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Overall I don’t think it’s one of the best rogue-likes I’ve played, but I think it stands above your garden variety rogue-like. Its gimmick makes playing through the game really fast, yet it still demands careful planning. For just $8 on Steam and the Switch, it’s not a bad deal at all if you’re looking for something on a very low budget. It’ll probably last you 10-20 hours or so, depending on just how good you are at playing cautiously.
Overall, I’ve very much enjoyed my time with the Nintendo Switch remake of The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening. I’m glad for the addition of the Chamber Dungeons mode, and that the hidden Color Dungeon returned. I also think it’s nice to go back to a more standard Zelda experience after Breath of the Wild. There are plenty of proper dungeons (plus custom chamber dungeons) here. The main game’s dungeons give you the satisfaction of finding new items and abilities, and using them to access new areas. Some will be happy this time that Link doesn’t have to deal with annoyances like not being able to climb because of incessant rain, or annoying breakable weapons (some of which make the weaponsmiths of Hyrule look bad). The smaller world in Link’s Awakening also means the core Zelda gameplay is more condensed compared to Breath of the Wild (where it is comparatively more diluted). I have spent 30+ hours adventuring on Koholint Island so far. In that time I’ve completed everything in the game except for a few of the gold tier challenges in Chamber Dungeons mode at this point. The game is available both at retailers and in the Nintendo Switch eShop for $59.99. Can you acquire all eight Instruments of the Sirens and make it to the Wind Fish?
Now, while I have been critical of some aspects of Day and Night, I still feel quite strongly that this is one of the best puzzle games I’ve played in a long time. Because while I am not enamored of the aesthetics, I also acknowledge one of my favorite games of all time, Tetris, also doesn’t feature mind blowing art. So I can cut this game a little slack. Especially since the basic mechanics work so well, and are so engaging. I probably spent 2-3 hours playing Day and Night for review, and enjoyed every minute. And given that this is a Switch exclusive, and it only costs $19.99, I strongly suggest puzzle fans which like playing on the go check this one out. I’m impressed by this entry from Ridiculous Games, and will eagerly stay tuned for their next project.
Overall, I had a lot of fun playing Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games: Tokyo 2020. It was the perfect title to take a break from more serious games. That aside, I would not recommend buying this at full price (full price being $59.99). The Story mode was much nicer than expected, yet lacked sufficient replay value. The multiplayer, on the other hand, does have a decent amount of replay value. There are different difficulty options when you play minigames outside of the story and you can go back to beat your records and whatnot. Plus, you can choose from a variety of characters to play as. Each one is even a little bit different in some of the events, like, their swim style or whether or not they take turns sharply on a horse. But it simply wasn’t enough to be any more than a game best played in short bursts. If this sounds like it’s for you, by all means pick it up when you can. For me personally though, it’s something I would grab during a good sale.
The Ninja Saviors: Return of the Warriors will cost you $19.99 digitally and $29.99 for a physical copy. That’s a great price point for this kind of game. It’s short but loads of fun and there is plenty of challenge including a harder difficulty mode to keep you coming back for more. Each character also feels different enough that you will be compelled to try out as many as you can. What is nice is that when you lose a life and continue, you can change characters. So if you have trouble with one, you don’t have to fully commit to using them. There are also Time Attack modes and Online Rankings for those of you who like to speedrun and compete for the best time. All in all this is a nice package that fans of the original game or the SNES sequel will not want to miss. As for everyone else, this is a game well worth trying out.
Despite falling on its face towards the end, DATE A LIVE: Rio Reincarnation is still a must-read for those who checked out Rinne Utopia and Arusu Install. The satisfaction of seeing the new girls once again is just unparalleled. While it doesn’t give the series a satisfying conclusion, we can only hope for more when DATE A LIVE: Ren Dystopia comes out in 2020 with the Western release sometime close to that. Rio Reincarnation took eight hours to read, and while paired with the 39 from Rinne Utopia AND Arusu Install it makes the $49.99 standard price worth every penny. The countdown to Ren Dystopia begins and we hope to see you back here when we can review it.
Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair may not be impossible, but it is a wonderfully fun and challenging retro platformer. Though it still has much of that compulsive collector DNA from the first game, I found it much less bothersome in this format. For $29.99, you get a lot to explore in this expansive world. Though I spent around 13 hours to beat the game, I still have plenty to uncover. And that’s not even touching upon the many super secret treasures still deftly squirreled away. I would strongly encourage most gamers to check this out. With the use of Tonics, you’re able to tailor the experience to your ability level, so really it’s hard to turn it down. A fantastic and worthy follow up to the original Yooka-Laylee from the fine folks at Playtonic Games. Here’s to looking forward to whatever they cook up next!
