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DONTNOD Entertainment’s decision to depart from their usual episodic format and release Twin Mirror as a full experience without interruption is a welcome change. However, the short length means that characters and plot points are not fully developed therefore hindering the emotional connection the gamers tend to have with the company’s deep and usually complex personalities. Although not as strong as some of DONTNOD’s previous efforts, Twin Mirror is still a solid Interactive Drama which includes some interesting mechanics. The introduction of the Mind Palace is great but is unfortunately underutilized. However, even with pacing issues, the intriguing story and characters will keep you hooked.
The complexity of the interlocking systems in Empire of Sin feel like more than the game can handle. For every time a story emerges about love and loss as I described above, there are times when your speakeasy suddenly starts losing money and the game doesn’t communicate why. I’m sure through hours of play a pattern will emerge, but for now too much is too opaque and difficult.
Chronos: Before the Ashes is a calming, serene, yet challenging game that is perfect for gamers who want to try skill-based combat but aren’t ready for classic entries to the genre, like the Souls games. It’s connections to Remnant: From the Ashes are abundant enough to make fans of the game see them with glee, but not so important to make it a necessity. The level design and art style is simple yet beautiful, and the controls are satisfying and tight.
I will fully admit to getting stuck in a few places. On a few tries, I overextended too quickly or didn’t adapt well to the changing planet. I always mismanage my electrical grid, or my maintenance bots, and build my way into a corner. But I keep coming back. Never before has a strategy game offered me such an involved story in such a staid sandbox. I think I’ll be turning Mars green for a long time to come.
While I’m eagerly anticipating the next installment in the Mortal Kombat franchise and Injustice sequel, MK 11 Ultimate Edition is a great void filler to close out this generation of consoles that will be playable whenever I upgrade to the Xbox Series X.
VR still comes with a lot of caveats, but the experience is rapidly improving. Though even with our current limitations, visual novels feel like a natural fit for the medium. The elevated immersion, the low levels of interactivity required, and the pace all feel like inevitable steps forward for the whole visual novel genre. To that end, Beyond Chronos is a great example of what can be done with visual novels in VR. While the voice acting and some of the dialogue is a little rough, the major story beats are truly engaging.
No, Dragon Quest XI S is not technically perfect. It has Switch graphics, is a little on the easy side, and isn’t going to convert any non-JRPG fans. But it is a game that shines so brightly! The story, visuals, music, and gameplay come together to create an unforgettable experience. This is one of the games I will always have a physical copy of and will revisit every few years for the rest of my life.
Sackboy: A Big Adventure represents a nearly forgotten genre of game, and represents it in fine fashion. Competent if not revolutionary platforming propels Sackboy through a stunning world full of fun set pieces and clever writing, while an approachable challenge level opens the experience to all skill levels. It’s about having fun, and Sackboy’s first full adventure absolutely succeeds.
As a psychological horror that uses one of the most iconic horror games of the last-gen as its inspiration, it works incredibly well. I never thought walking down a hallway in a game could fill me with such dread, but every single staircase, hallway, and door ramped my anxiety all the way up. In all honesty, for the first couple of days, I could only play it for 10 minutes at a time before I had to call it quits. As someone who watches horror movies all the time, getting me to tap out before you even scare is a feat to be proud of. By that measure, Visage should be bursting with pride!
At first glance, it may seem like Immortals is a mish-mash of several games that came before but it’s from the ashes of these that Fenyx Rises. Oozing with charm, you’ll fall in love with the characterization and delivery of the narrative and want to explore every nook and cranny of the rich and diverse Grecian world.
Even as a fairly short game, Spirit of the North managed to accomplish what it had set out to achieve – to tell us a story without words and to slow us down. A truly unique experience where the visuals and music were its greatest strengths, it shows that a game does not have to be filled with excitement for it to be gratifying. It wasn’t a perfect adventure, but it served as an important reminder to always be curious about your surroundings, to take your time, and to stop and smell the flowers.
