TheGamer's Reviews
I enjoyed my time with Sand Land, despite its many flaws. The vehicle gameplay feels great, and it’s the main pull for me – I didn’t mind that the side quests were pointless and the open world samey, because I had an incredibly powerful tank that could blow up small groups of enemies in two seconds. But if you’re hoping that this game will be the best adaptation of Toriyama’s manga series, you’re out of luck. I’d just watch the anime instead.
I'm as conflicted about Stellar Blade as it seems to be about itself. It's competent and occasionally interesting with combat as unique and rewarding as it is repetitive and frustrating. Less style over substance than it is beauty over brains, there is a good time to be had in Stellar Blade, but it comes at the cost of knowing there are better versions of this game that will never be realised.
Even with my love of the 2012 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and my enjoyment of the fun, but simple gameplay, Wrath of the Mutant's short run time and high price point make it an incredibly hard game to recommend. If this was a bonus game added to The Cowabunga Collection or a part of a sequel collection for some of the modern games then it’d be a notable treat, but on its own, it's simply not worth it.
Even if Tales of Kenzera: Zau's combat and platforming can occasionally stumble, they act as a great compliment to the hard-hitting story and heartfelt characters that explore grief in one of the most interesting and human ways I've seen in some time. Above all else, Zau's realistic journey through the loss of a loved one is something that's going to stick with me for some time, and I'm grateful for the loving lessons I've learned from it.
Murayama and the rest of the fine folks at Rabbit And Bear did it. They've created a masterwork. Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes may have one foot firmly planted in the past, but make no mistake, its other foot is lunging forward into the future.
In Life Eater, this manifests through its interesting stalking mechanic and the Strange Scaffold staple of an exemplary script.
One thing’s for certain: you’ve never played a game like Harold Halibut before. You may have played cinematic narrative adventure titles before, but none offer up such a striking stop-motion style and thought-provoking narrative, especially when paired with a winning combination of mystery, heartfelt character relationships, and quirky artistic flair. You will question your own path in life and whether you’re truly happy, then leave you wondering how to find your own bluglglgl.
Broken Roads is an ode to the cRPGs of old, but it’s also a step forward for the genre, showing that the ‘90s approach still has a place today. The turn-based combat is punchy and responsive, the art style is gorgeous, and the roleplaying capabilities brought about by its revolutionary morality system lift Broken Roads out of the shadows of its inspirations and into its own spotlight.
Even if some of the boss battles and tougher platforming sections made me want to cry and the relatively short run-time had me done with Pepper’s adventure quicker than I’d like, Pepper Grinder is one of the most entertaining 2D platformers in recent memory and one that pushes its unique selling point to the limit. Pepper Grinder is drill-y good.
Since the game is so short, I still think it’s worth a try. When the game succeeds, it glows, and gameplay feels seamless and interesting. You might bang your head against it a little, but the solutions are always common sense and it feels incredible to work through something on your own. Just be warned that you probably won’t find the game’s ending particularly satisfying, but if you can look past that, One Last Breath does have something to offer.
Despite its flaws, though, Millennia’s gameplay is compelling enough to keep me coming back. It’s better than Humankind (which I say as an unapologetic Amplitude fanboy), and on par with Old World, but it doesn’t quite dethrone Civilization. However, its introduction and implementation of new takes on genre staples puts the ball in Firaxis’ court.
I rolled credits on Dragon’s Dogma 2 after 49 hours, and can easily see myself doubling that number before I’m done. There are quests I left incomplete and plenty I didn’t even scratch the surface of - I never once encountered the Sphinx, for example. The wide range of vocations offers endless replayability, and the world created here is simply one you’re going to want more of. Dragon’s Dogma 2 is a masterclass in compelling game design, and proof that deviation from the norm and challenging your audience can pay off immensely. Capcom has created not only a true successor to the 2012 classic, but a game which manages to be everything that fondly remembered gem always wanted to be.
Princess Peach: Showtime is a very approachable game and tries a lot of different ideas, which makes it perfect for extremely casual players or a younger audience. It's just a shame that it doesn't capture the 'kids of all ages' feeling of Mario's adventures or the aforementioned Luigi's Mansion. It's more like Yoshi's Crafted World, which makes sense as the two games were developed by Good-Feel. Though a significant step up from Super Princess Peach, Princess Peach: Showtime tries a little too much, and that means its best performances are overshadowed by discordant notes from the understudies.
It feels like nobody in Rise of the Ronin is connected to the world or its events, much in the same way most mechanics of the game don’t feel connected to each other. The game is inconsistent and unpolished. Annoying stat-crunching, a poorly handled story, and some really awful boss fights make it feel like a bad Soulslike was bolted on to something that could’ve been so much better. But its traversal mechanics, top-notch side missions, sublime open world, and the varied and likeable characters you can build relationships with all help prop up its weaker elements.
Alone in the Dark is, interestingly, a more communal game than I tend to expect from survival horror. You're frequently running into the other inhabitants of Derceto. I enjoyed talking to them, though the writing isn't especially good, but the game never really delivers on its title and all that company prevents it from ever really getting scary. This is a solid enough retread if you've played through Dead Space and the Resident Evil remakes and want more. But it won't bring many converts to the genre. We'll have to settle for being alone, together, in the dark. Which sorta defeats the entire point when you think about it.
There is a bit of a grind to get the materials you need, but it doesn’t feel like it. You can freely explore all areas right away, though accessing the resources involves restoring the land and solving the mystery of the ancient civilization. It’s a great way to unwind at the end of a stressful day, and with the multiplayer function, you can bring friends along on the journey as well.
There are moments of beauty in Highwater, most of it instigated by environmental design – I loved coming across surprises and marvelling at how even after catastrophe, human beings continue to do their thing. But unfortunately, as much as I love the game’s aesthetics and very competent turn-based combat, it doesn’t have all that much to say about its complex themes, and finishing it felt like a relief.
As a long-time TRPG fan, Unicorn Overlord is everything I wanted it to be and more. I suspect that some people will read this review and think that it sounds tedious, but that’s the thing about games that deliver such a focused experience: they aren’t going to appeal to everyone. However, by being so specific in everything it does, Unicorn Overlord ensures that those who do “get it” will be thinking of it fondly for decades to come.
The Pirate Queen - A Forgotten Legend is an underwhelming game not worth your time. Its barebones gameplay and unmotivating storytelling failed to entertain or excite, and its disappointingly short runtime only disappointed me further. The story of Cheng Shih is a fascinating one that more people should become aware of, but this game does her legacy little justice.
By the time I had located and freed Moomintroll, though, I had fallen in love with this version of Moominvalley, and only wished for a little more to explore, especially now that Moomintroll was free and by Snufkin’s side. Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley is a short but sweet glimpse into the world of the Moomins, and it plays out just like one of its classic stories or TV episodes.