Destructoid
HomepageDestructoid's Reviews
428: Shibuya Scramble may be a ten-year-old game, but it's such a unique experience that it feels like a slightly flawed, modern classic even today. If you have any love for the genre, don't skip this one.
How much Mega Man 11 is expected to reinvent the wheel is by nature subjective. Despite its reserved approach, it undeniably slots in very nicely with the classic series while bringing our old friend into a new era. The big finish could have been a little more mega, but it succeeds in pulling off the gargantuan task of getting people to care about Mega Man again.
Alexios is one of the most memorable protagonists in all of Assassin's Creed, even if I never once actually thought of him as an assassin. In a lesser game, he'd probably be forgettable. But Assassin's Creed Odyssey is superb in nearly every aspect. It's the most impressive Assassin's Creed, even though sometimes it feels like it's Assassin's Creed in name only. It's as broad as Atlas' shoulders and as strong as Hercules. This time, Ubisoft hit a real Homer.
Listen, if you're reading this in the future, go and check the recent Steam reviews. My guess is that they will be rather positive on the game. A lot of the issues are tech-related: crashes, geometry bugs, load times, and framerate can all be fixed with patches. As of now? The interesting puzzles and fantastic music are not worth suffering through the bugs, lackluster models, and mediocre combat and skills. If your interest is piqued here, wishlist it and come back at a later time; I have no doubt that this game will reach its potential, but it's just not even close right now.
Astro Bot Rescue Mission, like its titular hero, gets the job done. Although the general tone is low key at all times, there's very rarely any lows to speak of. It's polished and responsive, it just plays it safe with its subdued level design, relying on the VR "wow" factor a bit too often.
In addition to the main mystery, Jake Hunter: Ghost of the Dusk includes four other mini-mysteries that were originally cell-phone games in Japan and a genuinely amusing case file featuring chibi versions of Jake and Yulia. It's a well-rounded package, but I don't think anything here is compelling enough to make this a must buy for people still holding onto their 3DS.
The Joy-Con can be a terrible control method for a platformer, but Lightening Force actually feels wonderful with a proper joystick.
Maybe I'm not as entranced by Sonic the Hedgehog as I used to be, but I can't knock what is a faithful port of Sonic's debut.
The Capcom Beat 'Em Up Bundle offers seven good (if repetitive) games for a great price. There's zero excuse for a 30-year-old game having terrible online in 2018, which is a huge minus here. But for those who fancy a violent trip down memory lane, especially with local buddies to watch their back, The Capcom Beat 'Em Up Bundle still provides simple-minded mayhem for not a lot of coin. Besides, you probably spent more than that on those money-hungry arcade cabs anyway.
In case you haven't noticed there's a boat load of Metroidvanias coming out recently and Alwa's Awakening hangs with them. Its restrictive without going overboard, allowing the highs outweigh the lows. The ability to chisel away at some tough rooms with a Switch on the go helps make it even more digestible.
Wandersong is the most emotionally satisfying game I've played in 2018. It's a rollercoaster ride through the spectrum of feelings, all wrapped up in a lovingly crafted construction paper world. I didn't even know this game existed a month ago. Now, it's one I'll never forget.
The net result is that we immediately care about Life is Strange 2. There's no getting-to-know-you phase where we're slowly and steadily introduced to conflict. Nope, it's immediate and it's painful. And it makes both Sean and Daniel immediately-sympathetic characters. Developer Dontnod used this first episode as an opportunity to get right at the themes of Life is Strange 2. There's no time wasted and that's an effective way to get our attention. This is going to be a roadtrip that's worth looking forward to, even if it's born out of some of the most tragic circumstances imaginable.
Forza Horizon 4 is another fantastically fun Forza Horizon game even if it's tough to pinpoint Playground's grandest ambition. If it was to reinvent the series with seasons, that falls a bit flat and underwhelming. But, if it was to simply remove the constraints and make everything as open and free as possible, then Playground hit its target in the most impressive way. Regardless, Forza Horizon is still the king of open-world arcade racers, and it really doesn't look like that'll change anytime soon.
Star Control: Origins was an absolute joy for me. Its story and characters were utterly charming and unique. Its combat is a ton of fun. Exploring the galaxy and trekking along the surface of planets, while not much of a challenge once your lander is fully upgraded, does get tedious, but once you are picking up valuable elements and leaving the less rewarding materials behind, it becomes less necessary. Stardock did an extraordinary job reviving a long-dead series, and I am excited to see how the game is updated going forward, and what potential there could be in further expanding its wonderful universe.
I can understand the appeal of wanting to put any title on Nintendo's massively popular console, but I'm surprised publisher Paradox Interactive didn't attempt to make an original version of Cities for the Switch. That would have been far more preferable than whatever we've ended up with.
Apart from that it's a pretty milquetoast affair. Super Dungeon Tactics poses a decent challenge, some cheery art and a fluffy storyline and straightforward campaign with a respectable variety of missions whose tedium is helped by the variety in the mechanics upon which they sit. When it's put next to Disgaea or X-COM, it's almost laughably simple and cheap in comparison, but cheerful enough to grant a looksee if you have exhausted any and all other similar options on the Switch.
As the credits roll, however, all that's left is cruel sadness, with the apparent notion that it is now a cliffhanger that will never see resolution.
The Low Road isn't a bad game -- it's perfectly competent and serviceable in basically every way. It just doesn't take its great setup to anything more than a perfectly competent and serviceable game, which results in more of a big letdown than an objectively bad game.
Even though Timespinner set out to imitate SOTN, it managed to find its own identity during its long development. It's not quite as deep as its inspiration and it won't take as long to finish, but I thoroughly enjoyed every minute I was playing.
Despite there not being many engaging elements, I find that Gone Home is still a superb example of a narrative journey. We'll have to see in another five or fifty years just how Gone Home has set the stage for future immersive simulators.