COGconnected
HomepageCOGconnected's Reviews
Baldo: The Guardian Owls is an audacious release that struggles to find its own identity. Although the Studio Ghibli-esque visuals are stunning, the issues with the gameplay make this a laborious plod through a gorgeous world. With a map that lacks clarity, you will spend hours of your time haphazardly wandering the terrain in search of objectives. Fans of traditional Zeldas will enjoy the interconnected, puzzle-filled dungeons but will be left annoyed and irritated by the inconsistent combat and odd design choices.
Great Sonic games are a rare breed. At least from a gameplay perspective, it’s tough to nail that balance between blistering speed and precise controls. While Colors: Ultimate never reaches that platonic ideal, it gets pretty close! Really, it’s hard to ask for much more than that. Plus, the writing is snappy, the graphics are vibrant, the soundtrack is amped up, and the difficulty scales up nicely. You can glimpse the plateau of mastery on the horizon, and it feels attainable. As far as remasters go, everything looks and feels great. There’s not a ton of new content, but the original release is still very strong. If you’ve been searching for the elusive ‘good’ Sonic game, then Sonic Colors: Ultimate will easily scratch that itch.
Big Rumble Boxing: Creed Champions features all the greats from the franchise. Its large roster and faithful character designs will please fans. Unfortunately, it’s in the ring where the game falls flat. It fails to strike the right balance between arcade action and the sport of boxing. Although some may find the casual nature quite fun, aficionados will have to wait for that knockout game.
For best results, pick up Islanders: Console Edition for shorter sessions; calm yourself down and escape from the stress of life. Don’t look for it to satisfy your Napoleonic yearnings for military glory. And if you’ve been looking for the next “Civ-on-the-go,” keep looking. Islanders: Console Edition is a small game that knows what it is — and isn’t. And that’s just fine.
There’s a lot to enjoy here, and if you’re a fan of Stardew Valley or Pokemon, you owe it to yourself to check this one out.
What we can agree on is that mechanics and gameplay are at least as important as the setting and story, and this is where Rustler fails to deliver a consistently fun experience.
I don’t think that CreatorCrate is striving for meaningless chaos though. I feel like it set out to be a smart, tricky game. And it is, to a point. But maybe it’s not as smart as it thinks it is? Is that a bad thing? I’m not sure. I can’t claim that the game accomplishes all its goals. But I had fun with it. And you, the person reading this review, might even have the skills you need to get good at it. I can’t imagine how much fun you’d have with it then; my guess would be oodles.
Hoa is one of the best-looking games I have ever played. Each aspect has been stunningly designed, creating a luscious and captivating world. Areas are varied with new mechanics periodically introduced to ensure the game has a nice sense of progression. Unfortunately, there is a lack of challenge and some performance issues that do hamper the experience. Although Hoa is short, this relaxing, whimsical adventure is a visual landmark that will enamor fans of Studio Ghibli.
All in all, Tormented Souls achieves what it set out to do: recapture the magic of old-school fixed-perspective survival horror games with modern technology. However, this extends to having a lackluster story and underwhelming voice-acting, both of which plagued early survival horror titles. While the game’s tension, atmosphere, and environmental storytelling are top-notch, the controls can be difficult without a controller and some decisions are downright tasteless. In the end, this game will probably appeal most to people who already love classic survival horror rather than bringing in new fans.
Although as of this writing it is no longer a free download, The Virtuous Cycle is probably an easy to recommend purchase for fans of the base game. The new roguelike game mode is punishing fun (if that’s your thing) and the new Shell and weapon are a welcome addition to the arsenal. If you bounced off Mortal Shell due to its difficulty, this new DLC won’t change your mind, but it’s good news for most everyone who enjoys Cold Symmetry’s homage to Dark Souls.
No More Heroes 3 is absurd, silly, and ridiculously fun. With its slick aesthetic, accentuating the deep and smooth combat, Grasshopper Manufacture has managed to surpass previous entries in the franchise. Packed with a ton of mini-games, this diverse trip will take you to strange and wonderful places. Although the empty open-world areas are plagued with performance issues, it doesn’t take away from the ingenuity that is imbued within.
