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I don’t remember the last time a video game just made me smile from ear to ear, making me hope it could never end. In fact, this may be Astro Bot‘s biggest issue: it doesn’t last forever. I simply want more of it. Astro Bot is serotonin in digital form.
The presentation, the pixel art, the purposely sparse soundtrack and the compelling tale makes this a game that’s a step above the pulp nature of Bahnsen Knights, but certainly not the caliber of any Phoenix Wright adjacent games. You will be able to enjoy No Case Should Remain Unsolved and move on in a satisfied state of mind. You will not turn this into your new weekend obsession. But, like returning to The Devil in the White City, sometimes you’ll come back to see this tale through once more. After all, the details keep you locked in, and, at the end of the day, it’s always nice to see justice being served.
The Karate Kid: Street Rumble is just alright. There’s nothing terrible about it, and there’s nothing that makes it truly stand out. Even if its gameplay is floaty, it is so damn easy you won’t even care about it. It’s full of content related to the first three movies in the franchise, but it doesn’t properly follow the trilogy’s “from zero to hero” premise, making it feel less like a tie-in and more of a “what if” fanservicey fest than an accurate tie-in.
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is one of the best games I’ve played in the past few years. A game that calls back to the glory days of Xbox 360 gaming, being nothing more than just an absolute blast to play. Even if it is a little light on content, its core gameplay loop was addicting enough to keep me busy for many hours, never making me ever hope to reach its very end. This is straight-up a must-play and an easy Game of the Year contender. Praise the Omnissiah!
Compared to the bucketload of shovelware we tackle every year, Leo: The Firefighter Cat is actually far from being one of worst releases of 2024. For a kid’s game, it’s not amazing, but I do think younger crowds can have some fun with it, at least for as long as their attention span allows them to. It might be simple, it might be completely devoid of challenge, but it’s a somewhat well-built (albeit massively forgettable) title, never feeling completely boring or even condescending.
The tonality and presentation of some subjects – abandonment, insecurity, bullying and anxiety – are not doled out in a balanced manner and hurt the vibe of the game. The constant presence of hurt and self-loathing really make it difficult to enjoy the game outside of combat. While the subject matter may be important, I don’t feel it was delivered in the right way.
I absolutely adored The Plucky Squire. It takes the simplicity of older 2D games and mixes it with the fun exploration found in more modern 3D puzzle platformers. My only complaint is that I found the puzzles to be a bit too devoid of challenge, as I would have loved to have seen more done with the page-turning, book-shifting concepts they introduced. Still, this is a game that is truly something unique and can be enjoyed by everyone, especially with all the accessibility options available.
A pointless always online requirement, underwhelming car variety, and terrible progression system hinder what could have otherwise been a decent open-world racing game. I legitimately think that this can still be salvaged with a big fat update, removing some of these dated online requirements, rearranging the in-game economy, and reworking the visuals and GPU optimization to an acceptable degree. The gameplay itself is good, and the controls are actually decent. There is a foundation for something great in Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown. It’s just buried under tons of glitches, pointless commercial decisions, and an undeniable amount of jank.
I was really looking forward to playing As Per My Last Email, only for it to become one of my biggest disappointments of the year, or possibly even the past few years. I was salivating for a game about a frustrated office worker being able to demolish his workspace, but for crying out loud, this is far from the kind of game I hoped for. It’s basic, it’s slow-paced, it’s glitchy as all hell. Finally, it’s just not fun at all. There’s no catharsis, no reason to play it for more than two or three minutes, or even a reason to check it out as some kind of novelty.
Squirrel with a Gun is a pretty simplistic but upfront game that offers exactly what its ridiculous name might suggest: it’s all about tackling puzzles and obstacles as a freaking squirrel wielding a big fat gun. Whilst it does ooze the the vibes of an overrated “meme game” like Goat Simulator, it does have more substance and care put into it. It might be janky, but its level design is solid, and some of its puzzles were quite ingenious. Its one-note joke wears off after a while, but it’s still somewhat fun while the novelty lasts.
