Last Word on Gaming
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It’s tough to find criticism with Eiyuden Chronicles: Hundred Heroes without leveling criticism at the genre itself. One thing that I found detrimental was the encounter rate of battles; at times I felt I hadn’t moved five steps without another battle occurring. There is an “auto” battle feature but I didn’t find it quite as helpful as it tended to select moves that wasted skill points or moves whereas I could have set it up to not even require half-a-turn. I wanted to learn more about the developing story but consistently had to wait for another battle to pass. And yet, I find it hard to critique that because experiencing random enemy battles is literally one of the cornerstones of the role-playing genre; it’s a benchmark. How does one fault that? It’s been said in the foodie world that to judge a pizza place, it all comes down to a slice of their cheese pizza. If that’s good, the rest will be too. Eiyuden Chronicles: Hundred Heroes is the RPG version of a slice of cheese pizza. It was good then, and it’s good now.
Sons of Valhalla has some ways to go. I’m hoping a couple of updates will ease some of the tedium of the city building and waiting for units. It felt like I was stuck through a lot of my playthrough, having to wait for something or another rather than forging ahead. I wouldn’t even mind waiting for tactical purposes, but there really isn’t much more to the game aside from clicking at enemies and watching your army take care of business. I died during 2 sieges. When I got back to the camp, my army had played the game without me and took them. It just feels a bit disconnected. With a little push, this game has something special. For now though, I’d recommend waiting some time.
3D platformers with this much quality are rare nowadays. A mix of Mario Odyssey and Sonic is sure to appeal to a wide array of players. Odyssey players especially will have a great time finding out the full array of abilities the yo-yo offers. There’s enough replayability and interest on offer to make this worth the purchase.
FM24 is just another FM game, but it improves on the tried and true formula while making the overall experience better and the visuals much sharper. If you’re going to get a version of this game then Football Manager 2024 is undeniably the way to go.
AEW: Fight Forever is a solid first step into the gaming world for All Elite Wrestling. They’ve already got the gameplay down and have something they can expand on in future games to really make their mark. It is, however, a game that lacks any real depth, and with the CAW options being so bare they’re going to be relying on multiplayer fun to carry the game’s momentum. With some minor improvements and polish, they could make an exceptional follow-up but their first foray into gaming is merely a solid entry that will leave single-player users without much to do after a few days.
On the surface, this looks like a decent sports/management simulation game and at first, I’d agree. For the first few hours I couldn’t put this down but as time went on it grew repetitive and more of a chore than a fun game. I’ve played a lot of games from this genre and sunk hours into similar games from Kairosoft but this one missed the mark and likely won’t make its way back into my gameplay rotation.
Figment 2 is one of the best games I’ve played in 2023. It may have a short runtime but it uses every second to tell a simple story and blow you away both with its visuals and its audio. The core gameplay remains interesting until the very end while every area you visit is full of character and charm that makes this one impossible to put down.
At first, I hated Clive ‘N’ Wrench, I didn’t see any appeal and thought it was a terrible game. As I played it and got used to the controls I found myself enjoying some aspects of the game because it is an attempted homage to one of my all-time favourite genres. If like me, you’re a fan of 3D platformers from yesteryear, you’ll find SOMETHING that attracts you to Clive ‘N’ Wrench. Unfortunately, the title has too many issues to really flourish and reach its full potential. For a debut effort, the developer did a lot right and a lot wrong, all I can hope for is that they focus on what they did right with this one and knock it out of the park next time.
SpongeBob SquarePants The Cosmic Shake is a charming, funny, and sometimes great game. At its heart, it is a masterful platformer but it gets sidetracked too often with underexplored mechanics and a desire to focus on tedious combat. It is still a very easy game to pick up and play through, but it falls short of the excellence that this franchise expects in the video game world.
While Persona 3 Portable isn’t perfect, it is still a viable way to experience one of the best games ever. This is by far the best Persona game of the series, it has the best pacing, the best music, the best art, everything. While this port is lacking some of the things that FES had that made it an all-time classic, it is still one of the best games on the Nintendo Switch, and that’s saying something.
Lone Ruin is a solid addition to the roguelike genre, especially for those in need of a challenge. It’s got a strong art direction that enhances the darker mood the game is going for. The boss fights are an easy highlight as the developers really get to flex their muscles with those but the gameplay loop isn’t quite good enough, or long enough, to thrive otherwise. The weaker abilities and items render some attempts futile without me even doing anything wrong and success largely feels down to luck rather than my own choices for the most part.
