Cat with Monocle
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Astro’s Playroom is well worth your time as one of your first games on your shiny, new PlayStation 5. Considering that it takes full advantage of the DualSense’s features, has fun platform levels and a catchy soundtrack, and it’s FREE, it’s hard to not like Astro’s Playroom. It’s just unfortunate that it’s so short. Astro and his friends deserve a full-length platformer! Until then, I’ll be hanging out with my bot buddies.
Bugsnax is an interesting, well written, and whimsical adventure. Even if the game is pretty short, it’s a delicious game for players to start catching the Bugsnax vibe.
Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 is clearly an upgrade over its predecessor. Newcomers have a lot to chew on as veterans, not so much. By taking what was great about the first game and adding fun, new additions such as Skill Battle mode, Sega made a puzzle game sequel well worth playing. Game clear!
Overall, although certain aspects of Wargroove can be a bit limited, the gameplay is engaging, and that’s what counts. The new missions and objectives will keep both new and more seasoned gamers on their toes. Either way, look forward to many hours of tactical gameplay. Your characters may not level up in that time, but your problem solving skills most definitely will.
Oceanhorn 2: Knights of the Lost Realm hits the mark in regards to creating a fun and original spin on a familiar gameplay style. For die-hard fans, the game unabashedly has a Zelda-esque feel to it, but the amount of content may fall short in comparison to some titles from that storied franchise. Regardless of the similarities, Oceanhorn 2 delivers a quality adventure for the price that pairs well with the Nintendo Switch audience. So go forth and become a true hero.
It’s clear that the main purpose of the Ghost of Tsushima: Legends DLC was for co-op, as the main game improvements are a little underwhelming. However, it’s difficult to complain, given that this DLC was completely free and that the co-op gameplay is stellar. Hopefully, we can expect more story-driven DLC in the future for Ghost of Tsushima.
Overall, The Survivalists offers potentially limitless gameplay due to the uniqueness of the island biomes, the exploration, and the incorporation of multiplayer functionality. A few aspects, such as the constant hunger, the tedious and repetitive tasks, and a lack of local co-op or cross-platform play may irk more casual players who are looking to escape chores in the real world, though. Still, there is much fun to be had here, and besides, who doesn’t want a legion of monkeys serving them?
Is Panzer Paladin worth the price of admission? Well, although it does make use of the Mega Man formula, it doesn’t really do much with it and even lacks the elements that made those games memorable. Still, at least it captures the look and sound of games from the 8-bit era. In short, wait until a flash sale and you have time to kill because you could easily beat this game within an hour or so.
Overall, Raji: An Ancient Epic offers plenty of action and an interesting story in a sublimely beautiful world enriched by Indian and Balinese culture. It’s too bad the combat can be a bit repetitive and the camera gets in the way so much. Still, it is an enjoyable experience, even if it might not stand the test of time.
Putting aside the quirky visuals, weird enemies, and the saucy maidens, Waifu Uncovered actually offers some solid shoot ‘em up gameplay, making it a fun, short diversion to play between other games in your library. It’s unfortunate that it doesn’t have more to offer outside its normal gameplay, but you get what you pay for. Just be sure to enjoy the waifus at home!
It’s great when a franchise is brought back from the dead, and done right. Many thanks to the people at Activision and Vicarious Visions, for treating this property with respect, and giving us a great game. Whether you’re a seasoned veteran, or picking this series up for the first time, with Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2, you’re sure to have a blast grinding rails and pretending you’re a Superman.
Nexomon got its start in 2017 as a cheap and easily accessible phone app. Ultimately, this may have been the better platform for the game, serving customers that don’t have access to Pokémon and gamers on the go. As a console game, Nexomon: Extinction is an adequate Pokémon stand-in, but without all the community excitement and social hype that makes Pokémon so much fun.
Even with the excessive loading times, New Super Lucky’s Tale is a fun, lovable game that fans of platformers should jump into. The countless improvements made are well worth it (even the cornier dialogue), easily making this the best version of Lucky and his adventure. You’ll be ready to become the next great guardian in no time, but you’re great the way you are.
Ghost of Tsushima is a beautiful and satisfying game. While it doesn’t feel like a revelation in innovation, it’s an improvement of existing models. We’ve already experienced the joys of the open world concept, but Ghost takes everything we’re familiar with and does it better.
Goshzookie! With a combination of varying gameplay styles alongside beautiful designs and upbeat music, Ooblets is an adorable and entertaining game that, even with its glitches, is still worth putting your time into playing. So come make your home in Badgetown. You’ll be glad you did.
CrossCode is a wonderfully told, and downright fun to play game. Fans of Secret of Mana and similar RPGs will find themselves right at home. CrossCode is full of charm, and with the accessibility sliders available, there is no excuse for not getting your paws on this game and enjoying everything this polished title has to offer. And did we mention it’s coded completely in HTML5? CrossCool!
With gorgeous character illustrations and vibrant level designs, Shantae and the Seven Sirens makes another bold statement for why Shantae has been going strong for eighteen years. It’s a fun, hair-whipping romp that no one should pass up. May the next eighteen years be filled with more amazing half-genie action!
Gris feels like a AAA game from a major gaming company, but it comes from a small indie studio and it’s an incredible debut. You can’t simply watch videos or read about it to fully understand it, though. You need to experience the game to appreciate its unique art style, smooth gameplay, and soothing music. While the journey isn’t long, it will stay with you long after you complete it. So go ahead and let yourself be taken into this beautifully realized world. You’ll be glad you did.
From its classic music to its gameplay, Bubble Bobble 4 Friends captures the delightful essence of the original. Despite a rehashing of levels and a curious lack of online play, the Bubble Dragons are back in a big way, and they are a perfect fit for the Nintendo Switch. At the end of the day, you’ll be humming the Bubble Bobble theme before you know it.
One Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows takes on the highly popular anime from a different perspective and pulls it off pretty well. With its unique fighting, over-the-top moves and charm from the show, fans can enjoy watching Saitama all over again. Newcomers will have some difficulty following along, but it may be enough to interest them in the show afterward (or in doing 100 push-ups, sit-ups, and squats and a 10K run every single day). After all, it’s just a hobby.