While Humankind can’t compete with the current state of Civ VI with all that game’s major expansions and wealth of DLC, it should be remembered that at launch, Civ VI was a pretty basic product. Humankind is a solid, if not especially revelatory, take on what has become a pretty ossified genre. Its changes — in particular the opening Neolithic stage, and its combat systems — are not dramatic shifts, but they are enough to make an experienced 4X player pay attention. Just like our hunter-gatherer ancestors, Humankind (the game) is off to a good start.
If you’re looking for a few hours of fun and excitement or if you’re looking to test that ol’ noggin of yours, Tetragon should be on your list of must-play titles. It’s just $15 USD so it’s well worth the price of admission. The developers really knocked the level and puzzle design out of the park for an overall incredibly captivating experience. Tetragon truly is a magical and addictive world to get lost in.
Rather than score the game itself, what follows is an evaluation of the remaster. On that front, this is a fantastic release. I ran into a slight snag running it on the PS5, but that was it. Between the five campaigns, the console mods, and the multiplayer, this is a lot of bang for your buck. The controls are intuitive, the graphics are crisp, and the soundtrack is still excellent. I wish you weren’t tied to your Bethesda login, but that’s a grievance I can live with. As far as versions of Quake go, this one is exemplary. The platonic ideal, one might say. If you’ve found yourself missing those frantic, gib-centric days of chunky violence and blistering speed, Quake Remastered is exactly what you need. You really can’t get more Quake than this.
Overall, I Am Dead is still the solid title it was when it was first released on the PC and Nintendo Switch. While it’s short and the gameplay loop does get repetitive, the overall narrative, aesthetics, and audio turn Shelmerston into a beautiful location. Whether it was the traditions of the island, the history of its residents, or simply the beautiful locations, Shelmerston was easily the highlight of my experience. While I Am Dead ultimately explores the afterlife, including memories of those who have passed, I could not help but place greater interest in the overall setting and its residents, both dead or alive.
Despite these annoyances though, I Expect You to Die 2: The Spy and the Liar is one of the best VR games of 2021 so far. The smart, funny Bond-inspired writing, the meticulous attention to detail, the masterful use of Oculus’s VR controls, and the well-designed missions had me … well, glued to my seat the entire time. It may not change much from the original, but I Expect You to Die 2: The Spy and the Liar once again delivers a thoroughly-enjoyable VR experience from start to finish.
So many videogames treat their human characters as singularly good or evil, or worse, as disposable cannon fodder that exist only to be killed. In addition to its excellent platforming, puzzles, and action, Psychonauts 2 impresses the most because it treats human frailty and failure with warmth, compassion, and humor that is never cruel or demeaning. Inside our heads, we’re all just bundles of doubt, random connections, ill-considered motivations, and weird memories mixed with kindness, aspiration, and delight. I’m grateful to Psychonauts 2 for the reminder.
Apart from a camera that despises the view from a corner, some buggy and inconsistent team matchmaking mechanics, and the curious decision to add punishing roguelike elements, Aliens: Fireteam Elite is a polished and potentially fun and action-filled romp through a corner of the Alien universe and lore. Played without human squadmates and reliant on AI stand-ins at anything but the easiest difficulty, the game’s more repetitious aspects begin to grate, as failure will be inevitable. Played with a trio of living beings possessing some situational awareness, reflexes and the ability to communicate, using an arsenal of cool guns and toys against swarms of iconic Xenomorphs is a mindless, if not mind-blowing, good time.
I can’t help but wonder what King’s Bounty II could have been had it stayed isometric and relied more on written words over spoken dialog. Maybe it could have offered something wholly unique. But this is the choice the developers made and for some of you, if you’re able to get past the jank, you’ll find a pretty okay turn-based combat game in King’s Bounty II. For others who are also looking to get lost in a deep world along with the combat, you’ll be better served elsewhere.
While I was intrigued by the narrative, and enjoyed the performances, Twelve Minutes was an experience I’d had enough of by the time I completed it. There are just enough seams, jank, and clunk around that the act of playing the game felt like a task at times. I absolutely applaud the effort though. Twelve Minutes is an audacious first crack at a unique narrative structure, and one that will certainly lead to more refined and robust takes on this style of experience.