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With its more focused campaign less burdened by irrelevancy, The Siege of Paris is a leaner, tighter and brisker expansion than Wrath of the Druids or much of the main story. The new/old Infiltration mechanic is a welcome changeup from the usual routine of explore and battle, but maybe not enough to entirely wipe away the feeling that the Siege of Paris is sticking a little too close to the template. What it lacks in creativity, bold new mechanics and mission structures, The Siege of Paris delivers in art direction, atmosphere and story. Though I personally enjoyed the visit to Ireland a little more, Eivor’s trip to Francia is by no means lacking in quality. For better or worse, it’s just more of the same.
Foreclosed is a stylish title that integrates comics and video games. The use of panels is exemplary and helps to communicate the narrative. With the symbiote revolver and intuitive hacking, the game has implemented many features successfully. Unfortunately, the repetitive gameplay and sparse environments affect the overall experience. That being said, releasing at a budget price, comic book fans may want to check out this intriguing title.
Overall, it was hard to care for Ao and Bo’s story. The dialog was a slog. The character’s perspectives often changed too fast. And while going over their dilemmas, again and again, I found myself not wanting to play anymore. I’d rather just go out for a beer and talk to them in person and let them know life is going to be okay. High school and college are but footnotes in hopefully a long healthy story of yourself. In the end, if you find yourself at this particular time in life, it might be worth experiencing their story. But if you’re past it, you may not find much here to resonate with.
When it’s all said and done though, Dodgeball Academia is much better than I was expecting. I enjoyed the style, the zaniness, the characters, and only got frustrated by the gameplay a couple of times. Given my childhood history with the sport and my general anger over not being able to win in every game, a couple of times of frustration is a MASSIVE win. While the RPG elements to it are a little on the light side, the open-ish world and all of the side quests/daily challenges you get to tackle on top of the story have you 3 hours deep into dodgeball games before you know it. The fun and light hearted aspects of the game outweigh the negatives, making Dodgeball Academia a good pick up if you’re looking to hear that SPLAT once more.
The Hero’s Journey does yeoman’s work as a structure for Seed of Life, and the game boasts some imaginative environments and challenging puzzles in service of a classic tale of discovery. Where action, platforming and precise input are called for, Seed of Life shows its mechanical limitations and wonder is sometimes replaced by frustration, but fans of puzzle adventure games with a sci-fi twist might find something to appreciate about Seed of Life despite its issues.
If you’re currently an Xbox Game Pass subscriber, then you have no choice at all – download Microsoft Flight Simulator right at this moment and experience this amazing accomplishment in gaming. Yes, this game is a simulator, but it’s a simulator that does so many things right.
Wind & Leaves turned out to be a real bummer. The exploration and world history are intriguing and there’s no denying the beauty of the world as it speeds through growth when time is fast-forwarded. There is also some really good soundtrack music going on too. The intent of creating a Journey-like experience is clear but there are too many game mechanic missteps that break immersion. This a game some will no doubt like because of the world. It all depends on your tolerance level of the game mechanics.
On the surface, Shadowverse: Champion’s Battle looks like a children’s card game with glorified animation, but it is actually more than that. With solid battles and structured rules, a large variety of cards, and a lot of NPCs specializing in different classes, every time you challenge someone it feels like a completely new experience. While following a cheesy and fun storyline in this RPG, the card game remains consistent and the characters predictable, making it easy to focus on strategizing and advancing to the top. Sure, there are moments where the repetition is evident, but there aren’t many RPGs that don’t require grinding.
For the Dark Souls fan who sees every From Software game as a validation of the “git gud” mentality, Eldest Souls will probably scratch a persistent itch. For everyone else, especially those who appreciate Souls-like games for their journeys and not their boss destinations, Eldest Souls may seem too focused on doing one thing, no matter how well it succeeds. Eldest Souls is designed around frustration and challenge, and if that’s your idea of a good time, then this game is for you.
City of Gangsters demonstrates that the 4x genre works just as well in miniature as it does in grand, sweeping epic spans of history.
Like a good diorama, Button City has a lot of fine detail. Sure the story is breezy and the characters are charming, but what about the games? What about the simple, engaging level design? I wish the sidequests were less about long walks, yes. I want a run button so very badly, it’s true. And the games could actually be harder. But I still want to visit this weird little town. I want to keep coming back to this arcade, I want to get sick of the only good games, I want to save up for the only good prizes. Whether you remember places like this or not, Button City is a delightful escape to the lost world of arcades. Heck, if you’ve got one in your town, this might convince you to start going again.