Gun Gun Pixies isn’t a bad game, but it’s certainly not for everyone or without its share of issues. The biggest issue here is the camera. It’s by far the hardest boss you fight in the game. It gets stuck on corners and wonks out every once in a while. It’s much harder to fight what you cannot see. The enemy collision detection is very much in their favor, you can be way back from a spinning tentacle and still take a hit. I think the over the top fan service is balanced out by the great story, but if you’re not a fan of these types of games or Idea Factory’s wares then this isn’t going to change your mind. I spent about 12 hours completing the story and there are tons of post game options to play round with, so the $49.99 pricetag for a physical edition with that awesome artbook is totally worth it. In the end if these games are your thing you should pick this up. You’re going to have a great time with it despite its flaws.
I enjoyed Code Vein a lot more than I thought I would going into it. The combat is challenging without being frustrating most of the time, the Code system allows you to mix and match jobs to your liking and the overall look of the game is outstanding. The maps could’ve used a little more detail in certain areas and some variety would’ve been welcomed. That’s honestly a very minor complaint, since of the game looks great. The music is outstanding and with three different endings and New Game+ there is a decent amount of replay value here for the 60 buck price tag. If you are a fan of Souls games, this is a must have title, and folks that wanted try out a Souls game but wanted something with a bit more story and character should definitely pick this up. You will be glad you did!
Ultimately, I spent about 15 hours playing through Spirit Hunter: NG. Though I got the normal ending, I really enjoyed my time with this sequel. It does justice to the first game while still differentiating itself enough to keep things fresh. While it may sound like a short game for $49.99, only having five main chapters, I found myself happily immersed in the experience. I’m glad this one got localized in North America, and feel fans of horror have a lot to enjoy here. If you are hankering for a spooky mystery this October, you can’t go wrong with Spirit Hunter: NG.
Overall, Out There: Ω The Alliance can be a fun little exploration game, though it is at times overbearing. The latter will be especially true for players new to the genre. The game started life as a mobile title (Out There: Chronicles), and later got a PC version that can be found on Steam (Out There: Ω Edition). The new Switch version is the definitive version, with three new ships and some new bits of random story text added in. Survival is not easy as you drift through space. You are pretty much at the mercy of the random number generator. I’ve spent more than 10 hours flying through randomly generated galaxies and reached one ending so far. I’ve been close to getting another one several times, but my luck keeps running out a bit too soon. The rest of my journeys saw me die much sooner. Out There: Ω The Alliance is available on the Nintendo Switch eShop for $14.99. Can you survive the perils of space, or does death await you in the next star system?
After around 10 hours, ROGUE CORPS ultimately feels like it was made by a rushed studio with limited resources, not a lot of production weight behind it and, quite frankly, not a lot of time. For $40, I’d say if you’re very VERY thirsty for more CONTRA after the $20 CONTRA Anniversary Collection earlier this year, you could look at this and find some things acceptable, after a price drop, of course. As stated at the beginning, this is indeed my first foray into this franchise. It is possible that I’m viewing this game through a lens it wasn’t intended to be looked through, and a lens that possibly a longtime CONTRA fan could view very differently. There were times that I found myself kinda zoning out while playing it, just shooting and killing hundreds and hundreds of mutants as time goes by. So if nothing else, it’s a great time waster. However, there’s a season pass available for it, so there is a very small light at the end of the tunnel, and hopefully it can get better with a multitude of potential update patches. My heart goes out to developer Toylogic, as their work is more than likely far from done.
Apart from the typos and framerate issues near the end of the game, I don’t have any other grievances. Well, besides Millium’s voice actor being recast, but no one likes a recast voice actor when it comes to their fave characters. Overall, I adored Trails of Cold Steel III. Even without any experience with earlier story arcs, as a Cold Steel fan, this game felt like it was just for me. All of the characters are overflowing with charm and personality and the continuation of Rean’s journey one-hundred percent sucked me in. Honestly, I think this is the most well paced title in the Erebonia arc so far. It didn’t feel like it dragged on forever in the beginning and it kept a good pace the majority of the time. CS3 is around a hundred hours long when doing optional quests but rushing through battles. It’s just as long if not longer than CS2, which I admittedly complained a bit too much about in my previous Cold Steel review. In the end though, I had a ton of fun and suddenly realized that I’ve found myself having to wait for the next game, which is going to be quite agonizing. I only hope I get the chance to play it eventually and then I can finish this series of Trails of Cold Steel reviews. Don’t let the change in localization companies scare you away. While it isn’t ideal, if you’re a fan of The Legend of Heroes, or Cold Steel alone, I highly recommend picking this one up anyways.
