Lords Of Gaming
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Overall, the game is a complete modern-day experience of both original Tony Hawk games. Aided by remarkable visual improvements, multiplayer, and a park creator. Plus nearly all of the music you know and love is back. All with the feel of one of the greatest games ever made. The discounted price undersells what Vicarious Visions have accomplished here. If you are new to the series this is a great place to experience what the big deal is while not having your eyes hurt from the aged visuals. If Tony Hawk was a part of your youth, this is a must-own game.
I could not help but feel that The Medium took inspiration from many beloved franchises before it. The camera angle style, notes and puzzles to keep the player focused, and music that makes your skin crawl all combine to make The Medium feel like a worthy newcomer in a genre with a long legacy. In an era where first-person perspective and jump scares with mediocre psychological horror reign, it is nice to see The Medium take a different approach while utilizing many of the psychological horror tactics of old and new age audio tricks. I cannot help but love the new psychologically induced horror game Bloober Team made The Medium.
Riders Republic is a gem of a game, and most importantly it is simply just fun to play. It is not often we have the opportunity to play a sports game such as this one. Especially one that provides such a broad variety of experiences from the wild world of extreme sports. Thankfully it is done without trying to be a simulator as well. It is the perfect blend of making surfaces feel good to control your character on, without having it be too over the top. From the vast amount of biomes to the abundance of races and variety of sports that you can enjoy, there is no end in sight with the number of shenanigans that you can pull off. Unfortunately, there is basically no story, and where there is a character chatting, they try a little hard to be “Hip” with the cool kids. Even then, Riders Republic is worth playing through if you have that extreme sports itch you need to scratch. This could very well be a new era of open-world sports growing as we know it.
Lost Words: Beyond the Page is a fantastic weekend game that can be completed in four to five hours. Lost Words provides an emotional experience that not only goes beyond the page, but beyond the game. This one is definitely worth your time, whether solo or playing along with your kid. This rousing coming-of-age adventure is wonderful for any kind of player looking for the next imaginative story to embark on.
Resident Evil Village sticks to the series roots and hooks while providing a refined and fun spin to survival horror. It is also an incredibly polished title, visually and gameplay-wise. With that said, I advise turning off camera acceleration and adjusting camera speed to get a more smoother experience. I do wish Capcom would let us adjust the FOV as well for little more spatial awareness. The game’s initial hours took a bit to get settled in. It also did not make me substantially like Ethan any more than I did in RE7. However, my complaints do not outweigh the full, unforgettable experience Village gave me. I am more excited than I have ever been for the story direction. Where characters are left off and how that will carry over into a not yet announced Resident Evil 9 has me invested. Resident Evil Village is sitting pretty as one of the best games in the series and of 2021. It is absolutely a different experience than the intimacy of RE7. But it is all for the better since that DNA is not lost, but added to.
Lost in Random is another example of genuine uniqueness coming from the “EA Originals” program which brought us It Takes Two earlier this year. It excels in creating a nightmarish setting filled with charming characters and dry humor to indulge in its wonderous writing. From a gripping narrative and lovable protagonist to the friends found in the twisted streets. With engaging enemy encounters, intricate combat, and interesting but disappointing bosses. Zoink Games excellently delivers a fun experience that will leave you wanting to dive back in after the credits roll. It will be hard to not want to get lost in Random again.
Deathloop is an incredibly unique FPS, blending together some of the best aspects of Arkane’s previous work. Whether you prefer to sneak and target your prey slowly, or to tackle the challenge head-on with a limitless arsenal of weapons and powers. Deathloop blends an intriguing narrative, with incredibly diverse combat, and truly makes it one of the best games on PlayStation 5 right now. It is without a doubt one of the best games by Arkane to date.
I absolutely adored my time with Kirby and The Forgotten Land. HAL Laboratory has reimagined Kirby by exploring his possibilities in a 3D space and knocked it out of the park. I am excited for what lies ahead for the pink puff and his pals. After rolling credits, I dipped my toes into the post-game. I still have plenty of Stage challenges to complete, not to mention Target Times in Treasure Road challenges. However, this really is a weekend game. You can beat it in less than 10 hours, and I think that will be a bit of a letdown for some people. I think of a game like Ratchet & Clank (2016) being forty dollars (USD) at launch and look at Nintendo with a little side-eye after completing Kirby and The Forgotten Land. Personally, I think Kirby and The Forgotten Land would make a spectacular pack-in game if bundled with new Switch consoles. But someone simply picking the game up on its own, I might suggest waiting for a sale.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge is not just the best TMNT game in the past 30 years, it is one of the 10 best games released in 2022. I would rank it among the best 2D brawlers in recent history. The only things that I could possibly ask for are better matchmaking, a full collectibles library, and a sequel.
