But Why Tho?
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Potion Permit is a hard game to pin down. It manages to give a refreshing take on the genre, but some of the mundane tasks often felt like bashing my head into a wall over and over again. Potion Permit feels like a nice cup of hot chocolate on an unseasonably warm day. Sure, it tastes good and the thought of it is great, but in practice maybe some things need improvement for it to truly be great.
Moonscars is a deep, dark tale about what makes us human in our darkest times and how we persevere. When it works, it really works and was some of the most fun I had playing 2-D souls-like in recent memory. But it is riddled with balancing issues and loses touch on what makes Souls-likes fun in the name of difficulty.
horn’s quest to save Leaf is exceptionally well-written, and the world of Dewr is one of the more enjoyable video game worlds I’ve explored in some time. Despite some minor quibbles with the combat and some of the world-building, No Place for Bravery is still an excellent game that players looking for a challenge are sure to enjoy.
Roadwarden is a fascinating take on the RPG genre that has a lot to love. Its setting is deep and well fleshed out, and the interactions players have with it are impactful and fun to navigate. The stories it tells are often somber but handled in an undeniably human and engaging way. While anyone who doesn’t like reading will want to skip it, I cannot recommend it enough to players intrigued by the possibilities of a detailed, text-based RPG.
Splatoon 3 is a well-crafted game that provides a highly enjoyable experience for both fans and newcomers to the franchise. While the campaign isn’t long at about 8-10 hours, it still sports a good amount of varied content with a multiplayer mode that’ll keep you engaged for hours on end.
Overall, if you are a fan of 2K’s work and the NBA 2K series, there are plenty of reasons to pick up NBA 2K23. The soundtrack, “Jordan Challenge” mode and new storyline all help offer a generally playable experience. However, anyone that thinks that 2K23 will offer a new or highly improved experience may need to reexamine their expectations. The bottom line is that NBA 2K23 is aimed at fans of the franchise and basketball fans alike, delivering the exact experience that most people would expect.
Negatives aside, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle R is a wonderful remaster with great visuals and aesthetics, smooth gameplay, and tons of content that JoJo fans will especially appreciate. And while the game is mainly tailored toward series fans, I believe it still offers an experience most fighting game fans will enjoy as long as they don’t play online or expect any cohesive narrative or story mode based on the franchise.
In the end, the main takeaway I have from playing through Circus Electrique is just how flat it all feels. Playing the game is never explicitly unpleasant but is never memorable or particularly fun, either. Instead, the game is almost liminal. So while the game is unlikely to end up on any lists for worst games of the year, I doubt that most players who try it will remember its release for very long.
F1 Manager 2022 is an excellent look at what it takes to be a Formula 1 team principal. There is so much depth to the game, and the real-life statistics make the experience incredibly authentic. Everything about the game feels polished, from the look and feel of the cars and tracks to the in-depth look at the car data, and I can’t wait to see what new tricks the series will bring in future versions of the game.
Destroy All Humans! 2 – Reprobed shows this cult classic did not age well. Beyond dialogue, updates to gameplay and graphics feel hollow when game-breaking bugs are still prevalent…That isn’t to say you won’t find fun here. But that fun may just be restricted to a 10-12 hour jaunt through memory lane.
While there are definitely elements of Saints Row that really annoyed me, I still generally had a good time with the game. If you consider yourself a Saints Row fan you’ll probably find plenty to enjoy in the newest entry, even if some of its elements are weaker than others. If you were hoping for a major new take on the series or what it could be, however, you’ll be left sorely wanting.
Soul Hackers 2 takes inspiration from both the Persona and the mainline Shin Megami Tensei series while including new things into the mix to varying degrees of success. As a result, it is best to not compare it to any other title in the franchise.
Tinykin encapsulates all that is great and not-so-great about classic platformer collecathons. It’s charming, it’s witty, and it’s full of adorable creatures. Plus, the level design is superb, with each of the 6 areas feeling unique not in just design but in storytelling and exploitability. There is a lot offered here in such a small, low-stress package.
Kirby’s Dream Buffet is a cute and fun game while it lasts. It feels like the kind of game you might play as a warmup for a short period before breaking into something more substantial. For what it is, it’s quite nice, but it’s hard to justify what it is against its price tag and the free-to-play nature of some of its competitors.
Cursed to Golf is a very creative and far more difficult than expected roguelike. It’s definitely going to scratch your golf game itch, given how truly few there are on current generations, as well as spice up the genre with its unique gameplay and concept.
Shin-chan: Me and the Professor on Summer Vacation -The Endless Seven-Day Journey- is a refreshing adventure seen through the eyes of a 5-year-old with an incredibly active imagination. Be it normal interactions with family or friends or some of the wackier story elements further in, there is enough to keep any player satisfied. If you’re looking to escape on a whimsical trip, Shin-chan: Me and the Professor on Summer Vacation -The Endless Seven-Day Journey- is a fantastic choice.
Digimon Survive feels like it was made with every kid who wanted to be a DigiDestined. It’s a darker twist on a fan favorite story. While the story is amazing, it is brought down by okay combat. 10 percent of the gameplay weighs down the other 90 percent.
It is very difficult to imagine a player that wouldn’t enjoy Cult of the Lamb. Its visuals are so beautiful and full of character. Its writing is witty and charming. Its action is simple, but fun and thoroughly engaging. While its weapon selection and combat mechanics may not be as varied or dense as its peers, its unique aspects more than make up for the deficit.
For fans of turn-based strategy games, the paranormal, or even just Westerns, I have a hard time imagining a reason to not pick up Hard West II. Nearly everything that Hard West II attempts to do is accomplished very well. It offers fantastic and challenging combat, fun characters, an amazing setting, and some truly jaw-dropping moments.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is a massive undertaking that hits some extremely high points while only presenting a few issues like the performance struggles at times due to the Switch’s limitations. I fell in love with the cast almost immediately, and I can’t wait to see their stories progress in future DLC. This is a game that is going to sit with me for years and is a very serious Game of the Year contender.