This is a difficult game to review because its strengths are also its weaknesses, and while I clearly have a lot to complain about, I think it’s in the Dragon Age way of, “I liked it so I want it to be better”—and Dragon Age: Origins is my favorite game of all time. Chicken Police – Paint it RED! has style and panache in spades. The worldbuilding is interesting, the puzzle gameplay was fun, and the voice acting was very strong throughout. I like Santino Featherland and his partner Marty, and even more amazingly, I like a bunch of the side characters too. I’m obsessed with Archibald, the gangster with an impeccable French accent.
Observer is a decent game. The highly detailed environments and disturbing dream sections are hobbled only by the gameplay’s limited, repetitive nature during the real world sections. It features a solid voice work performance from Rutger Hauer too. As an early title for the PS5, there is much to be impressed with. Observer runs smooth and loads quickly, and it looks great even though the artistic direction subdues the impact. However, the old dictum remains – good graphics alone do not make for a great game.
The Sims 4: Snowy Escape gives us a ton of fun new content and a beautiful new location. The new activities, the CAS and Buy/Build modes, festivals and clothing we get to play with is certainly worth the price. And with the new added features of having the lifestyles system in place, it really brings the game together and EA needed that, especially since the debacle with the last expansion pack. So, what are you waiting for? Grab those skis and snowboards and get ready to hit those slopes!
This game is kind of a rare beast. The gameplay is more accessible than ever, while the story has reached a new plateau on Mount Convoluted. Players who missed it the first time will be thrilled, but even experienced fans will have good reasons to double dip. The features included make this an excellent Special Edition while being a decent PS5 release. I’m not so invested I want to go back and play the games I missed, though I am glad I came back to the series. If smooth gameplay is your yardstick, then this is the definitive version for you. On the other hand, there are better graphical show pieces for the PS5 out there. Even so, I can easily recommend Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition for new and old fans alike.
While Godfall’s technical components of gameplay and graphics were solid, the game overall is just fine. As mentioned, the narrative as told throughout is relatively shallow, and despite a fun combat system, it does get repetitive. Finally, the recurrence of a number of bugs hampered my personal experience, and these do not appear to be an isolated case. While I quite enjoyed Godfall at the outset, it began to wane on me over time, and what might have been a decent launch title may not seem like it years from now.
If you’re a fan of the Sniper Elite franchise, Sniper Elite 4 on Nintendo Switch is definitely worth checking out. It’s a new campaign in the series with necessary improvements from the last installment, while fans from other platforms can enjoy their favorite Sniper Elite Italian campaign from the comfort of their bed or on their commute to work. Sniper Elite 4 brings snipers into new locations featuring ruined castles, bayside watchtowers, vast orchards, underground tunnels, occupied cities, and far more. The scope of the game may seem common on Xbox One and PS4, but these vast sandbox areas are impressive on the Nintendo Switch when it’s undocked. Rebellion Developments have improved upon the game through updates already and it’s likely that they’ll continue to make the experience silkier smooth moving forward. I personally encountered some issues that were solved by the team swiftly and I commend the developers for that.
Demon’s Souls established what came next and it’s all due to its first-class design decisions that are still in Souls games today. For those of you who missed it and came in later through Dark Souls, you’ll be right at home here. Don’t miss out on the PS5’s showpiece if you can. You deserve to experience Demon’s Souls with Bluepoint’s elevation of it. I can’t wait to see what comes next from Bluepoint, From Software, and the PS5.
Bright Memory is a very, very short game. I played through it twice, each time the total game time was between 30-40 minutes in length. There isn’t a lot of reason to replay the short campaign either, save for earning Achievements – they even included an Achievement for finishing the game three times. You can dress Shelia up in four different costumes, including the ever-popular school girl outfit, but you really only see them during cutscenes. The game hits a lot of high notes visually, but some design choices, like the bizarre water drop issue and the screen tearing issues, detract from the overall presentation.
For me, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity succeeds on two separate fronts. This is a prequel with the narrative heft required for a game in the Zelda franchise. But, this is also a Musou/Warriors game that twists that formula into something unique and engaging. What emerges from this strange union is an experience unlike either set of source material.