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Any game that mixes genres like this has to make cuts somewhere. In this case, a little depth is traded for accessibility. While this isn’t the most complex dungeon crawler or dating sim, the final result is still quite satisfying. You’re given ample space to explore your violent and romantic impulses. The dating pool is both expansive and inclusive, with excellent writing to match. Though the combat gameplay loop is simple, it offers an engaging challenge with narrative relevance. On the other hand, each half of the gameplay can feel like a distraction from the other half. Maybe this is the price required when smashing two disparate systems together. Even if you end up missing the absent depth, the laid-back pace is a rewarding compensation. If only one-half of this mashup premise appeals to you, what you’re looking for may lie elsewhere. But if you’re looking to blend hacking, slashing, and smooching, Boyfriend Dungeon will be a perfect match.
Some racing sims split the difference between arcade-like accessibility and realism, but RiMS Racing leans pretty hard towards the latter. While not entirely unfriendly to novices, this is a game geared towards the motorcycle enthusiast. With its emphasis on what happens in the shop between races at least as much as on the races itself, RiMS Racing has a supply-your-own-drama career mode, but excels in supplying an exacting and sometimes thrilling simulator of racing on two wheels.
Playing Fracked is very enjoyable. The short length of the game leaves you with a sour taste, which is too bad because it is so entertaining to play. The environments are beautiful and the game mechanics and scale really immerse you in the virtual world. What also hurts Fracked is that the brevity of it is paired with a lack of replayability. There are no challenges or online leaderboards to compete against. There are coins to collect but you cannot use them for anything like say customizing your character or weapons. The top-notch production values make this a tight and exhilarating VR experience. Despite the shortness of the campaign, Fracked is a virtual action playground worth playing.
I’ll be playing this one for a long time. After a dozen or so hours, I’m completely hooked. An impressive number of cards, enemies, items, and more to discover is going to keep me on this train, and the excellent visuals and music will help make the ride to hell… heavenly. It could use a patch or two, but Monster Train is a smash hit.
It’s clear more time with next-gen hardware has paid off. Madden NFL 22 looks and feels like a step back in the right direction for the series. The core gameplay remains largely unchanged but almost every mode in this Madden experience sees a noticeable bump. Everything from the drastically improved facial animations to a robust new feature set in Franchise mode, Madden NFL 22 quickly erases the stench that Madden NFL 21 left at launch. It’s a complete experience and you could not say that last year. More updates and patches are coming but at this point, Madden NFL 22 is a rock solid purchase and one that should make the community and fans satisfied.
On the other hand, if you truly could care less about the plot, there are some fascinating mechanical elements to mess around with here. Using homebrewed potions to level up is a terrific idea. Having a difficulty scale that’s both harsh and forgiving is a great way to hook a wide swath of players. And the hefty list of skills, spells, and summons means you can fight every battle in a new way. But otherwise, you’d best be wary about picking up Witchspring3 Re:Fine – The Story of Eirudy.
Paint the Town Red is a unique, fun experience for the first couple of times you play it. The game has adequate graphics and sound design that match the wackiness and a couple of game modes that should keep you engaged when trying them all out. But Paint the Town red suffers from repetitive gameplay, limited combat options, no story or depth to hook your interest, and little to no replayability. For a $19.99 purchase, we’d say consider holding off until a discount drops the price.
Action Arcade Wrestling successfully achieves its prime purpose of being fun. With a ton of customization options, you can create matches that only existed in your wildest dreams. Although the power-ups and spots may put off purists, the love and admiration for the sport are evident throughout the game.
Road 96 is a brave step forward in the world of narrative-driven video games. The snippet style structure superbly interweaves the diverse cast of characters creating an incredible journey through an authoritarian world. Although there are performance issues, this is an experience like no other and a must for fans of story-based games.
In one sense, spending hours mowing virtual lawns in a game could be considered a ridiculous waste of time. But aside from being a satisfying management sim, the act of mowing lawns in Lawn Mowing Simulator can be surprisingly relaxing and maybe even a little inspiring.
On the PS4, Fort Triumph is exactly the same experience it was on PC, which is to say that it is an approachable, turn-based tactical RPG with a fantasy setting and a strong sense of humor that deflates some heroic stereotypes along the way. There’s plenty of content and while nothing about the original game, or the port, is wildly innovative, the destructible environments add a bit of tactical interest to the battles. The game’s humor may or may not work for you, but the mechanics and gameplay are probably a great introduction to the genre for younger players or experienced gamers looking for a more casual tactical approach, layered with a bit of satire and fun.
Crimson Spires is a visual novel that has interesting characters and a relatively unexplored setting for the genre. Combining romance, science fiction, horror, mystery, vampires and the supernatural into one tasty soufflé, Crimson Spires isn’t a perfect meal but it’s definitely worth tasting.
Doomsday Vault is a charming title with a great message. I just wish there was a bit more of a narrative to help drive the player along, as I didn’t feel particularly inspired to move forward even though I knew I needed to. As a game for casual gamers or for the younger players getting into puzzlers, I would definitely recommend it.
Greak: Memories of Azur is a heartfelt, thrilling adventure. With three leading characters, the game has managed to carve its own identity within a crowded genre. The jaw-dropping visuals and intricate soundtrack ooze atmosphere, enticing you to explore every inch of the world. Although controlling several characters at once can be troublesome, it takes nothing away from this fascinating, methodically paced, puzzle-platforming quest about family, home and hope.
Ven VR Adventure is overall a solid platforming adventure that uses its many gameplay influences well. There are some nice courses to play through and a visually appealing world to unlock in around 5 hours. They’ve also improved the game from previous versions, allowing you to send Ven backward to retrace missed parts of a level. But I still wish that darn camera didn’t intrude on the fun so much; that issue and a general sameness were a letdown to what is otherwise a game with lots of positives.
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.