Destructoid
HomepageDestructoid's Reviews
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.
Slime Rancher is an utter, charming delight to play.
Boss Key's philosophy allows for a more old-school arena shooter approach where skill-based twitch reaction is more important than team composition. That's not a knock on any other game, it's just a different feel that Boss Key was going for with LawBreakers, and succeeded. It might not have the flair of a few other games on the market, but it has strong bones that can grow over time.
Despite the time I've spent harping on Aven's issues, it's not necessarily a bad game. Mothership Entertainment has put in a lot of effort to try and create a threatening world for humanity to conquer. It certainly did the former, but the game fluctuates wildly from barely eking out an existence to being devoid of challenge. Humanity can do better on its first settlement among the stars.
Mega Man Legacy Collection 2 is worth it for 9 alone, but you'll also get to experience several legacy games that were passed by. I'm still holding water for 8 all these years later, and due to some amazingly camp artwork and stellar animations, it's one of the most "showable" Mega Man games to date. I think a lot of people are going to be pleasantly surprised by it, as well as the near flawlessness of 9 -- even if 7 and 10 are just as wart-filled as they always were.
Slowly but surely Ninja Theory has moved into film territory, but they can't let go of their need to shove action mechanics into everything they do. With the increased focus and acceptance of so-called "walking simulators" there's a huge market they can tap into, and I hope they end up doing that in the future. I enjoyed pretty much every facet of Hellblade that didn't involve combat, which unfortunately pops up a little too often on top of the aforementioned technical problems -- just enough to grate.
Infinite Minigolf shows a lot of promise, but in its current state it's bland. Apart from the course creator, there's just nothing here that stands out from other minigolf titles. Zen has always been good about supporting their offerings after release, and I'm hopeful Infinite Minigolf will continue to receive updates to improve the experience. As it is, it's a decent time, but hard to recommend if you're not excited by the prospect of making your own courses.
I think VR developers are getting the hang of things. I'm no longer suggesting friends pick up titles because "it's a good way to kill 20 minutes," but rather because these are video game experiences worth having and enjoying. Lone Echo strikes an exciting balance between exploration and puzzles that make space seem like a playground for the player. It really nails the relationship between the two main characters and does a great job of telling an interesting, if a bit predictable, story thanks to a unique conversation mechanic and great voice acting.
Anyone who isn't a fan of the "Telltale interactive story" style will find nothing at all here to change their mind on the genre, but fans of previous games will find themselves thrown into yet another adventure filled with questionable loyalties, tense confrontations, morally-grey decisions and that ever-nagging thought that maybe, just maybe, you should have turned left instead of right.
I really wanted to love Gotta Go but there honestly isn't a single redeeming quality to it beyond its incredibly likable trailer. I'd love to see the folks at Dire Nerd come back with a more fully-realized sequel or update, but until then don't waste your time or money on this.
Really, Immortal Planet is mostly a game for Souls fans that just cannot get enough of FromSoftware's particular brand of action. While it could also work as an introduction to the series proper, what with its short length, Immortal Planet doesn't bring enough new to the table to really justify a purchase for anyone not already familiar with the Souls series. That it starts to recycle content in such a short time frame is also a crime, even if the combat can be engaging.
Again, whether or not Namco Museum is worth your money depends on two things. The first is whether or not you like these games in the first place. The second is whether you legitimately see yourself spending enough time with these classics to justify the $30 price tag. Despite a couple odd inclusions, there was a lot of care given to making these experiences authentic, while at the same time giving players a lot of options that allow them to ruin that authenticity in favor of having a more enjoyable experience.
With a longer run time and more complexity, Dino Frontier could've been the next great PlayStation VR game. As is, though, it's still high up there as one of my favorites for the headset. If you have Move controllers and want a light city-building sim to chill out with, jump on this right away.