allow it to stand on its own two feet.
Ayo the Clown is clearly inspired by game series like Donkey Kong Country and Super Mario Bros., and it took some of the best lessons from them. The final product is a fun platformer that is easy enough to finish in a few sessions of dedicated play. The game doesn't do anything new with the platforming genre, but it's still a fun romp through a cartoon world and well worth checking out for fans of the genre.
To say that Blightbound has a lot of potential is an understatement, but to say that it squanders that potential is even more of one. For all its faults, the game is still worth playing thanks to the nuggets of concentrated fun that can be had while playing it with friends. In the end, the frustrating aspects of Blightbound are likely to be far more transient than its appeal, but what's a good game now could be an excellent one with some patches and a smoother experience on the technical side of things.
Tribes of Midgard offers players engaging survival mechanics with unique design choices that make gameplay a rewarding experience. With a few expansions to the base building options, Tribes of Midgard would be a well-rounded and unique option for survival-style gameplay.
The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles is, first and most importantly, a collection of stories that never wastes a player's time - and could, in fact, dramatically improve how they're spending it should they give it a chance.
NEO: The World Ends With You effortlessly combines deep JRPG combat and systems with stylish accessibility, resulting in a memorable, excellent game.
If players are looking for a quick fix of World War Two shooting action, then Hell Let Loose won't be for them. The pace, length, and harsh combat conditions dictate that players dedicate themselves to teamwork and victory. If players are willing to communicate over voice, work together to achieve local and broader objectives, and have the patience to play slowly, Hell Let Loose can be amazing. It may not happen every session, but a full game of Hell Let Loose with a dedicated, communicative teams is a must-experience gaming moment for any fans of tactical shooters.
For musou game fans, Samurai Warriors 5 is a strong return to form for Koei Tecmo and Omega Force. The game is not a complete revolution, but provides an enjoyable hack and slash experience that understands why the Warriors games are popular. It's often silly, and hardly clever, but it's an enjoyable action game for those who want some mindless fun.
While Pokémon Unite offers a new way for fans to enjoy Pokémon battles together, the frustrating limitations created to encourage microtransactions make gameplay less about having fun and more about completing missions for currency. While it may appeal to fans of mobile app-style games with a similar structure, those who want the ability to experience everything Pokémon Unite has to offer without spending money will need to sink a large amount of time into grinding before having the means to truly access most features. With improvements to the ability to earn currency and a better item level system tied to use in battle instead of paid upgrades, Pokémon Unite would be a more enjoyable experience for players.
Fallen Knight could have been a lot of fun, but its inability to master the basic necessities means that it's hard to recommend in its current form. A Hollow Knight-style platformer with parries and counters needs to have the tightest controls possible, and Fallen Knight should be avoided until it is brought up to speed.
Overall, Last Stop is something of a mixed bag. At its best it's an enjoyable and immersive narrative adventure game, and Paper Dolls is definitely a good enough story strand to have carried the game on its own had it been expanded. However, the different quality of its three stories, and the awkward narrative shift in its final chapter, does mean that Last Stop feels a little like a missed opportunity when all is said and done, and a good game that could've been excellent with just a bit more content and some tighter scripts.