Analog Stick Gaming
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Stellar Blade is a game I could sit here and detail every single enemy, outfit, skill, and character, and feel I am never saying enough about it. Combat is downright incredible, and the style and substance this game brings is impressive.
I went into Another Crab’s Treasure expecting it to be a solid adventure. Unfortunately, I just wasn’t into what the game offered after a few hours, leaving me with a world I didn’t want to explore, and one that felt like a chore to even navigate. While it has some decent accessibility options, and even a gun to one-shot anything in the game, the standard approach here is nonetheless pretty challenging, especially given its aesthetic.
This is not only an improvement for existing players but also more welcoming to new ones. House Flipper 2 has become my new chill-out game, and what a flippin’ game it is!
Granblue Fantasy: Relink brought an engaging story with incredibly fun combat to the forefront, packed with a ton of secondary missions that allow you to get the most out of your team, especially in co-op.
Wrath of the Mutants as TMNT brawlers are rarely bad, but while this expanded port is by no means bad, it’s a pretty remarkable disappointment in that it offers more than what was present in the original and yet feels lesser in many ways.
Despite the lengthy absence from the previous entry and a largely different developer at the reins, TopSpin 2K25 once again delivers that near-perfect gameplay we all remember with top-class modern presentation. Hanger 13 has truly served up an ace with TopSpin 2K25, and I can’t wait to take it to the courts and power-shot my way to victory in the months to come.
Dragon’s Dogma II is certainly a title I strongly recommend, but one that I do caution as it lacks a degree of hand-holding many are likely accustomed to within the genre. If you can meet the game on its terms and find a vocation that works for you, then I certainly recommend this journey as there is nothing really quite like it.
Ereban: Shadow Legacy is a solid adventure that allows every tool at its disposal to be used well and by a team that is clearly passionate about what they do. It doesn’t always land, but I still found it engaging, enjoyable, and very entertaining.
I’m very conflicted on Planet Zoo: Console Edition because the core game and systems are absolutely outstanding and among the best in the genre, but I couldn’t help constantly thinking, “I bet this is a much better experience on PC.”
Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth is often incredible and a top-tier experience in so many ways; however, some of its reliance on padding the experience with its open world and reliance on far too many mini-games, doesn’t always pay off.
Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth is a triumph in storytelling and a strong example of how to improve a game significantly from the previous entry. Interesting new characters, strong performances, the new setting of Hawaii, and gameplay improvements combined with an almost infinite amount of things to do, resulting in arguably the best game in the franchise and certainly RGG studio’s best turn-based effort to date.
Unicorn Overlord never faltered and has cemented itself as one of the best tactical strategy games I’ve ever played. The similarities to Fire Emblem are certainly there, but its gameplay during battles presents a different approach to its combat that absolutely soars.
South Park: Snow Day, likes its use of COVID here feels out of date across the board. The simplistic visuals feels several generations behind, and its shallow gameplay cannot be saved by a card system that shows some true promise. As a lifelong South Park fan, I know the series can produce strong and compelling video games because we have seen it done twice before.
I do think the final encounter is a tad harder than it should have been, given the encounters before it, but all in all, Pepper Grinder is incredible fun that takes its drilling gimmick and creates a fun and engaging experience around it.
I loved the four hours I’ve spent with Brothers: Tale Of Two Sons Remake. This fantastic remake tells a perfectly paced story that needs no words and combines it with simplistic controls and cleverly designed puzzles. If you missed the original previously, this is a great time, which shows that shorter games still work perfectly.
Alone in the Dark does well to utilize their performances within their own campaigns. While the dual canon approach to telling the story doesn’t ultimately satisfy in ways I personally was expecting, especially as it makes both campaigns far too identical, I found it to still entertain, even if I never felt the main story to really grip me. I think Pieces Interactive has a solid foundation here with their take on this franchise, I just would prefer a more direct horror route to really amp up the atmosphere and make me free truly alone in the dark.
Ultimately, Taxi Life is a cool concept that sets itself apart from something like the more hectic and beloved Crazy Taxi and deserves the same level of execution and resources as Asobo Studio’s Flight-Simulator series. Unfortunately, the technical shortcomings shine through the most, which takes lots of points off this otherwise unique and interesting experience.
Outcast: A New Beginning is exactly that type of OG Xbox or early Xbox 360 game made yet again for a modern audience. It can at times look fantastic, but character’s don't always shine and the technical issues present, at least in the review build, made for a tiring experience of seeing massive framerate drops, excessive screen-tearing, and more. While these issues are set to be addressed in a day one patch, that is something I cannot speak to currently. This return to Cutter Slade is enjoyable, but not everything works well, especially coming from a team that built the first 3D open-world game.
I think Expeditions is a solid experience when it brings with it the best qualities of its past, but there are times when the title doesn’t do a good enough job at hiding the puzzle-like nature of what these titles are at their core. While Expeditions does a great deal to be more streamlined and accessible, all it did was make me wish I was playing SnowRunner instead.
WWE 2K24 has a fantastic Showcase mode celebrating the spectacle that is Wrestlemania; the same fun, fast-paced gameplay is here alongside vastly better presentation during matches within new and returning modes. The team at Visual Concepts clearly listened to fan feedback and each year is building on the strong foundation they started with in WWE 2K22.