I am glad Metal Wolf Chaos has a modern release. I just wish it didn’t have the problems it does. I’d also argue that it’s perhaps best remembered from a distance. While the cutscenes and dialogue have a wonderful charm about them, the gameplay itself is not nearly as remarkable. The game is currently $25, and it’ll last you at least 10 hours, or more if you like it enough to try to get high scores. With the visual aspect of this game just not being up to par with the original, if you have the means to play the original, or own it already, I can’t see this remaster being a compelling purchase. For anyone that’s just curious, or wants to experience more of From Software’s library, I’d at least recommend trying to pick it up when it’s on sale and going in with tempered expectations.
I can’t help but love Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition. Sure, it’s far harder than I expected, even on Normal, but that doesn’t take away from the glory of this experience. In my playthrough, I uncovered about 75% of the map, and still have plenty to unlock. And that’s not taking into account the many achievements you can fulfill (though I’m not even trying for Unhinged). For only $19.99, it’s hard to turn it down. While it’s true some of the mechanics and controls were a bit finicky for me, overall the game played like a dream. If you love emotional and unique experiences that truly draw you into the game, you have to play Ori and the Blind Forest. Even if you don’t think you’re good at platformers, you can always try on the easiest difficulty, because this is an adventure that demands to be experienced. Kudos to Moon Studios for developing it and to Microsoft for bringing it to another console.
Throughout my 10 or so hours of gameplay, I can definitely say that Bad North has a lot to offer, especially for its price point, though I feel like $10 would be the sweet spot as opposed to the $15 it asks for. With endless amounts of different islands to play with, a simplistically pleasant art style and easy to learn controls, even a RTS stranger like me can find things about Bad North to enjoy. Plus they have an extra edition of the game out right now (The Jotunn edition) that has more stuff added, so if you’re looking for an easy to pick up, hard to master RTS with a medieval flair to it, this would be a good option to consider. Turns out, Bad North isn’t that bad.
I’m not the only one disappointed in this ending. It was the topic of discussion shortly after the game launched on message boards and on Twitter. Many people have had very colorful things to say about Wayforward when it comes to this ending and their portrayal of female characters. Despite my last two paragraphs, I’m not here to attack Wayforward or Arc System Works for this. I think they made an excellent game that hits almost all the right notes but just couldn’t fully nail the landing. I encourage them to revisit and expand on this story in a sequel, because I think the biggest reason the ending doesn’t make a lot of sense to me is that it’s very abrupt. It feels like there was more story to be told about these characters and I would love to hear and see it. Also I just want to play more River City Girls! Some of you might think the $29.99 price tag for the digital release is a bit high, but aside from the ending, this was one hell of a good time. If you are interested in a physical copy, Limited Run Games had a standard edition available to preorder until September 27th. If you were unable to preorder a copy by then and are still looking for a physical copy, Play-Asia also has multi-language physical copies for both PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch.
Seasoned action fans or those who can master the parrying and dodging well enough could probably beat it quicker. I’m not that great at difficult games so Minoria often slapped me repeatedly when failing a parry or dodge. I still thoroughly enjoyed being slapped around though, Minoria was very well worth the time. It will soon be available on Nintendo Switch and is now out on PC via Steam for $19.99.
Silver Chains is a story-driven horror game that almost immediately can’t keep its story straight. Even if it did, the aimless wandering and general lack of threat the two monsters pose make the already tired scare tactics at work even weaker. It’s competently made (which is rare nowadays for a Steam horror game) and has some clear inspiration, but badly needs a more creative take on its character design, setting and gameplay. As is, it merely blends in with the sea of Steam horror titles that use the same settings, scares and game mechanics. $25 is too much for this short, disjointed experience. Even with a price drop, there’s not enough to distinguish Silver Chains as anything other than another brick in the Steam horror wall.
Altogether, Whipseey and the Lost Atlas isn’t a bad game. For a first effort, it has its share of charm and challenge. It just doesn’t really succeed in being anything more than an average game. That said, for $5.99 you probably get your money’s worth. I hope that Daniel Ramirez and Blowfish Studios collaborate again on an upgraded sequel, since I feel the good outweighs the bad here. If you want a simple platformer, then look no further. But hardcore platformer enthusiasts won’t find a lot to keep them busy.