Gameffine's Reviews
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth outshines its predecessor in every aspect by providing a vast world to explore, numerous mini-games to master, and an expansive story free of filler content. However, it falls short of replicating the emotional resonance of the original’s pivotal climax. Nevertheless, it excels in developing relationships, delving deeper into character exploration, and introducing new, unforgettable story elements.
I won’t deny that my anticipation for Broken Roads has affected my opinion of the finished product in one way or another. The idea of Broken Roads propagated by the mainstream press is a far cry from the game I played to completion. The game’s witty Aussie charm and gorgeous visuals are let down by its underwhelming narrative, static game world, and barebones combat mechanics. But, if you’re a newcomer to CRPGs, then Broken Roads may satiate your urge. Even then, my suggestion is to wait for the developers to clean up the remaining bugs.
Highwater might be a bit rougher around the edges, but it does have a heart with the way it portrays humanity surviving in a watery wasteland via its simplistic blocky art style, minimalist surroundings, and moody yet calming European indie music. The gameplay loop ‘might’ become frustrating in the later stages when the frequency of battle increases, but they offer enough challenge to make you think tactically. In short, Highwater is a decent game if you’re in for the summer vibe and can’t visit a beach.
The hours I spent in Dragon’s Dogma 2 were filled with spectacular highs and frustrating lows. When the game gets going, it really gets going, before suddenly coming to a screeching halt. While I still look back to the 5 days I spent with the game with fondness and admiration towards Itsunos’ craft, the game’s poor performance coupled with Capcom’s less-than-ideal monetization practices and the underwhelming endgame tarnished my experience to a degree. Let’s just hope that Dragon’s Dogma 2’s upcoming expansion rectifies its many shortcomings. May it prove to be another Dark Arisen.
Regardless of how different Outcast: A New Beginning might have tuned out; it’d never have upped the original classic. That’s not necessarily a bad thing considering how far video games have come since Cutter Slade initially graced our screens. A New Beginning fully embraces its B-movie vibes to deliver a fun if somewhat basic gameplay loop devoid of many of the modern open-world bloat. However, THQ Nordic dropped the ball when it came to the pricing of the game. Slash the price by 20 dollars and there’s a pretty fun experience to be had here.
Rise of Ronin is a mindblowing action-adventure open-world RPG set at the end of the Shogun Era. While the game may have soul-like elements, not the difficulty, allowing more people to enjoy the game. Inspired by many mechanics from Nioh titles, the game boasts to have a compelling story with the freedom of shaping your future under your control. Rise of Ronin also excels with fluid combat and amazing sights but slightly lacks in matching the current generation graphics.
Let’s School is a fun and engaging video game that allows players to experience the joys and challenges of running a school. However, given limitations and the given genre, it may not live up to most people’s expectations. Still, considering its fair pricing model and a free demo, it is worth trying out.
‘Alone in the Dark is an impressive reimagining of the original 1992 game, enhancing the premise in every conceivable way. It boasts a stellar cast, whose performances bring the story’s beats to life. The unlockable secret endings significantly enhance its replayability. Its highly customizable difficulty settings make it accessible to a broad mainstream audience. Minor issues such as clunky gunplay and movement can be easily overlooked given its superb atmospheric immersion and ambient soundscapes.
The Thaumaturge is a curious experiment with an unexplored setting and a unique take on the classic turn-based combat. Fool's Theory has struck gold on the former thanks to an interesting story, rich worldbuilding, and a colorful cast of characters. However, the combat system is severely underutilized and left me wanting more. The same can be said for the investigative part of the gameplay as well. That being said, It'd be a lie if I said I didn't have fun within the said constraints. As a purveyor of Eurojank, there is a certain allure to the game that I couldn't resist. That doesn't mean you'll enjoy the game as much as I did. The Thaumaturge could have easily been one of the best RPGs of the year if it had more to offer in the gameplay department.
Howl is a masterpiece in writing that takes the features from basic games like chess, adds a touch of childhood nostalgia, and supercharges it with card-based mechanics. There’s very little left to flaw here with this game. The game is quite cheap on the PlayStation store and is definitely worth a try. Players having a PlayStation Plus subscription are encouraged to download the game trial and give it a go – one session should be enough to make one take the nostalgia train back to the time when they were children.
