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Exploration is a must. While the game is fairly linear, paths that seem out of place usually suggest a hidden item. Each area has a certain number of collectibles to be found such as chests, lore items, and money. It’s the chests and money that are most important. Money found in a chest, laying around, or by leveling up, is used to upgrade your weapons, as mentioned earlier.
Sure, it’s fun to see some new characters get behind the wheel, and it’s great if you want a change from the usual “Ya-Hooo! I doubt many people would have considered the Smurfs for this kind of thing, but Smurfs Kart doesn’t bring anything new that will set it apart from existing Nintendo Karting games. It’s great to see them stick with the Smurfs art style, but the sound effects are rather lacking, particularly when it comes to the karts.
The story is delivered in an interesting way, with little snippets to read in between missions that help to explain what your next objective is, leaving the missions themselves feeling like you already know the outcome rather than helping to progress. Despite the series having been around since 2002, Gungrave G.O.R.E does have a great feature in the main menu, which allows you to watch a recap of all the major events and introduces all the characters so that new players will know the story leading up to these events, and returning fans can have a refresher before jumping into the new installment.
Both the French and English voice cast from the show reprise their iconic roles in the game, meaning fans can choose to listen to their favourite characters in either language, and everyone sounds just like they do in the show. A lot of work was clearly put into the dialogue during the cutscenes and character conversations, and every character stays true to how they are in the show. Unfortunately, this only applied to the cutscenes, and any conversations during the game are text-based, leaving this feeling like a missed opportunity.
The unique touch this time around came in the form of character-specific items that related to their job, some of which were more creative but very short-lived. Mark was able to take photos as evidence and his light source was the flash of the camera. Jamie was able to use her electrical equipment to work the circuit breakers for environmental puzzles.
Depending on if you are new to gaming and want to test the waters with some old-school games, or you’re like me and used to play the Atari consoles back in the day, this title is for you. Revisiting memories from when things were simpler offers endless hours of fun, and this collection is a great way to honour how it all began.
In dark murky cues, colors pops will either mean danger or interactable objectives. There is no soundtrack thankfully as it would just divert the attention away from the environmental sounds of our man’s harsh breathing, the droning of enemy scouts, and the dire creaking of the trees and buildings around this desperate endeavour to just survive.
For what it is, it is a fun game, especially for people with a sillier style of humor. It’s not a game I could play constantly but could jump on every now and then. Some frustrating solutions are included for the sake of comedy, which did not outweigh the answer to the puzzle.
A well-devised foray into the life of a wannabe pirate captain, Return to Monkey Island is a masterclass in series revival. A game nostalgic enough to appeal to original fans but has its own unique identity for newcomers – easily a part of the Monkey Island legacy, but not trying to be it. The game doesn’t drastically shake up anything but keeps it fresh while continuing a long-standing journey.
I found myself wanting to keep coming back to it for the next step in the story, eager to find out who I would meet next. I do wish there was more of a voice-over side of the game, as it would’ve made it easier for me to advance the story, but all in all, it was a fairly good title to play, and it is clear that Obsidian Entertainment did their research when it comes to portraying the 16th century.
I feel like this title would be best suited to controllers and not PC as there is too much going on in the game whilst you are fighting off the hordes of random fighters from the other Dojo trying to mess you up. If you don’t like how the game has its controller scheme set up, you do have the option to change things to how you like them. The tutorial in the first scene teaches you all the basics and makes you do them several times so you get used to the combat and movement system.
There is just so much about this fighting title they just do right, being highly accessible to beginner fighting game players, or even having the scope to be super entertaining for seasoned pros. There is so much to do in Them’s Fightin Herds that I just hope they keep adding content along the way.
It’s been a long time coming for fans to really step into the shoes of the blue hedgehog. Even though it’s a little rough around the edges, Sonic Frontiers is a huge step in the right direction and is no doubt the premiere Sonic game we’ve been wanting for the longest time. The feeling it gives you is unlike anything that’s come before it. It has to be played to be believed. This game could very well be the beginning of a new age of Sonic games, as its future has never looked brighter. The possibilities are never-ending. Sonic is here, reaching far across these new Frontiers.
Just like all the other games in the series, Tactics Ogre: Reborn is a fantasy-themed, turn-based RPG strategy game. Gameplay-wise, it focuses purely on turn-based mechanics, so players won’t have to worry about exploring various locations and solving puzzles, and will be put straight into the action in between all the dialogue segments. The turn-based combat mechanics are deep and offer so much variety for players to really strategise and plan out their attacks against the opposing factions.
God of War Ragnarok is a prime example of how to continue a franchise and is yet again a contender for game of the year for me. Sony Santa Monica has done an outstanding job at delivering an incredible sequel with a great story, unforgettable characters, amazing visuals, and combat that I couldn’t get enough of.
Harvestella gets close but doesn’t quite strike a balance between JRPG elements and farming sim, but feels focused on having more done adequately than less done better. For players looking for a fairly casual JRPG experience, Harvestella is a palatable taster, but combat or farming fans may feel hungry for more or become bored with chores. I have enjoyed my time in the world so far, and I’m curious to see how the story continues and whether I run out of stamina in the 50 or so hours to reach the endgame.
The Chant may very well because a cult classic as the intensity starts and doesn’t stop. The overall experience could realistically be completed in one sitting. A long one at that, but with three endings to chase, a repeated playthrough is tantalisingly present, and I am getting set to go in for a pacifist run. The pitfalls may be there, but they look shallow in the rear vision mirror, and for a first-time entry from a brand-new studio, The Chant is a solid entry into the horror genre.
Listening to the old sound of Pac-Man tied in with the beautiful soundtrack on this game kept you wanting more. It was that happy music that made you want to keep playing, yet the tone would change if you encountered enemies along the way. I love turning big and hearing the old Pac-Man music and sound effects we used to hear on the arcade classic. Anyone that grew up playing Pac-Man, or even younger generations getting into Pac-Man, will find that the Re-Pac is an awesome gateway. It’s full of subtle easter eggs from the original games and features some beautifully recrafted scenery. Pac-Man World Re-Pac is a title for everyone.
Having a whole new act is great to give players more areas to explore and secrets to find. As we know from the core story of Back 4 Blood, there were many easter eggs in the levels paying respect to horror movies. I didn’t see any that jumped out at me with this expansion, but I’m sure they are there. Children of the Worm is a fun, action-packed experience, and within the first 24 hours of release, I was already rehooked into the game and finished it three times over. Sadly, my only downside was there was no big bad to fight at the end of the new act. I was hoping for an epic boss fight to wrap it up.
LEGO Brawls was initially designed as a mobile game and can be an enjoyable way to kill some time playing online matches. As a console game that doesn’t add anything new to the gameplay, it’s just a generic platform fighter with little to no excitement. This wouldn’t be a bad thing if the game was cheap or just free, but it’s shockingly priced at $60 AUD which makes it impossible to justify. There are tons of indie games out there that offer so much more at a cheaper price. Even with some interesting ideas, LEGO Brawls offers very little and is probably more fun to watch than play, but the novelty wears off really quickly. The biggest letdown overall is its generic gameplay that just isn’t much fun at all. Non-fighting game players often describe the genre as button mashers, and this game accurately fits that description and is a poor representation of the genre. Even stepping on a LEGO piece is more entertaining than this.