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This brand new 10th anniversary remake of Slender: The Arrival might be an impressive visual overhaul of what was once a cheap-looking horror game, but at its core, it’s still the same janky and frustrating walking simulator released ten years ago. It may be a cult hit in the horror gaming community, but I didn’t find it very scary, nor compelling. I will give Blue Isle Studios credit for showcasing what Unreal 5 can provide to smaller games and teams, but sadly, mechanic-wise, nothing else of importance has been added.
The idea of making a story-centric truck simulator isn’t inherently bad, but Truck Driver: The American Dream, as a whole, felt incredibly unfinished. Between the dated visuals, amateurish physics, poor controls, and myriad of game crashing glitches, there isn’t a lot worth praising in this janky trucking simulator. The voice acting was good, but when everything else surrounding it was just doing their best to make me want to rage quit, I don’t think that’s exactly good enough of a positive to make you want to consider purchasing it.
Getting from point A to B in Chemically Bonded takes only the effort of reading and little else. There’s a few endings but all can be achieved rather easily. It’s a contained universe that doesn’t feel like it merits sequels, but who knows, maybe more might be on the way? The glimpse of Ceri and the art style makes me feel like there’s potential for more from ds-sans, but I hope they swing for the fences next time.
SWORD ART ONLINE Last Recollection is the most polished game in the series, with by far the best combat loop. However, I found everything else, from the RPG mechanics to the linear world structure, to be a clear downgrade from Alicization Lycoris. And I can understand the why: focus on what you can do well. But I feel like the ambition of previous titles was something the niche fans of these games had already accepted, and not continuing with that for the franchises’ (supposed) last title is doing it a disservice.
Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 is, admittedly, a somewhat lazy remaster collection. It includes two copied and pasted efforts by Bluepoint released a decade ago, and a shoddy port of Metal Gear Solid, most likely taken straight out of the guts of the PS1 Classic. With that being said, those are still phenomenal games (well, Metal Gear Solid has aged like spoiled milk, but the point stands), and well worth your time.
Quantum Error still has the chance to become something, if the developers can take a step back and learn and grow. There is love and there is passion, you can feel it, it just outweighs the skill. So, I ask, what are you? Are you a generic asset flip or are you one of the better remasters, an homage if you will, of a never released game from the early 2000s I never had a chance to love?
Super Mario Bros. Wonder is easily the best new 2D Mario in a very long time, and it’s really fighting for my number one or two spot. Recency bias has it going head to head with older titles, but that’s the great part: you don’t have to decide. Each game brings something to the table, and Wonder’s new everything – enemies, power ups, level design – keeps it brimming with potential all the way to the very end.
I love my casual little farming games, and Rune Factory always scratches the itch for me. Even though numerically we’re going backwards from the other games already on the Nintendo Switch, Rune Factory 3 Special is a very welcome addition to the platform and a healthy return for the Nintendo DS game. With less emphasis on combat, although there is plenty of it there should you want to make it a focus, it feels a lot more casual and focused on relationship building.
I couldn’t keep from being enthralled with the mystery and wanting to know what would happen next. What helps is the gameplay structure and how it’s perfect for a pick-up-and-play approach. I do wish it conveyed a few features more concisely, like a single piece of equipment able to be worn by all three girls. Regardless, this game is easy to suggest, and with a stellar performance on the hybrid, get it anywhere.
DreamWorks Trolls Remix Rescue is so close to being a game I would have recommended to any platforming fan, regardless if you’re a Trolls fan or not. While there is a competent 3D platformer here, featuring some fun moments moments from the movies that the kids will love, unfortunately there are some issues here to keep in mind.
I couldn’t have been more surprised. Hello Kitty and Friends: Happiness Parade Hops is a great rhythm game. It’s the perfect combination of great controls, great performance, an addictive gameplay loop, and an impressive library of stupidly catchy tunes. I never thought I’d end up playing a Hello Kitty game that did not suck, let alone playing a Hello Kitty game that would win me over, but this little gem did so.
For a couple of bucks, Suika Game is a cute little distraction that you might get wildly addicted to or you may just run through twice and then forget about. The online high score list shows that the competition is real, so know what you’re getting into before considering streaming. There aren’t any glitches or bugs, so, honestly, the polish makes it worth the price tag, even if there’s a high chance you’ll just let this game rot in your refrigerator after the initial excitement fades away.
There’s a lot of compelling arguments, tons of bad endings to run into facefirst (almost gleefully) and a fairly decent hero/villain dynamic. And others may not be as pissed by the twist as I am, so that might even work out for you. I’ll keep going to find all the bad endings, as several do take some real work to uncover. But, once I’ve got everything set, I’m certain that my final logout from Archetype Arcadia will be permanent.
If the developers’ intention was to make this game look and feel like a Nintendo 64 platformer, then Cavern of Dreams has succeeded. It looks the part, it feels like one of those games, for better or worse. With that being said, it managed to look like a mid-tier platformer from that era, something akin to Gex or Tonic Trouble, and not exactly a big player from the system’s upper echelon.
Ghostrunner 2 is an utterly exhilarating and constantly exciting experience. It is bigger and more ambitious than its predecessor, but that doesn’t mean it is always better than it. It has a few issues here and there, not to mention the fact that some of its additions and overall changes to the formula won’t exactly click with everyone. With that being said, it is still an excellent game.
Inescapable: No Rules, No Rescue is the definition of a hidden gem marred by choices made. Where the art’s gorgeous, and the still CGs are beautiful, the pacing is bothersome. I wouldn’t recommend it to a casual player of VNs. It becomes evident that, unless you love exposition that gives everyone dimension, mileage will vary but likely veer towards boredom. It’s a shame because it’s delightful, and the majority of characters are memorable, but it takes too long for the nitty-gritty to begin.
Asterix & Obelix: Heroes isn’t technically broken, glitchy, or even aggressively bad, but it’s completely devoid of life or joy. It’s a soulless attempt at making an Asterix-themed Slay the Spire clone, without any of the challenge or roguelite aspects that made that game so appealing in the first place. What we have instead is a linear take on the formula, with uninteresting cards, boring visuals, nearly no sound to speak of, and little to no incentive for you to play it for more than maybe ten minutes at a time.
I sincerely appreciate what went into bringing this to modern consoles, and I feel that Empty Clip Studios did a fantastic job with Gargoyles Remastered. It looks and sounds magnificent, and the quality of life additions make the game actually playable, though with the feeling of a Prince of Persia throughline as a result. However, the barebones game, the lack of any voicework and the emptiness of accomplishment at the end creates a hollow feeling. This really does feel like eating cotton candy: sweet and visually pleasing, but it just will not fill you up.
If you’re looking for a way to learn Japanese in an interactive manner, even dealing with the annoying reminders from Duolingo is a better choice than paying actual money for a game like Easy Japanesey. It is an excruciatingly boring puzzle game if you already know Japanese. It is also a completely pointless waste of time if you don’t, given how it doesn’t teach you anything. I booted it up expecting very little, and I still managed to give up on it just a few minutes later feeling disappointed and angry.
Survivor: Castaway Island feels like a cash grab title banking on the popular franchise name of Survivor. Considering this is even just a reskin of their previous game, with even less content, it feels even more soulless. The gameplay is dated, the visuals aren’t pleasing, and there just isn’t any fun to be had from any of this game. Much like all the characters on the island, Survivor: Castaway Island lacks any real personality.