COGconnected
HomepageCOGconnected's Reviews
As much as people might argue that The Last of Us Part I was unnecessary (hell, I might not even argue against them), the fact remains that Naughty Dog has knocked it out of the park. The 2022 remake looks, sounds, and plays miles above both the 2013 and 2014 versions, and regardless of opinion on Part 2’s story, there’s no denying that this team of developers now has one of the most must-play one-two punches of all time under their belt.
I think it’s no exaggeration to say that Immortality is often brilliant. The acting, writing, editing and videography are meticulously intentional and if the path through the woods isn’t always clear, the trees are unfailingly interesting to study. While it isn’t perfect, I’m glad that games like Immortality exist. There are so many games that are sequels, copycats, reboots, remakes and retreads that you forget what originality actually looks like. All of Barlow’s games have been excellent but Immortality is probably the richest and most thought-provoking of the three.
Tower of Fantasy has some strengths and several annoyances. Its attractive world is populated by a generic story and forgettable NPCs. Its exciting combat is hampered by time-gated exploration and an overly complex, fussy gacha system. For fans of the Asian MMO genre or recent converts to Genshin Impact, the game might be worth checking out. I don’t think Tower of Fantasy is a good introduction to gacha games, and there are generally lots of better MMORPGs to invest your time in.
Midnight Fight Express captures the action synonymous with films like The Raid. Combat feels great and includes enough depth to pull off technical combos but is also simple and accessible for newcomers to the genre. The story is a miss-fire and lacks the cinematic flair which is within the gameplay. Whilst the aesthetics are basic, it does feel like a fight through a seedy underworld. The addictive gameplay loop makes you want to replay levels to achieve the highest score. Ultimately, Midnight Fight Express achieves what it set out to do: make you feel like an absolute badass.
I’m not sure how I feel about this collection. I didn’t enjoy most of the games I played. And yet, this release does an admirable job gathering up so much Turtles history and memorabilia. You’ve got the games, the box art, the concept sketches, the music, and the TV stills. You have a clear snapshot of the Turtles hype train running at full speed. The effect is so complete this collection feels like a curated museum exhibit. On the other hand, the games are mostly bad. The action is repetitive, the difficulty balance is busted, and the stage design is mostly an afterthought. If you’re looking for a thoughtful essay on Ninja Turtles history, then look no further. If you want a bunch of fun games, The Cowabunga Collection is not for you.
Destroy All Humans! 2 Reprobed is not hard to recommend for gamers who missed it the first time around, or remember it fondly and want to play it again. It looks, sounds and controls like a current title, and most of the jokes hold up just fine. Not all the gameplay mechanics and mission designs feel that fresh anymore, and it can feel simplistic and repetitive against the backdrop of recent action games. Like the remake of the original Destroy All Humans!, it’s hard not to wish that Black Forest had gone further into actual reboot territory, because the narrative bones, characters, and style could be something special in a more open-world, contemporary game.
Cursed to Golf is a great idea for a game. It’s a very difficult 2D golf game with precise controls. Although it’s a Roguelike, I enjoyed it less like I enjoyed Hades, and more like I enjoyed Super Meat Boy. I just can’t believe there are no multiplayer options! And there are some bugs that need fixing. Playing Cursed to Golf was great fun for a few hours, but as a single-player-only experience, I’m not sure how many players will be captivated long enough to try to conquer all 18 holes.
If you’re a fan of Persona 5 with a dash of Yakuza, I can certainly recommend Dusk Diver 2. The characters are incredibly likeable, the environment is bright and vivid. Despite not knowing the full context of the story from the original game, the story in this title was still intriguing. JRPG fans and fans of the hack-n-slash genre should definitely add this one to their playlist.
Tinykin is a joyous trek through the 90s. Full of charm and wonder, the game manages to add to the foundation laid by Pikmin to build a lovely adventure. Every area has lots to find and do which fleshes out the relatively short runtime. While the game lacks challenge, it makes up for it with a bucket load of character. The simple controls and intuitive design reduces any frustration and allows you to freely command your troop. Due to this, you can’t help but smile during the entirety of the game and will enjoy each second.
Overall, its gameplay will keep players coming back for as long as they can stand it.
Despite some tech issues and inconsistent mission design, this kinder, gentler incarnation of Saints Row is probably a step in the right direction.
There are people who will enjoy the dedication to making Way of the Hunter an ultra-realistic hunting simulation. Though I fear those people will instead be spending their days actually hunting. If you play video games to get some immersive feel and still have fun doing that thing you wouldn’t normally do in real life, you might not be as appreciative of the dedication to realism. While I fell into the latter camp, I know there are certainly people in the former camp. You’ll have to decide for yourself if Way of the Hunter is for you.
While the game does a good job of establishing the agents of Aion as emerging AI, Soul Hackers 2 tells a deeply human story. This isn’t a shock to me, as Shin Megami Tensei spin-offs have always been more character-focused than the mainline games. I like Soul Hackers 2’s anime noir approach to character building. I recommend it to anyone who likes RPGs or cyberpunk.
When I previewed Dream Cycle nearly a year ago, I connected with the game’s premise and still-in-development combat mechanics and movement. Those promising elements remain, but in the full game, they’re obscured by some technical issues and the need for a lot more polish and refinement. A third-person, Lovecraft-inspired action game is a great idea. Dream Cycle comes close to making it happen. It’s not quite a nightmare, but not the sweet dream I hoped it would be.
Thymesia is for anyone who believes that a game like Elden Ring is too accessible or that FromSoftware has lost its edge. It distills the Soulslike formula down to challenge and difficulty, adding a few new mechanics to the familiar staples. Yes, Thymesia is grueling and can be fun for hardcore fans of the genre, but it’s also pretty highly derivative. Unless they’re absolutely brilliant, copycat games almost always make you wish you were playing the original.
Roll7 is to be applauded for putting together this unique shooter skater game. I really dug the 1970s vibe of the game both in the art direction and especially the score. This makes the game stand out aesthetically from other games. The only nit I have with the 2D art style, is that it makes judging jumps difficult due to the lack of depth perception. With a little practice, I was able to acclimate to it. Rollerdome is a blast to play, tailored to appeal to players of all skill types.
My only major gripes with Blossom Tales II: The Minotaur Prince are highly subjective. It’s a game that needs to reach the kind of people who play mods of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, which provide the player with more challenging combat and puzzles. Blossom Tales II has a very good world map to explore, and its dungeon puzzles and combat are perfect. It starts like a game a parent would want to get their young daughter but becomes one that will impress any old-school Zelda fan who gives it some time. So give Blossom Tales II: The Minotaur Prince your time.
I’ve really enjoyed my time with Wands Alliances, and I strongly recommend it for any Meta Quest 2 player. Despite some technical annoyances, it has fun and thrilling team-based combat and a very stylish presentation that’ll have you coming back for more.
I’ve played dozens of survival action games and MMORPGs but Chimeraland rests on one of the lowest rungs of the ladder. It looks primitive, with tons of technical problems. Nothing about its moment-to-moment gameplay hasn’t been done before and much, much better. The big, open world is a land of blocky textures and monsters that aren’t fun to fight. The goofy character creator and pet system can’t redeem Chimeraland. Even they’re not worth the price of admission. And the game is free.
Despite the latter half of this review being mostly criticism, Arcade Paradise, at its core, is a very good management game, with tons of very well-parodied arcade games to play. The mix of genres works incredibly well. I really wish there was a version of Capcom Arcade Stadium in this style. Or an NES Remix. Arcade Paradise’s inauthentic aesthetic, and lack of polish bring it down. But anyone intrigued by the game’s premise should give it a try.