Gamepur's Reviews
Chocobo GP will likely be an entertaining diversion from a game like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe rather than a full-on rival.
While Dynasty Warriors 9: Empires didn’t blow us away by doing something fresh with the franchise, that’s never been the point with Musou titles. The game gives you more of what you want: colossal battles in which you regularly rack up thousands of kills and see epic rivalries between great leaders emerge and die before your eyes.
Sifu is a complex, albeit rewarding action game that packs one mean punch. It’s a little too hard for its own good at times, but taking the time to overcome its challenges can be pretty fulfilling. That said, the game is grossly drenched in exoticism, which kind of puts a damper on things.
If it sounds like I am hard on Halo Infinite’s campaign, it is because I am. I expected a lot from 343 Industries and Microsoft, and I am left feeling somewhat disappointed. With the multiplayer being spun off into a free-to-play standalone with its own monetization, we are now paying full price for this campaign, and it doesn’t live up to the price tag. Yes, the actual gameplay is superb, but that alone cannot carry an entire campaign.
Battlefield 2042 is an unpolished buggy mess that has kept my attention for days. It has its fair share of quirks, bugs, and performance issues that need to be fixed, but it really presents the player with something that can’t be found anywhere else in the FPS market. There’s nothing like loading into a game with 63 teammates as infantry, jets, tanks, helicopters all push the same objectives.
I was never completely won over by Age of Empires IV. Still, I had a great time playing it, and everything clicked together really well without feeling too overdone. The fact an Age of Empires game could be made in 2021 and not feel like something that’s trying too hard to lean into the nostalgia of the original games is a huge accomplishment.
While the quests are thin, Disciples: Liberation has a fantasy world where good and evil don’t feel like a huge factor. It gives you the chance to immerse yourself in the game’s tactical combat, cleverly using your units in each encounter. You’ll use the quests to assist you in bolstering your forces to ensure you come out on time with the right allies on your side, leading to the ultimate conflict.
Despite its mechanical flaws, in depicting a story of flawed characters, it’s hard to pass up on Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy. This title feels free of franchise-building and shady business practices. While it tries to ape on your familiarity with the property, it somehow all stands on its own. The visuals, lovable characters, and the promise of hijinx in space are inviting, but within this off-beat exterior is a solid emotional core.
FIFA 22 does have some room for improvement, but by and large, this wasn’t a bad start for EA and the FIFA development team.
My Time at Sandrock is like a meticulously constructed building. It’s expertly crafted upon the solid foundation of its predecessor. The post-apocalyptic setting is an architectural marvel that balances vibrant hues with pockets of profound depth and emotion. However, like any construction project, this game has its quirks. The frequent stutters and eternal loading screens make this building creak in the wind. The User Interface, too, could use a touch of redesign. Nonetheless, it’s undeniable that My Time at Sandrock has a rock-solid foundation. Ultimately, the game’s core stands firm, but a fresh coat of polish might have been the final flourish required for it to truly sparkle.
Immortals of Aveum is a solid game with plenty of heart. The magic powers and build diversity genuinely turn it into a fantastic experience, and one I want to return to for more, coming up with a unique way to use power or how to best complement everything. I wanted to enjoy the central plot more, but I never quite felt gripped by the arching dangers to become invested in it, especially alongside Jak. There’s a lot of promise with Immortals of Aveum and the magic system Ascendant Studios brought to life. I can’t wait to try flinging more magic soon and see what other unique combinations I can craft and use against my foes.
There are countless video games designed to bring simple joy to players, usually with adorable visuals and relatively easy and relaxing mechanics. Even still, mainstream video games are obligated to include objectives and a sense of challenge, often to a point where you have to work and jump through hoops for some solace and a pleasant shot of dopamine. Enter New Pokémon Snap, the long-awaited sequel, and a game that has you grind to earn that wholesomeness.
As ineloquent as this may sound, Black Ops Cold War is a weird game. It plays like a tug of war between the advancement attempts that Infinity Ward put forward in last year’s Modern Warfare and Treyarch’s own mechanical contributions to the series over the years. What results is a product that tries to have its cake and eat it too, except that Black Ops Cold War seems to want to eat multiple, different cakes. It’s a strange entry in the series that lacks polish and quality. Still, I have to admit that I am having a lot of fun with it, in the way I would with a flaws-and-all action flick.
One of the most endearing traits of any Jackbox Party Pack is how high-concept most of the games contained within are — you can explain the premise of these games to any novice and create unlimited hijinx. But with Jackbox Games turning in a new collection every year, more concepts are going through the pipeline, and the mass volume of them are diluting the ease of use of these packages. The Jackbox Party Pack 7 is undoubtedly fun, but explaining these concepts to new players is more of a challenge than ever.
New Tales From the Borderlands brings a humorous, exciting, and dramatic story that furthers the Borderlands universe.
Shovel Knight Dig is another smart repackaging of the brand. Yacht Club games already proved it could repurpose its ideas into a tile-based roguelike with Pocket Dungeon, and now Dig demonstrates what happens when the platformer gameplay is remixed for a deadly descent into a dark pit.
Soul Hackers 2 is still a blast to play. It replicates many of the best Shin Megami Tensei fundamentals such as demon fusion and a combat system that heavily relies on buffs, debuffs, and elemental weaknesses.
Digimon Survive has a surprising amount to offer casual admirers of the series, and it could even win over some new fans. Existing fans, and plenty of lapsed ones, seem like the perfect audience for this off-kilter entry in the storied catalog of Digimon games.
Having a lackluster character roster, as well as the little variety in terms of modes, does hurt Mario Strikers: Battle League’s. However, gameplay does save the day here. While simplistic, its zany, yet fun gameplay loop makes things interesting.
Your mileage will likely vary when it comes to Cart of Darkness. It comes up short in being addicting and is a bit too shallow to truly shine as a great experience. But if you’re willing to turn off your brain and want to just bash legions of baddies, there’s a good deal of entertainment to be had.