Analog Stick Gaming
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Hollowbody is a pretty impressive game, especially one crafted by a solo developer. It reminded me a lot of 2021’s Tormented Souls, a Resident Evil clone that didn't look to reinvent the genre, but to contribute to its roots and provide that type of experience. There is enough here to keep you motivated to see it through, even if most of its environments tend to repeat a lot of the same overall aesthetics. It’s certainly a game of its inspirations and often does the genre right.
Xuan Yuan Sword: The Gate of Firmament is unfortunately a very poor experience, regardless of having the fundamentals of what should be a good game. From horrible presentation to constant mini-map glitches, there is almost nothing to like here. Combat is bland, environments are incredibly lacking, and the voicing acting and direction of this game is atrocious. Xuan Yuan is meant to be a treasured series in China, but nothing here is convincing me of it. Xuan Yuan Sword 7 was a very impressive game, but The Gate of Firmament is simply awful.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is a stunning example of a licensed game that absolutely nails the source material. From incredible performances to jaw-dropping visuals, MachineGames clearly built this game with passion and respect for the franchise's legacy. While Troy Baker may have been at the bottom of the list to take over the role, his performance is honestly stunning and does a lot to immerse you into this beloved world. This isn't just the best Indiana Jones game, it's one of the best licensed games ever made.
The concept behind Star Trek: Legends is sound. Its narrative hook of combining several eras of the franchise is a cool idea that plays off well in character moments, but the story itself lacks a true threat to really have it remain interesting. The mobile trappings are certainly felt here, despite no paid storefront to be found. It can be a bit grindy, repetitive, and lacking that ability to pull you in, to lose hours into the night, but I did find a bit of enjoyment here, especially for the low price.
Stalker 2 sounds like an amazing game on paper with all the immersive elements you need to thrive. However, playing it is another story. There are some sound ideas here, but the gunplay, inventory systems, and countless bugs, just don’t do it any favors. Stalker 2 is a game you need to experience on its terms, so your mileage will certainly vary on how tolerant you are to its rigid structure. Regardless of the incredible story of what is behind this game’s history, I just couldn't find a compromise between what this game offered and what I wanted from it.
Power Rangers: Rita's Rewind may show its budget across the whole package, but it is certainly money well spent. There is a care and passion behind every pixel that is present across both the brawling stages and the arcade-like experiences of piloting the Zords. There is a joyous energy to this game that is infectious, and while it certainly has its own share of issues, I am eager to see what this team can do with a sequel that is refreshingly hinted at.
Voidwrought’s strong visual style and musical score enhance an already stellar game with a great sense of mobility and combat focus. The exploration of its world is constantly rewarding, with countless relics and souls to track down, always ensuring you find something new for your trouble. With a challenging series of bosses to vanquish, a world to explore, Voidwrought is wonderfully designed, even if its story is unfortunately disappointing.
Fans of the games have waited patiently for this series to return, or even to have the original games available on modern hardware. While this collection does a respectful job of preserving the original two games, I do wish more work had been done to make the environments really stand out as much as the vastly improved character models do. Still, the Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1&2 Remastered Collection is a great attempt to improve these games, even if they never really played that well in the first place. While they are clearly dated in their design and feel, there is nonetheless something special about Raziel’s journey, and the technical might those games presented way back when.
Microsoft Flight Sim 2024 is a great game, that should be better than its predecessor if not for the technical hurdles it places onto the player. With that in mind, it is probably worth waiting until you can play without the limitations of your internet connection or data usage.
Find Love or Die Trying certainly doesn't reinvent the visual novel wheel or add much to the genre, but it is enjoyable enough to entertain you for a brief few hours. It has a cast of fun characters, a twisted take on the dating game, and a decent story to wrap it all up in. If you enjoy the genre and want to know how it ends, certainly check it out.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard is very much destined to be a decisive experience due to its more action-orientated combat, its cast of characters, visual style, and its writing. While I don't agree with every choice made here, and a few less than impressive character arcs, as well as the lacking presence of its elven gods in its story, Dragon Age: The Veilguard gave me everything else I wanted from it. It's action-packed and visually pleasing, and its use of Solas is extremely well-crafted and more than kept me entertained. Dragon Age was always going to be a challenge to remain relevant and a crowd-pleaser after a decade away, but ultimately, I loved it and it's one of the best games this year.
