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This game suffers when subjected to a reviewer’s brutal pacing. Maybe if I hadn’t been racing towards the finish line, the endless tiny loading screens wouldn’t have bothered me as much. I was also forced to discard a lot of the side content. It’s not super compelling stuff, but the act of completing it can be pretty relaxing. Searching for Sprite Bulbs scratches that completionist itch in a big way. Plus, the game is beautiful and the battles are a lot of fun. I still wish the puzzles weren’t so frustrating for me. But again, they benefit from more patience than I could spare. My momentum while playing felt wobbly and uneven, but this is still a well-crafted game. Perhaps your time (if you can offer more of it than me) will be well-spent playing Mario & Luigi: Brothership.
Empire of the Ants is an excellent game. This is one of those games that seemingly come out of nowhere but will likely be a beloved favourite for many gamers for years to come. While a lot of these gameplay aspects have been seen before in other games, the way they’re included here, through the eyes of an ant, can be quite unique. The visuals are outstanding and the music is brilliant. There are some challenges with controls and the camera, especially in confined spaces or when your ant is upside-down. And unfortunately, I didn’t get an opportunity to experience the multiplayer aspects. Fortunately, the single-player experience is overall so well done that I’d consider the multiplayer mode a nice bonus more than anything. If you’re looking for a unique gaming real-time strategy experience, then you really can’t go wrong with Empire of the Ants.
I’ve loved and played Planet Coaster for years, and I really wanted the sequel to be the ultimate coaster-building experience. The potential is there. The water features are great, and the new coasters are exciting. Many of the tweaks and changes add new flexibility and sophistication to the building process. At the same time, the game’s lack of final technical polish and its time-consuming, heavy learning-curve, convoluted UI added an element of frustration to what should have been a familiar but unassailably better experience.
By almost every metric, Horizon Zero Dawn is a classic action RPG. For anyone who missed it, the Remastered edition is definitely the version to pick up. For those who already own it, the upgrade to Remastered is a reasonable $10 and at least on PS5, PS4 cloud saves work just fine. If the new and improved visuals inspire folks to play the game, or play it again, that’s a win for everyone.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 removes whatever imaginary stench Modern Warfare III left behind by revitalizing the franchise with a standout campaign, engaging multiplayer, and a nostalgic yet innovative Zombies experience.
As a lifelong Family Feud fan, I loved The Jackbox Survey Scramble. It was fun to play, and a treat to be a part of the surveys. I do wish that answers didn’t need to be kept at one word. And Bounce isn’t as strong as the other three games. I also wish there was a way to play online with random players. There are a lot of minor issues with The Jackbox Survey Scramble, but the core gameplay is extremely fun and simple. These problems really didn’t get in the way of the great experience I had, which is why it still scores well. And the price of The Jackbox Survey Scramble is only $12.99 CAD, so probably $9.99 USD. That’s a very low cost for a party game that’ll I’ll be playing for a long time. The Jackbox Survey Scramble is a must-own for Family Feud fans.
Polished and confident, Dragon Age: The Veilguard feels like a return to form for the developer. Dragon Age: The Veilguard gives us a beautiful world to experience, interesting allies to explore it with, and action that grows increasingly more nuanced throughout.
Life is Strange: Double Exposure tackles the difficult task of continuing the story of a beloved character and successfully executes it in a way that respects the series’ legacy while pushing the franchise forward.
Although it’s pretty bare bones, Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered definitely does gamers a service by bringing a cult classic to current consoles. Some of the 2011 original’s action and humor doesn’t quite live up to our fond memories of it. On the whole, Grasshopper Manufacture’s surreal action game remains weird and entertaining.
Beyond Galaxyland is still among the games that are entertaining and have some charm and mystery which will make players stay. Fans of sci-fi adventures who have an affinity for indie titles should absolutely check out this title. The mixture of an interesting plot, character relations, and a beautifully designed universe makes it a game that is worth exploring even if some portions of the game could use some refinement.
The Quiet Place films had a remarkably simple but very effective narrative hook. A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead is a pitch-perfect, authentic recreation of the movies’ tone and tension. What holds it back is the lack of variety in player input stretched over the game’s running time of eight or so hours. It’s definitely not a great game for fidgety, impatient players. For fans of the films and/or stealth-focused adventure horror games, A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead effectively checks a lot of boxes.
Arizona Sunshine Remake is a very welcome remaster in a world stuffed with game remasters. VR technology has improved tremendously in the years since the original game launched. This is especially true on the PlayStation side, where the inside out tracking of the PSVR 2 has replaced the light-based tracking of the PSVR 1.
All in all, I can certainly see why Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven is a remake of a classic. I just wish the monsters were a bit more menacing and the narrative was a little more solid. And that the camera would stop making me sick.
If you are looking for a sports game to surprise you with depth and clever game design, that’s not what you’ll find here. But if you for whatever reason are interested in what games were like before open worlds and crafting minigames, you will find no time capsule better than Backyard Baseball ‘97. In a way, the ‘97 is the most important part of the title. So hop in your time machine, assemble your team and do yourself a favor and make Pablo your cleanup hitter.
While the story-telling, environments, and narration might intrigue, Metamorphosis VR has too many technical issues to allow one to truly enjoy the experience.
MechWarrior 5: Clans does a good job of balancing story, combat, and the all-important time in between. Customizing the mechs and gearing up the squad are both lots of fun and the battles themselves are appropriately oversized.
Super Mario Party Jamboree marks a significant advancement for the series. With customizable gameplay options, you can tailor your experience by removing elements you don’t enjoy, making it more accessible for everyone.
New World: Aeternum’s mix of swords, magic and gunpowder is blended with a colorful world and accessible but satisfying mechanics. With a good balance between solo, co-op PvE and PvP content, Aeternum has something to offer most players. Nothing’s incredibly original, but neither is anything totally broken or missing. The most glaring faults of the original have been addressed. Whatever you call it — reboot, remix or re-skin — New World: Aeternum is worth checking out.
While I wouldn’t call Darksiders II underrated, sales notoriously underperformed in 2012. Since then, lots of players have taken the opportunity to enjoy the game on a variety of platforms in the expanded and excellent Deathfinitive edition. Any fan of recent action RPGs will almost certainly enjoy Darksiders II’s combat and world. It looks great on the PS5 and anyone with the PS4 version gets a free upgrade. It’s definitely worth diving into again, or for the first time in the new version.
Neva offers a unique, spiritual journey through life’s complexities. While the narrative leaves some elements open to interpretation, its grounded aspects make the characters relatable. Though brief, the adventure is full of memorable moments that will captivate you with each step toward its wonderful conclusion. The emotional and thought-provoking journey blends captivating storytelling with immersive gameplay to deliver a truly special experience.