COGconnected
HomepageCOGconnected's Reviews
Flashback 2 has some nice ideas but bugs, a lack of polish and the clunky design hinder the entire experience. At each step, it feels as if you’re fighting with the game to get a hit of nostalgia. Beneath the wealth of issues, there is something of merit, however, the sheer volume of issues will just frustrate and infuriate.
Assassin’s Creed Nexus VR is probably the best action game available for the Meta Quest 3 system and I’d go so far as to call it a hardware-seller. It’s certainly an impressive proof-of-concept for the standalone headset. As an Assassin’s Creed game, it nails the series’ classic stealth and parkour moves, all the more impressive in virtual reality. It isn’t an open world game, but all the better for it. I’d say it’s a must-buy for new Quest 3 owners.
With an appealing visual style, timely themes and excellent puzzle platform mechanics, American Arcadia confidently checks a lot of boxes. While a few of the puzzles can be head-scratchers or frustrating to complete, the majority of my experience was extremely positive. American Arcadia is genuinely something fresh and stands out in a crowded genre.
The Walking Dead: Destinies would have been a fitting release a decade ago during the peak of the series’ popularity, ironically, the game plays as if it belongs to that era too. You’ll quickly tire of the repetitive mission structure and grow frustrated with the combat system. Although the game claims to allow you to choose the path that Rick and Co. walk, your decisions barely make a difference. Even die-hard fans of the formidable franchise will want to steer clear of this undead adventure due to its dated design and poor execution.
RIPOUT does a lot of things quite well. The creepy horror atmosphere, the smooth FPS gameplay, Co-Op design, and PetGun all make for a game worth playing. However, the repetitive mission structure and maps make it a game worth playing only for short periods of time. The Co-Op focus allows for a ton of fun with friends, but the aforementioned structure halts the fun after an hour or so. For their first game, Pet Project Games, in what is clearly THEIR pet project, have a lot to be proud of. All things considered, if you are looking for an affordable horror FPS akin to Deep Rock Galactic, you could do much worse than RIPOUT.
King of Fighters XIII: Global Match tweaks the online netcode to improve on a classic. The combat remains a highlight of the franchise and the visuals still look stunning. Unfortunately, SNK doesn’t add anything extra to the mix barring online upgrades. While I do wish they would have taken the opportunity to add more to celebrate the franchise, what’s on offer is definitely worth the price of admission.
I plan to spend a lot more time with The Iron Oath. In fact, it gets a rare stamp of honor. Even fantastic games can grow old once you’ve played and reviewed it. With The Iron Oath, there’s still so much more for me to learn and see. In fact, I think it’s going to remain installed on my PC for a long while. I can’t foresee another game coming for the merc management throne for a long time.
In past years, I would have happily grinded seasonal Battle Passes. Last year, my patience was tested as many of these issues in MWIII started showing up in MWII – but I held out hope that the devs would fix the issues and deliver a return-to-form Call of Duty. I was mistaken. Sure, credit where credit is due, MWIII’s gameplay is solid with industry best gunplay and the Zombies mode is one of the franchises best ever. But it’s the half dozen or so poor design choices that continue to drag these games down. Call of Duty has risen to a level where they’re just too big to listen to fan feedback, and MWIII is a testament to this. Call of Duty fans deserve better.
Super Mario RPG is so faithful to the original that calling it a remake feels disingenuous. The game is more of a top-to-bottom remaster.
The Awakened King adds a substantial amount of excellent content, combat, and loot to the moody, gothic-inspired Losomn world of Remnant 2. Everything that was great about Remnant 2 remains in place. The new, handcrafted environments and deliberately-paced narrative blend pretty seamlessly into the base game. Remnant 2 remains a not-impossible challenge for solo players, but a near-perfect one for a small squad of action-loving friends.
All in all, Persona 5 Tactica is far from perfect. But it looks pretty sound, it sounds excellent, and it is fun. If you just want to see more of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, you could certainly do worse. And if you open your heart to the new cast, Erina and Toshiro have a lot going for them. Just be prepared to replay levels a lot on higher difficulties.
The Invincible has a strong narrative and treats its source with respect and imagination. Pair that with a beautiful world and you should have a classic. The only things holding The Invincible at arm’s length from greatness are some dated-feeling controls and pacing that drags more than once. The Invincible is a convincing homage to a popular novel but slightly less convincing as a game.
Casey Donnellan Games has tailored a well balanced game to carry out its goal. Kill It With Fire hits the right mix of fun and length. If you are an arachnophobe, this may not be the game for you. If the idea of squashing spiders for fun appeals to your darker side, this is the game for you. Kill It With Fire is available on all platforms, be it flat or VR. And now it has come to the PSVR 2. Happy Hunting!
My actual car is covered in grime and road dirt, but I’m happy to ignore the laborious task of washing it in favor of doing the same task in virtual reality. PowerWash Simulator has always been an addictive, relaxing, and satisfying game. PowerWash Simulator VR feels like a game that has found its true home and the most convincing version of itself possible. It’s a great addition to the growing library for the Quest 3.
Fashion Dreamer is a game I’ll be picking up here and there for a quick look. While its features are fun, the novelty will wear off after a while. It’s not more than a dress up game and will not be for everyone. If you’re looking for a more in depth game, you might have to look elsewhere.
The Talos Principle 2 builds on the foundation of the first excellent game. It has a rich, thoughtful narrative where the puzzles aren’t just moving laser beams, but trying to figure out what it means to be part of a society. Moving the laser beams is fun, too, and there are enough systems to make those puzzles accessible but challenging. The Talos Principle 2 gives players a lot to think about.
Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name doesn’t reinvent the wheel by any means. For Yakuza/Like Dragon fans, it’ll be a familiar, albeit enjoyable experience. It has a few shortcomings – the most egregious being a painfully slow first few hours. But once it gets going, Gaiden packs a punch. One that’s sure to keep you satiated until Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth drops.
Anyone who enjoyed Dead Island 2 will probably enjoy Haus as well. It has the same engaging humor and social satire, the same gory action, and even more visually impressive levels. What it doesn’t have are a lot of new ideas. It’s a pretty short romp, too. Haus is definitely, for better or worse, more of the same. I’m ok with that.
Ghostbusters: Rise of the Ghost Lord nails aspects of the experience but its lack of structure hinders the overall package. Using the famous tools from the franchise has never felt better and faithfully captures the feeling of being a Ghostbuster, however, the lack of focus on the narrative gives no context to missions. Fighting against spirits is a blast with friends but doesn’t hold up in single player. Although busting feels good, more attention to the story and its progression is needed.
However, if you are into good storytelling, with a detailed back story, good voice acting, and are patient with the story to kick in; Journey to Foundation is the ticket. The game should take between six to eight hours to complete if you focus on pushing through the story. However, if you stop to peruse the encyclopedia it will extend your play through time.