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Mutant Year Zero seems like the natural evolution for tactics games. The real-time aspects make things move faster and add a unique layer of tension. On the story end of things, it manages to keep you interested until the linear campaign finishes up. You won't find a groundbreaking narrative but it doesn't overstay its welcome, and the characters are just charming enough to keep you invested.
Override: Mech City Brawl had a lot of potential, but ultimately I like the concept a lot more than the execution. The fighting engine is adequate, but I felt like it should be a lot more fun blowing up a city in a million-ton robot suit. It kinda seems like this one was sent out to die, and that's a damn shame.
Toki isn't a perfect game -- hell, I'm not sure it's even a great arcade game. But it really hit me in the nostalgia-feels. It's a fantastic remake from a technical perspective, even if it's totally lacking in extra features. If you like good old-fashioned arcade games, you can do a whole lot worse than this one. Just make sure you temper your expectations, as a lot has changed in the gaming landscape in the 30 years since its original release.
Just Cause 4 is not a better game than its predecessor. In many ways, it feels like the same game, just with a new continent to explore. For some, this may be all they ever wanted, but for the rest of us, it's just not enough. The formula starts to show itself early and can feel monotonous only a few hours in. There will always be joy in the mass destruction of the Just Cause 4 games, but the games seem to rely more and more on "making your own fun" instead of pushing the player into exciting and unique scenarios via the mission structure and overall game design.
It's more Forza Horizon 4, but Fortune Island has a hook that's worth its weight in gold. Turning an island into a giant scavenger hunt is the kind of allure that works perfectly with Forza Horizon. Elsewhere, completing events has its own intrinsic appeal; excelling at racing and stunts is rewarding because it's a racing and stunts game. In Fortune Island, progression brings about a sense of mystery and discovery. That's a reward that's nearly as rich as the millions of credits scattered about the island.
With GRIS, Nomada has created an abstract adventure, as beguiling as it is haunting. By focusing on its courageous protagonist, and creating a bewitching but frightening world for her to overcome, GRIS succeeds with its short but unforgettable odyssey. Awash with meticulous detail, charming aesthetics, and smart design, GRIS is something special. Take the trip.
Gungrave, like when it debuted over a decade ago, is an acquired taste. It's rigid and not particularly welcoming, two qualities that are exasperated in VR. Despite its problems, I'd welcome another go at Gungrave (or a revival of that Planet Gunsmoke Trigun game), and it looks like we're getting it. But you can skip this outing.
While I might have aimed a little high with my expectations for Everspace, as a fan of the space combat genre, it ultimately is enjoyable. I don't think it's for everyone but that's the beauty of niche games like this, they don't have to appeal to everyone.
That really explains DUSK well. This is shooter perfection and something fans of the classics need to experience. Maybe it doesn't redefine what is possible with video games, but it beats out basically every other shooter I've ever played. I know I'll be replaying this for years to come and I look forward to seeing what fans are capable of with mod tools.
For those who haven't yet given Katamari Damacy a shot, if you long for the unexpected and uncomplicated, Katamari Damacy REROLL offers respite from the norm of today's games. If you've always had a soft spot for the series, this is your chance to relive the joys of proving yourself through a brighter, more clearly defined lens.
Arachnaphobe warning!Other than video games, my main passion is women dressed in suits, with drawn on pencil-thin moustaches movies. Whilst I haven't kept a complete tally of how many films I've watched, I know it's thousands upon thousands, with a personal best a couple of years back of about 200 in one year. I've seen a lot of the greats and most of the classics. But more importantly, I've seen plenty of the worst movies ever made.I don't mean some crappy horror sequel from 2006. I mean truly atrocious films of no redeeming quality. Shit like The Starfighters, Zombie-a-Go-Go and Americathon. I've also seen awful films that, somehow, remain wildly entertaining; R.O.T.O.R, Voyage of the Rock Aliens, Animal Protector and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.So many times, the question is asked "What is gaming's Citizen Kane?" Aside from this being one of the very worst questions ever to leave anyone's lips, we're also yet to find a true and fitting answer. But forget the artsy classics. What I want to know is when does anybody ever ask "What is gaming's Death Wish 3?" Well, if they ever do, you look 'em dead in the eye and you tell them it's Earth Defense Force 5, baby.
I've used phrases that evoke the monumental achievement that is Super Smash Bros. Ultimate a few times in this review and I can assure you it's not hyperbolic. Despite that a lot of the old content isn't as hard-hitting the second, third, fourth, or even fifth time around, the fact that it's all here, and in a manageable file size, is more than enough. After this (and Geno/Waluigi DLC) Sakurai can rest easy.
Even though it's not the most thrilling side of Assassin's Creed Odyssey, Hunted accomplishes what it sets out to do. It's an introductory chapter, one that establishes a new conflict at the origins of the Assassin's Creed lore. Although reserved, Hunted manages to be plenty entertaining. More importantly, it constructs a compelling foundation for the rest of Legacy of the First Blade. If the latter two-thirds can build on the first chapter, we're in for one hell of a story.
Project Warlock is just a damned blast. You could say this is the best version of Wolfenstein 3D ever made. Hell, it even tops the original Doom in some categories. It certainly won't win awards for originality, but this is a true work of passion that pays off in the end.
There's no sugarcoating it: Fallout 76 comes up short at nearly everything it aims to be. It's not a good role-playing game and it's not a good multiplayer experience. It never really feeds into the gradual RPG power fantasy but it's also inadequate as a survival simulator. In wanting to be so much, Fallout 76 doesn't amount to much at all.
I sort of went into this one with thoughts of "Hey, maybe it's not so bad again?" since the previous episode was decent, but nope. Episode 4 feels like we're back to square zero. One big story moment, a puzzle that leads into a cliffhanger, and more backtracking. I guess Episode 3 was just lightning (albeit a small baby bolt) in a bottle because this is crap in a can.
Artifact is not for everyone. It isn't for people who are red/green colorblind, for one. It isn't for the die-hard deck builders who would rather grind games than pay cash. But it is for people who enjoy card games with an incredible set of fair and unique mechanics that reward out-playing your opponent over luck and randomness. And while it may be based on Dota 2, with a lot to love for its fans, knowledge of the Heroes or universe is in no way needed to enjoy Artifact. All you'll need is $20 and an open and creative mind.
Even if I find myself in the middle with Killer7, I'd still recommend everyone give this a go. It may not be a game you need to finish, necessarily, but it's utterly unique and needs to be seen first hand. I don't think Suda hit his stride until his next title (No More Heroes), but you can see the seeds of greatness were planted with Killer7.
If you came into this review with the simple question of "is this game a modern-day RollerCoaster Tycoon?" the answer is an absolute yes.
Persona 3: Dancing in Moonlight is a follow-up of sorts to the 2016 PS Vita title Persona 4: Dancing All Night and is the sister title to Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight. Having released in Japan earlier this year, Moonlight and Starlight are now preparing to rip up dance floors on this side of the pond. So put your best foot forward and let's find out if the kids are alright.