Bloody Disgusting
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This is a game made by a relative handful of people, and viewing it from that perspective, the whole package is more impressive, and shows plenty of room for growth in any future project. It certainly explains the limitations and faults found in certain areas. It doesn’t excuse them, but that knowledge does soften their impact.
Jupiter Hell will be a refreshing spin on a classic for some, and the best of a bad situation for those mourning the loss of DOOM: The Roguelike. Some technical grumbles aside, its straightforward, no-nonsense approach to turn-based roguelike shoot n’ loot works well, and provides a compelling game to either dip into for an hour here and there, or lose a few days to.
Whether it be a return to the cosmic horror medieval worlds of the original, or another slog with the Strogg, I hope we get more new Quake out of this, because this remaster just emphasizes how timeless the underlying formula is.
The general spooky parts are similarly undercooked, with an unenthusiastic lineup of the ‘spooky things in first-person games checklist.’ Again, I have to say this was definitely an instance where a game could have been plenty unnerving without resorting to the supernatural. Still, if you’re going to do it anyway, there are more inventive and effective ways to go about it.
While this remaster is slightly underwhelming, and certain aspects of the game have become a little dog-eared, Shin Megami Tensei 3 is still worth checking out. It's a rather unique experience that stands out even in an age where its spinoff series has diluted many of its more interesting facets.
I’m not sure Outriders will live long in the memory, but it’s a damn enjoyable ride while it lasts.
With the strength of the World of Darkness’s rich universe of lore backing it up, Earthblood is far more compelling than it first appears. Just as it looks like a formulaic, repetitive, action game, it throws enough odd stuff and interesting characters into the mix to add a bit of unique pep to proceedings. It would be unfair to call Earthblood ‘mindless fun’ given it has a more positive message to it than a lot of action games, but its easygoing blend of action, stealth, and narrative adventure certainly make it surprisingly simple to get into despite essentially being three games stapled together.
At a glance, Amnesia: Rebirth could be taken for just about any other horror game of its ilk. That’s understandable given the last decade of influence Frictional has had on the genre. What Frictional does so well, what it’s always done well, is adapt. Bubbling under the surface of Rebirth are so many slight tweaks, changes, and improvements to a tired, but winning, formula that raises it above the copycats and potential usurpers. This is a game grown from regret and from mistakes as much as it is from success, and while Rebirth works as a title on so many levels, its best use is in how Frictional has reincarnated a seminal horror game as something relatively familiar on the surface, but quite different under the skin of it.
I’m probably being a bit more down on it than it deserves, because this is a good zombie-smashing VR game, but it’s just good enough that the grievances I have with it feel magnified somewhat. I want it to be that little bit better than it is, but I’ll not deny that it may be easier for some to overlook these relatively minor faults.
There are plenty of stories out there that lead you by the hand and captivate you by simply watching what the characters do, but so few are like Paradise Killer, where everybody could be either your confidant and friend, or a stone-cold murderer with dark and sinister plans, perhaps even both at once. The only way you can possibly be sure is to slip on your sunglasses, turn on your sentient notepad, and get ready to do that delicious detective work.
Maybe the weirdest thing about Metamorphosis is that it takes an old, respected story, and turns it into a dark mirror of the video game adaptation of Pixar's A Bug’s Life. Somehow, despite its issues, that works.
The negatives are not enough to really affect how I ended up feeling about Wasteland 3. It’s a far superior game to its predecessor, and I really liked that too despite its many issues. It’s so easy to get wrapped up in exploring, fighting, tinkering, and more in this world. It’s not afraid to let you figure things out for yourself and do things your way, but it isn’t impenetrable for newcomers either. Throw in a co-op mode that doesn’t overly dilute what makes playing solo so enjoyable, but actually enhances the experience, and you have a highly engrossing dose of silly, violent RPG goodness.
For all its faults, it’s hard to argue against the intent and ambition of What Happened. It doesn’t always get things right, but it clearly has good intentions to deliver an engaging and heartfelt depiction of mental health issues and a nauseatingly effective drug trip. It’s to the credit of the developers that it succeeds on the latter at least, and shows potential in the former.
While it may not be the most exotic horror establishment out there, I could think of worse places to visit than the Sker Hotel right now.
Carrion did what very few horror games have done for me this year: it exceeded my expectations. It ends up being far more than the sum of its fleshy parts thanks to a solid commitment to its sadistic vision of slimy violence.
Hunt Showdown is a worthy alternative to the usual multiplayer types out there, and it deserves to be seen as an important step in how the future of multiplayer shooters goes.
If you give yourself willingly to the Old Gods, World of Horror will be an immersive and intoxicating horror experience. It's perhaps appropriate that the core of World of Horror comes from something ancient, and is reborn in a new and terrifying form.
Zombie Army 4 isn’t ripping up any trees in terms of originality, but it’s the ultimate version of the franchise’s best features. After all, what’s more satisfying than destroying Nazi zombies in stylish, violent fashion?
Expectations were never going to be too high for Terminator Resistance. Alarm bells always go off when something like this pops out of the shadow of a movie release with little fanfare, but it's remarkable how backward this game manages to be. It elicits no real emotional impact of any kind beyond maybe surprise when you find out this isn't a HD remaster of some forgotten Xbox 360 title, but a brand new 2019 release. The low budget can be forgiven for some shortcomings, but this clearly didn't get the time it needed to compliment said budget's restrictions.
Death Stranding is as thoughtful and meditative as it is a slog and convoluted. It is a different take on gaming that most of us gamers are not used to. It is a Hideo Kojima title where in-game actions provide a sense of emotional joy for players. Death Stranding, for all its depth and struggle, is a beautiful step forward for video games, and a potential taste of what the future may bring.