Destructoid
HomepageDestructoid's Reviews
Sparc has the potential to grow, but it needs all the help it can get from as many installbases it can get its hands on.
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle's guts are impressive, but its main event feels like a [good] expansion for a fleshed-out strategy RPG that has more to offer than a great combat system. By the time it opens up halfway in and you really start to delve into the skill tree, it begs to be played. But until then both exploration and some battles feel like going through the motions in a "kinda sorta" tutorial way.
Ultimately, there may not be all that much that's genuinely new about Rock of Ages 2, but the sheer solidity of what's on offer here affirms that ACE Team have hewn themselves a sequel that nobody asked for, yet will find handily enjoyable anyway.
Forma.8 is hardly a flawless game, but it's a damn fine addition to the Nintendo Switch's library. The last third is almost perfectly executed and the finale genuinely surprised and left me craving more. It took a while to get there, but its closing moments left one hell of an impression.
It's not perfect, but Chicken Wiggle tickles the creative part of my brain that loves drumming up platformer levels when I should be doing actual work. The campaign can be better, a lot better, but the hours I'll spend with this game will not be going back over those levels. I'll be spending them making my own little masterpieces and that's the part this game mostly gets right.
Flip Wars is in some ways less fleshed out than the demo for Fusion Frenzy. Almost every feature, from the blocked out local mode to the disappointing "My Room" option (that's less of a room and more like a statistic menu), is a half measure. Maybe Over Fence can add to what they've built with a sequel, a series of free updates, or even a re-launch (which has been done in the very same party space). Until that happens, don't worry about missing out.
In any case, White Day has some good scares and decent puzzles that you have to play hide-and-seek to reach, but it doesn't quite live up to its legends. In 2001, it was probably one of the scariest games in existence, and you can't fault it for not matching modern horror heights, but in any era the backtracking and waiting for the janitor to pass over and over isn't the greatest gameplay experience. Still, this will do the job if you can't wait til Halloween for a six- to eight-hour ride.
While the story mode leaves something to be desired, the survival mechanics of The Long Dark's sandbox make it worthwhile. We have three more episodes of Will's journey to weave a wider story throughout the alternately unforgiving and inviting Canadian terrain. In the meantime, I'll be sitting back with my coffee mug, reflecting on my own small stories within The Long Dark.
Really, you can't go wrong with Kiwami. I would have liked it if every aspect of the game had been fully redone, but we don't see remakes like this come along often. I can deal with a few stumbling blocks when the core quality of what makes Yakuza so unique and engaging remains untouched. At least now more people can have a chance to experience this classic, which is the best thing about Kiwami's existence.
It took a while (and effective months of uncertainty), but Guardians of the Galaxy: The Telltale Series finally did it, reaching a point where Telltale's peculiarly successful approach feels justified, while also managing the dual feat of selling me on their distinct, cinema-inspired vision of the titular characters as a genuinely cool alternate take (one I actually prefer to the current comic book originals, at the moment). Now it'll be up to the next two outings to bring it home.
I don't consider Sine Mora EX to be a game that sets the genre on fire, or redefines shmup gameplay in general. But it is very well-priced, looks fantastic, has replay value and is a fun and ferocious slice of old-school arcade action, one that can be enjoyed by battle-scarred veterans and eager rookies alike.
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy proves that Naughty Dog doesn't need Drake to keep this series going. It's familiar in just about every respect, but given how much refinement has slowly crept up since 2007, it's cemented itself as one of the most reliable action-adventure franchises in recent years.
Serial Cleaner is a stealth game that nails its aesthetic, referential material (mildly related: there's an excellent Alien-themed bonus stage), and concept. It just doesn't nail the mechanics of being a stealth game. Developer iFun4all seemingly understands this judging by the copout way it implemented hiding spots. Serial Cleaner is neat, but it isn't always tidy.
Undertale is a clever and charming masterpiece, through and through. I didn't look back at our original review until after beating it and deciding for myself what I wanted to say about it, but I have very little to add or modify. No game is perfect, but a very rare handful are special, exceptional examples of the best there is to offer, and Undertale stands proudly beside them.
But despite these technical flaws, I still had a really fun time messing around with the agents. Enjoying Agents of Mayhem is sort of like watching a cartoon you used to love without the rose-colored glasses of nostalgia or the naivete of youth. You'll get more of a kick laughing at it, rather than with, but there's a smile on your face either way.
For whatever it's worth, I like Night Trap. It is a bad game, but I like it. Screaming Villains' love-letter to one of the most notorious video games of all time has to be the most oddly-conceived re-release in gaming history. But I can't think of another game, that's so bad, that somehow deserves the recognition so much.
After playing the reborn Final Fantasy XIV for nearly three years, each expansion feels like a game of give and take. They’re very good, but tend to fall into the same routine as the base game. That’s not so much of an issue if that routine is a winning one.
Sonic Mania is short but sweet. It even functions as a proper Sonic 4 if you don't count the episodic Sonic 4 (remember that one?). As long as the same team is in charge I can easily deal with one of these every few years or so while Sega tries to strike Sonic Adventure gold again and again with their 3D iterations.
Housemarque could have gone a bit farther with Matterfall, because while the general theme is on point, several elements, the protagonist design included, failed to make their mark on me. While it remains stylish throughout there were a few sections where I felt like I was just going through the motions, doing things I had done many times before, just with a nice HDR sheen to it. It's not quite Outland (which Housemarque also created), but it'll do.
All that being said, it's easy to suggest Nidhogg 2 on its own merits. It has expanded on the wonderful mechanics of the original and has one of the best soundtracks in recent memory. There isn't much content here for the solo player, but if you've got friends coming over for some friendly competition, the night would not be complete without Nidhogg 2.