TheGamer's Reviews
The Skate part of Skate Story is very good, offering variety, pace, and a unique approach to boss battles. But it's less intricate by design than other skating sims, and that's to make room for the Story part. Your mileage may vary on this, and there's clearly a lot of thought gone into every element, but sometimes so much of it comes off as noise. Or maybe you're smarter than me, and you'll just get it.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond Is Not Only A Worthy Successor, But An Exciting Sign Of Things To Come
Whether you’re stuck comparing every brawler to TMNT for the rest of time like me or not, Cosmic Invasion is still a great experience that proves once again that Tribute is the best there is at what it does - and what it does best is very nice.
The creativity that once made Call of Duty an industry trailblazer has long been forgotten.
If you’re expecting Mario Kart World or Crash Team Racing but with Kirby, you’ll be sorely disappointed. But anyone who’s up for a racer that feels truly fresh, has a lot of hidden depth, and revs to the beat of its own incredibly loud engine is going to find something special here.
Even if Titans of the Tide is a little too short to make that kind of impact, it’s still easily the best SpongeBob game since Battle for Bikini Bottom, and possibly even better if you take off the Jellyfishing nostalgia goggles. I can only hope that Purple Lamp keeps it up, because it finally feels like it’s nearly cracked the Secret Formula.
Those with a Meta Quest 3 gathering dust in dire need of a new exclusive will have a bloody good time here, even if its occasionally formulaic nature risks holding it back from greatness.
There is a reason this campaign is called Journey, because it feels like you’ve been on a rollercoaster ride of rhythmic emotions that change how you view games like this. Part of me thought Enhance Games couldn't repeat the sublime brilliance of Tetris Effect, but it has done just that and then some.
Nice Dream has crafted a truly original narrative adventure here that will likely have a nuanced impact on everyone who plays it, and that alone makes it a triumph worth celebrating.
Rue Valley is a clever puzzle game that uses its time loop foundations to not only present a unique challenge for players but also to craft a rich narrative that will tug on the heartstrings.
Anno 117 doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but the addition of land combat and the ability to further customize your cities with diagonal roads and decorations brings even more satisfaction to the successful formula of a strategy series with a gameplay formula like no other.
But this is still a musou title, and it can only achieve so much within that framework without awkwardly bursting at the seams. With those restrictions in consideration, however, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment is a triumphant prequel that Zelda fans are going to adore.
[Europa Universalis V] is absorbing, seemingly infinitely replayable, deeper than the Mariana Trench, and sets a new standard for what grand strategy should mean.
The Outer Worlds 2 shows that Obsidian won’t be left behind as other great RPGs launch to critical success, and that the developer needs to play to its strengths. I only hope that it learns to take itself more seriously, because the setting is brimming with potential that is yet to be realised.
PopCap has brought together the defining elements of each port for the definitive Plants vs. Zombies experience. But it's hard to look past the discredit that Replanted does to the talented devs who brought us this game nearly two decades ago, and the many cut corners.
Overall, PowerWash Simulator 2 proves itself a worthy successor, following a strong first game and a wide range of DLC, and offers a whole host of relaxing and enjoyable gameplay. With a few new quirks thrown in to make it more exciting, and a couple of much-needed changes, it’s easy to say that - even with a couple of niggles, some of which are returning frustrations - if you loved the first one, you’ll love the sequel as well.
Jurassic World Evolution 3 doesn’t reinvent the park-building formula, nor does it step leaps and bounds beyond the prior games, but it refines it in meaningful ways. It’s smarter, more visually polished, and management systems are both deep and flexible. Small rough edges, repetitive moments, and occasional AI frustrations keep it from perfection, but there’s a lot here to love, especially for management fans who enjoy tinkering with every system at their disposal.
Platinum clearly understands what makes the series so special and has done an incredible job building on the razor-sharp formula that we’ve all been missing for nearly a decade.
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 is the epitome of wasted potential. It’s one of the most beloved TTRPG franchises of all time, and the original game has become a cult classic over the years. This isn’t the sequel we hoped for, wanted, or even expected. It’s a Vampire: The Masquerade in name only.
I’ve had such a good time learning the maps, mastering weapons, and discovering quirks of Battlefield 6, and I can’t wait to see how the live-service model rolls out over the next few months. Battlefield 6 is a brilliant time, and one that, for the first time in almost a decade, has a serious chance of rivaling Call of Duty.