Lollipop Chainsaw RePOP is a spectacular enhanced port of the PS3 cult hit. It retains the all-star voice acting that made it one of, if not the best, Suda51 project. It kept the stupid silliness and crazy energy that made me a diehard defender intact. Dragami Games did an admirable job at reproducing the OST, too, and have a few bangers on the setlist. I would’ve preferred a remake, especially because the detailed areas and robust Juliet model is a contrast to the mediocre NPCs. I couldn’t help but think that was the point of pivoting.
The Crush House is interesting at first, with a really novel concept and controls that are really easy to pick up, but its innovative aspect and replayability don’t last for long. Between its repetitive nature and predictable plot twists, you’ll only get a true kick out of it if you’re really into celebrity culture, trash television reality shows, and don’t mind some unsubtle jabs at consumerism, “bread and circus” mentality, and so on. Even if it didn’t wow me that much, I can’t call it a bad game. Also, if anything, it’s a stupidly creative title. It just needed a bit more substance.
There are so many shortcomings in terms of single-player mode, lack of online, and low incentive for replay outside of the fun, but I really had a great time with this and my family. We still load it up daily for a match or two before school, and I hope that more comes to make the game have better longevity for everyone.
I wanted to like Hollowbody more than I did. It’s a game clearly made with a lot of passion for the likes of Silent Hill and Resident Evil. A classic-style survival horror. There’s a fair bit to like, however lacklustre encounter design and a disappointing final boss let down some excellent world-building and a really tense atmosphere that lasts throughout the whole game.
Fans of the franchise will get a good session from WHAT THE CAR?, and I can see that it’ll do well in the streaming category as well, especially with the fan-made levels already reaching ridiculous proportions. If you don’t gel within the first ten minutes, there’s a good chance this isn’t the game for you, and that’s alright. But if you have a little spark of joy after your first gold crown, follow that vibe and keep on driving. Your tires – or feet, or bears, or roller skates – are taking you on a journey of a lifetime.
The overall consensus is that sure, you are going to buy Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection solely because of Marvel vs. Capcom 2, and it sure has been remastered to perfection, but I’m glad that this package features every single Marvel-themed Capcom title developed and released prior to their 2000 magnum opus. It’s a phenomenal collection I never thought would ever be released, a magnificent piece of gaming preservation and mindless arcade fun. In short, grab it, have fun with it, and rejoice.
Rugrats: Adventures in Gameland was a mixed experience. I loved its presentation, with its amazing visuals and pretty decent soundtrack, but its level design felt a bit cheap, its platforming can be faulty at times, and, well, it’s just too damn short. By the time you’re starting to get used to its intricacies, the game is already over. I did appreciate the intention of making it a remaster of a fictional long-lost 8-bit title that had never been released before, but even games from back then featured a bit more meat and lasting appeal.
Shadow of the Ninja: Reborn can be infuriating at times, due to clunky platforming and a borderline irritating level of difficulty, but if you take it as one of those challenging arcade games which want you to memorize pattern recognition and enemy placements, you can have quite a bit of fun with it. If you have the patience, that is. As a fun arcade pasttime, meant to be played in shorter bursts, and also thanks to its pretty good presentation, Shadow of the Ninja: Reborn is a pretty decent recommendation.
I am still cautiously optimistic regarding the post-launch content and roadmap, but as it stands, I love Age of Mythology: Retold. It retains the gameplay loop and iconic soundtrack of the original 2002 release, improving upon it by featuring brand-new visuals, a vastly more intuitive UI, and a plethora of small quality-of-life perks. It’s the game I grew up loving to death, but better than ever before.
I don’t have many qualms regarding the gameplay loop at all, as it’s probably the best thing one could have hoped for from a Quidditch game. Even if the Seeker’s role got massively nerfed, I understand the decision, for balancing purposes. Mechanically-speaking, Unbroken Studios did a great job with Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions. It’s just underwhelming to look at, and it’s lacking in terms of modes and lasting appeal. As of now, it doesn’t feature a lot of teams, modes, or even a reason to keep you entertained for long.