Rage of the Dragons is not only a great successor to what would have been a great Double Dragon fighter, but it almost plays like one of the best SNK games out there. It’s a colorful and vibrant Neo Geo game that while got a lot of love back in the day, the limited reach it had back then is over. While we are eating good for fighting games in 2024, Rage of the Dragons is a solid snack that you should certainly add to your buffet of great titles this year. With solid character designs, gorgeous pixel art, and a deep and rewarding combat system, there is a lot to like here and get lost in.
Threshold is interesting, but didn't captivate me in the ways that Mouthwashing did. It has an eerie charm to it, and the PSOne/Nintendo 64 visuals do a lot to give this a nice unique look among the tons of sprite-based indie games. It may be a short shift, but you'll always remember your brief stint as a member of the Border Post, just don't tell Mo.
Slitterhead’s issues run pretty deep as it’s a repetitive experience that doesn’t really play around in its horror aspects nearly as much as it should. Slitterheads run from you as opposed to the player being stalked or hunted. The game shows its hand very early and never changes up its combat, exploration, or mission design. There are genuinely maybe four unique missions here that then get repeated countless times in favor of a time travel story of “how do we fix it this time” that doesn’t pay off. There are interesting ideas here that could translate to a more improved sequel, but nothing here indicates that this game will do well enough to even warrant one.
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is an extremely lacking Nintendo debut for the titular Princess Zelda. While the experimentation is often engaging, the menu system to explore that creativity is an utter annoyance. That said, you’ll often use the same tools over and over again to get the results you want due to them working well enough that newly discovered items will either cost more to summon or lack the flow you already have working for you. Monster AI is awful when it comes to using them in battle, and Zelda’s inability to even fight or defend herself with the Tri-rod is disappointing, especially since she has to rely on an unsurprising ally to engage in combat. Echoes of Wisdom can be charming and look the part, but it’s evidently clear that Miyamoto wasn’t evolved as it lacks that typical Zelda magic.
Awaken: Astral Blade is a visually pleasing Metroidvania that has intense flashy combat, and an enjoyable world to explore, but it falls flat in areas that can get in the way of the experience. Its story and characters are immediately forgettable, and a constant slew of grammatical errors and painfully bad voice work really stand out in a bad way. There is a good foundation here for Dark Pigeon to work from and refine, especially as this is their first game. If you are the type to enjoy really any Metroidvania title and need a break from beating Hollow Knight for the twelfth time, then you could find some fun here if you don’t mind wading through its numerous flaws.
Overall, if you are a fan of these collections and are intent on buying them, regardless of what's involved, there is a decent few hours here at most. It's hard to recommend this collection due to there only being one really fun game here. That said, if you are interested in the origins of Metal Slug, then grab a few guns, a jet, and snag a few of those hostages to rescue, and prepare to die, alot.
Despite the forgettable story and disappointing vocal performances, SlavicPunk has a rather enjoyable combat loop, even if the enemy variety is certainly lacking. While the parts that are here are wildly inconsistent, the foundation of what Red Square Games has built here is solid enough to build upon, allowing for a potentially great sequel if we should return to the fractured mind of Janus.
Metal Slug Tactics is gorgeous, it may have some entry-level appeal in how its tactics are concerned, but the fundamentals are solid and the gameplay is remarkably satisfying. With a ton of mods, weapons, and characters to unlock, I look forward to what additional runs may offer for my enjoyment of the game going forward. While I do wish there were more areas to break up the level variety, Metal Slug Tactics is nonetheless a joyous experience that is good to the last round.
Vertigo Games may be new to the Metro lifestyle, but they pull it off with a confidence that really shows through. The VR touches to bring the series to VR are masterfully handled with only the occasional VR jank issue rearing its ugly head. The story may not always impress, but the tense firefights and threats around every corner really perform a lot of the heavy lifting. Metro: Awakening is a standout title for the PSVR2 and while that isn’t saying a lot given its barren catalog, it’s still a solid outing nonetheless and a great Metro game to boot.