One More Game's Reviews
I commend Neil Jones for his passion project and providing us with a unique experience with this free-running game, and I fully support his vision. While the game is a bit light on gameplay, the soundtrack to it is the icing on the cake and I would most definitely recommend buying it and supporting his composer Daniel Wilkins as well. As for the game, it’s an accessible experience that could be easily picked up and once you complete it, harder difficulties could be unlocked for some speedrunning options.
These three games are a generation-defining series that have shaped many players’ lives, that I actually envy some people who are able to experience this for the first time. To some, this may even be the best trilogy of games ever created, with Mass Effect 2 possibly being up there in the “greatest of all time” conversation. This shared experience causes many of them to bond over their distinct adventures, cry over lost squadmates, and share their common frustration with driving the Mako or the divisive conclusion. Either way, it was a fantastic journey, and while not all of our collective emotions could be bottled up and re-lived, it feels so nice to be back in the shoes of Commander Shepard once again.
Rising Hell is a great entry by Tahoe Games, offering a unique take on the genre. The game is simple enough to understand and pick up and play by even newcomers but offers just enough challenge to cater to fans of the genre. While the lack of depth, especially with builds that directly affect replayability, is disappointing, this is overshadowed because of the rather small but very talented dev team.
I really liked this game from the get-go, but I slowly became confused with the puzzle-solving aspect and hoped that there was more to it than what was presented. The soundtrack is great and having a fully visual story that could tug at the heartstrings really made the game shine. Sadly, some backstory and some context could’ve been provided with some text and would not completely take away from the emotional experience.
Overall, while Wonder Boy Asha in Monster World modernizes the original, it could have done so with some much-needed updates. An auto-save function would have been fantastic, as the thought or manual saving sometimes just passes you by as you play, resulting in lost progress if you’re not mindful enough. Some of the levels, particularly the Ice Pyramid and the Sky Castle are very tedious, with some very precision-based platforming that can sometimes be very unforgiving especially for players just looking for a fun time. If you’re a gamer that grew up with the likes of The Lion King, then you would know what to expect here.
Overall, Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD Remaster was more of an average experience, especially for a newcomer to the series. It’s by no means a terrible game, as the unique story with multiple endings is interesting enough to follow. The demon recruiting system even had the same drive to catch them all, allowing you to tailor-fit your party to deal with the various fiends throughout the game.
Well deserved commendations are in order for Insomniac Games and Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart, as they’ve preserved the integrity and charm of the franchise while introducing fantastic quality of life improvements to make the game feel like a massive improvement from its predecessor. In a way, it’s definitely the same Ratchet & Clank flavor but wrapped in a shiny and technically masterful package. The addition of new characters like Rivet and the multiple dimensions dynamic is icing on the cake for such a must-play, next-gen feel-good experience.
Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown keeps the legacy of the past by maintaining its core values and keeping the game as intact as possible. The game is easy enough to get into for newcomers, but the updates and polish make it also something that long-time fans will enjoy. However, I feel that if you’re not a competitive online player, it’s best to grab it on your PS Plus or PS Now (if applicable) subscription.
Playing this game in its “Intergrade” form is such a privilege that is truly magnified when you get to experience 60fps and almost no loading times. Anyone who owns a PS5, whether replaying the game or a first-timer, would surely enjoy this release in its most polished state, the way it was meant to be played, fixed doors and all. As a whole, Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade is a complete experience. They’ve improved on the visual fidelity that corrected a lot of the hiccups from the PS4 version while adding the INTERmission side content enables the story to open up to a much larger world away from the Midgar-centric stage.
At the end of the day, Guilty Gear Strive is a masterful effort from Arc System Works, proving time and time again that they’re one of the best at what they do. The slightly simplified game mechanics should make it easier for casuals to dive in and hopefully get better the longer they play but is still an insanely deep and technical fighter that will take veterans hundreds of hours to fully master.
It is clear that Legend of Mana Remaster has been released for fans of retro JRPGs that would not mind what condition it came out in. The good news is that the game is preserved as best as it is, sprites and all, however everything that also was frustrating about this type of game also carried over including some control delay, dated gameplay, and unengaging story.
Anchored by a fun and engaging combat system, Scarlet Nexus puts the emphasis on action, which offers stylish combos and flashy visual effects. Features like SAS and the Bond Episodes show the willingness of Bandai Namco to expand their repertoire and are put to great effect here. Sadly, repetitiveness bogs Scarlet Nexus down, especially towards the end. With a less than compelling storyline to go through, battles will tend to feel routine, and this is further weighed down by some bits of uninspired level design and excessively large areas that take you around in circles.
F1 2021 is by far the best Formula 1 racing game out there, bar none. There’s not much to nitpick apart from the usual “it’s an annual release”, but this installment surely stands tall due to the addition of Braking Point and current-gen features, particularly for the DualSense.
The Falconeer suffers from a lopsided tug of war between creative elements and frustrating game mechanics. While I enjoyed the nuanced politics between the settlements especially as the game gets more difficult, the tedious side missions and radiant quests rob it of its sparkle. For every combat instance that you engage in, so many of them involve really frustrating delivery quests that can be easily failed and you have to repeat to progress.
The Ascent is not perfect, but it is fun as hell. The frenetic gunplay is only supported by its engaging aesthetic. If you don’t mind not having a fully immersive experience that has a shallow narrative, what you will get is a massive arcology to explore, along with taking on hordes of foes with your hard-earned loot. Its deceptively simplistic gameplay only allows for better exploration and engagement with its many sidequests.
The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles is a great way for potential fans to hop on and check out the Ace Attorney series. For those who can appreciate the visual novel storytelling and its light-hearted wonder, you get two games for the price of one, and it really doesn’t get better than that.
NEO: The World Ends with You stands strong among a sea of releases, and is a worthwhile entry whether or not you’ve played the first game from 2007. The story of a game organized by Reapers is interesting enough, but the fun combat system and catchy soundtrack wrap it up in a fantastically presented package that is nothing but a treat to play.
Hades is a triumph from Supergiant Games, and despite losing the charm of portable play from the Switch, seeing it all play out in glorious 4K is more than worth the trade-off. Hades is the culmination of the lessons learned from the Supergiant's previous releases, resulting in a masterful effort that will appeal even to players who aren't fans of the genre.
In a time where we’re being bombarded with larger open worlds with endless fetch quests and high-difficulty roguelike combat in every corner, it’s refreshing to have a game that just charms us traditionally, and Greak: Memories of Azur does just that.
Foreclosed has many great ideas such as the comic book aesthetic, the film noir mood, and the great use of cyberpunk thematic elements. Yet, when put into practice, it’s a mess. The broken gunplay mechanics, unfriendly checkpoints, and yet another developer jumping on the Dualsense hype train without making it actually work ruins the intriguing premise.