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For a free upgrade, the next-gen patch is a real blessing here and it is certainly a great step for the game to take in its attempts to gain a second chance at becoming a new regular in your play cycles. Your engagement with the endgame aspects of Avengers is going to be solely down to your preferences and your tolerance for an intense, grinding style of game as seen with the emergence of the “live service” game, with even my short dip into the online field matching me up with players who out-ranked my power level a substantial amount. However, I have no desire to search for loot, to make my characters as powerful as possible, or even grind for some cosmetic skins, as ultimately the core hook just isn’t enough to keep me coming back. What is here is mechanically solid, but it never manages to be gratifying enough to keep me invested past an hour or so—and with the grind the game requires, that is just not enough time to get engrossed with the elements at play here.
So though the Switch port of It’s About Time takes a significant step down graphics-wise, it’s a fair trade-off to ensure the game’s colourful, zany antics aren’t lost in translation. That is to say, it’s the brilliantly rich and responsive platforming that should be focused on here, rather than the dulled-down visuals – it’s certainly not enough to hinder your capacity to bash crates, munch wumpa fruit, and spin attack your way through time and space. Oodibigah!
If you can avoid these performance issues, thankfully there’s a great deal of fun to be had with The Climb 2. While in many ways it does not feel like a massive leap in content from the first game and still somewhat feels a tad tech demo like for a game released in 2021, for fans of the thrill of free-soling and finding enjoyment in besting others in time records, it will be sure to please and keep you coming back for hours. Perhaps we will this gameplay engine implemented into a larger scope title down the line from Crytek.
Pacer is a thrilling racing game with plenty of content, variety and customisation. A couple of rough edges and slightly disappointing combat keep it from reaching true greatness but it’s still a fun trip down memory lane, even when you’re going at 1,000 kilometres per hour.
Dry Drowning is a fun experience that uses its format well and has clearly been created by people with a lot of love for the genre. Even if you don’t ordinarily play visual novels, I think there’s a lot more to keep you engaged than you would expect. There’s a real sense that your choices craft the narrative and Mordred’s journey, and whilst there is a lot happening the game does a good job at keeping you on track. If you’re in the mood to play detective, you’ll definitely find something to enjoy here.
If you, like me loved Jak and Daxter on your PS2 back in the day and also loved MediEvil, I’m almost positive there will be something about Pumpkin Jack that will bring a smile to your face. It is exactly aimed at that kind of player, while also being quite accessible to new players and charming enough along the way to get you invested in exploring each level. It definitely doesn’t break any ground in the genre but it is a worthy entry in the genre even just solely based on how well it pays homage to what inspired it in the first place. It might not be everything that I want it to be now, but I’m already holding out hope to see a Pumpkin Jack 2 that answers all my prayers.
There is a lot to appreciate here: the atmosphere and general presentation are super well done and were just enough to ensure that I was never fully against my time with the game. Yet the story did not do anything for me, and if you’re not into the story with a walking sim it is for sure a recipe for a bad time. There is an audience for In Rays of the Light, with the two endings providing a small reason to go back (as well as looking for some notes to expand upon the narrative), fans of the genre will be right at home here—while others may find the experience swiftly forgotten upon the credits rolling.
Taxi Chaos sought to emulate a 22 year old classic, thus having 22 years to learn what made Crazy Taxi great. Despite this, Taxi Chaos falls flat and fails to recapture the thrills and high-speed gameplay of its progenitor. At its high price point on the Nintendo eShop in relation to the content within, I cannot recommend Taxi Chaos in its current, shallow state.
As a whole, Ghosts ‘n Goblins Resurrection is an incredible remake of the original. It does everything a remake should, in that it keeps the core feeling of what made the original click with players while updating it for a modern audience. However, I can’t stress this enough though: do not play on the Knight or Legend difficulty levels until you genuinely feel ready, whenever that is. Neither are, in my opinion, a good way to experience everything that is wonderful about Ghosts ‘n Goblins Resurrection, and will only leave you frustrated beyond belief.
Destruction AllStars is like a well-oiled machine—it looks the part and does the job. However, once the thrills of landing the perfect slam or launching yourself from an imminent K.O. fade away, what is left is a relatively shallow experience that will struggle to keep you playing longer than a dozen hours. That may be fine for those swiping this up during its stint on PS Plus, but for anyone paying their hard-earned cash for this lacklustre experience, well… you’re in for an expensive ride.
With interesting themes, a compelling story, and a creeping sense of dread, The Medium is a mature and atmospheric experience that I really enjoyed playing. It’s a major evolution for Bloober Team, building on elements from their earlier games and making bold new strides in other areas. After Observer: System Redux, I was excited to play The Medium. Now I genuinely can’t wait for what they do next. Let’s see where it truly all ends.
Cyber Shadow is the quintessential 2D retro-style ninja platformer. Aarne Hunziker has absolutely outdone himself with this title in every sense of the word. I genuinely don’t have anything negative to say about it, and even the one thing I did have a slight problem with I wouldn’t change (that being checkpoint frequency). The difficulty can feel frustrating at times, but it is in no way insurmountable, and honestly just gives it more of a retro vibe. Cyber Shadow excels in every way through its beautiful presentation, a soundtrack that slaps harder with each new song, a touching story, and absolutely thrilling gameplay. This is an absolute must play for any fans of 2D platformers.
