Noisy Pixel
HomepageHades takes away all the annoying parts of the roguelike genre and adds accessible systems without lowering the difficulty that these types of games offer. It is a standout experience within the genre and will test your skills in a balanced and manageable way that makes each run challenging, yet, approachable. There is so much to unlock here and so much to discover that dying for the hundredth time isn’t that bad.
Moero Crystal H borrows a lot from its predecessor to the point that returning fans may just feel like they are playing the exact same game. Still, it builds on what made the first entry so good and doesn’t take from its more sophisticated systems. Collecting monsters girls becomes the only real fuel for this adventure, but I don’t think it needed more than that. It’s entertaining to those looking for a mindless game and strategic enough to be a straightforward dungeon-crawler RPG. Regardless, I’m sure you knew if this game was for you within this review’s first few sentences.
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim makes its mark on the adventure genre by expertly telling a story through 13 protagonists. The time-traveling segments don’t leave the player in the dark as it pieces together everything using a unique adventure-based system. This game has a story to tell, and it rolls it out perfectly; the added strategic battle-system only makes it clear what this group is up against and what’s at stake if they lose.
Something went terribly wrong with the development of Tamarin. Nothing works and everything comes off like it was slapped together causing this entire adventure to feel like a random and confusing mess. Still, if you’re trying to experience one of the most bonkers 3D platformers ever developed, you found it, but I urge you not to put your money into this game.
Minoria brings an excellent action game to consoles. It plays it safe with its Metroidvania design, but it excels when it comes to immersive world-building and environmental layout. There’s so much to discover here, but expect to die many times doing so. Thankfully, there’s an evolving and competent battle system to rely on.
The Outer Worlds: Peril On Gorgon doesn’t hinder the experiences of the base game; instead, it enhances this small corner of the universe with more grand adventures. I appreciated the dedication that went into writing the main campaign and found the side-missions to be just as crucial to piecing together the full narrative. There was an abundance of items and weirdly placed enemy encounters that didn’t completely flow with the events, but that didn’t take away from this fantastic space opera experience.
Gleamlight may have been great in concept, but it does not work in execution. There’s nothing here that players can attach themselves to as a reason to continue playing outside of some great visual and sound design. The battle system is basic, the upgrades are the bare minimum, and the level design is a copy and pasted maze. The UI-less experience has worked in other games, but it comes off as lazy game development here when the team didn’t try to provide a reasonable explanation of its systems or narrative.
Marvel’s Avengers isn’t the superhero adventure I was hoping for, but it is an adventure I didn’t mind playing through. There are moments of gameplay where you feel like a member of the Avengers, but that requires you to look past some repetitive stage designs and surface-level combat systems. Regardless, there’s no doubt that there’s plenty of fun to be found here, and I’ll for sure keep my cape ready for any future experiences this game offers.
Star Renegades offers players a fresh and unique experience that sadly loses its appeal after its punishing roguelike systems have you experience the same elements over and over. Even through the repetitive enemies that you face along the way, there’s no denying that the characters and environments that make up this world make it a must-play game within the genre. Still, the best parts are reserved for those who are seeking a genuinely challenging roguelite RPG sci-fi adventure, which may leave others lost in space.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 offers more than just a nostalgic experience. It’s a return to the skateboarding movement that shaped my early teens and will surely give gamers growing up a chance to capture that same feeling I did. The experience expertly balances the arcadey systems of the series without pushing it too far to the mundane or cringy. Instead, what you are left with is a genuine Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater experience and one that I immensely enjoyed.