Gamepur's Reviews
Everspace 2 is a great game for those who enjoy space exploration and complex battle systems. The skill required during combat is fulfilling when done right, and punishingly brutal when not properly executed. However, those looking for an immersive story to slide into may want to consider a more RPG-drive title, as the narrative of Everspace 2 sometimes feels lacking or unpolished. It is a great way to lose track of time while piloting a ship, but not likely to replace any of the standouts in the genre.
Dredge is a game that is clearly inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft but doesn’t push those ideas to make them too obvious. Instead, it uses a slow-building dread to keep the tension high and impose a sense of urgency, as if the world is about to end and you need to complete every quest you have on the go immediately. The gameplay is solid, with just the right amount of micro-management to make it feel like a fishing game while retaining your interest through a gripping narrative that’s carefully woven throughout the whole world. If you like fishing, cosmic horror, and everything in between, then this is a game you’re going to love.
One Piece Odyssey is a slice of fan service that is easy to recommend for die-hard fans. As a game detached from its brand, it doesn’t bring anything new or exciting to turn-based combat. From the story's perspective, the plot was straightforward to predict and quickly left my mind as soon as it entered.
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet takes the familiar trappings of the mainline series and overextends them while supporting its structure and foundation with duct tape and silly putty. Scarlet and Violet promises to add more to the core Pokémon formula, but all it truly adds is more square footage. It’s a game that invites unflattering comparisons to other open-world video games, current and past, and even ones from Nintendo itself.
For every vomit-inducing scene of body horror, you’ll also lose your lunch at the game’s technical and design issues. Like the creature and the protagonist, it just feels as if Scorn is fighting against itself at every step along the way.
Ultimately, Cat Cafe Manager feels like a light game you can pick up and play between meatier titles that take dozens of hours to finish.
If you look at WWE 2K22 as a foundational game for the future of the WWE franchise, then this is undoubtedly a step forward. The greatly improved in-ring action is not nearly enough to make up for ho-hum to poor modes that give you little reason to return to the actual wrestling.
Without the ebb and flow of truly great level design, Ghostrunner’s hallways and arenas can blur together into a neon mess. This is especially true in Project_Hel, which largely takes place in the same district in the tower. With that in mind, it’s best to play with the base game firmly in the realm of memory.
To some degree, this feels like an early access game in everything but the release schedule and pricing. It has its core down. It knows exactly what it wants to be. However, everything around that needs more polish before it’s ready for primetime. So, even though I didn’t really like my time with the game, I guess I believe in Dying Light 2? I truly think I’ll look back in a year or two — when memories have faded — and think past me was dead wrong for giving it such a low score.
With The Dark Pictures Anthology, it is quite obvious and explicit that Until Dawn developer Supermassive Games is attempting to muck about with as wide a spread of horror tropes as possible. It’s certainly an advantage for the ambitious project — there are countless horror cliches and gimmicks stuck in our collective minds. But in the midst of my first playthrough of Little Hope, the sophomore entry of The Dark Pictures, I questioned whether or not these tropes were worth having any affection over.
On the surface, Blood Bowl 3 should be the kind of game I’d hate. As a denizen of the United Kingdom, I know as much about American football as the average house cat. By contrast, I know a lot about Warhammer, but even that has been twisted in Blood Bowl 3, with the familiar factions settling their disputes through sports, like some kind of ultra-violent take on Mario and Bowser playing tennis together.
The true horror behind The Callisto Protocol is how much it wants to be Dead Space without directly being tied to the franchise. The Callisto Protocol’s style and gameplay feel like hollow shells of what it’s trying to emulate, without any genuine, risky attempts to make the formula feel distinctly unique.
High on Life features unique gameplay and character designs that make this game feel like a psychedelic experience as much as it does a shooter. Along the way, gadgets will enhance not only your capabilities but add to the fun as well. The amusement of experiencing something new and unusual has a certain novelty to it, but High on Life ultimately ends up feeling stale after enough tedious blathering from stock Justin Roiland characters.
Goat Simulator 3 is a game packed with strange and unusual activities for you to participate in. For the most part, this game is extremely entertaining and worthwhile if you have a friend or group of friends to play it with. The crazy clothing abilities, satirical comedy, and over-the-top minigames will keep you amused for a while. Unfortunately, the game is very short and it won’t take you long to get through everything.
PGA Tour 2K23 is a decent golf game, and it is the route to go if you didn’t play 2K21. 2K23’s gameplay doesn’t have any glaring problems, and it offers enough of a challenge that makes attaining a low score that much more satisfying. Its biggest issues are with what PGA Tour 2K23 does not offer.
Hard West 2 takes the familiar tactical strategy genre and gives it just enough twists to keep things interesting. It also boasts some great artwork and a better story than many of its genre compatriots. Unfortunately, several technical issues take off the shine of what could be a phenomenal game.
The gameplay in MX vs. ATV Legends is a mixed bag. There’s a good amount to like here, as the bike and vehicle customization allows for players to get their ideal tunes, which is perfect for getting things right on bumpy, treacherous roads.
Vampire: The Masquerade – Swansong really shines when it comes to resource management and confrontations. You'll be on the edge of your seat, waiting for the opportune moment to use that skill you’ve been holding off on or keeping your hunger low so you can control your victims. Take this with a grain of salt though, because there are potential game-breaking bugs that could alter your enjoyment of the game.
RiffTrax: The Game is still funny — it will just be dependent on you to make it funny enough.
The strategic gameplay is fun but isn’t quite as deep as I expected. The story has moments that felt very on-brand for the series and well done, while at some other points, I wasn’t grabbed like I felt I should. The RPG elements are well made and add to the experience, but they don’t have the same punch as its namesake. I can see fans of the series enjoying it, but compared to its brothers, it isn’t as strong an entry, and franchise fatigue plays a part in my feelings towards the game. Perhaps Atlus should consider looking to the next era of Persona before they end up tarnishing the great legacy created with this one.