Cuphead originally cost $20 and contained nearly 30 levels of boss fights and platforming mayhem. The Delicious Last Course costs $8 and has a dozen levels, a new playable character with a notably different move set, and more armor items from Porkrind. All fans of the original should not hesitate to drop those $8 for The Delicious Last Course.
In all, Cult of the Lamb is a fantastic game that perfectly blends two genres. While the combat is simple and there is room for improvement when it comes to level variation, this indie game punches way above its weight. The layers upon layers of mechanics make Cult of the Lamb a dense game with tremendous value at its indie price point.
Soul Hackers 2 was an absolute treat. The style on display from every character, location, and demon was fantastic. The story, despite having a basic plot, had incredible characters to back it up. It also knocked several emotional moments out of the park. The deep and engaging combat system with the staggering demon collecting aspect was fun and rewarding. All of this coupled with one of the most unique areas I’ve seen in a game like the Soul Matrix. Which gave me so much to enjoy in my playthrough, despite its annoying design at times, leaving me eager to start again. Soul Hackers 2 is an easy recommendation, even if you have not played a game from Atlus.
Even without Game Pass, Hi-Fi Rush is a must-play. Vibrant colors, lovable characters, and a phenomenal gameplay loop solidify itself as an early Game of the Year contender. Anyone who loved Devil May Cry will happily string combos just like Dante again. Adults who spent their childhoods playing Guitar Hero will adore the game’s matrimony to the rhythm. Platforming aficionados who played Ratchet & Clank or Psychonauts will get a kick out of the traversal. Hi-Fi Rush, a colorful game developed by the same team behind a great horror experience in The Evil Within, is a hit. Go play it.
8 Bit Adventures 2 is a very great game albeit with some balancing issues with bosses. The characters were very memorable and had lovingly written dialogue with distinct styles for everyone. As well as the Glitch being a very fleshed-out Villain. The game shines the brightest in its combat, and exploration of the varied and unique locales. As well as the challenging bosses with their contributions to the tale. It is an easy recommendation due to its classical yet thrilling journey.
Minecraft Legends campaign was genuinely fantastic in the 15-hour playthrough I had. Between the story and the excellent usage of cutscenes that never got in the way. The very intricate yet satisfying combat and the consistently frustrating world bosses all kept me engaged. As well as having a varied open world to explore with a lot to find that felt rewarding. Minecraft Legends is definitely not going to be for everyone, but this game will solidify itself as a mainstay in the genre with how it handled all these aspects to create a memorable experience
Quake II brings a classic sci-fi shooter to modern consoles. In a package that was carefully crafted and filled with classic levels, as well as an all-new adventure from Machine Games. It creates a great place for new fans to jump into one of the best shooters of the late 90s. While also being a lethal dose of nostalgia for returning fans.
Phantom Liberty delivers a top-ten experience for 2023. You can pick many facets from a stacked cast to incredible writing to break-neck fast combat upgrades to much more. Dogtown hides many nooks, crannies, and stories once you get past its security checkpoint. CD Projekt Red delivered an excellent experience that all players, regardless of their stacked gaming schedules, must check out.
“Be Greater, Together” perfectly captures what this game is about. Miles is instrumental in Peter’s arc with the suit, and Peter guides Miles’ development as Spider-Man. Spider-Man 2 shows how it needs both characters to succeed where it wants to. Venom ranks high in Spider-Man’s villain gallery, but there’s no Venom without the Black Suit story. Insomniac delivers on that story with great gameplay to match. Even though there are some issues with narrative and open-world execution, anyone who enjoyed Insomniac’s other Spider-Man games will feel right at home. Above all else, Spider-Man 2’s technical advancement warrants its Game of the Year consideration. Sony moved on from the PS4 and now fully harnesses the PS5’s power.
Streets of Rage 4’s Mr. X Nightmare DLC continues the love letter to side-scrolling beat ‘em ups. For a modest price, you are getting a lot of cool content that will satiate your co-op beat ’em up fix. The different upgrade paths, unlock rewards, and weekly challenges will keep survival mode fresh for some time to come. The three new characters are unique and complement the current crop of heroes well. They undoubtedly open new avenues for players to experiment with that will add replayability.
Despite a large number of RTS games on the market, Age of Empires has returned as a must-play title with Age of Empires IV. The game blends the classic gameplay that fans love with modern amenities and quality of life improvements. With dozens of hours of history to explore from the Battle of Dover to the Rise Of Moscow, there is no more fun way to experience history than with Age of Empires IV. As a long-time fan of the franchise since its release in 1997, I could not be happier with the passion and hard work that clearly went into making this game one of the best Age Of Empires games to date.