Listen up: your parents, grandparents and other elders you might know are almost certainly a little lonely, insecure, potentially afraid of sickness and death, haunted by memories and beset by many of the same demons as you are. If that sounds depressing, remember they are also quite possibly wise and focused on making the most of their remaining time on the planet. Given the ticking clock, they’d probably never waste their precious moments playing Retired Men’s Nude Beach Volleyball League. Learn from them, and remember that the most wildly ironic or intentionally bad game might succeed in meeting its goals without coming close to giving the player the respect of a good time.
Fuga: Melodies Of Steel is a tricky game to review. It’s likely not what anyone is looking for. Not only is it different gameplay-wise from the other Little Tail Bronx games, but its linearity will also turn off many RPG fans. What it is though, is very good. CyberConnect2 certainly achieved their vision with this strange adventure. Though Fuga’s audience may be extremely niche, those who play it, without expectations, will be in for a treat.
All in all, NEO: The World Ends with You manages to escape the pitfall of being a period piece by taking the Heathers approach to youth culture and focusing more on capturing the feeling of youth than trying to accurately portray the ever-shifting trends. It has a fun cast, an interesting story, and a much more straightforward battle system with room to spend ages gathering collectibles and getting your pin load-out just right. Unfortunately, its cast is generally more well-adjusted than the original game’s traumatized teenagers, meaning that this game doesn’t hit quite as hard as the original The World Ends with You.
One could make a long list of things that Jupiter Hell isn’t, but that would be missing the point and the prize. Jupiter Hell is an easy-to-understand, but challenging and addictive roguelike, with turn-based action that never gets bogged down with the minutiae of facing, hexes, grids, or overly-complex mechanics. Instead, it zeroes in on cover, position, tactics, and the smart use of the tools at hand. The procedurally generated elements are the stuff of hit and miss, luck of the draw, run-ending frustration, and occasionally some pretty barren levels. Aside from that, Jupiter Hell is a focused and fun homage to an era of shooter where you never knew what was around the next dark corner.
Thanks to offering only two factions and a limited number of modes, Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector might not be the deepest or most complete strategy game ever made, but it’s definitely one of the best and most authentic uses of the license to date. Challenging strategic battles, appropriately melodramatic voice work, more than decent graphics, and a respectful translation of the tabletop game to a digital format make this a must-have for fans of the franchise, and even appealing for casual strategy fans who are not yet invested in all things Warhammer.
Volta-X has its enjoyable moments and provides a decent strategy experience with a fair level of difficulty. Since I like to take my Nintendo Switch with me when I head out, I do wish the offline mode had more content but nothing’s stopping me from playing this when I am home. Even though the story may not have been the wow factor, I can feel a lot of love was poured into the game, and this is evident in the smooth controls, colorful designs, and of course, the webcomic. Though battles can feel repetitive after a while, its intuitive controls make it easy to put down and pick back up the next day, and Volta-X is enjoyable enough for you to want to do so.
It wouldn’t be unfair to summarize Ragnarock by saying it is Beat Saber with a Viking theme. And it is undoubtedly another solid VR workout game that will have you burning boatloads of calories, but having so much fun you won’t notice how sweaty you are. But Ragnarock lacks some of the elements that make Beat Saber great; there isn’t enough variation in the rhythmic actions you do to the music, and the playlist of songs is a bit paltry (although the devs have said they will be adding to it). Combine that with mediocre visuals and Ragnarock is a decent game and fun way to get a great workout, but one whose repetition might make you want to hang up your helmet after a while. Pick this one up if you’re a fan of Norse themes, you’re looking to take a break from Beat Saber … or you just want to rock.
The world of Henford-On-Bagley is absolutely breathtaking and has such a fairy-like and whimsical charm. EA really did a wonderful job capturing the rustic vibe of the European countryside. There are a few flaws with inventory management and the relatively scant wardrobe options, but you can still really enjoy your time on the farm. Because honestly, what’s better than being able to hug and pet your cows and llamas!
Ultimately, Grime is an overall successful transposition of the 2D Soulslike subgenre into a new and engaging world. Although it lacks the emotional richness of the best Souls games, Grime’s striking environments, solid combat, imaginative enemies and original mechanics all work together in harmony, and it clearly establishes a formula that is open to refinement and possibility.