Noisy Pixel
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New Pokemon Snap is there for fans who wish for a casual Pokemon experience with the only challenge being to take creative pictures of Pokemon. It recaptures much of what the previous entry offered with plenty of new systems and features to add depth, but it sadly doesn’t deliver on the sense of ownership over the pictures that I once felt. It’s all so fleeting in this digital age. Still, there are plenty of beautiful environments and Pokemon to take shots of. I wouldn’t mind waiting another 20 years for a sequel or having this be the last entry altogether.
Even with ambiguity and brutal difficulty, R-Type Final 2 is an entertaining shoot ‘em up. Some levels and sections can be downright infuriating, but it’s also what’s expected from this series and genre. Switching up jets and applying various upgrades will totally change up your playstyle and have you thinking strategically throughout your entire playthrough. For space cadets looking for a masochistic and humbling experience, R-Type Final 2 is a voyage worthy of exploring.
If you haven’t been playing your VR device lately, Star Wars Pinball VR is the perfect reason to charge it back up. This is perhaps the closest you can get to experiencing these tables in real life and they translate so well in the VR space. Even if you’ve played Star Wars Pinball before, I think this version provides enough of a unique experience that warrants an additional playthrough.
Livestream: Escape from Hotel Izanami proclaims to be a horror game with interactive ecchi elements. While the latter is sorely lacking, it does live up to being a ghastly look into a classic setting. The technological approach offsets what would normally feel like cheap tricks of misleading angles and jumpscares.
Nier: Replicant ver.1.22474487139… is a beautiful experience and exactly how you should play this amazing game. Upon finishing, it’s easy to say that it is unequivocally one of the best games I have ever played. This story emotionally moves players with the help of its character-writing, intense action, and somber tone, making it easy to immerse yourself in their world.
The Atelier Mysterious Trilogy Deluxe Pack may not offer enough for old fans to double-dip in the adventures, but there’s so much here for new fans to discover. Not just in terms of gameplay, but the evolution of this series and the characters that paved the way towards its current popularity. The extra content and quality-of-life features are just added bonuses to the adventures that await.
Smelter scratched any itch I had to play a new and fulfilling platformer. Through its tight and responsive controls, challenging level design, and non-intrusive combat, this is a must-play title for any who desire a new experience in this genre. The strategy elements can either be a turn-off or further enhancement depending on the player, but I still think the game is worth playing with that risk in mind.
Shadow Man: Remastered is an alluring and eccentric game, especially for the time it was released. But it’s a cadaver of the late 90s. A timepiece that shows its age. Its dark, poetic writing is beautiful and entertaining but can also be ambiguous and misleading.
Cozy Grove definitely lives up to its namesake as a cozy gaming experience, one designed for short bursts of play, where playing a little each day allows you to get more out of it than longer play sessions. The basic gameplay loop is limited, but the charm of the game world and the basic premise provides a relaxing sense of achievement. While it doesn’t replace Animal Crossing as your next time-sink, it does enough to provide a lighter and less demanding alternative.
Ashwalkers provides a great first impression through its atmosphere and mechanics, but each playthrough weighs on that experience. The repetitive nature of this adventure simply has you playing until you wear yourself out after so many of the different endings are similar to each other. These 2-hour game loops had me wishing for longer paths or something else because there’s a good foundation here but it’s repetitive nature ultimately leaves the adventure unfulfilling.
Say No! More does a great job in giving the player some casual and lighthearted fun. With some satirical and colorful scenarios about corporate work culture, the adventure provokes themes of self-advocacy and helping those around you. You can easily tell the game is full of heart and humor. Despite its shortcoming of being a one-time deal, Say No! More is an experience worth picking up.
I feel like I can go on and on about SaGa Frontier Remastered that would extend far outside the scope of this review, but if I could sum it all up, I’d say this is the best non-linear JRPG of our time. This does come with a load of nuanced challenges that will push your patience and understanding of the genre. However, after a few hours, you’ll feel the same way.
Star Wars: Republic Commando is a slower-paced, more strategic first-person shooter that is somehow more about unit positioning and character banter than it is about blasting through enemies. There’s still plenty of action to be found, but it’s really the crew who carry this Star Wars adventure to an overall enjoyable experience. I’d say that makes it a story well told packed for a new generation of gamers.
Deiland Pocket Planet Edition is a shallow farming sim that provides you with very base-level quests that don’t really amount to anything memorable. The monotony of completing the quests and watching over crops never becomes more complex or challenging, weighing on the adventure’s lasting factor. There’s little here to experience after a few hours of gameplay, but it’s still a charming indie offering that doesn’t grow into the rose that I had hoped for.
Tasomachi is an atmospheric 3D platformer collectathon that succeeds in the area, but there’s a massive lack of polish, making me feel like it’s wasn’t ready to be released. I can see what this experience was aiming for, which is said as an accomplishment to the single developer who created it. However, a lot of optimization and options need to be added for this adventure to be considered finished. Still, it’s possible to have fun and overlook the flaws, but they are glaringly apparent by taking a step back.
The House in Fata Morgana borrows the moves of classic tragedies, performing events past to demonstrate the tragedy of the current. It is impressive how little time it takes to understand the motives and dreams of the Rose Manor residents, even when they fall to their lowest extent. The storytelling, art style, and music harmonizes its themes of vintage times and freely mold each scene from childish hope to shock and terror. Having every game in this series on one of the most convenient gaming systems for visual novels makes it very difficult to argue its value.
Pac-Man 99 is an exceptionally entertaining Battle Royale boasting a genius incorporation of speedy matches and on-the-fly strategy. Its default, free mode, is where players will be spending most, if not all of their time duking it out, while it’s pricey, paid packages are tough sells that offer very little in the realms of replayability or meaning. I personally recommend sticking to the free version, but if you find yourself wanting some more variety, no matter how slight it is, those extra modes are there for you to pick up.
Oddworld: Soulstorm is hands-down the best entry in the series to date. It takes everything great about these games and packages it up in a beautiful and modern adventure that mirrors its classic gameplay mechanics used for over 20 years. Some of the item management systems weigh on the pacing, and the controls take a few hours to master, but there’s just something unique in every stage that makes this adventure enjoyable from beginning to end.
In brief moments of gameplay, Potion Party is a lot of fun. Going in expecting more than satisfying short burst of excitement might be a letdown. Its charming visuals and addicting gameloop provide enough to warrant mixing up a few potions and opening up shop, but I couldn’t help but want a bit more variety in the core design.
Poison Control is an unexpected enjoyable gaming experience. The result is a game that only lacks in areas where I wanted more, including enemy variety and stage layout. However, that doesn’t hinder just how addicting this adventure is, which I hope acts as a foundation for a sequel.