Gaming Professors

New Tales from the Borderlands is a bit difficult to evaluate, because in a way, it has the potential to become a fully-fledged part of the established Borderlands universe. Unfortunately, for some unknown reason, the developers failed to capitalize on that potential, and instead of a great game, we got something I might call a test of fans’ patience. I really hope that, just like with the Postal series, this installment will be forgotten and we’ll pretend it never existed.

Review in Czech | Read full review

Resident Evil Village: Gold Edition is a high-quality game, though its appeal is somewhat diminished by minor technical glitches in cutscenes, terribly tedious loops, and an imbalance between different sections of gameplay. However, the expansion has greatly enhanced the main campaign by adding a third-person perspective, which I view positively despite its minor flaws. Shadow of Rose, on the other hand, is a real treat that complements the story of Resident Evil Village and at least somewhat appeases the frustrated die-hard fans of the entire series. While the retreat of survival horror elements is still noticeable, it is nonetheless a horror game adorned with incredibly high-quality graphics and a fantastic soundtrack. Personally, I would have appreciated more screen time for the villains, but that’s something that can be forgiven, just as the fact that if the game were named differently, it wouldn’t make a difference at all.

Review in Czech | Read full review

Pilgrims will delight players of all ages with its charming simplicity, which belies a well-crafted story with a moral and several possible outcomes. This very short—perhaps even too short—adventure game will test your quick thinking and have you paying off your debts to all the gamblers before you can set off on your next adventure.

Review in Czech | Read full review

Operation Warcade is a simple yet fundamentally very entertaining game that, compared to its direct competitors in the virtual reality gaming space, stays more true to the historical roots of the rail shooter genre. It comes highly recommended for VR headset owners who enjoy arcade games and can overlook the somewhat rough edges in the controls and graphics.

Review in Czech | Read full review

The Walking Dead: Michonne is a complete waste of the potential of an entire installment in Telltale Games’ The Walking Dead series. Not only are there plenty of characters who just get on your nerves, but Michonne—who has what it takes to be the main driving force of the entire installment—ends up wearing you down rather than making you enjoy fighting alongside her. If the game had no action at all, it would truly be a flop. Not to mention that it’s also the weakest installment in the entire Undead World game series.

Review in Czech | Read full review

Outlast is undoubtedly one of the legendary titles in its genre today. The protagonist’s helplessness, the well-placed scripted events, and the use of light and shadow are simply perfect. The jump scares, the atmosphere of the psychiatric hospital, and the patients themselves really elevate this game.

Review in Czech | Read full review

Beacon Pines is a wonderful story about change, and also about growing up, and also about friendship, and also about some of life’s pitfalls, and also about… It tackles powerful themes, evokes emotions, and presents the plot in a slightly unconventional yet captivating way. This spooky summer vacation adventure will make you wonder more than once whether it’s always best to do the right thing. Help Luke find his happy ending and save the whole town.

Review in Czech | Read full review

It’s been a long time since I’ve had this much fun and laughter playing a co-op game, both because of my own clumsiness and the various pranks you can pull while playing. I think It Takes Two was rightfully named Game of the Year, as the list of awards it’s won speaks for itself. So if you have the time and a suitable partner, I highly recommend this game!

Review in Czech | Read full review

Against The Storm is undoubtedly one of the best games I’ve had the chance to review this year. This city-building strategy game with rogue-lite elements brings depth, elegance, and sophistication to a truly unique experience. The beautiful art style will simply blow you away, and once you grasp all the game’s elements and mechanics, this title will undoubtedly become a time-sink. However, this can also be a bit of a pitfall—there’s simply so much perfection here that the initial learning curve can take several hours.

Review in Czech | Read full review

If Sackboy: A Big Adventure hadn’t been released on PC, it would have been reason enough to buy a PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5. It’s a high-quality, simple, easy-to-control (once again, kudos to the port) and incredibly colorful game with an amazing soundtrack. Not to mention the likable main character and the overall design of the worlds—it’s as if the whole thing were one beautiful, long fairy tale. The only thing that bothered me was the occasional return to older levels and the emphasis on completing those few side quests. But those are minor details that don’t prevent the little rag-tag knight from shining.

