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Altdeus: Beyond Chronos has it’s ups and downs. It has some particularly interesting characters, a story that has a slow start but becomes more interesting as it goes on and some issues with voicing and limitations elsewhere. I can say that I enjoyed it overall, but I still find it difficult to give it an outright recommendation. It’s still worth playing, but perhaps not a priority – and this is coming from one of the few people who is both enthusiastic about visual novels and about virtual reality.
All in all, it’s safe to say Prodeus is a great game on a good path. Despite having some pacing problems and questionable design choices, it’s clear that the developers have put much love and attention into every aspect of it. And if you finish the campaign and still yearn for more, there is always a huge array of creative community created maps and a powerful built-in level editor tool, supported by people who seem to truly care about the community.
As is, there’s a good time to be had with Shiren the Wanderer. I enjoyed it for what it is, but I feel the cons here are too strong. If I weren’t reviewing this, I’d have jumped out after my second lock-up. At the same time, I think if the A.I. was fixed and clearer instructions are given in regards to the secret pots, this could be a recommendation.
In Death: Unchained is one of those addictive games that I keep coming back to. It begs you to try once more to get that little bit further. It keeps things fresh constantly by changing elements. The combat isn’t innovative as several other games have done similar, but it is one of the best implementations of this type of system I’ve seen. There isn’t much I can fault about it.
Wonder Blade is far from a bad game. In fact, it was a very enjoyable experience for about an hour. The overall lack of polish in the games finer designs undermine its smooth gameplay and gorgeous visuals, whilst the absence of multiplayer hamstrings its longevity. With a bit more spit and polish, and a couple of mates brandishing Joy-Cons, this could have been quite the hidden gem. Alas, it was not to be.
I enjoyed my time with Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. The combat might be clunky, the stealth might be an afterthought and the game might be rougher than a scouring pad, but the game’s story, characters, themes, and world more than made up for these shortcomings. Eivor will go down as one of the better protagonists in the series, and her saga is one that is certainly worth experiencing…ideally after the game has had a patch or two.
Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge is only a few hours long, but for a Star Wars fan it could be worth it to experience that galaxy, far, far away. It does a lot right in that aspect. That said, considering the price for such a short game and the issues with the gameplay, I would be more cautious if I were a more casual fan or just enjoyed these types of games. It immerses you in that universe, but it doesn’t keep you in it.
I would recommend Aokana – Extra1 if you completed Aokana, liked Mashiro, and enjoy the light comedy style the story is told with. It’s short, lighthearted, and sweet while keeping the humor up almost constantly. Despite the lack of a strong plot, if you want to see more of Mashiro after you won her over in Aokana, this is where you can find it. It’s not as engaging as the original Aokana, but it is in the end a short fandisc – additional content aimed directly at the fans. And that’s fine.
By their very nature, visual novels are some of the longest story-driven games out there. They are made to engross you into their worlds and become attached to their characters. DareSora fails in all of those aspects. It may look and sound pretty, but it’s only skin deep. For those of you who are still curious, I have some bad news. DareSora can no longer be purchased on the Steam store, but honestly, you’re not missing much. There are an infinite amount of better VNs on the platform that are more worth your time and money.
Onee Chanbara Origin is an addictive, arcade hack and slash. It’s about accumulating high scores and executing the best combos. Unfortunately, the music just doesn’t work well. Instead of adrenaline-pumping metal, it’s techno. Not the good kind either. For those worried about the challenge, there are difficulty modes to choose from. I had a lot of fun with Onee Chanbara Origin despite the flaws. I wouldn’t say it’s worth the full price. I also wouldn’t recommend the DLC. I think it should have been part of the package from the start. Keeping those caveats in mind, I do think that it deserves my recommendation.
Crash Bandicoot 4 is a great challenge and I couldn’t stop playing. It has a ton of variety over quite a lot of levels and the gameplay is genuinely fun. The production values are high and there’s always something to do. It’s a definite improvement on the previous games in the series, despite keeping the same feel. Despite being one of the best games I’ve played recently, I do have one big concern. I could see a lot of people giving up and coming away from this game with a bad impression because of the difficulty. While you can keep trying and trying, many areas are just incredibly difficult and some people won’t be able to pass them. This is not going to be a game for everyone and that's not a bad thing.
Aokana is one of the prettiest visual novels I’ve seen. It has a surprising amount of depth to a sport that could’ve easily been a background excuse for the events to occur, and instead, we get techniques of flight and details explanations about the sport with diagrams. The game has a great story that unfortunately falls a bit with each heroine’s route, with some of them having potential for much much more. As a statement for Aokana’s quality, despite the flaws, the game is still highly recommended for anyone who enjoys visual novels.
Spelunky 2 takes what made the first game so good and adds to it. It’s a challenge that never seems to get old and it’s easy to find yourself losing track of time, as you have just one more go. There’s a lot to learn about the mines and if you like rogue-lites, you may just find yourself addicted to this one.
Overall Space Crew is a wonderfully addictive little gem. Whilst the games loop can be a tad repetitive, this is an ideal game to take on the go. I’ve sunk an uncomfortable number of hours into this one, and most of that has been in short bursts of stress-filled glee. Space may indeed be the final frontier, but Space Crew boldly goes into its boundless depths and invites you to come along on a jolly adventure.
I recommend Prinny 1 & 2 Exploded & Reloaded for those that love the niche. For those looking for that tooth and nail gameplay. However, the needless frustration induced by the awful level design in the 2nd makes this unattractive for the casual player. To play this for a long stretch will take any semblance of fun out of the experience. You’ll then take a break and may never even return. For these reasons, I say to wait for a sale.
Overall I think this is quite a fun game and would be enjoyed by fans of the series and people who are just interested in the broomstick flight aspect. The actual flying is great and I like the customization. I do wish the difficulty was a little higher, but it’s still fun to navigate the courses at high speed. There’s also that it’s fairly short on content, but that’s about standard for most virtual reality games.
There's really not much to review in a Serious Sam game other than, it's still Serious Sam. The gameplay is fantastic and the story is cheesy as always, it's what makes Serious Sam 4 a great run n' gun shooter. While some people may like or not like the story, you can always skip it. If you're looking to continue the series, looking for something different to play, or mindlessly shoot everything in your way, I'd definitely recommend Serious Sam 4.
Despite the difficulties with the structure of the game and accessing different routes, I certainly had a good time reading Robotic;Notes Elite. The mystery unfolded an interesting way, the slightly futuristic setting was easily relatable and a lot of the character interactions and humor kept it going for the more relaxed sections. The production quality was incredibly high too, aside from a few minor parts.
My time with Crusader Kings III has been a blast. Sure, it’s had its challenges, but on the whole, this game had me hooked very quickly. “Just one more move!” I kept telling myself. It was never just one more move because before I knew it, I was embroiled in a new conflict, plot, or scheme. Crusader Kings III is endless. It comes with a steep learning curve, but never overstays its welcome. A terrific example of how a strategy game can transcend the tropes of the genre and become its own beast entirely.
Overall Wintermoor Tactics Club is an alright game. The story is held up by solid dialogue, an interesting premise, and a cast of characters that are endearing enough to cover up some of the game’s flaws. Unfortunately, those flaws were ultimately too much for me to completely ignore and I left Wintermoor feeling disappointed. This is an incredibly accessible title for gamers who don’t have much experience with Tactical RPGs, however, if you’ve ever seen the box art for a TRPG, then you probably have enough experience to waltz through Wintermoor without breaking a sweat.