Helldivers 2 is an Action-Third Person Shooter Co-op game that is entirely community-driven. The game offers an entire list of difficulties to find the perfect pick that you can handle with your squad. With a long list of planets to discover and prevent infestations by performing various operations, you are guaranteed to devote yourself to fighting for democracy for hours. With an actual seamless, optimized, efficient performance of the game and multiplayer, I was always in for a good time while playing the game.
Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden tells a compelling, emotionally charged story that's supported by a layered cast of characters and great performances. It does stumble a bit when it comes to combat and encounter design and the awful lip-syncing does undermine the otherwise stellar voice acting. But if you're someone used to AA experiences, the pros far outweigh the cons. For $49.99, you're getting a well-written, lengthy single-player campaign with a slew of engaging side content that may take you anywhere from 25-50 hours to knock off.
Sovereign Syndicate is a decent first attempt from Crimson Herring Studios. The setting and characters alone make it worth playing, especially considering the price. The game would have benefited from a tighter narrative and a more fleshed-out Tarot card system. Here’s hoping that the game does well enough so that the devs can implement partial voice acting (at least) and learn from its shortcomings to make an improved sequel.
Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth is RGG at its finest. It is a massive RPG overloaded with things beyond belief, and it somehow manages to execute all of it flawlessly. Its overpriced DLCs and a few minor hiccups can be easily overlooked in the service of its well-written story, refined combat system, larger-than-life character arcs, and an astonishingly detailed map of Hawaii. Overall, it is easily a strong contender for Game of The Year.
Immortality on PS5 retains all of its exceptional features and adds more to it- thanks to the effective use of Dual Sense haptics and audio. Its unique gameplay mechanics allow players to non-linearly piece together the three movies and – crucially – the events that happen between them. The game’s eerie apparitions superimposed onto the image and the way it pieces together the three movies non-linearly make it a must-play for fans of FMV games and cinephiles alike. However, its lack of tutorial makes it quite a bit tedious as finding new clips at the end keeps getting trickier.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a mind-blowing platformer with extremely detailed control over the character for platforming as well as combat. Having such tremendous control requires a serious challenge which the game does not fear to give. The game however does fall short in providing a memorable story and soundtrack. Otherwise, you're looking at a major platformer of the year contender.
The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered on PS5 is a definitive package of its PS4 original, thanks to the notable inclusion of Lost Levels, No Return, and a new in-game commentary which makes the campaign worth revisiting even after beating it. The rogue-like No Return expansion alone is worth the upgrade fee -thanks to its changing environmental effects, enhanced enemy AI, and mods that make each encounter memorable. In terms of visuals, the new fidelity mode and VRR support are worthy of inclusion. However, the visual difference in terms of assets and foliage is barely noticeable. Overall, this definitive package is an easy recommendation for old veterans and newcomers.
Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader is easily one of the best W40K games out there right now, offering a decent story, rich role-playing opportunities, deep character customization, a servicable combat system and the chance to play as a uber-privileged space fascist. The boring space battles and generic companions do drag the experience down a bit and if you’re someone who has a low tolerant rate towards technical issues, it’s best to wait for the inevitable definitive edition that’s bound to come out soon. Glory to the Imperium of Man!
Avatar Frontiers of Pandora is simply a visual miracle of video games. The massive world of Pandora will have you addicted to exploring every depth of it. However, the quest system and narrative don’t do justice to the game. Filled with non-essential side quests and repetitive missions, Pandora will forever be etched in memory, but I doubt I feel the same for the story.
As a co-op gang party, Gangs of Sherwood can provide you with a few hours of fun that offers a fresh and exciting take on the legend of Robin Hood. But as a Single-player experience, it is a tough sell. The game’s premise, story, and themes are captivating thanks to its visuals, voice-overs, and performance which are impressive and enjoyable. But it is bogged down by its repetitive gameplay and barren maps that lack player interactivity. On top of that, there is no level-based progression system except for a few unlockable moves and items. Overall, it’s best if you wait for a sale on this one if you don’t have a party to hang out with.