I don’t think any number grading could ever fully translate my thoughts on Trifox. It’s a game that does so much right and stands out in the action-adventure genre as one of the more well-designed and creative titles I’ve played in a while. Despite that, there are just too many small things that hold it back from reaching its full potential. I would love to see this team get another swing at a Trifox game, a tightened-up sequel could be a contender for best indie game of the year, but for now, Trifox stands as a pretty good game, but one limited by its own faults.
Overall, Nine Noir Lives has everything you’d want from a point-and-click adventure. The memorable characters, interesting item combinations and solvable puzzles are strung together in a fun and engaging mystery narrative that will keep you playing for hours on end. When you factor in the vibrant hand-drawn art style, the orchestral soundtrack and impeccable voice acting, it become a hard game for point-and-click adventure fans to miss.
Disney Dreamlight Valley is a quintessential Disney fan experience that shakes up the life simulation genre. While it has its performance issues and occasionally leaves me unable to find the materials necessary to complete a quest it is a charming and addictive experience.
It is hard for a platform-fighting game to live up to the hype and the legacy that Super Smash Bros has brought to the gaming industry. MultiVersus, however, has shown they have the potential, the product, and the hype to develop into a great potential franchise. MultiVersus is a game that is highly addicting as there are different schemes and goals to keep me invested. The game looks to add several more characters and stages as time goes on. Rick Sanchez from Rick and Morty is set to be included in MultiVersus in early August. There will be several other skins and battle passes options that will be tempting to buy. If the game was not free, it might not be as popular, but they are taking a page out of Fortnite’s book to get people to play for free and potentially have them buy their products. Regardless, MutliVersus is a game that looks to improve over time. For a game that has had a strong start while in its beta stage shows, it could be a big favorite for years to come.
Train Valley: Console Edition is a very good transition to consoles for the PC staple. While the User Interface at times isn’t great almost all PC-focused games struggle to make that change for consoles. Ultimately, the gameplay is very enjoyable and strategy fans will have a good time thinking three steps ahead to make sure things at the station continue to run smoothly.
Not every game has to bring the State-of-the-Art graphics that bigger companies install. The game is able to bring an old, campy style of art design that appeals to the roguelike playstyle of action-packed dungeon crawling. What the game lacks in high-quality graphics, it makes up for in retro-style visuals. The visuals of the game make the gameplay feel smooth yet consistent. The art is well-done including the OC, the enemies, the setting, and the action taking place. It isn’t a game that takes itself too seriously with the content, but they go beyond the visual standards of arcade-style roguelike games to give players a thrilling setting. The camera setting is also solid, but it can be moved to adjust to the players’ dependability and turn into previously hard-to-see areas.
This was a game where I was pleasantly surprised by how riveting the story was. The characters, the story, and the villains continued to engage my interest. The sounds, music, and noise were true to the nature of the game and the setting. There are times when the background effects, such as the lightning and the flames are very good, but as the player gets closer, they start to become drifty. The effects and scenery are good, but some effects can cause the game to glitch slightly. It is even more glitchy when going through the portals. The missions are more simplistic, and the action/shooting is subpar, but the game needs tend to make up for it in stealth and building. The main purpose of this game is to get to the objectives, mainly through stealth, and while the diversity of the missions is lacking, there is no doubt they can be engaging. For players who want to be invested in a game that takes time and a lot of strategizing in a horrifying setting, Chernobylite is the game for them.
Even with criticisms regarding combat, Trek to Yomi is far from a bad place. It’s apparent that Flying Wild Hog took this game as a labor of love, putting so much heart and character into it. Anyone that enjoys the samurai film genre, Japanese history, or less traditional games, in general, would be wise to give this a shot. I played this game on Xbox Series S via Game Pass, though it is available on other platforms. It can also be completed in anywhere from 5 to 6 hours, meaning that it won’t overstay its welcome. If you have an afternoon to spare, after reading our Trek to Yomi review, steel yourself and set forth on a journey you may never forget.
Cat Cafe Manager is an addictive management simulation game that balances enjoyable gameplay with a good supporting cast, an actually useful skill tree, and a heartwarming story. A couple of minor issues hold the game back from perfection but it’s a great game nonetheless.