The Game Crater
HomepageThe Game Crater's Reviews
Death or Treat is a 2D action hack-and-slash roguelite that shows a lot of promise being an indie developer's first project. The game's adorable visuals can only carry it so far, as the experience is boggled down by uninspired gameplay mechanics and technical issues.
My Beautiful Paper Smile has a truly unique art style that I can’t enough of, but that’s where the love ends. With more playtime, the story could have been amazing, but unfortunately, the lack of exposition makes it hard to be absorbed into the intricate and dark world of the Joyous.
Marvel’s Avengers feels like it has stolen ideas from other games only to implement them unsuccessfully. Level design is ordinary, and the missions are forgettable. The customisation saves the game, but with overpriced cosmetics, it is hard to justify the point of grinding. The gameplay is filled with glitches and bugs, making it hard for you to find any rhythm. Overall, Marvel’s Avengers is an average experience that you can find better elsewhere.
Making decisions that directly affect your fate is always personal, but in The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope, it doesn't feel as brutal as it should.
Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World: The Game Complete Edition stays true to the movie and comic book themes and provides an adequate experience for those who love Scott Pilgrim. The retro audio and graphics perfectly fit the game's style, but that alone was not enough to save a game that failed on the core essentials of a beat 'em up.
Sunshine Manor is an 8-bit action-adventure with horror elements and head-banging tunes. While there are some bugs and quality of life issues, 80s horror fanatics will probably still find this game pretty cool.
TASOMACHI: Behind the Twilight has some great ideas behind it. Unfortunately, the combination of headache-inducing visuals, repetitive gameplay, steep difficulty curves and the lack of an autosave feature makes this a tough title to recommend.
It's clear that South Park: Snow Day had all the right intentions when attempting to make an exciting roguelike experience. Unfortunately, it has one too many faults that let it down. While the hilarious narrative and engaging roguelike formula are always enjoyable, the repetitive combat and distracting audio and camera can make fights feel like something you actively want to avoid. Furthermore, the absence of the local co-op weighs down the title. Fortunately, its low price and gorgeous visuals make up for most of its mistakes, although if you're on the fence or not a South Park fan, it's not worth your time.
Diets & Deities bakes rhythm and cooking mechanics together but falls short in crucial aspects.
Skull and Bones falls short of expectations, particularly in its lackluster narrative and repetitive gameplay loop. The exciting ship combat, deep customization, and visually stunning world can't fix the emptiness you feel when sailing the high seas.
Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden falls short of its potential. Its central protagonists lack the chemistry and development to make meaningful choices feel impactful. Its combat and exploration feel like they've been lifted from better games, barely iterating on established formulas and, in some cases, making them worse. While there are some enjoyable side quests and the occasional glimmer of hope in the main subplot, Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden never reaches the heights it should.
Persona 5 Tactica's deep turn-based mechanics and intriguing story are great, but it fails to live up to the very game it is based on.
Shadow Warrior 3 is oftentimes a lot of fun, especially if you're keen on dirty jokes, visceral violence and stunning vistas. However, repetitive gameplay and a lack of overall content bring the experience done.
With striking cinematic superstructures and landscapes, gliding through JETT: The Far Shore can be an incredible sight.
Knockout Home Fitness provides a decent fitness experience while also staying fun. You can break a sweat while playing, but it doesn’t feel like a long term fitness solution.
Cris Tales is a beautiful JRPG with some phenomenal innovations commonly associated with the genre. Unfortunately, it so rigidly sticks to its inspirations that it fails to elevate itself beyond just another bland JRPG.
In a year where indie games shone through, Super Meat Boy Forever is disappointing. The auto-running concept feels restricting, and the procedurally generated levels make the game more frustrating than it needs to be.
Summer Catchers is visually stunning, but it is let down by its central mechanic and is too arduous to warrant playing.
Synergia is a superficially beautiful title. While its heart-warming romance is handled excellently, its mind-numbingly confusing narrative asphyxiates it.
While Immortals Fenyx Rising: Myths of the Eastern Realm fails to bring the title to its fullest potential, it offers some fresh innovations that fix the mostly dull original game. The shift in narrative tone helps alleviate the base game's narrative inconsistencies, and the reduced length means you're able to make the most of the combat and climbing systems quicker. However, the fact that it's essentially a reskin of the base game means that this DLC never reaches the heights it should.