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Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered is a solid update to a classic racing title, bringing the fun gameplay and blistering action of 2010's original to current systems with improved online functionality and new graphics. Whether choosing to burn rubber as an outlaw racer or a cop, this is now the best way to experience the thrills of Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit either for the first time or all over again.
Wallachia: Reign of Dracula blends the lore of Castlevania and the gameplay of Contra, and will appeal to fans of retro games and frustrate others.
Seven Knights - Time Wanderer is an engaging RPG for Nintendo Switch that does just enough to feel like a full console game rather than a mobile port.
If YesterMorrow is fixed, then it would make for a decent, if unambitious game. As it stands, the technical issues are so distracting that we can't recommend it in its current form. The odd glitch can be overlooked in a title during its launch window, but the problems in YesterMorrow are so persistent that they undermine the entire experience.
The Wizard and the Slug may prove to be an appealing pick for those looking for a particular storytelling style and sense of humor, but there is much to be desired regarding its main gameplay mechanics. Getting by on its boss battles and detailed lore, this platformer could have been better thought-out in terms of user experience and storytelling, but does have a few key moments where its promise is delivered on that at least make it a worthwhile grab for those who love the genre.
Iratus: Lord of the Dead - Wrath of the Necromancer largely feels like more of the same, but given how fun the main game is this isn't a bad thing. The new content provides plenty of challenge and variety for would-be conquerers looking to unleash their undead hordes upon the world, and players who loved Iratus’ macabre tone and minion-crafting gameplay will enjoy facing off against the new foes provided in Wrath Of The Necromancer - that is, if they survive.
Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales fumbles its well-intentioned story by failing to challenge Miles and adequately address its complex context, but it is still an enthralling experience. The campaign is filled with memorable gameplay and the open-world exploration successfully expands upon the successes of the original game. It also sets the stage for Miles to become the face of the franchise, and perhaps his story will be better told in a full-fledged game rather than a shorter jaunt through his origins.
There is a great game buried somewhere in The Falconeer, but it's trapped behind an open-world structure that does it no favors. Every choice beyond the aerial combat seems to backfire in one way or another, and while there are numerous unique enemies with interesting details, they all zoom by the player character at 90 miles an hour, so they go unnoticed. Story beats that sometimes defy fantasy tropes would pop up and intrigue, but there's no connective tissue to string players along. Even the combat isn't fun for long when it's shoved into busywork side missions made for the sole purpose of accruing gold.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon might be a massive change for the series, but it certainly doesn't suffer for it. It's the most exciting and fresh the franchise has felt since Yakuza 0, and players will quickly fall in love with its quirky cast of characters. Like a Dragon is compelling because of how it plays double-duty as both a love letter and parody of the JRPG genre. Its story and combat system take some time to really come together, but once they do, it's a wild fever dream that's not easily forgotten, and one that can be enjoyed even by those who aren't traditionally interested in JRPG stylings and turn-based gameplay.
The takeaway is this: Watch Dogs: Legion is an ambitious simulation which reliably fails whenever players push against its boundaries. Like the cargo drones which grant them the ability to freely fly, it hits an invisible ceiling that prevents players from soaring above London’s skyscrapers.
Those who grew up playing skateboarding games will feel right at home playing Rekt! High Octane Stunts, with an added appeal for those who also enjoy car titles. The game combines fun challenges with a wide array of different tricks to let players have fun riding around each map either by themselves or with friends. Rekt! does suffer from a lack of variety in map types, which can get old pretty quickly, but it's a strong choice for gamers who want short, measured bursts of excitement or a quick distraction that doesn't require much investment at all.
There's certainly room for improvement in Ring of Pain, but what is here is an intriguing step forward for the genre that's just in time to celebrate the Halloween season. With a few content updates and a rebalance that lets players experience more of the game's arsenal more consistently, this could be a real contender. As it stands, it's an engaging mystery waiting to be solved, a gameplay loop that's perfect for shorter play sessions interspersed with more in-depth dungeon dives done elsewhere.
It's not a complete overhaul like other recent remakes, but with a new Age of Empires game to release in the future, it's more than enough to get players old and new on board with Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition.
Heart of the Forest is an engaging game that has a much-needed new perspective on the World of Darkness, as it steps away from the vampires and offers a different kind of horror. The experience is over a little too soon, but it's worth going through each path and seeing how each run-through plays out. Short runtime aside, Werewolf: The Apocalypse - Heart of the Forest is an interesting exploration of environmental issues tied into a personal story of anger, and it makes the prospect of more World of Darkness titles in the future more exciting.
Until You Fall has all the cornerstones of a great VR game. It combines excellent gameplay with smart physics systems on top of a killer video game soundtrack. There isn't really a story to Until You Fall other than "kill everything in your path," but that is perfectly fine. Without a storyline, players instead get to focus on and become engrossed in one of the strongest VR games available on any platform.
Despite its difficulties, Croteam has created a worthy modern interpretation of its franchise in Serious Sam 4. The shooting borrows from modern classics like DOOM while retaining the unique battles that give the series its cult classic status, and the narrative mostly succeeds when it remains over-the-top and completely carefree. Serious Sam 4 learns from what didn't work in Serious Sam 3 and should be on the radar of not just series fans but anyone who enjoys a good, well-made FPS. Seriously.
There’s a reason the Sands of Salzaar fanbase put in so much unpaid translation modding work prior to this full release: it’s an inspired and engrossing RPG that delivers a fierce value for its modest price. It makes up for an occasional lack of polish with impressive and entertaining depth, and features an excellent soundtrack that somehow doesn’t wear out its welcome 50 hours in. While the game is narrative-complete, Han-Squirrel Studio’s attentive updates thus far means that more content could well be on the horizon, and a spirited mod community will only grow further with this English translation. Anyone wanting to lose themselves in a new sandbox RPG need look no further: Sands of Salzaar is it.
The Long Gate can be fun when it works, but a lot of the time it winds up being a frustrating experience for those without knowledge of circuits implemented in this fashion. This is not built for all gamers, and instead is better suited to those that understand a fair bit about math and engineering. Those with a in-depth understanding of how this circuitry works to begin with will get a lot more out of it, and probably have a blast with the more difficult challenges. The Long Gate's finer points are sadly lost on those of us without an advanced scientific background, however.
Hades is an exhilarating experience that meshes its various systems together in a way that's truly special. Zagreus' journey to escape from his father's kingdom is a memorable one full of brilliant moments, and this game is a must-have for fans of roguelikes or action games with brutal difficulty like the Dark Souls series.
Overall, The Dungeon Of Naheulbeuk is a fun romp with creative combat and animations and gameplay that never takes itself too seriously. For players tired of RPGs where the entire fate of the world hangs in the balance, questing through Naheulbeuk with some of the least qualified and most relatable heroes around can be a refreshing change of pace.