Qualbert.com's Reviews
Super Mario Party Jamboree hits every note. It’s filled to the brim with content for all ages and skill levels, and even thinks of the players without that many friends to play with (Me). The large cast of characters, vibrant visuals and joyous vibes make Jamboree possibly the best party game on the Switch. Most importantly, it is certainly the best entry in the series since Mario Party 2.
Much like the original, 420BLAZEIT 2: GAME OF THE YEAR -=Dank Dreams and Goated Memes=- [#wow/11 Like and Subscribe] Poggerz Edition is packed with self-aware humour and callbacks to what now feels like ancient relics from the internet’s past. Dig a little deeper and you’ll find a competent shooter with a variety of creative weapons and decent level design with all sorts of secrets to find. It is remarkable how the team behind the game managed to capture the magic that made the original Game Jam title so fun and whacky, whilst building on it and making it a fully fledged game an entire decade later.
Romancing SaGa 2: Return of the Seven is a fantastic remake. It keeps the soul of the original alive, while refreshing it in a way that makes it a great modern RPG experience. Though the time hopping could sometimes feel surprising, as it is not obviously communicated with the player it effectively presents an epic time spanning story and having the heroes of old be the antagonists is still a fun angle even in 2024. Combat and other gameplay overhauls make this a joy to play and the definitive Romancing SaGa 2 experience.
VED is a relatively short experience, with maybe 10 to 15 hours of total gameplay if you want to experience different story branches and endings. It isn’t without its issues. Most of my concerns relate to the inconsistency between the amazing visual presentation and the poor writing/voice-over work. The unique battle system is certainly worth experiencing, and I hope Karaclan expand on this for future games.
This is still a good game. It might be a bit hard to justify the price for the increases if you’re coming in from a previous entry, but if you’re fresh meat then this is one to either pick up now or wait for a sale (and further updates) some months down the line. Mod support is also present but because it’s a new game, it’ll take a while for some of those great mods to come into fruition. When it does though, this game will transform completely and for the better.
LEGO Horizon Adventures is undoubtedly more Horizon than LEGO. The beautiful visuals mixed with solid combat mechanics and clever writing hook you in for a time, only to be marred by uninteresting platforming, repetitive levels, battles, and little replayability. The absence of puzzles and interesting building, along with the prevalence of tie-ins from other LEGO sets, leaves me wanting for the LEGO games of old.
Treyarch has managed to breath new life into an aging franchise that still contains mind blowing set pieces and a pretty solid story to go along with them. The variety and accessibility here in every mode is almost unprecedented for a Call of Duty game and will have something for everyone. It may not reach the heights of the original Modern Warfare 2 and Black Ops era but it gets dam close. Aside from a few connectivity issues with online and a predictable campaign ending, this is the best CoD has been in a long time.
Overall, the battle system here in Dragon Ball Sparking Zero is frantic and fast-paced. It has been a joy to re-experience the best moments from Dragon Ball Z and Super, voiced by some of the best talent in the business. Dragon Ball is a massive franchise with a huge worldwide following, so as long as the game is well-supported by Bandai Namco there should be reasonable online activity for years to come. Ultimately this is definitely a Dragon Ball game Akira Toriyama would be proud of.
didn’t expect Life is Strange: Double Exposure to be a home run; following up a split-decision story was bound to upset the fanbase someway or another. I don’t know how, but Deck Nine Games managed to adopt the groundwork DONTNOD laid out and emulated the first game’s presentation, characterization, and storytelling to a T in a true case of “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
Crow Country is a delight to experience. It leverages a unique style that has obvious inspirations and successfully pays homage to them while sporting its own fun story. The overall adventure is a little marred by sub-par combat controls but it has so much intrigue and so many cool puzzles that it’s still a blast. The journey of Mara as she explores a strange dilapidated theme park is something worth experiencing and the Switch is a fantastic platform to do it on!
For all the positives that Zero Dawn Remastered brings, there’s one major “issue”: did we really need this? Don’t get me wrong, the remaster is beautiful, and the time and effort that went into it is clear. You even get the Frozen Wilds expansion bundled in but this is only a seven-year-old game that was released on the previous generation of consoles. The original still holds up remarkably well, both visually and gameplay-wise, and it remains a fun experience. Ultimately, the only people who truly benefit from the remaster are those who didn’t get the chance to play the original.
Fowl Damage is a strong contender for best puzzle-platformer this year. The thoughtful puzzles will challenge you throughout your entire journey, while keeping things light by limiting stages mostly to one screen and featuring instant respawns. While the narrative is inconsequential, the landscapes the story takes you through are wonderfully crafted and varied.
Team Bloober have somehow managed to increase the tension that the original Team Silent founded down all those years ago. Carefully editing out the most frustrating parts and upgrading it to suit modern audiences whilst still giving returning fans something new to encounter. Some sequences and puzzles may feel slow or deliberately cumbersome but there are great accessibility options for all types of players to help makes things easier. This is the ultimate way to play a Silent Hill game for everyone and whatever comes next in this series will find that the Silent Hill 2 Remake is a tough act to follow.
Europa’s dream-like atmosphere and gorgeous visuals make it stand out among anything else out right now. Despite its brief length, its emotional narrative is certain to connect with anyone that plays it. While the game’s low stakes and overly simplistic puzzles may turn some away, those who venture into the world of Europa are bound for a transcendent, meditative experience.
Visions of Mana is a great return to form for the Mana series. Although it starts off a little slow after the first couple of chapters, it definitely picks up the pace. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this to anyone looking for a fun, uncomplicated action RPG. It would be a good game to use to introduce new people to the pleasures of this genre as well. It isn’t winning any game of the year awards, but it might just be what you’re looking for.
Starfield: Shattered Space is an overpriced, disappointing expansion that adds little to the game aside from some neat weapons. There’s too much talking, not enough shooting, and an underwhelming amount of content for its asking price of $29.99 USD. It’s a serious drop in quality from what Bethesda was able to do more than a decade ago.
Epic Mickey Rebrushed is a great time. It carefully revives Epic Mickey with great quality of life changes to the control scheme and tasteful visual upgrades that preserve the original style. The darker twisted storyline is a delight to experience and feels decidedly taboo given the properties at play so it’s really worth experiencing for Mickey or Disney fans.
If you can look past the often frustrating and confusing gameplay design, Emio – The Smiling Man will blow you away with a dark, gripping tale full of major twists and tragic turns. The game’s great character writing coupled with immersive audio-visual design combines to make a moreish mystery you’ll hesitate to put down.
I went into Metaphor: ReFantazio not knowing what to expect, but one thing I didn’t expect was to be so intrigued that I’d let it be all I’d play for weeks on end. For a game to have a gripping story, combat that’s easy to learn and hard to master, characters I care about, and no performance issues truly covers all my bases and makes this a great entry point to anyone so inclined from its trailers.
Melobot – A Last Song is an approachable rhythm title with a clear environmental message that I appreciated. Working its series of momentary melodies into an entertaining albeit repetitive experience, the game may disappoint players looking for more complex musical mechanics. Melobot makes itself as accessible as possible with simple UI design and a comprehensive map, coupled with limited difficulty and lenient punishment when failing.