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There’s little else that needs to be said, or can be said, given how simplistic Astro Flame: Starfighter is. Just like its predecessor, it’s a simple, somewhat generic, but surprisingly fun bullet hell shooter. Even if it’s not particularly interesting to look at, much less innovative (if anything, it only slightly manages to stand out from I, AI), it got the job done with its level of polish, great controls, and addictive upgrade system.
There being now waypoints in the sidequests brought the score down considerably. If I’m relegated to just stomping around like a chicken with its head cut off, trying to find whoever I’m looking for, it’s boring. I have to wonder why more effort wasn’t put towards modernizing Akiba’s Trip: Undead and Undressed, and making it the true definitive edition.
It is a game with an amazing foundation, an excellent usage of the PSVR2’s features, and really fun gameplay, and it leave me wanting more. It was all too brief. I am definitely looking forward to whatever nDreams decides to do in the feature, and I absolutely recommend grabbing Synapse up as one of the must-have titles on the PSVR2’s evergrowing and ever impressive library.
Watching demons’ guts fly through the air is fun at first, but the repetitive encounters, poor presentation, bad framerate and minuscule scope all make Demonic Supremacy feel underwhelming. It’s the poster child of the saturation of the retro-styled first person shooter genre, being lackluster in terms of vision, presentation, polish, and gameplay.
I get that Flutter Away was made with the best of intentions, but I can’t, for the life of me, even begin to question who is this for. This feels less like a game and more like a competent student project, lasting for about an hour, meant to showcase some mechanics and some cute visuals. As a game, however, I just don’t see its appeal. There is no catharsis, no semblance of a challenge, no rewarding for complete its mundane objectives.
I liked the concept behind Ninja or Die, and even though I just ended up feeling lukewarm towards it, some of its biggest issues can be mitigated with some patches and some extra content. As of now, dealing with glitchy controls and unfair level design makes this game a hard sell, but there is potential in this idea. It’s a really innovative roguelike, one that looks decent and makes you feel really cool once everything clicks.
It’s been ten years since Pikmin 3 and twenty-two years since the original game. While it might not be a household name, Pikmin is one of Nintendo’s most consistent titles. Each game gets better and better, but might be overlooked simply because of the look or design of the characters. Given all four games are now available on Nintendo Switch, if you have any interest in the series, what’s a better time since it all culminates in the best game in the series, Pikmin 4.
Koa and the Five Pirates of Mara is, sadly, just another bog standard 3D platformer that does very little to stand out from the deluge of platformers available on the Switch. Not featuring the same gameplay loop as its predecessor makes it a hard sell for fans of Summer in Mara, and being so canonically tied to a farming simulator also makes it a hard sell for platformer enthusiasts looking for another hidden gem on the Nintendo Switch. Add in average-at-best visuals, music and level design, and what you get as a result is just a very middle-of-the-road game that fails to appeal to anyone.
I personally wouldn’t return to this game in the future, even if they do manage to bring over the Japanese audio so it doesn’t sound like a 70s martial arts dub. The amount of detail is intense, the campaigns are especially long, and the exceptional animated sequences are few and far between from simply staring at a small map and even smaller menus to do a multitude of tasks. This game is definitely for someone, and, if you’re even remotely interested in Japanese history, this is an incredible feat of a title. But it’s too big of an ask for too little of a reward.
Would I have preferred a brand new iteration of Advance Wars or a collection that didn’t cost sixty bucks? Of course. I have my qualms regarding the pricing and the visuals, but one thing’s for certain: this is still Advance Wars, and it’s still addictive. The return of the map creator and online matches ensure this collection’s lasting appeal goes beyond the duration of its two already entertaining campaigns.
Disney Illusion Island is a game that takes no risks, but at the same time, is exceptionally well made. There aren’t any deep criticisms to be made about its design, outside of it being the safests of bets in the overcrowded marketplace of its subgenre. As an entry level game for those without experience and/or younger players, it checks all the necessary boxes as it not only is a visual spectacle, but a lot of fun to play. And in the end, fun is what matters in a multiplayer game such as this, which it delivers in spades.
Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons is the revival we’ve long yearned for. It’s sleek, with crisp visuals and, excuse my pun, a punchy combat mechanic. Nothing felt sluggish, with zero stutters or freezes to speak of. The optimization is pristine, and the soundtrack is, as the kids say, lit.
Get a few folks together, harass the horse host as a group, and then fight in some really good natured, simple ways. This is that lower tier of gaming that many of us didn’t expect out of Nintendo, but they delivered it with the genuine polish they add to everything. It’s glossy, appealing, accessible and inoffensive. It’s got a better entry barrier than some and a much better retention power than others.
I cannot stress enough how happy I am that Devolver decided to breathe some life into this (potential?) franchise. McPixel 3 is the perfect follow-up to a largely underappreciated game from the mid 2000s. Yes, it has some shortcomings, but it’s still an unexpectedly fun game, especially when you consider that it was made by only one person. Sos Sosowksi, I applaud your efforts and am eagerly awaiting the next McPixel game.
The silliness isn’t where it wants to be, thanks to wackiness having no substance. The graphics are moderate, and I find the Chibi models adorable, but that won’t negate how boring my session was. I’m disappointed by it. In its current state, I can’t, in good conscience, recommend you buy it.
Exoprimal is a game that may not immediately hook into you depending on your expectations. I was initially disappointed in the PvPvE focus that is presented at first, but after just a couple of hours, was hooked into it. The game does manage to deliver a very flawed, but still fun shooter experience. This certainly won’t be for everyone, but despite its fair share of issues, it’s one of my favorite go-to multiplayer experiences right now.
Dave the Diver, needless to say, was an absolutely delightful surprise that I would recommend to just about anyone. It offers so much variety in gameplay ideas that there is something here for everyone. I’d love to express everything I absolute loved about the game, but what impressed me so much was not knowing all the things this game offered, and I wouldn’t want to strip you of that. This may have not been the mindless fishing exploration game I was expecting, but it became so much more than I even initially wanted.
Candle Knight‘s premise and presentation are what carry it. As a platformer itself, it’s decent enough, with some great level designs and one neat little gimmick, but it’s also hindered by poor controls and physics. The outstanding graphics, interesting environments and Elfman-inspired music will mostly make you forget about these setbacks and let you dive into this bizarre, but oddly charming world. All in all, it’s a decent little game, and worth checking out if you can put up with some technical hindrances.
When it comes to their work in this Rise of the Triad remaster, I have nothing but the utmost respect. The problem is that Rise of the Triad is very underwhelming, even for shooters of its time. Boring level design, nearly nonexistent geometry, excessively fast-paced gameplay, an emphasis on platforming when there isn’t even a dedicated means to jump, average-at-best weaponry… this is a game that wouldn’t have impressed me that much in 1995, let alone today.
Oaken looked interesting from the get-go, but unfortunately falls flat with limited ability to change how each run feels. After one or two runs, you’ll have a very good idea of exactly what this game is. If you’re hoping for a new Slay The Spire, keep looking as this likely won’t hit the spot. It definitely didn’t for me, and I gave it a very fair chance, probably a few more runs than I needed to do to make sure I wasn’t missing something.