GameBlast

Astria Ascending is a JRPG of remarkable ideas and great visuals, but, unfortunately, its execution leaves much to be desired. The combat system that rewards exploiting enemies' weaknesses is promising, though the fact it's deeply unbalanced and the pattern repetition makes the battles frustrating. There are many options to customize and develop characters, nonetheless, a lot of grinding is necessary to make the most out of these resources. Orcanon's many activities and an elaborate minigame may satisfy eager players but it's a shame the plot, characters, dungeons and locales lack inspiration. At least, the universe has a really beautiful visual and quality music. In the end, its meager qualities aren't enough to save Astria Ascending.

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Sonic Colors: Ultimate is a nice remaster to celebrate 30 years of Sega's mascot. The choice to bring this title to new consoles was right, but its remaster has questionable flaws that show that the project deserved better treatment. While a new title does not arrive, Ultimate serves to soothe the hearts that wanted the return of the fastest blue hedgehog in games.

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Xuan Yuan Sword 7 is an RPG with a really engaging story. Based on Chinese legends, it offers a solid experience that proves the series value as an Oriental classic. Despite a few small issues, it's a title that any fan of the genre should have the chance to experience. Hopefully one day it'll be possible to also play the other games in the franchise in English and maybe even Portuguese.

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Eastward invites us to go on a unique and beautiful journey. The biggest highlight is the setting: the locations are fascinating and full of unusual and charismatic characters. The stunning pixel art look and attention to detail bring the world to life, making it very immersive. As an adventure, the game offers snippets of exploration punctuated by puzzles and combats in which we alternate between two protagonists to advance. The dungeons are nice, but the simplicity and repetition of the mechanics makes them uncomfortable after a while. The real focus is on narrative with numerous non-interactive scenes and a story full of mysteries. Unfortunately, the balance is not good, resulting in too many drawn-out moments and dialogues that barely develop the plot. Even so, Eastward manages to transport us to a peculiar universe with its exceptional setting. The game is far from perfect and may require insistence for some players, but it is still a unique and immersive experience to some extent.

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Even with a very competitive market, Super Animal Royale manages to bring interesting mechanics while maintaining the solid foundation of its genre. The game's visuals are beautiful and pleasant, combining perfectly with the simple and functional gameplay. It has some negative points, especially in terms of online connection, but the balance is quite positive.

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UNSIGHTED is an impressive and elaborate adventure through a devastated world. Exploring the city of Arcadia is exciting because of its immense map interconnected with various routes, puzzles and secrets, in a free progression that offers different approaches to overcoming challenges. Combat stands out with intense battles focused on precision, in which various weapons allow us to execute numerous strategies. Other than that, the title has a unique time-limit mechanic that brings tension and tough decisions to the adventure. This also serves as an incentive to play the story more than once, as it will hardly be possible to see everything in a single attempt. Finally, notable extra modes and good accessibility options are available. In the end, Unsighted is an unmissable adventure and a great debut for Studio Pixel Punk.

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UnMetal is, by far, one of the best games I had the pleasure of trying out in 2021: it's plenty of fun, it offers just the right challenge, and it has the best script that will ever be shown in a movie or TV series. A medal of honor for this true war hero.

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Steel Assault uses a 16-bit atmosphere to create a great arcade experience. The action is nonstop through the various stages, which impress with creative situations (such as using the zipline) and extravagant confrontations against bosses. Furthermore, the game captivates with its flawless pixel art look and synthesizer soundtrack, resulting in a pleasing contemporary interpretation of retro elements. The intention is to rescue the arcade sensation, which means an accentuated challenge. However, just like other arcade titles, the duration is short and without significant extras other than different difficulties. In the end, Steel Assault is a short action and platform adventure that's worth it.

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For Pokémon fans, or those who enjoy monster catching RPGs, Nexomon is a good pick and fills the position that is so little explored outside Nintendo consoles. Though it fails a little on information availability and cursor positioning, things that could have been revamped in this new release, the game has a simple and easy gameplay and offers many hours of catching hundreds of monsters and a captivating plot.

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Centipede: Recharged is extremely true to its origins and innovates with modernized graphics, new weapons and more game modes. While its gameplay is somewhat repetitive, on the other hand it's a classic mechanic that never gets really old or uninteresting. It's an excellent choice for a local multiplayer match with a friend, whatever your skill level.

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Hot Wheels Unleashed perfectly combines a challenging and well-structured racing game with the colorful and eye-catching visuals of the already consolidated toy universe. Collecting and customizing the legendary miniatures, as well as creating our own circuits without worrying about buying infinite expansions or losing parts, is a delight for anyone who has always wanted to put their creativity to work. The flaws exist, but they don't stop Unleashed from being an excellent title.

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Although it has flaws in its execution, Gamedec is a recommendable title. The plethora of information available to the player can sometimes be annoying, but it's undeniable that solving cases and solving mysteries is fun. Fans of games with an emphasis on storytelling and freedom of choice will feel right at home, and cyberpunk-themed enthusiasts will also find entertainment — if expectations are properly balanced.

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Sable is a game with an artistic intent, it incites thought on the meaning of life through its enchanting journey. Unfortunately, for a game focused on quests, the title should offer information more clearly and in a more accessible fashion. Nonetheless, the experience is overall really rich and interesting, turning it into an easy recommendation for adventure games fans and those looking for artistic experiences. I hope that eventual patches will fix the game's main issues.

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Hoa is the perfect choice for those looking for a light, simple and great storytelling experience that holds our attention for approximately two hours. Such simplicity and lack of challenges may not appeal to non-casual gamers, but they should still give the game's graphical and sonic beauty a chance.

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Although it has an innovative premise and is visually very cute, the overall experience of SkateBIRD is frustrating. The controls and camera are confusing, and the physics doesn't work as it should. It's a game with a very original concept and could be a lot of fun, but it lacked polish.

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Ultra Age is an excellent title for those who are looking for action inspired by classics of the hack ’n’ slash genre, but who don't want to be stuck with the familiar games of this genre. Its biggest highlight is a fluid, fast and addictive gameplay full of style and effects that fill the eyes. The plot and visuals aren't her strongest point, but that's a detail you can wipe away to really enjoy the game.

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Flynn: Son of Crimson takes the best platform game ideas and combines them into a lean, well-constructed adventure. The biggest highlight is the diversity of challenges throughout the stages, which feature light puzzles, combats, secrets and several other distinct elements. In addition, an elaborate pixel art look impresses with carefully created locations. The duration is short and the progression is nimble, but there are some minor issues, such as some overly long stages and underused combat elements. In the end, the qualities of Flynn: Son of Crimson make it a great representative of the platform genre.

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NBA 2K22 offered what I admire the most in the sport: dynamic matches, great athletes, famous teams and a lot of fun. The gameplay and production are excellent, with high quality in its multiple play modes. Though there are some inconsistencies when the versions are compared, the title's most substantial caveat is related to its online modes. If the player can ignore these issues, they'll find a complete and addicting game, especially for basketball fans and connoiseurs.

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Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town is a bit far from reaching its fullness as the protagonist of a genre, but it is on the right path. In technical terms, its greatest merit is in the gameplay, especially due to the crafting elements, although it still suffered too much in the setting, narrative and game atmosphere.

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Deathloop has had great marketing and amazing trailers, but it delivers an experience that strongly divided opinion. The plot holds the attention and, despite the stagnation at certain moments, motivates us to continue the campaign to discover the whole truth about Blackreef. The idea of a time cycle is interesting in the first few hours, but it becomes a tiring or even tedious experience after a few hours.

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