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There isn’t really anything new in the latest entry of Let’s Sing, it’s mainly the same game with different songs, and the 30 new tracks by the various popular artists definitely give the game plenty of variety, but it would be more convenient if the new songs came as a DLC pack rather than be in their own game. Overall, Let’s Sing 2023 is another fun and enjoyable karaoke game to sing your heart out as a solo or with friends and family.
When I first started the game, the surroundings hit me before the character models did. It looked pretty flawless, and as hard as it is for me to say, even better than when I played it on the PS5. The character models are just as impressive as the previous original game and DLCs, and though the new Peter still looks weird, I am not one to get annoyed by minor changes as others seem to be. One of the things I like doing is going to locations of other Marvel characters to find little Easter Eggs, like the Avengers Tower or the Sanctum Sanctorum.
Despite shortfalls, attempting to save my people from collapse became something I was determined to do, and I sunk quite a few long sessions to do so. While wading through trials and tribulations was a lot of pressure, I was curious to see if I could overcome all obstacles. The motivation to be the best leader possible became the ultimate endgame for me, but sometimes the pacing got in the way of my experience.
With a new region, comes new Pokémon, and the Paldean region is home to 400 Pokémon, with just over a quarter of them being genuine to that area. This number includes the two Paldean forms of Wooper and Taurus, the re-imagined evolution lines of Toedstool (Tentacool) and Wiglett (Diglett), all new evolutions for earlier generation Pokémon, and Paradox Pokémon. Paradox Pokémon are end-game Pokémon, reimagined futuristic/ancient forms of previous generations. These forms are also heavily tied into the story, so I won’t be touching on that subject. Whenever a new Pokémon generation comes out, there is a lot of skepticism about the new Pokémon, but I can personally say I’m a big fan of 80% of this generation’s designs.
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. Erin had a fantastic addition of using a powerful microphone to source out sound sources behind walls, which was criminally underutilised, and instead, the focus was on her need for an inhaler as the main item she would or would not interact with. Charlie was able to use a card to jimmy open a locked drawer, which was mainly used for collectables, and this left Kate with nothing more than a small touch, and it felt strange to have one character be arguably less useful than the rest.
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.