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Nobody Wants to Die is a fun time, if you like piecing together a whodunnit. Outside of that, though, don’t expect anything more. The story is thoroughly entertaining, and at least two endings paired with branching story beats ensures you’ll see or hear something different if you play it more than once. While a low-action, linear game probably isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, those who like this style will find plenty to love in Nobody Wants to Die. Critical Hit Games has done a great job for their debut title, and hopefully we will see more from them in the future.
Fans of survival MMOs should get their share of resource gathering, combat, and building in Once Human. For a free-to-play game, it offers quite an impressive playtime to enjoy without any constrictions, and the production values are quite good overall. It can be a riot for solo players for some long hours but it gets more enjoyable in a group, and the issues that be aren’t enough to deter any player who is having fun with it. Give it a shot and the most you can lose is the time it took you to install it and play for a while.
In terms of visual direction, EvilVEvil is a bit rough on the edges. First impressions are quite mediocre, warehouse level looking like something out of the early 2000s, and the looks only improve slightly as you move into the city streets and begin realizing that the art and the areas have a certain flair to them and are not that bad. But there’s no going past the fact that enemy models – and your very own playable vampires – are extremely rough, the UI is crude, and it could have done with some more time in the oven… or the coffin, in this case.
Anger Foot is a lot of fun, there’s no question about it. But some players may feel that it’s also something of a one-trick pony, which I understand to an extent. It’s all about furiously rushing through a stage kicking and shooting, reaching the end and doing it all over again in a different but often similar area. I didn’t get tired of doing this for a few hours, but your mileage may vary.
Ultimately, the battles in Crown Wars: The Black Prince end up being extremely long, somewhat dull, and worrisome due to some of the issues described above. It’s not necessarily a bad game and the gameplay loop can be interesting if you stick to it, but it lacks polish and fine-tuning, resulting in a flawed offering that will quickly make fans of the genre start looking elsewhere for better alternatives.
King Arthur: Legion IX doesn’t represent a true step forward from King Arthur: Knight’s Tale, and in some regards it’s even a simplified version of said game. The value for those who own the first one is debatable, but if they are looking for more of the same, this is a good option although it may disappoint in some aspects; on the other hand, new players may get more enjoyment from this tactical game, assuming they are looking for a challenge and aren’t bothered by the lack of playable characters or the middling writing.
The First Descendant is a solid looter shooter with some exciting moments that falls into repetition due to its grind, something that is somewhat expected but still tiresome. It could easily be a premium title if the monetization had been worked out in other ways, so now we have a free-to-play game that offers many hours of entertainment, but that could also potentially outstay its welcome faster than it should. It looks terrific at times, with good character design and some interesting bosses, although the downside is that it can often be another one of those advocates for the “grey and dull” environments. Gunplay feels fast and enjoyable, but grind and monetization may end up being the factor that will keep it from ascending to the next level.
At the end of the day, though, XDefiant is free to try and free to own. There is literally zero barriers for entry to try it out. But even so, does it respect the player enough to warrant pouring hours into it? I have to say yes, but barely. Sure, the developers have promised a lot of things that are headed to the game, but we can’t grade a product based on its potential, right? If the devs do manage to add a ping system, adjust objective scoring, etc., then that could make XDefiant one of the year’s best multiplayer experiences. But until that day happens, we need to score it based on what’s on the table. For now, XDefiant is worth the download and disk space. I mean, I’m now at level 80+ and even with the issues I’ve mentioned, I’m still playing it; that has to account for something, right? If its execution matches its ambition, then this could be the start of another long-running Ubisoft franchise.
Braid Anniversary Edition is a good example of it being very hard to mess up a great thing, which Braid itself already was. Every change or addition in this remake was for the better, as the game itself was not just updated superficially, but also received new content for players old and new to experience. The original Braid still holds up well today as one of the best puzzle-platformers ever made and now Braid Anniversary Edition continues to prove that in this stellar remake.
It took a long time for Sand Land to transition from manga to other mediums, but I am certainly glad we have gotten the opportunity now to appreciate another of Toriyama’s creations in multiple ways after his passing. Sand Land as a game is a solid action RPG that tries some new things with the vehicle-based combat on top of a standard regular combat system, albeit with some flaws, along with keeping you invested for much longer through the captivating story largely propelled by the likable characters themselves. For those who have watched the anime and want to explore this world or those who know absolutely nothing about the story going in, Sand Land is a worthwhile experience for anybody looking for a fairly safe RPG that will give them about 20-30 hours of gameplay overall, even more so if they appreciate the art style of Toriyama.
Hellblade 2 is more of a good thing, a thing that started with the first game and doesn’t change a winning formula. Admittedly, it’s not a formula that is going to win over everyone, but the limited gameplay is offset by the stunning visual and aural work, the entrancing journey into psychosis with the voices constantly messing with Senua’s ambitions and insecurities, and an overall cinematic feel that very few games manage to rival.
