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By zipping through the creation of life itself, you might just find answers to why someone has been shot and how to stop it. Though some puzzles and controls can get pretty frustrating, the adventure itself is the draw, and with Genesis Noir, it's a beautiful trip through primordial creation worth taking. If you're eager to see what kind of stylish, inventive ways developers are finding to tell stories in games, this hard-boiled trip is worth the ticket.
I get that my complaints probably sound like I'm nitpicking the game, and maybe I am asking too much of a budget title, but really, these issues illustrate that despite the fact Pioneers of Olive Town marks the silver anniversary of the franchise, the developer didn't really go out of its way to make this entry something special. This is a safe and standard Story of Seasons game. It doesn't rock the boat, it doesn't try anything groundbreaking like when Marvelous released Rune Factory to mark the franchise's tenth anniversary; it's just more of what we've seen before with a few small twists on the formula.
Like a lot of Monster Hunter games, I slowly started to get more and more acclimated to Rise until I hit a positive tipping point. Once it clicked, it was hard to go back to the old ways, before the wirebug opened up combat and the theme was arguably the most on-point it's ever been. Rise should delight fans both new and old, as long as the former group is willing to work a little bit for it.
Kaze and the Wild Masks is an unashamed blast from the past, for better or worse. PixelHive's love letter to 16-bit gaming surmounts budgetary and design shortcomings with a compelling challenge, luscious visuals, and an evocative soundtrack, all punctuated by a solid underdog spirit. Kaze's polished but formulaic gameplay will not be to everyone's taste, but for those who long for the halcyon days when the platformer was king, it's most definitely wabbit season.
So much about A-Train: All Aboard! Tourism is neat that I wish I could more strongly recommend it. At the very least, I'd love to force people who don't think public transportation is worth investing in to play it so they see what an adequate rail system can do for their community. Because this does make a good argument for expanding public transit, it's just that its antiquated user interface and woeful tutorial and manual mean very few people will bother listening to what it has to say.
Ultimately, Gnosia is worth playing through to the end thanks to its strong narrative. The story goes in unexpected directions, and the revelations I learned along the way were compelling enough to push me past my frustrations. Make no mistake, I wanted to give up on this game multiple times. But every time I considered quitting, I'd start one last loop that would pull me right back in because all of the elements were in place for another bit of tasty narrative to reveal itself.
Omori is certainly not for everyone. Someone who values gameplay much higher than storytelling will come away feeling bored and frustrated with the overall experience. However, those who value a game's plot and the emotions that games can elicit will never be able to shake Omori from their headspace. It is a flawed game in many aspects, but I can't help thinking about it throughout my daily life (especially while opening up the spice cabinet), even having finished the game over a month ago. While the entire middle of the game can be frustrating due to its poor design, the third act is well worth everything that comes before it. In the end, everything else faded away, and it all felt worth it.
So, that's where I'm at. I enjoyed playing Everhood and the music was extremely enjoyable, but before we could apply for the marriage certificate, I realized how loudly it breathes when it sleeps and now I just want to suffocate it. I'm still giving it a recommendation, because not everyone is going to share my grievances with the narrative and the technical issues can be ironed out. There's some definite high points here, but I don't think it's going to achieve immortality.
The Climb 2 is light on content beyond the main draw, as "glove and accessory unlocks" are not going to be enough to satisfy everyone once they've finished all the stages. But like the original, I'm going to be returning to it every time I get the itch to climb something.
Taxi Chaos is fine in short bursts if you want to chase high scores, but for $30 to $35 depending on your platform, there just isn't enough content here to recommend this. Especially considering you can still buy Crazy Taxi on Xbox Live for a third of the price.
That's pretty much Bravely Default II in a neat little package. It's more Bravely Default, which is more classic JRPG formula, distilled for a modern era. It's not going to reinvent RPGs as we know them, but this series still has life in it yet.
Capcom Arcade Stadium is a nostalgic look at a time when stained space carpets and deafening cacophonies were all the rage, performing admirably in its role at offering classic thrills in portable form. The lack of online multiplayer is disappointing, and the package will never feel truly complete until certain titles break free from licensing limbo, but as a way to while away lazy afternoons or dull commutes, CAS is worth its weight in credits.
Ghosts 'n Goblins Resurrection isn't firing on all cylinders constantly, but when you're in the groove, on any difficulty, or even with co-op in high gear, it reminds me of why I started to like this series in the first place. Capcom did a pretty good job of preserving it and bringing it to a new generation.
Persona 5 Strikers suffers from some of the same faults as other Musou games, but this collaboration highly benefits from the strength of the source material. Even if you have no interest in the genre, if you enjoy Persona in any fashion, this is worth picking up at some point as you patiently wait for the next big entry.
To be clear, I'd still wholly recommend this version of 3D World even without Bowser's Fury. The tweaks are small overall, and Bowser's Fury isn't going to sate the most hardcore of Mario fans looking for a brand new game, but the package as a whole is magical. If you were one of the many who missed out on this Wii U classic, fix that.
Whether you're a seasoned survivor or an all-new player, you'll have a thrilling time with the sequel. It's ideal to start from the beginning, but it's not mandatory – this freaky story stands on its own.
By all means, claim this game and enjoy it while you can if you have a PlayStation 5. But don't expect it to stay in your weekly rotation for very long. It's a nice enough intro to the console, but it's fleeting.
Werewolf: The Apocalypse - Earthblood proudly wears the reverence for White Wolf's lore on its furry sleeve, with a dark-but-interesting universe and a fierce pro-environment/anti-capitalist message. But behind its wild, bloody carnage and well-meant intentions lies a dated and sorely repetitive stealth adventure that, among its contemporaries, fails to stand out from the pack.
Gal*Gun Returns is a pretty decent remaster of a so-so game barring a few issues. I don't think anybody is going to walk away from it arguing it's the best in the series, but it's worthwhile for fans who've wanted to see where this franchise got its start. And if you're anything like me, it'll make you appreciate what's come after it all the more.
My favorite part of The Medium ended up being its "semi-fixed cameras," which blend old and new design philosophies in a way that seems genuinely palatable in 2021. That's the real achievement here. I can easily picture a more well-rounded sequel happening, and for what it's worth, I hope it does.