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Monster Energy AMA Supercross 2 FIM World Championship - The Official Videogame, to give it the full name on the box, is a step forward from the previous incarnation. It takes elements from other Milestone games such as the improved visuals and track deformation, adds a few unique features of its own and provides a perfectly acceptable dirt racing game experience. But, in a world where acceptable isn't quite good enough, I wish more developers dipped their toes into the bike racing arena to really push Milestone to another level. MEAS2FWCTOVG is solid but uninspiring.
The Princess Guide is an adorable, energetic game. It has gorgeous art and fun, well-written characters. It's just marred by grinding through messy and poorly designed combat. The AI squad-mates that are so integral to the action have terrible AI that make it impossible to consistently coordinate any of their actions. There's massive heart and care put into the narrative and visual design of The Princess Guide, but that is weighed down by how frustrating it is to play the game.
Fate/Extella Link is a major step in the right direction for this Dynasty Warriors spinoff series. It takes the ideas of the original and executes them all even better than before. Unfortunately, the story still flounders a bit, putting too much focus on new hero Charlemagne and not enough on the beefy supporting cast, and it's still a little repetitive at times, but the new Skill systems help ease that monotony a lot. Fate/Extella Link is fun and flashy as hell, and even though it still has some issues and annoyances, it's guaranteed enjoyment for any Fate fan.
Steins;Gate Elite lays down the welcome mat for newcomers whilst providing a much-needed excuse for eager fans to lose themselves in this stirring tale once more. Long-winded, technical dialogue segments are remedied with engaging animated scenes that keep you more thoroughly ensnared in it's compelling story. Its time-travelling premise is thorough and easy to follow yet shrouds it's narrative in an exciting element of unpredictability that overshadows your every decision with a daunting sense of uncertainty.
While fans can likely find enjoyment in spending time with the One Piece crew, there are far better open world adventures out there.
Left Alive is an ambitious new development from Square Enix. Unfortunately, that ambition is squandered. The gameplay is dreadful, the enemy AI is broken, and the visuals are bland as all hell. Those issues are complemented by a boring story and a slew of audio and gameplay bugs that simply make Left Alive a failure on all fronts.
Beat Cop is one perp that's best approached with caution.
Sky Gamblers - Afterburner is the latest game from a studio that has spent 10 years churning out similar phone-only dogfighting games, and it absolutely shows. Every visual and 3D model in the game looks like something that would be running on a five year old iPhone. The story is simply...there, and has little care or thought put into it, but I can appreciate that the gameplay is successful, and the visual customisation is a fun touch, too. If you just want to get in a jet and shoot down some bogeys, Sky Gamblers - Afterburner is fine, but certainly not ideal.
While True: Learn () is a novel and interesting puzzle game that is well worth a look for anyone interested in the thought processes behind computer coding.
Dick Wilde 2 is a fun game and not much more than that. What it lacks the complexity of other VR shooters, it makes up for it with co-op, but it's very much one of those games where once you've played one level you've played them all. It doesn't reinvent the world of shooters, but is good at the small slice it chooses to take part in.
Swords & Soldiers 2 Shawarmageddon is a fantastic RTS addition to the Switch's library, and thanks to its portability and the addition of touch controls, Nintendo's console is once more the best place to play.
Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn brings one of the Wii's most underappreciated gems to a new audience on 3DS. In and of itself it remains a great game and the new features are mostly successful additions. The lack of 3DS specific controls does beg the question as to why this isn't on Switch, but if you do still have a 3DS, Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn stands up as a system highlight and deserves more success than it found in its previous incarnation.
Hideaki Itsuno, my hat goes off to you and your crew. It's only March, and yet Devil May Cry 5 is another clear Game of the Year contender. The silly arguments on whether the original DMC or DmC is better can stop now, because DMC5 is here and it's bloody brilliant. This is a proper return to form for the series, something that fans of both can get behind.
Whilst clunky controls and uninspiring visuals hamper proceedings, Attack of the Earthlings nonetheless offers an intoxicating mix of satisfying strategy, well designed levels and guffaw inducing humour.
Horizon Shift '81 is simple, stellar fun. The arcade shooter inspired gameplay puts a fun twist on the classic genre that provides hours of pure, flashy entertainment. Boss fights bring a fun, modern twist to the game, but could have used some sound effects in order to make them even stronger. Overall, if you've got a Switch and have the itch for some old-school arcade blast-em-up fun, Horizon Shift '81 is a great way to feed that craving.
Warplanes: WW2 Dogfight is a pretty decent aerial combat title with engaging battles and a bit of variety, but it also becomes repetitive quickly and the grinding nature when it comes to unlocking new planes is a bit too impeding. Perfect for those short bursts of gaming when you have little time.
The Occupation has a premise that is really intriguing in theory. Trying to spy on a powerful entity and taking them to task with your questioning is the kind of experience that can be great in the game, and taking inspiration from current affairs makes it feel much more authentic. It's a shame that various bugs, even when updated to the most recent build, can make the experience feel lacklustre, and at times a frustration to play.
Oniken does a few things right, but flounders when it comes to the most important parts of the experience. The visuals and audio of the game are a faithful and accurate tribute to the style of classic NES action games, sure. All of the artistic flair in the world can't help a game that simply isn't fun to play, though. Action in Oniken is consistently stiff and frustrating, and while boss encounters can provide brief moments of gratifying gameplay, only the most dedicated of action platformer fans will have the patience to reach those encounters.
The simplistic set up helps to distill Space Pirate Trainer's essence as a score attack shooter. Later waves are certainly frenetic, but even with powerups, explosions and shields it doesn't result in complete sensory overload, allowing you to concentrate on besting your previous effort. Topping your best scores is addictive stuff, let me tell you! At one point I managed to get the 31st best arcade score in the world. It's dropped and I now linger in the 70s, but I'll get it back. I've nearly finished my training.
Dead or Alive 6 is an objectively great fighting game that's likely to be hampered by its continued objectification of women.