TheGamer's Reviews
Severed Steel feels like playing the Deathloop trailer. Not the actual game, specifically the trailer. Specifically the run shoot kick montage that comes in right at the end. Slick, stylised, and never slowing down for a second, Severed Steel looks set to launch without much fanfare, but if you want a game that gives you a great time and then leaves you alone, give it a try. KILL. THEM. ALL.
I’m not going to say “buyer beware” in regards to the Switch version of Skatebird. By all means, if you have younger gamers or Switch is your primary gaming device, then playing Skatebird on Switch will probably be just fine for you. However, if you have the option, go with the PC version of the game, especially considering that the game is coming to Xbox Game Pass next month. Even though many of its tropes are a bit played out within the genre, Skatebird is a game that knows it’s silly, and embraces it in a way that makes it fun to play (on PC).
I do truly wish I could call this a diamond in the rough or some classic in the making, but that’s just not the case. Aragami 2 is fine and while I am likely to revisit it one day, I wouldn’t say you need to rush out and play it right now.
NBA 2K22 is an almost impossible game to rate, because it’s a damn good basketball game at its core. The biggest problem is how it tries to be anything but a basketball game, and while that doesn’t damage the overall quality on the court, it makes it hard to root for it. It’s the ‘03 Lakers, and I hate the ‘03 Lakers.
All of that said, denouncing Eastward’s strengths and successes for any of the above would be disingenuous. It is a remarkable game that, while retro in ambition, will paradoxically go on to inspire the drive and uniqueness of future projects. It is clever, vibrant, and unapologetically original, and unless some magnificent twist of fate occurs over the next three months, it will undoubtedly go down as one of the best games of the year.
Deathloop is one of the most interesting triple-A games in recent memory and you owe it to yourself to play it.
Lost in Random is an okay 15-hour game, front-loaded with seven fantastic hours. It’s worth playing even if you don’t make it to the end, simply because there’s never been another game like it. Disney goths will delight in its charming blend of cute and macabre, and there are some legitimate thrills to be had with the combat system for strategy-brained players like myself. If it had continued to innovate with new battle mechanics and more cards to collect throughout the entire game, it would be an easy contender for game of the year for me. Unfortunately, it rests on its laurels too early, and the game as a whole suffers for it. I would be eager to return to Random were there ever a sequel, but I don’t think I’ll be revisiting Lost in Random again anytime soon.
True Colors makes each moment matter as it forms the identity of a woman I came to care for and relate to in ways that few games have managed to achieve. This brings me back to the sibling bond between Alex and Gabe, and how it feels like a virtual replacement for the bond between myself and the brother I wasn’t able to bid farewell to. I had that chance here, and I can’t describe how much that means to me. Without being overly poetic or needlessly saccharine, I’m glad more games are engaging with how we can learn, grow, and love as human beings, and the rewards that come with accepting such hardships along the way. Life is Strange: True Colors truly is something special.
Tales of Arise presents a refreshing sense of nostalgia in a shiny new package. At times it can misfire between its lovable but inconsistent cast of characters and political narrative, but there’s still a band of loveable heroes brandishing the classic Tales archetypes I’ve always adored. Perhaps it wields subtlety like a cudgel—placing Shionne, the woman who causes pain, and Alphen, the man who can’t feel pain, together—yet it’s that same ungraceful melodrama I remember being so fond of a decade ago. Arise elevates Tales back into the RPG spotlight, but it doesn’t leave the pieces of the past you loved behind.
Annapurna Interactive has a staggering back catalogue, but 2021 has frankly not been great for the publisher. Last Stop failed to leave any kind of impact, Maquette is a game with Bryce Dallas Howard in it and not much else, and Twelve Minutes, despite being loaded with star-power, wastes its time loop mechanic in service of a ridiculous twist ending that derails the entire game. With The Artful Escape, plus Neon White, Stray, and Solar Ash to come in the near future, it feels like Annapurna is back.
I love WarioWare: Get it Together for bringing this charming series back into the limelight. It introduces a bunch of excellent new microgames and a huge selection of returning characters I was so happy to see, yet the short campaign and lacking amount of extras can make the overall package feel underwhelming. Unless you’ve loved the series for decades, this one might be hard to recommend until the game is subject to a discount or two.
Sega aims to please Sonic fans during the Blue Blur's 30th anniversary, trying to learn from the mistakes of Sonic games that launched this past decade and improve on them. From the enhanced graphics and extra customization, to the addition of the Tails Save mechanic, Rival Rush, and a brand new and elusive Wisp, Sonic Colors: Ultimate has proven to be the most colorful remaster in Sonic's history.It may be a rehash of a decade-old game instead of an entirely new one, but Sonic Colors: Ultimate still manages to pass the test with flying colors.
With that said, I'm glad we have No More Heroes 3. This is Suda51 to a tee: a wonderful and utterly ridiculous celebration of otaku culture and the series he's built up over the years. Travis' fourth-wall-breaking smart mouth makes me smile incessantly, despite how stupid it can be - and it can be very stupid indeed.
Sequels are often expected to be bigger and better, but sometimes a good sequel is just more of what made the original geat. I suppose I would have liked to see Schell Games push the mechanics and missions further, but ultimately I’m satisfied to play another round of cleverly designed spy puzzles. It’s not particularly ambitious, but it’s consistently good from beginning to end. If you liked the original, there’s absolutely no way you won’t like I Expect You To Die 2.
It’s rare that a long-awaited sequel does most things right, but this is one of those times and I’m confident in saying that Psychonauts 2 is Double Fine’s best game to date and an early contender for game of the year.
I love what I’ve played so far and I intend to grind out all of the classes to unlock those perks so I can experiment with potential builds before Season 1 starts. I’d love to see new campaigns, new classes, new weapons, new mods, and new perks with each season. If the next four seasons are as good as the base game, Aliens: Fireteam Elite will end up in my permanent rotation with Destiny 2 and Apex Legends.
With those yearly grievances aired, Madden NFL 22 is still a worthwhile pickup if you were on the fence. There's nothing that's painstakingly new in this year's release. However, next-gen technology elevates gameplay with more realistic player movements, while home field advantage is, finally, exactly that. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go draft Tim Tebow as my starting tight end.
Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut is the best version of an accomplished open world adventure with great characters, excellent combat, and a setting that is constantly inviting to explore.
There’s nothing lesser or limited about The Vale. It’s a fully realized experience that could only work in an audio space, and I sincerely believe it's going to inspire a lot of people to reexamine their beliefs about what a game has to do or be. If this is the beginning of indie audio games, I can’t wait to see where the genre goes from here.
Twelve Minutes is a good adventure game, but its puzzle design makes it feel— mature, cinematic presentation aside—like something of a relic. If it was released in 1995, you'd be ringing up the LucasArts hint line for help and getting scolded by your parents for running up a massive phone bill. But it has its charms, and the way the story is gradually peeled back, growing more disturbing with each loop, is effectively done. There's a huge amount of emotion, drama, and conflict squeezed into this tiny, dingy three-room apartment. But also a lot of frustration as you struggle to determine precisely the correct sequence of events to let you move the story forward and finally get some closure.