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There is a little bit of everything for everyone in this innovative and entertaining game. It’s been acclaimed as one of the best games of the year, and it certainly lived up to my expectations.
Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria doesn’t take any huge chances with the survival crafting genre. Still, the Lord of the Rings overlay and familiar character cameos help make its familiar loops seem fresh enough. In the mixed-bag pantheon of Lord of the Rings-inspired games, Return to Moria acquits itself quite well.
Quantum Error desperately wants to just be a dystopian sci-fi CGI film, without any pesky gameplay to kill its momentum. Alas, there is a clunky, antiquated, and unrefined shooter wedged between the game’s Unreal Engine 5 cinematics. Love and attention was poured into the cutscenes, but the shooter is malnourished and not very much fun. Next time, just make a movie.
Overall, Samba de Amigo: Virtual Party is a fun VR rhythm game that gets you dancing and listening to some good songs. I welcome the fresh style and colorful, cartoony characters. The gameplay is solid rhythm fare, and while it doesn’t really add much new to the genre, it does deliver a solid and polished experience. I just wish the song list was longer and had more of a Latin flavor.
To be honest, I didn’t expect much from Mario Wonder. The 2D games tend to play it relatively safe, preferring to lean on nostalgia and mass appeal. Somehow I’ve been shocked at almost every turn. The visuals are consistently fresh and exciting. The mechanics blow the whole formula wide open. New powers, new skills, and new challenges had me immediately hooked. The soundtrack is mostly bangers by weight, just a hot mess of excellent music. Sure, the story is forgettable. I couldn’t tell you the name of your constant companion. He’s some sort of bug with a crown? And the bones of the 2D gameplay are well-preserved standards from several generations back. But the total package is an absolute blast. If you’ve been looking for a hot new Mario game, your prayers are answered. Super Mario Bros. Wonder is the best the series has been for years.
UFC 5 is the best release in the franchise. The new submission system is a massive improvement on previous iterations and the cinematic knockouts never get old. Tweaks in the combat create a nuanced system that opens up a range of options to attack. Although I did encounter the odd camera issue and the game could use a mission-based tutorial, each aspect in the octagon has been thoughtfully designed to replicate the sport.
Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol 1 celebrates the early years of the legendary tactical espionage epic. Each game comes with region-specific versions, a wonderful companion book and even a screenplay. This allows fans of the franchise to delve deep into the iconic world but also provides newcomers with the material to engage with the series. Extra content such as graphic novels and the soundtrack give even more incentive to revisit the groundbreaking games. While the package itself has a strange segmented design that requires you to switch applications, everything that’s included is magnificent.
Maybe it isn’t fair to compare Cities: Skylines II to its predecessor, which has had years of updates and addons. Setting aside some technical issues, Cities: Skylines II has some interesting new systems, some welcome mechanical improvements, and lots of potential. But it’s missing some content that long time players have probably come to expect, and it’s in need of optimization, bug fixes, and the sense of life and fun that characterized the first game.
Alan Wake 2 rewards fans of the first game for their patience, and invites new players along for a wild, sometimes terrifying and mind-bending ride.
If you have fond memories of the original game, this version will bring a smile to your face. If you have never played the 7th Guest before, you are in for a treat, especially if you love mystery/puzzle games with a horrific slant.
Regardless of the mediocre upgrades to NHL 24’s game modes, I must admit, the on-ice action is a big step forward for the franchise. The new hitting and passing systems need work, but the changes in how momentum affects the moment-to-moment gameplay have injected new life into the series. At the end of the day, I find myself wanting to step back out onto the ice. And that’s more than I can say for how I’ve felt over the last several years.
Sonic Superstars manages to capture the magic of his earlier releases. The multilayered levels and innovation throughout make this one of the best Sonic games in years! While the multiplayer aspects are not as strong, the single-player portion undoubtedly proves that Sonic is back!
Tennis On-Court is full of missed opportunities. This is the first game in the sport to hit the PSVR 2 and due to this, interest around the game was at a high. However, Fishing Cactus failed to capitalize on the excitement due to a number of issues. There is potential with the mechanics but the focus on creating a simulator makes the moment-to-moment gameplay feel inconsistent and the lack of modes means you’ll quickly tire of the experience.
Limited Run is only selling physical copies of Gargoyles Remastered until October 22, so if you have any nostalgic love for this game, you have 3 days from the publication of this review to pick it up! And I really hope that you do. As much I can’t recommend Gargoyles Remastered to most players, I really appreciate Disney Games and Limited Run for creating quality remasters of retro games that aren’t in high demand. I have so much love and support for this project. I’d love to see this kind of treatment for more 16-bit Disney games like The Magical Quest trilogy, Mickey Mania, or Goof Troop.
As a comic brought to life, Hellboy Web of Wyrd nails the narrative tone and art style that Mike Mignola perfected decades ago. As an action game, there are impediments to enjoyment, starting with the purposefully choppy animation and Hellboy’s lack of fluid movement. What works in the pages of a book doesn’t necessarily translate to fun in the hands of the player.
Agatha Christie – Murder on the Orient Express succeeds in providing a faithful adaptation. At the same time gives a fresh and satisfying face to an old classic with fun gameplay and quirky, loveable characters and creative puzzles. The atmosphere gives great immersion and really get you in detective mode.
The Jackbox Party Pack 10 contains tons of fun. It’s 5 games for a very reasonable price. Three of the games could be played at parties for hours on their own. The other two added variety to the overall package of games. The Jackbox Party Pack 10 had some smartphone connection issues, but they were minor and easy to fix. This is a must play for anyone with a love for party games. I will be sharing The Jackbox Party Pack 10 at gatherings for years to come.
Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged improves on its predecessor with refinements on the track and new modes. The multiplayer portion has had an overhaul with new modes that take advantage of new mechanics to offer more variety. However, the small number of environments is still an issue and makes the different tracks feel too familiar. Milestone sticks to what worked which results in a very similar experience. While it does improve on the original, it doesn’t add enough to make its way up the podium.
Spider-Man 2 is the greatest superhero game ever made. Period
Wild Card Football manages to capture the essence of the sport in an arcade format. I’m torn about the Wild Cards, as they add variety to each play but they can also give an unfair advantage. Luckily, you can disable these and just play a standard match. However, the issues lie in the content. Dream Squad is fun but the slow progression makes it feel like a grind and the lack of other modes hinders the overall experience.