While I know it’s not the perfect game, and certainly not one for everyone, I do know that it’ll be a title that I’ll find myself returning to year after year until Dragon’s Dogma 3 is made. Let’s hope that’s not another 12 years, but if it is, at least we’ll have a sequel to keep us busy for the years to come. Dragon’s Dogma 2 is an instant classic, the ultimate RPG adventure that fans have been dreaming about, making that long wait well worth it.
Would I recommend picking these titles up if you’re a recently converted Star Wars fan and you’ve never played them before? No, I don’t think I would. The inherent value of the Star Wars Battlefront Classic Collection lies primarily in its nostalgia factor. For those of us who grew up playing Ewok Hunt on Endor and abusing Anakin’s Force Choke in Mos Eisley, this package will feel like home. But it’ll feel the same way home feels when you move out for the first time and come back to find that your parents are not idols but normal people, and flawed people at that. The Battlefront Classic Collection presents Star Wars Battlefront 1 and 2 in their most faithful forms and refuses to elaborate on them, down to every quirk, fault, and irritating repetitive bug. Making these games accessible on modern systems is great, sure. Making them accessible by modern standards would have been better. The Star Wars Battlefront Classic Collection is a delightful and painful romp through old stomping grounds that will likely lose its short-lived luster in a matter of weeks. The good old days are not as good as they seem. It’s time to let the past die. Kill it if we have to.
https://mp1st.com/reviews/classified-france-44-review-tactical-assault-friendsClassified France ‘44 is a midrange yet ambitious attempt at a once-popular genre (one that’s not easy to recommend to players. Unless you’re looking at a little variety in your gaming diet, or you really love tactics games, then you might want to think twice before enlisting.
The gauntlet has already been thrown as a Game of the Year contender with Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, and it’s going to take one hell of a game to match its quality in 2024. The expanded story is riveting from start to finish, serving as essentially the Empire Strikes Back of the trilogy. Even the smallest of sidequests can add something to the lore of the world or the overall narrative that you wouldn’t expect as well, making you want to complete everything the game offers. It is pretty amazing what Square Enix has managed to put together here with this Remake trilogy, and I cannot wait to see how they build on Final Fantasy VII Rebirth for the third and final chapter in what is setting up to be one of the greatest gaming trilogies of all time.
I have no experience in making games, but I imagine crafting a AAA experience on a new IP is not an easy task, and Don’t Nod manages to do that and then some. Prepare yourself for the first surprise hit of the year, and if the game’s quality is any indication, this looks like the start of a new franchise — one that I can’t wait to dive into yet again. Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden is one haunting you owe it to yourself to experience.
Being a looter and a GaaS doesn’t mean you have to follow the genre’s norm, and Rocksteady had a real opportunity here to really be different from other Gaas looter shooters. There are some excellent mechanics in Suicide Squad that other looters should have, but in the end, they don’t do enough to carry it through with what’s there for the post-game. That is unless you like turning your brain off entirely, but that doesn’t make the criticism disappear. The studio chased after the promise of what GaaS could bring but, in doing so, forgot what made people love them so much. There are still moments of that seen in the campaign, and I would still recommend any fan to play it at one point. But here, right now? Probably not, at least not at the asking price for an incomplete experience.
I will admit, after spending some time with Granblue Fantasy: Relink across two different preview events, I wasn’t convinced Cygames had done much more than produce a by-the-numbers JRPG adaptation of their popular mobile and browser-centric franchise. But I suppose that’s the difference between being dropped into the middle of a game and starting from scratch. There are a lot of fully fleshed-out characters and systems to get used to and master, over a hundred different weapons to level up and upgrade, plenty of quests to undertake, and as much lore as most fans might be willing to sift through. Yet the main campaign doesn’t overstay its welcome. Relink also has a beautiful, if slightly technically underwhelming, look to the world. In short, Granblue Fantasy: Relink is a great JRPG, and even if you’ve never played Granblue Fantasy before if you enjoy action JRPGs at all, you owe it to yourself to give this one a shot.
Tekken 8 joins a full roster of fighting games, and competes with the best of them. Naturally, as we couldn’t take the game online during our review period, it remains to be seen how effective Bandai Namco and Akira were at implementing rollback netcode. All Tekken fans should buy Tekken 8 without hesitation, and most fighting game fans will find something to like as well. Though the year may have just started, Tekken 8 will probably compete for fighting game of the year and barring any surprises, should be the runaway winner.
Like a Dragon’s Infinite Wealth delivers a captivating RPG experience that surpasses its predecessor in every way. With refined mechanics and an expansive world bursting with content, players are treated to a gaming experience of remarkable depth. The emotionally charged narrative, filled with unexpected turns, adds a layer of poignancy, making the journey in Infinite Wealth a memorable exploration of both gameplay and storytelling excellence. It may not be on everyone’s list of games to play, but it definitely should be. As for this reviewer, it makes a strong early claim of being my personal Game of the Year.