Review in Czech | Read full review

Construction Simulator managed to surprise me in many ways, even more than I personally expected. After the less-than-stellar previous installment, which was designed for consoles and mobile devices, the series has managed to redeem itself, and without further ado, I can call this new installment the best construction simulator of recent years. It’s just a shame about the technical issues, which we hope the developers will fix over time. From us at Gaming Professors, Construction Simulator gets eight out of ten points.

Review in Czech | Read full review

As the debut title from a team new to the video game industry, Kena: Bridge of Spirits drew inspiration from wherever it could—though that doesn’t necessarily mean the game has nothing new to offer. Its breathtaking world will entice not only younger players to explore, but also offers challenges and obstacles worthy of even the most experienced gamers. Don’t be put off by the slow start; just be patient and get through the first third of the game, because after that, you’ll finally get some momentum. There’s no shortage of things I could criticize about the game, but the incredibly strong positives still outweigh them, making it impossible to give Kena: Bridge of Spirits a bad review.

Review in Czech | Read full review

House Flipper offers hours of fun combined with rest and relaxation, which I think is the perfect combination. Players can tap into their creativity and imagination here, which isn’t all that common in simulators. The game really gives you free rein, and in my opinion, that’s why it’s been so popular for several years now. The feeling of monotony after a few hours or even dozens of hours of play is just a minor flaw. Still, after a while, you’ll find your way back to renovating.

Review in Czech | Read full review

Hooked on You: A Dead by Daylight Dating Sim™ is a dating simulator set in the world of Dead by Daylight. The game features simple point-and-click gameplay and dialogue, accompanied by a great deal of boredom with a subtle erotic undertone. Personally, I think it’s a highly overrated title that owes its high ratings to the parent game—Dead by Daylight. But if you enjoy clicking your mouse and reading a lot of fictional pickup lines, you’re on the right wavelength.

Review in Czech | Read full review

SpiderHeck is a highly entertaining game that combines elements of PvP and platforming. The colorful array of weapons will captivate you even more once you realize you can combine them with your spider abilities. The game can keep you entertained for hours, and its excellent graphics and controls make it even more appealing. Using almost every piece of equipment is fun, and with the map’s layout, you can create some very creative combinations. So if you’re thinking about buying it or looking for an alternative multiplayer game, we definitely recommend SpiderHeck. Even if you don’t have a group to play with, we still recommend it just for the creators’ brilliant idea of letting you play as such incredible creatures.

Review in Czech | Read full review

A Plague Tale: Requiem is a well-crafted game that strives to take everything from its predecessor a step further. It succeeds in telling a compelling story, features beautiful environments, and has an immersive atmosphere. However, the gameplay suffers in places and is incredibly clunky. Design flaws and occasional forced padding don’t help the game either. Still, the positives outweigh the negatives, and fans of the first game won’t be disappointed. Just don’t expect a top-tier AAA title, because this rat adventure unfortunately doesn’t belong in that league.

Review in Czech | Read full review

Stranded: Alien Dawn is a very well-made survival-building strategy game that places a strong emphasis on the composition of your group of survivors, their skills, and the appropriate division of tasks. It’s clear that the game is still in development, as evidenced by some minor technical glitches. Even so, however, even in its current early access phase, it is a very well-made title that will definitely delight every fan of the genre.

Review in Czech | Read full review

I won’t go into too much detail this time. Wreckfest is exactly the FlatOut sequel every fan could have hoped for, featuring all the elements, the driving mechanics, and the excellent destruction we’ve come to know from the past. Bugbear Entertainment has simply done a fantastic job, and Wreckfest earns a solid 8.5 out of 10 from us.

Review in Czech | Read full review

Exodus Borealis follows the adventurous journey of a fox colony through a combination of RTS and tower defense elements. Build, feed, harvest, and defend—all while taking into account the seasons and terrain. The graphics may not offer much and are most satisfying during the warmer months, but compared to the complex gameplay—featuring interesting management mechanics and a well-developed research tree—it can entertain genre fans for dozens of hours.

Review in Czech | Read full review

No Man's Sky is a truly unique game, unrivaled in both scale and complexity. If I had to find a synonym to describe this title, it would be the phoenix. Hello Games has done a great job, and it’s worth noting that all their expansions are completely free, the player community is welcoming, and you won’t encounter a single microtransaction. No Man’s Sky probably won’t thrill absolutely everyone, but it should be given a chance. Once it captivates you, it will be hard to tear yourself away from the screen.

Review in Czech | Read full review