Hitman III is a personal game of the year contender, and not because it is asking nicely with lavish graphics and large-scale levels. Instead, it has an ICA Silverballer pressed hard against my skull demanding to stand atop that list, with some of the best level design I’ve ever seen and a density that elicits a real challenge—and I don’t feel like arguing against it. Hitman III is a fun, addictive, and exceptionally satisfying gaming experience that highlights how we don’t need expansive open worlds—just a building full of bad guys, a slick-looking suit, and a tightly strung garotte wire. I would go on, but I’ve got some Emetic rat poison to serve and a trilogy to catch up on.
Swords of Gargantua is a short thrill ride of an experience that tries to stretch it out to a length it simply doesn’t have the legs for. Between momentary bouts of motion sickness, dull and uninspiring enemy variety, and a flawed form of gameplay that strays far from the supposed “hyper-realistic swordsmanship” that was slapped on its trailer, I became entirely deflated from my time with the game and simultaneously disappointed that I kept playing at all. Those early hours reminded me of why I love VR so much, and just how well those short burst experiences work for the format. Alas, Swords of Gargantua is like a once-great TV show that simply will not end.
Yet even with these massive issues, I would be telling a lie if I did not find the whole thing addictive. Perhaps that is the most frustrating part, what is here is great in concept, and there is so much room for improvement that it raises frustration that there was not more time taken to expand upon the mission format and game mechanics to make the game something truly unique. In fact, I was so checked out with the repetitive nature of it all that nine hours later the Platinum Trophy popped, so that must count for something. With it being free on the PS5 as of writing with PlayStation Plus, then there are zero reasons not to check it out and see if it scratches an itch you might have. Past that, hold your breath for a potential sequel that could make Maneater a real stand-out title and an easy one to recommend in the future.
There were narrative moments I wasn’t expecting, and some were actually rather fun. For instance, I ended up picking up a cube in a lighthouse and spending 6 years in some kind of alien realm while the aliens gathered information on Earth via my body. That was a genuine surprise and perhaps my favourite of the endings I got. I will say that I had a certainly less frustrating time with The Innsmouth Case than I did with the last game of this genre I reviewed, My Aunt is a Witch. At the start, it was able to capture my attention and I was actually really enjoying the story, but it’s a shame that the repetitiveness and the number of different endings you could have just ended up in me losing interest completely.
With Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game – Complete Edition, you are getting exactly what it says on the tin; this is the complete edition, with no real added bells or whistles. The original DLC is included, which adds Knives and Wallace as playable characters, along with a few bonus modes that offer some decent distractions from the main story, yet there is a real lack of legacy content here to make the title feel like a true celebration. Regardless, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game – Complete Edition remains the same blast of a game that it was over a decade ago, whether you are playing alone, locally via co-op, or even through online co-op, it is a game that will appeal to most, and is a must-have for those who are fans of the source material. Now, let us just pray that Ubisoft doesn’t have to take this version off the store in the future too!
Arizona Sunshine is at its absolute best when it takes a step back, places you in an enclosed environment and turns off the lights with one stage entrapping you in a pitch-black mine, with your only light source for some stretches being a single flashlight. It is easily the standout moment of the game, creating an unsettling sense of dread that shows the team have a real knack for the more horror focussed roots the genre has. In 2016 it was understandable that such a title would become a favourite among fans, and it is great to see a VR game sustain momentum for this amount of time. Yet with the likes of The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners also finding their way onto quest, offering a far more refined and in-depth experience, it is hard to get super excited about it. What Arizona Sunshine does provide is a fun arcade zombie shooter, and while it may not keep your attention for hours on end, offers a solid blast of undead killing action.
Brigandine: The Legend of Runersia is a good Strategy/Tactical RPG. But that’s all it is, it’s good but it doesn’t innovate over its contemporaries or bring anything new to the table. The main motivation for continuing is to see your nation succeed but the game does make that difficult with the repetitive but solid gameplay and frequent losses of high-level units sapping your motivation after extended periods of time. I would recommend Brigandine: The Legend of Runersia to those looking for a more typical tactical RPG experience if you’re coming off the back of a more introductory title such as Fire Emblem. If you’re a seasoned tactical RPG player, I would not go into Runersia expecting anything new compared to previous titles you may have played.
Yet the real beauty of Planet Coaster is that it has something for everyone. You may be inclined to a more task-oriented game, hoping to save the worst parks from the brink of bankruptcy, or you may rather splurge cash on everything and anything to make the wackiest park ever. Even if, like me, your creative design choices go as far as “make coaster go very fast and high,” you will still find yourself giggling away as you make ridiculous business decisions with little consequences like some crazed tycoon monster (charging $111 for a decaf coffee is just oh so funny). Despite a learning curve on the control scheme and the tragic fact that guests may not ride your coaster if it is absolutely insane to the point of traveling warp-speed, Planet Coaster: Console Edition is a blast and a worthy port of an already excellent title.